A/N: I don't own the Foo Fighters or Dire Straits.
Jack watched Andrew pace in front of the bed where she was sitting and looked pleadingly at him. "Look, I'm sorry okay? It won't happen again." She was, of course, referring to her quick stereotyping of him at the storage facility on Omega under an hour previous.
He waved her off. "It's not that simple Jack; you can't just make a conscious decision about this and follow it through, because that's not the problem. The problem is that you've been treated like shit for your entire life and your subconscious is stopping you from letting your inhibitions go and trusting me."
"Well how the fuck are we going to fix something that I can't control?"
"I don't know," he admitted frustratedly as he sat down on the couch and buried his face in his hands. "I just don't know."
"I told you I'd fuck this up," she growled, and was surprised when, a moment later, she found herself bitoically flung against the wall and restrained there.
She watched as Andrew approached with barely veiled fear, and tensed when he halted mere centimeters from her. "Jack, you love me, and I love you. This isn't your goddamn fault; it's the fault of the people that made your childhood a misery. It took you nearly a year being around me twenty four seven to confess that you loved me, and another year on top of that for you to become comfortable sharing anything more intimate than kisses with me." He motioned to the bed to show what he was talking about, and she averted her eyes with a blush. "And now we're onto the very last step in our relationship; trusting each other with everything. It's huge, Jack, and daunting, even for me... but we can't even start on that until you know with all your being that I'm not like others. I would offer to take truth serum, but you know that I can make my body immune from that. Likewise neural scanning to detect lies won't work, becaue I can modify my brainwaves to reflect truth." He slowly lowered her back onto the surface of the bed where she collapsed onto her knees, and he turned to look out at the docking bay outside their window. "I'm out of ideas Jack; I can't guess what'll make you trust me the most - you need to figure that out yourself and tell me so that we can do it."
She was silent for several very long minutes, which Andrew was more than content to allow her, until she finally looked up at him - her face showing insecurity but determination. "Make love to me."
"...What?"
"Make love to me," she repeated, her voice firmer this time, "When two people... have sex, well it's more than just physical. You can tell everything about the person; how they treat others, how they treat friends, how easily they lose control... everything. Make love to me... and I'll be able to tell that you're different."
He looked at her for several seconds, almost disbelieving, but the expression on her face was anything but joking. "Jack, I don't want to rush this-"
"You're not," she interrupted, "I'm ready to do this. I'm ready for you to know me completely, and I want to know you like that as well. Nobody's ever... loved me enough to make me let down my shields when... well, you know." She looked at him; dead in the eye, "I want to see if you can, because if you can... then you are different from everybody else - I'll know it for sure."
"We've only just started sleeping together Jack, and now you're talking about sex? This is a huge jump, and I never wanted our first time to be a test. I wanted it to be a final consumation of what we feel for each other."
"Isn't that what it'll be?" she asked, her eyebrow lifted, "It'll be you allowing me to see all of you in a way that nobody's seen you before, and you seeing me in the same way... I hope."
He let out a groan and buried his face in his hands yet again, and she watched him sit still for nearly five minutes; the only sounds in the room being their breathing and the low hum of the Normandy. "Are you sure about this Jack? Because once we've done this, nothing will ever be the same again. After this, being friends probably wouldn't be possible... it's all or nothing right now. I need to know if you're confident, because if you're not then I'll wait for this. I don't want to lose you because of this."
She shook her head and looked down at her crossed legs. "More time wouldn't matter. I know I'm in love with you, and I know that I've trusted you with everything before to unlock my biotics... but you only fought my demons. You haven't seen all my dreams... the things I hold closest, and... this, us... coming together will tell me whether or not I'll ever be able to share that with you."
He looked deep into her eyes; searching for any hesitation of doubt, and upon finding only worry nodded slowly and let out a sigh. She watched as he walked into the bathroom and came out with a bottle of pills; shaking two of them out onto his palm before drinking them down with a glass of water he poured from the bar. "Sterility pills," he explained at her questioning expression. "I know Cerberus made you infertile... but just in case. I don't want us to be strained with pregnancy on the one-in-a-million chance it's possible." She nodded, her face taking on a decidedly slack quality, and he frowned before walking over to her and sitting at side on the bed. "Jack, I can't do this alone." She looked at him in confusion; her emotions returning to her face, and he smiled slightly at her. "When you said you wanted me to make love to you... I can't do it alone Jack. Making love is... I've never done it before, but it's sharing youself with your partner. I want to see the desire in your eyes; the happiness; the reluctance... I need to see you so that I know what to do."
"But I don't-"
"You can't hide in your shell for this Jack. You can't just take... you have to give as well. I want to show you how much I love you, but if I do that and I can't see you return it... can you imagine how that would feel? There would be no mood between us; no want, no lust, no love, no happiness... I need you here."
He could see the borderline panic at his words, but cupped her cheek to bring her attention back to him. "Just let yourself go," he murmured again her lips, and he felt her shiver at his hot breath against her skin, "just do what your heart tells you Jack." And then he kissed her.
It was tentative at first - not immediately passionate as many of their previous kisses had been. The added anticipation of what was to come, and what they wished from it, demanded that it not be rushed and that they were completely in tune with each other by the time they would finally come together both physically, and due to their biotics, mentally as well. Jack's lips were still slack however, and after several seconds Andrew pulled back to look at her. She averted her eyes, but he cupped her cheek in his palm and turned her head back so that she was forced to look at him and she hesitantly looked into his shining blue eyes. "I love you Jack... so please, kiss me back?"
Nodding demurely she leant forwards and kissed him, and once again tensed when he kissed her back - freezing when his arms came around her back and pulled her closer. Giving a deep sigh he pulled back and gave her a weak smile, and she averted her eyes once more. "We are rushing it," he said, and her head snapped back to look at him ready to interrupt once more, but found herself cut off when he placed a finger of her lips. "We are," he affirmed, "we're trying to make love for the sake of making love. Now isn't the right time Jack, and I don't know when it will be. Perhaps it'll be tonight, perhaps next week, month... maybe even next year, but we're forcing it." He leant down and placed a small kiss on her forehead and then stood up before giving a smile. "So we'll wait until it seems right, okay?"
She looked astonished. "Y...you're just gonna wait? I've been blue-balling you for two years and now you have a chance to get laid and you're going to wait?"
"Jack, my 'chance to get laid' as you put it, would have probably ruined out relationship. To be quite honest Jack, I could manage to wait a couple hundred years to 'get laid' if it meant that we'd still have what we have now." Walking back over to the counter he brought up his terminal and quickly accessed the Cerberus bugs in Miranda's office. "Our favourite Executive Commander's in her office, and she's due a visit. Keen?"
"Yeah..."
"Jack... JACK!"
She jolted at his yell and looked up, and he gave her a smile. "Don't sweat it. We'll get by, just like we always do, 'kay?" She nodded and closed her eyes, and he watched as her body slowly relaxed and a thin film of biotics flare across the surface of her skin.
When she opened her eyes they pulsed, literally pulsed with power, and she gave him a wide smile. "'Kay. Well then," she said as her smile turned into a dark smirk, "shall we pay our cheerleader a visit?"
"I think that'd be a fantastic idea Love."
Her smile widened, but she looked at him confused when she saw him tap away on his omni-tool for a second. "Just letting Shepard know what's happening so he can tell Chakwas to get ready."
"You know we could just let her die."
"It's tempting," he admitted, "but doing that would seriously fuck up the team dynamic on this ship - especially as Shepard won't be stepping in."
They walked out of their room together; the door locking securely behind them, and then took the left-hand fork onto the main floor of the Crew Deck. "Kronos! Jack!"
Both turned at the call for their attention and they saw Garrus sitting down at one of the dining tables, notably alone with all the human crew sitting elsewhere. Both frowned at that small detail, but Andy shook it off after a moment and smiled back at the Turian before taking a seat opposite and waving to Gardener, who quickly piled some plates with food and brought them over to the biotic couple. "Settling in alright Garrus?"
"Pretty good," he frowned, "but it's disconcering the lack of interaction between the human crew and us non-humans. Only Joker, Shepard, Liara, Tali and you two have actively spoken to me since I got on the ship, and that was four hours ago. Hell, you two even took time out of working on the AI to pay a visit."
"Well they're Cerberus," spat Jack, "what can you expect?"
She got a few well-earned glares for that rather loud comment, but all three just ignored the stares burning into their backs. Garrus shrugged in agreement, "I suppose, and it's better than nothing having you guys, and gals, being around."
Swallowing a mouthful of food Andy gave a nod, and then froze before a teasing grin spread across his face. "So Garrus, how're those... calibrations coming?"
"Been really busy actually," he replied, not picking up on Andy's tone, "I'm right-"
"In the middle of some calibrations at the moment?"
Garrus gave the blonde mercenary a shrewd look. "How did you know I was going to say that?"
"Just guessin', just guessin'."
"I'd say I'd believe you... but I really don't."
"Seriously though Garrus," Jack said after a second, having been informed of the Turian's anti-social tendancies over the course of being with Andrew, "you need to get out more." She held up her hand, stopping the protest before it could be voiced, and Andy stifled a chuckle; she'd changed so much since he'd met her, and he enjoyed watching her use her hidden intelligence rather than resorting to her old ways of stopping somebody from talking...
I.e. punching them brutally in the face.
"I didn't say ditch your fucking job freakface," Andy stifled a huge grin at Garrus' look of distaste, "so keep those fucking mandibles attached to your ugly fucking mug, but seriously man; socialize. I mean, two years ago I would've told socializing to fuck off too... but when you're around people that can understand you, and have a good laugh... it changes you - for the better."
Garrus looked surprised at her soft tone towards the end, but understood when Andy draped his arm around her shoulders and she moved slightly into his side. "I'll... I'll try getting out a bit more."
"Tell ya what Garrus; Kar, our pilot, I'm not sure if you've met him yet, Liara, Jack, Shepard and I were going to have a wee get together in our room tonight. You should come along and catch up without all the prying eyes of the crew. Shep'll be a bit tired after getting Mordin, but it'll be good company and we've got dextro-amino drinks and snacks for you, Kar, and Tali if you're so inclined."
It was clear he was surprised at the offer, but after a moment he gave a wide smile and a nod. "I'd like that Kronos... I'd like that a lot."
Andy gave a smile in return and stood; Jack following a moment later. The Turian looked down at the pair's sparkling clean plates in shock, and Jack gave him a smirk before tapping the side of her nose. "That's a secret between Andy and I."
Rolling his eyes the ex-C-Sec officer returned to his meal and Andy and Jack walked over to Miranda's office door. It didn't open, but that was because Andy had spoken to the newly unshackled EDI and told her to only open the doors if him and Jack asked for it - it made it easier to eavesdrop, or get phyched before they were about to assault somebody... just like they were planning on doing. Taking in a couple of deep breaths Jack looked over at her boyfriend, gave a nod, and then waved her hand at the door which quickly slid open. Walking in, Miranda looked up from her terminal with a haughty expression... which quickly caught in her throat when the door shut behind her visitiors, and a locked symbol floated over the center of it. She paled when she caught sight of their equally feral expressions. "Hello Miranda, we wanted to speak to you about our armour..."
Word had spread around the ship like wildfire that their XO was in the Medical Bay after being assaulted by Jack and Andrew, and the pair had gotten progressively more hostile looks until Shepard had made a ship-wide announcement explaining the situation - or at least as much as he was willing to divulge. Miranda had been beaten to within an inch of her life by the two, yes, however just before they were about to call Chakwas in with a strecher Andrew had picked up on a fluctuation in the woman's brainwaves that reminded him a little bit too much of a piece of Sovereign he'd managed to get within a few meters of by impersonating a C-Sec Scientist. He had quickly isolated the carrier wave, tracking it to a small foreign body within the Operative's head, and had told Jack to get Chakwas. When the doctor had entered she had been appalled at Lawson's state, but Jack had backed Andrew up and actually slapped the woman to stop her rant and make her listen. When she realized what Andrew was saying she quickly activated the stretcher and had Jack help her carry the severly injured woman over to her domain; Andrew walking by Lawson's side and focussing on keeping his mass effect field stable within her brain.
Of course the tranport to the medical bay had been public, and that was what had started the rumors, but none of the three paid the murmurs and glowers any heed and quickly got to work on the Cerberus Operative. The extreme precision of the entire procedure would have drained Andrew had Jack not syncronised her biotics with his to lend him her reserves; ten hours keeping the foreign body isolated and its energy pulses contained was far more than he could achieve on his own, and by the end of the operation both Jack and Andrew were exhausted. The moment they saw the extracted device however, it became abundantly clear just what it was. It looked like a spider; purple, metallic tendrils floating eerily within the stasis field around it, and blue lines of light rippling through the breaks in the almost armor-like plating. It was far, far too reminiscient of Object Rho for Andrew's liking, and so with one last burst of energy he had crushed it into oblivion; destabilizing the atom orbitals until he literally reduced it into its basic elements; purged completely of its indocrinating energy.
It had been three weeks since the operation, and during that time Shepard had recruited Mordin, Samara, and Grunt... though the latter was still in a tank in the cargo hold. He'd taken others on the missions and left the two biotics to their own devices, which mainly consisted of purging Cerberus bugs from the ship, and upgrading and helping EDI acclimatise to her new abilities. Izzy had helped tremendously in that effort, and struck up a quick friendship with the Cerberus-built AI. Of course they had quickly redesigned EDI's hardware layer when they discovered Reaper technology imbedded within it, and now she was running quicker and happier than ever - with a new face to boot. Suffice to say that Kenneth Donnely actually paid attention to the messages given by EDI now. He would argue vehemently, however, that it had nothing to do with the fact that the AI was now a beautiful black-haired asian woman who wore a body-hugging black kimono... and whose bust was on prominent display.
Gabby took to keeping one of Gardener's old metal spatulas by her workstation to hit the Scottish engineer whenever he got distracted.
When Miranda had awakened she had tried to escape to contact the Illusive Man, but had found herself restrained by security protocols. Her attempts to override it with inbuilt Cerberus codewords failed spectacularly, as EDI had been purged of everything non-self, and eventually Jack and Andy had dropped by for their daily visit. Miranda had frozen at the sight of them, before quickly yelling out that she was about to be murdered in an attempt to draw the rest of the crew's attention. The fact that the medical bay was sound-proof and had one-way windows didn't help her plight, and so she had been forced to shut up when Jack had stuffed a gag into her mouth with a glare. It had taken nearly an hour's explaining as well as them showing the Operative the video that had been recorded of the operation to convince her that she had been played and betrayed just as she had been planning to do to Shepard had he stepped off Cerberus' pre-planned path, and Doctor Chakwas confirmed the pair's information when she arrived. After nearly two entire days filled with psychological tests to ensure that her loyalty to Cerberus was simply due to the Reaper-tech that had been stuck inside her head they allowed her to leave the Medical Bay whereupon she had apologised to Andrew and Jack in front of the entire crew at dinner time, as well as explaining that she didn't want them to be treated with hostility for their beating of her.
Life had quickly started looking up.
Waking up beside Jack after yet another late night gathering Andy looked blearily around before checking the inside of his left wrist where the numbers 0587 shone lightly through his skin; a small hack he'd managed to get working. It was very convenient to not have to bring up the whole interface just to get the time. Making sure not to disturb Jack who was lying on the bed beside him he slithered out of her embrace and walked silently over to the bar; stepping over a spooning Shepard and Liara, and passing an asleep, but snuggling Tali and Kar as he did so. As he poured himself a glass of water he stifled a chuckle at seeing Joker's head slumped in Garrus' lap and quickly brought up his omni-tool to take pictures before gently righting the sleeping pilot so that when he awoke he would be none the wiser. Gabrielle and Kenneth were sprawled out on the floor on the other side of his and Jack's bed, notably smiling as they hugged each other, and Andy shook his head. When the two would finally admit that they were in love with each other was anybody's guess. He'd even started a secret betting pool on when it would happen.
Garrus, the cyinical bastard, had bet on their death beds.
During the first gathering nearly three weeks ago they had just watched holo-vids, had some drinks and some snacks, and talked - however after a week's overcoming the chain of command taboo everybody had loosened up and realized that whilst they were together there were no barriers. Shepard wasn't Shepard; he was John; a twenty nine year old bloke who had troubles just like everybody else, and Jack and Andy weren't the god-like Biotics; they were just a young couple in love. Stereotypes disappeared and after the second week people had given up going back to their quarters and just crashed in Andy and Jack's room.
Jack had been damn nervous the first time she'd realized that she and Andy were the only ones still awake, and that waking their guests up would just be rude, but he'd managed to convice her that they could just sleep as they normally did and no comments would be made about it.
He was wrong, as Gabby had awoken them with a long, drawn out "Awwwwwwwwwwww! You two are soooooo cute together!", but that had only left Jack shellshocked for a moment, and rather than making her nervous or uncomfortable she had just blushed and snuggled further into her lover's side with a pleased smile on her face. Kar and Tali had become fast friends, and it wasn't hard to see that romance was quickly developing between the pair. They both had the same knack for engineering, and, after getting used to the idea of a civil unshackled AI, worked with both EDI and Izzy to advance the Combat Crew's armour and weapons with unique customisations that were solely for the use of the most trusted people on the Normandy SR-2.
Slowly Joker awoke; his loud yawn triggering the awakenings of the others, and everybody greeted each other with blurry, half-awake smiles as they streched out and meandered around the room talking about things of little consequence and drinking coffee or whatever they wanted. Jack walked across the room dressed in long-legged, crimson flanellette pyjamas and a white tank-top, and greeted Andy with a small smile and a peck to his lips. She had become far more comfortable showing affection with the accepting reactions of their new friends.
Slowly the others all trickled out, ready to start the day, and Jack and Andrew were left to dress and go about their morning rituals in peace. "You know what we're doing today?"
He turned his head over his shoulder and gave a shrug. "I think we're starting to work on people's loyalties actually," he mused, "because Shep said something about heading to Omega... and there's no reason to do that apart from killing Samara's daughter." Jack nodded in understanding, as, after completing the exercise to protect her from indoctrination or unwanted mind-melding, Andy had told her every single detail he knew about the future.
"So how's that going to work?"
He twiddled a kebab skewer from the night before in-between his fingers and gave a shrug. "Shepard took care of it in the game, but he's shown a balance between Paragon and Renegade... so he might not have the power to resist Morinth. I told him about that last night and he agreed that we'd best not risk it, so I'll probably go in and face her. With my power I know I can resist an Ardat-Yakshi, and hopefully restrain her to ask her some questions. Samara just killed her the last time, but I'd like to know what makes her tick... something always seemed... off about her in the game."
"Hopefully restrain her?" It was clear that Jack was uneasy about what he was suggesting, and he gave a nod.
"Well I've faced one before, but she was just beginning to explore her powers. Morinth has been at it for decades, so it will truly be a test. And besides, I faced one and beat her nearly four years ago. I've gotten far, far more proficient and stronger since then."
She nodded reluctantly, but before she could say anything Joker's voice interrupted them. "Hey Kronos, the Commander wants you dressed to kill and by the airlock in half an hour."
"Got it Joker, tell him I'll be there." Recieving a confirmation he turned back to Jack with a small smile. "Just enough time for breakfast," he commented, and she nodded uneasily as he changed into his smartest clothes; a black silk dress shirt, leather loafers, and a pair of black, ballistic weave pants that looked almost identical to Jeans, but with the added armour capabilities.
"Promise me you'll come back okay," she ordered, and he gave her an understanding smile and nod.
"I promise."
The two went through breakfast in the mess silently, and Jack watched the small piece of Element Zero they always kept on their table in the center of the room shrink to about half the size when they returned to their room. Both of them could pull it from the air if need be, but doing so could hurt living organisms - especially if another biotic was nearby. Sighing as he felt power rush into him Andy gave a nod to himself and then grabbed his jacket before walking over to Jack and pressing a deep kiss to her lips. She kissed him just as powerfully back, and then broke away; staring into his eyes. "Come back to me... love."
Kissing her on the forehead with a smile he nodded. "I will. I should be back in an hour or two at the latest." She nodded with a worried smile and saw him off at the door; not wanting to follow him to the airlock where she knew her feelings of concern would be multiplied tenfold. Andy quickly made his way to the airlock where Shepard and Samara were waiting for him, and he noted that the Asari Justicar looked far less than hospitiable when she caught sight of him. "Everything alright here?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow, and Shepard gave a sigh when Samara jerked her head away so she didn't have to look at him.
"Samara wants me to do this," he explained, "because she doesn't think you're strong enough to face Morinth."
Raising an eyebrow he turned his head slowly to face the Justicar. "Samara... you've never seen me in a battle, have you?"
She looked into his eyes with a small glare; examining him as if he was an insect. "You do not understand," she almost growled, "Morinth is not a normal Asari that you can simply blast out of the way; she is an Ardat-Yakshi - one of the most powerful biotic creatures in this universe. She will meld with you and suck you dry until you are simply a breathing husk of the person you are at this moment."
Blinking a couple of times Andy stepped into the airlock and waited for the other two to join him; he knew now why he hadn't taken time out of his schedule to visit the Asari; she seemed to have a rather annoying superiority complex... that he hadn't really seen within the game. Shepard walked in beside him first, and Samara reluctantly followed. When they stepped out of the ship Samara was surprised when Shepard allowed Andrew to lead the way, and raised an eyebrow at him. Chuckling, the Commander of the Normandy pointed at Andy's back as he walked forwards with assured, confident steps. "He knows things. Chances are he already knows all about Morinth; about her being your daughter, about who her latest target was, about where to find her, about how to gain her attention... everything."
"I have only told you about her relation to me," she protested, and Andy turned his head over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow.
"Your daughter was forty years old when she was offered the choice along with your two other daughters; also Ardat-Yakshi. She was addicted to melding however; the high she gained off murdering her victims; sucking out every last piece of their essence, and so ran. When she ran you decided to become an Asari Justicar; devoting your life to hunting her down." He ignored her shocked look and continued his commentary as they walked towards the Apartment Complexes. "On Scarva, four hundred years after her escape from you, she had enthralled an entire village and upon seeing you ordered them to attack. You, against your better judgement, fought your way through the swarm of worshippers in the hope that you would reach Morinth before she escaped. You were unsuccessful, however still managed to track her down to Illium recently whereupon you met Shepard." He gave her a small shrug and smile. "The rest, as they say, is history."
"H-how can you know all that? I made sure it was classified!"
He grinned and tapped the side of his nose; a gesture that Shepard had become intimately acquainted with, as had the rest of the crew, before turning forwards and stopping outside an apartment door. Shepard and Samara stopped behind him, looking confused, and Andy pressed the holographic panel to ring the buzzer inside. A second later a face appeared; projected in front of him, and he pulled off his hood and gave the elderly woman a small, but sad smile. "We're here about your daughter, Nef, Missus Chunhua."
The door immediately opened and the woman herself was stood directly in front of them looking sadly expectant. "What do you know about my dear Nef?"
"May we come in?" Andy asked kindly, "it is not something that should be discussed in public."
They all found themselves quickly bidded entry, and the door locked behind them. "What do you know?"
The desperation in her voice tugged at all their heartstrings, and he nodded before sitting down on one of the chairs and giving a sigh. "My name is Andrew Kronos, I'm sure you've heard of me."
The woman's eyes widened, "You're the one that defeated all the Mercenaries in Omega!"
Ignoring the exasperated sigh and rolling eyes from Shepard, and the shocked look from the Justicar, he nodded. "Yes, I am. I work alongside Aria, as she's struggling to keep this place in line as it is. You see, Missus Chunhua, your daughter Nef didn't die; she was killed."
The woman gave a small sob and nodded before whispering, "I knew it; I knew that my dear Nef hadn't died even though they all said it was just an accident."
He gave a sad nod and leant across to lay his hand over hers, and she looked up; wiping her tears away with her free hand before nodding thankfully at him. Sitting back after she had gathered herself Andy explained. "Your daughter was the victim of an Asari called Morinth." Samara froze in her inspection of the room, her suspicions finally confirmed, and Andy flicked her a look that said 'I told you so'. "She is an Ardat-Yakshi which means that she was born with a rare genetic deformity that causes her to kill anybody she melds with; literally eating their entire being and leaving just an empty shell in their place. I wanted to come here and tell you that within the next few hours we will have captured your daughter's murderer, and she will be brought to justice."
The woman burst into tears and leapt across the gap separating them, and Andy gave a sad smile before hugging her back as she mumbled thank yous into his shoulder. It took several minutes for her to pull back, and she apolgised when she saw the wet stain on his shoulder. He waved her off with a small smile. "It's no problem," he assured her, "it'll dry off in no time."
He stood from his chair and gave a small bow while withdrawing a small card from his breast pocket and holding it out to her with both hands. She looked shocked at him observing the old traditions, and by now they weren't just old but rather ancient, before smiling and bowing herself before taking his card with an equal bow, scrutinising it for several very long seconds, and then pocketing it. "Even most people on Earth don't follow tradition now," she commented, and he nodded with a smile.
"And it is people like you and I who will keep it continuing."
Despite the fact that he was far younger than she was she gave an approving nod and bade them a respectful goodbye; bowing at the waist as the door hissed closed behind them. "What was that?"
Turning to face Shepard he gave a smile. "Ancient Japanese tradition," he explained. "I didn't know if she'd remember it, but it seems like I made a good impression, which is always good. Hopefully now she can get some closure with her daughter's death."
"...You are not what I expected."
Andy turned his head over his shoulder as he walked; a slightly irritated expression on his face. "No, I'm not, and you would've known that sooner if you'd not had that huge fucking pole stuck up your arse." Shepard gave a loud sigh at the language, while Samara looked as if she had been physically slapped. "Don't go by people's looks, Justicar Samara," he remanded wisely, "it will be the end of you, just as it is the end for the victims of your daughter who think Morinth is a beautiful, seductive, and innocent woman."
That really struck chords, and the Asari was silent for the rest of their journey. Andy stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading to the entrance of the Afterlife VIP area, causing his two companions to stop to avoid bumping into him. Jerking his finger towards the door at the top he gave a nod. "She's in there," he explained, "and before I go in and lure her I want to make several things very, very clear." He turned to Samara with a small glower, and she raised an eyebrow at his daring; not many Asari, let alone humans, dared look at her in such a way for fear of being eliminated. "She may be your daughter, and you may want to take out your... rather permanent brand of justice on her as soon as you can, but I'm investing a lot in this too, so I deserve a say in what happens. I'm going to go in there, lure her in, get her interested, and then see if I can get back to her place where she will inevitably attempt to go at me. You will not enter the apartment-"
"She must be eliminated!" interrupted the Justicar, and found herself shocked when Andrew flared a deep blue and a pressure surrounded her from all sides; preventing her from speaking. She was even more shocked when all her attempts to escape his biotic prison were rebuffed completely without his expression even twinging with effort.
"As I said before, had you actually paid more attention to your surroundings and asked around about myself or Jack, you would've found out that we are not your normal humans, nor biotics. You will stay outside the apartment until I say so, and only then will you come in. She will be the ultimate test of my powers, and I intend to try and find out just what the taint I have felt before in an Ardat-Yakshi truly is." He was lying about that last bit, but she didn't need to know that, and if Samara was shocked that she was being restrained, she was absoulutely floored at the fact that he had supposedly faced one of the most dangerous Asari in the Universe and lived. Andy turned to Shepard and raised an eyebrow, and he gave a small nod and a sigh. "I'll keep her in line," he assured the young merc, "though I really hope what you do doesn't screw up the whole oath thing she made to me - because I'll be the one living with the consequences when she's released from it."
Nodding his understanding Andy gave a nod before making his way up the stairs, calling over his shoulder, "It won't Shep, I promise you that."
Reaching the door he was stopped by the bouncer, however after dropping his cover name that Aria had provided him with a couple of weeks earlier he was quickly waved through by the stuttering and wide-eyed turian. He wrinkled his nose up in slight disgust when he smelt the body odour permiating the club when he entered, and quickly brushed off the junkie by the door that was murmuring about Expel 10 - he wanted to come off as classy, and associating with the doped up teen wasn't about to bring that image into being. Looking around he saw that no Asari dancer was getting hastled, and let out a sigh - not everything followed what the games had been like, and he'd been noticing that fact more and more as he'd been messing with the timeline.
He was just waiting for the big kahuna to hit whereupon his knowledge of the timeline would go to shit.
A quick check revealed that the bartender was different from the game, and was actually competent, and there were no trouble-makers around that he could see. After ordering a drink and looking around however, he found his eye drawn to something that was stashed behind the DJ's desk... something with a long handle, and a sleek, and very distinctive white body. Grinning like a madman he approached the human who was working the music and caught his attention with a wave. He leant down from his elevated position and Andy yelled up to him. "How in the hell did you get your hands on a Stratocaster?"
The burly African grinned down at him, revealing sharpened canines, and gave an approving nod. "Ah, finally somebody that knows what they're talking about!" he yelled over the din, "I brought it at a garage sale back on Earth a year ago. Only thing is that I can't play it for shit, and it's pretty old school now because of all this new trance shit they call music!"
Looking around Andy couldn't help but nod in agreement, and then turned back to the man with a wide grin. "You must be sick of this pounding rhythm! I'll make you a deal: you let me take a scan of that piece of art and I'll play a couple of songs that'll really get this club moving!"
"You know how to play?"
Nodding back with a grin, the African gave a whistle of approval, and then leaned down again. "You throw in some tutorial vids and you've got a deal!"
Holding out his hand Andy and the DJ shook on it, and the young merc found himself pulled up onto the platform where he quickly ran a scan over the instrument so that he could get it machined up at a later date, and then ran a program on his Omni-tool that would jack into the old fashioned 1/4 inch plughole and transmit digitally enhanced sound to whatever modern output device he wanted. He yelled up to the DJ who quickly gave him the codes to the audio system, and they discussed with hushed yells about what Andy was going to play, accompanying instuments, and what he wanted to be introduced as. As Andy ran a tuning program on the guitar the music in the club faded, and all attention turned to the DJ stand to see what was happening. Nicholas, as the DJ had introduced himself to Andrew, stood tall and grinned over the crowd. "Tonight we have the opportunity to taste some rare talent! The modern guitar is a human instrument that's been around for over 400 years, though it has been lost to the tides of time. Tonight we have a guest who knows how to play one, and as I just so happened to have one behind my desk we decided to give it a whirl! Without further ado, ladies and gents, Andrew Kruger!"
There was a smattering of applause, though nothing thunderous, and Andy stepped forwards; Stratocaster strapped over his front and a haptic microphone glowing by his mouth. "I know that this's a club more for dancing and all... but once in a while we just need to listen to something that actually means something." He nodded to Izzy who was being projected above the DJ table, and she nodded back before manipulating a 'synthesizer' to create the sounds of the intruments other that the guitar. A slow, gentle haze of sound floated through the room, and from that very moment people stood unwittingly transfixed. There was a power thrumming already; something that hinted at something above what moden music could bring them. It didn't need brain-manipulating soundwaves to convey the depth, it was simply there; laid bare. Thunder boomed, and then a daunting, fluctuatung warble entered. Nothing but the sounds being emmitted from the speakers around the room were present, and taking a deap breath Andrew stepped forward and played the first, skin-tingling melody.
It was enough to halt people's breaths.
Many of them had never before heard something so meaningful.
Closing his eyes and letting himself fall into he song Andew opened his mouth and began to sing.
These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day youll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms
Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I've witnessed all your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms
Theres so many different worlds
So many differents suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones
Now the suns gone to hell
And the moons riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But its written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
Were fools to make war
On our brothers in arms
There was complete silence as he finished off the song with an almost silent chord, at least until one awe-filled Asari dancer begun clapping from beside her pole with an amazed expression on her face. The applause quickly picked up, and Andrew gave a small, warm smile as the room quickly decended into a crescendo of clapping and whistling. Nodding his thanks he waved their appreciation down and looked over the expectant faces. "That song was written in 1985, that's 200 years ago, by a band called Dire Straits. It's title is Brothers in Arms, and is meant as a sort of remebrance of the dead... at least that's what I think." He looked over at Izzy, who gave him a smile and mouthed something to him, and he gave a smile and a nod before turning back to the eager crowd. "Well it looks like my lovely assistant Izzy thinks we can manage one more song, so for something a little more upbeat!"
A cheer went up and Andy grinned before turning to Izzy, recieving a nod, and plucking the first few strings to start the song. "Keep you in the dark you know they all, pretend, keep you in the dark and so it all, began..." Grinning widely as Izzy cracked the drums into the song he tore into the chords that made the song grow in power.
Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones go marching in... again
The need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are ever ready
Are you ready?
I'm finished making sense
Done pleading ignorance
That whole defense
Spinning infinity, boy
The wheel is spinning me
It's never-ending, never-ending
Same old story
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?
Andy grinned as he saw the patrons of VIP Afterlife grow accustomed to the new beat and begin dancing, and blasted out the next verse; his eyes dancing with enjoyment and life. He hadn't had so much fun in ages.
In time or so I'm told
I'm just another soul for sale... oh, well
The page is out of print
We are not permanent
We're temporary, temporary
Same old story
I'm the voice inside your head
You refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face
Mirrored in your stare
I'm what's left, I'm what's right
I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that will take you down
Bring you to your knees
So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?
He grinned as the next part started, and noticed with wide eyes and a gleaming smile that the echoes that accompanied his words was a harmony between Izzy singing and own vocals that she had obviously recorded earlier in the song.
What if I say I'm not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
(You know they all... pretend)
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?
What if I say I'm not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
(You know they all... pretend)
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?
So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
He finished off with a slamming chord that reverberated around the club like a wave of energy, and after a second's pause a roar of approval came from his sweating but happily tired crowd. "Thanks for being such a great crowd!" he yelled, and a roar of applause met his words yet again, "and that last song was written by the Foo Fighters, titled The Pretender! Have a great night!" He gave a wide smile and nodded to a few patrons that were particularly appreciative; it seemed that nobody was used to the hard, fast music that he liked - if they were tired from just dancing to that song he'd hate to see them at a concert back on Earth... a hundred and fifty'ish years ago. Handing the guitar back to a beaming and widely smiling DJ he shook the man's hand, transferred the vids he'd learned from to Nicholas, and then walked down towards the bar as the music settled back into the dreary, repetitive club beat that was so prevalent in virtually all the clubs he'd been to in the 'verse. People clapped him on the back with wide smiles and thanks for his performance as he made his way to get a drink, and the bartender gave him two on the house; apparently he was very happy that the customers were sweating buckets - he'd had a booming business so far.
"Hey there, I'm Morinth."
He had to force himself not to tense at the silky voice that seemed to be swathed in sensuality and demanded trust, and after taking a small breath to gather himself he turned with a smile to the Asari who had addressed him. He found himself almost repulsed. Her entire outfit was sleek and dark and positively screamed danger, but it was her face, and above all her eyes, that made him wonder just how anybody could fall for her 'charms'. Her skin held a pallid taint to it that made her seem almost sickly in comparison to the beautifully blue Asari dancers that surrounded them, and her eyes were that of the deepest obsidian; like black holes; ready to devour anything that came within their reach. When he felt the compulsion against his mental shields he understood.
The creature in front of him truly looked like this, and he was probably one of the very first to see her in such a way; her compulsion having no effect, and his immensely poweful and all-consming biotics allowing him to look past the aura she projected around herself.
He had to force himself to seem polite and friendly, when all he wanted to do was to run back to the Normandy and wash himself twice, thrice, perhaps even more than that, to cleanse himself of the taint he could feel trying to seep into him. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to forget the feeling in Jack's arms, and for once draw comfort from her instead of the other way around. Smiling in what he hoped was a genuine manner, and projecting an aura of his own to try and sway it towards seeming friendlier than it was, he nodded in greeting. "Hey. Enjoy the show?"
She gave a wide smile filled with predatory undertones and he stifled a shudder. "I loved it. I'm normally a fan of sensory bands like... hmmm, Expel 10. Have you ever heard of them?" He gave a nod, and she continued with her smile widening; baring her perfectly white teeth. They weren't teeth of a cannibal; those were present within her mind. "Normally I'm a fan of them... but that first song you played just... touched my soul, you know?"
'I bet it did you little murderer,' he scowled in his mind, but plastered a small smile on his face all the same. It was all he could manage without it turning into a grimace. "As I said after I played it, it's a song that just seems to demand that one listens; stops whatever they're doing and just absorb it." Motioning around at the club he gave a shrug, "These people seemed like they could use something different. I've been to a lot of clubs in my life, and this music; a repetitive beat, seems to be the norm. After a while it worms its way into your consciousness and starts to piss you off. These people come here to lose themselves... they need to stop, take a look at themselves, and actually think."
She gave him an approving smile and leant over to lay her hand over his. He twitched. "That's really deep. You seem to be the most interesting person here. How long are you on Omega for?"
He gave a small chuckle and went for his drink while tipping the bartender at the same time to get his hand out from underneath hers without arousing suspicion. "My ride leaves in around twenty hours and then I'm outa' here. To be honest this place is a little tame to what I'm used to - danger somewhere else in the Galaxy's a calling, so I'll go wherever I can see something worth seeing."
"Mmmm," she hummed seductively, leaning her head on her hand and staring at him with interest, "dangerous places are always the best," she commented.
He gave a wide smile back, genuine this time, as he thought back to Purgatory. "Yeah... and causing trouble's always... interesting; seeing the aftermath. Nothing is as pure as chaos." He was whistling dixie out his ass, but he thought it sounded pretty badass, and judging by the carnivorous smile that Morinth was sending him she thought so too. "Ever knocked over a prison ship?" he asked with a smirk, and her eyes widened before narrowing with a hungry expression burning deep in their black depths. "The pandemonium is almost intoxicating; the prisoners all running free and overrunning the guards with a ferocity most couldn't even fathom; finally having the chance to get back at their captors." He could see her teetering at the peak of deciding whether to take him then and dropped the bombshell. With his smirk widening and turning feral, a look he and Jack shared when executing plans or looking at an opportunity to sate their bloodlust, he leaned forwards. "Heard of the Prison Ship Purgatory?"
The look in her eyes flared with recognition and then a solidified decision, and his smirk widened. She didn't even know that it was aimed at her.
Hook, line, and sinker.
"What'd you say to going back to my place?" she asked, excitement tainting her voice. "It's a little more... private than here, and I want you to myself."
Nodding his assent with a grin they both stood, tipping the bartender as they left. Andrew followed the Ardat-Yakshi out of the club; catching sight of a concealed Samara and Shepard in his peripheral vision. He knew that Morinth would have missed them, as she was too focussed on dragging him to her apartment where she could devour his mind, and he signalled that he was okay to the hidden pair before turning the corner. He found himself being tugged along quite insistently and raised an eyebrow as he let himself be led. She hadn't seem this eager in the game, but then again he had put on quite a show... and she was known to love intelligent and artfully talented minds. He didn't consider himself a master on the guitar, but he was a fair way above what his old school's band was pulling out. He brought himself out of his reminicing, wondering whether or not he should surprise Jack by revealing his secret skill when he got back, when they arrived at Morinth's apartment, and he shook his head in despair. She clearly took it as awe as a huge grin snaked over her lips, but in truth the blonde mercenary was wondering if it was something out of the Evil Murderer's Catalogue. The outside was jet black in colour; in harsh contrast to all the other buildings surrounding it, and the sharp angular architecture seemed to radiate a sinister atmosphere.
As he was dragged in the door Andrew idly noted that the security system was top-of-the-line... something that hadn't happened in the game as Samara had seemed to get access without much trouble. He supposed that she had made such an effort with the systems to avoid getting attacked and blown to shit by the Omega Peacekeeper... as they were now calling him. He found it ironic that she'd invited the only person she really wanted to keep out of her pad into it. She pulled him over to the couch and he raised his eyebrows. 'No fucking around this time,' he observed, as she hadn't given him the time to explore her apartment as she had with Shepard. "Want some Hallex?" she asked suggestively, her voice attempting to stimulate his brain's safety and acceptance centers, and he gave a nod and a smile. She handed him two pills, notably not taking anything herself, and he slugged them back before assigning his biotics the task of isolating them from his system and breaking the chemicals inside down to safe, base elements. Within seconds he felt his biotics receed, their job done, and he watched Morinth lean closer with an almost giddy smirk of superiority and expectation. She closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath.
Andrew did the same; reinforcing his mental protections with his biotics, and then she opened her eyes. They were completely black and devoid of any reflections, as if they were sucking in all the light that bounced onto them, and her aura came into the visible spectrum; softening the look of her skin and giving her entire body a dreamy appearance. "Embrace Eternity."
He waited for a few seconds, waiting for the brutal onslaught that he had experienced the last time he'd faced an Ardat-Yakshi, and then he felt it. His eyebrows shot way up into his hairline at the feel of power her intrusion was bringing to bare on his shields. The strength of her attack on his mind at put him into a state of shock... and after a few moments awe.
It felt like a pixie slamming cotton balls against the granite dome that was his mind.
Clearing his throat loudly to get a reaction from the woman he cocked his head to the side. "Doesn't seem to be working... I'd quite like to Embrace Eternity with you though, so perhaps you could try harder?" That got a frown of confusion and frustration from the soul-sucking force looking into his eyes, and a moment later the pixie advanced to padded boxing gloves. "Still not feeling it," he admitted after a few seconds, and her brow furrowed as her fists clenched on her knees. Shaking his head with wide eyes he looked at Morinth with silent amusement, 'And there comes the cavalry... what the hell is this? Pixies vs. a fucking legion of demons?' . He set his biotics to offensive, and a moment later Morinth jerked back with a scream of pain as she clutched at her head; blue blood seeping out of her ears, nose, and eyes. "Well fuck me sideways," Andy murmured in surprise, and he watched the Asari curl tighter into a foetal position on the floor; her face twisted into an expression of furious agony.
Seeing that she wasn't going anywhere he walked over to her bar and watched her slowly recover as he sipped on a glass of delightfully ice-cold water. She'd dragged him off before he could really start replenishing the liquid he'd lost by sweating on stage. After nearly five minutes, and the same number of glasses of water later, the Asari stumbled to her feet before wobbling unsteadily as she glared across at him; all vestiges of civility and charm gone from her expression. "Who the hell are you?"
Remembering a line from a movie he'd seen he sent her a grin. "A concerned citizen."
"What did you do to me?" she winced as she clutched at her head again; her body shaking slightly, and he sent her an unnerving smile.
"Well you tried to meld, and I didn't want you to, so I just rebuffed you until I decided to turn my mental defences against you. That counter-attack, my dear Ardat-Yakshi," he watched her eyes widen in shock, and then narrow in fury, "was what I did to you."
He couldn't help but smirk wider.
"Impossible," she ground out, and then lifted her hands up with a jerk; her eyes filled with fury and humiliation. A huge wave of biotic power blasted its way towards Andy, and he raised an eyebrow before raising the hand that wasn't holding the glass of water and stopping it easily. Her eyes widened at the action, but then slitted with determination as she pushed all of her energy into the attack. Andy did have to put his glass down when she did that, and raised both of his hands to repel the huge forces that were barraging against his counter. It wasn't that it was a huge challenge; rather he would've spilled the water all over his shirt because of the vibrations that were being transferred into his body from the attack.
He was honestly surprised.
An Ardat-Yakshi was just below most Matriarchs in strength, and repelling Morinth's power was as easy as walking around in heavy armour. There was a slight strain, like one would feel while playing a game of tennis, but that was something Andrew could easily do with his physique. As he held Morinth at bay he realized that Jack was the only person he knew that could actually give him a challenge anymore. He fired off a singularity into the mix, and the sudden gravitational pull caught Morinth off-guard. Her eyes widened as she was jerked towards the small, black ball hovering in-between them, and she quickly forced a throw onto herself; blasting across the room and into the window with a sickening crunch. She collapsed to her knees; coughing up blue blood, and Andrew looked at her with something akin to pity. "I just don't understand," he admitted to her over the sounds of her coughs and groans, "I mean, is sucking somebody's being from their very body such a pleasurable experience that you can't stop? Your sisters took the choice to reside in peace and luxury, isolated from the rest of the galaxy for both their and its safety, and the only reason they knew they were Ardat-Yakshi was because they had also torn a soul from another... but they weren't addicted." He sat on a bar stool as she glared up at him from the floor and cocked his head to the side. "I know for a fact that all three of you had realized what you were at the same time; at the Releasing Ceremony at your Chapel to the Goddess on Thessia... and you were given the choice that very night." He was paraphrasing information he'd pulled from the Shadow Broker System, and the fact that he knew everything seemed to shock her enough that her glare subsided for a moment. "You didn't have time to 'get addicted' from the first meld until you were given the choice, as you were isolated until they decided to offer all three of you the option of going into isolation... which begs the question, just why in the hell did you run?"
She glared defiantly back at him, but after a moment he saw a flicker behind her eyes; an emotion that he hadn't expected in a million years to come from her.
Helplessness.
The defiance was still present on her face, as was the anger and sneer, but there was something being hidden, and Andrew wanted to know just what that was. His unparalleled control over his biotics gave him the option to get that information. He stepped forwards and raised his hands, and Morinth floated upwards; her eyes widening as she realized the danger she was in. Her eyes lit up with energy, and Andrew felt a veritable tsunami of power race outwards from her, its only possible target being him. He quashed the danger with a pulse of his own biotics; disrupting her assault to the point where it destabalized and faded into obscurity, and then encased her within a nullifying field of his own recent design. Her expression turned panicked when she realized that her biotics were failing to respond to her commands, but before she could voice any words she found herself looking into the deep, ice-blue eyes of her captor. For the first time in her life she found herself entranced. His iris colour seemed to deepen in front of her very eyes, and she slowly felt herself falling into them; surrounded by a nimbus of swathing warmth and reassurance.
In the few minutes after her trying to meld with him, Andrew had reverse-engineered the Ardat-Yakshi's technique, and now found himself experiencing what she did when she attacked her victims. The way his biotics were moulded they cried out to be fed by her soul, and Andy had to keep it firmly in check - he hadn't had time to suppress the hunger in the attack before using it. Memories flooded his mind in droves, and had he been able to see himself in the outside world he would have been amazed. Morinth was surrounded by the skin-tight halo of his suppression field; her head tilted back and her eyes completely black and filled with awe, but it was Andrew that was the most shocking. Shepard and Samara crashed into the apartment having felt the sudden flood of energy and stopped in their tracks with slack jaws and wide eyes when they beheld the happening in front of them.
Andy was covered in what looked like living shadows that flowed fluidly over his entire being, though flecks of gold interspersed the darkness. His own gaze was fixed on Morinth; his entire eye a luminous blue. Tendrils of gold-flecked shadow bridged the gap between him and the Ardat-Yakshi, and seemed to enter Morinth's chest continuously. Inside their meld Andrew was pushing deeper and deeper into Morinth's soul, finally grasping the concept of the meld enough that he could skim over the memories in some sort of search pattern. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he knew that something was wrong when he felt his intrusion being redirected to a different part of Morinth's soul. This, of course, only made him push harder towards the source of the manupulation, and he quickly felt a dark, ancient taint swarm at him. Quickly reinforcing himself with his biotics he forced his shielding outwards to swathe and protect the untainted portions of Morinth's soul, and then the two forces clashed. Shepard and Samara were blown off their feet and slammed brutally into the wall of the apartment, and watched through disorientated eyes as the Ardat-Yakshi was suddenly covered in a shimmering haze of red; Andrew's nullification shield being disintegrated by the force of its appearance. The new energy immediately lashed out at the shadow-cloaked mercenary, but was rebuffed by a wall of pitch darkness that seemed to swallow it and then grow from the energy it had absorbed before sinking back into the skin of Andrew.
Andrew could literally see the adulteration, and forced his power against its own. He could feel the strain steadily rising, and although he couldn't feel it, submerged in the meld as he was, around him and Morinth a violent, razor-sharp wind was buffeting. Shepard dragged Samara behind cover once he felt the sharpness of the charged air slice a cut into his cheek, and the two watched as the energy emmitting from the two battling biotics increased to unfathomable level; suffocating in its intensity. Shepard pulled the paralysed Samara further away from the pair so that they could breathe once more, though only just, and pulled a table over so that they were protected. Concrete and metal was tearing itself off the foundations, and within the corona the pair were blasting outwards things were simply being atomised by the pressure, heat, and sheer energy that was broiling off of them in waves.
Andrew could see the form of the poison reaping the Asari's mind clarify, and his words to describe what it was doing were entirely appropriate. "Worthless human," came a synthetic rumble, and the form finally solidified in front of him; bathed in crimson energy in contrast to his pure black.
"You've got to be kidding me," he grunted as he fought against the Reaper imprint, and the squid-like construct pushed harder against his power. Andy quickly released the limiters he kept on his power, and outside of their joined minds the region of decimation burst outwards; flooring getting torn up and floating as if in reduced gravity before turning a bright white and disintegrating. The roof of the apartment suddenly collapsed above the pair, but got caught up in the whirlwind of biotics before it could cause the two any damage; quickly eaten away by the dark energy at play. "Useless?" he ground out at the Reaper with a sadistic smirk, "That's funny, because I seem to be closing in on you now."
"You are weak," droned the deep rumbling voice, "before us, you are nothing. Your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything."
"Well that sounds familiar," Andy snarled as he pushed even harder against the construct's shields, causing them to bow inwards with the strain, "it seems like you, as a race, are wholly unoriginal too. Nazara said the same as you did, and yet found itself destroyed."
"We will destroy you," came the dark reply, and Andy smirked when he heard the anger thrumming in its tone. The pressure and power increased, and Samara grabbed Shepard before blowing away a small portion of wall behind them and dragging him out of it; gently floating them down to the ground two storeys below where they quickly retreated to the other side of the street where spectators were gathering to watch the maelstrom of black and crimson dance lethally with each other. Andy could feel his owns shields straining against the attack on him and took a risk; dropping them for a second and instead sharpening his biotics to pierce the shields of his opponent. The Reaper screamed with a mechanical screech as it was speared on Andy's blade of energy, and its voice increased in pitch.
The spectators of the battle all slammed their hands over their ears as the sound reached them; wincing as it seemed to rip their thoughts to shreds, and then they all watched in shock as, for a moment, a huge, hundred-meter tall wraith flickered into existence before being torn asunder by glittering black blades of energy. The Reaper froze for a second before giving one last dying screech that knocked everybody back with the force, and then everything stopped. The dark energy dissappeared as if it had never existed, and all that was left was complete and utter silence. People on the upper storeys of the apartment sect stared in awe and confusion, and even the machinery had seemed to silence itself. It took a couple of seconds, but Shepard suddenly surged forwards; running full-tilt towards the apartment, and Samara followed almost immediately after him. When they finally came out into the room where they had cowered mere minutes ago however, they stopped mid-step. The metal foundations that were laid bare were glowing red with heat, and electronics and wires sparked with dispering Dark Energy. It was the sight in the middle of the room that stopped them completely however. Morinth was crouched over Andy shaking him, terror on her face and in her eyes. "Wake up! Come on wake up! You can't die here, you... I have to thank you! Just wake up, please!" she begged, and after a couple of seconds Andy's eyes flickered before opening with a wince as he looked up at her.
"You catch the number of that fucking lorry?"
The black-clad Asari gave a yelp of joy before glomping him, and Andy looked over the woman's shoulder to see Samara about to step forwards. He waved her weakly off as he hugged the happy Ardat-Yakshi back, and the Justicar stopped with narrowed eyes. "Thank you," the woman hugging him muttered, and he gave a nod and a smile as he powerlessly hugged her back.
"No problem," he mumbled sleepily, and then sat up. Morinth helped him to his feet and helped him stay upright by lending him a shoulder to lean on, and the blonde merc looked at Shepard and Samara with a dry grin. "Well that was really something, huh?"
It was at that moment Morinth caught sight of her mother, and she stiffened before, with a burst of speed, launching herself at the Justicar. The Asari in question took it as an act of agression, and was just about to blast her daughter away with a powerful biotic push when she realised that Morinth wasn't displaying any signs of attacking whatsoever... and was in fact hugging her and crying whilst muttering endless apologies into her shoulder. She looked over to Shepard who had taken over Morinth's position in keeping Andrew standing with a helpless look in her eyes, and Andy gave a small chuckle and shook his head. "I'll explain once we find somewhere to sit down."
"Well I know just the place," a voice exclaimed from the door, and everybody turned to see Aria flanked by two Turian bodyguards. She looked around and gave a small whistle before sending Andy a small smirk. "Never seen you look so worn out," she admitted, and he rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, well it's not every day I get to kill a Reaper now, is it?"
