What if? [DESTINY OC STORY]

26- Gwaine

I went home.

My cabin. I don't care for goodbyes. A lot of people hate me for that- hell, I'm sure Evelyn would chew me out for never saying goodbye. Everyone would. But I don't do goodbyes.

I went to collect my whiskey. Nice and harsh. It still burns the way it did before. But drinking it doesn't feel the same. I glared down at the bottle as if it were the liquor's fault. I drank nearly all of it. If I wanted more, I'd find a way to get some or make some. Even with the warmth of the booze in my belly, I didn't feel the slightest bit drunk. Maybe that's another part of the whole "ascending" thing.

I passed by the graves in my backyard. Tipping the bottle, I poured them all a glass. Ditching the whiskey, I wandered the woods of the Dark Forest. I'd be back here eventually. I would've just gone back to Europa, or back home to gather more whiskey, but a certain mentor just had to stop by first.

"Hello, Gwaine." Shin grumbled, thumbs tucked into his belt beside his hand cannon. I could only grin at the man's disappointed demeanor. "Hello to you too, "master." How've ya been?" He sighed. "What the hell happened to you, son?" I gave the man an odd look, my grin twitching into a slight scowl- who the hell did he think he was? What was he trying to do, calling me "son?" Was he trying to get some softness out of me? A bitter chuckle escaped my forced grin. ""Son?" Where'd you think up that one?" Shin shifted his weight from one foot to another, drumming a finger along his belt. "It's... true. I had three fathers. 'Suppose it's my time to try and act like a father to someone else."

"Yeah, and you've done swell and all, but I don't really need it. Maybe go and find some new kid to mentor- maybe you can get another two." I smirked as my words left my lips, venomous and mean. I took an odd sense of pleasure in the fact. "Make it so that you've had three sons- even it out a little." I was angry. At Arjun. At Vulkan. At the whole ordeal. Couldn't really take it out on them, since I'd be working with them for the rest of eternity, so I'd take it out on the man in front of me. It'd probably reveal itself to Arjun as well sooner or later, but I could prolong it a little.

Shin Malphur huffed. I could tell my words frustrated him a little. Balinor shifted on my shoulders, glaring at the man. He seemed to notice the Ahamkara for the first time, shifting uneasily. The dragon hovered closer to my ear, whispering in my ear, his voice echoing within my mind and weaving with the voice of my original Ahamkara's.

"He will attack you, O' Maker mine. Soon. It is his duty, as it is yours to bring balance, and ours to bring knowledge."

Savathun's voice whispered in an interjection. "Play your cards correctly and you may not have to kill him."

The Ahamkara growled. They didn't like having to share my headspace with her- share my soul with her. I didn't like it much either. I shoved her cunning to the back of my mind, opting to use my own. "Gwaine, don't you listen to that thing." Shin tried to tell me, legs braced against the ground. His hand hovered closer to one of his cannons. "Gonna go for that big iron on your hip, cowboy?" I snarked, grinning again. Little did Savathun or my Ahamkara know, I wanted a fight. "Only if I have to." Shin replied, drumming his fingertips over the hilt.

I chuckled, taking a step forward. In less than an instant his gun was up and aimed at me, bullets firing from its chamber and into me. My hood morphed into a set of wings, curling around me with Taken energy to block the shots. I continued to stride towards him as he fired off several more rounds, turning bright and golden as he fired off flaming rounds of solar energy. I was in front of him by the time he ran out of bullets, backhanding him to the ground. "Pathetic." I muttered, taking out both of my heavy Last Words and twirling them in each hand. "In each life, you gave me one of these. In the other timeline, you really did treat me like a son."

Shin had, it's true. The memories were odd, clashing and conflicting, but I could separate them with the help of Savathun and her tricks and Ahamkara telling me which is which. I remember him being a lot closer. More fatherly, more caring, more present. Rather than training me for some time and giving me the gun and letting me go on my way, he continued to mentor me. Sure, here he had done some work, but in that other timeline, without Arjun, I truly felt like the words "master" or "mentor" were right, rather than an odd title I gave the man due to feeling nothing else seemed to fit. Maybe Arjun was the real source of all my problems. The other Gwaine truly made it seem that way. It doesn't matter now.

"Get up." I demanded, watching him glare up at me as he stood, slowly, reloading his gun slowly. He wanted me to know he was reloading, and that it meant nothing. He didn't need to reload slowly for me to know that. We stood eye to eye. I was no god, he knew that. But I wanted him to feel otherwise. I was above him.

"You're arrogant with his power." Shin told me. "I know." I grinned madly. "But I have the right." My blighted eyes glowed dangerously. "I could Take your will, you know. Make it mine forever." Shin stared me down, unwavering. "But I won't. You know why?"

"Why?"

"I don't care enough."

Shin seemed to know, but I could tell hearing it struck him in an odd way. As though it might have hurt. I turned, my smirk vanishing from my lips as I holstered my Last Words upon each hip. "Once I say goodbye, I don't go back. I leave it be, forever." Another step and I turned back to him, watching him. He began to take off his helmet. I didn't want to see his face, so I saved him the trouble.

"Goodbye, Shin Malphur."

He had barely gotten the helmet over his head before I saw him mouth the words- heard him mutter, "goodbye, Gwaine." And by the time I saw the edge of his nose I was gone.

I don't do goodbyes. If I do, I mean 'em for good. Once I say goodbye, I'm gone.