David didn't usually have a nightmare, at least one he could remember. In fact the last one he could remember having was the last time he was at the orphanage. That was the night Cerberus took him away.
But this night he found himself sitting upright screaming at the top of his lungs until he could no more. His chest rose up and down repeatedly as beads of sweat trailed down his back.
He blinked still panting heavily as he looked around and saw he was back on the ship inside his cabin. Beside him he expected to see Lia but remembered that she had spent the night down in engineering as she used to, if anything to avoid talk amongst the crew of the two being together.
As David swung his legs around so he sat on the side of his bed he rested his head on his hands still panting. That dream was so…real. He thought to himself. He slowly shook his head as he finally got his breathing back under control.
"Death."
David's head shot over to the doorway to his cabin expecting someone to be standing there. But there was no one.
"Who just…" He whispered to himself as he stood up still staring at the doorway. He knew he heard a whisper but there was no one around.
"I know I just heard it. I'm not going crazy I'm just…talking to myself." He muttered and sighed shaking his head.
David headed for the shower knowing sleep was now impossible to achieve again, he wouldn't admit it but he was afraid of falling asleep and having the nightmare again.
As he stood in the hot water which dripped down his frame he pressed one hand against the wall before him and leaned against it while letting his head hang loosely on his shoulders.
Some much death…and destruction. He reminisced on the nightmare remember the butchered people and burning planets, just like the vision from the beacon but multiplied. As he thought back on the horrible seen in his head one word stuck. Reapers. They were coming, he could feel it.
I wonder if John can feel them too? David would've asked him in person but it had been a week since the two ships were docked together. Right now John was most likely fighting the Collectors in their base and David was sitting here taking a hot shower. While crying about a bad dream…pathetic. He couldn't help but chuckle at his own weakness.
After ten minutes of the shower he finally stepped out and wrapped a towel around himself. He stared at himself in the mirror. Then his gaze drifted to his right arm.
It didn't feel like it was truly his it felt…foreign to him. But he could feel through it. He could feel Lia's hand on his but it felt slightly numbed a bit. For all their technology the Protheans couldn't perfect it.
His mind flashed to Saren and his arm which in turn got him indoctrinated by Sovereign. He tightened his hands into fists as he glared at his own reflection. His arm and leg just infuriated him. He would never become like Saren he wouldn't allow such a thing.
He eventually began dressing into his fatigues when suddenly the ships alarms began to wail.
"The hell?" He yelled slipping on his last boots and running to the elevator. He slammed his fist into the button leading to the command deck.
The moment the elevator opened up he heard shots ring out from a pistol. Instincts kicked in as he took cover behind the galaxy map. Another shot but it was nowhere near him.
Shooting into ceiling, warning shot, nervous? He peeked over his cover and saw the crew were looking over by the airlock. Without a second thought he sprinted toward it. A shot hit the deck just before David causing him to skid to a halt.
He looked up to the owner of the pistol and saw that the one holding it was Vyrnnus. He held it centered on David's chest.
"Shepard, turn around and go back to your cabin." Vyrnnus ordered with steel in his voice. David glared at the Turian before him.
"What the hell are you doing Vyrnnus?" David yelled taking a step forward. The Turian's grip on the pistol tightened causing David to halt.
"Leaving. Now step back." He ordered once more. His face was stone and his eyes cold. David couldn't fathom what this Turian was doing. If he truly wanted to leave without a fight he wouldn't have alerted anyone. David frowned at this thought which only confused him more.
"If all you wanted was to leave you wouldn't have alerted the whole ship with that gun shot." David stated causing the Turian to frown at him.
"Funny thing isn't it?" Vyrnnus finally answered. David was beginning to get frustrated with being confused.
"What the hell are you talking about?" David growled rapidly losing his patience. Lia had just arrived beside him with her shotgun pointed straight at Vyrnnus who in turn turned his pistol toward her but kept his eyes locked on David.
"How after Sovereign is defeated and his remains are being studied Cerberus all of sudden has the technology to bring someone back from the dead? I don't think the Protheans ever had the technology for a limb replacement do you?" Vyrnnus asked with a smirk in his voice.
David's frown deepened as he felt Lia's gaze turn toward him.
"What are you talking about?" David asked his curiosity overwhelming him as he began flexing his right hand.
"You know Shepard, getting a biotic push to the neck will kill even a Turian. Thankfully I had someone or something watching over me." Vyrnnus said with a smirk in his voice. David frowned as a biotic field suddenly began to envelope him without thinking but he hadn't noticed. Vyrnnus had and tightened his grip on the pistol.
"I serve a being so much more powerful than you could ever hope to comprehend Shepard. His voice fills my head with his truth. I am no fool like Saren however; I will not let my implants get the better of me." Suddenly it all made sense.
"You serve a Reaper? Are you stupid Vyrnnus! Look what it got Saren!" The words came from Lia which surprised both the men. Vyrnnus looked to her with an audible and animalistic growl emanating from his throat.
"Be silent Quarian! Saren was a fool who allowed himself to be indo-" Vyrnnus never finished his sentence due to the punch that struck his side which was also pushed even harder into his face by David's Eezo field. There was a loud crack as Vyrnnus roared and clutched where his left mandible used to be. Blood poured from the wound through the Turians finger and dripped down onto the deck beside his mandible.
While Vyrnnus was staggered by the attack David shoved his hand forward, pushing Vyrnnus into the open airlock with a huge biotic push. Vyrnnus grunted in pain as he slumped against the outer door. Without missing a beat Lia punched the seal for the inner airlock and sealed Vyrnnus inside while also opening the viewport on the door. David's eyes narrowed as he glared inside at the Turian who was on his feet with his hands at his sides, a stubble where his mandible once was.
David could feel the heat from the black eyes of the Turian boring into his eyes. David returned the heat in full and turned on the speaker for within the airlock.
"Let's see your 'all powerful being' save you now you Turian bastard." David growled and let it sink in a moment before his hand went to the button on the wall which opened the outside door. Just before he pressed it he was halted by Vyrnnus' scream.
"Necro is here Shepard. No ship or dead Prothean can save you now." That word, Necro, rang within David's head. He knew that was Vyrnnus' Reaper master. But something about the word…the Prothean vision flashed before his eyes once more.
He was the first to start the assault after Sovereign released them from the Citadel! David glared at Vyrnnus and punched the button. He watched as Vyrnnus' body twisted through space like a ragdoll and did spins from the rapid release from the airlock.
David stood in place, staring out the viewport before he felt Lia's hand on his shoulder. He turned and nodded then looked to Luci.
"That alarm's giving me a headache." He muttered and started walking away with Lia behind him. The ship was now deafeningly silent compared to before.
"David…are you alright?" Lia asked as they got within the elevator. David looked down as the door closed but the elevator remained in place.
"I don't understand why…why did he suggest me for becoming a Spectre? Why did he betray me?" David hissed shaking his head. Lia looked down then wrapped her arms around him while standing to his side. He simply stood there with his head hanging loosely on his shoulders.
"Luci, set a course for Virmire, I want to be there ten minutes ago." David announced to the comm and got a confirmation from her. She seemed to be shaken up from before but alright otherwise. David then turned his attention to Lia who rested her head on his shoulder but looked up at him.
"Get your gear ready and inform Yume I want her groundside." Lia gave a nod of confirmation and released her grip on him. The moment he was freed he left the elevator and began to head toward the med-bay.