So, I decided that I'm going to "End" this portion of the story after Therum, one because I want to change the POV to first person, and that I don't want to do that mid-story. And two, because if it feels like a new story to me, I might be better at writing it. That being said, there are at least two more chapters to this story, including this one, because when I originally wrote this, I got Therum to four chapters. Anyway, enjoy the show, and tell me what you think about my decision.
Michael took a deep breath as the Mako came to a stop, "We'll have to go on foot from here," he said without looking at the rocks in front of him. He knew they were there, even without looking. That was the thing about living in a video game you played. The environments matched.
Michael stepped out of the Mako, followed by Tali and Kyon, "Is it just me, or is hotter now than it was last time we were outside?" The latter of the two asked, attempting to pull at his collar, "I know my suit has air-conditioning, but goddamned, it is really hot out here."
"How do you think those without AC suits feel?" Michael asked, though he wasn't visibly sweating, "Be careful, motion sensors are detecting a lot of activity in front of us. What's the plan Shepard?" Michael asked as the last two occupants of the Mako came out.
"Are you still as good with a sniper as you were back on earth?" Shepard asked as she pulled out her shotgun, "Because if you are, both Ashley and you will go to the ridge and provide sniper support. Kyon, Tali, and I will keep their attention on us with a frontal attack."
"Why am I the one always being shot at?" I asked Tali as I sighed, reluctantly taking out my shotgun, "I mean, its nice and all, but I swear I'm going to lose a limb to these assholes someday."
"I'm surprised we even made it this far," Tali said without a single fault in her voice, "I'm just a hacker with a pension for killing Geth, and you... What are you anyway?"
"I'm a delivery boy," Kyon said as he smiled, looking to the others and seeing that it was time to head out, "Com'on," he started jogging to catch up with Shepard.
"Keelah," Tali sighed as she followed, "You aren't even military trained?"
"Nope, in fact, the first time I killed was when I met you," Kyon smiled sadly as he looked at his hands, "But what keeps me going, is that if I kill others won't be killed or have to kill."
"You're naive," Shepard said as she ducked into cover, prompting the other two to do it as well, "It doesn't matter if you kill for other people, other people are still going to be killed or kill."
"Someone's awfully pessimistic," Kyon said to himself, taking a deep breath as he checked his shotgun, still working, but the overheat counter was already a quarter up, "Guess hot planets means hot guns."
"Shepard, we are in position," Michael chimed in over the radio, telling us that it was time to make our push up the hill.
"Take the shot on the Geth on the hill, we'll deal with the ones in the valley," Shepard said as she waited for the crack of the sniper rounds.
Once they went off, Shepard jumped out of cover and started glowing with biotics, charging at the closest Geth, and knocking it down to the ground. Kyon and Tali ran from cover to cover behind her, and fired off when they got close enough for the shotgun's effective range.
As Ashley and Michael were picking off Geth who peaked out of cover, Ashley thought of something to talk about with the agent, "So, you and Shepard seem to know each other. Was she always so bitchy?"
"Believe it or not," Michael said in between shots, "Shepard was a daddy's girl when I met her. That was seventeen years ago. It was when I first officially entered the Alliance."
"Officially?" Ashley quirked an eyebrow, though it was unseen by Michael.
"I was part of a black-ops group for about two years before I left and joined Alliance navy," Michael shot the last Geth in his vision, and looked at Ashley, "Do you remember the fall of Omega?"
"Yeah, it wall all over the news. Aria T'Loak was supposedly killed by a lone human who stormed Afterlife," Ashley's eyes widened as she came to a realization, "that was you? You couldn't have been more than-"
"Seventeen," Michael finished Ashley's sentence for her, "I was seventeen when I usurped Aria from her throne, and no, I didn't kill her," Michael was lying, he had killed that Aria T'Loak, "I removed an arm and a leg, but I did kill her daughter. Aria is still alive and kicking, she even retook Omega two years after the fall." Michael checked for Geth again, and when he didn't see any he motioned for the two of them to move out and regroup with Shepard.
"Alright, everyone's here, let's move," Shepard said as she started walking up the final hill to the dig site, "Hold up," Shepard raised her hand as something on her motion sensors blipped, "Contact, damn it's moving fast."
Michael took out his SMG, and fired at the bridge above us, the Geth that was hiding under it fell to the ground with a thud, "Geth Hoppers," he said as he ran into cover, "There might be-" Michael was cut off as a Geth drop ship flew over us, and launched a giant pod into the ground. Michael's features narrowed as he realized what it was, "Shepard, that's a Colossus, get into cover!"
The rest of the group jumped into cover, and looked over as a larger version of an Armature transformed from the pod that landed, "How did he know that was an Colossus?" Tali asked as she looked over to Michael, who was the only one on his side.
"I don't-" Kyon was cut off by the cover of boxes that they were hiding behind being destroyed, throwing all three of them back, "Damn," Kyon said as he looked at the Colossus, seeing a blue ball of energy hurtling towards them.
Kyon reacted out of instinct, holding his hand out to try and stop it. To his surprise a pale green wall appeared in front of them and absorbed the energy ball. Kyon's eyes changed color as he got up slowly, and started walking towards the Colossus, the barrier moving with him, "Tali, how to I stop this thing as quickly as possible?"
"The-the cables in its neck!" she shouted, awestruck by the display of biotics that Kyon was presenting. She had never seen biotics in the color his were before.
Kyon took the knife that Ashley had given him, and prepared to throw it. After a moment, He threw the knife enhancing his strength with biotics. It flew threw the barrier and into the neck of the Colossus, creating a crater from the amount of force used to throw the knife. The Colussus fell to the ground inactive.
Michael looked at Kyon and knew that they had much to talk about when they got the chance, "Well, I don't think that could have gone any better," he said as he watched Shepard, Tali, and Ashley get off of the floor, "Are you three okay?"
"We're fine," Shepard said as she eyed Kyon, "What the hell was that? You're a biotic with that much strength, and you didn't use it until now?"
"Shepard, we don't have time. We have to find the doctor," Michael said as he grabbed her on the shoulder, "Talk about this when we get back to the ship, the important thing now, is that we can continue the mission."
Shepard's face was still angry, but it calmed down a bit when Michael let go of her, "Fine," she agreed reluctantly, "We are going to have a chat when we get back to the ship," Shepard told Kyon as she passed him.
"I don't like what that conversation has to offer," Kyon said as he looked at the other three, "What, no backup?"
"Not with Shepard being the enemy," Ashley said as she followed the Commander.
"I'd rather savor the new chance at life you've given us, Kyon," Tali said as she followed Ashley's lead.
"Oh, come on!" Kyon said as he looked at Michael, "Please?" his voice was really small and squeaky.
Michael laughed as he pat Kyon on the back, "I already saved your ass, you are on your own from here."
Kyon groaned as he followed Michael and the rest of the group into the ruins.
Sorry, no additional information on the universe I've created via messages between two people this time. Didn't really have anything planned, plus this is already a long chapter. Though I think I may have had longer chapters before.