Doom of the Dragons, Part Twenty-Four: Duel

[spoiler]Greetings, Guardians, and here's part twenty-four of Doom of the Dragons! Here's[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/242386881?sort=0&page=0] part twenty-three[/url] if you missed it! As usual, if you like it, give it a bump, and I'll get more out soon! Stay classy, Guardians![/spoiler] “Cupun, you don’t have to do this!” The titan ignored Marcella, and continued walking towards the outer wall of the City. “Yes I do,” he said. “Why?” she pressed. Guardian duels were deadly affairs, usually ending with the loser having to be rezzed by their ghost. They were also frowned upon by the Consensus, which viewed them as little better than grudge matches. Cupun didn’t answer. “I’ll be fine,” he said. “Just leave me alone.” Marcella stopped walking, but the titan continued on. “He’s right, you know,” Kim said. “The worst that happens is that his ghost has to rez him, and he takes a ding to his pride.” “You sure?” Marcella asked. Kim frowned. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” he asked. Marcella watched as Cupun slowly walked away. As she watched him go, she couldn’t shake a distinct feeling of dread that hung over her like a cloud. “It’s nothing,” she said. “Just a feeling.” * * * The two Guardians returned to the Tower shortly afterwards. One of Spectrum’s lackeys had a drone monitoring the duel, and they didn’t intend to miss it. Guardian duels were solitary affairs, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t watch. The two quietly slipped into a little used corridor, where the two lackeys from yesterday sat watching a screen. They looked up as Kim and Marcella entered. “What are you doing here?” the woman asked. “Same as you,” Kim said. “Here to watch your friend get beat, Warlock?” said the man. Kim frowned. “Is that what this is?” he asked. “I thought I was here to watch an arrogant jackass put down in his place.” The man stood up, growling. “You shut your mouth!” Kim’s hand went to the shotgun strapped to his back. “Make me.” The man’s hand slowly slipped down to his waist. “Maybe I will.” Suddenly, the blue haired woman stood up. “Boys, boys,” she said. “There’s no need to get things messy in here.” She put a hand on the man’s shoulder, and he slowly sat back down. The woman rolled her eyes, and shook her head. She let out a faint chuckle. “Men,” she said. She walked up to Marcella. “Always so quick to settle things with their fists. Aren’t they?” Marcella instinctively recoiled from the woman. Something about her was distinctly unnerving, whether it was the way she walked, or the way she spoke about Kim and Spectrum’s other groupie as though they weren’t even in the room. The woman walked up to her, looking her dead in the eyes with a hypnotic gaze. “Come and sit down, with us, honey. There’s no need for us to get our hands dirty.” Suddenly, Marcella realized that the woman had never been Spectrum’s groupie. Everything about her, whether it was the condescending way she talked about her own “friends” from the way she addressed Marcella made it seem like Spectrum was her pet. “We’ll stand,” Marcella said suddenly. Then, she leaned towards the woman, and whispered, “Stay away from my friends, you bitch.” The woman recoiled, and let out a snake-like hiss. Her eyes flashed with anger. “Have it your way,” she said through clenched teeth. She sat down next to Spectrum’s groupie and stared at the screen. “What’s with her?” Kim asked. “Nothing good,” Marcella replied. And with that, she faced the screen. * * * Cupun looked at the little drone above him. “Wonder who put that there?” he asked. “One of Spectrum’s lackeys, likely,” his ghost replied. Cupun grunted, and began walking towards the arranged meeting spot. It was an open field, with multiple rocks and downed trees to use for cover. He saw Spectrum, standing in the field, his cloak blowing in the wind. “You ready to get beat, Cupun?” he shouted. Cupun growled. “I’m ready to fight,” he said. Spectrum shrugged. “Fine,” he said. “On the count of three. One. Two.” Suddenly, he raised his hand cannon, and fired off a shot at Cupun. The titan was barely able to avoid the projectile, but then quickly raised his pulse rifle, and fired off a burst at the opposing hunter. Spectrum rolled behind a nearby rock, and began firing a steady stream of bullets with an auto rifle. Cupun ducked down, and took cover behind a nearby tree stump. He could hear the rotten wood begin to splinter as Spectrum’s bullets tore it to pieces. Suddenly, the firing stopped. Spectrum had to reload. Cupun seized his chance, and leaped over the stump, running towards Spectrum. He took cover behind a nearby rock just as Spectrum poked his head back up and resumed firing. Cupun took briefly fired over the top of the rock, forcing Spectrum to duck. Then, he peaked over, and cursed. The titan and hunter were now only about twenty meters apart, but there was no cover between them. Unless he made his own. Cupun leaped over the rock, and sprinted about ten meters forwards. Spectrum began to fire, and Cupun felt his shields begin to drain. He quickly threw up a barrier in front of him. It wouldn’t last long under sustained fire, but he didn’t need it to. He only needed it to last just long enough. Cupun grabbed a flashbang grenade from his belt, and tossed it up and over the barrier. It sailed into the air, and, just as it landed behind Spectrum’s rock, it went off in a flash of noise and light. He’d timed it perfectly. Cupun rushed forwards, and saw the hunter standing in a daze. He looked up just in time to see the titan’s fist connect with his face. Spectrum went flying backwards, and landed on his back. His helmet had cracked open, revealing his glowing blue eyes. The hunter feebly grabbed at his hand cannon, and aimed at Cupun, but the titan was faster. Cupun fired through the crack in the hunter’s helmet, killing him instantly. The duel was over. He’d won. * * * Marcella watched as Spectrum’s ghost appeared over his corpse. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Your boy can fight, I’ll give him that much,” the blue-haired hunter said. “That he can,” Marcella replied. Suddenly, she felt someone nudge her. She looked up, and saw Kim staring at her, a worried look on her face. “Marcella,” he said. “Something’s wrong.” He pointed at the screen. Marcella looked up, and couldn’t figure out what Kim was so worried about. Then, she saw it. Spectrum’s ghost should have resurrected him by now. Instead, it was simply floating over the Guardian’s corpse. What was going on? * * * Cupun watched as the ghost floated over Spectrum’s body. He clenched his fists with impatience. What was taking so damn long? Suddenly, he felt something. Something deep inside him that reverberated through his mind. It was like a voice, sounding off inside his head, but it also wasn’t. Why was Spectrum a Guardian? said the voice-not-a-voice. What made this arrogant braggart worthy of the light? Nothing. Nothing at all. Suddenly, Cupun was taken over by a pure, primal rage. Almost before he knew what he was doing, he took aim with his pulse rifle. His ghost seemed to sense what was about to happen. “Cupun, no!” he shouted. Cupun fired. * * * Bam! Spectrum’s ghost was hit by the rifle burst, and went flying to the ground, sparks flying off it. Marcella stared at the screen, gaping. Cupun had just shot a ghost. He’d killed a Guardian! Her brain suddenly seemed to lock up, unable to comprehend what she’d just seen. Suddenly, Cupun turned, and looked up at the camera. Marcella couldn’t see his face beneath that helmet of his, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. Cupun slowly raised his pulse rifle, and fired. The screen went static. Shaken, Kim turned to look at her. “What the hell just happened?” he asked. The four Guardians bolted out of the room, and ran to the City gates, shoving past anyone in their way. They ran out of the City, and quickly found the site of the duel. Cupun was nowhere to be seen, but Spectrum’s corpse was still there. So was his ghost. Marcella found the broken orb lying the grass. “Ghost,” she said, “can you -“ “No,” her ghost said, almost instantly. “It’s dead.” She paused for a moment. “I’m sorry.” Marcella looked up at Kim, who was standing over Spectrum’s body. A somber expression on his face, the warlock looked at her, and shook his head. Marcella stood up, and looked at the woods beyond the clearing. What the hell had happened to her friend? [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Groups/Post?groupId=1371758&postId=242632404&sort=0&page=0]Part Twenty-Five: Deliberations[/url]