NEXT CHAPTER FUN!
James is back, and so is this story. I know a lot of you guys might be expecting him to be quite noble and a gentleman, but that's 23, and even he messes up sometimes. Remember, James is a thief. Not very trustworthy. I don't have much to say this chapter AN, but I have a request, and that is to REVIEW!
James walked down the street, unaware of the filth around him. It wasn't anything new, given how long he'd been here. The hookers always shook their chests at him, the beggars always begged, and the other thieves stayed clear. They remembered what happened to the last man who attempted to mug James. He smiled at the memory. Honestly, people should be more aware when attacking someone. The poor fool hadn't even seen the knife James hid in his sleeve until it plunged deep within his eye socket.
Checking his wallet, James noticed that he had more cash than he previously thought. Last weeks run on the Presidium was worth it apparently. While the money was important, James was more concerned with the thin metal necklace he wore. Stealing it from someone didn't make it important, and the value of the jewelry wasn't exceptional. Given whom he stole it from though, it was VERY important. Unknowingly, James had stolen it from the Salarian councilor.
James mentally shrugged. He had more important things to worry about, and given his current location, the police wouldn't come looking. No one would. Turning, he glanced down the street. More hookers, some were human, while the remainder were Asari. He even saw what looked like a Hanar…weird.
As he took a left down a familiar alley, he stepped past the grizzled old beggars. Tiptoeing over a Schizophrenic, James saw something that stopped him cold. Lying on the ground were various metal components, some covered by the moldy old crates lying around them. Smirking to himself, James immediately started to work his hands around the cold metal plates. They were about to give way, when something beneath them moved sharply. James jumped back, knife in his hand before he realized. The boxes kept moving, but only slightly. Curious, he removed the slightly large crates. Staring down, Durand found something unexpected.
A Quarian laid there, weak on the ground. Glancing at her back, James became aware that the metal plates he thought were components were actually apart of her suit. Her coughing brought him back to reality, and he kneeled down next to her. She wasn't a threat, and he wouldn't sink so low as to steal from the dirt poor. He spoke to her, his clear voice resonating with a calming tone.
"Hey…Hey are you ok?"
She became aware of him, and withdrew without hesitation. She leaned against the wall with next to no strength, eyes fighting to keep open. She stared at him with a predatory glare.
"Who…Who are you. What do you want?"
Before James could speak, she answered the question with a sigh of misery.
"Wait…don't bother. I know what you're here for."
Slowly, she rubbed her hands over her chest, working to her torso. Her three fingered hands grasped at her breasts vigorously, but more from desperation than lust. James figured she would go even farther if he didn't correct her. If only she would give him the chance.
"200 a night. I know it's more expensive than the Asari, but…I…I can do things. Just…please. Give me a clean room. I can't….I can't…"
She ended with a dark cough, and something sprayed thinly on the inside of her mask. From what James could tell, it looked like blood. He raised his hands, stopping her mid cough.
"Look. I'm not here for that. What happened to you? Who did this?"
She laughed bitterly, some small coughs breaking through at the end.
"Society, I guess. As for me, well. You see what I have to do. I have no money, no friends. My family is away on a…"
She coughed once more.
"Well. You get it. It hurts…I can't even pay for meds. Everything's going a little dark."
Her head sunk back, and she started to slump even more. James knew she was gone. Nothing could save her now.
"Why…I never did anything to anyone. I just wanted to be happy…Wait…"
James looked at her, and she gave a piercing stare.
"Please…it's all I've got left…would you do something for me?"
He nodded hesitantly. Slowly, James leaned forward, her vocal outlet right next to his ear. Her raspy voice registered weakly.
"Remember me. Please…I don't want to die alone…please…"
She coughed roughly once more, then turned silent.
"Hello? Hey. Wake up."
James nudged her slightly. Her eyes opened again, and she stared deeply at him. Something was off though. Her eyes were already dead, and she wasn't really seeing him. Next, she spoke in barely a whisper, as if calling out to someone else.
"Please sir, I've got what you want…200 credits…"
she tried to lift her arms to her chest once more, but they laid at her side uselessly. Her eyes closed, and she fell over.
"….200 credits…"
Her coughing stopped, and she stiffened. The girl was dead.
James sighed deeply, standing.
-Damn…I didn't need that-
He considered checking her pockets, but even the possibility of finding something valuable wouldn't encourage him. He started to walk away, ever aware of the poor girl. James grimaced, realizing that he didn't even know her name. Even worse than that, he didn't know if he could keep that promise. All the people he saw on a daily basis…her story wasn't an exception, and he doubted that would be the last time he heard it from someone.
"When you're poor, ya can't get off the floor."
It was a little saying that James remembered. His old friend Alexei used to say. He'd died a while back, due to a gang fight and a red sand addiction.
Poverty was like a beautiful woman to James. She slipped into people's lives, seducing them with dreams of grandeur and status. Leading them on, she would then proceed to influence their friends with the same promises, taking everything she could. After the dust settles, and comrades are at odds with each other, as people starve and plead for one more chance, she turns her head, walking off into the mist of life.
At least, that's what James thought.
His thoughts were interrupted by a rather shrill shriek of terror. Without thinking, James dropped to the ground. Next, he ran to the nearest available cover. From what he could tell, the voice came from over the fence next to him. Running across the small alley, he vaulted up and over the wall. Before he fell over the side, he brought his leg down against the opposite side, so that he now sat on the metal barrier. The scene before him was unexpected.
A girl was fighting off a group of five Batarians in the narrow alley. From what James could tell, the men intended to rape the girl, while she was busy defending herself. Watching her, James found himself impressed. She was certainly holding her ground, and her fighting technique was admirable. He found himself drawn to something else though.
Her figure was amazing. Not just sexually pleasing, but fluid like. She moved with a grace unmatched, and her ferocity mixed with defensive stance was comparable to art. James found himself entranced by the girl. Never before had he felt such connection to someone so distant. It suddenly dawned on him that she was in danger, and he was in some position to help. This created a conflict within him though, and he considered it.
-She won't last long. Even now she's getting pretty tired, and the guys are getting closer. Is it worth it? If I go in, I could get ripped apart. Those five mean business. Besides, I'm no hero. This is none of my concern-
Lia was holding a small metal pipe in her hand, whipping it back and forth in front of her. The group continued to make attempts to grab her, yet she would not go down without a fight. Even with the overwhelming odds, she persisted against them. However, James's assumption was correct. She was exhausted from the fighting, and her weakened state would soon fail. She needed help immediately.
Something caught her eye, and she turned to see a black figure shaped boy on the fence furthest away from her. He wore a thin leather jacket over a dark gray shirt, and wore jeans from a time when material wasn't synthetic. Just another reminder of how poor this district was. His black hair fell neatly into his eyes, and his fingerless gloved hands rested on the worn metal. Their eyes met, and she found herself distracted by him. She called out to him, screaming for help. Instead, he stood up from the fence, and started to walk away.
The Batarians, sensing her hesitation, lunged forward. The leftmost one sent a blow to her stomach, causing Lia to double over. Taking advantage of this, the opposite one grabbed her arms, forcing them behind her back. It lasted maybe four seconds altogether, soon, Lia was held by the enemy forces. The lead Batarian approached her, yellow teeth glistening sickly at her.
"Well. Let's have some fun, shall we?"
the others started to grope her arms, giggling stupidly. Lia couldn't breathe, couldn't think. She was still recovering from the blow to her abdomen, but the pain wasn't the cause of her silence. What could have possibly caused the boy on the fence to leave? She needed help. Lia fully believed that she would be free and safe right now if he had helped her. Instead, he was gone. No trace left to beg for.
-He was probably a racist-
Her mind shifted subjects to avoid the unpleasantness associated with those kind of people Now she focused on the men surrounding her. They were getting ready to undress her, and she could feel the terror rise to her throat.
-This wasn't how I wanted it to end-
-It's not my battle. It's not my fault, not my job. Rule #1: watch out for yourself. Don't get involved. Even for girls-
James started continued to walk away, balancing sharply on the fence.
-Even for cute Quarian fighter girls. Why would you even consider helping? Look after yourself-
He stopped. Without thinking, he slowly pulled out his blade, spinning it in the palm of his hand. It stopped moving, resting in his grasp. Slowly, he brought his other hand to the beginning of the blade, flexing his fingers around the handle. He pulled the knife away from his appendage and turned around. He started at a fast walk, but moved up to a run.
-What am I doing. Why. Don't do this. Don't be the hero. There is no reason!-
James tried not to think about the consequences of this action, and ran back towards the scene of the crime. Regardless of what happened to him, James felt certain about one thing:
Those men would NEVER touch that girl.
Lia struggled as much as possible, hopefully prolonging her life. The Batarian leader eventually brought his hand back, smacking her hard across the face. Even with her helmet, the blunt force sent stars flying across her vision. Grinning, he pulled out his knife, placing it along her throat. Her breath cought, and she was sure these would be the worst moments of her life.
"Lets see what the slut looks like."
She closed her eyes.
The Batarian raised his blade, and brought it down hard. The sound of slicing flesh was heard, echoing out over the alley.
Lia didn't feel anything. She waited, and waited. Finally, she opened her eyes. In front of her stood the Batarian leader, eyes wide. He slowly lowered his head, and poked the small blade sticking out from his chest. The weapon retracted from it's fleshy sheath, and the alien let out a pained gasp, falling forward into the blood covered street. The remaining Batarians yelled out in anger, three of them rushing forward with blades out, while the fourth held Lia from running.
She was amazed at her luck. The scene in front of her was a miracle in physical form. The young man from earlier held his knife out in front of him, back arched like a cat. He held a snarling gaze on his face, and bounced back and forth, waiting for an attack.
-He…he came back-
She felt a small tear of joy trickle down her face. Even with what was happening, the joy, the hope that she felt when given the possibility of meeting good people in such a horrific place gave her a mental strength unmatched.
-He came back-
The leftmost mugger spoke angrily to James.
"You killed my brother, human scum! I'll gut you like a fish!"
James glanced at the dead body, then looked back at the man.
"I guess ugliness runs in the family. Kiss my ass, you four eyed piece of shit."
The Batarian was taken back by the blatant insult. Gathering his wits, he charged at James, roaring loudly. James froze for a moment, genuinely wondering if the charging Batarian was half Krogan. The man lunged forward, blade leading the way. James sidestepped him, bringing his knife down. The blade whistled through the air, cutting through the Batarians arm. Next, James sliced sideways, ripping the man's neck apart.
Turning, James spotted the next two. He motioned to the both of them.
"Whose fucking next?"
The leftmost Batarian attacked, knife swinging wildly. The majority of his attacks missed, while two lucky blows landed. One on James's neck, the other on his chest. They were both superficial, and he was lucky it was so. His jacket protected his body, and the cut was completely absorbed by it. James also threw a lucky swing, tearing through the Batarians neck with a single swipe. The blood poured from the gaping wound, adding to the already sticky ground.
The last one was easy to dispatch, requiring a few quick jabs to the chest. He fell without any issue.
Turning to the last one, still holding Lia, James raised his knife, pointing it at the Batarian.
"Either let her go, or God as my witness, I will end you."
Silence.
The knife dropped, and the scared man turned to run. Jumping over the hooker's body, he climbed the fence, disappearing.
Lia stood, dumbfounded. She was unhurt. Even more important, she was alive. She stared down at her hands, checking the material for holes. There were none. Next, she glanced up at James. He was sheathing the knife while looking away from her. Turning, he gave her a quick look, and then headed for the street. Lia froze, then immediately ran after him. She called out to her savior.
"Wait! Keelah, wait. You…I can't thank you enough…I…I thought..."
James turned. He just raised his hand.
"Whatever. Just stay out of trouble from now on, ok?"
She nodded quickly, then continued to speak.
"I..My name is Lia. Lia'Vael. Who…who are you?"
He turned back to her, obviously annoyed.
"James Durand. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go. I've had my fair share of female Quarians for the day."
The words stung her slightly, and she took a step back. Lia felt a desire to leave and forget the rude boy, but she persisted. She had been taught long and hard to thank someone for a good deed. James didn't care though, and he continued to walk across the street.
"Wait. Look, you saved me. I can't pay you for that, but…I can do tech work if you need, or something else. EVA's or whatnot."
James turned, more than slightly annoyed. Why couldn't she just leave him alone? All he wanted to do was head to a hotel and rent a room so he could clean his wounds. In all honesty, he couldn't understand why he continued to talk to her. Something drove him to do so though.
"Look. I don't want your help. I don't need it. I've survived just fine on my own, and even if I DID need someone, I doubt a girl who can barely look after her own sk—"
His rant was cut short, as a loud screeching sound was heard. James saw metal sparking out of the corner of his eye. Turning he saw a large tram bearing down on him. The breaks which would have saved his life were failing from disuse, and James wouldn't be able to move in time.
Before the train ended his life early, James saw a flash of yellow, and felt the cold punch of pavement hitting his face. After a few seconds on the ground, he rose to a sitting position. The tram stopped slowly, and James could see where he had been standing. Right below the conductors cabin.
Turning his head, He found a familiar Quarian girl, knocked unconscious from the ground. It suddenly occurred to him what had happened.
-She…saved me. Damn-
Checking her pulse, James was assured that she was alive. Now came a new dilemma. Leave her here and save his own ass, or return the favor to a girl who protected his own miserable life. He mentally sighed. He just wanted to have a nice relaxing day today. Nothing big, nothing life changing. Oh well.
-Fucking drama. Fucking Quarian. Fucking…everything. FUCK-
Turning back to the injured girl, James picked her up by the waist and slung her over his shoulder.
- Might as well find a hotel. I really hope she doesn't freak out when she wakes up-
Walking away from the accident, James disappeared into the alleys, the only thing he carried was a lonely, lost, Quarian girl.
Some interesting things are coming next chapter. I don't know how you guys will handle my take on the romance, but hopefully it doesn't bug you guys. It's not supposed to be all that bad. Next chapter for Subject 23 begins tomorrow. (working on it. Not upload. Sorry)