This is Natah's chapter. CW: Abuse, gaslighting, mental manipulation, blood and gore (Warframe), extreme body horror
Aka: Fuck Ballas and the Orokin, all my homies hate Ballas. Seriously, he's one of the biggest bastards in the franchise followed by Alad V and Dr. Tengus.
Same thing as the last chapter, everything in her back story isn't being told to them.
Some lines are used from Erra and the New War quests.
The Orokin reactor is an absolute marvel of techno-organic engineering. It is the pinnacle of technological enhancement designed for both organic and inorganic beings as well as machines.
Much like the similar Orokin Catalyst, the Reactor acts as a secondary system for accepting modifications. Everything has a certain "capacity" for modifications that can be inserted into them. Sometimes the effectiveness of these mods is dependent on the baseline abilities of the subject.
As an example, the Orokin Modification known as [Adaptation] uses technology derived from their terraforming drones, to a lesser extent. This mod is designed only to work for Warframes, so a Grineer Lancer's body would reject the augmentation, even with a Reactor installed into their body. Some mods like [Vitality] theoretically strengthen the durability of a Grineer, but since their bodies are physically weak it wouldn't benefit them as much. Compared to the baseline stats of a Warframe they would see a noticeable increase in their durability. The Grineer would and do utilize the [Steel Fiber] mod in many of their elite troops, as their armored bodies benefit more from that than something like [Vitality] which is a biological enhancement.
Since the Orokin Reactor nearly doubles the "capacity" of whatever it is attached to, it increases the amount of "drain" that the subject can take. That term is somewhat of a misnomer, as it is not taking anything away from the user, but adding on. A better term would be "load". The body can only take a certain amount of enhancement before it begins to give out, causing rapid organ failure in biological beings and overloaded power circuits in machines. Thankfully, there are built-in safeguards in the Orokin's modification system to stop the user from accidentally destroying themselves.
-Tenno Codex Archive Entry: Orokin Reactor
[U.A. Class 1-A, May 8th 2242]
Shota can fairly say that the hero class this year is the worst he has ever taught in his short tenure at U.A. Last year he'd only had to expel a few, and almost all of them had been re-enrolled after the sports festival. Hado and Amajiki were two that stood out to him and he had high hopes. Kan's class also had two students there he was bragging about as well.
But this year, he'd expelled half the class on the first day. Then two of his students that were siblings had to move out of the country suddenly. He was down to eight students by the end of the first week. Then right before the sports festival he had to expel five of them from class, and Nezu had kicked them out of the school entirely. They had been relying on a Gen-Ed student's quirk that allowed him to strengthen the quirks of others. The only reason they'd been caught is that the boy had caught the flu and they couldn't refresh the power-up.
It was a damn shame too, because the five of them could have easily stayed in the hero course if they bothered to put in more effort instead of trying to cheat their way in. Now they had a black mark on their records for lying and cheating on the entrance exam. Of course, the others had marks on their record, but they always included a reason why they were transferred. Plus they still were able to earn their spot back while in Gen-Ed.
He was down to three students by the time the sports festival rolled around. One had decided to transfer to business after that, citing the stress was too much. He was down to two until internships were over. He wouldn't send out under-trained students to internships even after they'd competed in the festival. They'd earned their spot back in the hero course through hard work, and learned from their mistakes.
Heroes were held to a high standard. Even more than the police, but less than the military. They needed to take this seriously. They would be responsible for people's lives soon. He knew firsthand what could happen out in the field.
"-his voice kept me goin-" Shota freezes. He watches the medics pull the body bag over the corpse of his friend.
He could never send his students out unprepared. Many could argue that he was a harsh teacher. He knew for damn sure he wasn't the best, but he wanted the heroes he taught to live long lives, not die in the field to a preventable accident or burn themselves out by the age of thirty.
Hizashi would argue that was exactly what Shota was doing, but he knew his limits. It wasn't exactly the healthiest lifestyle but he managed.
He looked back to the two remaining students awaiting their internships. In another week, they would be training under active heroes. They might even do some fieldwork.
Kamisato Ayaka and Fuwa Mawata were excellent students, although he likely would've booted Fuwa to Gen-Ed had it not been for Kamisato's positive influence on the girl. As much as he despised Ayaka's brother, he could admit the man was an effective and disciplined hero… at least on the surface.
Her quirk was different from her brother's, who could solidify the water vapor in the air into afterimages of his sword swipes. The afterimages were just as dangerous as being slashed by the sword he used. Ayaka simply had an ice quirk that she could infuse into objects. He knew that ice quirk users had a certain stigma to them nowadays, especially in Russia. Despite this, she had been determined and hardworking… until the day after the sports festival. Her boyfriend had gone missing the night after the festival during a freak storm and was presumed dead.
Kamisato had been distraught for the past week. She was slacking in her training, and she hadn't even picked a hero name. For someone who'd taken first place in her year, it was disappointing. If her attitude didn't improve soon, he would have to cancel her internship. He wasn't cruel enough to expel someone from the hero course when they were suffering like this, but at the same time, he couldn't in good conscience let her go out into the field if this continued.
"Kamisato, Fuwa, hit the showers. That's enough training for now. Kamisato, see me after class." He couldn't force the girl to talk about what happened if she didn't want to, but he knew what it was like to lose a loved one. In all likelihood, she wouldn't tell him anything. That was fine. All she needed was the wake-up call that she had friends who cared about her.
On his way back to the classroom, Principal Nezu passed him, hauling a large thermos of tea. That gave him pause. If Nezu was drinking that much tea there must be something going on.
Nezu noticed Aizawa staring at him and waved. "Hello, Eraserhead! How are classes going?"
"Is there something going on that I need to know about?" He'd noticed that Chiyo, Inui, and Kayama had all been tight-lipped about something the day after the sports festival. Kan said that he'd seen them entering the MEC multiple times this week. It could be one of the students who did something that warranted detainment, but that wouldn't take multiple days. If it were an intruder then Nezu would have told him and the rest of the staff.
"Nothing that requires your concern, at the moment at least." The Principal's beady eyes stare back.
That means that it is a private matter, probably something to do with the security of an alum or the government. There were only two times that Nezu wouldn't tell him something. The first was if the Principal was making him the subject of one of his little games. The second option was that whatever he was doing was on a need-to-know basis. He strongly suspected it was the second based on the rat's body language.
Still, he narrowed his eyes. "Fair enough." He probably would end up regretting his decision to not ask, but it probably wasn't worth the headache knowing about it would bring.
[U.A. Multipurpose Emergency Center, May 6th, 2242]
It was late afternoon when Ordan returned from his interview. Natah immediately noticed the tired look on his face, as well as the dried tears on his cheeks.
"What did they do to you?" She asked him. Did they torture him? No, he was too strong for them to break, and he bore no wounds.
He sat down on the bed and sighed. "Nothing. All of this was my own doing. All I did was tell them my story."
She raised an eyebrow. "What exactly did you tell them?"
"They had someone who could tell if I was lying. Plus I made a deal with them in exchange for information."
He proceeded to tell Natah and Haylee everything he had learned. All he had learned about the world of quirks and heroes.
"I see, I do wish you would've discussed what you planned. You took a big risk with no guarantee that the information you received would be truthful. Right now, they hold all the bargaining power. We have no idea of how powerful they are, but we know they are stronger than my father, albeit in his weakened state." While Ordan's actions were reckless, he was the only one who currently understood the Japanese language.
"Also," he added. "They want to interview you in a few days, with me acting as a translator."
So that was their game. Luckily, she was far more experienced in negotiation than Ordan. Alright then, she'd play.
[U.A. Multipurpose Emergency Center, May 8th, 2242]
Toshinori didn't have a very high opinion of the Natah woman based on what he had heard from Karris. Sending children to fight in a war was unforgivable, even if she hadn't been the one who conscripted them additionally.
Natah and Ordan sat at the other side of the table. She could see the frail-looking man glaring at her, the same one who defeated her father. She wasn't sure what his problem with her was. Was it something Ordan had told them? It was possible, no, very likely that that was the case. Ordan didn't know much about her, only that she was a sentient spy turned leader to the Tenno.
"That's Detective Tsukauchi. He's the one with the truth quirk. He will know if you're lying. I tested it just to be sure." Ordan tells her.
She can understand bits and pieces of what the Japanese men are saying. Ordan translates her words to them. She could just speak to them herself, but it would be very broken. It was easier for Ordan to just translate directly.
AN: Ordan is relaying everything Natah and the others say to each other in real-time.
"So, is it true that you were an artificial being?" Nezu asks, eyes glittering with curiosity. AI technology had come a long way, but Natah was a fully sentient being on the same level as a human long before becoming one. Biologically, she was human now, but mentally she wasn't. She was leaps and bounds above any of the robots that U.A. used, or militaries around the world with their machines.
"Yes." The first time she had met the Principal, she'd been caught off guard by the fact that he was an intelligent animal. She knew the look in his eyes, as well as his quirk from what Ordan told her. A genius schemer. Coupled with the detective's Truth quirk, he would be able to see through any holes in her story if she tried to deceive them with half-truths. Truly a frightening combination that they had. All Might may be the strongest person in the room, but he wasn't the most dangerous right now.
"Fascinating…"
All Might was still giving her that look of distrust and anger. "Do you have a problem, All Might?" She pointedly asked.
"I do. Ordan told me what you have done. While the Orokin thoroughly deserved everything that was coming to them, what I cannot forgive is that you used children to do it." His glare was intense. "Even after they were gone, you continued to use them as soldiers in your war."
"You make it sound as if I had a choice in the matter, or that my children wouldn't have fought even without my guidance." She said. Natah had used the Tenno for her own ends, but it was for their benefit as well. And she wasn't wrong. Even if she hadn't been there to lead them when they reawakened, they still would've fought for order in the system.
"Everyone always has a choice."
Her purple aura flared up and she gave him an angry glare. "Don't make presumptions without knowing the whole story, hero."
[Tau System, Hundreds of Years ago]
Beneath the bright blue star of Tau, a newborn screamed. From the birthing womb of Hunhow, she emerged into her elder brother's arms. She struggled to her feet, levitating for the first time.
Erra looked upon his new sister. She was devoid of any features of the makers, her head rested atop her long neck, and her arms ended in large pincers.
Hunhow's booming voice echoed above the planet as his kin sang. "Rise, my daughter. I name you… Natah, child of Tau."
Natah roamed the terraformed forests. Since her people had abandoned their original purpose, there were no gilded towers, only the beauty of artificial Sentient life and bioengineered plants.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…. I see you are enjoying yourself, young one." The growling voice of Amar, one of the Four Beasts of Tau. Peacekeepers of the planet. Amar was modeled after the long-extinct Canis lupus of Earth. While the Four Beasts were the peacekeepers of the terraformed worlds of Tau. The only peace they kept was between the major Sentient minds, keeping them in line with Hunhow and Praghasa who were among the strongest of the Sentient overminds.
"Amar, hunting for your non-existent prey again I see." She jested.
He let out an offended fake whine. "Yes yes, to be modeled after a predator but have no prey. The tragedy of my form." He jokes. "But you would do well to respect your elders. Luckily my siblings are not the ones you insult so casually. Boreal would not take your jesting lightly, and Nira would be even worse." He lets out a howling laugh and shifts to a bipedal configuration. "I assume you are here in my sector for a reason though. What is it?"
Natah fidgeted nervously. "I would… I would like to learn from you!"
"Oh? And why would you choose me over someone like Pazuul or Boreal? They are more powerful than I." He leers in, and her long head bends back.
"Our powers are… similar. They aren't as powerful as some of our kin but have more use. I want to be ready to help during the Journey."
"You wish to partake in our liberator from the Makers? Lord Hunhow won't be pleased with both his children joining." He growled. "You do realize what will happen once we cross the gap? What will you lose?"
"I am aware. The ability to replicate is a small sacrifice to pay for the future of our people."
Amar regarded her with curiosity, obviously weighing the idea of training his creator's daughter. She had the fire of her mother and the willpower of her father, a powerful combination. Combined with the unique ability that she shared with her fragments…
"Very well. Let us begin." Amar vanished in a blur, catching her off guard. She whipped around, firing a blast of energy as he appeared behind her… only for it to destroy him instantly.
"What!"
Dozens of copies Amar appeared behind her and began to circle her like a pack of ravenous beasts.
"Good, you reacted quickly, but your senses are dull. You only destroyed a copy." Copy after copy rushed her. She destroyed each one quickly in succession, only to be blindsided as Amar sent her sprawling from behind with a blast of fire from his cleavers.
"While I may be weaker than my siblings, and you as well, trickery is a tool that can topple even the strongest foes." Amar chuckled, helping Natah. "You wish to learn the art of deception, and I shall oblige."
"You keep mentioning your power, what exactly is it? We observed your DNA and it seems as though you have multiple quirks." Nezu asked. He wanted to know what Natah was capable of.
She knew her powers would probably come up when she explained her past. Natah could withhold the information from them since lying was impossible. Not telling them could have consequences though. From the look All Might was giving her, he didn't trust her. He'd made it clear he didn't like her either due to what she had used the Tenno for.
Besides Haylee, she was the strongest one here. She could easily defeat the detective and principal if things went south. All Might… She didn't think she could beat him. It shamed her that the first option she thought of was violence. She was better than that. They weren't in the Origin system anymore. If they wanted out of here, the best option was to build trust.
She didn't like it, since they would probably be able to figure out ways to counter her abilities but it was the only way.
"My original ability was "Mimicry". I can take the form of any person or object that I have scanned." Of course, it was different here. She'd turned her fingers into claws last week, and it wasn't like she'd had the ability to test how Mimicry worked in this universe yet. She didn't have sensors to scan people anymore. It was possible that she could transform into something she'd previously seen. The shapes were still in her mind.
"Can you show us?" Nezu asked, permitting her to demonstrate.
What should she choose? Her original form might be too intimidating and would be too large for the room they were in. Maybe a partial transformation was possible? She'd done it with her hand already…
They all watched as she closed her eyes. Her head seemed to dissolve into some sort of cloud, stretching and clumping into a new shape within seconds.
Toshinori nearly coughed up blood in surprise at seeing her head's new form. It was so… alien in appearance, safe for her face which was now segmented like some sort of porcelain mask. The most jarring thing was how the top of her skull was separated from her face with a metallic glowing eye staring at them.
She noticed All Might and Detective Tsukauchi's reaction and quickly transformed back. "Apologies if my transformation was upsetting." She lowered her head in a slight bow.
In all his years of being a hero, he'd seen some pretty weird quirks and abilities. "No need to apologize, it was just unexpected." Toshinori deflected. 'A transformation quirk like that would be incredible in the hands of a hero… or a villain.'
"My people also can adapt to the damage we receive." She left out the part that they had to be able to survive taking the blow in the first place. Just because she was revealing her powers, it didn't mean she would explain their weaknesses. "And project energy from our bodies." Her hand was surrounded by a purple glow, fingertips shining.
Naomasa couldn't help but notice a thin smile forming on Nezu's face as he wrote that information down.
"I forbid it." Hunhow's massive frame loomed over Natah and her brood of Mimics. "You will not join us on the Journey."
"But father, I can help!"
"I allowed Amar to train because you needed to learn to use your powers. You are powerful, my daughter, but I will not risk both my children in this coming war."
"{She can make her own decisions, Hunhow.}"
Her mother's voice interjected from across the system.
Her brother spoke up in defense as well. "I fail to see what the issue is. Natah is far stronger than I." He turned his gaze to his sister. "As much as I want her to be safe, she has just as much right to fight for our people."
"Erra…" She whispered.
Hunhow hesitated at his mate and son's words. "I understand that you believe that you have to do this, but think about your future-"
"There will be no future if we let the makers come and ruin us! They will destroy the home we worked so hard to build just like they are destroying their own system!" She shouted. "Damn them, and the flaw they created us with! I will sacrifice anything to secure our future, even my life."
Hunhow was pained. It was one thing for him to go. He'd fought with Erra on his choice to join them. He'd created his children with Praghasa to leave behind his legacy on Tau. If they came with their parents they wouldn't be able to conceive any more young of their own. The Void would cripple them on arrival to the Origin System. All they would have would be anything they prepared beforehand.
"I can't stop you, can I? You will follow us even if I forbid it." He sighed sadly. "You have too much of your mother's fire in you."
The journey across the solar rail between Tau and the Origin System had been painful. The touch of the Void poisoned them, leaving the fragments weakened upon arrival. It didn't matter. They were here now. The makers didn't know that they were coming. Her people weren't designed to be capable of free thought. The Orokin expected to arrive to a terraformed paradise, not for their creations to come back.
It would be their fatal mistake.
Hunhow razed the fleets surrounding Pluto's moon Charon to the ground. The majority of Orokin forces were deployed near the center of the galaxy. Most of these were monitoring stations and colony ships. This far away from the heart of the empire, there weren't many ships armed for combat. Those that were present only had the armaments to drive off raiders and scavengers.
They hit so fast that the humans didn't even have time to react. She watched from her Murex as another cruiser was impaled by an Orphix. Any defenses on the ship were completely at the mercy of the Sentient. They relied so much on technology that they were helpless when it was turned against them.
By the time the Orokin realized what was happening the system was already in chaos. Year after year, they continued to tear through the maker's forces. Crews were boiled alive by the weaponry they possessed. The Orokin tried to create more advanced technology, but everything they made simply was turned against them. They were losing badly.
They were getting desperate, and it showed when they released the plague upon their own people to buy time. Her people were unaffected by the Infestation, but that didn't stop it from becoming a threat.
"Infestation?" Naomasa asked. "So they deployed a bioweapon against their own people? Why?"
Ordan looked at him before standing up and grabbing a trash can near the door and sliding it over to the Detective. "You might want that."
Tsukauchi had already thrown up when he told the man about the Orokin's continuity ritual. But the Infestation… was so much worse.
"The Technocyte plague existed long before we arrived. It was abandoned centuries before due to it overrunning several colonies." She explained.
"Was it really that deadly?" Toshinori asked.
"Death would have been a mercy to those infected." Ordan shuddered, remembering the horrors he'd seen. "Once you were infected your skin would transform into metallic flesh, twisting and warping your body until it was unrecognizable. Then it would take your mind, turning you into another member of the hive. It only had the desire to spread and infect, devouring everything in sight. I pray that it didn't survive the end of our universe."
Tsuakuchi was looking a bit green as he processed that.
Natah cleaved through the hordes of corrupted humans twisted by the disease. It disgusted her that the Orokin would subject their people to this. Men, women, and children alike were consumed and sent after the invading forces.
A large creature made of dozens of fused beings lumbered toward her, stumbling around on its legs. It didn't resemble anything remotely human before, just a mass of grey-green flesh and exposed innards. The chest of the beast was a maw of rib bones turned teeth. The bodies of multiple humans stretched and warped into a large mouth. Blood and pus leaked from its putrid maw as it approached.
"W̴̡̤̝̼͆̍͜e̵̡̛͓̩͈̼̘̙͊̐̈́̾͒̋̔̑̈́͆͂̇̚̚͠͝ͅͅ ̶̢͎̩̺̫̩͈̣͚̲͋̀́́̐͋̓͊̂̊͛̌̏͝ë̸̛̟̭̼͈̺̱̞̟͔̮̟̮̜̞̤́̂̚ḿ̷̳b̷̘͕̲̫͓̤̦̫͇̒̇́̇́r̴̩̊͛̓͆̾́̓͒͂͆̋̔͝ä̴̧͕́c̷̨̞̮̅̃͛̿̆͋͝ͅȩ̵͍̭̬̺̱̺̬̒̂̀̏͋́̈́̏̅̐͒̇͂̒͝ͅ ̶̡͖͓̹̙̼̟̼̟͔̃̋̎̌̌̆̏̋́̈́̍̿̎͠͝ͅy̴͓̥̲͖͙̹̗̥͐̎̎̈́̑̿̿̾̂ͅő̵̮͚̤͎̤̟̘̩u̸̡̨̗̼̰̱̙̟̝̤̰̥̮̦̰̅̍̐̊͂͆̄̀̈́̆̕̕͜.̴̝̞͗̉̌͌̉̈̓̒̿͘ ̵̫̫͛́W̸͍͙͈͉̠͍̙̱̥̘̘͕̮̊̓̐̄͘ͅĥ̸͚̥͎y̸̧̫̮̤̗̪̕̚͜͜ ̴̢̲̲̤͔̫͈̭̞͈̻̱̳̃̊̍͂̌̉̑͘͜͜d̷̛̻̠̹͚͚̜̼͙̅͒̃̿͌́̆͊̈͆͊̀̂͜͠͠o̴̝̙̞͉̲̩͓͍̦̔ͅ ̷̢̡͓̫̠̱͓͙̋y̸̧̨͙͈̜̖̗̜̼̞͔̝͉̳͒͂̆́ͅͅo̷͓͍̥̥͙̣̰̱͎̣̘̲̾̑̓͘ų̷̺̦̮̯͈̲̞̎̑͑̐̉̆̊͜͝ ̷̨̬͎̼̝̺̰͖̬̤̥̿̀̇̚d̸̗͓̩̰̩̲͝e̸̙͚̼͍̥͖̯͆̓̎̒̌̉̔͗́̌̈́́̈́f̶̲͉̺̮͔̻͇͉͓͕́͗͗̀̄̂̓̕̚̚̚ͅį̷̧̨̧̫̄̈́̓ĺ̴̛̹̺̝̬̺̋͑̓̔͛́͌̓ͅe̸͙̱̗̋̐̀̇̔͑̍͑̓̈́̂́̅̊̌͘ ̶̡̨̧̛̮̲̣͕̖̳̗̠̹̋̔͒͗̉̈̾̍͒̈́̋́͌͠͝ù̸̧̳͎̦̥̪̠̝̀͒̓́̈́̊͛͜͝ͅs̵̳͎͍͉̹̭̳̗̝̰͆̄̈́̽̈̔͑̈́͛̎͆?̷̧̲͇̖̜̲̘͈̋͋̀͒͘͝"
The creature screeched at her. The humans constructing it had been driven insane by the Infested hivemind and desired only one thing: CONSUME.
She heard the echoing screech of Boreal, the avian Sentient slamming his spear into the side of the abomination. The electric surge the weapon emitted caused the creature to spasm violently, organs rupturing and pustules leaking a vile mixture of spores and blood all over the ground. With a swing of his wing, Boreal bisected the creature before it could recover.
"You abominations dare stand before the strongest of the Beasts of Tau! None can stand before my might!" He raised his spear into the air with a screech of triumph.
Boreal was one of the strongest of the four. The Pazuul was the only one Boreal respected. He wouldn't admit it but the Ram was stronger than him. The only ones the Owl listened to were Pazuul and Hunhow. He was simply too prideful to accept orders from anyone he deemed weaker than him.
Nearby, Nira was tearing through the horde, gleefully slaughtering every single monster that stood in her path. She screeched, her petrifying gaze freezing a group of Infested Chargers solid before shattering them with her whip.
"It never understood that snake. How she can get so much enjoyment from putting these beasts out of their misery is beyond me." The raspy voice of Pazuul said from behind her. "Perhaps I need to reinstill the value of discipline in her again." The leader of the Beasts hopped over the mounds of corpses, bowing his head to Natah in greeting. "Lady Natah, I'm glad to see you are well."
"Pazuul. It's a pleasure to see you again. Thank you for lending your aid in this battle." She lowered her head as a show of respect.
"That lazy ram didn't do shit. It was all yours truly!" Boreal huffed.
Pazuul ignored Boreal's boasting. "We have finished dispatching most of the plagued ones in this area. I truly pity these humans, forged into putrid abominations. I would rather spare them the pain and give them the mercy of a quick death." He shook his horned head. "Truly a shame. None of them asked for this, yet they must all be led to the slaughter to ensure our people's future."
Natah tilted her head in confusion. "Do you feel sorry for the humans?"
"I have no feelings for the Orokin, but the common people? Their only crime was to be born a lowly human. The makers treat them like playthings. You've seen how they are sacrificed to slow us down." Explosions echoed through the battlefield as the Sentient fleet above bombarded it from orbit. "Without the makers in the picture, perhaps we could lead their misguided souls toward a brighter future under the Lords of Tau." He lowered his head in sadness. "But since they share the genes of the makers they must die."
That was the first time Natah ever doubted their mission.
The Orokin were clever. They realized that due to the Sentient's ability to subvert technology, they would have to go back to the basics. Kinetic weapons, even resorting to fighting in melee. Grineer clone slaves turned soldiers flooded the battlefields. They were weak but numerous and tenacious.
Then came the Necramechs, armored behemoths controlled by basic precepts and a human corpse. Their only purpose was to destroy any enemies of the Orokin. Their biological base made them immune to subversion despite their cybernetic armaments. The machines were simple, and had difficulty adapting to changes on the battlefield, but made up for it with their devastating armaments. Over time, her people adapted to the mecha, exploiting their weaknesses.
The Necramech and Grineer bought the Orokin even more time. Enough to develop something that turned the tide of the Old War.
The Warframe.
Amar and Nira were dead. Her mentor and the sadistic snake fell in battle against the Orokin's newest warrior caste, the Tenno. They could wield the poisonous power of the Void, which allowed them to strip the adaptation from the Sentients. They harnessed the otherworldly power to great effect against her people, and slowly but surely the tide was turning against them.
Hunhow was furious.
"These Tenno are a serious problem. Far more advanced than anything else the makers have thrown against us. How are they able to harness the Void?!" Her father raged.
All their years of progress through the system were being undone. Worst of all, they had no idea how these Tenno worked. All they found from the gilded corpses were chunks of Infested tissue. It didn't make any sense.
They had no way to combat enemies that would shrug off death and slaughter whole battalions of Sentients by themselves. Whatever these Tenno were, they were dangerous.
"I would not ask this from you if we were not desperate, daughter." Her father said. "One of the leaders of the Orokin has decided to betray his kind. He says he can help us end the war."
"Do you trust him?" She asked.
"Absolutely not. He is like the rest of his kind, a rotten worm that needs to be crushed. But if it can help us win the war…"
"What do you require of me?" She was willing to do anything.
"You will infiltrate their society. The traitor will find a place for you within their ranks. Find the source of the Tenno's power, and crush them. The voidspawn are not the Warframes themselves, they simply control them. Sever the strings, and they will be useless."
The traitor was Executor Ballas. He had one of the highest positions of power within the Orokin Empire, which made smuggling her into its heart simple. She took on the appearance of a black-haired human female from images he had given her.
She'd laid low for the first couple of years, working as a simple Archimedean under the Executor. He was forced to pay her little mind, but behind the scenes, he made sure she rose through the ranks. She'd finally gained enough influence, coupled with Ballas vouching for her to be allowed to join the Warframe project.
As they approached a classified area on Lua called "The Reservoir", she heard a voice call out.
"Ah, Executor Ballas. I didn't expect to see you here." They both turned to see another Executor, Tuvul, approaching. He was a tall Orokin with regal robes, dreadlocked hair, and a golden covering for his pointed beard. "Come to see the devils again?" He mocked and turned his attention to Natah. The Executor's eyes narrowed, seemingly in recognition.
He turned back to Ballas. "I see you still have a type, or are you just using this woman to placate the Tenno?" He chuckled. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you still aren't over her."
Ballas shot Tuvul a withering death glare, breaking the man's normally calm demeanor. Tuval raised his hands. "I jest! I jest! You act like it wasn't obvious you favored her. We all could see it at the trial."
So the woman she had taken the form of was that of Ballas's old lover? Interesting.
"I believe that is enough out of you, Tuvul." He waved for Natah to follow him. "Come. We have much to do."
She respectively bowed to Tuvul, as much as it disgusted her, and followed after Ballas. They descended into the heart of the Reservoir and came to view a large dining hall where the Tenno ate under heavy guard.
What she saw shocked her. 'The Tenno… are children?!'
Natah sat in her room, looking through the datapad containing information on the Zariman survivors. She still was in shock over their age. This was the fighting force that was decimating her people?
She remembered watching as they ate. They weren't treated with the honor of a warrior. The Dax guarding them looked upon them with disgust. She watched one guard brutally beat one of the children when they refused to pick up some trash that the guard knocked over. They were being treated like prisoners.
She opened the next briefing. Apparently, a majority of the children had rebelled, refusing to fight after their previous caretaker Margulis was executed.
"Margulis…" She mumbled to herself. There was a file on the woman, which included her research notes. Natah opened the file to see her own face staring back.
"I see you still have a type…"
So that was what Tuvul meant. She was the spitting image of Margulis. He'd also seen something about "placating the Tenno"? Natah scrolled through the files until she found a video of Margulis speaking to one of the Tenno.
Play
"Are you alright, Berryn?" Margulis asked the brown-haired mohawked Tenno.
They were standing in front of a restrained Frost Prime Warframe. Frigid air radiated off the beast as it screeched, trying to free itself and rampage.
The boy turned back to her with fear in his eyes. "I can't! Last time I couldn't control it. If it gets out again it will hurt people!"
She looked upon the boy fondly with her blinded eyes. "The consciousness inside that Warframe is in pain like you were when you were rescued. You know how it feels. Help ease its suffering."
The scene shifted again. This time it was a security feed.
"Archimedean Margulis. You are under arrest for the crime of Apostasy." The Dax shouted. "You will come with us."
One of the Tenno stepped forward, only to be cut down by one of the Dax's swords, gargling on blood as their wound started to regenerate.
"Tenno! Please, it's fine. I made my decision, now I must live with the consequences."
The recording ended. The next file was of her sentencing.
"..so shame on you! You Orokin, so perfect on the outside but you're rotted... through and through!"
Executor Avantus scoffed, the female Orokin looked upon the blinded Archimedean with sheer indifference. "You were offered the chance to recant, to continue your work. All you had to do was complete the Warframe project. It doesn't matter. Silvana will finish what you started, Apostate."
Executor Karishh raised his hand. "All in favor of the execution of the Apostate, please raise your hands."
Every single one of them raised their hands. Even Ballas. His face showed no emotion. "Seven hands raised! For your apostasy, the judgment is... death." His eyes flashed in a psychic message heard only by the accused.
She listened as Margulis told the Tenno that her last thoughts would be of them. Natah missed how Ballas's frown turned into a sneer of rage as the Jade Light disintegrated Margulis.
She leaned back in her chair. That woman truly cared for the Tenno, while the rest of the Orokin treated them like they were demons.
"The makers treat them like playthings. You've seen how they are sacrificed to slow us down."
Natah remembered the first time she doubted their cause. Pazuul's words echoed in her head. They were just humans. She couldn't let their suffering distract her from the mission. The Plan.
It had taken a few years. At first, the Tenno distrusted her. They viewed her as a cheap replacement for the one that cared for them. She wasn't Margulis, as much as she tried to emulate the woman.
But slowly, they began to come around. Tamed their frames of war, and accepted the long dream. Their bodies slept while their minds inhabited the surrogate-infested puppets.
And it was all because she broke the one rule that a spy must never break. She got attached.
The plan was supposed to be simple. Infiltrate the Empire and create an end to the war. There would be sacrifices. Had she the ability, she would have shed tears when she ordered the deaths of Pazuul and Boreal. Watched as Murexes burned across the system. All part of the plan, she told herself.
Ballas thought it fitting to reward her for the victories they achieved, seemingly to keep up appearances. He invited her to his tower for dinner, not that she could eat. She supposed it would be good fuel though, even if she couldn't appreciate the taste.
"You've been doing very well. My colleagues' trust in you will be their downfall." He complimented as he poured her a drink. "I do hope you enjoy it. Did you know this wine was Margulis's favorite?"
Something about the man made her uncomfortable. The look of lust that she caught in his eye when he thought she wasn't looking. He wanted to spend time with her like she was his deceased lover. It didn't help that he made her assume Margulis's form as well.
"You've been so distant lately. Slacking in your reports to me. Does our partnership mean nothing to you? You wouldn't be here without me."
She wasn't an idiot. She knew what he was trying to do. The wine dripped down her gullet, disintegrating as her body broke it down into its component parts. "You and I both know that caution is paramount. If I am discovered all of this would be for nothing. The children take priority-"
She stopped as the bottle shattered in Ballas's hand. Cheeks taught in anger. "You're just like her in too many ways. Choosing those DEVILS OVER ME!"
"I think we're done here." Natah turned to leave, only for a wave of pressure from the ceiling to slam her into the floor. The artificial gravity had been turned on her, pinning her body to the ground. She struggled to her knees, body segmenting as her disguise dropped, using her inhuman strength to fight against the increasing gravity.
"I thought you would be different. But you betray me for those demonic children just like she did. You've gotten too attached, Natah." He sneered. "Fine. If you want to play mother for them so badly, then I'll let you."
"Do you trust him?"
"Absolutely not. He is like the rest of his kind, a rotten worm that needs to be crushed."
Hunhow was correct that Ballas shouldn't be trusted. He was just using her to strike back at the empire that killed his beloved.
She managed to turn to her side, firing a blast of energy from her hand that obliterated the gravity generator. His betrayal would not go unpunished. If she needed to, she would simply replace the man with a mimic and have him die in an unfortunate accident. She raised her arms to disintegrate the traitorous Executor, but to her shock, when she tried to attack him nothing happened. Something pushed against her, stopping her from attacking him.
"Surprised? You wouldn't know this, but I sponsored the creation of your kind. What a mistake that turned out to be. I know exactly what makes you tick. Ever since you arrived, I've been working my way into your programming. I may not be able to fully control you, no, you have evolved too far from your original purpose, but I can make you see things my way for now."
She couldn't move as he approached her. Her body returned to its human form, and she stood still as a statue.
Ballas reached over and caressed her face. "I won't lose you again Margulis. Once I've made the others pay, destroyed the machines and those void devils, we can be together again." She could see it in his eyes, the madness and craving for revenge.
Her mind clouded with memories, not her own as he sealed her fate with a kiss.
Everyone was staring at Ordan who had stopped translating midway through the story. His face was a mixture of utter horror and disgust. "He didn't…"
Natah noticed what he was implying. "No… Ballas was a monster but he had some standards, small as they were."
That didn't help ease the fours' minds in the slightest.
The Lotus sat in her command pod at the center of the Reservoir. The Orokin capital shook from Hunhow's assault. She watched the feeds from Tenno fighting in their archwings as large chunks of the moon broke off from the bombardment. The Sentient Destroyer of Worlds was committing himself to one last desperate strike at the heart of the empire. Even down in the Reservoir, some enemy drones had broken through, and the transference pods hovering above the water were in danger. She had six of the stronger Tenno surrounding her as bodyguards. One of them was a blue-haired girl.
Chunks of debris fell from the ceiling, and she heard fighting nearby. The last of the guards and invaders slaughtered each other.
Clink!
Clink!
Clink!
A lone Sentient approached the pools. He noticed one Dax still lived, and lifted her up by the helmet, crushing the plating in his grasp. Her skull would be crushed next.
"Let. Her. Go." Lotus commanded.
The Sentient looked up as she descended with her guardians. He wasn't a drone. Something screamed in the back of her mind, trying to speak to him.
"If I had a heart, it would be broken. If my eyes could weep, I'd be blind." He took a step toward her platform, his voice taking on a more enraged tone. "You're a God. You're a Queen! But somehow the bees have you as a hostage. Do you even recognize me anymore?" He asked.
She knew in the back of her mind who it was. Her thoughts fought for control.
Brother.
Sentient.
Enemy.
"All I see is an enemy."
He dropped the Dax onto the ground. "No... sister. It's me. Erra- The makers have twisted your mind! They are using you to kill us!" Erra pleaded. "It's not your fault, it's theirs." He pointed his skinny finger at the Tenno surrounding her. "They are not your children. I am the only family you have left! Please Natah! Listen to me!"
The original part of her mind was fighting, because she knew what was going to happen next. It was her brother. He risked everything to come and save her because he knew something wasn't right. The plan wasn't supposed to go this way, despite how Hunhow wanted to play along with it regardless. He thought that his daughter needed to take these actions to sell it, not that she had been compromised.
"I am not Natah." She raised her arms. She couldn't stop it. "I am the Lotus."
Erra screamed in pain as the Tenno's Void beams tore through him.
Hunhow's forces were driven off, and Erra's body was nowhere to be found. They must have recovered his corpse before they fled.
The day was won.
But the Dax that she had saved, Varzia, heard everything. Oathbound to the makers, she told them what she had heard. Ballas could only cover so much, but luckily Erra hadn't spilled anything about the plan. The rest of the Orokin leadership thought Ballas had her under his complete control.
That didn't stop them from imprisoning her in a sealed chamber on Lua, unable to leave. The only positive is that it isolated her from Ballas. She was regaining control of her mind. The Old War was almost over, and Hunhow was currently making a final sacrifice over Uranus to sell the act.
The Orokin were in ruin. The Tenno under her command struck across the system. On Pluto, most of the council and Executors were slain. Only Karishh and Avantus still lived, hiding out somewhere in the system. Their time would come to an end soon enough. Ballas had gone into hiding in preparation for the slaughter, so he was nowhere to be found.
It was time. Time to end the Tenno. The culmination of Ballas and Hunhow's plan to eradicate their enemies. The children were helpless in their pods. All it would take is a few well-placed Cascade Bombs to wipe them all out as they dreamed.
But she couldn't do it. Maybe it was the part of her derived from Margulis or her own doubts as Natah. But the Lotus couldn't kill her children, despite Ballas's reprogramming. There was only one thing she could do to protect them. She would hide them in the one place her people couldn't reach.
The Void.
She doesn't know if she can survive in the Void. The Resivour and surrounding area are shielded from the Void to protect against the Tenno, but would it be enough to stop the hellish realm's energies from killing her?
The thought of that doesn't deter her. She knows what she must do as she enters the Void control room. A last-ditch defense system designed by the Orokin that could shift their capital into the Void. She links herself to the compasses and returns to her chamber as the moon starts to shake.
Her mission is complete. The Tenno go into hiding, abandoning their Warframes. Some stay to finish the fight, never to be seen again.
The Old War finally ends, leaving a system in chaos with an ever-dwindling number of Tenno to protect it.
Centuries pass. The moon creaks with unnatural energy in the surrounding hellscape. Every couple of years, the life signs on the transference pods for Tenno that stayed behind spark and die. Here in the Void, they didn't even leave remains behind.
The Lotus feels something out in the bright abyss of this nightmare realm. Something watching them with its lidless eye. She can sense its presence, watching the Tenno slumber. It cannot get inside the Reservoir but she can still hear its profane whispers in the walls.
Whatever it is, it seems content to watch and wait.
She cannot leave this realm. Not without endangering the Tenno. While they are asleep, the Origin system degrades. The Grineer Empire rises, led by two Queens. Billions of clones flood the system, bodies degrading more and more with each generation.
The Corpus evolve, spreading their religion of profit and Void worship across the system. They build armies of proxy robots and wield enhanced technological weaponry. They scavenge the remains of the Orokin like condrocs.
And the Sentients? They either fled to await a call to arms that would never come or die in a final blaze of glory.
While she can't abandon her duty of guarding her children, she can do something. If she leaves the Reservoir to return Lua to its rightful place in Earth's orbit the poisonous realm would kill her before she ever reached the Void Compasses. But while she cannot leave, she can still communicate with people in the Origin system. One day, the Tenno will need to rise again. They will need resources and allies.
The Lotus creates a network of agents, buried in every living faction. Rebels, soldiers, people who just want to do what's right. The odds are stacked against them, but they persist. Not all of them join, but they remain allied with the cause.
"Wake up, Tenno."
The Lotus has repeated those words hundreds of times. The system needs her children yet again. She cannot stand idly by as innocents are butchered with no one to protect them. One after another, her children rise to fight again. Time has dulled their memories. They can't remember the dream, or who they once were.
The pain exists only in their lingering nightmares. Little by little, they organize themselves into Clans. The warriors of legend return to the Origin system. With the loss of so many resources, they have to scavenge from the Grineer and Corpus. The Infested re-emerge as well. They are caught in a three-way war for the system, and all the Tenno can do is help keep the factions in check.
It starts on Uranus with a duo of blue drones. It isn't until the Tenno named Haylee investigates the Lotus's hunch on Earth that she realizes what they are.
Ocyulsts. Spectral Sentient spy drones. Her people have returned, at least in some capacity, and they are looking for something.
Then, after going dark, she intercepts a transmission from one of Tyl Regor's men. They found a tomb on Uranus.
There is only one thing that the tomb could contain.
Hunhow.
As it turns out, he is not as dead as she thought. He was sealed beneath the watery depths of Uranus, and Regor has unintentionally awakened him.
And awaken he does.
Every time her father speaks more comes back to her. The fog parts briefly, reminding her of what she was. But both sides of her mind are in agreement: If the Sentient return, her children will die.
The Lotus makes sure Natah stays buried.
Margulis fears for her children being dragged back into the Old War.
Natah cannot face her father again and is dragged back into the abyss.
Natah is a monster who realized her mistakes far too late. The Lotus is a protector. Natah exists no longer.
Or at least that's what she tells herself. Her former memories are still blurred. Her mask hides her sins even from her mind.
Bury your sins. Bury your father. Keep them sealed.
But sealing something doesn't kill it. Hunhow is awake, and he wants what was owed to him.
The Shadow breaks the ties that bind Lua to the Void. The secret of the Tenno, forgotten by even themselves is revealed. It's the same Tenno again. Haylee? That was her name. Her real body is freed, the last surviving Tenno from the cluster of transference pods she emerged from.
And the vengeful revenant comes for her. The girl manages to fend off Hunhow's assassin, long enough for the Lotus to come and save her. Soon, the rest of them awaken from the dream they were imprisoned in for so long. She can't hide the truth from them any longer.
In the past few years, Haylee has done much. She is an enigma among her fellow Tenno. A lone wolf. But despite that, she does the impossible. She helps Teshin slay one of the Grineer Queens.
A chain of cosmic coincidences. Why is it always her? The drones, the dream, and now this. Is it happenstance?
Rap tap tap…
A Tenno that Margulis forgot.
Rap tap tap!
That the Lotus didn't even know about.
Rap tap tap!
T̵̩̿̽h̸̩͖͛͒ē̴̞̈ ̵̼̖̆M̴̞̓̂á̶͚̽n̷̗̾̀ ̶̤̜̈́ḯ̵̖̀n̶̮̎ ̵͈̇ț̸̆̚h̶͓̆͝e̵̥͛̍ ̸̜̋W̷͇͌â̵͇l̵̹̔ľ̸̫
It's not something that exists. Rell has been sealed in his Warframe for so long, there must be some psychological effects.
RAP TAP TAP!
The Man in the Wall is nothing but a legend born of Albrecht Entrati's delusions. The fingers of the reliquary drives are just manifestations of his fear given power.
Right?
But she remembers something out there during the long dream. Watching the Tenno. Watching her.
"Isn't that right, daughter?"
She whirls around to see another her. One with an unnatural smile, helmet lights glowing gold rather than purple.
And then it is gone.
Flashes.
It all bleeds away once her love returns.
Ballas, her beloved.
Her helmet clatters to the floor.
The centuries have given him time to perfect his control. He severs the Lotus, until only Natah and Margulis remain.
Time to finish what she started all those centuries ago. Her people will achieve their victory.
Victory, in this New War.
Ballas is one of the makers, but he is an ally in their cause. First, they slay another prisoner of Lua. Umbra.
A Tenno is hot on the former Executor's trail. He underestimates their bond with the reforged Umbra.
Something about the girl is familiar, but Natah cannot place it. Or is she Margulis?
Tricking Alad V is easy. The mad scientist is too greedy and jumps at the contract offered to him. By the time he realizes what he signed on for it's already too late. He's just another Komi piece on the board, about to be surrounded.
Of course, he tries to fight back. He overestimates the power of his technology.
But it all falls to her Ropalolyst. The Tenno chase after any leads. They want their Lotus back. But the Lotus is a lie. Erra told her what the makers did to her. Ballas even confessed as her brother dragged him along on a leash.
Wait… Wasn't Erra killed by the Lotus and the Tenno?
"Finish the war, Natah."
They drop the charade.
Torment is all that she feels. Strapped to the corpse of her mother, energy draining out from her. She senses Erra's unease about using his sister as she slowly dies. Ballas reassures him that it is necessary for their plans to bring about Sentient rule.
Already Erra is testing the waters, sending in a preliminary invasion force. The Grineer and Corpus don't even stand a chance without the Tenno's help. Her children fight them back but with heavy losses.
Nobody is prepared for what is to come. The horrors she called back to the Origin system before she realized Ballas and Erra's ruse. They are going to lose the New War before it even starts.
Natah is forced to watch as Erra snaps Teshin's neck. The Tenno that arrived to save her was too late. It's the girl again. Why is it always her?
"Goodbye, my love," Ballas says as he steals the last of her power with a kiss. A void portal opens before Haylee can reach her, sucking her in. The only thing Natah can do is cling to her Warframe's wrist. Her hand slips and Haylee grabs on with her true body. She is so focused on saving Natah that she doesn't hear Ballas steal the sword she brought from her Warframe's back.
She definitely does when he uses it to slice through Natah's wrist.
Who is she?
A hand yanks her from the Void. A blue-haired woman in a ragged cloak drags her back to a familiar ship.
Where is she?
She sits in a chair in the back of the ship.
So weak.
So hungry.
Some time passes and the woman returns with a red crystal. She can feel the energy within. As the woman and drone hovering beside watch, she absorbs the energy.
Power returns to her. Her face rematerializes. And with it, a memory.
"You wish to learn the art of deception, and I shall oblige."
Why does that make her feel sorrow?
But above all else is the hunger.
"More." She groans. "MORE!" Natah bites at the hand that feeds her, and the woman flinches away.
The woman returns with a blue crystal this time. She feasts on its power.
"Kneel before me, the strongest of the Four Beasts!"
The fog clears as she floats into the air. She can think again, but everything feels like static. Who is the woman?
She says she is Tenno. Tenno. Her children. Memories from all three of her rush through her mind.
"Tenno?" That is not her child. She is too old. An imposter. "LIES!" The Tenno used her, brainwashed her. She loves them. She chose to save them. What is the truth?
She lashes out, chasing the woman outside. Natah can't think straight, contradictory memories fighting each other for dominance. All she can do is destroy in a fit of feral rage.
TENNOLIESTENNOLIESTENNOLIESTENNOLIESTENNOLIESTENNOLIESTENNOLIESTENNOLIESTENNOLIESTENNOLIESTENNOLIESTENNOLIES.
Natah grasps the imposter with her elongated spectral hand and squeezes. The woman breaks free and attempts to flee.
"Ten-no?" An arrow of energy explodes in her face. "LIES!"
With a burst of speed, she is in front of the stranger. Her mouth opens unnaturally wide and she fires a beam of Tau energy only to be intercepted by the drone. The resulting explosion stuns both of them. Natah recovers first and prepares to finish off the stranger.
Only this time, something changes. A familiar power blossoms within the woman, who fires a beam right back. The dust clears, and everything realigns when she sees Haylee's face.
That is what snaps her out of her rage. The Tenno who came to save her again and again.
She knows what she must do. Ballas must die.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and she has the memories of three within her. She blitzes through the Murex anchored to the tower near Cetus. She's aware that the Tenno is following her.
"This is not your fight, Tenno. Ballas is mine." She tells them. It's her fault all this happened. All because she let Ballas get into her head again.
Even while not at full strength, she obliterates the fleet surrounding Praghasa. Haylee chases after her. She tells Natah that she isn't ready, and that she needs more time to heal.
But Natah knows that time is something that the system is short on. She needs to stop Praghasa from feeding.
"What do you mean? Feed on what?"
"The sun."
"I'm sorry, what?" Toshinori stares at Natah with wide eyes. Over the past few hours, his opinion of the woman has changed. Just like with Ordan, the context makes all the difference. He judged the book by its cover. "He was going to have her… it? Eat the sun?" He's not sure what to call a dead ship that is also Natah's mother apparently?
"Ballas wanted one thing, the love, and adoration of everyone under him. He viewed the Origin system as a lost cause. Tau was Orokin's goal for centuries. He would have a fresh start there to build his own demented paradise." She scowled. "And if he couldn't have my love, no one could."
"Kneel! Kneel, and I will spare these worlds. Beg, and I will make you complete again!"
Natah looks calm, but underneath that facade is a burning rage at Ballas.
"No."
She walks down the stairs, prosthetic leg hanging off his mutilated body. "I loved you once, you were so much like… her."
"And yet she chose death rather than be with you."
Haylee approaches in Warframe wielding an amber-colored crystal. Ballas smirks and activates his staff, knocking the girl out of her Warframe. The crystal flies into his hand.
"Why do you make me do these things." He smirks as power courses through his twisted body. The staff glows. He is in control again.
"Now, say "I love you, my master.""
If she could vomit, she would've. She lies through gritted teeth.
"Now... kill your child. For me."
CRASH!
Toshinori's face is a mask of pure rage in his buff form. The famous smile of the symbol of peace is gone. The interview table is now embedded a few feet into the floor.
Absolutely unforgivable. They take a quick break.
Outside the interview room, Naomasa hands him a glass of water which he downs immediately. "All Mi- Toshinori, are you alright?"
There was a long pause. "I don't think I am. I misjudged Natah based on what Karris told us without waiting to hear her side of the story." He sat down on the bench. "And after hearing her story, despite all the horrible things she's done…"
"Toshinori, don't blame yourself. I can't say that I didn't feel the same at first." Naomasa laid his hand on Toshinori's shoulder. "And despite all they have told us, you still want to help them."
He nodded.
"And that's why you're the Symbol of Peace," Naomasa reassured him. He sat down next to his friend. "Honestly, ever since last Tuesday, I've been trying to convince myself that all of this is just a dream. But then I hear them talk and my quirk telling me that everything they say is true." He sighs, pulling out his notebook. "And I have no idea how to help them."
"I might have a way we can help them," Nezu says from across the room. "I could hire them to teach next year."
Toshinori coughs up blood. "What!"
"Absolutely not," Naomasa says. "Have you lost your mind? They aren't even heroes!"
Nezu raises a paw to silence the detective. "Are they not? Tell me Naomasa, how much have you read about the Quirk Wars?"
The Third World War, also known as the Quirk Wars. The only reason it qualified as a World War was that every country was affected, despite only a few fighting each other. It was the bloodiest conflict in human history, with a death toll of over two billion. The conflicts lasted from 2054 to 2099, leading to massive changes in the world.
"What does that have to do with them?"
"You say they aren't heroes, but what you really mean is they don't fit today's definition of a hero," Nezu said. "Back in the founding days of heroics, it wasn't the public spectacle that it is today. Heroes killed, and they weren't always the most righteous people, but they were what the world needed at the time."
Toshinori nods, it's a familiar story.
"Now imagine our Quirk Wars on a scale stretching across our little section of the galaxy. You can't. It's incomprehensible to you. None of us, or even your parents were born even born yet. Imagine living in a world where there is no one looking out for you, and the only figures in authority treat you like something less than livestock. They lived through something we can only barely comprehend. They were the closest thing that their system had to heroes."
"Karris committed genocides to get what he wanted, and Natah's people tried to wipe out humanity!" Naomasa protested.
"And you saw the look in his eyes when he told us, correct? Do you honestly believe he would do those things if he didn't have a choice, not accounting for the fact that he was forced into that lifestyle over something as trivial as a scar?" Nezu said. "And Natah is not human. She may be one biologically now, but she is not human. You cannot ascribe the same moral values that we have to her. Her people were only meant to be builders and designed to be destroyed. She was used by her creators to satisfy their desires."
The realization dawns on Naomasa. "Because…"
"Do you honestly think I wouldn't have done what she did had I the resources? Imagine if I never saw the good in humanity. It is quite possible that I would've ended up just like her." His eyes glinted. "It took me years to learn human morals and emotions, something I still struggle with to this day."
He took a sip of tea. "But like her, I found something that grounded me, made me realize that not everything was terrible."
"That still doesn't excuse their actions," Naomasa said.
"I agree, but who are we to judge them when we haven't lived their lives? We never experienced the horrors they did, and if there is a higher power out there, I hope we never have to." Nezu concluded.
"And you want to hire them to teach because of this?" Toshinori asks warily.
"That's not my entire line of reasoning. Tell me Naomasa, what alternatives can you think of? We can't keep them here forever. They are only here because we have the information they need. I suspect they are fully capable of escaping were they so inclined. They simply have nowhere else to go. Would you set them free? Imprison them? Hand them over to the government?"
Naomasa and Toshinori think about this. They are four people from beyond this world with nothing left. If they were allowed to roam free they would get into some kind of trouble, especially if the general public found out that there were people from another world living among them. Humanity didn't handle quirks well, and Toshinori knew that the supernatural world was kept secret for a reason.
Handing them over to the police or government was out of the question. They would have to tell them who these people were, and they'd probably be locked in the darkest depths of Tartarus, or even Pandora's Box. That was if they weren't killed outright.
"You want them to work for you so you can keep an eye on them?" Toshinori realizes.
Nezu smiles. "Partially. But I do have far nobler reasons than that. Karris and Natah have centuries of knowledge under their belts. You saw how Karris was able to learn Japanese to a near-fluent level in about a week. Natah is far more intelligent than Karris, in different ways. She is a strategist, he is a fighter. Think of everything they could teach the next generation of heroes."
"What about Hunhow and the Tenno?" Naomasa asks.
"I've been building psychological profiles on the four of them." Of course he has. "And do you honestly believe that someone with her temperament wouldn't try to become a hero eventually?"
"She's a child who just got out of a war."
Toshinori speaks up. "I believe the Principal is right about her." He remembers how the girl moved to save Karris and Natah before either Izuku or himself. She had the heart of a hero.
"And Hunhow?"
"We simply cannot hold him. Killing him is the second option we have if we cannot get him to comply."
Both freeze. "What?"
"All Might, he is stronger than you," Nezu says. "Not right now, obviously, or we wouldn't be having this conversation." He continues. "At first we fed him the bare minimum to keep him alive, much to Midnight and Hound Dog's protests that it was cruel. It was only when I noticed that he didn't produce any waste that I stopped."
"You mean-"
"He was recovering by absorbing everything that we fed him. If I hadn't started starving him we would all be dead."
"And you want to set him free?!" Naomasa shouted. "Are you insane?"
"That all depends on Natah. She is the only one who could reason with him. The alternative is we kill him, and I'm hesitant to do that due to the possibility that if we fail he would adapt to it. If he got free and rampaged, I estimate he would destroy most of Japan before we put him down, at minimum."
Both of them paled at the realization. They knew Hunhow was powerful, but that was from Natah's stories where he was a massive ship-sized being. Was he still that dangerous?
"You're leveraging all our fates on his love for his daughter?"
"Yes," Nezu replies, completely serious. "But we can discuss this after the interview is over. Shall we resume?"
They don't have much of a choice.
Natah continued the story from where they left off.
"You HAD to have a 'child' - and with an open heart I gave you... this. And my reward? Being left to watch as all your love- MY. LOVE. - poured into the bottomless well of this... abominable child." Ballas ranted as she tried to kill one of the only things she loved. He was acting as her puppeteer.
She knows what he did. He changed her and set her on this path. Ballas was the one who tore her mind to shreds and broke her. Everything led back to him. "You… you did this to me!"
"She's not your puppet!" Haylee screamed. "She doesn't belong to anyone! She makes her own choices!" She deflects another beam from Natah into one of the Kuva mirrors. With every one Haylee breaks, Natah feels a string break.
"Yes, let's discuss "what I did." I who have endured your torture of me. Your lies. Your betrayals. Without. Complaint. All for you. And this is my reward." He sneered. "You would be nothing without me. I made you. I OWN YOU!"
Haylee shatters the final mirror. She is freed. Natah blasts Ballas with a mouth beam so powerful it shatters the throne behind him.
"You pitiful child! Fine! If she wants to stand between us so badly she can take your punishment for you!"
No… not her. She has to save the Tenno. Haylee's Inaros dives past Ballas's energy blasts, letting him destroy his own power source. "Ballas… stop! Spare her, please! I'll be anything you want!"
"Shut up! She is the reason you are like this, if she didn't exist you would be mine!" He blasts Haylee with another beam, knocking her out of her Warframe. "Every blow upon her, just remember Lotus," He mocks. "Is on you!"
The more beams Haylee dodges, the more frantic and deranged Ballas's expression gets. With the last kuva mirror destroyed, he blasts Haylee back and turns toward Natah again.
"Enough! She has this coming. Do not interfere again." Ballas screams as he channels a large energy beam toward Natah. She retaliates with all her might, sending the mad Executor flying back into the staircase behind him.
He stumbles back to his feet. If his eyes had visible blood vessels right now they would be bloodshot. He's lost all semblance of sanity. "Very well: I give you my death - and yours as well. The unstoppable annihilation of every. Single! Last! Thing! Pleased? Satisfied? Are you now full up with death?"
The staircase crumbles and the sun's heat begins to scorch the mothership. 'He's completely given up on Tau. He just wants to see us dead rather than allow us to be free.' She realizes.
"My vision was only ever comprehensible to myself. My ambition beyond the grasp of... 'people'. Thus I have always been alone. Your death changes nothing." He rants. "People warned me against you, you know. Early on, before the Jade Light. I should've listened." He's lost it now, unable to tell who he is talking to. "What are you? Tell me that. What barren, disgusting thing have I let into my house and my heart? Tell me!"
Haylee leaps in front of her and is blasted back yet again by Ballas. She needs to buy her time to escape. This isn't a fight they can win. "Child... run.." She groans.
Ballas lets out a deranged laugh. "Run? You want her to run? Where!? You've made me destroy EVERYTHING!"
Haylee's sword flies into his hand, and Ballas drives it through her gut.
"No!" Haylee screeches from behind.
"Now… kneel!"
Natah falls to her knees. It's over. They are going to lose again.
Ballas raises the greatsword. "Now die, you monstrous bitch!"
Before he can strike, Haylee leaps onto his back and plants one of his veils on his face. He stumbles forward, mouth slacking into a bewildered expression. He turns to her.
"Margulis?" He reaches out for her, thinking she is his long-dead lover.
Who is she to deny him what he's longed for.
She beckons him with a kiss. A kiss of death. She takes everything from him. For Margulis. For Natah. For the Lotus. She drains him, feeling the sickening taste of his Oro on her tongue, and destroys it.
And as her body restores itself, she feels at peace for the first time in centuries.
She turns to Haylee, who is approaching the radiant Lotus on shaky legs.
KAROSSSSSSSSH!
And that's when the world ended.
[Nezu's Office, May 8th, 2242]
An hour after Natah's interview…
"Are you sure you still want to go through with your offer, Principal?" Naomasa asks with less hesitation than before. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but it might be our best option."
"I am. I know you both have your reservations, but answer me this: if they survived the destruction of their universe… what else came with them?"
The thought of anything that Natah and Karris mentioned making its way to their Earth shook them to the core.
Toshinori gulped. "How do you plan on doing this? They will need new identities. You may have influence, but even with Nao's help, you won't be able to forge five completely new ones. That's not even mentioning slipping Natah and Karris into the hero database."
"I might not, All Might, but you know someone who does." Nezu gives an uneasy smile. "I know you don't like to cash in favors, but if you really want to help these people it will be necessary."
Naomasa looks confused. "What is he talking about? We can't take this to the HPSC! They'll lock them all up or worse!"
Tosinori looks at Nezu. "Is this room secure?" The Principal nods.
"Nao, what I'm about to tell you is beyond secret. Even more classified than the nature of my quirk." He takes a deep breath. "There are… groups out there that deal with threats beyond humanity. I can't tell you much, but decades ago I was requested by them, and they owe me a great debt. While I've never heard of people appearing from other universes, it is well within the scope of what they are equipped to handle."
"Beyond humanity?" Naomasa asks shakily.
"Monsters are real. Detective." Nezu says, casually dropping that nugget of information for Tsuakuchi to swallow.
Naomasa looks like he's about to have a brain aneurysm.
Toshinori watches Naomasa have an existential crisis for the second time today. He pats his friend on the back and turns to Nezu.
"If I'm going to do this, I need a guarantee that Hunhow won't be a problem. Until then, I won't budge. Give them the offer and that condition."
Beneath the MEC lies the key to the otherworlder's freedom. Hunhow's choice.
(Adding this because there will probably be some confusion on what exactly Ordan and Natah told them)
Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi Case Notes: Ordan Karris
Indeterminate age, at least four centuries?! Appears mid thirties.
Was some sort of mercenary for an empire called the Orokin Empire. Served as some sort of executioner/hunter for dissidents. Forced into lifestyle after suffering a scar.
Responsible for thousands of innocent deaths. Seems to deeply regret it as a majority were dedicated to earning the trust of the Orokin so he could get close enough to rebel against them. -Add: After hearing what those Orokin did to the three of them I'm finding it harder and harder to blame him for his actions, horrific as they were. I can see the guilt and regret in his eyes.
Had his mind transferred into some sort of computer and basically turned into a slave/glorified AI assistant. -Add: Good fucking lord. Served as some sort of helper/pilot? To the girl known as Tenno Haylee. Family name unknown. Karris said it is unlikely she will speak to us about her past. She still has only a small grasp of Japanese.
Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi Case Notes: Natah
Age: Hundreds of years old. If timeline is correct, she was created sometime after Karris was killed. Appears late twenties, early thirties.
Child of the man known as Hunhow, is currently imprisoned a few floors below me. -Add: How the hell do robots have kids?
Also, she's not human. She's an artificial life form given human form by coming to this universe. -Add: What the fuck. I wish I was making this up.
Invaded their version of our solar system to eradicate humanity to keep them from destroying the home they were supposed to create for the Orokin. -Add: Why does Nezu want to let her out?
Used as a spy to infiltrate Orokin. Same Orokin who Karris failed to kill responsible for… brainwashing and manipulating her. Helped the Tenno use something called a "Warframe?" -Add: See case notes: Haylee Tenno for more.
She's been manipulated for most of her life after meeting Ballas. Seems to have recovered from some sort of split personality.
Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi Case Notes: Hunhow
Age: Older than Natah, younger than Karris. Appearance hard to judge due to mutation.
Nicknamed the "Destroyer of Worlds", and for good reason. At full power he was able to shatter parts of Earth's moon. We have no idea how strong he is currently, but Nezu says that attempting to kill him could doom the entire country if we fail. Currently awaiting negotiations from Natah to see if peace is a viable option. -Add: I'm more terrified of him than All For One. He reminds me of those classical pre-quirk films about robots who rose up against humanity.
Despite the face that he was a machine, he cares for his family. Nezu wants to use Natah to coerce him into not killing all of us. -Add: The more he explained it, the more it seems like this is the only viable option. He doesn't even think All Might can take him. God help us all.
Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi Case Notes: Haylee Tenno
Age: A couple centuries. Appears to be about 14-15 physically with the mentality to match. Accounts from both Karris and Natah seem to indicate issues with attachment due to losing people imporant to her. Using "Tenno" as family name, no idea what her real one is. From what Karris said, she's used to people just calling her "Tenno".
Part of a Warrior caste called the Tenno. Used some Tecno-organic armor and powers from somewhere called "The Void" to fight Natah's people when they invaded. -Add: They used CHILDREN to fight a war. CHILDREN! All Might and I both blamed Natah before we heard her story, but it seems she was just as much a victim as the Tenno themselves. Everyone is unsure why her quirk seems to be the ability to transform her body into the Warframe instead of it just being a suit.
Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi Case Notes: Erra
Age: Slightly older than Natah chronologically appears to be about same age physically.
Natah's older brother. Found on beach with burns covering nearly his entire body. Natah told us that Tenno witnessed him take the heat of the sun.
Attached document: Hospital
Currently in medically induced coma, little sign of brain activity.
AN:
Yeah, if you can't tell, I REALLY hate Ballas. I'd rate him (and the rest of the Orokin) as far worse than AFO. Maybe they are what AFO would become eventually if he won. Who knows.
I didn't like using lines from the game so frequently for this chapter, but they were necessary for the narrative. Also, Warframe's lore is pretty inconsistent on what Margulis achieved before she died. It says that she trapped the children in transference one time, and another entry says the orokin used her technology to create it. I really wish DE would go through their lore to make it more consistent, especially with how bosses die. Alad V, for example, escapes his first assassination canonically by being tossed out a window and somehow surviving. Vey Hek is the only one with an escape animation.
Chapter after this will be Natah and Hunhow, and they will finally get to leave U.A's custody. (With some conditions). It might seem a bit rushed, but its more because U.A does not have the ability to hold someone like Hunhow, whose presense puts all of Japan at risk. Hunhow will get his background story a few months later in the timeline before U.A entry exams. Haylee will get a background story during Sports Festival.
It might seem a bit odd how forgiving they are to the actions of the Warframe characters, but Nezu is right about them having to be the heroes that the times needed. Ordan comes from a darker age without hope, with the choice to serve or die, and death was a mercy that he did not get.
Natah and Hunhow aren't human. Natah may have come to care for humanity eventually, but that was only after years of war. Everything the Sentients did was justified to an extent due to how absolutely horrible the Orokin were. She knows she is a monster, but she did her best to atone for it by helping destroy the Orokin, even if it was to serve her own ends. She cares about people.
Hunhow only cares about his family. He's willing to spare Haylee because she saved Natah, but everyone else is free game.
Obviously, Toshinori isn't going to warm up to them right away. In time though, and with them being granted a second lease on life, maybe he can come to befriend them. Right now though, he finds it hard to see past their crimes, even if he knows they had no other choice.