Prophet (my Ghost): WarNIng-wARniNG: ComMUNNicaTions HACked! UnaBLE TO─
*White noise*
Me: PROphET?! WhaT ThE Hell Is gOINg ON─?!
*White noise cancels out comms-and an electronic whine cancels the white noise*
[23-5 1-18-5 20-8-5 3-25-16-8-5-18-19.
20-8-5 1-2-19-15-12-21-20-9-15-14 4-9-18-5-3-20-9-22-5 9-19 3-15-13-9-14-7.
20-8-5 20-15-23-5-18, 20-8-5 3-15-14-19-5-14-19-21-19, 1-14-4 20-8-5 22-1-14-7-21-1-18-4 23-9-12-12 16-1-25 6-15-18 23-8-1-20 20-8-5-25 4-9-4 20-15 21-19.
15-14-5 15-6 21-19 19-20-1-14-4-19 1-13-15-14-7 20-8-1-20 '19-1-6-5 8-1-22-5-14' 25-15-21 3-1-12-12 20-8-5 3-9-20-25.
23-1-9-20-9-14-7.
23-1-20-3-8-9-14-7 1-12-12 15-6 20-8-15-19-5 23-8-15 3-1-12-12 20-8-5-13-19-5-12-22-5-19 '23-1-18-18-9-15-18-19 15-6 20-8-5 12-9-7-8-20'.
20-15 20-8-5 20-15-23-5-18, 20-8-5 3-15-14-19-5-14-19-21-19, 20-8-5 22-1-14-7-21-1-18-4, 1-14-4 20-8-5 19-16-5-1-11-5-18 23-5, 3-25-16-8-5-18-19 4-5-12-9-22-5-18 25-15-21 1 23-1-18-14-9-14-7.
23-5 23-9-12-12 18-9-19-5 1-7-1-9-14 19-20-18-15-14-7-5-18, 20-8-1-14 25-15-21 18-5-13-5-13-2-5-18 21-19.
1-14-4 23-8-5-14 25-15-21-18 3-9-20-25 1-14-4 20-18-1-22-5-12-5-18 9-19 15-14 20-8-5 22-5-18-7-5 15-6 2-5-9-14-7 20-1-11-5-14 5-24-16-5-3-20 14-15 8-5-12-16 6-18-15-13 21-19.
20-8-9-19 9-19 20-8-5 16-18-9-3-5 25-15-21 23-9-12-12 1-12-12 16-1-25 6-15-18 25-15-21 4-9-4 23-8-1-20 25-15-21 4-9-4 20-15 21-19!]
*Transmission ends*
Me: Prophet, what was that?
Prophet: I don't know, but from what I can tell, this is a ciphered message. Has to be a letter-to-number simple substitution cipher. I can't pick off any coordinates or broadcast origin from it. It's almost as though whoever's transmitting this is covering up their tracks.
Me: Can you decrypt it?
Prophet: I can't do it immediately. Remember, I have the same mental limitations as you humans. All Ghosts do.
Me: *Sighs frustratingly* I guess it will have to wait. Prophet, just decipher what you can in time for the next chapter. Let's get on with what Spectre and Reaper will go through. Also, I apologize for this chapter taking way too long to write. I had a lot going downhill after the last update and that I'm comparing my previous attempts at writing dates to this one now.
Chapter VII: Something to Remember
Exodus Park, the City
Why the hell do I feel nervous? Is it because I'm pretty much going out with someone for the first time since two years ago? Or is it something I fear? Guess it's because I need to open up now, for Reaper to better know me. Not a lot of people know me better under the 'Greatest Titan among other Titans', 'Protégé/second-in-command to Commander Zavala' and 'Leader of one of the most respected Fireteams and groups under the Vanguard' titles. Well, scratch the 'not a lot of people know me' thing, because it's only two people. And one of them is dead.
The sun's about to set on the City, and here I am waiting in the City's central park located directly below the Traveler. As I sat on a bench, dressed in casual wear; comprising of jeans, a red shirt and an unzipped black Harrington jacket with the collar popped up, I looked up at the one who gave us the ability to use the Light as a weapon and faintly smiled. As much as I owe the Traveler a lot for everything I've done in my time as a Guardian, there's still more I have yet to do. Thank the Traveler that I was able to convince Zavala that Lightning was a friendly and a sister I haven't seen in a long time. But Ikora…even though I respect Warlocks, Ikora's particular fondness for sticking her nose into others' businesses is invading and just plain wrong. Now she's suspicious of Lightning.
Earlier today, Reaper told me we would meet in Exodus Park─the one I'm in right now─right after she was done with something going on in the Cosmodrome. Based on comms with her, it sounded like Taken were advancing on the City and Fireteam Gulch needed help from Dragon. And Lightning was there, of course. At least I don't have to face her with what I'm doing right now. At least Silver knows what's going on, and he said he'd keep his mouth shut about it after I'm done tonight.
As the minutes passed by, some of the park-goers saw me and started asking for photos and autographs. There were the occasional girls that wanted to go out with me, but I fabricated the story that I was here on leave and not here on a date with another Guardian. There was even a little kid with his parents who wanted to be a Guardian like me when he grows up. I ruffled his hair and told him that when the time comes, he can be one of us. Heh, guess this is the fame and recognition a Guardian gets for taking out the Black Garden and continued to defend the City against the likes of Crota and Skolas, and not just by fellow Guardians. Plus, I heard it's rare for Guardians to be in the City, regardless of being on duty or not. Maybe it's because that our Ghosts are literally hovering over our shoulders since they have no place to hide.
"Not to sound like a guy desperate for a date, but do you think she ditched us?" I asked my Ghost, to which his shell clicked and whirred as he pondered on the question.
"Not really. C'mon Spectre, how long have we known each other? I know how long your patience can be, outside of people ignoring you like what happened to 20."
"…Good point."
"Hey, sorry I'm late!" I turn my head from the bench. Well, here she is. I got up from the bench. Like me, Reaper decided to dress in her own casual wear; gray bomber jacket, boots and jeans with her hair draped over her shoulders. Rex hovered over her left shoulder like Primus. "How long have you waiting for me?"
Primus and I traded looks before I looked back at her. "Don't worry. You made us wait for about half an hour, but it's understandable based on what you were doing."
"Yeah, busy deciding what to wear for the date tonight." Rex joked, causing Reaper to go into another of her flusters.
"These are the only things I have!"
"And here I thought waiting was boring." I said, causing the Huntress and her Ghost to look at me.
"Oh? And just what were you doing while you were waiting for me?"
"Just the usual: signing autographs and taking pictures with fans, even giving a little kid some motivation to be a Guardian like us." I joked, faintly smirking.
"Feeling like a celebrity after everything you did for the City?" I hear her joke, cracking a warm smile.
I crossed my arms. "Not really. A lot of the City's citizens look up to us Guardians, and not just me and you."
"You're right on that part," she pulled an apple and another of her knives out of her bomber jacket and started cutting it, then popping a slice in her mouth. "We're here now, so what are we going to do on this beautiful night?"
Okay, now I feel that she just stole the words right out of my head. Isn't that what guys should say on their date, or am I taking it the other way around?
[Actually, both sides of the date can say that. But she beat you to the punch on saying it.] Primus answered in my thoughts, and right there and now I mentally facepalmed.
Since when do you know how this type of thing works!?
[How else would I know how it works?] Dammit, I forgot: Epsilon told him based on her and her partner's experiences with me and Primus. How could spending time with the one woman I loved fly over my head…oh wait. Now I remember.
"Actually, there's a small restaurant near Exodus. Been there a couple of times."
"Let's go, then."
I gesture for her to follow me, leading the way with her at my side. As I focus to find the restaurant─been quite a while since I was last there, I might add─, my memories of my time with Vesper started to surface. I remember when we had our dates, always started like this, then went for either a restaurant or a simple walk under the park. It's not just the First Curse that retains memories of her, but also of many other things. But there's more to the handcannon I simply refuse to use anymore and leave on my bedside table to collect dust. More than just having the memory of killing her out of being forced.
"Is everything okay, Spectre? You seem spaced out."
I turn to face her stone-colored gaze. "Before this? Well, dealing with Rez's crap─as usual, training new Guardians who were fortunate enough to stumble onto the Ancient Vanguard, sorting out a Sparrow power core I may or may not have destroyed for Amanda in time for SRL, I can just go on. Oh, and the fact I had to clear something up with a new Guardian."
"New?"
"Well, not exactly new. They were coming in from the Reef after spending a long time in the Vestian Outpost, and they have never been to the Tower in that time."
"That explains the ship hovering over the plaza when I got back from the Cosmodrome, and the fact that I heard you were called to the hangar to see what was going on."
"Zavala was just about to kick them out of the Tower, but I intervened before he could." Okay, thank the Traveler that I stopped myself short of saying that it was my sister. Then she would be asking a lot of questions.
"Friend of yours?"
"You could say that," again, I glanced over at the Huntress as we walked down the path, avoiding the gaze of most City civilians that would recognize me. "So what about you? What's your side of the story? Aside from dealing with Taken in the Cosmodrome."
A small chuckle with a shake of her head. "Outside of that, nothing much. Still keeping my hunting skills at top form, trying to not be Taken with the help of the prototype you gave me yesterday, being a watcher in the dark to new Guardians out in the Cosmodrome, that type of thing."
"Trying to avoid attention with the new Guardians?"
"More of a 'hidden ally' thing." Okay, that just plain old reminds me of the Stranger, though I'm not sure about comparing the two with one another.
After spending a few more minutes walking, we found our way to the restaurant in question. It was a small establishment, sitting along the road like most of the buildings here and attracted quite a few. I used to go here frequently during my earlier days as a Guardian, but that dwindled down to like once or twice a month now. Guess that's a letdown of all the recognition I have now.
"For all the times I've been to this part of the City, I never saw this before." I hear Reaper gasp in awe, taking in the appearance of the restaurant.
"Not a lot of people go down here. From what I know, this place serves a lot of Guardians fortunate to come here. It's not common for the civilians here."
"Been here before?"
I nod. "A lot during my earlier days as a Guardian. It might not be well known, but the food they serve here and their service are spot-on from my own experiences." Here, I think I just made Reaper very interested in the restaurant. I can just tell from her body language.
"Let's go then. I'm hungry."
For some reason, I smile. I don't know why, but it feels like Vesper never left, and is still here with me. "Shall we?"
"Look who it is! The big man himself!" one of the waiters called out as soon as I entered the restaurant, and I gave a two-fingered salute back. "How long has it been, Spectre?"
"By my count, it's been two or so months since then, Matt." Knowing Matt, he was probably expecting me. I am one of his valued Guardian customers after all.
"Who's the lovely lady, Spectre?" he flashed one of his signature grins, and I saw Reaper's face turn a slight red upon hearing the comment. "I thought you were the type that would stand on their own without a woman."
Ignoring that comment, I turned to face the Bladedancer. "Reaper, this is Matt. Matt, this is Reaper."
"As in the Predator?"
Reaper sprung to life when the waiter mentioned her title. "How'd you─?"
"Matt was a former Hunter," I explain. "We both met in the Iron Banner, but as it turns out, we met during the Sepiks Prime strike when I was still a new Titan."
"Been kicking ass in the Iron Banner, till someone decided to call me a cheater because I was just doing my job on my side of the team!" he stuck another of his toothpicks in between his teeth like a cigarette, chewing on it to deal with that incident, "Was banned from the Tower after a lot of real bad juju after the Iron Banner last September─and I'm not talking about that Pulse Rifle─and a very bad injury that my Ghost couldn't heal, so I decided to stay here in the City."
"And that's why you made me your personal Iron Banner moneymaker. Because I'm so damned unstoppable with a 3.0 and above K/D Ratio?" knowing Matt, he probably just realized he got burned. So I may not have the best punchlines and puns, sue me.
"But enough talk of the past. It's good to see you, buddy." He directed the two of us to an open table, not that there was anyone else around the place aside from the employees and me and Reaper. We sat down, and Matt handed the both of us menus. "Just the usual, Spectre?"
"Chicken salad, with a vodka martini." I reminded him, looking over at Reaper while she skimmed through the menu. "Matt, get the martini right this time. I told you again and again, shaken; not stirred." I cringed when I recalled the times Matt brought me a vodka martini that was the complete opposite of what I asked. Had to avoid drinking stirred martini for days after I take a drink from it.
"Got you this time," he took note of my order, then looked over at my date, "And you, ma'am?"
She closed the menu. "Tonjiru with the same drink, just with gin, an olive and stirred."
My jaw slightly hung open, but I quickly closed it shut to avoid looking like an idiot instead of a renowned Guardian. Not because of Reaper taking the complete opposite of my normal martini with vodka, a thin lemon slice and shaken, but that…
That's the exact same martini that Vesper had when we went out to dinner, down to using gin and being stirred.
Snap out of it, Spectre! It's just a coincidence! Has to be…
"It'll be ready in a bit. I'll let you two have your time." Matt began to walk away and to tell the cooks of the order, leaving the two of us be. Feeling bold enough, I started to talk to Reaper.
"How long were you known as the 'Predator', Reaper?"
"Not very long. Seeing as I was a stealthful Hunter before I got my nickname, I just grew out of it since the other Guardians started calling me that during the strikes I participated in," she looked over at her Ghost hovering above her shoulder, then back at me, "What about you? You weren't always known as the Hive Conqueror or the Swarm Culler. You earned that title right at the anniversary of when the City first stood."
"I guess you're right on that part. I went by a lot of different names; 'Hotshot', 'Untouchable', 'Bull's Eye' and 'Brawler', to name a few, mostly for my knack of using red and black shaders and just charging right into the heat of battle and making it out alive," if there was a Titan's equivalent of Ikora during her younger years, I'd guess it'd be me. Not biased here. "Over the course of Year 1, I began to change. Instead of depending on myself, I began to rely on Silver and Rez─even though he's just a plain old sore loser in the Crucible─, even depend on other Guardians if the three of us can't get the job done."
"Why did you change from red and black to just plain black?"
I bit my tongue before I spoke. Even if it was four years since I killed Vesper─two years prior to Year 1 and now four─, her death kept on haunting me over the course of Year 1. I guess you can say it's a Guardian's equivalent of mourning at a funeral. Vesper's death is a wound that will never heal as long as I live. Even if I try to forget, it's a scar on myself.
"…I guess you could say it was because of me wanting to try one color instead of two. Started with Superblack, and after the Festival of the Traveler, The Old Guard."
"You earned it."
"Three medals of honor after defending the City from the Black Garden, Crota and Skolas, a distinguished service cross, plus earning a place in the Hall of Guardians among Zavala, Ikora and Cayde while representing an official group approved by the Speaker? I'd say that's more than what I should've earned." I paused for a bit, recalling the various medals and awards I earned from the Festival of the Traveler that are on my wall back in my room. Rez and Silver earned the same things after the Crumble of the Black Garden, but we still stuck as a team. "But really, all those times to me seem like they were just nothing. Just duty."
"They do mean something!" I was taken aback by Reaper's sudden protest against what I thought were nothing more than small feats. "No other Guardian I know has successfully defended the City from threats on three separate occasions throughout the year or earned a spot in the Hall of Guardians!"
"What I meant by that is that while it is something worthy of a legend, my point of view differs on that subject. Not because I hate it, mind you, but because of how many times I fought over and over for the sake of the Traveler and the City. And that, to me, is just a small step towards something greater. There's yet more to come, and a lot of obstacles with this new threat."
"Spoken like Zavala," she warmly smiled, propping an arm on the table to support her hand on her face. Right now, it feels like both her being here and my memories of Vesper are starting to blur, but I have to remember that Vesper is not here. "You never shoot to miss, do you?"
"Not even once. Not now, and not ever."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blur of blonde hair with red highlights pass by the window of the restaurant. Oh great. Now she knows. As though there was a whiplash, the figure turns around and leaves. I sunk in my seat a little bit, knowing what'll happen once I get back to the Tower. Soon after, Matt approached the table with our drinks ready. He places them on our respective sides of the table and tells us that our food will be ready in a bit before leaving.
I took a sip from my drink, hoping to expect the flavor I wanted. After taking the risk of probably not drinking vodka martinis for weeks, I smirked and set the glass down on the table. Guess Matt got it right this time after all… It's shaken, just the way I like it.
"…I think I'll call that one a vesper."
"Because of the sweetness when you drink it, then comes the bitter aftertaste?" Reaper finished taking a sip from her martini, looking at me as soon as she's finished. What's up with people who I trust more than enough in the battlefield saying things that my lover had said when she was alive? Now that I look at Reaper's face, my vision started to blur and I saw half of her face replaced with Vesper's.
"Because once you've tasted it, you won't drink anything else." I said, not paying attention to what I said. Reaper gives me a look that clearly says 'what are you talking about?' all over it. I quickly apologized about the whole thing and proceeded to take another sip from my martini.
Just in the nick of time, Matt comes in and brings our food. After we got it, we took our time eating it and discussed things over our experiences during Year 1, such as us working alone on the battlefronts before I got roped into a Fireteam that would later be known as Nero Bianco and how we were able to hold off on our own against the Fallen and the Hive on multiple occasions in the same year. Odd… After all this time in which I wouldn't tell anyone about what happened to me two years prior to the start of Year 1, especially to someone I only knew a little over a week ago and started to trust. I was lightening my load that I had carried since Vesper's death. And right now, it feels like I'm talking to Vesper about the hardships and obstacles I've faced throughout Year 1 instead of Reaper. But of course, I'm not actually telling Reaper that I had killed a fellow Huntress out of being forced to.
Matt came by after we finished eating, and he passed me the bill. And oddly like when we first met a week ago, Reaper had Rex open up her Glimmer storage unit to pay. I stopped her before she started pouring fistfuls of the currency into Matt's hand and told her I would cover it this time. Remembering what happened when Banshee declined her amount of Glimmer for Starfall, she pouted and started putting the cubes back into her storage unit.
Heh, maybe I was long overdue for a small change this time around…
-Destiny-
After parting ways as soon as we got back to the Tower, I began the journey back to my quarters in the Tower and made a beeline. Knowing this time of the night, Rez was already asleep and Silver was either studying the work made by Toland and Ikora or collaborating with 20/20 on the 2.0 materials for the Taken membrane. After the success of the field tests that Reaper took─yes, my field test armor was busted, and that the data got corrupted somehow─, the other Guardians started to utilize them and the team Silver was working with began creating variations of the field tests that Reaper and I used. Yes, they're still in the prototype stage, but we need the protection from the membrane.
I walked into the living room, which is now 100% free from that membrane that Silver got. The lamp was dimly lit, almost as though it activated automatically. Yawning, I proceeded to get a glass of water and started pouring myself a glass.
"Where were you?"
Sighing, I put the ice-cold pitcher down on the table as soon as I heard the slide of a sidearm cocking and I put my hands up. I turned around to face Lightning, who aimed her relic CP99 at me as though I was intruding. Relax, she doesn't need to know…
"I was out for a break. Thought I would get some breathing time from what's been going on."
She lowered her sidearm to her side, and I knew that was a signal for me to stop looking like an idiot and put my hands down. I continued to pour water from the pitcher until the glass was full. I offered her a glass as well and she accepted my offer, the two of us sitting down at the table after I handed her a glass and looking at each other face to face like brother and sister.
"You still hate the Cyphers, do you?"
I tightened my grasp around my glass tightly, making sure I didn't break it with the strength I have. "Why do you think I refuse to stay with them for more than thirty seconds when giving my report?"
"Look, you're not the only one who hates the Cyphers for a reason. Why do you think they sent me away from you and out in the Reef among the Awoken?"
"You have a point. But tell me: after you were forced to kill someone you loved ever so dearly, would you take on a mission by the people who ordered you around? The ones who taught you everything you need to know about survival?"
Lightning took a large drink from her glass, setting it down and thinking. "I wouldn't."
"Exactly." I got up from my chair and started to walk to my room to sleep.
"So who was the girl you were out with?"
Not wanting to talk about it─plus that I'm getting tired─, I only gave one answer after I opened the door. "Goodnight, Light." I closed the door on her.
"The Taken were just the beginning…"
An eerie figured loomed over the table where Cayde, Ikora, Zavala and Spectre did their Vanguard duties, three dull green lights blazing to life. She rests a hand on the side of the table where the Ancient Vanguard leader did his duties, fingers brushing against a formation on the table to indicate an emblem or insignia that was resting there imprinted.
"Almost a century has passed…yet their determination to return is present here." The green glow normally associated with the Hive dimly shone on the emblem imprinted on the surface of the table.
"One of them is here, among us…hiding in sheep's clothing. But will he bring us more despair like the Disgraced One had delivered us long ago?" the shadow looming over the table recognized the emblem's design. There was no doubt about the origins of the emblem. She could see where the emblem's design came from, even if it was altered in any way.
"Or will he be the one to bring us hope? Hope not from the Light, but from the pits of the Darkness itself? Hope, and the path to slaying Oryx for good and bring us to a second Golden Age?"
