Warframe: Relic Hunters

by UnknownEntity743

Chapter 32 Fear To Tread

Warframe: Relic Hunters
Chapter 32
Fear To Tread

*Location: Orokin Medical Research, Section 13*

“So, are you sure he’s down here? I mean… if he is?” Nekros Prime asked as she along with Excalibur and Ash Prime, and Valkyr, descended into the complex

“I know he’s here! I saw his transmission turn on for a split second! I know my brother’s alive!” Valkyr said hopefully as EP rested a hand on her shoulder

“And that’s why we’re going to bring him home,” EP stated as AP scoffed

“With the way, the balance has tipped in their favour? Not for long. When are we going to mobilise on this ‘plan’, Excalibur?” AP asked in curiosity as EP faced him

“In time, but I want to make sure everyone is ready, this might not be easy for all accept,” EP explained vaguely as they saw the doors of the lab finally open

“There! We’re in,” NP cheered as she turned and froze like the rest, to what they saw changed their plan completely

The near black halls echoed with an eerily hum of broken machines, lights sparked from torn cables, and floors etched with the makings of a primal beast. But what stood out the most was the corpses.

The bodies of mangled scientists, and shredded limbs of guards littered the graveyard. Some were even hanging from the ceiling, to which they all tried to ignore, but the sound of blood puddles rang down the halls from their footsteps.

“Excalibur… please be ok,” Valkyr whispered in fear as Ash Prime checked for any signs of life, but sighed in defeat

“Nothing. Only death and terror,” Ash Prime stated in his own chilling voice. “Something didn’t just kill them… it tortured them,”

“But what? Even my own respect their enemies in death, but this… this is wrong,” Nekros Prime spoke hollowly as they heard a scream, and instantly turned

“Down here!” Excalibur Prime called out as they followed him closely

Once down the hall, the screams got more pleading as they could hear the sobs of a girl, to which she screamed again. Once the found the location, they saw the door, torn, and warped out of place by something within.

Once they entered the large circular room, it too was coated with blood, but only so little, but they saw the lights still illuminated the room completely, to which they wished it was the trick of the light entirely.

Standing, covered in blood, and holding an arm with a Venka claw raised high, was…

“Excalibur!?” Valkyr gasped in absolute terror and sadness as he held the girl up in his left hand

She was covered in gashes, blood slowly oozing from the wounds as she shook with a nightmarish fear plastered across her face.

“I’ll ask again, where is your boss? Where is Cinder!?” Excalibur demanded in a voice that was not his own, his armour glowing with a voidless black

“She’s gone! She’s gone! She’s-” the woman kept repeating in sobs, but was cut short by the three blades impaling her skull, her body slumping, until it slid off the blades

“Oh, my God…” Nekros Prime gaped in fear as she shakily readied her Reaper Prime, but Excalibur Prime held his hand up to stop her

“Excalibur!? what are you doing!? What happened here!?” EP asked as his friend turned to face them all, to which he looked around in what seemed to be embarrassment

“Oh! I’m sorry, if I knew you were coming, I would have tried to clean up sooner, sadly you were all early, but that’s fine. We can start without any hesitation,” Excalibur spoke coldly as EP felt a chill run along his spine

“What do you mean?” EP asked as Excalibur gestured to the carnage

“THIS! All our pain can finally end, no more Orokin, no more Tenno, no. more. Lies.” Excalibur spoke hollowly as he approached the group, to which Ash Prime readied his Fangs Prime

Excalibur pulled his Skana Prime out slowly as Valkyr watched from afar, now wanting to wake up from the nightmare she was in, tears dampening her face in her helmet.

Excalibur sighed as he lowered his guard, slowly scraping his foot off the floor.

“You really shouldn’t have done that…” Excalibur whispered, then he pounced at EP Venka colliding with Skana as they held firm. “Now I’ll be your War Incarnate!”

Excalibur then sent EP flying back as he threw his Venka down, then he slowly walked towards him, only to raise his Venka to block AP’s attack, his fangs stuck between the Venka blades.

“Get out of my way you ninja rip-off!" Excalibur spat as he pulled his Venka back and then became a rotating blender as AP quickly blocked blow after vigorous blow, the attacks getting fast and faster as he slowly backed away.

Excalibur then grabbed AP’s open wrists as he was pulled forward, then swiftly kicked in a abdomen, sending him to his side. Excalibur wasted no time as he held AP down and lifted his Venka up, then his claws just scratched the surface of AP’s mask as he vanished.

“Hmm?” Excalibur hummed his surprise, but bent his arm backwards as he blocked a blow from NP’s scythe, slowly turning to face her.

“Like I haven’t faced death before,” Excalibur mocked plainly as he shoved the Scythe back and dashed towards her

NP quickly reacted as she swung her scythe around, only for Excalibur to jump at the last minute, she turned and swung again, but he quickly blocked it with a hand, throwing it away from him.

NP stepped back as she raised her right arm, bringing forth five shadow Grineer troops, their machetes glowing with a purple aura.

“How I enjoy their screams the most.” Excalibur mused as they ran for him, but he quickly ducked under one, lacerating its stomach

The others swung down, but missed as Excalibur spun upwards, decapitating two of them. The next was disarmed by Excalibur as he grabbed the machete and impaled the shadow’s arm, then he removed it completely, then turned its body to ribbons within seconds.

The last was pinned under Excalibur as he swung franticly into its now vanishing body, his claws hitting the metal surface. Excalibur then held his arm up as he blinded all in the room.

NP then felt something kick her face, then something nearly tearing through her chest as she was flung to the floor also. When her vision cleared, she saw Excalibur hold her own scythe above her, much to her surprise.

“-But you don’t have enough shields in the world to protect you,” Excalibur finished hollowly as Ash and Excalibur Prime watched in fear

“Valkyr?” Ash Prime spoke as Valkyr looked at him, his left hand holding a Spira blade. “Forgive me.”

Excalibur then felt his body stop, his attention to his now skewered leg, to which he fell over and onto his knees, which then followed up with the scythe dropping from his hand, due to a Spira blade locking him to the floor.

“Thanks for the save, Ash,” Nekros Prime said in relief as they heard Excalibur begin to laugh like a maniac, to which Ash Prime approached him, kneeling in his presence

Ash Prime was cut short as Excalibur’s left-impaled hand tore itself free from the blade, leaving a lot of blood and flesh behind. It then latched itself on his helmet, to which he couldn’t see.

“The fact you think I’m still human!” Excalibur gargled as he pulled AP’s face to the floor with a crack, then repeatedly, his head leaving an indent on the floor

After he felt Ash Prime’s body slump, he threw him to his side, then he turned and pried the blade from his leg, slowly standing up, and slumping to the side.

Excalibur, slowly shambled towards EP, his Skana ready to strike. Excalibur Prime didn’t want to hurt his closest friend, after all they’ve been through, he couldn’t. But he couldn’t endanger the lives of his other friends. So, he sucked in his guilt and made I silent prayer.

Excalibur then held his left hand up, then he gazed at Excalibur through the hole in his hand, the hole slowly sealing itself.

“I seeeeee yoooooou…” He sung in glee as Excalibur Prime gave no response

“What’s the matter? The most powerful Tenno has cold feet?” Excalibur mocked as he slowly closed the gap between them both

“EXCALIBUR!!!” came a familiar voice to him, making him halt entirely, Excalibur slowly turned to face her, his sister

“V-Valkyr?” Excalibur spoke in his normal tone, but his actions still betrayed his voice as he slowly moved towards his sister. “To think you would stand against a monster,”

“No… my brother is not! You are!” Valkyr snapped, her weapons dropping to the floor. “I won’t hurt you…”

“Then I will.” Excalibur retorted as he approached Valkyr, his motions never changing

“I won’t blame you for what you’ve done, I never have.” Valkyr spoke in whisper, making Excalibur stopped in surprise as his thoughts rang out in his head, both sides fighting for a decision they couldn’t make

Excalibur looked back at Valkyr’s face, her ‘real’ face, showing no fear, no anger, only happiness, to which Excalibur froze in fear. Why was it bothering him so much? Why!?

Excalibur then shook his head, and he instantly closed the gap between them both, his claws mere millimetres from her face. But she could now see his shaking limb, to which she smiled innocently at him.

“I know you won’t hurt me, because I trust you, and love you,” Valkyr spoke kindly as he felt his arm slowly fall to his side, his body trembling

“Valkyr? Why? Why did-” Excalibur spoke but was stopped when Valkyr gripped him in a vice like hug, but even in his cold armour, he felt the warmth sink through, then he dropped to his knees

“Don’t worry, it’s over…” Valkyr whispered as he sunk into her embrace, then she looked at the Tenno giving her all looks of bewilderment and surprise, to which she narrowed her gaze

“This is the final straw, they have taken are freedom, are lives, and even our own families away from us… it’s time we took back our lives!” Valkyr shouted, her heart filling with determination as Excalibur slowly nodded

“We’ll kill them all…” He managed to say, even in a weakened state

“Until we can live our lives free once more,” Ash ended
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*Present Day*

Not a single person spoke, instead they all stared at Excalibur and Valkyr in shock and fear, mostly at Excalibur.

“Now you all know how we rallied the troops, because I was tortured until death, or until the ‘other’ half got bored,” Excalibur spoke aphetically

“So, that violent nature…?” Sky began in worry as he nodded

“Is the result of those fucks, dubbed, ‘War Incarnate’,” Excalibur answered in a bored tone. “Actually, the only reason you saw that fight, was because he took over for a few moments,”

“So that’s what I saw… note-to-self, don’t piss you off,” Saryn added in a joking matter but saw his eyes turn black

"Boo!" War Incarnate shouted, making almost all of them jump right out of their skins, then they glared at him as his eyes turned back to blue

“But don’t worry, over the years, ive… contained him, only if I completely loose it or allow it, does he show his ugly mug,” Excalibur spat in disgust

“Well if that memory is done, does that mean it only leaves the fall of the Orokin?” Twilight asked as Excalibur shook his head

“No, the first is the Orokin’s end, yes.” Excalibur confirmed, then he was silent for a moment. “Then, you’ll only have one more memory I shave left to show,”

“And what might that be?” Ash asked in interested voice as Excalibur looked at his Skana Prime

“How I truly earned the right to be hunted,” Excalibur answered vaguely, his heart and soul slowly feeling empty

To Be Continued…

There is no right or wrong, only that your actions end with good intentions.

Author's Note:

Only 1 more memory! Then the final 3 chapters after that!

Hope you all enjoyed!

Next Chapter: My Reckoning