Sequel to Avenging The Fallen

It was quiet in Siren's Watch. The enemy had retreated temporarily giving a moment of reprieve for the Deputy Commander and the participants of the mission within the Arcology.

But things just didn't feel right. Inside Siren's Watch the Exo Hunter known as Viper-7 was sitting at one of the tables his face buried in his hands which are still trembling. Aria floated by just staring at her Guardian unsure what to say to comfort him. Mithrax also stood behind the broken Hunter. He tried taking a seat beside Viper but the folding chair couldn't support the Kell's weight and it broke as soon as he sat down.

The Deputy Commander sat across surprised to see Viper this beaten up. She hasn't seen him this terrfied since his early days as a Guardian trying to learn the ropes of everything he needed to be a Hunter. She spoke up, "Need a drink V? How about a coffee?" Viper sighed deeply looking up at Sloane, "Got any stronger Sloane? I don't think caffiene is going to cut it." His voice sounded so weak it was upsetting for Aria to hear him talk like this.

Sloane stood up, "I got something you might like. Mithrax would you like a glass as well?" Mithrax shook his head, "No thank you Sah-lone. I don't like human alcohol. Although, one of my other Guardian friends have told me of this Ra-man you humans consume for sustenance. I've been curious to try it." Viper let out a weak chuckle as Sloane makes her way to grab some glasses and the drink, "I could definitely go for a bowl myself. Think they do interstellar delivery?" Aria bounced and said, "If you're able to make jokes like that then you must be feeling better."

Viper smiled and patted Aria gently, "Sorry I'm worrying you as always." Aria looked like she was huffing, "You better be! You shot yourself!" Sloane comes back with two large whiskey glasses and what appears to be a 12 year old Whiskey from The Last City. Sloane opened the bottle and poured the glasses while she spoke, "You seriously shot yourself? What were you thinking Viper?"

Viper sighed as he took his glass, "I'm not exactly proud of it myself. That THING it was like it wasn't trying to hurt me physically. It was studying me, probing my thoughts, my memories, my feelings, and my fears." He gripped his glass hard to keep his hands from shaking. Aria shook her head, "I should've been there with you. I could've done something to protect you from it's attack." Mithrax spoke up, "I feel the same Friend Ar-e-ah but I think Vi-par made the best decision. We weren't prepared but we had no choice either." Viper shook his head and took a sip of the Whiskey, "It's times like these I wish I wasn't an Exo so I could actually get drunk off this stuff."

Sloane looks at Viper, "You said it probed your thoughts? Why do you think it did that?" Viper kept his eyes focused on his glass sighing yet again before taking another swig of the drink, "I honestly don't know Sloane. But the it attacked me mentally and it knew exactly what would hurt me the most. The shock images it flooded into my brain were overwhelming that I just knew if I didn't break free from it's grasp I was going to wind up either brain dead or proper dead." Aria and Sloane both yell at Viper, "SO YOU SHOT YOURSELF!?!" Viper looks startled at both of them, "Look I-I'm sorry alright. I understand you're both mad at me and quite bluntly I deserve it." Aria flew in front of the Exo's face and shouted, "Damn right you do! That thing was made of Darkness there was a good chance that could've been your final death!!!" Sloane looking equally pissed throws in her two cents, "And I gave you an order to come back alive soldier. You almost didn't by your own reckless actions."

Mithrax stood beside Viper and put a hand on his shoulder, "Your friends speak truth Vi-par. Life is precious especially in times as dark as these. Understand their anger not as rage but as kindness." Viper looked up at the wise Kell and smiled weakly, "I didn't...I didn't want to die down there. I'm so sorry." Aria huffed and puffed in front of V, "If anything ever happens to you..." Viper smiles and pats Aria gently, "I know. You find a way to bring me back just so you can kill me yourself for upsetting you," Aria shouted proudly, "Damn right! You dumb sack of nuts and bolts!" Viper couldn't help but be amused at how pissed Aria was. She's a spitfire for someone so small when it shows. Viper pours himself and Sloane another glass, "Anything you'd like to say Deputy Commander?" Sloane sits there quiet as she takes a sip of her drink, "I'm gonna slug you when you least expect it." Viper chuckles nervously, "Noted." Mithrax looks confused, "Slug? Those earth parasites?" Everyone laughs at Mithrax's confusion but Viper looks up at the Kell and smiles, "It's an earthling expression. To slug somebody means she's going to punch me." Sloane punches Viper sending him flying and hitting the wall killing him, "Like now for example." Sloane says before taking a seat and releasing the arc crackling through the fist she used to punch him as she takes another sip of her whiskey. Mithrax looks disturbed and Aria flies over to revive Viper.

Viper stands up and cracks his neck, "You said when I least expected it. And that was definitely unexpected." Sloane's lips curl into a cocky smirk, "You're clearly getting rusty. I thought Hunter''s were always on guard." Viper tries to think of a rebuttal but is left speechless, "...Dammit." Viper grabs his drink and takes another sip. Sloane looks at Viper seriously, "I expect a fully report to the Commander." Viper looks annoyed, "Yeah yeah I know. You know he's going to stress even more with what I encountered right?" Sloane sits back looking exhausted, "Yeah I do but it would be bad to hide this information from him." Viper's eyes look shifty, "You know me a little too well sometimes." Sloane looks confident, "It's my job to know my troops like the back of my hand." Viper shakes his head, "You're such a soldier. You seriously need a day off. You're like a Zavala Junior or something but compared to the original I actually enjoy your company." Sloane laughs, "Yoknow he means well." Viper sits back looking annoyed, "Can we not talk about him? I'm not in the right mindset for this topic." Sloane chuckles, "Fine. But you still need to make your report." Viper waves his hand, "That's Aria's job and she's already feeding the report to him. Right Aria?"

Aria sighs looking annoyed, "Yeahhhhh. I'm sending the livefeed, the comms communications, and a written report to Commander Zavala as we speak." Viper chuckles, "What would I do without you Aria?" Aria mutters, "Probably still be dead." Viper thinks for a second before answering, "Fair point." Mithrax chuckles, "Friends you amuse me with your childish banter." Viper smiles and holds his glass up to Mithrax, "Mithrax it was a pleasure to work alongside you in this mission. I don't think I could've asked for anyone better to have my back during that mission." Mithrax nods and Viper was almost sure he was smiling underneath his mask, "Well I must take my leave friends. My house needs me and I must honor my fallen brethren. Till we meet again Friend Vi-par, Brave Ar-e-ah, and Mighty Sah-lone."

Mithrax immeidately dissappears as the sound of a Ketch ship approaches. Viper sits there with Sloane and Aria and smiles, "I'm sorry for what I did you two." Aria and Sloane look at Viper, "What did you see V?" Sloane asks out of curiousity, "...Death." Viper said quietly, "I saw everyone I knew dying horribly and I was powerless to stop it. The more it fed me those images of everyone dying the more helpless and broken I felt. It knew what would hurt me most when it showed it to me." Sloane takes a deep breath and pours one more glass for the two, "Who's deaths did you see?" Viper looked like his heart sank into his stomach and started trembling, "Everyone's. Not even just those who were alive. Everyone who I've already lost like Cayde, Sai, and Tevris to name a few." The two drink their whiskey in one gulp and slam the glasses down in frustration over this abomination that attacked, "I think it's time I head out Sloane. Might visit the tower. Say hi to Amanda and Saint." Sloane looks at Viper not as a Commander but as a friend he could confide in, "Are you sure you're alright V?" Viper stands still and sighs, "Honestly, No I'm not. But there isn't much I can do about it. Maybe I'll take a vacation somewhere. Know any good beaches that don't reek of Methane?" Sloane laughs and sends him on his way.

As Viper flies back to The Last City in his jumpship his body continues to tremble as he remembers the creature and calls out to his ghost, "Aria..." Aria can hear the fear in her Guardian's voice, "What's wrong V?" Viper sighed, "There was something I didn't say about that creature. In it's shadows I could see a figure. I said it was human shaped." Aria nods, "Yes I know. I included that in my report. What are you trying to say Viper?" Viper's hands shook uncontrollably, "The more I looked at it. The more I could make out the shape of the person it looked like and..." He let go of the ships controls gripping his whole body in fear as Aria in a panic immediately took control of the ships course and engaged the Auto-Pilot, "It looked like Taeko..." Aria looked at Viper, "What?" Viper held himself tighter remembering the way that thing's cold dead stare etched itself into his memory, "I tried shooting it but I missed. The more I recognized the form hidden in the shadows the more I saw Taeko-3. I know it wasn't her. It was just the shape it took as a means to hurt me further but..." Aria looks at her Hunter, "V..." Viper voice was choking back the urge to cry as he remembers the last moments he ever spent with her was an arguement they never reconciled over.

Viper-7 stood there looking at Taeko-3, "You called for me?" Taeko looking upset, "Yeah..." Viper looked annoyed, "What's bothering you now?" Taeko was gripping one of her arms, "A lot of things to be honest. We haven't gone on a mission together since the Red War. I was wondering if you wanted to join me? I'm about to be stationed on Titan for recon for Deputy Commander Sloane." Viper looking annoyed, "Why me? You already got about seven others you recruited being stationed with you on that mission. I read the mission statement. I declined because it sounds boring. Ask Leo or that dumbass Tessen-9 you consider your best friend." Taeko looked annoyed, "YOU'RE my best friend V." Viper crosses his arms turning away, "Don't call me that! You know damn well only friends get to call me V." Taeko raised her voice, "Are you still pissed at me!? How many times can I say I'm sorry till you forgive me?" Viper shouted back, "Never! You left me alone to die! I was without my light. I was so scared that Aria couldn't do anything to save me and you left me alone. ALONE TAEKO!" Taeko shouted, "I didn't leave you alone! I drew the Red Legion away from you because I didn't want to see you die! You were crippled! Your arm had been ripped off and your legs were crushed under the debris. There was nothing I could do to pull you out of there! So I the platoon that was attacking us away from you and prayed you'd survive." Viper was so angry, "Don't give me that Praxic Order bullshit of being so selfless. I needed you there. If I was going to die I wanted to at least die with someone by my side. Instead you pop out your damn sparrow and drive off leaving me alone in that building for several hours." Taeko turns away looking angry, "If that's how you feel then forget it Viper. I'll go ask Tessen and he'll be my new best friend. I'm so angry at you. I always thought you were better than this. But now I see you're just a selfish bastard of a Hunter who only looks out for himself." She walks up to Viper and slaps him across the faceplate, "Think about what I did and what the hell you said to me. I didn't want to see you die. I'm so sorry you feel such anger towards me but I hope one day you can see the truth of what I did. This is the last chance I'm giving you to find forgiveness." Taeko-3 walked away and Viper-7 just stood there looking stunned at the fact she slapped him.

Viper-7 did realize his mistake. She really did selflessly try to sacrifice herself to save him that day and if she had stayed they both would've perished for sure but her act of courage saved the both of them. But Viper would never get the chance to apologize. Taeko-3 died in the Chasm of Screams and as if to haunt him further that creature violated his memory of her by taking on that twisted shape of her. Viper choose to honor her memory by being a better and more selfless person. He would hear out people's problems do his best to help others in need. Call out others when they would they were burdening themselves with too much, and he'd always offer and jovial smile and stupid joke to make everyone happy. Viper continued to cry and choke back his words, "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry I hurt you again. I'm sorry you died alone down there. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm sorry I didn't belive you...I'm sorry. Taeko...I'm so sorry. I want to see you smile again I want to hear you call me V one more time." Aria rubbed her shell gently against Viper's cheek and said, "It's alright V. It's okay. Nobody's here to see you. Let it all out..."

The End