I had a few concerns about my last installment being a little...lackluster. This time I hope I delivered. As always, please bump if you liked this chapter, and feedback is always welcome. If you're new to this story, you can check out chapter one by clicking this link. https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/109858574/0/0 Now on with the show! Tempest charged forward, ready to collide with the approaching storm of bullets. He took a short hop...and was gone, the maelstrom of oncoming metal passing through empty air. Tempest reappeared in the middle of the cluster of Guardians in a flash of light and a swirl of blue vapor, his gnarled, black hand cannon drawn at the ready. Before the others could get their bearings, he fired three shots point blank into the nearest Guardian's face. The Titan fell to her knees as the three spikes of black metal pierced her faceplate, wisps of green smoke leaking from her shattered helm. Geyser made an attempt to grab hold of Tempest, but he had already Blinked away. The Warlock reappeared floating to the side of them a second later, his body writhing in tendrils of purple energy. As he launched his Nova Bomb, Hunters and Titans scattered in a race to avoid the incoming ball of death. Three Guardians weren't fast enough to avoid the resultant explosion, and were disintegrated. The ghostly outlines of their bodies could be seen slowly dissolving into the atmosphere. Tempest landed hard and slid across the ground until his back was pressed onto the side of the Postmaster's station. A Hunter, who had recovered from the Nova Bomb much more quickly than his allies, aimed his scout rifle and fired three rounds. Tempest rolled to the right, just as three smoking holes appeared where his head was a moment ago. He wildly fired two shots from his hand cannon. One round missed completely, while the other lodged itself into the Hunter's stomach. The Hunter dropped his weapon and clutched his gut as an intense burning sensation washed over him. Tempest flipped back up onto his feet. He Blinked backward, taking cover behind the Postmaster's station as a torrent of machine gun fire was sprayed in a wide berth near his position, shredding the stone floor into a dusty powder. The Warlock was only safe for a few moments before a Hunter leaped over his head, her body wreathed in bright orange light, Golden Gun at the ready. As she landed she fired, her first shot passing through nothing as Tempest Blinked in order to avoid the attack. This Hunter, however, would not be so easily distracted. She spun around quickly, firing her Golden Gun just as the Warlock reappeared. If Tempest hadn't been crouching, the scorching hot bullet would've passed clean through his forehead. Instead it flew straight over his head, the intense heat peeling off a strip of his metallic skin. Tempest jumped toward the Hunter in what seemed like an outright tackle. The Hunter had a clean shot, be she held on to her last bullet, expecting the Warlock to Blink forward and reappear right behind her. Instead the Hunter was was met with the feeling of a sack of bricks being thrown into her gut as Tempest slammed into her, sweeping her off her feet. As she fell to her back, Tempest unloaded the rest of his weapon's clip into her chest. The Hunter shuddered violently, and then lay still, golden contrails still swirling around her as her Light slowly went out. Tempest rose shakily to his feet, trying to regain his energy for the next attack. As he attempted to reload his weapon, stone burst around him. He saw the faint outline of a Titan wrapped in purple energy like a second skin before a fist slammed into his jaw. The irritable screech of metal on stone could be audibly heard as Tempest's body skidded across the floor. Blinking back the illusory pain his mechanical body somehow provided, he rolled out of the way as as another Titan attempted to plant his lightning infused through his stomach. The force of the Titan's punch brought him up to his elbow in stone. As he struggled to pull out his arm, the Defender charged at Tempest. Two orbs of purple light appeared in the Warlock's hands and burst into six axion bolts. The wriggling blobs of energy raced for the approaching Titan...and exploded harmlessly off of his Force Barrier. With nothing to stop him, he tackled Tempest to the ground and proceeded to beat the Warlock relentlessly. All Tempest could do was shield his face from the onslaught. Seeing his attacks were having little effect, the Titan grabbed hold of the Warlock's neck, completely removing any chance Tempest had for escape. With his other hand, he removed a grenade from his belt. Tempest increased his efforts to escape, attempting to kick the Titan off of him, or even break the man's arm. But the Titan was like a great steel bar held up against the wind; immovable and unyielding. As the Defender prepared to prime his grenade, Tempest thrust out his arm, and his hand became alight with purple fire. Tendrils of violet flames snaked around the Titan's body, like vines encircled around a tree. Tongues of fire leaked through the cracks and hinges of his armor. It was only after a little while that Tempest could hear the muffled cries coming from the Titan as the fire slowly burned away skin, muscle, sinew, and even bone. It only took a few moments for the screaming to stop. Tempest cut off the energy flow to the flames, until it died down to nothing more than a few puffs of smoke. He kicked at the suit, and the armor clattered open, revealing nothing more that a pile of dusty, black ashes. With no time to lose, Tempest grabbed the magnetic grenade that had fallen to his side, primed it, and threw it at the oblivious Striker, still trying to work his arm free. The grenade stuck fast to his back, and exploded. The shockwave ripped through his armor, shattering his spine in the process. His body slumped to the ground, the smell of roasting meat wafting from his burning corpse. With two more of his assailants dead, Tempest had enough time to reload his hand cannon, just before three Bladedancers rushed towards him, their Arc Blades humming, as if eager to tear his body apart. In a last ditch effort to end this battle Tempest blinked forward, reappearing just behind them, and launched a Nova Bomb. With a flick of his wrist, the Nova Bomb split into three smaller projectiles, each one hitting a Bladedancer square in the back, vaporizing them instantly. With his light now spent, Tempest collapsed into a heap on the floor, his body smoking profusely. Black was beginning to tinge the edges of his sight. He has just enough strength left to watch Itami step into his field of vision, his auto rifle aimed at Tempest's head, before he collapsed into unconsciousness. [i]Continue on to Chapter 5![/i] https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/116102186/0/0