Chapter Text
I've waited so long to find my Chosen, decades, maybe centuries, I couldn't keep track. Now I've found them here in the city of Old London with the help of this Guardian. But even with all the waiting, searching and preparation, I still have to wait even longer because of this Fallen patrol. Their four beating eyes, razor sharp teeth, and four arms wrapped around their rifles. This Guardian with me said they'd be gone by dusk, but the moon is now at it's apex. I feel a finger poke the side of my shell, and turn to my escort.
He speaks quietly, "Now's our time to move". I quickly gather my senses and rush over to the skeleton.
"Go ahead, if something goes wrong I'll help you" Heather, the Guardian's Ghost says. I tighten my Ghost shell around myself before it expands as I funnel the Light into the ancient corpse on the ground that would be my partner. She gasps and pick their head up, frantically looking around at the ruined remains of Old London. I inspect my Guardian, wearing a white outfit I had made of scraps. I should give her a rundown of what's happening.
"Hey" I open with, such a stupid line thinking back on it. "I'm glad I've finally found you. Look, we're in danger right now so I can't tell you much, the locals here aren't the most friendly of neighbors" I quickly say. The kind Guardian who escorted me here holsters his gun and walks towards her, picking up what remains of a decayed wallet next to where she lied. He takes a singular card out of it and inspects it, most of it covered in dried blood.
"This looks like you, your name was 'Jess' but that's not what you have to be named now.' He tosses the wallet aside, keeping the card. "You look to be a Hunter like myself too, that makes thing easier. I'm GLX-21" he takes his helmet off, revealing his dark blue Exo face plates and dark green lights in his eyes and mouth. There is a giant hole in the top right of his head with pointed metal and some green oil stains. He stands above her and extends a hand with a smile.
"J-Jess is fine" she replies. The now named Jess reaches her hand out and GLX pulls her to her feet. "What's going on?" she says, her voice wavering.
"Look, if I tell you everything that's happening, you'll want to lie right back down." I reply. I wait a bit before speaking again, "But I'll give you a run down" I say, getting Jess to nod and smile in approval. I think to get the bad stuff over with, "You've been dead for centuries, the world is a very different place now" I start with. Jess' smile quickly disappears.
"D-Dead!" she yells in panic. GLX quickly rushes to Jess and uses his hand to cover her mouth, softly whispering
"Shh, if you're too loud we'll all be dead". Jess looks to GLX and give a nod of understanding, and GLX brings his hand back to his side.
"Uh, as I was saying. I am a Ghost, I now belong to you. Thanks to my powers, I have granted you immortality so long as I'm alive", I stop to let Jess absorb that information.
Jess looks down at her hands, "Immortal? As in I can't die?" she asks, curious.
"To an extent. But right now I don't think I can resurrect you again, the linking process takes a lot of my power" I reply, waiting a beat before continuing, "We can't wait for it to return here, as you hopefully remember, we're behind enemy lines, we need to sneak out of here".
GLX pulls out a sidearm and hands it to Jess. "Just in case we need to shoot our way out", he gives a nod before putting his helmet back on. Heather and I disappear into our Guardians bodies, viewing through their eyes. I form Jess' helmet over her head and we start moving. GLX takes point with his scout rifle, scanning the areas with tactical efficiency. Jess keeps close, keeping the sidearm at her side. After we traverse a few more blocks GLX motions for Jess to stop. "Movement up ahead, I'd like to keep it quiet but if they shoot return fire" GLX states, crouched. Jess got down too and they begin to silently weave their was through the enemy patrols. For blocks the pair quietly move around the patrols and buildings, until the silence is broken. Jess slips on a loose piece of debris and falls, her hand tightening around the trigger of her gun and discharging a round in the middle of the street.
Jess quickly picks her head off the ground and turns to the other Hunter, "Shit, I'm sorry!" she yells, panicking as the Fallen surround their position.
GLX shrugs, stating "I was looking to do some shooting anyways". He quickly draws his hand cannon from it's holster and fires three shots from the hip, blowing the heads off of three Fallen before looking down to Jess with a nod, before getting back to shooting. Jess takes the queue and gets to her feet and aims at a Fallen dreg, but hesitates.
GLX notices Jess and gets back-to-back with her. "What's wrong Jess? Is the gun jammed?" GLX asks, shooting any Fallen that gets too close. "I-I can't, it's just as afraid as I am" Jess replies, lowering her gun a bit. The dreg Jess was aiming at retreats as a Fallen vandal takes it's chance, and runs straight towards Jess with it's two blades drawn. Jess quickly raises her gun and as she closed her eyes, pulled the trigger on her gun. The shot whizzed right through it's torso and the vandal falls forward onto the ground, it's head barely hitting Jess' boot tip. She takes a few deep breaths before opening her eyes and seeing the lifeless corpse on the ground before her.
"Fuck!" Jess looks down to the gun in her hand. "I-I killed it... I killed it... Oh god!".
GLX places a hand on her shoulder, "You protected yourself is what you did. Nothing to be ashamed about Jess" GLX says in a comforting tone. Jess turns to him, realizing her fear had blocked out the sound of dozens of other gunshots, judging by the pile of bodies on the ground.
"I-I don't think I can do this" Jess finally replies.
"We can discuss why that thought is wrong later, let's get out of here before any more show up" GLX suggests while loading a new cartridge into his hand cannon and moving forward. Jess silently nods follows his lead.