Well...another story of mine that is being written. This one is a Familiar of Zero and Mass Effect Crossover.
Yeah...after deciding to give Familiar of Zero fanfics a chance, I got A LITTLE interested in researching the series...and...well...
...You probably guessed it already...
...So...without further adieu...
Chapter 1 - Priority: Academy I
Expiation drifted in space. It was one of a small cadre of Reapers that had been broken free from the control of the Catalyst, and resisted against Harbinger's (much more dominant) faction. Due to this, they had begun to allow themselves to feel emotion, fueling their drive to fight Harbinger. The Reaper Destroyer itself had just been involved in a skirmish with its 'loyalist' counterparts, in which they tried to rescue a Citadel transport of refugees. Its comrades were destroyed, and Expiation was forced to take some of the refugees into itself (after a lengthy argument with the refugees over whether it was in fact TRYING TO HELP...) to protect them, when the Reapers nearly destroyed their ship. Then, Expiation barely made it out himself, as his comrades fell. However, with the damage he took in the battle, only a small number of the refugees of various races.
Now, he drifted, damaged and alone in space. It had power to keep the refugees in stasis, in addition to its own husk/Collector compliment, and its Oculus drones, but overall, Expiation wasn't going anywhere, and if it wasn't found soon, it'd offline permanently. It resigned itself to its fate, readying to transfer power from itself to its drones, when...it heard something...
"I beg you, my servant that exists in this vast universe..."
Expiation was confused. There was no one nearby, and the source of the voice was external in nature.
"My divine, beautiful, wise, powerful servant..."
Expiation was even more confused. What was this voice? It sounded like a human female. Why was it calling him? How was he hearing? He scanned the area and felt a disturbance in the fabric of time. As though...this voice was being carried from beyond. Was it a voice from what the organics call the 'afterlife'? Was that concept real? Expiation kept growing more confused.
"Heed my call, I wish from the bottom of my heart..."
'Desperation,' Expiation realized: he felt desperation in the human's voice. It was calling out to anything that would hear it...and he heard it. Expiation had, before being freed, performed many atrocities, like the other Reapers, and knew that here, his time had come, but if this was indeed coming from another world...maybe he could have a chance...to make things right...
"I will heed the call..." Expiation finally decided.
"Answer my guidance, and APPEAR!"
Then, a greenish portal opened up in front of the Reaper Destroyer. The Reaper scanned the portal, and detected powerful spacial and temporal distortions coming off it: it was a tear into another universe, that much Expiation could tell. It slowly approached the portal, its mass effect drive set to make him the heaviest he could be, yet still be able to move himself, so the portal didn't suck him in. He observed the portal, contemplated...and made his decision, reversing the polarity of the charge he was sending into the Eezo in his core, turning him from a massive paperweight, to a massive feather that was easily swallowed up by the portal, before it disappeared, leaving no sign of him remaining in the universe.
*BANG!*
The explosion that occurred was one of the most powerful, yet least-damaging ones Louise had ever performed.
"Well, you did it again, Zero!"
"Yeah, you never get anything right!"
"Why don't you just give up!"
Each of those comments drove themselves into Louise like a dagger to the heart. This was it: she was a failure. She can't do magic properly, every time she tries, it explodes, and failing to summon a familiar was just the final nail in the cof-
A roaring was heard, and a massive form crashed in the middle of the courtyard. Before the dust cleared, the group heard a loud *BWOOOOOOOOM* that reverberated across the field. When the dust finally cleared, the group stood in awe at the sight before them: a massive...whatever it was...made of metal lay on the ground, slightly tilted to the side. It had 4 long legs and, standing up, would probably be over 160 meters tall, and looked somewhat like the nymph of a leaf insect.
Everyone stared in shock at the thing that appeared due to Louise.
"Louise summoned THAT?!"
"It looks broken,"
"Figures: It looks big and impressive, but, just like Louise the Zero, it doesn't even work..."
Expiation observed the people around him, it took a moment to analyze the language they used, but after some time, he was able to translate it. He was able to find the subject to the humans' ridicule: a human female, with pink hair, who was the closest being to his crash site. He soon realized that the pink haired girl, this 'Louise', was the one who spoke to him, the one who summoned him. He scanned the humans and detected an unknown source of power: not Eezo, something totally unknown.
He saw that the girl, Louise, was getting visibly upset about the ridicule, despite the adult in the area, a bald male, trying to stop it. Expiation decided that enough was enough.
He diverted power to the covers covering his main weapons emitter/sensor.
"Look! It's doing something!" a human called out.
This action alone caused everyone to shut up, and for them all, especially Louise, to look up in awe. Then, the sensor glowed red, he made another *BWOOOOOOOOM* sound, and shifted in Louise's direction. Then, Expiation spoke.
"Louise..."
Louise seemed shocked. "Y-y-yes? That's me..."
"You have summoned me here. I am requesting the reason for it."
"I-I-I summoned you to be m-my familiar. B-But I d-d-didn't know who are what w-was going to be summoned, so-"
Expiation sensed the fear and anxiety coming from Louise as she tried to rationalize Expiation's arrival here. "Calm. The portal that appeared before me, I had the power to resist. I had made the decision to cross into it on my own, and I could have stayed in my original place, had I so desired. I request knowledge of this world. Where am I?"
"T-T-The Tristain Academy of Magic...I-In the Country of Tristain...O-O-On the Continent of Halkeginia..."
"...These names are not familiar to me. What planet am I on?"
"P-Planet? I-I-I...I don't know-"
"Pre-space flight civilization, then. Pre-industrial. Sensors detect world similar to that of Earth "Medieval" era. I require more information: What is a familiar?"
"A-A-A familiar i-is normally a-a-a creature th-that m-m-makes a contract with a m-m-mage a-as a s-s-servant..." Louise grew more and more scared as the...thing...in front of her remained silent. Previously, when it responded to things one would normally have to think about, it responded nearly afterwards. For it to take its time now...Louise felt a pit form in her stomach.
Finally, Expiation spoke. "And I was summoned to be this servant?"
"I-I-I didn't know what would come out! I was expecting, maybe, a dog, or a lizard, or, if I was lucky, a dragon-"
"Calm. Again, had I not wanted to be here, I wouldn't have let myself come. What would you expect of me as a familiar?"
"W-W-Well...Familiars t-t-typically p-protect their mas-I mean mage...while th-th-the mage provides sh-shelter and f-food for th-the familiar..."
Expiation was silent again, and Louise was fearful of it. Suddenly, Expiation spoke again, and, needless to say, everyone was shocked by the response. "Despite the fact that some of the terms are unnecessary, due to what I am...the terms are acceptable."
"Huh?" Louise asked, confused.
"Proceed with the procedure for the contract," Expiation stated. The people around him seemed confused, but Expiation knew what he was doing: he still desired his redemption, and this world gives him a clean slate...maybe...just maybe...he can do something right. "However, I have one request."
"W-What is it?" Louise asked.
"Before coming here, I had rescued a transport of refugees from some of my more...villainous...species-mates. These refugees have no homes to go to, and some of them are Biotics. Finally, they are all in stasis inside me, where I can release them at any time. I request that I may be allowed to begin construction of a settlement for them in a secluded area, while I operate under this contract."
"Th-Th-That's a-a-acceptable..." Louise stated.
"Acknowledged. Finish the contract," Expiation stated.
"A-Are you sure?!" Louise asked in disbelief.
"Affirmative. Finish the contract."
Louise tentatively approached Expiation, and soon, a portion of it, that looked like a cross between a head and a hand, pulled itself towards her. Louise took a deep breath, before reciting, "My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers; bless this humble being, and make him my familiar." She then looked at the being. "...Where would be the closest part to being your mouth?" One of the appendages on the hand-head extended to her, the center-most one. "Thank you." She then kissed it.
Then, a hissing was heard, and Expiation shifted, as a surge of energy entered it. Its red cannon/sensor glowed brighter, and it made a louder *BWOOOOOOOOM* sound. "Warning: Immense Power Surge detected in Port Forward Appendage!"
The students walked over to the indicated limb and saw runes appearing in it. "It...looks like your familiar runes..." Louise commented.
"...Acknowledged..."
"By the way...do you have a name? I never caught it."
"My identification is Expiation, of the Reaper Cadre." Then, several ports on Expiation's back opened, releasing several constructs that resembled eyes, with metal frames surrounding them. The constructs then mostly flew off in several directions, except for one, which floated down to the ground.
"Uhm...Expiation...what are these things?" Louise asked.
"Oculus Drones, primary fightercraft and reconnaissance units for both the Reaper Cadre and Reaper Armada." Then, all of a sudden, Expiation began making stuttering noises, as though he tried to speak, but failed.
Louise was immediately worried. "What's wrong?"
"Combat damage. Will require 2 weeks to repair. Until then, I am immobilized."
"So...you're stuck here?"
"Utilizing onboard systems commonplace on Reaper Cadre Reapers, I can create for myself a semi-organic 'Avatar' with which I would be able to use for interaction, both before and after my primary body has been repaired."
Louise let out a sigh of relief that her new familiar was not permanently injured. "So...how long until your 'Avatar' is finished?"
Then, scanning beams came from Expiation's primary sensor. The beams scanned all the people, student and staff, noble and commoner, that were in the courtyard at the time, whether passing through or staying. Then, after a few moments, a port on the underside of Expiation opened, as his cannon/sensor darkened. Then, a human-like form came through. A closer look revealed a white-haired, brown-eyed young man, around 17 years old or so in age. He wore a dark, dull purple mantle, with right purple and gold trim, over a pale shirt and pants, and boots. He had an unusual device on his left fore-arm, and several on his back. The human looked around the courtyard, before turning his gaze back to Louise...and his eyes flashed red for a second or two before turning brown again.
"E-Expiation?" Louise tentatively asked.
"Yes," the human said, in a very human-sounding, quiet voice, not like Expiation's normal, 'loud and booming' voice. "This is my Human Avatar. Taking a scan of all the humans in this courtyard, I used the data, mixed with spare organic matter contained inside myself, and used it to generate this body, which should pass most inspections, barring any that expose the cybernetic components."
"'C-Cybernetic C-C-Components'?" Louise asked, nervously.
"Pieces of my technology I integrated into this body, to allow me to remotely control it, or, in dire circumstances, transfer myself to. As it is, I used my knowledge to replicate organic Biotics, as well as the phenomenon that allows you to receive power."
"Y-You mean y-you gave yourself Magic?!"
"Yes, but it will be untrained, and therefore unusable, until I have improved my control over it," the avatar responded.
Then, another student, a dark-skinned human with a large bust and red hair, approached. "So...what? You're as weak as a commoner right now?"
"Biotics and cybernetics not withstanding, yes," the avatar stated.
"What ARE Biotics?" Louise asked.
"I will explain at a more appropriate time and venue," the avatar said.
Louise sighed. She wanted to order her familiar to spell it out now, but seeing as her familiar's true form is not the human in front of her, but the massive metallic...monstrosity...behind it, she felt it wise not to. "So...what should I call you? Expiation isn't really an easy name to call someone."
"Term." Expiation noticed a blue-haired girl step out of the crowd, and speak. "Means 'Making amends for guilt'."
"The point of my continued existence," Expiation responded to the girl's comment, "To perform expiation for my acts as a member of the Armada. It is through that that I named myself." The girl nodded, and backed back into the crowd.
"Still...there should be a better name we can call you..."
Expiation thought for a moment. "Igeal. Name of Israeli Origin. Retains similar meaning."
"Ok, Igeal then," Louise said, satisfied.
Then, the professor approached. "I believe that, at some point, you should meet with us in the headmaster's office, Igeal. Until then, everyone is dismissed!"
Well, that's that for this first chapter. If you're wondering what Expiation's human form looks like, it's essentially Default Build Male Robin from Fire Emblem: Awakening, with the Tactician Outfit as 'Casual Wear', and the Dread Fighter Outfit as 'Combat Wear'. As for his equipment, he possesses:
Sniper Rifle: N7 Valiant (Black Widow in reserve)
Assault Rifle: Geth Pulse Rifle (Cerberus Harrier in reserve)
Shotgun: M-23 Katana (Geth Plasma Shotgun in reserve)
SMG: Collector SMG (M-9 Tempest in reserve)
Heavy Pistol: M-11 Suppressor (Salarian Scorpion in reserve)
Heavy Weapon: Collector Particle Beam (Reaper Blackstar in reserve)
Omni-Tool: Savant X
Biotic Amp: Savant X
