“Bracket! Get up here and cover me!” Huskie-13 gripped his scout rifle and hunkered down even lower. He’d been foolish to rush in so early, and as a result, he’d left himself with nothing but a tiny crate that offered meager cover. The one time he’d dared to peek over the top, a sniper round had nearly pierced his alloyed skull. Even an Exo couldn’t survive that. Following his instruction, a blur strode past him to prop its sniper on a larger crate ahead. Huskie could just make out the Hunter’s form as she lined up her shot. The Warlock would never see it coming. [i]CRACK![/i] The force of the sniper shot disrupted Bracket’s cloaking, but it didn’t matter. Her target was dead and she was already crouching behind the crate she’d used to support her rifle. She looked at Huskie, who sensed a grin behind her helmet. “Nice shot, but there are still two of them running around somewhere.” “Hey, you’re the one who decided it was a good idea to go charging in head-first. Next time, I’m letting them shoot you.” “Aww,” he moaned, “and here I thought you cared.” “I do. But even a fellow Exo is subject to the lessons of the battlefield. Besides, you’re funny when you’re careless.” Huskie grunted and abandoned cover to move toward the dead Guardian’s Ghost; preventing revival was crucial when competing against such coordinated teams those who fought in Osiris’ name. The Titan vaulted over the top of a cooling unit and leapt over a gap between maintenance sheds. The Warlock’s Ghost still hovered near the wall of the alcove where he had taken his shot. His team mates were nowhere to be seen. Bracket and Aryn - she was the team’s strategic and all-too-serious Voidwalker - arrived a moment later. “So,” Bracket mused, “you think they’ll rush us, or try for distance?” “How about both?” Aryn quipped. She shoved Bracket behind cover as sniper fire roared from across the rooftops. The first round nicked the Hunter’s helmet. The second found the human’s heart. Her Ghost materialized even as her body was atomized by the Void-infused bullet, and although her body was dead, her consciousness still lived. [i]“Turn around, Huskie!”[/i] The Warlock’s voice echoed in the Titan’s helmet as he crouched and pivoted, but he was too slow. The onrushing Stormcaller had already lifted his shotgun. The last thing Huskie saw was a blinding flash of Arc light as the charged buckshot shredded his head and neck. No doubt Bracket would be next. Sight returned as his Ghost gave him a live feed of what it saw. Together they took stock of their surroundings as they waited for the inevitable. But Bracket was nowhere to be found. The match wasn’t over yet. The Stormcaller revived his teammate and clapped the Sunsinger on the shoulder as she stood. They took up positions watching over the fallen Guardians’ Ghosts. Huskie spun toward Aryn’s Ghost. “Good call, bad timing.” “I didn’t see you do any better.” “Hey! Relax! I’m kidding!” “Just shut it, Huskie.” The Titan grumbled, but said nothing more as Aryn began to feed information to their comrade. “Two here with us, Bracket. Two Warlocks. The other is retreating from his position and seems to be hunting for you. I recommend taking cover in maintenance shed Bravo.” Bracket’s static-laced voice was broadcast through the Fireteam voice channel. “And miss my chance at the perfect prank? No way! Where is this guy?” Aryn heaved a sigh, incorporeal though she was. Huskie could imagine her pressing a palm to her forehead in exasperation. “Bracket, you’re the only one still walking. You let these guys take you down, we’re eliminated.” “I got it, I got it! Don’t worry! I just want to dance.” Huskie listened as the sounds of the Hunter’s movement filtered through the channel. [i]“Tala,”[/i] he thought to his Ghost, [i]“get me eyes on Bracket.”[/i] She complied, linking with the camera system in the arena to get a view of what was happening. Aryn had apparently done the same. Her voice betrayed her surprise at her ally’s position. “What are you doing?” “Having a little fun.” Bracket had tracked down her opponent, a Gunslinger whose preferred weapon appeared to be an old, worn hand cannon; he methodically cleared each room he entered, taking every step with slow, deliberate care. Bracket, cloaked and hidden, followed no less than two steps behind him. Huskie watched as the Exo reached forward and tugged gently on her opponent’s cloak. The Gunslinger spun and took aim, but Bracket moved with him, keeping just out of sight. She grabbed the cloak again, and once more the Gunslinger pivoted to find empty space. He tilted his head, and Huskie sensed movement near his position. The Stormcaller was leaving. “Bracket, Warlock on the move. Headed toward you.” The Hunter didn’t reply. Instead, she stood, abandoned her camouflage, and tapped the Gunslinger on the shoulder. He turned, hand cannon raised, and was met with a blade. Huskie heard a wet gurgle come through the channel as the Gunslinger collapsed. Bracket retreated the way she had come, looping back toward Huskie and Aryn. The Warlock bristled. “Don’t let him-!” “Aryn, don’t worry. All part of the plan!” Bracket sprinted down a hallway and outside, where she used her Light to propel herself to the rooftops. The Sunsinger caught sight of the Hunter and raised her rifle. “Bracket!” The Hunter feinted right, then rolled left behind a cooling unit. Seconds passed. Then a minute. The Gunslinger and the Defender rejoined her in the alcove. The Warlock lowered her rifle in confusion. “Surprise!” Bracket burst into view as a flare of Arc Light rippled across her now-visible form. Dual blades in hand, she sidled up to the Sunsinger. “This is for my helmet.” She slipped one blade between the Warlock’s ribs, and the Guardian disintegrated in a flash of Light. The Stormcaller backpedaled and lifted his shotgun, but Bracket was already moving toward him. He fired, but she sidestepped the blast and kept coming. The Warlock panicked and opened his palm, throwing his own Arc Light in self defense. Bracket took the blow and tackled him, slipping her blade into his neck. He, too, vanished in a flash of blue. Bracket turned to confront the Gunslinger, who had backed as far away as he could within the confines of the alcove. He formed his fingers to the shape of a hand cannon and pointed the un-weapon at Bracket, ruddy Solar Light licking up from his boots. A blazing weapon formed in his hand. The Bladedancer laughed and disappeared. Huskie saw her lunge left, then right as the Gunslinger’s first two shots missed. Tracking the blur of her invisible form, the Gunslinger tightened his grip on the Golden Gun in his hand. Bracket’s cloak gave out as she tripped and landed on the floor. The Gunslinger fired, but the Exo’s clumsiness had been a trick. The shot missed as she rolled to the side and vaulted to her feet, Arc Light still thrumming along her limbs. She threw her Arc Blade at the Hunter and watched as blade buried itself in his chest. He was swallowed by lightning. Bracket approached her allies’ Ghosts and initiated their revival sequences. Aryn immediately punched the Hunter in the stomach. “What was that for?!” “You know exactly why!” She turned on Huskie next. “And you!” Huskie raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “What?” “You’re reckless and stupid! If you’re going to succeed, you need to learn some basic sense! You can start by being more aware of your surroundings!” Huskie dropped his hands, defeated. Bracket laughed. The Titan looked at her, bristling at her mirth. “And what’s so funny?” Bracket struck a pose, arms outstretched as though she were making a speech. “And thusly, the brave Huskie-13 was ‘blapped’ to death as he was shotty bum-rushed by Warlocks.” She continued laughing as Huskie fumed. Aryn shook her head. [i]“Where does she come up with this stuff?”[/i] ~~~~ [b]Alright, so this is just a little "for fun" piece I did after hearing about my buddy's antics in Trials. He requested a short about it, using the following line: "And thusly, the brave Huskeezee was blapped to death as he was shotty bum-rushed by Warlocks." I figured Bracket's quirky nature would be perfect for this line, since she sometimes makes no sense anyway.[/b]