The question was where you get the Prototype Medic Power Armor. I wanted you all to be as specific as possible.

2nd place goes to Bloodyredshade

1st place goes to cestus41

Props

Now where were we? Oh ya, Jack is here now. Enjoy the chapter guys.

The Wildcard

Part 10

Kasumi opened her eyes and was welcomed by a blinding light. As she closed her eyes she felt a dull throbbing in the back of her head.

The thief struggled to remember what had happened.

The prison, awakening Jack, the mechs.

She remembered that conversation her and Plague had. And how she felt a little flustered when he said she looked beautiful. The thought quickly made her cheeks feel warm.

'I shouldn't be thinking like this.' she thought to herself.

What would Keiji think? Would she be betraying him? Just thinking about it made her heart ach. She can't just let go of him.

She moved the thought to the side as she forced her eyes open again. The shapes in the room slowly started to become less blurry.

"Hello?" she said weakly as she slowly pulled herself up to a sitting position.

She was in the Normandy's sickbay. Her outfit was gone and replaced with one of the blue medical garments the sickbay had stored.

"Mrs. Goto." EDI greeted over the intercom. "Mrs. Chakwas is currently having dinner in the mess hall. Would you like my to call her?"

"No EDI…Can I ask you a question though?" Kasumi asked the AI.

"What would you like to know Mrs. Goto?"

"What…happened?" she asked the holographic blue ball on the other side of the room.

"You got injured on Purgatory. A stray rocket was fired from a YMIR mech, and shrapnel from the explosion embedded itself in your right shoulder." the AI explained. "The force made you fall and hit your head on the floor. You suffered from a mild concussion on impact.

Kasumi pulled at the blue shirt she was wearing to look at her injury. To her surprise, there was no damage. Only a small scar that was barely noticeable.

"How long was I out?" she asked, worried that she had been out for days.

"You were dropped off in the sickbay 12hours 23minutes and 47seconds ago, Ms. Goto."

"What?" she asked, shocked that she had been out for such a short amount of time.

"You were dropped off in sick…" EDI started to repeat until Kasumi interrupted.

"No. I mean, how am I fully healed in that amount of time?" Kasumi asked followed by a short silence.

"The Wildcard gave you his medic armor, and escorted you back to the ship, along with Commander Taylor Shepard, Grunt, and newly recruited, Jack."

"Plague saved me?" she asked no one in particular.

"The Wildcard's medic suit treated your wounds while you were inside." EDI started to answer, taking what the thief said as an actual question. "By the time you entered the sickbay, your wounds had been already healed. The drugs and medicines used are unknown."

"Thanks…EDI." she thanked as a shocking question popped up in her head. "Where are my clothes?"

"When the medic suit was removed by the Wildcard, you were not wearing anything." EDI answered to an embarrassed and blushing thief. "5seconds later the Wildcard handed your clothing, and the weapons you had on your person to Dr. Chakwas. No blood was found on the clothing. Only a hole where the shrapnel had punctured your suit."

"Who was in the room?" Kasumi asked, only worrying about who had seen her undressed while she was out.

"Before the suit was removed, the Wildcard asked Dr. Chakwas to cover the windows while he forced Mess Sergeant Gardner, who was in the sickbay to get a cut from a steak knife treated, out of the room. I was unable to see the Wildcard, but I speculate he was aware of the fact you would be without your cloths. When Mess Sergeant Gardner questioned him, the Wildcard simply stated 'The unworthy shouldn't look upon perfection'. The only ones present while the suit was removed, were Commander Taylor Shepard, and Dr. Chakwas."

That made the thief give a sigh of relief. Sure she wasn't ashamed of her body, but the thought of the Normandy's crew seeing her would have been too much.

She moved her fingers through her short raven black hair as she fought the blush that had intensified at the compliment given to her by Plague.

"Are you alright Ms. Goto? My sensors indicate a rise in your body heat, along with a faster heart rate."

"I…I'm fine EDI." Kasumi stuttered as she lay back onto the bed. "Just a little flustered, I guess."

Plague POV

"What the fuck is this shit!" Plague shouted to his Omni tool.

He had spent three hours looking for a good music station. All he found however was a wide selection of techno music, and some other alien crap.

"This is just sad." he mumbled as he sat on the ammo cases lined up against each other in his room.

His room was decorated with his weaponry. Weapons on the shelves, melee weapons leaning against the walls, power armors lined up side by side in a display.

He wore his now clean duster jacket over his 101 jumpsuit.

"What is wrong with you people?" he shouted to no one. "Wouldn't know good music if it bit you on the ass!" his Omni tool beeped when the search results for "ass" popped up at the end of his sentence. "No, I don't want to look at some sweet asari ass…did that just come out of my mouth?" he asked himself in shock, as if he felt that he should get his mouth washed out with soap.

He turned off the Omni tool and walked to the workbench next to his bed.

"So bored!" he moaned as he slumped into the chair in front of the workbench.

At least when he was working for Aria, there was almost always something to do. Even if there weren't, he could get some drinks at Afterlife. On the Normandy he had to wait to be chosen by Shepard to be on the ground team.

There had been only one mission since he showed up.

He was thinking about going up to deck 3 for some food, until a beep on his door told him someone was knocking.

"It's open." mumbled.

The door opened and he heard a slight gasp as some soft footsteps stopped in the doorway.

"Hello…that's a lot of weapons." a female voice mumbled.

Once hearing the voice he spun around in his chair, to come face to face with Kasumi Goto. She had on a blue cotton shirt, and pants.

This was the first time he had seen her without her hood. He saw her short black hair. He was also able to finally see her bright brown eyes.

"Ms. Goto." he greeted with a smile on his pale face. "This is unexpected…" he stammered as he gave her a quick bow. "Should you be walking around?"

"I'm fine. I just realized I didn't really get to know you. So I came down her." she explained as she walked over to the power armors. "This is your stealth suit, right?" she asked as she pointed to the suit in question."

"Your right." Plague answered as he watched from his chair.

"I…haven't seen anything like it before." she said as she felt the arm. "What is it made out of? It has a nice design, but it doesn't look that comfortable."

"It's made of the same material the nerve suit is made of. It changes shape to fit the wearer. Once it's on, it feels like a second skin. You might even forget your wearing it."

"That's kind of odd. Sounds like the perfect thief's attire." she commented, followed by a nervous laugh.

"It doesn't look like much, but it has saved my life many times." he informed as he got out of his chair.

He walked next to Kasumi, and took the helmet off of the suit and handed it to the thief.

"Try it on." Plague offered.

He didn't know why he was letting her try on his gear, but he didn't want to seam rude to Kasumi. Something about her presence calmed him.

"Are you sure?" Kasumi asked with a shocked look.

After he nodded, the thief slowly lowered the helmet onto her head. Once it was at the right spot, the materiel of the helmet started to fit itself around the back of her neck.

He smirked when Kasumi pulled it off as it gave off a quiet his.

"What was that?" she asked quickly.

To answer her question, he pointed to the suit.

Her mouth hung open when she saw the suit change shape. Its chest changed while it gained a more feminine appearance.

"Now the suit could fit you." Plague explained. "Like I said before, it changes shape to fit the wearer."

"Wow…" she started until she seemed to realize something. "You didn't just get me to do that so you could admire my looks like some kind of pervert, did you?"

"Flattering, but no." he defended. "I have more respect for women than that."

"Sure you do." she said sarcastically as she handed the helmet back. "Well, I should get back to sickbay." she announced as she walked to the door.

"Alright." Plague said with a little disappointment in his voice. "Feel free to visit again."

"I will…" Kasumi replied as she stopped at the door. "…and Plague…"

Plague looked up from his stealth suit's helmet to give Kasumi a smile.

"Yes, Ms. Goto?"

"…Thank you." she said as the door closed behind her.

Not expecting the thanks, Plague looked back at his helmet.

"…no problem…Ms. Goto."

Taylor Shepard POV

"Joker, plot a course for the Citadel." Shepard ordered as she stood on her platform, looking over the galaxy map.

"Sure thing, Commander. How's Kasumi doing? I didn't get to ask what happened when you all came on board."

"She is fine, Joker." Shepard answered as she started walking to the tech lab.

When the doors opened, she was greeted by Mordin, who stayed at his workstation.

"Commander. Was about to call you." the salarian said quickly. "Wanted to talk to you about Plague. A sudden appearance or outbreak of something unpleasant in very large numbers or with unusual frequency. Usually results in many deaths. "Sniff" Strange name."

The Commander walked over to Mordin with her arms crossed, and a look of concentration on her face.

"What's wrong? He didn't do anything, did he?" she asked with a little worry.

"No. I asked Mrs. Chakwas for his blood sample, after I met him in the mess hall. He's unique. Rapid eye movement, tense when he hears something out of the ordinary, advanced handmade robotic fingers, pulley systems connected directly to the nerve endings. "Sniff" genius by human standards."

"You get anything from his blood sample?" Shepard asked as she rubbed her temples.

"Yes, Commander." he answered quickly. "His immune systems have been constantly tested throughout long periods of time. Poisons, irradiated food and water, direct contact with low doses of radiation. Slight mutations." before Shepard could ask, he answered. "No negative side effects. Simply adaptations. Possibly could be passed on genetically to the next generation of humans, and maybe even asari."

"Anything that could help us find out where he is from?" Shepard asked as she leaned against the wall, across from the scientist.

"Unclear. Radiated blood sample. A good guess would be the krogan homeworld Tuchanka, or any other world that has contact with radiation. The adaptations had been passed on to Plague genetically by mother, and father. Shows that the radiation had been present for a few generations before them."

Letting out a sigh, Shepard asked her next question. "You said poisons?"

"Yes. Multiple sources. Mutated insect stings, manmade poisons using radiated vegetation, food poisoning. Such, doesn't affect him the way it would a normal human. "Sniff" Fascinating. I agree with Dr. Chakwas. Blood sample is similar to a krogan's immune system. Obviously, they both are drastically different from each other, but the sample shows that if he was dropped on the krogan homeworld, he would thrive."

"What about dextro-amino acids?" Shepard asked curiously as she walked over to Modin.

"Like I said before, strong immune system. Could ingest dextro-amino without risk of allergic reaction. My however give cramps. Ending results show he might actually adapt to the acids. After a few months of ingestion, he might not have any negative side effects. Think I could ask him to help in my research? Such a find would be a medical breakthrough." the salarian seemed to be getting a little excited at the idea.

"That's all up to him." Shepard answered as she rolled her eyes. "If he accepts though, please wait until after the mission. Don't want him collapsing on the battlefield because you took too many blood samples."

"Yes, Commander. I will keep that in mind."

Plague POV

"Honestly, what would have happened if someone got injured?" Dr. Chakwas lectured to Plague as he worked to reattach the medi gel dispenser to the wall in the sickbay.

"Sorry, Ma'am." Plague droned as he tightened the last bolt. "Won't happen again. Next time I'll ask."

"Next time, you won't take my medi gel dispenser." she almost shouted. "Find another way to carry your medi gel."

"Yes, Ma'am." he replied as he glanced over to Kasumi who was sitting on one of the sickbay beds, smiling in his direction.

He returned a small smile as he walked out of the room.

"There he is." Garrus announced as he intercepted Plague on his way to the elevator. "Wanted to talk to you."

"What do you need Garrus?" Plague asked as he scratched the back of his head.

"I talked to Grunt earlier. Usually we barely see each other, but I bumped into him in the elevator." the turian explained. "He said you have on old sniper rifle you used on the last mission. I was hoping I could take a look at it. Maybe set up a shooting range in the hanger."

"Um…Fine I guess." Plague answered with a little unease.

With an eager nod, Garrus lead Plague to the elevator.

Once they got to the hanger, they started looking for a place to set up.

"So who taught you how to shoot?" Garrus shouted the question as he set up some empty tin cans on the other side of the hanger.

"My father gave me a BB gun when I was 10. After he showed me the basics, I kind of taught myself." Plague shouted back as he examined the viper sniper rifle Garrus had brought down with him. "Trial and error mostly. You?"

"I'm a turian." Garrus shouted back as he walked away to admire his handiwork. "I used to work for C-Sec. Before that I was trained at 15. Most turians are."

Once he decided that the cans were at the right angle, he started running back.

"Alright. You want to go first?"

Plague shrugged as he re atomized his Reservist sniper rifle. "Sure, why not."

Plague went down into a kneeling position as he looked through the scope.

Garrus Vakarian POV

Garrus looked at the rifle with wide eyes. He had seen some old human firearms from some western movies he had watched on some rare occasions. The rifle Plague was using, along with the designs engraved in the barrel and stock made the weapon look like a work of art in his opinion.

"This is my Reservist's rifle." Plague started to announce as he adjusted the scope. "Fires .308 caliber rounds across a little more than a mile. My weapon of choice at long range."

"It's a remarkable weapon." Garrus complimented as he grabbed his viper sniper rifle.

Sensing the human was about to fire, Garrus looked through his scope to the tin cans.

A loud bang bounced off the hanger's hull as Garrus smelled gunpowder in the air.

The can he had been looking at, practically exploded as the round passed through it.

"Nice shot." Garrus said as he went into a kneeling position next to Plague.

He looked through his scope, and aimed at the next can. The former C-Sec slowed down his breathing as he pulled the trigger.

The results were to be expected. The can was hit, but it didn't have as much damage as the one Plague had shot. Simply just a hole in the front and a hole in the back. A clean shot.

They continued taking turns shooting back and forth until Garrus's curiosity got the better of him.

"Mind if I try it out?" he asked as he gestured to Plague's weapon.

After a short pause, Plague released the casing from his last round and handed it to him.

When Garrus held the weapon, he instantly felt the weight. It was heavier than any other modern day weapon he had carried. He was more used to the collapsible weapons made with the proper ceramics.

"Adjust sights 2cm up, 1.3cm to the left." Plague instructed as Garrus looked through the scope.

He did what he was told and slowly pulled the trigger.

The recoil hit him hard in the shoulder, and he let out a miner growl as he rubbed the spot.

"Son of a bitch." Garrus cursed as he handed the rifle back to its owner. "How can you fire that cannon like you do?"

"Practice." Plague answered as he looked at the cans through the scope. "You clipped it though. With this gun that could be a good crippling shot."

Garrus slowly picked up his rifle and looked through the scope, trying to ignore the soreness in his shoulder.

The can was grazed, but that was an extreme understatement. The can had been ruptured on the left side.

"Crippling? That would take the whole dam leg off." Garrus joked.

Plague POV

Plague found himself lounging around the hanger, long after Garrus had went back to deck 3.

He had been messing with his Omni tool, still trying to find some familiar music. Anything that could remind him of home. Sure he liked the quiet now that he didn't have to worry about super mutants and any other mutated animals, but one needs to keep a sense of familiarity. No matter how small.

Plague sat in the corner next to a crate, filled with whatever might be inside.

If he was back in the wastes, he would have found a way to crack it open, and then find out what could be salvaged from the find. It felt odd, not needing to forage for food and materials in a destroyed town, or having to hunt down game that was just as likely to kill you as you are of killing it.

He didn't have to set up a defensive perimeter with land mines and traps when he wanted to sleep. He had access to clean crystal clear water.

Anyone ells from the wastes would call this paradise, the promised land, utopia.

It all just felt so surreal to him.

"How lucky can one guy be;" Plague sat up suddenly as the song played. "I kissed her and she kissed me, Like the fella once said, Ain't that a kick in the head?" Plague couldn't believe he had found something. "The room was completely black, I hugged her and she hugged back."

He seemed to relax as the music washed over him. The last time he heard this song was last time he was around the New Vegas strip. The capital wasteland didn't get that radio station over the moutons. 3Dog didn't have the song either.

"Like the sailor said, quote,"

"Ain't that a hole in the boat?" Plague sang weekly along with the song.

"My head keeps spinning;"

"I go to sleep and keep grinning;"

"If this is just the beginning,"

"My life's gonna be beautiful." a female voice sang next to him.

He was about to re atomize one of his weapons until he saw the familiar black and white outfit. The shoulder had been fixed as if nothing happened.

"I've sun- shine enough to spread;"

"Ms. Goto. Pleasure to see you again." Plague greeted as he relaxed back into his corner.

"It's like the fella said,"

"I didn't know you were into those kinds of songs." Kasumi said as she sat with her back to the wall near Plague.

"Tell me quick, Ain't love like a kick in the head?"

"I wanted to talk to you. Back on Purgatory…" Plague could see a slight blush under her hood. "…you talked about torturing to survive. What did you mean?"

"Like the fella once said, Ain't that a kick in the head?"

"My life was not that easy." Plague started as he looked at his Omni tool.

"Like the sailor said, quote,"

"Up until I was 19, I had never seen a sunrise."

"Ain't that a hole in the boat?"

"So you lived on a space station, or something?" Kasumi asked as she tilted her head.

The thief sat with her legs pulled close to her like someone sitting at a campfire.

"My head keeps spinning;"

Plague let out a short chuckle at her question.

"The opposite actually. My world had a nuclear war. Shelters were made to protect the people before the bombs fell." If Kasumi had a question, she was waiting patiently for him to finish before asking.

"I go to sleep and keep grinning;"

"Generations are born. We lived sheltered lives compared to those outside of the vaults. The surface is a wasteland. The only food out there is irradiated. Water burns your skin. The animals are mutated beyond recognition. Slavers attack towns."

"If this is just the beginning,"

"But you had to of had help right?" Kasumi asked in a confused voice.

"My life's gonna be beautiful."

"From who? The Brotherhood of Steel are busy dealing with super mutants and raiders. And the NCR are too spread out too thin to accomplish anything."

"She's telling me we'll be wed;"

"NCR, and the Brotherhood of Steel?" Kasumi asked with a look of recognition in her eyes. "You said those names when we first met you."

"She's picked out a king size bed."

"I am a knight of the Brotherhood. They specialize in salvaging, and collecting old technologies. Their goal is to make sure the future generations don't make the same mistakes."

"I couldn't feel any better or I'd be sick;"

"Where are you from?" she asked out of nowhere. "Why didn't the humans on your home planet just leave and get help from somewhere in Citadel space? The way you talk, it's as if living there was the only option."

"Tell me quick, oh ain't love a kick?"

"Because. It WAS the only option. We couldn't leave." Plague said a little louder then he intended it to be.

"Tell me quick, ain't love a kick in the head?"

Kasumi's mouth hung open at the confession as the song ended.

"I should get going Ms. Goto." Plague announced as he stood up.

He didn't want to continue talking about the subject. Plague gave Kasumi a quick nod as he walked to the elevator.

"Wait…" Kasumi said as she got up to follow him. "What do you mean?"

Plague froze at the elevator door, unsure if he should answer the question. He had thought of a back-story for himself, after all what would everyone say if he told them his idea that he was from an alternate earth? But as Kasumi looked into his eyes, he didn't know what to say.

"Why couldn't everyone leave the planet if it was so dangerous?" she asked, now standing right beside him.

"Because…" the sentence fought against him as if it didn't want to be said. "…we were not that advanced." he looked to his right, and he could see the thief's eyes widen as he spoke the next sentence. "My Earth…doesn't exist here…The day I arrived on Omega…I looked up things from my home…things that should never be forgotten." for the first time since Sarah died, Plague felt his eyes water. "I see trees…clean cities…clean water. Nothing but your beautiful world. I have been taken out of a world that needed me…a world that was on a slow path to recovery…all for nothing." Plague turned and slid down the elevator door. "My Earth was…hell. I have seen people die on a daily basis. I've seen children…taken from dying parents…only to then be turned into slaves…or worse, sold by their own parents." he looked up at Kasumi who had a look of disbelief. "My mother died giving birth to me. Medical treatment only goes so far in the wastes. My father died…to supply clean water…to everyone. Before I left the vault, I was taught many things. Math, history, geography, diplomacy…all as worthless as the air that exits my lungs. The only skills that kept me alive, was my sense of ingenuity, and my engineering expertise to keep my weapons working."

He needed to get out of the hanger. He had said too much. Plague was about to get up and leave, until Kasumi spoke.

"That's a lot to take in…" Kasumi said quietly. "I don't know if…what you say is true, but…right now you are in a galaxy that needs you. Not just a world."

Plague looked up at the thief, not expecting her to say what she did. He expected her to not believe, to walk away, to call him insane, tell him his world was a lie.

"If what Cerberus says is true, then you will be saving thousands of lives. I also talked to Garrus when I first joined. Did you know there was a first Normandy? He served on the crew following Shepard's orders, chasing a rouge Spectre who was working for a machine race called the Reapers." she kneeled down next to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "These Reapers want to kill us…kill everyone in the galaxy. You are needed here."

He felt a little warmer hearing that from her.

"I can't pretend I know what you are going through, but I at least know what it's like to lose someone you love." she seemed to look a little pained as she said that.

He didn't know what he was doing until he brushed away a tear that had started to work its way down her cheek. She seemed to be a little shocked from the small contact but she put it aside as she stood up.

"Now Mr. 101." she started, her more cheerful side showing as a smile appeared. "I'm going to see if I can get Gardner to make something edible. I believe Mordin was looking for you earlier. Not really sure, but I think it had something to do with boosting the immune systems of mankind with a cattle prod, or something like that. Not sure really. Kelly and I think he sounds like a hamster on coffee."

The thief held out a hand to Plague.

After a short chuckle, Plague took the hand and was pulled up. Thankfully he only had a few things atomized or ells she would have been pulled down. The rest of his gear was in his room.

"About…what I said." Plague started as he and Kasumi stepped into the elevator.

"I can keep a secret." Kasumi assured him as she gave him one of her cheerful smiles. "I'm one for gossip, but I know when to keep my mouth closed."

Two days later

Plague walked through engineering. He had never seen the ships core, but as soon as he saw the sphere ideas swarmed him. Inspiration for some kind of EMP system he could build into his power armors. Problem was finding a way to make the rest of his suit immune to it.

He was walking back to his room, until he noticed the stairs that went into some kind of hide hole. Plague know Jack lived down there, but he never got the chance to properly introduce himself.

He walked down the stairs into the dark space. The pipes reminded him of some sewers he had had the displeasure of walking through in his past life.

"Hello?" he called out as he walked into the area.

There was a bunk, a small table across from it, data pads strewn all over the floor along with trash.

"What the fuck do you want?" Jack asked in a hostile voice.

She was sitting on the bunk with a data pad in her hands. The biotic looked at Plague with a mixed look of irritation and anticipation for a reason to attack.

Taking the silence as his queue to talk, he stepped forward.

"Well, I never got a chance to introduce myself. My name is Plague, and I am currently staying in the…"

"Why the Fuck should I care, Dumb Ass?" Jack interrupted.

"I wanted to get to know you better…" Plague started in a polite manner as he was interrupted again.

"Your that freak with the fishbowl on his head." she announced as if finally realizing who was talking to her.

"…yes, and I."

"Still don't care Fishbowl." Jack fired back. "Go piss off."

Taylor Shepard POV

"…um…Commander." Joker stammered over the intercom.

"What Joker?" Shepard asked as she walked to the mess hall.

"There's a problem in Engineering."

"What's wrong?" she asked as she changed her course to the elevator.

"Not much except for Jack trying to flatten Plague like a pancake. Other than that, we are just peachy."

A minute later, Shepard stepped out of the elevator to be greeted by muffled shouting. She followed the noise and opened the door to the engines…to duck as a large mass flew ever her head.

"Fucking Pencil Dick!" Jack shouted in the doorway with her biotics flaring.

She walked back down the stairs as the door closed.

Shepard looked behind her to see Plague slumped on the ground.

He was banged up and bruised, but that didn't stop him from getting back to his feet.

"No, I am not done with your Flat Chested Ass!" Plague shouted as he stormed past Shepard and down the stairs.

Finally, Shepard pulled herself together and followed where the two had gone.

"Shit Filled Fishbowl!" Jack shouted as Shepard turned the corner.

"Krogan Cock Sucker!" Plague shouted back.

"Shit in a Can."

"Social Phobic Bitch!"

"Pussy!"

"Hob Knocker!"

"What the Flying Fuck is a Hob Knocker?"

"No Fucking Idea Bitch! Heard it somewhere and Wanted to Fucking Use It!" Plague answered.

"Enough!" Shepard shouted in the small space. "What is going on in here?"

Jack and Plague looked at each other with some confusion, and then looked back at their Commander.

"Not much." Jack answered in a mild manner.

"How are you doing Boss?" Plague asked just as calm as the biotic who just a few seconds ago, was throwing him around like a rag doll.

"Crap." Plague blurted out of nowhere. "Forgot what I was thinking about."

hope you guys liked the chapter. Yeah I know there wasn't a lot of action. Anyway...what should i quiz you guys on now? Oh I know. This is a ME question.

What's the Drell homeworld?

Other thing. I was wondering if someone who is reading this is a good machinima maker. You know those fight for the lost trailers? I was hoping i could work with someone who can record Fallout footage. if you can let me know. Would be awesome if Plague had a fight for the lost vid. lol