*Avalon POV*
I never did like talking, maybe that's why some of the other tenno thought I was strange. But they could think what they wanted to think, it's not like I care. The only one who truly understood me was the Lotus.
I honestly don't like working in a group, there's too much competition for action and not enough working as a unit. One tenno could rocket ahead while the other would be left behind as target practice for the grineer. Squads were often only a squad because they wanted to finish the same mission, after that they would separate and leave.
The last squad I was in...well, lets just say that if it weren't for a impatient Rhino, that Excalibur would've lived to fight another fight. I had tried to help, tried to reach him, but there was a whole army of grineer around, and I was taking too much damage. When I had asked for help the Rhino remained silent. The Excalibur had died and I was forced to return to the dojo with the Rhino, who couldn't have cared less about the death.
That was the point at which I had decided to work alone, there would be less at risk then, I wouldn't have to burden myself with the pain of loosing other squad-mates.
Then I began to notice that I wasn't the only one who felt isolated. I don't recall getting her name, or the weapons she carried, but I remember watching the Rhino who had let the Excalibur die run past me in a panic. A few seconds later she had stormed out into the same hall.
'Another prime' I was shocked, I don't remember which prime-frame, but the gold that had lined her suit had been a big giveaway. As she passed me I could feel the anger and confusion radiating from her. She didn't look at me nor did she see me, she just kept walking.
I don't remember all the details, but I do remember the brilliant white color and the shining blue that was the energy which coursed throughout every warframe. The helmet with it's odd design that one might call ugly or hideous even, but I never paid much attention to "fashion", if one could even call it that.
That had been a while ago. I haven't seen the frame since, similar variations but not the same.
'Dwelling on my past wouldn't help me on this day though'
I was piloting a grineer troop transport towards the surface of the planet where a group of three other tenno had reportedly been lost. The Lotus was sure that they were still alive, but everyone else was either unwilling to accept her mission or already on another mission of great importance.
So I had volunteered.
'Stop thinking about the past, you've got a job to do' I told myself, or rather thought to myself. Unlike most tenno, who like to remain silent but talk when there is time for recreation, I have no choice. I couldn't talk and it didn't worry me, because it was who I was.
And it was very helpful on stealth missions.
I could still communicate with other tenno, nearly all tenno can communicate via a weak telepathic link. Usually it only worked in between squad members who were in close proximity, but some tenno, mostly those who used a Nyx or Nyx Prime warframes, have been known to extend that proximity to a much larger size. I was one of them.
"Traay grkse shux" A gravely voice spoke over the intercom. I piloted the transport closer to the squad I was following as we broke the cloud layer.
Down below there was a small town, similar to artwork of old earth in the archives of the dojo. However this town had the distinct markings of a grineer assault; buildings were ablaze, and pools of blood covered parts of the streets.
But what caught the eye of another pilot and I was the sudden appearance of a wire of energy, which latched onto the transport next to the one I hijacked. A second later a figure, dressed in orange with highlights of cyan, landed in the transport.
"Rafram sputer!" A voice cried over the comm. Then there was a scream, and finally static as the transport exploded.
I looked at the surface, quietly running a quick calculation through my head.
'Yeah, I'll live if I jump now'
I brought my tigris shotgun off of my back, and fired at the viewport. Glass shrapnel ricocheted off of my frame and fire licked at the edges of the cockpit, I leaped out onto the hull and quickly jumped off of the ruined ship.
I curled into a ball and rolled as I landed to soften the impact as the transport smashed into the ground. I stood up, and aimed my shotgun at the opening hatch of another transport that had survived the earlier attack. Grineer lancers were filled with holes as my double barreled shotgun belched out a wave of death.
Two transports above me collided and burst like two mini supernovas. I heard the screams of the grineer on board as body parts and blood fell from the sky.
There was a muffled thud as another tenno landed beside me. She was rather pretty, or so I guessed, I never really paid attention to appearances. Tenno wren't known to form relationships with one another, not banned from making them just not known to.
Some might have said she was quite curvy, I really didn't care. Some may have said that her cat-like helmet added to her beauty, I still didn't care. Everyone knew that her past was quite a touchy topic and that prying too much would lead to broken arms and a snapped neck, I could still care less. Some say that despite her quite violent ways, she still put the health of her squad before anything else, and that's what caught my attention.
'Huntress' I said, telepathically. She jumped, probably unused to the use of the telepathic link, before turning to face me.
"Uh...hi?" She said, "do I know you?"
'Assassination of Zanuka and Alad V; You, me, a nova, and a volt' I said remembering the mission well, 'you spent a lot of time on the ground being healed by us'
If warframes could display a blush I'm pretty sure her whole helmet would've turned red with embarrassment .
"H-hey it wasn't my fault that Zanuka kept de-activating my powers whenever she wanted!" she blurted out defensively.
'I was kidding, anyways it looks like you are in a bad spot of trouble'
"My friends and I are in a bad spot of trouble" she corrected.
'I could help if you want,' I "said", 'you look like you need some anyways'
"The more help the better," she said with a verbal smile, "try not to hurt the inhabitants though, and you'll know the inhabitants when you see them"
'sounds simple enough' I told her as we parted company.
***
*Huntress POV*
I did remember him. Why hadn't I recognized him right off the bat? The way he used telepathy instead of words, they way he "spoke", and his tone I recognized them.
"Avalon," I muttered quietly, "I must catch up with him later"
In truth I found him to be quite the honorable tenno, he could be a lone wolf sometimes but he looked out for his squad. Maybe that's why I worked so well with him those few times.
I re-focused on my mission, and screamed as I slipped into hysteria. I dashed into large clusters of lancers, slashing in my frenzied, wild combat style. I could see the mini-supernovas as they fired their rifles at me.
"Bullets wont save you from me" I growled quietly.
I slashed across the face of the last lancer in the squad before I slipped out of hysteria. It was silent, except for the sounds of distant gunfire and explosions, sounds I am very familiar with. My warframe was covered in crimson blood, which glittered in the little light the system's star provided.
Over the gunfire and screaming, I heard something. A steady beat of...wings? Judging from the volume of the flaps they were extremely large wings at that.
I slowly turned around, and dove out of the way to avoid being blasted by a large beam of cyan energy. I rolled to my feet and scanned the air for any signs of grineer hellions. Then I remembered something: Grineer don't have energy weapons, or wings.
I leaped out of the way as another blue laser blasted the area where I had been seconds before. This time though, when I came to my feet there was something sharp against my back.
"Do not move," a voice ordered. The voice was feminine and regal. That much I could tell from the way it was quiet in volume but strong in force. "Monster, you will stop this unjust slaughter of our subjects"
Had I been allowed to I would've whirled around and slapped the speaker across the face. She thought I was leading these cloned freaks around?
"Listen," I said slowly. "I'm not one of those disgusting things, in fact you should let me get back up so I can protect this town from them".
"How do we know that you are not bluffing?" the voice asked.
"Beca---get down!" I leaped into a backflip over the mystery speaker while pulling out my bow and nocking a bladed arrow.
"Rhue gar tenno scoom!" The sneaky lancer bellowed, charging at me. I pulled back the shimmering string of my bow, and fired.
The arrow's momentum carried it right through the lancer's neck, allowing his helmeted head to pop right off his body as it fell to the ground. I nocked another arrow, in preparation for more troops, but none came.
"You killed your own soldier to try and trick us into trusting you?" came the powerful voice once more. "You would sacrifice the life of one of your own to try and deceive a princess of equestria?". She continued, her voice rising in anger. "You savage"
"You savages!"
I tensed up as the words reached my ears, for she had just spoken the dying words of Alad V. When he had said those words they had stuck with me, I reflected on them, interpreted them, even tried to understand them.
Now they were just a haunting memory resurfaced, and I hated them.
"Think what you want of me," I sneered. "But know this: I am a tenno, a warrior of blade and gun"
I paused and slowly turned to face the speaker for the first time.
She was a pony, which was not a big surprise. Her stature was a bit surprising however; she stood about the same height as I. Much like Twilight she had a horn and wings, but her horn was longer, and her wings were larger as well.
'Come to think of it what would you call whatever she is? A 'pegacorn', 'unisus'?' I wondered whilst taking the other details.
Her coat was the same color as neptune; a deep blue. Her mane and tail seemed to be made out of the void itself, both shimmering and flowing in a nonexistent breeze. Her stance was firm, she was ready to attack if I made one move to hurt her or escape. She didn't want to give the slightest indication that she was afraid or fearful, and yet her eyes gave it away, despite the glare she was giving me.
"I don't require your trust to know that you hate these grineer that are tearing up your subjects," I said in a calmer tone. "and that you are actually quite scared right now"
She growled, but otherwise remained silent.
"I mean you no harm, but try to strike me down and I will not hesitate to end you" I warned her, now I returned her glare in full force and watched as she let the fear crawl onto her features. Then I remembered that wearing a helmet kind of defeated the point of glaring, since she could not see my face
"How do we know that that isn't the blood of numerous ponies plastered to your skin?" she asked.
"I can assure you it's not of your planet, It is from the grineer," I said maintaining my glare, "who, might I add, are going to be here any moment. So it might be in our best interest to make a temporary truce until after they've been destroyed"
She looked at me, silently. Then she slowly started forward cautiously glancing around, probably looking for any signs of a trap. She stopped in front of me and met my gaze.
"Fine, a temporary truce it is," she said before adding, "but the slightest indication that you are behind this and you will be nothing more than a pool of blood on the floor"
"I care about the ponies here just as much as you do," I stated, "and I will give my life to save them if necessary"
The sound of a explosion snapped us out of our little duel, and I readied my kunai. There was a flash and suddenly the pony was wearing onyx black armor accented by midnight blue platting. She also now wielded a beautiful, curved, translucent sword. Which I assumed was made out of magic as the aura around it matched the bright cyan color of the weapon itself.
Another explosion occurred, and we were off into battle.