Season of the Splicer
"Son of a- " CLANG "Ack...damn it."
Vendrick-5 winced as he watched Crow slam his fist into one of the steel walls that lined the H.E.L.M. Said guardian proceeded to hop around in pain, nursing his now bruised knuckles.
"If Ikora's agents are as good as I've heard then she should know I'm the most qualified to handle the Eliksni situation," he said through clenched teeth.
Vendrick decided to remain silent.
"This is my third request and they still treat me as some sort of political bargaining chip!" He continued. "Why?! Why am I being kept in the dark?!"
Folding his arms, Vendrick leaned against the wall, simply listening to his friend's rant.
"Tonitrus even vouched for me. He gave them multiple reports that he wrote detailing Eliksni hate crimes and FWC anti-Vanguard propaganda," his voice grew in volume. "Yet they continue to sit on their hands!"
Crow moved to kick the H.E.L.M's holodesk out of frustration but Vendrick quickly pulled him back before he could.
"Crow take a breather for a sec. I doubt that laying waste to a desk would solve anything. Plus, I don't think Glint would like to have to fix your limbs outside of combat, again."
The ghost in question popped into existence and nodded vigorously.
"Yes! Thank you! This would've been the sixth time today and it's not even noon!" He said, exasperated.
Crow steadied himself. He rested his hands on the holographic war table and took a few deep breaths in an effort to calm down. "I'm sorry, it's really frustrating. I'm just annoyed at the situation. No doubt my past identity has something to do with their hesitation towards me. I just want them to know that I'm not him and I want to help, I truly do."
Vendrick rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Crow, I understand where you're coming from. I'm also privy to the Vanguard's… uh … lack of action. All you can do is roll with it for now."
"Does it have to do with your friend's death?"
Vendrick went quiet for a few seconds before nodding silently.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up…"
"It's okay. I've moved on, I'm a better man now than who I was back then."
Before an awkward silence could settle in, Vendrick steered the conversation in a different direction.
"So while we wait, why don't we visit the city." He said.
Crow looked at him confused. "Huh? Why? Don't we have other missions we could be doing?"
"Well, yeah but you're still technically a new light. What most guardians forget to do is bring new lights to the actual city they're trying to protect."
Crow still looked at him funny.
"We don't have to constantly be out on missions, you know. Sometimes we just need time to relax. Get away from adventure and just...be people."
Crow stared at him before letting out a sigh. "That...actually sounds nice. It's been nonstop work ever since I arrived here."
Vendrick shot him a grin. "That's the spirit! I'll be honest, it's been awhile since I've been in the city." He said as they both made their way to the elevator.
"Could we stop somewhere to eat?" Crow asked, rubbing his stomach in embarrassment. "I...haven't eaten at all today."
Vendrick thought for a moment before snapping his fingers, a particular place popping into his head.
"There's this one place located in District 125 near the train rails. In my opinion they have the best burgers in the City."
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. As Vendrick stepped inside he looked back to Crow who was still lingering.
"Are you coming or what?"
"What's a burger?"
. . .
Sometime later Vendrick and Crow were standing in front of an unassuming building in one of the more populated sections of District 125, a dingy sign that read "Discount Books" hung above the door. Maglev trains roared above their heads as residents walked to and fro.
Crow gave Vendrick a blank look. "I thought we were going to get lunch."
Vendrick grinned sheepishly. "We are, it's just…"
"Ven, it's a bookstore."
He pinched the bridge of his nasal plates. "You're killing me, Crow. Let's just go in." He said pushing through the door, a bell jingling as they walked in.
Inside, countless rows of shelves packed to the brim with books lined the store. The atmosphere permeated with dust and claustrophobia. A heavy-set man sat at the register.
"Welcome!" He greeted. "Feel free to peruse the shop."
Vendrick walked up to the counter and slid a silver coin with a glowing blue center across the counter. Without another word, the cashier pocketed the coin and gestured for them to follow. Crow looking confused at the exchange.
"Was that Silver?" He asked as they followed the man.
Vendrick nodded. "Yep, and Tess isn't the only one that uses that currency."
"But what other uses-" Vendrick held up a hand before he could finish the question.
"Not out here. I'll tell you once we're inside."
Stepping into the back of the shop, the man led them to a random storage room. Books littered the room, stacked on top of tables, metal racks, and even the floor. The man walked to the far end of the room, selected one of the racks and pushed. The rack and the wall behind it swung inward revealing a concrete staircase leading down. The man nodded to them both and walked back to the front.
Vendrick stepped in and gestured forward. "Shall we?"
Cautiously, Crow walked in and closed the 'door' behind them. An audible click echoing off the concrete walls.
"So you mind telling me what all this is?" Crow asked as they started walking.
"We're heading to what's referred to as a Hunter Den and a special one at that." Vendrick said. "Dens are fairly common knowledge amongst guardians. However, there is a secret network of dens that operates as a sort of shadow Vanguard. Doing jobs for this network gets you Silver as payment which could then be exchanged for certain goods and services. The Silver itself acts more as a favor than a currency."
"So why the secrecy?"
"Hunters are very independent by nature and spend the most time away from the city. So we tend to feel uncomfortable in social settings. Dens give us a chance to relax and socialize with each other. Plus, this network gives us access to armor, weapons, equipment, intelligence, and other services without the watchful eye of the Vanguard."
"So it's like an elite club of assassins."
"Pretty much."
They continued in silence, descending two flights of stairs and a long hallway before reaching a simple black door.
Knocking twice, a small window in the door slid open revealing glowing amber eyes. Lingering on the two for just a moment, the window closed and the door then opened revealing what could be described as a well outfitted sports bar. The room was dimly lit with various hunters sitting at the numerous tables and booths. The bar itself was in the middle of the room with the kitchen entrance and bathrooms being to the right and left respectively. Various screens hug from the bar and the walls displaying Crucible and Gambit matches, live-streamed Strike missions, Cabal gladiatorial arenas, and even Hive combat trials.
The two hunters slid into a booth and an awoken waitress handed them each a menu.
"It's been a while since we last saw you, Vendrick. I assume you want the usual?"
"It has, hasn't it Traya?" He said, shooting her a grin. "I'll have the usual."
She quickly wrote down his order before looking at Crow. "And for you sir?"
He hesitated, quickly skimming through the menu before giving up. "I'll have what he's having," gesturing to his friend.
"Anything to drink?"
"Water is fine," Vendrick responded.
"Uh…what drinks go well with burgers," Crow asked.
Vendrick shrugged. "I dunno, bourbon?"
"What he said."
Jotting it all down, she picked up the menus. "I'll have those out as soon as I can," she said walking away.
"Thank you!" Vendrick called out before looking back at a rather flustered Crow. "You alright? Looks like you're about to collapse."
Crow adjusted himself. "I've never really had a chance to interact with anyone outside a professional setting before… at least since I got here. The Spider and Osiris didn't really focus on my social skills."
Vendrick leaned forward conspiratorially. "What about Amanda Holliday?" He asked, his voice filled with mirth.
The blush on Crow's face seemed to grow. "W-well that's different…" he sputtered. "Aside from you she is one of the few people I consider a good friend."
A smirk grew on his faceplates. "Whatever you say buddy. So, if you don't interact with anyone, what do you do in your free time?"
Traya returned with their drinks.
Taking a sip of his bourbon, Crow composed himself. "Not much to be quite honest. As I've said, Commander Zavala has been giving me nonstop assignments ever since I've been here."
He glanced at the various screens around them. "Though I have been watching a lot of Crucible matches as of late. I never realized how brutal guardians could be to each other…"
Vendrick smirked, "Yeah, a lot of new lights tend to have that same thought when first seeing the Crucible…I take that back, a lot of guardians still hold that sentiment. I'll be honest with you, those who actually enjoy participating are a special sort. You should watch a Trials match sometime; those guys are way too into it."
Taking a moment to watch the screens, Crow found himself glued to another Crucible match while Vendrick eyed a monitor showing a round of Gambit. After a few minutes Vendrick noticed that the other hunter had requested two refills.
"Crow, do you like bourbon or something 'cause that's your third glass."
Furrowing his brow, Crow realized that he indeed had a few glasses despite having received his first no more than a few minutes ago.
"Huh… I guess it's that good," he said evenly.
"You're basically inhaling it."
"You're acting as if we haven't had drinks together before."
"It's not that," Vendrick pressed. "Last time you were smashed."
"Last time, we were drinking literal BOTTLES of wine." Crow emphasized. "A few glasses of bourbon won't phase me that easily."
"I've been meaning to ask you about that. You had like seven bottles."
Crow chuckled. "Ven, I've lived off stuff from the Empty Tank for a year. Drinks from there will literally burn through your esophagus…or whatever the Exo equivalent is."
Vendrick's optics seemingly bulged out of their sockets. "What…"
"Yup and the food there wasn't meant for human consumption, heh…I've actually died eating there a few times," he continued.
Vendrick gaped at him. "Spider didn't do anything about it?"
"He could've, but that would mean using his personal resources. He actually loves human food; he even has a storehouse dedicated to it. How do you think he got so fat?"
"Crow what the hell?! You should've said something back then. I could've slipped you some instant ramen or something."
Crow shrugged. "It's all said and done now…they have instant ramen?"
Before Vendrick could answer, Traya set down their food in front of them.
"Enjoy," she said before walking away to another table.
"So this is a burger," Crow whispered.
What sat before him was a large double patty cheeseburger with lettuce, tomatoes, fried onion strings, pickles, a fried egg, and secret sauce between two toasted potato buns. It also came with a side of curly fries.
"Are you going to stare at it or are you going to eat?" Vendrick mumbled, his mouth full.
Without another word Crow picked up the sandwich and took a bite, his eyes bulging out of his head as the juices flowed down his fingers.
"Are burgers always this messy?" He asked, his voice muffled.
"It's not a burger if it's not." Vendrick said, wiping his hands with a napkin. "But what do you think? At the very least it's better than the Empty Tank, right?"
Crow took time to savor the mouthful he had before answering the question. "Definitely better, and it has much more substance than the stuff that I've been eating since I arrived."
Vendrick's eyebrow ridges furrowed at the statement. "What exactly have you been eating?"
"Mainly just snacks based on Glint's recommendation," he said dismissively.
"Crow, I get that we're immortal, but you can't live off of snacks all the time."
"Flux eats like that." Crow pointed out. "I've seen your pantry, most of that stuff is his."
Vendrick blinked, he did have a point. "Ok…you're not wrong, but Exos are built differently. Our digestive system is literally a furnace. Plus, Flux is a titan. You don't comment on a titan's diet, let alone try to take their food away from them, you're just asking to die."
"I'll keep that in mind."
They continued to eat in silence, occasionally glancing at the monitors that caught their attention.
"Why did you do this?" Crow asked after finishing his food.
"What do you mean?"
"Why me? You could've just dumped me in the tower and been on your way. You could've taken Hawkmoon for yourself, but you gave it to me. Hell, you could've easily just left me with the Spider and taken something valuable instead. Most guardians I've encountered in the past have been hostile towards me. So why…?"
Several thoughts rushed through Vendrick's head. "It's because of how you were treated in your past life. I killed you and now I'm trying to make amends. I'm trying to fill the void Cayde left behind." No, he knew exactly why he did this.
"Because you're my friend first and foremost. But also, I've seen what happens to…guardians without purpose, two years ago I was one of them. Osiris notwithstanding, no one has shown you what it means to be a hunter."
Crow looked at him quizzically. "Didn't you do that during our hunt for the High Celebrant?"
Vendrick shook his head. "That was practical experience, I never truly showed you what it means to be who we are, what keeps us sane. There are so many of us hunters, yet we chose to be alone and distance ourselves from the city and the Vanguard. But this place is our anchor, no matter how much we try to deny it. Despite how far we go, how long we're gone…and who we were, the City will always welcome us back should we choose to return."
Crow leaned back in his seat at a loss for words.
"That's…surprisingly profound coming from you," he said eventually. "I didn't know you thought this deeply about it."
"Like I said, I'm a better man than who I was two years ago. I don't want you going down the same path."
"You should tell me that story some time, sounds like it's quite the tale."
Vendrick paused, thinking about what to say next.
"Maybe later, we should probably head back to the Tower. Zavala might have another assignment for us," he said.
"And you thought I was the workaholic," Crow laughed.
"You should tell him now." His ghost said in his mind as they got up from the booth.
"I want to Twilight, but there's just too many hunters around. Word will spread if one of us overhears." he said through their mental link.
"He's going to find out eventually and when he does there's no telling how he'll take it if it's not coming from you," she pressed.
"I know that! I just need the right opportunity," he shot back.
"Well, that had better be soon because someone WILL tell him and I'm willing to bet it will be to their benefit rather than Crow's."