What if? [DESTINY OC STORY]

22- Gwaine

"In the flesh." Gwaine announced, arms spread wide. Vulkan shook his head. "No- you're not him." The trickster crossed his arms. "I am. Just not the one you know." He approached Xivu Arath's broken body, pulling something from it- a Taken orb. "I'm here to make a deal."

"I don't like the sound of that."

Gwaine chuckled, fist closing over the orb. "Don't let my looks deceive you. I'm not evil or anything. I just wanna talk."

"Yeah, well my instincts say you're lying. And my instincts have never been wrong." Vulkan told the man, chest puffed out and fists clenched. Gwaine huffed, rolling his eyes. "Well your "instincts" got literally everyone killed in multiple other universes, so I think they should sit this one out." Vulkan flinched as if he were struck, shock and confusion etched in his exo expression. "What?" He breathed, eyes wide and flickering in disbelief. Gwaine waved him off. "But that's besides the point. We're talking about this universe right now. This timeline. Or two now, I guess."

Vulkan recoiled. "You're not the Gwaine I know." Gwaine rolled his eyes. "Uh, yeah? Thanks for noticing Sherlock. I literally just said that." The trickster reached up and scratched the neck of the Ahamkara wrapped around his shoulders. "Now, if Arjun had gotten here first, they'd probably be negotiating with you and trying to get you to join us through peaceful means. Thing is, I know that won't work on you. It didn't the other time, so why would it this time around?" His arm glowed with Taken energy swirling and whispering as it rose like smoke off of the tips of his claws. "So you're gonna sit still and take Xivu's soul here without a fight." The orb Vulkan had seen hovering within Gwaine's palm, jittering and anxious to escape his grasp.

Gwaine took a step towards him, and Vulkan stepped back, scout rifle aimed up at the man. "Don't get any closer!" He was sure of himself- just as confident as the rest of the other Vulkans Gwaine had seen. But the exo had a hint of distress to his tone nonetheless, but who wouldn't in a situation like this? Gwaine huffed, teeth gritting and his burn scars twisting to accompany the expression. "Vulkan," he bit out, voice steady and filled with irritation. "Don't do what you're thinking about doing. It won't end well." Vulkan's arm thrummed with electricity, bolts sparking out from his right fist in anticipation. "And how do you know?" Gwaine arched his brow. "Uh, I've got Balinor?" He gestured to the dragon hung from his shoulders and hidden within his cloak. "Also I- just generally- I know you, but that's not as cool as Balinor.

"Not only that," Gwaine continued. "I've gotta get you taken care of before Arjun gets here." Vulkan frowned. "Why?" The hunter shrugged. "Because I can. It'd be funny. Also I guess there's a bit of an unspoken bet between us at the moment, but I digress." Gwaine waved his free hand and shackled Vulkan within the invisible tar Xivu Arath had been trapped within- it was a Hive sigil. One of Savathun's tricks, but modified. Vulkan felt as if the weight of the sky had been dropped on top of him. He fought to stand, joints creaking and screaming as he sputtered. The exo eventually came to a knee, huffing.

"There we go." Gwaine said, nodding to himself pridefully. "Now," He clapped his hands together. "Let's get this show on the road."

"How about you don't?"

Gwaine turned to see an old copy of himself standing there, hand hovering over the holster of his Last Word. The trickster chuckled upon looking his hunter counterpart up and down. "Oh, this is interesting." He commented, circling the hunter. "Of course you sensed my presence here. Your Ahamkara probably told you to stay away, but you thought "nope, I'm gonna go check it out anyway," like an idiot." The original Gwaine narrowed his eyes. "You're me." The man snapped, flashing a pair of finger-guns in reply. "Bingo." He tilted his head. "Hey, how about we see that face of yours? All clean and unscarred- man, I can only imagine what kind of a life you've had without Arjun." Gwaine crossed his arms, leaning on one leg and tapping a finger to his chin. "Probably a better one, in all honesty." He muttered thoughtfully.