Chapter 3
If The Shoe Fits
It was five hours later when the Ghost woke him. As he opened his eyes, he saw the glow of the sun start to appear on the edge of the horizon. Looking around, he felt a wave of confusion wash over him, as he looked out and saw the same space dock that he had come back to life in.
"Where are we?" He asked, sitting up in his seat and cracking his neck slowly.
"I believe you called it 'Leningrad Air and Space Travel'." The Ghost replied from the speakers, steering the ship closer to the ground. "I kept us in sub-orbit for a few hours while you slept. I figured you could use it. I also scrubbed the navigation of anything the Vanguard might have slipped in, so there's no way they can track us."
"Thanks." Grant replied distantly, stretching his shoulders and fingers. "So I'm guessing our objective is close to here?"
"Yes. It was actually my fall back plan if we couldn't get a ship the first time." The Ghost then popped up a holographic map from the center console, detailing the area. As Grant watched, the Ghost highlighted a specific part of the map, saying, "The Guardian's ship went down close to here. He and his ghost were destroyed by the impact, meaning that they won't miss anything. Unfortunately, I've been picking up a lot of fallen activity in the area. I don't think I need to tell you to be careful."
"You could. Might make me feel all warm and fuzzy." Grant joked without humor, checking the cylinder on his revolver before magnetizing it back to his leg. It was still dark out, so at least he would have the drop on whatever was down there.
"2 minutes til landing." The ghost said back, then added, "Also, be careful."
"Aww." He replied, quietly giving a dry chuckle. A few moments later, he felt the ship slow and prepared himself. He watched as his body disappeared in a flash of light, and suddenly found himself standing on the hard, frozen ground of the cosmodrome. "I swear; I will never get used to that."
"Give it time." The ghost replied. "The ship is up ahead. Be careful, scans show that Fallen have already reached it and are poking around."
"Good." Grant replied wolfishly, relishing the opportunity to kill more of the aliens that destroyed his world. Drawing his rifle from his back, he got moving, the cold wind freezing his exposed, bald head, giving him a bit of a headache. As he moved, he thought about what he would do next, and if he had overreacted with the Vanguard. Maybe they had been above board with everything, maybe they had wanted to simply examine him. But how could he take the chance? He knew nothing about this world, and for all he knew, the Vanguard could have been as bad, if not worse than the aliens.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when he smelled smoke billowing over a hill in front of him. Immediately he slowed and raised his rifle, listening for anything that could be amiss. As he moved further and further up the hill, he started to hear Alien chatter, and immediately knew it was the Fallen, their strange clicking language giving them away. Gripping his rifle tighter, he walked faster until he neared the crest, where he dropped onto his chest and crawled the rest of the way until he could overlook the scene.
He counted eight Fallen, a mix of what he had learned were called Vandals and Dregs, all poking around the smoldering crater made from the ship that had once belonged to another guardian. The ship itself was in pretty bad shape, with the cockpit virtually obliterated from the impact. However, the cargo hold still seemed to be intact, and it was clearly what the Fallen were after. Two Dregs stood guard on top of the ship, with another two patrolling, and three Vandals and a last Dreg working on the cargo door, trying to open it carefully.
He watched the patrol, and waited until it was nearly directly in front of him before he struck. Rising to a knee, he sent a burst of bullets from his rifle directly into the closest Dreg's chest, putting five bullets right where its heart was. He didn't even pause as he switched to the other Dreg, putting another burst into the same spot, killing it before its comrade had even hit the ground.
Over the initial shock, the other aliens roared and returned fire on him, getting him up and moving down the hill. He moved side to side, dodging and weaving between the slower plasma shots, avoiding most of the damage. As soon as he got close enough, Grant leapt into the air, firing down on the Dregs on top of the ship. He managed to down one before landing, and immediately lashed out with his fist at the other, hitting it in the torso and sending it flying backwards off the ship, its torso caved in. He didn't stop to reload as he slapped his rifle to his back with one hand while drawing his revolver with the other, cocking the hammer before jumping off the ship, landing heavily on the ground near the cockpit. Raising his revolver, he moved forward, firing as soon as he saw the Dreg round the corner, followed shortly by the Vandals. He fired with precision and speed, falling back on his training. And, as he moved forward, the Vandals dropped, one at a time, and by the time he reached the back of the ship, the ground was soaked with their dark blue blood and brain matter.
"Have fun?" His ghost asked as it popped out of his armor and floated towards the cargo door. After a few moments, the door hissed and opened slowly, revealing a dark, destroyed interior. "I've already scanned the ship. The warp drive was destroyed in the crash, but it looks like the inner cabin is still intact. There may be some weapons and armor for you in there."
"Good." Grant replied, taking one last look around before carefully stepping into the dark ship, closing the hatch behind him. Immediately the Ghost lit up like a lightbulb, illuminating the area. To say it was a mess would have been an understatement. All through the cargo hold, boxes and containers were strewn everywhere, their contents spilled all over the floor.
"So who was this guy?" He asked as he made his way through the hold, poking around the boxes and debris, trying to find anything useful.
"He was a guardian that was investigating reports of Hive in the area." The Ghost replied as it floated ahead of him, scanning boxes. "Once he and the rest of his team got here, however, his ship was shot down by Fallen on the ground. The first shot destroyed his Ghost, and he was dragged out of his ship and murdered by an Archon before the team could do anything. Sad really.
As he walked further in, his Ghost flew ahead of him, scanning more boxes until it stopped over a large, grey chest.
"Here." It said simply, hovering over the container until he got close. Grant immediately unclasped the sides, confidant that the Ghost had already scanned it for traps. Carefully, he opened the lid, looking over the contents inside.
"What do you think?" The Ghost asked, hovering over him.
"What did you say this guy was?" Grant replied, reaching down and picking up something from the box.
"He was a Titan."
As he examined the helmet in front of him, he felt something twinge inside. Rounded face mask, with complete protection aside from the two small eye slits and a small hole where his nose would be, giving the helmet a skeletal image. It looked like he could use it to go head first through a wall, literally. Something brutal.
"If the shoe fits…"
…..
Helana sat at the back of the cafeteria, hands folded in deep thought and concentration, her food nearly untouched in front of her. She was frustrated, to say the least. She had been about to finish debriefing the Vanguard on the location of Archon Riksis when they heard the news that not only had Grant managed to escape his guards, knock out Holliday, and steal his ship, but that they had lost track of him after he moved far enough beyond the city's walls and into orbit. Which meant that, for now, finding him was the Vanguard's top priority. As if that wasn't enough, Cayde, in all of his infinite wisdom, decided that she and her team were to remain in the Tower until further notice. When she asked why, all he said was that he had a hunch about something and until it panned out, he needed her there.
And somehow, in all of this, she couldn't help but feel that this was her fault. She had been the one to bring Grant in, maybe she should have explained more of what was going to happen. Granted, she had no idea that the first thing Ikora could think to do was an invasive examination of the man. Of course, Zavalla hadn't been a help either. And because of them, and maybe because of something she should have thought of, Grant was in the wind, and probably a dead man.
"You know it's not your fault, right?" She heard from across the table. Looking away from her drink, she saw that her pupil, squad mate, and lunch companion Rayner Dorn had looked up from the device that he had been tinkering with to try and talk to her, which meant that she really must look distraught. "You couldn't have known what he was going to do."
"I shoulda known though, kid." Helana replied, not letting herself off the hook that easily. "I mean, the first thing Ikora did, the very FIRST thing, was order a physical and mental exam of the guy. I mean, his whole world was fine yesterday! And then Zavalla just went right along with it."
"Ikora has never been a people person, ma'am. You know that." Rayner said easily, causing Helana to sigh in defeat, knowing that he was right. He had always had a knack for putting her at ease, ever since he had been assigned to her team a few years prior. He was reliable and caring, especially for a Warlock. He definitely LOOKED like a Warlock though: Tall, gaunt, long black hair, pale skin, and gave off a sort of dark vibe. It was as if he had specifically been filling out a checklist for looking spooky.
She was taken out of her thoughts by Rayner's Ghost, Bolts, speaking up. The spiky purple machine rarely spoke, mirroring its companion, making the moments when it did seem all the more important, its English accent giving the ghost and added air of intelligence. "Has Kara been informed?"
"Yeah. She's on her way here." Helana replied, cringing slightly. That was not a conversation she was looking forward to. Kara, more than any of them, had wanted Riksis's head on a spike, and that was saying something. It had been all Helana could do to get the other huntress to stay in the Tower while she went and scouted for the Archon, as they both knew that Kara wouldn't have been able to stop herself from taking a shot at him. Though, she wondered if she could have restrained herself, either.
Especially for Val. Every time she thought of him, her chest ached. Val Naylor had been like a son to her, and had been her apprentice longer than either Kara or Rayner. He had been one of the kindest people she had ever had the pleasure of knowing, even rivaling Vel Tarlow, with whom he shared his class as a titan and specialty as a defender. Both he and his Ghost, Quart, lived up to the name, first into the battle to defend and protect their friends and allies. And now they were both dead.
"Thinking about Val and Quart?" Rayner asked, looking up again.
"Yeah. You?"
"Yeah." He looked back down, obviously deep in thought. After a moment, he said quietly, "It doesn't matter where he goes, or how long it takes. We'll find Riksis. And when we do, both Val and Quart will be honored."
"Here, here." Bolts said, bobbing up and down. Ruby, who was hovering silently behind Helana, nodded in agreement, pleased that its companion was feeling a bit better.
"Absolutely." Helana agreed, smiling a little despite the situation. However, that grin dropped from her face as soon as she caught a glimpse of a woman with reddish-black hair, an angular face, and a pissed off walk marching through the doors and right towards her. Following her gaze, Rayner also saw what was coming, and wisely dove back into his tinkering, taking shelter from the coming storm.
"Kara." She greeted, knowing that the woman was furious, and preparing for the inevitable tidal wave that was coming.
"Ma'am, this is crap." Kara yelled, her face alive with anger.
"Kara, listen…"
"You find Riksis, and right before we are about to fly out and give that pointy-headed bastard what he deserves, we're grounded because some new guy decides to fly off and the Vanguard has their heads too far up their own asses to track him?" she surmised, slamming her hand onto the table. She was loud enough that every patron in the cafeteria was looking at the table.
"Kara…" She started, trying to calm the huntress down, painfully aware that they were being watched. However, Kara wasn't finished.
"And worst of all, this is all on you! Not only did you bring this psycho here, but because you took your eye off him, he runs off to die somewhere, and you are just sitting here and doing nothing! Do you even care that Val died?"
"Kara!" Helana said forcefully, fed up with the much younger woman's tirade. Staring fire right into her, her voice quiet yet carrying the weight of a cargo ship, she commanded, "Sit. Down. Now."
This seemed to shake Kara out of her anger, which caused her to look around and realize what she had done. Still fuming, however, she stood for a minute, daring to continue. However, the look that Helana gave her was enough to cow her, and she slowly sat down opposite of her, never breaking eye contact with the other huntress.
"It wasn't my choice to ground us, first of all." Helana started, her own anger barely under restraint. "Second, Cayde was the one who asked us to stay put, not Ikora, not Zavalla. I don't agree with it, but he has something planned, and I trust him, so until I SAY OTHERWISE, we don't leave the Tower. Third, that 'psycho' not only saved my life, not only dragged me through Fallen infested territory, but he was just risen, and from the Golden Age."
She let that sink in, watching the realization come to Kara's face. She glanced at Rayner, who had his face shoved far down into his device, not daring to look up at the two irate huntresses.
"And lastly, do not, EVER, say I don't care about MY team." Helana said this with enough force that it made Kara look away, realizing what she had said. "Val and Quart's deaths are on me. They are my responsibility. Don't ever assume that I don't care about them. Unlike you, I can't let that get in the way of my job to protect you two."
The table was silent, each squad member waiting for someone else to speak up. What they weren't expecting was for that voice to come from someone else.
"So, as much as I do agree with your apprentice that the other Vanguard can generally have their head's in the wrong place, namely their asses, I will have you know that I, in particular, am always on the right side of things." Cayde said snarkily as he sat down at the table, breaking the tension with his very presence, as he was known to do. Looking at each squad member, he spoke with an irritating yet suave grin. "Now boy and girls, I have some good news, some bad news, some more good news, and some great news!"
"Well don't keep us in suspense, Cayde." Helana replied stonily, not in the mood for his theatrics at the moment. "What do you have for us?"
"First the good news: We found Grant." He said quickly, dropping the theatricality, for the most part. "Bad news, I was right, and he is headed straight back to where we know Riksis is, probably looking for a warp drive. We got a signal from Val's crashed ship, and we know the Fallen didn't get in, as the signal is still going."
"God damn it." Helana cursed quietly, shaking her head.
"Good news again, you guys are going after him, and are also ordered to kill Riksis as painfully as you want." This caused all of their faces to light up in excitement, each ready to kill the thing that had taken their friends.
"And the best news of all:" He paused, letting the drama build up, before saying slyly, "I'm coming with you guys."
This stunned the squad, as none of them had expected it. Helana immediately grew suspicious, knowing how dedicated Cayde was to his role in the Vanguard, and wanting to know why grant was so important to him in particular. Cayde simply got up, looked around the table one last time and said, "Wheels up in ten, pack your biggest guns and Kara, you're paying for everyone's lunch, considering your head was farther up your own ass than the Vanguard's."
That made everyone rise from their seats and take off, getting things squared away as Cayde ambled back towards the hanger, ready to be out in the field again.
…..
"So what do you think?" The Ghost asked, hovering behind Grant and observing him attach the last piece of armor to his forearm. The skin tight suit, which in his time had been called a sheath, fit him perfectly, and each piece of armor magnetized to the suit as readily as if they had been specifically made for it. Everything was surprisingly light, considering he felt like he could run straight through a few walls. The armor was a surprisingly perfect fit, and Grant wondered if perhaps the Ghost had tailored it to him as he was putting it on.
The armor was dark grey and blue, the colors muted as to make them stand out less. It reminded him of a cross between tactical battle armor, a space suit, and medieval plate mail. And he'd be lying if he said he didn't like it.
"It'll do nicely." Grant replied thoughtfully, sliding the helmet onto his head as he talked. Once it was secured, it hermetically sealed itself to the rest of the sheath, cutting him off from the world. As soon as it was secure, the visor lit up, displaying the same tactical data his last helmet had. "Hope the guy it belonged to wouldn't mind."
"He wouldn't." The ghost assured him. He noted how sure the ghost sounded when it said this, deciding to ask more about it later.
He made his way out of the ship quickly, knowing that time was of the essence. Climbing out of the ship carefully, he slammed the hatch down with enough force to jam it into place, ensuring that it wouldn't be raided by the Fallen.
"Alright Ghost, where too?" He asked impatiently, wanting to get a move on.
"I'm picking up data transmissions coming from an underground computer five miles ahead of us. With any luck, if it doesn't have a warp drive, it'll tell us where one is. Displaying it now."
As soon as he saw the icon pop up in front of him, Grant set off. Though to him it felt like he was going at a jogging pace, in actuality he was going faster than he had ever run before, covering the distance at a speed he would have thought impossible yesterday.
10 minutes later, he came to a stop on a hill overlooking the facility. From his position, he could see around 10 Fallen in front of the small building that led to the computer he was after. The Fallen themselves were mostly dregs, with a few vandals supervising them.
I can deal with that. He thought to himself as he readied his rifle, mapping out a battle plan that would comprise both speed and precision, and would most certainly have left most of the aliens dead before they knew what happened, with the rest of them quickly falling. It was a superb plan.
And then he heard a beep from behind him, and felt a hot ball of energy crash into his back, bouncing off his shields. He fell forward and turned, landing on his back and firing, destroying a small, floating robot. But not before it sent out a loud ring that echoed along the empty landscape.
"That's a shank, the Fallen use them like guard dogs."
"That would have been nice to know five minutes ago!" Grant yelled as got to his feet and started running, knowing that any sense of surprise was gone with the machine's death alarm.
Indeed, as soon as he started sprinting down the hill, he was immediately met by a storm of bullets and plasma from the Fallen below him. He knew he didn't have a choice now. He had to run right through it and get down there before the Fallen could actually get into cover and get dug in. If they did, he'd have a much tougher fight ahead.
Running full tilt down the hill, he didn't even try to avoid the fire coming at him, as most of it missed due to his shocking speed. As he got closer, he started firing his rifle, sending bullet after bullet at the entrenched Fallen. He wasn't actually trying to hit them, just trying to keep their heads down as his proximity made him an easier target for them.
As he approached, many of the Fallen retreated behind some large, rusted shipping containers, trying to set a perimeter. The few Dregs that remained didn't last long, falling to the ground as he passed with more holes than they had seconds prior.
Seeing that the rest of them had retreated behind the containers, Grant decided to test out something. Rather than slowing, he kept his speed up, holding his rifle as tight as he could for what was coming.
Just as it was almost too late, he jumped, tilting forward.
He barely cleared the container.
As he passed over the aliens and took aim, upside down, and fired. He dropped three of the Dregs before he hit the ground, tucking and rolling into a crouch, spraying all around him before the Fallen could react. Any fire the Fallen got off before his bullets found them were absorbed by his shields, which barely fizzled in response.
After 10 seconds, it was over.
Breathing heavily, his eyes moved over the carnage around him, searching among the dead for any sign of life. However, the bodies of the aliens were as still as rocks, and after a moment, he allowed himself a small sigh of relief. Part of him couldn't believe that what he had done had worked, as it seemed like something that would happen in one of the earlier 21st century action movies. But, he reasoned, maybe now the unorthodox was the new combat 101. And a small part of him enjoyed slaughtering the things that killed his world.
As he rose to his feet, he thought to himself that, with his enhanced mobility and strength, it reminded him of when he had fought on Mars' lower gravity. That made him wonder what it would be like on Mars now, or the moon for that matter. That was then, however. He needed to focus on the present.
"Impressively done." The Ghost said from his armor as it sent a pulse in front of him and into the small shack, ensuring that it was clear of hostiles. "They managed to get a transmission out, we need to hurry."
"On it." He replied quickly, changing a magazine and racking a new shell into the rifle as he entered the rusted shack. As soon as he walked in, he saw the stairs in the back that led down into the bunker, and the pitch blackness that they disappeared into. "Ghost?"
"Here." It replied helpfully as it started emitting a beam of light and floated behind his shoulder, illuminating everything in front of him.
Slowly he crept down the stairs, his eyes following the ghost's light. At the bottom of the stairs, he was met with a hallway with two open double doors at the end. He moved slowly, each step echoed down the empty hall as his eyes constantly searched for any movement. As he entered the room, his rifle sweeping the area, he breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the room was indeed empty.
"The console in front of us." The ghost said quickly as it flew ahead of Grant, leaving him in the dark as it went to the other side of the room to scan a large computer. After a few moments, the ghost turned back to him, its tone grim. "I found us a warp drive, but the Fallen already have it."
"Can you lock onto its signal?"
"Already done, but there's something else," The ghost replied, sounding worried. "The Fallen guarding this place sent out a distress signal before you killed them. We should have been swarmed with fallen dropships by now, but we aren't."
"Damn." Grant realized that something was almost certainly amiss, but he also realized that there was no way that they could leave without the warp drive. Without it, he couldn't get away from Earth. Couldn't find out if there was anything left. "We'll have to keep on guard, but we can't leave without that warp drive."
"Understood." The ghost replied hesitantly, obviously unsure of the idea but unwilling to say something, especially when he could tell how important this was to his guardian. "I'm marking it now. The signal is coming from a hangar further inside the cosmodrome. Just be ready."
"Always." He replied stonily, quickly going back down the hallway, his ghost phasing back into his armor as soon as he reached the stairs. As he left the shack, he saw again the crumpled bodies of the Fallen he had killed, and again felt that strange sense of glee. It was the first thing that had made him happy since he had woken up in this world, and it was just beginning.
As he moved over the snow swept tundra towards his objective, he again took in all the destruction around him; the rusted planes, the wrecked ships, the bombed out and destroyed buildings. He saw it all. He drank it in, letting it get swallowed up by the void that had appeared inside him. It had been steadily growing in intensity as he spent more and more time in the disaster that was his world. It wasn't some poetic fire in his heart or whatever. More, it was a growing sense of numbness that was encircling him. He didn't feel sorrow anymore. He didn't feel angry. He just felt nothing. Maybe he was still in shock. Maybe it was some coping mechanism that his brain was forcing onto him in some attempt to let him keep his sanity. He didn't know. All he knew was that he couldn't do anything about it. All he could do was keep putting one foot in front of the other.
He reached the entrance of the building that he was after without conflict, and was at this point extremely wary. He had seen signs of Fallen throughout the hike, from hot, smoking metal to ripped open boxes with their goods littered on the tundra. But he hadn't actually seen any of the aliens. As if they had known he was coming and gotten out of his path to avoid conflict. He wasn't arrogant enough to believe that they were afraid of him, which left one alternative: Ambush.
"Ghost, pulse." He commanded quietly, checking that his revolver and knife were ready to draw at a moment's notice if his rifle failed. He watched the pulse go through the open doors and up the stairs in front of him, and watched his sonar read empty.
He didn't trust it for a second, and proceeded up the stairs as carefully as he could, waiting for something, anything, to alert him to the ambush. Nothing when he reached the top of the stairs. When he pushed open the rusted door, the only sound was the hinges screaming in protest, revealing the empty hangar.
He could feel his skin crawl beneath his armor, his eyes frantically searched the massive room in front of him. Aside from piles of rusted scraps of metal and electronics littering the floor, there was nothing. Nothing except a massive hole in the wall facing him, large enough to drive a car through. Slowly, he walked into the room, waiting for something to happen. The marker that his Ghost had created was right in the middle of the room. However, when he reached it, he found there was nothing except air.
"Where is it?" He whispered harshly, aware that he was probably being surrounded on the outside of the building.
"The signal says it's right here!" The Ghost replied, obviously as agitated as its guardian. However, that was when there was a barely measurable blip on the sonar. "Wait, picking something up."
Grant looked where the sonar had picked up something, and found himself staring straight into the massive hole in the wall. As he peered intently into the dark, he could see nothing. He was about to ask for the Ghost to turn on its flash light when he heard a barely audible click of metal.
He dove to the ground, the plasma blast so close that he could feel the heat from it on his skin, through his armor and shields. As he rolled to his feet, he was taken aback by a roar loud enough that he felt his armor vibrate with its intensity.
As he watched, two massive hands grasped the sides of the hole before they pulled the rest of the monstrosity out. One that he had seen before. The blood red cape, the monstrous gun, the helmet that resembled Satan himself. The monster that had brutally murdered the guardian whose armor Grant now wore.
"Oh no." The Ghost said quietly, mirroring its owner's reaction.
Riksis had come for him.
…..
"Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking, please fasten your seatbelts in case of turbulence and/or anti-aircraft fire. We will be reaching our destination in fifteen minutes. Sit back, relax, prepare for some good old-fashioned revenge killing and likely kidnapping, and thank you for flying air Cayde."
"Does he ever take anything seriously?" Rayner asked from his seat in the cargo hold of Cayde's ship, checking his pulse rifle again, ensuring that everything was in order, going over every fine detail. The Vanguard leader had decided that it would be best for the entire squad to fly in his ship, as it had stealth capabilities. Plus, he reasoned, if they found Grant, he might be less than cooperative. While none of the three were especially warm on the idea, they didn't argue.
"You'd be surprised." Helana replied from across the hold, gazing up at the ceiling, mentally preparing herself for what was to come. From the corner of her eye, she saw Kara pacing back and forth though the hold, talking to herself. It had always been like this; Rayner was always nervous before a fight and couldn't help but check that everything was in order with his equipment over and over again, Kara would do something physical to psyche herself up and bury the fear she had, and Helana would zone out and become focused in on herself, calming her mind so that she could more clearly think and lead.
And then there was Cayde. She looked up at the cockpit, seeing him sitting in the pilot's seat, nodding his head to some electronic music playing throughout the ship, as casually as if he were going to pick up some new clothes. Helana didn't know how he did it, always calm and cool and cracking jokes. Every time they had fought together, he had always been the comedian, always the joker. She supposed it was probably just his way of dealing with all the things that he had to go through, but it also helped anyone who was in his general vicinity. He was a walking, talking morale boost. So, that raised the question, why was he here, with them, when he was needed elsewhere?
"Rayner, keep Kara from breaking anything." Helana said seriously, rising to her feet and walking towards the cockpit. "I need to have a talk with our captain."
"I'll watch her." Rayner replied distantly, more concerned with his rifle.
As she walked up the stairs to where Cayde was seated, she saw his Ghost, Spades, appear out of the console of the ship, flying towards her.
"Hey, hey, hey Helana!" The ghost replied in its female voice, its orange prickled shell dull in the ship's dim lighting. "Hows my favorite hunter doing?"
"I resent that!" Cayde said from in front of them, making Helana roll her eyes.
"I'm fine Spades, gotta talk with Cayde. Feel free to listen."
"Like you have a choice." Spades replied, with what must have been an artificial smirk as it floated back to where its companion sat. Helana followed easily, taking a seat in the copilot's chair next to her old friend. She didn't immediately talk, instead opting to look out the window at the destroyed blue ball beneath them. From that high in the stratosphere, everything looked so small, with an almost beautiful quality to it. The fluffy white clouds moving slowly over the earth hid the desolation below them.
"Ya know, I never get tired of being up here. Seeing this." She said distantly, watching the Earth beneath her. "Must have been terrifying for Grant, waking up in that."
"Yeah. Definitely made his worst day ever list, I'd think." Cayde replied easily, keeping his gaze ahead, only letting it snap to the gages and radar. She watched him and frowned. Something was off. Though the other two wouldn't have noticed it, she had been around the man long enough to see it. He was tense. The way he moved, the way his eyes darted around, only to stare intensely straight ahead. He was off. He noticed her staring at him, and asked shortly, "So, whadda ya want?"
"Cayde, what's the matter with you?" She asked quietly, ensuring Rayner and Kara didn't hear. "Don't bother coming up with an excuse, or I swear I will snap your bow in half."
"Not the bow! Ladies love the bow." He replied in mock horror, giving Helana a sideways glance. When he saw that she was serious, he relented, and said quietly, without humor, "It's Grant."
"Why?" Helana asked quickly, confused. Granted, Cayde was a kind man, but he would never let something like this throw him off his game. He was too much of a professional. "Cayde, we'll get him. Why is he so important to you though?"
"Because of the way he looked at me."
"What?" Helana's confusion was growing. This was definitely not normal.
"When he showed up in the Vanguard HQ with you, he looked at me, and I could see something in his face, I just couldn't piece it together." Any trace of humor was gone from Cayde's voice, replaced instead by strong conviction, something Helana rarely saw with him. "It was recognition, Hel. He knew me."
"You're sure?" Things were falling into place now. Grant's distrust of exos, and of Cayde in particular.
"As sure as I've ever been." He replied quietly, letting it soak in before saying, "He knew me, that means he knows who I am. Who my entire race is. He could have the answers that we've been looking centuries for. And right now, he's AWOL."
"Cayde, we'll find him." Helana placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing slightly. She now understood the weight that was on the man in front of her. The weight of his entire race, and the largest question that it had ever asked.
"I know we will, Hel." Cayde replied, bringing a hand up to squeeze hers. "I just worry about what comes after."
"Yeah. Me too." She said quietly.
…..
Grant impacted the steel wall with such force that he tore through it, landing in the next room. While his armor and shield protected him somewhat, the impact to his head nearly knocked him unconscious. His rifle was gone, ripped apart by the monster when Grant had tried to close the distance, hoping to avoid its plasma cannon. He hadn't counted on Riksis being as fast as he was, and when he was suddenly smacked to the side, he got to his feet only to see the monster crush the gun in one fist as easily as an apple.
As he got to his knees, a massive hand reached through the hole, grabbing his legs and ripping him back through the wall. As he rose through the air, his brain refocusing, he came face to face with Riksis, his glowing orange eyes shocking the man fully back to reality. Grant, in a move of desperation, punched the beast in the face, his electrically charged fist smashing into its helmet.
He could hear it laughing as it threw him in the air, sending him crashing through the metal roof, the sound of screaming metal and cracking ribs echoing in his ears. His shield, already weakened by the last impact, broke as soon as he hit the metal, and he took the brunt of the force through his armor. He landed on top of the roof with a crash that forced any remaining air out of his lungs in a pained gasp.
Desperately he tried to breathe, working his way up to his feet, knowing he had to move. As he started to run, a plasma blast erupted where he had landed, leaving a massive hole and sizzling steel in its place. Desperately he tried to make a plan as he picked up speed, coming up empty again and again.
He was going to die.
Suddenly, a blue blast appeared in front of him. He couldn't react in time. Couldn't stop himself. He was barely able to let out a scream before he plunged through the hole. As he fell, he saw Riksis, and more importantly Riksis's plasma cannon, aimed directly where he was going to impact.
"Grenade, now!" He heard his ghost yell into his helmet, causing him to quickly form and throw a grenade at the Fallen Archon Priest. Riksis easily sidestepped the grenade, but the short distraction allowed Grant the moments necessary to land and move, stumbling away behind a pillar for cover.
"15, I don't know what to do here." He breathed heavily into his microphone, exhaustion filling him. He could feel the vibrations through the ground as Riksis closed the distance, and wasn't quite sure if he could move in time to escape the monster when he needed to.
"Grant, we need to escape." He heard 15 say quickly, his metallic voice filled with terror. "The only way out is through the doors on your right. Move!"
As soon as he saw the icon pop up, he was off. He stumbled slightly, but self preservation spurred him on through the pain and exhaustion. The doors were on the complete opposite side of the room, and he bolted. He felt the burning in his lungs, the sand paper in his throat, the gravel beneath his feet. But he knew he would make it. He knew he could reach the door.
And when the plasma blast struck the ground beside him, sending him careening through the air and smashing into a wall, he knew it was over.
He struggled to his hands and knees, trying to breathe. This was where he would die. As he let his mind drift, preparing for whatever was going to happen, he let himself think of his family for the first time since he had awoken. He hoped he would see them again, especially Emma.
Even then, despite the circumstances, the thought of the little girl brought a smile to his lips. His sister had been the light of his life for so long, he couldn't help it. The thought that maybe he could see her again filled him with a sense of comfortable numbness. He was ready.
However, when he opened his eyes to look Riksis in the face as he delivered the final blow, he saw it. On the edge of the wall next to him, partially buried, he could see the eye socket of a skull. Curiously, he dug his fingers into the sand and pulled it out, revealing a small, child like upper skull. He looked at it in a slight wonder, before something clicked in his head. Something that he had been told, but hadn't really understood.
These aliens killed his world.
Killed his family.
Killed him.
Killed his sister.
He felt it start crawling through his body, like snakes in his veins. Felt his mind cloud over with it, his vision going dark for a brief moment as he felt something course through him, something akin to a prisoner in an electric chair. He didn't see the shadow looming over him, nor that Riksis was preparing to stomp him out of existence. In that moment, it didn't matter to him. Because, in that moment, all the numbness that he had felt since he had awoken, all the repressed and buried emotion, all the fear and anger, became one single feeling: An unyielding, all consuming rage. He had failed to protect his sister. Failed to protect his family. He hadn't even gotten the chance to fight, and now he was going to die in some god forsaken hangar.
In futile anger, he punched the ground. The resulting shockwave surprised him, and sent Riksis stumbling back. Just as he registered that he was the cause of the massive wave of energy, he saw Riksis raising his cannon again.
He was surprised when he was able to get up effortlessly and leap away from the incoming plasma, diving behind the pillar for cover as Riksis actually retreated away from him. Looking at himself, he was shocked to see he was exuding a bright blue aura, with electricity arcing across his arms and legs.
"Ghost, what's happening to me?" As he asked, he could feel the energy building up inside him, causing his muscles to spasm painfully.
"Grant, you have to listen to me." The Ghost replied urgently, sounding extremely worried. "You're generating too much light in your body. Your anger must have triggered it. If you don't find a way to get rid of it, it's going to kill you."
"Oh how philosophical. How do I get rid of it?" He asked through gritted teeth, watching the blue light grow slightly in intensity and feeling the pain worsen.
"Well, Striker Titans use the energy for a massive attack where they leap into the air and smash the ground, destroying everything in the vicinity."
"Oh I can do that." Grant replied, letting the anger flow as he got to his feet, the pain simply adding to it..
"You're going to need to hit him directly if you want to kill him."
"I wouldn't have it any other way. How long do I have?" Peering out from behind the pillar and trying to locate the massive alien.
"Two minutes."
The Ghost had barely finished speaking when Grant sprinted out of cover, narrowly avoiding a massive ball of plasma. He knew his only chance was to keep moving non-stop, and try to predict when the monster was going to shoot. He didn't notice how much faster he was, nor how he was completely revitalized. He was solely focused on getting to Riksis as quickly as possible.
He began bobbing and weaving across the floor, narrowly dodging the blasts from Riksis. Quickly Riksis started focusing fire in front of him, causing Grant to change course non-stop, dodging and weaving between orbs of plasma. Many of the blasts impacted close enough to make him stumble, feeling the heat from them through his shields.
Seeing an opportunity, he broke left before leaping into the air, pivoting so that he would land feet first on the wall. As soon as he touched, he pushed off with the force of a cannon, aiming straight for Riksis's head.
The alien, however, knew what Grant was, knew the danger he posed, and ducked out of the way just in time to avoid his fist, causing Grant to tuck and roll into the ground, saving the energy. Rolling to a knee, Grant found himself face to barrel with Riksis's blaster and immediately dove out of the way, narrowly avoiding the blast.
As soon as he landed, he was up and moving, sprinting around Riksis, desperately trying to get into his blind spot, while Riksis, continuously kept just out of reach while bringing his cannon to bear.
Suddenly, Grant faltered. A misstep, a rolled ankle, a slip. Whatever it was, it slowed him down just enough for Riksis to swing his cannon around in front of him. Bellowing with satisfaction, the massive alien pulled the trigger, filling his vision with a massive blue orb of light. As soon as it cleared, Riksis saw a crater where the guardian once stood. He never saw Grant dive between his legs, nor did he feel the tremor in the ground when the guardian lept into the air. It was the man's screaming that ultimately caused him to turn around, only to see Grant barrelling down on him from above, fist glowing with electricity and rage.
…..
"Ship's clear." Rayner yelled, carefully climbing out of the destroyed ship formerly belonging to Val. "Pretty obvious that he was in here though. It's been ransacked and one of Val's sets of armor is missing."
"That son of a bitch." Kara hissed, slamming the hatch shut behind Rayner.
"Well, that's a little harsh." Cayde replied jokingly from his position on top of the ship, overlooking the area around them. "I mean, guy was in light mail."
"He's a grave robber."
"Not now Kara. He's our top priority, remember that." Helana said briskly, chastising the hotheaded hunter, though part of her did feel the same. Though she understood his reasons, it still sat wrong with her.
"Oh don't worry. He is." Kara replied venomously. "The sooner we find him the sooner we find Riksis."
"Well aren't you a little ball of malice?" Cayde deadpanned as he got down from the top of the ship, facing the squad. "We need to find something that tells us where he went. Spread out, have your ghosts look for tracks. Like the firecracker said, we find Grant, we find Riksis."
As soon as the last syllable left his mouth, a massive explosion sounded from a hangar a short distance north of them.
"Alternatively, we can go to the perfectly timed explosion." Cayde deadpanned before setting off at a sprint, the others close behind.
The building wasn't hard to spot, due to the billowing smoke coming from the roof. Without hesitation they all started sprinting towards the building, noting that there were no Fallen in their path. Knowing that Riksis had likely lured Grant into a trap. Knowing that Grant was about to die.
Which was why, when they burst into the room, they were shocked to see Grant on his knees, fist smoking.
Beside him was the smoking corpse of Riksis, a bloody crater where his head and torso had been.
"No way." Rayner said in awe, the first to speak as he looked at the devastation of the battle throughout the room, keeping safely back with the rest of the squad. "This shouldn't have been possible."
"Hel, look." Cayde said quietly, pointing to Grant. Upon looking closer examination, she saw that the man was holding a small, child-like skull in his hands.
"Grant…" She whispered quietly, shocked and saddened. She could only imagine what his face looked like beneath the helmet he wore. She could guess what it was, though. It was one of loss, of confusion, and of anger. Just like she had seen many guardians go through. Slowly, she approached the Titan, ready to back off if he seemed hostile. However, he didn't move an inch. As she got closer, she could hear the still sizzling flesh of Riksis, and quietly wondered how he was able to kill the monster alien.
Once she finally reached him, she moved to his front and got down on her knees in front of him. At first, neither of them spoke, Helana not knowing how to start and Grant barely registering her presence. She took everything in: the sagged shoulders, the slump in his back, the unwavering gaze into the small skull in his hands. Eventually though, Helana decided to ask the basic thing.
"Are you ok?" As soon as it left her mouth, she kicked herself. Of course he wasn't ok. When he didn't visibly react, she came up with an alternate idea. Quickly she took her helmet off and placed it on the ground, before saying slowly, "Grant, I'm going to take your helmet so we can talk face to face, ok?"
When he didn't respond, she took it for a yes, and slowly, carefully, put her hands on the side of his head, her fingers searching for the release. As she looked into the helmet, its blue on grey colors and familiar faceplate brought back memories of the man it had belonged to previously. Before she could dwell on it for too long, her fingers finally brushed the release. Cautiously she opened the helmet, taking it off and setting it on the ground. When she looked back to his face to try and talk to him, she was immediately taken aback.
She was expecting his face to be a twist of emotions on his face. Anger, sadness, rage. The things she would normally expect. Instead, she looked at a face that was simply plain. No expression, no hint of emotion, nothing.
"Grant…" She whispered, not knowing what to do.
"If I join the Vanguard…" He said quietly, though not in a whisper. He still looked down at the skull, searching it intensely for something only he could see. "Do I fight?"
"Um, yes." She replied quietly, glancing at Cayde with a confused look. "I mean, it's what we do."
He swallowed when she said this, obviously working something over in his mind. After what felt like an eternity, he nodded to himself, answering some unsaid question.
"Alright." He said quietly, looking into Helana's face. As blank as his face was, his eyes were cold. His pupils were pin pricks and they practically radiated intensity. "I'll go with you. I'll take any tests you want. But I'm going to kill as many of these monsters as I can. If you want to help me, fine. But I will never stop."
He let his words settle for a moment, before reaching down and grabbing his helmet before he rose to his feet. Looking down at the woman before him, he offered his hand. "You came for me. Thank you."
After a pause, she took his hand and let him help her to her feet. "Anytime."
He didn't reply as he turned away from the guardian and started walking to the entrance. However, he stopped beside Cayde, looking into the exo's face, thinking.
"She says you can be trusted." He said quietly, glancing back at Helana before returning his gaze to the exo. "So, I will. But remember this:"
With the hand still holding the skull, he placed a finger on the center of Cayde's chest. "Cayde 4."
He moved his hand up, the same finger pointing at Cayde's right eye. "Cayde 5."
He didn't wait for a reply as he trudged out of the hangar, the smoking corpse of Riksis still sizzled on the ground and the child's skull was clutched in his hand.
Well guys, welcome to the story. I figured I'd get the first few chapters done to see if there was any interest in me continuing. Obviously i have taken some liberties with the story, but i feel like it was open enough that it allowed me to do so. Just like every other person on this site, I'd really appreciate it if you left me a review to tell me what you thought, offer ideas (Of course you get credit) or even just to chat. I'm really excited to keep writing this, but I didn't do it alone. I'd like to thank Leider Hosen, Fishslayer, and Mr. Selfish, all of whom contributed greatly, from grammar to ideas. They are all amazing writers, almost certainly better than I am, and you really should check them out, especially if you are into Dark Souls. But, with that said, I'm finished for now. Let me hear what you think and I'll see you guys later.
Oh, and by the way, my work is always littered with references. See if you can't find some.