A/N: WHAT'S UP MUCKACHUNGAS!? It's Travez! And I'm here to present to you guys my take on the Battle of Torfan from Vincent Shepard's Perspective on the Matter, and a reaction to the consequences of those who know about who he is in this story. However, there are a few things I need to go over before we begin today's chapter! First off, there is a constant guest review who has been giving me a ton of helpful advice, hints, as well as criticism. You know who you are, and I wish I knew your penname for Fanfiction, but whoever you are, thanks for giving me these details. Now how I write this is how I want to, but your helpful advice and suggestions for research have been noted and I have acted on a few of them, especially this particular line you mentioned about Autism and the Military: "In a real life military if a person with autism as you described wanted to enlist, They will be immediately denied with no discussion needed."
I actually did do a bit of research into Autism and the Military after seeing that and I found out, on a site called "Operation Military Kids dot Org" (I wrote it this way so you guys could see where I got my reference from) that people with Autism can Enlist in the military, but it requires a bunch of wavers and each branch of the Military actually has certain levels of leniency, with the Army and the Navy being the most lenient, whilst the Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marines being the most restrictive. Anyway, it is possible for Autistics to get into the Military, but depending on the branch you wish to enlist in, your chances are already not good, but the more reliant on clear communication the branch is, the lower your chances drop. For example, even though I have Autism, I wanted to join the Air Force as a kid after watching the original "Top Gun" for the first time. However, after I learned I had autism, was afraid of heights, and how my communication problems could affect the quality of my work, I decided against it.
One last thing, you actually had a good point that I missed, and I quote: "This will also come to mind with the turian hierarchy. They most likely do have tech specialist's. Because for all accounts, they are a military institution and use any means as to get an advantage on the battlefield. Including cyber warfare. So they will most definitely hack and eliminate all opponents, including those with cyberware." I completely overlooked this whilst planning things out, but don't worry, I plan to rectify this, eventually, but still, thanks for pointing this out.
Also, I keep screwing this up but it's supposed to be "Three Eddies equal One Credit" not the other way around, I screwed this up two times already, sheesh, I'm sorry about that guys. Also, a few things aside from this, I've actually decided to revert this story back to a TaliShep story, namely that, despite how much I wanted the Team Synergy to go, I just can't pair up Shepard with Ashley as well as Tali. Tali's the Best Girl in Mass Effect and don't you tell me otherwise!
Also, I encountered another Guest reviewer who made a very interesting Review about Tiefling Tali for the Jammer Effect Story I plan on writing: "Maybe make Tali a Tiefling of the new Spelljammer Fiend type, the Space Clowns? Could have a Killer Klowns from Outer Space angle to it, then. Plus, clussy." Now I don't know who you are, but you kind of read my mind about a certain situation I had planned! *Laughs* Let me explain to you guys, one of the ideas I had for Jammer Effect was to have the Normandy's Crew encounter the Space Clowns from Spelljammer 5e, yet modify their weaponry so they are just like the Killer Klowns from Outer Space… However, while I love this comment's suggestion, there is one problem… While the Space Clowns are indeed Fiends, they are technically Demons, not Devils, so I like the idea, but Tali is going to be an Infernal Tiefling, not an Abyssal one. Still I might use that idea in another story, so don't despair!
Now as a final reminder to you guys, I'm practically writing this story as I watch playthroughs of Mass Effect one, so if the Dialogue or story seems a bit lackluster, it's because I'm basically trying to create a more interesting version of what is being said in the game and following the Main Story while picking and choosing which "Side Quests" Shepard and the gang go on! Though, here comes a Thought… Would you guys like me to create a bit of original content in this story… Like… For instance… Having Shepard and Crew visit one of the Quarian Colony Worlds in Alliance Space, or perhaps even Night City itself, namely for the big race I have planned? If you do, please leave it in review, your categories for the next big sidequest are as follows:
-Mars (Fully Terra-formed to be habitable)
-Arakis (A Reference to the Dune Movies)
-Amonkhet (A Reference to the Planeshift Setting for D&D 5e)
-Jakku (A Reference to Star Wars)
-Tatooine (A Reference to Star Wars)
-Korriban (A Reference to Star Wars)
-Earth, Night City
And as for why I chose these specific planet names is because the Quarians are a people of a Desert Planet, and I think that giving them planets similar to that of Rannoch would make it easier for them to re-adapt to Rannoch once they get it back. But
Anyway I think that is everything I needed to get out of the way, so I guess that is enough out of me! Please be sure to Follow, Favorite, Review, and Share this story with anyone and everyone you know who likes Mass Effect and Cyberpunk 2077 Content. Catch ya on the Flipside! Shepard…
Chapter 4, Part 2: Ah… Fresh Meat…
"So… Where were we in the Story about the Butcher of Torfan?" Shepard asks, looking at the group.
"You were just about to tell us what happened at the Battle of Torfan…"
"Ah right…" Shepar says, looking down. "Before I do though, there is something you should know about why I was let into the Military, despite my autism…"
"Is it illegal for Autistics to join the Military?" Tali asks.
"On Paper, it isn't…" Kaiden Alenko says, "But it does tend to raise a lot of red flags for any branch of the Military… Mostly because Autistics have trouble communicating and interacting with others. Not only that, the more the branch requires effective communication, the more and more strict about their qualifications, and the harder and harder waivers for service come by. Not only that, the punishments for Autistics are much much worse."
"Yes, and it was extremely lucky that my mother's reputation, my prior exposure to bloodshed, and Captain Anderson getting me prepared for training with the Marines helped me show the Drill Sergeants how well I could do and how to adapt to them." Shepard says, "It was also thanks to Admiral Hackett being there a few times to visit that I happened to be training and he was impressed with my work ethic and my dedication enough he was willing to help me get the necessary waivers so that I could join."
"You're a Marine? That's actually impressive that you managed to make the rank of Commander!" Ashley says, shocked as she looks at him, to which Vincent smiles.
"Well it was hard work, but ever since Day 1, despite the reputation of my mother and my foster father, I had a lot of higher ranked officers looking down on me and trying to sabotage me. As such I developed a cold and calculating personality, which gave me something of a robotic way of speaking. It also caused many people who were placed under my command to fear and be wary of me, as I followed one rule whenever I was deployed: "Get the Job Done and Go Home"." Shepard says, taking a drink of water. "Because of that it took me a long while to open up to my unit, and when I did, they understood why I tried to keep people at a distance, and thus many had begun to trust me and then see me as something of a hero for standing up for myself and showing the world what I could do. That is… Until the Battle of Torfan…"
"What happened then?" Liara asks, as she and Benezia sit down…
"The Official Story is that I lead my unit into a trap of my own volition, and I slaughtered all the Batarians in the base, even as they surrendered and pleaded for their lives." Shepard explains… "But the truth… Is entirely different…"
The Battle of Torfan (April 11th, 2178)
It was in retaliation for what happened at the Skyllian Blitz on Elysium, many Humans and Quarians had been killed in the fighting, but those that survived had wanted revenge for such an unprovoked attack. I lost a large number of my unit to the Blitz, as they had gone home on vacation, some of them were my friends. As you could guess, despite the cold demeanor I had, when I heard the news, I was baying for blood, and my commanding officer at the time, Major Kyle, entrusted me with leading the remaining members of our Unit against the Pirates on Torfan, having been given the honor of leading the offensive against the largest of the bases, and had asked me to lead my unit, who were all mourning the deaths of those we had come to call family, right into the belly of the beast. I told the unit what was planned and everyone decided to join, all of them angry and thirsty for Batarian Blood.
When we arrived, the offensive had already begun, and Major Kyle had told me that we were set to attack the largest of the bases, which, according to intel from the other bases, contained the leadership of the Pirates and Slavers who had attacked Elysium. I didn't care, my cold mask was breaking and I had been trying to calm my mind as we went, but the longer it took for me to get into the fight, the less control I was maintaining. Thankfully, the Major managed to have some men secure a Landing Zone for our transport and my unit, whom I had been on missions with together, they all trusted my judgment and my aim, and I put my trust in them to not only have my back but to stay out of my way once I was angry.
As we descended, the Major gave us a small speech: "Alright men, these bastards had the smart idea of raping Elysium, killing and enslaving dozens of our human and quarian brothers and sisters… Well… Let's show these bastards what happens when you assault our Pack… You boys are the Fangs of the Alliance, the Wolf Pack… These bastards think their base is impregnable… Bust the doors down and impregnate this bitch." Major Kyle said, "Unless they lay down their arms and surrender, search and destroy, and don't let even a pyjak escape this base alive, and if you find any slaves, get them out of there before blowing this monument to oppression and greed sky high!"
"SIR, YES SIR!" We had all said together, baying for blood, and as soon as I stepped out of the doors, I howled as long, loud, and hard as I could, my men joining me to display their righteous indignation as we charged the base, finding only a few guards protecting the entrance, all of them gunned down in a matter of moments. Breaching the entrance was easy enough, but unfortunately, we had to scour the computers to get a map of the base, and, almost too easily, we found one. I downloaded it into my cybernetics, and displayed it on a projector, showing two routes that lead to the main hall below, where the pirates were holed up in. The Men pointed out that one of the passage ways was wide enough for a large portion of the unit to be sent in and get the drop on them from the balcony above, whilst a much smaller unit went down the narrow hallway and drew their attention.
That was when the plan was set in order, I placed Sergeant Lee in charge larger unit to go along the path that lead to the raised area for the ambush, whilst I took the rest and drew their fire towards us. "Let's get this job done people, and if we all make it out of here alive, then we'll raise drinks to the Honored Fallen, ON ME!" I had declared, aiming to buy my men drinks at the nearest bar to toast the dead of Elysium and to declare our victory in their honor. The Men shouted in approval, and we descended down into the base, slaughtering every Batarian we got our hands on, all the while I transmitted the map and the plans to Major Kyle. Once we reached the fork in the road, we followed through with the plan… If only I knew how wrong things would go… We both knew that, according to the map, the hallways would be narrow, but would widen to their respective passage ways, but once it did start widening out, I knew something was wrong… Fear for my men being lead into a trap turned into anger at being tricked… My anger had transformed into hate towards the Batarians, especially if my men didn't make it out of this alive…
However… My Hate… It turned into suffering when I arrived at the balcony above the main area, and saw that I had arrived too late… My men had been slaughtered… Major Kyle… He had seen their markers drop like flies… I couldn't think … I was hyperventilating… My head pounded… I couldn't think. That is when suddenly something snapped, and I started snarling like a beast, and, for some reason… I heard a song playing in my head… When it did, I jumped down from the balcony and landed… I saw what I did, and I didn't care, I was blood-drunk, and driven into a frenzy… However, as the Batarians saw me killing their varrens and their soldiers as if they were nothing more than infants in their crib, they surrendered and begged for mercy, and while I wanted to stop, as honor demanded it, my body wouldn't obey my commands… It was then I realized what was going on… I had gone Cyberpsycho, but I knew this wasn't natural, as I
had read that Cyberpsychos weren't trapped in their own bodies like that… However… There was nothing I could do as I was forced to watch as I brutally tortured and murdered the surrendering Batarians…
Once the last one had been killed, I finally regained control, and I heard somebody tell me there was one way I could absolve myself of the blood on my hands… And I looked at the Amarok… My finger was on the trigger… I slowly raised the gun to my head… Only for my world to turn black as I began to squeeze it. In the Darkness… I fell… Down… Down… Down… into the Darkness… I knew what awaited me, and I welcomed God's Judgment and my just damnation as I awaited for the end. That is when I saw the flames, and a single tear I shed as the angry batarians that I had murdered grabbed me and pulled me towards the Gate. I don't know how long I was there, but I hadn't fought back against the tortures I had suffered, tortures so great that I couldn't describe. However, eventually, I saw the Gates of Hell explode and I felt a bitter cold rip through Hell itself, and, before my eyes, I saw her… My mother… She had burst through the Gates of Hell itself, fighting and killing every demon that dared to challenge her… And when she found me, she held me in her arms, and pulled me out of Hell itself… And into the Light…
I then woke up in Arcturus Station's Wounded Warrior Project… I had been out cold for days, and I was told what happened by Major Kyle himself… The Map I had downloaded and showed the Major, had been thoroughly scanned, and, too late, they discovered it had been spiked by the Cyberpsychosis Daemon… The moment I downloaded the map, I was infected and under the Daemon's influence. The only surviving Batarian, who had played dead amongst the corpses of his fellows, had been interrogated, and it was revealed that they had intended for a Netrunner to download the map, and their link to the Alliance's Network would have crippled the Alliance Military for several minutes, allowing for the Batarians to perform a counter-attack and allow them to escape.
One of my subordinates, the Netrunner they intended to infect, found out I was under the influence of the Cyberpsychosis Daemon, and knew that when I ran out of enemies, I would've killed myself as part of the Daemon's Programming. Fortunately, that particular subordinate had a Projectile Launch System in their arm loaded with Tranquilizer Rounds, and managed to land a direct hit, knocking me out before I could "finish the job". Unfortunately, despite the reports, the confession, and the evidence, the Council still marked me as a Cyberpsycho, and the Alliance was threatening to have me dishonorably discharged. Not only that, all the hard work I had put into getting people into understanding me had gone to waste. Everyone I knew turned their backs on me… All save for a handful of people… However, as a last act before he was Honorably Discharged, Major Kyle had pulled some strings to get me into Cyberpsychosis Therapy instead… It was honestly the best thing that could have happened to me…
I was traumatized by what I had done under the influence of that Daemon… My cold and calculating persona that I put up for people to see had, as it turns out, forced me to repress who I was in reality. This, in turn, had caused my worst negative traits; my anger issues, my incapability to handle stress, and my lack of self-control when my emotions run hot, had caused me to snap… Thanks to this, I started truly expressing myself as a person, much to the surprise of everyone who knew me, revealing who I was at heart, the Streetkid I always was, and because I embraced that part of myself, for the sake of my sanity, I had significant improvement within my first two years, so much so that, under normal circumstances, I would've been released then and there. Unfortunately, the Council and Alliance Brass had sentenced me to 5 years of Therapy, still I complied with their orders, but thanks to this, I managed to not only improve on who I was emotionally and mentally, but I actually became a better fighter. In fact, I even started doing Edgerunner jobs on the Station for the Alliance Military Personnel there and even the Parliament and Prime Minister a few times to keep myself in shape and to help around the station whilst still in Therapy. Once I was released… You know the rest… Eden Prime was my first day back in my Blues… And Everything happened as you know it…
Back to Present
Shepard drinks some water, feeling a weight being taken off his shoulders as he looks into the now empty glass. Everyone is looking at him with a stunned look on their faces. The true story of events coming from the Butcher himself… Not only that, the story of how he was dragged to hell and tortured, only to be rescued by his mother, who literally tore Hell a new Asshole in order to save her son. Even Ashley can hardly believe what she is hearing. "Skipper, what you witnessed was a goddamn miracle! God allowed your own mother to rampage into the heart of Hell itself to save you!" Ashley says, "Not only that, you got to see Hell, and, even if only for a brief instant, Heaven as well!"
"I don't know what I saw, but the moment I saw my mother again, I was like a child in her arms and when she brought me out of Hell, I knew I was safe again." Shepard says, smiling, "Still… If there is a God, then I think he knew I wasn't beyond redemption…" He smiles as he looks at his empty glass and smiles, "Well, now you know the whole story… I think I'm going to go to my room and head to bed…" Shepard says, "Joker, set a course for the Citadel!"
"Aye Aye Commander!" Joker says.
"See ya guys in the morning…" He yawns as he heads to bed.
?:
Shepard finds himself standing in a dark room, turning around as he hears a sound, and turns around, seeing both Kaiden and Ashley sitting in chairs, tortured and badly beaten. He sees Saren standing behind them, giving a wicked Turian smile as he looks at Shepard. "You can only choose one, Shepard, who shall it be?" Saren says, to which Shepard looks between them, but then finds something flying at him, as Saren draws his gun. Shepard grabs it and looks in his hand to see it's a coin made of gold, in which one side is Ashley's Head, and the other is Kaiden. "Now choose…" That is when Shepard's hand, against his will, flips the coin high into the sky, and his body moves against it's will.
"No… Don't! STOP!" He screams in his head, only for his body to grab the coin in one hand, and slams it against the dorsal of his palm, only to find the surface of the coin glowing and erupts with golden light. "NOOOOOO!"
Normandy, Shepard's Quarters
"NOOOOOO!" Shepard screams as he sits up, reaching his hand out, his hand lands against something soft, and a girlish moan is heard. Shepard snaps out of his stupor and blushes bright red as he sees Tali in front of him, and his hand is on her chest… His fingers instinctively twitch, causing a slight squeezing motion. "Oh no…" That is when a smack sends him out of the bed as Tali takes cover behind a desk, holding her chest.
"Shepard, how could you!?" Tali says indignantly.
"S-Sorry!" Shepard says, sitting up as he backs against a wall. "I-I… I just woke up from a nightmare…" He says, explaining himself… "Wait, what are you doing in my room?" Tali, her mask fogging up as she tries to calm her heartbeat as she looks at Shepard.
"Joker has been trying to wake you for the past hour, even turning the intercom on maximum volume… We're an hour away from the Citadel…" She then stands up and walks away, angry with him. A short while later… Shepard, dressed in his blues, walks into the mess hall, and everyone can see the bright red handprint on his face.
"Yikes, Skipper, what happened?" Ashley asks.
"I'd rather not talk about it…" Shepard says, getting some food and sitting down at the table. He begins to eat when Tali comes in, and he decides to switch to a different table, an empty one, when Tali sits down at her usual spot.
"Okay something is up, what happened Tali?" Ashley asks, looking at the Quarian.
"I…"
"I've rarely seen Shepard actually act this way, though there was this one time that I did see it done…" Kaiden says.
"Really?" Garrus asks, "What happened that time?"
"Let's just say a biotic who was having a major screaming headache attempted to lash out at the door, but instead, got the concerned commander, clocking him right in the nose." Kaiden says, blushing bright red. "Tali, I can pretty much guess what happened… He woke up during one of his nightmares, and grabbed you in a place you didn't like, and, reacting to the inappropriate touch, you slapped him before he could apologize, right?"
"Y-Yes…" Tali says, her mask fogging up.
"Just give the Commander some space, once he gets mad like this, it takes him a while to calm down, but once he does, he'll forget about it, and things will go back to normal." Kaiden says, "Trust me, it's one of his quirks, but whenever somebody doesn't make him mad enough to lash out, then he tends to just glare at them and try to stay away from them until he feels he's in a state of mind to talk and settle whatever beef you have."
"Alright…" Tali says, eating her food.
Shepard, for his part, can understand it was his fault for accidentally groping her, but, in his defense, he didn't know she was there, but still, it was his fault… However… He can remember the feeling of her breast against his hand… It was bigger than he expected… His face then turns red as he lays it against the table, hiding it with his arms. 'Damn it… That suit is way too tight on her! It's a wonder she can even breathe! GAH! What am I thinking!? Stop it brain!' Shepard thinks, groaning.
One Hour Later…
"I'm sorry Admiral… The distress beacon was a trap… Whoever planted it there had done so right in the middle of a Thresher Maw Nest."
"A Thresher Maw!?" Admiral Kahoku asks, "But that's Impossible…! Unless…" He looks around and then clenches his fist. "Thank you, Commander Shepard… Did you perhaps gather their Dog Tags?" Shepard holds them up with a nod, and Kahoku takes them. "I'll see to informing their families, then I'm going to find the bastards responsible for this!"
"I'll help when you find them, if you keep me posted."
"It would be good to have the Butcher of Torfan on my side for bringing these bastards to justice. Goodbye Shepard, I'll be in touch." Rear Admiral Kahoku says, leaving with the Dog Tags.
Shepard looks down as he clenches his fist and makes his way to where Matriarch Benezia is getting examined by someone Councilor Tevos personally trusts with her. What's more, the Counselor was there… Much to the shock of the Ground Team, Tevos was performing a Mind Meld on Benezia, whilst wearing a Brain Dance Headset. Benezia, for her part, was rather relaxed and seemed to be allowing it to happen, and it didn't take long for Tevos to actually finish. "By the Goddess…" Tevos says, shocked by what she encountered in Benezia's Mind as she removes the Brain Dance Headset. "I am so sorry you had to go through all of that, Matriarch."
"I feel the Goddess needed me to know how doctrination Infects the mind, so that I can better prepare our people for what is to come." Benezia explains, "More than that, I need to find Aethyta…" Both Asari then turn to Shepard and the Ground Team. "Commander."
"Commander Shepard, your timing is impeccable!" Tevos says.
"A Brain Dance Headset?" Shepard asks.
"It's surprising the uses human technology can yield when wielded by others." Tevos says, smiling. "However, thanks to that, I was able to get the Information I needed to convince ce that Nay-Sayer Sparatus and fully convince Valern of the Reaper threat. Thanks to what I have seen, I am also convinced of the magnitude of the threat they represent. However, our military is not designed for open war, and we have no knowledge of how the Reapers fight… We need you to discover a way to organize the Visions you obtained from the Eden Prime Beacon."
"How would I do that?" Shepard asks.
"I have a few possible ideas that might help, but I need some time to gather my resources. However, there may be another way we can translate the information in your head immediately." Tevos says, hesitating, "But… I would rather leave that solution as a last resort if possible…"
"Let me guess, it's a Pandora's Box kind of secret?"
"If I am guessing your race's Mythological Reference right, then yes. However, I have enough political pull to allow you to access it, but only after we've exhausted our other possible options first." Tevos says.
"Councilor Tevos, you and Councilor Valern have been the only ones to show me and my crew any sort of understanding and have been open-minded enough to trust my judgment so far. For that, if you want what I learn to remain a secret, I shall keep it unless it becomes vital for my mission to do so otherwise." Shepard swears to the Councilor, who grins and nods. However, that is when steps make their way towards them and Anderson is rushing over. "Pops?"
"Shepard, thank goodness I found you! I just got word from Admiral Hackett!" Captain Anderson says, "You need to get to Terra Nova in the Asgard System, now!"
"Captain Anderson, what is going on?" Tevos asks.
"We just got a distress Signal from Terra Nova, Batarian Pirates have just overrode the controls to a meteor to be used for Terra Nova's Strip Mining Operations and to be turned into a Space Station! If it's not stopped within three days, the meteor will crash into Terra Nova and kill Millions of Colonists on the Planet!" Captain Anderson says. Shepard's eyes glow red as he hears that.
"GO GO GO! TO THE NORMANDY!" Shepard shouts, in which the group rushes back to the Normandy as fast as they can, departing quickly. Tevos looks at Anderson, who is out of breath.
"That was a risky move, Captain Anderson, you know of Shepard's History with the Batarians, including how they caused him to obtain Cyberpsychosis." Tevos says, whilst Benezia is taken away by C-Sec to be placed under guarded watch to make sure nobody attacks her while the Normandy is away.
"I know, but I had to get here fast." He then looks at Benezia, "Also, she can stay with me at my apartment for now, I'll keep a close eye on her, but also ensure she's as stress free as possible." Captain Anderson says, to which Tevos nods, and gives the order to have her transferred to Captain Anderson's home for the time being.
2 and a Half Days Later…
Shepard has been antsy as they got closer and closer to the Asgard System, doing his best to remain cool, but as they draw closer and closer, he can feel the old memories creeping up on him in his sleep, but more than that… He can hear a voice whispering in the back of his mind… "You know you want to…" The voice whispers, being a maniacal, more insane version of his own voice. "You know what needs to be done… Let me out…" The Butcher of Torfan whispers into V's ear. "Let me take control… Let me wash away the pain…"
"Shut up…" Shepard says, snarling as he rushes out of his room.
"You can't ignore me…" The Butcher says, his appearance in Shepard's reflection being apparent. "You have been wanting to tear into some Batarian Ass for years…"
"Shut up, I'm a new man, a better man!" Shepard says, walking down the Hall. "I won't become you again!"
"Try all you want, but you know those pills won't help you out for much longer… They've almost passed through your system by now…" The Butcher taunts, smiling wickedly. Shepard makes a turn for Doctor Chakwas's office but stops short of it and hears something on the other side. "Oh? Something interesting?"
"Shh!" Shepard tells the Butcher.
"I'm sorry, Kaiden, but your stubborn refusal to have your L2 changed out for another implant has caused this, even after I've been urging you since we've met, and I have shown you that I can do the surgery." Doctor Chakwas says.
"This was my choice Doc, I knew things were going to come to a head sooner or later… I'd just imagined I'd see Saren beaten before this happened." Kaiden says, "So how long do I have left?"
"By the scans, 3 years at most… Not even replacing your L2 will slow it down…"
"Damn…" Kaiden says, but that is when the doors open. "Commander!"
"Did I just hear that right, Kaiden?" Shepard asks grabbing Kaiden by his shirt after using his Sandevistan to get close to him. "YOU'RE DYING!?"
"Commander, I didn't have a choice!"
"You had a choice!" Shepard says, "Get your implant replaced and save your own life, or keep it in and let it ravage you!" Kaiden sees Shepard is shedding tears as he looks at him. "We've been friends since we met before Torfan! How could you keep this from me!?"
"Shepard, I…!" That is when Shepard let's him go.
"It doesn't matter… Doctor Chakwas… I need a favor…" V says, turning to Doctor Chakwas.
"First, don't manhandle my patients like that again, Shepard, or you'll find your next bout of recovery extended." Chakwas says, glaring at him, to which Shepard nods. "Now what is going on?"
"He's back…" Shepard says.
"Whose back?"
"Oh…" Chakwas says, and then brings out a swab with alcohol and runs it across Shepard's forearm, in which Karin takes out an Airhypo and prepares the medicine.
"Commander!" Joker calls, Shepard then uses his Sandevistan instinctively as Chakwas doesn't get the needle in, "You gotta see this…" He shows the asteroid is making it's way towards Terra Nova, and it's not good, they have T-Minus 4 Hours to stop the Asteroid before Terra Nova is destroyed.
"SHIT!" He then calls the red alert and has the entire Ground Team make their way to the Mako and Armor up on the double. Thankfully, everyone was pretty much already prepared, but Shepard glares at Kaiden, "We'll discuss this later!" He says with a snarl in his voice.
"Whats wrong with Skipper?" Ashley asks.
"Two really bad things just happened, one of them I'll discuss with you later… But the other… It's the Butcher…" Kaiden says, everyone getting their weapons.
"The Butcher?" Tali asks.
"One of the Symptoms of Cyberpsychosis is that it not only turns you into a raging psychopath, but there is a high chance it will fracture your personality, giving you a disassociation between the pieces of yourself." Kaiden says, "Right now, I think Shepard is on medication to not only deal with his Autism, but also to help keep the Butcher asleep…"
"Then that means that Shepard's medicine is wearing off, and we don't have enough time to get another dose in him!" Tali says.
"Yeah, and if this really is the work of Batarians, then we're in real trouble if anyone happens to push the Commander over the edge!" Kaiden says, in which everyone loads in, with Shepard stopping before he grabs the handle to the Driver's side door, and looks at his reflection.
"You may think you have changed, but you are not absolved…" The Butcher says, to which Shepard shakes his head, and opens the door, and climbs in.
"Hello? Hello?" A voice says over the Radio as the Mako gets ready to drop, a terrified voice. "I heard your transmission, can you hear me?" The Radio says.
"This is Commander Shepard of the Alliance Military and Council Spectre!" Shepard's voice flanges slightly, which everyone notices. "I copy!" The Bay doors open and the Mako flies out onto the Asteroid once the Normandy is close enough.
"They haven't found me yet, but I don't have long to talk! Please, shut down the Fusion Torches, or we're all going to die!" The woman's voice says. "I'm sending you the coordinates for each of the Torches, but be careful they turned the automated defe-… Shit…! Gotta go, good luck!" The connection cuts as Shepard steps on the Gas and pushes the Mako as fast and hard as it will go, a timer counting down until it's too late.
"That sounded like she was warning us about some sort of automated defense system!" Garrus says.
"Then get on that gun and fire at will!" Shepard says, the flanging in his voice starting to get worse. As soon as he says that, heavy turrets begin to fire upon the group, and Shepard snarls as he pulls off a ton of street racing moves that allow for Garrus to get clean shots without putting the Mako in danger. However, once they enter the control room, Shepard not only sees Batarians, but also pirates, and the team notices Shepard's eyes turning cold as a smile flows upon his face.
"Whats the plan, Shepard?" Garrus asks quietly.
"Just watch and learn, Garrus…" Shepard says, vanishing before vanishing and moving to one of the Batarians and blowing his brains out at close range, before vanishing and shooting another quickly and efficiently. However, as Shepard is turning, the two Varren launch at him and bite down on his arms, beginning to eat whilst Shepard is alive. However the Commander just looks at them and throws them into metal beams so hard that there is a sickening snap and the screaming that Kaiden can equate to that of an animal in China getting electrocuted before being skinned alive.
(A/N: Don't ask me how I know that, I regret finding that out in highschool)
Tali hides behind Ashley as she watches Shepard turn off his Kinetic Barriers and just takes Mass Accelerator Round after Mass Accelerator Round, not even flinching, and just smiles as he keeps firing like a madman, laughing. The Batarians become terrified as they back away, "Wh-What the hell are you!?" One of the Batarians asks.
"I am your best-fucking-nightmare! THE BUTCHER OF TORFAN!" Shepard says, his voice changing from flanged to someone else's voice entirely, a more manic, cruel, and cold version of Shepard's voice, which begins laughing as the Batarians screams in absolute terror and agony as they are slowly tortured before being beaten to death. However, that is when Tali gets a message on her Omni-tool, which pings loudly. "Oh? More playmates? Are we playing hide-and-seek?" The Crazed Shepard asks. "Well then, ready or not, here I come!" He starts moving at high speed around the base with a smile on his face.
"Tali, why did your omni-tool go off?"
"I just got a message!" Tali says, checking it.
"Seriously, couldn't your mom choose a better time to send you a message?" Wrex asks, annoyed, deciding to go out against Shepard. "Hey Shepard, over here!" However that is when suddenly Wrex gets sent flying across the room. "OOF! Okay then! Let's have some fun!"
"Oh yes! Some real fun!" Shepard says, laughing as he charges at Wrex. Tali focuses on the message, and then she finds it's a message… From Shepard!?
"ICE-Protocol D1-F2, Activation Code: Fresh Meat"
Tali reads the message carefully and then looks to Wrex, "WREX, KEEP HIM BUSY!" Tali says, utilizing a Breach Protocol as she gets into Shepard's head.
"Oh no you don't!" The Butcher says, showing pure rage as he charges at Tali, only for Garrus to fire a few rounds out of Tali's Shotgun, having loaded them with Kinetic Charges to knock him down, whilst Wrex pins the Butcher of Torfan to the ground. "GET OFF ME YOU PIECE OF MEAT!"
"Not gonna happen!" Wrex says, "Besides, I'm not done having fun yet!" Tali then gets through and the Butcher screams in pain.
"AH GODDAMMIT BUBSY! I JUST GOT HERE!" The Butcher shouts, screaming as Shepard returns to normal, gasping for breath.
"Wrex… Please get off, you're going to snap my spine at this rate…" Shepard says, to which Wrex gets off and Shepard stretches, causing a lot of loud pops to be heard. "Sorry about that."
"Heh, don't mention it, besides, haven't had such a good fist fight in a while!" Wrex says, in which the group then gets back to the mission, though everyone is wary of Shepard now as he sets to work on disabling the torch. Afterwards, they manage to find a man named Simon Atwell, who gives them the details of the situation as well as all of the major issues about what is going on.
"Wait, that crazed voice in there, that was you, wasn't it?" Simon asks.
"Unfortunately…" Shepard says, "I suffer from Cyberpsychosis, we arrived and got an emergency transmission just before I could get another dose of medicine to shut the madman up before he got loose…"
"Well if you're the Cyberpsycho I think you are, Commander, then please, don't hold him back! We might need the Butcher of Torfan to get out of this thing alive…" Simon says, looking at him, Shepard groaning as he pinches the bridge of his nose. The group continues on to deactivate the second Fusion Torch as the woman from earlier, Kate Bowman, warns them the Batarians are getting pissed, and that is when they hear something. It's a single batarian asking her who is the one shutting down the Torches, but that is when Shepard activates the comms.
"Hello there…" Shepard says over the comms.
"Who are you!?" The Batarian asks, "Are you shutting off the torches?"
"If it's the only way you'll notice me and come out to play, then why not?"
"You… Don't you care about these people?" The Batarian asks.
"Oh I do, but I care about you much more… I haven't had time to play with the Batarians in Five Years… Not since you were so kind as to set me free…"
"Set you free, what are you talking about? Speak sense, dammit!" The Batarian asks.
"Oh don't you remember? You were the ones who created me for the sole purpose of infecting the Alliance with Cyberpsychosis… But instead… You got something far worse…" Shepard says, smiling.
"You…! So you're the one who is attacking us, the Cyberpsycho the virus infected!"
"Not anymore… Thank you so much for putting Shepard to sleep with this little stunt… I'm really itching to play now… So… Let's play a game…" Shepard says, "It's a simple one… And if you win, you not only get to destroy Terra Nova, but the Butcher of Torfan as well…"
"I'm listening…" The Batarian says.
"Even if these torches are shut down, they would need to be reactivated to negate the momentum of this Asteroid… This will buy you time to plant the charges and come up with a way to push Commander Vincent Shepard to the point he proves your point…" The Butcher says, smiling, "Even if you die, you'll win, because you'll have video evidence that Shepard is still a Cyberpsycho… If he manages to resist me, then you lose, but he will let you go to try again another time. What do you say?"
"Very interesting, Butcher… Alright, say I go along with this… Whats to stop me from merely killing these humans here?"
"Where is the fun in a game if the winner doesn't get a prize? Shepard is in a Win-Lose situation, for you it's a win-win…" The Butcher says, "So… Are you game, choom?"
"Alright then…" The Batarian says, "Let's play…"
The Butcher backs away from the console and smiles as Tali activates the ICE-Protocol again. "Shepard, this is getting worse, I don't think I'll be able to send him back more than once more!" Tali says.
"I know, the longer I go without medicine, the more likely he is to take full control…" Shepard says, shaking his head. "Let's get this done and over with…" The group go to the Third Torch, but once they mow their way through the operating station, they enter a room.
"Hold it right there, this doesn't have to end in Bloodshed!" A Batarian voice says as Shepard rounds the corner. Shepard, hearing this, hears the Butcher chattering in his ear, but his gut speaks louder as he slowly approaches, slowly holstering the Amarok, but once he gets too close, the Batarian holds up his hand. "Don't come any closer, Butcher… We can do this the Hard Way, or the Peaceful Way…"
"Peaceful?" Shepard's voice flanges with his own and the Butcher's, "I didn't think you Batarians knew the meaning of the word."
"After surviving your last rampage, I didn't think I'd have the bad luck of running into you again…" The Batarian says, which shocks Shepard.
"You were on Torfan?" Shepard asks.
"I was merely a soldier, a bodyguard, serving one of the Pirates who worked there… Once I realized you had taken in the Cyberpsychosis Virus, I decided to take my chances with the Alliance, and as I wasn't one of those in command, they let me off easy once I confessed everything." the Batarian says, "My name is Charn, and, as you should know, I'm only following orders, these two with mer are part of a mercenary group that Balak hired out of pocket… So, as you can see, I'm just doing my job here, so hijacking this rock wasn't my idea."
"Oh?" Shepard asks.
"I only signed on to make a little profit, thought it was going to be a quick slave grab or maybe some piracy. I never expected it to turn into this." Charn explains.
"Well this just isn't a Slave Grab anymore, now over 4 Million Lives hang in the balance because you're following a lunatic." V says, his voice flanging more towards the Butcher.
"Don't you think I know that? This was not supposed to happen, and if it were up to me, we'd be out of here already. That and, if we could catch him, nab the Bounty on Balak's head once the Alliance found out who was behind it."
"You can still leave… If you shut down this Torch and book it while I'm heading over to Balak…" Shepard says.
"You think you can get to him after the Game that damn other half of you set up?"
"I'm going to save those people, and while I keep Balak busy, you blow up his ship and then high-tail it out of here!" Shepard says, "Do that, and as long as you don't run into me again, you're homefree to start making your own orders."
"Hmmm… Alright, Butcher, it's a deal!" Charn says, holding out his hand, to which Shepard nods and shakes it. "You heard him, men, shut down the torch and let's get out of here!" He then tosses Shepard something, a Keycard. "This will get you into the Main Facility, where Balak is holed up. Don't underestimate him, he's one mean son-of-a-bitch."
"Duly noted…" Shepard says, to which Charn and his men book it. Fortunately, the Main Station is a practical Hop-Skip-and-a-Jump away from the Third Torch. It doesn't take long for the team to clear it out of Batarians, but once Shepard downs the last one, they turn to the stairs.
"You humans…" Balak says as he steps forward. "You're almost more trouble than the lot of you filth are worth."
"Big words coming from somebody on the losing end of a grudge match…" Shepard says, his voice flanging again. "Give up the hostages, and just maybe, you'll live long enough for the Council to have their way with you."
"I don't answer to the Council, or to you, Butcher…" Balak says, "I'm leaving this rock, and if you try to stop me, I'll detonate these charges… Meaning the deaths of your little helper and her friends are on your hands."
"Do you think I'll just let you go, after everything you've done…?" Shepard asks, giving Tali a subtle handsignal, in which the girl utilizes her HUD to breach protocol Balak's omnitool.
"What I've done? This is nothing in comparison to what has been done to the Batarians!" Balak says, "We've been forced into Exile, forced to survive on what we could scrounge up! This is how things have been for decades."
"Technically, when your people kept procrastinating on it's expansion efforts, and when we laid claim to a world you hadn't taken the time to claim for yourselves, you bellyached to the council." Shepard says, smirking at Balak, "Then when nobody would listen to you complaining like the spoiled brats you are, you isolated yourselves and refused to become part of Galactic politics for those decades… Hence why your people are starving… You refuse to provide any aid to the galactic community simply because you didn't bother to tell us that Elysium was yours before we took it, if you had, a bunch of problems could've been avoided."
"Shut up!" Balak says, snarling, "You humans took territory that was ours, resources that were meant to be ours, and you just expected us to tell you where the borderline was located!?"
"Uh yes, that's what neighbors do, you tell them where your territory is and we don't cross that line unless we want to pick a fight." Garrus says, "According to the Citadel's records, Elysium was unclaimed by either the Humans or the Batarians until Humanity claimed it for themselves. You were just too slow to the trigger on that particular race!"
"Shut up, Turian! Or should I remind you how your race has been constantly stealing Dextro Planets from a less fortunate race than my own!?"
"What are you talking about?" Garrus hisses.
"You don't know, every single time the Quarians have found a Dextro World and have requested the Council to build Colonies there, the Turian Councilors get the coordinates of these worlds and then make the claim for the Turian Hierarchy, violently forcing the Quarians off world and back into space! Or do your superiors not tell you this!?"
"Lies!" Garrus says, snarling, but then looks to Tali. "Tali, please tell me this isn't true!" Tali doesn't break her visual contact with Balak, but she also doesn't say anything, not knowing if she should tell him the truth. Garrus takes the silence as his answer, and clenches his talons into a fist.
"Hence why the Quarians have had to rely on their new allies in Humanity to not only rebuild, but also gain new homes in the Human's Territory, and with their technical expertise, the Alliance now has a second powerful Navy to call upon when necessary, 17 Million Soldiers upon the Migrant Fleet, not counting the millions that are also on their colonies within the territory of the Humans." Balak says, "However, we Batarians had to defend ourselves against the Humans, but they were stronger than us, their defeat of the Turians in their Second Contact War proved just how powerful humans are, given how they willingly modified their bodies with technology that the Turians couldn't be bothered to use, and even risk Cyberpsychosis to achieve victory. They even give the Krogan a run for their money!" Wrex says nothing, "We knew this, the Council knew this, but it didn't matter!"
"And how does killing innocent people make up for that? They aren't responsible for any of this!" Shepard asks, getting irritated.
"I could ask you the same thing, Butcher! How many innocent Batarians died at Torfan? How many surrendered, begging for mercy and their lives as you mercilessly tortured them and butchered them like livestock?" Balak asks, "Or had you forgotten about that?"
"What happened at Torfan was the result of you meddling with the Cyberpsychosis Virus, and for attacking Elysium. In the words of someone extremely wise, "as you push the World, so does the World push back"..." V says, "Not only that, I downloaded the Virus from a Map your people spiked, so what happened to those Batarians did happen at my hands, that is true, but if you hadn't been stupid enough to mess with that Daemon, they would've been alive today!" V was now struggling really hard not to let the Butcher out, as Balak is rattling the cage and loosening the restraints.
"ENOUGH!" Balak shouts, getting frustrated with this. "You couldn't possibly understand! Actually… You don't want to understand, and I'm just wasting my breath…" He glares at Shepard, "Now… If you want your friends to live… I suggest you step aside…"
"Hey, Butcher…" Charn says to Shepard over his internal comms, "Balak's ship is primed to blow the moment he's off this rock… You can let him go and it will be the end of him…!"
"Shepard, wait, I've almost got his Omni-Tool hacked! I can disable it and you can kill him now!"
"She's right, you know… Kill him now and let's have some fun with him afterwards!" The Butcher tempts Shepard, but the man takes a deep breath.
"How about this then…" Shepard brings out a coin. "Heads, I let you go… Tails, I kill you now and bear the brunt of the consequences…" He tosses the coin to Balak, who catches it, and looks at him. "The Butcher promised you a game… So let's play…"
"Humph… Fine…" Balak then flips the coin…
(A/N: I'm flipping a coin too, so that the result is authentic in this case! *Flips a coin*)
The Coin spins in the air, almost going in slow motion as it slowly descends to the ground, striking a step on the stairs, and bouncing off each step as it hits the bottom. Balak's guard inspects the coin as it lands. "It's Head's sir!" The Batarian says, to which Shepard looks at him.
"You're free to go, but know this, the Butcher will get his meat sooner or later…"
"Perhaps, but I suggest you focus on your friends… Those bombs are still on a timer… And you need the console in that room to redirect the Fusion Torches to slow down this rock… Better hurry if you want to save your friends…" Balak smiles as he, his varrens, and his guard rush out as fast as they can.
"Good Call, Butcher… And I think he bought it! Me and my men are already off the rock. The explosion won't happen until five minutes after Balak's Omnitool has been confirmed on the ship." Charn says over the internal comms, "Good luck…" The Ground Team quickly get to work disarming the charges, and with Shepard, Tali, and Garrus each working on a bomb whilst Liara, Kaiden, Wrex, and Ashley work to take care of any distractions that get in the way, and once that is done, Shepard uses the controls in the Main Facility to redirect the acceleration of the Fusion Torches to slow down the Asteroid, which brings it into orbit around Terra Nova. Simon confirms as much once he arrives, but asks Shepard a difficult question.
"Commander, I want to know, what is it like, being a Cyberpsycho? You don't seem to be at all what the news says they are."
"Honestly, it's exhausting, it's like I'm always second-guessing or fighting against myself as my mind is fractured and disassociated with itself… It's like part of me is watching a Reality TV Show that I'm the star of, and yet I'm both an actor on set and a viewer on my sofa at home at the exact same time. I'm always criticizing my own work, coming up with ways I could've handled it, commenting on how I should have or could've done things differently and how it would be "better" for the story as a whole. It's maddening… And that's only one of the symptoms Cyberpsychosis can induce on people, I'm just lucky my personality only fractured into two parts, many aren't so lucky… I'm also lucky that the Cyberpsychosis I suffer from was induced on me, and isn't natural."
"Then again…" Kaiden says, "You are the only known person to have survived getting Cyberpsychosis forced on you… So there is that…" Shepard gives Kaiden a look, but then looks ahead and a few minutes later, after the team patches up the engineers, they get word from Joker that a Batarian Ship had just exploded a couple hundred meters away from the Normandy, and another fled in the opposite direction. Deciding to end this situation on a High Note, Shepard and the group return to the Normandy for a well deserved drink, but not before Simon offers some high quality items, one of them catching Shepard's Attention as he looks them over.
"Hey Tali, do you think you would like this?" Shepard asks, showing that one of the items up for grabs is actually some high quality Quarian Armor.
"That!? Simon, how did you get your hands on that?"
"A friend of mine was a Quarian Marine, she retired on Terra Nova a few weeks ago and said she didn't need it anymore. I think it's about your size, so you can use it!" Simon says.
"Shepard this is too much!"
"Take it, Tali, it's a gift! Besides, I kind of owe you for… A few days ago… and for robbing you of your glorious moment against Balak." V says, making the reference and Tali's mask fogs up.
"Yes, I'll take that, thank you!" Tali says almost too fast before rushing out.
"What happened?" Ashley asks.
"I… I woke up from a nightmare that Saren was forcing me to choose between two team members who would die and accidentally grabbed Tali's chest as I was trying to stop him in my dream…" Shepard says, blushing bright red, in which Ashley gives him a look.
"Pervert…"
As soon as they are on Deck, Shepard makes his way to Doctor Chakwas' Office for his medicine. The rush of drugs in his system helps put Shepard at ease as he hears a malevolent growling, looking at his reflection in a mirror. "You haven't seen the last of me…" The Butcher says as his image fades and Shepard's reflection properly returns.
'Maybe, Butcher, but at least I know something about you now…' Shepard smiles as he makes his way to the mess hall, and sits at a table alone, only for his Ground Team to surround him. V can't help but let a smile flow onto his face, feeling, truly for the first time, things just might turn out to be alright… And that night… When he falls asleep… He finds himself in another situation… Similar to last time, but also different… Only this time it is Benezia standing before him, and looking at him.
"Shepard… You cannot have both of them… You know this, your heart can only have one… So choose which of them shall take your heart…" Benezia encourages, in which Shepard looks to each of them, and sees flashes of what could be the future… With Ashley, Shepard finds himself playing with two children, both of them smiling as Ashley is cooking on a grill, and the two of them are sitting in an expensive house in Night City. With Tali, Shepard sees the two of them actually sitting on a large beach house on a planet he doesn't recognize, but they can see a boy and a girl, both Quarians, yet somehow they seem to have human features about them, and the two of them are playing on the nearby rock formations with smiles on their faces. Shepard finds the Coin manifesting in his hand again, but this time… He doesn't fear the result… Heads is Tali… Tails… Is Ashley… He flips the coin… And slowly it descends as he catches it, slamming it against the back of his palm, and a blinding light hides the result…