Chapter 4. Main Event
"Thank you sir and have a nice day!".
Lieutenant Vega grabbed his foot long sandwich and soda from the Turian saleswoman then stepped out of line. He took in a mouthful while strolling back over to the middle of Armax Arsenal Arena's lobby. Suspended above him, held a large holographic information terminal displaying the various tournament events the arena had scheduled throughout the current week. Vega looked up and scanned the display while sipping his drink.
Some good matches this week, can't wait to shatter those records, he thought.
Turning his gaze left and right, Vega searched through the massive crowd of people hoping to find one of his companions but they were no where in sight.
There's a ridiculous amount of people here today, what gives? And where the hell did she disappear to?, Vega thought more.
The marine cued up his omni-tool to contact his friend when suddenly a small female figure proceeded to decloak right in front of him.
"Hey James. Looking for me?".
Vega jumped at her sudden appearance fortunately able to avoid dropping his sandwich, "Whoa! Kasumi you have got to stop doing that. Where'd you run off to?".
Kasumi grinned while shifting her weight to her right side, "I can't stand still, it's habit of mine". The thief scanned the food Vega was holding and frowned, "Aww man, you didn't get me anything? I see you got what you wanted though".
Vega shrugged and extended the foot long sub towards the thief, "You can have some if you want, it's meatball with extra sauce and three cheeses!".
As hard as Vega advocated for the sandwich, Kasumi put up a hand in front of her defensively, "I'll pass. Anyway, we sort of have a problem...or two big problems to be specific. I'll explain on the way".
Kasumi waved for Vega to follow as the two began to walk and merged within the bustling traffic of people.
Armax Arsenal Arena's staff was used to all kinds of walks of life from the galaxy. Mercs, military, off-duty/former c-sec officers or even your average Joe tough guy came by for an event or two. They were normally prepared and well equipped when someone wanted to cause trouble or make a scene. These two particular individuals however gave the staff some pause. The arena's customer service representative Silas Beere, was forced to intervene at the kiosk.
"NO! I do not understand you dumbass! How the hell can you just cancel our reservations with no refund? Who the hell do you think you are!".
"Ma'am please just cal-".
"STOP TELLING ME TO CALM DOWN THIS IS BULLSHIT!".
A giant Krogan fist pounded on the kiosk counter startling the customer service rep, "Jack is right! This is dishonorable, those unable to keep their word are unworthy to draw breath!".
A small crowd of on-lookers continued to point and watch in suspense of what was transpiring before them. Jack balled her fists then started to furiously pace back and forth with a scorching glare at Beere.
"Hey Grunt, you thinking what I'm thinking" asked Jack as her biotics flared.
Grunt grew a malicious grin and punched the palm of his left hand "We beat it out of em!".
Beere trying his hardest not to panic, thought to explain the situation to them one more time.
"Please! There is no need for this. We had an unexpected reservation request from a member of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance", explained Beere.
"What? A Spectre?", asked Jack.
Beere nodded and carefully explained further, "When we got the call, Armax Arsenal's board of directors immediately ordained that the Spectre's request be slotted as the arena's main event tonight".
Jack's biotics dissipated but Grunt didn't back down, "Then give us this Spectre's name, if they want to take our spot then they should earn it in an honorable battle, not because of some special status!".
"It's Loco".
A voice appeared behind Jack and Grunt. They both turned around to see Vega walking up to them with Kasumi at his side.
"Who?", Jack questioned.
Kasumi cued up her omni-tool and swiped a few times on it, "It's Shep, and not just him. Garrus and Tali are slotted as well along with some other Spectre, Ashley Williams?".
Vega turned to Kasumi, "The Normandy's current Executive Officer".
Beere nervously rubbing his hands interrupted them, "Again we do apologize for the inconvenience but there is really nothing that we can do now".
Grunt turned and chuckled, "Don't worry about it, if you would of just told us it was Shepard from the start I wouldn't have had to make you soil yourself like a baby pyjak".
"Wait a minute Grunt, now all of sudden you're OK with this?", asked Jack.
Grunt turned to Jack and shrugged, "If my Battlemaster needs our slot in the arena, who am I to argue?".
Kasumi stifled a laugh with the back of her hand.
"Oh screw you! You big 800 pound ball of cotton! Where is that boy scout Kasumi? If he thinks he doesn't owe me for this then he's got another thing coming!" said Jack.
Armax Arsenal Arena's west entrance was flowing with spectators entering the complex. The buzz and excitement about the day's main event was quickly spreading, even ticket scalpers were already there trying to make quick creds. A skytaxi flew overhead and landed in the valet area. Shepard, Ashley, Garrus and Tali remained seated inside and looked through the skytaxi's windows in amazement.
"Well Shepard, it only took a day for this to get out of hand", said Garrus.
Shepard cupped his hand above his eyebrows attempting to see farther "I didn't think this would be that big if a deal".
"Skipper how could you not have seen this coming? Citadel citizens basically worship you after saving their asses twice now, of course they are going to come see you in the arena", Ashley added.
Tali put a hand on her stomach, trying to settle some nerves."Keelah! That is a lot of people! Ugh, anybody else feeling a bit sick?".
Shepard cued up his omni-tool and paid the taxi driver. He then looked at the rest of the group and grinned, "I don't know about you guys but I'm excited, you ready?".
"Hell yeah, I say lets give the people what they want," said Ashley enthusiastically as she opened her door and exited the skytaxi.
The rest of the group followed suit, exciting the skytaxi and headed for the valet entrance. As they were walking the group was met by an elegantly dressed Asari and two heavily armed Turian guards. The Asari gracefully did a half bow and smiled at the group.
"Commander Shepard, Lieutenant Commander Williams, it is an extraordinary honor to have two of the Council's Spectre's attend the arena today. My name is Lisaya, I will be your escort this evening!".
Shepard politely smiled and rubbed the back of his neck, "Thank you for having us on such short notice. To be honest Lisaya, I might not have done this had I known it would cause such a commotion".
"Don't be silly Commander, the people want to see their heroes put on a show. I personally think this event will be a welcomed moment in the midst of tragedy that has swept over the galaxy." said Lisaya.
Shepard conceded with a nod then Lisaya turned and motioned for the group to follow. They walked through the double doors and were immediately greeted with a few cheers and waves from folks who were in multiple railed off lines waiting to buy tickets. Shepard acknowledged a few of them then continued to follow Lisaya through a door that led to a staff only hallway.
"Commander, we want you to know that Armax Arsenal Arena has prepared every option available in the C.P.R. to make sure this main event meets to your standards," Lisaya explained as she continued to lead.
"C.P.R.?" Shepard asked.
Lisaya smiled, "My apologies. C.P.R. stands for Combatant Preparation Room, it's where our combat participants go to prepare before an event".
Garrus grinned and patted Shepard's shoulder, "That's good to know they pulled out all the stops, don't need any excuses after this Shepard".
"Yeah yeah" Shepard replied.
Lisaya led the group to the end of the hallway where two other guards who were stationed there nodded at her arrival. The Asari cued her omni-tool and swiped her keycode over the door panel which unlocked it. She then lead the four competitors inside an elevator where they all gathered and made a ride downward.
"Excuse me Lisaya, but is all this security normal just to get to the C.P.R.?" Tali asked.
Lisaya shook her head, "No ma'am. We currently are using the staff entrance, there is another entrance that reaches the Combat Preparation Room from the Combatant Lounge Area".
"What's that area?" Ashley asked.
Lisaya turned towards Ashley and explained, "The Combatant Lounge Area is where our registered combatants can sit and wait for either their scheduled event or to simply watch other combatants in their event".
Garrus nodded, "Makes sense".
At the end of the trip, the elevator opened and revealed a large room filled with various equipment supplied by Armax Arsenal Arena to combat participants. Shepard, Ashley, Garrus and Tali looked around the room in amazement as their guide explained further.
"We have two armories, one on each corner end of the room stocked with the one of the best collection of licensed firearms. Over to your left you will see the Armor Equip room, which holds AAA's special made armor and equipment. Would you like me to explain how our combat system works?". said Lisaya
Garrus rubbed his mandibles with a thoughtful expression, "Hmm if I remember correctly the arena uses special made armor that works in synchronization with the holographic hostiles. Since you can't legally provide lethal holograms, the alternative is neural feedback. Anytime a combat participant gets hit with an attack, the neural feedback built in the suit calculates the approximate damage of that attack and sends an electric charge to the combatant".
Shepard cut in, "So the bigger the attack-".
'The more powerful the electric charge," Garrus finished.
"Well well, not only handsome but informed. Garrus Vakarian was it? I can see why you're in such company as Commander Shepard's" Lisaya said seductively.
Tali started to stomp towards Lisaya with a glare from hell but was cut off by Ashley.
"So hey! Uh..Lisaya...What is that large holo-screen on the wall there? Kinda looks important" said Ashley.
Lisaya turned towards the large holo-screen in front of the group and explained while she swiped on the screen, "This is the Combat Simulator. Here combatants can choose Enemy Combat Sets, Map Locations, Score Modifiers, and Bonuses that can be applied to an event".
Shepard folded his arms impressed by the display, "This is really nice".
"If I ever win the galactic lottery, this would be pretty high on my to-get list" added Ashley.
Garrus walked up to the Combat Simulator screen and studied it, then he turned and looked at the group, "We have to decide with an agreement on how our events are going to take place".
"Mr. Vakarian, may I suggest something.?" asked Lisaya.
"Sure"
Lisaya faced the Combat Simulator screen and with a few strokes, the screen disappeared. She then turned around and faced the group with a shy expression. "AAA's policy with main event participants is that the fans get to vote on the event conditions. It has been an effective way of creating some sort of interaction with those who love our arena but simply lack the skill to participate. Now of course we are willing to override this policy for participants with status's such as yours. AAA will fully comply with any conditions you deem necessary for your event".
Shepard looked around at his three companions and they all shrugged and agreed, "We like your idea Lisaya. Proceed with standard policy".
Lisaya let out a sigh of relief and did a half-bow, "Thank you so much Commander, today's spectators will be overjoyed at this sudden news. Well, I believe I have explained all that needs to be said, I shall leave you now in preparation. If there is anything you need please do not hesitate to ask".
"Thanks Lisaya, you've been a wonderful help and I have a feeling this event is gonna be special" replied Ashley.
With that, Lisaya excited the C.P.R. and left the group to prepare.
15 minutes into preparation, the two couples decided to split up to each end of the C.P.R. to have some privacy. Garrus and Tali were in the Armor Equip room checking the vast collection of special armors on display and planning their strategy.
"Any bright ideas or advice Garrus?" asked Tali.
Garrus shrugged "Honestly? Tali with the events now set at random all we can do is try to prepare for every situation and hope for the best. I often give Shepard a hard time but he and Ashley will probably put up a score that's gonna be tough to beat...don't tell him I said that though".
Tali laughed "Don't worry, I feel the same way about Ash, plus you're not too bad yourself you know. I'm just glad they're going first, gives us a chance to see what the battlefield will be like and what to watch out for".
"I say we stick to our strengths and help each other when we can. I like my distance while you like up close and personal. Did you bring your Combat Drone?" Garrus asked.
"Yup, upgraded her shields last night" replied Tali.
"Good that's going to be helpful" said Garrus.
Tali took a moment to think then broke their silence, "I'm glad you talked me out of bailing on this thing Garrus".
Garrus returned a puzzled look "You mean when you wanted to call the competition with Shepard and Ashley off?".
"Yeah. We don't get to spend much time like this...us together just having fun. No war. No death. No...Reapers. It's just the crew". said Tali.
Garrus could see the smile through her mask clearly and returned the gesture, "It's been one hell of a ride". Garrus then chuckled and grabbed a suit of special armor that caught his eye. "Now, help me put this on so we can go kick some ass".
"Hey Skipper, Revenant or Saber?," Ashley asked while scanning the armory.
Shepard smiled and shook his head while cleaning out his Paladin, "I'm sorry to break this to you Ash but you have overkill syndrome".
Ashley scoffed, "I do not! What about my Lancer back on the Normandy? Power and Finesse all in one" she said proudly.
"You only use that gun because one, I found it in the archives and two, because you're too lazy to reload" said Shepard.
Ashley smiled then leaned her left hip on the weapon bench while folding her arms, "I'm not lazy it's just more efficient".
Shepard laughed hard at that. He had to give her credit for her clear damage control. Shepard put his Paladin back together and turned to his left toward's Ashley, "No It's just more convenient not efficient. Reloading when done properly is much faster than ammo recharge. It's all abo-".
"HEY DUMBASS!"
Shepard was suddenly interrupted by a shout coming from his right. He turned and found a woman with tattoos head to toe making a beeline straight for him with a not so friendly stare.
What the hell? Jack?, Shepard thought.
Jack walked up to Shepard and punched him hard in the chest making him flinch, "Shepard what the hell gives you the right to take MY damn spot in the arena you bastard!".
Shepard rubbed his chest but before he could respond Ashley stepped in front of him. She placed a hand on Jack's chest and forced the biotic to take a couple steps back from Shepard's personal space.
"Um ma'am, who the hell are you and why are you harassing Commander Shepard? Are you even supposed to be in here? I suggest you leave...now!", Ashley said in a not so nice tone.
Jack smacked Ashley's hand off of her chest then stepped in her face and gave Ashley a glare, "First of all, don't ever put your damn hands on me. Ask anyone who's ever done that if I like it...oh wait you can't because they're all dead. Secondly, who the hell are you? Shepard's dog?".
Ashley's face turned furious.
Did she just call me a bitch?, Ashley thought.
Shepard quickly cut in, "Jack just calm down ok, this is Lieutenant Commander Ashley Williams".
Jack immediately recognized the name. She leaned back while folding her arms and grew a cocky grin beamed at Shepard, "Ohhhhhh so this is the Alliance chick that had you all depressed like a pussy half the time when we were fighting the Collectors?". Jack scanned Ashley up and down and shook her head.
Collectors? Oh...she's one of them, Ashley thought.
Shepard ignored Jack's comment deciding it be better to cut to the chase, "Jack why are you here and what do you want?".
Garrus and Tali noticed the commotion from the other side of the room and came over, "Shepard what's going on?".
*Decloak*
"Shep, Jack is upset that your reservations for the arena canceled the one we had scheduled".
Ashley jumped at the sudden appearance of a small Asian hooded woman, "What the hell? Who are you?".
"Goto Kasumi", said Kasumi with a sly smile and a half bow with her hands clasped behind her back."Pleasure to finally meet you Lieutenant Commander, I always wondered what kind of women Shepard was into".
Tali smiled and rushed to Kasumi and hugged her, "Ah! Kasumi I missed you! Shepard told me he ran into you on the Citadel", Kasumi returned Tali's hug.
"SHEPARD!".
'Loco!".
Shepard looked ahead at another voice shouting his name. In the C.P.R. walked in Grunt and Lieutenant Vega.
"Grunt? Vega? You're here too?" asked Shepard.
Vega nodded "Yeah, we came for the arena".
Grunt walked up to Shepard and they greeted each other with a forearm shake, " I ditched Wrex to come let off some steam in the arena with Jack, but to see you fight out there would be just as good".
Jack annoyed by Grunt cut in, "Hell no! I want in on the action, Shepard! Dammit you owe me!".
Before Shepard could respond, Ashley again got in the way, "Shepard doesn't owe you a damn thing, he didn't ask the arena to cancel anything. That was their doing".
Jack's biotics flared "Who the hell was talking to you!".
Ashley stood her ground with her own death stare, "I don't give damn WHO you were talking to I"M talking to YOU!" yelled Ashley.
Everyone on the room was afraid to say or do anything. Jack and Ashley were like two bombs just itching to be set off.
Jack continued flaring her biotics then suddenly...she laughed.
"I like you," Jack said with a smile.
Ashley was confused, "What?".
Jack's biotics dissipated and she folded her arms with a grin, "Damn girl, usually when I flash my biotics people wet their pants like puppies. You didn't even flinch". Jack stretched out a ache in her neck then walked past Ashley and patted Shepard on the shoulder, "I like her Shepard, she's a keeper".
"Uhh...Thanks?" Shepard awkwardly responded.
"Anything to munch on around here?" asked Jack.
Garrus pointed to the far side of the room, "There's a vending machine".
Jack went about her business while Ashley turned to Shepard, "You make the weirdest friends I swear".
"Well we all aren't that weird...unless you think kleptomania is weird" Kasumi added.
Ashley smiled and shook her head, "I don't even want to ask."
A few moments later Armax Arsenal Arena's PA activated, announcing the details of the main event. Everyone in the C.P.R. gathered in front of the huge Combat Simulator screen on the wall.
COMBAT PARTICIPANTS: JOHN SHEPARD/ASHLEY WILLIAMS
LOCATION: WINGMAN
BONUS: KILLSTREAK
SCORE MODIFIERS: ENHANCED ENEMY SHIELDS
ENEMY COMBAT SET: ...CERBERUS
AN: Sorry guys for the longer than usual wait on this update. I've had a lot of distractions recently (Metal Gear Solid V among other things) and also I was a little conflicted on where to take this story but I believe it's all clear now. The next chapter will conclude 2v2 as I intended. I never meant for this story to be as long as it has gotten, it just sort of worked out that way. Anyway I hope all is well with everyone and that you're continuing to enjoy my story, it means a lot that even 1 person takes the time out and read my stuff lol. Bye and PLEASE REVIEW.