Chapter 10

"You think I'm gonna walk away before I get what was promised me?" Holt said in a low, threatening tone. Slowly walking back and forth, waiting for his target to spit out what it was he wanted.

"Holt..." He heard Miranda sigh in exhaustion behind him. Paying no attention to her, he continued.

"I'm not leaving until I get what's rightfully mine. If I'll have to resort to violence to get it, it'll just make it that much more entertaining for me..."

"Is he really talking to..." Jacob asked behind him, uncertain how to finish his question.

"Yes, just ignore him." He heard Miranda answer. Turning around to look at his fellow Cerberus coworkers, Holt started explaining how serious the situation really was.

"I paid good credits for this. I'm just not gonna walk away empty handed."

"Couldn't you just get a drink in the nearest breakroom?" Jacob suggested. "You could get drinks for free over there, you being part of Cerberus and all."

"Ignore him, Jacob." Miranda tried again.

"I've paid the damn machine three times and I still haven't gotten my drink!" Holt exclaimed as he kicked the vending machine that had turned into his new archenemy. Hearing a soft thump, he looked down and saw that the machine had finally released it's iron grip on what was rightfully his. "That's more like it." He said as he went to pick up his drink only to have another two drop on top of his hand. Narrowing his eyes, he looked up towards the attacker. "It's gonna take more than that to take me out."

"Is he always like this?" He heard Jacob ask after a few moments of silence.

"Ignore him."

"Anyways, I could go to a breakroom but Shepard told us to wait here." Holt explained as he threw the other two bottles towards Jacob and Miranda. Jacob happily opened his while Miranda simply put hers aside. Ignoring her bad manners, Holt turned towards Jacob to hopefully kill some time. "Don't wanna give her more reasons to be upset."

"I don't know, that punch she gave you was quite entertaining." The man chuckled.

"I wouldn't know, my memory is a bit fuzzy around that time." Holt said as he lightly rubbed his chin. It had not even been a day since he had met Shepard again after her 'death' but it already felt like a lifetime ago. Guess his mind was still struggling to really get around the fact that she was back. Or maybe he simply had some sort of concussion.

"Just remember who you're really working for, Holt." He suddenly heard Miranda remind him. Giving her a questioning look, she sighed and continued. "We could've gotten some much needed information from Veetor. If you reminded Shepard of that she might've changed her mind." She said before turning her eyes back to her omni-tool. "Instead we let his quarian friends bring him back to their flotilla."

"I highly doubt Shepard would've changed her mind no matter what I said."

"Change my mind about what?" Shepard's voice suddenly echoed from the doors leading to the comm room. Seems like her meeting with TIM was over already. Holt was about to think of something to say until Miranda answered in his place, clearly eager to butt heads with Shepard again.

"Your decision regarding Veetor." Miranda said and Holt instantly backed off a few steps, not wanting to end up between the glares of the two women. In the corner of his vision, he saw Jacob do the same.

"It was my decision to make, I don't care if you don't agree with it." Shepard said with a low voice, crossing her arms to add to the commanding aura she so often emitted.

"I don't agree with it, but I'll respect it." Miranda said after a few tense moments.

"Be prepared to keep respecting my decisions." Shepard said as she motioned for them all to follow her towards the docks.

"This means you've agreed to work with Cerberus for now?" Jacob asked and Holt was glad that the man had been smart enough to use the word 'with' instead of 'for'. He highly doubted Shepard was ever gonna truly join Cerberus.

"Until we can find enough evidence to convince The Council that the threat is real." Shepard explained. "The Reapers are behind this, I'm sure of it."

"That might take a while, you know." Holt said with a smile, glad to know that he would be working with Shepard for some more time. "I mean, one of those reapers literally fell on top of them back on the Citadel two years ago and they still kind of refuse to believe it was anything other than a big geth ship."

"Please don't tell me Udina is still on the council." Shepard said with a painful look.

"As if someone like him would let anything short of death stop him from having that kind of power." Holt answered with a chuckle.

"Someone like him would fit right in with your organization..." He heard Shepard mutter. Thinking about it, she had a point. Udina would fit right in with Cerberus.

"You would have to bring that suggestion to someone like Miranda." Holt said while nodding towards the Cerberus woman who still looked upset after her small confrontation with Shepard just a moment earlier. "She handles our recruitment, after all."

"It's not my primary task within Cerberus."

"And still you took the time to recruit me." Holt said with a sweet tone. "You're making me blush." Shepard was about to say something before a sprinting Joker caught their attention. Or well, more like furiously limping Joker.

"This is the best day in the history of everything!" He exclaimed while approaching them.

"Eh don't know about that. But I'll give it a solid seven out of ten at least."

"You'll change your mind soon enough, Holt!" Joker said while practically bouncing up and down. Holt wondered if they would have to call for medics soon, Joker's legs were destined to break any moment now.

"Stand still, Joker." Shepard stopped that possibility by calming the man down. "What are you talking about?" She then asked to which joker started more slowly walking back the way he had arrived from.

"You'll see! Oh, I can't wait to see your fac-"

"He's excited about your new ship being ready." Miranda suddenly interrupted with a dead-pan voice. Joker abruptly stopped and turned to throw a viscous glare towards the Cerberus officer.

"Couldn't let me have some fun?" He asked, irritation clearly visible on his face.

"The new ship?" Shepard asked, looking at Joker to which he gave off a sigh and continued walking.

"Damn surprise is spoiled now anyway..." He muttered before he continued. "The ship that The Illusive Man promised you, it's quite something."

"Is it anything like The Normandy?" Holt asked, curious to what kind of ship it was that managed to bring this kind of reaction out of Joker. The pilot simply chuckled as he kept walking. Not long after, they came within view of a ship that obviously was the one Joker had talked about. "Well, day just turned into a eight out of ten." Holt said while blowing an impressed whistle at the sight of the thing.

"Feast your eyes on The Normandy SR-2... I know I will for the rest of my life." Joker said as he continued moving towards the entrance of the ship.

"Keep your pants on, Joker." Holt yelled after the pilot as he stayed behind with Shepard who was still taking in the sight of the ship. Miranda and Jacob were both heading towards the thing as well, clearly not as impressed since they had not spent as much time with the first one. "Jane Shepard is actually speechless?" Holt asked with a grin, a slight teasing tone in his voice. Shepard's face snapped to face him and Holt braced for a fist flying his way, he must've said something wrong again. Or maybe she had just been holding back until they were alone.

"It's certainly worthy of the name." Shepard simply said and turned her attention back towards the new Normandy. Confused at the lack of fists to his face, Holt slowly started making his way in the direction that the others had gone. "And come find me later, Holt." He heard her remind him after just a step. "We need to talk." Holt closed his eyes in defeat. Nothing good ever came after hearing a woman say that.