Tormented

It's You

I apologize for the late update today. I decided to make the decision to play Iron Banner for the first time this week as I saw that my light level barely met the minimum to participate (I dared not go in without at least 310 light). And as such, I lost focus on the story momentarily until the deadline came up and I was like 'crap, have to put up the next chapter'. So yeah, if some parts seemed rushed, that's why fjdklsafs. Sorry.

Edited: 7/8/2020

"Pure One! Pure One! Wake up!"

Feeling strong hands shake his shoulders, Angel let out a groan as he opened his eyes, blinking rapidly to rid the worst of the haziness around his vision as he sat up. Moments later, Axtris' form came into view, her four glowing eyes prominent even through the haze.

"Thank the Prime Servitor, you're alive." She rumbled as she took steps back, allowing Angel the space to sit up and lean back in his seat. He quickly placed a hand onto his head as the world momentarily spun, "What happened?"

"You died." Angel looked over Axtris' shoulder in time to spot the familiar red and white form of Hope, "When we crashed, your body sprang forward and you hit your head against the… well, yeah."

Seeing his Ghost turn her optic to the side, Angel followed her gaze, only for his face to immediately flush when he saw that not only was the window of his cockpit cracked, but also outright shattered, the glass scattered on the hull to signify the damage.

"Just so you now, the glass is hard enough hold against rocket launchers and missiles, but your head was hard enough to break it." Angel can outright hear the 'glee' in Hope's voice, "I cannot wait for us to finish this mission so I can tell Cayde about your hard head."

Feeling heat rise to his cheeks at his Ghost's words, Angel stuttered out, "Shut up." He then attempted to swat at Hope, only for the latter to easily glide out of reach with a laugh. Grumbling under his breath, the Hunter just sighed before slowly, pushed himself onto his feet. Keeping his stance steady, Angel then slid out of the pilot seat before turning his attention to Axtris and Hope, "What about the others?"

As if on cue, a soft tap of knuckles against glass caused Angel to turn and his eyes landed on Akiva's brown and black shape, the Titan crouching on the hull of the ship as he said, "It would be a nice time for you to come out and join us!" Angel then jumped as Akiva then ducked, narrowly dodging a charged shot, "We're getting smothered here!"

"H-Hold on!" Angel announced as he pressed a button around the collar of his neck, jumping through the opening of the cockpit even as the shape of his helmet materialized over his face. With his HUD now clear in his vision, Angel easily landed upon his feet as he removed his hand cannon from its holster and fired it into the head of the nearest Dreg.

"Hah! About time you joined us!" Akiva beamed as the Titan leaped off the remnants of Angel's ship, firing his auto rifle into the nearest group of Eliksni as he landed next to the Hunter.

"Where are the others?!" Angel shouted, leaning to the side to narrowly avoid shots of arc bolts; he promptly retaliated by firing shots of his own.

"Tending to Oraxsis." Akiva answered, the Titan ducking and sucker punching a Dreg who had wandered too close, "When we crashed, some of Pluto's ship collapsed on top of him." The Titan paused long enough to empty a clip into another group, "Pluto and Carina are trying to get him out while Ianos and Aleeza are covering them." Angel then saw him nod his head in his direction, "Lovebird sent me over to check on you when you didn't transmat out of your ship."

"Lovebird?!"

"What took you so long anyway?"

"Did you see the crack on the ship's front window?" Angel shut his mouth and turned to glower at his Ghost, "Well, Angel wasn't wearin' his seatbelt and-"

"Hope! Is this really the time!?" Angel shouted as he took out his knife, swinging it at the throat of an approaching Dreg, ignoring its gurgle as he ripped the blade out, and promptly shot it in the head.

"Wait!? Did your head do that!?

Groaning at Akiva's words, Angel then felt his face heat up once more as Akiva laughed. He turned and glowered at him, "Hah. Hah. You done?"

Rolling his eyes as the Titan continued to laugh at his misfortune, Angel then turned and aimed his weapon down at another group. However, before he could pull the trigger, a flash of light appeared in the edges of his vision, and the next thing Angel knew, the familiar crash of his shields shattering rang in his ears. Screaming as the momentary discomfort settled into his senses, the Hunter found himself stumbling, flailing his arms in order to regain balance. Turning his attention towards the corner of the bay, Angel then felt his heart drop when he spotted a familiar glint of a sniper, easily seeing the Vandal behind the wire rifle shift and charging up another shot.

Fortunately, the instant he heard the familiar sound of the rifle being fired, Angel felt a hum underneath his armor and a flash of violet snapped into his surroundings. It took the shot hitting the surface of the Ward of Dawn that he realized what had happened. Releasing the breath that he had not realized he had been holding, Angel then jumped as he felt a hand settle onto his shoulders, only to relax once more when he turned and laid upon Akiva's visor.

"You alright?"

The teasing tone in Akiva's voice was gone, replaced by one laced with concern. Simply letting his shoulders slump, Angel nodded in gratitude towards the Titan, prompting to latter to lower his hand and resumed his attention back onto the growing number of Eliksni.

That is when he heard a howl of rage behind them.

At first, bewildered, Angel glanced over his shoulder in time to see Axtris leap over him and Akiva, casually landing on her feet just in front of the Guardians.

"How dare you harm Pure One!"

"Axtris?" Reeling at the mention of his name, Angel's jaw then dropped as the female Vandal drew her wrists blades and launched herself into the fray, jumping across the heads of her fellow Eliksni before leaping towards the balcony. Gracefully pulling herself onto the platform, Angel watched with awe and horror as she easily slipped past the panicked shots of the snipers and sank her blades easily into their chests.

"Angel! Focus!"

Tearing his eyes away from Axtris, Angel then let out a startled yelp as he barely ducked to dodge a swipe of a shock blade from a Dreg. In response, Angel flipped his own blade and struck it upwards, the knife easily sinking under the smaller Eliksni's jaw. Feeling the Dreg go limp, Angel then kicked the body away from him, tugging his knife free simultaneously before aiming his hand cannon and firing it into the nearest Vandal.

"Traitor! There's a traitor amongst us!"

Turning his attention back towards Axtris, Angel saw in time for her to clash her blades with another Vandal, her shrieking easily recognizable even mixed amongst others. Seeing the female Vandal's wrists restrained by the other, his concern then settled when he saw that she had done the same, although with her lower arms, and both were roaring and snarling as they strained against each other.

Spotting the other Eliksni turning their attention towards Axtris, Angel aimed and fired at the head of another Vandal, the latter of which had attempting to thrust his blades into Axtris' back. Although, this seemed to do little, as the next thing Angel knew, he heard the female Vandal let out a scream, and he shifted his attention time to see her being thrown over the railing. She landed onto the floor of the hangar with a 'bang' and Angel easily heard her let out a strangled wheeze; he wouldn't be surprised if the wind had been knocked out of her.

Axtris gasping for air would soon be the last of his worries as Angel then spotted the other Eliksni slink in, likely taking an opportunity to take advantage of the female Vandal's weakness.

"Axtris!" Calling out to her, Angel then took steps forward, his hand cannon in one hand and his knife in the other.

That is when a loud roar echoed throughout the room.

"Who dares to harm my daughter!?" Oraxsis looming form was prominent, even amongst the Captains as his body slammed into the masses, easily making a path for himself. His size was prominent to the point where he didn't even need to climb the balcony where the offending Vandal was standing, easily grasping the latter by the leg before swinging them onto the floor. The loud 'crack' that followed and the way the Vandal went limp was telling enough.

"Anyone else?"

Making a mental note to thank Pluto later for convincing him to let the Baron come with, Angel watched with wide eyes as the Hangar quickly cleared, hearing even some of the lower ranking Dreg let out squeals of fright as they fled. It didn't take long before he and the others were the only one's present.

"Well, that's one way to clear out a room." Akiva commented as Oraxsis loomed over Axtris, tenderly helping the Vandal back onto her feet.

"Is everyone alright?"

Turning around until he spotted Pluto and the others approach, Angel then saw the blind Exo pause, a frown prominent even behind his visor, "Why is your Ward up?"

"Snipers." Akiva deadpanned as the aforementioned ward flickered out of view; Pluto simply let out a quiet 'ah' at his answer.

"How are you feeling, Axtris?"

The sound of Axtris letting out a chuff was enough for Angel to turn in time to see the female Vandal place a hand onto her back, "Bruised but, I think I will live."

Hearing a soft rumble permeate from the Baron, Angel then scanned Axtris' form once more to indeed ensure that she was fine, he then turned his focus back onto Pluto, "What now?"

"Now, we split into our respective teams and pick a door." Pluto then nodded his head towards one section of the Hangar before waving for Oraxsis to join him; Angel couldn't help but smile nervously as the Baron grumbled but complied, "From there, we will search the Ketch until we find your friend."

That is when Carina paused, Angel seeing her glance around the room, "Wait, this ship is 'huge'."

A blank look can be felt from Ianos, even with his helmet present, "Your point?"

Carina scowled at him in return, "Look, I'm all up for going around corners and smashing Fallen faces in – no offense." Oraxsis simply gave her a single nod, "But what happens if we bump into a Kell?"

Immediately, Akiva sputtered, "What makes you think a Kell is on here?" The Titan glanced at the others, "Didn't Saint-14 kill their Kell years ago?"

"Years ago." Ianos muttered, "Would not surprise me if the House of Devils elected a new Kell only to keep them hidden. What better way to keep their Leader safe than keeping their presence absent?"

Unable to help but frown at the Warlock's words, Angel parted his lips to retort only to pause. It was a good point. Even he wasn't sure if the House of Devils has a Kell or not. Turning his eyes towards Oraxsis and Axtris, Angel watched as Axtris simply shrugged. Oraxsis on the other hand, seemed to have an answer.

"News have spread that a Kell had been elected years earlier," The Baron said, "However, their identity have been kept secret and they always seem to be changing positions, more than likely in an attempt to keep them safe."

"And also, likely that they might be on this Ketch," Aleeza added, "if you think about it, they are trying to execute Ixrsis. What better way to flaunt your status than being present for an execution?"

Now that, that caused Angel to flinch. And wholeheartedly believe their chances of bumping into a Kell more than likely.

As if in silent agreement, Pluto hummed quietly, "If that is the case, then there is only one thing to do if we do encounter a Kell." All eyes turned towards the Exo.

"Kill it."

Xxxxx

"You are certain you know where you are going, Olkar?"

"I am certain." Olkar retorted although, momentarily paused, "Mostly certain."

Ixrsis rumbled in response, her eyes flashing amusement, "Really?"

"We are 'not' lost." The Vandal mumbled.

He heard Ixrsis laugh, "I said no such thing."

Grumbling under his breath, Olkar opted to shift his arms to ensure that the Vandal he was carrying on his back was secure.

It was just their luck that many of the prisoners were Ether starved, too weak to even stand and there were more Vandals than he had expected. They needed assistance and being the smaller of the two, Olkar could only carry one upon his back. Ixrsis, with her larger stature, easily carried three; one on her back supported by her lower arms, and carried one in each of her upper arms, cradling them close to her chest. The other two were carried by four Dregs, taking two to carry one of them. The other four Dregs were chittering softly in the back. Fortunately for their group, thanks to being the lowest ranks in the House, the Dregs were used to functioning with little Ether and they were strong enough to carry their weight. Much to Olkar's relief.

"This way."

Hearing the Ghost whisper, Olkar glanced up in the to see her white shape bounce up and down a hallway, her parts shifting against her core. Quietly following after her, the Vandal was relieved to see that she had lead them to another hallway, this one heading in the direction of the Hangar.

"Thank you, Little Light."

The sense of delight from the Ghost was quickly replaced with a scowl, "How many times do I have to say it? 'Do not' call me 'Little Light'."

"I can call you whatever you want until we find you a proper name." Olkar snapped as he shrugged past the Ghost, sensing the fragment bristle at this, "Do not think of asking me to give you one. That right belongs to your Guardian."

He heard the Ghost huff at this, "Who says that I have to wait until I find my Guardian to have a name?" She then moved and hovered just above his shoulder, "If you find a proper name for me, please do tell me." Olkar turned and gave her a look; she shrugged at this, "Humor me at least." She then turned towards Ixrsis, "The same goes for you, Captain Ixrsis."

"No title, no." The Captain rumbled softly, "Ixrsis, Ixrsis is fine."

In response, the Ghost chuckled and Olkar saw her bob once, "As you wish, Ixrsis."

She then started to hum softly, practically bouncing just near Olkar's head before suddenly, she froze, the Vandal seeing her parts go stiff and her lone optic going wide. He paused in his steps at this, hearing the others behind him following suit, "What is the matter?"

He soon gained an answer when Olkar followed her gaze only for himself to go rigid. There, just a few steps away, was another Vandal, a shock rifle in their hands and their four eyes wide. Olkar found himself unable to move, the panic building up in his chest preventing him from making any sound decisions. It didn't help when the Vandal shook off their shock and pointed their rifle in his direction.

"What do you think you are doing?"

Hearing four of the Dregs behind him chitter warily behind him, Olkar parted his mandibles to respond. Only to see four dark blurs rush past him. It took him by surprise, jumping as the other four Dregs tackled the offending Vandal, the latter of which let out a screech of surprise. Although even with their momentum, the Vandal remained standing, their yelps of surprise turned to one of cursing as they then tried to pry the lower ranking Eliksni off, only for them to snap back on, as if a magnet. It took only moments for one of the Dregs to wrap their arms around his head and tugged back, the action enough to send the Vandal sprawling to the floor and it didn't take long before their rifle was tugged out of their hands by another. Then with a single swing with the butt of the weapon towards their head, the Vandal went limp on the floor, the four Dregs screeching in victory.

Olkar on the other hand, gawked, trailing the four as they approached Ixrsis, holding the rifle out in their hands.

"You have done well." She rumbled, her eyes lighting up as the four Dregs chitter excitedly at her praise, "Once we escape, you shall be rewarded, yes."

Shaking off the worse of the shock, Olkar then turned his attention back to the Ghost, sensing the same from her.

"Well," She started, "Guess we are not as vulnerable as we thought."

That, Olkar could agree with.

Xxxxx

Peeking around the corner, Angel let out a yelp as he ducked back into cover, the bolt of arc energy narrowly missing his head as it bounced off the wall. Taking in a deep breath, Angel turned his wide eyes towards the others, "Do you think it was a good idea that Oraxsis scared off 'witnesses" only for them to report in?"

In response to his question, Ianos gave him a blank look, "Even if we were able to contain survivors in the Hangar, I highly doubt they would have missed a handful of Guardian jumpships ramming into their Ketch."

"Good point," Deflating at the Warlock's words, Angel let out a sigh as he crouched and focused, feeling a layer of light settle just above his skin, "Also, why am I taking the lead again?"

A breath of frustration can be heard from Ianos, "The reason we are here, Angel, is because of you. Your friend needed rescue otherwise, we would not even be here in the first place."

Mumbling under his breath, Angel waited until the familiar shots came to a pause and the snarling of a Captain handing out orders. Concentrating until he felt the familiar hum of his cloak settling around his shape, Angel then remove his dagger from his sheathe before he bolted around the corner and down the hall. Taking light but quick steps to ensure as much silence as possible, Angel then leaped forward and swung his blade into the next of the closest Eliksni – an unfortunate Dreg. Kicking the body away, Angel kept a tight grip on his knife as he ducked a swipe from a Vandal, stabbing them in between the ribs before quickly making his way down the rest of the hall. Feeling the cloak flicker off of his shape, Angel then saw the Captain aim his Shrapnel Launcher, already seeing them pressing the trigger on their weapon. Assessing the distance, Angel then leaped, rising into the air before tossing his knife.

True to his record of knife throwing in the Crucible, the blade missed the head of the Captain completely and lodged itself into their shoulder, the larger Eliksni letting out a startled shout of pain. This was enough for Angel to land, roll onto the ground, remove his Hand Cannon from its holster, and aim. One shot was enough to take the Captain down and this time, he didn't miss. Watching the body collapse onto the floor then onto its side, Angel hesitated before walking over. Staring into their lifeless gaze, he then knelt down and gently brushed his fingers over their eyes, effectively closing them. Then, he bowed his head and whispered a silent prayer, the Eliksni language easily sliding from his tongue. Just because Eliksni and Guardians are enemies does not mean Angel should not respect their dead.

"Taking point does not mean rushing into enemy lines and leaving your team behind."

Standing up, Angel turned in time to see Carina, Axtris, and Ianos approach, the latter of which he sensed a glower being sent his way.

"Oh, shove it, he did well." The Exo Titan retorted, Angel sensing her give him a broad grin, "he killed a Captain after all."

"Out of pure luck and lack of communication." Ianos scolded, "Rushing headlong like that will result in your death." He paused when Carina lifted a hand, "And I mean permanent death." Watching the Titan then lower her hand as she gave Ianos a scowl, the latter then continued, "Come, we have an Eliksni to save." He then brushed past Angel and Carina, "And I will be taking point this time."

Watching the Warlock head down the hallway, Angel turned his focus towards Carina when he heard her mutter, "The fuck is wrong with him? He seemed very adamant that you take point but after you took action, he insists on taking point now?"

Flashing her a nervous smile behind his visor, Angel could only shrug, "Maybe he's just worried that I will get hurt?"

Carina scoffed, "Right. Why would he be worried about that when you obviously handled the situation well?" She gestured at the Captain's body, "You went in there and flawlessly killed all the Fallen that were present. I say a job well done."

"You three coming?"

Glancing up at Ianos, Angel blinked when he spotted the older Guardian at the other end of the hall and standing at the entrance of the next room. Listening to Carina mutter under her breath, Angel stayed where he was even when she brushed past him. Waiting until there was enough space between himself and Carina, Angel then turned to the body of the Captain and, with a grunt, pushed it over with his foot. Leaning over to grab the handle of his blade still embedded into its shoulder, Angel mentally cursed his bad habit of keeping only one knife on him at all times as he pried it loose. After this, he needs to talk to Pluto on how to conceal as many blades as he can on his person.

Wiping the blade of his weapon on his cloak, Angel then heard a low rumble next to him, prompting to glance towards Axtris. He immediately saw her eyes showing concern.

"Do not worry, Axtris, I an unharmed." Angel reached out and placed a comforting hand onto her shoulder, giving in a squeeze.

Despite his words and actions, Angel can still see the female Eliksni hesitate, her four eyes narrowing in concern. Although later, she nodded once, signifying her understanding before she too brushed past the Hunter, Angel letting his grip slide off her shoulder as she followed after Carina and Ianos. Then, making sure that there was no trace of blood on his knife, Angel then trailed after her as he sheathed his weapon.

Xxxxx

"Well," Akiva started as he watched Pluto fell four more Eliksni with his scout rifle, the bodies falling to the floor just seconds apart, "This is fun."

"If you call watching on the sidelines 'fun'."

A chuckle from Aleeza, his twin keeping her pulse rifle steady but did nothing to help the Exo Hunter; like he needed it, his shots were flawlessly knocking Eliksni after Eliksni down.

Akiva, in turn, flashed her a smile, "Well, when you have a professional sniper like Pluto going around and shooting everything in the head like it's just another stroll in the Tower, I guess you can say that."

"Shut it you two, I'm trying to focus."

Laughing at the Hunter's words, Akiva then teased, "Leave some action for us. Can't let you take all the credit."

Pluto snorted, "I will let you have credit when we actually have room to fit all three of us shoulder to shoulder."

Once again laughing at the Hunter's words, Akiva found it more amusing that his words couldn't be any closer to the truth. The halls in the Ketch were narrow, to the point where Akiva's bulk can hardly fit and even Oraxsis had to shift his form sideways to make progress. You would think that a ship that is large as this one would consider making their halls wide enough to fit their higher-ranking personnel, especially if there was a Kell on board.

"While we wait, may I ask why the halls are so narrow?" It was Aleeza who asked, the Warlock leaning back onto the wall as she held her rifle in her arms, "especially since I highly doubt even a Captain can waltz through these halls casually."

Oraxsis, shifting his body best as he could in the tight space, rumbled softly in response, "It is because it was not built for them, it is built for the Dregs and Vandals." Akiva didn't have to physically see his sister's face to know that she flashed the Baron a confused look, "Many who are of High-Rank are usually placed in rooms with plenty of space to walk in." Oraxsis then let out a grunt as he shifted his body once more, his armor loudly scraping against the walls, "Attacks on Ketches are not as uncommon as you think, especially if the Kell is present and not well liked." He them hummed, Akiva easily spotted the familiar gaze of memory flashing in the Baron's four eyes, "In order to avoid high-ranking Eliksni from taking front, we created these narrow halls to ensure that only those low in the hierarchy are capable of pushing forward."

"So, cannon fodder then." Aleeza huffed when Oraxsis nodded, Akiva watching her turn her attention back towards Pluto, "No wonder the Captains aren't making any moves."

Following his sister's gaze, Akiva let out a soft hum as he easily spotted two hulking forms at the other end, hearing the familiar growls and screams of the Eliksni language reverberating through the hall.

"Usually this tactic ends with the invaders being overwhelmed by sheers numbers." Akiva shifted his attention back towards the Baron, as the latter rumbled, "Although I can see that it will not work with your metal friend."

No sooner had Oraxsis finished speaking when Akiva let out a startled choke, hearing Aleeza do the same as he leaned over and whispered, "Be careful when you call Exo 'metal' or anything similar." He paused when the Baron let out a rumble, and then continued, "Pluto wouldn't mind too much but there are other Exo who are quite sensitive." Akiva let out a breath when Oraxsis continued to give him a confused look, "Calling an Exo 'metal' is an insult."

Understanding immediately flashed into Oraxsis' four eyes, the Eliksni nodding once.

"Hey! I need backup!"

Snapping his attention back towards Pluto, Akiva turned in time to see the Hunter's shields shatter, the older Guardian reeling as shouts of victory echoed down from the other end of the hall as more Dregs started flooding in.

"They all just started swarming in!" Pluto shouted as he quickly regained composure, firing his weapon, his shots dropping Eliksni just as quickly as before. But yet, the Eliksni started closing in, close enough where Akiva saw the Hunter jerk back, clenching his shoulder as it smoldered from a shock pistol fire, "Fuck!"

Listening to Pluto curse, Akiva then took a step forward, pressing himself against the Exo's back. Before the Hunter could even let out a shout of protest, he then snapped his hands to the side, flinching as the back slammed into the metal plating but nonetheless, was satisfied when the familiar violet dome took shape.

"I hate these halls," Akiva said as he shook his hands, feeling them sting even through his armor. He then felt hands press down onto his shoulders.

"I got this!"

Hearing his sister's voice shout just above him, Akiva barely had the time to keep his footing as she kicked off from his back and boosting herself into the air. He then saw the gathering of Void Energy in her right hand.

It took only a single thrust for the Nova Bomb to sail through the air and land right into the mass of the approaching Eliksni, the latter barely having enough time to shout before their forms dissipated into wisps of violet. With their numbers lost, Akiva then spotted the Captains attempting to move back, their panicked shouting ringing in his ears. That is when two sniper shots resounded through the hallway.

Immediately, the heads of the two Eliksni exploded, bits of armor, bone, and flesh scattering into the air before landing onto the floor like rain. Then, it was quickly followed by the bodies, collapsing onto the floor with a thud.

"Clear." Pluto said as he lowered his sniper, lifting himself off from the floor as he then tapped the side of his helmet. He grunted, "No signs of life, none that Nix could scan anyway."

Dropping the Ward of Dawn around him, Akiva then motioned towards the end of the Hall, "Can we get out of here so we can finally get leg room?" He then reached up and tapped the chest of the Baron with the back of his hand, ignoring the puzzled look he received from Oraxsis, "Especially for this guy, he could hardly move."

Seeing Pluto nod once as he reloaded his rifle, Akiva waited until Aleeza finally settled herself back onto the floor before following after his twin into the other room. He then let out a sigh and stretched, "Traveler, it feels great to be out of that tiny death trap." He then turned his attention towards Oraxsis, seeing the Baron barely pulling himself out of the hall and into the room, "How are you doing, big guy?"

"Just grateful that I am alive and unscathed." Oraxsis grunted as he too stretched, lifting his four arms into the air, "Although I would appreciate if my people crafted ships with larger space."

Laughing at the Baron's words, Akiva then said, "That, I can agree with, big guy."

No sooner had he finished speaking when he saw Oraxsis turn and give him a bewildered look, his four eyes squinting at him as if trying to read the Titan, "Why do you keep calling me 'big guy'?"

Blinking at the Baron's question, Akiva just smiled and answered, "It's a nickname." He paused when Oraxsis' expression shifted, "You know? A nickname?" Akiva once again paused when Oraxsis' face remained confused, "Like a title?" That is when the Baron's eyes lit up with recognition, prompting Akiva to add, "A nickname is like a title but more, friendly? Like a title between friends."

A confounded look then flashed across Oraxsis' face, "Friends?"

Akiva nodded, "Yeah friends." He paused, "Why? Is something the matter?"

Instead or immediately receiving an answer, Akiva watched as Oraxsis's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "You consider me a friend? A, comrade?"

Now it was Akiva's turn to be confused, "Of course, I mean…" That is when understanding settled into his mind, "You don't see it that way?"

His question sent the Baron reeling, Akiva seeing the Baron physically take a step back, his four eyes glancing around the room before settling back onto the Titan, "I…"

When he received nothing more, Akiva couldn't help the disappointment, his shoulders drooping as he said, "Well, that's alright, I mean…" He forced himself to look into Oraxsis' eyes and gave him a smile despite the helmet, "We're not trying to kill each other anymore, right?"

Receiving silence once more, Akiva couldn't suppress the sigh that escaped his lips, his disappointment growing. Although, he paused when a soft rumble permeated from Oraxsis, the Baron dipping his head, his expression apologetic.

"Oraxsis. Akiva."

Turning his attention towards the other end of the room Akiva spotted Pluto and Aleeza, the latter of which is holding out Lena towards a panel next to the door, and the Hunter nodding his head towards it, "Ready for the next tiny death trap?"

Flashing Pluto a nervous smile behind his visor, Akiva then turned towards Oraxsis, "Stick behind us, alright b-" Stopping himself mid-sentence, Akiva then flashed the Baron another grin before simply raising a hand and giving the Eliksni a thumbs up. Then, without another word, he turned and followed the others, missing the guilty expression that Oraxsis sent his way.

Xxxxx

Vellak recognized the sound of gunfire and the sensation of light that settled uncomfortably around his shoulders, even through the thick walls of the Ketch. He snarled at this; he had fought plenty of Guardians in his lifetime to recognize the signs. Waving his hands to several Dregs that were assigned to him, the group perking up at chance of battle, a chance to prove themselves worthy. Unable to help but give the Dregs a fond look as they chittered excitedly amongst themselves, Vellak then found himself tracing the trophies bound around his waist, huffing as his fingers trailed familiar star shaped forms.

He had always ensured to extinguish their light completely before taking them as prizes; Vellak may have held a grudge against the Guardians, but he wasn't cruel enough where he would keep a Fragment barely alive, suffering just to get at the slew of information that they held within their core. No, he would give them the peace of knowing that they would meet their other half in the afterlife. Knowing that he had killed a Guardian was enough.

Barking orders to the Dregs, Vellak then nodded his head towards the door in front of him as he held his shock blades in his upper hands, signaling to one of the lower rank Eliksni to slowly approach the entrance and type in the code. However, just as the door slid open, rain of bullets sprayed into the room, peppering the unfortunate Dreg and causing the others to let out shrieks of surprise.

"Find cover!" Vellak hissed out, his orders immediately silencing the lower ranking Eliksni as they obeyed, the Vandal himself sliding behind a console. Crouching in his position, it wasn't long when heavy footsteps entered, which was quickly followed by a short shriek of a Dreg, a gunshot, and silence once more.

"Looks clear." A voice rang out. Synthetic. An Exo.

Vellak found his confidence growing at her words; she will be proven wrong in just a few moments.

"You are certain?" A second voice. Calm and flanged tinted with a familiar accent. Awoken. "Sometimes they like to hide, fool you into thinking that you are safe." A brief pause followed by, "We should probably get our scanners up."

"Now!"

Leaping out of cover, Vellak then let out a roar, signaling to the Dregs to jump out of their hiding as well, all of them letting out screeching battle cries as they lunged towards the Guardians. Throwing himself at the nearest Guardian – A Titan - he heard the latter let out a startled yelp as he thrusted his blades into their shoulder blades, giving him leverage as he reached down with his lower arms and removed his shock pistols from their holsters. He then aimed them directly at their face.

"Carina!"

Barely having the time to register the third Guardian that entered the room, he was sent sprawling when the latter rammed into him, Vellak feeling himself lose his grip on his blades and pistols. Rolling back onto his feet, he snarled as he watched the Guardian aim their weapon at him.

"Aim low! Do not let one escape!" He shouted and immediately the hum of shock pistols being fired rang into the air.

Dashing into cover, Vellak peered over in time to see the Titan rip out his shock blades, only to snap back when another Guardian – a Warlock from the way they were dressed – fired at him.

"You two, take care of the Dregs. I will handle the Vandal."

"Why? It's just a Vandal."

"Did you not see the Ghosts on their body? They have killed Guardians, many of them judging from the amount."

Their words were then quickly followed by more gunfire and Vellak heard footsteps approaching his position. Fast.

Removing his shock blades from his belt, Vellak waited until the footsteps were practically next to him before rolling forward. Feeling the brush of bullets pass by his cape, Vellak then let out a war cry as he leaped back onto his feet and lunged at the Warlock. Swinging his blades downwards, Vellak let out a snarl of frustration as the Guardian brought up their weapon, his blades sinking easily into equipment but stopping short of his target. Growling, Vellak then tightened his grip and thrusted his arms to the left, easily ripping the Guardian's weapons of their hands. As he expected, this momentum caused the Guardian's weapon to slide to the other side of the room, however, this also included Vellak's daggers, the Vandal feeling the handles of his weapon snap away from his grip.

This did little to hinder the Vandal as he lunged towards the Warlock once more, swinging a fist at the Guardian's helmet. He must have caught the latter off guard as he felt it make contact, the Warlock stumble back a few steps, and raising a hand to his visor, his startled expression easily readable. Swinging his other fist, Vellak then let out a startled cry as a hand wrapped around his wrist, only for it to be quickly cut short as he felt an impact on his cheek, causing him to stumble back and give the Warlock a surprised look of his own.

"Just because I lost my weapon does not mean I cannot fight hand to hand." The Warlock hissed out before the next thing Vellak knew, he was flying through the room and landing onto the many consoles within, hearing it crack and shatter under his weight. Groaning as he pushed himself up, Vellak glanced up only to leap to the side to avoid a shot from a sidearm. Rolling back onto his feet, Vellak snarled before removing a shock pistol from his holster and retaliated, the Warlock ducking into the cover. Reloading his pistol, Vellak dashed forward and skidding around the console, easily taking the Warlock by surprise.

"This is the end for you." He snarled, his words earning him another surprised look from the Guardian. Vellak didn't bother taking it in as he started to pull the trigger.

"No!"

Feeling arms wrap around his neck, Vellak reeled as he felt himself being tugged back, stumbling backwards in order to regain his balance. Snarling in frustration, Vellak turned and slammed his back onto one of the consoles, listening to his attacker let out a gasp of surprise before he gripped their arms with his upper arms and tossed them across the room. Watching them land onto another array of consoles with a crash, Vellak gave them no time to recover as he leaped forward, ramming himself into the Guardian's chest, and pressing his shock pistol under their chin.

"Any last words?" He snarled, feeling the Guardian's eyes shift towards him underneath his weight.

"Wait, I know you."

Startled, Vellak narrowed his eyes, only for them to widen as the Guardian added, "You, you're that Vandal I saved from the blizzard."

Taking in the implications of the Guardian's words, Vellak dropped his weapons before grasping the sides of his helmet. The first tugged earned him a choked gasp, prompting Vellak to scramble for the latches with a low snarl. Hearing the familiar hiss of air being released and the click of the latches coming undone, he then tugged the helmet free with one swift pull. It wasn't long that his four eyes locked onto familiar green and his grip on the headpiece was lost, the helmet clattering to the floor.

"You," Vellak started, "You were that Guardian. You-"

A battle cry shook Vellak out of his thoughts, giving him just enough time to glance over and see the familiar hulking form of a Titan charge right at him.

Xxxxx

A shout of surprised escaped Angel's lips when Carina slammed into the Vandal, flinching as the two crashed into one of the consoles. Judging from the way the Eliksni immediately went limp, it didn't take much to understand what happened. Angel then spotted Carina bringing a fist back.

"Wait!"

Carina immediately turned and gave him a puzzled look, "Wait?" She glanced back and forth between him and the Vandal, "Why?"

"I know him!" Angel blurted; this earned him another confused look, "I saved his life back when I was a fresh Newborn!"

There was a stunned silence and then a response, "How many Fallen did you save?"

Angel went quiet, "… A lot."

This earned him a huff from Carina, the Exo glancing down at the Vandal beneath her and, much to Angel's relief, she pushed herself away.

"We cannot just stop and let every Eliksni live, even if it is one that you save."

Turning around in time to see Ianos approach, it didn't take one to physically see the Awoken's face to sense his scowl, and Angel was uncertain if it was directed at him or the remnants of the pulse rifle that he held in his hands. The Warlock then proceeded to hold it up, signaling to his Ghost to take it into his Vault before he then proceeded to add, "Especially this one."

At first, confused at Ianos' words, a sputter from Carina prompted Angel to turn his focus back onto the Vandal. He then froze.

Around the Vandal's waist were the familiar colorful shells of Ghosts, their lights dim, and their shape obviously cracked and damaged. Making it more than obvious that they were dead.

"Traveler." Angel heard Carina whisper as Ianos came to a pause near her, "We can't, we just can't…"

She didn't have to finish her sentence for Angel to understand. He couldn't help but reach down to his belt and grasp the handle of his knife. Angel wasn't surprised when Ianos snapped his attention towards him, wisps of light forming around his fingertips.

"Vellak!"

Turning his eyes towards the entrance of the room, Angel forced his hand away from his blade when Axtris entered, her four eyes wide as she approached them. Right, he had nearly forgotten that they had left her in the hall. Just to ensure that the three of them didn't get too excited and mistaken her for the enemy.

"You know him?" Angel asked and in return, Axtris nodded.

"Yes," He watched as she slowly approached and leaned over the Vandal, "He is my littermate."

A wheeze escaped Angel the instant she spoke. This earned him a look from Ianos, "Littermate?"

"Eliksni term for sibling." Angel clarified, "That's her brother."

"Well, fuck."

Nodding his head in agreement to Carina's words, Angel then hesitated before slowly, he turned his focus onto Ianos. Judging from the way the light still lingered around his hands and the tension in his shoulders, it was obvious the Warlock still wanted to kill the Vandal – Vellak. Although the last thing he wants, Angel understands the sentiment; an enemy had killed your comrades-in-arms and had taken valuable equipment as trophies. It must be anger-inducing, especially for a Guardian as old as Ianos.

But should they really execute Vellak in front of Axtris?

As he let the question linger in his mind, Angel jumped when Ianos suddenly let out a sigh, the tension in his shoulders leaking away as he said, "We will let him live for now." He then felt the Awoken's eyes fall upon him, "But tell Axtris that if he gets in our way again, we will not be as merciful."

Nodding his head once at the Awoken, Angel then paused when Ianos then held out his hand, holding out Ace just near the unconscious Vandal's waist, "What are you doing?"

Ianos shot him a look like as though the answer should be obvious, "These Ghosts once belonged to Guardians." Angel flinched, "The least we can do is bring them back and compare them to those who have gone missing in the field." He then heard Ianos let out a sad huff, "More names to be carved onto the pillars."

Taking note of the hint of melancholy in the Awoken's voice, Angel then walked over, picking up his fallen helmet, and slipping it back over his head. He then turned towards Axtris and said, "Do not worry, Axtris. Ianos said your brother will live."

Despite his words, the tension in the female Vandal's shoulders remained and when she turned her four eyes at him, all Angel could see was worry.

"But what if he interferes again?"

Remaining silent, Angel couldn't help but look away, mumbling out, "I'm sorry."

A sad rumble can be heard from Axtris, but nonetheless, as Angel lifted his eyes, he saw her nod once, "I understand."

Just random facts. Vellak can speak the human tongue perfectly while as Olkar and Axtris practically known none. Oraxsis and Ixrsis know enough to communicate but their vocabulary isn't very expansive yet.

Anyways, I apologize once again for the late update...and with that, off to Iron Banner I go.