Change

"Nyx."

Hayden seemed at a loss for words as a wall of golden warframes moved to stand between him and the bed. Between him and Lissandra.

"You will leave her alone." Nyx said flatly as she stood by the bed. She had no weapon in hand and indeed, didn't seem hostile. But only a fool took her for calm. "Voices? Get them out of here. He did something to try and keep the Kubrow unconscious! Sister Isha? Silence him before he does something even more unforgivable and I hurt him." A golden Trinity nodded.

The closest Voice held out her hand and Lissandra rose to take it. Lilly and Cass rose from the bed to walk beside her as the Voice led her from the room. Behind her, she could hear voices, but none of them made any sense. A hum that was more felt that heard tore through them. Lilly winced and Lissandra bent down to gather the shuddering puppy up in her arms. The puppy was quivering as energy started to sing behind the trio. Lissandra stroked the puppy's head and Lilly relaxed a little. Light flared behind them, but all of the walking beings ignored that as the door shut behind them. The silence that fell was deafening.

"What does he want with me?" Lissandra finally broke the silence.

"I do not know." The Voice leading her replied. "The Tenno may be divided on you and your ability, but none of them will cross Nyx."

"No one is that stupid." Ali stepped out of a cross corridor and the cavalcade stopped short, both Voices moving to stand between him and Lissandra. Ali shook his head. "If I wanted to hurt her, I would have by now."

"No, you want to use me just like everyone else does." Lissandra kept stroking Lilly's head as the puppy growled weakly at the green masked form. Lissandra stiffened. That was blood seeping from the Kubrow puppy's nose! "Lilly is hurt."

"Hayden got loose? I wondered why my guards ran off." Ali sighed deeply and then nodded. "We better get them both to Healer Iriana before the Healer starts ripping walls out." Lissandra stared at him and Ali shrugged. "The Healer has a temper that it is not wise to cross."

"I do not want to cause trouble." Lissandra pleaded as the Voices started off again, leading her gently. "Certainly not for Tenno!"

"We know." The Voice who had spoken to her sounded sad. "None of what has happened is your fault."

"If I was at fault, I could try to fix things, maybe apologize!" Lissandra hugged the stricken Kubrow to her chest as she walked. Cass did not speak, just strode beside her, his eyes never leaving Ali who walked nearby. "But this? All I see is people getting hurt around me. People I love. I can't do that again." Lissandra wilted but then had to smile as Lilly licked her face. "Ah, Lilly. I wish my ability worked on Kubrow."

Me too. The puppy's voice was soft, hurting and Lilly held her gently as the Voices led the others into a large healing ward. Iriana stood in the middle of the room, talking to Tiana who still wore her Nyx Prime warframe. Both stilled as the procession entered.

"What is going on?" Iriana demanded as she stalked towards Lissandra. She stilled as Lissandra indicated Lilly. "Lilly? What happened?" The Healer pulled a scanner from her belt and started scanning the stricken puppy.

"Hayden got loose." Ali said with a growl and everyone stilled. "Nyx is better and she is not happy with him."

"Nikis said he found her energy, but she was a mess." Iriana did something and Lilly relaxed in Lissandra's arms. "He said she wasn't going to-" She broke off, looking at Lissandra who would not meet her eyes. The healer finished what she was doing, gave the puppy a pat and turned to the woman holding the Kubrow. "Lissandra? What did you do?"

"I heard someone crying." Lissandra said very quietly. "I heard her somehow and we talked, but elsewhere. I tried to help. I like to think I did." She slumped a bit. "And when I woke, the Voices came to talk to me." She nodded to them and they nodded back. "And then the one you call Hayden came out of what had to be a secret passage. Nyx came with others and they didn't give him time to do anything." Lissandra protested weakly as Iriana muttered something foul and started scanning her. "I am all right."

"Yes, you are." Iriana turned off her scanner and put it away. Then she sighed deeply, laying a gentle hand on Lissandra's arm. "I am sorry. I thought you would be safe here. I thought we could make you safe here." She slumped and a tear fell, followed by others. "I… I prayed we could make you safe here."

"It isn't your fault any more than it is mine." Lissandra covered Iriana's hand with her own. "I am a valuable commodity and everyone wants me, no matter what I may want or the consequences. I am just a thing."

"You are so much more than that." Another voice interrupted whatever Iriana was going to say and Lissandra gasped as everyone moved to stand between her and a door that had just opened nearby. A female form in a patient gown stood in the door, leaning against it as if weak. An Excalibur warframe strode out of the room, trying to push her back into it, but she wasn't budging. "We did not intend to hurt either of you!" Alicia said as firmly as she could. Not very. "Ancestors know, the last thing I wanted to do… was hurt you after everyone else I have hurt!" She shook off the Excalibur's hands and snarled at him. "Back off, X! I need to say this!"

"Alicia!" The Excalibur said grimly. "You are not well and you are under arrest. Go back to bed. Don't make me or Tiana hurt you. Please!" He begged.

"This needs to be said!" Alicia snapped and staggered forward a step. The Excalibur grabbed her arm but she slid out of his grip and took another step, only to pause as Iriana and all the others formed a wall in front of Lissandra. "It is not your fault, human Lissandra! It is mine!" Everything seemed to come to a sudden halt as Alicia sank to her knees, halfway to where Lissandra stood as if frozen. The unarmed female Tenno bowed her head. "I found out what was happening and I did not report it through the proper channels. I did not feel there was time. If I had, perhaps this would not have happened."

"Anyo was going to attack the Clergy to take me." Lissandra said into the silence that greeted Alicia kneeling. "Such would have started an open war." Alicia nodded. "Why?"

"Because what he has done is not Cell Free." Alicia said very quietly. "But it is just as bad in some ways. He lost control of the orphanage facility and is grasping at straws to try and stop what is happening without killing his son."

"His son?" Lissandra demanded, pushing past Cass to stare at the kneeling Tenno. "Derf Anyo?"

"Truth is difficult to separate from his rants, but what we got said that his son was running a clandestine orphanage. One not under the Clergy's oversight." Alicia was gasping, but she jerked away when the Excalibur tried to lay his hand on her shoulder. "She needs to know the truth!"

"Truth varies from person to person." Lissandra said sourly and then rage reared up in her voice. She tried to tamp it down, but it would not be denied. "Why should I believe anything you say? You kidnapped me! Brainwashed me!"

"We did." Alicia slumped. "We both hoped to explain in a better way. To ask your help while we were doing it. Even in that horrible place, we were planning to ask. When the Tenno and the Reverend Mother find out the truth, they are all going to go ballistic. It will make anything that has happened to date pale. The only good news is that Anyo learned Bek's lesson and hasn't even tried to build a C&C MOA." Lissandra stared at her, feeling faint as realization dawned and Alicia nodded. "Alad V and Bek lost a bunch of samples when Serene hit the base, but they had lost some before that and never realized it."

"Please, dear God!" Lissandra gaped as Cass gulped as well. Both Voices stood as if white gowned statues. "Tell me he didn't clone Tenno!"

Just the thought of what the Tenno or the Reverend Mother would do if that happened again was enough to make anyone who knew the facts pale. Iriana was ashen and from their postures, both of the Tenno in warframes were almost a bad. Then again, when Serene had gone berserk at that facility that had cloned and then slain her daughter? They still told stories in dark corners of Corpus space about the Banshee's rage. Few knew why she had done it and those few knew enough to be very afraid of a repeat performance. Especially since the female in question now led the Clergy!

"He did not." Alicia reassured Lissandra who relaxed just a little. "I do not know whether or not he tried, but none of the records we confiscated said anything about Tenno. What is there is bad enough. Three girls, three boys. All made from stolen samples and enhanced with his idea of perfect technology."

"Cloned humans." Lissandra swallowed hard. "Are you sure they are human?" She inquired carefully After the mess that had resulted from hybrid human/Tenno children that had made the Clergy seek a new Reverend Mother? Oh yes. Everyone who knew anything about it was wary about that as well.

"I cannot be totally sure, but none of the records I saw said anything out of the ordinary beyond what he did to them. That is enough of a mes as it is. I didn't see them." Alicia wilted. "The lab is quarantined due to the game program getting loose. That is why he wanted a Cyberlancer and medic. That is what it took to stop Cell Free." She slumped and then caught herself before she fell. "At least this time, the data quarantine held."

"Such a quarantine will not hold such a thing. It was tried. That is… If we can believe anything you say." Ali said savagely. "Your methods inspire almost as much trust as mine and Salia's did."

"Call Nyx." Alicia said with a wince. "I won't resist. If she looks, she can see I am telling the truth as I know it. Yes, we abducted you and the sergeant, human Lissandra. Yes, we brainwashed you because brainwashing him wouldn't work. He escaped twice, was recaptured twice and the third time, he was injured very badly. You saved his life and blew your cover. We were trying to stop an all out war between the Clergy and Anyo. When we found out about them, we were trying to find a way to save the kids. That was less than twenty minutes before the Sentients showed up. We did not have time to call for help. That is the honest truth as I know it."

"Nyx is busy talking to Hayden Tenno." Cass growled and Alicia wilted further. "I am betting she will be a while and the discussion will be loud."

"No bet." Came from Ali, the Excalibur and Iriana.

"Then Iriana can do a mindscan!" Alicia pleaded as the Excalibur stepped up to her side. "All of my anti-interrogation protocols were trashed by what Nyx did to me. Please! You have to believe me! I didn't mean…. I was trying to help!"

"Alicia..." Iriana sighed deeply. 'You know we cannot trust you-" She broke off as Alicia's hand flashed and then the Healer gasped as Alicia produced something long and sharp. The Excalibur took a step forward, but Alicia snarled as she pressed the scalpel she had apparently purloined to her own throat.

"No one can trust me now." Alicia started to push the scalpel home, even as Iriana and the Excalibur closed in on her, but Ali was suddenly at her side. Somehow, he had her hands in his and was pulling the scalpel away from the wound she had torn in her throat. He twisted them behind her and they were bound somehow.

"You don't get off that easy, Tenno." Ali said sourly, but then he stopped as Lissandra laid Lilly in Cass' hands and stepped forward. "Human Lissandra..." He warned as Lissandra went to her knees beside Alicia even as the Excalibur grabbed her and Iriana started pulling equipment out.

Lissandra did not speak. She simply laid her hand over the horrific wound that Alicia had torn in her own neck. The Tenno's blood fell down over her fingers, but she pressed tight as Iriana started to work.

"No!" Alicia tried to pull away, but between Ali and the Excalibur, she was going nowhere. "Don't! I will infect you!"

"No, you won't." Lissandra said very quietly as Iriana started to work. "I filter the Virus too." She held the wound closed as Iriana worked and then the Healer pulled the human girl's hand away to show new skin when a wound had gaped. "I tried to suicide that way once." She slumped. "It didn't work."

Her pain was given voice for just a moment and then…

Lissandrs jerked as a hand landed on her shoulder. She stared up at the Nyx Prime warframe that held Tiana.

"Do you wish her life?" Tiana asked. She sounded odd. Almost anticipatory?

"No!" Lissandra snapped. "I heal! I do not kill! There is enough death! Enough horror! I do not need to add to it! I am angry! Who wouldn't be?"

"Anyone would be after such ordeals." Ali was looking at Tiana and his posture was odd. Respectful? "There are other ways to punish."

Itiana finished treating Alicia who just slumped in the Excalibur's hands as he relieved her of the scalpel and then started searching her carefully. She looked from Tiana to Lissandra, to Cass and then back to the Nyx.

"You are so right." Tiana knelt in front of Lissandra! She crossed her arms and bowed her head over the arms. "Sister to sister, yours in life and death."

Lissandra felt her eyes bulge and her jaw fall open as Iriana knelt as well. She too crossed her arms, bowed her head and spoke the same words.

"What?" Lissandra begged. "What are you doing?"

"They are offering you a family. Restitution the only way they can." Ali said carefully. "Those words predate Orokin. The First Tenno used those words to welcome aspirants into the ranks of his followers."

"Not at first." Everyone spun to see Nyx standing at the door, Hayden beside her. The male Tenno's face was ashen and his posture was subdued. It might have had something to do with the nine Prime Warframes aiming weapons at him. "It took some time for us to formalize such."

"But what does that mean?" Lissandra begged as the Excalibur knelt and crossed his arms, bowing his head to her! He too spoke the words, substituting 'brother' for 'sister'. Alicia could not raise her arms, but she bowed her head and spoke the same words.

"It means that if you take us up on our offer..." Tiana's head rose, but the rest of her did not move. "...then the only way anyone will ever hurt you or your loved ones again is over our dead bodies." The fury that sang in her tone was not directed at Lissandra. "We know loss. We know pain and fear. We are Karl's Shadow and we offer you all that we are. Not your ability. You." She nodded at Lissandra's stunned expression. "You are human. That does not make you better or worse than anyone else. It makes you different and we know all about being different." She paused and then she chuckled. "Besides, we could use your help with Mercedes."

The Excalibur, Alicia, and Iriana all nodded fervently. Lissandra stared around at them all and then back at Tiana.

"Mercedes?" Lissandra all but begged as Cass moved to her side, Lilly whining in his hands. Another warframe stepped forward with a cloth to wipe Lissandra's hands clean of Alicia's blood. The Volt Prime warfrme was shaking his head as he stepped back, but he seemed more amused than angry. "The Mercedes I knew?"

"Mercedes has a baby boy." Tiana had a smile in her voice now. Lissandra jerked as realization struck. "Yes, she and the Commander formed a partnership. The problem? She wants more kids."

"More… kids..." Lissandra swallowed hard. "Ah..."

"Yeah." Tiana winced and Iriana shared it. "She wants them natural and the Commander is a bit leery about her enthusiasm." She shook her head. "So are we. The last thing we need in a Tenno Dojo is a bunch of 'rugrats' as he calls them running around. One or two would be no big deal. Mercedes is talking about ten. She wants five girls and five boys." Her tone left little to the imagination as to how she felt about that.

"Ten kids." Lissandra felt faint and Cass plopped Lilly into her arms. The puppy's squirming had the girl relaxing a bit. "That is not a good idea."

"You know that. I know that. Hell, the Healer knows that." Tiana chuckled, but it held little mirth. "Mercedes seems to be cut from the same strip of stubborn as her husband. Maybe you can convince her that such is a bad idea." She made a sour noise. "Please? Vina will bless you in very waking breath if we can get Mercedes to focus on something other than procreation for a while."

"But… I..." Lissandra looked at Nyx who slowly shook her head.

"I was going to offer such myself." Nyx admitted. "You don't deserve to be alone any more. I like you, Lissandra."

"But… I am human!" Lissandra pleaded.

"So?" Nyx and Tiana chorused.

Lissandra turned to Cass who sighed and then laid his hand on her arm.

"I am probably not going to survive this, Lissandra." Cass warned her. She stiffened, but he continued. "That said? You do not deserve to be alone. I have dealt with these Tenno before. They are crazy, but if they give such an oath, they keep it."

"Why, thank you." Tiana said so dryly that Cass flashed an obscene gesture her way. She turned to Lissandra who was shaking her head. "You may be immortal now. You may not. We know about living far longer than others, Lissandra. We know about people trying to use us. We know about suddenly having abilities that scare us. We know about secrets. Alone, you are vulnerable. With us? You will not be."

Steel might have bent into a pretzel under the Tenno's words.

"But… If Anyo has made a game program like the one that so frightened people..." Lissandra pleaded. "Don't I need to stop it?"

"Not alone." Tiana, Iriana, Alicia, the Excalibur, Nyx and Hayden all chorused. Hayden bowed to Lissandra.

"I give apology." Hayden said quietly. "I planned to explain, not simply hurt you."

"I do not trust you." Lissandra snapped and Ali nodded to her. She turned to Tiana and then she looked at Lilly. "What do you think?"

I need the facilities. Lilly warned.

"Well, we can't have you making a mess on the floor." Lissandra chuckled and gave herself a shake. "We have enough messes."

"That we do." Nyx agreed. "You don't need to answer them today, Lissandra, but it would be polite."

"Can Cass come?" Lissandra asked.

"As long as he doesn't try to hack anything." Tiana made a soft noise of disgruntlement as Cass tried to look innocent. "Be warned, Sergeant. Olim and Quais call the dojo home, You are not going to out-hack those two. If you step out of line? I know where I can find Violet."

"You wouldn't!" Cass stilled.

"Try me! She still likes forks." Tiana growled and Lissandra had to laugh at the betrayed look on Cass' face. The human sighed deeply and then nodded to the kneeling Tenno in the Nyx warframe.

"What do I say?" Lissandra asked as Lilly squirmed. "We better get Lilly to facilities soon."

"Informally, a 'yes' will do. Formally? Repeat what I said." Tiana bowed to her and Lissandra intoned the words.

"Sister to sister, yours in life and death."