Ghost floated silently in the air in deep thought; as the partner to his currently still unnamed Guardian, he had an obligation to work his partner through his problems. However, his partner was stubborn, avoiding the issue. It bothered Ghost a lot; in fact, it was one of the worst feelings he had at the moment. His guardian was quiet; it made Ghost desire for their neural bond to progress and develop a deeper bond with his guardian. As it were, he didn't know what his partner was feeling deep down, and it made him feel.
Useless.
Ghost hated that he always had, back when he searched so tirelessly for years on end for his Guardian. Sure, he could've given up and just retired into being a Ghost who surveyed and acted as an information network for the Vanguard. But that wasn't what he wanted to do; he served a better purpose outside of that. Ghost remembered the day he met Saint-14, the man, the myth, the legend was inspiring, the way he talked and went on about a better future. It was one of the things that kept him going, which was why he never lost hope.
He could find his Guardian, and he did.
Now he just needed to know how to help him.
The engines of the Arcadia-Class Jumpship rumbled as it descended from the upper atmosphere; the repairs Amanda Holiday had made to the ship and the incorporation of the jump drive now meant they could leave the planet and venture into the system. The shipwright of the Vanguard had put in a lot of work to get this ship out and about, though Ghost and his Guardian had to endure an earful from her, more than deserved on his Guardian's end if Ghost was being honest. But Ghost's Guardian did no such thing, even with the ability to now leave Earth. He remained close to the city, working tirelessly on whatever small job he could find.
That was why they were out here, picking up the slack and checking some areas the Vanguard had not been to in a very long time. Ghost turned around to face his Guardian; if he could frown or express any facial feature, he would've. His Guardian was relaxed in his seat, but despite that, his eyes had dark rings under them from a lack of sleep. An air of twitchiness hung around him, and his ordinarily slicked-back hair was down, "Are you alright, partner?" Ghost had resigned himself from ever calling his partner a name. Instead, he simply referred to him as Guardian or partner.
Even Guardian made no effort to choose a name for himself.
Guardian's eyes flicked to his Ghost, and he groaned softly before closing his eyes, "Yeah…." He croaked tiredly.
Ghost processed his partner's state and made a coughing noise before clearing his non-existent throat, "You know I could help you if you let me? I can fix things like how tired you feel, though I can't do anything about the mental fatigue," He offered as his Guardian shot him a cock-eye glance. Sure, his partner wasn't starving to death; they were making enough glimmer to buy their food or just get a free meal at the Tower's mess halls, but the offer was meant to be a kind gesture opening up to Ghost's utility.
"Yeah, no, I don't wanna do that; it is a waste of your time anyways," Ghost descended a bit in the air as his Guardian turned down his offer. Ghost huffed and floated back to his original position, looking Guardian right in the eye.
Ghost channeled a forbidden mojo before he spoke, "Listen here, mister! I am done being a nice ghost! Either you let me help you, or I will help you whether you want it or not! We're partners, bonded, and I am here to help and aid you!" He was putting on his best stern voice, but the blank, almost despondent look Guardian shot back told Ghost his partner wasn't having any of it.
Ghost sighed and closed his optic before turning around to face the window of the cock pit, "Fine, bet that way," He spoke as he then accessed the system of their ship, "Just say I didn't warn you."
"W-what-" Guardian couldn't get a word out before the jumpship made an immediate nose dive, its speed picking up with the G-forces following right in, forcing Guardian into his seat, his skin pulled back from the force.
"I have enough speed and trajectory to send us crashing into the ground and take us both out permanently!" Ghost stated as he took extreme measures, "Of course, if you just let me help you, then this won't be a problem. Or I can keep up with this speed if you prefer."
Guardian couldn't manage a word trying to speak sounded more like a slurry of groans, his eyes looking to Ghost with bewilderment.
"You don't have long," Ghost pointed out as Guardian groaned, still attempting to form a single word, "Better choose now!"
"Y-yes!" Guardian finally managed to get out.
Their ship swung from their nosedive and turned toward the sky, the engines roaring as the G-forces snapped Guardian's head back violently. The structure rumbled a bit from the maneuvers, but Ghost's access to the diagnostics told him that everything was, in fact, perfectly fine. Their ship leveled out and descended again, "Wasn't that easy, Guaridan? The first step to solving problems is to accept help into your heart."
No answer came.
Ghost sighed and turned around slowly, "Alright, you can quit the quiet guy act! I already know you accepted my… help," He paused as he saw the dead body of his Guardian, his neck snapped in an awkward angle, "Right, squishy organics don't do well with sudden turns like that."
Ghost silently chided himself before reviving his partner.
Guardian gasped as he shot forward in his seat, his hands gripping the arms of his chair, the dark circles beneath his eyes were still there, but the feeling of being tired was not. Ghost hung in front of his partner's face staring at him silently, "I… What the fuck was that?" Guardians' voice cracked as he looked at his partner, exasperated by his actions, "No, seriously, what possessed you to do that?"
Ghost bobbed a bit in the air, his optic turning away from his partner as he made another cough, "Well, I figured you'd only listen to someone forcing you at gunpoint… Okay, ramming speed in this scenario," If he had hands, he would be rubbing the back of his shell right now. Guardian continued to stare at him with bewilderment.
"What? Was I wrong?"
Guardian shook his head and looked at his lap, "I am partnered with a psychopath…."
Ghost let out a hmph, "Uh, no? I simply forgot squishy organics didn't handle g-forces that well," He corrected his partner, only for him to lift his head and stare at him even more confused.
"Not only are you a psychopath but also an idiot!" Guardian slumped into his seat, letting out a cry of exhaustion.
"Hey! I am your psychopath and idiot!" Ghost stated as he turned back to the navigation console, "Anyways, we're about to make a landing with the small town here," Ghost hummed softly as the descent of their ship came to a stop not long after, and it slowly hovered in the air before parking in a clearing.
The pair transmatted off their ship onto the grassy ground, "Alright, partner. Are you going to speak here, or am I?" Ghost floated beside his partner, watching how he messed with his helmet.
Guardian didn't look at Ghost; he spoke softly, "No, can you speak for me instead… I'm just not feeling it today."
Ghost nodded before keeping pace with his Guardian; he took the time to examine the town. It was a lovely little town; the buildings were well-built and powered. He quickly scanned the nearby power line, noting it was linked to an underground power source. It explained why the power lines entered a nearby sinkhole that likely opened into a cave. As the two entered the town's center, Ghost noted that it was an incredibly early morning, only a few residents were about, and those out and about gave them glances. He even spotted a few from the windows of their homes staring them down.
"Rough crowd, huh? The Vanguard hasn't been here in years." Ghost spoke aloud as he floated around his partner.
"A-ah…"
Ghost turned around with his Guardian and saw a portly man sweating profusely, stuttering as he tried to form a word; Ghost floated forward in front of his partner, "Hey, are you alright? We're from the Vanguard and here to check out how your town has been doing."
"C-check? Oh! Check!" The portly man wiped his hand clear of sweat; he extended his hand out a really sweaty palm and offered to Guardian, "My name is Grisby; I am the mayor of this little town."
Guardian took hold of the man's hand and shook it, and Guardian's face cringed as he shook it tightly, "What is your name, young man? Might say you are quite young too; how old are you?" Grisby swallowed saliva as he stared Guardian in the eyes, "You have some nasty eyes…."
That was true about Ghost's partner. He did have a nasty pair of eyes. Many people commented on it ever since his Guardian rose from the dead, though Ghost was proud of himself for never noticing in the first place or caring about such a minor detail. He didn't judge people by the look of their eyes but by their character!
Ghost floated right back between the two breaking them up, "Oh! Sorry, my partner here isn't in the mood to talk. He's had a rough time, and unfortunately, he doesn't have a name… Yet," Ghost nervously chuckled as he looked back to his partner and then to Grisby. Grisby nodded; understanding the situation, he turned to his side and gestured to the big tavern, "You want us to go to a bar?"
"What? Oh! Right our little tavern here doubles as my office as well," Grisby nervously chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, "Come along, let's talk in private."
Ghost had to admit that it was odd for an office to be in a bar, but it wasn't like that was a bad thing in the first place.
The three ventured into the tavern, Ghost taking in the sight of some of its occupants who drank solemnly; he floated up to the next floor, waiting for Grisby and Guardian before continuing. Once inside the messy office, Ghost would float next to his partner, who took a seat, though Ghost anxiously floated around looking at all the clutter and papers.
"How can he do anything? This place is an absolute mess," Ghost whispered to no one in particular. Just how did anyone function in a room that was so messy? A cough caught Ghost's attention, and he looked back to the mayor, "Sorry! What would you like to talk about, Mister uh…."
"Grisby is fine. No need for formalities," The portly man pulled on the collar of his shirt, "I am just waiting for one more guest; he was already on his way here," Just as he said that, the door to the office opened, Ghost and Guardian turned around to see an older man in his twilight years entering the room.
"Sheriff! Glad you could make it. As you can see, we have-"
"A guardian and his ghost," The Sheriff calmly stated as he took a seat in the other chair, "What brings you here," Ghost gulped as the tired but calculating eyes of the Sheriff met his and his guardian; there was an air around the man that Ghost couldn't quite put a finger on.
"Well, we were checking in-" Ghost never finished his sentence before the older man burst out laughing, "Are you okay?" Ghost asked. The older man laughing was not what he expected when someone was told a light bearer was checking in on them.
The Sheriff wiped the corner of his right and looked at the boy, "A-are you serious? The Vanguard finally come here out of their fine and mighty Tower?"
"Sherrif, don't be so-"
"It's fine, Grisby; he can say what he wants to about the Vanguard," Ghost interrupted; he somewhat agreed that the Vanguard needed to get out more from the safety of the Last City.
"I don't mean any disrespect to you or your guardian, but I can tell your partner walked fresh out of the grave recently," The Sheriff spoke firmly as he stared at Guardian, "Why's a new light coming out here instead of a veteran?"
Ghost answered more enthusiastically, "Well, sir, um, my partner here was the one to take up the offer. It's nothing more than a check-up. See how you all are doing."
The Sheriff looked at Ghost and squinted, "Alright, you mind telling me why your partner here isn't talking? You seem to be the speaker in this situation," He said the speaker part with a bit of emphasis.
"Was that a pun?" Ghost asked curiously.
"Just answer the question," The Sheriff responded dryly.
Ghost nodded and floated a bit higher, "Well, you see, my partner here isn't exactly well mute. But he's just not in a good mood?" Both men raised brows at his statement, and Ghost chuckled nervously, "He's had a rough time since he got out from the grave, but I am more than able to serve as the speaker here," He loved making a good pun when he could.
The Sheriff snorted and looked to Grisby, "Well, I suppose you could help us, isn't that right?" Grisby nodded before standing up and walking over to a nearby desk. He opened the drawer and leaned forward, searching through a mess of papers, "Sorry about the mess, Grisby usually has this place cleaned up, but we've been stressed out for the past couple of years."
"Stressed out?" Ghost floated to Grisby, looking over his shoulder and trying to read the papers.
"Yep, all stressed out. We've got a big problem," The Sheriff answered calmly.
Ghost turned to face the Sheriff, beaming excitedly, "Oh! Like bandits, fallen? Anything like that? We're pretty good at shooting stuff," Sure, the work they had been doing wasn't anything combat-related. Their few times into actual fighting had gone rather swell, in Ghost's opinion.
The Sheriff took a deep breath and looked to the side, biting the bottom of his lip and stroking his white beard, "Well, it's not exactly bandits or fallen. It's more of a supply issue if you'd believe it."
Ghost nodded and turned to face his guardian, "Well, my partner and I can handle any supply runs you need. Isn't that right partner?" Guardian gave a silent thumbs-up before leaning further into his seat.
"Here we go!" Grisby announced as he pulled out a sheet of paper about the width of an extensive dictionary or tome. He turned around and walked up to Guardian, allowing him to take the form and examine it. Ghost floated up to his partner and read it as well, "It's quite a lot to ask, but if you really could get us any supplies, that would be quite a boon for this small town of ours," Slowly, Ghost looked up from the sheet of paper and to Grisby if he had a mouth it would be opened incredibly wide.
For Guardian, his eyes were wide in shock at the sheer amount of things listed well over into the thousands. It was a mystery how this town was even surviving, "Oh! That, by the way, is just our basic needs, that's not counting issues we've been having with our machines," Both Ghost and Guardian stared blankly at the mayor and then at each other before letting out a collective sigh.
"Well, we can see about getting some supplies your way, but I will be honest. How did your town get like this?" Ghost was curious and worried simultaneously; in his mind, this town was teetering on the brink. Just how were these people still alive?
The Sheriff answered Ghost's question, "Well, we have had a bad streak of luck, our harvests have been getting worse each year, and this year we've stored away some supplies that would've been directed to the town for a caravan, that'll be coming through sooner or later."
Ghost rotated his shell and blinked, "Caravan?"
"Yep, we've got a caravan coming through; they need the extra supplies to reach your city, and well, we aren't going to deny them aid," The Sheriff calmly explained as he stood up and walked to a nearby cabinet opening it up and searching through it, "They are working with the Pilgrim Guard to reach your city, but your Titan buddies can only do so much," The Sheriff added, "They aren't the only ones passing through, we got a strange group of people that have come through and been helping out a bit, but… Forget I mentioned that."
Ghost looked to his guardian and then back at the Sheriff, who pulled out a flask of whiskey and a shot glass with it, "Well, sir, if it's anything to consider, then we're willing to help out then. You're already doing so much for someone else. But aren't you afraid you are giving up too much?"
The Sheriff sat back down and popped the cork out of the bottle of whiskey, "Well, you might have some point, but we're good people around here, and if they are willing to go that far, brave the dangers of this world of ours," He poured the amber liquid into the glass before setting the whiskey down on Grisby's desk, "Then we believe they at least deserve some help."
Ghost watched as the Sheriff down the shot of whiskey, "Well, alright, that's understandable. If it's okay with you, can we look around and see what is wrong with your machines?" Ghost fashioned himself as an expert in that field, not unique compared to other ghosts but simply that he was better than any squishy organic.
"Sure, but do you want some of this boy?" The Sheriff asked as he poured another glass shot and offered it to Guardian.
Guardian looked at the drink and hesitantly reached out to grab it; slowly, he brought it back before bringing the glass to his mouth and sniffing it. He cringed a bit, the smell burning his nostrils, "Go ahead, just down it one go better than pussyfooting about with it," Guardian gulped before downing the liquid in one go; he handed the glass back off to the Sheriff and pounded his chest. His face flushed red as he began to cough loudly, "It's some potent shit, isn't it? Got a real kick to it," The Sheriff chuckled, taking some enjoyment from Guardian's reaction to the beverage.
Ghost floated there wishing he could share in tasting alcohol; it looked like it could be fun to join in if he could; that way, his partner didn't feel alone.
"Want another one, boy?" Guardian looked at the refilled shot glass and then his partner, "Come on, it won't kill you to taste a bit, will it?" Guardian took another shot after that, and the group headed out from the mayor's office and into town.
Ghost floated by his partner, keeping a steady pace as Grisby explained some of the buildings and their purposes. A general bathhouse where people could communally bathe or wash their clothing, and a store with different goods. It looked like a wholesome town to live in; sure, it wasn't quite as big as he thought it would be, and he had to imagine that it was a pain in the ass for the shop owner to keep a stalk of what they had. But for any passerby that would come through this place, it was a good place to restock, rest and head on out from. Ghost could imagine that one day this town might be a great city when the Earth was fully reclaimed from the forces that held it.
But that day was neither here nor there, and Ghost was focused on the now as they entered a rather large building, "So, as you can see, the water purification system our town uses is beginning to catch up in age. We don't have many parts left to spare, and well, we're almost out of filters; we've got enough to last another few months at best," Grisby explained as he gestured to the primary provider of clean water to the town, a large device with many pipes and large chambers to filter the water into a pure form. Ghost nodded and floated up to the machine, his eye glowing as he began to scan it. Soon, he flew around the entire thing and began to take stock of what they needed from this. He had memorized the basic supplies, and it was easy to jot down his needed mechanical parts. From size to make and the filters used.
"Say, you guys have a lot of stuff I would see back in the city. Why is that?" Ghost asked as he continued working.
The Sheriff said, "Well, little friend, our town was settled by people leaving the city. They took what they could with them and came to live here," He explained as he placed a hand on Guardian's shoulder, "This place was made by people looking to not live in the safety of the walls, and occasionally we get new people from other villages or the city."
"And finished," Ghost finished his work and turned to face the Sheriff, "Wow, that's interesting. The Consensus hasn't been keen on letting people out of the city walls. It must've been quite a long time ago for you guys to be able to do all that, sneaking out and everything," It wasn't impossible to convince the governing bodies of the Last City to allow people to leave, usually that manifested in forms of exile but there were other options. If there weren't, the City would've fallen into mayhem and infighting from disgruntled citizens. Another Factions War was the last thing anyone ever needed or, worse, a repeat of the Concordat and Lysander.
Of course, some people simply sneaked out of the City.
The Sheriff nodded and gave a pat on Guardian's shoulder, "That's why you got your partner here. You and your partner are meant to do great things, right? One day we all will live free of the city's walls and the worries of the outside," He removed his hand from Guardian and looked to Grisby.
"Well, if you're all done chatting and taking inventory, we'll move on to the farming equipment and our power supply," Grisby stated, gesturing for them to get a move on.
The group headed back out of the building, stopping by the large sinkhole, "So, down there is your power supply? What exactly possessed you to build down there?" Ghost asked absentmindedly.
Grisby cleared his throat, "Well, there are some old golden age geothermal generators over geothermal vents down under. The tech was meant to last a very long time though we have modified them with what technology we have to make it easier to maintain. It's not easy, but when Guardians used to come here, we had an easier time managing it," Ghost floated over the sinkhole and turned to face Grisby, his shell moving so it looked like he was squinting at the portly man.
"Ooookay, that doesn't explain why you have power lines coming from a sinkhole!" Ghost rotated his shell and expanded pieces as he looked on, annoyed, "It's a sinkhole. I fail to see the logic here, even if there were geothermal vents."
"That we are in agreement on, but I wasn't here when this town was founded, and the Sheriff here was. But he wasn't making choices like this back then," Grisby gave a pat on the Sheriff's back, "Regardless, the power lines have the shortest route here, and we enter the cave system not from the sinkhole but through a cave nearby. So again, think of the sinkhole as the shortest route possible."
Ghost begrudgingly accepted the answer before he descended into the depths of the sinkhole and its cave system; he swore that if he could manage it, he would help them find a better management system for their powerlines and maybe convince them to move a bit further away from a literal sinkhole. He grumbled to himself as he got to work taking inventory.
Eventually, Ghost ascended backup from the sinkhole, "Alright, I've got things in stock."
Grisby coughed into his hand awkwardly, "Are you sure this won't be any trouble?"
"No, let's just get on to the last machines that need any form of fixing," Ghost spent the following few minutes scanning farming equipment from tillers to the watering system and the single tractor they had. It didn't take long, and it was quick to finish, and when everything was said and done, he and his guardian headed back to their ship with the Sheriff and Grisby.
Ghost floated next to Guardian; he took a deep breath before speaking, "Well, I can't promise you that we'll have everything here, but I can say that we can see about acquiring more basic supplies. Getting everything together shouldn't take long, maybe a few days. But your machinery will be a bit more difficult, not impossible but don't expect it with the supplies we bring back."
"That's fine; we can manage with our current situation for now," Grisby spoke as the Sheriff sported a slight grim frown, "Well, you two, take care and be safe. Your help here means so much to us, and it is a shame if you two ended up in the ground permanently," The Sheriff nodded his head, and with that, they both began to leave.
Ghost transmatted himself and Guardian back onto their jumpship; he sighed, turned around, and faced his partner, "So how do you feel about all of this? I think we did a good job, don't you agree?" Guardian's lips curled back as he gave a half-smile and shook his hand.
"To be honest, well, I didn't think we'd have to have that much work to do," Guardian scratched the back of his head, "Well, we should probably get back to the city," Guardian reached forward and began the start-up of the ship, "It's weird though it felt like something was off about the whole thing, you know?"
Their jumpship rumbled to life and began to lift off the ground, "I thought something was odd too, but honestly, partner, I am not sure what it was. I don't think they would have anything to hide from us," Ghost stated as he ran over the diagnostics of their ship, "Well, whatever the case, we are doing a good thing helping these people. They sound like they need it," Their ship hovered above the town before taking off a moment later.
For a minute, Ghost was quiet, making sure the ship ran as it should and that they wouldn't suddenly blow up or anything, but after that, he pulled away from the diagnostics and settled next to his guardian at shoulder level.
"So, partner, I meant to ask. What would you think about taking on more missions outside the city?" Guardian didn't even glance at Ghost; he simply remained quiet as he allowed the ship's auto-pilot to do its job. Ghost sighed and floated down dejectedly, "Partner, it's a lot easier if you give me an answer."
Guardian rolled his eyes and sighed, "Alright, fine. It wouldn't hurt if we did more missions outside the city, just it's…." He trailed off awkwardly, trying to express his emotions, "It's hard right now, alright, little buddy. I am just not having the best of time, you know?" Guardian raised his shoulders, hoping Ghost would pick up on what he was saying.
Ghost nodded and then nuzzled into the side of his guardian, "Well, that is why I am always here for you! Through thick and thin, we're in this together!" Guardian cracked a small smile and returned the affectionate nuzzle with a light pat on Ghost's shell.
"You know, earlier, I was still a little mad at you, but honestly, with how adorable you are, I don't think I can stay mad," Guardian stated with a little chuckle as he then tapped his fingers across the arm of his chair, "Anyways when we get back you have any idea where we need to go too exactly? You're a bit more familiar with the rest of the City than I am, partner," The words warmed Ghost's non-existent heart.
All of Ghost's efforts were finally working.
Ghost would've smiled if he possessed any facial features, "Well if I am being, we'll have to move through the factions. There's the Future War Cult, Dead Orbit, and New Monarchy if we want things to get moving. Otherwise, we'll have to find it through third parties. Honestly, that's the only good option at the moment. I don't think you're ready to deal with the factions."
"The factions?" Guardian perked a brow; he leaned back, seemingly enthralled by what Ghost said.
"Oh, right! I forgot you hadn't met them yet, well, alright. Imagine the early city it's forming together, and you have all these elements seeking power. That's how we got the factions like Future War Cult, Dead Orbit, and New Monarchy. They are all seeking political power, and some Guardians tend to align themselves with these factions for armor and weapons; they also provide other services to the city as well as serving on the Consensus," Ghost explained, chastising himself internally for forgetting to explain the situation with the city's government, he continued further, "Then you have the Speaker and Vanguard. All three elements make up the seat of government for the city."
"Alright, are there any smaller factions in the city?" Guardian asked curiously.
Ghost tilted back and forth, "Well, you have minor factions. I can't be bothered to remember their names, and then you have the weapon foundries. Those are less a faction and more your average arms dealer for humanity," Ghost drifted a bit away from Guardian, "Other than that, there isn't much else to the City."
Guardian nodded. It would be a quiet ride back to the city from then on.
/.\./.\
Guardian moved out from the hanger bay of the Tower he headed to the courtyard; before he did anything else, he would talk to the Tower's Gunsmith, Banshee-44. Guardian wasn't too familiar with the Gunsmith, but he knew enough that Banshee's kiosk was a decent place to buy a gun. Guardian was looking to replace the weapons he found when he was first revived.
Guardian arrived at the kiosk standing behind a fellow guardian who was talking to Banshee, the primarily blue exo with yellow accents was chatting about the rifle between the two. He spoke slowly and in detail, sometimes pausing with a brief look of confusion crossing his mechanical features.
Banshee-44, despite being an exo appearing age-less due to his mechanical nature, held an air around him that made one think he was pretty old, like your grandfather, who would tell you many stories or forget where he placed something. Banshee was that type of person, and he radiated that feeling, but it wasn't age that caused Banshee to be like that. Banshee was an Exo, and Exos could reset. It was like rebooting a computer and starting over, and they lost memories because of the resets.
Exos kept track of their number of resets through the number attached to the name. Banshee had reset forty-four times; though some people doubted the veracity of his claims, he suffered heavily from repeated memory resets. Whatever the actual amount of resets did not matter.
The other guardian left with their new rifle in hand.
Guardian stepped forward, placing his hands on the kiosk as he leaned forward, "Guardian, what can I do for you?" Banshee's voice was deep, hoarse. His glowing eyes flicked as he tended to a gun in hand, wiping it down with a towel. He may have had memory issues, but Banshee sure seemed to know what he was doing; Guardian could see why he worked and serviced fellow guardians.
Guardian cleared his throat, "Banshee, right? We have meant, but I am a new guardian around here, and I hope I could see about buying some of your wares." Banshee nodded and placed the rifle he was working on back on a rack that sat next to Banshee, the rifles on the rack were basic Vanguard rifles sporting the orange, white, and blue coloration associated with the Vanguard.
"My wares? Hmm, I'll show you what I have," Banshee reached under the kiosk and pulled out a datapad; he slid the item across the booth to Guardian and stood back, arms crossed, "Inventory is fully stocked," Guardian took the datapad and turned it on showing a list of items in stock, a majority of which came back as zero.
Guardian quirked a brow and looked at Banshee, "Uh, say's here your stock is low. All you have left I could buy is some rocket launcher," Guardian turned the data pad around and presented it to Banshee.
Banshee stared at the pad and blinked a few times before rocking his head back in realization, "Oh, it is. Must've forgotten."
Guardian's brows furrowed, and he pointed at the rack of rifles, "What about those?"
Banshee turned his head back to the rack of rifles, "Mmm, their barebones meant for custom orders and looking pretty," He raised a hand and scratched his metallic chin, "Other than that, you'll have to take what you can get, I am all out today."
Guardian bit down on the bottom of his lip and silently stared at Banshee and the data pad. After a moment, he sighed, "Well, alright, I'll buy this rocket launcher from you, and how long would it take for a custom order?"
Banshee perked up at the mention of a custom order; he rubbed his chin and let a small hmm, "I've got a backlog, so a few days at best."
"That'll work," Guardian stated as he tapped the item on the data pad. He transferred his glimmer over to Banshee and, in turn, received his rocket launcher in an engram which was stored away and decoded by his ghost, "Alright, and for your custom orders, can you modify weapons already in my possession?"
Banshee stared blankly at Guardian before shaking his head and looking at Guardian confused; he groaned and took on his more professional stare, "What can I do for you, guardian?"
Guardian stood silently. He bit down on his lower lip; he approached his following words carefully, "We just talked; I was hoping I could place a custom order?" Guardian felt terrible for the Gunsmith; he wondered what it was like to forget all the time.
Banshee's eyes widened, and he shook his head again, "Sorry, that happens from time to time."
Guardian chuckled nervously, "It's no problem, and forget I said anything about a custom order," Banshee nodded, and Guardian handed the datapad back before waving goodbye to the Towers Gunsmith.
"Well, how would you rate that experience?" Ghost asked as it materialized right next to Guardian, "He's one of the best Gunsmiths the city has, reliable and helpful," Ghost continued listing each trait, and Guardian silently nodded. All in all, the interaction was a good one, a little awkward, with Banshee forgetting what happened, but it went well.
Ghost switched the conversation to the original focus, "So, we'll need to head down two levels; there are some offices down there we can requisition the supplies we need," Guardian scratched his head a little, getting an itch out as he silently listened, "After that, we'll have to wait, it shouldn't take too long. But in the meantime, I figured we could go on patrol?"
"Patrol where?" Guardian passed the Speakers tower and headed along the right going into an elevator, he pressed a button, and the doors closed, leaving him alone as he sat against the wall.
"I was thinking we could patrol in the cosmodrome; seems like a hotbed of Fallen activity," Ghost responded as his shell rotated, "You don't mind, do you partner?"
Guardian wished to say no and tell his ghost to think of something better, but ultimately he knew one way or another he was going to have to venture outside the walls once more, "No, I don't. Let's just hope we don't have to fight any massive fallen. That Archon was not fun to fight," Guardian stated as the elevator descent stopped, the doors opened, and he walked out into a hallway with paths leading to the right and left, "Which way?" He asked.
"Follow me!" Spoke Ghost excitedly.
Guardian rolled his eyes at the excitement of his ghost but trailed behind his partner. It was quiet compared to the Tower's upper level; it felt more like an office building than a place where the city's military assets gathered. It brought a small smile to Guaridan's face as he imagined someone coming to do a tedious day job at the Tower. The idea was just hilarious.
The pair entered a large rectangular room with the end they were facing opening up to another path, but on the sides were desks, and at those desks were people, men, and women, tirelessly working and typing away.
Behind those desks were doors with names, such as Human Resources.
"Which one are we looking for?" Guardian quietly asked his ghost.
Ghost flicked his gaze down to Guardian and whispered back, "Don't worry about names; I'll handle this; you just follow behind," He floated off, and Guardian followed behind closely. They walked to the very end of the room, stopping before the last desk on the right. A woman of Caucasian descent sat at the desk, typing away while glancing at the pair. She finished typing before adjusting in her seat to face the duo properly.
"Yes, how may I help you?" She asked with a polite and friendly tone.
Guardian read the name on the door, Pilgrim Guard. Ghost nudged into his side, sending him a glance, "Oh!" Guardian jumped a bit before focusing on the woman, "Um, hey, we're looking to acquire resources for a town, supplies. Do we talk to you about that?" Guardian shot a warm smile to the woman.
The woman smiled back and turned to the computer, "I'll have to arrange a meeting, then you can talk to Mr. Blaine. But he's waiting for another meeting, so it will be some time before you can see him. I hope you don't mind waiting-" Just as she said that, a man came rushing into the room from behind, panting and sweating profusely. He stood a head taller than Guardian, was of Japanese descent, and wore a black suit.
Guardian looked at the man and raised a brow, but he stepped aside, allowing the man to come up to the desk and lean on it, "Hey… I am here for the uh," He spoke in between pants, "I am here for the meeting with Blaine."
"Of course, Mr. Satoru, let me inform him," The woman calmly spoke.
Satoru stepped back and turned to look at Guardian, and he stared at the young man while quirking a brow, "Y-you here for a meeting?"
"Yes, we're here to help out a town," Guardian answered, feeling a little unnerved by the man.
Satoru smiled, "Well, that's interesting. What are you looking to do?" He wiped his forehead clean of sweat and ran his hand through his black hair, his brow eyes curiously watching Guardian.
Guardian shifted slightly in stance, scratching his head, "Well, we're looking to get resources together and get them to this town. They are helping this caravan coming through their town soon, and we figured we would give them a hand," He explained.
A curious look crossed Satoru's face, and he raised his hand, pointer finger pointing at Guardian, "A caravan? Is it a caravan associated with the Pilgrim Guard?" Guardian gave a slight nod, "Yes? Alright, well, it seems we're here for almost the same reason," He extended his hand out, and Guardian took it, giving it a firm shake, "Satoru Akechi, I work for NCARF. What's your name?"
"I don't have a name, but what's NCARF?" Guardian curiously spoke as he let go of Satoru's hand, "Is that like a faction or something?"
"New light then, always a blast to see freshies like you," Satoru chuckled and slapped his side, "If I had a dime for any time I heard NCARF is a faction, I would have a lot of dimes. NCARF isn't like FWC or Dead Orbit, New Monarchy. Sure, we're an organization and like to hire guardians for work, and we would love to have more influence on the Consensus. But we primarily focus on providing medical and humanitarian aid, so we work with the Pilgrim Guard in a mutually beneficial relationship."
"Oh, so you don't make guns or anything?" Guardian stated before adding, "What does NCARF stand for?".
"Oh, no, we make guns too. Humanitarian aid comes in a lot of forms, you know?" Satoru spoke jokingly, but the look on his face said he was serious about the guns, "And by the way, NCARF stands for Natsuki Cooperation and Research Foundation; our roots trace back way back. Even before the end of the Golden Age."
Guardian's brain tingled as he heard the word Natsuki; for some reason, it felt familiar. But the sensation came and went as fast as it arrived, and he was left scrunching his nose in confusion.
The door opened behind Satoru, and he spun around, greeting an armored titan with a firm handshake, and followed the titan into the room but stopped in the doorway before leaning up to the titan and whispering something to him; after a slight nod, he spun back around, and gestured at Guardian, "You know what, you look like you've got a lot of business you need to get too, how about I save you time on your meeting, and you come in with me?"
Guardian perked up at the offer and stepped forward, "Sure! That would be amazing!" He entered the office room with Satoru and his ghost. It would be two hours before he exited the room, a little pep in his step as his ghost floated next to him.
"That went well!" Ghost beamed with delight, "I didn't think we'd have a chance like that in a million years," His shell rotated and spun as Guardian looked at his partner with a big smile, "Well, I will say it is good to see you smiling so much, partner."
"Thanks, I feel good. You were right, though; this does make me feel a little bit better," Guardian responded as they entered the elevator they came from, "So, partner. I was wondering if you could tell me some tales while we head for the cosmodrome."
The door to the elevator closed.
Author's Notes:
I split this chapter into two for FFN and A03. Why? I figured it would flow better for you guys instead of just one giant ass 20k long chapter.