Chapter Text
The notification arrived unexpectedly. A unanimous ping from the Vanguard intranet. Shit must be going down, they thought.
They leaned back and tapped away at their datapad. Something something priority Vanguard communication… sure, they’d give it a shot.
But her finger still hovered in place, never actually descending to tap the open button. It trembled slightly. So did her hand, her arm, her whole body. Out of character, for a Solar user.
The feeling of uneasiness had settled into the pit of her stomach that morning, making itself at home for reasons that they couldn't figure out to save their life. There had been no signs, no ominous dreams, nothing to tip them off about something to be uneasy about. And yet, they couldn't shake off the feeling that something was going to happen.
She bit down on her dry lip, single eye darting anxiously to look around her. Shin was busy tending to Daisy, way too lost in his own self-righteous daydreams to pay attention to them. They exhaled shakily.
Her finger’s descent upon the open button began and ended in less than a second, but to say it felt like hours would be an understatement. She didn't realize she had stopped breathing.
Until she felt her heart stop as well.
“Emergency Notice: Hunter Vanguard Cayde-6 Has Been Killed in Action. All Hunters are to immediately report to the Tower for a class assessment. All Guardians currently deployed in the following locations are to leave immediately, and report any suspicious activity to the Vanguard: The Reef, The Dreaming City. Do not approach these locations until further notice.”
This was wrong. This was so wrong. It couldn't be, right? This couldn't be it. I mean, that's ridiculous. Killed in action? No, that wasn't it. It was probably a tasteless prank. But the notice seemed legit, and only a Vanguard would have high enough clearance to send it out. Was he really that bored, holed up in there? But even then, he has limits too. He knows not to mess with official stuff like this. This isn't the Tower PA. But come on. Killed in action, that's impossible. He wasn't even allowed into action at all.
A warm, gloved hand found it's place on their shoulder, and it was only then that Falco snapped out of their spiraling thoughts and realized that they definitely hadn't been breathing for way too long, and that Shin was long done tending to his horse as was now looking directly into their eye with a concern that was more unique than rare, coming from him.
“Kid? You okay? I’m sure you noticed, but, uh… ya ain't breathing.”
They choked on their own words. Not that they had any idea what they could even say. “No, I'm not okay, the closest thing I've ever had to a father died before I could tell him I'm sorry for abandoning him after his best friend died right in front of us.”?
No, no. She wouldn't say that. Because there was no way this was true. No way.
Right?