So I really have no idea where to post this in these forums, so I'm just going to leave it here. GT FlammbleAlloy on xbox360, thinking about starting some sort of roleplaying activity if there's any interest. "Guardian. Guardian! Eyes up, Guardian." The voice was robotic, speaking in an urgently low voice. I blinked my eyes, and felt confusion as I slowly surveyed my bleak surroundings. The sun was searing hot, and around me were scattered rusted vehicles, derelict buildings, and bleached bodies. Wasn't I dead? I could remember the rumbling of the armor personnel carrier, the ominous drone of the Fallen skiff overhead, and then white hot pain. "If you don't move, you'll be dead again. Let's see some alacrity, Guardian." I peered at the source of the voice. It was an odd little robot, floating roughly a meter off the ground. A single blue eye glowed in the center, surrounded by eight pointed triangles that gave it the shape of a diamond from the front. It flew behind me, and gave me a poke. "No time now for explanations. If we survive the next few hours, I'll explain it all." My hands found my familiar M-16, mercifully still secured to my tactical vest. Unfortunately, it was far too rusted for immediate use. I still brought it, I had some vague idea of cleaning and readying it. My knives had no such issues, secure in their waterproof sheaths. I drew the ten inch one, and set off in the direction the robot directed. "What do I call you?" I asked my companion. "I'm your Ghost." Walking was difficult at first. I wondered how long I had been dead, and what had happened since. We were traveling west on what had been a highway, somewhere in old California. We slowly passed hulks of cars and trucks, all headed west. I remembered hearing the rumors of a Last City, someplace that had supposedly defied the armies of the Fallen. Everyone said it was somewhere in Asia, perhaps in Russia near the ruins of the Cosmodrome. My thoughts were interrupted by my Ghost resuming his cryptic dialogue. "If we make it to the extraction point on time, we have a ride out of here. However, the straightest route is crawling with Fallen. We might miss our window if we loop around, but it will mean a hard fight if we go straight through. Are you up for that?" I nodded. "I think I'm up for it, but I'm pretty much unarmed. Can you fight?" My Ghost make a movement that implied it shook his head no, despite the complete lack of anything resembling a body. "I can hack nearly anything that's technological, and I can revive you and provide navigational assistance, but I can't do anything violent. That part it up to you. However, if you let me have a look at your weapon, I might be able to restore it." I shrugged, and removed my rifle from my shoulder and set it on the hood of a nearby truck. My Ghost flew over to it, and began examining it with a pale blue ray of energy. While he worked, he kept talking. "Every Guardian that we Ghosts revive falls into one of three types of warriors, without fail. You don't strike me as a Warlock, but I suppose that you could be a Hunter. My suspicion is that you are in fact a Titan." "A Titan?" I asked, wondering what in the world he was talking about now. "Yes. A bulkwark, a living wall. A modern knight in gleaming armor, he who defies the dark and dares its minions to challenge him. Are you familiar with Arc and Void theory?" I didn't have a clue what he was talking about. "Huh? How am I supposed to do any of that?" "When I revived you, it was because you are capable of being a conduit of the Light of the Traveler." "We thought the Traveler was destroyed in the collapse. What is this thing about light?" The Ghost continued tinkering with my gun while he paused for thought. "It was said by your ancestors that magic was science you don't understand. Think of it that way. The Traveler did survive the Collapse, but barely. It defeated the Darkness, at least temporarily. In its dying breath, it created us Ghosts. We go and find those who are able to stand against our foes in the place of the Traveler. It's a good time to start teaching you how to use your Light, I suppose. Let's start with Arc grenades." After a few minutes of instruction and some experimental tosses, I was able to put a volatile charge of Arc energy tolerably close to where I intended. After my Ghost was satisfied with my progress, I retrieved my weapon. It had been modified extensively. "I cleaned it up and reworked it so that it can use programmable matter as ammunition." My Ghost explained. "Programmable matter is fairly easy to manipulate, and most of our weapons use it. There should be some in one of these vehicles, it was common during the Golden Age." I salvaged enough for several magazines, and loaded up. "How much time do we have until our ride is here?" I inquired after several hours of jogging. I had a huge reserve of energy since I had been revived, and it only felt like a short run. My Ghost looked worried. "Less than an hour. It's going to be close. We really need to put a move on, but we don't want to step into a trap." I nodded, and began running faster. After a few more minutes, Ghost halted me. "I'm picking up multiple Fallen signatures converging on us. We need to pick a place to make a stand." I surveyed my surroundings. A broken elevated highway struck me as a good place to avoid being surrounded. I climbed up the worn onramp and observed a party of Fallen approaching from the west. I lay prone near the edge and took careful aim at one of the Vandals. When they were within a hundred yards I fired three rounds, dropping my target immediately. The remaining Fallen instantly scattered, found cover and returned fire. Arc rounds snapped over my head, leaving the air smelling like iron as I lobbed a grenade behind a vehicle. It exploded into bolts of crackling lightning, bathing the ruined automobiles with azure light and killing several enemies. A few more rifle rounds silenced the remaining Dregs, and I reloaded and moved on. I noticed that although I should have taken a few hits from shock pistols, I was unscathed. I asked my Ghost about it. "One of the results of your rebirth is that you have a shield that can protect you from a certain amount of damage. It can be depleted, and if it does you should seek cover. It will charge quickly when not under fire. It is powered by your Light. Also, any injuries suffered when your shield is down will heal because of the Light of the Traveler in you." I pondered this information. "Can I die?" "Yes. However, I am able to revive you because of the Light I mentioned. If we get separated or I am destroyed, you're just a soldier again." I continued running toward the extraction point, with much more to think about. Was I technologically immortal? Were all of the City's Guardians like me? Did the Darkness have minions like me? As if he heard my thoughts, my Ghost resumed speaking. "All Guardians travel and fight with a Ghost at their side. We have never observed anything of the sort from the Darkness, but I suppose it's possible." A few minutes of silence fell. I was nearing the coast, and could begin to smell salt water. I cleared a low rise to see what remained of a port. Partially sunken ships were scattered amongst the gentle swelling waves. There were many buildings of various sizes in a large U around the docks. Faded signs advertising cruises, day rides, even jet skis. Nothing, not even a rodent stirred in the mournful port. "Where's our ride?" I asked. "It looks like Shark isn't here yet." My Ghost paused. "It's too quiet. There was a handful of Dregs here when I landed. Not even a Shank now." He expanded, a blue sphere stretching his points. I suppose that means he was scanning. "What do we do?" I asked. I was tired, and ready to get the fight over with if there was going to be one. My Ghost collapsed down to his normal size. "I'm going to teach you a trick to give extra power to the punches you throw. Unless I'm greatly mistaken, you will need it. Channel your Light into a shock of energy culminating with a hard blow, and your fist ought to strike like lightning." I looked at him as if he was crazy. Then again, that didn't take much considering how my day had gone so far. "I punch them with a ball of lightning? Seriously?" My Ghost nodded. "Yes. It sounds farfetched, but believe me, it works." I nodded my assent, and he continued. "I don't want to intimidate you, but we likely have Vandals with cloaking fields down there. You ready?" I made a clenched fist, and sure enough, I could feel bolts of electricity crackling through my fingers. "Lets do this."