Chapter 25 - Just lucky

Avenged Sevenfold - Remenissions

Beta Vo0d0o-D0L

I take a deep breath as my fingers run lightly over Elyia's sword hilt. I have been sitting in this hangar, at this old ship yard for the better part of an hour and the only thing I've seen was the odd ship flying around as Faron takes care of business or something.

At this point I would have decided to just leave, but I had no way to get where I needed to go. So, taking a chance I decide to just sit and wait. At least I'm in the shade I think to myself as I look back out of the hangar door. Just looking at it causes me to feel like I'm sweating waterfalls with how bright and hot it is out there. A part of me doesn't want to leave, but the other part is longing to get the fuck off this rock.

A tapping noise to my left causes me to look up at the window of an office which overlooks the hangar floor. What I see instantly causes all the bad memories that I have been obtaining from the moment I woke up here. Looking back at me in his dull blue suit and his signature small smile is the G-man.

I blink when my eyes start to sting from staring up at him, but when I look again he is gone. I begin to wonder if he was ever really there or was it just the stress of what I've been going through that's making me start to see things I want to.

He is the reason for all of this. All this pain…

I shake my head to stop myself going down that road - surely he would only make an appearance for a reason, and not just to piss me off? I reach down and pick up the water-filled canteen that Faron was decent enough to give me. I hadn't realized how thirsty and hungry I was. Unfortunately, there wasn't any food. Not that it mattered, since this wouldn't be the first time that I haven't eaten for a day or two. I take a long swig of water, letting the cool liquid splash over my tongue and down my dry throat.

I look down at the sword for a moment as I wipe the water dripping from my lips, before putting the canteen and the sword on the ground and picking up my Blackhawk instead. I tighten and loosen my grip on the Red Oak grips. It feels like it was made for me. I rise the gun and hold it out in front of me, closing one eye. I look down the barrel imagining the G Man standing there. I can feel my finger start to squeeze the trigger.

"Lov?"

Hmmm?

"You know that you are always going to be used right? No matter what happens, something or someone will be using you,"

I open my mouth to contradict her, but then slowly close it, she's right. From the start of all of this I have been used by someone, or something. The only time I've got to live my life, it was taken from me. Like god was toying with me, showing me what I could have, only to have it snatched out of my grasp.

"I'm sorry," she says softly.

The sound of the worry in Selina's voice, causes me to open my closed eyes to see that I'm now aiming at Faron, who just happen to turn the corner of the hanger doors. I quickly bring my arm down, I was going to place my gun back on the crate next to me, when I saw that Faron's 'friend' was with him. At that moment I easily realized that he was a Krogan.

"I still can't believe that you're traveling with a human," the Krogan says, his deep voice easily carrying over the low rumble from ships flying overhead. "They don't have a quad among them,"

"He did hold his own when I was getting off that station." Faron answers. His voice is just audible enough for me to hear him.

"He might've, but he still bled all over my shuttle." the Krogan grumbles, looking at me, his dark eyes narrowing angrily at me.

At that moment something in me snaps, I don't know what or why, but at that moment I made up my mind to stop the universe from fucking me over.

"Hope you like it here Siget. You will not be lea-" he starts to say when they stop in front of me, but I don't give him the chance to finish

Not thinking I whip up my .44, planting it directly under his chin. For a moment I just hold it there. Not even looking up at the mammoth Krogan who at any moment could kill me for pointing a weapon at him. Slowly I tilt my head to my side and look up at him. I have not dealt with Krogan before, so I can't read his expressions and I don't know if he is in shock or just getting ready to pummel me into the ground.

"You were saying?" I ask dryly. I could feel my heart starting to race as adrenaline began pumping through my body, breaking the silence that had fallen around us.

"Do you know what you are doing, boy?" he grumbles in question, more irritated than afraid.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. At this point I don't think it matters either way," I shrug.

"Your right. It doesn't. If you think your antique will do anythin-" he starts saying.

"I don't know if it will or not," I say cutting him off. "But this antique was one of the most powerful handguns of its time. It could easily pass through anything that was foolish enough to get in its way,"

I glance over at Faron to see if he will be doing anything to interrupt me, but I notice that he had taken a few steps back.

"You don't have the quad," he grumbles. A hint of annoyance seeping into his deep voice.

"Oh…?" I breathe, letting my thumb easily pull the hammer back and the tale-tale click echoes throughout the still hanger. I let a smirk creep across my face when I see him tense up from the sound. "So you know, I don't know if it will do anything to you, but I bet from this close, It'll do a lot of damage. And I'm willing to take the chance,"

I tighten my grip on my gun, not knowing what to expect from this old Krogan. The chance that my Blackhawk will even do anything to this walking tank is laughable, but I'm done with being pushed around.

Slowly, like thunder in the distance I hear a deep laugh. Soon the war torn Krogan breaks out into a hard fit of laughter. Slowly I pull my gun back and uncock the hammer, as I watch him laugh. To the point that the sheer volume of his laughter starts to hurt my ears.

I sit there just looking up at him as he continues to laugh. I don't know how long this goes, to me feels like forever, but I'm sure it was only a few moments. As slowly as it started, it ends.

"You do have a quad after all. I've been threatened before. Many times as matter a fact, but never like that," he chuckles, holding out his hand, in a handshake.

I look at his hand for a moment before shrugging, switching hands. I reach out and take his large hand. Before I have a chance to react. I'm pulled to my feet and into what I can best describe as a bro-hug.

When he lets go I stumble back at the shock and force from what just happened, but yet I find myself smiling at this.

"I have not had that good of a laugh in years, thank you boy," he says still chuckling here and there. "Guess I can let you off the hook this time,"

"Ummm, thanks,"

"You better be," he says, all cheerfulness instantly gone from his face.

My eyes go wide at how quickly his mood changed, but then a smile grows on his face, and I realize what he just pulled on me.

"I have someone who will clean up the mess, so don't worry about It," he says, with a smile. "I guess you were right about him Faron. I don't know any other human that is worth anything, that would try pulling that stunt with a Krogan, let alone a battlemaster,"

I can feel hair on the back of my neck stand up as my mind processes what I just heard, not only was he a Krogan but a battlemaster to boot, and I just threatened him. I don't know if I should count myself lucky or what. For living through something like that.

"Lea," he says deeply into his Omni tool. A moment later I hear something crackle on the other end.

"This better be good Nyxx," an annoyed female voice says from the other end.

"Just letting you know that the shuttle needs a little cleaning," He says nonchalantly

'What did Faron do this time?" the disdain dripping from her words. I glance at Faron at hearing this. Only to see him roll his eyes and shake his head.

"It wasn't him this time," he laughs.

"Well who ever made the mess can clean it, I'm busy," she snaps back, her tone dangerously close to annoyance.

"I would, but I decided to let him off the hook," Nyxx replies.

"Why?" her anger now easily felt through her tone.

"He threatened me," he laughs jovially.

"And you let them live," She replies with a mixture of shock and confusion.

"I'll tell you about it later, my Seka," he says softly with compassion. This quickly causes the wheels in my mind to turn.

"You better, I'll be there in a minute," she says quickly before an audible click is heard.

He just chuckles lightly and shake his large head. "So where are you headed to now Faron?"

"Not sure, I don't have anything else on the books, was going to see what his plan is,"

"Wait...you're not planning to take him along...are you?" Nyxx says somewhat surprised.

"I don't know yet…he did prove that he is good in a fight. That is for sure," he says shrugging.

I give Faron a curious look, at the mention of me, and I see him give me a nod. Last time I said no to help, I almost became a slave again. Anyways if I remember right Faron was not that bad of a guy. Even if he does work for the shadow broker.

"I think you might want to keep that under wraps, lov"

Yea...I know.

"So what's your story boy," Nyxx says. His deep voice starting me. To where I jump slightly off my crate that I'm calling my seat. "You got our attention now,"

"You know, the same shit," I shrug, looking down at the metal floor

"No... I don't," he deep voice easily cutting through the thoughts in my head

I let my eyes bounce around the metal floor while the memories replay in my mind. Each one just building my sorrow and anger up with each replay. I close my eye to fight my tears back. I don't want him to see me cry, I don't know why I care, and maybe it's the fact that he is a Krogan.

Slowly I let out a breath and open my eyes, I glance up at Nyxx and Faron to see that both are intently staring at me. This sends a nervous shiver up my spline that I quickly shake off.

"I was abducted from my home, and experimented on. I managed to escape and I found myself on Asteria with a fellow prisoner. We were saved by Quarian and his life mate. For a while Maia and I were craving a little life for ourselves." I spit out quickly. I know that I left out a lot, but I didn't think they needed to know every detail.

"How did you end up on Dlious?" Faron asks.

"The farm I was living at...it...it was attacked by slavers. Kio, my Quarian friend, he was killed, Elyia, his lifemate, and Maia were taken," I answer. I'm about to continue but Nyxx cuts in.

"I would have killed them all," Nyxx says with a deep chuckle.

"I did," I counter with a smirk looking up at him. His eyes grow slightly larger, and this causes my smirk to grow to a smile. "I hunted them down, but I was too late. Both Maia and Elyia were go-"

"Were...were the slavers the paradise kings?" Faron asks interrupting me.

"Yea...so," I reply back giving him a questioning look.

"Shit….you're the Tli'Fron," he laughs.

"The what?" I ask.

"Tli'Fron. That's Turian for vengeance or the spirit of ….if you have a name... means you didn't kill them all," Nyxx says smugly.

"So I let one live. So what. Didn't think that she would have lasted long without her leg," I mumble somewhat amazed at this.

"That was smart," the old Krogan says somewhat proud at what he heard.

"Why?"

"Lets them spread the fear, and with you wounding her that greatly. She will be thinking twice about coming after you," Nyxx laughs. "You do have a smart one there Faron. I'm liking him more and more,"

"Glad I pass the test."

"You still bled all over my shuttle." A new voice says from behind us as someone else enters the room.

I'm taken back by the female voice that now joined our conversation. I turn to see a tall blond wearing bright blue coveralls walking toward us, a tool belt hanging off of her hip. I can easily tell from the way she is walking, that she could drop any of us in a heartbeat.

She glances at me, for a moment while she walks toward Nyxx. I glance between the two of them, and I'm surprised when I see his hard face softened as she approaches him. Turning away i feel my face heat up slightly from embarrassment. When I realize what I'm seeing. I feel a longing in my heart as I remember what I no longer have.

"Are you done with the new engine, Lea?"

"Well that's a nice hello to you too you, my dear," she laughs. "And yes it's done. I just need a ship to put it in.'

"Good,"

"So this is the 'human' that threatened you?" she says turning and giving me a once over. "Doesn't look like much."

"Ouch." I hear Selina lightly say in the back of my mind.

"I have my moments," I say with a smirk. Trying my best not to show her comment stung a little.

"If you have your moments, then why did you bleed all over my shuttle?" she ask turning completely to face me.

"I thought it was his." I counter pointing at Nyxx

"He just owns it. I maintain it, so... MY shuttle." she counters putting her hands on her hips. That's when I saw Nyxx take a step back. A red flag flew up in my mind, but I could not help myself. I always had a soft stop for pissing people off.

"So that's what you called it, I would say it's more of a jalopy or something. It flew more like a brick then a shuttle." I chuckle watching her clench her fists. I don't know why I'm doing this, maybe I'm bored, or maybe I just don't care and I just want to piss someone off. Whatever the reason. It's working.

"Why you lit-" she says pulling out her shotgun before Nyxx easily pulls it out of her hands.

"Lea, if you shoot him. There will be more blood to clean up. Why don't you get Jaren to help clean it up, and while he is doing that. You can check the systems to see if anything was damaged when they were being shot at," he says both commandingly but gently.

"Fine," she grumbles, before shooting me a glare that would melt steel.

I watch her walk toward the shuttle doing something on her Omni-tool. I can't help but smile at how easy it was to get under her skin. I glance back to Faron and Nyxx. Faron seemed amused with what went down, but Nyxx. He is a lot harder to read. I can't tell if he was upset or disappointed.

"I would say that you have a death wish there boy. Making Lea upset over her ships is not a smart thing to do,"

"Then why did you stop her?" I question.

"For one. I did not want to have to clean up body parts. And two. I believe that all things will come around. But from the sound of things you already have a dark cloud over you. As you humans say,"

"Yea..." I mutter.

"Well… I have some other things to take care of," he says looking over to Faron. "Good luck with this one,"

I glance between the two of them as they shake hands and Nyxx's starts to walk away. "Oh…good luck to you too, boy," he says over his shoulder,"

"I'm going to guess that things are not going to be easy from here on out," I say as an uneasy feeling forms in my stomach.

"Depends on what your definition of easy is," Faron says as he crosses his arms.

##########

"You want me to be a what?" I spit, a mixture of shock and irritation coloring my tone.

"A courier," He calmly repeats himself as he leans against the bulkhead.

"Why in hell is there a need for couriers," I ask still peeved that after what I did on Dlious he would suggest something that low.

"You would be surprised. Some people don't trust their stuff to be handled automatedly. They like a more... personal touch,"

"Right," I comment skeptically. "And how exactly do I fit in with this,"

"I saw you in action. You can react quickly, think on your feet. That all comes in handy,"

"So you want me to believe that a courier would need to think on their feet." I comment. I know that he's talking about working for the shadow broker, but I thought he would be trying to get me in as an agent, not some lowly courier.

"You would be amazed on who out there wants other people's stuff. They would do anything to get it," he says with a smile.

"Mmhmm," I mumbled rolling my eyes at his lame excuse.

"The pay is good, and everything is paid ...well until you get your own ship that is,"

"So I get paid for putting my life on the line for someone else's shit, and I'm forced to go where the 'company' wants me to go. Did I miss anything?" I counter crossing my arms and leaning back in my chair as I glare at him

"Well when you say it like that. It doesn't sound as good as it is," he shrugs

"Just cut the bull shit and just tell me that you want me in with the shadow broker," I say calmly. Finally getting tired of his charades.

"What-" he quickly stammers as he up jumps like the wall just shocked him." how did you-"

"Know?" I say cutting him off. "I'm not as dumb as I look. I knew who you were back on that damn station,"

"That is something that is not widely known," he says, standing letting his hand fall to the pistol that is on his hip.

"I was in prison remember. People talk, and I listen," I counter with a smug smile. Playing it cool. I know that I'm pressing my luck.

"Well…that's somewhat believable," he says slowly moving his hand away from his pistol after a moment of hesitation.

"So I'm going to be an agent then, right?" I say with a smile thinking that there is no need for couriers now, and he really means agent.

"What?" he says surprised before suddenly laughing.

"What is so damn funny?" I growl my smile quickly fading.

"Sorry…" he says before laughing again. "Just that you think that you will be an agent,"

"If not an agent then what the fuck would I be?" I ask my anger rising as the laughing continues.

"Just what I said, a courier. But they call themselves runners," he answers, after he gets a hold of himself

"Why can't I be an agent?"

"To be an agent you need a lot more experience, and you…are...umm," he answers not looking me in the eye.

"Expendable...?" I finish.

"Yeah…" he replied softly.

"So you want me to put my life on the line for the broker to 'run' info around, while being shot at. For what measly pay?" I ask.

"Not really, but the shadow broken is willing to throw in something else," he says.

"And what is that?" I ask annoyed at the situation that I'm now in.

"You can use his vast network to help find your friends. Granted he does not deal with slaves, but eyes and ears are still the same," Faron says almost proud at what he just said.

"Why would he even care?" I ask my curiosity on why the shadow broker of all people is willing to give me a job, if you can call it that, and now help with finding Elyia and Maia.

"You are an anomaly," a new voice says to my left. I snap my head in the direction of the voice. There I see a blue hologram about 3 feet tall. Of a man, granted it was a plan boxy version of one, but it was a man none the less.

"An anomaly?" I ask.

"Yes an anomaly. I did a little digging after Faron mentioned you, and it did not take long to see that you don't exist. Yes I did see when Kio had your friend's and yours identity created. While I did find some things about her, but you…" He says. The blue transparent man bringing his hand to where his chin would be as if to rub it. "I did not find anything,"

"Sorry I would not be much help," I surg. "I don't remember anything before me waking up on a Cerberus station."

"Cerberus, you say. Now that makes things more interesting," the flat toned computer voice says. Him being a hologram it makes it impossible to get a read on him. Which from his point of view is a good thing.

"Besides being an anomaly. Why give me work," I ask my heart beginning to race for no reason.

"Simple I want to keep my eye on you. Whoever deleted your information is really, really good. Too good, and that is unsettling, but for now. You are a mystery and that intrigues me," he says the blue figure waving its transparent hand at me.

'So I'm just a puzzle for you?" I counter, narrowing my eyes in annoyance at the fact that I'm just a 'thing' to him.

"Precisely. If someone went through the lengths that they did to make you disappear. You must either be very important or very dangerous. Either way. I want to keep you around. If you prove your worth. Maybe you can be one of my agents. From what I was told about what you did on Dlious I can see it as a possibly," he continues, bringing its arm down be its side.

"And what if you can't find anything about me?" I ask leaning back in my chair.

"Even better than no one will know about you. You can go anywhere and be anything. Which for me is invaluable. All you have to do is say yes," the flat voice says.

"Let's say that I agree to all this… Do I get a say on what jobs I take?"

"Most of the time yes," he replies.

"What about pay," I ask looking at Faron, who at the moment looks bored

"Faron will tell you more, but depending on what the pickup is dictates the pay, and Faron will be taking a small cut from that,"

"Why?" I ask glaring up at him.

"He will be the one showing you the ropes as you humans say. So he has to make something somehow," the blue man says.

"Ok…What about finding my friends," I ask looking back at the hologram just standing there.

"If you stay on for a few jobs then we will talk." he replies

"Don't want me to find my friends and run?"

"I do want you to find your friends, but I want to make sure that you are worth it. I don't like wasting my resources," he answers.

"So I have to earn it?" I ask leaning forward a little. The more we talk the more he makes sense with what he is saying.

"More or less," he says.

I lean back in the chair I'm in and think about what is in front of me. I have nothing, just like when I made it off that damn station, but this time I don't have Maia. I glance to the right on the blue man and see Selina standing there. She just shrugs, giving me a lopsided smile.

"Well what is your answer?"

"What don't I get time to think about this?"

"No. Time is information," he quickly counters.

"What do you have to lose, right now you have nothing. Working for him you will least get credits. That is better than starving,"

Yea.

"Fine I'm in. what do I have to lose," I answer with heavy breath.

"Most excellent, Faron take him to Illium," he says before cutting the feed and the blue man instantly disappears.

"What? That's it. No goodbye does he have any manners?" I remark.

"I'm surprised you got that much, this is the first time I have heard of him talking to a runner," Faron says somewhat amused with what he heard.

"Guess I'm just lucky,"

"Lucky...yea...that's a word for it," he says shaking his head. "Well I guess it's off to Illium then," he finishes pushing himself off the bulkhead.

"Good thing too. We need to get you something better than those rags to wear," he says pointing at me. I look down myself at the worn clothes that I'm wearing and silently agree. That a change of clothes would be good

"Why do I get a bad feeling about this?" I mutter to myself as i hear a quiet chuckle from Faron as he enters the cockpit

"This one is all you, Lov. I had nothing to do with this."

All I can do is grimace in reply.

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A/N

Well this one took a lot longer for me to get out. i just did not have the drive to work on it. i had what i wanted to get down in my head. i just really did not care to write it. i just wanted to play the few games i have on my work computer. guess that is what i get for not getting time to relax at home.

The fun of having a baby. So sorry if the chapter does not seem as good as the past

first off i like to say thank you to all my new Favs and followers

second please welcome my new beta Vo0d0o-D0L he is giving this a shot. I think he did well so far

As always leave me a review i love hearing from you all.

I do have slightly more drive to get my next chapter done so i hope it will not be Christmas when i get it to you.

Well that's it.

-E