Martingale

The two were off once again, riding on Grey's Sparrow. heading into the City. The further they got into the heart of the City, the more crowded it became, and the buildings were much more dense here, and even larger. They passed by some buildings that seemed to have been built on top of each other, the first floor dating back to the early City Age itself. There were already hundreds and thousands of civilians milling about, many of them builders. The City needed builders now more than ever to rebuild.

There were bigger crowds as well, and Corrin didn't see how everyone could fit into such a crowded space. She had been under the impression all the guardians lived in similar apartments to what Grey did, but apparently that was not the case. Grey explained that the Titans and Warlocks normally chose to live in the City, whereas Hunters were more at home in the wilds.

Grey pointed to a group of especially tall skyscrapers right underneath the Traveler. Corrin looked on in wonder. It was by far the tallest set of buildings she had ever seen, even taller than the City Wall itself. "See those skyscrapers over there? That's where the Consensus is located. They run the City. Commander Zavala, blue guy you saw in the video earlier, took over as acting head after the Speaker was killed during the Red War."

"By the divine," was all she could muster in response.

They were now entering the Core West district, and eventually, Grey stopped in front of a remarkably luxurious-looking apartment building and got off. He took a moment to glance upwards, to the top floor. There was a penthouse up there, with hanging plants draped over the side. It was surrounded by tall windows on all sides, allowing its occupant a great view of the City, and the Traveler.

"Well, here we are," Grey told Corrin. "Val lives here. Let's get inside."

The lobby was much warmer than the frigid air outside, and just as luxurious as the building's design would suggest. A sitting area with several comfortable sofas and chairs were to one side, while a reception desk was to the other.

Corrin took a moment to appreciate how neat this place was. It was an opulent building, a far cry from the one Grey lived in. It was more akin to her castle back home, a shining beacon of the finer things in life. It honestly reminded her of home, and she just felt so much more relaxed here.

There was a 55-30 Frame standing behind the reception, coloured black and white with a matching uniform, and even a tie. It looked up the moment Grey and Corrin walked in.

Ah, Mister Ryder!" It greeted. "I have not seen you in some time."

"I told you, Alistair, you can just call me Grey," the Hunter replied.

"I see," the Frame nodded. "Well then, Mister Grey, are you here to see Miss Auash?"

"That I am."

"Then I am terribly sorry, but she does not wish to be disturbed at this time. She has just returned from a mission you see, and she wishes to have a moment to recuperate."

Grey rolled his eyes. "Well, then tell her her fireteam lead has some urgent matters to discuss."

The Frame seemed to hesitate for a moment, before he gave in. He pressed the intercom button. "Miss Auash? You have visitors."

There was a moment of silence, before a grumpy yet refined female voice came on the line. Corrin looked over in interest. "What? I told you I didn't want any visitors. Tell whoever it is to kindly sod off."

"It is Mister Ryder, madam."

"Grey? Oh, what does he want now? Can't I just relax for one day?"

"He said it was urgent."

"Urgent?" There was a pause, before Val let out an exasperated groan. "Fine. Send him up, and make it quick."

The call ended, and Grey was standing there with a bemused expression. Alistair was apologetic. "Terribly sorry, sir."

"Yeah, yeah, she's always like that," Grey waved rather dismissively, before walking over to the elevator. It dinged, and opened up. He went inside, before turning to Corrin. "Like I said, a real ice queen."

"She sounds… uh, excited," Corrin chuckled nervously as she got into the elevator.

"She just don't like people," Grey told her as the elevator began to ascend. "Best not to piss her off."

Corrin nodded. "I gathered that. I'll be sure to try to stay on her good side," she said. She still wasn't fond of these moving boxes, and prayed it would be a quick trip.

Thankfully, the ride was, and the elevator continued upwards, smoothly and steadily. The side of the elevator was glass, allowing for a great view of the inner City as it climbed into the air.

She took the time to dwell. Corrin did find it odd that a visit from Grey, who she'd assumed had been a close friend, was so unwelcome. It wasn't her place to judge the Hunter's interpersonal relationships, but it didn't seem Grey had many close friends.

Questions for another time, thought Corrin, as the elevator arrived at the top floor. They were greeted with a hallway, at the end of which was a set of double doors. Inscribed on a plaque was a name: Warlock Valeria Auash, Praxic Order.

Grey wasted no time knocking on the door. While he did that, Corrin took a closer look at the strange pair of plants next to the door that seemed to be glowing softly.

She snapped to attention as the sound of stomping boots followed after a moment of silence. The door swung open, and the sight of the penthouse's occupant greeted them.

She was an Awoken, given by her light purple skin and glowing eyes of a similar shade. Her hair was a much deeper shade, arranged in a neat bun high up to the left side of her head, while her bangs were draped over the right side of her face, almost covering her right eye and ending just below her chin. A lock of hair too hung past her chin on the opposite side.

She was wearing a set of Reverie Dawn robes, with the Reefmade Shader applied to it. The Contraverse Hold Exotic gauntlets were on her arms. All in all, her choice of attire made her look very regal, almost like a noble or royal of some faraway kingdom of mystery and wonder.

In many ways she was breathtaking, with an exotic beauty to her. Only thing that seemed a tad bit out of place was the perpetual frown plastered on her face.

Corrin tilted her head to the side, her expression betraying her fascination. The Warlock's eyes seemed to glow, though Corrin was not sure if that was natural, or merely an expression of her discontent. She was reminded of how Rahool's eyes too glowed from underneath his hood.

"This better be important," Val snapped. "Otherwise you're just wasting my time."

Grey rolled his eyes. "Nice to see you too, Val," he said. "Besides, I wouldn't come to you if it ain't important."

"Oh, really?" Val asked. "How about the time you showed up at my doorstep at three in the morning completely drunk and singing one of your cowboy songs?"

The Hunter winced a little. "Yeah, except that one time."

"And that time you came crashing through my window, also drunk and at the same time?"

"Okay, I think I get it," Grey rolled his eyes. "For real, though. This is important. Real important."

The Warlock rose a brow, now seemingly interested in what he had to say. "How so?"

Grey simply cocked his head at Corrin. Val turned to her, her expression going from perturbed to understanding to finally annoyance, all within the span of a second. Corrin fidgeted uncomfortably at that. The Warlock turned back to Grey with a scowl. "Oh, I see..." Val scoffed. "Do you expect me to be impressed?"

The princess immediately went slightly red, and opened her mouth to speak, but Grey beat her to it. "What? No, not like that," he said quickly. "Let's just say that I happened across her in Old Chicago, and, well, she's a long way from home."

Val seemed to understand what he was saying very quickly. "I see. Well then, I believe it is best if we took this inside."

She motioned them inside. The princess breathed a small sigh of relief and stepped into the penthouse. Once inside, Corrin couldn't help but marvel at the sight.

The interior of the apartment was massive, as one would expect from a penthouse. Furniture was neatly arranged, much of it next to the windows that wrapped around the unit and stretched from the floor to the ceiling.

Lush carpets and rugs covered the floor, some of exotic design. A staircase led to the second floor, hanging over the main floor and housing the bedroom. There was a pair of banners hanging from the ceiling, both red. The first was a simple triangle with a trio of rectangles tilting to the side; New Monarchy's symbol. The second was the twin-headed eagle grasping a pair of swords of the Crucible.

There were also odd devices scattered around, such as a large contraption that seemed to resemble the Solar System and the planets and celestial bodies it contained, all floating in the air. Another one seemed to have a tiny singularity floating above it. There were also rows of bookshelves filled to the brim with ancient knowledge.

All in all, it was extremely neat, tidy, and opulent. This place would've been perfectly at home in a castle, and it was far grander than the place Grey occasionally crashed at, and left the princess wondering why the Hunter didn't have a similar home.

Really, while Grey seemed to live as someone who was barely scraping by, Val seemed to be living in absolute luxury.

Once they were inside, the Warlock closed the door and turned to Corrin. "I believe we got off on the wrong foot," she said, straightening up. "My name is Valeria Auash. I am a Warlock of the Praxic Order, primarily of the Voidwalker subclass."

She gave a respectful bow, one which Corrin returned. "My name is Corrin, I'm a princess of a distant kingdom called Nohr," she straightened up and looked around once more. "You have a lovely home Valeria… oh, and I apologise for popping in unannounced. My, uh… entire arrival to this world came unannounced..."

The Warlock rose a brow at that. "Nohr? Hm, a strange name, if I do say so myself," she said simply. "So it would seem. Indeed, you seem very out of place here. I will take the compliment on my quarters. I do try to be modest."

Grey leaned towards Corrin. "Of course her place is nice. The Praxic Order pays well."

Valeria's brow twitched. "For very good reason. We're the ones who study the Darkness itself. It is not a task for the faint of heart," she said. "I did not get in through sheer luck alone. It was the virtue and skill I showed. I presume you've seen Grey's apartment, then? Terrible place. He'd rather sleep in a dank and dark cave anyway."

"With a campfire lit and some whiskey," Grey added. "You know how it is."

The Warlock scoffed at that. Corrin only chuckled and turned back to Val. "Grey had said that perhaps you might be able to help me find my way home?"

At that, Val's expression changed into one of genuine surprise. It was only for a split second, but her scowl returned. "Me? What do you expect me to do?" She looked to the Hunter. "Grey, why would you even tell her that?"

"You're a Warlock," Grey said, rolling his eyes. "I just thought you'd know more than the rest of us on these things."

"I'm a Warlock, not a miracle worker. I can't just will her home with the Light."

"Oh…" Corrin's expression fell. Of course it couldn't be as simple as consulting a resident mage.

There was a flash next to Val's head. "What my Guardian here means, darling, is that while she is far more knowledgeable in the ways of the Light and solving mysteries, she may not be capable of such a feat."

Val's Ghost spoke with a feminine accent that originated from the old country of France, and was outfitted with the Sanctified Vigilance shell, making her look just as regal and opulent as her Guardian with the intricate golden patterns and glistening jewels.

The Warlock rolled her eyes. "Yes, thank you for that, Cierra," she said. "Anyway, this is something I've never seen before. You, appearing here from another world, another realm. Hmm, yes, that is quite an anomaly."

"Are you going to help?" Corrin asked, scratching the back of her neck. There was a small frown on her face. "Any help would be greatly appreciated. I would hate to linger here for too long. I… I have family and responsibilities back home..."

Valeria seemed to consider that for a moment, before nodding. "I will do what I can," she said.

Corrin's mood brightened immediately "Oh, thank you so much!" She bowed once again. "I'll do whatever I can to help, though I admit I have little knowledge on this Light that exists here. We do have magic in our world but..."

It was nothing on the same scale, Corrin thought. She recalled what the Drifter had said. How she apparently possessed a great deal of Light. Perhaps she could learn to control it, and find a way to return home?

Val stepped over to a table with a kettle containing some water and a few cups arranged around it. Redrix's Broadsword was leaning against it. "Would you like some tea?"

"You know I don't drink that stuff, Val," spoke Grey.

"I wasn't talking to you," she said, turning to Corrin expectantly.

The princess nodded. "Yes, some tea would be nice."

Nodding, Val turned back to the table. With a wave of her hand, the kettle floated into the air, and suddenly, purple flame ignited it. The water inside boiled nearly instantly, the flame vanishing a second later. A few dried leaves and flower buds promptly flew out from a few containers and into the water, swirling around. The water began to turn a shade of red after a few moments.

The Warlock poured a cup and offered it to Corrin. "Thank you!" The princess beamed, taking a sip of the hot liquid. The wave of warmth it brought on was comforting. The taste was excellent, too, probably the best cup of tea she'd ever had.

It seemed this world still seemed to amaze her in even the smallest of ways.

"So… is there anywhere specific we should start?" She looked at Val questioningly.

Val nodded. "Indeed," she began. "You may begin by telling us how you arrived here in the first place. I presume you have already told Grey, is that right?"

The Hunter gave a simple nod. "Yeah, so try going with a, I dunno, simplified version or something."

"Well, the short version of it is—" She didn't get far, however, the intercom rang again.The princess winced at the interruption.

"Miss Auash?" Came the voice of Alistair. "It appears you have another visitor."

"What?" Val asked, a little confused. "Who is it this time?"

But she already had a feeling who it was. "Mister Chance is here, madam."

The Warlock gave Grey a rather scathing look, who merely shrugged indifferently. She let out a despondent sigh. "Send him up. So much for a day of relaxing with a book and some tea..."

Grey watched as Val sipped from her tea, probably in an attempt to reduce the incoming migraine. "Come on, it'd be best if all of us knew what the hell was going on," he said. "I mean, we agreed on this years ago."

Val sighed. "I suppose," she said, but then glared at him. "But that doesn't change anything. You always seem to get into trouble. Here, you disappear for a month and then show up with another problem on our hands."

The Hunter frowned. "Well, when you put it that way, yeah, I guess."

Outside, the elevator dinged, and the sound of heavy footfalls could be heard increasing in volume. Corrin stiffened in anticipation and nervousness. Then there was a knock on the door.

"Enter," said Val.

The door opened, and Corrin gulped at the sight.

Standing there was a Titan in a full suit of armour. Covering his chest was the Phoenix Strife Type 0, emblazoned with the twin-headed eagle of the Crucible, with ruffled black furs around the neck. His pauldrons were massive Bulletsmith's Ire Gauntlets that also covered his arms, and on his legs was the Dunemarchers Exotic. Trailing behind him was the tattered form of the Binary Phoenix Mark. His entire set was coloured white and blue, and so was he.

His helmet was off, making his Exo nature obvious. His outer covering was white and blue, the same as his armour, and his optics were glowing bright blue. He had a pair of wing-like transmitters on each side of his head, where his ears would be if he was human.

He was massive, too, both in frame and height. He towered over the rest of the team, and Corrin probably didn't even come up to his chest even standing at full height. She was sure that even Xander was dwarfed by him.

Standing there, he practically emanated an air of authority and protection, a mighty knight standing guard against threats to the City. Once again, Corrin was reminded of her oldest brother.

Then he spotted Grey, and that air seemed to vanish immediately. He promptly broke into the closest thing an Exo could to a goofy smile as he spread his arms. "Grey! Man, it's been a while!"

"It's only been a month, Chance," Grey rolled his eyes but returned the smile.

The Titan stepped forwards, then turned to the Warlock. "Hey, Val!"

Val only let out an exasperated groan in response, taking another sip of her tea. Chance turned back to Grey. "So, why are we here, anyway? Not every day we get invited here. Oh, is it because Val got a promotion and wants to celebrate? I'd be down for that!"

The Warlock slowly shook her head as she massaged her temples.

"Nah, it ain't that," Grey said, turning to Corrin. "It's about her."

Chance finally seemed to notice her for the first time. "Oh, hey there!" He greeted excitedly.

"Uh, hello," Corrin spoke softly.

The Titan continued. "Wow, Grey, did you get a new friend? I didn't..." he trailed off mid-sentence, suddenly narrowing his eyes as he studied the princess. Corrin shifted uncomfortably. It seemed as if everyone was keen on studying her. She couldn't blame them, though.

After a minute, he spoke. "I swear I've seen you before."

Corrin blinked. "What?"

The Titan broke off, and then shrugged. "Maybe it's just me. Meet new people every day, am I right?"

"Right..." Grey cleared his throat, still not entirely convinced but deciding to let that odd revelation slip for the time being. Odds were, it was just Chance being Chance. He turned to Corrin. "Anyway, this is Chance-28. He's a Striker Titan."

"Sentinel, too, though I prefer punching things with an Arc-charged fist. A wise man once said, 'at close quarters a fist is better than any gun'."

"Yeah, yeah," the Hunter straightened up. "Together, we form Fireteam Martingale."

The other two members did the same, even Val as they stood proudly against the sunlight.

"I see… it's a pleasure to meet all of you," Corrin flashed a smile at the three, then realised that she hadn't introduced herself to the Titan yet. "Uh, oh! My name is Corrin!"

"Well, then," Val said, impatient. "Now that we're all here and introduced to each other, I think it's best if we got back to business. So, please begin by telling us how you got here."

Corrin nodded. "I uh, I hail from a world beyond this one, from the Kingdom of Nohr. I, uh, I am one of three princesses there. My world is home to many fantastic creatures and concepts… some similar to the Light you have here."

She looked to Val. "Back home, there are, well… small pocket dimensions that can be accessed if one possesses the proper magic. I have access to one such space back home, granted to me by a comrade who's, uh… no longer with us."

She looked to the floor as she thought of poor Lilith.

"While leaving the castle to head there, I somehow wound up in this dimension instead. I'm afraid I don't know what went wrong. Everything seemed fine as I stepped through the portal and yet..."

She'd wound up in the middle of a destroyed city and a firefight. Had Grey not been there, Corrin didn't know what might've happened. She shivered at the thought of what the Fallen might have done to her.

Val was listening rather intently to her story, while Chance just looked confused.

The Warlock stroked her chin in thought. "So, you do come from an alternate realm, then," she said, mentally taking down pages upon pages of notes. "That is truly quite fascinating. Yes, indeed. Cierra, record this, if you will."

"Of course, my dear," replied her Ghost smoothly. "It has been what I've been doing."

Chance took a step forwards. "Okay, can we back up a second?" he asked, throwing his arms up. "Am I missing something here? Are you saying she's from a whole other dimension?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Grey nodded.

The Titan seemed to calm at that. "Oh," he said simply. "Okay. Not the weirdest thing I've seen. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've seen a lot of things, but this is new! Really!"

"Indeed," Val agreed for once. "An object appearing from an alternate reality is not exactly unheard of, but is still a mystery. Such is the case with the infamous MIDA Multi and Mini-Tools. Weapons from what is presumed to be an alternate reality that simply appeared in the old Tower's armouries one day. No record of either of them existing were ever found, nor was the information held within each weapon."

"Hey, Toga?" Chance's Ghost, Zeke, appeared next to him. Unlike the Ghosts of the other two Guardians, Zeke's shell was comparatively plain. It was largely a default Ghost shell, but with additional sensors and two pairs of headlights, the Frontier Shell. Like his Guardian, he was blue and white. He also tended to act as the more responsible older brother who advised Chance against doing something impossibly stupid like casting a Thundercrash from orbit. "Do you have a recording of Corrin's arrival?"

"'Course I do, Zeke. I always do," Saratoga said, appearing in a flash. Like before, he projected a recording of the previous day's events.

It began with Grey looking down his scope from atop the building. The two were chatting casually, discussing Efyriks and their bounty. When the Captain arrived, the footage zoomed in. Then came the flash, and then Corrin was there. Then everything else played as it did.

Corrin couldn't help but be partly mesmerised by the playback Saratoga presented. She found it rather exciting to witness the moment she came into this world.

It didn't look much different from the first time she'd travelled to the alternate realm Lilth had taken her too. A flash of light acting as a portal. Of course, she hadn't had to fall into a seemingly endless gorge for this trip.

Something in the video caught Val's eye. "Wait... rewind."

The footage rewinded, to the flash. The Warlock narrowed her eyes. "Pause."

Saratoga did as he was told, and the footage paused on the flash. "Zoom in."

When the footage zoomed in, to the flash, several odd, geometrical lines of light could be seen. All three members knew what it was immediately.

"The Vex!" Chance cried in surprise. "How did they..."

"That's what we're gonna find out," Grey said, turning to Corrin. For her part, Corrin had no idea who or what the Vex were. She reached out and traced her hand over the odd shapes, only for it to pass right through.

"I've never seen this before," she looked to Grey, a quizzical expression on her face. "What is the Vex, and why is their presence noteworthy?"

Val turned to Corrin. "The Vex are, to put it mildly, a race of advanced cybernetic organisms with the ability to manipulate time and space to their will," she explained. "They are closely associated with the Darkness, and another of humanity's enemies. They can rewrite reality itself within their realms such as the Infinite Forest on Mercury and Vault of Glass on Venus, even erasing Guardians who dare to venture within from time."

"As they seek to assimilate everything into themselves into their version of perfection, they present a great threat to the City, and the entire universe as a whole," she held up her palm and materialised a glowing sphere of Void Light. A pattern, where everything must fit. If not, it gets cut away," the sphere ejected a smaller one, which then dissipated into nothing.

"In essence, a bunch of super advanced time-travelling cyborgs who can literally erase people from time and space," Grey sighed, detaching his flask from his belt and taking a sip. "Looks like our job just got a hell lot harder."