A/N: The chapter many of you have been waiting for. Many things will be revealed in this, so I don't intend on making any of you wait any longer!
I own nothing
Alex stood before the Librarian as he waited for her to explain. It was true that ever since his little 'adventure' had started he had been very curious about several things. But on top of that list was something that hit him close to the end of his time in the Crysis Universe.
Originally, the Nano Suit 2.0 had started to fuse with Alcatraz's body because of the injuries he sustained in the beginning. Something Lieutenant Barnes, AKA Prophet, mentioned about Symbiosis and breaking the link before executing himself.
"These gifts...does it have something to do with the reason why the nano suit hasn't fused itself with my body?" he asked after a little while.
The Librarian smiled and nodded, "That is one of the benefits to the gifts I gave you. You see, much like the Spartan of my world your body was susceptible to certain events that would have caused your destruction. When I planted the seeds for your genetic construction I had added something more, something that could only be unlocked when the time was right."
Alex looked at his hands confused, "Something in my genetics? What is it?"
"The suit, as you are aware, is both synthetic and organic in design. it was designed to adapt and evolve for any situation. But the Human body itself could only handle so much stress and trauma." She held up her hand and a strand of DNA appeared in the center of her palm. "I added a gene into your DNA code that would allow your body to adapt as well. A form of genetic augmentation for when your destiny revealed itself."
She seemed troubled for a moment, "However, even though I was able to activate this gene when I sent you on your journey I could not adapt it to your body without something else. It needed a catalyst to help change you on a cellular level."
Looking at the DNA strand in shock, Alex looked back to the Librarian when it hit him. "The Ceph nanites...That's how Prophet was able to rewrite them in my body so quickly. The gene you put in me helped move the process along faster."
The Librarian nodded, "The Cephalopod that injected you with the nanites to destroy your body actually helped kick start the genetic augmentation. I am sure that you started to notice the subtle changes in your body as you progressed."
Alex took a deep breath, knowing that you were essentially 'grown' and 'mapped out' to be someone you never thought possible was hard to swallow. But this? This was something completely outside his thought process. "What are the benefits to this augmentation? Are there any drawbacks I should be aware of?"
"Hightened speed, reflexes and strength. Your mind is able to process information that much quicker than a regular Human mind. Eyesight increased to binocular levels. You are also able to heal from wounds in combat much more quickly with the aid of the nanites in your blood. These are just some of the side effects of the augmentation." replied the Librarian.
Alex suddenly remembered something. Back when he was in the suit cradle within the CELL building so that Gould could take a better look at the suit's underlayer.
Flashback
Alex observed Gould and the lone CELL doctor from the suit cradle as they scanned the suit and brought up all the information on the window surrounding the chamber.
"My god...this is...this is something else." said the doctor after observing the information displayed.
"What? What is it?" demanded Gould as he walked up next to the doctor and observed the readout of Alex's body from inside the nano suit.
"His body is...changing. Muscle mass and bone density increasing. Brainwave patterns shifting. It's almost like the suit itself is causing him to go through some kind of...evolution." said the doctor in awe.
Gould looked through the glass at Alex in a state of shock, "Maverick, what exactly is happening to you inside that thing?"
Alex looked down at his body encased in the nano suit in wonder and awe. "I'm not sure myself anymore."
Flashback End
"Now everything makes sense." he muttered coming to the realization that he had started to notice the changes.
"And you are right to question about flaws." said the Librarian. "Even though you are physically and mentally superior to the rest of Humanity, you are still a Human. You can be wounded in battle, you can still be killed if your body suffers enough trauma. I believe you Humans have a saying, 'You are no Superman'."
Alex chuckled, "Even superman could be killed, if one was smart enough to know how." he sobered up. "Is there anything else ma'am?"
The Librarian nodded, "There is. Originally I had given you three gifts. The first was unlocking your genetic augmentation before you were ever born. The second was your transportation to the universe containing the Cephalopods and acquiring the suit. Both will aid you greatly on your journey."
Nodding, Alex regarded the ethereal being more closely, "And the last one?" he asked now very curious.
She smiled, "I cannot tell you just yet. The time is not right. But it will be something that will change your life more than it already has."
'Cryptic, but not surprising.' Alex thought to himself skeptically. "Thank you for telling me this. And I'll be as careful as I can, I won't squander the gifts you have given me."
The ancient Forerunner nodded, "I know you won't young one. Our time in this place as come to an end, you must return to the conscious world now. Good luck on your mission Alexander."
With that everything became too bright to see before going completely black.
X
Alexander 'Maverick' Drake
Alex and Reena's Apartment
November 27, 2180 - 08:41 hours
Alex groaned as he slowly awoke. Starring at the white ceiling of his room as the memories of everything that happened came back to him. "Never a dull moment." he muttered as he sat up on the edge of his bed.
The nano suit had finished helping the nanites heal his injuries allowing him to take it off. He had just reached the undersuit when his bedroom door opened.
Reena walked in and jumped in surprise seeing him standing there. "ALEX! YOUR AWAKE!" she shouted before throwing her arms around him and hugging him as much as her tiny frame could.
A moment later Chellick ran into the room weapon ready, but quickly lowered it seeing the scene before him. "Welcome back to the land of the living. We were worried about you for quite a while." he said leaning against the door frame.
"Sorry about that, injuries were pretty rough and I needed to heal." said Alex as Reena released him.
The detective straightened. "Reena told me about how your suit was helping you heal from the crash. How is that possible? From what the medics were saying it was something that could have landed you in the hospital for longer than two days."
"Two days?" Alex asked a little surprised. "That's how long I've been out?"
Reena nodded, "Yes. I convinced Zen to give us a week off on account of the attack on the Presidium. Chellick's been helping C-Sec clean up the mess left behind by the mercs while I've been here watching over you."
Alex smiled at her, "Thank you." he looked back at Chellick. "I owe you an explanation for a lot. I haven't forgotten. Just let met shower and get dressed and I'll tell you both everything."
"Everything?" asked Reena uncertain. Alex nodded, "Everything. You both are my closest friends. I don't want to keep this from either of you anymore."
Chellick nodded, "We'll be in the living room. Take your time." He and Reena left the room allowing him to get ready. 15 minutes later, a refreshed Alex walked down the hallway into the living room where his Turian and Quarian friends were waiting for him on the couch.
Taking a seat in the nearby armchair, he quickly gathered his thoughts as he started to proceed. "A lot of things I'm going to tell you will be hard to believe. But I have a way to help explain it a little better." he started.
"Let me start by saying that I kept this to myself for a good reason, I didn't want this kind of information to get out. And I needed to know that I could trust you before telling you everything." Alex sighed as he brought up his omni-tool. The vid-screen in the living room lit up revealing a blueprint of the nano suit.
"The armor I wear is known as the Nano Suit 2.0. It's made of an Ionic Electroactive Polymer and a dynamic Faraday anti-EMP mesh that gives the wearer unparalleled protection against radiation and physical impact. It also gives the one wearing it a huge increase in reflexes and reaction time" he explained.
"Because of it's capabilities, the suit can generate up to 450N of force and can produce up to 10,000Gs of contractile acceleration. Making the wearer stronger and faster than possible."
Reena and Chellick's eyes were wide. "By Keelah...how could something like this be created? Who created it?" asked Reena.
"No one knows for sure. But whoever did was preparing for the worst. The last one to wear it gave it to me when he was dying. Leaving behind a legacy that only I was able to take up." said Alex looking at the readout of the suit with thoughts of Prophet's last moments.
"How does something like this stay powered?" asked Chellick.
"Ths suit is able to absorb any form of energy around it. Refining it and turning it into energy it can use for it's various features. It's also extremely adaptable. Each time the wearer encounters something new in a combat situation, the suit will alter and adapt to ensure combat effectiveness." said Alex. "I fought against Vasir before the attack on the Presidium. She used her biotics to take me down, but the suit isolated the Element Zero being used in the attacks, and now it can defend against the dark energy a lot more effectively now."
"What about the VI in the suit?" asked Reena.
"It's called Semiautonomous Enhanced Combat Ops: Neuro-integration Delivery AI. SECOND for short, though I renamed it Prophet after the last wearer of the suit to honor him and his sacrifice." said Alex.
"An AI!" the Quarian shouted standing up. Alex held up his hands, "Easy Reena, it's not like that. It's essentially a fancy VI with more bells and whistles. Not like the Geth, it's not sentient in any way and won't become so ever."
Reena slowly sat back down allowing him to continue. "Now, the suit has many features, some of it's primary ones are Armor, Cloak and Power. Armor enhances the suit's weave making it nearly impenetrable, though each impact on the suit lowers it's energy. Cloak turns me invisible for a short period of time and I can't be detected by any means. Power enhances my strength to that of Krogan levels or beyond."
"Spirits...anyone could be unstoppable in that thing." Chellick looked at his friend in awe, "How did you get your hands on something like this?"
Alex tensed, he didn't know if they would believe him or not. But he had to try. Bringing up his omni-tool again, a video started playing.
The vid-screen was fuzzy at first before revealing images through someone's eyes. The person scooped up a large stationary gun and shot down a strange gunship that was hovering in the air.
Tossing the weapon aside, the person walked along what looked like a beach before stopping next to the body of somebody in uniform.
Chellick and Reena gasped when they recognized Alex laying in a bloody heap on the ground. "What your seeing was through Prophet's eyes." said Alex. "He found me dying. He saved me."
On screen, Prophet checked over Alex before taking his arms and started dragging him across the ground and into a warehouse. "Vitals...dropping. Have to work...fast." said Prophet as he looked the wounded soldier over. "Your codename's Maverick huh? Destiny's a real bitch. It'll be on you now, son." said Prophet as he started to remove the nano suit from himself. "You're my last shot here. Gould's last chance. Last chance for all of us."
"I'm used up, I'm a dead man walking. I'm...contaminated. But you...you can finish this thing...you have to!" Prophet removed his helmet revealing a bald head with a severely scarred and burned face. "Welcome to the future son. Welcome to the war."
Several moments passed before Alex was revealed in the nano suit laying on the floor. Prophet faced the window wearing an undersuit as he continued to speak. "Oh yeah...one last wish...It won't let me go that easily. Symbiosis. Gotta break the link..." he picked up a nearby pistol. "I gave you the suit. Gave you my life. Promise me...Find Gould...It's all I can do now. You are all I can do."
Prophet pressed the gun to his head, "They used to call me Prophet...Remember me." The gun went off and everything went black.
Silence filled the living room. Chellick and Reena didn't know what to say.
"I'm not from this universe." said Alex finally. "That video is dated August 23, 2023. Earth was under attack by an alien species known as the Ceph. They attacked a major city with a biological weapon that killed thousands like nothing. Using the suit, I fought them and the corrupt organization called CELL that wanted the nano suit for their own twisted purposes."
Several clips were revealed showing Alex fighting both the Ceph and CELL forces. His abilities leaving the already impressed couple even more so as he tore through them with precision the likes of which neither of them had seen.
"Fuck..." Chellick muttered watching Alex take down a Ceph Devastator using a well placed explosive and several shotgun blasts.
"Wait a minute." said Reena as the footage stopped. "Prophet said something in the beginning about Symbiosis. What did he mean by that?"
"In essence, it means that the suit fuses to the wearer. Turning them into a living weapon without the need to eat, sleep or any other function. Basically, your trapt in your own personal purgatory." Alex explained.
His friends looked at him in horror, "Then how are you able to remove it?" asked Chellick.
"I'm...unique." Alex said trying to find the right words. "But the suit is locked on my DNA. I'm the only one that can use it so there's no worries about someone just taking it without there being repercussions."
Reena rubbed her head through her veil, "Keelah I need a drink." she muttered getting up and heading to the kitchen.
"One thing still puzzles me more than anything else you've told us." said Chellick. "If your from another universe...how did you end up here?"
"I haven't been able to explain that." said Alex. "After I stopped the Ceph and saved New York I woke up on Omega. From there I booked passage to the Citadel."
"Waking up on Omega of all places?" The Turian shook his head, "Then again, considering what you had already been through I think you could handle that with no problems." Something occurred to him then, "Wait...if you aren't from here. How is your information in the station's databanks? It's obviously faked."
Alex rubbed the back of his head nervously, "I...kind of snuck into C-Sec and implanted the information into Pallin's terminal. Having Prophet upload it directly into the Citadel's main archive."
Chellick's mouth hung open, "You snuck into C-Sec? Uploaded the information straight from the Executor's terminal? Then snuck out without being seen at all?" Alex nodded slowly. "Babe! Get me one too!" the Turian called after his Quarian girlfriend.
X
Hours flew by. Chellick and Reena fired question after question at him, what was his universe like before the Ceph attack, his military career, it became less of an interrogation the more time passed.
Alex didn't have the heart to tell them that the Crysis universe wasn't his real universe either. But he didn't want their minds to go into overload then they are ready had at that point. It really was a lot to take in.
After several drinks via straw and emergency induction port, Reena laid passed out on the couch with her head in Chellick's lap while the Turian and Post-Human soldier kept talking. "If the suit is both synthetic and organic design, then wouldn't that make you the same?" asked the detective.
Alex nodded, "I have hundreds, maybe even thousands of nanites in my blood. I'm still Human, just a little bit more than what one would expect."
Chellick shook his head before finishing off the drink in his hand. "I'm never going to doubt you in a combat situation again. After you telling us all that...I can't believe you even trust Xenos with what the Ceph tried to do."
"To be fair Humanity wasn't very warm and welcoming either. Like I've said before, I trust someone on their character, not their species or culture no matter who or what they are." replied Alex taking a sip of his own drink.
Several moments passed, the only thing that could really be heard was Reena's light snoring. "Your a damn good friend to trust us with this Alex. Thank you." Chellick said after a while.
Alex smiled at him, "I couldn't keep you guys in the dark any longer. Your the only ones I can really trust with this. I could probably trust Garrus with it one day, but not right now." he said thinking of the possible future.
Chellick's eyes widened, "Oh, I almost forgot. The council his holding a ceremony to honor those who had fought to save the Presidium in a couple of days."
Shrugging, Alex got up to refill his glass. "So?" he asked pouring out the whisky.
"Maverick's being honored too." said the Turian making the vigilante pause. Alex looked at him over his shoulder. "I know, I was pretty shocked too. I guess risking your life to save one of the councilors makes you a very important figure in their eyes. Spirits, Pallin's been doing all he could to find you and tell you. The Human ambassador's been sending out squads of Alliance Marines to locate you."
Alex chuckled and shook his head, he was still a wanted man but now for a completely different reason. "Your right, a lot can change saving one important person's life."
A knock at the door made both men pause. "Expecting someone?" asked Chellick readjusting Reena and clicking the safety off his pistol. Alex shook his head as he set his glass down and checked to see who it was.
The soldier was a little surprised to see Bailey on the other side of the door waiting to enter. "It's Bailey." he said shocking the other officer.
Opening the door, Alex greeted his friend with a friendly face. "Bailey, what brings you to my neck of the woods?"
"I was in the neighborhood. Thought I'd come by and check up on you since no one's heard from you in a few days." said the officer. The man's eyes then turned serious, "I also came to tell you that I know."
Alex felt his insides tense. "Know what?" he asked playing stupid.
"Don't do that Alex. I know your Maverick. Your unfiltered voice after you saved everyone at the shelter during the Blue Sun attack gave me the hint. I've always been good at recognizing voices and faces. That's why I'm with C-Sec." said Bailey.
With a sigh, Alex invited him in. Bailey was a little shocked to see Chellick sitting there. "He and Reena both know too Bailey. So your not the only one." said Alex taking up his original seat in the armchair.
Bailey sat down in the other one across from them. "Guess me and Garrus have been left out of the loop huh?"
"The less people that know the better." said Alex motioning to Reena. "Reena figured me out a couple weeks back. Chellick...he was the one I gave the information on the mercs to so you all could prepare for the attack."
He let out a sigh, "I didn't want people to come after you because of your association with me. But I guess right now it can't be helped." The vigilante looked at the C-Sec officer seriously, "You going to tell your superiors?"
"I was at first. But then I remembered everything you and I talked about when we all first met." Bailey chuckled, "And at the rate your going you'll literally 'die a hero' if you don't have a little bit of help every now and again."
"I doubt that." Chellick mumbled into his drink.
Alex shook his head at him before looking at Bailey, "Thanks Bailey. I owe you one."
"No, son. I owe you one. You saved my life, the lives of my men, and the civilians of the shelter despite the odds." he smiled at the younger man. "Your a damn hero in every sense of the word in my books. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask me."
Nodding, Alex suddenly had a thought. "Actually...there is something you can do for me."
X
Executor Pallin rubbed his temples. The aftermath of the Blue Sun attack had left a lot to clean up.
The elevators in the Citadel tower had to all be repaired. The service tunnels around the sector needed to be cleared. A good number of his officers and detectives were either hospitalized or KIA and he was having trouble with recruitment. It's been a very stressful 72 hours for the Turian.
A buzzing at his office door made him growl. "Yes?" he gritted out.
The door opened and Bailey walked in. "Am I interrupting something sir?" he asked casually.
"No officer, what is it?" Pallin said with a sigh.
"I was just entering the office when I found this sitting at the front desk." said the officer holding up a datapad. "It's addressed to you, sir." he said handing it over to the Executor.
Pallin read the top line and felt his eyes widen. It was from Maverick. "Thank you officer, I'll take care of this."
Bailey nodded before leaving the room, a hidden smirk on his face as the doors slid shut behind him.
Locking the door, Pallin pressed a button on the datapad as Maverick's filtered voice came from the device. "Executor Pallin. I hope all is well with the repairs to the Presidium, I am doing my part to assist as well from the shadows. This message is to inform you that I am aware of you and the Human ambassador looking for me in regards to the ceremony being held by the council."
"This message is to let you know that I will be there. I won't dishonor the council, C-Sec or Humanity by not being there. I also wish to extend my condolences to those officers who gave their lives for the people of the Citadel. People call me a hero, but they fail to realize that the true heros of the station are those who gave their lives for it."
"You will see me at the ceremony Executor. Until then, take care."
The message stopped after that. Pallin felt a little weight lifted off his shoulders. Ambassador Udina had been hounding him for the last couple of days to locate the vigilante so that they could speak to one another.
The head of the Human Embassy was most likely hoping to get something out of the armored man before the ceremony. Pallin never liked politics, but they made the laws that he was told to enforce and abide by.
Leaning back in his chair, he realized how wrong he had been about Maverick. Despite them hunting him down like a rabid Varren he still stuck his neck out to protect the Citadel. He was a warrior of his own class and would do whatever it took to ensure the safety of the innocent.
It's men like that, that the Executor wished were in C-Sec. And somewhere deep in his mind, after everything that had happened over the last several months. He knew that if there was anyone on the Citadel that could be counted on in a crisis, it was Maverick.
A/N: I did a lot of research into the Nano Suit to make sure the information was accurate. And I hate to plagiarise so I rewrote it in simpler words. The next chapter won't have any fighting, but there will be a couple of good plot twists that will make the ones that follow worth it.
Also, if you guys have any ideas you wanna run by me to put into this let me know. I'll add any in if they can fit and I'll also mention you in the chapter for it. I never take someone else's ideas, and I always give credit where it's due.
Till next time guys!