That took for-freaking-ever! I am now convinced that I am horrible at writing simple stuff. Elaborate conspiracies and combat sequences, sure. Quiet moments? Not so much. Go easy on me.
Yes, people. That was Destiny in the last chapter. Whether or not it's developed enough for me to actually use in the third installment is another matter. If Bungie can give me something to work with (and if Activision will let them), then we'll see…
Anyway, I'm glad for the positive response. Last chapter was a lot of development, but not much destruction. This chapter… Well to be honest, this chapter was SUPPOSED to be a healthy mix of both, and that's why it ended up taking so long. I apologize in advance though because it was all for naught. After weeks of frustration, I finally gave up on combat because it felt too forced. Now we have this instead. A chapter is half about Alex and Liara's reunion and the other half is pure filler.
It's not terrible in my opinion. I promise, the next few chapters after this one are all kicking ass and taking names. Samara recruitment, then Thane recruitment, and then off to the Collector ship! Yes, I'm not doing Miranda's loyalty mission quite yet. You'll eventually see why. So yeah, that's the plan. We'll see how it goes, but first, responses to guest reviews!
To guest reviewer Zack: Sounds good, lol. I might take you up on that offer, "new" friend.
Guest reviewer "Eye of Sauron" asked if the Chief, Prophet/Alcatraz, and Samus have their own fraternity as power-armor wearing Supernovas. The answer is that they don't, but they do share a great deal of understanding and respect for each other due to this similarity. They work well together on certain jobs that I have yet to mention. Very, very well. And when the Reapers come, it will happen again. Oh yes...
I think that covers it all. If not, I apologize sincerely for making you wait a month and then not answering your question regardless.
Summary: The long-awaited reunion of Alex and Liara is here. Meanwhile, everyone has fun in Nos Astra before meeting up at the bar for copious amounts of alcohol.
Spoilers: Usual plus some references.
Disclaimer: Even with Illium relaxed trade laws, I couldn't get copyright. So sad…
Shadow of a Doubt
Illium: Nos Astra
Trade Center
Aside from getting shot, stabbed, or blown up, nothing had ever left Alex Mercer feeling "breathless". Crap like that was reserved for hormonal teenagers, not an immortal apex predator such as himself.
This opinion changed drastically when he barged past Liara's assistant and opened the door to her office. The virus froze in place, awestruck at the sight before him. Facing away from the door, Liara T'Soni was too busy threatening her client to even hear Alex enter the room. She was no cowering archaeologist anymore. If anything, the client was the one cowering. While Liara's form-fitting dress might have shown off her curves, it also showed the toned muscle lying just beneath most of those curves. She was elegant, graceful but powerful too, like a leopard or a lioness. And when she finally spoke…
"Have you faced an asari commando unit before?" Liara asked in an icy monotone. "Few humans have."
Alex's eyes shot open in surprise. She was channeling her mother's words. More than that, she was enhancing it. Liara was free of indoctrination, so she still had her own mind, her own emotions, which vastly increased the intimidation factor of her calmly-delivered threat.
Liara wasn't done though. Giving a cursory look at the datapad in her hand, she threatened the man again. "I'll make this simple: Either you give me what I want, or I flay you alive. With my mind."
"She's become a huntress," Alex whispered to himself, captivated by the display. Shaking his head bemusedly, the virus decided now was a good time to announce his presence. "I thought the 'flaying alive' was supposed to be my department, Blue?"
At the sound of a voice she hadn't heard in two years, Liara's client became insignificant. Hanging up, she spun around and gasped. "Alex!"
There was no tearful reunion, no frenzied rush into his arms. Instead Liara approached him slowly, as if he'd disappear if she moved too fast. The Blacklight runner had a distinct feeling that she'd had a few dreams, or nightmares, where he'd done exactly that. She was smiling though, so he took that as a good sign.
When they were less than a foot apart (and Alex had no idea when he'd started walking towards her), Liara looked over his shoulder at her assistant. "Nyxeris, hold my calls." The asari politely bowed and stepped out of the room.
Cole coughed awkwardly. "I'll, uh, just go catch up with Gianna Parasini. She still owes me a drink after all. Before leaving, he gave Alex a not-so-subtle hint not to do anything stupid.
The second the door closed, an awkward silence filled the air. Alex was about to break it in typical blunt fashion, but Liara beat him to the punch…
"I need your help," Liara said, backing away. She suddenly wouldn't even meet his gaze.
Relationships were still an alien concept to Alex (pun intended), but he was pretty sure they didn't go like this. "That's it?" he asked. "No 'how are you'? No 'good to see you after two years'?" He sighed. "What did I do now?"
"It's not about what you did," Liara replied tersely. "It's about what you can do now that you're here again. And besides, this is Illium. I'd rather not discuss personal matters in a room full of 'legitimate' surveillance bugs."
Alex remained stoic as the asari explained how she needed him to hack a few terminals. It was like playing errand boy for Karen Parker all over again, except Karen was trying to get him killed. Liara might not want him dead, but she certainly didn't seem to want him in her life either. At least not her personal life.
And the virus knew why. She was hunting the Shadow Broker at the exclusion of all else. Revenge was her sole reason for existence, and it was his fault. Naturally, this only made Alex feel worse about the whole situation.
"You know what, fine!" Alex suddenly yelled, interrupting Liara's instructions. "I'll hack the fucking terminals, but only because I know you'll try something stupid if I don't help." He glared at the asari he thought he knew. "Looks like I taught you how to hunt a bit too well." Alex was halfway out the door when a small biotic warp connected with the back of his head. He spun around in fury to see Liara wreathed in dark energy and just as angry as he was.
Locking the door for privacy, Liara ignored her own advice about the surveillance bugs in her office and let Alex have it. "Or maybe you didn't teach me well enough! If you had, then I'd have rescued Feron long ago! Instead you were getting cozy with Cerberus for two years and left me to chase the Broker on my own!"
"I owed Ryan!" Alex shouted. "When the first Normandy was attacked by Collectors, he died saving my ass! That should have been me in space, but it wasn't. So yeah, I stayed with Cerberus to help Eleanor! You know that, you were there!"
"I know that Feron saved us both on Alchera," Liara retorted. "And you haven't done a thing for him! Don't say that it's 'different' either, because it's not. He's betrayed us and lied to us as many times as Ryan!"
"Liara T'Soni!" Alex roared. "Choose. Your words. Carefully." She was getting a bit too close to the Solara Secret for his comfort. Even in the heat of their argument, he wasn't letting that slide. After waiting a moment for the threat to sink in, the virus growled. "You could have asked for my help whenever you needed it. Why the fuck did you wait until I was here on Illium? Why not, I don't know, anytime in the past two years!?"
"I did ask for help!" Liara cried, throwing another biotic warp at Alex in a fit of rage. "I asked over, and over, and over again. Not once did you respond to my messages! Don't try and put the blame on me, Alexander J. Mercer!" They were at full names now, apparently.
Alex was halfway done shifting to his claws when he finally processed what the former archaeologist had said. "What messages?"
Liara's anger instantly gave way to confusion. "I tried contacting you dozens of times in the past two years. When I heard about Horizon, I even tried to call. I never got a reply. Not from you, not from Cole, not from…" she frowned. "Not from anyone."
"Same here," the virus said slowly. "I sent you twenty-four messages and called you eight times." A ghost of a smirk appeared on his face. "I even tried on an unencrypted channel once, just to get Cerberus' attention and see if they were the ones blocking me. They said it wasn't them, and for once, I might actually believe the bastards."
The asari practically dove to her terminal, searching for any messages from Alex Mercer, the other Supernovas, or the Normandy crew in general. "If it wasn't Cerberus, then it would have to be on my end."
A manual diagnostic confirmed their suspicions: comm. forwarding. Basically, someone had rigged Liara's extranet access to reroute all incoming and outgoing communications with the Normandy and her crew, alienating her from her closest friends, especially Alex. It didn't interfere with anyone else she tried to contact, just the people that mattered the most. Liara had been left alone and in the dark, only hearing the whispers that the Shadow Broker wanted her to hear. No wonder she was acting so cold.
"By the goddess," Liara said quietly as the pieces fell together. "The Broker was sabotaging me." She looked up at Alex. "Sabotaging us."
Looking over his shoulder, Alex growled. He was pissed now, which meant someone was gonna die. He wasn't overly picky as to who, but he had a damn good idea of where to start. "I'll be right back…"
Illium: Nos Astra
Outside Liara's Office
The asari known as "Nyxeris" was hard at work. Not for T'Soni, but for her real boss. That pureblood bitch never should've taken on the Shadow Broker. Even with her freaky mutant boyfriend, she was out of her league.
Such arrogant thoughts came to a dead halt when the office door opened. Nyxeris looked up, but no one was there. This instantly set off warning bells. Most people would say she was being overly paranoid, but "Nyxeris" wasn't most people. She was the Observer, and she knew when something was off. Slowly, cautiously, the asari reached for a concealed firearm. After all, Alex Mercer was still nearby.
"Liar."
The hiss came from directly behind her, but again, when Nyxeris looked, nobody was there. Oh, goddess! Her eyes widened. Alex Mercer!
"Over here."
The monster was in her mind. Where else could it be when every time she turned towards a noise, it wasn't there?! Suddenly, four scythe-like claws wrapped around her head. They didn't break skin, but if she so much as twitched, her skull would be split. And if he twitched…
Twitch he did, cutting her head into four equal pieces. The memories of Nyxeris, aka The Observer, were now his own.
Web of Intrigue
Node 525: The Observer
Observer: Secure communication established, Shadow Broker. What can I do for you?
Distorted Voice (Presumed Shadow Broker): The anomalies are en route to Illium.
Observer: Shall I eliminate T'Soni before they arrive?
Voice: I did not commission you to eliminate, Observer. Dr. T'Soni pursues me, but she is not a threat, nor are they. Continue monitoring her network and leaking its information to me. Shadow Broker, out.
End of Node 525
The information he gathered was minimal. Apparently, after the Master Chief implicated the Shadow Broker in orchestrating BLOODHOUND, the Broker doubled his compartmentalization policies. It was a way to cover his ass in the event this very situation occurred. Alex can't use information if his consumed victims don't have it.
What he did gather was incredibly useful though. The Observer's files were now Alex's, and he in turn, gave them to Liara. She was already going through them, though as she did so, an awkward silence filled her office again. And like the first time, Liara was the one to break it.
"Thank you Alex," she said wearily. The asari was tired, not from any lingering anger, but rather the stress of endlessly chasing ghosts.
The virus grinned cockily. "Oh no. You ain't getting off that easy."
Liara looked up from her work and frowned. "W-what?"
"I'm not the 'forgive and forget' type, Blue," he said, walking slowly towards her. "You said some pretty 'hurtful' things to me." The sociopath didn't look hurt in the slightest as he came closer and closer. "I'm starting to think you're letting this quest for revenge consume you."
"I…" Liara stammered. It was getting hard to think with him so close. "What gives you, of all people, the right to judge? You know revenge better than anyone!"
Alex smirked down at Liara, now standing less than a foot away. "Guilty, but I've got a bit of an edge. I don't need to eat, drink, sleep, or even breathe. No stress, just inexhaustible rage. Meanwhile you need all those things, but you're burning the candle at both ends, working too much and sleeping too little." Liara was about to object again, but he held up a hand. "Prothean sight, remember? I can see the fatigue beneath your new huntress persona – which, by the way, looks very good on you."
Liara blushed and pouted like a small child who didn't want to admit she was wrong. "What choice do I have, Alex? I have to stop the Broker for what he's done!"
The smirk on Alex's face grew wider. "Listen to yourself, Blue. You've become obsessed. You need to take a step back and…" he frowned now. "When was the last time you took a break?"
"I'm too busy for-"
"Liara, if you haven't found him in two years, do you really think the next two hours will be all that different?" Without warning, Alex picked Liara up and carefully threw her over his shoulder. "Like I said, you need to step back and take a break, at least for a little while. Sometimes clearing your head lets you focus better when you return to work."
"Alex Mercer! Put me down!" Liara shouted, hitting him in the back with comical futility.
The ultimate predator chuckled, and started walking out of the office. Once they were outside, he broke into a sprint. "You showed me peace through your eyes once. Let me show you freedom through mine."
Liara paled in realization. "What?! Alex, are you insane?!"
Alex grinned manically. "Most likely." And then in broad daylight, he jumped off the building with Liara in his arms. But she didn't remain in his arms for long before the virus just let go, giving her a real reason to scream.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Smirking as he glided above, Alex let the asari spend another five seconds in freefall before diving down after her. He closed the gap quickly and pulled her close to him. It was faint, but Liara saw the look in his eyes that made it clear he would never have let her fall for real. The only question was: now what?
Alex's grip was gentle but firm as he positioned the falling maiden onto his back. "Hold on!" he growled.
Like she needed to be told twice. Liara wrapped her arms around the virus' neck and crossed her legs over his stomach, literally hanging on for dear life. The moment she was stable, Alex shifted his biomass to slow their descent before leveling out into a glide. Liara might not have been his first "passenger" while falling through the air, but she was the first one he didn't intend to kill, so he was avoiding any sudden changes in momentum. He glided towards another nearby skyscraper before running into it feet first and running up the side. Liara was still screaming, and her death grip on his neck would have probably killed a lesser being.
"Alex, this isn't funny!" the asari cried. "I think I'm going to be sick!" That usually worked, didn't it?
Not in this case. Slowing his ascent after nearly reaching the top, Alex crouched low to the wall and jumped off the side, sending them plummeting again. This time he didn't let her go. He introduced her to the extreme sport known as skydiving: Supernova Edition. As she held onto his back, Alex spun them, flipped them, and even air dashed just to get more of a reaction. When they began to fall to too low an altitude, he would glide to a building, run up the side and repeat the process with entirely different maneuvers.
And somewhere along the way, Liara's terrified screams became shouts of joy and delight. The rush of adrenaline was incredible. The view of Illium was spectacular. The freedom of falling and flying was…
Her breath hitched. That's exactly what it was. Freedom. Alex Mercer wasn't bound by society. He wasn't bound by mortality. He wasn't bound by gravity. He was free from the laws of nature and civilization alike, complying to a set of laws all his own instead. And here among the skyscrapers, Alex was sharing just a small fraction of that freedom with Liara as best as he could. The meld had joined them on a transcendental level, but this moment was the closest she would ever truly get to seeing the world through Alex's eyes. That he would share something so personal, so intimate, with her after the way she'd treated him back at her office. She was already flying, but now she felt like she was soaring, and she urged Alex to go faster.
He complied, but like all good things, their fun eventually came to an end. Stopping on the roof of a building at least a mile from where they started, Alex finally put Liara down. He didn't say anything, and she was too out of breath to speak. A lot probably needed to be said, but for now, they just watched the Illium sunset in tranquil silence.
Silence, and blissful peace.
Illium: Nos Astra
Eternity Bar and Nightclub
"Something on your mind?" Eleanor asked.
Matriarch Aethyta smiled and shook her head. "Nothing at all, hon. Now can I get you and your friends another round?" There would be time to dwell on Nezzy's kid later. Right now she was on the clock. Besides, this Eleanor girl was supposed to be good at picking everyone's brains. She'd already done it with the other people at the table before they got drunk.
Yes, others. Jack, Garrus, Jacob, and Zaeed weren't friends by any stretch of the imagination. They didn't actively want each other dead, but they didn't trust each other either. That said, they all distrusted the Illusive Man even more, Jacob included, and happily drank to this common ground. Jack wanted to go her own way regardless, but Eleanor "requested" that she join the rest of them. Also, once they got over the initial surprise of an asari matriarch serving drinks, their bartender was pretty awesome too.
Currently, everyone had a decent buzz going, except for Eleanor. Unlike Ryan who needed an absurd amount of alcohol to feel the effects, the Big Sister simply couldn't get inebriated. That didn't stop Jack from trying though. The convict kept buying her more and more drinks and putting it on Cerberus' tab, gleefully hoping that the most powerful woman in the known universe was an angry drunk. It didn't work, obviously, sealing Eleanor's fate as the "designated driver" when the fun was over.
In short, things were going well, and that probably should have been the squad's first clue that trouble was coming. This time trouble came in the form of a trio of cops, two asari and a turian. They had matched Jack to her electronic wanted posters and were here to arrest the convict. More accurately, they were here to try and arrest her, in which case Jack would resist quite violently, and the cops would most likely die. Then every LEO on Illium would be after the squad, and they'd have nowhere to run with the Normandy in dry-dock.
At times like this, they were glad to have a Spectre – or two – in their pocket…
Illium: Nos Astra
Trade Center
After helping Gianna Parasini wrap up another white collar crime, Cole was sitting with the Noveria Internal Affairs agent, talking and collecting on that beer she owed him. Their conversation was cut short however when the omni-tool Tali had given him went off. He was more surprised that it still worked than by the contents of the message.
"Dammit," he groaned. "I gotta go stop Nos Astra PD from arresting one of my friends." Calling Jack his "friend" might be a bit of a stretch, but the same could be said for Nix and all the other batshit crazy women he'd met, both before and after he'd become a Supernova. She was psychotic, but she wasn't actively trying to kill him or ruin his life – yet. Based on his extremely limited knowledge of women, that more or less classified her as a friend.
Parasini feigned hurt. "Duty calls, huh?" She stood up with Cole and looked at him for a moment with a thoughtful expression. Smiling impishly, Parasini shrugged. "Ah, hell with it."
And she kissed Cole MacGrath on the cheek.
Her impish smile was still there as she walked away. "Much better than an autograph."
Kasumi dropped her cloak and grinned playfully at Cole beneath her hood. "Hey, didn't I introduce myself as a fan when we first met on the Citadel? Why don't I get an 'autograph' too?"
Cole blushed and wiped the lipstick off his face. "Hey, she kissed me. You saw it. Besides, it was just on the cheek."
The thief gave a small half-shrug. "Still counts."
"Still counts for what?" the conduit asked with a frown.
Kasumi smirked and shook her head. "Nothing. Just saying." While Cole was struggling to find the logic in her words, the master thief brushed by him in the opposite direction from the bar. "I've got some business of my own to deal with, so I'll catch up with you later, Sparky. Have fun with Jack and the cops." With that, she engaged her cloak and walked off for parts unknown. The Prime Conduit was too flustered to even think about stopping her, even though he knew that was what she wanted.
"Screw the Reapers," Cole sighed, double-timing it to the bar. "Women are beyond my comprehension."
Illium: Nos Astra
Eternity Bar and Nightclub
Jack was seconds away from tearing the cops apart when Cole arrived. Stomping through the automated door, he pushed the officers away from the buzz-cut convict. "Back off! Special Tactics and Recon. Jackie's with me."
"Don't call me Jackie," Jack muttered under her breath. It was so fucking irritating. His excuse was that "Jack" was Ryan's first name and Cole used it to piss him off. That made no sense though because it pissed Jack off to be called "Jackie" even more!
"Sir," one of the asari said, "this woman is-"
"I know who she is," Cole interrupted. He looked at Jack with a smirk. "And I don't care."
"This is the Terminus Systems," the other asari hissed. "You think that shiny Spectre badge will protect you out here?"
Cole grinned and raised his right hand, arcing lightning between his fingers. "Yeah, I kinda do."
A tense standoff ensued as the cops and the conduit stared each other down. Inevitably, the cops gave in first. "We'll be watching her," the turian cop warned as they left, "and you."
"Assholes," Cole muttered as they left. Sitting down with the squad, he ordered a beer. "So I figured I'd get wasted today and search for the justicar tomorrow. Chief's joining me. Anyone want in?"
"Hell yeah," Zaeed barked. "In case you forgot, I'm a bounty hunter. I get paid to track people down."
Jacob snorted. "That's just your excuse to charge extra for every recruitment mission."
Cole shrugged. "Ain't my money, so why not? Anyone else, or do you plan to spend tomorrow nursing hangovers?"
Jack knocked back her shot and slammed the glass down on the table. "Overcharged biotic amp, MacGrath. I don't get hangovers. If you're looking for some asari super-biotic, I want in."
The conduit chuckled. "What, you're not afraid we'll replace you with a thousand-year-old asari are you?"
"Do you want my fucking help or not?!" the convict yelled. Cole raised his hands in surrender, and Jack sighed. "Besides, my face is already on wanted posters all over the city. Easier if I stick with you because then I don't have to kill people and you don't have to be a pussy about me killing people."
Cole laughed out loud. "I can't argue with that logic, and I'm not sure I want to."
Eleanor bumped her shoulder against Garrus. "Why so quiet, Garrus? You don't want to see the ultimate asari dispensers of justice?" Everyone laughed a bit at that, even Jack.
"Think I'll pass," the turian sighed. "The last thing I need is another damn reminder of how I failed as a vigilante."
The Big Sister pouted childishly. "Just for that, I'm taking you with me when I go looking for that drell assassin." She grinned wickedly. "You, me, Alex Mercer," she paused for dramatic effect, "and Miranda Lawson."
Jacob sighed. "That… is a horrible idea."
Garrus couldn't help but laugh this time. "Isn't that why we're in a bar, Agent Taylor? Horrible ideas?"
Finishing the last of his beer, the Prime Conduit stood up. "I'll drink to that. Tomorrow we'll get back to raising hell and tracking down the last recruits. But tonight, we're gonna rack up the biggest tab possible and send Timmy the bill!"
A round of cheers – and another round of drinks – followed this announcement.
Illium: Nos Astra
Transportation Hub
When Shiala saw Ryan, she thought he was going to rip her apart. When Ryan saw Shiala he almost did rip her apart. The funny thing was, their logic was entirely different. Since she'd melded with the Splicer King to give him the Cipher two years ago on Feros, Shiala knew exactly who – or rather what – Jack "Rapture" Ryan was: a ruthless monster wearing human skin. He had some semblance of a conscience, but Shiala wasn't fooled. If it accomplished his desired goal, he considered it a legitimate strategy, no matter how unethical. And then that thing in his subconscious, the demon with red eyes. It gave her worse nightmares than the Thorian. Naturally, when she saw the creature who allegedly died two years ago, Shiala feared for her life.
As for Ryan himself, he almost killed Shiala because… well… she was green again. He thought she was one of the Thorian-made asari clones. It was only when he saw she was afraid that he knew she wasn't a mindless thrall. The lack of clone commando leathers helped too. Still, Ryan felt he had every right to ask why Shiala was green again. He doubted it was the latest craze among asari.
So against her better judgment, Shiala told Ryan about how the Thorian's spores were having adverse effects on all the colonists at Zhu's Hope. She assured them that it wasn't some "return of the Thorian" scenario. The sentient plant was truly dead, but its legacy remained. Baria Frontiers had offered an inexpensive treatment, but somebody forgot to read the fine print. The contract gave Baria Frontiers permission to carry out invasive, and likely harmful, medical tests, and if the Zhu's Hope colonists refused, then they'd be charged full price. Just now getting back on their feet after the geth attack, the colony just didn't have that kind of money. But they couldn't afford to have these tests continue either. It was a no-win scenario.
"Please Commander," Shiala begged, "Zhu's Hope needs your help again."
Ryan was actually shocked. She'd seen into his mind. She could have blackmailed him into helping. Instead, the chromatically challenged asari was asking. Maybe it was because she was afraid of his wrath if she tried blackmail, or maybe it was because she'd commit her fair share of sins as an indoctrinated servant of Saren.
Whatever her reasons, Ryan had busted his ass to save everyone at Zhu's Hope two years ago. Zombies had puked acid on him, dogpiled on him, and an asari clone had almost blown his head off with her shotgun. After all he'd been through to free those colonists, no way in hell was some corporate parasite going to undo it with a technicality.
"Baria Frontiers won't be running tests for much longer," Ryan declared. That was all he said before heading off to speak with Erinya, the Baria Frontiers representative. Shiala paled to a sickly lime green color. She was hoping for him to persuade Erinya, like what Lizbeth said he'd done with Jeong. Had she forgotten that this was a monster she'd been talking to?!
Tali was similarly concerned. She'd been out with Ryan seeing the sights when they came across a very green Shiala and almost killed her. Now it seemed her Captain was going to help the colonists of Feros again, but how? This was Illium. They had security cameras everywhere, and intimidation was useless in the face of a legally binding contract. What was he going to do, set it on fire?
Much to the quarian's surprise, Ryan did not use violence or intimidation. He didn't even raise his voice. The Splicer King calmly but firmly asked to look at the contract.
Erinya scoffed. "As if a human like you could even make sense of-"
"Any invasive medical test requires informed consent to the specifics of each test," Ryan said simply. "Any study carried out must have a clearly defined purpose, and the subjects must be made fully aware of the risk ahead of time. If the risks outweigh the benefits, then it is your legal and moral obligation to cease further examination." He did not smirk. "I'll ask again. Let me see the contract."
The pureblood begrudgingly handed over a datapad with the information. "Typical alien arrogance. You all think that a few years of education makes you experts. I've been doing this for centuries, human."
"You failed to place an estimated completion date on the testing period," Ryan stated. And that was all he stated. No rant about how Erinya was an asari supremacist. No arrogant boast of what the other races had accomplished. Nothing. Tali was in shock.
Erinya glared. "The tests end when I have useful medical data. The colonists knew that when they signed the contract."
"No they didn't," Ryan replied, "but that's not the point. You are conducting invasive, vaguely defined, and potentially harmful tests on human colonists with no end in sight, and you're an outspoken xenophobe. Theoretically, it could be argued that you want non-asari to suffer. I can probably nail you for medical torture, a felony offense. Failing that, I've already found three technicalities to get the Zhu's Hope colonists what they want. Either way, you won't get those tests."
That did it. Erinya was trapped and she knew it. "You… you…" She didn't even have the words. "If it weren't for all of you aliens, I never would have lost my bondmate or my daughters!"
Tali certainly didn't see that coming. She just thought that Erinya was a bitter old asari. Well, relatively old anyway.
"Your loss causes you pain," Ryan said softly. "In turn, you cause pain for non-asari. It's a vicious circle of hatred, and it ends now." He shoved the datapad back into Erinya's arms. "If you won't do the right thing, I will."
Erinya wiped away a few tears before amending the contract. As they walked back to Shiala, Tali just had to ask Ryan something.
"How did you do all that?" Seeing Ryan's confusion, she clarified. "That thing you did with the contract. Where did you learn how to do that?
The Son of Rapture chuckled. Putting an arm over Tali's shoulders, he pulled her in close so he could whisper. "Remember who you're talking to, Miss Zorah. Illium is a corporate world with minimal regulations, but I came from a city with no regulations at all. Compared to me, everyone here is just playing at the free market. Erinya never stood a chance."
Tali laughed and pulled away. "You knew it was a 'dead family' issue the moment you saw her. You just wanted to show off, didn't you?"
Ryan grinned. "I choose to exercise my right against self-incrimination." Stopping for a moment, he frowned. "Wait, did the Fifth Amendment get altered when America became United North American States? What about after we got an Embassy on the Citadel, does that change anything? C-Sec's gotta have some equivalent or they wouldn't need Spectres." Tali was now laughing even harder, drawing attention as they returned to Shiala. The green asari looked at them funny for a moment, but then decided she didn't care.
"Baria Frontiers just sent an amended contract! Thank you!" Her excitement diminished somewhat. "I'll admit, I thought you were going to take a… more violent approach to the problem."
Ryan shrugged. "What can I say, I'm full of surprises."
"But will it always be like this?" Shiala sighed. "Yesterday's problems coming back tomorrow to haunt us?"
For a moment, Ryan looked at the ground. Finally he answered. "It's said that war never changes. People do though. You, me, Erinya, everyone has to change if we want yesterday's problems to stop coming back." The Splicer King didn't wait for a response before walking off to deal with a krogan reciting the worst poetry he'd ever heard.
"C'mon Tali, let's go solve this little lovers' quarrel and meet the others at the bar. If Cole knows what's good for him, there's a shot of vodka with my name on it.
Again, his quarian mechanic laughed. "A shot, Ryan? You'd take the whole bottle."
"You know me so well." They both laughed before heading towards the krogan Romeo wannabe.
Normandy SR-2
Dry Docked for Upgrades
In the armory, John was tinkering with four weapons meant to be handled by Supernovas. He had a Carnifex overhauled and ready for Cole, both because the idiot couldn't always rely on his powers and because his passive trauma resistance made kickback a nonissue. For Ryan, he'd made a few changes to that Tempest he'd picked up on Haestrom. Now it would handle more like the Chicago Typewriter Thompson "Tommy" gun from Rapture, giving the Splicer King an edge due to its familiarity. For himself, the Master Chief had reinvented the N7 Typhoon. He was a Spartan after all. The face shield was unnecessary when he was always protected. The clip size was now doubled, as was the reserve capacity. And of course, John had kitted the gun for ultimate stopping power. Anyone else would be destroyed by the recoil and resulting muzzle climb, but not the Master Chief. He could fire this beauty with one hand.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were compensating for something," Cortana teased.
John's mouth twitched ever-so-slightly. "Good thing you know better then." The smart AI wasn't actually referring to the Typhoon, but rather the Chief's next pet project:
Improving the M-920 Cain. So many possibilities.
XO Office
Miranda almost leapt out of her uniform when the door opened and Kasumi walked in. Yes, the Master Chief had somehow filed everything in the exact right place already, but the Cerberus Officer wasn't in her room to work this time. She was dealing with more… personal matters.
Personal matters that she'd sooner jump out the airlock naked than discuss with Kasumi. It took five minutes, but the thief finally dropped the issue and handed Miranda a dress bag. She looked inside at the very red, very revealing fabric, and immediately questioned why she would ever need to wear something like this.
"Okay, first of all," Kasumi began with a huff, "Your 'uniform' isn't exactly modest either. Second, you need it for the heist."
How typical. Miranda rolled her eyes. She was going to be dressing up to "distract" Hock's guests and guards. By her count, it was a little over two weeks until they crashed that party.
"Cole and Ryan will be doing most of the heavy lifting," Kasumi continued. "I ordered them some formalwear just for the occasion. I even paid for this stuff, so don't let it all go to waste." She held up a hand. "Before you ask, I couldn't get anything in Eleanor's size." With a mischievous grin, the thief cloaked and walked out.
It was only after Kasumi left that Miranda realized the dress was custom tailored for her exact measurements. How did the thief manage that without her knowledge? Sighing, Miranda grabbed her sidearm and headed for the elevator. She needed some fresh air.
Illium: Nos Astra
Trade Center: Liara T'Soni's Office
Alex landed gently in the market with Liara clinging to his back. It wasn't like they had a curfew or anything, but they did both have a lot of work to do. Stopping Collectors and Shadow Brokers and Reapers. Usual galaxy-saving stuff.
They walked into the maiden's office and immediately got down to business. Liara began accessing the Observer's files, and Alex systematically removed each and every surveillance bug in the room. Now came the hard part: leaving.
There was nothing urgent requiring his attention. Just a few matters that needed to be dealt with. It was more to get him out the door before they both did something extremely stupid. A quick break from work was fine, but anything more right now was too distracting for the both of them. Liara needed to find Feron, and Alex needed to let her. He also needed to distance himself from the biggest distraction in his immortal life.
"Squashed the last bug," Alex finally said. He'd reached the door and was about to leave without any lengthy goodbyes when Liara got up and ran after him.
"Alex!" He stopped and turned around. The asari smirked and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him into a quick, fierce kiss. No camera would catch this stolen moment now that he'd destroyed them all. She let go and pulled away, leaving a very stunned Alex Mercer standing outside her door. Smiling, Liara took a step back into her office. "Go get 'em," she whispered. And then the door closed.
It took a moment, but Alex snapped out of his trance. "Be seeing you, Blue." With that, he set off to collect Grunt from the Normandy just because it was very stupid to leave a krogan in a confined space for long periods of time with nothing to do.
"Excuse me, Alex Mercer?"
The virus turned to see a mysterious asari matron on his left. "Are you here about someone I've killed?" She shook her head. "Then you're looking at him."
"I already knew that," the asari said. "I saw… I suppose your 'aura' is the only word for it."
"You saw my 'aura'?" Alex asked, just to be sure he'd heard right. She nodded. "And you're not running in terror… why?"
"I have a message." Her eyes changed. Not to the usual "Embrace Eternity" black, but rather a milky white. Words left the asari's mouth, but they were not her own, nor was the voice uttering them. They belonged to a mind much greater, much older.
"Mercer. We hide. We burrow."
"Rachni Queen," he replied through his own hive mind. "Long time no sing."
Somehow, Alex just knew he'd made the right choice sparing her on Noveria.
Illium: Nos Astra
Eternity Bar and Nightclub
Fun fact: Eleanor was actually a fantastic dancer. Even with her gangly six-foot-ten posture, she was remarkably graceful. Closing her eyes, her lithe form moved in perfect sync to the beat. Quite frankly, the Big Sister was putting all the asari in the room to shame. Not bad for a girl from the twentieth century. The "synthesized noise" as Cole called it was actually pretty good in her opinion.
Of course it helped that one of her gifts as a prodigy was absorbing culture like a sponge. She could function in just about any time period or territory, as long as it didn't involve magic. That was a major rule:
"Supernovas of scientific origin cannot enter territories of magic, nor can Supernovas of magical origin enter territories of science. The worlds of Halla are not yet ready to accept both."
Old Man Pendragon's orders, naturally. Nobody disobeyed. But Eleanor wasn't here to think about that. She was here to have fun. Her adoptive brother was alive again, and now that nobody was shooting at them, she could celebrate that one magnificent fact.
Speaking of the devil, it was at this moment that Ryan and Tali walked into the bar. Obviously, Tali liked the music because she instantly joined Eleanor on the dance floor. Ryan just shook his head and ordered vodka.
"Leave the bottle," he said. Aethyta looked at him like he was crazy to want that much but then shrugged and complied anyway. It wasn't her liver that would be in pieces come sunrise.
As she spun, Eleanor noticed that a drunken Garrus and equally drunken Jacob were having an arm wrestling match. Zaeed was yelling for Jacob to "man the 'ell up" while Jack was screaming expletives in support of Garrus, though this was more because she hated Cerberus than anything else. Tali was yelling for Garrus to win too, albeit with less obscenities. Cole and Ryan didn't pick a side, but they did threaten to make the loser buy the next round, making both squadmates try that much harder. Garrus was innately strong as a turian, but Jacob redefined peak human condition. The man wasn't just ripped, he was bloody shredded thanks to his intense workout regimen.
It was beginning to show too as Jacob slowly but steadily began to overpower Garrus. When she saw this, Eleanor frowned and checked to make sure nobody was watching. Deeming it safe enough, the Big Sister made a quick counterclockwise arcing motion with two fingers, giving Garrus a bit of telekinetic support.
Unaware he was receiving aid, Garrus rapidly turned the tide against Jacob and slammed the human's hand against the table with a flanging victory cry. While everyone else cheered in triumph or defeat, Tali turned and looked at Eleanor. Her face was unreadable, as always, but her glowing eyes had a smug "I know what you did" look to them. Eleanor pointed to herself and feigned innocence, going so far as to bat her eyelashes. Truthfully, the quarian had no intention of spoiling Eleanor's fun, not to mention bruising Garrus' massive-yet-fragile ego.
And then Alex Mercer walked in. With Grunt.
"Well, well, well," Jack laughed. "Is the Beauty and the Beast shit all done now?" Alex's glare almost turned her sober on the spot, and she held her hands up in surrender.
The virus moved onto the bar and ordered a drink from Aethyta. This earned a weirder look than the one she gave to Ryan. Sighing, she busted out the "Mystery Drink" house special. Distilled by vorcha, there was nothing it couldn't get drunk. Even Mercer couldn't-
PLOP
He didn't drink it. He dropped a small surveillance bug in the glass, letting the alcohol destroy it. Aethyta looked down at the glass and then back up at Alex, who was smirking.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the sociopath apologized, not sorry at all. "Was that yours?" His smirk vanished. "Talk. Now." Behind Alex, Grunt sneered, eager for a brawl.
Aethyta laughed. "Listen hotshot, I've been alive for a thousand years. I've seen so much crazy crap in my life, you're practically normal by comparison."
Alex grinned and growled, his eyes getting a predatory look. "Good, that means we can have a 'normal' discussion about your surveillance bug."
The Matriarch shrugged. "I don't suppose you have a 'normal' way to prove that's my bug?"
"Okay, first of all, no more saying 'normal' with such heavy irony. It's already getting old." Alex handed the Mystery Drink to Grunt who promptly downed it, listening device and all. "Second, of course not. Considering this is Illium, I probably didn't have authorization to destroy even half the bugs in that room, but nobody's stupid enough to press charges, so I did it anyway."
"You certainly did," Aethyta growled, matching Alex glare-for-glare. "Now let me ask you a question."
"What? You never even answered mine."
"What is it you humans say? 'Ladies first'?"
"You're monogender."
"Funny. Then age before beauty. And since I've got both," the matriarch bartender walked around the bar and got up in Alex's face. "Suppose that is my bug. What are you gonna do to me?"
"That depends," he growled.
"Because the last time the 'great' Alex Mercer confronted an asari matriarch over T'Soni, she wound up dead, didn't she?"
Grunt pushed past Alex and growled. "You spit on the glorious battles of-"
WHAM
The room went deathly quiet as Grunt staggered back with a look of utter disbelief on his face. Aethyta had just head-butted him! An old, squishy asari matriarch had head-butted him, a pure krogan! The Supernovas had to hand it to Aethyta: for a genderless blue alien, she had serious balls.
"There's no glory in battle, little baby krogan," Aethyta snarled. "Century after century, all I ever see is more suffering in this galaxy because of stupid wars."
Grunt was about to rip the bartender apart, but something was holding him back – literally. Alex was blocking the tank-bred with a single outstretched arm. Even more strange, there was a grin on the sociopath's face. "Mercer?"
"I've literally killed people for less," Alex said quietly. Eleanor readied herself to jump in and restrain the virus at any second. "But we're on shore leave. You weren't spying for the Shadow Broker, so I really don't give a damn." He chuckled. "It was also damned impressive to watch you head-butt Grunt." He pointed at Aethyta threateningly. "But one more crack like that about Liara's mother, and you and me are gonna fuckin' dance."
Aethyta regarded Alex for a moment, almost as if she were evaluating him, and then she laughed out loud. "Good enough! Now who needs another refill?" Everyone sighed in relief that Alex wouldn't be painting the walls with asari blood. At least not tonight.
"Well considering I used the first one to destroy the bug that started this conversation," Alex said, "a refill would be nice."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "So Eleanor can't get drunk, but he can?"
Cole sighed. "Jury's still out on whether it's possible, but he's trying really hard."
For a moment the convict was quiet. Then she slammed her hand down on the bar table. "Do whatever it takes, barkeep! I wanna see Mercer drunk!"
Garrus shuddered. "Maybe you do, Jack, but the rest of the galaxy can barely handle him sober."
"Guddamn right," Zaeed growled. "Still would be a hell of a way to go. Death by drunk psychotic mutant. More interesting than a regular bar fight at least."
Jacob scoffed. "I'll pass, thanks."
Cole grabbed a beer and used his powers to chill it. "Don't worry, we'll handle it if Alex turns out to be an angry drunk."
"Assuming you're still sober enough to do anything about it," Eleanor chuckled. "If not, I'll be stuck saving all your arses."
Ryan pulled a cigarette out of a case in his pocket and used his index finger as a lighter. Taking a drag, he laughed. "On that note, I propose a toast." With his free hand, he raised his glass. "Here's to our merry band of lunatics looking to save the galaxy!"
Carefully removing the "emergency induction port" from her helmet's slot, Tali raised her glass too. "Keelah se'lai!" The others shouted various cheers as well.
"Ryncol!" Grunt roared, making everyone laugh. It was even funnier when Alex ordered the same thing as his krogan protégé.
Aethyta shook her head in amusement. They weren't so bad. She still thought Mercer was crazy and no good for Liara, but then again, she probably would hate anyone her Little Wing went out with.
It was a dad's job after all.
Illium: Nos Astra
Commercial Spaceport: 15 hours later
"You drive like a fucking maniac!" Jack screamed as the Chief dodged and weaved through traffic.
"Says the maniac," Cole chuckled. He wasn't bothered by the Spartan's driving anymore.
"Bloody goddamn hell!" Zaeed swore. "Are you even looking at the road behind that visor?"
Naturally, the Master Chief didn't respond. He merely swung the rental from full throttle into park. Centuries of physics said it couldn't be done, and yet it had just happened anyway. Stepping out of the car, the Chief examined his entire surroundings in mere seconds.
"Here's what I've got," Cortana began, updating her Spartan within the privacy of his helmet. "Eclipse mercs run rampant in this district, justicar Samara's presence is causing a fuss, and the area straight ahead became a crime scene recently. Hacking local police communications and records. Victim was a volus. Torn apart at close range by what the authorities believe to be explosive rounds. No suspect, but they think it's the Eclipse because of the special group operating in this area called the 'Sisterhood'. Each asari earns her uniform by killing someone."
Cortana popped up on the Chief's HUD. "And our justicar is behind the digital crime scene tape. Shall we?"
The Chief pulled out his Typhoon, Jack and Cole lit up with dark energy and electricity respectively, and Zaeed slung his assault rifle over his shoulder.
Their break was over. Time to get back to work.
I know, I know. It really wasn't that good. I had a lot on my plate, and the main focus was the Liara and Alex scene. Beyond that I suddenly found myself without an immediate plan for the shore leave, and a lot of filler just happened. Don't worry though. The next chapter is fully planned out. I just can't write it until exams are over. *grumbles incoherently*
Anyway, a quick bonus. Remember how Thane wants to play good cop, bad cop? This is my version:
"How shall we approach it?" the drell asked.
Cole smirked. "You make the introductions, I threaten electrocution, and Eleanor's the hammer."
"Okay so," Eleanor pointed at Thane. "Bad cop," she pointed at Cole, "badder cop," then at herself, "worst cop." The Big Sister shrugged. "Works for me."
Thane chuckled slightly. "I get the feeling you've done this before."
The conduit's smirk widened. "You're damn right."
Read, Review, and assuming it wasn't too bad, Enjoy!