Redacted

Abominations

Another chapter on time! Whoot! Anyways, although I am happy that I have been making progress on updating on time, I am sad to say that this might be the end of the spree. I am not going to say much but I am going to say that a lot of things in my personal life is happening right now and I need to take the time to deal. I'll try and keep updating weekly but who knows, until everything gets sorted, it might not happen. So, that's just a heads up guys!

Thanks to Diamoond002 and The Great Wolf 117

Knight found himself having little appetite and as such, decided it was best to push his bowl of food towards Hush, the latter of which gave him a worried look.

It has only been a few hours since the failed Harmonization with Ianos and Ace, and Knight still found his mind lingering back to that moment, the look of horror and fear in the Awoken's eyes as he struggled against an unknown assailant. Knight felt sick afterwards, especially after he realized the meaning behind the Warlock's words; never again would he look at a Wizard or her spawn the same again.

Nonetheless, when Hush had showed obvious sign of discomfort, the young Exo found himself leading her back towards the Mess Hall, past experiences helping him remember that food usually helps with the child Guardian's nerves. Although, it won't do much good if Knight himself wasn't eating; he usually eats whenever he brings Hush to the Mess Hall and after seeing the child pause, spoon dipped in the contents of her bowl, he couldn't help but wonder if companionship was another reason why Hush always wanted to eat. This prompted Knight to take a sip of the soup that they were given and although the child Guardian nodded her head once in approval, the young Exo saw concern linger in her eyes as she ate.

Knight decided to rest his elbow on the table before propping his forehead in his hand and heaving out a sigh; more than anything he wished that Nine was awake, the Phoenix Exo giving him words of advice on what to do. Traveler, the older mind might even make a good suggestion on how to continue on with the Harmonization without the aid of those Hive Wizards. But, just as it was the past few days, when Knight reached out to the Phoenix Exo, he still felt Nine at rest, sleeping peacefully in the back of his mind. The younger mind knows that he should be grateful that Nine was still alive, especially after much exertion of his light but, his mind felt empty, lonely even without Nine's presence.

"I miss him too, but don't you worry," Knight heard Day whisper, feeling the Ghost press against the crook of his neck as they continued, "He will be back, he always comes back."

Opting to say nothing at his Ghost's words, the Exo Warlock just shifted his hand away from his face, forcing himself to focus in on Hush as she sat across the table in front of him; although a seemingly unsettling sight for those outside of their circle, Knight just found it easier to focus in on the child Guardian than the suspicious stares he received from the Revenants around them. The young Exo couldn't help but wonder if the Revenants 'ever' head to their own quarters, if at least a moment so that he and the others could gain a moment of privacy. Knight couldn't help but rub his optics at that.

It hadn't occurred to him that despite behind 'guests', that the team didn't have their own quarters, at least, not until Akiva came storming back in without another word and then literately falling facedown into one of the beds in the Medical Ward. And just like that, the Titan was out, all before anyone could question on his well-being. Knight wonders that despite the failed ceremony, if it was too much to ask the Preceptor for better living accommodations.

As he let the thought linger in the forefront of his mind, that is when Knight saw someone sit down next to him in the edges of his vision. Spotting a pair of heavyset arms on the individual's form, Akiva was the first one that came to mind and as such, Knight nearly turned to tune in onto Ianos' condition. But just as the young Warlock attempted to shift his attention towards the newcomer, he then noticed the hem of a cloak, the cloth the color of cream and the hands way too dark to be Akiva's. That caused Knight to go stock still, his optics zoning back in onto Hush; the last thing he wanted was to interact with anyone within the Revenants, especially not after just discovering their allegiance with the Hive. Although he doesn't remember being their prisoner, Nine definitely did; Knight still remembers Nine's tinge of fear whenever the beings of Darkness were mentioned.

Nonetheless, since the newcomer was seated beside him, Knight watched as Hush glanced up, spoon in her mouth, only to see her luminescent eyes grow wide followed by a sputter, the contents spilling from her lips as she coughed and hacked. Startled by this, the curiosity within the young Exo's mind finally prompted him to turn and finally glance at the person seated next to him, only for his jaw to drop.

At first glance, the individual seated next to him seemed human; fair skinned with locks of dark hair cascading down his back, and green eyes that twinkled with amusement. However, Knight then started to notice the pale ridges that wrapped around the individual's neck and arms, easily seeing them wrap around the top of his hands and sliding down into the arms of his coat. Ridges that looked all too much like the dried-up husks upon the Hive's body.

"Finally got your attention?"

Knight's uneasiness grew as the individual before him smile, showing off his jagged teeth and his eyes 'glowed' with the same sickly green that the Hive always emitted; the Exo Warlock founding himself wheezing at the stranger's question.

"Wait, hold on, take deep breaths," The smile quickly faded off the stranger's face, his Hive-like eyes showing 'concern'; that was both strange and wrong to the Exo Guardian, "Look, if it makes you feel any better, I am not here to harm you or anyone of your team."

Knight gave the individual a look of disbelief, "I may have never personally faced the Hive, but I have read up on them enough to know what their eyes look like." He took in a deep breath, "And I am not sure if I can safely trust you if your eyes look like that."

A look of hurt instantly flashed over the stranger's gaze and Traveler, Knight couldn't help but feel guilty; he should not feel guilty towards someone that held similar traits as the Hive, especially since the 'man' before him was part of a sect that worked alongside Darkness Worshippers.

"I understand," Knight couldn't help but let out another wheeze at the stranger's apologies, "It must be hard to look at me and not see the Hive."

"You think?" The Exo Warlock managed to rasp out, "tell me, is this another ritual that you Revenants partake in? Is partnering with the Hive not enough for you all, that you actually want to physically look like them now?"

No sooner had his words left his lips when Knight saw a puzzled look glaze over the stranger's eyes followed by understanding, "Oh, you must be mistaken. I was born this way."

"What?" It was Day who voiced out his shock, their shock as Knight found himself scooting away from the man, "what do you mean 'born'? Are the Revenants creating hybrids now?"

That is when Knight saw the individual's eyes widen before the latter leaned back his head and laughed, the Exo Warlock shrinking down in his seat as everyone in the room shifted their attention towards them.

"You must be mistaken, the Revenants are not 'creating' hybrids," The amusement still lingered in the stranger's gaze, "the Revenants are 'procreating."

"…What?"

Knight couldn't help but lean back as the stranger propped an elbow onto the table and placed his chin onto his hand, a smirk on his fair features, "If you want a hint, my mother is Vultosa, the Oracle you saw in that room."

A brief moment of silence, "What?"

Knight saw the man blink at his question, before another smile faded onto his features and adding, "My apologies, how about we start over so that we can get all this sorted?" The stranger then held out a hand, allowing the Exo Warlock to spot the familiar pale shells of Hive claws overlapping the man's fingers, "Greetings, friends of the Preceptor, I am Odorata the Initiate, spawn of Loretta and Vultosa the Eldest."

Xxxxx

"Have you pinpointed who has been following us?"

Angel heard Hope hum at his question, "Just two of them, mainly for the reasons that their Clan symbol is imprinted on their cloaks and marks, although I wouldn't doubt if our previous stalkers are from the same Clan."

"Their names?"

"Currently we are being trailed by Archer-20 and Tohask Mere, Titan and Hunter respectively, and members of the Blossoms of Hope."

"…Okay, seriousness aside, can I say that finding a clan that is practically named after you is one of the funniest things I have ever heard?"

"In any other situation, I would denied it vehemently and kept it stored in my records. But currently, yes." A momentary pause, "That makes me think if there are other Clans out there that we coincidentally share names with."

"Put it on our list for later," Angel suggested lightheartedly as he quickly turned a corner, glanced around to ensure he was out of line of sight before he concentrated the light around his person.

Hearing the familiar buzz of his cloak falling over his form, the human Hunter then pressed himself against the wall as he watched two Guardians rush around the corner, and just had Hope had informed him, it was a Hunter and a Titan.

At first glance, Angel would have thought the two were Crucible regulars, from the way their armor was shaded in constant white and red. However, as he took a closer look, the human Hunter realized that that was not the case, as he noticed the lack of the familiar Crucible symbol and in fact, there were shades of pink on their armor, especially so on their mark and cloak respectively.

"Where did he go?" It was the Titan who asked, the broader Guardian glancing around in bewilderment as he turned his attention towards his Hunter partner, "he wasn't walking that fast, was he?"

A frown easily can be sensed behind the Hunter's visor, "No."

"Then how did he get away?"

Biting his tongue to stop the snicker threatening to crawl up his throat, Angel then froze when he saw the Hunter turn toward them, and their hand slowly reaching to their belt.

"He did not get away."

That is when Angel saw the familiar flash of a knife being flaunted, signaling to the young Guardian to roll to the side when the sound of metal crunching into marble permeated into his ears. Turning around to face his attacker, Angel's eyes went wide when he saw his fellow Hunter struggling to remove their knife from the wall as they cursed, "You could have just told me you knew I was there instead of trying to stab me!"

"There you are!"

Snapping his attention towards the Titan, Angel found himself leaping into the air and pressing his hands onto the Titan's back as they rushed him, using the broader Guardian as leverage to push himself over.

"What's wrong with you!?" Angel couldn't help shout as he landed, quickly recomposing himself as he turned to face the Titan and removing his cloak; no use in wasting light if they already knew he was there, "If you wanted to talk, just come up and ask! No need to stalk me for days and attacking me like a treasure-hungry Dreg!"

A momentary pause.

"Wait, you knew that we were following you?"

Angel couldn't help the exasperated sigh, "You two know who I am right?" He saw both of them nod, "Then you have to understand that not only was I raised by a race who are well known for their tracking capabilities but also trained by the renowned Pluto-99, correct?" The younger Hunter waited momentarily, only speaking when he received a stunned silence as a response, "Oh come on you two, really?"

Scowling as the pair, Angel then glance down towards their Cloak and Mark, easily spotting the familiar symbol of the Blossoms illuminated on the pink surface: a blooming flower resting within a crested circle. Simple but clearly showing who they are.

"Notorious, right."

"We heard that."

Snapping to attention and sensing the narrowed glances he received from the Titan and Hunter pair Angel feigned a grin, "My apologies, didn't notice the two of you standing there."

Hearing the Hunter of the pair heave out a frustrated sigh, Angel watched as they did one final heave before finally, their knife came lose, particles of dust and pebbles falling to the ground. The younger Hunter watched with mild amusement as the older Hunter wiped the edges of the blade on the pants of their legs before nodding his head towards the broken wall, "You're not going to repair that?"

Giving off another smile as he sensed the blank stare the Hunter gave them, he heard them let out a grumble as they sheathed their knife back onto their belt, "What you said earlier, you are stating the truth about simply asking?"

Angel shrugged in response to the Hunter – Toshak Mere he reminded himself – before answering, "Counts on what you ask me."

He easily sensed another narrowed glance from the pair, "You just said-"

"I did say that you could just simply ask," Angel interrupted, "but I didn't say that I would answer 'everything'." Sensing the hardened stares from the Titan and Hunter, the young Guardian shrugged once again, "Either you take what you get or get nothing at all."

"…Fine," Toshak finally muttered, "however, if you lie at all-"

"You have my word I will tell the truth, I'm not crazy enough to lie to a Hunter, especially one as old as you."

Hearing his fellow Hunter let out a scoff at his words, Angel simply clasped his hands together in the front and waited.

"Tell us, when did you last see Isamu?"

Immediately, a sigh escaped the human Guardian's lips; why wasn't he surprised?

"Like I have told Liam, I met him a little over twenty days ago." Angel answered and then paused at the silence he received, "Unless, you want something more specific?"

"We 'know' that you had met Isamu days ago," It was the Titan, Archer, who spoke, "However, Liam failed to ask one important question: How in the Traveler did you encounter him?"

That is when Angel's mind went blank, panic slowly settling into his stomach; this was not going to go as smoothly as he hoped, "Sorry, confidential."

His hand went down to his belt as he sensed the air change, static slowly building up as Angel eyed the arc light permeating from Toshak's shoulders, "What?"

Taking in a deep breath, Angel hardened his stare, letting a scowl form onto his olive features, "I told Isamu that I would keep his current circumstances hidden, and I am a Guardian of my word."

"But, we are his Clan."

"You mean you were his Clan." Angel slightly faltered at the glares he received, "According to what I learned from Liam, you all turned him away, all for the reason that you disagreed with his ideologies."

"Which were 'blasphemous' during our time," Archer retorted, "what have you expected us to do? Shove aside all our rules and oaths and accept his ideas and words with open arms?"

"What kind of clan mates are you?" The words left Angel's lips before he could stop himself, "if it's not something that is inherently harmful to others, of course you should accept Isamu and his beliefs." He then scoffed at Archer and Toshak, "isn't that what clan mates do?"

No sooner had he finished speaking when the anger from the Hunter became prominent, prominent to the point where Angel wrapped his fingers around the handle of his knife, and steadied himself as Toshak started to take steps towards him. Although fully prepared to engage against his fellow Hunter, relief flooded the human Guardian's senses Archer reached over and clamped a hand down onto the Hunter's shoulders.

"Toshak."

"What?!"

"You can't maul him."

"Why not?"

"You do remember we have more questions for him, correct?"

Seeing Toshak's shoulders stiffen at the Titan's words, Angel then heard the Hunter grumble under their breath before taking several steps back, leaving space between them once more. Although, this didn't stop the older Guardian from glaring at Angel.

"From the way you speak, Isamu told you of his beliefs?"

Angel found himself blinking rapidly at Archer's question; now that he thought about, did Isamu speak to him about his theories, his stories, or anything about his past life that would even give a hint to his beliefs? In response to the Titan's question, the young Hunter shrugged, "If you want an honest answer, not really." He hummed thoughtfully to himself, "Although, I do remember his surprise when Guardians are able to have children freely back at the tower." The young Guardian went silent, "That was one of the rules wasn't it? Guardians weren't allowed to have children?"

"It was during a time of strife," Archer clarified, "it was too risky for a Guardian to have a child back then, and as such, it was deemed forbidden for us to procreate."

Taking in the Titan's words, Angel couldn't help but give the pair a blank stare, annoyance and frustration building up in his chest, "Wow, Isamu wanted to have a baby, what a nightmare."

"I-Is that supposed to be an insult?"

Angel turned and gave Toshak a blank stare, "What do you think?"

"How dare you disrespect your elders-"

"Toshak, please."

Hearing the Hunter growl under his breath, Angel simply crossed his arms and returned Toshak's glares, his nervousness slowly fading away and being replaced by anger, "So you all fought with Isamu for the reason that he wanted a baby?"

"It was more difficult than that, newborn." Angel glowered at the Hunter as the latter continued, "Not only did he want a child, but he also spoke of actually living in peace with the Fallen."

"Wait…what?"

"He wanted to make an alliance with the Scavengers." Toshak spat, "said that many years have passed with both sides warring over territory, that it was about time we made peace and finally shared our borders." A scoff from the older Hunter, "Like we would trust the Scavengers to actually agree to a treaty."

No sooner had his fellow Hunter finished speaking when fury boiled to the surface, Angel gritting his teeth together as he curled his fingers into fists, "According to what I had accomplished, it worked out, didn't it?"

He received a puzzle stare from Toshak, "What?"

"Spirits, House of Spirits?" Angel found himself snapping, feeling his eyes burn with light as he glared at the Hunter once more, "you remember them, don't you?"

"Oh, right, those cowards." A rumble built up in the back of Angel's throat, "running away simply because we accidentally kill three of their own." Another scoff from Toshak as they crossed their arms, shifting their head to show their action of rolling their eyes, "should have stuck with their assault on the Tower, that way it was a good enough reason to clear a large number of those Scavengers."

His hands shaking with anger, Angel two took long strides forward before hesitating, his green eyes glazing over Archer and Toshak's forms. Although having only met the pair, he can tell that they have years of experience under their belt – perhaps more than Akiva – and although confident in his own agility, doubt quickly lingered to the surface.

"Angel."

Jumping as Hope's voice resounded through his mind, Angel found himself pausing as he felt his Ghost hum to garner his attention, "Yes?"

"Kick their asses."

His lips twitching at his Ghost's bluntness, the younger Hunter found himself slowly closing the distance before smiling sweetly as he stopped just short of the older Hunter, "Anymore questions you would like to ask?"

Although easily sensing the suspicion emanating from Toshak, Angel wrapped his hand around the handle of his weapon as the older Guardian started, "Yes, where is Isamu-"

Before letting his fellow Hunter finish their sentence, Angel immediately removed his knife from his sheath before leaning over and stabbing the weapon into their thigh, receiving a shout of pain and surprise. Twisting the knife to receive another scream of agony, the young Hunter then tore it out of Toshak before leaping back, barely feeling Archer's fingers brush against the front of his chest.

"Toshak, are you alright?"

"I – gah! Just take him down so we can question him later!"

Hearing this, Angel then suddenly halted, his green eyes growing wide as everything finally clicked into place, "I knew it was too easy when I told you all to simply ask."

"We just knew that you weren't going to answer all our questions." Toshak hissed out before Angel saw them lower themselves to the floor, the familiar stare shaped form of their Ghost materializing into view and tending to the wound in his leg. Angel licked his lips nervously at that; he has a limited time to take down Archer and then making a run for it, and perhaps make it far enough to the Plaza where the pair would be unable to cause trouble amongst a large number. It was just unfortunate that Angel thought it best to lead them to an isolated part of the Tower, otherwise, there was no doubt someone would have noticed their 'scuffle' by now.

Seeing shift of movement from Archer, Angel held out his knife as he tensed up, waiting until the Titan charged to flicking his wrist to the side, and feeling the familiar surge of arc light permeating through his body. Hearing the hum of his blaze build up with light, this then prompted Angel to dash forward, his green eyes scanning Archer's broader form as they easily closed the distance.

Spotting arc light permeating from Archer's shoulders, Angel gritted his jaw as he then saw the Titan leap forward, the tell-tale sign of a Fist of Havoc all too familiar in the Hunter's vision as the broader Guardian lifted up his hands bursting with arc light. Focusing his light towards his feet, Angel then found himself moving faster, quickly enough where he leaned back just below Archer and swung his blade forward towards the first vulnerable area he spotted: the neck.

Immediately, a choke can be heard before Angel saw the Titan easily fly over his head, only to turn in time to see Archer crumple to the floor, and flinch as the Guardian spasmed and twitched before he went still, sending waves of uneasiness through the younger Guardian.

"You would think that particpatin' in the Crucible would make encounters like these easier."

Nodding his head in silent agreement to his Ghost's words, Angel then heard rapid footsteps approaching from behind, sending his senses into high alert as he twirled around and raised his right arm. Instantly, the young Hunter reeled when he saw the point of a knife easily penetrate through it before watching it twist and tear through the appendage.

"You're not the only one who can 'dance', boy."

That is when Angel felt a sudden jerk tear through his arm followed by sounds of metal screeching through the air and wires crackling through the room. Before comprehending on what just occurred, Angel took leaps back, ensuring distance between himself and his attacker before glancing downwards at his appendage; he found himself cursing quietly under his breath.

The prothesis that had taken him 'months' to make was now in ruins, with nothing but a stump and sparks to represent its previous attachment to his arm. With the damage it was currently in, it was going to take some time to do some repairs, even with Hope's help. Although grateful that he had raised his right arm instead of the left, Angel couldn't help but lament the lack of use before quietly muttering prayers under his breath; he was fortunate that Salziks was adamant on practicing being ambidextrous.

The sound of rapid movements reached the Hunter's ears, tearing Angel's thought away from the loss before dodging to the side, barely feeling the familiar swipe of a blade brush past his ears. Frowning at this, the young Hunter quickly calculated the placement of his opponent before swinging around and throwing out a kick, a sense of triumph beaming through his mind as he felt it connect into Toshak's chest, the latter of which let out an audible 'oof' from the hit. Although, the sense of victory was short lived as Angel suddenly felt hands wrap around his leg and then let out a yelp as he suddenly found himself flying. Wheeling his arms in an attempt to slow his attempt, Angel then gathered his light around himself before feeling his back slam onto the floor, seeing his light fluctuate around his vision before he bounced and then landed onto his chest. Momentarily keeping his face upon the floor, Angel took in a breath, and then wheezed.

"Angel?"

"…I'm okay."

Using his good arm to push himself into a kneeling position, Angel once again heard movement only to glance up in time to see a knee coming his way. Pain then permeated through his jaw followed by his teeth, feeling them slammed against each other and rattle before Angel found himself on the floor again, blood filling up in his mouth.

"You think you could take us on, members of the Blossoms?"

Spitting out crimson onto the floor, Angel lifted up his eyes just enough to give Toshak a blank stare, "With a name like that, it's hard to take you seriously."

Fury then can be sense permeating from Toshak before Angel felt another kick slam into his face, having only a moment to process pain spiking through his cheek before he felt another land on his shoulder, keeping him on the floor.

"You. Disrespectful. Traitor." He heard Toshak speak through gritted teeth, feeling a kick to his side with every word, "How. Dare. You. Speak. To. Us. That. Way."

"Toshak! Stop! Lumir said to bring him back! Not to kill him!"

"Just this once! Let me kill this Scavenger so he can learn his place!"

"Toshak!"

"He could be one of those Revenants! A spy!"

"He is too young! There was no possible way for him to know about them unless he met them recently! And you know the treaty!"

"That doesn't mean they couldn't recruit!"

Blearily looking up from the floor, Angel winced as pain spiked through his side, causing him to curl and place a hand onto the injury. This prompted many parts of his body to scream in protest, and the Hunter spat out blood that was constantly pooling in his mouth.

"Traveler, and the Guardians call the Eliksni brutes." Angel heard the familiar hum of Hope materialize into the air before hearing her whisper, "hold on, I can take care of this."

Before he could nod to show that he had heard her, the Hunter then felt an impact slam into his head, feeling it bounce off the floor with a resounding 'crack'; Hope screamed in response, "Stop! Don't you see that he had enough!"

"Not until he's dead!"

"Toshak! Stop it!"

"He attacked us, Archer! And Lumir said to bring him back with us! How else are supposed to bring him in when he's resisting!?"

Tuning out their words once more, Angel shifted his eyes around, hoping to catch sight of his Ghost. When he didn't, he simply smiled at the air, "I messed up, didn't I?'

"Oh, Angel." He barely caught her white and red form gliding into view, "I should have coaxed you out of it, not encouraged it."

Spitting out more blood that was gathering in his mouth, Angel then proceed to brush his tongue against the back of his teeth, tasting the familiar copper, "Well, I guess that's why you are my partner." He flashed her another small smile, "We both like to get into trouble."

Before Angel can see, yet alone hear, what Hope had to say, he felt another kick slam into his head, however, this time, he resisted, swinging out his free hand and latching onto foot assaulting him.

"Let go!" He tightened his grip when he felt Toshak attempting to pull his leg away, "I said, let go!"

This time he felt an impact slam into his chest, causing Angel to let out a yelp as he felt it easily break through his chest piece and an audible 'crack' permeating into his ears. He then screamed when another kicked slammed into his sore side, feeling it crumple under Toshak's weight.

"Stop! Please!"

The words slipped from Angel's tongue before he could stop himself, grasping at the floor as he heard Toshak scoff, "Now you're finally showing respect."

Angel then felt another kick to the side, agony prompting him to let out another scream as the older Hunter added, "But too late for that now."

"Toshak! Stop! He had enough!"

"He needs to learn his place!"

"Not like this! Not in the Tower! Not when he says he's 'done'."

Hearing a growl permeate around him, Angel then took in a bated breath before scraping his fingers against the floor, ignoring the pain searing through his body as he attempted to place distance between himself and the Titan and Hunter pair.

"He's trying to run away!"

"Wouldn't you if someone was beating the life out of you!?"

Hearing footsteps approach, Angel found a whimper escaping him just as he felt hands press against his cheeks. His vision blurry and unable to focus in, Angel found himself flinching and then reeling back, scraping his hands against the floor as he attempted to scramble away.

"Wait, no, Toshak is done, I promise you he won't do you anymore harm."

"What? Who says I wouldn't?"

"Lumir said to bring him back in one piece! Not to break him!"

"Not my fault that he attacked us!"

Feeling the tension in the air rise, Angel then felt the familiar brush of light hum against the back of his neck, recognizing Hope's gentle touches as he attempted to follow. He then felt a hand suddenly latch onto his shoulder and immediately, Angel shrank back, half expecting another kick to slam into his side. Instead, strong but gentle hands caressed the sides of his face, prompting the young Hunter to glance around only for his world to spin.

"I apologize on Toshak's behalf," It was Archer, his voice low and it was then Angel noticed his hands were tender, apologetic, guilty, "It shouldn't have reached this far."

Feeling fingers then brush gently through his growing tresses, Angel found himself relaxing, leaning into the touch as a soft hum permeated from the back of his throat. Although instinct was telling him to run, to sprint away when their grips were lacking, yearning told him to stay, echoes of a soft voice singing in his ears lulling him to lower his guard. Was it his mother or Salziks who was singing? Or had he experienced both of their fingers brushing through his hair, soothing him from his nightmares and tensions? Nonetheless, Angel found himself missing this touch and soon, the Hunter closed his eyes, completely leaving himself exposed.

"I'll make it quick."

The younger Hunter then felt something cold press against the side of his head.

Xxxxx

"Alright, I'll bite, why in the Traveler is this hall dark?"

A laugh can be heard permeating from Odoratta, Knight giving the Hive hybrid a wary look as the former answered, "Although many of us are capable of walking out into the light, our race naturally is comfortable in the dark." The Exo Warlock watched as Odoratta shrugged, "not to mention it just feels refreshing."

"…What?"

"When my people and I are in the Darkness it feels more like – what you Guardians call – taking a warm bath? Very relaxing for the muscle and for those who are older in years, it is perfect for their aching joints."

Nodding mutely as a gesture that he was listening, Knight then felt a grip tighten around his wrist, prompting him to glance down to his side, and his optics locking with fearful yellow. Comforting Hush with a gentle squeeze of his own, the Exo Warlock shifted his gaze back onto Odoratta's back, hearing the latter ranting on, as if revealing his origins and leading Knight and Hush down a dark tunnel wasn't too off putting for the two Guardians.

Knight just couldn't understand how in the Traveler they got into their current predicament. Not long after Odoratta revealed his status as a spawn between a Revenant 'and' a Hive Wizard, he then cheerfully asked if Knight and Hush wanted to meet his 'siblings' and had grabbed both of their wrists and lead them out of the room without waiting for an answer. He only let go when Knight promised that he and the child Guardian wasn't going to run.

In any other situation, Knight would have simple snatched Hush up and ran off but, just the way Odoratta's eyes beamed when he spoke about his siblings and the way his hands were tight but gentle just made the Exo Warlock think.

"How?"

"How what?"

"How were you born?" Knight clarified, "How were you and these 'siblings' that you are so adamant on showing us are born?"

"Well, when a Wizard likes a Revenant very much-"

"You know what I mean!"

Knight reeled back at his own words, his optics slowly growing wide as he expected Odoratta to retaliate, the smile gone and replaced with the familiar snarl of the Hive. Instead, to his surprise, he heard the Hive spawn laugh, as if the Exo's words were nothing more than a joke, "I jest, friends of the Preceptor. It is not everyday we get visitors from the City." Another shrug from Odoratta, "Alive at least."

"I heard." Knight managed to squeak out, watching as Day and Crystalline finally materializing into the open, spreading their light into the hall and finally giving the Guardian pair space to see, "I guess you Revenants are very territorial?"

A hum can be heard from the Hive spawn, "I suppose so, if I were to take my mother's story seriously." Another chuckle can be heard from Odoratta, "but she is called 'The Eldest' for a reason."

Hearing this, Knight found another question slipping from his lips, "Then your other parent, Loretta? That sounds a lot like a female's name."

"That is because she is!" Knight found himself sputtering at the nonchalance in Odoratta's voice, "Guardians tend to forget that Hive are sequential hermaphrodites, Wizards included."

"Then, that makes Loretta your mother and Vultosa your…"

"Father? You can say that," The Exo Warlock found his brain wracking to take in this information, "My mother prefers being a 'mother' and as such, reason why I call her 'mother' and my spawn mother 'spawn mother'."

"I…" Although in disbelief, Knight stored the information into his memory, telling himself if it was wise to inform the Cryptarch's back at the Tower once he and the others return; perhaps the looks on their faces would be worth it?

"Then, can you…"

"Despite my want of being able to do so, I cannot switch my current sex." Knight then saw a pout form onto Odoratta's face, disappointment clearly seen in his glowing green eyes, "it would help with the spawn rate of my siblings if I was capable." A sigh can be heard from the Hive spawn, "That is the one downside of being only half of my mother's blood."

Taking note of hybrid's unable to change their genders, Knight then asked, "If it is alright for me to ask, Wizards are not the only occupants that live here?"

"Of course not." Odoratta once more glanced over his shoulder, a brow raised, "We have the entire Hive caste here: Knights, Thralls, Acolytes, you name it, we have them." That is when Knight heard the Hive spawn pause, a hum permeating through the room, "With the exception of Ogres, we have no room for them here."

"…I can imagine," Knight managed to mutter out as his optics shifted over to a singular doorway, relief oozing from his shoulders. It felt like they were walking forever.

As Odoratta disappeared through the doorway, Knight found another squeeze on his wrist, once more glancing down to stare into Hush's worried eyes.

"Crystalline." He called out, spotting the female Ghost hovering just near Hush's shoulders, "Is it safe to follow him?"

"Odoratta?" Knight nodded to answer Crystalline's question, "He can be a bit eccentric, but I can say with confidence that he really does not mean any harm." He watched as Crystalline lifted her parts upwards into a Ghost equivalent of a smile, "So there is no need to worry, Odoratta is trustworthy."

With her words spoken, Knight then shifted his attention towards Hush, flashing her a wry smile, "Hear that? We're safe, he is not going to hurt us."

Hearing Hush whimper in response to his words, Knight then took in a deep breath before taking a step through the doorway. Immediately, as his optics settled over the room, he froze, terror sinking into his chest.

There were cribs, over a hundred of them placed into the room and within in each one, was a worm. A Hive Worm. Hundreds of squirming, wiggling worms screeching quietly through the dark nursery as they laid in their cribs.

In the middle of it all was Odoratta, the latter of which had leaned over and had scooped one of the wiggling abominations into his arms.

"This is Beluria." He grinned, his sharp fangs glinting in the dark as the Hive spawn held up the aforementioned worm, "and she is the youngest of my siblings."