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Solid footsteps echoed empty halls as the duo pushed onward in their search for clues. The two hunters had stumbled across an abandoned settlement in their exploration of woodlands far outside the boundaries of the Last City and were on the hunt for anything to tell them about the establishment. Past information on the settlement would be a significant development that would further fuel their curiosity, that along with the danger, especially with spiral staircases now missing steps that seem to lead to nowhere as the next floor had already collapsed. Beautifully made stained glass refracted the sunlight gracing the area, coloring the floor. Their ghosts took turns scanning the decaying paintings found laying on the ground.
The end of a rifle was used to overturn one piece of art, causing a mix of beetles and a spider to scurry from their hiding spot. Drawers and crevices were checked for any indication of who could have inhabited the dwelling. Photos and scraps of paper were saved, held carefully in their decaying state, giving some indication that this could have possibly been built during the Dark Age, perhaps to some type of warlord. The duo had stopped back in the middle of the old sitting room, gazing up at the large dusted and cracked mirror above the intricately carved fireplace. The Celestial Nighthawk wearer took a photo of the fireplace and the both of them in the mirror before they moved on, making a note of where the building was located on the maps they were carrying.
They shook dust from their cloaks as they stepped into an abandoned courtyard, a ruined fountain stood in the middle, adorned with cherubs matching the previous dwelling’s decaying aesthetic with the wings of the child angels being gone. They pushed onward past the vegetation that had grown wild, following along a wall that encased the settlement’s entirety. The other homes built on the property seemed worse off than the first they’d investigated, windows smashed, whole roofs collapsed. Still they took their turns squeezing in the best they could before looking around and marking down the once dwellings on their maps. They both quickly agreed anything worth trying to find wouldn’t be found in the buildings worse for wear as they scurried along.
Eventually they found an area of most interest, an old forge set up, showing signs of being multi-use between building material and weapon forging. The ability to produce both was a sign that whoever settled here had been focused on building along with defending the place. The duo carefully looked through the assortment of unfinished swords and gun pieces, deciding that hinges and nails along with other such accessories aren't as exciting, before exploring the facility further. It was the sturdiest of the buildings laying on the property, built to withstand the elements that would have challenged the integrity, having heavy thick bricks and heartier beams to support the ceiling. The duo had decided to make a waypoint on their maps that way they knew how to get back to the safest building, adding the land markers they had found in the direction they’d come so they’d know for sure they were headed the right way if need be.
They’d gone through about half of the buildings by the time the sun had started to make its descent onto the horizon. Both of them had started making small talk, trying to bounce ideas back and forth on what the place truly could have been, they’d both joked how this could be a cool Crucible arena, while they did so they meandered the cobbled roads. It was decided between them that they’d make camp for the night in the old forge before sunset, having agreed it was best to leave the rest for tomorrow, they both set out doing a couple tasks to make camp. Hawk had gone to gather some usable dry wood to establish a fire in the old forge while Murdoc had been put in charge of laying out their sleeping bags and making the preparations for an over the fire meal. Before too long the Celestial Nighthawk wearer found his way back to the choice of camp, a stack of wood in his arms coming up to where he had to lift his chin to barely see over the pile he was carrying.
“Murdoc! I got the wood! I hope you’ve got a decent ramen cup or some shit, Traveler knows one of those Vanguard MRE baggies is trash, a pack of hot dogs would be better than that shit.” Hawk spoke loudly, dropping the wood on the floor before packing a good amount in the forge’s firepot.
He paused before lighting the fire, looking around after Murdoc didn’t respond to him. Sleeping bags were on the ground, a kettle for water and a bag of meal supplies were sitting close to the forge, the only thing that was missing was his fellow hunter. He sighed, looking for her in the adjacent workshop room before checking outside. As he went to look around the corner to the left he felt the hairs on his neck stand up, the feeling of being watched creeping over him as he had a shiver roll through his body.
“Murdoc!” He called out as he whipped around, dragging a knife out of its holster and clutching it in his hand, “Alright, ‘Doc, you’ve had your fun! Come out!”
While he was currently chalking it up to his fellow hunter playing tricks on him, he soon changed his mind. Not too far away the rumble of thunder was heard with the flash of arc energy emitting a burst of light, a loud shout following it, causing the lone hunter to take off in the direction he heard the ruckus, hoping to find his friend. He managed to clear half the distance before he registered the sound of hasty steps following his own, adrenaline starting to course through him, knowing he was being followed he started taking more evasive steps. Just as his line of sight granted him a glimpse at Murdoc a knife flew past him, he took a dodge, the cover of a marksman’s dodge sending him forward as he pushed on. Hawk gained the advantage on his stalker as he slid out of the almost alleyway, watching Murdoc struggle as a large Warlock had her arms pinned behind her back, gun knocked away from her leaving her legs kicking.
Hawk lifted his hand as his solar energy manifested golden gun as he used his super, the blazing gun being grasped in his hand as he sent a high powered shot straight into the Warlock’s head, their ghost appearing a moment later to revive their guardian as Murdoc scrambled to get beside her partner. She’d trained her gun she’d scooped off the floor behind his back as the hunter who’d been following Hawk appeared around the corner.
“One more move and I put my next round in your skull.” Murdoc threatened the hunter, aiming her gun for a precision shot.
“Rouge lights, not the best set up for y’all, makin’ it out here in the woods like such.” Hawk spoke, voice concealing a jitter running through him.
“Ya well what the hell are you two doing out here then?” The Hunter, masculine in vocal tone, spoke with aggression.
“Man we’re takin’ a vacation for the weekend our way, explorin’ some old dusty ruins!” Hawk shot back at the hunter, “You wanna get hostile brother? I can be hostile right back..”
The rouge hunter growled, “Fuck you, you already golden gunned my warlock!”
“Your buddy over yonder was about to off the wrong guardian, sees how you’re shacked up with ‘em, I don’t believe I have an ounce of kindness directed at you either.” Hawk spoke cold and smooth, watching as the Warlock’s ghost revived them.
The Warlock stumbled as their ghost revived them, a hand ghosting over the gun at their hip, helm looking across at the hunter accompanying them.
Hawk shook his head, “Don’t do anything stupid now, my partner here is real itchy to use her super, I’m sure you’d look amazing crisped by some arc.”
As Murdoc’s gaze waivers from her sights on the rogue hunter for but a moment, the slippery fiend dodges himself invisible, she snaps her sights back still landing a shot to his leg causing a moan of pain to come from him.
“Stupid, I’m a hunter too! Invisibility isn’t going to do anything for you when I know what to look for!” Murdoc spoke with almost a tone of a maniacal cackle laced in.
“Easy their cowgirl, I’m sure the fact you’re brimin with Arc will be a good reason for them to leave us the hell alone.” Hawk said pointedly at the Warlock in front of him, before saying directly to the Warlock, “She’s real good in Crucible, KDA of 1.6, she loves taking precision shots. Now I’ll tell you what, either I let her do her thing, hand your asses to you, one thing we do is beat ass while one thing we don’t is break ghosts. We have standards and morals that you backwater folk don’t seem to have. Or hey, we could also call the Vanguard on your wayward asses, sure Zavala and Ikora would love to discipline some dickheads who’re jumping some of their finest guardians, not to brag of course.”
The Warlock edged themselves forward with a step, hand dragging his gun from its holster.
“Wrong move.” Hawk spoke.
In a flash Murdoc was whipped around, arc staff hurling at the Warlock, striking them and pinning them against the ground with Gathering Storm as it went into their chest. All the while Hawk had switched his sights onto the Hunter, taking blows as the aggressor fired a side arm at him over and over again. He rushed forward, thankful for his high resilience, his Ghost pulling his shotgun into his hands, giving him the advantage to blow a hole into the fiend’s chest. The Hunter Duo huffed adrenaline coursed pants as two ghosts now lay before them.
“That move would have been illegal in the Crucible, letting your ghost put your gun in your hands?”
“Ain’t no Crucible, ain’t cheatin.” Hawk stepped forward, snatching the enemy hunter’s ghost, “Hey! Shit head! Better not revive him. ‘Doc, grab the Warlock’s ghost!”
Murdoc rolled her eyes, grabbing the warlock’s ghost in her hand gently, “Sorry-sorry- your guardian is just stupid.”
“Alright alright!” Both ghosts spoke before being let free to hover in front of the duo (from a quick nod from Hawk of course).
Murdoc and Hawk shared a look before looking back at the two hovering ghosts, their own peering over their shoulders.
“As we said, we aren’t ghost breakers, we’re Vanguard. While I’d love to hear why your two… lovely… light bearers have strayed from the path of being true Guardians, I believe the explanation would fall shortly on deaf ears at the moment.” Murdoc spoke to the ghosts.
Hawk nodded to what she was saying, tilting his helm side to side.
“Either way, just get the hell out of here, FAR from here, and if you’re smart you’ll convince them to go to The Tower in The Last City and join the Vanguard.” Murdoc said, almost scolding both ghosts.
Quickly, both ghosts flew off in a scurry, leaving behind them the bodies of their guardians in their wake.
“Since when do you explicitly advocate for the Vanguard?” Hawk asks Murdoc after the ghosts disappeared out of sight.
“Since I don’t like assholes, at least the Vanguard has structure.” Murdoc shrugged before looking directly at him, “You want to take the first shift tonight or should I? Ya know, just in case those two come back.”
“No, no, I got it, I’ll take the first watch. I’ll have my super before you anyway, even with all your intellect.”
“As you choose.”
Slowly the duo made their way back to their camp, they unceremoniously flopped down on their sleeping bags, leaning against the wall. They both took in deep calming breaths before they both started to laugh uncontrollably.
“Can’t ever just have our own time without something happenin’.” Hawk spoke up first.
“It’s always gotta be something.” Murdoc agreed.
“I’ll send in a report for the Vanguard while you sleep tonight, let them have a heads up instead of a story when we get back.”
“That is a wise choice, wouldn’t want them upset that we didn’t notify them right away.”
"What do you think they were after?"
"Whether it be sanctuary or jumping us for the sake of killing us, I figure we might not know."
"The Warlock seemed surprised to see me when he rounded the corner."
"I gotta ask … what made you wonder off?"
"Heard a noise and followed the instinct to go investigate it. Figured you were messing with me or you were actually in trouble and needed me."
A silent pause past through the air as their breaths finally evened out.
“Hey… Murdoc?”
“Yeah, Hawk?”
She looked over towards him as he pulled the Celestial Nighthawk helm from his head.
“I’m glad to know you’ll always have my six.” Hawk spoke softly, gazing into his own helm before looking up at her.
His eyes held a look that rested as fondness while pushed back behind what rested in micro emotions was something of a not too fond memory passing behind his eyes.
“Always.” Murdoc spoke to him as a promise.
That rested as the last spoken word to cross the air that night, their meal shared in a comfortable silence that casted into the night with only the wind providing whispers. Hawk sat at the edge of the forge’s threshold, gazing upward past the branches and leaves that clogged the night sky as a framework from nature. The comfort of the moon and the stars forging a blanketed pattern that filled in the gaps that the trees couldn’t block out. There in the abyss of starlight did the hunter allow himself to think of how lucky his own fortune was to be in the accompaniment of better friends and brighter light. He inhaled the night air, focusing his breathing, before closing his eyes and simply listening.
Hawk could have this moment, this memory, all to himself, a treasure all for him to spoil in. Cool night air in front of him, warm forge fire behind, and the quiet noises of woodland creatures with only the moonlight as his illumination. He looked over his shoulder to check on Murdoc before back out into the night. Soon his datapad was in his hand and he was sending the Vanguard a quick message about what happened before once again resuming his previous activity of enjoying the night. There he soon sat until the early hours of the morning just as light began to graze the earth, whether too enveloped in the moment or simply forgetting to switch watch in the middle of the night.
Behind him Murdoc stirred as the light casted in, rousing from her sleep in quick fashion, rising to her feet and shuffling over to relieve him of his nightly duties. She patted his shoulder as a recognition of the act as he went to switch places, her body collapsing in the spot he once sat.
“Wake me by noon or sooner if you need me.” Hawk told her.
“Will do, sleep tight.”
He bedded down beside the warmth of the forge, his eyes closing and slumber falling across him in a wave of exhaust quicker than he’d ever admit, but hey, it’s a soothing feeling to fall asleep to when you know your best friend will forever have your back (And fight through hell or high water for you).