Enjoy! Five Years Ago Drake raised Raze-Lighter, its burning solar energy engulfing the blade. The burning uppercut incinerated a pair of Vandals charging him. Lorelei took position higher, atop a broken rusted plane in the basin of the Skywatch. A howl echoed across the Mothyards, the familiar sound of a Fallen Captain regrouping its forces. Lorelei aimed Cocytus at the newly formed threat. Slow, precise shots dropped the Dreg in their tracks. Explosions of ether and blood spewed from their bodies as they fell. Drake swung his blade down on the Vandals gutting them with enormous lacerations of their armor and bodies. The Captain stood before Drake, challenging him. Lorelei chuckled as she peppered the Captain’s shield with shots from her scout rifle. They broke and that is when Drake made his move. The smoldering uppercut tore into the creature cauterizing the flesh as it melted away muscle, bone, and armor. Lorelei dropped down from her perch. “Echo,” she said summoning her ghost. “Did you get your scans from the golden age tech?” “I did, thanks for covering me.” “My pleasure,” Drake interrupted walking up. He placed Raze-Lighter along the magnetic holster on his back. “I technically beat you today,” Lorelei taunted. “Oh did you,” Drake took Lorelei by the waist and pulled her close. He removed her helmet, her crimson hair falling just below her shoulders. “I killed the Captain though.” He removed his own helmet smiling at the sight of her cherry eyes lighting up. “I still got the better body count this time around,” Lorelei leaned in. She kissed him as they remained embraced in each other’s arms. After what seemed like an eternity of bliss, she took a step away from him. “I’m sure Atlas has the next set of coordinates for the patrol,” She giggled putting back on her helmet. “You know us too well,” Atlas materialized. The sky went dark, a loud snap followed by a trans-dimensional rip tore apart the sky. Lorelei stopped in her tracks, and Drake stood frozen. An enormous Ketch bearing King’s colors burst over the Cosmodrome. Present Day Lorelei walked down the metal steps to the bar in the Tower. Her steps silent, her breathing quiet, and her gaze low. The sweeper bot looked up, it’s typical yellow-green lit eye turning a dark blue. Sweeper bot nodded silently as the titan passed. Other guardians and Tower personal passed without giving her a second glance. As she sat at the stool, she brushed her crimson hair behind one ear. “Usual today?” asked Doug. “Please,” Lorelei smiled, her voice silky and smooth. Doug nodded and pulled a tall glass from beneath the bar. He mixed a lightly sweetened drink, over ice, lightly carbonated, with mint accenting the flavor. As she sipped the drink, it went down smooth, and the ice cooled her chest. “How’re things?” “I’ve been alright lately,” Lorelei looked down at the condensation slowly forming on the glass. It felt nice in her palm. “Going to spend some time in the city, away from the Vanguard for a while.” “Sounds nice,” Doug looked up as a particularly rowdy group of guardians barged into the bar. “Hey, look who we have here!” one of them said too loud. “What’s a sexy thing like you doing here?” “If you don’t mind please leave me alone,” Lorelei clenched her glass. “Oh come on, someone like you –” “I’d listen to her if I were you,” Doug interrupted. “Whatcha gonna do about it?” The guardian waved to his fire team, who, all backed him up. Lorelei released her glass. “Oh,” Doug chuckled. “Not me, her.” Lorelei stood up and turned. She could feel the cold chill of pain boiling in her chest. Adrenalin surged through her body, causing her heart to race. The guardian stood head and shoulders above her, and picked her up by the collar of her form fitting t-shirt. She placed her hand on his forearm. The guardian felt a twitch in his muscles. He flinched, immediately releasing Lorelei. The guardian’s arm went numb, and sharp cold pain shot up his shoulder. He collapsed to one knee holding his quivering arm. The numbness traveled upward and his chest began to go cold. He could barely breathe. Pupils dilated, adrenalin barely keeping his heart rate up. He began to sweat and looking down at his palm, his heart pounded in his throat and a rock hit his stomach. His skin turned a pale milky white while his hand violently shook. Looking back up, his heart skipped a beat, the devil stared back. Black shade took his vision and his mind slipped from consciousness. The two others in the fire team took a step back. “The hell was that!” they shouted in unison. “Warned ya,” Doug laughed. “Wait!” stumbled one of the other guardians. “I. I know who this is! She’s Reaper!” Lorelei looked down and away. The two guardians went pale white and stood statuesque as the seconds passed like hours. They quickly shook it off and picked up their friend, rushing out of the bar. Atlas materialized in front of Lorelei, his eye cracked and shell dented. I hate when they call you that, he vigorously flashed in Morse Code. “I know,” she murmured as she sat back down. She finished her drink in a few quick gulps. “I hate it too.” She paid Doug and walked out into the hangar bay. Amanda nodded as Lorelei passed her work station. She ran her hand along a ship docked in the bay as she walked toward the mouth. Sitting down, she let her legs dangle over the edge. Scanning the city, she let the soft breeze nuzzle her face with a crisp chill. Snowflakes danced their way down from the gray sky. “I’m sorry Lori,” Echo materialized. Atlas soon followed expressing his disdain for the guardians at the bar in explicit Code. “Am I broken?” “No! Of course not!” “Certainly feels like it,” Lorelei brought up one of her legs and held it close to her chest. “But, you’re not.” Echo spoke softly and nuzzled up against Lorelei’s cheek. She looked over at the tattered dented shell of her ghost, one of the points was broken off. “You never have been.” “This is Commander Zavala,” the PA system blared. “Lorelei, please report to the Titan Vanguard.” She sighed hearing the announcement. Guess it’s always one last thing, she thought. Standing up. She slowly walked into the courtyard of the Tower. Festive decorations ornamented the tower. Bells sang as she walked toward the Hall of Guardians. The long table with only three occupants stretched in front of her. To the right, Ikora, organized and thorough, she was lost in thought, analyzing a map. As she passed to her left, Cayde pretended to do work on a holopad. His usual antics proved videogames more intriguing than Hunter Vanguard paperwork. As she approached Zavala, he seemed confused, looking down at an open guardian folder. “You called,” Lorelei said reluctantly. “Oh,” Zavala said looking up. “Good, you’re here.” He closed the folder and handed it to her. “Is this a live one?” she said a spark of hope in her voice. Zavala’s graven look quelled the spark just as quickly as it was lit. “I’m sorry.” “I see.” Lorelei took the file and walked out. We don’t have to go, Atlas blinked. She remained silent as she called up her ship on standby in the hangar. She went to her room and changed. She pulled on the skin-tight elastic under armor. It hugged her athletic body but allowed a full range of motion. She slipped on and secured her grieves and bracers. Lorelei fumbled a little with the chest plate, as it was tight fit despite the under armor. Putting on her helmet and activating her HUD she moved to the weapons closet. Pulling Cocytus from the shelf she checked ammo and loaded it. After placing it in her backpack, she took a sword from the closet. The cold steel balanced in her hand from blade to hilt. The metal formed back into razor-like teeth. She bit the inside of her lip as she put it on the magnetic holster on her back. Tell them no, Atlas blinked. Please. “I can’t, but this is the last one.” She smiled, a genuine light brightening her words. “I promise."