Chapter 11
Undaunted had done it again. Skolas was dead. History was unaltered. And the fireteam had managed to come back safely. None of this was really a surprise to the Guardians as they greeted the brave fireteam on their return. It was what they always did. But rather than just tales of their heroics, Undaunted returned with an extra Guardian this time.
"Man, what a crazy rush." The small Huntress noted as she held her head, still shaken from being shot through time. "Where the heck am I?"
"Where did you come from?" Diana asked her return as she and Niko approached the new Guardian, kneeling down beside her.
"Umm…I saw you guys fighting that Kell who I fought before actually, so I stuck around in case you guys needed a hand. But you ended whooping its ass so I was like, 'I definitely have to meet these guys!'" She explained for them. "Then I saw you guys all go through that transmat or whatever it was and now I'm here."
"Oh, crap." Niko noted as they realized she had journeyed through time with them.
"That wasn't a transmat, that was a time portal." Diana stated, leaving the Hunter dumbfounded.
"A what?!" She exclaimed in response.
"Geez, this could get messy now." Niko muttered.
"What do you mean?" Tobias asked him as he approached the group.
"Zavala said our goal was to make sure history played out as it's supposed to. Her coming to future with us could mess up something." Niko explained as he motioned toward the Hunter.
"Ghost, do we have any way to send her back to the Battle of Twilight Gap?" Diana asked her Ghost as it formed beside her.
"That's a negative." It replied as it hovered around the Hunter, examining her. "That was a one way ticket we had, unless we can get our hands on another Vex Mind Core. But I'm positive that the Vex must be sending reinforcements to reclaim the Citadel. We don't want to stay here much longer."
"We're on Venus?" The Hunter asked as she jumped to her feet, rushing over to the edge of the platform they stood on to take a look around at their surroundings. But there wasn't much to see due to their current height. "I've never gotten a chance to come to Venus before this."
"So what do you think we should do with her?" Diana asked as she looked back at her two teammates.
"Well I've already sorted through a vast amount of information. It seems as though her presence her didn't affect history as we know it. It might be safe to assume that it's alright to keep her here." Diana's Ghost explained. "Although, I think it is worth noting that there might be a possibility that she was supposed to come with use the future."
"So you don't think we should try to send her back?" Tobias asked as they watched her look up at the setting sun in the distance.
"Don't forget, Skolas also got that Mind Core from the Vault of Glass. If we're going to try to get another one, we're going to need a big time team to go in there with us." Niko pointed out, getting a nod of agreement from Diana.
"Guardians, our sensors are detecting multiple Vex incoming. It's time to leave the Citadel!" Petra called out over the comms, dashing away the calmness that had set in from their victory.
"Ghost, transmat us out of here!" Diana called out as the Guardians began preparing for the warp trip.
"No can do, even though they're inactive the Vex portals up here are creating a lot of interference. We have to get out of the Citadel before we can open a transmat!" Diana's Ghost replied.
"Everyone, we have to get moving now!" Zavala commanded having finally been returned to his usual state.
"Phew!" Niko exclaimed as he dropped down into one of the seats in their jump ship's cabin, relaxing for what felt like the first time in ages. Tobias joined him as well, and he was practically melted into his seat as he felt all of the tension in his body finally fade away. There were no threats on the horizon, so they could finally loosen up a bit.
Everything had worked out perfectly. All of the Guardians that journeyed to the top of the Citadel had escaped safely and immediately set course for Earth. It had been an eventful few days as everyone had been hunting the Wolves, and now it was time to take it easy.
"Alright kid, so let's talk." Niko said as his helmet receded, revealing his face to their new companion.
"I have a name you know." She retorted at Niko who blinked, raising his brow.
"So anyway, we, or rather I have a couple of questions for-" He continued.
"Hey, are you going to ask for my name?" She hollered at Niko.
"Not with that attitude." Niko responded.
"What attitude?!" She exclaimed.
"That little persnickety thing you got going on." Niko replied as he pointed at her. She gave him a scowl in response, sticking her tongue out at him.
"That's exactly what he's talking about Carmen." A new, mechanical voice said as her Ghost appeared alongside her.
"Oh, now you went and spoiled it!" Carmen said with pout as she looked away from her Ghost.
"What kind of name is Carmen?" Niko asked.
"It means poetry, like when I'm kicking ass. It's like poetry, in, motion." She said, pointing a pair of finger pistols at Niko who deadpanned along with the rest of the team.
"Wow, you couldn't be any cornier huh?" Niko said with a smirk.
"Ugh, you suck!" She shouted at him, causing her Ghost to sigh audibly before it hovered over to the members of Undaunted.
"Don't mind her, she's an idiot." It stated bluntly, causing the trio to stifle a laugh.
"I can hear you!" Carmen pointed out.
"You were supposed to." Her Ghost replied.
What an, unusual pair.
"So your name is Carmen?" Diana asked her, getting a nod from the Hunter.
"Yeah, Carmen Fox. Don't forget it because one day that name is going to be legendary." She stated as her helmet receded as well, allowing them to see her face.
"You still sound corny." Niko noted as he looked up to take a look at face. Both his jaw and Diana's dropped at the sight of Carmen's face though.
She was young! Really young! Fair skinned with shoulder length, wavy brown hair, dark eyes.
"The hell?" Niko exclaimed as he straightened up in his seat.
"How old were you before you became a Guardian?" Diana practically demanded to know.
"Sheesh." Carmen said, taken aback by their sudden outburst. "I'm seventeen."
"My gosh." Diana whispered.
"What's wrong with being seventeen?" Tobias asked as he looked toward Diana and Niko, waiting for an answer.
"Well that's just stupidly young to be a Guardian." Diana responded. "Whenever you're raised as a Guardian, your body is restored to the state you were in before you died. At seventeen you haven't finished growing, and you're not even close to your physical prime. It's a rather odd choice for a Ghost to turn someone like this into a Guardian."
"Actually, I was eleven when I died. Saladin told me I'm still growing." Carmen revealed, leaving both Diana and Niko stupefied.
'This doesn't make any sense. She's dead, but still aging? How is that possible?' Diana asked herself as she studied Carmen. It was obvious with her current physical appearance that she wasn't eleven years old. But no one aged as a Guardian…
"Wait, you know Lord Saladin?" Niko asked her.
"Lord?" She said with a laugh. "Yeah, I know him. He was my mentor once I got to the City."
"I don't remember him having any students beyond Shaxx and Zavala." Niko commented as he stroked his beard. "Not to mention they're all Titans. Why would he train a Hunter?"
"If she's telling the truth, Lord Saladin should be able to tell us something about her." Diana said, getting a nod from Niko. "When we get back to the Tower we can arrange to meet with him."
"Wait, is he still alive?" Carmen asked curiously, receiving a nod from Diana and Niko. "How does he look now? He was old as dirt last time I saw him, and now I like what, ten years in the future?"
"A couple of decades actually. We won at Twilight Gap a long time ago now." Diana explained.
"Geez, so I missed out on a ton of stuff." Carmen noted.
"Before we go any farther, I have a quick question." Tobias said, receiving the attention of everyone present. "Where's Briggs?"
He had noticed that Briggs was missing when they returned to Venus, but now that he wasn't present on the ship he was more than curious. But the response he received wasn't quite what he was expecting.
Diana was stunned for a moment before all of the adrenaline from fighting Skolas disappeared, reminding her of the events that had led up to that fight. Rising from her seat, Diana retreated into the cockpit, sealing off that small chamber to herself. Niko approached the door, knocking on it a few times.
"Diana, are you okay?" Niko called out, but there was no response from her.
"What happened?" Tobias inquired. Nothing was making much sense to him now between learning about Carmen and Diana's odd reaction.
"It's not exactly easy to say this…well actually, it's not that hard, I'm just making it harder for myself." Niko was beginning to ramble before he shook his head, refocusing himself. "We lost Briggs on Venus."
It took a moment for this to settle in with Tobias.
"Wha-when? How?" Tobias was wide eyed as he finally put it all together.
"When we were fighting Skolas on Venus, you were knocked unconscious at one pointed, and he was giving me and Diana good beating. Skolas managed to take a Briggs, and then he got his hands on Briggs' Ghost and threw it into one of the time portals." Niko explained as he returned to his seat with a heavy sigh. "Neither of us could do anything to stop him."
"Why didn't we go after him?" Tobias demanded. They had chased Skolas back to the Twilight Gap. So why didn't they go after Briggs.
"At that point, Skolas still didn't have full control over the network. Those portals were in a state of flux, leading to random points in time. There was no guarantee that we would've ended up in the same time period that Briggs had been sent too." Niko went on, silencing Tobias.
Tobias then gave a sigh as well as he leaned back in his seat, a frown on his face. He didn't really know what to make of this situation. He had only known Briggs for a few days. It wasn't much of a chance to get to know him. But it was clear that Diana held him very close to her hear, although Tobias could tell how close Niko was to Briggs. He seemed completely unfazed by the loss of his fireteam leader.
"Tobias, when we get back to the Tower, I'm going to put you in charge of Carmen." Niko said as he motioned to the small Hunter who had been silent once their conversation became centered on Briggs. "I'll have my Ghost make the arrangements for you to meet with Lord Saladin."
"Taken care of." Tobias said with a small nod.
Earth
Tower
The moon shined down on the Tower as the Guardians returned from Venus, their ships roaring as they came into the hanger. With everyone dropping their ships off, the process went by quickly, allowing the Guardians to head off for the barracks in search of a room for the night. They all could rest easy tonight knowing that they had prevailed against the House of Wolves.
Tobias was asleep moments after flopping onto the bed of his room. He didn't dream anything during the night though, and he woke up feeling incredibly stiff the next morning. It was nothing a little bit of stretching didn't cure though. Rolling his shoulder a bit now that he was finished, Tobias looked up hearing a pair of voices. Listening closely, he quickly realized that they were coming from outside of his room. Opening up the door, he discovered that it was Carmen and her Ghost waiting for him.
"Well it's about time." Carmen stated as she looked at Tobias expectantly, tapping one foot. "I've been waiting out here for ours."
"Oh please Carmen, it's barely been a few minutes." Her Ghost replied.
"Good morning." Tobias said to the two of them.
"Ah, good morning. I didn't catch the names of you and your teammates yesterday." Carmen's Ghost said as Tobias stepped out into the corridor with them.
"I'm Tobias." He said, introducing himself first. "The guy with the beard is Niko, and the young woman is Diana."
"Ah, thank you. It's a pleasure you meeting you all." Her Ghost said kindly. "Niko contacted me earlier this morning. He said that Lord Saladin would be waiting for us in the Hall of Guardians today and he has allotted some time to meet with us."
"Nice, let's get to it." Tobias said as he motioned for them to get moving.
"So Tobias, do mind if I ask you a few questions. Niko wasn't in the mood to talk earlier." Carmen's Ghost said.
"Niko wasn't in the mood to talk? That's a first." Tobias said with a small chuckle. Niko always had something to say. "But yeah, I'll tell you what I can. I'm not exactly a, veteran Guardian."
"We'll see. It's concerning your fireteam, and some of things we witnessed while you fought that Kell. For example, that powerful rocket launcher that Diana was using. What was that?" The Ghost inquired.
"Oh yeah, that thing was off the hook!" Carmen added, earning a grin from Tobias. He was just as impressed with that weapon the first time he had seen it in action.
"That's the Gjallarhorn." Tobias replied.
"I don't have any information about such a weapon in my database." Ghost noted as they arrived at one of the elevators that would take them up to the plaza.
"I remember Briggs said that it was built after the Battle of Twilight Gap. So that might explain why you don't know about it." Tobias pointed out as they stepped into the elevator.
"Ahh, alright." Her Ghost said. "And can you explain how you are able to fight as both a Voidwalker and a Bladedancer?"
Carmen was all ears now. She had witnessed his duel with Skolas and saw the abilities Tobias put on display. She definitely wanted to know the answer to this one.
"Oh, okay that's a tougher one. And to be honest, I can't really explain it myself still. I was told that I'm able to channel any kind of Light, in any way." Tobias replied.
"So basically, you can use any sub-class…" Her Ghost concluded as the realization dawned on Carmen.
"Dude~, that's badass!" She said, giving Tobias' arm a soft punch. "We have to team up some time so I can see you in action again."
"Heh, I'm nothing special right now." Tobias said as he thought about all of the areas he still struggled with. "I suck at using Arc and Solar Light. In fact, Ikora said my use of Golden Gun was borderline shameful."
"Ouch." Carmen said with a wince.
"Those weren't her exact words, but I kinda got the point." Tobias said with a chuckle.
"Well lucky for you, I'm a master Gunslinger! So I can teach you a thing or two about using Solar Light." Carmen declared before the doors of the elevator opened, revealing the plaza to them. And it was just starting to rain.
"Awesome, I'll definitely take you up on that offer." Tobias said before motioning for her to follow him through the plaza. The two of them jogged through the light rain fall, arriving at the staircase that took them down into a lower level beneath the plaza. As they journeyed down, Tobias noticed that a barrier had been raised to prevent the rain from flooding this lower level. Jumping over the barrier, the two of them entered the Hall of Guardians which Carmen immediately recognized.
"Geez, you'd think they'd redecorate this place at least once." Carmen muttered as she looked around. Almost everything was actually how she remembered it. The only thing that really stood out was a small area on the right side of the corridor where numerous spoils of victory had been mounted on the wall by Shaxx the Crucible Handler. Obviously he didn't have this position before the Battle of Twilight Gap.
Proceeding further down the hall, the small group arrived at the room at the end of the hall that acted as a home to the Vanguard Mentors. Only two of the Mentors were present at the moment, although they had a guest with them.
"Saladin!" Carmen called out, earning the attention of the Titan that stood beside Zavala. Both Zavala and Ikora raised an eyebrow as they looked at one another. They had never heard anyone address Saladin with his title. But the Titan of high status didn't seem to be affected by this. In fact, he was speechless. "Long time no see it seems!"
'My Young Wolf...' Saladin said inwardly. Staring at the girl, Saladin couldn't believe his eyes. It had been so long since he had last seen her. He could still remember their final conversation. It was just before the Battle of Twilight Gap broke out. He assigned her to Ana Bray's team to scout out the Fallen. When Ana had returned, she reported that she and her team had scattered after engaging a Kell, and Carmen never returned to the City. He could only assume the worst.
"Who is she?" Ikora asked curiously as she eyed Saladin.
"She was my third protégé." He replied softly, approaching her. "Is it really you?"
"In the flesh and blood!" She replied brightly. Saladin seemed to smile at this.
"Can you tell me what happened when you were with Ana's team? You disappeared…"
"There was a Fallen Kell that attacked us. Ana called for us to scatter, but I stayed back to give her a hand. We got separated by the Kell but I knew that she went back to the City. I decided to stay there and snoop around to see if there was anything else that the City needed to know about." Carmen explained to him. "I spent a few days up there following that Kell around before this fireteam shows up to kill him. They were all so stinkin' cool that I wanted to meet them, and I kinda followed them into a time portal."
Saladin was in shock as he now understood Carmen's disappearance. Or rather, she didn't disappear at all. She had been taken to the future!
"I see some things never change." Saladin noted. Carmen was still just as reckless and shortsighted as he remembered.
"So what's the plan Saladin?" Carmen asked, waiting for some direction from him. But Saladin only shook his head in response.
"I'm no longer the Vanguard Commander. This man is." Saladin said as he motioned to Zavala who straightened up as he approached them.
"Commander Zavala." He said, extending a hand toward her.
"Nice to meet you Zavala." She replied as they shook hands.
"Commander." Zavala repeated for her, motioning for her say it as well. Carmen only gave him a blank stare in return, tilting her head a bit.
"Don't bother with her Zavala, she's not going to say it. She's never once addressed me as Lord." Saladin said as he placed a hand on Zavala's shoulder.
"I see." Zavala noted. "That aside, Carmen, I'm going to assign you to fireteam Undaunted. They lost their leader in our recent encounter with the Fallen House of Wolves, so I expect you to pick up some of the slack."
"Right." Carmen said.
"And the same applies to you Tobias." Zavala said as he looked toward Tobias.
"Sure thing Commander." Tobias said with a nod.
"Hmm, kiss ass." Carmen said, sticking her tongue out at Tobias. But a sharp stare from Saladin immediately caused Carmen to straighten up.
"It's a shame about Briggs-6. He was truly an excellent Titan." Saladin said, getting a nod of agreement from Zavala.
"And Tobias, I would like to meet with you later this afternoon provided the rain stops." Ikora called out to him. "For now though, the two of you are free to do what you'd like. I'll brief you on your next assignment when we meet again."
"Thank you." Tobias said as he gave them all a wave.
"Carmen, I have some business with Zavala. But I'll get into contact with you once I have some time, alright." Saladin assured her.
"O-kay, see you later." She said as she and Tobias left the room.
The group of three waited a few moments to ensure that the two Guardians had left before looking at one another.
"So who exactly is Carmen?" Zavala asked. "I don't remember you ever saying a word about her."
Saladin gave a deep sigh at this.
"This was the reason you called me back to the Tower, right?" Saladin asked in return as he looked at his former student.
"Undaunted reported that she had said she trained under you. I thought this would be more than enough to bring you back for a while." Zavala replied. "So who is she?"
"I can't give you all of the details, but she's part of my past. And her coming to the future holds some significance as well." Saladin replied.
"So that's why you returned so hastily." Ikora noted.
"Yes, and now I have some things to attend to with her reappearance." Saladin stated as before he left the two of them.
"Niko?" Tobias said, surprised to the see the Hunter leaning against the wall, sheltering himself within the stairwell that led down to the Hall of Guardians. "What are you doing down here?"
"Can you guys do me a favor?" He asked, not even making eye contact with either of them. He kept his gaze fixated on his feet, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"Uh, sure. What's up?" Tobias replied, causing Niko to point upward.
"Diana's been up there all morning. The rains starting to get heavy so please, take her inside before she catches a cold or something." Niko explained before handing Tobias an umbrella.
"Yeah, I'll get her." Tobias said as he opened the umbrella, heading out into the rain to see Diana for himself.
"Hey, wait up!" Carmen hollered as she placed her hands over her head, pursuing Tobias who had gone off by himself.
Just as Niko had said, Tobias found Diana on the level above the Hall of Guardians. It was covered with grass, with several trees placed here and there. But far against the back wall of the area, there was a tall stone pillar that stood proudly with multiple projectors surrounding it, casting a long list of names onto each side of the pillar.
Diana was kneeling down in front of the pillar with no sort of protection from the rain, her head hanging low and her clothing was already damp from the rain.
"Diana!" Tobias called out as he approached her. Coming to a stop beside her, Tobias placed the umbrella over her to shield her from the rainfall, kneeling down beside her. It was then he noticed that a bouquet of lilies had been placed at the base of the pillar. Glancing up at the pillar, Tobias began to examine it closely, reading some of the names himself. He didn't recognize any of the names as his eyes darted around, trying to figure out what this pillar stood for. But finally his gaze seemed to rest on a name that he was just beginning to know.
Briggs-6.
Tobias' eyes widened somewhat as he then realized what he was looking at. A memorial for Guardians that had been lost in battle. And Briggs had been added to the list.
Noticing that the rain had stopped hitting her, Diana looked to her side to discover that Tobias was with her now, looking at her with clear concern. Even with the rain water running down her face, Tobias could see that Diana's eyes were red from the tears she had shed.
"Diana, I'm here for you." He stated, placing a hand on her shoulder. Diana took a moment to look at his hand, and then she leaned over to place her head against his shoulder, beginning to sob once again.
Tobias admired his teammates, especially as he got to know them more. But Diana was just incredible. Even with the loss of Briggs weighing on her mind throughout the Battle of Twilight Gap, she had fought valiantly. She even found time to practice with him and take him out to dinner. Now it was his turn to return the favor.
Carmen was quietly crouched behind the two of them, barely managing to keep herself under the cover provided by the umbrella. She didn't have much of a chance to really speak with the members of Undaunted, but she was familiar with losing people that she was close to. But she wasn't sure if she could offer Diana any comfort at the moment.
"Come on Diana, let's go." Tobias whispered to her as he pat her back lightly. As she began to rise her rose as well, wrapping his free arm around her torso to guide her as they began to walk away from the memorial. Leading her away, Tobias looked up at Niko as he passed them by, receiving a nod of thanks from the Hunter as he went straight to the memorial.
Tobias came to a stop for a moment and he looked back at Niko, watching as he stopped in front of the pillar. He kneeled down, placing a hand against the stone for a moment before he looked up solemnly at the gray skies above. He wasn't bothered in the slightest by the rain hitting his face. Looking back to the Diana who stood beside him, Tobias could see just how important Briggs was to the two of them. And it was a shame that he didn't have a chance to really get to know Briggs the way the two of them did.
Maybe…if he had been stronger back on Venus, he could've done more. Maybe he could've stopped Skolas before he had pitched Briggs into the flow of time. If only…if only he had been stronger…
'I gotta be stronger than this.' Tobias said to himself as he began to walk again. 'I'm not going to let anyone else die.'
"Are you sure she wants to be alone?" Tobias asked Diana's Ghost as they stood outside of her room.
"Yeah, she just wants some time to herself." Her Ghost assured them. "I've requested a few personal days for her so that she can get herself together. Just give her some time."
Returning to the plaza to check on Niko, Tobias and Carmen discovered that the Hunter had disappeared by the time they had come back. He was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, the rain had lightened up considerably and the sky was beginning to clear up, causing Carmen to pose the obvious question they had been wondering.
"So, what do we do now?"
Tobias punched his palm audibly in response.
"I don't know about you, but I need to get in some more practice."
"Well I've been itching to fight someone after seeing you guys fight that Kell." Carmen noted with a small grin on her face. "Let's do it!"
Before Tobias could utter another word he found himself pinned to the ground on his stomach with Carmen on his back, holding both his wrists to prevent him from retaliating.
"What the heck?" Tobias exclaimed.
"Come on Tobias, you can't expect me to go easy on you." Carmen replied cheekily as she rose up off of him. Once Tobias was back on his feet, their real spar began. Tobias hadn't set any rules for their duel, so Carmen held nothing back against him, and she was surprised by the result.
Tobias laid on his back, staring up the sky, amazed that he had been so thoroughly beaten by her. Every tactic, trick or tip he had picked up with since becoming a Guardian had been picked apart by Carmen. She was far more skilled than him when it came to hand to hand combat, and despite her lack of strength due to her size, her agility made up for it and then some. For such a young Guardian, she was a dangerous foe.
Carmen on the other hand was underwhelmed with this spar she had with Tobias. He had put on such an amazing display against Skolas, utilizing various abilities in quick succession to fight the Fallen Kell. But the person she had just sparred with couldn't a hold a candle to what she had seen him do before. He was slow and clunky, thinking about every move he was going to make and second guessing his decisions.
"Wow, you really do suck." She stated as she sat down beside him.
"I told you that myself." Tobias said as he held his side which was aching from all the blows he had received from Carmen. "You couldn't go easy on me or something?"
"I never go easy on anyone." Carmen stated as she made eye contact with Tobias.
"Well thanks for kicking my ass." Tobias replied sarcastically as he frowned at her. Carmen stuck out her tongue in response. A few slow claps drew their attention to a nearby tree which Ikora had been leaning against, observing their spar.
"Well done Carmen, I can see why Lord Saladin holds in such high regard." Ikora noted as she approached the duo of Guardians. Carmen shot her a wide grin as thanks.
"That's right, I almost forgot you wanted to see me." Tobias reminded himself as he rose up to greet Ikora properly.
"Yes, I'm glad the weather cleared up. I'm not a fan of the rain." Ikora explained. "But anyway, I'll get straight to the point. Despite your potential Tobias, your lack of training shows when you're fighting."
"What do you mean by that?" Tobias asked as he furrowed his brow.
"Zavala returned with a recording of your duel with Skolas, and you burned through your stamina using your many gifts of the Light. And without those gifts, you have little to no options to continue fighting." Ikora explained as she motioned the scout rifle hanging from his waist. She then paused for a moment, recalling the moment when she had first met Tobias. And she understood now why he was wearing a robes used by Warlocks despite the fact that they initially thought he was a Titan. Tobias was likely a Warlock at heart.
"So can I have a Sparrow?" Tobias asked, snapping Ikora out of her thoughts.
"Uh, well that wasn't on my list, but we can add it actually." Ikora replied, causing Tobias to pmp his fist.
"Sweetness." Tobias exclaimed, hoping that he wouldn't have to ride shotgun on anyone else Sparrow from this point forward.
"But first and foremost, I have someone that's been waiting to meet you." Ikora said as she extended an open hand toward Tobias. He slightly confused for a moment, tentatively raising his hand place it on Ikora's open palm, but a Ghost with a gray shell appeared above her hand, looking up at him with its single eye.
"Greeting Guardian, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." It said to him politely, lowering its head as if to bow to him.
"Is this your Ghost?" Tobias asked Ikora.
"No, this is your Ghost." She stated, causing Tobias to raise his eyebrows in surprise. "You told us you didn't have one. But if there's anything that a Guardian needs, it's a weapon and a Ghost."
"You got that right." Carmen's Ghost muttered as it took shape beside the Hunter.
"I think I'd be just fine without you." Carmen shot back at her small companion.
"Please, have you forgotten all the times I had to open doors for you?" Her Ghost retorted, earning a huff from Carmen.
"Well, it's nice to meet you too." Tobias replied to his Ghost as he extended an open hand toward it. The small drone jumped Ikora's hand to his own where it vanished from sight. Tobias looked around curiously, wondering where his small partner had gone.
"Ikora, typically a Ghost selects their Guardian after finding someone that is compatible with the Light. Why is that Tobias is receiving one?" Carmen's Ghost asked curiously as it flew over the Warlock Vanguard.
"Ah, well as I'm sure you know that Tobias is a special case. To our knowledge, all Ghosts have raised people that had died for one reason another and as you said, have compatibility with the Light. But according to the Speaker, Tobias is acting as a vessel for the Traveler. He's alive and capable doing anything another Guardian is capable of." Ikora revealed, causing Carmen to look toward Tobias curiously for a moment.
"I see." Carmen's Ghost noted.
"Bonding complete." Tobias' Ghost called out before it reappeared, hovering just above his shoulder. "I am now, at your service."
"Now that's great and all, but I have no clue what a Ghost does." Tobias said as he looked toward the other two Guardians that were with him.
"You're a Guardian but don't know what a Ghost does?" Carmen exclaimed.
"Carmen, calm down." Ikora said as she motioned for her to lower her voice. "Tobias lost his memory not too long ago, so information like this he may not remember."
Carmen pursed her lips now, he cheeks slightly colored in embarrassment.
"Whoops, my bad. So I'll explain just to make up for it." Carmen said sheepishly. "You Ghost is basically like a…a mule. They carry all your weapons and gear without a complaint about-"
"Hold it!" Carmen's Ghost snapped at her, earning a snicker from the small Hunter. "A mule!? That's what you think of me as?! A mule! If I had a pair of hands right now I'd wring that little neck of yours until your head pops off!"
"Puh-lease, you're nothing but a little pushover." Carmen fired back as the two of them began to bicker back and forth.
"Anyway Tobias, Carmen is right to an extent." Ikora said as she turned away from the duo, motioning for Tobias to do the same. "Your Ghost is your ultimate support. They can access the Vault where your store your armor and weapons, and retrieve them for you in a moment's notice."
"So I can carry around more than one weapon?" Tobias asked, receiving a nod from her.
"But they can so much more. They can make transmats for transportation, pilot ships and Sparrows, establish links between fireteams, the list goes on. Ghosts, are the coordinators of our effort against the Darkness. They make everything happen behind the scenes."
"Wow, you make me sound so cool Ikora." Tobias' Ghost remarked.
"Well your efforts are appreciated." She replied, much to the Ghost's delight. "So now that you have a Ghost, I want to make sure that you are truly prepared for future battles."
"Right, so what's next?" Tobias asked, causing Ikora to point out a booth that was tucked away in the corner of the plaza.
"We'll pay the Gunsmith Banshee a visit. I placed an order with him yesterday for you." Ikora explained. "It should be ready for you to pick up right now."
"Awesome, what'd you get me?" Tobias asked as she led him over to the booth.
Banshee was a rather tall Exo who stood underneath a small tent that he had raised over his counter. Multiple displays were set up, showcasing a variety of weapons from small hand cannons to large rocket launchers. Banshee himself was leaning on the counter, drumming his fingertips as he whistled softly.
"Hello Banshee, I'm here to pick up that order I placed last night?" Ikora asked as she waved to the Exo.
"You placed an order last night?" Banshee asked her in return, looking up in thought.
"Don't you remember?"
"Not in the slightest." He replied, earning a sigh from Ikora. "The last order I got was a big one though. They wanted every kind of weapon I had for some new Guardian to start practicing with."
"That's the order that I made, last night." Ikora stated, getting a look of shock from Banshee.
"What? No~. It felt like you had placed that order over a week ago. I was just beginning to think you weren't coming to get it." Banshee explained as he turned around to retrieve a large that were stacked up against the back wall of his booth.
"Don't mind him, his memory is shot." Ikora commented softly to Tobias who was definitely confused no. How could an Exo have faulty memory?
"Yup, here it is." Banshee said as he returned to them, setting the pod down on the counter in front of him. Waving his hand over the top of it, the whole thing split open, rotating to reveal all of the weapons that it contained. Every weapon type available.
Tobias felt a smirk form on his face at the sight of all of these weapons. All of them were for him.
"Tobias, let your Ghost collect these for you. That way it can call them from the Vault for you whenever you need them." Ikora instructed him. Tobias gave her a nod before allowing his small partner to begin its task. Scanning each weapon one at time, gradually they all vanished until his Ghost had taken all of them.
"The process is complete." It stated as it nodded to Tobias.
"Nice, thanks." Tobias said in reply.
"And thank you Banshee." Ikora said gratefully.
"Not a problem. And if you have any problems with these Guardians, come and see me. I'll tweak em' a bit for you. I happen to know a thing or two about guns." Banshee explained with a chuckle before Ikora motioned for Tobias to follow her.
"So where are we going now?" He inquired as she led him across the plaza, taking him into the corridor that he could remember using to head to where the Speaker was located.
"The armory." Ikora responded. "Back when we first met you, all of us were under the impression that you were a Titan based on what we had seen then. So Zavala had you fitted out in armor made for Titans. But now that we've come to know what you really are, I figured it was time we had you wearing whatever you're most comfortable in."
"Yeah, this armor is too heavy if you ask me. I want something lighter." Tobias pointed out.
"Ah, another new face!" An older woman exclaimed at the sight of Tobias entering her workshop.
"Tobias, this is Eva Levante the Guardian Outfitter." Ikora explained as she introduced him to her. Tobias extended a hand toward her but Eva skipped right past his hand and embraced him. Tobias was caught off guard by this, but he accepted the hug without a second thought.
"I'm so glad that you came by the visit old Eva." She said graciously she invited Ikora and Tobias to join her on the sofa that was set up in the corner of her workshop.
"Hmm, you weren't here the last time I was here." Tobias noted. He would have certainly remembered a kind woman like this.
"Recently I had to take a personal day to attend to some business." Eva replied as they all took a seat. "But that's beside the point; do you all want a drink, or perhaps a snack?"
"No thanks." Ikora replied, earning a frown from Eva.
"Ikora, you have to eat or you'll never find a man with that figure." Eva commented, causing Ikora to lean back into the sofa with her arms folded in front of her chest. Tobias stifled a laugh, which earned a sharp glance from Ikora before he could go any further. "Well how about you young one?"
Realizing that she was talking to him now, Tobias took a moment to think about it before shrugging his shoulders.
"Yeah, why not." Tobias said with a small smile. Eva rose up from her seat and disappeared into the doorway at the back of her shop. "So what exactly does she do?"
"As the Guardian Outfitter, she prepares armor and gear for us. Mainly she functions as a designer for the armory, and they'll mass produce her designs. But from time to time she'll personally get involved with a Guardian and make some armor by hand for them." Ikora explained, surprising Tobias that this elderly woman still did so much.
Eva finally returned with a small platter in hand. Approaching Tobias and Ikora, she lowered the platform to reveal that she had poured each of them some iced tea and had cut a slice of key lime pie for them. Tobias whistled at the sight of the pie, picking up it up and having a taste with no hesitation.
"Oh my God." He exclaimed. It was so rich! "This is amazing."
"Aww, why thank you." Eva said kindly as she pulled up her shawl a bit, trying to keep her neck warm. "It'll be getting colder soon Ikora. I finished that scarf for you if you'd like to see it."
"I'd love to." Ikora replied. "But after we finish with Tobias."
"Oh my, I'm sorry. I've gone and distracted you guys. I hope I haven't taken too much of your time." Eva said to them.
"For another slice of pie, I'd spend the rest of my life here." Tobias replied as he set down his place having finished his treat.
"I'll give you another slice for the road, how about that?" Eva offered him with a warm smile.
"That would be wonderful."
"Okay then, so what can I do for the two of you?" Eva asked them.
Ikora felt her lips curving upward as she stared at Tobias who had turned around to face them now. He was now clad in his new set of armor which Eva had pieced together for him using some of what she had available in her shop. Tobias had abandoned almost anything that had to do with Titan gear, trading it in for a long black overcoat with a high collar and a pair of belts crisscrossing in front of his chest. He also wore a pair of think slacks that were stuffed into the boots he wore.
Concealed underneath his overcoat was a pair of tantos that were strapped to the large belt around his waist. Niko had suggested that he keep more than one tanto in the scenario that these became his primary weapon. Tobias was dressed more like a Warlock than anything else, but he had some slight touches from the other classes as well. He kept his weapons concealed as though he was Hunter, and he wore various shoulder, knee and elbow guards to protect his joins like a Titan.
"I must say, this gear does suit you better than what you were wearing before." His Ghost said, getting nod of agreement from Tobias.
"It feels better too." Tobias said. Now he didn't feel weighed down by the armor. He was as light as feather again.
"I'm so happy to hear that." Eva said as she clapped her hands together, pleased with Tobias' new appearance.
Ikora remained seated on the sofa, observing Tobias in silence. He really did look better dressed as a Warlock. And he continued to mention how he felt better dressed like this well. In passing these weren't much to think about, but Ikora found herself trying to read in between the lines.
He was most comfortable in the lighter clothing used by Warlocks, Diana reported that he was excellent and wielding Void Light. If Tobias was indeed the first Guardian as the Speaker had said, it was very likely that he may be the origin of all Warlocks. Ikora found herself trying to imagine Tobias as he developed these abilities following the Collapse.
Feeling something being placed on her lap, Ikora blinked a few times as she came out of her thoughts. Eva had placed the scarf she had made for Ikora on her lap, looking at the Warlock Vanguard with a warm smile.
"Oh, why thank you Eva. It's beautiful." Ikora said as she admired the handmade scarf.
"You're very welcome dear." Eva replied as Ikora rose from her seat.
"Alright Tobias, since you're dressed to impress now, I think we should go see that last person I wanted you to meet today." Ikora stated as she began to head for the exit of Eva's small workshop.
"Right." Tobias said before he turned to Eva, giving her a grin. "Thanks for all your help Eva. And next time you make another key lime pie, save me a slice."
"Of course. And don't be shy about visiting old Eva." She called out in response as Tobias went out, following Ikora back up to the main plaza. Upon entering the plaza, the two of them were greeted by Carmen who had been eagerly awaiting their return.
"Geez, I thought you guys ditched me!" She exclaimed as she joined the two of them.
"I wouldn't think of it Carmen." Ikora replied, once again motioning for her to lower her voice. "Now, the last person I wanted you to meet is waiting for us up here."
Ikora took them over to the far end of the plaza, where a large bounty board had been set up with a thing and fragile looking bot stood, its arms folded behind its back.
"Xander?" Ikora said as she approached it.
"Yes?" It replied, turning to face them.
"Carmen, Tobias, this is Xander 99-40, the bounty tracker. We have operators and Guardians all over the system that collect information to generate tasks for the Guardians. Things like, maintaining the walls of the City, helping the citizens of that live within our walls, or keeping our enemies in check, those tasks are all gathered here." Ikora explained as she motioned to the bot. "Xander here keeps track of everything. So if you are ever lacking work to do, just pay him a visit. So do you have anything for these two?"
"With so many of the Guardians focused on the effort against the House of Wolves, I have an overflow of bounties." Xander replied.
"Excellent. These two could use a few tasks to complete." Ikora said.
"Alright, issuing bounties." Xander stated as their Ghosts appeared to collect the information provided from Xander. "Exchange complete."
"Good. Carmen, can I entrust Tobias to you while you're out in the field together?" Ikora asked her, receiving a confident nod from the Hunter.
"O' course I will." She said sweetly.
"Very good. Come back safely, and good luck out there." Ikora said, giving them a two fingered salute which they returned.
A/N
Awesome, so we're completely done with the battle against the House of Wolves. This was just a wrap up chapter as we start transitioning to the next section. I really can't wait to start this next part, but I've been busy as of late so I haven't been updating as often as I'd like. Hopefully I'll have some free time during the summer to consistently update this. Thanks for reading everyone and thanks for the support as well, and we'll meet again at my next installment.