Sliding hatches on the roof of an old militia base opened, revealing an ascending platform with a lone titaness painted navy blue and crimson red. Hoisted on her shoulder was a custom machine gun based on golden age schematics. Once the platform reached the roof, large metallic, wings sprouted from the titaness’ armor and were radiating void Light. “Show me where to go, Alice,” Angel said, the titaness.
“A squad of Cabal are cornering some civilians over at the 238th cross,” Alice, Angel’s shimmering ghost, replied.
The Guardian’s thrusters ignited and she was soon airborne. She followed the coordinates displayed in her helmet and soared over towers and past dogfights. She reached the beacon, and just as Alice said, a squad of Cabal were closing in on defenseless victims.
“It's the Guardian Angel!” a person cried as the Guardian made a fly-by. Angel dropped down to the street, cracking the road, then created a wall of Light between the approaching Cabal and the citizens fleeing for their lives. Several warhounds rushed at the Guardian, but she picked one up by its paws then threw it at the other three; she kicked one in the jaw, snapping its neck; she warmed up the rotor of her machine gun, then shot down the other half-dozen.
“Silajir, I got some civilians here!” Angel said over her radio.
“Got ‘em,” a man replied. Suddenly, a vortex of void Light appeared behind the crowd of people, frightening many of them. A warlock dressed in a forest green garb stepped out, then guided the people through. Immediately after the battle began, Silajir--as many people of the City knew him--had been getting civilians out of the streets and away from the City. His ability to create portals across vast distances helped him do so; his arrival gave the people hope.
While her partner handled the refugees, Angel warmed up the rotor of her machine gun, then riddled the troops with bullet holes; the bodies that didn't explode leaked blood and oil onto the soil. The last Cabal soldier fell, and thus the shooting ceased. The barrels of Angel’s weapon were glowing red and heat radiated from them; once they stopped spinning, Angel removed the ammo canister.
“That's everyone,” Logan (that was the warlock’s actual name; Silajir was just an alias.) said as he walked up to Angel.
Another pack of Cabal troops stormed them from behind. The duo prepared for another fight, but instead of getting it, they got a lightshow of electricity dancing from one legionnaire to the next. Three of them were paralyzed from the energy and began writhing on the ground; the fourth looked around in shock and terror, then its slug shotgun was yanked into the night sky by a grapple. The beast looked up just in time for a bayonet to pierce its eye, forcing the legionnaire to the ground; the huntress used all of her weight, and downward momentum, to make sure the blade went all the way through its skull.
“Um, thanks,” Logan gawked at the stunning feat.
“Don't mention it,” Aurora replied as she ripped the blade free. Her ghost, Oliver, materialized a thick rag for her so she could wipe the gore from the Monte Carlo’s golden blade. “Those poor bast***s are just going toward my fifty-killstreak.” Angel and Logan exchanged looks with each over. The huntress sighed slightly. “It's a Crucible thing.”
“I'm aware,” Logan replied.
“Of course. Well, where are my manners? Aurora Sinh,” the huntress said as she curtsied.
“Silajir,” Logan replied, still maintaining his alias.
“I'm Angel,” the titaness replied.
“Oh, you're a--?” Aurora gasped. She held up her arms as if to outline Angel’s body then said, “I couldn't tell with the… concealing… armor. Girlfriend, the universe gave you a body for a reason; you need to show it off. Maybe lose a plate or two,” she said as she hit her knuckle just below Angel's shoulder.
Logan simply stood silent, but his ghost didn't. “See? See? I keep telling you the human body is a work of art,” Merlin declared. Aurora looked to the ghost and grinned beneath her helmet. Logan poked his ghost then signaled him to shut it.
Angel, slightly disgusted, said, “The armor is more for functionality. It's useful for when I get into brawls.”
“Right, right; I can respect that. I just figured you might want to embrace the [i]gifts[/i] bestowed upon you…” Aurora stated as she subtly puffed out her chest.
“Not to intrude, but more troops are approaching,” Alice stated as she appeared above Angel's shoulder.
“More ammo, madam?” Oliver asked.
“Grazie,” Aurora said as she took the fresh magazine and locked it into her auto rifle.
Moments later, the four roads were blocked by phalanxes, and several teams of legionnaires. Suddenly, the four phalanxes expanded their energy shields, blockading every escape. Aurora began shooting at one of the shields, but the bullets were simply absorbed. The Cabal started advancing, reducing the Guardians’ safe zone. The troops began launching grenades in the mix, but Angel kept casting miniature Wards of Dawn around each one; however, her Light was draining quickly.
Aurora whipped out her Hawkmoon. She shot one bullet in the center of the energy projection and deactivated the shield. Without hesitating, she shot again and killed the phalanx. “The center of the shields! It’s the weak spot!” she yelled. “Hah, such a stupid design.”
Logan used his sidearm to shoot the center of another phalanx’s shield, then killed the Cabal itself. With two of the roads partially clear, the remaining soldiers began shooting at the Guardians. The arc blasts quickly killed Logan, and Aurora was severely wounded. Angel threw up her machine gun and mowed down several Cabal before a legionnaire behind her stabbed a knife through her chest. The Cabal kicked Angel off of its blade and let her fall into the oil-stained concrete.
Aurora crawled over and used some of her Light to revive Logan. After being revived with a flash, the warlock promptly jumped into the air and sent innumerable imperials into the void with a massive Nova Bomb. A centurion crushed Aurora under its foot, then lobbed a massive orb of void Logan’s way. The warlock conjured a portal large enough to consume the bolt in front of him, then force pushed the beast back.
He kicked his staff up into his hand, then used it to vault towards the centurion and kick it to the ground. Before Logan could kill it, the Cabal grabbed his arm and threw him against the wall.
“Axion,” the warlock said as he conjured a small orb of energy in his hand. “distract him will ya?” He cast the ball into the air and it began to fly around the centurion. It constantly rammed into its armor, chilling it with each hit. As the centurion spun around, trying to kill the orb, Logan spotted its damaged jetpack; he quickly shot at it then dropped to the ground and covered his head before it exploded.
He walked over and revived Angel, then Aurora. The huntress was quite impressed, and she expressed it when she was able to stand again. “Maybe you should play Crucible more often,” Aurora said while in a flirty stance.
Luckily Logan's helmet hid as his eyes shifted from the huntress to the titaness with crossed arms; alarms were ringing in his head. “It's not quite my style.” He faced Angel then said, “I think the next sector still has civilians trapped.”
“Copy that,” Angel replied. She shot the huntress a look, then sprouted her metallic wings and flew off. Logan created a void portal and prepared to step through.
“Perhaps we’ll meet again, ‘Silajir’,” Aurora said.
“Potentially,” he replied nonchalantly before vanishing in the void.
[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/244661815/0/0]CONTINUE TO PART 4[/url]
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The bump
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[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/243965202/0/0]Table of contents[/url]