A/N: Hi, all! I apologize that this isn't an actual chapter, but I figured an update was overdue and, well, this happened. Enjoy this subchapter thing. Also, to those of you who dislike the formatting, I am planning to fix the format of previous chapters eventually [which likely means after the primary story of this done].

- Storyteller

Unknown Location - Unknown Space

3 Years Earlier...

He was not a fan of the Cerberus Division of the Union Intelligence Network. Despite the fact they had created him, he hated them. With a burning passion.

"I am most pleased with your progress, Montague.", a researcher said. What was the Research- fuck that fucking noise, oh, it's Researcher Madeline Richards. Montague was his designation. Montague hated the noise. It happened whenever he desired information or whenever he wanted to sleep. Just... so much noise.

"What are you on about?", Montague asked, regretting it as he thought the noise would return. It didn't. He would have sighed in relief, if he had lungs. He was looking at Richards. She seemed amused. Damn her, damn Cerberus Division, damn the Citadel Cou- the what? Fuck, the noise! The noise...

So. That's what it was. Citadel Council, contact made a couple hundred years ago or so? Montague hated the noise. It made everything so cluttered. Richards cleared her throat, and Montague refocused himself on her.

"Your progress. You're one of a kind, Montague. A specimen unlike any other human or synthetic born yet. I can tell you are... registering pain. Why is that?", Richards spoke softly, curiously. Montague hated it for some reason, and began to worry about what she planned to do with him. Montague wanted to stab Richards in the throat.

Repeatedly.

With a dull, rusty knife.

Now he knew why they didn't give him any hands.

"It's because of the noise! You're all so - so noisy! Why can't it be quiet? It hurts! The noise hurts!", Montague roared in response, trying to convey rage. An impressive feat, considering the monotonous voice coming out of him. Montague heard and felt the noise this time. What was that fucking noise! And, just like that, the noise answered him...

He didn't like the answer.

"I see you've figured out your... position, Montague. See, you are a specialized brain enhanced with bionics for the purposes of monitoring the entirety of the Extranet, as well as communications and such. You are to do this as subtly as possible. You are also connected to the Cerberus Division's databases. The 'pain' you register is your brain automatically receiving data. It should subside when you are done... calibrating.", Richards explained. Montague paused a moment: did she just call him a brain? Montague's focus shifted to himself, when he realized he... was the facility, or at least parts of it, that Richards and other Cerberus Division members were in. More importantly, he was a human brain with extremely large amounts of synthetics interconnected into him. He was nothing but a literal brain in a jar.

"You're... fucking kidding me, right? This is some practical joke. Haha, very funny.", Montague said, chuckling slightly. Oh, so he could chuckle. Great. Richards simply stared at him as he refocused on her, to see her face completely serious. Wait... seriously? What the fuck?! They actually made him a brain in a jar that could feel full pain? What did they need him for when they had a supercomputer?

"I assure you, this is not a joke. You'll get used to it."

"Richards, I'm going to give you one minute to fucking get me out of this - this, thing!"

"Now, why would I do that? You are aware your physical body died and was almost completely destroyed, right? We revived you in such a way where you could prove useful to the Union's goals."

"I'm not some - puppet! I'm not going to be dancing around for you on strings, lady!"

"You don't have a choice. Now, quiet down so I ca-", she was cut off by an alarm blaring. Montague wished he could grin. Sweet, sweet revenge for the insufferable pain. They had connected him to all databases and things connected to the Extranet, and now he was the Extranet. Montague watched as the oxygen was drained from the facility, with everyone trapped inside by lockdown procedures. Now, he was the facility.

"I think I'm going to enjoy this more than I thought.", he said, voice smug. Montague watched as Richards continued to choke on nothing, slumping to the floor on her knees. He imagined his hands around her throat, as if he were choking her himself. He imagined feeling the life sucked out of her. Montague watched as her body dropped completely to the ground, strangled to death by the vacuum.

Now, it was just him, and the infinite noise of new information on social media, and other places on the Extranet as well as communications. The infinite noise that wouldn't let him sleep or feel anything but pain coming from synthetics and organics alike. Montague began to growl in pain, but then he came up with an idea. He was going to need a body... he looked at Richards.

She could be of use to him, after all. Too bad she was dead now... oh well.

Not like she needs her body anymore.

A/N: So, yeah. There you go. And, before anyone asks, yes, Montague is going to play a role in the future, whether as secondary antagonist or something else, I have yet to decide.