Part 1 of a joint story with /u/RewsterSause

Another day in the Tower. The Hunter Viper-7 slowly descends the stairs with a spring in his step. As he enters he notices the Guardians gathered by Saint-14 and his Jumpship clearing getting ready to participate in Trials of Osiris.

But Viper’s visit was for someone special. A certain mechanic who was like a sibling to him. A little sister who puts a smile on his metallic face as he walks up to her. She’s knee deep in her work covered in oil but as soon as he greets her she stops all that she’s doing to look at him with a smile and hug him tig-

White. A ringing. Nothing but white and a distinct ringing. Now a crackling noise. A sensation. Heat. Crackling and heat. Fire? Is something burning? Screams echo. Panic. Fear. What's happening? the Exo wonders to himself. He’s trying to understand why everything went white as he tried to hug Amanda. Viper struggles to understand what’s going on. A new feeling. Heaviness. Pressure. The Hunter’s body feels heavy. He knows this sensation. This crushing pain. He died. This feeling in his chest is the sensation of his lungs having collapsed. The pain is the synaptics of his robotic body creating artificial similarities to the real world equivalent of physical pain. Then the heat from the fire, the ringing, and this unyielding wash of white clouding his vision was…An explosion.

“V! V! Get up!” A familiar voice calls his name in a panic. He feels a bright and calming warmth wash over him almost like he's being embraced. This feeling…it's his Ghost Aria healing and resurrecting him from his death as always. Every inch of his body is good as new but he still feels delirious as always from the rez. Those screams he heard echoed loud and clear as he looked around to take in his surroundings of the tower hangar.

If he was still human, all the color would have drained from his face at the initial shock of what he was seeing before him. An inferno rages within the hangar as panic ensnares the civilian workers of the Tower. People screaming in fear over what just happened, others in pain as blood pours from their wounds, orders being thrown around everywhere over what people should be doing. In front of him he sees members of Dead Orbit scramble in a panic to prep any jumpships they have in desperation to escape the Tower. Arach Jalaal lays on the ground choking on his own blood from a steel beam that has skewered his body. Members of his faction not even bothering to make the attempts to remove the beam or provide him any sort of medical aid. All of them hell bent on strictly their own survival and escape.

Closeby he sees members of the Future War Cult chaotically screaming things like, "We predicted this would happen!" Or "It's too late to believe us now!" While others scream at the sight of their base of operations in ruin to save the relic or to save Lakshmi-2. Their screaming just continues to add fuel to the fires of panic as some in their hysteria scream that the end is nigh while others frantically dig for the relic and their leader despite the weight of the debris or the fact some of it is hot to the touch blistering and burning their hands in their desperation.

The Hunter stumbles trying to take a step forward and takes a deep breath. He looks to the right of the hangar to see Saint-14 and another Titan Vella having saved quite a few Guardians and Civilians with their Wards of Dawn. As he tries to recollect himself his Ghost Aria gives him the cliff notes summary of the situation.

“V! The Tower is under attack by the Hive and Eramis’s forces. Things are getting real bad real fast. We need to do something quickly! V!” Viper shakes his head one more time before muttering, “...manda…” His mind was focused on the immediate before him. The explosion that hit him while he was trying to hug, “Amanda!” He spins frantically realising that if he was caught in the explosion so was she, “Amanda! Where are you!?! Answer me.” His ghost, having realised why he’s so frantic, begins scanning the immediate area for him, “V…”

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The quiver in her voice stops him in place. He knows she’s floating behind him but he’s scared to turn around to see what’s become of her.

He feels his heart drop into his gut as he turns towards the sight. She lays on the ground quietly with Aria floating above her. V slowly inches towards Amanda step by step, each one feeling heavier than the last until he collapses onto his knees beside her. She’s still. He reaches out hesitantly, his hands shaking uncontrollably at the sight before him. Her messy blonde hair was stained with blood, “No…” He muttered quietly. As he brushed her bangs hiding away her eyes he saw them glazed over, dull, vacant, devoid of any emotion. Blood and ash stains the majority of her body and one of her arms was missing, crushed by the debris from the explosion. Viper pulled her in close, cradling her in his arms, “No…” He muttered again louder. Aria flew in closeby V’s side and somberly whispered, “V…I’m sorry but…she’s gone.” Viper held her tight before taking a deep breath and letting out a howling scream. His emotions unbridled as it echoed throughout the hangar. His sorrow over her death, his anger towards the Hive, his desperate cries for the Traveller to bless her with a Ghost so she may breathe again. For a brief moment the panic stops just for everyone to witness the most jovial Hunter in the Tower crying and screaming in pain over the loss of someone so dear to him.

His synthetic breathing is heavy as he lay her back down gently onto the cold steel floor. He closes her eyes and stands looking down at her. She looked serene with her eyes closed almost like she was sleeping. He hoped she was at peace. He didn't believe much in an afterlife but for her he hoped there was one so she could see her parents and Cayde waiting for her. His gloves were strained in her blood and he gripped his hands tightly into a fist he looked to his Ghost and nodded before muttering to himself as he made his way to Saint and the other Guardians, "Mourn later…"