Thanks for the reviews people, its delightful to get praise for my writing. Btw Axton spends this whole chapter tied to a table.
The comrades Shepard has so far are : Miranda, Jack, Mordin, Garrus, Jacob, Zaeed, and soon to be Grunt.
It had been hours since Axton was strapped down in this shiny, sleek lab. To be honest he wasn't particularly fond being tied down to a table like a frog waiting to be dissected, but it did have its advantages. For example, he could pretend to be asleep while his captors talked about what to do with him He quickly glanced at them and saw they were still talking, undoubtedly deciding his fate.
'I'll be damned if the first thing I get when I wake up is a bullet to my brainpan.' Axton thought, his mind wandering for escape paths. If things went south he'd have to get out quick, these people looked military, even more military than the Hyperion. No doubt there would be more around somewhere. Slowly he started to undo the binds to his captivity, quietly so he could break out when the time came. He could hear English and some... Weird warbling hissing sound from the lizard thing.
"What do we do with him Commander?" Dr. Chakwas asked.
"Looks military, mercenary perhaps? Unknown discharge of volatile energy suggests biotics. Powerful too. No trace of Element Zero though, interesting. Technology seems rugged yet advanced, no influence of mass accelerator use." Mordin rambled off, enthralled by the new character aboard the Normandy. Shepard really did find the most fascinating things.
"Wait, what are you saying Mordin? What is this guy?"
"Shepard, possibilities endless. Maybe traveler from another galaxy, alternate universe? Suggest direct interrogation, persuasion for alliance. Could use assistance in fighting the Collectors."
Shepard looked over towards the newcomer. He already had a collection of capable soldiers but another powerhouse would be welcome. Something told him that this guy, even with a lack of weapons and armor, was an expert in war, and possibly a valuable asset towards fighting the Reapers.
"Alright fine, wake him up doctor, then we can see if he'll join us." Shepard would wake the Krogan later, right now his attention was concentrated on the man trying to break free of his handcuffs. Shepard walked over and looked down into the slightly scarred face of the man
"Looks like you're already awake. I'm Commander Shepard with the Systems Alliance and you are currently on the starship Normandy. You're human, but with tech that isn't reliant on mass effect yet just as advanced. Care to answer a few questions?"
Axton looked up from his hands into the faces of the two humans and the... walking frog. They looked serious and menacing, especially the frog. It looked way too excited to see him. To try getting their trust and some info he decided to use the charming side to his personality.
"Maybe if you answer a few o' mine, Commander. Like, can you let me go?" He replied, hopefully sounding friendly and cooperative.
"Not just yet, we don't know you and you look like you're not from here, judging by your... interesting tech." Shepard gestured towards a table holding Axton's digistruct module carrying his guns and the storage unit of his turret. Man, he really wanted to have her in his hands. There was just no comfort with him knowing that his sweetheart wouldn't be at his side.
"Yeah, and I ain't never seen stuff like a walking talking lizard before either."
"Offended! But intrigued nonetheless. I, am Mordin Solus, scientist Salarian. Interested in your technology. Rapid digital construction used small-scale in our omni tools. This device similar, however, excels at it. Unlike any technology feasible with mass effect. Possibility you have traveled from other galaxies. How?"
"Um what is he,she, it saying? I'm just hearing a bunch of mumbo jumbo."
Shepard got something out of a drawer and strapped the spare omnitool onto the man in case something like this happened. Well, maybe not exactly like this.
"Here, it's an omnitool, contains translation software. Mordin just asked you how you got here."
"Oh, uh...thanks. It was a little experiment gone wrong. What was supposed to be a quick, painless dip into instead catapults me straight to wherever this place is, completely lost. Figures, with my freakin' luck I'm probably stranded here too." Shepard wondered what kind of 'little' experiment produced that big of a blast, maybe a mass relay?
" I... guess that could explain the massive explosion when we found you... you were unconscious in the middle of it all. Sorry but no one in our galaxy has anything close to controlled teleportation, I guess you are stuck here."
Axton breathed a heartfelt sigh, suddenly feeling a lot less energetic with that new realization. Ever since his wife left him he'd been filling the void with violence and arrogance. Excessive amounts of both. Now he'd probably lost all his friends and comrades too. There was an overwhelming feeling of... nothing... and he couldn't even talk to his bullet-spitting companion for comfort. Shepard noticed this change in behavior, this man had lost all the flare he gave off. This man lacked purpose, he was lonely. Shepard knew the feeling well due to his survival of Akuze. The only thing that saved him was his assignment to the Normandy, and from that saving the galaxy from Saren.
"So what now? Gonna lock me up and take my stuff? Go ahead. I don't know anyone here anyhow." He quietly finished, all the usual sarcasm and ferocity gone from his voice. It didn't matter anymore, he wasn't going to be in any history books, wasn't going to be immortalized.
'Yeah, like there was any hope of that happening in the first place.' Axton bitterly remarked. What he heard next was beyond what he had ever imagined.
"I'm not going to lock you up,"
'Um... What?'
"You look like an elite soldier, and an experienced one at that. Right now we..."
'Well, yeah, I guess I am pretty good at shooting stuff. Vault Hunters ain't generally anything but the cream of the crop.' Axton chuckled inwardly. Being praised for once wasn't so bad. ' I'm betting somewhere out on Pandora those bandits are rejoicing not having to face the wrath of Axton the Commando.
"Ooh yay~~ it must be a miracle! The most deadly, most sexually attractive man is gone now. We don't have to hide in our piece of shit little fortresses anymore, hooraay~~~" Axton playfully thought, with absurd amounts of mockery in his inner voice. Then he remembered the Commander was still talking to him.
"... That's why I want you to join me."
'Shit, I completely zoned out, what was he saying? Did he just ask me to do join him? For what? Alright just play it cool Axton, just ask him subtly what he meant. Subtlety. That's the key here.'
"Ummm... What the hell did you just say?" Axton asked, as subtly as he could. Luckily it seemed to go over well.
"I'm looking for the best to help me save humanity from the Collectors, and to fight the Reapers when they eventually come. What do you say?"
Axton blinked a few times, processing that last bit of info as fast as he could. It wasn't everyday that he was asked to save humanity, and so far, he wasn't being tortured or threatened to do so. He had no way back home and nothing holding him back. He could see by the look in the Commander's eyes purpose. This wasn't some grunt being told what to do, this guy was on his own, fighting against something very powerful. How interesting.
"This little escapade of yours, I'm assuming it's near suicidal? Odds stacked against you with no against you? All on your own?"
"That's the gist of it," A high risk, no return challenge?
"And I'll get paid right? Risking my life ain't something I do without some loot on the line,"
"I'm being funded by an intergalactic multibillion dollar organization that I don't particularly agree with. I've got no problem with spending their money for your services." Massive amounts of money?
"One last question. This mission, is it something that's going to be remembered?" Axton was on the edge of his seat, metaphorically of course, seeing as he was still tied up and all.
" Not right now, no one believes the danger we're all in. But when the Reapers come, we will be the tip of the spear, leading the fight for survival." That did it for him, Axton heard all he needed to.
"Damn, a secret mission to save the galaxy from a threat no one knows? Hell I'd do it even without getting the money! But I'm still getting paid."
" I guess that means you're in?" Shepard asked hopefully, seeing the exhilaration in his new teammate's eyes.
"Yeah, I guess I am. So are you gonna untie me or not? Axton was certainly in. He had seen and done a lot of things that seemed crazy, but this had surely taken the slowly released him from the table, and as Axton got up to leave he collected his digistruct module from Mordin. There was absolute silence as he put back on all his belongings, only the slight shuffling of clothes and clicks of his buckles. Then something occurred to Shepard as Axton finished checking his equipment.
"We never did get your name." He turned around to all of them with his usual flair and arrogance.
"Names Axton, don't wear it out."
Next Chapter: Axton meets his new, diverse, and strange comrades and learns about his new galaxy.