Picking right up where we left off, I'm glad you all love the previous chapter so much, I had a blast writing it.
Like I said before, I intended to make this one big chapter but then decided against it since I had so much material for 2 or maybe even three chapters if I stretch this out.
This was my plan from the get go to eventually introduce Spider-man villains that can, if you think about it, exist in the Mass Effect world. And by that I mean the most plausible ones.
If you want a more advanced version of what I'm about to explain go read Hunter 139's review of chapter 8 cause he basically read my mind.
Tech based villains such as Shocker, Vulture hell even Scorpion and the spider-slayers are easily able to exist in the Mass Effect world. Venom could also exist since the symbiote is alien in nature.
However villains like Sandman and Hydro-man are not plausible as they really wouldn't fit into the ME universe.
Oh and(Use Uncle Chan's voice here) One More thing.
Sakoln/Shocker is new to Spider-man. Peter obviously has a sense of familiarity with him not cause of who he is but because the fact that he is a super villain and he has a dime a dozen of these guys back home. This will not be the only Spider-man villain that every spider-fan knows that will originate in the Mass Effect universe and there will be perfectly decent explanations as to how other villains come about.
Here's something that I need to talk about. When I finished watching the Flash season finale, dude, as a comic book fan I was geeking the fuck out. SO MANY REFERENCES JAY GARRICK, RIP HUNTER, HAWKGIRL, THE MULTIVERSE, KILLER FROST. OH MY GOD THIS SHOW IS INCREDIBLE.
On another note, this summer has not been easy. I have been barely been able to work on any of my stories. College combined with TWO jobs has really been stressing me. This is my only relief and I've been getting less and less of it. Literally, this chapter was supposed to come out two weeks after the previous one but due to work that didn't happen
Alright, not much else to say, let's just get on with the show
Rate Read and Review and As Always Have Nice Day
Along Came a Spider Chapter 9: I Was only gone for a few days! Part 2
"Now this might hurt" Doctor Chakwas says as she gently lifts Peter's arm.
The super human winces from the pain, but otherwise keeps a straight face on.
"Frankly Peter, I am astounded right now" Chakwas states, lowering his arm "After reviewing your injuries, a hit like that would leave any normal human being in a coma to say the least"
"Yeah well it's a good thing I'm not normal then" Peter jokingly strained, placing a simple black t-shirt on.
"Seriously, I saw the recordings, how are you not dead?" Jeff 'Joker' Moreau said on the bed besides Peter's.
"Joker, in case you've forgotten, I have survived a collapsing tunnel" Peter said wittingly "It'll take more than a simple shockwave to take me down"
"Right" Jeff said sarcastically "Let me guess, an anvil? What about a grenade? Meteor?'
"No to all of those things" Peter replied
"Peter" Shepard, announcing his arrival in the med bay "How are you holding up?"
"Still in pain, but it should die down in a few hours" Peter said casually "Accelerated healing factor and all"
"I still find it astounding" Doctor Chakwas, appearing besides Peter with a data pad "I have never seen anything like this. You're entire body is just a potential of unknown achievements just waiting to happen"
"Yeah, thanks but no thanks" Peter said "I'd rather not be a human Guinea pig….again"
"You were a lab experiment?" Shepard inquired "Is that how you became(gestures to Peter) the way you are now?"
"Nope" Peter said "thankfully not. The way I got my powers….well when you really think and hear about it, it is really, Really lame"
"How did you get 'em?" Joker asked
"A radioactive Spider bit me" Spider-man said bluntly. The blank befuddled faces were to be expected
"You're not lying about this" Joker said "Are you?"
"No, not in the slightest" Peter said "So…..yeah"
"WOW" Joker said, laughing then clutching his sides in pain momentarily
Still, the pilot of the Normandy got a good laugh after hearing the origin of Parkers powers
"Seriously" Jeff said, wiping a tear away "I was hoping for something, you know, a bit more dramatic. But a Spider bite? That's to funny"
"Hardy Har har" Peter Deadpanned "I'm sorry my past isn't as riveting as you would've expected"
"No offense Pete" Shepard said, restraining himself from chuckling. Though he still held a smirk that Peter wished hadn't come up "A Spider biting you, then giving you your powers isn't as entertaining or awesome even instead of…oh I don't know, accidentally dousing yourself in chemicals of sorts"
"You people really stink" Peter huffed, crossing his arms and turning his head away dramatically "You know that right?"
"Alright, we've had our laugh" Shepard said more serious now "C'mon Peter, we're having a little meeting with the team"
"For what?" Spider-man asked
"I think it's obvious"
"Sakoln" Peter said, getting a nod from the Commander "Are you sure this is such a good idea, Shepard?"
"What do you mean?" Shepard said, now walking alongside Peter out of the Medical bay
"Going after Sakoln" Peter said "I know that's your intention"
"I'm pretty sure it's your intention as well" Shepard said
"Not going to deny that" Peter admitted "However, I don't really support the idea of going after Sakoln. Not with you guys"
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Shepard said patiently
"I know there's still a lot of things you don't know about me Shepard" Peter said "And I am really grateful that you put so much trust in me, believe me, I am"
"But?" Shepard said before Peter could
"But" Peter went on "I don't think you guys should pursue this"
"I need a reason to why, Peter" Shepard said firmly "If you don't give me one, or even a good enough reason, I will rebuke your request and we will all pursue this Sakoln together"
"I would have thought you'd force me to sit this one out" Peter admitted with surprise
"I may be firm Peter, but I'm not stupid" Shepard stated "We'll need your help in bringing this guy down"
"Uh….Alright, you got it commander"" Peter said after several moments
Shepard nodded and proceeded down the hall, leaving a somewhat confused and amused Spider-man.
"Man" Peter rubbed the top of his head "Just like Captain America"
Peter caught up with the human Spectre, the two joining the rest of the crew in the communications room, all seated in their chairs respectively.
As usual, Spider-man opted to hang upside down besides Garrus and Tali.
"So we all know why we've been called here" Shepard said, starting the mission
"Yeah, we're going on a wild chase for a freaky science experiment that feels like Spider-man should do alone" Wrex grumbled causing everybody to look at him
"What? You know it's true" Wrex said bluntly
"Oddly enough, I agree with him" Ashley said "I've already seen my fair share of weird shit, but honestly, Peter should be the one to take care of this"
"Be that as it may" Shepard said, more firm now "I'm not gonna let just one of us take on something that extreme"
'You'd be amazed what I've taken on, commander' Spider-man thought, his mind going back to his home.
What the web slinger failed to notice was the look he was receiving from none other than Liara T'soni.
Unlike the others, she knew exactly why Peter should be the one to handle this alone. Sure she didn't see all of peter's life from his dimension when they did a mind meld, but that didn't stop her from remembering all the faces and events that came to mind.
"Liara"
"Huh, What?"
"Are you alright?" Shepard said, a look of worry on his face
"I am" Liara stammered for a moment "Yes, apologies Shepard, yes I'm fine"
"What happened?" Tali asked "Your face was a bit odd"
"I was….lost in thought" Liara said
Spider-man glanced over at Liara, and though he wore his mask, his eyes locked on to Liara's for a brief moment before breaking the contact.
"Ok, so here's the question of the hour" Garrus said addressing the crew "Just how do we find this guy? It's not like we can simply wait for the next crime and he just happens to be there?"
"Who is this guy anyways?" Kaidan asked "Sakoln Laemor Lusar?"
Garrus and Peter stifled laughter at the mention of the name again.
"Seriously?" Ashley deadpanned "How immature are you guys?"
"Oh come on Ash" Peter said chuckling while lightly swinging on the rope he hung on "You gotta admit, it's pretty hilarious"
"I can't deny that name is amusing" Tali admitted
"His parents must have really hated him to give him a name like that" Peter chortled
"Funny names aside, this guy is not to be underestimated" Shepard said
"That's a given" Peter murmured, rubbing his chest from some leftover pain
"So how are we gonna track him down then?" Ashley asked "Does he have any record of sorts at all?"
"I could look into that" Garrus chipped in, scratching his chin "I have clearance to almost all sorts of C-sec files. See if the guys appears anywhere in the databanks"
"So then technically only Garrus can do anything for the moment" Peter said "Leaving us to do nothing but wait"
The entire room went silent
"Shit…." Commander Shepard said "Guess you're right"
"I'll get right to it then" Garrus said, getting up to leave
"I'll help get you there faster" Spider-man said, landing on his feet
"Spirits no" Garrus said immediately "Go stop a mugger or anything. But you're not doing that to me again unless I demand it"
"You're no fun sometimes, you know that right" Peter said
"The rest of you, continue go about your business" Shepard said to the rest of the team "Restock on supplies if you need to, whatever it is, but when the time comes to face this Sakoln, be ready"
"Yes Commander" Said the team and they were dismissed
Not that much later
Peter was casually sitting on the ledge of a building, mask up to his nose as he munched on the pizza in his hand.
'Wonder how everyone is doing back home' Peter thought a bit sadly. He had been stuck in this universe for practically half a year now and he still had no way of getting home. How much time had passed in his universe? Was time here the same or did it move at a comparably slower rate than back home? Did anyone even realize he was gone? How were the Avengers, MJ, Logan, the Fantastic Four, Harry and Aunt May? He still needed to remember and figure out just how he got here.
All these thoughts started to overwhelm the web-head, opting him to finish his meal faster in order to pull his mask back on, securing the back pack and jumped back into swinging around.
"C'mon" Peter muttered, glancing down at the Citadel streets "Give me some action"
"HELP THIEF" A man shouted from below
"Sweet" Peter said, diving down "INCOMING"
All heads, including the thief, looked up to see Spider-man save himself in the nick of time to grab the human who had stolen something from someone.
"I'll take that" Spider-man said snatching the "An Omni-Tool? Why do you need another Omni-Tool? Everybody has an Omni-Tool"
When Spider-man got a good look at the man, Pete's eyes widened a bit.
"HEY EDDIE" Spider-man said tauntingly chipper "How the heck did you get here from Noveria so fast?"
"LET ME GO SPIDER-MAN" Eddie Brock roared in anger
"Aw, but I thought you'd be happy to see me" Spider-man mockingly whined like a child "After all of our good times"
"You ruined my legitimate business" Eddied seethed, just realizing his hands were bound together by Spider-man's webbing
"Right, being a con artist is totally a legitimate business" Spider-man dryly remarked
"It's a business" Eddie lamely defended
"Mhmm, yeah right" Spider-man said, now pulling the criminal towards the Turian that Eddie had stolen him from "Here you are sir, be sure to call in C-sec"
"My pleasure Spider-man" The Turian said thankfully
"Enjoy prison Eddie" Spider-man said, ruffling the blond man's hair.
Eddie just hissed in anger.
"Dude, you're not a snake" Spider-man dryly stated, wiping the spit that landed between his eye lenses "And that's disgusting"
With that last quip, Peter leapt into the air, swinging away in his typical fashion.
"Ok, there's my first good deed of the day" Spider-man said to himself, corkscrewing between two cars.
"Guess the final cap off would be catching Sakoln" Spider-man landed on a building wall, scaling it up with ease
'Still can't believe a guy like that exists in this universe' Peter thought to himself 'I've heard that Salarians are smart, but haven't seen anything like that here'
"Could be a one time thing…. I hope" Spider-man said, knowing the kind of luck he has
Peter continued his patrol for about an hour. In that time he stopped several muggings, 2 store robberies and one attempted public murder as well as guide a drugged up Volus to the nearest clinic. That last one was way too bizarre for him to even wrap his head around.
"Ok, now I'm getting a little bored" Spider-man said, expertly swinging into an alleyway.
"May as well pass the time doing something else" Peter said, removing his mask, gloves and sorta sneakers sorta socks.
He reached for his backpack and pulled out pants, a long sleeved shirt, socks and sneakers.
Peter walked out of the alleyway, glad to see that nobody saw Spider-man enter the alley and Peter Parker exit.
The New York native strolled on by, entering a food joint he often goes to dragging Garrus as well, coincidentally named the Manhattan shack.
Peter entered the 'Shack' to find it loaded with people, most of which primarily originate from the five boroughs of New York itself. He saw a handful of Asari, Turians, Salarians, Volus, a Quarian and a Krogan even.
"Hey Nick, Patty" Peter said immediately, waving over to the couple on the far side of the
"Hey Pete" They both greeted
"Jackie, Sam, Daniel" Peter nodded to a trio at a table, passing by them to get to the bar
"Hey Alfonse" Peter said, sitting down on a bar stool
"PETER" The old man bellowed jovially, his Italian accent clear and present "It is great to see you once more, my friend"
"How've you been Alfonse?" Peter said, grinning at the old dog
"Never better" Alfonse said heartily "It's been rather quiet, but business still remains good. Getting newcomers every week"
"That's good to hear" Peter said "The galaxy needs to know a taste of good 'ol New York"
"Ha" Alfonse said "That is my job"
Without even asking, Alfonse grabbed a cup from behind the counter and filled it with soda, placing it before the vigilante.
"Thanks Alf" Peter said, holding up the cup in gratitude "I'll have the usual"
"Coming right up" Alf said, turning to the open window in the wall behind him
"Vladimir" Alfonse called out "Pete's special"
"Coming right up" A Russian accent yelled back
"So Peter, I must ask" Alfonse said, leaning on the counter "Where have you been? You've been gone for so long, I was beginning to fear that I had lost a faithful customer. Not even Garrus stopped by for a hello"
"Oh, Garrus and I have been really busy" Peter gestured his head, a silent saying to lean in closer "Have you heard of Commander Shepard?"
"The first human Spectre" Alf whispered in excitement "What human hasn't heard of him?"
"Yeah well" Peter bobbed his head from side to side
Alfonse understood instantly
"No" Alf whispered in disbelief
"Oh Yes"
"How?"
"I have certain skills that have proven to be pretty useful for the guy" Peter said smugly, hinting at something else entirely "And Garrus is just good with a sniper rifle"
"Well you mister Parker are just full of surprises" Alf said, smirking at the young adults good fortune
"Maybe I could introduce you sometime" Peter said "Everybody needs a taste of Manhattan at least once in their life"
"That they do" Alf said, glancing over to the entrance at the sound of the door opening
"Speaking of which"
Peter gave off a confused expression before glancing back to see Garrus accompanied by two timid crewmates.
"Garrus" Peter waved over to his friend "Hey Liara, Tali, Garrus dragged you here?"
"He did say that he wanted to find you actually" Liara said
"Yes" Tali nodded "And he told us that this was the first place to go to"
"Well, he's not wrong"
"GARRUS" The Italian waiter and owner of the shack exclaimed jovially causing Liara and Tali to jump in surprise at the man's booming voice "How wonderful to see you again"
"Great to see you again Alfonse" Garrus said, a Turian grin on his face "Missed this place quite a lot"
"HA" Alf laughed "Everybody does"
Alf then finally noticed the two out of place females in his diner.
"Ah, apologies my fair ladies" Alf said, bowing "I was too busy rejoicing at seeing two of my favorites customers that I completely overlooked you two"
"That's alright" Liara said politely "We didn't want to intrude"
"Oh, but any friend of Garrus and Peters is a friend of mine" Alfonse said bashfully "I'm Alfonse, owner of the Manhattan Shack"
"Liara T'soni" The Asari said, bowing her head
"My name is a bit of a mouthful so you can just call me Tali" The Quarian said with some embarrassment
"Come, sit down you three" Alf said, gesturing to the coincidentally empty three seats around Peter
The three aliens sat themselves around Peter. Alf gave Tali and Liara menus as he already knew what Garrus wanted.
"Vlad" Alf called out again "Garrus's usual"
"Coming right up comrade" Vlad called back
"So, Garrus, Peter" Alf said "How do you two know these lovely ladies"
"They're with us on Shepards team" Garrus said right away causing the old Italian to stutter momentarily before the man said something in his native language then laughed once more
"You two are just full of surprises" Alf said cheerily "Alright for that, all your meals are on the house"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa" Peter said "No way. Sure maybe the girls, but I'm paying for my meal"
"No Peter" Alf waved "This one is one the house for all of you"
"Alf, C'mon, you can't" Garrus said
"Nonsense" Alf brushed off casually "Business is booming and I haven't seen you and Peter in weeks. Thing of this as a welcome back present"
With that, Alf entered the kitchen, leaving the four.
"He seems, pleasant" Tali said
"Is he always this friendly?" Liara asked Peter
"Oh yeah" Peter said "Probably one of the best guys on the Citadel. He welcomes everyone like that"
"Most of the people you see here are those who come often and bring new people" Garrus said "The guy remembers everyone's name"
"Keelah, look at this" Tali exclaimed in delight "He's got practically an entire page of Quarian dishes"
"Oh he's got one or two for almost every species" Peter said off handedly
"By the goddess, these are all my favorite delicacies" Liara stated in amazement
"How does he prepare all this?" Tali asked
"Oh it's just him, his buddy Vlad, Nux and Grimlock"
Tali and Liara stared at Peter.
"Nux and Grimlock?" Tali asked
"Who are Nux and Grimlock?"
"I heard the scrawny one and feather head are back" a mischievous growl came from behind the door
Garrus groaned "Why did you call me that in front of him, Peter?"
"Feather head?" Tali said, holding back a laugh
The door opened to reveal none other than a Krogan wearing an apron, gloves and carrying a spatula
"Grimlock" Peter greeted happily "Good to see ya, you old dinosaur"
Grimlock grinned "It's been to long Peter, thought you died since you were gone for so long"
"Wow seriously" Pete deadpanned "That's the first thing that comes to mind?"
"Heh" was all Grimlock responded with, before turning to Garrus "And look at you Feather head, still alive and kicking as well"
"I really, Really hate you right now Peter" Garrus said "Yes Grimlock, I'm alive and well and rubbing it in your face"
"A Krogan….is a chef" Tali said, still coming to terms with what she's staring at "I thought I've seen it all. But now I have"
"Don't say that statement just yet" Peter said "You may just have to eat those words later on"
"Eat them?" Tali said
"Remind me to get several books, can you Garrus?"
"Sure thing" Garrus said "So Grimlock, how've you been? And where's Nux by the way?"
"I've been doing well" Grimlock responded "But Nux ain't coming in until later. His shift doesn't start in another two hour"
"Ah" Garrus shrugged "Oh well, guess we'll see him some other time"
"Who is Nux?" Liara asked
"A tough nut to crack" Grimlock answered "That Quarian has seen so much shit, I'm amazed he's not dead yet. Earned my respect"
"How did you become a chef?" Liara abruptly asked "Here no less"
"Alfonse has a way with words" Grimlock stated enigmatically "That and he liked this Danish dish I made for him once"
"Oh yeah" Garrus said "You made a Turian version of that. That was that sweetest thing I've ever eaten. You got any right now?"
"Ha" Alf burst through the door, holding said Danish "I have ready for you right here"
Two hours later
"Buy Alf, we'll see you tomorrow" Peter said "We'll bring the rest of the crew here for lunch"
"You do that Peter" Alf said, still in his jovial mood "And come early, we're finally gonna start our Game of thrones marathons"
"Always wanted to watch that" Peter said "See ya Alf"
"So long my friends"
The four friends exited the diner full and satisfied.
"That was probably the best lunch I've ever had" Tali said cheerfully
"We're gonna swing by here tomorrow for lunch again" Peter said "Well, I know I am at least"
"I'm astounded how well Grimlock made my meal" Liara said "He made it to perfection. I've never felt myself tingle so much at the taste of an everyday Asari dish"
"Alf has an eye for talent" Garrus said simply "Ever since Peter found this place, we've been going here to a religious degree"
Their conversation came to an end when the sound of C-sec sirens were heard followed by three C-sec vehicles flying by
Tali, Liara and Garrus all looked to Peter expectantly and some pity.
Peter sighed "And that's my cue"
He dashed into the nearby alley between the diner and it's next door building and moments later shot out in his spider-man costume, pursuing the C-sec vehicles.
"It's crazy how he can change so fast" Tali commented
"He wears his suit under his clothes most of the time" Garrus pointed out, while going to the alleyway
"What are you doing Garrus?" Liara asked, confused as to why the Turian detective opted to enter the alley.
Garrus didn't reply. He simply carried on, entering one moment and coming out with a backpack a moment later.
"He tends to forget the rest of his stuff" Garrus said, making sure everything Peter had on him was within the pack "I noticed this a while back"
"So What do we do now?" Tali asked
"I dunno" Garrus shrugged "You girls already get whatever you needed?"
"Not really?" Liara admitted
"Ok then, we've got something to keep us occupied while Peter goes and does his hero thing"
"Aren't you supposed to be looking up data on that Salarian?" Tali stated
"Meh, I'll do it later" Garrus waved it off
Tali and Liara glanced at one another at the nonchalance of the Turian.
With spider-man
"Alright you guys" Peter said wagging his finger at the trio of apprehended thieves that now hung upside down, courtesy of your friendly neighborhood spider-man
"Now no more stealing from the nice people" Peter said pecking the human of the bunch of the nose who only let out a muffled growl
"What's that?" Peter mockingly held his hand up to his ear "You're sorry for being a corrupted hapless soul and wish to reform in jail. Why, I knew there was hope for you guys"
Spider-man finished his relentless humiliation by pinching the cheek of the middle human.
"Alright folks, my work here is done" Peter said to the gathered crowd, jumping into the air
'Might as well go on another patrol' Peter thought to himself, the buildings of the citadel flying by with every pull of the next strand of web shot out from his web shooters.
In an undisclosed location
Sakoln was currently alone, a light hanging over his work table as he was making adjustments to his suit. After his first clash with Spider-man, Sakoln realized that he needed several upgrades if he were to combat the web-head.
Sakoln concentrated more on his suit, reducing mass for better movement. Thankfully, he was able to retain the defense function that allowed him to easily deflect most firepower. In essence, it was an upgraded kinetic barrier that instead of absorbing the fire power, gradually weakening the shield, Sakoln's shield deflected the shots entirely. The kinetic barrier simply bounced off anything that didn't contain the same force as it did when repelling fire.
"Lame or loser" Sakoln muttered with contained rage "Who does that pest think he is? Appalling, and to think he has a brilliant mind beneath that mask"
"Shocker" Sakoln reminisced mockingly "What's so 'Shocking' about my suits? There's no shock element about them save for my shockwave feature"
Later on during the evening
"Swinging and singing, singing and swinging" Spider-man sang, having nothing better to do
"Oh for spirits sake, do you seriously have nothing better to do?" Garrus shouted from his flying motorcycle
"Hey you know the rules" Spider-man shouted back "My turf my rules"
"What turf?"
"The skyline….duh"
"Right" Garrus drawled out, rolling his eyes "And the I'm a Thresher Maw"
"A what now?"
"Ask Wrex about them"
"Hmmm"
The two continued to sail through the air, the sounds and sights of the Citadel all around them as they went on
"Say Peter"
"Hmm?"
"Have you gotten everything you needed?"
"The armor?"
"Yes"
"Yeah I got them all" Peter answered 'I'm gonna have Tali, Ash and Kaidan help me out with modifications"
"And leave me out if it"
"I don't need to ask help from you when I know I'll get it regardless" Spider-man said "You should know that by now, it goes both ways"
Garrus blinked but shot an appreciative expression at the web swinger getting a silent thumbs up in return.
"I think we filled our quota for the evening" Spider-man said "Let's get down to the Grand Marvel. There should be one of our crew mates there"
"Yeah even with that lunatic Sakoln on the loose, we still are on a brief shore leave" Garrus agreed "Best make the most of it"
The Grand Marvel
The two friends entered the high profile bar, the sound of music blasting all around them with dancers in the middle of the club.
The two went right up to the bar, Garrus signaling the bartender to give them anything.
"You know, I never ever drank this consistently in my life before" Peter mused "If this keeps up, I think I might become a full blown alcoholic"
"Peter Parker drunk?" Garrus said thoughtfully, placing a hand under his chin "I don't if I would like to see that or dread to see that"
"Dread" Peter said "You'll only see a lot of crying"
Garrus chortled a little "Spirits, sorry I asked"
Peter just hummed in response, casually looking around.
"I'll be right back Pete" Garrus said "Just need to use the restroom"
"Not going anywhere" Peter referred to himself. Garrus walked off, leaving Peter alone in his thoughts until a familiar Asari caught his attention sitting alone at a table.
Peter grabbed his drink and walked over to the Asari surprising the blue female by plopping down right in front of her
"Peter?" Liara said, pleasantly surprised to find a friend already here "When did you arrive?"
"Oh, Garrus and I just got here" Peter said
"Oh, well, at least I'm not alone here now" Liara said
"What are you doing here by yourself?" Peter asked "You never really struck me as one to be alone at a bar. In a dig site yes, but here?"
Liara didn't answer at first, her eyes focusing on her drink as she rotated her wrist making the drink follow in its motion.
"I've just had a lot on my mind since coming to the Citadel" Liara said after a few moments of silence between the two "I'm still finding it hard to believe where I ended up in the course of a few weeks"
Peter stared intently at the archeologist, taking in her eyes specifically. He could recognize that glaze anywhere.
Liara finally noticed Peter looking right at her with a rare serious expression.
"What? What is it?" Liara asked timidly
"I understand what you're going through Liara" Peter said with a softness that almost instantly relaxed Liara, surprising her
"I know you're thinking about your mother" Peter said, shocking the Asari, knowing he guessed right "I understand how you're trying to comprehend how in just a few short weeks you went from digging up those protein ruins to joining a ragtag crew of weirdos to seeing your own mother die before you"
"I-"
"I also understand the guilt you have right now, feeling some level of responsibility for being able to do nothing as she died in front of you" Peter said sympathetically "But you need to know this Liara. You helped free and save your mother from becoming something that would have been nothing more than a shell of her former self. And at least, you both got to say goodbye"
Liara was stunned silent, soaking in everything Peter had just said.
…
…
…
…
…
"How" Liara croaked out, barley holding back her tears
Peter gave her a very sad and strained smile
"I never showed you everything" Peter answered. Liara tilted her head, showing she didn't understand
"When we first met those long months ago" Peter began "You saw who I really was. I showed that I was from an alternate universe where the weird is the norm. But I didn't show you everything"
Liara said nothing, her eyes still holding tears threatening to spill.
"I didn't show you how my Uncle Ben died with a gun shot on his stomach, my hands covered in his blood with me doing nothing more than beg like a five year old for him to hang on"
One tear trickled down his face. This was the first time in a long time that he had spoken of uncle Ben to someone. He figured though that this was probably the perfect person to tell. Though he only told her the end, not his irresponsibility and his stupidity that had gotten him killed.
Liara just didn't know how to respond to that.
"Did I overstep my boundaries?" Peter asked abruptly now meek and nervous
Liara stared at the super human before lightly laughing, a few stray tears flowing out now.
11"No" Liara said, letting out a breath she was holding "I think I needed to hear that"
Peter perked up at that
"Thank you, Peter" Liara said sincerely, her figure slightly glowing "You really know what to say when needed"
"I heard Peter getting thanked by a girl" A Turian said from behind Liara "Did something go wrong?"
"Hardy har har Garrus' Peter deadpanned "Way to ruin the moment"
"Garrus" Liara greeted her friend
"Hey Liara" Garrus said, sitting in the only other empty chair around the table "Glad to see at least one of the crew is here"
"I got here a while back" Liara said
"An hour?" Garrus said, Turian brows raised in surprise "You've been here for an hour?"
"Yes" Liara nodded albeit hesitantly "I guess I just…needed some time to myself"
Garrus and Peter shared a glance.
"Don't worry Liara" Garrus said sincerely "We understand"
Liara looked back and forth between the human, her eyes tearing up slightly as she smiled gratefully.
"Thanks" She sniffled, wiping her tears away
The next day, in the afternoon
*SIGH*
Was what Spider-man did for what felt like the umpteenth time this day.
"Two days of nothing" Spider-man moaned "Seriously, did this guy just leave the Citadel?"
Spider-man attached a line to a ledge, pulling himself towards it. At the last second, Peter angled his body and landed perfectly onto the edge, sitting casually.
Peter removed his gloves, and lifted up his shirt a bit revealing his muscular build along with his utility belt. He pushed several parts of the belt and out popped cartridges, falling into his hands. Rolling up his sleeves, Peter took out the empty web cartridges from his web shooters, replacing them with the full ones.
Then an explosion went off.
Spider-man didn't move a muscle at first, choosing to sit there for a moment.
"A hero's work is never done I see" Spider-man said, slotting the final cartridge into place.
Quickly pulling down his shirt and sliding his gloves back on, Spider-man sling shot himself all the way towards the billowing smoke.
Spider-man saw civilians frantically running away with C-sec trying to gain control over the situation.
Landing right before the billowing smoke, few noticed the arrival of the Web head. Yet all attention returned to the source of the smoke as a beam shot out from the smoke.
Spider-man performed a jump split as the beam destroyed the floor he was standing on.
"That wasn't very nice Sakoln" Spider-man shouted into the smoke "That could have hurt somebody"
"Clearly" a voice said with the smoke. The very air around the smoke vibrated before there was a burst of sorts, clearing the area of the smoke, revealing none other than Sakoln himself.
His armor has changed somewhat. It was slightly slimmed down, with a more solid red with occasional patches of lined yellow on specific areas of importance.
"Sakoln" Peter greeted with false enthusiasm "Love the new patches you added, totally makes you look more menacing"
"I see your pathetic sense of humor hasn't dulled" Sakoln remarked, dropping the bag of whatever it was that he stole
"Hey, I'm not the one walking around in whatever you call that suit"
"At least I have the common knowledge of wearing a suit such as this. Unlike you who chose the route of…what is it that you're wearing? Ah yes, skin tight, non technological spandex"
"This coming from the guy who could only land one hit on me. Said hit only made me stumble"
"I do admit, I was more than shocked to see you get up so easily from such an attack. My mind is still trying to process the fact that you survived. Allow me to remedy that"
Spider-man back flipped away from his stand spot as a bullet of a vibrational shockwave was sent to where he stood.
"Alright, that's how it's going to be I guess" Spider-man said running at the super villain whilst gracefully dodging every shockwave sent at him
Just as the wall crawler got within a few feet of Sakoln, the Salarian crossed his arms over his chest like an X.
Spider-man's spider-sense blared yet it didn't help as Sakoln threw his arms up. His entire suit glowed momentarily when wave of vibrations surrounded Sakoln in a large orb like shield. Unfortunately, Peter was caught in the orb and the vibro-shocks hit him hard.
"AURGH" Spider-man gritted out.
Sakoln punched his arms up once more, causing the orb to burst, in turn, sending the web head flying right into a C-sec vehicle.
Sakoln bent over, exhaling a tired breath.
"Didn't calculate this" He murmured, shaking off the pain "Must do more tinkering then"
Around the car Spider-man crashed in to, there was a small crowd of civilians and C-sec officers.
"You think He's ok?" an Asari asked
"Are you kidding me? That looked like he launched like a damn rocket" A human stated incredulously
"He completely destroyed the car when he crashed" A Turian c-sec officer stated "I would be amazed if he's even conscious right now"
"You'd be amazed at what I could live through" A voice quipped
Everyone was stunned silent as Spider-man pulled himself out of the wreckage of the car with only a few scratches to himself and his suit.
"But damn that hurt like crazy" Spider-man winced, comically rubbing his aching back
Sakoln finally managed to recover from some of the pain and his suit had recharged. He glanced up to see Spider-man stumble forward, managing to stay standing.
"It seems that there's no limits on how you can surprise me Spider-man" Sakoln admitted "I applaud your tenacity and skills. It truly is a shame that we're on opposite sides"
"Do you really mean that? Or are you just saying it to be friendly"
"It depends on how you interpret. Regardless, I believe it is high time I make my exit"
Sakoln's leg pieces glowed intensely when a vibro-shock to the ground sent him flying into the air.
Righting himself, Sakoln's boots produced a steady and powerful wave of vibrations to create the illusion of flight.
Spider-man simply stared momentarily.
"Huh, starting to feel more and more like home" Spider-man said with an excited edge
Just as he began to pursue Sakoln, his earpiece comm chimed in.
"PETER" Garrus shouted on his end "I have some news that might come in handy"
"Not really in the mood for that Garrus" Peter replied, now gaining on the criminal
"Well before you catch Sakoln, you should at least listen to what I have to say"
"Wait, how the heck do you know…?"
"Look up behind you, to your left"
Peter did just that and saw several cars pursuing him.
He instantly knew what they were.
"They better catch my good side" Spider-man said "So tell me Garrus, what's so important that you have to call in on my big scene"
Garrus answered while Peter dropped down momentarily to avoid the two vibro-shock beams directed at him.
"Well I've got some fascinating information on who your chasing"
"Really?" Spider-man said in surprise "Talk about convenient. Tell me what you've got"
"Apparently Sakoln, like most Salarians, was very brilliant, even for his kind" Garrus said "He specialized in a multitude of various different fields, but there was in particular that he seemed to excel at"
"Let me guess, something having to do with vibrations?"
"Correct"
"Color me shocked" Spider-man said sarcastically
"What he did in the field is beyond anything my Turian mind can understand" Garrus said unashamedly "But knowing you, you actually might figure out how to counter this guy"
"Send everything you found to my Omni-tool" Spider-man said, now beginning to gain on Sakoln
"Roger that" Garrus disconnected and Peter's Omni-tool glowed for a moment.
"You're very persistent" Sakoln shouted, his voice amplified through a built in speaker "I must say, I haven't had this much excitement in a long time"
"Yeah well, don't get any ideas. Not really in the mood right now for a commitment"
"And here I was thinking we had something special" Sakoln said, swerving round, now charging at Spider-man
Spider-man easily dodged him, but unfortunately failed to get his arm out of the way which was grabbed by Sakoln.
Tightening his grip, Sakoln's suit reacted automatically. It's defense mechanism being that if Sakoln were to grab anybody or anybody were to grab him, painful vibrations and electric shots were to be shot right through them.
"Truly, this is a shocking attack" Sakoln teased sadistically
He threw peter into the air above him when the hero fell.
Just as Spider-man was a foot below him, Sakoln fired two powerful shock beams at the web-head.
Just at the last second, Spider-man fired a web which caught Sakoln's foot.
The two beams hit Peter at full force, sending him down to the ground like a meteor. Unfortunately for the villain, Sakoln was suddenly tugged down at the same speed.
Both men crashed down into the ground, scattering civilians from the area.
With Garrus
The Turian detective stared at the screen before him in shock, praying for his friend to be alright.
He was currently on the Normandy observing the clash next to Joker who was sitting in the pilots seat.
"Holy shit" Joker murmured "You think he's ok?"
"Spirits I hope so" Garrus replied
Garrus had been on the Normandy earlier, speaking with Joker about calibrating the main gun to its full potential. In the background, they had the radio on for just the noise when the breaking news story of Spider-man fighting Sakoln came on.
Without a word, joker brought up a screen and the first thing they saw was Spider-man pursuing Sakoln in the air.
"Hey guys what are you…."
Garrus and Joker looked back to find Shepard had walked in with Liara and Kaidan.
The trio said nothing, instead focusing on the screen the pilot and detective where watching seconds ago.
Looking back, the channel news team had opted to replay the crash of Spider-man and Sakoln several times.
"It just looks more painful the more I watch" Joker stated
"Well at least Spider-man found Sakoln" Kaidan said, wincing at the replay
"What do we do now Shepard?" Liara asked, concern evident for her friend
"How far are we from where Spider-man is fighting Sakoln" Shepard asked Garrus and Joker
"Depending on the place" Garrus said, his sharp eyes coming into play "They landed right in front of the Citadel tower!"
"We're way to far from there Shepard" Joker informed "And we can't exactly take the Normandy out to get there. The Engines are being reconfigured right now"
"Dammit" Shepard gritted out
"Should we call a cab?" Kaidan offered jokingly get a stare from Shepard and Liara
"Right, right, sorry"
"We could check to see if anyone is around the Citadel tower" Joker suggested
"And just how exactly would they help" Garrus questioned, now annoyed "You just saw who Peter's facing off against and they just destroyed an entire block. Two people did that, even if they're super powered. What the hell can we do?"
Shepard was at a loss here.
"Just try and support him" Shepard said, now putting on a straight face "Help him in anyway possible"
Garrus and Joker shared a look, knowing there was no point in arguing.
Back with Spider-man
The wall crawler had finally crawled out of the crater, albeit with a lot of moaning and groaning.
"OH" Spider-man wailed out "The pain"
"It's Spider-man!" a random civilian shouted
"Thank you captain obvious"
"Is he ok?"
"OK?! He just exploded through the floor!"
"Somebody else got pulled in with him"
"He's fighting someone?"
"Was, is more like it now"
"Oh, you think I'm done now?" A voice from the crater yelled
Many backed away in fear as a figure rose up from the crater.
Sakoln hovered in the air, his suit now damaged in many places but still managed to stay together and functional.
"Hey, you survived" Spider-man said, kicking up onto his feet "Then again, I shouldn't be all that surprised what with your suit taking the entire impact"
"I must admit, we've only clashed twice and yet it feels like we've been doing this for years"
"Must be some universal thing" Peter stated, now standing with both his shoulders rotating
"Now then" Sakoln said
"Let's pick up where we left off" Spider-man finished, loosening up
Sakoln re-initiated the battle, charging head first at Spider-man.
Peter easily jumped over Sakoln, attaching another line to the back of Sakoln's suit, hitching a ride as Sakoln activated boosters in his suit.
"Seriously?" Peter said in disbelief "This IS becoming just like home"
"What are you babbling about?"
"Nothing Dr. evil, just keep flying so I can pick my spot"
"Alright" Sakoln said beginning to spin in the air, his gauntlets giving him more speed
Time paused for a moment for Spider-man.
"Oh man, I hate it when they do that" Peter complained
The two were spinning at a rapid pace, Peter's body flailing around as he clung on to the web strand attached to Sakoln.
After realizing that Spider-man wasn't flung off, the Salarian righted himself in the air, flying straight once more.
"Let's not do that again" Peter called out "I don't want to puke in this suit, it's the only one that's clean"
"Of course" Sakoln said sarcastically "Allow me to rectify that"
Sakoln grabbed the strand, twirling his arm to wrap the string around his gauntlet. Activating his invention, the vibrations tore apart the webbing after a few seconds.
Spider-man shot another web line, resuming his pursuit of Sakoln by web swing.
"You're not going to get away this time Sakoln" Spider-man declared "I'm not the type of guy who looks for the third time"
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Human expression" Spider-man said, right above the Salarian "Look it up"
Spider-man fell onto the flying super-villain, firmly securing his arms around the Salarians chest.
Then his spider-sense and spider-logic went off.
"Wait a second" Peter said as he continued to fly "Doesn't your s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-"
"Suit repel anybody that grabs me as well as any that I grab? Of course" Sakoln said snidely, bursting his arms out causing Spider-man to fly off.
Though Spider-man fell, he easily recovered by firing another strand of web to continue his pursuit.
"OH FOR GODS SAKES JUST FUCK OFF ALREADY" Sakoln roared now severely annoyed
"Uh oh, somebody's busting out the naughty language" Spider-man teased
Sakoln actually shook his head "Can't believe I stooped that low"
"It's ok Loser, we all have our moments"
"You're really starting to grate my nerves Spider-man" Sakoln hissed out
"Wonderful" Spider-man said all chipper "That means we're getting somewhere"
"NO, I'm going up and you're going down"
"What the heck does that have to do with any-WHOA" Spider-man said, successfully avoiding the spiral shockwave Sakoln shot at him
"NOW THAT was rude" Spider-man said wagging his finger as he still chased after Sakoln
"Not as rude as somebody who can't take a hint" Sakoln snipped
"Sakoln I know we got off on the wrong foot but come on, you could just surrender and go back to your cell and we'll call it a day"
"Of course"
"Really?"
"NO"
Sakoln unleashed a barrage of vibro-shock beams at Spider-man, relentlessly pouring it on the vigilante as he nimbly avoided each beam.
At the exact same time, Spider-man fired an entire web net at Sakoln as the super villain shot out another beam at Spider-man.
The web net encased itself around one of the shock gauntlets of Sakoln's while the beam hit Spider-man dead on once again in the chest.
Unconsciously, Spider-man fired another line at the last second, also pulling Sakoln down for yet another plummet down to the ground.
"DAMN YOU SPIDER-MAAAAAAN" Sakoln shouted all the way down to the ground
Both men smashed into the ground. Miraculously, both got up in a matter of seconds.
"Well that really, REALLY hurt" Spider-man exclaimed
"That makes two of us" Sakoln gritted out, currently attempting to pry off the webbing that was sticking to his shock gauntlet.
Taking a gamble, Sakoln activated his gauntlet which shook rather violently. The webbing was ripped apart but the gauntlet was clearly damaged.
This did not go unnoticed by either genius.
"Interesting" Peter noted
"Don't get any ideas" Sakoln said dangerously
"Oh, but it was such a good one" Peter whined mockingly, now jumping towards Sakoln, catching the villain off guard.
Spider-man delivered a powerful right hook, so strong that it knocked Sakoln's helmet right off.
Sakoln went flying back, landing hard on his side. The Salarian's expression held nothing but pain and frustration as he managed to stand back up, spitting out a glob of blood.
But at the same time, his eyes held a rush of excitement.
"I can't deny, I'm getting a certain thrill out of this" Sakoln stated
"Really? And here I thought it was only me" Spider-man said jovially
"Sadly, I believe it is high time this charade comes to an end" Sakoln
"So you're willing to finally surrender? Sakoln, this is incredible, it's a step in the right direction"
"And yet, after all those crashes, your humor hasn't dulled in the slightest"
The moment Sakoln finished those last words, both he and his combatant tensed. Both knew that whatever happened next would indeed end the battle the two have had that had covered god knows ow much of the Citadel.
These next few moments will decide the victor
Time seemed to slow down as Sakoln shot his hands up, preparing to fire at Spider-man.
The web-head fired both web shooters at the same time, albeit at a faster rate.
The webbing quickly encased both gauntlets in a thick layer of silk.
Sakoln's arms shook violently before each gauntlet short circuited and exploded, crumbling off the mad genius's arms.
Sakoln didn't hold any sort of stunned expression. Just one really pissed off snarl.
"I guess that concludes our dance Sakoln" Spider-man quipped, now tying the Salarian up with webs.
"You've won this round Spider-man" Sakoln said darkly "But trust me when I say this. This is just the beginning"
"AH, somebodies upset" Spider-man taunted, lightly patting the alien on the cheek "It's ok, I understand. Trust me, I lose more than I win"
One hour later
Spider-man watched from up above as a large escort of C-sec cars left the area where he and Sakoln clashed one last time on this day.
Peter exhaled a breath of exhaustion, sitting down on the edge, removing his mask.
"That was quite the spectacle"
"Oh you found me already? You're getting better at this Garrus"
"Well I am the sniper of the team" Garrus stated "But trying to spot you in the skyline is good practice"
The two were silent
"You beat him"
"Doesn't felt like I did" Spider-man said, rubbing the injured parts of his body "Only delayed the sucker"
"Best get you to Chakwas and get you fixed up" Garrus said, offering his hand
Peter simply grinned, taking his friends hand
The Normandy
"You crazy Son of a bitch" was the first words that came out of Shepards mouth the moment Spider-man had entered the Normandy
"Heh" Spider-man uttered weakly, as the Normandy team rushed in to greet him. Wrex and Kaidan gave him pats on the back while Tali, Liara and Ashley all gave him hugs with relief and congratulations.
The team was gathered in the med-bay as Chakwas scanned his injuries.
"The news crew was barely able to keep up with you" Wrex said, describing what he and the team saw "You took some serious tumbles there"
"Yeah, well that's just part of the job"
"You won't believe this" Joker said, as he too was present in the med bay.
Pulling up his Omni-tool, Joker went to a file he had recently downloaded before showing it to the entire crew.
On the file, it displayed an old fashion type news article with the big headline
'Web swing Spider-man battles Sakoln the Shocker across the Citadel'
"Sakoln the Shocker?" Spider-man and Garrus said aloud. The two glanced at each other before bursting into laughter
"OH MAN, why didn't I think of that?" Peter asked himself, still laughing hysterically
"HA, can't believe it, you actually have a sworn enemy now" Garrus added, wiping a tear away
"I don't understand?" Tali spoke up "What makes Sakoln a sworn enemy of Peter?"
"It's a hero-villain complex thing" Kaidan explained "Whenever you get two people with unique titles that clash, these sort of silent agreements take place"
"Don't try and think too much about it" Shepard suggested "Your head will start to hurt"
"My head already hurts from all this" Liara admitted
"Ah take it easy Li" Ash said "Let's just all go down to the bar and get Peter a drink. He deserves it, as much as I can't believe I'm admitting that"
"Ah" Peter said, falsely being bashful "You care so much about me, Ashley"
"Don't get used to it" Ashley said, a mock glare sent at the hero
"It's best you guys enjoy these last two days" Shepard said in complete seriousness, now gaining the attention of the entire crew
"What's up Commander?" Kaidan asked "We've got our next destination?'
"Yes we do" Shepard said "The Geth have been sighted attacking Feros. That's our next objective"
Fucking EH, this took WAY too long.
But having two jobs and going to SDCC can do that to ya.
SUICIDE SQUAD, BATMAN VS SUPERMAN, DEADPOOL, X-MEN APOCALYPSE, WALKING DEAD HOLY FUCKING SHIT
Still, feels nice to this as my main escape from all that work.
I'm busting my ass trying to juggle my social life, two jobs, family, friends, college and writing these fics. But thankfully, I hope by the end of this week I would have update Noble Spartans, Noble justice and published my newest crossover.
Again, depends on how things go
Ok I'm not gonna hold you guys up any longer
It's time to get on to some fun stuff
Normandy cargo bay-Movie night
"Why are we doing this again?" Garrus asked
"Because you guys need to experience this" Shepard said sternly as he observed Joker, Tali and Peter fiddle with a projector
"I don't see why this is so important" Ashley stated
"Hey, every crew, team, ship and all of those things have some type of tradition of sorts" Peter pointed out 'This will just be one of ours"
"Why this one?" Tali asked "Wrex already saw it"
"But you didn't" Wrex spoke up from his seat as he was devouring his snacks "I can't deny that you all must see this movie"
"The fact that the Krogan Battle Master of the group vouches for this does make me want to see it" Liara said
"See, Liara has the right idea" Peter said approvingly
"And we're almost done" Joker said
"Great" Shepard said happily "Alright team, get your snacks and take your seats. It's gonna be a long night"
Everyone sat down, Peter pressing the play button in doing so.
The projector shot out a beam that formed a large movie sized screen.
Two giant words blared out, causing Tali, Garrus, Liara and even Ashley to jump on their seats from the sudden soundtrack that was playing.
"Star Wars?" Tali read aloud
Wrex shushed her "Don't say anything"
The text rolled on until the iconic scene of the Imperial Star Destroyer pursuing the small rebel starship played out.
Tali, Garrus and Liara's eyes widened like little children watching the chase and battle play out.
Later
Liara and Tali gasped in horror at seeing Obi-wan Kenobi vanish into thin air as Vader struck him down mercilessly
Shepard smirked at their reaction, glancing over to Ash, Joker and Peter with their Omni-tools and head sets out.
"Are you recording them?" Shepard asked
"It's not everyday you see an Asari and Quarian watch star wars for the first time" Ashley stated
"Yeah, besides, this is for the memories" Peter said cheesy and all
"Yeah, memories" Joker parroted
"I think it's safe to say that practically every Citadel and Non-citadel species hasn't seen Star Wars" Kaidan commented
"Agreed" The other four humans said together
Battle of Yavin 4
Everyone was on the edge of their seats as Luke began his assault on the Death star.
Pulling out his targeting system, Luke was getting and closer and closer to his target while being pursued by Darth Vader.
"I have you know" Darth Vader said as he was locked on to Luke's X-wing when the Tie fighters blew up
"WHAT?"
In came the Millennium Falcon
"YAHOO" Han-solo exclaimed
With the return of Han, Luke, utilizing the force, had a clear shot at the port hole.
Firing, the two balls of energy shot right into the hole.
Luke along with Tali, Liara and Garrus exhaled sighs of relief and disbelief.
Just as the Death Star targeted Yavin 4, it promptly blew up resulting a major victory for the Rebel Alliance.
The movie soon ended with the iconic ceremony that ended with Han, Luke, Leia, Chewie, 3PO and R2-D2 being showered with applause by the Rebel army.
Roll credits.
Silence
"By the Spirits" Garrus whispered "That was AMAZING!"
"Keelah, is this what I've been missing out on?" Tali said excitedly "Oh I can't wait to see more"
"Truly this a marvel of film" Liara said "I have never seen anything like this"
"You think this is good?" Joker said, grinning "Wait till you see the next one"
"Which, we'll save for our next movie night" Shepard said "Time to hit the hay team"
"Hit the hay" Garrus murmured, pulling out a data pad to open one of the most recent purchases he had gotten from Peter
"It means time to go to bed" Joker said
"I had it"
"Whatever you say scaley face"
"What?!" Garrus shouted at a now guffawing Joker
"Easy Joker, you don't want instigate the sniper of our team" Peter said, though he was fighting back a snicker
Shopping time with friends
"I don't see why I need to be here" Wrex grumbled as he followed Ashley and Peter into a very odd shop with Garrus, Liara and Tali
"Hey, you guys are on a ship with mostly humans" Peter said "If you're going to hangout with us, you gotta know our culture and stuff"
"SO what we're just going to spend the whole time just looking at things humans find entertaining?" Tali inquired
"It's not entertainment" Ashley said in complete seriousness "In some cases, it's a way of life"
"Humans do have odd followings from what I've seen" Garrus said
"Don't beat around the subject, Turian" Wrex said "Just say it like it is. Humans are weird as shit. They're walking contradictions half the time"
Wrex noticed Peter and Ashley, hell the entire group stare at him.
"What?" He grunted(HA, GRUNTed…get it?...ah fuck you all….not really, I love you guys, keep supporting the story)
"Nothing, it's just" Liara began hesitantly
"We didn't think you'd say something so rude and complex" Peter finished
This just elicited a growl from the Krogan, who just stomped over to the store entrance and went in.
"Do you think that was a little mean?" Tali said
"Meh, he's a Krogan Battle master" Ashley waved off "He'll get over it"
"Are you certain?" Liara asked
"Aren't you supposed to know more about the species in this galaxy then us fleshy little humans?" Peter asked jokingly
"Well, Peter, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I know more about extinct races than I do about everyday races" Liara shot back earning several surprised looks, including one from herself
"Oh, great" Ashley moaned, rubbing her hand down her face "You're rubbing off on her Pete"
"You say that like it's a bad thing"
Once everyone was inside the shop, the first thing Peter did was get the human expression 'book' he had promised for Garrus.
"I could somewhat understand why Peter brought Garrus here, but I still don't see the purpose in us being here" Liara said in complete honesty
"Oh, I don't know" Tali said fiddling around with a book "Some of these things look interesting"
She opened the book to see a black and white comic of sorts.
"What is this?" Tali inquired
"Oh wow, you found that already?" Said Peter from behind
Tali jolted from the abrupt appearance of the web head
"Keelah, don't do that" Tali whispered, rubbing her chest to sooth her thumping heart
"Heh, sorry about that" Peter said sheepishly
"What did I find?" Tali asked
"Manga" Peter answered
"Manga?"
"Yup" Peter glanced down at the title "Huh would you look at that, you found One Piece"
"One Piece?"
"The name of the series" Peter explained "It probably best suits you and the Normandy crew for that matter. Here, I'll get you started"
"Peter, you don't have to do that" Tali said sincerely
"Nonsense" Peter waved off "After everything you've done for me, this is just a small sum"
"But Peter…" Tali began but was cut off by Ashley
"Don't fight it Tali" Ashley said "He's just too nice for his own good"
"And what is that supposed to mean?!"
"Nothing, come on, help me out with Wrex here"
"Fine" Peter grumbled while Tali giggled at his expense
Wrex was currently in the music area, looking back and forth at all the discs and other musical elements stocked up on the shelves.
"So Wrex" Ashley said, standing beside the Krogan "See anything you like?"
"I don't see anything cause I don't even know why I'm here" Wrex said aloud in irritation
"Well I think we have the perfect thing for you" Peter said
"Since you're a big, mean fighting machine" Ashley went on "We figured we needed to find something that can match your aggression and heart"
"What could possibly match the aggression of a Krogan?" Wrex stated boastfully
"In the words of my old friend Tony Stark" Peter said placing a hand on Wrex's back "Allow me to introduce you to the wonderful world that is Heavy Metal and Hard Rock"
"Let's start with the genesis and then work our way up to modern times" Ashley said "We've already gotten Black Sabbath, Zeppelin and Deep Purple and worked our way up to Maiden and Priest and then the Big four of Thrash"
"You humans and your odd titles" Wrex grumbled "Why can't you settle for something simple"
"OH and the titles your Krogan warlords are any less extravagant?" Ashley shot back
Wrex merely growled again, choosing not to answer back
"Besides, we want you to pick out something for yourself"
"Why?"
"It's always a special thing to pick out your own metal album for the first time" Ashley explained with a reminiscent tone "I still have the one I first picked when I was 12 with my father"
"Urgh, why are you humans such sentimentalists"
"Hey waddya know, Wrexy here knows a big word" Peter said like a parent to a child
"One more word Parker, and I'll eat you" Wrex threatened
"Shutting up now" Peter declared
"Come on Wrex, just pick something" Ashley nudged on "They all come in sets"
Instead of verbally retorting, Wrex forced himself to look at the shelves holding up the various bands.
After skimming through each shelf, one cover struck him in particular
"That one" Wrex pointed at an album cover with nine people all wearing orange jumpsuits and masks
"Huh" Ashley said "For some reason, I think this will do perfectly"
"Sweet, let's go"
"Hey peter, what about Liara?"
"Oh trust me, I found her the perfect thing" Peter said
"And that would be?"
"Something that will help her expand her knowledge, and maybe even discover a little more about herself" Peter said enigmatically
Ashley and Wrex simply stared at the secret vigilante as he walked away from them.
"Seriously, for a guy who talks a lot, he's just a walking puzzle" Wrex admitted
"Hear hear" Ashely concurred
Bar night
Peter fiddled around with his drink, still feeling the after effects of his battle with Shocker.
"Shocker, huh?" Peter chortled to himself 'I guess it'll do"
"What will do?" A familiar sexy female Australian accent asked
"Oh just the new name that Spider-man's enemy had received by the public media" Peter answered without turning to the fem fatale, who leaned against the bar beside him
"And what is this new name?" Miranda asked curiously
"Shocker" Peter said, downing his drink, holding back a wince at the action as his injuries were still relatively fresh
Miranda on the other hand instantly picked up on her acquaintance's posture.
"Say, are you alright?" Miranda asked "You look a bit ruffled"
"Heh, yeah well chasing after Spider-man and Shocker to get good pictures and videos will do that to you" Peter said bashfully
Miranda stared blankly at the human. She's heard of persistent humans before in many other fields but that's a first.
"What? Did you get caught in the crossfire or something?" Miranda asked a barely noticeable hint of concern laced in her tone
"Hey, I take my freelance photography seriously" Peter said honestly "It's one of the few sources of credits that I can get immediately when the situation calls for it"
"I must say, I am impressed" Miranda stated "To have that level of commitment to a certain field deserves commendation"
"Ah shucks, you're making me blush" Peter said in a goofy voice
"Once more, I will have to retract that compliment"
"Aw come on"
Miranda shot a joking smirk at the web head.
"Harsh Miranda" Peter said, chuckling "You're sharp knife humor hasn't lost its edge"
"Glad to hear it" Miranda said "You're probably the only one who can handle it without getting depressed all the time"
"Geez, I'd hate to see what the other guy looks like after you've thrashed him"
"It's not a pretty sight" Miranda said simply
"I bet"
"So, how much longer are you going to stick around?"
"Tonight's my last night actually" Peter revealed, earning a turned head from Miranda
"Really?" Miranda said quietly, though Peter heard it
"Yeah, it's a shame, but duty calls" Peter said "I've got important business to take care, and Shepard won't take no for an answer"
"Clearly" Miranda said, hiding the small fraction of disappointment
"Hey, no need to look so sad" Peter gave the Cerberus agent a wide grin "I'll be back in no time. Then I can go back to pestering and annoying you and you can go back to shooting me down in the most brutal ways possible"
Miranda cracked a genuine smile at the man's endless joking nature and optimism
"Hey, that's not the only reason we talk" Miranda said
"Oh really, what else do we do?" Peter said, intentionally forgetting everything else
"We enjoy each others company, do we not?"
Peter blinked at the statement, a light tint of red adorned on his cheeks
Smiling happily, Peter laughed
"Yeah we do"
AND SCENE
FINALLY OH MY FUCKING GOD, TWO JOBS, SDCC, ALL THE SUPERHERO TRAILERS AND ANT-MAN OH MY FUCKING GOD
Hopefully, If luck is on my side I will be able to update Noble Justice, Noble Spartans Noble Heroes this weekend and finally publish my super project The Marvel/DC crossover I've been working on the past few months The League of Avengers. It may be a used title but it's the one that fits for MY upcoming crossover
Rate Read and Review and as always Have Nice Day