Destiny: The Legendary Hunter

[Writers-Ablood]

A lone beacon pulsed behind them, throwing a cold wash of light across the ridge. Past it, the Ocean of Storms lay like a scar where someone had taken a knife to the world. No sound, except the soft, patient thrum of the generator and the tick of cooling metal.

Pahanin had his boots up on a crate, hood shoved back, a spanner turning lazy circles in one hand. Kaviss stood on the perimeter, yes, squinted against glare, splicer arms folded across his chest with the stillness only an Eliksni could pull off. Void watched the horizon patiently.

Obsidian's shell tilted. "Three coming up on approach."

The stars blurred. Three jumpships cut across the black horizon, contrails streaking white arcs as they broke formation at the last second. They came in low and controlled, gliding down from altitude.

The transmats stitched themselves onto the lunar surface, and three figures appeared from within.

Levi landed first, cloak hissing around his ankles, the purple whorl on his cowl half-shrouded by dust. Bandit came next, sliding a half step and catching himself with a stomp. Cory landed on his feet, crouched and ready to prowl.

"Air's still garbage," Cory groused through his filter. "Can't believe we had to come back here."

Bandit shrugged, quick grin. "You get used to it after a while."

Cory snorted, "Yeah, if Iweres mopping around caves and crevices as much as you, I'd probably be used to this air as well."

Levi's eyes swept the ridge—perimeter markers, antenna lattice, low dome, the makeshift Vault terminal still humming, he looked around until his eyes finally landed on Void, silently sitting on a crate, a faint gust of wind fluttered his cloak.

"Look who found us a cosy little outpost," Levi said with a smirk.

Void turned and got to his feet. The glow from the beacon rolled across his armour, catching hairline scars and new scrapes he hadn't bothered to buff out. He met Levi halfway; their fists bumped.

"Nice camp," Levi said, then tipped his chin past Void's shoulder. "And—who's the guy with the drip?"

Pahanin stayed brooding, his armour shone with a silvery shimmer, and the neon blue lines creased his cloak. He looked up and gave Levi a small nod, but paid them no more attention.

Void didn't miss a beat. "Him? Found the guy on the shore. He's amazing at weapons, so we stuck together."

Levi nodded, letting the thought simmer in his mind for a bit while he looked Pahanin up and down. Then he hummed to Void. "Uh-huh, a hunter on the Shore. Was he a rogue?" He looked towards Pahanin and flicked two fingers in greeting. "Nice drip."

"No, just a bit of a recluse. Wouldn't worry about it." Void replied.

Bandit's attention had gone elsewhere—past the tents, past the dish, to the eight feet of splicer steel and blue blood standing watch like a statue. He jogged up, eyes bright. "Okay, and why is there a Fallen captain at our Lunar Cookout?

Void shrugged as if that question answered itself. "Kaviss. Joined VENOM as splicer tech."

All three Nightstalkers went very still for a heartbeat, their eyes scanning Kaviss with great interest.

"Splicer tech," Levi repeated.

Kaviss dipped his head, translator purring to life at his throat. "For now, I am… technical support," he said carefully, eyes sliding from Levi to Bandit to Cory, then away, respectful without being meek.

Bandit's grin cracked wide as he walked up to the Eliksni. He pointed at the steel that had replaced sinew on both forearms. "May I—?"

Kaviss extended one arm. Bandit turned the limb under his palm like a piece of art. Etched plates. Micro-actuators. A joint that wasn't supposed to bend that way until a splicer made it. "Clean. Did you implant these yourself?"

"No, I was forced," Kaviss said, a quiet rumble. "They ripped my arms out and installed these."

"Gruesome." Bandit clicked his tongue, still eyeing the splicer arms. "Well, at least you got good gear out of it."

Cory snapped back, "Not everyone's as greedy for loot as you, rat bastard."

"Huh? Who the ff*cks are you talking to?" Bandit quipped.

Levi said nothing for a long minute and just looked around—felt the edges, tested the weight of what they'd built.

"Not bad," he said finally. No indulgence in it. Just the assessment of someone who knew what it meant to have a forward line that didn't fall apart if you breathed on it. "You planning to hand this to the City as is?"

Void nodded. "Call it a sanctuary. Uplink, Vault touchpoint, rally for fireteams before we start drawing maps on Hellmouth. Command can sit here and map it out. Plus, squads and come back here if things go wrong, and not die in the first ten minutes."

Levi pinged something on his wrist. "Sending a confirm to Zavala." He waited for the tone that said received, then glanced toward the beacon.

"Tell Zavala everything's ready to use," Void said. "Let the City finish it as they like."

Levi's gaze drifted back to Pahanin and Kaviss. "And these two?"

"Staying." Void jerked a thumb toward the dome. "Pahanin will babysit the Vault interface and tune the mesh. Kaviss will keep the projector and generators running for now till the City hooks up other power."

Levi's shoulders bounced once. "Duly noted."

He keyed in a message on his wrist again, but this time the comms in his ear rang and he answered the call.

"Vanguard, Skywatch Outpost reports: ridge hub viable. Sanctuary functions online in skeleton mode. Request immediate deployment of relay arrays, med sledges, and three—no, four—ammo barges."

Levi paused; the comms blinked as a voice on the other end spoke.

Levi looked around and finally replied, "...No, Cayde, they did not put a rug down." He shook his head. "Huh? No, no, I won't ask them to do that.....What? Just..wait. Wait, is Ikorra there? Yeah? Just hand her the phone."

He grumbled, pinching his forehead, "Hello?"

Ikorra's reply came immediately, "This is Ikorra, thanks for your confirmation, we're coming." Then she closed the channel.

Levi breathed a sigh, then looked at Void, "Okay," he said, and there was weight tucked under the syllables. "That's the camp. What's your plan?"

Void had already turned toward the Umbral Veil looming in the distance.

"I'm going back," he said.

"Back?" Levi echoed. "To where?"

"You know where. I left something unfinished." Void stepped away.

Levi's head tilted, "You want company?"

"Not for this, it's a bit dangerous," Void said, voice low. "If I'm not back, just tell Ikorra I am still looking around Hellmouth. Also, don't let anyone come near the Veil. Not right now."

Levi didn't ask what Void planned to do, or whether Void was sure, or if he'd finally lost the sense he'd pretended to have. All he knew was that his instincts told him Void was on the right track, or perhaps that was just his own hunch.

"Good luck. I am counting on you." Levi tapped him on the shoulder.

Void nodded softly, "So am I."

Bandit swung back into step beside them. He held out his arms, one stretched behind the other, while he mimed aiming a bow around the perimeter of the ridge. "You sure about walking into that alone, chief?"

"No," Void said. "But it's not the first bad idea that turned out necessary."

Cory yanked his hood tighter and looked like he wanted to argue. Then he didn't. "Fine, let us know if you need help," he said, hands up. "We'll be there before you blink."

"I know." Void waved them off and kept walking.

He reached the ridge's edge and didn't bother with ceremony. Light curled around his eyes as they turned a shade of blue. His figure flared with lightning, and the world thinned. For instance, the Moon showed him its bones: tunnels like veins, chambers like mouths.

Void's light jolted around him, then he was gone.
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