A Hunter's Pride

Twenty-Three

The night before the raid
11:38pm

Tossing, and turning. I couldn't sleep. After a few hours of it, I decided to just stare up at the ceiling fan. It spun quickly, buzzing softly as it did so. Alli was sound asleep. I have no idea how.

I rubbed my arm, where my prosthetic would go, wondering what it would be like if I hadn't lost it. I shrugged to myself and sighed. This was really it. The day was tomorrow. And I didn't know how to think. If we do this, we'll be heroes. If we fail, we'll be dead. He can't be much stronger than Atheon can he? Atheon was easy. This should be a walk in the park. That eased my mind a bit. There's no way it can be as puzzling as the Vault of Glass.

It'll be easy David. You killed a Vex time God. You can kill a Hive.

I know Shade. I just don't like the fact we're going in blind. Even if we do have backup.

And he went silent. I was alone with my thoughts again.

I quietly got out of bed, as to not wake up Alli, and walked over to the bathroom. I leaned over the sink, turning on the cold water. With my only hand, I cupped some and splashed my face. I looked up into the mirror, into my black eyes. My hair disheveled from lack of sleep. I rubbed my face and turned the water off, heading back out. I need to clear my head. I suited up, grabbed my gun, and left the room.
I strolled down the silent dim corridor, and into the hangar. I waved to Amanda who was still working on her new sparrow prototype. I walked out into the courtyard and approached the railing. I liked it here at night. Nice and quiet. The stars and the Traveler the only witnesses.

I tapped the railing, listening to the ring reverberate down the metal. Shade appeared beside me, looking out over the city. "This time tomorrow, we'll be basking in victory. We'll be partying it up, and it'll be all cuz of us."

"Yeah. The end is so much closer now. It feels odd just standing here." I said.

"Yeah you're right. Thanks again shade. Honestly you're my brain."

"Get some sleep David. Big day."

The day of the Raid
10 am
"Guardians, we know not what we are walking into. Could be a trap, or it could be victory. The Hive have overstepped their bounds, and it is time for us to launch a preemptive strike against their headquarters on the moon. The Hellmouth. Fireteam Lupi will be accompanied by Fireteam Lux, as they infiltrate the Hellmouth. The rest of us, it is our job to protect them as they enter, and prevent hostile reinforcements from overwhelming these teams. " Zavala spoke from the Speaker's pedestal, his voice echoing across the courtyard full of every Guardian available.

"The Titans will provide heavy support, and will be the final line of defense should they break our ranks."

"The Warlocks," Ikora spoke up, "Will be the first. With our mixed bag, the Hive won't know what to expect. The Sunsingers, Stormcallers, and Voidwalkers alike will fight together."

"And the Hunters!" Cayde stood with a finger in the air, "We're gonna kick ass, send em' crying home to papa, or mama, or whatever the hell they come from, and we'll take their shiny stuff!" The crowd laughed and Zavala spoke again.

"In all seriousness, this could mean complete dispersion of the Hive from both the Moon, and Earth alike. With Crota destroyed, the Hive will retreat to reform. This strike is everything. We will show those minions of the dark, just how strong the Light is!" Zavala shot his fist skyward, and the courtyard broke into screams of pride and cheers. "Before we go, I call David Miller, to the stand to speak." Zavala stepped down, and I walked up the stairs. I took my helmet off, setting it down beside me. I cleared my throat and began.

"My fellow Guardians. Brothers, and sisters alike. Human, Awoken, Exo, it is time we all fight together, for a single cause. This will be, the single greatest coordinated blow we have dealt to the Darkness. I, being the leader of the prestigious fireteam Lupi, am going to be honest with you all. This will be a great battle to come. Many will fall. Many will grieve. But, we all understand the costs. Otherwise we wouldn't be here. There is no easy way of doing this. Now listen carefully to my words. Hell, for all I know they'll be my last. It is our Duty to protect this city with our lives because this one is all we have. So Warlocks, adorn your robes, ignite your powers. Titans, load your shotguns and make sure those grenades are ready to blow. And Hunter's, shoot straight, and take as many of those bastards as you can with you. If these are my last words I would like to express my thanks to everyone. Since the day I came here ten years ago, I have been treated with respect. And I have returned it to you all. It has been a great honor to serve you all, and the Traveler. Here, I met my best friends, Havoc, Ryan Vask, X and Arya. And I met the woman of my dreams. Alessia Miller. In the three years I've been married I'll say this. If you find love, hold on to it. It will give you strength. I remember when I first got here. When I was a Youngblood. When I look into your eyes, I see who I used to be. And I see what you all can become. Anyone can become great. Anyone can become famous.
But only we, can become Legends!"

The crowd roared with cheering and clapping. I grinned widely looking out over the hundreds of warriors. Ready to fight. Fight for humanity. And the Light. "Now lets go out there, and show the Hive, that they poked the wrong bear!"

I stepped down, grabbing my helmet. Ryan clapped me on the shoulder and Havoc wrapped me up in a bear hug. I laughed at all the attention. "easy big guy! Don't wanna break my shooting arm". And he set me down. Alli walked over planting a warm kiss on my lips, the crowd reacting with an Ooooooooooooooooh.
"You were awesome up there. Now let's go and kick some Hive ass."

"Agreed."