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Warmind

HOORAY FOR THINGS I’LL NEVER FINISH!!!!

Zavala always got up early so Risha, too, got up earlier than her friends, but after 3 days of non-stop patrols and fighting, the hunter was exhausted to the bone. He looked back at the young Guardian and smiled fondly as he sat up.

“Is it time to get up already?” she murmured tiredly, shifting, opening one eye to look at him. He smiled rubbing her back, pulling the covers back up over her where they fell off her.

“Just get some rest, honey. You deserve it.” He said kissing her cheek as she turned, grabbing his pillows and cuddling them breathing in deep.

Before he left the room, he looked back at her small frame and noticed her armor and weapons were polished and laid out ready for her to wake up.

“Hm…” he pondered as he walked out to the empty courtyard and transmatted into orbit as the stars started to wink out.

Risha stretched out and rolled over, further entangling herself in the blankets. Her Ghost, Saffron, nudged her gently.

“Come now, dear. Up and at ‘em.” Her melodious voice said softly.

“Do we have to?” Risha said, her usual honeyed voice rough and groggy from days in the field and only a day and a half of sleep to make up for it.

“Yes, Zavala’s been gone for a while, dear. If we want to go to Mars, now would be the time.” Saffron said transmatting Rishas’ armor and weapons to her inventory and began making her coffee and a muffin as Risha untangled herself from the sheets sitting up, Zavala’s shirt hanging off her shoulder.

Wiping her eyes, Risha grabbed the coffee and sipped it gently while nibbling the muffin.

“Not hungry, dear?” Saffron chirped in her mom voice.

“Only a little.” She said, voice slowly returning to normal. “It’s still good though.”

Saffron chuckled flying to her and disappeared into her chest.

“Good.”

Risha finished her coffee and put the rest of the muffin in the rooms mini-fridge for later or for Zavala and started dressing into her armor.

“Okay. Off to Mars,” She said transmatting to her ship and set her destination for Mars, watching the stars speed by.

“Mars – the first place where humanity encountered the Traveler. Home to the Clovis Bray Research Facility and lost wonders of the Golden Age. The icecaps have kept those wonders hidden for hundreds of years. But the return of the Traveler’s Light has sounded an alarm heard throughout the system… and perhaps beyond. “

The ship slowed and entered Mars’ orbit and headed for the icecaps. Warsats were falling back into Mars’ orbit so Risha had to maneuver quickly around and away from them.

“The Red War is over, but Ghaul’s forces, what remains of them, have been scavenging during their retreat. And now that Warsats are falling out of orbit near Mars, the Cabal are headed there too. I’ll plot a landing course.” Saffron said turning to look at Risha. Risha nodded steering through Mars’ thin atmosphere as Saffron flew around the cabin humming, straightening the mess.

Suddenly the comm system started going off and Risha’s heart skipped a beat. Has Zavala realized she’s left without saying goodbye?!

“That’s the private Vanguard channel,” Saffron said shell twirling.

“Mayday! Mayday! Do you copy! Vanguard access code 03056… GET AWAY FROM MY GHOST, YOU FROZEN – Guardian, requesting backup! I repeat! I need back up here!”

Risha and Saffron turned to look at each other, Risha’s brows knitted and Saffron’s crown lowered slightly. Saffron looked back down to the comms as Risha tried to re-stabilize the ship’s trajectory.

“This frequency is reserved for official Vanguard business. So, look, whoever this is…” Saffron said in her motherly voice.

“That’s cute! You’ve got one of the uptight ghosts.” The mystery guardian said.

“Uptight?” Saffron grumbled, causing Risha to laugh, which earned a glare from Saffron.

“Nah, she’s just got a motherly programming in her.” The red-haired Guardian said shaking her head.

“I’m uploading coordinates to a safe landing zone. Please hurry.” The mystery guardian said as Risha received a set of coordinates and flew to them.

“All right, but you’re going to owe us for this one,” Saffron said sternly. Suddenly a Warsat shadowed them and Risha quickly maneuvered away from the fast-moving object before it hit the ship and knocked them out of the air.

“I wouldn’t have called you down here unless it was absolutely critical. The most dangerous weapon in this system is on this planet, and an entire army of Hive is trying to destroy it. I need your help,” Said the voice as Risha approached a large glacial formation and transmatted down. She looked back and watched her ship fly back to orbit.

Pulling Saffron out to her hand she looked at her HUD. Olympus Descent, Hellas Basin.

‘What a lovely name.’ she thought to pull her Scathelocke out and made sure it was loaded and checked her secondary, Coldheart, and switched her Power Weapon to D.A.R.C.I. and set out to the coordinates the stranger provided.

“We’ve touched down on the surface of Mars, Guardian. What’s your status? Are you safe?” Saffron asked as she trekked down the slippery, snowy slope.

“I hate snow and ice.” She grumbled pulling her Kairos cloaks hood further up to protect her neck from the cold.

“For now, but there’s a whole lot of “not safe” between us and the Clovis Bray facility, which is where we need to be,” She replied as Risha walked around a corner, sliding off the edge. Using her knife to anchor herself from falling into the frozen water, she hauled herself up grunting. Saffron appeared and stared at her.

“I’m fine.” She grunted kicking her heels activating her traction soles and started on.

“What’s so important there?” Saffron said disappearing back into her.

“Warsats, like the one that almost hit you on approach, have been dropping out of the sky since I got here. Which usually means only one thing…”

“Rasputin? The “greatest weapon of the Golden Age” you were talking about? But… that’s impossible.” Saffron replied.

“Nothing is impossible where Rasputin is concerned. Meet me at the facility.” The stranger said as Risha came upon a damaged Warsat. She looked back towards the glacial water and kept moving forward into a crack in the glacier. Risha moved into a cavern, only for Thralls to explode from the frozen ground and run for her, screeching and clawing. Removing her throwing knife from her chest plate she tossed it at the first one and hit it in the forehead before jumping up onto a stalagmite and started shooting at the rest. Before she knew it, she was launched forward, a searing pain in her back, a scream ripped itself from her throat and she tucked and rolled before she fell face first on the ice. Running to the stalagmite, she leaned her burning back on it to relieve some pain before leaning around it and coming face to face with an Acolyte. Surprised she stumbled back, her arm became hot and glowed a bright goldish orange as a grenade was launched to the group of acolytes. The cavern was lit in a bright glow as the grenade exploded. Soon more thralls ran from the path ahead and she quickly dodged their attacks before rolling to the cover of a boulder and reloaded her Scathelocke. Pulling out D.A.R.C.I. she leaned out slowly and aimed at the rest of them, they were just standing around. Smirking she held her breath, shouldered her rifle and aimed.

‘Morons.’ She thought quietly as she shot them down, one by one. When the last one fell, she switched back and ran towards the corridor and was suddenly launched back by two Knights.

“SHIT!!!” She sputtered as she rolled backward and hid behind her boulder again looking for a way out of there. She saw her clearing, switched her subclass and threw down a smoke bomb and became invisible. As the Knights were looking around for her she bolted back down the corridor.

“I’ve never seen Hive like this before,” Saffron said.

“As far as I know, they don’t exist anywhere but here.” The stranger replied as she continued to sprint down the cave. She passed by a cracked wall and was a little bit away when she heard the ice behind her shatter, she turned and growled. A knight with a shield lumbered after her and she turned around to keep running but was stopped by a horde of Thrall Exploders. Suddenly she had an idea, she threw her knife at them, turned back toward the knight and ran at him, deactivating the traction and slid under the Knight as the thralls reached the knight, exploding. Risha rolled covering the back of her neck as the Hive warriors were decimated in the multiple explosions.

“Ok. Let’s go.” Saffron said as Risha ran forward. ____

As Risha walked to the end of the cavern Saffron was a little… salty.

“I think it might be time to call in help from the Vanguard.” She grumbled.

“Not a great idea. Zavala won’t be happy about us digging around Bray. He wants the past to stay buried. But we need to get in there to find out what’s going on with Rasputin.”

“She’s got a point, Saffron.”

When they exited the tunnel, Risha’s cloak had quite a few tears in it that Saffron quickly repaired.

“Hm. Well, at least we’re out of that nightmare.” She said softly.

“Yes, but we stepped into another one Saffron,” Risha said walking forward looking to her lower left HUD. Glacial Drift. She shouldered Coldheart and started walking forward.

“We always do.”

Suddenly green spotlight transmatting light appeared behind her along with the sound of fireworks and she turned around to face her twin sisters. Ren and Richa stared at her accusingly.

“Did Rev snitch on me?” she said taking her helmet off, her sisters following her motion. Their similar snow-white hair shone a dull orange in the Mars light.

“No little sister,” Richa said, stern voice the deeper of the three. Her black markings deformed with the disapproving look she gave her sister.

“You know you can’t keep what you’re doing from us,” Ren said, her soft voice barely louder than a light Earthen breeze.

Risha snorted, “What? You are using the Force now, dear sisters?”

“We’re only worried about you.” The shy warlock said softly. Risha’s gut immediately filled with guilt.

“I didn’t mean…”

“It’s ok, Risha,” Ren said softly putting her helmet back on.

“Hey. What are you doing here?” Risha asked looking at them.

“Rev’s busy on missions for Cayde and I didn’t really want to go with him, so I was basically just hanging around the Tower,” Richa said shrugging putting her helmet back on as well. “And Zorlee’s asleep since she just finished the Leviathan raid with Phoenix.”

“And Shaxx is busy with the Crucible today. Many Guardians are trying out the new arenas the Redjacks claimed. So, I just left him be and told him I was going on some patrols.”

“And that’s how we got here, little sister.” Richa gently pushed her, “We were bored.”

Risha laughed putting her own helmet on and turned back around and continued.

“Is that… Rasputin??” Ren’s voice said, awe and wonder thick in her tone. Now, she was in her element.

“I thought…” Richa said, for a Titan, she was quite smart. Though she still liked to punch everything in her way, she thought things through more than the Crucible master and the Titan Vanguard.

As they walked on to the building, an explosion happened in the distance and something big and wormlike moved out of the smoke.

“What was that?!” Cleo, Ren’s ghost, exclaimed.

Risha quickly pulled her Scathelocke off her back as thralls started running at them.

“Guardian, you still with me?” Ana asked over the comms, as Richa and Ren bent over panting.

“Surprisingly,” Richa grumbled, checking her leg where a Knight attacked her. “Worst time for an event to start. Thanks, Vanguard.”

“We’re clear. Where to next?” Amon, Richa’s ghost, piped up.

“We’ve found a Golden Age research facility buried inside a glacier. Where do you think? Meet me at the entrance to Clovis Bray.” Ana said as they headed towards the entrance to the warehouse.

“Well, she seems like a lovely Guardian.” Ren huffed holstering her Sunshot and changed Cleo’s shell shader.

“Yea, she’s got some attitude to her it seems,” Risha said walking to the door. Just as she was about to reach for the panel a snarl sounded from behind the girls. Whipping around, they raised their weapons to aim at the Knight when it was suddenly shot from behind and a Hunter stood up from the window.

“Uhhh… where did she come from?” Richa pondered aloud. “She wasn’t in that window before.”

“Hey, you made it!” She said excitedly and jumped down.

“Actually, yes. We did.” Amon grumbled twirling his shell in agitation.

“Well, there were a lot of them. But you did great.” She said walking to the door. When the girl’s back was to them, the three sisters looked to each other in exasperation. Richa’s shoulders were slightly tense while Ren’s leg muscles were slightly stiff. Risha’s hand was subconsciously gripping her knife and when she realized it she jerked slightly and released it.

“Come on, let’s see what’s hiding in here. Besides hordes and hordes of frozen Hive I mean.”

Now it was the Ghost’s turn to look at each other. Amon’s Iron Companionship shell twitched nervously while Cleo’s Bursting Wisdom shell flexed with anticipation. Saffron just floated beside Risha’s head, her green, blue, and grey shell relaxed. Risha knew better when Saffron took on an air of calm she was like Ren’s Stormcaller ability. She was enraged. She did not like Ana Bray.

“She’s going to get you in trouble with the Commander, Risha,” Saffron said floating in front of her.

“As much as I agree with that. There could be good loot rewarded for this, Saf.” Risha said smiling slightly.

“What is with you and your loot Guardians,” Saffron said as the three girls walked through the door.

“You six clear a path while I try to find a way into Clovis Bray.”

“We’ve encountered Warminds before, but Ikora said Rasputin was trapped on Earth,” Amon stated as the girls ran between a building and the wall, jumping on top of the crates.

“THE FLOOR IS LAVA!!!!” Richa said jumping from obstacle to obstacle.

“Rasputin is capable of operating across multiple systems simultaneously,” Ana said through the comms.

“So, all those times the Vanguard was trying to talk to him in the Cosmodrome…”

“They were engaging fragments of Rasputin left behind after the Collapse. But his core mind was always here.”

“Man. Talk about a sight,” Ren said as she and Risha leaped onto the ramp.

“Safe!” They yelled turning to their older sister as the lumbering Titan slammed down on the ramp grumbling.

“Ok, what do the two of you want?”

“Well… There’s a new book down in the city that I can’t afford right now.”

“And why can you not afford it?” Richa said staring down her youngest sister.

“Shaxx put a restriction on my glimmer account. Said I have enough books. But I’ve read them all.”

“Ok, ok,” Richa said and turned to Risha, who was staring at the Warmind intently. “And you Risha?”

“There’s an iridescent knife I’ve had my eyes on in the city as well.”

“I’m gonna be broke because of you two,” Richa grumbled, turning to her Ghost. “Amon. Set the orders up.”

“On it.” He stated and disappeared.

The girls continued, walking up to a set of trains. Richa walked to one and put her hand on the side of it.

“Is it just me, or do these trains look like they’re in good shape?”

“Well, I don’t think there’s any rain on this planet so that could be a factor,” Ren said as a Cabal drop ship flew overhead. The Guardians pulled their weapons from their back and charged forward.

As a Legionnaire started for Ren it was quickly dispatched by a swift punch from Richa, but her arm was grabbed by another and twisted painfully around and back. A scream of pain ripped its way through the Titans throat as Risha leaped up to a ledge and aimed D.A.R.C.I. at the Legionnaire and fired, his helmet exploding. Ren ran to Risha and activated her healing rift. Slowly the twisted arm re-aligned and was soon healed.

Quickly dispatching the rest between them and the building, the Guardians ran for the building and dispatched the enemies inside before they made their way to Ana and a console. Ana twirled around slowly, arms extended from her sides.

“I’m here. I’m really here. I can’t believe it. Clovis Bray. I’m… home.”

Risha could see Richa from the corner of her eye shaking her head at Ana. Ana may have missed it, but Risha and Ren heard the deep, disapproving sigh that came from their older sister.

“The main access is encrypted. Good thing I know a few tricks. At least that seems to run in the family.”

“Personnel Identified: Dr. Anastasia Bray.”

“Dr?” Richa teased. “Does that mean you can make my booboo feel better?”

“Richa,” Ren warned.

“What, I’m just teasing.”

“Welcome to the Clovis Bray Research Facility, the fabled “Cradle of Invention,” on Mars. You are part of an important moment in history. Together we will strive to reach beyond the stars. Remember, you are Clovis Bray.”

“Thanks pops,” Richa said distractedly loading her weapons. Risha and Ren inhaled deeply and shook their heads.

“And… we’re in business!” Ana exclaimed as a door opened, “On you go, ladies.”

Three heads nodded and walked to the adjacent room and up the stairs. A large statue of Rasputin stood tall in the back of the room behind a pool of water. Ren walked to the railing and leaned against it.

“Looks like Rasputin’s core is housed in a separate structure. Hope you’re up for a little exploring.”

Ren snorted walking away from the rail, “We always are.”

They continued up the left stairs and through another set of rooms before returning to the outside world.

Aurora Breach, Hellas Basin.

Pushing on, the team ran into another adjacent building.

“This place is freezing!” Risha groaned.

“I estimate it to be -210 degrees Fahrenheit.” Cleo chirped.

“I estimate it to be too damn cold,” Ren grumbled loading her Sunshot. She never did like the cold. Risha always found it odd as her favorite subclass was Voidwalker. She always found the Void class to feel cold and hollow coming out, as much as she loved her Nightstalker bow, she preferred the Golden Gun.

“This facility is massive.” Amon said in awe.

“The Brays dreamed big. I don’t know much about my family, but I know that.”

Moving past a room that looked somewhat of a lab, the trio looked at a small pipe.

“Great,” Richa exhaled. “Narrow tunnel.”

“Come on Richa, it’s big enough to fit that armor of yours.” Risha grinned looking back at her older sister. Richa slowly looked from the tunnel to Risha.

“Is it big enough for that oversized head of your’s little sister?” she said, putting her hand on Ren’s back gently to help her in.

“If it’s big enough for Ren’s brain then I’m sure it’s big enough for my ego.” Risha chirped and ducked into the tunnel. She heard Richa take a deep breath that was followed by a heavy sigh.

“Are you three always like this?” Ana’s voice sparked through the comms.

“Mostly. But this isn’t my normal fireteam.” Risha said as she exited the tunnel, “Ren’s fireteam was killed during the Red War and Richa’s fireteam is busy.”

“What about yours?” Ana asked cautiously.

“Never had one.” She replied flatly and cut the comms.

“Liar,” Richa said as she crawled out of the tunnel.

“She doesn’t need to know everything.”

“And yet you decided to tell her about my fireteam?” Ren said softly, a hint of sadness in her voice.

“There’s a difference between the Cabal killing your fireteam and you killing your fireteam,” Risha said slowly as she walked on.

“You didn’t kill them, Risha,” Richa said softly, reaching out to grab her shoulder but Risha walked on ahead.

“It doesn’t matter. They’re gone.”

“At least they didn’t have to suffer the Red War.” Ren lamented quietly.

“Come on you two.” Richa murmured softly, gently resting her hands in the middle of their backs and ushering them forward. Richa and Ren shook their heads and nodded.

“Yea. We’ve got things to do.” Ren hummed and walked back out of the building.

“I’ll tell you one thing… they certainly love their transitions.” Richa complained as they ran back into another building.

Mindlab: Rasputin, Hellas Basin.

“I’m picking up a lot of Hive activity. They’re swarming the core.” Cleo stated while the team ran across a catwalk.

“On it. Let me try to access the security systems.”

Marching into the next area, Richa was met with a volley of bullets and stumbled backward.

“Guardian down!” Saffron and Cleo exclaimed at once as Amon shell expanded with Light.

“Risha!! Cover me!!” Ren hollered and sprinted for Amon.

“It would’ve been better for me to revive her.” She muttered pulling D.A.R.C.I. out and looking down her scope firing off shots.

“HOLY SHIT!!!!” Richa wailed, holding her helmet, as Ren pulled her behind cover.

“Take it easy!” Ren screamed over the wail of the Hive spawn, popping off a few shots at the Wizards.

Richa moaned in agony as she rolled onto her knees clutching her helmet and pulling it off, only to vomit into a depression in the floor.

“S-sorry Rasputin.” She said once she heaved the rest of her lunch out.

“Less pukey, more shooty!!” Richa yelled switching to Coldheart and lasering a Wizard.

Richa chortled pulling Forgone Conclusion from her back, laying waste to the remaining enemies.

“Aaaaannnnnnddddd that is why you are Zavala’s favorite.” Risha holstered her knife back into its sheath.

“Only when it comes to missions.” Richa retorted pushing her sister gently.

Inspecting the farthest wall, Ren noticed an opening. Grabbing Richa’s shoulder pauldron, she pointed up.

“There, let’s go!” Ren hummed gliding up to the opening.

Richa looked at Risha and nodded leaped up after Ren. Risha watched her sisters disappear behind the ledge and looked back at the scenery before following them.

“What’s the status of the security system?” Saffron chirped, eager to get the girls to safety.

“I’m working on it. Hang in there.” Ana answered before cutting the line again.

Pushing forward they climbed up the narrow ramps to the top of the structure. Before Risha reached the top, Amon announced, “We got a big problem.”

“Come on Rasputin. Give me something here!” Ana barked. Richa snorted reloading her weapon.

“Maybe he’s pissed because I upchucked my ramen back there.”

“Well, that wasn’t really your fault. You just suck with Rezzing.” Risha prodded back at her sister, dodging a blast from an ogre. “Holy Traveler!!”

“Karma bitch!” Richa yelled running past her. A heavy sigh was picked up from Ren’s end of the comms.

Before Richa could jump down and activate Sunbreaker, a reddish-orange glow lit up their vision, annihilating the Hive spawn.

“It’s the Valkyrie. Rasputin’s weapon. I think… he heard us.”

Ren, Richa, and Risha looked at each other before taking off to grab a Valkyrie, pushing and shoving each other away.

“AHA!” Ren squealed, retrieving the javelin and removing her helmet. “Take a holo! I want to show Shaxx when we get done! He’s going to be so jealous!”

“I’m getting in this, too!” Richa exclaimed taking hers off as well and picking Ren up, flexing her free arm. Risha grinned removing her helmet and turned taking a picture, the ghost’s quickly joining in.

“ARE YOU THREE SERIOUS?!”

“As a heart attack.” The three Ghosts laughed flitting to and fro around their Guardians. A deep heavy sigh was heard on the comms before it was switched off, causing the Guardians to giggle hysterically.

“For once it wasn’t me with the deep heavy sigh.” Ren grinned widely putting her helmet on and picking the javelin up and running to the door. “And guess who’s here to greet us!”

The howls and snarls of the hive reached the Hunter and Titan as they ran into the fray, a volley of javelins, arc, and void bullets ripping the enemies apart.

After the last Hive was dealt with, the door unlocked, causing the three Guardians to look at each other.

“Ana? The door’s unlocked. Did you…?” Amon questioned as they walked inside.

“It wasn’t me. Maybe he’s inviting us inside. Maybe this is where questions finally turn into answers.”

“Or more questions.” Ren quietly responded. Risha’s gut started sinking, she had an awful feeling brewing inside her.

Waiting for Ana felt like an eternity to Risha, she was on edge and restless, pacing back and forth along the catwalk. Ren and Richa watched dully heads following her agitated movements.

“Hey! Sorry!” Ana exclaimed running up to the trio. “You three ready?”

Ana didn’t give them time to answer and marched on forward. Risha sputtered and ran up beside her, following her to the door. Ren and Richa looked back behind them to Mars’ landscape, noticing the sun was setting.

“It’s about to get colder.” Ren murmured, watching as the durasteel doors opened to reveal, Zavala. Ana didn’t move but Risha… Risha moved a step back.

Risha was the epitome of fear. Her pallor paled, her elbows were locked and pressed into her sides, muscles strung taught, eyes were blown wide, lips quivering ever so slightly. Her twins noted her eyes quickly darting behind her then back to her lover.

Risha was numb yet hypersensitive, alive yet dead, warm but cold. Her heart pounded in every inch of her, her wrists, her neck, the top of her booted feet, and her temples. Her breath came in slow, uneven pants.

Her mind was screaming at her to run, Run, RUN. Time was moving so fast and yet so slow, extremely slow. With every second she looked into her lover’s eyes, the more fearful she became.

No, Zavala, her lover Zavala didn’t incur these feelings. No… it was her SUPERIOR Zavala that did.

While Risha felt fear, Richa was ripe with anger. She did not like seeing her sister frozen in fear, trembling before a man who has promised to protect her.

Ren looked to Risha, noting her flared nostrils, gloved hands balled into tight fists, her muscles too were strung taught, but with a sense of protection. Her lips were pulled back in a silent snarl, veins pulsing and enlarged. Her once warm, soothing blue eyes were now cold, hard and bright with pure hatred. She was going into protection mode but still trying to fight off these feelings.

Inside her, Richa was a maelstrom of anger and violence. Her teeth ground, her heartbeat pounded, pulse racing. Her body was tensed, hot, extremely hot. Her vision was blurred. Tunnel vision she knew. Her mind was bellowing at her to grab Risha. Protect, Protect, PROTECT THEM!!! Protect your family from anyone who threatens them. Destroy them, annihilate them, save them. Save them. Her pulsing heart… slowed. She entered a state of calm anger. Of critical thinking, and then, she was a literal eye of the storm. Slowing her breathing she relaxed her tense muscles, heat subsiding eyes dimming slightly. She would only act if Zavala acted first. Sounds rushed back in and she took in her surroundings.

“Hello, Guardian.” Zavala’s tone was the same as always. But Risha heard the underlying anger. She back up slightly.

“Oh, Shhhh…anks.” Ana cursed looking down slightly.

“Z-Zavala…” Risha whispered shakily. Zavala started towards her, expression tight and furious. Ren and Risha took a step forward ready to defend her.

“What do you think you’re doing? Do you have any idea how dangerous this thing is?!” Zavala approached her forehead creased and wrinkled.

“I…” Risha shuddered out, shaking slightly.

“What were you doing to Rasputin?” Ana questioned walking behind him.

“Rasputin is Vanguard business, Anastasia. Not yours,” Zavala turned his head to Risha. “You do not belong here.”

“Zavala… I…” Risha started stepping towards her Titan.

“I beg your pardon?!” Anastasia exclaimed angrily. Risha reached out to Zavala, but he moved, confronting Ana, scolding her like a disobedient child.

“You belonged in the City! But instead of standing by your brothers and sisters when Ghaul cam for us…” Risha grabbed Zavala’s arm gently, a reminder to keep himself grounded. It wasn’t Risha he was furious with… it was Ana. “You were here doing what you always do – what you were never supposed to do.”

“I did what I believed to be right. I came here to protect Humanity. Isn’t that what Guardians are supposed to do?”

Risha reached out with her free hand and rubbed Zavalas back gently, her fear forgotten.

“Zavala…” She murmured softly. He turned his hard gaze on her, meeting her eyes.

“Don’t think you three are out of this yet.” He declared sternly.

“Hey!!” Ren and Richa whined in unison.

“We just came because we’re bored Commander!”

“This is a war of many fronts. And there’s more than one way to fight it, Zavala.” Ana stated, turning to face the Titan Vanguard. “Look, you tried to shield the entire world, but you can’t. There’s got to be a better way.”

“And you think Rasputin is the answer? It’s gone silent. It’s a broken weapon. Too dangerous to be left alone, and too unpredictable to wield.” Zavala countered, which in turn, made Ren sigh a heavy sigh.

“That might be true. Or maybe he has nothing to say. Maybe, just maybe, we never bothered to ask him what he wanted.”

“I don’t have time to go through this with you again. You had no right…”

“So. Should we just get married and adopt Ana? Because you two argue like father and daughter.” Risha joked, causing Ren and Richa to snort behind them.

“I have every right. You don’t understand the connection I share with Rasputin. Here, let me show you.”

Before she could walk any farther, a distant and muffled growl sounded, and four heads turned, looking around the expanse of the Warmind. Zavala’s unhappy face returned once again.

“OK, we should really figure out exactly what’s doing that,” Amon said from beside Richa’s head.

“Do we have to? Do you not remember the Pit back on Earth’s moon?” Richa whined. “This thing sounds much bigger than that.

“Hush you.” He ordered as he flew into her forehead, which in turn Richa swatted him away.

“I can tell you. Rasputin was not the only thing to awaken on Mars.

Tower, The Last City, Earth

Risha drug her feet as she walked to her shared room with the Commander, dreading what was to come.

“I knew it was a bad idea going there,” Saffron said sternly.

“Oh, you did not. You encouraged me to go missy.” Risha stared at her ghost as she walked to Zavala’s quarters, keying in the code and stepping inside. The room was neat, orderly and nothing like Risha’s old room, which had everything she had collected from the Wild’s. Zavala sat on the couch, legs propped up on the coffee table, a cold cup of coffee sat forgotten on the side. Risha chuckled softly, swatting Zavala’s legs off the table, picking up the cup.

“Before you say anything. I know, it was foolish of me to go to Mars’ and blah blah blah bloddy blah blah.” She remarked sarcastically as she poured the cold coffee into the sink and made him a new cup.

“Why did you even go?” Zavala sighed. Risha sat the cup down before plopping down on the couch beside him.

“I don’t know. Got bored of patrols, strikes, and Crucible.” Risha hummed, cuddling into the Commander’s side. Zavala’s heavy arm draped across her shoulders as he hummed back, their Light mingling and playing with one another.

“I don’t know why that freaked me out more than you disappearing into the Wilds for months at a time. But it did.”

Risha chuckled while Zavala took a sip of coffee, setting his datapad down. Risha smiled softly pulling her legs up under her as she leaned further into her Titan.

After another hour of Zavala working on the datapad, he finally set it down, pulled her into his lap and kissed her feverishly.

Oh. Oh. She hummed, kissing back with as much passion, wrapping her arms tightly around the larger Guardian.

Standing up, he hefted her up with him and the small Hunter squeaked, wrapping her legs around his waist tightly. Their Light licked at one another as he carried her to the bed.

Risha giggled, falling backward before he could drop her on the bed, which earned a small smirk from the Vanguard Commander as he crawled on the bed, hovering over her.

“Is this my punishment, Commander?” She purred.

“Partly.” He buried his face in her neck nipping. She grinned sliding his red undersuit off his shoulders.

Perhaps breaking the rules has an upside.

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