A/N: This story combines two separate, but potentially entwined ideas. Mass Effect and Superman. But the story of superman is not necessarily the same to everyone. This Superman is not quite the same one we expect from comics, nor is he completely weakened by the lack of sunlight or Earth's atmosphere (those these do apply). The intent was never to create a system where one character completely changes the outcome. Rather, I've introduced a ripple effect that begins well before the introduction of Clark Kent.

This is the culmination of that ripple.

Chapter One:

Heading to Horizon to escape from Freedom's Progress had been fortuitous, for the moment at least. A week after he left, something had abducted the entire colony, every last man, woman, and child. All humans vanished, though being a human colony and a fairly new one, this wasn't a huge surprise; what had been was the lack of talk about it. Only reason he knew was the rumors he heard while flying out here. Though, he avoided the news as best as he could. There were enough problems in the verse, no reason to stress over things he had no say in.

Clark avoided trouble like the plague. He never sought recognition or fame, even avoiding most formal establishments in an effort to fly just a little bit more underneath the radar. With the galaxy filled with different types of aliens, such as turians, krogan, and asari, he should have felt accepted, even safe to a degree. But his father taught him that the galaxy wasn't ready, and he wasn't ready for them. His father was right.

The other aliens weren't like him. Clark looked human, sounded human, but he wasn't human. Only he and his parents knew. As a boy, his head felt like it was on fire all of the time as his eyes and ears took in too much information. By the time he graduated from a university, he had managed to account and control for the increased perception, even to the point of seeing through things. But he wasn't human. He didn't know what he was. All he knew was what his parents taught him, and they loved him.

So he planet-hopped, flying job to job, working until something happened, until he had to do something to save others. He couldn't help it, but even then, if he stayed too long, people began to give him looks. It's the reason why he left Freedom's Progress: something happened and he had to get involved.

On Freedom's Progress, a fire broke out in one of the labs. He had been working in constructing living quarters nearly a mile away, and volunteered to help fight the fire. A little girl went to work with her father and wandered off, which he probably would have too. But then the fire hit, and they couldn't get to her. No one could.

Except for him.

Bending bars and metal like they were twigs to reach her, he stepped through the flames and smoke. His clothes caught on fire, the heat should be unbearable, the air un-breathable, the terrain unmovable. It would have been for anyone else.

Except for him.

Clark waded in carefully, his eyes burning through the chemicals and smoke, but he concentrating on getting to the girl as quickly as possible. The heat tickled, pulsating and warm against his skin. Walls bent out of the way, his hands crushing the metal underneath his grip. Pushing through what little pain he felt from the heat and the burning metal, charging through the flame and the smoke, he kept moving. The girl's cries screeched through to him, past the screams for help and of fear by the colonists.

Once he reached her, Clark gave her a reassuring smile. Hands which tore through metal only moments before gently lifted the girl into his arms. Holding her head against his neck, he carried her out of there, swiftly stepping between falling beams and burning walls. Footsteps marked the passing of millisecond – if not shorter - as he moved her toward safety. Once free from the burning lab, he turned back staring at the fire. It flared up, twisting in the night. He walked out, aching and feverish, but relatively unharmed.

With the girl still in his arms, he began to move toward her family, at a much more sedate pace. His steps measured, his gait sure, but hurried. Hiding taught him to present an image people wanted to see, something that they could handle. Even with biotics and engineers, walking through fire with only minor burns, untouched would have him studied beyond care or civility.

The galaxy just wasn't ready.

Which lead him here, to Horizon. Another border planet, building itself up, though this time, he had the misfortune to arrive just as the Alliance decided to make kind with the Terminus system colonies.

"Well, look at you." Clark nearly dropped his omni-tool at the voice. He turned to glance at the Alliance's representative, Operations Chief Williams. "Didn't know they grew them like you out here." He had been working on securing walls of a living unit, hoping to have it finished within the next day or so. It was not labor intensive, and the omni-tool requirements were low (never really had the time or money to play around with one after graduating). Essentially, low-skill, low-pay. Perfect when you are trying to stay hidden.

"Don't," Clark said. "I'm from Earth, grew up on a farm." He tried to give her an easy smile, but he always felt uncomfortable about the attention people gave him. His finished adjusting the omni-tool, letting it work its way through the calculations before grabbing the other tools. Despite technology advancing to faster-than-light travel, sometimes a hammer got the work done just as well.

"What made you want to come out here?" Williams asked. He shrugged his shoulders. Why did people always ask some many questions? Not just humans, but asari, turian, hell even the quarians asked questions about him. At least the krogan were willing to let him be, but they rarely worked in the same areas as he did.

"Just felt like it." Williams' glare intensified at the non-answer.

"What's your name?" Clark held back a sigh, reminding himself she was just doing her job.

"Clark." He turns back to his work, hoping to end this conversation.

"That your first name? Or last?" With a sigh, he set the hammer down.

"Ma'am, I understand your concern, and if you have any more questions, please direct them to the foreman. Or ask me when I'm off. But I need to get back to work." He kept reminding himself that she was just doing her job. Something most others around the colony did not enjoy. No one seemed to want the Alliance out here (part of the reason he picked this place) but with rumors of colonies disappearing and geth, the Alliance wanted to keep everyone safe. Something he could relate to.

"You'll talk when you're done?" She hesitated, as if trying to decide what to do next.

"Yes, of course," he gave what he hoped was a comforting smile. He couldn't offer her much, and it was unlikely that anyone could connect all of the pieces. Or at least, not right away.

"Okay," Williams nodded, taking a step back. "What time are you done?"

"1700 hours, Earth standard."

"I'll meet you at the mess around half an hour later?" Williams didn't want for a response, leaving Clark to wonder what the hell was going on. Normally, when people were asking questions about himself, about who he was, they were demanding answer, immediately. Williams demanded them too, but seemed willing to wait. Her patience surprised him, as she didn't seem like the type to wait. She was more of the take charge type, leading men and women into battle.

Clark nearly dropped the hammer as a realization him: She did take charge. She just asked him out on a date. Glancing over his shoulders, he felt a genuine smile rise up. Well, maybe not a date, but it had the potential to be one. It had been a long time since anyone had even bothered to get to know him, and even with weighing the potential harm, maybe talking with someone for fun would be worth it. Besides, there really was nothing in his history - unless people really dug all the way back - to find.

Getting back to work, Clark forgot about the hammer and began to press the bolts in with his thumb. No one was around to notice and definitely quicker in regards to the outcome. At the very least, it would let him finish the job before the bugs finished him. Flicking one away, he settled in. Even with all his enhanced senses, he still missed things.

I0I

Two years since you had lost Shepard. Ashley thought. Two years since he died. Thoughts of her lover, the man who saved her on Virmire, who chose her over Kaiden Alenko, he held her in the dark as they sped toward Illos, consumed her on a daily basis. It was only through a year and a half of therapy, which was still on-going, that she managed to drag herself out of the hole she fell when Shepard left.

One thing her therapist kept reminding her was that Shepard wouldn't want her to stop living her life. She never intended to fall for another guy, to even look at another man (at least until she saw the tall drink of water working construction), but she could keep serving. It was why she traveled to Horizon in the first place.

The Alliance needed her out here, so she went. She knew the rumors, and read the reports of the attacks on Freedom's Progress. She wasn't sure what to believe, but she had to try and make the colonies at least a little safer. Even if the colonies themselves didn't necessarily want the help. They never forced anything on the colonies, or at least, that was what her commanding officers told her.

Out in the Terminus systems, human colonies formed to get away from the Alliance. They didn't want the help and believed that they didn't need it. Most colonies wouldn't turn away defensive systems though, as the raiders and pirates loved prime targets. Alliance wasn't looking for anything in return (right now, Ashley always added under her breath). They just wanted people to be safe.

If that meant the Alliance had an opportunity to be pro-active against the Collectors, then so be it. All for the betterment of the human race.

Now, they just had to get the damn things working.

"Lilith," Ashley called out. The older woman was in charge of the colony, temporarily the leader until they could the entire thing settled. For the most part, it seemed like she would remain in the role once building finished.

"Hey, we've got a bit of a problem." Ashley matched Lilith, walking besides the other woman.

"Still can't calibrate the targeting matrix?" She held back her blush at the question. Her original intent for the morning had been to work on that problem, but Clark distracted her enough to only check in. She really did need to know the background of her colonists, if at least to ensure that no one from Cereberus was here. Clark didn't seem the type, but you never know. She had to be sure. So what if it was over a drink or two?

"Those defense towers are useless if we don't figure it out." Ashley said, moving out of the way of another colonist walking toward them. What good did good will do if towers didn't work? Defense meant nothing without targeting: Give her two good eyes and a scope she'd get the job done. Not everyone was her, and she knew the towers needed the system in order to operate.

She missed the days when she was a ground soldier, a grunt, running from mission to mission. Now, here she was, playing diplomat with a group that barely tolerated her presence it seemed. Most of them at least. Clark appeared to be opening to her, which was progress in it of itself. The man barely said hello to her a week before. Her sisters would be proud of her stubbornness for that one.

"Sorry, Chief. Getting our comm system back online takes priority." Lilith offered, knowing it wasn't much. Communication systems were important, almost more. Even if the towers worked, without the system working properly, no signal could be sent for assistance or vengeance.

"Yeah. Okay. Surprised people haven't tried to blame that one on me too." It was a common thing to hear around the colony. Pipe burst? Alliance's fault. Wife left you? Alliance's fault. She had a dozen complainants filed against the first day she was here. None were substantiated of course, but still, it was the principle. Anything that could go wrong, did go wrong because of the Alliance. Why did they even bother sometimes?

"People out here don't trust the Alliance. It's nothing personal." Ashley shrugged her shoulders. Personal her ass. Of course it was. Not only was she Alliance, but a woman, and a Williams. Didn't matter what others saw, that was what it came down to. Well… almost everyone. She thought as she pictured Clark perched up there, constructing something. Her thoughts dispersed as everyone around her stopped move, turning to stare as something came into view.

"What is that?" A colonist asked. She had no idea. Clouds filled with lightning of something peeked out of them, the crackle adding to the ominous sensation growing in the pit of her stomach. With practice ease, she reached for her assault rifle. Before it even finished unfurling, she had the scope up, peering toward the ship. Not Alliance, not alien…not friendly.

The sky grew a darker hue as what seemed like thousands of thousands of bugs emerged from the cloud. Scream's filled the air, and Ashley felt her training kick in.

"Get everyone to the safe houses." She waved back at Lilith, trying to get her, the leader to cooperate. If she listened, then others would be more likely to as well. "I'll cover you. Run." Lilith nodded, before turning toward the safe house. Ashley futilely let out a burst toward the cloud. Screams carried toward them, and she watched people freeze. "Hurry."

"Ahhh." As she turned, she watched a bug fly off of Lilith. The older woman continued to move forward and scream, before seeming to freeze. Ashley tried to clench her own terror as she watched Lilith's eyes try to widen in fear. The bugs grew closer to her and Ashley tried to hold her breath to prevent a scream.

As she blinked her eyes, trying to block out the moment the bugs touched her, she felt something rush into her. Window rushed out of her just as quickly as it rushed around her.

"Ugh," grunted Ashley. Somehow, she had changed from standing to now lying on the floor. A smooth, even floor in an environment controlled room. They were in the safe house, though she wasn't sure how safe it was. Few people had managed to make it, though she wondered how she got there herself.

"One second," said a blur before disappearing in a charge of air. It appeared momentarily before disappearing again…and again… and again. The blur repeated this several times, with the room filling up with both moving and frozen people.

The blur finally stopped moving, giving her a change to get a good look at the owner of the voice. "Clark?"

"So, I bet you have questions." He offered a sheepish grin. It lasted a moment, but the boyish charm he exuded coupled with his sheer size left her feeling a little weak in her knees. He was a man who had to step in and do the right thing. The same thing that drew her to Shepard drew her to him.

Before she had a chance to even ask questions, Clark's head whipped toward the door. His gaze was long and hard, glaring at it or maybe even what was behind it? "I'm going to try to get to the defense tower controls."

"H-h-how do you know about that?" Ashley managed to get out. He was just a civilian, right? How would he know what to? How the hell did he get them here? She struggled to her feet, but Clark's firm hand gave her the leverage to pull herself up. For some reason, letting her stand on her own, despite saving her, only added to his charm.

"I'd like to explain," Clark glanced at the door again, inching closer to it, "I really would, but, well, I can help out there. Just keep everyone here." He motioned with his hands, trying to placate her.

"Hey, wait!" Ashley cried out, only to be met with a rush of air. Again. "He's going to get himself killed." She looked over at the console, where people were huddled. Damn the comm systems, they needed the defense towers now.

Disclaimer:
This story is cross-published on / under the account name gwmclintock88.

Superman and related information is owned by Warner Bros, published by DC Comics, and created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster.
Mass Effect and related information is published by Electronic Arts, and created by Bioware.

A/N: The combination of ideas and the implementation of information currently are mine. As of right now, the alternative universe I've created here for both is not open to other writers, but it is open to artists.

For those wondering why is is not placed in the cross-over category, I have chosen to only post this under Mass Effect because the story considers the implications of the addition of DC characters to the ME universe. This is not a cross-over in the traditional sense, but rather a fusion. Thus, I've chosen to only post it here, rather than in the cross-over category. If you have issues with this, please either leave me a PM or a comment.

Comments and criticism are welcome.

Good night and good luck.