After going through a fair amount of hoops to find it, I was taking no chances with reaching the presumed Progenitor Cache that Regor had found. Submarines, robot assault teams, depth charges, EVERYTHING - while I preferred to go in stealthy, if things went south, I would be able to brute force my way in without trouble. At this point, my temper was starting to run thin, and I was actually looking forward to things going loud - the carnage that would ensue would give me an opportunity to vent my fury on the Grineer. The fact it would be a curb stomp just made it better - I really didn't like the Grineer, and wiping them out would be very cathartic. Of course, I'd need to make sure I didn't wipe out the few good ones that could be redeemed, or weren't all that bad to begin with. That was for the future, though; winning this battle was for the here and now.
There was also be pleasant surprise for me when I started the mission, though. As I made my way toward the facility, I was greated by a Tenno cell who were dropping into the Sea Lab just as I exited my insertion vessel. The team consisted of a Harrow, an Ash Prime, a Chroma, and a Zephyr. While I had no idea who the rest of the Tenno were, it appeared that Cyreesia was the one piloting the Chroma. It was odd that I was seeing a familiar face-er, Tenno, but I wasn't complaining. Help was always, and would always, be appreciated.
"So," I asked, grabbing the cell's attention, "to what do I owe the pleasure of your arrival?"
The Tenno looked between each other, unsure how to answer, before Cyreesia decided to speak for them.
"We're here as a...favor..for an ally."
"And who might that be?"
"That would be me," replied a smug and, regrettably, familiar voice. Accompanying it was a hologram depicting a grey faced man in a blue colored suit, with some rather odd looking facial markings. Inwardly, I groaned - I did NOT want to have to work with Alad V.
"And who are you?"
"Alad V. I know you are a relatively recent arrival to this system, so I will forgive your lack of knowledge about myself. Though, I must say, for a multiversal traveler, you aren't really that impressive."
"What?!"
"One, the Tenno already informed me of your origins, and two, I didn't mean that as an insult. Those who have humility are...rare."
"...why, exactly, did the Tenno tell you what I am?"
"Just because you have been friendly to them does not mean they completely trust you. And before you get angry about them keeping secrets from you, are you really being entirely honest with them?"
I opened my mouth to object, only to go silent. Unlikeable as he was, Alad did have a point - I wasn't exactly being open with the Tenno, so I had noright tojudge them for keeping secrets from me. As such, all I could do was grumble on displeasure at Alad's comment.
"Okay, we both have secrets," interjected Cyreesia, "can we please focus on dealing with this lab?"
"Of course," remarked Alad.
"Fine with me," was my response. The sooner this was over, the better.
XXXXX
Our assault was deliberately a quiet affair. All alarms were suppressed, all security measures circumvented, etc. All to ensure our missions were successful.
As for why the Tenno were down here, it turns out Regor was breeding a manic version of the napalm in this facility, meant to serve as backup for the Nightwatch corps. Apparently, there were two clones that were nearing completion in the lab, as well as a several more still gestating. The plan for dealing with them was simple: kill the first two, then smash the tubes of the rest before they could hatch. The Tenno wanted to deal with one of the tubemen silently, but go loud on the other - apparently, they really wanted to see what mods the Manic Napalm would drop. Yes, that was exactly what they told me. Tenno can be weird at times, even compared to me.
Of the two Manic Napalms we killed, the one that was poisoned was the lucky one. The other guy barely had time to notice us before getting chained, shurikaned, buffeted by wind, poisoned, and, courtesy of myself, taking an arrow to the groin. Poor bastard. Funny as hell, though. Good times.
Destroying the tubes was a cakewalk - having a heavily armed cell with modified and polarized gear just wasn't fair to the Grineer. I could only wonder what Tyl Regor would do when he found out about our sabotage. Probably throw some of his subordinates into the ocean and watch them be crushed by pressure. Grineer were callous monsters, so that really wouldn't be surprising at all. Given that the Nightwatch corps were the ones guarding this facility, this defeat would certainly knock them off the top of the roost.
"Oh, so what's this? A few lizards and an oddity snuck into my lab, trying to ruin my newest project?"
And there's Tyl Regor, Grineer mad scientist extraordinary, and owner of a voice both genders find attractive. Oh joy.
"Well, since your newest clones got put down by us before they could even do so much as scratch one of our number, I don't think they can really be considered effective, can they?"
I hoped to get a rise out of him with that retort. No luck.
"I suppose you're right. Of course, I was watching you smear my creations against the wall, so I don't suppose they were entirely a failure."
"You barely got to see what my abilities were, and the Tenno probably count as knowns by this point. You learned close to nothing from watching your clones fight us."
"True enough. Still, I don't think you came here just to ruin my research. You're after that Orokin cache we found on this moon."
"Well, duh."
"No need for such rude behavior. Still, I can't let you pilfer it."
"Well, too bad. We're breaking in, whether you like it or not."
"Such certainty in your strength. Impressive, if misguided."
"Oh really?"
"Indeed. Nightwatch corps, please remove the lizards and their friend from the lab. Try to subdue them non-lethally, though. I learn more from a vivisection than a dissection. If you can't leave them alive, though, I understand."
As soon as the last words rolled off his tongue, a huge force of Nightwatch Grineer teleported to our location and opened fire. I barely managed to make it behind cover before the Grineer could make Swiss cheese out of me. Sighing, I returned fire and took down one of the Grineer with a well placed arrow, while the Tenno make swift work of the rest. Not willing to be outdone, I used a null lance to destroy an entire platform, sending all the Grineer on it to their doom.
"Oh, a pity," was Regor's response to this. "That was a waste of good Grineer. Still, I do believe you'll fall long before you reach my-"
Regor never go to finish that statement, as that was when the whole facility shuddered, as if it had suffered a major impact.
"What was that?"
"Sir, a massive object just smashed into the facility from space."
"Is it one of the lizards' friend's toys?"
"No sir, it appears to be...Sentient...in origin."
"WHAT?! All troops, retreat to the lower levels. You are to move all research materials to off world transports, then evacuate yourselves. The base will be scuttled in fifteen minutes. WE ARE NOT STAYING FOR STRAGGLERS!"
With that, the intercom went dead. I turned to my Tenno companions, who shared a look with each other, before glancing at me. The unspoken message was clear: get to the lab before it was scuttled.
XXXXXXX
As we descended into the depths of the facility, it became apparent just how bad things were. Grineer troops were barely maintaining their organization as they loaded equipment into submersible craft for transport off planet. Occasionally, the facility would shake again, often causing a window to shatter, filling them adjacent rooms with water until the bulkheads sealed. Any clones unlucky enough to be caught by the water were crushed by the pressure. Still, the continued to work tirelessly to salvage what they could.
Fortunately for us, few Grineer paid any mind to us as we advanced onto the lab, and it only took us five minutes to reach our destination. Quickly, we entered the room...
And were promptly knocked flat on our asses as something huge slammed through the roof.
When we got up, we found ourselves staring at the face of an enormous Sentient, on par with the original forms of Hunhow and Eidolon. Its visage covered the entirety of the home in the ceiling, and it appeared to be actively stopping seawater from entering the room.
"So," I began, "who are you?"
"I am called Zen'Hurros, and I am here to kill you."
"Oh, ha, ha. Get in line."
"You have interfered with our actions long enough. It is time we remove you from this system."
"You really think you can beat us? I've already scuttled some of your companions, and I'm pretty sure the Tenno have brought ruin to millions of your kin. Even if you came here in person, it's not going to help you defeat us."
"I beg to differ. I am well adapted to destroying your kind, tool of the Progenitors."
"What?"
"Yes, I spent my last days of the Old War adapting to your strengths. Once I have finished you off, Hunhow and his wife shall complete Natah's return to the fold-"
THE HELL?!
"-and we shall at last bring ruin to the legacy of the Orokin."
"You might be adapted to fight me," I responded, finally recovering from the shock of learning just where the Lotus went, "but do you think that will mean anything with the Tenno here?"
"True, their presence makes my adaptations useless...but I brought help for that."
"Help?"
"A reckoning, if you will."
The minute he said that, a black cloud of snow appeared, while I went rigid. A moment later, the cloud cleared, revealing a twisted, dark Warframe, wielding one of the largest swords I'd ever seen.
Oh crap, he'd brought the Shadow Stalker-
As soon as the Shadow Stalker stood up, six more clouds appeared behind him, which swiftly resolved themselves into six other Warframe's, all similar in design to the Shadow Stalker.
Fuck...
"Shadow, leave the Dreamerd to your acolytes. You and I will focus on the Machine's Avatar."
XXXXXX
AN: Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!