Monsters - Part 2

Mia activated her Omni-tool and began scanning the area.
"Don't try it," said Stealth, "The radiation from the chlorine blocks all the signals and the metal screws it up too. It's fine on a small area... but generally, you couldn't detect a Reaper in this."
"I am pretty sure a Reaper in close proximity would be apparent," pointed out Revenge.
"Maybe. But your Omni-tool couldn't detect it."
"I'm going to wait here," said Thomson, "I don't think Emi will want to be in that kind of situation. She was indoctrinated, and I don't think she is up to it. I'll wait here with her."
"She's fine now, right?" Keating questioned.
Emi nodded, "... I am... But not really feeling well... I don't want to be around when you shoot things..."
Keating nodded, "Ok. Let's go."

Thomson allowed Emi to sit down, resting against the pillar.
"Are you ok?" he asked, keeping his weapon ready to fire if one of the zombie-creatures Stealth had described came close.
Emi nodded, shaking slightly, "... This is... horrible..."
He sat down next to her and put his arm around her, "I know. But this will make sure you'll be safe. After this, there will be no more shooting. This is for you. It's what I'm doing it for, so you can be safe. Without this you could die."
She snuggled against him, "... I know... It's just... I don't like it... I'm still... Hurt..."
He kissed the glass of her helmet, "Everything will be alright. I know it will. I love you, Emi."
"... I love you, too..."

Keating turned on the torch on the end of her gun and the narrow corridor lit up in a white glow.
"Fan out," she ordered Mia and Stealth, "They must be here some place. I can hear them."
That was actually the case. Ever since they had entered the structure there had been regular scraping noises from around the next corner, but when they reached it there was no one, and nothing, there.
"I wonder what Emi's problem is," Mia questioned thoughtfully, "She seems horribly broken. I feel sorry for her."
"You didn't read her file? I swear, one more lack of intel on this mission and I'm going to go crazy. Emi was captured and tortured by Cerberus, she was captured by a man named Renswick on Tuchanka, she was shot by the same guy, nearly died from the shot as well as nearly getting killed by a Reaper, then on Omega she was captured and tortured. She killed a man then got her mind fucked up by the Reapers. I'm pretty sure she has a right to be broken," explained Keating.
"I was there when she killed the man," Stealth said, "I watched her crying in the pool of blood, refusing to move until Thomson returned. She's mentally broken. One more thing like those and... I think she'll be gone forever. I'm pretty sure anyone else would have killed themselves by now. But not her. Her love for Thomson and their children is what is keeping her going. She's strong."
"Thomson seems a little blind," admitted Mia, "He hasn't got a clue. Why is he working for Revenge?"
"Why are any of us working for Revenge?" Keating countered with a shrug, "I just want weapons. Cool weapons."
"I'm here to find out more about the universe. If I hadn't have wanted to come then I'd have left a long time ago, Commander. I think that studying this race will unlock technological secrets which could help us. It's also to like... Make the galaxy a safer place and all that," said Mia.

"What do you think of the team, then?" Thomson asked Emi, still with his arm around her.
"... I don't like Keating..." Emi sighed, "... She's a bosh'tet... I'd rather have you in charge... We kind of know Epsilon, so guess he's fine... As for Mia, I'm not sure..."
"We'll have to work together if we're going to get this done."

Something grey crossed in front of Keating's view, but before she could fire a shot it had disappeared.
"Stay ready," she said to Mia and Stealth, "They're definitely here."
A Husk creature ran around from the corner, growling and screeching. It was roughly shaped like a human, though had arms which draped downwards and ended in curved blades. It had a triangular mouth and five blue, glowing eyes.
"Wow," Keating said, "Now you're ugly."
She shot it in the head.
Stealth drew his sword, holding his pistol in his other hand.
"What race are they based on?" Mia questioned, "They don't look like normal Husks."
"Probably something long dead. Unless of course they're made from the race we're after."
When they turned the next corner, they found themselves staring down a long corridor with around thirty of the creatures at the other end.
"Well, there's certainly a lot," Keating pointed out, and began firing.
Mia's shotgun was ineffective at the range they were at, so she didn't fire but still took aim. Stealth fired his pistol, felling each with a single headshot whilst Keating shredded their legs with her rifle.
Some of the creatures got past their gunfire - just from the sheer number. Every one that was killed, another took its place.
Stealth ran to intercept them. He got part way down the corridor - then there was a blue flash. Within practically the same moment, he reappeared again - swinging his sword to deal with a creature behind the leading one, which was cut perfectly in half and falling to the floor. The creature he had engaged fell a second later, sliced through the head by his blade.
Whilst he was dealing with the creatures within melee range, Mia was firing her shotgun at the ones slightly further afield, whilst Keating was dealing with the ones at the other end of the corridor. It was a good system.
The creatures were flowing like water, however, around and over the barrier of gunfire and swords and they began to overwhelm them.
"Shit," Keating cursed in realisation, "There are too many. Fall back. I'll cover you."
Stealth nodded and biotic jumped backwards. Mia jogged behind Keating and they began to retreat.
Keating was firing blindly, spraying the entire corridor with gunfire.
When they reached the next corner, they began sprinting out of the giant structure. Keating radioed the SSV Naseby.

"Revenge," Thomson said, "Can you tell me anything about the race we're up against? What do they look like?"
"They have no name. When it was their cycle, we invaded Junthor and wanted to destroy them. They were the first planet that we hit, a bit like Earth is the first planet we started attacking in this cycle."
There was the sound of starship engines above them as the SSV Naseby swooped gracefully down through the clouds and began hovering a few metres away from the ground.
Keating was the first to appear.
"Run, now," she shouted at Thomson, "They're coming."
Next came Mia and Stealth, followed by a horde of strange looking Husk-like creatures with blades for arms.
Thomson raised his M-8 Avenger and began firing in short, fast bursts. Several of the creatures dropped, but more just kept coming.
"Get on the Naseby, now!" Keating yelled.
Thomson stopped firing and put his rifle on his back. He held Emi's arm and pulled her towards the frigate.
Revenge fired a pulse of energy which took out one of the creatures and flung its body backwards over the mass of the rest of them.
Keating leaped on to the Naseby, followed by Thomson who helped Emi to climb on board the ship.
Stealth came next - biotic jumping the last few metres and reappearing on the cargo ramp. He helped Mia up as the Naseby pulled away from the surface of Junthor. Revenge was the last to climb up.
By the time the cargo ramp had closed, Keating was already on the bridge.
Thomson felt the ship lurch to the side as it spun around to face the mass of creatures that were trying to chase after them.
A beam of blue energy speared from the frigate and ripped across the ranks of zombies.
The SSV Naseby pulled out of the atmosphere of Junthor.
Their scanners failed to pick up the vessel which followed them, with its stealth systems active.