Table of Contents https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/225386550/0/0 "Uh, you doin' okay, Null?" I inquired. "To be brutally honest," Null puffed, "I'm not exactly the fighting type." "Same for Will," Sierra muttered. "Yeah," Rush joined in, "Always aiming for kneecaps and pulling his punches." "No, not like that," Null corrected, "I mean, that's pretty weird, Will. You might have a problem. But I can aim and shoot and all that. I'm just... peaceful. Like Tyra Karn." "Tyra who?" I asked. "Tyra-" Null gasped, "Seriously? THE Tyra Karn. Founder of the Cryptography!" "What, like Rahool's boss?" Drew asked. "Forget it," Null dismissed. "Get your heads outta the clouds," Sierra chided, "There's one left." "Well, I can't shoot it," Null said, "Its hiding." "Fine," Sierra sighed, leaning over Trixie's shoulder to get a clear view, "I've got it." She took aim and fired. Ether spewed out from behind one of the cars and the Fallen's body crumpled to the ground. "Way to go, Sega!" Trixie congratulated, suddenly spinning and trapping Sierra in a monstrous hug. Sierra struggled to get loose and gasped, "Let go of me!" Trixie let her go and stepped back. I turned and saw Drew striding towards the nearest building. "Drew," I called, "Where are you going?" He stopped and proudly pointed at the entrance to the structure as he declared, "That's the way to go!" I blinked in surprise under my helmet, "That's... right, Drew. Good job." "Sally put a waypoint on my HUD," Drew continued, "It's a little crooked square that shows me where I'm going." "That makes sense," I sighed. "I'll never get lost again!" Drew stated. "Somehow," Sierra muttered, "I know he'll get lost anyway." We followed Drew through the entryway and turned left, where a massive hole had been blasted in the wall. Stepping over rubble, we continued down into a dark flooded hallway filled with columns. Water splashed and sloshed as we trudged around a corner. The sound of gunfire reached our ears as we came upon another hole. "This is the Archive," I informed, "All we have to do for this mission is clear it out." "YES!" Drew and Trixie cheered simultaneously. "Wait, we need a-" I began, but it was too late. The two Titans were already gone. I groaned and addressed everyone else, "Alright, people with common sense. There's higher levels on the sides. Take those and shoot down at everything else." "Got it," Sierra nodded. Null stuck out his hand and yelled, "On three, team! One! Two-" He stopped when we all stared at him, then shrugged and said, "I thought we could do a group hands in the middle thing." "I'm sorry," Sierra moaned, "Is ANYONE here actually the class they dress as?" Blanc chimed, "Keis is a Warlo-" "Titan," we all cut in. "Let's just go!" Rush urged. "Gosh, Rush," I japed. "Don't say it..." Rush warned. "You're always in such a-" I paused before the delivery. "Don't you dare say it!" Rush repeated. "Rush." I finished. "GAAAAH!" Rush wailed. "Ooh, good pun," Null complemented. "Please don't encourage him," Sierra said, pushing past us and running through the hole, where the shouts of Drew and Trixie could be heard among the sounds of combat. "Well, I think you've stalled long enough," Null's Ghost insinuated. "Right," Null agreed, heading after Sierra, "Time to shine, get shot at, and whatnot." I looked to Keis. He stared at me, motionless. I shifted awkwardly, not knowing what to say to him, "Uh.... so.... we should probably-" Keis tilted his head down slightly, focusing on me and reminding me of how much bigger he was, then interrupted, "My apologies, William. I blanked." "You- what?" I asked, completely lost. "He thinks a lot," Blanc answered, "I'll tell you about it later. Keis, go through that hole in the wall." Keis wordlessly obeyed Blanc, and I had no choice but to follow as I shook off my confusion. Bolts of energy sprayed in every direction as we entered, and I took in the wild scene. Fallen were hiding among shelves and columns as a wave of Vex marched in from the far end of the room. Drew and Trixie, of course, were in the center of the area, running around a winged statue as they indiscriminately killed everything that moved. Null had ascended to a higher level of shelves on the right side and was shooting at several Fallen on the opposite side. Keis hurried over to him. A glance left revealed Sierra, sliding left and right as she picked out targets. Deciding that my best option would be to clear the left side of the room, I ran past Sierra and ducked behind a column. A peek showed several Fallen with their backs turned to me, occupied with the Vex and wild Titans. I charged out, smashing the nearest Dreg's face into the desk it had been behind. The Vandal next to it didn't have time to react before I raised my gun and shot its head. Noticing the commotion, the remaining Fallen turned to me. One of them was shot in the back by a Goblin as I rolled to the next column, dodging Arc bolts. A Vandal sidestepped around the pillar, Shock Rifle raised, but I punched it. It's carcass tumbled away as I lunged back out and shot the remaining two Dregs. Two Goblins tramped towards me, unleashing bolts of Solar energy. I shot the mind fluid container of the farther one and its frame crumpled as the container burst. The second Goblin was closer, and I leaped in front of it. It raised its glowing hand, preparing to unleash a pulse of energy, but my fist smashed into its chasis, crumpling the metal like foil and launching the machine away. Drew suddenly cried out. I hurriedly ran out to the center of the room and spotted Drew. He was at the end of the room with Trixie, yelping and waving his arm around frantically. His fist was stuck in the shattered belly of a Goblin's limp body. "Get it off!" Drew begged, shaking the husk in every direction. He lifted it over his head and the limbs dangled down, swinging into him. "Agh!" Drew wailed, "Its still alive! It's attacking me!" "I'll save you, Drewy!" Trixie bellowed, tackling Drew and the Goblin to the ground. They rolled around in a tangled mess. "Guys!" I called, "Drew! Trixie! Guys, stop!" The two Titans froze, Drew lying on his back and tugging on the Goblin's head, and Trixie wrapped around its legs. They looked at me curiously, temporarily forgetting about Drew's predicament. "It's dead," I informed, "Drew, just get your arm out of it." Drew studied the Goblin suspiciously, then slid his arm out. "Oh, whoops," he said, "My bad." "That was fun!" Trixie giggled. "Wait wait!" Drew exclaimed, "I've got an idea!" The two stood up and Drew held up the Goblin. "Drew has an idea?" Sierra muttered, stepping up next to me, "Guess that means the apocalypse has started." "I don't know," Null voiced, and I looked up to see him next to Keis on the higher level, leaning on the railing, "This might be interesting." Drew hefted the Goblin, turning its back to him, then put his arm back inside. After giving it a shake to make sure it was secure, he raised it in the air and declared, "IT'S A PUPPET!" Trixie cheered and clapped, as excited as Drew was as he wiggled the chasis around. "Apocalypse," Sierra repeated. "Yup," Null concurred, "Apocalypse." Drew began chasing Trixie with the doll, and they laughed like children as they went in circles around the statue. "The area's secure," Null's Ghost stated, "We have to report to the Vanguard now." "Oh, don't remind me," Null sighed, "We've still got that punishment to deal with." "Yeah," I exhaled, "I'd nearly for-" I cut off as I dematerialized in a haze of blue and reappeared in the seat of my ship. "Rush!" I blurted, "What was that for?" "The ship was here," Rush replied pointedly, "And I'm honestly getting tired of hearing you guys talk." "Aw, I lost my puppet," Drew fussed, making it clear he had transmatted, too. "Sorry, Drew," Sally apologized. "Ah!" Sierra yelped in surprise. "Woah!" Null squeaked. "JOHN!" Sierra roared, "Get me out NOW!" "Okay, okay!" John cackled. "I'll turn you into scrap," Sierra threatened. "Does he do that to you often?" Null asked, sounding slightly shaken. "Yes," Sierra and I answered together.