He paused. In truth, he was awake for a similar reason. Images of grotesque Eliksni, a prince, a dragon, two hand cannons, a jade coin, and an icy moon flashed through his mind.
"Nothing important," he said dismissively.
"I know you're lying, Ven."
Letting out a sigh of resignation Vendrick slid back into his seat. "They were just dreams Flux, nothing to be worried about…"
"Listen, you've always been there to support me. Even through the most mundane things. I want to be the same for you," Flux said reassuringly.
"I'm just so used to keeping everything to myself," Vendrick said softly.
"You can tell me."
. . .
He stood in the deepest part of a massive steel prison, a heavy sense of despair filling his chest. Why? His mentor lay dying on the floor.
"This ain't on you kid," he wheezed.
Looking up, the despair ignited into hatred. Ahead stood the target of his ire: a prince.
"He didn't feel a thing." Smugness dripped from his voice.
He quickly drew his cannon and fired off a single shot. He wasn't fast enough, the door having closed mere milliseconds before the bullet could reach its target.
*Blink*
The prison transformed into a mausoleum.
The body of his mentor was replaced with the prince. His face was pained but that same smugness was still present.
"Everything I did, I did for her!"
"...and everything I did, I did for him."
"Oh, please. Spare me your hypocrisy! I heard about your atrocities across the Reef. About the things you did to my Barons, my friends. You claim it was in the name of justice yet your actions say otherwise! Funny. The line between Light and Dark is so very thin. Do you know which side you-
BANG
*Blink*
The mausoleum turned into a massive sanctuary. An eldritch monstrosity emerged from the expansive darkness.
"You think that killing me would absolve you of your hatred? That your actions will finally be justified? All you will do is fulfill HER wish and I for one can't wait to show you."
*Blink*
He stood in a large cavern surrounded by various supplies and equipment. He'd been running various jobs for the Drifter for the past several weeks. They'd caught wind that someone named Aunor was investigating their activities and had dispatched someone to intercept them.
That someone now had a Taken-esque hand cannon pointed at their face. Confusion and betrayal hung in the air.
"Flux!? You're the one Aunor sent to capture us?"
"Ven? I thought you died? Why are you working with the Drifter!?"
*Blink*
He stared at his workbench, a single light illuminating the room. Before him lay two infamous hand cannons. He'd gone to the deepest pits of Sorrow to get them. But they were more than just weapons. No, they both represented opposing ideologies.
In his hand was a note:
Throughout our time working together, I've seen you grow. When we met, you were directionless, vengeful, and most dangerously; curious. You were willing to step out of the light and explore what lay in the dark. I'd seen your type before, you were starting down a path I've seen countless others walk only to see them fail. Yet, you persisted through sheer force of will. Now you, and a few like you, are the warriors who can walk the line between Light and Dark.
This trait alone is the reason I gifted you the Last Word and the reason I allowed you to craft a Thorn. I trust you will use them well.
-S
*Blink*
He sat at a campfire, a blanket of snow stretching as far as the eye can see. Holding up his hand, shards of Darkness that orbited around his fingers quickly formed into a shuriken. Three other figures sat with him, observing.
"Your mastery over stasis has grown considerably. I'm curious to see what other constructs you can form."
"I'm with Moondust brother. Once we get back, I can't wait to see your new skills in Gambit."
"What he can create is unimportant. What I'm most concerned about is his actions in this timeline. Once you three head back and display your new powers, guardians from all over the system will flock to Europa. It is up to us to teach them."
*Blink*
He was…lost? One minute he was his Flux's raid team and the next he was here, wherever here was. He knew he was still in the Pyramid, judging by the architecture.
"Welcome to my abode, though I suppose it's too late for introductions," a barritone voice called behind him.
Whirling around, he took in the being before him.
Maroon in color, tall, slim yet muscular. The humanoid entity stepped gracefully towards him, hands behind its back. Alarm bells going off in his head, he quickly drew Ace and fired off a hail of bullets.
The entity simply swatted them aside. "Oh please, there's no need for that," it said as it sat cross-legged in front of him. "I just want to talk."
. . .
"Wow I…" Flux started to say but his friend interrupted him.
"When Zavala paired us together that first month you were resurrected. I took it upon myself to be the model guardian you could look up to; just as Andal, Cayde, and Shiro did for me. But when you first started racking up achievement after achievement I honestly felt jealous, we all did."
"Ven…"
"But I was also proud. That despite being just another guardian, it was comforting to know that I helped you grow into what everyone aspires to be. That I at least had some influence on the universe."
Vendrick leaned forward, his optics staring at his clasped hands.
"Then the universe decided to make it personal. The Red War made me question my view on the Light and Cayde's death was the catalyst to seek other methods. I didn't want you to know how I felt, that the man you looked up to was corrupted; was someone lesser. So I fled, in part to find answers but also because I couldn't face you after the Dreaming City. I was scared you would find out about my actions leading up to that raid."
Flux was quiet, taking time to process Vendrick's words.
"Ven," he said eventually. "When you disappeared it was hard for me and Tony. We missed you, I missed you. We searched for so long but we couldn't find you. It hurt you know, it felt like you ditched us. We thought you died," Flux said, whispering the last part.
Vendrick hung his head in shame.
Flux continued, "Aunor had told me some awful things the Drifter and his crew were allegedly doing. She convinced me to join her investigation. So I was confused when I discovered you of all people at the capture point."
Vendrick's hands clenched.
"But I was also relieved."
His head shot up at the statement, his optics wide with shock.
"I was relieved that you were alive and still around. I don't know what you were going through at the time but the fact you didn't shoot me showed that deep down you still cared."
"Even so," Vendrick whispered. "The look on your face forced me to reconsider everything that I had done up to that point. So I sought out Shin. He helped me realign my philosophy. And in that process, I wanted to reconnect with you and Tony. Or I tried anyway."
"Yeah,'" Flux admitted. "That was a busy year. The Scarlet Keep, Saint-14, Rasputin, the arrival of the Pyramids; I felt the same as you, but I guess the universe had different plans."
"Yeah…"
"Hey Ven, this might be off topic but what did you and Rhulk talk about?"
Vendrick paused, recalling the conversation he had with the Disciple a few weeks ago. "He told me the both of us were kindred spirits. He said the way I carry myself is the exact same way he does. Both of us were lost and confused but found renewed purpose. He had utmost respect for those who travel down a path like ours."
"Do you agree?"
He thought about it. After Rhulk told him his story he was inclined to agree that their paths were indeed similar.
"I do actually."
"There has to be more. He must've wanted something to whisk you away like that," Flux pressed.
Vendrick nodded. "You're right. He wanted me to join him, to become a disciple of the Witness."
"Well, since he's dead I think I can guess how the conversation went." Flux laughed in a poor attempt to make a joke.
"I could've ended up like him though. That's why I kept his glaive."
"That seems to be a trend with you. First Ace now this."
"Yeah…I guess it is."
An awkward silence followed as Flux dug back into his tub of ice-cream.
"Flux," Vendrick said after a few minutes. "I'm glad I was able to tell you this. It seems like one thing keeps leading to another and eventually it becomes too much to process. It's nice to finally let this go."
Flux smiled, "You're welcome. Like I said, you've always been there to listen, so I want to be the same for you-"
A sudden noise to their side alerted them to a third party: Standing next to the coffee machine was Tonitrus with a steaming mug in his hands.
"Tony? How long have you been up?" Asked Flux
"Not too long, ten minutes I think."
"Were we being too loud?" asked Vendrick.
He shook his head. "No, I've just been having early mornings lately. I hope I didn't interrupt your… therapy session."
"Actually, I think we were finishing up," Flux said, pushing away the now empty tub.
Vendrick simply nodded.
"Alright, you guys want me to make breakfast?" Asked Tonitrus.
"I'm good, thanks Tony," Said Vendrick as he stood up from his seat.
"I could go for breakfast."
"You just ate an entire tub of ice-cream fatty," Vendrick quipped, seemingly back to his old self.
"And? Shoot me."
Vendrick paused trying to think of a retort. "You're lucky I'm sleepy," he finally said. Rather than returning to his bedroom however, he plopped himself onto the couch.
"Love you too buddy," Flux called over the bar counter.
A thought passed through Tonitrus' mind as he started pulling things out of the fridge.
"I only caught the very end of the conversation, but I can guess what it was about. You guys won't remember but we were like this shortly before we became Exos. The three of us were pretty much a family then…we still are. And like all families, we'll have our ups and downs but in the end we'll still have each other… I love you both."
