Memoirs of an Old Hunter

Epilogue 25 Jan 2071 0330 Hours Wide awake again…The result of our latest Iron Banner matches? Or is it the fact that the latest Award’s Ceremony is less than two days away? Memories have been flooding in again, hidden away as I’ve been for the last 3 weeks, (tucked away on the dark side of the moon is a well-known physical rehab unit run by Kevlarproofs wife. We only know her by “Mrs. K.” Very mysterious those two.) I’ve spent a lot of time here in recent years. Advanced age and old armor (no energy to grind the new pieces). RottenBiscuit calls me daily to see if I’m “holding it together.” I assure him I am. He’s a bounty hunter from my early days. He’s relentless (probably a direct cause of his O.C.D). He was suppose to retire to his Glimmer farm years ago. I’ve been putting him off for so long now. Maybe its time I level with him. He can handle it. But 2 days won’t kill him. He’s been slightly off since Phsyche_Eval transferred out of the PS3 Battalion. We lost a lot of friends in those days. Sivart_R1, PapoteSJ, ThreePistols just to name a few. Oh sure the PS4 Battalion had all the latest equipment, but the loyalty we felt kept the majority of us together. And we worked well together. 20 Jan 2071 Moon Base Echo 0800 Hours The call I’ve been waiting on, finally cleared for duty (minimum duty), but good enough for me. The Ceremony is tomorrow night, a night I have both dreampt of and dreaded for some time now. My destiny was first presented to me be back on 26 Dec 2015. I truly embraced it. It became an obsession. I knew that I would do this for as long as I could. A subtle vibration from my comm implant let me know that my transport was ready. good ole "Tiger Tiger" my first legendary. 26 Jan 2071 Rocket Yard Military Housing Complex 1700 Hours Walking into our family home always felt a bit strange to me. It’s so quiet now…the kids are grown. My oldest, snakeXdneX, died while on a training mission. She fell to her death while fighting a sword knight. My son CSX99 dropped out of boot camp and went off to Culinary School. My youngest LSX99 followed in her dad’s footsteps, she signed herself up for Hunter Advanced Tactical Training headed up by Axxiom84 and his elite close combat team. She’s in good hands with that leadership. Her friends in Pint Size Guardians have all gone their own ways now. Some to advanced schools, most enlisted. A few may have rage quit. As I move thru the main living room, I realize today is my wife’s shopping day. The house feels like a museum. Quiet, clean, almost unlived in. As I sit down, I realize that I have a message blinking away on the machine. I flip the Holo-Projector to play. A young female officer reminding me that WestCoast are the Guests of Honor tomorrow night. I suddenly feel really old. So tired…maybe just a little nap is in order. Memoires of an Old Hunter Present Day 2071 West Coast Command Dads of Destiny Award Ceremony New Los Angeles, CA On the podium, in his finest armor stands the founder of DadsOfDestiny WestCoast xrsxjrx. Flanking him to either side are his highly decorated admins. On his right, Old_Sushi (whose name we believe originated to describe how the enemy looked when he was done with them), and Paradosis (Greek for “Tradition” or a “handing down,” more like “when this titan puts his Fist of Havoc down” you better move or die).A true "Technician" that one. To his left, Kevlarproof whose mere survival is still a mystery to most. At a young age his wealthy parents saw the warrior in him. He was promptly sent to Ghelions Future Warriors School in the mountains of Colorado. He broke every school record by the time he was 15. Last but not least is an unnerving recluse named iClimb2U, his past is clouded in secrecy but we believe he was Special Forces, then an Intelligence Officer for Eris Morn. We never knew when or where he would show up. But when he does he’s all business. In the background is a faint but growing dull bass filled song…its indistinguishable but getting clearer. Some of the older guardians think they recognize the music. Flashback to Iron Banner week April 2015: Iron Banner. For those of you that don’t know is like the ancient game of laser tag, a way for guardians to test their skills against fellow warriors on the battlefield. WestCoast are the newest addition to DoD PS3…under close scrutiny we felt the pressure to perform at the highest levels we could. Lord Azrael (Grimm as I know him by) does not reward failure. Just recovering from his latest wounds he was in a particularly sour mood in those days. He wouldn’t necassarily call you out, but when he gave you “the look,” you knew it was time to get serious. His enforcers were the ones that made us nervous. LooseMoose with his deep booming voice, Ravensclaw’s scary no-nonsense overachiever attitude, IKrossCONSOLE with his outlook and his belief that it only takes one guardian for any task. Nymihillis and his NolandBeyond (enough said) they were ruthless and without a doubt the best at what they did. They kept us well trained and in line. Standing in front of all these DoD members, the legends, the heroes, and the brains behind us all is a very humbling moment, so many memories, the older I get the more they try to fade out. I’m tired, I’m weary. In the first few years WestCoast struggled financially. Grimm reached out to nfiore1228 (Nick) he was a genius with money. He found a way to secure the future of our young offshoot clan. We never asked where the money came from, and we didn’t care. We recruited ClearklyToaster as our Raid Master and were able to pay off all our debts within the year. We were in the clear and becoming a real force to be reckoned with. Our early skirmishes we were sent in with hardened, battle tested “grunts” like the leathernecked-Jimbacuan, the young but fierce fighter named Yukimura. That kid was fast. there was Vlad_69_ a bit loud and boisterous but that kid was scary. We had great Raid trainers in Berberick, Zblur, and CarlSantos who although he lived in the WestCoast was a devout member of Beyond. He was what the kids called “old school” and loyal to a fault. It wasn’t long before I realized I could no longer “run n gun.” I finally got my first Icebreaker and knew instantly what I was destined to use in battle. It took a while but I finally got my orders. Next stop was RedIrelands Advanced Sniper Training Academy in Royal Oak, Old Michigan (we called it RASTA) His second in command was no other than Nymphilis. The two of them had more confirmed long distance kills than I could ever hope to claim. Worse two years of my life! But in all fairness it was the best training this side of Mars. The discipline coach (Nymphilis) I have no idea what his name means, it’s probably Canadian for hardass. He pushed me harder than the other shooters. My role in battle was to cover my team. Personal glory is best left to the younger Guardians. The hard feelings and the hard work are behind me now. Like waking from a dream I slowly realize I’m still at the podium yapping away, in the background the music is clear as day, one of my favorite songs ever. Everyone stood as I raised my old arms, the crowd deathly silent. All I could think to say was WestCoast Represent! The two titans in the back of the Grand Hall (who have been getting rowdier by the minute, probably as a result of the free drinks) figured out what the song was. Blondy1990 whom I recognized immediately yells out “Hey DJ” pump up the volume! Her husband (loosemoose7221) another badass while facing Crota, looks at her as if to say "ahh Hell nah it's on now" The second titan in a decent English accent yells out “Dance party bitches” and “don’t forget to wash your hands when you’re done!” I knew right away that had to be KitensAndRainbos.(At some point the two of them got together and started a school of thier own, something about saving the worlds cat population) The two of them started to dance. That was all it took! Have you ever seen a female titan dance? It’s contagious to say the least. About that time the lyrics hit us. [Verse 1: Dr. Dre] Now let me welcome everybody to the wild, wild west A state that's untouchable like Elliot Ness The track hits ya eardrum like a slug to ya chest Pack a vest for your Jimmy in the city of sex We in that sunshine state where that bomb ass hemp be The state where ya never find a dance floor empty LordAzrael (or should I be addressing him as Admiral Azrael) whose rank and responsibilities continue to advance, how he keeps from being overwhelmed I will never know, looks up from his plate and gives me “the look.” His second in command, Commander Axxiom (whose wife is whispering in his ear) gives me a small well hidden smiled. The one I know so well, the one that says “you got this Rich.” Axxiom has been running Central Command for the last decade. He’s a scary S.O.B. but, he’s our scary S.O.B. End Part 1