The Death of Hope: Shattered Past Book 6 (Destiny 2)

1: A World Without A Superman

Cameron was sitting out on the balcony of the Tower, looking over the wall into the city of Hope. She stood here a lot over the past two years, only going out when the Vanguard needed her to go. Though those times had been few and far between, she thought about him a lot over here. People told her that time healed all wounds, that she would grow to feel alright again. Now, going through something like this, she knew that was just a lie. Something people said to sugar coat the idea of losing someone they cared about. James left a hole in the hearts of everyone. The fact that they made a statue of him in his image that she could see a glimpse of from the Tower's height didn't make it any easier.

She didn't know who she could talk to who wouldn't just say, "I'm sorry," or "I understand what you're going through," She didn't want sympathy, she wanted her husband back. She looked down again to her wedding ring that she still wore around her finger. Two beautiful jewels were diagonal from each other, locked in place by silver and gold bands that wrapped around them and in between them. It seemed with each passing day the purple gem seemed to get darker, to lose its luminescence. Cameron looked back up at the Traveler a thing that she'd fought to protect for years.

She thought back on what she'd experienced in all that time since. How many people who she loved died in the name of a giant white ball that never worked when they needed it. First, it was Saint, then Vel, then Emily, and now James. It became clear to her how she felt. She placed her faith in it, time and time again, and yet here she was, with three loved ones six feet under and one she thought was dead for years.

She let out a deep breath and walked away from the balcony with her hands in the pockets of her sweatpants back to their apartment her head still looking at the floor. She walked for what felt like hours until she got back. She opened the door to the nearly vacant apartment, the only other resident being out most of the day doing his guardian work. She shut and locked the door before going into the guest room to sleep. Then she heard a high pitched barking sound from the kitchen.

Out from behind the counter scurried a little wolf puppy. Cameron was about to go inside before she saw him run up to her with his tail wagging quickly like a metronome on the quickest setting. She smiled softly and got down on her knees. "Come Gheleon!" She said. You're like a Mom to her baby. The little dog leaped and bounded until it jumped into her lap and looked up at her with its tongue hanging out of its mouth. She picked up the puppy with both hands under his forelegs and pulled him into a hug. Gheleon then licked her face rapidly, making her feel a glint of happiness. Cameron chuckled and set him down as she walked over to the fridge, her eyes still puffy from the lack of sleep.

She opened the appliance and got a cola from the bunch that was inside, she would drink at least once a day, or it felt like that. Time seemed irrelevant to her by that point. Gheleon sprang up on his back legs and pressed his forelegs up against her, and she smiled at him. "Are you thirsty buddy?" She asked. The dog backed off, and Cameron looked at his water bowl to see that it was full.

"What do you want then?" She asked him. All that Gheleon did was nuzzle his head up against her pant leg. Cameron sniffled a little and picked him up holding him in her arms like a baby before walking into the room. She opened the door with her spare hand and lay with her legs extended out on the bed and with the puppy in her arms. Then she started to sob, crying immensely, her eyelids felt like they were on fire as she held him. The dog didn't squirm or move; he had an understanding somewhat of how she was feeling and just lay there in her arms.

Every day felt like this, a pit of nothingness. So much for being the strong-willed Titan that James thought she was. She could swear that at times her throat was tearing open from crying so much. She finally stopped after nearly twenty minutes and passed out on the bed. A few hours afterward, her son David walked into the house and locked the door behind him as his Mom had before. He opened the door to the room where his Mom now slept to see the bed was soaked with her tears and Gheleon was sleeping with her. He sighed slightly and quietly shut the door before heading out again. He opened and locked the door again to their apartment before heading out to the plaza.