Out of Cryo | A Horizon: Zero Dawn Fanfiction

Chapter 16: Purpose

"...and so, I was on the ground, right? Completely scraped up. I was basically useless at this point."

Aloy gave a sideways glance to Talanah. "You weren't useless. You were distracting it!"

Talanah shook her head as she laughed, causing a few strands of long black hair to fall in front of her dark eyes. She had been giving an animated retelling of how she and Aloy tracked down and defeated Redmaw, which was the name of a really scary Thunderjaw, which apparently was a kind of fucking scary machine that was not to be messed with. I mean sure, Heph could override it if it were around, but Aloy had fought quite a few of those things and she said it was both exciting and terrifying at the same time. Like everything else I seem to be participating in lately.

Talanah wasn't as bad as I had first thought. It was easy enough explaining to her that I was another outcast of the Nora. Aloy didn't want to start shocking people with where I was really from just yet and Erend seemed to agree. There was definitely a master-apprentice relationship between her and Aloy but I admit, I spent a great deal of the evening keeping a close watch on her. I knew Aloy wasn't the type to play me but I couldn't help but be a little jealous every fucking time Talanah said something "funny" and Aloy would laugh like it was the funniest shit ever.

Ugh. I was frustrated because it felt like I had to fight for time with Aloy alone but I was also annoyed at myself for being petty and jealous in the first place. We met up with Erend and Talanah at the Meridian Hunters Lodge earlier in the evening and had eaten dinner before Erend and Talanah began their grand initiative to outdrink each other. It was interesting seeing Aloy in a social situation where she actually liked the people she was around. The only other situation I'd see her in was at the Proving festival, where she didn't really seem to care for the Nora at all, and whenever we were around Erend. It was great seeing her relaxed and enjoying herself.

I, on the other hand, was already over it. Honestly, after a frustrating day of failing at archery (or "practicing", as Aloy called it), still not being used to the food here, and just being restless in general, I wanted to go back to Olin's old house with Aloy and just...be us. Whatever that meant. Our talk earlier had done little to ease my concern or answer my questions and I hated the directionless feeling that had been haunting me for the past few days. I wasn't sure why I cared so much but I did.

"...what do you think, Becks? Becks?"

I snapped out of my trance, feeling stupid when I realized that Aloy had been asking me a question this whole time that I was pouting about not having her attention. "Uh...sorry, what?" Nice, Becks. Now she's going to think you're a rude jerk.

Talanah, of course, had to jump in. "Looks like someone was daydreaming," she teased, flashing me one of her dumb, perfectly white smiles.

I shrugged, trying to save face and probably failing miserably. "No, I'm good," I said, trying not to seem affected by Talanah's poking, though honestly, I'm not sure why I even cared. I turned to Aloy, and maybe was just a bit exaggerated in my redirection. "Sorry, what did you say, Aloy?"

Aloy squinted slightly, as though studying me, but continued. "Talanah had asked if we'd be willing to take care of a job for the Lodge."

"I would send one of the Hawks to do it, but they're all committed to other things right now," Talanah explained.

I've never been very good at masking my emotions. Great, so now we have to take a break from the mission to help some random people when the future of GAIA hangs in the balance. And Ted Faro is just sitting in his bunker planning whatever the fuck he's planning while he keeps Jenna as a prisoner. I signed. No, not a prisoner. She's there by choice. I hated the reality of it almost as much as I hated Ted. I was disappointed that Aloy would even entertain the question. We had a job to do. Why were we fucking around with something that wasn't even our business?