If you enjoyed please leave a like, and if you want to read more Fireteam Slingshot here is the link to the Fireteam Slingshot Home Page: [url]www.bungie.net/en/Groups/Post?groupId=1371758&postId=244561414[/url] Shift began to get up as the wind from the landing jumpships blew his coat around. He got up, grumbling about the state of his cloak. The ships landed, and Ralph and Toaster transmatted down. Shift was still dusting himself off when Ralph and Toaster approached him. Ralph strutted up to him. "So a little bird told us that there is indeed Fallen in the forest still." Ralph said, taking his knife out and posing as if to start picking at his fingernails with it. "...Yes" Shift said slowly. He hated it when Ralph dragged these conversations on. "Which means the Fallen won," Ralph continued while he put his knife away. "And the Cabal lost." He finished looking at Shift. Shift stayed silent and stared at Ralph. Ralph extended his hand and gestured with his fingers in a "Gimme" motion. Shift sighed, reaching in his coat. He pulled out a freeze dried PBJ, hesitated for a moment, then groaned as he placed it in Ralph's hand. "Ah, sweet victory." Ralph said, holding the sandwich up, sniffing it. He pocketed it as Toaster looked over Ralph’s shoulder. "So. Fallen in the cave?" Toaster inquired. "Yes Toaster!" Shift said exasperated. "That's why you guys are here!" "Oh. So we get to have fun?" Toaster said hopefully. "Yes!" Shift said daintily. "And we're going to have a wonderful tea party with our good friend Baron Dork-weed!" "That doesn't sound like fun to me..." Toaster said deflated. "Tea party...?" Ralph said slowly. "Just shut up and follow." Shift moaned. They began to make their way over to the building that blocked the way into the forest. They ducked through an opening that they had found after a short search. They exited and found themselves looking towards a cave. It sat across a jump and an old broken road strewn with rusty cars. “Are you sure you want to go in there?” Ralph asked. “I really don’t…” “But… Fallen, and boom.” Toaster pleaded. Ralph sighed loudly. “Ugh. Fine.” “Well, we can always run if you want Ralph.” Shift said. “And exercise? No thank you. I already do that whenever I avoid work.” Ralph said. They walked across the road and jumped the gap. They black entryway gaped as if it was trying to swallow them. The darkness was thick and suffocating. They could barely see without the help of their Ghosts. The lights shined deep into the cave as they cautiously walked further in. “Movement up ahead. Probably Fallen.” Lima told Shift. “Wait, before you told me that there were definitely Fallen. Now it’s “probably”? What’s up with that?” Shift asked her. “Did you make a deal with Ralph…?” He prodded. “Hey, what’s that?” Toaster asked. He pointed into the drop off below them as they exited the darkness. As they peeked in they could see several eyes as they peeked back, then vanish with a warbled noise. Along with the cave there was a barricade that they had made out of scrap. "They can turn invisible?" Ralph began to complain. "But that means we'll actually have look for them..." "Not to mention that small wall they created," Shift added. "We'll have to climb over that too." "Aww man!" Ralph said. "So how do we do tha-" He cut off as a loud woosh sounded as a rocket flew across the room, launching bodies and wall parts. A group of Dregs started scattering away in fear, leaving materials behind. The other invisible fallen started to follow, barking orders and getting the remaining Dregs to gather the materials that the others dropped. "Ahahaha! YUS.” Toaster said, rocket launcher still smoking. "It works." Shift said with a shrug and climbed out from behind their cover. He pulled out a shotgun as another Fallen jumped him. The resulting conflict ended with the Fallen flying fifteen feet backwards from the blast, crunching against the wall. The others looked warily at Shift. "Cookie delivery!" Shift said, looking in their direction. They skittered away before he finished his sentence. Shift let out the breath he was holding and shakily put his shotgun back. "I would've come down to help." Ralph said. "But that would've required me to move." "What? No cheer-leading either?" Shift said as he shook invisible pom-poms. "That would require me to shout, not to mention embarrass myself, which is your specialty." Ralph replied. "I would've thrown off a fireworks show." Toaster said. "You've never even seen fireworks Toaster." Shift countered. "Still would've lit fireworks." Toaster said, half under his breath. "Hey lazies!" Ralph said walking past them. "Feel afraid of moving? Come on lets go!" Shift and Toaster watched him go, turned to each other, then followed. ______________________________________________________________________________ They emerged out the exit of the cave into a thick fog. Twisted trees with leave-less branches stretched as far as the eye could see. Granted they could only see a couple yards, but it was still as far as they could see. "Man this place gives me the creeps." Ralph said. "You're very observant!" Shift said. "What was your first clue detective Ralph? The dense fog or the literal Halloween trees?" "Isn't that called Festival of the Lost now?" Toaster asked. "I don't know." Ralph said. "But I like the way 'Detective' Ralph sounds." "Shut up." Shift said. "We're here for parts not to visit the Spooky House of Mystery!" "It is pretty mysterious now that you mention it..." Toaster said. They all took a long look at the forest. And they all stiffened and ducked at the sound of a crow. "Let's just get what we came here for." Shift said in a loud whisper. "And quietly!" "There's some parts trailing that way." Toaster said, moving forward. "That's as good a start as any." Ralph said, creeping along with Shift as they obeyed. They continued to follow the trail of parts until until Lima suddenly shouted. "It's here!" "WHAT THE HE-" Shift began before he was interrupted by Ralph's Ghost, Constellation. "I feel it too!" Constellation exclaimed. "Huh?" Artifact, Toaster's Ghost said, seemingly waking up. "STAHP!" Shift said, ducking even lower as the rest of the Fireteam recovered from the jump-scare. "What the actual trash?" Ralph said shivering. Toaster was busy pointing his auto-rifle in different directions looking for what sacred him. "Toaster point that somewhere else!" Ralph said when Toaster aimed in his direction. "S-Sorry!" Toaster stammered, pointing it down. "What's-" Shift tried. "Over there!" Lima said excitedly. "Over-wah!" She cut off as Shift grabbed her. "Stop interrupting!" He seethed, letting her go. "What's going on?" He panted. "There's a source of Light over there!" Constellation said. "The sun? I can't see it. Or feel it." Ralph said confused. "No not that kind of light!' He flew into the fog as the team followed. They came into a small clearing were a large, damaged white object was. "This kind!" Constellation said proudly. "Okaaaay...What is that?" Shift asked. "A shard of the Traveler." Artifact said, letting out an automated yawn. "With this, we can...ha..we can..hhhaaaa!" Lima said, starting to huff. "We can what?" Shift said. Lima let out a colossal sneeze, blasting a glowing beam at Shift. Shift was blown off his feet and launched into the wall behind him. "Oops!' Lima squeaked. She floated over to Shift as he slid down onto his head, his legs and feet hung over him as if he was sitting upside down. Toaster and Ralph got a similar treatment, though not without warning was they were blasted by their Ghosts. Shift got up and rubbed his neck. "Ow. That was something." he looked down at his feet. "Aha!" he shouted triumphantly. "What?" Toaster groaned as he sat up, having been knocked down from the blast. Ralph got up as well, curious. "Yeah, what?" Ralph said. Shift displayed the parts they needed for their holoscreen. "Let's get the heck out of here!" Ralph said quickly, leading the way as they ran the way they came. Their Ghosts sat, dumbfounded for a moment. "Do they even realize the significance of what just...?" Constellation said after a moment. "Nope." Artifact said. He flashed away a brief moment later. Constellation turned to where Lima was only to see an empty space. he floated a bit longer until he sighed. "Whatever." He said and flashed away.