Seeing Ratchet so angry was rare for Clank, but it always scared him to some extent. This fact was further intensified by the aura around Lombax.

"R-Ratchet, calm down. Take a d-deep breath and…"

However, before he could finish his sentence, his furry companion sent a Void beam towards him, which hit next to bot. Clank then looked into Ratchet's eyes and saw that they were bloody red.

"I. Want. To. Hunt. Down. Qwark. NOW!" Lombax shouted.

Terrified for his life, Clank agreed to the request. Then they both went to the ship parked nearby and got into it. Inside, Ratchet was tapping random buttons on the computer, as if searching for something.

"Maybe we should go to Batalia? Apparently there's another Baron there. M-maybe he knows something?" suggested the bot.

Ratchet didn't answer, just glared at bot and then started punching in the coordinates. After a while, they both started flying towards the mentioned planet.

Upon arrival, Ratchet and Clank saw that the entire planet was in a terrible state. Huge damaged spaceships drifting on the water, fighter jets fighting in the air, towns and their surroundings destroyed by the conflict. The sight saddened Clank greatly, but not Ratchet. He didn't care now.

After landing on the nearest possible landing pad, they were greeted by one of the Planetary Army soldiers.

"Welcome to Batala! Are you here to help us in the fight against the Scorn and the Blargs? If so, great! If not, at least don't disturb our boys," said the Officer.

Ratchet walked up to the man and then placed Thorn under his chin.

"I'll only ask once. Where. Is. Pirhha?!" asked Lombax.

The soldier was surprised by this turn of events, but quickly answered the question, pointing to the nearby Fort Krontos.

Having received what he wanted, Ratchet started walking in that direction. Clank apologized for his comrade's behavior and promised that they would try to somehow reduce the enemy forces.

For the next dozen or so minutes, our heroes walked towards the Fort. Along the way, they encountered small forces of the Scorn and Blargs, but nothing they couldn't handle. However, with each fight, Ratchet became more and more brutal, to the point that he stopped using his powers, and the only thing he used was Thorn. Lombax even sometimes whispered under his breath something like:"More."

Eventually they reached the place where the Baron was supposed to be. And he was actually here.

Dead.

"What the..?"

Before Ratchet could react, the gates to the fort behind him were closed and two Guardians stood there. One in orange and the other in blue armor.

"Hey, Ratchet. Nice of you to drop by," Vincent said.

"Are you looking for someone?" Mike asked rhetorically.

Lombax pulled out his Thorn and aimed it at the Guardians. However, they did not react in any way.

After a few seconds, the eighteen-year-old heard someone walking towards him.

"Is this how you greet people who came to save you? I don't remember teaching you that."

The young man looked at the source of the voice and froze, his eyes widening when he saw who it was.

"Uncle Cayde?"

"Yes, kid. Did you miss me? Because I do."

To say Ratchet was surprised was an understatement. He was absolutely stunned. His head was full of various thoughts and questions. All related to what's happening here. However, before he could notice, he felt someone hug him tightly. He quickly realized it was Cayde hugging him.

"You don't know how nice it is to see you alive, kid. I missed you so much."

Ratchet missed him too. He often misses the days when he, his dad and his uncle would go to the Saloon and just sit there, talk and drink. Even when he was 15, he could drink alcohol, but only under the supervision of a parent.

After a few moments, the Lombax's eyes turned green again and the dark aura around him disappeared. Now tears began to fall from his eyes and he hugged his uncle tightly.

"Uncle."

The Noble Team was watching all this. The guys gathered next to each other and each of them had a smile on their face.

"You know… Moments like these are sometimes worth being a Guardian," Mike said.

"Amen for that." said others.

You could even say there was a happy ending.

Except that not everyone wanted or liked them.

"NO! OUR HUNT MUST CONTINUE! "THESE LIGHTBEARERS WILL PAY WITH THEIR SOULS!"

With that, Ratchet let go of his uncle and then held his head. He felt Thorn trying to control his mind. The dark power of this weapon was apparently greater than Lombax had assumed.

"Ratchet!" Cayde shouted in fear. The Exo male didn't know what was happening, but he didn't like it. So he tried to approach his nephew, but he was pushed from him by some energy wave. The same thing happened with Clank, whom Cayde asked. "What's happening to him?!"

"I don't know, but my readings are going crazy!" replied the bot.

Suddenly, Dredgen Yor's old weapon emerged from Lombax's holster. It placed itself in the boy's hand and then shot out thorny vines that plunged itself into Ratchet's hand. When this happened, Lombax fell to the ground unconscious.

Cayde, Noble Team and Clank looked at the eighteen-year-old in horror. In their minds they wondered what happened here. After a moment, however, they saw Ratchet getting to his feet and then looking at them. His eyes turned completely black with green irises.

"Hmmm…Ohohoho! What power radiates from this one! I feel great!" Ratchet shouted, but his voice didn't sound like his own, but more like dark echo.

While the "Lombax" examined his body, Cayde, Clank, and Noble Team quickly hid behind the nearest large cover to discuss what they saw.

"What the fuck was that?!" Sant asked.

"I think it was Thorn that possessed Ratchet. He has been complaining of severe headaches from this weapon for the last few days," Clank replied.

"So what's the plan, little guy?"

Cayde agreed with Mike here. What should they do now? No information about possession was mentioned regarding Thorn! This was something completely new!

"How's it going, guys?"

The Lightbearers and Clank looked up to see Possessed Ratchet above them, smiling diabolically, held in the air by vines coming from his Thorn-infested arm. Lombax then aimed his gun and fired.

Cayde, Noble Team and the little War-bot quickly scatter and begin to avoid the eighteen-year-old's attacks. Each of them wondered how to neutralize him without hurting him.

However, they did not know that help could come from the other side of reality.

When Ratchet opened his eyes, he found himself back in the apartment where he first met the Tenno and the Drifter. The boy wondered for a moment how he got here and after a few seconds he realized what had happened.

The Thorn took control of his body.

"I have to do something. There must be some way!"

"There's always a solution, kid."

Ratchet quickly turned towards the source of the voice. Who he saw there surprised him greatly.

"The cat ate your tongue or something?"

In front of the Lombax was a Dredgen Yor, who was leaning against the apartment door. He is wearing an armor and a helmet made of dark metal, and a tattered black cape.

Seeing the surprised Lombax, the man laughed slightly, then walked over to a table full of food in the middle of the room and sat down next to it, then took off his helmet, revealing that he was a Cazar with dark fur and dark-green eyes.

"Sit down. Food is still warm," said Yor, who then started eating.

Ratchet looked at the man with fear, but also with curiosity. He had many questions and thoughts in his head, all about the night the young Lombax received the Rose, uncorrupted version of The Thorn. Eventually he came to the table and sat down next to it as well.

"I have a few questions."

"Later. The food is still warm, and you probably haven't eaten in a long time, judging by your figure."

Surprised by this comment, Ratchet looked down at his torso and saw no problems about this. However, when he did this, he felt someone rub something against his nose. So he looked ahead and saw Yor smiling, holding chopsticks in his hands.

"Gotch ya" said the satisfied man as he resumed his meal.

For the next few minutes, Ratchet and Dredgen sat at the table and ate. They both ignored the fact that the food was already prepared here and that neither of them had anything to do with it. When they finished their meal, Yor sat back in his chair and patted his stomach a few times.

"That was good shit. Maybe I'll leave the cook a good grade?" Cazar said.

Fed up with such nonchalant behavior from the man, Ratchet slammed his fists on the table.

"Okay, no more fooling around. What the fuck is going on here?!"

"Calm down, young man, or your vein will burst."

"I'll be calm when I find out what's going on here! Why are we on Zariman?! Why are YOU here?! Why did you give me Rose that night!?"

Hearing this series of questions, Yor sighed deeply. He knew perfectly well that they would appear. However, he hoped that he would rest after the meal. Apparently, this is not happening.

"Answering them one by one. I don't know. I don't know and I didn't give it to you."

This surprised Lombax. While the first two he expected such answers, because he knew that the Void dimension could even resurrect others and twist them, from what the Tenno and the Drifter said, the last thing surprised him.

"What do you mean YOU didn't give it to me?! I remember it like yesterday that my family and I saw you pointing at the Rose on my bedside table! Are you telling me it wasn't you!?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you, kid."

Angered by all this, Ratchet grabbed the table and threw it to the side, then grabbed Yor by the collar of his armor. The man did not react to this in any way.

"Then explain it to me!"

Seeing how much his companion wanted an answer, Dredgen grabbed Lombax's hands and then threw him against the wall above the sofa, onto which the boy then fell. Cazar then sat down next to him and looked at the young man.

"You want a story? Okay, so listen. You know my story, right? You know how it ended, right?"

"Yeah. Shin Malphur killed you and ended your dark crusade."

"Yes, but it wasn't quite like that. Shin found me that day and we fought in a duel. During it he managed to shoot Thorn out from my hand and get it out of my reach. What no one says is that I then regained control of myself. I begged Malphur to destroy the Thorn, which had become a sentient entity through years of killing and consuming souls, whether Hive or Lightbearers. It whispered to my head how to strengthen me and how to make me a weapon against evil. Ultimately...I became its puppet. Shin did what I asked him to do without hesitation. He used his Light and burned the damned weapon to ashes. Then we talked for several minutes about what happened and what I did. I regretted everything. The last words I said to him before my death from his hand were my gratitude and a request that he and his family should defend our universe." Then regret and sadness appeared on Yor's face. "However, it is clear that after all these years, the Darkness has found a way to corrupt another being. I swear to you, on all that is holy, that I did not give you that weapon that night. I was, or still am, dead."

Ratchet listened to what the man said. He was surprised by all this. He even felt sorry for the former Lightbearer for his fate. However, there were still questions in his mind.

So who gave him that damned Revolver? Could the Darkness create its own Champions? If so, why him?

Ultimately, he pushed these questions aside to pursue another matter.

"So what now? How can I escape Thorn's control? Especially since we're here in the Void?" Ratchet asked.

Yor thought for a moment, then looked around the apartment.

"This place… This is a dimension between dimensions, right? Where thoughts, emotions can take material form, right?"

"Yeah..?

"So let's try to find a door to get you out of here."

With nothing better to do at this point, Ratchet and Yor left the apartment and began wandering around Zariman. Lombax remembered the stories the Tenno and the Drifter had told him. About a colony ship unexpectedly found itself in this dimension, the terrified adults turn mad and went on a killing spree, killing their children and then transforming themselves into monsters whose bodies resembled liquid metal. While traveling with Dredgen, they came across statues resembling these creatures.

After a few minutes of wandering around the abandoned ship, both men came across a door, behind which the sound of fighting could be heard. When they opened them, they saw Possessed Ratchet fighting Noble Team and Cayde. And it was obvious that he was winning.

"I guess it's here. Seeing how Thorn has connected with you, I suggest you disconnect him from your hand."

"Really? Like I didn't thought about that myself.- said Ratchet"

"Oi! I just gave you an idea!"

"Yeah, yeah… emm,Yor?"

"Hmmm?"

"Thanks. For telling me what your last encounter with Malphur was like. Seems you are a cool guy after all."

Hearing this, Yor thanked for the kind words and then pushed Lombax through the door, sending him back to the real world. When the portal closed, the man was left alone here.

Or he should be?

"You know…if you want, I can take you out of here. You have already repented of your sins."

"I know, but no. Thanks for the offer, sweetheart."

Yor turned around and saw the woman standing behind him. Her entire body glowed as bright as the sun, covering her true image. The woman walked up to the former Lightbearer and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You don't have to do this anymore. You can rest. You deserve it," she said.

"I know, but…but I feel like I have to stay here. This wreck is the perfect place for someone like me. Who knows, maybe one day someone will come here too. Then I'll become their Virgil or something."

The light being chuckled lightly at this. She then made a bow towards the man and disappeared, this time leaving him truly alone.

"Okay…Let's see if they have any working TVs and movies here."

Cayde was tired of this fight. Whatever he or the others tried didn't work. Thorn not only countered their attempts at hand-to-hand combat, but also used Ratchet's powers to cause mayhem. Invisibility, shields, fireballs, stun waves. It may be a small repertoire for a Lightbearers, but when mixed well, it has a painful effect.

Currently, the Exo man was on the ground, with members of the Noble Team lying right next to him. Clank was close to them, hidden behind cover.

Suddenly Cayde felt something grab his throat. Even though he doesn't need air, the squeeze hurt a lot. He then saw Ratchet move closer to him, holding the Exo with his vines.

"You know what, Firefly? I always thought your kind were very powerful. Crota, Oryx, Xol. Beings with almost divine powers, and they died at Guardians hands. But now that I have felt the energy of this Lombax, this Void energy… its potential is much greater than yours." Possessed Ratchet then aimed his revolver at Cayde. "Good night, Cayde-6."

The man closed his eyes, expecting to be shot. But nothing of the sort happened. Instead, he was released, and a sound of pain reached his ears. He looked ahead and saw his nephew clutching his head.

"Leave my uncle, you stupid bitch!"

"Why are you interrupting my fun?! I can make you powerful if I consume their souls!"

"Stop it!"

Cayde watched as not only did Ratchet's voice change over and over again, but as he tossed himself in all directions. Each time trying to get Thorn out of his hand.

Eventually, Lombax, whose eyes had returned to their normal color, screamed loudly, then snapped his fingers, and a rift leading to another dimension appeared next to him. Ratchet then put his hand that was holding Thorn in there and closed the portal again.

Cutting off his corrupted hand in the process.

"Aaaa!" the young man shouted in pain.

At this sight, everyone rushed to check on him. Don quickly used his Light to burn away the severed area and used bandages.

After all this, Cayde thanked all the gods deep down for this nightmare to be over.

Now they just need to find a safe place for them and Lombax.

And in the Void, a certain being looked at all this with curiosity. This whole interaction between Yor and Ratchet wasn't planned by it. It was intriguing though. Especially at the end, where Dredgen was talking to someone. With someone the Void Being has not been able to see.

"With who did you talk? Or are you just crazy?"

Its storm of thoughts was disturbed by an object that was flying around the Void.

A Hand holding a black revolver.