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arcadetonki · 2 years

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Second extinction weapon skins

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Here he gives another demonstration of homo sapiens’ superiority over the sauropod brain. His foe here is a heavily armored “Flatback” dino. New character Jack, the “Enforcer,” carries a rocket launcher. Ortega is an all-rounder type assault she can equip a shotgun in place of her pistol if she wants.Īmir, a commando-type, can call in an impressive orbital strike when the chips are down. Paleobiologists haven’t gotten down to the surface to study one yet. This is an “Acid Raptor.” That’s not its actual taxonomic designation. Image: Systemic Reaction/Avalanche Studios Group The Flatback is a spikier, tougher, mutated ankylosaurus.

Second extinction weapon skins series#

Meantime, Xbox One and Xbox Series X may play together. But the two communities will not begin any kind of cross-play until later Vickers gave September as a window.

Second extinction weapon skins Pc#

The Xbox Game Preview version coming this week has a matching content drop on Steam, called Preseason 4, and the console game is heavily informed by what Systemic Reaction’s PC community has been doing so far, Vickers said. Systemic Reaction wants to build up a strong sense of a world where humans, who escaped to orbit to flee the tyrannosaur tyranny, face a dynamic threat on the ground, with a feeling of gained or lost momentum. Second Extinction therefore needs a lot of players hammering away at the the game. So the idea is that, even though these are kind of very scripted missions, they change from week to week, play session to play session in interesting ways.” That will introduce extra challenges, which could have unique objectives and slight twists. So if you see a lot of players failing in a lot of areas, then that will increase dinosaur presence. “Twice a week, the players’ actions will be tallied up, where they’ve succeeded at things, where they’ve failed,” Vickers, Second Extinction’s game director, told me. The ‘war effort’ on Xbox Series X needs a lot of players, says Second Extinction’s director Random encounters get a lot more frequent in areas of greater dinosaur activity, and in extreme infestations, players can face random firefights bigger than the boss battle awaiting them in the story. That can alter where the player’s fireteam of three begins its operations, and the order in which they might tackle some objectives. A place with a lot of action, even if human players are prevailing, can get marked as too dangerous for the orbital drop that begins a mission series. It’s called the “war effort,” which is an ongoing meta-game in Second Extinction where parts of the map get more or less dangerous and dinosaur-infested depending on how players themselves have performed there.

Second extinction weapon skins windows#

What drives a lot of that action, Vickers explained, is the reason why Second Extinction launched six months ago for Windows PC on Steam Early Access, in advance of another preliminary run with Xbox Game Preview beginning April 28. Developers Simon Vickers and Anaïs Palm took me on a tour this past Wednesday, with a rather meaty mission chapter that provided 60 minutes of fast-paced action, and multiple firefights that ended thigh-deep in dino remains. It matches the how-am-I-still-standing relentlessness of Doom and Left 4 Dead with production values just as strong, an emphasis on cooperative play, and a larger meta-game affecting the world’s sizable map. Give developer Systemic Reaction some credit, though Second Extinction, originally announced for Xbox Series X a year ago, is not formulaic. In the case of this game, it’s dinosaurs and a first-person shooter. The elevator pitch for Second Extinction might sound like a kid’s breakfast cereal ad, wherein two awesome, yet disparate things unite to form one big, even more awesome thing.

#Second extinction weapon skins

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saturnsrefuge · 3 years

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Fireteam Avalanche

Pasha Cherevatenko, Arcadia Cherevatenko, Thalia Abraxas, Lady Erin O’Malley, Skye-4, & Dane Wyvern

I’m going to be posting some more about them and their stories. I hope you guys enjoy and love them as much as I do!

#sorry i’ve been inactive #I’m back now tho😅#destiny 2 #Guardians #Fireteam Avalanche

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the-light-finds-its-way · 3 years

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Lazarus

Guardians name: Lazarus

Age: Infinite

Race: Jovian

Call signs/alias: The Gloomstalker

Pronouns: He/him

Class: Warlock

Preferred subclass(es): Void

Ghost’s name: Rasmodius

Their Vanguard: Zavala, Ikora, Cayde-6

Fireteam name: Fealty of Light

Fireteam teammates: None yet! He’s still searching for some people who’ll be his friends and join up with him!

Favorite legendary weapon: Twilight Oath

Favorite exotic weapon: Whisper of the Worm

Favorite exotic armor: Karnstein Armlets

Favorite ornament armor set: Steeplechase

Favorite weapon ornament: Eye of Osiris

What stats do they focus on: Recovery, Resilience, Mobility

Are they offense, defence, or support: Offense

Do they prefer being close, mid, or long range: Any and all of them

Do they lean more “Element of Surprise” or “Upfront and Aggressive”: Upfront and aggressive

Strikes, Gambit, or Crucible: Strikes

Who was their mentor(if they had one. If it is a character you created, tell us about them!): Asher Mir

Who are they mentoring(if they are. If it is a character you created, tell us about them!): Nobody at the moment

What ship do they have: A Thousand Wings

What is their Sparrow: Eon Drive

Favorite Ghost shell: Eris Morn shell

Favorite shader: Corrective // Protective

Favorite color: Black

Favorite food: Ramen

Favorite piece of Pre-Collapse tech(if they’ve seen any): The cell phone

Favorite Pre-Collapse music(if they’ve heard any): Amon Amarth

Favorite place in The Last City(if it’s a place you created, give a little description!): The 3rd District. It’s a place where many poor and homeless people live, and Lazarus likes to cook exotic meals and general food for them at every chance he gets. He likes helping give food to those without any.

Favorite NPC(s): Asher Mir, Ikora Rey, Zavala, Cayde-6

Favorite patrol location: Anywhere on the Tangled Shore

5 things your Guardian likes(can be anything): Stoicism, spontaneity, creativity, justice, cooking

Least favorite food: Hamburgers

Least favorite shader: Nailbiter (it’s too colorful for him)

Least favorite patrol location: Anywhere on Titan

Least favorite Pre-Collapse tech(if they’ve seen any): Landlines

Least favorite NPC(s): The Spider, Emperor Calus, Oryx, Savathun

Least favorite weapon ornament: Heretic Robe

Least favorite ornament armor set: Liminal Voyager

Least favorite legendary weapon: Avalanche

Least favorite exotic weapon: The Queenbreaker

Least favorite exotic armor: Transversive Steps

5 things your Guardian dislikes(this can be anything): Stupidity, mistreatment, evil, bad food, negligence

Your Guardian has to rest. What is their living space like: A humble little apartment with minimal things. The walls are painted a dark grey, almost black, and the carpeting is black but soft, and the lighting is low. There are Vex trinkets everywhere, and broken Vex parts scattered about.

Does your Guardian have any casual wear?(Y'all remember Polyvore? The website URSTYLE works very similar if that helps!):

What hobbies and/or skills does you Guardian have: Cooking is his main and only hobby. Specifically, making gourmet meals.

What would your Guardian’s lore book be called: Breadwinner of Stars

Where was your Guardian reborn?(If you created the location, give us a little description!): The Tangled Shore, near a Vex cave

What were they wearing when they were reborn: A button-down black shirt, khakis, black loafers, and a cheap watch

What was their reaction to being reborn: Confusion, loss, and disconnect

What was their reaction to their first rez: Awe. He felt invincible, and everlasting. Immortality comes with no price but the weight of defending the innocent, and he was glad to immediately take on that duty.

After being reborn, did they meet friendlies first or hostiles: Friendlies. Asher Mir found him, and rescued him.

Who was the first other Guardian they met?(Same thing! If you made them, give a little description!): Asher Mir

Did your Guardian get reborn with, or find, any indication of their past life? If so what do they have/found: Lazarus found no indication of his past life besides the clothes he wore. He assumed he came from wealth of some sort, perhaps a high society member of the Jovians, though he’s unsure. He has tried finding out more about his life, but no Jovian recognizes him before he was a Guardian.

How did your Guardian get their name(if they didn’t rez with past life momentos): The cave Lazarus woke up near was a labyrinth, and without knowing the word for it, Laz called the place “a lazarus” instead of labyrinth. Asher laughed, genuinely, and said he’d call the man Lazarus for such a comment. But eventually, both took pride in the name, and it became a strong name with lots of positive meaning to them both.

Going back to your Guardian’s lore book, what would be some some quotes or passages from their book: A lot of recipes, including one on cooking Ahamkara properly. Lots of exploration into the Vex, and adventures to figure out how to cure Asher Mir’s arm and save his teacher. Some quotes would be: “The Light hurt me at first, but eventually, it wasn’t so bad. I adapted it to suit my needs, and made a tool from a weapon against myself.” “Jovians wince at the Light, but me? I will embrace it forevermore. It is a gift unto me, and I will reach my tendrils into eternity to wield it if I must.”

Does your Guardian have a significant other: No

Did your Guardian go explore first before going to The Last City? If so, where to: Lazarus explored the Vex labyrinth, and learned its ins and outs. It took quite some time to get used to it, but his intelligence is high, and thus, Laz learned them faster than Asher could.

What was their reaction to first seeing The Last City: Awe and wonder. It was as beautiful and lively as he’d imagined it being.

Is your Guardian a part of a clan: Mithrax’s House Light

Does your Guardian’s clan have a back story? If so, what is it?(if you want to or able to share): N/A

If your Guardian would have a quote as a flavor text for a weapon and/or piece of armor, what would they be: “Light be with us all, for Darkness is but an inescapable dive into a jaded infinity.”

If your Guardian has had any interactions with any civilians (The Last City/The Farm), Eliksni, Cabal, Vex, Hive, Taken, Scorn, Rouge Lightbearers, or Iron Lords/War Lords(if your Guardian is an Old Light) tell us about it!: Lazarus disagrees heavily with the Iron Lords, and always has. He didn’t like them when they were warlords, and he still disagrees with them to this day. Laz gets along with other races, specifically Eliksni, as they are close neighbors to the Jovians, both living on the Tangled Shore. He saw their Collapse, when they lay siege to The Last City, and felt pity and sympathy for them rather than hating them. Laz has only ever fought Vex, and studied them, and sees them as a bane and plight, since they hurt his teacher. He struggles to trust the Cabal after what they did during the Red War, but he’s slowly trusting them. He doesn’t trust the Hive whatsoever, and disagrees with Darkness as a whole.

Does your Guardian have any unconventional allies or connections(By Vanguard standards): The Eliksni. Lazarus has befriended them long before House Light was a thing, and spent lots of time with them on the Shore.

How does your Guardian feel about themselves or others using Stasis: Horribly. Lazarus does not trust Stasis, as it’s Darkness, and he thinks it’ll corrupt everyone at some point. Some are more resistant to the corruption than others, but everyone who uses Darkness will succumb to it someday.

Did they run The Last Wish raid? How did they react to seeing a live Ahamkara a.k.a Riven: N/A

Did they run The Deep Stone Crypt raid? How did they react to the Crypt and seeing Exo Eliskni: N/A

Is your Guardian from D1? How did they react to seeing Taniks alive once again: Lazarus was shocked beyond measure, and was ready to kill him again to defend the innocent people.

Where did they go and what did they do during The Red War: Lazarus stayed on the sidelines, giving resources to the Lightless, Guardians, everyone, and mainly provided support and healing as necessary. He couldn’t put himself in danger, and advised others to do the same.

Here are some characters that are either polarizing or have created a strong enough mass emotion within the community. What opinion does your Guardian hold on each of them(These are only a handful of characters!)>>>

Osiris, First Warlock Vanguard, originally exiled: Lazarus struggles to trust Osiris, and believe him to be a better person today. He’s well aware of the old, self-centered Osiris with a whole cult, and is dismayed by this man’s sheer selfishness.

Eris Morn, Bane of the Swarm: Awe and amazement at her persistence. Laz admires her deeply.

Cayde-6, Sixth Hunter Vanguard: A young soul, and foolhardy, but a great person nonetheless.

Ikora Rey, Second Warlock Vanguard: Wise, trustworthy, a great friend.

Commander Zavala, Second Titan Vanguard: Someone Laz can confide in, and trust to have his back at all times.

Saint-14, legendary Titan, First Titan Vanguard: A great person, someone with conviction and will, with the best interest of others in mind. Lazarus loves Saint, and trusts him deeply.

Lord Saladin, Iron Banner handler, One of the last remaining Iron Lords: Distaste, hatred, loathing. Lazarus can’t forgive what Saladin did.

Lord Shaxx, Crucible handler, Hero of Twilight Gap, living megaphone: Admiration, aspiration to be like him, and he is proof that anyone can change for the better.

The Crow, New Light, Ex-Enforcer to The Spider: Wary, but willing to give aid and help however he can. Crow isn’t Uldren, and he’s better. Lazarus must constantly remind himself of this.

The Spider, The Shore’s Only Law, founder of “House” Spider: A con artist, and someone to sparingly trust only when absolutely necessary.

Uldren Sov, Prince of the Reef, Master of Crows: Never trust him, never believe him. The man only spews false promises.

Mara Sov, Queen of the Reef, Queen of the Awoken, Ex-Kell of Wolves: Never trusted her, never believed her, and never will. She is a con artist as much as Spider.

Variks, the Loyal, founder of House Judgement: Trusts him, and believes him to be a good person. Lazarus likes that he mistrusts Stasis as much as he does.

Mithrax, the Forsaken, Kell of Light, founder of House Light: Trusts him completely, and believes him to be a savior and the Light of Eliksni.

The Exo Stranger/Elizabeth “Elsie” Bray, Granddaughter of Clovis I and Sister to Ana Bray: Wary to trust her, and hesitant around her. Laz believes someday she’ll succumb to the Darkness, and fall victim to its influence. He pities this day.

Eramis, of House Salvation, Kell of Darkness: A fool, misguided, so desperate and damned. She dug her grave, and she now lays in it.

Empress Caiatl of the Cabal Imperial Empire: Struggles to trust her, but after what she did for Zavala, he’s willing to give her a chance.

Taniks the Scarred, the Perfected, the Abomination, the Shadow Thief: He’s a scourge on everyone, and a threat to be eliminated.

The Darkness is fast approaching. How is your Guardian handling it: Lazarus is ready to fight, and will go against it tooth and nail. He doesn’t hesitate to take things head on, and will do the same against the Darkness. Whatever must be done to protect the innocent, Laz will do it.

And finally, does your Guardian have any advice for any New Lights: Never give in to Darkness, and always walk with the Light.

#my guardians #long post

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i-do-trash-fanfictions · 3 years

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Thera’s Journal Entry #20

I shot up immediately after waking up. Scout was beside me in a heartbeat, checking to make sure I was okay.

“What happened?” He asked.

I explained the entire dream the best I could.

“Then we need to go. It’s six in the morning so I’m sure Ikora is at her spot.” Scout answered.

I got up and rushed around to throw my armor on, load up my guns, and everything else. I then headed out of my room and down to where Ikora was.

“Ikora, I need to find Ann.” I said. “She hasn’t returned from her mission on the moon yet and, this part is going to sound crazy, but I just had a dream that told me where she’s at.”

“Explain,” Said Ikora. “As quick as you can.”

“She’s in a cave underground in Archer’s Line. She was captured by a hive lord named Nuvar who is going to get put into an arena to fight hive. Her and Poppy have been split up. If she dies-”

“Okay, okay. Go.”

“Really?”

“Yes, Thera. I know how much you care about that young Hunter. And I know how much you have lost. I refuse to sit by and let you loose someone else.”

“Thank you, Ikora. But what about Zavala and my missions on Europa?”

“The missions can wait, but if something pops up, I’ll send a fireteam to take care of it. As for Zavala, I will inform him after you have left so he won’t be able to stop you.”

“Thank you!” I took off running to the Hangar.

“We can’t just rush into this for once.” Scout said as I ran. “We need a plan.”

“I have a plan. Run in, kill some hive.”

“We need a more detailed plan.” He stated.

“We’ll figure it out on the ship.”

I made it to the Hangar and headed to the Queen of Hearts.

“Hey, what are you in such a rush for?” I heard Amanda asked as I passed her.

“Rescue mission,” Was all I answered.

She nodded.

I jumped into the pilots seat and started up the jumpship. As soon as I was out of the Hangar I headed into orbit and set course for the moon.

“Okay, it should take us there on it’s own. Now, we need to set up that plan.”

I headed out of the cockpit and fired up the holo-table that was in the middle of the main room. I pulled up the moon’s map and zoomed in on Archer’s Line.

“It’s too bad we don’t have a 3D version of the map.”

“Are we going stealth or guns blazing?” Scout asked, hovering over my shoulder.

“I think we’ll try stealth until we can’t. It’s likely that Ann’s getting held in a cell of some sort.”

“Do you think we’ll be able to break the cell?”

“Depends on what it’s made out of. I think we should find Poppy first though. Maybe if we get down there we’ll be close enough to contact her and figure out where she is. Once we get her she might know where Ann is.”

“What if we run into Nuvar?”

“We either run, or I fire up my Golden Gun and let him have it.”

“Seems like a good enough plan. Better than no plan at all.”

I felt the Queen of Hearts leave orbit and a few minutes later Scout transmatted me to the moon. I wasted no time getting on my Sparrow and speeding down to Archer’s Line. I slowed down once I reached it, to make sure I didn’t pass the cave.

And then I found it, tucked away and hidden behind a bunch of rocks. I squeezed past and entered the cave. Scout stayed hidden and I pulled out the Old Fashioned hand canon. I walked slowly, trying to keep as quite as possible. I was sure that not many hive would be here in the start but I wanted to stay safe.

I went through a lot of narrow tunnels for a long time. Until finally, I reached a large opening. There were many hive there. Some thralls, some acolytes, some knights.

“I think if you’re careful you can stay in the shadows. Just stay alongside the walls.” Scout whispered to me.

I went carefully and slowly until I reached the left wall of the open area. There were three separate narrow tunnels.

“We’re going to get lost in this place.” I stated.

“Stay optimistic.”

“I suppose it won’t hurt to try again,” I suddenly heard over my inner coms. “Hello? Hello? This is Poppy, the Ghost of Angelica. We’re in trouble, we need your help.”

The message had a lot of static but we could still make out every word.

“Poppy, this is Scout. I’m here in the caves with Thera. We’re here to rescue you and Ann.”

“Oh thank goodness! I’m sending my location to you now. Be careful in the tunnels. It’s easy to get turned around in there.”

I turned down the tunnel closest to me and kept moving.

“I’m so glad you’re here! Ann’s been captured by this hive lord! From what I’ve heard he wants to put her in some arena and have her fight. She won’t survive without me!”

“We won’t let that happen.” I promised. “Do you know where Ann is?”

“Yes. Once you get to me, I’ll lead you there.”

I took care of a lone thrall with my knife quickly and was then on the move again.

“I wish I could do more. But I don’t want to leave without Ann. And I don’t want to accidentally run into some hive. I have no one to protect me and if I die, then there’s barely any hope for Ann at all.”

“Does she know you’re still alive?”

“No. I saw where they took her, but there were too many hive surrounding her. I couldn’t get too close.”

I could see the light of a Ghost optic shining down the cave.

“I see you! Come quickly! I don’t think there are any hive around here.”

I ran over to her. Poppy flew around my head.

“We have to hurry. Follow me.”

I stayed down and let Poppy take the lead.

“She’s down that hall. They’ve made cages of some sort that you’ll have to break through, but I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

I sneaked down the hall. Poppy had tucked herself away in a crevice in the wall. Finally I saw a small room with Ann in it. Bars of stone kept her from getting out. How they got her in was a question I could not answer. A wizard blocked the door, along with two knights.

I pulled out Riskrunner and stepped out of the shadows.

“Hey, I think you’ve got my friend in there.”

I jumped into action and started to blast them. It didn’t take long for Riskrunner to break through the wizard’s shields. In the next minute, the wizard was gone, disintegrated into ash. Another few minutes and the same happened to the knights.

Ann pressed herself up against the bars as I had Scout remove my helmet. “You came!”

“You seem surprised. Of course I came.” I took a look at the bars and backed away. “You might want to move back. I’m going to have to shoot these things to break them.”

“Just try not to shoot me, alright. In case you don’t know, Poppy, she’s-” Ann froze when Poppy rushed up beside me. “She’s alive?” Ann exclaimed. “You’re alive!”

“Yes. I’d say I’m a very good actress when it comes to playing dead.”

Ann laughed.

“Alright, move back.” I took Riskrunner and aimed at the bars and began to shoot. The bars soon became tiny pieces and Ann came running out. She nearly tackled me with a hug.

“Thank you.” Was all she said. She moved back and let Poppy heal the small scratches and bruises and then looked to me. “So, are we going to stay and fight or-”

“We’re leaving. Right now while we still can.”

“Fine with me.”

Scout and Poppy both dissipated again and we ran down the tunnels.

��They took my guns.”

I threw her my Old Fashioned hand canon. “Here, use this. I’ll give you some new ones when we get back to the Tower.”

When we turned a corner we were both greeted by many hive. Ann and I both nodded and our helmets appeared on. Scout started up my playlist. The hive already knew we were here. Might as well make some fun with it.

To the sound of ‘Blue Monday’ we fought off the hive that was in our way but kept running when we could. I threw a grenade behind us at one point which took out a good few.

After running through narrow hall after narrow hall, I saw things get brighter. We were about to reach the surface. And out of all times for Ann to trip.

I stopped in my tracks and rushed to help her up with one hand while shooting blindly with my other. She got up and we kept running again. The hive were now getting closer. A sudden thought rang through my head. If all these hive got out, it would cause chaos. No one would be ready for a fight like that! I looked around for a solution until I found it.

“Keep running! We need to stay ahead.” I said to Ann.

“I think that’s common sense.”

We jumped out of the cave and I turned around at the last second, pulled out my grenade launcher. Instead of aiming at the hive, I aimed at the top of the cave. I fired all five grenades and caused an avalanche of rocks to go sliding down, trapping the hive all inside.

Ann and I waited a few seconds. A few more. And then we caught our breath and started to laugh.

“I- I am never going to the moon again. At least not anytime soon.”

“You better not.” I said in between breaths of small laughter, glad to be alive. Glad that both of us were alive. “Scout, call over my ship. We’re going home.”

#destiny 2 #destiny #destiny guardians #destiny game #theras journal entries

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jate-kara · 6 years

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deliver hope

Carter. Kat. Jun. Emile. Jorge.

Thom.

Nothing’s forever. Not even family.

Warnings: implied PTSD, canon-typical language and violence

Word count: 1,989

“How do you think we’re going to die?”

Jun asks it late one night, when they’re on lookout and the rest of Noble’s asleep in the cave below. He’s perched on the cliff-face, turned away with his sniper rifle propped on his knee and his helmet set beside him. The city burns in the distance, a searing sunset in the starless sky.

“What?”

Jun snaps his head toward the inferno on the horizon. “How do you think we’re going to die?” he repeats quietly. Thom fights the sick churning in his chest and clutches his dog tags, running a thumb over the callsign: Noble Six. He’s walking in a ghost’s shadow, they all are, and Jun asks how they’re going to die?

In a damn firefight like the others.

“That’s a pretty morbid question coming from you,” Thom says instead, even over the ache in his lungs. “Why do you ask?”

Jun shrugs, a roll of the shoulders that tips him precariously toward oblivion. Thom wrinkles his nose and pushes his back against the cliff. Snipers are crazy bastards. “Seriously,” he presses, “I thought you were supposed to be the optimistic one.”

Jun snorts softly. “No. I’m pretty sure that’s going to be Jorge.”

“...right.”

“We haven’t been a team that long. You’ll pick up on it eventually.”

How do you think we’re going to die?

Thom only thinks of it later, when Carter’s convulsing and coughing up blood, heaving and writhing while Jorge holds him down and Emile drives biofoam into the blast wound. Thom only thinks of it later, when they’re all huddled in a medbay and Kat hasn’t let go of Carter’s hand since they were allowed the room. He only thinks of it later, when their first mission as a team is a line in a file in a record somewhere and Carter barely made it back alive.

How do you think we’re going to die?

He only thinks of it later, when he’s hunched over a coffee in the mess hall and Jun’s staring past him, lost in the abyss. They’re the only two awake at this hour, or at least the only two willing to tolerate another’s company. Thom doesn’t ask about the man he replaced. Nobles die violently – and often. Kat and Carter are all that remains of the original fireteam, dauntless and indestructible and too human to hold on forever. He watches them, so synchronous they don’t need to speak, and wonders what either of them would do if they lost the other.

“What?”

He didn’t say it. Or maybe he did. Thom blinks. “I...you heard me.”

Jun snorts, sets his mug down and passes it back and forth between his hands, fidgeting, fidgeting, uncharacteristically restless for someone that spends hours silent and still. “Carry on, I suppose,” he says at last, shrugging. “What else?”

It’s quiet, so quiet, but for the tension in Three’s shoulders you’d think they were still in the middle of a warzone. Thom rolls his eyes, lifting his mug agreeably and Jun flinches – a flash in the darkness he almost misses.

How do you think we’re going to die?

He only thinks of it later, when they’re onboard a Pelican heading for their next mission and Jun’s armor sits empty and silent and no matter how much Emile bitches and moans and prods and pries, Carter’s unyielding and unanswering. Jace-B434 fills in well, clipped and professional, but the air aches with the absence. For all of their complaining, the chatter is a comfort.

Jun comes back after a week away from the field, pale and tight-lipped and high-strung until Jorge drags him into a bear hug and Emile snipes – What, Carter finally letcha out of the brig for breaking noise protocols? He only thinks of it later, when he’s wandering the halls of the Dawn and nearly runs over Jun slipping out of the medbay. He gets the barest glimpse of the interior, of Doc Reynolds, resident shrink, and Jun scowls darkly, snarls Keep it to your damn self, and shoves by.

How do you think we’re going to die?

Not like this.

He only thinks of it later, when Emile’s on lifesupport, when the medics are caucused in a corner, He’s not going to pull through. Carter sits beside him long into the night, clasping his hand, brushing his thumb over the bruised knuckles, Stay with us, stay with us, you’re strong, Emile. They push him away when Four flatlines and even then he hovers, clutching the doorframe until his own knuckles turn white, clutching Kat’s grip when she pulls him away from the blood and the broken beat of Emile’s heaving heart. Let them work. Let them work, Carter. Emile’s stubborn. He’ll be all right.

He only thinks of it later, when Emile’s breathing steadily, regulated by a respirator. The medic makes the mistake of stepping in front of Carter, makes the mistake of barring his path.

“Commander, you may want to prepare yourself for the possibility he won’t wake u—”

“Get out of my way.”

The medic shrinks to the side. Carter retakes his seat, retakes Emile’s hand. They all stay beside him, rotating shifts so at least some of them are rested. Thom wraps a blanket and an arm around Carter’s shoulders when it’s his turn to keep watch. He doesn’t need to hang on for so long. He doesn’t want to let go.

“He’ll pull through,” Carter says hoarsely, rote by now, so raw right now. He leans into the hold and Thom pulls him as close as he can. “Thom—”

“‘Course he will,” Thom agrees easily. Carter clears his throat and shrugs away so Thom drops into the chair beside him and props his back against his shoulder and his feet on the empty table. Carter swallows thickly, blinking, blinking – breathing. Thom clasps his free hand and holds – and anchors. We’re with you. You’re not alone. “‘Course he will, Carter.”

“Hey, boss,” Emile croaks eighty hours later, a thousand eternities, and Carter squeezes his hand between both of his own and doesn’t let go. His smile is so tired, so worn, but it shines like the sun after a storm.

How do you think we’re going to die?

Not like this.

He only thinks of it later, when Kat’s shaking in his arms and he’s stumbling across ragged terrain still screaming from a Phantom’s plasma assault.

“You h-have to...leave me,” she chokes, a garbled groan through her shattered comm. “Thom—”

“No chance in hell, Kay.”

She chuffs a strangled laugh. “I h-hate that...damned name,” she forces, swallowing thickly. “Thom--”

“Kat, come on. What kinda guy would I be if I just left you here?”

“A smart one.” Kat pauses, sucking a labored inhale. “We both—”

“—are getting off this rock alive.”

The drop zone is two miles east, through the seething plains and over the scorched sand dunes. Kat falls quiet, limp, lifeless, and he jostles her gently, enough for her to groan, enough to keep her awake, enough to know she’s still alive.

How do you think we’re going to die?

Not like this.

��You’re such a damn cowboy,” she complains later, when she wakes up in the medbay, held together by stitches and hooked up to a healing unit. “Jorge said you stole a Wraith.”

“Jorge left out the best part.” Thom slides into the other seat beside her bed, taking her free hand with a dramatic flourish that makes her laugh. Carter rolls his eyes, nudges him with a shoulder, I’m glad you’re okay. “Which is when I used the Wraith to trash their base and steal a shuttle.”

“Cowboy,” she repeats, deadpan, and he shrugs, leaning back in his chair and kicking his feet up on Carter’s legs.

“One of us has to have some style.”

“That wasn’t style. That was suicide.”

“Hey, I’m still here, sis,” he says without thinking, and she tries not to smile, shoves him and rolls her eyes.

How do you think we’re going to die?

Not like this.

He only thinks of it later, when Carter barks bomb and he hears it, he has to move, but he can’t turn fast enough, it’s ticking, ticking, ticking down the rest of his life, the exit’s blocked, barricaded by rubble, and his chest is churning acid. Trapped. Not enough time. Nowhere to go. Not like this. Not like this. Not for nothing.

“Thom!”

He hears Jorge, can’t see him, and then the wall crashes down like the bomb’s already detonated and he’s on the floor, crushed beneath. The room shudders, shudders, shatters; the building’s collapsing, an earthquake, an avalanche, and he should feel fire, should feel pain, should be seared from this mortal plain, but there’s nothing, nothing, nothing except Jun’s scream. Jorge!

They tell him if it had been anyone else the blast would have killed them, tell him Jorge’ll be all right, tell him it’s not his fault. “It was his choice to save you. Respect that,” Carter says, squeezing his shoulder, always their pillar, always his strength, and Thom nods numbly and hangs on.

“I’m fine, Thom,” Jorge says, hours later when the medbay’s quiet and dark because the rest of Noble’s been kicked out for taking up too much space. His eyes are boring, serious, and Thom bites his lip and nods. Jorge’s hand closes around his wrist, grounding, forgiving. It’s all right. “I promise.”

How do you think we’re going to die?

Not like this.

He only thinks of it later, when they’re all together again and he didn’t realize how much he loved them until he almost lost them.

Fumirole’s burning around them and they’re outnumbered and the only way they make it out of this alive, they only way they win, is if they take out the super-carrier set up three kliks east. He straps the jetpack on his back and shoots to the sky, Jun and Jorge’s cover, Emile’s backup, Carter’s support. Kat’s their carrier, protect at all costs. They drive into the heart of the swarm and she sets her jaw and the charge and leaps into the fray. He wills her toward the grav-lift, wills her to their salvation. She has to make it, she has to toss it, then she has to run for her life, leap from above, and he’ll be damned if he’s not there to catch her for all of their sakes.

“Path’s clear—”

“Squad incoming. I’ve got them—”

“Cut through, cut through, cut through—”

She’s so close. She’s so far. He sees the Banshee screaming, roaring, but it’s moving too fast, shrieking toward her. The blast hits, Carter cries Kat!, and for a terrifying second Thom’s high enough above that he can’t see her through the smoke, she’s not moving on his radar anymore, Carter’s snapping Kat, respond. Noble Two, respond, and hell, she’s down and there has to be less than two minutes left on the timer.

How do you think we’re going to die?

Not like this.

She can barely turn her head, tilted just enough to catch his eye through the visor before it lolls back to the side, the last of her strength expended. She can’t speak, her helmet’s shattered, and she has to know it’s the only way but even with the spent set of her spine her protest screams.

How do you think we’re going to die?

“Thom?”

“Thom, damn you, what the hell are you—”

“There’s not enough time. You’ll never make it out.” A sniper rifle snaps in the background. “Damn it, Thom, are you listening?”

How do you think we’re going to die?

“Six.” Thom skids to a stop in the center of the ship, seconds, seconds, seconds to speak. Carter’s voice is hoarse, raw. “Thom, run like hell.”

How do you think we’re going to die?

He only thinks of it later – and he knows.

For them.

----

#halo #halo fanfic #halo reach #halo reach fanfic #carter-a259 #kat-b320 #catherine-b320 #jun-a266 #emile-a239 #jorge-052 #thom-a293 #Noble Six #fireteam noble #spartan ii #spartan iii #deliver hope #halo reach trailer #noble 6 #this has been sitting around for a long time so here you all go i guess

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