Released
"I have a dream
that one day little black boys and girls
will be holding hands with little white boys and girls"
-Martin Luther King Jr
…
While Shepard enjoyed the fact that his crew were enjoying themselves, contrary to all stereotypes of marine grunts, he was not a fan of loud parties unless he was really drunk. During the party, he stayed on only two or three beers alongside nibbles, refusing several drinking challenges in the process. He looked around, smiling as he saw his crew enjoying themselves, this time without the threat of the Reapers getting in the way. It warmed his heart like nothing else to see his closest friends, no, family, enjoying themselves.
Half of Tali's attention was watching the antics of the crew, rejoicing in their merriment. They had become a family to her, as any good crew of a ship with quarians on it would. The other half was watching Shepard, and it was that half that had her grinning like a madwoman and internally dancing a jig. As she observed Shepard, she saw how relaxed he was, despite the crutches and the ache in his legs (a quick blush as she remembered why they were aching). The only time she had seen him truly relax since the Fall of Earth was in the afterglow in one of their stolen moments together alone in their cabin. Any other time, those who knew him could see the signs. He appeared relaxed, but it was the relaxed stance of a fighter, when one forces themselves to loosen up in order to stop a cramp in the middle of a fight. When he walked around, there was a tension in his jaw, as he was forcibly reminded every second of the day that there was a battle against the extinction of the galaxy going on. Even during the party at Anderson's apartment, he chose not to drink more than one or two beers, and scurried around playing host instead of relaxing.
It brought joy to her heart to see him finally, truly at ease.
Shepard turned to look at Tali, a smile on his face, the one he only gave her, that made her feel special. She loved when he smiled liked that. All thoughts of anything else flew from her head as she stared into those gorgeous, happy eyes. "Hey Tali, what do you say we go for a walk and find some peace and quiet?"
It took Tali a moment to figure out that he had just asked her a question, all thought having gone out the window. "Hmm…hmm what? Sorry, what did you say? This party's quite loud!" she quickly covered, thanking the Ancestors that her visor covered her blush.
The sheer amusement that appeared in his eyes told her he knew exactly what happened. Damn him and his observation skills! Tali thought. "I said, how about a walk to find some peace and quiet?" he repeated, trying and failing to repress a grin. Tali rolled her eyes as she slipped under his left arm, holding his arm up across her shoulders and sliding her arm around his waist as he used her as a crutch. This was the closest they could come to holding hands or him sliding an arm around her waist with him in crutches. Shepard caught his mum's eye, and she nodded, acknowledging that he was leaving.
…
Outside it was a cloudless night, the full moon shone, illuminating the streets they were walking down rather well. There was a light covering of snow on the pavements, as well as the gangway from the Normandy to the dock. They didn't mind the cold, it was refreshing from the heated party atmosphere in the Mess Hall of the Normandy. They walked, or in Shepard's case crutching, in a comfortable silence.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Tali asked, a smile on her face at his proximity
"What? I can't spend some alone time with my beloved girlfriend?" he asked teasingly
Tali squeezed his hip, laughing softly "I do enjoy spending time with my beloved boyfriend, but that was a rather… sudden… exit from the party." She responded in kind.
He chuckled "I really do just want to spend some alone time with you, but yeah, I just wanted to get away from the loud crowds and the peace and quiet." He looked up at the moon, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, embracing the peace and quiet one finds when stargazing. "Besides, I need to get my stuff from the N7 hospital and move it back to Deck One." Tali hummed in agreement, and they started ambling along at a relaxed pace.
"Here's a thought, maybe once my legs have healed into something more than chopped liver, I'll throw a proper party, trust me, Jack's parties are great, but they ain't got Shit on mine!" he turned to her with a grin and a mischievous grin in his eyes. Tali couldn't help but grin back, that kind of mischief was infectious.
"Oh? And what were your parties like?" she asked teasingly
"Ah, now my parties were the stuff of legend back at the Villa." He responded, a wistful look coming into his eyes "But I'll tell you a secret, seeing as I kind of like you." Tali snorted, and raised an eyebrow, knowing that he could tell "I was trained in secret, by the true Master of all matters festive. Now most of the time, Anderson was a calm, professional man, even if he did join in the banter with us grunts. You wouldn't think it, but that man could host a party worthy of Gods."
"Really?" She had only met him personally a few times, and those brief, and while he struck her as a warm and honourable man, he didn't strike her as a partying type.
"Yeah, right after N2 graduation, those that had made it decided to have a party the following week, so Anderson pulls me aside and says "Right, now I'm going to teach you your most important lesson yet", he taught me everything he knew about parties. He told me he was getting to old, and that such knowledge should not be wasted." He said with mock gravity.
Tali snorted "And now you're a Master of the Celebration."
He laughed "Yeah, right after N2 was the most fun I had ever had since the senior prom after party." He quietened down, the wistful look still in his eyes.
Tali looked up at him "I'm glad you have such good memories to remember him by. He was a father figure to you wasn't he?" She said quietly
Shepard looked back down at her "Yeah, he was. He wouldn't want me to be sad over him." He stopped them, turned and looked into her eyes. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful they were in the moonlight. "And now I have an entire lifetime to make happy memories with you now." He stated.
Tali couldn't stop the huge smile on her face if she wanted to. Which she didn't. She leaned forward and rested her forehead against Shepard's, a quarian kiss now, and a promise later for a time when she wasn't slightly sick. "I love you John." She declared simply with love.
"I love you too Tali." He replied likewise, the two of them just staring into each other's eyes for just that moment, as everything else became meaningless.
Shepard's instincts flared, and his hand left his right crutch seemingly of its own volition and caught an empty beer bottle out of the air. It had been aimed at Tali.
"'Ello 'Ello 'Ello, what's this we got 'ere" a voice calls out from across the street in an east London accent. Shepard looks over, there are ten men lounging around on one of the street corners nursing beers, having obviously a lot more than that and looking like stereotypical off-duty dock workers. Looking, and behaving, like the kind of people you would run away from in a dark alley. Shepard turned to the original speaker. His T-shirt logo underneath his jacket showed a logo. A white Anvil silhouetting a drawing of the earth. Terra Firma.
Really? Shepard gave an exasperated mental sigh I hate racists
The man continued "A suit-rat whore! And the blindest sucker this side of the Sol Relay!" he laughed, looking to his friends and preening as they laughed, feeling proud of himself as he made a joke that was funny to someone other than himself. At least, that was Shepard's perspective.
That pissed him off. Strike one he thought mentally
He turned away and continued walking down the street, bringing Tali along as she tensed. He kept the beer bottle in his left hand though, as well as his crutches. He wanted to leave this peacefully without anyone getting hurt.
But he was a realist, never know when you might need it.
"Oi mate, did your real girlfriend die and your only option was this piece of…filth." The man fired off to his back, getting an encore of laughter from his obviously sycophantic 'friends'. At least that was Shepard's perspective.
Count slowly, one…two Shepard thought internally as he struggled to restrain himself and just walk away. He had a moral code, be the better man dammit! Externally he unconsciously whispered just loud enough for Tali to hear "Strike Two…"
The man was obviously getting infuriated that he was not getting a reaction out of Shepard, so he decided to try something new. "Oh, wait, did your mum sleep with so many men that you don't care what wraps around your dick anymore?!" He asked to the laughter of his 'crew'.
Shepard froze. All thought of restraining his anger snapped when insulted his mum. He now fought himself however on how best to tell that to these idiots.
Nobody. Insults. My Family His rage shouted at him
C'mon, it was a cheap insult, don't rise to it His moral code responded
That was three strikes!
The man is an idiot, walk away and you will never see him again!
Do it, you're in crutches and Tali has your back, how much are you gonna hurt him?
You're a TRAINED KILLER! You'll murder those guy!
I'm tired of being the nice guy…
Shepard disengaged himself from Tali, putting the bottle in his right hand, holding his crutch with his fingers. He limped over to the group angrily. As he came close enough for them to see his face, the group stepped back as one, except for the guy who shouted, who was rooted in fear. Firstly, because he had pissed of Commander-FUCKING-Shepard, even if he was in crutches. Secondly, because there was a dangerous glint in his eyes that would make a veteran psychopathic serial killer back off.
Shepard stalked right up to the man until he was arm distance away. The man looked like a rabbit caught in the head-lights of a sixteen-wheeler semi. He held the man's gaze, his emerald eyes blazing, for a few seconds until he thrust his right arm out in a blur. The entire group flinched backwards…
…As Shepard held the man's beer bottle at arm's length.
"You forgot something." He stated coldly. He then dropped it on the floor at the man's feet.
All the surrounding men were staring at him in fear and awe, looking at him warily as he stood still, until one brave, or stupid, soul decided to approach from his right, hesitantly asking "Can…Can I have an autograph, sir?".
Shepard slowly turned his head and looked at the speaker, who cowered backwards slowly. Done, he turned and crutched back to Tali, at the same pace he was wandering around at. His moral dilemma had been solved, as much as he wanted to vent his rage, he could hold his head high and say he was the better man. The men behind him started grumbling between themselves, he couldn't hear them but something told him he should have kept that bottle.
When he reached Tali, all ten men had sprinted ahead and formed a loose circle around them, some faces angry, some faces grinning at the inevitable prospect. Shepard and Tali slowed down and stopped as one. Slowly, they turned back to back, Shepard facing their 'leader', Tali having his back.
Their 'leader' started taunting them, but Shepard and Tali ignored them. "I got your back Shepard" Tali murmured to him over her shoulder.
"That's nice, but I'm gonna need you to draw some of them off me." Shepard murmured back while the man continued taunting them and making jokes.
"Shepard! You're in crutches! They'll hammer you!" Tali whispered worriedly over her shoulder.
"I'll be fine, but not if it's ten guys vs me!" He responded, the man was really having at it with the taunting.
"Okay, I trust your judgement, how many?" She asked
"As many as you can without endangering yourself, I worry too you know." He answered half-teasingly
"Please Shepard, I may be an engineer but I was trained to take down geth with my bare hands!" she responded facetiously.
"Hey wanker! You even listening to me?!" the man finally caught Shepard's attention. He turned back to his 'posse' as he started taking slow steps toward Shepard. Tali started eyeing up four of the guys outside of Shepard's peripheral vision.
"This guy thinks he's such a hero! What kind of human sleeps with aliens!? And a suit-rat at that!" he started ranting dramatically. Gotta keep it calm Shep, don't let emotions get in the way. I bet he's gonna tell me though he thought sarcastically.
"I tell you-" The man continued totally called it "-it's a good thing he's in crutches!" well aren't I glad you didn't sign the 'get well soon' card "Because now it'll be easier-" for me? Or for you?
The man wound up the most amateurishly disguised punch ever as he said "-to teach you a lesson!"
A familiar flash crossed Shepard's mind as he sunk into his mental state of combat calculations. Time seemed to slow to a stop as his mind processed the scenario. N training was tough, but it was paying off again, and he had been given some pointers from Mordin as well, after all.
Probability of violence: 100%
Their advantages: My injuries, Their numbers, Their mobility
My Advantages: Training, Crutch-weapons, Speed, Strength, Minor biotics, Their intoxication. Addendum: Aggression, and disregard of reputation, despite injuries, near-proof of hypothesis. Addendum: Tali'Zorah baiting four of them, enemy count down to six.
First Aggressor: Right hook, wild
Lean head to the left, employ parry at the elbow, momentum and parry should bring forward. Stabilize crutch with elbow, re-engage on inside of crutch.
Right crutch to abdomen, force sends stumbling backwards. Plant weight on right crutch.
Left crutch up, break nose. Re-stabilize body weight, now facing 180 degrees bearing.
The 'leader' threw an awful right hook aimed at Shepard's face. In one move, Shepard leaned to the right, his elbow resting on the top of the crutch, and parried the punch to his left, using the grip on the man's elbow to move the man to his right. As he re-gripped the crutch on the inside, he brought his right crutch into the man's stomach, the force of it bending him over and causing him to stumble backwards. He then shifted his weight onto the right crutch and broke the man's nose with his left, sending him flat on his back. Weight resettled, now facing backwards from his original position, his next attacker came from his right.
Flash!
Second Aggressor: Feral Charge
Shift weight backwards onto left crutch
Crush testicles with right
Reverse to icepick grip on left crutch, strike temple,twist upper body: torsional movement increases acceleration of blow, ergo increases force.
Unconsciousness rendered.
His second attaker came from his right, bellowing in anger,while Shepard had his weight on that side's crutch. Waiting until the man was too close to stop, he shifted his weight back onto his left crutch and brought up his right up I'm between the man's .This caused the man to stop and double over with a remarkably high pitched squeek. Bringing his right crutch down to an ideal position to pivot with he reversed his grip on his left, and swung his whole body round, using the crutch to club the man into unconsciousness.
Flash!
Third Aggressor: Charging right jab
Employ left elbow block. Check forward momentum.
Duck feral left. Left jab to abdomen.
Lower grip: grip crutch juncture. Attack back of head. Use of weapon induces unconsciousness.
From the direction Shepard was now facing, a third attacker ran forward and lunged with his right fist. Shepard brought up his left elbow to block. He then immediately brought it across his chest to push the man back, his forward momentum carrying him forward. Shepard ducked the levered left hook that came from the man, and used his left crutch to jab into the man's abdomen. The man doubled over, and as Shepard brought his crutch back, he left it slip through hood fingers, lowering the grip to the juncture from the main stem of the crutch, elongating the club in his hand effectively. This, he brought down onto the back of the man's head, twisting his body to add extra force into it. His swing ended with his crutch behind his body, the man unconscious. Two hands grabbed the crutch behind him.
Flash!
Option one: resist, and try to dislodge grip.
Ill advised: Struggle would leave me stationary and vulnerable.
Option two: use man's force against him causing a stumble , but meaning loss of crutch. Approximate time incapacitated: 4 seconds
Shepard pulled towards himself with the arm holding the crutch. As the man pulled back, Shepard's arm shot forward, hitting the man in the nose before letting go off the crutch, making the man stumble and fall backwards. Looking over his shoulder he saw the next attacker.
Flash!
Fourth Aggressor: Moving forward in stance, aggressive strategy required
Lower weight with biotics , shift weight onto leg braces.
Twist, attack outer knee with right crutch.
Plant crutch, pivot, elbow to the nose, temple if possible.
Incapacitated, but not unconscious, sufficient for current engagement.
From behind Shepard's current bearing, an apparently more wiser, or less drunk, man shuffled forward slowly in an amateur boxer's stance. Shepard engaged his minor biotics to lower his weight so that he could stand on his leg braces without suffering crippling pain, and quickly swing his remaining right crutch into the man's forward leg, smashing his knee. The man's leg caved inwards, forcing him to kneel. Shepard disengaged his biotics and planted his weight on the crutch using it to pivot his elbow into the man's face. Using his biotic implant had felt unusually painful, the pain causing him to get angry, so he used the anger too add more c force to the blow, causing the man to end up on the floor clutching his head in pain.
Flash!
Fifth and Sixth Aggressor: 'Spitroast' manoeuvre. Man on the right using dropped crutch as weapon.
Use biotics to lower weight.
Small biotic shove to left hand attacker, enough to stop forward movement.
Right crutch blocks club attack from right hand man.
Biotic throw into the nearest wall.
Combatant neutralised.
Grab wrist, attackers forward momentum used to get inside guard
Kuzushi
Osoto-otoshi
Finish Him!
Shepard, painfully, used his biotics to free up his right crutch. He sent enough of a biotic shove to the man on his right to stop him momentarily. His right crutch came up to block the sledgehammer swing from the man on his left with his crutch. Shepard's free left hand biotically threw him into the wall, not enough to kill, but certainly enough to keep him out till r paramedics came. Supporting his weight biotically, he dropped his remaining crutch and turned to face his final attacker. The man came forward with a right hook which he caught the wrist of, pulling forward to simultaneously get inside the man's guard, and to shift the man's weight onto his right foot, breaking his balance. Shepard grabbed the man's right shoulder with his right hand, stuck his right leg behind the man's legs, and with a road of rage due c to being attacked and the pain of his biotics, swung the man over his leg, making his head smash into the road beneath. As near as perfect an Osoto-otoshi you could get without being able to bend your legs very to make sure, Shepard punched the man in the face. Yep definitely unconscious.
Shepard knelt there breathing heavily, looking around. His head hurt like a bitch and he didn't know why. His nose felt a bit clogged, bit before he could wipe his nose, there was movement b coming v from one of the downed drunkards. The 'leader', the one who threw the first punch, was slowly getting up, spitting profanities.
"You peice of shit! You broke my nose!" He screamed in a heavily congested voice "You motherfucking, bastard son of the devil's bitch, cunt-arse, peice of slimy TURIAN SHIT! You and your kind, goddamned piece of shit alien lovers, are all SCUM OF THE EARTH! Humanity would have been better off without those scum and their sli-URRK!"
Whatever he was about to say next was rather eloquently interrupted by Shepard's hand around his throat. "You listen to me!" Shepard grunted in a dangerously quiet voice, having crawled over to him. "I've had friends, FAMILY! Brothers and Sisters, bleed and DIE, for those so called 'alien scum'. I've had alien friends give up their lives! Just so that humanity might have a CHANCE of living! You will not disrespect their memories by telling the world just how much of a scumbag you really are." Any blind idiot and their mum could see that Shepard was one sneer away from snapping and going postal.
The man finally managed to choke out, through the pressure on his windpipe "They deserved it then." Apparently he couldn't see that.
Something snapped, deep inside Shepard. Tali, who had just caught her breath back from her fight, turned to see a sight she thought she would never see. John Shepard, losing it. All the anger, irritation and rage from the last 4 years due to racists, bigots and narrow-minded people who couldn't think beyond their own species or see the bigger picture came bursting forth like a dam filled to the brim with liquid rage had just burst forth, and a rage the likes of which God and The Devil themselves would behold in awe at swept over him. Shepard gave a bloodcurdling scream of pure rage. Using all the muscle required in the movement, then enhancing it greatly with his remaining cybernetics, he began pummelling the man's face. Blood spurted from the man's already broken nose.
"ARROGANT!" Shepard roared. The sound of bone audibly snapping was heard from the man's face.
"BIGOTED!" The veins on Shepard's hand started to glow orange.
"WORTHLESS!" Shepard's eyes were glowing red, the man having gone unconscious.
"SHIT-SPEWER!" At this point Tali had hauled him up on her shoulder, simultaneously holding him up and holding him back.
"Calm down Shepard! He's not worth it!" Tali desperately pleaded of him. Shepard was still berserking while straining against Tali.
"I HATE YOU!" he screamed. Tali finally managed to haul him away enough for him to calm down. His breathing started to slow, his eyes go from red back to their normal green. The veins on his hand and other various scars stopped glowing orange. After he calmed down, he seemingly collapsed in on himself, looking drained as if he had been awake for a week, as such anger will do to a man. He looked up at Tali's eyes, finding two silvery orbs of worry, with not a hint of anger or judgement in there. He opened his mouth to speak…
…And promptly collapsed, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. His already bleeding nose had suddenly exploded, like a water balloon of blood had popped in his sinuses. What terrified Tali even more were the two trails of blood coming from his ears.
Tali screamed for help, as well as pinging the Normandy crew with her Omni-tool.
…
SURPRISE MUTHAFUCKA!
*The sound of marching in the distance is accompanied by the ground quaking, with the distant rattle weapons clashing against shields, and the war chant of 'SURPRISE MUTHAFUCKA'*
Yeah, Yeah, missed you too (not). First of all I would like to pre-emptively address some concerns some people would have with this chapter.
First, the unrealistic idea of Shep winning a six-on-one while in crutches. Hello people, this is COMMANDER-MUTHAFUKIN'-SHEPARD, his BUISNESS CARD does not say 'Alliance Marine', it says 'Bad Motherfucker'. As in 'Samuel L Jackson'-level of Badassery. I rest my case.
Second, the unrealistic executions of some of the fight moves. I do not do self-defence classes, nor do I do and martial art that involves striking (I do Judo). I am simply doing what my imagination simulated a six-on-one-with-crutches fight would look like.
Third, the 'Battle Analysis'. Anyone who as ever played the Mass Effect games has used the 'time-stop' feature of the weapons and powers wheel in the game to asses a combat situation DON'T LIE OR LIAM NEESON WILL HUNT YOU DOWN! I simply tried to incorporate that in a realistic way. The man is an N7 Badass and a Spectre. And he hung with Mordin. Studies have shown that hanging around Mordin long enough increase brain power by a minimum of 20%. Scientifically proven. Fact.
Well, good to be back. I've said it once, I'll say it again. Read & Review please, or I'll kill this kitten (lol jk, really, don't worry, I love cats, but seriously, read and review, or Liam Neeson will find you and kill you.)
As always, I bid you all Good Day! *Doffs Non-existent hat*
-The Gentlemen Without a Hat