Tormented

Old Friends

I couldn't think up of a better title than this so yeah fjdlkasfjdsf

Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

Edited: 9/21/2018

Fixed some perspective problems and edited some of the text

A soft grunt escaped from his mandibles as he peeked over the rusted car, his four eyes keeping track of the guards at the gates as he crouched behind his cover. Judging from the way the humans leaned against the walls, yawning with their weapons propped beside them, Oraxsis knew they were cocky, arrogant enough to think that the patrols the Guardians performed were enough to keep them safe. Letting out a grunt, the large Eliksni lowered himself back behind cover, turning his luminescent eyes towards the Vandal next to him, the latter of which tilted her head in curiosity.

"Any openings?" Oraxsis heard the smaller Eliksni ask hopefully, only to see her shoulders deflate when he shook his head; she then suddenly perked up, "Want me to get closer? I can find an opening. I am smaller, and have stealth, I can-"

"No." Oraxsis saw the look in her eyes fall, "Their wall has no weakness, only arrogance of the guards."

"Then, what do we do?"

Letting out a huff, Oraxsis flashed his four eyes towards the gate before turning his attention back towards the Vandal, "Can your stealth work with more than one?"

No sooner had the words left his lips when the smaller Eliksni perked up, her head nodding furiously, "Yes! Of course! Even with your size, my Baron."

Releasing another soft grunt, Oraxsis then proceed to kneel down, signaling for the young Vandal to walk over and climb over his shoulders, the larger Eliksni easily feeling her position herself against his back as her lower arms latched onto his shoulders, and her legs strapping in just behind his lower limbs.

"When the gates open, activate your stealth." He ordered, feeling the Vandal nod against his back, "Keep it activated as long as you can."

Once again feeling the smaller Eliksni shift on his back, this prompted Oraxsis to raise his upper right hand and pressed a button on his wrist. Immediately, the familiar hum of his arc shields slowly came to life, the larger Eliksni feeling the buzz of energy slowly engulf his form.

"Are we going to charge in?"

Instead of immediately answering the Vandal's question, Oraxsis slowly let his mandibles spread followed by a nod, and instantly, he felt the smaller Eliksni's grip tighten, "Oh no."

Glancing over the broken vehicle they used as cover, the Baron then witnessed the guard's pushing themselves up from their position, their hands waving towards those above in the towers as he spotted a larger number of individuals approach. It was then, he saw the gates slowly open.

"Get ready," Oraxsis muttered, slinking around the broken remains of the car before crouching low, digging his heels into the dirt before finally, propelled himself forward. No sooner had he done this when a secondary hum reached his senses followed by a flash of energy lingering near the edges of his eyes. Growling under his breath, the Baron waited until the group of refugees started entering through the gates when he took a large leap, flying over their heads before landing heavily on the opposing side. However, before he can even wonder if the guards had heard his movements, a crack permeated through the air followed by a dying hum, prompting Oraxsis to glance down in his hands to see them fade back into view. Snapping his attention towards the humans behind him, he let out a low growl as the refugees started screaming and the Guards raising their weapons in attention.

"My apologies, my Baron." Oraxsis felt the Vandal lean her head against his back, "I have overestimated my cloaking. I-"

"It got us safely through, that is enough." The Baron interrupted, glancing over his shoulder to spot the familiar shimmering of her cloak still active around her form, "Just stay hidden until I command otherwise, understand?"

"I understand, f- my Baron."

Turning his attention back towards the guards, Oraxsis then stumbled back as bullets pelted his shields, seeing them shimmer under the impact before annoyance easily bubbled to the surface. Letting out a single roar, the Eliksni slowly backed up until he was certain the humans would not follow, and then turned and ran towards the tallest location in his sight: The Tower.

Xxxxx

Watching from afar as Akiva and Neve chattered happily near the Cryptarch, Rahool, Ianos couldn't help but eye the exotic that the female Warlock had in her hands. What kind eluded the Awoken but Ianos can perceive that it was a weapon, most likely a rifle from the way Neve hefted it in both of her hands. He would have figured out what kind if he had a few more seconds to examine it, however, by then, Neve had already held it out towards her Ghost, Ula easily transferring it into her Vault. Ianos couldn't help but feel a tad bit irked at that.

"To think, that a person who wanted to kill us a few months ago is now an ally." He heard Ace comment, "Which reminds me, are you still sour that Pluto told Neve?"

Instead of immediately responding, Ianos opted to sigh, closing his eyes behind his helmet as he leaned his head back against the wall he was using for support, "I just wished that he would have waited for me to tell her the truth."

A hum permeated from his Ghost, "I understand where you are coming from however, I do not think Pluto was willing to wait 'weeks' for you to wake up."

Ianos let out quick snort at Ace's words but made no further comment, although admittingly the Ghost was right. He had stayed unconscious for weeks before finally, to the relief of the others, he woke up. Groggy and confused, but alive. And stable. Ianos then learned that during those short weeks a lot had happened, such as Pluto being selected as the head of their new Fireteam and Akiva and Neve had somehow connected as a couple.

Honestly, when Neve had walked up to him, Ianos had expected words of hate, retaliation for her team's loss all those weeks ago. So, he was taken back when instead she apologized, which eventually lead up to Ianos' discovery that Pluto had informed her from the truth. Although upset, a momentary void blast from his palm was enough to alleviate his anger. Mostly.

"Not used to it either?"

Lifting his head from the wall, Ianos turned his attention towards the doorway next to him and let out a light wave as Angel stepped through. The young Hunter must have come from the Mess Hall, judging from the brewed coffee he held in his hand.

"I have to admit, when I saw Neve and Akiva holding hands, I was skeptical." Ianos heard Angel comment as the latter came to a pause just short of him, taking a sip from his cup as Hope hovered over his shoulder, "Although it seems to turn out for the better. She forgave for whatever you have done against her, false or not."

In response to the younger Guardian's words, Ianos shrugged, "Just makes me wonder how the rest of her team feels about it." He heard Angel let out a thoughtful hum, "We will see when we bump into them."

"Maybe later." Angel added as Ianos then saw him down the rest of his coffee before holding up the empty cup to Hope, the Ghost beaming her light over the item to break it down, "Right now, I just hope that we can get another mission. The last one was squat compared to the ones we had beforehand."

Ianos couldn't help but raise a brow at the Hunter's words, "By mission you mean patrolling the Cosmodrome again?"

That is when Warlock saw the Hunter's shoulders droop, his green eyes showing hesitation, "Well, not exactly."

Taking in Angel's words, it took Ianos only seconds to finally realize the meaning of his statement, "You want to leave Earth's atmosphere?"

A sheepish smile was the Awoken's answer, "You have to admit, the last time I was off of Earth it was back when I was resurrected on Venus and I was more of trying to get 'off' the planet than actually sight-seeing, if you can understand."

Finding himself snickering at Angel's misfortune, Ianos quickly composed himself when he saw the Hunter in question blink in surprise, "I have to admit, of all the planets I visited, Venus is one of the most beautiful of them all."

"Don't tease me like that!" Ianos couldn't suppress the smirk at Angel's pout, "I even looked back at Hope's records and all it showed was me running for my life!" Hearing the young Hunter grumble momentarily under his breath, the smile upon the Warlock's face then faded when a sly look flashed in Angel's green eyes, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You and Pluto, you two are older than the Vanguard, right? And the two of you know them well?" Ianos couldn't help but furrow his brows in suspicions although, nonetheless, he nodded, "Can you convince them to let us leave Earth's atmosphere?"

Ianos took in Angel's words, "No."

"Huh!? Why!?"

Seeing the desperate look on the young Hunter's face, Ianos took it as a sign for his leave, only to feel a hand grip him tightly around the arm as he attempted to push himself away from the wall. He let out a grunt of annoyance as he glowered at the young Hunter.

"Come on," Angel whined, "I'm desperate for something new."

"Be careful what you wish for." Ianos muttered as he reached out and carefully pried the younger Guardian's grip off of him, careful to avoid the sensitive tubes running through his arms, pausing momentarily to see if Angel would retaliate; the young Hunter made no movement to get his hands back around the Awoken's arm, "You might as well get it."

"Oh, come on!" He watched as Angel threw his hands into the air, "You know how Hunters are!" Ianos couldn't help but take a step back as the younger Guardian took a step forward, "We live for the adrenaline! The freedom of wandering the wilds! Staying in one place for us is like hell!" Seeing the Hunter reach out his hands once again, Ianos took several large steps back, leaving ample space between himself and Angel; he heard the latter whine at this, "Please Ianos, I'm itching for an adventure."

Staring at the younger Guardian through his helmet, Ianos' shoulders drooped in defeat before he let out a groan; he wouldn't admit it outright, but he always did have a soft spot for newborns, "Fine, I will speak to the Vanguard about it, see what I can do-"

A scream then interrupted their conversation, causing Ianos to twirl around and go on alert, his eyes scanning the Plaza. It didn't take him long for shock to permeate through his senses when his gaze settled onto a familiar form of a Fallen, the latter of which towered easily over Guardians as they tossed aside an unfortunate individual who had gotten too close.

"How in the Traveler did a Fallen get into the Tower!?" Ianos heard Ace yelp before feeling the familiar weight of his Ghost materialize into his mind, "and how the hell did it get past the wall!?"

"We will figure that out later," Ianos muttered as he held up his hand, feeling the familiar weight of his pulse rifle fall into his grasp, "But first, we have to take care of the 'problem'." He then dashed forward.

Xxxxx

"Wait! Ianos!" Angel called out, only for his shoulders to slump in defeat when he saw the veteran Guardian firing at the Fallen Baron, causing the Hunter on his feet as he caught several others rushing forward, "Shit."

"Ixrsis did say we can attack if another Eliksni threatens us, right?" Hope shifted her parts nervously, "I mean, that's what this Eliksni is doin', right?"

"Except he doesn't have weapons," Angel pointed out, hearing his Ghost pause, "Why would an Eliksni Baron come to the Tower, the home of the Guardians, without a weapon to defend himself?"

"Pure One!"

Jumping as another roar permeated through the Plaza, Angel snapped his attention back towards the Fallen Baron, blinking rapidly, "Is he, calling for me?"

"Only one way to find out," He heard Hope chirp before Angel saw her disappear in a flash of light, signaling that she had found safety in his armor and prompting Angel to make a mad dash towards the large Eliksni.

Xxxxx

"Can they not understand?" Oraxsis heard the Vandal whisper, feeling her duck down on his back as he swatted another Guardian to the side when they lingered too close.

"Apparently not," The Baron grumbled before his shields once again shimmered against bullet fire, prompting to release a low growl as he rushed towards another Guardian, grabbing them by the back of their cloak and lifting them off the ground, earning a yelp in response, "I would like to speak to the Guardian called Pure One."

Instead of an answer, Oraxsis received a small squeal of fright before finding a revolver aiming underneath his jaw. Immediately he leaned his head back, barely feeling the bullet graze the front of his ether mask and promptly tossing the Guardian across the area.

"Well, that didn't work." He heard the female Eliksni laugh half-heartedly before feeling her press against his back, the familiar sound of a shot flying past them, "They cannot understand us. How else are we supposed to find Pure One?"

"For he understands our language, Axtris." Oraxsis responded before leaning back and knocking aside another Guardian, narrowing his eyes at the familiar shape of a shotgun that they had held in their hands, "If we keep calling out to him, he will-"

"Baron Oraxsis!"

It was then the larger Eliksni glanced up, only to let out a roar when he felt the familiar sensation of a blade dig into his shoulder feeling extra weight press upon the weapon followed by foreign hands clinging onto his armor plating. Thrashing about, Oraxsis then attempted to reach out towards the individual riding on his person, only to feel bullets slam into his hands, kicking them back and causing the Baron to let out snarls of pain. Barely catching sight of the cloaked Guardian prepping themselves, Oraxsis then spotted another blade in their free hand, seeing them lean back and aiming it towards one of the few exposed areas of his body: his neck.

However, before Oraxsis can even prepare himself for the attack, he heard the Guardian let out a startled cry as their wrist suddenly halted in mid-air and it was then, the female Vandal's stealth shimmered out of existence.

"How dare you attack my Baron!" The larger Eliksni heard her roar before he watched Axtris hold up her free upper arm, a hidden blade snapping out of her bracer, and then swinging it into the arm of the Guardian. Hearing their attacker let out a cry of agony, Axtris then proceeded to shove the Guardian from his shoulders, allowing Oraxsis to regain his bearings and take steps back, distancing himself from the others.

"You are exposed." He hissed out as he gripped the blade that was still lodged in his shoulder, letting out low rumble as he pulled it out and tossed it to the side.

"My duty is to make sure that you are safe, my Baron." The Vandal rumbled back before Oraxsis saw her turn her four eyes towards the Guardians, brandishing her blades hooked around her wrists when she spotted several gaining a ground, "We may be here searching for Pure One, but that does not mean I will not fight back if the Guardians try to harm you."

Growling quietly at Axtris' words, Oraxsis then lowered himself to the floor, spreading out his upper arms defensively, "Do not worry about me, worry about your own safety."

Then, waiting until the group of Guardians were close, the larger Eliksni let out a roar, startling them just enough for Oraxsis to charge, and slamming into the crowd. Tuning out the shouts of pain and surprise, the Baron gritted his jaw as he saw cracks forming on the front of his shields before pivoting his feet, enabling him to turn around as he skidded to a stop, "I am looking for the one they call Pure One! We came to ask for his aid! He-"

"Baron Oraxsis!"

Startled by her call, Oraxsis felt the female Vandal unfasten herself from his back, and then pulling her weight over his shoulder, prompting to glance over to question her actions. It was then the familiar sound of a high-powered rifle rang through the air and the next thing the Baron knew, Axtris' mask exploded into a mist of ether. Barely comprehending what had occurred, Axtris' body then went limp, feeling her body sliding off of his shoulder and crumbling onto the marbled floors.

"Axtris!" Oraxsis found himself crying out as he knelt down next to the smaller Eliksni, tenderly picking her up in his lower arms as he used his upper limbs to keep her steady. When he received no response, the Baron feared her dead, only to let relief flood his senses when the Vandal let out a wheeze, her four eyes snapping open followed by gasps, prompting Oraxsis to settle upon her ether mask. This made him freeze.

Although miraculously missing her head, the sniper shot had instead hit the critical piece of equipment enabling her to breath, the straps keeping the shambled remains of her mask swinging next to her face. She would need a functioning mask quickly if she were to stay in the world any longer. But where would they gain such important equipment where they are now? They were surrounded by Guardians, all deeming them as a threat, and Oraxsis was too far from the others to do anything for the female Eliksni in his arms. As such, as he continued to listen to her struggle for breath, he came to a decision. If he cannot find Pure One, then he will take down as many Guardians as he can to compensate for his loss. With this in the Baron's mind, he clutched Axtris' shivering form against his chest and let out a roar.

Seeing the Guardians jump once again at this gesture, Oraxsis this time charged, giving no ample time for them to regain their composure, plowing down another group before one of his upper arms reached out and snatched the first Guardian he spotted by the neck. Ignoring their startled shout, Oraxsis once again shifted his feet and twirled around, holding out his hostage in the air as he came to a stop. Immediately, he saw the Guardians come to a pause, their weapons raised but years of experience showed Oraxsis the stiffness in their shoulders, their fingers off the triggers. They won't dare fire upon him with one of their own in the way.

Hearing the individual in his grip curse and struggle in his grasp, Oraxsis let out a low rumble of annoyance, watching them hitting their hands against his fingers in a vain attempt for him to release his grasp. Glancing back and forth between the lone Guardian and the others before him, Oraxsis straightened out his shoulders, gave them a long defiant glare, and then, started to apply pressure. A cry of agony permeated from his hostage as he easily felt their body bend under his grip, feeling their bones creak and protest under his fingers.

"Stop!"

Hearing the familiar tongue of his people ring through the air, Oraxsis paused in his execution of the Guardian, hearing the latter let out small whimpers as he glanced downwards, only for his four eyes to narrow as they settled upon green, "And why should I stop? You practically killed one of my own when we did not draw our weapons against you, when we did not show ourselves as a threat."

"I can save her."

Reeling back at his words, Oraxsis instantly gave the Guardian a look of doubt, "How can I trust your word?"

That is when the Baron saw the individual take in a deep breath, confidence in his eyes as the Guardian answered, "I am speaking your tongue, am I not?"

A huff of surprise slipped from Oraxsis' jaws at the Guardian's words, realization settling onto his shoulders, "You are, Pure One?"

His four eyes going wide as the Guardian nodded, Oraxsis immediately fell to his knees, releasing his grip on the hostage in his upper hand as he held out Axtris in his lower arms, ignoring as his former prisoner scrambled back towards the safety of their number.

"P-Pure One?" Feeling his heart wrench at her gasps, Oraxsis watched as Axtris shifted her four eyes towards the Guardian, reaching out with one of her upper arms towards him. It was then, to the Baron's surprise, that the Guardian in turn knelt down, reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers, a softness entering his green eyes. However, no sooner had he done this when a sigh emitted from Axtris and much to Oraxsis horror, she closed her eyes.

Xxxxx

"Hope." Angel quickly started, his green eyes wide as he watched the female Vandal suddenly go limp in the Baron's arms, hearing the latter let out a roar of grief, "Hurry, if you don't she's-"

"I'm on it!" Hope huffed as she glided over, her scanner already beaming over the damaged portions of the smaller Eliksni's ether mask, "just let me concentrate. You know how long it has been since we've last repaired an Eliksni's mask?"

"Almost a year I believe?" Angel guessed, hearing Hope hum softly at his answer, "Just make sure to get Ether flowing through her mask again before she- ack."

Feeling a strong hand grab him by the back of his armor, Angel quickly released his grip on the female Vandal's hand as he found himself being turned and lifted into the air, feeling his feet dangling as his green eyes locked onto brown, "Oh, hey Leonard."

"Don't act so casual." He heard Leo hiss, Angel shrinking back at the sight of anger in his gaze, "Why the hell are you helping a Fallen? And how the fuck do you know their language?

Smiling sheepishly at the Titan's questions, Angel then shrugged, "Did not one else bother to learn the Eliksni language?"

"The language takes years to learn." The Hunter shifted his eyes over to the side in time to spot Ianos, the Veteran Guardian rolling his right shoulder as he approached. He looked a bit ruffled up, causing Angel to guess that perhaps Ianos was one of the Guardians that was steam rolled by the Baron, "Even the most acute of our scholars never mastered the Eliksni tongue. At least, not completely." Hearing the Awoken let out a sigh, a tinge of gratefulness surface within Angel as Ianos turned his attention to Leo, "Put him down."

Sensing Leo glower at the Warlock, Angel then heard Leo grumble under his breath before finally feeling his feet touch the floor, allowing the Hunter to take steps back and brush himself off as the Titan's harsh grip left him.

"Look, I just couldn't ignore them, alright." Angel started as he turned his attention towards Ianos, "They were calling for me, they need help."

Immediately a frown could be felt behind Ianos' helmet followed by the Warlock crossing his arms. At first, confused at this action, he then froze when the Awoken state, "So I take it this is not your first interaction with the Fallen?"

"Oh," Angel felt his face flush, the guilt quickly rising the surface, "They prefer Eliksni and…" He gulped, "Yes."

"What!?" The young Hunter jumped at Leo's outburst, taking steps back as the Titan growled, "What have you been doing!? Ratting us out!?"

"What!? No!" Angel found himself shouting, narrowing his eyes at his fellow Guardian, "We were learning about each other. You know?" He shrugged, "Like friends?"

"Friends?" It was then the Hunter realized he made a mistake, "Why the fuck would anyone want to be friends with a Scavenger!?"

It was then Angel heard murmuring permeate through the crowd, causing the Hunter to finally take note of the Guardians surrounding them as Leo continued, "The Fallen not only tried to repeatedly attack the City, but they also took the lives of many Guardians! Many of which were our friends!" Angel couldn't help but lean back when the Titan took steps forward, pressing his face against his, "Why the fuck were you trying to be friends with 'things' like them!?"

No sooner had Leo finished speaking when anger surged through Angel's body, causing him to give the Titan a glare, "They are not 'things'! They are Eliksni who are trying to survive! Just like us!" He then pressed his hands against the Titan's shoulders, forcing Leo to stumble back as he continued, "How many of them were killed by us, the 'Guardians', when they weren't even armed!? How many of them were killed when they were just scavenging for meager supplies to last the week!?"

More murmurs permeated across the crowd around them, causing Angel to once again notice their audience and shrink back against the Baron, the latter of which had already fixed their attention onto the Titan; the growling of the Eliksni crawled up the young Hunter's back.

"So, you are going to tell me that you are going to save that one?" Leo spoke through clenched teeth, Angel watching as he nodded his head towards the female Vandal in the Baron's arms, "Out of 'pity'?"

Gritting his jaw as he felt his anger surge to the surface once more, Angel found himself glaring at Leo, challenging the Titan as he answered, "Yes." Seeing the blonde's eyes glare up in anger, the Hunter quickly added, "I lived in the wilds for weeks, a newly resurrected Guardian, and who do you think helped me? The Tower? No. The wondering Guardians nearby? Not even close." A low growl escaped Angel's lips, "Many Guardians would have called me naïve for tending to a wounded Eliksni, but, as soon as I helped them, they showed me more compassion than I have ever felt in my short life."

"When they saw that I was lost, they took me in. When they saw how young I was, they taught me how to use a blade, how to use a gun, and how to survive in the wilds alone. I lived with them and I know what kind of lives they live."

Angel then took steps forward, challenging Leo once more, "There are groups of Eliksni that want to be left alone, that all they want is to find enough supplies to live. But, they would tell me stories, stories of how Guardians come plowing through their territories and shoot anything that moves, uncaring if they were armed or not." Finally, unable to further contain his anger, Angel found himself blurting, "Why do you think Eliksni shoot on sight!? Because Guardians do the same!"

The cries of outrage quickly reverberated around him and it was then, Angel spotted the fury in Leo's eyes burst, "You dare compare us to those Scavengers!?"

Glancing down in time to see Leo pull a hand cannon from his waist, the young Hunter's eyes went wide as he found himself staring down the end of the barrel, taking in a hitched breath when the Titan's finger pressed against the trigger. With his panic, Angel barely heard the incomprehensible shouting of Ianos, barely catching the Awoken moving forward, his hand reaching towards Leo's wrist. This was quickly stopped however, when a loud roar reverberated behind the young Hunter. Now that, that Angel heard quite clearly.

Feeling his ears ring from the sudden explosion in volume from behind, the young Hunter barely took notice of the grips on his shoulders, not until he saw a shadow loom over his form. Glancing back, Angel then caught the familiar shimmer of the Baron's shields flickering back to life, hearing the larger Eliksni snarl as his upper arms loomed protectively around his shoulders.

"Shoot him if you dare, but your life will be at my mercy, bandit." He heard the Baron snarl, Angel catching his four eyes glowing with anger.

"He says if you shoot, there will be consequences," Angel found himself translating, shooting Leo a warning glance as he saw the Titan hesitate, the Hunter then pausing momentarily when the Baron let out a low growl, causing his eyes to grow wide, "and some other things that is very highly inappropriate to repeat."

"Now why should I-" Angel heard Leo's words come to a suddenly halt as Ianos finally reached over and forced his weapon down, the Titan shooting the older Guardian a glare in response.

"They are no longer a threat to us," Ianos' words caused Angel to blink rapidly at the Awoken in bewilderment, almost missing the gawking look that Leo had gave the older Guardian; if Ianos had noticed or not, he showed no sign of it as Angel then felt his attention shift over to him, "I will talk to the Speaker to see what we can do to aid your friends."

"You can't be serious!"

Watching Ianos shoot Leo a glare behind his visor, Angel then heard the older Warlock continue, "I am going to talk to Neve about this about your actions today 'Leonard', if she does not know already."

"No need for that."

Taking note of Neve's voice appearing from the side, Angel turned his attention towards her in time to see her coming forward through the crowd, Akiva following closely behind her as he rubbed his shoulders, as if to ease the last aches of battle.

"Leo." He heard her start, "Calm down, it is as Ianos say. They are no longer posing a threat to us."

"Oh, so you're willing to trust these scavengers not to stab us in the back later?" Angel couldn't help but glare at Leo, the Titan lifting his chin and his brown eyes narrowing in defiance towards his Fireteam Leader.

"They won't." Angel found himself blurting out, immediately seeing Leo's eyes snap towards him and the Titan letting out a growl.

"How can you be so certain?" He heard Leo snarl, seeing the Titan taking a threatening step forward; Angel found himself taking a step back, keeping his distance, "You hardly passed a year and yet, you think you have more experience than us with these Scavengers!? You don't know them!"

"Leo!" A hiss of warning from Neve, the female Warlock finally stepping in and placing herself between Angel and Leo, "What in the Traveler is wrong with you? Why are you acting so-" That is when the young Hunter heard her abruptly pause, and a sense of realization emitted from the Fireteam Blaze Leader, "Leo, is this about your former Fireteam?"

The question left Angel reeling, his mouth agape as he fixed his attention back onto the Titan, and quickly spotted how quickly Leo froze, his brown eyes wide as his mouth opened and close repeatedly, attempting to find words to retort.

"Leo, I understand your anger but-"

"Shut up!" Leo finally found his words, and although Angel can see anger still lingering in his eyes, he can also see the grief, the loss intermingling in his gaze, "You weren't there! You wouldn't understand!" He stamped his foot like a child, "So stop trying to act like you do!"

Then, without another word, Leo turned and ran off, and although Angel couldn't help but feel a bit empathetic, he also felt relieved that the Titan's threat was over. Although, this doesn't' mean Angel was going to take his eyes off of the other Guardians surrounding them, their eyes a mix of curiosity and doubt.

A sigh from Neve easily broke Angel out of his thoughts, "I will speak to him later." The Hunter then saw her turn her blue eyes towards him followed by her gaze momentarily lingering over the Eliksni standing behind him, "Good luck with your friends."

Blinking in surprise, Angel found himself unable to respond, and instead, simply nodded once before she waked away, more than likely following after the fleeing Titan. Half-expecting for Akiva to follow her, Angel instead was surprised to see the older Titan stay although, he didn't miss the way Akiva turned his golden eyes towards Ianos, a questioning look in his gaze.

"There!" Angel snapped his attention towards Hope, "Fixed it!"

Slowly taking in the meaning of her words, Angel then twisted around as realization hit him, just in time to for the Baron to lift his arms off of his shoulders and tended to the unconscious Vandal. This enabled Angel to take in his Ghost's work and with a quick glance, he nodded his head in satisfaction. Although not in the best of shape, the Ether Mask was solid enough to fix back onto the female Eliksni's face, the glow of Ether rushing through the tubes a tell-tale sign that it was functioning.

"Not my best work," Angel heard Hope comment, watching as her shell lifted upwards into a Ghost equivalent of a smile, "but it should keep her stable for a while."

"I cannot thank you enough." The Hunter then turned his attention back towards the Baron, only to startle back when the Eliksni in question bowed low, prompting Angel to stutter out, "N-No need to be so formal, I was just doing the right thing."

"No, you do not understand, Pure One." Angel blinked at the Baron's words, "You have saved the life of my daughter and for that, I am in your debt."

"Oh…What!?"

Xxxxx

When Carina heard the roaring from her apartment, she had dashed out in time to witness a 'Baron' thrashing about, his red cape fluttering around him as he knocked aside incoming Guardians. At this point, she had already summoned her auto-rifle and would have jumped into the fray if Aleeza hadn't ran up behind her and stopped her, pointing out the obvious. Angel was standing nearby and tending to a wounded Vandal in the larger Fallen's – Elikisni's arms. Honestly, the female Exo got confused, confounded by his actions but, then she remembered their first meeting, the way he accepted her without a thought, a kindness in his eyes; it would only make sense that 'Angel' would be the one to befriend them. As such, she decided to give the Eliksni pair a chance, watching Angel chatting nonchalantly with the Baron and the now conscious Vandal, the latter of which was seated on the stairs, her four eyes glowing with interest.

"Angel?"

Seeing the Hunter snap his attention over to a corner of the room, Carina then followed his gaze and easily spotted Ianos approach, only for her to freeze when the larger of the Eliksni instantly stood up and growled, causing the Warlock to come to a sudden halt. Although still a bit bitter towards Ianos, Carina had to give the Awoken credit when somehow, he kept his composure, keeping his shoulders relaxed and his body even as the Baron loomed dangerously over him, the latter of which only backing down when Angel intervened, speaking in a tongue that Carina knows she will never understand. However, this didn't mean the Baron glared suspiciously at Ianos as he finally closed the distance.

"Ianos, this is Oraxsis." Carina heard Angel speak, gesturing his hands towards the Baron before turning his attention towards the Vandal, "And this is Axtris." No sooner had he finished the introduction when the Exo then heard him switch back to the Eliksni tongue, seeing him gesture towards each member of their Fireteam; there was no doubt in Carina's mind that he was giving out their names, more than likely in an attempt for the Eliksni pair to feel relaxed in their presence. She hopes so anyways.

"Did the Speaker say anything?" Angel finally asked, in which Carina saw Ianos nod.

"He instructed that the Fallen." Carina snapped her attention towards Oraxsis as the latter let out a snarl, "my apologies, the Eliksni and our team to wait here in the Hall while he called the Vanguard to have a private counseling."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Carina asked, only to pout when she received a shrug as an answer.

"The Speaker is unreadable as always," An annoyed sigh can be heard from Ianos, "If it wasn't for the that damn mask."

"And you're any different?" It was Akiva who piped in, Carina seeing the human Guardian smile as the Awoken turned and gave him a glower, "Makes me wonder if there is a contest around here on who keeps their face hidden the longest." She watched as the Titan propped his chin onto the back of his hand, placing his elbows on his knees as he sat upon the crates, "I'm betting on Shaxx."

Despite her attempts to stop herself, Carina found herself snorting, then onto full peals of laughter when Aleeza also lost her composure, spotting the female Awoken hiding her grin behind her hand as her shoulders shook.

A cough from Pluto caught everyone's attention, "I'm willing to bet on the Speaker."

"Pluto."

"Oh, come on, Little light, you know as well as I do that the Speaker had his face covered since the Dark Ages." Carina saw the blind Exo grin, "and judging from what he is wearing now, that is not going to change anytime soon."

"So, he's an old geezer like you two?" Carina chirped, earning herself a glower from Ianos, "What? You have been around for a while, right? Judging from what you guys are saying, you are older than the Vanguard."

"Compared to them, we're newborns." Cayde's joking remark caught the attention of everyone, prompting Carina to turn in time to see him and his fellow Vanguard enter followed by the familiar white garbed form of the figurehead of the Guardians.

"Speaker." Seeing Ianos nod his head in greeting, Carina watched with slight interest as the Speaker returned the gesture, only for his attention to quickly shift and taking subtle steps towards the Eliksni pair. Instantly, the Baron stood up once more and this time, he took steps in front of Axtris, a low rumble of warning permeating from the back of his throat as his four eyes narrowed.

"He doesn't trust you." Angel quickly translated, Carina seeing him fidget nervously on the back of his feet, "Even if you are the 'Kell' of the Guardians."

Raising a metallic brow at this, the female Exo turned her optics towards the Speaker, half expecting frustration or a retort. However, instead, she heard the white garbed Guardian hum thoughtfully, "Understandable." Carina then watched him shift his attention to the entirety of the room, "As you know, I had requested audience with Ikora, Cayde, and Zavala."

"Is there a reason for that?" Aleeza asked, the female Warlock receiving a nod as an answer.

"We have been keeping an eye on the Fallen recently," Carina spotted Angel flinch at Cayde's words, "Which shouldn't be a big deal if it wasn't for the fact that their body count is rising, even when there aren't Guardians on the field."

"Since then, we have been investigating why." Ikora added, "and I have to say, the three of us were quite surprised at what we discovered."

"A Fallen Civil War." Carina couldn't stop the sputter of surprise at Zavala's words, "According to reports, there were many Fallen from the House of Devils that did not agree with their current leadership and in response, they started a rebellion." A hum permeated from the Titan Commander, "We believe it has been going on for weeks now, possibly even months."

Processing the words of the Vanguard Commander, the female Exo wanted to believe that he was lying, that all of the Vanguard was lying. A Fallen Civil War? Happening right underneath their noses without anyone knowing? Guardians were constantly out in the field, how can they miss this?

As she traced her optics over the faces of the three Vanguard, Carina spotted the strictness in their eyes, the seriousness of the situation. Even Cayde, the usual lighthearted Hunter, held a hardened undertone under his stare. In other words, what they were saying was true.

Before Carina can voice any questions, a rumble permeated nearby, causing her to turn her attention towards Angel, the latter of which had shifted himself towards the Eliksni pair, his face pale.

"Is something wrong, Angel?" She asked and to her surprise, Angel didn't immediately respond. Instead, she watched him glance towards the floor, his eyes rapidly glancing around the room before he finally buried his face into his hands and started to pace.

"You recall how I treated several Eliksni wounded when I was still a newborn?" Carina couldn't help but blink at the Hunter's words, "The first I ever treated was a small Dreg, Ixrsis, now a Captain from what Oraxsis told me." He lifted his face away from his hands as he paused, hesitation clear in his green eyes, "We kept in contact, meeting in secret to catch up and teach each other of our culture and languages. Until recently." Carina then saw him shake his head, agitation clear in his posture, "It is not the first time she stopped contacting me suddenly, after all, survival is her first priority on her list."

"But let me guess, something happened otherwise?" Pluto asked, Carina seeing Angel nod in response to the older Hunter's question.

"She's the one who started the rebellion." Carina's optics went wide at her friend' words, "And the reason why Oraxsis and Axtris are here is to find help." Angel wrung his hands nervously together, "The House of Devils have captured her and have been moving around to ensure that the Rebels are unable to locate Ixrsis." It was then the female Exo saw his knees buckle and Carina found herself taking steps forward as Angel suddenly collapsed onto his knees, staring down at his hands, "It has been a few days since her capture and the Rebels had just received news that her execution is only a couple of days now. They're desperate on getting her back."

Noting the despair in his eyes, Carina then reeled back when Angel turned and started speaking fluently to the two Eliksni; although she is unable to understand him, she can easily tell from the way he gestured his hands towards Oraxsis and Axtris and the worry in his eyes that he was upset. About what, the Exo Titan can only guess, but she wouldn't be surprised if it has to do with this Ixrsis that the Hunter brought up, and her suspicions only grew when Angel suddenly jumped onto his feet and yelled, causing not only herself but the Baron of the two Eliksni to startle back, his four eyes wide in surprise. Half-expecting the large Eliksni to retaliate, Carina once again found herself surprised when Oraxsis simply let out a low rumble and his head bowed in apology right as Angel turned around and the female Titan saw his green eyes settle onto the Speaker. Raising a brow at this, Carina shifted her optics towards the white garbed figure, only to see the Speaker's shoulders rise up with attention, a soft hum permeating from the head of the Guardians.

"I believe this is an opportunity to form an alliance with the Eliksni, even if it is just a small faction." Carina coughed at the Speaker's words, her surprise nearly preventing her from seeing the white garbed Guardian turn his attention towards Pluto, "I believe you are capable of handling this?'

"More than capable, Speaker." Carina heard Pluto respond before she saw the figurehead nod once in approval.

"I trust you will be able to absolve this." The Speaker said before Carina paused as she watched him hold out his hands only to blink rapidly when she saw not only Pluto but Ianos follow the gesture as well, "May the Light of the Traveler guide you."

"And may the Light of the Traveler bless you."

Glancing back and forth between the three Guardians, Carina waited until the Speaker left the room when she finally blurted, "What in the blazes was that?"

"A blessing of some sorts." Pluto answered followed by a snort, the older Exo crossing his arms before turning his blind optics towards Ianos, "I guess that really does make us ancient if we are the only ones in this room who understood."

Carina easily can sense the scowl emit behind Ianos' visor before she watched him turn his attention towards the three Vanguard, "Do you not know the blessing?"

Curious at their answer, the female Titan couldn't suppress her laugh as the Vanguard glanced away, easily hearing Cayde coughing into his fist as Ianos shook his head, "That definitely makes me feel young again."

"How are you planning to find this Ixrsis?" Zavala suddenly changed the subject, Carina snorting at the Titan Commander's words, "If her own people cannot find her, what makes you think that you will?"

It was then a pause permeated through the room, Carina glancing towards the members of her team, finding herself trying to read the expressions behind their eyes before finally, Pluto spoke, "Angel, can you ask your friends how many of the towers in the Cosmodrome are active?"

Quickly hearing the younger Hunter translate back to the Baron, Carina waited patiently as she then heard him answer, "He says that majority of them are powered on, at least half of them functional." A puzzled look then permeated over Angel's face, "Why?"

Mentally agreeing with her fellow Guardian, Carina shifted her attention back towards Pluto, only to raise a metallic brow when she heard him let out a sigh, his blind optics glancing nervously around the room.

"Let us visit an old friend, shall we?"

Xxxxx

… INTIATING: HOSTILE ENTITIES DISCOVERED…

…SOLUTIONS FOR ELIMINATION…

… They are simply Fallen. Activate the arc energy traps. That will be enough to be rid of them…

… HOSTILE ENTITIES ELIMINATED. CONTINUE?...

…Of course, as always…

… AI-COM/RSPN: 1567 WINS 1560 LOSSES. EXO—COM/AP 1560 WINS 1567 LOSSES…

… Come on now, you know that is not my name anymore. Do I have to keep remind you? My name is Sun now. Sun-7…