Destiny 2: Frozen In Time

Chapter 14: Look Within

"It's time to finish this fight and put an end to Eramis' reign." Suzuka says as the trio of guardians ascends the elevator to Riis-Reborn.

"The more Eliksni that escape the better I feel. They deserve to be away from Eramis and her crazy house." Fang mumbles.

"A victory yeees? But more remain, more that are still responding to those distress calls." Variks says. Suddenly Eramis comes onto the comms again.

"And when I find them, they're all going to die." Eramis snaps. "It'll be a good riddance to traitors like you- people who don't deserve the empire that I have forged."

"It was never meant to be an empire." Variks mumbles. "It was supposed to be home."

"Home? What home is there left after the once great machine left?" Eramis asks. "It took that home away! As long as that... Thing still lives, we have no hope." The Salvation Fallen that proceed to attack fight like ship rats, swarming the guardians to the best of their ability, but it's useless as the trio proceeds to wildly let their fists and feet loose, pummeling and clobbering them into submission. When they begin to reach the dome though they see that the local Vex are locked in heated combat with the Fallen there.

"Looks like the Vex have already reached them!" Twinkle says. "They might be in more trouble than we thought... How in the world is Eramis holding on?!"

"I know, this seems insane." Eramis replies. "I pity you as the pawn of the once great machine. When it leaves, when you're all alone, when your city falls and your people die, only then will you understand just what I've been through." Variks on the other hand has gone quiet, only making single ticks every now and then as if growing furious.

"Variks? Are you okay?" Spe-7 asks, but Variks does not respond. The trio continues on, plowing through various servitors and captains, and it's not long before they reach the crux of darkness once more. Finally Variks speaks up.

"Eramis... You are wrong... Wrong about Variks, wrong about Eliksni!" Variks snarls, slowly losing his accent. He sounds like he could explode at any moment, many of his words forced. "Variks came to Europa for a second chance. I did it for the right thing! That is strength! Not weakness!"

"Oh please Variks, you just came to hide." Eramis snarkily replies. "Coward then, coward now, coward forever. You never deserved the title "the loyal" Variks, and this just proves it. I can't believe I was once your friend. Here you are, hiding out in a frozen wasteland over something you won't admit. You hid from our people-" The dark kell is suddenly cut off.

"NO!" Variks screams, having finally lost his patience. "You have lost your mind! Releasing Vex put Eliksni lives in danger! MANY HAVE ALREADY PERISHED BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!"

"Holy shit..." Gold mumbles.

"ERAMIS! YOU ARE THE REAL COWARD!!!" Variks yells out at the top of his lungs.

"SILENCE!" Eramis screams back just as loud. "I've had ENOUGH of you Variks! I'm going to enjoy smashing your skull in and shattering it into a million pieces!"

"I've never heard Variks get that angry before... It's almost scary..." Spe-7 mumbles as the trio marches forward to find Eramis. They bust through a few more captains before they finally reach the dark kell, but by the time they do reach her they fall into a trap.

"Got you now!" Eramis laughs as she emerges out of nowhere and proceeds to create a wall of ice that encases the three guardians. She then shatters most of the ice, leaving their legs frozen to the ground. "The darkness was never meant for you."

"What the?!" Spe-7 shouts as she starts yanking at her feet, but none of them can break free of the ice that Eramis has encapsuled their legs in.

"You don't understand this power, and in your struggle to reach me, you show your chains!" Eramis cackles. "Allow me to help you break free!"

"Fang!" Suzuka calls out.

"I can't do anything!" Fang says before Eramis proceeds to freeze Fang solid, along with Twinkle and Queen.

"Wait... The splinters!" Spe-7 says, but as the three go to reach for them Eramis proceeds to fire off stasis crystals, first freezing their arms in place, and then proceeding to destroy the splinters with them as well.

"That should take care of you." Eramis snickers. "Look at what I've done for you! No more light, no more dark! Just you and your helpless friends. I'm going to enjoy breaking you..." Spe-7 and Gold almost completely freeze over, and Suzuka is freezing over much slower than normal- almost as if Eramis is torturing her. Finally Suzuka remembers what Elsie said to her.

"Remember, when all seems hopeless and you're without power remember this: look within. Focus your power." Were Elsie's exact words.

"Look within... Focus my power... Find my inner strength..." Suzuka mumbles in her head as she stops trying to break free and slowly allows the ice to encapsule her.

"Ho?" Eramis asks, and then light begins shining through the three frozen bodies! With a powerful battle cry the trio breaks free of their icy prisons and shock Eramis, making her stumble back. "Whoa!"

"The only thing we have to break here, is you!" Suzuka shouts as she channels stasis energy without the aid of the splinter, pounding her fists together and creating her stasis gauntlets. Gold and Suzuka also proceed to form their frozen armament much to Eramis' surprise, and the dark kell claps all four of her hands.

"Come then, pawns of the once great machine. Show me what this freedom has given you!" Eramis says as she brings out her shrapnel launcher, ready to duke it out with the three guardians.