Enjoy! [b]Five Years Ago [/b] Drake ran as fast as he could into the Divide. The rush of adrenalin, surging of his heart, and sweat dripping down his forehead failed to deter his calm deliberate movements and steady gaze. The rusted satellite hut offered temporary shelter, with only one point of entry, a relatively flat surface, and an easily defendable position. He propped Lorelei up against the far wall and checked her vitals. They were weak but still there. Atlas sparked and tried to float but dropped back down into the dirt. He flashed his eye at Drake, Morse Code the last thing on his mind. Holding his palm over her wound, he clenched his teeth. A soft flame grew in his palm as he pushed forward a force shot the energy through her body. Lorelei choked on pain as her heart leapt into her throat. Yanked to half consciousness, everything was blurred around her. A searing sting pulsated around her wound. The shock paralyzed her muscles as she attempted to reach out to Drake’s blurry face. “Don’t move,” Drake said quietly. He removed her helmet and rested his palm on her cheek. It was cold. “I think I can get one of these doors shut,” Echo whispered over the coms. “Good do it,” Drake looked down at Atlas. His ghost tried to float again but sparks flew from its body as it fell once more. He picked up Atlas. “I… I can’t do anything,” the ghost flashed. “It’ll be okay,” Drake smiled. “Protect Lorelei for now by establishing a link to the Vanguard. Tell them we need help.” “I can reconnect my communication circuits, but I’ll need time.” “How much?” “Two minutes.” Drake nodded, and placed Atlas in Lorelei’s lap. Two minutes, he thought. Then another three for back up. Five minutes. There was a metal screech as one of the garage doors slid shut. Echo floated over, scanning Lorelei’s body. Turning to Drake, her light was dim. “Find them!” Howled Voriks. His animalistic voice was deep, a mix of rage and thrill. Fallen spread out through the Divide. The Baron took center stage, walking into the open and just out of the line of sight of the guardians. He took a deep breath. Ether flowed through his body, it invigorated his senses. Voriks closed his eyes exhaling slowly. A westward breeze snaked across the Divide carrying the scuffling of the Fallen search party. A strange scent perked a grin on the Baron. Activating the electric hum of his cutlass’ he snarled, turning to Drake. Biting his lower lip, the countdown displayed on his HUD, Drake tightened his grip on Raze-Lighter. The blade burst to life, engulfed in an inferno of flames. The steel blade began to grow white hot. Voriks met the challenge holding out the blades of his own. A Dreg approached from above, readying its weapon. The Baron roared in opposition lobbing one of its blades at its underling. The sub-sonic projectile pierced the alien just above the waist, continued through its paper-like armor, and arched into the drop-off on the other side of the satellite hub. Purple blood spewed from the Dreg, raining down over Drake’s armor. “Any who interfere,” shouted Voriks in Eliksni. “Will perish.” Turning toward Drake again, he held up his blade once more. Drake could taste iron the more he bit his lip. Thirty seconds had passed. “Have at me!” Voriks snarled, charging Drake. Their blades collided sending sparks into the air. Fire and electricity melded together blurring the air around them. Drake lunged forward, forcing Voriks’ guard. The baron parried, kicking Drake back. He had to turn his body, feeling the spark of electric energy mere centimeters from his head. Two minutes. Drake elbowed the Baron raising his blade. As Voriks recoiled, he raised his own blade to block. There was another explosion of fire and sparks melting the air around the blades. Both pushed against the other in attempt to gain the advantage. “Thief,” Voriks grinned. “I am impressed.” Drake dug his heels into the ground, his arms beginning to shake. “Few can hold against me this long.” Voriks had the advantage as he pushed Drake to one knee. Four minutes. “But, this needs to end.” A ping flashed on Drake’s radar, green. His eyes widened as Lorelei limped out holding her weapon. It shook in her arm as she used the metal door for support. No, he thought. A shadow stretched over Drake, its sinister grin painted across its face. “Distracted,” Voriks laughed. Drake felt a scorching pain shoot into his abdomen. Looking down, the Baron was holding a Shock Pistol, its barrel smoking. Blood oozed from the half cauterized wound as Drake’s grip around Raze-Lighter weakened. Voriks snickered quietly as he took Drake by the neck. Lifting the guardian into the air, he smiled. Lorelei’s eyes widened, her heart stopping. Everything seemed to slow, seconds passed at minute pace, and moving her body was a sluggish ordeal. Voriks’ blade pierced Drake’s chest, gutting him, and forced its way through the other side. His armor turned a deep, black-red, as the blood now dripped from two wounds. She froze, petrified, color disappearing from her face. Everything went cold and silent, her mind a television locked on a dead channel. Deaf to the world, Voriks’ laugh was nothing more than a motion. The Baron tossed aside Drake’s body like garbage blowing in the wind. His body rolled in the snow, skidding to a stop so where outside her vision. Lorelei’s eyes glossed over as she fell to her knees, her shaking hand falling slowly to her side. She choked on her heart as her eyes dampened with tears. The pure crystalline dropplets reflected the flash of light as a trio of guardians dropped from their ships into the Divide. Voriks took aim with his Shock Pistol and fired. The rounds, in slow motion, approached her sizzling the air around them. Instinct urged her to move, her body refused. A blue light floated across her line of vision, Echo took the shots her body sparking like Atlas had. She twitched in the air for a moment before an internal mechanism burst with a loud pop. One of Echo’s spines shattered as she fell to the ground. Zavala tightened his fists as he hit the ground. Arc energy twisted around him as his Jovian Guard armor flexed under his musculature. Charging forward, he quickly broke a slipstream, clasping both fists together, he swung up shattering the sound barrier. Voriks barely turned his head before the impact knocked the wind from his lungs. He tasted blood as he spat purple into his helmet. Zavala raised his arms into the air and slammed the ground as a bolt of crashing lighting electrified the ground. An enormous shockwave blasted the Baron twenty feet away. Ikora was waiting, as Voriks hit the snow bank. Raising her hands into the air, Void energy encircled her body. Clenching her fists and pulling back an arm, she took aim. Floating into the air she thrust her arm forward unleashing a bomb of collected energy. The lance of a projectile flew through the air and hitting Voriks. There was a massive explosion blasting a crater into the ground. Voriks roared and leapt from the pit. Blood staining his armor and holding his arm, the Baron limped forward. Grunting, he clenched his teeth and bolted away. Invective shook in Ikora’s hand as she had it trained on the retreating Baron. Cayde knelt by Lorelei. He was quiet, the blue electronic eyes narrowed, analyzing. “Guys,” he said solemnly over the coms. “She needs help, immediately.” Zavala picked up Raze-Lighter, attaching it to the magnetic holster along his armor. Looking at the downed guardian, he grimaced. Approaching the body slowly he was at a loss for what to do. Cayde hoisted Lorelei into his arms. As they passed Zavala kneeling over Drake, the silence strangling her vocal cords broke. The Vanguard looked down as she cried, her voice echoing across the Divide. “Guardian down,” Ikora whispered respectfully.