HELLO EVERYONE AND WELCOME BACK TO ANOTHER CHAPTER OF A MASS SELF INSERT! IT IS SO GREAT TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN (figuratively speaking) AND LET ME SAY, I AM GLAD TO BE BACK!

I'M HONESTLY SURPRISED THIS IS COMING OUT NOW. I WENT ON A VACATION AT THE START OF APRILL, AND DIDN'T GET BACK TILL THE 11TH, ONLY WROTE LIGHTLY DURING THE TIME I WAS AWAY. IN A WAY, CELIBRATIONS ARE IN ORDER FOR SOMEHOW KEEPING THIS ON TRACK!

NOW, ON TO THE REVIEWS, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY GOT SOME THIS TIME! THESE WILL BE IN THE ORDER THEY WERE POSTED, JUST AS AN FYI.

Anbufox771: Glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy this one as well!

ThelonewolfNT: I hope your story goes well friend! I was planning on giving Will some tattoos, and maybe a few scars, but nothing on the level of Jack or Zaeed. Just enough to make Will a bit more interesting.

Undercover Operative: Thank you so much for enjoying my story. It really feels nice to be told that others are enjoying what I write. As for will being OP, I tried my best to limit that. He's defiantly no super soldier, and WILL be visiting the med bay quite a bit, though I do agree, it's hard not to be better than the common grunt in Mass Effect, even on harder difficulties. Hopefully I can make things interesting!

Kamika111: What do you mean for now?! Lol. Anyway, I know the romance kicked off quickly, but I do have a semi-plan for that. Can't say anything about it, but there is a reason it started so early and why Cassandra had a quick and heavy interest in Will.

DarthJohn: Here's hoping this chapter lives up to your expectations!

Cprime.3000: So long as people read my stories, I will keep writing! Thanks for your support!

PhoenixTsutani: Those are great ideas for Horizon my friend, and I will defiantly think back to them when it is time to write that. For now though, I'm just thinking about what's happening in the first game. Still, great ideas there. As for the origin stories and career profile thingy for Cassandra, I wanted her to have a troubled past, but with an actual family, because let's face it. Best thing about spacer Shepard? They have a mom. And in this story, hopefully a mom who makes more than token appearances. I CAN tell you that I WONT be giving Cassandra all three career things (Torfan, the blitz, and Akuze) because that seems like a bit of overkill. Hell, I might entirely rewrite the blitz so Cassandra's there instead of Will, I'm still not sure where they will each end up.

Now the big topic. Yes, I get there are ways to allow both Will and Cassandra to be together while remaining in the military, but like you said they have to be in different chains of command. They don't WANT to be in different chains of command, however, and that's why they're keeping it under wraps. As for the last name bit, I have a plan if the two actually stay with each other, since I am open to just about any romance besides guy on guy and Ashley. Don't find anything wrong with it, I just don't think I'd be good at writing it. And I don't like Ashley's romance.

Lastly, Will will try to use his foreknowledge, but that doesn't mean it will necessarily work in his favor.

General-Joseph-Dickson: Great name, but like I told Phoenix above you, I could rewrite the entire blitz so Shepard would be there instead of Will. I'm still not sure on where I want them to end up.

Tylerbamafan34: Yay! A thumbs up! Lol. Anyway, I'm unsure of what the final pairings are going to be. I'm thinking mostly cannon stuff, things like Garrus and Tali getting together if Shepard didn't romance either of them, Jack and Miranda being in love but denying it completely, and Joker and EDI's strange yet fitting relationship. But, like I said with PhoenixTsutani, Shepard and Will might not stay together and could end up romancing anyone. I'm still not sure how things will end up.

AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS AND KEEP THEM COMING! I LOVE GETTING FEEDBACK AND IT DOESN'T GET ANY MORE DIRECT THAN FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE READING THE STORY! NOW, WITHOUT FURTHER INTERUPTIONS, CHAPTER 4!

CHAPTER 4

You do care.

You care so much you feel as though you will bleed to death with the pain of it.


MACAPÁ RECRUIT TRANING DEPOT, EARTH

JUNE 1st, 2173

It's been five months since our first exercise on Titan. The exercise that landed me here, on my way to the shuttle that would whisk me away to one of the most prestigious military academies on earth. The only one that trained the elite of the elite, on how to be even more deadly. A place so prestigious that by just receiving a commendation to attend was more valuable than being accepted to Harvard, Princeton, AND Yale.

I suppose I should take a step back. Let whoever's reading this godforsaken story catch up on what's happened in those five months.

After the simulation had finished, I had learned that third squad had all 'died', but not because of any fault of ours. The simulation had dictated a full scale meteor shower that whipped out the immobile defenders, and had taken out the rest of the mechs. I wasn't complaining, mostly due to being exhausted from the hours of combat we had to endure, the overuse of my new biotic ability, AND the soreness from that damned explosion. (So glad I didn't end up doing whatever Cassandra had though up) And I'll be damned before anyone says that I didn't see Ellison crack the smallest of smiles when he told us we had passed better than he had ever thought we would.

Right before he sent us out to a low-grav arena to get use to the change in gravity the only way he knew how. Hours of physical training.

We ended up spending a month there, alternating between various low-grav and high-grav simulations. It's also where we ended up doing our vehicle certification testing for the M-35 Mako and the M-29 Grizzly. While everyone had an easy time with the Grizzly, Cassandra didn't do so well with the Mako.

Somehow, she got access to the thrusters, which had been disabled in all tests other than the orbital re-entry test and an obstacle course. She then proceeded to jump up to dodge simulated rockets and to smash the targets beneath her when she landed, giggling evilly the entire time.

Although, that paled in comparison to her unquenchable desire to drive the damn thing off a cliff, somehow rig the formerly disabled thrusters to put out three times the thrust, and proceeded to FLY AROUND, SHOOTING ANYTHING THAT MOVED.

Her only defense when asked why she had done that?

"Well, it's not my fault if there's only six petals when there's eight directions!"

I quickly refused to ever ride with her behind the wheel, as did literally everyone else at the outpost. Staff included.

After we had returned to Macapá, It was still more physical training, but with several candidates, myself included, being brought to officer training. We were drilled in groundside tactics, force deployments, and a whole crapload of other skills. This proceeded on for the next three months, which brings us to now.

Just three days ago I had been handed a letter. Not just a datapad with a message, a full-fledged, hand written and signed letter on actual paper. Something that almost never happened anymore with near instant messaging and real-time vid calls taking place over half the galaxy away.

So naturally, when getting a letter, EVERYONE wants to see what it says. I probably held the letter for all of three seconds before it was snatched out of my hands and the questions started coming.

"Who still writes letters anymore?"

"Who's it from? Some secret lover?"

"What's it say? What's it say!"

"TITANS!"

"DAMN IT JEAGER! KNOCK IT OFF!"

"Give me the damn letter and I'll read it out loud!" I yelled, snatching the letter from Jayce's hands. It didn't have any markings on it whatsoever. Just a plane white envelope with the only words on it indicating it was for me. No sender or return address at all.

I carefully opened it, not wanting to accidentally rip whatever was inside it like I use to do back in my old home. That and getting a letter in this day and age meant it had to be important, so I didn't want to tear it apart. Giving it a once over, it read:


To: Service Chief William J. May, SN: 7993-WM-2816

From: Director of Operations General Yang W. Rose, SN: 1924-GN-3591

Subject: Congratulations

William,

Congratulations are in order. Of the thousands of names put forward during this season's graduation, you are one of twenty individuals selected to receive this N7 Commendation. This does not make you an N7 on the spot, but shows that an N7 operative thinks you have what it takes to receive special training at the Interplanetary Combatives Academy, commonly called The Vila. Should you accept this offer, you will continue your training in ways that normal soldiers would find hellish.

Undoubtedly, you are confused as to why you have received this letter, as normal commendations are given via message or in person. However, you are unique in that you have drawn the attention of many high ranking officers, including myself. We all want to make you into the best soldier we can, and that means giving you a commendation and invitation to N-school.

There are many senior brass watching you, don't disappoint.

General Rose.


"I got an N7 commendation." I muttered, everyone's eyes trained on me. "I'm being asked to attend N-school at the Villa."

"…"

"You guys don't seem that happy…"

"We were hoping for a dirty letter." Jayce complained. "Not whatever that is."

If I hadn't seen the twitch in his lips, I would have needed a body bag after I was done with him. Thankfully for him, I did see it.

"Yeah, I'm kinda upset too. Would have been great to tease Cassandra with." I said, keeping my face as neutral as possible.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get plenty of those from wherever that Villa place is." Johnson tossed his two bits in. "Though, it won't compare to how many I get."

"Please, I'll bet you don't even have one!" Lilly spoke up before addressing all of us. "Are you all seriously not getting what this means?"

"Pfft, if it means I get more of the spotlight with Romeo gone, then I'm all for it!" Johnson teased.

"Same here. Maybe now I'll be able to get some proper rest at night." Jayce jabbed before being smacked by Lilly. "AH! Not so hard ya pipsqueak!"

"This means you get to make bigger explosions, yes?" Markov asked, getting a nod in reply. "Then there should not be question. You go, you get to make bigger explosions! Better fights! Who cares about words from women?"

"I think we're all just trying to downplay the excitement with shitty humor." I told Markov, patting him on the shoulder. "Of course I'm going! I'd be stupid not to go."

"Go where?" Cassandra asked from the doorway.

"Got a letter from General Rose." I said. "Gave me an N7 commendation and is asking me to keep training at N-school."

"DAMN IT!" she yelled.

"What's wrong with that?" I asked.

"It means I owe you a damn beer!" wait, did she not get in?! Shepard being an N7 is basically one of the main points of the games!

"What, you didn't get in?"

"No I did." Phew. "At least I think I did." Damn it! "Haven't opened the letter yet."

"Well what are ya waiting for? Open it!"


Long story short, Cassandra's letter was more or less the same as mine. The next day was the "graduation ceremony" for all the recruits, where everyone learned where they were to be posted.

Johnson, unsurprisingly, ended up being asked to work alongside Ellison. The two had developed a mutual respect for each other's sadistic glee when they saw people crawling through the mud, and Ellison quickly learned that Johnson had plenty of new ideas to… 'persuade' the rookies who didn't belong to leave. He received a promotion to Gunnery Chief and happily took the posting.

Markov was posted to the SSV London, a cruiser that was in need of a new explosives expert. Markov had fit the bill perfectly, and in a rare show of emotion, actually shed a tear when he learned he wasn't going to be with anyone else from the team. He nearly crushed Jayce in a bear hug when Jayce put a hand on his shoulder and told him: "It's alright big guy. We'll be sure to keep in touch-ACK!"

After recovering, Jayce learned he was being posted on Terra Nova alongside Lilly. There had been a large discovery of platinum on the planet, which had caused a rush of people to flock to the planet. As such, they were now in much greater need of capable personnel to help keep the planet and its cities secure. Since they both had been in officer's training, but didn't complete it due to a schedule mix-up that wasn't their fault, they were promoted to Operations Chiefs until their training could be completed.

If Cassandra and I weren't going to the Villa for more training, we were going to be deployed to the SSV Tokyo, a cruiser that was currently being commanded by one Captain Anderson. Go figure he would try to get both of us on his ship if we didn't go to N-School. I ended up sending him a message, thanking him for giving us chance at a nice posting if we declined N-School. Cassandra was a little put off by the posting, saying she didn't want special treatment.


"Its not special treatment. He just wants to make sure we don't end up at some backwater shithole doing fuck all." I tried persuading her. "It's not about anything you've done, or if he thinks your special. He just doesn't want you to be wasted by the idiots who manage deployments."

"I guess your right… I just wish people didn't think of me as something special." She said, continuing her self-loathing.

"Cassandra you are special in a whole number of ways. People see you as a leader, others as someone who gets the job done. They see you as someone to rally behind, a person who can't be broken. And most important, someone to love." I whispered in her ear as I hugged her. "You'll always be special to me. Even if we decide that US won't work out, it won't change how I think of you."

"And what is that?"

"What's what?"

"How you think of me."

"OH!" I laughed. "Sorry. Well, to me you're a one-of-a-kind girls that only comes around once a few thousand years. A kind-hearted individual with a strong sense of right and wrong. Someone who's not afraid of getting their hands dirty, but only for the right reasons."

I looked her in the eyes and continued. "You're a very caring person, and would go out of your way to help someone in need, but I think that's also your greatest weakness. You might end up being tricked into helping those who don't need help and end up being used."

Cassandra was silently nodding her head. Not a lot, but enough to show that while she acknowledged what I was saying, she might not have fully agreed with it. After a minute of silence, she looked at me. "What, is that it?"

"Well, you got an amazing ass." I teased, getting slugged in the arm as a reward. "Ahh, damn that punch of yours!"

"Baby." She grinned.

"Like hell. Go punch a force meter. I want to know just how badly I need to start avoiding your attacks."

"Can we get back on track?"

"As soon as feeling returns to my arm, sure." I mumbled, making her raise her arm as a threat. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"

I continued listing off just about everything I could think of about her, leaving out any hints of what may or may not do in the future. It was during that time I realized just how difficult my future was going to be. Between Saren, the Collectors, and the Reapers, I was in for a rough thirteen years, with no real way to tell anyone what we were going to be facing.


I also realized much later; during the quiet shuttle ride to N-school, that I hadn't been told if I was supposed to keep my knowledge hidden from everyone, or if I could actually try and have people believe me. And what about the events leading up to and during the games? Would those stay the same? Would they only have minor changes or be heavily changed?

My mind was so wrapped up in these thoughts I started documenting what I knew would happen on my Omni-tool. I knew I'd have to be careful when Kasumi came onboard, if she came onboard, during the suicide mission. Well, her and EDI, though EDI could probably be reasoned with when it came to a private journal.

I smiled as I continued to write, honestly looking forward to what the future held. Sure, it'd be hell, but already things were vastly different than the games. I just hoped I could get along with mostly everyone, which shouldn't be too hard considering I knew most of the dialog. It's not like I played the game over a hundred different times… right?

Damn that sounds pathetic. Even in my own head.

Still, the fact remained that I was going to end up meeting some seriously awesome and badass people. Between Tali's timidness, Garrus' desire for vigilantly justice, Miranda's ice queen persona, and Jack's desire to kill literally everything, I was really looking forward to the future. Well, maybe not Jack…

The shuttle landing shook me from my thoughts and I mentally groaned. 'This is, what, the third time that's happened? Fuck shuttles.'


Interplanetary Combatives Academy, Codenamed: The Vila, Earth

June 1st, 2173

First thing through my mind as he shuttle door opened was how surprisingly cool it was temperature wise. Being only a short ride (relatively speaking) from Macapá, and the fact this was freeking Rio de Janeiro, I was expecting a wave of heat to come in and flood the air-conditioned shuttle. Instead I was greeted by a cool breeze that, while warmer than the AC shuttle, was still refreshing. If I had to guess, due largely to a lack of a thermometer, I'd say it was probably 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or for you Celsius people 21 degrees.

The very next thing I noticed was that I wasn't indoors, which would have explained the nice, comfortable air. Between the sounds of aircars, markets selling various goods, and birds chirping, I was getting thoroughly confused as to why the hell it felt so nice out. There just wasn't the feeling of this being the most prestigious military academy in Alliance space.

Then I stepped into the sunlight.

"What the hell just happened?" I complained quietly as sweat quickly started forming on my head and neck. "Feels like I just stepped into the damn sun!"

"I hear ya." Cassandra agreed, whipping her forehead of the sweat that had already accumulated there. "Let's get moving so we don't have to stand in the sunlight anymore."

She got no complaint from me about that decision, and once we reached the safety of the shade, the intense heat we had felt vanished almost immediately, leaving us both completely confused.

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING OVER HERE?" Someone yelled, annoyingly close to my ears. "I DID NOT GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO STAND IN THE SHADE!"

"Sir!" I saluted as I turned and got a look at him, him being a Staff Lieutenant in the uniform of a drill instructor. "You did not order us to stand in the sunlight either! As such, we decided to stand in the shade sir!"

"SO JUST BECAUSE YOU WERN"T ORDERED TO DO SOMETHING, YOU THINK THAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO DO WHATEVER YOU WANT?"

"Sir!" Cassandra spoke up this time. "We are trained to be ready for anything and to take any advantage! If that means standing in the shade over standing in the sunlight, then we stand in the shade sir!"

"And if the advantage is in the sunlight, we stand in the sunlight sir!" I continued without pause. "Any advantage, always ready! That's why we are marines, serving in the best military in the galaxy sir!"


A slow clapping was heard over the approaching footsteps of a new individual. This person, a woman, looked like she was young, probably mid-twenties but felt like she was older, around the mid-forties. She stood tall despite being only an inch taller than me, with seemingly pale skin, lilac colored eyes, and long, messy blond hair that was clearly beyond what regulations allowed. That was quickly dismissed, however, when one took in her uniform. A standard female dress uniform, but with far more combinations and campaign medals than it could hold (mostly due to the woman's… assets) and the clear eagle insignia that let everyone know just who she was.

General Yang W. Rose.

"Well, well, well. Looks like there's hope for you two to become more than mindless drones after all." She said as she finished clapping. A thin smile slowly spread across her face. "Let's hope you make it through this hellhole."

"Mam! Permission to speak freely." I asked, getting raised eyebrows from Cassandra and the General, mostly from confusion as to why I would ask that.

"Granted."

I smiled. "I've already gone through hell at Macapá and came out unbent. Good luck getting me to break."

Silence filled the air for a few seconds, and it felt like the tension was thicker than the earth itself. General Rose's eyes were locked onto mine, and I returned her stare unblinking. Finally, after what seemed like forever to my eyes, she blinked and laughed.

"You've got balls boy." She said, her grin returning, but now looking far more predatory than the pleasant one she had walking up to us. "Few people have enough of them to make a claim like that to the person who can make their life even worse."

"I came here to be the best I could be. Anything you throw at me will just make me better." I spoke simply. "And like I told you. Good luck breaking me."

General Rose stepped closer, only inches away from my face. Her eyes, seemingly doing the impossible by changing from their lilac color to a dark red, searched my face. What they were looking for, I didn't know, and was almost afraid to find out. Almost.

"Take a holo. It'll last longer." Damn you self-control. Why couldn't you just let her do whatever she was doing!

A split second after those words left my mouth, a fist slammed straight into a barrier I always keep up. It's not the strongest of barriers, but not weak either. I'd been keeping it up as a form of endurance training. Being able to stop a sniper from killing me during training ended up coming in handy, but left me exhausted. As keeping the barrier up got easier, I made it stronger.

Unfortunately for me, the Generals fist broke right through it, but thankfully managed to slow it enough that it only knocked me on my ass, instead of breaking my jaw. Before I could do anything, I found myself being yanked up and held there by the General herself.

"You. My office. One hour." She demanded, her eyes still red and her golden hair seemed to be crackling with fire, but I was sure that last part was just a trick on the eyes. "You don't show up, you're out of here."

With that said, she calmly threw me up against one of the pillars that was nearby… with enough force to make the stone support crack. If it wasn't for my second barrier, which was as strong as I could make it, I probably would have some serious internal injuries.


Cassandra, clearly worried about me, all but shoved her way to me through the crowd that had quickly surrounded me, clearing everyone away with some not-so-subtle threats. Some of which might have included missing genitals, though I could be wrong. After all, I had just been casually thrown into and cracked a stone pillar.

"Will, you ok?" she asked, her hands cautiously reaching out to check me over. "Anything broken? Pain? Discomfort?"

"Yeah, I got some discomfort." I groaned. "Now there's two women who can hit me like a freight train."

Her response was to hit me. "Damn it Will! You almost broke a solid stone pillar with nothing but your body! This isn't the time for jokes!"

"So your solution is to hit the injured person." I groaned again, though this was from my own idiocy of not having my barrier up still. "Clearly you missed your true calling as a medical professional."

"Will…" she growled.

"Relax." I whispered. "Other than where you hit me, I'm fine. There's a reason I always try to keep my barriers up."

"Then don't worry me like that! Why did you even say those things? You had to have known what would happen!"

"Yeah. Yeah I had an idea of what would happen." I said to her before mumbling. "Now let's hope I was right."

The medical team arrived quickly, though that was hardly a surprise. This was a prestigious military training academy. Any accident would require near immediate medical treatment of injuries that could, at best cripple, at worst kill. What was a surprise, however, was for everyone, besides Cassandra that is, to see me stand up and dust myself off. Turns out that acting like nothing had happened after being tossed around like a ragdoll by the commanding officer of the base isn't the normal reaction.


After that whole fiasco was over with, the lieutenant quickly (I think he was terrified of what he just saw) brought us to our bunks before promptly leaving. With half an hour till my meeting with the pissed off General, and no idea where her office was, I figured I should head out and find it. Cassandra offered to come with me, but an instructor walked in and started barking out orders. After quickly telling him what I was doing, he eagerly kicked me out so his ass wouldn't get chewed like mine was about to.

That left me wandering a large facility, which had very few maps, trying to find the CO's office. It didn't help that the primary form to learn the base layout was the tour that Cassandra was on. It also didn't help that an order had apparently gone out telling all base personnel to not help me whatsoever.

"Helpful people, everywhere I go." I muttered.

Eventually I got lucky and found the General's office, and not a second too soon. As I pinged the door control to open, the very last second of my hour ticked off. The door opened and I walked in.

Only to stand in the doorway completely confused. It wasn't why I was there, that much was obvious. Get yelled at, be forced through even more grueling drills and exercises without the benefits others had, reduced relaxation time, and leave being a better, stronger soldier.

No, I was confused by the room I found myself looking at. Don't get me wrong, it was still an office, complete with bookshelves, an old wooden desk with papers and a computer, floor to ceiling windows behind the desk. All of that was normal.

It was the massive amounts of gym equipment that had me confused. Every piece of equipment necessary to tone every single muscle in a human's body were sitting in organized stations throughout the room. I even recognized some biotic exercise equipment of all things, but what confused me the most was the full scale, MMA style fighter's cage.

Realizing I was still standing in the doorway, I saluted. "Permission to enter mam?"

"Granted" I her the reply, though I couldn't see the body the voice belonged to anywhere.

I started to walk around, taking in as much as I could while trying to clear the confusion in my head. Every piece of equipment had been expertly taken care of. Everything was wiped down, cleaned, oiled and lubed for maximum efficiency. They all looked like they hadn't been used before, which only added to my confusion.

A clang of metal on metal, the sound of weights dropping on top of more weights, echoed through the room, causing my head to snap in the direction I thought it had come from. Following the noise, I was rewarded with finding the woman who had summoned me.

Her attire had changed drastically since I had seen her last. Gone was the military dress uniform, and in its place was an orange sports bra and black workout sweatpants. Here entire body was glistening in sweat as she used the chest press machine.

Not wanting to be distracted by her appearance, I started the conversation. "You told me to be here mam?"

"Yup." She answered, continuing her workout. "And not a second too soon or late, just like I asked."

"It was your order after all."

She raised an eyebrow. "And if it had come from someone else?"

"That would have depended on the person and their rank."

"Oh really?" She asked, a thin smile spreading across her face. "Explain."

"Regardless of the person, if they are of a higher rank I would do as they asked." I explained. "However, quality and efficiency would change based on how I felt about the person. If they didn't have my respect, things would be different."

"And if the person is of lower rank?"

"If I respect them, I would do as they say. Otherwise id tell them off."

"And where do I fall?" Ahh, here we go.

"I'm not sure yet mam. So far, I can only say good things." That got her to pause her work out and look at me.

"You mean to tell me that, despite being knocked on your ass and thrown into a stone pillar, you would only say good things about me?" She laughed. "Boy, you're insane."

"Have to be mam. I'm an Alliance marine and a Vanguard."

"I could tell that last part by your barrier's strength alone" She admitted. "Few human biotics barriers can do anything to my punches. Even fewer can actually slow down my punch. You've got talent kid."

"Mam, if I may ask." I paused, getting a nod to continue. "Why did you order me here? It clearly isn't to yell at me."

"Tell me why you think that." She said, continuing her workout.

"Well, there's the fact you haven't raised your voice, both now and during the incident. You're also hardly paying attention to me and focusing more on your work out." I informed her. "Plus you pulled your punch."

There was a loud clang as the General stopped her workout abruptly, her head snapping towards me. "I pulled my punch?"

"And your throw." I added.

"Why the hell do you think that?" She asked, leaning forward and resting her arms on her legs.

"Because of the biotic exercise equipment over there." I pointed to the nearest machine, designed to steadily increase weight while being lifted by the user's biotics in an effort to train the user to lift heavier objects. I was currently able to lift 110 kilos, or 242 pounds. "If you were aiming to hurt me, you would have put your biotics into your punch. From a machine I saw walking in, it would have tripled the force of your hit."

General Rose, much to her credit, only let her mask drop for a fraction of a second, but that was all it took to get a read on her. Her eyes were light up with surprise and interest, while her mouth twitched up in amusement. There never was a fight to begin with. All I had done was given her an excuse to get us alone.

"That's right. I pulled my punches." She admitted, standing and stretching. Oddly enough, she kind of resembled a cat as she stretched. "I wanted to see what you were made of. You have quite the record already."

She started walking towards the MMA Cage, and indicated I should follow. "Excellent leadership qualities, a cool head under fire, and the loyalty of the men and women you were put in charge of. There are statements in you record from all your former fellow trainees, as well as your instructors. To top it all off, you enacted an additional exercise routine for your biotics completely on your own while getting top or near top scores in almost everything."

We reached the cage, and I expected her to go around it. Her desk was on the other side after all. Instead, she walked up the steps and opened the door to the ring, waving a hand to indicate I was to enter. Knowing the hell I was about to go through, I entered the ring.

"Everything points to you being one of the best soldiers ever trained by the Alliance. Even your rivalry slash relationship with Cassandra Shepard helps you out." She must have seen me tense up at the mention of relationship, because she started laughing. "Pfft, what, you though I didn't know? Hell, just about everyone back at your training grounds knew you two were together. It was allowed because it wasn't a hindrance to the unit, and only increased each of your drives to be better. And I'll continue to allow it here."

"Thank you. I promise it won't be a distraction." I said. "And if it does I'll end it."

"I doubt that will be necessary." She waved her hand as she shut the cage door. "I do appreciate how dedicated you are to the Alliance. Though I can tell you now, that after you complete your training here, you two will likely be separated."

"We've figured that much. Besides, Cassandra wouldn't like the special treatment we'd get." I admitted. "So, mind telling me why were in an MMA cage? Or is it for the obvious reason?"

Her grin shifting back to its predatory form, she answered "for the obvious reason, of course. I'd be lying if there wasn't other reasons but I'm afraid I can't disclose them. At least not yet."

"Oh this is just great." I laughed. "First day here, and I've already been tossed around like a ragdoll and have gotten into two fights with the base's CO. Don't tell me this is going on my record or something."

Instead of answering immediately, General Rose tossed me some protective gloves. The kind of gloves that mostly just make sure your hands don't get cut and bleed, and gave only a small amount of cushion when they connected with your face. The Generals were a bright orange, while mine were Alliance blue.

"No rules other than no biotics and attempts to seriously injure." She said, donning her gloves. "Don't want you to be too injured to train."

"I'll admit I'm not the best in hand-to-hand, but I can hold my own." I said, getting into my fighting stance. My feet a shoulder's width apart, left foot forward slightly, left fist slightly in front of the right, knees bent. Focus on breathing. In through the nose, hold, out through the mouth.

Opening my eyes, which had been closed since I had gotten into my stance, I had just enough time to register the fist rocketing towards my face before it connected. Instead of continuing to stand there, I let my body go limp, letting the momentum behind the punch push me more that it should have.

Rolling onto the ground, I quickly stood and threw an uppercut. I was close, feeling the 'skin' of the gloves brush up against her nose, and immediately attempted to kick her stomach.

That landed, but because she was already moving back to dodge my uppercut it didn't have the force to do much more than wind her slightly. We both resumed our stances and started to slowly circle each other, each of us tossing occasional jabs to test the other.

And then I got distracted. Of all the things that could have happened to cause me to lose focus, it had to be something stupid like this. I would have much rather had a Krogan come charging in, demanding to fight the winner. It would have made more sense for me to be distracted by that.

Instead I was distracted by a damned cat.

Granted, it wasn't that I had just noticed it and dropped my guard. Oh no. I was being attacked by both General Rose AND her cat, who at this moment was dead set on clawing my eyes out.

"Yeah! Get'em Blake! Go for the eyes!" she cheered on between fits of laughter. Clearly she was enjoying herself.

"What happened to 'not too injured to train'?!" I yelled, pulling the cat off and holding it at arm's length. "And why the hell do you have a cat?"

"Hey!" she exclaimed, snatching the cat from my hands. "Blake here is a noble ninja! Not just a cat!"

My mind was spinning now. "Wait, let me get this straight. You, Yang Rose, have a cat named Blake."

"Yeahhhh?"

"What's your middle name?"

The General looked suspiciously at me. "Weiss. Why?"

I busted out laughing, only getting an even more confused and suspicious looks from her and her cat. After a few minutes, I managed to recover myself. "Ahhh, sorry about that. It's just… There was this really old show called RWBY."

At the mention of that, General Rose's eyes snapped open. Even the cats eyes opened more than they had been, both their eyes trained on me.

"It was a really great show." I continued, eyes still watery from my laughter. "The main character was named Ruby Rose. She had a sister named Yang Xiao Long, and two friends slash partners named Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna."

Suddenly I was being hoisted up, General Rose's eyes once again blood red, but this time, it was clear as day that here hair was on fire. "How do you know that?" She demanded. "I've checked everywhere for hints on where we came from and found nothing, then you show up and have an almost perfect knowledge of my friends!"

"Wait, you're saying… you're not from here?" I asked, slightly shocked.

Realizing just how badly she had messed up, she lowered me to my feet, her eyes refusing to meet mine as her mind franticly tried to figure out what to say. Figuring I should test her reaction something else, just to be sure she was the real deal, I spoke again.

"Where's your weapon? Ember Celica?"

That got her eyes to look back at me, only now I noticed they were filled with tears. "How do you know all of that?" she asked, her body trembling slightly.

'Well. She admitted she's from somewhere else. I might as well also.' I thought. 'It might even help her cope with being here.'

"I'll be perfectly honest with you. Its like I said, I watch it on a show called RWBY." Her eyes filled with more tears. "But that wasn't here. Like you, I come from somewhere else."

"A different world?"

"No, I'm from Earth." I clarified. "But not this timeline. I died in a skydiving accident, and Death himself brought me here. Where I'm from, your whole world was just a show, and this universe was just a game."

"My home is not just some show!" She yelled. Shit, should have realized she wouldn't like that part.

"I know that. Believe me I do." I said, putting a hand on her shoulder, only to feel a scorching heat radiating off of her, but instead of withdrawing my hand, I put a barrier around it to lessen the intensity of the heat. "All I'm saying is that, in my world, it was a show. My guess is that the 'show' in my world was just a window into yours, much like this universe was a game in mine."

"Wait, hold up. You said you died?"

"Yeah. Skydiving accident. It's also how I ended up here."

The now confirmed Yang Xiao Long looked at her cat. "Do we tell him?"

To my surprise, the cat actually meowed a few times. "Wait… is that…"

"Yeah." Yang said sadly. "Blake Belladonna."

Looking at Blake, I smiled. "Ninja's of love."

Blake quickly buried her head under her paws in embarrassment as Yang laughed her head off. "You're kidding! They actually showed that?"

"Yup. When your team is unpacking and re-arranging the room to work for everyone, there was a focus on Blake pulling out that book, looking around to see if anyone had seen, and quickly hid it." I said, laughing slightly as well. "Anyway, what was it you were asking Blake?"

Yang stopped laughing almost immediately, returning to her sad appearance. "We… we died as well. As far as we know, we weren't brought here by Death, we just sort of woke up here."

"But why is Bla-"


Grey. Everything was grey. There were no colors anywhere other than on Yang, Blake, and I. Blake, immediately frightened by the sudden change, ended up jumping onto Yang's back and started hissing. Yang herself quickly got into a fighter's stance.

"Relax you two. It's only Death."

YOU SHOULD REALLY NOT BE THIS USE TO ME.

"Who said that?" Yang demanded. "Show yourself!"

VERY WELL.

A dark mist slowly filled the room, floating towards the cage. It drifted through the openings, and when it reached the center of the ring, it started to condense until the tall hooded Grim Reaper we all loved to annoy was fully formed.

IF YOU SAY ONE THING UNLESS OTHERWISE ASKED, I WILL MAKE YOU FEEL PAIN.

"Jeez. No need to be so hostile." I chuckled. It really was too easy to get Death riled up.

I DO NOT GET 'RILED UP'

"Keep telling yourself thatAAAHHH!"

I DID WARN YOU.

"Death, you're an asshole."

"THAT'S DEATH?!" Yang yelled, backing away from the tall hooded figure before her. Blake was trying her hardest to stay behind Yang's head.

INDEED. I AM DEATH. I HAVE COME HERE BECAUSE YOU TWO HAVE DRAWN MY ATTENTION.

"W-Why would we have drawn you attention?" Shit, is Yang scared? Well, it kind of made sense. She was meeting DEATH after all.

BECAUSE YOU WERE NOT PART OF MY PLANS FOR THIS UNIVERSE. YOU RESIDE HERE, YET IT WAS NOT MY DOING THAT BROUGHT YOU HERE.

"So maybe it was some different form of death?" I pitched in.

UNLIKELY, BUT POSSIBLE. THE FAUNUS DEATH WOULD HAVE INFORMED ME IF HE HAD BROUGHT ANYONE HERE.

Blake, upon hearing there was a Death Faunus, meowed a few times.

YES, THERE IS A DEATH FAUNUS. THERE IS A VERSION OF ME FOR EVERY SPECIES THAT WILL EVER EXIST. I AM THE HUMAN'S DEATH.

Blake meowed a few more times.

SADLY I CANNOT. I HOLD NO POWER OF ANY OTHER SPECIES, WHICH IS WHY I AM CONFUSED AS TO HOW THE TWO OF YOU BOTH ARIVED HERE. EVERY PERSONIFICATION OF DEATH INFORMS ONE ANOTHER OF THEIR PLANS IF THEY MOVE A BEING FROM ONE UNIVERSE TO ANOTHER. FOR A DEATH TO HAVE DONE SO WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE, AND BEING ABLE TO BRING A SPECIES WITHOUT ITS DEATH'S APPROVIAL, SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HAPPEN.

"So we have two people who shouldn't be here, but are, and no idea why." I recapped, clapping my hands when I finished. "What do we do about it?"

NOTHING.

"WHAT?" Yang and I yelled, with Blake meowing loudly.

YOU WILL CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD WITH THE PLAN. UNLESS I FIND OUT THAT THESE TWO WERE INTENDED TO BE A HINDERENCE, THEY WILL REAMAIN AS A FORM OF HELP FOR YOU TO CALL UPON.

Blake meowed again.

I CAN HAVE THAT ARANGED.

"What did she ask?" I wondered out loud.

SHE WISHED FOR ME TO BRING THE DEATH FAUNUS TO HER TO SEE IF IT CAN CHANGE HER BACK TO NORMAL.

"Oh. So when will… it… be here?"

NOW. Came a voice like Deaths, only this voice was slightly higher pitched. Spinning around, I saw another tall hooded figure, though this one's hood had cat ears poking out of it. AND UNFORTUNATLY, I AM UNABLE TO CHANGE YOU BACK.

Blake meowed loudly, far more than once.

THERE IS NO NEED TO USE SUCH LANGUAGE. I DID NOT BRING YOU HERE, SO I HAVE NO POWER OVER YOUR FORM. HOWEVER, I CAN ALLOW YOU TO SPEAK TO THOSE WHO YOU WISH WITHOUT HINDERENCE.

"Really?" Blake asked.

"Holy shit the cat's talking." I joked, before falling down in pain.

AGAIN, I DID WARN YOU.

"And again, you're an ass." I groaned, getting up. "Yang, you heard Blake too, right?"

"You have no idea how much I missed hearing your voice!" Well, she didn't hear me. Too busy nearly crushing Blake's cat body to death with a hug.

"Yang… can't… breath!"

"Sorry! I'm just so glad to hear you again!"

"Did you miss the Bella-booty?" I asked, and was surprised when I didn't feel any pain.

"What?" the two asked.

"Back in my world, people 'shipped' other character they thought would make a cute couple. They'd even go all out and make names for these 'ships' of theirs." I explained. "You two were one of the more popular 'couples' that people thought up, with a popular picture of yang saying she loved the Bella-booty with a pair of dark tinted sunglass on.

Blank stares were all I got in return.

"Yeah, I'll shut up now."

I'M DEFINATLY KEEPING YOU TWO AROUND.

"Oh screw you DeatAHHHAHA!"

WHILE HE ROLLS AROUND IN PAIN, ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU HOW YOUR GIFT WORKS.

"That would be greatly appreciated." Blake said, laughing slightly at the sight of me in pain.

THE FOCUS OF THE GIFT IS TRUST. IF YOU ARE ABLE TO TRUST A PERSON WITH YOUR LIFE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TALK WITH THEM. IF YOU CHOSE TO, HOWEVER, YOU CAN STILL BE HEARD AS A CAT BY ANYONE YOU WANT.

"So, if I wanted to talk too just Yang, I could, and Will wouldn't be able to understand?"

NO. BECAUSE WILL AND YANG ARE PRESENT, THEY WILL BE THE ONLY ONES TO ALWAYS HEAR YOU.

"Death's an asshole!" I chanted. "He is an assholAHHHGA"

I'M STARTING TO THINK YOU'RE A MASOCIST.

"Fuck you Death."

"What is it they hope to accomplish?" Yang wondered out loud.

THEY SEEK TO PREVENT THE DEATHS OF THIS CYCLE'S SPECIES.

"What?"

IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE WILL EXPLAIN IT. I MUST LEAVE, AS THERE ARE MANY FAUNUS WHO REQUIRE MY ATTENTION, BUT BEFORE I GO, I HAVE TWO THINGS I MUST TELL YOU BOTH. THEY ARE, LESS THAN PLEASNT.

Blake and Yang gulped together.

I APPOLOGIZE, BUT I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BRING YOU BACK TO YOUR WORLD.

I ignored Death's pain-zap when I heard that and looked over towards Blake and Yang. Blake, being a cat, was extremely difficult to read, but even so it was clear she was upset at this news. Yang, however, looked absolutely devastated.

Unlike me, I had been relatively fine. Death needed me to do a job, and wouldn't have taken me if I couldn't do it. He had explained the circumstances and allowed me to come to terms with it, not that it had taken long. But these two, they didn't know who had brought them here, or why and how they did it. They searched for way to get back to their home, or even evidence that it existed, but found nothing. One of them was even stuck in a body that wasn't theirs. They were outsiders, through and through.

"And the second thing?" Yang managed to choke out. She was putting up a strong face, but her voice let it be known just how hard she was taking this.

WHILE THEY SHALL NOT DIE FOR QUITE SOME TIME, THE OLDEST HUNTRESSES EVER RECORDED, YOU'RE FRIEND WEISS AND YOU'RE SISTER RUBY… WILL HAVE PAINFUL DEATHS.

That. That was over the line. It was bad enough that they were stuck here, trapped with no way to go home, but to tell them the future of the rest of their team, and that they die painfully? That was just unacceptable.

"Who the fuck do you think you are." I said, twitching slightly at the pain Death sent through me.

DO YOU ADRESS ME, YOUNG ONE?

"Your damn right I do. What right do you have to tell them that their friends and family die painful deaths! They just learned they were stuck here forever! Blake learned she's going to be a cat for her entire life! So what do you tell them last? That the last of their team dies painful deaths? FUCK YOU!"

I FELT IN NECESSARRY TO INFORM THEM OF THOSE THAT THEY CARE FOR'S FUTURE, NO MATTER HOW UNPLEASNT.

"THEIRS A TIME AN A PLACE!" I roared, my entire face contorted from my anger. "AND THIS ISNT FUCKING IT! NOW GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"

I DO BELIEVE IT WOULD BE BEST FOR US TO LEAVE NOW.

I AGREE. MAKE NO MISTAKE, I DO NOT TAKE PLEASURE IN DELIVERING THIS NEWS. I MEARLY WISHED TO LET YOU KNOW.

"Just leave." Yang said quietly, her eyes on the ground. The two versions of death simply nodded before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke. Slowly, as the smoke dissipated, color returned to the world, but everything still felt grey on the inside.


YANG'S POV

This wasn't fair. This wasn't fair at all. I've been stuck here with Blake for nearly twenty years, looking for any sign of our old world. Then Will comes in, knows not only about our world, but details of our very lives, lives that feel like they were a lifetime away, and suddenly, were being confronted by not one, but two versions of Death, each one telling us there was nothing they could do. No way to undo what happened to Blake's body.

No way to get back to Ruby.

That single thought was enough to cripple my entire body. I had always looked out for Ruby. It was my job as her older sister, but that's not why I had done it. I loved Ruby to death, and would gladly have died if it meant she would be safe.

That's how I got here, isn't it? Taking on a Nevermore alone so that Ruby could get more people into the shelter, but also to keep her away from the danger the giant bird represented. Unfortunately for Blake and me, the damn bird's talons ripped right through us.

And now it apparently didn't matter that Blake I had given Ruby and Weiss enough time to secure the shelter, saving them in the process. She was apparently going to die a painful death anyway. My body was trembling in a sea of emotions, but the biggest two were anger and sorrow.

It seemed like hours, but only a few seconds after I had started to tremble I felt a warmth surround me. Looking up, I was shocked to discover Will… hugging me. Was I so emotionally compromised that I didn't even feel his arms around me? That I couldn't even sense his presence? And why was he so… warm?

"It's alright." He soothingly whispered. "I know what it's like to lose family and friends. I might not know how it is to deal with knowing how they die, but I'll try my best to help you both."

I was about to say something before he whispered one last sentence, filled with enough sorrow that it made me finally break down.

"After all, no one should be alone."


WILL'S POV, TWENTY MINUTES LATER

That… had to be one of the hardest moments of my life. Seeing someone I knew (to a certain degree), someone who was normally so strong, break down like that? That was just… words couldn't begin to describe how I felt for those two.

Yang (we had agreed that, when it was just the three or two of us, to use first names) had wept into my shoulder for quite some time. I had felt fairly guilty about leaving Blake out of the sobfest, but after an attempt we both agreed it was too awkward to try again. In the end, Blake ended up curling up in Yang's lap.

Then I started explaining. How I was brought here, what death had told me, and most importantly; what I knew was going to happen. At first they didn't believe it, but with the sheer about of details I poured into it, based on my experiences from playing the games, it left very little doubt in their minds when I had finished and the both agreed to help, if only to give their lives purpose again.

Blake had come to the same conclusion I had, that things might very well be different due to just my presence, but with their presence things might change drastically. I promised I would continue to fill my little journal with any information I could remember and share it with them.

I also had requested much more intense training, both for myself and Cassandra. A Shepard was always the leader in the games and fanfics, even if they shared power with someone else. After I explained it, Yang realized just how important Cassandra was and quickly agreed to the more intense training. She said she had some ideas that she'd need to talk about with her superiors, but she had high hopes for whatever it was.

Personally I was absolutely terrified of whatever she was planning. Yang, a General, thinking of something. This could only end in pain.

"Well, I can tell you're not getting kicked out." Cassandra called out as I entered the bunkhouse, which was a huge step up from the one back at Macapá. These bunkhouses had working air conditioning. As Cassandra saw my face as I walked over, she continued speaking. "Christ Will, you look like you went through the wringer. What the hell happened?"

"Classified." I groaned, flopping down on my bed, yet again beneath Cassandra's. "Make any new friends?"

"Nah." Came the reply. "Apparently after we graduate from being N1's most of the trainings off world. We'll be lucky to see anyone we know out there."

"Wonderful."

"Are you ok? You know I worry about you."

"Just tired. And worrying about me is probably the last thing you should be doing." I moaned out through my pillow. Damn this bed was comfortable.

"Great. What'd you drag me into this time?"

"That's rich, coming from you." And I didn't do a damn thing really. You were stuck on this path to begin with.

Her head popped down over the side of her bed. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"That half the time I'm the one getting dragged into trouble by you." I explained. "Honestly, how you didn't realize that on your own is beyond me. Anyway, General Y-Rose wants to meet with me again tomorrow."

"Did she say why?" Phew, she didn't catch that.

"Nope. She's a General. I'm just a lowly service chief." Though with Yang in on this galactic mess, I wonder how long that will remain true. The fact that didn't say why was also untrue. Amongst other reasons, Yang and Blake wanted to continue going over my knowledge of the future and think up plans that could be used if things didn't go the way they were supposed to. She was even getting me out of quite a bit of training, as we didn't know how long we would take.

"All initiates, please report to the auditorium. I repeat, all initiates are to report to the auditorium." A lifeless female voice spoke over the academy's intercom, indicating it was a VI speaking, not anyone living.

"Damn it." I complained, pushing myself up from the bed. "I was just getting comfortable!"


"Auditorium my ass." I muttered just loud enough for Cassandra to hear. "This place puts the David H. Koch Theater in New York to shame!"

"You've been there?" Cassandra asked. I didn't blame the look of surprise all over her face. Up to this point, I had been a bit of a meathead trying to get into shape and finish catching up with everyone else, so I hadn't really had all that much time to talk about my past. Not that I probably would have anyway, seeing as I had yet to send ANY form of message to my 'family.'

"Once. Summer after freshman year of high school. Was on a trip with my youth group and we ended up getting a tour of the building." I explained. "We watched some play at some other location I don't remember."

"Huh."

"What?"

"Just never pegged you as that sort of guy." She said as we walked towards some empty seats.

"I'm the type of guy that will try most things at least once, though I wasn't always like that." I laughed. "Hell, I use to be the pickiest child when it came to food."

Cassandra chuckled as well. "For some reason, that doesn't really surprise me."

"Jerk." I smiled.

"Bitch." She replied.

A loud screeching sound coming from the speakers throughout the 'auditorium' but quickly went away. When I looked up towards the stage and saw Yan… I mean General Rose, standing with an old fashioned wireless microphone up against the speakers, I was less than surprised.

She stood there looking out at those of us who had arrived, seemingly searching for someone until her eyes landed on me. A feint smile formed and she gave a small nod, which I returned. Tossing the microphone behind her, its job of getting attention over with, she walked towards the center of the stage.

"I'll try to keep this brief." I mentally groaned. If she started ripping of her headmaster's intro speech I was likely to run up and punch her. "But with the threat of questions, I might not be able to." Damn it, she did that on purpose!

"Let's start out with congratulations." She continued. "You have all been selected, by your physical or mental skills, because you are the best. You've been chosen to, in some cases, continue your training. For others, its back to the hell you though you left."

"Make no mistake, this is a grand achievement. By simply being chosen to attend ICT, you have done more for your family's name than most can ever claim. This honor is more prestigious than graduating from Harvard AND Yale as valedictorian… both times. If any of you make it to the rank of N7, you will have received more recognition than you would have back in the twenty-first century after receiving the American Medal of Honor twice! A feet only thirty one people managed to accomplish before the Alliance was founded! Take a moment and congratulate yourselves."

The murmurs between individuals were quite loud, and more than a couple of loud whoops were heard. Cassandra and I simply looked at each other and nodded, knowing what the other was thinking.

First one to N7 gets whatever the hell they want.

"Now, let's get back on track." General Yan… no, Rose…Fuck it I'm just going to call her Yang in my head. "And I hope you've all gotten that excitement out of your systems, because starting immediately after I'm done in here, you all get to go through initiation."

'As long as it's not like your initiation test, I think I'll manage.' I thought to myself, shivering slightly at the sadistic smile she had on her face as she listened to everyone's groaning.

"Now, now, settle down. You haven't even heard what this year's initiation test is." She chided. Everyone quieted down, though mostly from fear of what form of hell awaited them. "This year, I have recalled every active N7 graduate who could be pulled back. You're only goal is to survive for five minutes against an opponent of the same class as you."

Just like that, everyone was groaning again. No one meant any harm in it. This was just the marine's way of dealing with shit orders they didn't really want to obey, but would regardless of their feelings. It was likely also from going from respected posts or top of the class graduations to being FNG's (Fucking New Guy's) again.

"Furthermore," yang continued, somehow continuing to be heard over everyone's complaints, "anyone who manages to actually BEAT their instructor will automatically be granted the designation of N1, and will be shipped out to start their N2-6 training."

A hand was raised, and acknowledged by Yang, its owner stood up. "Mam, what happens after the five minute mark?"

"You keep trying to survive." Yang answered, receiving mumbled confusion from the audience. "Let me explain. Every single N7 has faced defeat, and I'm sure many of you have as well. You will continue to survive however you can until you lose or defeat your opponent. However, if you defeat your opponent after the five minute mark, you will not automatically receive the N1 designation. Likewise, if you lose after the five minute mark, you will have passed the test."

I raised my hand.

"Ahh, our resident trouble maker." I resent that! "You may speak."

"Mam, you said all active N7 personnel, correct?" I asked.

"Yes. Unless they were otherwise unable to return in time, all N7 classified personnel are here to be your… instructors."

"Does that include you mam?"

The 'auditorium' was silent for quite some time after I asked that. With no time-telling devices other than our Omni-tools, which we didn't use, we had no clue how long that silence remained, but it felt like hours. Yang's face was expressionless, not showing any reaction to my question. The only thing she did was lock eyes with mine. Then, her eyes flashed red. Just for an instant, if you blinked you would have missed it.

"Yes." She said finally, the thin, predatory smile I had seen upon arrival returning. "And it just so happened that you were be paired up with me."

Not one to let my worries affect my speech, I let my own grin show. Unlike Yang's fearsome, feral like grin, mine was a hunter's grin. I knew the most about her preferred form of combat, hand to hand with shotguns thrown in, and had a desire to continue our match from earlier that Blake had interrupted.

I think a laser pointer game of cat and mouse was in order when I next saw her.

"Looking forward to it mam." I said before sitting back down. Cassandra was looking at me like I was crazy (can't blame her), and that that's what Yang and I had discussed. I just mouthed 'no' to here, and that seemed to clear up at least the latter part, though the former was still in full effect.

"Lastly, a surprise." Yang continued. "There will be a special selection made from those who catch our eye during their initiation. I cannot say what we will be looking for, or what that group will be doing."

'Probably that idea she mentioned.' I thought. 'Better get in that group, if I'm not already.'

"Are there any questions?" a few hands were raised. "Any questions about anything other than the special selection?" aaaand down go the hands. "Alright. Then let this year's initiation tests begin!"

With that, Yang sprinted to the edge of the platform and jumped at me, her body glowing that blue/purple that indicated biotics, and her arm cocked back, ready to hit me. She clearly had no intention of letting me get away easily.

If I moved, she was likely to hit others with her landing. If I stayed and took the hit, I'd take unnecessary damage. A lose-lose situation if there ever was one.

I hoped option three worked.


CLIFHANGER! HAHA!

Sorry about that, and the lack of fighting. I thought last chapter was good, or rather, I didn't get any complaints about it, so next chapter will be largely the fight. If I can make it last that long.

So about Yang and Blake being tossed in. Hopefully I'm not pushing people away with that. My goal with those two is, while mostly secretive, a way for Will to relax. Things haven't been tense, largely because Will (or rather, myself) is so easy going with things but he (I) am not always like that. There are times you just have to vent ya know? This time it was supporting Yang and Blake as they learned a shitty truth, but in the future it will be a lot more give and take. And like I (kinda) said, they will have a semi-important role to play. Their more than just some characters with names I tossed in.

Anyway, I got a shit-ton (or is it a fuck-load?) of homework to do before finals in a two weeks, so have a great time everyone! And as always…

LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL ME HOW I DID!