The storm broke at the beginning of sunrise. The dark clouds gave way for the morning rays and the last of the rain lingered in the trees and mud. The camp set up at the base of the wall, outside of the Last City's protection, was just starting to stir with the light. The night watch retreated back to their beds, while splashes from Guardians' boots wading through puddles mixed with the tired voices of early rising workers. Each getting ready for the new day. These were the sounds Frea had grown accustomed to during her time here. They had become almost normal to her now, though this morning was a little bit different from the rest. She stretched her arms out into the air, her back creaking in response after her deep sleep. She felt a shift in movement on the mattress behind her and suddenly she was encircled with warm arms and a broad chest.

"Where do you think you're going?" Shaxx asked, making her skin prickle with goosebumps as he pressed long kisses to the curve of her shoulder.

"To work. We can't stay in bed forever."

The Titan made a huffing sound and pulled her tighter against him, inciting a giggle from the tiny huntress. "I believe your boss orders that you can," he chuckled and nibbled at her earlobe.

She turned toward him with a smile and leaned in, her nose just a mere inch from his. "Well, I suppose another hour wouldn't hurt," she whispered. His eyes softened, unable resist the grin that etched across his features as he met her lips with a gentle kiss. It didn't stay like that for long. He pushed her back against the sheets and ran his hand down the soft skin of her belly, entrapping her mouth with his own. His fingers crept lower and lower, until a loud coughing sound from outside made them both freeze still.

"Uh, Lord Shaxx?" Faelan's voice called out a bit awkwardly. He knocked on one of the wooden support poles at the entrance of the tent. "Lord Saladin is on his way to see you. Thought I'd give you a heads up so you could get uh...dressed."

"I'll be right there," Shaxx answered back after a moment of hesitation. There was no point in trying to hide now. He met Frea's gaze in silence, both unwilling to move as they listened to the Hunter's fading footsteps. "I suppose that extra hour will have to wait."

She suppressed a sigh, feeling a small ball of frustration form in her chest. "Duty calls."

They were dressed in their gear in minutes. Thankfully, it was dry despite being tossed on the floor recklessly the night before. Shaxx gave her one last apologetic look before sliding his horned helmet over his head and leaving. She waited a few extra seconds before brushing aside the flap to follow. The sun was already bright in the sky when she stepped out, and she blinked for her eyes to adjust.

"Psst!"

A noise to her left caught her ear and she turned to see Faelan hunched behind a storage chest, his hood pulled closer to his face than usual. Apparently he hadn't left like they thought.

"What are you doing?" Frea asked.

He stood and beckoned her closer with a wave of his hand. "You curious to see why Lord Saladin is here?"

She raised a brow. "Should I be?"

He shrugged. "The Iron Lords, besides Shaxx, rarely come down from Felwinter's Peak these days. It's gotta be something important."

"So you want to eavesdrop?"

"Eavesdrop is such a strong word," Faelan said. "I prefer keeping informed."

Frea tried her best to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She had to admit, however...she was curious. Glancing back in the direction Shaxx had left, she racked her brain for what she knew of Twilight Gap. It wasn't much aside from the battle itself, but she did remember reading that tensions with the Iron Lords were elevated then, just before they started to disappear from history. Her gaze returned to the Hunter. "Fine, but I'm throwing you to the wolves if we get caught."

They crept along the shadow of the command tent, staying low to avoid rattling any of the weapon racks set up along the thick fabric walls. Once they reached a spot where hushed voices could be heard inside, Faelan pulled out a slender knife from his belt. He delicately slashed a small hole into the grey material and opened it just enough so they could hear more clearly.

"I'm too busy to do errands for you, old man. If you haven't noticed, the House of Devils is sending Captains now. I can't leave the fort undefended." Shaxx's harsh tone blared out from inside, he was obviously straining to keep his anger under control.

"You have more than enough capable Guardians under your command. They can hold Twilight Gap for a day while you're gone. Don't give me excuses." Saladin, as calm and stern as ever, retorted. Clearly, he hadn't changed much in a few hundred years. "We need this Archon Priest eliminated as soon as possible."

A deep grunt emanated next along with a rustle of papers. "These reports are a mess, your scout barely got a glimpse of the hideout. I won't leave my post on just maybes. You should have sent Gheleon."

"You know we cannot spare any Lords right now. Everyone at Felwinter is prepping for our assault on the Cosmodrome-"

A slam interrupted the Titan, it sounded like an armored fist hitting the table. "Can't? Or won't?"

"We're not arguing this again, Shaxx." The old Iron Lord sighed.

"No. You're all so obsessed with this SIVA that you're neglecting your duty to the Last City. There's another war on the horizon and instead you choose to chase fantasies instead. The Guardians at Six Fronts didn't die for you to play pretend."

"Do not," Saladin growled, his voice growing louder as all patience for his apprentice came to an end. "Assume what I do isn't for the City, boy. An Iron Lord does not question his superiors' orders. Do I make myself clear?" Silence. "Well?"

Quiet and submissive, Shaxx finally answered. "Yes...Sir."

"Good. Burn the hideout and remove the Priest. I expect your report by tomorrow morning."

Thundering footsteps too close for comfort made Frea jump backward in panic, she whirled around to tell Faelan to run, but found him already long gone. Sneaky bastard.

She straightened and attempted to look casual when a cloak-wearing Titan burst out from the tent. His gaze landed on her immediately, his face unreadable as his dark eyes swept over her.

"G-good morning," she quickly stammered, bowing her head slightly and clasping her anxious hands behind her back. Her fingernails dug into her palms, attempting to calm herself down to no avail. It wasn't Saladin's looming presence that was making her so nervous. No, the mere mention of SIVA always put her on the verge of hyperventilating. The nightmare she lived not so long ago. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to not think about the Splicers or corrupted Iron Lords trapped behind a sealed vault door for centuries. This was the point in time before that, before Saladin's greatest mistake. Her head snapped back up, her gaze meeting the Titan's directly with a determined gleam. "I agree with Lord Shaxx, Sir. SIVA is unpredictable and more importantly...uncontrollable. Trying to find it will not end well."

Saladin's frown deepened, his pupils narrowing in warning. "And who are you?"

The huntress opened her mouth to speak and then slowly shut it, she had no answer for him.

"She's one of mine." Shaxx vouched for her instead, stepping out of the dimness of the tent. The remains of the report was tightly gripped in his fist, the sole victim of the Titans' argument.

The Iron Lord shot him a glance before returning his attention back to the huntress. "I suggest you improve your subordinate's manners next time, Shaxx. Your bad attitude is rubbing off on them." Clicking his golden helmet back on, he brushed past Frea without another look, the cape hanging from his shoulders billowing wildly behind him.

Once he was out of sight, Shaxx breathed a heavy groan. "Ass."

"I'm sorry. That probably didn't help much."

"He'll regret it later." The Titan gave her a sidelong look then, as if truly noticing she was there for the first time. "Care to tell me why or how you've come to know about SIVA?"

Frea's eyes widened in realization of what she had nearly done, tried to change the past, and berated herself for it. She had forgotten where she was for just a moment too long. It was getting harder to keep herself focused. "I...can't."

A sound like the click of the tongue emitted from his helmet and he turned his head away. "Of course you can't," he said with a raspy, disappointed voice that had already known what she was going to say. His stance changed, his hands moving to rest on his hip armor. "I need you to pull double duty and help Faelan until I return tonight. I expect this place to be still standing when I do," he commanded, speaking so agonizingly formal that it made the hair on the back of Frea's neck stand straight up.

She swallowed down on the hard lump in her throat. His guard was back up, the wall between them rebuilt thanks to her secrets. It was probably for the best, she had to distance herself, but that thought didn't make her feel any better. "Are you not taking anyone with you?" She hesitantly asked, already guessing the reply.

"Just follow your orders."

Frea sat at the campfire with a long sigh, rubbing the headache forming at her temple. They were becoming more common now, this one being the second she's now had today and it wasn't even noon yet. She rested her chin against her palm and prodded at the dying flames with a discarded stick. Four hours have passed since Shaxx left for the Fallen hideout and they hadn't heard a word. Worry ate at her like a parasite. He could take care of himself, she didn't doubt his skill, but her heart ached to be by his side anyway. They always worked best together. She tried to shake the uncertainties away and shielded her eyes from the sun, wishing it didn't feel so blinding. No...they weren't a team, not yet, not here.

Reaching for her calf, she pulled out a serrated knife, this one worn down with use. And from her arm, she grabbed another, one she never used in battle. Fine seams decorated the metallic surface, the repairs she had done after it was shattered on Io, and along with those were etch marks for every sunrise she was stranded here. She scratched a tiny diagonal line across four others to mark the new day. One side of the knife was almost entirely covered by her makeshift calendar, thirty in total. A month had flown by without her finding anything in the library about the Infinite Forest, and Saint's sporadic messages about Osiris's possible locations yielded nothing useful. She thought back to a meeting at the beginning of the week.

"This isn't working, Saint." Frea charged into the Vanguard office, finding the Titan in the middle of meeting with Guardians she didn't recognize. Not that she cared that much anyway right now. It was midday at the Tower and she remembered to throw her helmet on for once so her face was hidden.

Saint-14 slowly turned his head to acknowledge the huntress and then waved off the others. "Come back later. This it important," he commanded. With a nod of their heads and questioning glances, the Guardians left the room. As the Exo shut the door behind them, he swiveled back to her. "I take it that the hunt in the library isn't going well?"

Frea shook her head as she ripped off her helmet. "I'm getting antsy and Shaxx is asking a lot of questions."

The Titan's head tilted curiously. "Shaxx," he repeated, noting the way she said the name. Whatever he thought about the slight flush spreading into her cheeks, he didn't say. "There's more, isn't there?" He continued, matter-of-factly."

She met his eyes for a second and then looked away, her fingers knotted together. There was more. She was experiencing odd pains, headaches, and even blackouts. Her memories were starting to jumble together, like she couldn't keep the ones made here and the real ones from her timeline separated anymore. "I-" she hesitated. "Think I'm getting side effects from the time gate, and they're getting worse."

His glowing eyes widened and he stepped forward, suddenly grabbing her by the chin so he could study her face. She tried not the flinch from his cold, metal hands or hard fingertips. He wasn't trying to be rough, Titans often forgot the extent of their strength. He let her go quickly and moved away to tap something into his console. "I will redouble my efforts on finding Osiris but..." he trailed off.

"What?"

A worried look crossed his face. "Nothing. I'll update you as soon as I find anything. Try to stay patient."

"Hey, stranger."

A familiar voice from above snapped her back to reality and she looked up, slipping the lucky knife back into its holster. "Faelan," she returned the greeting flatly. "I see you crawled out from your hiding place." She really wasn't in the mood to chat.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry about that." When she said nothing in reply, the Hunter plopped down on the log next to her and stretched out his legs, the joints at his knees cracking. "I'm surprised you're still here."

She finally sighed, letting herself take the bait. "Why do you say that?"

"Oh, come on." Faelan playfully bopped her on the shoulder with his knuckle. "You and Shaxx are not nearly as discreet as you think. The last thing you should be doing right now is moping at this fire."

"I'm not moping." The edges of Frea's mouth tilted downward.

"Righttttt. And I'm actually a Warlock by the way," he replied sarcastically, wiggling his fingers in mock gesture of the 'space magic' Warlock's were famous for.

"We have orders, Faelan..."

He grinned and stood back up, dusting bark off his green cloak. He then turned toward her and reached out a gloved hand. "Has that ever stopped you before?"

The huntress's gaze slowly moved from his palm to his face. "What about the fort?"

"Oh please," he chuckled. "The others and I can take care of this place for a day." He lifted her back to her feet as she took his hand, his smile widening. "Besides, with you there to help, Shaxx will be back sooner rather than later. I doubt he'll complain about that."

"Yeah," she halfheartedly agreed and looked up at the wall. The breach made at the Battle of Six Fronts was significantly smaller than when she first arrived, the construction rapidly nearing completion. Returning her attention back to the Hunter, she put on a smile and clasped him tightly on the arm. There was some truth to his words. Shaxx may be upset that she ignored his orders, but they'd be more efficient if they worked together. Her worries would be sated, and he would be back here to guard the wall sooner. Everyone's happy...at the cost of her getting an earful from the Titan, unfortunately. "Thanks, Faelan."

He nodded. "Be careful out there."

Frea took off running, reaching the edge of the camp in no time and summoned her Ghost into her hand. It blinked once and in the next moment, her Sparrow materialized like a brilliant bronze rocket next to her. She swung her leg over the side of the hovering vehicle without breaking stride and sank into the seat. Her hands found the familiar controls and with a flick of her fingers, the engine roared to life, shooting blazing fire out the back and propelling her over the wet grass.

"Pinpoint Shaxx's location, Ghost. We've got a party to crash."