[b][u]Episode 6a: Quantum Leap[/u][/b] [quote]Author's Note: this chapter is my longest one yet. Yeah yeah i've said that a bunch of times, but i'm serious here. Remember how the last chapter of book four was split, and I had to put the final fight scene into the second last chapter due to character limits? Yeah, this was about the same length. So I split this chapter into two parts... and then I added more. Enjoy part 1, i'll post part 2 within the hour.[/quote] Toland barely ‎dodged out of the way when Kabr barreled towards him and Dredgen like a freight train. The Titan changed directions mid motion, skidding to a stop. He grabbed‎ Fate of all Fools from his back and took aim. "Woah! Kabr, stop!" Dredgen shot Fate of all Fools out of Kabr's hands with Thorn. "What's gotten into you?" "Talos Protocol activated. Engage targets. Defend the Construct at all costs." Kabr grunted. Toland could see that he wasn't in control of his actions. His movements were more mechanical, less human in nature. "Well, that doesn't sound so good." Toland said to Dredgen, keeping his eyes trained on Kabr. "We need to find a way to shut whatever that is down, now." Kabr swung his shield at Dredgen, who ducked under it and slashed Kabr's leg with his knife, making sure the wound wasn't permanent. Kabr roared in pain. But Kabr would not stay down for long, he got back up, forgoing his shield to engage Dredgen with his bare hands. Suddenly, Kabr was far more lethal, blocking the knife as if it were a mere inconvenience and raining lightning fast strikes at Dredgen which he could barely dodge. Dredgen kept his guard up, taking one of Kabr's punches. He was dazed momentarily by the force of the blow, but was able to recover fast enough to leap back, evading a powerful uppercut. Kabr was thrown off balance by the momentum of his blow that had only met air. Dredgen took the opportunity to take the offensive. Kabr threw a wild headbutt, and Dredgen took advantage, grabbing Kabr's skull and slamming it into his knee. The Titan fell back, and Dredgen swooped in for the finishing blow. But it was a feint, Kabr had recovered and swung his shield, knocking Dredgen into a pillar, where he lay dazed. Kabr began to approach Dredgen, but his path was blocked by Toland. "Get out of my way." he said through gritted teeth. Toland tossed a grenade at Kabr, who knocked it away with his shield. He threw the shield at Toland in retaliation, who ducked before it could have decapitated him. Kabr charged at Toland. Toland was no stranger to hand to hand combat, however. He fought like most Warlocks fought, unleashing small bursts of energy from their palms. Toland blocked a heavy right hook from Kabr with his arm, then palmed the titan in the chest, knocking his breath away. Kabr shrugged it off, then resumed his fighting stance. He lunged once more, his fist hurtling towards Toland like a meteor. He was momentarily surprised when Toland caught his fist with his palm, the energy from the warlock's hand barely keeping Kabr's own in place. He could see the warlock straining. He twisted his arm, applying more force, and watched as Toland was barely able to contain his fist from breaking free. He wrenched his fist from Toland's grasp. He reared back, preparing to strike, when Dredgen slammed into his back, knocking him off balance. Dredgen tumbled off of the Titans back, and with a roll, he got up to his feet. He and Toland stood on opposite sides of Kabr, who resumed his fighting stance yet again. He beckoned, and they struck in unison. At first, it was appearant that they would win. They both fought like wild animals, battering Kabr from both sides. Dredgen struck with the ferocity of a wolf, but with mercy, to avoid killing one of his own pack. Toland, however, fought with surgical precision, targeting critical weaknesses with cold accuracy, he too sought to bring Kabr down without bloodshed, and forced restraint upon himself. That restraint, however, cost them their advantage, dashing any hopes of defeating Kabr, who blocked their blows with both his arms and leg such as you would an angry child. He then returned their aggression, dropping into a crouch to avoid a swift kick by Dredgen, and sweeping Toland's own leg out from underneath him. The warlock fell like a sack of bricks. Dredgen wasted no time, however, and a roundhouse kick knocked Kabr flat on his back. He leapt back to his feet, and faced both Dredgen and Toland, who had got up to his feet, shaken by the fall. They resumed fighting. As they fought, Toland noticed a change come over Kabr. He spoke, his voice strained. "I can't restrain Atheon for long." ‎Toland froze. "Atheon?" he was saved by Dredgen who tackled him, knocking him out of the way of Kabr's fist. "The only reason he hasn't made me kill you yet is because he is doing his best to contain The Chronovore." kabr's voice pleaded with them, while his body continued to fight. "Please, stop him!" Kabr's voice resumed it's metallic echo. "Eliminate priority threats." Dredgen slashed at Kabr's arm, but missed, and was barely able to block his fist with the flat of his blade which barely held firm. "What's going on inside his head?" he called out to Toland, who shrugged. Lightning flashed around them as a field of dark energy surrounded the construct. Toland was uncertain what would happen next as the battle raged on. _______________________________________ Inside Kabr's mind, another battle, was being waged. One he had no participation in. Both battles had one thing in common. One battle was fought by Guardian against Guardian, the other battle was fought by Vex against Vex. He watched grimly through his eyes as his body fought against his friends. Kabr felt like an outcast, banished to the outskirts of his own mind and forbidden to return. He struggled to take control of his body, but was suppressed by Atheon's power. Atheon was currently in a war with Qodron for control of the construct, desperately trying to contain him, all the while also controlling Kabr's body to attack Toland and Dredgen. Kabr felt his mind begin to tear as Qodron's voice rang throughout his head, stronger than Atheon. "Why do you resist my return to existence, Atheon?" the voice rumbled. "What possible motivation could convince you to commit treason against the Vex, all to destroy me?" "Because there are better alternatives." Atheon was barely able to hold Qodron back. "This timeline is the only one that contains that future. If you devour it, we will win eventually. But a much greater victory would be lost." Kabr felt his body suffer impact as Atheon charged him towards Dredgen, who flipped him into a pillar. "You are malfunctioning Atheon." Kabr felt Qodron's increase his efforts.‎ "You are unsuitable to be Times Conflux in your current state, and your vessel limits your abilities. You are powerless to stop me from breaking free!" "No!" Atheon shouted, and Kabr took the opportunity to make his move. All this time he had been trying to force Atheon out of his body, he had been purposely leaving his mind alone, to keep Atheon from finding out. "Get out of my head!" Kabr roared, mentally attacking Atheon. he forced the Vex's most dangerous mind out of his head and into the mechanisms of the Timekeeper, trapping him in the site. "Kabr! Why do you resist? It was I who guided you out of the vault, returned you to your home!" Atheon's voice hinted at desperation. "Because of you... many of my friends are dead... The Speaker told me that those who escaped the vault were never the same... Pahanin went mad, he became a shell of his former self, and his life was ended like a dog... Wei Ning remained sane, but doubted her decision to leave up until the moment of her death... and then there were those who never left... Praedyth, who you forced into the past... Osiris, who you tricked into the future!" Kabr felt himself begin to regain control of his body. "You caused their deaths! It's about time I avenged their sacrifices." Suddenly, the mental hurricane ceased to exist, as the connection between Kabr and Atheon was finally severed. He was free at last! _______________________________________ To be continued... Chapter 6, Part 2: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/151251534/0/0 Table of Contents: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/114713352/0/0