"Beneath crossed swords, a refuge for peace." - The Tower Grimoire

Cayde-6 shifted restlessly as his eyes roamed over the map in front of him. He rubbed his face. How long had he been standing here? Too damn long, he answered himself. If only he'd known what he'd be getting into before agreeing to the Dare... Now he was stuck in this Traveler-forsaken Tower staring at the same dusty old map every single day of his life. And the worst part was that neither of his companions seemed bothered by their shared predicament. They both went on with their duties, only pausing whenever a Guardian came in with a report, which didn't happen often before and happened even less now.

Cayde gave wind to a dramatic sigh, only to become more irritated at the lack of a response from his fellow Vanguards. The one thing that alleviated his boredom, no matter how temporarily, was listening to his Hunters' recountings of their escapades in the wilds. What he wouldn't give to be out there with them.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs, rushed but not unduly so. It had to be a Guardian - it couldn't be anyone else. He shifted his attention back to the map.

"Probably came back with some engrams and a good story to boot! Lucky bastard…"

Zavala and Ikora ignored his mutterings, easily tuning them out. They were all too used to it by now. Cayde listened to the footsteps crossing over to them. He looked up. Sure enough, it was a Guardian, Warlock by the look of it. He watched as the Guardian approached Ikora and snorted. He was about to turn back to the map when he saw the Warlock Vanguard's expression shift from neutral expectation to consternation at whatever news the Guardian had brought.

That piqued his interest. Ikora dismissed the Guardian with a nod. Cayde waited, keeping up his facade of patience until the Guardian left. He knew Ikora would tell them what had transpired, it was their duty to share any concern, no matter how insignificant it may seem. He looked at Zavala. Sure enough, the Titan Vanguard's face was as expectant as Cayde felt. Ikora turned back to them, acknowledging their interest with a nod.

"I've received some troubling news."

Cayde leaned forward, eager for anything that would rescue him from the monotony of his job.

"I'm unsure how concrete this is, but there is a rumor," she placed emphasis on the word, "That Osiris has returned to Mercury."

While Zavala's reaction was a mere eyebrow raise, Cayde's was at the opposite end of the spectrum.

"That's it?! 'Suspected Osiris commotion?' With all that buildup, I was expecting something like 'Guess what? The Ahamkara are back.'"

Zavala glared at him. "I'm sorry the news failed to entertain you, Cayde, but regardless of the severity, the matter requires Vanguard attention."

Cayde rolled his eyes. "C'mon Zav! Rumors like that crop up every few years and bring nothin' but trouble with 'em!"

"Nonetheless," interrupted Ikora with a sharp look, "As the Vanguard, we must investigate these rumors, lest they prove true."

Cayde crossed his arms, radiating skepticism as the Warlock and Titan conversed.

"I could appoint one of my Warlocks to look into it," Ikora suggested.

Zavala frowned and shook his head, "No… It would be too risky. Vex activity is still on the rise, and the latest reports suggest nothing has changed... I will not knowingly send our Guardians to their deaths."

Ikora hummed in agreement, tapping her chin. "Perhaps if we sent a fireteam instead of an individual Guardian..."

Cayde sighed, already tired of their back-and-forth. He decided to grace them with his opinion.

"Look, if you're really set on this thing, which I'm still not convinced is a thing, then there's no way any Guardian would survive that Vex-infested rock long enough to find anything, much less someone who doesn't want to be found."

Zavala frowned at the Hunter, annoyed. "What would you have us do, Cayde? We cannot allow any threat to the City - no matter how insubstantial - go unchecked."

"Easy. Send a Ghost. Small enough to go undetected - provided it stays away from Mercury's less-than-friendly inhabitants. Plus, not as much to aim at."

"As of now, the Ghosts are occupied with the unending search for new recruits."

Cayde rolled his eyes again. "You and I both know that's bullshit! We haven't had a new Guardian in what? 6years? We can easily spare a Ghost for this half-baked mission - it'd be better than sending one of the few Guardians we do have."

Ikora thought it over, nodding. "You have a point, Cayde. It would be better for Guardians to stay where they are needed most. And we do have more Ghosts than Guardians at our disposal…"

Cayde clasped a hand to his chest in exaggerated shock.

"You're saying I'm right? ...Ikora, I do believe my processors just stopped."

Ikora ignored him, typing away at the screen in front of her.

"That settles it… A Ghost will be dispatched in a few minutes."

"And what exactly are we supposed to do in the meantime if this is as big of a threat as you say it is? Sit around and twiddle our thumbs?"

Ikora fixed him with a stare.

"We wait," she said, "And we pray to the Traveler that that Ghost doesn't find anything on Mercury."

A/N: Ok, so this is my first attempt at a Destiny story. Reviews are appreciated, especially if you're interested and want to read more. It's good to be writing again. I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it :)

Disclaimer: Aside from my copy of the game, I own no part of Destiny or its characters. The credit goes to the wonderful people at Bungie.

- TheWolfParadox