Work Text
It had been weeks since Riven’s death. Weeks since the Dreaming City had been cursed. Weeks and weeks of the same enemies in the same position shooting at the same Awoken. Skeleton leaned back into her perch on the cliff facing the lower areas of the Rheasilvia. Scorned skittered around, completely unaware of the Guardian several feet above them. The same went for the Taken, but Skeleton imagined they always knew where she was. The thought made her leg twitch. She put a steady hand on the hobgoblin prosthetic and continued to watch. “It makes you wonder how they go on every week,” her Ghost broke the silence. “They come in and we just… kill them. Again, and again.”She gave a noncommittal grunt as she shifted her weight. “Someone has to.”“It makes us just as bad as them, you know.” She avoided rolling her eyes, not that he would have noticed. “And here we are. The ‘Cursebreaker’ and her Ghost. Saving the same Corsair, killing the same invaders of the Oracle Engine, and entering the same Ascendant Realms. All I hear is ‘thank you’ every week.”“That’s not what I meant.”“It’s what I heard.”Their bickering died down. There was the soft whirl of Ghost’s shell - he did that when he was annoyed, but not overly so. Agitated. “Something just seems off today.”Skeleton gazed over the rolling mists of the Dreaming City. She disagreed - she had the exact same amount of bullets that she had this day several weeks ago. She kept count every time, and just as the weeks looped it was all the same. She had found hidden caches replenished and restored, and would find curious objects untouched from where she had previously left them. Everything in the Dreaming City was on a loop - a broken record that repeated itself. She knew the source was from Dûl Incaru - loftily executing the loop once more in the confines of the Ascendant Plane. She would be there, every third week, weaving the pattern of whatever plan the Hive and Taken had up their sleeve.Her leg was shaking again. This time her Ghost took note. “Again?”She shrugged the concern away, knocking on the metal. “It’s nerves.”“You didn’t have nerves this bad last time.”She glared at her Ghost, moreso out of loving annoyance. He was trying to prove a point, however menial. “You know Guardians don’t really ‘loop’, right? We’re immune to it, kind of.”Another soft whirl as he turned from her. “I just think that this loop is beyond what we can handle is all.”Always with the concern.“We’re fine,” she gruffed, taking out her scout rifle and looking down sights towards the cluster of enemies skirmishing near a Taken Blight. Everything was normal - as normal could be. Plus we’re away from the Vex, she added silently. The robots unnerved her and seemed to be the source of all of her problems. “But don’t you think that this… could be Vex related? Look at the Infinite Forest! It’s a procedurally generated loop - every enemy, every instance and person is placed in a particular point in time. Even with Skolas in the Vault of Glass - he manipulated the Oracles to reappear even though they should have been gone! ”“I thought we agreed they were a security system, just connected whenever someone tried to enter the Vault.”“Still - it feels off.”Skeleton wasn’t convinced, watching as a Taken Acolyte cleaved a Stalker in two. She saw it happen a few weeks ago just the same way.“Did anyone ever tell you that you worry too much?”She could begin to imagine the frustration she was causing him. “And I think you don’t worry enough.”“Worrying gets you killed, we also agreed on that.”“Before the Dreaming City curse, sure!” He zipped to the other side of her, distracting her from her view of the brawl. “But you don’t even seem to care about the Tower or Melpomene or Udyia, or even the Vanguard! You just don’t seem concerned about them - at all.”Now she was annoyed. She shouldered her scout rifle, leaning up on a rock to be standing once more. “They haven’t bothered to contact me. I went to the City once -” she raised a single infront of her Ghost, “and they didn’t bother to say ‘hi’. They were far more concerned with Crucible and Gambit to even see me off. And if Ikora and Zavala want to talk, my comms are open.”The light blinked at her. “But why don’t you say ‘hi’ first?”“Reasons.” She looked down the cliff to where several Scorn sat preparing for the worst. She leapt from the perch and into the masses, drawing a bow from nothingness and firing it into the heart of them all. They screamed as Void light tethered them together, and she unleashed a rain of bullets on them.When their bodies lay limp at the bottom, she glanced up at her Ghost looking precariously down at her. He seemed unconvinced, and she was having trouble convincing herself.In truth, she was running away from some of her problems. By honor of Cayde’s Vanguard dare, she could and was considered a suitable replacement for him as the Hunter Vanguard leader - she was partially responsible for his death, and his revenge. While not indifferent to the idea, it was far too big of a position to fill; by Guardian standards, she was still very young. A few gods slain here and there had risen her to a level of popularity she didn’t expect of herself, but this was still a responsibility she wasn’t looking forward to. If anything - Udyia would have been a better replacement, but you can’t have a Warlock manage Hunters. That was asking for trouble, and she was far too busy in the Drifter’s Gambit to be worried about what the Vanguard needed.There was a freedom in the field, away from the Tower’s bureaucracy. If she accepted that and turned in to become the new leader for the Hunters…“Come on, we’ve got to see Petra.”He swooped down towards her, vanishing instantly. Yet in her heart, she knew her Ghost was there. In the same instant her Sparrow was summoned, and a short rev sent her zipping through the narrow cliffs of the Dreaming City. She passed other Guardians, unconcerned with who she was and where she was even going. Such was life in a loop, not that she was bothered.The Divalian Mists came into view after a narrow tunnel, and Skeleton bounced on her Sparrow as she took a hard turn and skirted a brawl between a Titan and a Hive Knight. The mist rolled around her as she applied the breaks on her Sparrow and came to a stop just before the Queen’s Wrath.Petra glanced down at her, reporting something on comms to what she expected as the same grouping of Corsairs as the few weeks before. She give the Awoken woman an idle wave, resting on the HUD until she was done.“Glad to see you’re up and about, Skeleton,” Petra gave her a brief smile. She nodded in turn, and skipped the pleasantries on her side.“Rheasilvia is contained, same as the weeks before,” she rattled off. “The Lost Sectors are clear. No sign of any anomalies.” “I’m sure the Queen’s Techeuns will appreciate that,” was the idle response. Like clockwork she pulled a data pad out and transferred the day’s bounties to the Hunter. They exchanged nods, and Skeleton was back into the mists. Her Ghost read off the bounties.“A few high values, some patrols…” He seemed unconcerned from the comms. “Start with talking to the local Corsairs and take out some Taken I guess.”“You sound like it’ll be easy.”“You make it look like it is.”She snorted, riding through the tunnels and into the Strand. It looked relatively clear, which was unusual considering that it should be bursting with Scorned. There was a moment of hesitation as she squinted, pulling her rifle out to stare down the sights and at the Guardian stood in the middle of the carnage.Oh, fuck.“Is that… Mel?”“Yes,” Skeleton hissed, stowing away her rifle and revving her Sparrow again. The Sunbreaker looked directly at her at the noise, and she sped off back around to the Mists.She had no grievances with Melpomene-3. They were comrades in arms despite an unsteady start, and she even respected the Titan for her willpower and drive. What she didn’t like, however, was the fact she was alone, destroying leagues of enemies in an area she had hardly stepped foot in.“We need to go back and talk to her!” Skeleton ignored her Ghost. If she talked with Mel, she would be convinced to go back to the Last City, and even then she might be talked into becoming the new Hunter Vanguard - something that she did not want to face now. “It can’t be that bad--”“Skeleton!”Both she and her Ghost froze in the tunnel headed back to where Petra was. The hum of another Sparrow came racing through, and stopped short of hitting Skeleton.“Mel.”She imagined the Titan wanted to throttle her, akin to back when they never saw eye to eye - but she heard Mel take a deep breath, and look at her directly where she could almost feel her watching her.“We need to talk.”“I’m not going to the Tower, if that’s what your asking,” she warned, leaning away from the Titan as she neared her. “I’ve got enough trying to help out here.”“Yea, a noble cause I’ve heard.” She waved her hand. “I didn’t come here to drag you back.”“Then why’d you come? I can’t imagine you want to start helping the Awoken now,” was the tart response. She had invited both Melpomene-3 and Udyia to assist with cleaning up the Dreaming City, but they declined; both were still in mourning for Cayde after the destruction of Riven. Mel didn’t have an immediate response. She fidgeted and sat silent, which was odd considering if there was something, Melpomene had an adamant opinion on it: hunters had tacky cloaks most of the time, Warlocks were too haughty if they kept to their books day in and day out, the coffee tasted best back in the Old Tower, but you had to go to a tiny cafe down into the city that had been bombed out by the Cabal during the Red War.“It’s Udi.”“Udyia?” Skeleton jerked her head slightly. “What - did she piss off another Hive god? Make an Ascendant Realm?”“They’re calling her Dredgen.”That was an unusual term. “So?”“So?” There was a large throng of heat that snapped from Mel. “Dredgen is a cursed title, Skeleton. You’ve heard about Dredgen Yor - everyone has. Why do you think they tell the tales about him? He killed Guardians, and he was a Guardian.”
“And he’s dead. If she wants to take up a title of a shadow, that’s up to her,” Skeleton was unconvinced. “She’s older than both of us, she probably even knew Dredgen Yor. I have faith that she’s got her head in the right place.”
Skeleton went to rev her Sparrow and head off again, but Mel grabbed her hand and gripped it. “She’s not.”
She shook off Mel’s hand, glaring at her. “How do you even know?”
“She made a… I don’t know. It looks like the Thorn. Acts like the Thorn.” Mel shook her head. “I had to find files. It rips people to shreds. That’s what Thorn did.”
“Udyia’s always been… weird about darkness related stuff. She volunteered to be our Swordbearer and jump through Ascendant realms. So she likes Gambit a lot, so what!” Skeleton threw her hands up. “The ‘Hero of the Red War’ can relax a little!”
She was getting worked up, and so was Mel. The Exo let out a leery sigh, withdrawing her hand from the other’s Sparrow.
“Just come to the City for one day. One. If you think she’s fine, then I’ll let you be.”
Skeleton could feel her Ghost contemplating. One day was okay, and if she played her cards right would mean that she could be away from the Tower for however long it took to find a suitable replacement for Cayde’s vacant position.
“Fine.” She eased back into the seat. “One day. If she’s fine, you leave me alone until the Curse if over with.”
“Deal.”
They shook on it. Part of Skeleton felt this was a bad idea, but the worries were silenced by her Ghost.
“I’ll let Petra know.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Tower felt different. Skeleton always missed the old one with its serene balconies where you could sit and stare off into the Last City for hours, but she had grown accustomed to the new one after the war with the Cabal. There were new hideaways and secrets others had shuffled into and out of plain sight. But still, there was something off when she touched base at the Hangar. She tugged her hood down a bit closer over her face. Workers bustled around the hangar; even after the victories against the Cabal, the Tower still needed minor repairs here and here. She had faith they would be preoccupied enough not to notice her and relay it to interested parties.A heavy thunk sounded as Melpomene-3 touched down beside her. Her Ghost - Joko - soared in beside her and settled comfortably in the armor around the Titan’s neck. She looked serious, but most Exo did anyways. Her eyes flared like dying suns when she turned to look at Skeleton. “Joko says her ship landed about an hour ago.”“Did she ask Udyia that,” nodding to the cozy AI on her shoulder. “Cashed in a favor with an old friend to get a tracker put on the ship,” she said, voice low. “I had to see where she was going. Just to see if it was true.”There was a brief nod. “She even went to the Dreaming City when you were there. But I imagine you would’ve said something.”She hadn’t seen the Warlock since they fought Riven and parted ways. She declined her offer to join her in the Dreaming City and set things right, but she flew back with Melpomene. She had no idea she had gone to the Awoken City since, unless she was offcoms and undercover. “That’s not like her,” she said aloud. She watched Joko blink at her, the shy Ghost taking comfort in her Guardian. “Going alone, not after Ghaul. Where were you?”Melpomene started walking away, and Skeleton followed close behind. They moved through the waves of mechanics and techs. The thoughts bothered Skeleton. Melpomene and Udyia had been close. Annoyingly so, they were inseparable since before the Red War and even Oryx’s arrival into the system. What had changed to where Melpomene was acting in secrecy and tracking the other’s position in the System?“Mel.” Silence. “Why was she alone?”Melpomene mumbled something, not that Skeleton could hear her properly. “What?”“She didn’t tell me,” she said louder. “Said it was none of my business.”That was very unlike Udyia, especially to Mel. She was standoffish for a Warlock, preferring her books and research over diplomacy, but she was never hostile unless provoked. She had taken it personally when Cayde was murdered on what was supposed to be a routine mission, and small changes had occurred with Udyia appearing more quiet and violent than what was considered normal. Skeleton had always considered her eccentric, but the way she turned vengeance into a weapon was chilling. She remembered that mission in the Watchtower, and the lack of hesitation when she pulled the trigger on Uldren. “When was the last time you guys talked? Actually talked?”“Longer than you’d think,” she gruffed. They walked to the main hub of the Tower, and Skeleton hid further in the neck of her cloak, dread taking rise in her stomach. It was packed. Guardians of every creed were milling around, chatting, trading, and doing what any Lightbearer would do: socializing. And Skeleton stuck out like a sore thumb thanks to her leg.“Where the hell are we supposed to go?” She hissed to the Titan.“Annex.”She groaned and hustled past the Gunsmith and Cryptarch, not waiting for the other. The Annex was past Ikora, and she knew if anyone would approach her about Cayde, it would be her. She had no issue with the Warlock Vanguard, but she had seen Ikora open up a Vex timegate as if it were as easy as folding a sheet of paper.Mel’s boots clunked behind her, and she saw Joko soar past her head and pause at the steps that would lead them down further into the Tower.“You can’t just go marching down there trying to ask her questions. Things have changed,” the other’s voice was a harsh whisper. Joko blinked at Skeleton with a silent - and vaguely judgemental - look.“And why not?” She turned to look at her teammate. “You’re the one who obviously thinks I’m a key in settling this.”“Just…” There was a frustrated sigh. A pair of cherry Hunters passed them, hopping up the stairs like rabbits and effectively breaking the mood.“Let’s just play it off that you invited me back for some Crucible,” Skeleton said plainly, pointing at the other’s chestpiece. “Then we see what’s going on.”Mel said nothing besides a brief nod, and they continued on in steeled silence. Skeleton hid in the shadow of the Titan as they passed where she knew Ikora was regularly, and kept her eyes dead ahead of her.She glanced over to where the Drifter usually hung out, only to see the grate closed.“Did he move?”“To the Annex.”“Oh.” That explained why they were going there.An influx of Guardians ran up and down the steps past them, many of them chattering away like excited children. She wanted to ask Melpomene what the hell was going on, but the crowd outside of a dark room told her plenty. They were dressed up for Gambit. The Drifter’s snake adorned their armor, coiling around their legs and arms like tattoos. They glowed, and it seemed as if the snakes’ eyes were watching her every move. The group was mostly talking to themselves, but Skeleton searched them all for Udyia. Their helmets even had snakes on them. She felt an elbow go into her side, whipping around to look at what caused it. She saw Mel nod her head down to where the Annex opened to a small ship port.With the amount of dramatic flare she sported, Skeleton could tell it was Uyia from a distance. A flickering bond and highly-horned helmet, there was no way it wasn’t her. She skirted the crowd and made an approach for her, only for a Ghost to fly into her face.“Skele!”Widmo zipped around her, effectively drawing the attention of Udyia to her and Mel as they approached the space. She wanted to curse the little Light for his ever cheery attitude, but in a sense she also felt appreciated by him.Udyia seemed to be staring at her, however. Even though she couldn’t see her eyes, she knew she was being watched.“Hey Wid,” she acknowledged the Ghost. His old grey shell had been replaced with an orange and purple paneling, but it was obvious to her it was him. “I thought you were still in the Dreaming City until they figured out the curse! Oh - it’s been ages since we’ve seen you!” He bobbed around her before zooming back to Udyia, then back to Skeleton. “Please tell me you’re going to stay?”“I… might.” It hurt to potentially lie to to the Ghost. “Mel asked me to join her for some Crucible.”“Crucible?” Udyia was the one who spoke. She sounded genuinely confused, tilting her head to the side. “I’m surprised Crucible would take you away from the Dreaming City.”“Ghost also told me I should take time off. Clear my head a little. It gets annoying to shoot the same enemies week after week,” she nodded to the Warlock. “You know how it is.”“That I do.”“Hey, Udi,” Mel spoke up from behind her. She sounded almost hopeful.“Hello.”The atmosphere turned cold instantly. Widmo didn’t seem to pick up on it.“Mel!” She watched him sail past her and zoom around the Exo, and there was a soft look about her. “Hey there.” She bumped her fist lightly against Widmo, causing the Ghost to let out a happy buzzing. “Long time no see.”“You invited Skeleton for Crucible, but not me?”“Last time I checked, you didn’t want to talk to me,” she shrugged. “But if you’re inclined, you can join. I thought you were too busy doing Gambit.”There was a long moment where no one spoke. Udyia moved her hands to unlatch her helmet, and a small hiss and pop sounded as she removed it. Skeleton watched her shake her head to free her helmet hair, and the unusually cool look fall over the pair of them. It unsettled her. Deeply.“I’m always ready for Crucible.”