Beneath Infinity

Dreams in the Dusk

Brazen-61 knelt in a pool of crimson blood, Human and Awoken; the blood of Guardians. The metallic smell crawled its way into his scent receptors and lingered there, as if it were purposely hanging around solely to mock him. He tried to stand, his programmed instinct as an Exo willing him to continue fighting, but he could not as his legs refused to obey him. The reason for this, he soon realised, was that he had no legs; both had been blown off just below the knee. A primal rage forced its way out from within him at the sight of his missing limbs and he roared terribly, raising two auto rifles, one in each hand, at the mass of encroaching Fallen pouring through the breach. He did not stop firing; not after the entire first legion of fallen had been mowed down; not after the Devil Archon recieved a number of his bullets through the cranium, ejecting white Ether onto its comrades; not after he was grabbed under the arms by Shaxx and dragged from his pool back behind the reinforcing line of newly-arrived Guardians.

Once they were safely behind the bastion of bodies, the Guardians took aim and in one brutal volley every Fallen on this side of the wall was slain.

Brazen fired until the two rifles in his grasp clicked uslessly, spent of ammunition.

"Brazen! Brazen, you can stop now. You did it."

The auto rifles fell to the dirt with a wet slap, splashing mud onto anyone standing near. Brazen-61 looked at Shaxx, his usually-purple eyes burning red with hatred through his smashed visor.

"Calm yourself, my friend. You held the wall, you stopped the Fallen. It is over for you, you must return to the tower for medical attention."

"No, I can't. There is still more work to be done, I can still fight-!"

A Hunter appeared from behind Shaxx with a stretcher.

"You cannot do any more in this state Brazen, but you have done enough. Without you and your team the West Quarter would have been lost hours ago! Please, let Monika and Chorron take you back to the Tower."

Brazen's gaze shifted between Shaxx and the Hunter before he finally receeded his struggle, his eyes returning to their usual violet shine.

"Give them hell for me, Shaxx," he said as he clasped the horned Titan's hand tightly in his own.

"You don't need to ask twice, old friend."

Brazen allowed himself to be pulled onto the stretcher and hoisted above the battlefield. From here he could see the true devestation caused by the Fallen assault, rock scarred and broken by arc detonations; the great husks of Fallen tanks and City guns lying derelict and smoking; the countless bodies of Fallen, civilian guard, and Guardians alike - their corpses so heavy on the field that it seemed more akin to an interspecies mass grave. Brazen knew the Twilight Gap could never recover. Shaxx's voice rose mightily above the distant gunfire as he held a fist towards Brazen:

"You are a hero of this day, Brazen-61! Now, Guardians, bastion formation! Push back the Fallen scum!"

As he was carried away on his canvas throne, Brazen felt himself slip into unconciousness, exhaustion finally shutting down his servos and motors. Shaxx was right, he had done his part for his City, and now it was time to sleep...

---

"Brazen? Wake up, bud; I found her."

Brazen's dormant sensors reactivated as he exited his sleep state.

"Aw, sorry, Jacob. Guess I nodded off."

"You finished charging yet?"

"Yeah, that should do me for a good week or so."

Unplugging the cables from his back, Brazen rose to his feet and powered down the sparrow, glancing down at his legs and instantly remembering his recurring nightmare. This made him wince, the pain and rage flooding back. He was unsure why the Twilight Gap bothered him so - he had been in hundreds of battles. This one would not leave him alone, however, instead plaguing him with frequent dreams and hallucinations. They were especially bad while he was in the field, but hardly bothered him in the tower when he shared his bed with Amanda. Her soft warmth and gentle hands kept his fears at bay as they slept. She was the warden of his demons and he loved her infinitely more for it.