S1-56
A Stranger's Call
8:37 PM
02/16/3201
Planet Earth - Low orbit
Music
Destiny - The Great Unknown
City Hawk 723 was in Earth's orbit, trying to figure out what their next move should be. "Ghost, what have you got?" Michael asked.
"{Our new friend must have access to extraordinary methods to have reached out to us like that. The radio message she sent came from somewhere in the jungles of Venus.}"
"Jungles of Venus?"
"I'm kinda stumped on that too, Jack." Michael said.
"Well, now we know where to go." Once Samus punched in the coordinates, City Hawk 723 blasted off to Venus.
8:41 PM
02/16/3201
Approaching planet Venus
Music
none
"{This colony was built by the Ishtar Collective. Records say they once studied ruins older than humanity itself. We thought this was all lost in the Collapse.}"
"This place definitely looks abandoned."
"What the absolute heck is that weird skyscraper?"
"I don't know, Michael. But I've got a bad feeling about it." Samus added.
Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Headlands
Music
Destiny - Ishtar Sink
They landed, with their ships hidden from any possible threats. "{I don't like us getting dragged out here and not being able to get the lay of the land. There used to be a Guardian outpost nearby. Let's see what they have on this place.}"
"[Let's take a look around. Maybe that'll help.]" With all of Michael's Titans being back in action, he had to choose one every time he was going on a mission. The Northstar-class Titan flew up and surveyed the area before falling back down, and with positive results. "[I know the way. Follow me.]"
"Lead the way, ZJ. Heh, that rhymes." Michael chuckled.
Way.
Jay.
It does rhyme.
Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
The Shattered Coast
The Fireteam headed into the old colony, encountering a few Fallen in another new color.
SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES
1: House of Winter
"[Engaging infantry.]" The one Vandal attempted to run for cover, but was blasted out by two Cluster Missiles. One by one, the other Fallen were disintegrated by a Plasma Railgun infused with Void Light. "[I've cleared the path.]"
"I've gotta say, you're pretty powerful."
"[Thank you, Mark.]"
The team pressed on, quickly finding the outpost, which was surrounded by Fallen. Mark-18 threw an Axion Bolt and pulled out his Continental as the Void explosives took out a significant portion of the Fallen. With ZJ-7349 launching Cluster Missiles, Samus destroying with her Plasma Beam, Mark-18 pelting with his primary weapon, and Michael getting laying down suppressive fire with the Spitfire LMG, the outpost was secure.
Michael allowed his Ghost to scan it. "{We're linked. Sparrows accessible. There's a lot here about some war machines called the Vex. Indestructible, relentless, supremely intelligent, and they can teleport. Great... Guardians use to have sensors to track them. Let's get 'em back online.}"
DOWNLOADING FILES...
NEW ENTRIES
1: Vex
With Mark-18 getting his old Sparrow, and the Pilots jumping into their Titans, the Fireteam headed off to the Vex sensors.
They arrived at a building, with more Fallen inside. "{The Vex sensors should be up ahead.}"
"[Looks like the sensors are in that building.]"
Michael, Samus, and Jack disembarked, with Mark-18 getting his Pike. "I'll hold 'em off. You get those sensors back up and running."
"You got it." Michael saluted.
With Mark-18 distracting the Fallen, and dealing significant damage, Michael, Samus, and Jack went up to a terminal, which was connected to the Vex sensors. "{These sensors are extensive. OK, I should be able to track these machines. Let's head to those coordinates and find out what she wants us to see.}"
Just then, they noticed a sudden quietness around them.
Michael looked down the flight of stairs, finding the Fallen dead, and the vanishing remains of a destroyed Pike. "I thought you were just gonna hold them off."
"Sorry, Michael. I guess I didn't expect this to be so strong." Mark-18 held out his heavy artillery weapon.
"That's a really cool machine gun!"
"Thank you, Jack. I've had it for a long time. You get great stuff to use when you're a loyal soldier of the Va- I mean, Counsel of Guardians." Mark-18 corrected himself.
"Still not used to their new name?"
"Yeah..."
"And uh... I'm sorry about your Pike."
"No big deal, Michael. I've still got it."
Before Michael could ask about how Mark-18 was still in possession of his obviously destroyed Pike, the sound of breaking glass was heard. ZJ-7349 had attempted to tap on the windows, but ended up breaking them. "[Oops.]"
"Heh heh heh... What is it, ZJ?"
"[If the Vex sensors are back up, shouldn't we continue on and see about that stranger?]"
"Oh, you're right!" The Fireteam left the building.
Michael, Samus, and Jack reentered their Titans, with Mark-18 getting a new Pike transmatted in. Michael was dumbfounded. "Uh... How?"
"{It's like with a Sparrow. If your Sparrow gets destroyed, you can get a new one the same way you call it in.}"
"Ghosts sure are... interesting things."
"{I'll take that as a compliment.}" They arrived at another building, with even more Fallen around it.
With them dead, the Pilots were forced to disembark. The Titans DEFINITELY couldn't fit through THAT door.
"[Guard-Mode activated. Scanning for hostiles.]"
"[Guard-Mode engaged.]"
"[Engaging Guard-Mode.]"
"We'll be right back out, guys." Michael stated.
"[Just be careful.]"
Within the first room was a cave-in, revealing a tunnel to a new location. The Fireteam proceeded through it, with nothing to shoot at, but it definitely was creepy down in that cave.
Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Ishtar Academy
(!) Darkness Zone (!)
"{Detecting Vex, like we're surrounded.}" They came up upon a new room, with a strange column in the middle of it. "{The coordinates lead here? What is it? Let me get a closer look.}"
"I got a bad feeling about this, and it isn't just the Darkness Zone that's over the area." Michael let out his Ghost, allowing it to examine the column.
Music
Destiny - The Vex
"{Fascinating. A conflux of non-baryonic streams going... where?}" Suddenly, odd clouds of particles formed in the back of the room. "{No, no no no no! It's the Vex! Better find some cover!}" From the particle clouds came strange robots.
SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES
1: Hezen Corrective
2: Goblin
"Forget finding cover, DESTROY THEM!" Mark-18 managed to wipe out the first wave with an Axion Bolt, readying his Continental.
More Vex appeared, and something strange happened with the HUD of Michael's helmet. It kept marking the white portions of the Vex Goblins' torsos as weak points instead of their heads. Deciding not to waste time figuring it out, he opened fire, with strange fluid bursting out of the Vex as they fell to pieces.
Even more Vex appeared, and with a new buffer and taller type.
SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES
1: Minotaur
The Minotaur started warping in and out, coming closer and closer until it seemingly tried to karate chop them. More of the Vex came, with another new type.
SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES
1: Hobgoblin
Once the first shot landed on a Hobgoblin, it projected a sort of thermal aura around itself, which was immune to anything, even to Mark-18's Super, which disintegrated all the other Vex around it.
A lot more Vex appeared, and Michael ended up using a Fist of Havoc to clear them out, with Samus and Jack going up the stairs to wipe out any Vex on the left and right balconies. With the Vex was another Minotaur.
Samus's arm cannon shifted, firing Golden Gun shots, destroying the Minotaur with it. The Vex just kept coming, with a lot more Goblins appearing in particle clouds. One Goblin was unlucky enough to be downed with the third and final shot of Samus's Golden Gun.
Michael unloaded with his Spitfire LMG, killing a lot of the Vex as Jack finished off the rest with a Frag Grenade.
They weren't stopping, more Goblins and Minotaurs came from particle clouds that formed in the room. Samus fired off her Seeker Missiles, completely annihilating a large portion of the wave, with Mark-18 finishing them off.
Music
none
Finally, it ended. No more Vex.
"{What are these things? Are there any still intact that I can analyze?}"
"Take a look, Ghost."
"Why don't you have a look too?"
"Ghost, scan these things."
"Here you go, Ghost. Examine them."
Everyone released their Ghosts.
Planet Venus - Ishtar Sink
Ishtar Academy
Music
Destiny - The Stranger
With the Ghosts looking over a Vex Goblin, a familiar voice was heard. "Well fought."
"You're here." Michael said, looking upon the hooded Exo.
SCANNING...
ERROR - ERROR - ERROR
"We haven't got much time."
"Who are you?" Jack questioned.
"{Why have you been watching us?}" His Ghost added.
"I don't even have time to explain why I don't have time to explain." Strange sounds were suddenly audible from the Stranger, but it wasn't her. "I will. I will. I know."
"{Will what?}"
The sounds stopped as the Stranger turned to face the blue-shelled Ghost. "I wasn't talking to you, little light."
"{I'm a Ghost actually.}"
"Many Guardians fell. Strong ones. But you made it here." The sounds were back as the Stranger turned away. "Yes, I'm listening. No, it's someone else. Someone new."
Samus's Ghost floated over to the Stranger in curiosity. "{Who's she talking to?}"
"Understood." The sounds stopped again as the Stranger looked back up, gently pushed the Ghost away, and faced the Fireteam. "You need my help, Guardian-Pilots."
"Is that why you brought us here?" Michael asked.
"They brought us here. The Vex. Evil so dark it despises other evil." The Stranger went and knelt over a Vex Goblin that was just barely functional, struggling to reach its Slap Rifle.
"{You're not a Guardian.}" Jack's Ghost surmised.
"No. I was not forged in Light." The Stranger stood up. "But I believe where our paths cross, ground... could break." The Stranger stomped on the white portion of the Goblin's abdomen, causing it to leak strange fluid and die.
The Fireteam and their Ghosts were silent at the sight of this.
The Stranger then turned to face them again. "Have you heard of the Black Garden?"
"{We've heard the legends.}" Mark-18's Ghost replied.
"The greatest threat to us all lies there, where these... machines are born. Find the Black Garden, rip out its heart, only then will your Traveler begin to heal."
"Can you help us find it?" Samus asked.
"My path's my own. I can't."
Michael's Ghost turned to the Pilot. "{If we're going to find the Black Garden, we need to see the Awoken.}"
"Ah, yes. The Awoken. Out there wavering between the Light and the Dark. A side should always be taken, Rocco. Even if it's the wrong side." The sounds were heard again as the Stranger turned away.
"{'Rocco'?}" Michael's Ghost repeated, confused.
"Too late. Returning. How many?" She then pulled out her strange weapon and began to disappear. "Hold position, kill the engines, and don't let them find you!" Like that, the Stranger was gone.
"So... how do we find the Awoken?" Michael asked.
"{They live all the way at the edge of the Darkness, last place the Light touches.}" His Ghost then floated over to the Goblin the Stranger finished off.
Music
none
"{Can't we just stay here with the murderous robots?}"
"No... little light. ~giggling~"
The Ghost turned to look at him, annoyed. "{Don't do that.}"
"What do you mean... little light?" Mark-18 slapped the side of Michael's helmet, hitting his face inside it. For a few seconds, the Pilot was silent and still, contemplating what just happened. "Well OK then."
"Let's get moving. And if you call your Ghost that again, I'll teach you a lesson you won't soon forget."
9:27 PM
02/16/3201
Planet Earth - The last City
Tower Plaza
Music
Destiny - The Tower
"The Vex are an ancient race of robots capable of transforming entire worlds into machines. Do not let Earth be one of them."
"You can count on us, Ikora." Michael replied.
"There's no way I would ever disappoint the best of the Counsel!"
"Best of the Counsel?" Zavala wondered.
"Wait a minute... Ikora is the best of the three of us?!"
"Well, Mark-18 is my best student. Among all, he listens better than you, Cayde."
"Why I oughta-"
Michael interrupted the Exo, his eye aglow. "Don't!"
"OH GOD! ~nervous wheeze~"
"{I don't think you should ever do that again.}" Michael's Ghost advised.
"Cayde, you just came dangerously close to becoming a permanently dead pile of partially disintegrated metal." Samus added.
"Well, that was... ~clears throat~ terrifying to witness. Ikora, as you were saying?"
"Thank you, Zavala. Michael, thank you for shutting Cayde up. Now then, Mark-18 is my best student. He tries his best, if a little too hard for his own good. Ended up exploding a lot, which was... surprising. Heh... One time, his head landed on a table, and he looked at me before the glow in his optics went out."
"I wanted to know if you were alright. After all, my shoulder hit you in the face."
"I'm OK, Mark. Neither of us knew that quickly mixing Void and Solar Light in such a manner would cause such a violent reaction."
"I've been taking it slow since then. Being careful."
"I know, but you're too dedicated to this for your own good."
"That reminds me of someone... Oh, yeah. Some people have been saying that about me."
"Is that so, Michael?" Ikora asked.
The Pilot shrugged. "Pretty much."
"Well, normally I would tell you to rest, but with a new threat, I'd have to say otherwise." Zavala stated.
"You need to know where the Awoken are, right? I know where to go. Here's the coordinates." Cayde-6 handed Michael a small slip of paper with coordinates printed on it.
"Let's go, team!"
Well, there you go.
For Samus Aran's Supers, the arm cannon of her Power Suit reconfigures. It may be the exact same design from Metroid: Other M, but it shifts to a form from Metroid: Prime 3 Corruption.
For the Golden Gun of a Gunslinger, the arm cannon takes the form of the Plasma Beam.
For the Shadowshot of a Nightstalker, the arm cannon takes the form of the Nova Beam.
The Arc Staff of an Arcstrider is used only outside of the Power Suit.
Now then...
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