Do you ever have a moment when you can physically feel fortune on your side? Maybe even begin to contemplate whether or not God truly exists and is smiling upon you? Well, thats how I felt. I thought to myself, I got this. You know? I got this. But man... I so did not have it.
Many believe that Exos can dream, that after being re-calibrated they can perform the simplest of daily functions as humans. They were right on certain cases. Walking their dog, prepping meals, jogging. Heck, Exos even have a bar dedicated to their special needs. Human food is irrelevant, but I still find myself going to shops from time to time. I am getting off track here. Moral of the story: I do not dream. If I ever find moments rest, its more in correlation to a computer being shut down or rebooted. It's dark, and empty. Nothing more, nothing less.
Even so, sleeping is preferable to the torturous tasks of the Vanguard. Zavala likes to direct his attention towards his disciples, leaving me vulnerable to Ikora and her never ending "adventures". Mainly its just petty things such as tracking down the whereabouts of said delivery, or cleaning the warlock quarters. Oh yeah, she actually made me do that. You would think that I'd be on a higher tier, right? Nope. Hunters are at the bottom of the food chain, especially when it's an un-oiled Exo versus a ruthless Stormcaller. But hey, being in the Vanguard has its perks. Perhaps someday, maybe. Who knows?
It's not like a Hunter to be kept in a cage. They need to roam free, the heavy flow of their cloak caught amidst the wind. Their instincts kicking into gear by the slightest indication of nearby prey. Thats where we relate most to birds. You cannot trap them their whole life, forcing them to sing behind bars. They'll die, internally. A beautiful soul, slowly perishing beneath the thumb of authority.
Well today, this blue jay finally got to sing.
A routine meeting was called, about something important. I don't know, wasn't paying attention. It was when Zavala reached towards my map that the single tick of a detonator was audible, followed by the blinding light of combustion. The force was more than enough to throw back Zavala and myself, the impact alone would have gravely injured a human.
"Cayde, are you alright?" Robotic optics scanned the newly refurnished room, failing to identify where the table once settled. Rolling onto my side, gloved digits pressed firm against the cold, dirt covered floor. Pushing myself upright and stumbling towards the source was the cyan hued Titan revealed, his masculine features becoming visible through the dusty fog.
"Yeah, you bet. So... this meeting adjourned?" Jokes. It was second nature to tease, taunt, and pester. Perhaps it was a defense mechanism, a conclusion of coming face to face with continual danger. Ikora would ridicule him for uttering such things. Wait. Where was she? A surge of panic left a sick sensation in the depths of my hollow chest. "Hold that thought-" I muttered, already on the move. Rounding large pieces of the ceiling that had collapsed, a horrid game of hide and seek unfolded. Zavala had simply watched, processing my actions before following suit. This was a fellow Vanguard, here. A fireteam that, even if they failed to word it, cared for each other.
"Ikora! Can you hear me? Ikora!" Zavala beckoned, his feet treading towards the caved in exit. It could be possible she moved fast enough to dodge the incoming onslaught, but some awful feeling told me otherwise. Steps were taken adjacent to where I had originally landed, mind trailing back to her last actions. Ikora had stood at the end of the table, closest to the windows. Her gaze remained at the task at hand, which at the time was a very thick book. However, as the meeting was called to attention, her being trailed to where she routinely resided. The southeast corner. Following the placement of my memory, I was greeted by three large chunks of debris. On closer inspection, a familiar shade of purple fabric was noted among the cracks.
Oh no.
"Zavala..." It was a swift stride on my comrades part, already enclosing the space between us and prying away the small boulders. I joined in the removal of the stones, a dust ridden warlock laying beneath the rubble. Kneeling down and trying my best to gently scoop her unresponsive form into my arms, even I could barely comprehend the words that escaped me. "Please be okay. You gotta be okay..." After stationing her head against my lap, a quick glance was taken in the Titans direction. He met my gaze, and it felt like I was peering into a mirror. Pain and worry reflecting back at me.
"Who... else... would scold you?" Hues of the Titan widened, tearing his eyes away from me and down to the newly awakened Rey. A small smile, prominent upon ebony tiers.
"You're making jokes." I breathed, a heavy weight lifting atop my shoulders.
"You're not the only one with pleasantries of a quip."
"Can you stand?" Zavala chimed in, stepping forth and extending a hand in aid. A nod was rendered, and she relieved him of emptiness. Contact. Made me think about the warmth I lack. "Glad to see you're alright. Now, our immediate concern is the well-being of those in the Tower."
"Who attacked us, anyway?" I inquired, stepping up and dusting off my knees.
"I'm sure we'll learn fairly quickly. Cayde, you focus on the evacuation of civilians. I'll gather guardians in retaliation to our mysterious guests. Ikora, go with Cayde. I'm trusting you to lead the citizens to safety should I not be able to follow."
"What? We can't just split up," I began, but Ikora cut me off. Her voice was soft, yet ever so assertive.
"Do as he asks, Cayde." My focus turned back to the Warlock, who had a superficial wound along the right side of her cranium. The sight alone would make my heart ache... if I had one. Defeated, I return my gaze to our established leader.
"You better not die on us, or I'll-"
"-kill me? Yes, I remember your speeches." Moments amusement among colleagues; bliss before the chaos that each knew would ensue. I opened my mouth to speak, but another crash concealed the sound of my voice. The urge to respond to my dear friend was eradicated amongst the sight of what emerged through the broken down walls. Cabal, whose guns were blazing in the now cramped space. In all haste, I crouched down and sought refuge behind the broken table. "Go, now!" Retrieving his auto rifle, Zavala provided cover for Ikora to travel towards the window. Damn that blink ability of hers.
"Yeah, yeah, we got a job to do. See you later, Hero." There will be no goodbyes. Goodbyes were bad. Running into the open and away from the safety of the table, I made a mad dash to Ikora's location. Grabbing onto her forearm, a brief jerking motion pulled her along as I jumped through the glass.
It was a leap of faith.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: So far, this is going to be a two-part "one-shot" ( I know, that ruins the definition of a one-shot lol ) since there is so much to cover for the cabal invasion. Depending on the reviews, I might turn this into several chapters. Anyway, let me know what you think!