[center][color=SteelBlue][h2]James Varrock[/h2]
Level: 1
Day/Time: Day One; Evening
Location: Russian Cosmodrome->Tetris Castle Briefing Room
Interacting-Guile [@Holy Soldier]
Mention: Samus Aran[@Lmpkio] and Everyone else[/color][/center]

Had anyone else been riding through the cold wind of the Russian Cosmodrome heading to the Plague Lands on the other side of the wall, they'd have been complaining the whole way. "Why did I get sent on patrol" or "This is always so dull, nothing but a few Spliced Fallen to kill." Or James' favorite, "We've killed all the big bads so why worry about the minions?" The truth of the matter was that even with the threat that the SIVA virus had posed destroyed and the Devil Splicers left with no leader, the Fallen and other minions of the Dark were still a threat. And so, that was one reason that the Guardian known as James Varrock, who had helped fell Crota, Atheon, Oryx, and Aksis, three of whom were considered Gods, tore through the landscape on his Laurelbearer sparrow. The other reason was that as a Hunter, being in the wilderness was his life. Sure, the Tower had good eats and the various vendors had good or decent buys, but it was always so stuffy, what with all the various representatives, maintenance crew, and Guardians there.

His least favorite place to be was the Hall of Guardians, unless he only had to deal with Cayde-6, the mentor to all the newer Hunters and good friend to most of the older ones like himself. Commander Zavala was always so formal and all business and Ikora all facts and data. In fact, if the Nightstalker gave it any serious thought, he didn't think he'd ever seen either the Titan or the Warlock having fun anywhere. Still, he didn't sweat it any, since he rarely had to deal with either of them since Aksis had been slain and the patrols were done remotely by beacon anyways. The ride had been silent from where he'd touched down as well, with a majority of the Fallen preferring to avoid engaging a Guardian if they could help it. Those that still took pot shots were simply outrun, as James wanted to conserve ammo today. They were reaching the halfway mark to the Plaguelands when Charger, his Ghost companion, spoke up, a whited out image of him appearing as he said his piece. [color=LightCoral]"James, tracking an unidentified object coming at us fast from above."[/color]

James growled in annoyance, already preparing to jump off his sparrow and take the object out. It would seem that conserving ammo wouldn't happen as it should for the Hunter today. [color=SteelBlue]"You get a scan on it yet or should I shoot first and ask questions later?"[/color] The Ghost sighed in annoyance and didn't respond right away.

[color=LightCoral]"It seems that it's a turtle sitting on a cloud. as strange as it sounds. And as far as I can tell, it's not hostile. We should stop and let it catch up."[/color] James didn't slow down right away, and so his companion's response was to make the sparrow disappear from under his partner. The Hunter yelped in surprise and tumbled across the ground several feet before stopping, groaning slightly as his shield bar at the top of his HUD flashed at him.

[color=SteelBlue]"Sneaky sonova-"[/color] His sentence was cut short by the arrival of said turtle on the cloud and all the Guardian could do as it produced it's envelope was stare at it. He'd fought the Fallen on Earth, Venus and the Moon and slain the self proclaimed Kell of Kells. He'd faced down the eldritch horrors known as the Hive on Earth, the Moon and Oryx's dreadnaught and felled two of their gods. He'd faced the military might of the Cabal and triumphed across Mars and on Oryx's dreadnaught again. Even the Vex and their ability to manipulate time hadn't phased him. But this? This was strange, even with the alien monsters he'd faced and survived. Still, when it showed no hostile intentions, which his Ghost smugly pronounced he had been right, he took the envelope and watched the creature sail off into the sky once more.

[color=LightCoral]"Open it already! Clearly it was important enough to send something we'd never seen before to deliver."[/color] James glanced sideways at his crimson-shelled companion, who had materialized shortly after the forced stop, and his logic before breaking the seal with a shrug. The letter opened and James read it aloud:

[color=00aeef][i]Dear Hero,

You are receiving this letter because you were chosen to undertake a most challenging task. Your life will be endangered if you so choose to selflessly take up arms in defense of your world as well as others…[/i][/color]

James regarded the letter in silence for a moment, as did Charger, after reading the information on the Mugen Virus and it's widespread effects. And then he broke the silence at the same time a smile broke out beneath his helmet. [color=SteelBlue]"Connect me to Cayde."[/color] If a little robot eye could blanche, he would have, because he knew what his partner was thinking.

[color=LightCoral]"You're really going to d-"[/color] James held up a finger to stop the little robot and Charger sighed before obliging.

[b]"Cayde here. What do ya need, James?"[/b] James could barely contain his excitement for such a far flung adventure.

[color=SteelBlue]"Let Zavala and Ikora know their favorite Hunter is going to be unavailable for a time. I just got an invitation to stop a threat that's even bigger than the SIVA outbreak was. Multiple worlds type danger."[/color] Cayde's laugh was hearty and understanding.

[b]"Copy that, James. Good hunting."[/b] The channel was closed from Cayde's end and, after Charger disappeared back to his place in James' armor with a grumbled misgiving about the adventure, the Hunter tapped yes. The portal appeared and without a moment's hesitation, the Nightstalker stepped into it, on to save his world and many others.

[hr]

In the past when James had passed through a portal, his vision had only vanished for the briefest of moments, the longest of those when he'd traversed to the Black Garden to destroy it's heart. Here, the blindness felt like eternity before it cleared. When it finally did, however, he found himself in the cockpit of his jumpship, a castle of exquisite design filling the forward viewport. While confused on why he was in his jumpship to begin with, he did no question it as he had a sense he was already late. [color=SteelBlue]"Well, we're definitely not in Old Russia anymore. Let's go."[/color] For once his Ghost agreed and in a blink of digital like lines, he disappeared from the cockpit and reappeared already spriting towards an entrance. An orange creature stopped him and spoke gibberish and then got behind him and pushed him forwards, clearly annoyed.

Taking the cue, James moved quickly and followed the creatures instructive use of the strange elevator, typing in the numbers two and six before stepping in. In a much shorter blind spell, he appeared on another floor, this one covered in the remains of what smelled like a fantastic meal. And it also looked like the Hunter had missed a fantastic food fight. [color=SteelBlue]"Well damn, missed food and the fight it seems."[/color] The orange creature pushed him from behind again and James moved forwards. [color=SteelBlue]"Alright, alright, I'm going, I'm going."[/color] Another door near the other end of the mess and to the left stood open and that was where the creature pushed James to. Once he was at the doorway, it was content and left the Guardian to look over the already assembled heroes.

Unfortunately, those he should have recognized, such as Samus, Mario, and Luigi, rung no bells for him, so he instead opted to flip the hood of his cloak down and remove his helmet, after removing the rounds from his Imago Loop and holstering it on his right side again, as Charger appeared and took a seat near the person with orange armor (Samus) and the armor cannon after moving the barrel of his Stillpiercer which rested on his back so he could. He then got the attention of the guy with the flag tattoos, unaware that he'd not yet missed anything overtly important. [color=SteelBlue]"I apologize for being late, I got the letter in the middle of a patrol in the Cosmodrome. James Varrock, from the...well, I guess Bungie Kingdom or...maybe it's world."[/color]