[Ic] Of Ash And Fire V2.0 - Roleplaying Thread

[NyghttheClassy]

If I manage to achieve, giggles, 'ooooooo's', aaaaaah's and/or tears of any kind, I reckon i have achieved here.

 

 

The Lost & the Found 4: Something irreplaceable

 

Frozen.

 

That’s what he was. Frozen, paralysed in a moment, where the world around him seemed to slow into an indistinguishable blur & all the sound seemed muffled or mute. His focus couldn’t be held anywhere, on anything, except for one figure in front of him.

  A young looking woman of a lean & modest figure, dressed in similar spare clothes from the Red Veil as handed to all the liberated people. She had a soft, kind looking face, currently displaying a mixture of shock & hope, of sadness & possible happiness. Crowning her head was hair of a deepest & rich dark crimson, flowing down along to her shoulders whilst covering part of her face. One twinkling azure eye, its twin hidden behind a rosy cloak, stared into his own eyes, its ocean blue depths enrapturing his mind with an unshakable yet soft grip, as though something inside him wanted to give in.

 

“N-Nyght… Can it… Is that you?” her voice quivered with something akin to shock & old pain, a hopeful undertone riding beneath. She started slowly, timidly stepping towards him, as he unwittingly did the same, closing the gap between them. The fact that she knew his name struck him into thought

 

How does she know me? Have I met her, do I know her? Should I know her? Maybe…

 

The gap shrank continuously, Nyght subconsciously reaching up and unclasping his helmet, shakily removing it from its seals & his head. He could make out the traces of forming tears within the woman’s eyes as his Icy aqua blue orbs connected to her cobalt sapphires, at which point something clicked inside his mind; as if a padlock fell loose from a safe, a small surging wave of memories came forth, a name floating at the front of it all. Kristina.

 

“Nyght… Is it really you?” She asked once again shakily, now stood right next to him; their eyes locked burrowing into one another for answers, their breathing uneasy & their bodies tense with confused emotions.

 

“Y-yes… Kris-”

 

His words were cut short as his stunned & unaware self was hooked at the legs & shoulders by the smaller redhead, a brief flash of furious rage in her blue irises. Having never seen nor expected it coming, he soon found his back connect against the granite floor, releasing a resounding and almighty crack with enough volume to grab the attention of most of the people nearby in the hall.

   Standing over him was Kristina, limbs quaking slightly & eyes glaring not daggers, but whole swords at him, a leaking dam of tears & conflicted emotions evident in her stare. The vicinity of them was silent, no-one daring to break the silence or intervene, lest she turn on them instead.

 

It was Kristina herself who broke their silence, still pinning the Excalibur to the ground with her eyes alone.

 

 “Where the goddamn hell were YOU! WELL?”

 

Nyght struggled to form anything in his mind under her gaze, intimidated & dazed beyond anything he could recall facing.

 

“I…”

 

“You think you can just vanish like that, and leave me thinking you were gone with the rest of the clan? Of the colony? That you could leave me alone after everything?”

 

His mind began to come back to him, piecing bits together slowly. Meanwhile Kristina began to quiver more, tears now breaking free from her eyes to leave streaks down her cheeks & drip to the floor beside the Excalibur. Her voice started to lose its burning anger,  that fire being quenched & replaced with a tone of loss & melancholy.

 

“I-I grieved… the clan was gone… everything… everyone… gone, dead… I thought… You were too.”

  Kristina’s voice choked and she collapsed, her trembling legs no longer holding enough adrenaline to feign the strength needed to stand. She crumpled down to him, curling against his chest as the cocktail of anguish, sorrow, loss, hope & new found happiness became too much for her mind, a stream of tears & sobs rolling from her into his chest. Still flat against the floor with his own confusion & emotions, all Nyght could do was hug her close, giving a comforting stroke with soft words.

 

“Shhh, I’m here, & I’m sorry.”

 

“I-I thought you were dead… D-don’t… Don’t leave me like that again… stay. Please.” She managed to stutter out from her choked sobs.

 

Nyght Pulled himself up to a sitting position, bringing a sniffling Kristina with him. He whispered softly into her ears.

 

“I’m not going anywhere without you now. Okay? But maybe we should maybe find one of the benches rather than the floor.  I think we both need some rest…”

 

Kristina could only nod in agreement as she brought her sobs down to sniffles against her Excalibur’s shoulder, arms locked around his torso.

 

They spent the rest of the evening quietly sat against each other on a bench to the side of the hall, the rest of the room no longer of any consequence to their reunion.

 

[FellArtorias]

   Hello everyone! I have returned to this glorious, glorious place! I have forgotten how to put my work into a drop-down window, so if someone could kindly help me in this matter, it would be much appreciated. I would like to get back to writing as soon as possible, and start up where I left off on the adventures of Artorias and co., where they were on the ship with an unconscious Clare. I eagerly await!

 

*Amended, I have now remembered the mechanics for doing that which I wish to perform.*

 

Write on, Tenno!

 

   FellArtorias

Edited September 26, 2014 by FellArtorias

[FellArtorias]

If I manage to achieve, giggles, 'ooooooo's', aaaaaah's and/or tears of any kind, I reckon i have achieved here.

 

 

The Lost & the Found 4: Something irreplaceable

 

Frozen.

 

That’s what he was. Frozen, paralysed in a moment, where the world around him seemed to slow into an indistinguishable blur & all the sound seemed muffled or mute. His focus couldn’t be held anywhere, on anything, except for one figure in front of him.

  A young looking woman of a lean & modest figure, dressed in similar spare clothes from the Red Veil as handed to all the liberated people. She had a soft, kind looking face, currently displaying a mixture of shock & hope, of sadness & possible happiness. Crowning her head was hair of a deepest & rich dark crimson, flowing down along to her shoulders whilst covering part of her face. One twinkling azure eye, its twin hidden behind a rosy cloak, stared into his own eyes, its ocean blue depths enrapturing his mind with an unshakable yet soft grip, as though something inside him wanted to give in.

 

“N-Nyght… Can it… Is that you?” her voice quivered with something akin to shock & old pain, a hopeful undertone riding beneath. She started slowly, timidly stepping towards him, as he unwittingly did the same, closing the gap between them. The fact that she knew his name struck him into thought

 

How does she know me? Have I met her, do I know her? Should I know her? Maybe…

 

The gap shrank continuously, Nyght subconsciously reaching up and unclasping his helmet, shakily removing it from its seals & his head. He could make out the traces of forming tears within the woman’s eyes as his Icy aqua blue orbs connected to her cobalt sapphires, at which point something clicked inside his mind; as if a padlock fell loose from a safe, a small surging wave of memories came forth, a name floating at the front of it all. Kristina.

 

“Nyght… Is it really you?” She asked once again shakily, now stood right next to him; their eyes locked burrowing into one another for answers, their breathing uneasy & their bodies tense with confused emotions.

 

“Y-yes… Kris-”

 

His words were cut short as his stunned & unaware self was hooked at the legs & shoulders by the smaller redhead, a brief flash of furious rage in her blue irises. Having never seen nor expected it coming, he soon found his back connect against the granite floor, releasing a resounding and almighty crack with enough volume to grab the attention of most of the people nearby in the hall.

   Standing over him was Kristina, limbs quaking slightly & eyes glaring not daggers, but whole swords at him, a leaking dam of tears & conflicted emotions evident in her stare. The vicinity of them was silent, no-one daring to break the silence or intervene, lest she turn on them instead.

 

It was Kristina herself who broke their silence, still pinning the Excalibur to the ground with her eyes alone.

 

 “Where the goddamn hell were YOU! WELL?”

 

Nyght struggled to form anything in his mind under her gaze, intimidated & dazed beyond anything he could recall facing.

 

“I…”

 

“You think you can just vanish like that, and leave me thinking you were gone with the rest of the clan? Of the colony? That you could leave me alone after everything?”

 

His mind began to come back to him, piecing bits together slowly. Meanwhile Kristina began to quiver more, tears now breaking free from her eyes to leave streaks down her cheeks & drip to the floor beside the Excalibur. Her voice started to lose its burning anger,  that fire being quenched & replaced with a tone of loss & melancholy.

 

“I-I grieved… the clan was gone… everything… everyone… gone, dead… I thought… You were too.”

  Kristina’s voice choked and she collapsed, her trembling legs no longer holding enough adrenaline to feign the strength needed to stand. She crumpled down to him, curling against his chest as the cocktail of anguish, sorrow, loss, hope & new found happiness became too much for her mind, a stream of tears & sobs rolling from her into his chest. Still flat against the floor with his own confusion & emotions, all Nyght could do was hug her close, giving a comforting stroke with soft words.

 

“Shhh, I’m here, & I’m sorry.”

 

“I-I thought you were dead… D-don’t… Don’t leave me like that again… stay. Please.” She managed to stutter out from her choked sobs.

 

Nyght Pulled himself up to a sitting position, bringing a sniffling Kristina with him. He whispered softly into her ears.

 

“I’m not going anywhere without you now. Okay? But maybe we should maybe find one of the benches rather than the floor.  I think we both need some rest…”

 

Kristina could only nod in agreement as she brought her sobs down to sniffles against her Excalibur’s shoulder, arms locked around his torso.

 

They spent the rest of the evening quietly sat against each other on a bench to the side of the hall, the rest of the room no longer of any consequence to their reunion.

 

This.

It is most glorious. It is like a fresh bottle of water handed to me in the desert I have been traveling in known as 'loss'. You get it. More than I can say for most movies and books nowadays. You know how to make a story. I almost forgot what it was like, seeing a fellow word artist weave a masterpiece in front of me once more. Thank you.

[Jeahanne]

Welcome back, but remember to put this kind of thing on OOC please? xP

 

https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/221310-ooc-of-ash-and-fire-v20-faq-and-discussion/'>https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/221310-ooc-of-ash-and-fire-v20-faq-and-discussion/

Edited September 26, 2014 by Jeahanne

[FellArtorias]

!Warning! Suited for a Mature Audience!

 

   By some miracle or another, Viviane had not attempted anything... "undue"... to Artorias during the whole flight back to the Dojo, of which Clare was unconscious. It may have also been in due part to her trying to glare holes through an unconscious Clare. Or trying to make her spontaneously burst into flames. Or both. Probably both.

   Which would have been humorous, if not for the fact that they could make it happen. That, and Flagrans would try and capitalize on it to a point where it would only be funny to her if she was so much as mildly bored. Which is to say, painful both to watch and to those involved in case it got more physical than verbal if someone wasn't around to stop it. Namely Eros. It was almost frightening, her ability to disarm most potential conflicts just by being there.

   When Artorias stood up and slung Clare over his shoulder to get out, he could practically sense Clare's hand gravitate towards his rear even unconscious, and Viviane's eyes being glued to the same spot. If he garnered this reaction from members of the opposite sex now, what was it like back when they were far more numerous? It proved to be nothing but a hindrance to him. Except that one time where he had to lure- Yeah no. Best to nip that in the bud.

   ...But she was pretty good in the sack. Not bad looking either. Before the poison took effect of course. Then she was dead, and he had to- Before he could finish that thought, Cyrille's voice cut through the fog of remembrance.

 

"Hey dad?" She had a look of question on her face. Like someone had just slapped oil on half of his face.

"Yes? Is something wrong?" Artorias replied.

"Not really... Its just that..."

"Yeah?"

"Shouldn't you be going to Demi right about now? You know, for the woman slung over your shoulder and the one who has her eyes almost welded your rear?"

"...I almost got used to the feeling. Thanks Cyrille."

"Yup! Now I'm gonna go bug Mare!"

   ...Strange. Cyrille never hung around almost exclusively one person before, at least to his current knowledge. Oh well, something to think on while he folds later on.

"Come on Vivi, let's get going. We want you cured, yeah?"

"Oh, but the only cure I want is-"

"Okay, that's enough of that. I don't know why I forgot about our current situation for a few moments, but now we best be off."

 

   Minutes later after exiting the hangar and proceeding to Demeter's quarters, Clare woke up. With a good view of Artorias' @$$, though mildly blurry. Immediately, she tried capitalizing on it, but was stopped by the owner's voice.

"I wouldn't do that. Remember last time? The same person who beat you down is standing behind me."

A good thing too, Viviane probably would have torn Clare off and slammed her into the walls by her legs repeatedly as if she was a club. Thankfully, before it could escalate, Demeter rounded the corner.

 

   "Aha! Thought I sensed the after-effects of a concussion. Surprised its not you Artorias, what with Viviane and all. So who's she?"

"This is Clare. She was the source of the drug. Speaking of which." In what seemed nearly an instant, Artorias plopped Clare into Demeter's arms, snagged Viviane, and shoved her behind the 'good doctor'. "You. Work with Clare. Fix. Now."

   Almost just as fast, Artorias sprinted off towards the mess hall towards what could be argued as the most gratifying place on the whole station before Demeter could grab or call after him. The mess. He didn't even care that Flagrans was likely there. For now. Then, he was stopped by a voice that usually didn't call out to him.

 

"Artorias, I need you to come here for a second."

"Sure Mare, what do you need? I was on my way to-"

"Something not nearly as important. No come here."

Alright. More than a three second long conversation with Mare, who most of the time can't even stand the mere thought of my presence. It has to be really important to warrant-

"I'm your kid."

 

   Artorias, accomplished killer, space ninja, and unintentional wooer of women, replied as eloquently and masterfully as a six armed space fish playing an ancient Chinese zither for a space fish king while performing acrobatics.

 

"...Huh?"

 

Suffice to say, he was not at all very eloquent.

 

"I said I'm your kid. What, you don't believe me!?"

 

   Okay, time to try and patch up this boat shot to seven different hells.

 

"I didn't say that, its just that its kind of hard to take in. Not only is a person I'm particularly close with trying to jump my bones in her drug induced state, I meet two of my kids today, who couldn't stand my presence."

"You mean Nier."

"Yep. Why do you seem so-"

"Calm about it? Yeah, he and I knew each other before The Collapse. That, and we already talked to each other before I went to find you. Damn bastard actually convinced me to talk to you."

"About...?"

"Me. And... Theresa and her sisters... Clare."

"Ok- Wait, sisters?"

"Her blood-sister and twin... Viviane."

 

Artorias' blood ran cold and time stopped for a moment. What were the chances of that? Did he know at some point and forget? The chances of that happening were like an eight armed, four-legged, multi-faced god of rabbits that resided in space to keep its nemesis locked away in a giant hole in reality and promote peace existing. Little did Artorias know, one such entity sneezed.

 

"Guess we better get started."

"You're taking this well."

"Wait till I get over the shock. I always knew your current eye color was fake by the way."

"So? Didn't mean you knew who I really was till now."

 

This was going to be fun. And long. Possibly overload his brain while it attempts to reboot from the live bombshell almost literally dropped into his lap.

[FellArtorias]

Welcome back, but remember to put this kind of thing on OOC please? xP

 

https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/221310-ooc-of-ash-and-fire-v20-faq-and-discussion/

I see, I was not aware, thank you for doing so, Jea :D. Its good to be back where you're welcomed. It feels good.

[Achaix]

First post... taking a deep breath and diving in.

"This is why I fight! To feel the struggle, the battle, the adrenaline, the pain!"

Two blades crossed, laced with flowing energy. One was white and azure; the other, dark and crimson. Their owners glared at each other, knowing only one could survive.

They were brothers in arms, once. But no more. The TRUESONG Operatives had disbanded, and here they faced the other.

Dirge and Anthem. Who was the fittest?

That's Dirge's intro, for those with a terminal TL;DR condition.

-+-

Hurr durr

Edited September 26, 2014 by Achaix

[Achaix]

-Please ignore this post. It most certainly did not contain Potatoes.-

Edited September 26, 2014 by Achaix

[FellArtorias]

!Warning! Plot Abounds!

 

   As Artorias and Mare walked in rather uncomfortable silence towards her quarters, both contemplated in relative silence, lost in the past. As Humans once said, 'The apple never falls far from the tree'. Artorias, for his part, tried to remember anything about Mare, unintentionally stumbling across one memory of her where he could remember quite clearly.

 

 

   I looked at the request... no... demand, that The Council had given me on the private channel on my HKAIS with a scowl on my face. I was to do this, or my family's continued safety would be in jeopardy. Of course, I could take care of things like I had been, but I would need to call in several favors if I didn't do this. Some that kept my family safe. Others which kept several dangerous individuals at bay with an almost literal Sword of Damocles hanging above their heads. A few actually had the so aptly named orbital kinetic projectile launching satellites floating above them in the stratosphere aimed at their general locations ready to blast @$$ at any moment at my discretion if they acted against the Tenno in any truly malevolent way. Without my say so, of course.

   By no means am I a hero, but I should like to think that without that constant threat to some of those that needed it to behave, it was better for Tenno in general. Especially when it came to the big ones who acted upon their violent tendencies that the Praetorians either didn't catch or care about. Most like the latter... The thought of those holier-than-thou, narcissistic, lazy, unfit, not even remotely talented wastes of-

 

"Father!"

 

   Ah! One of the lights of my life. Quickly, I turn off the System and face one of my many children with a smile on my face. Mare, by the sound of her voice, and the sight of her golden eyes and raven black and blue colored hair.

 

"Yes Mare?"

"****** isn't listening to me again, and Cyrille's braiding so she said she can't help! Keeps saying something about 'losing the moment of inspiration'. Its getting kind of old."

 

   I chuckle lightly in response. Mare acts tough, as Cyrille usually was the one who was seen among my children as the mother figure when Morrighan wasn't around. But she just wants to be looked up to like Cyrille, just in her own way. Cyrille has most likely found her passion, and as far as I knew, Mare hadn't, though I attempt to keep a very close eye on all of my children. Some instances do fall through the cracks, however.

   Mare had yet to find her calling, hence why she still didn't understand that when Cyrille had the urge to braid, not even ten meters of ship hull plating could keep her from fulfilling said need. Even I barely could at times. Would I perhaps had turned out like Cyrille if I had parents who actually gave a whit?

 

"Perhaps when you find your calling, you'll understand Cyrille's urges."

"I don't know father, it seems pretty strange."

"It'll come, don't worry. I can tell that you will have an interesting calling."

"Like yours, dad?"

"Hahaha! Yes, yes. I assume ****** and the others want me to read the cards again, hm?"

"Yes."

"Be a child while you can Mare, and laugh and play with your siblings. Besides, I know that you in particular share the same interest when I read the cards~."

"Mou! Daaaaaaad~!"

 

   Mare pouted, her cheeks puffing out a bit and turning her face slightly. It was cute, but that wouldn't do. Not a bit. I couldn't have boys chasing after her so young after all. It was bad enough that Cyrille had a cult that was made to worship her image and actions that even I didn't know about until fairly recently. But to disarm the situation-

 

"Ahahahaha! Come along then Mare, help me find the deck and I'll get along with the readings."

"Why should I?"

 

   I turned around, and sure enough, the Tarot cards were in Mare's hands. Not good, she had leverage and motive.

 

"Because I'm going to be reading everyone's today."

"Even yours?"

 

   I froze almost imperceptibly for about then span of half a second. Reading others was fine, they usually had good things coming their way. Mine almost always involved bringing harm to someone. For a man that didn't really believe in a thing as fate to read Tarot cards as a hobby to keep himself sane, it was no less than utter hypocrisy. But I immediately collected myself. They were children, they wouldn't ask questions that delved too deep. Even though they were mine. And could read facial tells and expressions almost as good as a seasoned Pax Canes officer in for his twelfth rotation in a department. As long as I kept up the father act and subtly shifted topics and worded sentences a specific way, I could keep my family in the dark about my... well... darker aspects of what daddy dearest could do. What a task ahead of me.

 

"I don't know Mare, depends on what I draw. Who knows, it could be about what your mother and I do when you children are asleep~"

 

   Immediately, it had the desired effect of making Mare go slightly paler. I immediately scooped her into my arms and onto my shoulders.

 

"Wahaha! Stop iiiit~!"

"Hmmmmmmm... Nope!"

 

   I skipped around the room with Mare still on my shoulders while she shrieked with joy.

 

"Alright, let's go see your siblings and get the readings underway."

"Okay dad!"

 

   In a few minutes, Mare and Cyrille managed to gather everyone, and the children were all waiting anxiously on the meditation stones in the meticulously maintained backyard. On the mossy stone in the middle were the cards. I strode towards them, ready to read. It went on without major incident, until Cyrille voiced her question.

 

"Is there anything you're hiding daddy?"

 

   An innocent enough question with too many dark answers. I chose to be vague.

 

"Oho? Like?"

"A secret lover, or maybe you're the White Wolf! Oh, that'd awesome!"

 

   My eldest and most air-headed child idolizing a killer that was in fact none other than me in the darkest part of my life. Of course, some people, mainly the rebels, exaggerated my actions and appearance quite a bit to be seen as a legend and a rallying cry. The Council neither denied or affirmed the existence of such a Tenno, of course. Thankfully, Mare came to my rescue.

 

"Get your head out of the clouds Cyrille! This is father we're talking about!"

"Then what would you ask daddy, hmmm?"

 

   Silence. Ever so blissful silence. Until Mare came up with an answer.

 

"What will happen in my immediate future?"

 

   Innocent enough. I drew two cards with a smile still present on my face. Until I looked down on the cards I set out.

 

"Ooooh~! I haven't seen that one before daddy! What do they mean!?"

"...Father? Are you alright?"

 

   I couldn't answer. Not for several seconds. I managed to choke one out between my suddenly dry lips and parched throat. By some miracle, I managed to save face by acting the part of a goofy father yet again.

 

"To be honest, I don't know~! I'll have to look it up in my book~! But for now, all of you need to head to bed. It's bad enough I've kept you all up until now, and if your mother catches wind of this, I'll be in a bit of trouble~!"

 

   A consecutive chorus of 'awwws' resounded.

 

"Come now children, if you're good and don't tell your mother about this, I'll take you all out for ice cream tomorrow down at the square!"

 

   As if by a switch, they immediately rushed off towards their own resting places. I chuckled lowly to myself... and looked down with a heavy sigh. Down at the cards again, as if by wishing or taking my sight off of it for a while, the results would change. They did not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I drew the Moon and Tower cards in that respective order.

Edited September 27, 2014 by FellArtorias

[Achaix]

+Heavily revised Intro!+

Chapter 1: With Friends like These...

Winds tore across the wide desert, whipping up sand and dust. The sandstorm blew across a Settlement, between the claustrophobic doorways and dwellings. Desert Skates glided to their hidden nests, ignoring the decaying corpses of dead Grineer Lancers, Butchers and Seekers.

There was an arena, hidden deep within the Stickney canyon. A complicated system of mirrors and tunnels kept the area ventilated and illuminated. On their down time, Grineer would come and engage in short matches to assert their dominance over their brethren.

Today, only Tenno dueled here. One was an Oberon, white as a dove and blue as the sky, deflecting strikes with his ancient Dakra sword, his Wyvern. The other was a Nekros, dark as a crow and red as a bloody sunset, laughing insanely while attacking with his Dragon Nikana, his Wailing Dark.

Light struck back against shadow, but the shadow laughed, even as Wyvern slashed his chest.

"Do you remember pain, Anthem? It is glorious..."

"I remember my brother! Listen to me!" The Oberon pulled out the sword in disgust and leapt away, scowling behind his helm. "I am not Anthem, but Raphael! Surely you remember your own name!"

The Nekros howled harder with laughter. "There is no Gabriel, no Raphael! Only Dirge and Anthem! Only the Truesong Operatives!"

Anthem focused his energy into his fist, preparing himself to smite his old partner. Dirge had sheathed his Nikana, but his fists glowed crimson with unreleased soul punches.

"You have become an enemy, Gabriel."

"With friends like these, who needs enemies?"

Yeah, I love title drops.

Edited September 28, 2014 by Achaix

[NyghttheClassy]

 

Re-kindled Spirits

 

Tar black & charcoal gray painted the late evening sky, neither a star nor moon visible as the thick mixture of charcoal smoke & smog of a thousand rampant fires blanketed their view. The gentle breeze carried with it no sound but the distant crackle of fire, alongside the heated embers & nauseating smells of what truly fueled the ever hungry & un-quenchable flames in all directions.

  Ash & cinders crunched beneath armoured boots like a dark mockery of the winter-land’s deep snowdrifts, each step reinforcing the unbelievable image before the battered & exhausted members of the medical Search & Rescue as the spread out.

 

    Heading off along one route was a Trinity, her voice choked silent whilst her mind absorbed that which she saw. The pale ice blues of her frame were regularly & repeatedly interrupted by the severe, bloodied rents & irreparable fissures that it had received, no longer functional in any means other than temporary clothing & a layer against the heat & smoky air. As dysfunctional as it had become, she felt like she had only taken meagre scratches as she registered a number of the shapes around her path, half buried in their own ash.

   Treading shakily along paths once familiar, she walked amidst the charred structural debris, burnt out derelicts of homes & businesses alike at her flanks. Strewn throughout the hot black snow underfoot, that spread across every street in sight, were figures that made her guts churn; charred corpses, singed skeletons & burnt out husks, of people from all walks of life & ages. It seemed all had died here, man & woman, adult & child, soldier & civilian alike. The only indicator as to why were more corpses, these disfigured & malformed, twisted beyond their once humanoid forms into the grotesque monsters that were food for the great fires with everything else.

 

Infested.

 

She carried on further, now alone from the rest of her team scouring the doomed colony. Deeper in she went, some instinct inside her carrying her onwards towards the central plaza that adjoined the main Dojo hall within the city. Home.

  What she found upon pushing the buckled gates open stole her breath from her with a cold, sickening grasp.

 

Sundered armour, shattered suits, fractured frames & within them all, the broken bodies. Bodies of the Tenno, the men & women who swore to defend the colony to the last. Tenno, who trained day after night after day within the halls of the dojo, forged into the ultimate combatants & guardians. Tenno, who for all their differences & similarities, were her family.

  The last of her clan, her friends, her family, unceremoniously laid to a crude rest as they died either to the warped teeth & claws of a billion hungering infested souls, or the final defiance of a thousand firebombs, vowing to bring down the horde of lost minds with the ruin of their people.

 

As her colleagues started to convene at the plaza’s edge, she walked on-wards still, coming past the centre of the plaza & just up to the Grand doorway to their former dojo. Before her, the high, thrice reinforced & masterfully forged armoured & gilded doors no longer stood as the pair they were, now buckled & pierced beyond belief. Slowly, her feet shuffled through the ash, her gaze still held to where the impregnable gates should have been forever more. Her shivering boot connected with something, her sight swung down, and her quivering froze as the blood left her already pale face.

 

No…

 

At her feet, half buried with soot, ash & rubble, was a blue of almost unmistakable familiarity to her. Kneeling down, azure eyes welling with tears, she began unconsciously uncovering the plate whilst she screamed at herself powerlessly from within to stop. Quivering hands settle on the edges of a blue & white chest plate, fragmented from the whole of an Excalibur Warframe, one which her trembling mind could only link to single owner, be it true or not.

 

 Please… No… N-not…

 

What little remained of her mind shattered, her will broken & her body buckled to the need to simple weep & wail, even as others came over to the trinity’s anguish.

 

Why… WHY HIM!?

 

Kristina?

 

No…nonononono… NO MORE! I Can’t!

 

“KRISTINA!”

 

Sapphire eyes bolted open, pupils drawn to pinpricks as her body took in a deep, trembling breath. Her entire body shivered under a cold sweat, breath coming in shaky rasps trying to keep up with her pounding heart. She registered the warm hands cupping her chin & collar, and followed them up, along their lightly garbed arms and finally to the familiar face of their owner, her eyes connecting with the deep worry & concern within his paler irises. Instinctively, she lunged up & clasped herself around his neck & shoulders, as though clinging for dear life.

 

Don’t go… please, I can’t…

 

“Shh… I’m here Kristina… I’m here.” Nyght brought himself from standing over his terrified lover down to sitting atop the bed, Kristina still wrapped around & shivering into his neck, his collar tickled  by her uneasy breathing.

“You okay? I thought I could hear you from the corridor, but when I came in you were just shivering… but I could still hear you as though you were talking.”

 

“I…I think… it was some flashback. Or nightmare. Maybe both.” She quietly uttered, her breathing steadying as her eyelids grew heavy again in his embrace. “I’m…okay…”

 

Please stay… please be real…I can’t go back to that now…

 

“I’m not going anywhere, I told you that… It took too long to find you.”

 

“W-what? I… I didn’t say… any…thing…” Her eyes shot back open & up to her Excalibur’s, the two sharing a brief expression of puzzlement as they tried to work out what was happening.

 

“Odd… perhaps we should get you to a doctor in a little… and maybe to see a Nyx too…”

 

 

And thus begins the recovery of Kristina, and the renewal of a lost relationship! And my next 'mini-arc-thingy-magig'... ENJOY!

 

[Achaix]

Chapter Two: New Purpose

The dark pale did the impossible, the unexpected; deviated from it's original path by the Dakra's shining blade, the Nikana sunk deep within Anthem, traversing his gut completely.

Dirge felt his own determination falter, and could not hold back a horrified stare. The Oberon chuckled weakly and looked up with an honest smile.

"I guess... it had to happen... sooner..." His gaze grew unfocused. "Or later..."

Anthem grabbed his brother's shoulder, his grip weakening with each breath.

"I... couldn't face it. All the things... the Conductor had planned..." Energy flowed from his body to the Nekros warframe. "You... you must stop them - you value freedom, yes? Stop them. Stop the Truesong from ever being played..."

With a smile, Raphael embraced Gabriel, pushing the Dragon Nikana deeper as well.

"He who stands in the end..." Anthem's eyes dimmed, and his body relaxed at last as he passed away.

"Is righteous." Dirge completed the phrase solemnly, twisting the sword and ripping it out, blood painting the abandoned arena.

-+-

Truesong Operatives. Theirs was a strange organization; Captains were "Genres", Lieutenants were "Themes", and above it all, the Conductor and his Composer.

"Let's start with our classics. Baroque, Rock, Jazz, Dubstep and House all have to die first. Then Concert, Orchestra, Soundtrack and Ambience. Obviously, the Composer had to be saved and the Conductor had to go to hell." Dirge reviewed the list, and grinned to himself. "This is going to be so ... much..."

"Fun!"

[bejuizb]

Decided to dump my current fanfic project here. It is canon friendly so far, so I don't have to bother with rules for now. [EDIT: Still fixing black text Black text fixed. Now to redo all the italics... >_<]

 

Crimson

 

Chapter 1

 

 She didn't know her name.

 

The woman looked up at the swirling gases outside her observation window, her only respite from her current nightmare. Her face burned as the corner of her mouth twitched. Nightmare was inadequate to explain her circumstance. So was hell.

 

She remembered waking up a while ago...specifics were out of the question. It could have been days, months, years ago. All she knew, felt, breathed, was pain.

 

Pure, unadulterated pain.

 

Every facet of her being was pushed to the limits, and the agony never stopped. Her eyes felt like lead. They wanted her to sleep. But she couldn't sleep. She needed to be awake. They would be here soon.

 

To hurt me.

 

She felt the familiar thrum of her Warframe around her. To others, it would have been nonexistant. But to a Tenno, a Warframe's mild vibration indicated that it was working. Her identity was in her suit, and because of those that held her now, that identity was marred, destroyed. Her past was lost to the annals of her shrouded past, never to be recovered.

 

The Warframe was her only link to her sanity. Without it, she would have passed on long ago.

 

She slowly tilted her head down, feeling her muscles scream in agony from just a simple task. She saw the metal floor, nearly a foot below where her feet hung. The restraints around her hands and feet were strong as always. She had given up on trying to free herself.

 

She would never leave this place, they told her. At least, not in one piece.

 

Her mind was in a haze, separated from her body. Her eyes trailed across the tubes and perforations that littered her Warframe. Just like her past, she didn't remember how it was before they got their hands on her. All she knew was that she wore nothing but a violated, despicable product of their experiments.

 

Her armour was mostly black, with segments of gray to serve as highlights. Crimson tubes ran through her torso, filling perforations that showed the heavy weave of her Warframe underneath. Scuff marks and scratches were everywhere, not a single surface free from the vile hands of her captors.

 

She felt a small tingle of anger, but it soon vanished into nothingness. She felt nothing anymore. Just pain.

 

Too much pain.

 

An unintentional whimper escaped her parched throat as she saw the door to her prison open with a hiss. The two pieces of metal slid into the wall smoothly, followed by the clatter of shoes on steel.

 

They're coming...

 

No!

 

Her body involuntarily struggled against her restraints as five people walked into the room. Four men and one woman. As per usual. The men wore blue environmental suits, their rubbery material glinting faintly from the swirling gases outside. The woman wore a red environmental suit, which hugged her curves and gave her the appearance of a huntress.

 

Emotionless faces looked at her, and she averted her gaze to the ground. She remembered glaring at them defiantly when they first spoke to her, but she also remembered how they had branded her. The wound on her arm had scabbed and festered, and she could do nothing to scratch the wound. Above all else, she remembered her fingers being broken. One each time she swore at them or shouted. She learnt her lesson after they had broken her seventh finger.

 

Don't look at them unless they tell you to.

 

"She's being obedient," she heard the woman mutter, her voice failing to hide her malice for being here.

 

"Yes, she is," a man said. She recognized his voice. He was the leader of the "operation" on her. He was the worst of the lot, only concerned with results. She hated him the most.

 

"Our...investment continues to provide us with knowledge, gentlemen," the leader continued, clearly talking to the people accompanying him. Her neck ached from the awkward position.

 

"Today, we must test our serum on it. Our purpose: to understand the effects of the serum on its psyche. Physical discomfort is to be expected, and its neural impact on the test subject will also be recorded."

 

It.

 

They referred to her as an "it". Like scum. Just an object. Meaningless. Worthless.

 

She heard one of them move up to her. Shiny boots entered her field of view, and she saw a reflection of herself on a particularly smooth section.

Dark eyes peered back at her, from sunken sockets. Full eyebrows crowned her dead orbs, and between them was a pointed nose, small for an ordinary person, but it framed her's perfectly. It was bent near the bridge, showing that it had been broken before. Her lips were chapped, and her skin was a ghostly gray . Her face was framed by a mat of brown hair, which hung limply. Her face was littered with scars, the smooth skin giving her face a weathered appearance. Seeing the sight almost brought tears to her eyes.

 

I was once pretty. I remember. But now...

 

She was more dead than living, and she looked like it. No wonder they referred to her as an "it".

 

"Look. Up."

 

She felt her neck sigh in relief as she raised her head autonomously to meet the gaze of the woman. Fiery orbs glared back at her, the look of disgust only augmented by her venomous voice.

 

"I said. Look. Up."

 

What do you mean...?

 

She grunted in agony as a hand pushed her head right up, forcing her to look up at the ceiling. Her neck was exposed to the woman, and she felt panic settle in. Her arms were renewed with energy and she struggled futilely against her restraints. She tried to stop her body, but it wouldn't listen.

 

Stop! Please! Otherwise they will-

 

A scream of agony tore through the room as the woman placed a small device by her temple. The electricity tore through her body, setting all her muscles on fire. She couldn't control her scream, and soon her lungs ran out of air. Spots of light were all she could see.

 

I can't breathe...

 

I'm going to die...

 

Just as soon as the pain started, it stopped. She was left faint and breathing heavily, gulping in huge quantities of air to feed her starved lungs. Her lower lip had split during the process, and she tasted the copper of blood dribble down her throat. Her head leaned against the wall that restrained her, still baring her neck to the woman.

 

"Stop struggling...SCUM!" the woman shouted as she felt a burning sensation on her cheek.

 

She slapped me, her mind told her.

 

"Now, now," she heard the voice of the leader, from somewhere to her left. "We don't want to cause our subject any more...distress than required do we?"

 

She saw as the woman gritted her teeth. "No we don't Alad."

 

"Good. Gentlemen, are we ready? Yes? Good. Karli, you may begin the experiment."

 

The woman nodded and raised a syringe to the Valkyr's throat. She whimpered again, and then gritted her teeth in preparation as she felt the pinprick of metal press against a vein on her throat. She groaned as the needle pierced her marred skin, injecting the unknown contents of the serum into her circulatory system. She relaxed as the injection was removed from her throat, and was surprised when she didn't feel anything.

 

"Vitals are low, but steady," she heard one of the men say.

 

"That will change soon," chuckled the man called Alad. She hated the man even more now. "We just need to let the serum circulate to her entire body."

 

Her body suddenly burned everywhere. Her muscles clenched, and she bit down on her tongue in shock. Mouth full of blood, she let loose a scream of agony as the fire burned through her body. This was too much, her body was going to explode. She felt her body disconnect from her mind, the pain nothing but a never ending nightmare. She didn't know how long she was in agony for. Her mouth was still open, but no sound came. Sweat poured down her face, and blood from her ruined tongue flowed down her throat, almost choking her.

 

"Results are looking good!" she heard a disembodied voice from somewhere around her. Everything was a blur of pain and darkness.

 

"Excellent. I believe our work here is done for today," said Alad.

 

"So I assume we're allowed to leave this filth be?" said the woman.

 

Alad laughed again, and she felt herself fading away from the agony.

 

"Yes, Karli. You may leave. I will send in a medical team to treat her wounds. Although, Tenno have substantial amounts of regenerative abilities due to their symbiosis with their Warframes."

 

"Whatever you say, Alad. I'm off."

 

She heard footsteps move away from her, vanishing into the haze of noise. A shadow moved into her line of sight, and she peered into evil eyes.

"I assume the serum is causing a lot of distress for you?" his acidic voice whispered to her. "That is...optimal."

 

He laughed again, as her pain started to pulse, nearly blinding her from the overwhelming agony.

 

"Tomorrow, we will try something new. I'm very close to finishing my greatest project, you see. All thanks to you and a few other of your kind. Don't worry, the serum should lose strength in a few hours. I'll send in a team to fix your tongue. We can't have you dying from your own blood now, can we?"

 

She vaguely saw him disappear into the haze, and her mind couldn't bear the agony anymore.

 

They're coming back...

 

I will die tomorrow...

 

She fainted, and her head hung limply downwards, a steady trickle of blood splattering against the floor beneath her.

 

I will die tomorrow...

 

 

Chapter 2

"You wished to see me, sir?" asked the man, his posture indicative of nervousness. After all, it wasn't normal for an ordinary research assistant to be asked to meet the head of the entire Corpus research division, a member who held a position in the Board. He felt beads of sweat trickled down the back of his neck. Alad had an aura of insanity around him. No, he corrected himself as his boss appraised him with twinkling eyes and a sickening grin. Its the aura of apathy. The man cared for nothing but results and profit. That never went well with him.

 

After all, Keef Brickt wasn't part of the research team willingly. His family was forcefully "evicted" by the Corpus, following their inability to pay the mandatory housing fee in the Corpus controlled Deimos colony. He was resigned to work here and pay off the debts that his family owed, or risk never seeing them again as they were "relocated".

 

He was startled out of his reverie as a menacing laugh echoed through the room. The scene was dramatic: the swirling gases outside that permeated Jupiter's atmosphere, threw the insides of the room in shadow, giving Alad V a silhouette that suited his laugh perfectly.

 

"Are you afraid?" the man asked, his voice sowing the seeds of hatred even further into Keef's mind.

 

"No, sir. I'm not," the blue eyed man replied, straining to keep the nervousness out of his tone. That bastard's like a bore. Give him one weakness, and he'll go right through me.

 

"Good to know. Now, Mr. Keef," drawled Alad, "I summoned you here with regards to our...precious test subject. I assume you have a report ready for me?"

 

The subordinate nodded. "Yes, I do. I have sent you a written version of the report already, but if you'd like me to elaborate vocally, I can do that as well."

 

"Please do."

 

After a deep breath, Keef started. "From our testing procedures, we have gained substantial information regarding the anatomy of the Tenno, but we still remain in the dark about how to replicate their biology. This is because of a vast number of factors. Initially, from the stimulus tests, we learned that the Tenno respond to pain just as ordinary humans do, signifying a similar nervous system structure. Our attempts at making the Ascaris probe work as intended failed, mostly due to biological failsafes present in a few of them. She is one of those few who can resist the Ascaris. A minor setback, fortunately. From further stimulus tests, we have noticed a steadily declining amount of delta waves when the subject is asleep, as well as an immediate switch of brain wave frequency during tests."

 

Alad raised a gloved hand to stop him there. "Steadily declining? Are you suggesting that we are losing our test subject."

 

Gritting his teeth, Keef nodded. It's obvious, you dumb bastard. You're killing that woman. "Yes, sir."

 

"Very well. I'll make arrangements for us to acquire a few more test subjects, but for the moment, let us try to keep that thing alive. The Zanuka project is almost at fruition after all."

 

"We will try our best, sir."

 

Yet another sick smile. "I'm sure you will. Continue."

 

"Her mind shuts itself down during our tests. Pain is still an overwhelming stimulus, but their neural chemistry autonomously increases theta wave generation and that allows them to...er...withdraw into themselves. That could explain their extreme resilience to stimulus during combat. With regards to physical effects of the testing, scar tissue generation is substantially quicker, but the dermis itself does not heal fast. Combat implications of this phenomenon mean a lesser chance for them to bleed out. Our cybernetic muscle implants and procedures show positive results. Muscle fibres are denser and repair times are far above average. Further testing is needed, but for now, that is all we have learned."

It took Alad a few moments to respond, during which his gaze bored into Keef, making the man nervously clutch his fingers behind his back.

 

"When can we begin testing out our new components on the test subjects?"

 

"The energy conduits, sir?"

 

Alad nodded. "Yes. They are essential to the Zanuka prototype and I would like to include them into the prototype's systems as soon as possible."

 

Keef bit his tongue, but decided to risk it nonetheless. "Sir, if I may?"

 

The sallow faced executive quirked an eyebrow. "What is it?"

 

"The Zanuka project is a massive endeavour, the first of its kind. I merely wish to know, if possible, why the stages are being rushed ahead of schedule."

 

Alad's face tightened noticeably. "Our Grineer...associates, have made demands for expansion into the Jupiter network. Something with regards to Tenno decimating several of their assembly lines and outposts on Phobos. Speaking of the Tenno, I am of the belief that the Lotus had moles in our organization. Which brings forth the implication that we could be faced with several Tenno attempting to...retrieve our test subject. Now you see, Mr. Keef, what with our new and less desirable neighbours and the Betrayer scum that are inevitably on our way, I wish for the prototype to be ready by then."

 

"Understood, sir. But I must advise against pushing the test subject any further. She requires more recovery time between tests, or we risk compromising her sanity and physical health."

 

Alad stood up, the simple action terrifying Keef like no other. "That is unacceptable. We will proceed as planned."

 

"But sir-"

 

"Mr. Keef," Alad hissed. "Must I remind you of your position in this research project, or rather, the people you call family?"

 

You f*cking bastard! "No sir. I'm sorry."

 

"I expect you to ensure that our test subject stays alive. Regardless of the costs. Oh, and please refrain from calling it a she. Having an attachment for scum like that is unbecoming of you."

 

"Very well sir. I shall do my best."

 

The man sat down, his mind clearly somewhere else already. "I'm sure you will. Dismissed."

 

Keef silently walked out of the room, exhaling loudly as the lighting of the corridor accompanied him away from that room. The hallways were quiet, the only sounds accompanying him were the faint hiss of the air filtration systems and machinery far below him, near the depths of the facility. He checked the time once he reached his assigned terminal.

 

I need to go and tend to her, he thought, immediately picking up a few supplies scattered around his desk and throwing them onto a cart. The Tenno in their custody was quite human, and humans needed cleaning and solid food quite often. Being the lowest ranking researcher in the facility, Keef was assigned to be responsible of that task, and he hated it.

 

Not because he considered her a lowlife, but rather because he felt powerless to try and help her out of this damned facility. He couldn't even nurse the idea of setting her free for several reasons. One, neither of them would be powerful enough to escape the facility, what with the several dozen guards and proxies that prowled the corridors, and two, his family was under the control of Alad. One word from either his or Karli's mouth meant death for them. That alone made it so that the Ascaris wasn't required for Keef's loyalty. His thoughts slowly changed towards the female Tenno they were experimenting on. Despite the several inhumane things done to her, she had survived them, barely so, and that gave him some hope. If she can hold out a bit longer, her kind might be able to take her away from this place.

 

Trundling along with the cart, he examined the syringe with a yellow fluid. That should help her bear the trauma of the next test. Its about the only thing I can do now.

 

 

Chapter 3

 

The dreaded hiss of the now opening door forced her tired eyelids to jerk open. Her body shook involuntarily as she saw a man walk in, pushing a tray with medical supplies in front of him. He was clad in the standard blue environmental suit used by her captors, the same ones she had seen before succumbing to the mind numbing pain. She knew that they would be back, and yet she couldn't calm herself.

 

No...no...no! Not again!

 

Unlike the other times, no one else accompanied the man, and even more strangely, he did not have his boxy helmet on. She was faced with a pale and slightly pudgy face. He shared the same sallow appearance as Alad, but he had different markings on his face. As the man stood silently in front of her, she realized something else. His eyes...

 

They were a piercing blue...and a dark brown. Each eye was a different colour, and they enraptured her bleary mind. For the first time since she had been captured, she felt the tendrils of curiosity coil around her drug-numbed psyche.

 

"You...safe," he said softly, his words broken and unsure. He didn't speak her language properly, unlike Karli and Alad V. His voice was deep, but not overly so. The swirling gases outside the base cleared enough for the light of the sun to hit his features, forcing him to squint at her momentarily. Her shaking had increased, to the point where the restraints rattled against the metal plate she was secured against.

 

Lies! All lies! I can't be safe. I CAN'T!

 

She tried turning her head away from his outreached hand, trying to keep his hands away from her. They wouldn't hurt her that way. They couldn't.

 

"I not hurt you," the man said softly again, reaching for the restraint that prevented her from talking. She flinched, expecting a jolt of pain from his touch. They always shocked her neck, and this man was no different to her. Surprisingly, she felt her jaw slacken as the metallic restraints were loosened and ultimately removed.

 

"Feel better now," the man mumbled, turning around and rummaging through the tools that he'd brought with him. " I will help." Her jaw ached from disuse, and she refused to open them even though she was now able to. She stared blankly at the floor, her mind struggling to consider all the new stimuli.

 

Help? Why would he help me? No. He's lying to me. They all want to hurt me!

 

She let loose a panicked whimper as she felt him walk up to her, a syringe held loosely in his hand. The man must have been able to read her body language. "No, no, no. Not test serum." He waved his hands about, gesticulating as he talked in his broken way. "Pain relief. Help for..um...after tests."

 

A clacking sound filled her ears; it took a few moments for her to realize that it was she who was causing the sound. Her body was violently shaking from fear, to the point where her restraints were wobbling with her. The man in front of her let loose a sigh.

 

"Okay. Okay. No syringe," he mumbled, slowly and clearly putting down the object of her fears. "Scary, yes?"

 

She merely looked at him, trying to comprehend his motives.

 

"Mhm. Oh. My...er...name. Yes, my name. Keef!" he exclaimed, flashing her a friendly smile. The sudden shift in his mood caught her by surprise. "Keef Brickt!"

 

He looked at her closely, after a moment of silence. "You...talk problem?"

 

Her head shook on its own accord. "No? Good. Talk?"

 

She mumbled something, but it was too garbled for him to understand.

 

"Eh?"

 

"W...who...who are you?"

 

"Keef. Keef Brickt. I am your...um...yatepaket. Ykit! I am...wait." The man was clearly struggling to find the right word; his eyebrows were furrowed and his expression one of a very focused person. She quite easily became drowsy as he kept thinking, her drug addled mind struggling to stay awake without any new stimulus.

 

"Yey! Um...yes!" shouted Keef, awakening her with a jerk. "Caretaker. I am caretaker," he said, a big grin plastered on his face.

 

Why is he so cheerful?

 

"I...use different medicine. No syringe," he added. A lock of shaggy hair blocked her view as he turned around to fiddle with something in the cart. He turned around with a vial of amber fluid, and directed it towards her mouth.

 

"Open," he mumbled.

 

He gesticulated with his free hand, slowly opening and closing his mouth. Theatrics aside, she was still very confused with his behaviour. He opened and closed his mouth again, clearly expecting her to do the same.

 

As soon as she complied, he gently poured the amber fluid into her mouth. Some of it dribbled down her front as she closed her mouth and swallowed it. It tasted horrible, whatever it was, and she was still trying to figure out why she listened to him?

 

He could have poisoned me. Made it easier to kill me.

 

He pulled out a small cloth from the myriad of pockets that dotted his environmental suit and dabbed at the 'medicine' that dribbled down her chin. Once satisfied that she was clean enough, her pocketed it with a flourish.

 

"Good!" he exclaimed, with a smile.

 

"What did you give me?" she snarled, her voice pathetically weak to carry the full force of her anger.

 

"Medicine," he mumbled, clearly alarmed at her sudden change in demeanour. "For less...um...less ouch?" The last segment of his statement was accompanied by a gesture that indicated pain. "It helps for after tests also."

 

She glared at him, angry that he'd broken through her defenses. What was it that made her listen to him? He could have easily killed her. She didn't want to die. When her expression didn't falter for another silent minute, he chuckled shakily and turned around to his cart.

 

"I no bad. I...help," he said with a low voice, and it carried a doubtless aura of honesty. "These people. No good. Bad. Very bad. I help. No escape...but I try."

 

He was being honest, she thought, as she watched him pack his equipment back into his cart. "My medicine...less hurt for after tests. Easy to sleep."

 

He looked back at her and smile wanly, before waving and pushing the cart out of the room. As the door closed behind her, she hung her head back down, watching the reflection of the gases create swirling lines on the metallic floor of the room.

 

I trust him, she thought absently. That's why I listened to him.

 

Just like he'd said, she fell asleep after a short while. And for the first time, she didn't dream about pain, but about escaping this nightmare.

She might die, but she wouldn't die without a fight. That was for sure.

 

 

Chapter 4

 

"I assume that everything is under control?" demanded an old man, his holographic bust flickering in the dim light of the room.

 

"Yes," said Karli simply, crossing her arms and looking at the man with an expression of barely concealed distaste. She was currently tasked with 'entertaining' the wizened old businessmen that were part of the Board. It failed to make sense to her why anyone with the right mind would choose to be led by inept and greedy oafs, with the sole intent of acquiring profits and pilfering the coffers of others. Her pride was already being put to the test by the least irritable member of the board, and she was working underneath that man. As her mind whirled through several thoughts at once, her silence brought forth the ire of yet another Board member.

 

"Does your tongue require loosening?" bellowed a corupulent fellow, his beady little eyes glaring daggers at her. She couldn't help but smirk.

 

"No."

 

The man looked like he was going to explode, but he was interrupted by a wheezy chuckle.

 

"Now now gentlemen. Let us go easy on my subordinate here. She is merely following my orders," said Alad V, looking at her with a smug expression. He thinks he owns me, grimaced Karli, forcing her facial expression to hide her true feelings. The man's emphasis on words drove her mad sometimes, and this was one of those times.

 

"And what orders are those Alad?" asked the first Board member. Alad merely made a gesture of pursing his lips.

 

"Answer with as little detail as possible. You see, gentlemen, I believe she does not have the capacity to handle matters such as this effectively. After all," he looked at her again, the smug expression evolving into a predatory grin, "she is but a researcher here."

 

"Research Division Leader," shot Karli, finally losing her temper.

 

"I'm sorry?"

 

"My role in this facility. I lead the department. I'm fully qualified to answer any questions posed to me."

 

Alad merely laughed again, clasping his hands in front of his chest. "You see, Miss Karli, I believe you are wrong there. You may very well lead the research department, but you do not possess the aptitude to deal with delicate matters pertaining to the Board."

 

"But-" she started, her voice quavering in anger.

 

"Now, now. I don't mean to hurt your pride. Not everyone is capable of tactfully handling matters above their own capacity. You need not worry now. I will deal with these gentlemen. Now please, show yourself out."

 

Hands balled into fists, she nodded. "Very well. Enjoy your day, members of the Board," she said to the four glaring holograms looking down at her. The door closed with a hiss, followed by an angered snarl.

 

Karli was seething by now. Sexist, insecure...FAILURES! Aware of the security cameras that dotted nearly every inch of the facility, she gritted her teeth and maintained her composure, her feet automatically leading her towards her office.

 

The constant clack of her boots did little to set her mind at ease. Even though her current circumstances were temporary, she couldn't help but feel her resentment towards her superiors. She was by far a lot more competent than them, but they had the power of the opposite sex, and never-ending supplies of resources.

 

When she snapped out of her reverie, she found herself seated in her office, watching the sky darken as night settled in. The swirling clouds of gas outside the observation windows were turning into brilliant shades of blues and violets, and with the herald of darkness came the beep of her comms terminal. Thumbing the button gently, she cleared her throat.

 

"Doctor Karli speaking."

 

"This is Jek, ma'am. Do you have a moment?"

 

She closed her eyes and massaged her temples. Jek Lukt. A subordinate of hers who had a almost irritable adoration of her. A true savant of genetic modification, he seemed to be the only person on the facility who gave her the respect she deserved. She smiled to herself as he waited patiently. He was a useful lackey.

 

"Yes, I'm available."

 

A pause. "I'm on my way ma'am. Thank you."

 

She clasped her hands, and pored over the latest test results on the Tenno. Her biology was similar to that of a human's, but there seemed to be a few genetic markers that enabled her species to manipulate the very energy that permeated their beings. The source of the modification seemed to be the pocket dimension her ancestors called the Void. She would be really pleased to conduct tests on other subjects, and their reactions to Void energy exposure. After all, the core components were already available. Months ago, she had managed to secure several samples of the Technocyte virus. Multiple strains were stored hermetically at one of her research bases, and with the data she acquired from the Tenno recently, she was fairly certain that her plan could come to fruition soon enough.

 

I will make this system a better place to live, she thought to herself. I will rid this place of filth and make it a utopia once again.

 

The door to her room opened with a hiss, and in walked Jek, dressed as per usual in his environmental suit. Unlike her other subordinates, Jek preferred to dress in extreme weather gear, even indoors. She vaguely remembered him mentioning his fear of being contaminated. She couldn't blame the thin-faced man. People who were "contaminated" by an accidental broken container of Technocyte usually lost all cognition within a day of exposure, and they ceased to be themselves within two. The man worked with Technocyte day in and day out, and she assumed that the paranoia came with the risks associated with his particular line of work.

 

"You wished to see me, Jek?"

 

He nodded calmly. "Yes. I just wanted to get some clarification regarding the matter of Alad V."

 

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "What clarification?"

 

He hesitated. "I just wanted to know what exactly entails the plan dealing with him."

 

She smiled acidly. "You want to know what's going to happen to you because of my plan." Self-preservation is so hard to conceal, she thought.

 

"Um. Yes."

 

"You need not worry," she smiled again, the acidic gesture replaced by one of knowing. "You will be travelling with me. After all," she added, "I need my lead geneticist to stick around to make my goals reach fruition."

 

Relief flooded his features. "Thank you ma'am. I really appreciate the gesture."

 

She nodded. "You're welcome Jek. We will be leaving at any time within this week. I'd suggest collecting as much data as possible from our test subject."

 

"We won't be taking her with us?" he asked, crossing his arms and scratching at the scruffy beard that adorned his features. Karli felt mildly relieved for addressing the Tenno by her sex; calling someone like an object might have been something that Alad V or any of the Corpus Board might enjoy, but it felt unbecoming of her to do the same. And yet, with her current circumstances, she was forced to play along with the scum that she worked with.

 

"She won't be coming with us. Her mental condition is already fragile enough. The human mind might be a strong organ, but the amount of trauma she has endured wouldn't reap any more benefits than it already has."

 

"Yes, it is a shame."

 

"A shame, but a necessary deed," she continued. "Remember Jek. For the benefit of the system, we need to commit these deeds. The constant cycle must end. We sacrifice people like that Tenno for the betterment of everyone."

 

"We may be evil, or sinners if you choose to believe in any faith, but throughout history, there have been no successes without sacrifice. Rest easy, because her sacrifice will not go in vain."

 

Jek nodded. "Very well, ma'am. I will collect all the data immediately and get ready to leave. Do you require me to do anything else?"

 

She brushed back a strand of hair, grinning. "Yes. I need you to add a few…unforeseen variables to the data once you collect them. Leave the new data in the banks. After all, we wouldn't want anyone to take wind of our project and continue on with our work."

 

"Ah yes, of course. It would mean even lesser testing on other Tenno. Lesser painful procedures. I can do that. Yes, I can do that." 

 

She nodded, "That will be all. I'm going to have to ask you to leave me for a while. I am expecting a guest soon."

 

He bowed lightly, eliciting an amused smile from Karli. "Very well ma'am. I will get to work."

 

Karli was soon greeted by the sweet sound of silence. Silence was good, it allowed her to think, to reflect.

 

Her plan to coming to fruition at last; she needed to stay diligent. Times were tough ahead, but she was confident in her ability to keep her head above the water.

 

On a whim, she decided to peruse the security footage being recorded by the scores of cameras that dotted the facility. Offspring to Alad's paranoia, they served as an interesting way to gather information. It never ceased to amuse Karli how the lack of a physical person around them made people change drastically. She watched as a man diligently stood at guard in front of a door, his comrade standing opposite to him. The men were talking amicably, but the heavy distortion through the helmets and the shoddy audio receptors on the camera meant that she could not listen to what they were talking about. Several corridors behind them, another lone guard was busy indulging himself with self-grooming. Karli let loose a bemused laugh as the man lackadaisically picked at his nose, completely oblivious to the security camera and the laughing woman observing him. His helmet was crooked underneath his arm, as he calmly flicked the contents of his nose between the grated floors of the facility. It was amusing to watch, but slightly disgusting as well.

 

She idly switched through security feeds, feeling a perverse pleasure in seeing people for who they truly were. She finally stopped at the holding cell for their Tenno captive. She watched silently as one of her employees spoke to her, gesticulating wildly to the woman. Dark brown eyes watched the man as he spoke, and it made Karli very curious. What is she thinking right now?

 

The Tenno continued looking at him with the same cautious and fearful expression and Karli continued to look at her. The Tenno was a valuable test subject, and she was far more resilient than the other test subjects they had acquired from their strange resting places. She had survived far more tests than expected, and each one led to newer and better discoveries. Karli had been collecting and collating all possible information, unlike her boss. Alad was merely using the Tenno to further his silly little Zanuka idea. The prototype was almost complete, and to Alad, the time for the Tenno's usefulness was coming to a close. Karli was slightly relieved for the captured woman. She was not supposed to feel any remorse for the Tenno, but a part of her couldn't help but feel relieved that the woman's misery was coming to an end.

 

Her mental integrity is already questionable, she thought, as she saw the employee feed the Tenno with a serum and push the cart out of the door. Even after the door to the room closed, she looked ahead, her brown eyes doing nothing to reveal the thoughts racing through her mind. But Karli was still fascinated by the Tenno; she kept looking at her scarred features, soaking in the details of the catalyst of her plans. This Tenno was the only reason she was determined to fulfil her plan, and Karli deemed it a necessity to observe such an important factor as much as possible. She lost track of time, but it was well into the night before she was shaken out of her stupor by a beep from her terminal. Karli's eyes roved across the message Jek had sent her.

 

Ma'am.

 

All data secured. Noticed one discrepancy. Captured Tenno lacks a name. Might be unorthodox, but subject is sentient. Name is necessary for simplicity's sake. Would you like to name her?

 

Jek.

 

The woman's eyebrows furrowed in thought. Very unorthodox indeed. She turned her gaze towards the Tenno on the video screen again. She had fallen asleep; her eyes were closed, and her head was bent downwards in an uncomfortable angle. What Jek was propositioning only humanized the Tenno even more, but Karli didn't mind.

 

After all, she thought, if the plan works out, she won't be alive for long. What harm can come from indulging in a little bit of fun? She turned to her terminal and typed a reply back to Jek.

 

I have thought of a name. It is a word my people use in my native settlement. Rakth. Crimson. The word seems...apt for her. Modify the data as required.

 

K.

 

She smiled as the message was sent. She was interested in learning more about the Tenno, but her goals got in the way. Sacrifices needed to be made, but why not have a bit more fun before it?

 

At least she has a name now.

 

 

Chapter 5

 

Within moments of initializing the transmission, the man was greeted with the visage of his employee. It had bothered him on more than one occasion that he did not know her name, nor the fact that he did not know how she looked. All he knew was the name she was known by, the same symbol that crowned her head and shrouded her features from hidden eyes.

 

"Is this conversation a secret, Lotus?" he asked, almost out of habit by now.

 

The woman merely nodded, and maintained her silence. Even though he couldn't see her eyes, he imagined beady little orbs boring into him from behind that mask.

 

"Very well," he continued, after a pause. "This is just a weekly report. Tests have continued on the captured Tenno, and I must say with regret that her mental and physical faculties are weakening dramatically. One of my colleagues is doing his best to care for her, and his ministrations are definitely slowing down her degradation."

 

"How much longer does she have?" asked the Lotus, her voice digitally distorted.

 

He shrugged. "Two weeks, probably less. Alad V's testing phase is over, and he's merely ramping up the tests to collect data for weapons technology. The Zanuka prototype is now fully functioning, and the most recent test on her was with its primary dispel technology. She's sustained significant injuries from the testing. The previously mentioned colleague of mine is working on fixing her up. If you plan to try and mount a rescue operation, you need to do it now."

 

"You just mentioned that she has two weeks, and yet I am required to mount a rescue immediately?"

 

Damn it, woman. "Now that her use is over, he plans to sell her components to vendors to cash in as much as he can. I received word that the auction for her parts is supposed to happen in four days from now."

 

"Very well. Can your sources be trusted?"

 

He let loose an exasperated sigh. "For the last time, yes! I have a strong foothold in high level proceedings. If I remember correctly, wasn't that why you sought me out?" Time to try and gain a hold over this $#*(@, he thought.

 

"Correct, I sought you out because of your influence in the Corpus hierarchy. But I also know that you are in a position of risk. Your current appearance merely proves my point," said the Lotus, making him realize how wheezy and sharp his breathing was. F***, she's right, he thought as he felt beads of sweat drip down his pointed nose.

 

"You can't blame me for being nervous! After all it's me w-"

 

"I am not blaming you. Is your information trustworthy?"

 

"Yes," he hissed.

 

"Then our business is done. I will send a cell to retrieve her by tomorrow. Make sure you are not present on the facility during the mission. I cannot guarantee your safety."

 

"But you can guarantee my family's, right?"

 

A pause, then. "I can. Maintain your end of the deal, and I will maintain mine. They are residing on a Tenno station, and are safe and sound. Communication with them is not possible, of course."

 

He sighed. "Good. I am sorry for being so crass, I-".

 

"There is no need to apologize. Remember to leave the facility tonight."

 

The static shrouded image of the Lotus winked out, leaving a rather flustered executive sitting in his chair. He wiped his brow using a handily available handkerchief. Satisfied that his appearance was mildly acceptable, he walked out of his stifling office and decided to patrol the facility. The small rooms didn't do well for his claustrophobia, but the narrow corridors were fractionally better at the most. He nodded to several guardsmen as he walked by. He had taken it upon himself to maintain his aura of respect towards the men who worked for him and the facility in general. Through his years of experience in politics, he knew that respect guaranteed respect. These men would come to his aid when things went south.

 

South, he chuckled. His vocabulary was filled with quirks and idioms commonly found on colonists near Mars or Earth. The closest to ancient humans, he thought absently. His mother and father were from there after all. Almost like every other 'employee' in this organization, they were forced to work for the Corpus as a means to pay off debts. He had been raised in this environment, and he had learned the importance of money, and the power it held in society. Goodwill and noble intentions only took you so far in this world. Money, on the other hand, could buy you almost anything.

 

"Ah, Brill," said a voice behind him, jolting the man out of his reverie. He turned around to see his least favourite colleague.

 

"Strange to see you here," drawled Alad, crossing his arms and standing haughtily, his eyes daring Brill to lash out and punch him. The animosity between the two men was no secret. Brill had to toil for years to reach his current executive position. Alad on the other hand had merely used his cunning to rise to an echelon higher than Brill's. The sallow faced man lost no opportunity to emphasize his superiority over Brill.

 

"I was merely going for a walk," he shrugged, making sure to keep his tone neutral. "Felt like I could use the fresh air."

 

Alad merely chuckled. "Fresh air? Why, my good fellow, you'll need to step outside the facility to get some fresh air, don't you think?"

 

"Yes, yes. You know what I meant."

 

He shook his head, ending with a sickening smile. "I don't, sadly. Regardless, this is a good time for us to discuss matters at hand. Join me?" The last statement, even though a question, was posed like an order. @(*()$ prick, seethed Brill, keeping pace with Alad, who walked with his hands clasped behind his back.

 

"Well Alad, what did you want to discuss?"

 

"Hm, let's see," he drawled. "Ah yes, the matter of our little…test subject. Did you go over the reports for today's testing?"

 

Brill nodded. "Yes. I believe she was injured? How major were the wounds?"

 

"Yes, she was. She served to prove that the Zanuka prototype is more than potent enough. It was able to punch through ablative armour weaving quite successfully, don't you think?"

 

"I'm assuming that the Tenno the Zanuka prototype will be facing won't be stationary, nor will they be restrained to a platform," Brill said with a grin. Alad despised it when people demeaned his projects, especially the Zanuka.

 

"Of course not. But I can guarantee the replication of today's results under almost any combat scenario."

 

Brill shrugged. "Whatever keeps you happy, Alad. All I have to say is this: keep track of how much damage you're doing to your test subject. Testing your prototype against a weakened Tenno isn't the best way to garner the Board's confidence."

 

"Oh, you need not worry about that," snarled Alad. "The Board is completely on board. Oh dear me, I apologize for the pun." Brill fought the urge to ram his fist into Alad's smug face. Why did the #@*&$@ have to talk like that?

 

"Good for you, I suppose."

 

Alad smiled again, flashing pearly white teeth. Across the system, people are struggling to feed their families. Meanwhile, this bastard has enough platinum shoved up his @$$ to keep his teeth as shiny as diamonds, Brill thought with rage.

 

"Yes," the man continued, now leading Brill towards his office. "Good for me, indeed." The subordinate grew slightly cautious, but did little to show his newfound caution. Subtlety was an art, and for Brill especially, it was a very tough art to master. But in this situation, he managed to rein in his anger and trepidation.

 

"Mind telling me what you want, Alad? Because if this is merely an attempt to stoke the shameless fires of your ego, I have business to attend to."

 

"What business? Oh wait, do you mean the one you conduct with an untraceable contact, every two weeks, precisely forty five minutes from now?" Brill prayed to any existing deities that the sudden shock didn't register on his features.

 

"What do you mean?" he feigned, still trying to figure out why he decided to go down that route.

 

"Oh come now. I lead this facility. Unlimited access gives me the ability to observe resource uses in this facility," said Alad, opening the door to his office. Brill hesitated for but a moment before stepping in himself. "And that includes the monitoring of the facility's communication systems. I would be safe to assume that anyone in my position would have been interested in a periodic transmission using a milti-layered encryption."

 

Brill watch as Alad calmly sat down on his chair, and pressed a lone button on his desk. Suddenly, something at the edge of Brill's vision moved. He barely suppressed a violent oath as he saw the hideous amalgamation of machine and Tenno rise from its resting place and stretch. Like a dog, he thought. He was quick to realize the position Alad had put him in. The Zanuka was the ultimate trump card. Who needed a polygraph system when faced with death?

 

"So," drawled Alad, as the Zanuka loped over to him and sat by his side obediently. "Would you care to explain yourself, Brill? Who are you contacting regularly, and what business do you have with them?"

 

"I don't think I have to @(*()$ explain myself to you Alad," Brill spat out. If he was going to die, he wouldn't die whimpering like a coward. "Whom I communicate with need not bother you in the least."

 

The room echoed with Alad's laughter, even though it never reached his eyes. "Oh, I do believe you're wrong there. You see, I control this facility. My facility, my rules. And I demand to know what you're hiding."

 

"F*** you!" spat Brill. "You stupid threats won't work on me. I stand by what I say. My dealings are my own, and they are none of your concern!" Even though his voice was filled with indignation, Brill knew that he was clutching at straws now. His fate was sealed, but he needed to keep the farce going for as long as he can. A part of him wondered why a few extra seconds of living would matter to him, but that part was quickly quashed by Alad's next words.

 

"Very well then. I believe we're at an impasse. And I hate the lack of progress," he grinned savagely, idly petting the Zanuka. The mechanized creature merely trilled and continued peering at Brill. "Now, I do hold a lot of power, but you see, I am an intelligent man."

 

"@(*()$ modest, aren't you?" Brill snapped. Alad merely smiled and continued. "Making you disappear would merely cause me more trouble than necessary. You're far too valuable to the Board unfortunately. The only thing I can do at the moment is accuse you of suspected treason."

"And I assume you expect me to &!$$ myself in fear?" snarled Brill.

 

"No, I don't. But perhaps what I say next might make you want to consider that option. I hold no proof that you are conspiring against this organization, but your refusal to co-operate with me shows otherwise. To end this predicament, I will be taking you under custody, and perform a standard procedure on you. It is painless, I assure you."

 

"And to answer the question you might have," said Alad pointedly, observing Brill's fearful yet quizzical expression, "I will be implanting an Ascaris into your central nervous system. Standard procedure for our low level recruits. Helps us keep tidy ends, you know." The man was merely grinning broadly on seeing Brill's reaction to this. "So I see that this has the desired effect on you. Good. The Ascaris should give us enough power to wring the answers out of you. Don't worry, Brill, I'll make sure that you maintain most of your free will."

 

The echoing laugh filled the room again. Sadistic bastard, thought Brill, now sweating profusely. "In fact," Alad continued. "I'll make sure that you regret your decision to not co-operate with my immediately. You can be certain of that."

 

He nodded to the creature next to him, and within a split second, the Zanuka leapt in front of Brill, frightening the man and making him stumble backwards. Alad merely laughed again. "Zanuka will escort you to the holding facilities. Don't think of trying to run. The consequences will be…painful."

 

Brill pointedly looked at the two rocket pods mounted on the back of the creature. F***…

 

"Attention all posted guards," Alad drawled into a microphone. No doubt broadcasting to the entire facility, Brill thought. "Zanuka will be escorting our very own Councilor Brill to the holding facilities. He has been charged with suspected treason. Extra wardens are to be stationed at the facility, and if any attempts of escape are made," Alad paused, looking at Brill maliciously, "execute him."

 

Zanuka chirped and stalked forwards, making Brill walk in front of it. "Now if you would be so kind and to show yourself to the holding facilities," smiled Alad. Brill merely glared and walked out of the room, the mechanized monstrosity relaxedly stalking behind him. As the door to the room closed, Alad merely clasped his hands and smiled. Within moments, his terminal rang with an incoming transmission.

"Ah yes, Karli. I was expecting your call," smiled Alad.

 

"I take it that the meeting with the Councilor went as planned?" she questioned.

 

"Very much so. Your tip helped me fight off a dangerous opponent Karli. And the best part is the fact that this matter pushes the Board in my favour even more."

 

"How so?"

 

"Now, now," drawled Alad. "I believe I know who he was trying to communicate with. If I could extract that information from him, I could use to it to acquire a better position with the Board."

 

"Convenient, indeed," smiled Karli in return. Alad nodded.

 

"You know, I will be completely honest here. I always considered you to be an incompetent speck of dirt, Karli," said Alad, flashing a quick smile as he watched the woman's face tighten for a second. "Insignificant enough to blindly listen to orders and do as told. A bit better than the ordinary rabble that work here. But this particular action of yours has changed my opinion, or rather, skewed it."

 

"You have the ability to think intelligently, and make some daring plays. I can assure you this: keep doing this, and I can ensure that you will also enjoy the tastes that come with power. Who knows, maybe one day you will be a Councilor just like poor old Brill."

 

Karli was silent for a moment. "I appreciate the gesture, Alad."

 

The sallow faced man merely nodded. "Excellent work." He thumbed the transmission to a close, and clasped his fingers together in front of his eyes. One new pawn for me to use, he thought absently, still smiling. Oh my, its already dark, he thought. I'll deal with Brill tomorrow, he thought, rising from his chair and making his way towards his room. Members of the Board, prepare yourselves to accept me into your midst with open arms!

-]|[-

As the sun shone through the gases that called Jupiter home, four small streaks of sky arced across the sky. In the distance was an enormous tower, rising over the swirling depths. Balconies and walkways littered the facility, and guards could be seen patrolling these walkways occasionally. As the streaks entered the lower atmosphere of the planet, they turned out to be four oddly shaped ships, shimmering in and out of vision as they stabilized from entry into the gaseous atmosphere. Inside one of the ships, a patiently waiting figure was greeted by a familiar voice.

 

"Tenno, it is time."

 

 

More chapters to be added once completed...

 

Edited October 2, 2014 by bejuizb

[NyghttheClassy]

 

A Vicious Visage

 

Long & warping branches of ancient & corrupted plant life, grown wild & left to the touches of the void. Winding long corridors, once abundant with white light & glittering metals, arteries to a machine oh immense size & capability, belonging to an ancient people at the height of power. Quiet halls, silence mingled with the steady sounds of decayed civilization & the guttural ‘language’ of the current, malformed owners.

A silence broken by barks of gunfire, thunder of heavy weapons and enraged, blood curdling howls.

 

“Keep moving! Clear the last of this infested scum, none will not stop us from doing our duty for the Queens!”

 

Grineer lancers steadily finished off the dregs of their opposition, bursts of hot lead tearing into soft, warped tissue. Born within vats of sludge & processed proteins, clad within heavy, bulbous armoured suits & hoisting a variety of arms, from rapid, lead spitting machineguns to heavier, explosive hurling devices, the cloned soldiers of the Grineer Empire were well amidst their element as they ploughed over their current victims, the bullies & warmongers they were.

   Soon enough, the last remnants of the void derelicts original ‘occupants’ had been dealt with, either torn asunder by automatic fire or obliterated by explosives. The Sergeants of the grineer marines began barking out new strings of orders, their subordinates fanning out & scouring the dark, winding corridors of the wreck for their goal: Orokin technology.

 

A small squad stumbled upon a side door, well concealed by debris & foliage, almost in a manner that suggested someone wanted it hidden. At least as far as the squad leader was concerned.

 

“Forward outpost, this is Bravo. Found what appears to be a hideaway. Investigating, Copy.”

 

“Copy that Bravo. Be advised, Alpha, Delta & Echo have gone silent. Watc- *schreech*”

 

“Command? Come in Forward Outpost!”

 

*static*

 

The Squad’s lead spun back to his lancers & trooper, who were all about to enter the narrow hideaway, only awaiting the go ahead.

 

“Forget the bolt hole you grunts, back to the Forward base, we just lost contact. NOW!”

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Arriving back at their established forward operations post, the squad was greeted by the most unsettling sight; Nothing. Save for the crates of equipment set about as a makeshift base, there was nothing here. No Grineer, no bodies, no weapons, blood, enemies. The place was simply… abandoned.

 

“Fan out. Find me something, anything!”

 

And so the squad of nine spread out across the chamber, the lead moving over to the communications setup whilst his men paired off to the far ends.

 

Dum de dum de diddly doo…

 

A high pitched, blood draining scream echoed from the far north corner of the massive, dark & rotten hall, rebounding along the decayed walls. The Leader froze, tapping his comms for answers. Static.

Now a spurt of grakata fire to the east, swiftly curt short with another pair of agonized wails. Swiping his Hind’s magazine out to check it before reloading, he barked down his radio bead, voice starting to shake.

 

“Regroup, NOW. Everyone back here and in a defensive formation!”

 

Dum de dum de dee dee…

 

“En route Sergeant, regro- What the he-“

 

The voice went dead, and the accompanying howl of pain was a lot closer this time. The Sergeant began backing up in the direction they had first come, towards the portal, with steady, cautious steps. He spun ninety degrees as he caught motion in his peripheral. What he saw made even his battle tested gut retch.

 

Across the floor, rolling slowly towards him was roughly a white sphere, if spattered slightly in red. It bounced against his boot, rolling backwards once before stopping, a pair of golden lenses staring back up at him. It was the helm of one of his men, the head still motionless yet warm inside, and what appeared to be a smiling face crudely drawn over the faceplate in the marine’s own blood.

 

Dum de dum de diddly doo…

 

Hearing what he could only label as a heralding sound of death at this point, he broke out into as fast a full sprint as his top heavy armour would allow, trying to remember as best he could what route through the twirling & malformed corridors would lead him to safety. In his panic induced tunnel vision and focus on where he should be going, he stumbled over one of the many thick, void afflicted roots, crashing into the cold floor.

 

“Wow, you’re kinda fun. I like chases.” Came the giggling voice of innocence, akin to a young girl.

 

The remaining Grineer rolled over, a cold sweat enveloping his skin. Upon seeing what was above him, his entire body became gripped with a freezing fear, the blood draining from his face beneath his helm.

   Above, perched against the side of a twisted tree & mostly hidden within the shadows, was a Tenno. What he recognised as a ‘Mirage’ class warframe from training, it sat looming over him, this frame of deep, bloody red & pale pink, and limbs with bone like plates. At the hip, he could make out the long, wickedly curving blade of a dagger, its edge already glistening with the touch of crimson. His eyes were drawn up, to the face; a bleached bone beige facemask, two vibrant aqua green eyes bearing down maliciously from the dark of the shadows, boring into his soul & pinning him in place with fear alone.

 

With a voice mixing innocence, girlish cute, playfulness & pure Psychotic malice, the mirage spoke.

 

“Hi… My name’s Mina. Let’s play a game…”

 

Throughout the dark & decrepit halls, a most heart stopping & blood freezing scream echoed, rivalled only by the truly horrifying giggling & laughter, soon left with nothing but the gentle humming of a soft, ancient earth tune.

 

Dum diddly dee dee.

 

 

So I may have let my... inner nut-job, loose a bit on this one. Everyone, Welcome Mina.

[bejuizb]

A new chapter for Crimson.

 

Infiltration

The four figures stood crouched, looking down a looming chasm that served as a vent for the facility. Sensors in their helmets estimated it to be nearly a hundred feet in depth. No handholds, and no idea what was at the bottom. One of them looked up at the swirling gases that lapped against the surface of the massive facility. She would go in first. After all, she was the lightest and fastest. The others would scale the outer edges of the facility and find their way in. She would scout the location of their target, retrieve her and then tend to her most immediate injuries till they rejoined and moved together. With a faint nod at the others, she jumped.

 

The wind howled past her helmet as the rush of forced air tried to slow her fall. She quickly began clawing at a nearby wall, trying to establish even the slightest semblance of grip. Suddenly, her palm found a rough patch. Perfect. She quickly pushed her whole body against the rough patch and kicked herself off. She bounced against the other wall and repeated the same action. Her timing was spot on Just as she kicked off the second wall, she reached the end of the vent, which opened up into a massive room with a walkway on each side. Her rapid pushes had given her enough momentum to rocket towards one of the nearby walkways. With a grunt, she managed to grab onto the railing and haul herself onto the platform. Without a moment's hesitation, she drew her pistol and looked around.

 

Reset, she told herself.

 

“I'm in,” she muttered, knowing fully well that the others could hear her. Checking the safety on the handgun, she made her way towards the end of the room, while methodically ducking behind cover and surveying the area in front of her. The room seemed to have two of those massive vents, through one of which she had entered. The other one led out towards another part of the facility. The entire room was filled with a thrumming vibration as the colossal fans rotated and cycled the air through the facility. She had expected something similar to this setup, because the Corpus generally employed the same design principle for most of their larger facilities. The mountain bases near Europa and Uranus had the same system in place as well.

 

All she heard in response was a chirp from her allies. Knowing the team in question, she was fairly certain that it was Don. The Volt was extremely curt during missions. He only truly was calm when he was back at their dojo. Shaking the thoughts aside, she began to bypass the firewalls that protected the several security cameras dotting the security room. Behind the visor of her helmet, she grinned when she could disable the cameras leading towards her objective. She used a system provided to her in advance by the Lotus to create a constant cycle feedback: the camera recorded and replayed one particular instant of her choice. She was for all intents and purposes, invisible to the security system.

 

Slightly more confident of her surroundings, she began to briskly jog from container to container, ducking and weaving behind walls and underneath beams to rapidly cross the myriad of rooms that led to the prison block. For the umpteenth time, she checked her pistol. One in the chamber, five in the magazine, thirty reserve. She crossed her fingers. Should be enough.

 

She soon emerged into a massive room, far larger than even the vent room. As the Mag made her way to a safe vantage point, she pinged her location and quickly messaged her team.

“Manufacturing sector here. I can see the reactor for the assembly line here.”

 

A pause. “We're a few hundred metres out. The outer perimeter guards are disposed of. Crusher's secured an escape route. Can you make your way to a nearby terminal?” She smiled unconsciously as she heard her brother's voice through the comms. A quick peek over the container she was hiding behind showed several dozen crewmen patrolling the assembly plant floor. A quick headcount showed thirty targets. The nearest terminal was at the other end of the main accessway, which was several feet above her, on a walkway that surveyed the entire floor.

 

S#&amp;&#036;. “No, I can't. Too many people for me to get through without blowing my cover.”

 

“That's alright. Make your way to the prison block and stand by. We have a plan.”

 

Even though there was no one in front of her, the Mag nodded. “Does your plan involve blowing up the shiny reactor in the middle of the room?” she asked in a whimsical tone.

 

A hoarse chuckle. “Not blow it up, but disable it. I have a vague theory that this reactor powers the Moa terminals throughout the facility as well.”

 

“Gotcha. Moving again.”

 

“Rin,” muttered her brother as she skulked behind several moving platforms. “Stay safe kiddo.”

 

“Will do.” A crisp chirp from the comms ended that conversation. Rin was halfway across the room by now. The crewmen were lazily patrolling the facility. After all, no alarms were raised. In front of her, Rin saw a conveyer belt shuttling incomplete Moa chassis from one of the manufacturing stations to another. She watched with mild amazement as a series of magnetically controlled devices floated components onto the chassis and within seconds, Rin witnessed the birth of another inactive Moa. She quickly checked her compass to gather her bearings, and was quite glad to know that the prison block was several levels below her. The Lotus silently sent her a possible path to her target.

 

According to the schematics, she needed to go down a series of ventilation shafts which started from a room on the other side of the assembly room. She nodded to herself and holstered her pistol. She craned her head from behind cover, and took stock of the change in the patrol. The guards were now stationed beneath her, on the main factory floor, while she was on top of a giant fuel cell that seemed to be storing energy generated by the reactor. The analytical part of her mind told her that these cells powered the other large machines throughout the facility. Giant batteries, she thought bemusedly as she quickly sprinted towards a fully assembled Moa being pulled out of the assembly machine. She leapt onto the robot and quickly swung herself around so that she stayed hidden to the unalerted guards. The clamps that held the machine easily held her weight, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

 

The only sound that filled her ears for the next twenty seconds as the conveyer shuttled her across the room was the clunk of ratcheting gears and her own shallow breathing. As her ride on the conveyor was coming to a close, she began to look for a drop off point. There was a doorway that possibly led to the room that gave access to the ventilation system; the only catch: she had to drop off directly on to the main floor, in plain sight of any guards that might be facing her way. The port through the wall led to avenues she'd rather not face. She quickly charged up an amount of energy into her hands and took a deep breath.

 

With intuition that came from years of practice, she leapt from her current perch, arcing gracefully down the sixty feet to the floor of the assembly line. Just as he feet made impact with the floor, she forced her body forwards, using the momentum of the fall to roll over and dissipate the impact of the landing. With a rapid lunge, she crouched to one knee and drew her pistol, aiming it towards the other end of the room. She almost squealed with glee as none of the guards were looking in her direction. She turned around quickly and opened the door to the other room and sneaked inside, pistol at the ready.

 

The room she just entered seem to serve as a server bank for the facility; it was substantially cooler here than it was outside. Explains the need for a concentrated venting system, she thought. The room seemed unoccupied, and there was only one entrance: the one she had just entered through. The Mag quickly logged past the server banks towards the end of the room, rolling appropriately to pass through the blind spots of the security cameras as they panned across the room. With the guidance of the Lotus, she soon found herself looking down an air vent. The narrow walls had corrugated sections, allowing her handholds to shimmy her way down the vent itself.

 

Within fifteen minutes, she found herself at the lower subdeck, the same level as the containment cells for prisoners or test subjects. The captured Tenno must be here, she thought as she crouched underneath a protruding wall section. She found an access hatch leading to an upper level on the same floor, and within seconds, had bypassed the security system and was climbing up the ladder like a ghost. When she reached the top, she was faced with a walkway made of meshed metal, supported by alloy bars and posts. Not much cover, but she wasn't too fazed. The upper level wasn't well lit and heavily ventilated. If the need ever occurred, she could quickly pop into one of the adjoining vents and bide her time there.

 

As she scurried across the upper level, she looked down through the see-through floor and took stock of the opposition she was facing. Three sentries seemed to be patrolling the three entrances of the room, with the third being very close to a non-inconspicuous terminal planted right in the middle of the room. The Corpus were very predictable in this regard: in the event of an alarm or breach, the third sentry would rush to the terminal and initiate a four level lockdown of the holding cells themselves. Guards would rush in and secure the station even more.

 

Rin was too skilled to initiate an alert, and with some patience and observation, found a well hidden vent that branched towards the holding cells from the catwalk she was on. This vent wasn't secured by an encrypted padlock, and was instead held together by four heavy duty bolts. She smirked. Child's play. With a slight hum from her hands, the entire vent slowly eased off the wall, making a barely audible squeak as it came loose.

 

It was cramped inside the vent, and she barely suppressed a giggle when she imagine Crusher getting stuck trying to crawl through the vent. The giant Frost seemed to slam into objects in a wide open battlefield, and she loathed to imagine the hell it would have been to have him infiltrate the facility without raising an alarm.

 

Within seconds, she had scrambled to a duct opening that led straight to the middle of the containment cells. She heard the metallic footfalls of a guard patrol the room. Definitely not a Moa, she thought, noticing the particularly irregular footfalls of the unseen guard. She decided to try and gain another vantage point and continued for another few feet along the vent. Her Warframe’s sensors indicated the significant drop in temperature as she continued her stay inside the vent. As my brother would put it, cold as balls.

 

She gently pushed open a riveted vent opening and hopped onto an access ramp that ran its length along the perimeter of the room. From the looks of it, it seemed like this ramp allowed the guards to perform maintenance on the life support systems of the individual cells. It also served the ideal purpose of giving Rin enough room and cover to observe the crewman patrolling the room. She checked her pistol and thanked the spirits for the fact that she had opted to install a suppressor on it. She lined up the shot and effortlessly let loose a single blast. All the guard heard before he died was a silent whump as the bullet left the barrel at subsonic speeds. The shot was clean, easily boring through the thin metal helmet that the crewman wore. She gently hopped down from her perch, taking a deep breath as she loosened her muscles. Leaving the lifeless body slumped over the floor as he was, she padded her way to the cells and began examining the terminals lining each one of them.

 

“Your target should be in the fourth cell on the right of the room,” said the voice of the Lotus immediately. Rin nodded to herself and began to bypass the locks of the cell the Lotus mentioned. She stood tall and tried to maintain a harmless posture; her target had been through hell at the hands of the money hungry bastards. Spirits knew what that had done to her psyche. She was left blinking in confusion as the cell was empty. Rhino quickly padded in and searched around the room, expecting its occupant to be hiding underneath the bed. But the room had no furniture. Just a lone slab of metal with arm and leg restraints.

 

“She’s not in here,” Rin whispered.

 

“She must have been moved to another location. I was not informed of this,” said the Lotus, her voice unwavering despite the unforeseen circumstance.

 

“What should I do now?”

 

A pause. “Unlock the second cell on the right side of the room. My information stated one lone occupant in this holding facility, that being our target. Perhaps she might have been relocated to the other cell. It seems to be the only other occupied one.”

 

“Aye aye, ma’am,” Rin whistled and proceeded to unlock the cell. This one did have an occupant. But the occupant wasn’t the Tenno, or even a female.

 

“Who the hell are you?” the man whispered, unconsciously pushing himself away from the Mag as far as he could.

 

“He is an ally,” said the Lotus, merely to Rin’s surprise. “Do not harm him.”

 

“Permission to speak?” she asked her faceless guide, watching as the clearly panicked man flailed his arms wildly.

 

“Granted.”

 

The Mag stepped forward, holstering her pistol and raising her hands in a gesture of peace. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

 

The man let loose a wheezing laugh. “Oh thank god! She sent you, didn’t she?”

 

Rin nodded. The Lotus’ influence runs deep.

 

“Good! Now I can get off this @(*()&#036; ship and meet my family. You’re here to pick up the other Tenno, right? Yes, yes. She sent you here for that job after all.” The man’s speech had taken a rapid speed as he quickly scrambled to pick up all his belongings, which were namely an archaic timepiece and a small lapel pin. “You should find her by the medical wards. I heard the guards tell me that the son of a *@##&#036; Alad took her in for testing out some weapons his little monstrosity uses. She should be there right now. Did she send you alone?”

 

She merely shook her head and gestured for him to step out of the cell. Activating her comms, she began to ping her brother. “Don, we’ve got a slight change of plan.”

 

“What is it?” barked the Volt.

 

“Our target’s not here. She was moved to the medical ward this morning. I came into contact with a valuable asset according to the Lotus. I’m expecting her to order me to escort him outside to the ships.”

 

“That is correct,” said the Lotus to the both of them. “He is an important asset to us, and I wish to see him taken to safety.”

 

The Volt cursed. “Fine. Don’t expect Rin to escort him by foot. She needs the speed to face off against that monstrosity Alad’s cooked up.”

 

“Don,” whispered Rin. “Are you sugges-“

 

“Yes, I am. Permission to do so, Lotus?”

 

“Granted. We can be assured of Tenno Rin’s safety alongside the safety of my contact.”

 

“Rin, you know what to do,” grunted Don. “Meet the others and I at the manufacturing level, by the server room.”

 

The call chirped out, leaving Rin standing next to a clearly agitated man.

 

“Well? What is it? What’s the holdup?”

 

Rin sighed. This could get complicated, and really fast. She quickly swept out her leg, catching the surpised man by the back of the knees. He let loose a mighty oath as his large form crumpled to the ground. Rin merely raised a hand over his scared features and activated the sequence. The node on the palm of her hand began to assimilate the man, writing the very biological code that he was made of into a nano-sized storage system. This ancient capture technique was developed by the Orokin for safely relocating high value targets through combat zones. The Tenno carrying this stored identity could be trusted to transport them safely. The man’s shocked scream was drowned out by a thundering explosion that seemed to rumble from somewhere above her. She heard the panicked shouts of the wardens outside the containment room. As the last vestiges of red light absorbed the man into its data stream, she quickly unslung her rifle, clicking off the safety and feeling the comfortable weight push against her shoulder.

 

“Stealth is out of the question now,” she whispered, as the lights throughout the facility flickered out, leaving a lone Tenno inside a dark prison complex, surrounded by panicked guards trying to restore order. “I need to get to Don quickly.”

 

She clicked on her IR module, blinking slightly as the darkness around her vanished to a world of grays. Just as she started to move towards the door, it opened of its own accord and she was suddenly faced with a dozen Corpus troops, rifles held at the ready.

 

Oh F***.

 

[Achaix]

We will not interrupt your regular programming for the next story.

Please enjoy your non-lorebreaking day!

Edited October 5, 2014 by Achaix

[KittyShark]

We interrupt your regular programming for the next story.

-+-

The Return of the Sentients

Deep within the Earth's mantle, hidden beneath miles of rock and magma, it slumbered. A creature, unthinkably beautiful and horrible, older than the star that illuminated the surface of this wretched planet.

It waited patiently, biding it's time. It would not do to fight now and take back it's place as ruler amongst its brothers; it wanted THEM to suffer as it had suffered, wanted THEM to burn, freeze and be plagued with nightmares, both real and of the mind.

For now, it would wait, until SHE called THEM forth again.

No. NO NO NO NO. Bad. this is Lore Breaking of the HIGHEST ORDER. Go read our Faq IMMEDIATELY

HERE https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/221310-ooc-of-ash-and-fire-v20-faq-and-discussion

Go there, read it. Learn what you did wrong then fix your post. We have established rules for a bloody reason!.

[KittyShark]

We will not interrupt your regular programming for the next story.

Please enjoy your non-lorebreaking day!

Thank you. Now we all be fwiends. maybe. If i don't get hungry.

[NyghttheClassy]

Ta-da! I wrote a thing!

 

Part 2

 

Icy blue eyes steadily crept open for the first time in nearly a week, slowly adjusting to the low light within the room. Nyght’s mind gently stirred into functionality, trying to find reason as to why it shouldn’t return to the comfort of sleep. He realised that he had just had the best nights rest since his beloved’s first ‘nightmare’; since that night, every time she tried to fall into a peaceful slumber, she would instead slip into a pit of subconscious horrors, tormenting her with images of her deepest fears, worst memories & unthinkable possibilities. This left her with almost no rest and a fear of ever going trying to sleep. Nyght himself fared little better at sleeping, as he would either be keeping an eye over Kristina as she slept, or being woken by her mentally broadcasted terror should either of them both fall asleep together.

   Tonight however… no such events. No screams in the night, no cold sweats, and no sudden awakenings followed by sobs or panicked embraces. Nothing more than a few uncomfortable periods, but not enough to startle him or raise any alarms.

 

 Casting his eyes down to his bare chest, they instead found a gentle face & head of haphazardly spread crimson hair, softly rising & falling with his own breath. He ran a hand first over her sleeping head, stroking along the delicate & deep red locks, before running that hand down along the curves of her shoulder & side, soaking in the supple, smooth skin as his touch elicited a squeeze around his torso, the lady stirring.

  With one hand lightly cupping her chin as she tried to rise, he guided her face up to his, the two sharing a brief but loving & meaningful kiss. Breaking off, cobalt eyes gently fluttered open, Kristina smiling slightly as the first thing they saw were her knight’s own pale irises. She brought herself back down, nuzzling into the base of his neck whilst tracing faint shapes along his bare, toned chest, to be rewarded with a few shivers under the gentle touch. Lying like this, Nyght reciprocated the gesture, stoking along the pale skin of her back before interrupting the silence.

 

“Morning love… Sleep well?”

 

“Mm… For once in a while, yes. I forgot what it felt like to actually sleep.”

 

“Hmm. Looks like those sessions you've been having are paying off. A couple more & you should be good to go.”

 

“Mmmhmm… but right now, I feel like…” She snuggled closer into him, pressing their bodies together. “… Having a lie in.”

 

 Nyght gave her a gentle kiss to the top of her head before returning the embrace.

 

“As attractive as the prospect of staying here with you all day is, I know for a fact you have another session later with that Nyx & Trinity pair… what was it?”

 

“Clara & Vex.” Kristina replied. “I’m sure they won’t mind me taking advantage of a good night’s sleep…” she added, throwing in a feigned pout for extra leverage.

 

“Maybe so, but I have a few things I need to do anyway today. How’s this…” he cupped her chin again, bringing her to face him. “I’m going to go off and do a few things that I need to do. You, are going to go to your sessions & spend some time ‘in town’ as it were, relaxing & enjoying yourself. When I get back, we are going to go out together, and I might have had time to sort out a little surprise for you. Deal?”

 

Thinking it over for a few moments, she replied by reaching up and giving him one more peck on the lips.

 

“Deal. But don’t stay away to long…”

 

She relinquished her hold on him as he got up from the bed and headed to equipment locker, first sliding on his pitch-black under suit, then fastening up his Excalibur Prime frame, the patterns of blue & pale ice as distinguished as the day he was first awarded them. Finally, he slipped on his furred, sleeveless overcoat, a purely aesthetic touch within the station’s climate, but one he familiar & comforting, a piece from home as it were, more so with  a small silver & sapphire flower attached: Kristina’s touch.

 

“I promise not to, I should be back in a day or two at most. You have details for a few people I know that might be around if you need anything.” He walked back over to the bed, kneeling down to her level & holding her delicate hands with his. “And if something urgent comes up, don’t hesitate to call, and I’ll come straight back. Okay?”

 

“Okay.” She gave a small smile which he returned, before collecting his blades from their rack & heading out to run his errands.

 

Kristina laid there in the bed for a little longer, half covered by the sheets & staring at the door, contemplating how best to spend this ‘alone time’ she found herself suddenly with. It was true, she hadn't exactly had time to relax the past few days; either she’d been in the medical & psychological sessions, getting a terrible night’s sleep or simply left without the energy to do anything between either of the aforementioned.

  Taking note of the mess her hair was whilst glancing between the door to the bathroom and the clock, checking the few hours she had until today’s session, she concluded how to start her late & lazy day.

 

Hot bath.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------

 

‘Dear Diary,

    Today was FUN! We got some visitors in big suits of armour and carrying guns. I’m pretty sure they were Grineer, but Mishka & Vivia are certain that they’re ‘Spacemen’. They came in all shouty and explodey, having a party with the local creepy crawly neighbours. Not seen them back since though.

      Either way, Tali & Juno had a great idea; we went about and laid some tripsy trapsies around, suprises & such. Like a surprise party! Then we went around saying hello and peek-a-boo to them as they went about exploring. They were REALLY surprised, and squealed and shouted and stuff. I poked them. And stabbed. And slashed. And diced. Hehe… The last clonesy was lots-a-fun; he even played a big game of chase with me after I threw him a smiley head ball.

  I hope some more of their friends come by later, I want more playfriends. Mishka, Vivia, Tali & Juno are great fun and all, I can’t seem to play catch with them, or play chase.

 

Lovey dovies, Mina!’

 

“How’s that girls?” Mina looked up and beamed at her ‘mirrors’, the five mirages ‘sat’ in a ring with mina herself atop a crate whilst the others floated or ghosted into objects of debris.

 

“Love it!” chorused Tali, Vivia & Juno

 

“Yay! Mishka?”

 

“Mina, I think something’s up with Sylba. He’s not making the happy purry noise.”

 

Mina leaned over to look down at Sylba. Indeed, ‘Mishka’ was right; the somehow ever loyal & present Dark gray, black striped Huras wasn’t resting at her side or begging to play. Instead, he had his shimmering golden eyes fixated upon one of the entries into the hall, softly but no more menacingly growling as he crouched into a pouncing posture.

 

“Ooooo, maybe we have more friends. Places people!”

 

-------------------------------------------------------------

A heavy & well rusted grate clanged against the malformed floor, followed closely by the forms of three young & fresh Tenno, landing with soft thumps as they checked their armaments. Taking the lead, the gray Rhino moved along the corridor ahead, whilst a teal Mag and blue Loki hung slightly behind.

 

“Remind me why we came to a creepy as hell derelict again.” Queried the Loki, warily eyeing the twisted walls & corrupted foliage.

 

“Simple Riven. The Lotus wants to prevent the Grineer from finding something here, so she sends us to stop them. And besides, you heard the rumours right? Some nice rare equipment or something if we do enough missions.” replied the Mag, picking up her pace slightly to catch their Rhino.

 

“Oh I heard. I just don’t take well to… well, spooky. And Infested give me the creeps big time Dianna, you know that.” Riven shuddered lightly, recalling a recent experience with the infestation. “You remember last week right? On the last derelict.”

 

Dianna only gave a chuckle as she reached her Rhino comrade, vividly remembering the incident of Riven being buried under a mass of dead infested after a misfire with his teleportation. It seemed their Rhino did too.

 

“You done shivering back there? Or am I gonna have to find a fresh set of infested to throw you at? This time alive.”

 

“Ye ye, fine mister Grumb-” Riven froze as the Rhino paused & looked over his shoulder at him, daring him to finish. “-I… Grendel. Totally wasn’t going to say Grumbledore. Never do that.” Riven ended, holding his hands up for added affect.

  It seemed to satisfy Grendel for now, the trio ‘peacefully’ continuing down the corridor, leading into what they assumed was a main hall. Normally by this point, they would have expected to meet resistance from either the local infestation or the encroaching clone forces.

 None of them, not even ‘Big, gruff & growling Grendel’ as Riven liked to tease, were really ready for what they found instead.

 

Grineer & infested alike hung from branches & ropes, strung up in a sickening display like carcasses on hooks in a twisted version of a butcher shop, dripping faint trails of blood from their dangling forms. Gore-splattered crates and mangled containers littered the floor besides many other shredded corpses, in a manner that one might image a cluster-bombing left behind.

   A large rectangular column stood in the centre of the room, vines & branches trying to overtake & cover it. On the side that they could see, it appeared as though it had been cleared & scrubbed of filth and overgrowth, only to have something all the more disturbing in their place; painted in deep crimson & vibrant scarlet, the words ‘Play Ground’, the ‘ink’ still running down the sides of the wall like rose red tears.

 

Grendel tapped his communications, attempting to reach the Lotus, to be assaulted with nothing but garbled static & what sounded like an undertone of giggling.

 

“What the…” Dianna couldn’t finish her sentence, unable to really find the words to fit as they all stared at the sight before them, the spectacle of disarray & destruction.

 

“Erm… F this guys, I am not going that way.” Riven spun to the side, practically bursting into a sprint for another route.

 

Click.

 

He froze and silently cursed as he heard the telltale noise of a pressure plate, but was surprised when no Orokin traps juddered into life. A second later, he found himself unable to do anything but scream, dragged high into the air by a crude yet classic weighted rope, where he was swung into a trunk with concussive force.

  Whilst he hung a few stories upside down in the air, his companions stood below, trying to work out the best way to not break his neck in freeing him.

 

“Ooooh, someone hit my trippety trap. Hello!”

 

Grendel and Diana spun around to come face to face with an energetic looking pink & scarlet Mirage, flanked by one ominously dark coated Kubrow, glowering at them from behind his mistress.

 

“Um… hi. This your contraption? It seems our friend got himself snared.” Asked Dianna softly.

 

“Mmhmm, yup. You look different, not clonesies, nor creepies. Are friendly friendsies instead?” queried Mina, tilting her head like an inquisitive puppy.

 

The other two Tenno shared a brief look of confusion with each-other, before Dianna spoke again. “I… guess so? Can you help us get our friend down and back to our ship? Looks like we need to head back to the station, if you’d like to come with us; didn’t see any other ships docked on the way in. Oh, I’m Dianna by the way.”

 

She held her hand out to shake, and Mina took whilst doing a small curtsey. “Mina.”

 

 

 

I'm going to throw this out here - we, all of us that write here that is, really, really, really, like to hear back from those that read. So go by the OOC thread, and throw us some feedback: what did you like or dislike, and how much you worry over our sanity. Oh, and spread the word to your friends to come check us out - we count ourselves as more of a collaborative fanficition, which is happy to take in and help newer writers. But some of us worry that being buried into the RP forum, we aren't as visible. So off you go, feedback & spreading the word, wonderful readers. Thanks.

  

Edited October 9, 2014 by NyghttheClassy

[FatViking]

Operation Rescue part 2: Prison break.

 

-Start log #3301-

 

How many people have I killed while incarcerated? 5? 6? And how many have I befriended? 200? 300?

 

Its been a long time.I have finished my mission and I am stuck here. Stuck, because I have no extraction team waiting for me. Stuck because I chose to be stuck. Why? Because its very simple. I have found allies in these people. Soldiers willing to fight their former employers, Red Veil operatives, Corpus-branded Terrorists. All these people, stuck under the same roof as I am and as ready to burst out of this place. Once our plan comes together not even fresh guards can stop us.

 

-End log #3301-

 

-Start log #3809-

 

I foresee our plan going off in the next month. Why do I say that? Because we just recieved the final part for the last weapon we needed to build. The weapons are hidden in a secure place the Corpus have no knowledge of, thanks to the Red Veil operatives having spent their time building secret compartments for things such as weapons, just in case another prisoner would suggest what I am suggesting. Prison break, from Tartarus. Like some supermen from pre-Orokin myths, we shall rise from the pits of the underworld and rejoin the galactic chaos, and like angry spirits we shall carve our way out and carve our names into all those who oppose us. We are the ashes of the Phoenix and our rebirth is soon.

 

-End log #3809-

________________________________

 

''We rose as foretold from the ashes of Phoenix, striking with righteous fire against the shades of Tartarus. They stood no chance as we burned their taint from the world, the smuggled ignis's doing their holy work, and the Grakatas singing the songs of metal death. The parts of these weapons smuggled in crates of supplies, it had taken us months to get the weapons built and ready for combat, but having several members of our flock being trusted enough to work in the cargo bay and storage rooms had made the process so much faster. Instead of years, it took merely a few months. Then we struck, sudden and out of nowhere.

 

The first guards to fall were all guards who had only started working in Tartarus. They may have had families, children and spouses, but we didn't care, the flames our ascension back to the stars burning them to cinders before we could show any remorse. The older guards proved some resistance, but soon they fell as well, not to the flames but to the songs of metal the Grakatas screamed in a chaotic chorus, as the metal slugs tore the guards apart, ripping flesh and exposing organs through the destroyed environmental suits. We who fought up close screamed as we would club, stab, cut, chop and slice any guard who opposed us with broken chair legs, sharpened pieces of bones from meals, Sheevs we recieved in parts and other improvised weaponry. We were a terrifying sight for any who had never encountered such tactics, our frenzy sending guards running in fear. The warden himself was the last to fall, and he fell in our objective. The supply ship that had landed just a few hours before and had been refueling and dropping its cargo off before it would leave again. He had fallen to a piece of broken pipe hurled at him. It had hit him in the chest, sinking into the flesh and piercing his heart.

 

Once we threw the wardens body out of the ship, we took off. Our destination? A small unaligned mining colony in the asteroid belt, where the Red Veil operatives would take our unaligned allies in as new recruits. I would make contact with Lotus on that colony, and proceed to get extracted and delivered back here. So, that is my tale, my fellow Tenno. Now, whose turn is it to buy the next round?''

[Kalenath]

Hope no one minds another...

 

Intermission

 

 

Oops...

 

It was a minor little thing. Just a minor little thing.

 

It hadn't been planned. It hadn't been foreseen. It certainly hadn't been incorporated into the main plan.

 

The plan was simple. Most good plans were. Phobos, one of the satellites of the planet Mars, was a Grineer stronghold. Frequent incursions by the Tenno, the Corpus and even occasional invasions by Infested had left their marks -some very deep- but none had actually managed to curb the never ending stream of clones. So it just made sense to keep the Grineer as off balance as possible. Something Tenno as a whole excelled at.

 

So when the mission came down from the Lotus to strike the Grineer stronghold again, the Tenno as always had responded. It was what they did. What they were for. Tenno were weapons and here was an enemy. The artillery systems of the settlement in question were formidable against any conventional force, but an unconventional one?

 

None of the Grineer had even seen the Tenno ships arrive. Stealth had it's uses after all. They were patrolling, killing Sand Skates, the usual Grineer things. Not alert. So much the better. The Tenno would manage, they usually did. But un-alerted enemies were usually easier to fight.

 

Then it happened. One of the four Tenno on the team, an Excalibur Prime, turned a corner and came face to...well... armored faceplate to armored faceplate with a Grineer Hellion. For a long moment, the Grineer just stared. What was one of the hated Tenno doing so deep in a Grineer stronghold? Why was there no...

 

Some sense of self preservation had the Grineer activate his jetpack just as the Excalibur threw himself forward, his Skana Prime coming out. If he could just get do it quietly... But no. The Hellion rose into the air, it's rifle coming down. The Excalibur shook his head and raised his weapon straight up as the other three took aim. A burst of light flashed from his blade and...

 

The Excalibur could only watch in stunned amazement as the Hellion, batting at his eyes, was slammed to the side! A large Grineer craft of some kind careened through where the Hellion had been. The Grineer trooper hit the cliff and he wasn't going to get up after that. Not a chance. The Tenno's posture was dumbfounded as the Grineer assault craft slammed into the ground... right over the reactor, their target. It exploded in a massive fireball. Then he went still as sirens sounded and a sudden warning klaxon was heard. The reactor had been breached! The coolant systems were failing!

 

Well done, Tenno. The voice of the Lotus sounded. Now get out of there!

 

"Ah..." The Excalibur turned to his companions and all were staring at him in shock. "Um... Oops?"

 

"You... really upgraded that Radial Blind... didn't you?" The team leader said softly as they turned to go.

 

"No." The Excalibur said weakly but then he saw two other Grineer assault ships careening through the sky. They collided and fell, both exploding as they hit the ground! Obviously he had blinded the pilots. "At least... I didn't think so..."

 

"That was cool." The youngest member of the team nearly gushed. "Mission accomplished and not even a single shot fired. Can I learn to do that?" Karen asked with glee as she watched Grineer scurry this way and that. Doomed, all of them. None would even try to flee the blast radius of the melting down reactor. It wasn't in their nature. Of course... many stood, still batting at their eyes. Blinded. The whole base. Blinded.

 

"I..." Will shook his head. "I didn't..."

 

"Nicely done." Karl said with a nod. "We need to see your loadout. That will be useful."

 

"It... I didn't!" Will protested but his mate just shook her head.

 

"No need to be humble." Alicia said with awe in her tone. "That was very cool."

 

"It wasn't planned!" The Excalibur Prime said sharply. "That...wasn't in the plan..." He said weakly.

 

"RIGHT!" A trio of voices replied with a equal mix of disbelief and awe.

 

Edited October 10, 2014 by Kalenath

[FatViking]

''Casualties?'' Wikis asked the man in white on the other side of the call.

''113 dead, 12 survivors.'' A mechanically purified voice sounded from the white dressed man, coming from speakers in his helmet which was smaller than the normal crewman helmets. After all, this white dressed person was Wikis' personal investigator and one of the most important people in Wiki's employ. This white wearing investigator was only sent to scout out places who had been attacked, his job being to determine if there was profit to be made. He would most likely examine everything about the incident, look at the damage done to the prison itself and finally determine if Tartarus was salvageable as a research facility instead of a prison. ''Out of 12 survivors, 9 will need psychological treatment and therapy for at least 6 months, and the remaining 3 have already been sent to a medical facility. Out of the 3, 2 will be able to return to work within the month. The last one will be out of commission for at least a year.''

''diagnosis on the status of the facility?'' Wikis inquired.

''Preliminary diagnosis complete, facility seems to be salvageable. Will investigate some more for confirmation.'' The Investigator replied, surprising a crewman in the background.

''Good. Contact me once your investigation is complete. May your profits ever be high.''

''And may yours eternal grow.'' The reply came, as Wikis ended the call.

______________________________

______________________________

Wikis' didn't want to wake up from his wonderful dream involving the Lotus, several of the female executives and a hot tub, but the console in his personal desk didn't think that a steamy scenario about to get more steamy was as important as the call it was recieving, emitting a loud alarm and flashing red signs about an incoming call. In his groggy, severely under-dressed for business state, Wikis practically fell into the office chair as he accepted the call.

''Examination of Facility Tartarus finished.'' Came the mechanically purified voice of the Investigator as the video feed between him and Wikis was established. ''Facility deemed salvageable and control has been transferred from Frohd Bek industries to Wikis Technology.''

''Do you know what time it is, Investigator?'' Wikis, in his tired state, snapped at the man in white. ''Its 3 AM. Could this not wait until I was at the office?''

''No sir, because during examination of the facility we made a discovery you will be most happy with?'' Strange, the voice of the Investigator seemed happy. It shouldn't sound happy. The devices that purified the voice removed all hints of emotion from his voice. Either the purifiers were broken, or there had been an extremely interesting find.

''Speak.'' Wikis said, his interests piqued.

''Sir, on the sub-levels of Facility Tartarus, We found a forgotten stash of still active Orokin Cryo-pods containing Tenno. This find was kept secret until control of the company was handed to you. Frohd Bek has no knowledge of this find. In short, we stole his Tenno.'' The investigators voice was back to normal, but his stance showed excitement. Excitement which his employer shared. After all, it wasn't every day your company managed to steal something as valuable as Tenno in Cryo-stasis from Frohd Bek.

''How many pods?'' Wikis asked excitedly.

''63, all still active and containing a still living Tenno.'' The mechanical voice replied. ''Shall we begin transfer of Cryo-pods to HQ?''

''Do it, but keep it quiet. We don't want Bek to know we now own his Tenno until we have finished repairing Tartarus. Oh, and before I forget, Have the Teams convert Tartarus into a research facility. they tend to be so much more profitable than prisons.'' Wikis said with an uncontained smile on his face as he ended the call.

As he clambered up into his bed a few minutes later, his smile almost permanent on his face, he couldn't help but think of the reward Lotus would have for him as he announced that he had more Cryo-pods for her. As his thoughts of a reward became the only thoughts present in his mind, he slowly slid back into the hot tub in dreamland.

Edited October 12, 2014 by FatViking

[QuinnsWing]

Some of you may not know me. Many of you do, some may remember this, some may not. 

But i am here again, if only for a brief moment. To those who loved and knew this character, thank you, to those who don't, come learn of him. 

 

"So often in life we under-appreciate the true value of unity. It is the bond between us that carries us unconditionally through hardships, misdirection and torment; it effortlessly spans the boundary between co-operation and calamity. Yet inevitably, somewhere and somehow, this bond will break, and chaos will ensue. "

 

This is his past and to be his legacy.

Please enjoy.

 

The bottle of vodka almost slipped from his hands as he relaxed in a chair. He was getting drunk, something hard for him, Quinn’s mind was getting fuzzy, and he started to remember a past he wanted to forget, but never could.

 

--------------

He had to wake up early every day, not because he wanted to, he had to because if he didn’t, the old man would start throwing things again. Stretching and with a large yawn, he got out of bed.

 

“YOU UP YET??!?!?!” A rough voice yelled at him from below.

 

“I AM OLD MAN, SO SHUT UP!!!!” He yelled back, the reply he got was a loud laugh.

 

“THEN GET YOUR @$$ DOWN HERE AND GET TO WORK!!!!” The old man yelled back happily. A smile played on the young man’s lips as he got around. Pulling a shirt of his scarred back, he shuffled down stairs. The foundry was fully running and the heat from it made him squint. Looking around he saw the bowl of rice.

 

“THIS IT?” He had to yell over the noise.

 

“WHAT YOU EXPECT, COCKY YOUNGSTER? A FULL STEAK DINNER?” The old man yelled back without turning from his work. ‘Sometimes i do’ he thought as he ate the rice and tossed the bowl into the sink to the right. ‘Working at the foundry is tough work.....and not as rewarding as i had thought’ still thinking to himself the young man began the days work. He was responsible to sort materials for the old man along with running errands, and buying goods, he also was the one who disposed of the garbage, which there was a lot of.

 

This day was no different, the garbage had piled up since yesterday, no surprise, so he took it out like usual, leaving that old man to do his work. Looking up into the blue sky, he wondered why he chose to work in a foundry, he didn’t remember, he just remembered the old sword his father had kept, a Skana prime polished everyday to perfection, so sharp it could split a hair it two. Maybe making things so perfect was what he wanted, to give happiness to people who could not make it themselves.

 

“GET BACK IN HERE!!!” The old man yelled, interrupting his thoughts.

 

“WHAT DO YOU WANT THIS TIME?” He yelled back as he re-entered the foundry. The old man had stopped working and had prepared a list. ‘oh great....’ He thought as the old man handed him the list.

 

“Go, get supplies for the week, and don't take more than 10.....errr 20 minutes.” The old man said turning away slightly with the pause. A smile had appeared on his face and he did not want the apprentice to see. A huge grin was across the young mans face, as he grabbed the money and headed for the door.

 

“DONT FORGET MY WINE!!!” The old man yelled after him as he shot through the door out in the glorious afternoon sun.

 

---------------

 

The town the he lived in was large by most standards, it had 3 districts, The Market, The Working and then The “Rich”. He was part of the Working District so he had access to the Market all the time while having restricted access to the “rich” district, for deliveries. Running through the streets the apprentice was yelled at multiple times, but no one really tried to stop him.

 

He launched himself up a set of crates and climbed onto a roof. The Market District spread out before him, the light smoke of bakeries, the sounds and smells of animals, hundreds of people walking, buying, selling, trading, a place that he loved. Though those were just a few reasons. A laugh echoed close by. Looking around the apprentice saw the person he was looking for.

 

Gold hair flowing in the afternoon breeze, shone in the light, and a kind face, always smiling. He grinned like an idiot, ‘there she is!. Jumping down he ran through the market. Sliding and dodging the crowds of trades and merchants, he hurried to the last place he had seen her. ‘Where did you go this time? he pondered, for she was not where he had thought her to be. Looking around quickly he searched for a merchant he knew. ‘The Baker’, he turned and looked for the older man. The smell of bread caught his attention first. The smell of rye bread. No one else was able to make rye bread like this man, for it was his family's secret.

 

Running through the network of streets, with its winding turns and sharp corners. After a few moments of running the apprentice came upon the shop. The smell of bread wafted through the square that the shop was located in. Walking over to the shop he entered the door. The  man was busy baking.

 

“I have no time to talk, daughter. I must complete this order quickly.” The baker said without turning.

 

“Well I never thought I would be called someone’s daughter before in my life.” The apprentice said with fake astonishment. Turning slightly the baker saw who it was, a smile spreading across his face.

 

“Well well, lost are you young man?” He asked mockingly.

 

“Not at all, im just wondering where your daughter is” The apprentice said turning away slightly, blushing.

 

“You are always looking for you my girl, aren't you?” The baker asked.

 

“Of course i am!” The apprentice said, looking the man in the eyes.  There was a strange gleam there, a knowing look.

 

“hmmmm, fine, she is a couple squared south, selling the bread.” The baker said turning to continue his work.

 

“Thank you, Sir” The apprentice yelled as he turn to go.

 

A sad smile spread across his face and a knowing look in his eyes. He knew his daughter was growing up, but not this fast.

 

Running as fast as he could the apprentice dodged and turned constantly to avoid the crowds. As he made his way south, he remembered going to that shop for the first time.

 

About a year ago when he began his apprenticeship.

 

It was a somewhat cold day, no snow, just cold, and windy. He walked with the Foundry Master, he was being shown the route to pick up the food and things that were needed each week. They were almost done, they only had to stop the bread shop, then to the winery. The Foundry Master pushed open the door and slipped inside with his apprentice hot on his trail. The bakery was warm and the aromas which wafted through the room were amazing. The baker noticed them and motioned them farther into the shop.

 

“Welcome back”The baker said while kneading some bread, “What is it today?”

 

“Nothing much, just showing the new apprentice the route for things.” The Foundry Master said, motioning to the apprentice. He nodded at the baker but kept looking around the shop. Something caught his eye, gold, gold strands of hair? His eyes widened when he saw a beautiful girl around his age close the door she was peaking around, quickly.

 

“Come on out, Joanna” The baker motioned to the door, “They won't bite, well not the apprentice, this old brute might.” He continued, pointing to the Foundry Master. He chuckled and went into the back. The girl slowly opened the door again, and slid out into the light. Her gold hair shone, and her face was somewhat sharp but her eyes were soft.  The apprentice stood there and stared, the foundry master looked at him and laughed.

 

“Love at first site?” The master asked laughing. The apprentice shook his head, blushing and looking down to let his hair cover his face. The girl, laughing spun on her heels and walked to the back.

 

“The same as usual?” The bakers asked from the back.

 

“Yep.” Was the only answer from the master.

 

A few moments later they were on their way to the next stop. A few second after they left they heard the door open behind them. The girl ran out with something in her hands.

 

“Here....” She said shyly, blushing holding out a package, to the apprentice.

 

“...Thank you...” He said, taking the warm package, then the foundry master grabbed his collar and began to drag him away. She looked on smiling and laughing at the apprentice.  

 

--------

 

The cold metal which bumped against his skin broke him out of his trance just in time. He had almost run into a merchant carrying boxes. Dodging that catastrophe, he walked into the square and saw a small crowd of people.

 

“Please get in line!” A clear a crisp voice almost yelled above the square’s noise. The people almost immediately got in line, next to the few who pushed and shuffled about. When the crowd moved about, the apprentice caught a view here and there of who he was looking for.

 

“Joanna!” He yelled and began to walk towards her. He could see her hair swirl about as she looked for who ever called her name. Smiling to himself, the apprentice decided to sneak up on her. He was able to slide and twist between the people and get behind her. Leaning he looked over her shoulder.

 

“How is the bread today?” He asked, right in her ear. Jumping she turned and pushed him away. Shocked, she didn't do anything as he almost fell backwards. She began laughing as he caught his footing and stopped himself from crashing into a bunch of crates.

 

“What was that for?!?” He asked with mock innocence. She smiled, grabbing his hand and pulled him into a hug.

 

“Is this a good enough apology?” She asked him.

 

“I don’t know...” He replied still hugging her. Pulling away she smiled at him with a deceptive look in her eyes.

 

“Ok then, after i’m done selling this bread and your done with your chores, meet me at the bakery.” She said, then turned and began to sell the bread again. Raising an eyebrow he watched her for a few moments.

 

“What do you have planned?” He asked suspiciously. Turning just enough, she caught his eye and smiled.

 

“You're going to treat me to dinner.” She said then made a shooing gesture, “Go go go, i need to sell this bread and you need to do your chores. If not, then we can't have dinner.” She smiled innocently as he looked at her.

 

“Fine...” He gave in, rolling his eyes, “I'll be back later!” The apprentice went off to finish his chores.

 

The apprentice returned to the foundry somewhat late. I had taken his sometime to get back, seeing as the crowds of people had slowed his progress. Opening the door he was immediately confronted by the Foundry Master. Dark blue eyes meet grey eyes.

 

“Your late.” Was the only thing the Foundry Master said.

 

“Uummmmmmm..........well the crowds of peop-” The apprentice tried to explain but he was cut off.

 

“No excuses.” The dark blue eyes narrowed “Did you at least get my wine?”

 

“Yes i got everything that you asked for.” The apprentice said handing over a sack of goods.

 

“Fine, your punishment will not be as harsh then.” The Foundry master said, taking the sack and pulling out the wine. “Now get out back and activate you warframe!” The wine bottle was opened and the days training began. The apprentice’s warframe was a Vauban, he didn’t have much of a choice, he was given it because he was young and the warframe was newly discovered. Walking into the training room the apprentice activated his warframe. It slid out from the back and spread out across his body, the helmet slid on last covering, his face, just in time because a rubedo bar decked him from across the room.

 

“Get ready!” The Foundry Master said taking a long drink from the wine bottle. ‘oh...god......not this again!’ the thought ran through the apprentice’s head as more rubedo bars started to fly at him, some of them weighing over 10 pounds. The hours passed, the training switched between the rubedo bars being thrown to weapons training, like melee practice and gun play. The sun had begun to set when they stopped. The only reason they did, the apprentice was knocked onto his @$$ as the Master smacked him across the face with a polearm.

 

“Go get cleaned up.” Was the only thing said as the Master went back into the foundry. Picking himself up, the apprentice let his warframe contract. His body was covered in bruises and cuts. Walking to the outside shower, the apprentice took his time getting clean. After bandaging the major cuts he walked back inside. The Foundry Master was passed out on his work bench with an almost empty bottle of wine in his hands. Taking the bottle the apprentice drank the last of it in a few gulps.

 

He left a note to the Master, saying that he was going out for the night. After he had slipped into clean clothes he headed out. He had a slight limp but he kept walking, this was nothing new. Taking his time the apprentice walked to the bakery. The Trade district was mostly empty of people at this time, seeing as most traders went home. The empty streets were quiet and it was unnatural for it to be this quiet. But the apprentice enjoyed the break, the peace, the night sky. He had made it to the bakery faster than he thought, he had picked up his pace somewhere along the way. He didn’t know why but then this urge struck him, the urge to protect, like something horrible was going to happen to the people he cared about.

 

Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought, then knocked on the door. He heard quick, light foot steps and the door opened a crack. Soft green eyes peered at him for a moment, then the door was flung open and he was embraced by Joanna. He could see the baker through the door, and he was smiling. Embracing Joanna quickly.

 

“So where do you want to go?” He asked taking half a step back. Smiling she grabbed his hand.

 

“Lets go!” She said leading him away, through the twisting and winding streets.

 

“Really, Joanna, where are we going?!” He asked her as they walked through the streets. Turning she looked him in the eyes.

 

“Wherever i want to go, remember?” She said happily as he rolled his eyes, then she continued to pull him along. It took about 10 minutes for them to reach where she wanted to go. It was a small cafe, nothing that stood out among the 20-30 that were in the district.

 

“Here?” he asked her and all she did was nod. They walked into the cafe and sat at a table in the corner. There was almost no one there, only 3 or 4 people scattered about. They ordered drinks and something to eat when a waiter came by their table. They ate in silence making eye contact now and then. They finished relatively quickly and he paid for the meal when they got up to leave. Taking her hand he turned to walk her back to the bakery. But she stopped him, and pulled him in the other direction.

 

“Huh?” He asked but she just pulled him along. They walked for awhile in a comfortable silence. Then they came upon the river. She pulled him over to a lone tree and sat down leaning against the tree. Smiling, he sat down next to her. They sat there watching the night sky and the black river. She laid her head on his shoulder and embraced him.

 

“How much longer is your apprenticeship?” She asked quietly, as if not to break their quiet peace.

 

“Only half a year left.....” he said, turning to her slightly. She looked up and ran a warm hand slowly across his jaw. Looking into her eyes he could see how much she cared about him, how much she loved him. Her hand stopped on his cheek and she smiled.

 

“Though you are scarred, i love you Quinn.” She said looking into his grey eyes.

 

“I know you do Joanna,” He replied, “I love you too.” Her green eyes were moist and he leaned forward and hugged her tightly. Her embrace was warm and welcoming, leaning back a bit he looked out across the black river. Her warm hand again touched his cheek. Turning to face her, he was meet with her eyes meet inches away. Her kiss was gentle and quick but full of her emotions.

 

They sat in silence for awhile longer before they both got up to head home. Walking her back, Quinn touched the amulet around his neck. It was a handmade swan, made of rubedo and gallium. Removing it as they got closer to the bakery, Quinn stopped Joanna.

 

“Here, a gift.” He said laying it in her hand.

 

She looked at him with bright green eyes, a smile played on her face

 

“Thank you Quinn.” She said quietly, hugging him once more “I love you” she wispered the last part in his ear.

 

“I know, i love you too.” He said opening the door for her.

 

“Goodnight” She said smiling.

 

“Goodnight, Joanna” Quinn said.

 

------------------

 

Walking back to the foundry, Quinn was not at peace. His thoughts were at war with each other his instincts telling him to stay and protect, but he knew nothing was wrong. By the time he got to the foundry it was cold and he was glad for the warming furnaces. The master was still asleep so Quinn threw away the note and went up stairs. He wasn't tired, so instead of just laying in bed and doing nothing, he got out his weapons to clean and take care of. The sobek shotgun was shined and loaded, his twin vipers the same. Pulling out his fangs, Quinn began to sharpen and hone them. Doing all of this took close to an hour and by the time he was finished, he collapsed into his bed. He dreamed, but he dreamed of the past.

 

The medical room was cold, and the white lights gave him a headache. He was going to get a warframe. He was going to be a hero of the people. But something had gone wrong, horribly wrong.

 

The “doctors” had said it was going okay, that nothing would go wrong, but they were wrong. His warframe was rejecting him.

 

He lasted a few days after getting his warframe before collapsing. After being examined by the “doctors” they said it would be ok, but it wasn't. They knew he would be killed if they could not stop the rejection, and he knew this also.

 

His back hurt so much! But they could do nothing. No one could. He fell, into darkness, into pain, into despair. But there was light, be it only a pin prick, there was light. He didnt know it but he fought to reclaim his warframe, the thing that did not want him. He fought for what? A future, a past, a present.......a life.

 

Weeks........Weeks had passed since his collapse. His warframe continued to destroy his body, but he fought, with what little life and strength he could muster, he fought.

 

Light, bright burning light. Opening his eyes, Quinn could see the white room around him, the bright lights. He.....was ......alive.

 

No one believed it happened, no one knew how. His warframe’s rejection process had stopped. He had been accepted. But he was scarred beyond measure, almost crippled. They wanted to “fix” him, he declined, he would live with these scars as a trophy of his first victory over rejection. Because this was not the first thing to reject him.

 

He woke abruptly. Something told him to. Something dark, evil, dead but living, was here. He knew, but he didnt. It was here, to destroy everything they held dear, everything they knew, loved, cared about. It was here to take over. Getting up, Quinn looked out the his window which overlooked the trade district. Nothing was wrong, it was all at peace. His mind still at war, Quinn turned away and tried to sleep again.

 

He couldn’t. His mind would not let him sleep, let alone rest. Getting up again, he headed down stairs. The foundry was dark of course, except for the workbench. The Foundry Master was sitting there, taking care of his weapons.

 

“You feel it also, dear apprentice?” The Master asked, not turning from his work.

 

“What do you mean?” Quinn asked, somewhat confused.

 

“You feel the horror, the darkness, the evil.” The Master said finally turning to face Quinn. The dark blue eyes were tortured and sad.

 

“Yes” Quinn said turning away from those sad eyes. “But what is it?”

 

“Something you should not of had to worry about for years.” Was the only answer.

 

“What can i do?” Asked Quinn, turning to the Master again.

 

“You can do nothing, they will flood us, destroy us, we will fight, die and kill, but we can never win.” Said the Foundry master sadly.

 

“There must be something!!!” Quinn almost yelled.

 

“There is noth-” The Foundry Master tried to say but was cut off by an alarm. His eyes widening he looked at the monitor. “They are here.” He whispered

 

“Who?” Quinn asked desperate, he could feel the hate the evil the anger, “WHO?”

 

The dark blue eyes turned to the apprentice, sadness and despair deep within.

 

“The Infested.” Was all he could say. Shocked Quinn stumbled backwards. Picking himself up, he started up the steps.

 

“Where are you going?” The Master asked desperately.

 

“To save my future.” Quinn said coldly, turning to face the Master with cold eyes, “Because who else will?”

 

Quinn looked out the window as he readied his weapons. The trade district was active, light were everywhere, and fire everywhere. Concerned for Joanna, Quinn packed less ammo than he usually would of. He quickly modded his fangs with fire, the purge the infested, he had learned about those abominations. Brought back to “Life” by the Technocyte virus. The horrors they brought, the horrors they are. Looking out the window one last time, Quinn walked down stairs with his sobek on his back, the twin vipers at his hips, and the fangs leaving a burning trail behind him. At the bottom of the steps Quinn say the Foundry Master. He was stooped over, in his chair looking at his hands.

 

“I cant stop you, can i?” He asked quietly.

 

“No, you can't, no one can, this is something i must do.” Quinn replied.

 

“Then so be it,” The Master said, standing, “May your gun never run out of ammo and your blades always be sharp.” Extending his hand the Foundry Master looked at Quinn. Taking his hand slowly Quinn shook it, then letting go walked towards the door. Right before he opened the door, it burst open and a guard stood there, breathing heavily.

 

“You're both needed in the “rich” district, immediately.” The guard said when he had caught his breath.

 

“HAHAHAHHAHA!” Quinn let his warframe activate, covering all but his head, “Who said i would help them?” he asked the guard.

 

“Ummmmm...ummm” The guard mumbled trying to find an answer.

 

“EXACTLY!!!!” Quinn yelled pushing the guard forcefully out of the way, throwing him a few feet. The Foundry Master watched with sadness but said and did nothing.

 

“You have to!” The guard who had gotten up grabbed Quinn by the shoulder. He was promptly thrown to the ground and faced with a burning blade.

 

“What do i have to do?” Asked Quinn, staring at the guard with cold, calculating grey eyes.

 

“ummmmmmm....nothing.......” The guard scared, mumbled and looked away.

 

“Good” And with that Quinn ran, fast, hard, and with purpose. Through the working district into the trade, the screams and fear of the people could be heard and felt. He ran past burning building, dieing people, past infested, past ancients, past everything. He was after Joanna. Nothing stopped him, he charged through the infested shooting, cutting destroying the Virus with everything he had. By the time he made it to the square where she lived, he had ran out of shotgun ammo, and was dangerously low for his Vipers. His warframe abilities had no effect on the infested, they were resilient to electricity. He slowed only a little and when he did he noticed what was happening in the square. The baker was trying to fight. As Quinn ran forward to help the baker was overrun and taken down.

 

“NOO!!!!” Joanna’s scream echoed across the town, she was watching from the second story of her house. Looking up Quinn saw her tears, her sadness, and with that in fueled his rage, his anger, his hate for these abominations these horrible THINGS! Running forward he used what was left of his viper’s ammo and throwing them to the side ran in fangs spinning.

 

The baker was dead, along with the infested. Quinn was cover in the stuff the infested had as blood, the fangs sizzled as they burnt away the flesh and blood. Looking up, Quinn saw Joanna watching him. Then she was gone from the window. Shocked Quinn ran to the bakery and kicked the door in. The door blasted off its hinges killing the infested behind it, who had gotten inside from the back. Her scream echoed off the walls, sending chills down his spine. Running up the stair he was confronted with a horrible site.

 

She was pinned to the wall, her cries tearing a hole through his soul, a Toxic Ancient held her. The blazing fangs spun, cut, burned, destroyed. As the Ancient fell Quinn caught Joanna, as she fell limply to the floor. Looking down at her he knew, he knew he could never have the life he wanted. She smiled at him as she opened her eyes. Her beautiful green eyes. She reached out and placed her hand on his bloody cheek.

 

“I love you,” She said quietly, taking shallow breaths.

 

“I know,  i love you too Joanna” He said as tears began to trace divots out of the blood dried on his face.  She reached up wiping away a tear, and placing her hand on his cheek.

 

“Goodbye, Quinn.” She said as her hand fell away, her body going limp, her green eyes closing, her life slipped away. He held her like that, he didn't move. Then standing with her in his arms he walked her to the bed. Laying her down on her bed, he arranged her hands nicely and made sure her eyes were closed, then covering her with the blankets, he took a step back. Tears were streaming down his face, but that did not stop him. Leaning over he kissed her on the forehead, leaving a few tears on her face. Turning away, his eyes were cold, and senseless, yet filled with a deep sadness.

 

He could not be stopped, they tried, and failed. His warframe was pulsing electricity which lit anything it touched on fire. His anger and sadness fueled his attacks, his life, the only purpose he had now, Revenge. The Infested fell before him, burning, shriveling, exploding. Their twisted screams filled the trade district. What was left of their twisted corpses, filled the streets, the squares, the buildings.

 

He fell. His warframe was out of energy, his scars burning, he could not go on, why should he, he should die here, like her, the one he could not save. But that was not his fate. A Rhino landed before him, strong, and able. But who was behind the frame surprised him. Dark blue eyes looked at him with understanding and sadness.

 

“I am sorry, but this is the only thing i can do for you now, i was useless, a spineless fool, i left you because of my fear, while you ran in blindly.” His Master said, activating Iron Skin, he pulled all of the infested away taking them away, being the bait, dieing for him. Quinn didn't want anyone else to die for his sake. As tears began to run down his face, Quinn knew that he could never be happy again.

 

 

He was saved hours later, by a group of Tenno, they found him propped up against a wall staring into space, battle worn and unresponsive. The lotus organization healed him of his physical wounds with years of cryo sleep, but they could do nothing for the mental ones. He took up the role a a foundry workman, working his way to the top, the Foundry Master. But no matter who it was who talked to him, working with him, they saw the haunted expression in his eyes, the expression of loss, of defeat, of death. Things changed when he left the lotus organization. He was a loner, a hand for hire, he worked for thousands upon thousands of dojo’s, until he came upon a single one, which called to him.

 

Aequitas

 

 

Edited October 12, 2014 by QuinnsWing

[bejuizb]

Next chapter to Crimson. I highly advice reading the others to understand what's going on.

 

Two Sides to the Coin

 

She winced as the curved needle drove the thread through the open wound that gaped from her hip. Her brown eyes darted upwards to observe Caretaker’s own mismatched pair, focusing intently at the task at hand. Just like he’d promised, the previous dose of medication had numbed the pain of today’s “testing”. She was forced to kneel down in front of a mechanical creature as it fired a myriad of weapons at her. The medication had numbed most of the impacts, but it did next to nothing to help combat the injuries she had sustained. The pain was slowly returning, but Caretaker had promised to keep her well stocked with more doses of the medication.

 

As the man worked diligently in cleaning up the sutures, she began to retreat back into the familiar void of her own consciousness. This man seemed to be her only ally here. She had stopped questioning his motives, after all, she couldn’t be picky about her help. The sheer knowledge of the fact that she was not alone in this hell gave her unimaginable strength. A happy, yet morbid thought crossed her mind as he finally finished tugging on the thread, closing her wound.

 

If I’m going to die, at least someone I know will be around to see it.

 

”Done,” exclaimed Keef, as he quickly packed away his tools, examining his handiwork. The stitches would hold, and thanks to the technology used to create them, they would dissolve into her body, accelerating the Tenno’s already high regenerative properties. The captured Tenno had co-operated with him easily enough, and he was quite happy to be able to help her. Her injuries were luckily minor: bruising her and there and a few open cuts as the Zanuka prototype’s ordnance managed to penetrate her armour. He quickly glanced to his right, seeing her Warframe held up on a stand. The ancient armour, even though defiled by his employers, had been steadily repairing itself, the ablative armour weaves growing over the holes left by the rounds that made it through. It would be fully repaired within minutes by the looks of it.

 

The Tenno looked at him with a neutral expression, her brown eyes bloodshot and her shaggy hair was plastered over her features. Her almost dead gaze gave him an insight into how she saw him. She doesn’t trust me completely, he thought. To be expected.

 

He turned around and hefted the hyper-advanced suit, giving it to her with a mildly sheepish expression. “You change? I…look…um. Ykit!” He cursed, his mind fumbling for the right words. “I look there!” he almost shouted, pointing in a direction opposite to her. She took the Warframe without a change in her expression and Keef turned around, giving her some privacy to change. She was clad in an extremely tight bodysuit, which left little to imagination. The analytical part of his mind understood why it needed to be tight. You couldn’t do half of the gravity defying stuff Tenno are famous for with flappy clothing. The bodysuit was torn here and there, and he was forced to make a few deeper cuts into the suit to reach her injuries. He assumed that the bodysuit would close over the perforations and tears as well, just like her Warframe itself.

 

He walked over to a desk, where lay the other pieces of her armour. Unlike the organic suit that was her Warframe, Corpus interference had made it almost mandatory to add a set of cuffs to her suit, and he winced internally, seeing the protrusions that were meant to penetrate the forearm, and channel her energy through the cuffs. He prayed that the medication would work for another ten to fifteen minutes, or he would be force to put her under to try and reattach the cuffs. His mind began working on possible means to attach the cuffs in a far less painful manner, but the fact that his knowledge on the mechanics of a Warframe were heavily restricted by political red tape left his train of thought slamming into a wall in seconds.

A soft grunt from behind him signaled that she had changed into her Warframe. He turned around to see her glaring at him, or more specifically, at the cuffs that he held in his hands.

 

“Lie down again. I do with less pain,” he waved to the operating table. The frown didn’t lessen, but she complied, wincing in pain as her bruised and battered body rested against the cold metal table. She was very tired; her mind was struggling to maintain focus without any new forms of stimulus, and soon, she was lost to a dreamy haze. She could vaguely feel jabs of pain from her arms and neck as Caretaker began securing the cuffs to her Warframe.

 

Caretaker…why do I call him that? She shrugged mentally. I know his name, but Caretaker seems…right. What if he’s the one who’s going to kill me? Will I still like him as much? Like? Do I like him?

 

No, that’s not possible, a voice told her. You can’t like anyone. No one can be trusted.

 

But…I do like him. He helps me. I feel safe with him.

 

Pathetic. You’re relying on a selfish man for your safety. He wants something from you. Isn’t it obvious?

 

Another aimless mental shrug. I don’t care. I’m going to die soon anyways. I want to feel nice before I go.

 

She decided to ignore the voice. That voice had been bothering her for the past few days. She knew that she was fighting with her own mind, and it didn’t feel odd whatsoever. The voice kept her company, and constantly reminded her about this world.

 

This hellhole is nothing but pain and lies. Good and happiness doesn’t exist. Get that into your head. You’re not shackled right now. Get up! Kill the weakling! Run for it! If you’re going to die, go out with a bang!

 

Her features tightened. No. Go away. Her mouth lifted into a grin. So be it. Have fun with your little fantasy.

 

“You problem?” Keef’s deep voiced asked concernedly. His question shook her out of her reverie. The tendons in her arms stung; he must have attached the cuffs. She raised her head to look down at her body. Metallic implants and components littered the mangled Warframe, each blemish and attachment an indicator of her imprisonment. She wanted to be free, and with an inward smile, she thought, Caretaker wants me to be free too. Seeing that he was still looking at her quizzically, she shook her head.  She even attempted to raise the sides of her mouth in a smile, but all she could manage was a faint twitch of her lips.

 

“You get up okay.”

 

She gingerly placed foot after foot onto the metal floor, hearing the clack of the metal studs at the bottom of her armoured feet. She reached for her helmet and paused as he quickly hobbled over to give it to her. She must have looked at him strangely, because he laughed sheepishly.

“You very heavy. Leg sprained.”

 

She felt like she should chuckle, but she didn’t. Why? She watched silently as he went to a data terminal and began browsing through pages of information, all of it written in a script she didn’t understand. He quickly clapped his hands together in excitement. To her, he looked like an excited little child, what with his goofy grin and ridiculous gesticulations. She was afraid of how she was feeling. She shouldn’t feel so comfortable. No, he could turn on her immediately. But would he?

 

“I find your name!” he shouted, pointing to a terminal. She could see a picture of herself, only with far lesser scarring and marring. He was pointing to a series of symbols near the picture.

 

“Your name is…um..Rah…no no. Rakth. Yes, Rakth!” he cheered and looked at her, hoping that this would try and cheer her up. He couldn’t explain why but he felt like keeping this Tenno, this woman alive would mean a lesser punishment for all the sins he’d committed. Unlike the several sects of Corpus, he chose to believe in a diety up in the heavens, in the afterlife. He would do his best to be the better man, even against the circumstances those dear to him were in. She had gone through enough, and if he could get her out of this facility, he would do his best.

 

She merely nodded at the information, and quickly snarled as a klaxon rang throughout the facility, the lights immediately cutting off in place of blinking blue ones. Frightened, she stood low to the ground, fists clenched, and a furious expression on her face. Keef quickly reached for a security panel at the corner of the room. Hey keyed in a standard access code and picked up a rifle from the locker. Each room in the facility had access to weapon dispensers in the event of an emergency. The klaxon kept ringing, and he could hear the rapid breathing from the Tenno behind him. He quickly turned around to her.

 

“I have gun. Danger out. Wear helmet, I protect,” he said, watching as she wordlessly donned her helmet, her expression lost behind the jagged and disfigured remnant of what was once an undoubtedly beautiful work of art. The concept of protecting a Tenno seemed ridiculous; after all, she outclassed him literally every way imaginable. The bodysuit had shown her physique to be very muscular, very athletic. The treatment from Corpus serums did little to inhibit that. She had unclenched her fists, and Keef shuddered slightly as he saw her clawed gauntlets while slipping on the square helmet of his. Comm chatter was sporadic and explosive, and he didn’t know what the emergency was. Whatever the case, he needed to get her to safety.

 

“Follow me. I protect,” he repeated, keying open the door to the medical ward and peering out. A sudden announcement blared out of the speakers dotting the corridors of the entire facility.

 

“Attention! We have intruders in the facility. Breach detected in the Prison Wing. The Tenno test subject must be terminated on sight. Zanuka will be patrolling the hallways for it as well.”

 

Alad had said those lines in the language the Tenno understood, because he felt her tense up. He turned around and waves his hands in a sign that hopefully suggested peace.

 

“I no hurt you. I protect. Follow me!” he shouted, quickly barreling towards a set of doors in the medical facility as well. The room in question had access to a server node, and he could quietly bide his time with her while the threat was dealt with. It would also mean keeping her away from the eyes of his comrades. She warily followed him, her clawed hands flexing on and off, her posture ready to pounce. At him, he thought with a shudder as he closed to door behind him. 

 

                                                                                               -]|[-

[FatViking]

Just random stuff, in a bar, with no context whatsoever, with nothing of importance

The atmosphere of the bar was filled with excitement as two men circled each other in an arena made out of the other patrons, the fists of the two men held up to form a defense for their head. The observers stared at the two men and examined their looks as they had yet to be harmed by each others fists. One of the men looked older, with a shaven head and a beard of red, and looked far far different from any normal human. His arms were covered in a metallic substance which some of the patrons likened to chitin, and his chest and back were covered in scars. His opponent was a young looking man, with androgynous facial features and still clad in most of an Oberon warframe. 

 

They circled each other for a few more seconds before the older gentleman, clad only in his pants and faith in his combat ability, shouted: ''Who is willing to bet 500 creds that I can punch this newbie out with one hit?'' Before the crowd responded, however, the Oberon charged.

 

The fight didn't really last long after that as the old man simply weaved and dodged the blows aimed at him and finally got himself into the position he wanted, the position to deliver a single uppercut to the poor Oberons chin, knocking him out. As the Oberons friends ran to collect him, the old man simply walked towards the bar, grabbed his shirt off the table and walked back towards his booth.

 

Just as Kris sat down, an Ash from the Oberons party walked towards his table.

 

''Where did you learn to fight like that?'' The Ash said, ignoring the frown that had formed on Kris' face. ''I mean, I have never seen someone just knock out a Tenno in a warframe before.''
''Kid, asking someone where they learned to fight is stupid, because the answer is always the same. I learned to fight like that by practicing. Its practice every time. you don't just go somewhere and learn how to win a simple fight. You just practice the basics until you master them, and then you practice them some more until you can do them by instinct, and then you practice them more and more and more until you see the flaws in their design, and then you start fixing those flaws and then, and only then, you can truly say you mastered the basics. And that is when you finally start developing your own combat style. Or, you can just take up boxing.'' Kris replied, a frown still on his face. The Ash just stared at Kris for a few seconds before he awkwardly turned around and walked away. Kris' drink finally arrived a few minutes later and soon Kris fell back into the land of the merry.