MASS MISCALCULATION
Episode 9- The death of a Saint
After a lengthy explanation from Tali regarding Aaron's origins and a short explanation from said virtual being about the arrival of the Saints, Samara looked down sadly as they entered the dropship, muttering, "Then it is as I feared. You truly are the Skra' Liinar"
"And there is that name again, why do you keep calling me a demon?" Aaron asked, throwing his arms up.
"…You truly do not know?" Samara asked, genuine curiosity written in her voice.
"No, but hey, we happen to have a long shuttle ride ahead of us, so why don't you just tell the story now, huh? Otherwise we're all gonna be bored out of our skulls"
"Very well, I shall tell the tale of the Skra' Liinar, and the terror it spread upon the asari people during it's rampage upon it's awakening"
"Oh great, more slander to my name, why not?"
"Shh!" Tali and Boss hissed, jabbing him with their shoulders.
Thessia, eons ago
"The Skra' Liinar" Samara narrated, "Is a tale lost to the ages, only kept alive through the fear it spread and the chaos it rained unto the first of the Asari colonies"
"So can I narrate too or is just you?" Aaron asked, only to be silenced by a punch from Boss.
"The story starts when the goddess Athame first bestowed the gift of biotics upon the asari"
Cut to a cartoonish landscape, with the goddess Athame granting asari with biotic power.
"When she bestowed the first asari with her gift, Athame miscalculated and bestowed her with too much power. The asari misused her gift, trying to open a portal to siphon all energy from which biotics were fueled by"
Cut to an asari glowing with immense biotic energy struggling as she opened a black hole.
"She was sucked into an abyss of biotic energy, never to be heard from again, and Athame, not wanting others to befall the same fate, limited the amount of energy asari had"
Cut to Athame siphoning biotic energy from asari, limiting them to only having basic biotic abilities.
"However, there were gods that were jealous with Athame, and angry for granting the asari biotics, a power which only the gods should be able to wield. So, a hundred years later, one vengeful and rash god learned of the overpowered asari's imprisonment within the dark biotic abyss, and opened a portal in the middle of a thriving asari city, releasing her"
Cut to a old asari city, with a biotic portal suddenly opening in the middle of it, a dark creature walking out as the portal closed. The creature was completely naked had the shape of an asari, but it's skin was pitch black, with warped skin and elongated fingers turned claws, a skeletal face with red glowing eyes, it's hair-tentacles quadrupling in length and flailing about as black energy hued in red arced around the creature.
"The abyss had warped the asari, turning it into a creature unrecognizable, an utter abomination who gained more and more power by feasting off the life force of other asari, creating mass slaughters as it quenched it's unquenchable thirst for power, much like and ardat-yakshi, only it commanded a dark energy no other asari could harness and it grew more powerful just by kill others in a frenzy, unlike ardat-yakshi who must mate in order to increase in power"
The creature shrieked, more dark eezo arcing around it as she teleported from one asari to another, cutting them apart with her claws as it drained the eezo from them.
"Holy shit, I can teleport!? I mean, uh… continue"
"The creature cut a bloody swath through three cities as it gained more and more power, raining lightning from the very sky and moving faster than the blink of an eye. It was not long before Athame took notice to the destruction and interfered as it began it's rampage in a fourth city. After a grueling battle with Athame and her guides Janiri and Lucen, the creature fell"
With one final earth-shattering shriek, the creature fell to it's knees, using the last of it's energy to open a blue portal above it, floating into it as it shrieked a final message.
"The creature vowed it would return one day as it grew in power in another world to finish off the goddess and her guides, disappearing as the portal closed, leaving behind the three gods in the fourth city, destroyed by their battle. Afterwards the creature was named the Skra' Liinar, or demon who steals the life force of good-willed. What happened after that, no-one rightly knows. Some say the Skra' Liinar accidentally transported itself into space or an uninhabitable planet, killing it. Some say the world it went to was home to beings who were deprived of biotic power, causing it to starve. Others say that it is still gaining power today as we speak, and will one day return for revenge"
Kodiak dropship
"Damn, that's intense. So, what do you believe?" Aaron asked upon the story concluding.
"I believe that the Skra' Liinar is standing right in front of me" Samara stated simply.
"Oh that's bullshit and you know it!" the Boss snapped.
"Well Boss the thing she described in her story did oddly seem similar to me. I mean, c'mon, dark eezo, lightning from the sky, absorbing eezo from others? The only difference is it had black and red dark eezo whereas mine is black and blue and my skin isn't all whack. Plus I got my powers from the simulation, she got hers from some pit from hell. Also, I don't think any of this asari religion hate on me is cool"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Samara snapped.
"Look, everyone is entitled to their own religious beliefs, like I said this playa don't judge. I just don't like it when that religion say that I'm a demon from eons ago and calls for justicars to try and shoot me every time they see me!"
"We were only trying to prevent what happened back in the old times! Look what you did to our city on Thessia!"
"Oh like that group of justicars weren't about to do that same! I mean, this is all completely ridiculous, why do you think I'm this thing anyway, besides from my powers?"
"The Skra' Liinar went to another world. You are from another world"
"And that explains why I look human?"
"Perhaps the energy of that world turned you human. Perhaps in this 'virtual reality' you speak of you turned yourself human"
"And how is it the Saints back me up when I say I'm human?"
"For all I know they are under your influence"
"Yep, I'm starting to agree with Boss when he says this is bullshit"
"I do not wish to care what you think of us. Only know that I will keep my promise of killing you once my oath to Shepard is complete"
"Pffft, I bid you very good luck with that"
"What is that suppose to mean?"
"Do you honestly think you can do anything to me? My strength surpasses that of a krogan, and a lot at that. And biotics don't do anything to me. Plus I have my regeneration, so guns are no-go. So… yeah, if you really, truly think that you can take me, good luck, you'll die trying"
"Guys, we're here, can you two break it up?" Tali asked as the dropship docked with the Normandy.
"Sorry Tali…" Aaron muttered as the group got off of the dropship. Samara glared at the being she believed to be the accursed creature, sighing inwardly as she patted the back of one of his gangster friends he had brought aboard, and she couldn't help but wonder why he was so friendly with them. They were just thralls, yet the Skra' Liinar treated them as free, independent beings. It was uncanny. Perhaps it was only acting this way to fool the rest of the crew, but Samara was too wise for suck trickery. She would expose the Skra' Liinar, with every ounce of her strength. But first there was the matter with her daughter…
Deck two
"So how'd it go, Aaron?" Joker asked as he worked on flying the ship.
"Oh, you know, shot some geth, got in an argument with Boss, found out Samara thinks I'm a demon from old asari lore, so pretty much the usual" Aaron nonchalantly replied.
"That's usual?" Joker chuckled.
"Joker, the usual doesn't apply to me anymore. I mean, you know my life story, you know it's whack"
"Yeah, right now it's geth, next thing you know it's Mordin experimenting on you"
"I'm actually surprised that hasn't happened yet"
"Yeah he was asking me about you and as soon as I told him you weren't organic he said he lost all interest"
"I'm gonna guess that's the dumbed-down version"
"You know it"
"So Shepard still filing reports?"
"Yeah, but afterwards he's gonna have to go to QEC in the briefing room, the Illusive Man wanted to say something to him. And I see that grin, don't go in there"
"Joker, I would never think of- oh come on, you know I have to"
"Look, I found it funny when Shepard cut the council off every time they called in the good old days, but this is the Illusive Man"
"And he cut the council off"
"Just don't do it"
"Can't hear you Joker, too busy going over what I'm gonna say" Aaron said as he nonchalantly whistles and walked away from the cockpit.
"Aaron? Aaron!? Aw shit, well on the bright side, Shepard'll probably throw him out the airlock when he hears this. Then Aaron will kill us all. So yeah, yay"
"Hey Boss, wanna screw a tycoon over with me?" Aaron asked Boss as the virtual being saw the leader of the Saints chatting with Kelly, still in his power armor.
"Sure, why not?" he shrugged as he followed Aaron to the briefing room.
"Hey Boss, you ever get out of that armor?" Aaron questioned, tapping the shoulder of the armor.
"Aaron, there's a thief, Cerberus loyalist, a scientist, and a crazy calibrating bird, and now a mechanic on this ship that want this armor. So I'm staying in it"
"What if you need to eat? Or sleep? Or go to the bathroom? Or shower?"
"I'll find a way"
"'Course you will, anyway we're here" Aaron sighed as they entered the briefing room. The lights dimmed and the table lowered as the quantum entanglement communicator activated, a holographic orange rectangle lighting up as Aaron and Boss stepped in it.
The Illusive Man was sitting in his usual chair, drink and cigarette in hand as the quantum communicator lit up. At first he expected Shepard, but then he saw a figure clad in strange armor and another figure which the Illusive Man had grown to detest over the years.
"Your not Shepard" Illusive Man said simply.
"And you're the exact person I was expecting" Aaron said.
"So you must be Aaron" TIM replied.
"Yeah, and you must be the guy that still owes me that apartment on the Citadel"
"Aaron, there's too much at state due to the collector's to be worrying about petty grudges"
"There was nothing petty about that apartment"
"That's not the point, I was hoping we could forget our past differences"
"Yeah, sure, then we deal with these bugs and next thing we know your gunning for me again. But that's not why I'm here, you wanted to tell Shepard something?"
"I have information regarding the collector's, but it's for Shepard's ears, not yours" TIM replied, a vein starting to appear on top of his forehead.
"Well, Shepard's getting his ass blasted off by reports, so he won't be here for awhile. Plus I'm not leaving 'till you tell m-" Aaron was cut off as the Illusive Man cut the link, taking a drag from his cigarette. He should never had Shepard recruit that thing, it's more trouble than it's worth. But it could be useful in the long run. But that was for another time. Now he had to deal with the collector's and the threat they posed for humanity.
Briefing room
"Bitch cut us off before I could say anything" Boss muttered.
"Guess we should have expected that one. Damnit, I'm going to my room" Aaron grumbled as he stomped away to his room below deck.
Once Aaron opened the door to his room, he immediately punched the form reaching for CID's storage unit, sending it into the wall. The form decloaked to reveal a groaning Kasumi.
"Damnit woman, don't you have anything better to do than jack my stuff!?" Aaron barked.
"I can't help it, I was curious" Kasumi giggled.
"Well, don't touch him, or any of my stuff"
"'Him?'"
"Kasumi, before you say anything else, let me tell you of the story of a guy that tried to steal one of my movies in high school"
"What happened"
"Drowned him in boiling oil at a restaurant"
"Ouch… wait a minute…"
"Now before you think about this unless you want to see what it feels like I suggest you go" Aaron warned. Kasumi nodded and ran out, Aaron laying down on his bed and resting while he waited for Shepard to finish with the reports.
"Aaron… Aaron…!" a voice called out in his sleep. When all Aaron did was grumble whoever was whispering hit him in the nose. He yelled, tumbling out of bed.
"Agh! Asha, what the hell!?" Aaron shouted as he got up.
"You've been asleep for hours, and Shepard's done, and he wants you and me to go with him on a mission"
"Ugh, this better not be a damn loyalty thing"
"No, it's something different. Something about a collector ship we're boarding"
"All right, all right, just give me a minute to get ready and- wait, what?"
Lower deck
Shepard sighed as he waited by the dropship, clad in his usual N7 armor with breather helmet. After hearing what the Illusive Man had to say, he wanted to bring someone able-bodied, so Aaron was a likely choice. SHepard didn't like Aaron, but the thing did have superpowers. And Shepard wanted to test how good his Saints were so he knew he wasn't just bringing common mercs to the suicide mission, so he had randomly selected one of his Saints to bring along, which happened to be Asha. He sighed again as he saw Aaron and Asha walk towards him.
"Alright, Shepard, I'm gonna want some explaining here. Exactly what is this about a collector ship?" Aaron snapped.
"Remember the one from Horizon?" Shepard asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Some turians managed to damage it and it's just sitting dead in space. Turians didn't make it"
"And we're going to investigate it. Great, why not?"
"Commander, we're here… jeez, that thing gets creepier every time" Joker called over the intercom.
"Alright, c'mon" Shepard gestured to the dropship, prompting the other two Saints to enter.
Disabled collector ship
While the dropship rode towards the collector ship, Shepard readied his weapons, Asha strapped on a breather mask, and Aaron activated his armor. Suddenly, they heard a groan and looked to see the body of Matt getting up from a dark corner.
"What the f- Matt, how long have you been there!?" Aaron yelled.
"I dunno, I was checking out this dropship and I hit my head" he explained.
"Well, looks like your coming with us, so put this on" Shepard commanded as he handed Matt a breather mask.
"C'mon Shepard, can't we just let him stay and guard the dropship?" Aaron suggested as the dropship touched down in the collector ship.
"Oh, how bad could wherever we are be?" Matt asked as he strapped the mask on, only to pale once he saw the insect-like interior of the ship. "Yeah, I-I think I'll just stay here and guard the dropship"
"Alright, you two, let's go" Shepard said, prompting Asha and Aaron to follow the commander.
"Wait, you mean I have to stay here alone!?" Matt yelled behind them.
While going through the collector ship, the three saw many things that horrified them, while at the same time a foreboding sense was going throughout all of them, Asha darting her eyes from left to right at certain times, Shepard always looking behind him, and Aaron swearing that he heard a a scream every few minutes. First that came up were the piles of human bodies splayed about in some places.
"Why would the collector's just throw human bodies away?" Shepard wondered upon seeing the bodies.
"Maybe they ruined them in experiments" Asha answered. Aaron didn't say anything as they continued on through the base. As they went to the next room the group looked up to see more of those pod-egg things… hundreds of them. Some were filled with humans.
"Doesn't look like they made it, they aren't moving" Aaron commented.
"Readings show that when the power to the ship was disabled the life support for the pods were also disabled" EDI explained via comm.
"Damn…" Shepard muttered as they continued on past the pods. After passing more and more pods and piles of bodies they came upon an area with terminals centered around a single pod… but instead of a human being in the pod, it was a collector.
"Ew. That's what they look like?" Asha asked.
"Yeah, but why is a dead collector being experimented on?" Aaron asked.
"Shepard, I've run a diagnosis on the collector, and I have found something peculiar" EDI said.
"What, they're protheans?" Aaron asked sarcastically.
"Yes" EDI answered.
"Called it. Also, what!?" Aaron screamed, surprised at EDI's comment.
"I've analyzed the chromosome patters within their remaining DNA and have detected patterns only reminiscent to that found at prothean ruins"
"So you want to enlighten us on how this is possible?" Asha asked.
"I believe that when the reapers came for the protheans they heavily modified they're bodies, turning them into slaves"
"My god. The protheans didn't vanish. They were enslaved by the reapers!" Shepard angrily replied.
"These are no longer protheans, Shepard. They're only drones, barley organic cybernetic soldiers, abominations some would say" EDI explained.
"Well there's no way this is going to happen to the humans. Come on!" Shepard yelled with increased vigor, then saw a revenant rifle amid the pile of bodies, picking it up. Satisfied with his find, they continued on, along the way Joker hailing them and told them that on a hunch he performed a EM signature scan on the ship, revealing that it was not only the same ship that attacked Horizon, but also the same ship that had killed Shepard two years ago. Shepard showed his distaste by grunting out an expletive as they continued onward, coming onto a large walkway in the middle of the ship, a giant, cavernous tunnel around them… thousands, if not millions of pods lining the walls.
"Oh, that is so not good" Aaron whispered.
"That's a lot of pods. How many could they possibly need?" Asha asked.
"They're going to go after Earth…" Shepard said. It would make sense, with this many pods they would need a substantial amount of humans, and abducting would only get them so far. No, the only way to fill these pods up was if they headed to Earth.
"Uh-uh, I already had my Earth blown up and all the humans put in red pods, I ain't gonna see it happen again!" Aaron shouted with as much vigor as when Shepard shouted. The trio made their way to a green control panel in the middle of a metal platform. Shepard pressed the green panel and then started to talk to EDI over the comm about the turians and the distress signal they sent while Aaron leaned on the edge of the platform.
"Your taking this pretty hard, aren't you?" Asha asked.
"Well what do you think? The 'best and the brightest' among us back in our Earth were kidnapped and shoved in red nutrient vats as their minds were put in a virtual hellhole, and everyone else was blown up along with Earth. Way I see it, this is the same thing. Except with bugs"
"And killer robot space squids"
"Yeah, yeah, reapers too, I guess" Aaron said, trying to tune in on what EDI was saying. He didn't understand most of the technical jargon, but he did hear one thing that he understood.
The turian signal was fake and this was a trap.
Suddenly, the platform shuddered as it floated into the air, another platform flying towards them.
"What now!?" Asha asked as she readied her weapon.
"Well now we shoot bugs. And P.S., one of 'em might say 'assuming direct control' and start glowing orange, so watch out for that because-"
"ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL"
"-Because that'll happen" Aaron finished as he raised his RPG and fired it at the platform, destroying it and the collectors onboard, including Harbinger.
"EDI's hacking into this thing, hang on!" Shepard shouted as he hit the green panel again, causing the platform to float back to the ground as the trio ran back the way the came.
"Joker, talk to me, any more bad news!?" Aaron asked over the comm as they continued running.
"Yeah, here it is, I'm reading that the collector ship is waking up, so move your asses, I'm not losing another Normandy!" Joker screamed over the comm.
"Ah fuck, Matt, how you doing?"
"I'm being shot at by bipedal bugs, how do you think I'm doing!?" Matt snapped over the comm.
"Don't worry, that's normal, just watch out if one turns orange and starts talking, we'll try to get back as soon as we can!" Aaron finished as they came into a insect-room as more collectors started flying towards them.
"You're joking, they have wings!?" Asha shouted over the gunfire.
Aaron took cover and said, "You get used to it. Let's just hope that-"
"ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL"
"…That doesn't happen" Aaron finished with a sigh as he ducked out of cover, only to be blasted with one of Harbinger's biotics.
"AARON. YOU SHOULD HAVE HEEDED MY OFFER. BUT EXTINCTION IS THE ONLY THING THAT LIES IN WAIT FOR YOU"
"What offer!?" Shepard asked/yelled.
"When I was unconscious back on Horizon he visited me in a dreamscape and wanted me to join him. Gave him the middle finger so to speak, and he seems pissed" Aaron explained as he jumped in the air and started gliding. Harbinger flew up and grabbed Aaron, throwing him into the ground as the possessed collector landed five feet away. Harbinger sent a black ball of energy towards Aaron, Aaron catching the ball and charging it as it's hue went from yellow/orange to blue.
"Heeeeeere's Aaron!" The virtual being laughed as he hurled the ball back at Harbinger, disintegrating the general.
"THIS IS NOT OVER…" Harbinger said as the possessed drone died.
"Alright let's go!" Shepard said as they continued running towards the dropship.
"Uh, guys, you might wanna hurry up so we can, you know, leave before we're blown up again" Joker said over the comm.
"Keep your pants on, we're getting there… uh, we might be delayed a bit…" Aaron muttered to Joker as they came into a larger room, the floor below them having a door opening, one of the large bug-husks flying out towards them, along with a squad of collectors, one being possessed by Harbinger. To make matters worse, a side door opened, husks swarming out.
"So who gets the praetorian?" Shepard asked.
"Really, that's what you named it? I'll take it, I g-" Aaron was cut off as blue lasers shot from the main blue eyes of the praetorian, blasting Aaron against the wall. Aaron shrugged off the blast and jumped down to the praetorian's level, forming the Saints particle gun. The praetorian fired it's laser eyes as Aaron fired his laser gun, a purple beam meeting the two blue lasers as the beams struggled for supremacy, but ultimately the purple beam hit the praetorian, stunning it. Aaron than sprinted up to the enlarged bug husk, jumping up to it as he activated his lazor razor, cutting it in half. As the praetorian disintegrated in blue light, Aaron was kicked in the helmeted face by Harbinger, only for the general to be killed by the combined firepower of Asha's alien rifle and Shepard's new revenant. After the scuttle, the dozen husks ran towards Aaron, only for him to cut them down with a spray from his minigun. Nodding to his other two squad mates, they continued on, shooting any husks and collectors they saw while EDI opened doors for them and relayed directions. Eventually a door opened, revealing about thirty husks.
"Ain't got time for this!" Aaron shouted as he activated fire buffer and stomped his foot, creating a shockwave that killed the husks. The last door opened, revealing the dropship as Matt battled collectors. Asha and Shepard ran through the opening, but as Aaron tried to run through the door closed, pinning Aaron to the ground as his sword skidded away… only to bump into Harbinger's foot. Aaron formed his pistol and took aim with his arm that wasn't pinned, but Harbinger simply picked up the lazor razor and cut the arm off, kicking the O.M.G away, the threw the sword at Shepard, the handle of the blade hitting his helmet and the force behind the throw causing him to fall. Asha saw this and attempted to shoot Harbinger, but it merely took flight and landed next to her. She attempted to hit it with her gun but it countered by grabbing the rifle, clenching it's three-fingered fist as it charged it with biotic energy, slugging Asha in the stomach as it tossed the gun away. Harbinger grabbed a struggling Asha by the throat as it raised her, Asha attempting to be dropped by holding the alien pistol to Harbinger's face and firing, shooting one of it's eye's out. Harbinger didn't even flinch, grabbing her wrist and breaking it, forcing her to cry out in pain as she dropped her last weapon.
"YOU CANNOT DEFY US. YOUR DEFEAT IS INEVITABLE" Harbinger droned. Matt saw Asha's predicament and attempted to shoot Harbinger, but suddenly a vent opened, a seeker swarm coming out and flying towards Matt. He screamed as he dropped both of his weapons and the swarm picked him up, carrying him away.
"Matt!" Aaron and Asha screamed. Harbinger, uncaring as to the loss of Matt, reared back the fist not holding Asha, punching her breather mask and breaking it, then throwing her suffocating body out into space behind them through the open hole in the ship.
"Asha! NO!" Aaron screamed as he watched the demise of his two friends. Black and blue energy arced around his body as it enhanced his strength, allowing him to lift the door. Aaron, fueled by rage for the loss of his two friends, ran up to Harbinger, ignoring the biotic attacks it was throwing at him. Aaron jumped on Harbinger, throwing punch after punch at Harbinger as it's body started to disintegrate into ash. Not listening to Harbinger's banter, Aaron jumped into space and grabbed Asha's unmoving body. He flew back to the dropship's area and laid her body down, and tried feeling for a pulse or for any sign of life, but there were none.
Asha was dead.
Shepard groaned as he got up, only to see Aaron picking up his weapons and loading Asha's and Matt's weapons in the dropship, along with Asha's body.
"C'mon!" Aaron said gruffly as he got Shepard up and lead him to the dropship. Aaron banged on the pilot's door, signaling the dropship the take off towards the Normandy.
Normandy shuttle bay
"Aaron, where's Matt and Asha?" Boss asked as a still armored Aaron and Shepard left the dropship. The Normandy had successfully escaped the collector ship, but unfortunately they had lost Asha, with Matt being carried off to who knows where. Aaron didn't say anything and walked past Boss, Boss catching up with Aaron and asking, "Aaron, what happened?"
"You know, I want to know that too. Shepard, what did you say about that signal being a trap?" Aaron asked.
"The Illusive Man forged a distress signal so we could investigate the ship before anyone else got to it"
Something inside of Aaron snapped. Something that caused a few black sparks to fly off of him. "I'll be having a few choice words with him"
"He'll just cut you off, Aaron, what's wrong?" Boss asked yet again.
"What's wrong is that the Illusive Man just killed Asha and Matt!" Aaron screamed, black and blue electricity continuing to fly off of him as he stormed off.
"…What?" Boss gasped as he fixed his helmeted gaze upon Shepard.
"Seeker swarms carried Matt off, Asha died when her breather mask broke and she was thrown into space"
"…I'll deal with you later. Right now, I need to calm Aaron down"
Briefing room
"That's the best excuse you could come up with?" Aaron coldly asked the Illusive Man. After he had barged into the QEC briefing room and activated it, he had explained that one of the Saints had died and the other was captured by the collectors and that Aaron knew the Illusive Man had betrayed him. TIM had responded by simply saying that he needed the data aboard the ship, and he wouldn't have sent them if he knew they couldn't do it.
"One, if not both, of the Saints are dead because of what you did. You think I'm just going to let that go!?" Aaron screamed, black sparks arcing off of him.
"I thought we had left those grudges behind us, Aaron, while I am sorry for the loss of your Saints, know that common mercenaries like them could never be prepared for a mission like this, and they should have known the risk of what taking a mission like this on would hold. Now, I have some data acquired from the collector ship that I must share with Shepard. I suggest you get him" TIM said as the QEC started to turn off.
"No you don't!" Aaron shouted, black and blue energy arcing around him as he maintained the QEC, causing it to turn from orange to blue.
Before TIM could say anything, Aaron stopped him by raising a hand. "Illusive Man. Know this. I realize that the collector's pose a serious threat, especially if they are allied with the reapers. I will help Cerberus kill every last one of those bugs. But as soon as this entire ordeal is over, I'm going to hunt you down. You may think I can't, but you know what I'm capable of, and what I've done against Cerberus in the past. You can sit in that damn chair, smoking and drinking while you blindly screw us over at every turn, and I'm okay with that. Just know that every time you've screwed us over, I'm going to twist one of your limbs enough to tear it off, and even then I'm sure I'll run out of limbs. And you can send every trooper, assassin, biotic specialist, mercenary, and infiltrator at me all you want, but you know what? It doesn't matter, because I'm more powerful than any mercenary you can send at me, and you know it. So get comfy in your chair. 'Cause that chair is the last thing your ass is going to sit in before I beat it off with my foot then mutilate you with my bear hands"
"Aaron!" Aaron turned around to find Boss and Shepard behind him.
Smirking, Aaron chuckled and said, "Saved by the Shepard. Remember what I've said, Illusive Man. Your fucking dead when this is all over" Aaron hotly exclaimed as he walked out of the briefing room, the QEC turning back to orange.
Aaron's room
Aaron sighed as he sat on his bed, staring at the only four things he really had to admire in his room… mainly the sword he stole from that artifact collector, his laptop and alarm clock, and Gehenna's shotgun. He was still grieving over the loss of his two fellow Saints. Matt was likely still alive and likely being subjugated to whatever the collector's did to the humans that they captured. But Asha… Asha was gone. He never really knew her, and he was grateful that it was her, and not one of his more long-term Saints friends like Pierce or Gat. But still, she was a Saint, and someone from his old world. The other Saints surely wouldn't take this too well. When someone harms a Saint, you get the full wrath of the rest of them, Boss made that clear when he explained the story of back when S.T.A.G. had captured Shaundie. It didn't end pretty, in fact it ended with Boss getting cosmetic surgery to look like the organization's leader, Cyrus, sneaking onto the a giant water-type ship tasked with holding most of S.T.A.G.'s aerial crafts, then Boss blowing it up while saving Shaundie. Then immediately changed his face back, commenting that he didn't like looking and sounding like some crusty old dude. And Aaron didn't imagine Boss would be changing his face again to look like a collector, but the results when they carried out this mission would most likely be the same.
Aaron was stirred from his thoughts when his door opened, revealing Boss.
"Aaron, we need to talk" Boss said bluntly.
"Your not gonna say that your concerned about my psyche state after hearing my little speech with Illusive Man, are you?" Aaron asked.
"Nah, you've always been a crazy guy like that. I'm just worried losing Asha and Matt it hitting you hard"
"Matt might still be alive, he was carried off"
"And what does the collectors do with the humans they jack?"
"No-one really knows. Look, is there another reason why you're here?"
"Well, we need to break it to the other's about what happened. But also there's the fact that the Cerberus Bitch is trying to get into the dropship to get the guns Asha and Matt had"
"Well, I suppose we should have seen that one coming. So you want me to stop her?"
"Yeah, I guess I'll break it to the other Saints. Oh, almost forgot, Mordin said that if I saw you to say he wanted to see you"
"That's the shortened version, ain't it?"
"Aaron, the guy was talkin' too fast and too smart to understand, I got out what I could"
"Okay, okay, stop Miranda from looking at the guns and then go see the Nutty Professor, got it" Aaron nodded as he walked out of the room towards the elevator.
Shuttle bay
When Aaron exited the elevator, he found the form of Gat blocking the door to the dropship that carried Aaron to the last mission, a fuming Miranda attempting to get past him.
"Listen you blundering idiot, I'm not going to ask again, let me through!" she yelled.
"Look lady, I ain't letting you through" Gat simply said.
"Gat, that's enough, I'll handle her" Aaron said as he walked up to the two. Gat nodded and walked away, Aaron putting a hand on his shoulder and asking, "You know about Asha, right?" Gat nodded, causing Aaron to nod to as Gat walked away. Turning to Miranda, Aaron asked, "So what's the complaint of the day which you know I'm going to deny to you?"
"I am aware that your mercenary acquaintances have energy weapons unlike anything Cerberus or any other organization has ever seen"
"Yeah the laser rifles and pistols, why?"
"I simply wish to examine the weapons in hopes of sending any relevant data I find back to Cerberus command, if you'll allow me"
"I'm pretty sure based on our previous encounters what the answer to that question is. And let me guess, 'benefits for humanity blah blah blah'"
"Aaron, those weapons could prove vital to-"
"Look, I'm not really in the mood for this right now" Aaron interrupted, punching Miranda on the temple, knocking her out. After doing so, Aaron opened the dropship door, picking up the weapons in his arms and glancing at Asha's body, Aaron guessing that Boss would respectfully take care of the body later. With this in mind, he stepped out of the dropship and into the elevator.
Lab
Securing the weapons had been easy enough, he had pretty much just laid them down respectfully on his bed. After accomplishing this, he had rode the elevator to CIC, taking a immediate right and heading to Mordin's lab. The second he had walked in, the salarian scientist already started his scientific speech.
"Aaron! Need to talk with you, have run simulations, tested hypothesis, have proven possibility of virtual destabilization-"
"For god's sake, english!" Aaron yelled, interrupting Mordin. "Okay, now what are you talking about when you say 'virtual destabilization'?"
"You have shown the ability to heal, body comprised of unknown virtual substance, capable of instantly repairing any wound -breath-… to an extent"
"Extent?" Aaron asked, now interested in what Mordin was saying.
"Have run tests using small matter acquired from you, not enough to notice or make a difference"
"Whoa, you stole a piece of me? When the hell'd you do that!?"
"Former STG agent, my job to acquire items of interest then perform tests -breath-… one job, anyway"
"Alright, alright, your James Bond the scientist, get to the point, but first I want that piece of me back"
"Of course" Mordin said, picking a vial up and opening it, a few blue pixels flying out and into Aaron, the pixels being so small they were almost impossible to see.
Mordin continued, saying, "As I said, have run test. 'Pixels' as you've called them can only heal to an extent, must enter recharge state if overused"
"They, if I get hurt enough, they turn red and I can't heal for a bit, why?"
"Still trying to understand science of it, research pertaining to you fascinating, wish we didn't have limited time considering mission -breath-… pity. Would like to have studied you more"
"Wait, what?"
"Have concluded that complete destruction of your body would be disastrous"
"But I'd be able to heal, right?"
"Depends how much damage you sustained. If your whole body were to be completely destroyed, would most likely heal. If sustained heavy damage previous to complete destruction, pixels would turn red -breath-… would be disastrous"
"How bad are we talking"
"Your body can only handle so much, being completely destroyed and not immediately healed could cause the virtual and electrical nature of your pixels to destabilize if they are not a whole"
"Okay, let me get this straight… if I get completely disintegrated, and my pixels turn red, they won't be able to heal in time and I'll die?"
"Correct"
"…Well that's not good"
"No, but fortunately there may be a way to prevent this from happening should circumstances ever arise"
"So I can prevent dying if this ever happens?"
"Correct, you seem to have been displaying the ability to absorb element zero and perfectly manipulate it"
"Uh-huh"
"No time to thoroughly study you, was only able to come up with slapped-together answer. Every time you absorb element zero it increases your supply of 'dark eezo' as you have named"
"Yeah, so?"
"Your pixels are just that; pixels, constructs made from electricity yet not a physical thing, only made possible by you jumping dimensions"
"There a point to any of this?"
"Your pixels are constructed of electricity, so to speak, element zero works by running current through it, though technically you are a 'living current', and absorbing element zero allows you to use it any way you see fit, but do to your regenerative nature able to 'regenerate' your amount of dark eezo once expunged"
"Yeah, I know, absorbing eezo increases my supply of dark eezo while when I use dark eezo powers they regenerate, in short absorbing more eezo makes me more powerful, this is old news, Mordin"
"Say you absorb a source of eezo that's already bigger than your supply, that event would be -breath-… catastrophic"
"Wait, wouldn't when I first absorbed eezo been catastrophic?"
"From current knowledge your first absorption was a biotic, a warp to be specific, would be too small to cause any reaction, assume you started small when first absorbing element zero"
"That I did, Mordo"
"If you were to absorb a supply of element zero that is extremely bigger than your current amount, it could temporarily 'overload' you, causing your dark eezo powers to go haywire, unstable, highly volatile-"
"Would it be permanent?"
"No, body would adapt, but time would vary depending on how much element zero absorbed to cause overload, but there is a benefit"
"There's a benefit to my powers going crazy and I become a bomb of energy?"
"If you were to be completely disintegrated and the pixels turn red, ergo killing you, the overload would jumpstart regeneration, allow you to not die"
"Mordin, I've absorbed a lot of eezo in my days, is there even a source out there bigger than what I already have? And if there is, what are the odds I'll find it while I'm dying?"
"Odds minuscule at best, and not to forget that you supply of dark element zero would increase, so you could not overload from a similar source again. Just wanted to tell you in case circumstances ever arise -breath-… never know"
"So that's why you called me up here? To give me a shoddy scientific explanation on my powers and tell me how to prevent death?"
"Yes"
"Well… thank you, I guess. You probably just saved my life"
"Happy to help" Mordin said, flashing a rare smile.
"I have to ask though, why did you tell me this?"
"My job as doctor, inform patients healthiest means of survival, help them through ailment, why I was recruited -breath-… and to study collectors"
"Okay, well thank you Mordin"
"Likewise. And before you go… call me Mordo again, will take more than a few pixels next time" Shuddering from Modin's comment, Aaron immediately left the med bay. when he walked out into CIC, he ran into Thane coming out from the elevator.
"Aaron. Need to see you" Thane simply said.
"Whatcha need?" Aaron asked.
"You are aware of my son, Kolyat"
"Yeah, your son, why? Oh, don't tell me he wants to kill someone"
"Yes"
"Look, you already told me about your son back when we did those few jobs, so you don't need to tell me anymore when you say that he's in trouble. Where to?"
"We are already heading to the Citadel for a resupply, we shall find him while we're there"
"Say no more"
"One other item of mention. Your Boss informed the Saints of the passing of your two comrades, they wish to hold a speech in your room"
"Well, we need to do something to keep morale up I guess. Alright, I'm heading there now, we'll find your son as soon as we get to the Citadel"
Aaron's room
All the Saints in Aaron's room held their heads down in solemn silence, the news of Matt and Asha. Aaron walked in and went over to Boss, whispering, "What's this all about?"
"Figured we needed a speech to raise morale" Boss whispered back.
"Okay, but hurry up. This is my room, after all" Boss nodded as he stood in front of the Saints, gaining their attention.
"I know you all have heard the news" Boss started.
"You told all of us" Pierce said.
"…I know you all are angry at the collectors from taking Asha and Matt from us. And you should be, because you know what? These bugs have made the biggest mistake of their unnatural lives; they've pissed the Saints off. This isn't about remorse, or righteousness, this… is revenge. This is wrath for what they have done to our friends. And we're going to show the collectors what happens when you mess with the Saints. When we first came here, it was about bringing Aaron home so we could fix Earth, but now… now we're going to help him. Help him exterminate every. Single. Last. Bug. You guys with me?" Boss asked valiantly. All the Saints cheered, and Aaron nodded. "Guys, this has been fun, but I kind of have to go. You know, once we dock with the Citadel have to settle things between an assassin and his son"
"Again?" Boss chuckled.
"Yeah, but this time they're aliens"
A/N- Okay, okay, fine darn it! You've twisted my arm, pretty much everyone wanted me to continue this story to the end, so that's what I'll do! Then it's off to the next one. Anyway, both polls will be closed now, I've made up my mind on romance, and if anyone wants to private message me for any reason, go ahead. Anyway, I'm gonna go now. So Cya!
