Redacted

Goodbye Brother

Once again, I apologize for the late update, but I do have a legitimate reason. I have been having extreme pains in my right leg, to the point where my parents had to take me to the hospital. Diagnosis? Inflammation. So taking meds to see if that helps, if not, time for the walking boot. Anyways, here's the long waited chapter that ends this arc C:

"Is it true, Shining Knight, that Unit Eleven had repeatedly broken his censure?"

"…Yes."

Hearing the Consensus talk before him, Knight kept his blank gaze towards the floor, hearing Day shift their parts worriedly against their core over his shoulder.

A couple of days had passed since Knight found himself awaking in a cell, confused, disoriented, and grief stricken. At first wary, the younger mind then soon learned the reason of his imprisonment, that witnesses had seen Nine stay in control longer than what their probation gave them. As such the reason why he currently stands before the Consensus, unable to lie or fake his way out of his trial without the aid of the older mind whispering in the back.

"Shining Knight," The young Warlock lifted his gaze, fixing onto the familiar mask of the Speaker, "Is it possible for us to speak to Unit Eleven?"

That is when sorrow slammed into Knight's chest, the young Guardian finding his shoulders quivering as he slowly turned his focus back towards the floor, clenching his jaw in a vain attempt to keep his grief in; this did not go unnoticed by the Speaker.

"Is something the matter, Knight?"

Taking a in a deep breath in a vain attempt to regain his composure, the young Exo instead found his calm broken, his voice wavering as he answered, "Unit Eleven… Nine… Nine isn't here."

"Nine? Isn't here? What do you mean?"

"Unit Eleven… Nine is…asleep," Knight sensed the bewildered stares he received, "You know that he fought against Dusk. Well," He paused, forcing his optics upwards to glance at the faces of the Consensus, "His Light was taken, and he was killed by Dusk's hands."

"But you said that he was asleep," The younger mind turned his gaze towards one of the members – a human, her name escaping him, "How can his light be taken, killed by this Rogue Guardian, and only be asleep?'

Narrowing his optics at the human, Knight then spat, "Surely you must know of the origins of the Phoenix Exo by now, news spreads pretty quickly here." Remaining silent as he waited for an answer, all the young Guardian received was murmurs, brows scrunching together as they spoke amongst themselves, "It is going to take a few days before Nine is ready for he and I to switch places, let alone speak for himself."

"Unit Eleven broke his censure," Another of the humans blurted, earning himself a glare from Knight, "We gave him a chance and he lost it." He watched as the human turned to the others seated amongst the Consensus, "I say proper punishment should be given: Exile."

"I beg your pardon?!" It was Day who spoke, Knight seeing the white Ghost snap their narrowing gaze towards the human, "You dare incite –"

"He had killed non-Guardians and had repeatedly broke his censure, he is a threat to the City."

"How dare you."

Knight felt the surprised glance he received from Day, but easily shrugged it off as he continued, "A threat? To the City? The only threat I see is how cowardly the Consensus are to step up."

"What are you implying-"

"You stay safe behind these walls, concerned only for your own damn safety while us Guardians are out there taking the blows for 'you'." The young Exo gave them a glare, "But you are so quick to exile or dismiss your 'protectors' when they do a wrong, especially when they supposedly pose a 'threat' towards you 'non-Guardians'. So, tell me, are you afraid of us?" Seeing them flinch at his words, Knight then lingered his gaze over the Speaker's form, seeing the latter tilt his head just slightly, sensing the curiosity emanating from the head Guardian, "Are you afraid of the Speaker?"

This earned him a short laugh from the white clad Warlock, a quiet burst of chuckles as those who sat behind him reeled back, their eyes wide and their jaws hanging open, "H-How dare you even incite-"

"You are trying to reign us in, believe that you are in charge," Knight interrupted, "Should I remind you that is not the case, that the Guardians are simply following your orders because many are tired of conflict amongst ourselves? That all they want is order?" He then leaned in from his seat, "How can there be order, when 'you' are quick to see us as a threat?" Folding his hands neatly in his lap, Knight then added, "I wonder, how will the rest of the Guardians react, when they realize their 'precious, neutral, reasonable' Consensus is not quite on their side as they thought?" Leaning back in his seat as he heard Day snicker quietly over his shoulder, the Exo Warlock finally finished, "It would not be too difficult to replace those who do not wield the Light, with those who are more 'sympathetic' towards the Guardians."

"Are you threatening us?"

It was an Awoken who spoke out this time, prompting Knight to shift his attention towards her, and shrug, "Take it anyway you want, but know this; you will 'not' exile Nine, you will 'not' harm Nine in anyway way, and you will 'not' further taint Nine's name."

"But he had killed non-Guardians."

"Non-Guardians who were dealing in the slave trade, which, I have to remind you, that the Consensus gave no orders or any insight on a solution." Knight heard the group go silent, "How can the Guardians help but you keep condemning them for every action they perform?"

"For they act without orders."

"Orders?" A scowl formed onto Knight's metallic features, his lights flaring up in rage, "We are sentient beings, fully capable of making our own decisions. We are 'soldiers', not mindless 'bots' to be controlled and reigned in. Are we capable of following orders? Yes, we are. Do we have to follow them? Do we have to ask for permission? No."

"Then why do you-"

"Follow the Vanguard? The Speaker?" The Exo Warlock snapped, "Because unlike you lot, they actually show us respect, treat us like we are our own person." His gaze then lingered over metallic faces, optics shining brightly back, "Even the Exo, the 'non-organics'."

"You are merely soldiers! Protectors! It is your duty to protect the City in the name of the Traveler! You cannot ask for anything more!"

"Cannot ask…" Knight's lights brighten in between his plating, anger visible in his optics, "Have you forgotten that 'all' those chosen, both dead and living, had lives before their time as a Guardian? That we had thoughts of our own, 'names' we go by to friends and family? And you are saying that we should be grateful that we are simple militias to protect your cowardly asses?"

"Why we ought to-"

"Ought to what? Exile me? Take away my Ghost? 'Kill' me?" The young Exo found himself laughing, shaking his head before he added, "Many Guardians hold more allegiance to the Vanguard than you all, more so for the Speaker." A smile formed onto Knight's features, "I saw how many of the Guardians reacted towards my last trial, so I can imagine if 'anything' happens to Nine and I, they 'will' start asking questions." The Exo Warlock then raised a hand, placing his fingers onto his chin as he let out a thoughtful hum, "Imagine, the Guardians figuring out the true 'face' of the Consensus, the 'body' of the Tower, merely enacting on their fears? That they see the Guardians as a 'threat'?" He then straightened out his posture, keeping his glare on the group seated behind the Speaker, "You may get rid of me, however, the 'truth' will be discovered, 'now' or 'later'."

Knight then paused long enough to examine the faces of the members of the Consensus, waves of amusement permeating throughout his chest from the looks of anger he received – mostly human but several of the Awoken had their gazes narrowed as well. The only ones who seemed even slightly entertained were the Exo, their optics lighting up around the edges to show their amusement. Although, the young Warlock is unsure of how far that is going to help him.

"Then we shall wait until Unit Eleven – Nine recovers from his battle against Dusk to question him," Or the Exo were going to be more helpful than he imagined, "We just have one more question for you, Warlock Knight, and then we shall let you be on your way."

A sense of unease permeated through the younger mind's thoughts, "And that would be…?"

"Do you know the whereabouts of Titan Echo?"

Xxxxx

It has been a long time since Angel felt this helpless, this lost after seeing most if not all of his comrades incapacitated by a single enemy.

At first, when he was killed by that Huntress – Dusk, if he can remember the name correctly – the human Hunter thought that he would have gained the 'worse' of the injury against her. Besides Knight and Hush, Angel was the youngest of the group while as the others have many more years of experience under their belt for such threats. But now, after finishing his visit with a light exhausted Akiva, Angel recalculated his thoughts.

He had seen easily how the older Guardian was taken down, seeing him literately go limp in the grasp of the female Exo before the human Hunter had intervened. And when he went to visit Pluto previously…

Angel let out a shiver as he recalled the wires stringing around the Exo Hunter's form, multiple medics and technicians running around in an attempt to repair the damage done to his abdomen and his optics. He easily saw Nix's viridian form hovering nearby, shining his light near renewed plating and wiring when needed. At first, confused on why the Ghost simply couldn't just repair the damage himself, Angel then received the news that Pluto also was exhausted of his light thanks to Dusk's actions and as such, it was going to be days, weeks even before the Guardian would be back on his feet.

At least, according to what the human Hunter can recall, he was in a better off shape than Ianos; the Exo Hunter at least would be able to pull through after repairs were done and perhaps given some physical therapy. For the Awoken Guardian, Angel was sure the same cannot be said for him. He was found on Knight's ship hours after Dusk's assault was put to a halt, the vehicle landing in the Hangar and piloted by Ace. Although unable to gain a better glance thanks to the fact that medics got in his way, things looked grim for Ianos, Angel hearing the older Guardian let out a strangled cry as others gotten too close, hearing him scream as he told them to stay away. Despite the fact that he had yet to gain the full story of Ianos' experience on the moon, Angel can tell he was relieving it, proven from the way when he would call out Darian's name, even when the medics dragged him away to the Medical Wing. He hadn't seen the Awoken since and not for the reason that he was unable to himself; the human Hunter was repeatedly turned away at his room, saying that he needed time to recuperate. Angel can only hope that Ianos would regain his senses soon.

Heaving out a sigh as his concern for his friends grew, the human Hunter then hesitated as he came to a pause at a door, his green eyes staring hesitantly at the name carved onto the plaque; Matheson.

"You know, despite the fact that he keeps tellin' people not to, they still keep callin' him by his full name," Angel momentarily turned his attention to Hope, the female Ghost clicking her parts against her core as she hovered over his shoulder, "Matheson." She shook her body side to side, "Now I understand why he prefers Matt."

Giving the white and red Ghost a nervous smile, Angel then turned his focus back onto the entrance, took in a breath as he placed a hand onto the knob, and stepped in.

The first thing the human Hunter noticed was how sterile it was; sure, the rest of the Medical Wing was cleaned and sanitized, but Angel literately can taste it in the air, as if the medics were trying to exterminate any existing bacteria present in the room. Next, were the curtains draped around what the young Hunter believed to be the bed, followed by the sounds of beeping monitors and the rush of air being constantly pumped. Although, it did little to ease the sound of strained breaths and coughs emanating from behind the drapes. Angel paled at this.

Having not been present during the rest of the battle against Dusk, the young Hunter had to ask others, those who had witness the rest of the spectacle to know what had occurred. As such, how he had heard about Matt surviving a direct hit from a Golden Gun shot but miraculously surviving. At first, Angel had doubted those claims; he had experienced plenty of those solar bullets inside the Crucible and he had been shot point blank by one of Dusk's bullets. But now, hearing Matt struggle just to take in a breath, he believes the stories; however, was it worth the survival?

Standing near the entryway for what seemed like an eternity, Angel decided it was best to just leave; true, he had intended to visit, but with Matt seemingly barely clinging onto life, what can the Hunter do? Sit there and expect for the best? No, not when he knows that somewhere, out there, Dusk was still on the loose and somehow, Echo is involved.

Quietly closing the door shut, Angel slowly made his way to his quarters as the news of Dusk and Echo's disappearance rang in his head. It had spread not long after the female Huntress was stopped, the Exo Titan seemingly have done the job with a simple blade through the chest. But instead of a cry of victory, Echo had grieved, mourned the loss of the female Exo before witnesses say he scooped her body into his arms, and left, disappearing into the depths of the Tower. A search was called for obviously, even in Echo's 'territory', but any sign of the pair were never found; it wasn't hard to come to the conclusion that the Exo Titan had simply fled, and with – what Angel hoped- to be the dead body of Dusk.

But were things that simple? Angel is the physical evidence of what a Phoenix Exo was capable of, being brought back from the dead 'and' his connection to Hope rebounded days 'after' his second death. And the human Hunter also witnessed how the Huntress rose back to her feet without the aid of a Ghost, solar light flaring around her body the same as a Sunsinger coming back to life during a Crucible match. What is to say that the action of killing Dusk was nothing more than an act? That Echo was secretly in alliance with the female Phoenix to form another future assault on the Tower?

That is when Angel started to muse.

No, despite Echo's strong dislike towards him and Akiva, Angel easily saw the look of warmth that he would constantly give way towards Unit Eleven; not Knight, he knows for certain that the Exo Titan strongly despised the younger mind if the constant call of 'imitation' wasn't enough. But the care was there for the other mind, and Angel cannot hold the sense on how easily Echo had 'abandoned' him within the Tower, even if Unit Eleven refused to leave. Angel had seen the two Exo fight in the Crucible, it would be no doubt that the Plaza would be in more disarray than it is now if the two had clashed.

In other words, if Echo truly had been in an alliance with Dusk, he would have ensured that Unit Eleven was in as well, and with news of Knight being on 'trial', it was safe to say that the female Hunter's attack on the City caught 'everyone' off guard. But then, where did Echo venture off to?

"Should we check on Knight?" Angel jumped out of his thoughts, turning his focus onto Hope as the latter added, "Sounded like the yellin' in the trial room went silent, I think it's safe to say that the 'meetin'' between the Consensus and Knight is finished."

Blinking at his Ghost's words, Angel then turned his attention back towards the apartments, his green eyes scanning the windows before he nodded once, "Considering that Ianos had been in 'intensive' care and Akiva is in the Medical Wing recovering, I think Knight 'and' Hush would like some company." He then gave Hope a sheepish shrug, "Or a momentary guest."

Watching the female Ghost lift her shell upwards into an equivalent of a smile, Angel then started his way into the apartments, listening to Hope hum silently as she followed.

Xxxxx

Nine?

Seeing the hopeful look in Hush's yellow eyes, Knight immediately saw it fall when he shook his head, "I'm sorry Hush, but he is not going to be awake for a long while."

He is okay?

The young Exo's optics flickered at the child Guardian's question, the expectant look returning in her gaze, "…Yes, he is okay. He just needs rest."

Knight saw her eyes light up at this, feeling her hands intertwine with his as he felt her fingers shift in his palms, Then stay with this one? This one is lonely.

Tightening his fingers in response to Hush's words, the young Exo stated, "Then would you like to visit Neve and the others? I have a feeling that Ora and the twins miss their older sister."

Expecting an immediately agreement to his words, Knight couldn't help but reel back when the child Guardian instead shook her head, feeling her hands grip his tightly as she stated, She is still out there. This one does not feel safe when she is still out there.

It didn't take long for the younger mind to understand Hush's concern, his lights dimming as he saw her gaze glance repeatedly towards the door, as if expecting Dusk to come crashing through, "She is not coming back, Hush."

But she can bring herself back without the Ghosts, Knight couldn't help but flinch at her words, What is to say that The-One-Who-Takes-Light will not return?

"Because Echo is with her," He watched as her eyes scrunch together in bewilderment, "Echo is Nine and I's big brother, he will keep an eye on Dusk."

Knight felt Hush's hands squeeze his once more, You are sure?

Gritting his jaw, the young Exo glanced upwards momentarily, catching the optics of Day and Crystalline; both Ghosts had went quiet in their own conversation and hovered quietly nearby, most likely waiting for his answer, "…Yes, I am certain." He then leaned over, giving Hush a small but comforting smile, "We are safe as long as Echo is near."

Although he can still see the wariness in her gaze, Knight also saw her eyes light up before feeling her hands pull him to the side and leading him towards the door, Then let us go and visit Ora and the twins! They must miss us!

Letting a soft smile form onto his metallic features, the young Exo reached over and pressed the panel on the side, only to come to a pause when the door slid open, and his optics locked onto startled green.

"Er, hi?" He watched as Angel flashed a sheepish smile, "Just stopped by to check up on you two." The human Hunter shifted his gaze towards Hush, Knight feeling the child Guardian shyly press herself against his side, "I am going to guess that you guys are going on a little 'adventure'?"

"We're going to visit Neve and the kids," Knight clarified, "It has been a few days since we had last seen them."

"Well, they're not at their apartment if that is where you are heading," The Exo Warlock blinked, "They were still at the Medical Wing when I left a moment ago, still waiting for Akiva to wake up, if you can understand."

Knight tighten his fingers around Hush's hands, "Oh, then a visit is not possible then."

Waves of disappointment can be felt from the child Guardian, the Exo Warlock visibly seeing her shoulders slumps from the corners of his vision. Angel, on the other hand, frowned, "Just because Neve and the others are visiting doesn't mean you can't." A soft smile then flashed onto the Hunter's tan features, "You are part of Fireteam Redacted, you are part of the pack." Knight saw Angel blink, "Family, part of this family. I doubt Akiva will mind the visit."

"I don't doubt that Akiva will appreciate the visit from Hush and I," Knight can sense the bewildered stare from the human Hunter, "I'm just afraid that Neve won't appreciate 'my' visit."

"Now why would – oh, right. What's her name – Dusk?" Knight nodded, "That would make sense, Neve's anger does tend to be a bit…widespread."

"No doubt she will blame the Phoenix Exo for Akiva's condition," Once again, the frown was pronounced on the human Hunter's features, "I do understand that communication is key to get this 'misunderstanding' out of the way but, knowing Neve, she would rather punch me in the face than talk to me first."

Seeing Angel give him a blank stare, Knight simply waited until the human Hunter sighed, the latter of which dragged one of his hands down his face before another nervous smile flashed onto his features, "Then how about the three of us take a walk around the Tower? Get things off our mind?"

The Exo Warlock couldn't help but give the young Hunter a scrutinizing look, but then nodded when he saw Angel rub the back of his neck nervously, muttering in the tongue of the Eliksni as he glanced downwards, "That wouldn't be so bad." Knight then glanced downwards towards the child Guardian, "If Hush doesn't mind of course."

Seeing the young Titan keep her yellow gaze on Angel momentarily, Hush then let out a slow nod to show her acceptance, signaling to the Hunter to take a step to the side to allow the pair through.

"Any place in particular you want to visit in the Tower?"

"H'm?" Knight felt Angel's eyes shift towards him, "Ah, honestly, no. I just wanted someone to 'talk' to, to let off some 'stress', if you know what I mean?"

Blinking his optics several times as the human Hunter uneasily turned forward, Knight found his mind click and he parted his lips as his memory banks shifted, "Besides Akiva, how are the others doing?"

Knight watched as Angel's shoulders slumped, his gaze softening however, the worry remained clear, "Pluto they managed to stabilize, and they were able to replace the plating around his stomach area. They are unsure of how to repair his optics thought. Ianos…" The young Exo saw the Hunter flinch, "They refused to let me see him but considering his past 'reactions' and the affect the darkness has on his light, I can only imagine the worse."

Turning his gaze forward, Knight found himself grinding his jaw, and feeling Hush's gentle fingers press against the back of his hand; her small whimpers signaled him to soften his grip, "And Matt?"

That is when he saw Angel's lips form into a thin line, his brows furrowing together as the worry and concern grew in his eyes; Knight already knew the answer, but remained silent as the Hunter replied, "The Medics said they have stabilized him but when I went to visit…" A heavy sigh left the human Guardian's lips, "I am not sure if they are telling the truth."

Taking the thought of the Ghostless Warlock's possible death, Knight couldn't help but let a shiver run down the length of his back; he had known the Medic in passing and had very few personal interactions with him. However, Knight knew that somehow, in a form of a miracle or just plain luck, Matt was the one who had found a way to elongate Ianos' lifespan, despite the doubts and facts of darkness infected light. And with the Awoken Warlock in such an unstable condition, he doesn't want to know what would happen if Matt were to pass away.

"Then let us just believe that their words are true."

Seeing another half-formed smile fade onto Angel's features, Knight then took notice as it quickly dissipated, "Any news on Echo?"

The Exo Warlock flinched, "No."

Angel snapped his focus towards the younger Guardian, "What? But I thought-"

"He 'only' speaks to Nine." Knight let a frown form onto his metallic features, "Despite Nine's best attempts to get him to 'like' me, Echo still has a strong 'hate' towards me." He then shook his head, letting a sigh escape his lips, "If Nine isn't in control, then he won't speak to me. At all."

Hearing the human Hunter go silent at his words, Knight then decided to turn his attention towards Hush, seeing the curiosity in her gaze but the crease in her brows also told him of her worry; he then felt her give his hand a comforting squeeze. She may not understand the Eliksni language, but it wouldn't surprise the young Exo if the child Guardian understood the situation at hand, especially with the names that she would be able to snatch.

"Sounds like a family problem." Knight couldn't help but let out a snort at Angel's sentence, "but all jokes aside, how is Unit Eleven doing? Or Nine? As you call him?"

"Nine." The younger mind clarified, fixing his optics back onto the human Hunter's gaze, "And he is light exhausted, but he is still alive. I can still feel him in my head."

Knight then saw Angel raise a brow, but the human quickly shrugged, "Well, with one mind already taking up head space, guess one more wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Hey."

Laughing as Hope gave her Guardian a pout, Knight then felt a tug on his arm, prompting him to glance back towards Hush as she raised one hand, I am getting bored. Can we eat?

The young Exo grinned at her words before he turned to Angel, "Hush wants to know if we can head to the Mess Hall."

"Not like we have anything better to do."

Xxxxx

"Just take it easy, deep breaths."

Taking in the soft whispers of his Ghost, Ianos followed their directions, forcing the panic building up his chest down as his orange gaze kept fixated on the entrance; he knows that he is safe in the Tower, away from any darkness or fire however, the anxiety continued to grow, and the dull throb of pain as his light was being eaten away did little to ease Ianos' worries.

"Nothing is going to hurt you while 'I' am here."

Weakly shifting his eyes towards the black and orange form of Ace, the Awoken Warlock let out a strained smile although he said nothing, and instead, fixed his gaze back towards the door. Honestly, Ianos doesn't remember how he made it the Medical Wing. However, he does recall waking up screaming, thrashing in his bed as surrounding medics attempted to soothe him before finally just pumping his body full of drugs to ease him.

Musing at the thought, Ianos then lowered his gaze to his hands, blinking when he saw his grip tight on the sheets of the covers in his lap; his grip was trembling, prompting Ianos to force one hand open and turn the palm towards him, flexing his fingers several times. It was just a shame that the drugs eased his mind, just not his body.

"Haven't seen Matt since we got here."

In response to his words, Ace shifted their shell up and down, "Not sure, they haven't really told me anything. All I know is that Dusk attacked the Tower and that somehow, Echo and Unit Eleven was involved in stopping her."

Nodding once towards his Ghost, Ianos then leaned his head and closed his eyes, only to abruptly snap them open when he heard the door open.

He stared listlessly through the bars of their prison, regret and anger growing against himself; he should have known that their escape attempt was too easy, too simple. Now, to further break the two Guardians, they had strengthened their prison, placing what resembled bars against any entryway or opening to ensure that they stay as they were: prisoners.

Jumping as the familiar sound of metal scraping against the rocks reached his ears, Ianos immediately placed himself between the young Hunter and their Warden as she glided in, her glowing eyes glinting in the darkness.

"Stay away from us!"

"Ianos."

Pressing the palms of his hand against eyes, Ianos gritted his teeth as he forced the edges of his memory to the side, the Awoken Warlock slowly lifted his gaze toward the entryway, only to flinch as he saw nothing but glowing sickly green eyes.

"Please tell me that they're Guardians, Ace."

"It's the Vanguard, Ianos," The panic bubbled down in his chest, "they're here to ask a few questions."

Closing his eyes once more, Ianos then took in a deep breath before slowly releasing it, repeating the pattern several times until finally, he built enough bravery to open his eyes again, and to his relief, the familiar form of Zavala, Ikora, and Cayde met his gaze.

"It seems the darkness is taking affect of your mind," Ianos shifted his gaze towards Ikora, "in other words, the rumors of you and Medic Matheson lying of your condition rings true."

"Uh."

Hearing Ace come to a sudden pause, Ianos took the opportunity to let out a sigh before leaning back against the headboard of his bed, "It is not infectious if that is worrying you."

"That is 'not' what we are concerned about."

The Awoken Warlock gave Ikora a blank look, "I am 'not' going 'dark'."

"According to the darkness breaking out between your 'seams', we can't help but beg to differ."

Giving Cayde a glare, Ianos retorted, "I have made it this far without succumbing to the darkness. This is just another setback."

"A setback?" The Awoken watched as Zavala gave him a scowl, "We just saw you hallucinate us as the enemy. If you had been in a public area with fellow Guardians, damage would indeed have been done."

"Nothing but a few days of recuperating won't fix." Ianos sensed the look of doubt emanating from the Vanguard, "I understand your wariness, I really do. I had seen my fair share of Guardians going dark and the damage that they had been capable of." He then leaned forward, "But Matt's research isn't for naught, I am getting 'better', and before the encounter with Dusk, I was told I had at least a year before the darkness completely consumes me. That is progress compared to the 'days' it takes for an individual to turn corrupted."

"And now?"

Frowning at Ikora's question, Ianos glanced over to his Ghost before heaving out a sigh, "I am not sure."

"Not sure?"

"Dusk is – or was – a Guardian capable of taking light. When she took mine, it gave the Darkness the opportunity to 'spread'." Ianos sensed the wariness from the Vanguard, "According to Ace, they were able to stop the worse of it, but it took a substantial amount of my 'life'."

"Estimation of how long you have?"

Shifting his focus back towards Zavala, Ianos narrowed his eyes in thought, "Best guess, a couple of months."

Silence then permeated between the Guardians, giving the Awoken time to lean back in his bed and letting the dull thrum of pain finally spread throughout his senses. Gripping his hands tightly together as he waited, Ianos' patience finally gave out and to distract himself, he blurted, "If you have nothing else to say, then fucking exile me if that is what you fucking wish."

"Ianos!"

"They're scared! And so is everyone else in this damn Tower!" Ianos glowered at the Vanguard, "Am I wrong?!"

Waiting momentarily for an answer, the Awoken Warlock's orange hues narrowed at the lack thereof, "I am not like Rezyl, I won't be swayed by the Darkness so easily."

"Warlock Ianos."

"Just get Matt in here so that we can speak about a way to push the Darkness back." That is when the room went still, prompting Ianos to turn and frown at the Vanguard, "What is it?"

"What is what?"

The Awoken's scowl deepened at Cayde's innocent question, "Cayde, I have known you 'before' you were even part of the Vanguard, and I can say that when it comes to a fellow Guardian's well-being, you are a 'horrible' liar."

Half-expecting a retort, worry formed in the pit of Ianos' stomach when he received none, and instead, saw a flash of melancholy in the Exo Hunter's optics, "What happened? What happened to Matt?'

"As you know, Warlock – Medic Matheson lost his Ghost years ago during the Great Disaster." Ianos' throat tightened at Zavala's words, "When the Rogue Guardian attacked the Tower, Matheson unfortunately got caught in the middle of the conflict."

"Got caught…" Ianos' voice faded, his orange eyes scanning the faces of the Vanguard for any signs of a lie, for any signs of falsity; he spotted none, "How is he? Is he-"

"He survived the initial encounter." Ikora answered, "However, moments before we came to you, we had just received the news that Medic Matheson succumbed to his injuries." That is when time came to a pause for Ianos, the Awoken leaning back as his eyes went wide, hearing Ace retort, "What? Matt shouldn't have – he wouldn't – how in the world did he get caught in the crossfire!"

"According to eyewitness accounts, he had come to the aid of Hunter Pluto." Ianos shifted his attention back to Zavala, "however, it seems the Rogue Hunter's capabilities were too much for him to handle."

Soaking in the Titan's words, Ianos reached out and cradled his head in his hands, his mind swarming in an attempt to accept the news.

Matt? Dead? It cannot be that simple.

He had known his fellow Warlock when he was just a newborn, a few years before the Great Disaster and Ianos always known him to be resilient, both physically and emotionally, and he refused to die, even when he had lost Cecilia. Then again, Dusk was practically the Traveler incarnate, her capabilities surpassing even those who had been around since the Dark Ages.

It didn't make it any easier to accept.

"No," The Awoken Warlock can sense the startled looks he received from the three Guardians before him, "Matt wouldn't be taken down so easily." He glanced around, his hands lowering and gripping his sheets tightly, "I want to see him, I want to see Matt. I need to speak to him."

"Warlock Ianos – "

"I said I want to see him!"

He felt fire burning around the edges of his eyes, causing Ianos to let out a scream as he grasped his head and shouted, "I want to see Matt! Where is he!?" The Awoken Warlock then looked over the shoulders of the Vanguard, "Matt! Matt, I need to speak to you!" Ianos then turned and pushed himself out of bed.

"Ianos! Stop!"

Tearing out the tubes connecting into his arms, Ianos then found himself slamming into the wall, pressing his hands against it to help keep himself steady as he shakily stood on his feet, and then turned his gaze towards Ace, "Traveler, it hurts." The Warlock then attempted to walk, only to feel his knees buckle and collapse, forcing him to slide against the wall to slow his descent, "Everything hurts."

He heard his Ghost let out a small hush, "Calm yourself, the Darkness is trying to eat off your despair. Deep breaths, Ianos, deep breaths."

Taking in a hitched breath in an attempt to follow Ace's directions, Ianos instead found a firm but comforting grip grab him underneath his arms, helping him get back onto his feet, and leading him back towards his bed. Taking a seat upon it, Ianos found hands gently forcing him down, conceding to its actions as he then felt someone pull his legs onto the bed and soon, he found covers being pulled over his person.

"We shall continue this conversation at another time."

Hearing the door click open only for the sound of bustling medics rushing in, their words incomprehensible to Ianos' ears, the Awoken simply closed his eyes and let grief settle into his chest.

Xxxxx

He was still weak, but he regained just enough strength to take over when Knight powered down for the night, waking up to find his arms wrapped around Hush's form, her head pressed against his chest as she suckled her thumb in her mouth; a habit that seemed to help the child Guardian sleep at night when she's nervous. Or worried.

Sliding his arms carefully away from the young Titan's body, Nine slowly slid out of bed, only to come to a pause when a yellow optic met his.

"Well," Crystalline started as she glanced towards the bedside table, more than likely taking in Day's sleeping form before she fixed her gaze back towards him, "I am going to take that you don't want anyone to know that you're back?"

"Temporarily," Nine answered, "However, for now, I have some loose ends to take care of."

The Exo Warlock watched as the female Ghost tilted herself just a tad bit, her yellow optic scanning his features, "Let me guess, Echo and Dusk?"

"We are all Phoenix Exo, we are empathetic, attached."

A small 'tsk' can be heard from the lavender Ghost, but nonetheless, Nine watched as Crystalline bobbed her core towards the door, "Just be quick about it. Not sure how much time is there before daylight, and I highly doubt Hush will appreciate waking up alone."

Giving the female Ghost a single nod of thanks, Nine then quietly exited his way out of the apartment, silently making his way down the hall and towards the edges of stairs, moving past it and pressing for the elevators. Taking a step inside and hearing the doors close behind him, Nine then pressed his back against the wall and heaved out a sigh; he had sensed Matt's light fade hours before. Alongside the hope that Ianos' condition will stabilize.

Rubbing a hand down the front of his face, Nine then forced his features to a blank when the bell of the elevator rang to signify his floor, signaling to the Exo Warlock to step out and head towards the exit of the Tower. It didn't take him long to find the rails towards the edges of the Wall.

Taking a step inside, Nine continued to follow the pull forming in his chest, climbing up the stairs and walkways until he found an opening, the visage of the open scape of the land on the opposing side of the City widespread in his vision. Taking steps into the open, Nine came to a pause when he saw the back of a familiar white armored form, leaning over what appears to be rusted shell of a Sparrow, "Echo…"

Seeing the form pause, Nine simply crossed his arms behind his back as the Titan in question slowly turned, his white optics locking onto the Warlock's, "Nine, knew that you would find us eventually."

"As I had told Crystalline, us Phoenix Exo are connected," Nine explained, taking several steps forward to close the distance between himself and his brother, "It wasn't hard to follow the trail that you had left behind."

"Lord Echo, who are you speaking- "

Turning his attention towards a nearby opening on the wall, Nine simply gave a nod to the frozen figure standing at the entrance, "Hunter Loras -15, the Vanguard were making a huge fuss over your disappearance." He then glanced back and forth between Echo and the Guardian in question, "So it seems that my brother had helped you escape."

Seeing the Hunter narrow his green optics his way, Nine then noticed Loras' gaze shift towards Echo, only relaxing when the Titan gave a wave of the hand, and then disappearing back into the wall, "If Loras is here, I am also going to guess that Warren - 12 made it out as well?"

"They were going to exile him anyway," Echo shrugged, "Despite the fact that I broke his leg and damaged parts of his inner systems, he was insistent that he comes with me. Says he's looking for someone out in the Wilds."

"His Ghost?"

Nine watched as the Phoenix Titan scrunched his features together, "No, he told me that his Ghost was killed by the Fallen when I first encountered him." He then shook his head, "Wouldn't have mattered anyway, since Dusk broke their bond."

"Then it is Elissa he is looking for." Nine watched as Echo gave him a bewildered look, "Hunter Elissa -5, she worked with Warren back before his banishment." The Phoenix Warlock then let out a quiet hum, "And I have a feeling that they are more than just friends."

Seeing his older brother flinch at his words, Nine watched quietly as Echo got up from the Sparrow before him and walking over to a second one, checking it over as he said, "Honestly, I was going to abandon the two of them before I heard their story."

"I was told that Titan Zorel was going to leave Warren behind to save his own life," Nine nodded, "What was Loras' tale?"

"His two teammates were going to conspire with the Fallen," The Exo Warlock blinked at Echo's words, "Saying that in return for safe passage and information, they were willing to give up a 'powerful piece of machinery' to them."

"An Exo, or in this case, Loras?" A nod of confirmation from Echo as the latter continued, "Seemed like they had good reason to kill their Fireteam before joining the Paragons."

Musing quietly at his brother's words, Nine then shifted his attention back towards the opening in the Wall, watching as Loras appeared with a limping Warren on his side and slowly leading him towards one of the Sparrows, the Exo Warlock finally spotting a hastily made cart tied to the back. Seeing Loras slowly lower the crippled Titan onto the makeshift cart, making him comfortable around their meager supplies, Nine then turned his attention towards the cart tied behind the Sparrow that Echo was working upon. As like the first one, he spotted bags and small crates, most likely containing emergency parts or weaponry for their trip. However, amongst the items was a figure wrapped in a large blanket, nearly covering their form with the exception of the face.

"Is she…?"

At first, gaining silence as an answer, Nine waited patiently as Echo tinkered with the Sparrow before finally answering, "She is… asleep. And will be for a long time. I am not sure when she will wake up."

Glancing back and forth between the slumbering form of his sister and Echo, Nine then asked, "You believe that there are more of us out there? More Phoenix that are living outside of the Tower?'

"Dusk lived outside of the Tower for years before her existence was known," Echo muttered, "It wouldn't be impossible if there are others of our kind out there who have done the same." Nine then watched as the Titan stood up and turned his focus upwards, his white lights dimming towards the Wall, "Just a shame that I have to leave my territory."

"It is not a permanent leave." Nine heard his brother snort, "I have a feeling that you will return."

Seeing Echo turn his gaze towards him, the younger Phoenix watched as his brother hesitated, "You are not coming with us, are you?"

In response to his question, the Phoenix Warlock shook his head, "Despite my joy in finding another such as myself, I feel more comfortable here in the Tower with the others." He then paused, letting out a quiet hum as he added, "and I also wish to find a cure to this 'darkness'."

Receiving nothing but a blank look from Echo, Nine stayed where he was when the Phoenix Titan walked over until they were just an arm's length away, "You truly care for that Awoken, don't you?"

"…I do."

Disappointment can clearly be seen in the older Phoenix's gaze, but nonetheless, Nine didn't flinch as Echo raised a hand and placed it upon his shoulder, feeling him give it a gentle squeeze before he said, "May the Light of the Traveler guide you, brother."

Giving the older Phoenix a nod in recognition of his words, Nine couldn't help but blink when he suddenly felt himself being pulled into an embrace, feeling Echo wrap his arms around his shoulders in a tight but quick squeeze before pulling away, and turning around to his Sparrow, leaving Nine little time to react to his older brother's actions.

Instead, he stood quietly as Echo waved for Loras to jump onto his own Sparrow with Warren in tow before the older Titan jumped on his own, the vehicle hovering moments later to signify its activation. Then, with little to no noise, the two Sparrows disappeared into the horizon, leaving Nine alone near the crumbling edges of the Wall.