A/N: The beginning of another weekend, and I'm stuck in bed with my bad leg. It sucks balls, but I'm managing the best that I can considering the situation. And I got good news! The court date for the accident is a week from today, though with the constant calls I've been getting from the bastard's lawyer they most likely want this settled out of court.
I couldn't care less, the SOB's gonna pay and pay hard for what he did and send a damn message to pay fucking attention when you're driving.
That aside, I thought it would be good for me to get this next chapter out before the beginning of the weekend. Being bedridden all this time has got the creative juices really flowing and I want to get them into writing before losing them to another writers block.
One of the questions asked in one of the reviews I received said something about how the Seekers could penetrate the nano suits weave. The answer is a rather simple one. Once Armor Mode is deactivated, if bullets can cause the user damage then so can the Seeker Swarms. Even the best of equipment in the field of battle has its flaws.
And as for the questions pertaining to whether or not Ashley, Kaidan or both will be joining the crew?...You'll just have to wait and see. But to let you all in on a little something, a lot more big changes are coming.
(I own nothing)
Alexander 'Maverick' Drake
Horizon - Human Colony
October 4, 2185 - 16:19 hours
"Neurotoxin Isolation: 89%"
Alex had never felt so vulnerable before. His own body betraying him because of the Seeker venom still running through his veins. All he could do was remain frozen where he stood as the people in the safe house went about fortifying the doors and preparing for the worst.
On several occasions, the Marines in the room would talk about him. His sensitive hearing picking up their conversations easily from across the room.
They'd wonder about what he had been doing out in this corner of the system. And more often he'd hear them asking about what Prophet was and if it was some kind of advanced VI interface.
Thankfully Ashley had run interference hearing that line of talk before coming over to check on him to see if there was any improvement.
From what everyone had been talking about, the Collectors had already made landfall and their ground forces were scowering the colony for their victims. The nano soldier knew that the number of people able to defend the colonists wouldn't be remotely enough to fend off the bugs. And it pissed him off that he was unable to help them with his current condition.
"Neurotoxin Isolation: Complete."
"Thank fucking god!" Alex thought relieved as data began scrolling across his HUD. The Seeker venom's chemical blueprint appeared and several points within the biological structure were highlighted.
"Xeno Neurotoxin Genetic Makeup Being Rewritten."
The highlighted components of the paralytic began to alter thanks to the nano suit. Much like the Ceph nanites that he had acquired in the Crysis Universe, the suit was being broken down and turned into a defense against further attacks using the toxin.
"Genetic Rewrite Complete."
"Neurotoxin Countermeasure Integration Commencing..."
Alex could feel his limbs starting to come back to him. His fingers twitched as the dark energy surrounding his form began to slowly dissipate.
"Integration Complete. Initializing."
Fists clenched and limbs started to shake as more of the nano soldiers body began to fall back under his control once more. One of the Marines standing nearby saw this and perked up, "Uh...Chief Williams. Something's happening." he said catching Ashley's attention.
Alex's HUD stabilized as he felt his suit systems start to come back online. His body waking up more and more with each passing second.
"System Rebooting."
The dark energy surrounding the Post-Human dissipated completely just as Ashley entered the room. Alex fell to the floor in a kneeling position as he fully came back into control of his body again. "I...hate those bastards..." he growled standing back upright again.
"How are you feeling?" asked the Gunnery Chief.
Alex cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, getting the blood flowing after being stuck in the same position for two hours. "Been better. What's the situation on the outside?"
"The Collectors are all over the colony. A couple of my men went out to check the situation but haven't come back. The Seeker swarms are still in the air and probably got to them." said Ashley as she gave him the run down.
Bringing up his omni-tool, Alex projected a 3D map of the colony before them. "I've never faced them before, but from the information I've gathered the Collectors have a formidable army. Their weapons are advanced, and a select few are said to have abilities that are unrecorded by any other species."
"So how do we fight them?" asked one of the colonists.
The nano soldier typed a few keys on his omni-tool. "Prophet, bring up the GARDIAN defense grid around the colony." The laser turrets all highlighted, each one connected by an array of underground power conduits all conjoining to a central hub on the far side of the settlement by the space port. "That's our only chance. The colony's defense systems are the only thing that is powerful enough to force the Collectors off the ground."
"But the targeting matrix is still off, without it the turrets won't work." Ashley pointed out.
"I'll take care of the targeting matrix." replied Alex, "I just need to reach the main control hub for the defense grid and get everything up and running."
The shock that went through the room could have been felt. "You're going out there alone? Are you insane! Those things will take you down the second you step out of the door!" exclaimed Lilith.
"My suit is adaptable, it's taken the Seeker venom and converted it into a countermeasure. I can't be frozen again, which means that I'm the only one that can make it to the control hub." said the Post-Human shutting down the 3D map.
Ashley shook her head. "That's crazy, you do know that right?"
Alex shrugged, "Wouldn't be the first insane thing I've done, and definitely won't be the last." he said looking around the safe house. "Is there a back way out of here?" Ashley nodded and began leading him through the three-story building toward the back room on the opposite end.
Colonists watched them pass as they tended to friends and family who had managed to escape the siege. Looking at the men, women and children around them, Alex couldn't help but feel more anger bubble up within him.
The Collectors had been doing this all over the Terminus. And unless they were stopped it would keep happening until they began attacking the rest of the Traverse.
He knew that Jane was on her way here with her new crew. It was only a matter of time before they arrived, but he needed to get everything set up and push the bug bastards from the colony before every one was taken.
"Alex." Ashley whispered catching the nano soldier's attention. "Are you sure about this? From what the Alliance told us about what these things are capable of, I think you could use a little back up."
"I'll be fine, Ash. You guys don't have the countermeasure that I do, and I won't risk anymore lives." he replied as they approached a sealed door in the back of the house. "They're strong, but not unstoppable. And I know how to handle a battalion or two."
The Gunnery Chief nodded and bit her lip, "There's something else that you should know." she said as they stopped at the door. "There have been rumors, I don't know if they're true or not, but there has been intel that...Shepard is alive."
Alex was silent for a few moments before slowly breathing out his nose, "I know." he said cutting off his voice filter since they were alone. "I've known for some time now."
Omni-tool springing to life, he pressed a few keys before Ashley's chimed. "Ash, I need you to listen carefully to what I have to say. And don't interrupt me until I'm finished." he said very serious.
Nodding slowly, Ashley waited for him to continue.
"What I just sent to you is information about a secret project that only a select few know about. It's the reason that the rumors about Jane coming back from the dead are circulating. But to understand that you need to know how it came about." the nano soldier explained.
"The Collectors are the ones that attacked the Normandy two years ago. They are working for the Reapers and saw Jane and I as threats to their masters' plans. Not long after the attack, the Shadow Broker found Jane's body and was attempting to sell her to the Collectors because the two had brokered a deal."
The Chief looked both stricken and angry hearing this, but remained silent as her friend pressed on.
"But their plans didn't go unnoticed. Liara actually intercepted several communications about what the Shadow Broker was planning and set out to make sure that he failed. With the help of several sources, she managed to get Jane's body back from the bastard...then she contacted Cerberus."
"No...Alex, please tell me she didn't hand the Commander's remains to those terrorist bastards!" Ashley said not wanting to believe it.
Alex nodded grimly, "She had no choice, Ash. Collector attacks were on the rise, and with them working for the Reapers that can only mean something far worse is going on that we are not aware of. The galaxy needs her back...I need her back..." he looked off to the side when he said the last bit.
"The data I sent you was about what Cerberus went through to bring her back. The project was codenamed 'Lazarus' and cost them roughly six billion credits to do the job. They managed to do what was considered impossible."
Not waiting another moment, Ashley flicked on her own omni-tool and began reading through the data the Post-Human had sent to her. Not two minutes in her face turned pale. "It's...It's not natural...I can't believe that they brought her back from the dead." she looked up at him. "She's...she's working with them now...Isn't she?"
Alex shook his head seriously, "They brought her back, but from what I've been able to gather it is more out of necessity. Cerberus has the resources and the equipment to help her combat the Collectors. It's more like a shaky truce than anything else. Though I can understand your unease."
Ashley gritted her teeth and shut down her omni-tool, "How do we know that this is the same Skipper that we knew from two years ago? Cerberus could have just built a VI that thinks it's her?"
"You have all the data right there, Ash." said Alex. "The Illusive Man wanted her back exactly the way she was. The leader of the project wanted to implant a control chip, but he shut down the idea before it could be implemented."
"Even if that's true, and she really is Commander Shepard, how do we know it's really her? Cerberus could have done something to her, controlling her to follow them and make her feel obligated to be on her side after they brought her back." said Ashley.
"For all we know, Cerberus is working with the Collectors."
Crossing the room in two quick strides and stood in front of the Gunnery Chief making her take an involuntary step back given the size difference between them. "Ash, I can prove that Cerberus isn't working with the Collectors. I've torn down almost a dozen facilities that they were running in the last two years. They were gathering data on the bastards, but were fighting against them. Not with them."
He took a step back and turned to face the door, "As for whether or not Jane is the same as she was back then...I don't have an answer for that. Guess we'll just have to find out when we see her. Just trust me on this, Ash, if there was ever a time I need you to believe in what I'm saying, that time is now." he said as he headed toward the sealed entrance.
Ashley looked at him oddly, "How do you know all this?" she asked still a little skeptical.
The nano soldier paused and looked back at her, "Because Liara and I went hunting for the Shadow Broker a little over a year ago. We found him...and killed him. We now control his network of data and have access to intel never thought possible."
Seeing her shocked and awed visage, Alex continued. "I know this is a lot to take in. I don't blame you for not believing any of it. But I am asking that you don't jump to conclusions and keep an open mind to all possibilities." he turned back to the door and drew his Harrier, "Your still one of my closest friends Ash. So, please, just trust me okay?"
Overcoming her shock, Ashley took a deep breath. "I trust you Alex...but this whole thing is...I just don't know where to start. I'll need time to come to grips with it all I guess." she admitted. "Just please be careful out there."
Getting a nod in response. The nano soldier unlocked the door and stepped out into the bright sunlight still casting down on the colony. The entrance closing and relocking behind him for safe measure.
X
A deep sigh passed through Jane's lips as she stood behind Joker in the Normandy's cockpit. It had been a good thing they were only a couple of hours out from Horizon, they were just barely coming out of FTL and was en route to the colony.
"We're about 40 minutes out, Commander." said Joker as he brought the ship in closer.
Jane nodded, "Have the team arm up and gather in the cargo hold. We're all going in, I'm not taking any chances if the Collectors are already there." she replied stiffly.
Joker turned in his seat and regarded her, "You've been pretty tense today, Shepard. Rough trying to sleep again?"
The Commander didn't respond at first, ever since the Illusive Man told her about this mission she'd had a funny feeling since. Of course she was worried about the colonists and wondering what Ashley was doing down there. But there was something else...something she couldn't put her finger on.
"Just an odd feeling. And hoping that we can stop the Collectors from taking anymore people." she said rubbing her eyes. "Stay on course and let us know when it's safe to take the shuttle in." with that she turned on her heel and headed for the elevator in the CIC.
Joker turned back to the controls and made sure everything was good to go.
X
The colony was almost dead silent. Any of the colonists that weren't either in hiding or picked off by the Collectors already were still frozen where they stood. Looks of both fear and desperation clear in their eyes as they were trapped within their own bodies and waiting to be harvested.
At the same time, the Collectors were milling around the colony. Gathering the people their Seekers had paralysed while hunting for any of those that managed to escape the swarms. Several drones milling around with weapons in hand while a few of their comrades moved in with large pods to harvest the colonists.
Husks were also skulking around as back up support in the event of retaliation from the Human settlers.
The massive Collector ship stood straight up, its back end close to the ground close to the colony with its front pointed at the sky like a demonic monolith. A terrifying sight to anyone who were to lay eyes upon it.
Nothing would escape them, and the will of their masters.
A cloaked form slipped from shadow to shadow. Remaining out of sight of the patrolling humanoid insects while marking their locations so that they didn't get the drop on him.
Alex pressed his back to the wall of a small building, cloaked and with weapon in hand as he peered around the corner. A group of three Collectors were tossing bodies into the pods for easy transport.
Gripping the assault rifle tighter, he kept his anger in check as he began to creep along the wall. Drawing in closer to the group of aliens as he waited for the right moment to strike.
When they tossed the last body into a pod and sealed it closed he attacked.
Driving his combat knife into the back of the closest drone's carapace and dropping his cloak before firing a quick burst into the one standing next to it. The last Collector chattered something in its native tongue and raised its weapon to attack only for Alex to re-aim and put two quick rounds through its head.
Pulling the knife free and dropping the corpse to the ground. The Post-Human reactivated his cloak and got moving again. The sounds of combat being enough to draw attention and he wanted to make sure that he wasn't boxed in.
He couldn't risk an all out war with the Collectors. They had him outnumbered by unfathomable numbers and he didn't have nearly enough thermal clips, arrows and grenades to handle such an onslaught.
The only strategy he had on his side was to use stealth followed by hit and run tactics until he reached the GARDIAN control hub. Short range radios were knocked out because of the Seeker swarms still in the air meaning the nano soldier was on his own from here on out.
A cluster of Seekers flew overhead making Alex snap his weapon up at the sky. His HUD flashed red and revealed his energy meter nearly empty. Thinking fast, he headed toward the closest building and opened the door before slipping inside.
The building was a storage shed and had an assortment of gardening and farming equipment. It had no windows and only one door making it the perfect place to set up and wait for his energy to replenish.
Deactivating his cloak, Alex made sure that the door was locked before pulling up the map of the colony again. "Prophet, how much farther to the objective?" he asked checking over the map before him.
"Target Location is 300 meters North-West of Users Current Position. Warning. Multiple Hostiles Detected Between User and Target Location." said the AI.
Reloading a fresh thermal clip into the Harrier. Alex pulled out his bow and loaded a clip of regular bolts. "Just gotta play it safe until we make it to the target. Nice and easy." he said mostly to himself as he watched the energy meter on his HUD completely refill.
Ready once more, the Post-Human approached the door and was about to open it when Prophet chimed. "Proximity Alert!" Alex pressed himself to the door and listened as the sound of footsteps and the buzzing of large wings passed through the metal. No doubt a small group was heading back to where he had killed the three drones moments ago.
He waited patiently for them to pass before making his move. "Cloak Engaged." the door opened and he slipped out silently. Arrow knocked and sting pulled back ready for the worst as he continued on his path.
"It's worse than I thought." he wondered, pressing himself into a corner as a couple Collector Troopers walked by, the hideous form of a Scion shuffling close behind them making Alex grip his bow a little tighter. "Have to stay focused. The suit won't be able to to help me much if all these bastards attack me as one."
When the hostiles passed, Alex charged a little energy to his legs and leaped up on to the top of the building next to him.
The sudden noise caused a Collector Assassin to spin around raising its particle beam. Seeing nothing there, the alien treaded forward weapon still at the ready as it looked for an enemy. Its four glowing eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary.
Keeping the bolt drawn back, Alex kept a close eye on the lone Collector as he tried to skirt around it.
Chattering something in its language, the assassin's vision cycled through several variants. Night vision, thermal, and finally EMP where the outline of a large Human was revealed making the alien let out a loud trilling noise as it charged the particle weapon in its hands.
The nano soldier fired the arrow, the bolt punching straight through the Collector's head. The body falling limp over the side of the building and hitting the ground below as Drones and Troopers began to Troopers began to converge. Their comrades alert causing them to shift their own vision and see Alex standing on the building before them.
Several loud trills echoed as they opened fire forcing the Post-Human into cover. "Shit! How did they see me?" He shouted firing a bolt into the gathered aliens below.
"Analysis of Collector Physiology Indicates Advanced Cybernetics. Ocular Implants allow for Multiple Vision Modes." said Prophet.
"Just fucking wonderful." Alex muttered before deactivating his cloak no longer seeing the point in using it if they could still see him. He began sprinting across the rooftops, jumping over the gaps between buildings while dodging rounds being fired his way.
"Maximum Armor." turning to his left, he fired arrow after arrow into the pursuing Collectors and dropping one after another with each landed hit until the clip ran empty.
Switching quickly to his rifle, Alex took down as many of the humanoid bugs as he could while trying to get closer to the target. Even managing to shoot a couple of the Drones out of the air while they were in flight before leaping from the edge of the last rooftop and hitting the ground below.
A beam of super heated energy lanced through the air and scorched the chest piece of his suit dropping his energy by almost half and making him drop behind a low wall for cover. The Assassin that got him fired another beam from its particle weapon as more Drones and Troopers swarmed in.
Alex leaned out of cover and fired a few quick bursts before being forced back into cover from the hail of rounds that peppered around him. Through his HUD, he managed to tag about a dozen Collectors spread out blocking his path.
According the nav point on his mini-map, the nano soldier saw that the space port and defense hub was on the other side of the large building behind them. He was almost there.
One of the gathered Collectors started to convulse, ember colored energy arching over its form. Eyes glowing brightly as the creature hovered off the ground as the energy consumed it while a loud booming voice resounded. "ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL!"
Touching back down, the possessed Drone looked around a moment before locking on to where the Post-Human was hunkered down. "WE ARE THE HARBINGER OF YOUR DESTRUCTION. YOUR ACTIONS ARE FOR NAUGHT."
"And now there's this thing..." Alex muttered before leaning out and putting down another Drone. "You know the last time a Reaper told me that, things didn't turn out so well for them!" he called out while reloading his weapon.
"SOVEREIGNS DESTRUCTION WAS UNPRESIDENTED. WE KNEW NOTHING OF THE PROTHEANS MEDDLING WITH THE CITADEL RELAY. BUT IT MATTERS NOTHING NOW. THE CYCLE CANNOT BE STOPPED." said Harbinger.
"You forget that it was our combined efforts that destroyed one of your kind. Now this whole galaxy knows you exist, we'll be ready for you fuckers and will fight you to the bitter end!" the nano soldier said with conviction as he took out his bow and loaded an arrow clip.
"YOUR WORDS ARE AS HOLLOW AS YOUR FUTURE, HYBRID. COUNTLESS RACES ATTEMPTED TO RESIST OUR WILL. ALL FELL TO THE POWER WE WIELD. WHY DO YOU FIGHT YOUR OWN KIND?"
Alex was on his feet, bow-string drawn back ready to fire as he gnashed his teeth behind his visor. "I am not part of your kind! I will always be Human at heart no matter what happens to my body! And you should know by now how adaptable we Humans are. That's why your having your little puppets harvesting us...your afraid of us! Afraid of what we're capable of! You and your kind want us out of the way incase more like Shepard and I rise up to face you!"
Silence filled the courtyard. The Drone being controled by the ancient Reaper made no movement as it regarded the nano soldier. "FEAR. AN IRRELIVENT EMOTION INSTILLED BY ORGANICS WHEN FACED WITH THEIR INEVITABLE DEMISE. WE DO NOT FEEL THIS. OUR WILL REMAINS UNMATCHED, EVEN NOW."
From the nearby buildings, three Scions trudged their way out in the open and joined the Collector ranks. A handful of Husks following them making the enemy blockade stronger. "YOUR ATTEMPTS TO STOP US WILL FAIL LIKE THE MANY THAT WERE BEFORE YOU. YOUR DEATH WILL MARK THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF YOUR SPECIES AND THOSE WHO STAND WITH YOU."
Despite the odds stacked against him, Alex smirked. "It's a long way from here to the afterlife, Harbinger. I hope you brought an army, because your gonna need it."
The possessed Collector pointed a clawed finger at the Post-Human. "TEAR HIM APART." the Drones, Troopers, Assassins, Husks and Scions shrieked/roared as they charged forward.
(SLOW MOTION!)
Alex released the string, the arrow sailed through the air in a straight path past the line of hostiles and straight toward the possessed Drone. Burying itself into the creature's chest before exploding with enough force to blow it apart and send the ones standing around it hurdling back from the blast.
(SLOW MOTION END)
"Got sick of listening to that thing run its mouth." Alex said drawing back another frag arrow. "Whose next!"
A/N: I know you guys were looking for a lot of action. But considering the size of the Collector forces, one man against an army of advanced aliens with powerful weapons is an uphill battle that even a nano soldier would have trouble trying to overcome. And in combat you need to us all possible angles instead of running in guns blazing.
I'm intending on using the new Collector classes that were in the Multiplayer DLC content Retaliation for added thrills later in the story. Gotta give props for the new enemies somewhere.
The next chapter will have a pretty big fire fight, and with the Normandy's new crew closing in there will be a reunion to remember. Till then guys!