Warframe: Relic Hunters

by UnknownEntity743

Chapter 9 Ground Zero

“Squad B is checking in and Sir I don’t think anything is still alive down here,” O-1 said over the coms as him along with 3 other kept looking through the broken ship

“Just remember your objective and secure any documents they have on board and if you do find anyone bring them in,” A voice over the radio ordered as they all acknowledged

*Scrape*

“Wait what was that?” O-4 called out as they all held their weapons high and looked around the broken deck

*Thud, thud, thud, thud*

The sound of something on metal got louder and louder as O-4 turned only the scream in pain as the others quickly turned to see his body disappear into the darkness.

“Shit! Command we lost O-4 we request extraction!” 0-1 called out as he heard another scream as something fleshy pulled O-2 away out of sight

“Command come in!” He yelled as he along with O-3 stood back-to-back and waited for the attacker to show itself

“Sir what are we going to do!?” O-3 asked as they saw silhouettes dance in the darkness

“I don’t know but let’s show these fucks what happens when they kill our squad!” He shouted as 0-3 nodded but soon gasped as he shoved O-1 out of the way

“No! what are you doing!” He yelled back as he saw a (Whip) (Atterax) wrap around O-3’s waist as he began to slide forward before O-1 grabbed his arm

“Burn this place if you have to Sir,” He said calmly before letting go and firing into the darkness as he yelled “Come get me you fuckers!!!”

“Shit. . .” O-1 whispered as he soon took to his feet and ran deeper into the ship

Excalibur soon landed by the site as his Archwing detached and flew off into the sky. He then faced the massive (Ship) buried halfway into the ground as he began to look around for an entrance.

“So Ordis how long had this thing been here?” Excalibur asked as he looked around the outside of the ship

“My scanners show for more than a month, but there seems to me lifeforms on board,” Ordis explained as Excalibur nodded

“Ok any Grineer?” He asked as he decided to look around the other side

“No but there seems to be signs of Orokin,” Ordis said with concern as Excalibur halted and then continued

“Alright Ordis just make sure no one knows I’m here alright?” Excalibur ordered

“Yes, Operator,” Ordis replied as he went offline as Excalibur turned the corner

“AHH!!!” Excalibur yelled

“AHH!!!” Skyler yelled

They both then drawled their weapons before realizing who it was and slowly lowered their weapons.

“God Damnit I almost shot you!” Skyler said in annoyance as Excalibur holstered his Lex

“Well that wouldn’t have done much,” Excalibur responded as Skyler frowned in annoyance before narrowing her eyes

“Why are you here anyways?” She asked as she approached him slowly

“Oh yes I came here to check out the lovely wildlife, so peaceful,” Excalibur said sarcastically as he pointed to the massive ship as Skyler sighed

“Well I’m here to find a missing squad that went missing 2 hours ago,” Skyler said simply as an idea dawned on her but it was a long shot

“Hey Tenno you think that maybe you could… help… me?” Skyler asked nervously as she played with her thumbs as Excalibur thought about it before answering

“Sure I could help,” Excalibur responded simply as she smiled “But only if you don’t plan bringing the 3 spies with you,”

Excalibur then drawled his Lex and shot a barrel revealing Dash, Pinkie and Twilight as they sat there with sheepish grins.

“Wait what are you 3 doing here!?” Skyler asked in fear as they walked towards them before Dash spoke up

“No, no what are ‘You’ doing here with ‘Him’ dressed like someone from a spy movie!?” Dash accused

“That I think she could explained later but for now you 3 need to go,” Excalibur stepped in, to Skyler’s surprise

“And why should we believe someone like you? For all we know you could just be a- “Dash stopped instantly as the barrel of the Lex pointed at her head

“Don’t you ‘Dare’ finish that sentence,” Excalibur said in a low voice “I have fought for more than 1000 years and I am sick and tired of being treated like a threat, got it?”

Dash nodded as he holstered his Lex and proceeded to smash a hole through the ship as they saw a dark hallway fill with light.

“Look, we know we may not be the most secured people but you’ll have a better chance of finding these missing people if we work together,” Twilight said as Excalibur sighed and turned to Skyler

“Well?”

“They could help but only if they listen to our orders,” Skyler responded as the others nodded in agreement

“Besides from ‘kill joy’ over here this like an alien space ship that could have actual aliens inside!” Dash suggested happily as Pinkie darted ahead and peered inside

“Well then sillies let’s get going!” Pinkie said as she brought out a torch and leaded the group inside along with Excalibur

As they explored the endless halls of the Galleon Pinkie starting acting weird as she gasped.

“Something’s coming!” She said as Excalibur brought his Dread out and pointed it down the hall as he waited “Over to the left!”

They all turned to face the left corner as Excalibur could pick up a low scraping sound as he heard what sounded like a groaning sound he had heard before.

All of them screamed in horror at the grotesque (Creature) as it shuffled towards them and Excalibur lowered his Bow to the others surprise.

Skyler then drew her Magnum as Excalibur quickly pointed her hand upwards as she shot the roof.

“Jesus you almost shot Squiggly!” Excalibur shouted as she wrenched her arm free

“Who the hell is Squiggly!?” Twilight asked in confusion as the Ancient honked at the sound of its name

“That’s Squiggly!” Pinkie shouted as she joined Excalibur’s side as the rest raised a confused eyebrow “Remember the creature that was with the scary Tenno?”

“Oh yes that creep was talking to it,” Dash responded as Squiggly honked again

“Yes well ‘it’ can understand you clearly,” Excalibur chimed in as he turned to face Squiggly “So where is he anyways?”

After an odd conversation between Infested and Tenno they agreed to stick together until they left the ship.

“Hey Excalibur over here, I think this is the research facility,” Squiggly said in honks but I sounded like perfect English to Excalibur

“Alright everyone inside,” Excalibur ordered as they entered the facility and closed the door

“Oh shit…” Excalibur trailed off as they saw a blood trail lead up to Squad Member O-1 as small bullet holes littered his body but somehow he moved

Skyler then ran up in fear as she tried to keep him awake as he smiled weakly, his helmet laying shattered beside him.

“Hey Sky… to-took you long… enough,” He said weakly as she fought back tears

"What the hell happened? where are the rest?" Skyler asked as she tried to stop the bleeding

"Dead... all of them," He responded weakly before pointing at Squiggly "He he-helped me hide,"

The Infested gave a series of honks as he laughed weakly.

"He's quite something hehehe,"

“Shut up and hold still, you’re bleeding a lot- “Skyler was silenced as he put a finger to her lips

“I’ve planted a bomb and would detonated in 3 hours… get out before she gets you all too,” he warned as he coughed up blood

“Who- who did this?” Skyler asked in almost a whisper as he slowly turned his head towards Excalibur

“The ch-chip Tenno, you need to re-remove it,” He stuttered as Excalibur walked up and grasped O-1’s hand

"I will, for all of your fallen," Excalibur said firmly as O-1 turned back to Skyler

“I’m sorry Sky, I’m sorry I couldn’t be a better friend,” he said as he breathed slowly as tears fell onto his lap

“No don’t say that, we’re going to get you out of here…” She said in denial as he smiled as soon his last breath left his body as his eyes shut and Skyler broke down whist Excalibur looked down at his palm.

Everyone in the room was dead silent as Excalibur did the only thing he could think of. He shuffled over and put his arm around Skyler as he tensed up before relaxing and then turned to cry into his chest.

Beneath his helmet Excalibur kept replaying the words that were written on the bloody scrap of paper that was given to him by the solider.

“Keep her safe”

Excalibur nodded to himself as they all sat in silence for 5 minutes as Squiggly roared loudly grabbing everyone’s attention.

“Get down!!!” Excalibur yelled as he pinned Skyler under himself as bullets came raining into the room from the observation windows as Twilight and Dash got a good look at (Her) as she jumped back into the test ground.

“I think she found us,” Dash stated as the other gave her a glare “What?”

“Hey Tenno are you-“ Skyler asked before gasping as he fell to the floor beside her as his back and legs bled out as the other ran to his aid

“No, no, no, no, no, you’re not going to die,” Skyler said in a panicked voice as Twilight grabbed her attention

“You and Squiggly go and take care of her, me and the others will stay and help him,” Twilight ordered with determination as she hesitated and soon nodded

“You ready?” Skyler asked as Squiggly nodded as they jumped down into the facility unaware of what dark forces were growing

"You're going to pay for what you've done bitch," Skyler thought

As Squiggly and Skyler looked around the area they saw Mesa jump down from the ceiling as she spun her (2 Vasto Primes) in her fingers as she pointed them forwards at the two before speaking.

“Locked and Primed” Mesa said before pulling the triggers like wildfire as Squiggly and Skyler ducked behind some wreckage as Skyler fired back with her Desert Eagles.

Squiggly managed to latch onto Mesa as she stopped firing with one hand and pointed at Squiggly as he took the hits but soon let go as he ducked for cover.

“What the hell can we do, we’re bloody pinned!” Skyler thought as the hail storm continued

*SHATTER*

All of them stopped and turned towards the broken window in the observation deck as Excalibur landed on the floor as he slowly rose to his feet. Skyler smiled but soon stopped as she felt and saw that something was wrong.

Excalibur looked the same only his energy pads had changed from blue to pure black as his Prisma Skana glowed black as he tilted forward before sprinting towards Mesa as she began to fire directly at Excalibur as he ducked and rolled out of the hail storm.

Some shot landed in his body but that did nothing to faze him as he rammed Mesa with his left arm as she flew back into the wall. Mesa then brought her weapons to bare but they were shoved away from Excalibur as he elbowed Mesa’s right arm which gave a resounding crack.

She dropped the gun and swiftly smacked Excalibur with the barrel as he stumbled back as she ran forward and began to repeatedly smash the Vasto into his back as he fell to the ground. She then unloaded the entire clip into his body and even his neck as Skyler gasped in horror.

Mesa slowly stood back as she attempted to reload with 1 hand but soon noticed Excalibur’s body rising back up. She went to hit him but he grabbed her arm as he held his Skana in his left.

Excalibur proceeded to shove her back and spun in the air and gave her a Skana-roundhouse-kick to the back as she fell forward. He then pinned her body with his foot as he raised his Skana and aligned it with her head before swinging down.

He Stopped. He stopped just as the blade nearly decapitated her as he reached down a easily plucked the chip from her neck as she went limp.

He then holstered his Skana as his energy reverted to blue as he sighed and began panting as if he ran a mile.

“Tenno…” Skyler asked as she slowly walked up to him and he glanced up at her

“I’m-I’m fine, just tired,” He said as he rose to his feet and looked up “You guys alright!”

Twilight looked down before sighing in relief as she nodded. Excalibur then looked around before he froze.

“Wait your friend said he set a bomb in this place to blow in 3 hours, right?” Excalibur asked as Skyler nodded before her eyes widened in realisation

“He must have planted that only 20 minutes after they went offline so then…” Skyler trailed off and looked down at her watch on her black armour

“Squiggly grab Mesa we’re leaving stat!!!” Excalibur yelled as Squiggly wrapped an arm around her and lifted her up “Skyler lets move!!!”

She nodded as Excalibur grabbed Skyler and jumped back up to the observation deck along with Squiggly as the other looked at him with concern.

“Run if you want to live!!!” Excalibur yelled as he ran out the door as Skyler stopped

“Bomb, less than 2 minutes, run!!!” She yelled quickly as they all gasped and soon everyone was in full sprint as they followed Excalibur around every corner

Excalibur then saw that their way in had collapsed as he didn’t think and soon all of them saw him create a blade of pure energy in his hands as he swung it with all his might at the hole as the wreckage turned to scrap as he charged right through the rest.

The others came running out as they ran for cover and soon as Skyler jumped into the ditch the top-half of the ship exploded into fire as scrap flew right over them.

Once it was clear they all got up and looked over at the literal pit of fire that had formed where the ship once was as the flames roared and metal groaned as it fell into the pit, feeding the fires.

“Well that was intense,” Excalibur said as he sat down on the dirt along with the others

“You know what I think we’ll leave the Alien investigations to you,” Dash pointed out as the other nodded in agreement

“Well we all better get going unless you want to be arrested for destroying a government operation,” Skyler said as the others soon got up and said their goodbyes as they headed back into the forest

Excalibur then got up as he saw his Archwing hover down towards him as he clipped it onto his suit before Skyler called out

“Wait Tenno,” Excalibur stopped as he turned to face her as he was met with her hugging him for a minute before letting go

“What’s that for?” He asked as she smiled back at him making him smile

“For everything you’ve done and for… today,” She finished as she glanced back at the fire before Excalibur decided to return the hug

“If you ever feel like talking about it next time we meet ask,” Excalibur suggested as she nodded as he let go

“Thanks and seeya later,” She said as he saluted and flew off into the night as Skyler saw helicopters approaching in the distance before frowning “I just hope it won’t be for long,”

O-3’s head darted around the room as he heard the footsteps all around him as his head bled out slightly making it difficult to pinpoint.

“Who are you?” He asked as he heard the footsteps stop

“I am the peacekeeper,” He chilling voice spoke simply

“Then why murder all my friends, they were innocent, they did nothing wrong!” O-3 snapped back as the footsteps continued

“No, you may all think you are the peacekeepers, the Orokin, but you’re all pretenders but I am not,” He responded as calm as ever

“Who are you?” O-3 asked as he looked in front of him expecting to find his attacker what he didn’t see was the silhouette of a man standing behind him

“Your Reckoning,” He said as O-3 froze

“Son of a- “

*Shing-Splat*

What’s infinity
Divided by infinity
In-fucking-finity

Limbo