Everyone seems to be doing the Cabal, but I thought I'd do something different. This is set quite a while after the Homecoming mission, but features a different take on the concept. Any feedback is welcome. Enjoy! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I stared at the ash of the Tower, my weapon gripped tightly in my hand. There was only one other person in the rubble and destruction of the Tower, and he'd be dead very soon. So this was what it had come to. The Cabal may have stripped Guardians of their Light, but power exists in many ways. And it wasn't the Cabal invasion that tipped me over the edge - I had no love for the City or the Vanguard. But killing Orsa... It broke me. I can still remember him marching towards me. Me killing his friends. Him firing on me. Slitting Teben's throat. Moving in on Orsa. Shooting him multiple times. Him taunting me. Begging me to kill him. And so I did. They'd made a horrible mistake and it killed them. Killed part of me too. I've done a lot of things I regret, but Orsa and his friends were just kids playing with fire. Not really knowing the consequences. I made a choice. Knew the consequences. Stripping Guardians of their Light won't kill them, so it's up to me. I guess Yor was right all along. He's been dead for a long time, but Dredgen Yor still found a way to twist me from beyond the grave. I forged Thorn. I gave myself over to the Darkness. And it gave me power. It made me see Light for what it really is - short, fragile, destinied to be snuffed out by something or other. I've killed before, but this was the first time I relished it. They didn't stand a chance. I even managed to kill several of them before the Cabal took their Light. Thorn works best against Guardians wielding the Light, I'll admit. But they still fell easily enough for me. The scattered remains are hiding somewhere on Earth. Probably the European Dead Zone. I'll find them once I take care of the Tower's last Guardian. He was surveying the rubble, oblivious to the person hiding behind the collapsed pillar several meters away. He was a Titan - tough, intimidating and a master of combat. On his back was a grenade launcher and a hand cannon was holstered in his right leg. On his left was a sidearm. I didn't expect this to be easy. Suddenly, his head snapped round and he gazed at the broken pillar that sheltered me. If he looked behind it, I was dead. "I know you're behind there" I leapt out of cover, firing my gun several times, but failed to hit my target. I got to my feet and stared into his helmet, a steel grey colour with red highlights. "So you're the one who's been killing Guardians. Didn't expect it to be you." I remained silent. "Why?" "It's complicated. But we both know how this ends. You can't beat me. So run, and I won't kill you." I had no intention of fulfilling this promise, and we both knew it. He raised his gun. "For what it's worth... I'm sorry for what happened to you. But this is the only way." He suddenly fired his auto rifle, spraying bullets everywhere. I ducked behind the pillar again, but he ran forwards and leapt high into the air. I barely had time throw myself out of the way before the grenade launcher blew the pillar to pieces. I fired at him, hitting him in the leg. He screamed in agony and collapsed to the floor. I moved in for the kill. But he was still holding his grenade launcher at me. He fired it, and the explosion sent my shot off. Instead of going into his head, it went through the side neck. Blood dripped from his wounds. As for me, the explosion badly burned my face, chest and arm. The Titan slowly got to his feet while I was still incapacitated. I was just regaining my vision when he threw the grenade launcher at me. I dived to the side, but it still blew off most of my left hand. His grenade launcher had a self-destruct option, something I'd never considered. It was an effective tactic, but it didn't stop me. I staggered to my feet, Thorn in my right hand. The Titan quickly drew his hand cannon and fired several shots at me. The shots hit my left arm and hand, completely removing the hand altogether. I returned fire, hitting him in the shoulder and arm. He staggered backwards, stunned. And then I struck. Aiming for his head, I fired three shots into his helmet. He fell to the ground What I hadn't noticed was that his hand cannon was now pointed at my heart. And with his last breath, he fired. I collapsed to the ground, blood trickling from the fatal bullet wound that I'd noticed too late. It wasn't painful. It felt almost freeing, to be lifted from the crushing burden of life. I would never see a world without Light. At least not in this life.