Relaxing on the Normandy
After the successful mission on Therum, many of the crew went down to the Mess Hall in order to have a decent meal. After the craziness of another Geth assault, it was nice to just cut back.
"Hope you got something strong to drink." Wrex said as he sat down at the table with Garrus, Tali, Kaiden, Ashley, Ben, Vincent, and Erik. "After today, I'm gonna need it."
"We're technically not on official shore leave." Ashley chided as she had a crew member pass them all cups of water or tea. "We can't be passed out drunk in case of an emergency occurring."
"You know, back in C-Sec, whenever I made a notable arrest, I would treat myself to a little something." Garrus pointed out. "Surely we can just pop a few bottles just this once, right?"
"Who said we need to pop bottles." Vince said with a smirk as he waved his hand as it was glowing. All of a sudden, all of their drinks and cups changed to martini glasses, except for Wrex, whose mug changed into a pitcher of beer.
"What the?!" Ashley exclaimed as she looked towards Vince in shock. "How did you..."
"Bit of a parlor trick my dad taught me." Vince said with a chuckle.
"Well, I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth." Kaiden said as took his martini glass and drank it, giving a satisfied sigh. "Oh yeah. That's a vintage martini right there.
"Yeah, you can always rely on him to bring the party favors." Ben said as he was in his casual clothes and just took a sip of his drink.
"Ha! Keep filing these up and you and I are gonna get along just fine!" Wrex said with a laugh as he took a big swig from his beer pitcher, guzzling it all down. When he finished it all, his look changed to a bit of mild disappointment. "It's okay. I've had better."
"I can only beverages I know of. Can't make alien drinks of I don't know there composition." Vince said with a shrug.
"Hey, if you want something strong, remind me to give you something from my dad's stash." Erik said with a laugh as he drank from his martini. "That stuff will knock a man out cold."
"Given how weak and frail humans are, that's not saying much." Wrex said before giving Erik a smirk. "Then again, your father's not human."
"True that." Erik said with a chuckle, which everyone returned. Everyone, that is, except for Ashley, as she just looked down at her glass without even taking a sip from it.
"It really is strange. The multiverse... magic... and superheroes." Tali said as she looked at Ben, Vince, and Erik in fascination.
"Eh, it's all surreal for you all, but we grew up in this life." Ben said as rationed food was brought in and they all ate. "All we've known is the hero life, since we were pretty much born into it."
"Surely the hero life isn't all you've done, right?" Kaiden asked curiously after taking a few bites. "You guys must have day jobs."
"Well, I work at my dad's company, Parker Industries. After my dad was cleared of his murder chargers..." Ben passed when he saw the surprised looks on the Normandy crew. "That's another story that I'll tell you later. Anyway, my dad soon graduated high school and then MIT, and after marrying my mom they started their own research and development company called Parker Industries."
"Your father runs his own research company?!" Tali said in an awed look, though it couldn't be seen that well through her mask. "What research does he practice? Technological? Medical? Biological?"
"A bit of all of those, really." Ben said with a grin as he moved to sit next her. "He uses joint research with Stark Industries to greatly develop nanotechnology used for medical purposes, such as cell restoration."
"What about filtration research to separate toxic Biomes in an atmosphere to better keep the air clean?" Tali asked as she leaned in close.
"Oh, that's definitely on his to-do list. Also, thanks to access to technology from other species across the galaxy, he's also developing on a separate branch for xenobiology and xenotechnology."
"Ahem." Garrus coughed, getting the two genius members of the squads attention. "You know not all of us are scientists, right."
"All I'm hearing right now is gibberish." Wrex said with a chuckle as he downed his food.
"Oh, right. Sorry." Tali said in embarrassment, blushing beneath her mask, and thanking Keelah that no one could see it.
"Yeah, we're used to this with Ben when he talks with the other geniuses of the team." Vince said with a shrug as he ate his food.
"Oh, come on, you're a genius too, Vince." Ben said as he patted his teammate on the shoulder.
"Not a technological genius."
"Medical genius is still a genius." Erik said with a grin.
"Wait, you're an actual doctor?" Wrex asked in surprise. "I thought that was your whole motif with your weird powers and magic shit."
"No, I am an actual doctor, but I took a different profession than what my father took." Vince said with a shrug. "My dad was a neurosurgeon, in fact he was the best neurosurgeon there was, until he had an accident that completely shattered the bones in his hands."
"My god." Ashley said in surprise.
"Yeah, so looking for answers on how to heal them he went to a place called Kamar-Taj, met the Sorcerer Supreme known as The Ancient One." Vince explained.
"The 'Ancient One?'" Kaiden asked in confusion.
"What kind of name is that?" Wrex asked with a raised eyebrow.
"She was called that because no one knew her actual name or age, but that's a different story." Vince waved off as he decided to get back on track. "Anyway, he decided that he could help people better as a sorcerer than as a neurosurgeon, but when he retired, he decided to take up a job as a medical consultant, teaching not only the next generation of sorcerers, but also the next generation of doctors."
"And you decided to follow in his footsteps as both?" Tali asked.
"Sort of." Vincent said as he waved his hands and strings of magic danced around his fingers. "Like my dad I was a natural talent for the mystic arts. Every spell he wanted me to learn I learned in great detail, but..." Vince sighed as the magical strings disappeared. "Being a medical doctor, however... it never grabbed me like he did."
"But you just said you were an actual doctor." Ashley said with a confused expression.
"That's right. After I graduated from medical school I decided to heal the human mind in a different way, and I became a psychiatrist." Nice said with a fond smile. "I even use my knowledge of the mystic arts to aid in treating my patients."
"Wow... that's incredible." Kaiden said in amazement. As a soldier, he's seen the hardships of what his duty entails, even what he's been through. It wasn't easy, but after his time at Jump Zero, he's managed to find someone to talk about what he went through, and it really did help him.
"What about you, Foster?" Wrex asked as he bumped Erik's shoulder, almost knocking him off his feet. "What does the son of a god do on his off days?"
"Eh, nothing special as these guys." Erik says with a shrug as he sat back up straight and gave them all a smile. "I spent most of my time in New Asgard during my childhood, learning how to control my powers and harness my skills as an Asgardian warrior."
"Now that's what I like to hear." Wrex said, raising his refilled mug of beer, thanks to Vince's magic, up in a light toast. "Learning to fight when you just pop out. That's the Krogan way!"
"Anyway..." Erik said with a blush as he didn't need that in his head. "After training for years, going with my mom 0n her expeditions and helping her with her research, my dad gave me this." He unsheathed his sword and held it up, watching it spark with electricity.
"That sword it... it gives you your powers?" Ashley asked while looking at that sword with... concern? Uncertainty?
"Nah, it's just a conduit for my powers." Erik explained as he placed the sword on the table and gained an uncertain look. "To be honest... I don't know how strong my powers will be. My powers come from my dad, who's a god of thunder, and I'm half human. I'm stronger, faster, can harness lightning, but... I don't know how far Incan take it."
"You've never tested your limits?" Tali asked curiously.
"Even biotics need to learn to test their limits." Kaiden added
"Yeah, well, I don't even know what my limits are." Erik said with a sigh as he clenched his fist. "I don't if being the son of Thor and my mom, named Jane, will make me just as strong as him, or if I'll be only half as strong. I've never faced anything to push me"
Ashley clenched her own fist as she abruptly stood up from her seat and just walked off. "I'll see you guys." Ashley said as she speedwalked away.
Everyone looked at her with a curious or worried expression, before Erik spoke up. "Was it something I said?" Erik asked curiously.
"Maybe it's just... post-mission anxiety?" Tali suggested with uncertainty.
"Now, something was deeply troubling her." Vince said as he narrowed his eyes slightly in focus. "I noticed a quick change in her behavior whenever I used my magic or when Erik talked about his dad."
Erik looked in the direction of where Ashley speed walked away before he too stood up and walked in the same direction. "I think I'll go talk to her." Erik said in determination.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Garrus asked. "Usually when a woman walks away it usually means she wants to be alone."
"Yeah, but if we're going to be working together, we gotta clear the air." Erik said with a shrug. "Besides, if we Asgardian's were to ever give up, we'd never be as tough as we are." With that said, he walked off to find out where Ashley walked away to.
As he walked off, Ben saw that he left his sword on the table and he soon gained a bit of a mischievous smile on his face.
"Hey, Wrex, that's a cool sword, right?" Ben asked, getting an eye roll from Vince, as he could immediately see what the spider hero was trying to pull.
Wrex looked at the sword for a brief moment, and then gave a little shrug. "Yeah, it's alright, I guess." Wrex said nonchalantly.
Sure, Erik did some impressive things with that sword, but he's always been a Krogan who valued a big gun, especially his trusty shotgun. True, he's had some experiences using a dagger for close combat, and has engaged in a full-on brawl and hand to hand combat, but a sword just doesn't appeal to him.
"Hey, think you can pick it up? I want to see what a Krogan looks like holding a sword above your head." Ben suggested, trying hard to hold back his cheeky little grin.
"I guess there's no harm in that." Wrex looked at him strangely before standing up and walking around the table where the hilt was. "I mean, it's just a sword."
"Yeah... just a sword." Vince said with a smirk, which then earned a chuckle from Ben.
Tali heard his chuckle from the young hero and gave him a curious look. "What's going on?" Tali whispered in confusion.
"Just watch." Ben whispered back as he looked at the large Krogan as he prepared to lift the sword. "You're in for a real treat."
/
Erik walked the halls of the Normandy ship, giving the occasional wave to some of the crew members that he passed by, who would sometimes wave back, while most of the time they would look at him in awe, disbelief, or uneasiness. Word spread quickly about how he and the rest of his team handled the Geth on Therum, and whatever doubts they had about the team's skills were quickly quelled.
As Erik walked he heard the sounds of something getting punched in one of the rooms and looked to check it out. When the door opened he stepped into what appeared to be a small gym. There was quite a few exercise equipment such as treadmills, bench presses, pull-up machines, and a rack of dumbbells.
Erik looked to the far side and saw Ashley punching a sandbag pretty heavily, rapidly breathing as she traded blow after blow. She was out of her armor and now wore a black tank top and pants, panting heavily as she continued to trade blows with the sandbag.
Her eyes soon traveled to the entrance and saw Erik standing there. "You know, when a lady walks away, it means she wants to be alone." Ashley said as she went back to punching.
"Yeah, well, I'm pretty stubborn. One of the many traits I get from my father, much to mom's annoyance." Erik said with a laugh.
"Yeah... your dad the god." Ashley said with a light scoff as she started to punch harder.
Erik sighed as he took a seat on the bench press and just watched her for a few minutes before speaking. "Okay. What did I do?" Erik asked with arms raised up slightly. "Ever since Therum you've been giving me... not really the stink eye, but you've been looking at me funny ever since."
Ashley punched the bag a few more times before she sighed and stepped back, taking a small towel and wiping her forehead. "Sorry." She said as she gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm just not used to... well, whatever you or your friends are."
"Superheroes, you mean." Erik said with a chuckle. "Yeah, I guess in a world without them, it can be a little strange."
"Not that, though granted that's part of it." Ashley said with a sigh as she took a deep breath and sat on the bench press in front of him. "You... you just shocked me. That doesn't happen often, especially when... when you pretty much contradict everything I know."
"How so?" Erik asked with concern.
"As shocking as it may seem, I'm a woman of God." Ashley said strongly. "Me, my parents, my sisters, we all are devout in our faith in God, Heaven, all of it." She gave a mirthful chuckle with a shake of her head. "Yeah, I know it's weird, me believing in God when I'm up in space and surrounded by aliens."
"And you think me being here, and Vince as well, threatens everything you believe in." Erik added in an understanding.
"Yeah, I guess that's it." Ashley said with a shake of her head. "Jeez, I know I'm not the petty type, but the way you talked about your dad, your family, how Vince just now did something that Jesus did the opposite of, it just... it just makes me question a lot. I know that's silly, but-"
"Hey, hey, I don't think it's silly at all." Erik said with a smile.
"Now you're just pitying me." Ashley said with a smirk.
"No, because I believe in God, too." Erik revealed, much to Ashley's shock.
"Wait, what?!" Ashley exclaimed.
"Yeah, I mean, I go to church sometimes, I prayed a lot as a kid, and I even memorized a few verses from the Bible." Erik said with a smile. "Granted that doesn't make me a full devout catholic, but I still believe in him and I still have faith."
"But... But you just your dad was the god of thunder! Hell, I saw you shoot lightning at the Geth!" Ashley exclaimed in disbelief. "Your dad is Thor, which makes your grandfather Odin, which means all of the Norse mythology is real in your universe! How can you say you believe in God?!"
"Okay, so, maybe calling my dad a god is a bit of a misconception." Erik said sheepishly with a shrug. "Let me tell you something my dad told me, that his dad, Odin, told him. He's not really a god. He lives, he dies, just like any other being in the universe. Granted he lives longer than most other beings, but it doesn't change the fact that he is just as mortal as we all are."
Ashley was stunned by Erik's words, as she was going through a tough time with her faith for a moment, but then the very same person that shook her faith slightly was telling her that their faiths were the same. Her mind was racing on how to process that, but then again, after seeing what the Avengers could do, maybe she should just start learning to accept it.
Ashley chuckled a bit before giving Erik a small smile. "Thanks Erik. I needed that." Ashley said gratefully.
"Hey, we're a team now." Erik said as he held out his fist to her. "What good is a team that doesn't lift each other when we're down?"
Ashley chuckled at his enthusiasm as she returned the fist bump. "So, what, we're all part of your Avengers club now?" She said in a joking tone.
"Well, you gotta go through auditions first, but we'll keep you posted." Erik joked back, causing them both to laugh. "So, you've heard about my dad. What was your dad like?"
"Dad was military, same as my grandfather, and great-grandmother. They all defended the Alliance since it was founded." Ashley answered with a fond smile.
"I can understand that." Erik said with a nod. "Dad was a warrior, same as my grandfather in his youth, and my great-grandfather Bor."
"Guess we're upholding the family tradition, huh?" Ashley said with a chuckle, which Erik returned.
"Yeah, well, my family's a bit messed up." Erik said with a smirk.
"Oh, please, you want messed up?" Ashley said with a challenging smirk. "My family's a bit of a dark horse in the Alliance military. My grandfather was the general stationed on Shanxi during the First Contact War, and he was the first human to surrender to the Turians. Ever since then, the term for our family is the Williams Curse, how we were an embarrassment to the Allaince." She crossed her arms and gave the young demigod a challenging look. "So, can you beat that?"
"Let's see..." Erik said as he leaned back in confidence. "My grandfather, Odin, before he became a benevolent king, waged war and conquered the Nine Realms, enslaving them so that they could help build his empire. My uncle Loki lead an army of aliens to Earth in order to conquer the planet, killing hundreds of people in the process. Then there's my aunt Hela, who is literally the goddess of death... pretty much that should explain everything."
Ashley could say nothing as she just stared wide eyed at Erik, his words still processing within her kind. She's heard of a tough family lineage, but that... that was just something else entirely.
"Okay." Ashley finally said as she raised her hands in surrender. "You win." They both nodded in agreement at this, knowing that that was hard to top, before they slowly started to chuckle and laugh.
Ashley had to admit, it was actually pretty uplifting to know that this tension was lifted off her shoulders. And despite him being the son of a god of thunder, Erik was a pretty nice guy.
/
Shepard was about to head on down to the mess hall to eat with his squad, but he decided to take a little detour and meet up with Liara in the sick bay. She was a new member of his crew, and he wanted to make sure that she was okay. That mind melding technique she did seemed to take a lot out of her.
The Council, and only a couple members of his squad, may believe that she's a potential spy, but he saw it in her eyes. There was no way she was faking being shocked about hearing her mother's partnership with Saren, nor was she faking the fear she felt when the Geth came to kill her.
Shepard entered the sick bay and greeted Doctor Chakwas. "Hello, doctor." He greeted.
"Hello, Commander. Come to check up on our new patient?" Chakwas asked with a smile.
"Yes, I am." Shepard said with a nod, but when he looked around the sick bay, but he couldn't see her. "Has she already been checked up and left? I'd like to see how she's doing."
"She did get checked up, but she didn't leave." Chakwas said as she pointed to the back of the sick bay. "She made herself quite home in the back. She's set up herself own room there with everything she needs."
"Thank you, doctor." Shepard said with a smile as he walked up to the door leading into the back.
When it opened, he saw that Doctor Chakwas wasn't exaggerating. Liara had practically made herself at home in this back room with a desk with her own terminal, a large shelf, and a bed.
Liara looked back and smiled at Shepard as she got up from her seat. "Commander, are you coming to check up on me?" Liara asked with a smile.
"I wanted to see how you doing." Shepard said with a nod. "You seemed pretty out of it after the whole ordeal."
"I am doing well. Thank you, Commander." Liara said with a nod.
"You don't have to be so formal, Liara. We're not in a mission currently." Shepard said with a chuckle.
"Oh... well then, thank you, Shepard." Liara said a bit shyly, but still kept her polite smile. "I never did properly thank you from protecting me from the Geth." Her face became a bit downtrodden as she thought back to that cave, and how trapped she was. "If you hadn't had been there..."
"I'm just glad we got there in time." Shepard said.
"So am I." Liara said with a grateful nod as well. "I know you took a chance bringing on board your ship. I've seen the way the crew looks at me. They do not trust me." Her face became more determined as she looked in Shepard's eyes. "But I am not like Benezia. I will do whatever I can to help you stop Saren and her."
"Don't worry, Liara. I trust you, and I know you won't let me down." Shepard said confidently.
"It means a lot to hear you say that, Shepard." Liara said gratefully.
Shepard's look became a bit more serious as a thought crossed his mind. "Though, there's something I can't help but wonder. Why do you think Benezia allied herself with Saren?" Shepard asked. "I've never heard of her before this mission and then the Asari Councilor seemed to hold her in high respects before this."
"I don't understand it either." Liara responded with a shake of her head. "She was always outspoken about the need for the Asari to be more involved in shaping galactic events." Her look changed to a more uncertain demeanor, trying to process the choices her mother made. "Maybe she thought allying herself with Saren would be for the greater good in the long run. At least... that's what I hope so."
Shepard could see the conflicted look in her eyes and couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "This hurts you, doesn't it?" Shepard asked. Though he already knew the answer.
"None of this makes any sense to me." Liara said as she began slowly pacing back and forth. "I have not spoken to Benezia in many years, but I know her, and this is not like her! Something must have changed!"
"Hey, hey, it's okay." Shepard said as he placed a hand on her shoulders, getting her to stop pacing. "We'll find your mother, and when we do you can ask her yourself. You deserve that much."
Liara took a deep breath and smiled at Shepard gratefully. "Thank you, Shepard. I guess I am still quiet... anxious." She confessed.
"How about I take you down to the mess hall for something to eat?" Shepard suggested. "Gives you a chance to truly get acquainted with the rest of the team."
"I actually would like that." Liara said with a nod. "Doctor Chakwas said that some food may help me with my dizziness." The two of them exited the sick bay and made their way to the elevator and entered it to take them to the mess hall. "I hope your teammates will open up to me. I get the feeling Chief Williams is the one most skeptical about me not being in contact with my mother."
"Ashley will come around, Liara. Her, and the rest of the squad, just need to get to know you better." Shepard said confidently as the elevator came to a stop and the door opened. "Trust me, they may be strange, but they're rational."
"YOU STUPID SLAB PIECE OF PYJAK SHIT! WHY WON'T YOU MOVE?!"
Shepard and Liara stared wide eyed as they were greeted with the sight of Wrex standing on top of a table and trying to lift up what looked like Erik's sword right up, but no matter how hard he pulled, the sword just remained in place. Kaiden, Tali, and Garrus backed away in fear, thinking that the Krogan was gonna lose it, while Ben and Vince were at the other side of the table laughing up a storm.
"RAH! COME ON!" Wrex exclaimed as he tried using both hands, and was even coated in biotic energy, but no matter how hard he tried, the sword just would not move. He couldn't put any,ore strength into it until his hands just slipped and he fell right off the table. He roared in anger as he looked towards Ben and Vince, who were still laughing. "What are you pyjaks laughing at?! What's wrong with this thing?!"
"What's going on here?" Shepard asked seriously as he decided now was the best time to step in before Wrex blew a gasket and killed someone.
"Just having a little bit of fun, Shepard." Ben said as he wiped a tear in my eye.
"That wasn't fun for me." Wrex said as he narrowed his eyes at the sword that was left unmoving on the table. "That thing is no ordinary sword."
"Yeah, the fact that it could shoot lightning and return to Erik's hand is very much an indicator of that." Garrus said sarcastically as things seemed to have calmed down now.
It was in that moment when Erik decided to return with Ashley. "Hey, guys, we heard a commotion while coming back here. What happened?"
"Just Ben pulling a practical joke." Vince said as he gestured to the spider hero, who was still chuckling.
"You knew that was gonna happen?" Wrex asked as he glared at Ben.
"Yeah, and it gets funnier every time it happens." Ben said as he finally calmed down from his laughter.
"Apparently Wrex was trying to lift your sword, Erik, but was having some... difficulties." Shepard informed the half-Asgardian.
"Difficulties?! The damn thing wouldn't even budge!" Wrex exclaimed in frustration.
"Just what is it made of?" Tali asked as she used her Omni-tool to try and scan the weapon, but her readings were just inconclusive. "You managed to lift it up so easy, yet Wrex couldn't make it move an inch. How much does it weigh?"
"It's not about how heavy it is." Erik said casually as he just picked up the sword without any effort. He pointed to the flat end of the sword and showed them glowing markings along it. "The sword only allows those who are worthy to wield it. My dad placed an enchantment on it when he had it made."
"Of course he did." Ashley said with a chuckle as she shook her head. From now on, she was just going to have keep an open mind when she hangs out with her strange out-of-universe teammates.
"But what is it made of?" Liara asked as she too scanned the sword, but didn't get any results either. "I'm not a geologist, but I do have basic knowledge of that field to better understand my dig sites, and that sword is not of any known element I am aware of."
"And you never will be, cause this metal is not from your universe." Erik said as he gave it a little spin with a smile. "This sword's name is called Stormcleaver, and it's made of Uru, the same metal that was used to make my dad's hammer Mjolnir, and his axe Stormbreaker."
"And your dad enchanted it so that you could only wield it?" Kaiden asked curiously.
"No, that's not how it works. It only allows those who are worthy to wield it." Erik said as he gave a soft smile. "My dad used to be an egotistical jerk, from what he told me, and my grandfather had enough of his arrogance and banished him to Earth, hoping to teach him humility."
"How much of a jerk are we talking?" Garrus asked curiously.
"He wanted to wage war against an entire race of Frost Giants and wipe them out." Erik said with a frown. "The peace between Asgard and Jotunheim had been tense, and due to an attack, he stormed to the world of the Frost Giants and nearly started a war."
"Frost Giants? Jotunheim?" Kaiden asked in bewilderment, before he just raised his hands up in surrender. "You know what... I'm not gonna question it anymore."
"I think your grandfather made the right call. Sounds like your father wanted to start a genocide." Shepard said.
"Yeah, dad is pretty ashamed of how he used to be, but at the same time he wouldn't change anything, because since he was banished, he got to meet my mom, Jane Foster, who was an astrophysicist. A scientist and a space god. It was a match made in the cosmos."
"That sounds... actually, really romantic." Tali said softly. She's always been a bit of a sucker for romance, especially whenever she watched vid dramas.
"Anyway, one of the conditions of his banishment was that Odin placed an enchantment on his hammer. It stipulated that only those who would be worthy shall wield the hammer. After being humbled on Earth, and the town he was staying at being threatened, he finally managed to become worthy and wield the hammer again." Erik said with a smile as he looked at his sword. "When he had my sword made, he put the same stipulation on it for me, because he didn't want me to make the same mistakes he did. I prove every day that I am worthy to wield this sword he gifted me."
"So that's the reason I couldn't lift it? Because the sword didn't 'like' me?" Wrex said with a grumble.
"Yeah, pretty much." Erik said with a shrug, causing everyone to chuckle. He then placed the sword back on the table and gestured to everyone in the room. "So, would anyone else like to try?"
"Well, as a highly decorated C-Sec officer, I think I meet the requirements of worthy." Garrus said confidently as he stepped up. "So, if I pick it up, then I can shoot lightning like a god, as well?"
"Oh, yeah, sure." Erik said with a smirk as he crossed his arms.
"Well, Saren better watch out, cause the most powerful and definitely most handsome Turian is coming for his ass." Garrus declared as he grasped the hilt and began to pull. However, much like with Wrex, the sword would not even move a centimeter. "Oh... just... give me a minute." Garrus grasped the hilt with both hands and tried pulling harder, but the results were the same.
"Hey, I think I saw it twitch." Ashley said with a smirk.
"Really?" Garrus grunted as he continued to pull.
"Nah." Ashley joked.
Garrus had enough as he let go of the hilt and stepped back, rubbing his hands in discomfort. "Okay, well that thing is clearly broken." Garrus said.
"I would like to try." Liara said as she grasped the hilt and tried pulling it, but like before, it wouldn't move. Unlike Garrus, though, she quickly let go and released the hilt. "It truly is fascinating. Many colleagues within the scientific community would love to study this sword."
"Well, time for the Alliance to represent." Kaiden said as he grasped the hilt tightly and tried to lift, but was met with the same result, though he didn't give up as quickly as Liara. "Come on... almost there."
"Let me show you how it's done, Lieutenant." Ashley said as she bumped him out of the way and tried lifting the sword up herself, but she had no results.
"Come on, you two! Give the Alliance a victory here!" Shepard said with a chuckle as he cheered for them.
Both Ashley and Kaiden grasped the hilt and tried pulling together, but even with their combined strength it did absolutely nothing.
"Are you even pulling, Chief?" Kaiden asked with his voice strained as they continued to pull.
"Don't worry about me, Lieutenant. Focus on your own arms." Ashley replied as they both pulled with all their might before just giving up. "Damn. That works up more of a sweat than any workout I've done."
"How about you, Tali?" Ben asked his Quarian friend.
"After seeing all those attempts, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to pass." Tali said with her hands raised up in defeat.
"What about you guys?" Garrus asked as he looked towards Ben and Vince. "Shouldn't the Avengers be more worthy than us to wield that sword?"
"We tried to lift it once before, but nobody else on the team was able to lift it." Ben said with a shrug.
"I've already got enough magic in my arsenal, anyways." Vince said dismissively.
"I still say it's a load of crap. No way a sword can decide who's worthy, or not." Wrex said with a dismissive wave.
"Well, you can deny it all you want, Wrex, but the facts are the facts. You all couldn't lift it cause..." Erik said as he raised his hand and the sword flew right into his grasp. "...you're all not worthy." This earned a laugh from everyone.
"Hey, wait, hold on." Garrus asked as he pointed towards the ships resident Commander. "Are we all forgetting our esteemed leader of this little squad?" He gave Shepard a smirk as he patted him on the back. "What do you say, Shepard? Care to try your hand?"
"Yeah, let's see what you got, Skipper!" Ashley said as she clapped her hands.
Shepard was a little surprised to be put on the spot so suddenly, but he couldn't help but be a little curious about the sword. Everyone was looking at him as he stepped forward to Erik, who gave him a smile as he held the sword out to him.
'Worthy.'Shepard thought to himself as he looked at the hilt of the sword. Truth be told, he wasn't sure what it truly meant to be worthy, but does it truly describe him?
He's always tried to live up to the expectations of his parents, who both served under the Alliance most of their lives, having him spend most of his childhood in starships. They were the ones that inspired him to sign up for the Alliance, his mother even saluted him when he finally joined. He helped defend Elysium during the Skyllian Blitz, protecting as many colonists as he could from Batarian slavers. He did that because it was his duty to protect those people, and it was the right thing to do.
But.., does that guarantee that he's worthy?
Before Shepard could even grasped the hilt of the sword, the ship's intercom suddenly pinged and Joker's voice sounded."Message coming in, Commander. Looks like it's from Alliance Command."Joker informed.
"Patch them through, Joker. I'll take the message in the CIC." Shepard said as he began to walk off. "We'll talk later, everyone, but be prepared to gear up."
The group watched Shepard walk off before Ben gave the only humans on the squad a curious look. "That was a little odd, you guys. Is it weird getting called by Alliance Command?" Ben asked curiously.
"Usually whenever Alliance Command contacts you, it means someone from the higher ups has a mission for you." Kaiden answers.
"I'm not against following any order Alliance Command gives us, but are you sure we should be accepting a mission from them?" Ashley asked with some slight concern. "We're already on a high priority mission."
"Well, we don't have any leads to go off on, so we're just dead in space without a specific definition." Garrus said with a shrug.
"Grim thing to say, Garrus." Tali added.
"We don't even know this message from the Alliance is an actual mission." Vince added as he got up and decided to walk out as well. "Until we know otherwise, I'm gonna just go and meditate in the cargo hold."
"Yeah, I'm gonna go check on my ammo caches. Gotta make sure I'm stocked up." Wrex said as he walked off with Vince.
"Yeah, guess we all gotta our own little ways to unwind." Erik said as all of them began to disperse and go their own way.
The only ones left in the mess hall were Ben and Tali, with the later giving him a curious look beneath her mask. "Hey, Ben, think I can take a look at your web shooters? Their designs are pretty fascinating, and I'd love to see how they work." Tali asked in slight eagerness.
"Sure thing!" Ben said with a grin as he held up his shooter for her to see.
/
Shepard soon arrived at the CIC and stepped up to the galaxy map where the intercom on the terminal. "I'm here, Joker. Patch them through." Shepard said over the comms.
"Alright. Patching 'em through."Joker said.
"Commander, this is Admiral Hackett, Fifth Fleet."An elderly, yet very powerful voice said over the intercom.
Shepard immediately stood straighter, despite the Admiral not necessarily being in front of him at this moment. Admiral Hackett is a man of great respect within the Alliance, with some even saying that he is the greatest Admiral within Alliance Command, and how before that his amazing feats during the First Contact War. While Shepard can say he doesn't know the man personally, he has heard all about him from Anderson and his mother, and he has his full respect.
"What can I do for you, Admiral?" Shepard asked respectfully.
"Commander, I have a mission for you."Hackett said professionally."An Alliance officer named Major Kyle has set up a small compound in the Hawking Eta cluster. He's attracted a number of followers, mainly Biotics. He's become an outspoken critic of the Alliance, and we believe he's mentally unstable. This could be trouble, Shepard."
"What kind of proof do you have that the major is unstable?" Shepard asked not out of disrespect, but rather he just needed to know all the facts.
Three days ago, we sent two Alliance officers to meet with him at his compound. They have disappeared."Hackett said in a grim tone."We believe Kyle and his followers killed them."
'Guess this is more serious than it looks.'Shepard thought to himself.
"That compound is a cult, Shepard. They call him 'Father Kyle' now. He's set himself up as some kind of religious leader."Hackett continued.
"And you said that his followers were Biotics." Shepard recalled.
"Yes, though he's never shown Biotic tendencies. Most Biotics feels ostracized by their peers, and Kyle sees them as victims that need protection, and they see him as someone they need to protect."Hackett theorized."Unfortunately, he's convinced them that the Alliance are somehow the source of all their problems."
"What can you tell me about Major Kyle?" Shepard asked as he wanted to get a full perspective on what this man was like, mentally stable or not.
"He served with the Alliance faithfully and was a model soldier, until he was deployed to Torfan. Too many soldiers died under his command, and he couldn't live with the guilt. His psyche evaluations showed he couldn't handle the stress of command anymore. He was given an honorable discharge and early retirement. We'd hoped he would get better in time, but now it seems like he is too far gone."Jacket said with his tone sounding regretful.
"I might be able to reason with him." Shepard suggested. If this man is a decorated war hero, surely there might still be a sense of honor within him.
"That may not be possible, Shepard."Hackett denied."We don't want a bloodbath, but Kyle is dangerous. I'll trust you to use your judgement. Hackett out."
The comms shut off and Shepard called in his squad. "Team, meet in the briefing room. We've got an emergency assignment." He said before he walked off.
Never a dull moment on the Normandy.
/
Words cannot describe the cesspool that is the Omega Station. Criminals, mercenaries, and assassins all seem to find themselves here eventually. But there were also people who were just down on their luck and Omega was a last resort option. The place was filled with danger, but if you played your cards right, it was tolerable.
However, a group of Turians were not finding this place so tolerable, as they were holding up in a locked room as they pointed their guns at the door.
"Remember, we shoot anything that moves past that door." One Turian said as he narrowed his eyes in focus at the door.
"We can't stop him! No one can stop him!" One Turian exclaimed in horror as his hands were shaking in fear. "We hit him with everything... and nothing stopped him!"
"Get it together!" The lead Turian exclaimed as he smacked him hard. "No one's unstoppable! We can kill this bastard!"
"He looks human... but he's not... he couldn't be!" Another Turian exclaimed fearfully as he looked around frantically. Just then, the power in the room went, coating everything in darkness. "Wait... he cut the power? How did he cut the power?!"
SLASH!
"Gah!"
"Boss, what happened?!"
Just then the lights came back on and the remaining two Turians looked on in horror at what they saw. Their leader lay dead in the center of the room, a pool of blood on the floor as they clearly saw that his throat was cut, and standing right by his body was the perpetrator. The one they were hiding from.
Standing right by the dead Turian body was a man wearing a black body suit, with silver and black armor over it. His boots were made out of pure metal and with neon purple lights around the calves and they hummed with energy, the same with a silver gauntlet on his left arm. Wrapped around his shoulders was a dark purple cloak and head over his head. His face was completely hidden, being covered by a skull mask with glowing purple eyes.
The mask may have looked intimidating, but what really scared the Turians was what they saw with his right hand. Instead of a regular hand, it looked like a long curved blade that was as long as an arm. Almost like a scythe.
"It's... it's you." The Turian said in fear as his hands were shaking, barely able to aim with his gun. "You... you can't be real!"
"And yet, here I am."The masked man said through a voice filter as his scythe arm was raised and pointed it at them, before he dashed right at the final two Turians.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"
/
The skull masked man stood in a dark alley, looking at his Omnitool that displayed images of the Turians he just killed before pressing his finger on the holo image. The words 'TERMINATED' soon displayed beneath each image.
Just then, the comms within his helmet beeped as he pressed the side of his helmet."It's me."The man said.
"You have new orders. Sending the data to you now."
The masked man looked at his Omnitool where a new image was shown. This image was of a middle aged man in an Alliance uniform with a shaved head, a thin mustache and a single strand of a goatee going down his chin.
"Alliance military... signs of mental instability... a cult of Biotics?"The man muttered to himself in confusion before he accessed his comms again."What's the point of me killing this target?"
"He's an advocate for everything we stand against. Kill all the Biotics in his care, but he is the primary target."
"Fine by me."The masked man said as he shut off the comms and his Omnitool and began walking off deep into the alley."Count your days, Major Kyle. Death is coming for you."As he walked away, his scythe on his arm began to glow in an eerie purple light.
/
Hey everybody, I'm back with a new chapter for you all!
It's been so long since I updated this story, and I am very happy with how it turned out! I felt like it was time to get back in the swing of things with this story, considering I have so much planned for this story.
This was a more laid back chapter, which is why it's a bit on the short side, as it was mostly just for character development, especially in the shipping department. I love writing these beloved characters and I just can't wait to continue their tale within the format of my story.
I guess what made me even more inspired to once again begin writing this story was due to the fact that I have been replaying my Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. Reliving the story reminds me of why I love it so much, the world, lore, the characters, some of the villains. It's just an all-around great game to return to.
Anyway, to answer some questions some of you may have, yes, more Avengers will appear, but only when the time calls for it. I have it all planned out for the events of the first game. Everything I do in this story serves a purpose, and I can't wait for you all to see it.
Also, kudos to anyone who can guess who I just introduced in the end of this chapter.
Anyway, that's all I have to say. Please leave a like, review, and tell me your thoughts.
Stay healthy, stay safe, and I'll see you all next time!