Warframe: Relic Hunters
Chapter 28
It Has To Be This Way
*Location: Earth, CHS Entrance*
Skyler flew backwards as Stalker kicked her into the steps of the building, she quickly rolled away as the scythe buried itself into the concrete. Skyler lifted the Broken War as she clashed with the scythe’s edge, the Stalker kept his versatile attacks, putting Skyler on the defence.
Skyler ducked and back-flipped over the scythe as she swung the blade into Stalker’s side, his grunted as he vanished into smoke and appeared a few feet back.
Skyler’s armour was beaten and broken, the Stalker was less so, and he knew that.
“You just don’t die, do you?” Stalker spoke as Skyler coughed, blood leaking from holes in her helmet
“And you just won’t shut up!” Skyler retorted as she balanced herself out
Stalker ran towards her as he swung his scythe into her blade, their blades both unwavering as tried to overpower the other. Skyler however, swept her foot under Stalker’s as he fell forwards, giving her an opening.
Skyler kicked the scythe away as it dug into the ground, she then quickly grabbed Stalker by the face and smashed his body into the earth, then she stomped on his windpipe as he coughed. Skyler panted as she lifted her blade towards his chest.
But only Skyler’s screams echoed as Stalker imbedded a throwing Knife into her leg, as she fell back, gripping her leg as she bit her tongue in pain.
Skyler tried to react but the Stalker was fast, he grabbed her by the neck and head butted her, then he set her up on her feet as he grabbed her cracked helmet and pulled it apart, revealing her face, much to everyone’s surprise as she was kicked in the abdomen.
“No way, Skyler!?” Twilight gasped as the other just stared in shock
“All this time…” Sunset added as they continued to watch the fight
“So, Skyler, a name to the face that will forever display fear,” Stalker spoke calmly as he rubbed his throat
He then rested a foot on Skyler’s stomach as she squirmed, but to no avail. She then grabbed his foot as her piercing glare did nothing to faze him.
“Well? Go on, kill me! That’s all you seem to care about, so do it!” Skyler hissed as he grabbed a throwing knife as held it tight
“You simply don’t understand, they have all lied to you, they call themselves ‘Savours’, but all they brought was war and death,” Stalker explained as they all listened intently
“I had a friend who was like you, he believed that killing the Orokin would set us free from the bonds they shackled us with, but he was wrong!” Stalker spat. “They gave us, freaks of the Void, a purpose, a life and family that was stolen from us, and they slaughtered them all,”
Skyler just closed her eyes as she felt her blood boil. All they’ve done, was for freedom, they’ve killed for their freedom, and for the freedom of others, the only killer, was him.
“You’re wrong…” Skyler whispered as Stalker looked down at her, then he felt something, something familiar.
Skyler’s glare had intensified, tears did roll down her face, but they felt just as menacing as her stare.
“They scarified everything to see an end to this war! Every kill, sure they had to live with, but atleast they could be one step closer to their freedom! Unlike you!” She yelled. “You’re nothing but a deranged, maniac who is so blind to the truth, that you’ve killed just to make an excuse! You. Are. A. Monster!!!”
This made him pause for a moment, his grip on the knife faltered as it dropped from his hand. The sound of the clattering object echoed volumes of what he’s done to countless beings.
“If… I’m a monster…” He began, his scythe then swung from the ground, landing in his hand as he gripped it with anger. “Then you are even more foolish than I thought!”
This made everyone look away as he swung the scythe towards Skyler, the sound of flesh being torn sounded as some even dared to look. What they saw was even more horrifying.
They saw the Stalker holding his now stump of an arm in pain as the blood poured from the hole, as his scythe laid in two on the ground. Skyler just stared up at her saviour with surprise and sadness as he held a Skana Prime in his hand.
“You! How are you still alive!?” Stalker shouted in actual surprise as Excalibur Prime stood in front of Skyler who was confused. “I killed you back on that bridge, so explain, how are you alive!?”
“Because…” EP started as he lowered his guard and his armour vanished, making everyone gasp, even Skyler. “I’m giving you a second chance,”
“Excalibur! Of course, you’re alive,” Stalker groaned as Excalibur kept his calm look
“Leave, and never return, I don’t want to fight you, so please, just leave,” Excalibur asked as Stalker held his scythe close
“Never, you took the only family ‘WE’ had, ‘YOU’ killed Prime, not me, so I’ll avenge them all, by killing you!” Stalker spoke, his words almost uncoherent
Excalibur then sighed as he turned and knelt down to Skyler as she smiled warily.
“Just give me a moment, this’ll be quick,” Excalibur said with a smile as she nodded, he then turned and faced Stalker
His armour then appeared again as he held his blade to his side.
“Then it ends here,” Excalibur spoke coldly as Stalker nodded and holstered his scythe and brought out his own black and red Skana
“Ok then…” He added as they both spoke simultaneously
“Lock and Load!”
Both Stalker and Excalibur moved faster than any known Tenno as their blades rung out, each fought with such ferocity and hate, their blade’s rung with the feeling of bloodlust and vengeance as they kept at it.
Excalibur swung downwards as Stalker side-stepped and swung, just nipping Excalibur chin as he flipped back, only to have a swift left strike to his right arm, this disarmed him as it landed a few feet away.
Stalker took this moment to catch Excalibur off guard as he left an ‘X’ in his chest, but only scratching the surface as he swung downwards, but Excalibur caught the blade in his palms as he felt the sparks heat his hands to near molten levels as he threw it aside.
Excalibur tried to punch Stalker but he swung Excalibur’s hand away just in time. Excalibur then simply walked back, his gaze still locked with Stalker as he lifted his blade from the dirt, but he quickly ducked from the swing as he kicked Stalker back.
Then both held their weapons tight as they sped towards each other and collided, causing a concussive blast of pure sound, each strike cracking the earth beneath them, even the air seemed to form a dome around them as they did.
But one final strike shattered Stalker’s Skana as Excalibur went for the finishing blow, only to be blinded in the process. This left him to experience pain as his eyes cleared to just narrowly avoid decapitation as the sparking, red energy blade swung around Stalker’s remaining hand.
Excalibur was only left with seconds to think as Stalker swung the energy blade towards him, leaving a trail of red, imbedded in the ground as it swung like a buzz saw. Everyone was stunned as Excalibur pulled out a (Nikana Prime) form nowhere as he hooked it into the energy blade, like a hook.
He then let out a war cry as he swung the Nikana around, the red energy following the blade, like lightning rod as Excalibur ran towards Stalker, who was left with nothing to defend himself.
Excalibur swung the energised blade down, the blade now drilling into the armour of Stalker as he tried to push back, but with one final cry the Nikana struck the shadow through the chest. The air finally calming to a dull breeze.
“Game over, Stalker,” Excalibur whispered as he went to pull the blade out, only for a hand to keep it from moving
“No… not over…” Stalker spoke hollowly as Excalibur looked up at him, the blade sinking deeper into the wound. “My acolytes… will carry my hate, my despair, my dread…. Until the day you die,”
“And my friends will continue to fight, bet on that,” Excalibur responded as Stalker sighed one last time as Excalibur pulled the blade free, the Stalker falling onto his back
“No matter what, we’re kindred spirits, you... and I…” Stalker quoted as his final breath vanished, he was dead
Excalibur holstered his blades as he felt his armour vanish and his body collapse to the ground in fatigue. But as he sat on the ground, Skyler assaulted him as she gripped him in a tight hug, fresh tears rolling down her face as Excalibur smiled.
“You’re… alive… I thought…” Skyler tried to say but Excalibur just held her close
“This time, I kept my promise, and I won’t ever let it go,” Excalibur swore as she smiled at him, before her face turned red from him kissing her, but she soon melted into the gestor
“Are we interrupting or…?” Rhino began as they broke apart, but still smiling
“Na, just finally feeling happy for once,” Excalibur joked as Rhino helped him to his feet, only for another set of arms to lock him in place
“You stupid, bloody, idiot!” Valkyr cried as she held Excalibur close as he returned the hug, his shirt beginning to feel very wet from all the tears. “Don’t you ‘ever’ leave me again…”
“I won’t, I promise, Sis,” Excalibur whispered as he held her close for a minute, then Rhino cut in
“So, how’s it feel to be back in the presence of a God, Prime? No-no, I’ll let you think,” Rhino boasted as they laughed
“Fine your ‘Holiness’, just call me Excalibur, still getting use to the title,” Excalibur commented as he looked at their injuries. “You guys alright though? He seemed to kick you all to the curb,”
“He was… difficult,” Atlas responded as he popped a joint in his arm, then he saw the mane 7 approaching. “I hope you can handle this,”
Excalibur looked at their faces, all confused, worried and… happy?
“So… you’re really ‘him’, Excalibur?” Applejack asked as he rubbed the back of his neck
“Yea, sorry… for lying to you all,” Excalibur apologised as Twilight started
“Why did you keep this from us?” She asked as he sighed, a frown on his face
“I was afraid that if I involved any of you, you might get hurt or used to threaten me, I couldn’t allow that to happen, so I’m sorry for deceiving you all, I know that now,” Excalibur explained as he bowed his head and they smiled, for a few seconds
“Rainbow Dash, please calm down!” Fluttershy begged as she held Dash back, her face filled with anger as she tried to grab Excalibur, not like he cared
“You! You fucking killed my dad! Let me go, Fluttershy! I’m going to kick his ass!” She yelled as Excalibur’s face became a steely glare
“I didn’t kill him, I only left him to his own demise by Nekros,” Excalibur explain, this only made her direct her anger towards the non-existent Tenno
“Then I’ll kill him, that bast-“ She was cut off from Valkyr grabbing her by her shirt, Valkyr’s glare intensified
“You can’t! because he… died to that bloody Grineer! And if you dare blame him for your father’s death, I’ll kill you!” Valkyr hissed in rage. “My brother tried to help him, but he was deranged, he killed, Trinity! So, don’t you ‘DARE’ put this on my brother either!”
Valkyr let Dash go as she hung her head in guilt, Valkyr then felt a hand on her shoulder as Excalibur pulled her back as she sighed.
“Look, I understand, you all want answers, to why we do what we do, to how we became who we are… well, I can give you all the answers,” Excalibur started as he looked up at the black sky
“It’s a long story,”
To Be Continued…