"Theresa, the hooded intruder's been dealt with," Chen Tiannuo said over comms. "I'm taking Bronya and Mei to the infirmary—contact me if anything else comes up."
"Understood. I'll handle the breach in the archives," Theresa replied, then hung up.
"A breach in the archives?" Chen Tiannuo mused. High-level encryption, shouldn't be his worry.
He escorted Bronya to the infirmary and gently placed her in a bed. "Can't even call for help when you're downed..."
Bronya turned shyly away. What could she do—she'd been taken out in a moment.
"Rest up. I'll go see if Theresa needs help," Chen Tiannuo said softly.
He turned to Fu Hua: "Captain, stay and watch over them. I'm worried Theresa might run into trouble."
"Understood. Stay safe." Fu Hua laid Mei in another bed and went to fetch a doctor.
…
Chen Tiannuo sprinted toward the archives, fearing Theresa might be ambushed.
Inside, Theresa was negotiating with Cocolia…
He blasted open the door with the Exalted Blade, then paused at the sight of them—talking, not fighting.
"Thought you two would be at each other's throats. You're just chatting?" he asked, stepping next to Theresa.
"Oh, you're here," Theresa nodded with a smile.
"So... what's the discussion about?"
Einstein, eying Chen Tiannuo's Warframe, asked Theresa, "Is that your new technology?"
"It's not…" Theresa replied, fumbling.
Cocolia interrupted: "That's our side of the deal. We'll take our leave now."
Theresa waved them off: "What are you still standing here for? Breakfast?"
"Fine, we're gone." Cocolia and Einstein left.
As they exited, Chen Tiannuo suppressed his impulse to chase them. "You just let them go?"
Theresa nodded. "Yes, we made a trade."
"A trade?" Chen Tiannuo eyed the nearby incubators. "What did you bargain for?"
"Uh…" Theresa hesitated, unsure if she should explain it.
"Top secret, huh? Alright, that's fine." Chen Tiannuo didn't press further.
"Sorry, Tiannuo—I didn't know how to tell you," Theresa apologized.
"Don't worry. Secret missions are part of the job," he smiled. "Shall we check on Bronya and Mei?"
"Yes." Theresa tucked her thoughts away and followed him.
…
"We're here," Chen Tiannuo and Theresa entered the infirmary.
Seeing Mei awake, he asked: "What did the doctor say? No side effects?"
"Yeah. She was just knocked out. A bit more rest and she's fine."
"And Bronya?" Chen Tiannuo turned to Mei, where Bronya rested.
"She's got internal injuries from the impact—needs rest," Mei said, guilt heavy in her voice. If she hadn't answered the door, this wouldn't have happened.
"Don't blame yourself," Chen Tiannuo comforted her.
"But—" Mei began, but he interrupted.
"From now on, we'll spar daily. I'll guide your combat technique." Despite his fondness for explosives, he appreciated the value of close-quarters discipline.
"Okay!" Mei nodded resolutely.
"Alright, rest well. I'll go arrange new defensive gear."
"Thank you, Chen Tiannuo."
He gave a brief nod and left first.
Theresa stayed behind to chat with the girls…
…
With newfound energy, Chen Tiannuo made his way to the Foundry.
"Whoa... it's done." He admired the completed Archwing and K-Drive Hoverboard, excited to test them.
'Better let them know beforehand—not to panic.'
He sent a comm to Himeko: "Captain, I'm heading out to test some new gear. Let the crew know—this is going to be impressive!"
Himeko replied, "Why not link your frame to the Hyperion's comm system?"
"Ah… figured I'd give you a heads-up directly." Chen Tiannuo chuckled.
"Alright, done." Himeko said. "Glad you got everything handled back there—you did well."
"No surprises with me on duty." Chen Tiannuo replied. "Time to clear my head."
"Be safe."
"Always am." Chen Tiannuo, intergalactic soldier (and occasional pirate), scoffed at danger.
He equipped the Archwing, activated it—and launched skyward.
In moments, his silhouette vanished above the clouds.
On Hyperion's traffic monitors, Himeko watched the signal drift away and smiled softly.
"Thanks, Tiannuo."
Out of comm range, Chen Tiannuo didn't hear her. He was already chasing more Honkai beasts, dreaming of new Warframes.
He knew Excalibur was specialized for melee and passable at range—but it lacked healing or heavy defense. Against tougher foes, he needed options.
Trinity Prime? Dragon-king Chroma? The former could heal, the latter tank—both useful.
'Ahab might suit my style more… but why overthink?'
Hovering just under the edge of space, he gazed down at the beautiful blue-and-gold planet below. His expression softened with memory.
Earth had been just as beautiful once—before the Nymphs ravaged its life towers, destabilizing its systems.
He wanted to preserve such beauty. To protect all that was good. For that, he needed power—stronger Warframes.
Time to plan my next jump.
Beasts are fine for crafting materials… but what if the viruses inside them spread?
He needed crossover missions. To safeguard this world, I'll have to risk damaging another.
He grinned, ready for the next phase of his journey.