The area known as Old Russia was as tranquil as it could ever be, with birds flying in the sky and a gentle breeze blowing past the old wrecks of Old Earth vehicles. Tranquil as the area was now, no normal human had really been to the area in years due to the infestation of the alien race known to humanity as the Fallen. The scavenger race had a firm foothold in the area, though thanks to the Guardians it was only a foothold. It was thanks to those same Guardians that the strange mechanical life form known as Ghost could currently be flying in the area without fear.
Ghost was both the being's name and the name of his, for lack of a better term, race. Birthed from the Traveller before it fell dormant after fending off the entity known only as the Darkness, the Ghosts were as mysterious as their creator. All anyone knew of the beings was that they were receptacles of Light, the energy of the Traveller, and that they were responsible for upraising the protector's of humanity, the Guardians. Every Ghost was assigned a Guardian, though no Ghost knew it's Guardian until it found them.
This is what Ghost was currently in search of, his Guardian. He had searched far and wide, from the ruins of the European Dead Zone to even the Hive controlled territories of the Moon. He hadn't spent much time on the moon, and was only there because of a kind Guardian who allowed him to join in on a scouting mission to the barren Earth Moon. But so far, he had had no luck.
Ghost knew his Guardian was out there. There wasn't a Ghost without a Guardian. But it had been centuries since his "birth". He had watched as hundreds of Ghosts found their Guardians, and was happy for each and every one. But as the Ghosts he traveled with each found their Guardians leaving him without, worry couldn't help but creep into him. Was his Guardian on Earth? Maybe they were buried under the red sands on Mars, or under the crushing depths of one of the Earth's oceans. He'd hear wilder stories of Ghosts finding their Guardians...
An audible sigh came out of Ghost as he floated through the various wrecks. Worrying about it wouldn't find him his Guardian. If he looked on the bright side, not having his Guardian yet was a small blessing to Ghost. He rather enjoyed scanning old relics and learning about the past customs of the Earth, and he didn't know if he'd still be able to do such things when he found his Guardian. It wasn't a secret to anyone that Guardians were a...unique bunch, and some poor Ghosts had quite the stories to share of what messes they had been dragged into by their Guardians. Or sometimes what messes THEY dragged their Guardians into.
A sudden sound drew Ghost's attention, causing him to hide in the wreckage of a vehicle. Even if Guardians regularly patrolled the area, that didn't stop some brave Fallen gangs from trying to scavenge what they could, and Ghost rather enjoyed not being scavenged. Doing a quick scan, Ghost was relieved to see it was only an Earth bird that had made the noise. Floating out from his hiding spot, Ghost moved to where he saw the animal poking at some wires from inside a vehicle.
Hoping to make use of the rare opportunity to study an Earth animal, Ghost snuck over to the bird and prepped his scanner. Sadly the moment the little light hit the bird, it got spooked and flew off. Before Ghost could again sigh, something piqued his sensors. Curious, Ghost got closer and scanned the wires the bird had poked at. At first he'd assumed it was just an old radio, but this was something else. An excitement flowed through Ghost as he continued the scanning.
"Is it possible?" He asked himself in hope.
Suddenly his body broke apart as Light flowed from him, shooting into the wiring as the energy filled the mechanics body inside.
"There you are." Ghost said as he closed his eye.
...
/UNIT STATUS...INACT...ACTIVE/
/ENERGY LEVELS...CRITI...UNKNOWN ENERGY SOURCE DETECTED...ERROR...ERROR...ERR...UPDATE...ENERGY LEVELS FULL/
/INITIATING BOOT UP/
/UNIT DESIGNATION...FENRIR-13/
/UNIT STATUS...FUNCTIONAL/
/INTERNAL DIAGNOSTICS...SCANNING...SCANNING...SCAN COMPLETE/
/ALL SYSTEMS OPERATIONAL/
/SENSORY SYSTEMS INITIATING/
...
...
...
/SYSTEMS ONLINE/
...
Ghost opened his eye as the Light finally dissipated, his Guardian laying across the seats. His Guardian was an EXO, a mechanical soldier created long ago by Golden Age humans for some unknown reason. He had an open mouth design, white lights coming from both his mouth and eyes, the lights standing out against the onyx black coloring of his metallic body. The only other color the EXO had was the white antennas on the sides of his head.
"W-Where am I...?" The EXO asked.
"Cosmodrome." Ghost said. "An area in Old Russia. You've been dead a long time...well, offline. I'm Ghost...well, your Ghost. There's a lot of things that you won't understand, but I'll explain as we-" A sudden bolt of energy shot past Ghost, barely missing both him and his Guardian.
The EXO was up within the second, fists clenched as he scanned the area. Ghost could sense the internal scanners of the EXO doing it's work.
"Life forms detected, seventy meters southwest." The EXO said.
"Fallen." Ghost said before turning to the EXO. "We don''t have any weapons and more Fallen will be here soon. We have to move."
The EXO nodded, and in a moment Ghost transmatted himself directly into the EXO, familiarizing himself with the EXO's systems. Within milliseconds Ghost was comfortable enough to place a waypoint on the EXO's internal systems.
"That way, there's a hole in the Wall." Ghost said.
The EXO nodded and began running towards the Wall, allowing Ghost to quickly analyze the EXO's internal software. The EXO was designated as Fenrir-13, signifying the EXO had gone through thirteen reboots before Ghost had found him. A quick search of Ghost's internal database found a mention of a "Fenrir" from incredibly ancient Earth mythologies, a monster wolf that grew continuously and was supposed to one day be able to devour even gods.
By now Fenrir had made it inside of the Wall, his inner lights guiding his way through the dark hallways. Eventually he came to a large balcony that overlooked the inner wall, halting their progress. Ghost quickly scanned the area, noticing an old gate nearby.
"Hold on, go over here." Ghost said, placing the waypoint. When Fenrir got close enough, Ghost exited the Exo and began scanning a power box nearby. "Hold on, I'll have this open in a moment."
Ghost scanned the power box, inwardly bemoaning how entropy had destroyed most of the wiring while the Golden Age encryption still stood strong. Not that such things stopped Ghost, but it did impede his progress by a few seconds. Within moments he had the lights on and was opening up the gate. As the lights turned on throughout the facility, more and more Fallen became illuminated in the lights.
"Oh dear..." Ghost muttered.
Fenrir's scanners counted the Fallen, counting dozens upon dozens of the Fallen. "Thirty enemy combatants detected...forty...fifty...si-"
"I get it!" Ghost exclaimed before his sensors picked up an incredibly rusted rifle nearby. Ghost didn't know why the thing was there, but he didn't really care as he began transmatting it and upgrading. "Thank the Traveler, I got a rifle here for you."
A rifle than transmatted into Fenrir's hands, Light energy being formed into bullet's for the gun. Fenrir inspected the rifle, his internal systems quickly registering the important components of the weapon.
"You know how to use one of those?" Ghost asked as he retransmatted into Fenrir.
Fenrir slid the bolt back and loaded the rifle. "Affirmative." He said as he moved forward.
What followed was an impressively precise battle. As Fenrir continued down the hall, a Fallen Dreg dropped down onto Fenrir, perhaps hoping to use the shock of a sudden attack to be able to stab at the chest of the Guardian. Fenrir ended up catching the dreg and pushing him back, a purple energy shooting out of his palm and disintegrating the Dreg. Fenrir stared at his hand in obvious confusion, his internal systems unable to identify the strange energy.
"Void Light." Ghost's voice explained. "I'll explain as we move on."
Fenrir nodded before moving behind a pillar as his scanner picked up two enemies down the hall. While he exchanged shots, Ghost explained to him how he was what was called a Guardian, a being risen by the Light of the Traveler to be a protector of humanity. Ghost didn't know much about the Traveler, save that it was an unknown being of immense power who had made contact with humanity centuries previously. The Light was the energy of the Traveler, and was that same energy that had escaped from Fenrir's attack.
Ghost also explained how he had been raised as a "Warlock", a class of the Guardians who were known for their mystic powers gifted to them by the Light. Warlocks were the scholars of the Guardians, and would spend most of their time studying relics for their ancient secrets, something that he could tell Ghost was particularly excited about. Along the way Ghost picked him up a shotgun one of the "Fallen" was wearing as a trophy.
As the two made it out of the wall after fighting off more Fallen, they found themselves in a large clearing with some old buildings and the remains of a Fallen Walker spider tank nearby. Within moments red flares shot up into the sky even as large ships flew in, more Fallen dropping from the ships some distance away.
"Are they sending an entire fleet!?" Ghost asked incredulously. Scanning the wide area, he picked up faint signals of an old jumpship in a building across the area. "Move, we HAVE to get to that ship!"
"Odds of that working are-" Fenrir began, Ghost sensing his internal computer running the numbers.
"Just move!" Ghost exclaimed.
Fenrir ran across the field, his mechanical body easily covering the distance in seconds. Ghost found himself pretty grateful for the Guardian he was given, as a Human or Awoken might have succumbed to exhaustion from having to run so much in such a short amount of time. Still, he'd appreciate more of a personality rather than the robotic responses he'd been given thus far.
As they got closer to the door, Fenrir's sensors picked up a large group of enemies at the door. "Concentrate your Void Light into your fist and throw it." Ghost said, and without a question Fenrir began doing so. The result was a purple ball in his fist that when thrown expanded into a floating orb that utterly disintegrated the Dregs that were standing at the door. Within seconds the orb disintegrated, allowing Fenrir to move on.
As Fenrir ran through the halls, Ghost began to feel slight relief. The ship was nearby and, while it would take a few minutes to repair, would allow them to escape. That relief lessened when Fenrir turned the corner and they saw a large Fallen on top of the ship.
"A Captain!" Ghost exclaimed. "Quick, kill it! I'll get this thing working!"
Ghost transmatted out of Fenrir and moved towards the ship, dodging stray bolts and bullets as he transmatted himself into the ship's wiring. Ghost didn't know if their luck was good or bad considering the state of the ship. He'd be able to make it fly, but how well was another question. By now Fenrir had handled the small Shanks that had been accompanying the Captain and was engaged in a fight with said Captain. The EXO took a bad slash across his chest, the Fallen's blade exposing several of the inner wirings of the Guardian's body.
"Dammit." Ghost muttered to himself as he watched his Guardian fall down to one knee. The Captain stared down at the EXO before twirling it's sword and stabbing him directly in the face. Ghost felt as the EXO's system immediately shut down, and watched as the robot body slumped and fell over. The Captain roared at the body before turning back towards the ship.
Ghost, for lack of a better term, racked his brain as he tried to figure out what to do. He could easily resurrect Fenrir, but he wasn't sure if he could do so before the Captain saw him. And if he just waited he was sure more Fallen would show up, and would probably pick the EXO clean. Ghost had to somehow distract the Captain, he just had to figure out-
Wait. Ghost ran a quick scan of the ship, confirming that his quick maintenance had indeed fixed the thrusters of the ship. It was a long shot, but it just might work.
Quickly inputing the command, Ghost felt as the ship's thrusters began firing up. Not enough to provide lift, but enough for fire to shoot forth for only a second. Ghost watched as the Captain jumped back in shock before tilting it's head in confusion. Ghost waited an anxious few seconds before the Captain ran towards the back of the ship.
"Yes!" Ghost muttered to himself before he popped out and flew towards Fenrir. Ghost looked down at the EXO, his face obscured by the basic helmet Ghost had been able to create for him. A roar drew Ghost's attention, and he knew he didn't have to look behind him to know the Captain had seen him. But by now it was to late. Firing Light into Fenrir, Ghost felt as the systems turned back on and Fenrir came back online.
"W-What-" Fenrir began.
"No time to explain!" Ghost exclaimed before turning to the Captain who was rushing them. "Just kill!"
Ghost transmatted back into Fenrir as the EXO stood up, staring down at the Captain who had stopped some feet away and was now carefully sidestepping in a circle, Fenrir mirroring the movement.
"Ghost." Fenrir stated. "Can you give me that shotgun you found?"
"No problem, but we only have one shot." Ghost's voice said, even as Fenrir's sensors detected the disappearance of the rifle only to pick up the shotgun.
"Parameters acceptable." Fenrir stated. "Odds of survival...ninety-seven point two percent."
Snarling, the Fallen Captain roared at Fenrir and rushed him with blades ready to kill, Fenrir charging at the Captain. After a few steps, Fenrir slid into the Captain, firing the one shot of the shotgun directly into the Captain's chest. A bright light quickly shone, with Ghost's sensors picking up the overload of the Captain's shields. The Captain was knocked back a few inches, injured but alive. Without missing a beat, Fenrir jumped at the Captain, placing a palm glowing with Void Light directly into the Captain.
"Enemy combatant neutralized." Fenrir stated, even as the Captain screamed in defiance as the Void Light tore it away from existence.
"Good job." Ghost said, only for a loud roar to sound behind them.
Turning around, they saw a Fallen Captain that towered above the EXO Guardian. Ghost immediately recognized the style of armor the creature wore as that of an Archon Priest.
"Riksis!?" Ghost exclaimed, utterly shocked at the sight of one of the Vanguard's most wanted targets having appeared in front of them. "We have to go, now!"
Before Fenrir could say anything, Ghost transmatted the two of them into the ship, Ghost feeling relieved he'd had the chance to warm up the engines. As the Fallen shot at the ship, Ghost took control of the ship's sub-systems and auto-pilot, plotting a course to the Last moments the engines roared to life, shooting the ship directly out of the building where it had crashed long ago, leaving the Fallen to shoot vainly at the escaping ship.
"Whew!" Ghost exclaimed as he appeared next to Fenrir. "I have to say, despite having just woken up, you were a natural! It almost didn't feel like we would both be dismantled for spare parts there a few times."
The EXO looked around, taking note of the cramped interior of the ship. "How did we arrive in this ship?" He asked.
"Oh, that was me!" Ghost said. "I transmatted us into here so we could get away from that large Fallen there. We need to get back to the City and let the Vanguard know that Rikisis has come out hiding."
"City? Vanguard?" Fenrir asked again, systems running a background search on the words. Dozens of hits came up, primarily definitions and uses of the words in historical texts.
Ghost's eye widened. "Oh, right! I'm sorry, I forgot you just woke up and don't really know what's going on yet. Here, I'll explain while we fly to the City."
...
According to Fenrir's internal systems, only an hour had passed before the ship he and Ghost were on broke through the clouds, revealing a large valley with hundreds of buildings nestled inside. A large, circular wall surrounded the city, and what appeared to be a small moon floated above the buildings.
"Here it is, the Last City of Humanity." Ghost said, angling the ship to fly in a long circle so that Fenrir could see it fully. "And the Traveler, still dormant right above."
Fenrir nodded, studying the Traveler. Ghost had explained that the Traveler had been dormant ever since it protected humanity from an enemy being known only as the Darkness hundreds of years previously. It was after this event that the Ghosts first appeared, and shortly afterwards the first beings who would come to be known as Guardians followed. Ever since the Guardians were the protectors of the last of humanity who resided in the Last City, protecting them from threats like the Fallen who resided outside the walls.
"Oh?" Ghost said as he looked at a blinking light. "The comm system still works? Well that's good."
A sound of static flared to life as a voice resonated throughout the cabin. "Unknown ship, respond immediately and state your intentions or City defenses will insure the safety of the Last City."
Ghost looked at Fenrir. "Do me a favor and push the small button next to that light please."
Fenrir pushed the button, his sensors registering what sounded like a small pop before Ghost began speaking. "Tower, this is a Ghost. I have with me a new Guardian, and we are coming to report to the Vanguard both the new addition and the discovery of vital information on a priority target."
For a moment there was silence before the voice spoke again. "Guardian, this is the Tower. Please state your name and designation."
"Exo Fenrir-13, designation...data not found." Fenrir said as his internal diagnostic came up empty.
"Warlock. Say you're a Warlock." Ghost whispered.
"...Designation...Warlock." Fenrir said.
Again, there was silence, only for the static to flare up again. "Guardian Fenrir-13, this is the Tower. We will be sending two pilots to escort you to the Tower hangar, and will have a space reserved for you. Welcome to the Last City Warlock."
"And there they are now." Ghost said, only for two large ships to fly up to the ship Fenrir and Ghost were on.
Fenrir looked at the ships for a moment before returning his sensors to the Traveler.
...
"Ahhh, it's so nice to be back at the Tower." Ghost said, keeping the fact it was nice to be there with his own Guardian to himself.
Fenrir looked around the small courtyard, his sensors registering several other beings in various styles of clothing and armor in some cases. Ever since checking in their ship with a human female named Amanda Holliday at the hanger, the majority of other beings he saw were fellow "Guardians". Ghost had described those in the armor as "Titans", while "Hunters" wore hooded cloaks. One thing however was the same, in that no one bothered the EXO or his Ghost as they made their way to meet with the Vanguard.
"Come on Fenrir, we can meet with the Vanguard once we go down these stairs." Ghost exclaimed, before disappearing down the aforementioned stairs.
Fenrir made to follow before a loud clatter caught his attention. Turning his head, he looked to see a human male garbed as a Hunter standing near an armored woman. Both stood conversing with a man with blue skin with a hood over his eyes, though Fenrir's sensors could not pick up what was being said. Before Fenrir could explore this further however, Ghost suddenly appeared next to him.
"Fenrir? Is everything...Oh! Wow, it's the twins!" Ghost exclaimed.
"The twins?" Fenrir asked.
Ghost nodded. "Yes, Guardians Artemis and Minerva. Artemis is the Hunter, Minerva the Titan. Apparently when their Ghosts resurrected them, it was at the same time and in the same location. The two have been together ever since."
Fenrir remained silent as he studied the pair. Both had dark hair, though with their backs to him he couldn't see much else aside from their postures. Before Fenrir could continue his study however, Ghost slightly nudged the EXO with his shell, silently prodding the EXO to begin moving. Fenrir complied, taking one last look at the pair as the Hunter burst into laughter.
Going down the stairs, Ghost led him around a corner into a large meeting room, with several beings sitting around an assortment of monitors and screen all around the room. In the center of the room was a large table, three beings all huddled somewhat close together as they stared at various maps, texts, and small tablets with information. One of the beings, an EXO, turned and regarded Fenrir with brightened lights.
"Well well well! Looks like we got a new face!" The EXO exclaimed loudly.
"Calm down Cayde, don't go scaring them." A woman with dark skin nearby.
The final figure, a man with blue skin like the man from earlier, regarded Fenrir with both a warm smile and penetrating eyes. "Please, excuse these two here Guardian. I am Zavala, and welcome to the Tower. Tell me, how does it feel being newly resurrected?"
Fenrir walked forward and stared at the three. "All systems are operational, unit efficiency running at one-hundred percent." He stated after running the diagnostic.
"Oh oh oh! Not only newly resurrected, but a new boot up as well!" The EXO, Cayde, exclaimed.
"What do you mean Cayde?" Ghost asked.
Cayde folded his arms. "Us EXOs need a reboot every now and again so our internal systems don't degrade, hence the number designation. Generally whenever an EXO undergoes one of these reboots, they come out bland and without personality. Generally though personalities begin to surface after some time."
"Some longer than others." The woman said with a smirk.
"Don't go scaring him Ikora. Not everyone is as blessed as yours truly." Cayde said.
"I don't think that's the word I'd use." Ikora said with a smile.
"If you two are done." Zavala said, though Fenrir's sensors detected an almost impossibly small smile before registering the being's eyes on him. "Guardian, do you have a name?"
"Designation Fenrir-13." Fenrir answered.
"Fenrir than. I am Zavala, Titan representative of the Vanguard and Vanguard commander. The hooded EXO there is Cayde-6, the representative for Hunters." Zavala said, motioning his head towards Cayde.
"Nice to meet ya." Cayde said.
"And I am Ikora." Ikora said, nodding her head at Fenrir. "I can see by your clothing I have a new Warlock to look after. Once we are finished with this business, meet with me and I will see to you being outfitted in something less...rushed." Ikora said.
Ghost scoffed but remained silent.
"With introductions out of the way, let us move onto business." Zavala said. "Your Ghost reported you had information on a priority target?"
Fenrir looked at Ghost, prompting the floating shell to speak. "Yes. Shortly after I raised my Guardian, we were beset upon by Fallen close to the Wall in the Cosmodrome. As we escaped, we caught sight of the Archon Priest Riksis."
The Vanguard all looked at Fenrir and Ghost with interest. "You are sure of what you saw?" Ikora asked.
Ghost nodded. "Yes. Odds are he won't remain there for long."
"Agreed. We will need to send a strike team immediately." Zavala said.
"Most of our teams are either already deployed or with Shaxx in the Crucible." Ikora said.
"Well how about the twins?" Cayde asked. "They just got back from patrol if this report here is correct."
Zavala pursed his lips. "Hmmmm, I'd rather have a more sure team than just two Guardians."
"We've been searching for Riksis for quite some time." Ikora said. "If what this Ghost says is true, this is an opportunity we can't afford to waste. With any luck we might be able to even gain some information on the whereabouts of Sepiks Prime."
"And nobody said we had to send in only two Guardians." Cayde said.
"Cayde, we have discussed this. Your place is here in the Tower." Zavala said with a sigh.
"No!...Well, yes...maybe a little. But not fully!" Cayde exclaimed before motioning to Fenrir. "Let's send the newbie with the twins."
"You want to send a fresh Guardian on such a priority mission?" Ikora asked with a raised eyebrow.
Cayde shrugged. "He'll have Minerva watching him, what's the worst that could happen?"
Zavala pursed his lips before nodding. "I agree with Cayde. Not only will another Guardian, no matter how inexperienced, help both Artemis and Minerva, but this is an excellent opportunity for this new Guardian to gain valuable experience. Traveler knows we need experienced Guardians."
Ikora scoffed before nodding. "Very well. Fenrir, was it? If you'll come with me, I'll get you outfitted."
Fenrir looked to Ghost who nodded, nudging the EXO forward. "Go go, I'll wait here with Zavala and Cayde, find out what they know."
Nodding, Fenrir than made to follow Ikora, probably to her personal study, leaving Ghost with the two Vanguard. The moment the two were out of sight Zavala straightened himself out and moved to talk to a worker at one of the terminals, leaving Ghost all alone with Cayde. Looking down, Ghost saw maps of the Cosmodrome sprawled out, scribbles and writing all along the paper. Interestingly enough, he saw a few notes regarding the Hellmouth on some papers.
"So you finally found your Guardian huh Ghost?" Cayde asked.
"Huh?" Ghost said, looking at Cayde. "Oh, yes. Right outside the Wall near the Cosmodrome of all places."
"Really?" Cayde said, rubbing his chin. "Wonder what our EXO friend was doing out there. Oh well, guess it doesn't matter. So, he give you a name yet?"
Ghost shook his body. It wasn't uncommon for Guardians to give their Ghosts their own names to prevent confusion. The trend had started with Osiris when he started referring to his Ghost as Sagira.
"No, not yet." He said.
Cayde shrugged. "Well give it time. Took me a while to name Sundance after all."
Ghost nodded before a small commotion behind him drew his attention. Turning his body around, he watched as two Guardians turned around the corner and made their way towards them. His eye widened when he saw that it was Artemis and Minerva, and he floated up so that he could get an up close look at them.
Seeing him float up, Minerva gave him a smile before speaking to him. "Why hello there." She said. Her eyes shone a brilliant blue as she revealed her pure white teeth, outlined by her red lipstick. Her short black hair fell to the back of her head, her tall physique looking like it belonged in some of the Old Earth literature. Ghost knew better though than to underestimate the Titan before him, her armor a dull grey with black undertones, fur running along all sides and covered in so many dents and scratches they looked to be more of a design aesthetic than actual damage. Her personal Ghost, Hades, floated up and looked at Ghost, his dark shell gleaming under the lights.
"Ghost." Hades said, referring to Ghost in the general term. "Still no luck in finding your Guardian?"
"Actually, I just raised him today!" Ghost said happily.
"Really?" Artemis asked with a smile, gold eyes gleaming in happiness. "Well good for you little buddy."
Artemis wore his hood down, the long cloak falling wide towards his thigh, a large pattern gleaming gold against the white background of his armor. The Hunter kept his hair short and combed back, black like his "twin's", and Ghost could detect laugh lines showing that the smirk he wore seemed to be a permanent part of his face. Floating up behind him came out his Ghost Aphrodite, glowing a lustrous golden.
"Ooh, a new Guardian?" Aphrodite asked. "Where are they?"
"He's with Ikora right now." Ghost answered.
"Oh joy." Artemis groaned. "Another Warlock."
"Artemis, play nice." Minerva said. "We haven't even met him yet."
"Minerva, he's a Warlock." Artemis answered. "Mark my words, he's going to follow after his order and become a puffed up bore."
Aphrodite floated over to Ghost. "Don't take what he says seriously." She said in a chipper voice. "Artemis just likes playing on the rivalry between Hunters and Warlocks."
"Thanks." Ghost said before Hades floated up.
"So what's your Guardian like?" The Titan's Ghost asked in his deep, synthetic voice.
"Well he's an EXO, freshly booted up, so he comes across very stiff." Ghost answered. "According to Cayde a personality should eventually develop."
"Artemis!" Cayde exclaimed, walking up to the Hunter. "How's the Tower's greatest Hunter doing?"
Artemis smiled. "Pretty good considering I'm not stuck up here like one Hunter I know."
"You know, I thought we were friends Artemis." Cayde said, draping an arm over the Hunter. "How about making just a tiny wager with me to make up-"
"Not even gonna risk it." Artemis interjected.
"Maannnn..." Cayde whined as he got off Artemis.
Rolling her eyes Minerva stepped up to the Vanguard. "So why were we called her Cayde? Unless it was for you to try to trick my brother into taking your place up here in the Tower?"
"No-...well, kinda. No, Zavala has a mission for you, and we want the two of you to take the newbie with you." Cayde said.
"With us?" Artemis asked. "Why?"
"Give the new guy experience for one." Cayde answered. "He also has the most up to date knowledge of the target's location and the area we have."
"Target?" Minerva asked. "So it'll be an assassination mission than."
"Who's the target?" Artemis asked.
"I'll let Zavala go over that. We're currently waiting on the newbie, Fenris-13." Cayde said before focusing his optics behind Minerva and Artemis. "Speak of the Darkness, there he is."
Turning around, Minerva and Artemis saw an EXO walking towards them with Ikora in tow, the EXO wearing a traditional Warlock coat emblazoned with a bright yellow hawk overlayed over a black coloring. He also wore basic gloves and boots, black in color, and wore a circlet around his arm signifying his status as a Warlock.
Smiling at the EXO as he approached, Minerva held out her hand. "Why hello there Fenrir, I'm Minerva. A pleasure to meet you." She than held out a hand, waiting for the EXO to shake it. Looking down, Fenrir stared at the hand for a few seconds before reaching out and giving her an awkward shake.
"Minerva...classification...Titan." Fenrir stated, his internal systems updating the information with the Titan's physical appearance.
"Uuhhh..." Minerva groaned, looking to Cayde for an explanation.
Cayde whistled. "Wow, haven't heard an EXO act like that in a while. Maybe one of the first generation?"
"What do you mean?" Artemis asked.
"Well we EXO don't fully understand the purpose for our creation." Cayde explained. "General consensus is that we were designed and constructed by Humanity during the Golden Age to fight in some kind of war, only for our programming to give us sentience. As generations went on the EXO were able to be made more human-like from the onset, but the earlier generations always came off more like Frames, robotic and stiff."
"Really?" Minerva asked, looking back to Fenrir who merely stared at the three.
"Well, it's either that or we fall back on the other theory." Cayde said, folding his arms. "That each of us EXO were once humans, became EXO for whatever reason, and that parts of our former memories have survived the experience and help form our initial personalities. If that's the case this guy must have been a very serious fellow."
Artemis smirked. "That's actually kind of cool. Hey! Fenrir! Do me!" He exclaimed walking up to the EXO.
"Artemis...classification...Hunter...Titan Minerva's brother." He said, not even looking at Artemis.
Minerva chuckled to herself. "It is certainly interesting. What do you think Hades?" She turned to ask her Ghost.
"I guess interesting is a term." Hades said, floating up to study Fenrir.
Fenrir tilted his head. "Ghost?" He asked.
Aphrodite floated up and happily spun around Fenrir's head while talking. "That's Hades, Minerva's Ghost. I'm Aphrodite, Artemis's Ghost."
"Ghost Hades. Ghost Aphrodite." Fenrir said, internal systems updating themselves before he looked to Ghost. "Ghost...?"
Ghost made the sound of someone clearing their throat. "For now...just Ghost. Whether or not I get a name is up to you Fenrir."
Fenrir remained silent before giving a nod. His sensors than picked up someone walking behind him, causing him to turn around to see Zavala walk up to them with a serious expression.
"Good, the Fireteam is here." He said, looking at Cayde. "Cayde, have you updated Artemis and Minerva on the situation?"
Cayde nodded. "Introduced them to Fenrir here, and told them they'll be performing an extermination mission."
Zavala nodded. "Good. Guardians, your target is going to be found somewhere within the Cosmodrome near the wall. Our new Guardian here," Zavala said, motioning to Fenrir. "Is the one who discovered our target, so he'll be joining you to assist in tracking him down."
"Who's the target sir?" Minerva asked.
"Riksis, Archon Priest of the House of Devil's." Ikora said, looking to Fenrir. "An Archon Priest is a key member of the Fallen triumvirate leadership. A Kell is the House leader, but it's the Prime Servitor and Archon Priest that carry out his will. Being able to eliminate just one is a huge blow to a Fallen House."
"Not only that, but he's sure to have some juicy information on the location of Sepiks Prime, the Prime Servitor of the House of Devils." Cayde said.
"Finding information on Sepiks Prime is secondary though to the main objective." Zavala said. "Riksis has slipped through our grasp to many times to risk losing him again. Your mission Guardians is to draw out and kill Riksis. Any questions?"
"Will we have any support?" Minerva asked.
Ikora shook her head. "Right now you three are all we have to spare. We have no idea how long Riksis will remain in the area, so we can't pull in any of the other Guardians."
"Besides, to large of an assault and Riksis will run." Cayde said. "But just three Guardians? With any luck the Fallen will think you're there for another purpose and get cocky."
Artemis nodded. "Well if it has to be done best send the best you have. Minerva and the newbie can help to." Artemis said before laughing.
Minerva rolled her eyes before slapping Artemis on the back of his head. "That's enough out of you." She said before turning to Fenrir. "Hey Fenrir, you got a gun?"
Fenrir nodded. "A rifle and shotgun."
Minerva scratched her chin. "Not bad, but you'll want something more for long range. How about we stop by Banshee on our way to our ships and I'll get you another gun?"
"If that is what you would like." Fenrir stated.
"What, you're getting him a new gun!?" Artemis exclaimed. "How about you share some of that glimmer with your beloved-"
"No." Minerva stated with a smirk.
"But-" Artemis continued.
"No. If you really want that fusion rifle you can get it yourself." She said before looking at Fenrir. "Come on Fenrir, let's get moving."
Fenrir nodded before following after Minerva, Artemis giving a groan of disappointment before following after. Zavala soon moved towards an attendant's screen, inputting the information to get the three clearance to head out on their mission while Ikora began pulling up all the information they had on Riksis to provide assistance where possible. Hades and Aphrodite followed after their Guardians, Ghost moving to join until he heard Cayde call behind him.
"Hey Ghost!" Cayde's voice called, causing Ghost to turn around and look at the EXO.
"Keep an eye on your Guardian there." Cayde said. "Bland as he may be now, I get the feeling somethings going to come from him soon."
Ghost nodded before resuming to follow after his Guardian. It didn't take to long for the trio of Guardians to exit the control room, once again walking out to the large open plaza. Off in the distance Fenrir saw a bustling city landscape, a large orb floating gently above it all, the Traveller Ghost had said.
"Artemis, why don't you go let Amanda know we need our ships ready?" Minerva said to the Hunter. "I'll get Fenrir here outfitted for the mission."
"Will do Minerva." Artemis said before turning to Aphrodite. "Let's go Dite."
Aphrodite nodded before turning to face Hades and Ghost. "See you two in a bit. Congratulations again Ghost!" She said happily before following after Artemis.
Minerva smirked before looking over to an EXO in a robe currently surrounded by several beings in various armors. "Oh shanks! New shipment must have come in. Stay here Fenrir, I'll go brave that Thrall pack." Rolling her shoulders, Minerva ran towards the group of Guardians.
A deep sigh escaped from Hades. "I best make sure she doesn't start any fights..."
"Don't let Shaxx hear that." Ghost said.
Hades groaned. "We spent to much time in there to begin with. Keep an eye on your Guardian here Ghost. Minerva, no pushing!"
Ghost chuckled as he watched Hades go to berate his charge. Turning to Fenrir, he was surprised to see the EXO staring directly at him, or at least in his direction. Tilting his shell, Ghost floated up to the Warlock.
"Fenrir, is everything okay?" Ghost asked.
Fenrir remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Yes...Loki."
Ghost's eye widened. "Loki?" He asked.
"You are in need of a name. Internal records state the father of my namesake was a being named Loki." Fenrir stated. Ghost remained quiet, only to notice Fenrir's mouth and eye lights to strangely...dim. "Is...is that unsatisfactory Ghost?" He asked.
"No!" Ghost exclaimed before slightly shaking his shell. "I mean...no. No, I...I like it. Loki."
Fenrir's eyes brightened again. "Oh...good."A loud ruckus drew both of their attention as Minerva got into an argument with a Guardian over a gun.
"Uh oh, looks like Shaxx will have to schedule a match here in the Crucible soon." Loki stated.
Fenrir nodded before seeing Minerva hoist a gun up in the air in a pose of victory, saying something to the EXO before turning around to face Fenrir with a smile as she began making her way back towards them.
"Nabbed this for ya Fenrir! You strike me as a Pulse Rifle kind of EXO!" Minerva said as she walked up and handed Fenrir the gun.
Fenrir took the gun and looked down at it before nodding. "Thank you Titan Minerva."
"Just Minerva is fine Fenrir." Minerva said with a smile. "Now come on, let's go kill an Archon."
Fenrir nodded, clutching the rifle close. "Affirmative."
Hades floated up to Loki. "Just make sure Fenrir sticks near Minerva and Artemis. No need for you to lose your Guardian now that you've found him Ghost."
Loki scoffed. "You see him in action for yourself and you'll see why that isn't going to be a worry Hades. And just so you know, the name is Loki!"
Hades remained silent before giving a mirthful chuckle. "Well, I guess confidence in your Guardian isn't a bad thing. And congratulations Gh...Loki. Truly."
"Thanks!" Loki answered, only for the two Ghosts to notice their Guardians begin to leave.
"Hades! What's the hold up!? Let's go!" Minerva yelled, waving at the Ghosts.
"She certainly seems excited." Loki stated as the Ghosts began floating to catch up.
"Yes, she does." Hades said before sighing. "On second thought Loki, I'll make sure Minerva sticks close to Fenrir. Traveller knows she and Artemis need someone grounded."
"Isn't that your job?" Loki asked.
"You'll quickly learn that Guardians rarely listen when they see something big and shiny in the distance. Even if they only imagine it." Hades said with a resigned tone.
"And you think Fenrir will be able to change that?" Loki asked.
"I can hope." Hades said as the two caught up with the Guardians.
Before long they were up in the air, Minerva going over some semblance of a plan, Fenrir listening attentively, and Artemis's speaker crackling out some kind of Old Earth music. It had hardly been six hours since Loki had finally found Fenrir, and already he had been pursued by Fallen, repaired and piloted a centuries old ship, and was now piloting said ship back to said Fallen to kill their leader. Most rational beings would have been completely terrified of the events, but for some reason all Loki could feel was utter excitement.
His journey with his Guardian Fenrir had finally begun!
...
Hello all, this is just a little side project I've been working on the past few months, just a collection of stories revolving around one of my favorite game series Destiny.
With this little series I just want to share out small stories of my three Guardians, Fireteam Cerberus. These three Guardians are my actual Warlock, Hunter, and Titan, and based off of the personalities I've head canoned for them as they represent my sojourn in the amazing universe Bungie created. Each chapter that I post in here will just explore their relationships and adventures as they take the fight against alien pirates, alien zombies, alien robots, and the dreaded space turtles.
Now this series will not follow the general flow of the story Destiny has given thus far, more going through some of my favorite moments in the games, though I may spend more time in the story of D2 once we get to that part. Also expect slight chages to reflect how this Fireteam is able to accomplish tasks such as clearing the Vault of Glass, slaying the Knight-God Crota and Oryx the First Navigator without a full raid fireteam.
I'm also open to going through certain segments of the stories if anyone is interested, so feel free to send a request. Hope everyone enjoys this story whenever I update it. Until than,
Fave, follow, review, and have a good night.