Chapter 10: Breakneck Run from a Nightmare
Author's Note: Originally I had intended for this to be the end of the previous chapter, but stuff happens. Oh well this way I can do more with the escape than I was going to. The last two chapters are hopefully going to be the only thing close to cliffhangers that I post, because I hate cliffhangers. Anyways enjoy the story.
"A friend that goes the extra mile for you is more than just a real friend." –me
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"Jacob time to go," Shepard yelled as she ran past him and through the hallway. "No ifs ands or buts."
He complied and fell back, firing the occasional shotgun blast to keep the dozen or so guards from taking a shot at Shepard's exposed back.
"Sergeant our end is done," she yelled into her com. "Where the hell are you?"
Gunfire filled her ear. "We're falling back now," his breath labored. "Target has been eliminated. ETA two minutes to the extraction point."
Shepard ducked behind a large box. Kasumi hugged tighter to her chest, her broken arm hung limply at her side. Shepard smiled a tiny smile at the woman in her arms who seemed afraid to let go of her.
"We'll be here Sergeant," she said. "No one gets left behind."
Suddenly the floor shook. Boxes fell over; people braced against support pillars, or were just tossed around. Shepard rolled onto her back to avoid falling onto Kasumi.
"What the hells that?" Jacob asked as he staggered to his feet.
After finishing her usual slew of curses Jack put her two cents in, "Didn't sound like an explosion."
Shepard began to tell Jack to stop stating the obvious, when the ground shook violently again. She literally fell on her ass from the earthquake. Kasumi whimpered from the slight jarring.
"I'm sorry Kasumi," she whispered. "Just hold on."
Another quake erupted and something banged on a wall.
"That doesn't sound good," Jack stood. Everyone seemed to be too focused on the sound instead of actually trying to kill each other.
Suddenly a massive tentacle smashed through the wall. Water began to slowly pour into the room as the tentacle thrashed around, making the hole larger. It crushed several mercenaries as it continued to fight, grabbing two of them and crushing them in a constriction. The enemy soldiers ran for cover, fired at it, or just plain ran for the door.
"Shoot it," Shepard yelled over everyone's stupor. Jack and Jacob complied and fired their shotguns into it. "Taylor give me your pistol."
Jacob unclipped it from his belt and without even looking tossed it to her. With a pistol in one hand and Kasumi in the other arm she opened fire. The bullets appeared to have no effect on it, just impacting and lodging into it.
"Sergeant you had better hurry the fuck up," Shepard yelled as she set the pistol on the table to reload it one handed. She slammed the clip in and returned to firing into the beast. "Cause we have a big problem here."
The gunfire on the other end of the line had died down considerably, and was replaced by screams and haggard breathing.
"We've got problems of our own here Shepard," he the edge on his voice enough to cut a block of steel. "Exhibit A being we're getting chased by this fucking tentacle!"
The gunfire picked up a little, from what Shepard could guess was the Sergeant emptying his rifle into the thing chasing him and his squad. "We're almost there."
"There's one here too Sergeant," Shepard said as she ducked under another swing from the tentacle. "Bullets don't seem to work on this damn thing."
The door on the other side of the room opened, revealing a familiar group of black N7 clad marines.
"Shepard!" Linton yelled, whilst also waving his shotgun in the air.
"Look out!" the Sergeant shoved him to the ground,
The tentacle slammed into him, propelling him across the room. He rolled to a stop right next to Jack.
"There's an easier way to get over here dumb ass," Jack snickered.
The Sergeant rolled onto his stomach and slowly got up. He politely told her to, "Fuck off" in Russian.
"The rest of you get over here," he ordered. He grabbed his side and bent over. Blood left his mouth as he coughed several times.
As the marines ran for their lives Shepard crouch walked her way over to the Sergeant.
"Here," she offered him the last of her medi-gel. "You need it."
He pushed the injector away. "She needs it more than I do," he nodded towards Kasumi. "Besides it's just a scratch."
Shepard retracted her hand and injected it into Kasumi's shoulder. "Spoken like a true marine."
Even through the helmet Shepard coulda swore she saw a smile.
"We made it sir," Linton said between huge gulps of air. "Can we get the hell out of here now?"
The Sergeant patted the winded Corporal on the shoulder. "We're heading home Linton."
Shepard adjusted her grip on Kasumi and led the way into the elevator. Practically everyone had made it onto, when a shot rang out.
Shepard turned just in time to see Linton drop to the floor, a large hole in his right shoulder. The Sergeant and his squad surrounded him.
"Stay with me son," the Sergeant yelled as he applied a medi-gel bandage to the wound. He grabbed a syringe from his pack and stabbed it into the fallen marine's neck. "You're going to be fine."
Rounds sparked on the ground all around them. Several of the mercs had decided to forget about harming the monster breaking the walls down and focus on the people that came into their house uninvited. The Sergeant's squad returned fire, temporarily suppressing the assault.
"Shepard get him out of here," the Sergeant yelled as he picked up Linton's shotgun. "We'll cover."
Shepard jogged out of the elevator and grabbed hold of the fallen marines neck piece. She pulled with all the strength she had left and slowly began to drag him into the shaft.
"You better be right behind me Sergeant," she screamed as she dragged Linton's limp form.
The Sergeant didn't answer as he pumped round after round back at the room. Shepard reached the elevator and released her grasp on Linton.
"Okay Sergeant we're all aboard," she said as she began to look up. "Your squad can fall… what are you doing!"
The Sergeant slammed his fist into a control panel next to the doorway. The lift jumped and quickly began to rise. The doors were closing fast.
"We're keeping these bastards' from getting their hands on you and your team," he said as the door to the lift closed tighter. He took a round to the shoulder. He quickly spun around and fired his pistol into the nearest merc, before looking at Shepard again. "Take care of Linton, get him home. And good luck."
With a flick of the wrist he tossed Shepard a mess of chain and dog tags.
"Semper Fidelis Shepard," yelled the Sergeant as the door closed. Shutting away any hope of his or his squads salvation.
But there was no times to mourn their sacrifice, things were happening too fast for it. The shaft shook and began leaning at a steeper and steeper angle. Until after so much movement water poured into it at a high rate, creating a large water fall.
"Whatever the hell this thing is," Jack yelled as she clung to the grating on the lifts floor. "It sure doesn't fucking like you Shepard."
Shepard sneered at the convict. "I've just about had it with your attitude Jack," she yelled as the shaking stopped. A box behind Jack fell apart from the quake.
Inside it was something that Shepard couldn't help but smile at.
"Jack help me with this," she said as she did her best not to hit Kasumi's broken arm when she moved. "Jacob get Linton and bring him over here. You're driving."
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"Hold on!" Jacob yelled. He slammed the throttle as hard as it would go.
The modified Zodiac type boat rocketed out of the tunnel, flying through the air and then splashed down into the water.
"Why the fuck do these guys have boats?" Jack yelled over the roar of the wind and the engine.
Shepard looked back at the tunnel. It was now fully submerged.
"To scoop shit out of this giant fish bowl," Shepard yelled back. Jack smirked. "Who cares what the fuck they do here, we made it."
A line of bullets next to the boat protested that fact. A gunship flew past their boat, moving into a large arc for the turn around.
"Joker," Shepard held her free hand up to her ear. The other still held onto Kasumi, who in turn held onto Shepard's stomach. "Answer me Joker."
"Shepard," Joker spoke in a whisper. As if speaking too loud would alert someone to his presence. "There's a huge ship and a cruiser with the same markings as the mercs you just pissed off here. And they're within a spitting distance of the Normandy."
Shepard cursed in several languages at how well funded this group was.
"Damn it we need some help down here Joker," Shepard screamed. "I thought you were the best pilot in the universe."
Joker took the bait. "Damn right I am," Shepard could here the pride in his voice through the earpiece. "I'll send the marines transport to get you… while I fight with a ship that has a main gun that looks like it can rip the Normandy in half."
Shepard smiled. "New we could count on you Jeff," she said sincerely.
"Well I couldn't let you die again because of me," beeping in the background told her that his hands were a flurry as they powered up the ship. "Transport is inbound, now if you'll excuse me. I have a game of cat and mouse to win."
EDI took over the com. "Shepard I have a message from your private terminal from the Illusive Man."
'Great the damn AI is reading my mail,' Shepard thought as she rolled her eyes in loathing.
"What does it say EDI?" she asked.
A missile plunged into the water five feet from the boat, before exploding and showering her with water.
"It advises you to wait to launch your assault on the Legion base," said the AI. "It also says that assets are inbound to deal with the situation."
Shepard mentally shrugged. "Should've checked my email first," she said aloud. "Does it say when said help is going to arrive?"
It took EDI a full second to reply, unusual for and AI that thinks at unfathomable speed.
"If the time on the message is correct, then help should be here by now."
'Great the Illusive Man got something wrong,' she chuckled on the inside. 'Guess he isn't as good as he thinks he is.'
A small glimmer off in the distance brought her out of her thoughts.
"It's the shuttle," Jack yelled whilst pointing at the dot.
As if to prove her point the transports pilot came over the com.
"Heard you could use a lift," he had the same cockiness as Joker.
Shepard pressed her finger against the earpiece. "Damn am I glad to see you," she yelled. "Can you take out our company?"
"Yes ma'am I can," the pilot answered. "Missiles are primed, acquiring a lock."
Shepard glanced over her shoulder at the gunship several dozen meters behind them. She smirked and shot it with a finger gun.
'Bang your dead.'
Suddenly the water behind the boat exploded upward. A large creature appeared in the center of the shaft of water, its mouth of hundreds of razor sharp teeth open. It swallowed the gunship with a single bite before crashing back into the water.
"Holy shit!" Jack screamed. "That's one big ass fish!"
Shepard's heart pounded against her rib cage.
"Transport we need to get off this water ASAP," she yelled. "Just lower your ramp and we'll fly right in."
The transport dropped into the water and kept coming at her.
"Shepard we are feet wet," the pilot said.
Jacob steered the craft right for the opening. The monster from the deep surfaced in the distance to their right. Shepard paid it no heed as the zodiac skidded to a sudden stop inside the transport.
"We're in," Shepard yelled to the pilot seated just above the ramp. "Get us out of here."
The ship tilted up to a steep angle. "Hold on ladies and gents."
The monster had other plans as it flew out of the water, maw open to swallow the ship whole.
? 5 minutes earlier
The Normandy weaved back and forth in the dark; the cruiser on its tail somehow tracking through the evasive maneuvers.
"This sucker won't take a hint," Joker scoffed as he jerked the Normandy up in an insane climb that would rip most ships of its size in half. But the cruiser behind them kept up by pulling the same move, only with a longer arc for the turn. "I was hoping that would work."
EDI's blue orb materialized on the pedestal beside him. "Jeff I am detecting a ship exiting FTL."
"Great they have reinforcements," he grimaced. The cruiser fired a wild shot, which Joker easily moved the Normandy to avoid it.
"That is incorrect Jeff," EDI stated.
Joker took his eyes off the monitor to look at 'her'. "Well then what is it? Collector ship to finish what it started? A Reaper?"
"None of those things."
"Then what is it?"
EDI seemed to pause for dramatic affect. "Reinforcements."
The smile on his face quickly disappeared when the console flashed red.
"Shit shit shit," he became a little frantic. "The big guy has us."
The consoles monitor snapped to the larger of the two enemy ships. It was priming its main gun. Just as it prepared to fire, a miracle happened.
A giant red beam slammed into it. The ships armor melted like butter. Another massive ship flew through the screen. Its form seemed like a flattened Normandy colored flat black with a single blue stripe down its sides.
"Normandy this is the Cerberus Destroyer Tempest," a distinct woman's voice said into the com. "Looks like we got here just in time."
Joker breathed a sigh of relief. "You're telling me," he laughed. "Thanks for the assist."
"Not a problem," the woman's voice was quite seductive to Joker. Creating several images of what the body behind the voice might be. "Now if you'll excuse us. We have an asset to deploy down there."
"Uh I wouldn't recommend deploying any asset," Joker suggested as he checked the radar for any sign of the cruiser. It had just disappeared. "Last I heard, the base was sinking."
"Typhon doesn't care," the woman sounded like she was bored. "And I'd like to see you try and stop him. We're moving into position. Tempest out."
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The monster climbed closer. Its open mouth getting close enough for Shepard to see the remains of the gunship wedged in its teeth.
'Great we're going to be fish food.'
She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable; waiting for the painful death.
Something bathed in blue rocketed past the shuttle in the opposite direction. It crashed straight into the monsters eye. It roared in pain as its eye exploded in a bloody mess.
"What the hell was that?" Jack yelled as she looked out one of the transports portholes.
Jacob looked out the other side. "It looked like some kind of suit of armor that I've never seen before."
Jack scoffed. "That's fucking stupid Taylor. No one is crazy enough to even try and do that. It must've been a rocket or something."
Shepard ignored them and the creature as it thrashed around in the water. Instead she spread medi-gel from the transports emergency kit across Kasumi's bleeding wound.
"Shepard," Kasumi whispered. Shepard barely heard it and brought her ear next to Kasumi's lips so she wouldn't miss the rest of the words the thief spoke. "I can't feel anything."
Her eyes started to close. Shepard shook her, in a desperate attempt to keep her from leaving. "Stay with me Kasumi," she pleaded "We're almost home."
"Home," Kasumi whispered. "Home sounds nice right about now."
Shepard hugged her closer. "Yeah it does, but you have to hold on for me. Please."
"Hold on," the pilot yelled from his seat.
He jerked the ship to the left. Another voice, this one female came on the com.
"Roger that Typhon, taking the shot."
A giant red beam flew past the ship and struck the monster fish in its side, reducing it to nothing more than scales and goo.
"Normandy we're coming in hot with wounded."
A minute later the shuttle skidded into the cargo bay, sparks flying everywhere. Shepard rolled out of the transport before it stopped moving. She came out of the roll running straight into the waiting elevator. Jacob was right behind her with Linton. They road it up in complete silence, save for their own labored breathing.
The doors parted and Shepard ran the small distance to the Med Bay. She gently set Kasumi down on a table in front of Dr. Chawkwas and Mordin. They went to work immediately.
"No pulse," Mordin said in his usual fast paced chatter. "Not good, need to act fast."
Chawkwas brushed past Shepard as she stood there, shoulders heaving up and down and on the verge of tears.
"Shepard I need you to leave," Chawkwas said as she wheeled a cart with equipment over to the table. Shepard didn't answer. "Shepard!"
That broke the Commander out of her trance and she looked up from the floor. "I need to be able to work in here. And I can't do my bloody job if you're standing there like a zombie. Go outside and I will call you when we're done."
Shepard didn't say a word. Everything ached; exhaustion blurred her memory and nipped at the edge of her vision. Next thing she knew Garrus was yelling at her.
"Shepard," he yelled. She lifted her head out of her hands to look at him. "You need to go rest. And wash all the blood off your face."
"I couldn't do it Garrus," she whispered. "I almost lost you on Omega, and now I've cost Kasumi her life."
Garrus' face turned into the meanest frown he could pull off. "You did the best you could," he whispered as he hauled her up by the arm. "And just like with me, Chawkwas is working her ass off to do her part and save her. Now go take a shower, moping around down here is crippling the morale of the men."
Shepard looked to her left. Several of the crew were glancing in her direction, doubt about her in their eyes.
"Your right," she said as he let go of her arm.
He watched her leave the room and step into the elevator.
Shepard stepped into her room. She dragged her feet over to the desk by her bed. She tossed the sword off her back and onto the desk. She turned and headed for the shower whilst taking off her armor. It clattered to the ground as she made her way to the bath room. Next thing she knew was in the shower. Steaming hot water cascaded down her body, washing away the blood on her face. She looked down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them slowly. Little specks of blood covered her palms and refused to wash off. She rubbed them profusely, but still they wouldn't go away.
"Just go away," she punched the wall of the shower. And then the blood was gone, a figment of her over taxed psyche.
She collapsed to the shower floor, from what she couldn't tell. Either sheer physical or emotional exhaustion. She curled up into a ball and stayed there, for how long she didn't know.
Until finally EDI shut the water off.
"Shepard you have several burns developing on your body," the voice of the Normandy said. "And Chawkwas is outside your door."
The mention of the doctor caused Shepard to bolt out of the shower. She ran out of the bathroom toweling herself off as she ran for her dresser. She quickly slipped on some pants and a grey tank top. She jumped up the stairs and hit the switch to open the door.
"Ah Shepard," Chawkwas said as she stepped into the Commanders room. "I was wondering when you would open the bloody door."
"How is she doctor?" Shepard skipped the pleasantries and jumped to the point.
Chawkwas prodded a shoulder piece on the ground with her foot. "Oh she was fine."
Shepard's heart skipped a couple beats. "Was?"
The good doctor turned to face the woman that she treated as her daughter. "She disappeared about ten minutes ago," Chawkwas sounded displeased. "You would think it would be easy to find a woman wearing a suit like that with a hole in it and a cast on her arm, but she is a master thief. If you see her please tell her that I don't like my patients running off before I clear them."
Shepard chuckled. "Tell me about it. Thanks for the update Carol; I'll let you know if I see her."
And then the doctor was gone, apparently leaving Shepard alone.
"How long," Shepard turned to look at small chair in her little office. "How long have you been there?"
The chair turned as a pop and hiss revealed a thoroughly bandaged Kasumi.
"Long enough to see you run across the room with no clothes on," Kasumi smiled her trademark smile as she hopped out of the chair. "And once again I got to say, not bad Shep."
Shepard shook her head, a smile spreading across her face. "If you weren't injured I'd beat the crap out of…"
She stopped as Kasumi wrapped her arms around her. She didn't hesitate like the first time this happened. She pulled her close, allowing Kasumi to bury her face in her shoulder.
"I told you I would save you," Shepard whispered. "And that I would bring you home."
Kasumi mumbled a simple, "I know."
They stayed that way for a few minutes until finally Kasumi pulled away.
"But you only saved me so you could kiss me back there," she joked. "And you know it."
Shepard's mind froze at the joke.
"I did not," she finally said. "And you know it."
Only Kasumi wasn't where she used to be. Shepard looked over to her bed, Kasumi was under the covers.
"Great talk Shepard," she yawned. "Thanks for everything, including the bed."
Shepard stood there dumbfounded as she watched the thief fall asleep.
Finally she whispered.
"Son of a bitch she stole my bed."
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Author's Note: Ha ha Kasumi is a ninja right? I for one am glad I can leave this beating Kasumi up behind and move onto other things, like picking up Grunt and Horizon. Let me know what you guys think of this chapter. As always review, subscribe, favorite, etc.
Embrace Chaos!
P.S.- The Tempest isn't just a random name I decided to use for the other ship. It will all make sense in due time, trust me.