"No!" She banged on the deactivated time gate. The rim trembled under her strength, yet made no sign of coming to life again. She was curious, yes, maybe a little rebellious after being told no so many times, but being trapped here was not what she wanted. The regret that swelled in her chest left her gasping for air.

"Frea, calm down." A large hand touched her shoulder and gently pulled her away from the portal. "Breaking it won't help your problem."

The huntress circled on her heel. "What are you doing back in the Infinite Forest, Saint?" She asked, a slight accusation in her voice. "I thought you were going back to Earth?"

The Titan lowered his arm, taking a step so he could study the time gate as well. "I did leave. I was actually on my way to tell you about our victory at Six Fronts. It's been two months since..." Trailing off, his head moved back down to look at her. "How much time has passed for you since we met?"

"We met this morning," she replied as her eyes widened. The realization hit her like a rock. "Just a few hours for me."

"So our timelines don't move at the same rate. Interesting." He walked away from her and the gate, his heavy boots crunching over rocks.

"Hey, wait. Where are you going?"

"Home."

Frea stepped up to follow but the Exo stopped in his tracks. "You can't."

"And why not?" She frowned.

"I told you before, did I not? You risk everything by being in the past. You're not supposed to exist yet," Saint said flatly.

Her hands balled into fists, clutching at the edges of her snowy cape. "I know and I'm sorry, what I've done was stupid and utterly selfish...but I can't just stay here. I have to find a way back."

A loud sigh bounced off the walls from him and finally he turned around. "You were kind to me when I was misplaced, so I suppose I should return the favor. Or at least try to point you in the right direction. Come."

Seeing the old Tower in all its glory was the last thing Frea ever expected to experience in her new lifespan. She slowly stepped off of Saint's ship into the hanger bay. It was exactly how she remembered it to be, though much shinier and filled with faces she didn't recognize.

"We just finished the construction on this one," the Titan next to her muttered as he lead her toward the plaza. "After the last Tower was demolished thanks to civil war."

"Bannerfall."

His glimmering eyes snapped to hers for a moment and then looked away. "Yes. A year rarely goes by where we're not repairing something. Right now it's the wall near Twilight Gap, the fighting during Six Fronts did quite a number on the structure."

The skin on the back of the huntress's neck prickled and she glanced to the side, noticing some Guardians casting weary stares her way.

"Interacting with that shard in the Dark Forest changed your Light, Frea. I think they can sense that," her Ghost quietly said in her head.

"Yeah, I can see that." Hunching down to not draw more attention to herself, she pulled her hood over her face. "Saint, it this a good idea? What if we run into someone I know in the future?"

"You practically begged me to bring you. Would you rather me leave you to fend for yourself then?"

"What's the harm in that?"

Saint stopped in the shadow of the hallway leading to the Vanguard office and turned to face her, his metal brow furrowing. "This isn't the same City you know. Leaving a Guardian such as you alone here would be dangerous."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

He flinched and opened his mouth to reply, then closed it as if deciding to say something else. "It's complicated. Don't worry, we'll be out of here quick. I just need to access the console in the next room to see where my Father has moved Osiris's writings."

"Hopefully they'll come in handy like you think they will."

The Exo shrugged. "It's the next best thing besides finding the man himself. And he's the only one who knows enough about the Forest to reactivate a time gate. We'll find a way, Frea."

"Yeah," she mumbled. Spinning around to continue where they were heading, she accidentally bumped into something hard. Grimacing, she reached up to rub her sore nose, and froze. Just an inch in front of her was a white and orange chestpiece, painted in a familiar pattern, with a medallion hanging off a furred mantle. Panic sent her heart pumping and she immediately backed away into Saint's shadow.

"Sorry...oh, Commander," the deep voice just above her head said.

"Shaxx," the Titan returned the greeting with a professional smile, his face giving no emotion away. "What brings you to the Vanguard today?"

"Just putting in a new supply order for the wall..." Keeping her eyes firmly planted to the ground as they talked, Frea's heartbeat got so unbearably loud with anticipation. She debated running away, but that would be too obvious. Maybe materializing back to Saint's ship? That probably wouldn't look any better. She settled for staying as still as possible and hoped she would just be ignored. Meeting anyone here could mean changing the future, for better or for worse. "So," Shaxx continued, his tone getting loud enough to snap the huntress from her thoughts. "Who's this?"

Dammit.

"This is uh-" Saint's blank demeanor finally broke as he hesitated for far longer than he should have. "A new Guardian I just took in."

The huntress rolled her eyes underneath the cover of her hood. Even she didn't believe that lie.

"Hm." Shaxx tightly crossed his arms over his chest. He definitely didn't believe it either. "Since when did you train Hunters?"

"I occasionally make exceptions."

"Saint, please, you're a bad liar. Any self respecting Guardian can see she's not freshly awakened with that powerful Light. Who are you, Hunter?" When she didn't meet his gaze, a growl rumbled in the Titan's throat. "Don't you know how to talk to someone who outranks you, Guardian?"

The harshness in his words finally made Frea lift her head up, her eyes landing directly on his visor. For a second, she was surprised by his armor. There were two unbroken horns adorning his helmet and it made his already menacing figure feel even more formidable. The attitude he extruded now didn't even compare to her recent argument with him in her time, this was far more venomous.

Despite his face being covered she could tell he was glaring down at her, and she returned the same look with as much vigor. "Excuse me?" She snapped.

Shaxx's looming form twitched from her rude outburst, his arms unlocking to hang at his sides as he took a threatening step forward. "How dare-"

"Be kind to my apprentice," Saint calmly cut in when he stepped between them. Only then did Shaxx break eye contact from the huntress, raising his head to look at the other Titan. "She's still learning the basics of our system. So, if you don't mind, we have an appointment to keep."

"But Saint..." he started.

"You talk about rank. I hope you're not losing track of where you sit on the ladder, Shaxx," the Exo warned as his hand landed on his brethren's shoulder and squeezed tight. "This Hunter is important to me. I expect you to treat her with the same respect as you treat me. I doubt your Master would be happy to hear about your insubordination."

A grumbled complaint snuck out from his helmet, but he moved to the side and lowered his head. "Yes of course, Commander. My apologies."

Saint trudged by the Titan and Frea quickly followed behind. She felt a cold sensation down her spine as she passed and glanced up, realizing Shaxx was watching her closely as she did so. Was this really how he was in the past? He was always imposing, but now he seemed so calloused, lacking the energy that inspired generations of Guardians. This wasn't the Shaxx she knew. It took all her effort to tear her eyes away from his and she jerked her hood down more, forcing herself to walk faster after Saint.

"Do you know Shaxx well in your time?"

"Ah, what?" She stumbled over her words from the sudden question.

Saint fixed her with a scrutinizing gaze. "Shaxx. Are you close with him? You reacted strangely back there."

Biting her lip, she gripped her forearm, unsure how exactly to answer. "Y-yeah, you could say that."

"I see." Fingers gliding over the control panel, he slid the door open to a dark room and flicked on the lights. The office was modestly small with a simple desk and monitor set up in the corner. A collection of rifles hung up on the opposite side of the wall. "Lord Saladin keeps Shaxx busy. I doubt he'll remember you from that awkward introduction." Her eyes followed the Exo as he plopped down at the desk and started typing into the console. A part of her hoped he was right, her being so easily forgettable, but her chest tightened at the thought of someone special to her not bothering to give a second thought. She quietly shook her head, chiding herself. This was the past and everything was different here. She had to keep that in mind. "Here it is," Saint spoke up. "Looks like Osiris's books were moved to my Father's private library."

The Speaker's library. Frea moved to stand behind the Titan, staring at the screen. She recalled the library before the Red War. It was where banished information and real hush-hush things were kept, definitely not open to the public. "Let me guess, I'm not allowed inside?"

"You're not." Turning the console off, he rose from his seat. "My Ghost can send access codes for the door to yours. Everyone in the Tower has been preoccupied recovering from the war so sneaking inside should be easy. Just don't get caught. Even I won't be able to bail you out if you do."

"Noted. How crowded is it after midnight?"

The Exo tilted his head. "It's empty most of the time these days. Are you only planning to go in at night? What are you going to do during the day? I can get you a room in the Tower."

"No, that's alright. You've done enough already." The huntress tapped her chin in thought, an idea clicking in her mind. "You said they were repairing the wall near Twilight Gap, right? The less time I spend in the Tower the better, so I think I'll try to lend a hand with the construction there. Keep a low profile and all."

"Sounds good. Contact me if you find anything.

That night was warm as Frea quickly crossed the plaza. Silver light from the full moon shined over the Tower, making the shadows under the archways easier to blend into. She arrived at the Speaker's quarters and took a sharp left down the corridor. It wasn't often that she came down here, even in her time, she never had a reason to. The hall was built lavishly with intricate wooden arches overlooking the courtyard a floor below, she could smell the flowers growing there on the breeze. It was beautiful and she found herself regretting never taking a moment to visit before.

Unfortunately, she couldn't enjoy it for long as she came upon the door to the library. With a weary sigh she reached up to key in the code she received from Saint.

"What are you doing?"

Her fingers hesitated over the control panel with a silent curse. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was and she definitely didn't want to, but when an armored hand gripped her arm, her every instinct told her to run. Jumping backward suddenly, she used her weight to knock her assailant off balance and then leapt over the railing into the courtyard. As soon as her boots touched the ground she took off running.

She didn't get very far.

With a squeak, her cloak was caught and she toppled over, she rolled to lighten the fall and then bounced back to her feet a bit dizzy. Her reaction time was too slow to avoid the oversized Titan as he grabbed her by the fur adorning her collar and pinned her against the wall high enough that her feet no longer touched the ground.

"So it is you," Shaxx growled. "I knew you looked suspicious, and now you're trying to break into the Speaker's library? Explain yourself."

Gripping his arm for support, she struggled against his grasp. "I'm not your enemy, Shaxx."

"Lord Shaxx, Hunter."

Frea's chest tightened painfully. She didn't expect the correction to hurt so badly. "Lord Shaxx," she repeated. "I don't mean any harm, truly. Isn't Saint's trust in me enough proof of that?"

The Titan huffed. "Saint is a good man but sometimes naive. His trust is too easily given, just look at Osiris, it's a miracle they've yet to banish that Warlock." His head titled, the pendant hanging from his neck mimicked the movement. "I heard what he called you. You're name is Frea, correct? Who are you and why is Saint trying to cover for you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She gave her best smile, trying to mask the fear starting to bubble in the pit of her stomach. "I'm just a rookie."

He pulled her away from the wall and closer to him. Her nose nearly touched his visor. "If I find out you're a threat to this Tower then I will personally crush your Ghost. Do you understand me?" She swiftly nodded her head and he dropped her, watching her stumble to keep her footing. "Don't let me catch you near the library again," he growled and then turned away, leaving Frea alone in the dark.

"Well, that went poorly," Ghost quietly whispered in her mind.

The huntress let herself slide to her knees, her eyes locked on Shaxx's back until she could no longer see him in the moonlight. "I'm an idiot."

Her Ghost materialized over her shoulder. "What's done is done. Now you just need to figure out how to fix it."

"Fix it!?" She waved a hand to indicate all around her. "I'm stuck hundreds of years in the past with no way back! And not only that, but Shaxx thinks I have some sort of ulterior motive." Her hands slapped the marble tiles decorating the ground in frustration, her voice choking on tears. "He knows me, knows my name, if I do return...I can't even imagine how things have changed now."

"Then we'll have to try harder to stay out of his way," it said. "It may not be too late."

Frea took a few shallow breaths to calm her pounding heart and then climbed to her feet, fixing the collar of her cape thrown askew by the Titan. "Yeah, you're right. Saint said he's been busy lately," she mumbled, pressing a knuckle to her lip. "The Crucible hasn't been created yet, but if it's Saladin giving him work then I bet Shaxx is stuck in the Tower most of the time."

"Indeed. We can go camp out near the wall for a few days and assist with the repairs, maybe by then he'll give up and we'll be able to get into the library."

Smiling slightly, she poked the Ghost. It bobbled in the air and blinked up at her with a joyful hum. "Good idea, my friend. At least it'll keep my mind off of everything for a few hours while we get out of this mess."

She cursed with at least ten different words.

Shaxx stared down at her, his glare intense enough that it seemed to pierce his visor right into her heart. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Oh-um-just thought I'd come to help with the construction," Frea replied. She wasn't lying. The morning after her stressful encounter with the Titan, she came to Twilight Gap to assist with the wall in hopes that she would be able to avoid running into anyone else she knew. Regrettably, fate seemed to be laughing at her right now. "What are you doing here?"

He crossed his arms. "I'm running the project. Getting this place built up as quickly as possible before the Fallen decide to attack us again," he spoke quickly, avoiding any details. It was clear the night before was still fresh in his mind.

"Well!" She clapped her hands together with a small smile. "You look like you have more than enough people, so I'll just get out of your way."

"Hold on..."

A loud clattering from behind caught their attention and they turned to see a group struggling to keep a heavy metal beam aloft. Shaxx immediately dashed for it, helping them lift one side before it fell, but the other end swung out dangerously and knocked a regular City worker holding it off the high ledge. The man went over the side with a scream.

"No!" Frea was the quickest to react. She leapt over the edge and grabbed the worker by the hand, tucking him against her as she reached out and managed to grasp a piece of rebar protruding from the wall. She bit down a whimper when she halted the momentum, the pull dragging on her arm and shoulder, a sickening pop echoed in her ear.

"You two alright?" A Warlock hollered as he leaned over the side and spotted them. In the next minute, they were pulled back over the ledge and to safer ground.

"Thank you," the man she saved gripped her hand. She forced herself to not flinch when he took the one that grabbed the rebar. "Thank you so much."

"Of course," she patted his back. "Just watch yourself next time, okay?"

He nodded fiercely. "I will, I will!"

She gave him a hesitant smile as he returned to the rest of the group and then turned back, feeling a presence behind her.

"Nice thinking," Shaxx commented. "I haven't seen many Guardians move with that speed."

"I've had a lot of practice catching people," she jested, her smile wavering as her shoulder throbbed again.

The Titan's helmet beckoning toward her arm. "You know, that won't heal until you reset it." Her reply was lost in her throat when he suddenly stepped forward and took her elbow in careful hands. "Take a deep breath," he whispered. With a jolt of his wrist and another gut-churning pop, he relocated her shoulder back into the socket. She nearly howled from the pain and unwittingly clutched the long fur around his neck to keep from falling over, the movement forced him to step so close that their chestplates rubbed together. A sound escaped his visor, something mixed between a gasp and groan, before he abruptly pulled away.

Realizing what she had done, Frea adverted her eyes and tried to hide the blood rushing to her face by pretending she was more preoccupied with testing her injured arm. "Thanks," she mumbled.

A longer than normal silence crossed between them before Shaxx finally spoke up again. "Why don't you stay? We could use the extra help."

"Wha-" She looked up, her brow raised in confusion.

He defensively lifted a hand. "Don't take that as a sign of trust, but I suppose you'll do less harm here than at the Tower."

Frea bit her lip. She was running out of options for places to hide. If she declined his invite, then she would look even more suspicious, however, staying here was risky with Shaxx around. After another long second of thought, she sighed and held out her hand to him. "I'll help...for now."

The Titan peered down at her palm and then spun away without taking it. "I'll have my eye on you, Hunter."