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Espacole and Spork

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The Shaman rode with them, along broken roads and long tracts of rubble piled in miles wide stretches and beaten down by years of the Tomkah's massive wheels. After an hour or so, they came to a massive, old bunker-complex, easily as large as Beacon had been albeit much shorter. And more drab, half-buried by rubble around it and pockmarked by scorches, massive rips in the concrete walls and lines of borken, rusted hulks around it. Along with bodies - animals and Krogan alike - and clearly non-Krogan vehicles, marked out with what she recognized through the rust and ruin as Turian sigils.

"What… Is this place?" She murmured as the Shaman lead them up some of the rubble, towards an ancient, ensconced round door ahead of them.

"A battlefield." The Shaman explained, punching a code into an ancient console that made the door beside it groan inward and then roll aside with a nearly deafening screech. Turning to them in the silence after, he went on, gesturing at the miles of ruination around them. "This is the site of the last great battle of the Krogan Uprising. Thousands, hundreds of thousands, dwelt within the fortifications this place is the heart of. And they all died defending it, obliterated from orbit and then over-run by the Turians. Even with such destruction, we were not overcome. And so the next tie Turians came… It was with poison, rather than with an army."

"Poison…?"

"Fuckin' Genophage, Red." Zaeed sighed, "C'mon, keep up."

"Correct." The Shaman grunted, staring out at the ruins pensively. "This place has been left as it was after the battle for centuries. Aside from a few skirmishes here and there, some buildings which have collapsed since, and those attending the Rite, it is largely as it was left. Unmolested, undisturbed. We Shamans of Urdnot and the local clans often say that when we have defeated the Genophage we will return to this place, restore it to its former glory, and finally take victory here."

"Poetic." She murmured, looking at the blasted ruins around them and frowning. "I hope for it, for you, but…"

"It is hard to imagine." The Shaman chuckled, "Believe me, I understand that. To embody Tuchanka, and the Krogan, is to accept our nature. War is what we are made for. It flows through us like blood, and holds us upright like bone. It is hard for us to imagine any future but this one we have made…"

"I suppose it's hard for us to imagine any future but the one we see around us." Pyrrha mused, "Even so, we hope for more."

"True enough." The Shaman nodded, turning and waving for them to follow.

Through the door was a wide, circular hallway that narrowed gradually as they went, lined by ridges she almost couldn't see until they had passed them. But, once they had, she could turn and see shallow cuts into the wall, just wide enough for a Krogan to fit. Most were empty, pockmarked by holes inside the shallow cutouts and with gouges ripped and blown out of the concrete just in front of them. But a few were filled, spent shells surrounding ancient, desiccated husks of Krogan warriors, left where they'd fallen. Huge holes had been ripped into the armor, and their weapons were gone, but she couldn't tell when either had happened. She could only tell the warriors had died where they stood, facing down… Something.

Turians, probably, based on the Shaman's stories.

Finally, at the narrowest point, they reached another round hatch, this time built at the top of a ramp that lead up. The Shaman punched another code in and it pulled in towards them and then rolled to the side, groaning loudly and nearly catching twice before it had gone. But, finally, it had opened and they stepped out into a huge, open space, like she remembered Amity having. Only, dominated at its center by a great, towering megalith made of dark grey iron, surrounded by rubble hills and rough, uneven stairs that lead up to it, protected by thin fences and walls.

"Up there." The Shaman rumbled, "You will find a switch by the base of the Keystone. Start it, and the great Hammer will resound, disturbing the creatures that dwell here. Face them down, and you will have proven yourself to all the Clans."

"Mhm…" Grunt rumbled, holding his new Claymore heavy shotgun across his chest and turning to Pyrrha. "Battlemaster. Whenever you are ready."

"I suppose it is better to get it over with." She sighed, turning and pointing up the ramp. "Zaeed, find a safe place. Support us from range - I'm expecting animals. They should see us first and come running, or run away."

"The beasts of Tuchanka rarely retreat, Human." The Shaman warned, "They come. Until you die, or they die."

"Still gonna see 'em first." Zaeed grunted, "I can pick 'em off as they come in."

"A fair point." The Shaman said, turning to leave. "Good luck to you all. I hope for your sakes that your future brings survival. But you may look around and see the fate of many. And, as you said, it is hard to imagine any future but the one we see around us. Hm?"

Pyrrha looked out over the rubble, and the scattered bodies that were strewn about them, some far fresher than those they'd passed, and frowned. And, with a sigh, she nodded and said, "Farewell, then. Grunt, when Zaeed signals, you should be the one to start this."

"Understood."

Moments passed as the heavy hatch resealed behind the Shaman, trapping them, while Grunt made his way up the ramp. Pyrrha followed closely behind them and they watched Zaeed clamber up the fence around the towering Keystone. He only went up a short way before he found a stretch of beam partially hidden by a wide length of scrappy panelling that he slid behind, poking his head out and paying them both a curt nod before resting his Avenger against its top and his shoulder firmly.

"Battlemaster…" She turned to see Grunt stooping low, wrenching a piece of rubble aside and letting it tumble. Underneath was a heavy metal plaque, embossed in red stone, that he read out for her. "And let the strength of Tuchanka take you where it will… Or break you as it will. Either way, blood must feed the thirsty soil, to return life to Tuchanka."

"Dark…"

"Harsh." He rumbled appreciatively as he stood, "Weighty."

"You like it?"

"I do." He grunted, snapping a fist out to punch the starting switch and turning as speakers crackled to life and then died screaming all around the arena and a massive, metal… Thing was hoisted high before slamming down with all the force of a star falling to the earth, sending tremors into Pyrrha's very bones. He turned to her as roars echoed around the colosseum and smiled, teeth bared, "Let us show these things true Krogan."

Pyrrha smiled, "Yes. Let's."

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Pyrrha snarled as the massive, red insect surged towards her, belching fire that spilled and billowed around her, and seared at her Aura as she lunged in, spearing whistling through the air to punch into one of its eyes. It sank in with a meaty wet 'thunk' and bit deep, drawing out a snarled scream of agony. As it tried to back away, she let the spear go and spun on her heel, using her Semblance to 'pull' her shield around with even more force and pounding Milo and Akouo together like a hammer and nail, driving the spear all the way through its head and out the back. As it staggered to the side she stepped around it and recalled her spear with a flash of her Semblance, catching and spinning it to flick the blood free as she turned and looked up, watching the 'Wyrmling' Grunt had called out circled overhead, dozen beady eyes hungrily surveying the carnage left in their wake.

It would never just let them leave…

"Grunt!" She called out, turning and watching the blood-soaked Krogan standing beside the switch for the Keystone rip the head off another Klixen, hurling the pieces apart as another exploded beyond it, internal gas-sacks ruptured by Zaeed's accelerator fire. She pointed up and asked, "Can you bring it down?"

"Hehe…" He rumbled over their comm-line, looking up and watching it as he hefted his heavy Claymore. "I can clip it's wings. Cover me!"

"Zaeed!"

"On it!" Zaeed answered, turning and carving a line of accelerator fire down behind Grunt, into a Klixen as it surged towards him.

It collapsed with a resounding 'whoosh' of fire blasting out of its belly as Grunt chambered a fresh heat sink and opened the top of his shotgun, slamming in a long sort of cylinder. Pacing back, he watched it circle until his back pressed against the old concrete the Keystone switch had been built beside and then he raised his shotgun, tracking the monster for several long moments while Pyrrha withdrew, shifting to her rifle form and blowing out eyes and knees of the dozen or so Klixen advancing on her. Only one died, head blowing away with a blast of fire as the strange insect tried to blast flames at her and a round pierced its head, ripping into its throat and sending the pressure out a wholly different hole than it had intended.

As one closed and she traded her rifle out for its spear, she heard a booming, pain filled 'skree' and looked up as the Wyrmling spun, one wing hanging by thin threads of meat and bone.

It crashed down on the lower part of the concrete landing the Keystone had been built upon, and Pyrrha took off towards it. Zaeed saw her bee-line rush and covered it, peppering the Klixen that got close enough to worry about until she reached the edge of the platform and leaped for the creature as it rose, snarling and hissing in fury and agony. She game down with all her weight behind her spear and buried it in the base of its neck, right between its wings on its back. It roared and bucked, but she held tight, dressing her knees against its shoulders and letting it wear itself down.

"Grunt!" She bellowed, "I have it!"

"Raaaaaagh!" The Krogan bellowed, bashing and blasting his own bloody path through the fiery insects as the Wyrmling staggered forward alongside the raised platform, bucking and trying to toss Pyrrha off. "Feel the weight of a pure Krogan!"

He leaped like she had, but slammed into its head as it came around, closing its jaws around him and, for a moment, sending dread through Pyrrha's guts and up her spine.

Then, with a muted 'whumpf', its head exploded into a gorey spray of blood, bone, scales and acidic goop and it collapsed. Grunt tumbled away from it, covered in the mess, and pushed himself up. He shook his head as Pyrrha leapt off the monster and came down beside him, rifle snapping up to perforate one of the Klixen already clambering down from the raised lip of the upper platform. It exploded, setting those beside it on fire, and then two more went up as Zaeed drew a sight down on them.

"Are you alright?" She asked, watching the Klixen finally withdraw, heading for the rubble they'd crawled out of only a short while ago.

"I'm fine." Grunt laughed, shaking himself like a dog to flick away the bloody mess and laughing when some caught on her armor and she rushed to brush it away. "Heh. Wimp."

"You're hilarious." She sighed, turning and looking around as the Keystone slammed down once more and then finally fell silent. "Is that it…? That seemed quite a bit easier than I expected."

Suddenly, the ground shook under them and Zaeed sighed over the comm-line, "Never fuckin' say shit like that, Nikos. Never. Fuckin'. Say it."

"I'm sorry!"

Finally, after a long moment of shaking, the rubble beside their little platform erupted skyward, showering them all in dirt and dust and no small amount of blood. A great, towering worm-like thing surged up and into the sky, turning to stare down at them and spreading its maw wide, exposing rows of teeth as large as Pyrrha was, and she swallowed anxiously. Around the arena, a siren began to scream as the monster reared back its head and bellowed a roar that shook Pyrrha down into her very bones.

"Thresher Maw!" Zaeed bellowed, "Nikos, get the fuck-"

It rounded on the source of the sound instantly and surged forward, ripping into the metal-work of the Keystone as Zaeed leapt off of it. Pyrrha threw her arms up, burning Aura to catch the man as he came down, but he still hit the ground hard enough to worry her. And hard enough that when he stood, one arm drooped painfully. But he ignored it, running for cover as the Keystone came apart, showering their platform and the rubble-strewn low ground throughout the colosseum in massive chunks of steel and concrete while they all huddled down in whatever cover they could, and Pyrrha prayed.

Which she supposed had saved her, when a length of steel as long and wide as her, rusted and jagged in places, buried itself in the concrete right beside her with enough force her teeth ached.

"Zaeed!" She called out, "Are you-"

"Fuckin' fine!" He called from somewhere, "We gotta fuckin' get out of here!"

"And where do

"Quiet, both of you! They have poor eyes and follow sounds instead." Grunt snarled quietly, hurling aside a piece of steel between her and the Krogan as he came over. When neither spoke, he went on, "And no. We run, we die tired. We kill it or we die."

"How the fuck are we supposed to do that?!"

"Don't know." Grunt rumbled, "No choice, though."

"Zaeed, run." She cut the old man off, turning her head until her neck popped. "Grunt, with me. I have an idea."

"Battlemaster?"

"We're gonna do to it what we did to the Wyrmling. Get it low, and I'll get onto it and do what damage I can." She said quietly, pointing up at the ruined Keystone tower and its jagged, hanging hunks of metal as the Thresher Maw finally withdrew, shaking itself to dislodge a few chunks of metal that had punched into its hide and gotten stuck. "From up there."

"Understood." Grunt nodded, voice low as he stepped away and raised his voice, running as quickly as he could, "Come, worm! Face a True Krogan!"

The titanic monster bellowed in fury and rounded on the Krogan, coiling and turning as it tracked his heavy steps, snarling as it raised itself up and lunged, crushing the concrete as it came down just inches behind Grunt's retreat. It ripped apart the concrete before bellowing underground, sending vibrations throughout the platform, when Grunt turned and ran back the way he'd come, under the massive monster where its head couldn't follow so easily.

Turning, Pyrrha took off, running away from them both at an angle and hoping that the thing wouldn't come for her. At least, not yet.

Standing at the base of the broken Keystone tower, she looked up at it and it struck her as somehow even more intimidating. Like a massive, broken metal tree, towering up over her with pieces listing on broken joints. Some of which gave way as she watched, clanging and crashing on its way to the ground or to catch on other pieces. But she found one that fit her needs - twice as long as Pyrrha herself was, but only barely thicker, and capped by a jagged, sharp end facing into the arena.

Perfect…

She climbed as quickly as she could, clambering up, over, and around the shifting metal as carefully as she had time for. Until she reached it and knelt, running her hands along it to make the connection and turning to watch the Thresher Maw twisting and turning, hunting for Grunt. She joined it, for a time and at a distance, until she found him hiding in the beast's shadow, kneeling amidst some rubble and using it for cover from rocks and soil falling away from the beast. And stone, when it lashed out and ripped into and through the walls enclosing the arena. Their eyes met after a moment, though, and she stood beside the long balista-bolt of metal.

Taking a breath, she bellowed, "Come oooooon you big ugly… Thing!"

The Thresher Maw spun instantly, bellowing in rage and lancing towards her, and Pyrrha leapt off the tow. As she fell, she twisted, reaching out with her Semblance to grasp the length of metal. Then she waited, breathless, for a heartbeat until she slammed into the ground and the monster slammed into the tower, shattering what was left of its base and punching into the concrete of the wall that had supported it.

Pyrrha pulled-

And the length of metal speared down like javelin from on high, punching into the monster's back and burying itself deep. Pyrrha screamed, laying on the ground, and pulled even harder, yanking it deeper and deeper as the monster bellowed and writhed, wrenching its head out of the tower's remains and hurling more higher. Seeing a chance, she reached out for each and every piece she'd touched on the way up and felt them, distant and weak, and pulled them down with all the power in her.

They bit into its hide, but sank shallow, and the monster thrashed as it recoiled and withdrew, trying to escape back into the hole it had come out of.

"Don't let it escape!" Grunt bellowed, suddenly looming over her and turning to her, wide-eyed and determined. "It won't run - it'll come back, angrier. We have to kill it!"

"How?"

"I… Don't know." He grumbled, "Bleed it out with the metal?"

"I… Can't…" She gasped, holding onto the pieces as the Krogan stooped and pulled her up, bracing her while she kept her sliping grip, the metal ripping and tearing through and, in places, ripped free of the Maw's hide, splashing steaming blood across the rubble. "My Aura is too… Low… And the pieces are too large!"

"Then we…" The Krogan growled, fists curling and uncurling. "Then we run. And hope we get away from it."

"No…" It wouldn't work, she was sure. She'd read about Thresher Maws, knew how fast they could move, and Grunt had said it wouldn't back down. Now, he just wanted to run because that was their only way - they didn't have heavy weapons to kill it. Just the jagged metal she'd managed to get into its hide.

So, desperate, she closed her eyes, "Dark Lord… Please, grant me strength. Let me… Let me destroy in your name. Let me rip this beast asunder for your glory and m-my life."

For a moment, she felt nothing. But then she felt a hand on her back, and blinked her eyes open as a cold power rushed through her. Like ice through her veins, and frost in her bones. It hurt, and burned somehow in spite of the cold. With it, suddenly, she could feel the metal more powerfully, more fully, like the way she felt Milo and Akouo. And… More.

She could feel every inch of the tower, scattered around them, illuminated in her reach.

"Make it spectacular…" The Dark God whispered, "And make it rare."

Screaming in pain, fury and a strange, heady sort of near-pleasure, she swept a hand down and up, sending lengths of hagged metal screaming apart and up from around her and hurling towards the Maw like a volley of balista shot. They came down with all the speed and power her body could channel from her Lord, and ripped into the monster's hundred feet or so of exposed body. Then, she brought both hands to the side and in, punching them all into it more, digging them deeper and deeper. Finally, and with a mighty yell, she spun her hands around, ripping them through the monster like the blades of a blender the size of a building. The Thresher Maw spasmed, chunks flying off of it in flurries as steel and flesh came free in sprays of acidic blood and rivulets of ichor and metal, flowing out together like rivers that melted the concrete below it.

She kept twisted, pulling her hands back and thrusting them back in to punch in the metal as it all melted. And the Thresher Maw threw its head up, bellowing and spraying acid haphazardly as it writhed violently. Confused, it turned, spraying acid across random stretches of the arena walls, melting it all in splashes of yellowish green that bared metal to the open sky. She carved chunks out of it as Grunt laughed, ripping away chunks and hurling them aside.

And then, with a final, pitiful shudder, it fell to the side, splashing down in its own ponding blood and melted metal, stone and dirt.

And, after a moment, Pyrrha followed it, sinking to a knee and sucking in quick, weak breaths as the power she'd been flush with suddenly withdrew. It left her empty and tired, arms trembling just to hold up Milo and Akouo and legs like liquid under her. But she couldn't have moved if she'd been able, too transfixed by the mess she'd made. The beautiful, bloody, ruinous mess.

She couldn't help her smile, even as she slid forward to collapse on the ground.

But, before she passed out, she did manage to hear Zaeed murmur over the comm-line, "She can' fuckin' do that, but the best insult she had was 'thing'?"

"Shut the fuck up old man." Grunt sighed, "I'm too tired to beat you to death."

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So yeah, I kinda suck with giant monster battles. Sorry, will definitely work on that, lol.

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Building Cross :

Glad you like it!

Tpoynt :

Several reasons but chiefly because Shepard wasn't. Also, for a response to… Well, this, lol. XD

Captain Dick Scratcher :

I have plans for when, why and what to give them, now, when ME2 ends. No worries, lol.

Also, yes, there's a lot of complex shadowy shit happening. That is generally how ME's universe works, lol.

And if you recall, the gods of the local 'area' view this all at a distance. They aren't worshipped and loved, at least not all of them. And those that are do so just for fun. They just want to see a fun story play out - and the Dark Brother's actions would ruin it. Kinda like if I were to… Hand the Master Chief a gun that one shot killed everything he pointed it at, including spaceships. It'd ruin the fun. That's how they view it.

The Prime Cronos :

Aso some cute fluff! Lol.

Sebine :

Indeed. Lesbians - in SPACE!

The Right Price :

He told them the nitty gritty details, but was mostly telling the others about it. Ruby and Yang weren't the only ones there (or was Yang there yet?) and as much as they had likely guessed dor been told SOME of it, the others hadn't at all. But if you want you can view that as a plothole - I forgot about that scene lol. I'll own that.

Also, Pyr is bi for this. A shy bi lol.

Guest W :

XD

A Rosey Nomad :

Indeed! Peace in our time. Lol.

I am indeed also concerned for our Chimp friend.

Haldrac :

She'll get better, lol.

Silent Shadow :

I'll take that compliment! Lol. Glad you like it so much.

Maldevinine :

Thanks? Lol. Felt awkward to me. And mostly I was… Just paraphrasing other dialogue the Shaman shares.