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thefandomwritersblog · 2 years ago

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Ghost of the Ten Horizon: Forbidden West Hekarro x Fem! Old One OC Action/Adventure/Romance/Hurt/Comfort Chapter 10

Part 2: Ghost of the Ten

“Kindness begins with understanding we all struggle.” - Charles Glassman ~~

Time passed as Hekarro endured Victoria's tears in silent vigil until she was consumed by a desolate stillness. Her body curled up into the corner, as if she could hide away from the world. Pity was something he could not bear to give, and he knew words would be utterly useless. Hollow sentiments that could never begin to comprehend the immensity of her loss; no matter how much he had suffered himself.

"Am I going to have to go back?" She asked eventually, voice hoarse from her tears.

"You've only just woken up," He said, shifting uncomfortably on the floor, "You need more rest."

"And that has nothing to do with the fact that you're trying to keep me a secret?"

He was taken aback by the abruptness of her question, its razor-edge cutting through him. Once again, she exuded a palpable agitation that rippled through her words. His breath quickened as he found himself captivated by her sharp tongue; for better or worse, she refused to mince what she thought or wanted to say. And for him, it was both thrilling and refreshing to face such brazenness in another.

In any case, his stunned silence only seemed to spark her amusement, and Victoria eventually scoffed at him, "Why all the secrecy?"

"You come from a forgotten age, Victoria. An age shrouded in myths and legends - deified by many. And as far as I know: you are the only Old One that's ever been found alive."

"So I'm a danger to you?"

Hekarro sighed and threaded a hand through his hair, "I don't know yet." He answered honestly, "But I cannot deny that your presence poses unique problems to me."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You claim that Anne Faraday was your mother, yes?"

The change in her demeanor was instantaneous; a dark cloud settled over her figure, and he could hear the ugly sneer in her voice when she spoke, "Unfortunately."

He wasn't a fool. Hekarro had been born a Lowlander, reared in an environment that taught him to read the slightest tremble in the air, to stalk the shadows with a practiced silence and ease. To sense the animosity of a predator with her hackles raised. Anne was clearly a sensitive topic; one careless misstep on his part, and Victoria would be at his throat.

"Your--" He hesitated, glancing at Victoria as he searched for the right words to say. "Anne Faraday is part of a memorial. Something that is deeply embedded in the culture and history of my people."

"So me being her kid." she whispered, "does that make me a threat to you?"

The tension in her words was palpable; she sounded fearful, angry and alone. Though he could not see her face in the dark, he could still feel her glare stinging his skin. Had he been someone else, he may have lied to appease her. But it was not his nature.

"As I said, I don't know yet." He replied after a moment of silence. "I don't believe in judging a person until they give me reasons to do so."

Then, she began to laugh. It was lacerating, a cacophony of uncontrolled fury and disbelief.

"This is fucking insane!" She spat through gritted teeth, her head still bowed in shock. "A thousand years in cryostasis? This isn't some sort of sci-fi story; It's real life! You seriously expect me to just accept this?!"

Hekarro could only bear her wrath in painful silence. When he didn't reply, she screamed, desperate and furious

"Answer me!"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, feeling his exhaustion finally catch up to him. "I refuse to pretend I understand what you're going through," he began quietly. "Nobody can. So no, I don't expect you to trust me blindly. To be honest, that would be foolish of you."

An oppressive quiet hung between them, and he found himself pausing on the brink of uncertainty. He was still not sure what to do with her when she punctured that silence with one simple, single demand:

"Everything that you're telling me?" Victoria demanded, her voice hard. "Prove it. I want to see it for myself right now."

Hekarro chuckled in response. He could hear the angry intake of breath through her teeth, but he shook his head. "No, you need more time to--"

"I don't care," she said, cutting him off sharply. "You want me to believe you, you have to show me."

"And how do you expect me to do that? You can barely see as it is. If there is something that I can give you that would convince you of my truthfulness, then tell me, and I will provide it should it be within my power to do so.”

All she could muster in response was an angry snarl. He held his tongue, waiting for the fire inside her to burn out. Eventually, all that was left between them was a low hum—an uncomfortable gap of nothingness that seemed to grow the longer they stayed in resentful silence.

He was adrift, his heart sinking as he watched Victoria struggle; not knowing if his comfort was wanted or needed, but feeling helplessly pained at her callousness. He knew why she lashed out: the world was becoming too much for her to bear, and she was desperate to feel in control of something - even if it was her own temper.

"You gonna drag me back now?" She asked softly, the anger palpable in her tone.

Hekarro shook his head and said, "I am not a monster, Victoria. You can stay here for as long as it takes. When you're ready, we'll go back together."

"And if I don't want to go back there?"

He started to wonder if she was being difficult just to spite him until he heard her mutter.

"It's too quiet…and too dark."

Hekarro stood up slowly with a deep breath and turned his back to the machine pen.

"Stay right here," he said, "I'll see what I can do."

Victoria responded with a dismissive grunt. He made his way up the steep, sandy rise of the passage. As he emerged from the darkness into the light of early morning, a brisk breeze brushed against his face, and it was only then that he realized how much time had passed during their conversation. His eyes caught sight of an orange-pink hue that spread across the horizon, slowly banishing the stars until only traces of them remained.

"Chief Hekarro?"

He spun around to find Dekka striding towards him across the arena floor, her face a mask of determination. Following close behind were Aloy, Beta, and Kotallo, brows furrowed with worry as they marched closer. All of which he calmed with a simple, placating gesture, slowing their approach.

"I found her." He declared, cutting short their panicked inquires. “She'll cooperate if we don't take her back to her previous room. Dekka?”

His chaplain considered aloud, “The barracks are far too crowded. If we cordoned off a section, it' would cause a fuss. We need something more private for our guest if we want to keep her secret a bit longer.”

“Do the Marshals have personal chambers here?” Aloy questioned Kotallo, who shrugged back.

“Yes, though there aren't any particular assignments for them. A careless Marshal may enter and find out our secret if we don't stay vigilant.” Hekarro observed a frustrated look spread across his face as he clenched his fist, “Do we really need to do this? Keeping an eye on her is easier when there's only one way in and out."

Beta twisted the corner of her mouth and dipped her chin down in a hesitant nod. "It's not critical," she murmured softly, "but it's important to keep her mental health in mind too. She's already struggling with so much; we shouldn't add more weight by forcing her into something that makes her feel uncomfortable. Plus, she'll likely recover faster if she's in an environment she feels safe in."

"We also want her to cooperate with us, Marshal Kotallo." Hekarro chastised him gently.

"What if," Beta posed, glancing at him cautiously, "she remains in your room? Respectfully, of course, Chief Hekarro."

"It's not a terrible compromise," Dekka added, "It's quiet, out of the way, and we don't run the risk of someone barging in without good reason."

The suggestion surprised him, but the logic was sound enough that he couldn't disagree.

"Very well," He answered, shooting a look to his Chaplain and Marshal, "Make sure the walls and the rear corridors are clear. I'm going to take the Old One into my chambers myself."

Both nodded, and scattered to their tasks. Aloy nudged Beta's arm, flashing her a smile: "Come on, let's get the medicine and the equipment moved."

Hekarro clenched his teeth, fighting off a laugh as he watched the sisters disappear into the depths of the facility. He turned with purpose on his heel and descended back into the pens. Victoria was right where he'd left her, her silhouette etched against the far wall of the empty pen. He treaded carefully forward until he was beside her, and he felt her stare burn into him as he knelt by her side.

"It's time to go." He said softly, reaching his hand towards her. She flinched,

"Where are you taking me?"

"You wanted new quarters, yes?"

The shadows around her face tightened as if she were glaring at him, weighing the risk of trusting his outstretched hand. Hekarro held his breath, every second felt like a lifetime until she finally reached out to grasp his hand with trembling fingers. With care he guided her up, but she was completely unable to support her own weight and nearly collapsed in his arms.

He didn't hesitate; one arm came under hers and scooped her off the ground. Victoria gasped in shock, and Hekarro flinched as he felt her nails bite into his skin, both hands desperate for something stable in the black void.

"Easy," He whispered gently. It took her a moment to calm even as she stayed tense in his arms, "Time is of the essence if you want a better place to stay. With your eyesight the way it is now, you wouldn’t be able to move quickly enough."

"Well, maybe give me some warning before you decide to grab me off the ground next time."

Hekarro snorted out a chuckle at the bite of her sarcasm, a grin twisting his mouth as he glanced down at her, "Consider it a lesson learned, then." He rumbled as he readjusted Victoria's weight and started back up the passageway.

When they reached the end of the corridor, Hekarro stopped in the shadow of the threshold, scanning the walls for any sign of life. His gaze was drawn away by movement from his peripheral, and he saw Dekka waving urgently above them on the overlook. Without hesitation, Hekarro sprinted across the arena floor, leaping up the ramp towards the rear corridors. Kotallo was waiting for him by his room. The look of worry on his face softened as soon as Hekarro arrived, and Kotallo hastily pulled back the curtain to allow him to slip inside.

The second Hekarro was inside of his room, he felt relief from the tension in his shoulders. His space was significantly larger than the other living quarters in the grove. On one wall, a bed was placed in between two crumbling stone walls and a broken ceiling—the only protection from the weather outside. Separately, on the opposite side, there was a desk full of tools, paints, parchment, and other materials set out in a disorderly fashion.

Gently, Hekarro placed Victoria onto the large bed. Immediately, she pulled away from him and scooted towards the wall, nervously glancing around the room while keeping one eye on him.

"Where am I?"

"The Grove Interior," Hekarro answered, proceeding to his desk. He dismissed his paints and tools and grabbed his bracers from their resting place, carefully tying them around his arms. "To be exact, it's my room. It's calm and less of a chance for someone to bother you."

"Discover me, more like." She muttered. "Just another prison."

"Be that as it may," he said with a shake of his head, "It's this or returning you to the underground. Which do you prefer?"

Given her limited choices, Victoria clamped her mouth shut and let out a grumble of defeat. He took a moment to glance up at her, noting her unease.

"I am sorry about this." He said softly, letting out a sigh. "Until I figure out what to do, both with you and how to…explain you to my people, this is the best I can offer you. For tonight, and however long this situation lasts, you can have the bed and I'll make do on the floor."

Victoria just crossed her arms and shifted her gaze away in a gesture of refusal, her jaw flexing as if she wanted to speak. Whatever it was that she wanted to say, however, it died on her lips once Beta and Aloy entered the room carrying bundles of medicine and kits. They gave him a faint smile before immediately starting to work around Victoria, despite her obvious unhappiness.

Realizing that further conversation was pointless, Hekarro swiftly donned his gear and departed, leaving the sisters to their duties. He found Kotallo waiting for him on the other side, pacing along the opposite wall.

"Relax, Marshal Kotallo." Hekarro urged him, but Kotallo refused to be swayed.

"Have you decided what to do with the Old One?"

He bit his lip, trying to suppress an exasperated sigh. Again and again he was asked the same query: what to do with the Old One? Could she stay, or should they send her away? How would he explain all this to the rest of his people? He detested not having the answers required, especially when it was obvious that his people were anticipating solutions from him.

"Not yet," Hekarro answered evenly, "and I doubt I'll have that answer anytime soon."

"The guards are asking questions," Kotallo said with a frown, "Marshal Ivvira cornered me last night and accused me of withholding information from the tribe. She wants to know what's so important about the underground that I'm keeping it secret. I don't enjoy lying to her."

"Then the next time Marshal Ivvira demands answers from you," Hekarro suggested sternly, "I recommend that you encourage her to come to me directly with any concerns she may have."

The weight of responsibility pressed down on him. Every time he thought the situation couldn't get any worse, it did. One issue after another without respite. He reminded himself that this was the cost of being a leader—something he took on when he brought the tribes together.

"Do you require anything from me, My Chief?" Kotallo's voice cut through his reverie, and Hekarro shook his head.

"No. You are dismissed until further notice. Thank you."

Hekarro followed Kotallo with his eyes until the other man's figure was no longer visible around the corner. From the rear corridors, he moved to the overlook, gazing down at the arena below, as the sun rose in a brilliant display of orange light. Its rays spilled over the eastern spires and battlements, casting long shadows across the sand.

A feeling of overwhelming fatigue and uncertainty enveloped him, a wave of emotion threatening to drag him down like the tumultuous waters of a stormy sea. He had to make a decision about Victoria and inform his people, but he was at a loss as to where to even start.

Would the Tenakth accept that Victoria was an Old One, who had slept through her people's downfall? Would they venerate her when it became known who her mother was, or would they call her a heretic and drive her away? These questions were assuming, of course, that she wanted to stay in the Grove in the first place.

A cacophony of noises from within the Maw broke through Hekarro's trance like a thunderclap. He frowned, furrowed his brow as he strained to make out what was happening. The conversation seemed to escalate until it erupted into a ferocious argument, the voices reaching ear-splitting levels that shattered the eerie silence of the early morning. Suddenly, the distinct sound of weapons clashing with one another echoed off the walls and sent Hekarro sprinting down from the Overlook in haste.

Hekarro arrived to find the mess hall in complete chaos. Screaming and arguing filled the air as he paused just outside the entrance.

"That's enough!" Dekka shouted, and gradually the noise began to subside into a discontented grumble.

“Spark and steel!” Petra's voice rang out like thunder, reverberating through the mess hall. Hekarro knew her to be loud, but this? The irritation in her voice was as clear as the sky above him. “I leave you boltheads alone for five spark-blasted minutes, and you go pickin' fights? Are you two outta your minds?!"

"They are our guests; you disgrace your tribe with your abhorrent behavior!" Dekka scolded coldly.

A thunderous clatter of furious dissent reverberated through the chamber as he entered. Instantly, the uproar was smothered in a blanket of stillness, his sheer presence paralyzing all present. He noted the splintered furniture and broken glass, the two boys firmly in Petra's vice-like grip, and Dekka at the helm of his unruly guards, both whose fists were clenched in anticipation. He remembered them from yesterday—the same ones who had cluttered around the wall, watching the Oseram with suspicion.

Hekarro strode quietly, each step careful and precise, to the center of the room. He looked at the guards, both of whom refused to make eye contact with him. Then to the Oseram, their own gazes transfixed upon their feet.

"To my Throne Room," He said quietly, with a deadly undertone to his command. "Now."

There was no argument. The only sound was the dull thud of feet on the old stone floor as they trailed behind him in heavy silence. Hekarro paused once upon his throne, glowering at them each in turn. No one made a sound; no one dared to speak up. When the silence stretched on, Hekarro muttered irritably under his breath.

He loathed disciplinary hearings.

He understood that they were a necessity, born of the need to keep order. After all, any disobedience could lead to disarray, and far too much violence already existed in the world without petty infighting worsening it. He studied each of the transgressors, their gazes lowered so as not to meet his.

"Twenty years," he mused quietly, his eyes flickering to the mural on the floor. "For twenty years, I have labored to secure unity among my people and guide them on a path of peace and prosperity. Not only for the Tenakth, but also for other tribes. And yet, this morning I woke to find out that all these efforts were nearly all in vain because of a dispute. Over what, exactly?"

Petra firmly nudged one of her workers in the shoulder when no one responded to him. The boy muttered under his breath, swallowed hard, and shook his head. "We were just sitting here having our meals and getting ready for the day, and these guys start shouting at us--"

"You lie!" growled one of the Tenakth. "Our Chief has been gracious enough to let you stay here, yet you make a mockery of our sacred grounds and talk about taking trinkets back home to share with your friends?!"

"Sod off! Don't you know a joke when you hear one?"

"That's enough!" Hekarro commanded. He glared at each of the guards and waved his head in disapproval. "Any issues should have been brought to a Marshal, Chaplain, or me. You do not have the authority to take actions against those I've declared as my guests."

He looked sternly at the Oseram and said, "And you!" They quivered, yet stayed put when their Forgewoman admonished them: "I offer you the chance to be a part of my Grove; I give you jobs; I provide you shards to send back for your families' sake; and this is how you repay me? By scorning and belittling my home? Our Arena isn't something for you to dismantle and display."

Hekarro's face darkened as he looked at the two guards. "You should both be stripped of your ranks and sent back to your tribes in disgrace," he spat. He then turned his glare to the Oseram, declaring coldly, "And all of you should be thrown from my lands. Let your Forgewoman and nature deal with you!".

His booming voice resounded along the ancient walls, causing everyone from the Dekka to the Oseram to jump in surprise. Hekarro didn’t usually shout, but he had no patience for their arguments. He huffed and hunched over onto his knees, "I suggest you all be grateful that I am in a somewhat merciful mood today. Your punishment is trench duty; perhaps some sweat and filth will help you learn to get along better. Dismissed."

He watched as the members of Petra's crew and the guard all filed out of the room, save for Petra herself, who lagged behind. With her hands on her hips, she turned to face him, and he saw the determination in her eyes.

Look, Chief,” she began, her voice low enough so that it wouldn't carry to the rest of the group. "I’m a proud woman, but I know when I owe someone gratitude. You had every right to kick us out on our asses, but you didn’t, and I can’t thank you enough for giving me and my boys a second chance.”

Hekarro's head shook slowly. "My people are no less culpable than yours. It would reflect badly on me if I did not make everyone responsible for their misconduct." He stared sternly at Petra, who returned his gaze without wavering, “This will not happen again.”

“Believe me,” she promised darkly, “It won’t.”

After Petra gave a short bow, she left the Grove through the broken arches. Hekarro closed his eyes for a moment. She was correct in some respects; he could have easily thrown her and her men out, but he could not deny that he needed her help. Even though he had already paid her a generous amount for her services, there was no replacement for her expertise in repairing and strengthening the arena. He likened this agreement to a duel, where each move had to be accurate and prompt. One misstep, one slip-up, and he would lose it all.

Hekarro's exhaustion came back with a vengeance, and the beginnings of a headache started to form in the base of his skull. He sighed and massaged his temples. Dekka would tell him to lay down and rest; after what happened the previous day, along with his lack of sleep, he wanted nothing more than to do just that. However, his bed was now occupied by an ornery Old One and Hekarro had no interest in spending his day as well as the long night sleeping on the floor.

And so he reluctantly set aside his uncertain thoughts, exchanging his unease for productivity. The morning and afternoon dragged on with frustrating slowness, though there was nothing he could do to speed them along. It seemed like no matter what he undertook, there were always more tasks that needed tending to and additional worries brought to his attention—a seemingly infinite spiral of trials and tribulations whose burden was becoming too much to carry. His headache had yet to dissipate by the time dusk arrived, the clamor of the day retreating into the gentle murmur of the wind through the jungle.

He savored the evening for its serenity, allowing it to relieve some of his burdens. He drifted through the tranquil corridors of the Grove, gradually progressing from room to room. He was comforted by the knowledge that everything he had sacrificed and worked for would be worth it. For certain, Aloy had warned of an approaching tempest, but no one was certain when it would hit. The only thing they could do was prepare for whatever might come.

Hekarro raised a hand to his opposite shoulder and sighed; the dirt and sweat did nothing to soothe the twinges in his muscles, nor did the humidity, even as it decreased with the descent of the sun. He drifted towards the inner ramparts of the arena, nodding at a few Nightwatch on his way down into the baths. The baths themselves were situated beneath the northern outer wall; he couldn’t be sure what the old sequence of chambers had been prior to that since they were partly inundated when initially found.

The warm air welcomed him to the small vestibule of the bathhouse. A light haze of mist floated on the ground, undisturbed, until he walked into an adjacent stall and perched on a stool. He carefully removed his gear and arranged it into a neat bundle in the corner before retrieving a cloth to moisten it. Everyone followed the same custom in the bathhouse: erase the Tenakth paintings from their skin. Machine blood was heat-expedient and sweat-resistant, but poisonous for the water. Even their powder pigments could sully it, so scrubbing it off beforehand was preferable before indulging in the baths.

Hekarro stepped into the main room of the bathhouse, his bare skin still dripping with water. The chamber was empty save for one person; an older woman clad in traditional armor sat on a wooden stool behind a stone basin. She looked up at him and nodded before returning to her task of silently crafting sea salt soapstones. Mirella, the overseer, didn't speak often, but Hekarro always felt a certain sense of ease in her presence. Without uttering a word, she handed him a soapstone as he passed by.

He slid into the pool, letting the warm, mineral-rich water wash over him. The red brick walls curved around in an almost perfect circle, reaching up to form a domed ceiling of tightly-fitted stonework that prevented the water from spilling out into the room. At the center of the curve glowed a large metal cauldron heated by a roaring fire, with glowing embers burning beneath it and sending off waves of heat. He could feel it even from where he sat, and he knew one accidental brush would guarantee raw and blistering pain.

Tonight was surprisingly peaceful, which Hekarro welcomed with a deep sigh of relief. It seemed to be inviting him in—an offer that was hard for him to resist. Hekarro wanted to lose himself in the warmth of the water and forget about his worries for a few precious moments. He closed his eyes and let the gentle dripping from the ceiling wash over him, listening to the low hum of the bubbling cauldron that lulled him into a relaxed daze. However, just as he started to drift away into the ether between sleep and wakefulness, something pulled him back, and he awoke with a rather unattractive snort.

Mirella released her grip on Hekarro's shoulder and furrowed her brows. “I apologize, Chief Hekarro," she said, "but if you are exhausted, find someplace more suitable to rest than the baths.”

Hekarro chuckled, “Understood, Overseer.”

Once she was content that he wouldn’t drift off again, Mirella resumed her tasks, the gentle brush of her broom joining the pleasant humming of the baths. Hekarro finished shortly after, partially clothed in his armor, his skin dewy with water, and his hair damp on his back. He ran a hand through the lengthy black locks and frowned at the habitual tug of the tangles he found.

The night had completely enshrouded the Grove by the time he exited the underground, and the gentle glimmer of torches guided him back to his chambers. He tiptoed through the threshold as he gently tugged at the curtain, taking precaution not to disrupt the slumbering duo on his bed. He found himself watching Beta and Victoria as they slumbered, the younger girl muttering in her sleep as she lay curled up on her side. A soft smile tugged at Hekarro's lips as a gentle fondness for the girl overwhelmed him. Carefully, he took one of the spare blankets from his bed and folded it before gently tucking it beneath Beta's head. She muttered softly and turned, but thankfully remained peaceful and undisturbed.

Hekarro's gaze shifted to Victoria, who was sound asleep in the bed opposite Beta. Her obsidian tresses fanned across the pillows, and her snores were faint but inconsistent. She wore a frown on her face as her eyes darted from side to side beneath her closed eyelids, speaking words that he couldn't make out. Hekarro recognized the signs of a nightmare, however, his compassion was overshadowed by apprehension. If he moves to awaken her, what comfort could he give her? Being so foreign to her world and unaware of the tribulations that tormented her dreams, he dreaded that any words spoken would simply aggravate her further.

He disliked this feeling of powerlessness.

With a gentle sigh, Hekarro tried to put his worrisome thoughts aside. He carefully pulled out the remainder of his bedclothes and blankets, arranging them on the floor. He laid down once he was satisfied, shifting uncomfortably against the hard stone before settling on his back. He stared at the stars peeking through the broken roof and the branches rustling in the treetop above him. His thoughts filled with worry for his people and for the Old One, who lay sleeping not far from him.

#horizon forbidden west #horizon zero dawn #hfw #hzd #hfw fanfic #my writing #hekarro #chief hekarro #old one oc #beta hfw #kotallo #dekka #aloy #ghost of the ten

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apostrophetotheworld · 1 year ago

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Path to Elysium

Something big was happening, that was all she could be sure of. Pulled from her official duties and tasked with recovering targets from all corners of the world her team is pushed into something they'd be better off not knowing about. Forced to babysit (protect) those working to save the world from total extinction Eloise is thrust into an entirely new world. Dealing with mad scientists and deranged robots is one thing, but a completely different way of life?

Pairing(s) : Eventual Nill/OC (minor), Avad/OC (minor), eventual Kotallo/ OC

Warnings: Travis Tate being Travis Tate, some swearing, cannon-typical violence, more warnings to come? (first fic, does that count as a warning (: ?

Length: 3.1K

Read on AO3

[NEXT]

CH I:

Eloise stood at the window looking at the old building across the street. If their intel was right, their target would be in room 705. Some higher up wanted this to be done by people instead of bots and had them going to multiple countries fetching targets. They hadn’t been this busy in years.

Sergeant Mendoza sat next to her fiddling with his scope trying to get a visual on their target while Sergeant Collins and Corporal Lam chatted towards the back of the room.

Turning away from the window she studied the building layout projected above the table. Two stairwells on either side of the building and an elevator in the middle. They were doing this job old school, no bots, no Focus, just memorized floorplans and old communication radios. Their target was crafty with tendency of weaseling away before his pursuers got to him. She was counting on him detecting them for her plan to work, she just hoped they were in position by the time that happened.

“Collins, Lam, stop messing around and get ready to move out! Mendoza, let me know when you get a visual on the target and if any surprises pop up.”

Mendoza would be staying back, monitoring their progress through the patched in security feed and arranging their transport out of the area.

“Yes Lieutenant Arten!”

Heading down and out of their current building and into an alleyway they stopped and prepared to enter the building their target was in. Security cameras were to be avoided up until the last minute.

“Collins, I want you to cover the left stairwell, make sure he can’t weasel his way out,. Lam, you’re with me.”

“Lt. I’ve got a potential visual on the target,” Mendoza said through the comms.

“Copy, keep us updated.”

Carefully crossing the street to the entryway Lam overrode the entry door code and they made their way into the lobby. It was quiet, and it seemed like most of the building residents were asleep; the less civilian witnesses they had, the better. Collins branched out and headed towards the left stairwell and started heading up while Lam scanned the room for the control panel and sent the lift up to the upper floors.

Lam followed behind Eloise as they started heading up, careful to not run into any of the other inhabitants of the building. Eloise led the way up, pausing at every corner to scan the stairwell and avoiding the security cameras. Lam split from her one they reached the fith floor, beelining to the elevator control panel there. She between the sixth and seventh floor when the comms started to crackle.

“Lt., targets moving! They- *bzzzzt*- Collins’ poss-*bzzzzzzt*”

“Collins, report!” Barking into her comms Eloise sprinted up the remaining steps but received no answer, just a buzzing through the comms. It looked like their target had anticipated the use of older tech. A minor hitch in the plan.

As they burst through the stairwell doors, a man was heading straight towards her with Collins hot on his tail.

“Fuck!”

He redirected his escape as he saw her and turned towards the elevators while frantically messing with a device in his hand. The elevator doors slid open and promptly shut as Collins reached them.

He was trapped in the elevator for now.

Eloise and Collins jammed their knives into the elevator door seam to pry them open. With no way to contact Mendoza or Lam she could only trust her teammates to stick to the plan.

They managed to pry open the doors, only to be met with moving cables and a descending lift. It was meant to be stuck on this floor, at least until the target was apprehended. Lam wasn’t fast enough. Eloise mentally prepared herself for a jump down, she’d have to avoid the moving cables.

“Get a hold of Lam and Mendoza. I want the transfer pod ready as soon as those elevator doors open at the bottom.” Collins nodded and ran towards the stairs.

Eloise exhaled and jumped down into the elevator shaft, falling a few seconds before making contact with the top of the elevator, stumbling slightly as it shook from the impact and stopped moving. She could hear muffled expletives coming from the car as she bent down pulling open the latch on the emergency exit door. Swinging down she caught the man with a kick to the chest.

“What the-!” Eloise was on him before he could recover.

Flipping him over to press his chest against the wall, she cuffed him.

“Easy there sugar, if you wanted me against the wall you could have just said so, but I ain’t complainin’ if you want to get a little rough.” Wheezed the man.

Eloise huffed and knocked the back of his knees, making him kneel.

“Oof!”

“Travis Tate, you’re not an easy man to catch.”

“How much they paying you to bring me in?” He struggled in his bonds.

The buzzing was gone from her comms, pressing down on the button she turned her head to the side.

“Collins, Lam, how copy?”

“Loud and clear Lt” “I hear you” came through.

“Get this elevator moving and meet me in the lobby. Mendoza! Have the transport pod ready to go!”

“Yes Lt!”

She eyed their target and adjusted to make sure he couldn’t wiggle out of her grip. He turned his head to the side eyeing her and settled his eyes on the patch on the side of her arm.

“Well, I’ll be dammed. Didn’t think they’d send the military after me, are y'all running so low on funds you’ve resorted to bounty huntin’?”

Turning her head to face the elevator doors she hoped her team would be quick about getting the thing moving again. Eloise had the feeling that this target was going to be particularly annoying to deal with.

“You know, if you let me go, I can make it worth your time. Maybe transfer you some funds, make it so you don’t have to wear that stuffy uniform, get away from your overlords?”

She glanced down unamused.

“No catch? Nothing to tempt you into letting me go?”

“Huh, just another dutiful little drone ain’t ya? Thought they’d replaced all of you for actual drones by now, had y'all doing deskwork.”

His gaze shifted from the patch on her arm, to her face, and then a little lower.

“You know, those Sterling-Malkeet assholes are probably gonna lock me up forever for what I did to them, least you could do is give a guy something good to remember.”

Her jaw ticked and she turned her head to look at the screen on the side of the elevator. A bright blue four stayed unchanging on it. It would take Cpl. Lam a few minutes to get it moving again.

“I mean you’re a little too serious for my liking, but at this point I’m willing to take what I can get. That chest of yours looks mighty soft-”

“Mr. Tate, I suggest you stop-”

“You know, my momma, bless her, used to say-”

That’s it, she wasn’t going to suffer dealing with this man for longer than she had to. She whacked the back his neck, and he slumped back unconscious. It’d be more of a pain to move him as dead weight, but at least she wouldn’t have to hear him talk.

The elevator lurched back to life and began moving down. She heaved the unconscious man up and slung him over her shoulders, getting ready for the elevator doors to open. When they did, Lam and Collins were flanking the elevator and Mendoza was out front with the transport pod ready to go.

“Collins, help me with the target. Lam, make sure to wipe the camera feeds and get someone to collect his things from his apartment. Let’s go.”

The ride to the drop off point would take a few hours. Collins and Mendoza secured the target while Lam fiddled with a screen in the pod. Once the target was secured in a holding pod, the sergeants settled in their seats.

As their transport made its way across the city, Eloise leaned back into her seat and closed her eyes. This recovery mission had not gone as smoothly as she would have liked.

“You lucked out Jonny, Tate had us running up and down stairs, you just got to sit all comfy and watch all the action unfold.”

“Not my fault you’re so out of shape Tom, have you considered adding more cardio to your routine?”

“And Katlyn, weren’t you meant to disable the lift? What was that? Why’d it move?”

“Well, I didn’t think he would have time to override my code!”

“Maybe you should get better so that the Lt doesn’t have go jump down elevator shafts again!”

“Collins, stop your yammering. It’s my job to make sure the plan goes well. I should have anticipated him doing that.”

“Sorry Lt., just tired.”

She hummed at that, and the cab fell into silence, at least until Collins decided to speak again.

“Lt., do you know why they’ve got us kidnapping all these field experts and a criminal?”

Eloise kept her eyes shut for a breath before cracking one eye open. She’d been wondering about that herself. Why the sudden call to go fetch these people? Why the need for special forces to do it? Why not send the bots to do it, like they had been since the introduction of the Faro bots to the military. Her team and others like it had been pushed aside, moved to different areas, and only called upon when a higher up required something to be done off the records, or required a little bit of a more humane touch.

“That’s not something for us to know Sergeant, just follow the orders we’re given. Maybe the Captain will fill us in once we get back.” She finally replied and shut her eyes again.

“Do you think it’s got something to do with that Hartz-Timor swarm they say is out of control?” Lam asked. “I heard people talking about a superweapons program back on base.”

“I mean that would explain this guy,” Mendoza huffed, pointing towards the holding pod at the back of the transport pod, “but why the others?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Faro has that under control, the news is probably blowing it out of proportion like they always do.” Collins jumped in, ever the defender and fanboy of Faro.

“Maybe something big is about to happen.”

“Do you think they know something we don’t?”

“We brought back a bunch of internationals; they didn’t seem to know what was going on either.”

“What do you think Lt.?”

She opened her eyes to find all three of her subordinates looking at her. They’d all been anxious throughout this whole mission. It was one thing to be called to retrieve a single target, but multiple different ones who seemingly had nothing in common apart from being experts in their field? Something was going on. She was used to being given orders and complying with minimum questions, but this time something felt off. Nevertheless, it wasn’t their job to question the orders from their commanding officers, and all this speculation would do no good.

“I think, y'all should stop speculating and get to writing your reports. We’ve got a few hours left before we get to the drop off.”

“Yes Lt.” was chorused back at her.

Collins and Mendoza grumbled something before pulling out their paperwork and starting to fill it. Lam checked the coordinates set for the transport pod and began typing something into her tablet device. Turning towards the back of the pod, she saw Travis Tate begin to stir. He’d probably be unhappy that she’d knocked him out, but that wasn’t her problem.

Eloise turned and opened the case that held her Focus. Pressing it against her temple she opened the communication channel to her Captain.

It rang twice before her commanding officer came in through it.

“Lt. Arten, I trust the retrieval went well?”

“Yes Captain Lewis, target is in custody. Our ETA is two hours.”

“Copy, after drop off I want your team to hold off going back to base.”

“Yes Captain.”

The communication channel closed, and she turned to see Travis Tate glaring at her from the holding pod. His wrists had been freed of the bonds and he promptly flipped her off as soon as he saw her looking his way. Yup, he wasn’t happy. She turned away and began working on her own mission reports. There was plenty of time to kill and a never-ending stack of paperwork.

The team worked quietly on their own things as they moved towards their destination. Ten minutes before their scheduled arrival the Lieutenant broke the silence.

“Be ready for arrival, I expect our cargo won’t be very cooperative and will try and make a run for it. Be prepared.”

Mendoza and Collins stood and made their way to the back to the pod, flanking the holding pod. Lam took manual control of the transport pod and began steering them to the entrance of the decommissioned Orbital Launch Base. Looking through the glass at the front of the pod Eloise saw Captain Lewis standing out front, talking to a red-headed woman dressed as a civilian who looked vaguely familiar. They stopped talking as their transport pod approached and the woman retreaded back into the building.

The transport pod stopped; Eloise stepped out. Lam disengaged the door for the holding pod and scuffling and protests were heard as Collins and Mendoza each grabbed one of Tate’s arms and hauled him out of the vehicle.

Turning away Eloise saluted her Captain.

“Travis Tate, the last on the list of targets sir.”

“Good job Lieutenant. Follow me.”

“Well wooo-eey, this ain’t Sterling-Malkeet, where’d y'all take me?” A sharp whistle cut through the air.

Travis Tate looked around them and tried to pull away from the sergeants currently holding him captive. It didn’t work.

Marching him up the steps at the front of the building they followed closely behind their captain as they headed in. Already familiar with the protocol, they patted him down, placed him in a room and locked it. Eloise stood next to her captain as she watched them work and Lam settled beside her.

She studied her captain through her peripheral; he looked tired, and his eye twitched every so often like it usually did when he was particularly stressed. The woman from before approached, she recognized her now, Elizabeth Sonders, or something… leading roboticist and someone who had worked for FAS.

Clearing his throat from next to her, the captain spoke.

“Good job on the mission, I know you must all be tired. Quarters have been set aside for you to freshen up.” A ding from her Focus indicated she received a new file.

“Please leave your personal belongings in the quarters and meet me in Meeting room 5 for a debrief. Dismissed.”

They all opened the new Focus file they’d received to find a map leading to their quarters and a marked meeting room. Her captain and the woman entered the room with Travis Tate.

Eloise began making her way towards her designated room, the rest of the team followed behind. Collins grumbling about wanting something to eat, Mendoza throwing his arm over his shoulder and saying something she couldn’t catch that caused Lam to elbow him in the ribs.

Her quarter doors closed behind her, it seemed someone had taken the liberty of moving her belongings from base to here. Too tired to think about the implications of her whole life being moved into here without her consent, she turned to the bathroom to freshen up. With 20 minutes left before she had to be in the meeting room, she settled with washing her face and changing into a clean set of clothes. Eloise paused part way through tightening the laces on her boots, she was used to being given orders with little notice, moving suddenly, but to have someone straight up move all her belongings without being informed? Never. Briefly she wondered if the same thing happened to the rest of her team as she resumed tying her laces.

The debrief would give her answers. Moving out of her room and into the hall, she began walking towards the meeting room. The halls were silent, and she figured the rest of her team was still freshening up. Too curious and a little nervous to know what was going on, she picked up her pace and made it to the room. A window at the side showed Captain Lewis setting up a holo projector and drumming his fingers against the table. She knocked twice before waiting a breath and heading in.

“Captain” She greeted as she took a seat at the table facing across from the window of the room. She opened her mouth to say something as she the rest of the team cross the window.

“Eloise, hold your questions for later.”

They entered quickly after knocking and settled themselves around the table.

Sensing she was about to say something Captain Lewis raised a hand to silence her.

“You’ll know everything soon enough, for all the good it’ll do.” He mumbled the last part out.

“Excellent, now that everyone is here, we can start the debrief.” Lewis stood to face them, planting both hands on the table.

“Now I know you’ve been wondering why we’ve had you run around the world picking up targets.” Looking pointedly at everyone he continued,

“It’s been decided that it might be beneficial to have you lot know whats going on.”

He didn’t look so happy about that.

“I’ll leave you to General Aaron Herres, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.” At this the holo projector powered up and the image of and older man appeared.

Standing to salute him Eloise tried to hide her shock. She had speculated who was behind the recent retrieval missions, but this was entirely unexpected.

“Thank you, Captain Lewis, that will be all.” The General turned and nodded to the captain.

“Please sit.” He said addressing the others in the room.

As they sat, Captain Lewis made his way to the door. Eloise watched him hesitate at the door before he left the room.

“Now, I believe you have many questions, but those will have to wait until later.”

She thought she heard the lock click after captain Lewis left the room, she turned to look at him through the window of the room, he avoided eye contact and disappeared down the hall.

The general cleared his throat. Eloise refocused her attention on him.

“For now, I’d like to welcome you to Project: Zero Dawn.”

#horizon fanfic #hzd #hfw #kotallo x oc #slow build #slow burn #my writing

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