Disclaimer: This is a fan made story. Warframe is owned by Digital Extremes and I am merely borrowing their characters and world to present what is hopefully a somewhat enjoyable story
So I was browsing Warframe fanart on DeviantArt one day and found that some of them had these nice little stories detailing what was happening in the art. One thing led to another and this writes itself into existence
This story is essentially a glorified retelling of my own first run-in with our dear Stalker boy (or girl) that occurred shortly after Update 14. I distinctly remember lasting only about 2 seconds before getting my butt handed to me on a silver platter and that I was grouped with an Ash. The rest is just made up for entertainment value.
Enjoy.
The first warning came in the form of flickering lights.
He and his partner had separated, he into the water system and his partner, clad in an Ash frame, above ground. The Lotus had ordered the elimination of all Grineer stationed at the outpost and they carried out their task dutifully and unflinchingly. Grineer soldiers fell at their hands, riddle with bullets or minced by blades.
Then the lights flickered. A flash of crimson darkness. Tendrils of shadow slithered in and out of his vision.
Was the power source of this base failing? Unlikely. Grineer constructs may look crude but there was no denying their effectiveness. Was his warframe malfunctioning?
His skana plunged into the back of another unwary Lancer, severing the spine and adding another to the pile of corpses that now littered the base. Pipe water turned red as Grineer blood spilled from the armor.
Perhaps he'll have Ordis run a diagnostic on his frame after the mission. The AI was obnoxious and its behavioral algorithm was long overdue for maintenance, but it did its job well.
The second warning came as a message, a hissing laughter in the audio receptors of his warframe.
He stilled, straining his senses, trying to identify this new unknown. The Mk-1 Braton, a staple among newly awakened Tenno, snapped up. His finger gently wrapped around the trigger. A message to his partner yielded only a two word response.
Stalker. Run.
What?
There is no place to hide...
He whirled, bringing his weapon around to aim behind him.
Nothing.
The sound of water sloshing at his feet thundered in his ears. The hum of lights and the clanking of machines echoed through the pipe, once a quiet ambiance now seemingly the roar of a great beast.
He glanced back towards the other end of the pipe. There were only two ways enemies could come at him, and either way would have them running through a hail of bullets from his rifle.
The blood of Jackal is on your hands...
Technically, Jackal had no blood as it was a machine but who was he to correct a delusional enemy? It seems to be a Corpus, if vengeance for the destruction of Jackal is the motive. Perhaps this was a special Corpus operative similar to the Tenno? He would have to investigate this afterwards.
If he survived.
Did you really think there would be no repercussions?
He hoped there were some repercussions to assassinating Jackal, actually. Destabilizing the Corpus production lines. Chaos across their mercantile empire. Less Tenno being harvested. All very good things in his opinion.
It seems someone disagrees.
I am your reckoning
Shadows coalesced at the end of the pipe. Tendrils of darkness wafted around like smoke, gathering around a quickly forming figure. A crimson light shined from the head, and he trained his weapon on this new enemy. His heart thumped rapidly in his chest, each beat echoing in his ears.
The figure rose. Shadows parted as It stepped forwards towards him and he got his first look at what his partner called the Stalker.
His first thought was that It looked like a Tenno. The armor wrapped around its form in a manner much like his own Excalibur frame. Crimson streaks lined the frame, shining with power.
Then he saw the helmet, a black dome decorated with red lines in a grisly parody of the Lotus Mark. This thing did not look like a Tenno. It was one.
The Stalker took another step. In Its hand it wielded a scythe decorated in the same colors as its frame. Upon its handle it bore the etching of one word. Hate. On Its back sat a quiver of black arrows, accompanied by a massive recurve bow. Dread.
Another step. Crackles of red energy coalesced around its frame as It raised the scythe in a very familiar stance.
He knew that stance. How could he not? It was a stance so ingrained into him that his body could perform the technique on instinct. He had felled many a Grineer and Corpus with that technique, one that all Tenno clad in the shell of an Excalibur knew. Slash Dash
Die
It leaped at him, rocketing forward in a blaze of vermillion.
He pulled the trigger, and his Braton spewed a hail of bullets at the encroaching enemy. The roar of his rifle echoed through the pipe, tracers filling the rapidly dwindling space between him and his enemy as they lanced forward.
They had no effect.
He didn't expect them to.
The bullets met Warframe wreathed in crimson energy and bounced off, deflected by the crackling red light.
He slammed his feet into the pipe wall, propelling him to the side and away from the charging Stalker. A near invisible blue luminescence bloomed where the tip of the blade grazed his shield. It turned, free hand digging into a container at Its hip.
I remember what you did
Silver-black streaks flew from its fingers, seeking blood and his death. His shields flickered into the existence as the ones he couldn't dodge impacted against them. One of the streaks bounced off his shield and imbedded itself into the wall. A throwing knife, with a word etched into the handle. Despair.
I remember that day
He backpedaled, firing as he went. The pipe soon filled with yellow tracers and silver-black streaks as he and his enemy traded fire. The scythe carved a dark blur in the air as the Stalker swatted away the bullets. Crimson light shimmered as Its shield deflected the few that made it past its scythe.
His rifle gave a resounding click as it emptied completely.
Our cold and gold Emperors bathed you in savior's silk
The empty magazine ejected and splashed into the water. Trained reflexes kicked in, his hand reaching for a spare magazine at his back.
Then the Stalker was upon him, scythe raised in a overhead strike. His gun rose, blocking the weapon on the handle just below the blade.
He fell backwards, and kicked up. His foot rammed into the shield protected torso of his enemy and launched It over his head. Rolling back on his feet, he slammed a fresh magazine into his rifle and leveled it at the Stalker.
Across all our worlds the ceremonial Naga drums were played
A red-tipped arrow pierced through the Braton and shattered it. Another arrow came and soared over his head as he ducked. The third arrow grazed his shield as he dodged to the side and answered it with a volley from his pistol.
Ten solemn beats
A spinning blade composed of crimson energy whirled towards him. It exploded as a shot from his Lato found home, dispersing into fragments of rapidly disintegrating shards of light. Another one flew at him through the remnants of the first and shattered his shields, slicing a gash across his shoulder.
A royal salute to the honored Tenno
His Lato came apart at the barrel as the Stalker closed the distance with Slash Dash. The scythe carved trails of death through the air as it sought his life. Scythe met skana as the two began a furious melee dance. Their blades clashed so swiftly and so frequently the pipe walls shined gold from the sparks that saturated the air.
When the ninth beat rang a torrent of blood filled the stadium, loosed by Tenno blades
His enemy was stronger than him, faster than him. He swung his blade, every swing fueled with adrenaline and desperation, but here and there the scythe found a small chink in his defenses and exploited it mercilessly. Without his shields, his Warframe was soon littered with small gashes, none fatal, but each carrying a clear implication.
One mistake, and he will die.
The drums, the Empire, fell silent forever
His breath left his body as the Stalker drove its foot into his chest and sent him flying. Water seeped into his frame as he landed on his back, breathless.
I am the ghost of retribution
The scythe came down, blade tip seeking his heart. He rolled and Hate sank into the metal, talon like blade carving a gash in the pipe almost as easily as it would flesh.
You may forget, but your are not innocent
The kick he sent at It was blocked by the scythe but all he needed was to gain some distance. He channeled void energy into this sword and stabbed downwards. Ephemeral skana blades formed and rocketed away from him as the Radial Javelin technique activated. They stabbed into the walls and flew down both ends of the pipe. Four azure streaks fired towards the Stalker.
Your Tenno powers are useless!
One flew over the stalker's head as it ducked. A side step dodged another. The third broke upon a crimson shield and shattered it. The fourth pierced through the stomach. The Stalker barely paused to raise a hand and grip it. Darkness coated its hand and destroyed the ethereal blade stabbed through its gut.
Now, you shall die
Hate swung, hard and fast. With exhausted limbs, he stood and raised his Skana to block. The scythe hooked around his blade and wrenched it out of his tired grip. He dashed in as the Stalker raised Its weapon for an overhead strike, trying to get under its guard. A quick kick sent him stumbling back. The blade came down and his arm was lost in a desperate block, the dark blade cleaving through Warframe armor and void charged flesh alike. The blade tip opened him from shoulder to hip.
He fell onto his back, blood staining the pipe water crimson. A firm foot on his wounded chest held him down and sent a fresh wave of pain through his body.
At last, justice is served
The scythe was raised high, blade gleaming. He could only lie there, pinned and helpless, staring up at his coming death. Hate swung down.
Here is your execution, your just reward for your sins
A roar pierced through the air, and the weapon was wrenched from the Stalker's grip as a series of bullets tore through the forearm and separated the hand from the rest of the body.
What?!
The Stalker whirled around and found itself staring down the length of a three-barreled rifle wielded by an Ash frame.
The Tiberon fired, tri-barrels spewing fire and death down the pipe. Viridian disks of energy followed after. Missing an arm and low on shields, It was forced back away from Its defeated victim, all the while desperately trying to dodge what It could.
No! I will not allow you to escape!
It's remaining hand found the dropped scythe. It was so close, so close to bringing justice to Its master's killers. But victory and vindication slipped away as the Ash teleported into sword range in a green burst of energy. A Galatine carved a whirlwind of death through the air as the Stalker retreated.
This...is not...possible…
Perhaps if It still had use of both arms It could have a chance of retaliating, of bringing justice to two this day. Perhaps It should have dealt with this one first, then the other. But now, with only one arm and no shields, each swing of the heavy sword drove It further away. One particularly heavy swing nearly wrenched Hate to the side. A flash of crimson teleported the Stalker away from the return swing that would have bisected It.
I... have failed... this one will remain... unpunished…
It fled, tendrils of shadow obscuring Its black and crimson frame. Before It completely vanished, It threw one last taunt at Its prey.
Enjoy your life while it still lasts, Tenno. You may have escaped judgement this day, but I will return. I will haunt your every step until your answer for your transgressions. You will live, looking over your shoulders every day, knowing that I will come to end you.
The Ash did not pursue. He could not follow the Stalker through whatever means It uses to flee. He turned towards his downed comrade and raised his hand. Green particles flowed from his palm towards the wounded Excalibur as the emergency first aid system built into every Warframe activated.
The bleeding slowed then stopped. The missing arm would have to be preserved until extraction and reattached and the frame needed repairs but the Excalibur would live. He was lucky. The Stalker wreaked havoc among the ranks of newly awakened Tenno who were still weakened from centuries of cryosleep and even among veterans who had been active for a while.
The Stalker will come again, It always does. He survived his first encounter. Now he must prepare for the next.
