Thief

18th December 2170:

David Anderson walked down the avenue in New York, trying to pretend the air was clean. The irony, the government was going on about how people should spend more time outside. Well that was a little hard when the god dam air was more fresher inside. He was going to visit Hackett in the hospital, a old friend of his. Hackett had just had his appendix removed so Anderson decided to bring him a little pick me up. Well, a bottle of 6o year old scotch. That was if he didn't choke to death on the polluted air or freeze to death. He was currently in a massive park, about five minutes from the hospital when he heard a high shrill followed by screams. Then a shadow was cast over him as a small hover truck soared above. The Earth shook as it crashed into the white field about 50 metres away. Anderson's solider instincts kicked in and dropped the bag he hurried towards the flaming wreck. About 10 metres away, he saw the cockpit's windows blown out by a gun blast. Several teenagers and adults scurried out and ran like hell. One of them, a girl, paused and tried to run back only to be dragged away screaming.

"But Athena and Hunter are still in there!" Anderson's heart skipped several beats. Two kids were still in that burning wreck! He hurried to the door, hissing as the red hot metal burnt his skin. Yanking it open, he descended into the smoke. He nearly tripped over several dead Turian guards and some human engineers. Vaguely he could make out the writing on the containers.

Oh dear Lord… Element Zero… I need to find any survivor's quickly.

Then panicked coughing caught his attention, stumbling around the corner he saw a figure struggling to the mangled remains of a container, which underneath was a young girl, who was unconscious. Without even thinking he ran over and lent his strength. The figure looked at him shocked for a moment then grabbed his friend, dragging them out then slinging them over their shoulder like an fireman. They got out in record time and promptly collapsed outside, gasping for oxygen.

"Athena! Wake up! Oh please don't be dead!" Came a desperate voice. The lad he'd helped was desperately checking his friend, a mortified look in his eyes. Anderson grabbed the boy's shoulder, the battered armour smothered in ash.

"The hospital's not far. Let me carry her!" The lad hesitated, trying to decide if he should trust this stranger with his friend's life. A jerky nod quickly followed and Anderson scooped the girl's limp form into his arms and ran like hell for the hospital. The crowd's quickly parted for them as they raced to the hospital. As soon as they stepped into the hospital, a flock of doctors and nurses descended upon them, quickly carting the young girl off for surgery. There was a argument nearby as the lad argued with nurses. He seemed desperate to follow, clearly terrified for his friend's health. Eventually they saw sense and let the lad into the observation room to overlook Athena's operation. Anderson felt duty bound to sit by the lad. The boy had stayed behind instead of saving himself. The soot clung to his already raven black hair and chocolate brown skin. Then Anderson realised with mixed feelings of shock and embarrassment, that there was a hint of a bosom underneath the armour. The lad was actually a girl. Anderson had completely missed the feminine look to her face. Tears were now making a path though the dirt on her cheeks. Carefully he put a hand on her shoulder. She startled for a moment then calmed, looking him in the eye.

"What's you name, kid? I am Lieutenant Commander David Anderson." He held a hand out, the girl cautiously shook it.

"Hunte… Artemis. Will Athena be okay?" Her voice had changed from the desperate, yet authoritive tone to that of a frightened child. Anderson looked on the operation. The surgeons were flying around, all sorts of implements coming out, not to mention the amount of blood and shrapnel they pulled out of the poor child.

"I don't know. But she has a good chance thanks to you." Artemis nodded and hung her head.

"I'm going to be arrested. Aren't I?" Sighing Anderson nodded, accepting a damp towel off a nurse. Wiping the grime, soot and blood off his hands, he spoke.

"Yes you are. You apparently hijacked a shipment of Element Zero and then crashed it into a park. Maybe even charge you for or as an accessory to the dead guards."

"Finch told us it was a drug shipment of one of the other gangs though. He said nothing about the Alliances shipyard's monthly shipment." She muttered, trying to hold back her tears. The poor girl, she'd been tricked, used.

"What gang do you belong to?"

"Tenth Street Reds. We're… we were mainly a bunch of kids just looking out for each other. Finch our leader began insisting we do larger gigs., so we could get proper clothes for everyone."

A bunch of kids, just trying to survive a harsh winter, sticking together as a team.

"How did you get involved with them? What happened to your family?" He asked, Artemis seemed to be warming up to him especially since the machines in the operating room were emitting more steady noises.

"I only remember an orphanage. The owner, she was a complete bitch. Some of us got sick and decided to take our own chances. Me, Finch, Athena, Zeus and Hera. We… founded the gang. Finch took over after Zeus got put away and I became second in command." The girl picked at her trousers. There was a gentle cough from the doorway as a still bloody doctor walked in.

"Your friend will pull though. But there's no guarantee that she fully recover from her injuries." Artemis nodded and said her thanks to the man. "We need to check you both also. You both breathed in a heck of a lot of smoke and those burns look nasty." Only now did Anderson remember about his hands and the state of both of them.

"Also the police want to have a word with both of you."

Artemis just shrugged and followed a nurse to get cleaned up. A while later, Anderson was having his hands bandaged . He was also in Hackett's room along with two officers. Hackett was listening intently, curious as to what trouble his friend had gotten into now.

" Thank you for your input, Commander. May I ask you a question off the record?"

"Of course officer."

"Do you think Artemis killed those guards? Do you think she is lying?"

"To be fair. I don't she has it in herself at the moment. Her friend just nearly died and from what I can tell, family comes first to her." Then a doctor walked in, looking grim. The officer gave him a questioning look.

"You asked for the check up results. They were both exposed to Element Zero due to one of the containers exploding. Artemis has definitely developed Biotics. We are arranging an L3 implant for her right now. Athena, unfortunately had a higher exposure to it." Anderson hung in head in sadness. From what he could tell Athena was only twelve years old. Twelve years old and tumours would be what killed that poor girl. " She's already developed a brain tumour, the size of a large marble. There's nothing we can do for her, apart from ease her pain."

"Has Artemis been told?" The doctor shook his head. Sighing Anderson stood up and headed to her room, the officer radioed ahead to let the guard know. Artemis was on the bed, gazing out of the window, knees drawn up to her chin. Taking a deep breath he sat down next to her.

"Hello Sir. I guess the doc said I'm a biotic?" Anderson nodded, not sure how to inform Artemis of her friend's fate.

"Artemis… Athena had a higher dose of Element Zero than you did." Artemis looked at him, brow creased in confusion. "I…I'm not sure how to say this, but Athena has developed a brain tumour already. There's nothing the doctors can do for her…"

"No! No. Not Athena!" She quickly got to her feet and hurried to the door, luckily the doctor was just coming in. " Let me see her, please." Begged Artemis.

'Please not Athena! I can't lose her. I can't lose my little sister.' Thought Artemis as she hurried beside the doctor and the commander. Athena meant everything to her, she had always looked after the young'un. Not after Zeus had gotten arrested and Hera killed. Finch hadn't given a damn about any of them, he wanted to be the big man. Athena was every bit , except by blood, her sister. They had stayed to the old rules, the old blood pact they had made. It felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest.

She got to the room just as the machines began going crazy. She clutched Athena's hand as the doctors attempted to revive her., no longer attempting to restrain her tears. Eventually the Commander pulled her away from Athena's bedside as the machines were turned off. Artemis vaguely heard the doctor speak.

"6:37 PM, 18th of December. Commander could you take her outside?" Artemis barely registered Anderson taking her out of the room and sitting her down on a bench. She just tucked her head between her knees and sobbed.

'Why? Why Athena? She was only twelve.'

Everybody left her alone until her tears finally ran out and she began to struggle to breath. Then there were boot falls in front of her. Cop's boots. She had trained her ears to that sound as well as Athena's. She had taught her how to use a shotgun. How to pick a pocket. Shaking she stood up and allowed the cop to cuff her and lead her out to the police car.

He watched as they led her out. The girl had lost everything. She was not guilty of much except trying to survive and keep her friends alive. Deep down he decided to try and help her. He soon found Artemis' hideout. The cops had gotten there before the gang so they had a lot of evidence for when they caught the others, Anderson was able to sneak in and a crate she hid under her hammock. A box of keepsakes. She didn't deserve to have her memories taken away from her, so he would keep them safe for her.

This does differ to what Artemis tells Kaidan in A Stolen Gift, but I doubt Arty would want to stir up too many painful memories. I intend to write a few more chapters.

Reviews are really really welcome.
Trishata96