Chapter 8b: Archangel Pt. 2
Shepherd couldn't keep a huge grin off his face, while he knew he was picking up a turian, he never imagined it was his old friend from the first Normandy. "Garrus, you crazy son of a bitch, how are you?" Shepherd greeted with a smile. Although he was glad the turian was safe, he had a bunch of question to ask. As it, After the Battle of the Citadel and Shepherd's death, Garrus reveals that he followed Shepard's example and created his own squad to enforce their own version of justice on Omega, leading to his current predicament.
"Just keeping my skills sharp, though I may have taken on more than I can handle" he said applying medi-gel to his face.
"No shit, how did you piss off all the top mercs on Omega?" Shepherd asked.
Garrus smirked. "Wasn't easy, I really had to work at it" Garrus said. "Though the fact they're teaming up, they must really hate me."
Miranda scoffed. "Glad to see you're enjoying yourself" she said sarcastically.
"How did you survive? We saw you get spaced." Garrus said.
Shepherd sighed. "It's a long story that requires lots of alcohol" he said.
"Well damn" Garrus said. "I'll have to hear it, though first we should get out of here"
"Can't be easy with all three groups down there licking their chops" Zaeed said.
"You're right, the best thing we can do is isolate them and each group separately" Garrus said.
"A crack in their defenses, worth trying" Shepherd said.
Miranda spoke up. "Or…" she said showing a map of the area. "We can escape through the tunnels; it would lead somewhere close to the Normandy."
"Sounds good" Garrus said. He looked down. "That plan is going to have to wait, they're coming"
"What is it?" Shepherd asked.
"Mechs, looks like we're dealing with Eclipse mercs" Garrus said. "A couple of LOKI mechs and two YMIR mechs"
Shepherd smirked. "Perfect" he said. Garrus looked at him. "We did a little sabotage on the mechs before we came here; it's going to be one hell of a surprise." Garrus looked down as the first eclipse merc came to the bridge was shot down by their mechs. Then the next and then another until chaos and pandemonium ensued as the mercs were now in a shootout with their own mechs. This gave the team the perfect opportunity for the team to get away. Garrus broke away and ran to the explosives the freelances left.
"What are you doing?" Miranda asked.
"Covering our tracks, help me with the bombs" he said. The team covers Garrus as he jury rigged the explosives. Each merc that was unlucky enough to get past the hacked geths were gunned down by Shepherd and team. Soon more Eclipse merc started to move to the bridge, mowing down the mech until the two YMIR mechs were left.
"Garrus? Move it; I think we're running out mechs" Garrus set the timer for forty seconds, just enough for the team to get out of there. They made it to the tunnels, after hearing a loud boom. They ran through the tunnels following Miranda's map, until they here growling.
"Shit varren" Shepherd said. The tunnels were flooded with varren and vorcha, they had escaped Eclipse and now they had to face the Blood Pack. "Zaeed, Garrus sniper support, Miranda you're on biotics with me" he ordered. Shepherd used his singularity field to lift the varren in the air; Miranda shut them down with her warp. Zaeed and Garrus shot the vorcha getting close to Shepherd and Miranda, though it wasn't easy as the aliens regenerated fast. One of the vorcha got close to Miranda, in his hand was a flamethrower. Miranda ducked behind cover as a stream of flames moved above her. Shepherd threw the pyro back, just as more vorcha started to reinforce their allies. Miranda returned the favor and overloaded the pyro's pack, causing him to explode and take his allies with him. They made a run for it.
"Which way?" Shepherd said.
"Next left" Miranda said. "Close that shutter" Zaeed pressed the button.
The corridor was as it always looked, filthy, downtrodden and supported by worn down pillars along the walls, making for good cover even as one wondered if too much damage to said pillars would make the entire complex of tunnels come apart."Be careful, these tunnels are old" Garrus said. And then there was a roar, a bloodthirsty, deep, reverberating roar. "Aw, shit"
A krogan in deep red armor charging at the team. "Who the fuck is that?" Zaeed asked.
"Garm, leader of the Blood pack" he said. "Watch out!"
Garm came in full throttle...his dark red armor a massive blur as he rushed at Shepherd standing his ground. Shepherd threw a couple of warps to slow him down, the krogan was fast and when he got close Garm smashed the spectre aside by Garm's shoulder drawing a pained gasp as the human as he was sent hurtling through the air and into the pillar behind. The tunnel shook from the impact.
"Not good, this place is falling apart" Garrus said.
Garm was nowhere near done though as he swung the flame-thrower in his claws towards Garrus...who with a curse ducked under the spray of fire, rolled away from a kick and stumbled wildly firing as the Krogan came close. The bullets were hitting their make, but the krogan's armor was tough, as he approached like nothing was happening. Garm pointed the flamethrower at the downed turian getting ready to fire. Zaeed and Miranda shot at Garm, hoping to get his attention, but the krogan glowed blue and fired off a shockwave, make them scatter. He turned to Garrus.
"You're mine Archangel! Now burn!" he roared. Shepherd stood up and rushed Garm firing bullet after bullet.
"Hey numb nuts…" he said. Garm turned around and Shepherd gave a swift biotic kick to the krogan's crotch. The Krogan grunted with pain and growled before his free hand swept round and gripped the human's head, drawing a gasp from the man as the claws began to close…"Fuck you!" he shouted as he gouged the krogan's eyes with his thumbs. The krogan roared in pain and let go of Shepherd, unfortunately Garm's blood rage kicked in and starting flail wildly hoping to hit one of them and instead smashed a pillar holding up part of the tunnel making it shake.
"Let's get out of here!" Miranda said. They ran leaving a blind Garm buried under rubble. Ahead of them were more mercenaries in the tunnel ready for a fight until they felt the rumblings also. Some of the mercs were smart enough to just turn tail and run, however the other half decided it would be a good idea to fire when everything was coming down around their head. Shepherd froze them in stasis fields, as the team ran pass them, and tunnel claimed them.
"Miranda" Shepherd said.
"Open area at the end of the tunnel" she said. As they got out of the tunnel, a light blinded the team, a gunship stood in their way.
"Shit, I thought I took care of that thing" Garrus growled. The gunship fires, scattering the team to cover, however the ship wasn't interest in them, it was after Garrus. The turian took pot shots at the ship while trying to find cover, the gunship fires its rockets and Garrus sent flying, and hits the floor hard. Shepherd paled as he sees his old friend not moving as the gunship moves in for the kill.
"Garrus!" Shepherd said taking out his rocket launcher. He runs out of cover firing at it, causing the machine to focus on him. "Hey over here, jackass!" He gave the pilot the finger and ran away leading the gunship away from Garrus. While Shepherd was getting its attention, Miranda ran over to the wounded turian and pulled Garrus over to the closest cover she could fine. When Shepherd saw the turian safe, he rolled into cover and let loose a barrage of missiles at the ship. Zaeed grabbed a heavy weapon of the ground and follow suit. Miranda gave the men covering fire with biotics. Even fully armored, the gunship couldn't handle the barrage of fire it was taken and careened wildly at the wall.
Shepherd ran over to Garrus who is lying in a pool of his own blood, and kneeling beside him. "Garrus?" he asked concerned. After a moment of silence his eyes open, he gasps for air, and he tightens his grip on his sniper pulling it closer to him. "Garrus!" He coughed up his blue blood and his eyes started to closed. "GARRUS!"
Miranda spoke up. "We can save him, but we have to hurry to the Normandy"
"R-right, let's go" he said. Shepherd got one side and Zaeed got the other and the team made their way to the Normandy, with the turian in tow. His life was hanging by a thread. Back on the Normandy, Garrus received medical attention, with Doctor Chakwas, Mordin and surprisingly Miranda volunteering to help the wounded turian. Shepherd was in the conference room pacing, not sure if he was going to come through. He then heard the door open and Jacob came in.
"How is he?" Shepherd asked concerned.
Jacob looked down." Dr. Chakwas and Mordin, did all they could, but he took a bad hit" he said. "He's been fitted some cybernetics and some surgery, so he'll have some functionality, but…" The door opened and in came Garrus walking in, like nothing happened, the left side of his face scarred. He was also in a new a new military-grade, blue-lit armor equipped with a dual-input communication headset.
"Shepherd…" he said.
Jacob chuckled a little. "Tough son of a bitch, didn't think he would be up yet"
"How bad is it? No one would give me a mirror" Garrus said. Shepherd smirked a little.
"It's going to show" Shepherd said with a smirk. "Although, it's probably an improvement considering before"
Garrus chuckled but stopped in pain. "Oh don't make me laugh, dammit my face is barely holding as it is" he said. "Aw well, it probably for the best, everyone was always hitting on me and ignoring you, time for you to get a fair shot at it" Jacob gave a salute and left.
"So how are you, really?" Shepherd said.
"I should be asking you" Garrus said. "How did you join Cerberus?"
"It's not like I had a choice, I was out of it for two whole years, it's only been weeks since I woke up" Shepherd said.
"Well I'm sure Tali will be ecstatic to know her bosh'tet is alive and well" he said.
"Already saw her, she said she would join up with us as she's done with her mission" Shepherd said.
"That's good, after you died everyone felt lost, Tali and Kaiden took it the hardest" Garrus said.
Shepherd lowered his head. "I know and I'm sorry for that" he said sadly. "How are you and Liara?"
Garrus lowered his head. "I don't know where she is" he said.
"What?"
"After you died, she just disappeared, didn't even say goodbye" he said. "Not even to me"
"I'm sorry…" Shepherd said.
"Don't be, I've been over it" he said. "So, where do I pack my things?"
"Put it in the forward batteries, it has a bedding area, also" Shepherd said.
"Thanks, just like old times, Shepherd" he said with a smirk.
After getting Garrus acquainted with the crew, Shepherd went to see Miranda. She was in her usually place, the desk doing paper work. Miranda was huge help earlier, her plan to go through the tunnel was almost brilliant, and not to mention the way she protected Garrus when he was out. It made him change the way he looked at her, that maybe they could be friends.
"Commander, what are you doing here? She asked.
"Look I know I gave you a hard time when we met, but thanks" he said. Miranda looked at him.
"For what?" she asked.
"For getting us out there and for protecting Garrus" Shepherd said.
"Just doing what the mission required." Miranda said. "There's no need to thank me"
"Sure, you did" Shepherd said. Miranda scoffed.
"What are you talking about?" she asked annoyed.
"You may fool everyone with your ice bitch routine, but you don't fool me" Shepherd said. "I saw the concern in your eyes when Garrus got hurt and again when I got hit, by that krogan and then there's Jac…"
"What's your point?" she asked.
"That you care, that you may not be the heartless Cerberus bitch you want everyone to believe you are" He said, "What I want to know, is why you try so hard?"
"I…have no idea what you're talking about" She said flinching a little.
"Sure you don't" Shepherd said with a smirk. "When you're ready to talk, I'll be here" he walked away.
Miranda scoffed and got back to work. On her face, was a sliver of a smile.
Extracted Archangel from mercenary siege and recruited him for the team. Unclear whether injury to Archangel will impair his ability to assist in the mission. Regardless, revelation of identity as Garrus Valkarian useful in keeping Shepherd comfortable.-Mission Summary