“...Because, Bree, you are a puppet…” “I’m a puppet?” Her eyes slowly opened, and immediately closed again at the harshness of the fluorescent light beaming down on her. Bree’s face throbbed with pain. “Don’t you find it strange, that you have no recollection of who, or what you were before you were brought back?” “...I guess...I never really had time to give it any thought. I mean, I tried to remember who I was, but I can’t...The only thing that I can remember; is being taken.” “Yes. An event that which you should be grateful for. If we would have left you there to the mercy of your Ghost, I fear you would have fallen like the countless number of newborns before you. You would have been taken back to their institution, shaped, and molded into a savage tool whose only purpose is to serve, and obey without question.” “I don’t understand. What institution? Whom would I have served?” “He calls himself the Speaker, and he is the one responsible for what your Earth has become today.” “What did he do? Speaker of what? to whom?” She was starting to become frustrated at her confusion. Bree slowly opened her eyes, and eventually, they became adjusted to the uncompromising brightness. Her eyes were able to focus in on a needle that was embedded in the wrist of her left arm, and hooked up to a bag that was filled with a queer colored solution. “What are you doing to me?” “We are helping you, Bree, we are showing you the truth; it’s time that your kind wakes up.” The voice was gentle and smooth and unmenacing. Bree felt a calmness when the unknown voice spoke to her, or maybe it was the drugs they pumped into her veins. “Your facial features have been reconstructed. Your hair is no more. You have the face of an outcast, for you will be the voice that cries out against the Speaker and his brainwashed sheep. This is the start of a very long journey, for you, and the other human we rescued, will be the start of a revolution.” “Against the Speaker? But I don’t even know who he is. How am I suppose to stand against him?” “His Guardians are nothing more than slaves in shining, fancy armor. Reanimated corpses to fight for an entity known as the Traveler. You see, Bree, a very very long time ago, the Traveler came to Earth. Even some believe, that the Traveler has it’s origins on Earth, and with its arrival, came the greatest known era in the history of mankind...The Golden Age. Seemingly, it blessed the inhabitants of the planet with technologies and resources so far advanced, that many struggled to comprehend them and left many asking why.” “Why are you telling me all of this? What do I have to do with any of it?” “Unfortunately, to the great dismay of the people of Earth, they found out exactly why the Traveler came to their planet; it was running,” the voice continued, ignoring her questions. “Powerlessly, and defenseless, a force so great and dark appeared, seemingly out of nowhere one day, and ripped everything away from the poor creatures that dwelled on Earth; leaving their planet nothing but a crumbling heap of refuse littering space. And what did this Traveler do to protect them? Absolutely nothing. It just hung there, sat and waited as the plague ran rampant over the unfortunate humanoids that lived on Earth; it ran over all of them until there was nothing left. It was then, that this ball of misery started to resurrect the dead.” “So that’s why I was brought back to life? To fight for this Traveler, and take back Earth?” “Correct, or that’s what the Speaker, and all of the other mindless, obedient, drones would have you believe. Every single day, from sun-up, to sun-down, is the same tedious tasks each of the so called, “Guardians” are assigned to; even more so, they perform these duties without question. You and the other human, will be bonded together; united in your cause to stand up to these pretending protectors. Once their chains are shattered to pieces, other Guardians will come running to your cause, begging to join you in your fight against your masters.” ---------------------------------------- “Are you awake?” Bree was crying too hard to answer. She lay curled up in a tight ball on the floor, covered with a thin blanket. Her head was completely shaved and her face was wrapped in white bandages and medical gauze. She finally managed to choke back her tears, and swallow her anguish, forcing it down into the deep pit of her stomach. “They cut off my hair…” Bree managed to croak out. “Yeah, they cut mine too, but I think it looks alright.” “And my face…” “I know,” Brayden’s voice took on an empathetic tone. “Don’t worry, everything is going to be alright.” “How can you say that?” Bree sobbed. “Look at what they did to us! We are monsters!” She shivered violently underneath the only cover that she had. There was a long pause before, Brayden, spoke again, “I’m sorry. Really I am, but they promised me that this was all for a greater good. You and I, we are going to be the leaders of a revolution that will take back control of Earth from the Speaker.” “I don’t want to be a part of it. I don’t even want to look at myself; why did they have to revive me?” “That’s just the thing, don’t you see? Nobody asked for this life, we were dead, blissfully ignorant, and unaware of everything, but they couldn’t leave well enough alone, could they? Slaves, errant boys, shackled forever, being forced to fight a war that they will never win. We are going to be their salvation!” Bree didn’t reply, she merely closed her eyes and gently tried to rock herself to a state of comfort. It felt like hours had drained away from the clock, but it was only minutes, and eventually, Brayden, spoke up once more. “Look, we are in this together. I know we may not have asked for this, but this is how it has to be. We are saviors, we have to break those poor people from the tyranny of this Speaker and his demon demigod,” Brayden paused for a minute or two, “I’ll tell you what, once we get out of here, I will do everything in my power to protect you. But in return, I will need you to protect me.” … “Did you hear me?” … “We need each other. I can’t do this without you,” his voice was exiguous, as he was feeling very drained from the day’s event’s. “...I...I’m Bree…” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I’m Brayden…,” a small smile slowly spread across his bandaged face, as he slowly slid down his own wall; to plop down exhausted on the floor. [i]As awlays, thanks for reading! I hope you liked it and I apologize for the delay, I hit a roadblock over the weekend and it took me awhile to get over it. Anyway, feel free to comment, like, and poll![/i] [i]Trials of a Guardian: Wake Up (Chapter 5: Part II)[/i]: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/110920222 [i]Trials of a Guardian: ALL Chapters (Appendix)[/i]: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/105589170/0/0