She blinked.
She saw a familiar roof window looking out into empty black space.
That wasn't right.
"Shepard, something has happened," E.D.I. said over the intercom.
That also wasn't right. Shepard realized she was lying on a bed. Sitting up, the Commander saw that she was in her Captain's cabin on the Normandy instead of her cell on Earth. She also noticed that the room was dark with the emergency lighting was on.
"E.D.I.? What's going on? Give me a sitrep," Shepard fired off.
"I do not know, Shepard. My functions are still recycling. Long and short-range ship sensors are down. Life support and A.I. core are operating at 100%. Mass Effect fields are down. Weapons are offline. Engines are offline. Tantalus Drive Core is deactivated, attempting an emergency restart." The A.I. listed off. The silent humming of the ship's heart reignited. "Drive Core operative."
Shepard wasn't stationary while the A.I. listed the ship's status. She checked under the bed and found her emergency weapon, a reliable but straightforward M-3 Predator pistol. The lights activate in her cabin put the Commander at ease, knowing that her ship was operational.
"Do an internal sweep, E.D.I. Who else is on board?" Shepard said.
"Scanning...I am detecting several other individuals on board."
"Who?"
"Mister Moreau is located in the cockpit. He is perplexed at the situation we currently find ourselves in." Shepard shorted.
"I'd bet, who else?"
"Garrus Vakarian, Liara T'Soni, and Doctor Chakwas have just met up on deck 3. Clan leader Urdnot Wrex is wondering in the Cargo Bay conversing with Tali'Zorah. Finally, Admiral Anderson and Operations Chief Williams are in the Conference room." The name's listed off surprised Shepard.
"Whoa, it's a Normandy reunion!" Shepard express. "Have everyone gather in the C.I.C."
"Understood, Shepard."
Taking the service hatch, she climbed down and ended up in the Armory. Looking around, she noticed all the weapons were still laid out exactly how Jacob had it before. Shepard raised an eyebrow of suspicion. Surly, the Alliance would have come in and confiscated all the firearms on board the Normandy. Another thing she noticed was the lack of Cerberus logos on the walls. Ignoring this detail later, she exited the Armory and onto the C.I.C. and was greeted by some much-welcome faces.
"Commander!"
There standing in Alliance regulated uniforms, we're two old and dear friends plus one Marine. Her pilot had seen her walk in and called out to her first making the others look in her direction. The old Admiral smiled warmly while the O.C. looked at her with suspicion.
"Shepard, glad you can join us," Anderson greeted warmly.
"Admiral," Shepard smiled at her old friend before turning to the Operations Chief. "Williams."
"Commander," Chief Williams said smoothly.
"Shepard, do you know what happened? Do you know where we even are?" Admiral Anderson asked.
"I sure didn't," Shepard answered. Then turned to the control panel. "E.D.I., do you have anything on the Normandy's current location?"
"Astro navigation charts do not match anything with my database. And there are no communication facilities I can detect within standard comm range. Q.E.C. is also not functioning. Extending the external cameras shows something most intriguing." E.D.I answered the Admiral.
"Intriguing how?" Shepard asked.
"I'd suggest going to the bridge and look out the viewport."
That wasn't the answer they wanted. The group turns to make their way over to the bridge. Shepard felt a bit unnerved at how empty her ship was. It felt like this to her when the Collectors came and took her crew.
She reached the front of her ship and saw the outer shutters closed. When the Commander stood next to the Helmsman chair, the A.I. opened up the cockpit to show the outside. The feeling of dread pitted in Shepard's stomach.
"E.D.I., where are we..." She already knew the answer to her question, but it needed to be said.
"Over, two thousand, five hundred light-years from the galactic rim by my estimates. Darkspace, Commander."
Shepard dropped an ice cube in the glass cup before pouring herself a glass of brandy. She currently sat at the bar area in Normandy's port side observation deck. After meeting up with the rest of the crew and explained the situation with them, they fell in line and got to work. They had spent the last two hours in a workman's rush to figure out just how they ended up in dark space, along with taking note of their supplies. They were indeed in Dark Space, an area where there could be thousands, possibly tens of thousands of Reapers like Sovereign just outside her ship. Shepherd may be an N7 infiltrator, but nothing she could prepare would be good enough for this situation.
Taking and downing a brandy shot, they also did compile a list of their current inventory of supplies. Food was stock to meet requirements for a whole crew of forty plus ground team for three months. Doing the math, the nine of them can easily live off it for over 720 days. Rashing it, they can add another thousand days. Year's worth of food that they can live off. Fuel is another story on its own. Despite the upgrade to the Normandy's fuel cells, they would only get another about two months of sustained flight at lightspeed. Enough to cover maybe half that distance to get back to reach the outer rim. After that, they would need to fall back on the ship's thrusters. The math behind that was not in their favor.
"So, Admiral...what's the game plan, Sir?" Shepard asked Anderson as he sat and filled up another glass of brandy. Wrex, Liara, Garrus, and Anderson sat with Shepard at the bar. With Tali, Joker, Williams, and Chakwas seated on the couches and chairs.
The Admiral poured himself a bottle of Schoch. "I haven't a clue where to start, Commander," Anderson replied before addressing the crew. "We are in the complete unknown here. With no support from Hackett and the Alliance or the other races, we are on our own."
"There's also the question on how we got here in the first place," Wrex joined in. "One moment, I was on Tuchanka stockpiling supplies for the clans. The next I was in your ship's cargo bay."
"The same with me," Tali spoke. "I had returned to The Migrant Fleet and delivered my report in my involvement with Shepard and the Collectors."
"I had just got done talking with my father on Palaven." Stated Garrus.
"I had just boarded the Citadel," said Dr. Chakwas.
Liara looks at Shepard. "I was in the outer rim."
"And the four of us were on Earth." Williams pointed at herself, Shepard, Joker, and Anderson.
"So really, the next question is, why are we here?"
"Shepard, I'm detecting another person on the ship," E.D.I. warned, prompting the Commander on her feet.
"What?! How is that possible? we swept the ship even after you told me we were alone." Shepard readied her pistol and went to one of the wall panels and removed it, revealing a wall locker of weapons. Shepard, Wrex, Garrus, and Williams, grabbed an M-8 Avenger, and while Anderson, Tali, and Liara took the extra pistols along with some thermal clips. "Where are they?"
"Cargo bay. They were not there before. I'm also detecting energy fluctuating in the environment. No Hazards are present." E.D.I. monotoned. As the A.I. answered, they piled into the elevator and took it down. When the elevator door's opened, they pointed their weapons and were greeted with an unsure sight.
"That can't be right," Wrex stated.
In the middle of the bay were six sofas lined up two rows of three. Each looked like it could hold five people. Around the seating arrangement were several hanging speakers that would provide high-quality surround sound. Off to the side was a food stand with a LOKI mech with a red top hat. Then at the far end of the hanger was a giant white screen.
"This...was not here before..." Tali shakily pointed at the set.
"Did someone turn my cargo bay into a movie theater?" Shepard asked in disbelief.
Liara walked up to the counter where the then mech stood behind and spotted bunches of candies, food, and drinks for both Levo and Dextro. "It would seem that way," Liria said in an unsure voice.
The group spread out around the bay and saw no one other than themselves.
"E.D.I where's the intruder?" Shepard ordered.
"Unknown, Shepard," The A.I. replies. "I cannot locate the individual that was present before that strange energy dispelled into the room."
"Areas clear!" Ashley shouted from her end. "No one but us."
Minutes pass by for the crew as more questions continue to pile. Joker and Chakwas came down and joined them and sat together on one of the couches. Joker bounced softly on one.
"Guy's, you got to try these seats!" Joker said to the others before leaning back into it. "They're fantastic!"
Suddenly the lights start to dim, making the crew raise their weapons in response. Then the screen starts up, and a message appears on the screen.
Welcome. Apologize for the kidnapping. The following experience pertains to the Commander to all of you. Showing events in the past, present, and future of her homeworld. I have prepared many videos for the nine of you to watch. Use this knowledge to prevent a catastrophe in the new future you create. You won't be able to leave until you've watched everything.
P.S. Food and drink are supplied for your entertainment. Enjoy.
The group silently read the message before turning to the wide eye Commander.
It was no secret that Shepard didn't know her past. It was shroud in mystery and unknowns. One was that she didn't have a birth certificate nor a real last name. Shepard was a name that she gave herself after the Blitz after saving so many people. Only recalling her first name, she called herself Summer Shepard to provide herself with a name.
The screen changed again with a new message.
Have a seat to begin.
Unsurprisingly by some, Joker was the first to speak. "Ok...what. The. Shit..."
Anderson walked up to the stunned Commander and gently sat his hand on her shoulder and receiving no reaction. "Summer..." He rarely used her first name, this being one of those times. "Are you still with us?"
Summer said nothing. Instead, she left the Admiral standing and sat on the middle sofa in the middle. Her face was holding one of complete focus locked onto the screen. Her past was one of the things that have hunted her for years. Not knowing who she was and what she left behind in her memories was something that the N7 carved very much. Now, someone brought her ship way out here to show her certain events pertaining to her past, then who was she deny them.
The others looked at their Commander with different levels of weariness before they decided to take a seat with them. Thou Wrex, Tali, Williams, Dr. Chakwas, and Garrus went over to grab a few things from the food stand first.
"Is that Rycol?" Wrex asked.
The meck nodded and handed a bottle to the Krogan Chief. Wrex grabbed the bottle and a few skewers of Varan meat before sitting down on one of the couches. Liara following behind with a packet of hard candy and a can human grab soda.
Chakwas grabbed some chocolate bits and two cups of orange soda before sitting next to Joker and handing him a soda cup.
Garrus grabbed a bottle of white substances and another bottle of Turian soda. Tali just grabbed some dextro chocolate before both sat next to their long-time friend. The Turian handed the white bottle to Shepard, who glanced down at it before taking it. She realized it was a bottle of milk and shamefully took a sip of her favorite comfort drink before muttering a silent thank you to the Turian sniper.
The seating arrangement went with Shepard sat in the middle with Garrus and Tali on her left and Anderson and Liara on her right. To the right, Wrex sat with Williams. The Alliance Marine eyed the Krogan next to her as he ate the meat with gusto.
On the other side sat Joker and Chakwas.
The back was laid empty.
With all of them settled into their seats, the lights dimmed down, and started the screen lit up.
The screen shows the words: "Red" Trailer. Provided by G.O.D : Play :
"God? Really...something is really off here," Ashly said skeptically.
"Trailer? Does that mean it hasn't even started yet?" Ashley questions.
Joker snorted at the screen. "This is starting to feel like a premiere for a movie."
"How do we start it?" Liara asked.
The video starts with music in the background, with the moon is shown while rose petals are gliding across it.
"Oh...Nevermind."
"Nice, we get some music to go along with it too!" Joker says, bouncing in excitement.
A figure in a red hood and a flowing cloak was seen under the moon and in a snowy landscape, the cape constantly producing dozens of wind-blown rose petals. An altar was seen near the edge of the cliff that the person was standing at, who turned and walked away to let the Normandy crew could see the rose symbol on the marker and the words "Summer Rose - Thus Kindly I Scatter."
"Red like roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest..."
The crew looked at Summer as she locks onto the name on the gravestone.
"Summer... could that be?" Anderson asked.
"Rose...Summer Rose," she tested the name.
"I wonder what those lyrics mean," Liara pondered.
"What I wanna know is why flower petals are coming from her cape," Joker said. No one had an answer for that.
"White is cold and always yearning, burdened by a royal test." The red-hooded wanderer slowly walked through a snowy forest, where shadowy, beastly shapes quickly darted through before coming to a clearing and coming to a stop. The screen briefly cutting to black, returning to a panning shot of around a dozen black-coated, red-eyed Beowolves circling their prey. "Black the beast descends from shadows..."
The hell are those supposed to be, wolfmen?" Williams said with much skepticism.
"That child is in danger," Garrus said, somewhat concerned for the girl's safety.
"A young girl being mauled is not the way I want to see Summer's past shown," Anderson said, also a bit worried.
All the while, Summer held a feeling that the young girl would be fine, which the Wrex as he eyed the girl. For the girl had a walk of confidence.
"Yellow beauty burns..." Three of the monsters decided to dash forward and attacked through jumping, but the figure disappeared in a swish of rose petals, to which the creatures crashed to the grounded and looked up. "Gold..."
"Whoa!" Joker and Ashly shouted in surprise at the sudden move.
Outlined by the moon's light, her cape swirling around her body is a young girl.
Summer's world stills as her eyes momentarily lock with the young girl's silver eyes, the same color as hers.
Who reaches behind her, pulls out a rifle, and fires a shot that blows a large part of one Beowolf's head out in a burst of blood-red smoke.
The Normandy crew all jumped slightly at this. "WHOA!" They all shouted at the action.
"Holy crap! That was awesome!" Joker shouted excitedly.
"A perfect headshot while alternating at an accelerated angle while moving high speed all in a two-second quickdraw motion from a high-powered folding rifle...Very impressive," Garrus said in awe.
"Wait! That girl looks like Summer!" Tali yelled. The other take another look at the girl, then back at Summer before they connect the dots.
Chakwas covers her mouth to hide her surprise. "Oh my."
"No way..." Ashly said as she looks at her old Commander in stunned disbelief.
Summer kept her eyes on the screen while trying to stay calm. Summer had said before that she was not afraid of dying. Having already did so once, but of leaving the people she cares for behind, that fear would be all the worse if she had a family to worry about.
Wrex was silently laughing at the fight and leaned forward with much interest.
More Beowolves start to attack as she lands. She leaps over the first Grimm and shoots it, then shoots another one while in the air, using the recoil to get into a position where she can fire at the third Grimm dead center. She rolls back and stands, unfolding the gun into an enormous, deadly-looking scythe.
"Now it's a scythe?!" Ashley asked in disbelief.
"I really want to have a look at that weapon. The specs must be pretty strong if it's meant for close combat," Tali said as she appraised the weapon.
"That thing looks bigger than her!" Garrus said.
One of the braver Beowolves went forward, but the girl merely spun, hooked its body in the curve of her blade, and smiled at the camera as the monster growled, then fired the sniper section at speeds that severed the creature's body in a shower of petals. Both halves landed on the ground, continuing to bleed roses as it dissolved, the rest of the pack charging.
This earned a cheer from Wrex with chunks of meat flying from his mouth.
'That's not normal. Animals don't just fade away into darkness like this. Something is wrong.' Anderson thought as he observes the girl displaying an unthinkable style of combat.
The girl rotates her weapon, chambers another round, and drives the blade into the ground, firing from a single spot at several approaching Grimm until one gets close enough to swipe at her. It misses as she jumps up with her scythe and shoots using the recoil to blast back, digging the blade into the ground again and landing on the shaft when she sees more Grimm emerging from the woods.
"Using her weapons big blade as a stand for a firing position is a smart move," The Admiral nodded with approval.
"I just noticed that she's using bullets and not mass accelerated weapons. But man, the punch it has is incredible." Garrus commented as he looked at the carnage.
"Man, how many are there? They just keep coming!" Joker said.
"And Summer's whelp will keep on killing them!" Wrex laughed.
"Why is there no blood? Why is it rose petals?" Dr. Chakwas asked.
"Not a clue. We are as confused as you are, Doctor," Tali replied.
"She's very skilled for someone so young. Wonder who trained her," Liara commented.
"Yeah, how old do you think she is?" Summer asked before she panics. "Watch out!" Summer yelled at her daughter. That was still a strange thought.
A Beowolf almost got her with its claws, but she twisted out of the way, fired at the monster in front of her to make the weapon and wielder spin. This was followed by a kick to the one behind her. She twirled the scythe and cut down Beowolves from both sides, dodging another attack to hook a beast in, and blasted out at an approaching creature to kill both.
"Just look at my baby go!" Summer said with excitement before stopping to realize what she said and noticing everyone staring at her in amusement. "What?"
"Motherhood looks good on you, Commander." Admiral Anderson commented kindly.
This made Summer blush up a storm, much to everyone's enjoyment.
The girl leaped over two, went in to dismember and cut down one, and caught another's neck in her blade with her on the beast's back before pulling the trigger and beheading it while flying upwards. Two Beowolves followed, but she shot her way down and slices them up when she has to block from a wolf's swipe on the ground, which pushes her back and lets her see a large number of enemies left.
"The whelp has style," Wrex said. Loving every moment of the fight. "Good save blocking that last strike too."
"Man, look at all of them. They just keep coming!" Joker said.
"Make's you wonder what she's going to pull this off next?" Garrus wondered.
"If it's Summer's child, something over the top and flashy," Tali says off-handily.
"Hey!"
The music picks up. The girl nods before dropping her previous cartridge, inserted another with a cross symbol. Loaded it in and blasts off at a higher speed than ever before, coming at the dumbfounded Beowolves like a rocket. She converged on them with the scythe turning more sickle-shaped and spun her way through the mass, cutting up and down, left and right, leaving bullets, rose petals, and blackened body parts flying into the air. She disemboweled them quicker and quicker until the last one fell. She blasts into a jump and lands in a pose with her scythe hanging behind her as spent rounds rain from the sky.
Everyone in the room is silent for a moment as they process what they just saw. When it passed, Wrex, Summer, and Ashley were on their feet, cheering, or in Wrex's case, roaring like a Krogan.
"That was currently something you don't often see," Liara commented.
"You think, Ash? That girl took all those monsters out before those bullets hit the ground. E.D.I, how fast was she moving?" Joker asked the A.I.
"I can only speculate from the footage shown, Jeff. However, based on the distance she traveled, and the time it took for the bullet casings to hit the ground. She would've had to have dealt with them in less than a second at an unfinished estimate at minimum to the speed of sound," the A.I. answered.
"Whoa..."
"That doesn't seem humanly possible!" Liara said.
The girl's form is darkened to a silhouette against the red moon, right before the picture spins, then slides itself into the collection of three other unseen girls. The silhouette changes into an image of her in color before the vision fades to black.
"There's more?" Ash said.
"Good, I want more!" Wrex said, giddily at the prospect of more violence.
"Wanna just play through them?" Summer offered.
Hearing no rejection, they played the next one.
Yep...This is happening people. You've read it right here.
I received a review from back when I started writing "The Reapers Summer" about having the Normandy Crew Watching the RWBY show. This is an AU of that story as a "What would happen if this happened?" deal.
I had to admit that the idea was like a fly wondering in the back of my mind. So I'd been snipping and poking at other RWBY react stories to get idea's and who would what react to this?
After looking at a dozen stories from from the really good to the poorly done. I'm giving this a 8/10 in terms of how good it is and I'd like to see what you all have to say down in the reviews.
This will not be a story I get to often but I hope you all will bare with me on this.
See you all over the web!