Weiss descended the Tower steps with a new purpose, the fresh weight of her armor settling comfortably across her shoulders. Spark drifted at her side like an overly bright, overly excited metal firefly.
"Now that you have armor that won't disintegrate when a Fallen looks at it," Spark chirped, "we should acquire a weapon that similarly avoids catastrophic failure!"
Weiss chuckled. "That's… actually what I was thinking. My hand cannon works, but it's not exactly reliable."
"Ah! Then to Banshee-44 we go!" Spark proclaimed.
They started toward the Gunsmith's corner of the Tower, the distant sounds of ships landing and Guardians chatting filling the courtyard. Banshee's workshop came into view—a clutter of weapon parts, workbenches, and the distinct tang of gun oil that hung heavy in the air. The Exo Gunsmith himself stood behind the counter, his blue plating worn from centuries of use, optic lights dim but sharp.
"Morning." Banshee said in his gravelly synthetic voice as Weiss approached. Before his optics brighten a little. "Ah, it's you Weiss, have you started training your abilities yet?"
Weiss flushed. "I'm… working on improving."
He grunted. "Good, practice makes perfect. Looking for a weapon?" Banshee asked, turning toward a rack of precision firearms.
"Yes," Weiss said, excitement edging into her voice. "A good one. Something that fits me better than a the previous hand cannon I received from you."
Banshee tapped the counter absentmindedly. "Right. Let's see what you can actually afford."
He activated a small holographic display.
WEISS (No Last Name)
AVAILABLE GLIMMER: 0
Weiss blinked. "Zero? That's… none. That's none!"
Spark bobbed apologetically. "Ah. Yes. The Light is infinite but, regrettably, Tower currency is not! I did intend to mention—eventually—that glimmer is required for purchases…"
"Spark," Weiss said slowly, "do you have any glimmer?"
"No! I'm an immaterial construct! I do not… possess pockets."
Banshee's optics flickered in amusement. "You want a weapon, you'll need to earn glimmer. Bounties, missions, salvage—take your pick."
Weiss let out a quiet groan. "So the universe resurrects me, gives me a Ghost and lightning powers… but not pocket change."
"Precisely!" Spark said cheerfully. "Resource acquisition is crucial in Guardian life. A thrilling challenge!"
"It's shopping," Weiss deadpanned.
"Thrilling shopping!"
Weiss turned back to Banshee. "Where's the bounty board?"
"North platform," he said, nodding toward the other end of the Tower. "Follow the Guardians complaining loudly. You'll find it."
With a resigned exhale, Weiss headed across the courtyard. Spark stayed close, his eye glowing with excitement.
"Oh, Weiss, this will be delightful! You'll gather glimmer, complete tasks, prove yourself, and then we'll return for a magnificent new weapon!"
"I just want a gun that doesn't jam and seem one drop away from breaking in half."
"Yes! A magnificent, non-jamming gun!"
They reached the bounty board—a large kiosk projecting dozens of mission slips across its holographic surface. Guardians milled around it, tapping selections, grabbing new objectives, and muttering about loot drop rates.
Weiss studied the glowing list.
AVAILABLE BOUNTIES:
Fallen Disruption – Interfere with Fallen activity in the Steppes.
Arc Channeling Test – Defeat enemies using Arc abilities.
Scavenger Sweep – Collect glimmer caches in the Cosmodrome.
Lost Patrol Reclaiming – Clear out a lost zone near the Divide.
Hive Specimen Hunt – (REQUIRES MOON CLEARANCE – LOCKED)*
Spark bounced eagerly. "Oh! The scavenger sweep will earn us glimmer quickly! And the Arc bounty will help you refine your abilities!"
"I can do a few," Weiss said, selecting three with a determined tap.
As the bounties loaded onto her HUD, Weiss hummed satisfied, she always preferred having a goal to be done.
Spark hummed happily. "Weiss, just think! By the end of today, you could be the proud owner of a brand-new, fully functioning firearm!"
"And armor that doesn't fall apart with money in my pockets," she added.
"Yes! Truly, a day of miracles."
Weiss sighed, but a smile crept in.
"Alright, Spark. Let's go earn enough glimmer to stop being broke."
"Oh, splendid! Onward, my Guardian!"
—————————
Weiss guided her jump ship through the familiar golden haze over Old Russia, the wind shear rumbling across the hull. Spark hovered beside her cockpit controls, rotating in slow, cheerful circles.
"Bounties acquired! Objectives set! Probability of success: exceptionally favorable, assuming you do not repeat the 'nearly dying' incident from yesterday."
"I'm not planning on it," Weiss replied, her tone even but dry. "And you don't need to remind me every hour."
"Oh, but I must! It builds character."
She exhaled through her nose. "…You really are impossible."
"Thank you!"
—————————
The ship touched down in the Steppes with a hiss of landing thrusters. Weiss stepped out, her new armor fitting well. Slung across her back was the spear she'd taken from the Fallen Captain she encountered yesterday. She had to put her treasured Fallen Sword away for it, but she was slightly excited to try something new.
Spark hovered close. "Bounty number one! 'Scavenger Sweep.' Locate glimmer caches! Oh, Weiss, this is very exciting. Think of it as an interplanetary treasure hunt."
"I'm hunting for pocket money," she corrected.
"Treasured pocket money!"
She didn't dignify that with an answer.
Bounty 1: Scavenger Sweep
Weiss moved through the Steppes, HUD guiding her toward faint signals buried under snow and debris. She used her spear to pry open a rusted metal crate, the blade sparking slightly against frozen steel.
Inside: a small cluster of glowing glimmer chips.
Spark hummed. "Ahh! Beautiful, isn't it? Crystallized computational currency. Quite the upgrade from your… current balance of nothing."
Weiss pocketed them. "Well, it's a start."
The second cache was guarded by a pair of Dregs who chittered at her angrily. Weiss didn't hesitate—she drew her spear and sprinted forward. The spear flared faintly as she swung it in a clean, precise arc. One Dreg fell instantly.
The other lunged. She sidestepped, pivoting sharply, and drove the spear into its chest.
The weapon thrummed with electricity, sending a pulse up her arm.
Spark chimed approvingly. "Oh, excellent! Efficient! Lethally elegant! You may surpass the average newly risen Guardian by the end of the week!"
She rolled her eyes slightly but couldn't hide the satisfaction in her stance.
Cache two recovered.
Bounty 2: Arc Channeling Test
Spark drifted high, scanning the area. "A group of Fallen ahead! A perfect opportunity to test your Arc abilities. Please do try not to explode yourself. Hunters are prone to that, not as much as Titans however."
"Comforting," Weiss muttered.
She crouched low behind a ruined car. Fallen voices clicked over the wind—two Vandals, three Dregs.
Her palms tingled. The energy gathered almost instinctively now, crawling up her arms in thin blue lines.
Arc Grenade, she reminded herself. Focus, shape the current.
Spark whispered eagerly, "Just let the Light flow! Guide it! Feel it! And, if possible, aim away from us!"
Weiss exhaled and cast the grenade.
A bright sphere of crackling blue light arced forward, landing between the Fallen before detonating into a burst of chain lightning. The Dregs convulsed and fell immediately; the Vandals staggered, their muscles paralyzed.
Weiss charged with her spear flashing as she injected her Arc light into it, slicing through the first Vandal. The second hissed and fired wildly; she ducked, rolled, and drove the spear up beneath its guard.
The snow settled.
Weiss stood catching her breath, electricity still dancing faintly along her fingertips.
Spark hovered beside her, ecstatic. "Oh WONDERFUL! You did not explode! The Fallen, however, did. Very dramatically, I might add."
Despite herself, Weiss let the corner of her mouth twitch upward. "…Thanks."
Bounty 3: Lost Patrol Reclaiming
The Divide was crawling with Fallen. Higher numbers than before. Weiss approached cautiously, scanning ruined buildings.
Spark dimmed his light. "The mission requires clearing out the Lost Patrol site inside that structure. Expect resistance, hostile, jumpy, easily offended resistance."
"And your advice?" Weiss asked.
"Kill them first. Efficiently."
She tightened her grip on the spear and slipped inside.
The building was a maze of broken staircases and rusted platforms. The Fallen had turned parts of it into a makeshift outpost. Weiss spotted a Captain and several Vandals conferring near a fire barrel.
She crouched low.
Grenade first.
The Arc grenade soared overhead and detonated, stunning the group. She slipped her worn hand cannon from its holster at her side and fired into the head of the Vandals, causing their heads to explode in a cloud of ether. Weiss lunged in after holstering her hand cannon, the spear struck the remaining Vandal. After eliminating the Vandal she twirled around, ready to engage the last enemy.
The Captain roared and charged her, twin blades flashing blue. Weiss blocked with the spear's haft, the impact jarring her arm. She swept its leg with a spin and then, injecting her Arc light into the spear again, stabbed upward.
The Captain staggered back from the force of the blow as its shields broke from the Arc Energy costing the spear.
Spark shouted in her head, safely away in subspace, "Yes! Yes! DO finish it before it recovers!"
Weiss twirled the spear and drove it clean through its chest.
Mission complete.
Weiss leaned against a wall to steady her breath. The spear was warm in her grip, electricity still humming faintly along the metal.
Spark appeared in a small flash of light and proudly congratulated his Guardian. "Weiss, your performance is exceeding even my optimistic projections! At this rate, you'll have enough glimmer for a very respectable weapon."
"How much do we have now?" she asked.
Spark displayed her balance.
GLIMMER: 428
"…That's it?" Weiss said flatly.
"You have only just begun your career of profitable violence!"
She sighed. "Let's finish the last objective."
Bounty 4: Fallen Disruption
This one was simple—clear out a Fallen group interfering with tower signals. Weiss made short work of them with a combination of spear strikes and controlled bursts of Arc Light.
By the time the final Vandal fell, Weiss felt the weight of fatigue finally settling into her limbs. Not overwhelming, but a constant feeling in her limbs.
Spark hovered beside her triumphantly. "All objectives complete! And you remain alive! A success in every measurable category!"
Weiss wiped snow from her visor. "Good. Then… let's go back to the Tower."
"Ah! And purchase your glorious new weapon!"
She nodded, allowing herself a quiet, exhausted breath.
"Let's hope it's enough."
"And if not," Spark added cheerfully, "we can always do more bounties! Forever!"
Weiss stared at him.
"…One step at a time, Spark."
They headed back to the ship—ready to head back home.