Wow. I'm way behind on this. I feel terrible not posting this sooner. I had it partially done but then it just fizzled and I couldn't think of anything to write for this chapter. Writers block and life I suppose. It doesn't help that I don't have a PS4 and Until Dawn. Had to rely on YouTube videos and chose a few scenes in the game because I don't want to give away spoilers for those who haven't played it. Well I hope this is good. I wish I could play the game myself but beggars can't be choosers I suppose.
Thanks to NightmareWalker for beta-ing this for me twice! The ending was an addition to lead into the upcoming chapters. Find out at the end which ones.
Caution! Some spoilers and of course, Jane's salty language (HA!)
Video Game Day at Maura's
Maura Plays: Until Dawn w/ Jane's commentary (Freak-outs)
It could be said that Doctor Maura Isles wasn't one to browse around on the internet unless it was for online shopping purposes and various research pertaining to Jane's pop culture references. It was also a source of music for the doctor to help broaden her musical horizons. Other than that, Maura only used the internet for her scientific research but one could say that it was fun to mindlessly browse around watching viral videos.
As of right now, Maura was using the internet to watch videos on YouTube. She had originally been searching a video on protozoan and micro-organisms that have all the capabilities of breaking down a large mammal carcass but that was two hours ago. Now, she had no idea how in the blue hell she had gotten to a trailer for a video game that made her spine tingle and hackles rise on the back of her neck. It was ominous but only explained the basis of the game. The things you chose, had an effect on what happened in the future; The Butterfly Effect. Instantly, Maura was intrigued. Once the trailer ended, Maura knew what she was going to do.
The medical examiner promptly shut her laptop down and headed upstairs to change. It took her an hour to get fully ready. Maura gazed at the large TV with Jane's Xbox One and PlayStation 3 with the games neatly stacked besides both game consoles. Of course, Maura wanted to do this. It had been a while since they played any games; after the kidnapping, after completing Tomb Raider. Jane wanted to catch up on the baseball season even though the Red Sox were not even going to make it to the postseason, rooting for the Super Bowl Champions, the New England Patriots, and watching DVR'ed Boston Bruin games on Maura's TV.
Maura could say that it wasn't easy after the kidnapping. She still had the occasional nightmares but it wasn't as severe or aggressive as it was, say, a week after the kidnapping or nearly a month after. It was work however, but Jane made it her mission after the medical examiner woke up one night screaming and crying; Jane had burst in, wide eyed, and gun drawn. Now, it wasn't as much as a daily nightmare but an occasional nightmare here and there. Half of the time, Maura would have a dreamless sleep but once in a while the nightmares would come back with a vengeance. However, Jane would be right there holding the blonde tight, warding off the nightmare and the dead kidnapper that still haunted her.
As of right now, Maura was glad for it to be back to somewhat normal. The woman missed their video game nights where she and Jane could just laugh about something ridiculous or get competitive about Madden, MLB, or use the games as an outlet for some anger. Maura thinned her lips grimly. That first night after they found Maura, Jane played Grand Theft Auto Online and would just sit on the couch, permanent glare on her face as she would use her GTA online character to kill random players online or run down pedestrians that got in the angry detective's way. The medical examiner knew that Jane was imagining the face of Maura's kidnapper on every GTA NPC and fellow online players. The detective felt that the death for the kidnapper was too light and easy. Jane wanted him to suffer but then again, Maura knew that Jane didn't want another Charles Hoyt on her hands.
It was difficult to see Jane so angry, so silent; mulling over the events leading up to Maura's kidnapping. It pained the medical examiner to see the homicide detective downright angry; so angry that it seemed like Jane was possessed by someone other than the woman she knew. It was like Jane was a shell of her former self some nights all because she believed Maura hated her for what happened.
The Medical examiner shook her head from her thoughts, realizing she was now sitting in her car. Maura had been doing that more often than not, getting so completely lost in her thoughts to a point where she'd do things on autopilot. She shook her head a second time, started up her car and drove off to the electronic store.
Few hours later
Maura pulled into her driveway, finally putting her car in park and turning it off. Jane had called her just as soon as Maura got back in her car while she was still at the mall. Jane did sound a little bit excited about the prospect of a new game to play and said she'd be over after she was done at the precinct. The medical examiner smiled a little; the detective was still hesitant about leaving Maura alone. Maura understood Jane's hesitance. Jane felt it was her fault Maura was kidnapped even though Maura insisted that it wasn't, and then she watched Jane retract into herself while playing that Tomb Raider Reboot. Maura would still remind Jane that it wasn't her fault Maura was kidnapped now and would until Jane believed her.
Maura headed inside with her brand new PlayStation 4 she bought just so she could play the game she found browsing around on YouTube called Until Dawn. She made a few trips back and forth to get all the things she bought and then finally headed upstairs to change into something comfortable before she headed back downstairs to hook up her brand new game console.
Jane parked her unmarked cruiser in Maura's driveway, sighing heavily. She had been living with Maura ever since the kidnapping and she wasn't in any hurry to leave. At first, she was there out of guilt. Jane wanted to keep her mother and Maura close. The kidnapper fucked with her head; making her think that he was going to go after the Rizzoli Matriarch but went for Jane's jugular by taking Maura.
Of course Angela wasn't going to complain about Jane being so close and Jane knew Maura wouldn't say no to the homicide detective. In some ways, the kidnapper had broken Jane down and nearly tortured Maura but brought them together more ways than one. They needed each other and neither was going to say a word about it. Jane wasn't going to lie; it was rather nice living with Maura. It also helped to wake up to the honey blonde medical examiner every morning and know she was there, lying beside Jane.
The brunette grabbed her things after parking and shutting off her cruiser and headed inside; kicking off her boots by the door and set them off out of the way. "I'm home!" Jane called out so Maura knew she was home.
"I'm in the living room, Jane." Maura responded. Jane sighed in relief before she proceeded to set her backpack down and shrugged off her jacket and headed into the living room. The woman found Maura sitting on the floor of her living room, surrounded by an empty box, Styrofoam pieces, plastic packaging, various wires and game controllers.
"Three game consoles are not enough? You had to go and buy a fourth?" Jane asked humorously as she approached the honey blonde reading the instructions.
Maura grinned playfully before turning to look at the detective. Jane took it as a hello before sitting down beside Maura. The medical examiner, leaning over, she kissed Jane as a greeting before turning back to her instruction booklet.
"As for your question, yes. I found a game I wanted to play that interested me." Maura said.
Jane raised her eyebrow in question, "What exactly is the game and how did you find out about it that warrants you to go and buy a PS4? Could you not find it for my Xbox One and 360?" Jane asked.
"I was watching videos on YouTube about protozoa and micro-organisms about breaking down a large dead mammal at first. I then watched something about The Big Bang Theory, then dinosaurs in the Triassic period. Somehow, it branched off to a man ranting about how inaccurate the Jurassic Park movies were; specifically the first movie Jurassic Park and the recent one, Jurassic World. Though I do agree on several key points he was making about how the dinosaurs in the movies do not look anatomically correct; the raptors not being feathered and such. I do disagree with him about not watching the movies. We are talking about humans genetically engineering dinosaurs out of extinction. That doctor, Doctor Wong in Jurassic World had said there were not enough genetic markers to complete it to its anatomically correct past. They had to use other DNA from animals closest to the specific dinosaur to fill the gap to compensate." Maura said now looking to Jane.
The detective chuckled. Of course her partner would burst into a long winded rant before getting to the point. She wasn't going to interrupt now.
"I found the movies highly inaccurate but they were entertaining. Jurassic Park was innovative and new considering the year the movie had come out. It made every childhood dream of dinosaurs come alive though scientific innovation, though it may not be a smart move in bringing back the carnivorous dinosaurs such as the Tyrannosaurs Rex or the raptors. It gave the world an interpretation of what dinosaurs could have looked like if they were brought back using modern science. The same could be said for the Indominus Rex in Jurassic World. It was created by several different species of animals from modern times. It was also mixed with Raptor DNA and perhaps maybe a few more dinosaurs to make the ultimate apex predator and antagonist in the movie." Maura continued as Jane looked on fondly at her partner.
"What?" Maura asked furrowing her brows in confusion at Jane.
"Nothin'. Just thought I'd ever see the day you'd defend one of my favorite movies of all time besides The Godfather part one and part two. What other videos did you watch on the land of YouTube? Videos of cats chasing laser pointers? Puppies learning to howl for the first time? Or were they videos of dumb-asses thinking they are Johnny Knoxville doing Jackass stunts?" The detective asked with a grin.
Maura chuckled, "I would never watch people thinking posting a video of them doing something stupid online for notoriety. You know me better than that. Anyway, after that Jurassic Park rant, I found myself watching trailers for new video games and found one that caught my eye." Maura said before she leaned back to produce the game.
Jane took the game that Maura handed her and looked at it in confusion, "What's it about?" Jane asked.
"Upon asking one of the gracious clerks in the video game department about Until Dawn, he said that it was a game about every horror movie cliche but there is something unique about the game. You have to choose what direction you want to go. Whatever decision you make will affect the future. Essentially they are using the butterfly effect." The honey blonde said getting excited.
Jane shook her head with an eye roll, "Of course you'd find that kind of thing fascinating. I mean I'm all for horror films and such but remember the last horror game we got?" Jane asked skeptically.
"Before you even ask, I asked the young man and he said this game was much better than Slender: The Arrival. There was more of a story-line to this game than there is with Slender. He also said he didn't want to spoil it for me so he just said for me to play it for myself and then come back to him after I finished the game for my thoughts." Maura said smiling.
"Good. It was your damn fault about that Slender game anyway. You were the one who bought it. If this game is anything like it, I'm not going to play it. It's already located in a fucking forest in the middle of winter. There are DEFCON level 7 alarm bells are going off in my head, telling me I shouldn't go near this damn game. It's like those damn Wrong Turn movies with those cannibals." Jane said with a tone of finality in her voice.
The medical examiner chuckled, "I won't force you to either. I did figure since you like horror films that you would enjoy this game." Maura said.
"I trust ya. Need help hooking it up to the TV?" Jane asked.
The honey blonde smiled sweetly, "If you would please?" She asked.
"Fine. Seriously woman, I think the only reason you let me live with you is so you can use me to fix up the place. First it was the sinks and now hooking up stuff to the TV. What's next? Fix your car? I mean I'm a decent mechanic but I don't think that Prius of yours has an engine. It's probably like a large battery that you have to replace every two to three months." Jane joked with a grin.
Maura just rolled her eyes before she gave the detective a chaste kiss on the lips to give Jane silent motivation and a promise for a reward, "Oh yes, that's the only reason I let you live here, Jane. I do keep you around for other things you know besides doing what you listed off." Maura replied sarcastically with coy smirk playing on her lips.
Jane moved with a renewed vigor, hooking up the new game console to the flat screen.
Once the PlayStation 4 was hooked up to the flat screen and the surround sound, both women were actually starving. Jane didn't have lunch while she was at the precinct; citing she wanted to get as much paper work done as she could and then leave the rest for Monday if she didn't have a case.
Maura on the other hand, wanted to eat something before she immersed herself into Until Dawn. Once again, if the game had a great story line, she would be sucked right in; not wanting to put the controller down until she made at to a point where she couldn't physically keep her eyes open. The medical examiner patted Jane on the cheek as a thank you which garnered a scowl from the woman. Maura grinned, eyes twinkling with mischief, knowing Jane was expecting a kiss for her hard work. Instead she received a pat on the cheek. The honey blonde knew that wasn't going to fly with the detective.
Jane pouted thoroughly; making sure Maura received the brunt of the puppy dog pout she was sporting. Jane Rizzoli had ways to make Maura crumble in seconds.
Maura sighed heavily, seeing the pout Jane was sporting, "You do know I hate it when you do that." Maura said.
Jane smirked victoriously, "Of course I do. I know that because you cannot resist it. No matter how hard you try." The detective said with a smirk.
The honey blonde sighed once more in resignation before she engulfed the taller woman in a bear hug. Maura could hear Jane's heart thudding beneath her ear against her rib cage. Jane wrapped her arms around the medical examiner and held tight.
"You do know that won't get you out of giving me a kiss right?" Jane asked.
Maura burst out into a fit of muffled giggles against her partner's chest.
Now that they had eaten, let Angela know they were in for the night and locked up the place; Maura and Jane were now sitting on the couch dressed in their sleep wear, with drinks and snacks to munch on.
Maura held the PS4 controller in her hand as she quickly created an online account before the entire system installed the upgrades and the necessary downloads. She had made sure that it was now connected to her secured Wi-Fi before she started playing.
"So far, on the main screen of a giant cabin in the woods in the middle of winter no less. Yeah, warning bells are going off in my head right now." The detective commented before taking a sip of her beer.
"We haven't even started the game yet. However, I will say this; the graphics on this system are exquisite." Maura said in awe.
Jane frowned, "You said the same thing about my Xbox when I first got it. I mean come on, what's the PS4 got that Xbox One doesn't have?" Jane asked.
"Until Dawn and your favorite MLB games?" Maura deadpanned raising an eyebrow in amusement.
Jane thinned her lips in distaste, "Well played. But still, Xbox is better." The detective said.
Maura kept her mouth shut. The clerk at the electronic store warned her about the infamous console wars between the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4; many loyal to Sony and others loyal to Microsoft. In the end, the Xbox One and PS4 were machines; so well developed to play video games. 'Mindless entertainment to keep one's self from remembering many things, wanting to delve into a world where one does not have to suffer the real world consequences, or others wanting an escape from their daily lives; A female archaeology grad student who becomes one of the world's notable video game sex symbols, a space marine commander with a rag and tag crew of aliens by their side saving the galaxy from sentient machines called Reapers, a Greek demi-god hell bent on vengeance for his family that slaughters the entire Greek Pantheon without batting an eyelash, a reckless young man during the Crusades who finds himself in the middle of a war between Assassins and Templars. Who wouldn't want to be them for a few hours?' Maura thought to herself.
Jane took another sip of her beer as Maura stayed on the opening screen not selecting anything right at the moment. She had to snap her fingers so Maura would snap out of whatever it was she was thinking about.
"You were kinda staring off into space." Jane said chuckling.
Maura half smiled, "Apologies, Jane. I was just thinking about something. Nothing important for you to worry about." The woman said smiling.
The two women sat down, booting up the game. It took them right into a very large wooden cabin about the size of a mansion in the forest. It was snowing. Maura sighed contently before the game truly started to kick in.
The medical examiner controlled a girl; a name she didn't know quite yet until she started pressing some buttons that brought up a character screen.
"Beth Washington. Hmm. Ok…so apparently she's important." Jane commented.
Maura shrugged, "Perhaps she is. We will have to wait and see, Jane." The honey blonde responded.
Jane wrinkled her nose, "I'm getting a Friday the 13th vibe or whatever. A group of teenagers getting drunk at a party; someone gets pissed, upset or suddenly decides to go for a walk out in the blizzard and then suddenly as soon as they go outside to go for a 'smoke' by a tree…WHAM! The head of the teenager is suddenly removed from the body by some machete wielding mama's boy wearing a hockey mask." Jane said rolling her eyes.
"Must you take the fun out of everything?" Maura asked dryly.
The detective snorted in amusement, "No. I'm just saying that it's not anything new. You should play you know." Jane said with a snicker pointing towards the flat screen.
The medical examiner rolled her eyes and proceeded to navigate her way around with Beth Washington. She picked up a paper and read it. The character said something to one of the passed out boys at the bar about their sister. The screen then shifted to a blonde character, Sam. Sam's character was looking for another character, Hannah. Hannah happened to be the twin sister of Beth Washington and best friends with Sam. The scene shifted to a group of teenagers hiding in random places in a bedroom while the typical jock stood in the middle of the room waiting on the geeky girl, Hannah.
"Great…knew it. This is also typical too. Geeky girl falls for the jock who tricks her to blackmail her because his girlfriend wants to mark her territory." Jane commented
"Would you stop being so cynical and just watch?" The medical examiner asked raising her eyebrow.
The brunette snickered before she held up her hands in defense as if saying she'll stop.
Maura soldiered on playing. She felt angry as the group of teenagers popped out of their hiding spots, making Hannah run out of the room just as Sam burst into the room to stop them. It led to Hannah running outside and then the scene switched to Beth. It popped up to two choices; To wake up Josh or go see what the commotion was.
"Jane? Which choice?" Maura asked.
The detective cast a sideways glance at her partner, "I don't know. You are playing. Do what you feel is right. I'm just here for moral support." Jane said.
Maura took a deep breath and then chose to go see what the commotion was. Beth met up with the group of characters and found out that Hannah had taken off outside all because of the group except for Sam were involved with some elaborate prank to blackmail Hannah. The medical examiner frowned angrily. They weren't even out of the prologue and she was already angry at the group of characters, save for a few.
"I hope every one of them except for Sam dies." Jane commented shaking her head.
"Teenagers can be cruel." Maura said shaking her head sadly.
Jane hummed in agreement as she watched Maura control one of the characters, pressing buttons that popped up, taking the best logical choices that she could make. If any of those kids that pulled the prank on Hannah were her kids, she'd give them such an ass whooping.
"Oh Jane! Look a totem." Maura said nudging the detective.
"Well look at it." The brunette said taking a sip of her beer.
The screen suddenly flashed; Hannah and Beth Washington rolling down a hill; one of them landing spine first on a rock; ultimately killing that one sister while the other stared open eyed at the screen.
"What the fuck just happened?" Jane asked with wide eyes.
"I—I have no idea." Maura commented perturbed but shook it off. She continued using Beth until she got to a scene where she found Hannah.
"Ok, now get back to the cabin. Shit is gonna go down. I just know it." Jane said to Maura.
"I'm trying. Maybe you cannot go back to the cabin." Maura said, suddenly filling with dread. It had been only twenty minutes into the game and she was starting to sympathize with some characters and hating others as well as feeling something was off about what was next to come.
A loud screech rippled through the surround sound speakers, "Jesus H. What the fuck?! Seriously what the fuck was that sound? A fuckin' werewolf or some shit?" Jane asked slightly taken back from the sound. She found the remote and the surround sound down a little bit so she wouldn't have to resort to pulling her gun whenever that thing that screeched was.
"I am not sure." Maura said as the game made Hannah and Beth running through a path to an edge of a cliff. They suddenly fell over the side.
"Holy shit! What the fuck?! They are dead. There is no way!" Jane half shouted.
The honey blonde was waiting for the inevitable. Now she got what the totem showed her and Jane. "I think I know what's going to happen. That totem that showed us a scene, it's going to show them dying." Maura said gravely.
"Well this is great. A game that shows you the characters dying before it happens. Lovely. What's next? The game is going to tell me Al Pacino is my long lost great-uncle." Jane muttered.
Flames roared on the TV screen as well as some monstrous screech filled the air and then died before a figure leaned over the side holding his hand out to the girls. Beth couldn't keep a hold on her sister, Hannah. Two choices suddenly came up; Drop Hannah and reach for the hand or let go.
"Jane, I can't! I can't drop her!" Maura half shouted, distressed.
The homicide detective grimaced, "Either way, you have to choose. I suppose this game isn't subjected to those who have a moral code…What the hell kind of game did you buy?" Jane asked as she watched Maura choose to let go of the branch. Both girls fell; hitting the side of the hill screaming and then suddenly went quiet. Beth slammed back first; back bowing and breaking her spine on a large bolder until she rolled off it while Hannah landed right beside her dead sister; both sisters, dead. Shortly after that death scene of Hannah and Beth Washington, the beginning credits kicked in.
"Seriously, what kind of game did you buy, Maura?" Jane asked raising her eyebrow at her partner.
"Apparently I didn't do enough research that it would affect my moral compass and make me choose the best of decisions given the situation. I was not expecting that to happen." Maura said shaking her head.
The homicide detective chuckled, "Do you like it so far?" Jane asked.
Maura shrugged, "We will have to wait and see." Maura said with a chuckle.
Days later
"Are you serious?! What the fuck was that thing?! This is exactly the fucking reason why we will never ever go camping! Ever! What the fuck are those exactly, Maura?!" Jane half shouted in alarm pointing at the flat screen.
Maura clenched the controller tighter in her hands as the creature passed over Jessica who was hiding behind the wooded wall in the cave. She already learned when she first started playing this game holding the controller as still as possible on certain parts. She couldn't afford to make the slightest movements or else the creature would kill Jessica.
"SERIOUSLY! WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!" Jane shouted when the creature snarled viciously once more on the TV screen.
"That creature? It's Hannah. Remember the tattoo on her arm at the beginning of the game and the clues I found in Hannah's room at the cottage when I was controlling Sam? That creature is Hannah. The logical explanation that would turn someone into such a creature would be something of Native American folklore. Since we are dealing with Native American totems and the meanings about them, it makes sense. My Native American folk lore is not up to par with the rest of my ancient history as of late so I am not sure what type of creature we are dealing with." Maura said making the connections once she saw the tattoo on the creature's arm.
"Still! What the fu…wait? That thing is Hannah?! How is it her considering we watched the twins die in the beginning?" Jane questioned.
Maura nodded, "It would seem so. It makes sense." The honey blonde replied.
Jane still shuddered when the creature growled once more before walking off, "The creators of the game couldn't you know, make the creature look and act like a werewolf instead of this hideous creature that wants to chew your god damned face off?" Jane asked.
Maura bit back a chuckle as she navigated her way through the cave before the creature roared again and then jumped from wherever to the wall.
The medical examiner quickly picked up the pace and made Jessica run through a wooden wall to get back outside. The character hid letting the creature go by safely.
"You know when I said we would never go camping, Maura?" Jane asked as the scene changed.
Maura turned to look at the brunette sitting beside her, "Yes." Maura said.
"Well this seals it. We are never going camping ever. First the incestuous cannibals, then Slender man and now this…whatever the fuck it is! I'm sleeping with my gun under my pillow from now on. If you feel cold steel under my pillow while trying to hold my hand, it's my gun." Jane said with finality.
"Jane, we have discussed this. Your gun goes in the locked drawer like always." Maura said.
The detective turned her head and pointed at Maura, "It's staying under my pillow. End of argument." Jane said before she got up leaving Maura to play her tripped-out-creature-hunting-teenagers-in-the-woods-that-deserve-it-game.
Week Later (After a case)
Maura didn't know how it happened. She thought she did everything right. She had chosen the best and safest possible decisions she could think of or rather what her moral compass made her choose. Now, she sits on the couch; slack-jawed as the controller hang loosely in her hands. Jane sat beside her digging into a slice of pizza.
"Jane…I chose every possible logical and good choice and they all died. They all died even Sam because I supposedly didn't hold the controller steady when she was hiding from the hordes of wendigos!" Maura said not knowing whether to cry or throw her controller.
Jane snorted in amusement. Leave it to Maura to get emotionally invested in a video game with a good story like this.
"It's only a game, Maur." Jane said amused.
The honey blonde turned her head, eyes widened, blazing in anger. "Jane! They. All. Died! What—what kind of a person am I? I allowed a group of teenagers to—to die!" The medical examiner half shouted.
The detective set down her slice of pizza on a paper plate and smiled, "Well then…I'm sure on your second play-through, you'll know not to do what you did the first time. It's only a game." Jane said with chuckle.
Maura sat back and folded her arms across her chest, "Then explain something to me, Jane! Why do you get so emotionally invested when playing your games? I catch you yelling at Frankie and Tommy online when they do something that annoys you. You then promptly…rage as the gamer community calls it." The medical examiner said raising a questioning eyebrow.
Jane opened her mouth but then promptly shut it. "Touché." Jane muttered with a scowl.
Jane decided that it would be a good idea to go back with Maura to the Best Buy store her partner bought the PS4 and Until Dawn at. Maura wanted to talk to the cashier or whatever dude who recommended the game to her when she bought it. The detective browsed through the games and such and even looked at some new things for her Xbox One. Maura had been invested in the Until Dawn ending and it even caused the medical examiner to be lost in thought a few hours practically contemplating her PHDs and good things she's done in her life.
Jane had quickly made sure the medical examiner stopped second guessing herself because a game. Well to be honest, Jane thought it was utterly adorable and hilarious that Maura would get invested with a video game with a great story-line.
The detective approached her partner as Maura was in a deep discussion with the same cashier who looked amused; some kid in his early twenties who was knowledgeable about video games and such. The kid seemed like a good sort though. They were talking about their experiences in the game and such before Jane was looking at games and found one that seemed to stand out to her.
Jane picked up the case that read the Mass Effect Trilogy. She didn't know if it worked for her Xbox One but she'd ask.
"Hey, do these games work for Xbox One?" Jane asked holding the case up.
"I think the first Mass Effect is the only one that I know of so far. They only have one hundred games so far with the backwards compatibility for the Xbox 360 games." He said tapping his chin in thought.
"Hmm. Well it's a good thing I still have my 360 then." Jane said with a chuckle.
"Oh! If you are going to get the Mass Effect games, I recommend getting a bunch of those gift cards to get the DLC packs. They make the entire experience of Mass Effect worth it. I also won't spoil it for you either. I've already played the trilogy and the DLCs for the respective games." He said grinning.
"Are they integral to the story line and plot?" Maura asked curiously.
The young man nodded, "Yup! Especially one in Mass Effect 2. It's called the Lair of the Shadow Broker. I was a little mad that they didn't have it in the game and that I had to pay ten frickin' dollahs just to continue on a relationship with my love interest at the time in the game." He said with a frown.
Jane snorted, "Ten bucks? The hell is that shit? That's stupid." She said.
The clerk shrugged, "I know but it's worth it though. Weapons packs and alternate costumes come in handy though. Some of the guns are awesome. Even on the third one. I will tell you right now, play the Multiplayer too on Mass Effect 3. It helps out tremendously." He said.
Jane nodded before she grabbed two Xbox 360 gift cards worth fifty dollars to put on her 360 gamer tag account so she could get all the DLC for the three games.
Maura eyed her love curiously, "What?" Jane asked completely oblivious to Maura's inquisitive look.
"Seems I will lose you to the games if it is a good game." Maura teased.
The homicide detective rolled her eyes with a grin, "Hey kid, what's your name?" Jane asked looking to the clerk.
"Charlie." He said introducing himself as he and Jane shook hands.
"Jane. When I beat each game Chuck, I'll come back and we can talk about it. One question though, will these games put me through the ringer emotionally?" Jane asked.
Charlie shrugged, "I don't want to spoil it, Jane. It just depends on your decisions you make in the game." He said smiling sympathetically.
"Great, Another moral compass game." Jane said with a frown.
The young man laughed, "Not as an extent to Until Dawn and you don't have wendigos and a mentally deteriorating guy chasing you around but you do have options to take what direction you want to take your Commander Shepard with. You can go the Paragon route or the Renegade route. Both are fun but…Renegade for life!" Charlie said grinning.
The two women chuckled, "You are a good kid, Chuck If this game is as good as you say, I might have to send you a gift basket." Jane said laughing.
"Eh…liquor store gift cards and Red Sox tickets would be just fine, ma'am." He said laughing.
Jane nearly doubled over laughing so hard in the store and Maura just shook her head with a slight smile.
"Definitely coming back to get more games from this place if you hang around, kid. What other games do you recommend?" Jane asked curiously.
The young man thought about it before grinning, "Have you heard of Saints Row?"
There it is! Finally. Sorry, I haven't posted it. NightmareWalker said it was better to take all the time to write it out than putting out a crappy chapter so I took time and made sure it was a better chapter than what I had originally wrote out. So I do apologize once again that it took so damn long.
Well, seeing as I put two games in the ending, I'm going to write chapters for those games. I recently played the Mass Effect Trilogy that I borrowed from a friend and I haven't put the game down since. Safe to say that Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 will be written and Saints Row will be written eventually. I'm even considering Rise of the Tomb Raider too! Haven't played it yet but NightmareWalker said it was a great game.
Up next - Mass Effect