S1-151
High Plains Blues

2:49 PM
03/11/3273

Planet Earth - The last City
Courtyard

Music
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - The Heart of Davy Jones

Michael went to see Zavala, who was surprised to see the Pilot still there. "I thought you'd be gone by now. I would attempt to dissuade you from your course. But it would only... insult us both. As it stands, we've got every available Guardian dealing with escapees from the Prison of Elders. It's still not enough. If you go to war with the Reef, it's a war you will have to fight alone. The Council cannot help you. However, the Aurora Units have assigned City Hawk 723 to secure the area for the IMC. Make use of what you have."

Nodding without a word, the IMC ace made his way over to Banshee-44, seeing what the old Exo wanted. "Memory's getting better these days. But Cayde... Never forget Cayde. Hunter through and through. Left all his worldly possessions to whoever finally took him down. Don't know about you, but... rather rip that little brain box outta my head than know that little prince holds Cayde's prized cannon: the Ace of Spades. You gotta promise me. Put Uldren in the ground. And get the Ace of Spades back. If anyone should have the Ace... S'you."

Nodding, Michael then headed to Ikora over in the Bazaar.

Planet Earth - The last City
Bazaar

"On the edge of the Reef lies a wasteland called the Tangled Shore. That's where you'll find Uldren. I won't stop you from going. As for Zavala, he would cling to the broken pieces of the future he imagined until they crumble in his hand. He hasn't seen what I've seen. Ever since the Traveler woke, it's been speaking to me. Visions of crowns, roses, silver trees, candles that turn into bonfires. I'm not the only one. You have unlocked these new skills, and taught them to all of us. Because of it, the Light shines brighter than ever. I wish I could help you more, but the City needs a unified Council, or at least the illusion of one, and... this is your road now."

"It'll have to be enough. Thank you, Ikora." Michael replied.

3:07 PM
03/11/3273

Approaching the Tangled Shore

Music
none

Michael had gathered his team, consisting of Samus, Jenny, the Exo brothers, Spyglass, Dane, Leo, and the Shadow. They were on their way to a new area.

"{The Tangled Shore, a lawless frontier of outlaws, scavengers, and pirates. Murderers like Uldren and his Fallen would fit right in. We need to search the Shore, from the Fallen camps in Quitter's Well to that ancient Awoken Watchtower on the horizon. Leave no stone unturned. Uldren can't hide from us.}" For a Ghost, Rocco sure sounded serious.

"Rocco, remember how I've had those inactive automated turrets ever since the IMC HQ was restored?" Michael asked.

"{Yeah?}"

"You can transmat 'em in, then take the helm."

The Tangled Shore
High Plains

The Fireteam landed, taking in their surroundings. "{Ikora told us Cayde's killers are skulking about the Tangled Shore. It's not much of a lead, but it's all we've got. Let's get to searching. Uldren and his gang of Fallen can't hide from us.}" After a while of searching, something appeared on Michael's HUD. "{I've marked a suspicious energy signature on your display. Might be worth checking out.}" The spot marked on the display happened to be a Fallen terminal, which Rocco scanned, causing a few large rocks to vanish, revealing a passageway. "{Huh. Well, that's gotta be something. This is some kind of smuggler's tunnel.}"

"Rocco, did I ever show you Smuggler's Cove?" Michael asked.

"{Can't say that you have.}"

"Smuggler's Cove is this marketplace on the planet Zolac. It's... where Dane died."

"{I've seen Jeeves's logs. The place looks... shady.}"

"It's a black market." There was a moment of silence before Michael added to his own statement. "Blisk introduced me to it one time. According to him, 'It's not all trash on the black market'. Got himself a Gen 1 CAR SMG that had increased damage output. He called it an 'Amped CAR'."

The Tangled Shore
Four-Horn Gulch

Up ahead was another terminal, but before Michael could send Rocco to hack it, the rocks blocking the path disappeared. "Let's move." Samus used her Scan Visor on the terminal. More of those mutated Fallen were up ahead, but just Raiders. A single use of the Seeker Missiles and Samus had cleared them out. "Those were the creatures we fought in the Prison of Elders. They're spreading."

"{There! On the ridge!}" A group of very large Fallen-like creatures appeared. They were from Uldren's gang. Michael's helmet had acquired five IDs.

SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES

1: The Trickster
2: The Rifleman
3: The Fanatic
4: The Machinist
5: The Mad Bomber

All but one vanished. The remaining target was the Fanatic, and he spoke near-fluent English! "Perhaps you will give my children a better fight than your friend Cayde." A strange machine appeared, followed by a horde of Raiders.

Once the Raiders were dead, Rocco scanned the seemingly inert Servitor. "{They're sucking the Ether out of this Servitor. Corrupting it.}"

Clouds of corrupted Ether manifested, with Screebs appearing from them, accompanied by Abominations.

Samus shifted into the Morph Ball, prompting Michael to project a Ward of Dawn. A Power Bomb was unleashed, completely vaporizing the opposition. During the mayhem, the Fanatic vanished.

"{Someone's hacking our comms.}" Rocco reported.

"That's impossible. This is a secure IMC radio frequency." Michael stated.

Contrary to his knowledge of IMC communication relay security, a voice could be heard over the comms. "You're late. Here I was thinking I'd be hunting Uldren alone."

"{Petra Venj!}"

"We need to talk. Face-to-face. I'm on my way to see an old acquaintance. Word is he wants Uldren and his Barons dead as much as we do. Problem is the feeling is mutual, so my acquaintance is laying low in a hidden bunker. If we want him to open the door, we can't leave any witnesses. Clear the area."

A group of mutated Fallen appeared, only to be eradicated by a Nova Bomb from Mark-18. The door ahead opened up, allowing access to a new sector.

The Tangled Shore
Thieves' Landing

"I'm sending you some backup. Please, don't shoot the backup." Petra transmitted.

Up ahead, a Raider was killed by Fallen with porcupine-like backs.

SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES

1: Spider's Crime Syndicate

"{Our backup... are Fallen.}" Rocco noted.

"Oh. Did I forget to mention that?"

"Yes. Yes, you did." Dane put plainly.

Down a gravity elevator the team went, seeing more friendly Fallen fighting the mutated Fallen. "{Not that I'm complaining, but why are Fallen fighting against other Fallen?}" Rocco questioned.

"The Scorn aren't Fallen. Not anymore." Petra stated over the comms. After City Hawk 723 cleared out another area, Petra began explaining things. "The Barons' leader, the Fanatic, has the power to resurrect dead Fallen as frenzied, bloodthirsty puppets, and he believes Uldren gave him that power."

Michael couldn't make sense of it. "So Uldren and the Barons murder Cayde, and then come here. What's so special about the Tangled Shore?"

"That's not my secret to tell, Johnson. It's the Reef's. I'll say this: Uldren sent the Barons here for a reason. I just need to confirm my suspicions."

Music
none

Eventually, the sector was secured. "{All clear out here, Petra.}" Rocco reported.

"Great. Now get over here." A few rocks in a wall vanished, allowing access to a bunker as a few friendly Fallen moved in. Petra was there. "Shine your shoes, Pilots. You're about to meet... the Spider."

The Tangled Shore
Spider's Safehouse

At the end of the bunker was a fat Fallen with two porcupine-back Fallen standing guard.

SCANNING...
NEW ENTRIES

1: Spider
the Shore's Only Law

The Spider was playing with the lifeless shell of a dead Ghost like an old Rubix Cube, and he spoke English fluently. "Ahh. Well! If it isn't Petra Venj, the worst jailer in the solar system! What brings you to my... home away from home... away from home? On the run, are we?"

"I heard you lost the Shore." Petra's words irritated the Spider.

"Gah! YOU... lost my Shore."

"Thought you might want some help getting it back."

City Hawk 723 stepped up. "Guardians. And where oh where, pray tell, are their Ghosts?" The Spider asked, holding up the dead shell.

"Nevermind the-" Petra was interrupted by Rocco's sudden appearance.

"{Seeing you stockpiling the lifeless shells of my kind like some sort of trinkets... makes me SICK!}"

"Easy, Rocco."

The blue-shelled Ghost looked the Spider right in his four eyes with his single angry blue eye. "This Ghost... 'Rocco'... concerns me." The Spider shivered.

"There were seven Guardians at the Prison of Elders when it fell: Cayde-6... and a group of Pilots, including the Fireteam leader, Michael W Johnson. The new Taken King, the Shadow, was there too. We all want the same thing, Spider: Uldren and his Barons... dead." Petra stated.

"What is it you're... Oh ho ho! I see! Haha. Despite our clear, mutually aligned interests, I'm sorry, but I can't help but feel it is I who will come up short. It's true. I know where Uldren and his 'Barons' scheme. You go, scratch your itch, then we can just say... you owe me. Do we have a deal?"

Michael held out his hand, which the Spider promptly shook, and the Pilot had accepted the bargain. "Deal."

Music
Transformers: Age of Extinction - Lockdown's Theme

Suddenly, the Spider started screaming, as the sound of his bones being broken could be heard. Michael was crushing his hand! The Spider was hyperventilating as Michael gradually applied even more pressure. "But if you ever even DARE to double-cross us, it will be the LAST mistake you will ever make in your life."

Just as the gap in Michael's prosthetic hand reached the size of a Data-Knife handle, he released his grip on the Spider's pulverized grasper, then walked out. Rocco had accompanied him without question.

Everyone, save for the Spider, was practically speechless at what just happened.

"I knew Michael could get angry, but I've never seen him like THIS before." Samus admitted.

"OK, I'm scared now." The Shadow shuddered.

The Spider was gently grasping his demolished hand with the other three, staring at the bleeding open fractures with four wide eyes as he wheezed in pain and shivered with a newfound fear.

Oh dear... This Pilot scares me now.

Uldren... Scorn Barons... write your last wills. He won't just kill you... he will tear you apart.