Again, I felt the space around me warp and move me, landing unceremoniously onto the Sandy dunes of Mars. [i]shit[/i] I cursed again, grunting as I moved myself up, grabbing the relic once more. And once more I pushed myself forward, taking out the hobs that awaited me, my vision growing dark as the oracles tried to trap me in the void. I slipped through the portal and landed in the middle platform again, an idea popping into my hwad. Calling to the void I shot a tether towards the time lord, rendering his torch hammer useless. I shot everything outward, a yell ripping at my throat. The damage was significant as he was binded by the tether, but the anchor broke and as he crumbled, a void blast sailed towards me, knocking the wind from my lungs. I forgot how bad plasma blasts had hurt, as I let out choked gasps, trying to get up.

I wasn't really focused on what she was doing, but from the corner of my eye I saw a void tether render the cannon useless. Following that was a loud explosion and the... silence. Every goblin and Minotaur I had had in my sights vanished. I turned around to see Artemis on the ground, groaning. I ran to her dropping everything and taking the first aid kit from my bag. "Just... stay put, don't move" I said as Hades popped up next to me.

I gasped, black starting at the corner of my eyes, clouding my vision. I saw wade and hades above me, but I heard nothing, just silence as darkness slowly welcomed me. Hades whirred around frantically, gauging vitals and the damage from the blast, black and purple scorch marks burning at the armor. "Her lights almost gone..."he said, his tone regretful and filled with grief, remembering the last time. It was how kabr the Legionless fell...

"Fvck..." I knew I couldn't do anything. I had medical training, yes, but Light wasn't physical or mental. It was something completely out of my control. "Hades... I need a way out, now" I didn't know what I was going to do, I had no plan. But I knew that if she was to die, she wouldn't do it in here. "Artemis, I'm sorry, this is going to hurt" I said as I punched a syringe through her chestplate. Adrenaline would keep her heart beating just a bit longer, even if it was a short lived victory. I hoisted her up on my arms. "Hades, the exit?"

"I'll link you coordinates, there's a spire that leads to the junction, it'll cut down the time."he said, immediately sending the titan the exits coordinates. They wouldn't face any more problems now at least, the vex couldn't mobilize without the time lord. I felt myself being lifted up, the adrenaline kicking in to nullify the pain, but I was in and out. Faces filled my vision, ones I've long forgotten regretfully, smiles greeting me. I blinked and they were gone, trying to stay conscious as we walked, more like him walking and holding me up. "You could have warned me first...dick."I sputtered, giving out a dry laugh. God my head hurt...well everything did, but black dots beckoned me as we went

"I did, didn't I? Well, at least I meant to." I smiled under my helmet. As we made it back to the surface, the light glaring in my eyes, I opened my comm-channel. "Sam..." I said, and waited few seconds. "Sam come in, I know you're there." Few more seconds passed, and a perky, slightly mechanical female voice came on. "Oh so now my help is needed. Only as the last resort? I should have left you on that field" it shot back snarckly. "Sam... just... bring the ship around, please" I said, somewhat sheepishly. There was a moment of silence, and a sigh before I heard the ships booming engines roar near. "Almost there" I said and shook Artemis, but she was out again.

They were more vivid as I succumbed completely to the abyss, their smiles more clear as I stood before them. Six guardians I once called comrades stood tall, their white and gold armor brilliant in the blinding light. I didn't know what to do, or say, I just stood there, as one approached, placing hands on my heavy shoulders. "I never thought I would see you again Artemis."pahanin said with a brilliant smile. Warmth greeted me as the others approached, my eyes landing on a titan. Last time I saw him, he was obliterated while pushing me out of the way...I shook the image from my pounding head. Good, pain was good, it meant I was still alive. I tried to focus on that, but they were so...distracting, Aries face pleading for me to look to him. [i]no[/i]

"Hades, you got anything?" I asked as he ran his scanner through her. "Her brain activity is off the charts, but I don't know what it is". I sighed as the ship landed. The ramp opened and a ghost in a green and pink shell floated out. "C'mon, get your dumb face in the ship, we have to go" it said in a neutral tone, which was weird. I carried her over to the same bed she had slept last time she was hurt, and told Hades to monitor her. I took off my chestplate and threw it on the bed across the aisle. I looked at her for a moment, frown on my lips, and walked over to a small fridge, took a bottle of water and a protein bar and walked over to the cockpit. I sat in one of the chairs and watched out the window as Sam piloted the ship to orbit. I felt her watching me the whole time. "Don't say anything... not now" I said as I laid my head back and closed my eyes.

All I could so was stare at them, shaking my head and looking away. I failed them, I didn't deserve this, [i]they[/i] didn't deserve this...pahanins voice shook me from my conflicting thoughts, his tone soothing. "You've punished yourself for so long over our deaths when it was out of your control. I failed as a teacher, I failed [i]you[/i] artemis."he said reassuringly, the others gathering around. Their faces were so...clear. God I missed them... "But you did it...I'm proud of you, you can let go now."he continued and I only stared, numb to the pain now. I felt an embrace and I closed my eyes, letting out a deep breath I hadn't realized I've been holding. "You need to fight for yourself for once."I heard Aries called out, my heart pounding against my chest. I looked to him, finally, noticing the pained look on their faces as they came to the realization. It wasn't time, they knew it and so did i...but I didn't want to fight. I wanted to be selfish, to just...give up. But pain continued to ebbe at my head. Hades hovered above, keeping track of vitals and the activity that worried him. What could possibly be happening to cause such abnormality?... "Just hold on A...Wade will fix you."he said, making himself feel better with his words. The titan had watched out for her for months now, trusting he wouldn't fail now. He dematerialized her helmet, noting the slight frown on her lips.

I woke up a few hours later, Sam was still in the cockpit, probably running diagnostics. I rubbed my eyes and stood up. "Sam, come with me" I said to my ghost as I walked out of the cockpit. "No thank you, I'll stay here" she answered in a dismissive tone. "I bet your others ghost friend can help you". I chuckled, "you're not jealous, are you?" I asked and turned around. "Of what? That you've been keeping me completely in the dark while working with a gorgeous huntress and her ghost, completely ignoring me and leaving me to work at that ship bay? Wade I've been doing inventory checks for 8 months now and hearing nothing of you!" She said turning to me, that little shell spinning like it had a stroke. I knew she was right, but it had probably been better than sitting on the wall. I was about to say something to her, but a loud noise from the bed area stopped me. "Hades?"

The ghost whirrred around in alarm in the room, practically frantic at the news. "Wade, shit, uh excuse my language."he began "her vitals dropped dangerously low, everything; heart rate, respiration rate, that...strange brain activity. I...I don't know what to do."he relayed, hovering above her slowly. He had never felt so helpless, not since the last time, but this was worse...much much worse. -- I stared at them, pulling away from pahanins embrace, brows furrowed in conflict. My mentors words were what I've wanted to hear for a long time, feeling a form of relief wash over me that once weighed me down for years. It was a sense of closure that I never got. I looked up, passing a glance to each and everyone, noting the smiles that curved at each of their lips. I had...[i]we[/i] had avenged them, a form of euphoria bubbling in my chest. Wait...we? [i]wade[/i] I thought, coming to the realization. Pain returned to me and I gave them a panicked look, but they only smiled. As if in reassurance.

"Ah shit" I sighed and ran up to her, and removed her scorched chestplate and threw it on the floor and pressed my ear on her chest as I looked for a pulse on her wrist. I listened for a moment, before my eyes widened. She didn't have a pulse. "Fvck" I said as I turned to look at Hades, but he wasn't...he wasn't going to be any help. "Sam!" I yelled at the direction of the cockpit. "Sam I need you, where's the defibrillator" I yelled as I started doing the presses. The defib materialized next to me, hitting the floor with a loud thump. I finished my set of compressions and breaths and listened. [i]Still nothing[/i] I set the defib and waited for it to charge. [i]Clear[/i] I counted myself and shocked her...nothing. I tried again... nothing. I knew that trying the third time was a long shot but I wasn't going to give up. I gave her another shot of adrenaline and waited a few seconds, and shocked her... nothing. I slumped on the floor, defeated. I just watched her for a moment, laying there lifeless. A sudden surge of arc energy shot through me right arm. "Goddamnit Artemis!" I smashed her chest.

Warmth. Being in their presence no longer made me fearful, bit happy that I had eased their pain...and my own. I felt myself smile and looked up to Pahanin one last time, his mouth moving in slow motion. "Go home Artemis."he said with a smile, the blinding world around me crumbling as I felt arc energy pull me. It was like I was surfacing from water, taking in a large inhale, then smaller gasps as I tried to regain breathing regulation. I saw hades float above my head, squinting to see him clearly due to my pounding head. [i]what the?...[/i]I mused, lolling my head to the side, eyes landing on the titan. "Wade?"