The tank barrel leered down at the Protoframe like a hideous metallic serpent. The toxic shell resting in the tank's belly, a most putrid venom. Eradicators and jagers quickly moved out to ensure no escape could occur.
Within the metal beast sat Viktor Vodanyoi. A smile ripe with hatred resting on his lips, as he watched Lettie struggle from behind a screen. He didn't intend to kill the abomination but maiming? Now that he was allowed to do.
A single shell of this new tank had eradicated their atomicycle, in a flash of toxic mist and sparks, now leaving them in a state where his Scaldra could take them in for study. That facf infuriated him. They were abominations. Filth. Not worth the glorious light of sol or the comforting glow of Lua that sat above them. So gracious in their gifts that even the filth of the Hex could rest beneath them. But no. Study? The Major had specifically requested them to be studied. Interrogated personally by her. But as much as it infuriated him, he would comply.
He clicked his fingers and another batch of Scaldra jumped out of the back of the tank. Large and bulky their suits were intended to face off against the techrot's worst and survive unscathed. A fitting shield for dealing with these..protoframes. Each held a peculiar device. Originally a creation of the heretic Entrati, now these bindings were blessed by both Lua and Sol to rid them of their creators filth.
The jailers approached with caution eager to subjugate this abomination and enforce the will of Scaldra further upon Höllvania.
One arm bound.
A leg.
The second leg.
Yet as the fourth binding was about to latch on and ensure the success of the capture, the unfortunate jailer reduced to a pair of legs.
Firearms all switched over to track this new assailant. Flashlights at their ends painting spots of white glow across them. What met them was mockery. A mutated Protoframe with the learning heads of five wolves. Marble white flesh etched with linings of gold and now stained with the blood of the Scaldra Jailer. Their upper half still held in the abomination's hand.
Gunfire lit up the street, mere seconds after, a dozen rifles firing onto the Warframe causing their shields to blink and shimmer as it tossed the remains at one soldier. An inhuman roar filled the night sky as the Voruna Prime leapt at another group setting them alight with fire, acid, and lightning in a single movement.
Half a dozen soldiers grabbed Lettie and frantically dragged the Protoframe towards the tank's behind, blasting gunfire behind them as they moved. In her injured state, the Protoframe attempted a lunge at one of their pistols grappling it faintly to fire into their feet. The shot rang out to those close by and one of the Scaldra instinctively shot into her leg with their rifle.
Typically this would not hurt a Protoframe. Their Warframe biology too ensures to suffer major pain from such a shot. Yet the shells fired from the newly upgraded tank seemed to counteract it with the strange runes inscribed onto its metal hide.
Lettie struggled to keep hold of the pistol and eventually dropped it as another Scaldra struck the woman with the stock of their firearm. Blood poured from her nose as she went limp.
A distance away from this the remaining Scaldra continued their assault of covering fire. Dispatching wave after wave of bullets into the Warframe in an attempt to slow it down and prevent it from reaching their captured target. A volley of grenades were tossed sending a synchronised cataclysm of toxic green eruptions to teat across the street.
When the mist cleared and Scaldra rifles scanned the area, there was no Warframe to be found. With it seemingly gone with the wind, most of guns lowered.
Carefully, they paced backwards towards their transports. Until eventually, all soldiers had lowered their weaponry.
Yet the tank's cannon did not.
Instead, it fired.
Rovej's Warframe was flung across the street followed by the disgusting screech of metal against metal as the shell connected with the invisible Warframe's flesh.
It hurt.
The shell's toxins infiltrated his wounds and contaminated them with a mixture of poisons both natural and not. Pain shot through him as if it were flame upon paper; laughter of an uncaring void god filled his mind. Mocking his weakness and rending old wounds to the front of the mind. The sensation was overwhelming and terrible. It felt as if he was about to crumble apart like an ancient statue.
But Rovej did not crumble.
Standing and rising in stuttering motions, the power of the void that wove control over the Warframe spurred it to continue forward. One motion after another the Voruna growled back to life, moving like a stop motion doll.
Scaldra command did not waste their moment however and, as the noxious gas began to clear, the tank's heart had begun to move it. Enormous tracks rolled and turned as the vehicle's engine let out a roar of its own as if to challenge him to catch it.
If it were to leave he would not know where they'd vanish off to. It had to end now.
He let Voruna's rage take a hold, as the Warframe leapt forward grappling onto the back of the mighty vehicle. Punching and scraping at the sliding doors he could feel the Warframe's hands heat up and splinter as he punched again and again into the Effervon-fuelled war machine. The sight was inglorious and messy but was ended as a Scaldra weapon punched a hole through the wounded metal sending Rovej flying backwards into a lamppost knocking it over near immediately.
For a moment Scaldra knew peace.
Then the lamp post skewered one of their number and cracked a hole into the loading mechanism of the cannon.
The doors Rovej had wrecked detached from their hinges as the vehicle went on carving an exit through the streets of Höllvania.
Sounds of crushing cars and the following eruptions shook the city as others began to take notice.