The Frontier: Part 11 - Loose Ends

The sun was rising over the Cosmodrome, illuminating the enormous, rusting hulk of the Wall and making long shadows stretch from its base. A hunter, feet dangling, sat on the edge of the Wall and contemplated his future while staring into the sunrise. He had taken his helmet off, revealing the face of a dark grey Exo with yellow eyes and a blue mouth. Orion-22, guardian of the Last City, had chosen this location to be the place where he would contemplate what he would do next. Since he had decided to work more on his own, he had no vanguard assignments (or at least he had not bothered to check if he did), no immediate warnings, and no large, overhanging threats, aside from the return of Crota, which the Guardian was dismantling, all by themself. That guardian. Orion had thought the most powerful guardian he had ever seen was Osiris, but now with this one, he knew they would do great things. It was their destiny, he could tell. The shadow of a jump ship momentarily passed over him, and he heard the unmistakeable sound of an object materializing out of transmat. His friend approached him from behind, and sat to have his legs dangling over to edge like Orion. “Orion. What is going on?” Asked Anibus. The Exo shrugged. “Not very much is going on. I am just contemplating the future. You got your revenge, but I… still have stuff I need to figure out.” Anibus nodded, and then had a feeling of guilt cross his face. “Orion… for all of the troubles I caused you out of desire for vengeance, and for all of my hotheadedness, I am so sorry. Now that I killed Karas… I don't feel like I should feel the way I do.” Orion put a hand on the Titan’s shoulder. “No problem, Anibus, I forgive you. It means a lot for you to say that, and I thank you for admitting your mistakes.” Anibus gave a slight nod with his head, and the two of them went back to indirectly watching the sunrise. “What now?” Anibus asked. Orion thought for a moment. “I don't really know, Anibus. Maybe I can find something to do, but without activity, immortality can become a curse.” Anibus laughed. “Well, being a guardian can be all too exciting sometimes.” The Exo snorted and smiled wryly. “All too true. In those moments, I wish just the opposite.” Anibus stood. “I've got to get back to the Tower. Will I hear from you again?” The veteran hunter stood up himself, and shook the Titan’s hand. “Maybe, Anibus. I will contact you if something comes up.” Then he gave a lopsided smile. “Or just to say hello. Farewell.” Orion waved to the ship passing overhead as Anibus transmatted into it. Several minutes later, Orion had returned to his contemplative spot. Spark, his Ghost, materialized next to him. “Incoming ship, Orion.” The machine said nervously. The hunter inclined his head to look at Spark, and fingered his Silver Stallion, which had mysteriously appeared in his hands. “I know, I heard it come in from orbit a few minutes ago, which means it didn't come from Earth. We'll have to see if they are friendly or not. The ship had slowed to a halt, Orion guessed, since the buzzing sound of its engine had slowed to a crawl. It didn't sound like a guardian jump ship, which did not make very much noise at all, but instead sounded more like a soldier transport ship, used by the Cabal or Fallen. Spark went into hiding, and Orion heard a heavy object land on the Wall behind him with a clang. “Orion.” Spat a large, dark armored figure, clearly the shape of a man; and a large one. Orion recognized the voice through the armor. “Henry? Is that y-” “It's just Vulcan!” Snarled the former Titan. “Henry died when his ghost did.” Orion put his helmet on. “Vulcan you do not have to do this. Stop this madness.” Vulcan chuckled bitterly. “If I am mad, then do must you be. Look at us, two lunatics who have discovered the truth.” Orion shifted uneasily. “You do not know of what you speak. I am not like you.” The Titan stomped his foot on the ground. “Enough talk. I have come to kill you, and nothing you say or do will change that.” Orion stood his ground. “Son. Stop this.” The Exo said quietly. A small part of Vulcan broke. “D-don’t call me that!” He said, stuttering a little. “I love you. I have always loved you.” Orion said plainly. “STOP!” The Awoken said, and, leaping forward, battered Orion with an incredibly powerful blow. Orion was knocked down, but instinct and centuries of training allowed him to regain his footing before he fell over. Orion’s shotgun transmatted out of his hands, and he let his arms hang at his sides. “I will not fight, Henry.” Vulcan smiled, a cold little smile. “Then you will die.” He sneered, and jumped forwards again. Despite his love for Vulcan, Orion dodged the lunge and kicked him in the chest. “But if I must, I do it for you.” Vulcan snarled as if he were a monster, and kicked Orion over the side of the wall. Orion used his Light to slow his fall, but then felt the heavy figure of Vulcan slam into him. They both hit the ground with terrible impact. Vulcan spat blood from mouth as a piece of rusty metal speared him in the back, and Orion was thrown dozens of meters into the rusted skeleton of a car. With a guttural scream, Vulcan tore the rusty piece of metal from his chest, and tossed it to the side. The Sunbreaker looked for Orion, but saw that he had disappeared. However, the hunter quickly moved into view as his blade dancer cloaking abilities wore off, showing the body armor he had changed into. Unfortunately, Vulcan had seen it before. The silver and gold armor had veins of golden light running throughout it like blood, and was almost the same color as Orion’s shotgun, The Silver Stallion. It partially enhanced his strength and had remarkable toughness, owing to the fact that it had been an old golden age experiment. The silver hunter swung his left fist in a powerful punch, but Vulcan blocked it with his elbow and punched him in the chest plate of his armor, hard. Orion feinted another punch, but instead kicked Vulcan in his side and swept his legs out from under him as he stumbled. Vulcan channeled his rage-filed Solar Light, and exploded in a flash brighter than the sun that rose behind them. The Sunbreaker stood, now wreathed in solar flames and wielding a Hammer of Sol in each hand. “Time for a super fight, eh?” Asked Orion jokingly, and drew two knives from twin sheathes on his belt. Arc energy coursed through his body and conducted along the length of his knives, turning him into a living conduit of the Arc. Vulcan threw a Hammer of Sol, but Orion struck it with a small bolt of Arc, causing a bright detonation of Arc and Sol. The two conduits of Sol and Arc clashed, and their respective elements seethed against one another like opposing sides, the brightness and intense heat of Sol against the thunderous static of the Arc. Lighting flashed, and Orion stabbed both of his knives into Vulcan’s shoulders, driving a massive shock through him and driving him to his knees. Vulcan lifted upwards from his position, and used the momentum of his Light enhanced jump to enhance his strength, sending Orion flying once again, this time into a small, gnarled tree. Orion snapped the tree and danced towards Vulcan rather than ran, holding the points of his knives down. Before he could reach him, Vulcan lifted an old, rusting car and threw it at the lightning wreathed Hunter as hard as he could, not bothering to check how effective it was. The old metal warped and the cage that had once secured inhabitants inside broke apart against Orion’s crackling body. Orion tore the car apart that was on top of him, conducted the Arc through a metal beam of the car, and threw it like a spear at Vulcan with all of his might. Vulcan screamed agony at the pain of being impaled through the gut by a rusty piece of metal and being shocked by Arc, but he grimaced and fought on. He ripped it from his body and cracked Orion across the face with it like a crowbar, breaking the piece of metal in half. His face plates dented and the Arc draining from his body, Orion punched Vulcan in the face. Vulcan tied to swing a Hammer at him, but Orion ducked underneath the blow with incredible reflexes and stabbed Vulcan again in the stomach. Orion lifted Vulcan over his head, and in his desperate strength threw him at the ground with a shout. Vulcan’s body, once as bright as the summer sun with Sol, drained of the fires, and with it his fury. They had now reached the edge of a cliff, and Orion stood over the fallen Titan, both literally and metaphorically. “So, what now, Hunter?” Vulcan said tiredly, but spitting out the t of Hunter. “Are you going to finish me off?” Show me how cold you really are?” Orion let the knives in his hands fall to the ground. “No, Henry. I will not. I… cannot.” He said tiredly. “Well, if you will not do it… I will force you to!” Vulcan yelled suddenly, and propelled himself with a final bit of strength using his Light. His shotgun appearing in his hands, Orion pulled the trigger on reflex, and the triumphant boom of The Silver Stallion rang again. The heavy body of the former Titan slammed into Orion and drove him over the edge of the cliff. The two of them bounced off of rocks and debris, and broke their bodies with each impact. Orion felt the side of his metal torso cave and crunch with each impact, until the two of them tumbled down to the bottom of the slope. One of Orion’s arms was clearly crushed, his left knee was creaking and squealing unnaturally, and his back was dented, but the worst damage he had suffered was not physical. At his feet lay the body of Vulcan, his brain punctured by the shots from the Silver Stallion. Orion trembled, and tossed his shotgun to the side. The valley echoed with his grief. Well… that was the end. Of Vulcan’s life, and this first chapter of the story of Orion. Goodbye.