Chapter Three
Loki entered the medical ward of floor 65. At the receptionist desk sat a single Trinity user. She was young, perhaps still in training. She had her black hair tied up into the traditional bun and a single metal pin kept it in place. She wore a matching black silk dress which contrasted with brown eyes which glistened against the light that emitted from the holographic pad in front of her. She stood up as he approached the desk. Loki bowed in which she returned it quickly. Loki smiled and nodded, and she sat back down.
"Good evening, how may I be of assistance" she looked at his shoulder. "-captain?" she finished courteously.
"I'm looking for 247-Nyx. She was admitted earlier this afternoon."
The receptionist nodded and punched the given info into her pad. She looked up and motioned to her right. "She is in room 11. It will be on your left, Captain."
Loki smiled. "Thank you very much Doctor."
"You're very welcome, Captain."
Loki walked to the left of the desk down Hall A, where he passed rooms 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and then he reached 11. The door was closed and had a single circular window. There appeared to be something small turned on, as a faint florescent light filtered out. He closed his eyes and cleared his throat before he pushed the doors' open panel. The door slid open and he quietly walked in.
A single bed with medical instruments on both of its sides, a small florescent wall lamp and a chair accompanied her in the room. There was no one inside but Nyx who lay on the bed, sleeping soundly. He bit his lips as he walked forwards and took a seat next to her. He touched the memo pad that hung on the side of her bed. It registered his touch and brought him to the main profile of the patient. Loki scrolled past "Administered Time" and then "Treated By" to reach the "Status Report". Each patient inside a medical ward was diagnosed and treated by a team of doctors. A formal report was then written for other doctors and others visitors to read. Loki read the report carefully out loud to himself.
"247-Nyx. Age: 22. Cause of hospitalization: Mental overexertion." Loki nodded. So that's what happened. He continued.
"According to multiple second opinions, it appears that 247 has suffered from a severe mental breakdown most likely brought on by combat induced stress. No physical wounds present. Vitals read healthy. Stress levels are at an abnormal level. Estimated recuperation time: 1-2 days. 247 confirmed as VIP by Lotus. Partner wanted for-" Loki stopped and swallowed hard. He hung the memo pad back on the bed and blinked. "questioning" Loki finished with unease.
He rubbed his eyes. His commanding officers would probably find and interrogate him within the day to hear his side of the story. He wasn't supposed to let anything happen to Nyx. He knew that more than anyone. But it was her who decided to meditate in the middle of an infested ship! Loki shook his head. He couldn't pin the blame on her, he knew how important she was to him, and more importantly, to Lotus. Loki shifted his attention to Nyx. He hoped that she was dreaming of pleasant things, judging by her peaceful expression on her face. It was a rare moment where he was able to look at her freely, for she always shot him defensive glares whenever she caught him looking at her longer than he should have. He stopped denying it to himself a long time ago. Nyx was astonishingly beautiful. Her hair was a lovely shade of mahogany. It was short, yet long enough to distinguish her as a definite female. It was the tiniest bit curly and at the front, brushed to the left, and barely hung over her eyes. He couldn't see them now, but her natural eye color was green, which was uncommon for Tenno. Most Tenno's eye colors were brown.
Loki's train of thought of admiring Nyx's beauty were soon interrupted by the sound of footsteps. He listened intently and realized that they were approaching Nyx's room and the privacy he shared with her would soon be cut short. Impulsively, Loki leaned over Nyx, gently touched foreheads and gave a chaste kiss on her left cheek. He straightened up and pivoted around just to see an officer walk through the door. The insignia on his shoulders identified the male as a Colonel, a powerfully built one. The man was certainly intimidating, but Loki didn't know whether made him more uneasy: the almost wild look in the Colonel's eyes or that he had a broad scar that ran from his forehead to his chin in a horrible diagonal pattern. He also noticed a row of sheathed Kunai throwing daggers sewn onto his belt. He bowed at once in which the Colonel replied with the tiniest sense of impatience in his voice "At ease, Captain". His voice was gruff and powerful.
Loki straightened his posture. "Is this about 247, sir?"
"Correct", the Colonel replied, eyebrow slightly raised. "I will need to escort you to a hearing concerning 247's current predicament".
Loki nodded. "Right away, sir." Loki made his way out of the room while the Colonel followed him closely. Right before the door closed, Loki looked one last time at his sleeping partner. "Sleep well, Serah."
Loki was escorted to the elevator where two armed guards who had waited for the two of them to then go to the 100th floor. By the time he reached the elevator, Loki managed to spot the Blade Storm tattoo on the Colonel's neck. He was an Ash user, the notorious counterpart to the Excalibur. The Excalibur WarFrame was not only the strongest of the original 13, but it was exclusively used only by the strongest Tenno. This dangerous combination of pure skill and power won the respect from Grineer and Corpus alike all throughout the galaxy. While the sight of any WarFrame sent chills down enemies' spines, the sight of an Excalibur instilled very different reactions among the Corpus and the Grineer. For the Corpus, Crewmen frantically scrambled to the "safety" behind their proxies while the Grineer on the other hand ferociously attacked until they were all dead, for if a simple clone managed to kill an Excalibur, he or she would be hailed as a God amongst Grineer society. Excalibur users were natural-born leaders. They were charismatic, iron-willed, and valiant warriors. Loki studied the Ash Colonel. He seemed to fit the common Ash characteristics all right. Ash users tended to be withdrawn, vindictive, and often sadistic.
According to Tenno folklore, the original Excalibur and Ash users were both brothers. They fought the "Sentients" together as partners. Their incredible strength and power earned them fame and respect throughout Orokin society. While both fought for the survival and pride of their people, the two brothers soon diverged significantly in personality and philosophy. The Excalibur fought with mercy and restraint. He spared enemies who had surrendered from his blade and killed only when necessary. His brother acted otherwise. Any and all enemies of the Orokins were put to his blade. No amount of pleading and repentance could spare any Sentient from his red sword. When Excalibur confronted his brother about his atrocities, the Ash simply replied that he had abandoned all remorse and compassion for anyone else besides the Orokins. If he was ordered to kill, he would kill. Ash had discarded his own humanity for he believed that emotions would only hinder his own success on the battlefield. Excalibur protested and said that they needed to show restraint and mercy. He agreed that they were the sword and shield of the Orokin people, but they needed not to become murderers, but warriors. He asked his brother to consider a scenario where their people turned corrupt and evil. Would he still obey and kill for them without second thought? Ash's response shocked Excalibur. Ash stated that he would. Excalibur begged his brother to abandon that philosophy and instead adopt his own: follow given orders but ultimately follow your own heart in the pursuit of justice. Ash rejected that philosophy and called Excalibur's philosophy weak and feeble.
What happened next remained a mystery to the present day. There are several interpretations of what happened next. Most believe that the two brothers engaged in a climactic duel to the death and it was the Excalibur who triumphed over his brother, only to commit suicide afterwards. Others believed that the Ash abandoned his brother to continue his wicked ways, forever splitting Excalibur and Ash users apart. Some even believed that the dispute between the two legendary brothers sparked a civil war among their people and along with the uncontrollable Technocyte plague, lead to the ultimate demise of the Orokins: their only descendants to be the Tenno. Whether the tale was true, or Tenno simply unconsciously self-fulfilled the prophecy, there was a deep seeded mistrust between Excalibur and Ash users. Therefore, they were never paired together.
Loki looked at the guards who escorted him. Both were in non-combat attire and wielded Braton-Vandal automatic rifles. He spotted the Black Hole and Overload tattoos on both of their necks, meaning that they were Vauban and Volt users. To his left was the Volt. He was young, perhaps around Nyx's age. Besides being smaller in size and thinner, he sported the common buzz cut. To his right was the Vauban, who was much older, perhaps in his forties. He had a beard and his graying hair was tied into a rat-tail. Although not as big as the Colonel, his arms looked like they could crush a MOA with ease. The Tenno colony's internal security force consisted of all WarFrames, but a major part of it was composed of Vauban and Frost users for their WarFrame powers were highly useful for obvious reasons. Volt and Loki users were also an important part of the force, but they were usually tasked with being messengers or for any emergencies that required speed.
Volts and Vaubans were considerably less intimidating and mysterious than the Excalibur and the Ash. Volt users tended to be energetic, brilliant and ambitious warriors. Eerily similar in personality to Embers, Tenno of the two WarFrames got along very well. A conversation between a Volt and an Ember was like watching a MOA's circuit board going haywire: it was infinitely amusing and spectacular. Vaubans on the other hand were usually wise, humble, and selfless warriors. In addition to a wide knowledge of mechanics and engineering, Vaubans were commonly known as 'gentle giants'. Despite being physically domineering, they sported kind hearts and were known never to instigate fights, whether or not it was the other parties' fault or not.
They made their way through a maze of hallways and connectors which ultimately lead him to a seemingly empty room.
"Wait here", the Colonel ordered. "Come outside when you are done."
He motioned for the guards to follow him and soon the doors from which Loki had entered closed behind him, surrounding him in complete darkness. A beat later, a single light beamed over him and a holographic image of Lotus herself along with four other cloaked Tenno, all seated, appeared some ten feet away from Loki. "Good evening, Captain" Lotus greeted.
Loki's first reaction was to kneel on both knees and touch his head to the floor.
Lotus accepted the gesture. "You may rise 126", she said calmly. Loki straightened out his posture, but remained on his knees. It was expected of Tenno to take both knees whenever in the physical presence of Lotus, hologram or not.
"126", Lotus continued, "do you know why you are here before my council members and I today?".
Loki nodded with guilt. They know. "It is because of my failure to procure the safety of my partner, 247."
Lotus pursed her lips. Her elaborate headgear blocked any sight of her eyes. She wore an intricate dress in a dark shade of purple. Rarely seen in person, only the highest ranking Tenno commanders and Tenno who received the death sentence were allowed to meet her in person. As the Tenno's spiritual and military leader, Lotus' wisdom and vast knowledge of the enemy allowed her to conduct an extraordinarily successful campaign against the Grineer, Corpus, and Infested aggressors.
"126, we reviewed your and 247's camera feeds of the events that happened today," Lotus paused, as if to carefully word her next statement correctly. -"and it is our unanimous conclusion that you are not the one at fault, but in fact, 247 herself."
Loki opened his mouth to protest, but Lotus held up her hand.
"126, we know more than anyone else how serious you take the mission that we have given you" Lotus reassured with a smile. Loki's eyes widened. He had never seen the Tennoleader smile.
"Despite your rather ample acts of absurd behavior while on duty with 247..." Lotus added with slight amusement in her voice before her expression suddenly became serious. "-no other Tenno could keep her more safe."
Loki blinked several times and nodded. "I-I am honored to have received such compliments" he stumbled, shocked to have received such praise from the leader of his people. The council member who sat to the far left spoke: a male, elderly voice.
"Rest assured, 126, this meeting is us simply telling you to keep up the excellent work of protecting 247." The Tenno who sat to his right nodded sincere approval.
"However", a female voice interjected. Loki looked to the Tenno to Lotus' direct right. The council member stood up and looked straight at him.
"You must not allow our words to soften the resolve you hold now, nor permit you to take your mission any less seriously. Do you understand?" she dictated while the entire room fell dead silent. Loki took a deep breath and quickly jumped to his feet, bowed sharply and decided to reaffirm the oath he had taken a year ago.
"I, 126-Loki understand! My punishment adjudicated by the honorable Lotus and her Council is just and fair! My mission is to protect 247-Nyx at all costs! My life is to be expendable without any hesitation! On the blood of my ancient ancestors, the ineffaceable Orokins, and the magnificent stars that birthed them into this world, I pledge to see my sacred task to the very end!"
Loki bellowed the last sentence as loud as he could. His heart pounded as he held his breath. The council member nodded and sat back down in her chair. A few moments passed before Lotus broke the silence. "It seems that you have once again convinced us that we should not doubt your conviction nor your talent. Your mission stands: protect your partner at all costs." she stated at ease. "Captain, you are dismissed." Loki looked up to see Lotus and the her council members fade away. The overhead light soon faded too and he was left alone in the dark. Gah! Loki expelled the air in his lungs noisily as he gasped for air. His emotions ran high during the meeting, and now he felt slightly sick.
He walked back to the door and knocked. The door opened and the Colonel peered over Loki's shoulder before nodding. The guards behind him let him pass before they closed the doors behind him. After exchanging departing formalities, the Colonel and his guards marched off in the opposite direction, perhaps to question someone else. Protect your partner at all costs. Lotus' voice echoed through Loki's mind. A wave of nausea washed over Loki and his throat became dry. He swallowed. Again. Again. Loki's heart sunk. It was happening. He needed to get back to his room immediately. His brisk walk soon turned into a full sprint, tears forming at his eyes.
One year ago, Loki was responsible for of a heinous crime. He was found guilty on all counts and was sentenced to death by incineration. Eventually he was sent to Lotus to confess his sins to her in person. Whether Lotus at the time she felt incredibly sympathetic towards him or somehow knew that he would become one of the top ten strongest Tenno to represent the Loki WarFrame, he would never know.
Lotus revoked the death sentence and instead ordered him to protect 247-Nyx, a low-ranking and seemingly ordinary Tenno agent, with his life, for the rest of his life, no exceptions. Later he was briefed in secret that the Nyx he was ordered to protect was in fact a one of a kind: her name was Serah, and she was the only Tenno in existence and recorded history ever to be able to use WarFrame powers without any sort of armor on. Loki refused to believe the farfetched claim until he was presented with 247-Nyx's dossier. A 24 hour patient camera had captured Serah performing a weak version of "Psychic Bolts" attack in her sleep. She wore nothing except for a hospital gown and the bandages wrapped around her head. She had been admitted to the medical ward the prior day for she had suffered a serious head injury during a sabotage mission. Even after the injury healed, the doctors kept her in stasis to see if they could study the unbelievable phenomenon. It reoccurred again, several times: inconsistent variants of "Mind Control" "Chaos" and even "Absorb" were performed.
However, each day that went by, the length and the power of the phenomenon weakened to the point where it eventually stopped all together. Tenno doctors all agreed that lack of mental activity dulled Serah's senses, and if they wanted to continue to study her, she needed to be released and kept in the field to keep her mind active. Nonetheless, it was essential to keep this a secret from other Tenno, and most importantly, herself. Serah's original partner 313-Saryn was partnered with 494-Frost, and Loki became Serah's partner under the guise that her superiors believed that she would work better with 126-Loki. A WarFrame power cancellation shield was installed right down the middle of their room in secret as a barrier between Loki's and Nyx's side. It was invisible and could be walked through without any sensation at all. Although her power usages at night were incredibly weak (her Psychic Bolts attack were the size of toothpicks and dissipated before they hit the wall) the barrier was installed as a precaution.
Loki accepted his new task zealously, for he was not ready to die yet. The room to his door opened and a he fell to the floor, his memories flooding back. They were coming back and he couldn't stop them. He crawled towards his bed, the interval between each breath grew more and more erratic. Loki reached underneath his bed, feeling wildly around until his fingers made contact. He retrieved a small metal container, punched in the four-digit pass code speedily and grabbed the small .3 ml syringe inside. Loki struggled to bring himself up to lean against his own bed. Without rolling up his sleeve or checking for air bubbles, he jammed the syringe into his arm and pushed the barrel all the way to the end. The sedative entered his bloodstream and instantly his eyes grew heavy and his arms fell to the floor, numb. He always did this when his grief grew to unbearable levels. He had to do it, for being conscious during his panic attacks drove him absolutely insane.
It was the guilt of the atrocious crime he had committed the year before. The memories of that fateful day were forever engraved into Loki's mind, destined to haunt him for the rest of his life.
Loki was responsible for the death of 501-Ember.
Author's Note
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