My eyes fluttered open, a decision I quickly came to regret as they were assaulted by bright lights, making me groan as I was quick to move my hands to shield my eyes; however, I found that I could not move it as there was something on top of it. Groaning, I forced my eyes open to see that I was now in what looked like a hospital room.

"Edmond!" The voice of a woman spoke beside me, and before I could properly process what was happening, said woman wrapped her arms around my head and proceeded to absolutely bombard me with smooches, with the occasional apology being muttered at random intervals.

"Ms. Sheppard, please allow your son some space to breathe." Another voice spoke as I felt the woman being removed from me.

Now that my vision had adjusted, I was able to confirm that I was in a hospital room. To my left was a nurse, and to my right was who I assumed to be the doctor and a woman who I assumed to be my mother if her reaction was anything to go by. There was a period of silence as everyone in my room simply stared at me expectantly as I stared right back at them with a somewhat confused expression.

"What happened?" I asked while adjusting myself on the bed until I was in a sitting position. "How did I get here?"

"Well, Mr. Sheppard, you were found unconscious in your room, drenched head to toe in sweat." The doctor began as he extended his arm, creating some sort of orange hologram around it; he pressed a few buttons, and a screen appeared. "You were out cold for about three hours."

"This is my fault." My 'mother' lamented while sweeping her red hair backwards. "He was complaining about a fever for the last three days, but I thought it was a simple illness."

"You had no way of knowing." I interjected while placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I am with your son on that one, Ms. Sheppard." The doctor spoke up as he swiped a finger across the holographic screen. "You would be surprised, but something major starting as nothing more than a simple sore throat or running nose is not an uncommon occurrence, so please don't be so hard on yourself."

"It is my duty as a mother to make sure my boy is fine and dandy." She sighed while squeezing my cheeks affectionately.

"You can use that as a learning opportunity." The doctor calmly countered as he deactivated the hologram. "Now I will have to ask you to please leave the room; I would like to talk a bit with your son."

Pursing her lips, my mother would remove her hands from my cheeks and reluctantly make her way out of the room but not before shooting me a pained look that did manage to strike a chord in me. With the door closing behind her, the doctor took a tablet while sitting on a stool next to my bed.

"So how are you feeling, Edmond?" He asked with a kind smile. "And what were you feeling when you were sick?

"I'm feeling better than ever actually." I answered truthfully while looking at the palm of my hand. "And the symptoms were not too different from a common cold: sore throat, runny nose, fever, and all that jazz."

The doctor started to drone on and on about some medical mumbo-jumbo, but I was too busy looking at the palm of my hand; I could feel the Symbiote moving under my skin. To say that the sensation was marvelous would not even begin to describe it; I was feeling stronger and better than before, coupled with the fact that I still retained my mental faculties from when I was an adult, meaning at the age of ten I was already a force to be reckoned with.

I wonder what I could do with my newfound abilities? I should make a mental note to do a test drive when I have both the time and privacy to do so.

"…and let's not forget about—" The doctor stopped speaking once noticing that I was not paying a lick of attention to anything he was saying. "But in short, we made some exams, and not only did we not find anything wrong with you, but you are at peak health."

"Is that so?" I questioned while crossing my arms. "Your guys didn't find anything wrong with me?"

"Like I said, you are the picture of health." He confirmed with a nod. "Hell, I'd say you're healthier than most of the soldiers that swing by from time to time."

And that was one of the reasons why he absolutely adored Symbiotes, they not only enhanced their host's physical capabilities but would also keep them at peak health, something which was doubly true for the Anti-Venom Symbiote, which in itself was an upgrade over the original one, seeing as it kept all of the perks a Symbiote usually has on top of the fact that it did not have a weakness to sound or extreme heat.

So really I set myself up for absolute success when I eventually enlist in the Alliance Military.

I know I said I wouldn't enlist in the army, but if I wanted to more efficiently use my new powers to stifle the Reaper threat, I would need to be on the front lines. And hey, should I play my cards right, which I most likely would, I will be a candidate for a Specter when I finally reach the events of the first Mass Effect game.

"What can I say, doc?" I flashed the man a confident smile. "These are the Sheppard genes at work." I boasted while flexing my non-existent muscle.

"Lucky you, eh?" He ruffled my hair as he chuckled. "Going to put those genes to work, I suppose?"

"You're looking at a future Specter." I jabbed a thumb on my chest while puffing it a bit.

"Someone's shooting for the stars!" He remarked, utterly perplexed and amazed by my words.

"I've got some big dreams, doc." I declared while leaning back against my pillow. "And mark my words, I will see them through."

"I'm sure you will." He said while activating the orange hologram again and checking the screen. "Well, your vitals seem good; if it stays that way, you will be discharged just in time for dinner."

"Speaking of, you wouldn't mind leaving me alone to have a little nap, would you?" I rubbed my eyes while doing my best to fake a yawn. "Even though I'm fine, I still feel like I ran a damn marathon."

"It is fine; if you need anything, press the button on the side of your bed." He motioned to a small red button embedded into the bed's side rail before motioning to the nurse to follow him.

Before the doctor left the room, he made sure to dim the lights a bit, and now that I was "alone," I could try something. Eddie Brock was able to speak with the Venom Symbiote, so it shouldn't be too far-fetched to think that my Symbiote was also a sentient being capable of speech.

So, making up my mind and building up the courage, I open my mouth to speak.

"Are you there…?" I tentatively asked, my voice being barely above a whisper. "You can talk to me; it's just the two of us."

"Is...host...talking...to...Symbiote?" A gurgled and stunted voice asked back.

"Holy shit, it actually worked…" I mused, absolutely flabbergasted, before smiling. "And yeah, it's your host talking."

"What…does…host…want…from…Symbiote?" The Symbiote inquired.

"I just wanted to introduce myself, that's all." I said sheepishly while scratching the back of my neck. "My name is Edmond Sheppard. What is your name, little guy?"

"What...is...a...name?" It asked back, sounding genuinely confused. "Is…it…tasty?"

"Wait…You don't know what a name is?" I questioned, taken aback by what I heard. "Well, a name is a word that people use when addressing one another."

"What...is...a...word?" Came another question.

"It is what you're using to speak to me right now." I was quick to clarify. "But back to the topic; you don't know what a name is?"

"No…" The Symbiote confirmed.

"Well, we can't have that now, can we?" I hummed to myself, referring to it simply as Symbiote, which was so… derogatory.

Cupping my chin, I started to brainstorm names to give to the symbiote. I immediately cut off names like Venom, Carnage, Toxin, or whatever the hell the Symbiotes are usually named. I would settle for an actual normal name… but what to choose? So many options, yet I could only choose one…

"How about... Garfield?" I eventually suggested I always liked that name, totally not because of the orange fat cat that loves lasagna and hates Mondays.

"…Garvy…" The voice spoke after a long pause. "…Garvy…!"

"Wait, no, I meant—"

"Garvy! Garvy! Garvy! Garvy!" The newly named Garvy repeated his name like a Pokémon.

I wanted to correct him, but I figured that there was no problem in naming him Garvy; it was a somewhat normal name that kept that snarly edge that Symbiotes are so fond of, and besides, it's not like I could correct him considering he was too busy repeating his new name over and over again.

"Garvy! Garvy! Garvy! GARVY!" Garvy's excitement grew more and more. "Garvy…likes…his…new…name…"

"Glad you did, buddy." I answered somewhat wearily after recovering from his little outburst. "I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship, and no, I'm not talking about the symbiosis part."

"What...is...relationship...?" Garvy asked with all the curiosity of a child.

a few hours later

I was at the front desk with my mom, whose name I learned is Hannah. She was signing some papers with the receptionist and making some small talk. Thankfully, however, it didn't take long for her to finish the paperwork and for the two of us to start to make our way through the ship's interior and toward our Alliance-issued housing unit, which was just a fancy way of saying apartment.

"Sweetheart, I'm really sorry for not taking you to the hospital sooner." She apologized while hugging me closer. "Should have taken you there as soon as you started to complain, but I was so busy and—"

"Like I said, mother, you had no way of knowing that a simple fever would escalate to something so drastic so quickly." I spoke in a nonchalant tone while pulling away from her hug, "And regardless, everything turned out well at the end of the day, so no need to lose your mind over something that could've happened."

"Are you okay, sweetie?" She eventually asked. "You're acting a bit…different."

"I'm just a bit cramped from staying in that room, that's all." I complained while stretching my arms, which popped a bit. "You'd think with all of the advancements we made in technology, we would have figured out how to make proper hospital beds."

"Well, if you're feeling anything, don't hesitate to say it, okay?" Hannah spoke in a soft tone while smoothing my hair.

"Don't worry about me; I'm fine." I confidently declared while waving off her concerns. "In fact, I'm feeling better than ever before, like I could run an entire marathon."

"Let's keep the more demanding physical activities to a minimum, shall we?" Her smile somewhat faltered.

"Whatever you say, mother." I shrugged before patting my stomach as I felt it rumbling. "By the way, what are we going to have for dinner?"

"The usual stuff." She said with a shrug before perking up and giving me a smile. "By the way, it won't be long before my next shore leave, so what do you say we visit the Citadel?"

"I will hold you to that." I spoke in a serious voice as I pointed a finger at her.

We fell into silence as we continued to make our way through the ship's hallways. This whole thing about living in a ship with my mother was the exact same thing as the Spacer background, which was the best case scenario, considering that the other two consisted of me being a street urchin or an orphan following a Batarian slaver attack.

And hey, Hannah seems to actually give a shit about me, which is far more than I could say about the bitch that was my old mother. Very few things actually make me angry, and that old bitch is one of the few things that actually manages to achieve that feat. Closing my eyes, I did my best to suppress the old bitch's face from my mind; she was history, one that I wouldn't mind forgetting, and now I had a way better one with me.

Eventually the two of us passed through a map detailing the ship's layout and points of interest; however, what really caught my attention was the ship's name that was displayed on the top, which turned out to be… Ishimura... SSV Ishmura, to be more precise.

…okay, mental note to haul ass to the nearest escape pod in case the ship finds an ominous black obelisk. Symbiote or not, I'm not dealing with a Necromporth invasion; some random engineer can have that honor. I'm simply not built for that.

After that not-so-pleasant revelation, Hannah and I arrived at our apartment, which consisted of a living room, two bedrooms, and a single bathroom. It wasn't much, but it was very… homey. Yeah, that was a good way to describe the place.

"Okay, sweetie, go take a shower." My mother instructed me as she removed her trench coat and unceremoniously threw it on the coat hanger. "I will prepare dinner."

I acknowledged what she said with a simple hum while making my way to the bathroom. Once I was under the shower, I figured that it wouldn't hurt to allow Garvy to come out for a bit since he's going to be a part of my life for the foreseeable future; I might as well get used to it.

And so, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I allowed myself to somewhat go, and almost immediately I could feel Garvy beginning to envelop my body, and soon enough I was fully "venomized." You'd think that being enveloped by an alien goo would feel cold and slimy, but actually it was the opposite! I felt like I was wrapped in the world's most soft and warm blanket.

Walking to the mirror, I decided to take a good long look at my new appearance, and to say it was gnarly would be an understatement. Where my eyes were supposed to be was a black spiral in the middle of my face instead; my mouth was now wider, allowing the world to see a roll of sharp teeth. Opening my mouth caused a telescopic, reptile-like tongue to stick out; the thing seemed to have a mind of its own as it moved back and forth.

I would talk with Garvy to see if we could change into something less… menacing; however, there was a second reason why I decided to allow Garvy to fully venomize me, and that was thanks to another one of the Symbiote's abilities, a limited form of camouflage.

I spotted a basket filled with dirty laundry, and after some time rummaging through it, I found something that would be perfect for Garvy to try and replicate: a white hoodie and a pair of black sweatpants. It should be easy for him given the simplicity of the clothes' appearance.

"Garvy…" I spoke up, surprised by how gravelly and raspy my voice became. "Can you try to copy the appearance of these?"

I heard a low grumble before my "suit" started to change, taking the appearance of the two articles of clothes I was holding. While they were pretty convincing, there was one major deviation that became apparent, and that was the big spider symbol stamped in the hoodie's chest and on the left side of the sweatpants.

Putting the two articles of clothing down, I walked to the mirror to take in my new clothes, and boy howdy, Garvey did not disappoint. Pulling my hood backwards, I fixed my raven hair before walking out of the bathroom, the mechanical door hissing closed behind me as I sat at the dinner table.

"Someone's looking sharp." Hannah commented with a smile while setting down my plate. "Careful to not have the girls chase you."

"Mother, don't kill my vibe, please." I said in a deadpan manner.

"Can't I compliment my little boy anymore?" She spoke while feigning being hurt by my words.

Instead of humoring her any further, I decided to simply eat my food, which was… unremarkable. It wasn't bad but also wasn't good either, but that didn't stop me from absolutely demolishing the plate, something I chalked up to the fact that I was literally eating for two.

"Someone's finally appreciating my cooking skills." My mother said in a pleased voice as she watched me going for seconds.

After a fifteen-minute massacre at the dinner table, I was lying on my bed absolutely stuffed, and judging by the snore I was hearing inside my head, I wasn't the only one to come out of that whole ordeal utterly satisfied. I peered out the window of my room and into the void of space and I had to say it wasan't a bad view to fall asleep too…

[Author's Notes]

Hey there, folks! It's ya boy! Mac!

I would like to open this chapter by giving a shoutout to my homie evolution-500, who gave me a leg up when writing the draft for this chapter! Thanks a lot, homie!

These earlier chapters will explore the "Spacer" background and Sheppard's childhood as a whole and establish Edmond and Garvy's relationship, something I have big plans for.

Now to some reviews:

Uvuvwevwevwe Onyetenyevwe Ugwe: It's not really necessary seeing as the Symbiote naturally covers that part already.

TheFallenStudios: Glad I was able to capture your interest.

Anyhow, that's it, folks! Don't forget to leave a review containing criticism and/or suggestions! I read all of them!

Mac, sign' out!