Greetings! I have finally managed to finish this chapter! It took me longer than I thought, as I've been very busy as of late. Now this chapter has not yet been proof-read by anyone other than myself, so it probably has many mistakes, or it could be complete garbage (I'll leave that for you to decide). The reason I'm saying this is because I've kinda been having a hard time with life lately (But who isn't ;), it's been a difficult to write consistently. So I'm sorry if I don't get new chapters out as quickly as some of you would like. Well I've prattled on enough, thank you so much for reading this, and I hope you enjoy! P.S. I just had it proof read so it should be better now. ;)
The Tower
Cayde ran, his feet falling in silence; trained footfalls rolled from heel to toe, muffling his stride. Cape billowing behind him, a small girl clutching fast to his neck, as he slipped through the many twists and turns of the Cosmodrome wall as a blurred shadow. The girl whispers directions to him, she knows where to find the Ghosts; she had seen them when recovering his weapons, but the big bad guy, which he later perceived to be the same Kell that tried to have him executed, had taken the cages of red light with him when he left. But the little girl had followed, and much to his surprise, she remembered with the utmost confidence, the room to which the Kell had taken the Ghosts.
Cayde was surprised they had gone for so long without hearing any sign of an alarm, they had not encountered one Fallen enemy. The Hunter smelled a trap, there was no way the Kell and his minions had't discovered the body of their dead companion yet. They knew their prisoners had escaped, it was only a matter of time now.
The the two companions came to a T intersection in a narrow hallway.
"That way, we're almost there." The girl murmured, pointing over his shoulder to the left branch.
The Hunter turned sharply; the girl let out a sound of surprise that sounded like a hiccup as her hold on the Exo's neck loosened.
Cayde used his shoulders and forearms to steady her, "Hold on there, don't want you falling off and hurting yourself again."
She nodded and tightened her hold on his neck. As they reached the end of the hall, the girl called for a halt, pointing at the rusted door dead ahead.
"They're in there." she whispered. She pointed to a small vent opening on the right hand side of the hall.
"Get me up there, I'll see if there are any bad guys."
Cayde raised the steel ridge that was his eyebrow, "You're not going to go charging in by yourself?" he asked skeptically.
He felt her shaking her head, "No! No, I promise. I just want to help, I'll be careful, and come right back."
Cayde nodded, "Alright… I'm putting my faith in you." He quickly jogged over to the vent, letting the girl stand on his shoulders to reach it. Cayde practically had to force her in when she could not bear the strain on her arm when attempting to haul herself up to the opening.
"Are you sure you're strong enough for this?" He asked as the girl finally managed to scramble inside the narrow entrance of the vent; he was beginning to really worry about her. She had been shaking violently ever since they had been reunited; sweat beaded on her brow, and her breathing was ladored.
"I'll be alright, It's not far." her muffled voice replied before she disappeared from view. Cayde waited, casually leaning against the wall.
The girl carefully crawled through the vent, her arm ached terribly; the slightest bump or jostle sent waves of intense pain coursing through her small body. She felt exhausted, if only she could lie down and sleep!
But I can't, if I do, I might not wake up.
She could not let that happen, so she kept moving; she only needed to travel a few more feet before she could view the suspicious room. Yet when she finally arrived at the vent overlooking the area, she felt like fainting; she was panting for breath, and sweating profusely, her eyes refused to focus.
I don't think I can do this much longer.
She shook her head and closed her eyes; she drew deep breaths, attempting to steady her trembling heart beat. When she opened her eyes again she found she could once again focus, and she could breath easier.
She let her gaze drift around what seemed to be a vacant room, but something wasn't right. The air was thick with tension, it was stifling; her eyes flicked to a sudden movement behind one of the sixteen steel beams that surrounded two glowing cages sat in the center of the room. Walls a little over ten feet away from the beams formed the square shape of the large space.
She couldn't help but wonder what in the world this room was for; there were no doors leading out except the one Cayde was waiting at. It was then that she noticed what had drawn her attention previously. A glassy outline of a Fallen soldier was shifting impatiently behind one of the rightmost beams; her eyes narrowed.
A trap? I need to get back.
She tucked her legs under herself and paused; careful to inspect the walls of the duct before she began turning back. The return journey of a meager dozen or so feet, completely winded her; further aggravating her wound as she clumsily stumbled back down the duct.
Cayde counted fifteen minutes, before the girls head popped back out of the vent. He quickly positioned himself so she could easily climb back down from the shaft; he waited for a long moment, before looking up expectantly at the girl. Her face was twisted in pain, and sweat ran down her face collecting into drops that trembled on her chin as she struggled to draw a steady breath.
Cayde felt a pang of fear.
She looks bad, I shouldn't have let her go…. What am I going to do?
He reached for her, and as gently as he could, drew her down from the vent opening; careful to not further aggravate her wound.
The Exo sat her against the wall, he brushed the hair away from her face and placed a hand on her forehead; she was hot to the touch.
"You're burning up. Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?" He asked, his voice was stern and concerned.
The girl shook her head slowly and took a deep breath. "I just wanted to help. I-I didn't think it was that bad."
Cayde sighed, "You have helped, but you're obviously in a lot of pain kid, you need to rest."
She lowered her gaze and nodded, surprising the Hunter who thought she might try and argue.
Cayde sat studying her for a moment, he was on edge, any moment they could be ambushed, he needed to know what was inside that room, he needed to find the Ghosts, he needed to get her out of here.
"Can you tell me what you saw?" He asked.
She bobbed her head, "Yes." She glanced around the hall as if they were being watched. "The room seemed empty at first… But something just didn't feel right… The Ghosts were in their cages just laying in the middle of the room, surrounded by big metal.. Things…" She struggled to find a suitable word.
"Beams?" Cayde offered.
The girl nodded quickly, "Beams! Huge metal beams! It almost looked like a cage for some huge monster, and I thought I saw things moving behind them. Not at first, but I sat still for a long time and watched, that's when I saw them, they looked like glass."
"Stealth Vandals." Cayde muttered to himself.
He looked at the girl with an appraising eye, "You know kid. I'd be willing to wager you'd make an excellent Hunter. Instincts like yours aren't easy to come by from new blood."
The girl looked slightly confused, "I remember my Ghost saying something about that, Hunters, Warlocks, and…. Titans?" She considered this for a moment, "Which are you?" She inquired.
Cayde offered a small grin, "I, am a Hunter. The Hunter Vanguard, to be precise."
The girl's face brightened, her pain seemed to briefly lessen at her enthusiasm. "Then I want to be a Hunter! You can teach me!" She stated with a determined expression.
Cayde chuckled, "Sure! As soon as you start feeling better. I owe you one, after all, for saving my life. And lesson number one, watch and learn." He held a finger to his mouth, before carefully placing her against the frame of the door, careful to make sure she was fully concealed behind it. Cayde stalked over to the opposite side, and drew Ace, his back to the frame of the door.
In position, Cayde turned the knob and swung the door opened, drawing his arm in to avoid being seen. As soon as the passage was visible, three bullets whistled down the hall. Cayde wasted no time sweeping into the entrance, aiming at the snipers. Three were positioned at the ceiling, kneeling on shelves overlooking the room; Cayde made quick work of the three, their headless bodies fell to the floor with a dull thud. Stealth Vandals hissed angrily from their hiding places, and charged at the Hunter. Cayde used his remaining bullets to end three of the closest Vandals, the four remaining hesitated. He drew a long serrated dagger from his belt, and crouched. One of the four remaining Vandals rushed forward, slashing blindly at the Exo. Cayde spun around, kicking the Vandal's feet out from beneath him; the alien landed hard, and Cayde plunged his dagger into its throat. Ether sprayed from the wound, further painting him a dark purple.
The Hunter looked up to see the last three Vandal's coming in for the kill, they moved only a few feet, before joining their companions on the cold floor, dead; a slender throwing knife protruding from each of their foreheads.
Cayde stood, flicking his hands in an attempt to rid himself of excess ether. "Gross, I look like a grape and smell like a dumpster." He growled.
Cayde glanced at the girl peeking around the corner at him; her pale face held a look of awe filled reverence, and also fear.
"Cayde! Thank the Light you're here!" a voice emanated from one of the glowing red crates. Cayde shot a concerned look at the girl who made no move to join him.
"Do you have my girl with you?" the female voice of the girls Ghost called out.
"Yes! I'm fine!" The girl replied weakly. Cayde nodded at her, when she motioned for him to continue his effort to free the Ghosts.
"How in the world did they get you in there?" Cayde groaned as he examined the cages. The two Ghosts were trapped in separate boxes, that consisted of a steel frame, and spaces filled in with a red energy field; the sides were about a foot, allowing very little space for the hovering machines. No matter what Cayde tried, he could not find a way to open the fortified boxes.
Cayde at last threw up his hands in defeat, "Well if we stay here any longer we'll practically be inviting the Fallen to come muder us!"
The girl let out a raspy cough, drawing Cayde's attention. "How you holding up there kiddo?" he asked, worry evident in his tone.
"Fine." she answer, her voice had been reduced to a raspy whisper.
"What's wrong with her? Is she hurt?" The girl's Ghost asked, she sounded distraught.
"She was wounded while we were trying to escape. She saved my life." He replied, again glancing at the girl. He stood from where he had been kneeling by the Ghosts, "Do you have any idea how I can get you out of these cages?" Cayde asked while walking over to examine one of the Fallen snipers that lay dead.
"No, I don't. We've tried everything to hack or teleport out, but every time we're pulled back inside. These Cages are like a vacuum we can't escape. And the Captain that had us put in here said any outside attempt to get in without the key will destroy us."
"Figures." The Hunter mumbled as he stooped at the Fallen's side; he picked up a length of rope that was partially unwound from its waist.
"Well this could work." Cayde said while freeing the remainder of the rope from the reeking corpse. He used the rope to tie the cages one on top of the other, and then the remaining length to fashion a crude harness. He slipped his arms through the rope loops and hoisted the boxes up on his back.
"There we go, this'll work." He rushed back to the girls side, afraid she might have turned for the worst.
Her face was drained of color; she looked so tired… Dark circles ringed her eyes, her breathing was laboured, and she was shivering violently.
Cayde gently shook her uninjured shoulder, "Kid? Kid look at me!"
"Please don't yell, it hurts." she said weakly, opening her eyes as far as she was able, to search his face. She offered a weak smile, but burst into a fit of coughing at the effort.
"Sorry, I need to get you out of here. Will you be alright if I carry you?" He inquired while slipping off his cape. The girl nodded slowly, as if the action might make her sick. The Hunter pulled the ailing child up off the cold floor, wrapping her in his cloak as he did so.
I should have brought someone else with me, there's nothing I can do to keep her warm…
Cayde shot down the corridors as fast as his legs would take him, being careful to cause as little pain as possible to the girl.
He had no idea where he was going, at one point he asked his Ghost if he could guide them out safely, but he had replied that he couldn't, the energy field was blocking any and all of his attempts to interact with the outside world. So, the Hunter decided to keep heading in as straight a line as possible, they would have to reach the end of the wall eventually.
Cayde raced over rusted bridges, through aged halls, and down seemingly endless passages that twisted and turned until one lost all sense of direction. He felt desperate, with every step the girl seemed to drift away a little more; he tried talking with her, to keep her awake, and for a while it worked. Until her eyes closed, and refused to open; her breathing was slow and shallow.
No, no, no! Come on kid, you'll make it. Just hold on a little longer!
At last Cayde perceived the light of day; he had entered a small cement hall, and through it, lay what looked like the Rocketyard. Huge shipping containers lay scattered throughout the expanse of open land, peppered with towering cement, and rusted iron buildings. Fresh snow blanketed the ground, and wispy flakes still fell from the dusky sky. Cayde clutched the girl closer to his chest as he ran out into the brisk morning chill. He tapped a few buttons under his left wrist guard; they need only wait now.
Cayde hunkered down in a small alcove, inside one of the many buildings dotting the landscape. His ship had been left within the old Mothyards, but he had been unable to make contact with it whilst inside of the wall; the thick concrete must have blocked the signal. Now that he was outside, he could finally reach his vessel. Then it was only a quick flight to the Tower, where the girl could receive treatment.
"Hey? Can you hear me kid?" Cayde gently patted the girl's cheek, trying to get some kind of reaction. She drew in a deep breath, and her eyes flicked opened before again drifting shut; she mumbled something Cayde could not make out.
"What are you trying to say to me kid?" He asked, a sense of desperation was beginning to grip him.
The girl took another deep breath and slowly shook her head, "So…. Tired…" She whispered.
"I know, I know. But you gotta stay awake ok? Just a little longer… Do you hear me?" She gave a small nod, and her brow knotted with effort.
"I'll try." She said in a barely audible voice.
"Atta girl. Just stay awake." Cayde spoke softly, drawing his cape tighter around the child.
"She needs to eat and drink." The girls Ghost said, causing Cayde to glance around to where she hovered in her cage, that still rested on his shoulders. "All this time I've been keeping her alive; but just barely. And now… Now there's nothing I can do. She hasn't eaten or satisfied her thirst for so long… And now she's exhausted and freezing, I'm not sure how long she'll last, or if I can bring her back." Her voice quivered with worry and a deep sadness.
"I promised I'd get her out of here, and I intend to keep my word." The Hunter stated with grim determination. He turned at the sound of distant thrusters growing louder with every minute that passed.
She's almost here. Just a little longer, Come on!
The remote control on his wrist beeped, and a strong wind blew through his hiding place, accompanied by roaring thrusters.
"Alright. she's here." Cayde rose and ran out of the building. He was met by the rising sun, glinting off a sleek, black, falcon class ship with white stripes lining the wings, and an ace of spades adorning the hull. It hovered about a hundred or so feet above a clear patch of land, only a few strides out from where the Exo stood. Cayde pressed a few more buttons on his arm guard, and the ship began to lower; landing gear appeared, and it touched down.
"I knew this remote would come in handy some day." He observed as he approached his vessel. Cayde froze and ducked, a bullet whistled over his head; he pivoted, and crouched behind a crate. He heard the shrieking of dregs and the roar of Captains; their heavy footfalls made a loud crunch as they drove through the fresh snow.
"Things can never be simple can they?" he growled, pushing more buttons, "Well you bastards sure as hell can't have my ship! Shields up!" The ship swept around, its nose facing the Fallen soldiers that were pouring out of the wall. Rocket launchers, and long barreled machine guns popped out of the hull's sides, pointing red lasers at their targets.
"And Holliday said I was crazy for installing my last upgrade. All right baby, light em up!" Rockets flew, and bullets rained from the spacecraft, decimating the wave of Fallen. Shrill screams and curses filled the air as Fallen after Fallen was mowed down, even the occasional Servitor fell to the hail storm. By the time the last Fallen lay dead in the snow, the ship's guns were glowing red with heat, and the once white snow had been dyed a dark purple.
"Whoa! Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Cayde whooped cheerfully.
"Cayde! Escape now, party later!" His Ghost scolded.
"Right! Right, sorry." He adjusted his grip on the girl and charged for the ship. The entrance ramp lowered at the tap of a button, and they were inside in a flash.
Cayde breathed a deep sigh of relief, "We made it kid! We made it!" He look down to see her condition had not changed; she was still silent, eyes closed, and breathing shallow. Cayde closed the hatch, and rushed over to a small padded bench on the far right side of the ship; he laid her down and covered her with a thick blanket he had on hand, before strapping her down with a seat belt.
"Alright, you're safe now just hold on a little longer-" Cayde was flung across the width of his ship, striking the far wall with a loud thud. He fell to the floor groaning in pain.
"What in the name of-" The Hunter painfully got to his feet and crossed over to the cockpit, taking a seat and strapping himself in. He took the controls and searched through the glass to discover what had struck his ship. Much to the Hunter's surprise, it was the Fallen Kell. He was standing in the mouth of the hall from which Cayde had made his escape, a scorch cannon was positioned on his shoulder, ready for another shot.
Cayde smirked, "Right back at you big guy." He flicked a switch cover off a large red button, and pressed it with a dramatic flare. A two pronged cannon rose from the top of the ship, and began to hum with sparking electricity. The Kell fired again hitting the craft on its left wing; but her shields held, just barely; one more hit like that and she'd take major damage.
"And fire." Cayde spoke in unison with the firing of the electricity cannon. The charged beam struck the Kell sending him flying back into the passage; Cayde waited only long enough to hear the satisfying BOOM! of Kell hitting some distant wall. With a satisfied grin Cayde punched in the coordinates for the Tower, and watched as the auto pilot took them into the atmosphere.
Cayde slumped back in his chair, relief spread over him like a warm wave. He glanced at the girl who was breathing a little easier, now that she was warming up, and no longer being spirited across the Cosmodrome. He set stabilizers in place, and went to the girls side to examine her wounds. Cayde gently peeled back the blanket to reveal her injured shoulder; the makeshift bandage was completely soaked through with blood, and a foul odor was emanating from the wound. Cayde was no medical expert, but like all soldiers he had been trained to administer basic treatment. He carefully removed the bandage, and studied the ragged tear in the girl's flesh. Blood still seeped from the cut, this made it impossible to tell exactly how deep it was. He fetched a first aid kit he kept in an overhead cabinet, and began to clean away the new, and old blood. He grimaced at the sight of bone that was revealed after clearing the blood.
"Jeez kid, how'd you manage this?" Cayde applied a thick gel-like ointment to the cut that would prevent infection, and dull the pain; this done he wrapped it back up with a clean, white bandage.
"Approaching Tower. Please brace for landing." The mechanical voice of the auto pilot warned. Cayde recovered the girl with her blanket and made sure her restraints were secure; before securing himself at the ship's controls.
"This is Tower security. Please verify your identity." A voice inquired through the ship's comms.
"Yeah, this is Cayde-6. I'm gonna need a clear landing pad asap."
"Welcome back sir, I trust you had a successful mission."
"You could say that. Look, just get me clearance. And while you're at it, get a team of medics down on the pad, ready to administer immediate treatment. You got that?"
"Of course sir. Your usual pad is ready, and a medic team will be awaiting your arrival."
"Thanks." Cayde approached the Tower docks, the city below was just beginning to fully awaken, and the Tower itself shown in the early morning sun.
He pulled with ease onto his designated dock, and landed with barely a jostle. Cayde quickly unbuckled the girl, wrapping her tightly in the blanket before walking out onto the pad with her in his arms. He was immediately approach by a woman with brown hair, and clear blue eyes. He could tell she was a chief medical officer by the dull grey jumper she wore with a red shield on the shoulder; standard issue for the medical core. Two men followed behind her, ready with a stretcher held between them.
"You called for medical assistance? We are at your service." Her eyes fell to the girl Cayde clutched to his chest, and her reassuring smile faded.
"Fix her! She's wounded badly, and she hasn't eaten, drank, or slept for days." Cayde blurted, his impatience getting the better of him.
"Quickly! Place her on the stretcher, and we'll take it from here." The woman commanded, motioning for the stretcher bearers to come forward.
Cayde was reluctant to let her out of his sight, but her injuries were beyond his scope. He knew he could trust these people to help her, so he carefully placed her on the sheet stretched between two poles. Without a moment's hesitation the bearers jogged off in the direction of the medical wing.
"We'll take good care of her. Please report to the other Vanguard, they're waiting for you." The officer said quickly, before running after the stretcher.
"Hey! Make sure to send for me the moment she opens her eyes! That kids been through hell, she'll need to see a familiar face when she wakes up!" Cayde called after the retreating medic. He saw her glance back and nod, before disappearing behind a hallway door.
The Hunter felt weird letting strangers take her away; even though he knew they were trustworthy.
*Sigh* Well, now I have to explain this mess to Zavala and Ikora….. They're never going to let me leave again…
Cayde spotted a dock hand idly standing a few yards away.
"Hey you!" Cayde said pointing at the man. The dock hand looked around, confused, before pointing to himself with a questioning look.
The Exo nodded, "Yes you." The man hesitated, before jogging over and standing at attention.
"There's two glowing red crates in my ship, about yea big. I need you to bring them to the Vanguard hall within the hour. You got that?" The man nodded stiffly.
"Thanks I appreciate it." Cayde walked past the man, and called. "Just one more thing. If you touch anything other than those crates, I'll know." He looked over his shoulder and winked at the flustered dock hand, before striding up the stairs leading to the Vanguard hall.
"Sweetie? Can you hear me? I need you to try and respond."
She didn't recognize this voice. Had she been captured again? It must be a nicer place than she was in before; she was warm, her arm no longer hurt, and she could breath easier.
Mr. Robot?
Her eyes snapped opened, she took a moment to adjust to the bright light shining over her. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus.
"26-b! Send for Cayde-6! Tell him his little friend is awake."
"Yes ma'am!"
"Hey there. How are you feeling?" The voice sounded like a lady, it was kind and soothing. Slowly, her face came into focus, the woman was smiling kindly at her; a few locks of soft brown hair escaped from a messy bun, perfectly framing her glowing face. Sky blue eyes danced around the girls prone figure, searching for any sign of discomfort.
She's beautiful. And she's a girl like me!
"Who are you?" The girl inquired curiously, forgetting to answer the woman's question.
The woman smiled brightly, happy to see her patient speaking. "I'm a doctor, your Hunter friend brought you to me so I could help you get better. You can call me Nessia, or Ness for short." Nessia's smile softened, "Are you feeling any better? I need you to tell me if it hurts anywhere so I can make it better."
The girl shifted slightly, stretching her sore muscles, and rolling her tender neck. She groaned softly as a dull throbbing emanated from her wounded shoulder.
"I'm sore, but my shoulder feels much better, it just hurts to move a lot." She replied, sinking back down into the soft bed; it was an amazing feeling, she didn't think she had ever felt something so soft.
"Sir, please slow down! You need to calm yourself before visiting! The girl is not yet recovered!" Another woman's voice sounded from outside the room.
"I'm completely calm! It's been days and she's finally awake! I think I've waited long enough!"
The girl perked up, lifting her head off the pillow, and sitting up a little straighter. "Mr. Robot?" She asked excitedly.
The commotion outside paused briefly, before a beaming Cayde threw open the door, making the poor nurse who had attempted to restrain him jump.
"Hey you're awake!" He walked over and took a seat on the side of her bed. "How ya feeling kiddo?"
The girl smiled and nodded, "A lot better. The doctor lady helped my shoulder not hurt!"
"Well, that is her job." Cayde replied, flashing a quick grin at the doctor, who looked like she was enjoying witnessing their reunion. He was silent for a moment as he studied her, she couldn't have looked more different than the child he had rescued. She was clean as a whistle, Her now gleaming silvery white hair was combed and pulled into a loose braid; her large grey eyes were bright with excitement; and her young, round face was crinkled with a wide grin.
"I think you've definitively made an impression on this young one sir. This is the most talkative she's been since she arrived." The doctor commented, she couldn't help but smile at the pair; a Hunter and a child, she couldn't conceive of a more unlikely duo.
Cayde chuckled, "Nah, in fact, I'm sure it's the other way around. This kid saved my life, putting a bullet in a Vandal trying to do the same to me."
The doctor looked at the her patient in shock, who was smiling proudly at Cayde's praise.
The girl brightened suddenly, "You're gonna keep your promise and teach me… Right?"
Cayde pretended to carefully consider it for a moment, a skeptical look replaced his previous demeanor. "Hmm, I'm not sure if I recall making any such promise." He replied, barely covering the grin that threatened to burst forth at any second, and waving his hand in a dismissive gesture.
The girl crossed her arms stubbornly and her eyes narrowed, but a mirthful smile still tugged at the corners of her mouth as she attempted to mock Cayde's seriousness. "No! I remember you saying you'd teach me! You said you owed me one for saving your robot butt from the bad guys!"
The doctor covered her mouth with a hand at the child's outburst, when laughter threatened to erupt from her throat.
Cayde held up his hands in defeat, "Alright. You've convinced me. I'll take you under my wing; on one condition."
The girl looked at him questioningly, "What condition Mr. Robot?" she asked.
"Ok make that two. First, call me Cayde, C-a-y-d-e, Cayde; I let it slide when we were escaping our deaths, for obvious reasons. But here at the Tower it's Cayde, alright?"
She nodded.
"Second." he leaned forward and poked her forehead with his index finger. "You need to heal; and to do that, you're going to do anything this nice lady tells you. Understood?"
The girl rubbed her brow and nodded with a broad smile, "Understood."
"And when you're well enough, there are some important people I'd like you to meet. So you need to get better fast, you got that?" Cayde asked with raised eyebrows.
"Mhmm." The girl nodded quickly.
"Alright, I'm afraid visiting time is over. I need to run some tests, and I'm sure my patient would like to eat." Nessia pressed.
At the mention of food the girls stomach growled, causing her to blush and stare at her feet bashfully.
"Yes please."
The Hunter Vanguard strode through the halls at a quick pace; he was in a good mood. His visit with the kid had lifted his spirits, and distracted him from the dilemma he came closer to with each stride.
The Ghosts…..
"Cayde!" Ikora greeted him as he entered what he called, "The Egghead Clubhouse". It was a large circular room, with desks scattered about, and various tools of science arranged haphazardly across the surfaces. Huge maps, star charts, blueprints, and ancient scribbles lined the walls. Banners bearing the Warlock symbol, that resembled a barricade that peaked at three triangular points were hung in rows along the high ceiling; which was entirely composed of glass, letting light stream in to illuminate the Warlocks hangout. The far end of the room opened up into a rectangular, low ceilinged area, that was filled with old, dusty bookshelves. Each shelf was overloaded and some had spilled over onto the floor with a variety of tomes, scrolls, maps, and books on every subject you could imagine.
Another area off to the side was reserved for study and general mingling; large comfortable couches arranged in a large square, sat around a low table. Unlike the rest of the room, this area was clean and neat; welcoming both Warlocks and guests to take a seat and relax.
It was to this spot that Ikora led Cayde and invited him to make himself comfortable.
"So, have you made any progress with the Ghosts?" Cayde inquired after seating himself on the couch backed up to a wall; Hunter law: never leave your back opened.
"Not as much as I would've liked; it's strange technology, and nearly impossible to study. It's almost like it has a mind of its own." Ikora replied, a note of irritation sounding in her voice.
"Is it…" Cayde asked, trailing off at the end, he knew Ikora would understand.
"It's impossible to know right now Cayde, the tests have yet to be completed. However, I won't lie, the energy signature is incredibly similar…"
Cayde's demeanor grew thoughtful, "Should we get him to look at them?"
Ikora considered this briefly, "No, not until we run out of options, he's a recluse. And last time we met he made it very clear he wanted to be left that way."
Cayde nodded, he had expected that answer, "At the very least, can you get my, and the girl's Ghosts out? If I lose my Ghost…"
"Cayde." Ikora leaned forward in her seat across from the Exo and locked her gaze with his. "I and my Warlocks are doing everything we can to save your Ghosts. I promise, I will continue to do everything in my power to get them out safely."
Cayde grinned at his Warlock companion, "I know you will, thanks."
Ikora nodded and leaned back in her seat. "On a less serious note; How is your little friend doing? I've heard she's quite the character."
Cayde threw his arms behind his head and reclined into the cushy couch with his legs stretched in front of him. "She's something alright; kids tough, and has a lot of potential. I think she'd make a talented Hunter, with proper training of course."
Ikora raised an eyebrow, "Are you doting Cayde? You sound as if you've grown rather fond of this child." She said with a telling smile.
Cayde narrowed his eyes at the Warlock, "What do you mean 'doting'? What are you trying to get at Ikora?" He questioned, eyeing the mischievous smile of his teammate.
"Oh, I just think it's cute how Cayde, the roguish Hunter, has adopted a little girl that affectionately refers to him as her 'Mr. Robot'." Ikora said, the smile never leaving her lips.
"Cute?" Cayde threw his hands in the air, "I just left the medical wing! How-?"
"I have my ways." She replied to Cayde's unasked question.
Cayde glared silently at the Warlock, "And what do you mean by 'adopted'?" He asked at length.
Ikora shrugged, "You found her, and you know the rule; when on a mission outside the Tower, you keep what you find. In this case, you found the girl, and from what I understand, you promised to 'train her'."
Cayde's mouth hung open, and Ikora continued to smile.
"Well, I'm going to go check on the experiment results." She stood. "I'm looking forward to meeting this girl, give her my regards, and let her know I'm doing everything I can to free the Ghosts." She turned, her Warlock's robe fanning out around her, and she left, leaving a still speechless Cayde sitting alone.
What's the verdict? Please let me know what you thought in the review! Anything you have to say would be either very helpful, or incredibly uplifting for me (I understand and am grateful for negative, or concerned views; in fact, I often find such comments to be very helpful. However, if you're can't express it in a helpful way, and are saying mean things just to troll, then I will ignore you.) Thank you so much for reading this new chapter! I will try my hardest to get a new one out soon! Love you guys, I wish you all well!