AN: To all who have read all, some or none of my other stories, I would like to say that while they haven't been updated in a very long time, they are NOT abandoned, I've just put them all onto a hiatus.

All except A New Identity, although I have been working on a replacement SI for the ME-verse.

I would however like to introduce to you the first of one of the various stories that I have begun to write, 'THE EXO'. While this story is a X-over between Destiny and Mass Effect, I'm going to focus on the Destiny segments in the first couple of chapters, before transitioning into the ME-verse and staying there for as long as I see fit.

I know that I have in the past promised to try and stay on an update schedule, but don't listen to me when I say that. Sometimes I'm too busy to write or I'm simply too lazy to, and I end up missing the deadlines in favor of doing university work or playing games. So... there.

Without further ado, here is, 'The Exo'

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...Complete

A ship, the words 'Death's Lantern' emblazoned on it's side enters its maiden voyage, jumping through hyperspace to the edges of the inner solar system. The ship begins its orbit around the terraformed jungle world of Venus and after circling the acid green skies of the planet, it began to enter the atmosphere, appearing near the planet's archive and diving for the surface, contrails of dust and debris left in its wake as the clouds parted to reveal the lush planet the once uninhabitable Venus had become.

"Death's Lantern, this is Archive control, confirm clearance codes and decelerate for landing." The voice had crackled to life through the ship's radio, startling two of the passengers, while a third barely registered the voice through the concentration on his face.

"Roger Archive control, transmitting codes now, clearance Echo, Zulu, three-three, niner, Delta." One passenger replied, her voice light and airy, some might say aloof, but it was truly just indifference.

"Thanks boys, nice of you to join us here on Venus. Have a good first flight Lantern. Control out."

With that, the radio fell into silence again, two of the three travellers chatting aimlessly between themselves, the third with his full focus on the transcript in front of him. The journey continued for barely more than five minutes before the ship shuddered, signifying the craft's deceleration and causing all three occupants to stop their activities and rise, a small geometrical orb appearing next to each person before the three disintegrated in a ripple of light.

On the planet's surface below, thick containment doors closed shut for what might be the last time. The look pure loss on the people's faces as they left their research behind dulled the (mostly) joyous look on the trio's faces as their first mission as a team truly began.

Static filled the scene interspersed by gunfire, shouting and the sound of heavy breathing mixed with servos whining, feet stomping loudly as the group ran through underground tunnels.

ERROR: memory file corrupted. Unknown virus detected.

...Purging

...Complete

There it is. The Deep stone Crypt, the tower that rises and carves the sun in twain, it's scattered light like fragments of broken glass, each ray moving like the river as it finds it's way down between the jagged mountain teeth.

And there lies the army, an untold number of foes reaching across the plains that lead to the tower. Resolve sets in, an iridescent green light, the light of the darkness shines out from within the lone warrior facing the horde. With a single step, the fight begins. The people he fights against are people he recognises in his endless database of memory, even if he only saw them in passing.

The more knowledgeable he is of a person, the harder that person is to kill, not because of the decision to kill, but because of their skill and the use of weaponry.

When he nears the end of the seemingly inexhaustible army, he falters, unsure of whether he shall reach the tower, whether he shall reach his birthplace. There is doubt, there is fear. All the things that are holding him back, halting his determination.

"...oki…" What was that? "...ke up…" Outside stimuli? "Loki! Wake up!"

Loki's eyes snapped open as his form surged out of the dimly lit hall, creating an illuminating bubble of pure white light that vanished into the darkness shortly after. Five of his brothers and sisters beside him.

"What happened?" He asked, trepidation in his voice.

"We made it through the catacombs, though not without losses. Julius got left behind." Loki recognised the woman speaking as the huntress; Shade.

"Good thing Death is no longer insurmountable." The lumbering form of Julius, a Titan warrior came into view, his deep voice reverberating around the open chamber in front of them.

"We're nearly there." Loki stated as he surveyed his surroundings. "This is the burning bridge."

"This should be easy then. All we have to do is cross." Julius said, thumping his fists together in anticipation.

"Do not speak of that which you do not know, Julius." Oculus, an Exo hunter spoke firmly, despite the apparent lack of facial features it was easy to see he was disapproving and dismissive of the brash stance that Julius was taking.

"Marissa, I heard you studied the Hive with the Cryptarchs before we undertook this task." Loki said to the other Warlock of the group. "What insight can you give us?"

"I don't think much… Though it looks like the bridge is symmetrical, there are three pads on either side… two have those hanging above them…" Marissa's voice faded away as a plan began to formulate in her head. "Ok," She suddenly said, gaining the group's attention. "I'd say we put two on each pad, then cross the bridge one at a time, moving from the sides to the central pad. There should be a sword relic around here that allows passage of the bridge, but considering what we've faced so far, I wouldn't be surprised if the hive come to make a hard time of our crossing."

As it was, it turned out the Marissa wasn't wrong, her research having paid off. Though that did also mean that there was a ridiculous number of Hive bursting through the doors, their swarm threatening to overwhelm the positions that the six warriors had taken up. Julius and the other Titan, a female awoken by the name of Kira had hefted their rocket launchers onto their shoulders as several 'Knights' stormed out of the doors, one of which was slightly larger, the chitinous armour on its torso cracked from what appeared to be age.

"Well, this should be interesting." Julius quipped, before firing the launcher twice in quick succession causing the armour plating to burn off of the knight, the rest of its body catching alight and disappearing in a myriad of smoke and ash, leaving behind a darkly glowing sword, brimming with energy.

"Go Marissa! Take it and cross the bridge." Loki cried out, his hand cannon rending flesh from bone with each crack and pull of the trigger.

Without a word, the warlock in question ran towards the object in her view, unleashing the energy contained within the void into three orbs that were flung outwards, decimating the ranks of the horde and allowing her access to the sword. She grabbed it and turned, her legs taking her faster and faster towards where Loki was situated on the central platform, but her legs carried her onwards, the sword reflecting the flames of the bridge as though its darkness was cutting a path through the light of the fire.

There was a roar from the other side of the bridge that was cut off, and the rest of them knew that Marissa had completed the journey.

"Who's next?" Julius asked, eyeing the other titan, Jorge.

"Shade, you go." Loki decreed, as she was on the opposite platform to where Marissa had come from. "Everyone else, hold your ground, more of them are on the way." The words rang true as a second relic-wielding knight came out of the abyss below, followed by a renewed horde of thralls and acolytes alike.

The process repeated itself until all that remained was Loki.

The light of his radiance made the darkness within the Hive shy away from him, even as he fought tooth and nail, practically discarding his weapon for the use of his fists and the power of the sun he was channeling.

"There is no darkness that can put out the light of sol." He said breathlessly, when the last knight finally fell, and Loki was safely on the other side of the bridge.

"That there isn't." Oculus agreed as they turned from the Burning bridge and went deeper into the Hive Fortress.

The group of warriors began to worry when their progress went largely unhindered through the depths of the Hive's lair. Perhaps they were walking into an ambush? Or something worse.

"It's quiet. Too quiet." jorge cautioned, earning him a clip around the head from Shade.

"Dammit Jorge, why did you have to say that? Now you know we're about to be

ambushed." Almost as soon as she finished speaking, the screech of the hive could be

heard as their numbers began to move towards us, to remove the invasive presence.

"I'm just trying to get things moving!" He retorted, charging forwards and into the sound of the advancing Hive, the rest of the group on his heels.

It turned to be a mistake however. The bulbous, twisting rooms they had been travelling through opened up into what appeared to be an amphitheater-like enclosure, the back wall split and broken to reveal the core of the moon, a illuminating, morphing ball of darkness, the light emitted from it seemingly hollow, even as it filled their vision. Where they entered the room was curved, two sets of stairs leading down around the edge of the room to a lower level.

What was most disconcerting about it all though, was the knights in the room were bent on one knee, their bodies locked in position by some unknown force, their arms lifting up their blades as though in offering to the light.

Shade froze at the sight, as did Loki, Oculus and Marissa, but the two titans paid no heed to the behemoth in the room, they ignored the prince of the darkness as they pummeled the swathes of hive in the room.

"We shouldn't have come." Oculus said once, his voice barely audible over the din of the fight in the room.

"What do you mean? We were sent here. Why shouldn't we have come here?" Shade questioned, her eyes narrowed at Loki, even as she fired her weapon into the masses.

"We shouldn't be here." Oculus repeated, barely more than a whisper as the fighting ended momentarily.

"What are you talking about? We need to stop the hive from releasing Phogoth! We need to do this." Marissa practically growled at Loki, her hands tightening around her shotgun as she stepped into Loki's line of sight.

"It's too late for that! The moon is no longer ours."

"Guys…?" Jorge said, his call going unnoticed.

"When we gave it to the Hive, we gave it to the darkness. We let them consume it." Oculus pressed back, anger beginning to bubble under the surface. "This place isn't just corrupted, it has become the darkness. Just look at the light. It is too late to stop them from regaining their strength. They've woken the Gods, and they've been doing so since before the last time I was reborn."

"Guys?" Jorge tried again to get the others' attention in vain.

The look on the fireteam's faces when he spoke to them of Gods was one of shock, and maybe a little frustration.

"Gods? You expect us to believe that there are such things?" Marissa seethed. "We'll do what is asked of us, and do what must be done. If you are unable to carry the torch that burns away the night, then you are not fit to call yourself a Guardian."

"HEY!" Jorge yelled, causing everyone to look at him. "If you're done arguing about whether or not we should be here, I've got some news for you. We are here, and we are being cut off from escape!" He gestured to the amphitheater around them, which was now full of Hive, and in the center of it all, a raging beast, held to the ground by chains, each link as large as a Guardian. Phogoth was found.

Loki was the first to move, launching himself into the air, his arms flowing around him before snapping downwards, the light of the sun pouring out of him as he landed amongst the Hive and proceeded to brawl the mob of creatures. His movements surprised Marissa, who expected him to act more like a Warlock than a Titan, but instead he acted as a catalyst, the platform that moved the rest of the fireteam into action, the force that stirred something from within the team, urging them to move onwards, to fight and protect.

To be the vanguard against the night.

Eighteen months later…

How do you quantify, the unquantifiable? How do you define what simply is? Can you describe what cannot be seen? Explain what isn't known?

Is Faith, Belief, Hope… Are they all we really need? Do we need a surplus, do we need something… more to understand what is missing from ourselves?

Fireteam Radiant was composed of six Guardians, two of each class. Julius, an Awoken Titan, larger than life and always the optimist, he was the team's striker, or the thunder, as he likes to call himself. Jorge is the second Titan, a dark skinned human who's as big as they come. Being the defender of the group, he prides himself on his toughness and the fact that his 'bubble' can withstand even the punishment of the Gods. Next, Shade. A huntress, a human female with Raven black hair and eyes as blue as the skies over the Last City. She is a fabled Gunslinger, and her skill is almost unparalleled. Save of course for the legendary carriers of the Last Word. Then there is Oculus, an exo hunter, A machine able to channel the plasmic energy of nature through his body and into a blade, able to take out swathes of enemies. Of course, he still prefers a sniper scope to the blade. Marissa is a female Warlock. Her studies have allowed her the ability to mould the energy of the void and turn it into a devastating weapon, such is the nova bomb. Finally, there is Loki, An Exo Warlock people have taken to calling 'The Phoenix', due to his ability to rise again from beyond the grave. Loki is enigmatic at best, seen in the tower even less than the elusive Xur.

While each of the Guardians has their own preferred form of energy, each is as capable with all types - void, solar and arc.

"Now that, is a deep hole." Jorge said, leaning over the abyss of the Hellmouth as he watched a platform manifest as Loki stood on a plate, lit with bright plumes of energy.

"Who knows what kinds of messed up shit goes on down there." Julius commented, standing next to his Titan brother, both of them trying to discern the bottom of the pit.

"Are you sure it's wise to go down there?" A ghost spoke out to the Fireteam.

"Oh come on sparky, we can handle it. Besides, we got Loki. He's an expert on Hive." Julius retorted, his upbeat tone batting away the ghost's concerns even as his hand pushed the ghost out of the way.

"If what Eris says is true, if we are going to find another God down there, and if that God is Crota… We need to be prepared for anything." Marissa stated firmly, causing the Titan's smile to falter for a moment.

"Come on! We should go down!" Loki yelled to them from the end of the platform that had finished forming while they were talking.

"How the hell is he that sneaky?" Oculus mumbled to Shade, both of whom were by trade, excellent at moving unseen, but Loki had an uncanny knack for it. Especially for a 'loudmouth Warlock'.

Just as they reached the Exo in question, he launched himself through an opening at the end, tumbling down below before he faded from sight, a dark light swallowing him up like the gaping maw of a hungry beast. One by one fireteam Radiant dropped into the depths of the Hellmouth, their light diminished against the dark.

As they fell, they landed hard in the darkness, only their immediate surroundings lit by an enormous lantern, more and more springing to life in the distance of the darkness around them. The cries of thralls hounded them as they prepared themselves to journey through the chasm, their screeches echoing around them like lost souls, trying to find a way out.

"Let's move." Marissa ordered, causing the group to tear off, heading towards the nearest source of light.

As they moved, they could feel the darkness weighing down on them, slowing them with each step they took. Hive poured in on them from every angle, and it was all they could do to not be overwhelmed with the sheer numbers of Hive. A large group gathered ahead of them and Julius stormed forwards, leaping at the mass of thralls like a crazed mad-man, slamming his fists to the floor and sending bolts of lightning through the group, arcing from one foe to another, decimating them.

Radiant sped onwards, progressing further and further into the depths of the moon, undeterred by the thralls clawing at their heels. Eventually, they came to a chasm, a single platform much like the one on the surface. As they activated it, Hive rained down on them, larger, tougher units coming into play as well.

"Knights!" Jorge called out, spreading his arms wide and creating an impenetrable shield of light as 'boomers' launched their projectiles. They fought for what seemed like hours, until Marissa turned, to find the bridge was complete.

"Move!" She commanded, and the team turned and fled, running across the bridge.

"Ogre on the far side." Oculus commented as he jumped into the air, bearing his hunter's hand cannon and glowing with light. Four shots rang out, and on the last, the behemoth disintegrated into a pile of glowing embers.

The other side of the bridge was lit with an ethereal light, its brightness casting off the weight of the darkness around them. They ran through it, the very fabric of reality bending around them as a great hall materialised around them, a schism cast between both sides of the room.

Three platforms lit up as they stepped forwards, and they divided into three, each class taking a different pedestal. Hive entered the room and their screams filled the air.

"I think I'm sensing a pattern here." Shade grumbled to Oculus as they blasted thralls and acolytes with their preferred weapons.

Before long, a large knight entered, a swordbearer. He died without too much hassle, and Marissa was the first to pick up the relic.

"Cross the bridge Marissa." Loki yelled at her after she'd started to beat on the hive with the sword. Dutifully, she turned and ran across the bridge, the flames from the beacons dancing off the darkness coming from the sword.

They heard a yell, and turned in time to see Marissa beating a blue knight into dust with the sword. "The Gatekeeper." She said as explanation.

The process of killing the swordbearer, crossing the bridge and killing a new gatekeeper continued until Loki was across the chasm. The fighting intensified for a moment, but didn't last long as they made their way through the tunnels, making their way through the iron forged halls of the Hive lair.

They were heading down. They'd been moving in that direction for a long time, and they hadn't noticed how far down they'd gone until they came to a platform that hung in the air in a cavern, a single dark light in it's centre, both lighting up their surroundings and obscuring them from view.

All manner of Hive were there as they fought and killed. For a moment, they wondered where they needed to head to next, until a wizard came into view. It was singing.

"The Deathsinger!" Loki cried as he focused fire on the wizard. The rest of the fireteam followed suit, interrupting the wizard's song.

"Come on, come onn!" Julius bellowed above the din, firing his heavy machine gun, the Thunderlord into the face of the Deathsinger.

The fighting raged, and occasionally, a Guardian would make a mistake, and pay for it with their life, only to be returned by one of the others moments later. Eventually though, the room cleared, and a roar filled the air.

Crota.

A field of energy halted their movements, trapping them on the platform as Hive massed on the other side. Moments later, the field dropped, and the fighting began anew, more intense than before.

A swordbearer entered the room and Shade called it out, only for it to be blasted by Marissa, who lanced it with her Nova bomb.

Loki picked up the sword and commanded everyone to open fire on Crota. His shield was easy to see, and Loki wouldn't be able to do any damage to him in any way with it there.

Each member of Radiant opened up with their heavy weapons, some sporting machine guns, others with rocket launchers. But each one found their marks and in seconds, Crota's shields were gone. He collapsed onto one knee as Loki charged him, swinging the sword in a clean, precise manner, his strokes carving great chunks of chitin off of Crota's body. It only lasted a few seconds though as Crota rose again and swung downwards, his heavy handed stroke barely blocked by Loki, who sunk onto one knee, keeping Crota's enormous sword from splitting him in two.

Crota lifted his sword just as Loki's vanished, and the two parted, the dance beginning again.

Each Guardian had gone up against Crota, wielding a stolen relic. But eventually, as Loki cast the final downswing, he rended Crota's head from his body, and the screaming stopped, the Hive was cast out, their demi-god killed.

As the group celebrated and breathed a sigh of relief, Crota's headless body began to stir. It loomed above them, and a deathly voice echoed around them, startling the group and putting them back on alert.

"A million deaths are not enough for Crota's End. You have gained the attention of those infinitely your greater." The voice was deep, raspy and echoed dangerously, but the body stumbled forwards, as though it were puppeted. Crota collapsed, most of Radiant scattering before they could be crushed. Marissa was frozen in place under the shadow of the falling titan, and was only able to move because of Loki, who dove under the falling body to push her out of the way.

"Loki!" Jorge cried out.

"Come on, we gotta move this asshole!" Julius commanded as the two Titans moved back towards the still body of Crota. Both used their monumental strength as best they could, but were only able to move a single arm of the gargantuan hive, even when they worked together.

"Shit, Loki! Come on man…" They grunted in their efforts to retrieve their friend.

"Guys…" Shade said, after turning around to find the hive amassing once again. "We need to go…"

"No! We aren't leaving him!" Oculus said, as he too joined in with moving Crota off Loki.

Seconds later though, Marissa took them all and made the transmat to orbit as the Hive once again pressed down on them.

"GOD DAMMIT!" Both Titans roared in frustration as they stalked out of the cockpit of the ship, heading to their own quarters, slamming their fists into the walls as they went.

"Ghost. Can you find any trace of Loki?" Oculus said as a geometric ball materialised over his outstretched hand.

"No… He's gone."

In the Darkness of the Hive lair, in the hollow of the moon, two corpses lay unmoved. Both bodies are dead, neither are gone forever. And such it is as Crota, prince of the hive, son of Oryx arose again, to reveal his destroyer.

The Exo that lay beneath him was not crushed as it should have been. Darkness bonded to the light within it's being and sheltered it, the darkness saw his ignorance, saw his skill, his valor, his unconquerable soul, and saved him.

But by saving him, it changed him. Loki was a Warlock, but like all legends, he held aspects of each 'class' of warrior. His headstrong and stoic manner came from the Titans, his stealth and sharpshooting, the Hunters, and his technical knowledge, the Warlocks. These attributes, they strengthened, and his form changed, becoming a fusion of metal and light.

Even as the Hive strove to restore Crota in the chamber, Loki's form was bathed in a dark light, a healing light. And when his eyes opened once again, the Hive tried to strike him down, yet he pushed them back, alone he held back the tide. And when there were none to face him… he fled.

"They are uncontrollable. They claim to fight for us, but they do not follow our orders." A voice emanated from a shadowy figure, the sound echoing around the garden.

"It was you who gave them control over that realm, if you remember." Another voice shook their surroundings, this figure silhouetted by it's own light emanating from within.

"A mistake if ever I saw one. I advised against this from the very beginning, I told you what would happen, but you didn't listen." A third figure spoke, this one constantly fluctuating between the figure of a child, a man, and an elder.

"I know, but I'm here to rectify my mistake. We will send one of these… Guardians… to assist the natives of the realm. Our intervention will put a stop to this outbreak." The shadowed figure said, almost apologetically.

"Will anyone know of our involvement?" Another spoke out, this one not so much a figure, as a maelstrom of energy.

"They will know that we stopped this threat, not that we caused it. We will be careful in our choice and explanation."

"The more important question, is who do we send?"

"I think, I have an idea…"