Redacted

I Made a Mistake

"I got him!"

Hearing Orion's words resound through the trees, Akiva couldn't suppress a laugh as he heard the snapping of branches followed by a yelp, "…I don't got him."

"I told you the branches were too thin to carry our weight."

"It was worth a try!"

Letting out another laugh as he heard the Exo Titan grumble through the coms, Akiva then turned his focus back onto the Dreg scurrying past the trees, the latter of which let out a squeak as it literately ran between the legs one of the Revenant pair.

It was a straggler, one who had trouble keeping up with the rest of their group when they had discovered they were spotted by Akiva and the others. Seeing this, it was the Revenant team that the human Titan and Orion were paired up with, a Titan and a Warlock, that had the idea to trap the struggling Eliksni. For what reason, Akiva was unsure, but despite it being the 'slowest' of their group, it definitely was faster than the group of Chosen. The past hour the little thing had somehow managed to evade their attempts to restrain it, but, was either too slow or 'weak' to properly escape their sight. As such, Orion had the bright idea to leap into the trees, in hopes of dive bombing the Dreg in hopes of catching it.

"By the way, how do you know it's a male?"

"Broader shoulders, square jaws," Akiva couldn't help but blink at Orion's answer; the latter must have noticed the Titan's stunned silence, "What? It's obvious, isn't it?"

"Well for us who aren't educated on Eliksni autotomy, no."

The Titan heard the Exo let out a scoff, "I'll cut him off, you grab him when I block his way."

"And the two others of our team?"

"I say let us handle it." Akiva once again blinked at the Exo's words, "I'm just more concerned that they want to kill him than ask him questions."

"…Good point."

No sooner had the words left his lips when Akiva then saw the familiar green and brown clad form of Orion dash pass him, streaks of arc light giving him a boost in speed. It didn't take long before the Titan then saw his fellow Guardian turn tightly and disappeared behind some brush. Hearing a high-pitched squeal of surprise, Akiva took it as a chance to gather his light underneath his feet and propelled him forward, just as the familiar form of the Dreg dashed out of the bushes.

"Got you!"

The squeak that Akiva received was downright adorable as the Titan scooped the unsuspecting Eliksni into his arms, turning him around just enough so that his back was pressed against his chest, and grip tight around the Dreg's waist. Although, the squeals quickly turned into one of snarls as Akiva felt the Eliksni struggle in his arms, fists pitifully slamming against his grip as the Titan turned to the approaching form of Orion.

"I have a feeling he's currently saying not so nice words towards me."

Watching the helmed face of the Exo Titan shift towards the Dreg, Akiva smiled when Orion gave him a confirmed nod, "He's calling you some pretty bad names." A momentary pause followed by a snort, "Even ones that Trikxas is surprised to hear."

Laughing at his fellow Titan's words, Akiva then took the opportunity to take a closer look at their Eliksni captive, humming thoughtfully as he spotted brilliant gold wrapped around his neck.

"Kings," Akiva commented, earning himself another nod of confirmation from the younger Titan, "Not very often you see them out in the field."

"They must be struggling then if they sent out 'that' many scouts."

Humming in agreement with Orion's words, Akiva then heard the familiar approach of heavy boots crunching against the dry hearth and as such, turned to greet the two Revenants of their team. That is when he spotted the sidearm in one of their hands.

Instinct taking over, Akiva turned at the last moment, letting out a yelp as a sharp pain spiked through his side and stumbled. Barely comprehending the shriek of surprise from the Dreg, the Titan somehow kept his grip tight around the Eliksni's waist as he gained his footing and glanced down to his side. A dent, but no blood. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt. He glanced up at the Revenant pair, "What in the Traveler is wrong with you!?"

Although their faces were hidden by their helmet, Akiva can tell from the way their shoulders straightened out and the way they stayed momentarily silent was enough to tell him of their surprise, "What is wrong with us? What is wrong with you?"

It was the Titan of the pair that spoke, the Warlock opting to remain silent as the former took a step forward and pointed an accusing finger towards Akiva, "You just saved a potential threat from a killing blow!"

"Questioning!? Interrogation!? Ever heard of it!?"

The scowl that the Revenant Titan gave him was palpable, "Oh, and do you speak Fallen?"

"Eliksni." Akiva found his frustrations building but nonetheless, found a smile at the Revenant's question, "I can't speak their language." He then nodded his head towards Orion, "But he can."

Watching his fellow Titan nod once towards the Revenant pair, it didn't take long before Orion shifted his attention towards the still struggling Dregs in his arms, and then felt the small Eliksni go still as the familiar growl rumbled from the back of the Exo's throat. Loosening his grip when he felt the Dreg go slack in his arms, Akiva turned and gave the stunned Revenants a broad smile, despite his helmet obscuring his features.

"Usually I would condone this kind of behavior," He heard Lex whisper in his ear, "But considering how they treated you and the others so far, keep this up. I want to actually catch their faces while we're here."

Snickering at his Ghost's words, Akiva then quieted himself when he heard the Dreg chitter, the Eliksni's voice harsh but somehow, sounded resigned.

"What did he say?" He asked as the last of the Dreg's words left his lips, the Titan easily sensing the scowl behind Orion's visor, "Something serious?"

"A lot more than little." Akiva blinked at the Exo's words, "The House of Kings, their Kell was just killed recently."

"What!?" The human Titan sputtered, "Excuse me!? When?! Angel made contact with them not long ago!"

"A few days ago." Akiva didn't have to see through the Exo's vision to know his optics were narrowed, his lights glowing brightly in concern, "Said that a traitor within docked the Kell's arms and then slaughtered him where he stood." Orion then crossed his arms, Akiva taking note the tight grip the Exo had around his hands, "the traitor then proceeded to massacre the House of Kings." He then nodded his head towards the small Eliksni, "This one is one of the few survivors, alongside the groups that we were just tracking."

Then, without another word, a familiar flash of light materialized over Orion's shoulder just as the Exo held up a hand, signaling to Trikxas to beam her light down into his palm. It didn't take Akiva much by surprise when he spotted the familiar glowing canister of Ether, the Exo Titan holding out the precious substance towards the Dreg. Glancing down, Akiva can easily see the glowing eyes of the Eliksni grow wide, the latter glancing back and forth between the life sustaining Ether and the Exo before a quiet chitter echoed from his mandibles. Watching Orion subtly shake his head, Akiva wouldn't be too surprised if the Dreg had asked if there was a price in which, the Exo would have said no. After all, the younger Titan would often go out on expeditions with Angel in a vain attempt to find the House of Spirits, there would be no doubt that Orion would have taken up the habit of handing out free Ether to Eliksni in need.

However, just as the Dreg took the canister from Orion's hands, Akiva spied from the corner of his eye the Warlock of the Revenant pair taking a step forward, "What in the Darkness are you doing?"

The stink eye that can easily be sensed behind Orion's visor prompted Akiva to let out a cough, the Titan forcing his laughter down his throat as the Exo responded, "Giving him ether to survive, what else?"

Sensing the scowl emanating from the Revenant pair, Akiva decided to add fuel to the fire, easily sensing the shock from the Titan and Warlock as he lowered the Dreg to the forest floor, releasing his grasp on the Eliksni to allow himself to stand. Half-expecting the small Eliksni to flee, Akiva couldn't help but be a little surprised when instead, the Dreg stayed, and watched as the latter eagerly went to the most probable empty cannisters around his waist. As he continued to keep a careful eye on the Eliksni, Akiva then noticed the trembling emitting from the Dreg's hands, the haggardness in his gaze as he somehow clipped the Ether in. Then, he heard the Eliksni take in a deep breath, a chitter of relief leaving its mandibles as the glow in his eyes brightened.

"He's Ether starved." Concern can be heard in the Exo's voice, "I can only imagine what the Captains and the Vandals are going through."

Akiva winced at that, "Do you think we should open a frequency for them?'

"Absolutely not!" The Revenant Titan took a step forward, "Expose the location of our base just so we can give 'hand outs' to straggling scavengers!? I say –"

Akiva made no movement to stop Orion as the latter unclipped the hand cannon from his hip and pointed it directly at the Revenant's visor, causing the Titan to halt mid-sentence as Exo snarled, "Call him that again and I will put a bullet through your head."

Watching as the Titan raised his hands in surrender, Akiva heard Lex let out a gleeful sound as the Revenant took a step back, signaling for Orion to turn his attention back to the rejuvenated Dreg and once again, speak in the growling language. It took no genius to see the gratefulness in the male Eliksni's eyes as it immediately responded to whatever question the Exo had asked, the glow in his gaze brighter and clearer than how it was previously.

"His name is Varathis." Orion translated, "he and his pack have been wandering ever since the assassination of their Kell." A momentary pause as the Dreg chittered once more before he continued, "they are without Ether and supplies, only having the armor on their backs and the weapons that they were equipped with when their Kell fell." Another short pause, "They heard of 'Guardians', the Revenants, living around this area. They had hoped to scout out and then raid their base in hopes of gaining supplies."

"So, they were a threat."

Akiva turned and gave the Warlock a glare behind his visor, prompting the Revenant to quickly go silent. He then turned his attention back towards Orion, "They do know that an attempt would be suicide." Akiva scanned the battered armor and the lone shock dagger equipped on Varathis' side, "especially so under equipped."

"Desperate times calls for desperate measures." He heard Orion mutter, only for the Exo to quickly go quiet as the small Eliksni chittered once more. Immediately, Akiva saw the Titan's shoulders deflate and a small subtle shake of the head follow by a few words. The disappointment in Varathis' eyes prompted Akiva to step forward and ask, "What he say?"

"He wanted to know if I had more Ether, for the rest of his pack he says." Guilt edged Orion's voice, "and I told him no, that I do not." A groan of frustration then can be heard from the younger Titan as the latter rubbed the back of his neck, "I didn't want to be greedy and ask Angel for more than one canister at a time. Ether isn't easy to process after all." A heavy sigh can be heard from Orion, "Traveler damn it."

Giving the Exo an empathetic look, Akiva parted his lips to give Orion a sense of ease when suddenly, a flash of quick movement caught the Titan's attention, prompting the Titan to zoom in on Varathis' form as the latter reached out and grabbed the Exo by the arm. Of course, this caused Orion to reel back, a small crack of arc light permeating from his shoulders to signify his surprise before he muttered some words in Eliksni.

Instead of immediately answering, Varathis looked up at Orion with glowing eyes, hope gleaming brightly before he parted his mandibles, "Aaaangeeeel?"

Akiva blinked, "Excuse me?"

"Aaaangeeeel." The Dreg repeated followed by a single syllable that Akiva recognizes from the Eliksni language, "Pure One."

That is when he and Orion made eye contact, the human Titan easily sensing the shock from the Exo before the latter quickly sputtered the growling language back, Varathis' body jerking with attention, the Dreg nodding profusely before chittering.

"Lex? Translation?"

"Sorry, but I'm not fluent in Eliksni." Akiva heard his Ghost mutter, "all I can catch is that Varathis heard of Angel before. But I can't understand the rest."

Letting out a groan of frustration, Akiva couldn't help but fidget nearby when Varathis finally stopped, signaling for Orion to turn his attention back towards the older Titan, "Varathis is one of the Dregs that was under Baron Syliks' command."

"Syliks? Angel's girlfriend?"

"What!?"

"That's, that's supposed to be a secret." Akiva sensed the bland look Orion gave him behind the visor, the latter obviously ignoring the Revenant Titan's outburst, "But yes, Angel's mate and according to Varathis, she and several other groups survived the massacre." The Exo turned his attention back to the aforementioned Dreg before placing a hand on top of the Eliksni's head, Akiva hearing the latter let out a soft purr as Orion patted it, "The last order she gave him was to split up and find Angel, saying he is the key to the survival of the last remnants of the House of Kings."

"Makes sense," Akiva murmured, watching as Varathis turned his multiple eyes towards him, bewilderment easily seen in his gaze, "The kid is sympathetic towards Eliksni and not to mention he has a steady supply of Ether. Best option in their current predicament."

"But now the problem is to find the survivors," Orion hummed out, "and not to mention why Syliks had neglected contacting Angel. If the Kings had been in trouble, you would have thought he would be the first option."

Akiva tilted his head thoughtfully, "Well she is a Baron, it could have been that she had been busy with her duties. And let's not forget the previous task of finding Jora."

A momentary pause from Orion, "Right."

Before Akiva could comment further, movement once again caught the Titan's attention and as he turned his eyes upon Varathis, he watched as the Dreg tugged on Orion's arm, pulling him deeper into the brush, "Let me guess, he wants you to follow?"

"That obvious?" Orion said as Varathis continued to tug on his arm, this one more earnestly, "More than likely leading to where he and the rest of his pack are hiding."

Akiva hummed at that before flashing the Exo Titan a smile behind his visor, "Then how about we follow? Help these lost Kings out?"

"Excuse me?!" This time, it was the Revenant Warlock who blurted, "What makes you think it is a good idea to follow this Dreg?" They gestured towards the glowering Eliksni in response, "It would be leading you into a trap."

"If Varathis is this ether starved, I can only imagine the condition their Vandals and Captains are in." Orion retorted, "Dregs after all, are used to surviving on meager amounts of Ether. Vandals and Captains, not so much." A momentary pause from the Titan, followed by a murmur, "And if anymore of their Barons and Archons survived, they must be near death by now."

"But we have been called back to base." The Titan spoke up although, it was hard not to miss the hesitation, the reluctance in their voice, "The others reported they had lost track of their group of Fallen and the Preceptor ordered us to return in order to plan out the next course of action."

"Then you go back." Akiva snorted at Orion's words, "Akiva and I are not necessarily under your Preceptor's orders."

"We cannot return without you." The Revenant Titan muttered out, "The Preceptor would not be pleased."

A scowl can easily be sensed behind Orion's visor, "Then don't go back. Do whatever you want!" It was then the Exo Titan finally allowed himself to be dragged by Varathis, Akiva hearing the younger Guardian muttering under his breath about 'indecisive rogues' while Trikxas materialized back into safety.

Unable to hold back the laughter as he easily sensed the shock emitting from the two Revenants, Akiva couldn't help but give them a two fingered salute as he commented, "We will see you back at the base. Need to help these poor fellows first." He then turned and started following after the young Exo.

"They're following us." Lex commented seconds later, Akiva easily hearing the glee in his Ghost's voice, "We have to convince them to take off their helmets once we find these survivors. I want pictures of their expressions later."

Once again, Akiva couldn't help but laugh.

Xxxxx

Knight couldn't help but be grateful that he couldn't feel any sense of injury while Nine is control, especially so when he heard the tearing of plating screaming and cracking as Odoratta's claws easily sliced through his chest plate. Although, it was different when he sensed the mentality of the Phoenix Exo, the rage, the anger, the fear as Nine retaliated with arcs of light emitting from his body, causing the Hive Hybrid to stagger back with a screech. Although, Odoratta stumbled, it didn't take long for the knight-like halfling to regain his bearings, and Knight found his vision a blur when he rammed into Nine's chest.

The sound of cement breaking and crumbling then reached his sensors followed by dust obscuring remains of his vision, with the exception of Odoratta's glowing eyes and his claws clamping down around Nine's throat. It was both strange and foreign when Knight sensed panic of all things emitting from Nine's emotions, the younger mind hearing the older taking in a wheezing breath before hands reached out, as if in a vain attempt to tear the halfling's arms off of him.

Wincing as Nine instead jammed his fingers into one of Odoratta's glowing eyes, Knight silently let out a string of apologies as the Hive Hybrid let out a roar, foolishly lifting one hand to attend to the sore organ. This gave the Phoenix Exo enough bearings and space for him to then pull back a hand and used a fist to slam into the Knight's throat, hearing Odoratta let out a choke before Nine finally shoved him off.

"What in the-?"

"Is that Odoratta? Why in the Darkness is he in his Hive form?"

"And who the fuck is crazy enough to fight him?"

Mentally cursing once more as unfamiliar voices reached his senses, Knight watched as Nine quickly scanned their surroundings, the many forms of Revenants standing up from their seats, eyes wide and their gaze scrutinizing.

"Nine! Listen to me! Stop! Let us explain!"

Once again, Knight's words fell on deaf ears as his vision barely caught the glimpses of light building up in the older mind's hands, the latter of which circulated around itself before Nine thrusted it forward. Screaming as the white variant of a Void Bomb launched itself towards the stunned halfling, relief then flooded Nine's senses as the Knight held up his arm, the familiar shield of darkness settling into his vision before white filled his senses.

Although it didn't little to stop Nine as Knight then barely saw Odoratta's forming in, the Phoenix Exo practically flying just as instantly as his shield of darkness dissipated. The tables were turned quickly as Nine knocked Odoratta's form to the ground, the former sitting upon his chest as light once again burned in his hands.

"No!"

Watching as Nine brought his hand back to thrust it down into the Hive Hybrid's throat, Knight gathered as much strength as he could before forcing himself forward. Instantly, he felt resistance, a pressure building around himself as he sensed Nine stiffen, more than likely feeling him rise to the surface.

"Stay out of this, Knight."

Normally, in any other circumstance, the anger that the younger mind heard in Nine's words would have easily caused him to reel back in silence, opting to say 'nothing' until the Phoenix's rage culled. After all, with his emotions usually staying stagnant, an angry Nine is something to 'highly' avoid. But reigning in the hand that was aimed towards Odoratta's chest, Knight gathered all the strength he could and forced his way through the surface, "No."

The surprise from Nine would have been funny in any other situation, but just as quickly as the shock lingered, it was quickly replaced by frustration, confusion, "What?"

Feeling the barriers lessen, Knight took the opportunity to take temporary control, at least, to speak, "The Revenants work with Hive yes, but they're not like the Hive on the Moon. They're good, Nine. And they had treated us with respect."

"They are Hive."

"They're Ostracized." Knight felt a growl form in the back of his throat; it was not his, "Come on, Nine. They haven't tried to kill us."

No sooner had the words left his lips when the younger mind felt the edges of his vision turn red followed by the sensation of his optics 'burning', "Say that to your limp." Knight flinched at Nine's words, "Or how we nearly lost Akiva. Their initial refusal to help Ianos? And do not forget about their initial attack on us."

"That was the Revenants." Knight protested.

"And their actions are influenced by those walking husks."

Gritting his jaw, Knight felt the bare minimums of his hands shifting slightly, just enough to garner his attention and once again, reign in the movements of the older mind.

"Shining Knight!"

Startled from the sudden raise in volume of the Phoenix Exo's voice, the surprise was enough for the younger mind to feel himself being forced back, once again watching through the optics of Nine as the latter finally thrusted his light infused hand downwards. Why Odoratta hadn't taken the initial distraction to get up or counter Knight will never understand, but, seeing the Hive halfling taking in a deep breath, he once again threw himself to the forefront of his shared consciousness.

Although barely feeling the light burning in his hands, Knight instead felt the cold and shocked stares of the Revenants around him followed by the chill of the room as he swerved. Feeling his palms easily slide into the floor as if it was nothing, the younger mind felt his core grow cold when he heard Odoratta scream, his thoughts switching to the image of his hand inside of the Hive halfling. Instead, as he forced his optics downwards, he couldn't help but feel slightly relieved that instead, he had simply grazed the Hive hybrid, Odoratta leaning to the side, a hand to his face. As such, with most of his worries cleared, Knight locked his arms, forced himself onto his feet and took steps back, nearly losing control at the symphony of curses that flooded into his mind.

"You missed!"

Appalled at the older mind's words, Knight parted his mouth to speak but then went rigid when he felt his hand move on their own, the burning light once again forming in his palms, "Nine, that's enough! We're surrounded!"

And it was true. After the initial shock of seeing one of their own being attacked, many of the Revenants present had stood up, their weapons now in their hands, their eyes burning unsettlingly green.

Once again, the edges of Knight's vision turned red, "They are nothing against me."

Hearing the clicks of weapons and the sensation of burning against his plating, the younger mind held up his hands, signaling surrender while as frustration built up in the back.

"What are you doing?"

Ignoring the anger edged in Nine's voice, Knight immediately responded, "It's true that we were attacked, that members of the Revenants had done us harm. But the ones here, the Revenants here had not personally done us any wrong." He gathered up his courage, "It's wrong to kill them."

"They work with those walking husks, Knight!" The younger mind felt his hands curl, his arms lowering to his sides, trembling, "Anything that works with them are corrupted! Dark! Lead astray! They are not to be trusted!"

"You aren't giving them a chance!" Knight found himself shouting back, ignoring the startled looks he gained from those present, "They had every opportunity to throw us out! To kill us! But they didn't!" He forced himself to relax, taking in a breath as he stated, "Nine, please. You just woke up. You haven't seen the good the Ostracized or the Revenants had shown us."

Momentarily waiting, nervousness built up within the younger mind as there was no immediate response, Knight easily sensing the contemplation coming from Nine. It was then he realized he had regained control of their body and as such, Knight went rigid, half-expecting the Phoenix Exo to wrench control once again.

"Changing their name makes no difference to me." Oh right, voice. He forgot to concentrate on the voice, "The Hive are manipulative, cunning. They could easily be fooling these Revenants."

Knight could easily feel the frustration building up within his chest, "Nine, please."

"You have been fooled by their offspring." Despite himself, the younger mind let his jaw drop, "The Hive before us had emotionally compromised you, Knight. You fell for their tricks."

"No! I didn't!" Knight wanted to stomp his foot, throw his hands into the air to express his emotions. But somehow, he kept his body stiff, learning his lesson from earlier on lowering his guard, "Have you not been listening to me!? They did not harm us! They helped us!"

"After they fired a rocket at our group!" He can feel Nine slowly filtering to the surface, his arms moving against his will, "They tried to kill us beforehand, Knight!"

"And they are trying to redeem their mistake!"

"Mistake!?"

It was then Knight felt not only burning from his hands but his shoulders as well, prompting him to grit his jaw and force his control over their body; he can easily see the light reflecting off of the faces of those around him. Although doing his best to fight off the obviously stronger and experienced mind, Knight found himself slowly slipping back in the inner recesses of their shared consciousness and as such, he flicked his optics towards the surrounding Revenants.

"Shoot me."

His words barely came out as a whisper, Knight practically felt Nine crawling his way back into control, taking his voice with it. Despite this, the younger mind knew that his words were heard as he spotted several of those in front reel back, surprise in their eyes before they hefted their weapons, and took aim.

Flashes of light then filtered into his vision as bullets sprayed from their guns however, Knight finally found himself being shoved back and he witness clear shields of light flashed into existence with one flick of Nine's hand. The bullets bounced harmlessly against his defense and the glare that Nine sent towards the shooters immediately prompted the latter to step back; Knight didn't have to look to know that the white lights of the Phoenix Exo were now completely a blood boiling red. At first, as he felt the anger permeating from Nine's mind, Knight thought that it was because of the Revenants daring attack.

"Did you just encourage them to try and kill us?"

Or perhaps not.

Forcing his way back to the surface of their shared consciousness, Knight decided to simply squeeze his way enough to gain control of his voice; it was easier than trying to take back their shared body, "You were going to try and kill them. I was trying to give them a chance."

"Traveler damn it! They are a threat, Knight! They worked with the Hive! They and those walking dried up corpses are not to be trusted!"

That is when Knight found his patience snap.

"Am I talking to a fucking brick wall!?" The surprise that he felt from Nine was distracting enough that Knight found himself moving his arms, stomping his foot to properly express his frustrations, "I told you, Nine! The Ostracized are not a threat! The Revenants are not threat! They are not trying to kill us! They are trying to help us!" He then gestured his arms towards the surrounding chosen, "True there were misunderstandings, but they are trying to rectify it! To me, that is enough of trust that they won't harm us! That they will help Ianos!" Knight then threw his arms into the air, "For Traveler's sake, the Wizard who reached out towards Ianos actually looked concerned! How do you call that a threat!? And don't you dare fucking say because she's Hive!"

He took in a breath, trying his best to cull the burst of frustration from his chest, "Just, Nine. Like I have stated before, give them a chance. They are nice individuals."

Once again, waiting momentarily for an answer, Knight glanced around nervously, taking note of the wide-eyed looks from those around him, "Nine?"

His call prompted a glimmer of emotion to permeated through Knight's thoughts, recognizing Nine's silent words, "Nine, are you serious? You're not ...?" His voice faded, the younger mind easily sensing the waves of distrust, the doubt.

"No."

The lone word was quiet but thrummed strongly in the back of Knight's mind, "It is too much of a risk. We do not know these Ostracized or Revenants. They could be simply waiting until we lower our guards, where they can easily kill us."

That is when Knight paused, his jaw slightly ajar at the words of the younger mind, "Then, what are you going to do? Try and kill them all?"

He can easily tell his words sent waves of unease through the Revenants present but, he couldn't care any less at that moment. Instead, Knight waited patiently as Nine answered, "No, I will not kill them unless I witness them try to do us serious harm. For now, I will do nothing, since it seems to appease you."

Hearing the disappointment in Nine's words, Knight remained silent as he hesitated, wondering if he could bring anymore of his bravado to speak against the older mind; he did, "What if I told you that I am willing to work with them?"

Immediately, stunned silence can be felt through their shared consciousness which was quickly followed by Nine's words, "I forbid you to do so."

Knight couldn't help but scowl, "I am a separate individual from you, Nine. You cannot tell me what to do."

"We 'share' this body." The younger mind gritted his jaw; he knows where this was going, "I can easily wrest control, force you back if I feel the need."

"You cannot do that."

"For your safety and mine, I will."

Knight's anger simmered to the surface, "Then I cannot wait until you are gone."

No sooner had the words slipped from his mouth when Knight realized the weight of it, his optics going wide as he suddenly felt Nine go silent, his lingering presence slipping into the back just as he felt something filter through their connection.

Hurt.

"Wait, Nine. I didn't mean-"

It was then Knight suddenly found himself cut off, causing him to let out a gasp as he stumbled, feeling his knees buckle before he collapsed. Barely catching himself, the younger mind managed to keep himself kneeling, his optics wide, "Nine?"

Silence and not only that, he can no longer feel the presence of the older mind, and not just Nine's. His connection to Day was absent as well, the weight of where the two shared the Ghost now empty, a silence that Knight could barely bare.

"Nine." He called out desperately, letting himself sink back into their shared consciousness, "Nine, I'm sorry."

Knight had not meant to speak the words aloud; despite sharing a consciousness, the pair understood that there were boundaries, and their thoughts were their own. He only had meant to say it to himself. Why did he speak those words aloud?

Although confused at what had happened, Knight wanted to apologize, to make amends. But, as he attempted to reach out, the younger mind barely suppressed a cry. There was nothing, just an emptiness that no matter how far he reached out, he cannot find the connection that enabled him to communicate with the Phoenix Exo. At that moment, Knight cursed his mechanical body, as the pressure in his chest would not ease if he had no capability to shed tears.

"Knight?! There you are!" He turned his optics on the cracked and crumbling wall of where Odoratta had initially slammed Nine through, his gaze picking up on Day's familiar white shell, "When I felt you disappear, I grew worried that – Knight? Are you okay?"

Soaking in his Ghost's words – or, was Day even his to begin with? – Knight opted to remain silent but shook his head. Immediately, he saw worry linger in the Ghost's white optic.

"Did something happen between you and Nine?" Knight flinched at Day's question, "Tell me, what happened? When Odoratta lifted you and Nine out of that room, they were just too quick for me to follow." The younger mind remained silent, "Knight?"

Hearing the familiar buzz of the Ghost gliding closer, Knight finally found the pressure in his chest burst and a sob escaped him, "I made a mistake, Day."

"What? Mistake?" The Ghost repeated, "Knight, please tell me, what happened?"

Wanting nothing more than to answer Day, Knight found his control over his emotions collapsing, and instead, he continued to cry, to grieve at how empty his mind felt.

Kind of a shorter chapter but if I were to add in anymore, it's going to past the 7k word count. I like to write a lot but even I know that 7k is a bit much for a lone chapter lol. Anyway, I know that Ianos is lacking in this chapter but don't worry, he will get plenty in the next C: