The Second Awakening - The Chronology Series RP "Enter the Cosmos" Side-Story

[SpaceRavens03]

Readers not part of the TCS Community are advised to read through the events of "Enter the Cosmos" before proceeding
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Chapter 1​

*THUMP*

“Aw I’m sorry chump,did that hurt? No? Don’t mind if I do then! Gwahaha!”

*WHUMP*

It stung.

*WHAM*

…..On second thought,it hurts…...like hell……..! How was I still alive….? After all these blows to the stomach,head,chest and back I had just took for like,3 hours? The whirring sound of my shield immediately revealed the answer for the 20th time. Right…….my shield’s protecting me,keeping me several centimeters further from death’s embrace. Whether or not Bowser knew,I do not know,although I am more than willing to believe he would not care as long as he could to use me as his current personal punching sack. How unpleasantly ironic it is that the very thing protecting me from sustaining actual injury ended up being a gateway for further physical abuse. Standing up does no favour for me either,for he would fine it amusing to put me down. Again,again,and again.

“Well this is getting pretty boring. You sure are pathetic at keeping this interesting you know that? Guess I'll just go pay your pals a visit then!”

Pay them a- …..no….I can't let him leave,not when they're all still recovering from the trap! His back turned on me,I rose from the ground,shakily as left hand reached for the MK1 Paris while my right raised towards the arrows. If I could at least land a lucky shot on his head then-

“But hey,that would be pretty mean of me to not give you a parting gift,don’t you agree?”

Oh no. I have a really bad feeling about this. Turning back to face me,a fireball emerged out from within his jaws,colliding onto my chest as the impact caused me to fall down onto me back for the umpteenth time. The marching coming closer and closer each second,Bowser eventually lifted me by the feet before swinging me round and round in a rather familiar fashion. Hang on,I think I know exactly what he's-

“Hope you enjoy the free trip through SPACE! Bwahaha!”

Oh Cru-

A few rounds later,I found myself getting flung out of the arena,and out into the depths of space….briefly. Several asteroids were closing in on me as I "flew",each of them crashing onto me and splitting into even smaller pieces as they parted ways with me. My once-regenerated shield now completely diminished,the collision started bruising me each beat,causing my state to worsen as I am far from the reach of any forms of restorative items to reverse the injuries I've sustained. Shortly,I found myself drifting towards a much-more-larger asteroid easily twice the size of the arena we were all lead to by Grineer-io (Wario). With no Archwing to act as my brakes,I could only raise my arms and brace for the final impact,knowing this may very well be the one last hit that could take my life,and so I fell.



Wait…..fell? When has gravity gotten a hold of me? Not only that,the surface my body collided onto was….smoother than I expected. Out of all of it however,I felt weak. Very. Weak. Opening my eyes,my visuals started adjusting themselves to the new environment I found myself in. It looks…...less starry but more…..grand,as bright. I tried to get up and off the ground,only for my legs to give away and leave me falling onto my back again,much to my chagrin.

“Ah,it seems the pod itself stores a suited young man! Quite a fancy looking creation for such simple use,if I'd say so myself.”

"Suited young man"? I looked at my hands,then at the suit I was wearing. I was not Excalibur anymore. Instead,I was some frail,androgynous young teenager in a black suit with his head concealed by the clothing's mask. Trying to stand up again,the old scientist from the café (whom I presume is the one speaking earlier in the first place) came to my aid,supporting me as I leaned on the wall beside me,panting slowly as I looked around,and then at him. The scientist himself smiled and responded.

“Try not to push yourself. It would seem that your leg muscles had atrophied,judging by your inability to keep yourself steady.”

“W-where am I…..?”

Was all that escaped my lips under the helmet as I looked around the interior for the second time.

“You're my personal laboratory. As you can see,this pod here behind you was where you've rested in before it opened. I've been trying several methods in opening it until I've found the emergency eject button.”

Lab.....? Isn't that the- wait…...pod….?My gaze shifted behind me,my eyes laid upon two familiar floating architecture. One shaped like a pod as the scientist mentioned and one which shaped like a bed for whoever uses it…..essentially me originally. The "bed" floated back and up,where several platings on the "pod" slid open for the "bed" to enter. The platings closed as it deactivated on its own,I could only stare at the architecture silently as my mind registered what the old scientist had mentioned.

I,was found,in this? The gold coating around the machine,the outward appearance looking similar to that of an Ayatan Sculpture's appearance. It was clear what this very creation may have actually been.

“This is the Somatic Link…..?”

I felt a tingling pain in my mind as I continued to think of the pod behind me for some inexplicable reasons. Clutching my head in pain as I looked away from the machine,I heard the man asked.

“Young man,is this pod what you refer to as a "Somatic Link"?.”

“Well,yes. But I don’t remember how it work-”

Hang on. He just….he just acted as if he had heard me? Under the mask,I stared at him,completely dumbfounded as I asked what was perhaps admittedly a very stupid question for him.

“Can you….can you hear me?”

“Ah yes,of course I can young man! After all,you’re speaking to me right now as we speak.”

“As in,no telepathy and you could hear me?”

“But of course!” He smiled, “My,you seem to sound as if you’re a little overjoyed at the prospect.”

Overjoyed? That. Is an understatement. This. Is a dream come true! I absolutely loathed being unable to talk to other people because of my inability to speak to others as Excalibur! …..As Excalibur…? Dots started connecting in my mind as I looked at the Somatic Link,then at myself. Slowly but surely as my heart sank,,I figured out the truth.

“I…..I was never the Warframe at all….?”

“Warframe? Pray tell,what do you mean by that young man?”

Of course. He would not know what a Warframe is. After all,I was not able to tell him that when I first arrived in Starbukes….? Cafe? I really don’t remember the name,but enough of that.

“Before I answer,you’ve seen a man looking a little like an alien wearing armour that looks like skin before the Mushroom Kingdom was attacked,no?”

Holding his chin as he thought for a momentary while,he nodded before answering:

“Indeed I do. Quite a curiously silent fellow he is. Although….how did you know about attack on Mushroom Kingdom? Quite strange that a young man like you asleep in this “Somatic Link” knows what has transpired days ago.”

“It is.......simple,actually....”

End of 1st Chapter​

 

[SpaceRavens03]

Chapter 2​

“Go on now,eat up young man. It's is quite fine if you find yourself wolfing down the meals before you. After all,your body seem to suggest you've never eaten forever!.”

Easy for you to say old man! This....thing you call a "chicken breast",it- it taste incredible! The flavourful juices exiting the compressing meat between my teeth came into contact with my tongue. It was salty,a little hot and also savoury at the same time. I chewed the chicken meat slowly,not wanting this toothsome feeling to end too soon,perhaps not even wanting the delicacy to stop generously providing the luscious taste at all. I've never experienced such exquisite luxury as such as this pleasant wake-up call from my failure to stop Bowser. To others,eating may perhaps be usually not that huge of a deal as they do have to eat to survive from hunger. To me however,being able to eat such appetising meal which my world could probably never recreate due to the technology lost in time was not different than receiving a heavenly,divine,beyond-reality mod from a mere butcher foolishly charging in for a futile kill. I chewed my food slowly,wanting to keep the sensation going as much longer as possible. The scientist seemed to have noticed how much I was enjoying myself as I gazed lovingly at the meals set on the table before me and chuckled.

“O-oh,s-sorry. I just couldn't help but the savour the flavour of this delicacy here I'm holding as I speak.”

“No,it is quite alright,young sir! There is no greater joy than taking in the the succulent taste an edible provides to the consumers after all.”

Smiling,I nodded in wholehearted agreement.

“This,I cannot deny is a false statement. Being able to taste these foods is a far bigger luxury than I could ever hope to ask for,and I am more than thankful for your generosity.”

“Well,you're clearly in need of consumption of fruits,vegetables and meat,especially if you need your legs to recover from atrophy to avoid another tumble down the staircase!”

As he laughed heartily,I winced in pain at the reminder of that little accident where I found my legs giving away at the worse possible time ever,leading to me bouncing down the stairs. My cheerful smile swiftly fading into that of a sheepish one,I tried to forget about the event,especially the part where after a series of anguished yells for each bounce I landed on the staircase,I ended it all with a high pitched "ow" which I sure as HELL HOPE no one has heard. Clearing my throat,I quickly changed the topic.

“T-that said,I suppose I owe you an explanation regarding the Warframe and the Somatic Link which I've brought earlier.”

“Ah indeed,what,pray tell,exactly is the Warframe and this Somatic Link which you had be ejected from,how does they work?”

“Well,the Warframe itself is a Biotechnical Exosuit I control when going out for missions. The Somatic Link is....what allows me to take control of the Warframe itself. As there are many different Warframes made in my world,the one you saw back in the cafè is named "Excalibur".”

I explained,taking a bite from the chicken as the short summarised explanation was given. His index finger and thumb raised towards his chin,the scientist,or rather:"Professor Elvin Gadd",was silent for a few moments.

“In other words,your consciousness is being transferred from one body into another. Does your companions know of this?”

“They didn't sir......... neither do I.” I spoke, “This sounds rather far-fetched but,this is actually the first time I've really seen the Somatic Link I've been used up close despite knowing how it works. I always thought that I was the Warframe the entire time.”

It was a really complicated way to put it,if I say so myself. Even I do not know how I knew of the explanation of the Somatic Link and the Warframes,all the while I was under the impression that I was Excalibur himself,not this frail,skinny young man I am. It is even stranger that I could somehow recall the definitions of the pod I rest in as I control Excalibur,and yet I could not recall any memories past the moment I found myself several kilometres away from the Mushroom Kingdom.

“Hmm.....you suffer from quite a strange form of amnesia,young man. Do you still remember your memories as this "Excalibur" Warframe however?”

“I.....suppose you could say that. And to answer your question,j fortunately do.”

I nodded,not even bothering to ask how he easily guessed my condition. He seemed to have the unfailingly conventional ability to be able to understand and correctly guess anything he's heard of for the first time.

“I remember joining a group,leaving for a relatively small floating land in space called the "Good Egg Galaxy". Coming face to face with the adorable sphere-shaped "Kubrow"-like beasts alongside them. Returning to meet up the others only to be captured and taken into Bowser's son's flying ship. And.....it was there I...”

“-Guess I'll just go pay your pals a visit then!”

“I.....”

The words echoed repeatedly in my mind as I struggled to speak of the events of the trap laid by Grineer-io and Bowser. My eyes soon widened in horror,the chicken breast I was eating fell back onto the plate as I remembered the impending disaster.

“I have to go! Bowser's coming after my allies and friends!”

“Uh,sorry but,there's something about the Somatic Link which I've forgot to tell you about-”

“No time,if it works then I'll-”

“That IS the issue actually. The Somatic Link......lost power.”

Silence met the two of us as my mind started processing the news he had dropped onto me like a bag filled with alloys,ferrites and scraps.

“........WHAT!?”

I could not believe it. What in the name of Lotus has happened after I had been ejected? What the hell did he do to the Somatic Link that caused it to sudden cease functionality just like that!?

“Not to worry. I can fix it once I figure out how it runs,although it will take some time-”

“How long!?”

“Around an hour or two,depending on the circumstances.”

Completely at loss of words,I could only stare at him quite with my mouth agape as my brain registered the indirect fact that read "You won't be able to make it".Shaking my head disapprovingly,I picked the chicken breast back up and continued munching on it.

“.....Not that I can move around in space without an Orbiter or Archwing I guess.” I disgruntledly admitted. Excalibur has just been thrown into space and is left drifting after all. Assuming that the Warframe miraculously survived and remained intact throughout the ordeal,what help with it be if I am unable to maneuver in the zero gravity environment?

“Have you ever worked on such mechanical invention such as the Somatic Link,Professor?”

“I could ask one of the toads who brought the guests to the festival to search for you. And to answer your question....no. However,I do take pride in inventing other tools such as-”

He's not going to turn the Somatic Link into some unstable time machine now,right? .....Right?