[Fanfiction] Walking With The Darkness Within.

[Spikey844]

Hmmmm.....

 

*steeples fingers*

 

Interesting....

 

Please... do continue...

[psychicandroid]

Hmmmm.....

 

*steeples fingers*

 

Interesting....

 

Please... do continue...

 

I think there would be a very tiny mutiny if I stopped now. :D

 

==============================

 

There was something heavy laying on Mag’s legs when she woke up. She blinked and propped herself up on her elbows. She expected to see her kubrow, but there was a woman laying on her back, with her hands behind her head. Mag tilted her head, and yawned.

 

Good Morning Tenno. Do you remember where you are?

 

Mag turned her bleary eyes upwards before looking around. It looked like a hospital room of some kind and she gave a weak shrug. She reached up and rubbed her head. She paused and looked upwards again. Her hair was too long everywhere now. She blew a tuft of it out of her eyes, just to have it fall back into place.

 

You’re at an Orokin research center. You’re just here because of a head injury. But they would like to talk to you concerning your warframe when the doctor clears you to be out of bed.

 

Mag nodded, pulling her legs out from under her bed mate. The woman grunted and turned her head towards Mag with a squinting eye. Mag took a few moments to place her. Lo? Maybe. She’d come in at some point in the middle of the night.

 

“Coherent?” She asked. Her voice was clipped and Mag tilted her head. She nodded once and the woman sat up. “Good. I don’t think that the staff can take another scare. The doctor nearly wet his pants.”

 

Mag paused a few moments thinking. She raised her eyebrows and tapped her temple.

 

“…told you last night. I don’t speak gesture. Verbalize.”

 

Mag paused, then shook her head. She raised an eyebrow at the woman. She had to be crazy.

 

“No?” She rubbed her chin. “Do you remember who I am?”

 

Mag nodded, and held up her hand to tilt it side to side.

 

“I’m Lo. Do you remember why I came in here?”

 

Mag tilted her head and looked off to the side, thinking. There was a doctor, she’d been on the floor for some reason. She’d screamed a couple of times. Before that she’d woken up in pain. Mag froze and squeezed her eyes shut, becoming aware of a dull ache in her bones.

 

“Don’t.” Lo jerked on her arm and Mag jumped. She looked at Lo, who shook her head. “Don’t do it if you can’t bring yourself back to the present.”

 

Mag frowned and shook her head a bit. Lo let go.

 

“You had a nightmare. You woke up disoriented.” Lo nodded, and Mag twisted her mouth a bit to the side, but nodded back. “Right now, that’s all you should try to recall.”

 

Mag huffed as Lo let go, and stretched. “Do you prefer Magdalena or Mag?”

 

Mag raised two fingers, one eyebrow raised. Why did people insist on calling her Magdalena?

 

Lo rolled her head. “Alright, Mag. Do you prefer to fight out your problems or talk them out?”

 

Mag held up one finger. This was tedious and Mag raised the other eyebrow to join its mate.

 

“You’re the one who won’t verbalize.” Lo shrugged. “Sometimes people’s voices abandon them. But that means I have to ask simple questions.”

 

Mag sighed, and mimed typing. Lo opened her mouth to reply, when there was a knock on the door. Both looked towards it. In the doorway a female doctor accompanied by a nurse. Both of them appeared to be friendly at least.

 

“Good morning, Tenno,” she said in a bright voice. “Making friends, Valkyr?”

 

“Don’t call me that,” Lo replied with a slight growl. Mag looked at Lo, tilting her head to the side. Lo looked back. “Don’t call me that. I am more than the warframe I used to wear.”

 

Mag nodded. The doctor seemed to ignore Lo and said, “Tenno Magdalena, I’m going to look you over to see how soon we can send you back into the fire.”

 

Mag shrugged slightly and nodded. She let the woman poke and prod at her head.

 

“I noticed on your chart that you were given a sedative last night. A nightmare, I think?” The doctor looked in her eyes with a light. “Do you have nightmares often, Tenno Magdalena?”

 

“She prefers Mag,” Lo said, crossing her legs and arms.

 

“Oh?” The doctor took a moment to look at Lo. “You’re talkative today, Valkyr.”

 

Mag sighed, and tugged on the woman’s sleeve. When the doctor looked at her, Mag shook her head.

 

“Don’t bother. They ignore me.”

 

The doctor sighed, retaining the smile. “In any case, Tenno Mag. Answer me as best as you can. Are nightmares a problem for you?”

 

Mag stopped to think about it. They had been becoming more intense as of late, and now she was remembering them. She finally nodded. The woman gave a slight nod.

 

“If I had my way, I’d be keeping you here. I’ve never liked sending Tenno out when they’ve had head injuries while in their warframes. But you’re needed in the field.” She continued her examination. “Tell me, is there any pain? Pain behind the eyes, in the back of your neck, or back?”

 

Mag shook her head. She looked down at her hands. Really, she felt fine.

 

“Why don’t you stand up for me? If I’m right, you will lose your balance. That shouldn’t be anything to worry about, just a side effect of the sedative.”

 

The doctor stepped back a few paces. Mag stood up. She wobbled and furrowed her eyebrows. She shook her head and threw herself of balance. She flailed a moment and started to fall. The Doctor stepped over and caught her by the arm. Okay, maybe she wasn’t okay. Mag shook her head again.

 

“So it looks like the sedative hasn’t entirely worn off yet. We’ll keep you in bed for a while longer until it’s worn off. Then we’ll make sure that your reflexes are what they should be.”

 

Mag huffed and let herself be helped back onto the bed. The doctor turned her attention to Lo.

 

“I think that your therapist is looking for you, Valkyr.”

 

Lo just raised her eyebrows at the woman. “So?”

 

“You should probably go talk to her.”

 

“The old bat can find someone else to talk to.” Lo crossed her arms. “I told Tenno Mag I would stay.”

 

The Doctor’s mouth twitched but she remained smiling. “I don’t think Tenno Mag needs a babysitter.”

 

“You’ve looked her over.” Lo jerked her head toward the door. “If you’re done, leave.”

 

The doctor’s smile remained, but it turned dark. “Nurse, will you alert security that Valkyr is impinging on a patient’s privacy and needs to be removed from the room?”

 

The nurse looked between the doctor and Lo. She even glanced at Mag, who shrugged. The nurse started to move before Lo stepped off the bed and rolled her head and shoulders. She walked out without another word. Mag tilted her head to the side, frowning. She had liked her.

 

“Now then.” She smiled. “She might not be the best influence for you, Tenno. Valkyr’s clinically insane and keeps holding on to what happened to her.”

 

Mag raised her eyebrows and held up a hand. She shook her head. What was Lo going to do, make her saner? It wasn’t like she could get any crazier than she was now.

 

“In any case, it looks like you don’t need anything just yet. There was some concern about how you would wake up after last night. Take a nap and when the sedative has worn off, I think that your teammates wanted to see you.”

 

Mag tilted her head. She thought she’d seen Annie. She supposed that more than one tenno would have come with her. Maybe Hitomi and Kiesha? No, it’d more likely be Sal, Gertie and Richard. Mag flopped back on the bed and sighed, crossing her arms. She wasn’t that tired but maybe sleeping would get the sedative out of her system faster.

 

“I’ll be here in a few hours to check on you.”

 

Mag blew a piece of her hair out of her eyes again. She looked up, to see if Lotus had anything to say. When there was quiet, she propped herself up on her elbows and tilted her head, furrowing her eyebrows. Maybe Lotus actually wanted her to verbalize? But she didn’t do that to Mag, she didn’t force her to talk.

 

“Tenno… That isn’t laying down and sleeping. Lay down and take a nap.”

Mag did as asked, looked at the Doctor, who was still in the door way. She looked up again and swallowed. During a mission was one thing. Missions weren’t the time for personal conversations. Lotus gave direct advice and warnings of heavy troops, but that was it. But she’d been hearing Lotus a few minutes ago.

 

The Doctor frowned. “Is there something wrong, Tenno Magdalena?”

 

Mag nodded, pointing upwards. As if she would know what she meant, how she initiated conversation with The Lotus. The Doctor gave Mag a befuddled look as she looked up where Mag was pointing.

 

“There’s nothing on the ceiling.” The woman shook her head. “What’s wrong? Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

 

Mag tapped her ear and glanced up again, then back at the woman.

 

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me, Tenno. Can you speak out loud?”

 

Mag shook her head, but pointed up again.

 

“What is wrong, Tenno? Verbalize your answer. I can’t get someone to fix the issue if you don’t tell me.”

 

Mag shook her head again. This was ridiculous. She swallowed, and mimed typing.

 

“Talk, Tenno. What is wrong?”

 

Mag gritted her teeth and shook her head. She pressed her hands to her eyes.

 

“Someone get me a member of this tenno’s cell. She refuses to talk.” Mag heard the woman walk in again. She stood close to the bed and said in a quiet voice, “Speak to me, Little Tenno. Tell me what’s wrong.”

 

Mag shook her head before freezing. She moved her hands from her eyes and shifted her gaze to the woman. Had she just used that stupid name Tie had for her? She clamped her jaw shut. She couldn’t hear Lotus, and this stupid doctor was demanding that she talk and using pet names that she shouldn’t even know.

 

“Sit up, Tenno.” Mag rolled over to do that, crossing her legs. Her gaze remained on the doctor. Why did she know that pet name? Why was she using it? No one else had called her that besides Tie.

 

“Did someone call?” Mag lifted her head. Oh, wonderful. Richard. He wasn’t in his warframe but instead a robe similar to the on they’d worn in Tower Valhalla. At least there was one of those Tenno in prime frames, a Mag, if he turned into a complete jerk.

 

“There’s something wrong but Tenno Magdalena refuses to speak to me.”

 

“Magdalena doesn’t talk. If you have her charts, you would know that.” Richard came to stand over the bed. “What’s wrong, Magdalena?”

 

Mag tapped her ear again, and pointed up. She swallowed again. Richard was quiet a few moments. He crossed his arms.

 

“Lotus? You want to talk to Lotus?”

 

Mag nodded. She tapped her ear again and shook her head.

 

“But you can’t hear Lotus.”

 

Mag nodded again. Finally, someone understood.

 

“That’s what that ridiculous pointing means?” The doctor asked.

 

“It just takes a little while to figure out what the gesturing refers to, that’s all.” He sat down on the bed, just out of reach of her unless she reached. “It’s alright, Magdalena. I’m sure that something is just a little out of place in your head.”

 

That didn’t help her have that contact she wanted with Lotus now.

 

The Doctor sighed. “Do you have her, Tenno?”

 

“I have her, Doctor. Though I’m not sure what to do with her,” Richard said.

 

Mag rolled her eyes. The doctor nodded at them.

 

“I’d rather you take a nap, but perhaps being able to get out of bed will be better for you. You can get out of bed.” The doctor gave a sigh. “You’re restricted to this corridor and the lounge at the far end of it. Do not leave this area. Understood?”

 

Mag nodded. She gave the woman a look, wishing she was gone already. Bad enough that Richard was going to babysit her. The doctor finally left. Richard fiddled with his hands and Mag looked at him before looking at the floor.

 

“So.”

 

Mag looked at him, raising her eyebrows. Richard looked down at his hands.

 

“So, Lotus told me some of what she thinks happened. The stuff that was classified, that we weren’t allowed to know when you came back and then were taken from active duty.”

 

Mag shrugged lightly, looking down at her own hands.

 

“And I’ve seen you having those nightmares, Magdalena.” She looked at him, and he nodded. “Not that I’ve been sneaking in and watching you sleep at night. But during cat naps, and things like that.”

 

Mag just shook her head.

 

“We should have known that something was wrong. But we kept telling ourselves that you’d come around. You were angry that you got left alone to get taken. But the silence just wasn’t you. You would have never…” He sighed. “…This is going no where. You don’t even remember.”

 

Mag shook her head. She grabbed his hand and pulled him over. He gave a surprised grunt. Mag pressed his hand to her back, on her side. She didn’t look at him, but mimed thrusting forward, then squeezed his hand.

 

“…I don’t understand.” Mag tapped her temple, and repeated the motion. “You… think?”

 

Mag shook her head, tapped her temple again, faster this time. She had a voice. She had words. Why didn’t she just use them?

 

Richard pulled his hand away carefully. “I can’t understand you. I don’t know what you’re trying to tell me.”

 

Mag opened her mouth, putting her hand on her throat gently. There wasn’t anything there. There hadn’t been anything there for a long time. She then shook her head and put her forehead in her hand.

 

“Just… say something? Anything?” Mag shook her head and Richard sighed. “…at least now you’re not just existing. You’re expressive again. Just not… the same.”

 

Mag swung her feet to get off the bed.

 

“You were always wide awake, always talking. Cheerful.”

 

Mag paused, looking at him. He was still looking at his hands.

 

“You were hopeful when we were looking down into the depths of our extinction.” Richard picked at his fingers. “The boys, I think some of them wouldn’t have gotten through as long as they did. Most of them didn’t have families to go home to anymore. No one said it, but I think that they would have followed you into the mouth of hell if they could. They trusted us because you showed them that we weren’t just silent demons unleashed on the Emperor’s whim.”

 

Mag frowned. She shook her head. Before she could continue moving he was talking again.

 

“You got on my nerves sometimes. Lotus knows you did. You were a teenage girl that hung around soldiers who thought it was hilarious to teach you dirty jokes.” Richard shifted. He was sitting a little closer now, and gave a half hearted chuckle even as his voice cracked. “There was one time we tried to bribe you to be quiet so we could get to sleep. That lasted all of two minutes. There were days I wished you’d go mute.”

 

She looked over at him. He was looking ahead.

 

“And then I got my wish.”

 

He covered his eyes. Mag stared at him. He was breaking down over someone she used to be. Someone she felt like she’d never known. She raised her hand but hesitated. He was talking about a tenno she didn’t know. Someone he missed. But that person was gone. They had strangled her.

 

“You left a complete person but all that came back was an empty shell.” He wiped his eyes. “When you attacked us it was like looking at a Sentient in Tenno form. And the only thing I feel like I can do is prepare myself for the day when it happens again. You terrify me.”

 

Mag finally stood and moved to walk away. He grabbed her hand and she stopped, staring at the floor.

 

“I’m sorry for treating you like you’re just a silent demon unleashed at the Emperor’s whims, Mag. My behavior has been uncalled for.”

 

Mag looked back at him. When he looked up, she nodded at him and squeezed his hand. He smiled slightly then wiped his eyes.

 

“I can’t promise that it’ll be instant change but… I’ll try.”

 

Mag nodded again. She reached over to the bedside table and retrieved a few tissues from there for him to have. He cleaned himself up and sat a moment.

 

“…Are you hungry?” He asked. Mag nodded and he got up, gesturing to the Mag Prime who stood up from her place leaning by the door. “They tell me that the food is a lot more tolerable than the stuff Lotus has been able to get for us.”

[psychicandroid]

I need to stop editing dialoge.

 

========================

 

The lights flickered a few times and he knelt there, trying to keep the smoke to a minimum. Last time, they had panicked and thought a fire had been started in the room. He waited for the smoke to clear before looking up to the bed in the sterile room and the tenno who was laying on it, leg propped on her knee. She didn’t look at him, didn’t even move. Instead, she said, “You have bad timing. I’m in no mood.”

 

“I see you’re having a good morning,” he replied. “You haven’t screamed at me to get out.”

 

She snorted. “Don’t you have innocent Tenno to kill?”

 

“Don’t you have a warframe to reacquaint yourself with?”

 

“No.”

 

He stood up and looked down at her. Without moving her eyes she still somehow avoided his gaze. She’d been able to glare down anyone before but since the Corpus she’d stopped looking others in the eye.

 

“You’re making new friends. I never thought that I would live to see the day, Lo.”

 

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“So you didn’t keep that Tenno from hurting herself and others last night?” He shook his head slowly. “Mighty Valkyr, you’re growing soft.”

 

“Don’t mock me, Keeper. It’s what a Valkyr does.”

 

“I think you might have forgotten.”

 

“Be where I’m needed quickly, rally the troops, strike such terror that the enemy can’t move, comfort the suffering, and avenge the fallen.” She counted them off on her fingers as she looked at the ceiling. “I think that covers it.”

 

“In any case, you seem to like her. Don’t get attached, Lo. She’s a worse psychopath than you heading towards a very nasty fate.”

 

“Don’t compare her suffering to mine. It belittles what we both went through.” She shrugged. “Were you standing in the corner last night?”

 

“No.” He tilted his head to the side. “I don’t just hide in the shadows when I monitor Tenno, Lo.”

 

“I know how you track Tenno, Keeper.” Her eyes rolled towards him. “Are you here because I helped someone? If so, leave.”

 

“No. I’m here because I made a mistake.” She sat up and furrowed her eyebrows. “And now I have to make sure that we all don’t pay for it.”

 

“You? Admit making a mistake?”

 

“Don’t act like it’s such a shocking revelation.” He crossed his arms. Stubborn woman. “You act the same way when I come to see how you’re doing.”

 

“You only show up when you want something from me.”

 

“I’m hurt, Lo.”

 

“No you’re not.” She tilted her head forward. “Talk.”

 

“I need you to make sure that Doctor Augustine doesn’t find herself on the fatal end of Tenno Magdalena’s insanity. Normally I’d say just let the animal kill her, but Augustine has helped you so I suppose that this once she can live.”

 

“Magdalena? You mean the mute.” She sat up straighter. “You know something.”

 

“Of course I do.” He looked to his wrist. “I’m sending you some files that I would like you to get into the hands of the animal’s friends. You’ll have to retrieve your warframe.”

 

She crossed her arms, glaring at him. She knew what he was doing and he knew she didn’t appreciate it. The chance that she would actually go after the files was slim.

 

“Do it yourself.”

 

“I can’t. I have Tenno I need to see to.” He crossed his arms. “You don’t even have to leave this floor, Lo. Why are you so worried?”

 

“Why do you want them to have the files?”

 

“Do I have to have a reason?”

 

“You always have one.”

 

“The Corpus are after her. If they get their hands on her and everyone involved survives, there will be a lot of Tenno taking Corpus orders and quite possibly wishing they could kill themselves.”

 

Lo shrugged, but her eyes were on him now. Trying to pretend she didn’t care even as her body was tensing. He’d said the key word, but the fate of all of her fellow Tenno didn’t spur her to action like it would have in the past. He tilted his head to one side.

 

“Also, the Corpus Chairman has taken a very personal interest in Tenno Magdalena, going as far as saying he wants her brought to him alive and unharmed. And I’d hate to think what that’s for, especially since he has so many vulnerable tenno at his fingertips.”

 

She stood. She spent a few moments looking at him before she threw a punch. He staggered back, unharmed thanks to his helmet. She didn’t say anything but wiped her now bloody fist on her shirt as she made her way to the door. She turned off the light and left the room.

 

A passing staff member asked, “Are you talking to yourself again, Valkyr?”

 

Her growled reply was, “Don’t call me that.”

 

“Is something the matter?”

 

“No.”

 

“Your hand is bleeding.”

 

“I punched a figment of my imagination.”

 

“Valkyr—”

 

“Add another decade for all I care. It’s not like I can leave.”

 

He knelt again and activated the teleport in the darkened room. He hadn’t expected her to say goodbye. She never did. One day, one of their conversations would end with something more than him pushing her buttons and her punching him.

 

“Until another day, Eir.”

 

***

 

“Richard. You’re scaring me,” Annie said.

 

Richard sat across from Mag on a bench and handed her something in a cup with a spoon sticking out of it. He still wasn’t brave enough to sit next to her, and Mag didn’t expect him to ever be. They were sitting in a small lounge, next to a fountain spilling pristine water down like a waterfall. A tower drone passed by, pausing long enough to fix some unseen blemish before it drifted on.

 

“Why is that, Annie?” Richard asked, leaning back in the chair. He was sitting next to a Nyx who had her helmet off. Lisa or something.

 

“You’re being nice to Mag,” Annie replied as Mag looked into the cup. Annie was in her warframe, which was odd if they were in friendly space but Mag was also wishing she had hers on. She raised an eyebrow, then looked at Richard and pointed at the cup with the spoon.

 

“It’s edible, Magdalena.” Mag raised her eyebrows, slouching. Richard sighed. “It’s strawberry yogurt. You like strawberries.”

 

She did? Mag lowered an eyebrow, looking into the cup again.

 

“No, really. What’s going on? Did you grow a pair?”

 

“Really, Tenno Annie?”

 

Mag rolled her eyes at them and finally ate some. She paused, then looked down into her cup again. Hey, it was pretty good.

 

“I’m just saying… What exactly did Lotus say to you?”

 

“I’ll just say that I’m not too old to be grounded,” he replied. “Grey hair aside.”

 

Tenno Lisa laughed and Annie looked at Mag. “…What, did you guys kiss and make up or something?”

 

Mag shrugged and ate another spoonful. Annie sighed.

 

“I keep forgetting that you don’t talk.” Mag looked at her, and nodded. “I suppose that means I’m getting used to your gesturing.”

 

Mag nodded again.

 

“There you are, Tenno Magdalena. I was worried you’d wandered off.”

 

Mag’s jaw clamped down and her fist closed around the cup. She jumped and pulled the handle of the spoon out of her mouth. The disposable utensil had broken and she pulled the remaining pieces out of her mouth. She jerked her head around and glared at the woman. She appeared to be a lot less flustered than before when Mag was trying to explain that she couldn’t hear Lotus. She still couldn’t, but at least she was with other Tenno.

She frowned slightly. “Did I startle you?”

Mag looked at her, then looked back to the others gesturing at them.

“Answer, please.”

Mag looked at her, and nodded. How was that not obvious? Richard sighed and gave her something to clean her hands up with. So much for the delicious food.

 

“I’ll get you some more, Magdalena.”

 

“Actually, We need to have a talk with some other researchers regarding your warframe. Come with me.”

 

Mag frowned and looked at the others. But, food. She was having a conversation of sorts with other people and it didn’t involve her having to tell any of them to screw off.

 

“You can socialize later.”

 

“With all do respect, Doctor Augustine, can this wait?” Tenno Lisa asked. “She actually needs to eat and we need to get someone up here to escort her.”

 

“Oh, I’m sure that she’ll be no problem at all.” Doctor Augustine was smiling again. “Will you, Tenno Magdalena?”

 

“Lieutenant Khom’s orders, Doctor.” Tenno Lisa tilted her head to the side. “If you’re in that much of a hurry, I could see if Valkyr’s willing to walk you.”

 

“Hmm.” The doctor pursed her lips. “I’m not sure if that’s the best idea.”

 

“Don’t see how,” Annie said.

 

“She’s—”

 

“A wild psychopath?” Mag looked forward to see Lo standing behind the bench Richard and Lisa were seated on.

 

“Not a good influence.” The Doctor sighed. “But you’re here. Do you mind walking us?”

 

Lo shrugged. “I’m going that way anyway.”

 

“See, Doctor? I don’t know what you were so worried about.” Tenno Lisa gestured. “Just remember that Magdalena’s a patient, and you’ll be fine.”

 

Doctor Augustine shrugged and sighed. “I suppose that we should go. Follow me, Tenno Magdalena.”

 

Mag was standing before she even thought about it. She rubbed her face and gave a half hearted wave as she hopped over the bench to follow. Lo joined her, arms crossed.

 

“I’m surprised you’re heading this way, Valkyr,” Doctor Augustine said, not turning around. “You don’t like looking at your warframe.”

 

“I feel like arguing today.” Mag frowned and looked at Lo, who was glaring forward. “I see you’re walking well, Mag.”

 

Mag nodded and shrugged.

 

“You guys have room for another?”

 

Mag looked back to see Annie trailing behind them.

 

“What do you want, Mesa?” Lo asked.

 

“Keeping Richard happy.” Mag sighed and rolled her eyes. She threw her arms up and let them flop down.

 

“Be careful, Tenno Mag. You’ll hit someone if you flail your arms about like that.” Mag growled slightly and rubbed her forehead. The Doctor didn’t seem phased.

 

At least the walk was short, and the Doctor’s nitpicking came to an end when they entered a small room. There was a table with foundry equipment, currently covered by opaque glass. There were bunks in the far right wall, bare save for some boxes. The room seemed to have been refitted. Weapons racks were bare, and in the walls two of the three warframe pods were empty.

 

“They told me they would meet us here,” Doctor Augustine said, crossing her arms.

 

Lo wandered over to the pods and Mag followed her. When Mag stopped, Lo was using her hand to wipe a layer of dust away.

 

“Hello, Monster,” Lo muttered. She worked the controls to open the pod. “Let’s see if we can see eye to eye today.”

 

Mag frowned and looked inside. The dissected helmet looked back at her, a very dim red glow from the exposed sensors. It was different. Hers had been a replica but had no scars besides the ones they had gotten together. This one’s scars were evident. Faint lines from where armor plating had been pulled away, and slight bulges around each sensor that looked like they were corpus crafted. The arm restraints were heavier and the arms hung slightly forward, away from the back of the pod. The syndana was not one, but instead the torn wires sparked every so often, ready to be plugged back into the machines they'd come from.

 

“When I see this I only hear Alad V.” Mag looked at Lo. “His delight at every new discovery.”

 

Lo tilted her head. Her face was blank. “He had this little giggle. Like a little boy’s. He laughed it when he discovered the armor plating came off. And between layers. The under skin. The jumpsuit beneath. That I was flesh and bone. He liked to ask if I had eyes.”

 

Lo lifted her hand. “In then end, I couldn’t feel anything. I couldn’t feel my skin, or pieces being removed. An unintentional mercy on Alad V’s part.”

 

“You suffered nerve damage from your warframe being removed forcefully.” Annie was behind them now.

 

“Yes.”

 

Lo looked at her hand. It closed into a fist and she swung. Mag caught her arm before she could make contact with the warframe.

 

“Let go.” Mag shook her head. Lo snarled at her. “I can attack my frame if I want.”

 

Mag shook her head again and looked back to see two men entering the room. One of them was dressed as a researcher, slightly different from the clothes she’d seen on the doctors treating her.

 

The other looked at them pointedly. “I trust there isn’t a problem, Tenno?”

 

“Just someone not letting me punch my frame, Lieutenant Khom.” Lo jerked her arm away and Mag let her. At least she didn’t swing again

 

“Stand down, Valkyr.” Khom sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Your frame will win the fight and you’ll end up having to have your hands set again.”

 

The researcher sighed. “If you would let me remove—”

 

“Those pieces belong there.”

 

The man shook his head, standing next to the table before he put aside a tablet and hit a few things on it. “Since I know Valkyr, and Mesa is in her frame, you must be the owner of this, Magdalena.”

 

The glass slid away. Mag walked over to the table with her eyebrows furrowed. Her warframe was in the middle of the table, laid out but in bits and pieces. Mag put her hand on the table’s edge and shook her head. She looked up at the researcher who was looking at his tablet.

 

“The channeling system is long gone,” he was saying. “It looks like some parts of it were working but fried out fairly recently. I noticed that in some places that aren’t broken the channeling system is actually detached from the rest of the system. On top of that, your shielding system is completely gone.”

 

Mag nodded absently. But that could be fixed. They’d fixed it before and this was an Orokin Tower. They had technology the tenno had lost access to a long time ago. But her Valkyr was in pieces again, and this time she didn’t even know whose fault it was. Probably her own.

 

The Lieutenant spoke again. “Tenno Magdalena, what happened to this warframe?”

 

Mag looked at the Lieutenant, and back down at her frame. Annie asked, “Which time? The first or the second?”

 

“I was asking the person the frame was issued to, Mesa.”

 

“Well the person the frame was issued to doesn’t talk and I happen to know what happened.” Annie stood next to Mag. “So the first time this happened, Alad V tore it off her body.”

 

A heavy silence fell in the room. She heard Lo step towards the table.

 

Khom cleared his throat. “You mean the—”

 

“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”

 

“How?”

 

“When she came with two others to save me, Mag got captured in the process.” She looked at the Researcher. “By the way, make sure those restraints on Lo’s frame are disabled or remove them completely. Even our copies of that frame have working restraints. Mag found that out the hard way.”

 

“And the second time being why you brought her here?”

 

“Yes sir,” Annie replied.

 

Khom looked at Mag and waved his hand to get her attention. She looked up briefly as she picked up part of one of the frames hands.

 

“Tenno Magdalena. You will need to be issued a new frame.”

 

Mag looked at him, and shook her head.

 

“Tenno, this frame cannot be fixed. You will be issued a new frame.”

 

Mag shook her head again, her grip tightening on the piece she was holding. He nodded.

 

“I’m sorry. We don’t have blueprints for this frame. You’ll have to make due with the frame class you were first assigned.”

 

Again, Mag shook her head, much more fiercely this time.

 

“You made due with it once, you can the same again.”

 

Mag slammed her hands down on the table, which made everyone jump. She sliced her hand through the air while still shaking her head.

 

“Are you refusing?”

 

Mag nodded. He leaned down. “Tenno, while you’re in this tower you’re under my command. And if I tell you that you will take a Mag frame you will do it. Do you understand me?”

 

Mag glared at him, gritting her teeth as her hands balled into fists. She felt Annie’s hand on her arm and on the other, Doctor Augustine’s hands were wrapping around for a tight hold.

 

“Tenno Magdalena—”

 

“No, Doctor. I want to know what she has to say. But you won’t talk so I’ll take that as your acknowledging the order.”

 

Mag slammed her hands down again. She shook her head and Annie’s grip tightened. She pointed at the researcher, and mimed typing. He looked befuddled for a moment, but used the table to bring up some sort of text program. Finally. She jerked her arms away and typed into it, then used her hand to flip the display. He leaned closer to read it.

 

“You had enough compatibility with the Mag frame in the past.”

 

Mag typed again, trying to control herself. When she was done a hand went to her throat.

 

“You didn’t try hard enough to learn it, Tenno.”

 

Mag finally slammed her hands down again. She forced herself to type, one handed, while the other she was opening and closing. This time Khom leaned back as he read it.

 

“…If you’re afraid you’re going to loose control, Tenno Magdelena, then you don’t need a warframe. You need help.”

 

Mag paused. She felt a chuckle in her throat that escaped and still barely made a sound. It was soon joined by more. Mag tried to stop and only partly succeeded. She swallowed and leaned on the table. She moved to type again barely suppressing herself.

 

The researcher finally said something. “Sir. We can ask Lotus for the blue prints. I’m sure that she has them. Or the original model, perhaps.”

 

Mag shook her head, typed again with one hand. She was going crazy and she didn’t mind it. Maybe she should just accept it. Someone would kill her all the sooner and she’d be out of her misery. Both men gave her leery looks as Mag opened and closed her hand more. Breathe in, and out. What was wrong with her?

 

“…Alright, Tenno. Alright.” Khom held up his hands. His eyes flickered to the side. “I think that maybe you should… recover further. I understand it’s hard when a Tenno loses their warframe. We’ll do what we can, okay?”

 

Mag nodded, covering her eyes. She typed again with one hand.

 

“…Apology accepted.”

 

Suddenly there was a hand on Mag’s neck. Her head was forced up and to the side and a light jab was felt where her shoulder and and neck meant. Mag scrambled, grabbing for the hand.

“Do not resist, Tenno Magdalena.” Doctor Augustine’s voice was soft. The rest of her body automatically relaxed, but still she tried to grab for the hand. It was on her throat and it had to come off. “Shhh. You’re just having a rest, that’s all. It's okay, Tenno.”

[psychicandroid]

Yay, this is finally done.

 

=====================

 

Annie caught Mag as she staggered and helped her sit down on the floor. There was a terse silence that slowly unwound as everyone’s heart beats returned to normal. Annie rubbed her forehead. This was precisely the thing that Mag needed to avoid doing.

 

Valkyr spoke to break the silence. “Was that necessary, Augustine?”

 

“Valkyr, stay out of this,” Khom said. He looked at Annie. “Mesa, when were you and your team planning on telling us that this Tenno is mentally unstable?”

 

“Well, sir, it’s pretty self evident. Exhibit one, she doesn’t speak. Exhibit two, her medical records which you’ve had access to since the old war. Your records are going to be a whole lot more complete than any information even Lotus has on her.”

 

“You mean the medical records that are still sealed because she is supposed to be dead?” Annie looked at Augustine. “You assume quite a bit about being able to get data that has been sealed since the Sentient War, Tenno.”

 

“I’m a field agent Doctor. I don’t know how you people handle personnel files.” Annie rubbed the back of her neck, looking down at Mag. “Did you really have to do that, Doctor?”

 

“In my defense it looked like she was getting ready to leap on the Lieutenant. Forgive me for being proactive in trying to keep people from getting hurt.” Augustine slipped her hands back into her pockets. “I’ll have her confined and a psyche evaluation done.”

 

“Only do the psyche evaluation. You people will need a new one anyway.”

 

“She just tried to jump on you, Lieutenant.”

 

“No she didn’t. She was controlling herself. Barely, but still controlling herself.” He crossed his arms. “We didn’t confine Valkyr. Unless she actually does something to hurt someone, we’re not confining Tenno Magdalena.”

 

“Valkyr spent most of her time in the corner! Magdalena is showing signs of aggression.”

 

Annie looked at Lo, who rolled her eyes and walked over to where her frame was still hanging.

 

“In the Tenno’s defense, she just found out she lost a warframe she’s mentally dependent on and I’m trying to put her into a frame she hates. I’ve seen other Tenno go through worse when losing their frames,” Khom said in reply. “You’re not a psychologist, Doctor Augustine. You have no right to order confinement for any reason beside those within the field of neurology. I’d rather have you do scans to make sure that she didn’t end up with nerve damage.”

 

“Already done, and there was nothing unusual,” Augustine replied. She sighed. “I’ll go get some help to get her back to her room.”

 

As Augustine left, Lo spoke up from where she was standing. “Give her my frame.”

 

Khom pointed at Lo and said, “I suggest that if you ever want to get out of this tower and back to your duties you put it on and stop trying to get rid of it. The only way you’re getting rid of that frame is destroying it to make you a new one.”

 

Anne shifted her weight, trying to get Mag to lean forward since all of her weight was now on Annie’s leg. “Lieutenant, trying to force her into a Mag frame is a stupid idea.”

 

“Affinity testing assigned the frame to her.” The Lieutenant raised his eyebrows. “You and your team are talking to me as if we’re peers. I’d like it to stop.”

 

“With all due respect, sir, I’ve spent the past fifty or so years running ragged with only the Lotus and occasionally another Tenno as contact. You have no idea what we’ve gone through out there and in my eyes that gives you no right to try pulling rank.”

 

Khom was not happy, but he nodded. “Alright, Tenno. There is still the fact of the matter that the Mag frame is what she was assigned to.”

 

“Yeah, when there were a handful of frames.” Annie tilted her head to the side. “Admittedly, I’ve never seen her in a fight myself so I don’t know how well she’s taken to Valkyr but she tore through a battalion of Corpus to save our clan mate and the Stalker in that frame.”

 

“Stalker?” Khom asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

“The Keeper,” Lo said. Annie looked to her. She was at least partly in her frame and Annie gave a faint smile. “It’s what field Tenno call him. He’s decided they’re all to blame for the fall.”

 

Khom rubbed his eyes. “Oh lovely.”

 

“Going back to the matter at hand, all of that that doesn’t change the fact that we can’t fix this frame,” the researcher said. “I wouldn’t even feel comfortable using this as part of the new frame without extensive processing that will use more energy than it’s worth. In fact I wouldn’t feel comfortable using any field tenno’s frames for reconstruction with how long it’s been since any of you have had proper maintenance done.”

 

“Well, you can’t take that one away from her without permission. She gathered the resources and the blueprints, and then built it.”

 

“Did she now?” The researcher rubbed his chin, leaning on the table. “How so?”

 

“Likely her Liset’s foundry. It’s what we all have to do if we want a new frame.”

 

“Those are meant to be for small scale production of weapons and other equipment, not warframes.”

 

“We’ve made due with the tools we have.” Annie shrugged. “It’s what we do in the field. We don’t have the Empire, we just have Lotus.”

 

Khom looked down at the pieces of frame. He rubbed his chin and face. “I know for a fact we have the blueprint for the original Valkyr.”

 

“We can run affinity testing again,” The researcher said. “Since we have this variation of the Valkyr frame in the database now we’ll try to get the best match we can. Fair enough?”

 

“You’ll have to ask her.” Annie crossed her arms. “I have no say over what she does. I’m just her teammate.”

 

“Getting the blueprints for this will require one of you going into the field for them. We don’t have them here and it would require quite a while to scan Valkyr’s frame.”

 

Annie looked down. She knew where they could get everything they needed quickly. If she had the time, she could even just build the frame but she shouldn’t expect that the corpus would give her the time. “I can go to our clan dojo. We have the blueprints, resources, everything we’ll need. The only resources we’d need from this tower would be a foundry and the power to build it. If that’s a lot to ask, I’ll bring more than we need and any other research we’ve done to even it out..”

 

Two nurses arrived and got Mag off of the floor and onto a gurney that was quickly rolled away. Annie stretched her leg.

 

The researcher looked at him. “It’d be nice to have data on what weapons the Tenno in the field have built and modified, as well as what they’ve done to adapt their warframes to new enemies. It’ll give us insight into what we’ll have to deal with if we can get the other towers online.”

 

“And that’s data we’ll need,” Khom muttered. He looked at Annie thoughtfully. “Can you do so safely? I’d rather not lose you to the enemy—You’re one of the few who has been active for this entire period.”

 

“Probably not. I’m going to have a very short window between docking and when the Corpus figure out that it’s systems went online.” Annie shrugged. “I’m used to it. There are no Tenno at the Dojo and the entire clan is accounted for.”

 

“Then you’re not going alone.” Khom crossed his arm. “Your team maybe?”

 

“Our clan mates are out there, I can contact them to meet me there. It’ll go faster because they know the layout. They might have to divert to here to have the void destroy any tracking devices.”

 

The Lieutenant bit his lip, and nodded. “Alright, then.”

 

Annie nodded and turned to go. “I’ll be back soon.”

 

“I didn’t tell you to leave, Mesa.”

 

“So what?” Annie looked back at him. “Are you going to give me KP or something, Lieutenant?”

 

The man grinned slightly and coughed to hide it. “No, Tenno. You’re free to go.”

 

Annie shook her head and made her way out of the room. She heard movement behind her and looked back. Lo was finally fully in her warframe and walking quickly to catch up to her.

 

“Squad line,” Lo said as Annie paused.

 

Annie frowned and did as asked. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Aside from being a monster?”

 

“You’re not a monster, Lo.” Annie started walking again. “Want to come?”

 

“I’m not ready to be in the field,” Lo replied. “My affinity with this frame doesn’t exist.”

 

“I thought I’d ask.” She shrugged. “What do you need?”

 

“I have some files for you.”

 

Annie paused and looked at her. Lo said, “Keep walking. Doctor Augustine is going to be in the area quite a bit until Mag is gone.”

 

“The one that jabbed her in the neck with that sedative?” Annie frowned. “She was very oddly prepared for that to happen.”

 

“I suspect there is good reason.” Lo tilted her head to the side. “I haven’t looked at these myself, so I don’t know what they are.”

 

Mesa alerted Annie to the fact they had received a highly encrypted data transfer. Annie transferred it to the Liset to have Ordis start decoding it.

 

“Where did they come from?”

 

“A figment of my imagination.”

 

Annie shook her head. “Well, thanks.”

 

“Look at them soon.” Lo crossed her arms. “…An entire Battalion of them, huh?”

 

“Yup.” Annie nodded. “According to Hitomi it was scary to watch towards the end.”

 

“They should be scared.”

 

Annie shrugged and paused again to face Lo. “Now what are you going to do?”

 

“Try to work with my frame.” She shrugged. “I suspect I’ll end up angry with it.”

 

“Just try, okay?” Annie crossed her arms. “We can always use another gun if you wanted to join us.”

 

Lo seemed to stare at Annie a few moments, or maybe glare. But the Valkyr finally nodded. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

 

Annie nodded at her. Lo walked her to the elevator where one of the tower’s tenno were standing around, One of the two Lokis that she’d noted yesterday. She made her way back down the tower with him to the barracks they were staying in. Compared to what they’d had in various bases they were staying in, the place was luxurious. While still bunked four to a room, the beds were real and the warframe pods were in good repair and hadn’t been scavenged from some derelict or one of the towers.

 

“Hey Annie. How did everything go?” Annie looked at Richard, who was on his bunk, reading something on a tablet.

 

“Mag’s warframe is scrap and Khom wanted to put her into another Mag Frame. She understandably was upset and ended up sedated.”

 

Richard sighed, rubbing his face. “Magdalena, what am I supposed to do with you…?”

 

“Nothing at the moment.” Annie sat down at the table inbetween the two sets of bunks and activated the communications module. “I have to go and make a run to the dojo.”

 

“What? Kiesha’s?”

 

“No, me and Mag’s.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “They don’t have the blueprints for obvious reasons and I told them that I could get the blueprints and resources if they could build it here.”

 

“They have the original of that Valkyr variant here.”

 

“Yeah, but they’d have to do detailed scanning. It sounds like it would take a while.” Annie drummed her fingers on the table. “There’s the option of the original as well.”

 

Richard sat up. “That’s… odd.”

 

“I don’t think Mag liked that idea a lot. She resorted to typing to try getting her message across.” The other end finally answered and Annie looked to the screen again. “Tenno Ahmad, how are you?”

 

The Limbo lifted his hat. “Evening cowgirl. Just back from a very successful raid. We’re eating something that’s not tasteless protein tonight.”

 

“Mid-day here. That’s good to know you’ve got real food.” She grinned under her helmet. “We had actual meat last night.”

 

“I hate you, Mesa.”

 

Annie laughed. “That was the goal. Anyway, I need Kiesha and Hitomi. Are they there?”

 

“Yeah. What for? We have some… guests that Kiesha needs to have a talk with.”

 

“I have to go to our old Dojo.”

 

Ahmad was quiet a moment, and turned. “Kiesha! Tenno Hitomi! Tenno Annie wants to take you guys on a suicide mission!”

 

Annie face palmed. “Thanks, Ahmad. Really, you’re a big help.”

 

Ahmad lifted his hat again. “I live to serve, Tenno Annie.”

 

Kiesha and Hitomi walked up and Ahmad moved out of the way. Kiesha crossed her arms and said, “Annie, this had better be a lot more important than me squeezing information out of Corpus weapons engineers.”

 

Annie sighed. “Well, probably not, but I need to go to our dojo and I don’t want to do it alone.”

 

“I thought you didn’t want to go there because of the corpus,” Hitomi said.

 

“Well, Mag’s frame is scrap. They don’t even want to use it for parts for a new one.” Annie tilted her head to the side. “I can tell you more details later. We already had the blueprints and the resources for a new frame. I promised them the research that our dojo has in exchange for the use of their foundry to construct it.”

 

“Hmm.” Kiesha leaned back. “Yeah, this is more important. When?”

 

“Now. I’m not waiting. I want in, out, and quiet.”

 

“That’s not going to happen.” Kiesha rubbed the back of her neck. “Alright. I’m going to go tell Jason what we’re doing. Do we have somewhere to go when the Corpus decide to chase us?”

 

“Already arranged, but if you have one, bring an Archwing. Just in case.” Annie stood up. “I’ll see you guys soon.”

[psychicandroid]

Soo sleepy...

 

=================

 

“Operator, Ordis still thinks that this is not a —THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA— wise course of action.”

 

“I know, Ordis. You’ve told me that several times.” She rubbed her neck. “I’ve been trying to avoid this.”

 

Annie had her arms crossed and she was sitting against the dead market module. Several hours of flight to compensate for when Kiesha and Hitomi would arrive, She was now staring at the looming shape of their dojo. Time had not been kind, and the hull looked like it might be in bad shape. It was a shame—they could have fit so many more tenno in it. Hitomi was technically now the Warlord of their clan. Her sisters had founded it during the Old War and something about it had drawn quite a few Tenno to it. Annie knew that it had been a Moon clan but Hitomi said she didn’t remember much more than that and she couldn’t get into the archives.

 

“Then why are we doing it, Operator?”

 

“Because we need things that are here. Not only for Mag but the others too.”

 

“Then are you intending to loot it dry?”

 

“More or less,” Annie replied. “We won’t be able to come back again.”

 

Annie stood up as Ordis turned the Liset. “I will not leave without you, Operator.”

 

“I appreciate that, Ordis. I know that you hate me.”

 

“Ordis has never stated that he hates the Operator. Ordis just hates everyone else.”

 

Annie smiled slightly under her helmet as she turned to head down. They docked and Annie stepped off just as Kiesha’s Liset did and produced her clanmates.

 

“…Home sweet home,” Annie muttered, pulling her rifle free.

 

“Yeah,” Kiesha said as she too readied her weapon. “I’m going to guess we have an hour. We’ll need to get the drones active.”

 

Both looked to Hitomi who breathed deeply and rolled her head.

 

“How’s the frame treating you?”

 

“I’m almost back to the same point I was before,” Hitomi said, flexing her hand. “I still need to get some modifications onto it.”

 

Annie nodded and gestured. “You do the honors?”

 

Hitomi nodded and looked up. “Cephalon Hiro? Bring the Dojo systems online, please.”

 

There was a delay, and the scratchy white noise that was the Dojo’s Cephalon sounded for a few moments, followed by the main lights joining the emergency lights. Hitomi walked over to a console on the wall and paused.

 

“Something wrong?”

 

Hitomi shook her head as she worked on the console. “No, I’m just… thinking. And trying to remember how to get these drones active.”

 

“Well while you do that, I’m going to start with the research and blueprints in the Tenno Lab.” Kiesha rolled her head and took a breath. “Let’s hope this goes as fast as you want it to, Annie.”

 

Annie nodded. “Do you want the drones to get anything from your quarters?”

 

“If there’s time for that, which there ain’t, I’ll grab it.” Kiesha tilted her head to the side. “Wonder if my comfy pants survived this long.”

 

“You and those horrible pants.” Annie shook her head. “Go on.”

 

Kiesha went down the hall and towards the elevator. They only used two levels of the Dojo—One was residential with training, food, and sleeping quarters. They’d taken the personal quarters though there had been an open barracks on the floor. The other floor were the labs along with the Oracle. They never really used the Oracle, but the labs had proved to be useful right until the point that Annie had to abandon the Dojo.

 

“Since we’re on this floor, I wouldn’t mind getting my other Vasto,” Annie muttered as the first of several drones rolled by them with resource crates. “You did prioritize the Tenno Lab’s resources first, right?”

 

“Yup!” Hitomi and Annie walked down the hall and took a left towards their quarters. “…It’s stale in here.”

 

“I’m not surprised. In the end I closed up this level. I slept up on the Labs level. That wasn’t for long before Lotus warned me they were trying to find the Dojo of every clan, big or small.”

 

“Thanks for making sure everything was shut down properly, Annie.” Hitomi looked at her. “You did leave emergency power running, right?”

 

“It would have been pretty dark if I hadn’t. I didn’t want us to come back to an overgrown infested wreck.” Annie shrugged.

 

They entered a small rounded hall with five doors. The center room was Hitomis, and the one to the left of it was still locked with it’s anrgy red lights discouraging trying to get inside. Annie went to the one to the right and opened it. There was her bed, and the nearly bare shelves on the wall. Her second vasto and its holster hung beside the door and she pulled it free to put on the opposite hip. It was dusty and wasn’t going to be worth more than its use as a club, but she would take care of that later.

 

She looked out the door to where Hitomi was looking in her room. It had a lot of pink in it. She stepped inside and Annie moved to follow her. Her room had been a place to sleep, not to live, and there wasn’t anything else she wanted that wasn’t already on her Liset. Hitomi’s was well lived in. Some of the things in there Annie knew were from the days of the Empire, pointing to a life that had been rich.

 

“You never told me the story behind some of these things, you know,” Annie said.

 

“What’s that?”

 

“Your room. It looks like you’ve always lived in it.”

 

“I did, actually,” She replied. “Most of what I remember of the old war was in this room.”

 

“Did you hold rank in the clan?”

 

Hitomi nodded. “I think it was just in name so no one messed with me. My sisters were the ones who ran everything.”

 

Annie tilted her head, frowning. “Why were they so worried about you being protected?”

 

Hitomi shrugged. “I don’t know. I think that’s where my resentment of always being saved comes from though.”

 

“Probably. What are you looking for?”

 

“I found it already,” she said. She held a small box between her thumb and fore finger, which she raised to the light to get a better look at. “Data mass. I woke up with it. Seems important.”

 

“Well, let’s get going. We need to help Kiesha get the data.”

 

Annie moved out of the doorway and crossed the hall. Kiesha’s door had been beside Annie’s and she’d never looked across the hall to the door that was supposed to be Mag’s. As Hitomi emerged, Annie looked to her.

 

“Think something from here will help cheer Mag up?”

 

“Does she need to be cheered up?”

 

“Seemed like when I left,” Annie replied.

 

“Well, let’s grab something then.” Annie smiled, because Hitomi sounded like she was happy enough. She keyed open the door. “Mag did have—”

 

There was a bright flash, and Annie found herself thrown against the wall. She tried to blink the light from her eyes and lift her hand but found herself moving very slowly. Someone grabbed her hand and jerked her up and around. She heard speech but it was faint. Her hands were behind her back and she staggered, swallowing. She closed her eyes and tried to push down the nausea.

 

Where was Hitomi? Was she alright? She moved to turn to see if she could see her and nearly lost her footing. She was caught and dragged.

 

It took her a while to recover her senses. Her hearing came back first with the quiet conversation of men and women in the Corpus tongue. Her hands were bound behind her back. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was indeed surrounded Corpus, several of them with nullifiers mounted to their backs but all of them armed. Hitomi was beside her, head nearly on her knees as she knelt there, and beyond her was Kiesha with an extra guard, a Lanka barrel pressed ever so lightly to the back of her helmet. Annie looked up to see if there were snipers in position, but the first thing that caught her eyes were words.

 

They were written across a banner at the head of the hall in very rough Tenno script. The banner bore the words, “Obey or join these traitors.”

 

And then the hall’s decoration’s caught her eyes. There were warframes. Warframes hung like so many ornaments on the walls and from pillars and since they were on an upper balcony Annie was sure that some hung from the floor that was under her feet.

 

“My men tell me there is quite a bit in the way of dust covering these frames but that they are still in pristine condition. The tenno inside, however, are long gone. They had quite the time unsealing this hall. Ancient encryption codes on almost everything on this level. I suppose that whoever decorated this gruesomely didn’t want it to be found.”

 

Annie looked in front of her, catching sight of first the base of a holographic projector. Standing within the field was a man. Higher ranking corpus, as he was dressed in a crisp, dark blue suit. He looked younger than he actually was, and he had a sharp, predatory face.

 

“I don’t think that any of you need an introduction as to who I am,” he said, pacing within the field of his holographic projection. “Every Tenno in the system knows who I am.”

 

Kiesha spoke through her teeth. “Yeah, you’re the Chairman and we don’t care.”

 

“Oh, so you do deem fit to talk to me. That’s a pleasant surprise, 345-GC547-MN06. Or may I call you Kiesha? The number is so impersonal.”

 

“I’ll give you something to call me,” she muttered. She grunted. The crewman with the Lanka had prodded her in the head with it. “Get on with it. What do you want from us?”

 

The man stopped in front of Kiesha, bending down. “Do I have to want something from you? Maybe I just want to enjoy looking at such nicely kept frames and the Tenno in them.”

 

“You would have shoved us into cryopods if you didn’t.” Annie glanced at Hitomi a moment, then at him. The Chairman looked at her and started his way over. “We know the process you use.”

 

“I’m afraid I have no identification for you, Miss…?”

 

“Oh, now you give us gender?” Kiesha snorted. “Fine timing.”

 

“I know you’re flesh and bone under those suits,” The Chairman said. “Would you like to give me her name?”

 

“No.”

 

“Well then, I suppose that I’ll have to call you Mesa.” He crossed his arms. “But yes, you’re correct. I do indeed need something from you.”

 

“Spit it out so we can tell you no.” The Crew Man prodded Kiesha again and she said, “Boy, if you don’t stop that I will make you WISH I still had my axes.”

 

“Unfortunately, Tenno, you’ve proved resistant to our restraint methods. So the Lanka will remain pointed at the back of your skull.” The Chairman knelt down in front of Hitomi. “You haven’t said anything, young lady. Are you awake?”

 

“If you people did something to her I swear to Lotus I’ll—” Annie felt a barrel jab her in the back of the head.

 

“Calm down, Mesa. Contrary to what you’re imagining I don’t want any of you hurt.” He looked up. “Check this Tenno’s vitals.”

 

Annie tensed as a pair of men stepped forward, one to sit Hitomi back and the other to attach something to her warframe, just where her jugular would be.

 

“What are you doing?” Kiesha demanded.

 

“They’re checking her vitals.” The man put his chin in his hand. “But you are suspicious. I’m surprised that you haven’t had a heart attack with how high strung you seem to be.”

 

“Yeah, keep laughing.” Kiesha tilted her head to the side. “What is that thing?”

 

“One of the many things that my company has developed for you Tenno.” The man raised his eyebrows at Kiesha. “If you were cooperative creatures you’d actually be able to use them. We’d have quite the beautiful relationship, I think.”

 

“You have murdered and kidnapped almost every tenno in the system! Our brothers and sisters.” Annie shook her head. “You developed so much that has made our lives miserable as your precious Company outgrew it’s boundaries. Why would we want to cooperate with you?”

 

“That aside,” The Chairman said, turning his face and raised eyebrows to Annie, “We can check your vitals in the field, we can effectively repair your frames with next to nothing, we can restore the memories that cryosleep stole from you. If you’d just cooperate, that is.”

 

The man who’d placed the device spoke up. “I think that she’s still stunned, sir.”

 

“Keep an eye on her.” The Chairman stood again.

 

Annie tilted her head forward. “How many Tenno died for your innovations?”

 

“The sacrifice of a few for the good of many, Mesa.” He tucked his hands behind his back. “In any case, I haven’t put you three into Cryo because I have a question I want to ask.”

 

Kiesha and Annie looked at each other, then at him. “What?” They asked together.

 

“Where is Tenno Magdalena?”

 

Kiesha tilted her head. “What?”

 

“I think you heard me.”

 

“I’m not sure I heard you clearly. You’re asking for a tenno… by name?” Kiesha started to lean forward. Annie tensed but the Chairman held up his hand. Kiesha, for her part, didn’t notice. “What gives you the right, you disgusting box head?”

 

“More right than you have,” he replied. “I’ll ask again. Where is Tenno Magdalena?”

 

“If I knew, I wouldn’t tell you,” Kiesha replied. She looked at Annie as if she didn’t understand.

 

The Chairman looked at Annie. “You know, Mesa.”

 

“What gives you that idea?” Annie asked, sitting up taller.

 

“I have eyes everywhere. You were with her most recently.” The man crossed his arms. “Where is she?”

 

“No where near you.” Annie tilted her head to the side. “We know you’re trying to trap her and quite frankly, it’s really creepy.”

 

The Chairman groaned and rubbed his face. “Why does everyone assume it’s for immoral things?”

 

“I don’t know, some guys are into the Amazon look,” Kiesha said with a shrug.

 

“She is underage. Also, I’m happily married and have a son.” The Chairman gave Kiesha a tired look. “…I am trying to HELP her. Help. Not molest, not torture, nothing evil. Help. The sooner you tell me where she is, the sooner she can get that help. Keep denying me, and you will have a bloodbath on your hands.”

 

Hitomi muttered something and Annie looked to her. “Are you okay?”

 

Hitomi coughed and looked up. She looked from side to side at her and Kiesha, then forward again, swallowing. The two men keeping an eye on her looked down at her, and one looked to a device in his palm. He looked to his partner and moved to make her lay down. Hitomi swallowed again, and coughed again, and resisted.

 

“Tenno, if they think you should lay down, you likely should.”

 

Annie was surprised that he sounded like he was concerned. He probably didn’t want to invite Mag’s wrath if something happened to Hitomi. Kiesha and Annie exchanged looks again. What would they do if she didn’t comply? Hitomi muttered again. She cleared her throat. The chairman held up his hand and the two men stopped their motion.

 

“What was that, Tenno?”

 

Hitomi straightened, and said, “Cephalon Hiro, deactivate the lockdown. That’s what I said.”

 

“We’ve disabled any voice commands to release you from our custody, Tenno. A good try. …Maybe you should lay down, I’m not sure you’re aware of the situation you’re in.”

 

“That’s not the lock down I meant.”

 

Hitomi staggered, but she giggled. That giggle sent a shiver down Annie’s spine. Hitomi was not here at the moment. They would do something to her, and then Annie would loose her again and she couldn’t do a thing about it.

 

“Tenno, really. You should—”

 

The lights flickered off, and then the emergency lighting came back on. Sirens started blaring, a warning that life support had been shut down. Depending on the levels they’d forced open they could have hours or minutes.

 

“What’s going on?” The chairman asked. The Corpus around them were readying themselves, turning from the Tenno they were supposed to be guarding to cover the entrances to the hall. “Tenno, what did you do?!”

 

“I woke up the warlord.” Hitomi giggled again. “She’s going to be angry that I’m in this state. Angry at you.”

 

“You’re the warlord of this clan. Now tell me what you just did.”

 

“No I’m not.” Hitomi’s voice darkened, and Annie shivered again. “The line went from eldest to youngest. I’m the youngest.”

 

The Chairman actually looked like he might have been panicked. “I have it on good authority that your three sisters are dead, Tenno.”

 

“I was the youngest of five. My big sister is still alive.”

 

“How did you idiots miss a fourth void signature?! Find her!” The Chairman pointed. “Find her now and disable her!”

 

Hitomi giggled again, pitching forward as the Corpus scattered, save for the two that had Lankas pointed at Annie and Kiesha. Hitomi sounded like she’d lost it and Annie almost said as much before they heard the distant pained screams in the passageways. The hologram of the chairman blinked out of sight. Even so, Hitomi still giggled.

 

“Warlord Hoshi wasn’t known for her mercy.”

[psychicandroid]

I might have kinda sorta broken my keyboard while doing Tower Defense yesterday. Either I need to go gentler on my melee key or buy a not-cheap keyboard.

 

In other news, I just deleted a lot of e's from these sentences.

 

=========================

 

“What just happened?” Kiesha asked. She was back on the squad line. Annie supposed that there wasn’t any reason to continue projecting their voices.

 

“You’re asking me?” Annie asked. “Why are you asking me?”

 

“Well because obviously Hitomi just went crazy!” Kiesha tilted her head to the side. “She’s your girlfriend.”

 

“Yeah, but she’s never done something like this before! I blame Mag. She’s been hanging around Mag too much.” Annie looked down at her. “We have to get her up.”

 

“No, really? Next you’re going to tell me we should get out of here before we suffocate.” Kiesha huffed. “Did I tell you this was a bad idea, Annie?”

 

“You didn’t have to.”

 

The two Corpus behind them exchanged a few lines, and the one behind Kiesha jabbed her once more with the barrel of his Lanka.

 

“Oh that is IT!”

 

Kiesha jerked herself forward and into a roll, hands still behind her back. She landed facing the sniper and launched herself forward into him head first. The man gave a surprised shout as he went down. Annie shifted to watch and heard the crack of the man’s ribs. Both Annie and the sniper guarding her winced.

 

“Did I NOT tell you I was going to make you wish I had my axes if you did not stop your nonsense?!”

 

Annie’s guard was moving, intent on getting Kiesha under control. Annie shifted her position and rammed into the Corpus sniper, ending with the sniper ending up on the floor helmetless. Kiesha rolled back and crouched. She jumped and landed square on her guard’s rib cage which made a very unhealthy crunch. Annie dropped her knee into the other man’s stomach and put her foot on his neck before he could scramble for the Lanka nearby.

 

The screaming was getting closer and Annie looked to Kiesha, who walked over calmly. Annie was wondering how they were going to get their hands free. More then that, they needed to get their shields back up and energy restored. “Why didn’t we do this before?”

 

“I wasn’t annoyed and you two have no shields and flimsy armor. We would have never gotten out of that mass of Corpus.”

 

“You’re one to talk! You’re in a Mirage.” The sniper started to struggle and Annie pressed her heel down. “The last time I checked, our warframes were made of the same materials.”

 

“Yeah, but I’m wearing a frame that’s had way more modifications done to it since I got rescued then I care to recall right now.” Kiesha looked down at the sniper. He was trying to push Annie’s foot off. “Just kill the man, Annie. Whoever is out there killing the rest of them isn’t doing it quick and I’d like to be able to say we weren’t completely useless.”

 

“Only way it’s going to be quick is if I shoot him. I’m sure you noticed that my hands are a little useless right now.”

 

“Oh for the love of—” Kiesha stamped on his head. Annie was starting to wonder what exactly Kiesha done to her frame’s feet with the unhealthy noises the men made. “There. If not dead going to be soon.”

 

“Whatever happened to mercy, Kiesh?” Annie asked as she stood up.

 

“Mercy? They don’t deserve it. I’d spit on their corpses if it wasn’t a bad idea to take off my helmet.” Kiesha tilted her head as she turned to go back to Hitomi. “If Hitomi hadn’t done what ever it is she did, we would have ended up worse than dead or in cryo. I don’t see any point in giving mercy to an enemy who’s forgotten the meaning of the word.”

 

“…Alright, fine.” Annie sighed. “What happened, anyway?”

 

“You two got knocked on your rears by one of their flash-bang nullifiers. Drains your shields, your energy, and of course it prevents you from using your powers. Oh, also stuns you and blasts you back into the nearest object.”

 

“Well I understand that part of the flash bang, Kiesha. The last thing I remember was Hitomi opening Mag’s door and then things got fuzzy.” She followed Kiesha and knelt down next to Hitomi. “What about you?”

 

“Same, but I’ve got the shields to resist it. I took a bad hit to my energy though so I couldn’t even cast Hall of Mirrors.”

 

“Not that it would have done you much good if you couldn’t fire your weapon.” Annie gave her a sidelong glance. “…Wait a second. You have shields resistant to corpus traps?”

 

Kiesha shrugged, and didn’t reply. Instead, she asked, “Should we get Hitomi up?”

 

“At least get her upright,” Annie said. She propped one knee up and Kiesha used a leg to gently get her sitting up. “You’re explaining how you got those mods done later. How do we get these cuffs off?”

 

“I have tools to do it on my Liset but we need someone who has free hands to work them.” Kiesha looked to the doors. “If we can get to the Lisets without encountering more surprises.”

 

There was howling and the smell of smoke and charred meat coming faintly in the air. There was still screaming but it was fading, leaving them with the dying groans of the Corpus snipers.

 

“They were waiting for us, Kiesha.” Kiesha turned her head towards Annie. “They knew we would be coming here.”

 

Kiesha nodded. “Why did he ask for Mag?”

 

“I don’t know,” Annie replied. “All I know is that he’s got some kind of interest in her. My and Hitomi’s doors opened normally. Only Mag’s door was rigged—he might of expected her to be with us or to come alone.”

 

“And we wouldn’t have been able to do a thing to stop it because we didn’t prepare for them to be here.” Kiesha frowned. “Maybe we were wrong and they did find our dojo.”

 

The doors opened accompanied by the howling of Kubrows. Annie and Kiesha looked at each other, then towards the doors. From her seated position Annie couldn’t see anything but she heard the Kubrows scramble into the room and towards them as if the smell of blood was drawing them closer.

 

“Are they gone?” Hitomi asked in a mutter. “I need to stop hitting my head, it hurts when you do that.”

 

“Maybe?” Kiesha backed up a few steps. “Uh, those are some big kubrows. Big, mean, blood covered kubrows.”

 

Annie turned her head to find a pair of bulky kubrows stopping at the top of the stairs, snarling at them. Black and grey coats, their muzzles were wet and they barked several times, ready to leap. In a few moments an Ember Prime with royal purples joined them, stalking but not exactly ready to leap. One hand was emitting a flame that was bright and nearly white, and the other was gripping a bloodied Prime Scindo.

 

Annie gulped. Even with as little as she remembered, she had some fleeting memory of the woman standing at the top of the stairs. She didn’t know her name, or what she’d done but she remembered stories being told and fear. Hitomi had just woken up an actual Warlord from the Orokin Era. A High Ranking Warlord. A Warlord who was covered in the blood of their enemies and was enraged.

 

“Where is my sister?” she demanded, flexing her flaming hand.

 

“Can you get to your Regulators, Annie?” Kiesha asked in a mutter.

 

“No.” Annie didn’t take her eyes off the Ember or her snarling pets. “Are you scared, Kiesha?”

 

“I decline to answer that question,” she replied.

 

The Ember lifted her axe. “I asked you—”

 

“I’m right here, Hoshi,” Hitomi said. “I’m just still… Not quite here.”

 

The woman relaxed and the fire in her hand disappeared. “…Oh. …If one of those is you, I don’t know which one. You’re in a Warframe.”

 

“I’m the one in the Primed Nova.” Hitomi leaned forward and shook her head. “I think I can actually get up on my own at least.”

 

The woman put her ax on her back and walked over at a brisk pace. Annie scrambled back out of her way and rolled to get back to her feet. Hoshi bent down and hauled Hitomi up by her shoulders.

 

“Well look at you, finally all primed. See that you still have the pink though. I keep telling you it’s childish.” Hitomi stumbled as she turned and Hoshi caught her. “Easy. Sorry, I pulled you up pretty quickly.”

 

“Not it’s okay. I’m a lot better than before, I promise.”

 

“Okay, this is really touching, and I don’t want to interrupt because I like my limbs where they are, But we need to get out of here before the Corpus regroup. That wasn’t nearly enough for how big this place is.” Kiesha took a step back. “I mean, if that’s okay.”

 

Hoshi turned her head toward where Kiesha was standing. “Mirage?”

 

“Not the original.” Kiesha took another step back.

 

“You sound familiar.”

 

“I’ve never seen you before in my life. You just make quite the entrance.”

 

The Ember shrugged and looked up. “Cephalon Hiro, seal off the hall and purge the dojo.”

 

The cephalon gave a static response and the doors slammed shut. It did nothing to block out the sound of the air rushing out as the areas around them decompressed. Annie looked at Kiesha, then back to Hoshi and Hitomi. It was a long, quiet few minutes before Hoshi nodded.

 

“Reseal the dojo and get life support and other systems back on, Cephalon. If that didn’t kill them they’ll be dead soon enough.” Hoshi looked at Annie, then at Kiesha. “Now who the hell are you two and what are you doing in my Dojo?”

 

“They’re my friends and you’re not allowed to hurt them,” Hitomi said. “The Mirage is Kiesha, and the Mesa is Annie.”

 

Hoshi’s head turned towards Kiesha a moment, then she shook her head and said, “Okay, fine. But the first time one of them makes you cry—”

 

“Get in line,” Annie said.

 

“Excuse me?” The Warlord took a step towards Annie. “What gives you the right to tell me that, Mesa?”

 

“I’m her girlfriend,” Annie replied, tilting her head to the side. “I can also hit a target at quite a distance so don’t challenge me because you won’t see it coming.”

 

Hoshi looked at Annie, pausing before she looked at Hitomi. She then nodded. “Direct. I like her.”

 

Annie frowned, shook her head, and looked at Kiesha. “Kiesh, is there some way to get these things off because I am really uncomfortable right now.”

 

“I told you we need to get the tools from my liset now didn’t I?” Kiesha replied. “Unless one of the box heads has the keys.”

 

Hoshi bent down and started rifling through the snipers’ clothing. After a moment’s time, she produced a set of long, thin keys. “What are these… humans and why did some of them have boxes on their heads?”

 

“Corpus,” Hitomi said. “How much do you remember?”

 

“Well I remember our sisters stabbing me in the back. By the way, I’d like to see an actual doctor because I have lingering wounds from that. Himari’s venom is still in my lungs.” Hoshi worked on removing Hitomi’s bonds first. “The Lotus has been useful for once and actually got me somewhat up to date while I cleaned up the vermin.”

 

They freed Annie and Kiesha. Annie rubbed her wrists and rolled her shoulders. “They took my vastos.”

 

“They dumped all of our weapons in that crate over there,” Kiesha said, gesturing with her arm. “Thanks for getting those off of us.”

 

The lights turned on again, the gentle hum of the projector the chairman had used announced the equipment coming back online. The man was seated now. He was leaning forward in the chair and when he noticed them, he turned his eyes to glare at them.

 

“You chopped off limbs, set several of them on fire, and then on top of that you had to decompress the entire building?” he asked in an even, terse tone. “You had to leave them alive long enough to have to have their lungs implode in space!?”

 

“I removed the word mercy from my vocabulary a long time ago in reference to you betrayers, human.” Hoshi set her axe down and folded her hands on top of it. “Your kind deserved what was coming to them.”

 

The Chairman snarled. “Humans as betrayers? I think not. It’s you Tenno who betrayed, not the Orokins.” He sat up straight. “It’s Tenno like you who make it easy to justify what we do. No wonder your sisters tried to get rid of you.”

 

“I see that my reputation precedes me even after all of this time.” She tilted her head to the side. “I’m going to cut off your crude holographic technology now. Is there anything else you’d like to add before I do so?”

 

The Chairman sat back in his chair. “Yes, actually.”

 

Hoshi picked up the ax and put it through a nearby console. The image flickered away.

 

“Too bad.”

 

There was silence before the static of the Cephalon was in the air again.

 

“I think the path to our Lisets are clear,” Hitomi said. “That or cryogenics froze over.”

 

“What happened to the Cephalon anyway?”

 

“Age,” Hitomi said. “Vocal functions got distored with time.”

 

“Let’s just…” Kiesha sighed. “We didn’t even get what we came here for, did we?”

 

“Unless the corpus stopped them the drones should have loaded everything by now. We just need the lab data.” Annie rubbed the back of her neck. “Can we just take the archives?”

 

“Where are you going with it?” Hoshi asked crossing her arms. “And why are we leaving?”

 

“Because they will come back,” Kiesha said. “Again and again and again until that over powered CEO has what he wants. Next time, they will be ready for you.”

 

“As to where we’re going, It’s a need to know basis until we get there.” Annie crossed her arms. “That’s if you can behave yourself, Hoshi.”

 

“Warlord.”

 

“I’ll call you what I want. Are you going to behave? I need to know because there are Orokin noncombatants and we’ve already got one big security risk there.”

 

“…It would be best to not tempt me. For the things that Orokins did to us in the name of the Empire, I’d be tempted to slaughter them all.” Hoshi replaced her ax on her back. “How would I get to friendly territory, then?”

 

“Friendly is relative,” Kiesha said. “If you can stand being bottom of the totem pole, I can send you to my current clan’s dojo.”

 

Ordis pipped up. “Operator?”

 

Annie turned, putting her hand on the side of her helmet. “What is it, Ordis?”

 

“I have completed decryption of the files you gave to me.” Annie tilted her head and ordis continued. “It is a set of messaging correspondence dated from just before and after we arrived at Tower sixteen.”

 

“From who to who?” Annie glanced at the others, who were looking at her.

 

“From a Doctor Mary Augustine to a Doctor Hershel Magnus. The location of this Doctor Magunus is not within Tower sixteen.”

 

“Then where is he?”

 

“The Lotus has told Ordis she is looking through her records to find him and his possible locations.” Ordis paused. “I noted that the subject of conversation was the hairless ape and since you are unreasonably attached to the creature I supposed that you would like to know.”

 

Annie sighed. “The things I do…” She looked at the others. “Change of plans. Get the archive. We need to get back now.”

 

“What’s wrong NOW?” Kiesha asked, putting a hand on her hip.

 

“One of the doctors that’s been taking care of Mag is sharing information on her with someone outside of the Tower. Another doctor.”

 

“Which one is it?” Kiesha asked. “The outside doctor I mean.”

 

“A Magnus I think Ordis said.”

 

Kiesha looked away, her stance one that Annie knew well from her. It was the stance that said that she didn't believe it was happening. Kiesha sighed, then said, “I’m going to the Oracle and getting the entire archive.”

 

As Kiesha started to move. Hoshi grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “What a second, Mirage, I didn’t—!”

 

Kiesha leaned close to Hoshi, staring her down. “Don’t you DARE tell me I’m not taking that archive. Because I am. I care a lot more about my friend than your clan’s privacy. Now you had BEST let me go before I put my foot through your head like I did to that man laying not three feet away from you.”

 

Hoshi raised her her hand to get her ax. Hitomi reached up and grabbed her sister’s arm.

 

“Hoshi, don’t! Let her get the archive, please.”

 

The warlord looked to her sister. “Why?”

 

“Because it’s to help a friend who’s helped us a lot,” Hitomi replied.

 

“And why should I care about that?” Hoshi’s grip on Kiesha tightened and Annie swore to herself. Kiesha’s hand was starting to quiver ever so slightly. Annie grabbed her Regulators.

 

“Because I would be dead with our other sisters if it hadn’t been for Mag so we’re taking it with us!” That made Hoshi turn and look at her sister, letting go of Kiesha. Kiesha was quick in flipping away and taking off at a run to the hall and elevators.

 

Hoshi’s stance relaxed. “Dead? They’re dead?”

 

Hitomi nodded. “Killed by Infestation on a mission to try to get it under control. …I’ll take you to see them when this is taken care of, okay?”

 

Annie flipped the regulators away and headed toe the crate. “You guys can talk later, we need to go. We’ll stop and get whatever it was that we dropped when they stunned us.”

 

“I suppose this means that I need to behave myself,” Hoshi said. Annie grabbed Kiesha’s weapons and her own while Hitomi got hers.

 

“You’re with me, Kiesha and Hitomi are together so we don’t over load one liset unnecessarily.” Annie sighed. “I really wish Mag would stop making life interesting just by existing.”

[psychicandroid]

Mag's ideas are usually not good.

 

============================

 

“Maggie? Are you awake?”

 

Mag looked to the door, where Sal was leaning into the room. She’d just spent the past several hours contemplating the ceiling and sleeping on and off, and now she was bored out of her mind. She remembered getting sedated, and she was annoyed by it. She hadn’t lost control. All the same, she was starting to wonder if she was actually seriously disturbed and if cryosleep had just taken the knowledge she was crazy.

 

Sal was in his Warframe and a Rhino Prime was standing just behind him. Mag sat up and crossed her legs, turning on the bed to face the door. She put her chin in her hand with a huff.

 

“You look like you’re bored.” Sal made his way into the room. Mag nodded and he tilted his head to the side. “There’s a training room on this floor I’m going to make use of if you want to join me.”

 

Mag sat up and raised her eyebrows. She threw out her hands, shaking her head.

 

“Yeah, Rich told us about your frame. Told us you almost jumped on the Lieutenant.”

 

Mag groaned and flopped back on the bed.

 

“Hey I’m not yelling at you. I’m pretty sure that they’ve done that already.” Sal leaned over the bed. “Come on, Maggie. You like getting into fights.”

 

Mag raised her eyebrows at him. She doubted that they wanted her to leave the room. In fact she was sure that Doctor Augustine had asked her not to.

 

“Whelp. I’ve got no choice.” Sal grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder. Mag grunted and turned her head to look at him, raising her arms. “I’m not letting you sit here and mope.”

 

The other Rhino started laughing as Sal carried her out of the room. Mag huffed again and propped herself up on her elbows.

 

“Tenno Sal, I’m pretty sure she can walk on her own.”

 

“Tenno Jorge, she’s stubborn and I’m pretty sure if I put her down she’ll just wander back into that room to mope. Not happening today.” Sal turned up the hall. “She just did the same thing for a friend while their warframe was being rebuilt so I don’t see why I shouldn’t do the same for her.”

 

Mag shifted, drumming her fingers on Sal’s back. There was a difference between her and Hitomi’s situations. Hitomi got her frame back. They were trying to force her into a Mag frame and it was sounded like she was going to have to scramble to get her hands on a Valkyr frame. Sal ignored her finger drumming and tromped down the hall past where Doctor Augustine was talking with some of her colleagues.

 

“I was thinking of trying a new trial with… Hey! Where are you taking her?!” Doctor Augustine broke away from the group. “Tenno!”

 

Sal stopped and turned. “Is there a problem Doctor?”

 

“I don’t want her out of her room,” Augustine replied. “Can you please put her back?”

 

“She needs to do something that isn’t sit and mope,” Sal replied. “I promise I’m not going to pit her against Infested, Doctor. Just a little sparring.”

 

“All the same, I would rather know where she is.”

 

Tenno Jorge moved and put a hand on Augustine’s shoulder. “Doctor, please relax. The Lieutenant is alright with it as long as there is at least two of us with her. If she hits her head, we’ll send for you right away I promise.”

 

Augustine narrowed her eyes at him, then turned the glare to Mag. “Tenno Mag—”

 

Mag held up a finger, which shut her up. Mag tapped her lips as if thought full, then held up her finger again. When Doctor Augustine tilted her head expectantly, Mag flicked her off with one hand, and then with the other.

 

“Tenno Magdalena!” Doctor Augustine leaned back. She looked angry, Mag was getting somewhere. “You stop that right now, that is not called for.”

 

Mag growled and folded her fingers again. She then shooed her away.

 

Doctor Augustine leaned back. “Excuse me? Did you just shoo me away like a kubrow?”

 

“Don’t fight with the mentally unstable.”

 

Mag looked up. She smiled when she saw the Valkyr frame behind the group of doctors, accompanied by Tenno Lisa.

 

“You will lose.”

 

Augustine turned, even more annoyed. Mag wondered how much more it would take to purposely make her lose it. Despite the trouble it would cause, Mag was tempted to try anyway. “You stay out of this Valkyr.”

 

“Augustine.” Lo tilted her head down. “You sound like a child.”

 

Augustine clamped her mouth shut and breathed once. “Will you please just—?”

 

“No.” Lo moved to walk past. “Stop controlling her movements. If something happens they can handle it.”

 

“I am not-! I don’t-!” Augustine had to take another deep breath. She held her hands up as if about to push something down. “I’m just looking out for her health.”

 

“Her health?” Lo snorted. “You’re lying.”

 

Tenno Lisa moved to push Lo on. “Come on Valkyr, it’s time we did some affinity training. Stop trying to make the doctors angry.”

 

“I don’t try. I succeed.”

 

Augustine threw up her hands and turned to walk away. Mag smirked and snickered slightly, covering her mouth to muffle it on the off chance she actually made sound.

 

“Did you really have to flip her off, Maggie?” Sal asked as he moved to follow Tenno Lisa and Lo. He looked back and Mag nodded at him, still smirking.

 

“Why is it you always try to make your superiors angry with you?” Mag shrugged. Sal laughed. “You used to do the same thing to whoever it was who was in charge of our unit. Made him so angry that I swore a few times that he was going to spit fire.”

 

Mag looked down. Probably the same person who had ordered the rest to abandon her in the field.

 

“Then again he spent his time calling most of us dead weight. I hate to admit it but it was nice to see that he got what was coming to him.”

 

Mag clenched her jaw and her hands. She swallowed and pressed her lips together. The Mag is dead weight. That’s what someone had said, wasn’t it?

 

“Hmm?” Sal shook her a bit. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

 

Mag opened her mouth. She looked up briefly and saw Augustine walking away with her colleagues. She directed her eyes down again and shook her head.

 

“Oh, geeze. I should of… dammit, I’m sorry Maggie.” He jostled her again. “Cheer up, okay?”

 

Mag huffed and shook her head. He finally set her down in the training room. It was larger than the ones in most of the dojos she’d ever seen. Around the perimeter was an obstacle course that took one up on the walls and even briefly to the ceiling. It was full of light, like the Orokin towers always were. There were places to sit and weight equipment in the front part of the room while what looked like a dueling arena was in the far end. Sal moved to head towards the far end of the room and Mag sighed and followed.

 

Sal frowned. “You’re grumpy today.”

 

“She was forcefully sedated,” Lo said from ahead of them, just at the edge of the arena. “Of course she is.”

 

“You would know, wouldn’t you Valkyr?” Tenno Jorge asked. He rolled his head.

 

“Don’t call me that.”

 

“Then start responding to it so I’m allowed to call you Lo again.”

 

Lo grumbled and sat at the edge of the arena. Her body was tense and she was hunched, uncomfortable in her frame. Mag flopped down next to her and put her chin in her hand. She didn’t know what Sal expected her to do while he was sparring with another Tenno.

 

“So you got dragged here too.”

 

Mag nodded. She picked at something on the floor as Tenno Lisa grabbed a pair of staves from a rack on the wall. She tossed one Lo’s way. Lo just let it land on the floor and roll a bit before it came to a stop near her feet.

 

“No.”

 

Tenno Lisa tilted her head to the side. “It’s just some staff play, Valkyr.”

 

“I hurt you last time.”

 

“That’s not your fault.” She picked up the staff and held it out to Lo. “I was stupid. Besides, I’m fine.”

 

“I put ethereal claws through your leg.”

 

Lisa tapped her leg with one of the staffs. “This thing is practically useless, Valkyr, I didn’t even feel it. Come on.”

 

“No.”

 

Mag frowned and nudged her. Valkyr turned her head Mag’s way and Mag looked to and nodded in Tenno Lisa’s direction.

 

“Not you too.”

 

Mag shrugged. One of them should do something and it probably wasn’t going to be her. A glance Sal’s way gave her a view of both rhinos engaged in a wrestling match. Mag raised her eyebrows and looked back to Lo and Lisa.

 

“Val—”

 

“Don’t call me that. Do NOT call me Valkyr.”

 

This was going no where. Mag stood up and rolled her neck then walked over to Lisa. Tenno Lisa turned her head towards Mag.

 

“Can I help you with something, Tenno Mag?”

 

Mag reached over and jerked a staff from Lisa’s hands. The Nyx stepped back. Before she could do anything Mag shifted and knocked Lo on the top of the head with it. Lo ducked down and lifted her hands.

 

“What was that for?!” She demanded, jerking towards Mag. Mag bashed her on the head again. “Quit it!”

 

“Um, Tenno Mag… that is a bad idea,” Tenno Lisa said. She tried to pull the staff away and Mag jumped back out of the way. “That is a very bad idea.”

 

Mag shrugged and went to do it again. Lo grabbed it and jerked Mag forward as she got to her feet. Mag stumbled and planted her feet. She pulled back.

 

“You are NOT going to win this,” Lo snarled.

 

Mag shrugged and pulled the staff harder, jerking it away before bringing it to bear and smacking Lo across the face with it. Lo stumbled. Probably not hurt but she was paused. Mag dropped into a ready stance with the staff, watching her. Lo was doing something similar to what Mag did when she was fighting hysteria, flexing her hands and her breath hallowing, quickening. The baleful red light that looked like an eye was fixed on Mag. Mag dropped the staff and jumped on her, grabbing onto the remains of the head restraint and pressing her feet into her shoulders for balance.

 

No one else in the room liked that. Lisa and Tenno Jorge knew what Lo was capable of and none of them knew what Mag was really capable of except for the fact she was insane and also used a Valkyr frame.

 

Sal seemed to be first to say something. “Maggie! Quit it! Get off of Lo!”

 

Mag pressed her forehead against Lo’s even as Lo’s hands clamped on her waist. The other activity in the room stopped. Mag’s throat felt like it wanted to close, her hands tightened on the restraint with a dull ache returning to her body. She pushed it away.

 

“Get OFF!”

 

Lo tried to shove her off. Mag held on tighter, shaking her head. Mag swallowed again, gritting her teeth. Lo pulled her head back and Mag pulled forward.

 

“Get off or you won’t get up.”

 

“Tenno Magdalena, stop provoking Valkyr!” That was Tenno Jorge. It was funny to her how none of them had tried to peel her off of Lo.

 

Mag shook her head. Lo’s grip tightened and she finally threw Mag off. She screamed as Mag landed. It hadn’t hurt but instead felt like someone had fired off a loud rifle next to her ear without giving warning. Mag blinked slowly. It took her a few moments to make herself get up. She looked up to see that Lo had picked up a staff. Lo brought it crashing down and Mag rolled away and into a crouch. This might have been a bad idea.

 

Lo took another swing at her and Mag jumped back again. She turned to look for the other stave that Tenno Lisa still had in hand and was rewarded with being jabbed in the gut. She stumbled back. Lo moved to jab her again and Mag ducked, rolled and tackled her, sending them both to the ground. Landing on top, Mag raised her hand. Lo grabbed her and threw her again.

 

Lo screamed once again and Mag realized that this might have been a worse idea than she originally thought. Lo was crouched down, she had the claws. Mag scrambled up. Lo had abandoned the staff and she rolled to grab it. She brought it up to block Lo’s blow. Claws barely scratching her face, Mag finally screamed back, shoved the Valkyr back and threw the staff aside. She had to concentrate.

 

Lo launched herself at Mag and Mag rolled out of the way again. Lo snagged her by the back of her shirt, claws digging in. She flinched but she grinned. This was going to be fun. Lo wasn’t squishy until she got out of the armor. She’d be soft then. All she had to do was—

 

No. Concentrate. Lo wasn’t an opponent. Lo was a fellow Tenno.

 

Mag whipped back around and shoved her feet into Lo’s stomach to push away. Lo wouldn’t feel that. Not with the Warframe on. But it made a nice push off point.

 

Lo snarled again and followed, hand raising to slam down on Mag. But the claws were gone and the hand never fell. It gave her a chance to get into a crouch. Lo was distracted and Mag launched herself forward. She took the other Tenno by surprise and they went tumbling. This time it was Lo on top and she pinned Mag down.

 

Mag almost reached up to claw her face. Lo wasn’t a threat any more. Lo wasn’t a threat and she had to reign herself in. Mag swallowed and breathed deep. As she slowly came down from the rush, she became aware of the fact that she was in pain. Quite a bit of it, in fact. But it was good pain. It felt good.

 

For a while, she and Lo stared at each other. Mag finally cracked a smile. Lo leaned back as Mag started laughing.

 

“You IDIOT!” Lo thwacked Mag’s shoulder as she got up and Mag rolled over, still giggling. “I almost killed you!”

 

Mag sat up, still laughing. She felt like someone had taken an Atterax to her back and a Roller had taken care of beating on the rest of her.

 

“Are you suicidal?!” Lo demanded.

 

Mag nodded, wiping her eyes. She was feeling a little dizzy but someone was pressing something against her back. Looking up at her, Mag was pretty sure that Lo was tempted to go ahead and fulfill her death wish.

 

“Why did you do that?!”

 

Mag swallowed and circled one of her hands, still laughing. She was trying to figure out a way to explain herself, not even sure why of she had done it. She finally gave up and leaned her forehead in her hand, finally calming down.

 

“Maggie, you of ALL people should know better than to provoke a Valkyr.” Mag looked back. It seemed that he was the one taking care of her back. She just grinned at him, then faced forward again. “Why am I trying to talk sense into you, you block head?”

 

Mag shrugged and winced. Lo sat down in front of her.

 

“What possessed you to do that?” Mag shrugged again. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. “I could have—”

 

Mag shook her head, and shoved Lo lightly.

 

“Yeah, you could have but you didn’t,” Sal said.

 

“Tenno Mag’s stupidity aside,” Tenno Lisa said, returning the staves to their places, “what did you notice?”

 

“I left gashes in her back.” The Nyx Prime leaned her head forward. Lo sighed. “It stopped shortly after it began.”

 

Mag nodded, putting her chin in her hand. Lo stood up.

 

“Stop being smug, Mute.” Lo moved to exit the room.

 

Tenno Lisa followed her. “Valkyr, that was uncalled for!”

 

“It’s an accurate statement.”

 

Sal sighed and thumped Mag on the back. “That wasn’t what I had in mind, Maggie.” Mag winced and shrugged again. He sighed. “It’s good to hear you laugh again, Maggie.”

 

Mag tilted her head to the side, and nodded. It had been a good fight, the pain was good, and she felt relaxed.

 

“Come on, I’m pretty sure that your doctors are going to want to have a word with you. Not to mention the Lieutenant.” Mag groaned as he hauled her up and to her feet. “Uh uh. You picked the fight, you’re going to explain it. Those rules haven’t changed.”

[Akavakaku]

Very cool story so far! There are just a few word problems, though, like "make due" instead of make do and "mod(ification)" instead of mod(ule).

[psychicandroid]

Very cool story so far! There are just a few word problems, though, like "make due" instead of make do and "mod(ification)" instead of mod(ule).

 

Thanks for the heads up on those. Make do seems to be one I keep flipping around, so it's back to the elements of style for that one. I went with modifications because of the fact weapons and warframes get modified but will go through at some point and find if I'm using what I should in most instances. (This thing is gigantic right now and looking at it the mindset of editing is daunting with the rest of it unfinished.)

 

Thank you again! ^^

[Akavakaku]

No problem. Maybe you could use "modulated" as an adjective to replace "modified."

[psychicandroid]

No problem. Maybe you could use "modulated" as an adjective to replace "modified."

 

Hmm. That might work.

[psychicandroid]

I need to work on writing when someone is terrified out of their wits. :/

 

==================

“Lotus… Someone…”

 

No one was coming, were they?

 

They probably didn’t even know she was missing.

 

She was curled on the floor, trying to keep herself from sobbing. She’d fallen in the middle of sleeping, woken up to the pain rippling through her body. She wished that she would get used to it. That she could get used to the seemingly random intervals that her body burned. If she could, she’d be able to sleep. It was only safe to speak in low mutters or whispers, but even that wasn’t guaranteed.

 

“Someone…” she wrapped her arms around her head. “Help me…”

 

They didn’t miss her.

 

They were glad that she was gone.

 

She rocked once, jostling the wiring that was slowly being embedded in her back. It took hours for a few centimeters, and they didn’t believe in sedatives or pain medication. She bit her fist to muffle the first sob but it triggered the collar anyway. She wanted to tear it off but just locked her limbs. If she tried that, it got worse. Sobbing would make it worse. Everything but lying still and silent made it worse.

 

They would have quiet with her gone.

 

Maybe that was why no one had come for her. They wanted quiet.

 

She rolled to her hands and knees even though it hadn’t stopped. She had to place them over and over again a few times until she finally had balance. Press into the tops of her feet and into her knees and shins, all five knuckles of each hand. Even that was precarious, but she managed it, for the first time in days. If she was careful, she wouldn’t have to be picked up off of the floor. Being an experiment was humiliating enough. She’d be damned if she would let them keep picking her up.

 

It made sense that they would abandon her.

 

Even The Lotus had abandoned her.

 

She was just so defective that her only worth was in experimentation.

 

Her blanket caught her eye and she reached for it. She almost fell but got her hand on it. She could have tried to hang herself with it. Better dead than alive in a test tube.

 

That would only give them satisfaction. If she had to do die, she was going to take as many of them with her as she could. Instead, she pulled her way back onto the bed. It was softer, at least. She pulled the pillow closer and curled herself around it and the blanket. It helped, even if she wouldn’t sleep.

 

The door of the cell opened. The Tenno, with one of the females. She wanted to turn away from them, but she was finally somewhat comfortable.

 

“See, Doctor? She hasn’t pulled anything out this time.”

 

The man’s calm voice made her body tense further. Him. She would kill him first for this betrayal.

 

“She probably fell out of bed again.”

 

“Strap her down, then,” the woman said, voice terse. She was afraid of what she could do and she hadn’t even done anything to her. Not yet. But she would.

 

He didn’t look at the Doctor. His eyes were on her. “That’s not necessary.”

 

“That thing is a monster, of course it is.”

 

“She isn’t a monster. Little Tenno is in more pain than you and your colleagues have collectively experienced in your life.” His voice had turned mildly chiding. “Most of her reactions to us is fight or flight. You were warned that her reaction is fight.”

 

“Does that mean that I shouldn’t worry about her coming in and strangling me in my sleep?”

 

“I’m not going to let Little Tenno kill anyone, Doctor.” He tilted his head to the side. “Now why don’t you go and appreciate the fact you can sleep?”

 

“As if I could sleep with—”

 

“—this monster practically free to run around the Tower unsupervised.”

 

Mag’s eyes popped open. There was something clamped to the back of her neck. Her arms were wrapped around her pillow and blanket, her body ached but that was fading.

 

“The things I do for you, Hershel…” Mag started to move to turn. The same female voice snapped, “Lie still, Little Tenno or this will hurt more than necessary.”

 

She only paused in movement, shaking her head to try to place herself. The walls were white, and the boarders brown and golden. Nothing was in her back, nothing was around her neck. The object clamped to the back of her neck tightened. A hand.

 

“I said to lie still. I have no desire to paralyze you.”

 

Mag turned anyway, breaking her grip. She shifted away in the bed and looked up. That wasn’t right. Someone from there, from that place shouldn’t have been standing here. That was Doctor Augustine. The tower was supposed to be a safe space. They weren’t here. Mag furrowed her eyebrows and sat up slowly.

 

“Easy, Little Tenno.” Augustine held up her hands and started to back away slowly. She had a large needled syringe in hand, uncapped. She was quick in capping it and putting it in her pocket. “Easy…”

 

Mag’s eyes went from the syringe and back to the doctor again. What had it even been for? More sedative? Another test or just more torture?

 

“Easy… just… stay there…” She tried to smile, but her eyes were wide. “Okay? You’re okay, nothing happened… you’re okay…”

 

Mag shifted off the bed slowly, shaking her head slightly.

 

“Please just… go back to sleep.” She shook her head. “Just some routine procedures. Go back to sleep. Okay?”

 

Mag shook her head again and pointed at the woman before tapping her temple.

 

“…You… think?”

 

Mag shook her head, starting to open and close her free hand.

 

“…oh no. You remember me. …Oh no.” Augustine started to back up quicker now. “You remember me, don’t you?”

 

Mag nodded, hand finally remaining open in a claw like position as she watched the woman in the doorway. She was frozen like an animal facing its death. How appropriate. The Doctor opened her mouth to do something, maybe scream or beg. Mag cut her off with a scream. She would have her chance to beg, right before Mag pulled her tongue out.

 

The woman turned and ran. Mag followed. For a doctor she was quick. Fear did inspire fleet feet. Mag walked for a moment until she was sure. Sure that she wouldn’t pay for this in pain, that she wouldn’t just stop moving, control taken from her. After that, she took off running the direction Augustine had taken. She rounded the corner and slid, coming to a stop before launching forward again just to feel herself jerked back by her arms. Mag pulled back until they let go.

 

“MAG, STOP.”

 

She knew the voice. Usually an ally. Mag turned long enough to grab the woman by the shirt and throw her. Mag screamed at her, daring her to get back up again and try to stop her. She turned and followed again. She’d lost sight of Augustine but she would find her. She couldn’t hide for long. The alarms blaring now wouldn’t stop her.

 

There was an open door. Mag heard quick breathing. Borderline tears. She looked inside and the breathing became muffled. Stepping inside she heard a whimper and headed inside. It didn’t take long to find her huddled, shoved between the wall and a locker. Mag reached down and jerked her up.

 

“NO! Please no! LET ME GO!”

 

Mag hauled her out of the room and threw her down the hall. Augustine landed with a thump. Sobbing, she backed away from Mag as she walked, following.

 

“HELP ME! PLEASE! She’s going to kill me!”

 

Mag nodded slowly. There was activity behind her and Mag ignored it.

 

Augustine backed herself into a wall. Mag tensed, and raised her hand.

 

“Bre.. Ack… Break!” Augustine yelled at her, “Psychotic break, psychotic break! Drop, damn you!”

 

Just as Mag moved to step, she dropped. Dropped hard and rolled once to land on her back. She tried to get back up again but her body only moved slowly. She tried to at least move her hands to pull herself away from Doctor Augustine, who was slowly rising, pressed against the wall. Someone grabbed Mag’s arm and pulled her up, crossing her arms and theirs over her chest she tried to pull away and found it, too, was nearly impossible. Mag tried to swallow but only burst into tears.

 

“Shh, Maggie.” Sal. Sal was holding on to her as two of the primed Tenno helped Doctor Augustine to her feet.

 

“She was going to kill me! That monster—”

 

“Tenno Magdalena is not a monster, Doctor.” Gertie, beside Sal, came to a stop. “If I hear that phrase associated with her again, I’m going to have educate you on who the monster is.”

 

Mag squeezed her eyes shut. She just wanted Augustine to shut up. To stop being the victim. She probably had never been the victim but was so good at playing at it. She wanted to tell the woman to shut up but all she could do was give a half hearted scream between sobs. Augustine let out another squeal of terror. Those people had taken her frame, her voice, her dignity, and they were in the process of reclaiming her mind and they hadn’t even had to do anything to get that. They’d even taken control of her body. Mag swallowed again. She couldn’t even form coherent thoughts, maybe she really wasn’t meant to speak anymore and was just meant to be nothing more than a violent puppet. Mag opened her eyes and looked down at her lap. She wanted to say something. Anything.

 

“Augustine, why did she drop to the floor?” Richard, from just behind Sal. “What did you do to her?”

 

“It’s… Its a trigger,” the woman replied between ragged breaths. “She’s been programmed to respond to several. That one means she drops, all movements are slow and deliberate.”

 

“How do we end it?”

 

“End it? END it?! You want her to be mobile again?”

 

“Yes,” Richard replied tersely. “Now how do we reverse what you did?”

 

“I don’t know,” Augustine said with a fresh wail. “I don’t remember the counter for it. There might not be one.”

 

“I see we got here just in time to be nearly too late.” Mag started to lift her head at the sound of Kiesha’s voice. “We’re even too late to be big damn heroes.”

 

Mag finished lifting her head. Kiesha and Annie were standing in front of her and Sal. There was the dim shine of Hitomi’s golden heels out of the corner of her eye. There were scorch marks on their frames.

 

“Shh, Maggie,” Sal said again in a low voice. “You’re okay. It’ll be alright.”

 

“Her? Her?!” Augustine stomped her foot. “She just tried to kill me and you’re comforting her?!”

 

“Forget Mag. Let’s get back to you, Augustine,” Annie said. “Kiesha, if you could?”

 

“Gladly,” Kiesha replied. “Dearest Mary, I’m overjoyed to find out that you’re alive. Rest assured I harbor no hard feelings against you for reporting our activities. You were vocal about your worry that our last subject would kill someone in rage or everyone in trying to escape. Not to mention the fact that you were also frightened by her. Unfortunately, I find myself in a hard position in needing help with Magdalena. We’ve found that the Empire attempted to ‘correct’ our work and managed to make her a mess. We have a lab, staff, everything we need but I need your expertise.”

 

“How did you get that?!”

 

“Hold on, doctor, we’re not done yet. We need to read your response,” Kiesha said. “Hershel, I’m not going near that— Dammit, Hershel. I just finished putting that monstrosity’s head back together. She came in with her warframe in pieces—whoever gave her one needs to be shot—and I’m unfortunately in the position where I have to be her attending neurologist. What do you need out of her? I’ll consider any offer you might make but my priority has to be making sure that the damage wasn’t worsened by being injured while in the warframe so we can get rid of her as fast as possible.”

 

There was quiet. Augustine had stopped wailing and Mag swallowed down another sob. Maybe this was all she was good for. Being restrained and in pain as people experimented on her to see what made her tick.

 

“How did you get my personal mail?”

 

“I have my ways,” Kiesha replied. “But what you want to know is irrelevant. What I want to know, Doctor Augustine, is how you thought that giving Mag’s medical information to the Corpus was a good idea.”

 

“That’s ridic—”

 

“Your friend Hershel Magnuson works under the direct supervision of the Corpus Chairman himself.” Kiesha shifted. “And funny, how their methods have gotten better since he started working with them. Almost like he was sent from on high to the Corpus in a cryopod.”

 

“Hershel wouldn’t—”

 

“Lady,” Annie said, “We’ve been flash banged, restrained, almost suffocated and nearly torn apart by two mystery breed kubrows in the hours I’ve been gone. Don’t start with us because we’re not in good moods.”

 

“Lieutenant, This is ridiculous!”

 

“Doctor Augustine, Tenno Kiesha and Tenno Jay will be taking you to the security station. They want to have a talk with you about your blatant disregard for the Empire.”

 

“You have to be kidding! That thing wants to kill me!”

 

“If I were a sporting woman I’d let you start running and have a solid minute head start of Mag,” Kiesha replied. “As it is though you’re apparently important. So you get to live.”

 

Augustine seemed to be bordering on hysterical again. “She is a—”

 

“Say it, I DARE you!” Hitomi shifted, had a weapon drawn. “You haven’t had to watch the nightmares. You haven’t had to tell her that she nearly lost control in battle and nearly killed an ally. You haven’t had to watch her rapidly lose what little sanity she had and be able to do nothing about it! If you call her a monster I swear to the Lotus I will make sure it’s the last thing you EVER say.”

 

Kiesha cleared her throat. “Doctor, please cooperate with us. Don’t make it harder than it has to be, and for all that’s sacred do not make us any angrier because as far as I’m concerned you’re already a dead woman walking.”

 

Kiesha moved to walk by, and Augustine followed with the two primed tenno following her. Mag looked up as someone stepped in front of them and bent down. The Lieutenant was looking at her. He watched her a few moments before sighing.

 

“Tenno Magdalena. I can’t leave you unsupervised. Do you understand?”

 

Mag nodded slowly.

 

“Doctor Augustine will not be allowed near you again. This way you don’t try to kill her, and she doesn’t do anything to you. Do you understand?”

 

Mag nodded again.

 

“Good. We’re giving you another sedative. In the morning, Tenno Lisa is going to come and talk to you. Okay?”

 

Again, Mag nodded. The Lieutenant’s eyes flicked up. “Three of you, at least one in the room at all times and two others near the door. In your warframes. Am I clear? We’ll figure out what exactly to do with her in the morning.”

 

“Yes sir,” Richard replied. “Sal, Gertie? First watch with me?”

 

“Of course,” Gertie replied.

 

“Up we go, Maggie.” Sal stood and Mag’s limbs dangled uselessly under her. “You’ll feel better when you get some sleep.”

[psychicandroid]

Writing this story is highlighting areas I need to work on. Yay!

 

Now pardon me while I jump back on the hypetrain.

 

=========================

 

“I don’t understand why you wanted me to be here,” Annie said. Lieutenant Khom was staring through a window into a very plain interrogation room. Three chairs and a table, where doctor Augustine was sitting. He turned from the window to look at her where she was sitting.

 

“As I said earlier, you’ve been in the field in the current situation longest of all the field tenno here.”

 

“Yeah, but Kiesha actually has a lot more information.”

 

“And I need her to talk to Doctor Augustine. We didn’t really need Jay in there but it will make Augustine feel better. More relaxed.”

 

“Is she really that valuable?”

 

Khom nodded. “She knows the Tenno neurological system inside and out. It’s not that different from humans, but apparently there are differences in key parts.”

 

“Makes sense. I suppose that one would want to keep such a scientist around.”

 

He looked back to the window. “How was your mission?”

 

“Pretty typical, but we got everything we went for. More.” Annie rubbed the back of her neck. “Entire clan archive for Hitomi’s clan, a very scary Warlord, possibly a lost Kubrow breed and Kiesha’s in the process of getting some of the most recent research her current clan has done.”

 

“Sounds like you did good, for all that you mentioned happened.” He took a deep breath. “Tenno Annie, This is not how I wanted to spend my night.”

 

“Me either, I wanted to have a drink when I got back.” Annie sighed. “What exactly happened?”

 

“So far as I have pieced together from Lo and first responders, Doctor Augustine might have been in Tenno Magdalena’s room. She’s not on rotation to do night shifts. I have someone reviewing security footage of the halls, and I’ll be having another person activating surveillance in Tenno Magdalena’s room.”

 

“I really don’t want to think about the fact that we’ve gotten to that point,” Annie muttered. “Thanks for letting me at least get out of my warframe.”

 

“Of course.” He shook his head. “How much time do you spend in that?”

 

“Sometimes I sleep in it,” Annie replied. “It’s part of the package.”

 

The man sighed and shook his head. “If only I had the ability to rotate all of you out of the field and send some others out there for a while.”

 

“Most of us have people to get back, Lieutenant. We would refuse.”

 

“And you?”

 

Annie leaned forward, elbow propped up on the arm of the chair. “I used to have someone to go after, not any more.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yeah. Mag rescued her already.” She smiled on one side of her mouth. “I still owe her for that.”

 

“Hence going and getting the resources for a new frame despite the risk?”

 

Annie shrugged. “She would do the same for me. Hardly knows me and would still do it. I’ve learned that much.”

 

The man shrugged. “Finally.”

 

Annie sat up and looked into the room again. Kiesha had just entered and she placed a mug on the table doctor Augustine was seated at. Kiesha wasn’t in her warframe, but was still in the jumpsuit. Annie had noticed that all of them were constantly ready to go. She supposed that was a side effect of Lotus not having enough agents.

 

“I hope you like coffee.” Kiesha sat down with a mug in hand. “Are you feeling calmer now?”

 

“Yes,” She replied, taking the mug.

 

“I’m glad to hear it, Doctor,” Kiesha said. “I apologize for my manner earlier. You have to understand that Tenno Magdalena is a close friend of mine. But rest assured that will have no affect on my questioning. I’m not here to be judge, I’m just here to talk to you.”

 

“That’s a lot gentler than I expected from Kiesha,” Annie muttered.

 

“Doctor Augustine is cooperative and tonight she nearly died. There’s no need to threaten her for information,” Khom said. “A good interrogator will know what needs to be used most.”

 

“After our interaction downstairs, I hadn’t expected that,” Augustine said. “But from the sounds of it, you also have had a bad night.”

 

“You don’t know the half of it, Doctor.” Kiesha sipped from her mug as the door opened again and a middle-aged looking man stepped in wearing plain clothes much like what most residents of the tower seemed to be wearing. He had a seat in a third chair.

 

“Where’s mine?”

 

“Coffee pot is just outside of the door,” Kiesha replied, sipping. “Don’t worry, we haven’t started yet.”

 

“I can live without it. I think the incident was enough to keep me awake for the next three days.” He folded his hands together. “So, Doctor Augustine. Are you unharmed?”

 

Augustine nodded. “Shaken, yes, but she didn’t actually hurt me. Which surprises me.”

 

“Why is that, Doctor Augustine?” Kiesha asked.

 

“Before when she would try to escape, she usually turned on the staff in the immediate vicinity. Not at first. Later.” Doctor Augustine wrapped her hands around her mug. “I suppose now she has more control than I’m giving her credit for.”

 

“Let’s talk about that, Doctor.” Tenno Jay tilted his head. “You and Tenno Magdalena have a history.”

 

“We do.” Doctor Augustine tilted her head to the side.

 

“When did you first meet her?”

 

“The first I saw of her was just after we got her into the lab from the battlefield. She wasn’t conscious and had a collection of wounds, the most prominent one where a blast had taken out the side of her warframe and part of her side with it. I was attending because of the warframe damage.”

 

“What about your first interaction with her?” Kiesha asked. “I promise that your coffee isn’t poisoned, Doctor.”

 

“I’m just enjoying the warmth.” She shifted. “That was… About a week later? As she healed we were having problems containing her. She slipped out of her cell and we ran into each other in the hall quite literally. I sounded the alarm and understandably she ran.”

 

“So you were part of this project?” Tenno Jay looked down to the table. “Project… Seeking Roots?”

 

“Yes. That was covered during my initial interrogation when I reported the project.”

 

“We’re just establishing the history. I’ve never interrogated you before, Doctor Augustine, and while I have files here I would like your say in the matter.” Jay flicked his hand along the table and Kiesha put hers down carefully, stopping to read as she sipped from her cup. “Generally we all know how you came to us here and we don’t like to talk about it because you’ve helped so many of us.”

 

Kiesha set down her mug. “That rings a bell, for some reason,” She muttered, flicking through whatever she was looking at. “So Seeking Roots. What were you seeking?”

 

“My part of the project was being in charge of mapping the nervous systems of our subjects. Until Tenno Magdelena, most of them didn’t live long enough to get results we were working to find. But they did contribute to the field of tenno neurology. We were always unclear as to what our final goals were.”

 

“At what price?” Tenno Jay asked.

 

“Including Tenno Magdalena, we had thirteen subjects.” Augustine shook her head. “The majority never woke up when we got them. They never felt anything. Those that did wake up thought they were delirious or in sentient hands, that their minds were being messed with. For all of them, we made the passage as comfortable as possible.”

 

“Why were you taking them off the battle field?” Kiesha asked, setting her mug down.

 

“The Empire didn’t want to hear talk of the Tenno returning to normal lives when the war was over—if it ever was. That was the only way we got subjects. Officially our research was on developing self-repair units for tenno to use in the field. Flash revives, I think you call them.”

 

Tenno Jay nodded and said, “So we have some form of baseline. You were one of the scientists studying Tenno Magdalena.”

 

Annie glanced to Khom. “She did that and you let her work on Tenno still?”

 

“We had little choice. We needed all of the help we could get. None of the Tenno stationed here would be mobile if it weren’t for her.”

 

Kiesha was leaning back in her chair. “So she scares you?”

 

“Yes. You didn’t have to watch her try to kill your colleagues. Aren’t you scared?”

 

Kiesha shook her head. “I’m not, actually. I owe her my life.”

 

“Oh is that so?” Doctor Augustine crossed her arms.

 

“It is. Before we lost her, she didn’t remember a thing but her preferred name, Mag. She was always a little off, tended to say creepy things in the middle of battle, and would go weeks without talking otherwise.”

 

“I have a hard time believing that she’s capable of anything but destruction.”

 

“Well, she did have to destroy a lot of corpus proxies to get me out of that cell.” Kiesha tilted her head to the side. “Long of the short of it was that I was fresh out of cryo, warframeless, and I was being held because I was uncooperative in giving them information. Tenno Hitomi, the one who threatened to shoot you, tripped and fell right in front of one of the damn wardens. Graceful she is not.”

 

Augustine shook her head. “And that’s bad because…?”

 

“Corpus don’t like Tenno taking their prisoners. They had a lot of laser turrets installed in the cells.” Kiesha shrugged and picked up her coffee again.

 

Khom looked at Annie, raising his eyebrows. “…Weren’t you rescued by her too?”

 

“So was Hitomi,” Annie said with a nod. “Twice now, actually.”

 

Khom grunted and nodded, turning back to the window.

 

“So before now, Tenno Magdalena didn’t recognize you?” Tenno Jay leaned back in his chair.

 

“That’s right.”

 

“But you recognized her. Comments made by the staff seemed to indicate that you had a great deal of control over her. She was cooperative when you asked her to do something.”

 

Augustine sighed and rubbed her forehead. “That’s because she had to be.”

 

“You mentioned a trigger earlier?” Kiesha said. The doctor nodded again. “Why don’t you explain that concept to us?”

 

“It was…” She sighed. “Magdalena had undesirable behaviors. She screamed at us to try escaping, she fought. Sedation was no longer working. As a short term measure she had to be fitted with a… I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but she was fitted with a shock collar. So she learned quickly that undesirable behavior and vocalizations weren’t going to be tolerated.”

 

“Augustine, that’s barbaric,” Tenno Jay said.

 

“I wasn’t going to say it,” Kiesha muttered, draining her mug.

 

“There wasn’t much else we could do!” Augustine rubbed her face. “When I wasn’t working on her, others were working on teaching her to react to certain phrases. Programing her so to speak. Not being in pain was a powerful incentive, and they had the additional help of biological implants in places through her body that helped force the desired reaction. While the behaviors had become intuitive, she still fought.”

 

“So basically you and your team treated her like she was an animal.” Kiesha shifted.

 

“She IS an animal. Was when we got her and most certainly was one when she was pulled from the lab.”

 

“What was the trigger you used to get her to follow your every command?” Kiesha asked.

 

“I don’t think—”

 

“Doctor Augustine. What was the trigger? Psychotic break made her stop.” Tenno Jay leaned forward. “Any of the others can help prevent incidents like tonight’s. You have a lot of colleagues that could be hurt if you don't give us what ones you know.”

 

The woman nodded slowly. “…Into the Fire. That’s the only other one I remember. I used it when she woke up to make sure she wasn’t going to lash out immediately.”

 

“I think that’s enough for tonight, Doctor. You’re tired and so are we. If we have any more questions we’ll ask,” Kiesha said. “The following comes from the Lieutenant, Doctor. Beginning immediately, you are not allowed on the same floor as Tenno Magdalena. Her care is being transferred to another physician unless there is an emergency. Am I clear?”

 

“Yes,” Doctor Augustine said.

 

Tenno Jay stood up. “I’ll escort you back to your living quarters, Doctor Augustine.”

 

The two left the room and Kiesha stood up. Once the door was closed she stared at it shortly and then moved to exit. She entered the room where Annie and Khom were observing. Annie didn’t have to do more than glance at her to tell that she was not in a good mood. Kiesha shut the door behind her, then pointed in the direction that Tenno Jay and Augustine probably had wandered off. “I want to get my dual zoren and torture that *@##$.”

 

“You’re out of line, interrogator.”

 

“I couldn’t give two cares,” Kiesha replied, closing the door. “Why didn’t you tell me that I was the one who did the first interrogation?”

 

“Because it was there in Augustine’s file and I assumed incorrectly that you would remember,” Khom replied. “You have her convinced that she doesn’t have to worry about you at all, Tenno Kiesha.”

 

“Well that was the whole point. She won’t see me coming.” Kiesha crossed her arms.

 

Annie rubbed her mouth. “…I got my answer.”

 

“What answer was that, Tenno Annie?” Khom turned to fully face her.

 

“I wanted to know why she doesn’t talk. And now I know.” Annie let her hand drop. “That’s horrifying.”

 

“There are no details in the file, nor is Augustine going to remember them after all of this time,” Kiesha leaned against the door. “Our best sources for exactly what happened is going to be her medical file, the mission report from her rescue, or Mag herself.”

 

“Mag’s memory is going to be distorted by what she went through,” Annie replied. “We can’t rely on that.”

 

“I’ll let the staff know about those two triggers. As I said earlier, I want at least three tenno in warframes with her at all times.” Khom gestured to the door. “Get some sleep, ladies.”

 

“Drinks first,” Annie said, getting up.

 

“Oh, I’m so with you on that.” Kiesha said, opening the door. "I'm gonna follow you Annie because you know where things are. Let's go get HItomi and her psychopathic sister."

 

“Try not to get staggering drunk, Tenno.”

 

Annie raised her eyebrows at him. “You sound like you’re trying to be our father, Lieutenant.”

 

“I don’t have to try,” Khom replied, hands still behind his back. “Dismissed, Ladies.”

 

[psychicandroid]

*insert whitty comment here*

 

========================

 

She dragged herself off the floor of her cell again. Again she tried to put her heel through the wall. She hit and stumbled back, breathing hard and ignoring the fact that both ankles were painful to stand on. She stayed standing this time. That was a victory. Save for some blood, the wall remained unblemished and unbroken. She wasn’t trying to escape—she knew that wasn’t possible by this point. She just wanted control over something and this was one small thing she could have control over—how much pain she was in.

 

This was new pain. It was new, but it didn’t make her miserable. It felt good. It wasn’t burning. It was sharp, stinging, and stabbing and made all the better by the fact she was inflicting it on herself. The wall made a very poor opponent. It didn’t fight back but wouldn’t yield. It didn’t bruise or bleed but accepted her fists and feet leaving bloody splats on the wall.

 

She leaned her forehead and pressed her forearms onto the wall. She let her hands sit, limply, just above her head. The pressure made some of the bruises sting again and distracted for a few seconds. A few seconds of clear thought that was wasted on contemplating how it was wrong she was enjoying inflicting harm on herself. There wasn’t any logic to it. She was still in pain. She was bleeding and bruising herself. She was getting the wires in her back caught on things. They were going to yell at her again for pulling things out and would make it more painful to put it back.

 

Mag almost screamed. Almost but she couldn’t afford to have her frustration render her unable to get off the floor. If she was going to be unable to rise from the floor, she would do it to herself. She slammed her arms and head into the wall again. She hissed, and made herself breathe through it. There was no logic to this. She should have been avoiding causing more pain but all she was doing was making it worse. She slammed into the wall once more.

 

All she wanted was for the pain to stop. It wasn’t like that was an unthinkable desire. Other people would want this to stop, wouldn’t they? Probably, but they wouldn’t start beating the wall. They would of at least asked why they were doing this. Mag supposed that the question was not important enough to her to get an answer. Maybe the lack of sleep had caught up to her.

 

“Little Tenno! Stop!”

 

Him. She jerked around, pulling her an arm back to punch him. He caught her fist and she stumbled. As the collar gave it’s usual response to her violence he caught her around the waist so she didn’t fall. She clenched both of her hands and jaw shut. He didn’t move as she tried to push away from him despite the fact she knew if he let go she would hit the floor.

 

“Little Tenno, what have you done to yourself?”

 

She didn’t answer because he was leaning back to look at her anyway. She took her free hand and dug it into her still healing side wound. He was quick in letting go of her other hand to try to stop her from hurting a wound that was probably going to start festering any day now.

 

“Stop that!”

 

She shook her head with a low hiss.

 

“Oh, Little Tenno…” He made her sit on the bed. He knelt down in front of her and even sounded like he was worried. “Why are you doing this to yourself?”

 

She reared her head back to head butt him. He held up a hand to stop her and she just jostled her head when she hit his hand. She hissed and leaned back again.

 

“Being in more pain won’t stop the other pain. Cooperating with us will stop the other pain, I promise.”

 

“You want me to break,” she said in a low voice.

 

“I want no such thing.” He reached up to touch her face and she leaned away from him. “Little Tenno, we want to free you.”

 

“Free me from what? The only thing I’ve ever known?” She tilted her head to the side, her voice still barely there. “People who have taken care of me? Given me purpose?”

 

“From their control, from dependency on a warframe to use your gifts. We want to prove to the empire that Tenno can lead normal lives. That we’re not just twisted things that came out of hell space.”

 

“Then why don’t you go through this torture instead?” Mag let her head flop back into the wall. “If you’re so sure, then you should be in my place.”

 

“I did volunteer actually. But because they need me for security, Doctor Magnuson turned me down. I was assigned by the military to guard this installation, and it would be suspicious if I were to not respond.”

 

“If only they knew what you people were doing. How many others are there?”

 

“No others now, but you’re the thirteenth subject.”

 

“Oh how lucky,” Mag muttered, looking towards the side. She then grinned at him. “You’re not going to like me when I break. I’m going to kill people and I’m going to enjoy it.”

 

“Our goal isn’t to break you, Little Tenno.”

 

“You’re not as good of a liar as you think you are.”

 

“I know you’re scared. I know you’re in pain.” He tilted his head. “Just stop fighting us and it won’t hurt nearly as much anymore, I promise.”

 

“Cooperate with torture? With the people who kidnapped me off of the battle field? The same people that think that the best way to control someone is using a shock collar? You’re out of your mind,” she whispered. “Never.”

 

“A shame, Little Tenno,” he said with regret. “It’s time to start the day’s studies. …For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that it has to be this way.”

 

“No you aren’t.”

 

She felt her throat constrict even before he moved to drag her up and the collar responded to her resistance. She bit down on her hand to stifle herself. If this was going to continue, she wasn’t going to scream anymore.

 

When she snapped she didn’t want them to hear her coming.

 

“Magdalena. Magdalena!”

 

Someone was trying to pry her hand open and she unclenched it. Her side hurt and she just laid there. Where was she? When was she? She was still tired but if someone was getting her up that meant she was about to sleep late, didn’t it?

 

“Maggie, are you alright?”

 

She opened her eyes and stared at the wall. She wasn’t there. She turned her head to see that Sal and Gertie were standing over her in their warframes. She furrowed her eyebrows and turned to prop herself on her elbows. She could have sworn that she’d just been talking to another Tenno, one she hated. But she knew these Tenno and knew she that she was safe with them. Sal ruffled her hair.

 

“Morning, Magdalena,” Gertie said.

 

Mag sat up and rubbed her face. She looked from one to the other, saw Richard standing next to the door. She tilted her head to the side. She almost opened her mouth to ask where she was, but her words caught in her throat. She looked down as Gertie lifted her shirt.

 

“You’re going to have some bruises there, Magdalena. Try not to attack yourself, hmm?”

 

Mag nodded and looked around.

 

Tenno Mag? It’s only a nightmare.

 

Mag started and looked up.

 

Finally. I’ve been worried. Lotus’ voice was gentle. You’re in an Orokin research facility. You’ve been here for a few days. Last night you attacked one of your doctors but you didn’t hurt her. Do you know when this is?

 

Mag had to stop and think and finally tilted her head to the side, thinking about the past couple of days. They were something of a jumble in her head and she had to rub her forehead. It took her a few moments to sort out what had really happened in the past few days as opposed to who knew how long ago. She finally nodded.

 

Good. You’re under constant watch for your own safety as well as the safety of the staff. Tenno Lisa will be in to talk to you with two other Tenno. Tenno Sal, Tenno Richard, and Tenno Gertie sat with you last night.

 

Mag looked down at her hands. She remembered blurs of last night, of being angry and of not being able to move despite screaming in her mind to try to do such. She rubbed her face and pressed her fingers into her eyes lightly. The only thing she seemed to be doing was losing complete control of herself and putting herself in a hospital bed.

 

“Magdalena.” Richard pulled her hands away from her face. “You have every right to be upset.”

 

Mag shook her head.

 

“Don’t argue with me, Magdalena. You’ve spent the past twenty-four hours being a puppet and you didn’t even know it. You found out last night one of your torturers is still alive and is living her life with no consequences for what she did to you.” Richard knelt down and shook his head. “That would make anyone angry.”

 

“May I interrupt?”

 

Mag looked toward the door. Tenno Lisa in her primed Nyx, along with Hitomi and Lo. Lo was even in Valkyr. Mag could have sworn that Lo hated the frame. Mag managed a small smile. It looked like she was a little more comfortable in the frame.

 

“I think that’s our cue to go and get some sleep,” Sal said, ruffling Mag’s hair again. “We’ll see you later, Maggie.”

 

Richard nodded and stood up again. He looked toward the trio in the doorway. “You’ll contact us if you need us, right?”

 

“Hey, I think that they can handle it, Richard,” Sal said, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Let’s go, old man.”

 

Mag waved once, raising an eyebrow. She briefly wondered if they were over reacting to whatever happened last night. Of course they weren’t. Mag was a violent psychopath. Tenno Lisa stepped inside as the others walked out.

 

“How are you feeling this morning, Tenno Mag?” Mag shrugged lightly and Tenno Lisa tilted her head. “Moving alright?”

 

Mag nodded, looking down at her hand and flexing it a few times.

 

“Why don’t we take a walk?”

 

Mag shook her head, not looking at her.

 

“No?” Lisa stepped further into the room. “Why not?”

 

Mag shook her head again and flopped back down. Better if she just stayed in here. A lot fewer people to hurt in here. She had a bathroom and a bed, she didn’t need anything else. She wanted to tell them to leave and lock the door behind them. She could starve to death quietly.

 

“Mag, please?” Mag put her pillow on her head. Hitomi was using the pleading voice. “Please? We’re going to the training room. You can help me with acrobatics?”

 

Mag curled up further away from them, hugging the pillow and blanket to her chest. They were quiet but she heard one of them walk further into the room. She was jerked up from the bed and dropped unceremoniously onto the floor.

 

“Valkyr!”

 

“She’s out of bed.”

 

Mag glared at her. Lo’s head tilted in such a way that Mag knew that Lo was glaring back.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Mag shook her head and moved to drag herself back up onto the bed. Lo grabbed her arm and pulled her up. Mag snarled and took a deep breath. These were friends. They meant well, and they were trying to help her. Maybe if she kept telling herself that she’d calm down.

 

“I didn’t put this on to watch you sleep.” Lo turned and dragged Mag with her.

 

“Um… Tenno Lo… Can you please not do that?” Hitomi asked.

 

“Move,” was Lo’s reply to Hitomi, who moved immediately out of the way.

Mag grabbed onto the door frame as they passed and pulled back, bracing herself on the wall with her foot. Lo stopped and looked back as if she was unamused.

 

“You are not going to hurt anyone.”

 

Mag raised her eyebrows at Lo, and nodded at her. Did she not hear about what happened last night somehow?

 

“Don’t worry. If you hurt someone I’ll put you out of your misery.”

 

Oh, that was comforting.

 

“Valkyr…” Tenno Lisa sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Despite what happened last night, Tenno Mag, Lieutenant Khom wants me to do affinity testing with you. Tenno Annie somehow convinced him that an updated test before building a frame for you is a good idea.”

 

Mag raised a finger and almost said something, but her mouth shut again. They were still thinking about putting her into a warframe? With the fact she’d snapped? Mag looked at her hand and contemplated bending her finger back to see if she felt pain, but she’d already established that she did feel pain in her nightmares.

 

“We even went to the dojo so we can build another Valkyr for you.” Hitomi bounced a few times. “Oh! And there are some Kubrows for you to meet, they’re gigantic!”

 

Lo let go of Mag’s arm as she reached out to steady Hitomi, who staggered a bit.

 

Hitomi huffed and crossed her arms. “Not you too! Way too many people are pecking at me and trying to get me to be still.”

 

Mag raised her eyebrows and frowned. Had she tried to get her to sit down? She looked at her hands, then to both Lo and Tenno Lisa before looking back at Hitomi. She had definitely missed something.

 

“Long story,” Hitomi sighed. “I’ll tell you while we’re training.”

 

“You touched her. She didn’t die.” Lo thumped Mag on the back. “Let’s go.”

[Piranah1]

*Melt in from the shadows*

*Witty comment received and accepted*

*Laugh*

*Recede into the shadows*

Edited March 12, 2015 by Piranah1

[Spikey844]

hmmm....

 

*rubs hands together*

 

This should be interesting

 

*goes back to lurking*

[psychicandroid]

*Melt in from the shadows*

*Witty comment received and accepted*

*Laugh*

*Recede into the shadows*

 

You gotta teach me that shadow trick!

 

 

hmmm....

 

*rubs hands together*

 

This should be interesting

 

*goes back to lurking*

 

I'm hoping. :O I never know if I'm boring people to tears or not.

 

Also, I have determined that Mag is actually a Krogan.

 

==========================

 

“Is she always this abrasive?” Hitomi asked quietly. Mag nodded in response and shrugged.

 

“Valkyr isn’t much of a people person,” Tenno Lisa said.

 

“Understatement.” Lo looked back at them a moment as they moved down the hall, opposite of the direction they’d gone yesterday. “I loathe everyone.”

 

They stopped in front of the elevator just as it opened. Lo stepped to the side and pulled Mag back. A Loki prime stepped off the elevator and he was followed by Doctor Augustine. Hitomi grabbed one of Mag’s arms while Lo held on to the other. She looked from one to the other. They really thought she was going to go into a rage just by seeing the woman. They felt like they couldn’t trust her.

 

“I see they put the animal on a leash,” Augustine said, looking at Mag briefly before she walked by.

 

Mag looked down. Well, Augustine wasn’t wrong. Mag was little better than one right now.

 

“Says the inhumane monster,” Lo shot back.

 

“Val—”

 

“Inhumane? Inhumane?!”

 

Doctor Augustine shifted and moved towards them again. Mag shifted to get Hitomi behind her but Hitomi stood firm. Augustine didn’t stop in front of Mag but instead got in Lo’s face. Either she was very brave or very stupid.

 

“What gives you the right to call me inhumane?” Augustine clenched her fists. “I have done nothing but help you. So help me if you give me sufficient reason I can reverse everything I did in a heartbeat.”

 

“Then try. You will fail.” Lo tilted her head. “Nothing justifies a shock collar.”

 

“I see that the interrogators can’t keep their mouths shut.” Augustine took a deep breath. “We had reasons. Those reasons are none of your business.”

 

“Nothing justifies a shock collar.” Lo tilted her head forward. “Period.”

 

“Remember when I told you that you didn’t scare me, Valkyr? I’m sure you do because you were begging me to just let you die.” Augustine jabbed her finger towards Mag, which almost touched her. She leaned away from the woman. “THAT is the reason you do not scare me.”

 

“You shouldn’t have helped torture her.”

 

“Everything I did to her and the rest benefited YOU.”

 

Augustine took another deep breath. Lisa was stepping forward even as she pulled Hitomi and Mag back from where the doctor was making a scene. Lo didn’t respond. Augustine probably wanted to make her feel guilty, like Lo’s benefiting from what Augustine had done to Mag would also make her responsible for the torture.

 

“None of the Tenno who are stationed in this tower would be functioning if it weren’t for every nerve that I mapped, spliced and killed on HER. Sometimes you have to sacrifice one for the good of many.” Augustine waved her hand at Lo. “So get off your high horse.”

 

“Fine.” Lo rolled her head and cracked her knuckles. “I’ll drag you down with me.”

 

“At least you’d make it a lot cleaner than the animal would.” Augustine turned. “This was a mistake.”

 

“We’re leaving the floor, Doctor,” Lisa said in a quiet voice. “Take what time you need. We’ll send Jay warning when we’re done.”

 

“…Thank you, Tenno Lisa.” Doctor Augustine straightened her coat. “At least some of you haven’t completely against me.”

 

“If you’re talking about me and the rest of the field Tenno here Doctor, we have good reason to dislike you,” Hitomi replied. “What you’ve done to help others aside.”

 

“Well, get over yourselves.” Augustine walked on. “Tenno Magdalena should be glad she lived to see someone who didn’t suffer because she already suffered for them.”

 

Lo grabbed Mag by the arm to drag her forward into the elevator. Hitomi and Tenno Lisa weren’t far behind. The door slid shut and Mag sat down on the floor as Tenno Lisa worked the controls. The elevator moved up, and Lisa crouched down.

 

“Thank you for not responding to the provocation. Sometimes Doctor Augustine’s superiority complex rears it’s ugly head. All the past day or so has done is stoke it.”

 

Mag shook her head and pulled her knees to her chest. She wished she’d been more adamant about staying in bed.

 

Tenno Lisa’s head tilted to the side. “You aren’t okay.”

 

Mag shook her head. She rubbed her forehead momentarily and sighed before looking back at Lisa.

 

“What upset you? Her comments?”

 

Mag looked at the floor of the elevator, then back at Lisa. She then shook her head and let it thump onto her knees. After a few moments of silence, Hitomi spoke.

 

“You’re afraid that Doctor Augustine is right.” Mag looked up at Hitomi and nodded. “Well, she’s wrong.”

 

“More than,” Lo replied.

 

Lisa shifted and looked up at Lo. “That’s odd for you, Valkyr.”

 

“What is?”

 

“You don’t like people, but you’ve stuck around Tenno Mag quite a bit. Now you’re standing up for her.” Tenno Lisa nodded. “You’ve made more progress in the past few days than you have in years.”

 

“Don’t get your hopes up.” Lo shrugged. Mag’s mouth twitched, uncertain if she wanted to frown or even smile a little. “I’ll go back to ignoring the rest of you when she leaves.”

 

“If she leaves,” Lisa said gently. Mag winced and Lisa looked at her. “I’m not going to pretend you don’t need help, Tenno Mag. That’d be unfair of me. This is the only safe place that you have to recover in.”

 

“Not for long.”

 

Mag and Lisa both looked up at Lo. Mag raised an eyebrow. Lisa shook her head slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean, Valkyr?”

 

“Nothing. Figment of my imagination talking again.”

 

Mag took a deep breath and shook her head again. The elevator stopped and Mag stood up. The lift opened up and they walked into a very plain room, narrow and long. There was a control panel stretched through most of it, with a door on either end. In front of the control panels were windows that offered view into an even emptier, blanker room. Standing at the center of room with his back to the console was the Lieutenant.

 

As they exited the elevator, the Lieutenant looked back. “I’m having a hard time convincing one of the technicians to come up here and work with you, Tenno Magdalena.”

 

Mag winced and stepped back. He turned to fully face them.

 

“Not even the prospect of six tenno to stand between you and them will make them consider it.”

 

Mag sighed and closed her eyes. She shook her head and started to turn.

 

“Where are you going, Tenno?”

 

Mag pointed down with out turning to look at him.

 

“You haven’t been dismissed.” The Lieutenant walked over. “You’re not getting out of training to sleep.”

 

Mag frowned and shook her head. She raised a hand. Sleep? Really? She really just wanted to crawl into a hole or die. Or maybe take a walk out an airlock. Anything besides be around unarmored people that would suffer if she snapped yet again. Hitomi spoke up.

 

“Lieutenant, with all due respect that’s not fair.”

 

“We only managed to find scraps of her files, and those files indicate that Tenno Magdalena often tried to sleep through training and as a result spent extra time in training she hated.”

 

Mag halfheartedly raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

 

“…That’s not the case, is it?” He asked. “At least not today.”

 

Mag shook her head slowly.

 

“You’re still not getting out of it.” He pointed to the left. “There’s a suit you need to put on that will help us determine what frame you should be in and what weapons you’re best suited to. A proto frame, so to speak. Go put it on and we’ll see if we can’t get someone up here. If not, we’ll ask another tenno to come up and help run the tests.”

 

“Do we even have someone who can do that?”

 

“Tenno Salim spent part of his time stationed in Tower One doing the exact same thing with Tenno who came in for reevaluation. If he remembers the equipment he can help.”

 

“And if not?” Tenno Lisa asked.

 

“Well, we try to see if we can try again to convince them they need to run the equipment.” The Lieutenant crossed his arms. “Go change, Tenno. Tenno Hitomi, go with her.”

 

“Yes Lieutenant.” Hitomi grabbed Mag’s hand and dragged her towards the door. “Come on, Mag. You’ll feel better with some exercise. You like training.”

 

Mag sighed as Hitomi pulled her along to the door on the left. They entered what looked like a locker room where there were four lockers with a bench spread in front of them and four white and blue almost-warframes hanging in the same pods they used to store their warframes. When the door was shut behind them, Hitomi grabbed Mag by the shoulders.

 

“Mag, you’re scaring me.”

 

Mag furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head. She frowned and started to step backwards. Hitomi held on and stumbled forward with Mag. Mag started to raise her hands to steady her, but she stopped. Maybe she shouldn’t. She’d only hurt her. Hitomi steadied herself.

 

“That came out wrong.” Hitomi shook her head. “I swear that’s not what I mean. You don’t scare me. I’m watching you be in pain and that’s scaring me.”

 

That wasn’t much better.

 

“You’re scared and your memories are coming back and they’re only bad memories and… And I don’t know what to do.” Hitomi let her arms drop. “You haven’t even said anything to me since you saved me.”

 

Mag sat down, shaking her head. She thought about forcing a smile to try to make Hitomi stop worrying. Hitomi would never believe it. She wasn’t stupid. Clumsy, prone to almost biting off more than she could chew, but never stupid. Hitomi flopped onto the bench next to Mag.

 

“I know that you’re scared and all and… You’re the one who usually makes me feel better and I’m not even sure how to do the same.” Hitomi looked over at her. “I’m a bad friend, aren’t I?”

 

Mag shook her head. She reached for Hitomi, hesitating a few moments before putting her hands on her shoulders. She leaned her forehead against Hitomi’s. Her throat constricted and she swallowed before she shook her head and rubbed her throat. Hitomi tilted her head and waited until she realized that Mag wasn’t going to say anything.

 

“You aren’t crazy, Mag.” Hitomi pulled Mag into a hug. “You aren’t crazy, you aren’t an animal. You believe me, right?”

 

Mag shook her head and Hitomi looked up, those flaps on the back of her helmet open. She looked like she had a stupid bow on the back of her head.

 

“You’re not. Don’t argue with me, I’m right.”

 

Mag sighed. She didn’t understand. No one was understanding her. It was frustrating because usually Hitomi understood. She understood Mags gestures, could guess what she was thinking. Maybe she was just doing something different and wasn’t coming across understandably anymore. It probably was another thing that was slipping out of her grasp the more she remembered.

 

“I swear to Lotus, Mag, I’m not going to let you hurt anyone or yourself, okay?” Hitomi reached up and grabbed Mag by the face. Mag pulled back in surprise but Hitomi kept her hold. Mag felt like a fish.

 

Hitomi nodded and Mag nodded back. She did the same thing to Hitomi, she supposed that it was only right that she had the same thing done to her. “I promise I won’t. And you’ll feel better when you have Valkyr back, right? You’ve always thought you have a lot better control in Valkyr.”

 

Mag shrugged halfheartedly. Hitomi let go.

 

“What’s taking so long in there, Ladies?” Mag looked up, trying to find where the Lieutenant’s voice had come from. She didn’t find the intercom system. Mag rolled her eyes and stood up. She supposed that she had to change.

 

“Sorry, Lieutenant.” Hitomi stood up, back to Mag as she pulled one of the not-warframes free. “I distracted Mag.”

 

“See that it doesn’t happen again, Tenno Hitomi,” Khom replied. “When you’re done having tea in there, Ladies, we’re ready for you.”

 

Mag pulled the frame on, and was struck immediately about how it felt like nothing. It certainly didn’t feel like she was wearing Valkyr, or even a Mag. She was wearing exo-armor that actually felt like exo-armor. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling and Mag frowned as she pulled the helmet on. She’d wear any warframe over this. She didn’t feel protected at all. She felt a lot more like what a zero-tech soldier probably felt like.

 

Hitomi lead out of the locker room and back into the control room. Standing out there now was a technician who glanced nervously her direction before quickly looking back at his work. In addition, Annie, Kiesha and some purple Ember Prime were standing, watching the man and Lieutenant Khom at the console.

 

“THAT is the reason why we’re all standing here like we’re useless?” The Ember shifted her weight and stood up from the wall she was leaning on. “Some baby tenno that doesn’t even have a real warframe?”

 

“Hoshi…” Mag nudged Hitomi and pointed at the Ember. “That’s my sister Hoshi.”

 

Mag tilted her head, and looked at the Ember again. She shook her head, pointing again. There was no way that was Hitomi’s sister. She wasn’t pink enough and Hitomi was a decent person. This one was a fight waiting to happen. But Hitomi nodded again.

 

“Yes, Mag, that is my sister. I have a living sibling.”

 

“Another person who didn’t know I existed then?” Ember crossed her arms. “Why are you babysitting her?”

 

Mag tilted her head to the side, and flipped the Ember off. Hitomi groaned.

 

“Because I ordered her to,” Khom replied. “I only let you keep your warframe because you swore up and down that you were going to be cooperative.”

 

The Ember crossed her arms. “I am being cooperative. I came up here to help babysit the baby, didn’t I?”

 

Mag wasn’t sure how much more she was going to be able to handle of people talking down at her while simultaneously talking over her head. She moved towards the Lieutenant and nervous technition.

 

“I’m not even sure how you have half of the Tower terrified of leaving their rooms.”

 

Mag changed course quickly, slid to a stop in front of the shorter Tenno, and slammed her head into hers. It knocked Hoshi back into the wall and she grabbed for her head.

 

“GAH! What the hell was that for?!”

 

Why was everyone always surprised when Mag head butted them? Mag flicked the woman off one more time, and then shooed her away.

 

“How DARE-”

 

“Saw that coming,” Annie said. Hoshi looked up at Annie.

 

“What?!”

 

“Mmm hmm,” Kiesha replied with a nod. “You were asking for that, Hoshi.”

 

Hoshi looked at Mag and pointed at her. “I don’t like you, Baby Tenno.”

 

Mag shrugged and shook her head. At this rate it didn’t matter if someone hated her not, she was probably just going to attack them anyway. Mag looked to Khom for direction so she could just get this over and done with. The barb about being babysat had hurt.

 

“Are you done, Ladies?”

 

“I think the Warlord needs another,” Lo said.

 

“You.” Khom pointed at Lo. “Shut up.”

 

Lo shrugged at him. He shook his head and looked at Mag. “…I’m only letting that slide because Warlord Hoshi’s ego needs to be knocked down a few pegs.”

 

Mag raised her eyes brows and shook her head slightly. Hoshi made a noise like she was going to protest his statement but Hitomi shushed her. The man continued.

 

“Tenno Magdalena, you will be in a virtual environment with Tenno Lisa. Your mission in this simulation is to keep Tenno Lisa from harm. As you progress though your mission, we will be making adjustments to your frame and switching out weapon types. Since it was the frame we assigned you last, we will start out emulating the Mag frame.”

 

Mag nodded, but wasn’t amused. She was going to spend more time fighting with the frame than actually doing the simulation’s mission. Khom nodded to Lisa, who gestured that Mag should follow.

 

“You’ll find MK1 weapons just inside the door. You have a choice between two different primary, secondary, and melee weapons. When you’re inside, we’ll adjust the frame and get started.

[Spikey844]

Y'know, I have a general policy of not hitting women, but if I had been there, I might have punched Augustine. Maybe hard enough to break her jaw.

[4G3NT_0R4NG3]

Y'know, I have a general policy of not hitting women, but if I had been there, I might have punched Augustine. Maybe hard enough to break her jaw.

 

Someone's gender should really have no bearing on whether or not you punch them. I don't quite see how those two things are connected in any way. The only real difference is biological.

 

Personally, I wouldn't stop at punching Augustine. She aided the Corpus, and therefore deserves to be treated as any other enemy combatant.

Edited March 15, 2015 by 4G3NT_0R4NG3

[psychicandroid]

Y'know, I have a general policy of not hitting women, but if I had been there, I might have punched Augustine. Maybe hard enough to break her jaw.

 

 

Someone's gender should really have no bearing on whether or not you punch them. I don't quite see how those two things are connected in any way. The only real difference is biological.

 

Personally, I wouldn't stop at punching Augustine. She aided the Corpus, and therefore deserves to be treated as any other enemy combatant.

 

Someone might have their chance to do both. Maybe. ^^

 

Also, I know the Hype Train is about to arrive at it's destination, but have some reading.

 

==========================

 

The open area that was much larger than it had looked from the other side. As promised there were weapons waiting for her. She picked up the Latron and put it on her back. Despite the fact that she hated the Latron almost as much as she hated the Braton she didn’t think she would be able to do much with a bow, so the Paris wasn’t really a choice. There were Kunai and a Lato pistol, but the kunai had more uses so she picked those up. She paused a few moments at the Skana and Bo before picking up the Skana. She gave it a few swings. It had been a while since she used a Skana, it would be nice to get to know the weapon again.

 

She followed Lisa further into the room. She looked back to where the door was and it was sliding shut to make a clean, unbroken surface, Mag felt the suit shift from within and she stopped as it settled down. It felt all wrong and Mag growled slightly to herself. She was all too familiar with the feeling of this frame now. She pressed down the desire to tear it off of her body and burn it. The frame did not reciprocate the emotion—it wasn’t, after all, actually a Mag. It merely pressed into her body in all of the wrong places to take readings from her, and confirmed when it was done morphing into something she hated.

 

“Alright, Tenno Mag?” Lisa asked.

 

Mag shook her head, letting her hands unclench. Did it look like she was okay? She was suddenly in a frame that felt like it was too small everywhere, tight and restricting. Otherwise, though, she at least had a hud that was familiar, though the read out was in smaller script than she was used to. Her energy was capped low, not that she would need it anyway. She had vitals for Lisa on the hud under her own.

 

The Lieutenant spoke, and she heard him in her helmet. “Primary out.”

 

Mag pulled free the Latron, putting the skana on her back. She tested the weight of it and found that she still really didn’t like it.

 

“Exterminate the enemy.”

 

A variety of pillars appeared, some tall others short. She waited a few moments, looking to Lisa who was still unarmed. She nodded, and Mag shot at the first thing that moved in the corner of her eye. It fell over and a boxy helmet fell off before the creature disappeared. Corpus. She was fighting Corpus? And the designs matched what the Corpus currently used instead of what she’d seen before she’d woken up.

 

“You are surrounded, Tenno Magdalena. You have a mission to complete.”

 

Mag nodded and looked to Lisa and gestured with her head to cover. She then moved forward. Seek and destroy, that was what she was currently here for. She kept an eye to her hud and her ears out, but she swept through the room quickly, every once in a while casting shield polarize to just make sure that Lisa’s shields stayed up—she didn’t really care about her own despite the fact that she should have. This frame had far less armor than she was used to and her frame’s health took several hits.

 

“Enemy eliminated.” There was a pause. “Tenno Magdalena, is there a reason that you would be severely injured right now if it weren’t for the fact this is a simulation?”

 

Mag relaxed and looked towards the windows as the columns faded to nothing. She shrugged lightly. She’d killed them all, as much as holograms could die anyway.

 

“You didn’t even attempt to use other means to protect yourself and Tenno Lisa.”

 

She used shield polarize, didn’t she? Besides, she thought the point was to use her primary weapon.

 

“And you’re using that Latron like it’s the last thing you want to do.”

 

Mag pointed at it, and was tempted to toss it over her shoulder. But she merely shook her head and cut her free hand through the air. She audibly heard the man sigh as if he wasn’t sure what he was going to do with her.

 

“Return to the weapons rack, please.”

 

Mag rolled her eyes and did as told. She already had weapons, didn’t she? When she arrived there, she saw that the Paris was still there, but a Soma had joined it. She put the Latron back on the wall and picked up the Paris this time. It struck Mag that she really didn’t like guns. She would use them and was expected to, but they didn’t feel satisfying in a fight. Maybe it was just too easy. She at least had bow training… at some point. She was sure that she’d had that at some point. Maybe?

 

“Tenno, your teammates in here are telling me that you’ve never used a bow in as long as they’ve known you.”

 

Mag shrugged and pulled an arrow free. She notched the arrow, drew back, and let it fly. That felt a lot better than shooting and she grinned.

 

“That’s all well and good but the point of the exercise is to fit you to weapons you are better suited to, not fiddle with ones you hardly know.”

 

Mag raised her eyebrows and took a breath. That might be true but this felt a lot more satisfying then pointing and pulling a trigger. There was effort behind it.

 

“If you are insisting on trying, then we’ll repeat the exercise but prepared to repeat it a third time.” Mag put the quiver on her back and nodded.

 

They repeated the extermination exercise. Mag wished she was moving faster but when she tried she felt like the frame was stopping her. She wasn’t moving the way it wanted her to. It reminded her of having to fight with her last Mag frame to get anything done. But by the time the last one was down, without having had to use shield polarize once, she was grinning. Why hadn’t she tried using a bow before? She didn’t use her primary often but this was making it enjoyable.

 

“And so I stand corrected,” The Lieutenant muttered. “You’re moving stiffly Tenno. Do we need to adjust the frame?”

 

Mag nodded emphatically, wondering what had taken him so long to ask.

 

“The technician has been insistent that I do it from the first few moments. I just wanted to see if you were trying to get out of using a Mag.” Mag raised her hands and turned from the windows. As if she could fake hating something this much! “Stand-by, Tenno.”

 

Mag nodded and the frame adjusted once more. The points that were burrowing into her skin all the wrong ways disappeared, giving way to ones she was familiar with. She relaxed as the new sensors pressed into her head, then seemed to only be there as faint touches.

 

“We’ve adjusted the frame from Mag to Valkyr, the tortured variant, which is the frame you currently use,” Lieutenant Khom told her even though she already knew. She rolled her head. “Secondary out.”

 

Away the bow went, and out came the kunai. She spun one of her finger as she waited for the first one to appear. She was able to be a little more creative with the Kunai, alternating using them as projectile weapons and close range Melee. A few times she had to divert her attention to ripline enemies away from Lisa, who was standing stock still in observation. By this point she figured that Lisa wasn’t really there to be an objective, just there to observe her doing something other than being a whimpering mess or a raging lunatic. Her motions were smoother now, and she was in control. The frame worked with her and together they were able to complete their task in a quicker manner.

 

“Much better, Tenno,” The Lieutenant said. “We’re making a few more adjustments.”

 

Mag raised her eyebrows and looked at the window as the frame merely shuddered once. She didn’t feel even the faint touch of the sensors now and she frowned slightly. Had they just turned the thing entirely off? That wasn’t likely since the point was to see what she should be using.

 

“Melee out.”

 

Oh, this was going to be easy.

 

“Exterminate the enemy.”

 

Mag felt like he’d hardly gave the order before she’d gone after the first of them. She was a little rusty using the skana but the stance she’d learned for it was still second nature. After all, it was the first weapon that she and all other Tenno had mastered, even if they didn’t continue using it. When she stopped she grinned. She felt better than she had in days. While this wasn’t really a warframe, she felt like she was so much more in control than she had been for a long time. Now she was working with it not as a separate entity but instead as if it were part of her body. That’s the way it was supposed to be, how she felt on good days with Valkyr.

 

“Very good, Tenno Magdalena. What we have left of your files indicate that your issued melee weapon was a Tonbo. Return to the weapons rack and retrieve the Tonbo.”

 

Mag walked over to the weapons rack to find the Tonbo there. She replaced the Skana and grabbed it.

 

“You seem to be much more relaxed, Tenno Mag,” Lisa said, joining her. Mag nodded. “That’s good to see. You’ve been tense since you arrived.”

 

Mag shrugged. She’d probably grow tense again once she took off the not-frame but for now she felt like she had control, limits on how much she could hurt someone.

 

“Are you more comfortable in a warframe?”

 

Mag nodded again, giving the Tonbo a few swings. She couldn’t recall using one but it was a nice weight. It didn’t have the feeling of the serro but she could make do.

 

“I noticed that even when the suit was off and then set to a Mag frame, you started to unwind. Are you afraid of being outside of a frame? Vulnerable?”

 

Mag paused, then nodded, walking back to the center of the room, still turning the Tonbo.

 

“That you will get hurt without one?” Lisa followed her and Mag shook her head. She had no problem starting or ending a fight without a warframe on. She thought Lisa would have realized that when she’d picked that fight with Lo the day before. “Then what?”

 

Mag paused to think about how to answer, but she sighed and shook her head.

 

“Then what, Tenno Mag?” Lisa’s voice was concerned. Mag shook her head. “Something you don’t know how to communicate?”

 

Annie spoke up. “She said once that Valkyr’s hysteria has a cut off.”

 

Mag looked towards the windows then nodded, looking back to Lisa. She was quiet a few moments, looking towards the windows. She looked back to Mag.

 

“You’ve been terrified of losing control of yourself, even though you didn’t know why.” Mag looked back to the Tonbo and spun it once again. “You’ve been using your warframe as a restraint.”

 

There was quiet again. Lieutenant Khom ordered, “Repeat the exercise. Eliminate the enemy.”

 

Mag did as asked, this time with less enthusiasm but more power. She didn’t want to think about having become dependent on a warframe to control her emotions. It worked, it kept her from going too far and kept her in contact with her teammates. With people. She could be among people without having to isolate herself to keep from hurting people she cared about and those who didn’t deserve it.

 

“Very good, Tenno Magdalena,” Khom said. “Weapons away.”

 

Mag put the tonbo on her back and looked towards the windows again.

 

“You’re still not using abilities, Tenno Magdalena.” Mag nodded and he added, “I assume it’s connected to the control issue that you’ve mentioned in the past.”

 

Mag nodded.

 

“We can’t get a good idea for the affinity you have with a frame type without you using these abilities several times.”

 

“Would you feel more comfortable if I left the room, Tenno Mag?” Mag nodded at Lisa. If they had to do it, she’d rather have walls between her and them, just in case. “Alright, then we will have you be yourself. Okay?”

 

Mag nodded again. As Lisa walked away, Khom said, “Using only your frame’s abilities, eliminate the enemy.”

 

Mag riplined the first down and tore into them without really thinking about it. Ripline to pull combatants off of high places, warcry to slow them, paralysis to stagger the ones close to her, and finally Hysteria to tear them apart. She felt like she was hyper focused on the location of every enemy that was there and how best to bring them down instead of the usual fury, though that was there boiling in the back of her mind. Hysteria ended shortly, and she continued. Just a mass of generated enemies that she could tear apart without trying to protect anyone else.

 

The energy meter was dangerously low, but she triggered Hysteria again anyway. She would maintain control over the battlefield, even though the battle wasn’t real and her enemies dissolved to nothing. Holograms or not they were terrified of her and that’s the way she wanted it to be.

 

For a brief moment as the fury took over, she felt the frame’s sensors again, this time growing hot before one by one they popped, bringing her down to her knees and bringing a far too familiar pain with it, that of her nerves being on fire. For a moment she wanted to scream but instinctively tried to cover her mouth to keep it from getting worse. She still had enemies around her but they faded as soon as she tried getting up. There was static a moment in her com unit.

 

“Tenno Magdalena, are you alright?” Not Khom this time but the technician, only recognizable since he hadn’t spoken before now.

 

Mag sat back and scrambled to get her helmet off. It came off relatively easily and she dropped it.

 

Again the technician inquired, “Tenno, are you okay?”

 

Mag shook her head and coughed, leaning back down again on her hands and knees. Find balance, put pressure into all ten knuckles and into the tops of her feet. That would keep her upright until the feeling faded. Her throat felt much more raw than it usually did after using her abilities. In a few moments time she saw people approaching and tensed as she jerked her head up. It was Lo and Hitomi with the technician, and she tried to make herself relax. Mag looked to her helmet and where the neural sensors were positioned in the helmet she’d dropped to the floor. The sensors were smoking. Maybe the suit was just that old?

 

“The frame’s channeling system blew out,” The man said. His voice wasn’t as nervous as she had thought it would be. He sounded curious. She hated making these sorts curious. “Blew out completely from being just fine the second time you triggered hysteria. My colleague said that your warframe had been completely useless for channeling but I didn’t think anything of it.”

 

Hitomi knelt down on her hands and knees. “Mag, are you alright?”

 

Mag shook her head, tugging at the frame to indicate she needed to get out of it before coughing again, her throat feeling raw. She wiped her mouth. She could taste copper in her mouth. Blood.

 

“Mag, you’re bleeding!” Mag looked at her hand, then at Hitomi again. “Lieutenant, she’s coughing up blood!”

 

“I’m calling for medical staff now.” He was over an intercom now. “Get the suit off of her before it can do any more damage.”

 

Mag probably had just destroyed a irreplaceable piece of equipment, great. She made sure the suit came off quickly so that she stopped feeling like she was being electrocuted. The technician had half excited, half worry chatter and wouldn’t shut up.

 

“Completely blown out! From where the best points of contact are for the configuration we had it at, of course. I’m sure that the same points of blow out were present in your Warframe. Something overcharged the system, maybe. Or perhaps you trying to override the safeguards with the second Hysteria made it go out?”

 

“We can’t channel outside of a warframe.” Lo’s head tilted down to where the man was looking over the frame. “Don’t get excited.”

 

“Umm.” Hitomi sat back. “Mag’s done it several times before, but usually she blacks out.”

 

Mag felt like everyone on the floor went still. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. She loved Hitomi. She really did, but she wished that Hitomi hadn’t said anything about it. Now they were going to want to poke and prod at her more. The technician stood up.

 

“How many is several?”

 

“Well, umm… She has a habit of triggering Hysteria when she has low energy but she needs it to get us out of a bad situation,” Hitomi said. Mag looked at her, raising her eyebrows with a set frown that Hitomi was ignoring. “And there have been a couple of times when something made her really upset. Like in Tower Valhalla when she found her old frame.”

 

“Or last night.” Mag looked up to Lo. “That’s why you threw me.”

 

Well, Mag could have done that without being in Hystera, but she nodded.

 

“I think at least part of what was done to you is becoming clearer, Tenno Magdalena,” Lieutenant Khom said. “Get her up and in here. I’m going to get Doctor Augustine to do a little more explaining about her unethical experiments.”

 

Lo offered Mag a hand. “Sister.”

 

Mag took her hand and tilted her head as she was helped out. Lo offered no explanation but instead let go to head back to the console room.

[Wrath_Of_Chrysalis]

Thank you for this! I have more to do while I wait!

[psychicandroid]

Thank you for this! I have more to do while I wait!

I know, right? XD I'm working on the next part while I wait for the update to go live along with other bits and pieces I want to get down before I forget them. I'm still trying to figure out how well Mag interacts with children...

[Piranah1]

That certainly was a most enjoyable distraction. I really am enjoying your writing, you do it well.

[psychicandroid]

That certainly was a most enjoyable distraction. I really am enjoying your writing, you do it well.

Thank you! :D

 

If I work fast enough, maybe I can come  up wtih another distraction, especially if stuff happens.

[psychicandroid]

Okay, so um... I am hoping this is not too far out of left field and convoluted. If you think that it's BS, let me know.

 

===========================

 

When she reached the console room, Someone had produced a chair from somewhere and Hitomi made Mag sit down. Kiesha put her hands on her hips and leaned down.

 

“Did Hitomi and I not tell you that the warframe powers with no energy thing was going to kill you?”

 

Mag waved off the Harlequin with a grumble, which shortly turned into an effort to clear her throat.

 

“Don’t you DARE dismiss this Mag or me and you are gonna to go round.” Mag smirked slightly and raised an eyebrow. “It isn’t a joke. If this keeps up you’re going to have to have your sorry rear dragged off of the battlefield and I’m not doing it. We’ve got nothing for armor compared to you and the situations you wind up in will get anyone else killed.”

 

Khom took a moment to look between them, and his eyes fixed on Hitomi and Kiesha. “How long has this been going on?”

 

“Well Lieutenant, I don’t know,” Kiesha replied.

 

“She’s done it ever since we’ve known her.” Hitomi shrugged. “Lotus yells at her all the time to not do it.”

 

“Not that anything gets through her thick skull,” Kiesha muttered. She smacked Mag on the back of the head and Mag ducked, raising her hands to protect her head and looking up at her. “Don’t look at me like that, Tenno Magdalena. You deserved that and I ought to give you another.”

 

Mag rolled her eyes. Oh, like using her full name was going to scare her.

 

“Please refrain from beating someone who needs medical attention over the head, Interrogator.” Khom rubbed his eyes with one hand. “Tenno Magdalena, how long have you been doing this?”

 

Mag shrugged. She’d woken up from the long sleep being able to do it in small amounts, and the more she did it the better she was getting, especially in Valkyr. It was like when she’d woken up and refused to speak—she didn’t know why and hadn’t questioned it before now. The Lieutenant’s look turned pensive.

 

“You do understand that this is highly irregular, if true. That several doctors in this tower will want to see proof and it looks like this is happening at the cost of your health.”

 

Mag tilted her head, hand rubbing her throat. She frowned.

 

“Medical will look you over. Thoroughly. We need to process what the results were.” Khom’s gaze shifted. “Tenno Lo, I need to have a word with you alone in my office.”

 

Lo nodded, as if she knew exactly what he wanted to talk about. “Yes Lieutenant.”

 

“The rest of you are dismissed, you can fight over who gets to stay and guard Tenno Magdalena.”

 

“I will stay with you, Tenno Mag,” Lisa said. “…Warlord Hoshi, Tenno Kiesha, why don’t you two stay as well?”

 

“What? Why us?” Kiesha asked. Hoshi sighed at Kiesha and shook her head. Lisa tilted her head towards Hitomi and Annie, and Kiesha cleared her throat. “Oh. Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

 

Mag smirked a little and covered it with her hand and another cough. In a few moments time she was dragged downstairs once more, back to the wing she’d been staying in for deeper scans that took longer than Mag had the patience for. There was muttering and head scratching that no one would explain when Mag got their attention. Luckily, she didn’t see or hear Doctor Augustine. They seemed to be having issues getting a hold of her.

 

It was some time later that Lo returned, waking her up by pulling her out of bed and dropping her on the floor. She was still in her warframe, but was followed by an Ember and Excalibur Prime.

 

“Valkyr, what was that for?” Lisa asked in a calm voice. She was sitting and meditating on the floor with Kiesha and Hoshi, both of whom appeared to have actually fallen asleep in boredom.

 

“I need to talk to her. Privately.”

 

Mag rubbed her head and sighed. Mag DID know how to get out of bed herself, really she did. She was struck by the fact her stomach was trying to eat itself. But Lo was pulling her up by the arms and she suspected that food was not in question at the moment.

 

“Whose orders?”

 

“Emperor’s.”

 

Mag looked at Lo and shook her head. Emperor? They hadn’t had an Emperor for a long time. As usual, Lo ignored her gestures.

 

Lisa’s shoulders slumped. “Valkyr. Really?”

 

Lo didn’t respond to that, but instead grabbed Mag by the arm. “Let’s go, Tenno Mag.”

 

“Val—”

 

“Stay here, Tenno Lisa.” Lo pulled her out the door, with the two primes following them.

 

Lo lead on to the elevator, hardly letting Mag keep up with her as they walked straight through the hall. She ignored people in the hallway, making them move and she heard the Ember and Excalibur apologizing as they moved down the hall. They waited on the elevator for only a short time before it opened. There was Doctor Augustine again, with the same Loki from before.

 

“Where are you animals going in such a hurry?” Augustine asked in an obviously fake cheerful voice. Lo shoved her to the side and the Loki caught her. “Oh, It must be important if you had to shove me.”

 

Lo was quiet a moment, before she said, “I’ve reported your presence on this level to security.”

 

“Valkyr, you are childish.”

 

“I’m on official business.” She tilted her head down. “I don’t have time for you.”

 

The elevator closed before Augustine gave a reply. Mag looked at Lo, eyebrows furrowed. The two Primes had their backs to them, standing in front of the elevator doors.

 

“I’ll explain when we are alone.” Lo didn’t look at her. “Normally Khom would. Special circumstances. I’m the only one here.”

 

The elevator stopped and as the doors opened, Lo dragged her off of it, the primes walking ahead this time down the hall. The floor was utterly empty. If it hadn’t been for Mag not controlling herself she suspected that the two primes wouldn’t be here either. They stopped at a door that opened as soon as they drew close. The Excalibur and Ember primes stopped outside of the door and took a post on either side of it.

 

Mag frowned and tilted her head, wondering what that meant but the two didn’t talk. Lo nodded to indicate she should enter the room, and Mag did with her close behind. It had a small waterfall in one corner. It was small, and once the door closed the floors, walls and ceilings shimmered once before showing a projection of the inverted space that was the void.

 

There was a low table with a clay carafe of some kind and three small cups set up. It was surrounded by four cushions and Lo had a seat at one of these, facing the door. She gestured for Mag to take the other, which had a better view of the door as she didn’t have to turn her head. Mag looked a moment into the waterfall and it’s pool, now completely out of place and saw the bottom of it was mosaicked with floral patterns and a pair of small koi swam within.

 

Lo paused to take a breath. Mag looked at her and Lo rolled her head, her eyes closed.

 

“I’ve never done this.” She tilted her head and looked at Mag without turning. “But we’re here to talk about your Affinity testing.”

 

Mag frowned. That was… well, the half-insane Valkyr talking to the completely insane Valkyr about affinity testing was the last thing anyone would expect.

 

“There is someone else coming. I’ll just screw it up.” Mag tilted her head to the side with a frown and shook it slightly. The Valkyr removed her helmet and set it on the corner of the table between herself and the empty seat. “He’s blunt.”

 

“I told you not to get attached, Lo.” Mag’s hair stood on end and she tensed, a shiver rolling down her spine. She knew that voice and the cold touch of the misty smoke. “Here you are, becoming attached.”

 

Lo was not affected by the display. “You teleported in behind her.”

 

“Of course I did. It’s a tradition.”

 

Mag finally dared to look back. Smoke was clearing and death incarnate was standing from his kneeling position. She didn’t dare to look up at Stalker’s face but followed his movements, her body becoming tenser. He walked around the table on Lo’s side, and his gaze might have been directed at Lo instead of on Mag.

 

“You’re wearing your frame.” His voice was… teasing? He was teasing Lo? Not playing with her, not mocking her, but almost playfully teasing? “I’m shocked.”

 

“It’s the only way Lieutenant Khom will let me visit her.” As Stalker sat down, Lo poured herself a drink from the carafe. “You aren’t here to judge me.”

 

“No, I’m here to find the animal wanting.” Mag twitched, and she even growled. “Oh, so you don’t like that? I thought you wanted to be considered a feral beast.”

 

Lo picked up his cup, and said in a matter of fact voice, “Shock collar.”

 

Stalker looked to Lo and Mag looked down at her empty cup. She subconsciously reached up to rub her neck and she felt Lo’s hand push hers back down.

 

“Shock collar?” Stalker’s gaze turned towards her—she didn’t look up but she could feel it burning into her. “What exactly do you mean by that? Are you suggesting it as--”

 

There was a crash of warframe hitting floor and Mag jerked her head up. Stalker was flat on his back and Lo was on top of him, hand raised and ready to strike. The door opened only a moment, where the Ember Prime stuck her head in and noted the location of all three parties, then she stepped out silently once more, and the door shut.

 

“I see,” Stalker said, as if Lo had just explained everything with one violent action.

 

“Never again,” she snarled, “Do you hear me, Keeper?!”

 

“Yes, Lo,” he said in an even voice. “Now get off.”

 

She didn’t budge and her hand remained poised. “Apologize.”

 

“I’m sorry for even suggesting you were suggesting such a thing.” Stalker shoved Lo off. “Now return to your seat, Mighty Valkyr, before I make you.”

 

Lo calmly took her seat again and picked up her cup to take a sip. Stalker sat up and retook his cross legged posture. It was if the outburst had not happened and the Stalker’s gaze once more went to Mag. This time she met it, as much as was possible with him still wearing a helmet.

 

“I was informed by the Lieutenant stationed here that he’d found a nearly perfect candidate.” His head tilted. “And I was less enthused when I found out it was you.”

 

Mag sighed and rolled her eyes.

 

“It’s not because you are Tenno,” The Stalker said. Lo set a full cup in front of him, then picked up Mag’s. “You expect me to drink that?”

 

“Tradition.”

 

The stalker only hummed softly a moment. “I was not enthused to find out it was you, Animal, because of several reasons.”

 

Mag growled again. She was not an animal. She shouldn’t let people call her one, especially not this murderer.

 

“You’re extremely broken. A blinding target. Wherever you go, someone follows you. Your existence could rob many a tenno of their free will when the Corpus get a hold of you.”

 

“If.”

 

“When.”

 

Lo gave the stalker a dangerous look. “IF.”

 

Stalker held up a hand without looking at her. “You’ll need to excuse Lo. She likes to argue about everything. Annoyingly optimistic.”

 

Mag raised an eyebrow, and pointed at Lo. Lo? Optimistic?

 

“Yes, Lo is optimistic.”

 

If Lo was optimistic, Hitomi had to be completely delusional.

 

Lo set the cup back down in front of Mag roughly, some of the clear liquid splashing onto the table. “I do not argue about everything.”

 

Now the Valkyr was arguing with the Stalker. Mag was tempted to take bets from the Tenno outside who would win the coming fight. Her bets were on Lo.

 

“I can name several times in the past year.”

 

“Like what?” Lo nearly stood up.

 

Stalker gestured at Mag, his voice calm and matter of fact. “Continuing to associate with her.”

 

Mag looked between them, but it was like they’d forgotten she was there.

 

“She needs help. I can help.”

 

“And I don’t want to see you in another Corpus Lab so you are wrong and I’m correct.”

 

Lo snarled. “Why do you care?”

 

“Because we’ve lost every other Valkyr to the Grineer, Corpus, or mechanical failure, that’s why, and I almost had to add you to the list. Believe it or not, I care about the fate of my people.” Stalker sounded angry, more like when he was after the Tenno for assassinating high value targets. “There’s a reason I’m displeased about being here. Now stop questioning my motivations and sit down.”

 

Mag started to stand up. This was highly uncomfortable and she would have rather waited outside of the room with the other two tenno.

 

Lo looked at her, wild eyed. “Sit down, Sister.”

 

“You already call her Sister? That’s a dishonor to the sisters you fought with, counting her among them.”

 

“Don’t speak for them.”

 

Mag sat down immediately. The door opened again, the Excalibur this time. He looked between the two, and then looked at Mag. Mag shrugged helplessly. Lo’s gaze went to the door.

 

“I told you no prying. OUT.” The Excalibur quickly closed the door. Lo sat down again. “I don’t believe you.”

 

“You never do.” The Stalker’s gaze returned to Mag. “The animal behaves better than you.”

 

Mag took a deep breath. One hand rested on her knee but the other was opening and closing as she breathed. This was Stalker. He was armed this time and could end her shortly.

 

“No more arguing.” Lo picked up her cup again. “The point, Keeper.”

 

The man sighed. It was a moment before he spoke again.

 

“Your affinity with the Tortured Valkyr frame is very high. Nearly perfect, but no other Tenno will get a perfect score with that frame. Only Lo will.”

 

Mag nodded, looking between them. She could have told them that.

 

“You had a higher score with the original Valkyr frame. It’s not that much higher, a point or two, but a better fit all the same.”

 

Mag shook her head, still looking between them. That was great, really. What was the point? Stalker picked up his cup and examined it a moment before putting it down again.

 

“I’m here to ask you, Tenno Magdalena, if you are willing to take up the Valkyr frame in it’s intended form. To endeavor to preserve the life of your allies, and to bring them home when their time has ended.”

 

Mag stared at him. What?

 

“You will still be out in the field—times have changed, and there are relatively few Tenno active.” He tilted his head to the side. “You still answer to Lotus but you would then answer to me as well.”

 

Mag looked at Lo, who was watching her and didn’t seem to have a reaction to her growing confusion.

 

“My vendeta against the Tenno is personal. I would not order you to turn on other Tenno.”

 

Mag looked at him, then at Lo again.

 

“You don’t understand,” Lo stated. Mag shook her head. Lo’s head turned towards Stalker. “Be clearer.”

 

Stalker clicked his tongue, as if he believed he’d been clear enough in the first place. “We’re asking you if you want to go into service for Tower Valhalla. Your responsibility, on top of what Lotus asks of you, would be to ensure that fallen Tenno are laid to rest with their brothers and sisters, no matter their sins.”

 

“You will see little difference,” Lo added.

 

Mag looked down at her cup until Stalker moved, standing.

 

“Do you have an answer?”

 

She had to have an answer now? She almost moved her head, one way or another but felt like she was staring directly into the void, not at Stalker and the projected void around him.

 

“I require one now.”

 

Now. Mag felt like she was supposed to start panicking. She’d been dragged here, watched someone fight with the Stalker verbally and more or less win, and now Stalker wasn’t going to kill her but was offering her a position that by all rights should not exist outside of the now dead Empire. Mag knew she looked like an idiot as her mind tried to unfreeze and produce an answer. Death Incarnate was looking for another grim reaper, but this was supposed to be a honor.

 

Wasn’t it?

 

Mag didn’t know.

 

She found herself nodding.

 

“Is that acceptance or nervous twitching, Tenno Magdalena?” She raise her eyebrows at him. “Acceptance?”

 

Mag nodded once more.

 

“Then I’ll approve the building of the frame. There is little time before you will need it.”

 

He picked up his cup and removed his helmet. She looked away, as if it was taboo to know what he looked like. Mag looked down at her own cup and picked it up. Both Lo and Stalker drank, so she did too, not expecting it to burn. She coughed, and by the time she looked back up, Stalker had replaced his helmet.

 

“Don’t make me regret this, Magdalena,” Stalker said. “If you get caught by the Corpus, I can’t help you escape and neither can Lo. The best I can do is put an arrow through your head from afar.”

 

Mag nodded once again. He set his cup down and knelt again. “Until another day, then.”

 

Lo said nothing as the smoke rolled up around him and he was suddenly gone, probably back to Valhalla. She looked at Lo, who nodded once. She furrowed her eyebrows, feeling a little breathless and dizzy from what had just happened. Or maybe it was just whatever it was in the cup. She shook her head slightly, not sure of even how to gesture.

 

“Why?” Lo put her helmet back on.

 

Mag nodded.

 

“Every Tenno has a role.”

 

Mag frowned deeper.

 

“It’s about time you have a role you fit.” Lo stood up and offered a hand. And Mag took it, stumbling as she was pulled up. Mag sighed and Lo caught her. “You are a light weight.”

 

Mag grumbled a moment.

 

“I’ve made your doctors angry. My work here is done.”