"Sister it's us. We're the proof, we the Hive: if we last forever, we prove it, and if something more ruthless conquers us, then the proof is sealed." - XLIV: Strict Proof Eternal

Kaedro was beginning to wonder if acquiescing to Harley's insistence on continuing was such a good idea. The whole point of their outing was to help him forget about his forced leave from missions, so watching him sit wedged into the corner of the bar wasn't very promising.

He sighed. They'd chosen an out-of-the-way booth for a reason. The bar owner might be a friend of his, but he figured they were better off safe than sorry. Any Guardian could expect to receive some recognition if their position was found out, and that went double if they accomplished any feats that citizens of the City might have heard about, such as defeating Crota.

Kaedro remembered the disturbing period of time in which no new Guardians had been found, the end of which had come about with Harley's arrival from Mercury. Rumors could spread far, even reaching the ears of civilians. He himself had learned about it from Rae and Bazzle, both of whom happened to be in the Tower at the time. There was no doubt about it, Harley was easily one of the most well-known Guardians in the City at the moment, at least by name if not by face.

He was worried after the marketplace incident that more civilians would recognize the other Hunter, but thankfully they were able to enjoy the rest of their afternoon. Though "enjoy" was a bit subjective, Harley's energy had definitely fallen after what happened. Kaedro was pretty sure the drink in front of Harley was still his first.

He shook his head unhappily, watching the other Hunter. Across from him, an Awoken woman with cropped dark blue hair smirked. "Bad hand?"

The others at the table chuckled.

Kaedro turned back, meeting her eyes challengingly. "...Why don't you show your hand so you can find out, Shay?"

He received a few low whistles in response. Shay arched an eyebrow before laying her cards on the table.

The game progressed, and a short while later, he found himself walking away with a few hundred more Glimmer than he'd walked in with. He sat down at the bar with a satisfied sigh and ordered an old fashioned.

Kira shot him a knowing smile over the counter as she made the drink. "Got enough to buy your own moon yet?"

He shook his head with a good-natured scoff. "You kiddin'? Last I checked, this wasn't what you'd call a 'classy' district."

She shrugged and set his drink down in front of him. "Maybe that's so, but last I checked, not every bartender can say they've poured a drink for the Auspice of Mercury." She spoke with a smile that assured him she wasn't serious. Well, not entirely anyway.

Still, Kaedro found himself shifting uncomfortably. "...You're not gonna tell anyone, right Kir?"

She shook her head. "Don't worry, Kay. I ain't a sellout like some you'll find at this end. Besides, he looks like he's got enough to worry about without us nosy civilians adding onto it."

He nodded, tipping his glass. "Appreciate it. It's nice to know there's someone 'round here who's not only out to boost their rep."

Kira snorted. "If I cared that much 'bout reputation and business, I wouldn't let you miscreants drink at such a discount."

He chuckled. "You got me there." With a sigh, he stood up, taking his glass with him. "...Think I'll see if anyone wants a rematch."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Don't know why I put up with you. All you're good for is driving away my customers by beating them at poker."

He threw her a grin. "What can I say? I'm naturally gifted."

But as he started off in the direction of the group he'd just played with, Kaedro found himself changing his mind. Before he was fully aware of that fact, his feet had already carried him most of the way to Harley's booth.

He closed the rest of the distance, dropping into the seat across from the other Hunter with a good-natured groan. "...Havin' a good time, Ace?"

Harley shrugged listlessly, eyes fixed on the rim of his glass. "Sure."

He made a show of looking around. "Where're the others?"

Harley shrugged again. "They're around somewhere." He didn't sound particularly invested in finding out where. "...What brings you?"

Right. Kaedro was going to shake this kid out of his funk if it was the last thing he did. He clapped his hands together loudly. "Well, seein' as you clearly have nothing better to do, I'm gonna teach you poker."

The Hunter looked nonplussed. "...Ok?"

The response was less than enthusiastic, but Kaedro was really warming to the idea and brushed it aside. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a deck of cards — the box giving out and the cards worn at the corners. He could have bought himself countless new decks in the many years he's had this one, but it was his lucky deck.

He took another sip of his drink before beginning. "...Ok, before we get into rules and whatnot, what do you know about the basic poker hand rankings?" The way Harley's face scrunched up in confusion gave him his answer. "Yeah, pretty much what I thought… Right. We'll start at the top." He laid out five cards in front of Harley. "This is a royal flush. Ace, king, queen, jack, and a ten. They gotta have the same suit- you know what the suit is, right?"

Harley nodded.

"Great. So then you've got a straight flush, which is any sequence in the same suit. Then there's four of a kind, which means the cards have the same value. Like four aces. A full house is three of a kind and a pair, a flush is all the same suit, and a straight is a basic sequence. From there it goes to three of a kind, then two pair, then a pair, and finally whatever your highest card is." He paused. "...You get all that?"

"...Yes?" His tone didn't lend much confidence, but he was starting to look a bit more present, so Kaedro took it as a win.

"Moving on, then… In a basic poker game, the person to the left starts. They can either bet or check."

Harley frowned. "Bet?"

"Yeah. Most people start with No-Limit Hold'em, so you could bet any amount you want."

"Right. And check?"

He waved that off. "Basically means doin' nothing. From there, the rest of the players decide to call, fold, or raise. Calling is matching the first amount, folding is giving up their hand and all the chips they put in, and raising is putting more in."

"Ok. And how long does that go for?"

"Till either everyone's called or all the chips are in. Once the round's done, the dealer puts three cards face-up on the table that anyone can use. It's called the flop. Then there's another betting round before they put up another card. That's the turn. And after the third round, the fifth card is the river."

He took another sip, thumbing the edges of the cards. "Once the river's up, everyone gets one more chance to bet or whatever. If more than one player's left after the final betting hand, they show their cards and the highest hand wins."

Harley's eyebrows drew together as he glanced at Kaedro in vague suspicion. "That's it?"

He shook his head. "Huh? Whaddaya mean 'that's it'? That not enough?"

The other Hunter shrugged. "I guess I thought it'd be more complicated," he admitted.

Kaedro scoffed. "Well, it ain't like there's just one type of poker, Ace. The most popular one is Texas Hold'em, which can be limited or unlimited."

"What does Texas mean?"

He shrugged. "Dunno, that's just what it's called. Then there's Omaha, 7-Card Stud, Short Deck Hold'em, Courchevel, 2-7 Triple Draw, and what have you. Hell, some people play Strip Poker."

"Oh yeah?" For the first time that evening, he saw a smile on Harley's face. Though technically it was more of a mischievous smirk. "Have you ever played Strip Poker, Kaedro?"

Kaedro gasped, clutching his chest in faux shock. "You can't just open the book of my life and jump in the middle, kid. That takes all the fun out of it!"

The other Huner laughed, raising his hands apologetically. "...Fine, forget I asked."

"Forgotten." He grinned. "Anyway, you fee up to putting that newfound poker knowledge to the test?"

"I- what?" Harley looked taken aback by the suggestion, as though he thought Kaedro was telling him about it because it was the subject of some kind of pop quiz he planned to spring on him later.

"It'll be fun!" he cajoled, "C'mon, I'll rustle up some more players." He drained the rest of his glass and stood up, taking Harley's wrist.

"Kay, wait!" Harley protested as he was extracted from the booth, "Do you really think it's a good idea for me to be playing? I only just learned what everything was!"

Kaedro waved off the concerns. "It'll be fine."

He dragged Harley over to the table the others still occupied.

Shay eyed him. "What brings you back here? Didn't get enough gloating in when the game ended?"

"Nah, I actually decided I'd give you a chance to win your Glimmer back," he retorted with a shrug and an overly bright grin, "See, I'm generous like that."

She snorted. "Huh. Who's this?" She nodded at Harley.

Kaedro slapped him on the back. "This is Ace! He's new to the game."

"Interesting… Well, Ace, I'm Shay. That's Eric, Delante, and Jia-6." She gestured in turn to two humans and an Exo.

Harley nodded to them, giving them a small wave. "Hey."

"So, whatcha say?" Kaedro prompted, "Rematch?"

The group exchanged glances. "...Why not?" said Delante, "Not like we've got a whole lot else going on."

Once Eric and Jia added their agreement, Kaedro clapped his hands together. "Great!" He sat down in his previous seat, pulling Harley into an adjacent one. "...So, who's dealing?"

They were halfway through the second game and Kaedro was starting to get worried. Harley had proven to be shockingly decent at poker, considering it was his first time playing. While the familiar newbie confusion and mistakes had been present during their first game, he seemed to know his way about now.

Currency, Kaedro could only account for one of the aces, and despite the presence of the others, he had an awful suspicion that Harley had the rest. He chuckled to himself. Ace's aces.

But as the last community card was placed down, he found his salvation. "Nice try, kid, but you're not gonna top a royal flush!" He laid down his hand and leaned back proudly.

"Damn!" said Eric, shaking his head, "And you were giving him a run for his money too, newbie."

"I was?" Harley sounded confused. "I felt miles behind the whole time."

"Huh. Guess you've got a better poker face than I thought," Kaedro mused. He finished his fourth drink and collected his winnings. "Thanks for the game, guys. And the Glimmer." He winked. "I'll put it toward a good cause."

"You mean you'll go buy another drink," said Jia with a laugh.

He shrugged, getting to his feet. "Probably." He offered them a mock salute. "Later, guys!"

Harley sighed as he returned to his booth. Playing poker with Kaedro and the others was nice, although if he was being honest, it had been a bit draining as well. He was out of his depth, not just with learning a new game but also with his interactions with the Exo's friends.

Being thrown into a new group was always daunting. He wasn't given an exact number, but he was confident that all of them had known Kaedro much longer than he had. Sitting there with them, he had almost felt like an intruder, taking part in an experience that wasn't for him. It was hard not to feel that way in the face of well-established friendships.

The bonds between Guardians in established fireteams were even stronger. He saw it with Fireteam Calypso, with the members of Hesperides that had been around before he, Fyr, and Jade were revived. And he'd be lying if he said it didn't get to him sometimes. If he didn't feel doubt that he wouldn't — couldn't — measure up to the bonds that were already there.

As he stared into the amber liquid of his drink, a pair of footsteps approached, shuffling hesitantly on the hardwood floor. Kaedro, no doubt. Perhaps back in another attempt to pull him into "having fun."

He sighed, turning. "Look, Kay, I don't w-" His voice faltered when he saw that it was Tristan, not Kaedro, who stood before him. "Oh, sorry. I… thought you were Kaedro." Except Tristan probably put that together from his use of the Exo's nickname, so there was no real point in him stating it. Oh well.

Tristan's answering smile was less awkward than the one Harley had offered him. "Is it- do you mind if I sit here?"

He was quick to shake his head. "No, not at all. I mean, it's not like I own this booth." He inwardly cringed. Since when had making conversation been this difficult?

Tristan, for his part, merely nodded and took a seat across from him. He racked his brain for something else to say to salvage his attempt at joking, but couldn't think of anything.

The silence stretched on and he found the atmosphere growing increasingly uncomfortable. He almost wanted to apologize for it, but maybe acknowledging it would just draw more attention to the awkwardness.

Finally, something came to mind. "So… what're the others up to?"

Tristan seemed somewhat relieved at the break in silence. "Oh, you know… the usual things people do in bars."

He shook his head. "Actually, I don't really know. What people do in bars, that is." He gestured to the room around them. "This is only my second time in the City since I was revived. I always figured people came to bars just to drink."

Tristan's laugh was soft, as though it didn't want to draw attention to its owner. "Well, that's certainly a big part of it. I don't drink much myself."

He nodded. "Yeah, I haven't had many chances to drink. I'll leave the fancy drink orders for people who know what they're doing… But what else do people usually do in bars?"

"Well, I suppose there's food. Being around other people, maybe, though I personally don't socialize with strangers much. Liv, on the other hand, likes to get into arguments with people she's just met."

Harley snorted at the thought. "Arguments about what?"

The Warlock shrugged. "Anything ranging from the Traveler's origins to what toppings belong on pizza."

"Hmm. Well, I can't speak on the Traveler, but I'll try just about anything on pizza. There are some good combinations out there." Tristan made a face. "What, you don't like a lot of toppings on your pizza?"

"Not especially, no." Harley shrugged. People were entitled to like different things. "By the way, do you have any idea when we'll be returning to the Tower?"

He shook his head. "I'd ask Kaedro if I were you…" He sighed. "Honestly, I've been ready to leave for a while but I don't think the others are."

"Yes, Liv and Kai are certainly not," Tristan agreed. Then, strangely, he cast a fleeting glance at Harley. "I suppose they appreciate taking a break, it's just… well, should we not be focusing our attention on Oryx?"

The name made his skin crawl, conjuring images of darkness and cold. He pushed the sensation aside to frown at Tristan. "What do you mean? Wasn't he taken care of already? Kaedro told me he was killed."

It was the Warlock's turn to frown at him. "No, we- Well, yes, I suppose, Oryx was slain, but… Didn't Kaedro tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Tristan seemed unsure of what to say. "He, Liv, and Jade went to the Dreadnaught and fought Oryx. I mean, they did kill him. He is dead, but not… entirely. Oryx remains alive in the Ascendant Realm."

Cold dread draped itself around Harley's shoulders, seeping into his skin. "...He's not dead?"

Tristan shook his head. "If my understanding of how Crota was killed is correct, then no, he isn't."

Harley's brows furrowed. "If he's still alive in his throne world, then he's still a threat," he said harshly, "We have to go finish the job." He rose from his seat and turned away. He needed to find Kaedro.

Tristan rose as well. "Are you certain?"

He ignored the Warlock, spotting Kaedro sitting at the bar. The Exo was chatting amiably with the bartender, as though he hadn't a care in the world.

Harley stalked over, Tristan trailing behind him. "Kaedro."

His friend turned with a smile. "What's up, Ace? More poker?" he said hopefully.

He shook his head, mouth set in a frown. "No. We're leaving."

Kaedro seemed confused, glancing between the bartender and his drink. "What? But I've just hit the sweet spot. Perfectly balanced between 'good times' and 'future hangover.' What's gotcha in such a rush anyway?"

Harley took a breath, trying to settle the concoction of fear and anger that churned in his chest cavity. "Oryx isn't dead," he said sternly, "And if we don't do something about it, this war against the Taken won't be ending anytime soon."

A/N: Honestly, I almost forgot to upload this chapter. Fortunately, I caught myself. To any Firefly fans out there, I hope you liked the little nod I threw in with Kaedro's line about strip poker. We're coming up on the end of this story soon. The next one is in its alpha stage and the one after that still needs a decent amount of work. I'll keep you guys posted on my progress :)