I dedicate this chapter to the loving memory of my friend, BlueRoseLevi, who was murdered in his sleep after getting Collective Obligation four times while another friend hasn't gotten it once. This truly is a tragedy. If we could get some F's in the chat while we prepare a twelve Glaive salute.
If you enjoy it, feel free to leave a review saying what you liked. If you hate it, feel free to leave a review detailing how you'll murder me in my sleep. On second thought, that's probably against TOS.
Chapter 24: First Strike, Part Two
"Who cares? Just shoot 'em!" - Lost transmission from the Collapse
The day-to-day life in the Tower's command center was always busy. People bustled, shouting to be heard over each other. Orders were issued, reports filed, and communiques received. For Nathaniel, this just meant he would sit behind his terminal, monitoring incoming transmissions to direct them to the proper departments. It was quiet, simple, low-stakes work.
He leaned back in his chair as he took a sip of his coffee—black with two cubes of sugar—the same as every day. As he took a sip, his terminal flashed. Sparing it a glance, he started in surprise and barely managed to avoid spilling his drink. He reread the message to ensure he was seeing it right. After the momentary shock wore off, he fumbled over his keypad until he found the proper button.
"Commander Zavala," he said, sending a message directly to the Vangaurd's office. "I'm picking up a maximum priority hail from the Isles; they're under attack!"
Royal's ship carved through the vacuum, moving as fast as he could push his engine. He tore back toward the city, with Luz right on his trail. Iris, Crow, Venator, the dispatched Sentries, and a few other Guardians weren't far behind. Most had to stay in the Reef to help clean up the Dreaming City after the Hive's assault.
Once Royal had received the call from Commander Zavala informing him of the Hive attack on the Boiling Isles, he was immediately in motion. He had barely relayed the information before he was taking off. The Vanguard were already dispatching other Guardians to relieve the Isles.
"When you invited me to see the Isles, this isn't exactly what I had in mind," Crow said.
"Same here," Luz agreed. She glanced out her window, fear fogging her eyes. "I just hope we won't be too late." Their ships rattled as they entered Earth's atmosphere. Royal was already trying to get clearance to dock in the hangar. Now, it was simply a race against the clock.
Thatch's shell spun as she shone Light onto Paladin's body. The Titan groaned as life flooded back into his mechanical form. Dust and soot had seeped into his joints, causing them to creak as he moved. He tried to sit up, only to find himself blocked by a large support beam lying across his chest. He easily threw the weight off and rose.
Paladin limped through the wreckage of the capital building, trying to reconnect his helmet to the Sentries radio system. While he wandered, the sky flashed with color as the Hive bombarded the ground. The sound of rolling artillery cracked the surface of the Titan. All Paladin could hear was Lydia's damnable cackle. His free hand clenched into a fist as he reconnected his radio.
He was immediately hit with dozens of voices, all shouting at once. The Striker tried to blink the shock out of his optics. Before him were hundreds of Tombships that blotted out the skies. A Hive army bore down on him, the ground shaking under their relentless march. A glance to either side confirmed his suspicions: he was surrounded.
"That's a lot of Hive," Thatch said nervously. "I'll be honest; I don't like our odds on this one." Paladin simply breathed, cycling air in and out of his synthetic lungs. He reached into transmat and drew his sword.
He planted the blade's tip on the ground and rested his hand on the crossguard. "Thatch, open communications on all channels. I want every ear in the Demon Realm to hear me." Thatch complied and once again opened the floodgate of voices. Paladin drew one final breath before he spoke.
"People of the Isles, hear my words. The enemy is at our gate. Our leaders have betrayed us. The skies burn, and the ground is shattered." The voices over the radio grew silent as he spoke, listening to him and hanging off his every word. "For many of you, it may seem this is the day the world ends. Let me tell you now that I will not go gently into the Darkness. I made an oath to stand between you and the foe. We are not people who break before hardship. This is our city! This is our world! Hear me, defenders of the Isles! Hear me rage! Hear me scream! Hear me fight!"
Paladin heard a warcry tear free from hundreds of throats. They called to the Hive, challenging them to put their blades and claws to the test. The Hive around Paladin returned with their own battle cry. The Titan roared, his voice like thunder. Gripping his sword in one hand, he brought it into guard as he glared at the Hive.
"Come to me, filth! Come to me and die! Hurl yourselves at me! Fall upon my blade! Be broken by my hands! Scream loud enough that your bastard kin across the stars can hear you! I will send you back to your pathetic gods, mewling like the worms you exist to feed!"
Paladin charged the Hive lines, his boots falling with the fury of the storm. He crashed through rubble and debris, sword in one hand and shotgun in the other. Everything faded into the background as he entered a trance. Cannon fire slammed into the ground around him, and he pushed past it. Volleys from Hive firearms met his armor, only for him to shrug it off. Paladin closed in on the Hive's front lines with a challenge on his lips and lightning in his optics.
By the time he entered melee, Paladin was no longer a Titan. He was a hurricane of violence, a pure testament to nature's brutality. Each step he took shook the ground, and each swing of his sword split the sky. This was his element, and he had no equal.
"Come closer to me, scum!" He shouted, disembowling a Knight with a swing of his sword. He quickly brought it back around, flinging a trail of guts and searing blood in a wide arc. He decapitated a horde of Thrall before blasting an Ogre's kneecap with his shotgun. He quickly used the gun to catch a Knight's sword before impaling its stomach, driving the tip of his sword through the monster's skull. "Let us discover who you truly are!"
Paladin was so consumed in his rampage that everything else slipped away. The Hive's numbers thinned gradually at first before picking up drastically. The Hive were fleeing from him, desperately trying to escape his onslaught.
"I am the Paladin!" He roared. "AND! I! STAND!"
Paladin discarded his shotgun and shifted to a half-sword grip. He punched with the grip of his blade, driving the guard's point into a Knight's eye. He swiftly pulled the weapon out and swung through the creature's knee, forcing it to kneel. While the Knight went down, Paladin slammed his knee into their face. The Knights skull exploded with sparks of electricity dancing over the shattered bone.
As the Knight went down, Paladin buckled beneath a barrage from the Tombships overhead. Their cannons rained down upon him, driving the Titan back. Paladin stiffened against their bombardment, drawing out his power. With a shout, he smashed his hands together. The air between his palms burst with Arc Light as a shockwave erupted in every direction around him. The violent rupture of force smashed into the Hive and their ships, shredding them apart.
Debris crashed around Paladin, marking the landscape with ruined Tombships. Ghostly green fire sprouted from the wreckages. The flames spread to the piles of Hive bodies, setting them alight and filling the air with greasy smoke. In the midst of it all was Paladin, his armor charred and dented yet no less resplendent. For the first time in hundreds of years, the Striker had an opportunity to truly flex his muscles.
A path split in the Hive army, allowing a Wizard through. Lydia—or whatever her true name was—glared at the Guardian distastefully.
"Your resistance will be commemorated in the annals of our history," she said in her arid voice. But this world shall crumble into dust, as they always do."
"I do not know what Savathûn's aims are," Paladin said. "And I imagine she did not see fit to illuminate you either. Rest assured, I shall draw the truth from her final breaths for the both of us."
Lydia scowled as she wove her spell. Paladin's remark seemed to have struck some kind of nerve. Lydia's hands carved through the air, splitting the seams of this plane. Bright Hive runes appeared on the ground, bristling with vile power.
Paladin felt the atoms in the air hum with energy as Lydia's magic came to fruition. He let the Light flood his body, strengthening him beyond his usual limits. The glyphs began to activate, detonating and wreathing the space around them with a necrotic aura. Paladin rushed forward, trying to tear his way to Lydia before he was consumed. Legions of Hive fell before him as Lydia's spell continued. It was a cascading chain reaction of cancerous blight that ate away at his body and his Light.
Lydia's motions became increasingly frantic as the Paladin drew closer. She hissed at her Swordbearer bodyguards, ordering them to protect her. The Knights bared their blades and met the Paladin's charge. His servos dragged, and his artificial muscles ached. His body felt like it weighed moons as he plunged his fist through a Knight's chest. His Light snapped and flickered, corroding away.
As he crushed another Knights skull between his fists, Paladin's strength failed him. He sank to one knee, sickly green essence clinging to his armor and leeching into his body. It took all his might to hold his head up as Lydia leered at him.
"Yet still, you fail," she mocked, her voice barely audible through the miasma in Paladin's audio receptors. "Such is the fallibility of the Light made evident." She reached down and grabbed hold of the Titans chin. His skin-steel boiled as he felt her touch through his armor. She craned his head upward, forcing him to look her in the eye. "I thought that you stood, noble Paladin. Why do you kneel? Is it the weight of your failures that drags you down as you weep for the world you could not save?"
All across the planet, Hive forces laid waste to the Demon Realm. They razed the ground and scoured the skies. Hive runes wove into the planet's crust, bristling with power. The very earth under Paladin's feet began to buzz, and the world lost itself.
The dirt underneath him shook and rumbled as though the Titans of old walked across it once more. The ground seemed ready to tear apart at any second. The sky flashed, and the sun blazed. Paladin winced as he looked skyward; that was not the sun he had come to recognize.
His optics widened as he realized that he now bathed under the rays of Sol. The Hive had torn the fabric of space itself, dragging the Demon Realm and all those within it into the Sol System. Any illusion of driving off the Hive, of returning to their isolation, was thoroughly lost. Now, they were locked firmly in the crosshairs.
Paladin's radio buzzed with static. Something came through, but he couldn't spare the energy to listen. One of Lydia's remaining Swordbearers shouted something, pointing his sword to the sky. Lydia relinquished her grip on Paladin's chin, and the Striker collapsed to the ground. He barely caught himself and remained kneeling, needing time to replenish his strength.
While Paladin ached, Lydia screamed at her Hive and directed them to focus on something. With considerable effort, Paladin craned his head upward. Immediately, his optics were assaulted with blinding light. The skies truly were burning now, seared a brilliant orange. For a moment, Paladin thought the sun was setting on yet another world he had failed. There was another burst of garbled words over his radio, and Paladin tried to focus on it.
"I repeat, Last City reinforcements have arrived!" Paladin blinked. Was that Venator's voice? He squinted, focusing on what he thought was the setting sun. To his shock, it was no sun. Instead, Royal was tearing his way across the sky, slinging waves of flames at Tombships. They exploded in Solar fire and fell from the sky like burning rain. Lydia was forced to raise a protective sigil to shield herself from the raining debris.
As Lydia raged at her Hive, Paladin forced himself back to his feet. He slowly rose, pushing the pain out of his mind. His right hand curled into a fist as he stumbled toward Lydia. Sparks of the storm snapped into being within the palm of his hand. Paladin lunged at the Wizard, bellowing in defiance of death as his fist made contact. There was an eruption of thunder as Lydia's face cracked beneath Paladin's fist. The Wizard was sent flying into the distance, where she crashed into the side of a building, collapsing it atop her. The remaining Swordbearers turned their attention back to Paladin. Raising their blades in unison, they prepared to cut him down.
Before their swords could fall, there was a flash of purple energy. The Knights fell without so much as a scream, each sliced into a half-dozen pieces. Venator spun her Spectral Blades as she stood beside her brother. Royal slammed to the ground on his other side. A ring of fire swept out around him, incinerating the nearest hordes of Hive. He brought his Dawnblade into guard.
"Sorry we're late," Venator said. "Traffic was murder."
"Guardians from the city are reinforcing the Isles as we speak," Royal reported. "Let's end this."
Lydia burst from the rubble she had been buried in, a furious scream on her lips. The scream rose in pitch until it became a caustic chorus. Lydias Deathsong assaulted their audio receptors as more Hive charged them.
"Clear me a path," Paladin said, determination leaking from his words like the blood he desperately wished to spill. Royal and Venator both nodded and dived at the Hive. Their blades moved in harmony as they fell into a dance of death. Paladin simply looked to his side, where a freshly ruined Tombship was practically waiting for him.
"You're running on empty," Thatch warned. "Whatever you're planning, you won't get a second shot."
"Then I won't miss." Paladin dug his hands into the hull of the Tombship, warping the metal in his grip. His arms and legs begged for release as he dragged the vessel into the air. Paladin readjusted his weight as he held the Tombship overhead. He centered Lydia in his sights, waiting for his siblings to give him a clear shot, and hurled the Tombship with all his might.
The smoking scrap of a ship soared through the air one last time. It fell like a meteor as it neared Lydia. She didn't have time to protect herself as the Tombship slammed into her, flattening the Wizard against the ground.
"That thing flew pretty good," Venator remarked, gutting an Acolyte on her knife.
"Yeah, for a brick," Blip said. "I wouldn't want to ride on it."
Beside her, Royal braced himself against a charging Knight. The Hive's sword skewered him, running clean through his chest. Royal grimaced as he gripped the blade. The Knight scowled as he tried to free the sword, but Royal's grip was iron. His hands lunged at the Knight's head, and his helmet faded into transmat. With each hand fiercely gripping the sides of the Knight's head, Royal unhinged his jaw and spat a stream of fire directly into the Knight's face. The Knight screamed as the Warlock breathed flame, his face melting into organic sludge. Once he was dead, Royal tore the sword out of his chest and set upon the rest of the Hive with it in one hand and Lament in the other.
Paladin stumbled toward the impact site. A faint wail was barely detectable, likely Lydia's own death cry. Royal and Venator followed from a short distance, keeping their weapons ready. The mangled wreck wasn't even recognizable as a Tombship anymore. Paladin slammed a fist into it, pushing it to the side. Lydia's shattered body was barely clinging to life. Her bones were splintered, her flesh had been torn, and her blood was burning in the air. She glared at the Titan hatefully and spat at him.
"Do not think this changes anything, Lightbearer. Savathûn's will be done!" Paladin ignored her words and fastened his hands around her collarbone. Disregarding her cries of pain, he hoisted her in the air until they were at eye level.
"Do you hear that?" He asked with an air of deadly calm. Lydia managed to end her pathetic wailing and listened. She heard nothing. Paladin tightened his grip and pulled her closer. "Savathûn is not here. She cannot hear you, and she cannot help you." His fingers dug into her flesh, prompting another scream of pain from Lydia. Paladin leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"Your god has abandoned you."
He didn't give Lydia time to process his words before he truly dug his grip in and tore her in half. A scream died halfway out of her throat as both halves collapsed to the ground, burning in the poisoned air. Paladin finally sagged, exhaustion eating away at his limbs. His siblings caught him, supporting him on either shoulder.
"Come on, brother. Let's get you some rest," Venator said. Paladin shook his head as the two carried him to the side. They forced him to sit, setting his back against a large chunk of rubble.
"We need to keep going," Paladin said wearily. "Our people need us. They need me. I can't rest while they're-" He hissed in pain as a wound he didn't know he had flared up. Royal set a hand on his back, soothing him with Solar Light.
"We're taking care of it," the Warlock said. "Reinforcements are pushing the Hive back as we speak."
"This gonna be one hell of a cleanup," Venator said. "Lydia is gonna blow a gasket when the dust settles."
Paladin managed a soft, pain-filled laugh. "She's not in much condition to complain at the moment." His siblings shared a look of confusion at his sore mirth before speaking into their radios, communicating with the Guardians and Sentries to coordinate the defenses. The Titan forced himself to rest, sighing as his body ached. The distant sounds of battle pounded against his mechanical ears as he healed.
Amity screamed as her left shoulder burst into a shower of crimson rain and bone fragments. The Hive rained fire down on her from the rooftops. Amity scrambled desperately over the ground, trying to find some reprieve from their assault.
The Hive had redoubled their efforts on the eastern flank. Something had spurred them on, and they steadily drove back the defenders. There wasn't much room left for them to retreat.
Amity tried to blink the pain out of her eyes as she dragged herself behind cover. The Sentries continued laying down fire with guns and spells, desperately trying to stem the tide of Hive. As she clutched the bleeding stump that was once her arm, a static charge filled the air. The sky split as bolts of lightning tore from the heavens. The Hive lines were atomized by the fury of Luz Noceda as she rained lightning upon them like a vengeful god.
More Guardians rushed to support the beleaguered defenders. Volleys of gunfire cut down the Hive lines. Amity forced herself back up as Crow emptied his hand cannon into an Ogre.
"Took you long enough," Amity said, still clutching her mangled arm as Pal repaired it. Despite the circumstances, her voice lacked any real bite behind it. Crow offered a slight grin.
"Didn't wanna steal all of the spotlight," he said. His expression returned to one that reflected the gravity of the situation. "It's a good thing we got here when we did."
"Any longer, and there wouldn't have been much spotlight left to steal," Amity said. Luz descended before the two, the Arc power around her dying down. She turned to face Amity, and for a moment, the roar of the dwindling battle faded. Amity pressed her lips together tightly, trying to ignore the tension between them.
"Are you ok?" Luz asked, worriedly looking at her mangled arm. Amity glanced at it and managed a slight grin.
"Just a flesh wound. I'll have it back in a moment."
"That's good to hear." She hesitated for a moment, and Amity wanted nothing more than to melt into goo and drain away. Even Crow was clearly uncomfortable. Eventually, Luz began to turn away.
"Wait," Amity said, reaching out to Luz. She stopped and turned back to Amity with a raised eyebrow. Amity took a moment to breathe before speaking. "I'm sorry. Sorry for… well, everything. I never stopped to think about what you wanted or your situation; how strange this must all be for you. If you want me to leave, just say the word."
'That's- I don't want that," Luz said. "I know why you said what you did, but it hurt all the same. All these feelings, these gaps in my memories… being around you just makes them worse. But at the same time, it's soothing. Like I've been reunited with a part of myself that I didn't know I was missing. I-" Her voice cracked as the words got stuck in her mouth. She took a second to clear her throat and forced herself to look Amity in the eye.
"I want to love you, Amity," Luz said. I may not be exactly the same woman you knew, but she is still a part of me."
Amity felt her heart thudding in her chest. It was louder than any Hive cannon and stronger than any Ogre's fists. It hammered against her ribs, flooding her body with an overwhelming feeling of elation. But, at the same time, she knew that she couldn't accept.
"I love you too," she said. I always will. But I've had some time to reflect. I also need to find out who I am in this new world—who I am without you."
To her relief, Luz's face cracked into a grin. "I look forward to seeing who you are on the other end."
"Likewise," Amity said, unable to keep a smile of her own from overtaking her face. A commotion from the Sentries up ahead drew their attention. Amity quickly dismissed herself to join them as they regrouped. Thanks to their reinforcements, the Hive's assault was thoroughly routed. Luz watched her go, glad that things had settled between them. After a while, she became fully aware of Crow's sly look.
"Please refrain from commenting on my love life," she said. The Hunter chuckled and held up his hands in mock surrender.
"As you wish. Though I think I see why you were so insistent I see Savathûn."
Luz cringed at that comment. "Sorry, I shouldn't have used you like that." Crow waved his hand, cutting her off.
"You didn't use me. I wanted it, and I would have gotten it eventually. It was probably for the best that it went down that way. I don't know how I would have reacted if I didn't have someone I knew I could trust."
"How do you feel now that it's all had time to settle?" Luz asked. "What's it like having your memories back?"
'It's hard to explain," Crow said. "It feels like a cool liquid sloshing around in my head. It hasn't all settled into place yet."
"Do you feel better for knowing?"
"I don't know," Crow admitted. "It's not good. It's not bad. The only thing I can say for certain is that it isn't what it was before." Luz nodded pensively as she looked away. Crow noticed and tapped her shoulder with the back of her hand.
"We should probably regroup with the others. Don't want them having all the fun without us."
Carolyn grunted in pain as she huddled behind a barricade, cradling her broken arm. She cast a quick healing spell and bit back a sigh of relief as the pain dulled. Boscha knelt beside her as she inspected a hastily drawn map.
"Our right flank is beginning to cave," the Sentry lieutenant said over the radio. "We're reinforcing our defenses with bodies of our fallen brothers and sisters. We need more Guardians."
"We don't have enough Guardians to spare to help," Boscha said. "We've lost too many. If we divert them to the right, we face being overrun elsewhere."
"Titan, damn it all," Carolyn hissed, leaning back against the barricade. She glanced behind her at the churning battlefield. She watched Hooty carve through the Hive ranks, devouring scores of Acolytes and Thralls while cheering to himself. A tombship fired upon him. Hooty responded by shooting through the vessel. It burst into spectral fire as he tore through it, crashing to the ground.
"Send Hooty to reinforce them," Carolyn said. "We'll manage without him."
"Will we?"
"We have to," Carolyn asserted. She was cut off by the roar of an Ogre as it smashed through the Sentries lines. Magical blasts and bullets bounced off its thick, chitinous plate and toughened flesh. It bore down on Carolyn and Boscha, preparing to fire a barrage from its malformed eye. Boscha summoned her hammer and prepared for the fight. Before she could do anything, a trio of rockets soared through the air. They punched through the Ogre's armor and detonated, bringing the beast down. In an instant, a barrage of guns opened fire.
Scores of Guardians rushed past the defenders, wielding Light with mastery Carolyn hadn't seen aside from the Royals. She turned back around as a lone Hunter approached her with an oversized, multi-barreled rocket launcher on her shoulder. Iris gave a salute before reloading the weapon.
"The Last City is here to assist," she said. "Just sit back; we'll take it from here." Carolyn waved in acknowledgment and let her body slump. Exhaustion finally won over as her chest rose and fell.
"It took you long enough."
It took hours for the Hive to be driven back. The fighting was scattered around the outskirts of the Isles, and it seemed like there truly was no end to it. More substantial defenses had been set up, and word was coming in from other cities. The Hive had committed most of their forces to Bonesborough, seeking to cut off the head of the Isles and the Guardians' foothold within it. Other settlements had either repelled their own invaders or been reduced to piles of smoking ruin.
Paladin's face was stern as his optics glided over bodies covered with cloth sheets. There were more than he could count, both Lightbearers and Sentries. Each would receive a Guardian funeral; he owed them that much. But alas, that would be forced to wait. The government of the Isles was left in shambles, with most of them being butchered by Lydia. Damage and casualty reports were also trickling in, and the early estimates were not looking good. However, it could have been much worse.
"Reports from the city have confirmed," Carolyn said. "We've been pulled directly into Sol. We share an orbit with Earth now. By some small mercy, our presence isn't disturbing the mechanics of the system too much. Perhaps it's a residual effect of the Hive magic? We lost over seventy percent of the Sentries and more than a handful of Guardians. Rebuilding will be arduous."
She had not escaped the battle unscathed. One of her arms was swaddled in wraps soaked in healing magic. Her face was marked with enough cuts to form patterns from the crossing lines. The Paladin straightened one of the burial shrouds and glanced up at her, his optics revealing nothing but exhaustion and grief.
"I understand," Paladin said. "For now, we can only focus on what we can control. We secure the safety of our people. Then, we begin to rebuild. We'll have to put a whole new government in place. Elections will need to be scheduled. Soon, but they can wait. The people need time to rest. If we reveal just how weak we truly are…" His voice died off as he returned his attention to the bodies before him.
"Are you sure that now is the time for more politics?" Carolyn asked. "Perhaps it is best if you assume temporary control-"
"I will not be a Warlord," Paladin cut her off in a low voice.
"I didn't mean to imply-"
"Then take greater care when selecting your words," Paladin interrupted again. Carolyn's mouth twitched into a small frown. She met Thatch's optic; the Ghost was clearly worried about her partner. The gesture did not escape Paladin's notice.
"I will not have my decisions questioned," he said, his voice nearing a growl. Carolyn held up her hands to assuage his temper.
"Commander, you need to rest," she said. "You've pushed yourself hard today."
"Not hard enough!" Paladin snapped. "How long have the Hive been dormant here? How long did Lydia lurk in our midst, poisoning us with her insidious lies? Savathûn's agents could be anywhere! How do I know who I can trust?"
"Commander, you can trust us," Carolyn said. Paladin seemed like he was about to refute that, to shout that he couldn't. However, all that anger fell away in an instant, replaced only by exhaustion and age.
"Of course," he said softly. "Forgive me for my outburst; I am just… I have a lot to think about at the moment."
"Then why don't you get some rest, Commander? Titan knows you need it. I can take over for the time being."
Paladin looked like he wanted to object, but Thatch whispered something in his ear. The Titans' shoulders sagged, and he reluctantly nodded. "You are right. Some rest would do me good. If anything happens, do not hesitate to send for me."
"Understood, Commander."
"And… thank you, Carolyn. For everything you do. I don't think I tell you that often enough."
"You could stand to mention it more," Carolyn said. "Now get yourself some rest, that's an order." Paladin gave a soft, slow chuckle before turning and walking away. He favored his left leg as he walked. He always did that when he was tense, when he thought nobody could see him. Carolyn didn't honestly know why, though she suspected it was a wound that predated his resurrection. Maybe she should ask once the dust settles.
Royal pressed a hand against a writhing Sentries forehead, slowly pushing the Witch down into their bed. He cried out, cradling his mangled arm. Royal drove a healing orb into his chest. Solar Light swept through the Witches body. There was a soft crack as the bones snapped back into place. The Witch grunted with a slight pain; regeneration was far from a pleasant experience. But it was fast and the pain would fade quickly.
"I still don't understand why Savathûn went through with this," Lancer said. "She just broke free from the hunger of her worm. Why would she waste her efforts here? Her position is already precarious enough as it is."
Royal nodded to the Witch he was healing and backed away from the bed he was resting on. Hundreds of injured and maimed Witches were waiting for medical attention. A few Warlocks and Healers moved through the rows, attending to the wounded as needed.
"I don't know," Royal admitted, moving to another patient. "I'm trying not to focus on that right now. There's too many people that need our help." Lancer could tell that his Guardian was only barely holding himself together. It was in the little twitch of his hands, the way the lanterns on the wall burned brighter as he walked past, and the tightness of his motions. As the pair moved to another patient, Royal grew closer to another Warlock from the city.
"What a waste," he overheard her say to her Ghost. "Why are we expected to lay down our lives for these people? The first thing they did when the Collapse arrived was abandon us to our fate. Now, we're expected to fight their wars for them? Where were they when we needed their—" She wasn't able to finish that thought as Royal briskly stormed over, grabbed her by the shoulder, and spun her around.
"These people have been fighting horrors before any of us were ever raised," he hissed. "They fight as hard as any Guardian without the guarantee of a second life. They will not be slandered in my presence."
The other Warlock scoffed and waved Royal off. "They are cowards, hiding in their own corner of the Universe while we have been bleeding for years!"
Royal's body sparked with flame, and his fist was in motion before he realized what was happening. He made contact, shattering the Warlock's nose with a sickening crunch. She gasped and staggered away from him, blood leaking down her face. Her mouth twisted into a snarl and she lunged at Royal. Magic lashed onto her and Royal before they could connect as Healers restrained them.
"There will be no fighting in the medical wing!" The head Healer shouted. Royal glared at the other Warlock as she pulled at her restraints. Once the Healers were convinced they wouldn't come to blows again, they released the Guardians.
"I was just leaving anyway," the other Warlock said. She spun on her heels and stormed out of the room. Royal watched her leave before looking at his still-bloodied fist. Shaking his head, he returned to the wounded and resumed his work. There would be a time for vengeance later; for now, they must rebuild and recover.
Paladin walked numbly through the streets of Bonesborough. People mingled around him, all seemingly vacant as though their minds were elsewhere. The invasion had left everyone shaken and scarred, perhaps more so than the war against the Vex ever had. This was something different, something visceral, something genuinely irreversible. At least with help from the city, there had been hope that the Vex's influence could be removed. What the Hive had done…
Paladin shook his head to clear his thoughts. Dwelling on such things would do him no good right now. He approached a small Sentry tent. Reconstruction efforts were already underway. Bonesborough would be rebuilt, stronger and more prepared. The Hive would never catch them unaware again. A few civilians called out to him, reaching to touch his armor and offer their gratitude. He accepted as graciously as he could. He had done nothing to earn their praise; it was his inadequacies that brought them low.
He passed by a small contingent of Sentries accompanied by Venator. Apparently, he had just missed the end of one of Venator's stories as the troops all burst into laughter. The Hunter grinned as she relished in the attention, and, despite himself, Paladin smiled. He didn't have the heart to tell them that her stories were embellished to the point of fiction.
Paladin moved past them until he slipped out of public sight. His unflappable facade crumbled in an instant. He was tired—so unfathomably tired. How he longed to rest, for the war to end. But he had to keep going; there was still work to be done. Guilt gnawed at his insides; he had lied to Carolyn. He had no intention of seeking rest.
Paladin mounted his sparrow and took off. He did not know for how long he soared over the Isles. He disregarded the usual precautions he might take to avoid being followed; it hardly seemed necessary given the current circumstances. He came up upon the Skull of the Titan and dismounted. Twigs snapped under his boots as he approached a secret room. Once, it had belonged to the Emperor as a place for his twisted experiments and Grimwalker creation. Now, it housed something different but no less horrible.
Paladin stood outside the door to the Collector's tomb and took a deep breath. He approached the magically sealed door and removed his helmet. These doors had been scarcely opened since the Collector had been transported here, only once for each new president to take office.
The magic hummed in response to Paladin's arrival, and the door began to open. Stone scraped against stone as the door slid out of the way. Lights flickered on, though they were dull from centuries of neglect. Paladin marched into the hall, approaching the tomb proper.
The Collector had been transported here not long after his brother's departure. It had proved to be a constant hazard to all non-Lightbearers who drew close. It seemed to still possess some spark of life, even in death. As such, Darius conferred with Paladin to isolate it. The effort had been great, and it had been difficult to keep under wraps, but it had been done.
Paladin reached the final holding room and punched in the security code. He held his breath as the door slowly slid open. Inside was a single, large coffin meant to contain the Collector's body and his leaking corruption. The coffin was hinged open, and the Collector was gone.
Paladin didn't have the energy to get angry. Instead, he resigned himself to his defeat. Savathûn, whatever her aims, had bested him at every turn. Paladin slammed the coffin closed and departed from the tomb. Once outside, he slumped against the side of the Skull.
"What is the point of this all?" He wondered aloud. "We fight so hard, and we still fail."
"The Isles survived," Thatch said. "And its people survived with it. I would call that victory."
"Victory," Paladin scoffed. "Victory." He threw the word around in his mouth, testing just how wrong it felt. "Victory." It would have burned his tongue if he still possessed one. Paladin shook his head and looked out over the horizon.
"As if there was ever any such thing."
As he watched the horizon, it began to glow. Paladin narrowed his eyes and prepared his Light. If the Hive sought to return so soon, they would find nothing but death by his hands. He would drive himself until the point of collapse if he had to; they would take nothing else this day.
"That's not Hive," Thatch said, centuries of partnership allowing her to sense his thoughts. "The energy reading doesn't match. It's… it's coming from the Vex's island."
For the first time in centuries, the island fortress of the Vex was alight with intent. Metal slide into place as Radiolaria pumped through the structure. A beam of energy shot into the sky, shining with data. Paladin raised a hand to shield his optics as they were assaulted by the light.
"He's found us."
And so we are done with Season of the Lost. As I said, next chapter is Grasp of Avarice. Then, on to Witch Queen. I will say that while the events of Grasp of Avarice are canon to the story, they don't really have a definitive place in the timeline. Just stick it wherever you want; I'm not too fussed about it.
davisjustus99: We need to see Paladin get uber pissed off. Especially at Savathûn durning the campaign.
Was that pissed enough? Paladin probably won't be super heavily involved with the Witch Queen campaign on account of the entire Isles being on fire.
Guest: if you revive Hunter as a guardian, would you also survive some of the other golden guards so they formed thier own Hunter posse
That's not a bad idea. I don't think I could make that a big plot point or anything, but I could do it.
OMAC001: nice little Amphibia crossover!
Yeah, that idea came to me in one of my patented 3 AM, lucid, sleep-deprived writing sessions. That's where I do my best work.
hornig3: With how many ideas in my head I might as well be a vex mind, just a lot crazier. Also speaking of season of the Seraph, I can't wait for Ana and Luz to interact and basically tease the everl oving hell out of Royal and Elsie. Ana and Luz have a real similar energy to then too so that'll be interesting too see.
Oh, I cannot wait to get to Seraph. All the Bray family drama plus Royal. Alos, I know I mentioned a while ago that I had been entertaining the idea of Elsie being a descendant of Luz and Amity, but I think I might actually flip that to Ana, specifically on her mothers side.
BlueRoseLevi: Favorite moment of a Tuesday, new chapter.
Amity actually making herself useful, what shocking times.
Willow being kickass cause she's based like that.
Carolyn and King in action is nice to see.
Hunter the Hunter, he lives just to get thrown into a hive onslaught.
Ooooo Lydia being a Hive in disguise, wasn't on my bingo card but a welcomed twist.
And of course best for last, Hooty being the living war crime he is I love it and am satisfied.
The Hive: I fear no witch, but that thing, (Hooty casually consuming an entire army in one gulp) it scares me.
Sometimes, it's like I can still hear his voice. Rest in peace to the president of the Amity Hate Club. Lydia being a Hive in disguise is one of my favorite little twists so far. So many of the things she did start to make a lot more sense when viewed with that knowledge.
GodzillaMaster: Any Hive that survive will tell the tale of the serpentine monster that devoured scores of their brethren with ease. They will fear the name Hooty
Hunter as a hunter, how fitting
That end bit was hilarious, was it inspired by Halo CE's legendary ending with Johnson and that elite
Hooty truly is an eldritch horror that would make the outer gods quake in their cosmic boots, isn't he? Also, the end bit was 100% inspired by Halo CE, ass-grab and all.
mmmplays27: first of all, I dub the omake minotaur "Greg the friendly one", and hope to see him return either in another omake or an actual chapter. second, I find the parallels between your community and Mossbag (guy who, according to the memes, delayed a game for 5 years by predicting the entire plot). however, I will state that we will NOT use the reddit reccomended solution to the Mossbag predictions (that being sacrifice the predictor to the creator of the predicted content), please.
Long live Greg the Friendly One. Maybe he can hang out with Asher Mir. I didn't know who Mossbag was, so I had to do a little digging and... uhh... yeah, y'all are totally gonna sacrifice me, aren't you?
"And then Savathûn says she just left, taking Lilith with her," Royal said, reporting what he had uncovered to his siblings. Amity was also present, listening intently to the Warlock's words.
"She lurked in our midst for so long," Paladin muttered. "Who knows how much damage she could have done."
"I can start sweeping the Isles," Venator proposed. "See if I can't dig up anything that might lead us to her or let us in on what she wanted." Paladin nodded in agreement.
"To think that Lilith spent all those years possessed," Amity said. "Unable to do anything but watch, screaming in her own mind. It must have been horrible." Royal raised an eyebrow at that.
"Not that I don't agree with you," he began. "But does it not bother you to learn that your mother was also possessed by Savathûn?"
Amity looked at him weirdly before shrugging. "Not really."