//------------------------------// // Chapter 21 An Orokin Secret Part 1 // Story: Warframe: Relic Hunters // by UnknownEntity743 //------------------------------// Warframe: Relic Hunters Chapter 21 Part 1 An Orokin Secret *Location: Earth, Relic Hunters’ HQ, Coms Room* Excalibur, Valkyr, Rhino and Neckros all sat as they watched the screen buzz to life and an image of the Lotus appeared. “Tenno, I’m glad to hear you are all alright, especially after the Stalker… i'm sorry that i could not warn you,” She said sadly as Excalibur moved awkwardly “Past is the past, still what’s up? You seem concerned,” Excalibur asked as she quickly went back on topic “Yes, you see I have detected Orokin technology on this planet,” this got everyone’s attention “And I have discovered that it had recently activated, you mission is to retrieve any Relics from the vault and keep them secured, understood?” “Yea, yea, we got this-“Rhino began as Lotus interrupted “You are required to bring 5 Tenno with you, 2 will be waiting on the site for your arrival, good luck,” Lotus finished as the coms went dead “Is she always cryptic?” Valkyr asked as Neckros sighed and grabbed his scythe and left “Well no use thinking about it, let’s get ready!” Excalibur ordered as they all moved ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Location: Unknown, plains, Orokin Anomaly* When they arrived at the location it was an abandoned quarry as rusted excavators laid dormant, but just up ahead a few lights shined into the quarry as the team approached. But then Excalibur halted them as they went on alert. “I sense something… familiar,” Excalibur said as he walked slowly but didn’t have time to react to the stealthy attack as his airways closed in pain Everyone raised their weapons but stopped in confusion when they saw Excalibur fighting to catch his breath, the one that was currently crushing his spine and chest in a bear hug was a female warframe that resembled as (Hunter) of sorts. “Please- Ivara, can’t. breath,” Excalibur pleaded as she sighed and dropped him “Aww, but I just missed you soooo much!” She pouted as she ran over to Valkyr and hugged her quickly “Still, I can’t believe it’s you two!” “It’s great to see you too, Ivara,” Valkyr said as she helped Excalibur to his feet “So, when the Lotus meant 2 more…” Skyler trailed off as he saw the massive (Stone) warframe looming over Rhino “Oh yea, this is my other best partner in crime, Atlas!” Ivara introduced as he waved “He doesn’t talk much, but is the strongest I know!” “The strongest, hehe well sorry bud but I’m the God-killer here,” Rhino pointed out as Atlas raised his fist and punch Rhino so hard he flew through a digger “Still need work on stance,” Atlas replied as Ivara shook her head “Not again…” She mumbled before getting back on topic “So, it’s just you 6?” “6? What do you mean by-“ Excalibur paused as he turned and walked over to a nearby machine and threw it aside and saw the blue and red pixie frame looking back up as she waved “Titania…?” Excalibur said in a low voice as she flew away and hid behind Valkyr “Neckros!” Neckros then grabbed Titania and pulled her towards him as she reverted to her normal size. “Sorry… I just wanted to help, that’s all,” She said quietly as Neckros pulled her close “You made Excalibur annoyed at me, good work,” he said as she giggled “But for the time being stay close, I don’t need another lecture from Valkyr,” “What was that!?” She called as he waved his hands in defence “Anyways! We should check out this Orokin artefact,” Excalibur cut in as Ivara whistled for his attention “What is it?” “It’s… slightly bigger than you thought,” She said as she dragged the sentence out and soon all of them knew why Just above the surface of the quarry was a white spire of a tower with gold trimming, marking out a landing pad of sorts, a door, most likely a elevator sat open slightly as Ivara patted Excalibur’s back. “Just like old times, eh?” She asked as he nodded and then pushed her off the ridge “AHH, YOU ASS!” Excalibur just laughed as he jumped down afterwards as Valkyr saw Skyler mumbling to herself “What’s up Sky?” She asked as Skyler jumped “Wha-what-oh, nothing, just thinking,” She said as they followed the rest down the quarry “You think that Cal’s more interested in Ivara, no?” Valkyr summed up as Skyler looked at her, her visor glowing slightly "Honestly I can see these things to you know," “N-no! . . . yes, but why? Did they used to…” She trailed off as Valkyr giggled “What them? Na, not even close, back before… everything, she was in the same squad as me and Cal and she was a really good friend, but not anything more,” Valkyr explained “Why’s that?” Skyler asked as she felt something standing behind her “Because I’m Gay, duh!” Ivara said as they both jumped “Sorry ‘bout that,” “Oh, well sorry for well… that,” Skyler apologised as Ivara waved her off “Na, happened a lot back in the day, the amount of credits I would have for the amount of time people thought we were a thing,” Ivara said happily before snapping her fingers “I know, I’ll show you why they thought I liked some people!” “How, exactly?” Skyler asked as Valkyr backed away slightly as Ivara managed to turn Skyler’s visor off as she looked at her in surprise “How did you- “ Before Skyler could finish however, her face lit up like a lightbulb as her eyes opened wide to see a girl with long-orange hair kissing her. After a few seconds Ivara parted, leaving Skyler in a state of shock as she giggled. “Told ya!” She said as he blue eyes scanned to see the rest watching “What? Come on then, let’s keep er goin!” “I just-she-i-um,” Skyler couldn’t think as Valkyr helped her walk “Trust me, you did better than me,” She grimaced “Hmm?” Skyler answered as she rubbed her neck “She fainted, took her atleast an hour to wake up,” Ivara commented as Skyler smirked slightly “Ivara!” Valkyr screamed as she ran after the laughing girl, meanwhile Excalibur glanced at Atlas “She get you?” He asked as Atlas tilted his head “I ran out of walls to punch,” he said vaguely as Neckros just jogged slightly faster “Umm Daddy, why did Ivara kiss Skyler?” Titania asked as she walked beside him as he shook his head “Trust me, don’t ask, don’t tell,” Neckros answered as they pressed on ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Location: Orokin Vault, Floor 3 of ???* “Man, I thought that after that laser field we were done, but BAM! Out comes an army of rollers,” Valkyr commented as both Titania, Excalibur and Rhino looked physically and mentally tired “No… more… rollers…” Rhino managed to say as they lagged behind “Why would someone make something so cute, so evil!?” Titania whined as Excalibur hugged her “I know, I know, they can’t hurt us anymore,” He cried also as they entered the next elevator Once out the entire scenery changed. The room was dimly lit as broken light flickered and some stayed bright. The walls looked broken and torn, like a wild animal rip them to shreds. But what caught their attention was a broken cyropod sitting slanted by the far wall. “What the hell happened here?” Skyler asked out loud as they all investigated “Umm, Excalibur, this pod isn’t right?” Ivara pointed out as he jogged up, when he looked a massive hole was broken, as the glass was mostly on the floor “Yea, your right, it looks like someone broke in,” He added but Ivara gulped as she added “Or broke out…” She managed to say as they turned to look at the rest who were busy investigating Then both of them yelled as they saw something move in the shadows. “Atlas! Look out!” But it was too late as he turned and before he knew it, infected spores pinned him to the nearby wall as he tried to break free “Ivara!” Excalibur called as she ran off to go help him, the rest soon stood near Excalibur as they faced the direction the spores came from “It’s something infested, only it could do something li-“ “Holy Shit,” Valkyr breathed as they all looked at the ‘Thing’ that approached them It was a pale white with a purple-pink hide in some parts. It slowly walked towards them, it’s claw like fingers twitching. It was an (Infested) warframe. It scanned them as they all waited with their weapons ready. Then It ran at them. The creature ran at them as it fired another wave of infested spores as the group dodged and opened fire on it, but it was agile as it quickly jumped back into the darkness as it fired infested spores from the shadows. It then pounced at Nekros as he brought his scythe up to block as it hung onto the scythe and swung with its free hand. Valkyr then tried to use her Venka to cut it down but ended up locking blades with Nekros as the creature jumped and grabbed both their heads as it swung them flying. Rhino then roared as the creature focused on him and ran for the warframe. They locked hands as they fought for the upper hand, Rhino however was stronger as he shoved it to the ground and stood on its chest. He then brought his massive sword to arms. “I wonder, if this can kill a god…” He then slowly grazed the creature’s face “Then what will happen to you?” Rhino didn’t get the chance as It looked at Rhino in… surprise, then it swept his feet out from under him as the creature fired another ball of infested that latched to his warframe as it pinned him to a wall. Excalibur then brought his Nikana down on the creature’s arms as it blocked it in an ‘X’ pattern, the sparks flew from the contact. “Just what are you? A warframe? A infested? Or just another failed subject?” Excalibur asked as the creature to that comment as an insult as it grabbed Excalibur by the wrist and flipped him with such strength. Excalibur quickly jumped back as it fired more spores at him. Then it smashed its foot into the ground as a wall of spores and plants cornered the Tenno off, (Maggots) jumped in between the plant life as the only one within the circle who was left was. Titania, as she pointed her dual Lato primes at it. It then slowly moved towards her, its stance low to the ground as it seemed to growl. But for some reason, Titania froze. “What?! Why can’t I just fire? It hurt my friends, so why can’t I shoot it,” She thought as she just stood in silence as a thought crossed her mind, a crazy idea formed in her mind *CLANK-CLANK* This made the creature stop as it tilted its head in confusion, Titania had dropped her pistols as she stood with her guard down. Then it continued to move. “Titania! What are you doing!?” Valkyr yelled as she ignored her for the moment “I get it,” She began softly “You’ve been stuck down here for so long, no one to talk to, alone, just like me. . . just as afraid of those you meet,” The creature had almost thrown it’s claws at her, if not for them to just graze the flesh of a girl’s face, her eyes filled with sadness and kindness. The creature just froze at her sight as it slowly backed up a few inches. “Um Titania, we've discussed this, dresses can't stop cancer!” Nekros shouted but still she ignored “It’s ok, I know you’re afraid, but we didn’t come here to fight, we just wanted to find out why the Orokin hid this from the world above, I’m sorry for scaring you,” Titania said kindly as she smiled softly as it hunched down, its head low as it glanced around, then it slowly reached its hand to her, as if asking for help *BANG* Titania’s eyes widened as the creature stumbled forward and soon, it fell to the cold floor in a heap, it’s body still. Then Titania glanced up to see the smoke leaving Excalibur’s Lex. “You just-just, killed him,” She shakily said, her eyes turning from fear to anger and pain “You killed him!” “So, what? It was a parasite, it had no mind,” Excalibur said coldly as Titania looked down at the still form of the Warframe, it was just afraid, it had no one and when it felt like it had someone to help it escape, he killed him “I HATE YOU!!!” Titania screamed as she lifted her Latos and pointed them at Excalibur as some of the group gasped, Titania felt tears forming as she glared at Excalibur “Titania don’t-“Valkyr tried to say but Excalibur’s helmet already tilted as the bullet passed him with ease “TITANIA!?” “You want to run that by me again?” Excalibur said in a completely different voice as Titania dropped her guns at what she did “I’ll say this once, pull that again and trust me, you won’t be standing anymore,” He answered coldly as she ignored him and just looked back down at the creature “Titania…” Skyler said softly as she held Titania by her shoulders “I’m sorry, but we couldn’t risk you getting hurt,” But before she could respond the room shook slightly, as the sound of stone cracking echoed through-out the halls. Then the cracks appeared on the floor as the rest all looked at each other, then they tried to react but failed as the floor caved in. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Titania awoke quickly as she tried to equip her armour but it didn’t work as her focus fell upon the foul smell of rotten flesh and acid filled her nostrils. She then saw Skyler laying on the ground as her suit sparked and she groaned. Titania also saw that the other weren’t down here, only her, Skyler and the creature’s body sat in the ruined chamber. Then the sound of voices caught her attention. “Titania! Skyler! Get out of there!” Ivara yelled as they all waved from behind some fleshy net as it blocked their pathway in Then the sound of massive footsteps shook the room and its inhabitants as Skyler woke up and looked around before seeing the petrified look on Titania’s face, she followed her gaze and then her eyes widened. At this point no warframe would help. The heavy footsteps stopped as out of the shadows, a massive-fleshy scythe cut through the darkness. *ROAR-ROAR-ROAR* To Be Continued…