Commander Zavala

They reached the Tower in a few minutes. Dismounting, Grey led Corrin over to the elevator, calling it with a push of a button. The doors opened, and the two stepped inside. "Now, listen here," he said, turning to her. "Best if you don't let the whole dragon thing slip like you did earlier. Like I said, Zavala's a Great Hunt veteran, so just keep that in mind."

"Duly noted," Corrin nodded in response. She glanced around the cramped space, still finding the sensation a little unsettling. Logically, she knew this contraption had to be safe, but her brain screamed the exact opposite.

As the doors began to close, a Hunter suddenly came running up to them. "Hold the door!" She cried. Grey did as he was told, opening the elevator doors for the Hunter to hastily step inside and take a few breaths. "Thanks for that."

"Ain't a problem," Grey said as the doors closed and the elevator began to ascend, then noticed her rather cobbled-together gear. Her helmet was off, revealing her as a rather young-looking human maybe the same age as Corrin (as far as looks went). "You're one of them Kinderguardians, ain't ya?"

"Kinderguardian?" The Hunter asked. The term too garnered a look of confusion from Corrin, but it turned into a smirk once she realised, which she hid behind a hand.

The Hunter also made the connection and nodded. "Uh, yes! I was raised after the Red War! Just a couple weeks ago in fact. Uh, my Ghost told me I died during the war while evacuating from the City."

Grey nodded. "Recent, then. You got any family still alive?"

"My parents were killed during the Red War," the Hunter replied, scratching the back of her neck. "Not that I would've known them, anyway. I'm Alina, by the way."

"Greyson," the other Hunter introduced. "Greyson Ryder."

Alina paused for a moment. "Wait, you're Grey?" She asked, sounding quite surprised. "Wow, I heard you're the fastest quickdraw in the Tower!"

Grey grinned at that. "Well, lemme just say that that's a little bit of an exaggeration."

"Even if it is, I've seen the vids of you. You've got the skill that I could only dream of having."

"You just gotta have patience, kid," said Grey, leaning back. "I've spent three quarters of a century gunslinging. You tend to pick up some skills along the way."

Alina looked a little dejected. "If it takes that long..." she shook her head. "No, I'm sure I'll be able to pick it up in no time at all!"

The doors behind her opened to her floor. "Nice meeting you, Grey!" She waved at him. "Hope we meet again someday!"

The veteran Hunter simply nodded as she took her leave, the doors closing a second later. "The awakening of the Traveler brought a resurgence of Guardians," he told Corrin. "The ones who were raised after the Red War? The Vanguard calls them New Light. Rest of us just call 'em Kinderguardians."

"I see. So... she's a new recruit?" Corrin smiled. It seemed friendly acts of teasing were a universal concept. "Nice to know some… friendly teasing is universal."

"You don't want to know what us vets do to the new guys…" Grey muttered. The doors opened to the lower levels of the Tower. "Zavala's office is this way."

They stepped out of the elevator and into a fairly dim corridor. There were a few potted plants here, and a pair of benches on a blue carpet off to the side. Several plants hung from a water fixture build into the wall, with liquid gently cascading down the side. Opposite the fountain was a door with the Vanguard symbol.

It had the same official feeling Corrin often got when entering the throne room back home, and the Vanguard symbol etched onto the door formed a rather imposing image.

"Well, here we are," said Grey. "The office of Big Boss Blue himself."

"Do you think he'll believe me?" Corrin asked, nervousness settling in once again. She was always a little nervous when it came to speaking to people in authority, despite being a princess herself.

Grey shrugged. "Yeah, well, even if he doesn't believe you, he'll still be willing to listen," he told her. "That's what Chance always says, anyway."

The answer wasn't exactly uplifting. It was a crazy story, but given all she'd seen surely Commander Zavala would be willing to suspend his sense of disbelief.

The Hunter brought his hand to the intercom, and after a moment's hesitation, pressed it.

He could hear the sound of a doorbell coming from inside, before a deep voice replied. "Enter."

The doors opened, allowing the pair to enter the office itself.

Corrin took a moment to marvel at the office's interior. The room was incredibly spacious, perhaps larger than Grey's entire apartment, floored with dark wooden panels. At the end was a window that reached from the floor to the ceiling, allowing daylight to stream in and give a spectacular view of the City below and the Traveler in the sky. By the left wall were shelves of books and other personal items.

Next to it was a long table that rested several memorabilia, most prominently a shield and replica of the Exotic sword Raze-Lighter, and next to it and encased in glass was the cracked mask of the Speaker. On the wall above it was the crest of the City.

On the opposite wall were more shelves, holding more books and other trinkets, models of various events that had transpired over the City's history, along with several awards.

Corrin's eyes continued to drift around the room, until they stopped in the middle, where a simple yet ornate desk was situated, and a man sitting behind it. She straightened up once she realised that he was the same as the one in the video she had seen this morning.

Commander Zavala.

The Awoken Titan held the same air of authority she'd seen back home, both in her father Garon and her brother Xander, and unlike Chance, it seemed, his was constant and always there. Zavala, at least, was far less unsettling that the former king had been. She fought the urge to bow, which would've been the norm back home.

"Hello, Guardian," Zavala greeted the Hunter as he stepped in. "I believe you have something you wanted to discuss with me."

Grey nodded. "Yes, sir, I do."

The Titan Vanguard nodded in understanding and then gestured to the chairs across him. "Please, take a seat."

The Hunter did as he was told and pulled out a chair, plopping down on it. His posture was a rather easygoing slouch, one arm hanging behind his chair.

He either didn't care about formalities, or he was purposefully being difficult, as Corrin could sense the attitude oozing off the hunter. Either way, she took a seat in the chair next to the Hunter, and with her back straight with her hands clasped in her lap, she was the perfect image of royalty.

Zavala gave Grey a look of very slight annoyance, but continued. "I'll ask you to make this quick, Hunter. I've got urgent matters to attend to."

"I know," Grey replied, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "I know you always do."

The Commander frowned at that, but didn't say anything.

Grey decided to cut to the chase, leaning forwards. "It's about her," he cocked his head towards Corrin, who gave Zavala a polite smile.

The Vanguard Commander turned to the princess, regarding her with his glowing blue eyes. "Explain."

The Hunter turned to Corrin. "Mind giving him the whole story? The shortened version."

The princess nodded. "Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. I'll try not to keep you long," she said. "My name is Corrin, and I'm afraid that I don't hail from this world."

She cleared her throat, deciding that it was best to tell the truth.

"I come from the Kingdom of Nohr, which resides in a realm outside this one. I've been told it is similar to an ancient time period this world experienced. Medieval times, I believe it was. We possess far less technology, but we do have and utilise a variety of magic. Such magic enables me to access one of the many uh… smaller realms that exist alongside my home. While attempting to access this realm I wound up here instead. Well, more specifically, I arrived in… Old Chicago I believe?" She looked to Grey for confirmation.

Grey nodded. "Old Chicago," he said, turning to Zavala. "I was on a bounty mission for the Spider, hunting a Fallen Captain in the area."

Once Grey was done, Corrin continued. "After Grey completed his mission, we returned here and have been trying to piece together a way to send me back home."

For his part, Zavala had been listening to Corrin's explanation with an impassive expression, but it was clear that he was absorbing everything in. "You mean to tell me that you hail from another reality?" He asked, sounding rather intrigued. The gears in his head seemed to be turning as he processed the information, scratching his chin. "You arrived here because of an accident when you tried to access one of these smaller realms... hm. Interesting."

"Yes, that's correct," nodded Corrin. "Usually I would wind up in my castle's courtyard. But this time..."

She'd wound up in the middle of a destroyed battlefield, and in Grey's crosshairs.

Zavala turned to Grey. "And that was when you met Grey."

"Yep," said the Hunter, leaning back. "Just popped up right in front of my target in a flash of light. Can't say I was expecting it. Hell, I wasn't even expecting much. Just take out the target, get out, and get paid."

"We think the Vex are involved," Saratoga spoke. "I've analysed the moment she arrived and detected Vex signals. I've never known them to do something like this, though."

Grey nodded. "Could be a coincidence, could be an accident. Vex trying out something the exact moment Corrin here stepped into that little private space of hers. We ain't even sure if they even know she's here."

Zavala nodded. "I see," he said. "Given how you've been trying to find her a way back home, you've come to me to see if the Vanguard can help. Is that correct?"

"That's correct."

The Vanguard Commander sighed and stood up, turning to the window and staring up at the Traveler. "I'm afraid the Vanguard may not be able to spare the resources or assistance you may need. We have other, more pressing matters," he said, gaze drifting further upwards, to the sun.

Corrin visibly deflated at that, feeling her chances of returning home slipping more and more out of her grasp. Yet, she also couldn't deny the fact that she was also rather curious to know what was so important.

Zavala continued. "The Red Legion are making a last-ditch effort to claim victory. They've sent the Almighty plummeting from the Sun's orbit and to Earth."

That was surprising. Grey sat upright, and Saratoga's shell seemed to widen. "The Almighty's plummeting towards Earth?" He asked, horrified. The Cabal superweapon had largely been sitting in orbit around the Solar System's Sun for the past two years. With its energy-beam primary weapon that could cause a star to go supernova disabled, the station was rendered mostly useless. Most Guardians had pretty much forgotten about it, too, and it seemed like even the Red Legion did. "That's gonna be an extinction-level event, or worse."

Corrin didn't know what the Almighty was, but she understood what extinction was. Now she understood why the Vanguard couldn't spare any resources.

Zavala sighed. "Indeed," he turned back around. "Ana thinks that Rasputin can use his weapons to destroy it, and whether we wanted it or not, he may be our only hope at stopping the Almighty."

"The Almighty poses an immediate threat to the City, and we need every Guardian to help stop it, whatever it takes," Zavala said, resolute. "Until this is done, we simply can't afford to spare any help."

Figures, Grey thought. He had a feeling the Vanguard wouldn't be of much help. "So you ain't gonna help, then."

"Not directly," Zavala replied, causing the Hunter to look up. "You say that the Vex are involved in some way. If they are and have found a way to access alternate realities, they could very much pose an even greater threat to the City, even if we don't know it yet."

He sat back down. "The Vanguard will provide any intel you need. Seek out this Vex threat, Guardian, find the cause, and put a stop to it."

The Vanguard Commander turned to Corrin. "Only then, perhaps, will you find a way back home."

Corrin sucked in a breath. "I, uh, thank you very much sir!" She inclined her head, more out of habit than anything. She looked to the commander, her expression set with determination.

"I promise, regardless of the outcome, we won't allow these Vex to cause trouble for the city and humanity. If… if by some misfortune I'm unable to return home, then I shall endeavor to protect this world, to the best of my ability."

There likely wasn't much she could do given she wasn't a Guardian, but Corrin wasn't the type to sit idly.

While Zavala didn't didn't react as Corrin expressed her gratitude. However, there was a certain look in his eye, the same one that appeared whenever he saw the fiery determination in a new Guardian swearing to protect the City and humanity at all costs. The sides of his lips curled up ever so slightly, but he still remained as stonefaced as he always was.

"We'll get it done, Commander," said Grey. He had only spoken to Zavala a few times before, and this was the first time he had actually called him that. "We'll see what the Vex are up to and help Rasputin with his Golden Age thingamajigs to stop the Almighty. You can bet that shoulder pad of yours that we will."

"See to it that it does," replied Zavala. He seemed to find a little humour in the Hunter's last statement. He then turned to Corrin. "You would make a great Guardian, young lady."

"Thank you, sir," Corrin flashed him a bright smile, feeling her chest swell with pride. "I promise to live up to that praise."

Zavala meanwhile put a hand to his chin. "The prospect of alternate realities and worlds is interesting, however," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "Perhaps we can use it to our benefit. If we could find some ways to access your world or others, than maybe we can use it to our advantage. Humanity can find refuge in a world without the Darkness."

"And without the Light?" Grey asked.

The Titan Vanguard considered that for a moment. "Perhaps a world without the Light or Darkness would be the best option. We would not have the great technologies or abilities afforded to us by the Traveler, but neither would we have to worry about the constant threat of the Darkness, and its minions. Humanity would survive, and even thrive, just as it did in the time before the Golden Age."

Humanity had survived many long years on Earth before the arrival of the Traveler, but its arrival really made all the difference. Grey had found records dating back to before the Golden Age, detailing how the nations of the old world were constantly at each other's throats, and overpopulation and poverty and pollution were an ever-present population.

Another part of his mind told him that humanity was blissfully ignorant of the greater universe. No knowledge of the Fallen, or the Vex, or the Hive, or the Darkness. Perhaps it truly was better that way. Humanity had already built great cities even before the Golden Age, too.

He'd been through the ruins of the casino city of Las Vegas, and that was a great experience. He wondered how it must have been when every light in the city was lit up, with patrons gambling away their savings in rounds of poker or blackjack, or spinning the roulette table and getting drunk at the bars.

If humanity had built all that, it could do it again.

"I guess it is," Grey said.

"Then we are done here," said Zavala. "Investigate the Vex activity and report back to the Vanguard."

The Hunter nodded, standing up. "You got it," he turned around to leave, when Zavala spoke again.

"One more thing," said Zavala. "I would like to ask if you would be interested in the position of Hunter Van—"

"Ha ha, nope!" Grey quickly said without a moment's hesitation. He then grabbed Corrin's arm, and then promptly Blinked out of the office, leaving Zavala behind. Corrin had never seen him move so fast, not even when he was fighting the Fallen when they first met.

They reappeared outside in a flash. Unlike a transmat, Blink was much more of a violent lurch forwards than a tingling sense of weightlessness. Grey took a moment to straighten up, looking like he'd just dodged a bullet "Well, that went better than expected," he admitted. "I honestly wasn't expecting him to help at all."

Corrin felt a bit queasy from the sudden departure, and she placed a hand on Grey's shoulder to brace herself. "W—warn me next time!" She stammered out, a shaky laugh escaping her lips. "Some of us aren't used to your Blinking about."

"It's a convenient way to move around," Grey said dismissively. "We Hunters learned Blink from the Warlocks," he then leaned closer to her and whispered: "But don't tell them that."

The princess cleared her throat. "I'm glad he listened, and, uh, didn't lock me up."

The Hunter glanced back at the door to Zavala's office, then turned back and began to lead Corrin up the stairs to the Courtyard. "Well, you didn't show your whole dragon thing to him. Besides, he's got the whole Almighty thing to worry about," he frowned. "We all do."

Saratoga chirped suddenly. "Looks like we got a call from the fireteam."

Val's voice came through, slightly laced with static. "Well, how did the meeting with Zavala go?" She asked, sounding a little smug. "I expect that he declined, did he not?"

"Sort of," Grey said. "He agreed to help us."

"Ah, exactly as expect—wait, what?!" Now the Warlock sounded surprised.

"He agreed to help you?" Came Chance's voice. "That's great news! See, I told you he'd help! What'd he say?"

"Well, he ain't gonna help us by letting us borrow an army of Redjacks or anything, but he is gonna give us whatever intel we need."

"That's... better than nothing, I guess," Chance sounded a little disappointed.

"As much as I hate to admit, I have to agree," said Val. "Intel is key, and as I always say, knowledge is power. What else did he say?"

"Well, the Red Legion's sent the Almighty on a collision course towards Earth."

There were a few seconds of stunned silence on the other end, not helped by Grey's casual proclamation.

"The Almighty's plummeting towards Earth?!" Chance cried in alarm. "Why did no one tell me?"

"Indeed," said Val, sounding rather alarmed herself. "That would be an extinction-level event, or perhaps worse."

"That's what I said!" Saratoga spoke.

"Zavala just returned to the Tower," said Grey. "Was why he was missing earlier. Ana over at Mars thinks Rasputin can use his weapons to stop the Almighty. The Vanguard needs every Guardian to help out."

"That's something I gotta do!" Cried Chance. "I'm not letting any giant Red Legion space station superweapon thing destroy my City!"

Val groaned. "Yes... I would too need to assist with the efforts."

Grey paused for a moment. "Yeah, we do, but that don't mean we can't do two things at once," he said, turning to Corrin. "We can help with the efforts and find Corrin here a way home. Besides, Zavala's tasked us with investigating the Vex."

The two other members of Martingale took a second to think. "A special mission from Zavala himself?" Chance asked, voice eager. "Okay, now that's something I can't say no to."

"Again, while I hate to admit it, I..." Val sighed in defeat. "I suppose I would have to agree."

The Hunter gave a small smile. His fireteam didn't agree on a lot of things, but when there was trouble, they'd always be there for each other. "Well then, it's settled. Secret mission it is."

"You got it," said Chance.

"Agreed," said Val.

"I'll give you guys a call next mission," the call ended. "Alright, kid. You're 'bout to go on some Guardian-level missions soon," he said.

"And if wanna go on those," he turned to her. "You gotta learn how to be a Guardian."

"Learn to be a Guardian?" Corrin asked, surprised. Then she grinned. "Where do I begin?"