Part 1 – Back to Duty
The Battle of Eden Prime, Reaper War…
Gunnery Chief Damien Frost ran after his brother, Corporal Michael Frost, their thermal clips were gone, all that was left of their ammo was the rounds they had in their pistols.
Damien was a six-foot-three Caucasian-human who was born with bright blue eyes, and with a birth defect that caused his hair follicles to produce no pigment, leaving him with white hair.
Michael was six-foot-two, and was born with the same color eyes, but maintained his father's deep black hair color.
Damien and Michael might have been brothers but they were cut from different cloths, Michael was older, but had chosen to remain at home while Damien went off to join the Alliance Navy.
Michael was trained, like Damien by their godfather, a Drell named Lokre Miul to fight with their minds, not their hands.
Damien was eventually accepted into N7 and was trained by Commander Shepard himself to be a better warrior.
When Cerberus came to Eden Prime, where their father was born, Michael signed up as a sniper and was assigned Damien as a spotter.
Damien quickly looked back to fire twice at the Cerberus soldiers running after them.
Both soldiers fell, but more kept coming as they kept running, not before Damien saw the flash of metal in front of them, and diving on top of his brother as the Alliance Marines manning the N7 Typhoons in the trench up ahead opened full auto into the Cerberus soldiers running toward them.
As soon as the guns stopped, Damien picked up his brother and kept running.
They dove into the trench, and ran to the command post: the sound of exploding artillery, gunfire in the distance and near them, the wet trenches, the mud on their boots: it reminded Damien of the stories they saw about World War 1.
"Major," Damien said as he and Michael walked up to their CO, Major Eric Nash who looked up to see their faces almost caked in mud as well as their armor.
"Chief," Major Nash said, "I'm expecting good news."
"We managed to eliminate the artillery position," Damien said, "The mission was a success, sir."
"Wait till you see the next one," Major Nash said as he walked over to the map he had lying on the desk, "The 86th Infantry is making a move on Mal-Nora bridge, and they need sniper support."
"You've volunteered us," Damien asked.
"Your brother is among the best shots in the Alliance," Major Nash said, "Get some chow, and some ammo, you leave in thirty minutes."
The MREs they provided the troops were most likely left over from weeks before, it still didn't matter because they still tasted horrible.
If they had to be sent right back out again, the least they could do was give them something that tasted a little fresher.
The M-92 Mantis Michael used was customized with an enhanced zoom scope, the only one available.
Damien's M-8 was almost bare bones, save for the at-home repair he did in which he had wrapped tape around the stock, and the cloth he had wrapped around the fore-end near the barrel to shield his hand from the heat.
After retrieving enough spare ammo to last them a decent firefight, the two of them hopped on the Kodiak shuttle that would take them to their objective.
On the shuttle, Michael was messing with a small ring he kept on a chain around his neck: their mother's.
"You've been keeping that thing around your neck since you joined," Damien said, "I'm surprised you haven't used it to propose yet."
"Maria and I are quite happy the way we are," Michael said, "What about you and Cyla?"
"We've only been dating for one year," Damien said, "That's a little early don't you think?"
"It's a little early for me and Maria too," Michael said, "Isn't it interesting how we both chose different kinds of women? Me, I like human women, and you chose to mate with an Asari."
"You know she doesn't like that," Damien said, "Asari consider that as close as you can get to racism without actually being racist."
"Still," Michael said as he sat back, "Isn't it ironic how you felt for an alien, meanwhile here I am in love with a human."
"I guess," Damien said, "I just fell for her bro, she's that kind of girl."
"You've always loved Asari," Michael said, "When Commander Shepard introduced you to his girlfriend you were probably head-over-heels for her."
"I have rules bro," Damien said, "Liara was Shepard's girl, and I don't give a girl that's taken any sign except that I want to be friends."
"He's a good friend isn't he," Michael asked.
"He's my hero," Damien said, "It's always an honor to be taught by someone who's earned the Star of Terra."
"Approaching the drop zone now," the pilot said, "Drop in twenty."
"Time to earn that pay," Michael said as he held out his fist, "Family moves up."
Damien moved Michael's hand down and said, "Our enemies move down," he then held out his fist which Michael moved down, and the two of them bumped fists before the side door opened, and the two of them jumped out.
The two of them moved along the war-torn landscape, Cerberus soldiers could be anywhere, but he knew their training, he fought against them multiple times, and had studied their patterns.
He and his brother came upon the scene, bullets were flying everywhere, the Alliance was holding against Cerberus.
Damien and Michael jumped into cover behind the barricade that the CO was taking cover behind, "Sir," Damien said, "You requested sniper support."
"You the team," the Commander asked.
"Gunnery Chief Damien Frost," Damien said before pointed over his shoulder at Michael, "My brother, Corporal Michael Frost."
"Nice to meet you both," the Commander said before sitting up, and letting off four bursts at the Cerberus troops, "Lieutenant Eric Nance," he then pointed at Michael, "You, get into position," he then pointed at Damien, "You, get in those trenches and help your mates."
"But sir…" Michael began.
"Now's not the time to argue Corporal," Damien said, "Get into position, and start picking off targets! I'll meet up with you on the other side."
Damien jumped down into the trench with the various other soldiers and resistance fighters fighting Cerberus
He began throwing thermal rounds down range, he knew that the Cerberus soldiers were professionally trained, they wouldn't stick their heads out long enough so he had to fire in bursts.
Whenever he saw a Cerberus soldier try and stick his head up, or rush across the road, Damien would let off a burst.
The sound of artillery fire, the explosions all around was chaos in the tremendous sea of violence around them.
"I'm in position," Michael said over the radio as he began shooting at the hostiles trying to advance on the bridge.
"Then keep firing," Damien said as he reloaded the thermal clip on his rifle, and looked back to fire at the Cerberus soldiers.
"They're pulling back," one of the soldiers exclaimed.
"Then push forward," Lieutenant Nance said.
As they pushed forward, Damien knew something didn't smell right, and his suspicions were confirmed when an A-61 Mantis Gunship sporting Cerberus colors flew towards them.
"Pull back," Damien exclaimed, "Pull back!"
The Mantis flew overhead, and dropped enough ordnance on them to send the bridge into the canal.
The explosion sent Damien flying headlong into a tree, knocking him unconscious, and almost certainly killed all the remaining Marines that had tried to run.
As soon as Damien came too, he could still hear the sound of artillery fire off in the distance, but he could smell ashes, the charges they put in the drop-missiles came very close to staring a forest fire.
The casing on his N7 helmet was cracked, and almost caved in on the left side, finding the latch, he pulled the helmet off, and set it down next to him as he reached up to feel the wet sensation rolling down his left cheek.
He removed his hand to see blood smeared his glove, his helmet's shattered glass had left him with a nasty cut across his cheek.
Damien looked up, and he saw his brother, lying face down not twenty feet away from him, "Mike," he said as he crawled over to him, and turned him over only to reveal his worst fear, a piece of shrapnel was lodged five inches into Michael's chest.
Damien began sobbing as he held his brother's dead body, before looking up at the sky and screaming in anger.
Nine months later…
Damien shrugged off the memory, he had a job to do, and he needed to focus.
Illium often experienced rainfall around this time of year, he didn't mind, the rain didn't bother him as he often experienced torrential rainfall on some of the battlefields during the war.
He simply turned the collar of his black trench coat up against the wind, the scar on his face was as distinct as anything.
Walking down one alley, he noticed his contact just ahead, "Hello David," Damien said as he walked up to him.
"Mr. Winters," David said, "You hear for your date?"
"You know I am," Damien said as he shook his hand, "Let's get to work."
David led Damien down a small path to a single door, and upon opening it, he was greeted by the sight of an Eclipse Mercenary holding an AT-12 Raider shotgun.
He gestured Damien to turn around and put his hands on his head.
As he did so, David closed the door, and allowed the mercenary to frisk Damien, finding a gold and pearl-engraved pen on him, "Nice piece," he said.
"You don't want it," Damien said.
"Actually, I do," he said as he clicked the pen twice, and led Damien down stairs to a large room, where upon opening, various women were chained to various pillars like some kind of ancient Greco-Roman slave market.
"Nice selection right," David asked.
As the door closed behind them, Damien reached into his jacket, and pulled out an N-5 Phalanx.
"It's disgraceful," Damien said as he activated his omni-tool which caused David and the Mercenaries shields to go out.
"What the fuck," David said before there was a loud bang, and the mercenary fell forward.
He turned around to see Damien switch aim towards him, and fire, the thermal round burned a hole clean through his chest.
"Moron," Damien said as he holstered his pistol, and waved his hand across his plane of view, using his Omni-tool to disable the locks on the girl's restraints.
He then raised his Omni-tool to the ceiling, shorting out the lights, and opening the door to reveal Nos Astra Security officers, Damien however, was gone…
Thirty minutes later, Damien was standing on top of a skyscraper looking down at the Nos Astra Security cleaning up the scene.
"Your daughter is fine," Damien said as he was on the call with his client, "She'll be checked, and then she'll be out by the paramedics, and she'll come home to you."
"Thank you," the human male said, "Me and Vier have been worried sick. Thank you for rescuing our daughter."
"No problem," Damien said, "You do realize I expect the rest of the payment now?"
"I'm transferring it to your account now," his client said, "Thank you."
"No, thank you," Damien said as he ended the call before pulling out one of his cigars, and trimmed off the end.
"Need a light," a voice said from beside him.
"How long have you been standing there my friend," Damien asked as he walked over to his war buddy, and friend Sa'que Capirian who used the tip of his omni-blade to light Damien's cigar.
"Long enough," Sa'que said, "Been a long-time Damien."
"Too long buddy," Damien said as he grabbed Sa'que's out stretched hand, bumped the bottom and top of his fist, then high-fived him.
"This is where you go to cool off," Sa'que asked.
"Not really," Damien said as he removed the cigar, and expelled some smoke, "What's so important to get you out here to Illium at this time in the year?"
"We've had a murder on the Citadel," Sa'que said.
"Why come to me then," Damien asked as he adjusted his took another puff on his cigar, "Isn't a murder on the Citadel C-Sec's job?"
"It would be," Sa'que said, "Except if it weren't for the fact that it was committed with a Collector's Sniper Rifle."
Damien turned around, removed his cigar, and exhaled a puff of smoke, "Interesting," he said, "This coming from the Council?"
"Yep," Sa'que said, "Especially considering who the deceased was."
"Who," Damien asked.
"Ambassador Udina's replacement," Sa'que said, "Shot from an extreme distance in his office by a fully-automatic sniper rifle that belongs to a nearly-extinct species."
"What's the Council offering," Damien asked as he turned around to face Nos Astra.
"Two million," Sa'que said, "A promotion to Staff Lieutenant, free range to investigate however you wish, and the ability to choose your team."
Damien removed his cigar, expelled the last of his smoke, and looked down at the burning tobacco leaves in his hand, "When do we leave," he asked.
"As soon as you're ready," Sa'que said.
Damien dropped the cigar on the ground, and crushed it underneath his boot before walking off with his friend.
My first Primarily Mass Effect Fanfiction, what do you think