Of One Mind

Their report to Ikora was short and predictably uncomfortable. They gave it as Ikora preferred it; the most salient information first, followed by related details and completed with opinions, insight and hypothesized next steps.

She didn't appreciate that last part, what they believed should be done regarding the signal's destination. Josef's Ghost had already narrowed down the weak, distorted transmission to the Echo Mesa on Io but by the time they had arrived, he had a final destination; a set of coordinates within the Rupture subregion. Coordinates that pointed explicitly to the Pyramidion.

Logic dictated that they follow it. Logic dictated that they find out what kind of information the Pyramidion was receiving from the King's Gate and the Black Garden. Logic dictated they do the stupidest thing possible in the wake of their previous insubordination and ask Ikora to permit them to assault yet another Vex stronghold. At least, that was Aashir's argument; how he tried to prepare himself to make the request. Little good it did him, his team had never seen him so tightly wound, ready to burst into flames like Aro in the throes of another nightmare.

Some would call it chance, others providence, but from the start of their meeting with Ikora, Cayde happened to be in the room with her. He hadn't left when she answered, though she undoubtedly asked him to. He made his quips, his usual irreverent jokes, added nothing to the discussion overall. But when Aashir brought up their intention to follow the lead, it was Cayde who convinced Ikora to let them go or at the very least, consider it.

If he hadn't been there, she never would have listened to their reasoning. If he hadn't been there, it likely wouldn't have mattered. A fact he knew and would eventually abuse for a night of free drinks. Given the way Aashir deflated when the call ended, he probably would have been willing.

But for now, all Aashir wanted was to be alone. The halls of the Outpost were rarely well lit, dim balls of pure luminescence provided little light overhead, making the purples and blues of the walls and drapes stand out, along with the shadows dancing across them. Aveline made her way to the Hangar and upon arrival, it didn't take her long to find him, though she was surprised. "We're finally back at the Reef and you aren't taking the grand tour?"

Sitting atop a metal crate, leaning against a wall while his feet were propped up on a different crate, Josef's lips pursed into something akin to both a grin and a sneer. "This is just a small part. Not much to see but soldiers and ships." He waved a hand, "Besides, Crona's been telling me stories. I can settle for that."

"Not for long, I'm sure." She lowered beside him. The hangar opened up almost like a yawn into the starry nothingness through which ships came in and out in almost predictable patterns. The Awoken were nothing if not efficient, right down to the last worker.

"So…the Pyramidion."

Josef scratched one hairy cheek. "Only Aashir's ever been to Io. Said the Pyramidion would be hard to miss. No one's ever been inside though."

"Think we'll have to be the first?" Aveline winced internally at her own question, both at the thought of Pride making an appearance and how Ikora would have reacted to such a suggestion. Most of what they had was already stretching the limits on her charity.

But her brother told her, "I doubt it. Aashir believes we can use the Eye to draw the information out and take what we need."

"When Aashir says, 'he believes'..."

"I know. I hope that will be the case."

Awoken ships continue to drift out and in at a pace Aveline could fall asleep to. And she was tempted, not even wanting to bother returning to her quarters. Silent and wordless, Corsairs roved around them, some heading for their ships, others disembarking, most paying them no mind. It was as private as a public place could be. Aveline leaned forward, sighing. "This…thing with Ikora-"

Josef's closed eyes remained so. "I thought you didn't discuss work when you were off."

"We're not off. We're at the Reef," she reminded him. "It's been a year."

Josef cracked his eyes only half-open. Irritably, he rubbed at his beard. "What we did…the trust we betrayed. I don't think it's been enough time for something like that to heal over."

"But it should start sometime, shouldn't it? I don't feel like any progress has been made, despite everything we've done." Her voice lowered back down when a few eyes turned their way. "Aashir's still taking it hard."

"I know. And given how terribly he's hiding it, the guilt must be eating him up something fierce."

She turned to him. "Do you ever feel the same?"

Josef's eyes opened all the way now, shimmering blue that glowed in the low light. Just like their mother's. "Sometimes," he admitted, as if unsure. "But I don't think I could have lived with the other option. Neither does Aashir, in honesty. Probably makes it all even worse."

"Is that really the case?"

"C'mon, the others might see him that way but you and I know him better." Josef pushed off the wall and sat up, moving forward until his legs dangled off the ground. For once, Aveline wasn't overcome with the urge to make fun of him for it. "He's the guy in charge. He's been a Guardian longer than any of us. And he has this…need, I guess, to be in control of everything." He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes. "So much so, he takes every bad thing that happens under his watch personally. Even when there's nothing he can really do. You remember Marie, don't you? Mira and Shino's first teammate?"

"Not well but somewhat."

"I remember him talking about her to me. Or at me. I could never get a word in." Her brother grinned slightly. "She's bright', 'she's intuitive', 'she's clever', she's this and that. More compliments in one sentence than I had gotten all month."

"Are you sure it was Aashir? Were you drunk for the conversation again?"

"Believe it or not, I wondered the same. If I was instead talking to a Vex sim who had taken a wrong turn on its way back to the Infinite Forest. But it was him. He had seen something in her that brought out a brighter part of him and he had taken it upon himself to nurture that talent." His grin melted away. "That was a month before they went to the Moon. Found May. The Hive. Pride." He shook his head sadly. "Now he doesn't mention her at all. Haven't heard her name in years, certainly not from his mouth. And I don't think I blame him."

Aveline hummed. "Reminds me of Papá."

When Josef hummed back, she could hear it running up against a knot in his throat. He pushed off the boxes and dropped to the ground. "I'm gonna head back to my place. See what kind of sleep I can get. Comin' with?"

"Nah," his sister replied.

"Oh, so now who wants to sightsee?"

"I've never once denied it." She moved over to the now open spot for an even fuller view of Reef space. "Still holding out for those Gardens we were told so much about as kids." She shrugged. "It can be our reward for beating the Heralds. All we need to do is live long enough to earn it."

Josef chuckled again. "Right. Nothing to it." He tapped her arm with his fist, playful and just shy of too hard. He left her, heavy footsteps retreating. When it was quiet again, Aveline noticed how the Hangar seemed to have emptied and wondered how late it was.

"What time is it back on Earth?"

Esila's answer was immediate. "Around late evening. You want me to make a call?" She already knew the answer.

"My father. Just to check in. Let him know we're alright."

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm just getting home now," Christine said, coming up to her front door.

"Long day?" Shino sounded as if he were falling asleep but she could hear the smile in his voice.

"They're always long. I'd invite you over but there are some things I need to work on tonight."

"Invite me anyway."

Christine's eyes tracked a group of kids riding bikes past her front gate. "You'll distract me."

"No, I won't. Promise," he said. She could almost see him grinning now. "I'll even keep my shirt on. Even less distraction."

Christine sighed. "This is why I'm not inviting you," she told him and he laughed at that. "But before I hang up on you, I just wanted to ask how Aro, Asura and Crona are. I think of everyone, they're who I've seen the least as of late." Shino's team sometimes came with him when he was invited or invited himself over and Daniel's team practically owned their guest rooms, with Erek leaving his own only to raid their fridge before retreating. It reminded her of Toland and Eris from a completely different time than now.

Silence was Shino's response, a quiet that stretched too long. Then, he answered, "Crona and Asura are fine. I spoke to both of them recently. I assume Aro is too."

She frowned. "You haven't seen him?"

"He's been busy. I've been busy." His smile was gone. His voice had become short and clipped, so suddenly, Christine felt compelled to ask if she had done something wrong. But then he said, "Busy dealing with his…brother's actions."

Christine sighed again. "Shino…"

"I'll let you get some rest." He would brook no argument.

"I…alright. I'll talk to you later." His farewell was nothing more than a grunt and then a closed tone. Christine felt heavier now, almost sagging beneath the weight of her bag. She unlocked her door and stepped through to find the bottom floor dark and empty. The others must have retreated to their rooms. It was quieter without Daniel around though it was often quiet with him there as well. The Light wasn't the only thing he shared with their uncle. Both men loved their solitude.

Belatedly, Christine remembered she was responsible for dinner that night and immediately, she decided she would find the others and ask what they wanted delivered. The other tasks she had to attend to were likely going to take up what little energy she still had for herself. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she pulled off her shoes before starting the climb, feeling the tenderness in her heels every time they made contact with soft carpet, cooled by the lack of feet or wheels roving over it.

"Tarlowe." She beat a fist against the door before opening it without waiting for a response. "I'm ordering dinner, what do you want?"

His attention remained on the shimmering projections of various rotors and gears shining from the center of his desk. He was leaning forward in his seat, chin resting on his hands, hands that only moved to bring one closer to his view or whisk it away from the others. "Something edible preferably." He mumbled into his arm.

"Cute. Really. Can I get an actual answer? I'd like to sit down sometime tonight."

"Fine. Pizza, then. Don't really care." He glared at one particular rotor and flicked it away roughly.

"Updates from Daniel?"

"Mission went well. No…interference. They got what they needed, they're back on the Reef and they should start returning to the City within a week."

From a distance, she could see the notification of a new message pop-up on the bottom-left of his screen; likely important enough to make it past whatever muting options he had enabled. She couldn't read the tiny writing in the subject line but it held the Suros foundry sigil and a glance down at it had Tarlowe's tired scowl deepening. He had obviously been doing what he was for a while now. "Trouble at the foundry?"

He irritably flicked it away. "There's always trouble with the foundry. These people couldn't survive unless there was trouble and if they can't find it, they'll make it." Another notification, another rough swipe. He gave a humorless laugh. "Guess my efforts in making peace with old rivals still isn't sitting right with the boards."

"How's that going?"

"About as well as you could expect."

Christine leaned against the door to ease the pressure of her weight off her feet. She nodded towards his screen. "And is working on that helping your case?"

Tarlowe snorted in reply. Christine hummed. "Well, I'm going to change. Then I'll get to work on my own part."

Not since she opened his door did he look away from his screen. Not until now and despite the fact she had pushed off the frame, the look he affixed her with kept her in place. "What?" she demanded.

"You've been working yourself ragged these past few days," he said, eyes back on the computer. "Take a break. The research can wait." His tone left no room for debate, which was fine. She was too tired to argue and she had no intention of obeying.

She left his office without a word. A few paces took her to Maya's room. She knocked and this time, waited to be invited in. Christine half-expected her to be using the Light in a way they already told her she shouldn't be but when the door was opened, she found nothing singed, saw no open windows, smelled nothing out of the ordinary. Maya was at her computer, attention held squarely by what she was reading. "I saw you come in," Maya said in greeting.

Christine blinked, looking to the door and back. "You…saw?" She asked, "From here?"

There was no way to see the front door from this side of the house. A few seconds ticked by before Maya unconvincingly corrected, "Heard. I heard you come in."

Christine pushed the conversation along. "How's that dream journal of yours coming along?

Maya was out of her seat before Christine could finish, barreling past and pulling open her bedside drawer. She threw the journal open, flipping the pages to one section and then stopping for a few seconds before shaking her head and flipping on. She stopped again and dropped her pointer finger on the text. "I flew."

Christine blinked. "You flew."

Maya nodded vigorously and Christine resisted the urge to laugh. "I had these giant wings." She stretched out her arms, "And I was flying over the City and even the Traveler."

"Sounds pretty tame." Christine lowered herself to the bed.

"I know! Nothing scary for once, nothing special." Maya's eyes lowered and her gaze grew distant. "Lightest I've felt in a long time."

Christine felt the amusement leave her. "Well, I'm glad you're having fun," she told her softly. She nodded to the computer. To the trio of faces. "That's Ares One, isn't it? Is that for school?"

"No, just a topic that caught my interest. You know about them?"

"I remember some from grade school."

"It's been that long?" Maya grinned and squeaked when an elbow was shoved into her ribs.

"I came to check in, not to be made fun of." Christine's knees cracked when she stood and she hoped Maya hadn't heard. "At least you're doing better now."

"Well, I messaged Aro earlier this week and he actually replied!"

"Did he now?" She thought back to what Shino had told her. "Glad he found a moment away from work. Shino said he hadn't spoken to him in a while." Christine walked over to the door. "I'm ordering dinner, text me what you want or I'll choose something for you. And you probably won't like it."

Maya dove for her phone. Christine left her and made the short trip back to her room. As soon as she shut the door and let her bag fall beside it, she woke her computer. The screen came on to where she had left it; articles on neural interfaces. Christine yawned deeply. There were over a dozen schematics she would have to go through to determine what would be a good set. Christine rubbed her eyes when her vision began to blur. She leaned forward, resting her arms on the surface and her lolling head on her arms. It would need to be light but durable, have a high processing rate and even then, it would need a hefty amount of biometric telemetry-"

Loud knocking against the door caused Christine to jump. "Let me in," her brother called from the other side.

She cursed and rushed to shut off her screen. "It's unlocked," she called back.

The door opened and Tarlowe wheeled inside. "See that? See how I asked first before barging in?" He said, coming around the bed. He paused once he was halfway and nodded towards her computer. "You're not as slick as you think you are," he told her.

Christine remained quiet. "You get this certain look in your eye whenever you plan to do the opposite of what you were told. Had it since you were a kid. Turns out growing up doesn't change us as much as we'd like to believe."

Tarlowe brought his chair around the bed and behind her. He went over to the sliding glass door, one that faced the street below and the City off in the distance. Christine sighed and stood. He moved back to let her pass and she opened it for him. With some angling, Tarlowe got over the threshold and at his beckoning, she followed. Cool air blew over her face, through her hair and the setting sun warmed her. On the streets below, others were returning from their own long workdays, same as her. Christine leaned on the railing and watched them, waiting for Tarlowe to say his piece.

Overhead, the Traveler loomed and belatedly, she realized that, until she joined the militia, she had never seen the sky without it. Her work had her visiting refugee camps outside the walls. Points where new arrivals, refugees, could check in before entering the City proper. Refugees who were often in need of medical attention. It wasn't a place she could sightsee.

"This new job of yours," Tarlowe started, though his eyes stayed on the street. "You've been at it a lot lately." Christine again remained silent. "Do you see Devrim? He's not your boss, I know, but maybe he can talk to someone. Get them to cut back a bit."

"The work is fine. I know what I signed up for." She pushed a stray tuft of hair behind her ear. "But I know how much this project means to you."

Tarlowe looked at her but said nothing. His silence compelled her to continue. "I know you need my help to complete it," she murmured, so quietly that the gentle breeze seemed louder. "I know how important it is to you and…I know I'm the limiting factor here. You'd be further along if it wasn't for me."

"I'd rather things go slowly and right than the other way around." Tarlowe absent-mindedly rubbed his legs. "This, how things are now, it's taken some time to get used to. But I have." Christine looked down at him and remembered when he used to be taller than her. Taller than Daniel. He met and held her gaze. "It's not the constant hell you seem to think it is."

"None of this should have happened. None of this should have ever happened." Her voice rose barely above a harsh whisper. She could still recall every little detail of that day. How innocuous and uneventful she had thought it would be. How things took a turn for the strange, then the bad and then the horrific. Her work and education involved blood by its very nature and she had seen copious amounts of it but never so much growing in a pool around the unmoving body of someone she loved. She was ashamed she didn't step in, try to do more. Even when staying with Maya, even more lost and scared than she was, was the best thing she could do.

She asked her brother. "Do you blame him? Uncle Vell?"

"After what we learned? No. He wasn't in control." Christine didn't want to imagine the anguish he must have been in. "I blame the person who made him do it."

Pride. Aro's brother. If he blames him then…

"Do you blame Aro too?"

Tarlowe's reply wasn't as immediate and when it did come, it wasn't as decisive and resolute. "I'm having trouble doing so, honestly, and I can't really say why. Maybe it's because I see how hard he's trying to make things right, even when he doesn't remember the specifics of what he did wrong." Tarlowe shrugged. "Maybe it's because I know the feeling of taking the heat whenever a younger sibling messes things up."

Christine huffed in amusement. Then, slowly, she stepped back and let herself down in the chair next to him. Cushioned and cooled from the lack of use, she used to spend at least a day a week here with a book or with Shino. She sank deeper in, feeling the exhaustion she had been working so hard to hold at bay settle into her bones, almost pinning her to her seat.

"You working tomorrow?"

"Yes but I get the weekend off. And Monday after."

"Then promise me you won't worry about this until then."

She was feeling her eyelids grow heavy. He stared at her expectantly, waiting. "Alright. I promise. I mean it this time."

Tarlowe rolled his chair back and brought it around, patting her as he passed behind. She turned to see him angle himself again to get over the bottom edge of the doorway frame and made a mental note to ask him about having it removed. "Order the food, I don't care what you get me. Maya can get it when it arrives. And do it quickly. A man could starve avoiding work all day."

A light peal of laughter escaped her before she realized it. The order was made once he left and no sooner had they all been confirmed was she asleep, the rest of the City moving on beneath and without her.

Asura took up the gun piece, barely half the size of his finger and waited. He only needed to for a second before he moved his hand over to the refuse pile and let it fall, putting his hand to the next piece that caught his eye. And there were so many of them, most of them so easily breakable. That Banshee was able to do so for many different pieces, Asura found himself with a newfound respect for the Exo's job. Off nothing but a fragmented memory as well. Even Asura was dependent upon the direction of someone else entirely.

Banshee was also often less distracted. Most people who didn't have direct need of him worked with the frames he had in his employ. Asura's tiny room had unannounced visitors, taking up what little space he had to himself. More than that, even, given that both were bigger than him. Aro had even brought over a chair from his own room and had it propped up against the wall while Crona planted herself in Asura's bed, which creaked dangerously, tossing a ball towards the ceiling to keep herself entertained. Only part of him was grateful for the broken monotony and the company.

"And this works for you?" Aro asked, gesturing to Asura and his messy work desk with the datapad in his hand. He was nonchalant about it but Aro never hid his concerns well and finding out that Wrath(A) had been more present than he originally believed clearly worried him. A part of Wrath(A) was…less than appreciative of Asura's honesty and candor about their cooperation but it registered only in Asura's mind as a small tinge of discomfort and nothing more. It wasn't lost on him that he was able to infer so much about Wrath(A)'s state of mind from so little.

"It's slow going but it's going." Asura kept his eyes on his work. "Any word on Xur?"

Aro's own eyes had returned to the datapad, likely over mission specs, reports or some book; things Asura was always too antsy for. He replied, "Not sure if he's avoiding the Tower entirely or just avoiding me. Which would be fair, given…all this." Asura's head turned slightly to Aro to see him silently gesturing to his own face.

Asura chuckles. "Like I said, slow going. He'll show eventually."

"Eventually. Shame about the New Monarchy shard."

"Not your fault."

"What am I even supposed to do with two of them?" Aro slouched in his chair, pressing the tablet to his face. It lowered, eyes narrowed towards Crona. "You wouldn't happen to need-"

"Father's already got one for me," she said. "The tennis ball she was tossing struck the ceiling and Asura asked her once again not to put a hole in it. Once again, she briefly considered doing it anyway. "I'll just need to charge it once it's out of storage."

"Ha, good luck with that."

"No, see, I've been asking around…" Crona sat up to face him. "And I've never heard of anyone needing as long to charge their shard as you. Not Ikora or Shaxx or even Lord Saladin."

Asura asked him," Are you anywhere near done?"

Aro reached into one of his pockets and brought it out. From a distance, both his teammates could see the faint shimmering of Light swirling within the yellow-green crystal. If it wasn't still daylight out, they'd likely see it brightening Aro's face as well. "Doesn't seem like it. It takes my Light night and day and has been doing so for months now."

"And you don't feel any weaker?"

Aro shook his head and put it back. "Tested it too. Took it into the Crucible with me and felt no different." He started to tap the place where the shard was kept absentmindedly. "Speaking of, Crona, do the people you asked have any…"

"Ikora and Cayde, no. No spare shards. Shaxx has one but he's already charged it. He wants to…" Crona's face contorted into something between amusement and disbelief. "Put it into a sword. He wants to make a sword."

The laugh that left Asura's mouth was more akin to a choked cough. Aro sighed. "Of course, he does."

"Got schematics drawn up and everything. An exotic sword powered by Light." Crona fell back on the bed, making it creak in complaint. "When I asked him if he was trying to imitate Lord Saladin and his battleaxe, he made me run several Rumble matches against Guardians who would give Mira and Katrina a run for their money."

"Well, that's what you get for hurting his feelings," Asura said, Aro laughing off to the side. Asura turned away to see his eyes on the datapad again. "What are you even reading?"

"Details on our upcoming mission. It's a good read, both of you should try it."

"Why? You'll explain it all to us anyway," Asura reminded him.

Crona grinned, baring teeth. "You love the sound of your own voice so much and we'd hate to deny you." She threw the ball and struck the ceiling again.

Asura flinched. "Ceiling. Hole. Please."

Crona turned on him. "Are you asking for one?"

"Anyway…" Aro called over both of them. "Sora's hunch was right. They've got a Goliath tank ready to be deployed."

"Didn't one nearly shoot you out of the air two years back?" Asura remembered, turning back to him.

"It's in the same area too. It might be the same one." Aro shrugged easily. "It's a routine strike but the Vanguard wants to send two teams. For safety, mainly. Our's and…" Aro paused and his face fell slightly. "And Mira's. I've been conferring with May to put together a plan."

"May?" Crona asked. "Not Mira?"

"Busy, I suppose." Aro gave another shrug, weaker this time. He seemed even more focused on the datapad now. Avoiding their eyes, Asura thought and wondered if he should ask more.

When Asura finally noticed, his first thought was "How long?". His hands had still been moving. How long have they been working on the gun while his attention was elsewhere? How long have they been acting of their own, or someone else's, accord?

If he had a throat, Asura felt as if it would have tightened. Immediately, like children caught where they shouldn't have been, his hands freeze in place, clutching their contents tightly. He realized just then how he could not feel the metal of the parts on his fingers until now.

In his head, directly behind his eyes, he could feel a sense of anticipation. He recognized it for what it was; Wrath(A) watching him, waiting. Waiting to see how Asura would deal with the old fears currently welling up within him. Barely and as surreptitiously as he could manage, Asura turned away from the desk to look at Aro. Aro's eyes were in the datapad, oblivious to Asura's distress.

The first thing Asura focuses on is calming his nerves. He closes his fingers and opens them. Closes and opens them. He doesn't let his apprehension take root nor does he try to tear it from where it is trying to lodge into his chest. He lets it fade, flow out of him like heat leaving his body in the frigid mountain air.

"I never even felt your mind retreat." Spirit's voice was quieter than it usually was, as if she were afraid of startling him.

"I never felt as if I had lost control. I was still talking with the others, still thinking." His eyes came down to his fingers. "Just wasn't feeling my hands."

"Asura!" The Exo jumped when a big hand landed on his head. The hand pulled his head back and Crona entered his vision.

"Sorry," he said quickly, "Was thinking."

Crona scoffed slightly and said to Aro. "He sounds like you."

He shook her hand off and looked over to Aro, dark eyes less mocking, more concerned. The both of them were standing. "You all heading out?"

"We were actually thinking of grabbing something to eat, if you want to come with." Crona leaned back, stretching with a slight groan.

"Oh. Sure, just give me a minute to clean up."

Aro nodded. The concern had been replaced with understanding. "We can wait out front."

"I want to use the bathroom," Crona said.

"You can use the one outside."

She whined, "But his is cleaner!"

To which Asura muttered, "No, it's not."

Crona's widened eyes swiveled back down to him. "What?" But Aro already had her by the arm. "Wait, why-what are you doing in there?!"

The last thing Asura saw before the door closed was Aro struggling not to break into a smile. Asura began to clean up, dumping the discarded parts into a separate box for Banshee while the rest were placed into a drawer, Spirit locking it right after.

Asura stood, looked down at his hands and could now only wonder, what else could he do? What else could they do? The fear was gone. In its place was apprehension and for the first time, Asura felt something from deep within that he did not expect.

Relief.

Soft knocking on the door brought him back to the present and sent Wrath(A) back into the corner of his mind. "Asura, you alright?" Aro's gentle voice filtered through.

"Yeah, we…I'm alright." He shut off the lamp and shoved his chair beneath the desk. He opened the door to find Aro leaning on it. "She still asking?"

Aro nodded. "A bit. What is in your bathroom anyway?"

"Just things I've collected over the years."

"An extra closet?"

"Of course. I don't use it." Both men heard the toilet flush near the front door and the faucet turned on. "I'm not telling her that though."

"Nor should you. C'mon, I'm starving."