Chapter 38
Neo Chicago
The Mulligan
The thud of bird dropping to the ground failed to earn the attention of anyone within the main plaza of the Mulligan. Guardians stood frozen in their posts in what appeared to be a stoppage in time. All across the city, everyone and everything came to a standstill. Transports that required manual direction went crashing into buildings, but these accidents went unnoticed.
Only one man, perched high on a balcony that overlooked the Mulligan continued to move. Intrigue could be seen on his face if it wasn't hidden away behind a mask. He looked over the edge of the balcony, taking a sweeping glance of the entire area. Not a single soul was in motion. The Speaker furrowed his brow and raised his gaze upward with a thought of the battlefield in Mars.
The weight of the Darkness had been lifted, albeit briefly. This left him to assume that their enemy, Titus, had been felled by the Guardians. But just as soon as he relaxed, the Darkness returned at an even higher intensity, capturing the Earth in a stasis field.
"What far-reaching power." The Speaker remarked. Titus was light years away from the Earth, yet he could exert his presence such a great distance. Even so, a new thought occurred the Speaker, one that was of far greater concern to him. He was about to witness a test. Was the Taken power that was formerly head by Oryx superior to the Radiant Light that Tobias received from the Traveler.
Scanning the sky, he knew that he would soon find his answer. What appeared to be a black star was descending toward the city, but in pursuit of this was a white star. It closed the gap, and upon making contact with the black star, both of them veered off course into the body of Lake Michigan. A tower of water rose some fifty feet, high enough for the Speaker to see from the heart of Neo Chicago.
Tobias was the first to resurface from the lake, using Arc Light as an electrical platform to stand on the surface of the water. He glanced around quickly, searching for Titus. Several yards away from him, the water began to bubble as Titus' dark form rose from the watery deep. His hand morphed into a lengthy cleaver and he took one step forward, closing the gap between them in an instant. With a shout, he dropped his cleaver onto Tobias who shielded himself with his forearm.
There was a deafening clap from this point of contact, and a surge of energy was released into the water. Tobias had barely kept himself mounted to his small platform, but this small success meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.
The water rose up and fell, and a tidal wave raced out toward Neo Chicago. Glancing over his shoulder, Tobias saw the roaring tsunami grow in size and placed this as his highest priority. With a shout he swept Titus' feet from under him struck him in the torso, launching him to the other side of the lake. Tobias then turned and propelled himself forward as if he were a Warlock, catching up to the wave in a fraction of the second.
Recalling the training he had done with Diana to learn how to Blink, Tobias took in a deep breath to sharpen his concentration. He couldn't afford a mistake now. As he traveled alongside the wave, he tore open a seam into the Void that would soon match the full length of the tsunami. To his relief, the entire wave was swallowed up into the Void, and now all he had to do was put the water back where it came from.
Across the lake on the opposite shore was Titus who was now getting back to his feet. A seam was opened above him, and thousands upon thousands of gallons of water was dumped right on top of him. This hardly affected him though as he raised his only hand, a black orb forming in front of it which he launched toward Neo Chicago.
Tobias quickly realized that he was no longer the target of Titus' assault. Neo Chicago had become his only focus, though he didn't know why. But if this battle continued so close to the city that thousands of people could be killed from just a slight a mishap. He could let the battle stay here.
Observing the sphere as it traveled, it became tremendous in size to the point where it threatened to wipe out half the city in an instant.
As this sphere traveled, it became tremendous in size to the point where Tobias assumed it could grow large enough to swallow the city within it. Calling forth the Radiant Light, Tobias acted. He launched himself at the sizable ball of death and met it at the center of the lake with his forearm. Thrusting his arm forward, he batted the sphere off into the mountains to the north of Lake Michigan where it detonated. The sky turned white briefly from the explosion, and the earth shook violently. Even the water on the lake became choppy in response to this sudden release of energy.
Feeling yet another wave of Darkness, Tobias glanced at Titus and saw him preparing yet another attempt to destroy Neo Chicago. Inhaling sharply, Tobias knew that he couldn't keep this up forever, and rushed off to engage Titus while he was distracted.
Tobias closed the distance between himself and Titus, and for a fraction of a second, their eyes met. Tobias lashed out with a fierce blow to Titus' gut, leaving him writhing in pain as the wind had been knocked out of him.
"Tobias, grab him and take him to this location!" The Traveler called out to him, providing an image of the location within Tobias' mind. He blinked once he understood where he was going, and placed a hand on Titus' shoulder. His thighs and calves became tense, and then he darted off with Titus into the sky as a flash of light.
The Speaker placed his hands behind his back, impressed with what he had seen from Tobias so far.
Tobias had become a seasoned Guardian in the year since he arrived at the Tower, but the Radiant Light made him appear as though he was a Guardian that had practiced and fought for a thousand years. Swallowing up a tidal wave using the Void was a feat not even Ikora was capable of!
There was no telling how much the Radiant Light was capable of, but the Speaker knew for certain that he would be the one to uncover its secrets.
European Dead Zone
Trostland
The duo of Titus and Tobias came crashing down into an old church that had been located in the heart of a small and abandoned settlement. While Tobias crashed right through the wall of the decrepit building and landed outside, Titus smashed through two of its support pieces causing the entirety of the structure to cave in on him.
Dazed from the landing, Tobias needed a moment to reorient himself as he got back on his feet. Even though they had been moving faster than the speed of sound, Titus still managed to perform a reversal on him in mid-air which sent both crashing to the ground in this area. They were close to the location the Traveler had shown him.
Glancing to the north, Tobias could see exactly what he had seen - a towering object that resembled a crescent moon. The Shard of the Traveler.
Hearing the ruins of the church begin to shift, Tobias looked toward it and saw that the debris were being lifted by an unseen force. As it was cleared away, he could see Titus return to his feet and glare at him angrily.
"Why do you keep interfering!?" Titus barked at him, waving his hand through the air to hurl away the stone that surrounded him. "I'm trying to save you!"
"Save me?" Tobias exclaimed, a look of confusion on his face. "From what? You?"
"No, he was right there in the city! If you had just let me," Titus gasped, hunching over in pain as a dark aura was ignited around him. He screamed, dropping to his knees as the aura intensified.
"He's losing control again." The Traveler noted, though it could sense the conflict within Tobias and it could sympathize with it. Titus had been trying to accomplish something, but any time they came close to discovering this secret, the Darkness would consume him. Quite frankly, they faced a hard decision. Was it worth the effort and sacrifice to learn what Titus was trying to do? Or would it be easier to simply destroy him and live with the consequences?
"Traveler, why did you bring us here?" Tobias asked it, and he heard a sigh in response.
"Because you haven't given up on that man there. If there is one way to quell the Darkness within him, you must use Shard of my body," The Traveler explained to them. "If the Darkness persists within him, you must destroy him immediately."
"Thank you." Tobias said in a whisper, and his body began to sparkle. He would take one last shot at saving Titus. If all else failed, then this would be the end.
Titus burst forward, his left hand becoming ignited in Void Light. He would disable Titus again, and take him to the Shard. Thrusting his palm into Titus' torso, Tobias unleashed the Void Light in another Soul Rip. But his hand began to burn as Titus looked up at him with black eyes once again.
"Did you really think that work twice?" He asked, and Tobias felt a shiver run down his spine. There was a second voice speaking with Titus, echoing behind his voice. The Darkness surrounding Titus enveloped Tobias' hand which caused him to scream in pain and separate from Titus, waving his hand furiously to cool it off. "You have no help this time. Let's see how your Light fares now."
Titus extended one hand, and the handle of a sword formed in it. Taking a hold, he began to pull and the rest of the blade materialized. It was a jagged blade, with the hilt of the sort being released with a swirling mass that the Traveler identified for Tobias.
"It's…Oryx's Heart." The Traveler stated in astonishment. "That is the corruption he is fighting."
"If I destroy it, do you think that will free him?" Tobias inquired, trying to develop a plan of action.
"I'm not certain. I can't tell how deep the corruption runs within him." The Traveler responded.
"But he's still fighting it. He's in there, somewhere." Tobias said as he called for the Light, purging his hand of the Darkness that had overtaken it. He then reached out, summoning a sword in a similar fashion to Titus, and engaged him in combat.
Their swords met and any remains of the church were blown away completely. Tobias tightening his jaw as he pushed back against Titus' fearsome strength, but they stood squarely in a stalemate. Tobias turned his blade, allowing Titus' to slide of his own which resulted in him losing his balance for a moment. Using this opportunity, Tobias spun and launched a heel strike at Titus' jaw. This attack caught him by surprise, launching him into an abandoned trailer that was opposite the church.
Tobias straightened his posture and stared closely at the wreckage Titus had been thrown into. He had a hand on his jaw from that blow he received, a glare that was directed at Tobias.
"Why must you be such a pest?" Titus asked him and his eyes flared as he did so. "Just surrender your Light to me, and I won't make you suffer!"
Tobias reacted just in time to avoid being cut in half by Titus who had lunged at him to attack. This chopping blow sent a sizable fissure down the road Tobias had been standing on, though he paid no mind to it as he spun his sword and thrust it into Titus' torso. What should have been a deathly attack did phase Titus at all. In fact, the Darkness surround Titus latched on Tobias' sword, preventing him from removing it. The small frame of time Tobias had wasted trying to pull out his sword proved to be invaluable to Titus.
He palmed the side of Tobias' helmet and pinned him down to the ground head first. Tobias struggled, trying to wrestle himself free from this position but Titus held him firmly against the ground. They were face to face now, but the facial features of Titus receded into his face. Then a gaping maw opened to roar vehemently at Tobias. Titus raised his sword, spinning it to point the blade down at Tobias.
"NO!" Titus roared, but this time it was his voice alone. The echo that had accompanied him earlier was gone.
He thrust the sword down at Titus, driving the blade into the ground all the way to the hilt of the weapon. Tobias stared at the blade, enjoying the momentary relief that Titus had missed him. But upon looking at his enemy, Tobias understood how he had missed. Titus had regained control of his body, though he was clearly struggling to maintain it.
Titus threw his head back and screamed, the Darkness flickering around him. Recognizing the internal conflict Titus was going through, Tobias used this opportunity to strike. With a hard shove, Tobias got his opponent off of him, and as Titus stumbled backward Tobias got back on his feet and moved in for his sword. He began to channel Arc Light into his hands so that the moment he touched the handle of his sword, electricity flowed into Titus.
Using his sword as a conduit, Tobias unleashed a fury of Arc Light directly into to Titus which gave him the shock of a lifetime. The Taken power around his dispersed, allowing Tobias to remove his sword from his torso. Titus looked back up at him, his body free now temporarily free of the Darkness. He reached out toward Tobias and uttered two words.
"Help…me."
The Ravenous Heart within Titus' sword flared to life again, and the Taken power began to swirl around him. Titus looked up within the swirling dark aura, and it latched onto his skin to establish his Taken form again.
"There is no use fighting this power. It will consume you." Titus said, his voice echoing. Then he looked toward Tobias. "And it will consume your Light."
Extending his hand, Titus called his sword back to him, and he engaged Tobias once again. Their swords met with a thunderous clap, sending out a gust of wind that dislodged every small object within thirty feet. The surrounding buildings shook while trees, debris, and pieces of earth were thrown into the distance. Tobias grunted from this, feeling his feet slide backward as Titus pushed forward.
His power was increasing exponentially.
"It's the law of his Sword Logic Tobias!" The Traveler warned him. "He's growing stronger through combat with you but…you exist under the same law. You will always equal him."
Hearing this, Tobias planted his feet and pushed back, their swords screeching as they grinded against each other. The two of them separated, and Titus used this opportunity to lift his sword which darkened considerably. It began to grow until it matched him in height.
Tobias didn't like the look of his weapon. The polyhedron that contained Oryx's heart was deteriorating, allowing its essence to spill out onto Titus. With every passing moment, the Ravenous Heart threatened to consume him completely. If he was going to save Titus, he would have to act now!
Titus burst forward and their swords clashed again. The surrounding area was the only victim to this clash. The energy that was released caused the surrounding structures to collapse. Even with this massive sword threatening to crush him instantly, Tobias made an appeal to Titus. Not the being that fought him, but the man inside fighting for control.
"Titus! If you can hear me…I want to help you!" Tobias called out, but Titus laughed in return.
"He's gone!" Titus declared with a sneer. Tobias however, ignored the comments and continued to speak.
"Titus, I know the Darkness is powerful. I've faced it enough times myself to know. In fact…" Tobias hardened his stance after feeling Titus try to apply more pressure on him. "In fact, it's not something that you can beat alone."
"Did you think you could surmount the Darkness with your meager Light? The Traveler spent eons running from my Taken power. Our vessels may have changed to these pathetic humans, but history will repeat itself." Titus spat out, taking one step forward to overwhelm Tobias. In response, Tobias angled his blade to let Titus' slide off his own again and he spun away, repositioning himself to the side of Titus who immediately re-engaged. The impact of their blades touching sent ripples through the ground, leaving the entire area uprooted and uneven.
"You're not alone in this Titus. Don't give up!" Tobias hollered. "I'm with you!"
Deep within Titus, where the chaotic Taken power swirled about as a raging storm, the man stood alone in the eye of the storm. There was no light, only darkness. Fear of this power had long since left him. He had taught himself to take solace in it. It was the only company he had here. Time and again he had journeyed out into the furious winds, but his search would take him in a full circle.
Yet for the first time, a ray of Light pierced through the winds, cutting open a path for him to take. But had been abruptly shut by the Taken power before he even had an opportunity to peer into it. Thankfully, whoever it was that had shined that light for him hadn't given up. They began to speak to him, sympathize with him, encourage him.
"I'm with you!" A voice rang out, and Titus felt his heart swell. That was the first time since he had been trapped in this dreadful place that someone had spoken to him directly. And they were trying to help him!
With his spirits bolstered, Titus knew that it was now or never if he was going to act against the Taken power.
Tobias stared in shock as Titus dropped his blade to the ground, causing it to revert to its original size. He was clutching his chest, writhing in pain as the Taken essence that acted as his skin slid of its body. It fell into a black puddle on the concrete roadway as the man looked around for the first time with his own eyes. He was human again!
"Are you?" Tobias began, and Titus nodded with a smile.
"I'm free." Titus stated, but this sense of relief was short lived.
Faintly Tobias could hear glass cracking. His eyes shot down to Titus' sword, and the container that held the Ravenous Heart burst. Tobias was knocked away by its sudden release, and the Taken power that had fallen to the ground began to rise into the air as small bubbles. They began to spin around Titus and without warning, launched themselves at him as bullets.
Each one plastered itself against his skin, the focus of their assault being his chest. In mere moments his entire chest was covered and the Ravenous Heart rose up, pulsating with every beat. Titus's vision became hazy as an immense pain raced through his body, originating from his chest. The Taken power was tearing open his body, preparing it to function as a proper vessel for the Ravenous Heart.
With a grunt, Tobias rose up from the ground and held his head for a moment, allowing his headache to subside. Looking up at Titus, he saw Oryx's Heart approaching Titus to complete its accommodations.
"Traveler, what's happening there?" Tobias asked urgently, collecting his sword from the ground.
"The Heart is…merging with him. Once this process is complete, I'm certain that we won't be able to save him," The Traveler explained. "They're both vulnerable right now, this is your last chance. Take him to the Shard, bathe him in the Light!"
Tobias nodded briefly and raced forward. The Heart had already entered the chest cavity that had been opened by the Taken power, there was little time left. Tobias grabbed Titus by his torso and flew off, rising high into the air as he made a beeline for the massive object in the distance. A husk that had fallen from the Traveler during the Collapse.
Titus was screaming and wiggling in his grasp, but Tobias moved quickly as he flew to the inner portion of Shard.
"Where do I go, Traveler?" Tobias asked as he scanned the massive object for something that he could use.
"Not that." The Traveler pointed out. "That is merely my shell. At the base, you will see the actual Shard. The portion of my essence that had been cut out of me."
Tobias looked down, spotting a dark lake with a glowing mass sitting at the center of it. Turning into a nosedive, Tobias peeked at Titus as the Taken power began to spread across his skin, swallowing up his form.
"It won't be much longer Titus, just hold on!" Tobias claimed as the Shard drew ever closer. He ramped up his speed and thrust Titus forward, smashing him into the shard. The Shard was a foggy grey on the outside, but as it cracked behind Titus, a brilliant white light poured forth from it. They were all engulfed in the light.
Titus swirled as he floated, unable to anything through the thick haze that surrounded him. Placing a hand against his head, he struggled to keep up with the earlier events. Everything was fragmented in his mind, scattered about and out of order. Pieces of his battle with Tobias, his struggle with the Ravenous Heart, it all over the place.
Suddenly a tentacle-like arm lashed out through the haze and took a hold of his forearm. The dense haze in front of him was cleared away, and Titus looked up fearfully at the swirling mass of Darkness in front of him. This was it, the Heart was going to consume him.
He breathed out a sigh, and welcomed what awaited him. Death seemed far more worthwhile than the sorry existence he had been living. Trapped in a storm of Taken power with nowhere to go and nothing to do. At long last, it was over.
Titus was grateful to Tobias. That small sliver of hope he had experienced was refreshing, but all good things come to an end. Some sooner rather than later.
The tentacles gave him a hard tug, and the Heart began to grow large as he neared it. To his surprise, that ray of light came to his rescue again. From above it came down, severing two of the arms that had been pulling him in. The beat of Oryx's Heart resounded in response, and the arms around it went into a frenzy. Several more of them lashed out, grabbing Titus to speed up the process. Again, the ray of light came down, this time cutting all the arms that had grabbed Titus.
Then a glowing white form descended toward him. It was Tobias!
He came down to Titus and grabbed him by his forearm, beginning to take him away from the Ravenous Heart. There escape was immediately cut off as several dozens of arms burst forth from the Heart, latching onto Titus.
"Titus, I need your help!" Tobias barked as he fought against the arms that were pulling them in. "If you were once a Guardian like me, guide the Light around Oryx's Heart and seal it away!"
Hearing Tobias' request, Titus looked at him in shock. Such a thing was…impossible for him. He had forgotten what it felt like to experience the Traveler's embrace. What the Light felt like. He would be of no use here.
"I-I can't." Titus said solemnly, and the arms seemed to grow stronger as they began to win this tug of war.
"Yes, you can! You broke the Taken power before…only someone who once had the Traveler's blessing would be capable of that!" Tobias pointed out, pulling back with all his might, but it was no avail. The Heart was succeeding.
Then it all clicked in Titus' mind.
"Who are you?"
This question had been posed by Tobias to him many months ago.
Titus answered: "I'm you."
But what did that mean?
Titus finally understood everything. The fragmented memories, the Taken power…his purpose. He remembered it all now. He was indeed a Guardian like Tobias had said. In fact, he was Tobias!
Looking back toward the Ravenous Heart, Titus closed his hands into fists and halted the Heart's pull. Lifting one hand, the ray of light came down once again, dropping on him directly. Titus then launched it just beneath the Heart, at a twinkle of light that had formed. The light reflected off it, heading to another point and it did the same. With haste this streak of light traced a cage around the Ravenous Heart, sealing off its range of movement until only one opening remained.
But the ray of light stopped short. The Heart continued to pull at Titus, seeking to pull him into the makeshift cage he had formed around it. It still wanted to consume him regardless of what they had done.
"Traveler, why does it still persist?" Tobias inquired as he eyed the Heart.
"The power within the Shard isn't enough on its own. The Ravenous Heart is too great for it to be sealed off by such a small amount of Light." The Traveler explained and Tobias became frustrated. At every turn, Oryx's Heart created another hurdle for them.
"The Radiant Light should be able to seal it then, right?" Tobias asked, but as he called for the Light he discovered that there was no answer.
"You're in a realm created by Oryx's Heart. The Light has no jurisdiction here." The Traveler replied and Tobias furrowed his brow.
"Then where is this Light coming from?" Tobias asked as he looked toward the incomplete cage.
"It's the Light of the Shard, or what was left of it. It was corrupted long ago, which is why I thought it would be of some use here. The Corrupted Light transcends reality and knows no master. It simply seeks its own survival." The Traveler answered, and Tobias quickly understood the thought process here.
The Corrupted Light would assist them in sealing Oryx's Heart because Titus could function as a host for it if they succeeded.
"So then…if Oryx's Heart is too big, we have to cut it down to size." Tobias said as he released his hold on Titus. The man floated in place, holding his own against the pull of the Ravenous Heart. Tobias then summoned his sword once more and burst forward despite the calls from both Titus and the Traveler. Taking his sword, he went in and pierced the Heart. It pulsated in response to this, but Tobias continued with his reckless abandonment and cut through the exterior of the Heart.
"Tobias, you can't leave a piece of Oryx's Heart free!" The Traveler snapped at him. "What are you going to do with this portion of it?"
"If Titus can use the Corrupted Light to hold Oryx's Heart, then I should be able to do the same thing." Tobias declared as his sword became black. The Heart spasmed violently before it latched onto another potential host, swallowing Tobias whole.
Titus stared in shock, his mouth left open. He could hardly believe that Tobias had just thrown himself into the Ravenous Heart! Such a reckless plan certainly meant his demise! But just as Titus felt that all was lost, a ray of light pierced through the Heart, and Tobias burst out of it. The Heart shrunk as Tobias gained distance from it, and Titus tightened the cage around it, providing the light with the extra length it needed to seal off the Heart completely.
Daylight opened above them, and Tobias came crashing down into some shallow the water. The impact left him dazed, and the sunlight above forced him to squint as he waited for his eyes to adjust. His helmet was in pieces, his robes had been shredded several times over, and even his skin showed the signs of being beaten and battered in his fight with Titus. The cool water he rested in provided some welcome relief from all this.
Hearing the water beside him splash and shift against his skin, Tobias opened one eye and saw Titus looming over him. And Tobias was dumbstruck at the sight of him.
He couldn't even think of anything to say as Titus offered him a hand, helping him up to his feet. Once he was settled on his feet, Tobias observed his counterpart skeptically as a previous encounter between them replayed in his mind.
"…I was you before I was Taken."
Titus had shared this with him when they first met, and Tobias brushed off the comment. But now…the evidence was staring him in the face. Titus was…a damn near perfect copy of him!
"This is…so strange." Tobias muttered, trying to wrap his head around this thought.
"I wouldn't have thought any of this was possible, but…" Titus shook his head, understanding Tobias' struggle to grasp all of this. "I, really am you."
"Now I've been through some pretty crazy stuff…but how the hell are you me?" Tobias asked incredulously.
"It's a long story." Titus replied as he invited Tobias to join him as they went to the shoreline. Moments later they were seated at the edge of the lake, staring at the darkened Shard that rested at the center of the water. "I was brought here from my own timeline."
"But why?"
"I failed in it…as you." He explained, motioning toward Tobias. "I was Tobias, Vessel of the Radiant Light. I killed Oryx, just like you did. But the Radiant Light was later stolen from me."
"Stolen? That's possible?" Tobias exclaimed, and Titus gave him a slow nod. "Who pulled that off?"
"The Speaker." Titus revealed as he heaved out a sigh.
"The Speaker…we're talking about the guy in all white, right? The man who guides the Guardians, who serves the Traveler?" Tobias pointed out.
"I know what he represents, and I'm telling you now…don't trust that man."
Tobias stared at Titus, this story now reaching a point where he could hardly make sense of it.
The Speaker was the enemy? But how?
"Just listen…" Tobias began, and Tobias found himself in awe as Titus spun him a tale. How the Speaker had stolen the Radiant Light from and brought on a second Collapse by robbing the Guardians of their Light. Humanity was all but wiped out when the Darkness attacked again.
Those that escaped fled the system, and Titus was among them.
A hooded Exo approached him, and she offered him a chance to correct everything.
When Titus accepted, she brought him to her old acquaintance, Osiris.
Osiris had seen many timelines thanks to the insight he had gained from the Vex. He had witnessed Tobias die time and again in various attempts to defeat the Darkness. Osiris sifted through many timelines, in search of a future where the Guardians succeed, and Titus became the key to achieving this.
Orisis instructed him to aide Tobias in unlocking the Radiant Light, which in turn would open new timelines for him to view. In order to accomplish this, he was given as a sacrifice to Oryx to be reborn with Taken power as Titus, and to grow alongside Tobias and push him to unlock the secrets of the Radiant Light.
"Osiris' plan was successful." Titus noted as he motioned toward Tobias. "You unlocked the Radiant Light."
Tobias thought back to his one and only conversation with Osiris in Aaru. Osiris had mentioned that he had glimpsed in the future, and had acted in a way to change the outcome of what he saw. The realization dawned on Tobias that the very action Osiris had taken might have been seated right next to him. He had brought Tobias, or Titus, from a different timeline into this one to bolster their strength against the Darkness! It all made sense now!
"So then, what was supposed to happen from there?" Tobias questioned, his gaze upward.
"We kill the Speaker." Titus replied, and Tobias glanced at him skeptically.
"Is that really what's going to happen next?" Tobias asked him, and Titus pursed his lips.
"After the Speaker stole my Light, he abandoned mankind. Immediately after this took place, the Cabal attacked." Titus revealed, and Tobias put the pieces together. The second Collapse Titus spoke of, it was brought on by the Cabal against a defenseless mankind. This was the future they were trying to avoid.
"And…is that why you took Oryx's Heart?" Tobias inquired, his brow creased. Titus gave Tobias a sharp glance, although this went unnoticed by him.
"What are you getting at?" Titus asked quietly.
"Well according to you, I unlocked the Radiant Light so the future should've changed. So, this whole mess you went through with Oryx's Heart was…unnecessary." Tobias concluded, causing Titus to raise his brow.
"You're pretty sharp." Titus noted.
"I'm you after all," Tobias pointed out with a smirk. "Or, you're me…Either way, why did you take Oryx's Heart if you didn't need to?"
"You could call it my contingency plan," Titus admitted, and Tobias gave him a narrow glance now, so Titus continued. "In case we didn't change the future. I took Oryx Heart to gain the Hive Sword Logic. In the event that the Speaker still found a way to steal the Radiant Light, I would kill him myself."
Tobias exhaled deeply, beginning to twiddle with his thumbs as he thought about this. Essentially, the Speaker was going to commit the greatest act of betrayal in human history, which would lead to the demise of the entirety of the human race…and for what?
"Why does he want the Radiant Light?" Tobias asked Titus, and he only shrugged his shoulders in response.
"I have no idea. I don't even know how he stole my Light to begin with. There's just one big blank spot, and then I woke up during the invasion." Titus answered, and Tobias felt the uneasiness beginning to creep up his shoulders.
"Do you remember anything that led up to this?"
"Yeah. There was a festival to honor those lost in the Taken War, and then to mark the beginning of a new age, Lord Saladin called for an Iron Banner to take place." Titus responded scornfully. That new age that they had looked forward was short lived thanks to the Speaker…but now he had an opportunity to pay this man back. "It was at the very end of the Iron banner that the Speaker stole my Light."
A/N
I'm still not really sure how many chapters are left, but as I said last time, the end of this is close.
The Speaker was always a really weird character to me in the games. In D1 he didn't really have a purpose, or if he did have one it must have been cut. And then in D2 I'm assuming he was killed off because his one duty has been removed because now the Traveler can speak for itself. I was always suspicious of him due to some wild concepts about him back in 2014, but then in D2 there was that one line he said about how the Traveler never spoke to him…it cooled off the crazy ideas I had, but I had been thinking of him as a villain for so long that I couldn't drop the idea.
Either way, welcome to the conclusion of this story everyone. I know there's hardly any expectations at this point, but I'm aiming for two things with this ending. I don't want it to be predictable. That's the biggest one. And then, I want it to be decent. It feels like decent is about all I can ask for based on my track record, so we'll see going forward.
To those still following, thank you very much! It's been a slow process to update this story, so I must say that those of you who stuck around are amazing and patient people!