Mass Effect

Rise of the Imperium

Imperium Shinobi

"So, you are here," Arcee said while looking at a man in a black cloak, with black hair tied in a ponytail with bangs that framed his face. He was sitting on his legs in a small room behind a force field, "You don't know how long I've been looking for you."
"You. I'm surprised you got here first," the man said looking at the short haired red headed woman who was wearing a blue denim pants a white shirt over which she wore a blue denim coat with a long back, "I'd have figured the Alliance would be here first."
"They're on their way," Arcee told him, "I was nearby and figured I should stop by and say hello."
"How'd you find out I was here?" he asked.
"I have my ways," Arcee said and was starting to realize that those words may become her catch phrase. Hopefully it wouldn't, but as long as people asked her that question, she'd likely respond with those words.
"I see," he said mysteriously, "I don't think I'll be here very much longer. And I don't mean that the Alliance is coming to take me away."
"I have the same feeling," Arcee said just as mysteriously, "Good luck." She said as she walked away, "I'm glad I could see you one more time before you disappear again."



"Welcome back, Arcee," Blondie said as Arcee came through the airlock of Rael, "Did you see your 'friend'?"
"I did," Arcee said as she went to her office not meeting his gaze, "I don't want to be disturbed until further notice. Understood."
"Yes," Blondie said, "I shall make sure you are undisturbed."





Shepard was waiting in the Normandy near the airlock for a few Alliance soldiers that would be joining him on a mission. At his sides was an Asari and a Turian that were two potential Spectres. This was their mission to see if they would be Spectres or not.
Shepard was dressed in his non-military dress outfit, while his two potential Spectres were dressed in their respective races basic armour; the Asari's armour was blue and purple, while the Turian's armour was jet black with bright red lines running diagonally inwards and had half of his face severely burned.
The Asari was a fairly young asari; by asari standards only being about a hundred and ten years old who had a mechanical right arm, but was still an exceptional biotic. She sadly lacked the discipline to be a Justicar. Maybe in a few hundred years she could become one, but for now, she'd have to settle for being a Spectre,
The Turian was fairly young as well, and was suggested to Shepard by his old friend Garrus. Saying that he was quite the soldier and would be better suited for Spectre missions than anything the Turian military could give him.
"Shepard," a old man dressed in an Alliance dress uniform with few medals but with the important medal of a bird indicating that he was a Colonel; he said as he came into the Normandy from the airlock, "Glad to see you old friend." He was accompanied by six soldiers all wearing black armour with the insignia N6.
"Kal," Shepard said as he greeted the old man with a salute followed by a hug, "sorry, I never saw you after the war till now."
"Think nothing of it, Shepard," Kal said, "Life as a Spectre, and starting a family is no easy task. I've heard that you are in charge of the entire Spectre program now."
"I am and it is no easy task," Shepard said, "I was surprised when I received your mission dossier. Is this Shinobi really that dangerous?"
"Do you remember the man that had bandaged Arcee when she fell into the canyon back during your academy days?"
"I do."
"This is the same man."
"Does Arcee know that he's been captured?"
"I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me if she does. You know she has her ways of knowing things that she shouldn't. Even if it is classified information."
"That is true," Shepard said, "Still, I'm a bit surprised that you want my help."
"He's still as dangerous as he was when he and I were in our prime. Unlike me who has become frail and old," Kal explained, "He was fighting the Reapers on Earth. At that time, we needed all the men we could get so we didn't arrest or kill him when we had the chance. He vanished as quickly as he appeared at the end of the final battle. He was still doing things that I have long since been far too old for."
"I understand why you want my help now," Shepard said, "I've brought two of my Spectre candidates with me."
"As I have brought my last team of N7 hopefuls before I go into retirement," Kal said, "This is their final mission."
"I don't know why," Shepard started, "but, I have a very bad feeling about this mission. Like it won't be nearly as easy as it sounds."
Kal chuckled at Shepard's statement, "I have a feeling this will be a very difficult mission, but not for the reason that this man is a top level agent. I also suspect that you have your own reasons for wanting to come."
"You'll know in time," Shepard said, "Truth be told, I knew exactly who this was when I read the dossier. A man like that doesn't leave your memory. No matter how many villains I've faced."
"That he doesn't."
"Joker, we're ready, take off whenever you want." Shepard called to Joker as he escorted Kal, the two potential Spectre's and Kal's N6s to the war room where they would make more of their plans for the mission.





A dark figure silently landed on the hull of the space station that held some of the most dangerous criminals in the known galaxy; the figure had two tonfas equipped to his lower back. The figure made their way to one of the external access ports and opened the port without setting off any of the stations alarms and made their way inside and locked it again.
Once inside, the figure pressed the bat shape signal on their chest and a black cape unfurled from the shoulders down the back and a tap on the helmet caused two pointy ears to sprout up, "Now, time to get you out of here," the figure said in a calm male voice before silently running through the vents of the station.



"What is it?" Asked the colonel of the space station.
"I'm not sure. There seemed to be a glitch in the system just now. I thought one of the external vents opened up. But, it seems to be completely sealed now. Guess it was nothing."
"Maybe, but just to make sure, run a full system scan. With the criminal known as Shinobi on this station we have to make sure he does not escape at all costs."
"Roger that."
Suddenly, the lights went out and the red emergency lights came on, "What's going on?" The colonel asked, "Are the cell doors still online?"
"Yes, it was just the lights that went offline."
"Good, but you best contact that Alliance ship that is coming to get Shinobi get here faster. It looks like he may escape if they don't get here quickly. Send all available personal to his cell block area at once."
"Sir, it seems like someone has already made their way to the Shinobi's cell.
"What? Let me hear this."
"Requesting immediate assistance. An unknown person is making their way towards the Shinobi's cell and we are unable to stop him. Gyaa!"
"All readouts say that the guards in that area are just unconscious or incapacitated."
"That's fortunate. Be prepared to space the Shinobi's cell if the intruder gets to him."
"We can't. We've been locked out of the system. All we can do is watch and send messages to our men. We still have short and long range communication."
"Has that message been sent?"
"It has."
"Then all we can do is wait for the Alliance ship to get here."



"Who are you?" asked the man wearing a black cloak to the man just outside of his cell.
"A friend," the man replied as he opened his mask to show the man his face before sealing it off again, "I've come to bust you out."
"So, you came to my aid," he said, "I'm a bit surprised. And you can call me Itachi. The Alliance still refers to me as Shinobi. What shall I call you? I'm assuming you don't want me to use your real name."
"So I've heard," the unknown man said, "Call me Batman. Now, let me get you out of there."
He activated his Omni-tool and the security field deactivated. He tossed Itachi a small kunai dagger, "I have a ship coming to get us. Follow me."
"Why are you doing this?" Itachi asked as they ran through the halls incapacitating all the guards that came their way.
"I've come to get you to be part of a company," Batman replied, "You know which company I speak of."
"What if I say no?"
"Then you are to be freed from this facility, but dropped on the nearest rock as not to incriminate my employer."
"Not leaving me much choice are you?"
"Nope."



"Shepard, we have a communication from the station that we are heading to," Joker said, "Sounds important."
"I'm here Joker," Shepard said as he and Kal reached the cockpit.
"Take a listen," Joker said as he played the message.
"Emergency, we have lost control of the station after an unknown intruder infiltrated the facility and is now on the way to freeing the Shinobi. We will try to stop him from escaping, but we are in need of serious back up. Please get here as quickly as you can."
"Joker, can the Normandy go any faster?"
"Thought you'd never ask," Joker said.




"C'mon the hanger is this way," Batman said as he and Itachi made their way toward the hanger, "Just round this corner and we'll be at the hanger."
They rounded the corner and came face to face with what was probably every available person and Loki mech the station had to offer.
"Stop right there, we will not let you pass," the Colonel of the station said, "We will kill you if you do not surrender right now."
"What's your plan for getting past this?" Itachi asked.
"This," he said as he activated his Omni-tool and in a flash of electricity the Loki mechs deactivated and their weapons overloaded resulting in small explosions.
"How the?" the Colonel gasped in amazement.
"I sabotaged your weapons and your mechs when I first got here," Batman told them, "So, now, let's see. Do you still want to face us?"
"Men. CHARGE!!!!" the Colonel yelled as he and his men charged forwards.
Batman drew the two black tonfa with blue tips and passed one to Itachi, "Let's have some fun then." He and Itachi charged forward.


Shepard, Kal, the two Spectre candidates and the N7 hopefuls jumped out of the Kodiak shuttle as they entered the hangar of the prison that held the Shinobi drawing their weapons as their feet hit the ground.
Shepard was wearing his Blood Dragon armour and Kal was wearing a dull gold N7 armour. Shepard was equipped with a pistol, assault rifle, shotgun and sniper rifle. He always tried to come as prepared as he could. Everyone else had a pistol and either a assault rifle or shotgun, except for Kal who was only equipped with a pistol.
"Did we get here in time?" Shepard asked as he looked around the empty hanger.
"I think we did," Kal said as he casually looked around the hanger, "The hanger looks like it has yet to be touched."
"C'mon, this way," they heard someone yell and moments later they saw two figures dressed in black; one was wearing a black cloak; the other was wearing an all black suit of armour with a black cape. They both wielded a black tonfa with blue tips.
"Freeze, both of you." Shepard yelled as he pulled a pistol on them.
"Itachi, it has been quite some time," Kal said casually, "Who is your friend?"
"Someone I met awhile ago," Itachi, the Shinobi replied.
"I suppose this means that you are not going to come easily," Kal asked.
Suddenly Itachi swung the tonfa in his hands high into the air and brought the tip of it down on caped man. But before the tonfa hit him, the caped man was able to block the attack and counter by stabbing the tip of his own tonfa into Itachi's stomach, "Not this time," the caped man whispered to Itachi before he became unconscious.
"Who are you?" Shepard demanded the masked man.
"Who am I?" the caped man said, "I am the night. I will be the hero this galaxy needs. But not the one it deserves. I. Am. Batman!"
"Seriously? Who are you?" Shepard said not buying the answer.
"Who I am? Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a man in a mask."
"I can see that."
"Of course you can. I am not questioning your powers of observation I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a mask man who he is. But you may call me Batman."
"Fine, if you won't tell me who you are. Then I'll just take that mask off you and find out myself."
"You can try," Batman said as he held up his hand, "But, first. You'd best watch the birdie."
What?" Shepard said just before a bright light came from the man's raised hand for a second. "What? Where did they go?"
"Up there," Kal said casually looking up at the ceiling.
Shepard looked up to see both Batman and Itachi in the rafters above them.
Batman had secured the unconscious Itachi to the rafters before standing up and jumped towards Shepard flying through the air with the cape fully extended making him really look like a large bat.
Shepard fired a few times, but Batman was able to avoid the shots, before slamming into Shepard and rolling with him before throwing Shepard against the wall with such force his weapons were forced from their weapon slots making them go sliding in random directions.
Shepard barely had time to recover as Batman charged at him and began to throw punches at Shepard. He was able to block most of the punches before striking out with his own which Batman blocked just as Shepard had been doing moments ago.
"Oh no," Batman said, "that isn't fair." Suddenly Batman jumped away from Shepard and somersaulted over one of the Spectre candidates, a Turian with half his face burned away, that was coming towards them and smacked him several times with the Tonfa's that were on the back of his hip. Electricity shot out from the shots before the Turian fell down.
"Take this," the other Spectre candidate, an Asari with a very basic looking mechanical arm yelled as she came up from behind.
Batman was able to block the attack and counter by breaking her normal arm before kicking her hard in the stomach sending her flying back a few meters.
"No you don't!" Batman said looking up to where he had left the Itachi as he threw several things through the air freezing the areas that they hit stopping the N7 candidates from easily reaching Itachi.
Suddenly something hit Batman hard sending him to the ground before he was lifted up and slammed back down into the ground, "Shepard," he gasped, the air forced out of him, "Don't think I forgot about you." he said looking at Shepard as the glow of the biotic slam ability was wearing off of him.
"I won't let you take Itachi," Shepard said as he kicked Batman in his sides while he was still lying on the ground sending him rolling a few feat. Shepard continued to kick him sending him rolling with each kick, "He is too good of a soldier to be killed so easily by the Alliance. I was going to recruit him to be a Spectre."
"I can't let you take him, Shepard," Batman said as he dodged Shepard's next kick with a forward somersault along the ground recovering to his feat as he finished his roll, "My employer wants him too bad. Though, I'm sure they'd be happy to know he became a Spectre. I still won't let you take him from her."
"Her?" Shepard repeated questioningly.
Batman suddenly charged forwards and attacked Shepard with acrobatic kicks to the head, torso and legs before finally drawing his tonfa and whacked Shepard several times with the sticks knocking his helmet off before finishing Shepard off with an extremely powerful knee to the bottom of the jaw sending Shepard flying a couple of feet backwards.
"So, you really want him that badly?" Kal said as his N7 hopefuls stood beside him with Itachi just beyond them. Their weapons drawn.
"My employer does, yes," Batman said turning to face the old Alliance Colonel, "and don't think I won't go threw you to get him either."
"Take him, Kal said as he started to walk towards Shepard.
"What!?" Batman along with the N7 hopefuls gasped in shock by what Kal had just said.
"Take him," Kal repeated, "you were able to defeat Shepard and two potential Spectres on your own. What are the chances that a bunch of N7 hopefuls and an old man's have in defeating someone who could do that."
This isn't a fight we can win," Kal continued, "Sometimes you just have to know when to pack up your chips and leave with what you have."
"Won't you get into trouble?" Batman asked.
"I'm retiring in a few hours," Kal said, "what are the going to do? By the time the Alliance hears what went on here. I will just be an old civilian man with a military background. And Itachi isn't worth watching my N7 hopefuls be put into the hospital for several weeks."
"So take Itachi and give my regards to your employer," Kal said as he checked Shepard over.
"Alright. Thank you." Batman said as he approached the N7 hopefuls which crowded around Itachi blocking his path, "Do you seriously want to be put into the hospital that badly?"
"Kal, we can take him," the leader of the group said, "We have guns an we outnumber him. We can take him easily."
"Team twenty-one," Kal said sternly, "Let him take the man. It's not worth the injuries you'll sustain. You were still able to recover Itachi from those rafters even after the ice appeared. I think that would earn you the rank of N7."
"Five." Batman began, "Four...Three...Two...One...Zer--..." Batman began but stopped when the Hopefuls started to move away from Itachi their heads held low.
Batman picked up Itachi and flung him over his shoulder before pressing a button on his belt. A few seconds later a strange black craft that looked like an old car came flying into the hanger. He put Itachi in the right side of the ship before getting into the drivers side and turned the ship around stopping near Kal and opening the door, "Thank you. I rather not harm anyone. I only came for the Shinobi."
"As did we all," Kal said as he checked Shepard over, "but, the more skilled shall have him. Goodbye mysterious man."
"Goodbye." Batman said as the door closed and the ship flew away.




Shepard opened his eyes and quickly realized that he was back on the Normandy and that Kal was sitting on the examination table next to him. Shepard's armour had been removed and he had bandages over his chest and felt bruised and batters all over.
"How are you feeling?" Kal asked.
"I'm sore all over and have a killer headache," Shepard said, "Where is the Itachi? How long have I been out?"
"Several hours, and Itachi is most likely with whoever hired Batman to get him," Kal said, "He defeated both you and your two Spectres. Who are somewhere on the Normandy licking their wounds so to speak.  There was no way that me and my N7s would have been able to stop him without sustaining injuries ourselves. So, I gave Itachi to him. The Alliance won't be happy about it, but there was no way we'd win."
"Kal, that technique that Batman used to defeat me," Shepard began, "I've only seen one person use that attack before."
"I know. Arcee, but she has a open and shut alibi that proves that she was no where near that station when Batman appeared," Kal told him, "She's been in transit since she left this system and there is video footage of her in her ship that proves she was there."
"You know that doesn't prove anything when it comes to Arcee," Shepard said.
"Yes, but for the Alliance and the Council it is enough to prove that she is innocent," Kal said smiling, "She knows this too."
"Well," Shepard said as he put his hands behind his head and laid back smiling, "I'm not saying that Arcee was Batman or his employer. But if she was either then I guess she can have him."
Kal chuckled, "Yes, she always believed him to be the hero and not the villain."
"Commander," Chakwas said as she walked into the medical bay, "Tali called a little while ago to find out how your mission went."
"What did you tell her," Shepard asked sitting up.
"That there was a fight and you were defeated, but were in the medical bay and doing just fine. Worst thing that was hurt was probably your pride."
"I'll call her to tell her I'm doing just fine," Shepard said as he got up.
"I'll be seeing what there is in the cafe," Kal said walking towards the exit, "care to join me, Doctor."
"Oh aren't you just the flirt," Chakwas said teasingly.
"I'm also married," Kal replied smiling, "but, a gentlemen also."
"I'm fine, I just finished my own lunch after giving those two potential Spectre a quick examination."





A splash of water in the face woke Itachi up, "Naptimes over," said Batman as he put the bucket of water down, "How are you feeling?"
"A bit sore," Itachi said as he looked around the dark room before realising that there were no restraints on him, "Arcee, are you still going to where that suit in front of me?"
"Nope," Arcee said as she started to take the armour off starting with the helmet and running her hands through her short hair, "That's better," she said as she went behind a curtain and removed the rest of the suit coming back wearing jeans and a black T-shirt.
"Now, onto business," she continued as she sat down on a nearby chair, "I want you to be my shadow."
"Excuse me?" Itachi asked.
"I want you to protect me from the shadows and run shadow missions for me when I want you to," Arcee explained, "Up for the job?"
"Of course," Itachi said, "I made a promise to your parents to protect you. I intend to keep that promise."
"Glad to hear," Arcee said smiling, "feel free to use that suit if you want to. Its a stealth suit that I designed and made while I travel from place to place. If you want it to be modified at all. Just let me know."
"I have one question for you," Itachi said, "how did you sustain those injuries and how bad are they?"
"Shepard gave me these," Arcee said, "those kicks, concussive shot and biotic slam broke and cracked a few ribs and bruised me quite badly. Told the doctor I received the injuries while I was testing out a sword fighting robot. Even made one just to prove my story. As well as a whole other bunch of things to create my alibi."
"Think Shepard and Kal suspect you were...what was the name? Batman?"
"Probably," Arcee said, "I had to use a technique I learned back in the academy on Shepard to incapacitate him. It was actually a technique that was part of the Shinobi program. Took me a few weeks to learn too."
"A Shinobi technique?" Itachi said surprised, "Which one and how did you learn it?"
"Was able to find a file in the Alliance network a few weeks after I met you," Arcee said, "Guess someone forgot to delete it...or someone left it for me to find still don't really know."
"And the technique?"
"Lion Barrage Rendan," Arcee said, "A multiple strike barrage that ends with a powerful upward strike with the knee to the bottom of jaw."
"I know that technique," Itachi said, "its a fairly basic, but still quite powerful attack. If you don't mind, why don't you show it me?"
"Sure, why not," Arcee said, "if you want. You can even show me other techniques if you think I've got what it takes."
Itachi smiled as he readied himself, "Let's see what you've got first."
Arcee smiled as she readied herself, "You got it."