Redacted

Leave me

Updated on time! Whoot!

Thanks to jsm1978, Mantic64, DisobeyedBowl6, and TheTurtleMan for the reviews!

TheTurtleman -I learned a while back that Hive are actually sequential hermaphrodites! In other words, they can change their gender if they wish. Oryx is a good example lol. So I went with 'they' to better present that. But then again, 'it' can be a good use for them too. Will try it out and see how it sounds to me later in future. Yeah, Angel is mainly a Bladedancer but he's a budding Nightstalker; so far he only knows how to use Shadestep, nothing else. I just find it kind of limited that Guardians in Destiny are only capable of using 'one' at a time and thought that it would be a bit more realistic if they main 'one' but are capable of using the others if time calls for it. But that's just me lol. Thank you!

_Transcript: Please_

Source: Ghost of Guardian Angel

Alias: Hope

_Transcript of conversation between Hunter Angel [h.a] and Ghost Hope [g.h]. Topic concerning language_

[g.h]: I don't understand why you can't wait until we're in our apartment. Why do you want to speak in Eliksni tongue 'now'?

[h.a]: I just…I just miss it, alright. Being able to speak freely with members of House Spirit and not fearing of being judged or attacked because of it. Without them here, I have to hide if I want to avoid scorn. And I am tired of it. Please, Hope, just this once?

[g.h]: …(sighs) Fine (translation) That better?

[h.a]: (laugh) (translation) What do you think?

[g.h]: (translation) Just keep your voice low. Even if we have this area to ourselves, we don't know who is going to walk in on us.

[h.a]: (translation) Good enough for me. Just as long as I get to speak 'outside' of our room.

[g.h]: (translation) Don't get used to it. Now, where were we?

[h.a]: (translation) Hive text. Very complex. Now I understand why it takes you Ghosts a while to crack them.

[g.h]: (translation) But to speak it?

[h.a]: (translation) **** ** you think? I **** ** down. *** easy.

[g.h]: (laughs) (translation) Of course you would get the hang of it.

_End Transcript_

Xxxxx

His run came to a slow stop, Angel freeing his grasp from the Eliksni's arm as he leaned his shoulder against the crusted wall, and glanced over momentarily to track any movement in the darkness. Letting out a breath in relief at the sight of an empty corridor, the human Hunter then pressed his back against the wall before sliding down to the floor and cradled his injured arm close to his chest. Hearing his heart beat rapidly in his ears, Angel gritted his jaw as the adrenaline died down and the dull throbbing in his arm escalated into spikes of pain; although this didn't stop him from turning his gaze towards his Eliksni comrade.

He saw them leaning against the opposing side of the corridor not too far from him, cradling their lower arms close to their chest and using their upper arms in a vain attempt to give the broken appendages support. From the fact that the Eliksni was not much taller than he, Angel can easily guess that their rank was of a Vandal, thanks to the lack of the horn like protrusions from their helmet. The human Hunter can also tell that the Vandal is a female, from the way her waist is a bit broader to help the task of delivering multiple offspring easier, and although subtle, the upper arms are a bit thinner compared to the males. Angel still can't see the colors of her house well but after hearing her call him a 'bandit' earlier, it was safe to say that this one didn't come from House Spirits. At least, not a member that he had met personally.

"Where is your pack, saboteur?" He can tell his question caught her off-guard, from the way the female Eliksni snapped her four glowing eyes towards him and a low rumble escaping the back of her throat, "How do you know the titles and ranks of my people, bandit?"

Letting the fogs of memory of excited chittering of lesser ranking Eliksni followed by a soft hum of a song from a childless Captain permeate through the back of his mind, Angel answered, "I was found and cared for by a split faction of House Devils. Stayed with them for nearly two seasons before I made my way to the City."

No sooner had he finished his words when he heard a scoff emit from the female Vandal, "You want me to believe that you, a 'bandit' was raised by those weakling Devils?" A snarl then permeated from the Eliksni, "Do not take me for a fool."

Crossing off the House of Devils as the possible house for the female Vandal, all Angel could respond with was a soft chuckle, once again sensing the puzzled look from the Eliksni, "I can assure you, comrade, that my words are true. But I will not force you to believe if you do not wish to take my words seriously."

Hearing another scoff from the Vandal, the human Hunter decided to change the subject, "I am called Angel. What is your name, comrade?"

"Just because you saved my life does not mean we are allies, bandit." Angel paused at the female Vandal's words, "You will not receive my name."

Disappointment settling into his chest, Angel leaned in and pressed, "I cannot just call you comrade, saboteur, perhaps a title will suffice?" Receiving only a grunt as an answer, Angel took it as a yes, "How about Flourishing One, to signify your survival here as a sign of your future accomplishments."

Feeling her four glowing eyes focus in on him again, the human Hunter stood his ground when the female Vandal's gaze narrowed as she stated, "You have a way with words, bandit. But do not think that this changes my judgement of you." A snarl then emitted behind her mask, "If the opportunity arises, I will kill you."

Letting out a hum in response to the female Vandal's words, the Hunter contemplated on what to say next, "Then why not kill me now? You still have two functioning arms, Flourishing One. I have no access to any of my weaponry. I am at my weakest and yet, you sit there and speak with me."

A rumble was his answer, "I may hate you, bandit, but that does not mean I am not willing to work with you to escape this corrupted place." He then saw the Vandal nod her head towards him, "we are both injured and unarmed, we will not escape this place alone." Angel then saw her four eyes trace over his shoulders; he didn't have to look to know that she was looking at his sniper rifle, "We are 'mostly' unarmed."

Contemplating on their situation, Angel hesitated before reaching over with his good hand and removing his sniper rifle from his back; he jumped when the Vandal unsheathed her knife from her waist, "I am not going to use it against you."

"Then why are you taking up your weapon, bandit?"

Taking note of the tinge of caution in her voice, Angel then placed the weapon on the ground and skidded it her way, watching the weapon slightly jump and bounce against the gravel. He sensed the confused stare from the female Vandal at once, "I am unsure of how much use of my weapon will be here, but since you have access to at least two of your arms, I am certain that it will be of better use by you than with me."

Hearing another rumble emit from the Eliksni, the Hunter watched with careful eyes as she slowly leaned forward, then, tentatively picked up his sniper rifle with one hand before hefting it into her upper arms. The female Vandal then proceeded to tilt the weapon in her grasp, Angel taking note of her tender and careful touches as she examined the rifle. Then, without warning, the Hunter watched as she picked up her knife and tossed it near his feet; now it was his turn to give the female Vandal a bewildered look.

"If we are to make out of this corrupted place alive, then 'both' of us have to be armed." Angel heard her let out a scoff, "Just return the knife when we survive this."

Giving the female Vandal a nod, Angel leaned over and picked up the knife with his good hand, "Just as long as you promise to return my rifle."

Hearing her let out a scoff, the human Hunter took as a sign of a silent agreement before focusing his attention towards the knife in his hand; like he had expected, it was a shock blade, one of the required weapon in a Vandal's arsenal. Although larger than the knife he is used to, Angel quietly appreciated the handle to help him gain a better grip, and the small wisps of arc energy that still permeated through it gave him confidence that even with one hand, it will still be of use to him.

"Thank you, comrade." Hearing a huff from the Vandal, Angel let out a silent chuckle before he sheathed the knife around his waist, and right then, he heard the familiar scuffle of claws scraping against the hard hearth. Perking up, Angel pushed himself onto his feet, his green eyes wide as he stared down one end of the corridor. Moments later, he heard the female Vandal let out a low growl, prompting him to turn his attention towards the Eliksni only to see her standing ready with his rifle ready in her hands.

"Darken Ones," She snarled, signaling the Hunter to tuck his injured arm close to his side and say, "I suggest we retreat." Sensing the harden stare turning towards him, Angel added, "We do not know their number,s and I highly doubt that with our current state we will be able to properly defend ourselves." Gaining nothing but silence as an answer, the human Guardian decided to continue, "Unless you are confident we can take on the Darken Ones, then, be my guest."

Finally hearing a low rumble emitting from the female Eliksni, Angel watched as she lowered the weapon and growled, "Then lead the way, bandit."

Nodding his head once in satisfaction, the human Hunter then turned and dashed down the corridor, hearing the Vandal follow behind him as they left the sound of scraping claws behind.

Xxxxx

Initially Ianos thought the digging would last longer but the pairs' compliance to remain silent and instead focus on the work, the Awoken soon found that they had dug a hole just big enough for them to squeeze through. Although admittingly, after glancing inside to see nothing but darkness, Ianos isn't too keen on sliding in so easily.

"Excuse me."

Jumping as Sunny Day's white shell glided past him, Ianos swore the Ghost gave him a wink before twirling around him once and then gliding into the small entrance that the Warlocks had dug.

"I will take point, if you do not mind, Warlock Ianos."

Turning his gaze towards Unit Eleven, Ianos hesitated before nodding once, giving the Exo confirmation to slide in feet first, raising his hands above his head, and disappeared into the entrance.

"You going to be alright?"

It was Ace's voice that rang in his ears, and honestly, Ianos wasn't sure how to answer. The memories of his time on the moon resonated clearly in his mind, and his fears grew as he kept his gaze fixed on the darkened entrance. But his concerns also grew as he sat there and finally, his worry for the human Hunter won him over, and despite his gut telling him otherwise, Ianos too slid in feet first, raising his arms above his head to allow him enough room for his body to enter the caverns.

Half expecting his vision to be filled with darkness, Ianos was startled to see the musty corridor lit up, the Awoken Guardian actually reeling back as his eyes narrowed in a vain attempt to dim the brightness.

"Too bright?" Ianos glanced over to Day's illuminated form, "Thought that it would be beneficial, especially considering how dark it is down here."

At first, grateful for the thought, Ianos' appreciation soon died and was quickly replaced by rage, "What are you doing? Turn that off." His voice lowered down to a hiss, the Awoken strolled over to the white shell Ghost to emphasize his words, "We have no idea who or what is down here with us. You are making us walking targets."

Seeing the Ghost's white optic widen from his words, the room quickly plunged into darkness as Day enclosed their parts back around their core. Immediately, flashes of memory permeated throughout Ianos' mind and the Warlock couldn't help but take in a hitched breath as he stumbled back.

"Turn it back on! Turn it back on!"

It was Ace's voice again, the familiar buzz of the black and orange Ghost materializing over his shoulders ringing familiar in his ears. Before he can retort, Ace's form illuminated the room, filing the corridor with light once more.

"What are you doing?" Ianos managed to hiss out, "We're in enemy territory."

"Not going to let you wander in the dark like this." The Warlock reeled back from their retort, "Especially considering how similar this environment is compared to the moon. And considering the current conditions, I wouldn't be surprised if we're facing the Hive down here." Ianos flinched at Ace's words, "I understand your concerns but for now on, Day and I are going to keep this area 'bright'." Hearing his Ghost let out a huff in response, Ianos then watched their black and orange form turn to face Unit Eleven, only to see them pause, "And apparently you're not the only one that needed some light."

At first confused by Ace's words, the Awoken trailed the Ghost's line of sight and paused when he locked onto the form of the Exo Warlock; although his metallic features were hidden by his darken visor, Ianos found it hard to miss the visible shaking in his shoulders, to the point where he can easily see his weapon vibrate in his grasp. It took the Warlock only moments to put the pieces together; Knight may not remember the experience back on the Moon but Unit Eleven 'does', and from what Ianos can see currently in front of him, it holds a clear effect on the seemingly indifferent Exo.

"Observation." Ianos jumped as Unit Eleven's voice resounded through the corridor, "rapid breathing. Increased amount of light." He felt the Exo's gaze fix onto his, "I highly recommend the usage of our Ghosts to light the way. According to Ghost Sunny Day's scans, there is little activity around us, and I estimate only a thirty percent chance of us encountering any hostiles here. Our Ghosts should be little to no danger."

Tuning in onto his fellow Warlock's words, the Awoken Guardian couldn't help but let out a mental scoff; although his tone was even and his shaking had long passed, Ianos can tell that Unit Eleven was trying to make excuses to keep the area illuminated. But even with this in mind, Ianos couldn't help but be grateful at Unit Eleven's attempts to make himself more comfortable; it at least will make finding Angel a bit easier for the pair, mostly mentally. As such, he gave the Exo Warlock a nod of confirmation, signaling to Unit Eleven to take point, weapon drawn, and Sunny Day gliding just behind him, their light shining brightly once more.

Hefting his pulse rifle in his hands, Ianos started following the Exo Warlock's steps, going silent as the familiar hum of Ace's glide hovered near his ears, "Seems like you're not the only survivor anymore."

Hearing this, the Awoken Warlock focused his gaze onto the back of Unit Eleven's head and immediately, a pang of sympathy settled onto his chest. During the years after the Great Disaster and the failed recon he had with Fireteam Reprieve, Ianos cannot recall meeting other Guardians that had a similar experience as him. True, there were Guardians who survived the battles against the Hive, but none of them he had encountered were survivors of being a Hive prisoner. It was hard, to push past the trauma and the stress of the memories, and it also didn't help that Ianos decided to keep most of his experience to himself, mainly for the reason that he dare not try to 'relive' the past. But now, there he was, Unit Eleven, a fellow Guardian, a 'newborn' in terms of age comparison, who had experienced the full extent of what the Hive were capable of. And just like Ianos, the Exo tried to hide it.

Snapping out of his thoughts as he felt a gentle bump onto the side of his head, Ianos shifted his attention back onto Ace, seeing a soft look in his Ghost's orange optic.

"I think you should help him heal when you get the chance," The Awoken Warlock reeled back from his Ghost's words, "And while you are at it, I think it's about time you heal as well."

Giving Ace a narrowed glance behind his visor, Ianos parted his lips to ask the meaning of the Ghost's words, only to pause as the black and orange shell of their comrade brushed past him. Seeing Ace match their pace with Sunny Day's, Ianos then watched as the black and orange Ghost shifted their parts slightly, a sign that they were speaking before Day did the same, the illuminated corridor making it easy to see the interest grow in the white shelled Ghost's white optic. At first, staying in the back as he watched on silently, Ianos then sped up his pace up until he was shoulder to shoulder with Unit Eleven, although he kept his gaze forward.

Letting the silence loom between the pair with the exception of their Ghost's conversation whispering quietly in the background, Ianos couldn't help but fidget nervously, drumming his fingers on the side of his weapon; what should he say? The Warlock had just admitted naught a couple of hours ago of his distrust towards the Exo but yet here he was, trying to be 'friends' just for the reason that they shared a similar experience. He was unsure of what to do with himself; instincts tell him to keep his distance but sympathy told him to connect, to help not only Unit Eleven but himself as well.

"Back in the Golden Age, they did not allow any of my brothers and sisters to show a hint of emotion, including myself." The Warlock jumped at the sudden break in silence, "even a subtle flinch against orders is enough to be marked for termination. In other words, death for my Unit."

Tilting his head over so slightly just enough for his gaze to peer into the Exo Warlock's darken visor, Ianos stayed silent, giving Unit Eleven a silent cue to continue, "This made my unit seem indifferent, uncaring, when in actuality we simply cannot and do not know how to express ourselves. I was the lucky one of my unit, to have a 'teacher' who tried to show me how to be more, human."

This immediately caught Ianos' focus, "A human tried to help you be more aware?"

"Hard to believe?" Unit Eleven turned his gaze towards Ianos, "So did I, until I met Song Hwan-Lee." Then, much to the Warlock's surprise, the Exo let out a short and quiet snicker, subtle to the point where the Awoken thought his mind was playing tricks. However, as he glanced away to comprehend his hearing, the chuckle paused suddenly, as if the Exo Warlock forced the emotion down.

"Observation, signs of human like gestures apparent." The even tone was back in Unit Eleven's voice, "adjusting memory and frequency for proper function."

Hearing the Exo's words, annoyance itched the back of Ianos' mind and he couldn't help but reach out his hand and grab his fellow Warlock by the shoulder, "Stop that, you are your own Exo now. There are no humans to give you orders."

Feeling Unit Eleven come to a pause, Ianos followed his movement, keeping silent as he waited for an answer. Moments later, he watched as the Exo's hand reached up and placed it upon his own before gently shoving it off his shoulder.

"I am performing the adjustments willingly, Warlock Ianos." The Awoken reeled back from his words, "This prevents me from forming, as you organics call, bonds with others, keeping me 'distant' until my self-termination." Feeling the Exo's gaze fall onto his visor, Ianos waited as Unit Eleven added, "As such, there is no need to show sympathy towards me, Warlock Ianos. I will not be in this world much longer."

"Then why are you still here?" Ianos found himself blurting, his eyes narrowing in both bewilderment and irritation, "You speak of self-termination, yet here you are, standing as the Phoenix Unit who lived during the Golden Age."

Hearing silence permeate between the two once more, the Awoken Warlock stood his ground, the chatter of their Ghosts having long paused when the two Guardians had come to a halt.

"Knight is too young." Ianos blinked at Unit Eleven's words, "Too young to properly defend himself against the enemies the Guardians face. If he were to head out into the field as he is, he would more than likely die."

The Awoken frowned at this, "You don't know that."

"I was a prisoner of the Hive as you were, Warlock Ianos," The senior Guardian paused, "and 'I' couldn't handle the ordeal that they had set me through. Now imagine Shining Knight in that position. Would he have lasted as long as I?"

Taking in the words of the Exo Warlock, Ianos found himself unable to answer, and instead, let the silence in the cavern reply to Unit Eleven's question; a soft hum then emitted from the Exo moments later before he resumed his casual strides, slowly making his way down the corridor as Ianos looked on. Momentarily staying put, the Awoken then followed after Unit Eleven, matching his fellow Warlock's strides once more.

"I cannot help but notice that you are quite keen on Knight's wellbeing." Ianos waited and then started when he gained no response, "For a 'clean slate' personality, I did not expect you to be so concerned." He gained silence an as answer once more, "Unless, he is 'not' a clean slated personality. I overheard your conversation with Echo during the day of the trial."

"Echo was not so quiet of our 'conversation' at the stand."

Ianos couldn't help but let a small tinge of amusement tug at the back of his mind at Unit Eleven's words, "So, I am to assume that Knight's status as a 'created' program to be true?"

"Believe what you will."

"Considering your claims that you cannot lie, I'll take that as a yes." Another moment of silence from Unit Eleven, "I just want an honest answer, Unit Eleven. Do you care for Knight?" No answer, "Unit Eleven, did you think I missed you calling him 'Knight' earlier? From what I can recall, you always called him 'Shining Knight'."

"A slip of the tongue."

Ianos couldn't help but scoff at the words, "A slip of the tongue? Even Angel comes up with better excuses than that." He let out a sigh, hefting his pulse rifle in his hands as the Awoken let the silence loom between the pair; in the end, the Warlock decided to let the topic hang. Unit Eleven may not be able to lie, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to evade answers. As such, Ianos decided to wait until the Exo is ready to tell his side of the story, and perhaps, maybe the Awoken will share his. It has to be a fair trade after all, and he knows that both of their stories cannot be shared so lightly.

Xxxxx

Once again, the Hunter and Eliksni pair came to a slow halt as the familiar quiet screeches of the Hive faded from their ears, leaning against the corridor walls to catch their breath. Silently grateful for the short rest, Angel reached over to his injured arm, his trembling fingers tentatively brushing against it. Something was off, he had gained broken bones before but the pain in this one was extensive to the point where the edges of his vision would blur and on occasion, he would stumble over his own feet, as if his limbs refused to follow his commands. Concern growing in the back of his mind, Angel jumped when he felt a hand grab him roughly by the shoulders before forcing his back against the wall, causing the human Hunter to flinch as his arm screamed painfully from the action.

Tense at first, Angel relaxed slightly when he sighted the familiar caped form of the Vandal, now aptly named Flourishing One, before he watched her lean in and heard her take in a deep breath. A snarl then emitted behind her ether mask.

"Now I know why I did not smell the Darken Ones approach," Angel blinked, "I thought at first it was because of the darkness around us but now I know it is coming from you." The Hunter's heart beat rapidly in his chest at her next words, "You are corrupted, bandit."

"Lies!" Angel shoved Flourishing One's form away from him, grasping his injured arm with his good hand, "I was not corrupted when I fell here! My light was strong and bright before I met you."

The Hunter heard Flourishing One growl at his words, "Before that Darken One broke your arm, correct?"

That's when Angel paused, his memory slowly wandering back to the very moment he had stuck his knife into the Acolyte's neck. He only had recalled the pain, the agony of the break, but now, as he took in the smaller details of the fight, Angel remembers the wisps of darkness around the claws of the Hive soldier, before the sensation of talons digging into his skin then rang familiar in the back of his mind. His heart skipping a beat, Angel glanced down at his injured arm before he slid his hand down to the belts of his bracer, unclipping them before he hooked his fingers under his glove and slid the armor piece off.

Immediately his eyes caught sight of black veins sprawling around his arm, his gaze trailing the marks down towards his wrist where he saw three puncture marks, causing him to flinch; that would explain why the pain was substantial. Without a second thought, Angel sat down on the floor, hesitated, then with some slight difficulty, pulled his cloak off his shoulders and onto the hearth.

"What are you doing?"

Instead of immediately responding to the female Vandal, Angel unsheathed the shock blade from his belt and stabbed it onto the side of his cloak, his green eyes glancing momentarily at the symbol of House of Spirits before grabbing the edge of the cloth and pulled. The familiar sound of cloth ripping rang in his ears as his mind screamed at him for destroying the only gift from his first family, but he forced the emotion aside before finally grabbing a strip he was satisfied with. Then he turned his attention towards Flourishing One, "I know you would rather kill me, however, may you give me a hand?"

Seeing her four glowing eyes narrow in response to his words, Angel then decided to turn his focus back towards his arm, fumbling with the strip in his hand until he finally found the coordination to wrap the piece around it. However, much to his frustration, he was unable to tie a knot, let alone make it tight with one hand. At first, deliberated doing it without the fabric piece, Angel then jumped when he sighted Flourishing One's form next to his side, hearing the female Vandal let out a low rumble in response.

"What do aid do you need?"

Blinking several times, Angel remained momentarily silent before finally shaking off the surprise, "Tie this around my arm." Hearing the female Vandal let out a huff, the human Hunter merely held out the torn piece of cloth towards Flourishing One, signaling to her to grab the piece, and started to wrap it around his arm, "Higher." Sensing a look from the female Eliksni, Angel merely ignored it as he watched Flourishing One follow his request before he nodded in satisfaction as she tied it taut.

"What are you planning to do, bandit?"

Turning his focus back onto Flourishing One, Angel gave her a nervous smile, earning another bewildered look, "Just correct me if I am wrong, but Shock Blades still can cauterize wounds?"

The female Vandal narrowed her four eyes once more, "Yes, if you put it on the right settings. Not too difficult to do – ". Hearing her come to a pause, Angel can easily see his plan finally click together in the female Vandal's eyes, seeing them widen, "You are not right of mind! Cutting off your arm! Why not kill yourself and get your Shard to bring you back?"

Taking in a breath at Flourishing one's words, the human Hunter simply hefted the shock blade in his hand, "There are two components against me for that. One, we are surrounded by darkness. Without another Guardian to help me, I won't be able to revive alone. And secondly…" He flashed the Eliksni another sheepish smile, "My Ghost is not with me."

Then gritting his teeth, Angel pressed the button on the hilt, hearing the Shock Blade coming to life in his hand before plunging it just above his forearm. Agony swarmed up his arm, Angel barely biting back a scream as he felt his limb move reflexively against the blade, as if trying to get away from the Eliksni weapon. Forcing his broken appendage still, the Hunter started sawing, feeling trickles of blood going down his arm followed by the burn of the arc energy rippling through his muscles, causing his arm to convulse in response. Forcing the weapon through his thrashing limb, the edges of Angel's vision blurred as he finally felt the blade fall loose, letting the weapon drop from his grasp as he turned his darkened vision towards the female Eliksni.

Although he had hoped the Shock Blade would cauterize the amputation quickly enough, Angel realized that he had lost a lot more blood than he thought, proven from the small pool that had taken form near his side. As such, as the edges of his vision darkened, the Hunter barely had the time to mutter out, "Leave me."

Then he lost sight of his surroundings.

Kind of short compared to other chapters but only by 1k words. You'll live :D