In which missiles love Garrus' face...

Not a lot of people heard the sound. Greif was something Turians typically dealt with in private, where nobody could hear the chittering, grinding sounds they made when they cried. It was their form of sobbing; they didn't cry like how other species did. They didn't even shed tears, necessarily. Their eyes produced a transparent, film-like substance that acted as a protective layer against extra-strong UV rays; like a temporary third eyelid of sorts, which went away after a prolonged period of blinking. So even if a Turian wasn't making any grief sounds, one could always deduce an emotion of sorrow if the Turian was blinking rapidly.

The Turian who cradled his brother-in-arms under the harsh Omega lighting wasn't bothering to hide his grief sounds, however. There was nobody around left to hear the noise, anyway. His mandibles fluttered, and his voice grinded in his throat. It was like Shepard, all over again.

The whole crew of the Normandy had caught him by surprise. All those Humans, quite a few of them with their iciness towards Turians. But over time, that cold had been thawed. He'd become close with Kaiden Alenko, and the young Quarian, Tali'Zorah. But Shepard? They had hit off an almost immediate friendship. She would say something sly, and then he would respond with a deadpan that swiftly warmed up even the coldest of rooms. She and Kaiden had had something special, but Sahara and Garrus had been, according to Joker, the Normandy's top double-act.

Fierce ties of friendship and family had been made during the mission against Saren. He hadn't even realized it before it was too late, he had, in the space of a few months, grown used to having Kaiden and Shepard at his side, to the point where it had felt like peeling off a several scales when the time came to say farewell to them and the Normandy.

Hugs and slugs to the arm. He got up behind Kaiden, and noogied him on the head("Damn it Sahara; YOU TOUGHT HIM THAT!"). Promises to come visit, her saying to get through the Spectres soon, so they could travel around in the Normandy as "butt-kicking Spectre partners, plus one". Kaiden being the plus one. Saying farewell to Tali, the rest of the crew. Him and Wrex parting on good terms. Paying a visit to Ashley's station, to say goodbye to the one that hadn't made it. Waving the Normandy off.

Kaiden and Tali confronting him with the news his partner in crime was dead. He hadn't bothered hiding the grief sounds then either. It felt like loosing a hand; his right hand. Going to earth for the funeral, crashing at Kaiden's place. The two of them and Tali spent a great deal of time together there., until Kaiden got reassigned, and Tali had to go complete her pilgrimage. Garrus tired to become a Spectre. He really had tried. But the new regulations put in place, Shepard dead... the bureaucracy had begun to wear him thing. He'd felt like a caged animal.

And really, what was he doing, trying to become a Spectre hen his and Shepard's plans for dual butt-kicking had been dashed forever?

He'd thought going to Omega would be better. He could help. meeting Sidonis. Forming the new plan. becoming heroes.

He guessed all heroes got betrayed at some point.

Garrus' head shot up as he heard more noise from outside. The enemy was gathering for a final assault. he lowered the mutilated Human to the floor gently, and covered the body with a blanket, next to ten other body's, of ten other dear friends. None of them, not even Sidonis, had ever been as close to him as Shepard and Kaiden had been. But it hurt enough anyway. It hurt like someone was tryng to boil his scales off with acid and rip his chest open so they could grab his spine and yank it, breaking it in two. A gruesome image in his head, but that was what it felt like.

He grabbed his rifle. He probably couldn't hold out. But he would try. If he was to perish, he would be taking as many of these dirt bags with him as possible.

Do you see me up there Shepard? He pictured his team. And the rest of you? You'd better save me a drink at the bar. And you damn well better not be late with the cab, Shepard; be on time for once!

With that, he propped his gun up, and began to shoot.

Garrus let himself sink to the couch, panting. He let out a small cough, and blue blood bubbled at his mouth. I think I broke a rib. Maybe all of them. Some of them blood had gotten onto the couches, Butler's damn fancy couches that he had to sit on so he could stuff his face to kingdom come. That man had had two stomachs, and a metabolism like a Salarian on something that probably wasn't decaf.

Butler would've killed him for getting blood on his beloved couches.

The fight with Garm had been... intense. As had all the other fights. For a long while, he'd been certain he'd be overwhelmed, and he almost had been. The Blood pack had tired to get in through the basement, but that was where Garrus' explosives expert had like to keep his things; the Turian had set off all the charges, collapsing the basements, if not killing everybody in them. It was just the Blue Suns left now.

Huh. I honestly didn't expect to last this long. That, or he was still alive because Shepard was late with the cab.

He thought he could hear a sound; a deadly sound. He groaned internally. I thought I took care of that thing!

Before he knew it, shots were being fired through the window. He dove behind Butler's favorite couches, which were now being filled with holes. Pain still rang through his body, and he knew that if he pushed himself too hard, one of his shattered ribs might puncture a lung. He didn't need that right now. Damn it, Butler! Why couldn't you have gotten tougher couches!?

Bullets were going through the leather fabric; this cover wouldn't last much longer. If he could get to that wall...

Garrus took his chance as the guns died down to cool off, and he ran from cover, intending to get behind a more solid object. His eyes could only widen, reflecting the fiery haze, as the missile found it's mark. Agony flared through him as it hit his armor. He thought he heard shouting. Turian shouting. He couldn't breath. He thought he could hear Shepard, laughing at him, maybe opening the cab door for him. "Git yer stupid scales in the car, Garrus!" "Git yer stupid arm out of the way then!"

Someone shook his shoulder, yelling at him. "..Didn't come all this way to watch you die! Breath, man!"

What? What was that? Breathing? Then he remembered. He wasn't breathing. He'd forgotten to. he took in a shuttering gasp, trying to open his eyes. Something gurgled in his throat, and something that tasted like blood kept pushing it's way through and out of his mouth. Several hazy forms above him. Someone talking about medics. he tried to focus on the figure in front of him, hazy, maybe Humane, two pinpricks of silver-blue eyes. Everything was too much, his senses overwhelmed by just how much pain and things there were. Mentally, he screamed for Shepard, for Kaiden, or Tali, or anybody to make the pain stop.

Everything spiraled away, and the last thing he heard was, perhaps, the wound of the gunship blowing up.

Well, that escalated quickly.

I'm glad people are interested in this stuff! And yeah, I agree, Destiny had a more flexible content. But that's the thing with more hard plotted stories like Mass Effect; when you find a good AU, it had to be VERY good. I'm writing this because I want a change in pace; over half fanfics in the archives are romance or follow-along of the ME plot. I love adventures, action, and there aren't enough good AUs for me to read here. So, in typical "Fine I'll do it myself" fashion, I started writing this... thing.

Hope everyone sticks along for the ride!

Read and REVIEW!