Well no negative response to the previous chapter. No news is good news I guess.

A guest reviewer asked, "WHERE'S DESMOND?" This is the last time I will say it to anyone, so everyone pay attention: Desmond Miles will be appearing along with many other Supernovas in the third installment. In other words, he will NOT be in the events of Mass Effect 2. It's a long time to wait, I know, but I'm not changing things.

And that concludes my slightly demented rant.

Actually hold that thought. I do have another small monologue. In case anyone didn't notice, I'm beginning to take a few liberties in the missions. It's the result of having more protagonists than the one Commander Shepard, as well as each protagonist being insanely powerful. I take a few more in this chapter, but only because I believe Okeer's sacrifice was pointless. Either he or Shepard should have broken the glass wall right next to them to let in some fresh air. Since this is a story, it doesn't rely on strict gameplay sequence, so I improvised! Like it or hate it, I would sincerely ask that you REVIEW and tell me what you think.

Okay, now my rant is over.

Summary: Because it's just not the Normandy without a krogan on board.

Spoilers: The usual, plus some references. This is what I'll say every time from now on unless I feel the need to warn you otherwise.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, but that's probably for the best. Also, I don't own Clash of the Titans. Liam Neeson was not harmed in the making of this chapter, nor were any other celebrities for that matter.

Release the Krogan!

Korlus

Research Base Defense

At the moment, the prone form of Alex Mercer looked less like a human and more like a writhing pile of black and red flesh. It wasn't the injuries that had dropped him to the floor, but rather something else. Consuming such a large amount of tank-bred krogan DNA in such a short amount of time had done something to the virus. Another evolution most likely. Different from a whole new power like the tendrils, bio-bomb, or sensory abilities, this was more like a mutation that changed or enhanced the arsenal he already possessed.

Although he didn't recall it ever hurting quite this much. Normally a mutation came with a quick burst of pain. This time however, Alex was dealing with slow agony. The slightest twitch was sheer hell, to say nothing of what he felt as biomass continued to slither and contort all across his body.

He didn't have a prayer of fighting like this. Until everything was stable again, Alex had to be protected by his allies. And protect they did.

Materializing in a sitting position on a makeshift roof, back pressed up against a wall of scrap metal, Ryan took a deep breath. Shifting to one knee and turning around, the Splicer King targeted another Blue Sun legionnaire with his Kishock and pulled the trigger. The harpoon's miniaturized disruptors cut through the tech armor before the spike itself nailed the merc to the ground. He'd given away his position to the Suns as soon as he'd fired, but before anyone could get a shot off, Ryan had shattered out of existence.

A couple of times the Blue Suns tried focusing their efforts on Ryan alone, but that left them all wide open to punishment from Mordin and Zaeed.

Teleport, hide, breathe, aim, shoot, teleport again. Over and over until every Blue Sun was dead.

The Son of Rapture fought dirty by nature, so the role of a sniper came rather easily. Traps came from his fingertips. He could turn invisible and relocate just by thinking about it, giving the very real illusion of being everywhere at once. He could even be his own spotter if absolutely necessary. The Chief was a better soldier and commando without a doubt, but Ryan was the better scout. Though if memory served, Revan, Exile, and other Uniques from their territory had all called him a "scoundrel" on more than one occasion.

The last body had just hit the floor when Alex slowly returned to his version of normal. Mordin instantly began taking scans for physical and mental health, permission be damned. After a moment, the former STG gave a twitch indicating he'd found something interesting, likely the new mutation. The look was gone just as quickly, and Mordin declared his fellow geneticist stable – relatively speaking of course.

"Damn," Zaeed muttered. "Tough bastard's still kicking."

"You won't be collecting that bounty just yet," the sociopath groaned. "I'm not even close to dead."

"Says the man lying on the ground drenched in two different colors of blood," Ryan narrated dryly. "Seriously how many krogan were there?" Considering Alex had fought much worse in the past, and with much less difficulty at that, it was a pretty valid question.

"I lost count after sixty," Alex responded. "That was around the time something blew my head off. Five minutes later, I was forced to use a devastator. Ended the fight and sank the outskirts in the process." He rose to his feet and glared. "So to answer your question: there were a metric fuck-ton of krogan."

"As much as I'd love to hear the story," Zaeed bellowed, raising his Avenger, "how about we focus on the shit that's still alive for now?" Looking where the bounty hunter was pointing, they saw another wave of Blue Suns up ahead digging in their heels and setting up heavy artillery. They seemed justifiably nervous. After all they weren't used to this sort of thing. Didn't stop them from opening fire though, and Ryan's team was happy to respond in kind.

Taking advantage of their hesitation, Alex shot his whipfist out towards their numbers, grabbed a Sun at random and consumed him. The bloodstains vanished and the remaining wounds healed. The virus was back in the game, and the sadistic grin was back on his face. That must have caught someone's attention, because the radio chatter started up again. It was much more frantic this time around.

"All squads, do not engage the commandoes. I repeat: do not engage! It's the Animal of Akuze and the Butcher of Torfan! None of us have a chance!"

All shooting stopped for a moment as this information sunk in. It wasn't long though before Jedore offered a rebuttal.

"You're afraid of names? There are four of them, you idiots! Anything can be killed if you'd just do your damned jobs! Retreat, and I'll see you all dead!"

There wasn't even a pause before the chatter started up again.

"And if we fight, we'll get slaughtered. 'Anything can be killed'? The Animal can't die, and the Butcher is back from the dead! Screw retreat, screw tactics, just run like hell! Jedore's threats won't mean a thing once those freaks are done with her."

Mass desertion began instantaneously. Apparently they were already on the fence about taking orders from a raving madwoman. Go figure. That wasn't to say everyone left. Several Blue Suns were too arrogant, loyal, or stupid to disobey Jedore.

There were a hell of a lot fewer than before though. Ryan teleported to another scrap metal sniper perch. Taking a rifle off one of the dead mercs from the last wave, Alex leapt up to join the Splicer King. The virus had consumed hundreds of soldiers, and not just from Blackwatch Earth. He didn't have the Chief's aim, but they were about on par with assault rifles. Assault rifles like the one in his hands right now.

"Bloody showoffs," Zaeed grumbled, filling one of Jedore's loyalists with holes. "It's practically cheating the way they do all that shit."

Mordin dropped two more mercs with a neural shock and double-tapped them each. "Cheating perfectly legitimate strategy in war!"

"You'd know all about that!" Alex retorted from above. Running out of ammo, he dropped down out of sight among the base's metal innards.

"Jedore mentally unstable," Mordin continued, ignoring Alex's less-than-subtle jab. "Forces deserting as we advance. Could 'cheat' in response. Eliminate Okeer, cut losses in fit of rage."

Ryan frowned at this as more loyalists showed up. "I can't imagine her taking down a veteran of the Krogan Rebellions, but better safe than sorry. Let's pick up the pace. Zaeed, Mordin, you have the right flank. I'll keep giving sniper support. Alex?"

The sociopath rocketed out of the metal as if summoned, practically dancing between two thick slabs of scrap. The attack had come from an entirely different location than where Jedore's troops had seen him previously disappear, so it caught them off guard and added to the chaos. Halting in front of a wall being used as cover by a Blue Sun, Alex punched a hole right through to the other side. He grabbed his prey by the jaw and twisted, snapping the merc's neck and consuming the poor fool straight through the wall. (A/N: Leave a review if you can figure out what this is a shout-out to!).

The Splicer King grinned at the display before continuing with his orders. "Let's see the new tricks."

Grabbing a metal beam as he flipped over it and tossing the debris into a pair of Suns, Alex just chuckled sadistically. "Not yet Ryan. I'll give a full 'demonstration' once we get to Jedore."

Like they needed another reason to find that bitch.

Normandy SR2

CIC: Helm

"Are you seriously gonna take me to task over this?"

EDI paused in the synthetic equivalent of a sigh. "You deliberately falsified information on maintenance reports, Mr. Moreau."

Joker wagged his index finger back and forth. "Ah, ah, ah! I wasn't 'falsifying' information. I was tweaking it. I round up on task times to make us look good when we come in under."

"It is against regulations."

"Oh sure, that's all the reason we need, huh? Go ahead and tattle to one of the bosses."

"...The likelihood that Mercer, MacGrath, Ryan, or Eleanor will intervene is less than zero point eight percent."

Smirking beneath his cap, Joker sent the report through uninterrupted this time. "Score one for the cripple."

Korlus

Research Base: Main Laboratory

Okeer grumbled as the invaders entered his lab. "At last, the formerly deceased Butcher and the undying Animal kick down my door. Regardless of true intentions, your arrival is never a sign of gentle change." He sneered. "Surprised? All krogan know of you, as well as the other 'human' warriors from Virmire."

Ryan facepalmed. "Here it comes." Alex just chuckled. He despised Okeer, but he was more than willing to let the old krogan wax poetic if it meant his own viral ego got stroked in the process.

"Yes, such a tale!" Okeer roared, holding his arms up high. "Saren, the Spectre traitor, threatens the return of the krogan horde by curing the Genophage, undoing the gentle genocide of the turians and salarians." By now he was pacing back and forth like a man possessed, only to stop and turn to look at his guests with a gleam in his eyes. "But before Saren can deliver his endless troops, in rides the Normandy and her crew. They fall from the sky, and elements bend to their will as they secure victory through nuclear fire." A deep rumbling came from within the warlord's chest. "I like that part. It has weight."

"You know, I don't really remember it going down like that," Ryan muttered.

Okeer raises his hands defensively. "But I approve. Saren's pale horde were not true krogan. Numbers alone are nothing. The mistake of an outsider, one that these mercenaries have also made."

Zaeed faked a yawn. "I love a good war story, but can we get to the part about the Collectors?"

The warlord sneered at them before launching into a speech about the aforementioned aliens. "I gave them many krogan, and I acquired the knowledge to create one pure soldier. With it, I will inflict-argh!"

A pissed off Alex Mercer lifted up Okeer and pinned him against the nearby wall, cracking it. "Nothing compared to what I'll 'inflict' on you, bastard. You made a krogan bulk sale to the Collectors, and you killed thousands more in this very lab, just so you could create one!" With his free hand, he pointed at the tank of a single, enormous tank-bred. "That's deluded eugenics at best."

Okeer remained unfazed despite his precarious situation. "No. It is the template. A greater threat than any and all of the phantom siblings that would have been at its flank!"

The predator gripped his prey tighter. "With all the 'failures' you made in the process, you could have commanded both the horde and the lance! An unstoppable threat, free to seek out and destroy enemies old and new alike." He was attempting to get through to Okeer by using krogan dialogue now, but it backfired.

Rather than see reason, Okeer smashed his brow plate into Alex's hooded face. The effect was minimal, but the action spoke volumes. "I need perfection! If a few thousand are rejected, then so be it. My work will purify the krogan. We will not be restored. We will be renewed."

"You're insane!" Alex cried out, releasing his hold on Okeer and backing away in disgust. "Pure krogan or not, you can't just 'renew' an entire race of warriors with one damn grunt!"

"Girls, girls!" Ryan yelled, stepping in between the arguing madmen. "You're both batshit crazy." Neither krogan nor virus felt the need to disagree, so he continued. "We came for Okeer, and now we've got him. But can we please save the irreconcilable Genophage debate until we're back on the Normandy?"

Okeer's posture shifted. He began to speak as if he was in charge rather than at their complete mercy. "Perhaps I can strike a deal to secure passage. But my prototype is not negotiable. It is the key to my legacy."

Before the Supernovas could lay down any ground rules, Jedore's hated voice came over the loudspeakers again. Apparently, Mordin was spot on to say she'd cut her losses.

"Gas these commandos and start over from Okeer's data." They could see her giving orders from the window in Okeer's lab. There was nothing but ego and anger in her face as she yelled, "Flush the tanks!"

Almost immediately, gas began leaking into the room through the pipes, displacing the air. Okeer seethed in fury as he hunched over a computer by his template. He demanded them to kill Jedore if they wanted any information on the Collectors.

Alex snarled. "That bitch is mine. He ran straight for the window and jumped through. The glass shattered as the virus went out and oxygen came back in to displace the gas meant to kill them.

Down in the storage bay, Jedore spun around at the noise. Seeing the Animal of Akuze, her eyes widened in fear as the faintest sliver of reality sank in past her enormous superiority complex. "Kill him!" she screeched. "Kill all of them!"

As Jedore's personal guard advanced, Alex just stood there with a grin on his hooded face and his hands in his jacket pockets. He counted an YMIR mech, several elite Blue Suns, and a few berserkers that she'd actually managed to successfully command. Not even a challenge, especially with his newest mutation. Still, something felt off, but what?

Activating his Prothean Vision from Feros, the hunter quickly analyzed the room in remarkable detail. He saw footprints… krogan footprints. Berserkers, but not the ones in this room… because they already left the room!

BOOM

Alex looked back up at the window he'd jumped through and visibly tensed. Shaking his head in disappointment, he turned back to face Jedore. Then the Blacklight runner made a simple, sickening promise. "For what just happened, and to permanently shut you the fuck up, I'm gonna feed you your own lungs."

Korlus: Research Base

Thirty seconds earlier

Where most krogan would prefer to watch Alex fight, Okeer was instead typing furiously at his terminal. "You've bought me time by breaking the glass and confronting Jedore. I am grateful, and if I knew anything about the Collector's interest in your human colonies, I would gladly tell you."

Zaeed scoffed. "We go through hell to find the bastard, and he doesn't know shit. I'm charging extra for 'time wasted' when this is over."

"Everything is in my prototype," Okeer continued. "My legacy is perfect, and I will preserve it at all cost." The typing continued. "Jedore herself it occupied, but the systems responsible for flushing the tanks are automated. She has already given the order, and I am doing everything in my power to stop it."

Mordin debated simply killing the lunatic and walking away. He held no strategic value in their mission against the Collectors, and even if this wasn't an attempt to cure the Genophage, fanatics like Okeer were too unstable to remain at large. Ryan's thoughts were largely the same, along with a few other reasons to warrant the krogan's murder, like dealing with the Collectors or growing his own sentient life only to toss it away. Still, however insane he was, neither of the operators were the type to destroy what they could potentially use. Ryan was about to radio the Normandy when-

BOOM

The far door, which Alex had circumvented when going through the glass, was breached with a shaped charge. Everyone was shaken by the blast, giving their attackers a brief but effective advantage.

"Berserkers!" Ryan yelled, trying to force away the dizziness.

"Protect my legacy!" Okeer yelled. "These rejects will not take it from me!"

The two "rejects" were in blood rage though. Suppressing fire didn't work worth crap as they surged into the room and ran straight past Ryan's squad. What happened next was terrifying in its sickening irony.

They butchered Okeer. The centuries-old warlord made a dramatic effort to defend his legacy's tank, but they didn't even care about that. They just wanted their "father" dead. Jedore didn't have control over them, at least not completely. These particular rejects were sane enough to know they'd been forsaken, smart enough to figure out why, and angry enough to exact their revenge. Over and over they shot Okeer at close range, pulping his body with shotguns until he was unrecognizable. They didn't stop until his face was in fifteen different pieces, and the rest of him was even worse.

Then the berserkers turned their attention to the legacy. The "favorite child" who somehow succeeded where they had failed before birth. As much as everyone present hated Okeer, Ryan empathized with the prototype. Like the Splicer King, it was tank-bred, born "perfect" through unnatural and artificial means. It was like watching a pair of Big Daddies point shotguns at his Vita-Chamber, ready to blow his unborn ass away.

Ryan made the split-second decision and tossed an enrage plasmid at one of the berserkers. It instantly turned on the other one, diverting attention away from the tank. Within seconds, the enraged krogan had beaten its fellow clone to death. Ryan grabbed the dead berserker's shotgun with his telekinesis and put the barrel to the surviving krogan's head. Pulling the trigger with his mind, the frantic battle was finally over.

"Mordin, gather what you can from the terminals," the Splicer King ordered. "Zaeed, use the hole in the glass from Alex's exit as a sniper's perch. I'll join you in a moment." Standing over Okeer's mangled corpse, his eyes briefly glowed red before reverting to normal. "On behalf of tank-bred and Collector victims everywhere," Ryan hissed quietly, "I ask that you kindly rot in hell."

"What in goddam shit?" Zaeed exclaimed.

Turning to see what the bounty hunter was looking at, Ryan did a double take. He'd expected some Blacklight version of the krogan blood rage, not… this.

The entire storage bay was littered with the gore of Blue Suns and berserkers alike. All dead, none consumed. Only Jedore and her YMIR remained intact, and they were next on Alex Mercer's list. The apex hunter slowly strolled toward heavy mech first, utterly content to let it shoot at his armored form.

His new armored form. With large biomass thorns scattered across the limbs and torso. And offering twice as much defensive strength as it used to. Evolution on Tuchanka had molded the krogan into the ultimate survivors. Okeer's berserkers were given that resilience in its distilled form. When Alex consumed the berserkers, his defensive and survivability powers skyrocketed in effectiveness.

He would need it in the days to come.

Walking up to the YMIR, the Blacklight runner grabbed its machine gun arm, shifted his own arm to a blade, and cut it off. Alex shifted his blade to tendrils and threaded them inside the robotic limb's broken end. Catching onto the important mechanisms with the biomass filaments, he began to manually fire the gun at its former owner. It didn't take long for him to put the crippled mech out of commission entirely.

That just left Jedore. She had a rocket launcher, and she put it to valiant use. Alex simply didn't care, letting himself get hit until she ran out of heavy weapon ammo. For a moment, the predator stood menacingly over her. Then he pounced.

Even as desensitized as they both were to violence, Zaeed and Ryan still had to avert their eyes from what Alex did to Jedore. The blanket term "cruel and unusual punishment" existed for times like this, when the cause of death was just too creative to be given a specific title. When the sociopath returned, he walked straight past them all to the tank-bred's chamber. The red on his jacket was no longer glowing, and nobody wanted to ask if it ever had been. To break the awkward silence, Ryan asked Mordin for an update on any useful findings.

The ex-STG was vigorously tapping at a terminal with one hand and running scans from his omni-tool with the other. "Retrovirus. Matches krogan genetic code exactly. Sequence of virus can be modified, injected into krogan to introduce genetic change. Simple virotherapy, yet requisite technology surpasses Blue Sun resources." Mordin sniffed before turning to look at the tank. "Likely received from Collectors, at great cost."

Ryan snorted. "No cost was too high for his 'pure' krogan race."

Mordin shrugged. "Delusional. Unlikely one krogan, however strong, could have impact Okeer wanted." He paused. "Am… almost certain." He was about to suggest leaving it, but Alex had other plans.

"Open the tank."

Everyone's eyes widened. "What?!"

The virus grinned with something they couldn't identify. "Ryan?" The Splicer King knew the unasked question: "Would you want us to leave you in there?"

"Why not on Normandy?" Mordin suggested, realizing that leaving it was no longer an option. "Could get more crew input before unleashing potential threat."

Alex didn't like that idea at all. "If it is a potential threat, do you really want to unleash it on our very expensive ship instead of the middle of a scrapyard?"

Ryan pointed at the mangled corpse of Okeer. "I doubt we want big baby krogan to have this as his first waking memory."

The virus sighed, realizing his fun would have to wait. "Call the shuttle for pickup. I'm gonna try and find a safe way to carry this tank without breaking it."

"Alex we've been over this," Ryan laughed. "Nothing breaks when you carry it, just when you let go."

The Splicer King was promptly and silently flipped off.

Mission Summary:

Cloning facility destroyed. Okeer dead, but his "son" was recovered.

Loss of Okeer could be a problem. Mercer will likely activate the krogan soon. His fondness for such a violent and unstable species is just one more reason to find Dr. Solus' counteragent. Another potential weakness was observed when Mercer's body underwent a change (see below). The process was too debilitating for him to even stand. If allegiances shift, all Cerberus personnel who witness this event in the future are ordered to focus all fire on Mercer.

Tactical Alert: Our suspicions have been confirmed. Ryan is the ultimate sniper via teleportation. Should allegiances shift, engage on dry, even terrain. If Ryan attacks from above at long range, seek cover and call for reinforcements. If reinforcements are unavailable, protocol dictates suicide on capture.

Encrypted Message from Cerberus Command: Orbital scans caught valuable data of Mercer's fight with the berserkers. Final body count was 93. To reiterate: it takes almost one hundred krogan to make this thing bleed. Upon victory, the assimilated biomass changed something in Mercer, strengthening what appears to be organic armor. Today was almost certainly not the first time he underwent one of these changes, and it likely will not be the last. We need to harness that monster's potential. Mercer obviously can't be trusted with his own power, and as such, the burden falls to us. His permission is not necessary.

Report End.

Citadel Station

Presidium: Human Embassy

An enraged Anderson practically kicked down the door to Udina's office. "What the hell is this about?!"

The smug bastard put on an innocent façade that fooled no one. "I'm not quite sure what you're referring to, Councilor. Perhaps if you elaborated?"

"You know damn well! The Normandy and her crew – with both Spectres – is about to be hunted by Alliance Internal Affairs with assistance from Special Ops Team Delta! I thought Hackett shot down Major Antella's request weeks ago?"

"He did," Udina replied calmly. "Which was why the Major came to me for clearance. You were a soldier before you became our Councilor. Suspicions have been piling up that the 'Heroes of Humanity' have a bit too much…" he smirked, "brass in their pocket. Whenever the Master Chief needs something done, Hackett conveniently speeds the process along. Commander Ryan comes back from the dead, working with Cerberus, and you immediately take their side over hard evidence. It wouldn't do for two of the most influential humans to be protecting terrorists, would it? Just to make sure the public didn't think we were hiding anything, I asked Major Antella to put a… vocal opponent of our 'heroes' in charge." He slid a file over his desk towards Anderson. "Major Wielislaw 'Governor' Wojcik. He was at Torfan. A successful L2 with a rather large dislike for the Normandy's less humane individuals. His XO served on the original Normandy, but was WIA at Eden Prime, Jenkins I believe his name was? How far the boy's idols have fallen from their pedestals."

Anderson glared. "You planned this."

The ambassador shrugged nonchalantly. "I did you a favor. It could have been a lot worse for you, but that would have cost humanity more as well. That's the price we pay for getting in bed with freaks."

The N7 captain stormed out. "Those 'freaks' spared you after the last betrayal," he said as he left. "If they want revenge this time around, don't come crying to me."

Udina's smirk widened as the door closed. "I have no intentions of 'crying' to anyone, Councilor."

Normandy SR-2

Engineering Deck: Port Cargo

History would remember it as one of Cerberus' most ridiculous debriefings. First, they fought Joker tooth and nail for twenty minutes on calling the team "Suicide Squad" over the intercom. The moral of that story was to never argue against a wiseass with tenure.

After that, the Supernovas realized just how stupid it was to put everyone in the same room. Alex and Mordin were the best scientists, but they polarized on the Genophage and other controversial topics, along with the counteragent the salarian still had. Miranda and Jack didn't require further elaboration, though for reasons he kept to himself, Cole was hesitant to pick a side. Eleanor was equally sympathetic to both and just as neutral, though she did still enjoy chipping away at Miranda's "Ice Queen" persona. Ryan and Cole, supposedly in charge, still hadn't fully resolved their differences over Columbia Paradox. If anything, the Splicer King's death and rebirth had reopened the wound a bit, and the conduit now also blamed him for the Chief's departure on Omega. Garrus was on decent enough terms with most everyone, but he didn't trust Cerberus, and he didn't trust Zaeed not to try collecting his Archangel bounty. Jacob also didn't trust mercenaries, and that meant Zaeed, and to a lesser extent, Garrus. Nobody really got along with Jack, though both Cole and Eleanor empathized with her – a fact that seemed to only piss the psychotic biotic off. And everyone was mildly suspicious that Kasumi would steal from them. Even the Supernovas were cautious around her since she was technically a "leech" (Supernova slang for people that sold historically significant items), and thus someone they were supposed to hate.

It went on and on like this for about an hour until they finally got to the matter at hand. Voting on what to do about the tank they'd "inherited" from Okeer. Mordin favored spacing it out the airlock. Zaeed wanted to keep it the way it was as a trophy. Garrus admitted the Normandy wasn't the same without a loud krogan keeping things interesting, but he was just as quick to point out that this tank-bred was not Wrex. Miranda wanted to send it to Cerberus to study, and Jacob deferred to her judgment. Ryan didn't think anyone deserved to be stuck in a tank, let alone born in one. Eleanor didn't believe anyone should suffer death or experimentation just because a madman created them (Miranda agreed wholeheartedly and changed her vote). Kasumi didn't really have an opinion, though she was worried something that big might break a few valuables. Joker seconded that opinion, though replacing "a few valuables" with "his ship". Jack wanted to see what a pure krogan was made of. Cole knew that they couldn't keep it on ice forever so they might as well deal with it now rather than later. EDI voiced concern that the outcome was unknown but carried a high probability of violence.

Alex was a given, which was why he was the one currently in charge of opening the tank. Tapping a few keys, the virus just couldn't let this opportunity slip by:

"Release the krogan!"

And that's exactly what happened. Air bubbled in as incubation liquid drained out. Soon the liquid was gone, and that's when the glass cover lifted away. The tank-bred lurched forward, already awake and bracing his fall with massive arms. He coughed once, spewing the last of the incubation liquid out of his mouth before slowly rising to full height.

He was enormous. And angry. Quickly adjusting to his unparalleled senses, the krogan attacked Alex instantly. Half a ton of raw fury came barreling down on the hooded human, fully intent on crushing him.

SMASH

In less than a second, the tank-bred went from charging forward to flying backwards out the nearby window. He landed down in the cargo bay below, and the "human" quickly followed, landing on his feet with an unnatural grace. This was nothing like the humans he'd learned about from the tank. It was strong, and it reeked of blood. That pleased the krogan for some reason. He laughed for the first time in his life.

"Heh, heh, heh."

The tank-bred charged again. The "human" just gave a predatory smile…

And with one hand, stopped Okeer's legacy dead in its tracks. Alex grabbed the stunned krogan by the collar and yanked him in, smashing his hooded forehead against the berserker's segmented brow plate. A sign of dominance among krogan, it was potentially lethal coming from the Blacklight virus. The tank bred sank like a stone.

There was a moment of silence as one prototype stood over another. Suddenly, the krogan spoke.

"You. You were the one to call me 'grunt'. The word is short and meaningless. It fits." The krogan ceased his efforts and backed away. "I am Grunt, and I will follow you."

Alex had actually given more effort than he let on. The newly christened "Grunt" was about as strong as the Master Chief without his armor. Which was to say, pretty damn strong. Supernova-class for sure. Definitely someone of significance to Unique Shepard.

"You'll follow me just like that?" he asked Grunt, effortlessly picking the krogan up and putting him back on his feet.

"I can smell the blood on you. The fights, the…" he struggled with words foreign to his own mind. "Big things you always find."

The virus looked confused before realization dawned on him. "Oh, you mean how shit seems to blow up wherever I go?" Grunt nodded, and Alex frowned. "Okeer gave you knowledge, but he couldn't give you a reason to care, could he?" Grunt nodded again. Sighing, Alex gave his newly "adopted" krogan supersoldier the abridged version. A temporary purpose in their mission until Grunt could fine one for himself.

"Okay, my name is Alex Mercer, and this is the Normandy. We're up against a race called Collectors. I know Okeer imprinted you with at least some knowledge of them. Their masters are living starships called Reapers. They come and kill all life in the galaxy every fifty thousand years, and nobody has ever beaten them. Everyone on this ship is here to fight the Collectors, the Reapers, and anything else that gets in our way. In short, we're gonna kill lots of the 'big things' you mentioned earlier. Interested?"

Grunt pounded his fists together, generating a sound that echoed throughout the room. "I'll fight for you."

"Hopefully you'll do more than that!" Cole yelled from the elevator. "Someone needs to clean up this mess, and it ain't gonna be me!"

Arcturus Station

Operation War Room

"We have our orders," Major Wielislaw 'Governor' Wojcik announced. "This operation will receive the full joint support of Internal Naval Affairs and Special Ops Team Delta. Considering who – and even what – we're up against, we'll need that support." A list appeared on the projection wall. "These are our targets. Memorize their names and faces." Governor went through them one by one.

"Cole MacGrath: a human astrakinetic, cryokinetic, parkour practitioner and one of the unofficial leaders of the group. Despite his Spectre status, we've been authorized to take him into custody. He has the highest morals of the lot, so even if he turned to Cerberus, we might be able to turn him back. Lethal force is permitted, but only as a last resort. We want MacGrath taken alive. Just remember, whatever you do, never let him near a power source."

"Commander Jack 'Rapture' Ryan: a human possessing illegal genetic enhancements of unknown origin and another leader. Also a Spectre, he was confirmed KIA two years ago." Governor looked around the room at his squad. "Reports of his death were greatly exaggerated it seems." This earned a few laughs, but they quickly got back to business. "We need to know what we're dealing with. It could be a Cerberus fake, or it could be the real Butcher of Torfan after two full years AWOL. We haul him in by any means necessary, and we find out the truth. I knew him on Torfan, people. He'll disappear into thin air if we chase him directly, but go after something he deems valuable, and that bastard will come to us. He bleeds the easiest, so watch his hands and keep the pressure on at all times."

"Doctor Alexander J. Mercer: we don't know what he – or it – is. Rather than obey the regulations of first contact and assume hostility, the brass chose to unleash this thing on the batarians. Maybe they thought it was a good idea at the time, but now with Cerberus, it's the ultimate security nightmare. Mercer is a threat to everyone around it, but do not engage. Conventional weaponry just pisses it off, so for now, leverage and heavy artillery are the only options we have." Governor dismissed the obvious concern with a wave of his hand. "Internal Affairs is pursuing the leverage angle for us, and Alliance R&D is working on more effective weapons to hurt it." With that, he brought up an image that his squad didn't recognize from the Battle of the Citadel.

"Eleanor Lamb, self-proclaimed 'sister' to Ryan. They share more than a few things in common, most notably fire and teleportation, but I doubt there's any actual blood relation. Scattered intelligence suggests she is the 'Ghost of Alchera' that appeared after the destruction of the original Normandy. Add that to the 'sister' claim, and she probably knows more about Ryan than anyone else in the galaxy. If we can convince Lamb that her 'brother' is a terrorist, then we have a much better chance of stopping them all. I want a face-to-face with this one, whatever it takes."

Governor powered down the holograms and sighed. "Reports keep coming in from the Terminus Systems, and none are pleasant. These former 'heroes' are recruiting it seems. Though we do not yet have information on who they've recruited or why. It's highly likely that their goal somehow involves these 'Reaper' myths they've been raving about since Eden Prime. At the very least, we believe that's how Cerberus got them to sign on in the first place. There will be more details at the next briefing."

Wojcik stood tall. "I know some of you look to these people as heroes. Take the knowledge that they betrayed you and the Alliance, and let it sharpen your senses for the coming hardship. They have unnatural talents, and they use it as license to do as they please. It was tolerated before, but working with Cerberus is treason, a capital offense. They will be brought to justice and given no special treatment. Operation: BLOODHOUND has begun. Dismissed!"

His squad snapped their salutes and left. Governor watched them leave, and he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of pride. He would be leading these men and women – normal men and women – on a hunt for the galaxy's most terrifying individuals.

And they would emerge victorious.

Arcturus Station

Barracks

"We have to do something, Chief. I know you're pissed about Cerberus, but Wojcik is only going to cause problems for everyone. He might survive his first encounter with the other Supernovas, maybe even his second. But the third time he interrupts their mission to stop the Collectors? Cole's mercy does have limits, and nobody wants to see what happens when he's pushed past them."

Silence.

"The Supernovas may not be military, but they are soldiers, John. Soldiers of New Solara, just like you. While the Collectors lead them on a wild goose chase, they've got to deal with mercs, Cerberus, the Shadow Broker, the baggage of their team, and now the Alliance they used to serve. Somehow they're keeping one step ahead of it all, but it won't last. They need you. You've worked with the Sangheili and insurrectionists, and you know it! The mission is Cerberus in name only, so why are you just sitting here brooding while-"

"Not brooding. Waiting."

Cortana's angry rant screeched to an awkward halt. "Care to tell me what you're 'waiting' for, exactly?"

"We've bypassed chain of command too many times, and it's making Internal Affairs suspicious. They'd see right through another 'leave of absence' and try to stop me. I refuse to fight my way off Arcturus. Too many innocents could die, not to mention us."

"Makes sense," the smart AI replied, "but you still didn't answer the question." She appeared in the corner of his HUD with a playful look in her eyes. "What are you waiting for?"

Spartan-117 narrowed his eyes. "For Governor to try using me to fight fire with fire. I don't have to shoot my way out. He'll escort me off this station."

I loved writing that last scene more than the rest of the chapter combined! Gosh, I've missed the Chief. I really have. And I know all of you have too. You'll see more of him in the near future, and soon he'll be back on the Normandy.

As for the manhunt plot with "Governor", you all deserve an explanation. Shepard was one human working with Cerberus as a necessary evil. Hackett and Anderson were largely able to sweep it under the rug, and Cerberus was covering the Commander's tracks. Four inhuman, high profile mutants are a much different story. They've consistently been a thorn in the side of bureaucracy, so the politicians are now taking advantage of the Cerberus charges to end their biggest headache once and for all. It's like an elite military squad hunting after a dysfunctional team full of badasses. Sometimes it's a fight scene, and sometimes it's a chase scene. But it's always awesome and intense.

And now the bad news: Even though Horizon starts next chapter, I have no idea when I'll get the chance to update. I have a lot going on for the next… month. The story will continue, as always, it just might be a little slow. I also have no bonus for you either, so sorry.

Still, I highly encourage you to:

Read, REVIEW, and Enjoy!