Sulking in Shiro's quarters had become Kaedro's new favorite activity. There had still been no word from either Tristan or Rogue about Harley's situation and if they didn't feel it was safe to contact him, then he didn't want to ruin things by being the first to make contact.
He passed the time mostly by pacing around Felwinter Peak and carving stuff into Shiro's worktable with the point of his knife. At the moment, however, he was doing neither. Instead, he was just sitting in a chair staring at the wall.
He didn't look up when Shiro came in, or when the other Exo crossed over to him. "There's been a development."
Kaedro almost wasn't going to acknowledge that either, except Shiro sounded serious. Worryingly serious.
He turned, meeting his friend's eyes. "What's up?"
Shiro was acting fidgety, the way he acted when something had him rattled. Considering the last thing that had him rattled had been Cayde's death, Kaedro was now at full attention.
"A new Hunter came in today," said Shiro, "Apparently he was asking some questions about Ace."
Kaedro tilted his head. As far as he knew, Shiro could be talking about any number of Hunters. "Did he have sorta orangish-hair?" he asked.
Shiro shook his head. "He had his hood up the entire time. I couldn't tell if he was wearing a helmet or not. His armor looked pretty old, though."
Kaedro frowned. When Shiro called armor "old," he usually meant "Dark Age." "What kinds of questions was he asking?"
"He wanted to know if Ace had been here."
"Did anyone tell him?"
Shiro sighed. "I'm not sure. I only know this because Saladin asked me about it today. I can't say who might have noticed Ace when he was here."
Kaedro's experience with these kinds of situations told him that they were better off assuming that the Hunter did know that Harley had been at the Peak.
"He also wanted to know when Ace left and where he was going," added Shiro.
Kaedro scoffed. That was fine. They didn't even know where Harley went, just that he'd left. The stranger probably wouldn't get any information on that one. "Tell you what," he said, "I wanna put eyes on this Hunter."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Shiro, "We don't know what he wants with Ace."
Kaedro snorted. "I know it's not. And we don't, but this might be the best way we have of finding out… You coming?"
Shiro sighed. "Of course I'm coming... We'd better wait for nightfall though."
Kaedro grinned. "Good to know these years of playin' Vanguard's pet haven't turned you soft on me."
Shiro rolled his eyes. "I'm going to head back up there. I'll meet you later."
Kaedro watched the other Exo walk off. He was excited. Finally, there was something he could do. He was tired of feeling useless. Tired of sitting around while Tristan and Rogue dealt with whatever they were doing and Harley was Light knew where. Now he had something else to occupy his mind, at least for a little while.
The night was crisp and clear. Not a single cloud marred the star-speckled sky. Kaedro stood with his head tilted back, enjoying the rush of cold air as he breathed. It was a good night for a hunt.
He heard the quiet crunch of disturbed snow as Shiro walked up to him. The other Exo's eyes shone brightly against the darkness of the peak, washing himself and Kaedro in a pale blue glow. "His ship's parked a good distance away from the Temple," Shiro informed him, gesturing into the night, "Past Vostok."
"We're lucky it's such a good night for a hike then," said Kaedro cheerily.
The other Hunter chuckled. "Ready?"
"Lead the way."
They set off across the bridge towards the old observatory. As they walked, Kaedro looked at the snow-covered landscape below. He might make endless jokes about Shiro's station on the Peak, but he couldn't deny the view there was something else.
"So do you have a plan, or are you leaving it up to me?" asked Shiro.
Kaedro elbowed him. "As a matter of fact, I do." It wasn't a particularly innovative plan, but he wasn't going to say that. "We get in close enough for a good look, see if we can figure out who he is and why he wants to find Ace."
Shiro laughed. "That's not much of a plan."
"You asked if I had one," said Kaedro, "Didn't ask if it was any good." He shrugged. "You get what you pay for."
"You'll pay for this terrible plan with your life when it inevitably goes sideways," the other Exo remarked, "How close are you planning to get?"
"Nothing fancy. Sniping range. I'm not about to give up the high ground, Shi."
"At least you have some sense," Shiro teased.
They passed through Vostok to the smaller, trickier path that would wind its way out of the higher peaks. Despite everything, Kaedro felt a sense of calm wash over him. How many nights had been just like this one? A band of Hunters trekking through the wilds looking for something new to poke with a stick.
He nudged Shiro. "Just like old times right, Shi?"
"Yeah," said Shiro. His tone held a touch of nostalgia.
"'Course, we're a few short now..." Kaedro added.
Shiro nodded. "We are… I bet they're all egging us on up there, though."
Kaedro snorted. "Like any of those bastards would go to the heavens. They're probably haunting us right now, laughing it up at any misfortune we're about to meet."
Shiro chuckled. "I wouldn't put it past them." Then his eyes fixed on something ahead and the humor left his face. "We're getting close," he said in a quieter voice, "Just a bit further."
Kaedro nodded and unslung his sniper rifle from where it had been resting across his back. Not that he planned to shoot the mystery Hunter, he just wanted to use the scope to look from a distance. But he also wasn't above shooting if it came down to it.
They trudged up a steep incline to where a broken down tram car hung suspended above the mountain. Shiro turned left, following the tram line away from the Peak. He stopped just before the mountainside dropped down steeply before rising up into a smaller peak some distance away.
Shiro crouched down, Kaedro taking a knee next to him. "His ship's parked on that platform of rock," Shiro said quietly.
Kaedro nodded. He could see the dark shape of the ship against the snow. He aimed his sniper rifle at the silhouette, keeping his finger away from the trigger. The ship was a standard model, nothing much stuck out about it. He watched for a few minutes before he finally saw the ship's owner. The Hunter came around the other side of the ship, heading toward the cockpit. He stopped before reaching it, staring out across the open landscape much like Kaedro himself had done earlier.
Kaedro took the opportunity to get a good look at the mystery man.
Shiro was right, the Hunter's armor looked old. But it was obviously kept in good condition. He couldn't see the man's face, buried inside the hood as it was. He dropped his scope to aim at the holster the Hunter wore on his hip. He could make out the hilt of a gun, though he wasn't sure if it was a hand cannon or a sidearm. He adjusted his scope to zoom in further. Hand cannon. He could tell by the shape of the grip.
Kaedro frowned. He couldn't see much of the gun, but what little he was able to see looked a bit familiar. It wasn't any of the standard-issue hand cannons, that was for sure. He nudged Shiro. "Hey," he whispered, knowing how far a voice could carry out there, "You've got a better eye for guns than I do. What model's he carrying?"
He passed his sniper rifle to Shiro and waited for the other Exo to find the holster. There was a long moment of silence.
"It's definitely a cannon," said Shiro, "...I want to say Tex Mechanica." He passed the sniper back.
Kaedro set the sight back on the stranger's weapon. "Tex Mechanica," he muttered, "Hand cannon."
It rang a distant bell. Kaedro hadn't used many Tex Mechanica weapons himself. If anyone asked him to name one of their guns, he'd fail miserably. In fact, the only gun he could come up with that had been manufactured by them was-
He froze in place, hands locked around his gun. "The Last Word," he breathed, "Holy shit."
"What did you say?" asked Shiro.
"We gotta get out of here," hissed Kaedro, trying to keep his voice low, "Now."
Shiro had known him long enough to know when not to ask questions. The Hunters rose and moved back along the ridge towards the tram car.
Only after they'd slid down the slope and made it back into the neighborhood of the observatory did Kaedro break the silence.
"Shiro, Ace is in big trouble," he said, "That was Shin Malphur back there! Shin Malphur!"
Alarm appeared on Shuro's face. "You're sure?"
"I'm positive! He was carrying The Last Word! Know anyone else with that gun?"
Shiro shook his head. "Shin Malphur," he repeated, "Fuck." Kaedro had never known Shiro to swear much, but he couldn't deny the timing was more than appropriate.
"Shiro, this just went from bad to catastrophic," he said.
He would be hard-pressed to find a Guardian that hadn't heard of Shin Malphur. Well, many of the new ones might not have heard the story yet. But he and Shiro were extremely familiar with it, coming up in the Dark Age like they had.
Kaedro had never met the infamous Hunter in person - or if he did, he couldn't recall it - and he didn't want these events to be his introduction.
If Shin was really after Harley - which it seemed he was - then Kaedro hoped Harley had covered his tracks better than usual. Just because he and Shiro had been unable to pick up the trail didn't mean Shin Malphur wouldn't. He'd been hunting Guardians for decades.
They trudged through Vostok.
"I'm worried for Ace," said Shiro, "I knew things were bad for him but I didn't think they were this bad."
"Same," said Kaedro, "Hopefully he's so far off the grid that he's on a different grid, 'cause if Malphur finds him…" He didn't speak it, but they both knew what the outcome would be. One only had to look as far as the tale of Dwindler's Ridge to know.
"I don't think you ever specified what it is he did to get the Praxic Order and Shin Malphur on his tale," said Shiro.
Kaedro frowned. Hadn't he? He couldn't remember. Well, Shiro deserved to know in any case. "The Praxics found him with a Weapon of Sorrow," he said grimly.
Shiro's silence was telling. "...Did he use it?"
Kaedro shook his head.
"Would he?"
"No!" Kaedro snapped, "He knows better than that."
They continued walking in silence, Kaedro bristling at the thought of Harley using a Weapon of Sorrow. The kid had been a Guardian long enough to know that that was a line you didn't cross. But even as he fed himself assurances, a thread of doubt tugged at him.
Would Harley use a Weapon of Sorrow? Could he? Kaedro figured that after Phobos, the other Hunter wouldn't go near anything Dark. But the way Harley had acted on the Reef was stuck in his mind. The Harley he'd known after Phobos would never have gone that far. Maybe something had changed.
It infuriated him even more that he couldn't be confident in his answer to Shiro. He sighed. "I don't know, Shi." Shiro looked at him questioningly. "I know he didn't use the one they found on him but I don't know that he'd never use one."
Shiro didn't reply. Kaedro got the sense that the other Exo was waiting for him to say more.
"When Bazzle and I were sent to the Reef to stop him, it had been a while since I'd last seen him. He flew out after the Red War and we didn't hear from him until Cayde… until after the Prison of Elders situation."
"What was he doing during that time?" asked Shiro.
Kaedro shrugged. "Chasing down Vex is what I heard. The last message we got from him was about him going into the Infinite Forest on Mercury." Suddenly, a terrible thought struck Kaedro. He reactively grabbed Shiro's arm, forcing him to stop. "Holy shit."
"What is it?" asked Shiro. He twisted to peer back along the path. "Did he follow us?"
"No, it's about Ace. He was in the Vex network, Shiro! Time moves differently in there."
Shiro's face contorted in confusion. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying Ace might've been gone for a lot longer than we thought."
Shiro frowned. "Is that relevant to the situation he's in now?"
"I don't know," said Kaedro, "It might be."
They started walking again, stepping onto the bridge that linked Vostok to the Iron Temple.
"I can't get a read on him like I used to, Shi. I have no idea where the kid's head is at. I feel like I haven't for a while."
Shiro sighed sympathetically, patting Kaedro on the shoulder. "We'll find him, Kay. And he's a good Guardian. I think he'll be able to keep his head above water long enough for us or your other friends to help him."
"Not if Shin Malphur finds him first," Kaedro said bitterly.
Kyler had a conundrum on his hands. He'd finally reached the point where he needed to make a supply run. Normally, it wouldn't be an issue. He'd been living in the Tangled Shore long enough to navigate fairly well between the asteroids and with his pike, it wouldn't be a very long trip.
The problem lay in the fact that if he left to run errands, Harley would be gone when he got back.
The Hunter had been staying with him for nearly a week now, and Kyler knew he didn't want to be there. Given the opportunity, he would be long gone. And Kyler wasn't about to let him wander around the Shore without his Light. Of course, this didn't change the fact that he needed to pick up parts for his repairs. He made his living repairing and building things for other inhabitants of the Reef, he couldn't afford to fall behind on the projects. A compromise of some kind would have to be made.
He looked at the Hunter. Harley was sitting on the bed with his knees drawn up to his chest. Staring out the window. Kyler couldn't leave him behind, but was there a chance he could bring Harley along? He would be able to get his errands done and keep an eye on the Hunter at the same time. He knew it wasn't the greatest of plans, but he also knew that he didn't have a lot of options at the moment. He needed those parts. His choice would come down to bringing Harley with him knowing that he could run off or leave without him, in which case Harley would almost certainly leave.
Kyler made his decision.
Crossing over to the door, he picked up Harley's boots and tossed them in the Hunter's direction. Harley shot him a questioning look.
"Put them on," he said, hoping he wouldn't regret his choice, "I need to pick up some stuff and you're coming with me."
Harley looked like he was about to say something, but eventually just nodded and reached for his boots.
Kyler was relieved that his plan didn't backfire immediately. The ride itself was uneventful and so far, they had picked up everything he'd needed, as well as a few extra things. While Kyler wasn't about to lower his guard, he was able to relax somewhat. Harley hadn't yet tried to leave. He did seem happy to be out of the cabin though.
As Kyler was stowing the last part he needed in his bag, the Eliksni vendor that had sold it to him passed him something else. It was a worn piece of cloth with Eliksni runes stamped on it. He frowned.
"Yyrhiks zes ta Kyleriks," the Eliksni said.
Kyler's frown deepened. What information was Yyrhiks giving him? He thanked the vendor and walked back to the pike as he tried to decipher the note. He had always been better at speaking Eliksni than reading or writing it.
"What's that?" asked Harley.
Kyler waved him away halfheartedly. He needed to concentrate. If he was reading it right, then Yyrhiks was asking him to go to The Empty Tank to get... something. It wasn't entirely clear whether he was meeting someone there or picking something up. Either way, they had a problem on their hands.
The Empty Tank was practically at Spider's front door and Kyler didn't like venturing that far into the mob boss' territory. But Yyrhiks knew that, so whatever it was must be important.
Kyler shot a conflicted glance at Harley, who was leaning against the pike. The only thing worse than going into Spider's territory was bringing Harley with him. He was caught between a rock and a hard place - a familiar predicament considering his location but still one he'd much rather avoid.
At any rate, he couldn't make the decision alone this time. This was more than just the risk of Harley leaving. This was the two of them out in public, risking their necks.
He showed the note to Harley. "This is from Yyrhiks. He wants me to go to The Empty Tank."
Harley frowned. "Why?" he asked.
Kyler sighed. "To be honest, I'm not sure. He either wants me to meet someone there or pick something up. And whatever it is, it's important."
"So what's the problem?"
Kyler stared at him incredulously. "I dunno, how about the fact that we're both wanted? Me by the Underlord and you by the Praxic Order. Thieves' Landing is as public as the Shore gets, Ace. There's a higher chance of us getting recognized and catching trouble because of it."
"Then whatever you're doing there has to be worth the trouble," Harley pointed out, "Otherwise Yyrhiks wouldn't ask you."
Kyler held back a sigh. "Do you want to go?"
"I don't see why not."
This time, Kyler couldn't hold the sigh back. Harley's self-preservation instincts were basically nonexistent. "Fine but it's gonna be done my way. You need to wear your hood at all times and don't say anything to anyone. I'll take care of any necessary talking."
"So I get to be the muscle?" The slightest hint of a smile was present on Harley's face.
Kyler chuckled. "Sure, Ace."
He mounted the pike and started it up, idling as he waited for Harley to get on as well. Once they were both ready, he sped off towards Thieves' Landing.
It had been a while since Kyler had gone so far into the Spider's territory. He knew there was a good chance that he'd been presumed dead after the Red War, but it wasn't enough to allow him to relax as they drew closer to the Landing. They had more than just Spider's associates to worry about, anyway. Rogue bands of Eliksni often frequented Thieves' Landing and most of them weren't friendly. The Scorn were even worse.
But Kyler was more worried about the non-aliens.
The Tangled Shore had never been officially sanctioned by the Vanguard, but Kyler knew Guardians had begun finding their way out there over the past month or so. Most of them were just looking for new weapons to bolster their arsenals. Some of them would run patrols and accept bounties from the Spider. Either way, other Guardians were the biggest danger to Harley's anonymity.
As the pike roared into Thieves Landing, Kyler subconsciously reached up to adjust his cowl, making sure it covered the bottom half of his face. He didn't want to take any chances. There weren't many Guardians around that he could see, but that didn't mean it would stay that way.
He slowed his speed a bit as he drove the pike past the entrance to Spider's lair. A few Eliksni took shots as they passed but none hit. Kyler drove the pike down a short ramp into a building across from the empty tank. He didn't want to leave it in the open here.
They dismounted and Kyler made sure the lock he installed on it was engaged before leading the way out of the building.
When they reached the top of the platform across the path, they found several Eliksni outside of the entrance to the bar. Two Vandals raised their guns threateningly. Beside him, Kyler felt Harley's arm move as though he were going for a weapon. Instinctively, he grabbed the Hunter's wrist, forcing him to stop.
He shot Harley a look telling him that would handle it and stepped forward. "Velask," he greeted.
The Vandals squinted at him suspiciously. Their guns were still leveled at him. "Dra ke na quilum?" asked one, "Zes ha?"
Kyler raised his hands in a pacifying gesture. "En," he said, shaking his head, "Ne yu Kyler. Ha imo. She ne imo." Their guns lowered slightly but they still looked suspicious. "Ne tas Yyrhiks."
The Vandal blinked in surprise and gestured towards Harley. "Ma e lo?"
"Eia." Kyler nodded.
Finally, the Vandals lowered their weapons and allowed them to pass. Kyler nudged Harley and the pair passed through the doorway.
"What was that about?" asked Harley as they walked down a hallway towards the club's door.
"I was just telling them that we weren't enemies. I'm surprised they were so agreeable."
Harley's face contorted. "That was agreeable?"
"You're a Guardian," Kyler pointed out, "The Eliksni have no reason to trust Guardians."
Harley sighed. "Fair enough."
They walked down some stairs to a sealed doorway with a single Wretch guarding it. The thrum of music was audible from the other side.
Kyler was relieved to recognize the Eliksni manning the door. "Vel, Zyras," he greeted.
She bared her teeth in a way that was almost a grin. "Vel, Kyleriks. Dra zes Lo Variisis?"
"Eia," said Kyler, "Er yu Harley."
She looked at the Hunter. "Velask, Har-lee."
Harley blinked in surprise. "Velask, Zyras," he replied.
Zyras grinned again and opened the door for them. Kyler heard her call out one last thing before the door closed. He chuckled.
"What did she say?" asked Harley.
"She said we'll make an Eliksni out of you yet."
Harley didn't seem to know how to react to that.
Kyler led them to a booth off to the side. Harley looked around as he sat down, taking in the number of Eliksni that milled about, socializing. A Shank floated over to take their orders and the Hunter visibly flinched. Kyler ordered for both of them and the Shank flew off.
Harley watched it go. "Why are we having drinks?" he demanded, "Shouldn't we be getting whatever it was Yyrhiks wanted you to get?"
"It would look suspicious if we didn't," said Kyler, "I think I know where to find it. For now, just have a drink and try not to look so much like a Guardian."
"I am a Guardian," Harley grumbled.
They sat in their booth for a little while as Kyler waited for the crowd to thin. They weren't talking much, so he was surprised when Harley broke the silence.
"If you don't come here, how did you know the Fallen guarding the door?" he asked.
Kyler turned. "I never said I didn't come here," he told the Hunter, "I just don't come here often. As for Zyras, she's had that job for a while so I've talked to her some... I just hope she's able to keep it with Guardians crawling all over the place."
Harley looked like he wanted to reply to that, but said nothing.
Kyler went back to scanning the room. He figured they'd been sitting there long enough that they no longer stuck out as unusual. He was positive that the bartender would have whatever Yyrhiks wanted him to retrieve and now was a good time to find out.
He stood up, but before he could take more than a step, the club door opened and two of Spider's associates walked in. Instantly, Kyler threw himself back into his chair.
"What's wrong?" asked Harley.
Kyler gestured to the two spiky Eliksni that had just entered. "Spider's goons," he said in an undertone.
The Hunter's eyes widened. "What are they doing here?"
"They come here sometimes. I was just hoping they wouldn't today."
Harley was facing away from the entrance, so he had to turn to catch a glimpse. Kyler watched the Eliksni over Harley's shoulder. They didn't seem to be in much of a rush, but they were getting closer. Kyler pulled his cowl up and lowered his goggles over his eyes. Across from him, he saw Harley tug his hood forward a bit more, casting his face deep into shadow.
"They shouldn't be here long," said Kyler, "...Hopefully."
The Eliksni continued with their unhurried movements. As they drew nearer, Kyler tried to reassure himself. No one they didn't know would be able to recognize them. As far as the other patrons were concerned, he and Harley were just two more people having a drink.
The first associate walked past them and Kyler allowed some of the tension to ease from his shoulders. Harley, too, relaxed slightly.
Suddenly, the lead Eliksni whirled and yanked Harley's hood off. Before he could react, the other associate was there helping the first one haul him out of his chair.
"Spider want see you," one hissed in broken English. Harley struggled against their grip on his arms. "We bring you or kill you and bring you that way."
Kyler couldn't let that happen, especially when Harley's Light was suppressed. He jumped up. "Ne zen quilum?"
"Dra ma e lo quilum?" the associate asked.
"Eia."
"Dra zu iisis."
It gestured at him with its spear. Kyler nodded and led the way out of the club. As much as he tried to avoid the place, he knew where they were going.
A/N: This was a fun chapter for me to write. Kyler and Kaedro are both interesting perspectives to write from and their dynamics with Harley and Shiro respectively are fun to mess with.