Redacted

Dusk

Once again, late update, but this time, I actually got busy with life lol. Hopefully this week it won't be as busy.

Thanks to DisobeyedBowl6 for the review!

The first sensation that Unit Eleven felt was pain, the Phoenix Exo blinking several times at his shaking hands before he forced his grip away from the Titan's chest piece, and taking unsteady steps back. As he concentrated his light to his injuries, feeling them dull the pain that permeated throughout his back and side, the Exo Warlock then felt the anguish lingering in the back of his mind, anger still echoing towards the Titan before him.

"Calm yourself, Shining Knight," The cries continued to ring in his head, "do not fret, there is a solution." Shifting his blank gaze towards the dark space, Unit Eleven barely spotted the broken shell of Day in the dimness of the cave. Stumbling towards their form, the Exo Warlock easily felt the harden stare of the Titan on his back, however, showed no sign of any interest as he hovered over Day's broken core. As he kneeled over the Ghost, it was then Unit Eleven heard the shuffling of feet overhead, the sounds of dust and pebbles crumbling onto the stony floor proof enough of activity; in other words, the Guardians in here would soon have reinforcements. Although knowing this, Unit Eleven instead delicately scooped the broken form of his Ghost in his hands, his white optics staring down into Day's. Pausing as if to wait for signs of movement, any signs of life, the Exo Warlock cupped his hands over Day's still form and focused his light into his palms.

At this point, he had long heard the rushing footsteps come to a pause, the familiar clicks of weapons loading ringing throughout the caverns as light glowed between the Phoenix Exo's fingertips, allowing him to sense the small wisps of life within Day's broken core.

"Come back, Ghost Sunny Day."

Pulling his hand away from his Ghost's form, thin lines of light lingering between his fingers before it seemingly slipped into the cracks of Day's shell, lighting up their broken body before it faded. It was then he felt a barrel press against the back of his helmet, prompting him to halt his movements.

"Get up."

From the familiar synthetic accent, the wielder of the weapon is an Exo, prompting Unit Eleven to momentarily glance back, only for him to see the butt of an auto rifle swing his way. Static filled his vision as a painful 'crack' rang in his auditory sensors, causing him to place a hand onto the hearth to keep himself balanced.

"I said get up!"

Taking a few moments to recompose himself, Unit Eleven staggered onto his feet, keeping his gaze forward.

"Remove your helmet."

Letting out a tired sigh, the Phoenix model leaned his head back slightly, giving him just enough room to reach up with his free hand and press the sealant under his jaw. Waiting momentarily as the familiar hiss of the sealant dissipated, Unit Eleven then hooked his fingers underneath the nook of his helmet, and with one movement, slipped it over his head. Tossing it to the side as soon as the familiar interface of his visor disappeared from his vision, the clatter of the armor piece echoed throughout the dimness of the cave before the Exo behind him gave another command, "Now turn around. Slowly."

Still sensing the barrel of the auto rifle aimed at the back of his head, Unit Eleven took idle steps until he fully faced his captor, and his optics stared into the darken visor of a Huntress, the latter of which still aimed her weapon at his face while she glanced over her shoulder, "Warren, you alright?"

"Gave me a scare, is all."

Another synthetic, another Exo, in other words, Unit Eleven and Knight were in the right place, the Phoenix Exo following the Huntress' gaze and onto her comrade, only for rage to swell up in his chest as his optics locked onto the visor of the Titan.

"Murderer!"

The word escaped Unit Eleven's lips before he found his leg take a step forward, seeing the Titan reel back and the Huntress putting pressure on the trigger of her weapon. Feeling Knight's anger seeping through the surface of his mind, Unit Eleven fought his way through, forcing his body to freeze as he strained out, "Shining Knight, control yourself."

"K-Killer!" He felt his shoulders go rigid and a snarl emitted from his mouth, "He killed Day!"

Feeling his arms move on his own, Unit Eleven gritted his jaw as he forced them back to his side, sensing the frustration from the younger mind in response, "Killing Titan Warren is not going to absolve the confrontation at hand."

Feeling his optics shift back onto the two Exo, the Phoenix Warlock sensed the look of shock behind the Titan and the Huntress' visor, only to feel the familiar heat of solar light permeating from his shoulders, "Knight, stop. We will not survive this encounter with our current condition."

"They are going to kill us either way," The younger mind's words snarled from his lips, "why not take them down with us?"

"Stand down, Knight."

"Why!? Don't you care that Day is gone!?" Unit Eleven felt his hands curl into fists, "They stayed down in that 'pit' with you for weeks, when they could have easily gone and left to find another Guardian! They even kept your identity a secret from the others for 'months'! Why are you forsaking them!?"

Going silent at the younger mind's words, the Phoenix Exo then turned his optics downwards, cupping the broken shell of their Ghost's in his hands, "Just look, Shining Knight."

Feeling the anger linger on the surface of his mind, the rage quickly faded when subtle movement can be seen from the broken shell before light flickered between the cracks of the optic, and a static groan permeated throughout the silence, "Kn-Kn-i-i-i-i-ght."

"Day!" The joy and relief from the younger mind's words caused Unit Eleven to finally slink into back of their consciousness, seeing Knight bring the broken Ghost close to his chest as he spoke, "Thank the Traveler, I thought I lost you."

"I-I th-th-i-i-i-nk y-y-you di-di-did." A flicker between the broken glass of Day's optic, "e-e-ev-ev-ery th-th-th-i-i-ing h-h-hurts. C-c-c-ca-a-an't s-s-see. C-c-c-can't m-m-m-move."

No sooner had the Ghost finished speaking when Unit Eleven sensed concern settle into their mind, "Nine…."

My connection to the Traveler is not strong enough to heal them. He felt the worry grow, Do not fret, I believe Echo has the capability to heal the damage done to Ghost Sunny Day.

Feeling relief flood into the back of their mind once more, Unit Eleven then saw Knight shift his attention back towards the two Guardians present, the Huntress' weapon still drawn, although, it did little to prevent the younger mind narrowing his optics at the Titan. This continued in silence, the Phoenix Exo letting out a small hum in response to the altercation before suddenly, the Huntress fell onto one knee, her weapon clattering to the floor as she said, "Forgive us, we did not know you were a Blessed Phoenix, my lord."

Almost immediately, the Titan too collapsed onto his knees, although he pressed his head against the rocky hearth, fear and grief evident in his next words, "If I had known you were a Blessed Phoenix, I would have not treated you with such disrespect, nor would I have taken the life of your Ghost." The Titan lifted his gaze up towards them, "Kill me so I can be forgiven, my lord."

Seeing Knight take several steps back, Unit Eleven can easily tell that the younger mind had attempted to leave, although, this soon was thwarted as before the Warlock can even turn, he collapsed onto his knees, clutching Day's broken form close to his chest as static flickered at the edge of their vision. Bewildered by this, it was only when the Phoenix Exo shoved Knight's consciousness to the back that he understood; the injuries that they had sustained from the ambush is slowly catching up, their wounds momentarily forgotten during the confrontation. Now that the danger has passed, Unit Eleven easily felt the stinging pain of the wounds on his side and back, and easily pressed the mind of Knight into the back; there was no way that such an inexperienced Exo can move with injuries such as these. However, that doesn't mean it was going to be easy for the Phoenix model, the older mind struggling to keep his vision straight as he stumbled back onto his feet, fumbling to the side before regaining his footing.

"My Lord!" It was the Huntress who spoke, the female Exo reaching out to grab him by the arm before he can completely lost balance, "Let us treat your wounds, it is the least we can do for the wrong we have done."

Shifting his tired gaze towards the pair, Unit Eleven barely had the energy to even speak when he felt the Huntress wrap his arm around her shoulders before feeling one of her hands wrap around his waist, stabilizing him as she leads him further into the caverns. Clutching Day's broken form close to his chest, Unit Eleven glanced over to his side to see the Exo male trail beside them, followed by the clambering footsteps and whispers above; the reinforcements had witnessed the entire ordeal, the news of his arrival will quickly spread. In other words, the leader of this faction will be informed of another Phoenix Exo in their midst. With this in mind, Unit Eleven leaned against the Huntress, using her as support as the light of their Ghosts lit up the cavern.

Xxxxx

"So, you are telling me to somehow keep this to myself?"

"Yes, for now at least."

Frowning at this, Pluto shifted his red optics away from Nix's form and over his shoulder, seeing the young members of Galaxy seated around a table, excitedly throwing dice and drawing cards; they were playing a board game, given to them by Aleeza before the fated mission. Apparently, it was a common game during the golden age, where you buy spaces on the board and try to get as much money as you can, kicking out other players by making them land on said spaces and pay 'taxes' in response. Although a popular game in its time, Aleeza had sheepishly said that she doesn't remember the name but luckily, she remembered the rules, and had taught the young Galaxy members on how to play. So far, they enjoy the game, even Orion had come out of his depressive slump to join in, a laugh permeating from his lips as Nova let out a curse as he landed on the older Exo's space, forcing to hand out his glimmer to the cyan Exo.

Although the clan plays the game constantly, today, they decided to up the stakes by playing with actual glimmer, and the winner would take all the winnings. So far, it was Pluto who had been raking in, although decided to let Io, the close second, to take his earnings when Ianos contacted him, much to the dismay of the others.

"Although this answers many questions that I had towards Echo and Unit Eleven, it isn't exactly good news" The older Hunter stated, hearing a thoughtful hum emit on the other side of the line in response, "especially if this gets out to the public."

"Exactly why Akiva, Angel, and I agreed to keep it to ourselves," A sigh from Ianos, "at least, until we are certain Echo won't kill us over this."

"Knowing Echo, the fearful Warlord who 'decimated' rival Warlords with nothing more than a glance, it is safe to say that he will 'definitely' kill anyone who knows of the origins of the Phoenix Exo." Pluto shook his head, "although, now we know the reason why how he was able to easily kill other Risen with little difficulty."

"…Now that you mention it, I just realized that he was holding back when Akiva, Angel, and I encountered him on his floor," A groan from the Awoken, "I don't think he actually showed his full potential until Unit Eleven showed up."

"And I believe that the two of them were holding back during their little 'banters' when they encounter each other in the Crucible." A shrug from Pluto, "think about it, if they release their full capability, they might as well decimate the area around them alongside the participating Guardians."

A pause from Ianos, "So in other words, things can get ugly quick if Echo and Unit Eleven get into a confrontation over this." Another groan from the Awoken, "At this rate, we might have to let this out if things are to turn violent."

"Just wait until we find Unit Eleven to talk things over with him," Pluto stated, "Which brings up the fact that I hadn't seen him in a while."

"Haven't seen him either," A soft hum from the Awoken Warlock, "and recently I heard news that Echo left the Tower alone, so it is clear that he is not with him." Another pause from the Awoken, "Do you think that it is possibly that he broke his censure? That he left the Tower on his own?"

"Not possible," Pluto blurted, "Unit Eleven already risked breaking the censure the first time when he went out to find Angel. I highly doubt he will be willing to risk it again for a second time."

"But where else can he be?" The Exo Hunter didn't have to see the frown emitting from the other side of the frequency, "The only other area I can think of is the Crucible and when I checked on the matchmaking, I did not see his name anywhere." The Awoken released another sigh, "Does he have his own floor in the Tower that we don't know about?"

"Perhaps." Pluto let out an amused hum, "But for now, I think it is best for us to wait it out, to see if Unit Eleven will make a reappearance. Knowing him, he won't be hiding long."

"Right," The old Exo then heard Ianos let out a scoff, "I have to go, Akiva and Angel are panicking over the fact that Echo had been holding back on us the entirety we had known him."

Letting out a snicker at the Warlock's words, Pluto waited until the familiar hum of the connection faded, followed by Nix enclosing his parts back around their core, and turning his blind optic towards the Hunter, "Well, that was an interesting piece of information we just learned about Echo and Unit Eleven."

"Didn't see it coming, but it made sense," Pluto then let out a breath before he reached up and pinched the ridges between his optics, "to think we practically had gods walking amongst us."

"Parts of a god you mean," The Exo Hunter shifted his focus back onto his Ghost, "Remember, they took pieces of the Traveler's shell and incorporated it into the plating of the Phoenix Exo." A thoughtful hum permeated from his Ghost, "Who knows what other materials had been mixed in to make their bodies malleable."

"Enough to bring a Guardian back from the dead," Pluto crossed his arms, "and Unit Eleven is one of the last few Phoenix Exo to be created. Makes me wonder what Echo is capable of."

"Who knows, want to ask him?"

The Exo Hunter gave his Ghost a blank look, "You know as well as I do that he would kill me on the spot if I even bring up the connection between him and the Traveler."

"Well, don't blame me for trying."

Shaking his head at Nix's words, Pluto then paused as the blind Ghost then added, "Although, this makes me curious about Unit Eleven's words, what he had said during his trial."

"You mean when he brought up the difference between the Exo that were once human and those who were artificially created?" The old Exo watched Nix bob once, "what made you curious?"

"I do recall Unit Eleven saying on several occasions that showing any signs of sentiency lead to many of the Phoenix Exo being 'terminated'." The viridian Ghost explained, "Although, I also recall that he stated some of them were 'dismantled', to be recycled for parts."

Pluto narrowed his optics at this, "What are you trying to imply?"

"Those who were created, that the reason why they were activated and gain sentiency was that they hold some of the pieces of those dismantled Phoenix Exo," The old Exo went silent, "in other words, each individual Exo who held minds of their, who weren't previously human, they hold a piece of the Traveler inside of them."

Taking in his Ghost's words, Pluto instinctively reached up and placed a hand onto his chest, his red optics staring deeply into Nix's broken one, "The humans wouldn't risk putting pieces of a 'god' into their own creations, let alone putting them out where the public have constant visual of them."

"Think about it, what better way than to get rid of evidence than to put it in plain sight?" Pluto once again paused at Nix's words, "not to mention, I bet it wouldn't be easy to destroy pieces of a 'god'. What better way than to incorporate it into different ore to the point where no one can tell the difference." Hearing his Ghost go silent, the Exo Hunter seeing his blind optic glance around, as if to see for any passing ears before murmuring, "Then, does that mean you, and the rest of the clan…"

Curling his hands into fists, Pluto casted his optics downwards, his red gaze dimming; he had first, denied the thought. How is it possible that he and the rest of the Clan members would have a piece of the Traveler within themselves? But, as the old Exo wandered further into thought, he slowly realized the truth in Nix's words. True, he is older than Unit Eleven in both design and age, but, the Exo Hunter recalls only up to the Unit-5's, clearly remembering their attempted rebellion for the reasoning of their termination. This in turn, caused the Exo Guardian to linger over the previous units, if it were possible that he and the rest of Galaxy had indeed gained a piece of the Traveler in their structure. Is that the reason why they were resurrected? Because they held a piece of a god instead of being chosen by the Light?

"I maybe blind but I know that when you remain silent for this long after such a serious topic, you're overthinking things." Pluto jumped out of his thoughts, "and I know exactly what you're thinking." Seeing Nix fix his broken optic onto his, the Exo Hunter then heard the former add, "If you had been chosen for the piece of the Phoenix Exo within, then I would have brought back the Phoenix themselves, not you. You were 'chosen' by the light because you were 'chosen', not because of circumstances."

Remaining silent at Nix's words, Pluto parted his lips to respond to his Ghost when a sharp whistle caught his attention, causing the Exo Hunter to abruptly turn and stare down into the optics of Cosmos, her orange lights against her sky-blue plating making her grin more vibrant as she said, "The others and I miss your participation in this game, will you be willing to join back in?" The female Titan then nodded her heads towards Io, the latter of which held up the bag that held his winnings, "Io kept yours split just in case."

Glancing back towards Nix, Pluto then let out a small smile before turning his attention back towards Cosmos, "Scoot over, I'm going to take back this game."

"Oh, come on!" Resuming his seat next to Io, the Exo Hunter watched as Polaris let out a pout, his yellow optics narrowing, "and here I thought when I had a chance to catch up."

"Catch up? To me?" Io turned his white lights towards Polaris, "Dream on, you barely had half the glimmer I am at now, and I am 'barely' keeping up with Pluto."

"You just have to land onto one of my spaces!"

"Right, good luck with that when Pluto owns half the spaces."

"Ugh!"

Letting out a chuckle as Polaris leaned back in his seat with a pout, Pluto took the bag of glimmer back into his lap, his red optics scanning the chattering faces of the young Galaxy members, their gaze bright and filled with life. Nix was right, they were chosen by the light because it had willed it, not because of circumstances.

Picking up his dice, Pluto rolled only to let out a laugh as he landed on an empty space, earning a chorus of groans from the rest of the clan as the Exo Hunter used his glimmer to 'purchase' it.

Yes, they were their own Exo, nothing more, nothing less.

Xxxxx

Although knowing fully well that the members of the cult worship the Phoenix Exo as gods, it still came as a surprise to Unit Eleven that other Exo would bow in respect his way, their optics filled with awe and worship as he passed.

Having thought at first that the base of the cult would be deeper in the cave they dwell in, the Phoenix Exo instead found himself wrong when instead, just several feet from where the altercation took place, that lights immediately replaced the need for their Ghosts, illuminating the way deeper into the caves. This enabled Unit Eleven to take a better look inside their base, and he couldn't help but let ripples of wonder permeate throughout his mind.

They had entered a large room that was filled with networks of passage ways and stairs, each entrance having at least one or two Guardians constantly leaving or entering. From where they had just entered from an area that obviously chipped and broken away by Fallen, it was apparent from the smooth grating on the floor and walls that helped the room give more appeal was the work of its new inhabitants. Alongside the metallic plating on the floor and walls, numerous power sources and consoles also littered the area, the Phoenix Exo sighting large wires hanging from the ceiling and slithering into multiple entrances of the network; Unit Eleven didn't have to guess that this faction of Guardians had been here for a while.

"This way, my Lord." Feeling the Huntress gently tug him in a direction of one of the corridors, the Exo Warlock relented, letting the female Exo lead the way as he held Day's broken form protectively against his chest. As he done this, concern rippled from the back of Unit Eleven's head, prompting the Phoenix Exo to say, "I am fine, Knight. I have faced worse injuries than this during my time in the Golden Age." Glancing down at his Ghost, he then saw a flicker of light permeate from Day's shattered optic, "and as you can see, Ghost Sunny Day is still alive."

"If you do not mind me intruding, my lord, but who are you speaking to?"

Slowly shifting his attention away from Day and towards the Titan strolling next to him, Unit Eleven, at first, opted to remain silent, keeping his blank optics on Warren as the latter fidgeted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"You witnessed our 'quarrel' earlier," the Exo Warlock saw the Titan reel back at his words, "despite sharing a body, he is 'family', and I expect that he gets the same treatment as I when I finally gain the opportunity to rest."

Sensing the Titan giving him a bewildered look, Unit Eleven simply returned his gaze forward, remaining silent the remainder of the way as the trio entered one of the rooms. Immediately, his gaze fell upon a simple comforter tucked away in the corner, the sheets and blankets seemingly untouched and neat in the empty quarters.

"I apologize the lack of necessities, Blessed Phoenix," Feeling the Huntress lead him towards the sheets, Unit Eleven couldn't help but collapse onto the comforter, feeling the female Exo's arms leave him, "However, we did not believe we would encounter another Phoenix so soon."

The Exo Warlock shifted his white optics onto the Huntress, "Another?"

"Yes, another," Unit Eleven watched as not only the female Exo, but also Titan Warren seemingly brighten at his words, causing the Huntress to then add, "She formed this faction naught a year ago, but she already showed us Exo, the truth, the reality of the theft of the 'Guardians' power from the Traveler." She then bowed, her actions followed by Warren, "Our Lady told us that there could be a possibility of others such as herself, but as you are not common amongst those who have been 'chosen', we had not expected your presence here so soon." Watching the Huntress lift herself up alongside Titan Warren, she then said, "A medic shall attend to you, and we shall inform our Blessed Phoenix of your presence here, so that she can heal your Ghost."

No sooner had the Huntress spoke when Unit Eleven's optics narrowed, "Heal, Ghost Sunny Day?"

"Are you, not able to heal, Blessed Phoenix?"

Hearing the confusion in her words, the Exo Phoenix pressed his back against the wall, feeling the dull throb of his injuries permeate throughout his body as he cupped Day's broken form in his hands, seeing the Ghost's cracked optic shift around the room, as if trying to take in their surroundings, "No, I can 'reconnect' the Light to those who had recently passed, but nothing more."

Hearing nothing but silence from the two, Unit Eleven simply brushed his fingers against Day's broken shell, feeling the Ghost shiver in his palms in response before finally, the Huntress stated, "We shall take our leave, Blessed Phoenix."

Waiting until the two Exo's footsteps faded from his auditory sensors, Unit Eleven then spoke, "How are you faring, Ghost Sunny Day?"

At first, hearing nothing from the white Ghost, static permeated through the room moments later, "Th-the p-p-pai-ai-n i-is-isn't a-a-as-as p-p-pr-prom-mi-n-nent, b-b-but e-e-ev-e-en s-s-sp-ea-k-k-ing h-h-hurts."

"Then do not speak," Unit Eleven lowered his hands into his lap, "conserve your energy, at least, until we can find a way to heal you."

Feeling the Ghost shift in his palm, a sigh then permeated from Day before their flickering optic faded, blinking every few seconds to signify their rest. No sooner had the white Ghost done this when Unit Eleven felt concern emitting from the back of his mind, prompting him to lean his head back and speak, "Do not fret, Shining Knight." He closed his optics, letting his shoulders relaxed as he added, "If what the Hunter had said is true, then the Phoenix Exo stationed here will be able to heal them."

Almost immediately, doubt lingered, prompting Unit Eleven to slowly open his optics, "You do not believe that she will be able to heal Ghost Sunny Day?" It was faint, but the Phoenix Exo heard a soft hum, "Why not? She is a Phoenix such as myself, you did not believe me when I said I had the capability of bringing Hunter Angel back until you had witness it yourself. What makes this one any different?"

Sensing nothing at first, it didn't take long before Unit Eleven felt a thoughtful hum permeate throughout his mind, prompting him to close his optics and let out a sigh; he was feeling sluggish, no doubt thanks to the injuries that the Exo had sustained. Ensuring that Knight settled into the back of his mind, the Exo Warlock then slowly powered down, feeling his body slowly grow numb as he finally fell into the slumber of sleep.

Xxxxx

"Nine!"

Turning his attention away from the sky, the Exo barely had the time to catch the leaping form of the boy, the human child beaming up at him as he spoke, "I thought father said that he was going to pick me up from school?"

"Your father had been called to a meeting," A tinge of disappointment can be seen in the child's eyes, "as such, he sent me here to bring you home, Sir Benjamin."

Immediately, the boy let out a huff, "How many times do I have to tell you Nine? Call me, Ben." The child grinned once more, "It's easier to say, plus, it sounds way better than 'Benjamin'."

"…I do not think your parents will appreciate me calling you 'Ben', Sir Benjamin."

"Why not?"

Seeing the bewildered look in the boy's brown hues, the Exo stayed momentarily silent before responding, "I am an Exo."

The child tilted his head to one side, "Does that matter?" Removing his arms from around the Exo's waist, the boy then added, "They hired you to watch over me, Nine. You watched me since I was a baby." The child then let out a huff, "You were more of a parent than they were." His eyes then lit up, "I say you get to call me, 'Ben', only fair since I call you 'Nine' for short."

"…I would say 'hired' is not the right word for my current duties."

"Then, what are you?"

Opting to say nothing in response to the boy's words, the Exo simply held out his hand, signaling for the child to gently curl his fingers around his, "What would you like to do… Ben?"

Seeing the child's eyes light up at his words, a smile cracked onto his blank features as the boy responded, "Can we head to the lake again? But this time, can we go swimming in it? It's a hot day, bet it would feel nice!"

"Just as long as I stay on the shore."

"Deal!"

Then before the Exo can even comprehend the boy's answer, he then felt himself being tugged along as the child let out a laugh.

Xxxxx

Unit Eleven snapped awake as he felt a hand touch his shoulder, causing the Phoenix Exo to reach out and grip the wrist of the intruder, hearing them let out a startled yelp before feeling fingers attempting to pry his fingers apart. Dazed and confused, Unit Eleven released his hold, fixing his optics onto the newcomer as they stumbled back, their hands clutched closely to their chest.

From the long cloak and bond on her right arm, it was easy to distinguish her status as a Warlock, her slim figure easily revealing her gender. With her helmet absent, it revealed the shock in her blue optics, the lights illuminating her black plating. Before the Phoenix Exo can even react to her presence, the female Exo then bowed deep, catching Unit Eleven off guard as she spoke, "I deeply apologize, Blessed Phoenix, I did not mean to disturb your rest."

"You are…forgiven," Unit Eleven blinked, "You are the Medic that they spoke of?"

"Yes, Blessed Phoenix," The female Exo lifted herself up before approaching and kneeling next to him, "I was sent to check the extent of your injuries before my Lady visits."

"Lady? I am to guess that is the head of this faction?"

"Yes, my lord."

Blinking several times at the titles, Unit Eleven then noticed the way the female Exo shifted nervously on her knees, prompting the Phoenix Exo to push himself away from the wall and delicately place Day's still form on the floor next to him. However, as he started to unbutton his coat, the Exo medic frantically spoke, "W-what are you doing?"

Unit Eleven turned and gave her a blank stare, "You are here to assess my injures, correct? How else are you to gain a proper look?"

"But, I am not…" Hearing her voice fade, the Phoenix Exo remained momentarily silent before reaching out and intertwining his fingers with hers, seeing the female Exo's optics widen at this, "There is no need to be formal around me. Treat me as if I were just another patient."

Watching her gaze dip slightly, all Unit Eleven received was a nod before he removed his hand from hers and continued to undo his coat, finally slipping the ruined armor piece off, then reaching up to the side of his neck, and started undoing the under suit. Feeling the tightness of the cloth leave his form, Unit Eleven then finally slipped his arms out from his sleeves, turning his optics towards the female Exo to signify he was ready. Seeing the Warlock shift back and forth on her knees, the Phoenix Exo then saw her reach and placed her hands onto his side, her blue optics flashing towards his face before focusing back onto his injury, her gaze narrowing in concentration.

"The bullet is in there pretty deep," The medic muttered as she leaned back, "Eren, I'm going to need your help getting it out."

No sooner had she finished speaking when a familiar hum materialized over the medic's shoulder followed by a star shaped form of a Ghost taking form, the latter of which spun their back fins once before their silver shell glided over and light beamed from their blue optic. As the light sank into his wound, Unit Eleven couldn't help but flinch as a burning sensation permeated throughout his body, only for him to relax as the pain slowly dulled, followed by the Ghost pausing her light and turning around to the Exo Medic, "It was pretty deep, but I got it out."

As the Ghost, Eren, glided back to her Guardian's shoulder, the Phoenix Exo then asked, "Are you able to heal?"

The female Exo snapped her attention towards him, "Me?" A sheepish laugh then permeated from her, "Oh no, not me. I attend to wounds, treat them, not 'heal' them, as you say." She then cleared her throat," And speaking of wounds, Elissa told me that she had fired several shots into your back when you attacked Warren." The medic paused, hesitation flashing into her optics, "Can you, please…"

Keeping a blank stare onto the female Exo, Unit Eleven then shifted himself so that his back was turned towards the medic, letting out a wince as he felt Eren's light permeate throughout his back.

"Not all of them punctured through your armor," He heard her hum, "and even the ones that did barely dented your plating." Unit Eleven heard her pause, "How is that possible?"

"My unit were designed to take 'punishment', to outlast the other Exo out in the field," The Phoenix Exo waited, only to continue when he heard nothing from the medic, "although, I believe a point-blank shot from a hand cannon is powerful enough to puncture through."

Once against hearing nothing but silence from the medic, Unit Eleven then heard the familiar sounds of footsteps entering his quarters, prompting him to glance over to the entrance. No sooner had he done this when he saw the female Medic immediately jump to her feet and bowed, a sign that an individual of significance had entered. Although this doesn't stop the mistrust that echoed from the back of his mind, prompting Unit Eleven to bring up his guard as his white optics scanned the newcomer.

Like the medic in the room with them, the Guardian before him had their helmet absent, revealing their white plating and optics of their Exo heritage. This color also permeated to their gear, the leather and cloth armor of a Hunter familiar to the Exo Warlock, followed by the long flowing cloak slung over the Exo's shoulders. With their slim figure revealing their gender as a female variant of an Exo, Unit Eleven continued to take in her form until he came to a sudden pause, his optics pausing on a set of numbers and letters imprinted on the side of her head.

EXO/PHX Unit- I – 1

In other words, the Phoenix Exo that was created right after Echo.

"Hello, brother," Unit Eleven snapped his gaze onto the female Phoenix's, seeing her white optics brighten, "If we had met during the Golden Age, you would have known me as Exo Phoenix Unit one – one." She then gave him a subtle bow, "However, with our new life, with our renewed 'chance', I am called, Dusk." She shifted her optics back onto his, "What is yours, brother?"

Welp, here we go, finally meet the leader of cult/faction :D. And we get a bit more insight into Unit Eleven's backstory C: