Cayde-6: a new avenger

Chapter 2: Ground Rules

Song: The Beach by The Neighbourhood

"CASSINI" I pull free the staff attached to my spine as I feel it light up with arc energy activating my super as I spin to face Cassini as I throw gathering storm right between us, right as bangs start rhythmically sounding, creating a barrier of lightning.

I land on one knee feeling a searing pain in my side and look up seeing Cassini unharmed but clearly startled, me on the other hand? I glance down and have to put a hand down on the floor to support my weight as I see the blood spilling from my stomach, seems as though the one on my left was going for Cassini while the gunman on my right was aiming for me. I see both of them creeping towards my bubble still with guns raised. I'm gonna kill the metal armed one that went after Caz.

I stop thinking about the future and focus on how to deal with this situation. "Caz are you okay? I need you to heal me up right now."

He floated over, opened and sealed again to heal me. Instantly I felt the skin stitch itself back together finally I rose and looked out of the bubble surveying what was happening now, my super was about to fade.

A tall blonde and an even taller brunette stood side by side guns still at hand, Sam in front of them blocking them from getting any closer while he talked to the blonde presumably explaining what was going on. But it was the brunette that caught my eye, he wasn't focused on Sam or my super as Natasha and Wanda were, no he was staring at me, I held his gaze firmly, he had tried to hurt Caz. I'm gonna kill him. I've already decided where the final blow will be when Caz calls me.

"Cayde? Cayde!"

"Sorry what was that Cassini?" Tearing my eyes away from the pair.

"Don't hurt them just let us have a good impression, they didn't know what I was and they probably won't try it again."

"...fine but I swear to god if they go after you again-"

"I know it's okay, then you can blow them to bits with a tripmine."

I agree just as the lightning fades and I pick up my staff and strap it securely to my spine again and look around me.

"Caz you can take my build off now." I say
"I'm on it."

Sam turns to me and says "Hey Cayde...meet Steve and Bucky" gesturing to the two of them, "maybe you want to explain a little about why you're here." He looks between us worried we'll try to go after each other again.

I exhale sharply and begrudgingly start from the beginning, fully lost my patience by this point.

"I'm Cayden-6, this is Cassini, we're joining your team and if Tony had just told you all I was coming we could've avoided all of this so if you're mad direct it at him because I'm not the biggest fan of you two right now either, the feeling is mutual."

"Great thanks for that Cayde" he turns to the Steve and Bucky " Does that clear things up for you?"

Steve walks over and makes a move to shake my hand while saying "I'm sorry Cayden we didn't know who you were, it's a pleasure to have you on our team."

I keep my arms crossed and make a point to not shake his hand, and then say.

"We need some ground rules in here. 1) No sneaking up on me, mostly because you can't as you're all on radar now, 2) stay the HELL away from Cassini if you ever hurt him I promise you'll be dead by tomorrow, and 3) just can everyone please stop trying to fucking kill me? Now seeing as we're all together and you all so clearly want to spend quality time with the new best person in your group I will now open the floor up for any questions."

"I have a question." Natasha says from the couch.

"By all means Nat."

"Respectfully what even is Cassini?"

I look round and see everyone looking at me as if they had all had the same question.

"He's my ghost." I say simply,

"No yeah but what IS a ghost." Wanda responds

I look round confused, how do they not know what a ghost is? "What are you talking about it's...a ghost? What you guys don't have ghosts? Are yous lightless?"

Caz comes up behind me to say "Cayde it's not that they're ghosts died, there's no light here, there's no traveller so there no light like none remeber."

"Oh, oh right okay, um yeah I suppose that is a good question then, well Caz is a part of me he's part of my light, he can heal me and revive me and give me strength plus he's just my best friend."

"Is that how your bullet wound is gone?" Steve asks.

"Yep Caz healed that for me after, you know, you shot me."

"Yeah sorry about that."

"It's okay, anything else?" I ask spinning 360 to look at everyone,

To which Sam asks "What the hell was that staff thing?"

Huh? I screw my face up tight looking at him trying to figure out if he's kidding, Oh there's no light, which means no classes or subclasses. OH. Okay.

"It's called gathering storm and it's part of the arc subclass for hunters but that's a really long story maybe another time and takes way to long to explain." Right then Tony walks in takes in the scene of everyone standing around me and says,

"Ah good you've all be acquainted, Wanda can you take Cayde to see his new room."

"Oh yeah no thanks Tony but I'll go by myself I need to talk to Caz plus I already have a map, also I think these guys are gonna do some yelling at you the second I leave so see yous later."

With that I head towards the stairs to go do some snooping around.