//------------------------------//
// Singularity 
// Story: Mass Effect: Element of Kindness 
// by CommanderApplejack 
//------------------------------//




Chapter 20






Singularity





Go to Armax Arsenal Arena 48%


Fluttershy wasn't sure as to why exactly she wanted to go to the arena but the curiosity of what she could do with her new abilities was at least in part responsible for the decision. "I'd like to go to the arena if that's alright with you?" Fluttershy said, seemingly surprising Liara.

"Okay then, we'll go visit and see if we can play a couple of matches," she said, a small smirk forming on her face as she helped Fluttershy out of the bed. They signed a few final documents before leaving the clinic on their way to the arena. 

While in the shuttle, Liara had opened the extranet site of the arena and reserved two spots before starting to browse through all the possible configurations the simulator could be set to. Among the enemies that you could pick to fight were groups like the Blue Suns, the Eclipse, Blood Pack, and regular pirates or mercenaries but all of those groups still consisted of live aliens and killing them, even though they were simulated opponents, didn't sit well with Fluttershy in the slightest...

...but one of the opponents on the list was exempt from that reluctance—the geth. Maybe it was because they were just machines or because she knew of their previous actions and had personally seen them on Feros, but in the end it didn't matter as she couldn't seem to find any sympathy for the walking tin cans.

With the opponent decided, Liara proceeded to explain a couple of useful things about biotic power usage. "When you use a biotic ability it'll take a couple of seconds for the eezo pockets to 'recharge' again though that can be longer depending on the power and type of ability you used," she explained. "If you stick to the two moves you know, lift and throw, then you'll be fine. I also suggest using lift in combination with throw since that will launch them a considerable distance further than just using throw on its own."

Fluttershy nodded as she took in the information but then remembered what had happened to the trashcan in the clinic, "There might be a third thing I'm able to do..." she said with a sheepish smile. "Did you see that trashcan in the clinic?" Liara nodded. "I might have accidentally put a bit too much power into trying to lift it and kind of ripped it apart."

Liara's eyes widened. "You managed to accidentally use warp?!" she said astonished.

"Uhm... yes?"

"That's amazing! Most people have to practice for a while to get that down, though I suggest only using it when you're in trouble as it's a tiring move to perform and since you're completely untrained it probably won't be powerful enough to do real damage." Liara explained, Fluttershy couldn't help but snort.

"The trashcan disagrees with you," Fluttershy sarcastically stated.

"Battle armor and plastic composites are two very different things," Liara chuckled, making the pegasus blush in slight embarrassment. The shuttle chose that moment to land in the arena's parking spot and the two companions made their way into of the large building. After confirming their reservation, Liara and Fluttershy went to a dressing room where Liara put on a set of armor while Fluttershy managed to find a small shield generator with some straps that she could secure to her back giving her at least a little bit of protection. With their temporary gear secure Liara and Fluttershy joined a turian and salarian which would be running the simulation with them.

"First time in the ring for you two?" the turian asked, both Liara and Fluttershy nodding. "Understood. I'm Atick Demana, pleased to meet the two of you," he said shaking Liara's hand and Fluttershy's hoof as the two introduced themselves. The Salarian in the meanwhile was studying Fluttershy.

"Lack of armor remarkable, perhaps none available?" He theorized, "Lack of weapons also suggests alternate means of  offensive capabilities, Biotic or tech perhaps?"

Fluttershy wasn't exactly sure how to respond to the rant as the salarian finished and looked at her for answers, "Uhm, I can use biotics?" she replied unsurely.

"Very interesting. Look forward to seeing you in battle. I'm Ardri Nelle," he said, shaking Fluttershy's hoof. With the introductions out of the way, the group made their way over to the next room where they got some instructions before being led to the battle room. A large counter was counting down from five minutes to zero to give the group a small bit of time to familiarize themselves with the map. The particular map chosen was called 'Blasteroid' and was made up of various platforms on astroid like rocks. The game mode they were playing was one called domination, the objective being to capture the points on the map by standing on them and holding on to them for as long as possible.

"We'll take point Alpha, if you two keep Bravo locked down we won't even need to capture Charlie to win the game," Atick said as the group walked back to the starting position before the timer ran out.

"Will do, we'll keep comms open," Liara replied getting a satisfied nod from the turian. Fluttershy's heart meanwhile was beating like mad and adrenaline was flowing through her veins but she wasn't panicking, she felt... excited?

It was a truly alien feeling to the pegasus as usually Dash was the one getting excited about these things, not Fluttershy. Any further contemplation was cut off as a loud sound signaled the start of the match, the turian and salarian rushed off to the point they had agreed to take while Liara and Fluttershy ran off towards their respective point. Initially, Fluttershy went into a full gallop but quickly slowed to a more agreeable trot to make sure Liara could keep up with her, it turns out that four legs are much better for sprinting than two but the asari would probably beat her at long distance running.

"Fluttershy, go up there and give me cover from long range. I'll take the point!" Liara ordered Fluttershy as she pointed at an overhang that gave a good view of Bravo's surrounding while also providing a decent amount of cover. Though before Fluttershy could go up to the overhang the robotic sound of a geth could be heard as one popped up from cover. Not having any experience in a situation like this Fluttershy froze but luckily Liara was quick enough and hit the machine with a biotic throw, the machine hit the wall in a crunch and disappeared as the VI was despawned. "Focus, Fluttershy. Think of this as training, no-one gets hurt here and you'll be able to practice. Now you need to get up there."

A voice went through the arena announcing that the Alpha point had been captured, Fluttershy glanced at Liara shortly before breaking off and running up onto the overhang while Liara rushed off towards the capture point. More geth started appearing on the walkways, slowing down Liara's progress a bit but soon she was in cover on the Bravo point and steadily capturing it.

Fluttershy in the meanwhile still hadn't used any of her biotic powers and was observing from up top, spotting a lone geth that Liara hadn't spotted yet. The pegasus swallowed and lit up her right wing with a biotic aura.

Here goes nothing!

She carefully guided the weird energy in her wing to make sure that she got the move she wanted. Throw. A blue bolt of energy swiftly soared through the space between the pegasus and the machine, knocking it over the edge of a platform and despawning it. Her right wing suddenly felt a sort of fatigue running through it but it was already rapidly disappearing, this was probably the 'recharging' effect Liara had told her about. 

Surprisingly her Left wing wasn't fatigued in the slightest and as she lit it up she found that she could use it separately from the other wing, a fact she used to fire a bolt at a geth that had taken cover from Liara's biotic barrage, lifting it up so that Liara could take it out. Soon after, the Bravo point was also captured and the two companions worked to repel waves of geth that assaulted the point. 

This went on for several minutes of fighting, Fluttershy noting that her biotic powers recharged much quicker than the asari's and that wasn't even counting in the fact that she could use her wings separately. On the other hand, Liara's experience meant that her attacks did much more damage. Where Fluttershy merely knocked over the machines, Liara would rip out components every time she hit them if she didn't outright destroy them.

Even though everything had been going well until now, their luck was bound to run out and it did when Fluttershy suddenly heard steps from behind her. Spinning around she came face to face with a geth that immediately opened up. Rounds bounced off the weak shield Fluttershy was wearing as she panicked. Both her wings shot forward, lit with the signature blue biotic aura, the energy swirled between them as Fluttershy didn't exactly know what she was doing. A jet black orb appeared and shot forward towards the geth, the result of the attack was beyond anything Fluttershy had expected.

Instead of merely nudging or lifting up the geth, the black orb seemed to pull in the geth making it crumble into a ball of metal before despawning. Fluttershy stared blankly at the spot where the geth had fallen, mixed emotion of pride and horror filling her. The orb had only been present for less than two seconds but in those two seconds it had wreaked complete havoc on the machine.

"Fluttershy, Liara, I need help, Ardri is down and I'm being pushed by the geth," Atick said over the radio getting the pegasus' attention.

"Fluttershy, go help him! I'll be fine down here!" Liara shouted up at her as she knocked out two more geth. The pegasus turned to run down the ramp but stopped, wanting to smack herself for being so stupid. She didn't have to run the entire way, she had wings! Opening the two appendages she jumped off the overhang and soared towards the Alpha point which she reached in nearly no time at all only to see the turian on the verge of being taken out by a geth and a warning him wouldn't come in time.

I've got to do something!

1. [Try using the black orb again to save Atick] Failure Possible!

2. use throw to knock Atick out of the way

3. use lift on the geth

4. [Let Atick be taken out, securing the objective is more important than him]

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