Tormented

The Crucible Match

Edited: 08/05/2018

Fixed grammar mistakes and changed some parts to better fit later chapters. Also, the old chapter, some parts was cringeworthy lol

"Cayde, where are you going?"

His shoulders going rigid as he felt the Warlock's stern gaze on his back, the Hunter Vanguard hesitated momentarily, long enough for Ikora to add, "Is there something you want to tell us?"

Eyeing the exit of the room, Cayde mentally cursed before forcing himself to turn and fixate his gaze onto Ikora and Zavala, "I'm going to watch a Crucible Match."

"A Crucible Match." Zavala lifted his gaze from the report he was reading on the table, his luminescent blue eyes giving the Exo a narrowed look, "We have more important matters than watching a Crucible Match, Cayde. What is so intriguing about this one?"

Cayde couldn't help but blink at the Awoken commander, "You mean, you don't know?" This earned him a bewildered look from not only Zavala, but Ikora as well, "The match between Fireteam Blaze and Ianos' Fireteam?"

He saw Ikora raise a brow, 'Those two? Now why would those two participate in the Crucible against each other?"

"Ultimatum," The Exo Hunter answered, "If they refuse, Neve and her Fireteam will hunt Ianos down. If Ianos and his team accept, they have a fighting chance."

"In other words, if he wins, Neve will leave Ianos alone," Zavala clarified, "However if he loses a match…"

"She gets to kill Ianos," Cayde finished, easily hearing the sigh emitting from both the Titan and the Warlock, "She's still angry about the death of her husband and unborn child, if you cannot tell.'

"Cayde," The Titan Commander started, "I understand why you want to spectate this match, but as I have stated before, we have more important matters to attend to."

"Lovebird is also participating." Cayde's optics brightened as he saw the two Vanguard pause, "and guess who else is joining in?"

"Who?"

"Akiva Wahl, also known as the Bull." The Hunter Vanguard easily caught interest in Zavala and Ikora's gaze, "and Aleeza, the Banshee. They're siding with Ianos' team."

"The Black Death, the Executioner, the Bull, and the Banshee," Cayde heard Ikora breath out, her golden eyes twinkling with curiosity, "Against Fireteam Blaze, a team renowned for their wins in both the Iron Banner and the Trials of Osiris," She crossed her arms, fixing her attention towards Zavala, "Hearing their names, I too am interested in the outcome of this match."

The Titan Vanguard gave the Warlock a betrayed look; the Hunter of the group couldn't help but snicker.

"Oh, come on, Zavala." Cayde chirped, "I know that Ikora and I aren't the only ones who wants to watch the match."

Giving the Titan Commander an expected look, the Exo Hunter barely contained his glee as a sigh of defeat can be heard from Zavala, "Fine, I am curious as well. When does this match start?"

"In a few minutes," Cayde's optics brightened, "So, let's hurry before it starts without us."

Xxxxx

"Is anyone else nervous?" Ianos turned his attention towards Angel, easily sensing worry emanating from the young Hunter behind his visor, "Or is it just me?"

"Mainly just you," He immediately responded as he slipped a clip into his scout rifle, easily spotting the Hunter's shoulders droop in response, "However, if you want an honest answer, I am nervous as well." Ianos momentarily paused, "just slightly."

"Neve?" It was Pluto who spoke, Ianos spotting the Exo fiddling with the sniper in his hands as Nix glided just above his shoulders.

"Somewhat." The Warlock admitted as he fixed his attention on the timer flickering on his visor, the numbers counting down until the start of the match, "I am just glad Shaxx chose a location on Earth. More obstacles and terrain to our advantage."

"The same goes for our opponents," Akiva warned as he secured his rocket launcher onto his back and hefting his auto rifle into his hands, "and since they have experience, they have a tiny bit of an advantage over us."

"Doesn't mean we can't win," Aleeza chirped, placing her pulse rifle onto her shoulder as she grinned, "Who knows, maybe luck will be on our side."

"We need a lot of that luck you are talking about then," Ianos heard Aleeza giggle at his words, "seriously, we do. The match is about to start."

As if on cue, when the timer hit zero, the numbers faded, only to be quickly replaced by the words Twilight Gap, City Perimeter, Earth. This soon was followed by another timer: Ten minutes.

"Fireteam Alpha," Ianos spotted Pluto shaking his head, a clear displeasure at the temporary name towards those who lack a proper title, "versus Fireteam Blaze."

"Still do not understand where Shaxx got those plain old names," He heard the Hunter mutter before nodding his head towards Nix, Ianos seeing the Ghost's shell shift upwards into an equivalent of a smile, "but that signals the start of this game."

No sooner had he finished speaking when Nix's viridian shell immediately glided off, quickly disappearing behind one of the many rusted buildings; Ianos raised a brow towards the blind Exo.

"Where is he going?" Carina finally voiced the question lingering in the Awoken's mind, "Aren't Ghosts supposed to stay with their Guardians for resurrection?"

"Normally, yes," Ianos heard the Exo Hunter hum, "however, remember, Nix and I are lacking our sight, so we aren't exactly 'normal' amongst Guardian standards."

"So, what is he doing?"

"Tracking." Ianos couldn't help but give Pluto a incredulous look; he heard the blind Exo laugh moments later. He must have sensed the looks of doubt, "You will see what I mean in a second."

Giving the Hunter another look, Ianos then shook his head, "Whatever works." He tapped the edge of his scout rifle, "Let us just get this over with. The sooner we can leave here the better."

"And kill before we get killed." He heard Carina chirped before she dashed forward, causing Ianos to jump before he quickly spotted the familiar forms of Akiva and Aleeza follow after.

Trailing the three Guardians until they disappeared into one of the rotting buildings, the Awoken then shook his head, "I swear, Carina seems to enjoy killing other Guardians in the Crucible way more than is considered normal."

"Must be the challenge." Ianos turned his head towards Pluto in time to see the Hunter shrug; he frowned at the Exo's words.

"Now why would anyone-"

"Target."

Seeing Pluto lift up his sniper rifle, Ianos ducked down as the familiar resounding shot of the weapon went off, the sound echoing through the arena. Not long after, the words 'Pluto-99 killed Ria-15' flashed across Ianos' visor.

"Traveler, give us a warning before you do that." Ianos snapped as he stood up, scowling at the Exo, "And how in the Traveler did you know she was coming?'

"Remember Nix?" The Warlock gave Pluto another bewildered look before it finally clicked, his orange eyes widening behind his visor before he nodded his head in understanding.

"I still don't get it." Ianos sighed at Angel's confusion, "how are you able to shoot and see your targets if your optics aren't working?"

A smile can be sensed emitting from the blind Exo, "Like I have said before, you will see later." Ianos stiffen when he then saw the Hunter turn towards another part of the arena, "Target."

As Pluto raised his sniper rifle once more, Ianos this time followed the line of fire, barely catching the familiar cloak of a Hunter before hearing the shot of the sniper going off. However, this time, the bullet slammed into the hearth, barely missing the edge of the red clad Hunter's feet as it kicked up dirt, clouding the line of sight.

"Missed."

Ianos couldn't help but let a tinge of amusement settle into his mind at the sound of frustration in Pluto's voice; he couldn't suppress his snicker, "You? Miss? Now that is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"Shut up."

Smirking as he can sense the scowl emitting behind Pluto's helmet, Ianos continued to watch as the Hunter lifted up his sniper, paused momentarily, and fired. This time, the words 'Pluto-99 killed Jordan' flashed onto the Awoken's visor. It was not long after that static built up within their headpiece followed by Akiva's laughter.

"You're on a roll." The Titan practically sang, "already two kills and not even one minute into the match."

"Just focus on defense." Pluto chided as he took several steps forward and taking point, "Angel and I will be on the offense and Ianos…" The Warlock in question felt Pluto's gaze as the latter turned to look at him, "Ianos will assist."

Strangely, this caused the Awoken to frown, "I will assist, as long as I do not kill anyone."

Seeing Pluto nod in confirmation of his words, Ianos waited momentarily until the Hunter started to take the lead, prompting the Awoken to quietly follow behind the Exo Guardian.

Xxxx

"Excuse us, pardon us." Cayde called out as he easily slipped in between the crowd, pushing his way to the front of the screens before turning around and motioning to the others. Seeing a scowl form onto Zavala's face as the Titan easily made his way through the mass, Cayde couldn't help but be amused as Ikora stayed close behind the Awoken Titan, using the Vanguard Commander's immense size to her advantage to easily make her way to the front.

"There are a lot of people here." Zavala mused, placing himself in between Cayde and Ikora, unaware of his towering and broad stature keeping other Guardians at bay; the Vanguard Hunter snickered to himself at the annoyed looks the Titan Commander received, only for their eyes to quickly widened as they realized it was the head of the Vanguard himself.

"With the appearance of the Executioner, the Bull, and the Banshee after 'decades' of being AWOL, there is bound to be a large audience," Cayde commented as he made himself comfortable, stretching out his arms as his optics lifted upwards towards the screens above them, skimming his gaze over the one that had the name 'Akiva' flickering on the bottom, "add in Fireteam Blaze into the mix, it is a sure way to garner some attention."

"What is he doing?" Ikora suddenly asked as her golden eyes glanced over the screen that Cayde was viewing, squinting as the brown clad form of Akiva sheathed his weapons and crouched down.

Cayde couldn't help the twinkle of amusement in his gaze as he watched the Titan lean against the wall, an unsuspecting opponent slowly making their way around the corner, "Right here, you will see the example of why Akiva is called 'The Bull'."

No sooner had he finished speaking when it showed Akiva leaping out towards his opponent, the familiar particles of void light lingering over his fist before it impacted into the opponent's helmet, sending them reeling as the familiar sound of their shields shattering resounded through the audience. His opponent – a Titan – is momentarily stunned by the impact, allowing Akiva enough time to swing his other fist, this one also filtering with void light as it rammed into his opponent's jaw. Instantly, familiar burst of light ignited throughout the Titan's body before it finally simmered away in an outline of void, and then, his Ghost materializing into view.

It didn't take long for the audience to clap at the display, cheers and whistles permeating through the room as the screen showed Akiva pumping a fist into the air before dashing off.

"Ah yes, nearly forgotten why." Ikora commented as her golden eyes traced the human Titan, watching with amusement as he met up with Aleeza and Carina, the former motioning her arms towards the Titan; it was easy to read from her stiff shoulders and posture that she was not pleased with his stunt. Nonetheless, Akiva seemed to shrug it off, as he was seen scratching the back of his head before shifting his shoulders up and down, causing the female Warlock to throw her hands into the air in exasperation.

That is when a loud bang emitted from the screen, Cayde catching most if not all of the audience jumping at the sound before he spotted Carina's body fly backwards, taking only a moment to spot the familiar sniper shot on her chest as her body landed on the earth. Shouts and whoops then followed as a tally was marked for Neve's team, the audience's cheer growing as Akiva and Aleeza were now on alert, both Guardians diving for cover when a missed sniper shot slammed in between them.

"This is going to be interesting." The Vanguard Hunter mused, excitement lingering in his optics as he watched Aleeza jumped out of cover, narrowly ducking to avoid a shot at her head before skidding down onto her knees and sliding towards Carina's Ghost.

Xxxxx

"Cover me!" Aleeza shouted, holding out her hand to allow Lena to materialize and start beaming her light into Spear's form, watching as the timer for resurrection sped up on her visor.

"Say that to my short-range auto-rifle!" She heard Akiva shout back before the female Awoken heard the familiar shots of rapid fire resonate behind her, watching as her twin's form ran past. Seeing him momentarily dodge another sniper shot, Aleeza's heart skipped a beat when she saw Akiva run around a corner and out of sight.

"Wait! Akiva! Wait for us!" She shouted after her twin, only to snap her attention back towards Carina as she heard the familiar click of the resurrection timer hitting zero, signaling to Aleeza to jump onto her feet and leap back.

"Okay! Who killed me!?" Was the first thing out of Carina's mouth as the Exo Titan landed on her feet, weapon drawn as a snarl escaped her.

"I'll tell you later." Aleeza placed her hand onto the Exo's shoulder, causing the younger Guardian to snap her attention towards the Awoken, "But for now, let's find Akiva before he falls into a trap."

"Too late."

Puzzled by Carina's immediate response, Aleeza then spotted the text 'Spirit-9 killed Akiva Wahl' flicker onto her visor. This prompted the Awoken to heave out a sigh, "I always tell him not to charge in without back up." She then patted Carina's shoulder repeatedly before heading towards one of the buildings, "Come on, let's help my brother out, shall we?"

Xxxxx

"And of course, he gets himself killed." Ianos watched as Pluto shook his head, "always Akiva, charging in head first without a plan."

"Is that a bad sign?"

Pluto shook his head at Angel's question, "Akiva may get killed a lot, however, occasionally he does that on purpose."

"What do you mean?"

Ianos couldn't help but roll his eyes at the younger Hunter, "As you know, Akiva is fully capable of a one on one match." He waited until Angel nodded to continue, "What would happen if Akiva is suddenly taken down?"

"That there is more than one – oh." Understanding immediately emitted from the young Guardian, "So, Akiva sometimes charges in to warn us if there are more than one opponent in an area?"

Pluto nodded, "Exactly, as such, if you see him run off in a direction and he suddenly dies, you are informed that there is more than one individual waiting for you when you turn the corner."

"Aleeza and Carina split off with him, right?" Angel asked, Ianos watching Pluto nod once more to answer the younger Hunter's question, "Then that means they are warned that there is more than one Guardian nearby?"

"Correct, as such, why they have not been killed yet." Pluto confirmed before Ianos froze as the Exo Hunter halted, signaling to Ianos to take a step back as the Hunter raised his sniper once again and fired. It wasn't long when another tally was added to his kill count.

"Do you not have a silencer on that thing?" Ianos snapped, narrowing his orange eyes at the barrel of the weapon, "You are giving our position away."

"Let them come." The Awoken Warlock gave the Exo Hunter a blank stare, watching as the latter dropped an empty clip from his weapon before taking out a fresh one, "More kills for me."

"… You and your kill count." Ianos rolled his eyes as he continued to watch the Exo slide the clip in before finally pulling the lever on the side, "That need to keep it high still ingrained into your mind it seems."

"It is all about the bragging rights, Little Light," Scoffing at Pluto's words, Ianos then fixed his attention forward, only to freeze as he spotted a familiar form of a Titan duck down behind one of the windows; the colors of azure were not the copper or brown form of Carina or Akiva.

"Pluto-" Ianos started, only to reel back as the familiar sound of a sniper rang through the air however, this time, the shot was not fired from the Exo Hunter.

The Awoken's eyes widen as sparks emitted from the hole through Pluto's head, the Exo's body going momentarily still before he collapsed onto his knees, and then onto his side, signifying his death. Turning his attention towards the building where he had last seen the Titan, the shock was soon quickly replaced by rage as he spotted the Guardian duck behind his cover once more, "You. How dare you!"

Gathering the void around his body, Ianos rushed towards the building, ignoring Angel's calls as he focused in on the earth a small distance away from him, waiting until the head of the Titan popped out of cover to lift his hand and pull. Immediately, the familiar sensation of weightlessness permeated through his form followed by momentary blindness of light, causing Ianos to hold his breath as the world suddenly popped into his vision. This disorientation was quickly replaced by a sense of victory as the Titan fired his sniper, hearing the shot land on his previous position before the Guardian boosted himself through the window, and slamming himself into the Titan.

The world was then a blur as the Awoken attempted to gain the upper hand, cursing and snarling as he continuously attempted to bar the Titan use of his hands only to feel the Guardian easily resist, attempting to aim his weapon towards Ianos' chest. That is when the Warlock then heard a single gunshot ring through the air followed by the Titan suddenly going still, and his body collapsing on top of him in a heap.

Letting out a grunt at this, Ianos then shoved the body to the side, easily spotting the Titan's Ghost before looking towards the entryway, only to raise a brow as he saw Angel, hand cannon in his grip as the latter lowered his weapon, smoke billowing from the barrel to signify a fresh shot.

"Are you okay?" He heard Angel asked, however, instead of responding, Ianos gave the young Hunter an incredulous look.

Now Ianos had not been in the Crucible for decades, but he has participated enough where new Crucible participance do not take their first kills so lightly. It takes days, weeks even before a rookie could even steady their hands when taking aim at a fellow Guardian, let alone take a killing shot. Seeing Angel standing there, his hands steady, his body posture straight and unrelenting, Ianos couldn't help but find it hard to believe the younger Guardian's claims of never touching the Crucible until recently.

"What?" Ianos easily sensed the bewildered stare from the young Hunter, "why are you staring at me like that?"

Frowning at Angel's question, the Awoken contemplated on his thoughts before finally asking, "You took the shot too easily." He raised a brow as the Hunter paused, "You sure that you never participated in the Crucible beforehand?"

"Before I met you guys? Never."

Scrunching his features together at Angel's words, Ianos decided to let it slide; all Guardians have secrets, even ones as young as the Hunter standing before him. Since the Awoken held plenty himself, it is only fair that the younger Guardian gets to keep his hidden as well.

"Nix should have sensed Pluto's death by now," Ianos stated as he pushed himself onto his feet, brushing the dust off the front of his coat before searching for his fallen weapon, "let us head back to his body so that we are able to provide him cover when he resurrects."

Seeing Angel nod in confirmation at his words, the Awoken then spotted his scout rifle before scooping it up and trailing back towards Pluto's fallen corpse.

Xxxxx

"Damn," Cayde let out a whistle, "Been a while since I've last seen someone take out Lovebird, let alone with a sniper."

"First time for everything," Ikora mused as she crossed her arms, her golden eyes glittering with amusement, "although I am surprised that Ianos and Angel were able to kill Alyx on their own."

"Oh?" Cayde turned his curious optics towards the Warlock Vanguard, "Care to explain?"

"As you know, Hunter Angel is completely new to the Crucible," Ikora responded, earning a nod of confirmation from Cayde, "and compared to a Titan that has competed in both the Iron Banner and the Trials of Osiris, the odds should have been against him."

"And Ianos?"

"You heard his vow," Cayde paused as old memories flickered to the surface, "I remember it quite well."

"Ah yes, I remember clearly now," It was Zavala, the Titan Commander silently contemplating on Ikora's words, "Never shall I take the life of another Guardian, never shall this gun spill the blood of Light, never again will I wield a weapon that has killed a Guardian, and never again will I spill the blood of a brethren of the Light."

"Oh, right," The Hunter Vanguard pulled his hood closer to his face, "That would explain why he hadn't participated in the Crucible the past few decades."

"And why he is using a Scout rifle instead of a Pulse rifle," Cayde gave Ikora puzzled look at her words, "If one handles it correctly, a pulse rifle is capable of hitting an opponent on three different areas. However, even the slightly shift of movement can completely change trajectory of the bullets."

"So, he's using a Scout rifle to only shoot one bullet per round," The Vanguard Hunter realized, "That way if he somehow messes up his aim…"

"He won't accidentally kill a Guardian, unlike with a Pulse rifle," Zavala finished, "He is taking every precaution to ensure he will not take a life."

Pondering on the words of his fellow Vanguard, Cayde then let out a snicker, earning himself puzzled looks, "To think, many Guardians believe him to be a Guardian killer." He shifted his attention back towards the screen, "The irony."

Xxxxx

"How many times do I have to tell you not to dash into battle like that?" Carina heard Aleeza scold just as her twin materialized onto his feet, earning herself a sheepish smile from Akiva, "You were just fortunate that there were only two of them here, otherwise, Carina and I would have been unable to resurrect you."

At first amused by the twins' bickering, the female Titan's amusement quickly dwindled as Akiva shrugged, immediately setting off sensations of frustration from the Warlock, "I thought there was only one."

"There is such a thing as looking around a corner," Aleeza snapped, Carina sensing another nervous smile from the male Titan before finally, the Warlock sighed, "Akiva, normally I would not say this in a Crucible match but, since you do this in the field as well, might as well say it again. There will be a day that dashing into battle like that will kill you. Permanently."

Now that quashed the last of Carina's mood right there, the female Titan slowly realizing the seriousness of the situation as the sheepishness previously emanating from Akiva slowly dwindled, only to filled by silence.

"Maybe that is what I was intentionally going for."

A stunned paused, "What?"

"I know you have lost loved ones as well, Aleeza, but, do you understand how it feels to be a survivor? Of walking out a mission after you watched your Fireteam get slaughtered by the enemy?"

"Akiva, we went through this already. You must let go."

"Let go? Let go! You didn't head down into the depths of the Moon only to witness your Fireteam, your 'family' get slaughtered by a Hive equivalent of a god!" Akiva shouted, "that is not something that you just let go, Aleeza!"

"Akiva, please, just let me help."

"Help? Help with what? Survivor's guilt?" Carina froze as she heard a bitter laugh emanate from the Titan; this was not the cheerful Guardian she just had met a few days ago, "You weren't there, Aleeza. You weren't there when that bastard slew down my team and then 'laughed' as I cowered behind my bubble, helpless to do anything."

A strained silence then followed Akiva's words, causing the female Exo to shift nervously on her feet; to her, it was an awkward situation, unsure whether to leave to give them space but leaving them exposed, or to stay but to continue to unintentionally tune in of their personal problems.

"Akiva." Aleeza finally broke the silence, "It is true that I do not know the feeling of being a lone survivor of a team, but I do know the sense of loss, and all I can say is this." Carina held her breath as the Awoken slowly closed the distance between herself and her twin before clasping his hands in hers, "That all this grief, all this loss, you do not have to do it alone."

Hearing the sincerity in the female twin's words, Carina shifted her optics towards Akiva, seeing the Titan lift his head slightly before he pulled Aleeza into an embrace, holding her close as the female Exo spotted the trembling from his shoulders.

"That's a relief," She let her shoulders fall, releasing the tension as Carina finally glanced up at her radar, only to spot red, "Wait."

Turning his attention towards the entrance of the building, Carina then froze as she saw the familiar head of a rocket flying towards them, "Shit."

Xxxxx

"Three kills for that Guardian," Pluto heard Angel comment as Nix sent the data to his optics, watching as Akiva, Aleeza, and Carina's names scrolled upwards, all of them preceded by 'Leonard', "are you sure that they're not going to catch up?"

"We still have five more minutes," The Exo Hunter answered as he fumbled for the heavy ammo clips, using his foot to shove aside the body of a Titan that had attempted to make a mad dash for it; with a combination of Angel's Hand Cannon shots and Pluto's sniper, she didn't stand a chance, "We will just take that time to keep ahead."

Holding out a clip towards Angel, Pluto sensed the younger Hunter hesitate before feeling the ammo leave his hand, signaling him to turn towards Ianos and hold out the other pack. However, he paused when he sensed Ianos promptly scowling at the heavy ammo and as such, decided to load it into his own machine gun, sliding the clip easily into the slot before closing the lid shut.

"So, this will help us stay in the lead?" He heard Angel ask as the young Hunter continued to prepare his heavy weapon – a machine gun if Pluto were the judge from the familiar clink of a belt made of bullets scraping against the sides.

"Perhaps," Pluto answered as he sheathed his heavy weapon back onto his back and hefted his sniper rifle back into his hands, "however if we die, we lose that ammo, and they only transmat one package of heavy ammo per round. You do have to take care when in hand with it."

"Is heavy ammo really that important?"

"You saw how many kills Leonard got, correct?"

"Oh, right."

"Just keep your guard up, you will never know when you will need it," Pluto advised as he shifted his blind gaze elsewhere, Nix's scans filtering into his optics; he let out a curse, "Shit, without Akiva and the others acting as our wall, Neve's team is heading this way." He frowned, "With Neve amongst them." The Exo then turned towards the younger Guardian, "Angel, get your machine gun ready," He shifted his attention over to Ianos, "Ianos, cripple them if you can."

The blind Exo then snapped to attention, the familiar outline of an approaching target filtering into his vision, "Target."

Fluidly lifting up his sniper, Pluto didn't hesitate to place pressure on the trigger, barely feeling the kick permeate through his arm as he took the shot. It didn't take long before Nix fed him the confirmed kill but instead of focusing on the individual, he then took aim again as he spotted three more approaching, "Angel! Heavy!"

As he fired another shot, Nix sending him another confirmation kill, Pluto then leaped out of the way as a panicked shriek emitted from the younger Hunter, barely feeling the bullets of the latter's machine gun grazing against his sides. If it wasn't for the fact that Angel's erratic shots had somehow slammed into one of Neve's Fireteam members, he would have shouted at the young Guardian for bringing in a weapon he had little control of. Or he should have as he then heard the familiar clinks of a weapon firing long after running out of ammo.

"Did I get anyone?"

Shoving the scolding to the side as Pluto took in the younger Hunter's question, the blind Exo then answered, "One, however, there is still one more to account for-"

He was unable to finish as a shot rang through the air, startling Pluto before hearing Ianos curse. At first confused by the Awoken's use of language, he finally understood as Nix sent him scans, only for him to see Angel collapse backwards, the clang of his machine gun leaving his hands a clear sign of his death.

Another scan of their surroundings prompted Pluto to bolt towards Ianos, tackling the Awoken to the floor as another sniper shot ricochet nearby. Pushing himself onto his knees, the Exo Hunter raised his sniper rifle and fired, only to let out an annoyed growl when Nix sent him scans to show that he had missed.

The Guardian he had missed was Neve.

Raising his sniper rifle again and waited patiently for Nix's scans, Pluto cursed as he saw Neve's outline skid into cover, easily keeping herself out of sight.

"Come out of hiding, coward," He hissed out as he waited, narrowing his optics as he sensed no movement, sensed no intentions of coming out of hiding. Perhaps a grenade would suffice enough to get her out into the open? As he contemplated on this, another scan was sent to his optics and immediately, Pluto shook his head. According to the scans he received, Nix was in a position where a grenade would be too risky, too dangerous for the blind Ghost. As such, Pluto opted for the waiting game, taking subtle signals from Neve as Nix continued to send him scans. That is when his scowl deepened.

According to what he can see, Neve was glancing over her shoulder too often, her fingers tense on the trigger of her sniper rifle. The female Warlock was hiding behind a crusted building with a window to allow her easy access to a shootout, but she was tense, only glancing over the window sill long enough just to gain some information, just as Pluto is doing with her. But what was she waiting for? The Exo Hunter was out in the open, with nothing but his sniper rifle as cover. She can easily get a shot on him and – even if Pluto hated to admit it – Neve may even beat him if she uses her cover well. So, why isn't she doing it?

Frowning behind his visor, Pluto contemplated on his situation before turning his attention towards Ianos, parting his lips to ask for advice when he suddenly realized his side was empty, glancing around until his senses pulled him towards Angel's place of death. The familiar hum of a Ghost materializing into the open reached the Exo Hunter's senses and it was then, Nix's scans showed Neve finally moving, hefting her sniper rifle over the window sill and taking aim. That is when Pluto realized what she was waiting for.

"Ianos! Ace!"

A resounding bang rang through the air followed by a scream from Ianos, as Nix's scans showed Ace flying through the air before landing with a dull 'thud' onto the dry hearth.

Xxxxx

Cayde took in a sharp breath as the audience suddenly went into an uproar, some of them screaming and pointing at the blasphemous shot while others were too stunned to even react. Who can blame the spectators? They just witnessed a Guardian trying to kill another's Ghost.

"We have to stop the match." Cayde heard Zavala state, the Hunter Vanguard turning in time to spot the Titan Commander easily making his way through the crowd, and it was then the Hunter spotted Shaxx's form towering above everyone else. He had to know what was going to happen next. As such, Cayde slipped between the mass, barely catching Ikora's form trailing behind him.

"Stop the match."

The words were demanding, Zavala's azure eyes narrowing at the Crucible Master just as Cayde stepped in, "Shaxx, are you listening to me?"

Annoyance can easily be sensed from the Crucible Handler as the latter turned from his pedestal, shifting his hands away from the console before him; a quick glance by Cayde revealed the names of the Guardians and Ghosts currently participating in the arenas upon the screen. He spotted Ianos' Fireteam and Fireteam Blaze's names on the lower left hand of the screen, unfortunately, even with his keen optics, he couldn't properly read what it was.

"The match continues."

Cayde couldn't help but take a step back as Zavala gave Shaxx a glare; here they go again.

"Would you like to tell me why you are refusing to cancel the match?"

An unimpressed look can easily be sensed from Shaxx, "There are protocols in the Crucible to ensure Guardians are unable to permanently kill each other." Cayde saw Zavala give his fellow Titan a doubtful look, "This applies to their Ghosts as well."

"That sounds new." It was Ikora who spoke, the Vanguard Warlock's words causing Cayde to give her a bewildered look before it finally clicked; of course, Ikora was a menace in the Crucible before her 'retirement'. It would make sense that she would know 'everything' when it comes to the arenas.

"Before the start of every match, I always give each Ghost an encryption, a code." Shaxx explained, "the encryption gives the Ghosts protection, a temporary shield you can call it." The Crucible Master then turned his attention back towards the console before him, his fingers shifting the multiple screens around, "It protects them from any firearm: Shotguns, snipers, even rocket launchers. 'Nothing' can get through to harm the Ghosts."

"Then explain to me what we just saw on the screen." Zavala snarled, Cayde watching as Shaxx once again turned his focus back towards the Titan Commander, "Ghost Ace was shot right out of Warlock Ianos' hand." He then nodded his head towards the larger screens currently viewed by the spectators, "And as you can see, they are not getting up."

At first, it seemed like as though Shaxx had been caught, Cayde leaning in as silence filtered in between the two Titans.

"Warlock Neve must have a powerful rifle then," If Zavala had not been furious beforehand, he was now, "Need to strengthen the code." Shaxx once again turned his attention back towards the console, "But I can assure you that Ghost Ace is still alive and active, my monitors show that their Light is still strong as ever. They must be simply knocked out."

Confused at the words of the Crucible Handler, Cayde found himself once again peeking at the monitor in front of Shaxx before understanding finally filtered into his sensors; now being properly informed of the contents, the Vanguard Hunter can now clearly see the lines next to each participants name, and next to each line, was their Ghosts. From his position, he can see Ace's line thrumming strongly, signifying the truth in Shaxx's words.

"The Crucible is more than a game, 'Commander'," Cayde flinched at the strain at Zavala's title emitting from Shaxx's lips, "It is to help hone the skills of Guardians, both Veterans and newborns, and prepares them for the field." He paused just long enough to move more screens around, "I have been watching over the Crucible for 'years', ensuring that other Guardians do not kill each other, Zavala. So, understand this." Shaxx then turned and a glare can be felt behind his helmet, "I know what I am saying when I say let the match continue."

Now Cayde had seen Zavala upset before, frustrated even, and on more than one occasion, disappointed. But, the rage, the anger he felt from the Titan, that was still foreign, still new to the Vanguard as the Hunter watched the Awoken Titan's hands curl into fists, easily seeing his jaw tighten, "You can say that so confidently after what happened with Thalor and Dredgen Yor?"

Cayde's optics bulged out of their sockets at Zavala's words, his jaw hanging open; did the Titan Commander 'really' bring 'that' up? It was a permanent mark in Crucible history, even the rookies heard of it sooner or later. The invisible Thalor, brought down by the corrupted Guardian, Dredgen Yor, after the champion Titan ended up being on the wrong end of Thorn. Cayde recalls that event perfectly, remembering that not long after Yor fled the arena, participation in the Crucible dropped; many Guardians, both young and old, feared that the fallen hero would return, and that they too would find themselves at the end of the corrupted Hand Cannon. It was an event that even Shaxx had a hard time facing.

Speaking of, Cayde suddenly found the Crucible Handler colliding into Zavala, his hands a tight grip on the Titan Commander's shoulders. In retaliation, the Awoken had braced himself, digging his feet into the marbled floor and his hands pressed against Shaxx's shoulders. However, instead of forcing the Titan Vanguard back, Cayde was surprised to see the trembling in the Crucible Master's arms, emotions that the Hunter would never dream of Shaxx expressing being clearly felt from the Titan.

"Did you think that I truly did not try to stop them?" Although a growl can be heard in Shaxx's voice, Cayde also sensed something else behind it, an emotion that he cannot quite pinpoint, "I tried transmatting Thalor out of there, tried convincing him to leave after seeing that Yor's weapon was not affected by my meager protocols I had back then. But Thalor insisted, claiming, 'declaring' that he could defeat 'him'." Cayde then watched as the Crucible Handler glanced momentarily towards the floor before lifting his chin, his grip tightening on Zavala's shoulders but not out of spite, but out of assurance, "Trust me on this, Zavala, when I say that I added in extra precautions to ensure that it 'never' happens again."

It was then Cayde saw Zavala fix his gaze onto Shaxx's face, his glowing eyes spotting the hidden expression of his fellow Titan before finally, a sigh can be heard from the Commander.

"I hope you know what you are doing, Shaxx." Zavala stated as he lowered his hands, signaling for the Crucible Handler to do the same.

Finding himself relaxing the intensity in his shoulders, Cayde shifted his attention back towards the screens just above the spectators; the Vanguard Hunter couldn't help but agree with the Titan Commander's words. Shaxx better know what he is doing.

Xxxxx

"Ace?" Ianos said quietly as he held the unmoving Ghost in his hands, kneeling on the hearth as he brushed his fingers over their optic; there was no obvious damage, but it was clear Ace was unconscious. He then felt a hand settle onto his shoulder, "Ianos, we have to take cover."

The Awoken Warlock shifted his attention upward, hesitating when he spotted Pluto's dark clad form, "But what about-"

"Angel will be able to resurrect in a few moments." Pluto assured, Ianos feeling the Hunter giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze, "However, we have to move, Nix confirmed that the rest of Neve's team are on their way here." Feeling the Hunter hook his arm underneath his, the Awoken used Pluto as leverage to help himself get back onto his feet.

However, before the Warlock can gain his bearings, he then felt hands shove him by the shoulder, causing him to stumble but somehow, remaining on his feet. Not long after, rapid shots rang through the air followed by the familiar sound of shields shattering, causing Ianos to glance over in time to see Pluto collapse, multiple entrance wounds seen on his back as he fell face forward. The Warlock wasted no time to turn and dash towards one of the many buildings, feeling bullets brush against his legs as he somehow managed to skid into one of the doorways and press himself against the walls.

"Come on, Ace, wake up," He hissed silently as he stared down at his cupped hands, spotting the steadily beating beads of light filtering through his Ghost's core; a sign that they are alive, "If I die while you are like this, you will be exposed and…" Ianos found his voice fading, unable to finish his sentence as he paled, "Damn it, she planned this, this is what she had wanted."

Clutching Ace's form close to his chest as the Awoken then heard heavy footsteps permeate nearby, Ianos cursed silently to himself as he realized the absence of his scout rifle, remembering tossing it to the side when Ace was shot out of the air. As such, he fumbled for the sidearm around his waist, hearing his heart beat loudly in his ears as the sounds of footsteps grew closer. Panic then took over as Ianos simply saw a foot take a step in before he aimed and fired. A howl signaled for the Awoken to run off once again, cursing under his breath as he once again heard the sounds of rapid fire ringing behind him but, somehow, he miraculously skidded around a corner, hearing the bullets pelt his meager cover instead.

"We need to find a way to better communicate." Ianos muttered as thoughts of his teammate's locations lingered to the front, scowling at Ace's unconscious form in his hands, "and be less dependent on you guys."

No sooner had the words left is lips when something hot pierced his leg, the sensation then quickly replaced by pain. Letting out a shout of agony, Ianos then found himself tumbling onto the dry hearth, feeling himself skidding forward before coming to a harsh stop. Grunting as a dull thrum permeated throughout his body, Ianos gritted his teeth as he shifted Ace's form close to himself with one hand before using the other to force himself onto his side, enabling him to glance down at his leg. Wincing as he immediately recognized the entrance wound, Ianos cursed at his luck as he saw the pool building up underneath him, forcing the Warlock to turn and sit with his legs out in front of him. Just as he started placing pressure onto the injured limb, he heard footsteps once more, and this time, Ianos took in a deep breath; with his current condition, he would just be further harming himself if he tries to run. For now, he was cornered. As such, he held Ace's form behind his back, just as he recognized Neve's red clad form approach, sniper in hand.

"What?" Ianos managed to call out, his orange eyes scanning the other five forms standing behind the female Warlock, "Too scared to face me alone?"

The Awoken didn't have to see Neve's face to sense the scowl behind her visor, "I am not an idiot, Black Death. With the Executioner around, I know I cannot get close enough to kill you." He heard her scoff, "I knew that you would be hiding behind him and the rest of your team like the coward you are."

"So, you made the decision that it was best to take them all out first?" Ianos received a nod of confirmation from Neve, "It was well worth the effort however, they can simply respawn."

A sense of uneasiness settled into the bottom of the Awoken's stomach when he heard Neve let out a snort, "By the time they resurrect and get here, it will be too late." He watched as the female Guardian lowered her sniper, allowing free use of one hand which she held out his way, "So tell me, where is your Ghost? I want to destroy it in front of you-" That is when Ianos heard her suddenly halt, feeling her eyes linger elsewhere. It took the Awoken only moments to follow her eyes towards the flickering bond around his arm.

"That's- That's Neptune's bond," A sense of anger can be heard in Neve's voice, "Where did you get that?!"

Contemplating on whether or not to answer truthfully, Ianos decided with his current situation, he cared little if things went for the worse or for the better, "Pluto gave it to me." The Awoken immediately felt the glare he received from Neve, "He said that Neptune would have wanted me to have it."

A brief moment of silence.

"I do not believe you." Ianos was not surprised by Neve's words, "Why would Neptune give his bond, a 'Stormcaller's' bond, to someone like you!? You! A Guardian tainted with Darkness and a murderer!"

Flinching at her words, Ianos pressed his free hand onto the dry hearth, attempting to lift himself just enough to use his good leg to gain some distance between himself and Neve; if she had noticed, she showed no sign of it as she continued, "Neptune mentored almost all of the Warlock's in the Tower and he chose you! Why!?"

That is when Ianos' mind lingered back, a sense of melancholy settling into his chest as he remembered Neptune's synthetic but gentle hands intertwine with his, the Exo Warlock's white optics brimming with kindness as the latter helped the Awoken onto his feet and spoke with calm that Ianos had not experienced in 'decades'. Neve would never understand the loss or the bond that he had with the late Warlock.

Nonetheless, he let out a hiss, "How am I supposed to know? I cannot read his mind."

Easily sensing the scowl behind Neve's helmet, Ianos paused as she held out her free hand, "Give it here."

He gave her a blank stare, "You are joking?"

A snarl can easily be heard from the female Guardian, "Give the bond here."

Although he gave Neve the best glare he could muster in his current situation, Ianos couldn't help but hesitate as his orange eyes lingered over the five other Guardians covering Neve's back, contemplating on his next choice of words.

"No."

Just as the answer left his lips, a high-powered shot rang through the air followed by Ianos feeling a hard and painful impact slam into his shoulder, feeling his body contort and turn to follow the hit. Before he can even comprehend what had happened, Ianos then felt weight press onto his chest and then felt hands clawing at the bond on his arm. Mentally apologizing to his Ghost, the Warlock reluctantly dropped Ace's unconscious form before clasping both his hands around Neve's wrists just as she had unclipped the armor piece from his person.

"This shouldn't be yours!" Ianos heard her shout as he felt her pull, his fingers barely keeping taught around her wrists, "A Guardian murderer and a Soldier of the Darkness should not deserve a bond from one of the most well renowned Guardians in history!"

"Who said that I was a Soldier of the Darkness!?" The Awoken found himself retorting, slipping his hands downwards before clasping down onto the edges of his bond, "And this bond is rightfully mine! Neptune gifted it to me! Pluto heard him say so!"

"Pluto is a liar and a traitor!" Anger filtered to the surface of Ianos' mind at Neve's words, "Anyone but you deserve this bond! Anyone but a murderer!"

Flinching at Neve's words, Ianos kept his grip strong as he felt the female Warlock pull once more, although concern grew in his mind as he felt the armor piece stretch and contort. Just as he was about to voice his concerns to Neve, a blur of movement caused him to startle, watching as something or 'someone' slammed into the female Warlock, and sent her flying, easily allowing Ianos easy movement as she landed at the feet of her shocked Fireteam.

"Death from above!"

Recognizing Carina's voice, Ianos barely had the time to spot her flying over his head and seeing the familiar energy of arc light blazing in her fists before she slammed them at the feet of the opposing team. Arc energy then exploded, surging forward as it latched onto the forms of Fireteam Blaze, releasing a barrage of immense light before finally, they were gone, leaving nothing behind but a mass of flickering light.

"Six kills! Multikill! Record!" Carina cheered, Ianos blinking as the female Titan jumped and down in celebration only to startle as he felt a hand clamp down onto his shoulder.

Snapping his attention upwards, the Warlock only relaxed when his eyes spotted Pluto's visor, feeling the Hunter give him another comforting squeeze before holding out his free hand; Ianos immediately recognized the black and orange shell in the Exo's palm.

"If we were in any other situation, I would have scolded you on how to keep Ace out of danger," Pluto chided as Ianos scooped his Ghost's form tenderly into his hands, "however, currently, I am glad that we made it in time."

"You were just fortunate that Akiva reacted quickly and punched Neve in the face." It was Aleeza, the female Awoken leaning forward and picking up the fallen bond before kneeling beside Ianos. Watching her hold up the bond and feeling her gaze lock onto his expectantly, the Awoken simply held out his arm, giving Aleeza permission to go ahead and clip the crackling arc bond around it, "Although I do believe that her being distracted by your bond was enough to give us time."

Responding with only a grunt, Ianos waited patiently until he heard the familiar 'click' of the bond clasping into place, signaling to the Awoken to press his free hand onto the hearth once more and push. Immediately he felt an arm lock on with his, allowing the Warlock to pull onto the appendage as leverage to get back onto his feet, only to let out a hiss as his injured leg protested. Feeling an arm wrap around his shoulders, Ianos then felt the grip coax him into leaning upon a shoulder, the Awoken only relenting when he glanced over and recognized Akiva.

"Let us just hope that once this is over, that Neve will keep her end of the bargain," Pluto stated as the Hunter took point, signaling to Akiva to gradually lead Ianos to follow, "if not, Ianos can easily press charges against her."

"Charges?" It was Angel who spoke this time, the younger Hunter approaching from the side with his hand cannon in his grasp, "for what?"

"Attempted murder," Ianos easily sensed the shock from the younger Guardian's at Pluto's answer, "As you know, Ghosts are limited in number and they are hailed as sacred thanks to the fact that they are small fragments of the Traveler's power." Nix's form then can be seen gliding over, flashes of light sparking from his broken optic; a sign that the viridian Ghost was leading the way, "Any harm to a Ghost by another Guardian or 'anyone' is considered taboo." Ianos watched Pluto tilt his head just slightly, "Usually execution is the punishment."

"What!?"

"There are a few exceptions when it comes to killing a Ghost of course," Aleeza butted in, "such as self-defense, signs of corruption, or simply to put one out of their misery."

Ianos couldn't help but scoff at that, "But rarely anyone will believe that." He felt all eyes upon him, "Once others see you kill a Ghost, they see you as a murderer."

A brief moment of silence before finally, it was broken by Angel, the young Hunter letting out a nervous laugh, "It sounds like as though you speak from experience, Ianos."

At that moment, Ianos found himself regret speaking, letting himself being temporarily loose lipped as he promptly turned and gave Angel a blank look.

Immediately, the younger Guardian went silent, Ianos seeing his shoulders leaning back, his body tense, "You… Did you really kill a Ghost?"

At that moment, the timer on Ianos' visor hit zero and Shaxx's voice resounded through the arena. However, although he can easily tell that his team won, the Crucible Handler's words of victory was no more than a dull thrum to the Awoken, letting the tense pause linger between everyone before finally, he responded, "Yes."

It was then he felt the familiar sensation of transmat overtaking his senses.