Ember's Fury: Flames of Retribution by Jade Gretz

Ember awoke to the stench of charred flesh and crackling flames. Her eyes, usually blazing with a fiery intensity, were clouded with exhaustion and a flicker of fear. She lay amidst the smoldering ruins of her own outpost, the acrid smoke stinging her lungs. The memory of the attack remained a fragmented nightmare - grotesque creatures, their skin twisted and mottled, swarming through the base, their hunger for destruction mirroring the wildfire they ignited around them.

Everywhere she looked, she saw the bodies of her comrades, their once vibrant lives extinguished in the inferno. Her lieutenant, Vauban, lay sprawled at her feet, his mechanical limbs bent at unnatural angles, his face obscured by a mask of ash. Grief threatened to consume her, but Ember pushed it down. It wouldn't bring them back. It would only weaken her.

With a shaky hand, she activated her warframe, the familiar feeling of the suit encasing her a meager comfort. The metallic hum masked the thrumming of her own wounded heart. She stood amid the ashes, the sole survivor of the onslaught. The attackers, these twisted entities that the Tenno named the Embered Ones, had vanished as suddenly as they had appeared.

A message flickered on her internal comms - an urgent plea for help from another outpost. It was a desperate gamble, but it was their only chance. Ignoring the searing pain in her side, a souvenir of a near-fatal blow, Ember activated her overdrive, her body becoming a conduit of pure flame as she rocketed into the sky, leaving a trail of heat and devastation in her wake.

The journey was arduous. The Embered Ones seemed to be multiplying exponentially, each encounter leaving a fresh scar on her warframe, a testament to her struggle. Doubt gnawed at her - how long could she sustain this fight alone? How many more outposts would fall before the Tenno were overrun?

During a particularly brutal skirmish, trapped amidst a horde of the Embered Ones, a flicker of something else stirred within Ember. It wasn't just exhaustion, nor was it just fear. It was a primal rage, a burning desire to consume the very darkness that threatened to consume them all.

The feeling erupted from her, a nova of pure, unyielding fire. It wasn't the controlled inferno she usually wielded, but a chaotic conflagration that surged from her core, seemingly fuelled by the very essence of the Embered Ones themselves. The creatures, momentarily stunned, recoiled from the intensity of the flames.

In that moment, Ember understood. The Embered Ones weren't just mindless beasts; they were fueled by the fear and despair of the Tenno themselves. Their existence was a manifestation of a collective nightmare, a reflection of the very darkness the Tenno sought to eradicate.

With this newfound knowledge, Ember fought differently. She embraced the inferno within, channeling its chaotic energy into a weapon of immense power. She danced amidst the flames, a whirlwind of fire and defiance, her warframe becoming a crucible where fear was transmuted into power.

Ember wouldn't just fight the darkness; she would consume it. She would become its antithesis, a beacon of hope amidst the encroaching shadows. Each fallen Embered One, consumed by her righteous fury, fueled her further, making her stronger, more determined.

Finally, she reached the besieged outpost. The remaining Tenno, their faces haggard and their supplies dwindling, looked on with astonishment as Ember emerged from the burning horizon, a figure of blazing defiance. She launched herself into the fray, a hurricane of fire and fury, driving the Embered Ones back with devastating force.

With each fallen enemy, the outpost's defenses strengthened, their spirits renewed as they witnessed Ember's transformation. Witnessing their resilience, Ember, in turn, felt a surge of gratitude, a connection she had never experienced before. They were not just comrades; they were the kindling that fueled her fire, the beacon guiding her through the darkness.

The battle raged for hours, but eventually, the last Embered One fell, consumed by the inferno that now burned with controlled ferocity within Ember. As the smoke cleared, the surviving Tenno gathered around her, their eyes filled with awe and newfound hope.

"We thought you were dead," one of them said, his voice trembling.

Ember chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. "Dead men don't burn this brightly," she said, her voice hoarse but unwavering. "We rise from the ashes, stronger than ever
...(more at https://www.deviantart.com/jadegretzai).
For more supergirl, chun li, batgirl, tifa, lara croft, wonder woman, rogue and much more, please visit my page at www.deviantart.com/jadegretzai - Thanks for your support :)
https://www.deviantart.com/jadegretzai/art/Ember-s-Fury-Flames-of-Retribution-1025560653