Chapter Four
Gateway
"Madison," the woman from the warehouse called out. Within seconds, another woman in a blue jumpsuit came to stop in front of the armored woman. The Turian, Talek, walked past the two women and move deeper into the ship. The summoned crewmember glanced briefly at Tyler before looking at her superior.
"Show this man around the ship and make sure he has everything he needs for the trip to Omega," the armored woman ordered with a wave of the hand in Tyler's direction. The crewmember nodded smartly,
"Yes ma'am. He a new recruit, ma'am?" she asked, glancing again at the teen. The crewmember, Madison, didn't seem to be much older than Tyler was but, as was a common saying, 'You can't judge a book by it's cover'.
Wait. Do they even have books anymore? Or is everything on OSDs? Tyler thought to himself.
"He is," the woman responded before turning to face Tyler, "None of the beds are free so if you find yourself needing to sleep for the short trip than you will have to do so in the cargo bay."
Tyler nodded. Wouldn't be the first time I had to sleep on the floor.
As the armored woman left, after saying her good-byes, Madison turned fully to face Tyler. Putting all her weight on one leg, she crossed her arms and looked Tyler up-and-down like a retinal scanner might to someone's eye. With some speed, her right hand shot out and seemed to feel around one of the dents in Tyler's torso armor.
The dents from my lucky encounter with a Salarian Engineer working for the Eclipse. Woo-hoo...
The under-armored teen stood still feeling awkward about the whole situation. Madison smiled a smile that could be associated with something other than humor.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?" she asked. Tyler had to admit that she was relatively attractive. Long, lush brown hair, a smooth face with blue eyes and an hourglass frame. However,
"You are, actually. Where I come from, when someone touches you, you have the right to punch them... hard," he said with as truthful a voice as he could muster and with a serious face.
Her smile quickly left and her withdrew from his armor. Tyler didn't know why, but he hated people touching him, especially people that he had just met for the first time and who he didn't trust. Some of the other crewmembers, who Tyler had noticed, assessed, and a visually tracked since he boarded the vessel, glanced at him cautiously and one of the guards tightened the grip around his rifle. Tyler couldn't help but smirk. First unofficial day as a Blue Sun mercenary and he was already making enemies.
Of course, his goal wasn't to make friends either. His goal was to get some training, get some more creds to his name, maybe pick up a souvenir, and to figure out a way to meet Shepard and get on his/her team without seeming to... convenient about it all. Of course, the way you got most of your crew in ME1 was a little too convenient anyways.
"Well than," Madison started, snapping Tyler out of his thoughts, "where would you like to go first?"
"Cargo bay," Tyler replied without hesitation. He didn't want to explore a ship he'd probably never be on again. He especially wanted to get away from all of these mercenaries so that he could think without worrying that someone was spying on him. Paranoid was good, kept you alive.
Madison seemed to frown gently but nodded, "Okay."
Walking through a maze of hallways, Tyler found himself passing by Turians, Batarians, and Humans in either Blue Suns armor or uniform. They all seemed to stare at Tyler with that, 'You're not one of us' look that the teen used to get from the 'popular' kids at his school when he tried to talk to them. Another thought surged through his head that made him slightly depressed,
My friends probably think I died in that crash. I wonder if any of them went to the funeral. Did any of them cry?
Tyler felt a tear of his own welling up but fought it back. He wouldn't shed a tear in front of these mercenaries. He wouldn't show weakness to people who get harassed by a lone Turian with a weird love for Sniper Rifles. Counter-Insurgency seemed to be an unknown idea to these aliens, and most humans it might seem.
"Here we are," Madison informed him as they entered the cargo bay that was partially full of boxes, as a cargo bay should be. Tyler, thankful that Madison had been quiet the entire trip, muttered his thanks to the woman as he stepped into the bay. Madison seemed to want to say something as she hovered in the doorway for a couple seconds. Finally making up her mind, she muttered a good-bye before leaving, the door sliding shut as she did.
Sighing, the seventeen year old kid made his to one of the towers of stacked crated. Removing the pack, and setting it on the ground, Tyler leaned against the crates before fishing out the photos of his family. Looking at them, the teen barely felt a tear slide down his cheek and hang from his lower jaw precariously. He had thought of them once since he got here and that was just a passing thought since he was busy.
Now, as he stared hard at the pictures and the tears continued to flow, he began to think about how his leaving might affect them. They would all be sad, that was for sure. His mom was probably slipping into depression since her dad, his grandpa, was about to pass on as well. His dad would get agitated easier and might be drinking more than just a few beers. His younger brother, at five years of age, might be scarred for the rest of his life at seeing Tyler's body be buried into the Earth. His older brother, the nineteen year old who was an asshole to Tyler at times, would be saddened as well, most likely due to the fact that he was still in Afghanistan when it happened.
With a waterfall of tears, Tyler slid down the crates until he found himself sitting on the floor.
"One stupid decision. That's all it took..." he mumbled to himself quietly. Fighting back the sadness and tears, Tyler took one last look at the pictures before shoving them back into his pocket. They wouldn't have wanted him to act like this. They wouldn't want him to be crying on this vessel.
Than again, they wouldn't want him carrying guns at seventeen and joining a mercenary organization either.
Slowly, the tears stopped and his face dried up. Opening the Omni-Tool, Tyler began searching on the Extranet. Of course, that meant staring at the search bar for a couple of minutes as he contemplated what to search up. Finally, remembering one of the songs from a CD he had, Tyler typed in "Another Way to Die-Disturbed".
Without even asking for him to select a place, the screen turned blank except for the circle and sideways triangle that meant 'Playing'. The music began to pour from some sort of speaker on the wrist device. The guitar strums and drum beats seemed to echo in the crowded cargo bay. After a couple seconds of a steady beat, the male voice of the singer became the forefront,
"The indulgence of our lives
Has cast a shadow upon the world
Our devotion to our appetite
Has betrayed us all
An apocalyptic plight
More destruction will unfold
Mother Earth will show her darker side
And take her toll"
The steady drum and guitar rhythm increased in volume and became much faster after a short pause in the beat. When the singer began to sing again, his own rhythm was much faster than before.
"It's just another way to die
There can be no other reason why
You know, we should have seen it coming
Consequences, we cannot deny
Will be revealed in time
Glaciers melt as we pollute the sky
A sign of devastation coming
We don't need another way to die
Can we repent in time?"
Tyler had closed his eyes and set his head against the crate as the song played on. He didn't know what it was but music, even violent sounding rock music like this, seemed to put him at ease and make him feel... safe.
That feeling of safety was shattered as a deep voice echoed across the bay, being loud enough for Tyler to hear over the music.
"Interesting music, human."
Tyler opened his eyes and looked at the door to see three Batarians standing in the doorway. Behind them, he could see some of the other crewmembers gathering to watch what was happening. The Batarians were wearing the standard trooper armor of the Blue Suns, minus the helmets of course. They wielded no weapons, as this was their ship.
Tyler could already tell what was going to happen. Letting the song play, Tyler slowly removed his pistol and set it on the pack before he stood and took a step forward.
"One of my favorites actually," Tyler replied with a smirk. He most likely wouldn't win, but he wouldn't go down without putting up a fight either. Already, Tyler felt the adrenaline entering his system. It felt glorious and as if he could take on the world, or worlds in this case.
The three Batarians began to walk towards the teen. The gathering crewmembers filed into the bay to get a better view. Soon, the four combatants found themselves surrounded by the eager spectators. Out of the corners of his eyes, Tyler could see bets being made and was unsurprised to see most of the money being put on the Batarians. Curiously, however, Tyler had spotted Madison in time to see her point at him when she was asked for her bet.
She's going to lose some money.
Tyler was vaguely aware of the current song ending. A short silence fell upon the crowd before the speaker started again with a sped up rhythm of guitar and drums. The song began with an animal-like growl before going into the actual singing. Though it was more like yelling with a beat,
"I am now, an instrument of violence
I am a vessel of invincibility
I cannot leave this undecided
Stepping down to battle another day"
The first Batarian charged Tyler head-on. No technique, just a good-old fashioned bum rush. When he was within range, he launched a fist out that was meant for his opponent's face. Reacting quickly, Tyler stepped to the side, grabbed the extended wrist with his left hand, put his right hand on his back to guide him, and slammed him into the crate.
Already, the second Batarian was coming in for a strike of his own. Feigning right before throwing a left, the alien struck Tyler in the face. Stumbling back, the teen recovered in time to block a kick to his side with his forearm. His other hand whipping out like a Cobra, Tyler grabbed hold of the outstretched leg and twisted. The surprised Batarian found himself face-first on the floor. Lifting his right foot, Tyler was ready to stomp out the alien.
A kick to his gut changed that plan as he was sent backwards, closer to the ring of spectators. As Tyler regained his breath and the Batarians regrouped, the music continued to blare throughout the bay.
"Come on bring it, don't sing it, better believe it
Broken down till your hope has died
Beat down till victory's mine
Stand up and show me some pride
And now are you ready?"
Tyler couldn't help but notice some of the spectators smiling at that part of the song and that some were even bobbing their heads along with the music.
The first Batarian, surprise, surprise, was the first one to have another go at Tyler. This time, he tried to feign right but the teen saw it coming. Blocking the strike, he barely saw the fist of the second Batarian come from behind the first and strike the teen in the shoulder. An armored foot than came around the other side and slammed into the teen's side. Doubling over slightly, the first Batarian took the opening and sent an uppercut to the teen's chin. With it connecting, the teen found his feet leaving the ground before he ended up on his back with all of the air leaving his body and pain raging through his system. A chorus of "Ooooh"s rippled through the crowd.
As Tyler tried to lift himself into a sitting position, an armored boot came crashing down on his chest, pinning him to the deck. The three Batarians had gathered around him and were looking down at him wickedly.
"As I look upon you
Through the Warrior's eyes now
I can see that fear
That will ensure my victory this time"
Tyler grinned up at the three and began to laugh. He could taste the blood in his mouth but he didn't care. The laughter caught the Batarians off-guard. It sounded manic, as if he should belong in an insane asylum.
Quick as Cobras, his arms reached out and locked around the ankle of the Batarian keeping him down. With a sharp twist, and a loud crack, the Batarian fell to the ground screaming. As the Batarian fell, Tyler used his feet to sweep out the legs from under the two remaining aliens. Quickly getting upright, Tyler half-crawled, half-walked to the Batarian to his right and began to punch his face repeatedly until the Batarian entered unconsciousness.
A boot connected with Tyler's gut, returning him onto his back. He looked up at the last Batarian to see the boot coming down for his face. Rolling out of the way, Tyler jumped to his feet. Sidestepping a rage-supported punch, Tyler sent a knee to the Batarians gut since his guard was down. As the alien doubled over, Tyler put a hand on the back of the Batarian's head to guide it to the still-raised knee. The Batarian stumbled backwards a bit before Tyler swept his legs from under him. Falling to the floor, the Batarian barely saw the boot come down on his face.
With a 'smack' the boot connected. Tyler took a second to see that the chest was still rising and falling. Tapping the body with his foot, the teen was satisfied to see no response. He was out cold. Finally, Tyler turned to the last conscious Batarian from the group. This was their leader, the one that probably talked these other two into backing him up in the fight.
Slowly, Tyler began to make his way to the injured Batarian. He seemed to be cradling his leg,
Probably broken. Tyler thought with a bloody grin as the music continued to play.
"I'm one with the Warrior inside
My dominance can't be denied
Your entire world will turn
into a battlefield tonight."
Standing above the Batarian, but not close to him, Tyler couldn't help but smile. Blood ran from his mouth and other cuts on his body, especially his knuckles. He already began to feel sore where the hits had fallen on his body.
Kneeling down, Tyler stared at the alien's four eyes. The smile disappeared, being replaced by a look that reflected the seriousness of the situation.
"Having fun?" the teen asked wickedly. The Batarian just spat at Tyler, the spit mostly getting on the floor but some got on the teen's boots. Another manic smile mad it's way to his face as he stood up to his full height.
Without a comment or anything, the teen took a step closer, rose his boot, and brought it down on the alien's face. Like with the other one, there was a 'smack'. Checking to make sure he wasn't dead, which he wasn't, Tyler looked around at the spectators. He vaguely noticed that the song had changed again. He didn't listen to it though. The teen stood ready for the repercussions for knocking out three of their buddies. The mass of humans, turians, and batarians stood silent before an uproar of sound and activity occurred. Some cheered, some collected bets, and some just began to curse loudly at losing their bets.
A loud, pissed off, female voice brought everything to a screeching halt.
"Atten-shun!"
Everyone in the room obeyed the order, even Tyler found himself complying as his heels snapped together, his back straightened, and his hands found their places by his side. His eyes fixated themselves on a point straight ahead, which happened to be a Turian who was forced to stare back at him.
Slowly, the armored woman from before made her way to the center of the circle. The determination on her face dispersed as she took in the scene of three of her men knocked out on the ground. Her eyes finally settled on the bloodied and beaten teenager.
As fast as it left, however, the determination returned, with a pinch of fury. Tyler soon found himself staring into the face of a very pissed off Blue Sun commander after she had stomped her way to him. She paused as the music continued to play,
"Turn that music off. Now," she ordered.
"Yes ma'am," Tyler replied as he opened the Omni-Tool, as it had closed itself during the fight. Turning off the music, Tyler closed the Omni-Tool once more before snapping back to attention.
"Now than. Who the hell started this fight?" she asked, lacing her words with the fury of a thousand Varren.
"Those three, ma'am," Tyler responded, motioning to the closest unconscious Batarian. The teen kept his gaze straight ahead, trying not to break bearing to wipe off the blood that was slowly dripping from his chin.
The Blue Sun commander gazed around at the circle of spectators.
"Who wishes to support this man's claim?" she asked, loud enough for them all to hear. No one said anything at first. After about a minute, a voice that Tyler vaguely recognized rang out behind him.
"I do, ma'am
The commander nodded before asking,
"Anyone else?"
The Turian that had been across from the teen when they snapped to attention spoke up,
"I do, ma'am."
Soon, others began joining in their support of Tyler's claim. Even some of the ones who lost their bet began to voice their support of his claim. When it was all over, the commander looked back at Tyler.
Is that approval I see on her face? He thought to himself.
"Looks like your making friends kid. We've reached the 'Gateway into Omega', also known as the lane to dock. Get your shit and get ready to leave." she ordered of him, before continuing, "Madison will leave the vessel with her to guide you through this cesspool to our base on station," she explained.
In a very loud, commanding voice, she yelled out, "Dismissed!"
As one, the gathering of crewmembers filed out of the cargo bay. Some, who passed Tyler, gave him a pat on the shoulder while others collected their unconscious friends to take to the med-bay. When everyone had left, the commander gave him a pat on the shoulder and a smile as she left to leave as well.
Once he was truly alone, Tyler made his way to his pack and firearms. After holstering the pistol, the teen flung the pack onto his back with pain flaring up in his arms.
"Son of a bitch," he muttered to himself as he began to make his way to the bridge. It was time to get off this ship and begin his journey as an actual Blue Sun mercenary. However, judging by what happened here, it definitely won't be easy.
A/N: Well. That was fun to write. Anyways, I don't got much to say but that I hope you enjoyed this installment and to ask you all to please leave a review. Reviews keep me going and let me know that people at least read my story.
I don't care if you point out all my faults in the story, reviews make me a happy person as it tells me my story actually gets read.
Next installment will come out some time soon, don't know when exactly.
Next Installment:
Chapter Five
Hell...