This chapter takes place after Chapter 49 in SFTD.

Loyalty was a powerful force. Cocytus just hated that it left them so conflicted.

It did not take a Specter as observant as they were to see the logs and orders being sent regarding Zuriel. In their eyes, Zuriel had been performing their job as well as one could hope, faced with the enemy that was XCOM. They had weapons to pierce his armor and a rifle that preyed upon his massive psionic power. All they had for Cocytus themself seemed to be an anti-robotics grenade—and honestly, Cocytus supposed they could've avoided that one with some thinking.

The Elders, however, seemed to think differently. Elder Helena was determined to have Zuriel "decommissioned." Cocytus considered themself a loyal agent of the Elders, and was content to not question Their decisions otherwise. But, for Zuriel...? The line blurred. They were built with loyalty towards him. It should come second to their loyalty to the Elders. It should've.

Yet here Cocytus was, moving through the Void towards the Meeting Hall. They couldn't imagine anyone seeking out the Elders directly for an audience, so they figured they would be the first. They had to at least try. All else failed, they supposed Zuriel would have to deal with their fate, but... they didn't want to think on it.

Cocytus materialized in the Meeting Hall. The pit in front of them was yawning and empty, and the braziers unlit. How would they go about summoning the Elders for an audience? Perhaps the first method could be the simplest. Steeling themself, Cocytus raised their voice. "Elders. I come before you today humbly to seek an audience."

The initial quiet made Cocytus wonder if they should be doing this at all. To approach the Gods and ask for Them so crudely seemed like an action worthy of justifiable reprimand. Soon, however, the braziers roared to life, and the pit in front of them filled with the energy of the voice. A quiet, but strong violin raised to a crescendo, then settled into a volume outside of hearing as an image of one of the Elders formed in front of them. The Elders regarded them for a moment before speaking. "Specter Cocytus. Why have you need of my attention today?"

Singular pronouns? A non-unified voice? One Cocytus didn't recognize, at that. Regardless, Cocytus kneeled respectfully. "Please forgive my intrusion, Elder...?"

"Argus. You are not forgiven, for you haven't committed a transgression in the first place. In my eyes, at least."

That was good to know. Speaking of knowing, the only Elders Cocytus had been immediately familiar with were Helena, Cronus, and Odin. Argus was perhaps another Elder overseeing Earth that They hadn't mentioned. "Nevertheless. I come today protesting what I have heard of Zuriel's eventual fate. There truly still is no need—"

"My own apologies, Cocytus," Argus interrupted, "but... there is nothing I can do to overturn the Trio's decision regarding Zuriel. It is out of your hands."

That should've been it. That should've been enough for Cocytus to give up. One of the Elders Themselves said that Zuriel was destined for oblivion. Yet? "... now you must forgive me for my insubordination, Elder Argus, but I must protest!" Cocytus looked up to Argus—to find that Argus had shrunk to roughly their height. "I-I..." Did Argus just place Themselves on the same footing as them? "—I have seen Zuriel's merit firsthand! He does not need elimination, he requires further assistance that I would be happy to direct and provide. Please—"

Argus held up a hand, and Cocytus petered out. After a second of silence, They spoke up. "Cocytus. I wish to make this very clear. There is nothing either of us can do to sway the Trio's decision. You already performed a great miracle in changing Their minds once. But I fear such an action cannot be repeated." They paused for a moment, seeming to regard Their surroundings. The scan complete, They continued. "... Zuriel has been sentenced to death regardless. The only way he could escape his fate now would be to defect." They cleared their throat. "And I highly suspect They see that as a possibility, which is why They are trying to carry out their sentence as quickly as possible. As they should." That last statement didn't sound quite genuine. "Rightfully, without help, Zuriel will be decommissioned like the failed experiment he is."

Were They...? No. Cocytus didn't dare think it. They couldn't possibly be implying what they thought They were implying. That would be a traitorous notion of the highest order. Elder Argus was simply stating the truth of the matter. Accepting such, Cocytus bowed their head once more. "... I apologize for my continued petulance, and thank you for your understanding."

"It's nothing. I understand not wishing to have your partner terminated, but... some things happen for a reason. I do hope you understand."

"I do, Elder Argus. That is all I wished to discuss. May you excuse me?"

Elder Argus nodded. "Be on your way, Cocytus."

Thus excused, Cocytus stood and melted back into the Void, away from the Meeting Hall. That meeting was... enlightening, even if Cocytus barely knew what to think of it. Cocytus desperately didn't want to assume it... but Argus seemed to be very heavily implying that they should help Zuriel escape. But an Elder, suggesting that they defect? The notion was absurd. Void knows Cocytus was taking it the wrong way.

Yet... Cocytus knew the facility Zuriel was currently being impounded in as he awaited his fate. The thought of their partner, scared, alone, and knowing their own mortality so blatantly? A shudder ran through Cocytus. What were they to do? They couldn't possibly go against the Elders. They had nothing but praise for them. Their embrace was what kept them alive. But, for Zuriel...

They couldn't be about to do this. They were just... going to exchange some last words with Zuriel. Then they would continue to be the hunter of traitors. The icy retribution. Not a turncoat themself. That was it, and nothing more.

The inside of the facility was quiet, even with the patrols. Cocytus materialized outside of the cell they knew Zuriel was being kept in. Silence became them, with the guards posted near the doors not registering their presence yet. Surely they could just let themselves in. They tapped the pad for the door, overriding the security to open it just a crack, quietly. They then disassembled and streamed in through the opening, reforming on the other side.

Zuriel was resting on a circular bed, perhaps made for him as some final courtesy before execution. The rest of the cell was rather barren, with only a tiny window to the outside. Zuriel's eye was dimmed but his psionic energy was erratic. It didn't take a genius to say that he was scared. That further wounded Cocytus. Your loyalty to Zuriel is secondary to your loyalty to the Elders. They knew that. But as they thought more and more on Zuriel's situation, their programming seemed liable to crack.

Cocytus took a few steps forward, the hard material of their feet sounding against the floor. That was enough to make Zuriel pay attention, his eye lighting up once more as his plates jumped. It broke Cocytus's heart to watch him look to them and relax. "Cocytus. Have you come to visit?"

"Of course I have," they softly responded, continuing to approach Zuriel. They placed a hand on his plates and he was quick to open them, wrapping a few tentacles around Cocytus somewhat desperately. It was getting harder to remain impartial... "How are you faring?"

Zuriel was quiet, looking away. The fear he felt was clear. "... I'm scared, Cocytus. I'm scared to die. But... I did my best, right?"

No. Please, no, don't say that... Cocytus looked away, their other hand balling into a fist. "... yes. Yes, you did your best."

"Are you happy that I did?"

Every portion of their being was screaming to cut things off here, to leave and continue to serve the Elders. Staying here was fostering ill-notioned thoughts. It could only end badly to continue to talk to him. But Cocytus wouldn't abandon their partner. Not after having that loyalty instilled into their very code. "I am happy to have you, Zuriel."

"... I'm glad. You were good to me, Cocytus. I hope your potential shines through where mine did not."

Cocytus and Zuriel were meant to assist each other. Meant to protect each other. Ward threats away from their partner. Zuriel was in danger, wasn't he...? The Elders were putting him in danger. They were meant to protect Zuriel.

The words were out of their "mouth" before they'd even finished processing what they were thinking of. "Zuriel. We're getting you out of here."

Zuriel's eye shifted to them. "Cocytus? What do you mean?"

"I mean what I mean." Cocytus slipped out of Zuriel's tentacles and moved to his back. "Open your plates a bit more." Zuriel's signature rolled in confusion, but he complied, shifting his armor where Cocytus was. The scar was right at the back. Extracting the chip would take some trust. "... Zuriel. You were afraid to die?"

"Y-yes. What are you going to do?"

Cocytus kept their gaze fixed on the scar. "Do you trust me to keep you from danger?"

"Yes, but please answer my question!"

"I'm removing your chip."

"What?!"

"Zuriel." They turned to face his front. "The Elders are going to kill you for circumstances you could not help. It is my duty to protect you as it is yours to protect me. If the Elders are going to eradicate you like this, then something must be done. But..." They turned their head away. They shouldn't have been taking away Zuriel's choice in the matter. What he thought was important, and Cocytus couldn't bear to imagine "liberating" him against his own will. "It's your choice. I shouldn't take that from you. If you truly believe you must die..."

"Cocytus, if you remove my chip and take me away, you'll be a traitor to the Elders. Do you want that?"

"I want it only if you will go with me." They settled a hand on him. "I want you to be safe. To be happy. And if the Elders are going to kill you, well, neither of those things can be possible. I am at your beck and call, Zuriel. Tell me what you want to do."

"... will you be happy if I am happy?"

"I always am."

Zuriel was quiet. His signature stilled, and his tentacles curled in on themselves. The quiet was interrupted by muffled talking outside, near the door. Perhaps Cocytus could explain themself as just wanting to speak with Zuriel one more time, but they were running out of that very thing. A crossroads stretched out in front of the two of them—an assured future of loneliness, and one shrouded by mystery, but with companionship.

Zuriel made his choice. His voice was quiet and channeled to Cocytus to avoid being heard in the guards' heads. "Remove it."

"Your wish is my command," Cocytus whispered. They formed their finger into a long, thin needle. "Still your voice. This will sting." They then inserted the needle into the scar. Zuriel shifted and his tentacles grabbed the bed, but he remained quiet as Cocytus sunk it further in. Soon they hit an obstruction—the chip. Their nanomachines crept over it and severed it from the rest of his body with surgical precision, coating it. Once it was fully coated, Cocytus steeled themself. "Be quiet."

They then yanked. The chip came out as well as a fair amount of blood, and Zuriel's signature spiked in pain. His armor plates shuddered, haltingly moving towards his wound as if to cover it. Still, he kept his silence, and Cocytus commended him for it. They sent some of their nanos to suture the wound and hold it shut, crushing the chip in their grip. "Just a moment. Need to sever myself from the Network. Watch my back."

Zuriel raised from his bed, eye on the door. Meanwhile, Cocytus steadied themself against the wall. They didn't really know how they were going to pull this off, but they at least had to make the attempt. Forcefully closing their remote connections to everything but their own nanomachines should do the trick, even if it would probably cause them to shut down for a moment. "Zuriel, if I fall down, I've succeeded. Teleport us out in that event."

"Right."

With that, Cocytus sought out their Network connections, and with a great mental strain, pulled themselves out. What happened then? They didn't know. One moment they were watching Zuriel in his cell, the guards outside undoubtedly getting notifications that their Gatekeeper Prime had been severed from the Network.

The next, they were clutched in his tentacles, the night sky above them.

Cocytus was in a state similar to sluggishness as all of their processes came back online, diagnostics running automatically. To their relief, they were thrown warnings about "Network connections absent." Good. It had worked. They forcefully closed and blocked those ports, just in case their automated systems got any funny ideas about reconnecting them. Without the Network, their headspace was rather... quiet. The processes they dedicated to monitoring a few channels of interest were quiet, left without work. Figuring they would find something else for them to do, they concerned themself with looking at Zuriel.

The star-filled sky reflected in Zuriel's dark plates, creating a warped starscape across his body. The glow from his eye caught on Cocytus's own body, causing a warm reflection against the dark of the night. They were moving forwards, and Zuriel seemed to have caught sight of a bit of Cocytus's activity. "Cocytus? Are you awake?"

"I am now," they muttered. They were still kind of sleepy, which was interesting for a being that didn't need it. "Are you alright?"

"Of course. I made it out and teleported us as far as I could manage without too much strain." One of his tentacles gently reached over, halting, until it touched their face. "Are you alright...?"

The gesture was so kind and soft that Cocytus was robbed of words for a moment. Something beyond an instilled feeling of loyalty thrummed within them, and they gently settled a hand over his tentacle. "I am now."

Zuriel's signature tittered, half with amusement, half with bashfulness. "Please, Cocytus, be honest."

Cocytus gently chuckled. "I'm still checking myself over, but I'm fine." Something occurred to them, and they looked ahead. It was dusty, rocky landscapes as far as their "eyes" could see. "Do you know where we are?"

"Honestly... no." He slowed to a stop. "... what do we do now, Cocytus?"

Cocytus relaxed back into Zuriel's tentacles. "We forge our own path. I believe the Elders are correct to be afraid of the oblivion They mentioned awaiting us all... but XCOM seems to have competent direction."

"Do you suggest we join them?"

Cocytus laughed that thought off. "They have no reason to take me in." But as for Zuriel? They quieted slightly, considering the thought. Maybe... as a last resort... "No. We will do what we can to observe and speed along the efforts of them, but we can operate on our own. Does that sound reasonable?"

Zuriel's eye shifted to look ahead. "I trust your judgement. Where you go, I will follow."

They leaned against him, hands settling in their lap. "Thank you, Zuriel. Ferry us where you wish, for now."

So the quiet of the night overtook them, the voice of white noise silenced, forever.