After a hop, skip and a jump, Veda's cruddy little ship docked itself in the spacious port. After disbanding from it, she witnessed from the hangar deck as it descended. All she had to do now was get to a medic... But it occurred to Veda that she couldn't be rude! Vergil still hadn't shown yet, or as far as she could see. Amicus of course urged her to just continue, but Veda quietly sat down, leaning against the nearest wall. Dead Orbit affiliates murmured their conversation not too far away. Miss Holliday could be seen diligently working around the hangar. Such a peaceful setting, contrasted to the horror she had only recently bore witness to, was refreshing. A bit... scary. The large gap, that is. Veda simply watched silently as Guardians went about their business, not minding the seated Awoken.
"Still handles pretty well doesn't she?" Vergil flew over the City in his ship the TickTock Inquisitor. It wasn't the only ship he had, just the most recent one he decided to take for a spin. He didn't like relying on his ship to get him from place to place as he normally would by walking. It made it too easy and there was much one could miss while in the air. Whenever he did return to the City during his travels he would arrive at one of the gates to walk through the streets among the people on his way to the Tower. Only in great need and haste would he summon his vessel. He supposed this time was in haste, a haste to figure out the Vanguards game and what was going on.
"I'm just surprised the Fallen didn't find it and strip it after all this time." Spark answered as he floated around the cabin. He was restless too, but for a different reason. The artifact was what intrigued him most. What kind of technology could it be to have the Vanguard to keep it away from the Tower? Unfortunately in their desire to secure it they goofed up and he knew Vergil would have words for them.
"We're being hailed by Tower Control, they want some ID." Vergil inputted the data and sent it away, receiving a green light to land.
"Welcome home Guardian, it's been awhile." Holliday's voice broke the storm of Vergil's thoughts.
"I only wish my arrival was more pleasant. Let the Vanguard know I'm here."
"Copy that, don't hurt 'em too much."
"No promises." Vergil switched the ship to auto dock and let her glide in. He had hoped Veda had gone straight to Medical as soon as she landed, but he knew Hunters; stubborn to a fault and eager to prove themselves, even the more experienced ones. As soon as they landed, he departed via transmat onto the deck. He gave Holliday a quick salute and scanned the bay, finding Veda propped up against a wall.
"Oi, Miss!" He called as he walked to her. "You're supposed to be in med bay." He offered a hand to the sitting Awoken.
Veda looked up as the Exo approached. Smiling lightly, she took the extending gesture. Pulling herself up, she felt the same lurch she had felt all day. But there was also a sharp pain. Amicus became flustered, or so she could feel. Her expression hardly changed but she returned to the matter at hand. "Yeah, sorry. Thought I should wait. I'll head over..." Veda chuckled, rubbing the nape of her neck and stretching her arms. Vergil crossed his and tilted his head in concern.
"You go on ahead and get yourself looked at, can't have you getting an infection. I'm going to talk to the Vanguard to sort things out. It might not be pretty." Veda turned to go, paused and glanced back.
"... Leave them room for me to talk to them." The words suggested a joking demeanor, but her eyes looked rather cold, and quite serious. After leaving that statement, Veda turned back and continued her way. The girl seemed rather collected as she scaled the stairs, passed under the grand walls, carefully avoiding cargo boxes and corridor door frames. However, as she walked down the hall that exited to the Tower Watch area, a hurried Titan bumped passed. However, he did stop, turn and apologize rather sincerely before he jogged off. The Hunter greatly appreciated the politeness, but greatly loathed the pain he had triggered. Her abdomen felt inflamed, as though searing knifes had pierced her internal belly. Veda remained idle and stiff for a moment, collecting her objective thoughts. Squeezing her hands into tight fists, and crossing her arms over her abdomen, she hurried to the med bay. Once there, the girl let out a sigh of relief, and a painful growling groan. Those in the med bay at the time consisted of Frames and what seemed to be unarmored Guardians. Her care was a blur more than anything; of anything she could remember, it was the sudden surges of pain that racked her entire body to spasm.
"Dear god..." Veda could have swore she heard one Guardian mumble: "Dear god...". So... perhaps she had dulled down the hole severity of it... a little. But what could she do?! She had had no idea about it. Everything calmed down a bit after she was put on anesthetics. The large lesions across her back were stitched up, Amicus began understanding the extent. How could he have been so inattentive? Apparently, due to the duration of the abdominal internal bleeding, she needed to be taken in for an exploratory laparotomy, where they would seal the ends of any leaking blood vessels. Before the Ghost knew it, hours had passed and Veda was only just being let out to go to Recovery. Still under anesthetics, a few Guardians would occasionally peek in her room, whispering about how badly it looked. The girl looked like she was on life support, with all the wires and things connected to her. The only casual looking thing in the room was probably the IV drip. Now, Amicus was more pissed than ever. It was good the girl was resilient, or she may not have lived. Amicus realized her lack of pain sensitivity had stemmed from her adrenaline, stress and psychological denial. "That stubborn idiot..." Amicus huffed, materializing and floating by the Awoken's bed.
Vergil kept an eye on Veda as they made their way across the courtyard. When it was time to depart wished her farewell and that she would see him soon along with the Vanguard. He immediately set course for the Vanguard's chamber. He arrived to find the room mostly empty save for the three Mentors. Ikora Rey, the Warlock Vanguard, turned to face him.
"Vergil, it's been too long. What brings you back to the Tower?" Cayde-6 drummed his fingers on the table while Zavala stood with his hands behind his back, looking straight on at nothing in particular. They knew why he was here, or rather could guess. They knew when Vergil arrived in such a fashion there would be hell to pay.
"What were you thinking?" Vergil could hold a perfect composure when he wanted, and had kept his wrath in check in front of Veda and the others in the Tower. But now Veda wasn't here, he was alone to face the Vanguard and they knew Hell had come knocking. His voice was a whisper, but the words were amplified with power.
"The lives of three Guardians are on your hands and the fourth is being held together by the confines of her armour. Do you care to explain yourselves?" Ikora's and Cayde's gazes drifted away from the Exo, but Zavala's held firm.
"I'm surprised you actually care about your Guardian brethern Vergil. It didn't seem to faze you after the Gap." Spark immediately materialized and sped right into Zavala's face.
"I don't remember asking you a goddamn thing!" The angry shout did break the Commander's stance, causing him to take a step back in surprise. His eyes narrowed at the ghost but was interrupted before he could retort.
"Spark." Vergil's unnaturally calm voice reached the little A.I. He shot the Titan a dirty look before returning to the Exo. Vergil sighed and gave a sad look of pity towards Zavala.
"That was then, this is now Zavala. The Vanguard are directly responsible for the death of nearly an entire fireteam of inexperienced Guardians to reclaim an artifact that you deemed too valuable and you were too impatient to go through the proper channels of arranging a strike or raid. You are going to explain yourselves to the surviving member of that fireteam and to me. So let's not waste anymore time; she's down in the med bay. Follow me." Vergil turned on his heel and walked out, not waiting for the three mentors to catch up. He knew they knew better than to keep him waiting. They made their way to the medical centre. On arrival however Vergil could tell something was wrong. The whole place was in an uproar of hurried medics and frames. He grabbed the attention of a nearby nurse already fearing the worst.
"What's happened, what's going on?" His composure was cracking now.
"A Guardian just walked in and keeled over." The nurse responded. "Female, Awoken. She looked like she just came back from a torture in hell."
Vergil went cold. "Where is she now?"
"In emergency room 3, it'll be awhile before she's out."
"How soon will she be out." Ikora chimed in. The nurse blinked in surprise. "At least a few hours ma'am. And it'll be longer before she wakes up." Vergil's shoulders slumped. That damned girl, Traveler bless her. He knew he should've taken a look at her wounds...
His hands balled into fists.
"You're off the hook for now." He directed to the Vanguard. "But as soon as she's able, you get your arses down here as soon as I call you understand?" The three mentors nodded and left, leaving Vergil amidst the chaos. He decided to wait until she was in Recovery. When the nurse called him he almost bolted to her room. He found Amicus hovering over her.
"By all that is Light..." He looked at the array of tubes and machines. "Will she be alright?"
Amicus's small form looked up, hovering over toward the Exo so he faced him.
"With her condition, fairly well. Her respiration and body temperature are very good. However, it seems that her heart rate is fluxuating to try and compensate for the loss of blood flow..." The last bit of the explanation sounded like it was painful to say. The voice distorted slightly with a lower, sorrowful tone. The Ghost flew quietly again beside his Guardian.
"If she wasn't so stubborn, she honestly wouldn't have made it." The small form concluded his one eye gazing down at the sleeping form. There was so many tapes over her, including small bandages that hid tiny cuts. Smaller wounds had already been attended to, of course, after the surgery. Looking up, the Ghost sighed.
"When the Traveler sent us out to serve the Light... I did not expect to find a worthy Guardian." A pause filled the room before he continued. "Many years went by where I tirelessly searched, feeling cynical and critical of all possible souls to be revived. Though I was meant to serve as an aid to the Guardians destined to fight The Darkness, I failed to see the merit and quality that these planets had. So I became begrudgingly picky." The Ghost seemed to dip it's face toward the floor, as though feeling guilty and ashamed. The tone turned then.
"However, I felt Veda having been drifting carelessly around the Rocketyard. I'm not sure if you're Ghost has shared with you, but finding your Guardian is like no other feeling. That... sensation is one I won't forget, and the surge of it lingers in my interactions with her everyday. And to this day, there hasn't been a serious moment where I regret reviving her." Amicus' eye looked up at Vergil.
"I don't know what to do without her, Guardian. My purpose, Light, and all that I am, is for her. Seeing her like this needs to have repercussions somewhere, or I will MAKE. THEM. HAPPEN." The voice turned rather dark and near a mechanic growl as he ferociously whispered the last words. He did not mean to direct his anger at Vergil, but more toward those responsible for creating his Guardian's peril. Veda's idle form didn't stir one bit, the monitor graphics flickered a bit to show a sudden dip, then slow rise in her heart rate. Amicus would have gone cold should he have been of flesh. A nurse made her way into the room.
"Excuse me, I'm going to administer a heart regulator. You don't have to leave, but please do give me space." The petite woman hurriedly stated, before lugging in a med cart. After fiddling with her monitor, she set up a needle in which a silver substance was injected. "I put in some beta blockers that should regulate her heart rate. Please call me or another nurse if anything irregular happens." The nurse continued, packing up her kit and directing her words mainly toward the Ghost. Amicus gave a nod, and the woman exited.
Vergil grabbed a chair and pulled up to the right side of the bed. He sat down, then his face fell into his hands and let out a huge sigh; the Warlock suddenly looked (and felt) very old, as if time had finally caught up with him. Anguish, pain, hate, relief and a swirl of other emotions seemed to roll off his aura. He did feel anger at the Vanguard, but his words to Veda from before came up in his mind. 'Death is always a risk going out into the field.' His reaction to the Vanguard made him feel like a hypocrite. The Vanguard knew that sending a message like they did was a huge risk, but they wouldn't have sent it without good reason or at least good intentions. The Vanguard sent Guardians to their likely deaths everyday and many times they didn't come back, and the Vanguard felt every loss. He knew that, he knew that all to well and now his anger drifted to shame.
"I don't blame you for wanting justice Amicus. But this is what we as Guardians do. There have been many times over the years I have served the Traveler where I lost so many friends and comrades to battle. Some made it out alive, but didn't make it out in one piece. They were broken shells of their former selves. And sometimes I blamed the Vanguard for it, but in the end where does that leave us? Nowhere with nothing but bitterness. The Vanguard know this more than any of us, they may have called the shots, but I don't think they were expecting your team to pick up the mission. I think everything happened the way it did was because of circumstance and for that we shouldn't blame them. They have enough burdens to shoulder as it is. Should they be questioned for their decisions? Yes absolutely. If only to ease the pain their mistake caused and move forward to put things right."
Amicus watched, feeling sympathy for the Guardian. The AI wasn't sure what emotions one would feel in his situation, but seeing him in such a state went against what the Ghost thought to be his normal composure. The collected one, if he could describe it. Although, the Ghost did recognize that his experience and wisdom of being a Guardian far exceeded both his and Veda's. Regardless, as Vergil continued his perspective, Amicus found himself riddled with internal strife. All logic told him that his reasoning was... well, reasonable. Everything about it, really. The Light had told of similar ways, and Amicus acknowledged the great sentiment and respect that the Exo had for it. He obviously lead a righteous path. Things went sour for the small AI as he said 'ease their pain'. The Ghost burst forward, getting fairly close to the Warlock and his eye rather wide and expressing fury.
"Ease THEIR pain?! Question only to ease THEIR pain..." The Ghost sounded furiously astonished, and his volume raised slightly. "IF YOUR MORALS MEAN SIMPLY ASKING QUESTIONS TO MAKE THEM! FEEL BETTER! TO HELL WITH YOUR LIGHT LOYALTY. I WANT THOSE ANSWERS FOR VEDA. If they... feel some lightened load so be it, but if that's your only reasoning... if you simply..."
The Ghost trailed off, easing back and retracting his load voice. The small form returned to Veda's softly heaving chest, hovering just above all the wires.
"I suppose Warlocks do rely on their intelligence and logic ... But... I'm disappointed, Guardian. " Before the Ghost dematerialized, he left rather soft, pitying words. Amicus' thoughts were clouded with a near fatherly protection for his Guardian, an urge to protect and defend Veda not only physically, but with every aspect. The conflict of his protective instinct conflicted with his logic, and it angered him so. It was ridiculous, but he simply could hope that that behavior was intended by the Traveler.
Vergil's heart sank but he understood the Ghost's anger. He sat silent for a moment.
"It's not about loyalty Amicus. It's about doing what is right. And what's right right now is to not make them feel better, but to make them understand what happened and why. What happened could happen again in the future, perhaps even by your own hand. The universe knows I made those kind of decisions, but if I dwell on what was or could have been it will destroy me. I can easily blame myself or the Vanguard for the things that have happened in the past, but what good will that do? It's done we cannot change it. What we can do is accept what happened and move on. What would you do if the Vanguard were punished for their one misdeed? Your friends won't come back and Veda won't be better for it." Vergil's voice lowered to a whisper. "I'm not asking you to forgive the Vanguard, I'm asking you to forgive yourself."
Spark materialized to support his charge. "Look, what we're saying is you can't cure pain with more pain. That's it." He turned to Vergil. "Leave them be for awhile, it's been a long day for all of us. And we've got other things to worry about." Vergil nodded, he still needed to see the Speaker. "Amicus, please let me know when Veda wakes up and is able to talk. I'll bring the Vanguard with me. Good night." Vergil stood up and let the two souls be.
As they left, the room was left to silence, save the machines which gave off hums or beeps of her heart rate. It looked as though the girl's heart rate had picked up to a healthy pace, and wasn't becoming irregular, as of yet. The Ghost had contemplating re-appearing, but he had waited too long. By the time they decided to leave, the Ghost was still struggling with the decision. Forgive himself? The thought lingered for a while, wondering what it was the Guardian had meant by it. Amicus rematerialized a few minutes after the pair exited, and sighed. Looking down to Veda, he contemplated the situation. The soft breathes, the subtle motion of her heaving chest, her smooth skin... It was all so young, and innocent. He didn't truly believed that the Awoken deserved such a lifestyle. This entire situation made him slightly wish she could leave a quiet life in the City. Amicus shook his small form and sighed once more. He decided that he shouldn't doubt the senior Warlock. Vergil had proven that he truly was concerned about others. He didn't doubt that whatever mindset he took upon himself, it would be the right one, even if neither he nor Veda saw it. All he could hope for was that Veda wouldn't be harmed in this process. A fool's hope, really. But it was there.
After Vergil had left time was hazy. It was fast and slow at various intervals but soon seconds became minutes and minutes turned into an hour. Amicus had been hovering quietly, almost trance like in his own deep thoughts. If it wasn't for a his internal monitors on his Guardian, he wouldn't have noticed. Veda had sat up silently, staring down at her hands. They were so full of wires and tubes she couldn't recognize what was skin or tape. Amicus flusteredly and excitedly flew before her.
"Veda!" The Ghost exclaimed. Chuckling Veda raised a weak arm to pet the AI. The girl slightly parted her lips to speak, but found that her throat retorted, being tight and all. So the Awoken simply smiled, and gave a glance about the room. Feeling the pulling and tug on her skin from the stitches beneath some soft bandages, Veda concluded that she had probably been through quite a bit of surgery. Whether it be some sort of chemical or drug, the girl still felt rather drowsy, and she had little urge to move at all. Amicus was so distraced with his excitement, he almost forgot to call a nurse.
"OH!" The Ghost exclaimed, before zooming off. Shortly, a man rushed into the room with great surprise.
"Oh my god! How the-? Never mind! Doctor Madson! Get in here!" It was not expected that she should be awake so early. They would have to start performance checks and AA&O examinations. Word began spreading quickly; about as fast, if not faster, as the news of the Guardian's arrival.
Vergil walked out of the med bay and headed towards the Tower North, Spark flying around his head. It was dark now, the moon shown through the orrery in the center of the Speakers office chamber. The device itself was idle, leaving the sounds outside to echo throughout the room. Vergil walked up to the orrery and stood for a moment. Taking in a breath he closed his eyes and let the sound and smells of the City wash over him. Using his Light, he began to push his consciousness around the Tower, expanding in a non intrusive field of mental power. Soon he could feel the light of his fellow Guardians and the sparks of life from the others in the Tower. From the Vanguard in the Hall of Champions to the people in the downstairs break room in the Hanger, he could feel their presence and their evening duties and work soothed his anguish from the days events. It was the small everyday things that people did that brought Vergil peace. To know that people could still live a normal life even in a fallen civilization gave him hope. Vergil was suddenly drawn to an older presence of Light approaching him.
"Speaker." He opened his eyes and turned to face the masked man. "How are you this evening?"
"Quite well Guardian. Although it seems that you have had a troubling day. The young Guardian's condition in the medical center has been spreading like wildfire amongst the others. Do you know of her?" Vergil nodded. "Is everything alright?"
"It will be made right, don't worry about me old friend. Now tell me, what have you found that needed my attention?"
The Speaker silently stared into down at the Guardian. The mask over his face was slated, so it was difficult to detect what sort of emotions he emitted. It was only the man's voice and demeanor that truly spoke for him. The man had his hands held softly behind his back, turning his frame to face the moon.
"You must understand Vergil. They would not have made this decision should I not found it necessary." The man began, his voice collected. There wasn't much of pause before he continued. Obviously, he had thought on this for quite some time. "The instruments of The Darkness consistently work against us, Vergil. When word came to me that the Fallen had gotten their hands on the AI, I could not simply remain idle. There was little I could tell the Vanguard for fear that this was more than Light could imagine for us..." Finally, the Speaker turned toward the Exo.
"As long as you have served the Light, any and all major threats to its balance must be treated as immediate threats. That is what I hope to see you understand, old friend." The smooth voice began lowering volumes. "That AI is rumored to have existed before the time of Ghosts, and to have information of how to strengthen the Traveler... With knowledge of how to strengthen, the Darkness will know how to weaken it further. The intelligence on this subject is minimal and the time gap was closing: I'm not even sure if they have been able to access the information... I became desperate."
Vergil listen quietly to the Speaker. As the story went on he simply nodded his head. When the Speaker finished, Vergil looked to the stars, his eyes settling on the constellation Orion.
"I'm not mad at you old friend, I'm just...disappointed in the way things played out." He leaned forward resting his hands on the railing.
"Now as for the AI; you're certain? An AI from the Golden Age?" When he had first heard it Vergil's mind raced. Could it be? Not after all this time. All these years of searching and now a lead. He stopped himself from getting too worked up. It's a slim chance that it was what he was looking for, but a Golden Age AI is nothing to sniff at. It had to be retrieved, whether it was what he hoped for or not.
The Speaker fell silent, and slowly followed the Guardian, but remained standing tall. However, his face drooped, the blank face turning toward the floor, rather than the brightly starred sky. "I too... Am displeased with the conclusion. And I take responsibility for the loss. But for now, I am glad that you understand." The man spoke rather softly. Regardless of how collected he seemed, the Speaker had acknowledged that he had caught his attention. Though he would not push the man's intrigue, he took note of it. "As far as moving forward, Vergil, I will need your aid in gath-" The words were cut off as a sparatic Ghost and Guardian came simultaneously into the large chamber.
"S-Speaker!" The Guardian sputtered, trying to straighten himself out. Meanwhile, the Ghost kept going, and near rammed into Vergil. However, Amicus halted with great precision.
"She's awake." Was all he said, his tone quite cheery compared to earlier, and then again he sped off. The male human trying to catch his breath vigorously nodded.
"Yes! Just as that Ghost said! That Awoken... she is conscious!" Spark materialized, blinking at what he had just heard.
"You're kidding me." He looked at Vergil. "That girl has got to be the toughest Guardian I've ever met. And between you and me, that's saying something." Vergil smirked.
"Oh you think? Getting the hell beat out of you, running from the mob that beat the hell out of you, making it back home and hang out for thirty minutes waiting for your friend before checking yourself into the hospital and going through eight hours of surgery. Walk in the park!" He started off after Amicus.
"Speaker, when she's ready to talk I will call you. Whatever plan you have, work out the details." Vergil hastened himself back to the med bay. The awoken's tenacity had surprised him before, now he was in awe.
After the nursing staff gave her a quick check, they went to go examine some blood samples. It didn't take long after her regaining of consciousness that people began gathering at the door. Of course, a few brazen ones were the first to enter. An entire fireteam by the looks of them, walked in and began greeting her. She had seen quite a few of their faces, but had never stopped to say hello. Surrounding the girl's bed, she became flustered, blushing down at her bed with all the attention. Another hunter, a female Exo, tilted her head and gave an "aww" when she did, and tussled her hair. The girl flinched slightly but gave a warm, awkward smile. Though she was expecting it to happen, there was a sudden wave of questions. Ghosts materialized, scanning her curiously. Amicus hurried back into the room, his one eye seemed to be glaring as he took in the situation. The door was practically blocked with the Guardians stopping to peek in. Veda felt like some rare animal for a bit, and her face just kept getting redder and redder. Amicus flew over the Guardians' heads and settled beside the embarrassed and quiet Awoken.
"She is unable to speak for the time being. I think both she and the nurses would appreciate the space now." The Ghost tautly stated. Nodding their heads, a few walked by, the Exo once more tussling her hair. They bid her well as they shuffled out, and the room returned to mostly empty. However, Veda could see that some lingered further from the door, not so covertly, glancing her way once in a while and murmuring. The girl sighed and moved her hand up to her hair to softly fix it back into place, seeing as it had been messed up a bit.
"Yeesh, those fricken vultures." Amicus jested, a bit of a bite to his words. Veda chuckled, or, tried to at least. The sound came out, but broke into a cracking cough. The girl tried clearing her throat, and looked around for water. The Ghost noticed this immediately, and went off to get a nurse to get her some water.
"Away with you lot, let her rest." Vergil stepped through the door with a glass and pitcher of water in hand. The remaining Guardians took the hint and disappeared. This time Amicus did bump into him.
"One step ahead of you little friend." Vergil gave a chuckle and looked up at Veda. "You're looking better." He walked up to the side to the bed and poured her a glass. "Take your time, you've been out for awhile. And should have been out for much much longer." He handed the glass to her. "You're either very tough or very lucky my dear. Probably both."
Veda shuffled up in her bed, smiling at the Warlock. Amicus had fumbled back a bit, a bit confused. Regaining his composure her floated back over to Veda. The girl gave him a nod and the Ghost de-materialized. Turning back to her guest, the silver eyed Hunter gave a shy smile, before taking the drink. The wires tugged on her arm in retort and the girl pouted like a child. Though she couldn't voice it at the moment, the entire set up felt like she was stuck in a disdainful fishing net. The girl gave a bowing nod as she carefully took the cup, the numbness in her arms causing her to struggle in keeping her hand steady. Shakily, she tipped her head back. A long swig and she placed the cup down on a nearby stand. Veda once again tried clearing her throat, feeling it loosen quite a bit.
"To be honest," The girl began giving a bright smile and laughing softly, "I've felt much better." It wasn't a lie. The Awoken was not accustom to such dull, yet predominant pain before. It was like waking from a frozen slumber. Listening to the Exo, the girl leaned back into her pillow lightly, a slight air bubble in it leaving it with a FWOOSH. The girl blinked in surprise. It was a rather surprisingly soft bed.
The exo nodded. "You'll still be here for a while I'm guessing. It was a damn miracle in and of itself that you woke up this early. Of course," He placed the pitcher on the stand. "I could use my Healing to get you back up and running. However, even with my power it would leave me drained." He grabbed a chair and sat down. "From what I understand your injuries are extensive, but given the rate that you've defied the improbable, you'd be out of here in the same time it would take me to recover my energy." He eye-smiled at Veda; the young girl had given him an odd feeling of pride. They had only met a day ago, but she continued to surprise him with each passing moment.
Veda smiled back, her tresses falling in to her face. Though, she didn't seem to care at the moment. Despite her focus, she could feel that her subconscious was aware of the stitches. A strange, numbed tightness of the skin was what it mostly was. Judging from the itching, the Exo wasn't wrong about her recovery time. As her silver eyes blinked a few times, she wondered how she would use the bathroom. And then it hit her: Did Exo's need to use the bathroom? Did they eat? There was so little she knew about them, it caused her face to brighten up with intrigue and confusion. She sat silently, her expression showing obvious deep contemplation. The Awoken feared that if she expressed her concerns about his urination that he would be one or multiple of three things: uncomfortable, disappointed, or disgusted. Whatever it was, the girl wasn't about to try. Laughing a bit at her own curiosity, the girl stretched her arms up, the shackling tubes tracing her motions. A loud groan, one given while stretching escaped her lips as she did so. "Well, things I guess went better than expected. I mean, as far as wounds go." Veda stated, resting her arms in her lap, creating wrinkles in the linen.
Vergil watched as Veda contemplated her situation and wondered himself what she was thinking. He nodded in agreement with her observation; things could've been a lot worse. But they weren't. Veda was alive and on the mend, and that's what counted. He decided to go ahead and inform Veda on the current events.
"There is a lot more to your mission than we realized." That got her attention, her silver eyes looked up with a confused and concerned look as Vergil continued. "I won't tell you everything now; you're not in the best condition for a prolonged conversation. Get some rest, and when you are ready I'll bring the Vanguard and the Speaker to explain what happened." He stopped for a moment, he was unsure how to proceed, Vergil knew Veda would object to this next part, so he went for the blunt route.
"But we have a lot to do Veda and not much time. We might not be able to wait for you to heal before we lose this opportunity to retrieve the artifact." He wanted to make sure Veda understand what was going to happen, regardless of if she was able to attend the mission or not.
Indeed, the subject change caught her a bit off-guard. Her face went rather solemn, looking up attentively, her silver eyes locked onto the figure. As he relayed his information, she thought she could see his composure falter for a moment. However, his words returned strong, but not with what she was expecting, or hoping to hear. He was telling her all this important facts, almost like a debrief, and then... POOF! He pulled out that bull on her. Her solemn features broke her cool composure with obviously hurt expression. Was he implying?
"Are... Are you saying I can't go?" Veda's voice almost trembled, but remained at a medium tone, her volume not rising or falling. On the monitor, it could be seen that her blood pressure had slightly fluttered, which correlated with her drop of stomach. It then began rising anxiously. Her face twitched in frustration and absorption of this possibility, and she turned her face down and to the side. The girl refused to meet his eyes in frustration. Closing them for a moment, she took in a deep sigh. Amicus d been telling her to calm down, and she needed to adhere to that. But it wasn't as easy as it sounded. After prolonged silence, the girl reached over her arms, her slender fingers reaching over the tubes and inserted needles that prodded her skin. Carefully removing the needles and tubes, Veda then ripped off the tapes. During this process, her face didn't flinch, but her expression remained rather calm and focused. Finishing that task, the girl tossed her blanket to one side, and dangled her feet off the side of the bed. Gripping the bedside stand for some support, her bare feet carefully padded onto the cold floor. Veda rolled her shoulders and neck to pop them, and was sure to be aware of her bandages which veiled the surgery's work. There was a moment before she released the stand and held her balance. Though she knew she would have to walk slow, it was likely she was able to get around, so long as she didn't over do it.
Vergil gave no cry of surprise or warning as Veda pulled off the wires and got up from her bed. Instead he wordlessly stood up and crossed the room to support Veda as she took a few steps. Lightly taking her arm in both hands, he helped guide her for a few more steps before speaking.
"Do you remember what I told you? After we met?" He wasn't scolding her, but spoke softly, soothingly. "After you had told me of your escape and your friend's sacrifice?" He stood in front of Veda, taking her hands in his before folding hers together and his on top. She still wouldn't meet his gaze but rather focused on their hands. Vergil pushed on. "I said that what happened was not your fault, and that you shouldn't let it be in vain. I know you're upset, and you're right to think that you should be a part of this mission; you have more cause than anyone here. But if you try to push yourself too much, so soon..." His voice trailed off, leaving a still moment of silence between them as the med wing still busied itself outside. He picked back up in his debriefing tone.
"If anything this next mission will just be a scouting mission, to see if the Fallen that hold the artifact are still there. They've probably up and scattered after your team ran into them. We'll go and report back if the artifact is still there. Or find it if it's been moved. Once we locate it we'll organize a raid; by then you should be ready to go." He gestured back to the bed. "Please Veda, look after yourself first. You're in no condition to fight and this mission is too important." He bowed his head. "I- We can't afford to lose you too."
Veda couldn't meet his gaze. His sincerity could easily be heard and seen in his gestures and calm voice. The girl's silver skin burned red colors as she looked down, focusing her stare at the Exo hands softly enveloping her own. The touch reminded her of her own warmth contrasting the coolness of his metallic structure. However... She didn't know why it would cause such a strange reaction in her face. As he continued explaining, bringing up recent history that he had known was fresh, and most definitely emotion triggering. The man was a poet with persuasion for sure, and it was something she both admired and hated at the moment. As his head fell, and he spoke his final plee, her face went deeper shades. He was making her feel guilty for something she wasn't meant to... Plus... It had been the first time that someone had said they needed her. Even if he had retracted the statement. Amicus was the only other entity she had thought of herself as necessary to. The phenomena was dazzling and terrifying all at once, and the girl's face turned to the side with confusion, doubt, fluster, and contemplation all at once. Her lips twitched to speak but silence was stretched among them. It became too much, being so close and having such an awkward silence in the room.
"W-" The girl began sputtering out, trying to collect her coolly trained composure. "What am I supposed to do then? Just lay here and get better? Do nothing?! You can't expect me to just lay here worrying if you'll be okay?!" Veda's face opened up with surprise for a moment, the red tint crawling towards her ears. Was that really what she... Oh god. She needed this experience to end then and there. Defiantly and embarrassedly, she retracted her hands and hurriedly hobbled back to her bed, mumbling something under her breath. The girl laid back down, turning the small of her back toward Vergil. The white tresses fell onto the pillow, revealing the red color on her ears.
"Fine, I'll stay." The words hesitantly exited her lips, as her lashes flicked down toward her hands which were nervously winding and unwinding her fingers together.
Two nurses rushed into the room responding to the silent alarms of Veda's monitors. When it seemed they were about to shout at Vergil he merely held up a hand and they immediately fell silent. He gestured for them to hook Veda back up to the machines. As they did so (Vergil heard some minor protest) Vergil faced the door; thinking for awhile. He knew Veda was upset with him, angry even. He used her guilt against her and in turn felt guilty for it. Her concern for him was touching; she didn't want to feel responsible for his demise too, then again who wouldn't?. But what else could he do? She needed to rest and heal. As the nurses finished, his head lifted up and his eyes brightened slightly as an idea struck him. He turned back towards the gurney.
"There is a way you can still help us Veda." He placed his hands behind his back and bounced back and forth on his feet, a hint that betrayed him for feeling clever. "Amicus? I'm going to give you access to the cam feed in my helmet. Spark, send him the codes." Spark confirmed the command. Vergil gave Veda a sly look as if making an elaborate plot and rubbed his hands together.
"Right, now that Amicus has access to my feed, you'll be able to see what I'm seeing during the mission. Now this is important so listen close; as we go along we may indeed run down the same path that your team did, we'll need you to call out any warning if you see or remember it. It'll be just like you were there yourself. How's that?"
Veda's form flinched slightly. A little ping could be heard when Amicus accepted the codes, and they had a small, silent conversation with one another. Her thoughts relayed to his, obviously angry and confused. After some minutes passed, Veda didn't move, her anger already peaking with the frustration of being forced to sit, and having to cooperate with being put in so many tubes and wires. As Vergil's confidence in his plan to involve her, her pride began bubbling up, and her composure finally popped, allowing her irritation to be relieved.
"VERGIL. YOU CAN'T JUST MANIPULATE SOMEONE AND ASSUME THAT BY SUGARING UP TO THEM YOU CAN FIX IT! GAH!" The silver eyes flared up, her cheeks blushing bright red colors, and her arms flailing up above her head, smacking back down on the hospital blankets. Of course, the Hunter knew she would most likely regret out bursting toward the Exo. But, then again, everything about the situation was getting on her nerves. He had pressed a lot of the right buttons toward this current detonation of emotions, including trying to butter her up like one might pacify a tantrum child. But Veda was having a tantrum herself, so it would be ironic to think so. After exclaiming, she glared down at her hands, and Amicus materialized, seeming to give a questioning glance toward both his Guardian and Vergil. Veda looked up to her companion, and gave a small sigh, her hand squeezing the other.
"I swear if when you come back I don't get answers, you're going to come back to a girl who will have learned how to dismantle you." Her words came out with a pout, as she raised an arm and extended her pinky. "Promise." A huff of the word demanded a compensation, and gesture that would ease her worries.
Vergil was surprised at Veda's outburst. 'Manipulate people? he thought. 'Oh of course. There I go again. Just like she said all those years ago and she's still right.' Vergil never intended to manipulate anyone. All these years of working alone must have gone to his head. He had always been a mediator in any conflict when needed, trying to reach a compromise between towns or even the Tower's factions when scavenging for resources outside the City. And for the most part it usually worked. He was so caught up in himself and Veda's shout had deflated him to bring him back down to earth.
'That's what I need again, someone to keep me grounded.' Spark could have filled that role and at one point he did, but after so many years together they eventually become too like minded. He looked back up and Veda and nodded. He lifted his arm with pinky finger out and entwined it with hers.
"I promise." His composure was collected again and he meant his promise with sincerity.
"I am sorry if I upset you Veda, I...have been alone for a long while and I sometimes get carried away with my words. I didn't mean any harm. I had just wanted to help." He let his arm drop back to his side. "There was once a time I had friends to help keep my head on straight in times like these, but that was long ago." He confessed. "I promise to try to not let it happen again. And if it does, I give you permission to smack me in the back of the head."
Veda was trying to stay angry, but it was nearly impossible. Such a simple thing as explaining himself, combined with complying with her childish request... It was too much not to forgive the kind guy. "Pfft." The pale silver girl chuckled, a bright smile gracing and softening her rather hard features. The Awoken sighed almost defeatedly and nodded. The soft light that filtered through the room shifted as Amicus shuffled open the blinds, letting in a white glow, day zooming past the med window. Outside, ships entering and leaving the hangar. Veda became a bit distracted, looking out the window for a moment, before turning toward her comrades.
"I'm assuming you can hear me Spark. Even if I can watch, and even though you've probably completely already aware of this, you need to make sure this guy doesn't try so hard to play hero. He'd owe me a smack on the back of the head then." The girl chuckled, offering one more smile before a sick feeling hit her stomach. Bile slightly came up to her throat, and she struggled to keep it down.
"Ew..." The girl spoke out after she let out a grossed sigh. Even while she was supposed to be resting, she wanted to freshen up and be as comfortable as possible. "I.. I'm going into the restroom. Contact me before you leave!" The girl commanded, hobbling up to the Exo and cautiously giving a warm hug. It was short, and the girl didn't put as much force she might have should she have been healthy. Then subtracting herself from him, she gave a bow of her head, and waddled toward the bathroom. The medicine was wearing off and she was getting nausea symptoms.
Vergil smiled as he returned the hug. "There will be a proper debrief tomorrow; I'll have a team ready and bring the Vanguard and Speaker here to go everything. Be sure to get some rest." He bid her farewell and let her go on her own to the restroom. After she locked the door he left. Veda heard the door click with a lock behind her, air compressing from the lock to confirm that it was sealed and couldn't be opened without permission. Relieved, she began chatting with Amicus and undressing.
"Amicus," She began, carefully working around her bandages. The Ghost materialized, paused, dematerialized and spoke to her mentally.
'You should warn someone when you're indecent.' The Ghost scowled and scolded. Veda rolled her eyes and continued.
"Dear god Amicus, it's not like you're new to this." The girl retorted. They'd not been together too long, but they had grown regular to the other's routine. Well... him to hers, really. Amicus didn't actually have a routine. It was strange to think of her companion as not having a life outside of what she did. Amicus huffed in her psyche.
'I can hear that.' The male voice warned. Veda gave a smile before she carefully folded the gown. As she slipped off her socks, she paused to wonder. "What do I do with the bandages? Can I take them off?" The silver-eyed Awoken peered down along her small infinity, gazing carefully at the wraps around her abdomen. Not to mention, there were several layers of that same gauze along her chest that was meant to conceal her back. Amicus was silent for a moment before he responded.
"Should I call a nurse?" Veda waved a hand dismissively, and scoffed.
"Nah. I'll make a call." The girl sat down on the bench inside the shower, closing the curtain and not too much later, bandage gauze with some slight red stains were hung over the side of a wall that divided the shower from the rest of the bathroom. It felt nice; she could see the definite lines of where dirt speckled her skin compared to her armor, the gathering scars. They were all surreal until just today. The dispenser in the shower itself gave a softly citrus scented soap, and lingered on her silver skin. The girl took her time under the stream of water, taking her time to think. As her mind wandered around on things that went from Vanguard information to her fireteam, it of course wandered to Vergil and Spark. There were questions, ones she didn't know if she wanted answers to. There were only certain expressions and emotions she had been exposed to. Her interactions with Vergil were similar. However, when she thought about their differences between he and the fireteam, her face would rush with blood. It ABSOLUTELY aggravated her. Ultimately, her mind gave up on trying to interpret, and she closed her eyes to allow the cooling water roll over her white soppy hair and soft tense shoulders until they relaxed. The extensive shower ended 30 minutes later, and while she stepped out, she grabbed a towel to gently dry herself. Her abdomen throbbed if she bent, so she was very careful to not make turns or move her torso too much. A nurse was called in to assist her, and also the robust woman flusteredly scolded her for not giving them a warning. However, the woman was more concerned than worried that she would undo their work and make things harder. After a while, she changed into a new, fresh gown, and laid back in the recently fixed bed sheets. Sighing, she laid her head back and pulled the blanket over her nose.
"In the name of the Traveler I'm going to be immensely bored." Veda claimed with a sigh, her eyes shutting down for a nap.
On his way out of the med bay Vergil's mind was planning for the mission. He already knew two Guardians who owed him a favor and their skills would work well for this mission. Spark materialized.
"Well that went well." He deadpanned. "Who's going to be in your fireteam?"
"Lescha and Merry. They'll do."
"You sure about that? You know how Lescha can be a little forward." To the little Ghost, it was interesting to watch Veda's relationship to Vergil. It would be...interesting to say the least to see how she would react to Lescha's interactions with him.
"Just tell her to keep her hands to herself." Spark nodded and sent out the notifications regarding the mission debrief. Almost instantly he got two pings confirming their availability. "Now, how about you? How are your joints holding up?" Vergil squinted at him. "I'm fine, thank you very much. See?" He spread his arms to emphasize his point. Instead, a sharp SNAP! emitted from his right elbow and the lower limb dangled down. Suddenly a voice could faintly be heard from somewhere in the Tower.
"VERGILLLL! I KNOW YOU'RE HEEEERE!"
Spark sighed. "Oh boy" Vergil merely hung his head in defeat. "How does he do that? I mean really?"
"Best not keep him waiting, you're overdue for a service anyway." Spark de-materialized and Vergil headed down to the lower levels, hoping that whatever needed fixing wouldn't take too long.