Chapter 10
The Last City was in peril. Their walls had actually been breached by the attacking Fallen Houses.
"ATTACK!" Shaxx roared over the comms as he and the Firebreak Order stormed the streets that were heavily occupied by the Fallen. "PUSH THEM BACK!"
The Titans spared no effort as they slaughtered the Fallen that had gotten within the walls, gunning them down with no mercy.
"Zavala, where are you?" Niko asked through the private channel for his team. He and Tobias were stationed on top of wall, a short distance from the area that the Fallen had broken down. From here they had a good vantage point to observe the battle as it unfolded.
"I'll be there shortly. Do you have eyes on Shaxx?" Zavala asked in return.
"Yeah, his counterattack is starting now." Niko replied as they looked down at the streets below. The Firebreak Order had already pressed the Fallen back to the point where they had breached the wall, and it didn't look like they would be slowing down any time soon.
"Excellent. Between the three of you, one of you should focus on Shaxx, while the remaining two search for Skolas. He's bound to show up soon." Zavala reminded them.
"We're on it Commander." Tobias said with a nod.
Shaxx's counterattack was going as expected. The Firebreak Order and the Fallen were now battling at the choke point in the wall, reaching a stalemate.
"This Shaxx, requesting support from our neighboring sectors. The Fallen are gathering at the breach in the wall, and we can't advance due to their artillery and air support!" Shaxx declared over the open channel between all the Guardians.
"We can't abandon our sectors. But our gun installments will provide you with support fire. You're own your own after that."
"That'll be perfect." Shaxx replied. If the Fallen lost their artillery support, and the Firebreak Order could push forward from the breach. "Give me an update once their artillery is down."
From the top of the wall, Niko and Tobias were using their long range weapons to pick off some of the Fallen Captains in an attempt to remove some of their leadership. But in the sea of foot soldiers, this wouldn't do much in the long run. As time went on though, they could see that the Fallen tactics were adjusting as the number of Walker Tanks with them dwindled.
They were beginning to draw back into the surroundings forests, using it as cover and inviting the Guardians to pursue them.
"We're got them on the run, push forward!" Shaxx ordered, gaining a roar of excitement from his fellow Titans as they burst out of the walls.
"I'm here." Zavala stated as he landed on the top of the wall alongside Niko and Tobias. "And everything is going exactly as I remember. The Fallen here will retreat to the mountain a few miles from here. There's a fort near the peak, which is where the final showdown will take place."
"Do you remember if there was a Kell in that fort?" Niko asked curiously, but Zavala shook his head.
"The report we had said that there was Fallen nobility present in the fort before the battle began. That is likely why Shaxx made his push for it in an attempt to end the battle swiftly. But when he arrived at the fort, there was nothing their beyond the Fallen infantry." Zavala explained.
"So something caused their nobility to flee." Tobias continued. "Do you think that has to do with Skolas?"
"I'm almost certain that it does. If there was anything I've questioned about this battle, it's why their leadership abandoned it. They had the upper hand, they even managed to breach our walls. Why would they leave?" Zavala asked himself once again. And today he might learn the answer to all of this.
"So according to history, there was no Kell in the fort. So our fight with Skolas is probably going to be somewhere else." Niko concluded, getting a nod of agreement from Zavala and Tobias.
"We'll find out soon enough. Shaxx is already making his push. We'll back him up from this point forward and keep a sharp eye for Skolas." Zavala suggested as they all jumped down from the wall. It was an enormous drop, but each of them cushioned their falls through their respective jumps before dashing off in pursuit of the Firebreak Order.
"Diana, we're at the rear of the Firebreak Order. Join up with us when you get the chance." Niko said, waiting for a response from his teammate. But she never answered. "Diana?"
"She's heading north, in the same direction the Firebreak Order is going, but she's way ahead of them." His Ghost pointed out as it brought up the radar on his interface. Diana was quickly putting some distance between them and herself.
"Diana, where are you going?!" Zavala demanded, but she still remained silent.
Niko thumbed his chin for a moment, trying to think of what Diana was doing. And then it hit him as he realized that seeing Briggs must have reopened that wound Skolas had made. She was definitely going after the Kell by herself.
"She's going after Skolas." Niko stated.
"What!?" Tobias and Zavala exclaimed.
"I should've known better than to leave her alone right now." Niko mumbled as his Sparrow was summoned.
"She'll get killed if she goes in there alone." Tobias said.
"I'm right behind you!" Zavala added as he called for his own Sparrow.
Twilight Gap
Skolas stood alone on the cliff outside of the fort that was recognized as Twilight Gap. Down below he could see the carnage as the battle transitioned from the Last City to the heart of the Fallen forces. Their foot soldiers couldn't do a thing to oppose the Firebreak Order as the spirited Titans charged toward the fort.
Everything was going exactly as Skolas had planned. Exposing the location of the Kell of the Kings, the Guardians came charging straight for it. Clearly they would be able to kill off the Kell of Kings, as well as his closest subordinates, which would allow Skolas to establish himself as the head of the Fallen Houses present on Earth. And he would be able to handle the Battle of Twilight Gap how he saw fit.
Hearing the hum of a shrapnel launcher warming up, Skolas glanced over his shoulder find a pair of Barons and a Baroness standing behind him. Each of the Barons were dual wielding the large sabers common among Fallen Captains, while the Baroness held a shrapnel launcher that was aimed at Skolas. All three of them, in some way shape or form had the symbol of the House of Kings on them.
"Skolas, or Lord is displeased with you!" One of the Barons proclaimed as it stepped forward, pointing its sword at him.
"You gave away the location of our Lord. Now beings that are allied with the Great Machine are coming to destroy us!" The Baroness added.
Skolas narrowed his eyes as he looked at the trio. So he had been caught. But that wouldn't matter. There was no escaping the Guardians at this point. None of the Fallen had anticipated that the Guardians would be so aggressive and launch an all-out counterattack against them.
The fact that the Guardians were marching up to the fort now must had had the nobility within the structure on high alert. Their demise was approaching.
"You will pay dearly for putting our Lord in danger!" The final Baron declared as they readied their weapons.
Skolas eyed each of them closely as he turned to face them now. They were quite large for the rank of Barons, close to him in size. They were nothing to take lightly.
The pair of saber wielding Barons rushed forward, raising their weapons to attack him. Reading their movements, Skolas adeptly evaded their attacks with ease. But the two of them ramped up their speed, attacking with all their limbs as they began to work together. The degree of difficulty skyrocketed, leaving Skolas only a fraction of a second to avoid one attack before he had to dodge the next.
The Baroness though kept its shrapnel launcher raised, watching as Skolas became completely absorbed in his duel with the two Barons. Skolas had to be completely focused on the close quarters combat, leaving him wide open for the Baroness to strike him down. Firing its weapon, the projectiles were launcher as a Skolas who was clearly distracted. Or so it thought.
Grabbing the wrist of one Baron to halt his attack, Skolas pulled it into the bath of the fire from the shrapnel launcher, which pelted this Baron in the back.
"Watch where you're firing!" The Baron hissed as the smoldering projectiles were now buried in its back. But in this brief moment where the Baron was focused on its ally, Skolas snapped the wrist of the hand that held on of the swords which he took for himself. The Baron howled in pain from this as it stepped back from him, allowing Skolas to leap at it, throwing his kneel into its abdomen.
The Baron hunched over in pain from this, giving Skolas the freedom to slam the hilt of his sword onto its back which sent it down to the ground with a thud. But Skolas had no mercy as he then raised the saber he held and jammed it into the torso of the Baron. The Baron flailed wildly for a moment, howling in pain. It's movement slowed down though, and then it became motionless as it rested on the ground face down.
The remaining Baron and Baroness glared at him scornfully, raising their weapons once again. Once again, they rushed at him, but Skolas wasn't worried. Ripping his sword out of the Baron he had just defeated, he raised it to engage the other Baron who swung at him wildly. Parrying away its attacks, Skolas could see a pattern in its attack strategy. Frustration was starting to get the better of this Baron since it had yet to land a single blow on him. And with every move it made, it became more obvious what it was going to do next to Skolas.
The only thing stopping him from killing this Baron was the support fire from the Baroness. At every opportunity where he had tried to finish off the Baron, the Baroness had intervened, prolonging its life. Glancing at the Baroness, Skolas knew that he would have to get rid of it first.
Reading then next attack of the Baron, Skolas swung back with all his might to counter this, which caught the Baron off guard as it was knocked backward. Skolas' superior size and strength allowed him to knock away this Baron with ease. So he set his sights on the Baroness.
Taking the sword he held, Skolas threw it at the Baroness. It spun wildly as it curved at its target, but the Baroness had no trouble evading this reckless attack. But Skolas had been moving in the shadow of the sword, pouncing at the Baroness before it could react. Pinning it to the ground, Skolas tightly grasped the neck of the Baroness, beginning to suffocate it as he used his lower hands arms to hold down the arm that held the shrapnel launcher. Fighting back, the Baroness used its remaining three arms to beat away at Skolas, but to no avail.
A roar though gained Skolas' attention as the Baron that he had knocked away jumped into the air. Taking the saber it held and pointing it down at Skolas, the Baron descended toward him, aiming to skewer Skolas with the sword and its full body weight. But Skolas rolled off of the Baroness with a moment to spare, watching as the Baron ran its sword through the chest of its ally. The Baroness lay limp on the ground, staring up at the Baron incredulously.
The Baron was shocked for a moment, realizing that it had killed its ally rather than Skolas. Angrily it turned to the left in search of Skolas, but instead it found itself staring down the barrel of the shrapnel launcher Skolas had taken from the Baroness. Firing away, the Baron howled as it was showered with flaming pieces of metal that burned its skin and punched holes through its cloak.
Jumping away from Skolas, the Baron groaned inwardly, struggling to ignore the pain that had been inflicted upon it.
"Gah!" The Baron exclaimed as it was hit by the shrapnel launcher. But not by the projectiles it fires, but the weapon itself. Skolas had actually hurled the weapon at the Baron, surprising it once again.
Raising its guard from the unexpected blow, Skolas had ample time to rush in and deliver an elbow to the stomach of the Baron, forcing it hunch over. He then took this opportunity to chop down on one of the Baron's hands, forcing it to release the sword it held. Skolas quickly collected this from the ground, and spun around the Baron as it lashed out at him in an effort to create some space between them. But this only put Skolas in position to stab his sword through the side of the Baron's torso.
Skolas twisted the blade sharply, causing the Baron to howl in pain. Skolas then stepped away from the Baron, waiting for it to collapse, but it looked toward him, summoning all of its remaining strength. The Baron took a step forward, and raised the only sword it held, but its vision blurred as it crumbled to the ground in a heap.
"Heh, was this all that the Kings could gather to send after me?" Skolas asked himself with a cackle, but this amusement was short lived as he large gust of wind gained his attention. Looking up at the fort, Skolas watched s three Skiffs rose up from the opposite side of the building, activating their cloaking as they turned to leave. "What?!"
Grabbing the shrapnel launcher that had landed nearby and ripping his sword of the final Baron he had killed, Skolas took off in a mad dash into the fort. This wasn't part of the plan! Why were there Skiffs leaving the scene?
Charging through the corridors, Skolas bounded from wall to wall as he crossed through the base at an incredible speed. In a matter of a minute, he had reached the other end of the fort. Racing out onto one of the balconies, he could see that there was only one Skiff remaining that the last of the Kings' nobility was climbing into. And hanging from one of the handle bars at the bottom of the Skiff was the Kell of the Kings. Spotting Skolas, the Kell gave him a small wave as the Skiff began to depart.
"Where are you going?!" Skolas hollered, but the Kell of the Kings remained unresponsive as he climbed into the aircraft, allowing it to close up completely before the ship vanished from sight.
"Please, do you think that my Lord would allow you to run around unsupervised?"
Skolas whirled around to find a mere Dreg standing behind him on the balcony.
"Everyone here has been suspicious of you. But when you killed some of our own, we knew you couldn't be trusted. Now all of the Eliksni here will perish because my Lord isn't here to lead them. This battle is lost because of you!" The Dreg proclaimed, pointing at him. "You are the reason that the Great Machine will remain out of our reach-"
The Dreg was set ablaze by the shrapnel launcher Skolas held, dying instantly. Skolas then turned at where the Skiff had previously been, and threw his head back to roar defiantly at the skies above. This wasn't his fault! None of it was!
The Kings had chosen to be cowards and abandon this fight. The Fallen were doomed because of them! But he could still escape though, and gather the Fallen again on his own. He would become the Kell of Kells no matter how long it took!
The structure shook, causing Skolas to lose his balance momentarily.
The Guardians had arrived at the fort.
He had to get out of here! Leaping off the balcony, Skolas dropped down to the field below which led to a cliff with a steep drop. Fearlessly though, he jumped off the cliff and absorbed the landing without so much as a flinch. He now stood in a clearing on the mountainside, but the fort was well above him now. The Guardians were already inside, so he didn't have time to waste.
There was nothing to stop him now though.
But an ear piercing screech gained his attention as he looked up. Approaching him was a gray blur that left a trail of white smoke behind it. A rocket!
Spotting the rocket, Skolas dashed away from where it would hit the ground, but even though he had gotten quite a bit of distance from the point of impact, he was still knocked off his feet. The blast radius was absolutely ridiculous. Resting on his stomach for a moment, Skolas turned over to see the grassy clearing he had landed in was nothing more than a black field now.
A direct hit from that rocket would kill him, he wouldn't question that. But as he looked up, he saw several small nodes descending toward him. One of them touched his forearm and his skin turned black from it. Skolas wasted no time jumping to his feet as he darted away from the rest of these attackers. Managing to outrun them, they all detonated allowing Skolas to sigh with relief. That rocket was something special.
"You're not going anywhere Skolas!" A voice proclaimed.
Turning around, Skolas found that it was Diana who had shouted at him. She stood at the center of the black field with a large and decorated rocket launcher on her shoulder. That had to be source of the rocket that had been fired at him. He would have to be careful fighting her if she possessed such a weapon. But the slight dread Skolas had been experiencing waned as Gjallarhorn faded out of Diana's hands, being replaced by a fusion rifle. Why would she choose not to use such a fearsome weapon?
Exhaling, Skolas shook his head for a moment. These Guardians were certainly some fearsome warriors, but foolish ones as well. He would make Diana pay for this decision.
Raising his shrapnel launcher, he pulled the trigger, causing the weapon to fire out a group of fiery orbs at Diana. In response, she barrel rolled to the side, evading this forward attack method with ease, but as she got back onto her feet, Skolas was already in front of her. Lashing out at her with one of his lower arms, he knocked Diana off her feet, sending her sliding across the clearing.
With a groan, Diana forced herself back to her feet quickly. Letting Skolas get so close to her was the first thing she had to address. From the moment he closed the distance between them, Diana was in for the beating of a lifetime. She would have to keep him at a distance at all costs.
Eyeing Skolas as he leaned forward, preparing to dash at her again, Diana created a sphere of Void Light in her hand which she threw at the ground in front of her. The Vortex grenade spiraled in front of her, causing Skolas to hesitate for a moment as he planned out a new course to approach Diana, and this was all she needed. Diana Blinked, straight to him.
Skolas was caught by surprise as Diana was floating in the air right in front of his face, her hand cocked back. From someone that was roughly a third of his size, she hit him pretty hard. Skolas was no resting on his bottom, shocked from the blow he had received from Diana. But this was a fair trade though since he had just hit her hard as well.
Diana followed up her opening attack though, unleashing a fury of energy bolts from her fusion rifle which she had been charging from the moment she Blinked. Skolas grunted as the bolts hit him before he rolled over, placing himself on his feet. But in the moment he had lost track of Diana, she moved from where she had previously been.
Skolas then gave a roar as he was hit by another burst of energy bolts, this time from above him. Diana smirked within her helmet as she spun in the air and landed on her feet behind Skolas. She may not have been as quick as Skolas, but her anticipation was second to none. She would always be two steps ahead of him, creating an opportunity to attack.
Skolas whirled around, giving Diana a dark glare as she aimed her weapon at him. She was ready for their next exchange of attacks, and he was quickly becoming irritated. She was nothing more than a best, yet he couldn't land a clean hit on her. The injuries had sustained during their first battle on Venus hadn't healed yet, and it was beginning to slow him down. A Guardian was a far greater opponent than anything the House of Kings could've thrown at him.
He would have to end this as quickly as possible.
Leaning forward once again, he darted at Diana who had expected as much. Her fusion rifle had been pre charged, and fired in the direction Skolas was approaching from, once again forcing him to readjust his course. But he did so quickly, closing in on Diana once again. Swing out at her with his sword, Skolas snorted as he failed to make contact with her. She had Blinked once again.
Looking up was the first thing he did, but Diana wasn't airborne. Skolas then spun around, checking every direction, but she was just…gone.
"Hah!" Diana shouted as she burst out of a seam, slamming her palm into Skolas' torso. The Void Light that had been circling around her arm became like a vacuum, draining Skolas of some of his strength as Diana jumped away from him. Skolas was stunned for a moment before he dropped down to one knee, struggling to keep his balance. What did she do to him?
Diana almost wanted to cheer at how successfully that had gone. Skolas had clearly become accustomed to her reappearing immediately when she Blinked, so Diana delayed her return from the Void by just a few moments, clearly catching Skolas off guard once again. And with a sharp blow to his torso to trigger the infamous leech like abilities of Voidwalkers, Diana found herself staring at the Kell of the Wolves on his knees. For just a few moments, the Skolas wouldn't even have the strength to move.
She would end this here and now.
"Ghost, I need the Gjallarhorn." Diana declared as she raised her hands. Her fusion rifle was immediately replaced by the large rocket launcher, which caused Skolas' eyes to widen as he realized what was going to happen. He couldn't take such a blow from that weapon.
Diana began to back away, putting some distance between them in preparation for the powerful explosion from a Gjallarhorn rocket. As she did so, she lined up the sights with Skolas who was fighting to get back onto his feet, but he wasn't finding any success. Diana had sapped him of his strength momentarily, forcing him to remain still to receive his death blow.
'This if for Iggy.' Diana stated as she fired. The rocket launcher screeched as the projectile left the barrel, racing toward Skolas. Staring at blur as it approached him, Skolas found some strength, enough strength to use just one arm. The arm that held his shrapnel launcher. Hurling the weapon at the approaching rocket, the two objects collided, detonating the rocket. Skolas was sent rolling across the field from the point of impact, his skin and cloak being scorched from the intense heat, but he was still alive.
Standing near the edge of the clearing now, Diana was trying to remain cautious as the smoke from the explosion slowly cleared away. There was no way anything could've survived a direct hit from a Gjallarhorn rocket, but Skolas couldn't be taken lightly. She had to make sure he was dead.
Suddenly, a small portion of the smoke parted, revealing Skolas a he raced at Diana. Her eyes became wide as he got to her almost instantly, his arms raised to crush her. Diving to her right to avoid being smashed, Diana didn't even have time to recover as Skolas swatted at her with one of his lower arms, sending her tumbling away. Coming to a stop, Diana's head was spinning now as she struggled to reorient herself, but opponent didn't have the slightest bit of mercy as he approached her once again, kicking her across the field.
Diana screamed as she hit the trunk of a tree at the edge of the clearing with a thud before she slumped to the ground. She couldn't believe how quickly things had been flipped on her. She was certain that she had set up Skolas perfectly to receive a Gjallarhorn to the face, yet she was lying on her side now with the Kell standing over her. How did that happen?
She was certain that she could fight Skolas by herself. From the first time she had fought the Wolves during the Reef Wars, Diana wanted nothing more than to avenge her people, her family. But even as a Guardian, she still wasn't strong enough to do so. Not even for Briggs…
Skolas stared down at Diana, impressed that she had almost beaten him. He would praise her if he could speak her language, but an honorable death would have to do. Raising his sword, Skolas spun the weapon so that the blade was pointing down at Diana, and he thrusted it toward her.
Clang!
Skolas' eyes became wide as his sword was stopped, despite all the strength he had put into this attack. Standing in between him and Diana was Tobias, who hadn't moved an inch as he used his own tanto to block Skolas' weapon.
"Diana, what the hell are you doing?!" Niko barked at her as she dropped down beside her, scooping her up in his arms before he jumped away from Skolas and Tobias. Zavala was waiting for them a bit farther away, which is where Niko went to-to set Diana down on the ground again.
She was at a loss for words as Niko kneeled down in front of her, beginning to examine her. Diana then looked back at Tobias who had intercepted Skolas's attack, saving her life. He was fearlessly staring at the Kell as the two of them grinded their blades against the other, trying to see whose strength was superior.
"You're lucky this time Diana. I managed to mitigate the spinal injury you received. It'll only take a few more minutes to repair it completely." Her Ghost revealed as it appeared alongside her, revealing her injuries to Niko.
"I'll give Tobias some back up." Niko stated as he drew his tanto, preparing to dash into the fight. But Zavala extended his arm outward to halt Niko.
"Hold on." Zavala stated.
"What's the matter?" Niko asked him.
"Tobias…he seems, different." Zavala noted as he observed the Guardian as he and Skolas finally separated, staring at one another. Zavala couldn't find the words to describe it, but as he stared at Tobias, he could feel his Light radiating from him. Zavala just knew that he was about to witness something special. "Niko, don't interfere."
"For real?" Niko exclaimed, receiving a nod from Zavala.
Tobias was shocked that his tanto hadn't been broken when he used it to intercept Skolas. But just like Niko has said, the blade was practically indestructible when it was charged with Arc Light. Now allowed the Arc Light to flow through his entire body, Tobias took a deep breath as he entered Arc Blade. He knew that if Niko needed this just to keep with Skolas on Venus, than he certainly would as well.
Skolas however, looked around at the four Guardians that were present around him. He had spent too much time fighting Diana when he had intended to escape. But now that seemed unlikely with four of them here.
The brief moment where he had been on his knees staring at Diana flashed through his mind. Running was unacceptable now. He was the Kell of Kells! The legendary hero that would return the Fallen to prosperity. A few of these pathetic warriors wouldn't be able to stop him! He kneeled before no one!
With a roar, Skolas reengaged Tobias, dropping his sword down onto Tobias who raised his tanto to block it again. But the impact was even greater than last time, sending out a gust of wind from them, but Tobias stood beneath the Skolas' sword, unaffected. Skolas lifted his sword again to drop it a second time, but now Tobias was gone, just like Diana. The Kell only had a moment to search for him before Tobias appeared above him, landing a drop kick to the top of Skolas' head.
But Skolas lashed out at him, swatting the airborne Tobias away from him. Tobias was sent flying parallel to the ground from this hit, so he took his tanto and slammed it into the ground beneath him to bring him to an immediate stop. Landing on his feet, Tobias yanked his tanto out of the ground before looking up at Skolas who had pounced at him.
"Look out Tobias!" Diana shouted while Niko leaned forward to dash in, but Zavala stepped into his path.
"What are you doing?" Niko asked him.
"Wait a moment." The Titan Vanguard suggested.
"He's in trouble though!" Niko pointed out.
"Just give him a chance."
Tobias raised his tanto once again, but his aim wasn't just to block Skolas' attack anymore. Swing back with all his might, their blades met which sent both of them stumbling backward. Their power was equal despite the difference in size. The two of them planted their feet and went at each other again, beginning to go back and forth as they swung at the other. There was no skill or finesse involved in this sword fight. It was nothing but a test of brute strength. At least until Tobias had-had enough of it.
Skolas swung out at Tobias once again, but he missed him completely. Tobias was gone once again, having disappeared into a seam, using the same trick Diana had.
Up in the air behind Skolas, Tobias reappeared with his scout rifle in his free hand and aimed at Skolas whose back was turned to him. Firing away at the Kell, Tobias buried several shots into his back, hitting the wounds Niko had put on Skolas back on Venus. Skolas howled as he spun around instinctively to protect his area of weakness, but met face first with a Vortex grenade that blinded him momentarily.
With this opportunity now, Tobias landed on his feet and rushed at Skolas who had backed out of the Vortex grenade, regaining his sight. But with little time to react to the approaching Tobias, Skolas swung out wildly, allowing Tobias to evade this easily. Darting around Skolas, Tobias went straight for his back once again, targeting what was left of the horn Niko had severed during their first battle. Slashing at it with his tanto, Skolas gave an even greater roar of pain before he spun around to slap Tobias away. But a sharp pain ran from his back through all four of his arms, forcing him to drop them to his sides. Even lifting his arms was becoming too painful to bear. Tobias was clearly going after his weak spot.
This situation was becoming more and more unfavorable for Skolas.
"Wait a second, since when could Tobias do all of that?" Niko exclaimed. He had seen Tobias uses the abilities separately when they were practicing, but now, he was seamlessly blending Voidwalker abilities while using Arc Blade. Tobias was all over the place, using speed and space magic to cause havoc for Skolas.
"He's weak Tobias, take him down!" Diana hollered, but this fell on deaf ears.
Tobias could only hear a low white noise. His head was pounding, his lips were dry, and his eyes were wide. This was like the same rush he had fighting the Captain during his first night in the Cosmodrome. He felt incredible!
Skolas roared again as he fought to raise his arms once more. His injuries were making it too difficult just to fight one of them. How was he going to defeat the other three? Was he actually going to be beaten here? Seeing Tobias push forward to attack once again, Skolas took one of his free hands and began to slap his abdomen in an attempt to distract himself from the pain. He then stomped the ground, sending out a small shockwave to disrupt Tobias as he neared him.
Having the ground shake beneath him, Tobias lost his footing which left him to come skidding to a halt in front of Skolas on his side. Now was his chance. Raising his sword, Skolas roared, as if to tell Tobias to go into oblivion as he aimed to viciously skewer him. But Tobias had a response, a very big one.
Slamming his sword into the ground, Skolas' eyes became narrow as he saw that his sword had only pierced the earth. He had failed to get Tobias once again. And now Tobias was behind him, floating in the air with his right hand cocked back and shinning brilliantly with Void Light.
"Rah!" Tobias shouted as he thrusted his hand forward, heaving an enormous mass of swirling Void Light down onto Skolas. The Kell couldn't even move away from the attack as he was buried underneath this Nova Bomb. Tobias landed on the ground and threw his head back with a triumphant shout to the skies above.
The three Guardians that had been observing the battle were left speechless by Tobias' display of strength, proving Zavala's hunch to be correct. There was much more to Tobias than what meets the eye.
"Did you see that?!" Tobias shouted as he turned to his teammates, pointing at them. "Did you see that?!"
"Hell yeah I did!" Niko yelled in response as he began to run toward Tobias to celebrate. But this was short lived as Niko's exhilaration turned to panic. Skolas rose up from the crater Tobias had stuffed him into, glaring menacingly at Tobias whose back was now turned to him.
"Tobias!" Diana screamed.
Realizing everyone was looking past him, Tobias spun around to see Skolas looming over him, his arms raised. Skolas' tenacity was praiseworthy. No matter how much he was beaten down, the Kell continued to fight. Tobias felt a smile form on his face now that the fight wasn't over. Truthfully, he wanted it to continue.
Dropping his scout rifle and tanto, Tobias summoned a gray pistol which he raised to aim at Skolas. But as he became engulfed in flames, channeling Solar Light into the weapon, Tobias' arms dropped.
All of his strength was gone.
"He's out of gas!" Niko shouted, as both he and Zavala sprang into action.
Skolas grunted, struggling to find the motivation to move. He was in excruciating pain, even as he stood completely still. He had only fought two Guardians so far, and they had best him. His allies were gone, he was alone, and an army of Guardians were approaching. Looking out in the distance, Skolas saw the Traveler hovering over the Last City, and his vision became refocused.
He couldn't die. Not yet. He had to escape!
Cursing in his native tongue, Skolas summoned every ounce of his willpower to begin moving his legs. Turning away from the Tobias, he tensed the muscles in his legs. All he needed was one jump, to get some separation from them and buy himself a little bit of time to rest. But the Guardians thought otherwise.
"Don't let him get away!" Zavala ordered.
"Damn it!" Tobias shouted, unable to find the strength to even move. He could barely keep his balance at the moment. He had never been so tired before.
"It's alright Tobias, we'll take it from here." Niko said as he passed Tobias, dashing toward Skolas. Lengthening his tanto with Arc Light once again, Niko sped up to launch his finishing attack. He wouldn't miss his target this time. Passing Skolas, Niko swung his sword before he came to a stop in front of the Kell.
Seeing Niko appear in front of him, his sword lowered, Skolas' eyes became wide as his left thigh split. His leg fell to the ground having been severed with a clean cut by Niko's blade. Losing his balance, Skolas fell to the ground as Zavala followed up. The Titan Vanguard leaped into the air, becoming surrounded with Arc Light as he raised both his hands above his head. The blue electricity around him began to spark and sputter as he came crashing down next to Skolas, sending out a shockwave that threw the Kell high into the air.
"Finish this Diana!" Niko called out to his teammate who had been ready and waiting.
Looking down the sights of her Gjallarhorn once again, Diana took aim at the airborne Skolas.
"This, is for all the crimes you've committed. For the lives you took. The families you've ruined. And the relationships you destroyed." Diana whispered as she pulled the trigger. A rocket shell was sent hurtling toward Skolas who was floating quietly in the air. From his current vantage point, he glanced up at the military base above them. The Guardians were slaughtering whatever stood in their path now as the Fallen forces were steadily pushed back.
He spun slowly, now facing the Traveler which he had an even better sight of.
He was supposed to reclaim the Traveler. And restore the Eliksni to their former glory. But…he had failed.
The rocket connected with Skolas, engulfing him in a cloud of white smoke. Tobias was blown of his feet from the force of the explosion, throwing him backward for a few meters. But Tobias was brought to a halt by the arms of Diana as she caught him until the winds finally calmed down. Together the four Guardians looked up as the smoke cleared away, revealing that there was nothing of significance above them, and no corpse had dropped to the ground.
"Ghost, do you have any readings on Skolas?" Diana asked, summoning her small partner. There was a moment of silence as her Ghost cycle through some date before it began to turn side to side.
"None at all. Skolas was completely obliterated in that blast." Her Ghost stated, allowing them all to have a sigh of relief. They had done it. Skolas was no more!
"So, care to explain Diana." Niko said as he and Zavala approached her and Tobias.
"Explain what?" She asked in return.
"You running off without us." Niko clarified for her.
"Yeah, what were you thinking back there?" Tobias added, causing Diana to sigh now as she shook her head.
"I wasn't thinking." She replied. "I just wanted to kill him so badly that I just took off."
"That still doesn't justify you acting by yourself." Zavala stated.
"Man Diana, if Briggs were here, he'd have your head." Tobias said to her. "He always says that we're a team. We stick together."
Niko and Zavala took a nervous glance at each other, waiting to see Diana's reaction. But she simply exhaled.
"That's right." She said softly, giving Tobias a nod. "He always said that…and I'll never forget it."
Her face was hidden within her helmet, but her voice was firm. The loss of Briggs was definitely hanging over her, but he was confident that Diana would overcome this hurdle. Hearing some shouts, Zavala looked up, noticing a fireteam of three Titans approaching them.
"We've got Guardians inbound." Zavala said as he stooped down beside Tobias, taking one of his arms and throwing it over his shoulder to support him as they stood up.
"What are they doing here?" Niko asked.
"It's pretty hard not to notice a Gjallarhorn rocket when it goes off. The one Diana just fired must have gotten their attention." Zavala explained as he motioned for Niko to follow him with Tobias. "Regardless of who they are, Niko and I can't speak to them since we're currently stationed elsewhere in this battle."
"So, it falls on me then." Diana said as she rose up, turning in the direction where the team was coming from. Niko, Zavala and Tobias slipped out of the clearing just as the Titans entered it, spotting Diana as she observed charred field she had previously been fighting on. Looking toward the Titans now, Diana's heart sunk at the sight of them.
Leading the trio was none other than Briggs-6.
"Iggy." She whispered as they approached her, looking around with their weapons raised.
"Guardian, can you report what took place here?" Briggs asked her as his two partners separated to inspect some of the damage.
"Some of the Fallen were attempting to escape by scaling down this side of the cliff. My team and I engaged them down here and clearly, we handled them." Diana explained as she motioned to the field.
Briggs stared at her, his optics rotating as he gaze became sharp.
"According to Shaxx, only the Firebreak Order had left the vicinity of the City. So what are you, a Warlock, doing up here?" Briggs asked her. This caused Diana scoff at him in response.
"What, you guys think you're the only ones brave enough to push back. I rounded up my team when you all started to push back and we followed you guys up here." Diana explained to him, her hands on her hips.
"And where's the rest of your team?" Briggs pressed, looking around in search of them.
"They're picking off the stragglers further down. I was just going to join them actually." Diana replied before an explosion from above caused them all to look up at the fort.
"The real fight is up there. We're heading back up." The two Titans that were accompanying Briggs declared. Activating the thrusters on their backs, the two Titans began to scale the cliff, heading back to the fort above them.
"I'll make note that you're fireteam cut off the Fallen's escape path in my report." Briggs said to Diana now that it was just the two of them, his thrusters igniting as well for him to head back.
"Actually, you don't have to mention us. Just give the credit to Shaxx for directing us to do so. I'm pretty sure he's going to need it." Diana replied, recalling that the actions Shaxx took here would put him in Saladin's dog house.
"Alright Guardian, good luck." Briggs said as he looked up, beginning to rise. But Diana grabbed onto his forearm before he could take off completely, keeping him beside her.
"Hold on a second." She said to him. Briggs cut his thrusters, putting him back on his feet in front of her.
Diana placed a hand on the back of her neck, deactivating her helmet. The protective covering dematerialized, revealing her face to him. Briggs was a bit taken aback by her teary eyes and the soft smile she wore.
"Please, remember me." Diana almost begged him. "Please."
"What do you mean? He questioned her. But Diana's helmet formed around her face once again.
"You'll know in due time. Until then, be safe…Iggy." She stated as a roar from above them caused Briggs to look up again. It was shout a of victory by all of the Titans of the Firebreak Order now that they had successfully taken control of Twilight Gap.
Returning his gaze to Diana, Briggs discovered that she had already left him, disappearing into the thick foliage at the edge of the clearing. He didn't really know what to think of her at the moment, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. Activating his thrusters a second time, he scaled the cliff as well to join the Titans that were within the fort.
Diana felt her heart skip as she raced in between the tree trunks in search of her team. As much as Zavala and his Ghost had told them not to disturb the progression of history, there was one thought in her mind from the moment she saw Briggs in the City. It wasn't a coincidence that she saw him. It couldn't be.
"Haven't we met before?"
That was the first thing Briggs-6 had asked her when she first arrived in the Tower. Even though Diana had explained that she had previously been the Reef to him, and how she had just become a Guardian, Briggs insisted that they had met before. And now she finally understood. She had her own part to play in this loop in time.
The end her close friendship with Briggs on Venus, was also the beginning of it.
The trio of men she had been teamed up with came into view, with Tobias resting against a tree trunk while Zavala and Niko stood upright, talking amongst themselves.
"It looks like everything went well back there." Zavala noted as Diana joined them. She gave him a nod.
"At least that worked out." Niko muttered, earning a look of concern from Diana.
"What's the matter?" She asked them.
"New problem." Niko stated. "How do we get home?"
"The same way we…got here." Diana trailed off, realizing that without Skolas, their gateway through time was lost. "Crap…what are we going to do?"
"Can we stay here?" Tobias asked the group.
"I don't think so." Zavala replied as he folded his arms in front of his chest. There was no way two Zavala's could've been in existence at the same time from this moment forward. Zavala was certain that he would notice…eventually. So how would they get home?
"Problem solved!" Diana's Ghost declared as it appeared in the center of the group. "And we actually have Niko to thank for it!"
"Me?" Niko said as he pointed to himself. "What did I do?"
"You severed Skolas' leg, which wasn't blown up with the rest of him fortunately. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to recover a very small portion of the Mind Core that had fused with him." Her Ghost explained to them.
"How did you manage to do that?" Zavala inquired.
"Oh right, you weren't there Zavala. Back on Venus, Skolas absorbed the core so that he could be able to travel through time. There were only a few remnants of the core in his leg, but it was enough for me to get us a one way trip back to our time."
"Impressive." Zavala noted with a nod of admiration. Diana's Ghost had been coming to their rescue throughout this mission, opening the lift for them back on Venus, and now it had found a way to return them to their own time.
"I'm just going to give you all a fore warning, there's a chance you could lose a limb…or two." Diana's Ghost revealed to them, causing the group to deadpan.
"Why the hell would that happen?" Niko asked, furrowing his brow.
"Well I'm working with what's left of the Mind Core. I can get you back home, just not…all in one piece." Her Ghost replied as it summoned a portal, causing a bright blue light to form above them. "So you know, if you come out on the other side with an arm or leg missing, don't be surprised."
The group gulped audibly.
Venus
Ishtar Region
Terminus
The Guardians that had stormed the Vex Citadel were a little confused to say the least.
After Skolas had disappeared into one of the time portals along with fireteam Undaunted, the Wolves fell into total disarray. Aksor had attempted to reign in the troops that now lacked direction, but without Skolas here to tether him this point in time, Aksor faded out of existence. The Guardians steamrolled the Wolves that remained, and then everything became quiet.
Now all of them were waiting anxiously no the final platform for Zavala and Undaunted to return. They had ample time to revive any of their comrades that had been killed, restoring all of the Guardians that taken part in this mission, save for just one.
Finally though, the final portal lip up, gaining everyone's attention. The Guardians readied their weapons, filling the area with the sound of rifles and cannons clicking.
"Something's coming through!"
Much to everyone's relief though, Commander Zavala was spat out of the portal. The Titan Vanguard came tumbling out, agonizing in pain as he held his right shoulder, which was the only portion of his right arm that he still had. The rest of it had been removed completely.
Tobias came through next, followed immediately by Niko who crashed into him, knocking both of them to the ground. Tobias was the only one who was fine, his only complaint being that Niko had fallen on him. But Niko was too busy shouting about his missing left hand to care about Tobias. And last but not least, Diana stumbled out of the portal where she immediately gave herself a pat down, checking to see if she was alright. And fortunately, like Tobias she had completed the trip without any adverse effects.
"Petra, they've returned!" The Guardians declared over the comms.
"The team that pursued Skolas is back?" She asked them, while calling for Variks.
"And what of Skolas?" The raspy voice questioned them.
"He's dead. And I wouldn't have it any other way." Diana stated, causing the Guardians to give a shout now that their mission was complete.
"Skolas is now more. House Wolves have scattered." Variks noted, nodding to himself.
"I think it's safe to say that the threat of the Wolves if finally over. Guardians, we owe you a great deal of gratitude for your efforts and support. And I'm sure my Queen thinks likewise." Petra said, thanking the Guardians for everything they had done from Earth to Venus.
Various Guardians had rushed to the Diana and Tobias, showering them with questions about where they had gone. Zavala and Niko on the other hand requested that they be killed to be revived with their missing limbs intact. The process didn't take too long, but during this time quite a few of the Guardians looked curiously at the portal that was still open.
"Hey Ghost, why hasn't the portal closed yet?" Diana asked her small partner who turned to it as well.
"I have no idea." It replied before the portal grew brighter momentarily. It then shot out one final person who had made the journey through time, causing everyone to raise their weapons once again.
But it was a small Hunter who came out, her hands raised in the air at the sight of all the weapons aimed at her.
"Um…hi."
A/N
And that ends my take on House of Wolves. Skolas' lofty ambitions got the better of him as he was exposed and betrayed by what he thought was his allies. I've read countless times that the Kell of the Kings (Still no name at this point), is cunning and sly, so I wouldn't think it would be much of a surprise for him to betray Skolas at Twilight Gap.
Anyway, I'm pumped because of some of the future chapters I have planned already. I'm so hyped to get to those parts, but I don't want to rush anything either. Anyway, the next few chapters are more of a set up for the next portion of the story that's coming along, so I'm aiming to post those rapidly to get us all to the good stuff faster.
As always guys, thanks for reading and all the support. I'll see you next time!