Redacted

Leave me

Updated on time! Whoot!

Thanks to jsm1978, Mantic64, DisobeyedBowl6, and TheTurtleMan for the reviews!

TheTurtleman -I learned a while back that Hive are actually sequential hermaphrodites! In other words, they can change their gender if they wish. Oryx is a good example lol. So I went with 'they' to better present that. But then again, 'it' can be a good use for them too. Will try it out and see how it sounds to me later in future. Yeah, Angel is mainly a Bladedancer but he's a budding Nightstalker; so far he only knows how to use Shadestep, nothing else. I just find it kind of limited that Guardians in Destiny are only capable of using 'one' at a time and thought that it would be a bit more realistic if they main 'one' but are capable of using the others if time calls for it. But that's just me lol. Thank you!

Edited: 12/11/2022

The more I read and edit these chapters the more I realize that I jumped around in perspective a lot, trying to elongate the word count lol. Will fix that once I finish editing.

Cw: Self-Amputation

Angel's run came to slow stop, releasing his hold on the Eliksni's arm before he took a few stumbling steps forward and leaned his shoulder against the crumbling wall. Taking in deep breaths, Angel strained his ears and only let the tension leave his shoulders when he heard nothing. Releasing a breath of relief and feeling his knife in his hand, Angel sheathed it as he leaned his back against the wall and slid down it, cradling his aching arm close to his chest. He gritted his jaw as the last of the adrenaline left, leaving nothing but spikes of pain.

In an attempt for a distraction, Angel turned his attention to the Eliksni, only to see that they had stumbled away from him to the other side of the tunnel and had taken a seat. Like him, she is cradling her broken appendages. He can only wonder what it's like to go from four arms to two.

Eyeing her cape, Angel couldn't but be slightly frustrated that his eyes cannot pinpoint the color. He will know how to interact with her better if he knows what house she is from.

But first things first.

"Where is your pack, saboteur?" He asked and judging from the way the Eliksni jerked, she wasn't expecting it. Nonetheless, her four eyes turned towards him, and he saw them narrow.

"I thought my isolation here have turned me crazy." He heard her say, "But it seems you speaking my people's tongue have not been a part of my imagination." She growled, "Bandits usually do not take the time to learn it."

A fog of memory lingered, and Angel could hear the excited chittering of Eliksni, small, young, which is quickly followed by a song sung by a grieving mother.

"I was cared for by a split faction of House Devils." Angel found himself answering, "I stayed with them for nearly a summer before I made my way to the Haven."

There is a beat of silence. Then another growl.

"You want me to believe you, a 'bandit', was raised by those weakling Devils?" The Eliksni hissed, "Do not take me for a fool."

Quietly crossing off the House of Devil as the Eliksni's possible house, Angel then chuckled. He sensed the puzzled look from the Vandal.

"I can assure you that my words are true." He said, "But I will not blame you for not taking my words seriously." Angel sighed, pondering back to his first stay in the Tower. Many had called him a liar. "It sounds too absurd to be true."

Hearing her scoff, he then decided to say, "I am called. Angel. What is your name?"

"Just because you saved my life does not mean we are allies, bandit." Angel paused at the Vandal's words, "You will not receive my name."

Disappointed but not surprising. With the years of conflict between the Guardians and the Eliksni, Angel doesn't blame her for her mistrust.

But.

"I cannot just call you anything though, yes?" He asked. This earned him a scoff from the Eliksni, "Then how about a title?" Angel waited and when he received only a grunt as an answer, he continued, "How about Flourishing One? To signify your survival here as a sign of your future accomplishments?"

Seeing her four eyes furrow once more, Angel took it as a good sign, especially when she said, "You have a way with words, bandit." She then snarled, "but do not think this changes my judgement of you. If the opportunity arises, I will kill you."

Fair enough.

"Then why not kill me now?" Angel asked, "You still have two functioning arms and I have no access to my weapons." He tilted his head at her, "I am at my weakest and yet, you still sit and speak with me."

"I may hate you bandit, but that does not mean I am not willing to work with you to escape this corrupted place." The Vandal nodded her head at him. Or more specifically, at his arm, "We are both injured and unarmed. We will not escape this place alone." Angel then watched her four eyes trace over his shoulders before coming to a pause, "We are 'mostly' unarmed."

Furrowing his brows at her words, Angel then realized what she meant, reaching to his sniper rifle upon his back with his good arm. He watched as the Vandal snapped upright in her seat.

"I am not using it again you." Angel said.

"Then why are you taking up your weapon?" The Vandal retorted.

Taking note of the caution in her voice, Angel slowly hefted his sniper into his grip before promptly placed it upon the hearth and pushed it her way. He flinched at the way it skidded across the rocks and dirt – but better than tossing it and risking it going off – before it came to a stop just near the Vandal's feet. He saw the confusion in her eyes.

"I am unsure how much use my weapon will be here but, since you have access to two arms, I am certain it will be of better use to you than me." Angel explained.

He heard the Eliksni rumble, watching with careful eyes as she slowly leaned forward and tentatively took his sniper into her arms. She then proceeds to tilt the weapon in her grasp, Angel taking note the way she tenderly and carefully examined the weapon. Then, to his surprise, she reached to her waist, spotting the familiar hilt of a shock blade before the next thing she knew, it skidded across the floor to his feet.

"If we are to make it out of this corrupted place alive, then 'both' of us have to be armed." Angel wonders if she remembers that he has his own knife, "Just return my weapon when we survive this."

Taking up the shock blade, Angel gave her a nod and then subtly smiled, "Just as long as you promise to return my rifle."

Hearing her scoff, Angel took it as confirmation before turning his attention back to the shock blade in his hand. Like he had expected, it is larger than his own knife, but he appreciated it's work, lifting it up to spot the subtle arc energy permeating through the blade. Although he still prefers his own knife, this blade would do more damage, considering that he only has one functioning arm to defend himself.

"Thank you." Angel decided to say and chuckled when he heard her huff. Sheathing the knife around his waist just next to his own, he then paused when heard the scuffling of claws scraping against hard hearth.

Slowly pushing himself onto his feet, Angel stared down the tunnel with wide eyes as he heard the Vandal to do the same, hearing her growl low. A quick glance shows that she already has hefted his sniper rifle into her hands.

"Darken Ones." He heard her snarl, "I suggest we retreat."

A smart choice, considering that even though they were armed, they were merely two against an army. As such, Angel nodded in agreement before he saw the Vandal nod his way.

"Then lead the way, bandit."

Blinking back at her, Angel waited, waiting to see if she would move, if she was joking but took it seriously when he heard her snarl low. As such, straining his ears to learn the direction of the Hive's claws, Angel turned and headed the opposite direction, hearing the Vandal follow him soon after.

Xxxxx

Having no part in conversation, Ianos found that with their silence, their work digging was quick, and it was him who had found the collapse, the weak point where when he dug his fingers in, his hand slipped through. Even through his gloves, he could feel the cool air of the tunnel beneath them. Nonetheless, even widening the hole, Ianos couldn't help but hesitate, especially when Ace hovered over and beamed their light through. He could see nothing but darkness. And he is not keen on the idea of sliding in.

"Excuse me."

Jumping as Day glided past him, Ianos couldn't help but curse when the Ghost gave him a wink and promptly flew down into the tunnel.

"I will take point if you do not mind, Warlock Ianos."

Turning his attention to Nine, Ianos clenched his jaw, his hands curling in before reluctantly, he nodded. This confirmation is enough for Nine to promptly slide in feet first, raising his hands above his head just as he disappeared into the entrance.

"Are you going to be okay?"

Ace's voice rang in his ears and, honestly, Ianos isn't sure how to answer. The memories of his time on the moon resonated clearly in his mind and his fears only grew at the sight of darkness on the other side of the entrance. But his worry for Angel overcame his agitation and, despite his gut telling him otherwise, Ianos shifted so that his feet slid in first. Then, just like the Exo before him, he lifted his hands above his head to allow enough space for his body to slip through.

Expecting only darkness when he landed, Ianos fumbled when instead, he saw that the musty corridor lit up, pausing with wide eyes as he scanned their surroundings.

"Too bright?" He looked over at Day and he squinted when he couldn't even see the Ghost's shell; they were a literal ball of light in his eyes, "Thought it would be okay, considering it's pretty dark down here."

At first relieved at the light, Ianos then found his anxiety burn, building up in his throat and he couldn't help but hiss, "Turn that off." He saw the Ghost jerk at his words, "We have no idea who or what is down here with us. You are making us walking targets."

The ball of light shifted, circling even, before the room quickly plunged into darkness.

That is when Ianos took in a sharp breath, his heart beating hard against his chest, and his knees turned weak.

"Turn it back on!"

Ace's voice echoed through the corridor and, before Day could relight themselves, his Ghost beat him to it first, their black and orange shell barely visible through their light.

Despite the way his heart still beat loudly in his ears and his throat tight, Ianos managed to growl, "What are you doing? We are in enemy territory."

"In any other situation I would have listened to you." Ace retorted, "But here? I am not going to leave you in the dark. Not like this." He heard his Ghost take in a deep breath, sensing through their bond the ease of their worries and frustration, "I understand your concerns, but Day and I are going to keep this place lit." Despite the illumination against their shell, Ianos can see his Ghost's orange optic flick over him, staring past him, "And apparently you are not the only one who needed some light."

Confused, Ianos trailed his Ghost's line of sight, and then paused when he locked onto Nine. Despite having his helmet on, Ianos spotted the subtly trembling upon his shoulders, shaking to the point where he can see his weapons visibly vibrate in his hands. That is when he remembered that although Knight does not recall his time with the Hive, Nine does.

"I-I highly recommend the usage of our Ghosts to light the way." Ianos didn't miss the subtle way his voice trembled, the lack of emotion replaced with a tinge of fear, "According to Ghost Sunny Day's scans there is little activity around us." There is a pause from the Exo and Ianos could hear him take in a deep breath; an obvious attempt to regain composure, "I estimate only a thirty percent chance of encountering hostiles. Hence our Ghosts will encounter no danger."

It is an obvious excuse, no doubt about it, but Ianos isn't going to call him out, not when his own fears kept him from retorting. As such, he simply nodded, a confirmation to the Exo's statement. He could sense the relief from his fellow Warlock.

Watching as Nine took point, Ianos followed, taking slow and careful steps not to disturb any loose rocks or debris upon the floor.

"You have a companion now."

Ianos heard Ace whisper in his ear, and he could feel Hope's confusion at his Ghost's statement. But he understood it.

There were survivors, survivors of battles against the Hive. But, at least for him, there weren't others who were survivors of being Hive prisoners. To his knowledge, most died not long after being under the Hive clutches. Their rituals see to that.

Ianos had no one to sympathize with, no one to completely to tell his story.

But now there is Nine.

"Help each other." He heard Ace stay before his Ghost glided forward, only to come to a pause next to Day, the Exo's Ghost some distance away to properly illuminate the front.

Quiet, Ianos watched on as his Ghost's shell shifted, their optic flashing to show that they were speaking. Of what, he couldn't quite snatch as Ace's words were soft, too quiet. But it is apparent from the way Day responded back that the other Ghost heard them loud and clear and Ianos couldn't help but be suspicious.

Nonetheless, he decided to speed up his pace, catching up to Nine so that he was just a few feet behind him. Even then, the Ghost's voices were still too quiet for him to hear.

He decided to give up on his plans to eavesdrop. If their Ghosts do not want them to hear, he will let them have their privacy. But Ianos cannot help but think that they are planning something.

"They are planning on us to be friends." Ianos jumped; Nine's voice seems loud in within the tunnel, even with their Ghost's chatter quietly in the background, "Something about our experiences being similar."

Unable to help but raise a brow at Nine's words, Ianos glanced back at the two Ghost's. They carried on with their conversation, as if they did not hear or ignored the Exo's words.

"You can hear them?" Ianos decided to ask, and he turned his attention back in time to see Nine nod, "Can all Exo tune into conversation like that or is it just for the Phoenix?"

"The Phoenix." Nine answered promptly, "However, other Exo may have this function as well. Depending on their task." Although his head is pointing forward, Ianos can feel his gaze flick towards him, "That Security Exo that spends time with you. Pluto – 99. His senses are sharp to easily spot intruders."

That would explain how Pluto always seems to know enemy locations and how to read others.

"And you?"

There is a brief pause, Ianos looking with interest as there is a subtle, almost invisible, tilt of Nine's head.

"Restriction. Access denied." He frowned, "Authorization by Phoenix Exo Unit I – 0 required."

Right, Ianos had overheard Echo's command, back during the trial. He wonders what the Titan is trying to hide. And judging from the way Nine released a sharp exhale, he is not the only one annoyed at Echo's secrecy. All for different reasons.

"I am going to a guess that Echo was the head of the Phoenix Exo?" Ianos asked.

"In a way." Nine confirmed, "More like he is the connection between the Phoenix and our creators. If they require it, all Echo had to do was speak the command, and those present had to heed it."

Ianos scowled, "No choice?"

Receiving no answer, Ianos decided to take it as confirmation and decided to stay quiet himself. At this point, he is starting to think Angel's habit of asking questions is rubbing off on him.

"Nine?"

And it seems to be rubbing off on Ace as well.

"I recall you saying that you were planning to terminate yourself?" Ianos glanced back at his Ghost with wide eyes; they were being forward with their questions, "If that is the case, why later?"

At first, with the silence looming over them, Ianos had thought that Nine is going to ignore the question, to let it linger until it is forgotten.

"Knight is too young." Nine's voice broke the silence, "Too young to properly defend himself against hostiles, especially those against the Guardians." Then, for the first time, Nine's head completely turned to Ianos, his attention now obvious, "If I were to leave now, he is highly likely to die out in the field."

Ianos furrowed his brows, "You do not know that."

"I was a prisoner of the Hive as you were, Warlock Ianos." He flinched at Nine's words, "despite the brief period of imprisonment, I could not handle the ordeal. Imagine if Knight were to take my place."

In honesty, most Guardians couldn't but, Ianos has to admit that Nine has a point. As such, he decided to stay silent, a way that he understands, and Ianos heard Nine hum, barely audible, before their surroundings went quiet once more.

Xxxxx

Once again, Angel slowed in his run, coming to a slow halt as the screeches of the Hive faded from his ears. Leaning against the corridor wall to catch his breath, Angel heard the Vandal's steps slow behind him as well. He could hear her breath hard behind her either mask.

Grateful for the short rest, Angel could now feel the dull throb of his broken arm and he reflexively reached out with his other hand to settle it.

Pain.

He bit his lip, muffling his cry as he squeezed his eyes shut, curling in onto his arm.

Something wasn't right.

It had hurt before but, this? This is abnormal.

That is when he felt a hand grab him roughly by the shoulder, forcing him to turn before his back slammed against the wall.

Tense, Angel blinked past the tears, the agony, before his vision focused enough to realize that it is Flourishing One, seeing her lean in, and he heard her sniff, trailing down before reaching to his wounded arm. And snatched it into her arms.

Angel fell at the pain, falling to the floor with a sharp cry. In turn, he felt her grasp leave it, allowing him to bite back his screams, curl in, and whimper.

"The scent of an Ashen One lingers over you." Angel halted at Flourishing One's words, eyes wide, "You are corrupted."

"Lies." He found himself saying before he could even fully comprehend it, blinking past the tears as he looked up at her; her four eyes were easy to spot in the dark, "I was not corrupted when I fell here." He looked away, staring at the floor, "Perhaps it was during that fight, when I helped you. Their scent may have… "

"I know the difference." Angel can hear the offense in the Vandal's words, "This differs from the scent of battle, bandit."

Quiet, Angel pondered, contemplated on how when, it hit him.

The Acolyte during its last death throes.

The sensation of darkness burning against his light.

Dread settling into the pit of his stomach, Angel uncurled himself, letting his legs lay flat while lifting his trembling right arm, and, slowly and carefully, tugged at the straps upon his bracer.

Even the subtleness of the action sent waves of pain through his arm, but Angel gritted his teeth, forcing his arm to be lax until finally, the bracer fell, and he slipped the gloves off.

The first thing he saw were the puncture marks, deep boring holes that left welts upon his arms. Then, there were the veins, dark and black that crawled, contrasting even against his tan skin. It seemed to move, pulsate upon his arm and Angel not only stared, but also sensed Flourishing One as well, her deep breaths the only sound breaking the silence.

Guess he should be fortunate, that it is only his arm that had gotten corrupted but, Angel knows better. He had heard of stories, stories of gradual corruption, of Guardians going mad as the darkness ate away at their light. Or those like Ianos, who manage to keep themselves together but suffer the pain, the agony of coexisting with the darkness within them.

Angel felt fear.

Without another word he lifted his good arm and fiddled with his hood, unwrapping from his shoulders before he laid it out the best he could upon the floor.

"What are you doing?"

Ignoring Flourishing One's question, Angel went and grabbed the shock blade from his waist, raising it, hesitating at the symbol of wings upon it's back, and then brough it down upon the cloth. His heart, his emotions screamed at him for destroying the last precious gift that House of Spirit has given him before he forced it down, cutting away until he has several strips of cloth before him.

Placing the shock blade upon the floor next to him, Angel turned his eyes towards Flourishing One; from the wide look in her eyes, she already knew what he is planning.

In turn, he gave her a wry smile, "I know you would rather kill me, however, may you give me a hand?"

As Angel waited for an answer, he saw her four eyes narrow, hearing her release a rumble. He took that as a no.

Taking up a strip of cloth, Angel raised his wounded arm to allow space to wrap the cloth around it, clenching his jaw as the injury protested the movement. Nonetheless, he is successful on wrapping it – just above the elbow – but, as he went to tie a knot, the cloth went slack, and Angel released a harsh breath through his nose. The pain is getting to him, and his patience is short.

However, as he went to attempt again, Flourishing One suddenly kneeled next to him, prompting Angel to pause and look at her.

"What aid do you need"

Blinking, Angel shook off the surprise before holding the edges of the cloth in his hands.

"Tie this around here?"

He pressed the tips of his fingers on where he wanted the cloth taut, and he watched as the Vandal reached over with her upper arms and – with surprisingly delicacy – pulled the cloth taut around his arm.

"Tighter." Angel instructed and he saw the Eliksni's eyes shift, wary, but nonetheless, she listened, feeling the cloth practically cut into his armor. That should do it.

He picked up the shock blade from the floor, "Correct me if I'm wrong but, shock blades still can cauterize wounds?"

Angel is certain they do but, it has been a while since he had last used one. Best to be safe than sorry.

In turn, Flourishing One four eyes narrowed, "Yes, if you flick the trigger just above your thumb, then it will – bandit!"

Taking in a deep breath, Angel pressed the button upon the hilt before plunging the knife into his elbow.

Agony swarmed through his arm, biting back a scream as he forced it to stay still, his mind screaming at him to pull it away as he continued to cut, to saw, feeling the wound burn. Forcing the blade through his thrashing limb, Angel then felt the resistance slip, the shock blade snapping through. That is when he dropped it, body trembling.

Despite it being his idea, Angel didn't want to look, didn't want to see. It is one thing to see blood of an enemy, but a wholly different story towards your own. Nonetheless, despite the shock blades cauterization, Angel can feel the ground beneath him is wet and it felt like a lot. It would explain why he felt feint, dizzy, and his vision blurred around the edges. Even with ridding the source of corruption, Angel wouldn't be able to move, at least, not like this, not for a while.

"Leave me." He managed to murmur before he lost sight of his surroundings.