The One They Call A Hero

|Book Of The Burden|#2

Chapter 2 : Shatters

The Dreadnaught.
Host of the Throne World of the Hive God Oryx, the Taken King. Mighty ship built within remains of Oryx's defeated wormgod. Massive superweapon that destroyed the awoken fleet effortlessly despite the Reef's Queen's stubbornness.
A gigantic mark of the Taken King's supremacy and tool of his vengeance for his deceased son, Crota. Proudly standing in the ring of Saturn, ready to welcome any threat with obliteration.
Probably millions of hive members lived in this ship. Without even counting Oryx's personal army : The Taken, corrupted by the Hive God's dark powers.

Somehow, thanks to the efforts of the Guardians, and the distractions caused by the Cabal army, an invasion of the ship managed to happen. Many guardians stood on and inside the ship to clear it from all it's population.
While a powerful fireteam was sent to take down the owner of the ship himself, dozens of Guardians had the duty to explore the Dreadnaught and clear it from all it's threats.
And there were a lot.

Belgrad-9 was one of those Guardians. These events occured a few decades after his resurrection. He already obtained experience from multiple operations on Earth. But he never could have imagined such place could even exist.
He is a Titan. A dedicated one, taking his duty as a wall and protector of the weak more than seriously. If he decides that you do not pass the position he defends, you won't make it. Or at least not alive.
Even though he didn't know what was going to happen in the Hive ship, he was willing to be one of the first in the frontline. At a point where he took part in the battle to defeat Oryx's physical body. One of the toughest fight any Guardian can go through, even in centuries of experience. They were many to pick the fight with the Taken King in the ship. But a few to survive. Belgrad-9 saw the really few friends he managed to make slain by Oryx. He tried all he could to protect them. To protect their Ghosts. But it was useless.
Viliam.
Gasket.
Marris.
Astra-4.
Ko Tal.
And many others. Many other good persons that deserved a better end. Such death is quite predictable when you're a Guardian. But it will always be a shock for the ones that remains.
When Oryx's body of flesh and bones shattered and forced him to hide into his Throne World, Belgrad-9 wasn't willing to take part into another fight like this. For a moment, he couldn't take the idea of witnessing another light fade away. Who can ?

Thus said, the Titan stayed with other guardians on the ship to explore the large areas and left to another fireteam the task to finish the job.
To avenge the fallen.
To avenge his brothers and sisters.

When the news of Oryx's defeat came to the Vanguard, everyone cheered with all their hearts and celebrated Humanity's Victory.
Except for Belgrad-9 and a few others. Many Titans saw this victory as a defeat. For this win was at the cost of many guardians' lives. Many they could have saved, protected, as they swore to in their code.
In the shouts of glee and victory, Belgrad-9 only heard the screams of the deceased. The ones who sacrified their lives for this.

This feeling of defeat, this sensation of failure,
Was the first burden Belgrad-9 carried on his shoulders.