The Silver Fang [Ongoing Au Fanfic]

[bejuizb]

A Preface of Sorts

 

 

Firstly, I just wanted to say 'hi' to everyone who is reading this right now. Prefaces and author's notes are quite boring and something alien to me, but I'll try my very best to keep this as simple as possible. The aim of this preface is for me to explain the context behind this story and the train of thought that led to it. Consider it a story behind the story if you will. You can skip this bit and go right ahead if you will, it won't affect your reading in any manner. But stay if you wish to know more about the universe this story is based in.

 

The Silver Fang is a backstory series for one of my characters on the “Of Ash and Fire” thread on the official Warframe Forums. The reason behind this story is simply that my character's past developed through his actions, and the people on that thread (wonderful folks by the way) were quite interested in him, and so was I.

 

I decided to go ahead and type out a story series that leads to how he becomes what he is during the current Warframe timeline. Its also safe to say that this is my own headcanon, and I won't be giving a damn about any more snippets of lore being released.

 

It revolves around the microcosm surrounding my protagonist, in a society I envisioned prior to the fabled Collapse. The game does not have an ounce of lore regarding this timeline, apart from a few isolated snippets of codex entries. Just read with an open mind, since in my opinion, this story is not driven by lore, but hopefully by the emotions of my characters.

 

This story might be considered a romance. Before you close this tab, hear me out. My character's personality is extremely dependent upon his past, and it requires me to flesh out the reason for the way he is. It will not be a lovey-dovey romance, or rather I hope it doesn't become one. If my words don't make it evident, I'm not familiar at all with relationships, and all these concepts and emotions are my hypothetical “what if's”. I have never written a story with a romantic element to it so far, meaning that I will be relying heavily on feedback and reviews for me to proceed and improve myself.

 

I really hope that people would take the time and give me some constructive criticisms or simply wish to discuss lore. I don't mind if you dislike this story, I understand that it might be a bit too different from the norm, and it's perfectly fine. This story is simply a means for me to become a better writer, and what better way is there than to keep others entertained while I do so?

 

I sincerely hope that you as a reader enjoy this story as much as I enjoy typing it!

 

Enjoy the ride...

 

-bejuizb

 

 

Please note: I will be posting links to all the individual chapters as I type them out here in the OP.

[bejuizb]

Three Innocent Stowaways

 

 

The woman called Keira sighed as she stared at the proverbial mountain of paperwork on her desk. Ever since the Council had agreed upon proceeding with the Tenno program, hundreds of transcripts went past her, documents from the hopefuls trying to cure their afflictions. The Orokin made it sound like her people would not be able to survive without their intervention, but the truth was far from that.

 

Most of the myths originated because of the strange way the Tenno race had been created. It was uncommon knowledge, but Keira learned that the Tenno were created from Orokin test subjects. They had sent ships to a strange pocket dimension they had dubbed the Void, and nine out of ten times, there were no survivors. The ships simply returned empty, with no traces of life whatsoever. One witness report even said that there was a mug of tea that was still warm.

 

When survivors did return, they were mutated in strange ways. The Void seemed to defy certain scientific laws, and she was in no state to debate those laws. After all, commanding freighters was all she was proficient in. These survivors had gained the ability to toy with mass-energy equivalence, giving them the ability to manipulate the elements, and many other things. Real life superheroes, but with several debilitating flaws.

 

The initial survivors had gone insane, being completely unable to comprehend themselves becoming monsters. As the number of test subjects grew, the Orokin managed to devise means to control their issues and after a few years, decided to let them form their own race. Because of their genetic differences in comparison to humans, Tenno were treated as a separate species, who had adopted ancient principles devised by humans, when they used to live on Earth.

 

Tenno had relative control over their mutations, and devised means to suppress their symptoms from a very young age. The Orokin hierarchy gave the Tenno a promise of absolute control over their “side effects” and the added promise of power, with the sole condition of the Tenno aiding them in the war.

 

The Sentients had pushed their way into the Saturn sectors, slowly and methodically turning Orokin technology against them. In an act of desperation, they had brought the Tenno, the so called “freaks from the Void”, hoping to use them as a means to counter the Sentient menace. And that had begun with the recruitment of test subjects to design suits called Warframes. These suits were supposed to channel the strengths of the Tenno, giving them a powerful edge in combat. Hundreds of Tenno had volunteered for the program and all of them on the Chimera had to go through Keira.

 

She leaned against the wall behind her desk, stretching her sore back. Just moments ago, a solider had reported catching three stowaways in the cargo bay. They must have gotten on when we docked with the Mars station, she thought. She would kick them out when they docked in a new resupplying station. Freeloaders would have to find a way out of there, she thought with grim amusement. Serves them right. Stowing away on a military ship was a crime that should be seriously enforced. This coupled with her frustration with her current situation led to her fuming for a few silent minutes, rubbing her temples to relieve her headache.

 

She heard a knock on the door. That must be Obix.

 

“Come in.” she said, slightly raising her voice.

 

The door hissed open to reveal a heavyset man walking into the room, with three children in tow. All three of them were looking around fearfully and Keira realized that those three must be the stowaways. She nodded at the frowning man, knowing that he was annoyed at finding those children just like she was. He began to talk to her in a brusque and harsh voice.

 

“We found these three in the storage bay, Ma’am. They were hiding underneath a storage hatch for one of our docking ships. I brought them here immediately.”

 

She nodded. The Chimera was a big ship, and it used several smaller docking ships to gather supplies and fuel during its travels. They were headed towards the Terminus, the throne of Orokin power. They were planning on taking a quick run through the solar rails after refueling at Mars. Each docking ship had two levels for storage: the upper level for fuel and other essential fluids while the lower level was for storing solid goods. The last docking session was a refueling one, which left the lower bay open for the children to hide in.

 

“Thank you Obix. I would like to have a word with them in private.” She said, pointedly looking at the door. She saw the big man’s facial muscles clench, but he relented begrudgingly.

 

“Very well,” he said before marching out of the room. The three children turned around to see him leave, but their attention returned to Keira as she cleared her throat.

 

“My name is Keira, and I am in charge of this ship,” she said with a neutral expression, hoping to hide her annoyance. To put it simply, she had no idea on how to talk to children. “Why were you three hiding on this ship?”

 

One of the children, a boy, began to speak. “We wanted to get off of the station and travel.”

 

Keira examined the three children. Two boys and a girl. The one who spoke was the tallest of the three, his face looking back at her confidently. The other boy was standing a little further away, a mop of dark hair doing nothing to hide his fear of being here. The girl was to the right of the tallest one, and she was nervously twirling a lock of her hair.

 

“Travel? You’re a bit too young to travel, aren’t you? Where are your parents?”

 

“Our parents are gone. And we’re all almost 11 years old,” said the tallest one, still looking at Keira intently. He doesn’t fear me like the others, she thought.

 

“Gone? How?”

 

“My parents worked in another big ship.” said the tallest one. “They didn't come home for a long time. I want to search for them and that’s why I left my house.”

 

Keira nodded grimly. She knew what ship the boy's parents must have worked on. The boy was talking about the Fang, a Tenno scout ship that was headed towards the outer reaches of the system to scan for Sentient patrols. They had lost contact with the ship a few days ago, and fearing the worst, declared all passengers KIA.

 

She looked at the other two children. “And what about the two of you? Where are your parents?”

 

The girly twirled a lock of hair more firmly. “They were on the big ship too.”

 

“So were mine.” said the other boy. “We live next to each other.”

 

Keira crossed her arms. Spirits help me! She had three orphans with her. Sending them back to Mars meant that there would probably be no one to care for them. They had already survived for almost a week without anyone’s help. I cannot leave them. It’s not right. But at the same time, the higher ups are going to roast me alive for this, she thought acidly. Screw them, these kids need help.

 

Changing tact, she responded with a kind smile. “How rude of me. I don’t even know your names!”

 

They seemed surprised at the sudden change in her demeanor. “My name is Damien,” said the smaller boy.

 

“Cathy,” said the girl.

 

“Aiden,” said the tallest boy, looking at the others.

 

Keira clapper her hands together. “It’s nice to know your names.” To their excitement, she said, “I will let you three stay on this ship and search for your parents. But you need to do something for me.”

 

Seeing that this woman meant her no harm, Cathy became a little bit bolder. “What?”

 

“You will promise me to behave yourselves. I can’t have you three running around and blowing things up!”

 

Aiden nodded eagerly. “Okay.”

 

Keira got up from her chair, looking down at the children with a warm smile. They trust me now…that’s good. “Great! Now I’ll ask Obix to take you three to your room. I don’t have enough space for a separate room for each of you.”

 

Damien hesitated, then spoke up. “Do we have to fight with you? I saw the big guns while we were getting into the ship.”

 

“No you won’t. You said that you wanted to travel, right?” to which Damien bobbed his head. “That is all you will be doing. We’re going to a nice place. It should take us a few more days to get there.”

 

The children seemed to relax at those words, looking at each other with excitement. Keira called out to Obix and the man walked in through the door.

 

“Any trouble Ma’am?” he asked, frowning at the children. Aiden protectively stood in front of the other two, frowning back at him. He didn’t like the big man.

 

Keira noticed their discomfort and attempted to intervene. “I need you to escort them to a furnished room. They will be staying with us.”

 

Obix looked surprised, his small eyes nearly bulging from their sockets. “But…that is against regulations! We cannot let stowaways just stay in our ship!”

 

Keira glared at him, boring into his eyes with a fiery gaze. “They are now our guests, Obix. Escort them to a room.”

 

“But…Ma’am-“

 

“Are you questioning my authority, Obix?”

 

He glared back at her, venom evident in his features. He waited for a few moments before responding. “Very well.”

 

He brusquely turned around, stomping out of the room. Keira looked back at the children, who were still looking at the door the man walked out of. She walked up to them and knelt down, eye level with the children. He turned around at her footsteps, and she smiled encouragingly.

 

“Obix is a bit angry with me. Don’t worry, he won’t do anything to you. I want you three to stay in your new room for a while. I need to finish some work and then I’ll come and visit you. Okay?”

 

Aiden nodded and walked out of the room, the other two following him nervously. Before Cathy left the room, she gave a nervous wave and then ran after the other two.

 

Keira waved back and walked back to her desk. I’ll finish this work fast and then pay them a visit. She checked the status of their journey. Five more days until they enter the Terminus. She sighed as she looked at the mountain of paperwork in front of her. Talking to the children was tougher than she'd expected.

Edited April 28, 2014 by bejuizb

[evo454]

Very well written. I am interested to see more of this.

[Aryajmarya]

I'm... confused... wasn't there a thread with more chapters... before I left for my holiday? ,_,

I can't seem to find it. :(

[bejuizb]

I'm... confused... wasn't there a thread with more chapters... before I left for my holiday? ,_,

I can't seem to find it. :(

I removed it in a fit of rage....sorry! I'm reworking elements of the chapters and I kinda fell into a rut, which lead me to removing close to 100,000+ words of fanfics from the internet.

[Aryajmarya]

I removed it in a fit of rage....sorry! I'm reworking elements of the chapters and I kinda fell into a rut, which lead me to removing close to 100,000+ words of fanfics from the internet.

Nooooo D:

 

As long as they'll be back right? :o

[bejuizb]

Nooooo D:

 

As long as they'll be back right? :o

They will. I'm currently working on the ending chapters, and revising what I already have. I should upload soon.

[bejuizb]

Alright, a small apology to those who were expecting updates. I'm quite the fickle minded writer, so I've ended up writing large sections of the story, at least the second half of it, but I can't exactly upload them since I'd lose the continuity of it all. So I just want to say thanks and sorry, and I'll try my best to get some sequential chapters out ASAP

 

bejuizb signing off!

[bejuizb]

You know what, ignore my previous post. You all get THREE chapters. No point in me holding them back now is there. I initially was hesitant to release them again, but after careful consideration, I'm actually happy with them. 

 

So enjoy! And I will love any sort of feedback I can get, be it constructive or otherwise. 

 

 

Shore Leave:

5 years later...

 

 

“Chimera, you are cleared to land. Welcome to Earth.” blared the tinny voice from the comms unit in the cockpit.

 

“Roger that, thank you for clearance.” replied the pilot as he steered the large transport craft into the loading bay of the hangar. Steadily shimmying the large ship, he sighed in satisfaction as he felt the docking clamps secure the ship to the port.

 

The pilot performed his post flight checks and called his XO.

 

Several deck below, Keira's comm unit rang with a sharp ringing sound. Mumbling to herself absently, she accepted the call.

 

“Keira here.”

 

“Ma'am,” came the voice of the pilot, “we've docked on Earth. I managed to reserve this dock for three days.”

 

She nodded to herself. “Good. Do me a favour and inform the crew that they have a 48 hour shore leave. They need to report in at daybreak on the third day.”

 

“Understood. I will relay the message to the crew.”

 

“Thank you, Dean,” she said as she terminated the call. The woman got off her chair, stretching her tired shoulders. The war had kept the crew very busy, ferrying supplies to the front lines at an almost breakneck pace. Luckily for the benefit for everyone on the system and her crew, the Tenno program had been successfully initiated, and several dozen Tenno were deployed to the front lines in Orokin developed suits called Warframes. The new reinforcements had thrown a monkey wrench into the Sentients' plan, and they had managed to stop the invading force dead in their tracks.

 

This meant that she and her crew could take a break and they had unanimously decided to dock at Earth. The once beautiful planet, birthplace of humanity, had been polluted and harvested for resources, to the point where it had almost become an inhospitable hunk of rock, unable to support any living beings. A massive portion of the planet's landmass was filled with destroyed and decaying cities, abandoned husks that served as a grim reminder of the people who once lived there.

 

There was a very small sector of the planet that had been protected at all costs from wars or pollution and it now served as the Earth hub, a small tourist attraction and storage depot. It resembled a small city, hidden amongst leafy trees. Tall, pristine buildings dotted the skyline and dark, dingy streets were the home of thieves and bandits, waiting to rob any unwary tourists.

 

She walked out of her office, headed towards the medical bay. Damien had fallen ill a few days ago, and the medical officers had concluded that he had gotten a rather rare case of influenza. Where he contracted it, they didn't know. The poor boy had been bedridden, sleeping frequently as he fought against a burning fever. Aiden and Cathy had sat by him the whole time, cautiously watching over their friend. The three of them had bonded over the five years they had stayed together in the Chimera. They were almost inseparable.

 

The door to the med bay hissed open, and Keira stopped as the airlock performed decontamination procedures. Once it was done, she walked through another set of door to see Aiden leaning against a wall, reading a book. Cathy was fast asleep next to him, her head lolling on his shoulders. Keira smiled as she approached the two of them. Even though they shared no blood, she felt a strange protective instinct for these children, as if they were her own. It was not just only her though; the other members of the Chimera had come to accept the three stowaways and they were soon victims to their playful antics. Obix had resorted to calling them the “Three Terrors” after they had attempted to make the massive ship perform a barrel roll inside the atmosphere of Mars. Keira had the crew cycle between access codes every 8 hours from that day.

 

Aiden looked up as he heard his mentor walked up towards him. He put the book down on his lap gently, so as to not wake up the sleeping Cathy. Keira looked at Cathy with raised eyebrows. He simply shrugged with his eyebrows. Keira nodded and quietly walked up to Damien, who was sleeping soundly on a bed. Keira stood there for a few moments, making sure that he was alright before turning around and walking back towards Aiden. He was looking down now, seemingly lost in the scuff marks that adorned every inch of the busy ship's floors. Cathy had not moved at all, and Aiden had no intention of waking his friend up. She hadn't gotten much sleep in the past few days, worriedly looking after their friend, and he knew that she needed the rest. He himself could last for a long while before feeling sleepy.

 

Keira stubbed her toe against a section of a bed and cursed violently, which woke Cathy up with a start. The young girl looked around in confusion as Aiden chuckled deeply and Keira looked mortified. She had the unfortunate habit to swear violently, using words in her vocabulary that would make any uncivilized ruffian blush in embarrassment. Cathy quickly rubbed her sleepy eyes open and sat straight as Keira slowly walked towards them, muttering insults towards the manufacturers of the bed.

 

“I'm so sorry Cathy!” she said shamefacedly as Aiden shook with mirth, the book falling off his lap and onto the floor. His laughter was infectious, and very soon all three of them were giggling uncontrollably.

 

“It's fine Keira.” Cathy managed to say before breaking down into another fit of giggles. She wasn't aware of what was happening that made her want to laugh so much, but she didn't complain. They all needed this break. She looked down and picked up the book Aiden dropped. It was a book about human history, something she knew Aiden was fascinated about. He stopped laughing and took in a deep breath. Exhaling, he stood up and calmly took the book out of Cathy's hands.

 

“What brings you here Keira?”

 

“I came here to check in on Damien. We just docked on Earth, so I just wanted to know if he needed anything,” replied the woman, absently rubbing her palms together. “Is there any improvement with him?”

 

Cathy shook her head as she yawned, eliciting another apology from Keira. “he's just been sleeping a lot. And by a lot, I mean a lot.”

 

Aiden nodded. “He's also got a burning fever. I did some reading, and it seems to be expected. His body's fighting the infection by basically heating the virus till it dies.”

 

Keira was impressed with his knowledge. She had some background in medicine, and Aiden had confirmed her diagnosis as well. “That's right kiddo. He just needs a lot of rest. And looking at the two of you,” she said, looking pointedly at them, “I could say the same.”

Cathy got up and stretched, letting her dark fair fall past her shoulders. Both of them stood at eye level to Keira. Mere years ago these two were half my height, Keira thought inwardly. Time does fly...

 

“Now that we're on Earth, can we got and get Damien some medicines?” asked Aiden.

 

“Yes, you can. We're here for three days, so you're free to roam around. But I want you two to stick to the upper levels of the station. Those are the safest areas.”

 

Cathy nodded excitedly. They had never been on Earth before and she was eager to get off the ship. Even though she considered the Chimera to be her home now, it didn't hurt to go outside and see new sights once in a while.

 

Keira looked at their eager faces, and she knew that they really wanted to go outside. “Fine. There should be a shop in the second to last level in the upper docks. They specialize in herbal remedies, and they're one of the last few such places in the system. So expect the medicines to be pricey.”

 

Aiden grinned confidently. “I'll bargain. Don't worry Keira, we won't empty your pockets.” he said as walked out of the clinic.

 

“Yet.” said Cathy, sticking her tongue out at Keira as she followed Aiden. Keira just shook her head in amusement.

 

“They'll be fine.” she reassured herself as she checked in on Damien another time before heading out to the crew deck for a debrief from Obix.

 

 

Aiden and Cathy walked down the gangplank of the freighter ship, breathing deeply and reveling in the fresh air that was a part of the Earth station. The ships used recycled air, and it truly was relieving to inhale fresh air that smelled of flowers. They both made their way along the crowded dock, ducking and weaving beneath crates and people, talking amicably as they walked.

 

Even though they were only fifteen, they did not look the part. Aiden stood almost as tall as all the other people in the area, with rugged features and a muscular body. He never exercised, but simply had that appearance. Cathy was graceful and lithe, able to move very fast with little to no effort. They both shared the same shade of dark hair and the same sort of attire. Aiden preferred human attire for their comfort and Cathy liked human clothes because they were made with good quality materials. The war had forced the entire system to live on scraps and hand-me-downs, while all resources were allocated towards the fight against the Sentients.

 

Aiden himself hadn't seen any of the mysterious enemy, having only heard war stories of how nightmarish and strange those extrasolar beings were. He looked around the station as they walked at a brisk pace, admiring the trees and foliage that isolated them from the wasteland that was Earth. Small habitable settlements did exist, but they were so few and far in between that they might as well not be considered at all. He and Cathy chatted about the sights and sounds around him, and they barely felt time pass by when they arrived at the small shop at the lower levels of the docks.

 

On entering the shop, Aiden heard a bell chime in the depths of the establishment and a wizened old lady hobbled up to them, beaming at Aiden and Cathy with a wrinkled smile.

 

“Hello children! What brings you here?” she asked as she sat in a chair.

 

“We're looking for some herbs.” replied Cathy nervously. Aiden placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

 

“For a friend.” he continued confidently. “He's got influenza and I was told you would be able to help us out.”

 

She nodded enthusiastically. “I can. For how many days has he been ill?”

 

“Four days now.” replied Cathy. “We've been watching over him for the whole time. He tends to sleep a lot.”

 

The old lady nodded. “The whole time?” she asked incredulously. “You must care for him a lot.”

 

Aiden shrugged. “He's our best friend. We got quite worried for him.”

 

The lady smiled warmly. “That's understandable, young man. Friends like this are hard to come by.” She hobbled forward, taking Aiden's hand in one and Cathy's in the other. “You must cherish your friendship with your friend. Our world is a dark and bleak place, and only the friendship you share with your loved ones will be a guiding beacon.”

 

She laughed as she let go of their hands. “You two look very confused by me. I can see it in your faces. Especially you!” she said, pointing a bony finger towards Cathy, who blushed furiously. “I've just lived a very long time, and I've seen a lot of things.”

 

“What have you seen?” asked Aiden, unable to hold his curiosity.

 

“I've seen people I care for die before my eyes. I've seen this planet kill itself day by day. And I've seen things far worse, children.” she said with a grim smile. “Living for nearly a century leaves you very, very tired. Friendship and kindness are a rarity in this world.”

 

Cathy smiled wanly. “We understand. Damien is extremely close to us. I couldn't imagine the three of us living apart.” The lady had lived a dark life, but she cherished simple things more than they could.

 

Aiden nodded and the old lady smiled as she started measuring out a quantity of herbs in a clear bag. When she was done, she handed Aiden the small bag.

 

“It's herbal tea. Give this to your friend once a day. He will get well within a few days. I made this from a few herbs that grow around the station. This is my last batch.”

 

“Thank you, but why is it your last batch?”

 

She sighed, the weight of her experiences evident in her drooping shoulders. “I am closing this shop. There aren't enough herbs in the area for me to make medicines anymore. Earth is running out of plants, and I need to move to the Phobos settlement. It's a pity. I've been running this place ever since my grandfather bought the shop.”

 

Cathy felt bad for the lady, but she knew she couldn't do anything. All she could do was hope that Earth could be recovered from its current state.

 

“I'm sorry.” she said, even though she knew it wouldn't mean anything.

 

“No need to apologize, dear. There's nothing you could do.”

 

Aiden nodded grimly. “How much do we owe you?”

 

She shook her head. “Nothing. You both should just go and help your friend.”

 

“But-”

 

“Don't worry. This is for a good purpose, that is all the payment I need. Just remember the words this old lady said. Keep your friends close. Always.”

 

Aiden nodded, smiling as he walked out of the shop. “We will. Thank you for your help.”

 

Cathy jogged behind him as the bell jingled in the empty shop. “Good luck with the shop!” she said as she left.

 

The old lady just stood there, looking at the two children who soon vanished into the darkness of the ruined planet.

 

Bloodlust:

 

Cathy was walking relaxedly, skipping slightly every time she took a step. She held held the herbs in her hand, the small packet glinting from the moonlight. She and Aiden had eaten at a nearby restaurant, enjoying the ambiance of the open roofed place. The food had been great and that greatly bolstered their spirits. She felt at peace in this station, as if the worries of the system all faded away in this small station.

 

Aiden had mostly stayed silent throughout the trip, occasionally spouting some deep, philosophical ideas regarding the world. Cathy had gotten used to her friend’s strange view of the world, and she sometimes found it quite interesting to view it that way. They both regularly got into debates regarding the purpose of intelligent life and many other things people their age refused to think about.

 

They reached a balcony that jutted out over the forest around them. Cathy leaned against the railing, basking in the soft breeze that blew through the station. Aiden sighed and looked out into the distance.

 

“Hey Aiden,” Cathy asked.

 

“Hm?”

 

“That lady back at the shop. Why did she give us that advice?”

 

Aiden shrugged. “She might have just felt the need to give us sagely advice. She's old after all. All old people like sharing their experiences with youth.”

 

“I guess so, but I can't shake the feeling that she was trying to say something deeper than that.”

 

Aiden smiled, his blue eyes twinkling like the stars in the night sky. “If that's the case, then we're just going to wait and hope that we understand.”

 

Cathy grinned. “Maybe we'll understand when we become as old and wrinkly as that lady.”

 

Aiden laughed. “Maybe. Imagining you all wrinkly and old, waving a staff at children will be a sight to see!”

 

“I won't become an old bat!” grumbled Cathy. “Not for a while, at least.”

 

“Well then, I'll just wait till I see Granny Cathy in action,” smirked Aiden, turning back towards the pathway. Cathy stuck her tongue out at him and followed him.

 

They were mostly alone, the people in the station having retired to their respective homes or ships. A few people dotted the streets, but it was next to empty. Over the course of their wanderings, Aiden had lost his way. The short and narrow streets of the station made finding their way back to the ship quite difficult. Cathy walked close to him, probably out of fear. He held her forearm reassuringly.

 

They walked silently for several minutes, the only sound around then were those made by cicadas. They were in a cramped alleyway, with trash cans and scraps of paper littering the roads. Cathy knew that they had reached the lower decks by accident, and she made to turn around while they were suddenly jumped by five people.

 

They appeared from the shadows and quickly subdued Aiden and Cathy and dragged them further into the alley.

 

He struggled against his captors as Cathy screamed, but powerful arms had locked his own. He could smell the breath of the man behind him, and it stank of alcohol. He frantically looked around to see two men pin Cathy against a wall. She was still screaming when one of men walked forward and slapped her. Aiden felt rage bubble from his core. He struggled against his captors with renewed vigor, but one of the men rammed a fist into his gun. Aiden bit back bile as he winced in pain.

 

Cathy had stopped screaming and she was now looking at the men wide-eyed. “Good, the *@##$ stopped screaming,” leered the man who had slapped her. Aiden felt his rage burn even more fiercely at the way way he had addressed Cathy.

 

“Let her go!” he shouted to the men, to which he received a cacophony of drunk laughter. “Take whatever you want, but just let her go!”

 

“Oh don't you worry, sonny boy. We will be taking what we want, and there's nothing you can do about it.” chuckled the man as he ordered his men to search their pockets and take their belongings. One of them exclaimed as he held up the packet of herbs.

 

“What is this?” he asked Aiden, when Cathy looked too terrified to respond.

 

“Herbs,” was his simple answer. He made sure he let his blue eyes bore deep into the man's, asserting his confidence.

 

“Herbs, huh? Guess they're not worth much”, said the first man, snatching the packet from his accomplice and throwing it against the wall of the alley. The packet burst open and the herbs fell to the ground, useless and inedible. Aiden shouted in frustration.

 

“Oho! This one's got spunk!” cackled the first man as he rammed his fist into Aiden's gut. He wheezed as air whooshed out of his lungs and he saw stars. When he regained his vision, he saw the man standing in from of Cathy, who was shivering with fear. Her shaking worsened as he fixed her with a lecherous gaze, letting his eyes roam up and down her body.

 

“We will be taking your money, and her.”

 

Aiden snarled and fought against his captors, who were forced to push him against the wall with their sheer body weight. All he could see was red as the man continued.

 

“It's been a while since I've had a young one. This is going to be a special night, boys.” The other men laughed, too drunk to understand the heinous crime they were about to commit.

 

He let his hands travel to Cathy's waist, towards the fasteners for her pants. Cathy began to cry and shake violently, screaming for help. Her pained sobs were the only catalyst Aiden needed. He needed to protect her. At all costs.

 

With a mighty bellow, Aiden pushed the men restraining him, sending them tumbling to the side. He used his new found strength to land a heavy punch at the man who had found the herbs, shattering his jaw with the force of his blow. The man howled in agony and crumpled as Aiden quickly stepped over his body, zeroing in on his new targets.

 

The leader was seemingly in a trance as he slowly undid Cathy's pants, oblivious to Aiden's actions. The two men restraining Cathy balked as they saw him charge towards them, the bloodlust clearly visible in his eyes. This got the leader's attention.

 

“What the-”. He was never able to complete his sentence since Aiden grabbed a hold of his neck and slammed it against the wall next to Cathy. His terrified friend shrieked and ducked as Aiden landed a barrage of punches against the leader's body, wanting to beat the scum to a pulp. The wall behind the man was coated in a sheen of blood. He wasn't moving, but Aiden wouldn't stop. He would be torn to shreds for attacking Cathy. Aiden winced in pain as one of the men landed a heavy blow to his midriff, and he reciprocated by swinging around and pushing the man away violently. He saw Cathy shriek and duck underneath another man desperately trying to avoid getting caught. He needed to get them out of here fast. He turned around, landed a punch at her attacker, and grabbed Cathy's arm.

 

“We need to move.” he said to her, looking into her frightened eyes to give her some reassurance. That seemed to calm his friend down as she nodded, wiping away her tears. He tugged on her arm as they both broke into a dead sprint, trying their best to outpace the footsteps that were giving them chase.

 

Cathy was soon ahead of him, her shoulder-length dark hair forming a fluttering halo as she sped up to the fastest she could go. They ran blindly through alleyways and streets, trying their best to give the pursuing men the slip. They turned around a corner to a dead end. A wall barred their way, standing ten feet tall. Aiden grunted in frustration as his mind came up with a means of escape. He could give Cathy a boost and let her get up the wall and to safety. He could force his way up and get out too. Quickly making up his mind, he ran to face the wall.

 

“Jump on me and get over the wall. Fast!”

 

She obeyed, lithely using him as leverage to hoist herself up the wall and over. Before Aiden could climb up himself, he heard footsteps behind him and instinctively ducked as a fist flew towards his face. He was met with a howl as the man broke his wrist against the wall. He heard Cathy scream his name from the other side.

 

“GO!” he bellowed, rolling to avoid another set of swings as the remaining men tried to attack him. He heard her footsteps run away from him.

 

Aiden kept backpedalling, searching for an avenue of escape as three of the remaining men relentlessly assaulted him. Almost by instinct, his body moved on its own, blocking and dodging punches and kicks thrown at him. Now that Cathy was safe, he simply wished to get away from these men.

 

“You fight like a girl!” roared one of the men as he swung at Aiden, narrowly missing his chest. The blow landed on Aiden shoulder and he knew that he'd be bruised all over after this fight.

 

Another man laughed, as he swung a half broken bottle immediately after the first, the jagged edges cutting gouges in his arm. Aiden screamed in pain as he rolled away, clutching at the bleeding wound.

 

“We should probably take him instead of that *@##$!” leered the first man, cracking his knuckles as they advanced slowly towards Aiden. “She was a keeper, but you just might do, you p***y!”

 

Aiden felt overwhelming rage as they casually mentioned raping Cathy. He felt an urge to maim, to dismember.

 

To kill.

 

With a vicious bellow, he charged at the men, pummeling the first man with as much fury as he could. He couldn't care less about his own safety, for all his intent was on hurting these men. Scum like them should not exist.

 

With a vicious strength that he did not know he possessed, Aiden attacked the men, recklessly slamming them into the narrow walls of the alley and grunting as he took a barrage of blows himself. The men were weakening, slowly relegating themselves to blocking Aiden's mad assault. With a savage grunt, he felt the skull of a man crack, the earsplitting sound followed by his limp body crumpling to the ground. He immediately jumped over the first body and attacked the second man. The terrified man waved his bottle frantically at Aiden, hoping to gore him with the multiple sharp ends of his weapon. He managed to keep Aiden at bay for a while.

 

Spit frothed from the young man's mouth as he savagely bellowed, using an opening in the man's wild swing to close the distance and grab a hold of his throat. He pushed the struggling criminal against the wall, landing heavy punches against his face. Six punches later, the man's body went limp. Still seeing only red, Aiden let the man's body crumple to the ground, completely oblivious to the many wounds on his body. He turned around just in time to see the last man swing at him with a dagger. It was aimed straight at his head, and with a stab of fear, Aiden knew that he couldn't dodge the blade in time. His feet felt dead, and he winced as he saw the blade glinted in the moonlight.

 

An earsplitting boom echoed through the night as Aiden heard a body thud to the ground in front of him. Ears ringing, he opened his eyes to see the man crumpled on the ground, his head completely blown off. The sudden realization hit him with overwhelming force. He had killed, not once, but multiple times. He didn't regret his actions, and that feared him deeply. Numb, he turned towards the entrance to the valley where a man stood still, the barrel of his gun smoking from it's last shot.

 

He saw the man slowly walk towards him. “Son? Are you alright?”

 

Aiden looked back down at the body of the man in front of him. The sight of the headless body and the blood everywhere felt like a kick in the stomach. He doubled over, retching furiously as an overwhelming force hit him in the head.

 

Aiden crumpled against the floor of the alley, drinking in the dusty smell as he faded into darkness.

 

A New Life

 

Aiden woke up in the med bay in a bleary haze. He felt sick to his stomach as he recollected the state of his attackers. How there was blood everywhere. How he had done that to them. He slowly raised his head off the small bed and turned around. Damien's bad was empty, the sheets pressed clean. Where did he go? He suddenly panicked, remembering about the reason he was here. Cathy!

 

He tried getting up, but slowed down as he felt an aching pain in his midriff. He vaguely remembered feeling heavy blows landing there, but he had completely ignored the pain because of his anger. He forced himself off the bed, landing gingerly on his feet. He was covered in a swathe of bandages around his torso, but he seemed to be fine everywhere else.

 

Checking to see if he had any tubes attached to him, he slowly walked out of the room, relieved slightly as the blast of air from the decontamination blew off any dregs of sleep that he had. Now wide awake, he walked towards the crew quarters where they all stayed. No one was to be seen in the narrow hallways that permeated the ship and Aiden was left alone to his own musings.

 

Why had he not felt bothered after killing those men? He felt absolutely no regret for his actions, only relieved that he had managed to protect Cathy. Am I evil? Do I enjoy killing? He looked at the moving floor pensively, questioning his own morality. He stopped abruptly as he was knocked backwards following a squeal. He was suddenly blinded by a mop of dark hair as someone hugged him. He realized that it was Cathy.

 

She moved back, looking at him with concerned etched on her features.

 

“I'm sorry,” she said, pointedly looking at his bandaged chest. “You okay?”

 

He nodded, relief coursing through his being. She was safe. “I won't lie. I've been better.”

 

She nodded understandingly. “I didn't know you could get off the bed. I was just going to get Damien and try to wake you up.”

 

“Damien...is he fine now? How long have I been out?”

 

She leaned against a bulkhead, a customary habit for her. “He managed to fight it off. He's busy trying to restore his lost strength.” she said with a grin.

 

“How long have I been out?” he repeated.

 

“Nearly a week now. Keira nearly went into a fit after we got you back. Poor lady had yet another thing to worry about.”

 

He chuckled lightly. “I need to apologize to her. Wait...what do you mean by 'we'?”

 

She looked serious now. “After you...stayed back to fight them, I ran to the nearby pub and managed to get someone to help. We couldn't climb back up that wall because it was much lower on the other side, so we had to work our way around. When we reached the alley, two of those men were down and the last was about to stab you. That's when the man fired the gun. You fainted immediately after. We managed to get you back to the ship.”

 

Aiden looked melancholic again. “Those men?”

She hesitated, but decided that honesty was the best way to deal with it. “Four of the six dead on sight. One died in treatment. The other is missing.”

 

He felt woozy as the breath was knocked out of him. He had killed five. Five, living breathing souls. He looked back down at his hands. He was a murderer. There was no escaping it.

 

Cathy took in his reaction calmly. She knew Aiden more than well enough to know that he was in a lot of pain. He never looked for comfort and concern, even if it was completely justified. He preferred to think it through himself. She hated him for that. He didn't have to put himself through so much pain alone. After all, the Three Terrors were a team.

 

“Hey,” she said softly, pushing herself off the wall. “Aiden,” she said, after he didn't respond. “Look here.”

 

He looked up to see her standing really close to him. Her deep brown eyes bored right through his. “You don't have to feel guilty. You didn't do anything wrong.”

 

“But-”

 

“If you hadn't done anything, I wouldn't have been here to talk to you. If you hadn't been there...” her voice hitched and Aiden looked worried.

 

She pulled him into a fierce hug, exhaling deeply as she did. “Thanks.”

 

She turned around and walked off quickly. “I'll see you in a bit. Damien's probably still sleeping. Kick him off the bed for me,” she said with a playful smirk.

 

He was even more confused as he trudged towards Damien's room, in no particular rush. Cathy's words rang true to an extent, but he couldn't explain his bloodlust. He felt an overwhelming, almost primeval satisfaction as he ended their lives. He always had the chance to run, but he chose to stand his ground and fight. He felt the urge to hurt, to maim, and he had let his urges take control of him.

 

He looked down at his hands again, the small scars being the only proof to his deeds. He was dangerous. He needed to stay away from the others.

 

He walked past Damien's door, into his own room. He programmed the locks shut and sat down next to his bed. He brought his knees up to his chest, closing his eyes and wishing to just fade away in the darkness.

 

He sat there for several hours. Many times, he heard people knocking on his door, but he didn't bother to respond. He analyzed his own actions and how people around him might consider him to be. No matter what he did, he wasn't able to get the image of the dead men out of his mind. All he saw was blood and carnage, brought on by himself.

 

During his musings, he must have fallen asleep because he was taken by surprise when the door to his room opened and the lights were turned on. Blinking rapidly as his pupils contracted, Aiden heard two sets of footsteps walk up to him. Somehow, he knew who they belonged to.

 

“You done sulking?” asked Damien, his features a mix of anger and pity. He looked much better than Aiden had last seen him. Hazel eyes peered back at him from angular features. From his own reading, Aiden had concluded that Damien had some features of people in the Middle East on Earth. His friend knelt in front of him and so did Cathy.

 

“You both need to stay away from me.”

 

“And why is that?” asked Damien.

 

“I'm...dangerous. It's not safe for you to be near me.”

 

“Aiden...” she started softly, clearly worried.

 

“Bullsh!t,” barked Damien, clearly annoyed. He always had a very short fuse, and Aiden had lit the match. “Just because you killed a few scumbags who tried hurting out friend doesn't make you a monster. You protected her, Aiden. A monster wouldn't do that. Get that?”

 

He sighed. Damien was right. “I guess so.”

 

“Good. You've been in here for nearly a whole day.” said Damien.

 

He just kept looking at them, his face an expressionless mask. Their words seemed to echo vaguely as his slumbering mind tried to pay attention.

 

“Look, it's not your fault. You had to defend yourself. If you had willfully wanted to hunt them down and kill them, I still wouldn't blame you. Cathy is like my sister, and I myself would kill anyone who threatens her. We're all grateful that you fought man. Don't beat yourself up.”

 

“He's right,” said Cathy with a cheerful smile. “Besides, the Two Terrors and the Depressed Loner doesn't sound like a good name does it?”

 

That actually made Aiden chuckle, and for a moment, his heart felt weightless. The relief of not feeling pain for just a moment was truly refreshing. He sighed, a deep sound that drained all his pessimism. They were simply trying to help him.

 

“You're right about that. I just...feel...wrong.” he said emptily, looking at them closely.

 

Damien nodded at Cathy and they both sat cross-legged in front of him. “Look Aiden. I wasn't there, so I don't have any right to say or even comprehend how you should feel. But you just have to move on. You managed to save her life from it, and you should just move on.”

 

“Aiden, I feel really bad for putting you through this,” said Cathy, tearing up slightly. “If I knew how to defend myself...”

 

“Hey, we all need to learn to fight. No one needs to feel bad about anything, alright?” nodded Damien.

 

Aiden nodded. “I've been thinking about something. But I don't know if it is a good one or not.”

 

Cathy leaned against his room wall. “Shoot.”

 

Aiden sighed before continuing. “I was thinking about joining the Tenno program. Become a soldier. Fight in the war.”

 

Cathy looked pensive. “Are you doing this because you want to get away from us?”

 

He wanted to disagree, but the truth was exactly that. He nodded. He was taken aback as Damien laughed.

 

“What's so funny?” he asked his friend.

 

“You seriously think we'd leave you alone if you go off to the program? Hell man, we're coming with you!”

 

Cathy nodded kindly. These two were her only family. She'd stay with them for as long as possible.

 

“No, you both will be safe here. I don't want to see you suffer. For me.”

 

Damien sighed and Cathy simply smiled. He was still watching out for their well being. “Look Aiden, we're coming with you. That's final.”

 

“Besides,” Damien grinned evilly, “we know that you won't dare hurt us, but I don't have any issues with hurting you. Try to bully your way out of this, and I'll kick your &#!.”

 

Aiden sighed and clapped a hand to his forehead. Damn those two. “Fine. But you both are making this choice on your own right?”

 

They looked at each other for a second before nodding in agreement. “Yeah.”

 

“Fine...I guess the three of us are going together.”

 

Damien crowed as he clapped his hands together. “That's settled then. Mr. Sulky here is going off to fight in the war, and we're keeping him company. I'll go tell Keira.” Before anyone could stop him, Damien nearly ran out.

 

“He seems excited.” muttered Aiden, to which Cathy burst out laughing.

 

“Understatement of the century.”

 

“Cathy,” he said after a few minutes of silence. “Are you sure?”

 

She smiled once again, but this time it was laced with sadness. “I am. Look, Aiden. You both are my family. I don't have anywhere else to go.”

 

He nodded. “I'm sorry. I feel like I'm forcing your hand. Damien's a battle hungry hothead, but I know that you don't like fighting.”

 

She shook her head. “Don't be. I'm making this decision.” She got up, pointing towards the door with her head. “Let's go find Keira. She'd probably be losing her mind after Damien's done with her.”

 

He winced slightly as he got up, stretching some sore muscles as he did. Together they walked out of his room, shutting off the lights as they went.

 

 

-oOo-  

One week later...

 

Keira stood at the bridge of the small shuttle that was ferrying the children to the Orokin ship. The large, gold sheathed ship loomed in the distance and Keira was slightly worried. When Damien had said that they had wanted to join the program, she didn't want them to go, but after further explanation from Cathy and later Aiden, she understood that the children really wanted this. They were not her family, and she didn't have a say in their decisions. All she wanted from them was their promise of staying safe.

 

She had talked to Aiden a few days ago. The poor boy was really troubled with the events back on Earth and so was Keira. For someone so young to have five kills under his belt was something no one needed to suffer with. She had gone to inspect the scene herself and the sight of those bodies gruesomely beaten up made her see Aiden in a completely different light.

 

She was shaken from her reverie as Obix walked up to her. “Ma'am, they've provided us permission to dock. ETA 60 seconds.”

 

She nodded, turning around to look at her second-in-command. His steely features were now outlined with age lines and silver strands had started sprouting from his balding scalp. She herself was growing older every day, and she felt it in her bones. “Are the children ready?”

 

Obix laughed, the gruff sound surprising loud in the narrow confines of the shuttle. “Ready? They're practically pawing at the door to get out!”

 

“It's understandable. They're off to do something completely new.”

 

They walked down to the hatch as the shuttle docked with the massive ship. By the door stood Aiden, Damien and Cathy. They were all silent, with little to no belongings between them. The Orokin said that all trainees should not carry any belongings with them, except for a small bag with heirlooms or relics of any kind. Keira knew that each of the children had a group photograph with all the crew members of the Chimera with them. They were sad that Cathy would be going off on her own.

 

“So kids, I guess this is it.” she said with a flourish. “You all ready?”

 

They nodded in sync. “We're as ready as we're going to get.”

 

Keira sighed. “Take care of yourselves. Try to stay in communication with us if possible. Everyone's going to miss the Three Terrors.”

 

They all shared a laugh at the mention of their group name. The door opened and a pale man in an ornamental suit walked in, flanked by two soldier wielding carbines. Aiden felt an extreme sense of pomp and pride from the man.

 

“Captain Keira, I presume?” the man asked in a sneering drawl, not even bothering to look at her when he spoke. The three of them hated the man almost immediately, but the captain took it in her stride.

 

“I am. And you are?”

 

“My name is not important. I am a representative of the Orokin Hierarchy and Chief Officer of the Tenno Program. Are these the candidates?” he asked, pointing at Aiden, Damien and Cathy.

 

“They are.”

 

“Very well then. I shall escort them to the facility.” he said, turning around on the balls of his feet and walking out, the soldiers followed him silently.

 

“What a bunch of stuck-up pricks!” laughed Damien and Aiden chuckled alongside him. “You ready?” he asked Cathy.

 

She sighed. “Yeah. Let's go.”

 

Before they left the shuttle, they all turned around and hugged Keira warmly. The surprised woman hugged them back before biting back tears.

 

“See you around Keira!” shouted Damien boisterously, making a mock salute as he walked out of the shuttle.

 

“Almost forgot. Bye Obix!” came the loud shout from the docking tube to the ship, to which Aiden and Cathy laughed. Even Obix grinned.

 

“See you around, Terrors. This ship isn't going to be the same without you.”

 

Together, Keira and Obix watched as the children disappeared into the ship. Deep inside, she knew that this was for their own good. Tenno were meant to fight, and she had no doubt that those three would kick the Sentient bastards back to the extrasolar hole where they belonged.

[Jeahanne]

Yay! Updates! *dances around happily*

 

Very good, as usual Bej ^-^

Edited April 28, 2014 by Jeahanne

[bejuizb]

*dances with Jea*

 

Thanks! :D

[AsterRizk]

when are youu goinf to put up the next chapter i cant wait xD