Hope

"City Fallen."

Fire. Fire everywhere. Burns in your clothes and cuts and bruises on your face. You stood in the street watching the tall buildings around you lit aflame with that horrendous red heat. The Last City. The last true safe haven for anyone who wasn't a Guardian. A Titan, Warlock, or Hunter. For you? A human? A civilian? This was the only place you were safe from the "fallen." but now this? This was something beyond Fallen. This was the "Cabal." you worked as a librarian for a time and documented their existence. They're elite. Ruthless. And have never known defeat. You blinked awake from your daze as you felt something tackle you! Struggling you heard a loud CLANG!  Seeing some metal that would have crushed you if you weren't moved. Seeing oyur savior, it was a guardian holding a Rifle! A Hunter by the looks of it. "Heya! Nice to seeya. I'm Rester-2." Ah, with that name it was an Exo, a self aware war machine whose battles are long forgotten and are only known to their long dead enemies. Reborn in the Travelers light. The traveler was a large spherical celestial body above the city. With its powers it unlocked humanities golden age, which finally propelled humans to the stars. And currently? The Traveler had some sort of large cabal device on it. It looked larger than the city itself! You looked to Rester. "What the fuck is the Cabal--" you were cut off by a large crash that shook the earth around you itself. You looked left and saw a large pod that broke apart revealing Cabal ready for battle!  Between five to eight feet tall they took their massive guns and aimes right at you and your Exo friend. Rester let out a sigh, suddenly his rifle was a pistol! It was flaming golden orange, brighter than any fire currently permeating the city. Three loud cracks from his revolver louder than the thunder, and brighter than lightning and the battle-ready Cabal turned into ash. Rester's rifle was back. "Oh my cotton socks let's get out of here!" he tossed you a spare pistol and you followed him. "How do I use this!?" you shouted trying to keep up with the Hunters speed. He looked back at you. "Point and shoot! Think of it like a camera! ...that kills things!" he sounded out. You blinked at this and held the pistol in hand then sighed. It was going to be a long day.

   With Resters help not only have you not had to fire that gun once, you had the chance to save at least five other civilians, whose names you had not yet learned. Too busy trying not to die. You and Rester were rushing with the other civilians to the Evac Shuttles. Suddenly as you all neared the door an explosion rang out and you were all thrown back. Rester coughed and sat up, You did aswell seeing A cabal soldier! Taking aim you quickly fired for a headshot and watched its helmet pop off! Black liquid sprayed everywhere and a fresh bullet wound was clear in the Cabal's eye. It fell over dead and you stood, shaking. Rester walked up. "See! Just like a camera!" he patted your shoulder and looked to the blocked off exit. "Dammit!" he kicked at the blocked passage and sighed. "Okayokay! We need to get moving--What?" he looked away. "...Already? That fast? But I've still got a group with me! ...Allright. Meet in the wilds." he looked at you all. "Come on!" he shouted and the six of you followed! Running  through the streets you couldn't help but feel worried, taking pot shots at Cabal and running. There was one last area! "Come on guys!" shouted Rester. "Let's gamble our lives with one last shot--Agh!" he paused and stumbled, looking weak. "Rester?!" you shouted. For a moment it looked like there was a blue transparent version of him...His spirit? Or his light!? Your head shot up at the Traveler seeing a large shield around it. They were blocking its light! Rester stumbled to a buildings wall and fell to his side, groaning loudly. You rushed over with one other survivor and helped him to his feet. He groaned loudly and raised his rifle, firing one handed at a rushing Cabal. It fell witha thud and a groan. "Shit...I don't feel good guys." he commented. "Oh man...I don't feel good." he repeated. "Okay...okay not good." you said seeing a broke out hole in the wall, with a nod to everyone else you all rushed for it, helping Rester as he shot from your shoulder. You only had one hand to cover that side's ear so you wouldn't go deaf, but the reports of the rifle near your ear was so loud. You felt the recoil and the force of the sound. You all made it out and kept the guns going until you were -deep- in the forest.

     Two days. Two days you and Rester and the other survivors wandered away from the city, through a shortcut of the mountains, and into the woods. Rester was barely able to walk on his own but he swore he was fine. As you all walked you could feel something watching you from the trees. Looked left and right you saw a pair of eyes. "Rester--." you started he held up a hand. "I know." he responded curtly. Whipping to the left he let loose with his rifle. A shot of white light, and the body of a Dreg fell to the ground! Dreg were the lowest rank of the fallen, usually armed with a shock pistol, and two of their four arms cut off. You looked left and fired off three shots at an approaching Vandal watching it fall. Vandal were a higher rank, with all four arms. Either a form of sniper rifle or a lot of blades. You, Rester, and one other survivor with a gun formed a circle around  the remainign unarmed ones, suddenly a captain dropped infornt of you and roared backhandign you into a tree! The impact felt like hitting stone and you fell to the forest floor. Rester turned around and fired off a shot or two but was blasted in the chest by the Captains Shrapnel Cannon. A captain? Taller, more muscle, and a fancier armor. Including a shield to block damage. Included with slight teleportation. "Rester!" you shouted. He weakly looked over and you tossed him your pistol. He caught it and shot down five approaching Vandals, The captain walked over and stepped on his leg harshly. He looked at the beast of a Fallen behind his helmet and quickly checked his clip. One bullet. And from the looks of it, that shield wasn't going to be draining. "...Hahaha..." he chuckled. "Well. I gambled my life with one last shot. Guess I lost." It was no use. Rester's rifle was too far away from him...but close to you! You ran over and grabbed it lifting it. "HEY!" you fired a shot or two at the captain and it slowly turned around. "Yeah you!" You fired some more at it. Watching the shield. Apathetically it grabbed Rester and placed the Shrapnel cannon directly at his chest. "Ah shit..." he mused and you paused. Dropping the rifle you stepped back and gulped. "Wait! Hang on! Don't--!" Too late...Rester's chest and neck were pumped full of ammo from the Captains Shrapnel cannon. Rester was silent the whole time even as he was thrown to the ground. Moving back slowly. And with a quick teleportation the Captain grabbed you by the neck lifting you up. A gasped cry escaped your dried lips and it eyed you for a moment. You watched the four eyes it had and gulped kicking your feet somewhat. Was this it? You survived so much just for it to end. The Captain reared a fist back and slammed it into your face knocking you clean out. The darkness welcomed you quickly. It was a blanket of comfort that gently comforted you against the pain you felt in your nose and forehead. You loved this gentle comfort that helped you against the feeling of dragged.