Chapter 3: Growing Pains

"Well whelp, are you gonna make your move or what?" Drax taunted as he faced down the young boy who stood before him. They were once again practicing in a makeshift training room that they'd improvised after clearing one of their base's many storage bays.

The boy simply smiled as his biotics began to flare. Malcolm Hunter was now twelve and another training session with his adoptive father was in full swing. He'd grown considerably over the years and not just in height. He was quickly absorbing everything that Drax could teach him about shooting, tactics, controlling his biotics and combat in general. The kid was a natural and not just with Drax's lessons. He was also proving to be just as adept when it came to Vera's more 'practical' lessons regarding galactic history, politics, science and all the other garbage that Drax couldn't be bothered to pay attention to. He was getting stronger and smarter every day.

As Drax continued reminiscing about the boy's progress, he was almost caught off guard when the child sent a powerful warp in his direction. Drax quickly raised a barrier that absorbed the attack and continued to stand his ground. He feigned a yawn before addressing the boy once more. "Sorry, I guess a pyjak or a mosquito must've gotten loose in here. So when are you going to actually attack me, whelp." he taunted once more.

Mal offered no response and continued to face down the krogan battlemaster. Suddenly without warning, he broke into a sprint and rushed at Drax who was both surprised and delighted by the advance. As he closed in, he began unleashing a flurry of biotic punches and kicks that Drax parried and blocked effortlessly with one hand. As his hand started to go numb, Drax decided to put Mal on the defensive and quickly hit him with a throw field. The boy reacted instantly by erecting his own barrier, but was still sent sliding several feet backwards across the floor before finally coming to a stop. Before he could recover from the attack, Drax immediately sent a shockwave at him. Mal made no attempt to dodge the onslaught and instead strengthened his barrier. The shockwave collided with his defenses and he once again found himself being pushed backwards across the training room floor.

Drax found himself admiring the boy's endurance or stubbornness depending on how you looked at it. Before he could appreciate the youth's vigor any further, he noticed that Mal had sent two incredibly powerful shockwaves of his own at Drax. The battlemaster fortified his own barrier and took the attacks head on. He was slightly surprised to find himself being pushed backwards across the floor of the storage bay. After he came to a stop and the dust in the room began to settle, he started to laugh.

"Well I guess you've got some bite after all, whelp." he barked jovially.

"Not really." Mal replied in between breaths as he wiped the sweat from his face. "I didn't manage to bring your barrier down or so much as scratch you. I guess I've still got a long way to go." he added with a hint of resolve in his tone.

"Learn to recognize your triumphs too, whelp. You didn't bring my barrier down but you did manage to keep yours up." Drax said proudly. And that was nothing compared to the power of the shockwaves that he'd managed to send at the krogan. Drax was no expert when it came to human biotics, but he was certain that Mal was anything but ordinary. The ramblings of the mad scientist of long ago were proving to be true each year that Mal grew older.

"Can we go another round?" Mal eagerly asked.

"Of course! We haven't even come close to wrecking this place enough for the day." Drax responded excitedly.

"I beg to differ." Vera interjected as she entered the training room while carrying a juice box and a tray that held several energy bars. "Mal has used enough biotics for now and it's almost time for his history lesson. Make sure you eat a few of these and rest for a few minutes before we get started." she added while handing the boy the juice box and setting the tray of snacks on a nearby cargo container.

"Fun's over I suppose. We'll go a few more rounds later." Drax announced in a disappointed tone.

"After dinner." Vera replied sternly. "I want to take some extra time to work on Mal's technical skills." she added.

Both father and son groaned at the mention of 'technical' skills. Drax felt that his overly eager mate was wasting her time when it came to this particular set of lessons. Mal was a smart kid, without a doubt, possibly even a genius. But despite how talented he was when it came to everything else, technical expertise was not his forte. He'd barely managed to learn the basics of using an omni-tool and that had taken far longer than Drax thought was normal, not that he was one to talk. As far as he was concerned Mal had prowess in the areas that mattered most, combat and biotics. There was also the fact that the kid showed no interest in learning how to manipulate an omni-tool into overloading shields or firing incineration blasts. And hacking, that was definitely a pipe dream. Hell, he couldn't even use an omni-blade and that had been a basic maneuver for alliance grunts in the war. Despite that, he could understand his lady's persistence. She was a quarian after all, mastery of technology was practically in their blood and efficient use of an omnitool was part of that.

"What's with the groans? Did a pack of vorcha move in when I wasn't looking?" Vera joked in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Mal, it won't be that bad." she added soothingly.

"Fine," Mal sighed as he made his way towards the door of the storage bay.

"Cheer up, whelp. We can watch some more of those human martial arts vids later before bed." Drax said in an attempt to cheer his son up. He had to admit he enjoyed watching them as much as Mal did. He found it fascinating how humans had discovered so many ways of killing each other without weapons and Mal had picked up the skills pretty quickly, which wasn't a surprise.

"You probably shouldn't make any promises right now. Rico says you've got a few messages and one of your regulars is practically begging to have you planet side within the next two days." Vera replied as she made her way over and offered Drax the rest of the energy bars.

"Damned spineless elcor. He probably saw his own shadow again and wet himself." Drax complained before devouring several of the energy bars.

"The last time it was just a pack of rabid varren, right?" Vera asked as she wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

"Yeah and a big waste of my time." Drax growled angrily.

"He does pay well, Drax. REALLY well." Vera added.

"Yeah, he does. That's the only reason I haven't killed him yet." Drax replied irritably. After finishing the last of the bars he released a sigh and began making his way to the doors of the storage bay himself. "I guess I'll get my gear ready." he added in slightly annoyed tone.

"Can I go?" Mal blurted out.

Both of his parents immediately stared in his direction as he stood rooted in the entrance of the room. There was a brief moment of silence before they both responded.

"Okay." Drax replied.

"Absolutely not! Drax, are you crazy? He's only twelve, still a child! And there's no telling who or what you'll be fighting! What if it's mercenaries, or slavers or, Keelah!" the quarian woman was on the brink of a panic attack.

"Vera, calm down. Mal's still a whelp, but he's a growing whelp. This will be good for him. I can almost guarantee that this is another pack of varren terrorizing a coward who's too scared to leave his cushy little fortress. And a few varren aren't any match for Mal and it'd take nothing short of a thresher maw to slow me down." Drex said seriously.

"But-"

"He knows how to handle a pistol and I got him a set of armor specially made for an occasion like this. Above all, I'd never let anything happen to the whelp, you know that." he added resolutely.

It was one those situations where Vera found herself outnumbered. She couldn't honestly say it came as a surprise. Drax had been desperate to take Mal hunting for awhile now and he probably figured that killing a few varren would be good practice for more dangerous prey in the future. Both father and son were eager for the trip.

"I don't like this, but fine Drax. I want you both back here within three days and make sure you call once you land and once you leave. And if Mal has so much as a scratch on him when you get back, so help me Drax." Vera replied in a concerned tone.

"I'll be fine, mom." Mal said reassuringly before making his way over and hugging her. "I've gotta get MY gear ready!" he shouted excitedly before dashing out of the storage hold.

"He's growing up too fast, Drax. How many years do we actually have left before he leaves us?" Vera pondered sadly after watching the boy's departure.

"Not many, I'd wager. I'll promise you this though. I won't let him run off on his own until I'm sure he can deal with anything that comes his way." Drax replied resolutely before wrapping his arms around the woman. And he meant it. He had every intention of seeing to it that Malcolm Hunter was a force to be reckoned with in the future.


Grissom Academy had gotten its fair share of notoriety over the years. It was widely regarded as a premier institution of learning and one of the best human schools any child could hope to attend. The academy's Ascension Program had also become more well known. Most humans considered it the best place for young biotics to get an education and learn how to harness and control their powers. The program itself had expanded a great deal in recent years due to an influx of new human biotics. These children were yet another lingering reminder of the terrible war that had been waged on Earth years earlier. There had been a lot of drive core explosions in Earth's atmosphere during the war, especially above London where the most intense battles took place. The resulting element zero emissions had caused complications for many. A lot of children who'd been in utero during the war had suffered the usual complications resulting from element zero exposure and so did those who were conceived and born in the immediate aftermath of the war. In addition to the slew of infant deaths and deformities, there were also many children who were born with no visible effects, except for biotic potential.

It had taken years for the alliance and governments of Earth to realize what had occurred, after all reconstruction of Earth had been everyone's top priority. As more biotics were identified, expanding the Ascension Program became imperative. The school as a whole had grown as a result and become even more prestigious. Shepard could still remember the first time he'd seen the place when he'd brought the young man, David Archer as a new enrollee after rescuing him from Cerberus. His next visit involved helping his old friend Jack and Kahlee Sanders evacuate several biotic students who were being hunted by the nefarious organization. His current visit would be the first in several years and it was a truly bittersweet experience. Shepard's two eldest children were going to be enrolling in the Ascension Program and he was finding the whole experience difficult. Nonetheless, he was determined to hide his anxieties from the rest of his family. As he looked over at his wife who'd fallen asleep on the bed in their cabin along with their youngest daughter, he recalled the other difficult decisions he'd mulled over in that very room. Planning the attack against the collectors and then the reapers, it all seemed to pale in comparison to what he was facing now.

"Coming in to dock, Captain." Joker informed Shepard over the intercom.

"Thanks, Joker." Shepard replied. He was glad that he'd been able to borrow the Normandy for the occasion, he didn't know why but it felt right having her be there to see his kids off.

"So, we're here." Ashley mumbled as she stirred awake.

"Yeah. I'd better round up the munchkins before they test EDI's patience more than they already have." Shepard replied while grinning. He was of course joking, EDI seemed to have an infinite calm when it came to dealing with children.

"Are you going to wake Hannah?" he asked while glancing at the sleeping six year old.

"Not yet, I'll carry her for awhile. This will be hard enough on her. You know how tight she and Allie are." Ashley replied quietly as she stroked a strand of hair from her sleeping daughter's face.

"Yeah." Shepard remarked sympathetically. Shepard's eldest child, Allison and his youngest, Hannah were the only girls and they were as close as two sisters could be. "What about you, Ash?" Shepard knew his wife and she had always been strong but that tough exterior was all too often used to mask her own insecurities.

"God Skipper, we knew this was a possibility." she sighed as he made his way over and sat beside her. "It just seems petty to complain about it when I think of all the other parents who're suffering much worse than we are. We have five healthy, energetic kids, two of whom happen to be biotics like their dad." she added as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Shepard didn't think it was fair to compare their kids' predicament with his. His biotic abilities hadn't manifested until his second accidental exposure to element zero when he was fourteen. And he didn't receive a biotic implant until he was seventeen, a year before he joined the alliance. Not long after that he was receiving military training and supplemental training for his biotics. Meanwhile, in the present his twelve year old daughter and eleven year old son were about to be inducted into a completely foreign environment away from home and family less than a month after having been surgically fitted with biotic implants. All for the sake of controlling powers that they could barely comprehend at their age.

"I'm glad your mom decided to come along." Ashley said after awhile.

"I am too. I still feel bad about yanking her away from the Orizaba though. She still complains about being away from it when she was given orders to temporarily act as captain of the Kilimanjaro. It's kind of weird, she doesn't normally get attached to ships." Shepard replied.

"Not like you and your Normandy obsession." Ashley joked.

"Hey, I had some good times on this ship. We both have if you recall..." he replied before kissing her. She responded by wrapping her arms around him and returning the kiss while Hannah continued to sleep mere inches away.

"Shepard, your mother and children are waiting for you in the entrance docks." EDI chimed in over the intercom.

Shepard reluctantly separated himself from his wife and got to his feet. "Thank you, EDI." he replied in a slightly irritable tone. "Tell them we'll be down soon." he added.

"You know, there's a good chance she was watching. She is the Normandy after all." Ashley laughed. "At least there's someone who can keep your libido in check seeing as how I can't seem to say no." she added while winking at him before lifting their sleeping daughter into her arms.

"I guess that probably would have been a bad idea, especially if she'd woken up." Shepard remarked with a note of guilt in his voice as he looked down at his sleeping daughter.

"You think?" Ashley replied sarcastically.

The couple laughed a bit more before making their way to the elevator from the captain's cabin and then outside to the entrance docks where Shepard's mother, Captain Hannah Shepard Senior, and other four children awaited.

Shepard's mother stared at him as they approached. "Really, John. Have some restraint." she said sternly as Ashley began laughing. "And you don't really help matters dear. You're both as bad as rabbits." she added after turning her attention to Ashley.

"How are they like rabbits?" their youngest son, David asked.

"Never you mind young man. Come on, let's get going. Lieutenant Sanders is waiting for us." the senior Shepard said as she took the hands of both David and his older brother, William.

Shepard found that his eldest children had each grabbed one of his hands. They were scared. Of course they were, they were still kids. He gave each of them a reassuring squeeze before leading his family into the academy's entrance. There were more than a few alliance personnel scattered about and as always, they immediately recognized Shepard and began saluting him along with his wife and mother. It was a sight that always seemed to mystify his children. They hadn't made their way very far when a familiar face greeted the family.

"Shepard, it's about time you got here." Jacob Taylor said as he made his way over and shook hands with Shepard.

"Jacob, you actually beat us here." Shepard replied cheerfully.

"Don't sound so surprised, civilian shuttles have come a long way." Jacob said proudly.

"You could've come with us on board the Normandy you know." Shepard added.

"I know, but we wanted a little extra time with Zoe before we sent her off." Jacob explained as he glanced back at his wife, Brynn and their oldest child, Zoe, who seemed to have become much happier now that Allie and Ethan had arrived. The children quickly ran off to greet each other while Ashley and Shepard's mother followed to exchange pleasantries with Brynn. Jacob's oldest daughter, Zoe was also a confirmed biotic and good friends with Shepard's oldest kids.

"Honestly, did you ever picture something like this back when we were fighting for our lives?" Shepard asked rhetorically.

"More like dreamed about it. I'm not going to pretend this is easy Shepard, but compared to the future we managed to avoid, I'm happy enough." Jacob replied. "Seeing my little girl off this early though, it's a helluva thing." he added while watching their children laugh together.

"I know what you mean. We can visit whenever we want but this place isn't exactly close to home and holiday vacations aren't even close to being enough." Shepard said as he surveyed the school.

"There's always vid-mail, but I know what you mean." Jacob replied.

After a few minutes, yet another familiar voice broke the silence. "It's about time you shit heads got here." Jack declared in her typical crass fashion as she made her way over accompanied by Kahlee Sanders. "And where are my favorite little hell raisers?" she shouted.

"Jack!" Allie and Ethan yelled in unison before bolting towards her to receive their hugs. Being a teacher had definitely been good for Jack. Shepard always found himself amazed at how easily children took to her, but then again, he knew her back when she was far less...social.

"Captain Shepard, Mr. Taylor. It's always a pleasure." the lieutenant said as she greeted Shepard, Jacob and their families. Shepard still found it difficult to face her after what happened to Admiral Anderson. He knew how close they had been and the fact that he wasn't able to bring his mentor home alive still haunted him.

After the exchange of pleasantries she began leading them in a tour of the academy while identifying all the points of interest and even allowed them to visit one of the biotic classes that had been in session. Every student in attendance was awestruck when they caught sight of Shepard and eager to meet his children, particularly their soon to be classmates. It was a beautiful school and the facilities were all fantastic, but that didn't make the coming separation any easier for the parents. Ashley herself was feeling particularly anxious. As the group stopped to tour one of the science labs, she decided to wait outside, still holding the sleeping little girl who would very soon be saying goodbye to her older sister.

"We've come a long way since John's time." Hannah Senior commented as she approached Ashley.

"How did you deal with all of this? I know John was a teenager when his powers started to show but how-" she began.

"We were terrified." Hannah replied bluntly. "You have to remember, humanity was still struggling to figure out biotics. We couldn't even get the damn implants right. That whole mess with the L2s had me frightened like you wouldn't believe. We held off getting John's implants for as long as we could and when the L3s were ready, I was still scared. At that point we couldn't delay it any longer, John was planning to join the alliance in a year and he was going to need an implant to control his powers. I had friends in alliance R&D who kept assuring me that he'd be fine. Waiting for him to come out of surgery and then watching him those first few weeks afterwards, praying that nothing had gone wrong...those were some of the hardest moments of my life." she explained quietly.

"Hannah, I'm so sorry. God, I must sound so ridiculous. Allie and Ethan are perfectly fine and about to attend one of the best schools in the galaxy and here I am-"

"Here you are, being a mother." Hannah finished for her as she smiled at her daughter in law. "Those were just my struggles. Sometimes I have to remind myself that things were probably harder for John. He had to adjust to the implant and learn how to use his abilities on top of his military training. He had to prepare himself for a world that wasn't quite ready for him and others like him. The Alliance may welcome biotics but there are still plenty of places that are wary of them." she added sadly.

"John mentioned that a long time ago. It feels like a lifetime ago now, but I remember it like it was yesterday. It wasn't long after I'd joined the crew on the Normandy. Right after we'd secured a ship that a group of biotic terrorists had hijacked. We ended up having to kill most of them, but somehow John managed to talk the others into surrendering and releasing some politician they'd been holding hostage. They had all been L2s, desperate and angry. John explained to me afterwards how difficult it had probably been for them, facing prejudice in the civilian world and suffering from the defects of the L2 implants on top of that." Ashley explained.

"That politician happened to be Chairman Martin Burns, the former head of the Alliance Parliamentary Subcommittee for Transhuman Studies. I received a lovely letter from him praising me for having raised such an exemplary example of everything the Alliance stands for. Admiral Hackett also contacted me to inform me of what a superb job John had done." Hannah replied as she stared off into space. "I don't suppose it ever occurred to anyone that he may have empathized with those people, that maybe that was why he had worked so hard to resolve things peacefully." she added quietly.

"It was a difficult mission, for him and our friend Kaidan." Ashley said somberly.

"Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko. John was so excited after he met that young man. He tried to hide it, but I could tell. He'd never had much contact with other biotics, even during his training. I think Lieutenant Alenko was the first friend that he made who was actually able to relate to his struggles, especially given the fact that he was an L2." Hannah replied fondly.

"And then he lost him because of me." Ashley added sadly.

"No, he lost him because of Saren Arterius and an army of geth heretics. I think it's about time you both let that go." Hannah stated sharply. "And as for today and everything that happens afterwards, we'll face it together. One Shepard facing the galaxy alone has gone on for long enough." she added before placing an arm around Ashley.

"Thank you, Hannah." Ashley replied quietly as she rested her head on her mother in law's shoulder.


"So this is where Allie and Ethan are going to learn how to use space magic like you and Jack?" David asked as he looked up at his father.

"Space magic? Shepard, what the hell kind of bull have you been feeding these kids?" Jack laughed.

"It's a little more complicated than that David, but in a matter of speaking, yes." Shepard replied before watching his son run off with his siblings. Afterwards he noticed the look of incredulity that Jack was giving him. "Give me a break. It was late and I was way too tired to try explaining dark energy and mass effect fields to an eight year old."

"Unbelievable. I hope you haven't been filling the hell raisers' heads with that garbage too, otherwise they're liable to fail science." Jack said. She didn't bother to hide her annoyance at Shepard's antics.

"Relax, I thoroughly explained everything to Allie and Ethan. Not that it makes things any easier." Shepard replied sadly.

"Quit being a pussy." Jack interjected. "They'll be fine, I'll make sure of that." she added confidently.

"Yeah, I know." he replied while grinning.

"So, are there any specifics I should know? Jack asked.

"Hell Jack, you visit often enough to know their habits by now. Let's see, Allie hates cucumbers, Ethan hates broccoli, they both hate-"

"About their powers, dumbass." Jack interrupted.

"Right," Shepard quickly replied feeling slightly embarrassed. "Well the preliminary tests are all we have to go on, but that was how they determined what type of implants to give them. Apparently Allie has better control but Ethan can use more power." Shepard explained.

"Alright, simple enough." Jack commented casually.

As they continued to stand in the lab Shepard recalled all the struggles he'd endured learning to control his biotic abilities. "Damn it." he mumbled.

"Don't let the soldier girl see you like this. Shit, I don't really want to see you like this either." Jack remarked after glancing at him.

"This is hard Jack, for a lot of reasons. Humanity may have come a long way, but there are still plenty of bastards out there with stupid prejudices against biotics. The Alliance will be the safest place for those two, but I don't want them to feel like they have to be soldiers because there are no other choices." Shepard explained.

"When they become soldiers it won't be because they feel they have to because of the random assholes in the galaxy, you, your wife, your mother, your wife's father or her grandfather. It'll be because that's what they want to fuckin' do dumbass. And anyone who has a problem with them or any of my other kids can go fuck themselves." Jack replied defiantly.

"In your own way, you always manage to make me feel a little bit better Jack." Shepard laughed.

"Yeah, hahaha asshole. Let's get going." Jack responded while smiling.

As Shepard followed after her, he wondered how much longer he'd get to enjoy his kids being kids before bigger things started to take center stage.