//------------------------------// // Ship Hunting // Story: Destiny DLC: The Gathering Light // by observer of dimensions //------------------------------// Finished editing the chapter. A couple things: The term is LMG. Large Machine Gun. Not MLG. Major League Gaming. And what's the rule on exotic weapons? Soren has the Last Word, too? Just wondering! Twilight Sparkle laid comfortably in the bed of the new apartment. The sun had risen over an hour and while she normally was up-and-at-’em by now, she was still asleep, blissfully unaware that Nox-23 was peeking into the room from the doorway. While it may seem like he was being creepy, he was actually just checking up on her. Thankfully she seemed to have settled in quite nicely. Nox-23 watched her for a few more seconds before closing the door behind him and leaving. The kitchen was his next destination. A short walk down the small hallway he reached it, his Ghost already there waiting for him. He had a very important mission ahead of him. The needed armor and weapon was laid out before him. It took him mere moments to put on the armor and to grab the weapon. He turned to his Ghost raising his weapon--the spatula--up. "I'm ready." The first body part on Twilight to wake was her nose. A heavenly scent found it's way into her nasal cavity. The aroma reached her olfactory receptors and then to her brain. Once it reached the synapses they started firing, waking other parts of her mind. Her eyes fluttered open as she continued to sniff the air. Slowly, she crawled out of bed, rubbing her eye as she followed the smell out of her room. Twilight sauntered down the hall. She could hear something sizzling on the stove. "It doesn't look like I burnt it, so I think it's good." A voice she recognized as Nox-23 spoke out. "Well the only thing we can do now is let her eat it. I did download Equestrian medical books, so if she starts to turn blue in the face or vomiting I'll be here to save her from certain death by your cooking." The smell and curiosity drove Twilight forward into the kitchen. As she entered she witnessed Nox-23 in an apron holding a frying pan in one hand and a specula in the other, walking to a small table in the middle of the room. His Ghost floated besides him. "What's going on here?" Nox-23 and his Ghost halted, the specula hovered over the frying pan. Nox-23 blinked, Twilight blinked, Ghost blinked. "Um, making breakfast for you." Nox-23 replied. The Exo resumed moving the specula into the frying pan bringing it out again a moment later with an omelet. Twilight's eyes widened. Her stomach made her desire for food known to the world in the form of a deep and boisterous grumble. Twilight's face turned beat red and the floor became much more interesting than the rest of the room. Nox-23 chuckled at the embarrassed mare. "Looks like your stomach has made the choice for you. Grab a seat and a fork and dig in. I just hope I cooked it well enough, never prepared food before on... the rather obvious account that neither Ghost or I eat." Twilight quietly hoisted herself up on to the chair. picking up a fork that had already been placed on the table, she used it to cut a piece of the omelet. A moment later it was in her mouth. She chewed on it a few moments, then swallowed. "Well?" Out of her peripheral vision, she could see Nox-23 leaning forward with the what would be the best pleading look his face could give." "It's good." "Yes!" Nox-23 yelled out a little too loud, earning a perplexed look from both Twilight and his Ghost. Thankfully, he was saved from the awkward silence by a knock on the door. "I’ll get that." Nox-23 fled from the room. Twilight and the Ghost watched him go. "He forgot to take off the apron, didn't he?" Twilight inquired. "Yep." Nox-23 made his way to the door mulling over his previous action. Opening the door revealed to him a sight that made him question the level of functionality of his optical sensors. On the other side was a tall male. this man looked like he was in his fifties. his whole body was slender, giving him a snake like appearance. He had a white goatee but black hair that was slicked back. A pair of bright brown eyes looked back at him. What he was wearing was even stranger. On the top his head was a brown hat with the word FEDUPS written on the front, the button-up shirt he wore was also brown. His pants were... very unusual. It looked like the pants were shorts the same color as the rest of the outfit, but with two different leggings sewed on. The left leg was tan and the right was green. "Delivery for Twilight Sparkle." The man spoke mirthfully. A second later he held up two packages wrapped in brown paper. "...What?" The man just continue to smile. "These packages contain very important items for the little pony princess. I'm just here to deliver them like I was asked." The man then shoved the packages into Nox-23’s chest, causing him to grab it by reflex. Nox-23 was caught by surprise by the weight of the packages. He looked down at them, examining them curiously. "'Well, I have done what I came here to do. Better go before people expect more from me. Toodles." Nox-23 raised his head to asked the strange man questions but found himself looked at thin air. The odd man had just disappeared. A quick glance down both sides of the hallway confirmed that Nox-23 was alone. His Ghost floated up next to him. "Who was it." "I... I don't know. He gave me these two then left. Wait, Ghost scan these packages, tell me if they’re dangerous." The Ghost responded immediately shining a blue light out of it's eye. A moment later it stopped. "It's clear... and actually something we need- or should I say Twilight needs. Nox-23, let's head back in. We need to give those to Twilight.” Even though slightly confused by his own Ghost Nox-23 did not turn down the request and stepped away from the door before closing it tactfully with a foot. Returning to the kitchen, Nox-23 spotted Twilight washing her plate. She was standing on her back legs, front legs on the counter as she used her magic to hold the plate underneath the faucet. An ear twitch informed Nox-23 that she had noticed his reentry "Who was at the do-" She stopped, catching sight of the package carrying Exo. The mare's eyes followed the Guardian as he walked to the table setting the packages down on it. "Some oddly dressed person delivered these saying they were for you. Ghost cleared them, so they are safe to open.” Twilight turned her sights the Ghost with a raised eyebrow. "Open them. I'm sure you are going to like them.” The Ghost said sagely. Eyebrow still raised, Twilight walked to the table using her magic to levitate the two items to meet her partway. She ripped the paper away from the first package revealing a box. She opened the box and peered inside. An expression of puzzlement morphed into one of surprised interest. A helmet was lifted out of the box. Nox-23 may not be knowledgeable with all the armor worn by Guardians, but he could definitely tell that it was the modified helmet Eva had spoken of. It's face section was elongated to fit Twilight's head in it and on top was a cone shape protrusion for her horn. Twilight was grinning happily as she examined the final piece of her armor set. The moment passed once she recalled the second package seated next to her. Quickly, she repeated the process of opening the package and this time the item within drove Twilight to squeal. It was glorious, it was beautiful, IT WAS BOOKS. She reached forth, wanted to feel the book in her hooves. She froze, she could read the title, why? Because it as in equestrian. She levitated the stack of books in the air so she could read the titles of all of them. "Equestrian books?" The Ghost vocalized it's thoughts. "And ones that I have not seen before. Nox-23, who gave you these?" Nox-23 relayed the description of the strange man to the Ghost and Twilight. "this... delivery man doesn't match anyone on record nor is there a company by the name of FEDUPS. What's more is that I just got a massage from Eva telling me that the helmet was taken and a note saying that the helmet is being delivered. Who is this guy?" "I think I know." The Ghost and Exo lowered their sight down to their purple companion. The Ghost raised it's top prong "You do?" Twilight nodded. "From what Nox-23 said about him he sounds a lot like Discord." Nox-23 blinked. The name didn't help him at all, but from the looks of it his Ghost did. "You mean the Spirit of Chaos?" Twilight replied with a nod. "But isn't he suppose to be a... what was it... draconequus" Twilight stared blankly at the floating A.I. "He is a very powerful magical creature who can do things that make your head spin... literally." "Touché." "Wait." Nox-23 spoke up. "If this Discord is powerful enough to travel from your planet to ours without a ship, could we not ask for his help to fight against the Darkness?" The Ghost tilted to the left side. It had not considered that thought. Twilight frowned and the hope that had been drained away from Nox-23 and his Ghost. "unfortunately, as much as Discord likes to spread chaos, and being our friend, he is a pacifist. He may scare you, prank you, and even do some things that may seem harmful but he will never raise a paw, claw or any other limb against another living creature." Twilight let loose a defeated sigh. "I’ve actually asked before and he answered that there can be no chaos if everything is destroyed, and he won't live for that." A moment of silence passed. "Well, I should put on my armor. We need to get going, right?" Nox-23 and his Ghost nodded. With there nothing more to discuss, Twilight exited the room vai teleport leaving her roommates to wait for her. The Tower was as busy as it had been the day before. Tower staff and Guardians roamed about attending to their errands. Twilight's entry into the main hub of the Tower drew more than a few pairs of eyes, but with the large Exo Titan beside her, watching ever so carefully, none made the move to greet her or bombard her with questions. Twilight seemingly did not notice the rise and fall of the public's interest. She instead was reading the book that hovering in front of her face. "wow you're really into that book." The Ghost commented. Twilight made no reply beyond turning a page. The Ghost looked over to its partner. "She's really into that book. I'm surprised she hasn't run into anything yet.” Nox-23 nodded in agreeance. "What is she reading, anyway. So far. only you and her know Equestrian." "With titles like Understanding Dark Magic and Arcana Manifesto I think they are about spells." "High level and even some controversial spells." Finally Twilight spoke, lowering her book. "There Is a book on war tactics and strategies, too; but I haven't gotten to it yet. If I didn't know any better, I would say these books come from the rumored Secret Archive." Nox-23 would have risen a brow if he had one. "Secret Archive?" Twilight nodded half-heartedly. "Yes, a secret location that holds books too dangerous for the public, but shouldn't be destroyed. I'm grateful that Celestia and Luna trust me enough to give me these. It will take some time but I will learn these spells... anyway, aren't we meeting someone. "Yes, someone by the name of Erin Vaspor." The Ghost replied. "Well then this is convenient" Two heads and one body turned toward the direction of the voice. Walking toward them was a female hunter, completely armored up. The most noticeable and recognizable armor she wore was the Lucky Raspberry chest piece and Venom of Ikaheka cloak. "I was waiting for you to show up," she spoke with a hint of agitation. "I'm sorry, there wasn't an exact time giving, so we thought we were arriving at a decent time." Twilight offered as her apology. The female Hunter glanced down at the little pony. She held her hand up to her head then shook it. "Look, it's not a big deal. I'm just a little pissed off that my friend Cait ended up going off to help someone else in a Crucible match instead joining our fireteam." Nox-23 nodded in understanding. he too had been part of a plan to get together with a team that ended up falling apart. "I'm sorry about your plans falling through, but we can still do it with just us three, right?" Nox-23 watched the young mare plead to the Hunter. "Yea, we could." She sighed. "But I would rather have another experienced Guardian with us to make up for having an inexperienced one like yourself." Erin rubbed the back of her helmet. "But I guess as long as you shoot and listen to orders, I guess we’ll be okay." Erin stared and Nox-23 for a few moments before he realized that she wanted to say something. “Oh, right, you don't have to worry about Twilight we were out in the field yesterday and she handled herself very well." Out of the corner of his eye he could see Twilight looking up at him with a large smile on her face. Satisfied with his answer, Erin turned around. "Alright, I'll take your word for it. link up with me in orbit, then we’ll head out toward our destination." She said over her shoulder. A second later she disappeared in flash of light. Nox-23 and Twilight soon followed. Erin Vaspor sat in her ship the Quiet Content Damsel waiting silently for Nox-23 and Twilight to join her. Truthfully, she did not know what to think of the little equine. She had been there when the Speaker introduced the mare. Many were caught up in the moment, cheering for the newcomer. Erin, however, was taken in by the excitement like everyone else had. Don't get her wrong, it's nice to have an alien species that isn't out to kill you; but how much did they know about this Equestrian creature? Besides the Guardian who found them, no one had a clue about them. Then there was Twilight herself. Just looking at her Erin felt that she didn't belong, or rather, she was out of place. "Nox-23 has linked up with us and his heading our way but... There seems to be a problem with his ship." Any further thoughts into the subject were halted by the voice of her Ghost. Curios, Erin looked to her HUD, finding Nox-23’s ship immediately, as it was the only one heading to her. It only took a few seconds to realize that there was something wrong with his trajectory. The ship was all over the place. One moment it was veering far right, the next it was veering far left. The vertical movement wasn't much better. The ship would ascend only to dip downward before ascending again. Finally, the exo’s ship leveled out next to Erin's. The hunter waited for any more oddities, but when there were none she decided to contact Nox-23 to see what the heck was going on. "Nox, what just happened?" "... Sorry. I was teaching Twilight how to pilot a jumpship." Came Nox-23’s reply. If anyone had the ability to see past Erin's helmet they would have seen a deadpan stare. Choosing now of all times to teach the pony did not sit well with Erin. Yes, Twilight should learn; but not when they’re about to go on an important mission. Instead of blowing up on them, she kept her calm. She refocused herself on her piloting and the Question that Nox-23 just so happened to be asking right at that moment. "So, where are these blueprints that you found? I wasn't told much past that and the contact info. " A city in Egypt. During a patrol mission my Ghost found a database depicting a building that use to be an R&D for ships. Unfortunately there wasn't any time to go there, and since then Fallen activity has increased to the point that soloing it is a death sentence. Anything else?" "Nope, we're good." With that, communications ended, leaving the two ships to fly silently to their destination. Fifteen minutes later the two ships landed in an abandon stadium within what was once a beautiful city. Now, it lay in ruins. buildings in decrepit states due to long forgotten battles and the age of time. Dust everywhere, giving the city a yellowish look. It was not a pretty sight, but then again the Guardians weren't there to go sightseeing. Once they had transmatted down, Erin immediately stretched out her arm, her Ghost appeared hovering a few inches above her hand. "Ghost, find the shortest route to the R&D building." Without waiting for a reply, Erin spoke again, but this time to the teammates behind her. "Sorry, but this is the closest we can get. There are too many Fallen elsewhere." "I can't get up." Confused by the reply, Erin turned her head to see what was happening. What she saw made her facepalm . Laying on her side was Twilight in her full suit of armor. On her back was an LMG. Nox-23 and his Ghost Stared down at her, unsure whether to laugh or help the poor pony. Today was going to be a long day. It didn't take long for Twilight to get back on her hooves, though minus one LMG. "What were you two trying to do?” Erin asked her partners. Twilight glanced at her for a moment but looked away, face slightly red in embarrassment. Nox-23 was the one to answer instead. "Yesterday, we just had her using one gun at a time. On the way here we decided to give her a full load out... Which, as you saw, didn't work out.” "Well, she can at least have a loadout of two weapons, so we can do that instead." Nox-23’s Ghost suggested. "Well, if you guys are done, we need to go. Got a lot of ground to cover. Better get out your sparrows.” As if on cue, a small vehicle appeared right next to Erin. She hopped on and turned her head back to see Twilight and Nox-23, waiting for them. Nox-23 had also summoned his Sparrow. Twilight gazed at the integrating piece of machinery until Nox-23 patted the space behind him. "There’s room for you here." Twilight's wings sprung out in response. "I can fly, you know," she said grinning. "I hate to damper your enthusiasm, but I have seen you fly, and while you might be able to keep up for a little bit, you’re going to be too tired to do anything when we finally get there." Twilight's grin disappeared at the word's of Nox-23’s Ghost. Her wings drooped down before folding back against her body. In her excitement she had forgotten they were on a mission with unknown dangers ahead. Defeated, she quietly got on the back of the Sparrow. However, once she got on, a new problem arose. How was she suppose to ride this thing. She was seating on her flank and all four legs tightly press against each other in order to keep her balance on the Sparrow. Luckily, Nox-23 had already solved the problem. Nox-23 leaned forward on the Sparrow. He then raised one hand and patted the back of his shoulder. Twilight seemed to only stare at him, not sure what he was implying. "Put your hooves on my shoulders and hold on as tight as you can." Twilight hesitated for a moment, but eventually did as she was asked. Her armored body pressed up against the Exo's back as she hooked her hooves around his shoulders. The new position caused her hind legs to spread until they hung off the sides of the seat. It felt awkward to say the least, but it worked better for Twilight than the previous position. Once he felt that Twilight was secure he twisted the ignition, sending the Sparrow forward. Twilight felt the sudden acceleration almost pry her away from Nox-23. With a half-gasp-half-scream she hugged Nox-23’s body tighter than before. It was a good thing he was an Exo or else he would have bruises where the Alicorn was holding on to him. Instead of heading straight to the exit Nox-23 begin to drive around the stadium. He did so hoping that it would help is passenger get use to riding the Sparrow. Only when Twilight's grip loosened a bit did he head off to their destination. Erin soon followed, glad that they were finally moving forward with the mission. Twilight was having a wonderful time. It had been scary in the beginning when Nox-23 first put the Sparrow into action, but now it was enjoyable. The only regret Twilight had was that she couldn't take off her helmet. She wanted to feel the breeze in her mane, the rush of air passing her face, the sound of something coming from behind them... The sound of something behind them? Twilight jerked her head around, looking behind them. She had heard a humming sound in the distance. The worry that had gathered in her gut was well justified. Coming up from behind them were Fallen on their own form of land vehicle. "We're being followed!" Twilight yelled. Erin cursed out loud as she glanced back to confirm Twilight's claim. She had hoped that they wouldn't run into the enemy till much later. "Is there anything we can do?" the mare asked. Nox-23 shook his head. "Not at the moment. Sparrows have speed over Fallen Pikes, but they-" Nox-23;s words were interrupted by a ball of blue light shooting past them. "-have built in weapons." The next moment a barrage of bullets were fired upon them. Erin and Nox-23 pushed their accelerator, giving their Sparrows the extra boost to increase the distance between them and the Fallen. The pikes continued to fire at the two Sparrows. Erin and Nox-23 began to dodge and weave in order to avoid getting hit. It was unlikely they would be able to keep it up for long. "How many are behind us?" Erin yelled. "Two... Pikes." Twilight answered. Erin took a quick peek to see the position of the enemy. She reached down toward her leg and grabbed the Hand Cannon on it. It's dark greenish black color gave it a sinister look. The Thorn as it was called was not a gun anyone would want to looked down the barrel of. She raised the gun behind her and once again took a peek to aim correctly. "LOOK OUT!" Erin's Jerked around just in time to see a large pile of debris in front of her. Quickly she pulled her hand back onto the handle with the gun still in it and activated her side boosters pushing her Sparrow sideways barely avoiding the pile. "Here let me." Twilight called out to her. Erin didn't know what the pony was talking about until she saw a purple aura surrounding the Thorn. In a somewhat confused manner, she raised the gun once again, but this time her actions were guided by the aura. Once again, her hand was outstretched behind her. The Thorn moved around slightly by Twilight's magic when suddenly-- "Fire!" Hearing Twilight yell Erin immediately pulled the trigger, allowing one bullet to leave the chamber. Faster than the human--or equine--eye, the bullet traveled through the air and straight into the throat of the Fallen Dreg riding the Pike. The Dreg let go of the Pike's handles, trying to grab it's injured throat when it suddenly ignited. With no one controlling it, the Pike pivoted into the side of a building, exploding on impact. Right after the shot was fired Twilight once again used her magic to move the Thorn again. Just as Twilight was making the final adjustments she felt a burning sensation on her back, then came the pain. Twilight yelped, losing concentration on her magic. Hearing Twilight yelp seemingly renewed the Dreg's vigor and it's attack on the those in front of it. "Twilight!" Nox-23 yelled. He could say no more. His attention had to be focused on dodging the hail of bullets. "I-I'm ok." Twilight replied. Her voice was strained. The pain had subsided greatly but her mind had not gotten over the fact that she had been hit. Nox-23 clenched the Sparrow's handles, he knew it was bound to happen. No Guardian would come away from years of fighting without a scratch. Still, it didn't make it that much easier. Now wasn't the time to worry about such matters, surviving the attack was the priority. The Pikes guns were slightly drowned out by the louder and closer sound of Erin firing her Thorn once again. None of her shots hit their mark but did succeed in driving the Dreg back. Out of the corner of his eye Nox-23 saw something glowing from a building with a big gaping hole in the middle. The origin of the glowing light moved quickly, as if it were lighting. It sailed over the Guardians, landing next to the Pike as it passed by. the impact created by the light caused a shockwave to form. The Dreg and it's pike were caught in it destroying both in a fiery explosion. Nox-23 and Erin stopped the Sparrows, maneuvering them sideways to get a better look at what had destroyed their enemy. A single object rested in the middle of the road. Slowly, it rose; taking on the more recognizable form of an armored bipedal creature. A bipedal creature looking very much like a Titan. The newcomer turned to face the three Guardians. Seconds passed as they stared at each other, then it spoke. "Sup." Erin and Nox-23 turned their heads toward each other. Twilight's head broke over the horizon that was Nox-23s back joining the baffled stares. All three of them looked back at the Titan. Twilight made the first move by jumping off the Sparrow and toward the Titan. Nox-23 and Erin soon followed, weapons drawn just incase. "Hello, I'm Twilight. Thank you for saving our hides." "No problem, So you're the one everyone is talking about." The Titian bowed slightly to Twilight. "I'm Soren. Just your average Titan looking for adventure. I'm Guessing those two are part of your fireteam.” He casually motioned to the two humanoids behind Twilight. The Pony nodded. "Yes. That’s Nox-23 and Erin." Nox-23 waved at the sound of his name while Erin lazily flicked her wrist. Soren waved back. "though, I have to ask why you’re here; this isn't exactly a hotspot even with there being so many Fallen." "We are on a mission to retrieve blueprints of ships hidden in an R & D building in the city." Erin answered. "You up to helping us?" The surprise on Twilight's and Nox-23’s faces were hidden by their helmet. Just a few minutes ago Erin was seemingly annoyed by their antics yet now she wanted a fourth to join. "Originally we were going to have a fourth with us, but he's occupied. with you, that spot would be filled." Erin explain, conveniently answering Twilight and Nox-23's question. Soren nodded and Erin turned back to her Sparrow. Nox-23 and Twilight started to do so as well. "We might want to use an alternate means of getting there, though." Erin stopped and looked back. "Why is that?" "As I said before, the Fallen are everywhere. It wouldn't take long before another Pike patrol is on our tail again." "Have something in mind?" The Titan smiled even if no one could see it. "You know... When I suggested this... I didn't think your hunter friend would leave us... in the dust like that," Soren huffed. He was breathing heavily. muscles burning from the work they were doing. He and Nox-23 were running. Running not on the ground but on the roofs of buildings. Twilight, having the gift of wings, was flying just above the two. Erin, on the other hand, had simply stated that she would scout ahead then took off in a flash. "Well she is a Hunter. they are suppose to be fast." Nox-23 pointed out. Unlike his companions, he wasn't as affected by running long distances. "True, though I kind of wish I had wings right now." Feeling the envious glare from Soren, Twilight shook her head and tilted it down to look back at the Titan below her. "I'm tiring out... just as fast as you are." "Yeah, but wings... Flying... Still cool in my book." Twilight couldn't help smiling at his words. Surely Rainbow Dash was a better example of how cool flying could be; but being the one to impress a Guardian, even in this small way, was rewarding. Up ahead there was a gap between the buildings, divided by the street below. The gap was too big to jump, but not for teleportation. Twilight Sparkle was already warming up her spell to cast. "Wait." Out of thin air Erin appeared, hands up and motioning the three of them to stop. Nox-23 and Soren stopped relatively easy, only taking a few more steps before standing tall once more. Twilight, on the other hoof... Once Erin had called out, Twilight immediately tried to stop along with the two Guardians. She was met with less success. Twilight turned her body, sticking her legs out in front of her and spreading her wings to catch as much air as she could. The result of her attempt was a braking noise in the air before she lost altitude fast and landed roughly on her flank. Had she not been wearing armor she would have had very sore hindquarters. "Twilight, you ok?" Nox-23 asked. Twilight nodded while on hoof rubbed her flank. Only when Twilight had completely recovered from her mishap and focused her attention on the Hunter did Erin speak once more. "There is a Fallen Patrol on the road below us." "That doesn't sound bad to me." Soren proclaimed. His hand reached down to the hand cannon on his leg. “Doesn't matter how many there are, I will still have the Last Word." "They have tanks," Erin replied deadpanned. Soren's hand paused then retracted away from his gun. The air tensed up. "You said tanks, as in plural. how many are we talking about?" Nox-23 asked. "Three. They haven't moved because one of them is being repaired on the spot. Some sort of leg problem. We need to find a way around them. We need a plan." Erin bent down and started drawing her finger through the dusty roof. Soren bent down closer to watch her draw a diagram of their surroundings. Neither of them noticed a silent head nodding between Nox-23 and Twilight. "-Blinking won't work either, so-" Erin and Soren's vision suddenly went dark. Fearing for the worse, the two of them reached for their primary weapon; touching them just as the world around them reappeared. Something was different, however. Taking a look at their surroundings, they noticed they weren't in the same place as before. They were still on a roof, but on the other side of the street. "What are the two of you waiting for? let's go," Twilight called out to them. Twilight and Nox-23 were watching them as if nothing had changed at all. "What the fuck happened?" Hunter and Titan asked at the same time. "I just teleported us to the other side." Twilight shrugged. "Saved us some time. So, are guys ready to head onward?" She turned and left, jogging to the next building. Nox-23 followed right behind her, the two of them laughing quietly at the baffled Erin and Soren. "Ok so you can teleport.... What else can you do?" Five minutes of jogging over rooftops before anything was said, and that’s what it was. It so happened to be Soren who broke the silence, too. He and Erin had been quietly pondering what power their little four-legged friend is hiding in that adorable form. The mare in question smiled. "A lot, actually. So far, I have Learned exactly two hundred and thirteen spells and..." Twilight slammed a hoof on the ground. "I know! Why don't I give you all a lecture on magic after the mission? that way all your question can be answered!” She spoke with great enthusiasm, which some would describe as more along the lines of lunacy. "What have you done?! You have doomed us all!” Nox-23's Ghost cried out in horror. Twilight shot a hard glare at where the Ghost had just disappear. "Why you-" Twilight's retort was cut short by the sound of the ground creaking. a second later the floor underneath them gave out, sending the four of them falling into the building below. Twilight was the first to recover from her fall. instantly, she began scouring the room. It was mostly barren. A single lantern was lit, brightening up where the hole in the roof could not. Two pairs of glowing eyes stared back at her. Twilight jumped to her hooves, ready to defend herself and her friends. The owners of the eyes did nothing, giving the pony a time to truly examine them. They both wore Titan armor and appeared to be humanoid. Both had white hair and pale yellowish skin. Their eyes were icy blue. Her ears swerved at Several groans beside her. The others picked themselves up before realizing Twilight was staring at something. One of the Awoken lifted a hand, in it was some sort of meaty substance. "Chicken, anyone?" "Sure." Soren walked out of the rubble, taking off his helmet and revealing his human head with brown hair and blue eyes. "So you’re the pony everyone’s talking about these days." Twilight's attention was drawn to the twin of the man handing a piece of chicken to Soren. "You know, you’re smaller than I thought you’d be." "I'm sorry, but who are you?" The Awoken's eyes widened at Twilight's proclamation. "oh, sorry. "I'm Jenkins and next to me is my brother Leroy." Twilight immediately recognized the names. "You’re famous." Jenkins chuckled. "Brother, our reputation precedes us." "Of course it would, with the type of stunts you two do." Nox-23 guffawed. "Hey they aren't stunts, they are tactical maneuvers." The two brothers jumped out and proudly puffed out their chests. Nox-23, Twilight and Erin rolled their eyes. Soren continued to eat his chicken. "So, what brings you out here, if you don't mind me asking?" Leroy asked. "A mission to the R & D building," the happy and satisfied Soren answered. Twilight’s ears perked up, an idea forming in her head. "hey, why don't the two of you join us?" The Twins shot each other a ponderous look before turning back to address the question. Jenkins eyes, however, didn't focus on the pony. Instead, they looked passed her to the person standing behind her. "I'm sorry, but we have other plans. I'm sure you guys can handle it on your own." He smiled. His brother raised a brow at him, but said nothing. Twilight was downtrodden by the refusal, but made no complaint. They were celebrities, after all; surely they had more important things to do. "Soren, if you’re done, lets keep moving. the building is close," Erin finally spoke. Soren nodded vigorously as he stumbled to get his helmet back on. Once he was done with that, the four of them left the room one by one. Nox-23 gave them a salute goodbye while Twilight waved for hers. When the sounds of footsteps faded into nothingness. Leroy leaned toward his brother. "Why did you decline. I was about to say yes." "...because, dear brother, I believe by agreeing we would be trespassing on someone else’s territory, and we both know what that feels like." The four teammates finally made it to R & D building, or at least near it. They were hiding inside the first floor of a long forgotten business building. In the middle of a Y intersection was their goal. Unfortunately, it seem that the Fallen had made it their goal as well. Several squads of Fallen ranging from Skanks to Captains roamed around the outside of the building. "Well, I don't think walking in is an option. maybe we should wait and see if it dies down a bit," Soren suggested. "No! not now. Not when we’re so close!" Erin received harsh stares from both Nox-23 and Twilight. Any louder and she would attract attention. "W-what... why? You see how many are out there, and there’s got to be more inside. Why are these blueprints so important?" "You wouldn't understand." Erin said with a huff. She collapsed against a pile of debris, lowering her head in defeat. Today just wasn't her day. She had hoped that it would be an easy, in easy out; but now it looked like her team was going to abort the mission, and even she wasn't dumb enough to continue on her own. She was very surprised when she felt a hoof touch her shoulder. Slowly, she raised her head to face the pony. "Why don't you tell us, anyway. Who knows, we might surprise you on how much we understand." The helmets prevented either one from seeing the other's facial expression, but Erin felt somewhere deep down that the pony truly cared for her wellbeing. "fine, fine," She huffed. "Look... um, have any of you wanted to be recognized for something great?" Twilight knew very well what Erin meant, but keep silent. "I... I want my name to be remembered. I'm not trying to get a big reputation like The Twins or the 'Golden Duelist,' something small is fine with me. I just want my contribution to be seen, to be real, with substance. and this; this is my attempt to do so. I know it sounds selfish, but I really want to do this. I really want to help the tower, but I want to do so while I make a name for myself." "All righty then let's get this done before it's too late." Erin's head shot up. "Wh-what? You still want to go?" Twilight nodded her head. "Yes. It may not be the same thing, but I was once the prized student of my nation's ruler. There were times when I felt the need to prove myself worthy of that position, and in order to do that I needed to do something that would stand above all else. In the end the Princess reassured me that I didn't have to prove myself and that what I was doing was enough, but because of that I know how you are feeling, and we're not about to give up on you. Isn't that right, Nox?" "Of course." The Exo glanced outside. "But we need a plan." Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin for a few good seconds. "I... I think I have one, but we are going to need your help, Soren. Are you in?" SInce the beginning of Erin's explanation, Soren had been keeping watch as he listened in. Originally, he had joined just for kicks and for any interesting finds. If it became too much, he would have probably bail at the earliest convenience and when his partners weren't in danger. Now he found himself going against that plan all because of an ambitious Hunter and a kind and caring pony. "Ok, you have my guns. What's the plan?" The three humanoids gathered around the Alicorn as she explained what they were going to do. It does not matter what race, clan or Faction you belong to; Guard duty sucks. It suck especially for the Dreg roaming outside an important looking building. It hadn't been told much, but that wasn't anything new. Most of the Dregs in it's House were barely told anything. It hated that. How is it going to raise in the ranks if it was never told anything? Oh, how it dreamed of regaining it's second pair of arms. A flash of purple light and a thud on the ground caught it's attention. it looked down to see what had appeared. It was a small metal object that looked a lot like-. The Dreg never finished it's thought. The object exploded killing, any Fallen close by and blinding any who survived the worst of it. Through the broken windows of the build he was hiding in Soren let loose a torrent of bullets from his LMG. As he took down the blinded enemies other Fallen rushed in, already firing their weapons at The Titan. At that moment Nox-23, from inside a building to the right of the R & D building, fired his Truth at the unsuspecting Fallen. Erin did the same from the left, using her Swarm. Soren ducked down behind the window Immediately upon running out of ammo. Twilight popped up with the Ice Breaker, firing at every Fallen that came into her scope. Soren reloaded his LMG, but instead of using it again he switched to his Last Word, joining Twilight in taking down more Fallen. Erin, having also run out of ammo, hid against the wall next to her window. "Captain and some Vandals heading your way," Nox-23 informed her over the comm link. A moment later she could hear the faint yells of the Fallen coming closer. In anticipation of their arrival, the hunter activated her Light, trading her gun for blades and sending ark energy through them. Two Vandals busted through the doorway. Erin was on them like a cat to a mouse. It took one stroke of her blade each to down them. A hail of bullets was fired at her from beyond the doorway. unable to dodge, she took the shot to her body. cringing from the pain, she became invisible. The captain that attacked her cursed in it's native tongue, starting to backpedal away from the room. It failed to escape as Erin's first strike cut through it's shield and the second one beheading it. A blue engram popped out of it's body, which Erin took. Her energy finally ran out. The knives were traded once more for guns. A moment of silence was all it took for her to realized that the silence extended to the outside. Without looking back at the corpses, Erin rushed to the stairs and to her companions. Nox-23 and Soren stood in front of the R & D building, waiting from their last two members. None of them had gone to aid Erin for they believe that she could take care of herself. The Hunter in question walked out of the building she had been in no worse for ware. "Looks like the plan worked. For being a greenhorn, Twilight isn't that bad." A short giggle came from above. All three raised their heads to see their fourth and only non-humanoid companion gliding down to them. "It's all clear above us. No snipers or hiding Fallen." "Right, then let's head in." The four of them took off, running into the building. They entered the lobby, which was devoid of Fallen. Past the Kiosk were two large staircases leading up to a second floor with two open corridors. the first floor had a single large corridor in the middle. "There is an elevator at the end of this corridor that will take us down to where we need to go," Erin's Ghost directed them. They were left unmolested as they made their way. The elevator doors were closed, but that meant nothing to an Exo. Nox-23 easily pried it open to reveal... an empty shaft. "So how do we get down? I can't see the bottom, it wouldn't be a good idea to teleport." Twilight asked, looked into the abyss below. Soren tapped something next to her. She looked to see an old rusted ladder. "Oh." The three humanoids climbed down the ladder as Twilight slowly glided down besides them, ready to use magic just incase the ladder broke. At the bottom was the broken remains of the elevator. Beyond the door, noises and voices belonged to anything other than Fallen. "Guys, I don't know about you, but I don't think it would be a good idea to fight them in such close quarters," Soren whispered. “We don't even have anywhere to go." "It’s very unlikely we’ll get through this without taking a few hits," Nox-23 stated in a dishearten tone. "Actually, I might have something that could help." The Titian’s and Hunter stared down at Twilight, ready to hear more. "Well, I know a spell that could help. I can place it on a grenade as you throw it... but, once I cast it, you all need to look away." The three contemplated for a short time. Twilight had not steered them wrong, why not follow her lead once again? They set themselves up so that Erin and Soren would open the door while Nox-23 threw his magnetic grenade. The two humans watched as Nox-23 silently counted down from three to one. At one, the two of them pulled hard on the elevator doors, prying them open just enough for Nox23 to throw the grenade. As it flew through the air Twilight casted her spell. Nox-23 closed his eyes and Erin and Soren looked away. Once it had crossed the door's threshold and into the group of unsuspecting and surprised Fallen, Twilight yelled them to close it, and so they did. There was the sound of Fallen yelling at each other, then an explosion, followed by a second one. Twilight opened the doors with her magic, allowing everyone to see the carnage. Bodies of Fallen were everywhere. most of the bodies were blackened by the explosions. There was, however, a space in the middle clear of all bodies. A few of the Fallen weakly moved, not dead--but close to it. A few shots changed that. "Wow, Twilight, whatever your spell did really brought them in close together. Some sort of magnet spell?" Soren asked. Nox-23 and Erin turned their heads to the pony, interested in her answer. "Actually, it's called the 'need it want it" spell.” When she was met with confused silence she regrettably explained. "It's... a spell that, once casted on a object, will cause all who see it to want it desperately." "You've casted that spell before?" "Let's not get into that right now. We’ve got some blueprints to secure," Twilight hastily replied. She trotted away, trying to escape the embarrassing memories of the first time she used that spell. Her escape fell short as she was followed by the rest of her team. She felt the weight of the Ice Breaker disappear, only to be replaced by something else. She lifted it off her back to see what it was it. It was the 77 Wizard. She understood immediately why Nox-23’s Ghost made the change. She looked back at Nox and he and his Ghost a nod of thanks. "The computer that holds the data we want is a few doors down, but we need to be careful. I just tapped into the Fallen Comms and it looks like the they have a Baron," Erin's Ghost commented. If they hadn't before, the four Guardians readied their weapons. When they reached the door, Erin's Ghost flew over to the keypad besides it. "Looks like the Fallen had some time to fool around with this... no matter, I can open it. And there... we... go!” The door opened, allowing the Guardians to enter. The room inside was of decent size. Old computer equipment laid about; at the other side of the room, several Shanks and a large Baron stood by a cylindrical terminal. The sound of the door opening caught their attention. The Baron Spoke out in a surprised tone. Apparently He had not excepted them. Twilight charge up her 77 wizard and fired at one of the Shanks. The Shank that took the full blast of the gun disintegrated. After that, the room became an all out battlefield. The Shanks and Baron opened fire at the four of them, driving them to spread out among the equipment. The baron ran after twilight, causing her to yelp before she took off running away from him. Erin fired at the baron, trying drive his attention away from twilight. Nox-23 and Soren attacked the shanks. Their combine efforts allowed then to take down two Shanks before they counterattacked with a torrent of bullets. Several made their mark, pushing the two titans back to recover. Soren ran around a stack of towering old dusty equipment ending up to the side of the group of Shanks. Some of them, however, had calculated his actions and had already aimed their sights toward him. Undaunted by this, Soren switched from his Hand Cannon to his Fusion and slid across the floor, firing as he did so. His shots ended up hitting two of the Shanks, destroying them both. Soren was on his feet again, this time with his The Last Word in his hands. He rapidly slammed the hammer down, firing the gun faster than any other known Hand Cannon. The remaining Shanks didn't stand a chance. Nox-23 gave Soren a thumbs up before the two turned their focus to the Baron. Twilight quickly teleported away from the Baron before he could reach her. Taking advantage of the Baron's confusion, Twilight fired her fusion rife. Unfortunately, the void type 77 Wizard did little against the Arc type shield. Erin wasn't standing idly by while this happened, though. She was firing her Thorn at the Baron as she ran over to the mare. Seeing Erin's weapon was the greater threat, the Baron backed off; prioritizing evading weapon fire over attacking. "Ghost, give me a heavy!" Twilight yelled. A moment later her fusion rife disappeared, replaced by The Swarm. She fired it in the direction the Baron was in. Erin switch to her Swarm and fired it as well. As the shield neared its end, the Baron teleported away, hiding among the equipment and waiting for his shield to regenerate. Nox-23 and Soren joined the females of their group searching for their target. The Baron teleported to their right side. He charged them, firing his Shrapnel launcher. Twilight cringed at the feeling of a bullet grazing her. Hearing the gasp of one of her friends told her that she wasn't the only one hit. She and Erin fired their Swarms while Soren fired his Hand Cannon and Nox-23 his auto rifle. Instead of running away when his shield went out, the Baron continued to run toward them. None of the Guardians want a face full of shrapnel, so they broke off their attack. Twilight teleported to side while Erin Blinked to the other. Soren and Nox-23 jumped back. The Baron finally let up his attacked and backed off to recover. The four Guardians weren't about to let him, however. Twilight and Erin once again fired at him, this time causing him to jerk around as their bullets hit his armor. Their magazines ran out, forcing them to stopped; but as they did Soren and Nox-23 ran forth, leaping up in the air and coming down on the Baron, fists at the ready. A well coordinated punch from the two Titans sent the Baron flying, his body dissolving in a flash of purple and blue light. The four of them turned to each other. The battle had been won and their spoils await. Wordlessly, they walked to the terminal. Erin's Ghost appeared, flying over to said terminal. It began the process of linking with the mainframe and retrieving the information within. "It's a good thing that they couldn't fit a servitor down here, or else they could have hacked it by now." It only took a few minutes before the Ghost got the information it wanted. "Quite a lot in here. Fangs of Nyx. Birth of History. Even something called the Rope to Heaven.” Twilight lifted an eyebrow and tilted her head. “Fang of Nyx you said?” "Yeah... What is it?” The Hunter asked, curious in how the pony reacted. "Well..." Twilight started with a small laugh. "Nyx is a name of a character from one of the books I read. It's kind of funny to hear the name exists in another world. Though, now that I think about it, there is a famous pegasus named Soarin." Soren was mildly surprised. It's not every day one found out that you share a namesake with an alien. "I think I know who is getting the Fangs of Nyx,” Nox-23's Ghost said mirthfully. The bipedal Guardians looked down at their four legged friend. Twilight's ears perked up. "Really? You’d give me that ship?" Everyone nodded. “Yes yes yes yes yes yes." The purple mare hopped around joyously, only to stop when she heard the laughter of her companions. The floor became the most interesting thing in the world as Twilights face reddened behind her helmet. "We should leave so we can deliver these to the tower." Erin's Ghost suggested. "Everyone else coming? " Twilight and Nox-23 nodded in unison. "Sure, though let's trade contact info. You guys are pretty sweet to hang out with." "OK but let's do that at the Tower." Erin replied with the other two agreeing with her. With that the four Guardians left the room chatting along the way back outside and beyond.