Table of Contents https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/225386550/0/0 • • • My back hit the side of the rusted truck body hard as I took cover. Arc bolts sailed over my head, and I could hear them pelting the other side of the destroyed vehicle. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO!" I hollered at Nat. "It was looking right at me!" Nat covered, her voice on the comms hard to hear over the Fallen racket. I could see her across the street, aiming through a broken window. "That's what you said last time!" I argued. "Well it's true!" Nat returned. "No it's not!" I fussed, "This is the THIRD TIME! I thought you learned your lesson after what happened with that Acolyte!" "Hey, I blame you for that!" Nat accused. "She has a point," my Ghost agreed, "Technically, you-" "I don't care!" I interjected, "We've got a mission to do!" Nat giggled, and I saw her lean against the crumbling wall, "Your Ghost is right! When-" "Not important!" I cut in, "I don't want to talk about it!" "Where's Keis?" Nora asked, pulling our attention from our bickering. "Being productive," Blanc's voice announced, full of pride. Nat leaned out her window, not seeming to care about getting shot, and gasped, "Aw, no fair!" I realized that the Fallen had stopped firing and looked over my cover. Keis stood over the corpses of the Devils, waiting for us. "You were distracted," Keis stated flatly, tossing a Shock Pistol to the side. "Man, Keis always gets the kills," Nat pouted, leaving the shelter of the building and crossing her arms. "Is that why you keep starting fights?" I pressed. "Maybe," she hedged. I groaned, "You're so immature." "And you've got a stick up your butt!" Nat retorted, pointing at me. "Coming from you," I said, shaking my head, "That sounds more literal than metaphorical." "Ew," all three of our Ghosts said in sync. "Well, I meant you're a stiff, sicko," Nat rephrased. "Yeah, I earned that," I concurred, shrugging as my frustration faded. "And I'm childish!" Nat laughed, "Break the rules!" "Ghost," I addressed, "We've been through the whole area, right?" "Yes," my Ghost answered. "Good," I exhaled, "Let's go before the whole Cosmodrome attacks us." "Aw, we could take 'em," Nat joked. I looked up to the sky, waiting for our jumpships to arrive, "Sure, whatever you say, crazy." Keis' ship arrived first, and he dissipated in a haze of blue. "Hey, Quint," Nat said, reaching up to prop her elbow on my shoulder. "Yeah?" I inquired. Her helmet disappeared, revealing her usual cheerful smile looking up at me. Her ship cruised over us. "What?" I repeated. "It's a big stick," Nat chortled wickedly, then stuck her tongue out and made a silly face. "Hey, that's-" I began, but Nat transmatted, her weight lifting from my shoulder. I crossed my arms, and my ship came into view. I waited until I was transmatted into my pilot seat, then said, "Nat, you know I can still chew you out on the comms." "Crap," Nat blurted, "Nora, disconnect m-!" Her voice dropped out as Nora obeyed. I sighed and leaned back in my seat, "Guess it's just you and me, Keis." Silence. "Keis?" I asked. "I'm here," Keis said. I sighed again, "You're not a talker. Ghost, Blanc, anything you want to talk about?" My Ghost immediately responded, "Blanc, Keis does anything and everything you want him to. How do I get my Guardian to be like that?" "Hey!" I protested. "Well," Blanc directed jokingly, "First, you have to brainwash him." "Enough of that!" I objected, trying to stop myself from smiling. "We're kidding," Blanc twittered, "Keis just loves me. Probably a side effect of spending almost no time with anyone else for years. Isn't that right, Keis?" "Yes," Keis replied. "See," Blanc said, "Completely brainwashed." My Ghost and I both laughed.