"Lost In Time"
Chapter 4
A/N: I apologize for the delay in the update. I got obsessed with playing Lair of the Shadow Broker and Halo: Reach and I've been like a Zombie. I kinda sorta forgot where I was going with this fic but I'll try to live up to expectations. I currently don't have a beta so I apologize for any discrepancies in my grammar and any discrepancies in the story line. I'm not a big fan of the Codex. Also thanks to all of you who have reviewed, faved and placed this story on alert. Special thanks to FallingDarkAngel
for motivating me to continue. You're the best!
Disclaimer: Bioware owns Mass Effect and all it's characters. I just play in their sandbox and occasionally make holes in it.
Shepard ran towards the crowd. By now her blood was boiling in anger. She was sure that the reason for the disturbance was none other than the psychotic biotic. As she ran inside the damaged building she noticed Jack was nowhere in site.
"Jack! Where the fuck are you?" Shepard began walk towards the back of the building when she heard the biotics voice over the comm.
"Jesus, Shepard! You don't have to yell. I lost site of you guys. I'm a few blocks away. Where are you?"
Shepard was dumbfounded. If Jack didn't cause this then what did? As Shepard made her way outside the building she heard the familiar sound of sirens.
SHIT!
She sprinted towards the door but froze when she saw half a dozen men pointing guns at her.
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Miranda was pinned on the ground struggling against her attacker for air. She charged her biotics and released a warp against the Asari's body. As her attacker flew towards the wall Miranda jumped to her feet and charged at her.
"I knew you were lying!" Miranda threw another warp towards her but the Asari ducked out of the way.
"Cerberus trains it's lackeys well I see." Nyra wiped the trickling blood off her lips as she ducked once again.
"You knew all along who we were when we landed. I have to say you are a very good liar. But I'm better." Miranda took her fighting stance as the Asari regained her balance.
"I will destroy Cerberus at all costs! It's their fault our world is destroyed! You and that damned human will pay for all the suffering you've caused!" The Asari charged forwards once again but Miranda ducked and Nyra crashed into the wall. Taking advantage of the dazed alien, Miranda grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her back restraining her. The Asari yelled out in pain and finally dropped to her knees.
"I told you I have no idea what you're talking about! I don't work for Cerberus anymore. The only reason I'm here is to help the Commander with the Reapers!" Miranda guided her prisoner towards the back of the cave and restrained the Asari's hands with some rope that she found earlier at the camp.
"Now, tell me what is really going on. If you're here then the Illusive Man must have done something really terrible. I know you don't trust me but if it's that bad I want to help." Nyra let herself slide to the floor and leaned her head on her knees.
"So many dead... And all because of Cerberus. If it wasn't for Shepard, Illium wouldn't have been destroyed..."
Miranda was confused. As far as she knew the planet was fine. She had just been on Nos Astra a few weeks ago. Perhaps something happened when they left? She sat down next to Nyra and leaned herself against the wall.
"Tell me what happened."
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Shepard was sitting in a cold, metallic room. The man across from her intently staring at her and it was beginning to annoy her. A few minutes ago she had been taken into custody for the events at the department store. She had been the only one left inside and she couldn't fight back for fear of blowing cover. She had discreetly told her companions over her comm to not interfere. She advised them to resupply and get back to Miranda as quickly as they could. She would leave her comm open so that they could track her at all times. Finally the man began to speak.
"So tell me, what were you doing in there and how did you cause that explosion?" Shepard was amused now. The short, bald man was trying to play the 'good cop' role. She was just waiting for someone to burst into the room and take the 'bad cop' role. Shepard crossed her arms and leaned back against her chair.
"My name is Commander Jane Shepard and that's all I'm allowed to tell you." The volus looking cop stared at her and smirked.
"Commander? Really? From what branch of the military? No offense but you seem a little to young to be a 'Commander' ma'am."
"I told you I'm not allowed to tell you anything more."
"OK. Say I believe you. Why did you blow up that building then?" Shepard shifted in her seat and leaned forward.
"I didn't do it. I saw the blast an ran towards the building to see if anyone was hurt." Just as Shepard predicted another taller man burst in and slammed the palm of his hand on the cold, metal table.
"Stop lying and tell us what you were doing there!" The man reminded her of Udina. She chuckled and it made the man angry.
"You think this is funny? People could've gotten hurt! Not to mention we can't identify the explosives you used." The man's face turned a brighter red when Shepard shook her head and dismissed him. He really sucked at this 'bad cop' thing. Even Thane did a better job when they were interviewing Kelham. After a while of the Commander's silence they gave up and took her to a small holding cell.
Finally!
Shepard sighed and took a seat on the concrete slab against the wall. Making sure no one was around she activated her omni tool to contact her team mates.
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Miranda couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could the Illusive Man let millions of people die like that? Nyra had finally broken down and told her everything. The Illusive Man had finally gone power mad. Nyra explained that Shepard had been declared dead once again and that the Reapers had finally attacked. No one knew how Cerberus obtained the weapon that destroyed them but for the past 5 years humanity had taken dominance. The Illusive Man had declared himself leader and anyone that opposed him was exterminated. Illium had fallen when a group of Asari commandos gathered allies and declared war on Cerberus.
Destroying home worlds was how he maintained control. The Krogan had assumed a role in his power play as 'enforcers' when they were offered a restricted cure to the genophage. Millions had already died and humanity was taking advantage. The council was assassinated and the galaxy fell into a dictatorship. With home worlds destroyed and governments decimated the colonies fell into anarchy and soon had no choice but to succumb to human dominance.
Miranda was still confused. If all this was happening how was Nyra able to come back this far to stop Cerberus if everyone was monitored?
"Archangel." Nyra stood up and leaned against the dirt wall.
"He was able to remain unnoticed and with help from the Shadow Broker he obtained schematics for the portal. Along with a Quarian and a few other members we recreated the technology used to send you back. But somehow it malfunctioned and it threw us back more than a century. All he wanted to do was find your commander and bring her back. I don't know why he was so obsessed. He said that if we found her we would be able to fight Cerberus."
"Then why lie to us in the beginning. If you were sent to find Commander Shepard why not just tell us?" Miranda walked up to the Asari and motioned for her to turn so she could undo her restraints.
"Because it's her fault we're in this mess. If she hadn't been working for Cerberus to begin with none of this would have happened."
"There was no way of knowing that this would have happened. I can assure you that if Shepard knew what the Illusive Man was planning she would have never allowed it to happen."
"That may be so. But I still can't forgive her." Miranda was processing everything she heard when the name finally clicked.
"Wait, did you say Archangel?"
"Yes. He's a Turian. No one really knows who he is but he became the biggest opposition to Cerberus. He has a lot of followers and is the only one who has been able to oppose them effectively."
Garrus!
Miranda chose not to pursue the matter of Archangel until she knew more. If Shepard found out there was no telling how she would react. For now she decided not to mention anything.
Jacob ran into the cave with Jack following close behind.
"Miranda we have a problem. The Commander has been captured."
A/N: I apologize for the shortness of this chapter but I don't want to overload myself upon the risk of going into another fit of writer's block. Oh and one of my brothers broke my laptop. No one wants to take responsibility for it so now I have to come to my friends house to write. As I said, I have no beta and my grammar and structure might be a little (or a lot) off. Please feel free to correct me and make suggestions. Please review as reviews are what keeps me motivated to continue with this fic.
