[u][i]Distress Signal - 12.2[/i][/u] [b]Author's Note[/b]: Before I begin, I want you, the reader, to know that you are beautiful. And now uh... let's get serious... //end note ___________________ Aleya sat in the hospital bed, smiling warmly as she folded Heaven's cloak. She tucked the cloak away, sighing. [i]I'm bored,[/i] she thought to herself, standing up from the bed. She left the room, entering the hallway. "You know, you aren't supposed to out yet," a hooded Guardian told Aleya. "I'm not either, got a few deep cuts here and there... But we tried to fight back. A shame really to see Heaven dead." "Oh, shut your mouth," Aleya growled at the Guardian. "You could've provided back up for her. You could've lend her a hand, you could've got us ou-" "If you didn't take so long to set up that beacon, she would be alive!" the Guardian snapped back, leaving Aleya silent. "Sorry Aleya. But things happen," he sighed, taking off his hood. Aleya opened her mouth, trying to come up with a counter-argument. "Y-Yeah... J-- Let's just get out of here," Aleya quietly said, walking slowly toward the counter. "I don't have time for this..." "Whatever you say..." the Guardian replied. Aleya scoffed and grabbed his arm, basically dragging him along with her. She had never done this to him before, she wasn't so aggressive before. "Are you okay, Aleya? You seem a bit mad..." "I'm fine!" Aleya barked at her comrade, tightening her grip on his arm. "Let's go," she pulled her comrade closer to her, making sure he was by his side. _____________________________ "Due to the most recent ambush on the three Guardians in the European Dead Zone, I have to send you out there to investigate," Cayde-6 sighed, pointing to Dennis, and Rush. "Bring a third." "You got it boss," Rush clicked his tongue at Cayde, winking at him. "A third, huh? Eh, hows about Emilia? Or that new one... That one in the hospital..." Rush rubbed the back of his neck, trying to remember her name. "If she's coming, you're taking responsibility and care of her," Dennis replied to Rush, crossing his arms. "She seems to trust you the most, anyways. I was going to vouch for Maria, or her too." "I have a very good reasoning on why we should bring her with," Rush ignored what Dennis had said, and continued to finish his reasoning, "I talked with her a while back, said she knows a bit about the Stone. New girl on the other hand..." Dennis scoffed and rolled his LED optics. "Of course she does!" Dennis said sarcastically, "Oh, how could I forget~. Anyways, the Guardian you're talking about is named Aleya." "I'm not lying, y'know... and thanks..." Rush sighed, slumping. He turned his back to Dennis, crossing his arms. "Rush, I expect you to be serious about this, alright? Just like you are in the Crucible," Cayde "smirked," crossing his arms. Rush cleared his throat and stood straight up, facing and listening to his Vanguard. "Understood," Rush replied, a serious tone in his voice. "We're on it." Dennis and Rush traded looks and nodded at each other, walking away from the Hall Of Guardians. ___________________________ "I say we form two Fireteams to investigate," Rush suggested to Dennis as he placed his hand on the scanner. The scanner beeped, unlocking their house door. "It is a good idea..." Dennis admitted, opening the doors and entering. "We're just missing one person... And it'd be more of a risk." "Wait-wait... Who?" Rush closed the door behind him, setting his bags aside. "Zephyr. He just left... Just poof'd outta here," Dennis chuckled. "He's a fun guy. But the two Fireteams, shouldn't we just go as one?" Dennis asked, opening the fridge door, grabbing a can of oil. "Cover more ground as two, but you saw what happened to those three. Hell, even one died in the field." Rush flopped onto the couch, lying down. "I'll think about it..." he sighed, closing his eyes. "U-Uh? Is somebody home?" a girl-like tone came from one of the rooms. She peeked out of her room, looking at the empty house. "Guess not..." she sighed, closing her door. [i]That was Maria, no doubt, [/i] he thought to himself. Dennis opened his can o' oil, slurping it down like it was water. "We could get Aleya to help us..." Dennis suggested to the snoring Rush. "Y-you've gotta be kidding," the Exo face palmed, walking over to Rush's unconscious body. "2 minutes into the house, and you're asleep. Whatever..." Dennis looked at Rush's body and back to his oil can, resisting the urge to splash it all against his face. "I would if it was water..." he sighed, sitting on the next available couch, turning the Holo-TV on, and taking another sip. ________________________ Aleya walked down the hallway, clenching her fist. Her comrade annoyed her sometimes if not all the time. "It's embarrassing if you hold my arm like that," he anxiously spoke, attempting to pull his arm away from Aleya's grip. "To be honest, I didn't think a Floof like you had this much strength." Aleya looked back at her teammate, staring into his eyes. "I am [b]not[/b] a Floof!" she growled, gritting her teeth. "Heaven would shut you up on the spot..." The Guardian snickered, finally pulling his arm away from Aleya's grip. "I'd stay if I could, but... I can't," he said, quickly throwing a smoke grenade at his feet. The smoke covered the area around Aleya as she coughed and fanned away the smoke. She cursed under her breath, walking out of the smoke radius, bumping into another Guardian who stood in front of her, arms crossed in Queen's Guard armor. "I-I'm <cough> sorry," Aleya gasped for air, opening her eyes to look at the Guardian. "Come with me," she spoke, one of her hands sparking with Arc energy. "We have business to attend to..." _________________________ [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/142503792/0/0]Chapter Index[/url] 13: