Chapter Three: The Open Heart
Hatred. Burning hatred flows through my veins as I stare at this thing. It's a disgusting, ugly creature that needs to be destroyed. It's vaguely green and pulsating, hanging over the middle of a chasm by tentacles. I can feel the pure hostility and power of this thing rolling around the room. It's nearly overwhelming. If I wasn't so angry, this thing probably would have overpowered my will. It's ancient, and it has to die. I thought this thing was repulsive in the game. It's even more disgusting in person. From one of its slimy orifices, a young Asari woman is formed. She falls to the ground, dressed in a black body suit. She looks up, and glares at us. No, not us. At me.
"You trespass upon The Old Growth's land," she seems to hiss with anger and aggression. "Steal The Old Growth's vassals. You are not welcome here."
"I don't give a damn what that fucking thing wants," I growl in response. "You either get out of the way, or I'll kill you too!" I don't even care that the Asari is technically the Thorian as well. I'm going to kill them anyway, so what does it matter? I immediately raise my weapon at the woman's head, and my team does the same.
"You are fools to deny The Old Growth!" she hisses at me. "Perish!" I weave to the side as the Asari sends a shockwave towards us.
"Light it up!" I scream. Immediately, the Asari is pelted by a hailstorm of mass accelerator rounds. Her body jerks before falling to the ground and crumbling to dust. I hear the Thorian screech, and I immediately run down a nearby hallway. I can hear the rasping breaths of zombies coming our way. "Take cover and don't let them close. We're going to knock out this fucker's tentacles and send it plummeting!"
"You got it, boss," Ash replies. I take a few potshots at the zombies, sending a few of them back to the dead.
"If you think it'll work," Kaidan follows up Ash as he lifts a few zombies into the air. Ashley riddles them with mass accelerator rounds. I grunt and clear the rest of the room with a few sniper shots.
"Move up!" I can see a tentacle in the next room. I take cover as Wrex clears the room with his shotgun. "Dust this bitch!" We all unleash hell on the Thorian tentacle, riddling it with holes. It seems to twitch before the tentacle eventually breaks and falls. The Thorian screeches loudly, making the entire structure shake. "We got one! Let's move up!" I glance at Wrex. "Yo, anything between us and the next tentacle gets fucked up, alright?"
"With pleasure," the Krogan rumbles, slamming his fists together. He rears, and charges up the stairs barehanded. He rips and shreds through the zombies with ease as Kaidan and I take point, covering him. Ash takes out anything that Wrex misses. So far we're making good progress. I smirk. This immobile pile of tentacles doesn't stand a chance against us! It isn't long until we reach the next tentacle supporting it. Even from here, I can see it straining; trying to support the weight of the fat piece of lard.
"You know what to do!" I roar with righteous fury. Just like the tentacle before, it gets ripped to shreds and eventually rips apart. Life juice sprays everywhere as the tentacle falls into the chasm below, with the Thorian once more shrieking in pain.
"You will not disturb The Old Growth any further!" I can hear the Asari return. I smirk and swap out my sniper rifle for my pistol. I need to be able to fight in the front lines with my team. Right as we round the corner, the Asari is there to lash out at us with her biotics.
"Kaidan!" I shout.
"Got it," he replies. I watch as he slams two zombies into the bitch, making her stumble.
"Focus fire on that green cunt!" I roar. Within seconds the bitch is crumbling to dust from the sheer amount of firepower we're packing. Strike team indeed. "Clear the area. I don't want anything left standing!"
"That's not a problem," Ash's voice rings through the comms. I chuckle and slam my pistol into a zombie, making it stumble back before I unleash four shots straight into its face.
"Fucking blight," I growl. The zombies have no chance against the sheer amount of firepower we're packing. I watch as Ash, Wrex, and Kaiden sweep across the room with their assault rifles, cutting down anything that moves. I smirk and grab my own rifle, standing beside them and doing the same as they are. Ghostbusters, anyone?
"This isn't even a fight," Wrex complains as we move forward. I have to agree with him. This is far too easy. "C'mon, I want a bigger challenge!" I blink as a loud cry permeates through the building, shaking it. That… wasn't the Thorian… What the hell was that!?
"Contact!" Kaidan shouts. Down the hall I can see what looks like a massive serpent with scythe claws. It almost looks like a scaly, ugly naga. It easily towers over even Wrex, and has several spines growing from its tail. What the fuck!? It notices us, and in an instant, a spine has been flung from its tail and has impaled the wall beside me.
"Take cover!" I shout. We all take cover, with Ash and Kaidan behind the door pillars, and Wrex and I behind a fallen concrete pillar. "What the fuck is that!?" I shout. Wrex shakes his head.
"In all my years, I've never seen anything like that," he tells me. I sigh and take a risk, peering out from cover and taking a few shots at the creature. It shrieks in pain. Good, it can be killed. I duck back down, processing what I just saw. It's a greenish color, which means its probably spawned from the Thorian. I had mandibles near its teeth, and beady eyes filled with hatred. I can feel a spine fly right beside my head, making me shiver. Shit, that thing is giving itself covering fire!
"Kaidan, how much control do you have over your biotics?" I ask the man. There's a lull for a moment.
"I can smack a fly out from midair. What do you need, boss?" I grin at his response.
"The next time that thing tries to cover itself, send those spines right back at it," I order him. I turn to Wrex. "Wrex, when he does that, I want you to go in and take out its tail. You're a tough son of a bitch, so you've got a better chance at getting in close. You have that shield boost mod still on your suit, right?"
"Yeah, I get what you're saying," the Krogan replies, nodding. "I'll make sure it can't keep us hiding like a bunch of pussies."
"Good. As soon as its tail's gone, it's gonna want to get in close. Ash, that's where you and I come in," I look towards the woman by the door. "We'll give Wrex covering fire to get out of there. Try and push it back; maybe there's a ledge that Kaidan can throw it off of." Kaidan chuckles through my comms.
"You like throwing things off of buildings, don't you?" he teases me. I shrug.
"I just think everyone should have a chance to see if they can fly," I suggest. Wrex laugh as this.
"If a Krogan could fly, then the Salarians would be a doomed species by now!"
"Want me to ask Kaidan to give you a few on-the-spot lessons?" I smirk. "I'm sure he'd be happy to throw you off a few cliffs."
"Anything the boss says," Kaidan adds. There's a short round of chuckles before it's back to business. I can see the creature rearing its tail back as soon as I peer over from my cover.
"Kaidan!"
"I see it!" As soon as the spines fly towards me, I see them stopped in midair before they're quickly sent flying right back to the naga-like creature. It shrieks in pain as it's impaled. Seems like it didn't expect us to send its weapons right back at it.
"Wrex!" Wrex is already bounding over the pillar and charging the creature.
"Get over here you overgrown koscha!" the Krogan roars with fury. He crosses the boundary in seconds and grabs the naga's tail, attempting to rip it offits body. I can see the creature about to attack Wrex with its scythe claws.
"Ash! Light it up!"
"You got it, boss!" I roar with defiance as Ashley and I begin firing on the naga. It's torn between attacking Wrex and defending itself from the rounds being shot at it. Slowly, it starts trying to slither backwards to try and avoid all of the pain being sent its way. I smirk and grab my grenade launcher. I have a special treat for baddies like this. Garrus had let me into the armory and shown me how to create explosives to use in the grenade launcher. My first creation was an abomination packed with more than the safe amount of Turian explosive powder. Garrus told me that if it went off in the ship, the entire back half of the Normandy would be gone.
"Time to say hello to my little friend!" I grin. "Wrex, either get out of the way or get caught in the blast! You're tough enough to take it!" the Krogan decides to heed my warning and rushes back towards us. There's something frightening about a charging Krogan, even if he isn't really aiming to hurt you. Still, the naga glares at us with glowing, hate filled eyes and hisses at us. It immediately starts to slither our way.
"Uh, boss?" Ash seems concerned. I take aim with my little explosive baby and grin.
"Nerf this!" I shout, firing. The abomination of a grenade makes direct contact with the naga and explodes. "Cover!" Wrex dives behind the pillar right as the blast hits us. I can feel the entire building start to shake and rumble. Maybe I underestimated the power of the explosion. Shit, I could've used it on the Thorian and ended it! I'll have to keep in mind the power my little child causes.
"Damn," Wrex huffs. "What kind of grenade was that?" He turns to me and I shrug.
"I like explosions," is all I say as I stand up. I glance over at where the naga was. There's now a massive hole in both the ceiling and the floor. "Let's keep moving. I was angry at first, but now I'm just getting bored with this thing. That, and I don't have another Explosive Baby, so it would be best to end this before the Thorian can make another one of those… things." As we continue along, once more having to face down hordes of zombies, I try and remember what the creature was. It looked familiar, but I know it was never in this game.
"Boss, I think we need to start an intervention about you and explosives," Ash comments as we fire on another tentacle.
"Aren't those usually after the person has done something a lot? That was my first blast!"
"Technically we can still count the anti-Thorian gas," Kaidan corrects me. "You're a bit trigger happy when it comes to blowing things up."
"We think you should avoid the grenade launcher for a while," Ash tells me. I glance at Wrex. He pauses before speaking.
"I'm on your side, kid," he tells me. I turn back to my other two squad mates.
"See? The Krogan agrees with me."
"He's a Krogan, boss."
"They have a point," Wrex mumbles. I hang my head in faux misery before blasting off the head of another zombie.
"You guys are so mean to me!" I whine humorously. I smile, though. It seems like we're all cool, for the most part.
"Just asking, but can I get one of those… Explosive Babies?" Wrex asks me. I chuckle and shake my head as we come upon the last weight supporting tentacle. It's already stretching, being forced to carry the Thorian's entire fat ass.
"Light 'er up," I say, and we slice through the tentacle with ease. I can hear the creature shriek with pain and agony as it realizes what's happened, and it falls to its death. I hum to myself. "That was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Besides the almost dying part. Good job, team." I get grumbles of approval from the rest as I hit my comms. "Kai to Shepard, come in." I watch as a nearby pod opens, and the pale blue Asari from before slips out. The others instantly aim their weapons, but I hold my hand up. I know this one won't be aggressive.
"What the hell happened to you, Kai!?" Shep screams into my ear. I wince. Shit, I done goofed, didn't I? "Where are you!?"
"Under Zhu's Hope," I tell her, checking over the Asari. She seems unharmed; just exhausted. I guess killing the Thorian released its thralls. "Come join us whenever you like." The Asari looks up at me with clear platinum eyes. "I think we just found our ticket to helping you with your Prothean memories."
I help the Asari to her feet, letting her lean against the wall behind her as I cut off the comm channel. "You," I take off my helmet so she can see my face. To suddenly wake up and be surrounded by three humans and a Krogan, who assumedly killed the thing keeping you captive? That had to be pretty scary. "What's your name?" The Asari gives me a confused look before she calms down. She must be accepting that if I wanted to kill her, I already would have.
"Shiala," she tells me. The Asari pants a few times. "Why have you rescued me? I suppose I should be grateful, but why?" She still seems a bit disoriented.
"You have something we need," I tell her. "That, and I have a raging hero complex. Take your pick on which one might be worse for you." I smirk at her, though Shiala simply rolls her eyes. "You're here because of Saren, aren't you?"
"I am," she replies, starting to shake off her confusion. "He wanted the cypher to translate the visions in his mind. The ability to think like a Prothean." I hum and nod to myself "He left me here as tribute to the Thorian in exchange."
"Seems legit," I tap my foot on the ground for a moment.
"You actually believe this chick?" Ash asks me. I nod and point my pistol at the Asari.
"Yep. She doesn't have any reason to lie to us, right?" I give her a serious glare as I charge up a shot. She nods urgently, fear laced on her face.
"O-Of course not! I don't support Saren in any way!" she claims. I smirk. "Saren does something to his followers. To Benezia. He controls their minds and makes them want to agree with him. He did the same thing to Matriarch Benezia and myself!" I nod and fire into the roof, making Shiala flinch, before I holster my pistol again.
"Good! Now, my commander will be here soon, and you're going to give her the cipher, am I understood?" Shiala nods in response, obviously realizing that she's outmatched here. "Tell me about yourself, then. What's Saren's plan?"
"I don't know what he plans, exactly," Shiala tells us. "But I know that Matriarch Benezia wanted to dissuade him from it. She thought that her mental control could let her resist whatever Saren was doing, but it wasn't enough. Benezia is not the enemy! Please, you must help her if you can!" I already know that's impossible. Indoctrination is a hard thing to break. The stronger your will, the harder it is to break it.
"I'll do what I can," I tell the Asari.
"Kai!" Shepard's voice echoes through the room as she approaches us. I grin and spread my arms out, turning to the very angry woman.
"Fire Flower!" I cheer, then grunt as she uppercuts me hard enough to lift me off the ground. I cough a few times and chuckle. "Yeah, probably deserved that…"
"You idiot!" Shepard punches me again, then kneels beside me. "Did you even realize how worried I was about you? How could you go off on your own like that!?"
"I had my team," I tell her, looking up into her green eyes. I can see the beginnings of tears forming. Is she going to cry over me? I know it's not good, but… I feel kind of happy about it. She was actually worried about me… "They wouldn't have let me die, right?"
"He was in good hands, Shepard," Wrex affirms.
"We wouldn't have let him die on you, commander," Ashley follows up. I grin and give Shep a thumbs up.
"See? All good!" I chuckle and slowly stand. Damn, she punches hard! "Now, Shep." I turn and motion towards Shiala. "This is Shiala. She has the key to thinking like a Prothean."
"What? How?" Shepard sounds suspicious. Shiala bows her head, trying to seem as nonthreatening as she can.
"My name is Shiala T'Roa. I was given as a sacrifice to the Thorian in exchange for the cipher," she introduces herself. "I was put under control of Saren, but it wasn't willing. Saren twists the minds of those around him, convincing them that his ideals are correct." Shepard remains silent in thought for a moment.
"Can you give me the cipher?" she asks, stepping forward. Shiala nods.
"I can, but it requires that I meld my mind with yours," she offers Shep her hand. "Will you allow me to do so?" Shepard nods and allows Shiala to touch her face. Shiala's eyes close for a moment, before they open once more. They're an eerie black, like the eternal darkness. It's really creepy! "Embrace eternity!" It's only for a moment before Shepard stumbles back, Shiala doing the same. I grab Shep by the waist and help her keep standing.
"Got something?" I ask her. Shepard pants hard, her eyes wide in what looks like fear and shock. "Stay with me, Shep!" I rest my hand on hers. "Breathe in. Now out. In. Out. There you go. Just calm down." It takes a moment before Shepard swallows and glances at me. "What did you see?"
"Horrible things," she grunts, pushing me aside gently. She's a bit wobbly on her feet, but manages to stand. "The Protheans… being merged with machinery. Being destroyed, and killed. Then… Then I saw it. A Reaper." She huffs. "They destroyed everything and mutilated the Protheans for their own sick experiments. They'll do the same to every species in the galaxy is they're given the chance!"
I frown and nod. "Then let's get moving," I tell her. I turn to Shiala. "What do you plan on doing now that you're free?"
"I will stay here on Zhu's Hope to help the colonists rebuild," she tells me. "It's the least I can do after the things I've done. Please, may the Goddess grant you safe travels." I nod and give her a smile.
"And may the Goddess watch over you," I tell her in response. Her eyes widen in surprise. I don't really believe in her Goddess, but I at least can make her feel less judged. I turn back to Shepard. "Let's get moving. It looks like we're on a time limit, here." Shepard nods and smiles at me as we walk back to the Normandy.
When we returned, the last person I expected to see was a middle aged man with glasses asking about the ship. Pressley, his chosen target, seems like he's trying hard not to snap at the man. "Exactly my point!" the man speaks with a British accent. "If space is an absolute vacuum, then forward momentum only thrusters shouldn't work! There's no air for the airfoils to catch in order to change direction!"
"I told you, Mr. Hastings, that I am not the one who designed this craft!" Pressley sounds exhausted. "I did not major in spatial physics so I can't tell you exactly how it works!" Hastings scoffs before he finally turns back to us.
"Can you believe this gibbon?" he complains to Shepard. "This daft bastard believes this ship can fly in space on only forward momentum and airfoils!"
"They're not airfoils, Shaun," Tali speaks up from behind me. "The Normandy has several thrusters on each wing that change its trajectory, allowing it to-"
"The ship tips upwards when you do that, right?" he asks, interrupting the Quarian. I can see Liara and Garrus sending the man disgruntled looks, and pull my squad away while Shep, Tali and I deal with him. "How? There's no air in space for it to do that! You're all bloody insane!" I blink.
"Shaun Hastings?" I ask, my eyes narrowing. It seems like he's finally noticed me. "As in… you're…" I pause.
"And I assume this is the lad you sent in to deal with the damned robots, am I right?" he asks Shep. I glance at Shepard and she sighs.
"Joker, set a course for the Citadel," she announces.
"Roger that, commander," Joker replies. Shepard than turns to Shaun as we lift off, making him stumble.
"This is Kai," she introduces me to Shaun as he adjusts his glasses upon his face, making him look like even more of an asshole. "He's the co-commander of my ground team." I blink at the term but don't show my surprise.
"You're Shaun Hastings," I repeat. "How are you here?"
"Your commander," he speaks with air quotes, "decided it would be a brilliant idea to take me along with you lot."
"No, I mean how are you here?" I ask seriously. "You shouldn't be here. You should be infiltrating Abstergo-" I cut myself off and glance at Shepard. "Let's talk about this somewhere else."
"How do you know about Absergo?" Shaun's voice is steely calm. He's giving me a dangerous look. While he isn't a fighter, there's no doubt in my mind that he can hurt me if he wanted.
"Kai, what's going on?" Shep asks.
"I'll tell you another time," I tell her. "Shaun, let's talk about this someplace else." I motion to Shepard with my eyes, my teeth clenched. He glares at me, but nods.
"Yes," he agrees. "Lets." I give Shepard a nod before we both walk away, but she catches my shoulder.
"This isn't over," she tells me. I nod in response and lead Shaun to the briefing room. He stands in the center with his arms crossed.
"Tell me," he growls at me. "How do you know about Abstergo? Do you know why we're here? How I got here?" He opens his arms. "Who the bloody fuck are you!?"
"My name is Kai," I introduce myself. "I know all about the Assassins and the Templars." If looks could kill, I'd be a puddle on the floor. "All you need to know right now is that neither of them exist, here."
"What do you mean they don't exist!?" he grabs me by my collar and tries to shake me. "They hide in goddamn sight! How would you know whether they exist or not!?"
"This isn't the same universe you were born in, Shaun!" I push his arms away from me. He stops. "Tell me, what's the last thing you remember?" He hesitates.
"Desmond… went in to talk with Juno," he tells me. "There was a bloody bright light, then I found myself in those ruined buildings." I hum and think a moment.
"She must have done something," I conclude. "She sent you to this universe. You're nearly two centuries in the future, Shaun, in a completely different universe. The Assassins and Templars don't exist here. The only underground war going on is that between different alien races." The man stares at the floor, processing everything I've just told him. I reach over to rest my hand on his shoulder, but he shoves it away.
"That's… bloody impossible," he mumbles. "But it makes too much goddamn sense. Is there a way to go back?" He looks up at me. I shake my head and shrug.
"Not that I know of," I tell him. I can see the gears turning in his head.
"How do you know me?" he asks me. "About everything? About this place? How do you know?"
"Can you keep a secret?" I ask. He scoffs. "Right, stupid question. I'm not from this universe either." He looks at me like I've sprouted wings and become the tooth fairy. "I'm from the past too, but in a dimension where both yours and this universe are video games."
"Blasted games!?" Shaun explodes. I nod solemnly, keeping a straight face. "You're fucking me!"
"I'm not," I respond calmly. "This universe and yours are games in mine. Desmond Miles is the main character of your universe's game, and Commander Shepard is the main character in hers. When I woke up here, I decided I would help her in any way I can."
"You have to tell her!"
"I can't!" I growl. "If you were back home and I told you that your entire life, your entire world is a game, would you believe me?" He pauses. "If this had never happened to you, would you have believed what I just told you?" Shaun crosses his arms and shifts on his feet.
"No," he replies. "No, I suppose not. It's still too huge to believe, though." He chuckles. "You're like one of the bloody assassins, you daft bastard. Hiding in plain sight for the greater good." I shrug.
"I'm just doing what I can," I tell him. "Let's go. Once we get to the Citadel I'll help you start a life. The good thing is, it's so big that you can pretty much hide wherever you want and do whatever you need to start a new life." Shaun nods and sighs.
"I guess I'll need to do that," he tells me. "This is a lot to think about. I think I'd like some time alone, lad." I nod as we leave the briefing room. This wasn't supposed to happen.
Shepard's POV
Shaun became a lot more tolerable after Kai took him aside to talk. The Normandy was much quieter than when he'd first been brought in, that is. Still, the whole thing about Abstergo bugged me. How did two civilians who were completely unrelated know about the same nonexistent company? What made it so important to them? I frown to myself as I look over the reports on my desk. Wrex and Kaidan both seem to approve of Kai a bit more, but that isn't my problem. We've run out of leads. I don't know where to search next. Shiala didn't know where Saren and Benezia had gone, and the Council hadn't reached me about my mission reports yet. I was at a loss.
Not only that, but Kai had been avoiding me like the plague since he'd talked to Shaun. He's actively avoiding me, I know it. I wanted to talk to him about his mission, too. About what happened. When we returned to the Normandy, I noticed he was limping. It was enough time for any adrenaline to wear off, so he must have been in pain. Wrex wouldn't tell me what happened, and Ash and Kaidan were staying silent. When I asked Dr. Chakwas, she simply shook her head and told me not to worry. I'm losing power on my own ship to Kai. This is unacceptable.
Still, there's nothing I can do about it right now until he lets me confront him about it. At the Citadel, I'm going to force him to leave with me. He won't have a choice. I need new weapons for the team, and I know that we need to refuel and grab more food.
"Commander, the Council would like a word with you," Joker's voice rings over the intercom. I curse. I really don't want to talk to them right now. Still, I probably should give my report.
"I'll be right there, Joker," I tell him as I leave my room. I walk up the stairs, annoyed at both Kai, myself, and the Council. It doesn't take me long to enter the briefing room, and the holograms of the Councilors appear before me. I look them each in their nonexistent eyes. Councilors."
"Shepard," Tevos, the Asari, speaks first. "I'd like to congratulate you and personally thank you on your actions on Feros. Had ExoGeni simply told us of their research, this entire situation could have been avoided."
"Still, you allowed a civilian to lead your ground team?" Sparatus, the Turian, follows her up. "Had he died, it would have been a major black mark against both you and the Council. Consider this your only warning."
"Had he not taken that mission, it would have all ended in failure," I tell the Council. While it isn't exactly true, they don't need to know that I took the easier mission just to test his capabilities. He did exceedingly well, in my opinion. "You should be thanking him for saving the colony like he did.
"We don't deny that what he did was heroic," Tevos tries to placate the two of us. "However, it was a risky maneuver that would have caused a media panic should he have been killed in action. We only request that you be more cautious of your decisions in the future, Spectre." I nod in agreement. I can at least agree with her reasoning, there.
"I chose him because he has the indomitable will of a soldier, and he has one of the most tactically sound minds outside of the Salarians that I've ever met," I defend both Kai and myself. "The Thorian was a factor nobody could have accounted for, and he succeeded in his mission just the same."
"Speaking of said creature," Valern, the Salarian spoke up. "Was it nessicery to destroy it? There could have been much to be learned from such an ancient creature."
"With all due respect, Councilor," kiss my ass, "the Thorian saw those around it as nothing more than toys to be controlled and played with. It wouldn't have allowed us just to study it. It would have attempted to control anyone who came close to it." Valern sighs, but remains silent.
"In light of this, I suppose this concludes this debriefing," Tevos speaks. "Well done, Spectre. We'll contact you if we have any more information about your mission." With that, the channel cuts out. My first debriefing without Kai, and I feel exhausted. How does he manage it all?
When we land on the Citadel, I immediately call Kai to meet me at the airlock. This will determine whether or not he's still going to listen to my orders. If he doesn't show up… then I'll have to punish him for disobeying direct orders. That, and he might just be attempting a mutiny. I sigh as I wait, dressed in full armor. I don't want to punish him. He seems like a really nice guy. No, he is a really nice guy. I don't want to have to punish him over something stupid like this.
As I see him approach, I can also see that Shaun is with him. They're talking softly, but Kai waves to me as they get closer. "What's he here for?" I ask, motioning towards the bespectacled man. Kai smiles.
"I'm going to help him get citizenship on the Citadel," he tells me. "He's kinda homeless, so I figured he can restart his life here." Shaun nods softly.
"Yeah, I do suppose I shouldn't laze around like a gibbon, yeah?" he suggests. "I hear you're pretty influential, love. How's about you help me out?" I glance at Kai.
"I'm not leaving him till he's certified to live here," Kai tells me. I sigh and nod slowly. "Great! So we need to head to C-Sec HQ, right?"
"Yeah," I sigh once more as I speak. "With my status, we can have this done quickly. Let's go." The decontamination is still slow. The elevators are still slow. Same old Citadel. I lead the two boys to the office where the registry is. Behind the desk sits a light purple Asari. "Hello," I greet her. She looks up at us. "I'm Commander Shepard, and I'd like to help this man get a registry."
"Why would a Spectre use her status just for that?" she asks, though she's still moving to get the needed paperwork for registry. I shrug.
"We picked him up on a distress call and we're heading in the opposite direction of where he's from," I lie to the Asari. "I figured that he can at least restart his life here." While the Registration Officer seems suspicious of this, she doesn't dare question a Spectre like me. I hand the forms to Shaun and he sits down to sign them. It's just basic questions about his background. "You'll be fine from here?" I ask. He nods.
"Go on then. This isn't the first time I've had to do such things," he waves us off. He then looks at me. "Thank you, though, love. It's been a pleasure." He gives Kai a short nod before we leave. I have Kai by the balls, metaphorically, now. There's no way he can escape me or my questions. We do, however, walk in silence through the Wards. How do I bring up the subject? He'll only deny it or try to distract me.
I sigh to myself. This shouldn't be happening. I don't want to lose him on my crew, but he's starting to have even more sway over them than I do. Even Joker's keeping secrets from me, now! I feel almost alienated on my own ship.
"Kai," I speak up softly, and he turns to face me. I shake my head. I should get my weapons, first. "Let's go grab some gear. I don't know what's ahead of us, so we should order some better firepower for our crew." He nods and motions for me to take the lead. There are a few weapons shops on the Citadel, but not many. This isn't normally a place for violence. Most of what we'd get are at the Requisitions Office, but their prices are almost always overwhelming when you can get the same quality of weapon elsewhere.
"So, what got you interested in the military?" he asks suddenly. I pause, but shake off the shock of the random question. It's normal for him, I think.
"My parents were both in the military," I tell him. "My mother is actually the XO of the dreadnaught SSV Kilimanjaro." He hums with interest. "My dad died during the First Contact War, though. I figured that it would be hard enough for mom to raise me on her own, so I decided to join the Alliance." I smile softly. "Of course mom wasn't exactly happy with that; what mother wants their only child going to war? But still, I managed alright. I guess… I was raised in a military family, and I wanted to make mom and dad proud."
"Do you talk to her much?" he asks me. I shake my head sadly.
"I haven't gotten much of a chance since I became a Spectre," I tell him before sighing. "Everything's gotten so crazy that I just… I don't have the time to just call her." He turns to me and smiles.
"When we get to the Normandy, you should give her a call," he tells me softly. I can hear reflection in his voice. "My folks… well, I was never close to my parents. But you seem to really like your mom, so you should call and tell her you're doing ok."
"What about you?" I ask him, taking him off guard. "Tell me about your life."
"There's not much to tell," he says sullenly. "I'm considered a failure in every sense of the word. I'm unmotivated and didn't do well in school. Hell, couldn't even get a decent career. Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me. Despite getting shot in the process." He winks at me and gives me a teasing smile. "It was you that shot me, right?"
"No, it was Garrus," I tell him. He pouts.
"Damn, and now I can't even claim that I was shot by a pretty woman just so she could talk to me," he chuckles. I turn away from him, though, hiding the flush threatening to spread on my cheeks. That idiot. I yelp as he pulls me inside a store. I immediately notice that it's an arms shop. "Hey, look at this!" He leans in close to an assault rifle. I can tell that it's of decent make off the top of my head, and it has a decent accuracy. Not much recoil either. It's a bit larger than Kai's current weapon, but it would be the perfect size for the entire team. "Pretty cool!"
"Do you even know what it is?" I ask him, resting my hands on my hips and giving him a coy look. He sticks his tongue out at me.
"It's a gun, duh."
"I mean what it's called. The company who made it," I specify. "Look at the specs. This thing fires about fifty rounds before it overheats in less than four seconds. It has an accuracy rating of forty, which is pretty good for its size. The recoil is also better than the weapons we have now. If we bought eight of these…" I whistle at the price. That would be almost eighty thousand credits just to arm the ground team.
"How about just two for now?" he asks, looking up at me. I cross my arms and think. "We're the two squad leaders, so maybe we should get a bit of a boost in our weapons. I mean, we're going to have to be taking charge most of the time."
"I rarely use my assault rifle, though," I tell him. I pat the shotgun on my hip. "I'm more of an up close and personal type of gal." I wink at him teasingly. "Think you can find a good weapon to suit a fragile woman such as myself?"
"Says the Spectre built like a goddamn tank," Kai chuckles and shakes his head before he starts looking around. I can tell that the Turian dealer behind the counter isn't exactly happy with two humans shopping here, but it looks just slow enough in the store that he won't try and chase us off. Finally he stops in front of a rather large looking weapon. I blink as I see it. Damn, that thing can pack a punch! "Five shots till overheat, both wide and narrow spread settings, and only a little more recoil than what you have now, right?" He looks at me and I nod.
"Very good," I say. "What's the price on it?" He leans in closer.
"Fifteen thousand credits," he tells me. I inhale sharply. That's not cheap.
"Ashley to Shepard," I hear in my comms. I blink and open the channel.
"This is Shepard," I answer. "What's going on, Ash?"
"Just letting you know that Garrus and I are helping Wrex with a personal problem," she says. "Something about family armor. We'll let you know when we finish."
"Just be careful," I tell them.
"Roger that, commander."
"What's going on?" Kai asks me. I shake my head.
"Just Wrex and a few of the others taking care of something," I tell him. "They should be fine. They know how to take care of themselves." Kai laughs at that.
"That's an understatement," he says. "I pity whoever took Wrex's pink armor." I freeze. I didn't say anything about armor. I close my eyes and sigh. This moment of fun was short lived, after all.
"Let's buy us these weapons," I say, trying to seem as upbeat as I can. He knows more than he should. Knows more than anyone should. How did he know about Wrex's armor? There's so much that doesn't make sense with him! Kai nods at my suggestion, though heading up to the counter. I grab my credit chit as he tells the Turian what we want. I set the chit on the counter beside him. I need to talk to him.
After trading in our weaponry; since we sold the old ones we had, I decided that we should head up the Presidium. I want to be someplace relaxing before I confront Kai about this. We find a nice balcony off to the side to relax. It's near a lounge, and is accessible just to the side. I've ordered a bottle of Chateau Lafite 1865; something that was well over my paygrade. Supposedly there are less than a hundred of them left. Still, taking a sip from the red wine, I can see why it would be so coveted. And so expensive. I'm definitely in debt, now.
I ordered it because I need some sort of drink to help me relax, and Kai doesn't seem to mind. We've found a comfortable couch to sit on, just watching the people outside through a glass wall. It's still 'daytime' in the Citadel, so there are plenty of people to watch. I smile as Kai makes up stories for different people who stand out to him.
"…and his brother is actually a vorcha because of some freak lab experiment," he concludes one such story. I chuckle softly, and take another sip of my drink. My eyes flash over to him every so often. We've been here for the last half hour, just sitting and talking. I can feel myself start to relax, but I know it won't last that long. My heartbeat quickens as I try and gather the courage to confront him about his strange words and actions. He glances at me and frowns. He can probably see something is wrong. "You ok, Shep?"
"I…" I try to answer, but fail. "No… No, I'm not." I can't muster up the strength to give him my 'commander voice'. "Kai, you're a very nice young man and I respect the strength you have, but you've been hiding things from me." I can see him freeze in my peripheral vision. He tries to stand up and move away, but I catch his wrist. No. No more running, Kai. "I need you to tell me what's going on."
"Do don't like where this is going, Shep," he tells me in a tight tone. He sounds like an animal that's been cornered. "You need to drop it." I want to, but I can't until you tell me what's going on! I have to know!
"No," I tell him, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "You're hiding things from me and I deserve to know what. I'm your commander. Your superior officer. You are obligated to tell me what you're hiding when I ask for it."
"I'm a civilian," he corrects me. "I don't have to tell you anything about anything if I don't want to. I can still press charges against you for shooting me, you know. My memory might suddenly come back." He wouldn't! No… he wouldn't just do that to me… He won't even look at me!
"Kai…" I whisper. "Are you going to let a little secret destroy everything we've done so far?" He doesn't speak. "You know more than you should. You knew about Wrex' armor without me telling you what they were doing. What do you know? Can you tell the future, or something?"
"I don't want it to be a secret," he tells me in a slow way. He looks at me, and I can see the concern in his eyes. "I wish I could tell you, but I can't. Not right now, at least. Do you trust me?" I don't respond. I can't respond to that. "Shep, do you trust me?"
"I don't know," I answer truthfully. Kai pauses before he takes my hand in his. I close my eyes, wishing that this all were as peaceful as it seems. "I really don't know anymore." Kai sighs and wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. I should pull away. I should punch him and yell at him. But I feel too exhausted. I just want a moment to rest and relax. Instead, I lay my head on his shoulder.
"I promise you that what I do. What I know. It's all to help you," he says to me, looking outside. "I wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt you, ya know?" Doesn't he know how weird it is for him to say things like that? "I just ask that you trust me. Everything will be ok. I promise that I won't let anything hurt you." I close my eyes. I look for any sense that he could be lying to me. I find nothing of the sort.
Kai's arm pulls me closer to him. Despite the armor we're both wearing, I feel comfortable. "So you aren't going to tell me what's going on with you?" I ask. I feel Kai shake his head.
"Not yet," he tells me. "Now isn't the right time. Maybe I'll tell you some other time, when this is all over. Ok?" I sigh in response. "Everything I do, I do it for you, Shep." There's a softness in his voice. It's warm and inviting. I let my eyes open just slightly and move my head so I'm looking at him.
He isn't exactly the most handsome man I've ever met. He isn't chiseled, or tough looking. But he looks… at peace. He looks calm, and content with where he is. I wish I could feel the same way. How does he manage it? To be so mysterious, and so destructive, and so at peace all at once? It's kind of attractive, actually. I admire those things about him. Maybe I'm stronger on the external battlefield since I'm a veteran, but he's stronger in the internal battlefield. "Kai..?" I whisper. He turns to face me and gives me a soft smile. "Why would you do all this for me? If you really want to do this all for me, why keep it a secret? Wouldn't it be better if I knew what was going on?"
He shakes his head in response. "If you knew the things that I do, you'd worry yourself to death," he tells me. "It's like you told me during training; this isn't a game. I have to figure out some of these things myself."
"You care about me that much?" I ask as bait. The connotation of my question is obvious. He takes a moment, but nods.
"Yeah," he tells me. "I do." My heartbeat quickens even more. I've had crushes in basic and during my time as a soldier, and I've even taken a few nights to enjoy the passions a man can bring me. Still, this is different. There's more care to this than those fleeting nights and those silly crushes. He genuinely cares about me, it feels like. He hasn't asked to sleep with me, even; requests that weren't in short supply when I was in a squad. Our little teasing might have started as jokes, but not I'm not so sure. There's a lot I'm not sure about, anymore. Is he serious about this? Does he really feel the same way I do? I take a deep breath.
I can feel myself moving closer to him, my head reaching out. I don't even bother hiding my reddening face as he does the same towards me. I let myself close my eyes, and I feel our lips touch. It's gentle at first. He seems almost hesitant; nervous. It's kind of cute in a weird way. I take a deep breath and reach up, cupping his cheek in my hand. Almost instinctively, he presses his face further against me hand. I smile, taking my other hand and grasping his in it. His kisses become a bit more bold and more energetic. Excited, even. For a moment, I think his tongue brushed against mine. I grin and pull away, making him move forward as if begging for more.
"Another time," I wink at him, making him groan and pout. "If you're going to be keeping secrets from me, then I retain the right to tease you any time I feel." I laugh softly as he grumbles. I hum softly and think a moment. "Does this make us official?" He shrugs and smiles a bit.
"I guess so," Kai tells me. "Why, what do you have in mind?"
"I don't think my boyfriend should be sleeping alone in a smelly old sleeper pod," I tell him, squeezing his hand. "I don't think we're ready for that yet, but I wouldn't mind sharing a bed with the man I've grown to care about. As infuriatingly stupid as he is." He shrugs and laughs.
"Let's finish our wine and head back to the Normandy," he tells me. "I think we've kept everyone waiting long enough." I nod in agreement and hold up my glass. He does the same. "To us," he toasts.
"To us." After tapping our glasses together, I give him another quick kiss.
Kai's POV
I try hard not to skip on the way back to the Normandy. I'm in a relationship with Commander goddamn Shepard! Shit, I'm gonna have to learn her real name. Ahhh, that can wait. I'm in a relationship with a real woman! Shit, she's older than me. Wait, since when have I ever cared about that? I can't wipe the grin off my face as we head up to the Normandy. I hum to myself, much to the annoyance of Ash, Garrus, and Wrex. Wrex is carrying some pink armor with him, so I assume their mission was a success. Great! I like it when things work out. We make a brisk pace back to the Normandy, and I trail behind everyone else. We'd met the motely crew of three on the way back, and Ashley had gone into the tale of how they'd gotten Wrex's family armor back. Apparently she'd let herself be seduced by the Turian guy who'd had it, which… ew. Though Ash in her underwear… Shit, no! Bad me! I'm spoken for now! Still… boobies… Dammit, my pervy tendencies are coming back! I should probably warn Shepard.
Nah, I'll let it come as a surprise to her. The galaxy has a new name to fear! Kai, the Super Pervert has returned! Muhahahaha! "Are you alright?" Garrus asks from beside me. "You were letting out a pretty evil laugh, kid." I smile cheekily.
"Just enjoying the thought of what Shep an I did today," I reply without a beat.
"What, did you rob some banks and blow up a hospital?" Ashley asks me. I chuckle and shake my head.
"Nah, we just waterboarded the elderly," I tell her without missing a beat. Ash pauses before she rolls her eyes and shakes her head. Gullible as all balls. We approach the doors, and I notice a datapad shimmer into existence on a crate nearby. I blink. "I'll be right with you guys." I wave them off. Shepard gives me a concerned look, but I give her a winning smile. She rolls her eyes, but they all head into the ship. I frown and head over to the datapad. On it is my original message in thanks. Underneath that though are the words "You're welcome". My eye twitches. That's it? I grumble and type in something underneath that. "Who are you?" That should be enough for now. With that, I walk onto the Normandy. From what I can tell, the snow planet is all that's left for now. Damn, I hate the cold! Just like the last time; as the doors shut, the datapad shimmers out of existence.
?'s POV
I look down at the message he left me on this pad. Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? That's a question I stopped asking a long time ago. A question I'm kind of afraid to bring up again. I don't know who I am, and I really don't think I ever will know. But I know who he is. He's the one who's been looking into things that the Earth government wants to keep secret. He's the one who suddenly appeared out of nowhere one day. He's the one who's caught my eye. I don't know who he is, either, but I'm going to keep watching him. He's interesting, for a human. Maybe someday, he can tell me who I am. But not now. It's too early. For now, I'll just keep watching. Maybe I'll go and grab some ramen, too. It's been a long time since I've had those delicious noodles. I'm sure a lovely paying customer won't mind if they suddenly found their bowl missing. Probably along with any credit chit they have on their person.