Wow, thank you whoever reviewed last. As lame as it sounds I'd completely forgotten to post the rest of this story. The danger of finishing all at once hehe.

Well it's late but here it is, hope it was worth the wait. Have a Happy New Year everyone!


Chapter IV: The End Run

The team stared at Shepard, then at each other in a moment of still silence.

Garrus' fingers visibly tightened around his assault rifle. Behind him Legion could be heard thinking loudly behind the lens. Samara's face was placid as ever but her body could be seen tightening under her suit, muscles readying as her eyes scanned every team member for movement.

Miranda didn't look up, similar to Shepard minutes ago she was looking at the ground thinking hard. Kasumi moved subtly behind Zaeed as he scratched his scarred chin thoughtfully, eyeing Shepard with his good eye.

Shepard didn't make a move towards his weapon but mentally prepared to do so. This wasn't how he expected this to end, but he had made his decision. They would destroy this base. If his team turned on him then he would fight his way to the objective, but he would complete this mission whatever the cost. He wished with all his heart they wouldn't. It was hard enough to live while comrades around you died – it was impossible to forgive yourself for killing a friend.

He looked to Miranda who still faced away. "Miranda?" he called to her. She looked up, eyes pained.

"I'm sorry Shepard." She muttered, aggrieved expression rising with her weapon.

"Fuck this, I'm–" Jack began, striding towards Shepard with an arm glowing of intensifying biotic energy, but was interrupted as the floor between her and Shepard exploded as Samara threw what energy she had left into an explosion, throwing the two groups apart as a firefight broke out.

Legion and Garrus climbed onto the nearest platform, turning to help Samara aboard. Shepard pushed himself off the ground and ran towards the platform ignoring SMG shots absorbing into his shields, rolling onto the metal surface and behind one of the raised barricades serving to protect the console in the middle. He looked up from his prone position, seeing Legion by the console.

"Legion can you get this thing moving?" Shepard asked, grabbing his SMG and firing blindly around the side of the barricade.

Legion considered him for another moment then turned to the console, fingers typing rapidly. The platform began to move.

Shepard leaned around the cover to see Kasumi moving to the other platform's control console, Jack climbing to her feet and Miranda standing at the edge of their platform. Zaeed was kneeling by the control console, using the barricade as a stabilizer – Shepard swung himself back behind cover as three sniper rounds rippled the air where he had just been.

Shepard ran a hand through his short hair, trying to process the past ten seconds. He had recruited every member of his team, they had all saved each other's lives on more than one occasion. But this was it – their allegiance to him only went as far as his pocket could stretch or his morals extended. He regretted it had to be this way, but he readied his sniper rifle with a set jaw and rolled back around the cover.

"Which path are we supposed to take?" Garrus shouted, kneeling on the other side of cover. He had his sniper out too but was looking backwards, towards the multiple passages approaching quickly.

"I left my coin in my cabin," Shepard said before holding his breath to squeeze a shot off at Kasumi operating the other platform which had just lifted off and was moving in their direction. She ducked down, leaving only fleeting fingers visible as they moved around the console. "You guess!"

"Legion take that one!" Garrus said, pointing to the darkest tunnel, "No not that one – that one!" The platform began a wide turn to make for an upcoming passage.

"Sniper fire, get down!" Shepard shouted as he moved back behind the barricade, pulling Legion's leg.

"Productivity is suffering." Legion stated unperturbed as a bullet whizzed past its head, hands a flurry over the console.

The platforms were picking up speed now, Shepard was grateful for their head start. As they entered the dark tunnel they were cast in shadows again. They could make out shapes but details were obscured as the platform whizzed around twists and turns, cold air rushing past them.

Though their own platform's gentle hum made it difficult to hear if any others were incoming there was no sign of the platform behind them. Shepard's eyes rested on his allies. Without hesitation they had aligned themselves with him. They agreed with him, that this war could be won without sacrificing what they stood for. They were loyal and would follow him through hell and back. He would never forget those who stood with him this day, the defining moment for humanity. It was through the effort of all races that they would triumph over their foe, not just the strength of one.

He squinted in the dimness to discern what lay ahead when a familiar thrum met his ears. Not collector wings but… "Samara! Shield!" he shouted, moving closer to the center of the platform where Samara kneeled against the barricade. She stood, taking a deep breath before closing her eyes and throwing up another biotic barrier just as the first swarm of seekers repelled off of them.

"Legion find the fastest way through this, Samara can't keep this up long!" Shepard said loudly, eyes trying to pick up signs of light past the clouds of machine insects.

A glimpse of flashes could be seen on their left and Shepard stared hard to make it out. Something in a parallel passage that could be seen through occasional breaks in the walls. Sounds of muffled gunfire could be heard over the noise of humming engine and thrumming wings.

Then they rounded a corner and found themselves in a massive brightly lit hall. Huge portions of the outer walls were missing allowing the dying sun to fill the entire chamber with orange light. The sounds of gunfire intensified in the empty space around them and they looked back to see another platform emerging from the wall their tunnel had just emptied from.

A biotic bubble protected the inhabitants who were besieged by collectors, flying from the tunnel behind them like angry bees. Seeker swarms choked the air around the biotic bubble, waiting for it to fall.

"Keep us moving Legion, it looks like there are more tunnels at the end of this one." Shepard ordered, crouching behind the barricade and looking through the scope of his sniper rifle. Jack was keeping the shield up around the other platform with one hand and firing her pistol with the other.

His finger tensed around the trigger, lining up the shot. He squeezed.

A collector that just moved in front of Jack went rigid as a sniper round lodged in its spine before slumping forward. Shepard cursed as he expelled the shell and reloaded, lining up another shot, but this time Jack saw him and threw her free hand over the console, causing it to rise several meters and cast most of its riders out of view.

"How much further to the core?" Shepard asked, not taking his eye from the scope.

"Based on initial scans of base design, the next passage will lead directly to the core room." Legion responded, typing a series of commands into the console and kneeling beside Shepard, removing its long rifle from its back.

The seeker swarms retreated back to their dark tunnels, refusing to chase after the platforms which easily outstripped them.

The platform accelerated, speeding towards the opposite side of the chamber as they fought off collectors that had begun noticing them. Legion downed one after another before they reached the platform, causing their bodies to drop like black flies into the endless dark below.

Shepard ran out to meet one that reached their platform, throwing his elbow into its face before it could ready its weapon. As it stumbled he pushed his shotgun forward past its barriers to nuzzle its skin, and blew out its stomach point blank.

Samara stood and threw a ball of biotic energy at an oncoming collector trying to land on their platform, causing it to lose its balance in midair and fall clumsily halfway on. It clawed at the smooth surface trying to get a grip but it continued sliding backwards before slipping from view. Another landed nearby and Samara stood, pushing her arms forward as she stepped towards it. It stumbled back as an invisible wall pushed it closer and closer to the edge trying to brace itself, before it too disappeared over the side.

The sound of an Incisor barked in the distance and Samara's abdomen exploded before her.

Nearby Shepard dashed to pull the swooning Justicar back before she fell forward. He dragged her to the center barricade, knowing there was little they could do. Her wounds were close-knit, creating an area almost a foot across in diameter of destroyed flesh. She was conscious but only because her mind hadn't caught up to her body. She opened her mouth once to try to breath but her diaphragm had been torn apart. She saw this and stopped trying, calmly taking a weakening grip on Shepard's hand.

"Right decision… Shepard." She managed, eyes unafraid. She coughed, insides visibly contorting with the action as blue blood spilled from her mouth. "Live by it."

He could see her body shudder as it told her to attempt to draw the breath she refused. The shudders became more violent, shaking her insides. Shepard met her blue eyes with his; he would be with her until the end. Her expression wasn't one of apathy but serenity. She had no fear, no unknown.

Her eyes fixed on Shepard as gunfire flew overhead. He met her gaze with solemn gratitude. Then her irises retracted, pupils dilated, and body relaxed in its slumped position. He rested her hand on her chest, drew his SMG and fired as more collectors landed near him.

Shepard threw his shoulder into a collector that just landed. Rising over its bent double form he placed his hands on one of its wings and with a swift jerk broke it at the joint before kneeing the collector off the side.

"Legion!" he shouted, taking another collector from the side as it grappled with Garrus over his rifle, kicking its knee in and forcing it to turn away or break its leg. He swung his pistol around and put a bullet in the back of its head. "Take us away from the darker tunnel ahead – if we catch any swarms we're dead!"

Legion was standing behind the console, fending off a collector whose weapon had been overloaded. With machine efficiency it thrust the alien back just far enough to turn the shotgun into the collector's chest and fired as it dropped its weight back in. A small spurt of orange spray decorated the geth's metallic chassis before running down; the collector dropped to its knees, feebly clawing at its wound then fell back as its milky eyes dimmed. Legion turned and started retyping commands into the console, correcting their current path which led them directly into the darkest tunnel.

More platforms could be seen now, some emerging from the far end of the room where they came from, some rising from the darkness below, all laden with enemies. A shadow cast over Shepard and Garrus and they looked up to see another platform keeping pace with them. A moment later shapes could be seen leaping off of it – husks, trying to board their hover craft.

"Husks! Legion get us out of here!" Shepard ordered as he engaged three that'd just dropped on the edge before they had a chance to get their balance.

"Additional control over platform's mobility requires complete application. Proceed?" Legion confirmed, lining up a shot with its sniper and putting a bullet in a docking platform's control console. Instantly the humming stopped and before the first husk could step over the remaining gap the platform dropped out of sight.

"Do it! We'll keep them off you." Shepard said, drawing in towards the center with Garrus to protect Legion as it began typing again. Within moments the platform began moving ahead of the others, throwing itself left and right before boarders made it on.

Another loud humming met their ears and they turned to see the other group's platform flying overhead. They were too busy to notice Shepard's group however, having several collectors and husks to deal with. They disappeared into one of the tunnels, biotic shield going up just before they disappeared from sight seconds before Shepard's platform took another path.

"EDI, does the Reaper know we're coming?" Shepard asked, bringing up his omni tool as they entered another tunnel, though this one was much better lit. Legion took the turns quickly, lens estimating speed versus platform's mass and bringing them within feet of perpendicular walls before skimming alongside them.

"I have no way of knowing if it is conscious, though based on scans of development I would recommend extreme caution." EDI's voice said through their comms.

"It's conscious." Shepard muttered, checking one weapon before holstering it and bringing out the next.

"Any idea what we'll find, Commander?" Garrus asked, dialing his sniper lens a fraction of an inch and checking the sights again.

Shepard's mouth twisted into a grim grin. He stood at the edge of the platform, readying his sniper rifle as the light dimmed and the platform began to plummet. He cocked the weapon, spending an empty casing. "Hell, boys." The tunnel opened suddenly again and they found themselves near the top of a tall chamber. They descended rapidly, noting the multiple firefights occurring below. "And we're dropping in hot."

This chamber was darker than the last, lit only by white lights along the walls similar to a construction site and from an orange glow emitting from the floor which was lined with countless tubes and coils running between rowed structures that must have been power generators. Several meters above these floated the platforms which had begun connecting around the raised middle of the room where a single console stood. That had to be it – where they needed to end this.

Legion knelt by the edge of their lowering platform, watching the combat.

Below the other group had been broken down into two groups being pushed apart as collectors dropped between them. Zaeed and Kasumi took turns keeping constant fire on the oncoming hordes of husks, dropping to reload as the other stood to fire.

One collector rounded the corner where the other two knelt when Jack stood, clothes-lining the collector with a biotic force equivalent to a freight train, shattering every vertebra in its spine. It flapped once like an apron before hitting the ground hard and lying motionless. Another collector tried running past the first but Jack brought her arm around in a swift hook, slamming the back of the collector's head five feet away with biotic energy and planting its face into the ground. She drew her pistol and pumped shots into the body until it stopped moving before turning to face the others.

Miranda rose and brought her arms up as another collector came around the other side of cover, concentrating all of her power on levitating the collector higher and higher into the air. Then with a grunt she threw it sideways into an oncoming cluster, bowling several over as it slammed into them.

"Zaeed, grenade!" Kasumi yelled, ducking back around cover as she spent her last clip. Her breathing was off circuit, she could feel herself panicking and couldn't stop it. She brought up her omni tool and typed rapidly.

"Don't you dare!" Zaeed shouted at her, throwing a dirty look her way before continuing to fire into the oncoming husks.

A blue wave of static swept around her body causing it to ripple once, and then disappear. Her shadow against the wall faded and she let out a silent sigh of relief. A second later a fountain of blood sprayed out of thin air onto the barricade she knelt beside.

She gasped shallowly and instantly reappeared, wide hole at the base of her neck revealing a wound that stretched down into her abdomen.

Above them Legion spent a casing and reloaded.

"Sonnava bitch." Zaeed cursed as he swiftly reached down and retrieved her SMG, popping in a fresh clip and firing it simultaneously with his assault rifle, moving to the side where vertical cover protected him from sniper fire.

A loud screech like a thousand pieces of chalk against a blackboard met their ears almost causing them to drop their weapons. The collectors were unaffected, advancing on them all implacably.

"What the hell was that?" Garrus asked through the comm, stretching his jaw to try to rid the echoes from his ears.

"One guess." Shepard answered as the air vibrated with malevolent energy. He looked up, catching movement in a dark crevice where no light shone. It was massive. He picked out two fiery orbs staring down of them all before light glinted off dark metal as it emerged.

The Reaper scurried over the ceiling. Against the wall it was easy to make out the silhouette – a human cut off at the torso, leaving a long scorpion-like tail for a spine. It scrambled overhead, head turning backwards on its body to continue facing them. It screamed again, fiery orbs unblinking.

It opened its mouth and revealed a vortex of spinning energy accumulating larger and larger. Shepard didn't know what this was but he didn't like it. "Spread out!" he ordered, moving to the edge of their platform.

Sure enough when the ball reached capacity it released pillars of fire down on the units below, bypassing Shepard's platform entirely and obliterating ranks of collectors and husks as Miranda and Jack found cover. All attention was on the Reaper now and Shepard wondered how much time they had before reaching the bottom.

Not enough, he realized as the Reaper aligned itself directly overhead, scanned the area below to confirm a target, and let go.

"Jump ship, move – move!" Shepard shouted to his team, backing up a few feet before sprinting into a leap off the platform. He couldn't see where Garrus or Legion went but he heard the sound of shearing metal and immense mass crashing into the floor behind him.

He fell twenty feet and hit the ground, buckling his knees and rolling. Standing quickly he took in the new layout of the battlefield.

Shepard was two platforms away from the center where the primary control console stood. Past that Miranda and Jack were dodging around cover picking off collectors. To their right the Reaper had landed, destroying several platforms with its impact and cutting power to the lights around them.

He spotted Garrus clambering back onto the platforms from the floor below, Legion helping him up. They were near where Zaeed had disappeared though the mercenary was no where to be seen.

Shots darted past his face in the universal sign that the enemy had noticed him and he ducked behind the barricade formulating a plan. He just needed a few seconds beside the console to plant a charge and blow the system, sending the local generators haywire. He didn't know what would happen when they fell off the grid – some would lose their capacity and overcharge themselves, others might short and send power all over the place. What he did know was that the base would either fry from the inside out or be sucked into the dying sun.

He stood, moving behind a vertical barricade and put his team on the comm. "We've gotta get this done before the Reaper kills every person in this room. Do what you can to keep the others off my back but most importantly: Stay alive. If I die up there one of you needs to finish arming the charge."

"Got it Shepard, we'll keep them off you," Garrus answered, "Move on my mark... Go! You've got a break Shepard, Legion and I will keep 'em distracted."

Shepard spun around the barricade and sprinted one platform closer towards the console. In his peripherals he saw Legion and Garrus leapfrogging cover. One would move up then watch for the other as they moved to the next piece of available cover. Beyond them the Reaper was picking itself up from the ground, sweeping tail flailing dangerously close to the platform-islands.

"I know you feel this."

Shepard let his body drop as he sprinted past another piece of vertical terrain causing the fireball to miss his head by inches. He could feel its warmth on his scalp as he scrambled back around the cover; Harbinger less than a yard away coming towards him.

"I do not have time for this!" Shepard yelled drawing his shotgun. A platform away he saw Miranda break free of a crowd of husks, spot him and raise her SMG. He snarled as he pumped two shots in her direction, knowing it would be like shooting an ant with his eyes closed if he managed to hit at this distance. She knew it too, not even flinching as the closest slug passed several feet over her head.

He raised the broadside of his shotgun over his torso as her first volley unleashed, hearing several shots pinging off the side as others absorbed into his shields. He calculated her Locust's ammo usage and knew she had to reload right about...–

"You cannot resist."

Shepard swung round to see Harbinger coming around the corner. He automatically raised his shotgun and felt the trigger pull effortlessly back, clicking twice. "Shit."

Harbinger raised a flame-caressed hand which Shepard knocked away, using the shotgun as a means to fend the fiery claws off. He lunged forward, bringing the butt of the weapon down with his elbow to meet the collector's face.

If its head even budged Shepard didn't see it. It grabbed his weapon and tore it from his grasp with a swift jerk, dropping it to the ground as it reached for his face with the other. Shepard moved to the side, bringing his forearms around either side the extended limb and snapping them in an elbow break.

"This is pointless." Harbinger rasped as it retracted its rock-steady arm, firm grip now around Shepard's forearm. Shepard brought his leg up to keep the other claw from reaching his face – he could already feel the heat building up in his forearm through his armor and he knew his bare flesh wouldn't last long against Harbinger's embrace.

He grimaced at the expressionless face staring back at him, glowing milky white eyes vacant. Even against his leg muscles Harbinger's arm was succeeding, tirelessly pressing in.

Shepard didn't know if this would do anything but he was out of ideas. He pulled his free arm back, ceasing to try to wrest his trapped arm away from Harbinger's body, lined up the hook, and sank his fist into one of the collector's eyes.

As tech-oriented as collectors seemed to be they did still have blood, and they did still have nerves. Even Harbinger's mental lash couldn't stop the collector's body from reeling in agony, clear fluid seeping out around Shepard's knuckles as he reached in as far as the socket would allow, tearing at anything he could grasp. He was thankful he couldn't feel anything that happened on the outside of the gloves, though he could still feel pressures and small pops as he ripped through the surrounding area.

The arm holding him released, instead grabbing his forearm and pulling it out of its eye socket. Suddenly the other arm palmed his chest, claws firmly locked into niches in his armor, and the next thing Shepard knew he was being lifted off his feet. Harbinger tossed him away like a rag doll and Shepard hit the ground rolling on his side.

He gasped, trying to get the wind that'd been knocked out of his lungs and stood uneasily, trying to get oriented. He saw the console on the next platform and he stumbled towards it, throwing a look over his shoulder to make sure Harbinger wasn't directly behind him.

"Nice wings, Capt'n, when'd you learn to fly like that?"

Shepard spun in time to see Jack swing at him from three yards away. He threw himself to the side and heard the barricade behind him cleave in two. He landed weapon drawn and aimed.

Most people tended to stop at that point but Jack continued to stride forward. She stomped on the ground and Shepard rolled as a mini-shockwave went through the ground by him. He stood, making it clear his weapon was operational and sighted but she still moved towards him.

Shepard scanned around them, looking for Miranda.

"Looking for the Bitch?" Jack asked, throwing a thumb over a shoulder behind her. "She got a little weighed down with those zombies. I thought she could handle it." She straightened herself and imitated a posh accent, "I say, there are simply too many!" she dropped to her usual slouch. "And then they ripped her apart. That was messy." She pointed at Shepard, "Gotta keep your eyes on the prize – or you end up dead."

He lifted the pistol, aiming it directly at her head.

She sneered, arms open. "C'mon Cap, we both know you don't got it in you."

Shepard's eyes narrowed. It was impossible to forgive yourself for killing a friend…

"Unfortunately for us both, Jack..." He cocked his pistol.

"You're wrong."

He didn't wait to see the look of surprise or betrayal – the look of fatal miscalculation so many had when they died. There were two kinds of people: cowards, who died with tears in their eyes and fear in their hearts; and those with delusions of grandeur who have only known life. Until that moment comes when they realize that they too are merely mortal and their time has come much sooner than they could have ever imagined. Shepard hated that look. The look a god has when they realize they are nothing.

He didn't wait to see that look. He pulled the trigger.

Her body dropped as he walked towards the console, checking the situation of the Reaper. It seemed to be having difficulty differentiating friend from foe, likely running on the most basic of programming. It swept up large swathes of husks in a clawed hand, shearing them apart with a simple squeeze before returning to the battle like a giant robot scorpion.

"Shepard I took out a Harbinger so be on the look out. Another one may be popping up any minute." Garrus said over the comm, voice broken up by firing in the background.

Shepard neared the console, "I read you Garrus, I'm at the control panel now. Let's get this done quick before the bastard has a chance to come back."

He scanned his surroundings once more focusing on the console. He wasn't an expert when it came to alien tech but he managed the basic commands and pulled up a power node menu. He informed it that it was time for routine maintenance and the ground to his right steamed as a cylinder slowly rose from the platform. It stopped waist height and he knelt beside it, finding the best place to plant the charge.

A shadow was cast over the complex circuitry and Shepard whipped his pistol around. However before he could get a target a fist had descended into his face and he stumbled away, falling to the ground.

"I always wondered, Shepard," Zaeed spoke, forehead bleeding from where a shot had skimmed his skull, "What made you so goddamn special. Why the Illusive Man didn't just hire me outright to do the job you were brought back to life for." Shepard pushed himself off the ground, shaking his head to clear it of the grey specks. "I guess we're just gonna have to find out the old fashion way, eh?" he said, drawing a long knife from his calf armor.

"What's up Zaeed…?" Shepard said, catching his breath and climbing to one knee, "Jealous I get the skills and the looks?"

"Oh a few seconds with my old friend here's gonna change one of those real quick." Zaeed chuckled, brandishing his knife. He closed the gap between them and kicked his boot at Shepard's face.

Shepard caught it and punched the back of Zaeed's knee, forcing him to turn away. Shepard stood quickly, placing one arm under the his opponent's chin and putting him in a blood choke to cut off circulation to the brain, tucking in and closing any gap between their bodies. But Zaeed was a trained mercenary, after fruitlessly trying to yank Shepard's arm away he flipped the blade in his hand and stabbed behind him. He overshot and Shepard heard his shielding unit spark – looking over his shoulder he saw Zaeed pull the knife from the armored compartment. His shields dissipated in an instant and Zaeed threw his arm behind him again.

Shepard grunted as he felt it slide between the fibers of his side armor, slipping between his ribs. He exhaled, keeping his body tight to minimize the damage, trying to calculate how much longer Zaeed had before he blacked out. But the mercenary continued to struggle, wrenching the knife out and plunging it in again. Shepard's lungs begged for breath but he held it in. Finally Zaeed began turning the blade, muscle pinching between his ribs which were being forced apart, and Shepard knew he had to disengage or he wouldn't survive long enough to arm the charge.

He stepped away and the mercenary fell forward coughing. Shepard held an arm to his side suppressing a pained shudder as he drew his pistol. He moved closer to finish Zaeed inside his shields but the mercenary rolled over suddenly, SMG drawn.

They fired simultaneously, Shepard's bullet deflecting off the shields as round after round of Locust fire punched into his armor up his chest, final shot grazing the side of his neck.

Shepard stumbled back, even through armor bullets felt like being rapidly beaten with a sledgehammer. Minus the physical damage sometimes having the bullets go through you was easier to take. He dove to the side around cover to avoid the remainder of the clip as Zaeed rose to his feet.

Still trying to catch his breath Shepard put his back to the barricade, putting a hand over his neck which was bleeding profusely. As his adrenaline dipped he suddenly felt very lightheaded. The entire chamber swam before him as his oxygen deprived brain began aching. 'Thas no… good…'

He fumbled for his own SMG and clumsily leveled it on the barricade over his head, firing its entire clip in a direction he hoped Zaeed's face was occupying. He placed his other hand over the side of the weapon as heat built up, catching the red hot ejecting clip.

Concentrating hard he brought the glowing clip in his hand into focus. He couldn't afford to screw this up. He tilted his head and felt for the wound with his fingers. He found it. Even with grazes head and neck wounds bled entirely too much. The tissue around the wound had been torn apart, shot running almost the length of his neck. A centimeter deeper and Shepard doubted this would work.

Shepard took several stabilizing breaths, holding the last one in as he brought his hand holding the overheated thermal clip to his neck.

A method Shepard had learned in interrogation training was to turn pain into anger, hatred for your enemy. It took your mind off the pain and further fueled your desire to hurt the other side. But methods had their limits – and having a red hot iron pressed against an open wound brought that method to its threshold instantly. It took every ounce of willpower for the writhing Shepard to keep his hand there despite every brain impulse telling him to take it away. Not until… There it was: the smell of smoldering skin.

He shuddered as he took the metal away, ignoring the horrible smell that accompanied it. That would do for a field repair, if he managed to get out of here alive he might seek some corrective surgery to repair all the nerves he'd just burnt out.

"You done bleeding out yet Shepard? I want to get paid for the trouble you're giving me." Zaeed called from somewhere beyond cover. By the sounds of stress in his voice he might've been hit from Shepard's last volley.

"What happens when you get greedy Zaeed. You saw what happened to Kasumi." Shepard answered weakly, moving to a crouched position and sliding his way along the cover towards the console. At the edge he could see the power node still on standby where he'd left it. If he could just get something as simple as a grenade in there it'd send the place into chaos.

"Shepard the Reaper's going berserk and we're running out of enemies, get that charge planted!" Garrus shouted over the comms. Shepard looked several platforms ahead and saw the Reaper sweep up the crowd of collector's surrounding Legion. Its fingers snapped like scissors cutting them all in half until it reached Legion's metal body. It brought the geth to its large orange eyes, examining the struggling machine. The Reaper brought its other hand to Legion's torso and pulled the geth in half.

The Reaper tossed the two pieces aside and dropped its gaze, eyes meeting with Shepard's. It screeched and then began crawling towards him. Shepard turned and found the most densely populated piece of circuitry board and slapped the charge on it.

"No!" he heard Zaeed's hoarse yell from the other side of the platform. He poked his head out and let off a few bursts of SMG to keep the mercenary down. Another screech came from behind him and he looked back, then up.

The Reaper raised itself and was coming down on their platform. Shepard threw his body forward and heard a monstrous arm slam into the platform surface. He looked back, seeing the power node forced back into its tube.

He waited. Did it work? Nothing was happening.

A few lights stuttered on the walls. Then he began hearing a few of the generators below churning faster and faster. One blew suddenly, sending visible charges of power through the cables that connected to other generators. Then several more exploded, sending sparks everywhere. The Reaper looked around, trying to take in the chain reaction.

Then a high pitched ringing pierced the air. It grew louder and louder, the source coming from under the central platform. Shepard pushed himself off the ground and ran flat out in the opposite direction. He threw himself over a barricade and made himself as small as he could against the base of it, hearing the sound reach a crescendo.

The central platform blew, orange flames reaching almost half way up the chamber. Long shadows were cast around the room away from the explosion as Shepard could see the shadow made by the Reaper on the wall penetrated and then enveloped by light.

Shepard put a hand to his comm, trying to catch Garrus on the comms but their communication had been fried.

He stood, taking in the ruins of the room as the exploding generators produced enough light to see by. "Garrus!" he called, stumbling around. A shock of blue armor caught his eye under a nearby piece of rubble. He rushed to it, shouldering the debris and trying to lift the debris from his friend when he heard a gun click. He looked up and saw Miranda, uniform torn in areas and hair matted with various bloods, aiming her Locust at him.

"Do you have any idea what you just cost humanity, Shepard?" she asked him, voice a mixture of anger and exhaustion. "The tech we could have discovered from this place."

"I know exactly what it would have cost us." Shepard answered, dropping the debris and standing to face her fully. His life was in her hands now, he knew he couldn't draw a weapon fast enough before she emptied an entire clip into his unshielded body. "I stand by my decision. You lost, Miranda. You chose a different path and you lost. Now its time we put that behind us and fight this war that's just beginning."

"This isn't about me, Shepard. This is about humanity–" Miranda said, eyes narrowing.

"Not using our own dead as a weapon? Miranda how many more humans were needed to finish this Reaper? What were we going to do with the tech, build our own Reaper army?" Shepard asked, throwing his arm towards the dead Reaper for emphasis. "It's time you stop thinking like one of them and realize that you're a human being, with feelings and emotions – not a machine."

Her eyes widened as she looked into his eyes, gun still raised.

"What's it gonna be Miranda. You've got the gun." He asked, lowering his arms. "We can all die here or live to fight the real war that's coming. The one that matters."

Her finger tensed around the trigger. Then she shook her head, lowering her weapon. "When we return to the Normandy I'll follow your orders."

"You're going back to Cerberus, I can't have you disobeying my command again." Shepard stated simply, going back to Garrus trapped under a large piece of metal and kneeling to lift it off. "If we had to die I would prefer it to be in a war against the Reapers than all of us dying here pointlessly." He grunted as he lifted the piece off Garrus.

Garrus coughed, looking tired. "We do it?" he asked meekly, green eyes focusing on Shepard. Before Shepard could answer the platform they were on suddenly lifted off, debris haphazardly sliding off the sides and making it rock dangerously.

"The systems are going haywire, no telling where this thing is going!" Shepard shouted to make himself heard over the sounds of metal clanging and sliding echoing all around the room.

"That's exactly what I say when I follow you anywhere." Garrus chuckled, holding his side as he stood warily, holding onto the nearby console for support. The screen was flashing alien symbols and binary, a jumble even their tech experts wouldn't have been able to make sense of. Shepard just hoped the Normandy was operational and could find their location, there was no way they were getting out of here without help.

Their platform suddenly lifted at a greater speed, heading straight for the ceiling.

"Uhh, Shepard?" Garrus asked uncertainly, looking between the rapidly encroaching roof and his commander.

"Wait for it..." Shepard reassured him calmly. They continued to speed up, not showing signs of changing course.

Garrus waited another moment. "Commander?"

"Not yet." Shepard answered, waiting for the platform to alter direction and take them to the tunnels they'd entered on their left.

"Commander!" Miranda exclaimed, grabbing his arm and moving towards the platform's edge.

"Okay yeah it's not changing. Jump – that one there!" Shepard said, grabbing the turian and falling almost forty feet to the next platform.

He hit the ground with Miranda and rolled, Garrus landed and absorbed the shock in his large knees.

"This one's heading for a tunnel, maybe it can take us back!" Garrus said. They caught the buzzing sound of wings as they entered the dark passage and drew their weapons. Shepard noticed Garrus had Legion's Widow Rifle. Garrus saw his look and nodded. "For Legion." The platform followed the tunnel's turns roughly, only correcting its course once it'd made firm contact with the opposing walls. Suddenly after a sharp turn a swarm of collectors flew past, a few reacting in time to land on the platform before it sped past.

Garrus dropped one before it'd raised its weapon, powerful sniper rifle punching through its barriers with ease.

Shepard tried the comms but to no avail. Whatever happened they had to keep fighting and trust that his team would save them if they were able.

"We're coming up on the passage-chamber we came from!" Miranda shouted over gunfire, raising a collector with biotics high enough to hit an outcrop from the tunnel wall and sending it spinning behind them.

"If we're getting a rescue that'd be the place to do it." Shepard said, dropping a collector after it spent its clip. The tunnel shook suddenly as an explosion from the deeper parts of the base rocked the foundations.

They entered the brightly lit chamber again at high speeds, platform spinning slightly as it came off the tunnel at an angle.

"Shepard! It's the shuttle!" Garrus shouted from the far side of the platform. Beyond one of the great gaps in the chamber's wall the Normandy could be seen waiting. Quickly flying to meet them was the shuttle which could easily fit between the cracks in the walls.

The buzz of wings returned and Shepard moved to a covering fire position, gesturing for Miranda to get behind him and Garrus. The collectors landed and he exchanged fire with them as the shuttle drifted away, not affording any stray shots damaging their only way out.

They were half way across the room now and needed to get off the base before it blew. Shepard looked back to the dark shuttle windows, motioning them to come closer when their part of the rotating platform came around again. He held out his pistol to Miranda and swapped her SMG. Popping a fresh clip into his own Tempest he broke cover, submachine guns blazing.

The collectors went down and he spared a quick glance to see Garrus leap the short gap between the platform and open shuttle doors, almost overshooting due to the platform's rotation. As the shuttle pulled away again Garrus took a position inside, leaning against the wall to stabilize his long rifle.

Explosions ran alongside a fuel line in the chamber's inner walls, showering them with small rocks and more rubble.

Shepard reached around the corner of cover to empty his Tempest's clip into the collector's shields, then brought the Locust around to finish them off.

"C'mon let's go!" Garrus shouted. Miranda leapt over the gap and into the shuttle, turning once there and firing both pistols into the swarm of incoming collectors.

Shepard saw them coming and dropped his weapons, sprinting for the edge of the platform. Shots zipped past his body, he felt the air ripple beside his face where a shot had been a hair's breadth away from hitting him. He was feet from making the jump when he sensed something coming down from above. Looking up he saw a platform speeding ahead and Zaeed dropping down on him.

He landed on Shepard and the two tumbled, rolling off the edge.

"Shit!" Garrus pounded the cabin door to the cockpit, "Go down! Shepard dropped, go down!"

Shepard elbowed Zaeed's face several times while they fell, managing to turn himself on top as another platform flew under them. Zaeed's shields broke the fall, shorting as he landed on his back and Shepard rolled off.

"It's over Zaeed, you can't get it back!" Shepard explained breathlessly.

Zaeed finally coughed, restoring breath to his lungs. "This… isn't over – Shepard. This is just beginning." He climbed to his feet. "It's not about humanity, it's about you," he pointed, then thumbed to himself, "and me. And we're not going anywhere till it's finished."

Shepard shook his head, he was about to tell him how this was pointless but Zaeed lowered his shoulder and charged. He moved to the side but the mercenary spun last second, colliding with Shepard.

Zaeed landed on top but was thrown off as Shepard rolled with the momentum. Seeing Shepard reach for his pistol Zaeed kicked out, connecting his boot to his opponent's head and almost knocking him out.

Shepard scrambled over to Zaeed before he could climb to his feet, placing his hands around the man's thick neck – thumbs pressing in on his airway. Zaeed punched the wound on Shepard's neck and ruptured the cauterization, causing blood to flow freely again.

The platform hit the chamber wall just as explosions ran alongside them. Zaeed used the momentary distraction to buck his hips and throw Shepard off, drawing his knife and rolling over onto him.

His hands on Zaeed's wrist, Shepard kept the knife from inching any closer to his body. Zaeed adjusted himself higher, putting more weight behind the blade. The knife dipped dangerously close to Shepard's Adam's apple as his strength waned against the added mass.

Just then the wall over Shepard's head exploded. Close to the ground Shepard was protected but Zaeed caught the full blast of it. Momentarily stunned he fell backwards, Shepard taking control of the knife. But before he could do anything the wall behind him exploded again, throwing them away as a large piece of debris landed on the platform.

The platform began to dip with the excess weight and Shepard stood, seeing the shuttle lowering to meet them. He looked back and saw Zaeed trapped under the massive slab of wall, head bleeding from multiple shrapnel lacerations. He caught Zaeed's eye and the man chuckled.

"That was it…" Zaeed coughed, blood dribbling from his mouth. "That… was the end."

Shepard dropped the knife, knowing it was over. Shaking his head he brought a hand to his neck trying to stem the blood flow. Adrenaline was wearing off again. He widened his eyes, things in the distance were growing blurrier… darker…

"Shepard!"

He turned slowly. The shuttle was close to the platform's edge. He needed to get there. The doors were open, hands outstretched to greet him. He couldn't see their faces. Too blurry. Too dark.

"Let's move Shepard, you've got a train to catch!"

He turned and saw Jacob patting his shoulder, white teeth flashing.

"…Jacob?" he muttered, shaking his head to clear the delirium. He was still moving forward, feet trudging on. He looked back and saw Grunt, hands on his back and putting his full weight into Shepard to make him go.

"C'mon Shepard, what're we waiting for? Let's go!"

"I am going, Grunt. I'm…" He looked down; the feet under his body were drenched in blood. He took his hand away and couldn't see the black of his gloves for the crimson. "…Going."

"You've had your share of sin, Shepard." Thane said from his other side, placing a hand on his shoulder gently. "But you've had more than your share of the galaxy's burden. I'll be interested to see where you go next."

"Go… Yeah, I go." Shepard nodded, looking ahead. The large white cloud before him hovered closer, faceless figures reaching for him. "I'm… going… Where am I going?"

"Where we all go, Shepard." The air around him whispered, converging before him and giving form to Samara. "Home." She smiled at him, bringing a hand to his face and wiping away a smear of blood. "Come, she's waiting."

Shepard frowned at her, trying to understand. All he could think about was placing one foot in front of the other. He stumbled before being caught by Thane and Jacob on either side of him. Helping him to his feet they guided his next few steps before moving away.

He looked down, seeing nothing but blackness. Then he looked ahead, seeing the white clouds, the hands, the voices… It was peaceful.

It was difficult but he managed to turn. He had to see them again. His brain was too fuzzy to get a good grasp on everything. He looked over them all watching him. Samara smiled. Grunt pounded his chest. Thane bowed his head. Jacob saluted.

A hand fell on his shoulder and he looked over to see Ashley Williams standing beside him, hair in its usual bun, white armor luminescent. "It's time to go, Skipper." She grinned at him. "You ready to head up?"

"I… No?" Shepard muttered, trying hard to keep his eyes open now.

She took her hand away, gloves untouched by his blood. "Too bad, time for you to get outta here."

"Wait… Ash. You're not…" he whispered, unable to project his voice any louder.

"No…" she whispered in return, smiling as she leaned in, "And neither are you." She gently pushed him backwards.

Lack of blood caused loss of control of extremities and Shepard's knees buckled. He slowly fell back, arms outstretched, into the cloud.

Warm hands surrounded him, caressed him. He felt himself rising up higher, higher, gaining speed. Shepard began losing feeling throughout his body as he ascended.

Then they broke the darkness and Shepard saw only a bright light consuming his vision before it all turned to white.