The Forerunner: A Destiny Story

Chapter 3: The Gunslinger

-Two Months Later-

Elijah Lance gunned down a dark alleyway of the Last City before lunging into a long jump and teleporting to the rooftops, keeping the same velocity as Sora helped channel his vitals. A rain of bullets flew over his shoulders and a breath away from his neck as he continued to blink across the rooftops. Hazards of his employment.

Despite the amount of danger he'd landed himself in, Elijah couldn't help but smile, feeling the rush of adrenaline and Arclight fire through his body as he shot higher, using his amplified speed to launch onto then off a building wall, soaring him onto the next set of higher rooftops. The earpiece inside of his helmet pinged, carrying Drifter and Ajax's voice through the current.

Drifter: Hey! It's 10:31! You bozos are a minute late! Train's gonna leave!

Ajax: We ran into resistance! That human soldier-

His voice cut off as Elijah stopped on a rooftop before crouching low, attempting to regain the strength he spent while teleporting.

Drifter: Ey! Ajax! Check your gear! You cut out! I-

???: This is Lent! He took a bullet through the neck. I revived him, but we're-

Ajax: We're fucking pinned.

Lent: Dante! Get down! Pharaoh, can you rescue!?

Pharaoh: I just made it to the train! Kiana?

No verbal answer was given, but instead, several words popped up on Elijah's hud.

Kiana: Can't- Running- Southside...

Drifter: Lance, I need you, brotha! Get him outta there!

Lance put his hand to his helmet and spoke up as Sora's single eye digitized a map in front of him.

Elijah: I'm on it. Hang tight, Ajax.

Ajax: Hurry! We-

His voice cut out a second time as Elijah checked his ammunition.

Lent: Dante just got shot again. Hurry!

Lance shot off the roof with Sora, plummeting towards the ground before teleporting to the pavement, the "blink" killing all of the momentum during the execution. Drifter spoke through the coms a second time as Lance gunned forward.

Drifter: Ey hero! These guys are on the War Cult's payroll. Gun 'em down! Ain't nobody gonna be missin' 'em!

Elijah: Got it! Ajax, coming up on your-

Lent: I haven't revived him yet! Too risky!

Elijah landed next to Ajax's corpse a half minute later, forming a ball of lightning in his hand and whipping it with a sidearm at the purple and yellow uniformed soldiers, giving him enough time to drag Ajax's body safely behind cover. The ball of Arc light exploded, firing a lethal jolt of lightning that chained through the soldiers.

Sora: Nice arcbolt!

Elijah: Thanks! Ajax, you with us?

Dante sat up with a growl before sending a look to his ghost. Reinforcements were less than a quarter mile out. He took Elijah's hand and hoisted himself up, checking the ammunition in his sniper rifle.

Ajax: Tell me you have a fucking plan.

Elijah: I have a fucking plan.