A/N: Sorry it's taken me a while to post anything again. Life's been rough.
An unassuming man strode towards the entrance to the newest nightclub in the district, pulling his non-descript jacket closer as chill winter winds blew over the streets. Though not his go-to whenever he has down time – instead preferring the company of a certain fiery Warlock – tonight he has a job to do for the master of the Hidden.
Walking towards the bar he noticed several pairs of eyes landing on his form; much as he tried to dress down for the occasion, he supposed that some Guardians just have a certain gait that makes them hard to miss. Upon approach he motioned for the bartender, a relatively young woman, and asked for a glass of whatever alcohol toed the line with City regs.
Holding the glass with his left hand while leaning on the countertop with his right arm, he turned around and surveyed the club's lively dance floor. Several notable Guardians could be seen dancing and drinking with civvies in and out of their armor, and if the man squinted he could've sworn he saw a few making out in the darker corners of the building.
Such entertainment, however, was not his purpose for the evening. Surveying allowed him to sight his target – a Warlock dressed in plainclothes headed towards the counter after having left her friends on the floor.
Heading towards him.
Finishing his glass he turned back towards the bartender and asked for another as the Warlock sidled up to the seat next to his. "I'll have what he's having," she motioned. A few moments of silence would pass as the pair nursed the drinks they were recently handed, the Warlock in particular stealing glances at the Titan next to her. Not that the man didn't notice.
"Haven't seen you here before," she started. "Newly rezzed?" The question came off as innocuous, but if Rhylan knew anything about spycraft it was that the Warlock must have a semblance of an idea about his identity.
"No," the Titan replied. "I just don't get out much." Not a lie, but certainly more than what she needed to know about him. He swirled his glass timidly, as if not at all interested in the conversation. A whispered Ah was all he heard in response, and he assumed that the Warlock would keep to herself for the remainder of the time she was there. Though he needed to maintain the façade of an average Guardian out in town, he knew conversing with his mark like this was a risk.
"Why are you here then? Waiting for someone?" she asked, and though he was not looking at her he knew that the Warlock was smiling, albeit teasingly.
"I am, actually."
"Ohhh. Who's the lucky girl? Is it a girl? Or is it a big burly Titan like you?" she replied again so playfully.
"A girl. Another Warlock, like you I believe." This time, Rhylan had lowered the glass he has pretended to swirl around and play with for the last few minutes or so and lazily made eye contact with his target. A human, with a service record of 324 years if his memory of her file serves correctly. Almost as old as Mare Imbrium, he thought to himself.
"Interesting! Would I happen to know this fellow Warlock?" She was almost in his face now, and he turned ever slightly to finish the last of his whiskey. Putting down the glass and making eye contact with his companion again, Rhylan said, "You should."
"She's a reigning Crucible champion."
At the mention of Crucible champion, the Warlock's pupils seemed to dilate ever so slightly, and her breath seemed to hitch in her throat for a second.
"O-oh," she stuttered. "Not many Warlock champions in the Crucible, but which one is it?"
Here goes.
"The one you tried to kill last night." He made sure to say that last bit out loud for the Guardians along the bar to hear.
Silence.
In a flash, the Warlock smashed her glass against Rhylan's face, almost certainly blinding his left eye. A nearby Hunter reached for a tucked-away knife, but before he could react the Warlock threw a knife of her own and hit him square on the face, killing him instantly. Civilians began to panic and made for the exit as the Warlock summoned a flaming sword and raised it to guard herself. Rhylan, clutching the side of his face, saw a Titan brandishing a shield and forming a shield wall for the civilians rushing behind her.
Not good.
Before he could make a move on the Warlock, she made a sweeping motion along the ground and launched an arcing flaming projectile that flew at him and another group of civilians nearby. With no time to waste, Rhylan threw himself in front of the civilians and willed his Light to encase him in a suit of Void armor. The projectile hit Rhylan and the other Titan – who had moved to allow her shield to hit the arcing projectile – and knocked both of them back, the shielded Titan thrown off the ground and onto the dance floor.
Struggling to pick himself up as his Ghost flitted about and healed his injuries – minor at best, though Rin would disagree – Rhylan let the Void light that surrounded him dissipate as he made a beeline towards the exit with civilians being shepherded by less-than-sober Guardians. His target was nowhere to be found.
Moving against the throng of civilians once outside the nightclub, he quickly took stock of both ends of the street before seeing a lone figure running along the snow-caked sidewalks, the flames that previously cloaked her body slowly dying out. With the distance between them, the Titan knew the assailant would get away before he could even catch up.
So he turned himself into a living Arc missile and flew.
Sighting the Warlock for the last time that evening, Rhylan aimed for the end of the street that led onto major thoroughfares for City vehicles and crashed on the pavement with all the fury of thunderous Light. Standing up, he saw that the Warlock had stopped in her tracks; two more Guardians behind her had broken off from the crowd to pursue them both.
Silence, again. This time, however, the Warlock's right hand now clutched a black shard of metal that seemed to glow eerily green even in the fluorescent City street.
The two Guardians had caught up, firearms on their hands and aimed at both of them. "Stop! In the name of the Vanguard, stop!"
Rhylan, now beginning to glow a bright orange indicative of Solar Light, responded, "Rhylan, Enforcer Designate S315. Warlock Prazek Erin," he addressed the assailant, "I have orders to detain you for your attempted murder of Warlock Kiara Proel. Comply, and lower your weapon."
Breathing heavily from the exertion, Prazek Erin replied, "And if I don't 'comply'?" The Warlock had begun to pulse with purple light, albeit faintly.
Nova Warp. Have to be fast.
The Enforcer did not reply.
Three.
"What will you do to me, huh?" The purple light glowed brighter now, and even the two Guardians behind her have begun to back off.
Two.
"Will you kill me, too?"
One.
"Like all your targets - "
Without waiting for her to finish, Rhylan leapt to the air and braced his right hand as a fiery hammer materialized, and the Warlock brought her two hands – one still clutching the shard – and charged her body with Void Light. In the split second the Warlock needed to discharge after charging herself up, a minuscule sun was hurled at her form.
In the aftermath, witnesses – Guardians included – recount the Titan who burned bright like Sol itself and illuminated the City streets that one Dawning evening.
A/N: I do plan on posting that story about Kiara before the 28th, so be sure to look out for it if you're still following this story. Take it easy folks, and enjoy the holidays. Thanks for sticking around.