James and Cameron arrived at the restaurant about fifteen minutes after they had initially left the tower. "Excuse me, we have a reservation for seven," James stated to one of the wait staff. 

"Oh, certainly, may I have your name please sir?"

"James." 

"Oh my goodness, it's an honor, sir." 

"I'm sorry, I don't quite understand," James replied modestly.

"You're the guardian that killed the black garden right?" The staff member asked. 

"Yes?"

"Please, follow me right this way sir." She stated grabbing a menu for the two of them. 

"Sure?" James replied oddly. He didn't quite understand why he was being treated like this. Any guardian who was there would have done the same thing as he did. Cameron was there with him, yet he never noticed if she was treated differently. 

The two were placed in a private room together. The room itself had a red carpet, with several paintings of the city's heroes on the walls. The wall facing away from them was a window looking out over the city. The doors closed behind them, and the waitress gave them their menus. "I hope the accommodations are to your liking guardians." She said walking outside. 

"Wow. Did you plan this?" Cameron asked as a man came in pouring the two a glass of water. 

"No, I honestly had no idea that this would happen in the first place." 

"Well, it certainly is nice. It's very classy in here." 

"Anything for you Cameron." He stated raising his glass to meet hers. He took a slight sip from his glass and looked at her. 

"You didn't really seem to keen on the special treatment we got, is there something wrong?" She asked placing her glass on the table.

"It's just that if there were other guardians in our position, they would have done the same thing. I don't like being thought of as being above everyone else. I'm just like other warlocks." 

"Oh, James. You are nothing like other warlocks. May I be honest with you for a moment?"

"Sure."

"I honestly think that most warlocks are annoying to be around. They go on and on about how much they understand humanity and the world around them. You, on the other hand, seem to understand it more than any of them and you don't share it. Not only that but you are nothing like other guardians either. They just seem to brag and flaunt all of their "glorious" loot at others, placing themselves on pedestals. You, on the other hand, the guy with the gun from the golden age, seem to just give and give." 

"I don't know; I just don't want to sound selfish." 

"Well, I think that's an admirable quality, James." 

Then the waitress returned. "So have we decided on what we want to drink?" She asked slightly visibly shaking. She was incredibly nervous. These were figures of legend in her own time that she was serving. James was looking at her calmly for a second, she began to perspire heavily, and her heart rate increased. 

"You know, everything will be okay right?" James asked her.

"I'm sorry sir, I don't know what you mean." 

"You're incredibly nervous ma'am. Just relax." 

"I'm sorry, it's just that you two are just so, legendary." 

"I don't think I've done anything that great." 

The waitress was trying her hardest not to yell to reassure him that he was wrong. 

"Well, in any case, I'd like a glass of red wine please," Cameron asked her. 

"Certainly, do you have any preferences ma'am?"

"No, pick your favorite." 

"Yes ma'am, and for you sir?" 

"I'd like a glass of red too please, the same kind." 

"Yes sir, I'll be right back." She said walking out of the room. 

Meanwhile outside, Charon had just pulled up with Nova outside of the restaurant. "Here we are "The light's dream." He said looking at the building ahead of him. 

"Do I look okay dad?" Nova asked getting off his sparrow on the right side.

"You look perfect Nov." 

"Thank you, well, I still need some help getting there." She stated with a slight giggle in her voice. 

"Sure." He replied walking her up to the door. 

The inside of the restaurant was incredibly elaborate, with either red carpets or white polished marble on the floors. That same marble was all around the building, with columns ascending high above to support the ceiling. There was a massive crystal chandelier that hung above the place, giving enough light so that it felt special, but not intrusive. 

"Is it pretty dad?" 

"It's incredible Nova." He said walking up to the wait staff. "Hi there, we're here meeting a guest." 

"Certainly sir, may I have a name?" 

"Kathrine-012." He stated.

"And may I have a braille menu please ma'am?" Nova asked her politely.

"Certainly young lady. Kathrine sat down a little while ago, follow me." The waiter replied. 

Nova then sat down with the baby blue Exo in front of her. Kathrine was a kindred Exo, she found Nova to be a kind person to be around. She was always so kind to her no matter what day it was. They had met each other in Novas first year of high school, the two became close and eventually fell in love. Kathrine would tell her sometimes that she looked beautiful. 

"Wow Nov, you look lovely," Katie said looking her date up and down. 

"Thank you; I would say the same to you, but, you know." 

"Don't worry Nova, I know what you would say." She said with a slight giggle in her voice. 

The waiter handed the two their menu's, and they started talking with each other after they had ordered drinks. 

"It's good to see you again Nova. I take it you finally reconciled with your father."

"Yeah, it took a lot of talking with Ikora for me to do, but I'm glad I did it." She said taking a sip of the glass of water she had with her. 

"So, are you a guardian yet?" 

"No, I still don't have a ghost."

"Man, that sucks, you've been at it for so long, I would think that a ghost would have noticed your skill by this point." 

"I know, but it'll come, I just need to be patient." 

"Exactly, then you'll be the best warlock the city has ever seen." 

"I don't know about that; you know how I told you about the impossible scenario in the training room right?" 

"Yep, code name Twilight."

"Well apparently someone has beaten it, and in thirty seconds." 

"THIRTY SECONDS?!" Katie exclaimed quietly. 

"Yeah, by someone named James-17." She replied. 

"Well, that explains it, that man was a part of the fireteam that slew the heart of the Black Garden." 

"You do forget, my Dad is a former Iron Lord, and he couldn't beat it." 

"I didn't forget Nov. But wasn't your dad there?" 

"No, he wasn't, he was killed in the "accident.""

"Calling your father being murdered by the explosion of the SIVA replication chamber an accident isn't a good idea Nov."

"Right, that's kind of offensive. Sorry." 

"Don't worry about it." 

Nova remembered that story that her father told her when she was about fourteen. The story of the legacy of iron that rested in her. He told her of the Iron Lords folly, in pursuit of a machine that could create whatever a civilization would need. Hundreds of Iron Lords had descended upon the plague lands, a section that was later named by Lord Saladin himself. Those Iron Lords were warned by Charon that the mission to reclaim SIVA wasn't a task that they should undertake. 

They were foolish and didn't listen. The mission into the plague lands was a blood bath. A blood bath her father was unwilling to describe. At the end of their journey, ten Iron Lords entered the replication chamber. However what they found was not what they had pictured. Her father was killed in the detonation of the replication chamber, and as punishment was forcefully thrown into an Exo body. Shadow-17 was his name from that point forward until his human form was brought back to life. 

Katie while they were eating, couldn't help but notice the people who would make quick glances at the two of them. It bothered her deeply, had she been human or awoken, perhaps this would be different. She glanced down at her menu and sighed. 

"You okay Kathrine?" 

"No, people are looking at us again." 

"Don't worry about them, Katie. I love you for who you are, isn't that enough?" 

"It's not that, it's just, why can't people accept that we love each other? It just doesn't make sense, I see gay couples all the time walking around the city and nobody bats an eye. Yet when they see the two of us, it's somehow different." 

"Just stop worrying about what other people think. What they think about us doesn't matter." 

"I really need to start thinking that way; I'm sorry Nov." 

"Don't you worry your cute little robotic head." She said with a little laugh.

Katie smiled. "So what are you gonna get?" She asked her eagerly.

"Well, I don't know, the chicken parmesan sounds pretty good." 

"Mmmm, I agree, I'd have to go with the fettuccine alfredo myself." 

"That also sounds good," Nova replied. 

"How on earth are we gonna pay for this?" Katie asked her nervously. 

"My dad gave me his card; he said that he would be paying for our dinner tonight." 

"Your dad is just the best! I'll have to thank him when we're done." She exclaimed. 

"You'll have time to do that." She stated happily. 

The two got their drinks and food once the waiter came by again. "To us," Nova said raising her glass to meet Katie's. Both groups finished up their meals and headed out of the restaurant, that's when Charon ran into James and Cameron. 

"Hi there James." He said walking over to his Exo friend. 

"Hey, Charon!" He chirped shaking his hand. Charon then looked over to the human in the black dress that was close to James. "And you must be Cameron. Charon Storme, a pleasure to meet you." He said shaking her hand.

"Pleasure to meet you as well, who are you?"

"Oh, my apologies, I'm the guy who knows how to get James's memories back." 

"Oh, well, then Charon, it's nice to meet you." 

"Did you enjoy your dinner James?" 

"We did. Why are you here?" 

"Oh, my daughter was just on a date, I'm here to pick her up."

"I thought that you said your daughter couldn't forgive you." 

"I thought so too, but Ikora can be very convincing." He said with a smile. 

"Well, I'm glad that you're back together again. It's getting late; you want to get going, Cam?" He asked her glancing to his right. 

"Yeah, I'm feeling pretty tired." She replied. 

"Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow Charon," James stated to him. 

"Okay, see you then!" He exclaimed watching him walk over to his car and driving off for the night.