Disclaimer:Bioware owns all characters, universe and etc.
This became a nag in my head and I wanted to try it out. Watch too many crime and drama shows anyways. Absolutely nothing to do with the real reapers, just using the name for added ominous purposes. No harvest apocalyptic issues in this story. No Sir! Romance in the making, cute fluffiness and the crime drama. Enjoy. Welcome reviews, readers and guests.
Ella Shepard watched the sky turn its shade of neon pink in the darkening night. The sun was slowly setting and she had just sat on the bench of Central park, starting to eat her meager meal of ramen.
Third night this week she decided not to eat in her small apartment in New Midtown. She needed the fresh air, and tonight's autumn breeze provided it.
Being a detective had its rules and disadvantages. It meant sleepless nights, occasional paranoid thoughts and daily childish meals. A slow breeze of cold air chilled her spine. She shook a little from its touch. Dark green trees swayed and the rustling of leaves gave a serene song to the large wooded park.
Ella looked ahead of her to the dirt path over a bump of earth. A small area covered in patches of dying flowers from the recent chill of oncoming winter. Sitting on a similar bench, the couple in front of her had been watching the same sunset for the past hour.
Her job was simple: track them, watch their movements and report anything suspicious. Here on earth, alien visitations were not as frequent than the Citadel. But when you spot a turian male wearing combat armor approaching a seemingly harmless couple in the middle of a park on planet earth. Nothing is as it seems.
Ella turned her com signal frequency to them.
"I have the mods but it's gonna cost you double for the delivery.", the turian male spoke low with his grey eyes searching the area. Certain park visitors stared in worry at him. What's he doing here?
The human male sat uneasily. "Why? Didn't I help you release Grexan from earth authorities?", he argued.
During their obvious criminal discussion, the human woman looked behind her at Ella then glanced back to her lover. Ella felt this wasn't going to turn out so easy.
"Dan.", the woman with dark hair said in a hushed tone.
Dan looked her way to hear what she had to say, cutting off the annoyed turian from his current argument.
"Yeah.", he blurted annoyed. What does this woman want now?!
She hit his side with her elbow, hinting to Ella behind them. "We're being monitored.", she warned with an alarmed look.
Ella sat her ramen on the bench, steam rising from the heated liquid inside. She casually stood up and walked away from them. It didn't matter.
The turian had his pistol to her head in a dash. Behind her she could hear it click as he cocked the fresh thermal clip into the loader. "Not so fast, cop!", he said.
Ella raised her hands for them to see, "How did you know?", she smirked.
The turian glared, as the human couple approached them slowly weary of any ambush. Ella noticed that. "There is no ambush. It's just me."
The woman took the pistol from the turian. "You two get out of here! I think the cop and I are going to have some girl talk." She motioned for them to leave. After they left, she waved her long dark hair to the side and smiled. "I told you acting broody and stark made you too conspicuous."
Ella turned around lowering her hands. "Yeah well, it worked, didn't it?"
They both laughed.
"Come on. It's time to bust some smugglers.", the dark-haired beauty holstered the pistol.
Her name is Ashley Williams. Best damn cop west side of New York. She was Ella's partner and friend. They took a cab to the docking warehouse where the perps were preparing a quiet leave from earth.
Ash led the way into a overlooking building, watching the men stock their illegal wares carefully on the shuttle. The night sky gave them great cover.
Most of the street lights shined over the docking grounds. "You take them from the right angle of the crates over there. I'm going to surprise them.", Ash silently took the ladder to the ground below. Ella slipped down a metal pipe. She grew up living in the alley ways of New York. Being an orphan had its perks.
Ash sauntered in the docking port while the men were hurrying their labor. "Told you I take care of it, baby.", she slipped her hands over the shoulders of the man from behind, only slightly alarming him. The turian male shook his head and continued with the crates.
"Is she taken care of?", Dan demanded. Ashley nodded a yes before quickly tripping the man to his knees and pointing her borrowed pistol to his back. "Don't move!"
The turian dropped his box and fled. He almost made it to the door before Ella body slammed him from the side. She didn't think, but ran as fast as her human legs could take her. They both fell while Ashley cuffed Dan.
She glanced their way to see the turian quickly regaining his foot and kicking Ella hard in the ribs. Ash ran to them, her pistol aimed for his head.
If it weren't for rules she would've dropped him with one shot. She always distrusted aliens, turians more than most. "Ella!", she shouted.
Ella rolled away to stand up dizzy, in pain but ready to help. Ash rammed the butt of her pistol at the back of the turian's head. He howled in pain going on one knee.
Ella ran toward him again, this time putting her knee first into his face. He snapped backward, knocked unconscious. She breathed hard turning him over and quickly cuffing him. With these two in secure custody and the mod crates present to be tagged. This case was over.
Ella felt glad for it.
Ashley sprinted to her. "Are you ok!", she asked in concern. Now staring at the unconscious turian merc. "Damn turians! You might need to go to the doctor, like now.", she said while helping Ella stand.
Putting her partners arm around her shoulder they walked out of the warehouse hearing the sirens of the sky patrol cars coming near. Ash started to laugh, "Chinese on me?" Ella chuckled with a wince, "Definitely."
Just at that moment as the patrol cars started to arrive, a loud crackling shot was heard. As if a lightning strike were over them. It echoed off the courtyard of solid steel crates.
Warm fluid splashed on Ella's face when Ashley suddenly slumped over, her body heavy, to the ground. Ella tried holding her up but couldn't.
She laid her down, red blood pooling around her head. She began to hyperventilate, panicking at what happened. "Ash...ASH!", she shook her partners motionless body. No response. Her expression peaceful and eyes closed tight.
"Don't you dare die!", Ella cried. Bright stars twinkled above them, as she stared ahead. Who did this? How?
Hands wrapped tight around her arms and pulled her off harshly. An ambulance had come. Ella struggled against them, while they hovered over her partner, her friend. She watched them take Ash away quickly, already mumbling about her slim chances.
Later, Ella was transported to the same hospital. Her own injuries checked, stained blood washed off her grave face. Ashley is alive but in a coma. Whoever did this is going to pay.
All Ella knew, is there was something more to those mod shipments. The turian especially. Captain Anderson soon stood in front of a dazed Ella. Her gaze blank as she thought about the bastards that did this.
He sat next to her. "Shepard. Williams is still critical. The sniper was a piss poor shot, she's lucky the bullet didn't finish her. The perp was likely hired at the last moment." Ella only heard that Ash was still in trouble as she fought for her life in ICU.
"Sir?", she asked quietly. Anderson glanced towards her. "Ash is gonna make it. I know she will. But I... I want to be a part of the team after them. I want to help find the bastards and bring them to justice."
Ella never sounded so sure of her intentions since joining the military years before and ending up a washout. Captain Anderson shook his head, "No. You're too emotional. I'm sending Alenko after them. He'll head up his own team."
Ella looked at him in hurtful shock. She shook from anger. Anderson was supposed to be her friend, hell, he was like a father to her! Taking her in to the precinct despite her past and pushing her to be the best all the way to detective.
Anderson stood back up, he paced in front of Ella. "Shepard, I don't need both of my best detectives in the hospital. You don't need a spot, six feet under for revenge.", he glared in concern. Anderson leaned back on his leg, folded arms with a softened gaze. "Tomorrow I'll debrief you on your own relocation."
Ella contorted her face in a confused manner. "Relocation? Like I'm some weak civilian? Sir?!", she stood facing him. Her demeanor ready to fight.
Anderson lorded over her to calm her senses. "Detective! Stand down!" Ella fell back on her seat, the broken ribs giving her a stabbing pain. Anderson leaned over with his hand on her shoulder. "You can still get justice, but try to see it my way. Being alive and able to bring them in is better than lying dead in a gutter."
He was right. Ella covered her face with her hands. Captain Anderson left her alone to her feelings. He wished he could do better for her.
The next morning, she received the message from her terminal via the extranet to pack up. Ella was to put in storage all she couldn't take with her to the citadel. Clothes, hygiene products and the like was all she could bring.
The great station seemed depressing. Ash isn't on the citadel, she's on earth. Anderson came by her apartment, to help her pack a few things then settled her down to talk. "Listen Ella. I know this is hard for you. Leaving your friends and Ash behind. But this is for your safety. I'll have the rest of the precinct pitch in to finish this up for you." He gestured to the remaining furniture. Ella tried to understand. It was still hard to leave.
"Thank you, Captain.", was all she could say. Tom and Nick came by to help. Giving their apologies for Ashley. When noon arrived, it was time to go.
Anderson took Ella to the docking port for the citadel. Many excited people stood in line for the cruiser, waiting to board. Some looked somber, others seemed bored. Ella turned to Anderson before he left, "Promise me you'll look after her. And promise you'll update me on how she's doing."
Anderson shook her hand with a smile, "I promise Ella."
She attempted a faint smile. Anderson nodded his head in disapproval, "Ah Hell.", he said when he brought her close to hug her. Ella held back the raw emotions of leaving them both behind. Her tiny family and the planet she called home.
The ride across space took one day. The Serpent Cluster being quite close to the Sol system. The marvel of the relays functions and instant FTL was still a subject every race was trying to study.
Once docked, Ella waited in line to walk off the ramp leading to a welcome lobby. A data pad Anderson left with her, gave instructions for her relocation. She would live in a small apartment again, somewhere in the wards. And only three C-Sec officers were aware of her identity and location.
One was to meet her while she waited. An Officer Vakarian. Ella glanced around, but no obvious c-sec cop made any intention to approach her. She pulled her black hoodie over her head. This could be a while. Ella sat in the lobby for an hour.
Meanwhile, Garrus stood watching the crowd. Damn punks made him late. Duct rats were not always so troublesome, but these took too much of his time. He had no real warning or indication when this Detective Shepard was to arrive.
He didn't even have a vid of what she looked like. Is she wearing a uniform? How old is she? The questions burned a whole in his mind. It also started to make him angry. Eventually he wondered further in the docking lobby. There were many levels on the citadel. At least he was told the cruiser ships number.
After a quick check on his omni-tool to whether it docked yet, Garrus confirmed its arrival and the fact it came an hour ago. Damn!
His first protection assignment to babysit a human and he already blew it. Not that he had anything against them, though he thought a few could be very whiny. More so than the volus. Especially the well-off ones. "You scratched my car with your filthy claws!" or "Can't you understand my expression?".
Garrus wanted to throw them out the airlock. Although that would-be manslaughter, considering the circumstances.
Ella glanced around the lobby before becoming fed up. If this guy, Vakarian, couldn't keep a tight schedule than it was time to bail. She'll just walk to c-sec and maybe watch them stew over his tardiness.
Chuckling quietly to herself about it, she spotted in the distance of the large area, a woman had begun to scream for help. Two teenage boys in dirty clothes, ran away carrying off with her box. Ella waited for a cop or security guard to show up.
Not one security personal officer showed to assist! So, she left her pack at the seat and ran after them.
Ella caught the first boy by knocking him down. He didn't have the box. A human man offered to sit on the boy's legs so Ella could continue her chase. She ran past the crowds, pushing her way through them.
Almost got to him. But she stopped, nearly stumbling forward when a large, bulky hard body knocked into her. She was immediately turned over and cuffed. Her ribs screamed in pain as Ella tried catching her breath. She could barely shout, "Not me you idiot!", to the person arresting her.
Seconds before, Garrus saw the hooded figure run fast in the crowd. A human sat on one of the perps, citizen's arrest. Didn't bother him.
He pushed hard past the crowd of different species, using his dominating height to see over their heads. After almost tripping over a volus, Garrus spotted a hooded figure sprinting quickly from the crowd.
He body slammed the rat to the ground. Funny, as he was cuffing the boy, he swore it sounded like a girl. And then the question remained. Why so squishy for a teenage boy?
The human woman came to him huffing from her jog. Another c-sec cop came to arrest the other kid. Garrus pulled the rat up. He almost felt pride until the elderly woman slapped him. Slapped him! "Lady! I'm trying to help you!", he shouted shocked and angry.
"You idiot! That's not the rat that stole my priceless statues! This is a woman who was helping and almost succeeded. Oh, you've hurt the poor dear. Look she's breathing hard. You roughian!"
Garrus was beside himself in disbelief. He hesitantly looked down to see bright emerald eyes staring straight at him with wisps of red hair covering her forehead. Pale soft skin flushed from running or possibly pain.
She took hard loud breathes under his grip. Her pink mouth parted, "I'm a cop you asshole!"
Garrus shook his head from the current and very odd fantasy. He doesn't have a human fetish! Despite the jokes in HQ. He undid her cuffs and helped her to a seat. She held her left side. "Are you the one from earth? This New York place?", he asked embarrassed.
Ella nodded, "Yes. I waited almost two hours for you! What the hell?"
At that moment, two turian c-sec officers approached them. "Officer Vakarian. We're here to assist you in the relocation of Detective Shepard." Ella rolled her eyes as Garrus cleared his throat. "Yeah thanks. Just uh...find her bags at the dock. Meet us here." He gave them the location to her apartment from his omni-tool. Garrus led her to a hailed cab. After she is settled. He's getting a drink.
Zakara Ward.
Rough, smelly and dirty. Perfect for under cover that is supposed to be temporary. At least that's how Ella tried to see it. Her new home equally smelled but mustier from being empty too long.
Garrus set her two duffels down on the floor. There was a chair and small table in the corner looking out to a strip club. Bright blue neon lights lit the living room with its intense luminescence. One couch facing a terminal.
Ella walked down the short hallway to see her bedroom. It had one twin sized bed attached to the wall. A window to the right of it. The bathroom was across the bedroom.
Garrus felt sorry for her meager living. This wasn't a fair choice. His home seemed much more bigger and better compared to hers. And his is a ward up. Ella threw her pack on the bed, falling backwards on it. She sighed heavily thinking about Ash.
Garrus wandered down the hallway to find her in bed. "Oh, I was going to tell you that I'm leaving. I'll uh, I'll be here tomorrow morning." He turned around to leave.
She said nothing. Earlier she was chattering away at how much she missed earth. Now she acted depressed. He could understand. Almost losing a partner to criminal scum would make him pissed and withdrawn too.
Outside her apartment door, Antenias stood watch. "Don't let anyone that's not me through.", he told Antenias. The younger cop saluted forgetting he wasn't in the military anymore. A fresh outta boot demeanor on him. Garrus restrained a likewise salute and left. Tomorrow is going to be a big day.
Ella turned over and hugged her pack. She felt the two smgs tightly packed in the slotted sides. No way was she going into this relocation blindly. And that Garrus guy!
The nerve of him trying to arrest her. She doesn't look like a boy and certainly not a kid! What is a duct rat anyway? Ella shrugged off her questions. She closed her eyes hoping to nod off. If she was lucky to sleep at all.
Yay, I wrote something. Might write more chaps depending if anyone likes it enough. Not a skilled writer or anything. Just having fun and hopefully you are too! ;)