Shadow shoves her helmet on clumsily and frantically opens her channel to the Judgement scribe. "Variks." He acknowledges her simply with a low chitter and wastes no time jumping into detail. [i]He knew I was coming.[/i] "Taniks has no House. He kneels before no banner, owes allegiance to no Kell. He is a murderer, and very good at what he does." The hair on the back of Shadow's neck stands up at the sound of his voice. [i]I'm very good at what I do as well.[/i] "I have been tracking him since Wolves broke their chains, yes? Now Taniks works for Wolf pack... but not for long." Shadow scowls. She would take down Taniks as many times as she needed to. Briefly she wonders if Cayde is listening in. Her ghost stays quiet. She assumes he is once again frustrated with her urgency in missions from Variks. But it had been weeks since they had spoken. Warmth fills the guardians chest at the thought of spending time with the vandal again. [i]He still wants to work with me.[/i] Upon arriving at the temple of Crota, Shadow reloads her weapons. "Taniks has been sent to plunder the Hive. Your job just as simple. Avenge the dead. Stop him from stealing the Dark." "Yes sir!" Shadow runs into the temple without hesitation, showing off as much as physically possible. She smiles to herself, tossing a grenade into a cluster of fallen and sliding beneath the flames. She leaps back to her feet, launching a throwing knife into the face of a captain. "Be cautious as you confront him. He will try to trick you." [i]Oh no he won't[/i]. "Got it." "Fight! Win!" "Yes sir!" Shadow takes out her excitement on the arm of a screeching vandal, snapping it in half. She can hear her own excitement reflected in Variks' voice as well. "Lift field distortion! Ketch just above you." Adrenaline rushes through Shadow's blood. Energy and a confidence she rarely knows courses through her veins whenever she works with Variks. They made a good team, Variks had said so himself. Knowing he's enjoying himself as well only makes shadow fight harder. Bigger explosions, better aim. Shadow simply growls back at the roars of Taniks. She can't understand him- as usual, Variks fills her in. "Taniks has called you out, Guardian. You are challenged... in the ways of old." The hunter huffs. "Challenge accepted." [i]No way he's making me look dumb in front of Variks.[/i] As soon as she boards the fallen's ketch, static breaks into her comms. She halts abruptly. "Variks?" She presses a hand to her earpiece. "Taniks is jamming our comms." [i]No! Variks![/i] "Fight well, guardian... Fight for honor-" Variks' voice is quickly drowned out in static. "Damnit!" Did Taniks know Variks was helping her? How [i]dare[/i] he cut her off from him. "Big mistake," Shadow mutters darkly, gripping her shotgun so hard her fingers hurt. Her eyes glare like fire. [i]Fight for honor.[/i] As she chases after Taniks, killing his crew, she wonders if Variks is still able to watch her. Taking no risks, Shadow makes sure to take out the rest of his crew -and his walker- with style. The screaming, foreign language of Taniks nearly stops the hunter in her tracks as she follows him through his ketch. The sound runs her blood cold. Even Skolas' voice hadn't sounded so alien, so savage. She scolds herself furiously. [i]You're not scared of him! [/i] Shadow halts and glares up at Taniks on his platform. He raises his mechanical arms and roars once again, his other hands taking aim. She dodges and then dives in- pumping her shotgun. Taniks' size is his weakness- she easily avoids him, slipping in and out of rage of his lashing claws. "Ha!" Shadow taunts him, dodging his well- aimed shots just in time. "What is it with your kind never being able to fight on your own?" In outrage, Shadow blasts her way through more fallen. The onslaught drags their battle on, and she pauses, breathing heavily and wondering for a moment if she would be able to accomplish this. Bruised and tired, she summons the last of her energy with a blast of solar light. Fire dances across pale skin, along slender limbs. She leaps high from her hiding place to get a good aim at Taniks' head- [b]BANG BANG BANG[/b] Shadow falls to her knees along with Taniks, but only one of them is dead. His blood-curdling screams echo through the ketch. "Notorious mercenary dead." [i]You're back![/i] Shadow is to busy gulping down air to respond. "No small matter... You will be rewarded treasure from the Queen." Shadow's heart sinks. She gazes down at the floor sadly. [i]Right... treasure. I guess he still thinks thats what I want[/i]. As if Variks could read her thoughts, he quickly adds, "[i]And[/i] my respect, as well." Shadow's heart skips, her face flushing. She picks herself off the floor and rubs an arm, flustered. "Thank you." Another successful mission with Variks, of course. Nothing else could ever feel so thrilling. She picks up Taniks' scorch canon with a grunt and raises it to the sky, releasing the last shots in victory.