The following is a report on the state of C1's memory, and DER. [C1, as indicated by numbers, only has been reset once.]
P: So tell me, how far back can you remember?
C1: Doc, I can remember my first life. Its the second go around I can't remember some of.
P: Tell me what you do remember.
C1: I remember, this won't be in order sorry. *Psychologist gestures to continue* Six Fronts, the Battle of Twilight Gap, Mare, and...before that. Nothing. Aside from a name I had it carved into my arm. By my own hand I think. Al can't remember that period either.
P: Al is your Ghost yes?
C1: Yeah, short for Alastor.
P: *nods and looks at notes* According to your file, you were Risen nearly a 860 years ago. So that period is, concerning.
C1: Yep. Now I keep backup memory banks.
P: So back to this name. What was it?
C1: Ana Bray.
Toles had been on her way to...anywhere really when she heard her name being called. Or rather trying to be called.
"Towles? Toes? Toeless?"
She sighed and turned. "Its Toles. Say it with me Toll-s. Tooooolless."
The pigtailed redhead smiled, "Sorry about that. Never caught your name properly. Got it now though." She extended a metal hand to shake, "I'm Gaige. I've been around Cain for the last good while."
The Hunter took the offer and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you. Toles like I said, his daughter. Glad someone was looking out for that old man. What do you need?"
"I just wanted to know more about you and him. He's..not very open about himself. Most of the time at least, but he seems to be letting it out more."
Toles chuckled softly, "Yeah he'll do that sometimes. In our line of work...it doesn't always work out. Never know when that Guardian you just had a drink with is gonna bite it. Staying distant...even with our culture around death, it helps ease the loss ya know?"
Gaige nodded in understanding, "He said he was called a Protector I thought?" Seeing this Toles paled.
Frick.
Gaige shrugged it off, "Still, I wanna know about him. So how about you and I hit up Moxxxi's and you tell me some embarrassing stories about daddy dearest? I'll buy."
"Moxxxi's?"
"Bar."
Toles grin was unsettling, "Deal."
Cain finally was released from Roland's never ending interrogation. He managed to deflect or wing the answering on anything about where he was from but damn was the man relentless.
"I'm so pranking Gaige for that." He grunted. "Knowing her though, she's likely-" A crash from Moxxxi's had the Nighthawk looking that way. "Hmmm...nope! Not on the clock, not my problem," he chirped with an eye smile.
The Nighthawk promptly pivoted on his foot 115 and walked back to his home. He sat down at his workbench and returned to working on his project.
Had he known the cause of the crash it most certainly would have been his problem and there would have been a murder case in Sanctuary.
If they ever found the body that is.
/ / \ \
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Toles sat back down after throwing the man who had thought touching her ass was a good idea. She sighed and sipped her drink, "So. Where were we?"
"You were about to tell us how our favorite Hawk met ya darlin'," Moxxi stated, having heard of the topic they were speaking of and decided to listen in.
"Right, right sorry. I was seven. I already had a family," her eyes found her drink as she slowly swirled it in her hand, "Where we're from we are taught one thing from a young age: 'Don't leave the City. The outside is dangerous.' And it is. Extremely." Ocean eyes found teal and green, then lowered back down. Toles seemed to shrink into herself, "I was a kid. I didn't listen. You know how it goes. I snuck out through a crack in the Wall. The Fallen found me pretty fast. I'd only been outside for a few hours. Then, they began interrogating me. They didn't hurt me at first, more info when willing and all that," she rolled her hand. Gaige looked like she wanted to ask a question but held her tongue. "Fast forward a few days. We had been told the Fallen were bad guys in the City so I kept telling them that. My parents," the female Hunter went quiet, her hands found her thighs and balled into fists. "My parents went to look for me. The," her eyes shot to Gaige for a moment, "Protectors they all spoke with to ask to go look for me, they all told them there was no point, I was already dead.
"Because of me they died. More Fallen got them. Brought the bodies into the same place they were holding me. I saw them from my cell. I don't know why they brought them. They just did. I knew what death looked like. Saw it enough times," the edges of her mouth turned upwards in a bittersweet smile, "Turns out word got out about a missing kid. It happened when Cain was hanging out with some fellow Hunters," she paused and took a long drink.
"They were talking the talk. This one sits down complaining about the fact my parents were askin' around and they never showed back up days later. Cain..." she chuckled softly, this time remembering to censor bits about their home, "that dusty old bird grabbed the poor son of a gun by the collar and ripped him a new one about not stepping up. You need to understand something about us. We're on another level from civilians. Completely. We are the only ones allowed out of the City because we are the only ones who can fight what's out there. A civilian going out there is almost a certain death sentence. Its like the mooks you all got against an experienced Vault Hunter. So if a parent asks you to go out and at least look for their kid," her eyes glared into theirs, rage present, "You do it dangit. Even if it's to tell them the worst news a parent can hear. Cain nearly killed the guy," what she didn't tell them was Cain marched that Guardian to the Crucible later dragging him by his Cloak, one of the biggest insults in Hunter culture, and kicked the everliving hell out of him, killing him well over two hundred times each time actually in a completely different manner, recorded it, and spread the video just so every Guardian knew what he would do to them if they made the same mistake. "So once Cain is finished getting the info he needed from the Hunter, he rushes out and starts following the trail he picked up from civilians and my parents. Along the way he picked up his friend, a Titan, one of the heavy hitter types, by the name of Ares."
"They started hurting me by then," she missed Moxxi's look of shock, and the fact the bar was silent now, patrons all listening. "I wasn't cooperating. I don't remember how long I was there for. I just remember one moment there is this Fallen hurting me, cutting me, and next thing I know the door to the throne room, which opened vertically, mind you, was simply disintegrated in fire and Cain and Ares...I had never seen anyone so angry. The eyes of Cain's helmet were blazing like twin suns. Ares was snarling with one, massive, burning maul, his mismatched eyes promised nothing but pain. He's normally a stoic type." She gave a small smile.
"They massacred every last one including the Kell, their leader, in only a few minutes. They got me out of there and back to the City after some basic first-aid to keep me stable. They checked on me in the hospital for as long as they could but duties called them away. I was out for a good two and a half days once we got back to the City. I drew him a picture in the time I was laid up," she laughed as she remembered that day. She had been so bad at drawing then, "I was released and I looked around the City trying to find him or Ares. I was granted access to the Vanguard Tower, really I ran past the guard when I saw Cain. I...sorta ran up to him and showed him the drawing. And when he learned my parent's didn't make it, he offered me a home and food. I accepted it and here we are."
Gaige looked ready to cry for the second time that day. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She whined lowly. Moxxi simply smiled softly. The bar patrons looked to one another and, as one, toasted to Cain and Toles' fallen parents.
Moxxi was silent for a long, long time as Gaige and Toles began chatting again after a moment. Her painted face set in stone while she thought.
She was a mother of two. She understood the worry and fear that Toles' parent's had to have been going through. If Ellie or Scooter had been in her situation? She would have moved Heaven and Hell to find them. She wish she knew who these Guardians were that denied her parent's just so she could give them a piece of her mind as well.
Cain was a good man for doing what he did for the girl. This Ares was as well. She brought a bent finger to her lip as she thought. Cain deserved something for taking Toles in at the drop of a hat.
Ahah!
She'd bake him something! God knows he never eats when he's hanging around the bar, bouncing or otherwise.
So with that line of thought settled, she listened back into Toles story of how Cain seemingly...ended up in a pink tutu?
Oh she had to hear this.
She laid her elbows on the counter and laced her fingers then rested her chin on them, ever present seductive smirk back on her face.
"-so he finds out what happened, and-"
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"What. The. Fuck. Angel? You said that would work. What happened?"
Angel seemed to shrink into herself. "I-I-I'm sor-" a raised hand caused her to raise her own to protect herself. "I-I didn't know! I didn't know he could stop the virus!" She stammered out.
Handsome Jack looked down at his daughter and her fear. He scoffed. "Next time we get the chance to finish that birdshit, don't let another failure happen. Got it?" Angel nodded, her body trembling. "Good," without further words from her father, he stormed from the room. Once he was gone she broke down sobs racking her form.
The Vault.
All because of that damned Vault, her father had changed.
Outside Angel's room, Jack was immediately flanked by two associates as he walked. "So tell me, how much did we lose on that assault?"
The female holding a device scrolled on it, "A few billion sir, moonshots and Loaders all accounting."
He frowned. "And manpower?"
The man behind him, dressed in a trooper uniform sighed, "348 sir. The men...are demanding more pay if you want them to and I quote, 'Continue trying to kill a demigod.'"
"A demigod?" Jack spat, "The Nighthawk has just gotten lucky. Roland and his crew is what has kept him alive." He scoffed, "Fine. Tell them more pay is coming their way. But tell them this," Jack rounded on the man and shoved him into the wall, wrist guns pointed right under his chin, "if they fail, one more time, everyone who survives is getting airlocked personally by me. You included Marpol. You all are replaceable. Make it so you aren't." Jack dropped him and walked into his office. The doors shut behind him.
The woman helped him up. "Thanks Oli." Marpol rubbed his neck and the two shared a look. The moment passed and they went their separate ways.
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Toles was walking around town after her long talk with Moxxi and Gaige. Those two were something else. She definitely could tell their feelings regarding Cain. Gaige had a clear crush. Moxxi...she seemed to be having the beginnings of one it seemed, but if she was wrong he was nothing more than someone she had grown to care about at least.
She hummed to herself.
Should she play matchmaker for the old bird?
It had been almost five centuries since Meri.
Thoughts for later.
The Huntress laced her fingers together behind her head as she walked. She took a step and stubbed her toe. She cursed, and so did...what she hit.
...What?
She looked down, ocean blue eyes looking over the yellow trapezoidal robot she had knocked over.
"Hey," came the annoyed high-pitch voice, "watch where you're going!" The bot pushed itself up then dusted itself off. "The nerve of some people."
"A sentient robot," Toles commented squatting down, "I haven't seen anything like you since the Ex-...how are you sentient?"
"How should I know? I was just created to be this badass girlie. Now who're you?"
"Typically it's common curtesy to give your own first yellow."
The blue eye of the robot rolled before he cheered and gave a thumbs up, "I'm CL4P-TP, or Claptrap!"
Toles held it in for approximately three seconds before she squealed and hugged the small robot to her chest, "You're so cutttee!"
Claptrap blinked. What the hell? Why was this human hugging him? He internally shrugged and accepted the softness. "I never got your name Missie."
Toles looked down to the robot in her clutches. "Oh! I'm Toles, I'm with Cain."
At the mention of the Nighthawk, Claptrap seemed to pale. "AH! LEMME GO! LEMME GO!" He wriggled this way and that and eventually pinched her hand between his own slightly painfully, causing her to release him. Claptrap's wheel squealed as it sped against the ground and the small bot tore off, leaving a dust cloud and an echoing scream in his wake.
The Huntress tilted her head, "Well that's odd. Wonder what Cain did to him." Toles seemed to think for a second before smacking her forehead. "Stupid, stupid, stupid! I knew I forgot something," the girl sighed and began heading towards where the group of Guardians had stored their ships.
Returning to Sanctuary shortly after retrieving her objective, Toles carried the cloth wrapped bundle to Cain's abode, hoping her father was in. Seeing as her hands were preoccupied, she mentally asked Nyx to knock for her.
The black shelled Ghost looked to her and shook herself. Really the girl was so scatterbrained. She could have just had Nyx transmat the bundle here. The Ghost knocked using one fin and floated back. The door opened to reveal Cain, hologram in place. Toles looked at him. "Why do you have that silly hologram?" She asked.
Cain looked around in a panic around before pulling her in and closing the door. "Hey, hey, hey kiddo. Don't go screamin' that. Everyone here believes I'm human. I'd rather not having them know I'm Exo."
"But, like, why? That robot Claptrap is sentient and people seem fine around him."
"Wait, you met Claptrap?"
"Yeah," she peered at her father and frowned, "speaking of which, what did you do to that poor little robot? He got terrified the moment I mentioned your name." Cain simply laughed and gave no answer. "Hmpf. Fine. Be that way. And I went through all the trouble of going back to my ship to get you something," that instantly had Cain's attention like a puppy to a ball. He actually sat down and looked up at her begging. "Ok, ok if you stop making that...whatever that is right now I'll show you," Cain popped up with a cheer.
"Yes! Now what'dya get me T-money?" He was bouncing like a kid like he was on a sugar rush. Toles cocked an eyebrow at the unusual behavior of Cain.
"What did you do? You're acting weird," she bluntly stated.
Cain tilted his head. "Hm? Oh! Yeah. That, I sorta kinda maybe supercharged my Arc Light through an experiment and am trying to burn off the excess. Never had good control of the stuff. No big deal." He then went back to bouncing around the room cleaning up random objects with the speed of a blur.
Toles sighed and shook her head.
That silly old bird.
She set the package on the table.
"It's not really from me. Xur gave it to me. Something about repayment for an ambush save."
Cain nodded as he took the package, "I remember. He had gotten ambushed near Jupiter. It was after...after my first encounter on the Dreadnought," the crack in his voice spoke of just how much that still hurt. His close friend, a Titan by the name of Ares, had rescued him but went missing during a battle with Oryx on the way out. Cain wasn't able to fight due to the wounds he suffered under Oryx's care.
It seemed he still blamed himself for the disappearance.
Cain shook his head, "Xur had gotten ambushed by a Fallen Ketch. I happened to be in the area. Ended up using the Ketch's own systems to destroy the ship's life support and Ether supply. Modified EMP for the most part, but I didn't know it was enough to warrant a gift from the Nine." Cain walked over to the couch and set the package down on the coffee table.
Grabbing one end of the binding, he slowly eased it out of the knot then unwrapped it.
His eyes grew brighter at what he saw.
Inside the wrapping was a Hunter's cloak.
The flat bottomed cloak was of the longer variety and would nearly reach the ground when worn. The background of the cloak was a solid ebony color with silver diamonds mimicking stars. On the upper half it showed a golden hawk in mid flight, emerging from the bottom right 'peak' and extending into the top quarter of the cloak. The eye of the hawk was made with a large, amber colored, finely detailed stone. It seemed to stare and harshly judge all who it saw. The wings of the hawk were spread, curled towards the open beak. The hood was wide and would not look out of place on a wizard. There were two clasps where it would fasten to the body that were the emblem of the Nine inlaid in dark amethyst with gold lines. The hood itself had a slight beaked quality to it that would cast shadow on the face and the edges were lined in gold.
Cain held it up, looking over the gift in wonder, "By the Traveler this is beautiful," he looked to Toles, "did he say if there were any special qualities?"
She shook her head, "Nope. Just that. 'It is keyed to his Light and shall do as its master wishes,'" she stated in the same growling timbre Xur had, waving her hands for effect. "Well? You gonna try it on?"
Cain nodded. "Well, I've needed a new wardrobe change anyways. Give me a moment to change into some new things." Cain took the cloak gently and brought it into his personal room. Lifting a few floorboards, he descended into his personal Armory that he had moved from his ship. He was fortunate that almost all of his stuff survived.
Now was the big question.
What to wear?
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Toles had just begun to grow bored when she heard the door to Cain's room open.
She whistled, "Nice digs."
He had on the cloak with the hood pulled up over his now bone white Celestial Nighthawk helm. Adorning his chest was a black undervest with a silver top that wrapped around his upper torso. It had a three way strap going over and under his right armpit and across the chest. Two straps kept it closed.
That was a piece from the old Icarus Drifters if she had it pegged right.
Two belts with many pouches crossed on his hips, with a large, hexagonal, Hunter sigil emblazoned buckle present. His arms were armored with what appeared to be Fallen looking tech on the left arm. Silver in color, the shoulder guard and forearm bracer shined. A black tube curved down, following the edge of the shoulder guard. On his wrists the Hive manacles were still present. The new garb on his legs also seemed to have Fallen inspirations.
Dark leather pants flowed into equally black boots. On top of the pants from hip to lower thigh had golden honeycomb shaped metallic material. His right leg had a white knee and shin guard. His left just had five white orbs adorning it.
All in all?
Cain looked awesome.
Not like she'd say that to his face however.
He strutted over and had an air of confidence. "So," came the deep voice, "whatcha think kiddo?"
"Looks decent. Where'd you get this stuff? Never knew you ran with the Drifters."
Cain chuckled. "Well, I did. I ain't so boring now am I? I've had the helmet for as long as I can remember," now that he thought about it he couldn't remember where he had even gotten it. It was just...there one day.
He stored that thought for later.
"The legs and arms I got from a stint in the Tangled Shore. And you know about the cloak. Speakin' of which," the eyes of his helmet somehow seemed to cock a nonexistent eyebrow, "I see someone raided my cloak stash while I was away and got some new things since I last saw you."
"I had mine made. Custom stuff. The cloak," she scratched the back of her head sheepishly as she chuckled, "I sorta just decided to raid it one day. In my defense, it was Fox's idea." She had absolutely zero issues with throwing her fellow Guardian under the bus when it came to Cain. He might not cook her desert if he was mad at her.
Unless she did the puppy eyes, he never could say no to her then.
Cain shrugged, "Oh. Don't get me wrong T, I'm not mad. It looks good on you. Go ahead and keep it. I was just curious," Cain eye smiled as he reclined on his couch, arms going across the back, "Need anything else or did ya just stop by for that? You and I don't really hang out anymore unless it's trainin'." He raised a hand to his mouth in mock horror, "Is my girl all grown up? Does she not need me anymore?" He threw himself on the ground, hand banging on the floor in false anger, "Oh Traveler she grew up so fast, where did the time go? Woe is me!"
Toles simply rolled her eyes. "Its because of that stuff I can't take you anywhere. And honestly..." she trailed off as a small smile came to her lips. "I miss those days, the ones where we just hung out around the house, you teaching me random things or going to our little spot on the mountain with the cherry blossoms, or even just those days where we laid around talking about anything and everything. I miss those days," she looked up at the ceiling in thought. "It was simpler back then."
Cain chuckled, now on his back. "Yeah. It was kiddo." Suddenly gaining an idea he decided to use his Light for a completely legitimate and justified use and formed a smooth chain of Solar Light. It gave off a soft and warm heat. Flicking his wrist out, he wrapped it around Toles waist and pulled. The Huntress flew from her seat with an undignified squawk and was suddenly on the ground with him. "Nice of ya to drop in kiddo," Cain's abyssal eyes smiled at her, he looked to the ceiling. "So, any boys I should know about back at the Tower? Or girls, I won't judge."
Toles blushed bright red, "N-No! What the heck?"
Cain chuckled. "Do you ever think that the Speaker just says things sometimes to get the council riled up or to bend?"
Toles blinked, what was he doing? "I don't-"
"Ever just look up at the sky and wonder just how far we went? And if we ever encountered some fish, calamari people?"
Toles blinked.
Then she began to laugh. "I-I don't know. I hope so. It would give sleeping with the fishes a whole new meaning."
"I know right? And I wonder if during the Golden Age if we ever discovered any more good food from stuff on other planets..."
The two went about this for the rest of the day, just laying there, talking, relaxing and enjoying the company of the closest family they had.
Each other.