Fanatic Chapter 2

All I could see was blackness. Then, the light came as it always did. Nice and warm. I was lying in the middle of the road. My head hurt and my ears were ringing. I could hear someone shouting my name, but it sounded distant and far away. Then I could feel someone shaking me. “Marcus! Marcus! You alright, mate?” I heard someone shout. It took a bit of effort, but I managed to get my eyes opened. Above me I saw a familiar face “Bloody Hell mate. You good?” Above me was my good friend David. Speaking in his usual British accent. I managed to sit up, pushing David away. I looked to the broken stage. The whole thing had been destroyed. Leaving scorch marks and cracked cement where it once was. But it wasn’t that sight that made my stomach drop. It was the bodies. Several bodies laid around. Innocent civilians, dead. Their bodies being covered with sheets by paramedics and city guard. David crouched down closer to me. “It’s a real horror show out here,” he turned to me, “What happened?” Before I could answer a loud, stern, and angry voice. “RENFOOORD!” I turned and saw Mac walking straight for me. “Ah shit” I mumbled under my breath. “What the hell are you doing here!” He yelled again. Mac was what you could call the chief of the city guard but everyone agreed that he acted more like a drill sergeant “Isn’t Sarah supposed to be patrolling here? You ain’t even part of the city guard!” I stood up, brushing the dust off of me. “Sarah...asked me to take her shift,” I said nervously, “Again.” “I swear, this is the last time that I let her pawn her shift off on you!” He yelled, “When I get my hands on her…” he looked back to the ruined stage then back to us. “What happened here?” He asked in a more serious and quiet tone. I took a look around before answering. “There was an anti-traveler group threatening the lives of a hunter, Titan, and warlock. I went up to stop them and…” I paused, suddenly realizing what had happened. I ran my hands through my hair. “Shit. There was a warlock. He came out of nowhere and started spouting ideas of overthrowing the vanguard and starting a class war.” I finished. Mac balanced and got a surprised look on his face. He looked around again, as if someone would be watching or listening. “You sure?” He asked, more quiet and serious than I’ve ever seen him. I nodded. Another city guard ran up to us. “Sir, we have a casualty report,” he said, “Eight civilians dead, and two guardians.” “Wait, two?” I asked confused, “There were three guardians.” The guy looked at me. “Well, we only found two. A hunter and a titan,” he said before Mac sent him away. I guess Mandike somehow got the warlock away from the explosion. The implications of that act scared me. “Go and report this to the vanguard,” Mac said turning to me. “But, I’m not part of the city guard-” I began. “Go. And report this. To the vanguard,” he said. It sounded more like a command then a suggestion. I nodded and had my ghost transmat me to my ship, and I flew to the temporary tower. I had called the vanguard and was told to meet them inside of the hangar. I was led through a door and down to what looked to be a temporary vanguard hall. It had a table in the center of a wide open room just like the one in the old tower. Taking up their usual positions, Ikora, Zavala, and Cayde-6 stood around the table. I walked up to the the table and stood at attention. “Marcus Renford,” Zavala said, getting started, “Free-lance guardian. Doesn’t work for the vanguard or the city guard.” He had clearly read my file considering how much he knew about me. “Which raises the question of why you were on a city guard patrol shift to see this ‘incident’ in question?’ He finished. I took a deep breath and began. “My friend asked me to take her shift so she could do traveler knows what,” I said, “This wasn’t the first time, so I knew the protocol.” I sighed, “The warlock who attacked was dangerous. Not just him, but his values. His way of thinking. He was fanatical, insane, and extremely dangerous” “Oh come now,” a voice behind me said. I spun around, “Don’t you know it’s rude to talk about someone while they’re still in the room,” It was Mandike. Smiling that same, chilling smile that sent shivers down your spine and mocked you at the same time. “How’d he get in here!” Zavala yelled. “Oh, point a gun at me if it makes you feel any better,” he said, as if he was already tired of Zavala, “You’re only a titan.” Cayde then proceeded to point his Ace of spades at Mandike. Mandike looked at him like an adult might look at a child trying to act tough or do something threatening. “Well, I was talking to Zavala, but you hunters aren’t exactly known for your intelligence.” “Can I shoot him now?” Cayde asked, looking back at Zavala. “What do you want?” Ikora asked. Mandike smiled at her with that same insane smile. “And that’s what I expected from a warlock. To not resort to violence or questioning, but to get right down to business,” he said, “What I want is simple. To create a new order. One that can properly govern and protect this city. One that the vanguard has failed to be. One controlled by warlocks,” he finished. Zavala looked pissed. Mandike held his hands up as if saying ‘hold your horses’ “Before you do anything rash, please just consider how I could help. And hear the rest of my offer. I worked hard on this you now,” he said, the last part being sarcastic. Zavala mode a motion with his hands ordering Cayde to stand down. Cayde dropped his arm and Mandike smiled. “Now look, I know that I may seem a bit… overzealous, but I just want what’s best for this city,” he started, “The people have suffered for too long and the Vanguard, that’s you guys by the way, haven’t done shit about it,” he seemed to be getting angry, “I blame the ones among you who don’t have the intelligence to do something about it. I want to make sure that everyone is protected, and that no one else dies because of your failure to do your jobs. I mean, the cabal practically walked right in the front door and you didn’t do shit to stop them.” Zavala looked angry, Cayde looked actually speechless, but Ikora looked on with an unsettling indifference. “I want to help the people of this city survive,” Mandike Continued, “I want to make sure that something like the red legions attack never happens again. I want the people of this city to be strong enough to survive the harsh darkness,” he stood up straight and held his hands behind his back “I want a new order of people who are intelligent enough to make these things happen. I want the superior class to take over and lead us-“ Screw this. I had enough of this. I yelled and charged at him. He, once again looked at me like an insect. I ran straight at him and raised my fist. His insane smile grew. Before I could bring my fist down, he through his hand out and hit me with a solar palm. The force of it through me back down the stairs and into the center of the table. The solar energy caught my titan mark and any other piece of cloth on my armor on fire. “It was extremely rude to interrupt me like that! Like I said, I worked hard on this speech!” He said, still like it was all some kind of game or joke to him. The fire quickly spread to the rest of my body and the random pieces of paper and journals on the table. In seconds, the center of the table had caught on fire with me in the center of it. Mandike broke out into insane laughter. “You better go take care of that!” he yelled before running off. “Cayde!” Zavala yelled. But Cayde was already on it, running after Mandike. Zavala and Ikora turned to the table to try to set the fire out. But I concentrated and summoned my Hammer of Sol and concentrated all of the fire into it. In seconds the fire was out and my hammer burned brighter than ever before. I let out a yell of frustration and anger then charged after Mandike and Cayde with Ikora and Zavala hot on my heels. As we entered the hangar Cayde sliced at Mandike with his knife. Mandike dodged under it, grabbed his arm and turned him around until Mandike was behind Cayde holding his left arm. Then, Mandike brought his arm up into Cayde’s, breaking the metal and bending his arm upwards. He then took his arm around Cayde’s and grabbed his face. His hand began heating up, like it had with the ant-traveler speaker, and he began melting his face. Cayde dropped his Ace of Spades as his face began melting into slag. I let out another yell as I ran towards him. He looked at me and his smile widened in some kind of insane glee that he had found another challenger. I kept charging as he kicked Cayde’s Ace of Spades up into the air and into his right hand. He shot at me but, the bullets melted to slag before they hit. He let go of Cayde used his palm ability to send him flying towards me. I swung my hammer, hitting Cayde out of the air and onto the ground as he disintegrated. [b]Continued In Comments[/b]