A/N: Alright ladies and gentlmen, good news and bad news. Good news first. I'm on the mend. Even better, My grandmother's all but recovered from congestive heart failure and I managed to sell my old house, though all that money went to more bills. Ugh. Anywho, I've finished moving my things and am now a proud resident of East Berlin, Pennsylvania! Alas, I'm still jobless, and the bills are piling up because of my health. Fun, right?
Anywho, I managed to put this up here at points between job hunting. It's been great, guys. Loving the feedback. Really. I'm hanging tough though, despite everything life is throwing at me. Despite all that's happening, I don't intend to abandon this or my other works! Though I would greatly be appreciative of a Co-Writer or two at this point! On another note, there was a discrepancy mentioned with Kai Leng's age, but for the sake of that story, I'm tossing that and a few other things out the window. You'll soon see what I mean...
"Stars shine brightest, in the dark..."
~?
Beacon of Hope
"Well, I'll be damned."
Those were the first words out of Naruto's mouth as the cargo bay doors of the Destiny Ascension whooshed open for him and Thane, exposing the Citadel in all her glistening glory...as well as the substantial welcoming comittee awaiting their triumphant return. At his side Sove clutched to his arm as though he were a life preserver and all the world a savage storm, she were fearful of sinking beneath its turbulent waters. The maiden's violet eyes flitted this way and that, doubtlessly searching for her mother amidst the horde of C-Sec officers and failing miserably.
"Where is she?" she asked, her words the barest of whispers. "Where's my mother?"
"Calm yourself, young one." Thane soothed, grasping her firm on the shoulder. "We'll be taking you to her shortly."
"And the Batarians...?"
"Will never harm you again." he answered. "We have seen to that."
Sove quieted both at his touch and his words, nodding tremulously.
"Oh, so there's a we now?" Naruto feigned a frown. "Funny."
Thane rumbled deep and low in his chest, it took the ninja a moment to register the fact that his ally was actually laughing.
"In a sense, there has always been a we. You, were simply not aware of it." At the young man's baffled expression, the alien saw fit to elabroate. "Just as you have your own mentors, I have been training your tattooed Siha for some time now, helping her to improve her biotics."
"She is not my...wait a second!" Naruto nearly choked on his own spit. "You've been teaching Jack?!"
"For several years now, yes. My business with Karr was a personal matter, however. I was merely...persuaded to act upon it sooner, rather than later." The sudden realization that he had Miri and Jack to thank for what had seemed like a timely arrival on the Drell's part acutally galled Naruto a little bit. Did they not believe in his ability? Not trust in him? Or, were they truly so worried about him that they were willing to send one of the most deadly killers in the world to back him up. Either way, he resolved to have a talk with them once this was over.
"Those sneaky little...
Mercifully, Citadel Security chose that moment to finally approach them and begin the tenuous proccess of retrieving the survivors and taking stock of the damages. That soon escalated into a massive cleanup effort as they realized the sheer scope of the slaughter. Of the roughly fifty Batarian's who had hijacked the Destiny Ascension, there was only one survivor. Blinded in three eyes and raving with madness, no one believe any of his ramblings; the tale of a thousand clones overwhelming him and his men went utterly unheeded against the collective ears of C-Sec.
"That's no man! He's a demon, I tell you!" The maimed man raved as his lone eye rolled back in its skull, mouth gibbering incoherently as an officer cuffed and dragged him away. "A nine-tailed demon!"
"What exactly did you do to Karr's men?" Thane whispered.
The ninja's only response was to smile impishly.
"A shinobi never tells."
The freed hostages- not a single casualty amongst them thanks to Naruto's quick thinking- streamed down the ramp almost immediately after that, each murmurring thanks to their beloved saviours but not poor Sove; she only clung to Naruto even tighter when C-Sec tried to take her, refusing to reilinquish her hold even now that she was they emancipated from the hell she'd been in. Any attempt to extricate her only resulted in her clinging to her saviour even more tightly-there would be some pins and needles when she finally let go.
Naruto sympathized with her, really. She'd started her day by taking what she'd thought would be a simple tour of her people's flagship, become a hostage and bore witness to a savage slaughter, all before dinner. This would probably traumitize her for years, if not the rest of her life. Perhaps holding onto his arm helped her cope but he was rapidly beginning to lose sensation in his right limb even with the ablative coating of his armor and gauntlet to cushion the appendage. By Ramen, this girl had a grip!
"I'll take it from here, sir."
Naruto had already turned before he recognized the throaty voice of a turian.
"Sir? Wait...a second...Vakarian? Garrus Vakarian?" He blinked slowly, whiskered face dimpling in a slight smile as he recognized the blue face paint on that plated visage. "It's been awhile! How've you been?" The irony wasn't lost on him; this son of the very C-Sec officer who'd fist discovered him and Miri all those years ago on that shuttle, it really was a reminder of just how far he had come in this lifetime. He'd only ever met Garrus a handful of times during his trips to the Citadel yet in each he had addressed him with deference and respect, if not just a touch of dry wit. Naruto wasn't sure how Turians aged as a whole but he was fairly certain that the younger Vakarian was in the ballpark with him in terms of years.
Besides, he liked Garrus. After all, anyone who could pin a target between eyes at a hundred yards with a rifle was a handy friend to have.
"Wondering what the hell you were doing on that ship." they shook, the turians clawed digits sliding effortlessly into his hand. "From the way that batarian was rambling back there, I'd say you really cut loose and gave Karr's boys a damned good scare. Funny thing though," His fringe ruffled slightly, mouthparts twitching in bemusement. "An eyewitness said you brought a small army with you, yet the ship you came in only had room for one. Know anything about that?"
Impossibly, Naruto's grin grew.
"Not a bit."
"In any case, I've been instructed to take you and your-ahem-friend here, to the Council." His visored gaze slipped to Thane wary, regarding him as though the Drell might pounce upon him at any given moment. When he did not the turian relaxed, if only marginally. "I can take care of your little blue friend there, if you'd like." he continued.
Sove squirmed nervously, anxious at the thought. "But...
"It'll be alright, Sove." Naruto placated the skittish maiden with a gentle touch to her arm. "You can trust him. He'll take you to Tevos. Immediately." A brief glance at the turian, accompanied by a slight widening of the eyes confirmed that Garrus indeed realized the importance of this quivering girl clinging to the battered blond. Reluctantly she released Naruto and moved to follow Garrus-
-and then she stopped. In a blur she whirled back around to face Naruto, her lips touching his whiskered cheek and lingering for all of an instant.
"Thank you," she murmurred, flushing.
"I...you...
Stricken speechless by the sudden, and very much unexpected display of affection, Naruto could only watch quietly as Garrus led Sove away in the opposite direction, likely to ensure she had an armed escort more than prepared to guard her personage before she met with her mother again. Her eyes held his as she was led away however, and the last ninja couldn't help but hope he'd made a favorable impression on the councilor's daughter.
One could only hope.
"There he is!"
Whatever else Naruto might've said, or wanted to say was cut off by a sudden slew of shouts and feet pounding against the docks. Then the dynamic duo found themselves swarmed by the bane of warriors everyone. A force deadlier than any dreadnought, more determined than a Varren with a bone, and even more persistent than a pack of pyjacks...
Reporters.
Naruto didn't even have time to turn and run before they swarmed him. Thane sighed and nimbly stepped aside, the swarm ignoring him in favor of the upstart. The shinobi tried to turn a ndfollow but that soon proved impossible, as they found himself surrounded on either side, camerars and electronics pointing in every direction. This close he could barely make senses of anything they said, everything blurred into an endless animal bleat. He'd never really been a fan of reporters, or, the cameras they carried. It was so easy to cut and edit footage; no matter what you said you could easily be cast in the wrong light. And he had no desire to expose himself to that sort of publicity.
"Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani, Westerlund News." A bronze-skinned woman introduced herself abruptly, thrusting a microphone into his face. Her camera hovered only a few feet away, nearly blinding him with its lights and flashes and photography. "Would you mind answering a few questions for our viewers?"
"Very much so, yes." Naruto raised a gauntled-covered hand and uttered a single command to his suit. "Target all cameras."
"Wait, what are you-
"Overload."
Dozens of monitors and cameras suddenly imploded as one, their circuits shorted out by precise arcs of electricity. Reporters shrieked in indignation, unable to understand what had just happened. A biotich push quietly thrust them out of the way, leaving them squalling in his wake. Somewhere behind, he heard Thane chuckle, no doubt the master assassin found Naruto's camera shy behavior amusing. Of course, no one would dare to interview someone like him an artist at his craft with more kills to his name than the blond had lives. Now, if only.
"W-Wait a second! Please!"
Once more Naruto found himself waylaid. He cocked his head aside as another voice sounded in his ears-this one coming from opposite the throng of panicked reporters. Turning, he found himself face to face with a girl in a little black dress. It clung to her, hugging her hips and breasts in a way that would've made a man's mouth run dry like a desert. Yet it was the bashful expression she wore, that ultimately gave him pause. "Do you have a second?" she asked.
"Erm...yes? Who are you?"
"Emily Wong," she gasped out, hands still on her knees. "Investigative journalist. I, ah," her words faltered slightly at his thunderous expression. "I saw what you did to the others back there. Please don't zap me. I just want to ask one question and then I'll be gone...if that's alright with you?""
"..."
Gulping at his silence, she held up the small camcorder in her hand and asked:
"Why did you want to become a spectre?"
Naruto frowned, peering at the tiny camera in her hand. He supposed he could answer that inquiry.
"Spectres are the right hand of the Council. They uphold the law." he began slowly, solemnly. "They are an instrument of truth and justice; one that will go to any lengths to protect the common good. If I am appointed to this position my mission will be to create a peace for others, one I never knew in my youth. And to the agents of chaos, to anyone who wishes to lead the galaxy into disorder or despair, I say only this." With one hand, he beckoned Emily closer, allowing the camera to zoom in on his eyes, the now slitted pupils sneering out menacing.
Looking pointedly at the device, he allowed them to flash red.
"I'll remind you just how terrifying shinobi used to be."
Emily squeaked at the sudden drop in baritone, those last words had emerged like a roiling solar storm.
"That," she gulped, "Was very convincing. How did you do the thing with your voice and the eyes?"
Naruto grinned. "Trade secret."
"Oh," came the blinking reply. "Well, in that case...thank you for the exclusive." her cheeks colored prettily under his gaze. It really means a lot to me."
"No problem, love." he sighed. "Just don't tell anyone I've gone soft."
Nodding eagerly, she took off, no doubt scrambling to tell her funders that she'd just had the first interview with humanity's most unique man.
In the meantime Naruto and Thane were ushered toward the Citadel Tower by a pair of guards and left waiting in the lobby-although this wait was admittedly brief. Only a few minutes had passed before a gentle chime greeted their ears, signalling the arrival of the lift that would carry them upward to the waiting Council, and their verdict on Naruto's spectre candidacy. Anticipation thrummed through the blonde's blood; this was what he'd spent the last four years of his life working towards, and now in a few scant moments he would know whether those efforts had born fruit, or if they'd all been for naught.
"It seems we are expected." Thane murmurred beside him.
"Took the words right out of my mouth."
But before he could step forward, those doors whooshed open, exposing a familiar, hated face. A turian's face. The whiskered warrior bristled, teeth bared in an instinctive snarl when he saw who stepped out of that lift, looking as though he owned the entire Citadel itself. His was a face that had haunted his nightmares even more than Henry Lawson, a constant reminder that there were some people in this galaxy who could-and would-be glad to see him sent back into oblivion with a pull of the trigger. And unfortunately, this vindictive visage had a name:
Saren.
"Well...if it isn't our little upstart." he sneered, the words all but dripping with venom. Piercing blue eyes strayed to the sheathed nodaichi at the blonde's hip. "Still playing with swords, I see." To say there was still a bit of bad blood between them would've been the same as throwing a pyjack to a thresher maw. These men, loathed one another. One had never forgiven the other for threatening his loved ones, and the other still nursed a grudge over the livid burns that the former had carved into his plates.
"Still losing limbs, I see." Naruto countered with a growl, his gaze straying to the strange limb Saren appeared to have grafted to himself since they'd seen each other last. "Tell me, how did the Council's best agent end up looking like that? For someone so elite, I thought you'd be able to at least afford a proper medbay." There was something different about this sinister Spectre beyond the obvious modifications he'd grafted to himself he thought...but what? Whatever it was, it was enough to set him on edge and make his usual veiled insults that much more poignant. "Honestly, its almost enough to make me think I've surpassed you. Oh right, I was already better than you the day we met."
Surprisingly, the irritable alien didn't rise to the bait. Not this time.
"You? Better than me? Ha! The work that I'm doing will save more lives than you could possibly imagine!" To Naruto's disbelief Saren actually had the gall to laugh. "Against that, everything you did today was paltry by comparison!" The turian's scarred face-still bearing the marks of being burned years before-was now set in a stern scowl, mandibles fluttering in silent outrage as those eerie, blazing blue eyes, seemed to bore into him like a drill. "A half-baked strategy and ancient powers does not make one a spectre. Merely a dangerous rogue. You are no equal of mine, whelp, and you never will be. You can't even complete a mission on your own; you needed your drell friend over there to help you." The man stumbled slightly as the turian poked him with a sheathed claw. But it was not the impact that fazed him. It was the words. And what came after.
"You would have failed, if not for the Drell."
What?
Naruto felt something chill in his blood. There was no way Saren should know about Thane and his timely intervention. The news was too fresh to have dissiminated into the general populace. Which meant...meant that he...he...HE...?! He set this whole thing up. In that instant he knew. Somehow, someway, he just knew. In the shining gem that was his soul he knew that the Turian had tried to do away with him. He couldn't prove it to anyone, not yet but Saren had set him up. Endangered innocent lives, all for the sole purpose of ending his. And he was being smug about it.
The cold shriek of sundered steel brought him back to reality.
"Urk!"
Saren's face, once so smug, was now crumpled in confusion. Thane had taken the opportunity of the Turian's distraction to take hold of his arm, the green-black knuckles now wreathed with a subtle blue glow of a warp field, the deadly ability rendering the man's metallic wrist all but useless. The master assassin had wrenched it up and away, pinning the artificial limb behind the larger alien's back in a move so graceful he seemed to'd just flow around the terrible turian.
"I believe it is time for you to leave, Arterius." his words were black as space, the deepness of a tone that warned he would not ask again.
A low, feral growl snaked through the turian's throat. "Krios...
Saren might be a true master of his craft, but even he was no match for Thane Krios when it came to close combat. Unarmed, the drell could just as easily beat him into oblivion as he could biotically brutalize him. Even as he weighed the option of wrenching his hand free the Drell chose to release him, shoving the spectre him forward with an unsubtle aplication of dark energy. Saren daren't retaliate in kind. Not against Thane. But his vendetta against a certain blond was another matter. Whirling, he glowered at Naruto.
"Such a shame that you're always hiding behind your friends, boy." he hissed. "But they won't be able to protect you. Not forever."
"Wanna say that again, scars? Wasn't quite sure I heard you..." Naruto clicked his jaw, a smoldering spark slipping between his teeth. Saren instinctively blanched at the memory of those flames, the searing heat that'd scorched his plates so. He had been made a laughingstock of the galactic community by the boy, humiliated in the eyes of comrade and colleague alike. Even now he longed to lunge at him, rip out his throat. But, to try and attack the Council's new golden boy when he wasn't alone almost guaranteed failure. As much as he might loathe it, now was the time to retreat.
"This isn't over."
Still sneering, the turian stalked off.
"Such a sad soul." Thane murmurred in passing, shaking his head as he watched his fellow alien slink back to his hole. "So caught in the hatred of your species that he cannot recognize tru potential when he sees it."
Naruto sighed, pushing back his cowl with one hand, exposing squinting blue eyes to the warm and artifical light offered by the Presidium rising around them. "No kidding." A moment of silence passed between the two of them, young and old. Spectre and Assassin. Two men who were masters of the art of death, one just beginning his career and the other possessing decades of experience. Finally, the former broke it as they stepped forward and into the awaiting Elevator. At once it shot upward, whisking them away and into the tower.
"So, about stealing your kill...
"Think nothing of it." The drell blinked his nictitating membranes once, his gaze never once straying from the steadily ascending cylinder. "In a way, you did Karr a mercy by killing him swiftly."
"Mercy?"
"I had," A pause, tinged by regret. "...Intended to make him suffer before his end." Those weren't the words of some stone cold killer Naruto thought, they were those of a man who had lost something-someone?-quite precious and intended to wreak a just vengeance upon those who had taken that from him. He knew the look. It was the same one he'd worn years ago when he'd fought Kai Leng for Miri. When it came to family, there was no risk he would not take nothing he would not sacrifice -even his own life- so long as it meant that they would remain safe. But Thane had lost someone. Be it a brother, or a son, or even a mate, that silent agony bespoke of loss, and one suffered all too recently.
"Might I ask why?"
Incredibly, Thane chose that moment to smile. "Might I ask why one of your Siha put a gun to my head?" he replied, a faint touch of humor lingering in his words.
At the moment, Naruto was feeling decidedly humorless. "...yeah, that's kind of a thing with Miri. She's very protective."
"You misunderstand," Thane answered, tilting his head in bemusemnt. "I do not blame your Siha for her actions. I merely wonder what could inspire her to go to such lengths for you." Naruto could think of a few things off the top of his head. Many, actually. But only one stood at the forefront of his mind.
"Well, she's kinda in love with me."
"And you share her feelings." It was not a question, he realized. Naruto colored.
Perceptive bugger.
"Women." the blond muttered, flushing.
"Indeed." came the nod. "We cannot live with them, nor can we survive without them."
Naruto balked. "Krios, did you...did you just make a joke?"
"Perhaps."
The doors chose that moment to swing open and the light of the Nebula spilled out over them. There was no one to welcome them, no comitted to question their arrival. No slew of reporters to badger him with question after pointless question as they had upon his arrival. No evil spectre to haunt him. Perhaps he'd finally be able to reach his destination unimpeded? Relieved at this thought, Naruto started forward. Thane followed in his wake, a silent shadow that kept pace with him only so far as the stairwell.
"I'm afraid our paths must diverge here." here the drell did pause. "If you wish to speak to me again, you need only ask your Siha."
That ellicited a rolling of the eyes.
"For crying out loud, Jack is not-
"You, there!" A stringent voice called out, startling him. "Wait just a moment!"
Once more the soon-to-be Spectre found himself stalled. This time it was neither turian nor reporter that halted his stride but a party far more irritating than either combined. Someone had followed him up the elevator, a harried-looking human in a white suit now striding purposefully toward his position. When Naruto turned to look back at Thane, the drell was already long gone, no doubt having vanished into one of the ducts or made himself scarce amidst the throngs of alien and humans petitioners that always seemed to abound on this level.
"Can I help you?"
"Why yes, I believe you can," the aging man-ambassador?-sniffed primly, visibly gathered himself him up. "My name is Udina." His chest seemed to inflate with pride at their words. "Donell Udina. I'm Humanity's-rather the Alliance's-ambasador to the Citadel. We've never had the chane
"Ambassador Udina?"
Naruto blinked. He'd never really payed attention to the who-is-who on the Citadel beyond the Council themselves. But he was nothing if not respectful. "Should I know that name, sir?"
"Does the term political shit storm mean anything to you?" The ambassador immediately countered.
"Well...yes?"
Udina nodded once, distracted. "Good." More assured. "Good. Because that's exactly what's going to happen if you go up there." Brave man, Naruto thought, blustering before someone who could kill him with a flick of the wrist. Brave, but foolish. Humanity's Ambassador to the stars took that opportunity to continue. "I understand you and your -ahem- colleague were once captives of Henry Lawson. A man known for his experiments in genetics and other...less savory fields. Believe me when I say it would be in the best interests of humanity if you didn't go up there today."
There was a silence.
"So," Naruto began slowly, "Let me get this straight. You're telling me not to become a Spectre."
"Quite." Udina sniffed. "We need a true representative of our species down the road. Someone like Shepard. Not some boy born from a beaker."
Naruto didn't know who this Shepard was-they obviously weren't here atm-but his dislike for Udina immediately intensified.
"I wasn't the only one Lawson created, ya know." came the counter.
"Yes, it would be quite a shame if something were to happen to them now, wouldn't it?" the threat was subtle as Udina laid a hand on his shoulder, but it was enough to pierce the already thin veneer of calm he wore. I hate politicians, came the seething, unfamiliar voice, burning in his blood.
Naruto's mood verged from sadness to anger. Mostly the second. He'd always been a little rough around the edges. He was never a big fan of politics, nor the bullshit that came with them. Other species' seemed to find the endless bureacracy a nuisance but humans are another thing altogether, opinions diverging wildly. But then again, most politicians didn't dare to threaten harm to one another's family. Naruto went apoplectic at the mere mention of Miranda and Orianna. The black fire of biotics sheathed his fist, accompanied by a low growl.
"Funny thing, that." he hissed. "My family? They'd thank me for doing this."
"What are youuuuurgh!"
Naruto took Udina's wrist in his hand and twists, bending his arm behind his back and shoving him face down to the floor. "Don't you ever threaten a member of my family again," he menaces. He hears him yowl but he doesn't let up on his grip. He hears C-Sec officers running over, but he ignores them, so lost is he in this rage. "Go ahead and try to intimidate me with your bullshit polticking. Run me in. I dare you. The Council will tell you to kiss my ass. I don't answer to you, and I sure as hell don't answer to petty C-Sec guards." He shoved him to the ground. The officers arrived then, guns drawn. Naruto glowered. "This man attacked me. Now are you going to let me handle this or do I have to go straight to the Council myself?"
"Y-You can't do this to me!" Udina wheezes, his face pallid with pain as he picked himself up off the floor. "I am an ambassador! The political rammifications of this-
"Fuck politics."
Breath burst out of Udina's lungs Naruto decked him across the face in a brutal a haymaker, clenched knuckles barreling into his unprotected visage with all the force of a hurrican. The blow, sent Udina sprawling, flying back and down the stairs in a gaggle of broken arms and legs. Naruto strode down the stairs after him. A single kick sent the ambassador sailing, flinging him towards the elevator. This time, Naruto didn't not pursue-to do so meant he would surely kill the older man. Instead he simply scowled and began to walk away.
"Go find yourself another pawn." he groused.
"Remember, you were a human before you became a Spectre!" Udina shouted at his back.
Naruto stopped dead in his tracks, his face slowly appearing over his shoulder as he curiously regarded his once fallen prey. A look of irritation crossed his single eye as it regarded the recovering Udina behind him. This man thought he could appeal to his humanity, did he? First mistake. Also his last. In a single, violent motion, he tugged his cowl up over his head once more.
"No, I was a shinobi." Another glance at the officers. "Take this man into custody and book him, on charges of assault. Spectre authority." He wasn't one yet, but they didn't have to know that now, did they? The crowd dispersed, the turian C-Sec guards all too willingly dragging away the swearing, apocyalyptic Udina, his shouts and swears going unheard as Naruto continued his trekk onward.
Damn but that'd felt good. If this was what he could look forward to as a Spectre then it was going to be a long, profitable career.
Steeling himself, the shinobi climbed the last few steps, leaving the vile little man behind in his wakes. It wasn't long before he reached his goal, the floor folding out beneath him to form a pedestal upon which he might stand and face judgement. His gaze strayed to the balcony, to the watching figures assembled there. What he saw caused him to smile. Tevos and the others councilors were assembled, of course, but it was the others that caused his heart to soar within his chest.
They were here.
Revealed to his searching eyes were all manner of faces familiar and not. First there was Jondum Bau, in his dark green armor, pallid face stoic and unmoving, though his large eyes shone with approval. Zaeed Massani, in his worn and battered armor could be seen smiling beside him, a tiny smirk breaking out on his chiseled face, like a crack etching along a stone surface. Behind them both, making no effort to conceal her pride, like a mother hawk watching her chick take flight for the very first time, stood Tela Vasir. The asari was beaming.
"Told you he'd do it, metalhead." she crowed proudly to the figure perched beside her.
"I'll admit, he possesses skill. He'll be a welcome addition to our ranks." Nihlus was present as well. The turian's white painted head inclined in a slight nod toward Naruto, eyes narrowing in respect. "But his recklessnes of his...I believe that is a matter that still needs to be addre-oof?!" And then someone knocked him asides, forcing the stoic alien to stumble a few paces backwards. Two someone's actually. He recognized them at once even with the cowl shading his eyes. Sapphire eyes blaze like hot justice, stripping everything bare. The other was a contrast of darkness and light-as terrifying as a thunderstorm, yet incredibly gentle when she wanted to be He felt his lips curl into a smile at the sight of them.
Miranda and Jack.
The latter looked perversely pleased with herself-the other more concerned than anything else. Yet as they beheld the scorches and dents in his armor, those still-pink patches of skin where he had already healed from being choked by a krogan, that amusement faded. He had the distinct feeling they were going to drag him off and inflict horrors untold upon his body the moment this was over. But for now, his impending punishment was the furthest thing from his mind.
"Uzumaki Naruto." Tevos's silken voice rang out across the tower, beckoning him. "Please, step forward."
Heart hammering in his chest, he complied. All eyes were on him. This was his moment. Nothing could take this away. Not Saren, not Udina, not even his own race; all those who seemed so hellbent on returning him to the void from whence he had come. He found it almost ironic, really. He had been raised to see the other races as expendable, yet in the years since he'd escaped Henry Lawson's grasp-may he rot in hell for all eternity and beyond-it was the nonhumans to whom he felt the most relation, his girls excepted of course. Oh, there were some bad seeds like Karr and Saren but for all the bad, there was good in the species as well.
"In recognition for your efforts here today-
Naruto barely heard the words, registering them and filing them away for later. His mind was still set on the track Udina had thrown him. Why should humanity be above all others? He felt nothing for them. Yes, in the years leading up to this moment, he had found that his loyalty diverged among the ones who had taught him.
Asari were subtle. Deadly. They were beings of incomparable grace and beauty, creatures that could flay you to pieces with their minds, but also capable of incomparable kindness. Vasir and Shiala had taught him much in the years he'd spent training with them. Sove had only reinforced the belief that for all their skills, the monogendered species wasn't as invulnerable or promiscuous as the galaxy would see them. Ageless yet not this superior being that they were thought to be, they had largely shaped his outlook on the other species. But they weren't the only ones.
Turians were hard and stubborn, but their sense of community and duty was unmatched. Nihlus was a stubborn sod and Garrus a wise-cracking officer-yet each had instilled into him a fierce sense of pride when it came to his work. As a shinobi, his talents were best suited in the service of the galaxy. With his gifts, he could go places others could not, save lifes that even the most talented biotic would be hard-pressed to save. Missions that most would balk at were child's play for a man who could change his shape and appearance at will. A simple henge and he could wreak untold havoc behind enemy lines-all without firing a single shot. This had also taught him to guard well his skillsets; if the galaxy knew he could become anyone, anything, it could cause all manner of chaos.
Salarians bore the brightest minds and the shortest lives. Bau likely wouldn't live to see his thirtieth birthday thanks to the hyper-advanced metabolism of his species but in the time that they'd spent together the clever little alien had taught Naruto the true meaning of espionage. Compared to that, the chest-thumping jargon he'd learnt from captain Kirrahe seemed to pale in comparison. They also taught him humility. It was well, and possibly even good to take pride in one's skills, but too much pride led to arrogance. And arrogance bred mistakes.
That was where the Krogan came in.
The burly beasts were creatures who excelled in one area of expertise, one theater. Combat. War. Bred and built for battle, as an old merc named Urdnot Wrex had once said. Yet they were also a species crippled, still struggling to recover from the effects of the genophage inflicted upon them years before. He wasn't sure what he felt for the poor reptiles, though he tended to veer into pitied respect more often than not. Wrex was a hard taskmaster, that much was certain. Having initialy taken the job solely for the creds, he had eventually become an ally, then something more. A friend.
And then there were the Drell. If Thane's kin were anything like him, Naruto was certain that he wouldn't mind meeting more of them. As to the quarians, well, the jury was still out on them. He'd learned how to hack a little from a few drifters, but their people as a whole were still a mystery to him. Like the Krogan they had been wronged and like the Krogan this wrong was of their own doing. Having lost their home planet to the geth centuries past, it made one wonder whether they ever deserved to return home.
There were countless other species he had met over the years as well of course: Hanar, Volus, Elcor, Batarian, but none of these had a hand in his training. Besides, his mind was already returning to the present. Tevos was nearing the end of her speech, espousing his near-flawless victory today, a symbol for humans everywhere-
There, he disagreed. Humanity was a different story. Ironic as it might seem, Naruto felt no love for his own kind whatsoever. And why should he? Zaeed was a hard man but even he was better than most. At least the grizzled old man had some sort of code by which he operated, a set of rules, however loose, that prevented him from verging into outright lawlessness. He'd become a touch more placcid, in the years since, but he was still gunning for his old partner, Vido. Perhaps he could use a hand when all this was over?
But humanity...?
He didn't want to help his people. And why should he? After all, he didn't need them as much as they claimed to need him. Naruto felt nothing for his own kind. Nothing, for his race. There was no loyalty, there, to the Alliance whatesoever. Udina's vain attempt to make him step down only further fanned the animosity. From what he'd seen of them thus far they were manipulative, vain at the worst of times, egotistic and if Vido was any indication, willing to betray you at the drop of a hat. Present company excluded, naturally.
"And on that note," When next Tevos spoke, his soul soared, eyes flashing red in anticipations. This was it. The next moment would determine whether he'd spent the last four years well, or wasted them entirely. What came after dashed those fears against the rocks.
"It is the decision of the Council, of we three, that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconissaince branch of the Citadel." Those warm eyes held his for a moment before continuing onward. "It was once said that Spectre's cannot be trained, that they must be chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle, those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file. Uzumaki Naruto, you were elevated above the common soldier long before we met, before you dedicated your life in service to the greater good."
"Spectres are an ideal." Valern saw fit to add. "A symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance. They are the Right Hand of the Council, instruments of our will."
"Spectres bear a great and terrible burden." Sparatus continued. "They are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold. Now it is yours as well, human. May you continue to make us proud in all that you do."
"You are the first human Spectre, Naruto." Tevos finished, eyes shining. "This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species."
For a long moment, Naruto simply stood there and let it all soak in. Spectre. He'd finally done it. Joy clashed with pride deep inside his chest, a fierce shout threatening to tear its way out of his throat unless he held the relief at bay. Four years ago, he might've explouded in an elated shout. Now he was older. Wiser. Calmer. Eventually, he sighed and took a knee.
"You honor me with your words."
"And...
"And?"
"In honor of your new position, a gift." Sparatus added with a fierce flutter of his mandibles, eliciting a baffled look from the blond, "We have procurred an apartment for you in Tiberius Towers on the Silversun Strip. If you find it to your liking. It is only fitting that an agent of ours has a place to call home. Also," and here he did sniff, "Several of your associates have already arranged something of a small celebration for you there." It wasn't physically possibly for a Turian to smile in the way that most humans would, but he could've sworn that the councilor was smirking as he dropped the bomb on him.
"What...?" Naruto's eyebrows shot up. Wrex. It had be Wrex. Or Shiala. They were the only two not present. Still, given how loyal Shiala was to Benezia and her social naivete, coupled with the increasing infrequency of their visits as of late...nah, it had to be Wrex. The old krogan was probably laughing his ass off somewhere.
"This meeting is adjourned." Tevos said, though the slight chime from Naruto's cowl said otherwise. Blinking, he summoned up the screen and read the message; vaguely aware of Tevos and the others departing as his eyes scrolled across the single line of text.
"I would very much like to speak with you about my daughter when you have the chance. In private."
~Tevos
Balls.
Even as he blinked the message away and rose his friends/mentors were there to congratulate him. Then that thought was all but wiped away. Miranda was the first, gliding down from the balcony toward him sheathed in her biotics, drifting on the airs like an avenging angel. Before he could lament this recklessness she dropped, landing gracefully in his arms, her lips to his. Jack was next-dropping down to gracefully alight beside him and deliver a swift peck to his cheek, much to Miri's consternation.
"Congratulations, dumbass!"
"Why you little-
Almost mercifully the rest descended upon them, cutting their arguement short. Vasir grabbed him and the girls in a bonecrushing hug that somehow managed to enfold all three of them. Bau offered a taciturn word of approval awkwardly tapping his protege-turned-Spectre on the shoulder. Nihlus merely caught the blond's gaze and nodded, his steely eyes relfecting the affirmation he felt. Zaeed forsook protocol entirely and clapped everyone on the back individually, laughing heartily, something about Naruto being a "stubbon-sonuva-bitch" who never knew when to call it quits.
But that mercy could only last so long.
"That reminds me," Miranda's smile turned cross as she wriggled out of the strange group hug, icy blue eyes pinniong Naruto like a pig on a skewer. "You didn't listen to us."
Surprisingly, JaCK agreed. "No, he didn't."
"He took foolish risks."
"Yeah, he did."
Naruto gulped.
"I'm in trouble, aren't I?"
"What was your first guess?" Jack cracked.
"Bau!" Naruto yelled as Miranda and Jack began to drag him away, "Save me!"
"I think not," said Bau in amusement, "Part of being a Spectre is knowing which battles to fight and which to avoid. I will have the medics standing by when you get back."
"But-
"It is always foolish to fight your Siha." Thane added sagely, appearing seemingly from nowhere.
"Wait, where did you-
Zaeed laughed hoarsely. "Good luck, Kid."
"SCREW YO-" the door swung shut on Naruto's invective before he could finish.
(Cronos Station)
The news report on the vid screen flickered with a constant and steady stream of images. Each captured the ceremony, followed by the much-vaunted celebrations that the galaxy's first human Spectre had unknowingly wrought not just around the Citadel but the galaxy as they knew it. One such newscaster, a miss Emily Wong, lauded Uzumaki Naruto as a hero for his bold infiltration/retrieval of the Destiny Ascension, and subsuquent liberation of her hostages while C-Sec sat on their laurels. Others wondered just who this newcomer was, this strange man, endorsed by the Council, a relative unknown until only a month. Batarians condemned him for his heavy-handed approach, potraying themselves victims as always. Still many more wondered at the strange abilities he'd displayed, and from there it all dissolved into senseless speculation...
The Illusive Man watched it all with a cool, clinical detachment.
Word had already begun to spread of the boy's heroic action, but the repercussions of his assault on the Destiny Ascension went far beyond the widespread reputation his appearance had already garnered. In the hours since his devastating assasination of Karr, and his mercenaries, ever major media outlet across the galaxy had been dominated with graphic-and previously unthinkable-images. The Council had done surprisingly well to conceal him for the last four years. There was no telling how powerful he'd become, though the actions of today certainly lent a hint to it.
His one-man assault against hundreds of enemies had shaken the galactic powers that be to their alien cores, stripping away their naive sense of invincibility. The Citadel, seat of the Council and the symbol of their once unassailable power and position, had very nearly been made a fool of by a ragtag band of mercenaries. No lives had been lost in this breach, but the breach of security was telling; as was the swift and savage justice dispensed by their newest Spectre. His allegiances were...troubling. How would he ever be convinced of Cerberus' views when he clearly valued the lives of aliens over his own people?
Yet where others no doubt saw chaos and change, he saw opportunity. He knew, perhaps better than anyone, that the galaxy's sudden awareness of its own vulnerability could benefit humanity. That was made him special; he was a man of vision.
As if to echoe that very thought, a chime sounded.
"Enter." he said.
The dark-haired beauty did just that, the quiet click of her heels resounding hard against the polished floor, her full hips swaying with the movements trapped within her dark bodysuit. She was beauty personified, this woman, but he knew any attempt to compliment her would only be regarded as weakness on her part. Ebon tresses flowed long and loose, framing a heart-shaped face from which white eyes shone. Her visage fixated itself into a scowl, her gaze riveted not on her employer, but the series of images playing out before them.
"What do you think?" T.I.M. asked of her as she glided to a halt beside him.
"Look at him, the idiot." she sighed, her eyes shining like hard, pale diamond as they soaked up the scene before her. "He's living it up. You'd think he became Hokage again or something." Those pearly orbs seemed to scrutinize the image for a terrifyingly long moment. "Hard to believe its a clone; I can hardly tell the difference between him and the real deal." There was a wistfulness there in those words that worried T.I.M., but the term she'd just dropped intrigued him all the more. Educated as he was, he wasn't familiar with the term she'd just dropped.
"Hokage?"
"In your language means Fire Shadow." she explains in broken english, circling him slowly. Carefullly. The motion is oddly...predatory. T.I.M. forcibly restrains a shudder, telling himself its just the translator, turning her ancient words to Japanese then English. "A powerful rank the original once held before the dark times." the words came again, almost as an afterthought. "Before our planet was burned black...
"Yes, by the Reapers. We've established that." Her vendetta against the machines notwithstanding, this woman was perhaps the most skilled assasin in the galaxy. Her abilities might even give Thane Krios a run for his money. More than that, she was a soulless killer, almost completely unburdened by the fetters of emotion. Almost. But not quite.
"In a way they put us out of our misery." she continued. "Shinobi were never meant to know peace. Our race is pure now. Devoid of all the weakness that came with our numbers and lack of war."
"...?"
When all she got was a blank stare, the woman laughed. She had a right to be cynical, she supposed. The beautiful creature standing before was no clone of long lost DNA; she was the last of her species. The sole ninja to survive centuries of cryo stasis, unearthed only last year. Completely unaltered with eyes that could pierce anyone, anything, vision that expanded nearly three hundred and sixty degrees. She could cripple an enemy with but a touch, paralyze even a Krogan with the slightest strike.
"My race is pure now." She stated again, claiming ownership. "Too many weaklings back then. Too much...coddling. My one regret is that they denied me the privilege of becoming a mother." This was what worried him at times. This kunoichi had a mean streak that made Saren Arterius look tame by comparison. She wanted, needed-craved-vengeance against the Reapers, in her own, twisted way. This was good. He could use that, as leverage, as a goal to motivate and manipulate her for her own means. But ice queen though she might be, there was a chink in her armor.
"If I asked you to kill him, would you?" he asked, gesturing to the screen, at the frozen image of the whiskered blond, surrounded by his friends and comrades, helplessly dragged away by Lawson and Subject Zero. Her gaze was telling, he thought. Naruto was too valuable to kill of course, but she didn't have to know that. She need only answer.
"No." the response was hard and immediate. Uncompromising. So like her. "I'm not some lackey to do your bidding. I owe you my life for releasing me and I will aid you against the Reaper threat, but that's all. If you wanted me to be and your beck and call you should've installed the control chip before I woke up." A savage smile tore across her pale face, exposing pearly white teeth. "Not that I'd let you get close now that I know about it."
She'd taken the bait. The Illusive man permitted himself a small smile at that, as he removed a silver cigarrete case from the surface of the metal desk. The head of Cerberus selected a cigarette, set fire to it, and took a deep drag. He liked the process, the taste, and the feel of nicotine entering his bloodstream. Words mingled with smoke.
"Its understandable that you feel some attachment to him, Hanabi. He was your husband, after all."
The woman's face twisted with emotion, though not entirely from the rare usage of her name. "Its just a clone. A pale copy tripping over itself to appease aliens. I feel nothing for it."
"A clone of the man you once loved." T.I.M. challenged, stiffling his cigar in the tray. "Of someone you still love."
"I feel nothing." she reiterated, veins bulging on either side of her eyes. "The only reason I don't kill him is...is...none of your godamned business!" snarling, she rounded on him, a subtle shroud of chakra encasing one of her hands. TIM knew that this woman could kill him with less than a glancing blow but her self imposed code of honor kept her from doing the dirty deed.
Oh, she could easily throw away said code, just as she had thrown away almost everything else, but he knew that she wouldn't. She daren't. Hanabi was above all things a pragmatist. And she knew-rightly so-that if he were to die here at her hands, Cerberus would go to hell in a handbasket. Without Cerberus, humanity stood no chance against the coming storm. If Naruto was lost before that storm came...well, they'd just have to be sure he wasn't lost then now, wouldn't they? Project Lazarus remained on a backburner in the rare even that Uzumaki's regeneration was ever overtaxed and he did expire. The results had proven promising thus far per his standards, less so than the Phatom and Dragoon projects, but in his experience it always paid to have ones options open.
"Then you won't mind observing him."
"...what?" He's completely prepared for the shock that wipes her face clean, like water slowly shearing away at a stubborn stone. TIM steeples his fingers and leans forward, his blue eyes piercing hers. She wants to kill him now, possibly might if he doesn't explain himself. Thankfully, he's always been good at trapping others with words.
"Clone or not, Naruto has a unique skillset, one that might very well determine whether we win or lose the war to come. So I want you to watch him. Study him, but from afar. See what makes him tick. As I'm sure you already know we can't clone him-its simply not a viable option. Change is coming; I don't know what, but when it does, I expect you to be ready."
"Sir." Hanabi practically spits at him.
Still smiling, T.I.M. watched her leave, those short, jerky movements of her stride the only true indication of her anger. Her feelings don't matter. So long as she's ready when the time comes; there to sway him over to their side, the right side, when the time comes. Because the Reapers were coming.
And Cerberus would be ready...
...one way or the other.
"Cheers!"
A series of raucous laughs greeted those words and several hands-some sporting three fingers instead of five-clinked against his glass. Some might have scoffed at the idea of humanity's first Spectre celebrating with a host of different aliens, but Naruto? He didn't give a damn. Deep bass music pounded heavily in his ears, like the drums of a great hunt out for his blood. The food was good, the drink was better, and he was well on his way to getting himself pleasantly buzzed into the evening.
The brief bruising Miranda and Jack had inflicted on him was already healed-he'd never been more thankful for his regeneration.
Better yet-and oddly enough-he had Miranda and Jack on either arm. Oriana was tucked away upstairs in her soundproofed bedroom, sound asleep under the watch of a trusted asari nanny. Most, if not all of his friends were assembled here, with the notable exception of Shiala. It was sad, really. He'd been good friends with the asari commando and her asbcence was telling. It wasn't like her to simply cease all contact...
"Helluva party, kid." A deep rumbling voice resounded behind him, a heavy, patting him on the back. Naruto blinked, drawn from his reverie.
"Wrex!" he exclaimed happily, turning to face his newest guest. "You made it!"
The old krogan was impossible to miss in his blood red armor, the crimson crest of his head stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the other partygoers. It certainly helped that he was the only krogan in attendance. Jack laughed at his side when she saw him. It was a rare sound, this one filled with mirth. Must've been the alchohol talking.
"Oh great, the old man's here. Now its a party!"
"Brought a barrely of ryncol." he laughed, patting the keg beneath his arm. "Hope ya don't mind."
"Just don't go breaking anything." Miranda chastised, her slightly flushed cheeks dimpling in a rare frown.
"Wha, it needs to be broken in!" the krogan protested.
Naruto frowned. "Wrex...
"Alright, alright, bunch of pyjacks..." Wrex grumbled. "I'll go see what the human's up to. Anything's better than your stuck up mate...
"Yeah, Cheerleader." Jack crowed, slurring the words slightly. "Y'gotta loosen up!" Grinning, she reached around Naruto, her hands wandering somewhere they sholdn't. "God, you're such an icy bitch...but at least ya've got a great ass!"
Miranda colored, and this time the booze had nothing to do with it.
"Hands to yourself!"
"C'mon, you like it...
"Aaaaand that's my cue." Naruto wisely disentangled himself from his girls and left them to their own arguement before it could escalate any further than that. Thankfully they were too intoxicated to immediately notice his abscence. Blue eyes wandered the rest of the apartment-taking in the rest of his friends and mentors. True to his word Wrex had indeed approached Zaeed, the two old veterans generously partaking from the barrel generously brought by the mercenary. Zaeed would regret that come the morning, he thought. Ryncol hit humans like ground glass.
By the bar Nihlus and Bau seemed to have entered into a conversation all their own, the latter waving one arm animated as the other clutched a glass containing some sort of murkish blue fluid. Did salarians even drink he wondered? One could only guess.
Wrex was right in a sense-this was one hell of a way to break in his new apartment. It was a sprawling complex that put his old quarters to shame. Back in the training facility he'd had to make do with a single bed, threadbare furnishings meant for soldiers and recruits. Now, it felt as though he'd landed in the lap of luxury. When he'd been told his new apartment would have all the furnishings, of home, he'd expected the bare essentials. A bathroom, kitchen, an area to train, maybe. Not all of this. He hadn't been expecting it. This place had three bedrooms! And a hot tub! Hot! Tub! Could he honestly ask for more?
"Not a bad party."
Naruto didn't dare turn as Vasir sidled up beside him on the balcony railing, drink in her hand. He couldn't. Words escaped him. For once she'd discarded her armor for this informal occassion; her body lay wrapped in a long, flowing, curve-hugging white dress with blue sleeves. Her blue skin seemed to shimmer in the low lightning, the marks on her soft visage, glowing softly in the luminescence. She was smiling, he realized, bringing himself to face her at last. He didn't regret it. His jaw very nearly dropped clear off his face at the sight of her. Where had his mentor gone? Who was this sexy, gorgeous creature who had taken her place?
"Wow." he muttered, unable to stop the word from escaping in time. It felt like a betrayal.
Those dark orbs slid to him, dancing with amusement. "My eyes are up here, handsome."
Naruto choked quietly.
Shaking himself from that traitorous thought, he returned his attention to the festivities below. Almost immediately he wished he hadn't, Huh. Jack was kissing Miranda. That, that was going to be difficult to forget. His eyes lingered for a moment before returning to the window, watching the skycars fly by, a constant, neverending blur. In a way, it represented his life. Constantly moving. Shifting. Never resting.
"Its hard to believe, ya know?" Once more the words escaped him, but this time he allowed them. "A few years ago I was no one. Nothing. A nobody. Now...I'm suddenly a celebrity. I'm not sure if I'm ready for it after all I've gone through to get it..." He squirmed slightly at the thought of all he'd been through today. Was it always like this, he wondered? Yesterday's problems, lingering in some new form? Did it ever end? He wanted to hold onto this moment, kee, this period of peace for as long as he could, and yet he knew that wasn't possible. He had responsibilities now. Tomorrow, and for every day afterward, he would be needed. Until the day came that he wasn't fast enough and some lucky merc put a round between his eyes.
"Hey," a light rap on the head jerked him back to the present. Vasir was staring at him now, her eyes intense. Fierce. "None of that. You did good." A touch of motherly pride suffused her words. She reached over with an infinite gentless, and stroked at his arm. Naruto shivered at the unexpected contact. "You did good." she repeated. "You'll continue to do good. Because that's the kind of man you are. Of course," and here her grin turned sly, "If you slip up I'll have to kick your ass."
He turned slightly, smiling.
"Yeah, guess I did."
Vasir smirked devilishly, tilting her glass in acknowledgement. "Here's to you, kid." Then, louder, for all to hear: "Here's to Naruto!"
A chorus of ayes and affirmatives greeted those words.
The reborn shinobi laughed and raised his glass in welcome. To friends. Comrades. Brothers and sisters in arms. And most of all...
...Family.
And once more, the years flowed like wind.
(Five Years later...)
"Ow, dangit!"
Oriana Lawson yelps as her world is violently upended, without warning. Her barrier falls to so many pieces, shattering like so much glass in the winds, sending her small body flying backwards through the air. Narrowly she catches herself before she hits the mat, lifting up into the air with a soft exertion of her own dark energy, left hovering mere milimeters from the ground. She settles down into the sofa, watching keenly, ducking as a potted plant whirls past her head. She picks up the snatch of an arguement from the other room.
"Missed!" A male voice crows.
"I won't this time!"
Just another day in the Uzumaki household. This has been her life for as long as she can remember, and she wouldn't trade it for the world.
All of nine years old, and she already has enough biotic power to give an Asari matriach a run for her money. Problem was, all that power kicks like a mule. Too young to accompany her "family" on missions, yet not old enough to know her own limits, she struggles daily to master her gifts. Her control is fragile, easily broken. Not like the others. Not like him.
Naruto is a marvel.
Oriana wonders if she made a mistake, if she misjudged the man she'd come to know as her big brother. Naruto may lack in raw biotic power but Jack is exceptional and Naruto is impossibly holding his own. Oriana has never battled either biotic before, she can barely hold up against her sister even. But Jack-Jack is in a different league altogether. Her biotic capabilities are good. The shockwaves Jack tosses in her direction are enough to tear through her shields as if they were nothing, were she the focus of those blasts.
But Naruto is. And he's completely unfazed. Hurling himself at Jack over and over again. Naruto doesn't give Jack any ground which gives Oriana the chance to witness the titanitc clash.
It's impossible to get a word in edgewise in because this isn't a spar anymore; Naruto and Jack are engaged in a flat out brawl.
Anywhere else, people would've been running for shelter. The ground of the apartment is dotted with flecks of red blood. It would be impossible to get in close without being blasted back. It isn't as if she's never fought another biotic before—but never like these two. Their grunts of exertion are the only thing that can be heard. The foundation is cracked, the ground torn open. Jack fires off a brilliant warp and suddenly Naruto's barrier is gone.
If he's afraid, he doesn't show it. His omni-blade comes out and with a dodge and a swipe, Jack turns her shoulder into the motion, the deadly blade carving through her shield instead of into flesh. But in doing so she's opened a new flank to attack, one their blond immediately takes advantage of in typical, relentless fashion. Naruto charges again, burying a knee in her gut and then slamming it into her face while she's hunched over. Jack folds over backwards, collapsing to the ground. He pounces, stradling her with his hips. Before he can grab her and continue their fight, an arm is flung up in surrender.
"Fuck!" She gasps! "Alright, alright! I give! You can have the last cup of ramen!"
Just like that, their little scuffle was over.
"Haha!" Naruto crowed, springing off her. "Victory is mine!"
"Victory will have to wait."
Oriana turned as her sister, Miranda, finally made herself known. She's been watching for some time now, observing, but something's caused her to speak. Naruto's noticed her as well, his whiskered face curling into a slight smile at the sight of her before the words finally sink in.
"But...ramen!" he wailed.
"Ramen will have to wait, too." Miranda held out her Omni-tool, its soft orange glow suffusing the room in the early morning light. "You've got a mission. Top priority."
"Where?"
Her lips curled down into a rare frown.
"Eden Prime."
"And...?"
"And they want you observe a candidate for the Spectres."
Naruto and Jack groaned simultaneously.
"Fuck."
Oriana sighed. Yup...
Just another day in the family.
Captain David Anderson wasn't quite sure what to expect when he'd met humanity's first Spectre face to face. But it wasn't this. This was the last thing he'd been expecting. The Council had informed him they would be sending someone to observe, but to find him already aboard the Normandy, conversing with their pilot was unexpected. Then agiain, his life had been full of unexpected problems as of late. Udina had spent the last five years making his life a living hell over this, all the while clamoring to get another human spectre in
To prove that humanity didn't need the so-called superhuman who'd seemingly become an interstellar idol overnight. Anderson was no politician but he understood the the Ambassador's motivations. No one knew about the man's past-he was a damned blank slate when you tried to dig up information before his Spectre career. And of course everything after that was classified. But there were rumors. Whispered words of the actions he had wrought out in the Traverse and beyond. The kid was a living legend.
But to see him face to face, well...that was another matter.
Mercifully, the ship's VI didn't announce his prescence as he stepped inside-allowing him to observe perhaps the strangest scene he'd ever seen in his career. Because the man was standing on the ceiling. Crouched like some sort of primordial bat, he simply stood there, in blatant defiance of gravity. And he was laughing.
-So, first human Spectre ever, huh?" Joker was saying, "Bet you get all the girls with that."
"Only the crazy ones, Joker-san."
The pilot chuckled.
"Yeah, coulda sworn the one in a catsuit was going to claw my eyes out earlier when she caught me staring at her ass. By the way, how do you squeeze all that into-
"I'm not entirely sure how our friend here feels about that line of inquiry, Mr. Moreau." he cut in brusquely.
"Er, right sir! Preparing the Normandy for takeoff, sir!"
Naruto cocked his head aside, toward the voice and vaulted to the floor in a single move, fighting back a small smile at Joker's last wisecrack. When he finally saw the larger man, his mouth became visible in a streak of white. So this was the illustrious captain he had been told of. Interesting.
"Konichiwa." he greeted in Japanese. "Or, hello, as they say in english."
Anderson frowned. Humanity's first spectre seemed rather young for the rank he thought; but then again this was the man who'd liberated the Destiny Ascension from Batarian terrorists, and done so much more in the years since. Some even said he had the Blue Suns in his pocket. Certainly a well-traveled individual. So, who was he to question what he was doing here on the Normandy? If the Council wanted to keep an eye on their investment, far be it from him to dissuade them. Still...did he have to look like that?
The man looked positively menacing in his matte black armor, visage hidden and hooded behind a bleak colored cowl. Then he pulled that aside-exposing a whiskered face and a genial smile beneath the hood. The gaze beneath the hood was surprisingly kind for a mass murderer, he thought.
"Its a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Anderson-san." he said, extending a hand. "I understand we have a beacon to recover?" The captain accepted his palm and shook determinedly keeping his visage stoic until the blond finally released. It was only then that he permitted himself a glimmer of emotion.
"Actually," Anderson smiled, "There's someone I'd like you to meet. The one you're going to be observing."
"Ah, yes," his visage soured. "The Council mentioned something like that."
Naruto turned his head aside as the sound of bootfalls against the deck reached his ears.
"You called, sir?"
Blazing green eyes bored into his blue, those burning eyes framed by sunset-colored locks. Her face was fierce, the glint in those eyes steely and determined. Pale porcelain skin, a slight scar marring her chin. Naruto blinked, recognizing the face immediately, one he'd seen on vids during these past few years. Unbidden, his lips quirked upwards. "Commander Shepard."
"We meet at last."
A/N: And there we go. Events are already spiralling out of control, Henry Lawson is out of the picture and probably dead-THANK GOD-Naruto and Miranda find themselves on the Citadel, taking the first steps into an unstable, untested relationship, and now TIM is after them. But Naruto wants nothing to do with Cerberus and already he's changed the galaxy with his prescence. Events will be spiralling rapidly towards the center here and though some changes may be minor at first, all will be revealed in time. But what will happen with Cerberus? Will the pairing remain NarutoxMiranda or should Jack eventually be involved?!
You decide, dear readers!
I'm not quite certain as to whether Shepard will appear in this fic either, so please, tell me what you think about that as well! I am but a humble writer without your input, oh dear reader! Any and all ideas are welcome! We'll be approaching a timeskip soon, but I won't say when!
So...in the immortal words Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview! We advance further unto canon next chapter! Will Naruto keep the spotlight in this story? Will Saren get what's coming to him?! We shall see!
(Preview)
"I've got it under control."
Naruto coughed. "Yeah, why don't I believe that-
Bang.
Shepard's painded grunt was the only warning he had that something was wrong. His instincts had been screaming at him from the moment he'd encountered Saren in this spaceport. He'd never trusted the turain, but for the alien to actually take a shot at them...
Shepard had been naive. But for whatever reason, Saren had decided to shoot her first -an easier target, perhaps?-before turning his heavy pistol on the blond. Naruto was determined not to waste the opportunity. This close he couldn't see where the bullet had landed, but he knew enough to see that Shep wouldn't be helping him in this fight.
"Down!" he barked, the words as much for William's benefit as they were Alenko's.
Even as the woman dropped, the shinobi twisted up/aside, a hand instinctly flying toward the mass accelerator round now whistling towards his head. Pain exploded through his palm as the polonium round savaged his shields and tore open the right side of his face, but that was all. Saren's shot that'd been meant to end him whistled by in a flash of white, leaving reeling in pain, but very much alive. Rule one of assasination, take out the most dangerous target first. Saren had failed to heed that rule. Because Naruto was still breathing.
And pissed the hell off.
Saren was left staring at him, stupified. He'd clearly expected that modded round to pulp the blonde's head. It had not.
"How did you-?!"
"What you cannot absorb, you deflect."
Naruto raised his ravaged hand, the flesh already stitching itself back together beneath the broken gauntlet. Whatever Saren was up to, whatever twisted plan he was plotting, it ended here. Even now he could see the turian's biotics gathering-funny, he didn't recall Saren possessing that ability, an eerie shroud shimmering over his strange organic/synthetic form. He wanted a fight? Well, he was about to get one. Black fire sheathed his body as his own dark energy and chakra gathered around him.
"I," he hissed, "Am going to enjoy this far more than I should."
Saren blanched.
"Wait!"
Naruto didn't wait. He was already moving-
Too late, he saw the flashbang grenade roll to a halt at his feet.
Cold fury burned the world white.
Hope ya liked it! R&R! =D