Okay ladies, gentlemen and bots that send me per-approved messages for loans. I have been gone for a long time and if you read my bio you'll know why, I'll update it later and PM me so we can talk in real life to see that I am not guilty of stolen valor.
So I've been thinking on the story and some lovely PMs and reviewers did point out a flaw and that is I explained too much already. I will try to keep the steam running and not cause this story to die. While I am aware that I did jump the gun for characters such as Sienna, for the sake of this story she will remain a he, for back story purposes of course. While I am aware of changes made to warframe, I will be using the old Focus system for plot reasons. And yes I write big paragraphs, I will attempt to slow them down.
While in this case, I have been doing some research on some topics such as dealing with physical injury. Each type of injury (I.e Blunt force, stab/cut wound, and gunshot wounds) are different from each other and based on the physiology and psychology of the receiving person , their reaction will be different. Do not get me started on mental wounds and emotional wounds, there is enough back story to portray these characters in a realistic manner. But this is a fanfic, not a damn report.
And Dad said my psychology degree was useless, which he is halfway right, but he's still proud.
Cisco networking provides a good certification though.
Anyway, thank you all for your wait, and sorry about about the wait.
/*/
The night air was peaceful as he jumped from building to building. The surrounding area was nothing but a blur. He stopped when he came to his destination. A CCT transmitter. Due to the amount of buildings sometimes signals weren't strong enough for scrolls to transmit all data as sometimes the data was lost in the metal works. The giant antenna with several dishes protruding out, constantly streaming data, to a hacker, this was a gold mine.
Pulling out his scroll his device was already connected. But a few presses came up with a different system. Emitting a low purple glow, his scroll was connected to the administrative tools of the tower. Tenno technology trumped this world by a large margin. It would take multiple decades if not centuries to catch up. The scroll pulled information of where transmissions were coming from. He narrowed down his search, the small program in the scroll was already narrowing down the data that came in.
Immediately erasing all forms of useless texts beings sent from scroll to scroll, video streams and searches of pornography. No he wasn't after that, if a underground person trafficking ring was smart enough, they would be using encrypted channels. Pulling up data streams from the encrypted channels so far he found was business transactions being handled by banks and loan sharks. That was until he came across a very interesting scroll text thread. Redacted and fractured, made to look like a glitch in the system. He opened it up.
Scroll 1. The employees are ready to move. We are located in the truck yard behind Vale's Mighty Metal works.
Scroll 2. How many?
Scroll 1. 8, 1 to Atlas dust mines, the other 7 to Vaccuo for their rehabilitation into a new life.
Scroll 2. Good we move in 2 hours.
Roman closed his scroll, disconnection him from the tower. The messages were sent to each other mere minuets ago, but he didn't have a lot of time to make a full on plan with this only being some form of intel he had.
"Eight hostages and an unknown amount of captors, I'll have to go with what I have." Roman thought to himself.
To be honest, these odds weren't exactly something for him to fret over, he has faced worst odds and still came out on top whether it was with his team or by himself. He didn't waste any more time, He lept back into the now cold night.
"Using those kids as slaves, no...why?" he continued on to himself. He knew all to well what is was like.
The only warmth was his anger burning in himself as he made his way. They didn't need knee caps to live, or thumbs, or limbs, or two kidneys at once.
/*/
Neo was at their safe house, sharpening her Pangolin sword. What Roman had done was nothing unusual, as he did commit these acts from time to time. What concerned her the most was the fact they usually did this together or in pairs and they haven't done something like this in a long time.
With the final sound of a whetstone scraping against the steel she held up the blade. Inspecting the fine sharpness of it, sharp enough to cut through the thickest of Grineer armor. She placed the sword across from her in a perpendicular manner ass she kneeled in front of it. Neo focused her mind reaching out to grasp the void, around her was weak but there was a beacon. Much like aura, where one could reach out and feel another, the void acted the same. The void beacon was one of familiar properties, she could feel something moving farther and farther away, it was Roman.
Unlike aura, which was warm, stable and willing to let you manipulate it. The void was the complete opposite, it was cold, unpredictable and willing to drown you in madness if you weren't able to handle it. With aura the more years you lived, the more you could master it, the void thought, you had to be a child and thrown into it. Adults suddenly thrown in wouldn't survive, only children would. Something about the mind not being completely developed allowed their head to be manipulated and swim with the storm rather than against it.
As she felt Roman move further and further away she reached out again, this time to Junior. He was in his club, below ground in the non-existent basement that was totally not there. Something was off, he was pacing around, worried and unstable. Maybe another bad run of the mill, he probably didn't make enough.
'I'll send him some lien to cover the costs that he didn't make.' She noted to herself .
She tried once more, but failed this time. Her final target was Kali. While they all may be family in but blood, they were still never the less. They hid things from each other, she knew Kali, she was there when it all happened. She could reach her by scroll but never by void or aura. She knew something was up with her, but she couldn't reach her
She retracted herself from the void. She picked up her sword, unlike her covert umbrella sword, her Pangolin was much more preferred. It was a little bit heavier, much more balanced, and hell of a lot sharper. She took her stance, slowly bring up the blade in her right hand. A quick slash to the right then left. Continuing the momentum with the slash to the left, she let it carry her making a full circle twice with the blade. Swift Pursuit of the Swooping Falcon stance with swords. She brought the sword back to her side, with a quick slash to the right she brought her hand back...only for it to feel lighter. She turned her head slowly to inspect the wall. Only to see the blade has been embedded in the metal support of the building. Luckily the thick steel beam and the aluminum wall sheets stopped the blade from cutting into wires, barely. She pulled the blade out, it was still sharp but her mind wasn't.
Roman was right, she needed sleep.
He would be fine.
/*/
Roman overview of the truck yard was perfect. On top of one of the warehouses after searching for anyone. He saw people patrolling every so often around two trucks. He pulled out a scanner, they showed up with signs of small pistols and large knives.
"Really?" Roman though to himself. He was expecting large amounts of guards and many patrols. But he chopped it up to having to rescue single operatives who were captured in well armed ships with hundreds of guards. Even the White Fang would put more effort into this. He counted ten armed guards. Moving the scanner around he picked up faint heat signature coming from inside a single truck. It was a mass of of human and/or faunas persons. Two more guards happened to be inside the cab of the truck.
"Twelve guards. Easy day." he smirked. He jumped from the building and landing softly on the ground, the only sound was that of gravel shifting ever so slightly. He started moving quietly, doing a small step forward his vision changed to that of a grey outline of everything. He stepped into the rift, no he was everywhere and nowhere. He rounded a corner and stopped, quickly transacting himself from the void. From watching the patterns of the guards, he saw which path they would take, never covering each others back, never checking in with each other. They were expecting this to be easy for them.
They made it easy for him.
He raised his bo staff, he swung in a controlled manner. The guard never expected it, as he was KO'd before he could even hit the ground. He may have not been dead but he had a serious concussion, sever brain damage at most. He caught the thug by his leather jacket before his body could hit the ground, the gun hit the ground with a small thud but nobody came to check. He stashed him under the truck for his body could not be found. Eleven to go.
He caught another one who stopped to take a smoke. Bringing his hand over the man's face, he clasped it over his mouth causing the cigarette to crumble and the thug to choke on the lit cherry. He brought him into a head lock, the man struggled until he was passed out. A quick jab o the back of the head for good measure.
He moved to the next truck, jumped on top of it. The sound of crunching gravel filled his ears as he peaked the ledge. Another single guard, he landed on him and punched him. His head snapped back in to the ground again knocking another one out. He picked him up and brought him to the top of the truck. Jumping off he continued his prowl. Quick movements were all that was needed, most of them didn't see or hear him coming.
He continued through out until he was down to six. Four guards near the back of the truck, and two in the cab. He stepped back into the void and lept to the top of the truck. Not a sound or vibration was made. He calmly walked over to the back and looked down.
"Show time gentlemen." he said.
As he lept high into the air, he was out of the rift. With grace he front flipped and brought his staff down. As it made contact with the ground a shock wave was released, causing not only the armed guards to lurch from their position but the truck to lift off the ground a few inches. They noticed the giant figure towering over them. The guards quickly got to their feet and pulled out their pistols and took aim, they fired rapidly. Roman moved, twisting Bo he made the dust rounds deflect away from him and more importantly, the truck and hostages. The sounds of guns were cut of one by one as he twisted himself into the middle of them. Swinging and changing from a high and low stance. Causing one another to shoot each other in shoulders and legs. He swung his staff high on one, connecting with an upper cut and lifting him off the ground, then to slam him into the ground. Spinning his staff at another one in the hips essentially turning it to dust. Twisting his staff he deflected one bullet back to the owner with a follow up swing to the head. He finished off the last one by leaping towards him and jabbing him in the collar bone with a sickening crack.
Two doors slammed as more shots filled the air, this time of automatic weaponry. Bullets hit his shields with petite ignorance as they bounced off. He just stood there Spinning his staff and deflecting the rounds to areas around him. Those that made it through, his shield mods did the work for him. He placed the staff on his back as their weapons clicked empty, he pulled out his silenced lex and pulled the trigger twice at their weapons, taking off one hand each. The heat mod cauterizing the now amputees.
They screamed, he knocked their heads together. He smiled, they slumped.
He spun around and raised his pistol. That was when he noticed the back of the door to the truck was now open, a black masked thug holding a revolver to a girl's head. She couldn't see as a sack was placed over her head.
"Stop right there asshole, one move and I blow her brains all over the ground." he said. Roman remained silent as he observed the other seven behind him, all tied and chained to each other. Muffled crying could be heard from them.
"Let them go." he said
"And why would I do that, this was suppose to be an easy pay until you fucked it up, and now someone's gotta pay." the masked man said.
"Listen kiddo," Roman stated as he kept his pistol trained on him looking for a sign of any hesitation, "I've been doing this for awhile and it always ends the same. I shoot you, you lose your arm and then I give you a real bad concussion. So try me." he finished. The thug looked at him with wide eyes. He held his revolver so tight it was shaking. Underneath the the warframe Roman raised an eyebrow.
"Who are you?" the thug asked.
"Me?" He said raising a hand and pointing at himself, propping up a sassy stance for himself. "Oh I'm just someone," he pulled the trigger, the bullet ripped through the air, through muscle and bone. The thugs arm redirected the shot as it was lifted out of the socket, causing the bullet to ricochet off the gravel and harmlessly through the air. "Who takes opportunity's presented to him."
The thug screamed as he held his shoulder, now limbless and thrashing about on the ground. Roman stepped up into the truck and kicked him in the face, rendering him into unconsciousness. He picked up the body and threw in outside. Now the only sound were crying teenagers.
"Hey, hey hey, relax everybody just remain quiet alright. I won't hurt you." albeit young adults, they were still children. He looked at the girl who was used as a leverage against him. He kneeled down and pulled her close to him. He wrapped his arms around her and her shaking and sobbing stopped.
"hmph phre yugh?"
"I'm gonna remove you hood, but don' freak out. Okay dear?", she nodded her head in a 'yes' manner. He pulled off the hood, and a pool of messy orange hair spilled out. Dry blood caked her head as he took notice of her cracked horns, little antlers missing bits and chunks.
"Found the one that was going to Atlas. Note to self, liberate and expose more faunas labor camps."
He tried to look into her eyes but only found two swollen black eyes to the point where he couldn't see into them. He saw the ballgag that was used to keep her silent, he removed it from her. As soon as he did, she started crying again. Leaning into him her head into the crook of his neck sobbing and stating 'thank you' over and over again. He reached behind her and ripped the cuffs off her hands. She took her newfound freedom and hugged him, pleading her gratitude for him even louder. He let her sit there.
"I can't see, who are you?" she asked as she got her breath under control.
"Don't worry about who I am, just know you're going to be safe my dear." Roman replied. "I'm gonna call the police. You'll be safe, all of you."
"Will they come back for us?" She asked with fear present in her voice.
"No, I can promise you that." He reassured her. She placed her head against his chest as she cuddled him for comfort in the awkward position.
"Why do you not have a heart beat?" She asked. Roman's eyes snapped at that.
"Okay! Well ladies and gentlemen it is time for me to go, the police will be here any second okay, now all of you need to stay here and they will take care of you. I'll be watching them so you won't have to worry about a thing." he said. He stepped out of the truck and looted on of the downed traffickers. Pulling out the downed man's scroll he dialed the emergency number, 9-1-1. The operator picked up and asked the usual question. He tossed it into the the truck near the girl. And then clear out into the now early morning, that still happened to be dark.
/*/
A few days have passed from the incident, the kids were returned to their families unharmed and the person trafficking ring was caught. Roman smiled at the results with an upturned grin. It was the second biggest thing on the news, next to him of course. The news went as far as to tie Roman to the trafficking ring. While yes he was involved with it, he wasn't involved until that night. Now with person trafficking tied to his name, he would seriously have to clean some of his men in the police department to wipe his name from that.
The sun was now settling over Vale. It was prime time for criminals to come out to play. It was an unspoken rule, one that if anyone had a bundle of thought in their brain housing group. Criminals acted at night when everyone thought they were asleep. The false safety had from the monsters in the night.
Roman sighed as he picked up his scroll. Reviewing the news once more, no details were out of place. Thirteen men critically injured arrested, eight victims recovered. Present signs of a huntsmen was there, with the damage cause to the traffickers bodies.
The huntsmen were nothing compared to the Tennos. If he wanted to, those men would have been nothing but ashes when he was done, but the deal with the other three of his family stated that they wouldn't kill anyone while operating a warframe, but maiming wasn't specified. Bringing a cigar to his lips, he pondered about what to do next.
The flame from his light brought him memories of a certain wanna be Ember.
Cinder.
He didn't trust her. There was something off about that succubus, something evil. Sure it was hypocritical to say, but when one bad person call another worse then them. Something wasn't right. He stood up and placed his hat upon his head, grabbing his cane he made for the door.
Now she had him wrapped between her fingers as well as Junior and Neo.
"Neo,I'll be heading to Junior's now." He called out. The reply he received was on his scroll.
Okay. I'll be there later.
/*/
It was early in the night for Junior. Patrons were entering at a steady pace, but one in particular was bothering him. Her presence brought a sense or dread to him. Something wasn't right with her. He eyed her every so often where he felt that she knew. She had barely consumed any of her drink.
It was until Roman walked in that Junior's attention shifted, only to watch him walk over to the same booth that the woman in red was sitting. As he carried his business, him and the other bartenders were filling order. His attention never shifted. Cinder smirked and Roman laughed, they chatted idly and ended when Cinder cupped his face, he kept a grip on his bat and rocket launcher hybrid. She left out of the club leaving Roman to approach him at the bar.
"You saw that?" Roman asked
"Yes, I don't like her. What does she want with all the dust in the kingdom?" Junior replied.
"Don't know," Roman started " Neo is following her, Cinderella is a paranoid as us. She's got a bullhead ready to extract me in case this next robbery goes wrong." Roman smiled.
"Neo is following her, she could take her out right now." Junior stated as a matter of fact. Roman looked at him.
"You know the deal, she's operating Titania right now. Sure she could blow a limb or two off, but that woman has connections. Half of the underground runs scared when we mention her, you only get that with me and the Brawen twins." Roman relaxed a little. "And if she is planning something big, wouldn't you want to know who she is working for?"
"A little to early in this partnership to be assuming so conspiracy, don't you think?" Junior asked with a raised eye brow.
"Sly bastard, answering my question with a question." Roman huffed out. "Okay, I'll take your boys now. Best not keep the gorgeous bitch waiting."
"Wasn't that nickname for Kela De Thaym?" Junior asked
"We killed her, Cinder is well alive." he spoke as he walked away. Junior's men followed suit. Roman left to go rob another dust store. Junior's night was just getting started when a blonde huntress-in-training kicked in his doors.
"What now?" he internally asked himself.
/*/
Roman's night just went great as he made himself back to the club. Neo already being there, he opened the door himself. A botched robbery ruined by a small red annoying runt and a huntress.
"What the hell happened here?" he stared in disbelief.
"Huntress, that's what." Junior looked at him, sitting on a pile of rubble that was once the bar top. He was holding a small ice pack against his temple. Neo was behind him rubbing his back. "You?"
"Same deal, except done in by two."
"Are you gonna bail them out?" Junior eyed him suspiciously.
"Sure. But after this meeting you claimed was so important." Roman shot at him. Junior stood up and led them to the cellar. Entering a code in the back wall, it shifted open an led them below ground even farther. Hanging his coat and hat on a coat rack he jokingly bought for Junior's business, he was not only dressed in a black shirt that held his muscular form. It was the coat that made him seem smaller.
They met around a small table, white and decorated in the middle with the Lotus' symbol. They took their respective places in a perpendicular manner, the only one missing was Kali.
"Okay what is this about?" Roman started off. Junior simply placed a packet of papers on the table and slid a packet of paper over to him. Roman started reading them.
"You can't be serious." Roman passed the papers to Neo. She stated reading them, her eyes went wide as she held a hand over her mouth. She pulled out her scroll.
"This better not be some sick fucking joke Hei, brother or not I will gut you." Neo typed. Junior held up his hands in a defensive manner.
"It's not honestly," He looked to Roman "Remember that Puma faunas Tuskon a while back."
"The white fang defector, yeah he worked for you before you set him up with his book store." Roman replied. Junior smiled.
"Well, he called me three days ago asking for transcripts to Beacon, what ever happened to her in the White Fang, she's out now." He leaned against the table "And get this, he called her family and said she 'had all the right equipment'." The only reply was Neo inserting a magazine into her Snipetron Vandal she pulled off the wall. The males turned their heads to her.
"Lets not take anything out of context here, Neo." Roman stated, he looked back to Junior "Do you really believe it?" Roman asked, a very small presence of pleading for this not to be a lie. His face was soft.
"I don't know, but Tuskon has always been honest with me. I doubt he would lie to me, especially when it involves a defector."
"I still have doubts." Neo showed on her scroll. Junior looked to her.
"We're not dealing with Grineer or Corpus defectors where they could be trying to infiltrate us," Junior got defensive. "Besides I doubt he knows about our connection with her, the only person other than Ghira would be Sienna." Junior finished. There was a pregnant pause.
"Does Kali know?" Roman asked.
"I wanted you to know first, I don't know how to tell her." Junior said with defeat.
"You two were partners before we met you, I think she'll be a little upset that you didn't tell her right away. She isn't like that and you know it." Neo turned her scroll back to herself, erased the message and typed again "Besides she would use Valkyr against the White Fang if something happened to Blake, which I am pretty sure did."
"I'll send her a message tonight." Junior stated.
Author's Notes.
Sorry about the wait, I wanted to get this chapter out there and get some more feels on the characters.
You all have waited so long and deserve this. Apologies if this isn't what you wanted. I skipped the whole yellow trailer and the episode one because we all knew how that would play out. I will continue to work on this through out the days and I cant promise any release dates. I am working on this by myself.
Thank you for your support.