Chapter 25

The Mulligan

Sabrina Thornton rested in the small office that had been given to her within the Mulligan, looking around at the currently barren room. She wanted to decorate a bit before her first patient arrived, but she doubted that she would have the time. There were five files on her desk that she wanted to familiarize herself with a little more as well.

Two weeks ago she had been living in the safety of the Reef. Sabrina was in her mid-twenties and had been living on her own before they had to abandon the Last City. Without much a choice, Sabrina moved back in with her parents while they lived in the Reef, and just as she looking into living on her own once again, she found the Speaker standing outside of the front door of her parents apartment. She still couldn't believe that the man had come to speak to her personally, requesting her assistance.

She was given a few days to pack before she was suddenly on a return trip to Earth, one of the first to go back. It wasn't until she landed in Neo Chicago did anyone explain why she had been brought back.

"One of our best fireteams has seen a lot of action during our campaign to reclaim Earth." The big and burly Commander Zavala explained to her thoroughly. "This fireteam is accustomed to performing with high stakes, but as their commander I feel the need to have them checked on. They've been through a lot during the campaign, and I want to make sure they're still in good condition."

Sabrina was a renowned therapist in the Last City, so it was clear why she had been brought in. And she had the seen some of the footage of what the Guardians were fighting down on Earth. Those battlefields were nothing short of pure chaos. And if this team in particular was fighting with the highest stakes, she could understand why they needed a checkup. Only four of the files in front of her belonged to fireteam Undaunted though.

The fifth and final one belonged to a man by the name of Zeke Leighton, the former leader of fireteam Salamander.

Skimming through his file, she found the report concerning the events beneath the Hive fortress. How his team was killed. How his performance in the field was rapidly declining since then. She was curious to see what this Zeke character would be like when she met him, but her focus was pulled away from his file as she heard shouts coming from the corridor outside her office.

"Let me go!" A man roared as the door to Sabrina's office was opened. A pair of large Titans stepped into her room, dragging in a Hunter that was equally as tall as them. "I don't need to talk to a damn shrink!"

"This is an order from Commander Zavala." One of the Titans stated as they threw him into the room. They gave Sabrina a short nod before stepping back out of her office, closing the door behind them.

"Ah damn." Niko grumbled as he rose from the floor, not even glancing at Sabrina who had raised a hand in attempt to get his attention, but Niko was already heading for the door again. "Such a waste of time."

Niko opened the door, ready to step out but he found both Titans standing outside the door glaring down at them. One of them held a large shotgun which he cocked as a warning for Niko.

"Commander Zavala warned us about you." One of them stated.

"You're not going anywhere." The other added with a smirk and a twinkle in his eyes.

Niko gulped audibly before he shut the door, cursing Zavala for thinking ahead. Sabrina cleared her throat, earning Niko's attention as he turned to face her.

"I can see that you're not too keen on being here, but it's only for an hour." Sabrina pointed out as she pulled up Niko's file.

Niko though had only raised his eyebrows as she spoke, studying Sabrina. She was a gorgeous brunette! Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all. In a moment's notice was lying back on the sofa across from her desk, ready to begin their session.

"I'm ready doc." Niko said to her with a grin, causing Sabrina to raise her brow before she readjusted her glasses and swung around her desk on her chair.

"Alright then, let's get started then." Sabrina said, a little confused by Niko's sudden one-eighty. But she didn't think much of it as they started diving into the depths of the last six months for Niko.

"The campaign? That was blast man." Niko replied with a wide grin. He loved the non-stop action. He often stayed for three or four rotations before taking a break from the front lines.

Reading through his file, Sabrina could see that Niko was no stranger to warfare. Before he was raised a Guardian, Niko was a soldier in Ancient Athens. The warfare back then was more primitive, but war nonetheless. It was clear to her that Niko lived to fight.

"Although it looks like I'm one of just a few people with that opinion." Niko noted, causing Sabrina to glance up at him now.

"How so?" She asked, causing Niko to shake his head.

"The other Guardians understand that they have to fight, but…" Niko paused for a moment as he searched for the right words. "The amount of fighting we had to do to kill off the rest of the Taken, none of them were expecting it. It just shows that not everyone who becomes a Guardian is cut out to be one."

"Can you elaborate on that for me?"

"Guardians have all sorts of backgrounds before we were reborn as Guardians. Some of us were doctors, athletes, veterans, students, anything you can think of. Most of us forget all of that, but with time you start to remember and that makes it difficult because now you're fighting your instincts to go back to a normal life." Niko explained to her, watching as Sabrina scribbled away on her notepad.

"But in your, past, life you had experience on the battlefield, so this is nothing new to you." Sabrina said, earning a nod from Niko. "And what about your teammates, how did they handle it?"

"Diana was a member of the Awoken Royal Guard, and Carmen was a student of Lord Saladin. They were trained to kill." Niko explained as he thought about the two girls who had fought brilliantly against the Taken during the campaign. "Tobias though, you can tell that he's struggling right now."

"You must be Carmen." Sabrina said as she smiled warmly at the budding young woman seated in front of her. Carmen though only frowned in response as she looked around the office.

"You should really hire a decorator for this place." Carmen stated, getting a chuckle from Sabrina. Reading Carmen's file, Sabrina couldn't believe the adventure Carmen was on. Over two decades ago she had been in the Battle of Twilight Gap but she had taken a portal to the future. What was an old thought for most of the people and Guardians was something that had taken place recently for Carmen.

"So Carmen, how are you feeling?" Sabrina asked her.

"I'm fine, like I always am." Carmen replied, receiving a nod from Sabrina.

"Are there any thoughts you want to share about the campaign?"

"The campaign was stinkin' awesome!" She exclaimed, pumping her fists. Sabrina raised her eyebrows at this. Carmen couldn't be any older than seventeen, and yet she clearly loved the battlefield.

"Hmm, Niko said the same thing." Sabrina said softly, noticing the similarities between the two Hunters. "Why do you enjoy the action so much?"

"Because it's a chance to prove myself. No one takes me seriously because I'm so young. But when the fighting is constant, there's always an opportunity." Carmen explained, and Sabrina understood.

There must have been doubts surroundings such a young Guardian, but Carmen was eager to put those doubts to rest.

"Gale and I are both pretty young, but he left me in the dust during the campaign." Carmen began as she recalled how her newest teammate became a phenom on the battlefield.

Gale was a strategist, and excellent one at that. He read the battlefield perfectly, and with his ability to tap into Rasputin's vast defense network, he could summon all sorts of weapons to tip the battles in favor of the Guardians. Gale had been promoted several times during the campaign, reaching the rank of Colonel among the Vanguard.

"I'm a little jealous of him right now, although I'd never tell him that." Carmen added with a small smile. Gale still had the voice of a young boy, but he barked orders to dozens of Guardians at a time, guiding them to victory. She wanted to be a position to do the same soon too. But first she would have to get everyone's respect.

"What exactly are you jealous of? His abilities, the opportunities he's had, care to explain?" Sabrina asked her, causing Carmen to look up in thought.

"I guess it's a combination of both. He's connected to a Warmind and obviously I'm not. He's got a crap ton of weapons at his disposal, and when its all-out warfare against the Taken, there's no better place to put them to use." Carmen explained. "But I'd say he's just had more opportunities to show everyone his value. Besides, the only person I could be jealous of ability wise is Tobias. And I think it's going to his head too."

Sabrina made a quick note of Carmen's final comment before looking up at her once again.

"So I understand that you're one of the newer members to Undaunted. Besides Gale and Tobias, is there anyone else that your experience these feelings with?" Sabrina asked her.

"All of them." Carmen mumbled, rolling her eyes. She was jealous of each and every one of them.

Gale wasn't even a Guardian yet he was flying up the ranks of the Vanguard, quickly building a strong reputation with the Guardians and those associated wit the Vanguard. Everyone was beginning to acknowledge his impressive leadership out on the field during the campaign.

Niko was one of the most skilled Hunters you could find in the system. Even though his skills as a teacher were still suspect, many still considered Niko to be the next Hunter Vanguard if Cayde were ever to relinquish the position.

Diana had just taken up the mantle as leader of Undaunted, and there wasn't a single person out there who doubted her. She had accomplished many great feats, slaying the likes of Hive Prince Crota and Skolas, Kell of the House of Wolves. She was clearly fit for the position.

And Tobias was the Vessel of the Light. His reputation may not have been as great as his teammates, but there were only a few people that understood just how powerful he really is. Only a handful of Guardians knew about what had taken place beneath the Hive Fortress a few months ago. Even less knew that Tobias had fought his way through the Hive breeding ground beneath the surface of the Moon. If Tobias' accomplishments were being put out there, he would be just as adored as the rest of the team.

Carmen knew that not everyone could enjoy good fortune. She had been displaced before she was even a Guardian, and then snatched up from her own time and brought to the future where she was now getting an opportunity to make a name for herself. The only thing she could do right now in this position was work hard, and seize every opportunity to show everyone that she wasn't some mascot for fireteam Undaunted. She was just as powerful as the rest of the them.

"And what are your thoughts on the campaign?" Sabrina asked as she stared at the teal skinned woman sitting before her. She and Diana had been speaking for a little while now, and out of the three Guardians she had met so far, Diana was the most pleasant.

"I'm glad that it's over, I was nervous and scared during the entire campaign although I'm a little nervous to see what happens from this point forward." Diana admitted.

"What are you nervous about?"

"Well, during the battle with the House of Wolves, we lost our previous fireteam leader, Iggy, or Briggs-6. Since then we've been operating without an official leader, but during the campaign Commander Zavala entrusted me to take the lead of Undaunted, full time." Diana explained.

"So how did you operate without a leader then?" Sabrina asked her.

"It's been kind of disorganized, but it was basically who ever stepped up at the time." Diana revealed as she shrugged her shoulders. Undaunted was regarded as one of the top fireteams out there. But few people understood that as a unit they were a mess more often than not. It was by sheer luck that all of their current members were still alive at this point. "As the full time leader, I was calling all of the shots during the campaign. Everyone was telling me that I was doing a good job, but I was still scared out my mind."

This statement caused Sabrina to perk up a bit as she focused on Diana intently. Even though Niko had told her that Diana had been trained for combat by the Awoken, it was evident that she didn't have the fortitude that Niko possessed.

"I didn't want anyone to get hurt or killed. And it's just a lot of pressure knowing that I'm giving orders that can mean life or death for them." Diana said quietly. "Still we made it through the campaign. The thing is that now everyone has me labeled as the leader of Undaunted."

"And you don't want that position or title?"

"I just, never imagined that I would be the leader." Diana replied. "I always thought Niko would take up the mantel, but he never did. So I don't have much of a choice at this point."

"Are you worried that you might botch a mission in the future?" Sabrina pressed, causing Diana to pause for a few moments. Then Diana gave her a nod. "There's nothing wrong with being worried Diana. It's how everyone feels when they have to take the lead."

Diana gave her a small nod, deciding to remain silent.

"So as the acting leader of the fireteam, do you care to share any of your thoughts about your team?" Sabrina said, causing Diana to look up in thought.

"What do you want to know?" Diana asked in return.

"Anything. I'm sure the campaign gave you ample opportunity to study each of them, or the group as a whole."

"Well, there's a lot of...emotion. The battles we've fought in the past, there was always periods of rest in between them. But during this campaign, we spent almost every, waking moment out on the field together. A lot of things can happen in the heat in the moment." Diana explained before taking a deep breath through her nostrils.

"For example?"

"Niko and I argued, a few times actually. We poke fun at each other a lot, but we were in each other's faces and everything." Diana explained, still surprised at the night where she blew up at Niko. "That's never happened before."

"What was the subject?"

"We were clearing out the Taken that had encamped themselves in caves out over in Old Russia. I had given the team some specific directions, but Niko acted on his own against my better judgment." Diana continued. "I won't say something like, he was being unreasonable and he never followed my orders, but he acted on his own a lot. It's difficult to lead a team when not everyone is following."

"Was he always like that, even with your former leader?"

"No! That's what I don't understand!" Diana exclaimed. "Niko would follow Iggy to the ends of the Earth. But he's giving me fits."

"In terms of raw battle experience, Niko has quite a wealth, doesn't he?"

"That's true."

"So do you think he might not be able to view you as his commander?"

Diana leaned back in her seat, letting that thought sink in. She knew that Niko had always viewed her as an equal on the battlefield. But how could it be so difficult to accept her as his commander when he turned down the position himself? Was it because he couldn't picture anyone else leading this rag-tag fireteam? Or did he want the position to remain vacant with hope that Briggs might return one day?

"That's not fair though." Diana said softly. "I was just as torn up when we lost Iggy, but I understood that we have to keep moving forward. Obviously I can't replace Iggy. He was where Undaunted began. But someone has to take the lead to make sure that his efforts weren't in vain."

Sabrina waited a few moments, studying Diana's expression as she considered sharing her thoughts with Niko. She could only hope for the best with the duties that they shouldered.

"And what about your other teammates? Is there anything you want to share about them?" Sabrina asked as she turned to a blank page for her next set of notes. Diana clicked her tongue at this.

"Niko was just a catalyst for the rest of them." Diana began. "But Carmen and Tobias were easier to reign in than Niko."

"Was there any tension between you and them?" Sabrina asked, causing Diana to shake her head.

"Carmen is younger than me, and I can tell that I have her respect. So whenever things were starting to fall apart, she wasn't shy about taking a step back if she had too."

"How would you describe your relationship with her?" Sabrina inquired, getting a bit of a laugh from Diana.

"Well being the only girl on this fireteam for years, I was hoping Carmen and I would become close. But she's basically Niko-lite. She follows him around like she's his sibling. It's kind of cute seeing them together truthfully. But I don't see our relationship going much farther than that of teammates." Diana explained to Sabrina who nodded to her, scribbling away on her notepad.

"This isn't affecting your ability to work with her, is it?"

"Oh no, not at all. If I can work with a bonehead like Niko, I can definitely handle Carmen." Diana responded with a smile. They might had been difficult at times, but no one was perfect.

"And what about your final teammate, Tobias? Is there anything you'd like to share about him?" Sabrina asked, her interest peaked since Diana took the time to consider what she was saying about Tobias.

"Hmm, Tobias, I'm worried about him." Diana revealed. She wasn't the first to say that either.

"Why's that?"

"I don't want to say that he's broken, because he's definitely not." Diana said to herself, shaking her head with pursed lips. "I think he burned himself out...is the right way to put it."

"How did you reach this conclusion?" Sabrina asked her as she tilted her head, eager to hear Diana's opinion on this subject.

"Kind of like how Niko started to act differently while we were on the front lines. Tobias did the same thing." Diana began as she looked up at Sabrina. "He started to, overextend himself."

"And by that, you mean he was trying to take over the team?" Sabrina inquired curiously.

"No no, nothing like that. I meant that he'd overextend himself on the field. He became reckless, putting himself in more danger if it meant keeping the rest of us out of those situations." Diana explained, causing Sabrina to furrow her brow. "I'm still not sure what triggered this in him, but every battle it was the same thing. You'd find him in the middle of the most chaotic area directing people out of it. Doing that over and over really takes a toll on someone, especially someone like Tobias."

"What do you mean someone like Tobias?"

"Tobias doesn't have all of his memories of his life before becoming a Guardian. But he's remembers things here and there, so I can tell he's being drawn back to his former lifestyle." Diana shared with her, causing Sabrina to perk up. "He's fighting battles out in the field, and then an internal one at the same time."

"Hmm, so he shares his memories with you?"

"Mhmm."

"I see." She noted. "So the two of you must be quite close."

"Yeah, I'd say so."

"Alright then, as his acting commander and close associate, would you say he's stable enough to continue fighting as a Guardian?" Sabrina asked her, leaving Diana baffled. She never expected a question like this. But it was certainly something that she had to take into consideration.

Tobias was more than capable of fighting as a Guardian from a physical standpoint. But mentally was a whole different question.

Diana looked down at her lap, deep in thought. She couldn't deny that Tobias was a ball of turmoil when they were fighting the Taken. His recklessness had nearly gotten him killed on so many different occasions. Was he fit to be a Guardian in this state?

"He was incredible Diana. First he defeated a Captain using Arc Blade. Then he rescued Ikora using Golden Gun!" Her Ghost chimed in, recounting Tobias' heroics within the Cosmodrome Wall.

"Did you see that?!" Tobias shouted as he turned around to point at his teammates who had been observing his duel with Skolas from a distance. "Did you see that?!"

Diana felt her heart beat quicken as she looked at the well polished dress shoes Tobias wore. Gradually her gaze began to rise along with her eyebrows as she got to see Tobias decked out in a tuxedo for this event. He looked incredible as he and Niko entered the chamber where they were planning to enter the banquet hosted by Queen Mara Sov.

Diana met Sabrina gaze once again. She had her answer.

Of course Tobias could continue fighting. And he would continue even if he was decommissioned by the Vanguard.

He had been fighting for a long time after all. Diana had only seen a fraction of his struggle against the Darkness, but she had seen Tobias' highs and lows. He was more than capable of conquering this hurdle.

"He can do it." Diana stated, leaving Sabrina confused.

"What?"

"Oh, I'm sorry that doesn't answer your question." Diana said as she gave Sabrina a nod. "He'll be fine. I believe in him."

Sabrina was seated behind her desk now, her chin placed delicately on the top of her hand as she observed Tobias. He was seated on the chair his teammates had been using, wringing his hands together anxiously.

"So what did you call me here for?" Tobias asked as he looked up at her.

"This is just a quick check up Tobias. There are some people that are worried about you." Sabrina stated, earning a chuckle from Tobias.

"What are they worried about?"

"They just want make sure that you're feeling alright." Sabrina replied as they made eye contact now. His eyes were distraught as Tobias looked like he was fighting off sleep. "So, how are you feeling?"

"I'm just, tired." He replied after a pause.

"Why are you so tired though? The campaign ended almost a week ago." Sabrina noted.

"I just haven't been sleeping well, that's all."

"Is that something you want to talk about?"

"Uh…well I doubt it'll help, but I guess we have to talk about something." Tobias said with a shrug, scratching the back of his neck. "During the first half of the campaign everything was going pretty well, but I guess some of the others started getting tired. Some of them were losing focus on the battlefield, and we started losing people. It was every couple of days at first we'd lose another. Then every day…and before we knew it Guardians were dropping by the dozens."

"And this bothered you?"

"Hell yeah it did!" Tobias exclaimed, startling Sabrina since he had been quiet for the most part. "Sorry, but it just really got to me. Fireteams were falling apart, Guardians were mourning and morale was dropping. Then in my sleep, I'd only dream about what I could've done to stop all of this. I'd wake up feeling more exhausted than when I went to sleep."

"I see. So the losses were affecting you?" Sabrina clarified, receiving a nod from him. "But why? Did you know any of these Guardians personally?"

"No, I didn't. But seeing so many people mourning, the tears and anger...it just bothered me a whole lot." Tobias said as he shook his head, thinking back to the fourth month of the campaign.

Tobias was back in Neo Chicago, trying to rest a bit during the three days he had been given off before he would return to the front lines. These days just seemed to drag on and on for him. It was late at night and once again he couldn't rest or relax knowing that he would be going back to the battlefield soon.

The only thing he could do was get some fresh air and take a walk around the Mulligan in an attempt to pass some time. Moving through the courtyard, Tobias soon spotted a familiar face passing through as well.

"Hey Zeke." Tobias said as he waved to the Titan who gave him a nod. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"I could say the same to you." Zeke commented as Tobias looked down at the bouquet of flowers he held.

"What are you up to?" Tobias asked as he motioned to the flowers.

"Oh, I was just heading out for a bit. Then I was going to have a drink." Zeke explained. "I could use a bit of company if you'd like."

"That sounds great." Tobias said.

"I just have to take care of something real quick. I'll meet you back here." Zeke said as he continued past Tobias, heading toward the exit of the courtyard. Tobias pursed his lips for a moment as he watched Zeke go, wondering where he was headed. Tobias had yet to fully explore the Mulligan either, perhaps tailing Zeke would take him to something he hadn't seen yet.

Following the Titan from a distance, Tobias tracked him out to a large garden at the back of the base. It was decorated area, filled with flowers and shrubs that were trimmed to perfection. There was a stone pathway taking them to the heart of the garden where six pillars of black marble stood. They were lined up with numerous carvings on all sides of them.

Tobias watched as Zeke kneeled down and set down his bouquet in front of the pillar at the center of the line. Zeke remained silent with his head lowered, taking a few moments before he tapped his chest twice. Then he rose up, turning on his toes to discover that Tobias had been standing behind him.

"Oh…" Zeke began, but Tobias waved him off. He didn't need to explain himself.

"Don't worry about it." Tobias said as he approached the pillar Zeke was standing front of. "It's okay."

"I don't know where they went, I just know they're in a better place." Zeke said softly as Tobias found Axel and Sheryl's spot on the small memorial. Tobias gave small nod of agreement, but his heart was racing.

When he visited the memorial for the Guardians back in the Tower, there was only one pillar. Now there were six! Were their losses on the front lines against the Taken this significant?

Lives were being lost left and right, and he was here trying to unwind. That was…unacceptable. Tobias could feel his blood coming to a boil.

Why was he here when there were Guardians out there fighting for their lives?

'I can protect them.' Tobias said to himself as he balled up his hands into fists. 'I can protect all of them!'

Tobias looked up at Sabrina once again who had been silent as he shared his thoughts with her.

"I'm now starting to understand the weight of carrying the Radiant Light. I'm not just fighting the Darkness, I have to protect the Light and everything it stands for." Tobias said. "My allies may seem expendable to some people, but I can't stand losing even a single one of them! That's why I was given this power, to see to it that all of them are there the day we defeat the Darkness."

Sabrina stared at Tobias, a bit impressed with his determination, but she could already see why he was so burnt out.

"Don't you think you're being a bit selfish Tobias?"

"Selfish?" Tobias exclaimed, staring at her incredulously. "How?"

"I understand that you want to protect everyone, but you're trying to carry too much. Sometimes, you can't do everything yourself. That's why you have teammates and allies. They're here to help you." Sabrina stated, causing Tobias to shake his head.

"I'm grateful for everything they've done for me, but I value them too much to let them die. I'd rather take all of the pain myself than lose one of them." Tobias said, causing Sabrina to bite on her lower lip. Tobias was already stepping onto a lonely path, one that would surely lead to his demise if someone didn't steer him off of it.

"Are you certain that you wish to do this?" Sabrina asked the man seated in front of her. He gave her a steady nod in response.

"Yeah, I'm not a Guardian anymore. I chose to retire." Zeke stated again. He couldn't believe that he was saying it still, but it was time to change.

Zeke had been a Guardian for almost three decades. Two of those he spent working alongside Axel and Sheryl. They had been through thick and thin together, and Zeke couldn't imagine living without them. Until that part of life began…

It was harder than anything he had ever experienced. Those two had always been by his side, but now they were just memories. And fighting as a Guardian dug up those memories no matter where Zeke tried to bury them.

He couldn't be a Guardian anymore. It was just too difficult. He was distracted on the field, putting other lives at risk because of his own poor performance. It would only be a matter of time before he would be brought in before Commander Zavala to discuss this. It was for the best that he retires now.

"Could you tell me how you reached this point?" Sabrina asked him, gaining a sigh from Zeke as he shook his head.

"I'd prefer not to. This is officially my past now. The only thing I can do is look ahead and put my best foot forward." He said as he rose from his seat. "I'm sorry to have wasted you time, but there's nothing else for us to talk about, so I'm going to head out."

Sabrina frowned a bit as Zeke stepped out of her small office. Her discoveries about the Guardians continued to grow as she got to know each of the Guardians that she was supposed to meet with.

She had no idea that they could retire if they deemed themselves unfit to fight on the field. She always thought of them as machines that were trained to fight and nothing more. But they had dreams, goals, and hobbies. They experience pain; they suffer when they lose something precious. They were more than just warriors. They were real people.

Shutting the file she had for Zeke, Sabrina then looked up hearing a knock on her door.

"Come in." She called out. The door opened up, revealing someone she had yet to meet.

"Hey there!" The cloaked Exo said as he gave her a wave.

"Hi, can I help you?" Sabrina asked as he came to a stop in front of her desk.

"I'm Cayde, the Hunter Vanguard." Cayde said, introducing himself. "I heard that some of our Guardians were meeting with a psycho therapist -"

"Psychiatrist." Sabrina interjected immediately.

"Right, one of those. I thought I'd see how things were going."

"Well that's awfully considerate of you." Sabrina noted as Cayde came to as stop in front of her desk. "I'd like to meet with Tobias and Zeke a few more times if you can arrange that."

"I'll speak to Zavala about it." Cayde replied as he eyed the files on her desk. "So you met Tobias already?"

"Yes…he was, interesting." Sabrina said, thinking back to her small session with him.

"Can I see the file you have on him?" Cayde said, receiving a nod from Sabrina as she shuffled through the papers on her desk, digging up Tobias' file. "And I'd like to see the notes you took on him as well."

"There's a strict patient-doctor confidentiality that I can't break." Sabrina stated as Cayde began to scan through the file.

"I understand the rules and ethics you have as a psychiatrist, but you're under the command of the Vanguard right now." Cayde declared as he gave her a sharp stare. "There's more at stake than a lot of people could understand."

Sabrina was a bit taken aback at this, but she understood that she had forgotten her place for a few moments. Opening the draw on her desk, she pulled out the notes she had been keeping and separated he pages concerning Tobias which she passed the Hunter. Cayde began to skim the pages until his gaze came a stop on paragraph where Sabrina had quoted Tobias.

"My allies may seem expendable to some people, but I can't stand losing even a single one of them! That's why I was given this power, to see to it that all of them are there the day we defeat the Darkness."

Cayde smirked at this. Tobias was ready.

A/N

I know it's been a while everyone. Real life's just been kicking me in the pants right now on top of writer's block so it's been a struggle. But we're heading into the final portion of Taken King with this chapter so things will definitely pick up starting with the next chapter.

Can you believe we're in 2017? Time really flies. Anyway, this was probably my favorite chapter to date. I really hope you all enjoy this one and I'll see you all next update. Keep up the good work out there Guardians!