"Boom!" An entire panel blew off the side. "Bzzzt!" A build of electricity shot off and sent the device out of control.
"Bwoom!" The rift closed and open right back up. The tech from the other World's started to get pulled back inside. The other rifts started to spin and returned its inhabitants next. All but the blasted tank. The mammoth of a monstrosity was secured to the spot. No one was piloting, so that was good.
'Why is this a Lunatic one?' Azul asked. He made to make a run to the beacon, to make sure it was turned off completely.
Azul sent quick mental pictures to Lluvia, hopefully, she can mark each of the places and have other Users go take care of it. In less than 30 seconds, it was over. However, that is when the problem arrived.
"Bwoom!" A Decepticon walked out of a Rift. A Transformer is not what he was wanting to fight against. It scanned the area and spotted Azul. It was not a Decepticon as he first thought. Or an Autobot. Another faction. Something a User designed.
Observe: User made Transformer??? Faction: Cycletron
User: ????
'Great someone I dont know screwing around.' Getting his shields ready, Azul thought about the fact he didnt have heavy weapons. But then again, he didnt need them. Till now that is. 'Need to upgrade weapons.. but wait their is nothing I can do about things out of my control. why can I not feel the power of the World?'
"Intruder.. how unfortunate for you." The Cycletron stated. Its left arm changed and made a tri barrel rifle. "Decimation Protocols activate."
'Is the thing a bloody Necron!?' Thinking to himself, Azul sprinted to thicker cover. It didnt matter as the rifle fire might as well have been plasma cannon fire.
System: Wisdom Check 43 Fail
"Boom, chck! Boom, chck! Boom, chck!" The barrel spun after each fire. Three projectiles came at his location. The first one burned the cover apart. Azul looked at the next one, redirecting his shields to the front. "Ping!" His biotic shielding didnt stand more than a second before it disperses. The third shot caught him in the armor.
"Kaboom!" The others didnt explode. This one however did. It lived up to the bots last command, as it decimated his armor. "Thump!" Rolling on the floor, Azul grabbed pieces of metal with his biotics. With a Fling they shot towards the bot.
"Tink!" Barely a scratch. It did, however, reveal the name and a little information.
Observe: Level 25 User Noilnie
"Pathetic." Noilnie stepped forward and scanned the area. "All this work disrupted by a fool." The bot's head shook very human-like. "No matter, we will fix it." His eyes shifted to Marmota. Azul thought they looked soft if that was to go by anything.
"Brand new armor completely slagged like nothing!" Azul did a quick cast with defensive magic. Only thing came out was biotic energy. Something felt odd, but he couldnt look into it now. His under armor would have to do for now. Rifle at the ready, he switched to armor shredding ammo. 'Concussive Shot!' Hand raised, he fired. He was surprised when it came out like a regular one. 'What the hell is going on!?' Firing the rifle one-handed, his thoughts took a back seat.
"Pow, pow, pow, pow!" Four shots went out. The bot did not dodge or move parts out of the way. It took each shot with ease. Azul ran back away as fast as he could. He felt he was moving slower than before. A quick check showed his buff's were not on.
'Explain now! Any of you blasted Operators better get off your ass!' Azul thought to each of them as his anger built up. No answer. Sprinting he fired another concussive shot, it left a small dent that repaired. "Shit!" Sliding into some cover, he didnt stop and kept running.
"Who are you?" The Cycletron asked. "Their is no trace of you in Alliance databanks." It's tri-rifle fired again. This time, the shots circled around the corner and came right at Azul. "Resistance is futile." Noilnie moved forward with purpose.
"Hah!" Azul outstretched his hands and forced the shots to divert with a biotic Shockwave.
"Fwooow!" His biotics strained a little against the force of the fire. "Bzzt!" With a crackle of electricity they stopped. "Chiissh!" They didnt explode as much as dissolved. Azul could not tell if they were cartridges or solid energy at this point. The fire kept changing.
"This is crazy!" Running into the next bit of cover, he stopped in front of a few mech suits. With a tap he sent a tech clone out to run the other way. Something he picked up from his Infiltrator crewmates. They were from this World so he felt elated. Running up to them he placed his hands on them. 'Bass take control of them. Bass?' No response. Running the Reaper Indoctrination on them, Azul was happy it worked. 'This better not come back to bite me in the ass!' Working with his Omni-tool he was happy the process was easy.
"Boom, chck! Boom, chck! Boom, chck!" Three more shots as it rounded the corner. It moved slowed but covered large distances. The Tech clone jumped to the side just in time to avoid dissolving. "Boom!" The last shot exploded again. Hitting a few canisters that contain a blue glow.
"Tsssh!" They hissed slowly before lighting up and finally exploding. "Kabboomm!" The blue canisters were Ragnite. Slowly a Rift opened taking in the energy from the explosion. "Tink, tink," Metal pieces made from the World remained behind. Even fused and plated together it was stripped from the foreign contaminants.
"Tsssh!" The three shots dissolved into the floor. Faster than any acid Azul had ever seen.
System: Warsuits Indoctrinated. 2 pets acquired.
System: Intelligence Check 30 Pass
Azul had to separate four parts of his mind. Just to keep focus and guarded against falling into the programming of the mechs. He was linked to both Warsuits senses and even the view screen around them. Sending both out to reach Noilnie and buy time was his only choice. Azul looked around the area again. There had to be something he could use.
'Where is a crane or a crate to drop on this bastard when I need it?' The two warsuits had no weapons besides pincer claws. They were not outfitted at all besides for lifting heavy crates. The pincers would only do so much.
"What are these empty things?" Noilnie asked. His algorithm's running over and over again. He was alerted to superior programming that was updated in real-time. Looking he saw Azul running to standard security bots. Pecking away at his Omni-tool to take control. "I need the tech to improve myself. This will do." Grabbing the first mech, he went to interface with it. "Aaaaahhh!" A backlash shocked him something fierce. "What is this?!" Noilnie could no longer read his System messages.
System: %^565@ &6637
"Thunk!" The second mech came up behind him. Stabbing its arms into the back of his chassis as it did so. The indoctrinated mech started to pull pieces apart. All power was sent to the pincers to pry apart the large Transformer.
"Beep, beep!" An alarm went off near them. It was a gauge near the large monstrous tank. The observe showed Marmota. It moved around uncertain as if confused like a person would be from waking out of a long sleep. Noilnie stopped and looked in awe. Stepping towards Marmota in slow movements. Feeling it was looked at, Marmota turned to the side. The entire thing backed up and tracks slid.
"Urrgh!" The tank/ship tore up the ground frustrated. "I.. am.. alive!" Its body then went through the process of transforming. Unlike a regular transformer was bathed in light before taking a humanoid form. Cannons mounted on its left and right arm. Multiple turrents aligned its side and back. "Uggh!" Grunting in pain the shift stopped. Parts fell to the side discarded. Not enough energy to fully change.
"Thunk, thunk!" Over half of the stern fell away. A rift open pulling pieces of it away. Marmota itself only struggled a bit before sitting up.
"Wooosh!" A large strand of biotic strands entered Azul. Enough to drive him into overdrive. The experience from the Citadel itself was not the problem currently. The problem was from what was pulled into the World. It cried and wept from the rift twisting it open. The action of this User and the others that worked with it, damage the World to much.
'I will make them pay! Do not worry.' Azul thought to the World. A small comfort with everything that was happening passed into him.
"Arrgrh!" Noilnie screamed in pain. Half its back was rend open. Not by the two warsuits on it. But by a security drone ramming a hovercar into it. With a turn, Noilnie switched his head arms around pulling itself free from it. "Foolish on my part."
ahead of him were countless security bots. Pistols all pointed at him. They opened fire once close enough. Behind them, Azul had opened a crate with Ragnite inside. Siphoning the energy into his body as he opened fire with Concussive shots. Up above were the bodies of the trophy races. All were thrown at Noilnie who blocked Marmota.
"Raaah!" The Ragnite energy twisted Azul's nerves but was to weak to do any real damage to his body. The more the Rifts opened to take parts away, the more strength Azul felt return. 'Need more!' Reaching out to the other crates, they were open and flooded his body. Separating them into multiple blasts, they were unleashed unfettered around the bots.
"Stop firing!" Noilnie called. His voice almost pleading. His concern was for the bot behind him. She was to injured to put up a fight. His eyes scanned and saw her energy depleting. 'She needs the energy to finish. I will not fail.'
Security bots charged and clamored onto them both once the explosions stopped. "Boom!" Noilnie opened fire and blasted a large margin away. The station area itself already looked like a battlefield.
"I.. am.. losing.." Marmota droaned out. She looked to Noilnie above her. "You are still.. alive.. that .. is good. Get.. away.."
"Creen!" Noilnie was lifted by one of the mechs and tossed onto his back. With the small gap opening, Azul charged into Marmota. Biotics wrapped around his hands, he forced open the chassis and discarded it. More pieces disappeared.
With the remainder of the security bots pouring in to keep him at bay, Noilnie was forced to watch as Marmota was ripped apart. It had been a long time since the User felt such a loss.
"I won't lose her again!" Trying to stand didn't work as Azul pulled more parts to bring him back down. "I will give you whatever you want! Just stop!" Behind it a few more Warsuits made their way over.
Marmota's spark was large. It was powered by Ragnite to sustain it. In the center, Azul could see a standard Spark inside. Crushing the Ragnite support, the field dropped. With a pull of his biotic's, the Spark was in his hands.
"Give that back!" The Cycletron yelled. Noilnie struggled harder to get up. It did not work. With a turn, his tri barrel pointed at Azul. But it was to late.
"Bzzt!" Crushing it caused sparks to fly out. Pulling a little energy to recast his Biotic Shielding was all he could do. The energy wrapped him up tight. Just in time as the Spark detonated. "Bzzzt! Kaboom." The energy engulfed the two for a very intense second. The shield held then broke restoring Azul's body lightly with a small heal.
"Ding!" The Cycletron stood up on unsteady legs. The indoctrinated mech suits under Azul's control fought to keep him pulled down. Slowly they tried to indoctrinate the Transformer. To no avail, however. It's programming was just to much for a quick change over. Disabling his mental actions with the interface was the best they could do.
"Boom!" The shot-blasted a few mech suits away. "Chk!" The barrel rotated but did not fire again. The side of the gun was to damaged. Trying to force it did not work as the gun heated up and exploded. "Boom!" The blast tearing apart the bot's chest.
"Hah!" Azul fired another Concussive Shot as soon as the opening presented itself. 'Hope it detonates or something.' The frame was torn open just a bit more and didnt mend. Raising his Omni-tool he charged in. "Why two of them? No matter really." Azul grabbed the little Spark.
"Do not.. do it. Spare my.."
"No." Azul said coldly. "I care not for mercy..." Pulling biotic strands from the other User firmed his choice even more. The man needed to die as well. ".. or any more forgiveness." Power inside flowed out as Azul destroyed the little Spark. Noilnie eyes blazed in fury.
"System Emergency es.." Noilnie abanoed everything to continue his work somewhere else.
"Tsh!" Azul crushed his spark as well.
"No leaving."
System: Lunatic Quest completed. Rewards: World Core, Access to Mass Effect 2 & 3 technology, Leviathan Quest unlocked.
"Hah... freaking need medi-gel.." Azul sighed as he felt exhaustion come over him. That and the influx of the World restoring itself. His senses were cut off as the information poured into him. The breakdown of the World had affected him greatly. The price of his claiming it as his own.
System: User Noilnie has trespassed and committed crimes against your Home World. The choices before you are to destroy him completely. Baring him from the World's or..
"Destroy him completely! Make him suffer!" Azul growled with hatred. The System accepted and did just that. Large energy-infused Azul and his body. The restoration of his powers from other World's returned. "Finally. Regen, Curaja!" Slowly his flesh started to heal and regrow.
System: Level up 3x
Lluvia: How are you feeling?
'Just shut up.' Azul thought back. 'You knew this would happen. Let me walk into this nightmare of fuckery. How many of you are on my side honestly? This should not have happened. You could have helped me.'
Lluvia: Yes I could have. However, I knew you could handle it. I do not want to see you fall again. Not now or ever. Even if you grow to dislike me, I want you to live.
'Hmm, then I should learn from this. I need to start keeping my own counsel. Foolish to think absolute honesty would work with a higher lifeform.' Racking his fingers across his face, Azul poked at his eyeball. A little magic left and entered inside. His face sped up healing. "Ah, that ache was maddening."
"Bwoom!" A rift opened and Lluvia stepped out herself. She approached Azul slowly and knelt by his side.
"You are a higher lifeform as well. Not at my level but a higher nonetheless." Her hand grabbed Azul before he pulled away. "The points matter dont they?"
"No. Not really. If the others would have came with, this could have been handled better. The World would have hurt less sooner. I could feel it the entire time I fought. At first, it was just an ache. Then it turned into madness. There is a lot of history opening up. To much for my mind to currently handle." Azul washed her in his Pather power. Lluvia opened herself to him. The link growing stronger as she shared back what happened. The fear she felt at him falling against Indigo. "Tch!" Disgusted with himself Azul wanted to get away from her.
"You are not the only one hurting." Lluvia said to him. "Feel a little better now?"
"Hah I need some more grief counseling." With a push he felt Skarlet leave him. She looked at the two before touching both of their faces. "You have her with you? Dont you?" Azul asked Lluvia. She nodded and two soul pieces left her. Fragments of Mileena and Agra visible to him.
"I had to keep them close by. I am sorry for lying all this time." Lluvia said. "This mission points went to restoring them some. But they can never be whole again." With a wave, both entered Skarlet. "They both choose her. Do not.."
"Enough." Azul said softly. "No more craziness. Be at ease. We will talk later. In better conditions." Lluvia smiled and left in a Rift. Skarlet smiled before reentering his pores. She used her energy to help speed up the healing process. "So many secrets.. I am sick of them."
System: Indoctrination Protocols awarded.
"Hmmm." Azul thought about what he could do with that. Shaking his head placed it to the side as he rested. A few minutes later the others arrived.
"Over here!" Lettie yelled. Behind her, Slipp and a few others ran up. They stopped when they felt the energy from Azul push against them. "Are... are you ok?" He did not answer. Azul was focusing on healing and figuring out the World even more so. Tentatively, Lettie walked passed the biotic energy towards him. 'He would not hurt me.' She thought to her self.
"Where is my brother?" Slipp questioned. She did not step forward. With a wave of his hand, Azul opened a Rift and threw the body of the Turian toward's her. With a push, the soul was returned. Slipp picked her brother up and checked him over. "Ha, a few burns but he will be ok." She sighed and caught the sight of cuffs on him.
"He .. will remain.. cuffed. Not up for debate." Azul said. His voice slow at first. Then returning to normal. "I have questions for him. He will give me answers, you can have whats left of him. Then he will be turned over to the Citadel on war crimes."
"War crimes?!" Slipp turned to look at Azul. She shivered when she made eye contact. The cold anger in his eyes were still present. "What did he do exactly?"
"I will show you." Placing his hands on her head, Azul shared mentally her brother's crimes. Every last one. "Do what you will that. I have a duty to everyone else to deal with." Walking past her and the rest, Azul smiled at Kaiden & the Shepard siblings. "Have a good day." Lettie was right next to him. She couldnt stop staring at his body healing.
"Wait!" John called out. "The Reaper's can they be stopped from there?"
"No." Azul shook his head. "Going through the relay will result in nothing but death. On the other side is countless Reaper's. Various races that have been Indoctrinated over the Cycles. If you wish to take an army through than so be it. Just so you know it will be closed. You cannot take it back."
"Tch! This is not what I hope to find down here." John was upset. Azul just walked off. "I will send word later. Your help would be welcomed." Azul just gave him a wave.
"Something is off about him." Kaiden said. "That amount of healing cannot be good for the mind. The pain has to be unbearable."
"Your right." Jane said. "I want to know what happened down here. This place looked like a battle took place. But the Keeper's are here restoring things. Why is that?"
"I do not know," John said. Looking around he couldnt find anything worthwhile. Whatever Azul fought against was disappearing in motes of light. 'Nothing was caused by our World. Just Slipp's brother there. I need to Jane to tell me more about what Pillar's are. That and my role as one.'
"Come on bro. We need to get out of here. This place gives me the creeps." Jane looked around somewhat spooked. The lingering smell of burning fire was disappearing. In its place, stale blood and guts permeated the air. The place was restoring itself to its rightful setting. 'Why return it back? He could keep the change. Unless it is for the stability of the World itself.'
-Back on the Ship-
A few hours later, AzuI was cleaned and dressed heading down the hall. Just having left the med bay for a quick checkup and a check on his Mental Baseline. All good with an increase in his thinking process. He waved at the crew members as he passed by.
Making it to his quarters, he stopped and checked on Skarlet. "How are you?"