Chapter Six: The Dawning
There isn't a soul alive today who remembers when the first Dawning celebration occurred. I suppose it doesn't matter who first brought it about. All that matters is what it stands for: hope. -Anonymous
Despite the threat of the Hive, none of the Vanguard demanded service for the Dawning. Though the priority on taking down the Matron was high, nobody wanted to pass up celebrating our most important holiday. I couldn't complain about that, though I'd probably only celebrate the one day before getting back to work. When we'd gotten back to the Tower, Zack and Jesse both had gone to see the Sunsingers to make sure Zack was fully healed. Sasha had split off to give her report to the Vanguard. Maria, Felix, and Nate had immediately made for the Tower bar. They'd invited me along, but I'd declined. I was exhausted. Most I wanted to do was sleep off the Pit and pull out my old Sparrow Racing armor. I wasn't a gifted Crucible player, and I was a decent Guardian in the field, but I always felt at my very best racing around on my Sparrow. It always felt like actual flying. The closest I'd get to it outside of my ship. I'd just settled into sweatpants and a standard Guardian t-shirt when there was a knock at my door. Surprise lit my features. The only one who knew I had this place was Caleb, and he'd stopped visiting when Kara had died.
Sill, let it never be said that the Dawning didn't allow for miracles. Maybe Caleb had decided to forgive me and stopped by to catch up. We could go Sparrow Racing together like old times and go out on patrol just to see who could complete the most tasks for the Tower. But it wasn't Caleb that I saw at the door.
"The twins?" I murmured to my Ghost. "How did they even find me?"
"Your ship isn't exactly inconspicuous to them," he pointed out. "They know exactly what you fly, so they probably followed you here."
Groaning at the loss of my secret - and of any time to sleep - I opened the door, trying to keep the remnants of my disappointment off of my face. That, at least, I was able to succeed in, but I wasn't able to hide my still-present surprise. I could see Zack dragging his brother along to see me. However I couldn't see Zack showing up to my place uninvited. He just didn't seem like the type to do something like that without permission. The both of them were still wearing their robes, minus the helmets. Jesse seemed in a pretty upbeat mood, at least for him. Probably as a result of his brother being ok if I had to guess. Zack had a small, boyish smile on his face that made me feel kind of bad for wishing my house was still a secret.
"Hey guys, anything I can help you with?"
"Just wanted to discuss what happened in the Pit last night," Zack explained, "at least if you have the time. We don't want to disturb you."
I half-expected a snarky comment from Jesse at the last bit, but was surprised that his mouth stayed shut. It made me want to raise an eyebrow, but instead I stepped aside and motioned the two Warlocks in.
"Make yourselves at home. I don't have much in the way of snacks, but you might be able to find something you like."
Zack elected to take a seat on the couch, his robes draping to his side as he watched his brother. Jesse had elected to grab himself a glass of water before settling down next to his twin, not at all as uneasy about my offer to make himself at home. After setting his glass on the table, he draped his arms over the couch carelessly, the movement at odds with how threatening the pair looked, geared up for battle as they were. At least they'd left the weapons behind. I didn't sit down right away, as it seemed like neither Zack nor Jesse were ready to start in about what they wanted to say about the Pit. It didn't seem like I was going to get any sleep until race time, so I busied myself in opening an old trunk next to my bed and pulling out my Sparrow Racing armor. I wasn't growing anymore, but the set seemed like it had seen better days. I'd have to see if Ghost could fix it, and then win myself a new set when the races finally went off.
"You Sparrow Race?"
That was the first question directed at me from Jesse as he took in the sleek Hunter armor I was laying out.
"Yeah. Before the SRL came to pass I'd race around for ages with my fireteam making up our own courses, assuming the land allowed for it. When the League finally came to be, I couldn't resist. I won this armor and a trophy. This year I'll be defending my title. And hopefully earn more armor in the process," I added as a light joke. "Have either of you gotten into Sparrow Racing?"
Zack shook his head, but Jesse shrugged.
"When it rolls around. Though Felix and I normally enjoy watching it more than we enjoy participating in it. I didn't realize you were the same Guardian Drake that was declared the League champion last year."
"The very same," I confirmed, pride brightening my eyes. My Ghost was proud too. The first few races had been a bumpy affair until I'd gotten used to it all: the feel of my Sparrow, the timing, all of it. Every person had their own talents outside of being a Guardian. Kara had been an amazing painter, that much I remembered. I was glad my talents were with a vehicle I could use to escape sticky situations. I brought the trophy out, grabbing the old rag I had to shine it. There wasn't any room on my shelf to display it (the trophy had to have been a foot and a half tall, a ludicrous monument to being top racer in my opinion), but I liked to leave it on my side table when the season rolled around. And since Spearhead had given me a room, perhaps I could use it to display all of my Sparrow Racing knick knacks. I knew for a fact the Tower sold old dummies to put armor on.
"You'll have to tell us when you race next. I bet Nate and Sasha would start a betting pool in your honor," Zack put in with a small smile.
I gave a small snort of amusement before I summoned Ghost, giving him the go-ahead to equip the armor I had laid out. Each piece materialized easily, and it felt like a second skin it hugged so well. Not enough to impede movement, but well enough to give me the best aerodynamics possible.
"Geez," Jesse commented as I turned around, helmet under my arm, "there's barely any heavy plating. What the hell happens if you get shot or crash?"
"I die," I said with a casual shrug. "You should know that, watching after all this time. It's a race, after all. I don't want my heavier gear slowing me down, and if I crash, it's like a punishment for failure. What I like to tell all the newbies, is to avoid death at all costs. It hurts worse than normal. Even worse if enemies break onto the course like they often do. With things how they are, they might put Sunsingers on standby, but I'm not sure. In any case, I'm to be apart of the first race of the Dawning tonight since we got back in time. What did you guys want to talk about regarding the Moon?"
The pair looked at each other before Jesse grudgingly started.
"We wanted to say thanks. If you hadn't stopped me from dropping off that cliff, I wouldn't have had the light to heal Zack."
"And if you hadn't of thrown that smoke bomb on me, it wouldn't of mattered how much Light he used anyway. So thank you, Cass. You saved my life and risked yours to do it. Neither of us are going to forget that," Zack promised.
"Well, your brother and I are at least even now," I said with a small smile. "Technically he's saved my life before with that healing. But it was nothing, Zack. We're teammates now, and I look after mine when I have them. And now that you guys know where my house is, you can stop by at any time," I added wryly. "How did you find me anyway? I didn't see any wings on my tail when I left the Tower."
Jesse snorted, crossing his arms.
"You forgot to look up and around then. We followed you here. At first we were convinced you were leaving for some Hunter business and I figured you'd need a babysitter with the trouble you stir up, but then you landed in front of this place, so here we are."
Letting out an indignant noise at the thought of needing a babysitter, I slipped my helmet on, the HUD a touch different from the standard helmet. This one gave me a count of boosts for my Sparrow as well as their recharge times. It still gave me my health bar and radar, but I had no Light gauge and no ability status bars. We weren't expected to do any fighting on the course. Nevertheless, I always had Ghost keep my weapons and armor handy just in case the worst came to pass and the race was interrupted by a fight.
"Well, thanks for the visit, guys," I said, appreciating the point of their appearance. "I've got to get a move on if I'm going to make it to Venus on time. You're free to tag along if you want," I further offered.
The two brothers shared another look before they nodded.
"Sure, feel free to go on ahead. No doubt Felix is going to want an in person look at the races as well."
I was mildly surprised at Jesse's agreement, but also somewhat grateful. While we didn't much get along, I was loathed to go to Venus alone. I was the best Sparrow Racer I knew only because I had had plenty of practice. And the only reason I'd gotten so much practice was because my fireteam had practically matched me step for step. Even after Kara died, that stayed true. Going to Venus would not only mean I was starting off this racing season: it also meant that I would be seeing Caleb again, the SRL's runner up for last season.
Unnerving. That was probably the only word I could use to describe the atmosphere when I caught sight of Caleb. I'd almost felt myself freeze up, and had only managed to keep going because Jesse had asked if I was getting cold feet. The race was set to go off within the hour, and here I was losing my nerve. Still, as sad as it was, I took a small amount of comfort with Felix, Jesse, and Zack around me. They at least provided a bit of a familiar presence and made me feel less alone. The small security they brought allowed me to focus in on my race. That focus became honed to a razor sharp edge when I beheld the prize for winning. A new Sparrow, the Gjallarwing. It was a thing of beauty, its body a proud and glowing silver. The Sparrow was fit for a champion, and I felt an ache in my chest grow with how much I wanted it. From the looks of it, the arms of the vehicle had also been forged from the armor of the Titans that had fallen in battle. To ride it would be its own kind of honor.
"So what, exactly, do you do before the race goes off?" Felix questioned curiously, taking in the other racers and spectators. Five of the other top ranked racers were present with their friends and fireteams. For my part, I hadn't gotten to know any of them. This time last year I'd been content to keep away from pretty much everybody, and that hadn't exactly endeared me to the other Guardians. They didn't hate me, per se, but they kept their distance.
"Me, personally? I do a final check of my Sparrow and wait for the race to start," I explained with a small shrug.
"You don't try to get a read on the competition?" Jesse asked, raising an inquiring eyebrow.
I shook my head as a response as I summoned my Sparrow. The Swiftriver materialized into view and I went about my checks, my hands moving deftly over the thrusters and the throttle.
"Well why haven't you tried?"
Jesse's insistence was pushing me to a quick state of annoyance. I didn't know any of them well enough to talk about the broken friendship Caleb and I now had, or the events leading up to it.
"Because the only racer I deem to be a threat to me is the runner up from last year, and I already know him, that's why I haven't tried," I said tartly, mounting the vehicle.
"For all you know he could have changed his strategy. It's not hard to go up and-"
"I'm done talking about this," I snarled, shocking everyone around me, including myself. Hardly believing my nerve, or the vitriol I'd managed to summon, I gunned my Sparrow towards the starting line. Embarrassment and shame began to worm its way through me as I took my place on spot I'd been assigned. Jesse had been making an effort to be helpful in the only way he knew how it seemed like, and I'd thrown it back in his face. I really didn't want to talk about getting strategy from Caleb, but I at least could have said it in a less hateful way. It wasn't Jesse's fault things had ended the way they had between Caleb and I.
"That was... uncharacteristic of you. Especially under the circumstances," my Ghost pointed out
"I know."
Boy did I ever. I'd yelled at a member of Spearhead. If I'd gotten asked two weeks ago if I could imagine myself losing my temper with a member of Fireteam Spearhead, I would have laughed out loud.
"So what are you going to do about it?" Ghost further inquired.
"Win this race, and figure the rest out afterwards. I can't get distracted right now."
Easier said than done though. Jesse had been rude from day one, and I wasn't the biggest fan of his attitude, but I'd always liked to think I kept a level head in situations like that. He'd managed to hit a sore spot without realizing it. I'd have time to sort out what I was going to say as an apology after the race. For the moment, my focus had to be on the course. I remembered it well too. There was one jump about halfway through the lap that was a good fifty foot fall. There was enough air hang time to do plenty of flips and tricks to impress the onlookers, plus a favorite shortcut of mine was directly afterwards. The course was, in all, a straight line, though by no means did that make it a cakewalk. In fact I was fully prepared for Caleb to use every opportunity imaginable to make my life hard. As long as I could counteract any tricks he tried to pull, I'd be able to win.
With the half hour until race time, the officials allowed the track to be opened up to test runs. Guardians had swept through earlier and cleared the track of Vex and Fallen alike that had populated the area after it had been left to the wilds for so long. I revved up my engine and boosted along the path, tracing a route that was, more than anything, random. I didn't want any of my competition getting wind of how I planned to ride the course. That was an edge none of them needed. However, at the same time, I was doing my best to take any turns at angles as difficult I could manage to try and exercise my steering and tighten up my turns. Despite the loud sound of engines and boosts all around me, there was a peace in flying on a Sparrow, especially with no enemies around. For all that had happened to it, the planet Venus was still beautiful. The flora was like nothing any other planet had. The old architecture hinted at the greatness Humanity once had, despite the fact that it was all crumbling with decay. However, the Vex structures that jutted into the sky like parasitic thorns were a reminder that Venus no longer belonged to the human race.
There would be time to wonder how an empire so mighty had fallen. For the moment, I shoved everything else out of my mind to focus on my race. The thirty minute trial period was pretty much over. I could probably fit in an extra lap, but I wanted to have a moment to myself before the starting bell went off. Keeping calm was not easy, however, as I heard, rather than saw, Caleb take his place next to mine. Neither of us said anything to each other. Everything we'd wanted to say after Kara's death had already been said. We'd made awful accusations against each other, but the world had seemed to stop when he'd said the one word that had broken everything. Murderer. We hadn't spoken since I'd kicked him out of my house that day. If we accidentally ran into each other, we didn't even acknowledge the other. I didn't hate Caleb like he hated me, but I could never find it in me to forgive him for labeling me a murderer.
Still, I could feel his stare boring into my back. My hands tightened on my handlebars as the rest of the racers lined up. I was going to win this race and walk away. I wouldn't have to worry about seeing Caleb for the remaining time of the SRL season. The most I'd have to do was win enough races to keep my title. I could do that in one or two days so long as I ate, breathed, and lived Sparrow Racing.
"Racers, to your positions!"
Most of us were already in position. The one or two who weren't quickly made their way to their spots, and the air became electrified with tension. No one here wanted to lose. The lights on the starting gate flared red, and I hugged my Sparrow tighter, willing my hands steady until the green light appeared. The yellow light sprung to life, and the sound of engines revving increased. When the green light finally appeared, I was off so fast it felt like I was being propelled from a cannon. Everyone else around me emerged from the gate in a similar fashion, and for the first couple of gates around a solid rock hill, we were all pretty much even. As expected, I felt myself getting jostled by not just Caleb, but the other Guardians as well. However after one good shove thanks to a sideways boost and a tightly taken turn, I found myself ahead of the pack with two others on my tail. One of them was no doubt Caleb, who no doubt had managed the turn just as tightly as I had. The other one wasn't known to me, but a quick glance behind me at least gave their colors away; soft blue and yellow. I'd have to keep an eye out for them. If they could keep pace with Caleb for the entire lap, then I'd know for a fact that they were also a threat to my standing.
I soared through a cave at near top speed, allowancing out another side boost to keep my course as straight as I could. As I burst through a waterfall, my eyes rapidly adjusted to the sudden shift of light. The river guided me to another gate that overcharged my already flying Sparrow, and I made it to the next gate in what felt like only a breath. It seemed like time was going by too quickly as the ground fell from beneath my Sparrow. Feeling invigorated by the feel of gravity, I tilted my nose forward into a front flip and howled with euphoria, pleased that I both stuck my landing and hadn't lost much speed. I skipped the gate this time, electing to go up a log ramp to get over the cliff. Turning around it was always a large waste of time. However I was surprised as two Sparrows leapt up to join mine at equal speed. Caleb came up on my left at the same time as the blue and yellow Racer came to my right. I didn't know what unspoken agreement passed between them, but they sandwiched my Sparrow heartily, pinning my legs against my Sparrow and dictating my course. Their interference caused me to not only miss the gate, costing me my lead, but they also tried to shift me to where I'd hit the wall. I braked harshly, feeling armor and undersuit rip apart down my legs from dragging myself across their Sparrows at such a high speed. Blinded by agony for a split second, I banked off the corner and nearly hit the wall. Only stopping entirely to correct my course allowed me to avoid a deadly collision, and even then I had another two racers pass me as I got started again. Now down to fifth place, I felt my teeth grind in frustration. That had been a dirty tactic. It seemed Caleb wasn't the only one who had it out for me. Now I'd have to keep an eye on the rest of my competition too.
Cass, that was a bad hit. A decent amount of blood to lose too. Are you ok? Ghost inquired this even as he began to stitch up the gouges in my legs. The undersuit and armor would rapidly follow.
I'm fine. Let's just catch up.
I couldn't hear the spectators in the stands, but I could only imagine the jeers or the groans of disappointment. Fifth place was going to be tough to come back from, but I could do it. By the time I rounded the corner leading to the final stretch to end the lap, I'd lost sight of Caleb and the mystery racer, but third and fourth place were still in sight. They disappeared through the Vex portal in a flash of light, and I followed a heartbeat later, spinning into a barrel roll to give me a bit of extra boost. I hit the gate on the tail of fourth place and tapped the back of his thruster harsh enough to make him spin out. There was no hearing the curses he no doubt slung at me. Third place cast a rapid look behind her and tried to urge her Sparrow to go faster, the tails of the two front runners just dipping over the edge towards the finish line to start the second lap. Thankfully, she took the turn a bit too wide and fell behind, allowing me to shoot past her. Caleb was distracted dealing with the yellow and blue racer on his flank. For once, I was thankful for being behind. They wouldn't see me coming. I'd just have to make every gate count, especially when I finally popped up on their radars. Plus, which both of them trying so hard to either maintain or take the lead, they were bound to miss a gate or two thanks to interference. All I had to do was drive and make sure the three racers behind me didn't catch up.
Resolved now that I had a plan, I gunned my Sparrow again.
For the first minute it felt like I wasn't making up much ground when compared with my competitors. However I gradually started to catch up thanks to my strict turning discipline and the battle raging between Caleb and the second-place driver. I knew I'd finally popped onto their radars when both glanced behind them. Then it became a battle between all three of us, both of them trying to overtake the other while keeping me behind them. It was a tricky game we were playing, but we were all the best of the best for a reason, and despite my earlier bravado with Jesse and the guys, I was starting to regret underestimating the competition. However an idea wormed it's way into my brain. I blew through a gate most everyone skipped to get an extra boost of speed and came up between the two warring drivers. Anticipating their movements, I braked hard as they swerved to sandwich me again. The two crashed into each other, their speed immediately faltering from the force of it as they bounced off of one another. This left me free to shoot between them, once again taking my rightful place up front. I shot through the Vex portal for the second time, not bothering with any tricks to keep the crowd enthralled. My focus for the last lap was solely on winning.
The third lap passed by relatively uneventfully when compared with the first two. The only time my lead came into question was when I accidentally took a turn too tightly and missed a gate. Caleb came flying up to my side, but I managed to spin him out like I had with the first racer and rocket forward again as we hit another gate. I rode over the final ledge that lead to the finish line, braking and turning to face everyone else racing in behind me so sharply that my Sparrow briefly skidded across the ground as I crossed the finish line ahead of the pack.
I raised a fist triumphantly, allowing myself to savor the roar of the crowd, so at odds with the Guardian I became on the field that cloaked herself in Void and shadows. I tried my best not to look at Caleb as we all dismounted, heading for the 'stands' of rock that Guardians had chosen to use to spectate the race.
"And in a thrilling opening race for the season, Guardian Drake shows us once again how to be the best pilot in the Tower! And your reward for victory, Guardian, is this gorgeous, one of a kind Sparrow: the Gjallarwing!"
The announcer had already shown us the vehicle earlier, but to see it even closer up - and to know that was mine - brought another wave of pride. I'd earned the Sparrow. No one would have been able to tell me otherwise as I ran a hand over the seat and had Ghost store it for later. A snort of disgust shook me briefly from my euphoria, and I looked to see Caleb striding away, the grip he had on his helmet a step away from crushing it. My victory suddenly felt a bit more hollow.
"That was pretty damned awesome to watch. Made last year's championship seem like a cakewalk."
Felix had leapt onto the ground, the loud sound a harsh contrast to the light-as-a-feather landing Jesse and Zack had. The more fiery twin was staring after my former teammate, expression hidden behind his helmet.
"Friend of yours, Drake?"
I shook my head as answer, turning instead to Felix. Caleb was the last thing I wanted to discuss. This time, Jesse took the hint the first time and didn't say another word, which I was grateful for. Too bad I hadn't come up with a way to apologize to him.
"Thanks, Felix. Honestly I was far more nervous last year than I was this year. Technically I haven't won back my title yet though. This was just the first race of the season. I need to rack up more wins if I'm going to be the SRL champion two years running, but with this whole Hive business, I'm not going to be surprised if I have to put Sparrow Racing aside. Not that I mind," I made sure to add hastily. "The City and its people will always come first, no matter what."
"Well, Sasha has given us a couple days of rest anyway, lucky for you. Let's go. In celebration of your victory, you owe the three of us another lap against that new toy of yours."
Sparrows materialized beside the three men, and I cocked my head in curiosity. They really thought they could beat me?
"Too chicken, Drake?" Jesse rumbled, earning a chuckle from his brother as they mounted.
In answer, my new Gjallarwing appeared next to me, the vehicle practically begging to be raced.
"You, Fenway, are going to eat my dust."
We stayed on the track for far longer than one lap. It went from me leading the pack to giving instruction. By the end, I felt there were three more promising racers in the league. Not a word had been spoken about my earlier outburst, which I was thankful for. I still had to apologize, but I also hadn't found the best words to do so. Nevertheless, as we had our Ghosts put our Sparrows away and lock for transmat back to our ships, I realized that the night hadn't been as bad as I thought it would be. As it was three AM, however, exhaustion was creeping up on me. Ghost was a good pilot and could easily sense my fatigue, so he volunteered to get us back home.
"Where to, Cassidy?" He inquired when we were in the cockpit, his shell spinning next to me.
"The Spearhead bunkhouse," I answered sleepily, cracking a yawn mid sentence. "I'll get a few hours of sleep and then get back on the track all day. I'm not going to keep my title by sitting by doing nothing after all."
"Indeed not," Ghost replied in mild amusement, shooting into hyperspace just as the men around me did. We were at Earth in a few short moments, and in the Tower hangar a few minutes after that. The four of us made our way to Spearhead's set of quarters. Felix broke off as we reached his room, and Zack peeled off for his quarters. I hadn't realized it, but Jesse's room was next door to mine, a discovery I couldn't believe.
"I'm surprised you're opting to stay here instead of your own place. It looked homey down in the City."
I chewed my lip as I thought up a response and opened my door, the sliding of it producing a soft whoosh.
"I stay in the Tower for Sparrow Racing. After it's done for the season, I tend to stay at my house most of the time," I explained easily, not about to reveal my fear of Caleb and potential retribution.
But I could see Jesse's eyes. See the cunning flash of disbelief that flared to life.
There was no fooling a Warlock who already had an idea of the truth.
A loud pounding at my door woke me up sometime after I fell asleep, armor and all still on. I'd been too tired to dig out a sleep shirt and sweats. No doubt I was looking at a stiff body until I got some exercise, but at the time, I really hadn't cared. My bed had just looked so good. And waking up surrounded by the Void was no hardship either. A small smile twitched up my lips as I took in the deep purple, my eyes flicking to Spearhead's emblem that overlooked my bed from the wall. The smile grew a little bigger. I flung my one sheet off and grabbed my helmet and a comb, running it through my hair to make myself at least somewhat presentable. The loud beating on my door still hadn't stopped.
"Come on, Cass! Even Maria doesn't sleep this late! Get your Champion's ass out here!"
Sasha. Never subtle. Ironic, considering her Hunter classification. What pleasantly surprised me was her knowledge of my title win. So I slid my door open with a small smile of greeting that wasn't near as big as the Gunslinger's.
"Up and at 'em, Cass. You owe Maria and I a girl's day out, remember? We're going to take you to all of our favorite places and do a little female patrol later in good ol' LA. There used to be a famous theme park down there. No doubt there isn't anything working anymore, but I think it would be a great place to pick up some extra spinmetal. What do you say?"
I had really planned on being on my Sparrow all day. The racetrack was calling my name - as was my title - but spending time with Sasha and Maria sounded appealing as well, and I hadn't really gotten to hang around the Titan much. Mostly it had been with Sasha or the Fenways, which still shocked me a bit. But getting to know Maria was an opportunity I couldn't really pass by. With how dangerous our jobs could be, any wasted moment was a moment that couldn't be recovered later on. So I nodded, and Ghost materialized my Fear Eater armor, my weapons appearing in their respective places. Sasha was already decked out, and as another door opened from further down the hall, Maria appeared in her own armor, the Helm of Saint-14 tucked beneath her arm. The helmet was given to Titans who proved themselves to be extraordinary examples of their class. I wasn't surprised that Maria had it. It made her Ward of Dawn that much more protective. Creatures of the Darkness that tried to enter it were essentially flashbanged.
"Well I'm all set to go," the Titan said cheerily. "Are we hitting the park or the shops first?"
"Obviously the shops," Sasha responded, her tone making it sound like a silly question. "Cass here needs a new look."
Wait, what?
"What's wrong with the look I have now?" I found myself protesting, looking myself over. The Fear Eater armor was my favorite set. The pattern was choppy and uneven, which I always thought worked better when trying to stay camouflaged. I firmly believed that symmetrical looks were too out of place in the wilds of the galaxy. Plus, my cape looked great with it.
"Well, for one, your armor is obsolete. It's an old model compared to what the Vanguard has now, and I'll bet Cayde would do us a favor and requisition you a new and improved set. On top of that, you have the wrong cloak on. You're a Spearhead Hunter now. We fight as a pack, and we wear the cloaks to symbolize that," Sasha said, making it a point to turn around and display her own. The Strength of the Pack. She and Nate both wore it. I supposed I would too. However I didn't think I could give up the armor. Sasha must have read that indecision like a book.
"I promise that if you don't find something you like you can keep the old stuff. Or you can take a look at my wardrobe. I had Legion pick up some trinkets from the Dreadnaught to make some armor. It's going to be just as badass as what I've got now. This thrall skull? Quite the story, let me tell you-"
"Sasha, please. Let's let her look around before you go offering your spoils of war, ok?" Maria interrupted in exasperation.
A small smile came to my face as the other Hunter huffed an agreement.
"Well, I'm yours for the day," I assured. "And if I don't find anything I like, I promise you can dress me up in whatever you want."
This brought a grin to Sasha's face as she responded with, "good. But first thing's first: a trip to the Speaker. Our cloaks don't just come from anywhere you know."
A/N; thanks for the reviews, guys :) always means a lot to see the reactions and responses. Yeah, though, I have a problem typing faster than my brain can keep up with. I go back and fix what I can, but sometimes I miss stuff. As for the weapon names, I'm such a weapon geek. Since Year 1 I paid more attention to the names and flavor texts than to stats, though as most players have, I too have found my one true love weapon wise (scouts forever!). But I include weapon and armor names because I figured players who care to know would be able to visualize what they're geared with better, and players that don't might find themselves curious enough to look stuff up, but if not, then they'd at least know it was a hand cannon, or an auto rifle, or a whatever.