Chapter 7: The Warrior
Opening File: The Scribe
Eramis and Variks stand in the shadow of a half-constructed city. Her people have salvaged bits and pieces from Eliksni hideouts across the galaxy and lashed them to the ruins of a human facility, building something new from something old. It's Eliksni flesh on the bones of humanity's failure, nestled in the icy tundra of Europa.
She watches Variks's face as he looks up. There is something familiar there. An awe that she remembers from a long time ago.
"It will be a new Riis," she says, raising her eyes to the scaffolding before them. "A new home for our people. No more running. No more living on the outskirts."
Variks looks away finally to meet Eramis's eyes. "What of the Devils?" He speaks Eliksni. It surprises her.
"Old names," she says, dismissive. "Leave the old names and the old ways in the past."
Just as she remembers, Variks doesn't let his awe stand in the way of practicality. His gaze has turned appraising. "And why choose this place? Why choose this frozen moon?"
"I saw it in a dream."
She can feel his skepticism. She doesn't blame him, actually—since the prison break, he's been hiding somewhere, some forgotten corner of the galaxy, waiting for judgment to come. He gifted his people with freedom, and then built himself a cell of isolation. He can't see beyond what he thinks he knows.
"And why did you call for me?" he asks. There is a hardness in his voice. "After everything. We are not allies, Eramis."
"Old ways," she says again. "If the Eliksni are to survive, we need to abandon all memory of division. Petty squabbles, house politics… I want to wipe it all clean."
She looks up at the scaffolding again. "This will be a new world, Variks. New ideas. New stories. We will be known and remembered as something new."
Variks follows her gaze. Now his voice has softened. "And why me?"
Eramis turns to face him fully now. He fears her still—she sees it in the hunch of his shoulders, the way he turns his face to the side, as if looking at her head-on will hurt his eyes.
"In the new world," she says. "I will need a scribe."
Close File
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Opening File: The Warrior
I am Phylaks, once-warrior of House Devils, once-child of home-Riis. I speak now to Eliksni still-warring. Listen close. There is no repeating.
Death to House Devils! Ashes to Home-Riis! I cast off these useless things, and I pledge my life here to Riis-reborn, to Eramis and her House Salvation!
I fought many battles and found no warrior above the knife-will of Eramiskel. Together, we sieged the walls of the enemy-worlds with weapons in every claw! Side by side, we spilled life-force across the galaxy. No Ketch was out of her reach! No death could seize her! Even enchained by the wretched servants of unworthy Kells, she grew only stronger in mind and body.
Chelchis, Drifis, Virixas—resurrect them all and watch her reduce them to Dregs. Her new-claimed power is beyond any they wielded. Beyond any our people ever knew.
And she will grant it to all who unite under her banner! Even now, as lieutenant, I share in that with her. Side by side, our bodies thrum with the same ice-cold energy.
Energy to drag the Diamonds from the sky and fortify our new city with their hides! Energy to defeat the wretched of this system and feed our children with the battle-bounty!
Energy to reign beyond a thousand lifetimes.
All you, now hear: I am Phylaks, the Warrior of Darkness! Life to Riis-reborn! Victory to the Kell of Darkness! Glory to the House Salvation!
Close File
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Opening File: From the diary of Clovis Bray I
The Pyramid has been known to send visions to me and my workers on this godforsaken moon, and they have been quite informative. Evidently the Pyramid originally came from a universe located on the far side of the Omniverse specifically that universe's 28th century.
It has also shown that many people and races in our universe do not exist in its original universe. From what I have seen in its universe my family and I were born a few centuries later, a very interesting thing I might add. Another vision shown to me was that my son's counterpart died sometime during Ana's childhood, and she was present when the Exomind rejection killed him.
These differences between universes have proven to be fascinating as it shows what never occurred in our dimension has occurred in another. Another vision the Pyramid sent me was that my grandson Alton actually survived being born in that universe and I must say his counterpart…is a disappointment. From what the Pyramid has shown me that Alton isn't a scientist like his family or mine and apparently nothing my counterpart did to alter that Alton's genetics paid off and he could only serve in executive roles in the company. I have to assume that this would've been the fate of my Alton if he had survived being born. Useless, that boy would've been. Oh well. That's why I have three other grandchildren.
Close File
Xxx
"Sylvie is a stain on this family, turning my son against me every chance she gets. His death is on her hands too."
— Clovis Bray I
Recollection of Memories
Elsie-1 POV
When I first became an Exo, I had dreams of seeing my mother again years after her death. She was an Indian woman who changed her name to Svetlana when she moved to Russia, but I prefer her original name Sylvie.
Dreams were the only way I could speak to her again after she committed suicide when my older sister Willa was killed.
In the dream she sees me in my new Exo body and screams in horror. "No! Il torture ma fille aussi? Elsie, say it's not you; say it's not! Say your grandfather hasn't locked you up in that walking lazaretto to die!"
I'm confused about why she mentions grandfather when he went missing years ago and was declared dead. The Exo program may have been grandfather's creation, but it was father who put me in this thing.
"Mom. Mom, please. Je vais bien; je ne suis pas comme mon père, inshallah!" I say, but she won't believe it. I don't know what to say, because I only remember her as a warm feeling. She sobs, and I smell the amino ketones and aromatic acids in her tears. The salty opioids glisten on her skin. I want to hide my face, to hood myself. Every time she looks at me, she screams and cries harder.
In the dream the house is full of reminders of my father just like the house was after my mother inquired my grandfather by what it was, he did to make my father feel better. You see when I was little my father was feeling sick, and modern medicine could not fix it, but my grandfather had something that could. After being gone for a whole month, my father returned home but I always felt something was wrong and my mother seemed to know it as well. She talked to grandfather about it, and she seemed to be angry about whatever he did. After that she surrounded the house with memories of him before he left for the treatment.
Another time I slept it was discomforting. I dream of murder and hot blood and a mannequin body made of knives. I remember forcing her way through a tower of prison cells, slashing through prisoner after prisoner in order to get to the top.
The dream changes and I find myself in the guest bed screaming, I practically fall out of bed, but Mom is there to catch me. "Hush, hush, it's all right. It's just a dream."
I cling to her, and it is my turn to sob. Nothing comes out of my eyes as I try to explain to her of what it was that I saw. "Everyone I knew was in those cells," I gasp. "You, and Dad, and Willa, and Ana…"
"Oh, my sweet," my mother whispers. "Of course, you dreamt about killing us. Your grandfather made you this way. And he kills everything he touches."
When I tried to understand those dreams, I began to ponder if they were a message telling me something about my grandfather and what he did to make my father feel better. All I know is that I began to distance myself from my father even more. But despite how sad and horrific these dreams were it was nice to see my mother again, even if it was only in a dream and not the real her.
POV Ends
Xxx
Charon's Crossing
After defeating Elenaks and her platoon the Hunters had made their way back to the Comms relay. They enter the building and meet Variks who was working on making a new arm to replace the prosthetic that Eramis destroyed. He turns to see that the Fireteam has returned but he straightens up and grabs his staff with his upper left arm.
"Can it be?" He asks as he approaches the group. "I can smell that poisoned power on you. Does corruption spread so quickly? Or do you hope to fight Eramis with her own weapons? [insect-like chattering]"
"We're going to use Stasis to stop her." Ana said confidently to the old scribe as she hands him the data pad, she got from Elenaks.
Variks takes the data pad with his lower arms bangs the butt of his staff onto the metal floor.
CLANK!
"You walk a very dangerous path." Variks says as he enters a few commands on the data pad and sees something important on it. "Takes this recklessness to Phylaks, then. But beware. [insect-like chattering] She is Eramis's most skilled warrior. She found fame in protecting Eliksni borders from enemy fleets, yes? [insect-like chattering] Fame for ruthlessness. For destroying all in her path. For Phylaks, there is no greater joy than battle. You must challenge her, but use caution, friends."
"And where is she?" Banshee-44 asked.
"This data pad shows that she is within the Nexus." Variks explained. "Head back to Asterion Abyss, enter the caves, and then you will find her."
"Wait, wait, wait." Cayde-6 said trying to see if he heard Variks correctly. "So, you're telling me that Phylaks, one of Eramis's Barons, is located back to where we already where a little while ago?"
"Yes."
Cayde's left eye twitches before he says, "Phylaks you are a-" and the five spirited words that followed were replete with hard consonants.
Everyone just stares at Cayde for a moment before Banshee decides to break the silence.
"Wow, that's some bad language right there."
"Let's just go get this joker. Cayde says with a sigh of defeat.
Xxx
As the Fireteam drove back to the Asterion Abyss their comms began to ring.
"I see your going after Phylaks, the Warrior."
"Elsie?" Ana asked.
"It's a good move to help bring down Eramis." Elsie said. "Take out her Dark Council and she'll begin to lose control of her forces. They will begin to see her as weak and decide to desert. But there is something I need you to get from Phylaks."
"What is it?" Banshee asked.
"Her Splinter of Darkness." Elsie explained. "You'll need it to open the next lock on the Ziggurat."
"We'll do it but under one condition." Ana said catching her compatriots by surprise. "I want you to tell me the identities of my birth parents. I know you've known who they are for years now even before you, or rather my Elsie underwent the Exo procedure. It's time to stop keeping secrets from me sis."
A sigh is heard over the comms. "Okay, you've earned the right to know for a long time now. Bring the Splinter and I'll tell you, their identities."
"It's about time." Ana said as the comms talk ended.
"Hey, are you sure about this?" Cayde asked with nervousness in his voice.
"I know that my family has been hiding my parentage my entire life Cayde." Ana vehemently said. "It's not right to deny me these answers, especially when all that's left is just me and Elsie."
The group makes it back to the Asterion Abyss and stop their Sparrows when they reach the slope. Banshee looks around at the Vex architecture in the area remembering the feeling he had last time he was here before having another memory flash.
Banshee's past self is charging through a horde of bronze-colored robots. Each one has a singular redeye and a gut filled with Radioleria. Armed with his sword The Lament he swings it and destroys a Vex. He swings it again and again destroying more of the killer machines.
All around him he sees his fellow Exos fighting and dying to reach the Nexus so they can destroy the portal to the Vex's home universe. No matter how many Vex came through that portal Banshee and the others would not stop. Banshee swings the massive blade that is The Lament toward the Vex as it gives off the same wail it makes when swung. It is because of that wail that he gained his nickname…
…Banshee.
The memory ends and Banshee looks down the hill into the entrance to the Nexus.
'So that's why I'm called Banshee.' Banshee-44 thought to himself.
"Let's do this fireteam." Ana says she drives down the slope.
Cayde and Banshee follow her and enter the cave to the Nexus. All around themselves the large pieces of Vex structures sticking out of the ice walls. As they make it through the cave they come to an area where they stop at and find light and a short wall blocking them from taking their Sparrows further.
"Looks like we're climbing." Ana said as she and the others dismount from their Sparrows. They activated their thruster packs to make it to the top and begin walking down the path before them. The path leads them to a large cavern with Vex architecture all around them and two paths, one leading left and the other to the right. Before anyone could figure out where to go someone started contacting them on their comms.
"They say that you are part of your kinds greatest warriors." Said the voice the others recognized as Phylaks.
"Huntsmen and Huntresses who defend their people against monsters and fight against tyrants. But I think you are built with weakness. Cowardice. You flee from battles you think you will lose. Prove you are worth my time." Phylaks says before she cuts off the transmission.
"What did Phylaks mean by "cowardice"?" Banshee asked. "Is it about us retreating from her when she attacked us?"
"She attacked us with a power that could make us lose a huge percentage of our Auras." Ana reasoned. "We didn't know Stasis could do that. Retreating was the only option for us so we could figure out a better plan."
"But could we have beaten her then and their?" Banshee asked.
Ana was silent for a moment, not sure how to respond.
"Well, I'm not going to let her call us cowards." Cayde said as he got out his hand cannon The Ace of Spades. "So which way do we go?"
"Phylaks' transmission pinpoints to the right." Jinju said speaking up from Ana's gauntlet.
The group looks to the right path and sees that it is made of Vex platforms and structures. The group takes it and enters a tunnel that leads them through an ice cave with Vex architecture sticking through the walls. As the fireteam continue to go down the path Phylaks contacts them again.
"What drives you, earthborn? Do you fight for glory? For power? My Eliksni fight for the fight itself. There is nothing beyond it. Let me teach you this lesson."
"I don't like the sound of that." Cayde says as the group enters a new cave. Just as they kept moving forward a platoon of Eliksni come out and ambush them.
"Get to cover!" Ana ordered to the two Exos.
Dodging incoming Arc blasts the group manages to get behind some Vex architecture sticking out of the ground. Cayde manages to get a look over his cover to see a group of Dregs heading for them and three Vandals armed with Wire Rifles hanging back and taking aim at the fireteam.
"They've got snipers hanging back and Dregs charging at us." Cayde said to his teammates.
"Ana, me and Cayde got the Dregs." Banshee said as he readied his sword. "You take out the snipers."
"Got it."
Cayde and Banshee break out of cover and charge at the approaching Dregs. A Vandal takes aim as his rifle finishes charging only to get shot in the head by Ana. The other two Vandals see this and focus their attention on her. Meanwhile, Banshee uses his sword to block incoming fire from the Dregs' Shocks Pistols. Cayde then jumps over his old friend and throws a dagger made of fire into the group of Eliksni that explodes sending them into different directions. Cayde hip fires his gun the Ace of Spades at a few aliens and Banshee rushes in and cuts down some Dregs who started to get up. While the Exos were finishing off the Dregs Ana managed to eliminate the last two snipers.
"Let's get moving." Ana said as she took point and her teammates followed.
The group walked through a cave and came to a narrow space with Vex platforms on the floor and two more pieces of their architecture sticking out of the wall. A few Shanks were in the space and begin to fire at the group.
"That all you got Phylaks." Ana said with a smirk as she began to fire at the machines and charge forward.
Followed by her teammates they manage to eliminate the Shanks but out of the corners and hidden passageways more Shanks appear. But these Shanks were different because they had bombs strapped to them.
"Exploder Shanks and they've got us surrounded." Cayde said upon realization. "Run!"
The fireteam makes use of their thruster packs to avoid getting near the machines as they could hear the sound of the bombs own countdown clocks counting down to detonation. Ana manages to get out of the way and points her rifle at a Shank coming for her but stops to see a small sphere pop out of the ground in front of her beeping.
"What the-" Ana says before the sphere detonates releasing a dome of white energy surround her.
She tries to move but every movement she makes is slowed down and she to make matters worse she couldn't see the Shank anymore, but she could at least guess that it is approaching her, and it was probably getting close. Ana tries to move as fast as she can but with the energy field, she's stuck in she might as well have been jogging instead.
'Just what is this energy field!?' She thought to herself. As she was nearing the end of the field, she could hear the beeping of the Exploder Shank and it didn't seem to be affected.
'Come one!' She thought to herself as she made it out and activated her thruster pack just as the Shank got near and exploded. The explosions propelled her upward to a Vex structure that she hit and made her fall to the ground. Thanks to her Aura she managed to remain unharmed. As she began to get back up, she saw that the space was clear of Shanks and Cayde approached her.
"Ana are you okay?" Cayde asked as he helped her up.
"Yeah, just what was that thing?" Ana asked.
"Web Mines." Cayde explained to her. "A snare device the Eliksni make to trap their enemies in a "heavy" Arc energy field to slow them down and obscure their vision. Their machines are the only things not affected."
Xxx
Opening File: Web Mine
The Web Mine is an Eliksni proximity or impact triggered snare device that releases a tangle of "heavy" arc energy, causing spatial disruption within its sphere of influence. The effect slows down anyone caught in it, as well as limits their visual range while inside the mine's area of effect. However, Eliksni machines are unaffected by it.
The Web Mine's triggering mechanism ejects the physical mine into the air where it detonates its "Web" field. The triggering mechanism and mine can both be destroyed with focused fire.
Xxx
"Well, we won't have to worry about anymore of them here." Banshee says as he fires a rifle at spots in the ground triggering small explosions. "I'm using my Semblance to find them, since I use it to find details in my surroundings it comes in pretty handy when I try look for things."
With the space clear of Web Mines, the three make their way through the area. With every new area they came across Eliksni ready to fight them and each one was swiftly defeated. Eventually the fireteam came across a group of Eliksni that had a Heavy Shank with them. Cayde and Banshee were handling the remaining Eliksni while Ana dealt with the Shank. Its chassis was bulkier, and its firepower was much more devastating as Ana already took a few hits that dealt a lot of damage to her Aura, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. She took cover behind some Vex architecture and took a quick glance at the machine. She saw that the front of it had some sort of purple glowing vent to expel heat buildup.
"That's got to be a weak spot." Ana said to herself as she charged up a purple sphere of energy in her left hand. "Let's see how destructive this new move can be."
Ana moves out of cover and charges toward the Heavy Shank. It fires its repeating turrets at her, but she manages to evade those blasts and just when she was halfway toward the machine, she threw the ball of energy at the Shank's exhaust event.
It connects…
BOOM!
The Heavy Shank explodes, and its broken chassis falls to the ground with a heavy clank.
"What was that?" Cayde asked as him and Banshee approach Ana after eliminating the other Eliksni.
"I wasn't able to use my Semblance to analyze whatever it was you just threw." Banshee added in.
"I've mostly used my Semblance to manipulate gravity and dark energy to throw my opponents off-balance, disintegrate them, slow them down, or to speed up my movements, but by combining both energies together," Ana said as she held up her hand and closed it into a fist. "I can create a miniaturized dying star for even more damage."
"So, you threw a small-scale version of a supernova." Banshee said upon realization. "Clever move."
Just then their radios blare with a transmission coming from Phylaks.
"I see now you are a worthy challenge. A chance to hone my blade. Come find me, Earth spawn. I am waiting."
"Looks like we're worthy." Cayde said as the transmission ended.
The group continues down the path before them to find the Warrior, but no more Eliksni waited for them. Know doubt the fireteam had killed all remaining members of Phylak's crew. The fireteam eventually made their way to a rather 'spacious' area, it was a large cavern that seemed to be several miles wide, and before them was a large building of Vex superstructure that was sloping down to them and coming off it's sides seemed to be 'branches' going in all directions. The fireteam stood on a platform that connect the entrance to the base of the superstructure and spread out on the platform were small walls that could be used for cover. But what struck out the most to the group was a Crux of Darkness floating near the platform on the other side next to the base of the superstructure.
"Now what's that doing here?" Cayde asked.
But before anyone could try to answer Phylaks popped out from behind a wall and stood crouching on top of it with a cannon in her claws.
"I will bring your corpses to Eramiskel. I will forge a ring from your armors." Phylaks, the Warrior proclaimed as she fired her cannon.
"Move!" Cayde ordered the fireteam as they dodged out of the rocket's way. "That's a Scorch Cannon! It holds ten rockets but watch your back!"
"On it!" Ana said as she moved out of cover and began firing her rifle at the Warrior.
The shots impacted Phylaks' absorption shield making her fire another rocket at Ana's position. Ana rolls out of the way and as Eramis fired another rocket Ana threw a miniature supernova at the Stasis Baron. The ball of energy makes contact with the rocket and explodes. The shockwave of the explosion pushes Phylaks back and left her wide open to an attack from Banshee. He swings The Lament at the 12 ft tall Eliksni but she blocks the sword swing with the Scorch Cannon.
CRACK!
The cannon is cleaved in half by the weaponsmith's blade. The Warrior channels Stasis into her upper arms and brings them down. Banshee however activates his thruster pack into the air preventing him from being frozen by the release of Stasis energy. Banshee then brings down The Lament onto Phylaks while he was coming down from the air.
CRACK!
Phylaks manages to block the attack with large blocks of Stasis ice covering upper forearms. As he is brought back down Banshee struggles a little while locked in battle with Phylaks but he manages to force her back a few feet.
"Surprising strength for such a little creature!" Phylaks says with a hint of condescension in her tone.
"Lady you haven't seen anything yet!" Banshee said with a smirk.
Ana comes rushing in with her weapon Polaris Lance in its glaive mode. She strikes Phylaks from behind making her stagger a bit, but her absorption shield took most of the damage. Phylaks uses her teleporter to teleport a few feet away from the Terrans.
"Lucky hit, you will not make another!" Phylaks says with a growl as she uses Stasis to form two swords in her upper hands.
Phylaks leaps at the two and swings her swords at them. Banshee leaps back and Ana gets hit by the sword strikes and is pushed back by the force of the attack making her fall over. Phylaks then focuses her attention on Banshee and furiously strikes at him with her Stasis swords forcing him to stay on the defensive. She manages to make a few strikes on Banshee that causes his Aura to flare a bit but before she could make another strike…
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Phylaks is hit by three molten shots that sends her back near the Crux of Darkness and takes out her absorption shield. She looks to the direction of where the shots came from and saw Cayde approaching with his hand cannon The Ace of Spades out and pointed at her.
"Hope you didn't forget about me." Cayde said with a smirk.
"Cayde Reynolds." Phylaks said with a growl.
"So, you've heard of me." Cayde said. "I'm flattered."
"I know you as the one who killed Taniks, the Scarred." Phylaks. "He was an old friend to both me and Eramis."
"Your friend was a criminal, and he killed a lot of innocent people some of them were my friends." Cayde said with a hint of sadness in his voice at the mention of his lost friends. "So that armless coward got what was coming to him."
Phylaks sees Ana regroup with her fireteam and then says to the Terrans, "Your skills have earned all a quicky death!"
Phylaks raises her arms into the air and conjures three large spears of Stasis ice that she then hurls at the group forcing them to scatter and take cover behind some walls.
"Well, she's mad." Cayde says as more Stasis crystal spears are hurled toward the fireteam. "Any suggestions because her shields are probably recharging right now."
"I'm thinking." Ana says to her teammate. "Maybe we can-"
"Uh guys." Banshee says getting his teammates attention as he brought at his Splinter of Darkness. "I think somethings going on with the Splinters."
Ana and Cayde noticed that his Splinter of Darkness was glowing dark blue and then they brought theirs out too and saw that they were doing the same thing.
"The Crux must be energizing the Splinters." Ana said upon realization and then created a Stasis crystal in her hand. "So, let's use Stasis and take her out."
"I'm way ahead of you Ana." Cayde said as he got out of cover and was now in Phylaks' sight.
The Warrior summons another spear of Stasis ice and hurls it toward him. Cayde holds out his hands with Stasis energy emanating from them and manages to telekinetically catch the ice spear. Phylaks is shocked by what she is seeing as only the Eliksni should be able to harness this power not the Terrans.
"Return to sender!" Cayde yells out as he telekinetically throws the spear back at Phylaks who barely recovers from her shock and is hit by the spear.
The hit makes her fall back a few feet and her absorption shield managed to absorb most of the blow. As she gets back up, she sees Banshee rushing at her with his sword in his right and his left hand covered in Stasis ice. Phylaks summons a sword made of Stasis ice to block the swing of his sword, but it manages to break her Stasis sword. Banshee then uppercuts her in the face with his Stasis ice fist. Her absorption shield falters, and a tube is dislodged from her helmet. Before she could try to retaliate Ana comes in with Stasis Kamas and slashes Phylaks in the back. Without her absorption shield to cover her Phylaks' body feels the full force and now blood emerges from her wounded back. A reddish-purple color drips from it and stains her white armor cloth.
"Thi-this is…not…possible." Phylaks says with difficulty as she turns toward Ana almost falling over from blood loss. "This can't…happen."
"Things change." Ana says as she brings her Stasis Kamas together and forms them into a sword.
She then jumps toward the shocked Phylaks and stabs the sword into her throat. Phylaks falls onto her back from the force with Ana planting her foot into the Baroness' chest and then pulls out the blood-stained Stasis sword before making it disappear.
Phylaks weakly raises her upper left arm with a wheezing grunt but slowly drops her arm as the life fades out of her.
Phylaks, the Warrior is no more.
Ana takes a deep breath and then turns on her comms. "Variks, Phylaks is down."
"Her soldiers will scatter. But there are other powerful Eliksni that will stand in your path. [insect-like chattering]"
"Destroying the general doesn't destroy the army." Banshee says as he takes Phylaks's Splinter of Darkness.
"But this is a start, at least." Cayde says.
"Cayde's right, taking out Phylaks will deal a blow to moral and make it more difficult for Eramis to control her own forces." Ana says before she turns her attention to the Splinter Banshee took. "Let's get that Splinter back to camp. Elsie owes me some much-needed answers."
Ana walks ahead of the two Exos who then turn their attention toward each other.
"Do you think Ana is doing the right thing making her sister's future self or alternate self to be precise, give her the identity of her birth parents?" Cayde asked his old friend as they walk behind the Bray woman.
"I don't know." Banshee says. "But all I know for certain is that no matter what the answer is I have a feeling that she won't like it either way."