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Chapter 1: Wrex to the rescue
=KroganDragon=
Part 1
=KroganDragon=
10 April 2011
Brockton Bay
I was pleasantly surprised that after the "interview" with Panacea, the locals actually let me go into the city. I was becoming a bit stir-crazy after spending the last few days stuck in the Rig. I wasn't entirely sure if it was just because of my new Krogan features disagreeing with being stuck within what was for all intents and purposes a gilded cage.
Another thing to keep in mind was that when the local government wanted to get the paperwork through, they could do it fast. I left the Rig carrying a folder with a brand new ID, and a cheque for 3000 dollars. This indicated that any real delay in processing future paperwork, like that concerning bounties, would mean something not working properly.
The Protectorate outfitted me with a phone too, complete with various emergency numbers inside. Undoubtedly, it had multiple trackers stuck in, but that was only to be expected. Beyond the short term, I would need to figure out some way for secure and timely communication.
My first point of business was to find a bank to cash out some money, then get a temporary lair. Once I had more resources, and the beginning of a Krant, I could think of creating a proper base of operations. Finding a proper place and setting it upright was going to take time and effort. The latter wasn't much of an issue, however, I was running out on the former.
With a few basic objectives in mind for the day, I slowed down my striding and looked at the energy bridge I walked on. It was surely little more than a gimmick, but a useful one. When powered down, it would make the Rig practically invulnerable as far as many of the villains in the city were concerned. It would also make an escape from it that much harder.
Besides, it was a real energy bridge! The power necessary the maintain it had to be significant, not to mention the scientific and engineering feats it implied… And just like that, my high mood went down like a rock when I remembered that almost all tinkertech was black-boxed alien space magic.
I picked up my pace and focused on my powers. I let go of the bio-tinker one after checking one last time that Panacea's Shard didn't do more than look. This left me with a mover power that might imitate a biotic charge well enough, and an additional defensive one that would make it very hard for people to snipe me from distance.
What can I say? You couldn't be too paranoid when stuck on Earth Bet…
For a few moments, I debated if it might be for the best to get another movement power, or a stranger one to get around faster. I glanced at my very distinct form. While sometimes discretion might be the better point of valor, right now it was a luxury I could pass without.
It took me a few minutes of walking until I got an appropriate flight power from a large pool of abilities that in one way or another enhanced mobility. I grinned and shot up in the air, taking care to keep my flight sub-sonic.
When observed from above, Brockton Bay was both familiar and alien. Before coming to Earth for the Reaper War, Wrex hasn't seen old-fashioned human architecture in person. What he actually saw during the fighting was either demolished ruins or somewhat intact modern buildings, which had survived due to the much more durable materials they were built with.
For me, the Bay was a normal city, if one in decay. I could see the mess that was the boat graveyard. All the rusting hulks reminded me of parts of Tuchanka and a few worlds with sections that were dedicated ship graveyards. The docks were a little better, with large portions showing clear signs of neglect and decay.
In contrast, there was a sparkling clean shopping district bordering the docks and overlooking the sea. The Boardwalk I think it was called. I headed that way, deducting that there would be at least one bank office in the area.
My arrival predictably got people pointing either excitedly or warily my way. I should have been taken aback by this, however, Wrex had become accustomed to such attention, and often much hostile one. He had faced it his whole life after all.
My eyes scanned the area and I noticed a pair of costumed children slowly making their way towards my landing point. Kid Win was obvious with his hoverboard and familiar stun pistols. Beside him walked a masked blond child in a blue outfit. She was doing something weird to the space in front of them. Ah, that must be Vista then.
And there were already a lot of phones and cameras aimed my way, taking pictures. Yeah, butterflies galore are to be expected, I thought.
"Kid Win, nice to see you again." I rumbled in my best good-natured tone.
"Mr. Wrex!" The Ward greeted me back after space twisted and the two kids stood beside me.
"So this is the alien I've heard so much about!" Vista exclaimed.
"What gave me away? Was it the head plate or the hump?" I grinned at the girl. "Do you know if there is a bank office nearby? I have some paperwork to go over." I tapped the folder I carefully carried with a claw.
"There is one over there." Kid Win pointed at the far end of the small shopping district.
"Thank you for the direction, kid. Stay out of trouble." I waved at the Wards and strode towards the bank.
A Krogan making a good first impression, this might be a first in the past thousand years or so. I chuckled at the thought and was happy to see that the hastily gathered crowd of curious busy-bodies hurried to part in front of me.
Getting through the bank took longer than expected, even if it was a time well spent. It was a small office of Brockton City Bank, where I not only cashed out my cheque but opened an account. My new ID came in very useful in that regard. Now I also had a place ready to deposit all kinds of bounties and income from legal mercenary contracts. In a week or so, I would be getting a card as well, which while useful, was a far cry from the easy functionality of an omni-tool.
Early in the afternoon, I rented a room in a small motel near the docks, ensuring that I had a place to sleep and stash the documents when I was out working. Afterward, I asked at the reception for directions and ended in a nearby internet cafe. It provided access to snacks because I was feeling a bit peevish, and a source of intelligence.
Naturally, my appearance prompted phones to appear and start taking pictures. I ignored the show and began researching the ABB, especially their territory.
There was an easy-to-find, supposedly up-to-date map on the gang territories in Brockton Bay. Some cheeky bastards had outlined the "safe" areas, "protected" by the PRT and Protectorate. Both my motel and the cafe I sat at were near the border of said territory to the north, and above use was the train yard area, under the control of the Merchants. To the northeast, we had a section of ABB territory, and another taking a part of the coast to the south. Between them was most of the city, which was painted in Empire 88 colors.
I swapped my defensive power for a hopefully useful thinker one and kept studying the opposition. So far, it was as I recalled, no outside or wrong elements, which was good. My power, probably using pieces of knowledge I wasn't able to consciously recall, pointed at the nearby ABB territory as the most likely area where Taylor would go out tonight. My research further pointed at there being a few supposedly "legit" ABB casinos in that area. Didn't the Undersiders hit one of those and thus end up on Lung's to burn list?
A quick search showed that I recalled that fact right – two weeks ago, someone hit the Ruby Dreams, casino, which was in ABB territory. People speculated that even if it wasn't an ABB front, it paid them for protection, so such a hit would have led to a loss of face. It was another question if Lung cared about it. Digging up a bit revealed that as of a few days ago, there was open speculation that it had been a new minor villain gang who was responsible – the Undersiders. With people believing to know who did it, Lung would likely feel compelled to make an example, and thus Taylor running into him.
It was nice to have confirmation.
Next, it was time for a more in-depth study of the opposition.
Lung was a Changer who could turn into a raging dragon. At what was believed to be full power, he was impressive. Not as large as Kalros, but still big, heavy armored, and fire-spitting beast. I idly wondered how he might stack against my changer form if I could trigger said change, but dismissed the idea. No matter who won, the battle would cause extensive collateral damage. Likely much more if I used the right powers to put down that particular warlord.
The tactic for dealing with Lung was simple – take him out fast if at all possible, otherwise stall until I got the right powers to neutralize him for good.
Oni-Lee was another issue. He was like a vanguard on steroids, a serial suicide bomber. The idea itself was impressive. That one would be dangerous even if he only had access to conventional munitions. I needed him out of the picture before he could arm up with Bakuda's toys. And I needed her neutralized as well. To take him out, I would need to limit his movements, then go for the kill. I doubted anyone would be too upset if Oni-Lee died after trying to suicide-bomb me a few times…
I spent a few hours skimming what I could find online about the other gangs as well. So far there were no surprises, beyond getting a confirmation that beyond the big players, multiple smaller groups were running around. One of the more interesting ones was Faultline's crew. Sooner or later we would need to compare notes. It was a professional courtesy, especially if I decided to make this city my base of operations for the time being.
Late in the afternoon and a lot of snacks later, I paid for the time spent browsing and walked out. The first thing I did was shuffle my powers. I got a defensive one that should keep me from burning, which was prudent when I was about to hunt Dragons. Second, I got a thinker power greatly expanding my perceptions. Then I went to find myself a good high position, from where I could keep an eye on things and hopefully, find either Lung or Taylor before they could run into each other. In the meantime, I began searching about power similar to Miss Militia's. Tonight wasn't the time for experimenting with particularly exotic abilities.
=KroganDragon=
Part 2
=KroganDragon=
10 April 2011
Brockton Bay
I sat in the shadows on top of an empty office building, valiantly resisting the urge to fiddle with my chosen powers again. I had my defenses in place and a rough equivalent of Miss Militia's power at my disposal. As soon as I located Lung or Taylor, I would be exchanging my brand-new sensory abilities for a way to get around fast, and that was it. Meanwhile, I patted a pitch-black hard light construct that easily laid in my hands. It was a shotgun, a rather primitive one, but hopefully the hard light munitions I knew it shot, would be of use. A thought shifted it into an assault rifle, then sniper, and we were back to a good old-fashioned shotgun. Sometimes, the classics were the best.
Not too far away, I could perceive another robbery taking place. It was the sixth one in the area since the sun went down. There were more than a few assaults. I also heard what sounded like a quick and localized engagement between the local gangsters at the edge of what was supposed to be Merchant territory. The night was just beginning. Frankly, the more time I spent up there observing, the more this place resembled Omega, just without a Queen Bitch TM to keep a semblance of order. From what I saw on the net, this wasn't even the bad part of town.
There were various clusters of ABB goons here and there. Some just talked on street corners or sat in one of the few still open establishments in the area. Others moved in what might have been an attempt to patrol the borders of their territory. However, if that was the case, it was one of the more pathetic such attempts I've suffered. I now had centuries of memories of how all kinds of criminals across the galaxy operated. There was a huge difference between eager and sometimes even talented amateurs and former military who gave a damn for doing their job right.
This was obviously the former.
I kept observing and nearly missed it. A lot of insects moved over the roofs less than a kilometer away. Without the thinker power greatly enhancing my senses, I wouldn't have been able to notice them in the twilight, much less hear them over the city's noise.
I made a note of the direction the swarm was heading and let go of my thinker power, swapping it with flight. It wasn't particularly fast, or easy to control. It made me feel like a sack of meat tumbling through the air. At least it got the job done. I soon landed on an empty rooftop near the swarm. From this close, I could get glimpses of dark chitin moving as a demented carpet over the rooftops. I let go of the unpleasant flight power and went looking for a more combat-friendly mover one. At the same time, I followed the swarm at what I hoped to be a safe distance.
Less than a minute in the stalker game, the swarm ceased its forward progress, and I froze. Did Taylor notice me, or did she run into Lung's goons? I thought about making contact as soon as I located her. However, doing so might avoid meeting the self-proclaimed dragon. That simply wouldn't do. He was on my list.
Soon, I heard quite a scuffle of feet, recognized the unsure motions of someone trying to be stealthy but having no idea how to pull it off. That had to be Taylor. I crept forward, keeping to the shadow. Instead of trying to find a useful mover power, I decided discretion might serve me better for now. That's why I grasped for something that would keep me hidden from all the bugs. I could keep myself out of sight of the humans easily. Those weren't highly trained soldiers with modern equipment after all.
Something that felt right slotted in, and I felt chill fall over me.
At the same time, I saw a small dark shape climb on top of a nearby two-story building. That had to be Taylor. She crept forward until she was near the edge of the far side of the roof and froze. I was pretty sure she was straining to hear something in the street below.
I had the nagging suspicion that I was out of time, so I got myself in gear and headed forward. By the time I could get to the building Taylor was on, it was covered by a swarm of all kinds of creepy crawlers. It was a great thing we weren't on Tuchanka or some of the worlds I knew with particularly nasty insects.
I sneaked to the roof, in a very careful and quiet fashion, and it was indeed too late. I was just in time to see the swarm, well swarm over the edge and fall down in a cloud of buzzing, biting, and stinging horror. Whoever was below didn't like it one bit, if the screams were anything to go by.
I could smell and hear the fire before it grew bright enough to notice. There was a distinct smell of burning insects. I should know, I had to burn down hives a few times using a flamethrower. And I could also hear a very distinct cracking, that I associated with chitin exoskeletons shattering under the heat.
Taylor didn't really move, though her thin form shook. I didn't know if it was due to adrenaline, exhilaration at landing a successful sneak attack, or fear. Perhaps all of the above. One thing was certain, she wasn't about to cut and run. Every last bit of the swarm that she hadn't unleashed yet, went into the fray. That was something I could approve of, in theory. When you execute an ambush, there is no time for second thoughts or holding back. You hit as fast and hard as you can. Only then, depending on the situation, you either press the attack or cut your losses and beat a hasty retreat.
Unfortunately, this was really a situation, when you could make a good case for landing a solid strike and running in the immediate chaos. Lung proved his presence and that fact when he exploded like a low-powered incendiary device, which lit up the street below. He let out an angry roar. The painfully familiar human screams from someone on fire told me all that I needed to know – the gang leader lit up at least one of his own goons.
Now, granted, I've done the same a few times to supposed allies when the situation was grave enough. However, that one was supposed to be one of Lung's henchmen, I guessed. A part of his Krant. You don't light up your Krant on fire!
My eyes narrowed at the reflections of dancing flames that lit up the night.
Another explosion followed, and the screaming ceased.
Lung roared a challenge, that almost sounded human, but not quite. My lips stretched into a vicious smile, and I had to fight an ancient instinct to respond in kind.
More bugs flew past me and descended upon the burning street.
Whatever Taylor did now, prompted an angry below and a third fiery explosion. The flames on the street grew brighter, and I could hear the wet sound of tearing flesh. There was nothing in the galaxy that sounded quite like that.
What did this girl do to Lung now? I stared at Taylor in speculation.
She finally decided it was time to get out, which was frankly a bit too late. Taylor carefully lifted herself, then took a step back. It was painfully obvious, that she was unaware or forgot that there was a lot of gravel over most of the roof. The crunch was quiet, and I doubted that a regular human on the street below could hear it among the flames.
Lung wasn't a regular human. A vicious roar shook the street, and this time it was much harder to recognize it as something that left a human throat.
I could see the flames move, and a moment later, the building shook. For a long moment, Taylor stood frozen, like a pyjak in the sight of a hungry varen. Lung was climbing the facade of the building causing a lot of noise. Taylor finally moved, turning her head around to look at the fire escape ladder to my left. Yet, the foolish child didn't run.
This had gone long enough. I let go of the stranger's power and idly looked for an appropriate mover one. At the same time I strode towards Taylor who finally caught sight of me, and her eyes widened with fear. She shook and took a stumbling step to the side. Her arms went to the back of her insect-shaped costume, and she began tugging it, looking for something.
"Move away, girl," I ordered and chambered a round in the projected shotgun I held.
Lung's head cleared the edge of the roof. He had two arms and presumably two legs and a torso. That was the only human-like thing left of him. Silver scales covered his whole body and his head like something that crawled out from the deadlands on Tuchanka.
The burning bastard had just a moment to realize he was looking at the barrel of a gun. Then I pressed the trigger, and a ball of hard light slammed into his forehead. The glowing energy detonated, shattering scales and cracking bone. Lung roared in pain and fell from the building. His landing was very loud, presumably painful, and even more satisfying.
I looked at Taylor, who had a small spray can she held in a shaky hand and pointed in my direction.
"You want to be somewhere else, girl." I chuckled.
She stared at me with wide eyes, then glanced over the edge of the roof. From her position, she could see what was happening down there. Judging by the sound of a large form moving and the roar of pure fury he let out, Lung was ready for round two.
Instead of answering me, Taylor shook, then in one desperate motion, threw the spray at presumably Lung, then bolted for the fire escape. Before the small tube could get out of sight, a spade-like reptilian head emerged from below and reflexively snapped its jaws around it. Said head was on fire and had a vague resemblance to a dragon. It also showed no trace of injury.
I grasped Taylor's shoulder, stopping her flight, and pulled out my PRT-issued phone.
"Girl, you've got spunk! I like it!" I grinned at Taylor's and shoved the phone in her hands. "Get out of here and call the PRT," I shouted at the girl and shoved her in the direction of the fire escape.
Lung's front legs clamped around the rooftop's edge again, cracking and igniting it. He narrowed his furious eyes at me and roared.
A hard light grenade launcher formed into m hands, and I sent a grenade down his throat. I laughed at his stunned expression, feeling the familiar tingling of the blood rage bubbling in my veins.
=KroganDragon=
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