The ground was air was filled with the sounds of husks and as they fell to the ground. The smell of blood permeated across the dark battlefield.
"Shepard, we have to move to higher ground."
Maria looked over at the Drell, quickly nodding her head in agreement. There was no point in talking. The sounds of gunfire and screaming would most likely mask her words into muffled groans. She quickly gave Garrus and Thane the signal to move to higher ground. Slowly but surely, the three squadmates moved to higher ground, shooting Marauders and Husks as they went. Once the three squadmates reached the top, they found cover behind a metal beam that had fallen over during the Reaper invasion.
"We should probably spread out. Being located in one spot is bound to catch their attention and eventually lead to an attack from all sides."
"You're right Garrus," Shepard agreed. "Thane, you take the over behind the building across the way, behind the boulder to your right. Garrus, you take cover behind the ship that landed beside the building to your left. Move out."
Garrus and Thane quickly fled to their positions, adeptly avoiding all enemy fire as Shepard covered their flanks. Shepard smiled a bloodthirsty grin. We've gotten past their main defenses. Now all that's left to do is to push them back inside the faulty control tower across the plaza. This battle was going better than expected.
Or so she thought.
The three squadmates had just reached the base of the control tower when Garrus let out a loud, guttural groan, as he keeled over in pain.
"Garrus!" Shepard shouted, rushing over to help her fallen squadmate. A sneaky marauder had snuck up behind Garrus, blowing a thermal clip right through the side of his face. Thane shot the Marauder in the head as Maria knelt down next to Garrus.
"Shepard," Garrus groaned, turning his head to face Shepard as she cupped it.
Garrus...
Dark blue blood was slowly dripping down his down his left mandible and onto the cobalt blue plates of his armor. "Shepard," Garrus coughed, sputtering blood all over Shepard's hands and the ground. "Leave me. You need to get to the control tower; you need to save the people trapped there."
"I can't go there to save them without you, Garrus. You're a part of my squad."
You're a part of me.
Garrus looked longingly into Maria's dark hazel eyes as he pulled one of her hands away from his face, making her fingers interlock with his talons."What's losing one life compared to losing the lives of hundreds of innocent people? I'm no innocent Turian, Maria. The people in there, though? Those are innocent people. Those are people with families they want to see again. Those are people who have the potential to do great things."
He squeezed her hand.
"Go save them."
Tears flowed like rivers down Maria's blood-stained cheeks. "Garrus, you can still be saved. Don't give up."
Please
"Shepard," Thane hesitantly interjected. "More enemies are approaching. I suggest we move forward while we still can."
"Go," Garrus whispered. "Go be the Maria I fell in love with." Garrus's grip on her hand slowly faded, as his eyes slowly closed and his head bobbed back onto the gravel.
"Garrus?" Maria shook him. "GARRUS!" Maria screamed, squeezing Garrus's talons with all her might.
Come back to me.
Shepard, we need to leave. NOW."
Shepard slowly rose off of the charcoal colored gravel and ran with Thane into enemy fire.
Weaving in and out of enemy lines she ran, roaring as tears streamed down her cheeks. Time seemed to slow down as bodies fell to the ground in heaps as Shepard hack and slashed her way through the enemy. She was an angel of death. She was Garrus's angel of death.
This is a nightmare. Soon I'll wake up to Garrus's happy chuckling as he holds me tight to his plated body. Soon I'll wake up to the sound of sloshing water in the fish tank. Soon I'll wake up to the sound of Jack and Miranda fighting outside of my cabin.
Maria was jolted out of her reverie by the scraping of a bullet grazing her right cheek. That was the past. This was no nightmare, this was her new reality.
Shepard had just watched the man she loved with all her heart die.