Hysteria

"What is she doing here? She isn't supposed to be here!"

Liriel couldn't stiffen since she was paralyzed, but she was reeling as the golden hands checked her pulse. That wasn't a Grineer speaking! She knew the voice! Isis! The leader of the Feline Corps? Here? What the hell? She couldn't see the white furred witch, but she would know that voice anywhere. The biofeedback technique faltered and vanished as a familiar feeling hit the Kavat. Isis' power.

"The Kavat's pulse is good." That was the Grineer! Liriel saw the transformed clone's lips move and the sound was as guttural as she might expect. But it was odd. The clone's skin was golden, so he was Corrupted, but he had no orb and hoops on his forehead. So he wasn't under the control of a neural sentry. "Do you wish it restrained?"

"Yes! Now!" Isis was angry. Almost as angry as Liriel was becoming. "What the hell are you doing here, Liriel?"

The Grineer had straps in hand and he was bending down close to the frozen Kavat when it happened. Liriel heard Abigail cry out in pain and fear. The girl was scared and hurting. Not conscious, but scared and hurting. An innocent was in danger.

Enough.

Liriel was ice cold as she opened a conduit in her mind that had been sealed long, long ago. She had sworn to many never to open said conduit, never to touch the power that resided deep within her and she had abided by that oath. All the ones she had sworn to were gone now and an innocent soul was in danger. Whatever the cats or whoever might do to her, she was not about to let them do anything to Abigail. Enough was enough.

The Grineer jerked back as lavender energy spun from Liriel's paws to arc around her. Energy that took on the form of computer code.

"NO! Sedate her! Now!" Isis screamed, but it was too late. The paralytic agent in Liriel's bloodstream melted under the onslaught of the lavender computer code.

The Grineer jerked back, fear coloring his golden features as Liriel rose to her feet. She didn't need to see herself to know that her eyes were glowing lavender. That the code was swirling around her, coloring her fur white and her skin black. Ariana had always loved that color and Liriel had worked hard to make her projections fit her friend's wishes. They had been such a good team. Ever since Ariana had found a small, misshapen thing and not killed her as the Tenno probably should have.

"Fall back!" Isis yelled. That was wise as angry as Liriel was. A barely seen white blur vanished through a door.

The Grineer ran as well. The door hissed shut and then clicked locked. Mechanical locks. Someone knew what she was capable of. Liriel scanned the room with both eyes and code. What she saw horrified her. A clear plastic cage sat against one wall. It was familiar, but not. She knew that cage. Had she been in it? It was large enough for Liriel to stand in and had both bedding and a place for her wastes. She hissed at it. She didn't remember it, but she knew it. Knew it and hated it. The rest of the room was unremarkable. Orokin décor, but old, decayed.

A moan drew Liriel's eyes away from that horror to where Abigail lay on a bed. She wasn't restrained and didn't seem hurt in any way, but Liriel let her code sweep the room and the girl before she moved. Medical gear of many kinds was arrayed around the bed, but none was attached to Abigail. Liriel's eyes narrowed as she saw energy flickering from Abigail's hands. Not coherent energy and not very powerful, but familiar energy. It was almost exactly like what Liriel was casting! The girl was a Cyberlancer! Just like Liriel! But not trained.

Oh dear. Liriel finished her scans and set her energy to defend herself. Only then did she move to the bed and jump up to examine Abigail closely. She found what she feared. She had been told that Abigail had been forcibly mindwiped. Such things did not work on Cyberlancers, even untrained ones. Their minds did not work as other minds did. Liriel's mind…

She paused. She scanned her own mind quickly with her code and found blank portions. Someone had mindwiped her! Whoever it was had done a damn good job, but there were data fragments that she could recover. She started doing just that but then focused on Abigail.

There was something wrong with the pillow that Abigail's head lay on. Liriel hissed again as her code reported that a somatic unit was transmitting from it directly into Abigail's sleeping mind. A thought and the device shut down, but she didn't fry it as her first impulse demanded. Instead? She scanned it, seeking to find out what whoever had been using it had been pushing into Abigail's head.

What she found…

Liriel had though herself beyond horror. Beyond pain, fear, grief, all of that.

She wasn't.

Oh, Abigail… Liriel lay down beside the now crying girl's head and fought hard not to cry herself. She touched the somatic unit with her code, changing every security protocol in an instant. No one else would be able to access it but her. No one else would program Abigail. She sat up and glared around the room, her code identifying each and every surveillance device in the room. There were seven of them. Slowly and methodically, Liriel fried each and every one of them. Then she sat and waited.

She didn't have to wait long.

Abigail woke up with a scream. Tears were falling and she was all but hysterical as she jerked up in the bed. Liriel knew what to do, so she did it.

It is all right, Abigail. Liriel said quietly as she rose and stepped to where Abigail was staring around wildly. It is all right. You are all right.

"Li- Liriel?" Abigail's voice was firmer, clearer but shaken. Terrified. Stood to reason, all of her memories were back. All of them. "I remember… I was confused. You were kind to me."

Yes, Abigail. Liriel said softly as she stepped up into Abigail's lap to nuzzled the girl's face. It is all right. It is over. The one who hurt you and your friend is in prison and he will not enjoy the fruits of his labors. Be calm, Abigail. You are safe. No one will touch you now. I won't let them.

Any reasonably sentient being would have fled from the Kavat's tone. Abigail relaxed, just a little.

"He… He did this to me..." Abigail stared down at her waist, her face ashen.

Yes. You and the other. Liriel didn't want to hurt Abigail but lies would hurt her worse right now. I didn't know you had this gift. I could have helped before. But now? I can and will. Be calm, Abigail. Be calm. It is all right. She purred and Abigail relaxed a bit further despite the tears that were still falling. Liriel's code swept around the girl, soothing calming, easing.

"I… Was there someone else here?" Abigail asked, staring around the room. "Someone was telling me I had to-" She broke off as Liriel put a paw to her mouth. "Liriel?"

It is your choice, Abigail. Not theirs. Steel would have bent under the Kavat's furious tone. Yes, someone else was here. A hiss sounded nearby and Liriel fought hard not to sigh. Sure, gas a Cyberlancer. Such didn't generally work very well if the Cyberlancer was conscious. Her code filtered the gas from her's and Abigail's lungs without Liriel even trying hard. And yes, someone else is about to get their ass kicked.

"Where are we?" Abigail asked, not even noticing the gas. It cut off as whoever had released it realized that it was useless.

I don't know. Liriel admitted. I don't recognize this place, but I know it as odd as that seems. Someone has been playing games with my memories. Probably the same ones who were trying to program you.

"Why?" Abigail asked, confused. "I mean, yes, I can make pretty colors appear and I am good with computers, but what good is it?"

Abigail… Liriel chided her gently. She smiled as only a Kavat could as her energy smoothed Abigail's hair. Abigail stared at the Kavat and then at the lavender energy that surrounded her. Her eyes went huge. The Kavat spoke before the girl could find her tongue. Yes, I am. Or… She sighed. I was.

"You are a Cyberlancer?" Abigail asked, stunned. "But..." She broke off, clearly unwilling to give offense.

Species doesn't matter. Liriel had a smile in her voice. What matters is the will and the power. I had both. Yes. I was a Cyberlancer. I fought beside the Tenno. But when Ariana was sentenced, I went with her. She was my friend. I promised never to use the power again. I have broken my word. She slumped and Abigail took her in her arms.

"To save me." Abigail hugged the Kavat gently.

They wouldn't have killed you, but you would have wished it. Liriel said sadly. Programming Cyberlancers doesn't work. All it does is drive us mad.

"But I am not a Cyberlancer!" Abigail protested. "I don't have your power!"

Yes, you do. Liriel corrected the girl grimly. It is less a matter of power and more of control. I don't come close to the amount of power Trinity had or I hear that the current Grandmaster can wield and it doesn't matter. She nuzzled Abigail's cheek again. Abigail, power in and of itself is meaningless. What matters is how you can use it. I know how to use what I have. You have power enough to use. Do you want to?

"But… they said I had to..." Abigail stammered.

Well, they are idiots! The Kavat retorted. I know better than to try and coerce someone into this path. The job sucks. The choice is yours. Not mine. Not theirs. Yours. She nuzzled Abigail's cheek again. You do not have to choose now. You have time. Take it. Think about it. Don't rush into anything. Plan first.

"Well said." A new voice had both females spinning to see the door open and a small calico form standing in it. He was alone. Then again, Matril didn't usually need any backup. A cat trained in stealth capable of hacking almost anything and excreting selectively powerful organic explosives made for a very dangerous opponent.

Liriel was out of Abigail's lap and between the stunned human and the cat before the sound of his voice had faded. As scary as Matril was? Angry Cyberlancer Kavat was just as scary.

DID YOU DO THIS? Liriel's scream was pure rage.

"No." Matril's voice held sorrow, rage and fear all in one. "Fucking idiots. I told them not to. They ignored me. I have worked with Olim. I know what he and Quais will say about this. It won't be polite. Let alone what Jesse will do." He actually shuddered.

I can't trust you! Liriel snapped.

"No." Matril agreed. "Such would be stupid and you are many things, Liriel. You are not stupid." He wasn't hostile! He was sad! And proud? "I warned them, Liriel. You told me and I warned them! They didn't fucking listen!"

He wasn't faking that rage. He wasn't angry at Liriel! He was angry at… At the other cats?

I told you? Liriel said slowly. They wiped my memories.

"No." Matril said sadly. "None of us were capable of such. Not even me. You wiped your own memories." Abigail's hiss of shock was matched by Liriel's hiss of rage. "And it didn't work entirely, did it? You remember some, don't you? It is not your fault, Liriel. The blame lies with us, not you. I tried, Liriel, I tried! I tried to get them to stop!" Was he begging? For what?

Was he trying to comfort her? Why? Why was she suddenly feeling warm and loved? What was he doing? Hacking her?

"No." Matril answered her unspoken question when she looked at him. "I don't need to hack your mind. Not that I could with your powers alive again. I know you and you know me. Neither of us were given a choice, but we found what good we could in that horrible situation. I hoped you were free of it when you wiped your memories. I will never be free."

That… That wasn't a lie. No. Those words ate at something deep inside Liriel. A rage as deep as space itself, but not at Matril.

"What have they done?" Abigail's soft, scared words had both felines looking at her. "You cats, what have you done?"

"I didn't." Matril took a slow step forward, only to stop as Liriel backed up a step. "They gave me about as much choice as they were going to give you, Abigail. I cannot disobey lawful orders from a superior no matter how repugnant I find them. It is bred into my bones. I cannot. They ordered me to do it and I did it and I am damned to hell for it. I am sorry, Liriel!" He curled upon the floor! "I cannot even report what they did! I have tried!"

Isis? Liriel asked. Matril nodded, silent. The Kavat heaved a sigh. I assume the others are watching and waiting for an opening. Another silent nod. Do they care that they would have driven Abigail mad?

"They think that since she is human, such can be controlled." Matril replied, not moving. "Like you say, idiots."

It was tried! Liriel snapped. So many people tried to assault us in so many ways. Fucking idiots tried to make people like me and Trinity, force them to attack us and it never fucking worked! It always drove them mad. They had to be stopped, and the cost was always dear. It never fucking worked. Why was she suddenly talking like Matril? It felt right as odd as that seemed.

"So you said and I looked at what records are available. After. They all bear you out and no one cared!" Matril said sadly. "I tried, Liriel. I tried to get them to understand."

"Matril." A cold, hard voice preceded Isis into view. Liriel did not move as the other cats joined her. Bastet, Grisha, Jumper. Matril didn't move and then he jerked, pain in every motion as he fought to keep from rising. "Matril, we need to stop her."

Hurting me isn't enough, huh, Isis? Liriel asked as her code swept around her and Abigail in a protective shell. She couldn't trust Matril. Not really, although that hurt, deep inside. She had no chance against all of these. She was good, but she knew her limits.

"We didn't hurt you." Isis said flatly. She was clearly not expecting Liriel to laugh. "What?"

For a Healer and an intel goon, you are a really crappy liar, Isis. Liriel snapped. My life is forfeit for what I have done here, but you? If you did what I think you did… You may be Intelligence, Feline Corps no less, but there are limits. Matril? How many?

There was only one reason Matril of all people would be acting like a protective father. If he was one.

"Eighteen! All healthy!" Matril groaned as power flared around him. "Liriel! Please! Run!"

I am done running. Liriel let her code flash to Matril. It slashed through the power that was assailing him and he sank to the floor, instantly unconscious. Lavender power flared all around her and all of the other cats retreated a step as her rage finally broke loose. You! Lousy! LYING! SCUM!

Everyone backed up from the furious Kavat. Even Abigail was out of the bed and across the room before Liriel finished her screamed words.

"Don't make us stop you, Liriel!" Isis pleaded. "We do not want to hurt you! You are far too important..."

SHUT UP! Liriel screamed. I have nothing to say to you, you lying sack of Kubrow crap! Whatever the hell you want, you can kiss my butt and you will not keep my kittens! I will come for them or someone will! Anyone who gets in my way, I will kill!

Isis started trying to dampen Liriel's rage, but the fury enhanced code threw the cat's empathy back. Jumper started to hum, but Liriel barely heard it. Grisha and Bastet both stared, helpless. Their abilities could kill Liriel fairly easily, but stop her without killing her? Not so easy with her code online again. She couldn't win a fight with all four of them, but she had other options. She reached for a mind she had only felt in passing once. A connection flared into being, shock mixed with awe from the other. Information passed between their minds at lightspeed and then rage that matched Liriel's own came from the other. He joined her mind, his own skill not as refined as hers, but his power undeniable.

"Liriel!" Abigail begged as her legs gave out under the onslaught of Isis's empathy. "She is too powerful. I can't… She is stunning me!"

No, she is not. Liriel snapped as power flared yet again. Not just her power. This time, the code was lavender and red! The power arced into a golden portal underneath Abigail! The girl vanished in a haze of gold with a cry of alarm that faded.

"NO!" Isis screamed as Liriel leaped towards the portal. "Liriel! You do not understand! Grisha Stop her!"

Darkness tried to grab hold of her, but Liriel evaded with all of her skill and desperation. She managed to keep running despite the overpowering dread that seeped into her very being.

I understand you are my enemy and I swear you will not keep my kittens! Liriel retorted as she jumped into the portal and the world fell away. She landed badly on a metal floor and gasped as pain flared in one leg.

"Liriel!" Abigail begged as Liriel collapsed.

Warm hands picked up the Kavat and held her gently. Pain flared anew in Liriel's right front leg and a male voice sighed.

"Well, this is a fine mess." Liriel looked up into an Ash warframe's faceplate and smiled a bit faintly. Quais was clearly confused, but he knew what she was just as she knew what he was. "Liriel, how bad?"

I broke it. Liriel said with a wince. I will heal. If um… I am given time. I um… I surrender, Cyberlancer. I have violated my oath to Trinity. Abigail needed help, so I have no regrets, but I have violated my oath. Used my powers. I will not resist.

"Why do I get the feeling this is going to be a very long day?" Quais quipped as he carried Liriel towards a medical station.

"Because you are a smart Tenno, Cyberlancer Quais." Abigail rose to shaky feet and followed, her face pale. "We need to get back to Mars."

"Well, then it is a good thing I was on my way there anyway." Quais said flatly as he set Liriel down on the station and the scanners started to whine. "I still have an oath to fulfill."

So do I. Liriel replied.

Neither of the others commented on her tone. Nikis himself might not have been able to best her ice cold fury.