Nik looked around almost nervously, as the elevator descended to Tier Three. Her and Bran-Shey had met at five o'clock, as per agreed and were now descending to Emberlight.

The elevator touched the metal with a clang, the frontal railing lowering to allow access. A bastion of knights stood in the centre , lazing around. Nik approached one, Brand-Shey following her, his Ironmight plate armour and Sudaruska creating an imposing figure compared to her polished frame.

"Have you seen a Warden, stumbling around recently? Maybe bound to depth seventeen?" Nik inquired, doing a poor job of masking her apprehension.

"Wait, you KNOW that bastard!?" A knight in Recon Ranger armour demanded. "Yeah, I saw him, and he left me a parting gift" The knight gestured to a strip of bloody Miracloth wrapped around his torso.

"Well, I'm sure when he gets back in his right mind he will be sorry" Nik apologized on Troy's behalf..

"Sorry, right mind? Look, princess: He is mostly Trojan by now. He was turning black and purple already when we met him. We decided not to kill him, but he is a DANGER. You should put him down when you see him, It's only fair for him- whoever he is." The angry Knight said.

Nik sighed and kept walking. As the duo reached the elevator, Bran-Shey shot a warning look over his shoulder at the Garrison of Knights.

The elevator descended, as elevators do. Bran-Shey laid a hand on Nik's shoulder. She looked up, about to fervently be faithful to Troy when she stopped herself. Troy could be DEAD, or a Trojan and Bran-Shey really cared about her. She allowed his hand to stay, inching a bit closer to the Guardian. She eased herself into his embrace, and stayed their until the elevator stopped.

The elevator pressed down into soft, desecrated earth. The duo stepped off and immediately drew their weapons. They were in a fiendish city, and heard chanting coming from a turn along the road. The two Knights walked forward wearily, Nik training her Master Blasters into the knight, and Bran-Shey gripping his sword tightly in two hands.

When they rounded the bend, Nik leaped backward and Bran-Shey stepped in front of her, silently lamenting.

There stood a large clearing, filled with chanting Devilites. They were all charged with fire in their eyes, nicknamed: "Overtimers" by Spiral Knight HQ. In the midst of the horde, stood three Wardens. They were being handed weapons, and painted with sigils. Becoming Trojans. They continued chanting, then suddenly stopped. A purple mist filled the clearing, and seven Trojans stood, fully armed. Troy was one of them.

"Now!" Bran-Shey hissed, leaping into the horde. Nik followed him, blasting away at the Devilites. A Trojan swung at Bran-Shey, but he rolled nimbly underneath and the sailing blade lodged itself into another Trojan's head. He sliced it's arm off while it frantically tried to retrieve the weapon and the monster fell to the dust. Another combatant swung it's heavy blade at Nik, who had now charged in, fighting bravely. She rolled under the swing and prepared to blast it's head off with two charged Master Blasters. Not even a Trojan could survive that ridiculous amount of trauma to the brain. She stopped dead, as she saw the pendant on it's neck. She had given it to Troy for their first year anniversary. This shock made on of her shots missed, and the remaining one hit it's armoured chest with a ding. The creature turned, and in one movement, slashed her across the midsection. She gasped as she sailed through the air, landing amidst a crowd of panicked Devilites. She landed hard, and immediately passed out, unconscious. Bran-Shey decapitated the last remaining Trojan when he saw Troy, lumbering over to Nik. He threw himself in front and a parried it's swing. He swung his sword at it's head, forgetting what a skilled fighter Troy had been, and the monster used it's shield to deflect the blow. It kicked him aside.

Nik woke up as the Trojan approached him. She had a thought, Bran-Shey had a perfect angle to blow it's crystal apart. She slid a Master Blaster across the floor, and he caught it. He sighted, and fired into the back of the monster. It staggered, he continued to blast away, tears filling his eyes. At last, it sunk to a knee and turned to dust. He grabbed his Sudaruska and used it as a makeshift cane, staggering over to Nik.

Nik felt dizzy and numb. She saw blood all over the ground, and realized this was the end of her life. As he staggered over she said:

"I, always... loved... you...."

He said nothing, and crouched next to her. For a brief moment, their lips met in a kiss, then she fell to the ground, dead. He took a Master Blaster from her cold hands and pressed it to his forehead.

A single, solitary shot echoed throughout the level, and his corpse tumbled over the edge and into the churning gears of the Clockworks.

THE END

Yeah, it was just a little project I wipped out of my butt. "Into the core" was my favorite so far. And the Guardian dude, having lost the woman he loved AND his brother shot himself in the head.