"I'm surprised that exo boy hasn't recognized you yet." Spider says as he talks with Spe-7 and Suzuka. "You would think with your guardian abilities he would notice something off about you."
"We don't ever use them around him." Suzuka replies. "I don't know how he'll react if he realized that we've been following him all this time."
"I mean, you already saved him from getting blown up by a splinter mine... Well him and the entire shore." Spider says.
"A what now?" Spe-7 asks.
"Remember when he went after Kaniks and he deployed that strange floating mine?" Spider replies and Spe-7 nods, remembering how she and Suzuka defused it while Taiki went after The Mad Bomber. "Our kind don't use those for good reason- they're powerful enough to blow apart an entire island. Sure it was a deadly failsafe used in that godforsaken prison but they aren't really used for anything else. You set even one of those off anywhere in the shore and the entire place would come crumbling apart."
"Whoa..." Spe-7 says in shock.
"I feared Kaniks for that reason. Good riddance of him I say." Spider replies. "Anyways, your exo buddy's nearly done with the barons- there's only two left if you include that fanatic."
"The other one is Elykris I presume?" Suzuka asks.
"Yes indeed, although I have a feeling this is going to be one of Taiki's hardest fights. He insisted on going alone." Spider replies. "I urged him to have a least some fireteam support but he said that his pure fury would drive him... Or something along those lines." Suzuka facepalms, knowing just how hellbent Taiki is on revenge. "You can head into Soriks Cut to go help him out, but I don't know how he's gonna react when he finds out that he's getting surprise backup."
"Then let's not waste any time." Suzuka says as she and Spe-7 hop onto their sparrows and head towards the cut. They then notice an area of the cut that's partially submerged in a strange fluid- a fluid that makes Spe-7 and Suzuka feel nauseous as they attempt to wade in it.
"Eugh... What is this?" Spe-7 asks. "I think I'm gonna throw up if I stand in this any longer..."
"Then let's try and get through this as quick as we can. Taiki's an exo so he probably doesn't have to worry about this." Suzuka replies as the two make it past the strange fluid and find that Taiki and Ghost are currently looking over a mostly broken down tank.
"Looks like I can use the cannon on this thing..." Ghost mumbles as he derezzes into the tank and begins moving the cannon. "If you can get the treads to work then we can get this tank rolling. I'll just use the cannon to give you suppressive fire."
"Got it." Taiki says as Ghost begins firing at the approaching scorn.
"I've never experienced such power! This must be how you guardians feel!" Ghost calls out as he takes aim at a scorn abomination and blows it away with a single shell. "Do you have something to fix the treads?"
"Got it!" Taiki says as he finds the parts and brings them over to the tank.
"Great! Now to get this working." Ghost says as he materializes and fixes up the tank with the parts. "Now let's go kill that machinist!"
"Maybe he won't need help after all?" Spe-7 asks as Taiki hops into the tank and drives off.
"Let's follow anyway. You saw just what Elyrkis was packing on that card the spider gave us." Suzuka replies as the tank plows through every single scorn in it's way.
"Where's all of that fight now huh?!" Taiki cackles as a walker emerges. This one is much different from what the Fallen normally bring out as this one sports a gigantic missile pack not unlike the one Elykris uses and as soon as Taiki blasts a leg out a shield forms around the walker as it's core is exposed. "Ghost, use the cannon! I'll get this walker myself."
"Roger that!" Ghost replies as Taiki goes in to take out the scorn walker. Ghost continues to fire at the attacking scorn while Spe-7 and Suzuka continue to watch from afar, and eventually Taiki manages to destroy the core of the scorn walker, taking it out and clearing the path towards Elykris. Unfortunately, Taiki fails to notice the barrage of solar projectiles falling in his direction, and Suzuka instantly takes action.
"Taiki! Watch out!" Ghost shouts as he gets out of the tank.
"Huh?" Taiki doesn't get to say any more as Suzuka tackles him away from the barrage of solar projectiles that would have surely killed him and the tank explodes, destroying her mask.
"Agh!" Suzuka shouts as she and Taiki tumble along the ground and she ends up on top of him. With her mask broken Taiki instantly recognizes his savior and looks with shock.
"...Suzuka? What are you... Why are you here?" Taiki asks as Spe-7 removes her mask. "And Spe-chan? I thought I told you not to follow me..."
"After hearing about what you were planning to do? All on your own let alone? We couldn't just stand by and do nothing..." Suzuka replies. "Even Spider was worried about you."
"...Spider?" Taiki asks. "Well, that explains the mask and hood then... You were the ones that saved me?"
"From Kaniks to Pirrha, we've been helping from the sidelines." Suzuka replies.
"But... Why?" Taiki asks. Suzuka then begins sputtering, trying to get words out.
"I... Well... I um..." Suzuka stutters. "I care about you. When you said you were going off I was worried... Worried you wouldn't come back alive... And I um... I kinda like you..."
"Wait... You do?" Taiki asks.
"Yeah... I kinda like you." Suzuka replies, trying to hide a blush. Spe-7 can only snicker as Suzuka slowly gets off of Taiki and helps him get back on his feet.
"Well... Thank you, you two, for saving me those past few times." Taiki says. "I really appreciate it."
"Will you need help taking down Elykris?" Spe-7 asks.
"I could use the extra help." Taiki replies as the trio confidently walk past the remains of the scorn walker to face off with The Machinist.
YOU ARE READING
Destiny 2: A Lost Soul
FanfictionTaiki and the equine guardians may have survived the Red War and defeated Ghaul, but as time goes on so does the rest of the world. With the darkness advancing on the traveler's location since it woke up, and with new people in the fray that aren't...
