A/N: So yeah, this one is filling a little gap before I start the longer combat based part of Initiation. Read on.

I sat on the ledge, overlooking the highlands below. The Pandoran night was beautiful, and because of the short moonlight cycles, we could see it twice a day before we had to sleep. A full cycle was usually a little longer than 12 hours, so it was fairly easy to adjust. This meant we could enjoy the more peaceful side of Pandora more often than we would on Earth.

I watched some clouds pass below Sanctuary and saw the shadows that the faint moonlight cast on the ground even further down. Being so high, we were safe from any possible ground assault by Bandits or Jack's troops, but the Hyperion moon base still floated menacingly, watching over the entire continent. We all knew that without a shield, Sanctuary was defenceless against a moon shot blitz. However, Mordecai didn't think Jack would launch one, and I agreed. Jack wanted to kill us himself, not from a distance with his obvious resource superiority.

Angel sat down beside me. "It's a pretty nice view, hey?"

I nodded, glancing across at her. Her black hair was long and she let it fall freely down her back. She was lightly built, but because of her Siren power, would be stronger than most people her age. She loved the attention when she walked into a room, loved the feeling of being noticed and appreciated. She was probably my age, if not a bit older, but at least she would know her birthday.

She turned to me, studying my face carefully for my reaction, "So, just curious, you don't remember anything from before the chamber?"

I shook my head, and leaned back, looking up at the stars. "Nothing, in fact, I can barely remember first arriving there. My earliest memory is waking up in my cell, sore as hell all over, with the screams from the chamber down the hall bouncing through the corridors."

Angel's mouth made a small 'o'. She looked away and said, "I'm sorry."

I looked across at her, "Don't be. It was no fault of yours I forgot who I was." I sighed, "I'm not sure if remembering would've been a help anyway."

She looked up and smiled, "Well, at least you can truly start over now."

"Makes two of us," I said, smiling back.

She turned back to the view, and studied the ground far below, "I can remember most of my life with Jack, and what I can't I found in old records in the data network. When I was born, Jack and my mother, Vanessa, were much lower down in the Hyperion rankings. I grew up in a regular home, which, I suppose, you wouldn't really know about. But, something happened when I was probably eight or nine."

Her eyes glazed over and she stared out into the night. "I think something had happened at work and Jack, or John as everyone called him back then, came home late, drunk and angry. My mother had been worrying all night, but when he yelled at her, she grew defensive and started yelling back. It was a mistake, and he went to hit her. She recoiled, and bounced against a bench. Unbalanced, she then fell forward into him, pushing him over easily. He cried out in pain as his head hit the floor, and my mother began to back away, but he reached out and grabbed her ankle."

A single tear dropped from her bright, sky blue eyes. "John pulled himself up off the floor, and growled like a rabid animal. I was crying, and he turned to me, threatening to strike me. Vanessa cried out, and he spun back to her, shoved her to the floor and reached out to the bench."

Angel's voice had dropped to a whisper, but I didn't miss a single word. I didn't let myself.

"Mum had been cooking a roast that night, and the electric knife was still on the bench. He picked it up, and turned it on. I became so scared and angry that my Siren powers kicked in. I used the Phase to cause the motor inside to go haywire, and explode. Jack swore, and dropped the knife, blood dripping from his hand. I was in immeasurable pain as the Phase rushed through me, but as I collapsed to the floor, I saw my mother's hand drop, and blood pool out with it."

She shuddered, "I woke up in my room, stuck there, with no way of communicating. Then, after being cut off for a few years while Jack built up power, he moved me to the Control Core. I was there, alone for six months before he had me contact Roland and the others outside Fyrestone."

Angel sniffed and wiped her eyes, "I didn't lose hope though. I studied everything about Hyperion tech, and I know it all inside out now. I was able to place a copy of myself into the New-U station here in Sanctuary when the others put in the modified power core. As well as that, you know about my sabotage of all the A.I. cores."

I sat quietly, listening to her as she finished. I knew she hadn't had someone to talk to for her entire life, so I was glad to fill the gap.

"And well, here I am." She scoffed, "I may not have arrived to see the Crimson Raiders at their peaks, but at least I can help."

I reached out, and put my hand over hers. "I think your life story trumped mine by a long shot."

She chuckled, "Thanks, Fletch."

We sat like that for a minute, enjoying the peace and quiet, before Angel got up and kissed my cheek. She walked away, back into the HQ.

I smiled to myself. What a girl, I thought, and followed her back to the bunks for a well-deserved night's sleep.

A/N: Well, that is the shortest chapter yet, but it's heavy on the emotion and love triangle developing goodness. Unfortunately, I may not have Initiation – Part 2 up till Monday, because I'm a little separated from society over the weekend. But hang in there, and I'll make it one to enjoy.

~Terrorbyte~