Long chapter to make up for my long absence. Enjoy~

The viewing port in the Derelict is large and a bit unnerving when you first use it, like a gaping maw out into space that would spit you out at any moment. Thankfully, it was nothing new to Skylar or her fireteam. The area looked like it was made of nothing but glass, the wall in front of her as well as part of the floor giving her a good view of Io. The normally pretty swirling colors of the Io were marred by the huge black pyramid ships that nearly surrounded it. The first few times she'd seen it, a chill had run up her spine.

Io wasn't the only one either. The ships of the Darkness were everywhere: Mars, Titan, Mercury, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. All they could do was help with evacuations, Ikora had reached out to her team on behalf of the Vanguard, even though their standing with them was weak at best. Her team had decided that the bigger picture was more important, and this fell into the category of her promise to Cayde. Even if it was a losing battle – it was something. Beside her on a turned over Fallen tank head, Tali shifted, antsy. Skylar had called her and a few other second-tier members in on this particular case, even her Lightless friend due to the nature of it. They'd all gone out to try and convince the Guardians that were stationed on affected territories to return to the Tower.

"…Sloane refused to run away." Haar's voice finally reached her thoughts at the familiar name of the Titan. Her team was all compiled on the deck, either standing or sitting on boxes and covered equipment just like Tali. Haar was leaning on the wall, arms crossed as he sighed. "She's convinced she can take some of them down on her own. I couldn't stop her."

"Wouldn't be right to," Noble replied, trying to sooth his fellow class member. "We all have our own fates to choose in the end." He looked to Skylar from where he sat on a crate, leaning forward, arms on his legs. "How'd it go with Asher?"

Skylar grimaced and then shook her head, anger, pain, and sorrow dancing across her mind. But it was nothing compared to the female Exo next to her. Tali stiffened, her entire reason for being here ending in failure. She knew Asher better than anyone there, and hoped a good friend could sway him off that rock. It had been a risk to take a Lightless to such a dangerous place, but she'd agreed…and they had both failed.

"He said he couldn't risk the Darkness getting hold of the Pyramidion. We argued, but he still went down into that place." She sighed. She had tried and Tali had nearly begged her friend. If Exos could cry, she was pretty sure her friend would have. "As you said, there's only so much we can do. They're doing what they think is right." Skylar liked Asher, she really did – but they weren't close. She had no right to drag him to safety and he'd ripped himself free from his friend's grip. She'd flinched so hard that Skylar had snapped at the man. Still, he hadn't budged on his choice. Z huffed, shaking his head a bit and she glanced at him from where she stood, the darkness of space her backdrop.

"I heard from Marcus that apparently Brother Vance went running into the Infinite forest when he tried to get the man to leave." He lifted one shoulder. "Osiris said to let him be." Ah, so that was why Z hadn't gone, his friend had gotten their first.

"Ouch," Noble murmured and Skylar hummed in agreement, her eyes moving back to the viewing glass and centering on her other teammate.

Corvan hadn't said a thing all night, his back turned to them as he stared downward at the entities that had dragged them all into communing with them several times because Eris nearly demanded it. His shoulders were tense enough that she wasn't sure she should try to ask him about what Ana was planning to do with the Warmind. She glanced back to Noble, who knew the Hunter the best, and the big man glanced to his friend and back to her, shrugging. He didn't know what was up either. Reaching up, she fiddled with a long strand of hair that had come loose from its braid.

"What do you think is going to happen?" she asked no one in particular. "I mean… are they just going to make bases out of the planets or…"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Haar replied. "One thing is for sure: we need to be careful. Whoever or whatever they are, it seems like they are interested in us, not just any Guardian, but us. You in particular, Sky." His brow plates pulled together, the ear-like pieces on the sides of his head twitching slightly. Skylar nodded her head, running her hand over the strap of her Whisper of the Worm and felt the small snap of air as if she'd woken something up.

He has a point, Andal mused, standing closer to the glass. I don't think they liked it much when I pulled you out of their grasp.

Skylar resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Either way," she went on, ignoring the worm god. "We should all get some rest. We haven't had a break in over a week, and I could probably sleep for another week if given the chance."

"Ha, same," Z grumbled. The two Titans nodded their heads in agreement. Just as everyone was getting up, Corvan made an irritated sound in the back of his throat. Skylar almost asked him what was wrong, but he was up and walking away before she could even open her mouth. She half started after him before stopping. It would look weird, she realized, if she went after him to all the others. They didn't know… well, except Noble. He'd walked in on them the morning after that first night apparently. She'd been sound asleep, but Corvan and the titan had assured her he wouldn't say a thing.

She wasn't keen on having the others know. Not now, anyway.

Looking at the others, she just shrugged her shoulders and one by one, they stood and headed out of the room, toward their ships.

Everyone, save Tali.

Skylar looked to her friend, to the woman who had once taught her the basics of being an Agent of the Hidden alongside Winter. The Exo's eyes had dimmed, her gaze planted on the glass in a far off forlorn sense. For a long moment, Skylar considered leaving her, letting her figure things out on her own but…

In the end, the Hunter moved and sat down next to the Lightless Warlock in silent comfort, waiting to see if anything would come of it. She wasn't one to force out answers, or one to ask painful questions, not if she could help it. So, they sat there for a long time, and Skylar watched as Andal walked the room, humming some tune she didn't recognize that was nearly calming or alarming in a way. Stagnant.

"I really thought I could get him to see reason," Tali said finally, drawing Skylar's attention, but her friend hadn't moved her gaze. "I thought he would listen to me… but it seems like so many things, I am unable to accomplish it." She sighed, the sound coming out like the rubbing of two metal pieces together as the blue light at her throat flickered. "I thought I had come to terms with my limitations, but it seems I have not."

Not having Light, was what she really meant. No Ghost, no Light, not a Guardian in any way other than title and drive.

Skylar shook her head. "His decisions have nothing to do with whether you had Light or not Tali. I doubt anyone, anything could have stopped him. He's bull-headed and driven to do his own personal agenda. This isn't your fault."

"Maybe not directly," she agreed quietly. "But I haven't been able to be there for him. To check in and work with him as I used to. I'm not even supposed to be here." True. Zavala had more or less grounded Guardians that had lost their Light to Earth. He meant well, meant to save them from a gruesome death, but he was also trapping them. Just like he'd done with Cayde, his kindness was smothering and agitating.

Not that Skylar much cared for the rules. She'd put Tali in her ship, and they'd been off. She highly doubted he'd ever know either, ever be able to keep track of every Lightless. Things in the Vanguard weren't getting much better, his on-duty post still a good long walk from Ikora's. There was no more table, no more united front shown so clearly in one room.

"I miss it," her friend spoke up again. "The adventures, the feeling of the Light in my veins. I even miss the danger, the thrill of it. After so many centuries of fighting, I thought perhaps, my retirement might work out for the best. I could finally rest, finally work on other parts of my life that I enjoyed. Yet… it only lasts so long. We were made to fight, and pull of that is like an ever nagging voice somewhere in the back of my mind. Different from the echoes of the Crypt, from the dreams of killing and walking forward."

Skylar looked at her hands, at the armored gloves in her lap as if she could see the callouses there, the proof of hard, brutal work. She could almost see the blood on them from so many foes. For a moment, she saw the black fluid that ran through her friend, but belonged to another.

Harness that pain – use it, Phantom. the spirit in the room spoke. Do not fall to it.

Skylar's jaw ached with the force on it and her hands clenched as she looked away, a silent command echoing in her head to her ghost. Moments later the gun and the weight it bore down on her were gone, and she was left alone with her friend.

"You will always be a part of this clan, Tali," she said, not knowing what else to say. Skylar could hardly relate, despite going without her Light for over a month during the Red War. She'd still had Sterling, she had still gotten her powers back. "You will always have a family and I still find your advice and what you do for us in the City invaluable." She would always have a home, a place with meaning. It was all Skylar could give her, and she had hoped, still hoped, it was enough.

After a moment, Tali finally looked at her, the smallest uptilt of her jaw visible. "I know," she told her clan leader. "I will never be able to repay such kindness Skylar-"

"You don't need to," she cut in. "I don't do this because of what happened Tali, I do it because you are my friend, and I trust you."

Another pause, and the exo nodded slightly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why did you change your hair?"

Ah, that question once more. Skylar shifted on the box, the wood creaking under her.

"I just wanted a change," she said honestly, echoing the words she'd told Z months ago. "I need something to help me move forward, to mark the end of one chapter and start another."

Cayde had loved her hair – but he was gone.

She had no reason to keep it.

Her friend seemed to read those unspoken words, an emotion flitting past her metal face that one might not see if one weren't so used to Exos. Understand. Agreement.

"It is a nice idea… perhaps I will do much the same." Her jaw tilted up a bit more. "Perhaps I will finally get those engravings along my back like I have spoken about for years."

Skylar smiled right back. "I think that's a great idea."

Another small nod, and Tali looked back out into space.

"Did you know, Asher's fireteam died in the Pyramidion?" She asked, her thoughts rebounding to her friend once more. The Hunter swallowed, remembering the tale. The two Hunters that had died to the enormous Vex that Skylar had killed. Vengeance and closure that the Warlock had needed.

"Yeah," she finally said.

"I think…" Tali started slowly. "I think he stays not for the reason he said, not entirely. But because he doesn't want the resting place of his friends to be tainted beyond repair. He would rather make sure they were left in peace." Slowly, she closed her eyes, as if in acceptance. "And perhaps, he is looking for a way to find peace himself. Who am I – who are we to deny him that?"

Something about that felt right, without even really thinking about it. Asher had always seemed so tired, and Skylar had always thought it was because he drove himself to the edge with his experiments. That his need to find the truth left him to be more like a Hunter than a Warlock in his sleep schedule. She had thought it was passion, but maybe it was just simply to fill the void in him, to make sure he couldn't think.

Just as she had been doing for over a year – till Corvan had finally put a stop to it. She still did, sometimes, worked and fought and bled till she couldn't think, but she never got too far along before the Dark Age Hunter put a stop to it. It seemed Asher didn't feel he could ever do so – that no one, however dear, could stop those thoughts, that grief. Looking at Tali, Skylar wondered if her friend was edging towards that same fate.

Reaching out, she placed her hand on the Exo's shoulder and squeezed to get her attention. Glowing eyes met hers and she gave another smile, one that she hoped seemed supportive.

"I think you're right," Skylar said finally. "His time is over, at his choice and we can't stop that. With his absence though, he has put his trust in us to carry on. To keep going and fighting, no matter who we are. We can't give up, even if we want to. We have to face whatever may come with steel in our back." She squeezed again. "You'll help me do that, won't you?"

Finally, ever so slowly, the dim light of Tali's eyes grew brighter with each passing second. A goal. That's all she needed and Skylar was more than happy to give her that. To show her she had a place still, that she was valued and could still help. Humans like Devrim Key did it all the time, She could too. Lifting a hand Tali placed it over her leader's and nodded one more time.

"I will do what I can, Skylar."

"Good," was the reply she got. "I expect nothing less."

For with what was to come, whatever that might have been, Skylar would need every one of her trusted comrades to rally and fight as if the universe might end.

Because it very well could – in a single blink of their eyes.

-Skylar -

Betrayal.

The word felt foreign, biting in her mind as it echoed. She's seen and done a lot of terrible things. A lot of awful things had been done to her in turn – karma, Noble had remarked once, was a justice people never saw coming. He was right, Skylar had never seen this come, had truly been betrayed before. She had been angry with Zavala, livid and furious when he'd refused to send forces after Uldren to avenge Cayde. She'd been disheartened when half her clan had dissolved, leaving only a few. She'd had a hole punched through her when she'd realized Corvan hadn't told her the truth. A hole that still burned and ached with his absence.

None of those had ever felt like a betrayal. In reality, she was the betrayer, she realized. She'd betrayed Zavala when she'd sided with the Drifter. Zavala had trusted her, he'd have had to if he was putting all his hopes on just a few Guardians to save the City over and over again. They'd been friends, partly due to Cayde, but she had still – even after his tantrum during the Red War – trusted him as well. Losing Cayde had hurt them both – hurt Ikora too – and his choices afterward hadn't brought him close to either. Due to that, she'd thought at the time – and still thought – that the rogue Lightbearer was the better choice. She had hurt him, knew it even if he never said it outright, and now, Skylar knew how that felt.

A stabbing pain in her gut that throbbed, making her nauseous.

As she crouched on a tree limb, scope up to her eye, she tried to ignore the pain. She watched the group of two Guardians look over the spot she'd been not even fifteen minutes ago with Cayde. A small cave where she'd let them hide for an hour to rest, before moving again. Seemed like that was a good idea. The Hunter she knew from before, Darek – as one of two Guardians that had been hounding her – had even cornered her that one day on the roof, with Cayde watching, no less. His Titan partner, Talien, was nowhere to be seen, nor was the Warlock that made up their fireteam. Skylar had never met her, but if she was here, she more than likely felt the way her team did about Skylar. Had agreed to this damned manhunt.

Her eyes lingered on the other person she could see, the other Warlock that Skylar knew so well, or thought she'd known. Tali – no, not Tali, but Talihina-11 – nicknames were only used for those that were close. Clearly, that was not the case, at least not in the Exo's mind.

They're hunting you fairly well, despite all that fame over being a 'phantom.' Are you getting rusty, Hunter? At the voice, Skylar simply shifted slightly, still watching. For the moment, it sounded like a long-dead Vanguard leader somewhere behind her on the branch. He was right though, they were finding her faster and faster as time went on. It had been a very long few hours. She wasn't sure how much longer they had, or how long it would take someone to find them.

She'd had Sterling go silent on her comms, too worried about being tracked in that manner. It was buying them time, she hoped.

"Any ideas would be helpful," she told the spirit under her breath.

Take the shot. Kill them. Skylar knew she could fire, pull the trigger and they'd more than likely be ghosts too quickly for them to react. Two more and their Ghosts would be gone. She flinched slightly at that thought – at killing a Ghost. She'd never done that. If she didn't, they'd just come back, and then they'd have a sense of where she was. She bit her lip, and after a moment she lowered the gun and sighed.

"It's too risky," was all she said.

Turning on the branch, she found the dead god leaning on the trust of the tree, frowning at her, sparks of green dancing in his eyes. She wasn't killing her enemies like their agreement stated. Skylar shook her head, turning slightly again and then jumping from the branch. She avoided all the branches on the way down, landing in a crouch next to Cayde who had been waiting quietly as he kept watch. She'd tried to get him to leave, to go the other direction, being fairly certain they wouldn't go after a civilian. He'd refused, just as she'd known he would.

"They found the last spot," she told him, tugging at her cloak's scarf. "We need to keep moving." Cayde frowned, looking worried as he glanced in that direction.

"Are you sure we should?" he said finally.

"What do you mean?"

He took in a breath.

"I mean, running isn't getting us anywhere. At this rate they'll catch up to us when we least expect it and that could be it." His gaze met her, even and sharp. "Better to do it to them instead and fight back."

Skylar shook her head. "No, now let's go." She didn't wait for him to answer, just slung her rifle back over her shoulder and started forward.

"You would if I wasn't here," his words were an instant sting, one that had her shoulders tensing, and had Andal chuckling from where he was still in the tree.

He's right and you know it.

She did.

She didn't want Cayde anywhere near a battlefield. Too risky, too many chances for something to go wrong. She needed him safe, and every moment they stayed still she found herself kicking herself from being him out here.

"Skylar," Cayde went on, moving closer and around till he stood in front of her, arms loose as his sides. "You are not a coward and neither am I."

"It doesn't matter-"

"Yes, it does." He ran a hand through his golden hair and let out a frustrated sigh. "You're doing it again – you're protecting me like I'm some helpless child. I'm not. Yes, I'm Lightless, I understand that but it doesn't mean I'm dead weight." Once again, the words stung and Skylar found herself looking away, something like guilt rising up from the pain.

You know you won't win, right? Andal told her, still out of sight. You know how he is.

"I know… I just." Her jaw clenched, not sure who she was answering in that moment. "What if something happens to you?" She said to Cayde, ignoring the ghost. She couldn't lose him, not again. Even if he didn't love her, even if she never got him back the way she wanted him, she couldn't watch the light leave his eyes again. It would be the final blow that would break her. The world was still for a few moments before he sighed, and the small weight of a hand landed on her shoulder. It was enough to have her looking up once again, to meet those blue eyes that were now lit with a fire so close to Solar in heat.

"I can take a few hits, you know. I have armor on, and a built-in shield. Besides, do you really think they'll kill me? I'm a civilian, Sky, they'd be in deep shit." He lifted a corner of his mouth. "More so than normal, I would think, given certain reasons."

"I don't…"

"I'm not saying I'm going to go running head first into the front of the battle, Skylar. Just let me watch your back. There are four of them and as Haar said, you're good, but you're not that good."

"That's why we're running," she argued, frustrated. Why couldn't he understand that? He was just so stubborn and she hated how much it did make sense in a way. Cayde was one of the best marksmen she knew, maybe even better than Z when it came to hand cannons.

"You know it's not going to work. Not if this goes on much longer."

"Someone could show up to help at any moment," she said quietly, knowing it was a weak argument. Knowing he was winning this damn fight. She wouldn't be running, not if he were still a Guardian, he was right about that.

"You told me once that I was still a Hunter," he tried again and she stiffened, eyes still on his through her helmet. "Prove you meant it."

Skylar swallowed; her mouth dry at those words. She had said that and she meant it, meant every word. How was she supposed to go against that, to lie to his face and say she hadn't meant it at all. That it was just to make him feel better. She'd lied enough to him… she couldn't do this, couldn't fathom it with those scorching eyes on her. Even so he opened his mouth to break her resistance one more time.

"Sky-"

On your left! It wasn't Sterling's voice, but Andal's that came as a sudden warning, breaking any thought, and she moved instantly. She shoved Cayde backwards with a shoulder and he wielded falling flat on his ass as Skylar dodged or tried too. She saw the glowing orange hammer moments before it smashed into her leg and sent her tumbling to the side, nearly hitting Cayde. She felt the bones crack on impact, but the pain didn't come till she was staring up at the trees.

Warnings blipped across her HUD as she bit back half of her scream and heard Cayde cry out in surprise. Her shield had been broken instantly, but it was the only thing that had probably stopped her bones from snapping. She sucked in a sharp breath, trying to calm down, knowing what had just happened even now. Glowing orange hammers only came from one thing.

"Sterling?" she gritted out, wondering how the Titan had snuck up on them.

"I…I don't know," the Ghost said, confused. "He wasn't there just a moment ago… I don't…" he trailed off, at a loss for words and ashamed. Skylar let out a breath again before forcing herself to sit up, her head still ringing slightly.

"It's okay," she told her partner, even as her eyes found the Sunbreaker no more than thirty feet from her and Cayde, clenching yet another of those hammers in his hand so tight, she was surprised the handle didn't break. He wasn't alone either, for a Warlock in unfamiliar garbs stood next to him, a shotgun resting in her hands.

"Good to finally find you, traitor," the Titian, Talien, stated flatly. "Too bad you moved, that was meant for your head."

Grimacing, Skylar pushed herself to her feet, Sterling already working on sending healing waves to her leg as it ached less and less. She ignored him for a moment, looking to Cayde who was sitting now, staring at the two guardians with discussed. "You, okay?" she asked, and while his eyes didn't move, he nodded his head – a hand creeping to his Ace, half hidden on a belt holster he kept under his cloak. He'd have to be careful if he used that, everyone thought she still had that gun. It would bring up questions if he suddenly had it.

"I'm fine," he said quietly and Skylar looked to the tree behind them, to the helmet sitting there.

"You get that helmet back on the moment you can," she ordered, not just for safety, but for communication, because like it or not, he was a part of this now. Another small nod from him and Skylar finally looked at the Titan and took a step forward. "Traitor? That's rich coming from you." She pulled her Fated Hearts from her side, holding it loosely. "Haar already called me. I'll give you one chance to step away and leave. I have never had a grudge with your fireteam, and I don't wish to."

Talien took a step forward as well. "Too bad," was his reply, fire sizzling up his arm. She tensed, ready to move, before the Warlock spoke up suddenly.

"Wait." She put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "We have no grudge with you, despite the company you keep," she said, looking at Cayde. "Leave now, get a fair distance away and we'll come take you home after we're done." Another window, another chance at safety that Skylar wished with all her heart he'd take. Cayde's face simply morphed into a scowl as he finally stood up. He looked them over and his hand clenched around a knife on his hip.

"No."

A moment of shock, of silence passed through them all, and then, they moved as if that word were the sounding of the Shaxx's roar in the Crucible.

Talien went straight for Skylar – no, she realized after a moment, they both were – the nameless Warlock simply using a wave of Void energy to throw Cayde backwards and get him out of the way before he could do much but curse. They weren't going after him. Good. It left her a peace of mind that she needed as she dodged perfectly this time, avoiding the hammer as it thunked onto the ground. She landed back onto her feet and raised her gun, firing twice but knowing his over shield would take far more to get through. She needed to test things, test them in order to make a plan.

The other female Guardian followed up her teammate's attack, sliding into Skylar's space, shotgun up. The Hunter kicked, smashing her foot into the barrel and causing it to skew to the left and miss her mostly, a few pellets scraping her hip, but her shield held this time. She threw an arc smoke bomb – one of her many Night Dancer abilities she'd learned over time – onto the ground moments later, cloaked herself and leaving both opponents cursing as they choked on toxic gas and were jolted by static energy that left them reeling and ticked damage at their shields.

Skylar glanced at Cayde, who'd once more gotten up and was now aiming and firing at the Titan instead of running for his damn helmet. Some things never changed – he never wore a helmet when he was an Exo either. His shots smashing into Talien's back, shield popping and blood spraying and the Titan screamed, moments from death, only for the Warlock to slam a burning sword into the ground, brilliant light flooding him. From her hidden spot behind a tree, Skylar grimaced. The Warlock could use at least two Light powers, Solar and Void. So far, she'd only seen Talien use Solar, but she had no idea how old any of these Guardians were, so he would easily use another. Still, it was something to work with, and one had already used the major reserves in their Light.

Don't forget they have stasis, Kid, the spirit told her, once more making himself known as he stood next to her, arms crossed. That doesn't depend on how much Light they've used.

True. Very, very true.

For the moment though, there was an existing problem, one with few faults… if you weren't a Hunter, if you couldn't wield that one fatal flaw. Skylar did, except, in her opinion, hers was better.

She just needed the proper moment.

Cayde was still firing at them but they were mostly ignoring him until a round smacked into the space between armor plating near the neck of the angry Titan, who then turned his gaze to his Lightless foe. For a moment, Skylar didn't understand – but it was only for a moment, because she knew him, even after two years. Cayde wasn't stupid enough to just keep firing for no reason, and Skylar knew in that moment, he was giving her that needed opening, and she wondered if in some part of his mind, she knew what she was planning. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.

"Tevis, guide me."

Gun holstered, she darted from the trees, calling on her Light to form her Void bow, Arc energy rippling across it. The Warlock screamed a warning before turning and heading out of the Well, but her teammate wasn't quite as fast, having to turn his attention back to her before realization hit him. Skylar's arrow broke apart moments after being fired, three sparking lances spearing the ground to make a triangular shape that far overtook the well as it flickered out. The nameless Warlock made it out after only a few moments of getting shocked, disappearing into a blink step. Talien had barely shifted to run when it hit. Purple lightning rippled across the ground and then shot up like a pillar, a backward lightning bolt. Talien's pain howl was like the thunder that would have followed it, his hammer falling from his hand and disappearing as his Light gave out and his shields popped.

Her attack was there and gone in seconds, but it did its job, for Talien just stood there, steam rolling off his charred armor. His hand twitched – and Skylar found herself impressed that he still stood – but as the Warlock called his name in panic, his knees gave out. He crashed to the ground, a pained sound his only reply. Then, he was still, his body unmoving as his Ghost popped into existence. Skylar's gun was back out in an instant, pointing at it and she heard a startled sound from Cayde somewhere off to her left. The Ghost reeled slightly, and though she didn't intend to fire, Skylar knew how to sound as if she did.

"Get the fuck back in his HUD. Do not make me do this." She had to make sure her enemies were staying down. Guardians could fight forever if allowed to rez and Skylar didn't think she'd have much luck with them letting her come back. The Ghost made a small chirping sound and was gone in a blink of light.

"You bitch!" The Warlock appeared less than a foot away, having blink stepped, and Skylar could swear she saw the burning gaze behind that helmet as a hand glowing purple struck out with a palm. Skylar was only able to step back enough so that it didn't make complete contact before she was sent flying, a numbing sensation taking over as she smashed into the ground, losing hold of her gun. Handheld nova. Great. Her shields blared, flashing warning on her HUD as Sterling made a panicked string of words, working to heal her.

"Skylar!" Cayde's voice rang out above it all and then he was there, crouching over her, his image fuzzy with the HUD fritzing out. He ran a hand over her shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked, worried, and still dazed, she nodded slightly.

"Why are you helping her!" the Warlock snapped, out of view, and Cayde's head swiveled to look at her, a frown on his face.

"Because she's my friend! I've been around long enough to know when a Guardian deserves a punishment or not! She doesn't."

"You don't know anything! You're just a washed-up Hunter with no Light!"

A pause in conversation and Skylar finally sat up, her HUD clearing as feeling came back to her limbs. Cayde's was still crouching beside her, arm stretched out, the Ace in hand – except, it didn't look like the Ace of Spades, she noted. Some kind of mesh had been wrapped around the chamber, stylized to look like it belonged there. That was what he had meant by not getting caught. The still nameless Warlock was shaking her head, body tense as she stared Cayde down as he answered.

"That's exactly why you're wrong. I'm going to take a wild guess that none of you are from the Dark Ages, so why don't I enlighten you. The Risen did a lot of awful things, the Iron Lords you more than likely idolize did them too. You know what the difference was, why they have statues in that hall? It was because they were committing them in order to help people, to build a better tomorrow where warlords didn't rule with an iron fist. They killed and lied and cheated to save people, and would do just about anything – that's exactly what Skylar and her team did. What exactly do you think would have happened if they hadn't?"

The Warlock went quiet for a moment, whether to think that over or because of frustration. She didn't want to hurt Cayde, and that was something good in this mess.

"Eramis' power – Stasis – snuffed out their Light. The same Light that killed Hive gods, meaning most of us would have been helpless as well. If they hadn't taken Stasis, we might not have a City left, we might not be alive at all" Cayde explained. "That's why I'm helping her, and I'm disappointed that you and your team can't see that too." He shook his head. "After all, you took it too in order to do what you thought was right, didn't you?" To stop Skylar, because they believed her a danger to everyone.

The Warlock merely bristled at his words, all the while Skylar stared at the Exo turned human that she had loved – and if she were honest with herself, still did. She didn't think she ever wouldn't. She'd never really thought he'd defend her like this, say something like that out loud. She knew he cared and he believed her, but some part of her hadn't thought he'd stand against others in that belief. The gun that had been at the ready in the Warlock's hand, lowered slightly, either with shame or confusion, Skylar didn't know, but it seemed like maybe, just maybe, Cayde's words were hitting home.

"Behind ya, Skylar!" Sterling's warning came this time, Andal was silent or gone and her eyes flicked to her radar for but a moment before she cursed and pushed to her feet in a crouch and instantly grabbed Cayde, hauling him to the left and forward and then blinking away as three throwing knives were lodged into the ground where they had been, Arc Light zapping off of them. Cayde shook his head from the sudden movement, gun down but still tightened his grip on his gun as Skylar looked to the trees where the knives had come from.

The two Guardians from the search party had finally made it to the main event, as Darek – clad in that bright teal armor – stepped out into the open. Right behind him was a Guardian that had her insides twisting up all over again. Talihina. Her friend. Her family. The Warlock was decked out in full gear, something Skylar hadn't seen in years as she stood next to the Hunter.

"Don't listen to him, Maya. From what I understand he was out in the wilderness for a long time. Maybe he went crazy when he lost his Ghost." He chuckled slightly. "Don't be so easily swayed." His words sadly had the effect he wanted, as the Warlock – Maya – gripped her shotgun once more in a ready position. Darek looked around the area, eyeing Talien on the ground before he looked to Skylar, and then Cayde.

"Your name is Sevens, right?" The question caught them both off-guard, and she felt Cayde tense slightly.

"Yeah. What of it?" he answered, annoyed. Darek huffed slightly and took a step forward, pulling another smaller knife from his belt and twirling it between his fingers as he spoke. Skylar tensed, reaching for her Fated Hearts, only to not find it. She'd lost it when she'd fallen, she remembered with dread, and after a quick search, she found her cherished gun lying in the dirt behind Talihina.

"Since you seem to not quite understand why we're here, I'll go ahead and inform you." With a quick snap of his wrist, he held the knife out tip pointed to Skylar. "She betrayed the Vanguard. Betrayed the Council and went against orders from both. She attacked Zavala." Even with his face covered, the tone in his voice there was no doubt his face held a snarl. "…and then, after everything he meant to her, after she did so much to avenge him, she brought shame to Cayde's name-"

"Like hell she did!" Whatever anger had been on Cayde's face, suddenly morphed into hot fury that sent chills down Skylar's spine and had both Darek and Talihina flinching. The former Exo's hands clenched, his grip on his gun so tight, she knew it had to hurt. "She has honored him. She did exactly as he would have done if he were still here." Through her shock, Skylar wondered offhandedly how weird it was to talk about yourself as if it was a different person. A dead person.

Darek huffed, ignoring how Tali was staring at Sevens, her hands loose at her sides. She wasn't holding a weapon, Skylar noted. How strange.

"And just how would you know this?" the Hunter challenged. "Since you seem to think you know everything, why don't you back that up."

"Because I ran with Cayde-6 in the Dark Ages," 'Sevens' stated, eyes narrowing. "Because we were close friends and we trusted each other, hell, he helped me figure out my name." All Ironically true, and Skylar found herself fighting a smile, even though no one would have seen it. "It's why he trusted me with such a dangerous mission and why I regret that I couldn't be here. Trust me, I know what Cayde would have done, what he would think about all of this." He raised his head slightly, eyeing the Hunter with a flat stare. "He would look at you and be disappointed, embarrassed even, to see one of his Hunters as you are. Gullible and dishonorable. Tell me, how much does the Council tell you? What did they promise you?" He looked to Tali next. "And why the hell would you let them control you?" The Warlock tensed, but with a helmet on, Skylar didn't know what to think. Instead, Skylar just looked at her again, wondering how it had come to this.

"Oh, don't look at her," Darek told them, stepping closer. "She didn't need the Council to tell her what was right, though I suppose having the leader of FWC backing it did do something." Tali said nothing to dispute the claim and Skylar felt something in her shrivel. She'd supported the Future War Cult for years, had believed in Lakshmi, and they had worked together many times. It appeared yet another person had turned on her.

"So she told you to use Stasis, and you thought nothing wrong with that?" she asked quietly. "Even after Zavala made it clear no one else was to use it?"

"The Council speaks for more than he ever will."

Skylar laughed at that. "The non-Guardian Council members are swayed by fear and know nothing of a real battle. They see only the surface and refuse to dig further. You are a fool to follow them and not Zavala."

Darek made an agitated sound. "This coming from you, after you attacked him? A guardian trusted with killing our greatest enemies using that power to go after her leader! What's your excuse?"

Skylar stared at him, his mind repeating those events. God slayer. That was her and her fireteam – they all held that title – but she hadn't cared about that when she'd done what she had. Both when she initiated it, and when it ended. She found herself turning cold and hollow, the shock of all of this draining away quickly. "You know nothing."

It was the wrong thing to say. Tempers snapped and Darek moved in an instant, his knife flying right at her. She blocked it with the gleaming metal of her arm guard.

Darek jumped to the side as she came at him, pulling his own hand cannon from his waist and aiming, but Skylar was already retaliating once more. Her Void lightning danced up her arm and she threw a punch forward, her Liar's Handshake's blade slicing into tendons as she smashed her fist into the Hunter's wrist. The gun went off, but the shot was wild as his hand spasmed and dropped it. He hissed and Skylar found a boot in her gut moments later, sending her back down to the ground, where she barely righted herself before she could faceplant. Somewhere behind her she heard Cayde cursing, and with a quick glance saw him kick Maya off him from where she'd tried to get his arms behind his back and get Ace away from him. She stumbled backwards and the gun was aimed at her.

It was all the time Skylar could waste as she turned back to Darek. Her opponent was cursing, grabbing at his hand as a vague glow covered the wound, his Ghost already working to heal him. She couldn't give him time to recover. She moved, grabbing the Whisper. In a matter of moments, the scope was to her eye and she pulled the trigger, needing no real time to aim. She smashed into Darek's recovering shield and sent his head cracking to the side, nearly denting his helmet and ripping through his cloak, sending the fabric to flutter about his neck.

Again! The snarling shout of the god echoed through her head as she moved for another headshot.

Something smashed into her at the same moment she heard Cayde and the god shout, sending her sideways into a tree. She wasn't quite sure how she didn't die to that, as her head rang and she fell to the ground once again, she heard the crack and shatter of her helmet's visor – her HUD blinking out and Sterling making a panicked noise. Stay where you are , she mentally told the Ghost, hoping he heard her. Stay out of sight. Her uncovered vision doubled and swam as Talien landed next to his friend.

"You alright?"

The Hunter hissed in pain. "That fucking rifle – always looked like it hurt, now I know it's worse. I'm fine. Jury is working on it."

Talien nodded his head and then looked to her as Skylar watched them, trying to blink her vision right. His Ghost had gotten him back up. She shouldn't have been surprised, it didn't take long. Coughing, the taste of blood flooded her mouth as she struggled to push herself up from the ground and defend herself, but Talien was quickly making his way towards her, fury in every step as she barely made it to her knees.

Cayde's shouts came from behind the massive human as he towered over her and without preamble, grabbed the scarf of her cloak, hauling her up before she could do much except latch her hands to his forearm. Without a word, he turned and threw her like a doll and Skylar's grip snapped from the force, her arms and hands instead trying to protect her head as she slid across the ground. The force was enough that her helmet finally lost the battle anyway, and she left it behind somewhere in her trip across the forest floor. Blood ran down her scalp, warm against her sweat-cooling body, and into her eyes as she tried to get her bearings. If she died, it might very well be over. Somewhere above the ringing in her head and the shouting of her desperate lightless friend, she could swear she heard Haar's warning.

'You aren't strong enough to fight four Guardians on your own.'

The only difference was that, for some reason, Talihina wasn't doing anything and Maya seemed so worried about Cayde's safety that she hadn't moved to fight Skylar, instead trying and failing to get him out of harm's way. So really, it was just two Guardians, but they were kicking her ass all the same. Anger fueled every movement they made while worry directed towards Cayde, and pain towards Talihina's betrayal clouded her thoughts. She needed to stop, needed to focus.

Where were her guns? How much Light did she have left?

"Why don't you use Stasis, traitor?" Darek mused as Talien stood over her once again, "Though I think I remember you telling us you didn't need it, you said you'd defeat us without it. Seems you were wrong. Looks like it might be your only chance at winning – so why not use it?"

Even in her clouded, pain filled mind she knew her answer.

"No", she refused in a rasping gasp." She'd promised herself she would never use Stasis on a Guardian, or on anyone but the enemies of the City. Even as she said that, though, ice began to form on the fists of the Titan in front of her. It seemed they had no such promises, except, they seemed to think her an enemy, so maybe it wasn't so different.

"No!" Cayde yelled, and she heard the sound of struggle again, heard Maya shouting at him to stop. Gunshots went off once more and Talien grunted, his body flinching with each impact. He turned at the waist just enough for Skylar to see Darek striking Cayde with a knife that the blond blocked with his own, the sound of steel on steel singing through the air. Cayde was winning. He was faster and more experienced no doubt, using hand to hand combat on top of blade work. She spied the Ace on the ground a few feet away, and Maya right next to it, still shouting, telling Darek to stop. There was another voice, Skylar thought, through her pounding head, one that sounded familiar and robotic.

"Stop getting in the way!" Darek shouted, his movements wild.

With a sudden snap, Cayde lifted his foot and kicked, slamming it into Darek's front leg at the knee. She heard the scream, saw Cayde bring his knife down, slicing into the Hunter's wrist where the tendons were. The offender's hand twitched, and the blade fell, leaving an opening that Cayde took as he shifted his blade towards the Hunter's throat. Arc burst to life from Darek's still working hand, forming a staff that he slammed into the ground, sending a small amount of Light into the earth. It was enough to have Cayde flinching and grunting and jumping backwards, his borrowed shield snapping with a flicker of light.

Only Darek followed him. Skylar stopped breathing. The Hunter was too angry to even think about what he was doing, attacking someone he was supposed to protect in his rage. All he had to do was use any amount of Light from that staff one more time and…

Her scream was wordless and ripped across the area as she yanked herself up and tried to dart around Talien to stop this madness, something cold and dark tingling at her fingertips. Maya was running forward too, but Skylar was suddenly yanked back by her cloak, a hand gripping the back of her neck, another on her forearm as she tried to elbow the Titan.

There was no time, nothing she could do.

He was going to die again, and she'd have to watch.

The ice on her fingers laced up her hand, into her arm and Sterling shouted at her, reminding her of her promise she'd said moments before. She didn't care, she had to stop them, had to… had to save Cayde.

No matter the cost.

She saw it shoot through the air in her next breath. A streak of orange appeared from the darkening tree line and then hit Darek in the head. Hit, and then sear right through – the shot coming out the other side of his helmet. The solar shot dissipated only a foot after that and instantly, the Arc staff was gone, the Hunter's swing down towards Cayde turning harmless. Everyone froze, the rapid turn of events happening in mere blinks of the eye. Skylar's heart sounded, making everything throb with each beat, but the shock had the cold on her hand melting away. Darek's body fell to the ground, limbs contouring, unresistant in death, and the sound of it snapped her adrenaline-fueled mind to the trees once more.

Her eyes had begun to sting with collecting tears, as she registered the unmistakable Golden Gun shot. The meaning of that shot. Slowly, the form of a person came into view, a person with a cloak and something like joy welled in Skylar's chest. Z had come and found them in time. He had saved Cayde. Just as she was about to thank the Traveler silently, just as she was about to yell her best friend's name, she realized the Hunter that stepped into the light of the setting sun wasn't wearing red. They were wearing silver, black, and dark green. Talien's grip on her neck loosened but Skylar hardly felt it as she stared and stared at the man who had come to help them.

Solar embers were still floating off into the air from the at rest gun that was unmistakably the Thorn. There was no expression on his helmeted head, no tells in his movements as he walked forward, passing Tali as if she were nothing but air. Skylar hadn't seen him since that night in his apartment months ago, but there was no mistaking him. Not with that feeling that came with his unreadable, blank form.

"Let her go," Three words. Flat and even and so cold, it made the ones he'd spoken when he'd told her to leave feel like a spring breeze. It was as cold as metal in below zero weather. Blacksteel. It was the name others had given him, and she knew without a doubt, as she let out a half sob of relief, that Corvan was about to show them why.

N/A: And so the Dark Age hunter comes...

You didn't think he'd skip town forever, did you?

Please consider dropping a review, but as always, thank you for reading!