Redacted

Rage and Fire

I deeply apologize for the late update guys. After Destiny 2 came out, I was sorely disappointed in it - it felt more like a DLC than an actual sequel and it honestly, made me lose my writing motivation towards this series for a bit - cue in the late updates the past couple of weeks. Luckily though, after hinting at some juicy lore in some Destiny videos I watched, the little tidbits of lore helped me gain my motivation back :D. Although, no promises that it's going to help me update on time lol.

Ace considers whoever had attempted to assassinate the Speaker lucky, for if they had not taken him away to be questioned, Ianos would have certainly done him serious harm; not kill him, the Warlock had done well on keeping his vow on not taking the life of a Soldier of the Light, but that doesn't mean that Ianos won't maim the individual. However, it seems that Ianos was currently content on hearing that Unit Eleven had killed Hush's killer, the Warlock checking over the younger Guardian for any after effects of her resurrection.

As the black and orange Ghost watched the child Guardian sit on the edge of the bed and Ianos checking on the gauntlets around her wrists, echoes of Zakai and Ari settled into their core as the scene before him changed; the halfling Warlock sheepishly letting the Awoken fix the damage done to his gauntlets, his lifeline, while Ari sat near the sidelines, the normally cheerful Exo's metallic features filled with worry, and Ianos letting out silent curses as wisps of light ate away at his hands as he attempted to fix his lover's armor piece.

Ace recalls Ianos would ensure that Zakai's arm piece was secured, the memories of the younger Warlock's outbursts clear in his mind whenever damage was done to his gauntlets, the Impossible Machines an all too important aspect to ensure the Consensus and the Vanguard allows the Awoken and Human mix to stay at the Tower. Hush was no different, Ianos' orange hues narrowed in both concern and concentration as his fingers tenderly trailed between the cracks and plates of her gauntlets, ensuring that all was secured and stable before Ace saw his eyes soften, confirming that all was in one piece.

"It seems to be in stable condition." Ace watched as Ianos shifted his gaze onto Hush's face, "but do be careful next time, who knows how much punishment the Feedbacks are able to take before it finally breaks."

Seeing Hush nod her head once, the Ghost then watched as Ianos then turned his focus towards Crystalline, "Do you have the blueprints in your memory?"

"Of course I do!" The female Ghost blurted, "Didn't I say it before? Just because I am not a Tower Ghost doesn't mean I don't know the basic functions of one."

"Just making sure so that if the Feedbacks do break, you have an idea how to repair them." Ianos frowned, "Hush maybe fine now, but without the Feedbacks, her light will attune to her emotions, making it uncontrollable if things get out of hand."

"And you know this how? Experience?" Crystalline snapped, "You said people like Hush were rare. How were you able to meet one such as her?"

"Just because they aren't many out there like her, doesn't mean I 'never' met one." Ace easily heard the growl through Ianos' teeth, "She maybe the second individual that I have seen but I do not want the risk that her stability is the same as Zakai. We do not want another incident where she loses control and takes the lives of surrounding Guardians. The Consensus 'will' take action, accidental or not."

"Take the lives of…" Hearing Crystalline's voice fade, Ace focused their attention back onto Ianos, the Warlock holding out his hands towards the child Guardian to show that he was done, helping her slide off his bed as the female Ghost then asked, "What happened? Did his light get out of control? How many lives did he take?" Ianos remained silent, "They weren't all permanent deaths, were they?"

Seeing Hush glance up worriedly at Ianos, the black and orange Ghost easily saw pain flash over the Awoken's orange hues before he responded, "Zakai was the first individual like Hush that entered the Tower, so we didn't know it then, all we saw was this trembling newborn in rags that needed our help." A sigh permeated from Ianos' lips, "So many of us did not heed the cries of warning from his Ghost, and most of all, none of us did not expect the surge of arc light that he unintentionally released."

Ace then watched Ianos pause, seeing Hush squeeze her hands tightly in his grasp before the Warlock continued, "Nearly all of us who had gathered around Zakai had been caught in the blast, killing us."

"Including you?"

"Yes," A pause, "Luckily, for those on the outer ring of the circle, our Ghosts remained untouched, safe from the full blast of his light to resurrect us. However, those who were kneeling over him, weren't so lucky."

Ace spotted Ianos return Hush's gesture, giving her hands a gentle squeeze, "Their Ghosts were incinerated in the blast, fully killing both Ghost and Guardian." The Warlock turned his focus onto Crystalline, "As you can imagine, many were not happy, especially the Consensus. Whether intentional or not, Zakai had taken the lives of several Guardians, and the masses wanted retribution."

Seeing Ianos turn his attention back towards Hush, Ace noticed the worried gaze in the child Guardian's eyes, "If it was not for Andal Brask and Zakai's status as a newborn, death would have been the outcome."

"…That's why you are concerned for Hush's safety. You are worried that the same could happen to her?"

"…Yes."

Hearing nothing but silence looming over the room, Ace shifted their parts close around their core, waiting patiently until it was Crystalline who broke the stillness, "You don't have to worry about Hush. She has plenty of competent Guardians who are capable of keeping an eye on her."

At first, Ianos opted to say nothing, then Ace heard the Warlock let out a small scoff but kept his gaze on Hush's eyes, and the Ghost knew he was deep in thought. Moments past before the child Titan finally slid her fingers out of his hands, only for her to lean in and wrap her arms around his abdomen and bury her head into Ianos' chest. Noticing the way the Awoken Warlock's shoulders went stiff and the way he blinked several times, Ace easily can tell that the older Guardian was caught off guard. But instead of pushing the child Guardian away, Ace watched Ianos slowly raise a hand and placed it on Hush's head, brushing his fingers through her dark strands. This sent waves of warmth throughout Ace's core, noticing the gentle look in Ianos' gaze as he continued the gesture; he hadn't seen a look like that on the Awoken's features for years, at least, not before the child Guardian had taken up residence in his quarters. Humming at this thought, Ace then glided over as Hush finally released her hold on Ianos, and the child gave the Awoken Warlock a broad smile.

Xxxxx

"You sure that this is a good idea to leave Echo behind without notifying him?"

He is currently upset with the Vanguard and knowing his past history with his temper, I highly discourage going to Echo to notify him that we are leaving.

"But you do know that we aren't exactly allowed to leave the Tower 'alone'," Knight murmured, as he slowly wandered into the Hangar, his white optics glancing around nervously in the dark, "The two of us can easily go to the others, they still count as 'someone' despite us being part of the Fireteam."

We should not get them involved, especially since the one involved with Prime's hack is a Phoenix Model likes ourselves.

Knight paused, "You actually believe what Loras said? That there is another Phoenix Model out there brought back by the Traveler?"

How he keeps repeating 'Phoenix' over and over again and seems to know how to pinpoint individuals that are part of the Phoenix models, that is proof enough that the leader of the cult is indeed a Phoenix.

"So? We can easily just ask the others, we are part of Fireteam Redacted you know?"

We cannot allow the others to get involved, we do not know what unit this Phoenix belongs to.

"Hacker?" Knight suggested, "Only way she could have gotten into the Tower Database otherwise."

With a Ghost and even with crude technology, one can easily hack into the Tower's memory banks.

"…Wait, is the Tower that vulnerable?"

Despite the occupants of the City believing that they are safe, their technology is lackluster compared to the inner workings of a Ghost.

"That's terrific," The younger mind let out a sigh, "But still, why can't the others get involved?"

Each unit has its own individual assets and skills that they were specifically created for, with Echo as the only exemption. For my unit, we were created to absorb the Traveler's energies, then converted to absorb the energies of different resources when the former did not go according as planned.

"Doesn't sound too threatening." Seeing the Hangar completely empty with the exception of a few Frames, Knight slowly made his way towards one of the ships, silently repeatedly to himself the numbers and letters that Amanda Holliday gave him months ago as his optics scanned the sides of the ship's hulls.

Normally yes, but in a war setting, when all energy resources came from the light or a manifestation of it, it has devastating results.

His optics spotting the familiar label of numbers and letters, Knight approached the ship that was assigned to them, trailing over the scratches and nicks on its white surface; this one had obviously seen use. The Exo Warlock wonders what had happened to its previous pilot, "Now that you mention it, even now, when facing against other Guardians, you do have an advantage."

Now put that into perspective if the leader of this cult is one from my unit.

"Good point." Glancing around to once again ensure no one was in sight, Knight then whispered, "Day."

"On it."

Feeling the familiar pressure of his Ghost materializing into view, it didn't take long before the sensation of transmat overtook his senses, the weightlessness all too recognizable as white filled his vision, and moments later, Knight found himself in the pilot seat. Seeing Day take their place over his shoulders, the young Warlock then asked, "Do you have any idea where the leader of this cult is hiding? I don't think Loras revealed her location from when we were present."

Why do you think Echo wanted my to help search for Prime?

Pressing several buttons on the consoles before reaching down to the lever next to this side, Knight said, "Is there anything that you can't do? I would imagine Echo would be the one capable of finding this cult leader himself, especially considering he is the first Phoenix model to be designed."

That is exactly why he is incapable of finding this Phoenix on his own. He is the first of the Phoenix Exo, and as such, does not have all the calibrations that many of my brothers and sisters have.

"So, he is weaker than you?"

Never stated that.

Shifting the stick on his ship, Knight felt the vehicle lift into the air before he shifted the controls to let it back out of the Hangar, "Is he stronger then?"

In terms of his light, yes, he is.

Silent at the Phoenix model's words, Knight momentarily focused balancing the ship before he added, "Is that he because he has the most…"

…Yes. A pause, I have transferred the data over to Ghost Sunny Day. They will lead you to the location where the frequency of the hack took place.

Nodding once to signify his understanding, Knight then waited as a radar appeared on the window of his ship, prompting him to shift the controls and follow the marker that flashed into view.

Xxxxx

"You do know that Unit Eleven left without you?"

Lifting his optics away from his gear, Echo simply stayed silent, giving his Ghost a blank stare before returning his focus to his equipment.

"…You already knew he was going to leave?"

"It's like that human Titan said, he is his own Exo, although, I would have preferred he came back to me so I can go with him." Echo muttered, "Nonetheless, it doesn't matter, I already know where he is heading."

"Wait, what." Reaver spun his back fins bewilderedly, "How do you know…" He paused, "Is this a Phoenix model thing?"

A pause from Echo, "You can say the humans were 'paranoid' when it came to the chance of a Phoenix going, 'defective'. When the third unit was created, they instilled a program into me to track any 'rogues' if it ever came to that."

"…Did it?"

"Plenty." The Exo Titan answered, "There were many of my brothers and sisters who were not pleased with the life of being a 'war machine', and many of them attempted to escape." He then let out a scoff, "Didn't work as well as they had wanted, can hardly track them more than a several kilometers away. Apparently, they didn't put distance into the equation."

Hearing nothing but silence from his Ghost, Echo took it as a sign to finish holstering the last piece of his gear onto his person, only to be caught off guard by Reaver's next words, "But you still found them, didn't you?"

Turning his white optics back onto his Ghost, Echo opted not to answer, his lights dimming before he promptly turned and headed towards the exit of his quarters.

"How many were terminated?"

The Exo Titan immediately halted in his movements, his shoulders stiff, and his hands slowly curling into fists, "Too many…"

Standing at the doorway idly, Echo waited until the familiar hum of his Ghost hovering near his shoulders rang in his auditory sensors before he started making his way towards the Hangar.

Xxxxx

"Are you sure that you two decoded this right? I mean, there's no way that this is possibly true."

Seeing the two Ghost's turn and give him a blank look, Angel knew that Hope and Lex were confident in their accuracy of deciphering the code, causing him to rub his hands over his face as he continued to process the Ghosts' words.

It has been just a few hours since Lex announced the encryption for the file on PHX-TRVLR but the group had spent that time in Akiva's apartment, seated in the living area as they placed the cloth on the middle of the furniture and let their Ghosts go to work. However, to their surprise, the encryption was more difficult than they had originally thought and it took both Lex 'and' Hope to fully decrypt the file that was laid out before them. And what the file had said had sent a surge of disbelief throughout the young Hunter's mind.

"But, that's impossible," Angel muttered out, lifting his hands away from his eyes as he added, "No one has ever has gone that close to the Traveler, let alone 'touch' it."

"Well, it was the Golden Age. Much of humanity back then were willing to do 'anything' to advance," The Hunter turned his green eyes towards Akiva in time to see him pinch the bridge of his nose, "Even if it means desecrating the body of a god."

"But 'someone' must have noticed," Angel retorted, "like, no one can just fly up to the Traveler, chip not just 'small' pieces but 'massive' amounts of its shell before flying back to earth. It just, it can't be possible."

"It is possible to fly close enough to the Traveler where you can literately touch its surface, if you have been given permission by higher authority," Angel turned and gave Akiva a look, "Kid, I was a part of the military forces 'before' my resurrection as a Guardian. I knew all the rules when it comes to the Traveler and anything around its vicinity."

Pausing at the words of the older Guardian, the human Hunter sat in his seat in the living area, his eyes staring blankly ahead before he stated, "So, you are saying, the governing power back in the Golden Age, 'allowed' these 'scientists' to fly up to the Traveler, take pieces of it, and to convert them into weapons of war?"

"We were in a battle for resources, Angel," Akiva added, "This was 'before' all the governing continents came to an agreement to share available resources, and 'before' world peace was even considered. Each governing office wanted to pull ahead of their competitors, even if it means getting down and dirty to do so."

"But the Traveler gave us 'gifts', blessed humanity." The human Guardian wrapped his hands together, turning his gaze downwards, "was that not enough?"

Another sigh from Akiva, "It's like what Echo said ways back; humanity is greedy and I had to admit, that I can't deny that there was truth in his words."

Momentarily silent at the older Guardian's words, Angel tore his gaze away from his hands and asked, "Then, what do we do? Reveal this secret that Echo tried so hard to hide at the behest of Unit Eleven?"

"So, you two finally figured it out?"

Jumping at the sound of a new voice entering the room, Angel turned in his seat in time to see the familiar form of Ianos enter, his darken visor hiding his features before the Hunter's gaze caught the smiling form of Hush, the latter of which waved in greeting to the pair, "Ianos, what are you doing here?"

Seeing the Warlock tilt his head in response to his question, Angel watched as Ianos released his grip from Hush's hand, and saw the child Guardian brush past the living room area where they gathered before disappearing down the hall; it was only then that the human Hunter understood.

"Oh, right, play date with Ora and the girls," Angel didn't have to look back to see the Titan place his hands over his face, "it slipped my mind."

"Let me guess, this 'secret' that you two discovered about Unit Eleven and Echo made you forget?" Ianos took a seat in an empty chair between the two of them, just in time for Angel to shift his attention towards Akiva and see the Titan let out a single nod, "and how did the two of you figure it out?"

"Well, more like we got some 'help' from Unit Eleven."

Sensing the quizzical look behind Ianos' visor, Angel decided to add to the human Titan's words, "He gave Akiva a piece of cloth with a bunch of codes on it. Took Lex and Hope a while, but they were able to decipher it."

Seeing the Warlock tilt his head curiously, the human Hunter had expected Ianos to ask what they had discovered, only to reel back when the Awoken in question instead held out his hand and said, "May Ace and I take a look?"

Bewildered by this, Angel turned his attention towards Akiva, seeing the same wide-eyed look before the Titan shook his head, leaning over and pushing the piece of cloth towards the Awoken Warlock. Watching Ianos pick up the cloth in his hands, the familiar black and orange form of Ace materialized over the Awoken's shoulder, and the latter beamed their light onto the code.

"Well this is a little difficult," A hum from Ace, "But it shouldn't take me long."

"What?" It was Hope who spoke, "not take you long? It took Lex and I 'hours' to finally break it, what makes you think that you-"

"Done," Angel's attention snapped back onto Ace, "Not too hard, just a few pieces of code that had to be switch around and reconfigured to gain full access."

Slowly turning his attention towards Hope, Angel easily see the flabbergasted look in his Ghost's optic, her green gaze filled with shock before she finally sputtered out, "H-how did you decode it so quickly when it took Lex and I hours?"

"Experience." Ace chirped, Angel easily spotting a bit of pride in the Ghost's orange optic, "Have been decoding and unlocking doors longer than all of you."

Hearing Hope grumble in response to the black and orange Ghost's words, Angel simply let out a sheepish smile before he shifted his attention back onto Ianos, only to sense a frown emitting behind the Warlock's visor, "Tell me, just to confirm that Ace has indeed decoded this correctly-"

"Hey."

"A handful of humans flew up to the Traveler and took parts of its shell to incorporate it into weapons of war, more specifically…"

"The Phoenix Exo." Akiva confirmed, and Angel immediately sensed Ianos' frown deepen, feeling his gaze harden behind his visor, "yeah, Ace didn't decrypt it wrong, Hope and Lex got the same thing."

Silence loomed in the room as Ianos leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, Angel knowing fully well that the Warlock was in deep in thought, with nothing but the hum of their Ghosts permeating throughout the area.

"I can understand why Echo was adamant on keeping it just between himself and Unit Eleven," Ianos finally broke the silence, "If such an information were to be released amongst the masses, it would either have a positive or negative impact on the pair."

"Negative?" Angel blinked, "Why negative? They are literately made from the Traveler's shell, there are many out there who still worship the Traveler as a god. Wouldn't Echo and Unit Eleven be treated as such?"

Seeing the Awoken Warlock shift his attention towards him, Ianos didn't have to lift up his visor for Angel to sense the frown of disapproval, "Exactly why Echo didn't want anyone to know. The humans who created the Phoenix Exo desecrated the body they called a god. Echo and Unit Eleven personifies this." Angel went silent at the Awoken's words, "It is true that some of the populace will worship Echo and Unit Eleven like they would towards the Traveler, but some would also take it as an insult, a machination of humanity trying to become gods themselves. Some would rather have that destroyed than to live on with the Phoenix models."

"So, we don't reveal this to the populace then?" Angel glanced back and forth between Ianos and Akiva, only to receive a shrug from the Titan, "Not sure, it seems that Eleven is adamant about letting this little 'secret' out, despite Echo's continuous attempts to keep it private. But, I can also understand why Echo doesn't want it leaked, who knows what would happen to him and Eleven, and if possible, other Phoenix models if this goes out."

"This is something between Unit Eleven and Echo," Ianos stated, "this isn't a matter that we should get involved in."

"But we 'know' what they are now," Akiva retorted, "if Echo figures out that Unit Eleven somehow figured out a way to tell us in an encryption, he is 'not' going to be happy." The human Titan then shook his head, "I wouldn't be surprised if he is willing to kill us 'and' our Ghosts to keep the relationship between the Phoenix models and the Traveler a secret."

"Echo wouldn't outright kill us," Angel paused, "Would he?"

"Considering how easily he fired and shot at us when we 'trespassed' on his floor, I think he is fully capable." A scoff from Ianos, "and not to mention that he was once a Warlord."

The young Hunter turned and gave the Awoken a puzzled look, "A War-what?"

In turn, the Hunter sensed the bewildered look behind Ianos' visor, "A Warlord. Surely you have heard – oh, right, mentored by the Eliksni." He watched the Awoken Warlock lean in, "Let's just say back before the Tower, back before the Guardians, there were those resurrected by Ghosts called the 'Risen', and some of these individuals used their powers to claim territories, sometimes even settlements. For those who owned territories, they were called 'Warlords', to signify their status and capability of claiming such a large area as their own."

"Wait," Angel's eyes widen, "So you are saying that Echo was a Warlord?" A nod from Ianos, "Then why in the Traveler did we allow him to stay here? Wait, if he's here, then does that mean the City was his territory?"

"The area where it was built, yes," The young Hunter's jaw dropped, stuttering out gibberish before it was Akiva who asked the question he struggled to say, "Then how in the world did we claim his territory for the City? Did we take it by force? Were the Iron Lords involved?"

"The Iron 'pups' weren't involved, I can safely say that," A scoff emitted from Ianos, "Although I had to admit, it was a bit of a struggle to 'convince' Echo to let go of his territory. In the end, the 'Vanguard' came to an agreement: he will have one floor or section of the Tower to himself with the capability of 'punishing' those who trespass, and that any favor he asks for will be given, no matter how ridiculous it sounds."

"And you know this how?" It was Akiva who asked the question, Angel easily seeing the look of surprise in the Titan's gaze, "I understand you're 'old' but there's no way you were in the City when it was just a settlement."

Sensing another frown of disapproval permeating behind Ianos' visor, the young Hunter remained silent as the Warlock answered, "I have been here when it was nothing more than a 'settlement', and I was around long enough to witness the 'incursion' between Echo and the Vanguard before the former reluctantly released his territory to form the place we now know as the City. I'm not old, Akiva, I'm 'ancient'."

Unable to hold back the snort towards Ianos' subtle joke, his smile quickly faded as a thought suddenly hit him, "So that would mean that Echo has the strength and capacity to easily kill us permanently then?" Seeing the Awoken Warlock nod at his question, unease settled into the young Hunter's chest as he then asked, "Then, we keep this to ourselves?"

"Like I have stated before, this is between Echo and Unit Eleven to handle," A pause from Ianos, Angel once against easily sensing the Warlock deep in thought before the latter leaned back in his seat, "Although, I wouldn't be surprised if he had passed this code onto others."

"What do you mean?"

Seeing Ianos shift his attention towards him once again, Angel waited patiently as the Awoken answered, "After a little over a year of being unable to tell not only us, but others around him about the PHX-TRVLR, Unit Eleven found a loop hole in Echo's 'command', enabling him to freely hand out this 'code' to anyone."

"So, you're thinking that Unit Eleven passed it to someone else besides us?" It was Akiva who asked the question, prompting a small hum from Ianos, "Highly possible, who knows." A shrug from the Awoken, "By the time Echo figures out that Unit Eleven leaked out the file on PHX-TRVLR, everyone in the Tower might be informed of his 'secret'.

Soaking in Ianos' theory, Angel's shoulders slumped as he then added, "I guess that means we have to prepare for Echo's temper."

"That, I can agree with," Akiva said.

Xxxxx

"Why are you making me wander out into a field that could possibly be filled with Fallen?"

This is battle experience for you. How else can I terminate myself without being concerned of your capability to defend yourself?

"And how would I know that none of these Fallen are House Kings?"

Their capes are the color of gold, it will not be hard to miss.

"Right," Knight took in a deep breath, hefting his scout rifle in his hands as he took tentative steps forward, "easy for you to say, mister soldier."

Like I have stated before, this would be a chance for you to gain battle experience.

Giving a blank stare into the air before him as if expecting Unit Eleven to see his expression, Knight simply scanned the horizon before slowly started descending the rocky steps.

Unit Eleven had traced the frequency of the hacker in an area the young Exo have definitely had not visited before; littered with the broken and rusted bodies of planes and ships, the red haze of the landscape could be described as being barren of life if it wasn't for the occasional patches of grass that covered the area. For the younger mind, the area was unfamiliar but the flashes of recognition that buzzed in the back of Knight's head shows that the Phoenix model does, and the younger Warlock silently wonders to himself how often did Unit Eleven traveled from the Tower, back before the days of the trial.

Shaking his head to rid himself of his thoughts, Knight then focused onto the familiar hum of Day in his helmet, right before the familiar blink on his radar lead him further down the road. Snapping his optics side to side in order to keep an eye out for any red lines that appear on his visor, Knight continued to follow Unit Eleven's directions, keeping his guard up as he kept his fingers around the guard of his weapon.

"Any idea on what type of model she is?"

Just because I can locate her doesn't mean I know what type of unit she is.

"So, we're basically going in blind?"

Do not fret, if anything goes awry, I will take control.

"Well, I should say, thanks for the heads up," A sigh from Knight, "If I wake up with a headache, I'll know what happened."

Sensing ripples of amusement from the Phoenix model, the younger mind came to a pause as the arrow on his radar caused him to turn around the edges of one of the cliffs, his white optics spotting it directing him into an opening on the side, "You're kidding me? That obvious?"

I say it is clever.

"How?"

Look to the side of the entrance.

At first confused by Unit Eleven's words, Knight focused his attention to the left of the entrance and only then, understood. To show other Guardians that the lair of the scavengers has been cleared after several weeks of scouting, a mark, usually an 'x' will be scratched onto the surface of the entryway, to tell other soldiers of the Light that area already had been secured. This entrance of an old lair was no different, the familiar working of a knife scratched onto the rocky surface familiar enough to signal its vacancy, of both inhabitants and loot. In other words, a perfect hiding spot in plain sight.

This prompted Knight to secure his weapon in one hand, lowering it to his side as he places a hand onto the entrance and leaned in, the younger mind once again glancing at his radar to find any sign of danger before walking in. Taking slow and careful steps, Knight found himself descending, the rocky floor conveniently carved into steps to make the venture easier. As the young Exo quietly entered further, the light of the cave dimmed, causing Knight to narrow his optics in a vain attempt to squint through the dark. Just as darkness consumed his vision, the Exo Warlock then jumped as a beam of light flashed into view, causing Knight to glance over his shoulder in time to see the white form of Day, the Ghost's white optic glowing as they shifted their parts upward into a smile. Giving a nod of thanks to his Ghost, the younger mind continued down the steps, fidgeting as the caverns started to narrow, actually feeling his shoulders brush against the cave walls. As he ventured deeper, Knight felt Unit Eleven's emotions strengthen, the uneasiness growing in the back of his mind, and causing him to tighten his hand around the handle of his scout rifle.

At first annoyed at the Phoenix model's uneasiness, Knight held his tongue when he realized that the older mind held the memories of their time on the moon; an underground cavern like this would be more than enough to remind Unit Eleven of the experience. As such, the younger Exo simply ventured further, doing his best to ignore the nervousness of the older Exo before finally, another entrance came into Day's light, prompting Knight to force himself through the small hall and out into the open of the next room.

And it was then, he heard the familiar click of a weapon echo throughout the cavern.

Instinct taking over, Knight rolled forward, hearing the familiar high-powered shot of a sniper ringing through the air before he turned, aimed down the sights on his scout rifle, and fired as soon as he caught the head of his target. However, as he placed pressure on the trigger to release another shot, the Exo Warlock halted when the familiar sound of shields shattering rang in his auditory sensors, and the scream of a fellow Exo permeated throughout the room. Fixing his wide optics upwards in an attempt to see any movement on the high rocks, Knight instead heard a single round of a scout rifle ring through the air, followed by a sharp impact in his side. Letting out a scream in response, the young Exo then felt hands wrap around his waist before the next thing he knew, he was on the rocky hearth, his shields breaking into little shards in his vision. Static scratching the edges of his gaze, Knight only had enough time to see a knife raised in the air, and out of instinct, grabbed the wrist that held the weapon, his senses screaming for survival as he felt his attacker apply pressure, the young Exo seeing the point of the weapon slowly approaching his visor. Gritting his jaw, Knight held out his free hand, and concentrating his light into his palm before slamming it into his attacker's chest. Hearing them let out a stunned gasp, Knight then proceeded to grab the front of his attacker's chest piece and tossed them to the side, only for him to let out a sharp cry when pain spiked throughout his side. Placing his hand onto his injury, the young Exo turned onto his side, and forced himself onto his knees, only to feel an impact slam into his jaw, causing static to fill his vision, and sending him sprawling back onto the stony floor.

"Knight!"

Hearing Day call out his name, the Exo Warlock let out a groan as he turned onto his side, only for him to let out a scream as he saw the white form of his Ghost quickly disappear in the grasp of his attacker.

"No!"

Scrambling onto his feet, Knight attempted to take steps forward, only to pause when his attacker, a Titan, held up the familiar form of a hand cannon onto Day's optic, the Ghost's struggling immediately seizing at this gesture.

"Drop your weapon."

Gripping his fingers tightly around the handle of his gun, Knight glanced over at the white form of his Ghost, seeing the latter's lone optic locked onto his visor, the fear evident in their gaze. However, as the young Exo started to crouch down to slowly place his weapon onto the rocky floor of the cave, he jumped when Day suddenly cried out, "Don't do it! They'll kill you, Knight! They'll kill –"

A scream then permeated from the Ghost when the attacker's grasp enclosed around Day's shell, the young Exo hearing the sound of his Ghost's parts creaking under the strain.

"Leave them alone!" Knight immediately tossed his weapon, hearing the clatter of his scout rifle echo throughout the cavern, "I'm unarmed! I'm unarmed!"

He was practically shaking when Day's screams came to a pause, the young Exo keeping his white optics onto his Ghost's shivering form as his attacker lowered his hand cannon, although kept their grip tight around Day's white shell, "Is that all?"

Reaching up to his chest and slowly patting himself down, Knight found the familiar shape of a sidearm tucked underneath his coat, and concerned for the safety of his Ghost, promptly pulled the weapon out and tossed it to the rocky floor as well. He then held out his hands, gesturing towards Day's form, "Please…"

Seeing his attacker glance back and forth between himself and Day, relief flooded Knight's senses when the Titan took couple of strides forward, holding out his Ghost's form towards his fingers. However, as soon as his hands touched Day's shell, Knight then saw movement flash onto the Ghost, and his optics went wide as a familiar barrel of a hand cannon press onto the back of Day's core, and his attacker pulled the trigger.

A single resounding bang echoed throughout the cavern, and Knight felt the shards of his Ghost's shell brush against his bracers, the static of Day's core letting out one final spark before it died, causing horror to settle into the back of the young Exo's mind as the Titan let out a scoff and tossed Day's broken form to the side. Ignoring the barrel of a hand cannon pointing his way, Knight instead followed Day fly through the air before watching them land on the rocky hearth with a clatter, the optic that was once filled with life now cracked and broken beyond recognition.

"We simply can't let you leave now you know where we are," The Titan's voice sounded far, distant, "we cannot let the thieves know where our Blessed Phoenix hide."

Hearing a click emit from the hand cannon, Knight's fingers curled into fists, his arms shaking as grief was quickly overtook by rage. Snapping his attention towards the Titan, Knight hardly flinched as he felt an impact puncture into his chest, the pain nothing more than a dull throb as a roar escaped him, his vision red as he grasped the Titan by the front of their armor, and lifting them off their feet. Still screaming, Knight easily dragged his attacker towards the nearest wall, slamming them onto the rocky surface, anger and grief easily helping him ignore the constant tugging at the back of his mind, a voice too distant for him to clearly hear.

Gathering his light into his chest, Knight felt several small impacts slam into his back, but he was uncaring, numb to the agony of the gunshots pelting his body; they had taken his Ghost from him, and if he were to die, he was not going down alone. As such, with one final burst, the young Exo saw the edges of his vision burn, and fire consumed his consciousness.

There we go, once again, I apologize for the late update. See you all next week!