A/N:
SO sorry for the lateness of this chapter guys! It totally slipped my mind. Happy New Year by the way! Hopefully the length of this chapter will make up for the fact that it's a day late!
"Mehki, Jericho has suggested that it is time for me to wake you."
The words are jumbled, becoming clearer with each passing second. Hazel orbs glare from behind sleepy lids, quickly locating the source of the sound and identifying it as Khepri. A soft groan of irritation leaves his lips, a hand pulling the covers over his face.
"Can't I sleep a bit longer? Do we have to leave right this minute?" Is the sleepy man's response.
"Jericho also suggested that I use any means necessary to wake you up and get you moving." Khepri warns, but when Mehki doesn't stir the Ghost has no choice. With a quick scan, the Warlock is transmatted from the bed, and dropped a good foot to the ground off the side of it, blankets included.
There's a panicked yelp before the thud rumbles the floor, and a soft groan of pain to follow soon after. Within seconds, the mass of blankets began to writhe on the floor as Mehki attempted to find an escape from them. Where had his Ghost dropped him? Hopefully not anywhere embarrassing. The scuff of a socked foot on the carpet alerts him to someone approaching, thankfully just as he finds the exit to the blanket from hell's clutches. Hazel gaze immediately finds Jericho staring at him with an amused look on his face and a cup of what he assumed was coffee in each hand.
"I take it you're not a morning person. Sadly it comes with the job, but you'll get used to it." The Titan lifts up one of the mugs carefully before continuing. "I've made coffee. If you're a smoker, I haven't smoked yet and you can join me if you want. We have a good hour and a half before Lanna is expecting us. She's already talked with Osiris, and has our plans for the day mapped out and ready."
"Most definitely not a morning person." Is Mehki's reply, his hands moving to pat down his enraged curls. He was sure he looked like a hot mess right about now but was too frustrated about being awake to care. "I'll take the coffee, but aren't cigarettes bad for you?"
"You're a guardian, the only thing that is bad for you is losing your Ghost. If you by some miraculous reason contract Cancer from smoking, your Ghost will patch it over the next time you're revived. It literally has no negative impact anymore, aside from making you smell like an ashtray."
"Right, I suppose that makes sense. I haven't smoked in ages, but I seriously need a pick-me-up to kick this hangover."
"Wow, you really are a lightweight. Come on, let's get a move on. You cant go out with a blanket and sweats, you'll be killed immediately."
Reluctantly Mehki crawls out of the pile of blankets that he'd been resting in, turning to pick them up and very quickly make his bed. Giving the bed a few pats to ensure it was fine, he shifts around to take one of the mugs out of Jericho's hands. He knew the taste would be bitter, but he couldn't remember what Coffee actually tasted like. A quick sip quickly jogs his memory as he follows behind Jericho to what he assumed was a balcony.
The door is slid open, and Jericho quickly flips a switch before stepping outside and out of the way so that Mehki could join him. Mehki is immediately met with a wave of freezing air, but the lamps above them flicker on with a warm glow to keep them from freezing their asses off while they enjoyed a smoke. With the door now shut behind them, Jericho taps out a cigarette from the pack and brings it to his lips before tapping out the second one for Mehki. In a swift movement, both cigarettes are lit by the Titan who now wanders over to a chair and sits down with a grunt.
"Have a seat, enjoy your smoke and coffee." He starts, lifting the mug to his lips to take a deep drink of the warm beverage. "Eve is warming up some left-overs for breakfast, your Ghost can easily outfit you with your armor whenever you like. Just ask him."
"Sure." Mehki responds, wandering over to the other open chair and sliding into it with a small sigh. The pungent stench of their cigarettes floats around them briefly, but Mehki doesn't seem to mind. He takes a nice drag off his, inhaling deeply and forcing himself to hold it for a moment before releasing it with a sigh. Typically he would have coughed his lungs up, but there was no burning need to do so, which was surprising. "I'll be sure to ask him once we're inside. The Ghost's sure are handy, aren't they? Well, they don't have hands, but you know what I mean."
"That they are. They are our companion for life. Your Ghost will know you better than you know yourself, it's simply how it is." Jericho replies, resting his coffee mug against the arm of the chair while he takes a drag of his cigarette.
"A little creepy, but I guess it can't be helped." Mehki admits lowly, spurring a small laugh from Jericho who nods in agreement.
Silence surrounds them as they finish off their cigarettes, neither one asking anything to the other and just enjoying the sounds of the morning birds as they drifted by on the breeze. Once the cherry burned down to the filter, both men lean in to crush it into the ashtray on a small side table between them. As Jericho stands, Mehki follows so that they're both back in the comforts of the warm home.
"You go ahead and get yourself armored up, and for God's sake please comb your hair out. It's a right mess, and looks like a bird is nesting in it." Jericho passes a glance to Mehki, offering a grin to show that he was only teasing.
"Right, I'll get right on that." Mehki huffs, patting his head with his free hand to try and assess the damage before wandering toward the bathroom with his coffee in hand. "Khepri, can you do that thing with the armor?"
"Of course, where would you like the items that you're currently wearing."
"Uhm, go ahead and lay them on the counter. I'll figure out what Jericho wants to do with them after we get back later today." Hazel gaze lifts up to the mirror, shocked by how bad his hair actually was. After digging through a few drawers he finds a comb and drags it through his hair a few times to make it more presentable. Once he deemed it was good enough, he stood still for his Ghost so that his armor could be brought in.
The weight of it was still unfamiliar to him, but he would get used to it in time. Armored robes hang off him, and flow gently in the breeze of his path. By this time, he can smell the leftovers that they had eaten last night. While he wasn't particularly hungry, but he knew that skipping breakfast was not an option, especially not with the kind of work he was likely to be doing that day.
"Smells just as good as it did last night." Mehki comments as he slides into the chair he had sat in last night, his meal already dished up and placed in front of him. Jericho was already eating, but Mehki didn't blame him. Someone with that much muscle likely had to eat like a horse to keep themselves mobile. The Warlock wastes no time digging in either, knowing that they were likely stretched thin for time right about now.
"Damn right it does, taste just as good if not better as well." Is the Titan's response, who then lifts his coffee mug up to finish off the beverage within. "I think Lanna mentioned that she'd do a little cooking for us tonight as well. You'll get to see her cat, god that thing is hideous."
They both laugh at the comment and settle in to finish off their breakfast. Mehki being eager to train, and Jericho just wanting out of the house. Both motivators easily urging them to eat quickly so that they could be on their way. With their plates cleared within minutes, and their coffees drained away, the two stand from their spots.
"Just place the dishes in the sink, we'll deal with them tonight." Jericho calls, already depositing his into the sink and making for the door.
Mehki offers a nod and scoops his own plate up in one hand, and the coffee mug in the other. Feet carry him into the kitchen where he deposits the dirtied dishes into the sink and spins around to follow Jericho out the door.
"We'll be meeting Lanna in the Plaza, your Ghost can pull your ship from the Hangar and pick us up near the railing. Don't worry, your Ghost typically flies your ship unless you have the experience to fly it solo."
"That's good to know because I'd probably screw it up and wreck that ship that Holliday is letting me borrow. I'd be revived just to get killed again by her hand." The Warlock responds, watching as Jericho locks up the house. Once the Titan moves forward, Mehki falls into step just beside him.
"Yeah, that would be bad," Jericho responds with a light laugh, shifting a glance in Mehki's direction before reaching out to hit the button for the elevator. "Today shouldn't be bad. Just listen to Lanna and follow her lead. It will all come naturally with time, but with the proper guidance you can find it much faster."
The elevator brings them up to the Plaza, and as they step out into the busy Tower they easily spot the distinct figure of Lanna waiting at the rails, her back turned to them. Mehki and Jericho share a glance before they quietly make their way over. Before they even reach her, she turns to face them with a smile.
"Morning you two." She offers in a chipper tone.
"Morning." Jericho mumbles.
"Good morning, Lanna." Is Mehki's response.
"You guys ready to head out? I'll brief us as we're in route. Just link your Ghosts with mine and we'll get going." Her weight shifts from one foot to the other as she holds her palm out patiently. Within seconds a helmet appears, and she pulls it over her head and motions for the guys to do the same.
With everyone helmeted and linked, and a communication line in check, they all wait for their Ghosts to bring their ships from the hangar. Mehki watches with awe and two well-made ships fly overhead, each of his mentors disappearing seconds after the next. However, when his turn comes along, a barely operational ship nearly stalls overhead before pulling him inside.
"How fucking embarrassing." He mutters lowly, eyes quickly panning over the interior of his ship. This thing had most definitely seen better days. He can't help but wonder how long it would be before he had an income of his own and was able to afford a better ship than this. This was more like a steaming pile of shit than an actual ship. No wonder the thing couldn't make it off the planet. He'd be lucky to even make it to the drop point of where ever they were headed to for the day.
"It's not that bad. Better than not having a ship at all." Comes Lanna's voice over the coms, scaring the shit out of Mehki who had forgotten they could hear anything he said if he didn't mute his line.
"I'm going to end up experiencing my first revive as an actual Guardian and it's going to be because my ship stalled out and dove nose first into the Earth." Is Mehki's response, which gains him a laugh from the rest of the team.
"We'd save you. Anyways, today we're going show you your powers, how to access them and utilize them to the best of your ability when you're out on the field. We're also going to have you fire your weapons so that you can get a feel for how they work. We'll watch you take your first kill then run some small missions around to get you some glimmer."
"I'll be making sure nothing sneaks up behind you while you're trying to train." Jericho jumps in once Lanna stops speaking.
"Sounds like fun." Mehki feigns enthusiasm, eyes darting over the controls as Khepri flew the ship alongside the rest of the team. "I'm quick to learn, so hopefully we can get straight to the money making part so that I can buy some new gear."
"You probably won't make too much today, but once we get you a ship that is space worthy you can start running bounties. Those are the real money makers, but most of them are further in the solar system." Lanna offers with a small laugh.
"Yeah, you'll find some glimmer on the Fallen. They hoard it for some reason, but I'm not sure if they use it as currency like us, or just like it because its shiny." Jericho adds.
"Well, I can't wait until we can go off world. I'll have to start paying rent somehow."
"Let me guess, Jericho is gonna let you crash at his place for a while?" Lanna chuckles.
"What, what is so wrong with being nice?" A very defensive tone can be picked up in the Titan's words.
"I see nothing wrong with it either?" Mehki replies with a confused tone.
"I'm just teasing, Jericho. It's so rare to find a level-headed Titan. I feel like you should be put up on display as a rare find." Lanna laughs lightly, before picking back up. "Alright, we're nearing the drop point. Ghost's will automatically drop us in, and send our ships to orbit. Once boots are on the ground, its weapons at the low ready in the event that the drop zone is hot."
The sound of transmat still rings his ears as Khepri dropped him beside his two mentors. He wasn't ready for the weapon to also drop in with him, just barely catching it before it clattered to the Earth below them. Lanna and Jericho were already scoping out the area, but they didn't seem to find anything that spooked them because soon enough they were turning to face him.
"You know how to use a gun right?" Jericho asks, obviously noting the awkward way that Mehki held the weapon.
"I've only fired a handgun before. This is a little more difficult to hold." He admits, testing the weight of the pulse rifle.
"Here, let me fix you." Lanna offers, holstering her pistol and moving to stand at Mehki's side. "LIft the weapon up, and place the padded stock to your shoulder. Hold it firm against there so that when it recoils it doesn't bruise you up. Nothing worse than a sore shoulder." She corrects his flaws until he's holding the weapon in the proper place. "Now, bend your knees a bit. If you lock them you'll fall flat on your ass if someone challenges you." Hands push on his shoulders just a bit now, putting him in the proper stance. "Memorize this stance, you'll be using it for the rest of your career."
She waits a few moments, passing a look to Jericho who is very clearly keeping an eye on the area. He was doing his job well because nothing seemed to want to take a closer look at the group. Even if they had, they would be easily stomped out.
"Alright. So, your abilities are Solar correct?"
"That is correct," Mehki responds, slowly lowering the weapon and holding it with a bit more respect now that he knew how it was to be treated.
"Good, this should be a cakewalk. You have three things that you can use as a Sunsinger. A grenade, a melee, and what we like to call a super. The first two are pretty self-explanatory, so I'll just show you what exactly a super looks like for a well-trained Warlock." Visor shifts to Jericho again before she continues. "Jericho, if you could please. What we discussed earlier." Her hands lift to pull her helmet away, to save it from being destroyed with this process.
"Sure," Jericho responds, shifting his main weapon to his non-dominant hand and withdrawing a small pistol with the other. "Step back kid, unless you want a blood shower."
Mehki internally begins to panic, wide eyes shifting from Lanna's face to the pistol in Jericho's hands. He wasn't going to actually shoot her, was he? That would be absolutely unnecessary! A few panicked steps back were taken just before the pistol discharges the round.
"Guardian down." Chirps Lanna's Ghost, hovering just above her falling Guardian.
It very obviously hit Lanna square in the face, he could see everything. Bone pieces shattering, blood spewing, and brain matter overflowing from the wound. He was going to be sick if he kept looking any longer. Jericho doesn't even bat an eye, only moving to shove the pistol back in his belt and continue to scan the area.
Mere seconds pass before Lanna rises with a burst of flame, her face fully re-constructed and she herself very much alive. The new Warlock merely stares in disbelief as she drops back to her feet, fire coating her body and practically erupting off her back like wings. In her hands, she holds her helmet, which is pulled back on seconds later.
"As a sunsinger, we are granted the gift of self-resurrection. You cannot consistently use this gift, you have to give yourself time to recover from the last. If Jericho was to kill me again, Rina would have to revive me herself. Self-resurrection comes in handy for cases in which your Ghost cannot revive you safely. For example, in the middle of a firefight, or during a strike operation when you're separated from your fireteam."
"Please don't do that again." Mehki mumbles, nearly doubling over and holding his gut as if it was causing him a great deal of discomfort.
"It was merely for show. A head shot is clean, considering I could easily remove my helmet. If Jericho had shot me in the heart, my armor would need patching up and frankly, we don't have time for that right now." Lanna murmurs, shifting her gaze to the side. "Now, grenades. You will start off with one grenade for today because I don't need you to burn the Cosmodrome to the ground. You have the option of using three different types. A Solar grenade, Firebolt grenade, or a Fusion grenade. I personally favor the fusion grenades, because they stick to their targets and can catch your foes on fire. Also great for the crucible, if you find yourself in there. Solar grenades create a literal fireball, catching anything within range on fire, including your enemies. Firebolt grenades send out firebolts that seek out enemies and can chain damage to foes standing close together."
"I'll go with the fusion grenade. Something tells me that sticking an enemy is a better move than having a grenade just sit in one spot to deal damage." Mehki straightens out now, eyes trained on Lanna. The sooner he learned the basics, the sooner they could get moving. The sooner that happened, the sooner he could make glimmer.
"Right, here you can have one of mine. Hit the activation button, and throw it. It doesn't fully prime until its attached to its target." She detaches a small orb from her belt and casually attaches it to his own without a second thought. "Next is your melee. We warlocks call it 'scorch'. Watch." She turns suddenly, throwing an open palm forward. Bits of flame erupt from her hand, the embers seeking anything to burn. Thankfully she had done so to the side and away from both Jericho and him. "The impact of your hand on an enemy sends these flames into their bodies. It consumes them from the inside out, rendering them to ash. Some enemies can withstand it, others crumble instantly. Choose your targets wisely."
"That's kinda cool. Is there any special way to do that? Or it just happens?"
"You have to focus on the light within you. You'll feel it like a deep warmth running in your blood, being a solar class and all. Bring it to the surface of your hand as you strike, your light will do the rest." Is her reply, motioning for him to give it a go.
Mehki shrugs his shoulder before giving a nod to show that he understood. He stands there for a moment, right hand tucked against his chest briefly while he seeks this warmth she speaks of. It takes a minute or two, but he finally finds it at his core. With a swift movement, he wills that warmth to follow his movement, and as his hand shoots out, a small burst of flame coats his hand. Those same embers that trailed off her fingers, fell from his.
"Very well done, most rookies take a few tries to get it right. While the flames could have been stronger, you've definitely made headway." Lanna offers a smile that is lost behind her helmet, but heavy in her voice. "The same applies for your self-resurrection. You have willingly pull your light back into your body as its trying to escape. It takes time to master, so don't be reckless and assume that you can handle it right off the bat."
"I'm sure the flames will get stronger in time. It was hard to grasp the light and manipulate it in the way I wanted, but all things get easier with time." Mehki nods, grinning like a school kid behind his helmet with the praise he was getting from Lanna. "As for the self-resurrection, I doubt I'm going to intentionally put myself in a deadly situation with the intent of trying to impress anyone with miraculously coming back to life without the help of my Ghost."
The comment earns him a laugh from both Lanna and Jericho. The laughter goes around for a few minutes before Jericho suddenly perks up, weapon lifting and his weight being dropped from his knees just slightly with a small crouch. The movement immediately notifies Lanna of something in the distance, to which she plants a hand firmly on top of Mehki's head and shoves down with all her might to force him into a crouch.
"Fallen patrol, lead by a Shock blade Captain," Jericho mutters, sights keenly trained on the moving group of enemies.
"Shit, have they spotted us?" Lanna hisses over the coms, ushering for Mehki to use an old highway divider as cover, and following behind him quickly.
"No, but if we want to remain undetected, we need to move on." Jericho huffs, moving around the other side of the divider and hunkering down, but keeping an eye on the group of enemies as they moved through the land.
"Why can't we just take them?" Mehki asks lightly, shoving his shoulder against the divider and facing Lanna.
"That Captain would rip you in half before you could even scream, rookie." Lanna hisses into the com line. "You'll need to learn quickly when to pick your battles and when to run. Today, we will run, but not without notifying the Vanguard of his presence. They'll send a team out to clean him up, likely a group of Titans. Us Warlocks are used as support, Hunters are the stealthy ones and strike from the shadows, and Titans are walking fucking tanks. Just keep that in mind, and let's get moving before they stumble upon us."
The trio carefully evacuates the area with Lanna notifying the Vanguard of the Captain's presence. A team would be in soon to take care of him. Mehki is slightly disappointed that he wasn't able to see this Captain, but from what Lanna mentioned, he didn't exactly want to get too close and risk getting 'ripped in half' as she put it.
They quietly slip into a nearby building, Jericho pulling up the rear of their small formation with Lanna leading the way. Nothing came into contact with them, thankfully, and they catch a bit of breathing room within the building. They all share a glance just seconds later as the chatter of Fallen can be heard rolling up the stairs to greet them.
All three are quick to lift their weapons up, but Mehki lowers his seconds later and detaches the small orb that Lanna had given him not long ago. Eyes scan it for a moment, finding the activation button and letting a finger rest over it as his gaze lifts back up. He wouldn't waste a bullet on these guys, and without the watchful eyes of Lanna and Jericho, who were obviously trained on the stairs, he holds the grenade with the intent to prime and throw the second anything crawled up those stairs.
The first thing he sees is the reddish mohawk like protrusion from a helmet, then comes the two sets of glowing blue eyes. It's apparent that these are enemies when the small radar on his heads-up display immediately pings a red dot in place of the creature. The button is hit, and the grenade is lobbed with a surprisingly accurate throw. Within seconds of being airborne, the small orb glows a bright orange with bits of flame rolling off it as it soars in the air. It immediately hones onto the target he had focused on and with a small little click like sound, it attaches to the enemy who screams in surprise and stumbles down the stairs. It takes a solid second before the explosion rockets several bodies up and drapes body parts across the rails leading down into the building. Dust filters down from the rafters of the building from the shock wave and two very surprised mentors turn to face Mehki with their weapons slowly lowering.
"What?" he asks curiously, visor shifting between the two as he gets the feeling that he had done something wrong.
"You just took out an entire squad of an enemy patrol with a single fucking grenade," Lanna mutters in almost disbelief.
Jericho just remains silent, visor shifting from the bloody chaos to the Warlock and back again.
"Well, it seemed a grenade was a better option than shooting the fuck out of them and expecting them not to shoot back?" He shrugs his shoulders, taking one glance at the bloody mess and having to quickly turn away. He literally just ended about five lives in a matter of seconds. His first kills and he couldn't even look at the mess it made. Not to mention the stench, he gagged once, before taking several steps away.
"That's the Ether you're smelling. They feed off of it." Jericho offers, giving the mess one last look before moving to place a hand on Mehki's shoulder. "Gonna be okay there bud?"
"I-... I think so." His body shudders from the touch, nearly jumping in surprise from the sudden contact. "I've never killed anything before."
"You have, you just don't recall." Khepri corrects, before quickly adding to it. "I haven't told you your story, it will come with time Guardian."
"Look at it this way." Jericho starts, giving Mehki's shoulder a small squeeze and gently pulling him toward the front of the building to get away from the sight of the gore. "Take your helmet off, have a cigarette. It'll calm your nerves." Jericho waits for Mehki to oblige, before doing the same. They would share a cigarette to conserve time. He lights it and quickly passes it to the shaking hands of Mehki. "Those things kill with no remorse. Men, Women, and Children who can do nothing to fight back are slaughtered each day. Every one of them we kill is a few less dead civilians. This is war, Mehki. Those guys? They would have killed you the second they had the chance. Better them, than us."
"He's right, you know. It's sad to say it, but it gets a little easier each day." Lanna adds in, leaning against the building's wall with her helmet tucked under her arm. She snags the cigarette out of their rotation for a single drag before passing it back off.
"I'm sure you're right, it's just so unnatural to me. It feels so unreal like I'm dreaming. I'll be honest with you, I felt literally nothing when I watched them die, and I think that's what scares me the most. I think that's why I'm so shaken up about this. You think that killing something, literally taking its life away, would impact you somehow, and to feel nothing at all. It's terrifying."
"You have to just be experiencing shock," Lanna mutters, shifting a glance to Jericho who nods in agreement.
"His body shows no elevated signs of stress related to the incident. The tremors in his hands are from the impact of the grenade, added with minor anxiety associated with what he is suggesting. Fear." Khepri butts into the conversation, easily clearing it up, but potentially creating more problems.
"Uhm, I'm sure its fine. I'm fine. Let's just finish up here so we can go home." Mehki huffs, passing off the nearly finished cigarette and pulling his helmet back on to conceal his face from his mentors.
"Sure, Rookie. That's the kind of attitude I like. Well, now you know how the grenade works, lets work on your weapon." Is the more experienced Warlock's reply.
"Scans suggest that taking the stairs and following the path I've highlighted will bring us up near a patrol beacon. This path also keeps us from the prying eyes of the Captain and his guards we encountered earlier." Rina hums, her single optic shifting to Lanna for a moment before the Ghost disappears.
"Guess we know where we're headed. Just keep close, who knows what's lurking beneath us." Lanna pulls her helmet back over her head and begins to head for the stairs. "Jericho, take point. Mehki, behind him. I'll follow at the rear."
Jericho quickly puts out the cigarette and pulls his helmet over his head with a brief nod to notify Lanna that he understood his orders. He takes a single step forward and places a hand oh Mehki's shoulder. A light squeeze is given before the hand releases and the Titan takes his first few steps toward the stairs that would lead them down.
Mehki stands there for a brief moment, unsure of what that motion meant, but one stern glance from Lanna sends him practically scurrying after the Titan. Being careful to keep the barrel of his weapon pointed away from Jericho, he trails down the stairs behind him. Scattered body parts are strewn in every which direction, and while he still feels no form of remorse, the sight still puts a knot in his gut and makes him want to vomit. Without staring at the scattered arms, legs, and torsos too much, he and his group carefully maneuver down the stairs. The further into the basement level of the building they went, the darker it got. Eventually, Jericho nudges his pack with his elbow to coax Eve out of hiding, who provided a bright light for them to see in front of them. The light was so bright, that an enemy would have a hard time shooting with any accuracy at all, to which Mehki was grateful. Getting shot on the first day of the job was not something he wanted to go through.
They move silently together, taking careful steps in the echoing halls to prevent giving away an exact location as they combed through any halls they encountered along the path that Rina had directed them. Thankfully nothing seemed to be home, and they were able to find the exit at the other end that Rina had mentioned. After climbing several sets of stairs, the group finds themselves in a small run-down shack that was definitely not large enough for them to all be trying to standing in. Jericho peers around the outside of the building briefly, combing to the right before panning left. It's made apparent that something is there because as soon as Jericho sees them, several red sectors light up on the radar.
"Three. One Vandal, one Dreg, one shank." He mumbles into the mic, not moving at all. "Shank has potentially seen me poke around but isn't responding negatively. Could be that its sensors are damaged." Still not a single movement from the Titan who has become very much like a statue. "You two could go around the right side. Lanna, take the roof. Mehki, take the side. From what I see, Mehki can draw in the Dreg with a sound and dispatch him quietly. While the Dreg investigates, Lana can take out the Shank and be out of the way fast enough for me to drop the Vandal. Understood?"
"Understood."
"Got it." Mehki breaths uneasily, carefully shifting around the outside of the building with Lanna at his heels. There is a brief sound behind him as Lanna carefully hauls herself to the roof, and without further hesitation, he peers around the edge of the shack.
The Dreg has its back to him, standing just at the front corner of the building. He quickly tries to think of what to distract the Dreg with, but the Dreg senses his light from where he stands. Just as the Dreg begins to turn around, Mehki darts back around the corner of the building, internally panicking as he tries to think of what he should do to silence it.
"Melee. It won't have time to alert the rest." Khepri offers encouragement through their communication line.
Mehki only nods, hands at the ready as he focuses on his light once more. Just as the Dreg peers around the corner with its gun drawn, Mehki darts his left hand out to grasp the Dreg's arm and yank it toward him. With a swift move, his palm connects hard with the Dregs face, fire spreading from his fingertips and etching along the Dreg's head and neck. The flames greedily spread over the enemy, consuming it from the inside out in a cloud of ash. The sudden disappearance of the enemy leaves him standing there dumbfounded for a moment, but a small explosion and three quick rounds of gunfire bring his attention back up.
"Targets down. Mehki, you good back there?" Comes Jericho's voice.
"I'm good. The Dreg is no more." Mehki replies, his visor lifting as both Lanna and Jericho move around the side of the building to regroup with him.
"Melee?" Lanna asks, to which Mehki nods. "Fantastic work, the Vandal was completely unaware of anything until I took out the Shank. Seems like you got a bit of hunter in you." She teases with a laugh before gesturing to a small metal stake with a green light attached. "That's a Patrol beacon. Your Ghost can pull the information off of it and relay it to you. If you look above the beacon when you're close enough, you'll find a small icon. That icon will let you know what sort of mission awaits you so that if you're running alone you don't accidentally pick up something too risky. This one here shows a vague image of a compass, meaning that it's a scouting mission. We'll be sent to a location by someone in need to keep tabs on a group of enemies, ensure an area is safe, etcetera. We'll explain each symbol as time goes on, so as to not confuse you." She lifts her hand slightly and points toward the beacon. Rina immediately pops up and pulls the info, relaying the transmission to the party.
"Guardian? This is Osiris. We've gotten reports that there is a hole in the wall of the Mothyards. We're sending you in to survey the cave system, report back with anything you find. Sending the nav point to your Ghost."
The Nav point flashes on his heads-up display, showing the location they would be taking. It was good to hear Osiris's voice again, and it eased some of the tension that was building on the shoulders of the young warlock. To say that he was much like a duckling, getting attached to the first person he had contact with, would be an understatement in this situation.
"Alright, sparrow up. The Mothyards aren't that far out, but it's getting late and I still have to make you two some dinner." Lanna chuckles, taking a few steps out past the shed and waiting for her sparrow to arrive beneath her.
With all three of the Guardians on their sparrows within a matter of seconds, they roar over the old asphalt to follow the path laid out for them. Even though they roared by many enemies, none could react quickly enough to catch them in their sights with the sparrows moving as quickly as they did. Lanna was leading the pack through a small canyon when she slows her sparrow to pull up before hitting a larger canyon.
"The marker is up on that ridge. We'll have to use that downed wing to get up there. Khepri, explain to your Guardian how his boosters work." Lanna discards her sparrow mid-sentence, eyes panning the area as she leads the group toward the downed wing.
"Your boosters will keep you afloat longer than you normally can with a jump. Gravity would pull you down quickly if you just jumped off something but activate your booster and it will keep you in the air and give you enough distance to make a jump such as this. Your boosters are built into your armor and run based on the heads up display of your helmet. You run forward, it gauges the jump and floats you accordingly. A small computer program runs it, and I can make modifications to the jump to shorten the height or boost you directly up. It is not all that complicated. Just run and jump, I'll sort the rest." Khepri finally concludes as they begin to walk up the tilted wing.
Lanna was the first one to make it across, and she made it look easy. Mehki eyes her carefully as she glides easily across and lands on the other side with no issues. Jericho goes next, but his boosters seem a bit different than Lanna's were. He'd probably ask about that later, but he was sure it had something to do with the immense amount of armor the man wore. With each of his mentors watching and waiting for him to come across as well, he takes a deep breath and sprints forward. Just as he runs out of footing on the wing, he launches himself with a single foot. The sound of compressed air being shot out fills his ears, and he finds himself gliding across the gap with ease. Just before he reaches the ridge, he just so happens to glance down. This completely messed up the guiding system of the Boosters and began to make him drop like a rock. Hands flail out toward anything he can manage, and just before he slips down to a bone-crushing death, a hand darts out and grasps his tightly. With strength that he had never felt before, he was hauled up like a ragdoll and drug right back over.
"Gotcha!" Jericho chimes, the obvious victory behind those words bringing a strange sense of calm over the rookie. "You looked down didn't ya?"
"Yup, he looked down." Lanna offers a breathy laugh, trying to cover the fact that she was likely just shitting her pants about him falling to his death.
"Yeah. Seems it hasn't changed. Never look down." Mehki pants, rubbing his shoulder with a grimace. "I think you dislocated my shoulder."
"Shit my bad. Didn't think of that, was more so focused on not letting you fall to your death." Jericho huffs, crouching down beside the Warlock and passing a glance up to Lanna before looking back to Mehki. "I can put it back in the socket, but it's going to be sore for a few minutes. That's the good thing about being a Guardian. You heal abnormally fast."
"S'gonna hurt?" The words are said through gritted teeth as the dislocated arm lays completely still.
"Likely, but it'll be quick," Jericho reassures, carefully placing a hand on the shoulder. He could feel the socket, as well as the piece that belonged there. It would be a quick movement, but it would hurt like hell. "Brace yourself, and keep your teeth closed together unless you wanna bite off your tongue too," He warns, waiting for a nod from Mehki before taking the shoulder in one hand, and the humerus in the other. With a swift, and corrective action the humeral head is popped back into its socket. Once the action is done, Jericho completely released the Warlock so that he can cope how he wishes with the pain.
The first instinct that Mehki had was to swing, adrenaline coupled with pain left him with a quick flight or fight moment. With his teeth gritted, his hiss of pain eases between them, and his uninjured hand flies to the source. The pain does not last long, thankfully, and eventually, he can rotate the arm a few times to loosen the muscle tension.
"Ah fuck that." Mehki groans, shifting carefully so that he can push himself to a standing position. "That's enough to teach me never to look down again." He breaths, back hunched a bit to compensate for the pain. "I also managed to drop my weapon, which is likely at the bottom of this ledge now.-"
"False, I have the weapon here." Khepri offers, suspending the item in transmat just before Mehki so that he could take it if he wished.
"Oh, sweet. I would have hated to explain to Banshee why his weapon was already broken." Mehki laughs lightly, gaining a few from Lanna and Jericho as well. Carefully, he reaches out to pull the weapon from the suspended transmat, pulling it close to his body once more. "Alright, lets get this going. I'm good. Thanks for saving me by the way, that would have been an embarrassing first death."
"Indeed it would have been, and you're welcome." The Titan bows his head slightly with his words, before taking lead to wander into the cave system.
They wandered around for hours, finding literally nothing in which they could give to Osiris as a positive thing. Everything pointed to Hive snooping around where they shouldn't be, and thankfully they didn't run across any of the bastards. They were just packing up to head back to the surface, relaying what they found to Osiris.
"The Hive look like they're setting up another breeding ground on the cosmodrome. I wouldn't be surprised if they linked back to Skywatch where they have their seeder planted." Is Lanna's input on the situation. "I'd recommend sending in a large team to clean them out and set up a small outpost to make sure they keep out."
"Thank you, Lanna. I will have a team sent out first thing in the morning. How is our newest friend doing?" Osiris asks casually.
"Very well, sir. Lanna and Jericho are great mentors. I've learned more than I thought I would have today." Mehki replies, shifting his visor to Lanna and Jericho as he mentions them as if Osiris could see them as well, which was false.
"That's good to hear. Lanna, will you brief me on his progress tomorrow morning?"
"Yessir."
"Great, you guys are good to take the rest of today off. Same plan for tomorrow though, make sure you guys teach him well."
"You heard the boss, summon your ships and let's get home and get cleaned up. I'm starving, and I can only imagine you two are worse off." Lanna chirps, slowly moseying out of the cave where they had entered hours before and giving a good stretch as she admires the sinking sun in the distance. "This zone isn't too hot, your ghost should be able to pull you in easily from here. I'll see you guys at eight?"
"Yeah, we'll be there. Anything you want us to bring?" Jericho asks, wandering up beside Lanna and passing a glance to her before turning his gaze out to admire the view as well.
"Just yourselves, beer would be nice though. I think I'm out." Lanna murmurs, her visor shifting up to the ship that roars into the area, followed by two more seconds later.
"You got it. Mehki, just link up with me, Lanna lives within the city and won't have to be dropped at the tower like us. Don't want you getting lost." The Titan hums with a small chuckle, visor tilting to the man briefly.
"Sure, Khepri's already on it. See you soon Lanna." Mehki offers a smile with his words, but it's hidden behind the helmet.
Lanna is whisked away in her ship seconds later, its engines being heard for a few moments after it had already disappeared from sight. The two men share a single glance, Jericho reaching out to give Mehki a pat on the back and nearly toppling the lighter man over. This causes for them both to laugh as they're brought back into their individual vehicles and head for the Tower.
The ride back to Jericho's place doesn't take too long, and soon enough the two are dropped in the Plaza of the Tower by their Ghosts, who have stayed with the ships to ensure they're safely in the hangar. The Tower was fairly quiet, most Guardians still out in the field, or others already at home, but it doesn't seem to bother Mehki at all. A quiet location is better than one with people constantly brushing past you trying to get to their destinations.
"We'll take public transport to Lanna's, it's just easier than taking our ships. Ours are meant for space travel, not minor stops and goes around the planet." Jericho huffs, pulling his helmet off and tucking it under his arm as they both make their way to the elevator.
"That's fine by me. You'll find that I'm not picky about much." Is the Warlock's reply, hands lifting to mimic the Titan's action in removing his own helmet.
"That's good. Being picky tends to ruin the fun of things." The Titan hums with a grin.
"I've noticed that a bit. Anyways, really. Thanks for saving me today. I know I've thanked you like three times already, but it took guts to do what you did. You could have fallen off yourself."
"It's my job to make sure you don't get hurt, even if it means putting myself at risk. I've been at this for a few years now, so it just comes naturally to put someone else's life before mine. Even though you could have been revived, I know what its like. I remember what it's like to die the first time. The fear of not coming back still rests with me even after having several revives myself." The Titan shrugs his massive shoulders and prods the elevator button to bring them down into the Tower. "Sorry I nearly ripped your arm off though. I sometimes forget the strength I have."
"Don't worry about it. Dislocated arm vs multiple broken bones and probable death? I'd take the dislocated arm any day." Mehki chuckles, moving just slightly to rest against the railing of the elevator as they sink further down.
The elevator chimes softly to announce the arrival of their floor, and as the doors part, the two wander out into the hall. Mehki would have to memorize the way to Jericho's house eventually, considering he'd be crashing there for a little while, and so he counts the doors it takes to get to the correct one. The number '5528' is printed on the door that Jericho stops at, and Mehki makes a mental note to remember this as well.
"Go ahead and get showered up. I'll loan you some comfortable wear, it'll probably be a little large on you, but it's better than wearing your armor out again." The Titan offers, stepping inside the home and holding the door until Mehki made it through. Once he had, the door was shut once more. "I'll have Khepri bring it in for you, that way you can easily get cleaned up and ready, because I don't know about you, but I'm starving."
They both share a laugh, Mehki turning to pass him a glance with a grin. "Yeah, all that work out in the field kinda stirred up my appetite as well. I shouldn't be too long and we can head out."
Knuckles graze against the door to a nicely decorated home, rapping once against the wood before pulling back. Two men stand just outside, patiently waiting for the door to crack open and for them to be welcomed inside. Each man shares a glance with the other before immediately locking their gaze forward as the door pulls open. A woman greets them with a smile, hands falling to her hips as she eyes the beer in Jericho's hands.
"I was going to ask for a password, but you brought beer. Good enough for me. Come on inside, welcome to my home." She takes several steps back to welcome them inside, only closing the door once they're both standing in the entryway. "My husband is around here somewhere, probably glued to that damned tv as always, but feel free to introduce yourselves if you see him. He knows you two are here, so there shouldn't be any issues."
Mehki perks a brow, obviously shocked that Lanna was married. Not like he asked anyway, but still. You learn something new every day.
The two trail behind Lanna as she guides them further into the house, only stopping as she peers into the living area where her Husband sat. "Richard, our guests are here." She calls happily, waving the two men over so that they could say hello.
"Long time no see Richie, I brought the booze this time." Jericho lifts the twelve pack up and gives a thumbs up before taking that same arm and looping it around Mehki's shoulders. "This here is the rookie. Mehki."
"Uhm, hi." Mehki waves awkwardly, offering a grin to the man who sat in the chair. This man was bulky, much like Jericho, but he could not sense his light. Not a guardian?
"Oh, hey guys! Welcome to our home." The man pulls his gaze away from the tv to give them a good look. "Feel free to join me, just watching some crucible matches. The Iron Lords are at it again with Iron Banner. The best of the best are competing." Richards hand waves to the couch to the right of where he sits. "But don't feel obligated if you'd rather not." His gaze shifts to Lanna briefly before landing back to the two men.
"Perhaps after dinner, we'll join you, Richie. We've got a few business matters to discuss with Lanna." The Titan rumbles, offering Richard a grin before easily guiding Mehki away from the door and toward Lanna who stood in the kitchen.
"Sure! I'll be here." Richard calls back, already engrossed in the tv once more.
"That man will be the death of me one day. Crucible is great and all, but I've seen enough of it in my day." Jericho slides his arm away from Mehki's shoulders now and takes a few steps to slump into one of the chairs at the kitchen island.
"You're telling me, I'm married to him," Lanna adds a laugh, before shrugging her shoulders. "He's not that bad, but he's not a Guardian. He doesn't understand what it's like to actually compete. The most action he sees all day is the Fallen moving out in the distance. It's different being in the militia than it is being a Guardian."
"I know, I know," Jericho mutters, plopping the beers on the counter and shifting his gaze to Mehki who takes up a seat just beside him. "If he makes you uncomfortable just let Lanna or I know. He tends to ask questions without thinking."
"Oh, alright. I'll let you know if anything happens." Mehki murmurs lightly, eyes moving from the beer to the stove that Lanna was slaving over to finish their meal. "Would you like some help, Lanna?"
"Sure, its nearly done. I just need the table set. You and Jericho can easily knock that out, and by that time this should be good to go."
"Sounds good to me, where do you keep your plates and utensils?" His eyes trail over her hand as she points out the different locations without a word. "Awesome."
Mehki and Jericho easily get the table set up for Lanna, placing a bottle of beer at each of the four spots just as she arrives with some heat mats to place in the center of the table. She holds up a finger as if to prompt them to wait, before trotting back into the kitchen to grab a pot.
"Can someone grab this second one?" She calls lightly.
Jericho is quick on the scene, scooping up the second pot and quietly following behind Lanna. With the pots placed on the heat mats, she wanders off to drag Richard away from the tv to come eat, leaving Mehki and Jericho to take their seats and patiently wait. They both enter the dining room moments later, taking their place beside one another.
"Homemade curry chicken over rice, feel free to serve up." Lanna smiles, easily popping the cap off the top of her beer and taking a swig.
Richard is the first to move, but it's not out of selfishness. No one else dared to take part first, and so he figured he would be the one to do so. With the metaphorical ice broken, each of them takes their turn to dish up. There is idle chatter around the table as everyone eats, but Mehki stays mostly silent. His mentors had known each other for a while, but he felt as though he hardly knew them. Of course, they were nice and all offering him their home and their food, but something just made him feel left out. Perhaps he was just imagining it. He keeps himself busy to push the thoughts out of his mind, quietly eating his meal and sipping his beer slowly as he listens to the conversation.
"So, Mehki." Richard begins, surprising the Warlock who gave a visible wince at his name being called in an unfamiliar voice. "Today was your first day? How did you like it?"
Mehki is quick to chew the food in his mouth, wide hazel orbs shifting to Lanna for a moment before he responds. "Yessir, first day on the job. It wasn't too bad. I nearly fell to my death right at the end of it all, but Jericho saved my life."
"And dislocated his shoulder." The Titan adds in with a small chuckle and a shake of his head.
"Oh, sounds fun and just a little painful. Glad Jericho was able to catch you. Might of the Titan, but the speed of a Hunter that one." Richard laughs, picking up his beer and taking a nice long drink of it. "You guys find anything interesting out there?"
"Osiris sent us to scout a cave system. Ended up finding a Hive breeding ground. It's getting mopped up tomorrow." Is Mehki's casual response, using his spoon to scoop up another bite and shovel it into his mouth.
"Did you guys get to kill anything out there today?"
Mehki damn near chokes on his food, quickly covering his mouth to prevent showing the half-chewed bite to anyone at the table. While Mehki is attempting to not cough, Lanna shoots Richard a glare that basically told him to shut his mouth. Mehki uses his free hand to wave it off as fine, his cheeks becoming a bit flushed as he finally gets a handle on the situation in his mouth.
"No, its fine. I simply wasn't expecting that question. He's merely curious, so I'll allow him to indulge." He finally gets out, his gaze shifting up to the man. "I don't know how many I killed today if that's what you're asking, but there were indeed some enemies that we had to take care of. I'd much prefer if we didn't go into too much detail on it though." He watches Richard lean forward in his chair, obviously excited to hear anything at all. Mehki almost feels bad for the man. "I stuck a Dreg with a grenade early on, he stumbled back and got his buddies killed. Too many to bother counting the body pieces." His head tilts to the side slightly, eyes flickering to Lanna and Jericho before back to Richard. "The last one I took care of was a Dreg as well. My light consumed him with no problems." Hazel gaze shifts back down to the table where his food is, and he goes back to eating without an issue.
Richard just stares at the man in front of him, intrigued by his uncaring mentality about taking out enemies of the light. There as no reaction at all, positive or negative, on the rookies face. It seemed odd, but he simply shrugs his shoulders. "Well, that's one less gaggle of darkness to fight against."
"All in a days work, Richard," Mehki replies, tilting his beer and taking a slow drink of the liquid.
"All in a days work, he says." Richard chuckles, leaning forward to offer his beer bottle in a toast. "To a good days work."
Everyone leans in, gently tapping their bottles against one another, toasting to a new beginning and a good hard days work.
Several hours later, Mehki and Jericho finally get back home. They are casually greeted by their Ghost's, who take the liberty of taking away the leftovers they had brought home and stowed them in the refrigerator for later. Jericho gestures toward the sliding glass door just seconds later, holding a pack of cigarettes in his hand as if to ask Mehki if he would like to have a cigarette.
"A smoke before bed sounds like a plan to me." Mehki offers a sheepish grin, trailing behind the Titan as they make way for the balcony.
The Titan pulls out two cigarettes with ease, passing one off to Mehki and then placing his between his teeth for a moment. While folding the lid of the carton down, he eases into his normal chair with a heavy sigh, pulling up his lighter to light the end of the stick. His gaze then follows Mehki, waiting for him to sit before extending the flame to him. With them both lit, he lets the fire be extinguished and tucks the lighter into a pocket.
"So, explain to me what you mean when you felt nothing earlier today." Jericho murmurs, his words forming around the exhale of the cigarette smoke.
"There really isn't anything to explain, Jericho." Mehki hums slightly, hazel gaze shifting to the Titan briefly before turning to look over the lights of The Last City. "I blew up a bunch of Fallen, then literally burned the next from the inside out and didn't bat an eye. I was only so freaked out at first because I didn't understand why I felt nothing, but now I see." He lifts the cigarette to his lips and takes a long drag before continuing. "It's my way of dealing with it. Everyone deals with things differently. My brain is telling me that I should be simultaneously feeling bad for this creature, then also telling me that I should feel great when killing it. It only makes sense that the outcome is me feeling nothing for it. It saves me the stress. I promise you that I'm fine, I'm not going to spiral into depression and jump off the nearest tall object."
"So long as you're sure. You can talk to me you know if something comes up. I may be your mentor, but I also want to be your friend."
"What happened to strictly business?" Mehki chides half-heartedly.
"You know what I meant, asshole." The Titan offers a small laugh.
"Not so sure about that, but whatever you say, man." Mehki chuckles. "So, same thing tomorrow?"
"More than likely. Don't worry, from what I can see you're a fast learner. We'll be off this rock before you know it."