Chapter Text
Prologue: We had a Deal Kiddo
Hollvania-1999
Ciaran sat quietly in the backrooms of the Hollvania mall, frowning at the figure smiling at him from the mirror wearing his little sister’s face. The thing that had left him captive for who knew how long while Viridia and Violet were made into soldiers, put through things that adults would be traumatized by, all the while he was stuck in a Kingdom of his own imagination. “Aww…why the long face Kiddo? You know I held up my end of the bargain…I saved them. I saved all of them. I never said I’d save you though, did I?” it asked, a warped imitation of Violet’s voice sounding off, before its form briefly changed to Major Nessi Rusalka, “After all…there’s a saying about being careful what you wish for isn’t there?” the woman grinned, eyes black as the void as she rested the mechanical claw replacing one of her arms on the glass.
Ciaran took a deep breath, before calmly raising his hand and wiggling his index finger, “Something's watching through the window, watching you and me. Wants what we have, wants to BE us, we know that can never be. Something's waiting, getting closer, watching, waiting for its day. Something needy, cruel and greedy. Keep that hungry thing at bay.” he said cooly, repeating the rhyme he’d heard so often from Matilda’s children in Duviri. The Major’s expression darkened, before she vanished from the mirror as footsteps came up the stairs to the loft area of the Backrooms. Aoi Morohoshi, the resident Mechanic of the Hex, was looking concerned, “Hey…You ok? Heard you talking to yourself…” she asked, walking over and putting a hand on his shoulder.
The Drifter’s red eyes blinked, a tired expression crossing his face, “THEY decided to pop in and taunt me a bit…nothing I’m not used to.” he said, smiling faintly. Aoi’d been able to make him do that a lot since he’d come here. All The Hex had to some degree, but Aoi managed on a level close to his sisters. She was just so bright, it was like being by a beacon on a rough sea. “Did you need anything?” he asked, and the woman frowned, “We’ve been picking up some weird radio messages from the Scaldra. Someone’s been smashing their stuff almost as much as we have.” she said, crossing her arms, “Arthur thinks…it might be another person…or people, like us.”
Ciaran blinked, “More protoframes…you look worried.” he said, and Aoi sighed, “Not exactly. Just…not looking forward to the whole awkwardness till everyone settles in like we had with Flare, Minerva and the others.” she said. Ciaran smiled a bit, “I’m sure you’ll wow them with your personality Aoi, just don’t blare On-Lyne right away.” he teased, making the woman give him a playful shove that sent him staggering. “Any info on them other than them causing headaches for Victor and the Scaldra?” he asked, and she shook her head quietly, “Not a thing…And that’s another reason I’m a bit worried. No idea what to expect from them…”
Ciaran ran a hand along his beard thoughtfully, “We didn’t know what to expect when Flare, Minerva, Velimir and Kaya showed up either.” he said, and Aoi nodded, “Fair point…Kaya was a menace when she got here…still is but nicer now.” she said with a slight smile. He nodded, starting to walk towards the door, “Well, let’s just hope they’re not getting in over their heads…” he said, “I’ll talk to Arthur and see if we can’t get in touch with them or get more info through the citizens.”
…
Earth-Mariana-???
Violet paused, Uriel’s hoof like feet clomping on the metal when she came to a stop near a crack in the wall. She could just see through it and notice there was a bigger space on the other side. A Jade, white wings fluttering, came to rest beside her, and her big sister’s voice queried, “Violet? Is something wrong?” she asked, and the younger girl pointed at the wall with one of Uriel’s clawed digits, “There’s a cave back there sis.” she said, and the older girl tilted her head, moving closer and peering at the gap, using one of Jade’s Ophanim eyes to cast light through the gap. There were old columns, with metal rods exposed beneath the stone facade. They didn’t look Orokin, from what she’d seen they looked like the Subways Ciaran had shown them from 1999.
She looked to her sister, “Do you want to look?” she asked, and the other girl nodded, “Please Viri?” Violet bounced a bit on her feet with excitement, the demonic frame she piloted’s tail swishing behind her. Viridia sighed, “Alright, we’ll peek in. BUT, we’re going to be careful, and leave if it gets too dangerous.” she said, calling Lotus and Ordis on the coms, “Ms. Lotus, Ordis? We’ve found something and Violet wants to take a quick look. Our mission is done and we have a little time, so would that be ok?” she asked. Ordis’s small remote body appeared first, eyes spinning slightly, “Ordis supposes that letting the Operators- WASTE THEIR- investigate something curious would be fine.” he said.
Lotus was more cautious, “Why do you want to investigate? Is something unusual there?” she asked, and Viridia tried her best to help them get a peek at what she saw, “The columns inside look like supports in those Subway things Ciaran showed in 1999. I wanna see if we can find anything from then, and since Violet can’t go there herself, let her at least see what some of that time might have looked like.” Lotus looked uncertain, but eventually nodded, “Very well, but be careful my children.” she said, cutting the link.
Viridia frowned, wedging the haft of her Harmony scythe into the crack, before levering it, Violet moving to do the same with her Vinqubus, a grinding noise sounding, before eventually the barrier gave way, and the pair could enter the relic of the past. Both girls used transference to emerge from their Warframes, Violet’s deep purple eyes peering curiously into the dark. Viridia calmly pulled a flashlight from her bag and shone it around, before freezing, eyes wide, “Ordis? Lotus? We found something.” she said, Violet rushing over and gasping at the sight. Surrounded by bones and weapons rusted beyond recognition was the body of an unfamiliar warframe. It was sitting on the ground, impaled repeatedly by rusted, crescent shaped weapons Virida recognized as the ones Scaldra soldiers used. But what caught her eye was the thing that the frame was leaning against. Violet blinked, “Viri is that one of the Tomi-bikes Ciaran has?” she asked, pointing to the swordsteel infused chassis of the long dead machine.
Virida nodded, “Yes Violet…it…seems so. Ordis is there any sort of record of this frame?” she asked, scanning it and sending the information to the cephalon. Violet blinked and moved closer, kneeling down. It was a girl frame, like Jade or Mesa, and the head looked like the helmets Ciaran had to wear when riding a Tomi-bike without a warframe with Miss Aoi. Ordis eventually replied, “I…Operator I have no records of this particular warframe. NOT SURPRISI- Given experience with Uriel and Jade I find myself unsurprised by this though…I can attempt to recreate a blueprint if you wish?”
Viridia stared silently for a moment, “I…yeah…and make room on the Landing craft…it feels wrong to leave this here…I doubt the Grineer are going to have any respect for what’s clearly a gravesite…or what should be anyway.” she said, standing and moving back into Jade. Violet blinked, doing the same and moving Uriel to lift the strange frame’s bike while Viridia picked the frame itself up, and the two made their way towards the sound of the landing crafts’ engines.