Ordinary.

Written by N.J Jordbrukaren.

A/N: I know the point of Mass Effect is a story that revolves around Shepard and the Crew, but I could not help but think "What about everyone else?" This is the basis of this story. As the title fittingly describes, this is about those 'ordinary' folks, the ones that were never noticed… those that simply blended into the backdrop. This one is for them. The underrated heroes, the unnoticed villains and all of those betwixt and between.

Kahlo Hyde was not the best person in the Universe, she would grant herself that right off the bat, no questions asked. Though, she was not about to take the blame for all of the debauchery surrounding her. No… She could not have become the "Queen" if her minions had not raised her onto that pedestal. This was their fault, not hers.

Hyde grinned as she flipped the clear wrapped brick of Red Sand in her hand. She glanced from the brick of Red Sand to the salarian and back again, asking a silent question that he certainly knew the answer to.

"This Red Sand is as exceptional as it comes. Really, top quality!" He swallowed thickly, something which Hyde immediately picked up on. She did not have to be a C-Sec detective to know that this guy was hiding something, but it certainly helped.

He saw the woman eying him up. There was something absolutely core shaking about her. He felt something inside himself die and she had yet to speak a word. His eyes grew wide as he watched her pull a switchblade from the inside pocket of her blazer.

"W-What are you doing?" The salarian started towards her, but a single look from Hyde stopped him in his tracks. "You cannot do this. That is tampering with the product!"

His protests amounted to naught. By the time he had finished speaking, she had already made a cut in the package, extracting some of the fine red powder on the edge of the switchblade. Without care, Hyde tossed the brick to the ground, dabbing one of her digits into the Red Sand.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the salarian squirming. Hyde already knew that she had caught him out; she just wanted to prolong his suffering for a while longer before putting the reckless bastard out of his misery.

She took the small sample of Red Sand on her index finger and rubbed it against her gums. She knew from the off that this product was a dud; and the test just confirmed her suspicions. It was nothing but dust cut with, what she could only assume, was some kind of weak, prescription drug.

"Miss Hyde, I would like to implore you not to tamper with the product in future-"

As he spoke, she wandered around the small stockpile of 'goods'. Had this stuff been authentic, this would have been a Sander's dream. However, that was sadly not the case.

"Duly noted."

The salarian drug merchant was slightly taken aback by the fact she had actually spoken. It was more disconcerting than it should have been. He felt an awful, unexpected fear settle in his gut. Somehow, he knew this was not going to turn out well for him. He tugged at his collar as he watched her place a cigarette to her lips, casually lighting it. She took a long drag of it, her dark eyes slowly moving from the stockpile back to him.

"Feel free to take this away at your own leisure." He said evenly, trying to temper his own nerves more than anything else. "There is no rush." Well, there was. He did not want to get caught with this as much as the next person. He refused to tell her that, though. He did not fancy getting killed today. Or tomorrow… or any day, really.

Hyde grinned as she took another drag on her cigarette. She folded her arms, flicking the ash from said cigarette as she did so. "Yeah, about that…"

The salarian stiffened, much to Hyde's delight. She loved seeing her victims flounder. "Is there a problem here, Miss Hyde?"

She rubbed her chin with the thumb of the hand she was using to hold her cigarette, her eyebrows furrowing quite sharply as she did so. "I'm not entirely sure, Mr…" She rolled her hand as a gesture for him to speak up.

"Jaskat. Mr Jaskat." He wasted no time in answering. He just wanted this over and done with. Fear was not even apt enough a word to describe how he was currently feeling.

"Mr Jaskat." She'd have to remember that for later, either when she filled out the warrant for his arrest or when she wrote his epitaph. She had yet to decide which of those would be the outcome. "Do you think me mentally defective?" She saw his face crumple in confusion. "This," Hyde put the cigarette back in her mouth and used her newly freed hands to pick up another Red Sand brick. "This… drivel is obviously not what I came here for. Even a blind hanar with no tentacles could see that."

Jaskat's posture visibly stiffened. Hyde smiled inwardly. Despite herself, she could not help but feel a little bit happy about the situation at hand. She had a new victim. A pawn to play with. Or a pawn to dispose of… Her heart sped up. She was quickly coming round to the idea of killing him off.

Yeah. That sounded like fun.

"I don't know what you mean-"

"This isn't Red Sand." She paused to give him a chance to reply, but said reply never came. He was guilty. She gave the Red Sand brick in her hand a quick once over before carefully slotting it back atop the stockpile. "You knew it." She took one last drag on her cigarette before holding it in her two fingers away from her face. "And now I know it." She lowered the cigarette to the brick she had just been holding, causing the plastic wrap surrounding it to set alight and burn.

"What are you-?"

She threw him a sharp glare, stopping him in his tracks. "Do you think I am some kind of simpleton?" The question was rhetorical, but, even if it hadn't have been, Jaskat knew not to even attempt at an answer. However, his silence this time only served to fuel Hyde's anger. She wanted him to beg, to grovel.

This was not satisfying that need.

"So, you've got nothing to say for yourself?" More silence. More anger. Sheer rage, in fact. Hyde snapped. Her foot deliberately kicked out, colliding with the pile of fake red sand. The whole thing toppled to the ground, parts of it still smoldering from where she originally set it on fire. "You," She pointed an accusing digit directly at the petrified salarians face. "You are worthless. A time-wasting piece of shit." Hyde pulled her lighter from her pocket, flipping open the metallic lid to reveal the naked flame. "An insignificant criminal." And then she dropped it into the pile.

The salarian shouted something intangible as he reached forward, but his actions were hopeless. He didn't know what he was trying to achieve. He just needed to stop something. Anything. He took another step closer, but his movements were cut short then and there.

Hyde pulled out her switchblade, pointing it in his direction. "Do you want to burn, as well? Because I can make sure that happens."

Jaskat took a minute step back, his hands rising up into a gesture of surrender. "Not at all!" He looked about at all of the destruction surrounding him. How did he end up in this position? "...Would you just stop for a second! We can arrange something… No one needs to get hurt!"

Hyde sneered. "You need hurting. You can't cross me and expect to get away with it. No one can." As she stepped towards Jaskat, he stepped backwards. They followed this pattern until Jaskat felt his back press against a wall. Hyde was still baring down on him, leaving him with nowhere left to run.

"Please… people need me…"

Hyde scoffed, a nefarious grin appearing upon her sharp features. "Where was that courtesy when you were thinking of double-crossing me, hmm?"

"I wasn't thinking! I needed the money. Please, I never wanted to anger anyone-!"

Slice.

"Too late."

A wet garble filled the air as the salarian clutched at his windpipe. The blood spewed from the gaps in his hands, trickling to the floor at, what some would consider to be, an alarming rate. Jaskat fell to his knees directly in front of Hyde, their eyes connecting. Obviously, he could not speak, but the look he gave her spoke a thousand words. He was regretful and shameful.

That was all Hyde needed to see. The fear, the pleading… his ending. Now she was happy. Temporarily sated.

She pressed her index and middle fingers against Jaskat's forehead; sparing him one last glance before nudging him, forcing his near lifeless body to tumble helplessly to the cold, metal ground.

She watched as the rest of his green lifeblood flowed freely from his neck... As his spirit left him. Never was a more satisfying sensation felt.

Revenge.

That was the only drug Detective Kahlo Hyde needed. It was her quintessence. Her sustenance. Everything she needed. Some would call her sick. Others would say she was twisted.

She just called herself human.

A/N: I hope people enjoyed reading this little ditty. It isn't related to anything, just yet, anyway. I just wanted to write something. As I said previously, these will be stories following those who are technically considered civilians. We will see returning characters; these are not strictly one-shots, after all. And it isn't to say that Shepard and co, or some of the old, new or present crew members will not be making an appearance, because they damn well might! Let's just wait and see where this road takes us. Thank you everyone who read this. As always, I'd like to know what you thought and think. Drop me a PM or a review, I'll be happy with either.

We also know that everything here belongs to Bioware. I wish it belonged to me, but, alas, this is not the case. Thanks for letting me manhandle your junk, guys… as wrong as that sounds…

I'm British, okay? Give me a break!