My fellow Guardians, welcome back to "God, who the hell does this guy think he is?" In today's episode, we have violence. Lots of beautiful violence.
If you enjoy it, feel free to leave a review saying what you liked. If you hate it, feel free to leave a review telling me to DIE! Thy end is now! CRUSH! Prepare thyself! WEAK!
Chapter 23: First Strike, Part One
"What the hell are those things?" - Lost transmission from the Collapse
The skies were burning. Tombships dotted the horizon, blotting out the sun. The wretched tendrils of Hive magic lashed the Boiling Isles, sewing panic amongst the people. The public was in disarray; people ran through the streets as Void blasts leveled buildings.
Amity pushed through the tide of people, desperately fighting against the tide of bodies. Her mind was racing with questions. What were the Hive doing in the Demon Realm? How did they get here? What did they want?
She received an answer to the third question when a barrage of Void blasts slammed into the street, kicking up dust as people screamed with a mixture of terror and agony. A three-story building on the side of the road groaned as it began to collapse. Those in its shadow screamed with fear. Amity acted without thinking, diving under the crumbling wall. She grunted a little as it crashed into her. Her muscles tightened, and she managed to hold it in place.
She let out a shaky breath and summoned her Abominations to aid her. "Everyone, get out of here! Find someplace safe!" The Abominations lifted the weight off her shoulders as the Witches continued running. Amity groaned as she drew back to her full height. Ghost perched on her shoulder and gave a frightened meow.
Amity sighed, and Ghost transformed into a staff for her to ride. "That is, assuming anywhere is safe."
Paladin raced through the halls of the Sentries base, barely able to keep himself from crashing through the walls. The base was alight with alarms as dozens of calls came in simultaneously: The Hive were laying siege to the Isles. Paladin hadn't even stopped to process what he heard before he took off. The few Sentries and Guardians active on base were also moving, though nowhere near as fast as he was.
"All squads, deploy to defensive positions!" Paladin shouted into his radio, hoping the newly installed satellites would work. "This is a maximum priority threat! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill! This is what you've trained for!"
The second he made it outside, he mounted his sparrow and took off. The Sentries were rolling out behind him, mounting staves and deploying Abomatons. Despite the frenzy, Paladin's mind was calm and orderly. First, he would regroup with the defenders and establish a series of defensive lines to hold the Hive assault. Second, he would move to the capital building and ensure that Lydia had been safely escorted. Finally, he would send for help from the Last City. Regrettably, one of Lydia's conditions for inter-realm communication was that she alone would have access to the Vanguard line. Paladin hadn't thought much of it at first, but now her decision was returning to bite them.
Reaching Bonesborough, Paladin was instantly in motion, directing civilians toward secure points where the Sentries were putting up barricades. The Hive crashed into the civilian lines. Thrall ripped them apart with claws, Acolytes cut them down with gunfire, and Wizards wove their poisonous spells. Streams of blood and rotten water choked the streets. The bodies of dead Witches and Hive drowned in the rivers like morbid damns.
The Titan charged into the fray, lightning coating his body. A Knight's eyes widened as he drew closer. Paladin leaped onto the Knight, crushing their head under his boot. Using the Knights body as a launching point, he pushed off. He brought his fists down as he landed. The ground shook as Arc Light erupted from his body. The entirety of the Hive's front lines were decimated, dissolving into energized sparks. More pressed forward, and fire rained on him from the Tombships above.
Paladin descended into a raging hurricane of violence, with himself at the eye of the storm. His fists were never still, crushing Hive carapace beneath his curled fingers. With every punch, lightning shot through the Hive lines. Occasionally, he would quickly draw a gun, fire a few shots, and discard it. He entered the rhythm of combat, dancing to the Hives song. A step here, a shot there. A move here, a fist there.
A Knight roared as it charged at him. Paladin wove to the side, allowing the sword to slide off his shoulder pauldron. He retaliated with an uppercut that cracked like thunder. While the Knight was dazed, Paladin wrapped his fingers around the creature's upper and lower jaw. He pulled and, after the barest hint of resistance, tore the Knights head in half. Discarding the Knight's corpse, he quickly drew his shotgun and blasted the head off a second Knight. As the monster fell, an Ogre opened fire on Paladin. He flinched under its barrage, trying to shield himself. Before he could act, a flaming hammer exploded against the Ogre's side, staggering the creature.
Willow stepped up beside him, slinging Hammers of Sol as fast as she could form them. Roots tore up the ground around her, ensnaring the Hive closest to her and rendering them easy targets for the Abomatons. Carnivorous plants sprouted from the ground, snapping at the Hive's heels and dragging them underground to be slowly digested alive.
"We're forming a perimeter around the safe houses," Willow reported, flinching as a few shots hit her chest plate. "Most of the Sentries are scattered across the Isles, but they're slowly trickling in. Our north flank is almost secure, stretching from the market district to Pearl Street. Amity is leading the eastern flank, where Hive forces are the thinnest."
"What about Carolyn?" Paladin asked, grabbing an Acolyte by the throat and crushing it in his hand. Before Willow could respond, the radio sparked to life.
"This is Captain Clawthorne requesting reinforcements! The western flank is under heavy barrage; we are being overrun!"
"I'm on my way!" Paladin shouted. Switching off his mic, he turned to Willow. "You have command of this front. Do whatever it takes to hold the Hive back."
"Do you need an escort?" Willow asked. Paladin shook his head.
"You'll need them far more than I will." He set a hand on Willow's shoulder. "Good luck, and may the Traveler favor you." With that, Paladin turned and raced off, lightning pumping through his legs as he ran. Willow didn't spare the effort to watch him go, already returning her full attention to the Hive.
Carolyn ducked as the wall beside her exploded. A quick spell sent the debris into the Hive ranks. Her clothes were torn, and she was bleeding from a few shallow cuts. She had refused attention from the Healers, ordering them to focus their efforts on the civilians. One Guardian, Hunter, knelt beside her and reloaded his hand cannon.
"Where are those reinforcements?" The Arcstrider asked. Behind him, Hooty arced over the defensive lines, descending upon the Hive like a vengeful angel of death. He snaked through the Hive ranks, easily shrugging off their weapons and cheering giddily as he 'played' with them. His jaw unhinged unnaturally as he devoured Thrall by the fistful. Carolyn had never been so glad that he was on their side.
"They'll be here," Carolyn said. "We just need to buy them a little more time." Their cover shook as the Hive fired upon it. Thrall rushed over the barricade, descending upon Hunter. Carolyn cursed as she clutched her gem in her fingers. A ghastly spirit of smoky vapor swirled into being and set up the Thralls with its claws.
"We are being overrun!" Carolyn shouted into her radio. "We need reinforcements!" The wall before her burst into flame from an Acolytes grenade. Carolyn spun around and fired two shots at the Acolyte in question's chest, instantly dropping the creature. She spun around, swinging her staff in a wide arc and braining a Thrall as he leaped at her. She dispatched a few more Acolytes until her weapon ran dry. She slid the gun back into its holster and redirected her spectral summon.
Not far away from her, a Knight slammed his fist into Boscha's helmet, driving the Titan to the ground. She groaned as he grabbed her by the throat, pressed his Splinter cannon against her gut, and pulled the trigger. Solar rounds shredded Boscha's midsection, instantly putting her out of the fight. Carolyn fired a small beam of magic at the Knight. Unfortunately, it did little but grab the creature's attention. The Knight snarled and fired on her as she charged. Carolyn slid under the shot, rising into a specter-enhanced strike that sent the Knight reeling. The Knight swiped at her, only for Carolyn to duck under the attack. She circled behind the Knight and climbed its back. Wrapping her staff around the creature's neck, she began to twist. The Knight screamed in rage as Carolyn heaved with all her might. There was a vicious crack as the bones in the Knight's neck snapped and gave way.
The Knights head hung at an awkward angle as it slumped over. Carolyn rolled off the corpse, already targeting the next Hive in her sights. The ground around her shook, causing her to stumble. Buildings crumbled around the defensive lines, and fragments fell down on the combatants like lethal rain. A wretched Ogre smashed toward the defenses, pushing past Hooty's wriggling body as the House Demon devoured the lesser Hive around it. The beast roared and grabbed a chunk of debris. It flung the colossal hunk of stone at the defenders, sending them scrambling.
"All units, fall back!" Carolyn shouted, struggling to be heard over the chaos around her. "Withdraw to the second line!" Before anyone could heed her call, the sky seemed to darken. A charge hummed in the air, filling it with energy. The hum grew to a cacophony of thunder as a blue streak of lightning tore across the sky. It slammed directly into the Ogre, instantly atomizing the monstrosity. The shockwave rippled outward, crashing over Hive and Witch ranks. Carolyn felt it pass by her harmlessly while the Hive were flensed by lightning. The rolling Arc energy even managed to slap a few Tombships out of the air.
"About damn time you showed up, big guy," Carolyn muttered, tired yet relieved. Paladin rose from the epicenter of the impact, looking over the field of smoking Hive bodies. More were already on their way, but he had bought the defenders precious minutes to regroup.
"Belay that order!" Paladin shouted. "We have to hold here!" He withdrew to the defenders line and began issuing orders. Carolyn worked her way over, trying to wipe the dust and blood off her face.
"Commander," she said, snapping a brief salute. "Good to see you. I thought we were on our own here."
"When you fight for the Light, you never fight alone," Paladin said. "Our forces have secured critical defensive points. All we need to do is hold the line."
"All those drills and plans have finally paid off," Carolyn said with a slight grin. "Might not be Vex, but the point still stands. Speaking of, should we call back our troops at the Gateway?"
"Negative," Paladin said. "We cannot afford the Vex catching wind of our situation. We cannot fight a war on two fronts."
"Understood, Commander."
"Has there been any contact from the capital?"
"Negative. I dispatched a team to find the president. Lost contact with them not long ago."
"Understood," Paladin said. "I'll follow up and call for reinforcements from the Last City. You have full command until my return, Captain. You know what to do." He set a firm yet reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Good luck." The Titan mounted his sparrow and took off toward the capital building.
"Good luck to you, Paladin," Carolyn said before cracking her knuckles and turning back to the Sentries and Guardians. "Alright, you heard the Commander! Get those barricades up and our Abomatons in place! We hold them here! Anyone who takes a single step back answers to me!"
The Guardians and Sentries rallied to the defensive line and prepared for the renewed Hive assault. Boscha and Hunter stood back up, freshly revived and ready for vengeance. As the defenses regrouped, a shrill whine cut through the air. The Witches clutched their ears as the vile whistle sliced at their minds, though the Sentries were taking the worst of it.
Carolyn peered through her bleeding eyes at the Hive, her hands firmly clamped around her ears. In the distance, she saw a Hive Wizard with pearlescent bone armor weaving magic into the air. The Wizard's mouth was open, and the shrill sound floated from their lips.
"Deathsinger!" Carolyn shouted, recognizing the Wizard from Paladin's records and files. She had studied many of the enemies he had fought, primarily out of curiosity. "Don't let that Wizard finish their song!"
The Guardians charged toward the Hive, abandoning their positions as they rushed toward the Hive. Carolyn was right behind them, slinging spells and bullets at anything that dared to get close to her. By now, her muscles were aching, and her body was coated in filth. None of that mattered as they closed in on the Wizard. One Knight brought its cannon to bear on her and prepared to open fire, only for Hooty to warp around his arm.
"Caught you! I win!" The House Demon screeched. The Knight growled and began punching Hooty. He only giggled in response. "Hey, that tickles." As the Knight tried to free himself, Hooty opened his jaw impossibly wide and bit down on the Knights head. With a flick of his elongated neck/body/everything, he tore the Knights head off and swallowed it. "Mmmm, nutritious."
Carolyn paid Hooty no mind, too focused on the Deathsinger to notice. Her song grew quicker, forcing Carolyn's heart to beat faster to match the tempo. The Wizard's voice grew more and more shrill as she neared her crescendo.
The Guardians finally reached the Wizard's protectors. They crashed into a wall of Swordbearers and descended into a brutal melee. A Voidwalker went down, his intestines dangling out of a gaping laceration in his stomach. Hunter swung his Arc staff overhead, splitting a Knights skull open. Ahead of Carolyn, Boscha summoned a flaming hammer and crashed into a Knight. The creature barely had time to scream before it exploded. With a bit of help from her spectral summon, Carolyn leaped over the Sunbreaker and toward the Deathsinger.
The Wizard barely had time to react as Carolyn flew toward her. The Captain thrust the base of her staff into the Wizard's open mouth, running it through the back of her head. The Wizard's song came to an abrupt end as her voice sputtered. Using her staff as leverage, Carolyn drove the Wizard to the ground and drew her hand cannon. Without a word, she leveled it at the Wizard's face and pulled the trigger. There was a vicious bang as the bullet carved a hole in the Wizard's head, coating the street beneath her with burning blood and shattered bone.
As the Guardians continued their fight around her, Carolyn's shoulders slumped. Exhaustion hammered at her, threatening to drag her body down. But she couldn't stop now. She still had a job to do.
"Deathsinger down!" She shouted over the chaos of war. "Withdraw and prepare for the next wave!"
The barrel of Amity's rifle glowed as she dumped round after round into the Hive forces. She fell into a trance; empty the magazine, reload, find a new target, and repeat. The ground beside her exploded, driving the Sentinel back behind her barricade. A glowing shell of protective Void energy enveloped her armor as she swapped out her magazine.
Amity swung back out of cover as a squad of Sentries came tearing around the corner, escorting a small group of civilians. One Witch, carrying his daughter in his arms, took a shot from an Acolyte to his leg. He screamed as he went down, his daughter crying loudly. Amity grit her teeth and dove between them and the Hive, raising her shield. A Sentry doubled back and took the father over his shoulder. Amity scooped up the still screaming child, absorbing Hive rounds with her armor, and took off toward the defensive lines.
More and more shots hit her in the back, prompting a few grunts of pain as she sprinted across the ruined street. A boomer shot hit her square in the spine, sending Amity flying. She tucked the child close to cushion her fall. Amity groaned in pain as she managed to drag herself back behind cover, her body aching from dozens of wounds. A Healer took the child from her, with Amity waving off medical treatment for herself.
"Get her to safety; I'll be fine," she said, panting heavily. "I just… need to rest for a moment." As the Healer withdrew, Amity slumped back against her patch of cover. Everything shook under the Hives' unending barrage. Amity sighed, drawing her rocket launcher and preparing to return to the fight.
"Where's the city when you need them?"
Paladin's sparrow tore over the ruined pavement, swinging past groups of civilians fleeing from the frontlines. He occasionally stopped to direct a few toward safety, urging them to be swift. He drew closer to the southern front, where the fighting was some of the fiercest. The capital building was just beyond, but he would need to clear a path. The sounds of battle grew more and more deafening. Paladin pushed past a few wounded Sentries who were being treated by Healers. He rushed to the frontlines and fired a volley of rockets that decimated the Hive's front lines.
"Drive them back!" Paladin roared, firing volley after volley into the Hive lines. "Never again will your deeds carry such weight! Never again will so many lives count upon you! Show these vermin that this is our city! This is our world! This is our victory day!" The Sentries and Guardians around him renewed their efforts, fighting as hard as they could despite their losses. They raged in defiance of the Hives onslaught. Mountains of broken chitin piled before them as the Hive's dying screams filled the air.
As the southern flank drove the Hive to a standstill, a mountain of sapphire crystals sprouted in the middle of their ranks. The Hive assault faltered as confusion gripped their lines. Paladin reloaded his rocket launcher, equally confused.
"Look, on the rooftops!" A Sentry shouted, pointing to the buildings lining the street. King was perched atop the roof, Stasis power swirling around him like a hurricane of frost. The young Titan opened his mouth and roared.
A shockwave of unfathomable power erupted from his throat. Paladin was far enough away to avoid the worst of the sonic devastation. The Hive were not so fortunate. Collectively, they writhed in agony as their ears burst and organs ruptured from the sheer power of King's vocal cords. The Stasis crystals in their midst shattered, detonating like oversized fragmentation grenades. Millions of razor-sharp shards sliced the Hive apart.
Coating his body in armor of frost, King dropped from the roof. The ground shattered beneath his weight. The surviving Hive backed away from the towering Demon. King roared once more and descended upon them. He bashed aside hordes of Thrall and Acolytes. His might easily overpowered even the fiercest Knight. An unfortunate Ogre attempted to grapple him, only to find its arms frozen and shattered.
"The Titan is with us!" Someone that Paladin couldn't see shouted. A rallying cry rose from the lines. The Guardians pushed forward to fight beside King, with the Sentries holding their positions. Paladin watched King work, relieved but with a nagging feeling of discomfort that he tried his best to quash. Eventually, he joined King as the Demon paused his assault, allowing the Guardians to take the lead.
"That was quite a display," Paladin said. King huffed, shaking his dented armor off his body. It shattered like glass when it hit the ground.
"I've learned a thing or two from watching you," he replied.
"I need to get to the capital building," Paladin said. "Stay here and hold this line no matter the cost. Carolyn has command of the defenses."
"Reinforcements?"
"I'm working on it," Paladin sighed. "Lydia's pettiness has extracted a great toll on us today. Rest assured, when this is over, there will be justice." King nodded and returned to the fight, summoning his entropic power again. Paladin watched him charge into the fray for a moment before turning to the direction of the capital building. A dozen Tombships drifted above it. Paladin narrowed his optics, mounted his sparrow, and took off again.
The streets of Bonesborough were depressingly empty, save for the scattered body here and there. Paladin grimaced at the sight, praying that the other towns would fare alright with their limited garrisons. Hopefully, they would have enacted the evacuation protocols and saved as many people as they could.
He continued through the desolate city, weaving around collapsed buildings and craters. The horizon would occasionally flash with blasts from Hive weaponry and magic alike. It would have been a beautiful collage of colors, almost like an art display. Instead, all it did was set Paladin's nerves on edge. His ride was silent, save for the hum of his sparrow's engine and the distant sounds of gunfire.
He passed under the shadows of the Tombships as he drew closer to the capital building. Their cannons rumbled as they opened fire on him. Paladin expertly wove around the blasts, avoiding them with practiced ease. His mind worked on autopilot as he reached the base of the stairs leading to the building. Hive forces descended from their ships to attack him, only to regret that decision as they were swiftly torn apart by the charging Titan. After all, the single most dangerous place to be was between a Striker and their destination.
Paladin crashed into the wooden doors. They buckled under him with little resistance, shattering into splinters that showered the room beyond. Inside were a dozen Sentries in various states of dismemberment. They were stationed in the standard defensive formation, pointing toward the door. Paladin knelt beside one of his troopers, inspecting the Witch closely. She bore signs of the Hive's corruptive magic, with the worst damage on her back. A cursory examination revealed similar conditions on the rest of the Sentries. Whatever had killed them had done so from behind, which meant they had likely arrived too late.
Paladin clenched his hand into a fist before somberly closing the woman's eyes. Whatever beast lurked within these halls may still be present. First things first, he had to secure the President. Paladin stood up and drew his shotgun, carefully panning the ruined halls of the capital. He remembered when this place had been built. Hell, he had helped lay the first stone. Never had he imagined that it would lay in such ruin.
Paladin swept the halls, moving quickly but carefully. He knew the layout of the building like the grooves of his armor and could quickly make his way toward Lydia's office. In the event of an emergency, there was a small safe room located under the desk. If she was smart, she would be there.
The door had clearly been blasted off its hinges from the inside. The strewn wreckages of the elegantly carved door lay in ruins. Paladin felt a slight twinge within him; Hunter had custom-carved those doors so many centuries ago. It had been among his finest work.
Paladin stormed into the office. The room was in utter disrepair. Papers were strewn about the ground. The desk had been split cleanly in half, with one chunk stuck in the far wall. The window was shattered—also from the inside. The barrel of Paladin's shotgun panned around the room. Out of the corner of his optic, he noticed that the secret trapdoor to Lydia's escape room had been torn off its hinges. The small shelter was abandoned.
Paladin loudly cursed; whatever Hive monster had been through here must have abducted Lydia and killed the unsuspecting Sentries. For what purpose, he couldn't discern. It didn't fit the Hive's usual modus operandi. Paladin pushed the thought to the back of his mind. With Lydia missing in action, he had to focus on something he could actually control. His new priority was establishing contact with the Last City and calling for aid.
Paladin swiftly withdrew from the President's office. Fortunately, the room housing communications with the Last City was just a short distance from Lydia's office. Paladin pushed through the ruined halls, ignoring the blood smeared across the walls. The building shook as the Tombships overhead fired on it. Dust caked Paladin's armor as he turned the corner, finally coming upon his destination.
The doors were firmly in place and in surprisingly good condition. Paladin jostled the handle, only to find it locked. He frowned and kicked the doors off their hinges. As they collapsed, Paladin stormed into the room. It was empty, almost deceptively quiet. Not wishing to question his good fortune, Paladin holstered his weapon and began flicking switches to activate the transponder. He punched in a few commands, sending an SOS to the Last City. Before he could receive a response, he heard the distinctive sound of heels on the tiled floor.
Paladin turned just in time to see Lydia stride into the doorway. The President's tight dress was impeccably clean, bearing no signs of damage or dirt. Her reptilian features were tight but calm like it was just another day in the office. Her hands were tucked behind her back as she looked distastefully at the communication device.
"Madam President, I need you to come with me," Paladin said. "We've established a safe zone. You'll be protected there."
Lydia didn't respond, an uneasy stillness entering the room as she just stood there. Eventually, Lydia sighed. "Why did you have to go and do that?"
"Ma'am?" Paladin asked warily. "What do you mean?"
"Every step I take, you are there to interfere with her design," Lydia said, stepping into the room. Her arms were still firmly clutched behind her back. "Do you have any idea how infuriating that is? It was all supposed to go so smoothly. But then you had to go and do that."
Before he could react, Lydia's hand flashed toward Paladin. He tried to lunge at her, only to find himself caught by fiery green claws that had sprouted from the ground. The magical restraints dug into his limbs, holding the Striker in place. Lydia approached the bound Titan and traced her finger over his chest plate. The metal hissed and melted beneath her acidic touch.
"I am tired of your interference, Lightbearer," Lydia snapped, her voice growing more and more venomous. Her skin began to melt away, sloughing off her bones and falling to the ground. Paladin's optics widened as her body—her true body—snapped and twisted back into place.
"Savathûn's design cannot be denied," the Hive Wizard that once wore the form of the President of the Boiling Isles hissed. "You have been a thorn in my side for far too long, Titan. Now, witness the Witch Queen's ambitions become reality." The Wizard cackled, her harsh voice biting away at Paladin's mind.
"Your master will find no succor here," Paladin snapped. He pulled on his binds, but their grip was iron. "I will deliver you to your god in pieces."
"Such noble sentiment, Paladin," she said, spitting his moniker like an insult. "What a shame it is ultimately so hollow." She vanished in a flash of green fire, and the bonds around Paladin's arms began to glow brighter. He writhed and pulled as the spell started to burn. Paladin roared in anger and pain as the glow consumed him. Then, the capital building and the surrounding block exploded, consumed in Hive magic.
You may have noticed that this chapter is titled "Part One." Part Two will obviously be next week. I'm getting to wrap up so many things I've been kinda hinting at over the course of Season of the Lost. Chapter 24 will be Part Two, and then Chapter 25 will be Grasp of Avarice. After that, it's full steam ahead to Witch Queen. Writing grasp has been a challenge, mostly due to just how long it is. I'm over five thousand words into it and only just reached the Ogre. At least it's a good test for how I want to try writing Dungeons and Raids.
Something I tried to do in this chapter was give everyone a moment to be a badass. Willow, Amity, Carolyn, King, and even Hooty. The things Hooty is doing to the Hive... ugh. Also, Hunter is back. He's there. He is definitely going to be a character in this story. Out of all the Guardians in the Isles, he can stand proud as another one of them.
Elthreee: This is gonna be a real long fic huh? The more the merrier though, I suppose. I'm too invested to ever tap out of this for sure. I can't wait for your spin on the WQ story and seasons.
Also question that may or may not involve you telling spoilers? I'm not sure. But do you think you'll keep this fic going if you ever do The Final Shape for it? Or will you just end it after you do the episodes, if you do them?
And great chapters btw, they were fun to read. See ye next time. (also that one guardian and witch both getting the vell tarlowe treatment lmao)
It is gonna be a good bit longer than WnW. I've toyed around with a few endpoints, but I think I'm leaning toward ending at Final Shape. It just seems fitting. Not to mention that it still leaves with three years of Destiny for this story. That being said, I may end up including the Episodes depending on how they pan out. Ultimately, I want to see what's coming up before I commit to anything.
Also, Witch Queen honestly shouldn't have too many shakeups plot-wise. I guess that's what being the first actually good Destiny campaign does. There will be a few additions and some contextualization, but the main story will be largely unchanged. I'm saving most of that for Seasons 16-18 (Season 19 is already perfect, and I will accept no slander) and Lightfall. Oh god, Lightfall is already giving me an aneurysm.
davisjustus99: Oh shit. We got the Lucent Hive in the Demon Realm!? We getting into season of the Risen!? Hell yeah! Anyways. Bring in Variks or the best character to ever exist... Skolas!
The Lucent Brood have invaded to enact Savathûn's nefarious will. What are her aims? Stick around and find out. And I'm sure I can fit Variks into the story somewhere down the line. Season 18 should be the perfect time.
GodzillaMaster: Damn site isn't giving email notifications on new chapters...
Good thing that Taken and Scorn didn't join in on that assault, they were barely able to hold off the Hive
Stasis might be a bit too much for Amity, Strand might be easier for her instead
Yeah, this was kind of a slow week for the story, which sucks to see but it is what it is. I wonder if there weren't some underlying issues with the site not notifying some people, but I can't confirm. And to be fair, Amity only really had about three minutes of actual hands-on experience trying Stasis while already in an emotionally compromised position. She's a master at controlling Abominations, she can learn Stasis.
hornig3: Time for the truth to be put into question, for morales to be rearranged and for a single witch to make us all question what we think we know. Will the Isles survive the coming onslaught? Will it enter the sol system along with Mars? Oh I cannot wait to see how this ends.
Mmmmmmmmmman you guys... Sometimes, I swear you're all a bunch of Vex Minds.
Long before Venator would ever come to know of her sibling's existence, she had been lost in the Vex Domain. It was a fate all Royals knew, but few survived. And survival was her current struggle. The Hunter crashed through a wall of data, groaning in pain as she pushed herself back to her feet. The Wyvern that had just sent her flying stomped closer, its tendrils bristling. A small army of lesser Vex followed it.
"Alright, you wanna play rough, I can play rough," she said. A bow as bleak as the void appeared in her hands, and she pulled back on the string. A trio of arrows manifest from nothing, each tipped with the overwhelming power of gravity itself. She fired her volley and atomized the Wyvern. As she did, the Vex Domain rumbled. A cascading wave of data crashed over everything.
"Blip, what the hell is going on?" Venator asked, dodging away from the rest of the Vex as they opened fire.
"Whatever data you just destroyed appears to have temporarily destabilized the sanctity of this region," Blip said calmly. "Things are about to get a whole lot worse before they get any better." A Minotaur managed to catch Venator off guard and grabbed her by her arm. As Venator prepared to stab it, the Vex Domain began to dissolve. Unreality bent in on itself, collapsing into a vortex of data. Most of the Vex were pulled into it and torn apart. Venator only barely managed to save herself by driving her knives into the ground.
"My scans indicate that we do not want to fall into the vortex," Blip said. "Should that occur, I recommend- Making your peace with the Traveler! -closing your eyes and thinking happy thoughts."
"Noted." She glanced back at the vortex. A small part of her wondered if it might be her escape. The rational part of her called the first part an idiot and stuffed it in a locker. Metaphorically speaking, of course. She looked ahead, only for her optics to widen as she saw the Minotaur from before flying toward her.
"Oh, son of a bi-" The machine-spawn crashed into her, tearing the Hunter free and sending them into the vortex. The two wrestled as they fell into nothingness until Venator had the machine in a headlock. She repeatedly punched the Minotaur in its head until the world snapped back into being.
Venator and the Minotaur both froze, looking around curiously. They were in a swamp if the flora was anything to go off of. Gargantuan dragonflies flew through the air, drawing Venator's eye.
"What in the…?" She wondered aloud. The Minotaur seemed equally confused, too busy trying to understand its current circumstance to bother attacking her. The air around her and the Minotaur began to spark once more as the Vex Domain restored itself and prepared to pull them back in.
"Hey, Sprig, did you hear that?" Venator perked up as she heard a voice from the thicket nearby. Both she and the Minotaur turned as a second voice responded.
"Sure did, Anne. Sounded close. We should go check it out."
As the air became increasingly energized, the bushes before them were pushed aside. Two figures stepped through, freezing as they saw the interdimensional travelers. One was a lanky teenage girl of Thai descent with branches stuck in her hair and a solitary shoe. The second, infinitely more confusing arrival, was a small pink bipedal frog.
Before anyone could speak, the air snapped. Venator and the Minotaur bother tensed as they were slowly pulled back into the Vex Network. Venator sighed and turned to the Minotaur.
"This is it," she said, spreading her arms. "Hold me." The Minotaur obliged, and the two embraced as they were sucked back into the abyss of between timelines. Their audience could only watch as they vanished with a whipcrack.
"Did… did you see that?" Sprig asked.
"Still trying to figure out exactly what 'that' was," Anne replied.
"We're taking this to our graves, aren't we?"
"Oh, absolutely."