I am very sorry it took so long to get this posted. RL got in the way. When I say "got in the way" I mean it stood in front of me yelling "You shall not PASS!" It was that bad.

Nameless guest reviewer asked: "On Virmire, couldn't Alex Mercer stand with the nuke and eat something to heal later?" I actually considered this. There's just one massive hole in such a plan: The bomb Alex survived in NYC was underwater and over a mile away. To properly guard the one on Virmire, he'd be less than forty meters from the center of the explosion. Alex is good, hell he's great, but get serious. He'd be vaporized. There would be nothing left to regenerate from. Thus, my favorite scene in Prototype can't happen on Virmire. However, I guarantee Alex will pull this trick at some point in the sequels. Be patient, and wait for the awesome.

NOTE: I'm really, really bad at descriptions of clothes. Since they're all getting fancy for this chapter, I'll do my best, but set your expectations a little low on the detail.

ANOTHER NOTE: Looking back over this chapter, I realize I could have done a lot better. These two weeks have been hard on me though, so I have some excuse. Be easy, and know that I'll give you the regular quality of awesome next time.

LAST NOTE: "This is either thought or background gossip." This, without the quotations, means something else at the very end of the chapter. "This is a flashback quote."

That's all the notes I have today! Enjoy the feature presentation.

Summary: The team's reputation precedes them. People fear what they don't understand, and that makes freaks and aliens downright terrifying. The crowd whispers when they think nobody else can hear, but the crew of the Normandy does hear. They hear every last word.

Spoilers: Final Fantasy VII reference, and spoilers for Fallout, KotOR, and TOR

Disclaimer: *Pulls out shotgun* MINE! *Lawyer pulls out contract* …Fine. Not mine!

Folks Need Heroes

SSV Normandy

Crew Deck

CO Quarters

Docked in Scott, capital of Terra Nova

With the sole exception of Master Chief, everyone was dressed to impress. This was their first appearance as recognized heroes, after all.

Though normally for less pleasant reasons, Ryan was accustomed to public events. As he straightened the tie on his N7 service uniform, the Splicer King tried to recall the last time he went to a party where nobody was killed, robbed, blackmailed, or framed by the end of the night. Sighing, he realized he still might have to work the crowd at some point.

Cole was, for all intents and purposes, dressed like a Shinra Turk. The only thing missing was a tie, as he'd learned from experience that sparks and loose articles of clothing didn't mix. He also knew that showing up in his everyday attire would anger the stuffed shirts, and he'd prefer to avoid that particular headache. Master Chief was a lucky SOB right now.

For Alex, it had been a simple matter of shifting his form into a tuxedo that Ambassador Udina would kill to have. His hood disappeared, and the short brown hair concealed beneath it was now slicked back with a mere thought. (A/N: For Alex's pre-hood hairstyle, go to the Karen Parker page on the Prototype wiki, and there's an image with him at the bottom.)

It was a simple matter, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it. Shifting without a functional purpose, like he was right now, made him feel exposed. "Why am I doing this again?" the virus grumbled.

Ryan huffed. "You went local during a job, and now you have to look nice for Liara."

Alex twitched. "This is coming from the man that won't quit stringing along a certain quarian?"

Eager to stop the argument while nobody else was in earshot, Cole lightly zapped both Supernovas with a few sparks. "You're dead wrong, and you know it," he hissed. "Nobody has ever stayed perfectly detached while completing their job for the Uniques. If we're not personally invested, then we don't have any true motivation, and everything goes to shit by halftime."

The Splicer King shook his head. "Not me. I've succeeded plenty of times without making it personal."

"Oh really?" Cole chuckled. "How many of those 'successes' are your black ops crap?" Ryan said nothing. "Exactly. You keep that strictly business to ease your conscience. On every legit job, you've had to make it personal, just like us."

The Prime Conduit rounded on Alex. "I get that you're serious about Liara, bro. I do. But keep in mind what that involves for people like us. Nothing forbids us trying to have normal lives, but nobody in the Supernovas has ever succeeded either." He shook his head grinning. "But if my best friend in this organization is too stubborn for death, I'm pretty sure he can make something as boring as a relationship work out just fine. Enough depressing crap, let's party."

The trio stepped into the mess, and saw only Wrex and the Chief, both wearing their usual armor. The rest soon filed in, all looking very fine.

Kaidan wearing his own officer's uniform, though it lacked Ryan's N7 insignia. Ashley took the rare celebration as a chance to go out in a dress. It was simple, blue, and definitely easy on the eyes. Garrus was wearing the turian equivalent of formal attire. Joker, on crutches, actually made an effort to wear dress blues over his leg braces, but he drew the line at shaving his precious beard.

Then Liara stepped out. After fussing with Ashley, the marine actually found something in the archaeologist's wardrobe. It was a modest, yet quite stunning, red and purple dress. (A/N: Think of what she wore if you invite her to the ship after LotSB.)

Alex looked at her and grinned. "I think I know where that number came from." During her search for anything that would connect to Ryan and his Prothean vision, she requested funds to get a certain data packet from a salarian in the Terminus systems. The predator had "inherited" more liquid assets than he knew what to do with, so this was no problem at all. Now it seemed she'd made a personal acquisition with his fortune as well.

The asari blushed and looked down. "It seems that death made 'Elanos Haliat' a very generous man."

"It appears 'he' has good taste," the virus retorted without missing a beat. Maybe he wasn't a textbook narcissist anymore, but his ego still needed the occasional stroking. It was also his easiest method of giving a compliment at the moment. He was out of his element enough already.

Everyone was ready to go… except for the absent quarian. Ryan and Garrus looked at each other before nodding and leaving for engineering. On the way down the elevator, Garrus sighed. "What do you think we're walking into?"

Ryan frowned. "Not a damn clue." He could read Tali like an open book, but when it came to her personal motives, the girl was a complete mystery. He suspected it was due to their greatest difference:

Whereas the Splicer King grew up in a world literally drowning in greed, the quarian mechanic was instinctively selfless. The closest personal desires he could decipher were her Pilgrimage and making geth die. Everything she did was for the good of the Fleet, just as was expected from every member of her race. Naturally, that made certain aspects of her life more difficult to read than others.

That's when it hit him. "She doesn't want the attention." Garrus looked at his human mentor, mandibles twitching in confusion. "Back at the start of all this, you blamed Tali and her people for creating the geth in the first place." As the turian shifted awkwardly, Ryan shrugged. "Maybe you two have gotten past your differences, but on a colony filled with humans, I suspect many others share that original sentiment. And Tali knows it." The Tactician gave a half smile. "Time for you to be contrite my cowboy friend."

Down in Engineering

Tali groaned as the doors opened. She knew that she'd locked them herself for the express purpose of staying away from the celebration. Only one person on this ship could have actually opened it. Two if she counted the Master Chief's inexplicable knack for hacking things without an omni-tool.

"Oh good, the new armor fits. Talk about the lady in red."

Naturally, her luck demanded that is wouldn't be the Master Chief. Turning around, she saw Garrus as well and her resolve hardened. "I'm sorry Commander, but I'm not going. I can't-"

"We know," Garrus interrupted. Tali cocked her head, curious to hear what the sniper had to say. "We know that you don't want the humans to treat you like dirt for being a quarian." He stood tall. "But that's not going to happen. Spirits, Tali, you're a damn hero. If you hadn't hacked those turrets, Wrex and I would have been goners, along with countless others."

Ryan nodded. "I refuse to let your actions go unrecognized, but you're free to make your own choice." He grinned more than a little wickedly. "Still, I think the man who gave me the armor you're wearing would like to thank you personally. He worked with quarians before, and he'd probably want to thank the one who saved his family."

Tali was silent for a moment as the fear of going and the guilt of staying battled inside her head. The decision was made for her when Ryan suddenly grabbed her and teleported her up to the mess hall. Standing there was everyone she'd come to trust with her life, just as they trusted her.

Wrex, the crazy head-butting uncle she'd never had. Ashley, a big human sister. Kaidan, the technical wizard with almost as much ostracism as her kind. Liara, the naïve asari with whom Tali had bonded over family troubles. Alex, the virus she should fundamentally be terrified of, yet the man she trusted to properly direct his wrath when it counted. Cole, the Spectre with a knack for electrical mayhem that was beyond even her reach. Garrus, while still a turian bosh'tet, had long since become a person she could call a respected friend. The Master Chief, though silent for the most part, had trusted her enough with his beyond-top-secret armor to make minor repairs every now and then. And then there was Ryan…

The Spectre that "secretly" haunted her thoughts and dreams took this moment to speak up. "We wouldn't let anyone harass you, Tali. We take care of our own, no exceptions." He smiled warmly, a rare sight all things considered. "So how about it?"

Tali didn't hesitate this time before nodding. That was all it took for the cheering to break out. Ryan laughed. "Then tonight we party like heroes!"

Terra Nova

Scott City (Capital)

Central Plaza

Courtyard Entrance

The "red carpet" was unsurprisingly filled with cameras and reporters, all eager to get footage of or an interview with the Normandy squad. Dr. Chakwas was also out with the group, but only to fuss over Joker like a protective mother.

She greatly worried over the not-so-good Doctor Mercer's promise of Jeff walking unaided in a few months. To his credit, the sociopath had asked for a sample of the pilot's blood a couple weeks ago. Whatever progress he'd made since then was unknown to her. What Chakwas did know, however, was that if Alex let Joker down, she'd tear him a new one, super powers be damned.

As for the press, they naturally had no respect for boundaries.

"Commander Ryan, what has this attack changed for the Alliance's policy on batarians? Will you be sent off to spearhead another Torfan? What can you say about your mission for the Council?"

"Dr. Mercer, is it really true that you eat people?"

"Master Chief, do you ever take of the helmet?"

"Mr. MacGrath, can you comment on the rumors of your new ice abilities? Why wasn't the public informed you could do any of this?"

"Commander!"

"Master Chief!"

"MacGrath!"

"Dr. Mercer!"

"Master Chief, does the Alliance plan to outfit the rest of its soldiers with armor like yours?"

"Dr. Mercer, is it true you killed the Matriarch mother of that asari with you?"

Those last two simultaneous questions made virus and Spartan briefly stop in their tracks. The entire place felt their nigh-tangible rage, and the questions ceased.

It was then that the swarm of paparazzi remembered just who they were pummeling with questions. These were people that killed thresher maws with their bare hands and ripped apart armies with ease. Every reporter backed up, and the remaining pictures were taken with professional courtesy – and in silence – as the team walked by toward the interior of the central plaza.

The worst was over, and now the fun could start.

Terra Nova

Scott City (Capital)

Central Plaza

Pre-Ceremony Food and Drink

No expense had been spared for humanity's newest heroes. All it took was a message to the colonial leaders that they had alien crewmembers for the food options to expand beyond the human palette. Naturally, there was something for everyone, but the kicker was dextro food and drink for Garrus and Tali. Somebody had done research. There was solid meat for the carnivorous Garrus and flavored nutrient paste for Tali, along with a hearty stock of beverages for the turian and quarian to enjoy.

Cole, Ash, and Kaidan dove at the human foods, eager for an actual meal instead of the Normandy's standard regulation crap. The running joke became that the two Spectres could requisition just about anything except decent groceries.

Tali was just pouring herself a drink when Liara pulled her away. "What's wrong?" she asked the asari. Liara remained silent, but dragged her to a spectacle she wouldn't forget anytime soon.

Wrex, Alex, and Ryan were drinking ryncol. The three most disruptive men in space were drinking ryncol. "Keelah this won't end well!" the quarian moaned.

Quite the contrary, it ended just fine. Wrex limited himself to one bottle, planning to smuggle the rest back onto the ship. By some miracle, the other two men remained perfectly sober.

"Dammit," Alex sighed. "I thought if anything could actually get me drunk it would be krogan liquor."

Ryan shook his head. "Same here. I'd need another…" he ran the mental math, "twenty-five of those to even get a slight buzz."

Liara and Tali both sighed in a mix of relief and incredulity. They were both thinking along the lines of, "That's simply not possible."

Of course they weren't the only ones appraising the sight. Alex noticed movement in his peripheral vision, and he turned to see a pair of young women gazing intently at the famed Torfan Tactician. Reuniting with Liara, the virus guided her over to Cole and the other human squad mates. Liara watched, confused, as Alex tapped the electric man on the shoulder and nodded towards Ryan. "When they approach, you think he'll go for it?"

Cole's expression turned thoughtful. "For once I'm not convinced he will."

Liara was about to ask Alex what was going on, but he held up a hand. "Wait just a moment, Blue." As the two women sauntered up to Ryan's position, he continued. "This could get good."

The situation suddenly clicked in the archaeologist's mind. They had witnessed one of the two most famous human males in the galaxy drink an entire glass of ryncol. Naturally, they assumed his inhibitions had been significantly lowered. They were propositioning the Commander. Alex had told her that Ryan used to be a shameless flirt, though she had yet to see it for herself. Something told Liara that the virus and his electric friend were evaluating Ryan to see if that part of his life was truly over.

Tali was a mess inside, but rather than make a scene, the quarian slowly wandered back to the dextro food and drink. Regardless of how Ryan took their advances, she lost. Either he accepted, and that was that, or he rejected. That just meant his expectations in women exceeded what the quarian could hope to provide. "Wait… what am I thinking? I'm going back home after my Pilgrimage and that's final." Despite telling herself this for the thousandth time, Tali knew that if Ryan so much as asked, she would stay on the Normandy for as long as he wanted.

Garrus took one look over his shoulder before sighing in disappointment. The Commander couldn't possibly read her so well without knowing how Tali felt. This was just twisting the knife.

That's when Ryan surprised just about everyone. Smirking, he began rapid firing questions at the two young ladies. They ranged from an innocent "What do you do for a living?" to the more embarrassing "Why did you wait until I was 'drunk' to approach me?" Of course, the best one was probably "If I weren't a Spectre that just saved the planet, would this conversation even be happening?"

Grinning wickedly, Ryan took his leave, shattering out of existence and rematerializing beside Garrus and Tali. Sighing loudly, the Splicer King glanced at the turian sniper and quarian mechanic. "You all heard what the Illusive Man said about my past with women. That's exactly what it was: my past. Now I've got different priorities, and a quick lay ain't one of them anymore." Strangely, he meant it.

Garrus clicked his mandibles and nodded in approval. Tali, unsure how to take his words, remained silent. That day he bantered against the Illusive Man still bothered her. Something about their exchange had seemed off, like Ryan was actually hiding something big. But she trusted him. If Ryan said it was in the past, then it was in the past. Tonight was about living in the present.

Cole was barely able to contain his laughter as he bumped fists with Alex. The virus then placed his head over Liara's shoulder, his breath dangerously close to the side of her neck. "Blue, you just witnessed history in the making. Never in his life has the Jack Ryan turned down an offer like that." The poor asari tried to concentrate on his words, but the proximity to Alex was making it impossibly hard to think. He didn't even smell like his normal bloodthirsty self. Did that change when he shifted into a tuxedo? Goddess, she could get used to this...

All further line of thought ended as the main celebratory event began and the Normandy's "dream team" was called to the center of the plaza. As they sat down, the idle gossip and chatter of Terra Nova's citizens came from every direction. They had quite a bit to say about the crew.

"What's a turian doing here? Didn't one of their kind attack us? No way can we trust them!"

"Who? That Vakarian fellow? He's supposed to be Ryan's protégé or something. If our own Spectre vouches for him, the bird can't be all bad."

"Not bad? He's a former C-Sec officer going after a rogue Spectre. That's badass.

Garrus' mandibles flared in irritation, mixed with a sliver of pride. A single turian's actions had demonized his species in the eyes of humanity. Of course, he was no better. At the beginning, he'd judged Tali and Wrex on what little skewed knowledge he possessed: the quarians built the geth, and the krogan were brutish thugs with a sterility plague. By working with them though, the sniper learned otherwise. Each race was just as complex as his own. Garrus even appreciated the little reputation he'd gained as Ryan's protégé. The abnormal human had given the turian plenty to think about over the weeks and months. Now it was making sense: Who protects civilians from the man that protects civilians? That was the problem, and now, by vowing to do things right, Garrus was pretty sure he had the solution.

"Alex Mercer is with an asari? I thought they were all about peace? He's a damn bloodthirsty maniac!"

"Rumors are that he can't die, and we know the asari live for centuries. You ask me, that's not a bad match. Now shut up before he kills us and eats us."

Alex's mouth twitched with slight amusement. At least his new relationship hadn't made him any less of a terror in the public's eyes. If somebody had told him a year ago that he'd be shifting into a suit just to please somebody else, much less go on a date, Alex would have probably snapped their neck. Now that it was happening, the Blacklight runner knew it was worth it, and so was she. Whatever happened, the virus refused to let this new… development get screwed up. If that meant stepping back and being human for a night, then so be it.

Liara still didn't feel comfortable in public the way she did at an excavation site. However, she knew that opportunities to spend time with Alex like this would be exceedingly rare. Their talks on the Normandy were lovely, but this? This was the closest they would get to being normal anytime soon. Alex Mercer had entered the asari's life violently and with the subtlety of a flamethrower. Such was his nature as the most brutal predator in the galaxy. Since then, the two had become incredibly close between missions. It was cliché, but for this one night, Liara planned to forget about Saren, the geth, the mission, everything. She wouldn't blush and fumble with words. He wouldn't kill anyone (she hoped). They would simply enjoy the other's company.

"That woman over there! That's Shanxi's granddaughter! Why would the first two human Spectres let that traitor onto their ship?!"

"I know right? Look, she's even working with aliens. Gramps must be so proud."

"Mind your tones! That woman isn't to blame for Shanxi, and you know it. I heard she helped Commander Ryan save Eden Prime, and then Captain Anderson himself put her on the roster. If that's not a vote of confidence, I don't know what is."

Ashley sighed inaudibly. The Williams' curse still followed her, it seemed. Still, she had almost forgotten that Captain Anderson had recognized her skill. The man served in the First Contact War, already N7 at that time, so of course he knew her heritage. It didn't matter to him that her last name was Williams. He saw something in her. So did the others. Maybe the Council needed work (a lot of work at that), but not the people she was serving with. Each one of them served with distinction, regardless of species. Now she understood that, human or alien, they were all just animals in the end. Animals that would get the job done and save a galaxy. Maybe her CO defied everything religion had taught her, but that didn't change the fact that he was divine intervention in a time that needed it most.

"That's Lieutenant Alenko right? Great, now we have to be extra polite to the poor misunderstood biotics. Give me a break."

"What are you talking about?"

"Have you checked the extranet lately? They want attention. 'Oh look at our cult.' 'Oh we're the next stage of evolution.' 'Hey we can move crap with our minds, but not unless you hear how bad life is for us.' They just won't shut up and learn their place in society."

"You dumbass. Maybe you should check the extranet. They need five meals a day at least. Implants crippled a lot of them before the stable L3s came out, so naturally life sucked. And they join cults and extremist groups because people like you force them out of honest work. Lieutenant Alenko didn't save our asses because he wanted attention. He did it because he's an Alliance marine, and a damn good one at that."

Kaidan smiled softly. Just like Vyrnnus, Saren, and Garrus, those two humans further proved that humanity and aliens alike had their own selection of jerks and saints. Well, maybe calling Garrus a "saint" was pushing it, but that wasn't the point (A/N: Archangel reference for the win!). When he began this mission back on Eden Prime, he never imagined things would turn out like this. He also never imagined serving under a man that could teleport without biotics, to say nothing of the other three or all the aliens. There was something special about this team. They got off to a rocky start, coming from clashing backgrounds, but now they were a single cohesive unit that had fought countless private armies, seriously hurt the operations of a terrorist network, and saved at two (maybe three) colonies from destruction. BAaT, Conatix, Cerberus, and their ilk wouldn't disappear overnight. He served with four living examples that mad science was still going strong. But did that mean there was no hope? Absolutely not. If anyone could make this galaxy wake up and smell the damage, it was Cole MacGrath and Commander Ryan. Kaidan's smile twisted into a smirk. He realized that Alex Mercer was also good at bringing change… with all the subtlety of a dreadnaught in wartime.

"Do we know if there's even a human inside that giant green suit? I mean, what if it's another synthetic, just like the geth but stronger? Wouldn't more Alliance soldiers be wearing that armor if it could, you know, come off? I don't trust that freak."

"Shut up! I'm pretty sure he can hear you. Frankly, I don't care what's in that armor. The dude saved us all from an asteroid. He's been saving us since Elysium, dammit. If you have issues with the guy, then take it up with him. I'll watch as you get your ass kicked."

The Master Chief heard every word. By his count, that was the nine hundred sixty-two thousand, five hundred seventeenth time somebody had gossiped about him or his armor while on a job. It got old really fast. Public relations hadn't been important to the Spartan thirty years ago, and they certainly weren't important to him now. Still, he remembered Sgt. Johnson's words:

"Folks need heroes, Chief. To give 'em hope. So smile, wouldja? While we still got somethin' to smile about!"

He was a Spartan-II first and foremost. Cole and Ryan were more than welcome to being humanity's icons. The Master Chief was here to win. He trusted the crew to succeed. That was usually a right the Chief reserved for Cortana and fellow Spartans, and it was the most he could give to those fighting with him.

Cortana didn't like what they said about her Spartan. Good or bad, nobody understood him like she did, like Halsey did, or like his "family" in the Program did. The last thing a half-ton suit of armor brought to mind was the image of an augmented child soldier that had been killing insurrectionist and alien alike since puberty. In private, at the beginning of this job, he admitted how difficult it was to keep from instinctively shooting aliens. Now the Master Chief was working with them to save mankind and possibly the galaxy. He told her early on that fighting alongside Wrex and Garrus in particular had felt like a betrayal to all his fallen brothers and sisters. They were too much like the Covenant races that had been glassing humanity for decades. Then Feros happened, and he made sure those two escaped back to Zhu's Hope while he fought the Thorian's forces in the tunnels. It was an achievement that nobody could possibly appreciate without knowing the man inside the armor. And contrary to what they whispered, his identity beneath the green suit didn't matter to them at all beyond the juicy rumor mill. It just let them point at the "freak" that saved their hides. Nothing had changed since the old days with ODST prejudice. Not a damn thing.

"Who let that krogan in here? No way would the Alliance let a savage like that on an advanced warship. It's got to be some- what?"

"Shut the hell up dammit! He's looking right at us!"

Indeed, Wrex was looking directly at the two idiots squawking like pyjaks. He wasn't annoyed, but amused. They thought he was strange? They lived in a society that shunned personal strength. They saw it as a liability capable of disrupting their precious status quo. That's exactly why he joined up on this mission. Not for the pay, not for the company, and certainly not for the food. He was here for the fights and damn if Alex Mercer hadn't provided. Aside from his human looks and salarian intellect, the virus was the epitome of being krogan. And in a scientist – blood of Shiagur, a damn scientist – the battlemaster had found a kindred spirit. The others had quads without a doubt, but Alex Mercer was still the first "human" to earn his complete trust. Not even his own kin had managed that. So here he was, getting thanked for killing a few batarians and wondering how long before the Citadel betrayed their newest human pets like they had the krogan.

"That's Commander Ryan! I can't believe it! He saved us from the batarians again!"

"He's okay I guess. I don't know why aliens would serve in his crew. He's supposed to be Alliance. Alliance doesn't recruit aliens or modify their soldiers with his tricks."

"This is the Torfan Tactician, remember? He's always got a plan. Maybe his 'powers' are a little weird, and he keeps strange company, but Commander Ryan is definitely a hero."

"Sure, a hero that sold us out to the Council."

The Splicer King clenched his teeth in frustration. It sucked when he had to be the icon, the image, the rallying symbol. These people didn't know him. They just knew the propaganda that came with his name. They were so wrapped up in the romantic notion of a hero that he was already doomed. Success would be exploited by the higher ups. Failure would demonize him in the eyes of over half the galaxy. Of course, while their views of him were disregarded, Ryan couldn't tolerate the slander directed at his friends. Yes, he had friends now, a family. In his eyes, they were as important as the job, and that was a different story altogether. These people, the crew of the Normandy, mattered just as much as the ideal of protecting a Unique's territory. This was not his usual modus operandi, and it left the Son of Rapture at a loss. The loner path ensured he was the only "good" guy at risk. Now an entire frigate and her crew had placed their lives in his hands. If they only knew the kind of man they'd trusted, it would be so much different.

Cole actually didn't even bother to listen to anyone. He'd heard it all. "Freak of nature" this, and "superhero" that. It was a joke. He'd been there in Empire City. He'd been there again in New Marais. It didn't matter what the public thought anymore. Thanks to Kessler, he was an eternal outcast. They thanked him for what he did, but they hated him for what he was. The status quo blew like that. So rather than focus on the various shades of infamy, Cole pondered something much more amusing. Alex and Liara were here. Together. As a couple. Since one of them was inexperienced with relationships and the other was a sociopath, it was impossible to predict the outcome. And then there was Ryan. Of all the women the Splicer King could develop feelings for, it had to be the one that got sick if she took her clothes off. It was baffling, but in a career built around the impossible, stranger things had happened.

The most fascinating part was something that only the conduit had realized. That look in Alex's eye while he lounged next to Liara? It was the same look Cole gave Trish back when she was still alive in Empire City. When they got serious about dating and living together, he had it all the time, and Zeke enjoyed teasing both of them about it. To see Alex Mercer look at anyone that way was both sickeningly sweet and downright creepy. Ryan? The guy was on the same path. Cole just hoped they got a better deal than he did.

"Even a quarian serves with them? I didn't know that Spectres did charity work for thieves and gypsies. And they made the geth, so how do we know Eden Prime wasn't their fault?"

Tali lowered her head in embarassment. Nothing would change. The galaxy would always ostracize her people. She wanted to cry.

"Dude, eleven people are now glaring daggers at you. My advice is to shut the fuck up before they kill you dead."

The quarian looked up, and sure enough, all of them, even Chakwas and Joker, were firing death glares at anyone whispering negatively about Tali. They hadn't been kidding. They looked after each other like family. A crazy family, perhaps, but they had shown her more care than her father ever had. She wanted to cry again, but this time with happiness. This would make for an amazing Pilgrimage story when she returned…

She would be leaving this wonderful ragtag family behind when she brought back a Pilgrimage gift to the Fleet. This wouldn't last, but Tali didn't care. If she had to leave behind the best friends anyone could make simply to please her father, then the mechanic swore to enjoy the time she had left with them. Right now that meant sitting proud in public, just as much a hero as Commander Ryan.

Except she didn't think Ryan wanted to be a hero. He flaunted, and he strutted arrogantly, but that was all for show. He wasn't humble by any means. Tali could have sworn that Ryan didn't believe he earned the title of "hero" even after all he'd done for the galaxy.

"What are you hiding, Commander?" Tali thought to herself.

Joker heard a few of the usual cripple remarks, but that didn't mean crap anymore. He was the best. He'd proved that by sneaking onto the Normandy and joyriding her without anything that resembled authorization. The helmsman evaded fighters attempting to disable him all the way around the Citadel and back to the docks. Joker had originally done it to prove a point: that he was just that damn good, and as such, he deserved to pilot the Normandy. When the brass actually took him seriously and let him fly the ship legally, it was his greatest dream come true (well, except for other fantasies that need not be mentioned aloud).

Now he piloted the champions of humanity around the galaxy, dropping them out of the hangar to kick bad guy ass. Maybe they were crazy powerful in a fight, but without Joker, they'd never make it to that fight in the first place. Jarheads and super-freaks alike needed a pilot more than they ever realized, and the Flight Lieutenant took a great deal of solace in that one fact.

The speeches of humanity's steadfast nature finally ended, and the festive atmosphere resumed. Alex, in a move that surprised everyone, dragged Liara onto the makeshift dance floor in the plaza. He had "learned" plenty of dances in his time, and Liara was a quick study as usual. They may have gotten a few weird looks, but for that moment, it didn't matter. This was a chance to be normal, and neither one planned on wasting it. Maybe it was the ryncol after all, or maybe Alex really was going soft, but right now Liara looked amazing. He wanted to finally answer her question about his humanity's worth, but he figured it could wait until they were alone.

Cole grinned before turning to the rest of the group. "Find something to do people! This party is for us!" That was all it took to ease any doubts remaining from earlier.

For the rest of the night, there was no mission, and no job. No Council or Uniques to answer to at the end of this mess. There was just the simple joy of being in each other's lives.

New Solara

Station of Nostalgia

Unique Exile, known to her friends as Meetra Surik, laughed at the spectacle. This was a familiar sight to many a Unique. At her side were the Hero of Tython and Courier Six. Watching from the opposite side of the room was 101 and, of course, the great Commander Shepard.

Six laughed. "These were the kind of parties thrown after the Battle of Hoover Dam. I miss those days. I miss my friends too."

The Hero of Tython nodded. "Such festivities were uncommon for Jedi, but I too miss my companions."

"Oh please," Revan scoffed. "I was at plenty of these kinds of parties, and so was the Exile. Rule number twelve of the Ebon Hawk: You can always find somebody drunk, playing pazaak, or otherwise causing trouble on that ship. The galaxy laughed at our efforts, and we still came out on top."

Surik grinned. "I won't deny the insanity of the Hawk. She attracted misfit crews and Uniques quite frequently it seems."

Commander Shepard just leaned against the ethereal wall and sighed. "I will see your Ebon Hawk and raise you a Normandy. Terra Nova was a hard call, and I'm glad they pulled it off so well."

Courier Six was no longer laughing. "It won't be that easy in the future. Supernovas can't perfect our stories, only change them."

The Savior of the Citadel looked up at the Mojave Master. "I know. And it scares the hell out of me. They have no idea what's about to hit them."

Twelve Days Later

Chasca

Planet Surface

Triple-Location Strike

It had been almost two weeks since the events of Terra Nova. In that time, the extranet had been flooded with gossip about each and every one of the Normandy team. The galaxy's opinions were both good and bad. Now though, the team realized it didn't matter, as they knew who they were already.

Joker swept through the stratosphere, preparing to drop his favorite psychotic bunker buster on a mad bunch of husks.

Pilot

Dropping out upside down, Alex dove straight into the southern structure, crumpling the entire building and ninety percent of the husks. The remaining ten percent were killed by the groundspikes that the virus sent up.

Killer

"I thought the spiking was nothing new for you freaks! You got impaled once already, so what's different the second time?!"

As the northern structure came into view, Cole surfed the Normandy down.

Electric Man

As they got closer, he leapt off, gathered massive electricity in his palms, and blew apart the countless husks groaning like mechanical zombies. The Mako landed a few meters behind him and blew the stragglers apart with its cannon and turret. The passengers stepped out and prepared for battle. Liara, Kaidan, and Wrex entered first, laying down biotic combinations. Liara would use singularity. Wrex would detonate it with warp. Kaidan would fire off a throw field while they recovered.

Asari Scientist

Human Sentinel

Krogan Battlemaster

Ashley and the Master Chief followed, shotguns roaring. They blew apart anything the biotic trio had left behind while Cole stood watch outside. The Williams woman was quick on the draw, and the Spartan was even quicker, ensuring he didn't get caught in a husk electricity blast.

Human Marine

Super Soldier

The northern structure fell before their efforts, and all that remained was the science station. Ryan teleported there with his own squad. The Son of Rapture tore through husk after husk, utilizing every weapon and plasmid he thought could possibly work. One got too close, only to attack a decoy rigged with a fiery cyclone trap.

Operator

Garrus was in too close for proper sniping, but after batting a few away with the butt of his rifle, the turian fired a concussive shot and returned to putting a round between each of the husks' skulls.

Turian Agent

Tali refused to get cornered. While lacking a neural shock application, she could still overload their electric pulses. Proceeding to do exactly that, she gunned down the mechanical nightmares with her shotgun.

Quarian mechanic

That was it. They were done. Ryan checked the logs, and sure enough it had been Cerberus. He swore in anger. "They turned this place into a hive of husks in the interests of science. Bastards!"

"Well if it makes you feel better," Joker radioed in, "The Council's trying to contact you. It looks like a lead on Saren finally."

From the other end of the valley, Alex gave a war cry. "Alright!"

Cole chuckled. "Let's go get that son of a bitch!"

The Chief remained silent, but Cortana popped up on his HUD. "Let me guess: you need a weapon?"

Team

Again, I really didn't like how this chapter turned. I am so sorry about how weird it may seem, but my days haven't been all that pleasant. On the bright side… it's time for Virmire!

I have a short bonus this week (Warning: ME3 spoilers):

Citadel

Presidium

Cerberus-Controlled territory

Alex was weighing his options of catching up with Ryan and that freak with the sword when he felt it. Instinct told him to duck, and that's exactly what the virus did. Two yellow ribbons of biotic energy scythed through the air from behind, just missing Alex's head.

Turning around, the predator saw yet another Cerberus science experiment. He knew from the operatives he'd consumed that this "Dragoon" was part of Project Phoenix, meant to create stronger biotics.

The elite Cerberus soldier attacked a second time with his biotic lashes, but Alex had already jumped out of range. "Nice whips," the virus taunted, arrogantly displaying his own whipfist. Punching a hole in the armored Dragoon's chest with his prehensile limb, the sociopath grinned. "Mine's bigger."

Yanking his whipfist out and shifting back to a normal arm, Alex leapt up to a better vantage point and activated his Prothean vision. The assassin's trail mixed with that of the rest of the Council, Udina, and humanity's most recent Spectre inductee. The pieces fell together easily for the genius Blacklight runner.

"So that's where you're headed," he snarled. Wasting no time, the hunter began running straight up the nearest Presidium wall.

He didn't like the Council. At all. But no way in hell was that Cerberus ninja cyborg wannabe killing them before he did.

"Especially with a damn nodachi," Alex grumbled to himself while scaling the tower. "Seriously, who uses swords in 2186?"

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