Ch. 24 But Gain a Friend
Time for the next installment of A New Destiny and most of the reviews had some pretty wild guesses as to what was going to happen but I guess the wait is over and this is when you find out eh? Still you all had good ideas for how we could do this but I must stick with my outline, but do not think the Fallen have been forgotten. The House of Exiles will be playing a vital part of the Moon Arc and beyond so keep an eye out for them.
The Stranger will be appearing and sticking around for a while so we can get the whole jealousy thing started so this should be a fun ride. A word of caution, if my outline pans out the way I hope it does then this will be getting very dark very quickly so get ready in case of that.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters are copyright of Bungie and Activision. Any OC's belong to their respective creators.
How long had he been here? Days, weeks or possibly months? It was hard to tell as Gabe sat in the cold, dark cell that had become his new sleeping area. There were no windows in the prison below the Tower and that was how it was suppose to be. This was where they sent Guardians who disobeyed orders in the field, to isolate them from the outside and to keep from showing any sign of weakness in the city's defense.
Within these cold walls, in the last cell on the far right wing sat a lone Guardian with his hands around his legs and his head buried in his knees. The only friend he had now was stone silence.
-Scene Change-
"Two weeks of searching and still nothing Zavala. Wherever Crota is, he isn't in his Temple nor in the Black Canyon." A Guardian said through the comm as his team made another pass. "Not even a sign of the secondary targets either. Most likely they fled the Moon but we can't find them anywhere."
"Do one more search then return to Earth." Zavala said before he shut off the channel. "Two weeks and not a single tremor or sighting. Not even the whisper of a threat from the Moon."
"Maybe Crota is just hiding, probably deeper in the Hellmouth than we have ever been." Cayde offered as Zavala turned to him. "Remember, the Hellmouth is practically where are the Hive's tunnels go on the Moon so there are tunnels that lead to places we haven't even thought about exploring."
"Crota could be using one of those other places connected to there." Ikora surmised as Cayde gave a brief shrug. "The problem would be getting a team into the Hellmouth that deep."
"The deeper we go, the more interference we get in the comm channels so any team would be walking in blind." Cayde finished as Zavala turned back to the hologram of the Moon.
"Get the next team ready for their turn at Recon. We need to keep the Moon under constant surveillance-" Zavala said but Ikora cut him off.
"We have been on a goose chase for the last two weeks now. The only thing we can do at this point is to wait for something to happen." Ikora said as Cayde sighed.
"Oh here we go." he muttered quietly as Zavala turned his attention to Ikora.
"We can not just wait for something to happen! We need to find this threat and take it down before it comes for Earth." Zavala shot back but Ikora didn't budge.
"We can't protect Earth if we don't know where our enemy is! Every minute we spend searching is another minute we lose for preparation." Ikora shot back as Cayde had enough and moved to the door.
"We are not finished here Cayde." Zavala said as Cayde shrugged.
"That's why I'm leaving; well that and because I forgot something that might be needed." Cayde said before he walked out with a small datapad in his hand with a newly minted bounty request. One that actually made him crack a small smile as he remembered back to his own past.
-With Eddie-
"So whats the occasion for this visit?" Eddie asked as he got done moping up some Vex on Venus.
"Where is your team?" The Stranger asked as Eddie turned to her.
"Shelved, Theresa is probably in the Trials while Avora is on Mars the last I saw here." Eddie replied with a shrug as the Stranger easily noticed the missing piece.
"And what about your fourth member?" she asked as Eddie tensed up. "Did something happen?"
"Let's just say that he's lucky he wasn't charged with treason and executed." Eddie said simply as the Stranger narrowed her optics.
"What happened?" she asked again calmly.
"He almost got the team killed and turned Crota's attention on to earth just to save a couple Fallen." Eddie explained as the Stranger tensed up.
"What?" she asked curiously.
"We were doing recon on an energy spike and witnessed Crota's rebirth but then Gabe ended up shooting Crota before he killed a Baron and a couple Vandals. Theresa almost killed him with her fists had she not used some form of restraint." Eddie finished as he turned to her. "You're lucky I even told you that since he's been blacklisted."
"I can understand why he would be punished but blacklisted as well?" The Stranger asked as Eddie shrugged.
"I don't know but I'm not gonna ask, the kids in a cell and that's where he'll be for a while. I seriously don't think his heads screwed on but that's just me." Eddie said as he turned around to stare at some movement along the coastline. "Take my advice, he's better off as far away from any kind of military action as possible. I'm not saying that to be an ass, I'm saying that to save you, the old guy and Gabe himself from many headaches." he finished before turning around to discover her gone. "Or leave and not take it."
"Sir, we have more Vex moving into the area." A Guardian said as he approached Eddie.
"There's a Transfer Gate near here, we're gonna shut it down." Eddie ordered as the other two Guardians got up from their watch. "Move out, quietly."
-Memory Start-
"Corporal, you have a visitor." A Sergeant said as he opened the cell door. "He's all yours Sir, just give a nod when you're ready to leave."
"Thank you Sergeant, you may go."
"Yes sir." The Sergeant replied as Captain Reynolds stepped into the small cell as Gabe only lifted his head.
"I heard about the incident and while Jenkins might be wanting your rank you are an Army Soldier under my command and not his." Reynolds said as Gabe didn't move.
"It doesn't help what happened." Gabe said quietly as Reynolds took a seat on the small cot.
"It does," Reynolds began as Gabe turned his head to him. "The family you saved use to work for Sharafiq and when we got to them they spilled everything they knew. It was mostly stuff we already knew save for the fact that Sharafiq had moved to another compound last week. His men were there to pretty much get what they can and tie up loose ends"
"So we got some more info?" Gabe asked curiously as Reynolds looked at him. "I mean, we got new info sir?"
"You are correct son and we know where he is at now." Reynolds said before he stood up. "Come on, let's get out of here and get you back to your unit."
"Sir?" Gabe questioned as Reynolds nodded at him.
"In light of this new intel that you were able to deliver, you have been cleared of any wrongdoing." Reynolds said as Gabe perked up. "Just don't make this a habit, I can't stick my career out for you all the time."
"Yes sir!" Gabe stood up with that and followed Reynolds out.
"Before we go, just between me and you, you have been put forth as a candidate for a new assignment soon. Nothing has been decided and everything is still in it's early stages but ISIS is stepping up and there's talk about a coalition force being formed between the US and Russia. Your skills haven't decreased have they?" Reynolds asked as Gabe frowned.
"You have a single gray hair under your mustache about 2 centimeters from your lip, hidden all the way in the back." Gabe replied as Reynolds looked at him. "Sir."
Reynolds stopped by the nearest bathroom and looked at his facial hair and sure enough there was a solitary gray hair hidden amongst the mass of black that one would have to practically be in his face and poking through it to see. "And that's why-"
"In the compound, there was a hidden trap door in the room where the hostages were under the rug next to the bookshelf, a small knife was hidden in a vase on the desk in the office of Sharafiq, one book on the shelf was a bit too full to be a normal book which means it was hollowed out to hold something and you forgot your wallet this morning since it's not in your pocket nor is your phone." Gabe listed off as Reynolds clutched his head.
"I get it, your skills haven't changed in the slightest." Reynolds said as he smiled. "That's why I wanted you in my Battalion. You wouldn't be surprised to hear that the Rangers requested you for an upcoming night operation in Kabul. I told them I would pass on the information to your unit for them to decide."
"Yes sir." Gabe replied as he followed Reynolds out.
-Memory End-
"They don't allow visitors here." Gabe said without looking.
"No one knows I'm here." The Stranger said as she fully appeared in front of Gabe.
"Why are you here? I thought you would've been like the rest of them and left me to rot." Gabe said with his down still not looking.
"I want the story from you and no one else. I want the full truth and not some basic explanation I would get from anyone else." The Stranger said calmly as she took a seat on the small bunk that was in the cell.
"Why do you want to know?" Gabe finally looked up at her blue optics.
"Because every Guardian I look at always has a story and I want to hear them. My other members do their own things but I want to have a deeper understanding of who those Guardians are." It was a half-truth, she wanted to know his side of the story but it wasn't completely for that reason. There was another one that she wanted to confirm and this might be it.
"You're not...you're not just going to leave me right?" Gabe asked slowly though a small break in his voice gave away some measure of worry and pleading. Sure he and the Stranger never talked much but that was because they were busy and never crossed paths but he did consider her a friend, maybe a small one but still a friend.
"Not until I get the full story." She promised as he blinked before giving a soft sigh and beginning his new tale. It wasn't a long story but when it ended she remained silent as she went over the information in her head. What the story did do very well was fill in one of the burning questions that she and her faction were struggling to answer. "So you are the one." she whispered quietly.
"What?" Gabe asked as the Stranger shook her head.
"It's nothing." she replied as she made to stand leave but stopped before she did. "What you have done may have been wrong in the eyes of the Guardians but you have possibly sealed up some form of cooperation between the Fallen and the Guardians. You have not only shown mercy and compassion for an enemy but you have also proven that you and by extension the Guardians are not above aiding those who need it. The Exiles owe you more than you could know and now, so do I."
"What do you mean? How could you owe me anything?" Gabe asked as the Stranger looked at him.
"You wouldn't understand just yet but you will in time. For now, you have given me much to think on but you have more than proven your worth to me." she said with a calm voice as he perked up. "For your help and worth, Spirit-13." she finished as Gabe blinked before he got it.
"Your name?" he asked as she nodded to him.
"You know, normally visitors aren't suppose to be in here." Cayde said from the door of the cell with an amused expression. "But I guess we can let this slide given the circumstances. Do you feel like doing something as a personal favor to me?"
Whelp, I will leave you all on the cliff for now. Have fun getting down from it until the next chapter!
I actually ran out of time as I have exams coming soon but I want to continue giving you all good quality chapters. Still I like how this turned out and it will be hard to pull off this love triangle I want to make but I will do it somehow. If I have to I could always take her out and put in a Fallen XD
Any ideas on how I could pull this off would be appreciated.
That's all for now so read and review!
So tell me guys, Jaina Proudmoore from WoW or the Ice Maiden from DOTA 2? Which Ice Lady gets your blood chilled? Leave interesting or creative comments in your review!