Tormented

Fight Us

Edited: 8/22/2021

Oh before I forget (again), each arc takes about a year after each other with the exception of the Awoken Arc: this one takes place only a few months after their trip into the City. So to clarify, the team has been together for two and a half years or around that estimation.

"How about Wings of Freedom?"

"Nah too cheesy."

"Then, how about Fireteam Inferno."

"That sounds way too similar to Fireteam Blaze. Don't want everyone to think that we're related to them."

"Aren't we though?"

"Well…"

"Then how about Fireteam Merry?"

"Carina, no offense, but we're not exactly 'merry' Guardians."

Listening to Akiva, Aleeza, and Carina converse through the com, Pluto struggled to keep focus, barely dodging broken asteroids and ships.

"Five minutes until we reach the Reef." No sooner had Nix announced their destination, Pluto then heard a chortle echo through the coms; Pluto couldn't help but sigh and prepared himself.

"Fireteam Buttslayer!" All three Guardians chimed in followed by laughter and a single groan, and, with his keen receptors, Pluto barely caught the quiet chuckle of Angel.

"Will you cut that out!?" Ianos shouted. This only prompted more squeals of laughter from the others. Pluto couldn't suppress the smile as Ianos let out another groan.

"I do hope that do not act like this when we reach the Reef." Pluto said, listening to the laughter quiet down, "Especially when we speak with the Queen."

"Wait," Carina's voice piped in, "We're going to meet the Queen?"

"How else do you think we're going to make this treaty?" Ianos's voice snapped, "Nigh impossible to make without the heads of the Reef."

"Hey, I'm only two and a half. Not as old as you or Pluto, you old geezers." A sound of indignation can be heard followed by Carina's huff, "Which I have to ask, do any of you know how the Reef works?"

That is when Pluto let out a hum, "Don't know, never been there."

"What?! But you and Ianos were around for 'centuries!"

"Doesn't mean that we have ever visited the Reef." Pluto briefly paused, contemplating "At least, not in this lifetime."

"Then how about you Aleeza?"

"Sorry, I don't know anything." Pluto can hear the sound of disappointment from Carina by her lover's answer, "I may have been out to the outermost edge of the Light but, remember, I was a human first, and my transformation occurred 'years' ago. I highly doubt any of the Awoken on the Reef were the ones I traveled with. And let's not forget, I tried to 'go back' to Earth. I personally didn't stay around long enough to really take everything in."

"Oh." Another huff from Carina though the coms, "How about you Ianos? Do you remember anything from the Reef?"

"No." Pluto couldn't help but raise a brow at the Warlock's answer; he honestly expected Ianos to not answer at all.

Carina sputtered at his answer, "But I thought you were Reefborn."

"Doesn't mean I remember 'everything'." Ianos retorted, "Remember, I was brought back as a Guardian, memory isn't top priority when Chosen."

"Then how in the Light did you figure out that you were Reefborn?"

In honesty, Pluto hadn't expected Ianos to answer; the Warlock had always been private, even back before the incident with the Moon. So, he was quite surprised when the silent static of the coms was broken by a sigh and an answer.

"As you know, memories may come back to a Guardian as time passes. The same happened with me." There was a brief pause, clear hesitation before finally, he finished, "My mother."

There was a sputter that echoed through the coms followed by stunned silence; it was obvious that no one was expecting that answer.

"Everything was a blur but the surroundings, it definitely wasn't Earth." Ianos continued, "as I felt her hand grab mine, I then heard her say, 'This is the Reef, my child. Your new home. 'Our' new home." There was then an exhale, "Of course, there are other lingering memories, but they are not quite as clear."

Blinking as he took it in, Pluto silently wonders just how long he has been away from the Tower for not having have heard this before. His thoughts were quickly broken when Akiva's voice rang through, "That must be frustrating, to have a snippet of a memory only to have the others out of your reach."

An amused huff can be heard from Ianos, "Not as frustrating as not remembering your name."

Pluto flinched at the Awoken's words; the Hunter knows that was a slip of the tongue. Ianos had been too engrossed into his tale and judging from the silence, the Warlock had released it as well.

"Wait, Ianos isn't your 'true' name?" It was Angel's voice that broke through the static; not a surprise to Pluto, "From the way you just call yourself 'Ianos', I thought…"

There was a brief silence followed by a sigh.

"I had years to adjust to it." Ianos murmured, "and years more to relent that frustration."

Pluto found himself grinding his jaw in response to Ianos' words; he knows fully well how it feels to live for years without a name. However, unlike the Warlock, Pluto only had a few short years before they were found by Sun and gave himself a name. From what he can gather, Ianos had been resurrected not long after them but yet, when they found him during the building of the City, he still had no name to go by. And even then, it took a few more years before Ianos ever accepted a proper one.

"Everyone."

Nix's voice pulled Pluto out of his thoughts. And it was then, Pluto finally took notice of the ships, 'other' ships gliding into position around them.

"You are the Emissaries the Tower have sent?"

The all too familiar Reefborn accent, one that Pluto realizes is similar to Ianos', echoed through their coms, causing the Hunter to reel in his seat before quickly leaning over and fumbled with the controls.

"This is Pluto-99. I can confirm that my Fireteam and I are here as emissaries of the Tower."

Lifting his finger off from the button, Pluto couldn't' help but nervously shift in his seat when there was a brief silence, only to let out a breath of relief when a voice broke through the static again, "Follow us and do not, I repeat, 'do not' change trajectory, understand?"

Leaning over to mutter out a response, Pluto then signaled to Nix follow the Awoken's commands, leaning back and digging his fingers into the arm of his seat. He can easily hear in the Awoken's tone that they were just as happy as the team were to be traveling to the Reef. In other words, a red flag that this mission was not going to go as easily as Pluto hopes.

Grumbling to himself as he pressed the palm of his hands against his optics, Pluto then said, "This is going to be a rough mission."

Xxxxx

Before the ships had even flown into this vision, Ianos had already known the Awoken were there; he had felt a hum linger into the back of his mind and their presence permeated into his senses. He had ignored it, brushing it to the side as coincidence. That is, until they flew into the Reef's territory.

Quiet whispers then settled in which grew in frequency as they landed in the Hangar. When they exited their ships, Ianos couldn't help but press a hand to the side of his head; already he can sense the presence of the other Awoken waiting behind the Hangar walls and their buzz of emotion bombarded his senses. As they were met by their guides, Ianos attempted to take a step forward, only for the world to spin and stumbled back. That is when he felt a hand settle on his shoulder.

"You alright?" It was Pluto, and although his optics were unreadable, the way the light flickered between the plating of his jaw was telling enough for Ianos.

"I am fine." He responded, regaining his balance and placing a hand back onto the side of his head, slowly quieting the whispers that lingered, "But damn, it's noisy here."

There was a brief silence to his statement.

"What?"

Ianos turned his eyes away from the floor and up at Pluto, "Can you not hear them?"

Seeing Pluto shake his head, Ianos found his attention turning towards the entrance of the Hangar, sensing the Awoken just standing behind the wall. He senses both anger. And bewilderment.

Shaking his head to once again to quiet down the worst of the whispers, Ianos took in a shuddering breath before turning his attention back towards Pluto, "It seems that there is more than one reason that the Vanguard wanted a Reefborn as an acting Emissary."

Sensing Pluto's bewilderment, Ianos' focus was then pulled elsewhere as he felt displeasure permeate from their guides – a total of three of them – and it took Ianos to follow their gaze to understand why.

Angel had lingered behind, a hand on Vellak's arm as the large Eliksni limped down the ramp of the Hunter's ship, the latter of which grunted as they reached the bottom.

"Do you think he is going to be alright?"

Akiva approached behind, Ianos opting to keep his eyes on the Vandal as the latter leaned against his staff and tapped his foot as if to test the ground. He then lifted his luminescent eyes towards Akiva and huffed, "I will be fine, worry about this treaty of yours and not me."

Seeing Akiva smile sheepishly, Ianos then saw Angel's eyes glimmer with worry, "Alright but stay close, I heard the Reef aren't, 'tolerant', of Eliksni."

Vellak nodded his head in understanding, letting out a click of his mandibles and took steps to prepare to follow the group. Ianos' guard instantly went up when their Awoken guides hefted their weapons into their hands.

"Follow us." One of them ordered.

However, before the others could take another step, Ianos lifted a hand and instantly, he sensed the annoyance from their guides.

"Now is this any way to treat emissaries?" Ianos asked as his eyes lingered over their weapons.

"We are simply taking precautions." Another of the Guides retorted and Ianos couldn't help but lift his gaze and narrow his eyes.

"Really? Would you like us to treat your emissaries this way as well?" Ianos took note of the way their body tensed, "Guns raised? Passive threats? Tell me." He sensed the hesitation, the dread permeating from the guides, "Does the Royal House of Sov know that you are treating us this way as 'precaution'?"

There was a flare of anger, annoyance, and alarm before the guides flinched but nonetheless, there was a grumble and a signal from one to sheathe their weapons. Ianos didn't have to see through their visor to sense the glare that they pointed his way, "If you may follow me."

Nodding his head once in satisfaction and victory, Ianos waited until the three Guides took the lead before following. He heard the footsteps of his team just behind him.

"What the hell was that?" It was Carina who finally asked, her whisper practically a hiss, "It's almost like as though you knew exactly what to say."

Parting his mouth to answer, Ianos then pause, shut his mouth, and contemplated, "If you want an honest answer, I am not sure."

Doubt can easily sense from Carina, "Not sure? How can you not be sure when you easily put them in their place?"

Ianos let out a sigh, "All I can say is that I can sense what they are feeling."

There was a brief silence and then once again, Carina breaking it, "What?"

Opting to say nothing else, Ianos simply shifted his attention towards the Guides when one of them said, "This way."

Following their nod, Ianos spotted a door, an emblazoned golden crown painted onto the front. Familiarity flashed to the forefront of his mind but nonetheless, he and the others walked through when the Guides opened it.

They were met with crystalline buildings lined with metal and wires, each lining the homes as if they held them together. Equally violet crystal lamps hung from the air from invisible lines, lighting up the area with an earie glow and revealing the path of white below. To Ianos, the residence's curiosity quickly turned to one of alarm and suspicion as they walked past, some of them watching with wide glowing eyes. Others were shuffling their children inside. At first, it was quiet, only murmurs echoing through the air before finally, a shout.

Ianos couldn't comprehend what they were saying but, he noticed that their attention was not on him or the others, at least, not at first. Following their hateful stares, Ianos realized their hate was pointed towards Vellak, the Eliksni reeling and snarling at hands that threatened to get close. Unconsciously, he limped towards the middle of their group, using Ianos and the others as a living shield between himself and the angry Awoken. Not that Ianos blames him for it.

"Well, this is a warm welcome," Ianos heard Akiva mutter, turning his attention towards the Titan in time to see him glance around, shrugging as if to help lighten the mood. But Ianos had known Akiva long enough to notice the slight waver in his voice and the way his hands curled into fists. He wasn't the only one unnerved at the sight.

Finding himself unconsciously flexing his hands, Ianos forced himself to relax, just in time for the group to approach another door, this one guarded on both sides by female Awoken adorned in violet and black, their faces covered. The door opened quickly, and it allowed the group to quickly step inside and finally leave the upset crowd behind. Hearing Angel let out a breath as the entrance closed behind them, Ianos then turned his focus towards the room before them. His orange eyes scanned the long walkway leading up to a circular platform in the large room and there in the middle was a chair; casually made but large and elaborate enough to signify its importance. Ianos is unsure if he had ever seen such an obvious throne before.

When the group came to a pause just at the foot of the stairs, that is when Ianos felt strong emotions bubble from the back of his mind, causing him to flinch and snap his attention near the throne and immediately, spotted a figure adorned in black, his ire and annoyance all too clear.

Judging from the way he held his arms behind his back, his shoulders square, chin held high, and his position near the throne, Ianos recognizes a position of an advisor easily. In other words, a position just below the Queen's. This was proven when the Awoken nodded his head towards the Guides in which they responded with a salute and then quietly made their exit.

"So, you are the 'emissaries' that the Tower had sent." The man slowly made his way down the steps, his yellow eyes scanning Ianos and the others before stating, "Honestly I was expecting someone more, 'important'."

Ignoring Carina's huff in response to the Awoken's words, Ianos then watching as the advisor's attention came to a pause and made a face; Ianos didn't have to look back to know he was looking at Vellak.

"What is a Fallen doing here?" Now it was Angel's turn to bristle, "I thought Guardians were not 'tolerant' of scavengers."

That is when Ianos noticed Angel taking a step forward; no one insults an Eliksni and gets away with it in the Hunter's presence. Luckily, Pluto held up a hand, subtly enough where Angel took note and pause. If the Advisor took notice, he made no sign of it.

"We are in a treaty with a newly formed house, the House of Spirits," Pluto said and Ianos watched as he straightened his posture, his shoulders squared, "Vellak is their House scribe. He is here to record everything that happens during our stay here."

A flash of annoyance lingered over the Advisor, his yellow eyes narrowing at the group before he breathed out words that were barely audible; Ianos wouldn't be surprised if he had the gall to be insulting them. It was then man's eyes finally locked onto his and, both jumped. Ianos wouldn't be surprised if he just as shocked as he was; the sudden change from suspicion to one of alarm was unsettling, his mind ringing from the sudden change. His thoughts were further proven when the Advisor's expression faltered, his eyes growing wide and his arms falling to his sides. Nonetheless, the Advisor quickly regained composure, the scowl back onto his face just as quickly. Afterwards, his expression turned dark in Ianos' direction before his focus turned back onto Pluto.

"We will tolerate its presence here as long as it behaves."

A low rumble can be heard from Angel, Ianos watching from the corner of his eye as Angel's hand settled onto the knife around his belt. That is when he reached out and grabbed Angel by the arm. The Hunter didn't look his way, but Ianos felt his arm tremble under his grip before finally, the younger Guardian lowered his hand away from his blade. Releasing his hold from Angel, Ianos then saw him turn and stare at him behind his visor but nonetheless gave Ianos a single nod; a sign that he will shrug off the Awoken's words. For now.

Letting out a breath of relief, Ianos released his hold on Angel. And that is when the clambering of limbs scraping against the metal floor caught his attention.

Turning his attention towards the throne, Ianos spotted two familiar four armed humanoid figures rise-up. Their guttural language and clicks is telling enough to Ianos.

"Eliksni? Here?" Angel voice the words that lingered on the tip of Ianos' tongue and the Hunter's words were soon followed by a low snarl. A snarl from Vellak.

The Scribe was guttering out words that Ianos' limited Eliksni vocabulary couldn't understand, but his lowered posture, his snarling, and the way hard his hands were gripping his staff, the Warlock understands that Vellak was not happy at the other Eliksni's presence. Especially when the Eliksni hefted their spears and leaned forward; an all too familiar sign of a threat.

It was then Ianos caught movement from the corner of his vision, and he glanced away in time to see Pluto charging forward, his knife gripped tightly in his hands. This was not missed by the Eliksni, both of which screeched, squared out their shoulders and lowered themselves. Readying for a fight.

Before Ianos can cry out, there was a flash of movement and the next thing he knew, the Advisor was standing before Pluto, the tip of his own knife pressed against the Exo's throat.

"You, 'do not' want to do that here." The Awoken warned, his yellow eyes narrowing, leaning in enough that Pluto had to lean back, teetering on the middle of the stairs and threatened to fall, "Especially not 'here'."

Despite his optics being hidden, Ianos can easily see the red glow peeking underneath Pluto's blindfold but, nonetheless, the Hunter took a step back and sheathed his dagger around his belt. The Awoken Advisor took a step back and did the same.

"Afraid of the Fallen?"

Light footsteps prompted Ianos to turn his eyes back towards the throne, only to pause as another Awoken, a woman, took a step around it. Unlike the Advisor's, her strands were white and wild, sticking in all directions but nonetheless, elegant. Her skin is shaded pale gray and her eyes were a vibrant blue, and the way she held herself high, clad in black and violet leather, her stature held grace but also power. She strode towards the throne without another word and took a seat, leaning back, crossed her legs, and folded her hands into her lap. And then, she let out a wry smile.

"Worry not. These Fallen, are 'mine'."

As if to give weight to her words, the two Fallen guards immediately lowered their weapons, taking steps back to take their place next to her throne. Judging from the way their form stayed rigid, at ready, they were standing guard.

The Queen.

Frowning behind his helmet, Ianos fixed his eyes upon the female Awoken, only to jump as her eyes immediately turned and locked with his. That is when he felt the curiosity, the amusement, and he spotted the way her eyes glittered with interest. Then he felt the invasion.

'Something' probed into the back of his mind.

Ianos took in a shuddering breath as the presence of another mind, a mind different from his Ghost's lingered. Feeling Ace's nervousness and a call, Ianos clenched his teeth, locked his eyes back with the Queen's, and gathered as much will as he could muster.

Leave.

No sooner had he let out the command when the presence left, leaving a tingling sensation. Shaking his head to rid the last of the buzz, Ianos couldn't help but glower at the Queen. This earned him only an amused look.

"Your Grace." Pluto muttered out as he bowed half heartily and then quickly lifted himself, "We are here as emissaries of the Tower in hopes to build a treaty to secure an alliance between the Guardians and the Awoken."

Feeling the Queen's eyes finally leave his, Ianos then watched as she turned her attention towards the Awoken man, "Have we been informed of an 'alliance', brother?"

"Oh boy."

Taking in a deep breath at Ace's whisper, Ianos bit his tongue as a ghost of a smile glazed over the Advisor's face.

"No, we have not."

Gritting his jaw, Ianos once again opted to say nothing, even when he heard Pluto let out a breath. If the Advisor – the Prince - took note of their discomfort, he showed no sign of it as he walked down the steps, just coming to a pause near them.

"We had asked for the Guardian who had taken the lives of our people, 'not' a treaty."

There was a brief pause, a sputter from one of the younger Guardians – Angel or Carina, Ianos wasn't too sure – before a muttered curse can be heard from the twins. From his position, Ianos could see Pluto's shoulders square out, his hands curling into fists, and the glow of his lights bright to the point where he could even see it peek through his armor. Not like Ianos could blame him. Right now, he is furious with the Vanguard, or possibly, the Consensus if they had ordered them to leave that knowledge out. Whatever or whoever it is, Ianos currently wants nothing more than to shove a condensed Nova Bomb into their face.

"We had asked, but yet, the Tower had sent 'you'." The Awoken man continued, "Here to beg instead of admitting to the crimes that their so called 'Guardian' had caused."

"The Tower had received a notice of a Treaty, not a 'trade'," Pluto finally broke their silence, "Otherwise we –"

"It was 'clearly' described what we had wanted to ensure that this 'Treaty' goes through." The Prince interrupted, "This 'Speaker' of yours, is he that ignorant of the crimes of his 'children' or is he that incompetent as a leader?"

Hearing a cough nearby, Ianos glanced over to see Akiva 'and' Aleeza clear their throats. Ah, he can see where they stand.

"The Speaker does not hold the entirety of the power," Pluto retorted, "More than likely the Consensus –"

"That Guardian killed 'our' guards. 'Our' people." The Prince's composure slipped, the fury momentarily flaring in his eyes before just as it quickly appeared, it vanished, "We have the right to pass judgement, not your 'Consensus'."

"It is out, of, our, hands." Pluto spoke through clenched jaw, "If you want this 'Guardian' so badly then fight us for it."

There was a pause as the Exo Hunter's words echoed throughout the room, Ianos physically turning and staring at Pluto with wide eyes.

"Pluto." He started.

"Repeat that again, 'Guardian'."

Turning his attention back towards the Prince, Ianos felt the amusement, the cockiness from the Awoken man as a smile broke out. He knew that was not a good sign.

Despite this, he saw Pluto keep his hidden optics onto the Prince and stood stall, "Fight us. If we win you will leave the Guardian alone and we will forge this treaty."

The smile upon the Prince's face faded not long after Pluto's words, "And what makes you think we will accept this 'challenge'?"

Scowling at the Prince, Ianos couldn't help but feel annoyed as he sensed how smug the Awoken was growing, and he wished there was a way to knock him down a bit. Then, before he could stop himself, Ianos blurted out, "By the rights of the Script."

No sooner had the words left his lips when he paused, furrowing his brows together. Script?

"Ianos?"

Feeling Ace tug at their bond gently, Ianos did the same and lifted his eyes to see all were staring at him. Seeing the look of shock on the Prince's face prompted him to speak, knowledge pooling to the front, "Chapter Two: Verse 23: A challenge can be proclaimed between individuals to fight off charges. If the defendant wins, they are cleared of all charges. If the prosecutor wins, the defendant's punishment is escalated, and their charges doubled."

The Prince's shock was replaced with a narrowed look, "How do you-"

Since he gave little courtesy to let Pluto finish, Ianos decided to do the same, "If the prosecution rejects the challenge, not only are the charges cleared but the rejection is treated as cowardice and in turn, are stripped of their rank and humiliated."

Seeing the scowl on the Prince's face deepen, Ianos couldn't help but let a ghost of a smile form as he finished, "To be honest, I am reciting this from 'decades' ago, so I am certain that they have updated the Script. Unless, they haven't."

Judging from the way the Prince's hands curled into fists, and sensing the rage, Ianos came to the conclusion that they hadn't.

"We still hold The Script that our ancestors had written years ago." The Prince finally spoke, "However, there has been altercations." To his credit, the Prince kept his head held high, "Instead of humiliation and loss of rank, the prosecution will instead owe the defendant, a favor, if you can understand." He then walked over to Ianos, pausing just an arm's length away, "However, if the defendant loses, they 'owe' us." The Prince then narrowed his eyes at Ianos, "So what will you owe us, Guardians?"

There was another brief pause, long enough for the prince to walk back up the steps and take his place next to his sister's side. That is when Pluto answered.

"We will hand over the convicted Guardian," He said, "and the Tower will leave the Reef allowing you to regain your isolation."

Nodding his head in satisfaction, Ianos turned his focus back onto the Prince, only to see the scowl still apparent on the Awoken's face. Still not happy with the trade.

Pluto must have noticed,

"You may handle the procedures if you want, to help make it 'even'."

The subtleness of the insult wasn't lost as the Prince glared at Pluto and opened his mouth to retort.

"Uldren." The Queen's call was enough for the Prince to go silent, "The Queen would like to consult with her brother."

Shooting Pluto another glare, the Prince reluctantly turned to the Queen and knelt down, ensuring the privacy of their conversation. That is when Ianos felt all eyes fall upon him.

"Want to share with the room?" Pluto asked.

Frowning as he tried to understand his newfound knowledge, Ianos then asked, "Want to tell me why you tried to 'fight' the Awoken?"

There was a brief silence than a sheepish noise from the Exo Hunter, "If you want an honest answer, I lost control." Ianos gave him a blank stare, "I was not pleased by the way he was speaking."

"Well keep it under control next time." Ianos muttered, "that way, we would not be in trouble."

"Oh? And your sudden outburst wasn't so different?" It was Carina who burst in, "Where the hell did you learn that 'Rights of the Script' bullshit?"

Ianos scowled at the Titan's words, furrowing his brows together as he debated telling the truth or lying. The gentle tug from Ace hinted for the former.

"I don't know." He easily sensed the look of doubts from the others, "I am telling the truth. When Pluto brought up the challenge, the knowledge just came forward, and I took the opportunity to step in." Ianos then let out a frustrated sigh, "How is not important. At this moment, we have to figure out how to solve our current situation."

"You done whispering amongst yourselves?" Ianos felt all attention turn back towards Uldren, the Prince having made his way to the bottom of the steps, "The Queen accepts your duel." Ianos blinked at his words, "It will take place here, within the confines of the Royal citadel, and will take place several hours from now."

"Several hours?" Ianos didn't have to look over to see Pluto make a face, "That is not enough time for-"

"It is to make it fair for 'our' people." Uldren interrupted, his yellow eyes narrowing at the Hunter, "No Light, no weapons, no armor. 'Nothing' but hand to hand combat. One of yours against three of ours."

"Three?!" Carina shouted, practically leaping forward to the front, "How is that fair?!"

"Fair?" Uldren repeated, his frown deepening, "We heard of your 'exploits', Guardians. How all of you are capable of taking on armies, alone, with nothing more than a weapon and your light." He glared at Carina, "We are simply making it 'fair' for 'our' side of the fight."

A snarl can be heard from the Exo Titan as her hands trembled with fury however, Pluto put a hand on her shoulder, physically pulling her back and taking a step around her to block Carina from view. This wasn't missed by the Prince, as Uldren flashed the a group a smug smile and said, "A Handmaiden will lead to you to your quarters to prepare. Good luck, Guardians."

Sensing the confidence and arrogance emitting strongly from the Awoken Prince, Ianos couldn't help but wave a hand just near his face, as if to wave off of the emotions. That is when he felt a small tug towards the throne and once again, Ianos found himself locking eyes with the Queen. That is when he felt the amusement, the interest, and Ianos couldn't help but be puzzled as he watched the Queen tilt her head, a smile gracing her lips.

Good luck, Guardian.

The words echoed throughout his head and lingered long after their escort came and lead them out.

Xxxxx

"Three?! One of us versus three of them!?"

Ianos couldn't help but mentally agree with the Exo as the latter snarled and stomped; surprisingly the Awoken gave them a room where it has space for all of them and allowed Carina to pace angrily.

Although spacious, there was no furniture; a sign that the Awoken expect their stay to be short. The carpet was nice however and the colors matched the ones outside. Even the emblem was imprinted on the door.

With no furniture, most of the group had taken a seat on the floor apart from Carina, the Exo's pacing leaving visible marks on the carpet. Not that Ianos minds. And with the exception of Ianos, Pluto, and Vellak (for obvious reasons), everyone had removed their helmets. To Ianos, it seemed they needed the air to ease the tension. And to think.

"You have to admit though, he did bring up a good point." Akiva shrugged at the glare that Carina shot his way, "Guardians are known to take on armies and wipe them out single handedly."

"Only the Veterans." Pluto corrected, "If that were the case with all the Guardians, even the Newborns, then the deaths at Twilight Gap could have been avoided."

Flinching at the memory, Ianos then heard Carina's footsteps cease followed by a question, "What do you mean?"

Hearing Pluto let out a sigh, Ianos decided to answer, "As you know, many Veteran Guardians learn to wield the Light through trial and error." He shrugged at the questioning look the younger Guardians sent his way, "We had no one to teach us." Ianos then leaned against the wall, shaking his head as the memory faded to the surface, "Our light was destructive, and we thought that simply wielding it was enough to push our enemies back."

"Oh." Angel's eyes widen in realization.

"Battle of Twilight Gap changed all that." Pluto added in before letting out a breath and then tilting his head back, pressing a button just below his helmet. The familiar hiss of the sealant being released can be heard before pulling his hood back and removing his headgear, "Our light is destructive, yes, but without training and control, it not only killed our enemies but anyone in the proximity." The Hunter tilted his head towards the floor, "About the third of the deaths were caused by friendly fire."

"That is one of the reasons why Shaxx created the Crucible." Ianos said, "He created it so that Guardians may hone their skills and avoid the chaos that was Twilight Gap."

"Power can be convenient but with no control, you are no more than a walking time bomb." Pluto sighed, "Yes, we may take on armies, but we had risk destroying ourselves with our own light." He then scoffed as he held up his helmet, a sign for Nix to send out his scans and materialize the head piece into the vault, allowing Pluto to pull the hood back over his head, shadowing his metallic features, "Although, in retrospect, I can understand why they banned our use of light in this duel against three people. More realistic than an army." He then shook his head, "Which brings up the question: Who is going to take part in this duel?"

Ianos froze at that; oh, right. One of them must physically participate. No weapons. No armor. No light.

Aleeza raised her hand, "Sorry, but I'm out." A nervous smile flashed onto her face, "I may have some years of experience on me, but I depend on my light too much when it comes to melee combat."

Carina turned and frowned at her, "But the dick in the City…"

"He was a civilian. We are facing Awoken soldiers here." Aleeza flashed her lover a smile as Carina huffed, "It is a completely different scenario."

"Then, how about you Ianos?" He jumped as Pluto turned his way, "Do you want to take part in this duel?"

Furrowing his brows in thought, Ianos processed the thought; he possibly could have an advantage considering this 'sense' that he has and not to mention he was the one who had brought up the Script. However.

"Normally I would not mind however, they said 'no armor'." Ianos answered as he traced his fingers over the tubes wrapped around his arms, "Cannot exactly fight when I am in agony and the Darkness gnawing at my light."

"So there goes our Warlocks." Angel commented before he rubbed the back of his neck, "and I have to say, I am out too. I am only good in melee combat if I have my knife and since they said no weapons, well…." He then shrugged.

"You are down for the count." Ianos saw Angel smile sheepishly at Pluto's words, "Then that would leave Carina, Akiva, and I?"

It was then, Akiva slowly raised his hand. Pluto turned his attention towards him, "Yes?"

"I am out as well." Akiva announced, smiling nervously, "Look, I know they call me 'The Bull' in the Crucible but the only reason I am able to do any of that stuff is because I catch my opponents off guard. Since this is a formal duel between a one on three fight, there is no way I can take them all by surprise." He looked away sheepishly, "It's, out of my league."

"Then I will do it!" Ianos snapped his attention towards Carina, the Titan slamming a fist against her chest, "I can beat those stuck-up assholes easily!"

He couldn't help but be amused at Carina's confidence, especially when Pluto reeled and sputtered, "What? No." The Hunter stood up, taking a step towards Carina, "I know that you are fully capable of fending for yourself, but you are fighting against 'three' Awoken soldiers and-"

"You think that they're going to allow Nix to fight with you?"

Ianos couldn't help but raise a brow at Carina's question; she does bring up a good point.

"I know Prince-Stick-Up-His-Ass didn't really say anything about Ghosts, but you know as well as I do that you can't see 'anything' without Nix and that helmet of yours." Carina continued, "If you bring Nix into that arena, what makes you think those soldiers won't go after him? I wouldn't be surprised if they knew about Ghosts being our literately 'lifeline'." She then scoffed as she crossed her arms and pouted, "They seemed well informed about us after all."

"She does bring up a good point." Angel butted in, ignoring the glare that Pluto pointed his way, "Despite us knowing nothing about them, they seem to know 'a lot' about us." A worried look flashed over the young Hunter's face, "They might use that to their advantage during the duel."

Although unhappy with the thought, Ianos couldn't help but agree and then turned his attention back towards Pluto, the latter of which had crossed his arms and deep in thought.

"Alright." The Hunter finally agreed, "You will take part in the duel."

No sooner had the words left the Exo when Carina let out a whoop, the Titan pumping a fist into the air before placing a hand onto her chest in salute, "I will do this team proud."

A chuckle can be heard from Akiva before the Titan let out a sigh as he brushed his fingers through his dark hair, "Now that we got that out of the way. Who is going to inform the Vanguard of our so called 'plan'?"

That is when Ianos raised his hand, and he felt all eyes land on him.

"Ianos, you sure?" Pluto asked, "I thought you would be the last person to want to report in."

"Usually yes," He admitted before he lowered his hand and let wisps of void light linger over his fingertips, "But I want to ask 'why' they failed to inform of us of a 'Guardian' 'murdering' Awoken and then sent us as emissaries."

There was a brief silence at Ianos' words before a snicker prompted everyone to look over at Vellak, the latter of which looked up from the pad in his lap.

"For their sake, I hope they have a good answer for you." He said, lifting his head to reveal his smile, "Otherwise, all those stories I heard of you Nova Bombing people, I would be pleased if I were to be a witness."

To clarify, this does take place 'after' the House of Wolves. Why are there still Fallen taking up residence in the Reef then? Cause I have a hard time believing that 'every single Fallen' up and left with Skolas. I want to believe at least a handful stayed loyal to the Queen.