Sheppard looked around himself. The same empty void. He sighed. He lost the track of time. He didn't know how much time had passed since He took control of the Reapers, from the moment he saw Her for the last time.

"Mister Shepard, I hope I don't disturb you."a voice said.

Shepard immediately jumped to his feet and looked around himself until he found the source of the voice. The source of the voice was a man in a blue suit with a case in one hand.

''Who the hell are you?'' asked Sheppard in complete shock.

"Mister Sheppard, that is not an important matter , the important matter is why I am here.''the man replied calmly as he approached Sheppard.

As he got closer, Sheppard was able to notice several things about him, he seemed to be a middle aged man with tall and thin physique, as he examines his face Sheppard sees that the man has blue-green eyes and his face seems a little pale.

''I came her with a proposition. You see, my employers were impressed by your actions and decided that you may prove useful to us, so I came here to offer you… a job. They will take care of these… Reapers. If you will not accept it , then you will remain here and eventually destroy everything you have fought so dearly to protect.''

The space they were changed all the sudden. They were no longer in the empty white void , but in a Mako. Looking around Sheppard could see that this was the Mako he used during his missions. It was the gray and he was sitting on his usual chair.

The door was open and Sheppard could see outside some strange floating chunks of rock with plants on them. The plants looked like some kind of big whitish balls which were connected to the rock with some kind of tentacles and the other kind of plants were some kind of dark-green colored spikes, which had a resemblance wit bambus.

The sky didn't look normal neither,being purple.

As he looks on the other side of the transport Sheppard sees the man sitting down there.

''What the….''

''I believe I already told you why I am here didn't I?What is your answer mister Shepard? ''

Sheppard looks at his eyes, examining them for the slightest sign of treachery.

''How do I know that you are not going to use the Reapers for your own benefit, like the Illusive Men?''

''You don't, but your options are limited. And my employers don't… require this… Reapers.''

Sheppard looks insistently in his eyes, but he only sees a cold calm. He closes his eyes and starts to think.'What are my options? I could remain here and run to madness or I could do the deal with this man. He is not a Cerberus, that is for sure but… What is he going to do with the Reapers?'.

''Tic-Tac, Mister Sheppard."

Sheppard takes a deep breath before answering.

"I accept your job."

The man nods slowly before saying .

''Please proceed throw...There.'' he said as a green portal appeared at the exit from the Mako.

Sheppard takes a deep breath and steps in the portal.

Master Chief looks around himself. He was in a Pelican, but something was not right. In front of him a man is staying, but it wasn't a soldier, that was for sure. He was wearing a blue suit and having a briefcase.

''Mister John, I am glad to see that you awaken.''

Master Chief examines the face of the man .He is a middle aged man but apart from that and the calm he is radiating, he didn't see anything else.

''I have extracted you from…. the situation in which you were because we think you have… potential, great… potential. And we need people like you.''

Master Chief's mind started thinking.'How did I get here? I was in a combat, we were scouting throw the facility we were attacked and I managed to kill the enemy but I was injured, badly injured and…'.

''What do you want?''

''We want to offer you a chance to a new line of… work.''

''No.I work for the UNC only. I will not betray them.''answered Master Chief decided.

''My employees know that this will be your answer so I came prepared''

The Master Chief watched as the men approached him. He opened his briefcase. John expected him to take some kind of torture device, but what he took out of the briefcase was an AI chip. John's face fell when the men activated. The AI which appeared was… Cortana.

''John! Where are we? What is going on?''asked Cortana panicked as she looked frantically around.

''This construct alone is of no use to me so I will di …''

John looked down.

''I accept.''

''Good choice.''said the man as he held the chip so John could take it from his hand. He was able to move, for the first time since he saw the men, he grabbed the chip and connected it to his helmet.

''John. You shouldn't be…''

''And I am not.''

''Then why am I here?''

''You are here because we needed you. New walk through…. There .''Said the man calmly.

Master Chief raised himself up and walked into the green portal which appeared.

Ian felt like he was thrown down from an airplane. The pain from his back didn't help either. He tried to open his eyes but he couldn't .'Dame it.I made my way to hell and I survived and I can't even open my eyes?'.

Ian was a UAC marine engineer .He and his team were sent to Mars to explore an ancient ruin. He found an artifact and touched it and the hell went loose. Demons came into existence. He had to fight his way, and using The artifact he managed to kill the Demon Dragon or Demon Lord (whatever Batruger was). After that he woke himself in a void and a man with a briefcase and a blue suit came and offered him the chance to a new line of"work" as the man had put it.Ian accepted and now he was dropped god knows where.

"Dam… it…."said Ian weakly.

He then heard it.A hart. The pumping of a heart. He felt a new weight in his right hand. All the sudden he felt power passing through him. He opened his eyes slowly and brought his right hand to see what was in it.

It was the artifact. How he got here Ian couldn't tell, but it was there.

After getting to his feet, Ian looked around, examining the room where he was. He realized that it must be some storage room , since all around him were crates. Next to him he found his shotgun and several rounds for it.

The chamber he was , was large, but how large he couldn't tell. He was able to see the ceiling at about 3 m above his head.

Ian reloaded the shotgun . After that, Ian concentrated on the artifact. As expected, the artifact disappears.Ian knows that when he will want the artifact,it will appear in his hands as well as any weapons he collects.

Ian smiled. With the artifact and the shotgun, he was prepared for whatever the universe may throw at him.

Marcus looked around himself. He was laying on his back in a chamber which he didn't recognize.'Where am I? I am no longer on the UAC ship, that is for sure. I hope I made the right choice with trusting that man.'

Marcus was marine. He was transferred to Mars. He was forced to survive and stop a demon invasion. When the rescue force found and took him out of there, he managed to put the thing's head to head. They knew about that. And they did NOTHING. Hundreds have died because of these money hungry bastards.

So when a man appears and offers him the opportunity to make a career change he accepts without much thinking.

'We need to move, Kepeer.'

Marcus jumps to his feet. In front of him is the artifact witch he used to close the portal which allowed the demons to come to his word: The Cube.

Marcus raised a hand to touch the artifact.

''What are you doing here?''he asked in hope that the artifact will answer.

'I had chosen you to be the Keeper. I shall be your weapon and you my guardian.'answered the whispered voice of the artifact.

''I see.''

At that moment Marcus knew that he will be able to summon the artifact every time he will need.he looks on the floor and in the boxes around him.

He is a 4X4m chamber which contains several boxes.

Marcus managed to find an assault rifle and several clips for his it.

He makes his way to the door and steps out of there slowly like a shadow. He the corridor from his right.

The corridor is dark shade of gray,on the ceiling are throwing their light lazily around, still letting dark shades there and there.No sound echoes through this. Then he hears it. A light sound of metal hitting metal.He stops to listen and prepares his rifle.

The sound seems to be getting closer and closer. As it got closer Marcus realized that the sound was off someones readies his rifle. The sound of steps seems to be getting closer.In front of him corridor ends abruptly cutting in two directions .From the right side the sound of steps seems to calm.

After several painful second a head appears there. Marcus calmed himself a little.

"Identify yourself."the man said as he rounded the corner and approached Marcus with his shotgun pointed at him.

''UAC Marine , Corporal Marcus Darson, of the fifth infantry battalion, ID 098213."Marcus answered still pointing his rifle his rifle at the man."You?"

"UAC Marine , Engineer Ian Stormseer, of the third infantry battalion, ID 243876."answered Ian.

"You knew where are we?"asked Ian, as he approached a little

Marchus and Ian scaned one another for several seconds before they both lowered their weapons slowly.

''No. But definetly this isn't a UAC ship. Maybe pirates?"

''No. They have too many supplies for a pirate ship."

'''Will have to solve this later, now we need to move.''said Marcus said as he goes to the left part of the corridor, followed closely by Ian.