Disclaimer: I realized I left a disclaimer out of the first chapter/prologue (which has now been corrected). I do not own anything Mass Effect unfortunately. Any reviews are welcome as I would greatly appreciate some feedback from my readers.
Hit - Chapter 1: Conversations
Shepard took out a guard sneaking up on Jack as she raged at the window, her fingers clawing at the air as she stared at the Normandy outside. Thane and Grunt easily shot down another two guards that were trying to flank them. Shepard sighed and straightened up as Jack turned to glare at her, pacing back in forth like a pissed off cat. "What the hell do you want?" she spat. Shepard holstered her pistol and tried to keep her tone calm. "You're in a bad situation and I'm gonna get you out of here." Jack's walk turned more into a swagger as she sneered. "Shit, you sound like a pussy." Shepard narrowed her eyes as Jack continued to pace. "I'm not going anywhere with you. You're Cerberus." Shepard could feel a headache beginning behind her eye, her tone starting to get an edge. "I'm here to ask for your help. This ship is going down in flames and we can get you out of here. I need someone like you on my team." Jack glared out the window at the Normandy then back at Shepard. "You show up in a Cerberus frigate to take me away somewhere. You think I'm stupid?"
Thane glanced at Shepard out of the corner of his eye. She had taken him on several missions with her before now, and he had watched her closely throughout all of them. She had always kept a cool head during firefights, talking down her enemies when given the chance, but showing no pity once someone decided to not take her up on her offer of mercy. So this mission surprised him a little when she didn't even give the warden a chance at walking out alive after he attempted to capture her. A gleam had appeared in her eye and she cursed the turian as he spoke to her over the loud speaker, warning him that she was going to send him to Hell herself once she got out of the holding cell. They had plowed through guards and mechs alike chasing down this tattooed woman. His doubts of the commander's skills were slowly dwindling after seeing her in action the past few missions, but especially now when she had charged three guards on their way up, breaking the necks of two of them on impact and pistol whipping the third to death. Goading the commander struck him as unwise now that he had personally witnessed her ferocity. He couldn't help but finger one of his blades hidden under his coat as he waited to see what Shepard would do in response to the biotic's audacity.
Shepard arched an eyebrow, her voice still calm but twenty degrees colder as she couldn't help but bare her teeth in a feral smile. "I'm beginning to think a lot of things about you; like that you seem nothing more than a brat with a knack for explosive temper tantrums and the only reason people think you're so dangerous...is because you haven't pissed me off yet." There was a tense pause as Jack's body started to glow slightly, her expression turning ugly. Shepard cut her off coolly before she could reply, "If I were you, I would come with me so I could live another day to make one more pathetic attempt at an insult. Otherwise, you're not worth my time." Shepard turned to head towards the exit when Jack called after her. "Wait! You want me to go with you? Make it worth my while. I bet your ship has a lot of Cerberus databases. I wanna look at those files and see what Cerberus has got on me. You want me on your team, let me go through those databases." she said smugly, crossing her arms over her barely concealed chest. Shepard halfway turned to smile at the biotic. "If you want to play with me honey, you'll learn to not make DEMANDS of the person holding the last life jacket. Try using your manners for once and maybe I will give you what you want." She turned back around and headed for the door without looking back, Thane and Grunt trailing behind her silently. Jack clenched her fists as the woman walked away from her, letting her get a relatively good head start before running to catch up.
Thane looked up as the elevator doors opened, revealing the silently seething commander. He had heard the raised voices between the Illusive Man and Shepard when he had gone to the kitchen to acquire something to eat. He wasn't able to distinguish what they were arguing about, but it was obvious the commander was upset. Shepard looked up at the drell as she entered the elevator. "Krios." He nodded politely. "Commander." The doors slid shut and she smashed the side of her fist on the button leading down to his floor. He raised an eyebrow as she slumped against the wall, crossing her arms. "You were quite…impressive today, Commander." She slid her amber gaze to his, her face unreadable even to him. "I'm glad you enjoyed the show." He fell silent. When the doors opened, he gave her a small bow, gesturing for her to exit first. She merely looked at him for a moment before stepping out. He too exited though was surprised when she remained standing outside, waiting for him. He paused, "Do you need something?" She mimicked him and gestured to life support. "Mind if I ask you a few questions, maybe without attacking me this time?" He gave a faint chuckle as they walked to life support. "Not at all." So began their first conversation outside of a mission. He was surprised by her questions and genuine interest in the world he came from, his religion and the faint note of concern that traced her voice when she asked about his disease. He had noticed how her behavior towards the crew was like that of a stern mother underneath her authoritative mask. An interesting revelation in the otherwise usually aloof woman.
She pushed away from the wall, getting ready to leave, her curiosity sated for the time being, when he stood slowly from his seat. He saw her tense as he moved around the table towards her, his face betraying nothing. Hers on the other hand, he saw suspicion flit across her eyes as he stepped close to her.
"Open your mouth." he said softly.
Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at him, confusion plainly evident. "Excuse me?" He gave a small nod of his tilted head. "Please." She narrowed her eyes before slowly opening her mouth as he asked, her hands clenching into fists at her sides involuntarily. He moved his head closer, searching. She quirked an eyebrow as she pulled back a little. "What are you looking for?" He pursed his lips as he took a step away from her. "Where do you hide your weapon?" She suddenly grinned and he couldn't help but smile back at the sudden change in her demeanor. She opened her mouth and pulled the corner of her lip out so he could see better inside her mouth. There was a vertical slit about half the length of his thumb running along the wall of her cheek that he hadn't noticed in the dim light. She flicked her tongue expertly at the fold to reveal an inner pocket where the glint of the razor could be seen. The texture of her cheek where the blade lay looked like it had been coated in a layer of plastic so that the sharp edges and points of the razor moved harmlessly in her mouth. She shut her mouth with a smirk. He pulled back, eyeing her curiously. "Is this common in humans?" She laughed softly, a slight scratchy sound accompanied by a whisper of breath escaping her mouth, a new sound to his ears. He found he rather enjoyed it. "Not exactly, I got this when I first joined a gang back on my home planet. All the members had it done." He raised a ridged eyebrow. "Part of your initiation." She nodded then glanced away, clearing her throat. "I should go. I need to chart our next course." He moved to sit back down. "Then I shall return to my meditations." She nodded and made her way out, leaving him to his thoughts.