Ch. 25 Ambush
I'm not gonna say anything crappy this time mainly because I don't feel too well but I still have a story to complete and things to do so let's get to it.
Wait: I forgot one thing, it seems as if the poll was a runaway even before the first day it was was even halfway over. I'm not gonna spoil the results so far but I do need to question if everyone was voting seriously or if it was just a coincidence that everyone wanted to see one specific option. Still I will do my best as you all have the power over that area now.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters belong to Bungie and Activision. Any OC's belong to their respective creators.
"Why don't you have someone else do it." Gabe said as he refused to meet Cayde's optics. "Or is this your way of setting me up to be Hunted."
"I know that you don't like anyone right now but you should also know that what you did was against orders and required punishment." Cayde replied as he closed his optics for a moment. "I will admit that it was a little more harsh and rash to even think about executing you but that's Zavala in a nutshell. Anything that could even be remotely close to a threat, he deals with it using extreme prejudice."
"So you do want me Hunted." Gabe surmised as he sank further into himself.
"No, not even close to it." Cayde said immediately. "It is an unsanctioned mission but you won't be going blindly." he finished as a Ghost floated up behind him.
"Finally, I thought I would never see you again." Gabe's Ghost said as it phased through the cell barrier.
"Had to do some convincing but I figured you might be more open to it if I gave you back your Ghost." Cayde replied as he finally got off the wall. "I also took the liberty of drawing up some reinstatement orders but that depends on whether you want the job."
"What about his abilities?" Spirit questioned as Cayde could only shake his head.
"Those have to remain sealed or else he'll light up every scanner from here to the Reef which also includes re-spawning so you need to be extremely careful and no heroics this time." Cayde explained as Gabe didn't move. "This isn't a mission from the Vanguard, this is a personal request from me. If you want to do it then I would consider it a favor."
A favor...that's what this was according to Cayde.
So why did it feel so wrong?
"Something on your mind?" Spirit asked as she sat in the co-pilot chair behind Gabe.
"I'm fine...just worried about getting found out." Gabe lied easily as his ship exited Warp-space and the Moon came into view. Overtime, he had gotten use to lying that it became second nature but it was the worst kind of nature to have. In the course of his childhood it had gotten him arrested numerous times because he wanted to be liked but all it did was create a record for him and for everyone else it was something they took advantage of.
"I told you kid, I've ordered any other Guardians away from the sight but you will have to be quick as that is bound to raise some questions." Cayde said in the comm as he monitored their progress. "All you need to do is get to the meeting area, get the data from Requiem and get out of there."
"I know but you know what I want from this." Gabe replied as he heard Cayde sigh in the comm.
"I can't guarantee it but I'll see what I can do alright?"
"Fine." With that the comm channel was closed.
"I can understand those two but why Eddie as well? Why did you request him to be kept away from you?" Spirit asked curiously as Gabe gave a soft sigh.
"I thought that things were starting to look up for us as a team. I thought that maybe I finally had some people that I could call friends when I never had any real ones and I thought that they would have my back through thick and thin." Gabe began as he set a course for a remote canyon on the Moon. "That's one thing Eddie always told us, that we need to stick together regardless of what happens. I had thought they might maybe have warmed up enough to see me as a person and not another Guardian but they didn't. They left me behind and didn't even give me one final glance as they walked away."
"Did you expect anything different with your actions?" she questioned again in a calm tone. She wasn't being mean, she just wanted to know his thoughts on the matter.
"I expected at least one sign of something, even if it was a glare from Theresa. I wanted at least some kind of action that showed they did care somewhat but they did nothing except to keep walking." Gabe explained as he leaned back and felt tired all of a sudden. "In the span of a few minutes, we went from a team to nothing. I went from a teammate to a traitor in their eyes and that's all they will see me as."
"You actually believe that?"
"It's happened all the time in my life, why should this time be any different?" Spirit fell silent as she had no comeback for that. She knew very little about the Guardian in front of her and she prided herself on knowing who her targets were if they were to be ready for the trials ahead. She needed to fix that when she had the time but not now, now they had a request to do and she had a Guardian to keep alive.
-Flashback-
"No heroics on this assignment under any circumstance. Period." Cayde stated as he walked Gabe out of the prison through an access tunnel. "You are severely limited as to what you can do right now until I get you reinstated."
"Like Zavala will ever go for that, he's the one who wanted me to be killed." Gabe retorted as Cayde sighed.
"He is a stalwart on defending Earth by any means and I'm sorry to say that includes executing any traitors or potential traitors." Cayde replied as they approached the exit to the city. "I can trust that you will keep him out of trouble?" he asked as he turned to Spirit.
"For the time being I can but I won't become his watcher." she replied evenly as Cayde shrugged.
"I wasn't asking you to, I only hope that you can keep him out of trouble this once. I won't ask you to do it again." he said as Gabe's ship landed in front of them. "Remember, everyone still thinks you are in that cell and I want to keep it that way until you return."
"I know but remember what we discussed." Gabe replied before he was transmatted into his ship along with Spirit.
-Flashback end-
-Scene Change-
"Are you sure this is it Cayde?" Gabe asked as he stood outside of a small cave carved into the side of a cliff.
"That's where the coordinates pointed to, go in and get the data off of Requiem so I can stop worrying." Cayde said in a vain effort to dispel his own uneasiness. "Just to be safe, I'm going to get a second channel open to any Guardians in the area in case you need it."
"Somehow I doubt we'll be able to use it." Gabe muttered before he turned his head sharply to the cliff face to his right as his eyes scanned the area before narrowing at a small cropping of rocks.
"What is it?" Spirit asked as she grabbed her rifle off of her back.
"Fallen, we're being watched." he replied as she relaxed.
"Hostile?"
"No, just watching." Gabe finished as he looked back at the cave. "I just want this over so we can go back to Earth and sleep on something nice again."
At that moment a Guardian ship passed overhead toward the Archer's Line. Even though Cayde went to the process of giving his armor a new shader and his ID a new tag it still wouldn't be foolproof and Gabe harbored a lot of fear about being discovered and arrested for being rogue...or worse shot.
"Let's go before someone decides to stop by and ask what we are doing." Spirit said as she started toward the cave while Gabe hesitated as he looked back at the cliff before following her.
"Watcher Three. Target Guardian located." A Vandal said as it de-cloaked from the spot that Gabe was just staring at.
"He found you." Came the reply as the Vandal made a series of chirps into the comm.
"He did. House Devil told the truth, he is Seer."
"Continue monitor but change position, I will inform Barons."
-With the Exiles-
Frigoris stood over a small terminal as he looked over the newest reports of his scouts in the field. There were the usual reports of Guardian activity and Hive but nothing jumped out and that irritated Frigoris. Two weeks and not a single report of any contact with the one he needed to find and it was starting to grate on him. Guardians don't show up and then disappear like this which generally meant something else has happened but without proof he couldn't do anything.
His musings were interrupted when another Baron walked in.
This Baron was slightly smaller and slimmer than a normal Baron but she still commanded great respect for one of her position. Normally, females were permitted to fight but none had ever gotten past Captain due to their temperament. They could fight like any male but their emotions were too volatile to lead effectively but Frigoris personally trained Rilix to the point that her emotions were directed to her enemies. Hence her extremely high bloodlust and insatiable desire for battle.
Her armor was the same form-fitting like the rest of the Fallen but with a few additions that were required for her form. Her chest plate stuck out more to accommodate her chest while the armor around her thighs and legs had to be smaller to match her smaller frame. Two sheaths with swords hung on each side of her waist while two more were placed behind her cloak almost hidden to the naked eye but within reach should they be needed. This was the newest Baron Rilix and she had a temper that was compared to Frigoris when he was angry.
"Watcher Three has reported in. We have a visual confirmation of our target." she spoke in a deep tone that carried an undercurrent of feminine arrogance. Then again with her track record and bloodlust it was to be expected. "In the Helix Line."
"The Helix Line." Frigoris repeated as he looked up from the table. "Why?"
"Unknown but we suspect it's a trap." she replied as she handed him a small datapad. "I would suggest we leave him to his fate but you wouldn't allow that."
Frigoris ignored that comment and pulled up a map of the Helix Line. It was one of the first places Humans settled on the Moon and one of the first to be abandoned with only a few semi-operable bases that weren't destroyed or collapsed. He couldn't even imagine why anyone, be they Guardian or Fallen would think that being there would mean something but he couldn't dwell on that.
Saving the map to his suit's VI he shut off the table and turned to Rilix. "Prepare the Skiffs and a medical transport. We will have need of it."
Whatever comment Rilix wanted to make she held in and despite her feelings on Guardians she gave a short nod. "It will be done." With that she turned around and left while Frigoris took a small package from the table.
-Scene Change-
"There's no one here Cayde no body or even the trace of a Ghost." Gabe said as he examined the small cave.
"Are you sure? Wait, don't answer that." Cayde said as he remembered just who he was talking to. "Alright, give me a moment to see what I can find in the message."
"You would think there would be a secret door in these situations." Gabe said as his Ghost scanned the walls.
"Not every cave or room has a secret door you know." His Ghost said as it moved to another section.
"I know but normally they do." Gabe responded as he leaned against a wall.
"What was it like?" Spirit asked suddenly as Gabe turned to her. "Your life before this?"
Gabe said nothing as he tried to think of something to tell her that wouldn't give away just when he was alive in. "I...it's not something I feel comfortable talking about."
"Why?" she pressed.
"Because...I don't want to talk about it so drop it." Gabe said quickly. "Just...not right now."
That got her attention. "Do you or do you not want to speak about it?"
Gabe didn't respond as the comm system suddenly went haywire. "Guardian...losing...report..."
"Cayde, do you copy?" Gabe said worriedly as he turned away from Spirit. "Guardian Locker to Cayde, respond."
"It's no use, Hive Tombships coming into the area!" Gabe's Ghost exclaimed as the cave rocked again.
"How many of them?" Spirit asked calmly while Gabe started to shake as he gazed out of the mouth of the cave.
"Too many to handle." Gabe replied as she peeked outside and regretted asking as she counted at least half a dozen or more.
If that wasn't enough, a large green portal appeared and two black and red Knights wielding giant swords followed by an even larger blue Knight. Behind them was an entire horde of Hive ranging from Thralls to Wizards.
Now Gabe understood the meaning behind one of Lieutenant Assan's favorite quotes.
"Fuck...me...sideways."
So now we have everyone's favorite/not favorite Guardian and EXO against an entire horde of Hive. Sounds like good odds to me but not to Gabe. So what's gonna happen to our tragic hero? Is he going to get the aid he needs or when it's found out that he's out of his cell are they going to let him die? Find out next time!
It's safe to say that the poll isn't even close at this point but I think you all can guess from this chapter just what the winning choice is so far. So now we meet Rilix, one of the Exile Barons and given her background Gabe is gonna have to really impress her. Man, he has a lot to accomplish just to get someone to love him doesn't he? First, he has to win back some respect from Theresa and Avora and now he needs to beat enough ass to impress a Baron. Kinda feel bad for him but he can do it...as long as he can overcome his own confidence issues.
Well that's all I got for now so read and review and keep voting but I guess it's about pretty much settled.
So tell me guys, which universe would you rather be caught in? Halo or Destiny? Leave interesting or creative comments in your review.