Redacted

A Familiar Face

Titles are hard, screw me lol. Anyways, I am updating a bit late but I am going to say that updates aren't quite fixed yet. Decided to put this up as I do have two other chapters done, just need to revise and get them ready. Enjoy this chapter guys C:

_Transcript: Welcome_

Source: Ghost of Hunter Angel

Alias: Hope

_Transcript of a conversation between Hunter Vanguard Cayde-6 [V.C], Hunter Angel [H.A], and Ghost Hope [G.H]. Conversation is of Hunter Vanguard Cayde-6 welcoming Hunter Angel to the Tower_

[H.A]: (Translation) I am highly uncomfortable right now.

[G.H]: (Translation) It is your first day here, give it some time. After all, you're what? Half a year and never stepped foot in the Haven until now?

[H.A]: (Translation) That is because there was no need to until… look, I am just not used to having 'no' instructions and being just told 'go wander'. With Salziks, she at least stayed and actually 'taught' me something. It is like as though this 'Vanguard' care little for those under their command.

[V.C]: Now that is where are you wrong, kid – Ow! Hey! You stabbed me!

[H.A]: Never. Ever. Approach from behind.

[V.C]: Hah! With that mindset, no wonder Ikora and Zavala assigned you under me!

[H.A]: …Wait, you are the Hunter Vanguard, Cayde-6?

[V.C]: At your service.

[H.A]: You're…you're nothing like the Warlock and Titan Vanguard. You're…different.

[V.C]: Different? You mean, good-looking? Best Hunter out there?

[H.A]: … A joke

[V.C]: Ouch, harsh kid. Where did you get a tongue like that?

[H.A]: … That's none of your business b-…

[V.C]: Oh, were you going to call me a 'bitch'? Or… bandit?

[H.A]: How did you-

[V.C]: Trust me kid, you're not the only one here who tried making friends with the Eliksni. Let's just say that those who understand the language, had tried at least once or twice, or an insurmountable time for the Guardians and the Fallen Houses to get along. It just never worked out.

[H.A]: … Doesn't mean we can't stop trying.

[V.C]: Terrific! You and me! We're going to get along nicely! So, a favor, teach me Eliksni?

[H.A]: …

[V.C]: What? I may have understood you, but you are a lot more fluent than I am, and me, well, I can't have someone outshine me.

[H.A]: …

[V.C]: Don't trust me? Can't blame you. Good trait to have at this age. Then, how about this, you teach me and, I teach you? How about it?

[H.A]: … Teach me how to utilize my light 'and' throw in some of your stories with the Eliksni and we will call it even.

[V.C]: Deal.

_End Transcript_

Xxxxx

He was awake.

To others, Angel looked as though he was asleep, his eyes closed, arms tucked close to his sides, and his breathing even. However, Hope knows Angel, knew him enough that despite feigning slumber, she can still see his eyes moving behind his lids; an action that tells her that he was on high alert. She sighed at this, uncaring if her Guardian heard her or not.

It was shortly after the others contacted her and Hope cannot help but feel guilty for exposing the truth so easily to their Fireteam. But Ianos, his eyes were sharp, and the female Ghost found herself confessing, despite the Hunter's want to keep his experience a secret. However, seeing the others act accordingly, Hope cannot help but feel relieved that she had spoken out; seeing their anger, their distress, it showed her that they indeed care for Angel's wellbeing and she knows that as soon as Ianos' condition is stabilized and safe, their next destination would be her Guardian. As such, the Ghost wouldn't have minded the wait, if Angel wasn't so tense.

As if to prove her point, a soft knock permeated from the room door and immediately, Angel's eyes snapped open and he was upright, his green eyes wide towards the only entry and exit. Although wanting to comfort her Guardian, Hope couldn't help but narrow her optic at the door suspiciously; she swore that she had informed all the medics that she had everything under control, especially since Angel was jumpy with that many in one room.

"Hope." The Ghost turned her attention towards the Hunter, "My gun."

"Angel." Hope found herself hissing out, only to pause when she watched him turn his eyes towards her, immediately seeing the fear; she didn't have to ask what he was so afraid of. Although her instincts screamed at her to deny Angel's request, Hope found herself relenting, materializing a hand cannon into his hands. As she done this, a bit of guilt filtered within her core; although Hope knew that Angel wanted the weapon he had crafted himself, she instead gave him another in his collection, one that still fires well but the recoil high, affecting accuracy.

Holding in a breath as she watched her Guardian heft the hand cannon in his hands, Hope then let her shell droop in relief when Angel instead focused on the door, although, she tensed up again when the Hunter aimed the weapon towards the entrance, his finger tight against the trigger. The door sliding open then caused Hope to jump.

"Angel?"

Seeing familiar azure optics peeking in, Hope couldn't suppress the shout of surprise when a resounding shot rang through the air, followed by the Vanguard Hunter easily leaping to the side, the bullet penetrating into the wall beside him.

"Damn it! I thought they said weapons weren't allowed in the Medical Wing!" Seeing the familiar leather clad form of Cayde scramble back onto his feet, Hope quickly glided over and scanned Angel's weapon back into his vaults, receiving a sound of protest but nothing more. Although, that didn't mean she saw his shoulders rise, his hands curling into fists; he was preparing himself. Hope wondered if it had been a good idea to rebuild his mechanical arm after healing the other limb.

Nonetheless, she found herself glancing back towards Cayde as the latter brushed himself down, grumbling under his breath before his optics finally locked with hers.

"Hope." The usual sing song greeting of his caused the female Ghost to shrink her shell against her core, feeling herself backing up over Angel's shoulder as the Vanguard Hunter slowly closed the distance, "Just the Ghost I need to talk to."

"About what?" Hope muttered, "Wasn't Archer's reports enough?"

Immediately, the female Ghost saw the lightheartedness fade from Cayde's gaze followed by a wince, confirming Hope's suspicions that this was more than just a follow up; she had made it quite 'clear' to the Vanguard that they weren't going to file a report, at least, not now, not when Angel is still trying to recuperate. And not to mention that Archer was present during the entirety of the young Hunter's capture and torture, his statement would be more than sufficient.

"Look, I know that our last conversation wasn't very pleasant and that I am one of the last Guardian that you want to talk to right now." Hope gave Cayde a narrowed glance, "But hear me out." The Ghost watched him hesitate, "Please?"

Keeping her glare on the Vanguard Hunter, Hope glanced back at Angel, and spotted the twist of softness and broken trust intermingling in his green eyes; she let out a sigh at this before turning her attention back towards Cayde, "Fine, but do anything abrupt and I will kick you out."

Seeing the Exo's optics brighten at this, Hope reluctantly glided to the side, signaling to Cayde to approach Angel's bedside. Immediately, the younger Hunter's shoulders tensed up, his hands in his lap curling into trembling fists and his jaw tightening in a vain attempt to keep his features blank. However, right before Hope can say anything, she then spotted the Vanguard Hunter pause in his steps, his blue optics dimming at the young Hunter's actions.

"You know, when Archer came to us and reported in about, well, what happened, I didn't believe a word of it." Hope couldn't help but blink at Cayde's words, "I mean, come on, fellow Guardians torturing another Guardian just so that they could have a few words with their missing 'leader'? It seems kind of farfetched." The small smile that the Exo Hunter had on his face faded, replace with a more somber look, "Then, Liam came in and backed him up and well, the three of us were taken back, shocked really." A soft but bitter chuckle emanated from the Vanguard Hunter, "If it makes you feel any better, those involved are currently being investigated. The Speaker and the Consensus are currently debating on a verdict."

Hope gave Cayde a puzzled look, "The Vanguard aren't going to get involved?"

No sooner had the female Ghost finished speaking when she saw a bitter smile form onto Cayde's metallic features, "Usually yes, but, Ikora said that it would be better off if we stay out of it, mainly for the reason that it is a bit too, 'personal'."

Hope couldn't help but flinch at his words, giving the Vanguard Hunter a pitying look before glancing back towards Angel. Immediately, her optic settled over the caution in his eyes however, she then noticed that his body was relaxed, not tense, and his expression was filled with surprise.

"Personal?" She heard Angel repeat, "What do you mean too 'personal'?"

A snort can be heard from Cayde, "Kid, I may have taken you under my wing for no more than a year, but the Consensus considered it long enough where I am emotionally 'compromised' when it comes to you." He then shrugged, "I tried arguing, but even Zavala and Ikora agreed and told me to step aside, telling me they would too since we're supposed to be the 'Vanguard'. Wouldn't be the same if one of us is not involved."

Scrunching her shell against her core, Hope shifted her attention back towards Angel, seeing him glance towards his hands as he folded them neatly in his lap.

"…How are your arms doing?"

"Cayde." Shooting the Hunter in question a warning look, Hope then worriedly glanced back at her Guardian, only to pause as she saw him shifting his hands, turning them around as if to examine the limb's condition himself. The female Ghost couldn't help but give the Hunter a worried look.

When she had started working on his arms, Hope had wondered how her Guardian had managed to stay conscious as long as he did. The wound was ragged to show just how many cuts it took to dismember them and the burns to stop the bleeding must have been excruciating. It was a wonder that he even lived through the process at all. It was a serious wound, serious enough where the medics recommended a quick death to speed up the healing process but, Hope wasn't having none of that. The female Ghost knows that although temporary, death is traumatic enough; there was a reason why a large number of Guardians try to avoid dying as best they could. As such, she couldn't help but give said medics a few choice words before kicking them out. Advising her to force her Guardian to go through a traumatic experience after he had just went through a traumatic experience; Hope couldn't help but wonder if their license to practice medicine should even be used on Guardians.

"Just relieved that I have my arms back," This snapped the female Ghost out of her thoughts, turning her attention in time to see a wry smile formed onto Angel's face; strained but real, "well, an arm and a half if you want to be accurate."

At first, there was a stiff pause at Angel's words, Hope easily sensing the surprise from the Vanguard Hunter before finally, Cayde let out a short laugh.

"Now I see why the Warlocks and the Titans have a habit of calling us Hunters 'insane'." The Vanguard Hunter walked over to the wall to lean his shoulder upon for support, "cracking jokes at times like these." Cayde then raised a finger and pointed it at the door, as if to ambiguously point at certain individuals as he clicked out, "Touché, my friends. It is now safe to say that we are 'all' crazy."

Then, to Hope's surprise, a guffaw permeated from Angel, causing the female Ghost to turn her green optic in surprise as the young Hunter said, "Weren't we always crazy?"

"That kid, is up for debate."

Seeing Angel smile in response to Cayde's words, Hope let relief momentarily settle into her core, only to perk up in alert when her Guardian's grin faded, his expression turning more somber.

"The Blossoms, the ones who… what's going to happen to them?"

Her optic dimming at her Guardian's words, Hope took the opportunity to turn her attention back towards Cayde, only to see that the expression on the Vanguard Hunter's face was blank, his lights dull.

"My best guess, exile." Hope couldn't help but give Cayde a flabbergasted look, "to pack up and leave the Tower, never to come back."

"But that means they're going to stay in the Wilds!" Angel's shout caused the Ghost to jump, "The Wilds is my home! How can I go out there knowing that they-" Hearing her Guardian coming to an abrupt stop, the female Ghost turned, only to pause when she saw his eyes wide in fear.

"My family is out there." She heard him whisper, "My family is out there and they will-" Angel's abruptly stopped speaking once more, the agitation in his eyes growing as he then added, "Can't you imprison them? Or keep them bound to the Tower?"

"Kid," A sigh can be heard from Cayde followed by a strained but soft smile; an attempt to ease the younger Hunter's worries, "You know how the Eliksni are. They may lack the light, but they are still capable of fending for themselves. You have heard the stories of Guardians being taken down by them constantly."

"Yes, but…" That is when Hope saw a change in her Hunter's eyes, seeing the glimmer of distress grow as his gaze lowered, "If they are exiled, it won't be safe out there." She heard him take in a breath, "It won't be safe for anyone, it won't be safe for me."

And that is when it hit her, the growing fright of her Guardian; despite lingering around the Tower, the Wilds will and always will be Angel's 'home', his place to return to when he needed his thoughts, and his time. If Lumir and the others were simply exiled, there will be no doubt that they will keep an eye out for the Hunter if he were to ever take a step back into the Wilds. And for a free-spirit such as Angel who enjoys the thrill of adventure and the freedom of what lurks outside, it would be a battle of giving into his desires or to give into his fears. Either choice would not benefit the young Hunter, physically or mentally.

Cayde must have taken notice of the meaning behind Angel's words for Hope then saw the Hunter Vanguard flinch, crossing his arms as she watched him lower his optics in thought, "Well, honestly, never thought of it that way." He then glanced over his shoulder and as if one que, the familiar white and orange of his Ghost materialized into view, "Sundance, inform the Speaker and the Consensus of Angel's well-being when it comes to the verdict on the Blossoms. They should take it into consideration."

Seeing her fellow Ghost nod in confirmation, Hope then turned her focus back onto Cayde, seeing his blue optics soft and kind, "I know it's not much kid, but, hopefully the Speaker will be able to do something."

No sooner had the Hunter Vanguard finished speaking when Hope heard Angel let out a scoff, seeing her Guardian's gaze on his lap as she watched him intertwine his hands together and gripping them tightly, "Like they did much of anything when it came to Ianos and the Revenants."

Immediately, Hope saw the hurt linger in Cayde's optics, followed by the Hunter Vanguard stating, "Not much we can do, kid. The Consensus holds most of the power, you know that."

"…I know."

If Angel didn't look hopeless before, he did now as his shoulders drooped, the light in his eyes fading as he heaved out a sigh, prompting Hope to glide over and settle in between the crook of his neck. That is when she heard him sniff, causing the female Ghost to abruptly pause and glance up, only to press her shell against the Hunter's skin as tears formed in his eyes.

"Did you know that back when Hope resurrected me on Venus, she would tell me stories, stories of 'Chosen', of 'Guardians'?" She heard Angel start, "How these 'Soldiers of the Light' would battle against the Darkness, protecting humanity against any threats, and that, they are considered 'heroes' of the City for their duties?" Her Guardian raised a hand, using the back of it to wipe away the tears, "I was naïve, believing all those heroic deeds of Titans becoming a living wall to protect the City, Warlocks scavenging old ruins and texts to rediscover the Golden Age, and Hunters scouting out regions to help expand, only to figure out that, most of those stories, they aren't true. Or, at least, they don't reflect on everyone." Feeling his jaw tremble against the top of her shell, Hope found herself unable to say anything, unable to say something to give comfort to Angel as the latter continued, "But now, the longer I stay here, in this Tower, in this Haven, I'm starting to see that Guardians are not truly heroes." She felt him shake his head, "No, they're nothing but greedy bastards, only interested in building up their own fame, uncaring of anyone who gets in their way! I mean…" The anger subsided, followed by a sense of bewilderment and confusion, "I thought the Guardians were supposed to protect, to protect themselves, to protect the civilians, to protect us." Defeat can easily be heard in his voice, "I just do not understand. I want this City to be safe, I want the Citizens to be safe, I want newborns to feel safe, I…I want to feel safe."

Hearing this, Hope couldn't help but let guilt and surprise filter into her core; did Angel really not feel safe behind the walls of the City? As she contemplated on this, Hope jumped as she felt something fall on top of her shell, causing her to glance up and pause as the female Ghost saw tears running down her Guardian's face.

"I want to go home."

Taking in her Guardian's words, Hope couldn't help but just realize how young Angel truly was; not just in his years after his resurrection, but just in general, and she just grasped that she never properly looked at the human Hunter. True, she had taken into consideration that he was fully mature but as Hope took in him even further, she noticed that he still had a softness to his jaw, and his cheeks still held some fat from adolescence. Seeing this, a question formed in Hope's mind: just how young was Angel when he first died?

Letting the shock permeate through her core, Hope turned her attention back onto the Hunter as she felt him shift underneath her, witnessing in time to see the young Guardian wipe away remnants of tears with the back of his hand. Although, this did little to stop the rest from flowing from his eyes. As the female Ghost let her mind scramble in an attempt find something to say, that is when she spotted movement from the corner of her optic. Shifting her attention towards it, Hope found herself gawking as she saw Cayde finally close the distance, hesitation in his gaze before finally, he wrapped his arms around Angel's shoulders.

Feeling the Hunter Vanguard pull the younger Hunter close to his chest, Hope wanted to protest, to ask what he was doing, only to find herself unable to say anything when she felt Angel's body deflate underneath her, a soft breath leaving his lips.

"I'm sorry." Hope jumped at Cayde's apology, "I'm sorry that we failed you."

Settling herself further in between Angel's neck and shoulder, Hope watched as the Vanguard Hunter rested his head above her Guardian's, taking in the rare sight of Cayde's softer side. As she gradually stored this event in her memory, Hope made a mental note that although she was still bitter towards Ikora and Zavala for brushing aside their suspicions, they have at least Cayde to come back to.

Xxxxx

"Ianos? Are you alright?"

Turning his focus onto his Ghost, Ianos couldn't help the flinch as dull pain throbbed from his chest, "Are you certain that you healed my wound properly?"

"Yes," He watched as the black and orange Ghost paused, their optic narrowing in contemplation, "At least, I think so."

Opting to say nothing, Ianos simply pressed a hand against his chest, flinching as he felt the wound burn in response. Although he doesn't remember, the Awoken was told he clawed at his chest during his attack, tearing through his cloth armor and drawing blood. According to Ace, they had healed the injury long before he woke up but, when Ianos took a look for himself, the wound still stung by touch and the marks where his fingers dug into skin was still visible. Although this confused the Warlock, he was even more bewildered to find that the wound, although still painful, was slightly healed over, as if Ace had only put in part of the effort to properly treat it. Was this one of the reasons why Ace has to go through with the Harmonization? That they would need the Darkness to be fully capable of healing Ianos?

As he pondered on this, Ianos jumped when the sound of branches broke through the silence followed by a startled yelp. Before he can fully comprehend what happened, the Warlock leaped back when both the forms of Pluto and the Titan Revenant, Marin, fell from amongst the trees, slamming onto the dry hearth with a dull 'thud'. Although, normally incapacitating, possibly even killing a normal individual, the two Chosen continued to tussle with each other; Pluto with a knife in one hand and Marin reeling back with her fists, hoping to find an opening in between the Hunter's defenses. Ianos couldn't help but shake his head at the scene.

Not long after partners were chosen, it was the Preceptor and Marin, the Titan Scout, who ended up being set up with Ianos and Pluto. Although he can easily tell the blind Exo was not pleased with the coordination, Pluto had kept it to himself and had, at first, placed himself in the back in case if anyone or anything attempted to sneak up behind their group. However, it didn't take long before Pluto volunteered to head into the trees to gain a better vantage point, and the Preceptor agreed wholeheartedly – until Marin intervened. Despite her outer demeanor, the blue clad Titan didn't seem too pleased that another individual – let alone a 'Tower' Guardian – take her place as scout and as such, after a moment of bickering, it was the Preceptor who advised that both Chosen head into the trees to scout ahead. However, it seems that Ianos was correct in his notion that the two wouldn't 'get along' much longer.

"Should we stop them?"

Glancing over his shoulder, his orange eyes connected with Ace's optic and subtly, he shook his head; judging from the way the two were purposely missing each other's vital points, this was merely a way of showing dominance, to show who was better skilled, and it didn't take much to see that Pluto was slowly emerging as the victor. It was obvious, easily from the way that the Exo Hunter leaned back, letting the blows land but lessening the impact while he was moving in with his knife, landing in cuts where the Titan left herself exposed.

"What in the – Pluto! Marin!" The Preceptor's voice echoed through the trees, "Why are the two of you trying to kill each other!?"

"Maiming and killing aren't the same thing!" Ianos couldn't suppress the snort at Marin's come back, although he couldn't help but feel a bit bad when Pluto successfully landed a punch on the front of her visor, a sickening 'crack' signifying that he had broken through the headpiece, "although that won't stop me from tearing him apart!"

"You are a newborn compared to me." Pluto hissed out, easily weaving out of the way to dodge another punch from the Titan, "so how dare you try to claim that my Clan were weak!"

Now that caught Ianos' attention, "Pardon?"

"How else did an infamous clan like Galaxy was suddenly wiped out!?" A scowl formed onto Ianos' features at Marin's words, "I find it hard to believe that the clan who were known to be on equal grounds with the Iron Lords were wiped out during the attempted reclamation of the moon!"

"And you weren't even resurrected yet!" Pluto retorted, Ianos easily spotting the fire of void light permeating from his fingertips, "you weren't there to face the god damn Hive and their fucking Prince!"

"From what I heard, it only took six Guardians to take him down!" The Awoken felt emotions develop deeply within his chest, "according to that, your clan should have been able to take him down! Easily!"

A roar of fury can be heard from Pluto followed by the Exo Hunter raising his hand back, knife still in his hand, and swung down towards the front of the Titan's broken visor. Taking in a hitched breath, Ianos expected the worse, only to jump as he caught a blur of movement from the corner of his eye. It took him a moment to finally spot the Preceptor, leaning over Pluto and Marin's form with his hand wrapped tightly around the Exo Hunter's wrist.

"Let go of me."

The rage in Pluto's voice was prominent, prominent to the point where Ianos finally decided it was best to step in, taking slowly and subtle steps towards the group of Chosen. It was then, he finally sensed the frown permeating behind the Head Revenant's visor.

"Have I ever told you that I partook in the Great Disaster, Marin?" Ianos paused at the Preceptor's question, giving the Revenant in question a surprised look, "and how many of our Guardian brothers and sisters died during the attempt?"

A stunned silence can be felt from the Revenant Titan, followed by a slow shake of the head. Immediately, the frustration emitting from the Preceptor turned to one of disappointment, "Then please, do not disrespect the dead so, especially for a survivor."

Seeing Marin go stiff underneath Pluto, Ianos then saw the Titan nod once, signaling for the Preceptor to slowly and gradually release his grip from the Exo Hunter's. Pluto ripped his arm away in response. Hearing the blind Exo let out an angry huff, Ianos let himself relax when the Hunter sheathed his knife back around his waist and pushed himself off of Marin, brushing off any dust and debris as the Titan herself pushed herself back onto her feet.

"I say it is better if we all stay grounded, agreed?" The Preceptor compromised, earning a glower from Pluto, "and not kill each other?"

Glancing back and forth between Marin and Pluto as the pair stared each other down, Ianos made a mental note to place himself between the two later. But for now, with their Ghosts slowly picking off the bruises and perhaps also attempting to mend their wounded pride, Ianos would rather stay near the Preceptor's side. He wanted to try and scope out a conversation anyway.

As such, Ianos waited patiently as the Preceptor motioned for Pluto and Marin to take the front, signaling to the Hunter and Titan to give each other one final glare and then taking steps forward, the air around them tense. Still sensing the anger radiating off of the blind Exo, Ianos made a mental note to ask what Marin had said exactly to make him go off. True, she had insulted the clan, Galaxy, but there had to be more. After all, this was not the first time someone had insulted the infamous Exo clan.

"Correct me if I am wrong," Ianos startled out of his thoughts, turning his attention towards the Preceptor next to him as they walked; he cannot help but get the feeling that the Revenant Warlock was smiling behind the visor, "but I had heard rumors that, despite their downfall, that the Galaxy are growing in number?"

Ianos couldn't help but raise a brow at the Head Revenant's question, "It would be more appropriate to ask Pluto that question, not me."

That is when a soft chuckle permeated from the Revenant and instantly, pangs of familiarity rang in the back of Ianos' mind followed by a sense of longing.

"What's so funny?" he asked, giving Zakai a raised brow as the latter continued to grin behind his book.

"A man obsessed with chasing a giant white whale? Really? Is that the best pre-Golden Age literature have?" The halfling let out another chuckle, "My apologies, but I just cannot help but find it funny."

"Well I found it interesting," The Exo of the Warlocks pouted, his white optics blinking with slight annoyance, "It is a better read than – what's that book called? – The Scarlet Letter?"

"Oh Traveler, don't get me started on 'that' one." Zakai gave Ari a wide-eyed look, "a woman forever marked for adultery? I understand cheating on a partner is wrong but for a lifetime?"

"That was the age back then, Zakai. Being unfaithful was terrible of an act such as murder." The Awoken mused only to smile as he received a pout from the halfling, "although, I have to agree. A white whale? Really?"

"Then you don't have to read it if you don't like it," Ari retorted, slamming his book shut before setting it back onto the table, "We can always find another book to read together."

A laugh permeated from Zakai, "Oh we just need a break. How about it?" The Warlock turned and gave him a smile, "Tomorrow? Same time?"

"Ianos? Are you alright?"

Feeling the fogginess of the memory leaving his mind, the Awoken blinked rapidly before shifting his gaze to the side, feeling his orange eyes lock onto the darken visor of the Preceptor.

"You sort of drifted there for a moment." He can easily sense the concern permeating from the Head Revenant, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, not at all." Ianos found himself scrunching his features together, shaking his head subtly to rid the last remnants of grief threatening to bubble through the surface. Easily feeling the worry grow from the Preceptor, Ianos decided to feign ignorance, keeping his eyes straight forward as the Revenant's gaze lingered. Then, suddenly, Ianos felt gentle fingers caress against his hand and once again, familiarity settled into his senses.

"Is this okay?" He easily sensed the hesitation from the younger Warlock, "I mean, you 'are' older than me by what? A couple hundred years?"

"Most Guardians do not care about age when it comes to romance." He hummed as his orange eyes lingered over their interlocked fingers, "there are more Guardians with large gaps in age that are in a relationship than you think, Zakai."

"Really?" As he saw a look of surprise form onto the Warlock's face, it just made Ianos realize just how 'young' Zakai is, "I thought with how often we are out on the field…"

He gave the halfling a comforting squeeze, "We will make it work."

"Ianos?"

Shaking his head once more, Ianos glanced up to once again stare into the darken visor of the Preceptor.

"You seem to be constantly fading into thought." He heard the Revenant Warlock say, "Are you certain that you are capable of taking on this mission?"

"I have been on 'bed rest' for too long," Ianos retorted, "If I stay still any longer, I am going to get rusty."

A short laugh then can be heard from the Preceptor and the Awoken couldn't help but sense a soft smile behind the visor followed by worry, "You do have a point, however, please do be careful. You and your Ghost have yet to completely harmonize, you cannot risk death."

Taking in the Preceptor's words, Ianos found himself pressing a hand onto his chest, easily feeling the tingling of his wound underneath his fingertips, "I think my Ghost and I are capable of handling ourselves."

Sensing a warmth permeating from the Revenant, Ianos then felt a gentle squeeze form around his hand, prompting him to glance down in time to see the Preceptor's hand leave his. Although bewildered, Ianos found himself reaching out for the other Warlock's gentle grip, his fingers barely brushing against the back of the Revenant's before forcing it back. As he fixed his gaze upon the Preceptor's visor, Ianos couldn't help but feel like as though the Revenant was disappointed.

"We should be approaching the area where Marin had spotted the Captain and the rest of the Fallen." He heard the Preceptor say, "we should probably prepare, in case they are expecting us."

Watching the Preceptor then speed up his pace until he was nearly side to side with Pluto and Marin up front, Ianos took the opportunity to lift up the hand that had been intertwined with the Revenant Warlock's, turning it around as if to spot any changes.

He had felt a spark, a tingle through his fingertips when Ianos had realized the Preceptor interlocked his fingers with his. It was strange but nice, and familiar.

"According to their movements, they should be behind…here?"

The confused tone in Marin's voice prompted Ianos to glance up, spotting the Titan standing close to some trees, her arm keeping aside several branches to allow better visual of the area before her. Spotting the Preceptor leaning in only hear him mutter out words of bewilderment, Ianos took it upon himself to close the distance between himself and the others before peeking over the Preceptor's shoulder. There, his orange eyes settled upon the charred form of the Captain, his body still smoldering as the bodies of his subordinates scattered around them, bullets wounds letting their vermillion blood flow onto the forest floor.

That is when Ianos heard Pluto take in a deep breath, "Blood smells fresh, still feel the heat from the body." The blind Hunter took small and subtle steps out into the open, "This was recent."

Scrunching his features together as he absorbed Pluto's words, Ianos took it upon himself to slip past the Preceptor and Marin to follow after the Exo, sliding down the small hill to keep up with the Hunter as he felt Ace settle back into the safety of his mind. As his eyes scanned the bullet riddled bodies of the Vandals and the Dregs, Ianos couldn't help but frown; although scattered, the familiar entry wounds of a machine gun was all too familiar to the Warlock and he spotted a couple of their heads had exploded, the tell-tale sign of a hand cannon at work.

"A Guardian did this." Ianos snapped his attention towards Pluto, seeing the Hunter kneeling over the body of the Captain, a hand hovering over the corpse, and a frown easily sensed behind his visor, "and none of your own too, the light here is pure, no contamination of Darkness."

"Contamination?!"

"Are you certain we aren't the only Guardians wandering around in your 'territory'?" Pluto ignored Marin's outburst, "From what I can discern, I highly doubt that you would freely allow a 'Tower Guardian' to roam around here."

"We are fully capable of pushing back trespassers." Marin retorted, "and I am certain that there are no-"

"Marin, the European Dead Zone is a large area, and there is only so much that you and the others can survey and not to mention, we are constantly on the move. We have no idea if other Chosen decided to settle here while we were absent." Ianos barely held back a smile as a pout can easily be felt behind the female Titan's visor as the latter sulked at the Preceptor, "as such, Pluto's observation should be taken seriously."

Smirking now as the Titan mumbled under her breath, Ianos turned his attention back towards Pluto, spotting the Hunter standing and glancing around, as if his absent optics would find something despite the lack of sight. Then, moments later, Pluto turned his attention towards some underbrush, and Ianos watched curiously as the Hunter approached it. Half-expecting someone hiding behind the leaves, the Warlock couldn't help but be slightly disappointed when instead, an entrance of a cave was revealed when Pluto brushed the branches to the side, although, he immediately became intrigued when he spotted a pack and some blankets strewn just near the entrance.

"Who wants to bet that our Guardian friend had been staying here?" Pluto stated, earning a short snicker from Ianos as the Awoken spotted the Preceptor and Marin approach.

"Actually, I have been staying here for a long, long time."

The voice behind them was soft, accented with the familiar tone of an Awoken although, her sudden appearance wasn't the reason why it made Ianos jump. As he turned, his orange eyes immediately met with white speckled with blue, seeing the Guardian's eyes sparkle as recognition settled into her gaze.

"Saphira?"

Ianos hoped that he was wrong, but as the glow of her eyes seemed to grow in strength, a mixture of confusion and joy settled into his chest.

Adorned in armor colored steel gray and black lined with white fur, her long azure strands cascading down over her shoulders as she gave him a broad grin, "Hello, love."

Saphira belongs to Diamond002

I am reintroducing submitted characters into my story however, I am going to be a bit more picky. So don't be surprised if you submit a character and I say no. Nonethless, I also have to apologize to a reader as I have yet to put his character into my story (although I do have a 'huge' role for him later on, so hopefully that will make up for it). Anyways, see you guys