The Guardian looked over the Vault of Glass. Vanguard reports heightened Vex activity around the Vault, and he took to performing advance recon before the raid team was sent in. His ghost, Gabriel, looked over his shoulder while he scoped in with his Dreaded Venture. 

“So, Guardian, how much information do you expect to find from this distance,” Gabriel asked her guardian.

“Almost none, truth be told. About the only thing valuable I can get is the patrol routes.” The Guardian spoke in his stoic manner. 

“You plan on sneaking into the Vault and scout it out before reporting back to Guilty Spark,” Gabriel spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, having been with the guardian long enough to know how he plans things out. He did not respond vocally but nodded in assent. The best way to gather knowledge on whether the Vex are rebuilding the Vault again is to go inside of it.

As the Guardian stood from the perch overlooking the Vault of Glass, Gabriel hid in his backpack along with the digitized Dreaded Venture. Drawing his trusted Hand Cannon, he leapt from the perch and started the long sprint to the open entrance. Upon getting close to the first patrol, he activated his cloak and continued his sprint through the patrols undetected. 

When he entered the Vault and into the familiar hallway, he noted how easy it was to get in. Usually, there would be a small puzzle or trick to get in, but this time it was an open door. Already, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand in fear. Looking around in an almost paranoid manner.

Soon, the door closed behind him and digitally sealed, locking The Guardian in the Vault of Glass. Walking through, he felt the tell-tale feeling of temporal shifting. He stood in the past when a young woman in a ripped toga ran down a mountain. Next, he found himself in a future in Last City, the Traveler broken and the city destroyed. Undeterred, he marched on, walking out of the temporal anomaly.

“This is a trap, isn’t it?” Gabriel asked despite knowing the answer. Getting a not from The Guardian, the Ghost continued, “I guess the only way out is through.” Eliciting another nod as The Guardian continued his march.

Walking through what he liked to call Hobgoblin Heaven, he found no Confluxes or Oracles. Hell, not even the Templar came out to meet him in anger. Dropping down the long shaft that led to the Gorgon Maze, he found the first of the Gorgons patrolling the entrance. Activating his cloak, he sprinted to the ledges that would keep him out of the Gorgon’s gaze. Upon clearing the last of the annoying super harpys, he looked around for the stash that most guardians find when having to clear the Vault. Not finding it, he moved forward to Atheon’s chamber.

“You have interfered too many times interloper. This will be the last time you interfere.” Atheon spoke in disjointed audio clips of men and women in different languages. 

“Guardian, Temporal Anomaly all around us, it's different from normal. I cannot determine if we are going into the future or the past.” Gabriel spoke in a hurried voice. The Guardian turned to run out of the room only to find the door was already closed. The tightness of the temporal energies crushing him from all sides. Soon, he felt his body rapidly displace all across time and space.

=======

Within the bounds of the Akashic records, the Creator watched as a tiny light floated around the impossibly extensive library. They reached out and gently tossed the little light back to where they felt the light belonged, only to turn and open another bookshelf to watch the fight between the Spider Society and Miles Morales.

========

Gabriel floated around the Black Forrest, looking for The Guardian. She did not know how they landed on Earth before the Golden Age, before the Traveler, before the Mars missions. But she knew she had to find her Guardian and get him on his feet before something happened to her. Luckily, she landed not far from the Guardian and found him lying around a tree. After reviving him, he jumped up, The Last Word raised and ready to shoot something.

“Well, that could have gone better,” Gabriel said, getting a head shake from her guardian in amusement. “So what is the plan? We are far, and I do mean far, in the past.”

“Same as usual, fly by the seat of my pants.” The Guardian spoke with rare mirth.

“Rule 17?” Gabriel asked with humor in her voice. The Guardian looked at the little ghost and nodded as he reached up to take off his helmet. Revealing a handsome face marred by several faded scars from Fallen Shock Daggers and thrall claws. His hair was short brown, and his eyes were an Amber color with a silver ring, the pupils almost cat-like. He lowered the helmet in his left arm and took in a deep breath, seemingly savoring the air. 

“The air is pure. I cannot smell the corrupted rot of the Hive or the artificial ether of the Fallen; even the hints of the Red Legion are missing. There is pollution, but it is still the purest air I have smelled outside, the sickening sweet air of the Black Garden.” The Guardian said as he closed his eyes and kneeled to feel the dirt. 

“I see that your sense of smell is as sharp as ever. Still, it is a beautiful sight. Rose would undoubtedly love it here, even if she is more comfortable with people than nature.” Gabriel responded, only to turn around suddenly. “Guardian, movement at 163.” 

The Guardian threw on his helmet and jumped to the side in time for an oversized club to swing downwards. Drawing his hand cannon, he fanned the hammer and put four shots in each of the giant's knees. Taking them off and sending the giant into a series of pained cries. This distracted him from the large dogs that leaped from the woods, and one bit him in the arm that held the Last Word. Drawing a knife, The Guardian stabbed the hound, turning it into golden dust. Noticing the amount of monsters that surrounded him, he prepared his smoke bomb and suppression grenade.

“This Demigod smells delectable. Gubsy can’t wait to eat you.” The giant, no, cyclops spoke as it stepped over the other crying cyclops without legs. The Guardian sprinted towards the cyclops, ignoring the rapidly closing hounds. When he got within a certain distance, he threw the smoke bomb and jumped, landing on the Cyclops. Dropping the suppressor grenade as the smoke bomb detonated, blinding the one-eyed monster and turning the guardian invisible while he jumped out of the range of the grenade. Disintegrating the two Cylopses and eliminating half of the hound's numbers.

“Do you have to show off when they are trivial?” Gabriel asked with a sigh. Of course, she got no response as the Guardian calmly reloaded the Last Word and proceeded to shoot the closest hound, breaking his cloak. This prompted him to duck and stab a knife in a hound that leaped at his back. Using the disintegrating hound as a makeshift smokescreen to the three in front. He shot the Hound that approached from his left, then his right. Dodging to the left, he deftly reloaded while avoiding the three hounds. When he landed, he fanned the hammer, shooting all eight rounds into the three hounds, turning them into gold dust.

“So there is still hostile life even in the past.” The Guardian said with trepidation.

“Yes. If I am right, there should be a city about 30 miles east of here. Sadly, the Sparrow was still on the Obsidian Wings, so it is unavailable.” Gabriel said with some sadness. “Good news is I was able to connect to the information distribution network of this era.”

“Good, see if you can synthesize era-appropriate clothes; I’ll get walking.” At that, the lonesome Hunter began his trek.