Therum Part 1
After making his speech to the crew, Shepard walked out of the pilot's section of the Normandy made his way down the hull and wanted to check up on his squad. He wanted to get started on a meeting so they can discuss their next move into tracking Saren down.
As he walked, he could see all the determined looks each of his crew members were giving him, showing that they were ready and willing to go along with this mission. Shepard smiled at this, knowing that he really did have a great crew with him, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
He eventually made his way to the Galaxy Map room, and noticed Navigator Pressly walking up to him, before stopping to give a salut of respect. "Commander, if anyon has to take over for Captain Anderson, I'm glad it's you." Presley said with a smile, before it changed to a more skeptic look. "I'm not sure about having non-humans on our ship, though. Then there's those individuals in the strange get ups; I overheard someone calling them the Avengers, which I've only heard rumors of."
"We're all on the same team here, Pressly." Shepard assured.
"With all due respect, sir, that's what they said about Nihlus. Look how that turned out." Pressly said, still doubting this new squad Shepard brought aboard.
"Speak freely, Pressly." Shepard said, wanting to get to the bottom of where this was coming from. "I want to know if you have a problem with non-humans."
"It's not that, Commander. Humanity has always handled its own problems. Saren attacked one of our colonies, we should be the one to take him out. We don't need their help." Pressly explained.
Shepard could understand that in a way, but he knew there was only so much they could do on their own. "Some people think asking for help is a sign of weakness; that's just being stupid and stubborn. No matter how strong you are, allies can make you stronger." Shepard argued.
Pressly could understand that, thinking that maybe having help is the right course of action. "I guess so." Pressly said as he gave a humbling nod. "Maybe I'm just stuck in the old ways of thinking. Don't worry, Commander, this won't be a problem."
"I know, Pressly. You're a good soldier, and I wouldn't want anyone else as my Navigator." Shepard said with an appreciative smile.
Pressly smiled at the praise he was given, before he decided to ask something that bugged him again. "Sir, I get that each of the aliens aboard may bring something to the table; I mean, Turians are fluent in military tactics, Krogan are like living tanks, and Quarians know a lot about engineering, but what about these 'Avengers?' I've heard stories here and there, but I don't know where to separate fact from fiction."
Shepard couldn't help but smile at that, since he has seen them in action and if he didn't, he would have had a hard time believing it as well. "Trust me, Pressly, they may be unorthodox, but the skills they have are definitely not fiction."
/
"This is so awesome!" Ben said in amazement as stood within the engine room. He looked up at the drive core of the ship, as it hummed with the blue energy surrounding it. "I've never seen a ship engine like this in all my life."
"I know, right!" Tali said with equal amazement. "I can't believe they were able to fit a drive core like this into a ship this small!"
Engineer Addams stood by doing some calibrations on the drive core, but he couldn't help but chuckle at the way these two newcomers were marveling at the drive core. They almost acted like a bunch of kids who went to their first amusement park. "The Normandy is great and all, but keep in mind that it's still just a prototype."
"So, I heard that this ship used an IES stealth system, right?" Ben asked curiously, which Addams nodded at. "How does that work exactly?"
"Well, we can't exactly hide a ship in the vacuum of space; they emit too much heat and radiation." Addams explained. "Too easy for sensors to pick them up, unless you find a way to capture the energies." Addams explained.
"I see, so your stealth systems manage to trap the energy you give off. Without the emissions, we're practically invisible on moist sensors." Ben said with a grin as he then looked up at the pipes from above. "I'm guessing trapping that much energy though creates too much heat, so these pipes are part of the cooling systems to vent out any extra amounts of stored up energy."
Addams gave an impressed smile. "You hit it right on the mark. I'm impressed." Addams said.
"Well, my dad is a scientist himself who's had many breakthroughs, so I know quite a bit of advanced technologies." Ben said, which Addams gave a nod of approval before getting back to work. Ben saw Tali running her own calibrations on a separate console, while still marveling at the drive core, and decided to stand next to her. "It really is something."
"It certainly is. A month ago, I was patching a makeshift fuel line into a converted tug ship along the flotilla, now I'm sitting aboard on of the most advanced ship in Citadel space." Tali said in awe, before turning to Ben. Even though the young hero couldn't see her face, he can tell that she was smiling. "I'll have to thank Shepard for bringing me aboard, but I also can't thank you enough, Ben. If you haven't saved me, I wouldn't have been able to go on this journey."
"You're welcome, Tali." Ben said bashfully as rubbed the back of his head. "It's pretty cool that you find ships so fascinating."
"It comes with being a Quarian. The Migrant Fleet is the key to the survival of our people." Tali informed. "Ships are our most valued resource, but we don't anything as advanced as this. We make do with cast-offs and second-hand equipment; just trying to keep them running for as long as possible."
"Must be tough living on nothing but ships for 300 years." Ben said, as he's read up on the life of the Quarians ever since they were exiled from their home world.
"It's pretty much all I've ever known, so I wouldn't really call it tough. It's just a way of life for us now." Tali said with a shrug. "Our ships are as old as the time we left Rannoch. We have to constantly repair, modify, and refit them in order for them to continue running. They aren't pretty, but they work...mostly."
"What's life like living on the flotilla?" Ben asked curiously.
"Well, we try to make ourselves as independent as possible. We grow our own food, mine and process our own fuel, but some things we can't do on our own." Tali tried to explain. "Trying to patch up a hull breach requires resources that we don't have naturally. That's why our Pilgrimage is so important."
"That's another thing I'm curious about." Ben said. "Is there more to this Pilgrimage than just finding materials, or is it also a symbolic right of passage thing?"
It's a bit of both, really." Tali said with a 'so-so' gesture. "When my people reach maturity, we leave our birth ships and seek acceptance with a new crew. It's necessary to maintain genetic diversity within the fleet."
"I guess that kind of makes sense." Ben said.
"Yes, but no ship wants to accept someone who will be a burden to them. So, to prove our worth, we embark on a Pilgrimage. We set out alone, leaving the flotilla and our families behind us, and don't return until we have found something of value and return it to the fleet. We then present this to the captain of the ship we wish to be a part of, and if the gift is accepted, then we are allowed to join the crew." Tali explained.
"And...what if they don't accept it?" Ben asked cautiously.
"It doesn't happen often. Most captains are eager to increase the size of their crew, as it increases their own standing in our society." Tali explained. "Even when a gift is not particularly valuable, the captain usually accepts it as a sense of tradition. However, there is a stigma for presenting a sub-standard gift."
"Oh, I get it now." Ben said with an understanding nod. "The better the gift they bring, not only greatly helps the ship they want to be a part of, but it also proves just how much of an important role they can play in the crew. The greatest gift wins bragging rights for that crew member."
"Not exactly how I would have put it, but basically yes." Talie said, happy that Ben was following along nicely. "Sometimes a Pilgrim won't even return if the gift is worthwhile.
"Still though, must be tough to be sent out all alone." Ben said with concern.
"It's not like they just cast out." Tali said with a casual shrug, showing that she wasn't bothered by it. "Before we leave, we are given lessons on how to survive outside the flotilla, and given gifts to help us on our journey. We also receive implants to prevent sickness and disease. Generations of living in an isolated and highly controlled environment have left our immune systems weaker than most."
"Right, and that explained the environmental suits your kind wear." Ben said in understanding.
Tali nodded as she continued. "So, yes, it may seem dangerous to others, but the Pilgrimage is a rite of passage we all must go through. If it was truly dangerous then our numbers would have seriously diminished. After every pilgrimage, there is a triumphant return and the ritual presentation to the ship's captain."
"Man, that sounds so fascinating." Ben said with a smile.
"Sorry if I rambled on a bit." Tali apologized with a sheepish shrug. "I don't really have anybody else to talk about this sort of thing, and most people don't want to learn about my kind willingly."
"Are you kidding? I loved hearing all of this." Ben said with a happy look. "I never got to work with aliens that much, which is kind of ironic since Erik is half-alien, so I love learning as much as I can. So, thank you, Tali. I really appreciate this talk."
Tali smiled brightly beneath her mask, happy to know that she didn't bore her new friend. "You're welcome, Ben."
...
...
...
"Wait...what was that about Erik?" Tali asked in surprise.
/
Speaking of said human/Asgardian hybrid, he was currently in the cargo hold where he stood along with Garrus and Wrex as they inspected the ground armored assault vehicle known as the MAKO.
"Seems pretty durable, wheels seemed to be all-terrain oriented." Garrus listed off as he inspected the hull of the MAKO.
"I'm more interested in that gun up top." Wrex said as he grinned at the turret. "I wanna see the boom that thing can make."
"I'm sure you'll get your chance." Erik said as he to smiled at the vehicle. "I know someone who would love to take this thing apart and add his own spin on it."
"Who would that be?" Garrus asked curiously.
"His name's Rocket. He's part of this group that travels through space and does all sorts of jobs and gets paid for them." Erik explains with a smile. "Bounty hunting, treasure hunting, warlord hunting, all those other huntings; while at the same time they decide whether to do something good, something bad, or a bit of both on their free time."
"Sounds like my kind of people." Krogan said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, definitely sounds like the kind of group that would get along with Krogan's." Garrus said with a chuckle of his own, meaning it as a joke.
However, his words put a sour look on Wrex's face as he glared at the C-Sec officer. "Yeah, well at least it beats hanging with a bunch of Turians who relish in genocide."
Garrus' face looked a bit uncomfortable, as he knew this subject was going to come up if he and Wrex were going to work together. "What happened back between our races was before my time, and I never held it against your people for the Krogan Rebellions."
"Tell that to the countless Krogan who lay dead." Wrex retorted, before he walked off with a huff.
Erik couldn't help but cringe at all this. "Wow, I knew Krogan had trouble getting along with others, but I didn't think it'd be this tough."
"Animosity between Krogan and Turians, as well as the Salarians, runs deep, so this was to be expected." Garrus said with a sigh.
"Let me go talk to him." Erik said as he walked up to Wrex, who decided to just stand by himself next to a couple of crates. "So, Wrex, mind if I ask what your story is?"
"There is no story." Wrex said a little rudely. "Go ask the Quarian if you want stories."
'Okay, this is gonna be tougher than I thought.' Erik thought to himself before speaking. "It's just that you Krogan live for centuries, so I'm sure you've had a few adventures."
"Well, there was this one time the Turians almost wiped out our entire race. That was fun." Wrex said sarcastically, while also casting a little glare at Garrus.
"Yeah, I heard about that." Erik said as he read up on the tragedy known as the Genophage, a biological weapon that sterilized almost the entirety of the Krogan species, which is one of the reasons for their declining numbers. It was an infection that was created by the Salarians, and orchestrated by the Turians, so the Krogan have hatred for both races. The infection is spread to every Krogan, and makes it close to impossible for them to reproduce due to the children dying in stillbirth. Only a few in a thousand children born survive, hence why the Krogan are in low numbers.
"You know, I may look completely human, but I'm actually a mix of alien on my dad's side, and human on my mom's." Erik said.
"Really?" Wrex said skeptically, before he took a few whiffs in the air. His eyes widened slightly as he gave an slight intrigued look at Erik. "Well shit, you weren't kidding. There's definitely a human stench there, but I'm smelling something completely new to me. Just what are you exactly?"
"That's a bit complicated to explain." Erik said uneasily, as he and his friends wanted to wait for the right time, before they give them all the full story of who they are and where they came from. "I'm just letting you know, that me and my dad, we went through the same thing your people are going through."
"I doubt that." Wrex said with scoff.
"No? Years before I was born my father's home world was destroyed, losing thousands in the process. Those that managed to escape encountered another incident where they lost half their population, and those that managed to live through that lost another half due to an even more devastating incident, so our numbers dismissed quite significantly." Erik argued. "I'd say we're pretty much alike."
Wrex had to admit, that does sound quite similar to what's been going on with his own people. However, there was something he needed to confirm before he could even acknowledge that. "And where are your people at now?"
"Well, they've managed to find a nice little settlement on Earth and are doing pretty well for themselves." Erik responded, deciding to hold off the whole half of them coming back from the Blip incident.
"Then we're not the same." Wrex said instantly with a glare. "Your people weren't infected with a genetic mutation, the kind that makes only a few in a thousand survive birth, destroying your entire species."
Erik cringed at that, knowing that maybe he might have crossed a line with that. "Okay, you got a point." Erik acknowledged.
"I don't expect you to understand, so don't compare whatever your people's fate is with the Krogans." Wrex said sternly.
"Okay, okay." Erik said as he held his hands up in a placating gesture. "I was just trying to make conversation. I didn't mean to offend you."
"Your ignorance doesn't upset me, Foster." Wrex said before he took a calming breath. "Anyway, don't worry about the fate of the Krogan. I gave up on them a long time ago. The Genopahge infected us, but it's not what's killing us."
"Are your people really dying?" Erik asked in concern.
"We're certainly not getting any stronger." Wrex replied with a slight troubled look. "We're too spread out. None of us are interested in staying in our own system."
"What's so bad about that?" Erik asked in confusion. "Lots of species travel and go to different worlds."
"Yeah, but they go to colonize new worlds." Wrex reported. "Krogan aren't settlers, we're warriors. We want to fight."
"I think your kind and my people would get along quite well." Erik said with a chuckle.
"The problem is that we leave, and then we hire ourselves out. Most never go back." Wrex said in an almost forlorn tone.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Wrex." Erik said honestly.
"Don't be. It's no scale off my hide if the Krogan live or die. Like I said, I've given up on them a long time ago." Wrex said dismissively, before giving the Avenger a side look. "Look, I'll work with the Turian on this mission, as my only priority right now is taking down Saren."
"Well, I guess that'll work." Erik said with a nod as he walked off back to Garrus, sensing that Wrex wanted to be left alone.
"Didn't work out so well, didn't it." Garrus stated rather than asked.
"Could have gone better, but at least he's said he's willing to work with you." Erik said sheepishly.
"Compared to most other Krogan, that's considered a milestone." Garrus said with smirk, causing Erik to smirk as well.
Off on another part of the cargo hold, Ashley was keeping herself Betsy by making sure all of her equipment was well calibrated. She was unprepared last time she was on a mission, back on Eden Prime, and it nearly got people killed.
This time, she will not make that mistake again.
As she finished inspecting her rifle, a portal appeared out of nowhere close to her, causing her to jump up in surprise, before Vince stepped out. "Do you have to do that everywhere you go?" Ashley said with a light glare.
"Sorry, force of habit." Vince said with a helpless shrug, before looking at everyone as they gathered about, even Tali and Ben. "Everyone, Shepard wants to call a meeting pronto."
Everyone from Avenger and Normandy squad mate looked at each other for a moment before they all stepped through the portal and found themselves in the briefing room in the upper deck of the ship. Kaiden and Shepard were already sat down in chairs and everyone else decided to take their seats as well.
"That sure beats a long ass elevator ride." Wrex joked as he sat.
"Everyone's here and accounted for, Commander." Kaiden said.
Shepard nodded as he decided to get down to business. "Alright, everyone, we all know what our mission is."
"What's the plan, Skipper?" Ashley asked.
"Do you have any clues onto Saren's whereabouts?" Garrus asked.
"Not Saren, but we may have a lead on one of his associates." Shepard informed. "The second voice on the recording, Matriarch Benezia, has a daughter, Dr. Liara T'Soni."
"You think she may know where her mother is?" Vince asked.
"Or perhaps she's involved in all this." Wrex added.
"We don't know anything at the moment. That's why we're going to find her." Shepard said as he activated his Omni-Tool and displayed an image of a different part of the galaxy. "Anderson said that she was last seen within the Artemis Tao Cluster."
"That narrows it down, but it's still a pretty big area to search." Garrus said with an inquisitive look.
"Let me narrow it down more. I was told that she is an archeologist, who prioritizes with Prothean dig sites. All we need to do is search the worlds that have known Prothean dig sites and see if she's at any of them." Shepard said as he paced his fingers on his chin in thought.
"Why not, Therum?" Tali suggested, causing everyone to look towards her. The attention caused her to blush in embarrassment and rubbed the back of her head. "It's just that during my Pilgrimage I heard about Prothean ruins found recently on Therum. I figure it might be the best place to start."
"You know, that's actually a really great idea." Ben said with a smile.
Shepard nodded as he agreed, before pressing a button to activate the pilot intercoms. "Joker, set a course for Therum in the Artemis Tao Cluster."
"Roger that, Commander."
"So, we're either going to find a potential informant that can lead us on the right track, or a possible enemy that may give us some trouble." Ashley noted.
"Yeah, sounds about right." Kaiden said with a shrug.
If she is an enemy, then we need to prepare for the worse." Wrex said with a determined look. "I've heard of Benezia, and she's said to be one of the most powerful biotics out there, even by Asari Matriarch standards."
"So her daughter may be just as skilled." Garrus added. "Let's not forget that if she is connected to Benezia, who in turn is connected to Saren, then there's a possibility we may see Geth there as well."
"Let them come." Erik said as he brandished his sword and gave it a few twirls. "We can take them out easy."
"Feeling pretty confident, huh?" Ashely said with a smirk.
"Well, my dad is the God of Thunder." Erik said with a smirk, but that soon changed to a cringe when he realized what he said. "Oh, shoot." The two other Avengers facepalmed when they heard him just blurt out what he said without any thought.
Everyone on the squad looked at Erik oddly with either shock or confusion by what he just said. Everyone remained silent, though Garrus shook his head at the less tactful way he could have sprung that up. Still, to be honest, sometimes even he finds it difficult that Erik was, from a certain point of view, a demigod.
The silence was soon broken when Ashley started chuckling, before it turned into a full-blown laughter. "Hahahahaha! I'm sorry, but that's just... Pffft-Hahahahaha!" Ashley continued to laugh, but then it started to die down when she actually noted that the three Avengers, and even Garrus were giving her a serious look. "Wait...you were actually serious?"
"Yes, yes I was." Erik stated.
"What do you mean...your dad was a god?" Kaiden asked oddly, unsure of how to take that.
"It's just as he said." Vince said in all seriousness. "Erik's father is the God of Thunder, more specifically, Thor."
"Thor...as in...Thor from Norse mythology?" Shepard asked in an uncertain tone. Honestly, he wasn't sure what to say as he did not expect this meeting to take a turn like this.
"Yeah, I'm calling bullshit on that." Ashley said with a light glare. "You really expect us to believe that you're some kind of demigod. No offense to the aliens on board and whatever their beliefs are, but there's only one God, and sure as hell you aren't his son." Ashley was pure devout woman of faith, despite the fact that they now live in a galaxy shared with aliens, but it never deterred her faith in God. The fact that this guy suggested that he was the son of some god from another pantheon altogether, it just seemed so wrong to her.
"No offense taken." Wrex said simply as he looked at Erik carefully. "However, I definitely smell something odd about you. I've been to several parts of the galaxy and, while I definitely smell human on you, there's something else about you that I've never encountered before."
Vince, Ben, and Erik looked at each other for a second, before they all turned to Garrus who gave a look of understanding. If they were to work together with these people, then they were going to have to trust them with their story.
"That's because we're not from here." Ben said calmly.
"What, like not from the Citadel, or on Earth?" Tali questioned in confusion.
"No, we're from Earth, just not the Earth your familiar with." Vince said cautiously.
"What do you mean by that?" Kaiden asked in confusion. "There's only one Earth, so how can you say you're from there and not be from there?"
"Okay, to put it bluntly, we're from an entirely different universe." Erik said, deciding to just bite the bullet and blurt it out.
"...What?!" Everyone exclaimed in disbelief.
"Okay, okay, I know that it may sound hard to believe, and trust me, I to was skeptical about all this when I first heard it." Garrus spoke up.
"Wait, Garrus you know what they are talking about?" Shepard questioned.
"Yes, and believe me, Commander, everything they are saying is true." Garrus said about.
"Another universe..." Tali whispered in thought before speaking up. "By any chance, are you referring to the Multiverse Theory."
"Exactly!" Ben said excitedly, as he's always loved learning about this theory. "It states how there are multiple universes where all choices and outcomes lead to an alternate reality. Sometimes the outcomes are small and can lead to little changes, while sometimes the outcomes are huge and can lead to a reality that's almost unrecognizable."
"Look, we've all heard that theory through the grapevine, but that's all it is; a theory." Kaiden said.
"It's not a theory." Vince said as he clapped his hands, before they started to glow, and then spread them out. This caused an image of Earth to appear before everyone, shocking everyone present.
"How did you do that?" Tali asked in amazement.
"Magic." Vince said simply.
"Again, I call bullshit on that." Ashley repeated.
"And again, it's hard to believe, but it is very real." Garrus repeated as well.
Vince stared to wave his hands as they glowed with magic, causing the magical image of Earth to split into two, and those split into four, then into eight, sixteen, and so on. "Reality is not in a linear path, as you all believe. Throughout the grand cosmos, there are multiple universes, each with their own set of histories, wars, Earths, aliens; basically an infinite amount of possibilities."
"And you're saying that you three come from one of these universes." Shepard stated as he gave the heroes his full attention.
"That's right, and for a while now we've been trying to find a way back." Erik said with a nod.
"Okay...if you're all from another universe, then how did you get here to begin with?" Tali asked curiously.
"That's...a bit complicated." Ben said as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, we're all ears." Ashley said as she gestured to everyone sitting around listening in.
"Alright, but we're on a mission, so I'll have to do this the fastest way." Vince said as he dispersed the images of multiple Earths, and then followed it up by having multiple golden magic streams shoot out of his hands. Garrus instantly recognized this when he first met the heroes and knew what is to come next.
"Guys, prepare to get whammied." Garrus said with a slight chuckle.
"'Whammied?'" Shepard questioned as one of the golden streams instantly went in his, and everyone else's, head.
Instantly, images started to flood their minds, as their eyes widened from all that they were seeing, as if they were really there. Garrus looked on in sympathy, as he felt that wave of information as well, and while it was informative, it can hurt just as bad as a hangover.
The images in their heads soon ceased, as everyone gasped and took multiple deep breaths from what they just went through.
"What...what was that?" Wrex said after taking a couple of breaths.
"That was our worlds past, more specifically the Avengers past." Vince answered.
"So...all those people..." Tali asked after taking a deep breath.
"We're the past Avengers, the ones that came before us." Ben finished.
"Yeah, you see, our parents were Avengers and after they retired, we took up the roles they left behind." Erik explained.
Shepard took one calming breath before looking at the three heroes with a serious look. "So, it's all true then? About you all being from another universe?" Shepard asked, earning a nod from everyone else.
"After what i just saw, I'm inclined to believe it now." Kaiden said in awe.
"It just...it just seems so impossible." Ashley said, still reading from what just transpired.
"Trust me, our universe thrives on the impossible." Ben said with a little smile.
"Then this begs the question." Tali asked with great curiosity. "If you're all from your own universe, then how did you end up here in ours?"
"Well, it all started when I stumbled across a weapons deal." Ben answered as he recalled what happened. "An organization we thought was taken down, known as Advanced Idea Mechanics, were buying out powerful weapons and technology so they can better combat the rest of the Avengers."
"Typical evil organization shit." Erik said with a shrug.
"And one of those weapons sent you here?" Wrex asked.
"Some kind of large device did, but we were unsure of what it was, only that it was old and yet advanced at the same time." Vince answered. "Ever since we've arrived here I've been unable to open a portal back home."
"But we've seen you open portal before." Ashley said.
"Yeah, but those were all portals leading to places in this reality, and the multiverse is a concept that we know frighteningly little of." Vince said strongly. "Opening a portal across universes is extremely difficult and complex, and so far it's like we are completely cut off from our home. So, unless I'm able to safely break boundaries between our universes without tearing apart reality..."
"Keelah." Tali muttered in slight awe and fear.
"...or someone from our universe manages to reverse what happened and pull us back, we're pretty much stuck here." Vince said with a defeated sigh.
"It's not all bad, though." Ben said with a shrug, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "No matter where we are, whether it's in a different planet, or even a whole other universe, we're still going to keep helping others. That includes helping all of you take down Saren."
"Cause that's what heroes do." Erik said with a grin.
Shepard smiled at this as he got up and shook their hands in respect. "Well, whether or not you're from around here, we're still glad to have you aboard and part of this mission."
"Yeah, I mean, who else can say that they get to team up with superheroes from another dimension." Kaiden said with a chuckle, though Ashley still looked a tad bit troubled by all this new information, though she did her best to hide it.
"And if there's a method somewhere in this universe to get you all back home, we will help you find it." Tali said sincerely as she could understand their situation, in a sense. Her people were exiled from the home world, and some of them still hang on to the belief that they'll be able to see Rannoch's beauty once again.
"Thanks guys." Ben said before he smirked. "So then, who's up for a little space adventure?"
/
After making the jump through one of the mass relays, the Normandy ship eventually found itself within the Artemis Tao Cluster, and eventually all the way up to Therum. Shepard stood next to Joker in the pilot seat, along with Ashley and Vince, as they gazed at the incoming planet of their destination.
"And to your left, people, you will see Therum, the perfect tropical get away. You know, if you're idea of tropical was lava rivers, molten rocks, and possible chances of death." Joker said with a joking smile.
"Is the air breathable, by any chance?" Vince asked cautiously.
"Oh yeah, no need for any breathing helmets." Joker Said with an easygoing smile.
"Okay, then let's head down and get to the MAKO. Joker, fly us in close and drop us off." Shepard said as he, Ashley, and Vince walked off back to the cargo hold.
"Wait, why don't you just open a portal down there?" Ashley asked in confusion.
"I can only open a portal to places where I have been or have knowledge of." Vince answered. "I've never been to Therum so I wouldn't be able to get us there on a whim."
"So, your magic has to be literal?" Ashley asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Sometimes, but yeah, basically." Vince said with a shrug.
The group eventually made it back into the cargo hold and everyone gathered together inside the MAKO, with Shepard in the driver's seat. It was a bit of a tight fit, but they managed to make it work and fit everyone in.
The Normandy eventually flew in close to the planet's surface, careful not to get in close to the lava river. After moving in close, the back of the ship opened up and the MAKO drove, landing on the ground.
"Alright, people, let's get rolling." Shepard said as he drove off.
"So how are we going to find this dig site?" Ben asked curiously.
"Follow the pipes." Shepard said as he drove right by some pipes on the sides. "These fuel lines will lead us to some outposts that will eventually connect to the ruins."
Kaiden tapped his ear his comm and spoke up. "Commander, Joker says he's got something to tell you ASAP."
"Patch him through." Shepard said as he pressed a button up front. "What do you have, Joker?"
"Commander, I'm picking up some strange readings. Really strange. Like, off the charts."
"He couldn't be more specific?" Ben whispered to Garrus, causing the Turian to chuckle in response.
"It looks like it's coming from an underground complex a few klicks away from the drop zone."
"Copy, Joker." Shepard said as he turned off the comms. "You heard the man. Expect the unexpected."
"It's what we do best." Erik said with a grin.
The ride remained silent after that with everyone just handing on from the drive on rocky terrain. Occasionally they would look out to see if there was anything of interest, but each time there was nothing but rocks and lava.
The MAKO drove over a rocky makeshift bridge over a pool of lava and made a turn, but then Ben lifted his head up in alarm, and gave a troubled look. Erik and Vince caught sight of this, and understood instantly what it meant.
"Ben, you alright?" Vince asked with concern.
"Guys...we've got company." Ben said with his eyes narrowed as he pulled down his mask in preparation.
"What do you mean? Kaiden asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Trust me." Ben said. "I've got this little tingle in the back of my head that warns me if something's going to go down."
"A tingle?" Ashely asked in confusion.
Sure enough, something did happen as a loud rumbling noise sounded throughout the air above the MAKO. Everyone looked up in the driver's window and were able to see clear as day a ship flying in close and making a slight turn before stopping midair.
"That's a Geth ship." Tali said with dread.
"Goes to show we're on the right track." Garrus said with his eyes narrowed.
All of a sudden, two large objects shot out of the Geth ship and impacted the ground, creating a large dust cloud for each one. When the dust settled, the two large objects unfolded and revealed to be robots with four spider-like legs, a long neck, and large head-like structure with a single light as an eye.
"Armature!" Tali exclaimed in alarm.
The two Armatures aimed at the MAKO as it continued to drive towards them, before they gathered electrical energy, and then fired balls of electricity at them. Shepard made a sharp turn to avoid one shot, but the second one impacted them, but the shield still held strong.
"Well, that's one heck of a greeting." Vince said sarcastically.
"Let me show them the way Krogan's do greetings." Wrex said as he stood up and manned the turret. "Eat this, you synthetic pyjaks!" Wrex started shooting the machine gun portion of the turrets, with every so often firing a missile shot. Each shot managed to impact one of the Armatures, causing it to stumble back, but it's own shield still held. It managed to get back up straight and fired again, forcing Shepard to maneuver the MAKO out of the way, much to Wrex's annoyance. "Stop moving around, Shepard! I can't get a clear shot!"
"Sure, Wrex, let's lay still and be an easy target." Shepard said sarcastically.
"If we focus on taking down one, the second Armature will take that as an opportunity to hit us." Kaiden said as they all grunted from another impact shot.
Erik leaked up front and gazed at the two Armatures, before he stood up and brandished his sword. "You guys keep them on their toes. I'll give us some breathing room."
"Wait, what are you doing?!" Ashley asked in alarm. Erik didn't say anything as he opened the top hatch and climbed his way out to the top and grasped on tight, as to not fall off, much to the Gunnery Chief's disbelief. "Is he nuts?!"
"No, just reckless." Vince said casually, having been used to this.
Erik narrowed his eyes as he gripped the hilt of his sword, holding on with his other hand as the MAKO made another maneuver to avoid getting shot at. Erik then started to twirl his sword like a helicopter blade, before he thrust it forward, launching him into the air and high above the two Armatures. One of the two Geth machines glanced upward and managed to see him rapidly descending right towards them, so it began to charge up a shot in order to shoot him down.
However, Erik was faster on the draw as he threw his sword down right at the Armature, causing it to shoot forward with intense speed, before it impacted and sliced off two of the Armature's legs like butter. This caused the machine to lose its balance and tumbled down to the ground, canceling out its electrical attack. The last thing it saw was Erik finally descending down and landing feet first on the crippled machine, crushing it and breaking it apart to pieces.
The second Armature, sensing that he was a bigger threat, took aim at Erik and was about to fire, but the demigod grabbed one of the severed legs of the first destroyed Armature with his bare hands and threw it at the second machine, causing it to stumble back and fall backwards. The Armature tried getting back up, but it was then soon pelted by bullets and multiple missile shots from the MAKO, before it's shield couldn't take anymore and it was soon destroyed.
Erik nodded in approval as he held out his hand, and from the wreckage of the first Armature his sword came flying back and back into his hand. The MAKO soon drove up next to him and Ben's head popped up from the top hatch. "Do you always have to show off?" Ben asked jokingly.
"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Erik countered with a grin, before he hopped on top and climbed back into the MAKO. Everyone who was completely unaware of Erik's full skill set just stared at him in disbelief and awe, trying to find the words of they just witnessed.
"HA!" Wrex said with wide grin as he punched Erik on the shoulder hard. "That's the true way to take down an enemy!"
"I just...I have no words..." Ashley said in disbelief.
"No one has ever destroyed an Armature with their bare hands!" Tali said in awe.
"I had a little help." Erik said with a grin as he held up his sword.
"'A little help,' he says." Vince said with a smirk and a shake of his head.
Shepard, while still in disbelief at what he just witnessed, regained a stern expression as he knew the job wasn't done yet. "Alright, people, let's get back on track. That was just one obstacle, and with Geth involved, you know it's going to get harder from here." Everyone nodded at that as Shepard put the peddle to the metal and drove off in the direction of the dig site.
The drive was relatively smooth after that as they continued driving to the first outpost, avoiding a couple lava pools along the way.
Eventually they drove through a small canyon, and spotted an outpost up ahead of them, but instead of feeling some form of relief, they were immediately on edge as they spotted three Geth turrets at the front gate and all of them aimed at the MAKO. They all fired rockets, but Shepard managed to maneuver the MAKO out of the way.
Ashely eyes narrowed in frustration. "This route's a no-go. They have the height and cover!"
"They have the high ground!" Ben said in alarm, before he was smacked in the back of the head by Vince. "Ow! What?!"
"Seriously?" Vince said with a deadpanned stare.
"Only a fool punches a nathak in the mouth. We should sneak around and pull its tail." Wrex advised.
"There, on the right." Kaiden pointed out when he spotted a separate path.
Deciding to take it, Shepard drove the MAKO through the second path, which curved around and managed to go past the three turrets, though there was another one in their path. Still, Wrex was able to use the MAKO's own turret and destroyed it with ease.
"Ha! I love this gun!" Wrex said with glee. The group continued to drive forward until they eventually came upon an outpost with two large gates, one that led back to those three turrets, and the second one leading in the direction they were supposed to go. However, the problem was not over as the outpost was completely filled with over a dozen Geth, who all aimed their weapons at the MAKO and started firing, but the shield still held.
"Clear them out!" Shepard ordered.
"On it!" Ben said as he opened the top hatch of the hopped out high in the air, causing all the Geth to follow their sights on him. This distraction was enough for the rest of the squad to come out of the MAKO and engage the enemy.
Wrex charged at two of the Geth and bashed them away with a shoulder, before finishing them off with point shot from his shotgun when they were down. Ashley expertly shot down a couple of Geth soldiers as she used a large metal crate for cover from their fire. A couple of Geth Shocktroopers created a shield and used it for cover as they continued firing at her, but Kaiden came in and used his biotics to make them float up out of the cover, giving Ashely and him the chance to shoot them down.
Garrus stayed inside the MAKO and mounted the gun, taking out multiple Geth in the distance with his keen eye so that way they don't try to sneak up on them. Like these two Geth soldiers that snuck up from behind Wrex, who didn't notice them as he was too busy shooting down another group of Geth. Garrus turned the turret at the two Geth sneaking up behind him and fired a single cannon shot that completely obliterated the two Geth.
Wrex heard this and turned around, noticing the bits and pieces of Geth littered behind him, causing him to look right at the MAKO, knowing Garrus was still in there. He stared hard at it, before he gave a nod of approval, and although Garrus wasn't visible in his eyes, he could tell that he returned the gesture.
Meanwhile, Ben used his enhanced agility and tingle sense to avoid getting shot at by a couple of Geth soldiers, before shooting a web line at one of their heads, yanked him towards him, and delivered a spin kick. He then shot another line that pulled the weapon out of the second Geth's hand, before spinning it around and throwing it hard at the synthetics head.
"You know, guys, we're really living up to our folks now!" Ben said happily to his teammates as he zipped up to another Geth and delivered a hard kick to its midsection.
"How do you figure that?" Vince asked as he used his magic to construct multiple buzzsaws and sent them forward, slicing multiple Geth to pieces. Another Geth tried shooting at him, but he just created a barrier to protect himself, and followed it up by throwing at magic fireball at the synthetic, creating an explosion that obliterated it.
"Well, think about it." Ben said as he hopped on top of another Geth and ripped its head off. "We've been fighting people, then aliens, and now we're fighting robots. I think that completes the bad guy trifecta."
"Hold on." Erik spoke up as sliced one Geth with his sword, before throwing it like a frisbee. The sword spun around and flew through the air as it sliced apart multiple Geth in half, before he held out his hand and called it back to him. "Your guys' dads never fought robots. By that account I actually outrank all of you in the expectations department."
"Perhaps, instead of comparing each other experience, we can focus on the task at hand." Tali called out as she shot another Geth down. She then looked to the side and cast a worried look as, stepping out from one of the gate buildings doorways were two large red Geth. "We've got Juggernauts inbound!"
"Juggernauts. That's a pretty cool name." Ben said.
The two Juggernauts held out their weapons and both fired distortion rockets at the group. Instead of fleeing for cover, Vince stepped forward and opened a portal in the way of the rockets, causing them to go through it. He then opened another portal that was direct ally beside the first one, and the rockets came out of it, heading right straight for two Juggernauts.
The two Geth got hit with their own weapons and stumbled back with one of them being destroyed. The second one was still operational and stood back up to fire again. Shepard wouldn't allow this as he drove the MAKO right towards the Geth and completely ran it over, crushing it beneath its wheels.
"Dang, now that's a finisher." Ben said with his eyes slightly widened. With that last one taken care of, the outpost was completely secure.
"So those were the Geth, huh?" Vince said as he looked at one of then destroyed machines, before looking at the Alliance soldiers. "They were the ones that attacked Eden Prime?"
"Yeah, except they were in a much larger force." Ashley said as she glared at one of the destroyed synthetics. "I've watched these things kill a lot of good men, good soldiers, some were even my friends."
"Anybody know why their heads look like flashlights?" Erik said as he picked up one of the severed robot heads and casually tossed it aside.
"My people designed them for labor. We never really thought much about their aesthetic." Tali said with a shrug.
"The fact that they're means that this Liara person does have value." Kaiden said as Shepard and Garrus exited the MAKO.
"Yeah, but there's still the mystery of whether she's of value to us so they're here to eliminate her, or value to the enemy so they're trying to protect her." Garrus inquired.
"As much as it pains me to say it, Geth are a good thing, because we know that we're heading in the right direction." Tali said as she looked towards the gate that had the three enemy turrets on the other side. "Think we should take care of those three turrets on the other side?"
"So long as that gate stays up, they won't be an issue." Wrex said with a shrug.
"Still though, as soon as we're done here, I'll let Alliance Command know about them and they'll most likely send an air strike to take them out." Shepard said as he looked towards the gate building that controlled where they wanted to go and walked towards it. "I'm gonna get that gate up so we can move on."
"We'll cover you." Ashley said as she, Garrus and Vince followed, with the others staying behind the MAKO.
The group walked right inside the gate building and managed to open the gate, but not before taking care of one last remaining Geth Rocket Trooper. The group went back inside the MAKO and drove off in the direction they needed to go. They drove down the path and around a large lava lake, but the silence was once again interrupted when everyone spotted that same Geth Dropship up above in the distance.
"Not again." Kaiden said in annoyance.
"Why do I get the feeling every time we see that ship itself going to lead to nothing but trouble." Ben said with a groan.
"You call it trouble; I call it sport." Wrex said with a grin.
"How much of a resistance are we going to expect now?" Vince asked Tali, as she was their Geth expert in all this.
"Their first wave was to test us, and now that they have some knowledge about what we are capable of, they will devise a strategy to try and counter and eliminate us." Tali theorized.
Sure enough, that resistance came in soon as they were soon hit with a couple of electrical pulse blast from two Armatures, and it was was then followed up by multiple shots of rockets, courtesy of half a dozen Geth Rocket Troopers even farther away.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say we pissed them off." Erik said with a grin.
"They're synthetics, they can't get pissed off." Tali said firmly, before her eyes caught something in the distance that made her gasp in shock and fear. Right behind the group of Rocket Troopers, she was able to see a pure white Geth walker that looked exactly like the Armatures, except it was twice as big as them. "Oh no, we've got a Colossus!"
"That's bad, right?" Kaiden asked as everyone jerked around due to Shepard trying to have the MAKO avoid getting shot at, with Garrus firing back with the turret.
"Worse. They're twice as big, and twice as dangerous from a standard Armature." Tali informed.
Erik looked at the monitor that displayed the Colossus, before he gained a determined look and stepped up. "You guys focus on those two Armatures. Ill take care of the rest."
"Are you crazy?!" Ashley exclaimed in disbelief.
"Negative, Erik, we should all stick together." Shepard said.
"He's right, Erik." Tali said with worry. "Look, as strong as you are, I'm not sure doing the same trick would work on a Colossus as it did an Armature."
"Trust me, you guys, I know what I'm doing." Erik said.
"And just what exactly will you be doing?!" Ashley demanded to know.
"I've told you guys who I am..." Erik said as he soon gave them a calm smile. "...now let me show you. Vince I'm gonna need some cover."
"On it." Vince said as he opened a portal on the floor that led to outside the MAKO and both of them jumped through, facing the group of Geth Rocket Troopers and the Colossus. Vince created a large barrier that protected them from the rockets being shot at them.
"I may like a good fight, but even I have to say that's nuts." Wrex spoke up.
"Are you sure we should let them go out there alone?" Tali asked Ben with concern.
Ben, however, didn't look scared at all, as he just gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Trust me, everyone, you're all about to see some fireworks."
Shepard wasn't sure how to take that, but this was no time to second guess these things as he moved the MAKO again, and Garrus fired the cannon, hitting one of the Armatures head on and completely destroyed it. Garrus then had an idea, as he noticed the lava lake right behind the Armature. He then focused fire from the machine gun part of the turret right near the walker's feet, causing it to stumble back, before it lost its footing and fell right into the lava, completely melting it to oblivion.
"You know, I don't think he's gonna enjoy that swim." Ben joked.
"Too bad. He really needed it." Garrus said with a smirk.
"What about Erik?" Ashley asked in concern.
Shepard looked out the viewing window to see if their two comrades were still alright, but then noticed something odd. "Are those...storm clouds?"
Back with Erik, he closed his eyes and focused as he let the ancient magic from his bloodline course through him. The storm clouds boomed with thunder and flashes of lightning, while Erik held his sword and started spinning it rapidly. As it spun, sparks of electricity flowed through the sword as he then held the sword up in the air.
As soon as he did that, a large bolt came down and impacted the sword, causing the energy to flow from Erik's sword through him. Erik's eyes narrowed as he looked towards Vince, giving him the signal to lower the shield. Vince nodded as he did just that, lowering the shield and gave Erik a clear chance to finish them off.
Erik thrusted his sword forward, sending out a beam of electricity that hit the first Rocket Trooper, which followed to the next one, and the next one, until each of the Geth surged with energy and exploded. The Colossus focused solely on Erik as it prepared to fire another shot at him, but it never got the chance as Erik gave a downward slash with his sword, causing a massive bolt of lightning to come down and completely obliterate the Colossus.
When all enemies were taken care of, Erik breathed a sigh of relief as he and Vince walked back to the MAKO and got back inside. However, the moment Erik took his seat, he noticed everyone that wasn't an Avenger looked at him with pure disbelief, shock, and awe. Even the usually stoic and levelheaded Shepard couldn't help but stare at Erik with the same expression as everyone else.
The silence was soon broken by Wrex, who even he had a look of pure disbelief. "So...God of Thunder, huh?"
"Yeah, not so unbelievable now, huh?" Erik said with a light smile.
"I'm just...that just...what just happened, shouldn't be scientifically possible!" Tali exclaimed in shock.
"I've known you guys the longest, and even I can't help but feel surprised by that." Garrus said with a slight chuckle.
"That was...I'm just at a loss for words." Ashley said hollowly as she honestly didn't know what to say.
"You think that was impressive, you should see what the actual Thor can do." Ben said with a smirk. "Makes what Erik did feel like a birthday party magic act."
Shepard shook his head a bit as he tried to get back on track. "Well, Erik, regardless of the method, you managed to clear us a path. Good work." Shepard said with a nod. "Just make sure you keep us in the loop next time you do something like that."
"No problem, Shepard." Erik said with a two-fingered salute.
Shepard nodded as he then drove the MAKO right down the clear path before them, eventually driving down through a tunnel. The drive was relative silent and simple, with the occasional Geth getting in the way, but one quick shot from the MAKO's cannon easily dispatched them. This went on for a while as the group continued to drive and take out more Geth in the way, but Erik noticed something.
Whenever he would glance at Ashely, she would do her best to avoid eye contact with him, or at least try to appear as if nothing was bothering her. Erik could tell, however, that ever since he told them all that his dad was Thor, she's been acting very odd, especially around him. When this whole ordeal was over, he's going to have to have a chat with her about it.
After about a few more minutes of driving and shooting some more Geth, with the occasional running them over just for fun, which made Wrex and secretly Tali very happy, the MAKO soon came to an abrupt stop. "What's the matter, Shepard? Why aren't we moving?" Wrex asked.
"We've hit a road block." Shepard said as he oinked out a bunch of rocks and boulders blocking their only path. "We'll have to go on foot from here." With that said, the group exited the MAKO and pushed their way past the boulders and continued their trek on foot.
"Not to sound like 'that guy,' but are we there yet?" Ben asked.
"Let me see if I can get a clear sight." Vince said as he flew up in the air to get a better vantage look. Normally the Normandy squad would be put off by the fact that he's flying, but they've seen him open portals to almost anywhere, and just witnessed a guy shoot lightning out of a sword. Vince soon came down and addressed the gang. "Alright, good news is that the dig site is not that far. We just need to get through this crevice and make our way uphill to the facility."
"That's the good news, now pray tell, what's the bad news?" Tali inquired.
"The bad news is we got quite a bit of Geth between us and the ruins." Vince said in a deadpanned tone.
"It's never that easy, is it?" Garrus said with a sigh.
"If it was easy, then it would get boring pretty fast." Kaiden said with a smirk.
"Okay, people, let's get a move on." Shepard said as he and the others holstered their weapons, before he smirked at all of them. "Just imagine this as a hike with an extreme obstacle course."
"Sure, why not make a game out of a sudden death situation." Ashley said with an eye roll, yet still smirked.
The group made their way through the crevice, and eventually did manage to spot Geth up ahead. They all used the rocks and boulders as cover with the soldiers and aliens firing their guns and shooting them down. There was a Geth Shock Trooper that created a shield to use as cover, but Erik just threw his sword and managed to go right through the shield, which, in turn, caused it pierce right through the Geth's chest. Erik called his sword back and ripped the offline synthetic right off it.
The group found the uphill path and trekked right on it, but they had to stop again as they not only had to deal with another squad of Geth soldiers, but there were also a couple of vantage towers where snipers were taking aim. Getting an idea, Ben stepped out of cover and launched multiple web lines on nothing of the towers, before giving a hard pull, bringing the towers down right on top of most of the Geth.
Those Geth that did survive the falling towers were easily sniped down by both Garrus and Shepard as they picked them off one by one, with the others just hanging back.
"Gotta say, you're pretty good with the sniper, Shepard." Garrus said with a nod of approval.
"Thanks, Garrus." Shepard said with a smile as he holstered his sniper rifle and brought out his original rifle. "I've been target practicing since before I could even walk, so I've got an impressive record to keep."
"Well, I will say that's pretty impressive. I think that makes you the second greatest sniper I've seen." Garrus said with a shrug.
"Oh, really? Then who's the first?" Shepard said with a challenging smirk.
Garrus looked at the Commander and matched his smirk with one of his own. "Just some Turian I see every time I look in a mirror."
"Oh, I think he's calling you out, Commander." Kaiden said chuckle.
"I think he is, Lieutenant." Shepard said.
"You guys may have your precious long-range pea shooters..." Wrex spoke up with a grin of his as he brandished his shotgun. "Me, I'd like to get get close and then BOOM! You're dead."
"Oh yeah, well I don't think your fancy guns toy can really bring the thunder like I can." Erik said as he swung his sword a bit.
Ashley sighed with an eye roll, as she and Tali looked towards each other. "Men."
"I know, right. So competitive." Tali said in agreement.
"Hey, guys!" Ben called out as he and Vince were up ahead and on top of the hill. "I think we're here!"
The rest of the gang followed up, and sure enough, they did arrive at the dig site to the Prothean ruins. An outpost building and some equipment were left and on their right was the entrance to the tunnel that led to the underground ruins.
"Alright, looks like we're in the clear." Kaiden said with a smile, which caused everyone to groan, much to his confusion. "What?"
"Take it from me, Kaiden, never say we're in the clear." Shepard said with groan.
Sure enough, something did happen as another Geth that was stuck at the bottom of a catwalk dropped on the ground, before leaping up and attaching itself to the side of the building, with its single eye focused on them. A second one popped up from the other side and attached itself to a stack of crates.
"Never seen that kind before." Wrex said as everyone pointed their weapons.
"Is that a...Geth frog?" Erik asked in confusion.
"No, a Geth Stalker." Tali said with caution. "Be careful, they're very fast and very deadly."
For some reason, the sight of these machines showing off their adhesive abilities just seemed to irk Ben to a degree. "Hey, wall crawling is my thing!" Ben exclaimed angrily. "If you guys start spouting webs then I'm suing!"
Ashley gave a deadpanned look at the spider-themed hero. "Seriously? That's what you get upset about."
Just then, the Geth dropship came flying in from above again, and dropped off multiple Geth before them. It didn't end there as a Geth Armature was dropped as well, and unfolded itself, ready for battle.
"Oh, sure, let's just make it a party." Vince said sarcastically.
"Move in!" Shepard ordered as he shot down a Geth soldier before it could fire.
Erik noticed a Geth sniper up on a tower and was about to take aim, so he leapt up a great distance to land on the tower himself. The Geth screeched as it tried to turn the gun on him, but Erik easily bashed the gun out of its hand, and then stabbed it in the chest with his sword.
Kaiden and Wrex tried shooting down one of the Geth Stalkers, but the slippery little bastard kept leaping from one place to the other, causing them to miss every time. Kaiden grunted in annoyance as he fired again, but the Stalker leaped away again and stuck to the catwalk, before shining a focused laser light on the Lieutenant.
"Move it, human!" Wrex said as he pushed Kaiden out of the way, just in time to, as the Stalker fired an energy bolt that nearly hit him.
"Whoa, thanks Wrex." Kaiden said gratefully.
"We're not getting anywhere with these." Wrex said in an aggravated tone as he gestures to their guns, before he smirked as his Biotics flared up. "So, let's think out of the box for this one." Kaiden smirked at this as he caused his Biotics to flare up as well.
Kaiden watched as the Stalker started to leap from one side to the other, in order to trip them up, but the Lieutenant used a Biotic Lift on it in midair, causing it to float aimlessly and, best of all, helplessly. Wrex used a Biotic Throw and sent the Stalker to the ground, and before it could even try to get back up, the Krogan brute rushed forward and stomped its head into mush.
Kaiden walked up and gave the Krogan as side look. "You enjoyed that way too much."
"You bet I did." Wrex said with a smirk.
Tali shot down a couple Geth Soldiers, while taking cover as a couple more of them came in closer. Thinking quickly, the young Quarian pulled out a grenade and quickly threw just below the approaching Geth's feet, and it exploding, blowing them both to pieces.
Tali had no time to feel relief though, as she noticed the second Geth Stalker on the side of the wall and locked on her, preparing to fire. Spider-Man came swinging in and shot a web line at the Stalker, before slamming hm to the ground. When the hero landed, the Stalker crawled around on all fours and started firing rapid shots at the spider-themed hero, forcing him to flip multiple times out of the way.
The Geth Stalker then tried to leap back to the wall, but Spider-Man shot a web line at his legs before he could reach it, forcing him to drop to the ground. Before it could even have the chance to crawl away, Spider-Man leapt up and slammed his fist right in the torso of the synthetic, before lifting it up and ripping the Geth in half.
Spider-Man turned to Tali as she approached him. "You alright?"
"I'm good." Tali said as she gave a thankful look to the universal hero. "That's twice I owe you."
Ben shrugged bashfully, while trying to act cool. "Oh, you know, that's just what we heroes do. Take down evil robots and save the damsel in distress."
Tali smirked at that remark, before she casually pulled out her pistol and shot over Ben's shoulder, getting a couple of shots on a Geth sniper on a boulder about to shoot at them. "What was that about a damsel in distress?" Tali asked cheekily.
"For the record, I knew he was there." Ben said as they both ran back into action.
"Sure you did." Tali said.
Garrus and Shepard shot at the Geth Armature with everything they had, but without the firepower of the MAKO, they weren't doing as much damage as before. They both threw a couple grenades at the large Geth walker, but its shield still held strong, before they decided to just focus fire on the head. They had to take cover, though, as the Armature started firing at them, forcing them on the defense.
Vince flew up from above, garnering the Armature's attention as it locked on him and was about to fire, but then Vince waved his arms, and for some reason seemed to gain multiple arms. In an instant, multiple Vince's appeared in the air and surrounded the large Geth walker, confusing its sensors as it looked around and was unsure which Vince to shoot at. Garrus and Shepard peaked out from their cover and were instantly stunned by what they were witnessing, even the others who weren't aware just how prolific Vince was with his magic.
Before the Armature could fire, all of the Vince's threw out a whip of magic and completely wrapped around the large walker, before they all gave a pull, causing the Armature to be ripped apart to bits and pieces. With all the threats taken care of, Vince floated back down to the ground and made all his duplicates disappear as he rejoined the others. Everyone, except for Erik and Ben, looked at Vince in shock, which they admit is probably going to be theme with them ever since they let the Avengers help them out.
"You know, the more and more I try to figure your magic out, the more I realize I should just quit while I'm ahead." Garrus said with a sigh.
"That's probably a smart move." Vince said.
"I'll tell you all one thing, I'm gonna need a drink, or ten, after all this." Wrex said.
Shepard shook his head as he tried to regain everyone's focus. "Alright, people, we've taken care of the Geth topside, so let's get down there and find Dr. T'Soni." Shepard said as they all walked up the ramp that led to the entrance to Prothean ruins. Shepard pressed a button on a terminal and the doors slid open, leading to a long downhill tunnel.
"What's that old saying? Into the lions den?" Ben asked.
"Yeah, except these lions have guns." Ashley said as she looked down the tunnel with a critical look.
"Well then, let's not keep these lions waiting." Shepard said as he gave a determined look before being the first to walk into the until, with each member of the squad following close behind one by one.
/
Hey everyone, I'm back with the newest chapter for this story!
I gotta say, this chapter was both fun to write, but tiring as hell. This was a long chapter to write, and believe it or not it was meant to be longer, but I just decided to turn this mission into a two-parter just to let people know this story still lives and I am working on it. I mean 12,000 words in a chapter has got to be my limit. Any further and I felt like I was just going to collapse on my bed in exhaustion.
So yeah, the Avengers have told (almost) everyone about their origins and how they arrived here in this universe, and I hope I kept their reactions in character. Now that that's out of the way, we are now going through the first major mission for the Normandy crew and that is Therum to pick up Liara. Her being a scientist, I can't wait to write her reactions to each of the Avengers abilities and the fact they're from another universe.
Now, I know that in my last chapter I made a list of which MCU Marvel films and series would have an impact on this story, but I totally forgot to add Spider-Man:No Way Home to the list so I'm just going to say now, while that movie was an amazing event, I will not have that movie be part of my MCU timeline. As far as Spider-Man is concerned in the MCU timeline I written out for this story, it cuts off at Far From Home.
However, that movie has given me an idea for an upcoming arc for this story...
Anyway, next chapter is part 2 for Therum, and I can't wait for that. Until then, I will see you all next time, everyone. Stay healthy, stay safe!