Love, The Death of Duty
Kayla's eyes fluttered open. As soon as the light struck them, even in the dimness of her ship's cockpit, pain wracked her head. The groan she let out was shuddering and pitiful. In the pilot's chair, she curled even further into herself, closing her eyes again.
"Kayla?" Sixx was gentle with his voice. That didn't stop another bolt from ripping through her skull. "We're here."
She felt the ship slowing and dared another peek. His words rang true. Her jumpship was pulling into the Vestian hangar. They'd be docked soon and reporting to the Queen, a thought that made dread well up in her. She wished they had time to recuperate. Rest and come back when she didn't feel as if a loud noise could bowl her over.
Regardless, Kayla pushed herself to her feet. "Easy, easy…Sixx buzzed, flying to her front as if he could catch her if she fell. It struck her as silly, despite everything. But it was better than how he could have been acting. Her Ghost had warned her multiple times that interfacing with an active Vex gate would be dangerous. She had done it anyway. Ostensibly, she had good reason.
But only ostensibly. In truth, after enduring failure after failure, she saw the opportunity, she took it and now, she was paying for it. Sixx had every right to tear her proverbial ears off. Kayla would have done the same to anyone else dear to her stupid enough to do what she did. She was grateful he would not.
The ship jolted to a stop and the engines wound down. On both sides of her, Erek's and Daniel's ships were doing the same. Slowly, testing the strength of her knees and the surety of her gait, she began to leave the ship. The walkway extended before her and dropped. When light flooded in from the outside world, Daniel's frame cast a shadow.
He was up the ship walkway before she could muster the energy to speak. Without a word, he took hold of her arm and gently, he helped her down the stairs. So much for not raising suspicion.
Erek was just leaving his ship when the pair of them reached the ground, the Ghost over his shoulder disappearing as he did. His eyes fell on them. Then, they flicked to behind them. Both Kayla and Daniel turned to where his gaze had focused and found a pair of Corsairs approaching. Kayla feels Erek's hand on her shoulder a second later and almost jumps at the suddenness, at how silently he had just crossed the space between them. The Corsairs reach them not long after and bow. Erek audibly grits his teeth.
"Her Majesty welcomes you back and congratulates you on your victory," the first one began.
Erek was already walking off, sidling past the pair. "She's in her hall?"
To their credit, neither Corsair broke their stride. "Yes," the second replied, "We are to escort you."
Erek continued on. Daniel ended the stretching silence. "Thank you," he said, "Please lead on."
Without words, the pair turned on their heels and started forward, trailing quickly after Erek while Daniel and Kayla lagged behind, Daniel only doing so for her sake. Kayla still remembered the path to where the Queen held court whenever she visited this outpost, from her very first time in the Reef.
They were upon the tall and heavy doors soon enough. At Erek's approach, they rumbled and slowly began to open, as if welcoming him inside. Erek continued through. At the same time, Kayla pulled away from Daniel, confident she could stand and walk on her own now. At the far end of the room sat Queen Mara upon her throne, examining her perfectly manicured fingers, not even bothering to glance in their direction until Erek was half across the walkway. And she wasn't alone. Her Wrath, her brother and her Fallen advisor surrounded her throne, coming to attention as soon as they heard the door. Upon their approach, Variks lifted his staff and banged the end against the metal floor twice. "So you've returned," chittered the scribe.
"With what you left to attain, I presume?" Mara's near-silent voice still filled the room. Kayla could feel the power in it.
"We did, your Majesty." Daniel bowed slightly, then turned his eyes over to Erek. Erek did not look back. His hard eyes and hard mouth never left the Queen. But still, his right foot lifted. In the recently made space in between, light shimmered in the air and beneath his foot, the Gate Lord's head materialized, falling a short distance to the ground that had everyone at attention.
Erek removed his foot and used it to shove the head further towards the throne, sliding and screeching across the ground as it did. In a low and scratchy voice, he asked, "Our key?"
Mara didn't respond at first. Her gaze was only for the head, her shimmering eyes darting back and forth across the severed thing lying at her feet. Minutes of silence passed before she appeared to be satisfied. She leaned back in her seat, crossing one leg over the other and regarding the Guardians before her for only the second time. "Petra will debrief you," she told them, "See that a proper transcript is drafted. I will see it personally."
With a barely noticed flick of her hand, the Queen waved them off. Petra and Variks bow before stepping down from their places around her throne. Uldren does the same. As he did, he reached at his waist and roughly ripped a knife from its sheath. He approached the Gate Lord's head, using his feet to turn it over so that its face pointed at him. He then jammed the blade into the Vex's red eye, aiming it at the space between the socket and the eye itself.
With a few twists, the thing popped out. It was about the size of his fist, with wires hanging from the back and a thin film of dark oil coating its outer shell, giving it a slight iridescent appearance. Uldren turns the thing around in his hands, looks back at the Guardians with more scrutiny than he showed most things and then handed it to Variks, who took it with another bow.
"Follow, Guardians," Petra ordered as she walked past. They do as bid, trailing her out of the Queen's courtroom while Variks' staff clanked rhythmically against the floor behind them.
"An Exo who can interface and commune with Vex technology." Petra whistles. She was holding the eye to the light, "Useful, no doubt but what is also not in doubt, it's the danger." She handed the eye back to Variks and looked straight at Kayla. "It would explain why you seem so out of it today."
"It worked," Kayla found herself saying, "It stunned the Gate Lord enough for it to be finished off."
"I did say it was useful."
"We Eliksni have...had our own methods similar to yours," Variks said, "Those who could communicate with machines, manipulate programming from the inside. Your ways are not as refined but they are similar."
"Variks and I will get to work on calibrating this thing," Petra told them. "It won't take us long to turn it into the key you need it to be so I suggest you use this time to rest." Her eyes flicked between the three of them. Then she nodded. "That is all."
A large, familiar hand to her back and Kayla found herself being guided to the door. Erek was behind the both of them until Petra spoke up again. This time, all she said was his name. A quick look was shared between them but soon, the others continued while Erek remained behind. Petra didn't speak again until the door had closed and Variks had taken the eye into another room, closing his door as well.
"Are you alright?"
Erek's ever-present scowl deepened. He didn't know which he hated more, the question or the tone of voice she took to ask it. Soft and gentle, a far cry from her usual professional tone and the last thing he needed at present.
"I know you don't like it when people ask-"
"And yet people continue to ask." Every word that left his mouth sounded as if he were beating it out.
"It's concern, Erek," she said, as if speaking to an angry child. "The way you always look nowadays. I shouldn't be worrying about the Queen's own brother, her elder brother, jumping at her. But then I look at your face and I can't help but wonder…" Petra sighed and shook her head. "I know the reason you want so badly to get to the Black Garden. But I feel that there is more to it than that."
"There is not," He said flatly, "This whole thing is taking too long. He will be there. I know it." The fist neither realized he had been holding loosened. "And I'm ready."
"Are you? You've known of his existence for a while now. Yet, you seem more bothered by it than ever before."
"I have always been bothered by it, Petra. Now I'm sick of being bothered by it." Petra watched as the fire seemed to drain from him. His shoulders sagged and his tight jaw loosened. "It's not fair," he whispered, almost certainly not to her. "It's not fair that he lives while…"
The crack in his walls sealed so quickly, Petra wondered if she had seen anything at all. Almost instantly, the Erek she had come to know returned, the one with an air around him that put friends and foes alike on edge.
She chose not to press. "Just be careful," she says, "I'm certain I'm not the first person to tell you that."
"No. You're not," he murmured and the cold in his voice could freeze the sun. He turned around and began towards the exit. "I will do what I need to do. That is all I will promise."
The door opens before him and closes when he passes. Petra was now alone, her offered concern left at her feet.
Kayla sighed, closing her eyes before lifting the pillow covering them. She twisted it around and brought it back, pressing the cool side to her face. Her head hurt. She wished she could meet the Golden Age genius who thought it would be good to give an android the ability to feel pain. So she could kill them again.
She sighed again. "You can say it," she murmured aloud. Somehow, that was less taxing than thinking it. A second voice in her head would do nothing for her at this moment.
"Say what?" Sixx asked from across the room.
Feigned ignorance. Kayla responds only by lifting the pillow to glare. Her Ghost replies with a bodily motion that could only be described as a shrug without shoulders. "Don't think I need to. The pounding in your head and your inability to walk in a straight line is 'telling you so' more than I ever could."
Kayla groaned instead of sighing. For variety, she weakly jokes to herself. She took the risk and was paying the price.
"But you were right, back in the debriefing," Sixx went on. "It worked. And if it did, that means your attempt in the Vault was more than a fluke."
A knock on her door had Kayla flinching. Slowly, she stood, shuffling her way over in the dark, nearly tripping over her discarded boots along the way. Putting her hand to the door and leaning close, she let it slide open just far enough for her to peek out. The dim light outside was still enough to make her wince.
Erek filled her vision, causing her to open it a bit more. "Erek? Is something the matter?"
The Hunter blinked. His mouth was a hard line. "I was going to ask the same," he said, "You're still feeling the after-effects of the Vex gate?"
She nodded and prepared for her fourth lecture that night. Daniel had quietly and gently chewed her ear off on their journey back to her quarters. "I know it was risky-"
"But it needed to be done. I understand. Trust me." He shifts in place. Kayla only then noticed that he was still in his armor, Venutian mud stains, radiolaria and all. "Are you al-"
"I'm fine," he almost snaps. Then he shrugs weakly. "Just been a long...it's been a hard time as of late."
"I know. It's the same for me."
Erek shifted again. He ran a hand through his black hair. Kayla noticed it was getting shaggy. "Back on Venus," he started again, "I apologize if it seemed like I didn't care about what had happened."
"I…" Kayla huffs out a small, weak laugh. She hadn't even noticed. "That last fight was an ordeal for all of us. Daniel spent half the time coming back here grumbling about falling asleep in the bath. I was never really thinking about it that way."
Erek chuckled. Then his lips curled into a sort of smile. It even reached his eyes, if only for a short while. He nodded. "I'll leave you to it then. Get some rest."
"You as well. Thanks for checking in."
He had let Aro know they had succeeded and were on their way back to the Reef. In writing, knowing full well he could have done more.
By the time Daniel and the others had docked, Aro had already responded, also in writing. Daniel had chosen to wait until he was alone to open it. When he had debriefed the Awoken, cleaned himself up and eaten. He retired early, as did the others. He was in bed now and struggling to fall asleep.
Daniel told Aro that the Gate Lord was dead, that they had returned to the Awoken with its head and that their key would somehow be pulled from it. He told Aro that he hoped things were going well on his end. That he and the others were remaining safe. It was not lost on him how short that section was in comparison to the former.
And at the end, he asked Aro about his family. If Aro had been to his house or spoken to them. From the outside looking in, it sounded innocuous enough. But neither were outsiders. Daniel knew how it would really sound, the way it was worded, the inherent tone and he had made no move to change it.
Aro replied that he hasn't. The way Maya spoke of him was proof of this but there was something about asking Aro about it, having him say it directly, that made him feel better. Something Daniel did not like.
When he did manage to fall asleep, the dreams took him quickly. His mind's eye was hazy and burning but was locked onto the surreal scene set out before him. He felt as if his neck was in a vice, he could look nowhere else.
He saw Christine, her eyes wide and unblinking. A red, leaking hole punctured her forehead. A layer of ash covered her face and was cut through by tears draining from her eyes.
He saw Tarlowe out of his wheelchair and on the ground, prone and unmoving. He was in the same position he was when Greed shot him in the back and ruined his spinal cord forever; Daniel could never forget it. Even the pool of blood growing out beneath him seemed to spread out in the same pattern.
He saw everyone, his team, his clan, his friends. Erek and Kayla, dead. Mira, Jessie, Shino, Asura, Crona; dead. He sees Aashir dead, again. And those were just the bodies he could see, the corpses laid out in front of his vision. Where were the others? Where were Josef or Katrina?
And then behind him, in front, all around him, Daniel could hear Maya screaming. Screaming and begging and crying her throat raw. The was so shrill and anguished, Daniel almost thought his ears would begin to bleed. What he would do to never hear such a sound leave his sister's mouth again.
At the center of it all was him. Daniel was in his armor, broken and falling apart. He was on his knees, in agony, both within and without as Maya's screaming continued to cut through him and the world as if they were nothing. He lifted his hands to his face, unable to look down at them. Some parts of his fingers were exposed and covered in ash, dirt and blood. They were trembling.
Something was keeping Daniel rooted to the spot he was in. Wet blood dripped down the side of his head and bubbled in his throat with every stabbing, labored breath he managed to take. His home was in ruins, the City was on fire around them. The screams of the people resonated as swarm after swarm of Hive fell on them, perverse glee in their sharp, green eyes.
Still, Daniel could not move from his spot, even as they flooded past him. But now he felt more. He felt the shape of a hand around the back of his throat; it was squeezing, keeping him rooted, just barely allowing him to breathe. At his back, the figure of a shadow loomed tall and the pressure it released made it all the more difficult to breathe.
The shadowed corners of his vision were beginning to expand. Daniel's head falls back against the hand holding him and he tries to focus on the dark shape, all through the haze of blood loss. In truth, he did not need to see it to know who it was, the way his chest squeezed painfully. No discerning facial features managed to cut the fog. None except one...
The shadow's other arm rose slowly up until it was above his head. In that arm's hand was Caesar, Daniel's Ghost, shouting and cursing and fighting his way to release. Daniel only managed to lock eyes with him for a heartbeat before the hand caging him squeezed.
Maya was still screaming. Caesar didn't even have time. Neither did Daniel before he felt something akin to a lance pierce his heart and leave it shuddering in weakness. Strands of Light flowed into the shadow's skin as Caesar's shattered remains clattered to the ground, striking and cutting Daniel's face with its sharp edges.
Those bright red eyes gleamed only brighter, either from the power it had just absorbed or from the horror and finality that Daniel had written all over his face.
Then, the hand at the back of his neck released. Daniel slouched, feeling himself about to fall forward and strike the ground. But he never got the chance. He hears the tell-tale sound of a gun being brandished, being cocked and ready. He only feels the cold steel press into the back of his head for less than a heartbeat.
It was the bang that finally woke him from his nightmare and he did so violently. Daniel shot upwards out of bed, yelling, his hands flying to the back of his skull in a blind panic. His entire head was speared with enough pain to make him grit his teeth hard and bring tears to his burning eyes. His entire body was damp with sweat, as were the sheets beneath it.
His heart was thundering so hard, even his stomach was reacting. Daniel tumbled out of bed and staggered his way to the bathroom, trying his best to ignore the way the room spun around his vision. He dropped to his knees before the toilet and heaved so hard, he could feel his abdominals cramping. It was dry, as were the several ones that followed that left his eyes streaming and his throat raw.
Daniel fell away from the toilet when the retching stopped. He pressed his back to the cold wall and from there, he just tried to breathe, to calm his head and his heart. He brought his palms up to his eyes and tried his best to clean them. The blurring cleared up enough for his Ghost to come into focus, blue eye gleaming with concern. Daniel nearly laughed. What a sight he must have been for the stoic Ghost to seem so taken aback.
One thing was clear; Daniel did not want to talk about it. Not about what he saw, nor who he saw. He resisted the urge to contact his family. If only because he knew he would not be able to calm his heart and voice enough to deflect their worry. And because he knew he might let something slip that he should not.
Caesar understood without the need for words. If he ever had thoughts on Daniel's continuing relationship with Aro, he never voiced them. Daniel never could be sure whether or not that was a good thing but right now, it definitely was.
With effort, Daniel dragged himself back to his feet. Hunched over and with his feet barely leaving the ground, he trudged his way back to bed, using the furniture along the way to keep himself aloft. When he fell back into bed, the sheets had been dried. He silently thanked his Ghost. Another hour would pass of him staring across the bed and at the wall for sleep to retake him.
He dreamed again, a new dream. The same place, the same City but...different. His sky wasn't darkened by ash and soot but by clouds. It wasn't explosions and screams and the discharge of weapons that reverberated through the air but the sound of gentle, faraway thunder and rain pelting against a window.
His window. He was home. What time it was...he couldn't guess. Those clouds were blocking the sun, casting everything in dim, grey light. The type of weather he preferred. He could hear the ventilation running, keeping the house cool. He could hear the rustle of leaves in the tree close to his bedroom window. He could hear the gentle cadence of Christine's voice and the rough, sleepless timber of Tarlowe's. The light peal of Maya's. Maya was laughing. It was all so distant but...it was there. They were there, alive and well and happy.
He wasn't alone. Daniel turned, knowing but not knowing how, that Aro would be there. He was shirtless and snoring, their comforters coming up only to his waist and his warm brown skin glowing in the low light. He was turned away, facing the other wall.
Daniel's heart thudded at the sight and his stomach involuntarily clenched. He found his hand resting on Aro's waist. He brought it up to his shoulder and gently pushed down, trying to turn the sleeping man so he could see his face. All he could remember was the red-eyed shadow.
Aro moved easily, as if he had never been asleep. When he turned to his back, his eyes fluttered open and locked with Daniel's, staring deep into his in a way that made Daniel's heart thud again. Daniel's hand traveled from his shoulder to his face, feeling the wiry scruff growing along his cheek. He always wished he would have grown it out. He still did.
So lost in his gaze was Daniel, he didn't even feel the hand slide up his back and to his neck, cupping the back of his head. He didn't realize until he felt himself being brought forward. These fingers squeezed but did not dig. They held him but they guided, rather than forced him into place.
Daniel woke again when their lips touched. His breathing was deep but slow. Instead of a cold sweat, he felt as if his body had been set alight.
He almost does it. He almost tells Caesar to start another letter. He came so close to it that his Ghost turned around again to look at him. Start another letter; only three words, something he should have said before. Send it and hope Aro knew how much Daniel meant it. Because he does. Despite what was coming, despite what he knew needed to be done, despite how much he knew he should know better, he really does mean it every time he says it.
Daniel closed his eyes instead. To both his hope and his fear, the second dream, the one where he was home, resumed. This time, he does not stop it. Aro's fingers, strong and calloused from his years of handling tomes and guns in equal measure. Again, Aro wordlessly pulled him in. Daniel's thoughts try to tell him of everything those hands will do to him but he pushes it off. He lets his head be held and kissed by the man before him, desperate to have what he wanted, even if it would only ever be within a dream.
He woke once more, tears streaming from his eyes for the second time. He curled deeper into the covers, body wracking with stifled sobs. He refused to sleep again.
When Hideo caught sight of him entering the building, his arms went wide and his smile went wider. "Arochukwu!" the Executor called out, his voice echoing. Then in a lower tone, he asked, "How was that?"
"Better," Aro said, holding back a laugh.
"'Keep practicing', got it." Hideo laughed and took his hand firmly, clapping his shoulder with the other. "I'm glad you could come."
A tour of their headquarters. Hideo had insisted and Aro found it hard to deny. He didn't want to deny him at all, even going as far as to have his best-looking armor set ready for the occasion. In truth, he was glad to have a reason to get away from the Tower for a while. His usual reason used to be so he could see Maya. But then the Vault happened…
No call from Daniel. Just a message. Fair enough, Aro told himself. He must be tired but deep down...deep down, he knows he would be a fool to expect a call at all.
Aro internally shook his head. He refused to let himself fall down that rabbit hole. He kept his eyes on Hideo and his ears on his words as the man showed him various parts of the facility. Their R&D, their public relations, their meeting halls, their daycare for faction members with children, even their training ring, inspected and approved for Guardian use by Lord Shaxx himself. Aro was introduced to other members of the faction. Guardian and civilian, Human, Exo, Awoken, New Monarchy took in people of all kinds. Some were younger, ecstatic at being able to meet such a famous Guardian. Others were older and though subdued, seemed no less glad to meet the Vaultbreaker, the leader of the Will of Light. One, an old female Exo, even remembered attending Kabr's funeral. She was grateful to him for taking vengeance against the Vex in his name. Part of Aro internally corrected her, that they did not go in there to avenge Kabr or give him any sort of peace. But another part denied that. They defeated the Herald and before he could pass on, allowed him one last conversation with his Ghost. Then, they brought that Ghost home, just as Kabr would have wanted. It wasn't their intention but it is exactly what they gave him.
A few asked about Daniel, including Hideo himself, who commented that he hasn't seen him for a while. Work has been taking him off-world quite a bit as of late, Aro would say and it wasn't entirely a lie. It also wasn't entirely a lie when the Executor asked how Daniel's family was doing and Aro told him they were doing well. That was an assumption. One based on the fact that if something were wrong, he would have heard about it. When Daniel wrote and asked about his family, Aro responded in truth; he hasn't spoken to them. That didn't stop his eyes from rolling over the line again and again. He could not decide what hurt him more, how much the question felt like an accusation or how much the accusation was warranted.
He missed Daniel. He has spent more years of his life with him than without and he could not imagine life without Daniel in it. But he could not deny that Daniel had a right to his concern and that the best thing Aro could do would be to stay away from his siblings, as much as he missed them as well.
The pain of ignoring texts and calls paled in comparison to just how terrible he felt the day he realized Maya had stopped trying to reach out to him. As if, after weeks of effort, she was on her way to giving up on him for good. Aro thought of how Shino made him feel, all but cutting off their previously strong friendship and how he was now doing the same to Maya. Worse even. At least Aro knows Shino's reasons.
Hideo's voice yanks him from his thoughts and Aro wanted to hit himself. No dwelling, he had promised himself. "Apologies," he says meekly.
Hideo only smiled, as he always did. "Think nothing of it. I know how busy you get and again, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for coming." He leads Aro down a long hallway, a row of massive windows casting golden sunlight upon the pristine red and white banners that flowed gently from the ceiling. At the end of it was a large, circular metal door, shrouded in shadows, with two red frames standing at attention on either side.
The locks disengaged when Hideo approached and the frames stood aside. The door slides open, revealing a massive, dimly lit room. Its grey walls were lined with rows upon rows of weapons. Aro felt small in comparison as he followed Hideo further inside and saw just how far and wide the armory stretched. From rocket launchers to hand cannons, there must have been hundreds of firearms within, all of them of reliable make and fine quality.
"You want one?"
Aro's head snapped back. "What?"
Hideo gestured. "A weapon," he clarified, "Would you like to take one back to the Tower with you? You'd have my permission."
Aro laughed slightly and held up his hands. "That's...very generous but I couldn't."
"Not a problem at all, though most Guardians jump at a chance to take something out of here." He walks over to one particular one. An auto rifle, which he hefts up. The frame looked familiar to Aro and Hideo must have caught the look of confusion in his eye. "A Suros model," Hideo explains. "Sturdy and reliable. Tarlowe's as good a designer as his father and grandparents."
He placed the rifle back down onto its display. "Did you spend much time with his father, Adrian?"
Hideo was already shaking his head before Aro could finish. "Like I said before, the relation is a distant one and...we were very different people." He began to lead Aro further in. "I still attended his funeral," he said, "It's shameful what his brother did, leaving his body on Venus. Keeping the nature of his death a secret even from his children and denying them closure."
Silence hangs in the air after that and Aro can see the tense line of Hideo's shoulders. Then those shoulders relax. "I apologize for darkening the mood so suddenly." He turns and claps Aro on the arm. "To brighten things up again, I've got something to show you." The Executor's walk picks up speed and despite his longer stride, Aro finds himself pressed to keep up. "From my experience, many Guardians take on a favored weapon. I asked Ikora once and she told me that your weapons respond to the Light that you channel through them, creating a connection of sorts."
"If the weapon is used enough, yes."
"Shaxx has his blades, Cayde has his Ace. Ikora has that monstrous shotgun of hers and I've noticed, in Daniel's Crucible matches, a certain white auto rifle doing well in his hands." Hideo stopped them at a nondescript panel in the wall, with a scanning pad next to it. "I've noticed the same with you. You and a certain silver hand-cannon."
"Ah, yes. It's called Hawkmoon," Aro explained, "A gift from our time in the Reef though not even they were clear on where they got it."
"And it works well for you, I take it?"
"Decently enough. It doesn't have a charged exotic shard, so it's little more than a hand-cannon at present."
"Do you not have one?"
"I was able to get a hold of one a few months ago," Aro said, "I've been charging it ever since." He holds out his hand and the shard transmats into the palm. As always, Light seemed to swirl beneath its transparent surface and it was warm to the touch. Months of feeding it his Light and it has yet to show any indication that it has had its fill. The thing was ravenous and yet Aro never felt its pull. It took only what he was willing to give, no more.
Hideo raises his hand and holds it over the scanner. The thing makes a thin humming sound and then dings lightly. A lock whirs, hisses and then opens. The plain, silver panel embedded in the silver wall slowly pushed itself out. Gingerly, Hideo reached down with both hands and pulled something out, further locks disengaging to let him do so without difficulty.
Aro starts to put his shard away just as Hideo begins to turn back around. Aro's hand froze where it was inside the folds of his armor. In Hideo's hands was another exotic shard. This one was dim, no Light to be found within though Aro did feel that distinct pull he had when he first had his own shard in his hands.
Hideo grinned, amused at Aro's surprise. "Right? Got this about a year ago. Been making plans to have it moved to the Tower and put under the Speaker's care but I will maintain ownership of it. Temporarily, at least.
"How do you mean?" Aro asked.
"I'm not a Guardian. This…" He held it up higher, "This is useless to me. I discussed it with my board and we decided it would indeed be better off in the hands of a worthy Guardian."
Aro was already shaking his head. "The gun was one thing, Hideo, but this...this is a lot. I really, really can't-"
Hideo silenced his protests with a hand to his shoulder. "And you don't have to. Not now. All I'm asking is that you think about it and if you truly decide you don't want it, I can always gift it to another." His hand came back. "But you are the Archon-Slayer, the Vaultbreaker, Aro. I've even heard Lord Shaxx refer to you as a "Dragon". Your kind of power and skill and leadership is something we need more of in this war. Like I said, I'm not a Guardian. As much as I want to protect my City, I cannot pick up a gun and go to the frontlines as you do. The least I can do is help those who do fight, to the best of my ability."
He placed the shard back. Aro watched as the container slid closed and the locks reattached, sealing the box and its contents from the outside world. From there, the pull on his Light disappears.
"Got one more stop on our tour, Aro," Hideo says. Aro followed him to a small elevator at the very back of the armory. As with the first door, this one opened at Hideo's approach and closed again once they were inside. The pair rode in silence for near a minute. Aro's eyes were on the row of numbers, watching them light up in sequence as they went higher and higher.
Then, it slowed to a stop. The elevator rumbled and slowly, the doors slid open. New Monarchy's main building was second in height only to the Tower itself. The lift had dropped them off in what Aro could only assume to be Hideo's office on the top floor and as expected, it was massive. Much bigger than Zavala's or Ikora's with a splash of deep crimson red covering every piece of ornate furniture that littered the room. Lining the walls were scores of plaques, framed certificates, photos, printed books and letters. The desk at its head was a wooden thing, thick and heavy. Its tall dark leather chair faced the room.
Executor Hideo led him past the desk. The curtains, drawn together to keep out light, began to pull apart. Glass doors opened as well. Aro and Hideo walked through them to come to a stop on the ledge of a balcony. Below, Aro could see nearly the entirety of the Last City. From the corporate buildings downtown to the farmlands near its edge, down to every delivery transport or personal vehicle that drove by.
Aro was gaping. He knew he was with his slackened jaw and his hands wrapped around the metal border surrounding the balcony. The Traveler, ever silent, hung in the air at directly eye level. Between the Traveler in the air and the City below, Aro was unsure which he should be more enamored by. All he knew was that he was.
A throaty chuckle caught his attention. Hideo sighed and leaned against the railing next to him. "This is probably the best part of my position," he said, his tone quiet and wistful. He pushed himself up and pointed west, to the mountains past the Tower. "That there is Twilight Gap," he explains. He pointed northeast. "The militia tower." He turned their attention towards the center. "The Consensus hall, though, I'm sure you recognized it."
"From up here, you can truly see everything. Like your Tower," Hideo continued, "But I always took issue with how removed it seemed. You and your Guardians only have a view of the City from so far away. There were once some who came down and to the City and walked amongst its people in the older days. Saint-14, Traveler rest his Light. But too few. Osiris was one of the worst examples of this distance, Aro. Too much time with his head in the proverbial clouds, causing him to neglect the people down here who he had been tasked with protecting." He turned away from the Traveler to look at Aro. "Do you walk the City, Aro?"
"Early in this life, I did. I'd visit cafes and the market with my friends." He grinned slightly. "Once even got roped into officiating a basketball game."
Hideo chuckled at that. "And how did that happen?"
"Lost a bet to Cayde."
"You know he cheats…"
"I can be very stubborn."
Hideo laughed again. "Ask Shaxx about a children's dodgeball game when you get the chance." He quickly sobered. "You said you did. Not anymore?"
Aro grew somber and his voice fell to just above a throaty whisper. "Work has…" he readjusted his grip on the railing. "Taken a lot from me."
"I understand," Hideo said. "For myself, even. Just coming out here when I can is a compromise. I'm likely pushing something off just to make the time." He straightened up and pulled off his hat, letting neatly styled and shimmering black hair fall to just above his ears. Aro could almost see the resemblance to Daniel and the others.
He doesn't put his hat back on, holding the garment in both his hands. "But I still do it. Looking out here, it reminds me of why I do what I do. Why I so fervently believe in our cause. And why do I think you represent it."
Aro turned to find Hideo's intense brown eyes boring. "Dead Orbit would have us flee but you, Aro, you do not fight to flee. The FWC would have us fight just for the sake of fighting but you do not fight for that either."
He leaned in closer and tapped his fingers against Aro's chest, his voice dropping to just above a whisper. "You fight because you wish to protect your home. Your people. This much is clear to me. So I ask, try to make time for the people. Even more so, given your newfound popularity. Let them see your face, let them hear your voice." Hideo smirked. "Let the old ladies pinch your cheeks red, the old men clap your back sore and let the children swing off your arms. Remind them that you are one of them and that you love them. It is easy, up high in that Tower, to begin believing that you only fight out of duty. Let them know that it is not compulsion that drives you or duty but love. Experience all sides of humanity, so that you never forget why you would do anything to protect it."
Hideo leaned back and Aro felt as if he could breathe again. It came out in silent shudders. His skin seemed to burn and he could hear the blood rushing past his ears, the sound mixing with Hideo's words.
He did fight out of duty. Ever since the scope of his involvement in the Collapse had been revealed, Aro had no longer felt as if he were a part of the City, of the last of humanity. He felt more like a sentinel, a bulwark against the tide; the consequences of his actions.
"I will, Executor," he said. He almost believed himself.
Hideo brought his hand up and squeezed Aro's shoulder, the smile lines around his eyes deepening. "Good." The hand dropped and gestured back towards the office. "I'll let you go, Lord Guardian. Ah, don't give me that look. You've earned the title at this point."
Together, they walked in silence back towards the elevator. It opened and only Aro crossed the threshold. "Remember what I've said," Hideo told him, putting his hand to the door to keep it open. And think about the shard. It would mean a lot to me if you would accept it."
"I will think about it, Executor. I promise."
Hideo smiled at that once more. He straightened up again and let his hand fall. The elevator door slid close. Only then did Aro dare to breathe again, leaning against the cold metal wall.
"A way with words, that Hideo. Even I felt somewhat inspired." Kain's voice broke through the silence of the night. He was at Aro's desk, across the room. Aro, recently showered and shaved, was in bed, his torso exposed so as to let the cool air touch him.
"He really does," Aro mutters.
"You don't want the shard he's offering?"
"I already have my own." Aro takes one hand from behind his head and gestures to the drawers in the desk, where the exotic shard lay, still warm to the touch and drinking of Aro's Light.
"You could have two," Kain pointed out and before Aro could state the obvious, he added, "I know what it requires. He wants you to join New Monarchy. Or at least ally with him." He turned to his Guardian. "And I know you're thinking about it."
Executor Hideo's words resonated with him, that much was plain but it wasn't due to words alone. It was the tone, the smiling, the mirth. Aro knew Hideo would have some sense of humor, popularity as a politician often required it. What had caught him off guard was that it was…genuine. His smile reached his eyes, he laughed, he made Aro laugh. Try as many of his team, his friends, to hide it, their paranoia and their fear bled out into every word, every interaction. And some didn't even try at all. Aside from a few, like Kain, Asura or Crona, Aro couldn't remember the last time he had been spoken to like an actual person.
No, he recalled. There was one other. Glittering red eyes flashed in his mind…
Aro promptly shut them out. "I don't want to talk about this right now, Kain," he thought and his Ghost gracefully let it go. Aro rolled over onto his side to go to sleep. He hoped he didn't dream tonight.