(AN: And, to make up for taking so long on the previous chapter, I got off on a nice writing tear. Here is the first part of the Deep Roads expedition, it's a bit longer than the previous chapter, so hope you like it!)

The Seeker frowned and made a dismissive gesture.

"No, this can't be right!"

She glared at her captive.

"The Champion and her apostate sister came to Kirkwall to spread subversion against the Chantry."

Cassandra pointed a gauntleted finger at Varric.

"But you claim this was not the case, the Champion just happened to have dealings with the Qunari, joined forces with a known raider, a blood mage, and a rebel Warden…and for what? Coin?"

Varric shifted in his chair.

"Well, the Champion was fond of her loot, that is certain."

The Seeker's amber eyes narrowed.

"And her lover, this Michael Westen, you claim is not a spy who belonged to an shadow organization bent on destroying the Chantry's influence, but rather a man from another world, this world where technology reigns instead of magic?"

She shook her head.

"Although I find his story more credible and would believe it sooner than I would believe the innocence of the Champion's actions in Kirkwall."

Varric shrugged.

"Maybe it isn't as simple as you imagine, Seeker."

Cassandra glared at the dwarf.

"Simple? Do I need to remind you what your friend did? Do I need to remind you of how many lives have been lost, and how many more will be lost?"
She looked down at the stylized engraving that represented the Champion's enigmatic lover.

"You cannot sit there and tell me she is innocent, that her lover, this Michael Westen, didn't deliberately cause this to happen!"

The dwarf chuckled.

"Well, I don't know if 'innocent' is the right word to use in the same sentence as the Champion. Or her lover for that matter."

The Seeker continued.

"She must have known. Somehow the Champion must have known what was down there. That is why she wanted to join your expedition!"

Varric's cheery demeanor dimmed, and he sadly shook his head.

"No. None of us knew. If we had-"

He shuddered briefly.

"She wouldn't have let her sister or Michael Westen set one foot in that blighted hole."

Cassandra cocked an eyebrow.

"Is that so? Then tell me your version of what happened on that expedition."

The dwarf leaned forward.

"Well we entered the Deep Roads as planned, but we didn't get very far…"

Michael's eyes were adjusting to the darkness, and he marveled at the sight. Unlike some of the other dungeons that he and Kitty had explored, the Deep Roads were quite a sight. They were walking on a wide underground passageway with oddly shaped paving stones. Columns, as wide as ten men across spanned to an unseen ceiling. A magma-like substance bathed the entire area in a reddish orange glow, and Michael could make out details like massive dwarven statues and runes carved into the columns. Then Bartrand signaled them to halt, as one of the his advanced scouts approached. The scout stopped, out of breath.

"Th-there's been a collapse, the way forward is blocked."

Bartrand exploded.

"What?! Isn't there another way around?"

The scout shook his head.

"Not that I've been able to find, the other passages are too dangerous."

Varric's brother glared at the scout and then sucker punched him. He glared down at the dwarf rubbing a bruise on his chin.

"Usless! What am I paying you blighters for?"

Bartrand looked over to the human workers.

"Set camp!"

Michael set down his pack, unslung his rifle and stretched his tired muscles. According to his watch they had been marching underground for about six hours, and according to Varric they still had a long way to go. He didn't know what exactly was going on or why they stopped, other than whatever it was had put Bartrand in a fouler mood than usual. As he undid the straps of his pack and spread out a bedroll he heard someone drop their pack next to his. He looked up at the redheaded rogue smiling, albeit tiredly, down at him.

"Fun little bit of a jaunt, what?"

He chuckled at her quip, and Kitty gestured to a spot next to his bedroll.

"That spot taken? No? Good!"

She started to unroll her pack. Michael shrugged.

"You do realize that this isn't very private for…you know."

She looked back at him and giggled in mock outrage.

"Is that all you think about is sex? Really, Michael you are incorrigible."

Kitty looked up at Michael, her bright green eyes reflecting in the torchlight.

"Although, aside from the lack of privacy, that's not a bad idea."

The rogue sat up, so as to be next to the burned spy.

"Truth is I'm a bit of a heavy sleeper so I'd rather sleep next to a lighter sleeper with lightening quick reflexes."

She playfully nudged him with her elbow.

"So I'll be relying on you to save me if the darkspawn do try and ambush us in our sleep."

Their conversation was interrupted when Michael saw Varric approach.

"Problems, Varric?"

The dwarf chuckled.

"Well, Bartrand's pissed off again, but then again that's pretty much his mood all the time except when he's sleeping."

He looked over to Hawke.

"Speaking of the nug-humping ray of sunshine that is my brother, he was asking for you, Hawke."

He looked back at Michael.

"I hope I'm not interrupting your playtime with Bright Eyes."

Michael chuckled and stood up, grabbing his G36 rifle in the process.

"No, Haw-er-Kitty and I were just making our sleeping arrangements."

The redheaded rogue giggled again and pinched his forearm.

"You make it sound so salacious when you say it like that, Michael."

Michael followed Varric and Kitty Hawke as they both approached Bartrand, whose face was contorted into a scowl as he conversed with one of the other dwarves on the expedition. Varric was the first to speak.

"Problems, brother?"

Bartrand threw his hands up, gesturing at the cave-in.

"Sodding Deep Roads, who knows how long it will take for us to clear the path?"

The way he said it, it sounded as if there was a way for Bartrand to blame the blocked path on his younger brother, he would. If Varric caught on to this, he didn't show it, but shrugged instead.

"Should we not try to find a way around it, brother?" He asked diplomatically. "Seems like a logical choice to me."

Bartrand shook his head.

"Do you think I'm an idiot, Varric."

He turned away, and didn't see Kitty mouth the word 'Yes' to Varric and Michael, both of whom stifled a snicker. Bartrand continued his rant.

"The scouts say the side passages are too dangerous!"

Michael stepped forward and pulled the cocking bolt on his G36. The rasping click echoed in the underground passage. He gave Bartrand a feral smile.

"Good thing we're not scouts, Bartrand."

Kitty stepped forward.

"Right, that's why you brought people like us along."

Varric joined in.

"We'll go take a look, if we come running back screaming, you'll know that staying put was the right decision."

Bartrand shrugged.

"Fine, find a way around, just do it quickly!"

Michael and Kitty shared a look, and the burned spy shook his head. Before either he or the rogue could speak, another dwarf walked up to them. So timid was his approach that Michael concluded that the dwarf was under the impression that Varric's human companions were more dangerous than darkspawn. The dwarf wrung his hands and spoke in a hesitating voice.

"Er, I hate to add to your burdens, good sirs, but I fear I must."

He gestured to one of the entrances to the side passages.

"I fear my boy, Sandal, has wandered off. He's somewhere in those passages, right now."

He wrung his hands again.

"I beg of you, keep an eye out for him. H-he just does understand danger like he should."

Michael looked over to one of the side passages and then back at the dwarf.

"One man out there alone, with all the darkspawn running amok? What are the chances he's still alive?"

The dwarf shrugged.

"My boy is sturdier than you think. If he has one of his enchantments with him, he'll survive."

He chuckled to himself.

"He's burned the house down twice by accident playing with one of them. But I'm more worried about him getting lost down there."

Kitty spoke up.

"When did you last see him?"

"Not more than half an hour ago. I turned my back to hand out rations and then he was gone!"

He shook his head.

"He gets so distracted. I know I should have been more harsh with my warnings."

Michael took a step forward, and looked towards the closest side passage.

"Listen dwarf-"

"It's Bodahn, messere."

"Riiight, listen Bodahn, we have to search the side passages anyways. We'll keep an eye out for your boy, and if we find him we'll send him back."

"Contact left! Darkspawn bolters at 9 o'clock!"

The confines of the passageway reverberated with a staccato bark that was alien to anyone from Thedas. Michael glanced aside from his red-dot scope to see two more undead creatures fall. He looked over to where Hawke was. She and Fenris were in the thick of a swarm of genlocks.

According to the books Michael had researched before their journey, the genlock were corrupted dwarves, which accounted for their shorter and stockier appearances versus the average Hurlock. His thoughts were interrupted when one Hurlock with a wicked-looking poleaxe came charging at him. Without skipping a beat Michael reached into his belt and pulled out one of the daggers Hawke gave him and threw it. The dagger sailed through the air and hit the tainted darkspawn in the left eye socket, and it went down. Two remaining darkspawn bolters spontaneously caught fire courtesy of Bethany's magic, and before the last body had feel Kitty was already looting the corpses. Michael approached one and pushed the body gingerly with his boot.

"So these are darkspawn? They're not as tough as I thought they would be."

Kitty pulled a bundle out of the dead darkspawn's armored jerkin and threw it aside disgustedly.

"Humph! Nothing but ichor and human bones in this one."

She accepted Michael's gloved hand and pulled herself up.

"No Michael, these are just the low-ranking darkspawn. There's more dangerous creatures than these in the Deep Roads. I just hope we don't meet them."

She strode up to the two dead bolters and started checking their pockets, humming to herself as she looted. Michael looked over to Bethany.

"I'm going to scout ahead, you stay with Varric and your sister."

Bethany looked concerned.

"But what if you run into trouble?"

Fenris shrugged.

"Then you will hear lots of noise followed by us retreating back to you."

Michael chuckled and spoke to Varric.

"Varric, keep the Hawkes safe, and try not to make too much noise."

"By the Twelve Towers of the Tevinter Imperium! I have never seen such a hideous creature."

Michael shushed the broody elf and spoke in a low whisper.

"At least it hasn't spotted us yet."

Michael Westen hadn't gone very far before they found a narrow passage that lead down to a much larger open cavern. It was teeming with the smaller darkspawn, but that wasn't what caught the burned spy's attention. It was a massive hulking brute of a creature with crooked horns sprouting from its skull. Michael had seen a crude engraving of one, but even he recognized it. It was an ogre, a corrupted Qunari that combined all the fell energy of a darkspawn with the brutish strength of a Kossith.

"What do we do? We can't go around it!"

Michael was about to respond to Fenris' question when a squeal echoed down the chamber.

"Oi Michael! We've hit the jackpot on loot! Ten sovereigns!"

The burned spy closed his eyes and cursed. He looked over at the ogre, hoping neither it nor the other genlocks heard Kitty's squeal.

No such luck, it seemed as if every head in the chamber swiveled towards the sound of the noise, and after a moment's pause all roared in unison and charged.

"Fall back! Fall back through this passageway! If we can get past it we can funnel them through here!"

The darkspawn proved no match from Bianca or Michael's G36, they were packed too close together and made for easy pickings.

"This is like shooting nugs in an apple barrel, Bright Eyes! How many have you gotten?"

Michael shook his head.

"I don't know, but remember we still have a pissed off ogre to deal with after this!"

As if on queue they heard a deafening roar at the back of the passageway, and something was hurling darkspawn aside to get at them. The ogre pushed aside the last of the hurlocks and stood in the entrance. It let out a deafening roar and lowered it's head.

"Lookout! It's getting ready to charge, watch out for those horns!"

The ogre charged and both Michael and Fenris barely missed getting trampled by it. It continued charging forward, until the ogre smashed into a wall near the passageway entrance. It impacted with such force that its horns embedded themselves into the rock.

"Shoot it! Shoot it before it gets free!"

Michael and Varric poured arrows and bullets into the creature, but nothing seemed to pierce its hide. Even a blast of magic from Bethany's staff dealt no apparent damage. Finally the ogre pulled itself free, and turned to face its prey, blocking the entrance and their only way out. It let out one more roar, but before it could attack, blue energy coalesced around it.

The energy grew stronger, until it split in half and two massive hands appeared on either side of the ogre. Each hand grabbed one of the ogre's arms in a death grip, and with a sickening squelch ripped the ogre in half. Black, foul-smelling blood sprayed a fountain of gore from its broken body, and it fell to the ground. Far beyond, inside the passageway, they could hear someone, or something fighting the darkspawn.

Kitty walked over to Michael.

"Michael, are you alright?"

The burned spy took a deep breath and held out a reassuring hand.

"I'm alright, and you?"

She smiled.

"The oversized git never got even close."

The rogue looked down the passageway.

"Well, suppose we ought to go introduce ourselves to this person who saved our arses."

She started down the passageway and looked back.

"Coming, Michael?"

Michael shook his head, chuckling.

"You do realize that this might be a trap, right?"

She smiled.

"Oh, I don't think so. If it were they would have let that ogre kill us. Besides, there might be more loot!"

(AN: Who is this mysterious benefactor? Well, stick around for the next chapter and find out! The next chapter is almost complete so I should have it ready by the weekend. Until then!)