Throughout our history, there have been rumors of an individual or group of individuals who have had a hand in influencing the fabric of our civilization. None know of who they are, or even if they exist- though there do exist a number of theories as to what their nature might entail;

- The Nine are survivors of the cis-Jovian colonies who made a compact with an alien force to ensure their own survival.

- The Nine are deep-orbit warminds who weathered the Collapse in hardened stealth platforms.

- The Nine are ancient leviathan intelligences from the seas of Europa or the hydrocarbon pits of Titan.

- The Nine arrived in a mysterious transmission from the direction of the Corona-Borealis supercluster.

- The Nine are the firstborn Awoken and their minds now race down the field lines of the Jupiter-Io flux tube.

- The Nine are Ghosts who pierced the Deep Black without a ship and meditated on the hissing silence of the heliopause.

- The Nine are the aspects of the Darkness, broken by the Traveler's rebuke, working to destroy us from within.

- The Nine is a viral language of pure meaning.

- The Nine are the shadows left by the annihilation of a transcendent shape, burned into the weft of what is.

Some of these seem to be easily discounted, many doubting the validity of claims such as 'a viral language' and 'shadows left by the annihilation of a transcendent shape'. But one must remember that these are forces beyond any of our understanding, and we may not even be capable of comprehending what they truly are, if they were to exist.

The Nine could be one, several, none, or all of the listed ideas put forth. The fact is that we do not know, and we will never know … unless they want us to.

- A recovered data fragment from the memories of a dead Ghost

White, blinding, searing pain. It was the only sensation he knew- every inch of his body's nerves were engulfed in the paralyzing sensation of burning alive.

The seconds ticked on, and ever so slowly, the torment began to subside. His body quaked from the torture he'd just endured, his limbs shaking ever so unsteadily as he struggled simply to push himself off the ground, and even that was a herculean effort.

"… Mathias …"

He looked to his right and saw Dawn in a similar position as him. Her eyes met his, wide and frightened- they begged him for reassurance.

He wished he could provide it.

A meter or two to his left, Eager groaned as he rose to his feet. His armor was singed and broken in various places, wisps of smoke rising from its surface. Matt imagined that he and Dawn looked rather similar as they still reeled from the effects of whatever that energy orb had been. Raising his head weakly, he watched as the three who called themselves 'the Nine' approached them, each step methodical and quiet- though they might as well have been thunderclaps amidst the ringing in his head.

None of them appeared to be affected by what they'd just unleashed on the three Guardians, they didn't even look fazed. He realized that their words had been true- they were something else entirely, something far beyond anything he or any of the Legends had faced before.

The Warlock and Titan glanced to him for guidance, advice on how to proceed. He was supposed to be their leader, their protector … their guardian. His vow wasn't just to protect the city, but to protect his team, his family.

Now …he didn't know how.

Dawn saw the empty look on his face, and realized what Matt already had- they'd already lost. All of the other Guardians were dead- both here and in the city, or they would be soon. The Trinary Star would take over, and humanity would serve whatever purpose the Nine intended for them now …

No.

A small voice within her rejected that future. Something stirred inside her, something so small- yet, so bright it could create entirely new worlds if kept alive.

Hope.

For so many years, the Legends and other Guardians had stood as an icon for the remnants of humanity, a living beacon of hope for others to hold onto in the darkest nights- and she was sure that there would be others in the coming days.

This was why the Traveler had chosen them- not because they were imbued with light, but because they sought it out. They never stopped fighting to escape the blackness the universe threw them into- all because they had hope.

She switched her gaze from Matt to Eager, and saw the same look of determination upon the other Exo's face mirroring her own. They had no misconceptions of what was about to take place … they knew that death was quickly approaching.

But if they held onto their faith, if they gave humanity something to hope for … then maybe those deaths would mean something.

Lifting a knee up, she planted her foot firmly and grunted as she used it to leverage herself into a standing position. The Nine seemed to prepare themselves for another attack, one which they'd easily repel as they had the first time.

None came.

Instead, Eager and Dawn looked back at Matt for a moment as he stared at them confusedly- he reached out to them, wanting to stand with them for whatever they were about to do.

She gave him a soft smile, the most she could manage given the context of the situation.

I'm sorry, old friend … but you won't stand with us today. You're the only one who can stop them. You must live on … the fight is now yours alone, and I know you won't lose.

Turning back to the Nine, she and Eager stood firmly in defiance of the Nine.

"The Guardians without a Ghost … we know of you," the one in front intoned, tilting their hooded head slightly. "You are among the Legends who have risen against the Darkness in years past. Your reputation precedes you, but you will not turn us away so easily."

"Maybe you're r-right," Eager coughed, a wad of blue blood making its way past his mouth and spattering on the ground. "Maybe we c-can't beat you. But just like she said- so long as one of us is still b-breathing … we're sure as hell gonna give it our all."

The two on the left and right of the white-clad killers raised their hands and curled their fingers, levitating Eager and Dawn into the air and pulling them closer. The Warlock and Titan hung in the air at the mercy of their captors.

"You already have," they continued, staring up at the two Guardians. "And it wasn't enough."

They let the two of them fall to the ground, both of them collapsing on their hands and knees. The left individual stepped forward and wrapped their hand around Eager's neck, lifting him up until his feet were no longer touching the ground.

Even now, the Warlock remained determined and steadfast- an expression of contentment overtaking all others. "… But it will be."

They gave no response as they slowly tightened their grip, much like they'd done with Shiro's Ghost. Matt reached out weakly, unable to do anything but watch in horror as he was forced to witness his friend's execution.

As he died, Eager's face never once gave way to fear or anger- instead, he maintained a dignified acceptance of what was happening, at peace with his fate.

The noise of crushing metal grew ever prevalent; and with a sickening metallic screech, Eager's neck gave in to the pressure. His head and body separated, the latter of which falling in a heap to the floor as his killer held onto the head and analyzed it like one would an amusing toy. Turning their gaze towards Matt, they tossed it in front of him.

It clattered loudly as it rolled towards him, coming to a stop against his right arm. Eager's green eyes still shone momentarily with the glow of life behind them- then they dimmed, fading out to a dull grey.

Dawn had made her way to her feet once more, her back to the Nine as she looked on aghast at what had just transpired. Matt tore his gaze away from Eager's head to meet Dawn's similarly vacant expression, not noticing the white-robe stepping closer to her from behind, lighting their hand with void energy, and swiping it across her waistline in a clean arc.

She gasped in surprise at the sensation, not quite in pain- but still feeling as though something wasn't right. She glanced down to see nothing immediately wrong with her- but as she looked on, she watched as blue blood began to seep from a thin line that cut across the entirety of her abdomen from one side to the other.

Slowly, Dawn raised her head to look back at her friend who seemed to be mouthing wordlessly to her, saying her name over and over. She realized that a ringing noise was beginning to overtake her hearing, and her sight began to fade as the corners of her vision closed in.

"… I … h-hope …"

It was all she managed to mutter before she toppled over, the two halves of her body splitting apart and falling to the ground. Her upper half landed just a few feet from him, her eyes darting around unknowingly as her systems began to shut down.

With nothing left to do, Matt reached out and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly within his own. His friend sensed the action, and ceased her struggling. He watched as her countenance became gentle, softly smiling in his comfort as her blue eyes similarly followed suit to Eager's … fading … fading …

In a moment, she was gone.

He continued to hold her hand after the fact, unable to function correctly for the time being. His mind had nearly shut itself down in an effort to process what was happening. Death surrounded him, it was inside him-

Ash.

He had to find them. Her, Aria, Talia … he had to save them-

"The Stag warned us of you," the center of the Nine spoke again. "These lives were ours to take, but you … you are his alone."

Without warning, they drew their hand backwards and swung it forward. A blast of the same white-hot energy from before blew him into the air and sent him careening off the tower's edge.

The silhouette of his falling body remained visible until it fell beneath the cloud of smoke and ash rising from the ground. The emissaries of the Nine watched as it disappeared into the void below, becoming one with the burning city.

This night, both the city and Hunter would break.

—X—

He wasn't sure when he woke up, or even if he woke up- for all he knew, he'd been crawling on this broken road for his entire life.

Have to find them.

Dragging himself forward, his hands had become mere claws with which to perform the task. Everything else had been forgotten in the wake of his new singular goal that overshadowed every other in his mind.

Save them.

This was all he was. This was all he would ever be.

Somehow, a mote of recognition made its way into his mind as a patch of smoke cleared and he saw the corner of his and Ash's flat. With renewed energy, he clutched his chest as he made the effort to stand. He stumbled forward, hurriedly trying to make it there and praying that Ash and Talia were inside-

He froze as the dust continued to clear, revealing the scene laid out for him in the middle of the street. Lying haplessly on the ground were Ash and Aria, their bodies battered and broken. Behind them stood two of the Nine, bearing the same white robes that the ones in the tower had- and in between them stood a figure heavily clad in black and sporting a mask carved from a stag skull.

"Ah, the Hunter arrives!" they called out, opening their arms wide in a gesture of mock welcoming.

Matt paid them no mind, his focus entirely on his two best friends who laid unmoving at his enemy's feet. Pushing himself forward, he tripped and fell next to them, his hand scrabbling over them as he checked them over.

Ash's face plates had been marked and broken from being beaten within an inch of her life. Blue ichor was spilling onto the ground from several injuries she'd sustained, none so obvious as the gaping hole in her stomach. Every so feebly, her eyes winked on and stared at him. Her mouth twisted itself into the ghost of a smile.

"… M-Matt?"

"I'm here," he whispered, stroking his thumb along the dented ridge of her cheek. She reached a weak hand up, brushing away the grime and dirt from his sweat-slicked face so that she could reciprocate.

Setting her hand down for the moment, he checked Aria next; all the while, the emissaries of the Nine and the Stag watched him without care.

The Awoken woman's face was lined with cuts and bruises, her indigo blood smeared across her forehead and drops of it staining her robes. She heard his movement, and looked at him from the corner of her eyes.

"H-Hey … you've s-seen better d-days …"

He clasped her hand tightly, sensing the fading strength in her fingertips. The two of them had barely spoken for ten years, a rift growing between them after the incident … after the choice he'd been forced to make.

And only now were they talking again- when both were nearly on their deathbed.

"How touching," the Stag sneered, stepping forward and kicking Matt backwards without warning. He reeled from the blow, falling onto his back and hurriedly rolling over in an attempt to right himself. "It's refreshing to see you care for someone other than yourself."

That voice … it sounded eerily familiar. "Who … are you? Why are you doing this?"

"I told you I'd return," they said, lifting their hands up to the sides of their mask. "If only you had heeded my warnings …"

They undid the clasps and pulled it away from their face. Matt balked at the reveal- deep down, he was fairly sure he'd known who it was from the beginning … but only now as he stared into the face of someone he hadn't seen for ten years did he accept it.

"Cerin."

He'd grown over the years, his jaw becoming more pronounced and several light scars having been gained in his decade of exile- but Matt knew that mop of brown hair and those bright hazel eyes anywhere.

"Once, I may have been," he replied, fixing his father-figure with a look of hatred at the mention of his name. "But that name died a long time ago, along with the man who carried it."

Mathias swallowed hard, the painful memories of ten years ago surfacing in his mind. "Cerin, please-"

In an instant, he was thrown backwards once more. A burst of solar energy slammed into the center of his chest and sent him skidding across the cobblestone.

"I am the Stag," he spat, placing the mask back on his head. "Leader of the Trinary Star, slayer of Guardians … and harbinger of peace."

"Look around you!" Matt moaned, feeling more lost than he ever had before. "You think this is peace? This genocide you've brought on us-?"

"You're a fool!" the Stag roared at the Hunter. "The scales of Light and Dark have tipped precariously for far too long- the Nine helped me see that! My deeds tonight have restored balance!"

Reaching down, he grabbed Aria by the neck and dragged her forward before throwing her down to the ground once more. "The only way to secure our future … is to kill our past."

He unholstered a familiar gold-and-silver hand cannon, its metal still shining as brightly as it did when his mother had wielded it. Beckoning to the emissaries with a nod of his head, they walked over to him and presented the prizes clutched tightly in their hands.

Whip. Echo.

Leveling the Last Word at them, the Ghosts tried vainly to escape their imprisonment for the few seconds it took for the Stag to pull the trigger. Instantly, the two were blown apart, shards flying every which way as the light within them was expelled violently before dissipating in the air.

Switching his sights back to Aria, the Stag seemed amused as the Warlock frailly rose to her feet and stood facing her son without fear, her forehead placed squarely over the barrel.

"Just … as I am, and will always be … your mother," she rasped, her speech taking whatever strength she had left away from her, "I have loved you as my son … and I will always love you."

She did not beg for mercy, nor did she make any attempt to escape what she knew was coming. Her words seemed to give the Stag pause, forcing him to hesitate for a second. His hand tightened around the handle, the gun shaking ever so slightly.

"… You're no blood of mine."

Matt didn't hear the shot that killed her, the rage and loss that had ravaged him today were too powerful to be contained any longer. His roar of anguish drowned it out as he charged forward unthinkingly.

One of the Nine, swung their arm emotionlessly, releasing a wave of arc energy which slammed into him and knocked him back down. He tried to rise again only to receive an excruciating pain in his gut. Instinctively reaching to it, he looked at his hand which came away bloody.

The Stag holstered the Last Word, its barrel still smoking. "No resurrections this time."

Turning around, he started to move before something caught his eye. He stood there thoughtfully, turning his gaze towards Ash's broken body. "I'll grant you a peaceful death alongside each other … I owe you two that much."

With that, he and the Nine walked away and disappeared into the fog.

Collapsing to the ground, he began to desperately crawl on hands and knees towards the two people closest in the world to him, barely noticing the pain of the bullet in his stomach as he did so. He couldn't bear to look at Aria, her body lying still upon the ground where the Stag had let her fall.

Ash was barely holding onto life, the bright electric-blue of her eyes beginning to flicker in and out of illumination. Reaching under her, he lifted her head and shoulders up onto his knee and simply held her there.

"I'm so s-sorry," he choked out. "I … I-"

"N-Not … your … f-fault … my love," she breathed, struggling to get all of her words out. He couldn't respond, sobs beginning to wrack his body and keep him from speaking.

Her hand found his, and took hold of it tightly. He reciprocated, trying to give her every last comfort he could before … before …

"Y-You … have t-to … run …" she gasped in pain, her grip around his hand tightening momentarily.

"I'm n-not going anywhere," he replied, rejecting the notion shaking his head vigorously. "I'm n-not abandoning you!"

"You're .. t-the last … Hunter," she continued, her strength fading. "Only … y-you can … can s-still … save …"

"Ash, stay w-with me! Stay with me!" he urged, refusing to let her slip away. He'd lost so much already, he wasn't about to lose her too-

"It's okay," she whispered. "It's okay … it's okay …"

Lifting her other hand up, she held Matt's face and brought her own closer to his. She placed her lips over his, the two of them sharing one last kiss as the end drew nearer.

"I ... I love …"

"I love you too."

Her eyes shone brightly at him, her cheeks stained with his tears as they ran down and off his chin. Despite everything that had happened, she still wore a smile on her face as she gazed into his, his face the last thing that she … she would … see …

With one final flicker, the bright blue light disappeared from her eyes.