Redacted

Farewell

I apologize for the late update guys. But my mom thought it was best to have 'family time' yesterday and let's just say it took a huge chunk of my time lol.

I'm surprised at all the reviews about Angel. Wasn't expecting him to be so popular lol.

Thanks to RWBYGAMES, DisobeyedBowl6, TheTurtleMan, and TidalKiller for the review!

TheTurtleMan - Good, that is what I was going for with Angel lol. Put in a little worry in there before giving all you guys a huge sigh of relief :D. Yeah, the chapter seemed a bit awkward but I couldn't figure out why either lol. Maybe in the future when I look back, I will find it, but for now, it will have to do. And yes, I play on Xbox although I haven't played Destiny in a while. Although, Destiny 2 is coming out soon :D

"I hate this."

Seeing his Ghost turn her green optic towards him, Angel easily sensed the blank look he received from her, "Angel, didn't you learn from the last Guardian about speakin' the Eliksni tongue in public?"

"I refuse to speak the language of these 'bandits'."

"These 'bandits' are going to be your new family." Angel turned and glared at those around him, ensuring that he stays alone at the table, "I understand why you are upset with them, Angel. But not 'all' of them are responsible for Saliziks' death."

"But do you hear what they say about the Eliksni, Hope?" The Ghost's name felt foreign on his tongue, her recently acquired name still unfamiliar, "Thieves! Monsters! Murderers! They know 'nothing' about the Eliksni but yet, they treat them like trash! All they want is to survive!"

"But they don't know that, Angel," Hope started, "That is why Salziks hoped that your trainin' here would help better relationships between Eliksni and Guardians. But, you have to take slow and careful steps. It won't change overnight."

Intertwining his fingers together, the young Hunter's mind settled onto the female Captain's name before the anger within dissipated, only to be replaced with grief, "I just, I do not know if I can do it, Hope. Not after…"

"…I know, I understand." He watched as the white and red Ghost twirled her back fins once, "But, like I have said before, let's start out slow. Even just 'one' would be a nice start."

Fixing his attention back onto the female Ghost, Angel hesitated before he let out a sigh and nodded once, signifying his silent agreement. Watching his Ghost twirl her parts several parts in satisfaction, the human Hunter let out a sheepish smile, only for his senses to put him on alert, his shoulders squaring out and his focus turning in front of him. There, an Exo clad in light armor and leather sat across from him, her violet optics shifting nervously side to side before she meekly held up a hand, "Hello…"

At first, confused at this gesture, Angel quickly glanced over at Hope, and when he saw her bob once in confirmation, the human Hunter let out a nervous smile before reaching out a hand and stating, "Hello, the name's Angel, and according to Cayde, a Hunter."

Seeing the silver Exo's violet optics widen, Angel saw a light grow in her gaze before a smile formed onto her metallic features, and she reached out with a hand of her own, wrapping her fingers around his, "The name is Carina-23. Titan. Nice to meet you, Hunter Angel."

Xxxxx

In all his years alive, Pluto never dreamed of standing amongst Eliksni and trying to understand the conversation they were having, let alone with a member of the House of Kings. True, he had aided in procuring the safety of the Kell of the House of Spirit, but honestly, the Exo Hunter had little interaction with the members except for Olkar. But even then, the Vandal interacted with the younger Exo more so than himself.

Although, this doesn't mean the Hunter found the conversation unpleasant, the Eliksni he was talking to speaking quite well in the tongue of the Guardians, despite the fact that Pluto had made it clear that Nix had the requirements to translate. They were currently talking about the machinations of snipers, comparing the common sniper rifle of a Guardian with the common Wire Rifle of the Eliksni. It was interesting to hear that although there was a charge needed, there was no need to hit any critical areas to do some serious damage, unlike Guardian oriented rifles where although it is possible to hit a Soldier of the Light twice in order to take them down, that one shot matters when it comes between life and death.

But it seems the Eliksni found the Guardian's weapon more interesting than theirs, the gleam in their four eyes obvious as Pluto watched them handle his sniper rifle with delicacy, their fingers tracing the nooks and details of the Hunter's prized weapon.

The interest can be the same for Unit Eleven, or currently, Knight, as the younger mind can be seen sheepishly talking to a group of Eliksni, most of them letting out chitters of interest; from the small size and stature, Pluto can guess that they were the younger members of the House of Kings, especially considering that although they were the size of Dregs, they still had four arms; that would soon change once they are fully mature. Nonetheless, for now, they have taken interest in Knight's 'hidden' language, attempting to mimic the hand gestures of words and letters that the young Exo was familiar with.

Although satisfied that Knight had resumed control over his body, Pluto couldn't help but grow both curious and concerned after Unit Eleven 'resurrected' Angel, the Phoenix Model collapsing onto his side, barely able to keep conscious. The last the Exo Hunter had heard from Unit Eleven before he slipped away was, "Does Echo feel the same?" It was then, the younger mind resumed control, confused but completely aware of the situation.

Then, it was onto Angel's condition, the human Hunter obviously disoriented and in pain; although Unit Eleven was able to bring him back from the brink, that doesn't mean the human Guardian's injures were healed from the action. Before they can give the younger Hunter treatment, that is when the dull hum of Unit Eleven's arc shields lowered and Pluto realized the danger as the Fallen slowly closed in on their position. That was before one of their own charged through the ranks with a snarl before placing themselves between the Eliksni and the Guardians, keeping the other at bay with two shock blades she held in her upper arms. Although, nervous at the prospect of being protected by a Vandal with their lower arms broken, it was only when a Baron pushed through, shrapnel launcher in hand as they barked out orders that Pluto felt truly safe, although confused as the larger Eliksni held out a hand in peace.

It was only when Hope eased Angel's agony just enough for him to explain who they were; the Baron, Vraldyks, and the Vandal, a female that would only give out the title, Flourishing One, had taken on the duty to care for the human Hunter's wellbeing, apparently for the reason that the House of Kings always 'owe back their debts'. As such, the reason that both he and Knight have partial access to the base of House of Kings while Angel recovers, Hope taking her sweet time to ensure that both their bond and his body is fully healed.

It has been a few days since then, and Pluto had to contact Orion and the others of his stay; nothing specific, that he was just taking a 'break' out in the Wilds and with his Hunter nature, the clan took the explanation easily. For Knight however, it was a bit more complicated, especially when the Vanguard contacted Day, the white Ghost frantically glancing back and forth between the two Guardians in an attempt for an answer. Luckily for the team, Pluto found a decent 'lie', that Knight, being a young Guardian, wanted to experience the wilds himself and unable to leave without a 'supervisor', Pluto had volunteered to take him. Although they accepted his explanation, the Exo Hunter easily heard the suspicion held in their tone and Pluto knows that he would be bombarded with questions as soon as he returns; although he wasn't too surprised. Both himself and members of Fireteam Redacted do have a history of 'lying' to the Vanguard when it comes to secrets. Then again, Pluto would rather avoid telling the upper ranking Guardians of his stay with the House of Kings, especially when it comes to their 'base'; no Guardian has ever found it and came back to the Tower alive and with the Eliksni's hospitality and Angel's insistence, Pluto has to make sure that it stays that way, or at least make it so that the Vanguard would believe it as such.

"You make weapon on your own?" The Exo Hunter turned his focus back towards the Vandal in front of them, seeing the latter hold out the sniper rifle for him to take back, hearing the Eliksni let out a small rumble as he nodded, "Impressive, best crafters cannot build as well as you."

Taking the sniper back into his hands, Pluto simply sheathed the weapon back onto his back; although they were currently 'guests' staying within the House, the Exo Hunter easily saw the greedy looks in several of the nearby Eliksni's eyes when Nix momentarily materialized into view to hand him the weapon. He wasn't going to risk summoning the viridian Ghost again with such a look in their gaze.

Picking up the wire rifle from the table that they had taken a seat at, Pluto attempted to hand the weapon over, only for the Vandal to shake their head and gently push the weapon back into his grasp, "You take weapon. Use it for oneself."

"Oh," Glancing back and forth between the rifle and the Eliksni, Pluto placed the weapon back onto the table and attempted to pull his sniper rifle from his back, only to pause once more as the Eliksni shook their head, "No trade. What you Guardians call? Gift?" Pluto nodded, "Gift. Just remember I."

At first, confused at this seemingly random gesture, it was then Pluto saw the age and weariness in the Vandal's four eyes and he understood; this one has been around for 'years' and they had seen the battle between their races for decades. This one was ready to lay down their banner and vouch for peace; only if it were that easy.

Giving the Vandal a nod of thanks in response to the gift, Pluto hefted the rifle in his hands before the familiar hum of Nix materializing into view rang in his auditory sensors. Snapping his attention towards the viridian Ghost, Pluto parted his lips to protest before the blind Ghost beamed his light onto the weapon, the familiar particles of light taking in the rifle into their digital vault.

"If anything were to happen, I don't think you can fight or flight when encumbered by two rifles." Pluto paused, "Although, I'm going to leave your sniper with you. You have a terrible aim with a sidearm."

Frowning at his Ghost's words, the Exo Hunter parted his lips once more to let out a retort but before he can even get out a word, Nix disappeared back into the safety of his armor, the familiar 'weight' signifying his presence. Shaking his head at the antics of his Ghost, Pluto snapped to attention when a soft rumble emitted from the Vandal before him, only to see their eyes glancing over his shoulder. It was then he heard heavy footsteps coming up from behind and instantly, instinct took over the Hunter's senses. Before he can even comprehend his own actions, Pluto snatched up his rifle from the table behind him, pulling the lever on the side, turning around and then aiming down the sights of the 'threat'.

No sooner had he performed this action when the familiar screams of the Eliksni echoed around him and it was only when Pluto stared into the shocked four eyes of a Baron did he realize his mistake. Glancing over at Knight, the Exo Hunter saw the stiffness in his posture, his hands raised in the air as the younger Exo stared back with wide optics. Mentally cursing at his brash action, Pluto slowly lowered his weapon as he kept his red optics fixed onto the Baron, Vraldyks, carefully placing the rifle back onto the table before raising his hands in peace.

Seeing the male Eliksni blink several times, Pluto took in a deep breath, keeping his guard up as the Baron shook his head side to side, only relaxing when Vraldyks shoulders laxed, although he easily saw the narrowed glance in the Baron's gaze, "You are tense, soldier. You not trust us?"

Lowering his hands after glancing around at the snarling Eliksni to ensure that they won't attack him in retaliation for pointing his weapon at a high-ranking member of their House, Pluto responded, "If you have been in the field as long as me, you would learn to watch your back."

"You are an elder?"

"…You can say that."

Hearing the Baron let out a huff, Pluto then watched Vraldyks lift a hand, gesturing for him and Knight to follow before turning around and heading towards the exit of the room. Keeping his red optics fixed on the larger Eliksni's back, the Exo Hunter pushed himself onto his feet, hesitated, then turned around and fixed his attention back onto the old Vandal. Glancing into his four eyes, Pluto once again saw the age and weariness that he had seen before, and although hesitant, the Exo Hunter faced the old Eliksni and then gave them a slight bow. No sooner had he straightened out his posture when he saw their four eyes widen, and to his surprise, he saw tears form. Then, Pluto watched as the male Eliksni returned the bow, although subtler than his own. Blinking several times, the Exo Hunter parted his lips several times before simply turning around and following after the Eliksni Baron, unable to find a proper response to the Vandal's actions.

As he exited the room, Pluto then felt a soft tap on the shoulder, prompting him to glance towards his side only to look into the smiling face of Knight, the Exo Warlock leaning in as he said, "The Eliksni warming up to you?"

Glancing back and forth between the grinning face of the younger Exo and the back of the House of Kings Baron, Pluto simply locked his optics onto Knight's and responded, "Not quite."

Seeing the disappointment fade into the young Warlock's gaze, the Exo Hunter then added, "Just because I gave respect to an old Eliksni, doesn't mean I respect 'all' of them." He then glanced over at Vraldyks' back, "especially when it comes to those high in the hierarchy."

Easily sensing the puzzled look from the younger Exo, Pluto then heard him ask, "Why is that?"

Hesitating at Knight's question, the Exo Hunter, at first, thought about just shrugging off the younger Guardian's curiosity, but then again, Knight has to learn about the reality of the current relationship between the Soldiers of the Light and the Eliksni, "Would you try to gain their 'friendship' after watching many of those you call 'family' get killed by higher ranking members of a House?"

That is when he saw the cheeriness in the younger Exo's optics fade, only to be filled with one of empathy and horror. Seeing him lean away as the Exo pair continued to follow Vraldyks to who knows where, Pluto couldn't help but feel slight regret at his words as Knight leaned his optics downwards, only to raise a metallic brow as the younger Exo's optics narrowed and his jaw tighten into one of concentration. Gathering it all in, the echo of the memory when Knight shared the same expression back when they were speaking in the gym, that it finally clicked, and Pluto couldn't help but blurt out, "Is Unit Eleven awake?"

Seeing the younger Guardian jump, tinge of amusement settled into the back of the old Hunter's mind as Knight snapped his wide optics towards him, prompting Pluto to ask, "Not quite used to talking to two people at once?"

"I-I- What?" The young Exo gawked, "I-I mean, yes, Nine is awake, although, still weak from resurrecting Angel. Could hardly hear him over your voice." Pluto then saw Knight fidget, "He, uh, also said to tell you that just because 'one' faction killed your 'family', doesn't mean that the others are the same."

Pluto narrowed his optics at this, "What?"

"That's Nine's words! Not mine!" Knight defended, "j-just remember that not to blame the rest of the House for the actions of 'one', not exactly fair, don't you think?"

Furthering narrowing his gaze at the Exo Warlock's words, Pluto then let out a sigh before shaking his head; although unwilling to openly admit it, Knight does have a point. Although still unwilling to 'completely' trust the fallen race, Pluto does have to admit that after Angel had introduced his 'family', that the old Exo started to become more 'open', more 'aware', that not all Eliksni were the same as those who had taken the lives of his comrades in arms. While the rage of his loss still lingers, perhaps it is time to let it go; 'after' they ensure that the human Hunter is stable and that all 'three' Guardians are safely back at the Tower.

No sooner had the thought of the young Hunter permeated into his mind when Vraldyks form came to a pause, the Baron walking to the side and then nodding his head into the room before them. At first, confused at the actions of the large Eliksni, it was only when he followed the movement of the Baron's nod when Pluto finally saw Angel's form seated at a table, the human in question turning his green hues towards them before smiling and giving the pair a wave.

At first glance, it looked as though that the human Guardian was dressed in normal Hunter gear; clad in leather mixed in with thick cloth to help deviate any enemy fire. However, as Pluto closed the distance, he then easily saw the rounded pieces of Vandal armor secured around his arms and legs, the Eliksni design way too recognizable in the old Guardian's optics. Next, was the cloak, the silver and white colors of the House of Spirits replaced with white and gold of the House of Kings, and from the way Angel had thrown it over his shoulders so easily, it was a gift; Pluto just hopes that the human Guardian would be a bit 'subtle' when flaunting the mark of the Kings around the Tower.

Although not really bothering the older Hunter, Pluto couldn't help but find it strange to see Angel's long hair now short, the ragged cut hardly reaching past his ears, and the edges sticking out in all directions. He recalls Angel being fond of the length, consistently keeping it cleaned and brushed, and would even remove his helmet after a battle to brush his fingers through his strands to keep it untangled. Luckily, it seems Angel was hardly fazed with the change, hearing the younger Guardian laugh and joke with Hope as they sat, the familiar form of Flourishing One working on his right arm; wait, what?

Quickly closing the distance between himself and the pair, Pluto then came to a sudden halt when he saw tools and mechanical parts laid out on the table, pieces of loose screws and plates strewn about as the female Vandal fixed some wiring in a prosthetic; Angel's prosthetic.

"Hope was able to save my legs," Pluto turned his focus onto the human Hunter's features, "but my arm, well, I was down in the darkness infested caverns for too long. Couldn't even fix it if I ate a bullet and she revived me." Angel then nodded his head towards the female Eliksni, "Flourishing One though made me a prosthesis, at least until we can head back to the Tower and make a better one."

No sooner had the words left his lips when Flourishing One snapped her head towards him and snarled, prompting the Hunter to blink before Pluto then heard him laugh and then responding back in the Eliksni tongue.

"If you are wonderin' what she said, Flourishin' One asked him if her work was 'cheap'," Pluto glanced over his shoulder in time to see Hope's white and red form glide over, her optic gleaming with the familiar shade of forest green; confirmation of the female Ghost's and Angel's reformed bond, "she was offended that he was goin' to get a 'better one' once we return to the Tower."

"What did Angel say?"

"He apologized for offendin' her but, then explained he can't simply walk around the Tower with somethin' made of Eliksni craft." Pluto watched as Hope shifted her parts up and down before she glided over to the table, beaming her light onto the top to materialize tools and wires. Hearing the female Vandal rumble out words incomprehensible to him, Pluto took it as cue to walk over and hover over Angel's form, hearing Knight's footsteps follow behind him.

"You're taking this missing limb thing better than most would," It was the Exo Warlock who spoke, earning a sheepish smile from the human Hunter as the latter stated, "What can you do? Things happen, just wasn't expecting to lose an arm at this age."

"What? You were expecting battle scars?"

"Well, we're in a war, kind of hard to come out of fights unscathed, don't you think?"

Hearing Knight let out a small hum of agreement in response to Angel's words, Pluto took the opportunity to ask, "I'm going to guess that you found a way to hide that prosthetic of yours?"

"Bracers followed by pieces of cloth," The Hunter responded, "Going to keep it hidden until I can procure a new one." A nervous laugh then permeated from the human Hunter, "Don't want the Vanguard to know that I got an Eliksni made prosthetic, especially from the infamous House of Kings."

"And the lie?"

"Well," Pluto watched as Angel licked his lips, "Not technically a 'lie' but a half-truth. Say that I got stuck underground, lost an arm, and hastily made one before being found by you guys."

"…Good enough." The Exo Hunter then nodded at the short strands sticking out in differing directions, "What about your hair though? I highly doubt the Vanguard will simply take that you wanted a haircut after having it long for years."

"Uh," Pluto saw Angel's features scrunch together in thought before his eyes lit up, "Bumped into an Eliksni scout pack. Too many for me to take on so tried to run away but with my helmet missing, one of them grabbed me by the hair. Had to cut it off to get away." The Exo Hunter raised a brow at this; the human Hunter must have noticed for he then added, "Tried to fix it but since I only had a knife, it didn't turn out so well."

"We'll fix it when we return to the Tower," Hope butted in, "but I say that's a good enough excuse for me, or at least, satisfy the Vanguard."

"…I'm amazed that you two can lie to the Vanguard so easily," It was Knight who spoke, "how often do you lie to their face?"

Glancing towards Angel, Pluto locked his optics with the human Guardian's green before the two of them shrugged, turned to Knight and simultaneously answered, "Often."

At first gaining nothing but silence from the younger Guardian, Knight finally let out a shrug, "Well, I can't say I haven't lied to their face."

Snickering at the words of the younger Exo, Pluto paused when the hunkering form of the Baron approached before the latter spoke in the tongue of the Eliksni, prompting Flourishing One to stop on what she was working and respond.

"What is she saying?" Pluto turned his optics towards Angel, the latter of which answered, "They're talking about the report they gave to their Kell, specifically about housing three Guardians in their quarters."

"And…?"

"Well, to be expected, they were furious," The Exo Hunter frowned at this, "but, when Vraldyks said that I have a large a supply of Ether, they turned compliant."

"Just as long as we give them the Ether?"

Angel shrugged at this, "If it's the only way out of here without inciting violence, I'm willing to give away a year's supply of Ether. Especially if it helps us leave on good terms with the House of Kings."

"Good terms, right," Doubt laced the edges of Pluto's words, "and did they say anything about us leaving today?"

"Just as long as the House gets enough Ether to survive the oncoming months, they don't really care."

Raising a metallic brow at this, the Exo Hunter parted his lips to ask another question when the familiar rumble of the Eliksni tongue emitted from Flourishing One, and when the older Guardian turned his attention towards the female Vandal, she had laid down her tools, and gestured her hands towards Angel, placing her hands expectantly in her lap. It was then he saw the human Hunter lift his new prosthesis, and to his surprise, the fingers flexed and the wrist turned as Angel examined his new arm, before the latter let out a nod and responding back in the Fallen language; seeing a pleased look permeate onto Flourishing One's face, Pluto didn't have to guess that the young Hunter was complimenting her work.

No sooner had the young Hunter finished speaking when Hope hovered over the artificial appendage, and the familiar glow of her light permeated from her optic before beaming onto Angel's new arm. It was then Pluto watched as wisps of light coiled itself around the limb before the familiar texture of cloth materialized into view, before being followed by the hardiness of his leather bracer; seeing the human Guardian flex his hand several times once more, Pluto mentally noted how easily Angel would be able to slip his prosthesis past the Vanguard, at least until he can replace it with one more of 'man made' machinations.

Perking up as the human Guardian pushed himself onto his feet, the Exo Hunter then asked, "You ready?"

Seeing Angel glance back and forth between himself and the female Vandal, the human Hunter then locked his gaze with Pluto's and nodded once, "Let's return to the Tower, I think I kept the others worried for too long."

Xxxxx

"As agreed, these coordinates is where I will drop off the Ether, safely out of sight and isolated enough where no one will notice the trade." Angel watched as Flourishing One nodded once before he marked the map he held in his hands, rolled it up, and then handed the parchment over to the female Vandal, waiting until the latter of which took the object from his grasp, "It was an honor to have worked with you, Flourishing One. I do pray that the Great Machine will watch over us long enough for us to meet again."

Watching the female Eliksni glance down at the map in her hand, the human Guardian then watched her lift her four eyes, and let out a small rumble, "Syliks."

Angel reeled back at this, "What?"

"Syliks," The female Vandal repeated, "You had given your name to me. It is only fair that I give mine before you leave."

At first, silent at her words, a broad smile slowly formed onto the human's features before he leaned in, "And back then, you said you did not want to by my comrade."

Seeing her eyes flicker and her face flush, Angel then let out a laugh as the female Vandal reached out with one of her upper arms and shoved him away, her gaze narrowing, "No need to be smug about it. It is just an equal trade; nothing more, nothing less."

"You sure about that?" Angel let out another laugh as he was shoved back again, Syliks' face more flushed than ever, "But in seriousness, I appreciate it. I was not expecting you to reveal your name to me, especially how adamant you were back during our stay in the underground caverns."

The Hunter earned a scoff from the female Eliksni, "Despite the fact that I like the title, Flourishing One, you have saved not only my life but also, you saved my House. The least I can do is give you the name I received after my birth to show gratitude."

Hearing a tinge of annoyance emit from the edges of Syliks' voice, Angel then raised both his hands in mock surrender, "I do apologize if I offended you, Flourishing – Syliks, it was all in jest."

Earning another scoff from the female Eliksni, the human Guardian simply out let out a smile before the sound of heavy approaching footsteps prompted not only himself, but Syliks as well to turn attention towards the entrance; it was Vraldyks, the towering form of the Baron too unmistakable not to recognize.

"You gave us the coordinates?" Nodding once in accordance to the male Eliksni's question, Angel then couldn't help but lean back when Vraldyks leaned forward, easily dwarfing the smaller human as he let out a rumble, "despite your status as a bandit, you intrigue me, human. Unlike the others, you speak our tongue, open to forming alliances, and speak freely of how you were found and raised by others of our kind."

"I-I only state the truth," Angel managed to squeak out, keeping his green hues fixed onto the Baron's four before he straightened out his posture and regained composure, "And unlike the others, I actually took the time and effort to actually speak. It is about time that Guardians and Eliksni share common goals."

He earned a scoff from the Baron as soon as he was finished speaking, "I give you credit for honesty, human, but I highly doubt our interaction will get no further than where we are now: a desperate trade." The male Eliksni then pressed his face further against Angel's, the human Hunter feeling the brush of air behind his Ether mask, "However, once we find a suitable resource to replace 'you', human, then this 'alliance' will be no more. And 'you', will no longer be needed."

Watching Vraldyks lean away and slowly trudge back into the crumbling building, Angel then turned his attention towards Syliks, "I thought he was going to tear my head off."

A simple wave of the hand was all the Hunter received, "He may seem intimidating, but Lord Vraldyks is usually fair. The only time you should fear him is when he finds a traitor."

Angel turned and gave the female Eliksni a quizzical look, "What happens to the traitor?"

"Death." The Hunter's eyes widen at this as Syliks shrugged, "It is common practice for Captains and higher to simply cut down those who even speak of 'treachery' in everyone's presence."

"W-wait! So, when Ikyrlos called you a 'traitor', they could have just killed you then!?" Angel's jaw dropped when the female Vandal nodded, "Then why in the Great Machine did you bring me back!? You could have saved yourself a lot of trouble if you just left me behind!?"

It was Syliks' turn for her gaze to widen, only for it to quickly narrow, "Why are you still speaking about leaving you behind when it all passed!? And did I not just say that I owe you a debt for saving my life?! I cannot simply leave you behind when you kept coming back for me! Especially after you ran back into a collapsing cavern!"

Repeatedly opening and closing his mouth, Angel then nervously smiled when he was unable to come up with a proper response, "You do have a point."

Hearing Syliks let out another scoff, the human Hunter then glanced over his shoulder, spotting the two familiar forms of the two Exo, "As much as I would like to stay and talk, my comrades are eager to return back to the Haven." He refocused his attention back onto Syliks and gave her a broad grin, "and if I idle too long, my leaders may get suspicious."

Although he received another scoff from the female Vandal, Angel saw a glimmer of disappointment permeate in her four eyes before she quickly looked away and crossed her arms, "It matters not, we will see each other again when you drop off the Ether at the promised location."

Laughing at her words, the human Hunter then turned to leave when he paused, a thought popping into his mind, "If it is not too much, may I ask a favor of you, Syliks?"

Seeing the female Eliknsi snap her four eyes back towards him, he saw a look of bewilderment on her features before he heard her say, "Considering you saved my life twice, yes, you may."

"You remember the symbol on my previous cape?" Syliks nodded, "If you do not mind, can you keep an eye out for Eliksni who wears such a symbol? Although they have may left me behind, they are still my family, and I would deeply appreciate it if you inform me of their location whenever the time comes."

Watching Syliks tilt her head, Angel then let out a nod when the female Vandal responded, "I will do what I can."

Flashing her one final smile, the human Guardian then bowed before lifting himself in time to see Syliks do the same, "May the Great Machine Guide you, Pure One."

Giving the female Eliksni one final nod of thanks, Angel then finally turned and approached the others, stepping through the crumbling doors of the building as the familiar weight of his helmet finally materialized over his head.

"Took you long enough." It was Pluto, the Exo Hunter uncrossed his arms, "What were you two talking about?"

"Just to confirm the drop off point for the Ether supply," Angel answered as he raised his hand, signaling to Hope to transmat his hand cannon into his grasp, "Have to make sure that it is isolated enough that no other Guardian or Eliksni sees the trade. Don't want to start another uproar."

"I wish I had been around when the alliance between – what are they called again? – House of Spirits?" Angel nodded at Knight's question, "I wish I had been around for that. Would have liked to have seen how it went down."

"Unless you wanted to see the chaos of boarding a Kell's ship followed by fighting said Kell, then I highly recommend, no, you do not want to see how it went down." Pluto heaved out a sigh, "Those cramped quarters, hardly had the space to shoot in there."

Laughing at the Exo Hunter's commentary, Angel waited until Pluto took point, followed by Knight before glancing back one final time back into the crumbling building; he saw nothing but the rusted and broken interior, fallen furniture obscuring any sign of anything living. With this in his sight, the human Guardian then turned and followed after his team.

And that is the end of this arc! :D