nexus_crossings | Closed Paths

Closed Paths

Blaze hasn’t been around the Plaza much of late, keeping her Nexus visits to brisk strolls through less well-protected areas. Areas she’s less likely to run into familiar faces. But today the Exo Guardian teleports straight in, the signs of recent battle marring her armor as she pulls off her helm and looks around. After a moment, she exchanges a glance with the tiny silver bot floating at her side, then strides over and parks herself on the nearest sturdy bench.

“Ever feel like you’ve learned more than you could have imagined and still wound up right back where you started?” It’s the first frustrated question that comes to mind. She shakes her head at it.

“Never mind. How do you ground yourself when you need to get your head straight?”

That's an easy one. She has an abundance of questions today, and to her unease most of them aren’t ones she feels free to share.

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"I've got to get you and Ghost on speed dial, then. How fast can you get here from space?"

His tone is jovial, but Steve is already reaching into his pocket for his phone. The personal communication device is awfully handy and Steve finds himself more and more glad they were invented, even if when he'd first gotten it he'd wondered what the point was for such a thing.

"Blaze if it weren't for the nonviolence field I would always be getting into fights." Steve admits with a chuckle. "Sure got into plenty of scraps back in Brooklyn. I thought Buck would go nuts."

He looks up at Ghost with a proud smile.

"It is, yeah. Harrow had Mister Naugus make it for me. It was a birthday present."

"Once I drop whoever I'm hitting, just a couple of minutes." She's cheerful, but not kidding at all. Blaze leans over to check out his phone, but Ghost swoops in, all ready to play with the buttons. Communications are his gig.

"I've got it."

Blaze settles back and lets her partner do his thing. She studies Steve in the meantime. "Guess I'd be worried too- I remember how I felt when Amelia hit you with that damned slingshot. But if it's what you have to do, I can respect that."

Her optics dim a little when he mentions Harrow's name, but he didn't say the death knight made the shield, and who's to say it's a bad thing either way. She nods toward it, genuinely interested.

"Well then, come on! Let's see it. We need to know it'll hold up next time you've got skulls to crack."

"Here, let me see..."

Steve swipes across the screen a few times and shoots a short text out. Really just a 'testing' and nothing more. Just to make sure he can call or message the duo.

"Oh, sure!"

Once the communications thing has been worked out Steve is quick to pocket his phone and unsling the shield from his back and hold it out for Blaze to inspect if she'd like. It seems to be made out of a kind of crystal, with the American seal etched into it. Steve looks very proud when he shows it off.

"Message received!" Ghost gives a little chirp; then Steve's phone gets an answer: Hi Steve!

"That crystal looks familiar. Is that your symbol on it?" Blaze takes it if he doesn't mind, keen to test it (carefully) against her strength, see how the new material handles force.

Ghost is curious, too. "It seems to be much lighter than its density would imply..."

Steve positively beams when his phone vibrates in his pocket. He's not sure why he didn't think to ask for their contact information sooner, really. It just never occurred to him that their tech would be compatible with his little personal telephone. Cellular phone? Steve has a hard time keeping it straight.

"It's my country's seal." He lets go easily; Blaze is welcome to inspect it all she likes. There's definite pride in his voice when he says so, smile warm. He really does miss Brooklyn, but he's found a purpose here, too.

"I think Naugus put some kind of magic into it? Harrow said it was made for me to use." Steve scratches at the side of his face while he thinks, but he ultimately just shakes his head. "Sorry, I don't really understand how magic works."

Blaze looks up at him when he explains, taking in his expression before she grunts approvingly. "Well chosen."

They both know - Bryn understood - how much his homeland means to him. Blaze might be inclined to wonder, if she contemplates them at all, how much all those old national symbols really meant to most of the people who bore them. There's no question when it's Steve, though.

She handles the shield with the respect it deserves, gripping it at either side to carefully test how it flexes under force, turning it over and lifting it by the grip to test that lack of weight for herself. Ghost flits around it to scan the results. "...Some kind of magic, all right. It's like it isn't there." She pauses, optics flicking up at Steve. "Anyone teaching you how to use it?"

The longer Blaze holds the shield the heavier it will get--until it's something comfortable for her to use. The shield's heft seems to fluctuate to meet the user's needs. In all likelihood she's feeling it's true weight.

And she and Ghost will be forgiven for laughing when Steve drops to the ground when Blaze offers it back to him. He's shocked by the change in weight though it is a fleeting thing.

"Just...just me." Steve admits when he can stand up again with it. "I've been practicing but well..." He shrugs. "I don't really know what I'm doing. I've been trying to learn how to throw it."

"Blaze, be-" They both wince as Steve drops with a 'plunk', though Blaze laughs despite herself. "...Careful."

"Sorry, Steve." Blaze extends a hand to help him up, though she won't be surprised or offended if he doesn't take it. He's determined to stand by himself, and there's an extent to which she respects that. Even if she doesn't understand the attitude that drives that. She's never had to deal with people questioning her strength - or plain overlooking it.

She's more interested in what he's just said. Her optics glow brighter suddenly, the Exo visibly perking up. She has an idea. An idea of how to repay Steve for helping her in her hour(s) of weakness. "Come to the Tower with us, then. There must be a Titan who can teach you, and Lord Shaxx will know who."

"I'm sure he'll be very excited to see a new type of weapon, too."

"I was not expecting that."

Steve laughs along with them, though his attention is focused on the shield in his hands moreso than on Blaze and Ghost for the moment. One he's able to lift it again he'll get back onto his feet--accepting Blaze's hand even. He may be stubborn, but he's also got a lot of respect for teamwork.

"Can I?" He sounds a bit awed at the idea of following Blaze back to her world. "I..I mean, do you think it's safe for me?" He's not sure if all the people there are robots or not, and there's a distinct concern about whether or not he'd be able to breathe there safely.

"There's nowhere safer," Blaze assures him. "We have human doctors around if you need them, but the Tower's fine. We keep all the live-fire practice outside the walls."

"

It might be a bit higher-altitude than you're used to, but there are ways to help you adjust to that. We'll make sure you're all right.

" Ghost flutters with excitement.

"I've only been to another world once before! It sounds really exciting. Though we really were only in Viatorus's house and while it was huge I didn't get to do much else in the way of exploring."

Steve positively beams when they tell him that the place is fit for humans yet, grin filling his face and gaze flitting from one companion to the other quickly. They're not pulling his leg--they're serious.

"Well, you know. Aside from the Nexus. But that's...well, it's my home away from home, now." He can't call it truly home, but he knows they understand him well enough by now. That they're willing to share theirs with him means so much.

The Exo's gaze brightens in response to his grin, echoing the warmth in her circuits. For a moment it's easy to forget about revelations and implications and uncertainties; easy to just enjoy making a good friend look this happy. It's a much rarer kind of pleasure for her than dealing out violence.

"You'll like the Tower," she tells Steve eagerly. It's more that she wants him to, really, but Blaze's faith is strong. She loves the City and she loves her friend and clearly they will agree on each other. "It might be strange to you, but no more than the Nexus. It's home to all of us, every Guardian that's raised. Humanity's bulwark against the Darkness. I don't know any place more beautiful, or better people. We'll ask about getting you leave to go down and visit the City proper, too."

"It would be nice to see what's down there." Ghost gives her a sideways looks, aware she wouldn't have offered that if she weren't so enthusiastic and Steve hadn't mentioned not getting to explore his other friend's world.

Blaze nods, attention on Steve. "When can you come?"

Both Ghost and Blaze look entirely too eager and it's contagious. Steve's face splits into a huge grin and he keeps glancing between the two of them as they speak. There's other humans there, which is a bit of good news Steve hadn't really been expecting since all he knew of Blaze's world was that there were robot-people and big bad aliens.

"Let me check my schedule--I am literally free whenever. I could go now even, if you wanted."

"All right then!" Blaze his on her feet immediately, though Ghost flutters hastily.

"Let me just clear it with the Tower's security." The Exo waves at him to go on, a tad impatient now. It's an entirely too long few minutes before the little bot confirms chirpily that they're good to go, and Blaze extends a hand to Steve.

"All right, Steve- get ready to transmat out."

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