[Opening theme music fades in, ethereal tones for a moment then a percussive rattling followed again by those ethereal tones. Percussive rattling again then a deeper tone, briefly. ]
[SFX: Distant city sounds, wind.]
WARLOCK VO: I sat high above the hangar deck and stared out the bay doors at the Traveler above the Last City. I had this long report to complete, and this was my new favorite spot to spend some alone time to focus. I had a desk near Ikora’s office where I could easily file all this, but I never liked offices. They are just so stuffy and confined.
Here, high above it all, I could be alone with my thoughts and focus on my work.
[SFX: Someone coughs in the background.]
WARLOCK VO: Except, I couldn’t focus on anything but my silly Titan. I tried typing words on my screen but could only get one or two out before my mind wandered back to Nessus. I could still feel his hands on the small of my back and the sweaty musk of victory in the air as we kissed.
I had no idea what to do next. There was obviously a whole library of books about love that I’d never bothered to read. Why would I? They wouldn’t do me any good in this ongoing battle with the enemies of humanity. Only science and its proper application could protect our species from extinction. So what was I supposed to do with this… this… stupid, irrational feeling?
Before I could expand the thought further, a familiar voice permeated the hangar bay.
[SFX: Distant voices.]
WARLOCK VO: I looked down to see my Titan talking with Holiday. I was taken aback by how she brightened up as he approached. He reached into his chest piece and handed her a folded piece of wrinkled paper that she opened. They smiled at each other as they talked about it.
I smiled a little, too. He saved my calculations. He actually saved them! That silly Titan. He then turned to Crow, who was busily going over some papers on a nearby table. They shook hands hard and gave each other a quick shoulder hug before talking for a few moments. My Titan nodded several times and walked away. I didn’t hear much of what was said, but I could make out something about the Moon.
I quickly gathered my things and followed him up the stairs, careful not to alert him to my presence. He made his way over to Saint-14, and they exchanged the typical Titan greeting, almost beating each other senseless with palm smacks to the chest and back. It was almost like a rite of passage to see how hard they could hit each other without ACTUALLY getting mad.
Titans were… loud, obnoxious Guardians. They always yelled and threw things wherever they went. Yet, I somehow found one that could be quiet, too. He was quick-minded and kind, able to wreak havoc at a moment’s notice. He was unlike any other Titan I had ever met.
[SFX: Approaching footsteps.]
WARLOCK VO: I was lost in thought when a familiar voice returned me to reality.
LORIELEE: (looking for gossip) Sooo, is it true? Did it actually happen the way everyone says it did?
WARLOCK: By the Traveler! It hasn’t even been 3 hours. Seriously?
LORIELEE: Telephone, telegraph, tell a Guardian. (conspiratorially). So, um….. Is he actually as good as-
WARLOCK: Yes. Yes, he is, and if you screw this up for me, I’ll kidnap you, steal your Ghost, and drop you into a Lost Sector on the Moon.
LORIELEE: (laughs) I’m just happy for you. He seems like a wonderful Guardian. He’s Awoken, too. Oooh, oooh! Maybe he can get you an audience with Queen Mara, and you can ask her about-
[SFX: Warlocks moves away.]
WARLOCK: Would you just stop? I spoke with her during The Dawning. I took Ascendant Apple Tarts to her. Remember?
LORIELEE: Where are you going?
WARLOCK: I have a report to deliver to Ikora and get a lecture in return.
[SFX: Loriellee follows.]
LORIELEE: Oooh, yeah. Well, been nice knowing you. (laughs) C’mon. We’ll talk to her together.
WARLOCK VO: She was right. Ikora was about to skewer me nine ways from Sunday with her sharp eyes and a tongue hotter than any Dawnblade. No point in delaying the inevitable.
[SFX: Indistinct voices of a crowd grow louder.]
WARLOCK VO: (sigh) We started walking toward the Bazaar. I came around the corner out of the hallway to find my Titan was already talking to Ikora. I couldn’t see his face, but Ikora’s eyes looked at him much differently than she ever did at me.
[SFX: Crowd fades away, replaced by background birdsong.]
WARLOCK VO: The mighty Ikora Rey seemed to respect my Titan in a way I had never seen before. She ACTUALLY listened to him. I could see her actively taking in what he was saying. This was the nearly omniscient Ikora Rey letting this Titan, MY Titan, freely speak his mind to her. I froze in place for a moment and took it in. What happened between them? How did he capture her attention so?
[SFX: She walks up to them.]
WARLOCK VO: That was for another day, I suppose. I walked up beside him and looked right at him with all the confidence I could muster. He smiled and turned back to Ikora.
Titan: But I’m not much on the numbers. My teammate is better at that part of our mission.
WARLOCK VO: Ikora turned to me. Her eyes cut a line right through my head and into my heart with her steely gaze. I swallowed hard and prepared for the worst.
IKORA: Thank you, Titan. I’d like a word with my student. (beat) Alone.
WARLOCK: (to Titan) Go ahead. I’ll catch up.
WARLOCK VO: My Titan looked back to Ikora then touched me gently on the back and walked away.
[SFX: Footsteps leading away.]
WARLOCK VO: Once we were alone, Ikora turned to her desk and silently straightened it. For what seemed like minutes, we stood there in silence. I wanted to say something but stopped myself several times. I figured anything I said would only make this worse. She turned around and folded her arms, silently locking her stare back onto me again.
After several more seconds, she broke the silence.
IKORA: What am I to do with you? (beat, then firm) That is not a rhetorical question, young lady.
WARLOCK VO: Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.
WARLOCK: Nothing.
IKORA: (intrigued) Nothing? Hmm…
WARLOCK VO: I expected a different response from her. I had directly disobeyed her orders after making a massive mistake that cost the lives of our allies. I expected her to toss me out of her coursework on my ass.
[SFX: Ikora moves.]
WARLOCK VO: She turned back to her desk and took out a piece of paper.
[SFX: Paper rustling.]
WARLOCK VO: She handed it to me. I looked down at the blank page and then back to her with a confused face.
WARLOCK: I don’t understand.
IKORA: Turn it over. This piece of paper has two sides. Both are blank. One side is your life before you were a Guardian. One side is everything that happens from this point forward..
[SFX: Paper rustling.]
WARLOCK VO: She took the paper from me and held it between her two index fingers so I could only see the narrow edges as it spun in the day's breeze. It didn’t flitter nor wave around in the air. It spun in a perfect circle such that I could only see a ray of white in front of me. She removed her fingers, but the paper kept spinning. She smoothly stepped to my left.
IKORA: This edge is everything that happened over the last few days. It’s all you can see at the moment. Unless you SHIFT your perspective.
[SFX: Gentle footsteps and rustling.]
WARLOCK VO: She shoved me two steps to the right, and my eyes brightened. I looked back at her and nodded my head.
IKORA: Good. Now, go and see Saint. He awaits your report and one more thing, my student. (beat, gentle) Be good to him. Your Titan.
WARLOCK: (smiling) Is that an order?
IKORA: (echoing) It’s a request. A personal request.
[Ending theme music. Hopeful, strong strings. The melody much brighter than before.]
