UNITY FORCE MISSIONS: HORIZON ZERO DAWN

CHAPTER 2: Revenge of the Nora

ARC I: The Seeker Aloy

DISCLAIMER: All characters in the story are not owned by me, save for my OCs.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This will abridge The War-Chief's Trail, and it will focus primarily on Revenge of the Nora.

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[Devil's Thirst, Earth-1355]

Still having no concrete answers in regards to Aloy's last known whereabouts, as well as Erend's, the Unity Force team comprising of Zoro Roronoa, Maya Tendo, Asta, Noelle Silva, Trafalgar D. Water Law, and Meliodas have been continuously hot on the trail of the missing heroes, going so far in encountering a herd of Machines at the War-Party massacre site, as well as encountering a Nora Brave known as Dran, who told them more about the tribes, the phenomenon known as Derangement, and Aloy's last known trail.

This leads them on a wild goose chase deeper into the ancient ruins of Devil's Thirst, where they decide to visit Aloy's last known location: the metal tower in the middle of the ruins. However, the Unity Force are uncertain where Erend even is, and where his last known location is.

Night falls, and Zoro's Unity Force team have avoided the threat of more Machines, as they escape and take camp into one of the ruined buildings in the ruins, contemplating over the experience that they have just faced, moments ago.

"Let's take a few minutes of break." Trafalgar added.

"I'm pooped from all the walking." Asta complained.

"It seems that this is one of the locations, according to Dran-san, where Aloy-san lastly went." Maya claimed.

"But no sign of her or Sona-sama." Zoro added.

"Can you believe what that Dran guy said earlier?" Asta questioned. "You know, about the tribes, the so-called 'Derangement', the Old Ones ruins being 'sinful' to the Nora, yada-yada like that. These people are nutcases." He added, as he is seen polishing his sword. "You aren't a religious nut, do you, Noelle-san?" He asked Noelle.

Noelle only exclaimed at Asta's rather absurd claim. "Of course, not!"

"About that, however." Meliodas said. "The people in this world are truly a mystery." He added.

"Speaking of mysteries... Are we sure that she was indeed at that so-called 'tallest metal tower' that Dran-san said to us?" Noelle added.

Maya only responded, while polishing her rapier. "Certainly it is, by the looks of things."

"Dran said that this metal tower, the tallest building, is located somewhere around here." Trafalgar said.

"Huh... I see that so-called 'metal tower' from here." Noelle said. "It's much taller than what we can expect, but it is pretty much obvious that it is not located here." She commented.

"That's where we are going next." Zoro said, before the rest of the group sans Asta stand up.

"How long it will take us?" Maya asked.

"30 minutes, depending on the current condition." Zoro added.

"Are we missing someone beside us?" Meliodas asked, before looking at Asta, who is not within their group, but they also realise that Noelle is not within them.

But instead, they see Noelle approaching Asta, whom the girl is clearly not pleased of his laziness, and so they watch the two behaving in some sort of a lover's quarrel.

"Are you just going to sit here?" Noelle questioned.

"Oh great." Asta complained. "I was just about to sleep from all this tireless walking that we have been doing for hours." He refused, but Noelle does not allow him to do so, as she only drags him by the collar.

"I don't think so." Noelle grumbled. "One way or the other, you'll be helping us finding Aloy-san!" She scolded.

Asta attempts to complain, but Noelle quickly shuts his complaints down in an instant, before he does so, as the two quickly rendezvous with Zoro's group. Later on, Meliodas then proceeds to tease Noelle.

"Are you two in a relationship?" Meliodas asked mischievously.

"What... What? WHAT?!" Noelle questioned thrice, as her face blushed, as well as Asta.

"Hey, I'm not in a relationship with this dumbass!"/"Never in a million years I'm going to be in a relationship with him!" Both Asta and Noelle uttered at the same time.

"You two surely are." Meliodas claimed.

"WE'RE NOT, OKAY?!" Noelle only exclaimed.

A few moments have passed, Zoro's group then proceed to walk within the path that leads to the location of the said metal tower. Midnight now passes by in Devil's Thirst, which is a completely ideal time for the Machines to attack, so Zoro's group later attempt to sneak their way out of the Machine-infested ruin site by hiding through a red grass patch beside a destroyed brick building.

"This place is infested with these freaks." Asta commented quietly.

In the midst of their trek, they suddenly heard a very loud thumping noise, which can be heard from afar. From there, the rest of the group assumed that it came from a rather suspicious source.

"What is that sound?" Maya asked.

"That's some tall-ass dinosaur robot in there." Meliodas glanced at the said machine.

But their suspicions are later answered, when they indeed see a giant, solitary machine walking around the city ruins, where its body resembles that of a giraffe, but its head is made of a giant disc. Despite its size, however, it is not known to be threatening in nature, other than getting accidentally crushed by it. This machine is known as a Tallneck, which is considered to be a Communication-class Machine, due to its head being designed as a module for long communications between other Machines.

"That thing doesn't even care that we are here." Trafalgar answered.

Then, a Watcher unknowingly walks within the Tallneck's path, causing one of the tall machine's legs to instantly crush the rather tiny machine to pieces, while still being completely oblivious to what just happened, as it leaves its path.

"Ooooh... That's going to really leave a mark." Asta cringed.

"Getting crushed by its foot is another thing, however." Zoro claimed, as he looks at Trafalgar.

"Yeah." Maya answered.

"Place seems clear." Noelle added, as she looks around. "We can leave now." She claimed.

From there, Zoro's Unity Force group later leave the grassy patch, as they sneak past through more Machines that are intently guarding the ruins, all for the while avoiding any unnecessary combat, for now, as they attempt to reach the metal tower, in their last-ditch effort to locate Aloy.

Thirty minutes later, they have successfully managed to reach another building that is angled between the so-called 'tallest tower', which is eerily reminiscent to yet another Old One structure that is much, much taller and more modern in nature. However, rather than the Unity Force being in Devil's Thirst, the group instead have ended up in another ancient ruin site known as Devil's Grief.

And judging by the looks of the entire ruin, as a whole, the Devil's Grief is an Old One ruins of what was once Denver, Colorado in the ancient past.

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[Devil's Grief, Earth-1355]

"What the hell...?" Asta asked. "Where are we now?" He asked Zoro.

"This place doesn't look like the so-called 'Devil's Thirst'." Zoro added.

"Of course, not." Trafalgar answered, as he looks at what looked like the skeletal ruins of a sports stadium. "That stadium looks somewhat similar to the ones in Denver in Normal Earth, according to Touko-san herself." He added.

"That pretty much proves it that Aloy-san's world is just closely similar to the Unity Force Earth." Noelle concluded.

"Then this ancient place is none other than the United States of America." Maya added.

"You can definitely tell from these rusted Interstate Highway signs itself, as well as that ruined highway that we just happened to look earlier." Zoro explained.

Meliodas cursed. "Except it's fucked beyond belief."

During their search for Aloy, however, Zoro's Unity Force group later heard three voices in front of them, where one of the voices is totally familiar to them, which is none other than Aloy herself, much to the shock of them to find her completely unscathed, as well as her being alive and healthy, but this did not ease Maya's worry.

The first person is a black-skinned adult male with black hair styled in dreadlocks, where it is shaven on both sides. He has a face paint on the right side of his face. He wears what seems to be a Nora Brave outfit that comprises of a dark-brown, short-sleeved tunic with a grey-furred collar, as well as vambraces with blue coils of wire and white machine parts. He also wears dark green pants, brown boots, and a bow quiver as well. This is Varl, a Nora Brave, much like Aloy.

The second person is a middle-aged woman who, just like Varl, is also black-skinned. She has brown eyes and a long black hair with some grey on it, where a part of it is tied up in an intricate braid. Much like other Nora, she also has a face paint on the right side of her face. She is also seen holding a bow. She wears brown vambraces with blue coils of wire on it, and has a bow quiver with a knife stored on it. She also wears a tribal outfit, as well. This is Sona, the War-Chief of the Nora Tribe and Varl's mother.

"War-Chief." Varl said. "We have some weird-looking visitors who might aid in our battle." He added.

"Visitors? What is the meaning of this?" Sona questioned with slight contempt, before looking at Aloy, who seems clearly agitated over what is currently transpiring. "Who are these people, Aloy? You seem familiar to them." She answered further, now sounding rather stern.

"Unity Force? Zoro? Maya?" Aloy questioned thrice, as she looks at the Unity Force in surprise. "What are you doing here in Devil's Grief and in this world?" She asked the group, but particularly Zoro and Maya.

"You know these people, Aloy?" Varl asked, with Aloy only nodding.

"I knew something was amiss, Aloy-san." Maya said. "Why did you leave the Unity Force Academy with Erend-san, without even telling us?" She asked Aloy, but Sona becomes rather suspicious of this get-up.

Suddenly, before even Aloy responds, Sona later takes out her War Bow, as she points it threateningly to the group.

"Whatever you people are planning, you will certainly be not welcomed here!" Sona declared angrily.

The Unity Force group brace themselves for whatever "death sentence" Sona is about to pull off.

"Yikes! She's losing it!" Asta exclaimed cowardly, as he grasps at Trafalgar's arm.

"Get off of me, will you?" Trafalgar ordered.

"Please, we are here to look for our friend." Maya only calmly said.

"Wait, War-Chief!" Aloy immediately intervened. "I can explain who these people are, so no need to be alarmed!" She immediately attempted to stop Sona's impulsive and brash demeanour, as she proceeds to explain what truly goes on here.

Aloy then explains to Sona and Varl what the Unity Force is all about, as well as the heroic organisation's goals. She also goes into explaining the existence of several worlds, and saving them from any threats that come into.

Sona is confused about this, but she relents, and so as Varl, but Aloy tries her best to elaborate the rather bizarre situation.

"It's rather complicated to explain." Aloy said. "But these people are not like the cultists who attacked during the Proving, even if they have a strange appearance. I know them." She explained, with Sona and Varl nodding.

"Cultists?" Meliodas asked.

"You mean these people were behind this 'Proving Massacre'?" Zoro asked, with Aloy nodding.

"Those cultists are the ones responsible for the Proving Massacre, and they are hiding at the Ring of Metal." Aloy said, as she points at the said building not far from them.

"It's the same mysterious cultists who killed Vala, my sister, and the others during the Proving." Varl explained.

"Oh my God..." Noelle answered.

"Those bastards will get what they deserve!" Meliodas fumed.

"But we break the Nora taboo and we will rain vengeance on our enemies!" Sona declared.

"So, that's why you left the U.F. Academy." Zoro remarked, as he looks at Aloy.

"I still have unfinished business to do here." Aloy replied.

"So, who are these people?" Noelle asked.

"This is Sona, the War-Chief of the Nora." Aloy said, before pointing to Varl. "This is Varl, a Nora Brave." She added.

"Greetings." Varl said. "That outfit doesn't look like anything we have seen before in years. Not even one of our tribespeople wear that kind of clothing." He continued.

"So, you've known the outcast, as well?" Sona asked the rest of the Unity Force.

"It's a complicated story, actually, uh... Sona-sama." Maya remarked. "And Varl-san." She added. "But we can explain it later on." She ended, with Sona nodding understandably, before they focus on the main topic.

"Mind if we join in on whatever this mission goes?" Zoro questioned, as he takes his sword out.

"Just tell us what we can do." Maya said.

"Look, I appreciate your help from the rest of you, but this mission... This mission is something that we have to deal with, not just myself, but for us." Aloy answered in a rather denying manner.

"I know, Aloy-san." Maya answered, before a brief argument ensues.

"You just don't get it." Aloy argued in front of Maya, as she looks away. "Those killers in the Proving are the reason why Sona's War Party are here in Devil's Grief." She answered, with Maya nodding.

"But we can help, Aloy-san." Maya responded. "Varl-san and Sona-sama are not just the people you will help." She continued. "Don't forget that you're a part of the Unity Force, and our job is to help those who are in need." She reassured, in an attempt to make Aloy relent.

As that happens, however, Aloy later immediately relents, as Noelle convinces her that the Unity Force will do anything in power to help her out and this world, as well.

"How can we help?" Trafalgar asked.

"Are you sure the rest of you can fight, as what Aloy said?" Sona asked in a rather underestimating manner.

"They can, albeit some are more specialised in their own ways." Aloy said. "Anyways, me and Varl will sneak through that metal tower that leads through the Ring of Metal." She added further. "And I'll set fire to the Blaze stockpile, so that the Nora army will storm through the camp." She added.

"I can provide both of you cover, Aloy-san and Varl-san." Noelle added.

"Myself, Asta, Meliodas, and Trafalgar will join in with Sona-sama and her forces." Zoro added.

"Of fucking course!" Meliodas answered.

"Don't." Trafalgar simply replied.

"What about me?" Maya asked.

"Infiltrate the Ring of Metal and tell us what you see, so we can tell what these 'killers' are up to." Zoro ordered.

"Got it." Maya said, as she leaves the group before proceeding to infiltrate the said ruins on the other side.

With the plans now in fruition, Zoro, Asta, Meliodas, and Trafalgar later join in with Sona's Nora Brave army, while Noelle joins with Aloy and Varl to infiltrate the base on the other side, with Aloy setting the Blaze stockpile ablaze. Maya, meanwhile, goes on a mission to extract as much information about the Proving killers who are settling in the Ring of Metal. They also heard from Aloy that she was a target by the same cultists that attacked in the Proving, which promptly alarmed the Unity Force, and it gave Maya another reason to investigate further.

As it is happening, Maya later has glimpses of the Ring of Metal's interior, where she sees a group of what looked like cultists, as what Aloy said to her earlier, as well as a group of Corruptors that lay dormant, as well as a group of Watchers, but no other Watcher that she has seen, as it has red tendrils around it. This is known as a Corrupted Watcher, which is one of the hostile Corrupted Machines.

"You got this?" Maya said, as she is seen talking to Zoro through a transponder. "I've seen some of those so-called 'Corruptors' that are in a dormant state, as well as a group of those 'killers'." She described.

"Anything else you see there?" Zoro asked.

"The 'Watcher' machines that we encountered earlier, except with those red tendrils. These cultists seem to be using them as their own sentries." Maya added.

"Red tendrils?" Zoro questioned.

"I don't know about it, but it seems only Aloy-san knows what it is." Maya added.

"Anything else?" Zoro asked.

"Those cultists are digging something." Maya added, as she is seen sneaking around the ruins. "I'm seeing Aloy-san running." She added.

"That means she is quietly sneaking into the Blaze stockpile." Zoro said.

As expected, the scene cuts to Aloy, where she is quietly sneaking at the back, which is directly close to the Blaze stockpile, where it contained barrel after barrel of Blaze.

"I'm at the Blaze stockpile now." Aloy said, as she contacts Zoro through her Focus, which acts as a transponder, as well.

"Got it." Zoro replied.

Aloy later takes out a Fire Arrow from her quiver, as she loads her bow, before aiming it towards the Blaze stockpile. She then proceeds to shoot the barrels of Blaze with the arrow, causing a violent chain reaction to happen, as the Corruptors were immediately shut down, as well as some cultists that have been dispatched from the explosion.

"We have intruders!" One of the cultists exclaimed, but was cut off when Maya attacked at the back with her own rapier, killing him.

"Aloy-san. It's time." Maya said.

When that happens, Zoro, Asta, Meliodas, Trafalgar, Sona, Varl, and the Nora Braves push through the now-destroyed gate of the Ring of Metal, with Noelle joining in, as she flies down from the tower. There, they proceed to fight off against the cultist army and a group of Corrupted Machines, which later becomes a bloody battle, right as it immediately starts.

However, the threats of the cultists are not just the only threat, as groups of Corrupted Machines appear on the scene, including a Fire Bellowback, which resembles of a Spinosaurus; Scrappers, which resembles of a hyena; and Redeye Watchers, which are similar to Watchers, except they can fire projectiles coming from their eyes, and are also red-eyed, hence their name.

"Those Machines from earlier..." Zoro added, as she takes out his Enma and slices off a group of cultists, as well as dicing off two Corrupted Redeye Watchers.

"Corrupted Machines." Aloy said, as she takes out her Blast Sling and bombards a group of Corrupted Machines. "Those Corruptors that were blown earlier are the ones responsible for Corrupting them." She revealed.

A cultist attempts to fire a napalm grenade towards Zoro within his sling, but Trafalgar quickly slashes the grenade into pieces, causing the cultist to be shocked over what he has just witnessed.

"Impossible!" The cultist said. "Just what kind of a person are you?!"

"The Surgeon of Death." Trafalgar only calmly said.

Trafalgar then takes out his Kikoku and unleashes a clean slashing attack known as Radio Knife, as he unleashes this attack towards the cultist. The cultist then screams in agony, causing him to be electrocuted, as well as his body parts getting amputated, killing him.

"How can you do that?" Varl asked, as he proceeds to stab a Corrupted Redeye Watcher's eye, dispatching the machine instantly.

"Everything in Unity Force is possible, Varl." Aloy commented, before she fires a shot towards a cultist with her bow, killing it instantly.

Meanwhile, Asta takes out his Demon-Slayer Sword, as he unleashes Black Meteorite towards a group of Corrupted Machines, destroying them in an instant, causing a Nora Brave to look in surprise.

"Amazing..." A Nora Brave warrior said. "That is beyond explaining!"

Noelle then fires Sea Dragon's Waterball towards the cultist army, causing them to be thrown away from the Ring of Metal, as they are thrown outside of the ruin, due to the spell's power.

"What is the meaning of this?!" The last cultist exclaimed.

"Your death, that's why." Meliodas mocked.

But Meliodas cuts him off, as he ruthlessly stabs the last cultist with his Lostvayne in twisted satisfaction, leaving them with the Corrupted Machines left, including Scrappers and the Fire Bellowback.

"Braves!" Sona said. "It's time to end this threat and avenge the fallen. The sacrifices of the fallen will not be in vain. Thanks to Aloy's outworlder allies, our victorious efforts against this sinful threat have increased tenfold!" Sona declared, as she and the rest of her army fight off the Corrupted Machine threat.

"For the Nora! For the Unity Force!" Varl exclaimed.

The Nora Braves unleash a battle cry, as they attack the last of the Corrupted Machines to give room for the rest to fight off against the Fire Bellowback.

Maya later takes out a silver whetstone, as she polishes it into her rapier, causing an aura of silver energy to burst into her rapier, as she faces the Corrupted Fire Bellowback with her, Zoro, and Aloy.

"That's some one big fat fuck we have to deal with." Zoro said.

"I'll try to continuously puncture its sac, which will unleash a violent explosion that will ignite and kill off the rest of the Corrupted Machines." Aloy said, before she proceeds to unleash a barrage of attacks towards its Blaze sac, with one attack causing the sac to be punctured.

The Fire Bellowback unleashes a flame attack towards the group, but Maya quickly leaps through it, as she unleashes a forwarding stab towards the fire-breathing machine's head, causing it to malfunction.

"Yakkodori!" On cue with that, Zoro then unleashes a crescent projectile towards two Corrupted Scrappers, causing both of them to be sliced.

"And here goes!" Aloy said, as she unleashes the final arrow towards the sac of the Fire Bellowback, unleashing a wave of flames around it, causing the remaining Corrupted Machines to be ignited and destroyed.

"Whoa!" Asta said.

"Talk about being creative." Meliodas commented.

With the battle over, Sona and Varl later stand up in front of the Nora Braves, and with Zoro and Maya standing on the other side.

"All-Mother, look upon our victory." Varl declared. "A debt of blood is paid. Remember this day, brave Nora." He added.

"From your lips to the Goddess' ears. Yes. Remember it." Sona added. "But we thank these outworlders... We thank them for aiding us against this battle, and for avenging those who fell during the Proving." She ended.

"Remember." Zoro said. "The Unity Force are indebted, as our job is to help those in need, Nora Braves." He added.

"Everything is always possible." Maya said.

The Nora Braves then cheered in front of Sona, Varl, Zoro, and Maya.

"Be ready to leave this place. Let your spears and arrows rest in the bodies of the fallen – they are tainted, like these ruins." Sona declared.

"You kidding me...?" Asta whispered to Meliodas.

"Yeah. These people are indeed crazy." Meliodas replied quietly.

Sona then approaches the Unity Force.

"My apologies for the situation earlier." Sona said. "But our tribe suffered a blow during the attack on the Proving." She added.

"It's okay, Sona-sama." Maya apologised.

Then, Asta is seen talking to Varl.

"Speaking of that, we've never seen you fight like that before." Varl said.

"Everything is possible in the Unity Force, Varl-san." Asta added. "Heck, we're also surprised by your skill, as well." He complimented.

"Can you tell me a little more about this Unity Force and this 'Academy' thing, as what you called?" Varl asked.

"Trust me. Some of the students there are strange. Heck, we even have a student who is a gemstone, as well as a robot!" Asta added, as Varl is getting more and more confused.

"What's a gemstone? What is a robot?" Varl asked, obviously having no knowledge of ancient terminologies in his world.

"Gemstones are like colourful rocks, and robots are like those machines that we faced, except that most of them are even human-looking!" Asta added.

"Unbelievable." Varl said. "I'd guess I might join in on this Unity Force thing, if the situation demands it, like straying to my tradition." He answered.

"Kind of understandable!" Asta boomed.

"This outworlder really has problems." One of the Nora Braves pointed out, as he looks at Asta.

Later on...

"The killers..." Aloy said in front of Maya. "They are gone, now, and they will not kill anyone."

"But this is just a fraction of whatever mystery you are chasing, Aloy-san." Maya added.

"The killers and the corruption... Kind of the mysteries that I'm chasing, and where the trail that leads, I go." Aloy claimed.

"Listen." Maya said, as she reassured her companion. "I know that you want this to do, but you can't do this by yourself, Aloy-san." She added.

"I know." Aloy said. "But I was doing this for your concern." She added.

"Kind of defeats the purpose of us coming here." Zoro added.

"Anyways, I have to find a person named Olin Delverson." Aloy reminded. "He was the one responsible for initiating the attack on the Proving, and how those killers saw me through his focus." She added.

"But where is this Olin person, now?" Maya questioned.

"He's in Meridian, the capital city of the Carja territory." Aloy answered.

"What happened to Erend-san, as well?" Maya asked.

"He was also back in Meridian, as well, when we entered through the portal in the academy." Aloy replied.

"Then, that's where we go next and find this Olin person and find Erend." Zoro said.

"Honestly, don't worry us next time!" Noelle exclaimed.

"I promise, but my goal of finding out about the fate of Old Ones is still far from over, as well. As well as the identity of my mother... And why I was targeted." Aloy only answered with a slight smile, albeit with a worried and serious tone.

~~~0-0-0~~~

The characters that appear in this chapter (in order):

Sona and Varl from Horizon Zero Dawn

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A/N: This story is inspired by the ideas of someoneStupED and XP4Universe.

On the next chapter of UF Missions: Horizon Zero Dawn: With the defeat of the killers, who were the perpetrators of the 3040 Proving Massacre, as well as defeating a horde of Corrupted Machines, the Unity Force join in with Aloy on their way to the Carja city of Meridian, but their visit to the gates of Daytower are halted by a sudden assault of Corrupted Machines in the gates. The Unity Force start to suspect that someone or something is causing all of these attacks...