SUBJECT ZERO
Jack tilted her head back and tears streaked mascara down her beautiful features. She was slimed with blood, hers…the reaper forces…and her students. They had been hit. Blown apart. And she couldn't have saved them.
Rodriguez sobbed beside her, her head in her hands, knees tucked up like a small child. Jack reached out and touched the girl on the shoulder, her luminous eyes staring up, not at the battle that was taking place above their heads, but at the stars barely visible above their heads.
"You got ten more seconds of crying, princess, then we gotta haul ass. I saw Octavia take cover over the street and Nethis was under that ship when it hit. We gotta get them out."
"Yes…ma'am," Rodriguez gulped back another sob.
"Get that singularity ready, Princess. There is a group of husks to our 2 o'clock. I will throw 'em once you get them off the ground. Then I want you to shockwave the cannibals advancing on the troops over there. We have to get the girls and head for their lines. Those grunts won't survive worth shit if we don't back them up."
"Yes, ma'am," Rodriguez swiped her forearm beneath her nose.
Jack turned to kneel and get a view of the street before them.
"Fuck," she ducked down.
"Ma'am?"
"Brute. Fucker is huge."
Jack closed her eyes. Rodriguez's voice was terrified.
"Ma'am?"
"Change of plan. Hit that fucker hard with a warp. And as soon as you can power it up, get a stasis on that cannibal. Then throw these…" she handed the girl the biotic grenades, "At those husks."
"What will…"
Jack gave a beatific smile, "I'm going to do what I do best…" after a moment she was surrounded by blue fire, "Save the mother fucking day."
Turning, she was a blur as she smashed into the fray.
Rodriguez threw the warp, and the brute snarled at the pain. Her stasis held the Cannibal in her thrall. The grenades sailed toward the distracted husks. They awkwardly hung into the air. She lifted her pistol and fired at one of them while she powered up a throw. She pitched it at one of the husks and it slammed brokenly into a wall.
The lift grenades released their effect and the remaining husks scrambled to their feet and came after her, eyes glowing mindlessly in their hunt for her.
"Shit!" she cried, and rose her gun to fire. One of the husks fell, the other came on. She missed the next round, and panicked. Missed again. It was on her. Then exploded into meaty chunks.
"FUCK!" she screamed, and covered her arms across her face. There was a pause. And a hand swam into focus as she lowered her arms.
"Come on, kid, Jack could use your help."
He hauled her to her feet and she regarded his scarred features.
"Get your skinny ass into gear," he growled, "We got reapers incoming."
Rodriguez blinked, and turned toward where Jack stood, hands clenched and snarling at an oncoming force. She powered up, almost blinding in the dark alley.
Zaeed Massani glanced down at the girl at his side, "Come on, kid. You want to live forever?" He raised his rifle to his shoulder and charged the fray.
Rodriguez bit her lower lip, a mask of fear upon her fine features. And after a moment, a half smile curved her lips. She powered her biotics…and charged.
"Fuck you all!" was her feral cry.
Jack gasped, her hands on her knees, ignoring the carnage around her, "You owe me twenty credits for that cursing, Rodriguez."
She straightened, put her hands to the small of her back and stretched, as Rodriguez panted, leaning against a cracked column.
"I'm fucking glad to see you, Massani," Jack drawled.
Zaeed slung his rifle onto his shoulder and grinned, "You too, Zero. Ready to save the ass of those useless Alliance fuckers?"
"Fuck yes," Jack strode toward Rodriguez, and tipped the girl's head back with her finger.
"You did good, kid. For someone who hasn't dealt with much frontline. You did good."
Rodriguez's face was flushed with pleasure, "Ma'am…I"
"Don't let it go to your head," Jack snarled without any real venom, "Get ready…"
They turned to face the small horde of reaper forces ambling down the street toward the trio. Bolts started smashing into the stonework around them. Jack flicked her hand and a ball of blue light shone brightly. Rodriguez clenched her fists and enveloped herself in a glow even as the merc dove for cover.
"See you on the other side," Jack drawled, and charged forward.
