'FINAL TEST'. As encouraging as those words were, Shepard's spirits sank again when he witnessed the scene in front of him.

In the middle of the room was a very high round table with a mounted shotgun on top. The table had a button that could be pressed and it looked like the shotgun could pivot on its attachment to the table. At the other end was Zaeed, chained to a table in the same fashion as Mordin and Thane.

The table was covered with a see-through sphere of impenetrable plastic. There were only two openings, meaning you could only fire or even touch the Claymore by reaching so far in with your arm that your body was pressed against the plastic.

"Shepard," Zaeed began as soon as he saw the commander, "where the fuck are we? What is this goddamn shithole?" He struggled, trying to break his chains, but he was bound so tightly he could barely move.

"I'm not sure where we are," Shepard replied. "But I do know we're both getting the fuck out of here."

"Who did this? And… shit, boy, what happened to your hands? And your side? And your face? You look worse than I do, and that's saying something."

Shepard grinned. "Thanks for the compliment. Illusive Man did this to us. He wants to get back at us for blowing up the Collector Base."

Zaeed spat. "Fucking arsehole. I knew I shouldn't have taken his blood money. What do we have to do to get me out of this thing?"

"Only one way to find out," Shepard replied, pointing at the vid screen. He motioned for silence as he touched it.

"Shepard. During your time on the Normandy, people have looked up to you like a leader, and older brother, a hero, a legend… But in turn, you sought the approval of only one man. Zaeed Massani is like the father you never knew, a tough, capable, gritty man who has survived more than should be humanly possible."

"He got that right at least," Zaeed mumbled.

"Quiet!"

"However, only one of you will leave this room alive. The shotgun can assume two positions and has to be fired only once to complete your test. You can choose to shoot yourself in the face and take your chances. Mister Massani survived it once, maybe you will do the same? Or you can shoot him, but it is doubtful he will repeat his extraordinary feat of survival. This is the ultimate sacrifice, Shepard. After this, all those left alive will be set free, yourself included. Who lives? Who dies? The choice is yours."

"It's not even a choice," Zaeed shouted. "Just fucking shoot me, Shepard!"

Shepard wasn't surprised Zaeed was willing to sacrifice himself in the blink of a glass eye. He was no longer the man he had met on Omega. During their mission, Zaeed had opened up to Shepard, telling him stories of his past. In the military, as a mercenary, and even from his childhood. He was an old man who had been through everything and more; Shepard admired him, looked up to him even, and in time felt like he was the father he had never known.

"No," Shepard replied. "Not another Jacob. I won't let you die because of my cowardice." He shook his head and pressed the button on the table. The shotgun swirled around to face Shepard now. If he reached inside the sphere to get to the trigger, his head would cover up the hole and probably blow off his face.

"What do you mean 'not another Jacob'? This isn't the time to be a white knight, Shepard. We both know you're anything but that. The galaxy needs you. It needs you in the fight against the fucking Reapers. It needs you more than some old merc. So press that button and shoot my fucking head off. I should've died anyway when Vido did it."

"No."

Shepard reached inside, his forehead pushed against the edge of the opening, his blood-caked index finger on the trigger.

"Damn it, Shepard, if you do this I will fucking piss on your grave, you goddamn coward! Don't run away from the war out of some misguided sense of honor. I've lived my life. I have no regrets. So don't fall on your sword for me, Shepard, because I don't want your pity. I want you to get out of here, feed the Illusive Man his own cock and then obliterate the Reapers. You hear me, lad?"

Shepard felt his arm go limp. There was no way Zaeed would be thankful if he sacrificed himself. He pulled his finger back from the trigger and looked at the mercenary.

"I don't want to do it. There's no way you'll survive this a second time."

"Only one way to find out," Zaeed gnarled.

Shepard pushed the button on the table, making the shotgun turn towards Zaeed.

"Don't worry about it," Zaeed assured him. "It's the right thing to do and you goddamn know it."

"I don't."

"Well, you're gonna do it anyway."

Shepard sighed and reached into the sphere again.

"Just…" Zaeed began, "do me a favor would you?"

"Anything," Shepard promised.

"Fix Jessie up, if you can find her. And take her into battle for me one last time."

"I promise. When the Reapers come, the name 'Jessie' will make their synthetic spines shiver."

Zaeed smiled. "See that you do. Now… get this over with."

Shepard felt his finger slip on the trigger, his hands still covered in blood pouring from his wounds. He could barely feel them anymore. Being forced to kill a friend, a father figure, was much more painful. The fact Zaeed was at peace with it didn't help.

He wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn't. He was forced to watch as he pulled the trigger. Zaeed's face transformed into a gory mess in a fraction of a second; flesh, blood and bits of skull flew all over the room, smearing the walls.

Shepard bit his lip, longing for physical pain instead of emotional. He would've done anything to save Zaeed. Had he been forced to strangle himself with his own intestines, he would've done it. The Illusive Man probably realized that and chose to torment him in a much more effective way.

The door opened, and fresh air streamed through the room. Shepard clenched his side with his maimed hand and stumbled over to the exit. He did it. He was still alive. He hoped Garrus and Kelly would make it, too.

Joker, Tali, Thane, Mordin, Grunt and Jack were also still breathing. As soon as they got out of here, they were going to find the Illusive Man and make him pay. In blood.

THE END

A/N: That's a wrap folks. Hope you enjoyed it as much as Shepard didn't.