Alright.

This is my first fanfic that should be obvious so any improvements, criticisms or comments ect. would be appreciated.

I may continue but it depends on what I'm doing and how much time I have on my hands.

Please enjoy!

I awoke with a sudden gasp, breathing in to find no air and opening my eyes to find only darkness. I let out a gasp and my body went into spasm, a wild clanging filled the air as I flailed about. No air to breath, no light to see. This was it. I heard a click above my head a followed by a gunshot and a second darkness set over me this time with a sense finality. The pain dulling my senses until I fell backwards into the endless abyss.

Unfortunately this was something I would never get used to.

I sat up in my small red hole, a endless expanse of stars above me and a crushed pile robotic humanoid figures below me. However this wasn't what interested me instead I had my gaze fixed on the small, white machine looking me over with its deep blue beam, as if it was searching for something. Then it spoke. "Hello Guardian, I know you don't no what's going on right now but we need to move, this area is infested with hive."It had a relatively high voice but simultaneously relaxing and reassuring but I stayed put. "Please Guardian," It paused and after pressuming I wouldn't move It asked "Do you at least still remember your name?"

At this point the confusion set in. Who was I? I desperately looked around for some reassurance that this was real, I was meant to be dead wasn't I, I thought looking down at myself. I had the body of a robot almost identical to the ones below me except I was wearing a thin cotton robe accompanied by some padded boots and some thin cloth trousers. Across one of my arms I wore a thick band and bellow that, faded lettering was still visible across my left arm. It read "Helios".

"Helios," I responded to the machine in front of me where it bobbed up and down as if it was nodding It's head "And you are?" I asked.

"I'm a ghost," it said as it took a quick glance around before dipping into the hole with me.

"I was sent here by the Traveler to resurrect you, my guardian, using the light so you can wield it as a weapon against the Traveler's enemy, the darkness".

"Right, and these 'hive' you mentioned, are they allies of the darkness".

"You could say that, we haven't seen many of them since the Red War." the ghost agreed "But most importantly they're here to kill you, that's why we need to find you a weapon."

"Agreed." I replied.

"Good," replied the ghost and my new companion "Let's get going."

I and my ghost rose and stepped out onto the rocky plateau. Behind me ran a dusty hyper-rail that ran through two tunnels, both where shrouded in shadow. But I was mystified by the cliff before me that was overlooking a large expanse of red stone reaching out to the horizon. I admired the sights, it wasn't everyday you're resurrected to find a view this striking. My new friend approached from behind and reported "Edge of Hella's Basin, Mars 8:08 AM CST."

"CST?"I replied.

"City standard time. Most of humanity and exos ,like yourself, live in the last city built under the traveller. It's also where we'll find the vanguard a professional order of guardians who protect the city. That's our goal."

"So I need a ship?"

"Yes, our best chance is to find a jumpship with a powerful enough warp drive to get us to Earth." I was going to reply before spotting movement of something in the tunnel to his left. My ghost responded with a jolt and cursed only to turn back to me and say "Hive... run."

I bolted down the tunnel to the ghost's right unable to check my footing in the dark and I stumbled multiple times. When I and my ghost reached the end of the tunnel we found a slightly larger but near identical clearing with a crashed hyper-train against another cliff. We approached quickly and after a few seconds of desperate searching we had collectively found a old breastplate and helmet. Both were in relatively good shape despite the fine layer of martian dust that lightly covered their surfaces. My ghost had also found a sidearm which that I stowed at his side.A spiderbite-1si, built with a Tatic SAS scope and a lightweight frame but only 30 shots I would have to make every one count.

A screech emitted from tunnel outside, squashing our one moment of triumph an I emerged from the overturned train-car and found a group of what I thought to be hive at the foot of the tunnel. My ghost seemed to disappear but it's voice could still be heard from inside my ghost identified six Thralls ,small thin skinned creatures used almost as hive lapdogs, a knight, a heavily shelled warrior wielding a broadsword, and a wizard a more prestigious hive floating about in a cloud of dark energy and the apparent leader of the group.

I could almost taste my ghost's uncertainty but readied the sidearm before releasing a bursts of energy into the party. The Thralls charged, one was caught by the fire stumbled back but the rest didn't hesitate to swarm, causing me to take hits to the chest as I fired rapidly into the band of aggressors watching them fall as I squeezed the trigger counting the magazines as they were discarded expended.

After a brief scuffle I stood above the hive corpses only to be struck across my visor with a armoured fist and to be sent sprawling backwards onto the ground. I regained my senses to find a truly desperate situation, my head hanging over the cliff I looked up only to find the Knight shadowing me it's sword raised. Fortunately the hulking figure was to slow and when the sword hit the ground I was out the way and threw a punch at the Knights back.

The blow missed but a force slammed into the Knight, a force he new, the light. The Knight toppled sending it over the cliff and down into the pit bellow.

Another screech had sounded from the Wizard had signalled the arrival of what seemed hundreds of hive flooding out the both tunnels and in a matter of seconds both I and ghost were surrounded.

There was no way out, nobody to save us, no ammo but most importantly, no hope.

I looked up at the overwhelming force and my body of wires and gears went into a fight-or-flight response… and it chose fight.

I leapt up into the air, using my new found light to boost my height, and raised my hands out in front of me forming around a solid object, rays of sunlight hit my back filling it with a warm sensation only to open my eyes and bare witness to the angel of death I had become. Between my clenched fists lay a sword of flames and somehow attached to my shoulder blades where wings radiating out a harsh light blinding the previously problematic forces. I swung my new found weapon wildly filling the plateau with a wave of fire. The light had given me strength that I decided to put to good use. I glided across the battlefield erasing my enemies until they were piles of ash. I forced them all the way back to the tunnel I had once come through until a cry was let out and the Hive ran with their tails between their legs.

I landed gently onto the martian surface once again and collapsed in exhaustion I was weary but triumphant and turned my back just long enough to be caught across the shoulder blades by a abomination of a creature breaking several vertebrae and sending me over the crimson plateau and my only thought was how pitiful my second chance at life was. The ground rushed towards me only for my vision to be replaced by a fourth consuming darkness in the last hour.

Thanks for reading!