When the world shakes, Shepard stands firm and aims true. Literally, in this case. Even as the ground beneath Garrus's feet churns from the force of the Hades Cannon and his shots go just a hair awry, he watches Shepard move across the battlefield and take down opponents with almost absurd ease.
Revenge pounds in her heart, flows through her veins, makes her shots steady when the ground is heaving around her. All she sees is her goal, and anything that stands between dies, quakes be damned. She knows this is the final battle, that everything, everything depends on this, on her, and the knowledge only gives her a deadly calm.
You died once and it only pissed you off. Garrus remembers saying that to her, and when he sees her face, he knows pissed doesn't even come close.
Hurled from some Reaper dropship in the sky, a brute crashes to the ground, shakes itself off, and lurches its way toward Shepard. She stands her ground, guns blazing and powers flaring. A hellish shriek pierces the air, and Garrus suppresses a flinch at the sound, but Shepard doesn't even blink. He wonders if she even sees it, focused as she is on the brute.
"Banshee at your 4!" he barks into his comm, but if she replies, it's drowned out in another horrific screech. Another banshee teleports directly between Garrus and Shepard, and he empties an entire clip into her barrier before dodging behind one of the trucks to narrowly avoid a warp blast. He reloads, sneaking a glance around the other side to check on Shepard.
He needn't have worried. Both the banshee and the brute lie dead at her feet.
Her chest heaves and she stumbles as the Hades Cannon fires again, but she remains upright and her expression is filled with cold satisfaction.
And damn if it's not one of the sexiest, most badass sights he's ever laid eyes on.
She meets his gaze and her face softens a little, but it hardens again as the banshee teleports beside Garrus, shrieking and drawing its spindly arm back, preparing to stab. Time slows as he raises his gun to meet her, but he's seen enough soldiers skewered by those dagger-like claws to know he won't be able to fire in time.
And then her head explodes and she crumples almost on top of him. Shocked, Garrus turns to see Shepard standing right beside him, her weapon's thermal clip glowing red-hot. He takes a moment to remember how to breathe again, but when he does, he adopts his signature devil-may-care posture.
"Nice kill, Shepard, but only because I took out her barrier."
She quirks an eyebrow at him. "Oh really? I save your sorry ass and you wanna play it like that? Fine, Vakarian, but after this is all over, we'll need to find some other way to settle this. A tiebreaker."
"You're on," he says with a smirk.
"HEY!" cries an irritated voice up ahead, "save it for the bedroom - we've got a laser to disarm!"
As Garrus and Shepard follow their squadmate up the hill, he sends a quick prayer. He isn't too religious, but he doesn't want to take any chances with something this important.
Spirits, protect us. Protect her.
And as the Hades Cannon blazes again, making the world lurch, Shepard is his anchor.