[i]AUTHOR'S NOTE: OK, here's Part 2 of "Wild Side". I know it seems like there's a lot of talk, but there'll be more action in Part 3.[/i] [u]Obligatory link to Part 1[/u]: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/252724203 ODDISH: "Sigmund, bring the Blue Bird II in for transmat." SIGMUND: "It's on its way." As they're waiting, the door bangs open, revealing a kinderguardian and a gray wolf. The latter creature sees Ajax and crouches, snarling. Ajax follows suit. The animals are seconds from leaping on each other... PETRA:[i] "Growler! No!"[/i] MALEX:[i] "Ajax! Don't!"[/i] The two canines eye each other balefully, but obey their respective masters. Oddish sighs with relief. The first time those two met, the dogfight took ten minutes to break up. Of course, thanks to Belle and Peacemaker, neither animal could actually kill the other, or even inflict lasting injury, but the mess took hours to clean up. ODDISH: "Petra, what are you two doing here? I thought you were going to the Farm to play with Ricardo today." PETRA (with preteen attitude): "I didn't want to. He was flirting with me AGAIN." ODDISH: "Well, I hope you didn't punch him. OR headbutt him." (Petra says nothing; Oddish sighs) "Don't tell me, I don't want to know. You shoud probably go to your mom's place, then. Malex and I are going to the Tangled Shore... it's not a great place for kids." PETRA: "Oh, cool! I always wanted to see the Tangled Shore!" ODDISH: "Sweetie, it's dangerous." PETRA (cheerfully): "Safe places aren't nearly as fun as dangerous places." ODDISH: "Another time, Petra." PETRA: "I'll be fine, Dad. I can handle myself. Mr. Malex, you know I can handle myself. Talk to my dad. [i]Pleeease?"[/i] There has never existed any known adult male that Petra cannot manipulate without effort with her insane cuteness. Oddish has a bit of resistance because he's known her since babyhood. Malex... doesn't have a chance. MALEX: "I think it'd be OK, Oddish. Petra's the daughter of two of the City's toughest Titans, and I know you've taught her well." It takes some convincing by both of them, plus a pleading whimper from Growler and an appealing look in his big brown wolfy eyes, but finally... ODDISH: "All right, we'll do it. Blue Bird, transmat us up." They materialize aboard the ship. Malex looks around. MALEX: "You know, I've never been on this thing, but somehow... it just seems a little familiar." (looks out the window) "Especially that... yellow color." ODDISH: "You probably rode on a school bus as a child, before your initial demise. They've been this color since 1939 in the Anno Domini calendar." MALEX: "That makes sense." (he examines the controls) "Looks like this thing has had some work done on it." SIGMUND: "It was a Cabal parasitic landing craft when we captured it." ODDISH: "Yup. After we retook the Tower, Holliday and her crew were too busy fixing up their new hangar space and repairing everyone's ships to rebuild our old [i]Blue Bird.[/i] And I liked its tough hull and heavy shielding, so I just had Holliday outfit it with a warp drive, then applied a Bumblebee shader." PETRA: "I liked the old one better, though. Mom says this one handles like a pregnant hippopotamus." ODDISH: "That's true, sweetie, but it'll shrug off a volley of Gjallarhorn rockets." MALEX: "Are there even Gjallarhorns left?" ODDISH: "Only one that I know of, and it's in Zavala's possession." MALEX: "Guess I'll have to get up a blackjack game with him, then." THE TANGLED SHORE - 30 Minutes Later The five warriors materialize in Thieves' Landing: two adult Guardians, one kinder, and two canines. They immediately look around. There are about a dozen Scorn in the vicinity. They approach, weapons raised... and this is a mistake. Their last. Malex takes down four with his Last Word. Oddish gets four with his minigun. Petra blasts one with her rifle and fries another with a pulse grenade. And each of the animals drags down one and dispatches it with deadly fangs. MALEX: "See? I told you she could handle herself." ODDISH: "You're talking to the one who taught her. Let's go talk to the Spider." There is no more trouble as they make their way across the shore to the Spider's safehouse. Oddish admonishes Petra to sling her rifle and keep it thus: Spider is an important ally to the City. At length, they are in his chambers. Spider, having been visited periodically by both Guardians, nods to them. SPIDER: "What do my Guardians need?" ODDISH: "Mostly information, though I might want to trade you for some alkane dust later on. I'm sure you know about the fracas between the Iron Lords and the Shadows." SPIDER: "I think I know what you want to know, and I can share that information... for the usual price, of course." ODDISH: "Of course." Oddish hands him a satchel full of glimmer, along with a tank of ether. Spider nods to his aide Avrok, a former twice-docked dreg who escaped the Kings' kell in a jumpship that he cobbled together from surplus salvage. He is now a healthy-sized Vandal, complete with arms that have regrown nicely. The Fallen places several data cubes in Oddish's hands. SPIDER: "I believe you'll find this very useful, regarding the movements of the Shadows." ODDISH: "Sigmund?" SIGMUND (scans the data cubes): "Wow... do we want to know how you got all this information?" SPIDER: "I'm sure you do, little morsel. But don't expect me to tell you." ODDISH: "I also want to know about an attack that took place on a village in the EDZ, some weeks ago. Some friends of ours perished in that incident." SPIDER: "I've heard rumors about the matter you speak of, mostly circulating inside the Empty Tank. Some of your local associates will no more." ODDISH: "Could you comm them, ask them to meet us in the Tank?" SPIDER: "Already done." (indicates Petra) "Better leave the small one behind, if you're going to go. The place can be a little... rough." ODDISH: "Right. And she's underage, anyway." (to Petra) "OK, Petra, I need you to wait here while Mr. Malex and I hit the Empty Tank. It's a saloon, and that means no kids." PETRA: "Awww." ODDISH: "And make sure Growler behaves himself." (to Belle) "If either of them make trouble, transmat them both back to the ship." BELLE: "You got it, Guardian." Oddish and Malex leave the safehouse with Ajax paddling along behind them. MALEX: "Didn't the Empty Tank get trashed by invading Guardians?" ODDISH: "Twice a day at times, and not just by us. The Cabal and Scorn also made trouble regularly. Finally, the Fallen who ran the dump brought Spider in as part-owner, and he had words with the Vanguard, as well as with Emperor Calus. Now, it's a place where all Shore visitors can go for refreshment, and open carry of weapons is prohibited. So unless you want to surrender your popgun for real, better hide it." MALEX: "Right." He slips his Last Word inside his chestplate. Oddish tucks his sidearm inside his greaves. MALEX: "I knew you had a friend or two in the Cabal Imperium, but I didn't know you had Fallen pals, too." ODDISH: "Pals is way too strong a word. Not too long ago, while I was undergoing Guardian Sensitivity Training on Nessus, don't ask, Failsafe asked me to rescue some Fallen who had been taken captive by the Vex. Of course, once I freed them, they instantly turned on me." MALEX: "So, how..." ODDISH: "I had been made aware that their captors had told them that if they turned on each other, the survivor of each group could go free. None of them lifted a weapon. That impressed me. So, I chose to spare their lives." SIGMUND: "Despite them all shooting at him, not the smartest idea he's had." ODDISH: "I think I still have the scars." SIGMUND (insulted): "You do not. I regenerated you perfectly, like I always do.". ODDISH: "Fine, little morsel. Nonetheless, it was quite a fight." MALEX: "But you didn't kill any of them?" ODDISH: "Nope. Lots of faces got flattened, quite a few leg wounds, and at least one of them won't be having any kids, assuming my knowledge of Eliksni reproductive anatomy is accurate. When it was over, none of them were standing, but all of them were alive. And once I'd finished off the Vex wardens, I had a friendly conversation with their captain." SIGMUND: "You sat on his chest and shoved your Basilisk in his face, and yelled at him in Eliksni for five minutes." ODDISH: "I didn't kill him or chop off any arms. By Fallen standards, that's a friendly conversation. In any case, I gave them their freedom and then spared their lives, and I demanded repayment. They give me useful information, as long as it doesn't endanger their house." MALEX: "And as long as you give them extra ether." ODDISH: "Perks of having your own servitor." 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