A/N: So yeah, I'm alive. Time to make it up to you guys.


In the beginning…

Before the great civilizations crawled out of the sea…

Before the first predator and the first prey went on their epic chase…

Before the first love was ever felt…

There was only darkness.

A black so thick, that it consumed all in its wake.

Indeed, nothing ever was, and nothing ever will be.

Nothing but the empty void of oblivion; unknowing, unfeeling.

But from the darkness sprang the light.

And the miracle of light brought life to where there was nothing.

And life flourished, filling the void and dispelling the darkness.

But the darkness was not vanquished and hid in the hearts of creation.

Over time, like a festering wound, the darkness corrupted what was once pure.

To take for itself what belonged to all.

To hate and shun what was different from it.

To kill and rape and burn for its desire.

Thus, sin was born.

And we cannot escape it.

For who can escape from themselves?

The place was dark, empty. There was no fear or pain in him this time. As far as his nightmares have gone, this was tame. It was strange, he thought, like a switch was thrown and things just stopped. It seemed all too convenient. The nightmares hadn't been plaguing him for long. At first he thought it was just stress, but the things he'd seen… The very thought ran a chill down his spine. Can't stay here however, there's work to be done.


"Ugh…" Shepard groaned as he opened his eyes, the scent of antiseptic filling his nose. The infirmary ceiling was becoming an unwelcome familiar sight to him, he thought, as he sat up and rubbed his temples. The motion caused his chest to hurt; it felt stiff and sore. "I… Ow."

"I'll say." added a familiar voice next to him.

Shepard looked to his right to see Garrus sitting on the bed next to him. His bare torso wrapped with bandages while an IV line was slipped into his arm, blood streaming down from a pack held up on a post. "Hah, the hell happened to you?" Shepard grinned, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to face his best friend. These little moments in the med-bay were more common place than he'd care to like, the two being of similar minds when it came to how they fought in battle.

"Oh, this?" Garrus replied, looking down at his arm. "You know how it is, fighting off horde after horde of women as they throw themselves at you. Some of them get a bit overzealous."

"Huh, I didn't realize there were that many blind women on Omega."

"I didn't realize you looked at women at all until Tali."

"Really? That's all you can come up with?" Shepard said with mock disappointment. "You can do better than that."

"True, but since I'm still seeing two of you, I'll have to put you on a rain check."

"So what really happened to you?" he replied, leaning forward, his interest piqued.

"Well, after the copious amounts of sexual gratification lavished upon me," Garrus began, causing Shepard to shake his head in amusement. "The team and I got separated for a bit and I ran into some thugs. I took care of them but I got cocky, earned me this." He said, pointing a talon to the bandage on his side. He wasn't lying exactly, just choosing to leave out some crucial details about his little misadventure. "Then I wake up to find myself having this lovely conversation with you."

"Hmm, it's a good thing they didn't knick your face. That would've been tragic." Shepard jabbed.

"Oh I don't know… Sometimes I'm just too good looking for my own good." He sighed, running a hand through his fringe. "But I don't suppose you'd understand the grief of the beautiful people, looking the way you do your entire life."

The two men laughed with each other as Dr. Chakwas entered the room unnoticed. "My, my, but you boys definitely look better." She said, standing between the two with her arms crossed. "Let's try to keep it that way for more than a week at a time, shall we?"

"C'mon doc," Garrus said, scratching his scar. "We do try not to get horrifically maimed or injured... Really hard, even."

"I second that remark." Shepard added with a grin, getting to his feet and stretching his stiff muscles. "How long was I out?"

"Just under 24 hours," Chakwas replied, walking over to her swivel chair and taking a seat, she smiled softly, "Those cybernetics of yours really pulled you through. Several cuts here and there, a handful of bruising, but not a single fracture in sight; most people who get shot at such a range aren't as lucky."

"It'll take more than a krogan with a grudge to put me down." Shepard replied with a smirk, walking to the closet on the far side to retrieve his shirt. "Though I'm sure it's largely thanks in part to you too, Doctor."

"We really are lucky to have a dear sweet lady such as you to care for us, doc." Garrus added.

"Flatterers, the both of you." Chakwas dismissed, her smile faded and her tone became more serious. "You are not invincible, John. Very lucky? Yes, but not invincible." Her eyes were stern, then they slowly softened, her voice almost pleading. "One of these days, God forbid, your luck will run out."

"Look, doctor." Shepard said, pulling the patient gown over his head, and sighed, looking at himself in the mirror. "I have no illusions about my mortality." To say that his body was scarred would be an understatement. "I've had my fair share of close calls. Hell, I even went the whole way." The bullet holes were one thing, riddling a portion of his chest with scarred craters, but there were also the burns and the stab wounds. "But I'm not the kind of man who would stand by while everything around him goes to hell." All in all, his skin was nowhere near as horrible as Zaeed's own collection, but given time, it might even surpass the old man. "As long as I have something to protect… I guess I'll have to see how far my luck can carry me." He arched an eyebrow as Chakwas chuckled softly.

"Of course, commander." Chakwas sighed, turning around to face her console terminal. Of course he would say that. She looked back over his shoulders and cast him the slightest of grins. "And as long as you are inclined, I guess I'll have to just keep patching you up every time."

"Thank you, Carol." He replied, smiling back. "I'll try not to be a burden."

"Hush, I've no time for empty promises." She waved him off, typing something into her terminal. "Besides, I'm not the only lecturer you'll have for the day's harsh lessons." She chuckled, "I do believe you remember what Tali said to you last night? She'll have some choice words for you, commander. The girl hasn't slept a wink watching over you all night. I'd imagine she just went back to her shift after you were stable, the little workaholic."

You're one to talk, Shepard thought as he rummaged for his shirt. "I remember," he said, before pulling said article of clothing over is head, recalling his brief moments of consciousness at the time. It was a strange feeling: Looking forward to and at the same time dreading to see someone you cared for deeply. "So I suppose I can go now…?" he added, approaching the exit. His heart both sunk and dropped when Chakwas nodded her assent; He really wasn't looking forward to the talk.

"Go; tend to your ship and crew, Commander." She said, knowing very well who he was going to go to first. "Besides, dear Mr. Vakarian will need his rest tonight, which is hardly served by your company."

"Tonight?" Garrus asked, his eyebrow cocked, pointing a talon at the nearly-empty bag of blood above him. "I thought you said I could go after this transfusion?"

"I said you could go after the transfusions." She stated, putting emphasis on the last two words. "Plural. You lost a lot of blood Garrus; one would think you didn't have the right mind to carry medi-gel with you." She said disapprovingly.

"Aw, c'mon doc! I'm a pretty tough guy; one bag's enough." He was really looking forward to that drink tonight. "I have things to do!"

"It will have to wait." Dr. Chakwas replied, arching an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware this was a discussion?"

"But-!" he persisted.

"No buts." She cut him off, "Besides, I have to keep you under observation. It's a miracle the blade that stabbed you didn't damage any internal organs, but one never knows."

"But I-!" Garrus stuttered; he wasn't backing down without a fight.

"You know I could always sedate you." She said, reaching for a nondescript, brown-tinted bottle on her desk and twisting it onto a syringe gun. "You're still groggy, so I think I can stick this into your neck without too much of a hassle."

"You wouldn't…" Garrus squinted at her. "You wouldn't dare."

Chakwas smiled sweetly, but there was something sinister about that gaze that made him shudder and back down.

"Okay, maybe you would…" Defeated, Garrus turned to his friend pleadingly. "Shepard, help me out here."

"Sorry buddy, you heard the lady, doctor's orders." Shepard said to Garrus as he hastily walked towards the doors which automatically opened for him, then turning to Chakwas. "Later. Thanks, doctor."

"Try not to come back too soon." Chakwas called after him before the doors closed.

Garrus watched in comic disbelief as his friend ditched him. "Brilliant." He kicked his feet up the bed and lied back, propping himself up with a couple of pillows. Guess he's going to have to go dry tonight. "Hey doc, can I at least listen to some music?"

"I'm not completely heartless, you know?" Chakwas chuckled, walking over to Garrus and handing him his player and earphones.

"Could've fooled me." He replied while slipping the earphones on one at a time with his good hand. He was really looking forward to that drink. His eyes went wide, as if remembering something just now. He looked towards the chrono and cursed, he was already late anyway. "Hey, EDI!" He said out loud, the AI's holo interface popping up into life.

"You hollered, Garrus?" she(?) replied, and Garrus smirked sheepishly. EDI really was spending too much time with Joker. Though AI or not, he never did like yelling at women.

"Ah, sorry 'bout that, EDI." He said, scratching the back of his neck. "Anyway, could you pass along something to Kasumi for me?"


Kasumi let out a slow breath as she savored the fiery concoction that went down her throat. The chrono on the wall indicated it was getting late and there was still no sign of Garrus; guess she was drinking alone tonight. Again.

EDI popped to life next to her. It startled her for the first couple of times, but now she was used to it. "Good evening, Kasumi."

"Hey, EDI, don't suppose you'd fancy a drink?"

"I am unfortunately not equipped to partake in the generous offer."

"Shucks, and here I was all decked out in my high heels and everything."

"I do not understand?"

"Nothing, nothing… Anyway, what's up?"

"Playing back recording…" She paused for a bit, then spoke again, but this time it was Garrus' voice speaking. "Kasumi, if this reaches you, I'll have to apologize for not being able to have that drink. I am being held against my will and I don't know if I'll ever leave with my life- Hey!" There was a scuffle in the background, amidst Garrus' protests and laughter. "Okay! Okay! I was just kidding doc, just stop throwing stuff at me!" Kasumi just grinned in amusement as she heard the word 'ingrate' in the background. "Yeah, um, doc says I ain't clear yet, sorry if the heads up came too late." His voice was wary, and Kasumi could practically feel Chakwas' stern gaze on him. "Totally my fault, by the way." There was a click and EDI's voice piped up again. "End of recording."

"Thanks, EDI." Kasumi said, leaning on the counter and swirling the drink in her hand, smirking. "Tell him maybe I'll drop by in the morning, if only to show off my massive hangover."

"Logging you out, Kasumi." And with that, EDI left, and she was alone once more.

Alone. The word resounded in her like a needle dropping in an empty room. But she wasn't alone anymore, right? Ever since Shepard took her in, she had met all these interesting people, people she could call friends, and had all these fantastic adventures; it was a fairy tale right out of a book. But why did she still feel alone? Oh sure, she would never forget Kenji, but she was moving on with her life. Was she though? Was Jacob just a rebound phase? All this thinking was making her ill.

Kasumi grunted under her breath and decided she needed another shot in her. Pouring the clear liquid into her shot glass, she muttered something under her breath and drank it straight down. "Sigh, I'm an idiot; people say never to drink alone when you're depressed."

"I could fix that." Kasumi turned to see Jack, taking up the stool beside hers. Reaching for a random bottle with her biotics and popping off the cap, the other woman took a deep swig straight from it, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand when she was done. She noticed Kasumi looking at her with a half smirk and a raised eyebrow. "What? I'm gonna finish the whole damn thing anyway. Saves whoever cleans up the fucking glasses some damn time."

Kasumi shook her head in amusement and decided to just go with it, pouring herself another drink. "Hello yourself, Jack." She'd be lying if she said her presence didn't cheer her up just a little bit. The first time Jack came in here to drink, no words were said between them, only the occasional hellos and what-nots. But as time went on, Kasumi discovered she enjoyed talking to Jack, who was surprisingly an intelligent and funny person to hang around with if you knew which buttons to push. They'd been friends ever since.

"Heh, so how are you doing, Lil' miss Tokyo?"

The two chatted for a while, mostly about idle things and the closest thing to Gossip if Jack was concerned. They laughed and laughed as they downed drink after drink. Kasumi re-evaluated what she felt earlier tonight. No, she didn't feel alone for want of friends. So what was this feeling inside of her? She shook it off, attributing it to fatigue and opened a fresh bottle for herself while Jack grabbed another.

Jack took a big gulp, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand afterwards and turned to Kasumi. "So how were the lights and sights of Omega? Enjoy yourself?"

"If you call near death experiences enjoyable, then why not?" She tilted her head back as she took the shot. "It was a blast."

"Sounds like the perfect Saturday night out to me."

"You're just pissed Shepard grounded the entire crew." Kasumi said, pouring herself another shot.

"Damn right I am!" She replied, banging the bottle on the counter. "Fucker said we were going on a bender, and what does he do? Gets himself fucked up like the hero he is and mumbles something about everybody being grounded on the ship! Half-dead and he's still a damn stick in the mud!"

"The nerve of him," she replied, swirling the contents of her glass with here fingertip, "Thinking about our safety."

"Fuck that, we just risked our neck for a trillion idiots, and all I want is a damn drink out in town in return."

"If it would make you feel any better, I'm sure the commander would let us have fun in the next shit-hole we stop by."

"Heh, were it anybody else, Goto, I would've thrashed them for talking to me like that. But you? I like you, you got style." Jack took another drink, "Not like some uptight bitch who'd stroke herself off on the damn rule book."

"Thanks." She sipped at her drink gingerly this time, "I take it that playing nice with Miranda hasn't been panning out well?"

"That's just the thing." Jack took another deep swig; the bottle was half empty now. "I'm getting along with the bitch! I still fucking can't stand her high and mighty top dog cheerleader bullshit, but I'm starting to like her for it!" She took another drink, the booze trickling down the side of her mouth. This woman was treating alcohol like it was water on a hot day. "And I'm starting to care."

Kasumi just raised her eyebrow again as she sipped down the rest of her drink. Funny, she thought, the bottle seemed to have a lot more booze in it a while ago. She filled the small glass once more. "Hmm, how's that a bad thing?"

"I dunno… It's just, she… that bitch…" Jacks eyes softened a bit, just for a second, before the fire ignited. "Fucking bitch! If she fucking wants space I'll give it to her! But fuck her for making me care why!"

"Heh." Kasumi was about to take another deep drink when something clicked in her head. No way. She turned to Jack, her eyes wide, a doofy grin on her face. "Are you saying… you like her?"

"Of course I like her! It's damn well obvious right?" Jack shot back, throwing her head back as she drank her fill. The awkward silence was only broken by her deep gulps, when suddenly; Jack's eyes shot open, choking a bit on the alcohol, causing her to cough and sputter, the booze spilling on the counter. Kasumi moved to rub Jack's back but her hand was swatted away. "Fuc-!" she hacked and coughed, the burning liquid going up her nose. "Fuck you! That's not what I meant!" she coughed some more. "Aw fuck that burns!"

Despite her greatest efforts, Kasumi couldn't help but start laughing, her hand slamming on the counter as she did so.

"You little bitch." Jack snarled venomously, eyes red from her coughing, a soft blue glow started to envelop her. But Kasumi just kept on laughing, and despite the pain and annoyance, her deadly expression started to crack, her biotic field dissipating and breaking into a grin of her own, and finally degenerating into her own fit of laughter. She playfully punched the side of Kasumi's arm. She repeated what she said, albeit friendlier than before, a smile dancing on her lips. "You little bitch."

"Hey now, I don't judge." Kasumi said, shrugging, then reaching into the back of the counter and handing Jack some paper towels. "Not that I can blame you, I've seen her assets. And her uniform compliments it sooo well, too. I'd understand any woman playing for the other team for that."

Jack stared at her, a smile of disbelief on her face and her jaw on the ground. "How… How much have you fucking drunk before I got here?" she swayed a bit to and fro from where she sat, taking the paper towels and wiping her face with it.

"Dunno, but you seem to be catching up." She leaned in towards her conspiringly. "So tell me, have you told her yet?"

"No!" Jack blurted out, then seeing the grin on Kasumi's face, she added. "No. Look, I don't like her that way, okay? Shit, I'm more of a sausage eater than a grass grazer, you get me?"

Kasumi pouted, "But girl-to-girl love is sooo cute!"

"Heh, you are so wasted right now."

"That's a lie!" Kasumi said, pointing a finger accusingly at Jack, her arm swaying unsteadily as she did so. "I am soooo sober."

"Oh yeah? Prove it." Jack said with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, taking smaller sips from her bottle now. She always did find it fun to get Kasumi drunk. That part of the girl was always interesting to talk to, and if her beet-red face was any indicator, Kasumi was nearly there. "Go on, prove it."

Kasumi was about to say something, but stopped halfway opening her mouth. Jack looked on amused as Kasumi's brow furrowed as she went into deep thought. After a few moments, Kasumi had a 'eureka' look on her face and said out loud: "For one thing, I'm still sober enough to know you're dodging the topic!"

"What topic?" Jack said unfazed, drinking from her bottle.

"I… The topic being… You know…?" Kasumi cradled her face on both hands, elbows leaning on the counter, a look of defeat on her face, eyes cast downwards on her glass. "Eh, who cares?"

Jack grinned in victory, setting aside the bottle and leaned towards the other woman. Forget girl-to-girl love, this girl was cute. "So, I'm surprised you haven't shared any of the steamy bits yet."

"Hmm?" she replied, evidently clueless. "Steamy what?"

"Oh come on, how raunchy was it?" her voice was giddy, and Jack edged closer.

"What do you mean?"

"The fuck do you think?" Jack rolled her eyes, surely the girl wasn't that far gone yet. "I mean you and tall, black and ripped doing the interracial dirty two-step!"

"Oh, you mean Jacob." Kasumi said casually, surprisingly sobering up as she said the name. She sipped on her drink. "I got turned down."

"Oh." Jack blinked twice. This, by far, was the least likely thing she thought she would hear during her inquiry. It took some time to process what she had just heard into something intelligible in her brain. And as her neurons sparked for the ultimate reply, the best she could come up with was the classic response to mind-boggling statements: "… Wait, what?"

"I got turned down," she repeated casually, "He said he wasn't interested and wanted to just stay friends."

"Are you…?" Jack said, still trying to digest the news, squinting at her. "Are you speaking in Japanese? I can't fucking understand you right now."

"I got turned down."

"Did you try to-?" Jack began.

"Yes." Kasumi cut her off.

"While-?"

"Yes."

"With your-?"

"Yes."

"Well, did you at least try to-?"

"Twice."

"Well damn bitch, and here I thought you'd fucking broken that bronco in."

"Thanks, Jack…" Kasumi said sarcastically. "That's real supportive of you."

"Ah, shit, what do you want from me?" Jack backed up a bit feeling a little awkward. She wasn't the best person to talk to in these situations. Hell, the only reason she's trying is that it's for Kasumi. "Do you need a hug or some shit like that?"

"I'm fine… I'm a grown woman; I should be able to handle rejection." Kasumi smirked and looked at her with a sideway glance, "Thanks though." She drank her shot and filled her glass up again. Oh boy, fuck the world, she was going to get hell of red tonight.

"Meh." Jack said, brushing it aside casually as she drank from her bottle. "Want me to kick his ass?"

"Jack!"

"Fine… Fine…" Jack said, backing down. "So what really did happen?"

"I'm not drunk enough to tell you that." Kasumi said with a tone of finality.

"We can fix that." Jack whispered slyly.


Jacob Taylor sneezed loudly, sending several small parts of the shot gun he was cleaning clattering down to the floor of the armory. Sniffing his nose, he cursed under his breath as he knelt down to pick the pieces up. He gathered them in his hand and went back to working.

It's like what his dad used to say: If you have time to think, you might as well use it for something productive. He sighed as he pieced together the weapon; he had received a subpoena to stand as a witness in his dad's court-martial. He needed to talk to Shepard about how the Alliance had gotten his extranet address, but he'd have to deal with that on his way back to the Citadel. Between this and all that Alliance bureaucracy, he'd take life-threatening danger any day. He snapped on the final piece, securing it into place as he folded and unfolded the shotgun's mechanisms from storage to active modes.

He checked if everything was aligned and looked down the iron sights, aiming at his reflection in the viewport. As he checked if everything was in order, he realized something: this was the first time in a long time he had truly looked at himself. He almost didn't recognize the man staring back.

"What do you want from me?" He whispered to himself, staring eye to eye with his doppelganger. "It's over and done with; you didn't make the cut."

"It's not like that anymore. This time I'm playing center stage." He slowly lowered the weapon, and then quickly brought it back up again, aiming squarely between his eyes. He was half expecting to catch his own reflection off guard. "You and me? Son, we're completely different people now. Unlike you, I am not just going to stand by while my life goes whizzing past. You blew it, but I'm taking control."

He stood there quietly, his eyes in deep thought. His gaze softened, and he stepped back, lowering his weapon, but nor breaking eye contact with himself. He sighed, and turned around, casually putting the shotgun back on the weapon rack. "Hell, who am I kidding?"

Indeed, all he saw staring back at him was Jacob Taylor, the same old scrub who couldn't let go of the past. Not more than two nights ago, this one hot asian vixen was opening her heart to him, and like a well-practiced dance, Jacob screwed that up entirely. 'Let's just be friends' and 'I'm not ready for something like this' were his weapons of choice that night. Damn, he must've sounded like a scrub. Sure she had taken it well, but there was absolutely no reason to have turned a girl like that down; nothing rational anyway. But like every other love-struck fool across the galaxy who couldn't give a straight answer; his reason was simply that classic, cheesy one liner: his heart still belonged to another; it's just that she didn't even know it… Or cared, now that he thought about it. Man, he wished he hadn't thought about it now.

Why did he have to cling onto the past? She's evidently moved on. Why couldn't he? Well, like his daddy always told him: If you have time to think, you might as well use it for something productive. With that, he picked up another gun and began to take it apart for cleaning.

The doors opened, and Jacob looked over his shoulder to see Shepard come in. "Well, well, look who's up?" He put the gun down and faced his CO, walking up to him. "Heard you got your ass handed to you, not that I'm judging or anything like that."

Shepard laughed as he and Jacob fist-bumped. "Yeah, yeah, I'm hilarious like that. How's it going, Taylor?"

"All good, except that I just got subpoenaed to stand as a witness in my dad's court-martial." Jacob smirked, folding his arms on his chest. "The name David Anderson ring any bells?"

"Ah… About that…" Shepard replied, apparently expecting this conversation, but not that it would come up so soon. "It's complicated…"

"I'm listening."

"I'm sorry Jacob, I told him to leave you out of it but Anderson's a stickler for procedure. He's well-meaning guy but he's strictly by the book." Shepard began, unable to look Jacob in the eye. "Look, I'm going to have to go anyway, I can try to get your name out of it."

"Nah, it's cool." Jacob said, much to Shepard's relief. "Just a nasty surprise is all." He turned back to the workbench and began fiddling with the gun again. "Besides, I still owe you that drink on the Citadel, right?"

"Looking forward to it." Shepard leaned back on the usual spot he stood in when talking to Jacob, watching the man work while he listened. Jacob used to be so stiff when it came to procedure. It was only lately that he dropped saluting him whenever he entered a room. There was a moment of silence, and Shepard didn't know what to say next. "Hey, you want to talk about it?"

"Yeah… yeah, I guess so." He replied. "The man's been dead to me for years, Shepard. Years." Jacob began with his back to him, still absorbed with the gun. "It felt like such a relief to know he was alive at the time. Even felt a bit proud that my old man wasn't easy to kill…" his voice trailed off as he wiped the barrel of the weapon with a rag. "But, when we found… After what we found on that planet, I wish he'd stayed dead to me. Now all I feel is embarrassment."

"Your dad's crimes are his own Jacob," Shepard replied, "He doesn't account for who you are or the man you choose to be."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." I'm pretty pathetic without his help, he thought. Jacob chuckled, catching Shepard off guard a bit. "You get that stuff from drama novels or what, Shepard?"

"Only at the beginning. I started writing my own material a little while afterwards." Shepard replied, happy that Jacob was finally loosening up more. "Is that everything that's been bothering you."

Jacob laughed, Shepard had this ability to draw things out from people. He wasn't just doing this as some kind of formality or facade. Shepard talked to everybody because he genuinely cared. He was tempted, to say the least, to get his woman problems off of his chest, but he thought better of it. "I doubt you came down here to listen to all my sob stories… Maybe next time. When we have more alcohol and less guns around us." Jacob replied, piecing the gun back together again. "Besides, you have a ship to run. Anything I can do for you?"

"Well, I was actually looking for Tali." Shepard admitted. "I can't find her anywhere on the ship."

"Did you ask EDI?"

"EDI told me Tali instructed her to not reveal where she was."

"Little old to be playing hide and seek, don't you think?" Jacob said, clipping the last piece of the gun in place. He gave it a look over until he was satisfied. "Sounds to me like she doesn't want to be found."

Shepard seemed to mull this new insight into his head. Tali did say something about ' time enough to berate him later' while he was still critical. Maybe this little 'game' was the first in a long gauntlet of 'lessons' she had prepared for him. "Well, that leaves me back in square one."

"Which is?" Jacob asked as he put the gun back on the rack, taking a moment to look it over, then grabbing another one to minister.

Shepard shrugged. "I haven't got a clue." Just dread, he added inwardly.

"Best start looking then, Shepard." Jacob smirked as he disassembled the rifle in front of him.

"Right, see you around, Jacob."

Jacob didn't even look back and just waved a hand in acknowledgement. There were several steps on the metal floor before the automatic doors whizzed open and shut. He grinned to himself as he recalled Tali coming in the armory several hours ago and requisitioning certain materials for her 'project.' She made him swear to keep it a secret, laughing at himself as he recalled the quarian girl half his size poke a finger on his chest in a pseudo threatening manner. Some guys just have all the luck when it came to women.


Somewhere...

He stood in the blackness. He had no name, he thought to himself; strange how it only occurred to him just now. He was pretty sure he had one… but he knew things. Important things. Things he knew that must be done above all else. But why? Why did it all feel so wrong? So… unnatural?

And his memories; It all seemed so… patch worked… Those that clearly belonged to him and those that felt like a dream. No… Not a dream, it was more like a nightmare.

A sudden surge of pain behind his eyes made him fall to his knees. He clutched his head as if it was about to burst. The pain… THE PAIN! He thrashed and yelled, tiny trickles of blood coming from his eyes, running down his face like tears. He heard it sizzle, as it streaked past his burning scars, the smell coppery and noxious. It subsided, and all his curiosities had vanished.

All that was left in him was rage. His growls were guttural, animalistic, yet tempered with a cunning that belied intelligence. No, now was definitely not the time for questions. There will be a reckoning for this.

No. Not like this. Not in blind rage like some wild beast. No matter what he has been reduced into, he is a man. He will not be seduced by the temptations of berserker lust. He has to think this through. Who was he? Why was he here? His scars burned once more. What was happening to him?

Wait, he thought, head snapping up, whipping to and fro as if searching for something. Something was happening.

The darkness parted, revealing a blinding white light that streamed into the room. It seared his eyes which had become accustomed to the darkness for far too long. Then he heard the pitter patter of heavy boots on hard floor. His nose twitched, smelling something chemical in the air. His senses, he realized, were fine-tuned from all the sensory deprivation.

He tried to open his mouth to speak, just to ask where he was or what was going on. A few unintelligible gurgle escaped him, and he found that he couldn't. Had he been able to talk at all after all this time? But then, his eyes adjusted to the light, and he finally had a good view of the men before him. There were 3 of them; they wore pristine white armor with black detailing, all heavily armed. His eyes wandered to the symbol on their chests, and something was unleashed inside him.

He doesn't remember when he had started running towards them, or when his hands found the neck of one, crushing the life out of the poor man. He doesn't remember when all the screaming and shooting had begun. He doesn't remember when he had tossed the lifeless corpse aside to lunge at the next one. He doesn't remember when he had driven his fist through armor and flesh, mashing the man's heart into a bloody pulp with his bare hand. He certainly doesn't remember when or even how he had managed to tear the last one limb from limb.

But what he does remember was that the symbol stood for something he hated. Something he hated terribly. He felt the bile rise in his throat, his anger evident in the blazing orange glow of his scars. And for the first time that he could remember, he finally spoke. "Cerberus…" The word slipped past his lips like chilling venom, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. A tingling sensation in his chest brought him back to his senses. Warm blood oozed from where he was shot in his chest and abdomen. It burned and stung, causing him to gasp in pain as his mind raced to figure out something to do in this situation. He can't die, not yet, not before they do.

His wounds started to glow red, and he threw his head back, howling in pain as his flesh seared and sizzled. Falling to his knees as the pain subsided; he ran a hand over his chest, slick with his blood, only to find that the flesh had completely mended. His scars started to dim, until the glow completely faded, leaving him bloody but in perfect health. His eyes quivered in disbelief. What did these bastards turn him into? He was jolted from his musing when another realization entered his head.

They left the door open!

His excitement was quickly replaced by puzzlement.

A trap? Not necessarily… They would be arrogant enough to leave it open regardless It doesn't seem to be closing. Should I risk it? What am I talking about…? Of course I should! For everything they did to me… I will kill everyone here. But I have to think this through; I only have one shot at this.

Of course, while he has killed with his bare hands, effectively one might add, being careful never hurt. Looking over the corpses of the dead guards, an evil grin crept onto his face as he started to unclasp the armor from them and their clothes as well. Working quickly, he dressed himself in their garments and armor. Looking down at the Cerberus logo on his chest, he growled and scratched it off violently with a knife he found on one of the dead guards.

He took what weapons he could carry and he stood up, making his way towards the door, his feet moving slowly. Was it caution or fear that gripped his heart and shortened his breath? No, it was the excitement. Killing the guards aroused something in him, like the passion of a lover. He stopped, inches away from the opening where the light was spilling into the dark room. He took his first step into the light, the brightness swallowing him whole.

The hall way was… pristine, he told himself. Alabaster white lined the floor, walls and ceiling, with white light illuminating every corner. It was like his surroundings were practically glowing. The visor of his helmet adjusted to the glare, and he walked along the long, narrow corridor, which curved towards the left. He drew the shotgun and cocked it, walking at a brisk but cautious pace, back against the convex wall of the corridor. In this type of environment, where there was practically no cover to be had, the first shot would always win out, and the shotgun would decimate anything in this fashion. The hallway began to straighten its path, and he saw an intersection up ahead. There were footsteps, growing louder each second. A group of men were about to round the corner.

Steadying his breath, he approached the corner, weapon at the ready. He closed his eyes for a moment to weigh his options: fight or flight? He shrugged, almost breaking out in laughter. What did he expect himself to pick?

Swinging around the corner, his mind analyzed his visuals in an alarming rate. There were 5 targets in total; 3 men in similar armor as the guards he had just killed, and one man and one woman in white lab-coats. He rushed at them just as the guards were starting to react. He swung his arms up and smashed the butt of the shotgun into the helmet of the one in front of him, caving it in on the poor man's head, leaving the contents in a bloody pulp. He kicked him aside and aimed point blank at the next guard, pulling the trigger of his shotgun and watching his shields crack and torso exploding in a cloud of gore. As the pieces of the man slid down from the now crimson red wall behind him, he noticed the third guard trying to get the two scientists away. Cute, he thought, as the guard brought up his assault rifle, unloading on him. There were a number of options available to him, but he thought he should experiment a bit, standing his ground.

His shields crackled, giving up on him as the thermal rounds now splattered onto his chest, breaking through his armor and tearing through his body. The pain was unbearable, and he found his knees buckling under him and his vision tunneling. He landed with a thud, arms lifeless on the ground.


The guard approached him cautiously, and then lowered his rifle as he confirmed the several kill shots he made. He let his eyes wander to where the corpses of his two comrades lie and fought back the urge to throw up. "Oh dear lord." He whispered to nobody in particular. There was a thud, and he turned to see that the male scientist's feet had given out from under him, leaving him sitting horrified on the floor. The woman was covering her mouth with both hands, she was stuttering, as if trying desperately to say something. He didn't blame them, it was a gruesome sight. He realized both of them were pointing to something behind him. He barely had time to turn around when he heard the shotgun cock.

His head was blown clean off, leaving only his neck and pieces of his lower jaw intact, like a bloody tree stump. The corpse fell to the floor, and behind him stood the man he had thought he killed. The scientists slowly started to back away, but the bleeding man whispered coldly. "Make a move and you die."

The bleeding man pulled off the splintered armor on his torso, letting it fall to pieces on the floor. He was bloodied, but seemingly unhurt. The scientists' eyes widened with grim recognition as they saw the glowing scars on his torso, pulsating and giving off heat that seemed to radiate in the air.

The woman was finally able to speak, terror laced on her lips. "You…? No. nonononono…" She knew exactly what he was.

The man was still sitting on the floor, blithering like an idiot, unable to form cohesive words. There was a loud bang, and the man was reduced to a pile of bloody meat on the floor.

The woman screamed in horror, her colleague's blood splattered all over her, but was stifled as the man grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the wall. The world went white for a few seconds, and when she came to, she found herself staring into glowing red eyes behind the visor of a Cerberus helmet. "Please… Please… Oh god, please don't kill me. I-!" His grip tightened, causing her words to become nothing more than a gurgle. Just as she thought she was going to die, he relaxed his grip, allowing her to breathe once more. She sputtered and coughed a bit, being held up by the neck as her only form of support.

"You are still alive only because you seem to be able to speak, so listen closely." He whispered, and the woman found herself doing just that with all her power, nodding her head frantically. "Tell me, miss… Who am I?"

The woman didn't know how she was able to speak as calmly as she did, but her words rang clear. "You… You are subject-01, code name: Gemini." Suddenly, he swung her around, slamming her violently into the opposite wall like a rag doll, winding her and making her body scream in pain.

"That is not what I asked." He said calmly, relaxing his grip once more. "Let me specify then. What is my name?"

"I… I… I don't know…." The woman was crying now, her tears running down her terrified face and onto the hand that gripped his throat. "Please…."

He brought his head next to her ear, and whispered gently to her, almost soothingly. "You know… when you and your friends were violating my body…" he pointed the shotgun's barrel onto her chest. "I said please, too."

The woman's face paled.

Bang.


A/N: Gemini is finally revealed, but who is he really? All the pieces are falling into place, and a single spark could make the whole thing explode. Next chapter brings about... well, you'll just have to wait.