Redacted

Satellite of Memories

Heads up. This chapter. This chapter right here. Is long. Like 7-8k words long lol. So if you're looking for a light read, you're looking at the wrong chapter.

Anyway, thanks to Wolfy Loveland for their review!

Wolfy Loveland - Oh, I'm glad that you took the time to read my story. I really appreciate it lol. Thanks! I truly hope that Redacted will give you as much enjoyment as Tormented did!

The familiar cushion of the dust and debris under his feet sent a wave of emotions into the back of his mind, causing Ianos to clench his pulse rifle in his hands tightly as he gritted his teeth. Taking in a deep breath to ease the anxiety building up in his chest, the Awoken Warlock forced himself to scan his surroundings, recognizing the crumbling hills of the moon and the decaying buildings and bridges built during the Golden Age. The trails of recent Sparrows can easily be traced in the loose hearth and despite the numerous beacons beeping around him, the surface seemed barren, lifeless. To Ianos, it was no better than a graveyard.

"You sure we can get out of here?"

Turning around, Ianos can sense the uneasiness permeate from Neve, the female Warlock glancing around nervously in the darkness as Ula followed her movements, ensuring her Guardian have full visibility of her surroundings. Giving his fellow Warlock a blank stare, the Awoken Guardian opened his mouth to respond only for a resounding 'bang' to echo throughout the chambers.

Instantly, the side of Neve's head turned into a mesh of flesh and bone as the gunfire penetrated her helmet, killing her instantly as her body fell forward to follow the momentum of the shot. His mouth gaping open behind his visor, Ianos' eyes traced the familiar barrel of a shotgun as the red and blue clad form of Ricard entered his vision, "Ricard?"

Instead of the jovial wave he would usually get from the male Titan, he instead earned a shiver down his spine as the human Guardian lifted his gaze, his expression unreadable behind his visor. It was then, he noticed the wisps of darkness seeping through the cracks of his armor.

"Ricard?" Ianos called out the name of his comrade once more, only to pause as the Titan pumped his shotgun and aimed it towards the Awoken Warlock.

"Ricard is no more," The voice emitting behind the helmet definitely wasn't the human Titan's; it spoke a deep tone, and sounded like as though several were talking at once, "and you shall soon follow in his footsteps."

Seeing Ricard's fingers press against the trigger, Ianos leaped to the side, feeling the pellets graze against his armor before rolling back onto his feet, "Ricard! Stop! It's me! Ianos!"

He dodged another shotgun round, "Please Ricard! Snap out of it! Neve and your child-"

Ianos anticipated the third shot too slow, letting out a scream as the pellets easily shredded through his shields and boring themselves into his armor, easily penetrating through the cloth and leather that made up his coat. Falling onto his back, Ianos let out a cough and wheeze as he writhed on the ground, waves of pain throbbing through his chest before he heard slow footsteps approach. Forcing himself into a sitting position, the Awoken Guardian found the barrel of Ricard's weapon staring back, causing the former to freeze as the latter state, "This, will be your burial ground."

Jumping as the sound of transmat echoed in his ears, the Awoken Warlock twirled around in time to see Akiva and Angel materialize behind him, straightening themselves out as they held their weapons readily in their hands.

"It's been a while since I've last been here," Ianos watched the human Titan fidget nervously, "Since, well, you know."

Taking in Akiva's words, it took the Awoken Guardian only seconds to realize what he had meant; he hadn't been to the moon since the death of his previous Fireteam and daughter, and from the way he glanced around the area nervously, it seems Ianos wasn't the only one nervous to returning to the crumbling satellite. Mentally taking note of the safest passage in thanks to this new information, Ianos glanced towards Angel and as expected, he can sense curiosity oozing from the younger Guardian. It wasn't hard to understand why, since this was his first time traversing into Hive territory. Ianos just hopes he'll be able to keep that curiosity long before it turns into one of horror.

"This way." Holding out his palm to let Ace materialize into view, it took only seconds for the familiar violet shell of his Sparrow to fade into view, enabling the Awoken Warlock to leap on and press his feet against the pedals. Immediately, he felt himself shift forward, feeling his coat rustle behind him as he sped past the scavenging Fallen and crumbling debris. Tuning into the sounds of this team following behind him on their own vehicles, Ianos focused on steering his Sparrow, veering around hidden edges and barriers as the three of them rode silently across the moon.

"We're nearing the location of where the frequency was last located."

Hearing Ace's voice click inside his helmet, Ianos nodded once before the familiar white marker appeared on his radar, signaling him to take a turn before suddenly leaping off. The familiar scrapes and whines of his Sparrow skidding across the dry hearth echoed through the air before it finally materialized out of view, followed by Akiva's and Angel's as the two landed not too far behind him.

The location was unfamiliar, the flat lands surrounded by random mounds of stone and dust as the three took uneasy steps across the landscape. However, to Ianos, he couldn't help but let a sense of familiarity touch the back of his mind, old memories tugging him towards a high wall of stone before coming to a pause. Hesitating, Ianos held out his hand, signaling to Ace to materialize out into the open and spread out their core, flashes of light rapidly blinking in Ianos' gaze before the black and orange Ghost let out hum as they placed their shell back against their core.

"H'm, this is where the frequency was last sent," Ianos watched as the Ghost turned their orange optic towards him, "problem is, I don't see any entrances leading to the inner linings of the moon."

"They're carefully hidden, that's why," The Awoken Warlock felt all eyes on him, "It may seem like mindless digging but the Catacombs are nearly impossible to traverse for a reason." Taking steps closer to Ace before coming to a pause, Ianos scanned their surroundings as he added, "Libraries. Trophies. Brood." He paused as his eyes came upon a collapsed pile of stones, "Prisoners."

Approaching the crumbling pile of rock, Ianos peered behind it before waving for the others to follow, and then taking a step behind the mound. There, hidden behind the piles of rocks and dirt, was a tunnel, and when Ianos took a peek inside, it slid downwards, signaling to the Warlock that it was better to go down feet first than crawling in. Sheathing his weapon onto his back, Ianos opted to say nothing before he gripped the top of entrance with his hands and then swung himself in, hearing the Titan and Hunter let out a cry of surprise before darkness entered his vision.

Hearing the air rush around him as he glanced downwards, Ianos took a momentarily glimpse of his radar before concentrating his light around his feet, hearing the air beneath him push himself upwards before touching ground on the crusty hearth. No sooner had he done this when Ace materialized back into view and their light spread out, lighting up the caverns around them. As he had expected, it was a simple room, most likely a drop off point, with a single tunnel leading to more of the corridors. Glancing back, Ianos can see claw marks making their way up, signaling its significance as an entryway and exit. Moments later, the familiar form of Akiva and Angel drifted down to the bottom. And when he means drifted, it means Akiva slamming into the dry hearth, kicking up dust, while Angel landed daintily next to him, waving his free hand in a vain attempt to clear his view of the dirt and must.

"You know, kid." Ianos watched as Akiva straightened himself out, the human Titan rolling his shoulders before hefting his auto rifle back in his hands, "When you do something like that, please inform us about it. Angel and I were in a panic when you suddenly jumped in."

Opting to remain silent, the Awoken Warlock let out a shrug before letting out a small tinge of amusement tug at the back of his mind as Akiva's shoulders sagged; a sign that Ianos' response wasn't the one he was expecting. The older Guardian then nodded his head down the tunnel, once again signaling the two to follow before crouching down and started inching his way through.

"I'm going to guess this is a passageway for the thrall?" Akiva's voice rang quietly through the tunnel, Ianos hearing him let out a grunt, most likely struggling to push himself through, "I have to guess because I can hardly move."

"Tough luck, big guy."

Hearing Akiva grumble under his breath as Angel let out a quiet chuckle, Ianos couldn't help but let a ghost of a smile flash over his pale azure features as he continued to inch his way forward, letting out a sigh of relief when the other end opened up to a larger room. Climbing out, Ianos quickly jumped to his feet, taking in the free movement of his body as he heard Akiva let out another grunt, "Ianos, help."

Bewilderment building up in his mind, Ianos turned around only to pause as he spotted Akiva's form in the tunnel, the Titan barely able to squeeze his shoulders and head through, "Why are the thrall so damn small?"

"Why do you have to be so big?" Angel's voice emitted from the other side, Ianos hearing the latter let out a grunt, "Come on, push your bubble butt through so I can get out."

"I do 'not' have a bubble butt." Ianos watched as Akiva attempted to pull himself out, letting out a sigh of defeat when he didn't budge, "Ianos, help, please?"

Seeing the human Titan raise a hand towards him, the Awoken Warlock opted to ignore it and instead walked to the human Guardian's side, kneeled down, and glanced down at the tunnel around him, "Ianos?"

"Be still." Hearing Akiva pause at his words, Ianos then reached out with his fingers, wisps of void light emitting from the tips before pressing them around the edges of the entrance.

"Woah! Hello!" The Awoken Warlock saw Akiva suddenly seize up, "What in the Darkness are you doing?"

"Making the tunnel bigger so you can get your fat ass out," Ianos heard Angel's muffled snickers from the other side, "and be quiet, do you want the Hive to know we're here?"

"It burns though," Akiva let out a hiss but nonetheless, the room filled with silence as the Awoken Warlock continued his work, watching the rocks slowly wear down and dissipate from sight as his light worked around the edges, "There, try now."

Edging away from the entrance to give the human Titan some room, Ianos let out a nod of satisfaction as Akiva slid his way in, the latter letting out a sigh and a grunt as he pushed himself onto his feet and stretched.

"Next time, we're taking a 'bigger' way in," The human Titan stated just as Angel crawled out from the tunnel and Ianos couldn't help but sense a broad smile emitting behind the human Hunter's visor, "I can't wait to tell Cayde about this."

Akiva snapped his gaze towards Angel, the former giving the latter a glare behind his visor, "Don't you 'dare'. Cayde will never shut up about it once he gets word of it."

"Exactly why I should tell him." Hearing the human Hunter let out a snicker as the human Titan let out another grumble, Ianos focused his attention to the room.

Just like the one that they had entered, the room looked empty, with nothing but what seemed to be mounds of dirt stacked on the sides. However, as Ianos approached one of the piles, he found a pair of empty sockets staring back. Reeling back from the sight, the Awoken Warlock slowly examined the room, slowly taking in the detail that the mounds were of bones instead of dust and debris as he had originally thought.

"Please don't tell me these are Hive leftovers," The nervousness in Akiva's tone was apparent as he added, "can we get out of here? The longer we stare at these bones, the more I ponder on what happens to the bodies of the Guardians they drag down here."

Flinching at the thought as well, Ianos continued to scan the surroundings before he spotted another tunnel and this time, this one was large enough to allow all three of them to stand. Raising his hand to catch the attention of his team, Ianos motioned for them to follow before entering the carved hall, letting Ace's light shine down the dark corridor.

"It's so dark down here." Angel's voice echoed through the Darkness, "there's no possible way you can navigate this without light. How did you manage to navigate around here 'and' avoid the Hive?"

Taking in the human Hunter's question, Ianos, at first, opted to remain silent, letting nothing but the noise of their footsteps and the hum of their Ghost's hovers echo through the Darkness.

"Ace was 'powered' down during my time in the Catacombs," He finally responded, "As such, I had nothing but my senses to find my way around."

"So, you just walked and felt the walls?"

"No, I crawled and felt the floors."

"Why?"

"I broke my legs."

Letting the stunned silence permeate through the air, Ianos heard Ace shift their parts nervously; he had almost forgotten that his Ghost wasn't conscious during his time down in the Catacombs with Darian.

"So if you had no light," The Awoken Warlock sighed at Angel's words, "Then how did you and your Fireteam member stay together without getting caught?"

A sudden 'ow' followed the human Hunter's question, a sign that more than likely Akiva had poked him in the side for brown-nosing too deep; a common occurrence with the team.

"When Darian and I realized we couldn't simply call out to each other to keep track, we decided the next course of action was to make physical contact," Ianos responded, "After that, we tore our coat and cloaks to make a makeshift tether and we tied it around our waists to ensure we stay together in the dark."

"That's smart but also pretty dangerous," It was Akiva who spoke, "If one part of the tether gets caught, then more than likely the two of you would have gotten stuck."

"We knew the dangers," The human Titan paused at Ianos' statement, "But Darian was fearful of what lurks in the dark and I had refused to traverse the Catacombs without knowing that he was safe. So, making a tether seemed the best way at the time." The Awoken Warlock let out a breath, "But it turned out to be the reason why we got caught by the Hive."

Another stunned silence filled the air, prompting Ianos to continue to traverse the dark corridor, weaving around tight corners and spaces.

"How did it happen?"

Another 'ow' emitted from the human Hunter; Akiva had once again poked him in the side with his elbow.

At first, Ianos hesitated, almost convincing himself that the story was too personal, too private. But then again, the three of them have been a team for years, it will only be a matter of time until they learn the whole truth. Might as well tell them before something happens between the three of them.

"As you know, Darian and I had to traverse the darkness without the aid of light," Ianos started, "we carefully felt around the dark, ensuring to make little nose as possible to ensure that we do not catch the Hive's attention."

"The tunnels here maybe small but the area that Darian and I were located was larger, cavernous. And the Hive had carved many corridors to different parts of the Catacombs. This also included the floor."

"We didn't realize it at first, not until Darian fell into one of them. It took all my strength to keep the two of us from falling and to pull him back up. After that, the two of us tried to take more delicate steps however, it was inevitable that one of us would fall and the other would do the best they can to pull the other up. With this constant state of ensuring the other's survival and the darkness constantly staunching our light, exhaustion was apparent. In the end, when Darian fell, I had no strength left to hold on and as such, I fell into one of the pits with him."

Ianos heard Angel take in a hitch breathe; the Awoken Warlock opted to continue, "I tried to slow the descent, scraping my hands against the sides in a vain attempt to slow us down. But with Darian weighing me down, the task was impossible and in the end, the best we could do was to gather as much as our light as we can to soften our fall. When we finally hit the hearth, Darian had gathered enough light to keep himself unscathed. However, I was less fortunate, the fall breaking my legs, making me immobile."

"I realized this and told Darian to go on without me, to cut our tether and leave me behind, for his survival. But he was insistent that he wasn't going to leave the caverns without me and as such, refused to cut the tethers tied between us. That is when the Hive came out of the Darkness."

"And, that is how you and Darian got caught?" Ianos nodded once at the human Hunter's question, "Satisfied?"

Hearing nothing but silence, the Awoken Warlock took it as a yes and continued to walk down the corridor, letting Ace's light lead the way. Moments later, his gaze spotted another room and this time, he came to a pause, his eyes narrowing behind his visor. He had heard movement, the familiar rumbles followed by slow but steady footsteps; Ianos recognizes them as one of Acolytes. How many, he wasn't sure, but when the Awoken Warlock turned his attention towards Akiva and Angel, he can easily see their tight grip on their weapons; they had heard the Hive as well. Focusing his attention back to the room, Ianos took in a breath before raising his hand and waved with his fingers, signaling to the others to follow before hefting his pulse rifle in his hands and slowly edged his way closer.

Making it to the entryway, Ianos took in a breath, holding it in as the sounds of the Acolytes grew louder, causing the sense of uneasiness to grow in his chest. Pressing his back against the wall, Ianos waited until Ace's light disappeared from his sight before leaping out and firing at the first set of eyes he spotted glowing in the darkness. Immediately, a scream echoed through the air followed by the familiar sound of a small 'boom', a sign that Ianos had hit his mark and the Acolyte's body imploded into dust and chitin. No sooner had he fired his weapon when he heard bullets fly past his head, a sign that Akiva and Angel had jumped out as well and firing away. Taking in the comfort of his team's presence, Ianos let his tense shoulders ease and focused on finding any other glowing eyes glaring back at him, moving to the side whenever he sees familiar violet streaks of Hive fire rushing towards him. In the end, the room was quickly cleared, empty of any growls or screeches of the Hive and when Ianos took tentative steps around, he felt his feet kick around the remains of the Acolytes' chitin armor.

"Well, there's no doubt they know that we're here." The Awoken Warlock took note of the nervous edge to Akiva's tone, "If they didn't hear that gunfire, I don't know what else will catch their attention."

Ignoring the human Titan's words, Ianos waited before Ace's familiar black and orange form materialized back over his shoulder, hearing the familiar ring of transmat echo from behind as Akiva and Angel's Ghosts did the same.

"Come on, the quicker we find this Guardian the quicker we can-" Ianos paused as Ace's light caught a glint with their light, causing the Awoken Warlock to immediately raise his weapon.

"Guardians?" The older Guardian barely stopped his finger from putting pressure on the trigger, "Here?"

Lowering his weapon, Ianos' orange hues spotted the familiar star shaped form of a Ghost, their white shell completely covered in dust as their white optic glanced bewilderedly at each individual, "But how? And why-"

The Warlock watched as the Ghost suddenly came to a pause, their optic going wide as Ianos heard them whisper, "Are you here to save my Guardian?"

Hearing the tinge of hope in the Ghost's voice, Ianos quickly put the pieces together before answering, "Yes."

"Finally." Relief can be heard in the small AI's voice, "Finally, his suffering can end."

Xxxxx

If they were an organic, Ianos would have thought the Ghost would have shed tears, the sound of hope and relief clear in their tone as they quietly lead the team through a corridor, shushing them at every snap and crack of the rocks and stones they stepped upon. He wonders how long the Ghost had been waiting for a response, sending out frequencies repeatedly each passing day in hopes that they would one day gain an answer.

"It's okay, Darian. Just hold on a bit longer, alright?" A whimper was all he received as a reply, "The Tower wouldn't have forgotten about us. They will send help, just hang on tight."

Seeing the faint outline of a hand reaching out to him in the Darkness, Ianos reached out and curled his fingers around Darian's, feeling the Hunter bring it close to his chest as the Awoken Warlock added, "They wouldn't just abandon us." He then paused, whispering to himself, "Would they?"

Shaking his head to rid himself of the memory, Ianos opted to focus his attention onto the Ghost, the latter of which quickly hovered in the front, letting Ace's and the other Ghosts' optics light the way; he wonders if the Ghost knows the Catacombs enough that they could navigate in the dark. Would make sense, since the only light emitting from the small AI was their optic, which glowed faintly of a shade of white; in other words, their Guardian's eye color was of the same color as well.

"Do you have a name, little guy?" It was Akiva who asked the question, breaking the silence of the group's walk through the dark.

"No." The response was immediate, "I spent majority of my time looking for my Guardian and when I did finally find him, we barely even had time to even make introductions before the Hive appeared." Ianos watched as the Ghost's shell dipped slightly, a sign of their guilt, "Since then, I had tried sending frequencies back to the Tower to give my Guardian aid." The Ghost glanced back, "You were the first to respond in weeks."

"Weeks?" It was Angel's voice next, "And you were down here for all of that?"

Noticing the way the Ghost scrunch their parts together, Ianos opted to remain silent as the small AI responded, "It was either stay down here and give comfort to my Guardian when I can or completely abandon them in the dark. Why else would I be down here?"

Silence permeating through the darkness once more, Ianos double checked his weapon to ensure that it had a full clip before focusing his attention on following the Ghost, only to come to a pause as the latter came to a halt.

"Over there." They whispered, the Awoken Warlock watching them press themselves against the wall after they had nodded their core around a corner. At first, bewildered by the Ghost's words, it was only when Ianos peered around when he recognized the large glowing green eyes of Knights, the two standing guard with swords drawn.

"Anyway to avoid them?" Angel's voice whispered through the darkness, causing Ianos to jump before the Warlock turned and gave the Hunter a blank stare, easily sensing the sheepish smile behind his visor in response.

"Not that I can see," Ianos responded back, turning his attention back to the guards, "I think we may have to fight our way through."

"If we're going to do that, then do you mind if I get a shot at them first?" The Awoken Warlock turned his attention towards Akiva, taking note of the Titan's tight grip on his auto rifle as he stated, "I may have been late to beat Crota but I want to kill as much Hive as I can, for Fireteam Chargers sake."

Letting the name of the human Titan's previous Fireteam ring in the back of his mind, Ianos let out a nod to confirm Akiva's words and then turning his attention back towards the Knights, "Alright, on my mark-"

"Wait." All eyes turned towards the Ghost, the latter of which let out a hiss, "Not yet."

"Not yet?" Ianos narrowed his gaze at the small AI, "What do you mean not yet-"

That's when he felt it, a chill running down the length of his spine as the air around them suddenly turned cold; Ianos' throat tightened at the sensation. He knows the sensation too well and it was unmistakable: A Wizard is here.

He huddled in the corner as he cradled Darian in his lap; the human Hunter would let out a whimper and would occasionally beg for mercy in his sleep. Ianos would counter this by giving the Hunter's shoulder a comforting squeeze, lulling Darian back into the arms of peaceful dreams.

Ianos would always ensure that between the two of them, Darian gets the most rest; it was the only way his light would rejuvenate fast enough to keep up with the Hive whenever they would 'harvest' their light for their brood. He would make every second last, up until their 'warden', a Hive Wizard, would return to collect. The Awoken Warlock can always tell when she is there, when the air around them would suddenly grow cold and the Darkness seems heavier on their shoulders.

As such the case, when the female Hive seemingly materialized out of the shadows, her glowing eyes piercing the darkness as she released a toothy grin.

"Are you ready for 'feeding time?"

"Ianos?!"

Hearing the hushed tone of Ace echo in his helmet, Ianos took in a breath, taking in the needed air that his body screamed for.

"You alright?"

Taking in ragged breaths, Ianos shook his head, his sense of anxiety rising as the familiar form of the Hive Wizard glided into view. Just like the others of her race, her withered dressed flowed beneath her as she hovered towards the two Knights, easily towering above their shoulders as she spoke in their tongue. Although unable to understand despite his months of imprisonment, Ianos can understand the tones and her clawed gestures to know that she was angry, upset at something that the two Knights were guarding. It was then the Awoken Warlock noticed her pointing down through a tunnel and that's when he noticed a form in the darkness, the white coat dirtied and tattered from days of imprisonment.

The Ghost's Guardian.

Feeling his heart beat rapidly in his chest, Ianos glanced back at the Wizard as she continuously shouted in the tongue of the Hive, waving her clawed hands back and forth between the two jailers and the prison before she suddenly paused, her gaze shifting to her surroundings. It didn't take long for Ianos to realize why when her glowing eyes suddenly snapped in their direction.

"Move!"

Gathering as much void light in his hands, Ianos leaped out into the open, raised his hand back, and launched his Nova Bomb towards the group of Hive. To his frustration, the Wizard teleported away in a mess of chitin and dust; the two Knights were less fortunate. Their screams echoed through the caverns as their bodies were instantly vaporized into violet streaks, leaving nothing behind as the light slowly died from everybody's gaze.

"Guardians."

Hearing the female Hive let out a hiss, Ianos focused his weapon on the Wizard and opened fire, hearing her screams of rage as she glided out of the way.

"Angel! You go ahead and grab the newborn!" The Awoken Warlock didn't even bother to glance over at the young Hunter's way, "Akiva and I will take down the Wizard! Back up will also be imminent! Be ready!"

Hearing the footsteps of the younger Guardian rush past him, Ianos kept firing his weapon at the Hive Wizard, hearing her let out occasional hiss as she effortlessly glided out of harm's way. Letting out a grunt of annoyance, Ianos then jumped as Akiva suddenly rushed forward but not before the Awoken Guardian saw the familiar streaks of void light forming in his hand.

With a shotgun in his grip, the Wizard must have expected him to rush her, Ianos seeing her upper torso twist the opposite way of Akiva's strides. However, just as the human Titan raised his weapon, he suddenly leaped back, throwing the void grenade he held in his hands towards the female Wizard. Hearing the high ranking Hive let out a shriek of surprise, he then saw her attempted to glide out of the way, only for the void grenade to suddenly twist and latch itself onto her chest; a magnetic grenade.

Morbid satisfaction settled into Ianos' chest as the female Wizard let out a scream as the first initial burst of light came forth, watching her twist around and flee just as the second went off. Disappointingly, she glided just enough of the way to avoid the secondary blast and as such, Ianos raised his weapon to finish the fleeing Hive member off.

"Guys! He isn't moving!"

Hearing Angel's voice echo through their corridor, Ianos hesitated, seeing the wisps of the female Hive's withering dress still in his sight. But concern tugged at the back of his mind, causing him to let out a silent curse before lowering his weapon.

"Want me to go after her?" Turning his attention towards Akiva, Ianos shook his head, "She maybe injured, but we don't know this area as well as her. Who knows? She might lead us into a pit of thrall."

Seeing the human Titan nod in agreement, the two then turned their attention towards the tunnel, Ianos taking quick strides before kneeling down and crawling in. Hearing Akiva's footsteps suddenly stop behind him and the human Titan grumbling, Ianos can take the hint that he was going to wait outside. As such, the Awoken Warlock focused his attention onto Angel, the latter of which held the prone form of the newborn in his arms.

The newborn is an Exo, and although it was hard to tell at first from the dirt and grime, their plating was a shade of white from what Ianos can pinpoint. Clad in the same color of his plating, the only shade of hue that the Awoken Warlock can see was a set of numbers and letters imprinted on the sides of his head: EXO/PHX Unit XI – 9, emboldened in gray. Although, curious of what it meant, Ianos interest soon to one of concern when he glanced down at the newborn and saw their optics were blank, the familiar glow of light non-existent alongside the glow that should have been seeping through the cracks of his plating.

"He's powered down." Ianos lifted his gaze towards the room; it was the newborn's Ghost, the latter of which spun their back fins as they added, "He must have done it when…" Their voice faded, the look of guilt obvious in their optic, "Please, you have to get him out of here."

Seeing Angel nod towards the nameless Ghost, Ianos waited until Angel was up on his feet with the newborn in tow before doing the same, watching the human Hunter drag the unconscious form of the newborn towards the entrance.

"Akiva, coming your way," Angel then placed the newborn near the exit, signaling to Akiva's form appearing in the other side and wrapping his hands underneath the Exo Warlock's arm before seamlessly pulling him out into the open. This left room for Angel and Ianos to crawl out of the makeshift prison.

"You know, for an Exo, he's light," Ianos heard the human Titan murmur as he brushed the dust from the front of his coat, "I thought they were supposed to weigh the same as a human."

"They are." Ianos confirmed, "but we'll worry about that later. Right now we have to find the way out-"

Screeching cries echoed throughout the caverns, causing all eyes to turn towards one of the corridors as the familiar screams of the thrall resounded around them.

"Follow me!" It was the newborn's Ghost once more, the white form flashing around a corner, prompting the others to follow as the white encrusted form of the lower ranking Hive crawled out from the crevices.

Taking the rear to ensure the rest of the team were in front, Ianos heard his heart beat rapidly in his chest, hearing the claws of the thrall scraping against the rocky floor behind them.

"Up here!"

Seeing the small AI glide above a ledge then through a large opening, Ianos watched as Akiva effortlessly lifted himself up with the newborn in his arms and disappeared from view. Angel was the next to go, leaping onto the ledge first before leaping through the exit. Gaging his distance, Ianos leaped up before letting his light flow around him, feeling himself lift up before gliding onto the ledge and jumping once again to make it through the exit.

Immediately, the familiar sight of the barren landscape of the moon entered his vision, enabling Ianos to turn his pulse rifle at the entrance and started firing into the circular crevice. The screams of the dying Thrall rang in his ears as the bullets pelted their thin layer of chitin, easily penetrating their skin and breaking them down into dust. Hearing hand cannon and auto rifle fire ringing behind him followed by more of the lower ranking Hive's death cries, Ianos can guess that Angel and Akiva had also joined the fray.

Then, just as suddenly as they swarmed, the number of Thrall suddenly halt, causing Ianos to pause as he heard his team's gun fire fade from his ears; this doesn't mean that he lowered his weapon. Experience and memory forced him to keep his pulse rifle steady at the entrance, his finger pressed against the trigger; just because something went silent doesn't mean the danger is over.

Like as though it was reading his thoughts, a blast of white burst forth from the darkness and flew past Ianos, hitting Angel directly in the chest. The Awoken Warlock heard the Hunter let out a cry of shock and pain as the familiar sound of his shields breaking echoed through the barren lands.

"Angel!" Turning around to see Akiva rush towards Angel's groaning form, the wheezing tongue of the Hive emitted from behind, Ianos recognizing it enough to hear the familiar incantations. Before the Awoken Warlock can let out a cry of warning, the familiar fog of darkness appeared around the two and their reactions were instantaneous. Angel immediately had curled up, Ianos seeing his shoulders shake and he can easily hear the wheezing of the younger Guardian echo into the barren surroundings as his body shuddered. Akiva had fallen onto his knees, his gasps apparent in Ianos' coms before the human Titan fell onto all fours, most likely in a vain attempt to keep himself steady.

"I remember you."

Coming to a sudden halt, Ianos turned around to face the Wizard that had casted the spell, the Awoken Guardian froze as his eyes fell upon the female Hive's neck. It resembled burns, hand prints that raked around her neck down to her chest hidden by her withering dress.

"You gave me these marks." She hissed as she raised one of her clawed hands to the ones on her neck, the anger in her eyes apparent, "Back when I sacrificed your friend in the name of Crota."

Eyes going wide behind his visor, Ianos' felt his hands go numb, his fingers fumbling to keep a hold on his weapon before falling from his grasp.

Darian's writhing slowly ceased under his hands, causing Ianos to let out a cry mixed with despair and agony. Fire still ate away at both the Hunter's deceased form and himself but Ianos couldn't bring himself to tear away his hands from the younger Guardian's body in a vain attempt to squash the flames.

"Not like this!" He sobbed, "Not like this! Please!"

He then screamed as the pain of the flames finally caught up to him, falling to his side as his body contorted from the agony. It was then, he heard the familiar wheezing laughter of the Hive, hearing their mirth echo all around him as he flounced about, his gaze falling upon the withering garments of their tormentor: A Wizard.

His time spent down in the Catacombs gave him enough to know that the female Hive was laughing, enjoying the sight of the two Guardians slowly being consumed by their sickly green flames. That's when Ianos' grief soon turned to rage.

Dying like this, the Hive will gain more confidence, more cockiness amongst their ranks; they will see the Guardians as nothing more than fodder for their gods. He has to prove them wrong. For Darian's sake. As such, after one of many attempts, the Awoken Warlock finally attuned to his light.

The yellow and green flames around his vision immediately dissipated, only to quickly be replaced by the familiar rays of white and orange; it was then, the Hive's laughter ceased. With a wary cry, Ianos forced himself onto his feet, his body screaming in protest as he gathered the light in his hands and let the familiar sensation of a grenade form in his palm. Then, he threw it at the closest group of Hive.

The Solar Grenade landed onto the dry hearth in between their legs before expanding into what resembled a small sun, immediately eating away easily at their chitin armor, and receiving cries of agony and death in response. His vision red, Ianos continuously tossed every grenade he can muster, slamming his solar powered palm into any Hive who had wandered too close. Then his attention fixed onto his tormenter.

She had tried to flee, her form gliding away to another part of the room where she had ordered the Knights to drag him and Darian for their execution; he wasn't going to let her get away that easily. Easily brushing aside the lower ranking Hive that got in his way, Ianos forced his light to let him glide forward, feeling it give him a boost before reaching out his hands and grabbing the edge of her dress. Feeling the garment tighten in his grip, the Awoken Guardian watched as the Wizard let out a scream of fury before turning around and her hands glowed alight with the familiar blasts of darkness; in response, Ianos leaped up and wrapped both his hands around her neck, digging his fingers into her throat as he felt her reel back, her darkness quickly leaving her fingers tips before digging her claws into his wrists.

The familiar fire of his solar Light still lingered in his vision and although he felt her nails easily penetrate his armor and into the meat of his arms, he wasn't going to let her go; at least, not unscathed. Mustering as much Light as he can, he raked his fingers from her neck and down her chest, letting his Light sear into her flesh; hearing her scream in agony before he felt a blast hit in the chest, causing him to let out a gasp as the Hive Wizard finally tore his hands away from her and she glided back into the darkness, leaving the Awoken Warlock behind with the remnants of her small army.

"You still remember, I see." A smirk formed on the female Hive's features before it formed into a scowl, "I had thought you dead, Warlock, until I returned to find the remains of my followers and no body of yours to be found." The smile formed back onto her features, "But your comrade's body, it gave enough sustenance for my brood, at least, his flesh did."

Gritting his jaw, Ianos' eyes flared with rage, his hands reaching down to his waist to remove the sidearm in his holster. However, before he can lift the weapon up and aim it at the female Hive's head, pressure suddenly hit him in the chest, causing him to fly back as his shields easily broke under the Wizards blast as he let out a scream. Feeling his back press against the dusty hearth of the moon, Ianos let out a cough as his chest throbbed, his body protesting against the absence of his light induced shields.

"Shall I drag you back under the Catacombs?" The Awoken Warlock froze at the female Wizard's words, "That 'machine' that we had did little to feed my children, but 'you', Warlock." He watched as her form glided above him, her fangs revealed behind her smile as she added, "Despite the 'taint' in your Light, yours will last for a long while."

He then felt her claws dig in his shoulders and Ianos couldn't help but let out a scream, the memories of his time under the Catacombs reeling into his mind as he felt the female Hive easily lift him off the moon's surface and slowly made her way back towards the entrance.

"No! No! Please!" Ianos attempted to summon his light, letting the familiar wisps of the void appear at his fingers tips as he latched onto the female Wizard's arm. But to his surprise, the wisps easily died in his grip and the Awoken Warlock couldn't help but believe the Wizard had to do with it, just from the way her wheezing laughter echoed in his ears.

"No! No! No! Angel! Akiva! Anyone!" They were just a few steps away from the entrance now and the fear that settled into the Awoken's chest grew, "Ace! Ace please! Do something!"

He heard his Ghost stutter, the familiar clicks ringing in his helmet as Ianos kicked and struggled into the female Wizard's grasp, Ace's words deaf to his ears.

"Ready to come back 'home', Warlock?"

Seeing that they were now at one of the entrances of the Catacombs, Ianos' actions became more desperate, letting his Light flow into his hands in a vain attempt to get the higher ranking Wizard's hands off of him. It was then, the familiar shot of a high powered sniper rifle rang through the air.

Hearing a scream of rage emit from the Wizard, he felt her claws leave his shoulders, feeling himself fall back onto the barren hearth underneath him. Scrambling back to gain as much distance between himself and the enraged female Hive, Ianos followed the narrowed gaze of the Wizard, spotting a cloaked figure rush towards them.

It was a Hunter, the familiar hood over his helmet making it apparent of his Guardian Class. Dressed in pelts of fur and bones, the differing shades of black and gray made it almost impossible to spot the running Guardian against the moon's barren landscape; as such, the reason why the Hive Wizard had failed to spot him.

Seeing her solar shields shimmer back into place, Ianos watched as her shields were broken once more as another sniper shot rang through the air, causing the Hive Wizard to let out another scream of rage. Her rage quickly dissipated when the Hunter jumped up with the familiar form of a bow made of void light materialized into his grasp. The Awoken Warlock couldn't help but let his heart jump to his throat as the Hive Wizard twisted at the last second, the Hunter's tether landing just next to her, missing its mark. However, his terror soon turned into one of relief when the tendrils of shadows shot out from the Anchor and latched onto her, keeping her in place as she let out a growl of anger. Another sniper shot rang through the air, and the Hive Wizard let out a scream as a chunk of her shoulder was ripped off, the chitin crumbling through the air from the impact. Just as Ianos watched the Hunter attempt to take another aim, the Void Anchor disappeared and just as the countless times the Awoken Warlock saw her, she disappeared back into the Catacombs; he knew it wouldn't be the last time he would see her.

"Are you alright?"

Seeing the Hunter rush to his side, Ianos turned his attention towards Angel and Akiva; the fog of Darkness had finally been lifted from their person, enabling the two Guardians to breath and the newborn was leaned against some rocks nearby, the familiar form of his Ghost hovering near his shoulders. Ensuring that everyone was accounted for, that is when Ianos let his barriers down, exposing himself completely as he pressed his hands against the front of his visor and let out sobs of relief.

Unknown Hunter - currently- belongs to God1643

God1643 - I apologize for the long wait, although, your character only gets an appearance int his chapter but don't worry, they'll have an extended period in the next (and also, I would put in your character's name but I decided to withhold it until next chapter)

Anyways, there you go! You get a hint of what Ianos experienced on the moon and also get to meet the new born (sort of). Anyways, enjoy!