A/N: So sorry for the super late update, guys. I know I'm supposed to be a lot more free to write this summer but things always have a manner of popping up. New games to play, a new show to watch; it's like I'm catching up on all the unproductive things I've never had the time to do during the regular school year.
Anyways, after many hours of writing this in the wee hours of the morning – probably the only free time I have to work on this, I'm finally done with this chapter. Thanks for your patience everyone and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!
Recommended Listening
Mass Effect 3 Expanded OST – Sounds of the Citadel
Street Fighter 4 OST – Sakura's Theme
Karl Verkade – Hope Springs Eternal
** marks the change in soundtrack
MASS EFFECT: REMNANTS
Chapter 37 – There and Back Again
"Man, the Broker trains their men tough. I am completely out of ideas on how to break that guy," Lynn sighs as she walks through the door of Manheim's, a family-owned diner.
"We'll figure something out…eventually," I reassure her. As I step inside, the smell of freshly-cooked meals wafts into my nostrils. My stomach can't help but remind me of how hungry I am right now.
"Over here," Nick calls out as he waves us over to an empty table.
The two of us make our way over to him. I don't even feel the curious glances that the mainly human-centric patrons throw my way. The diner lies on the fringes of downtown and the residential suburbs. It's not a fancy place by a long shot, but there was no denying that the food was pretty good. Nate and I used to eat our dinners here often when I didn't really feel like cooking our own meals.
"So, what are you guys having?" I ask the two siblings as I settle down into my seat. The place remains the same as always – instead of the generic chrome-like, angular designs so common in most modern-day commercial retail outlets, Manheim's settles for a décor that's a bit homier. The wood-paneled furnishings are a little old-fashioned and the place is decorated with trinkets of the family that owns the store.
"Well, if it isn't my favorite and one and only turian customer!"
I turn to face the source of the jovial voice.
"Al! How've you been?" I smile at Al Manheim; the tall, pudgy man that owns the store.
"I haven't seen you or Nate around in ages! I'd almost thought you'd stopped coming! What's the matter, the pancakes aren't to your liking?" he jokes heartily.
"Nah, we've just been out of town for a while…settling some things. And trust me, tell Martha that the pancakes are just fine," I return the joke in kind.
"So, what can I get for you and your friends?" he fishes out a datapad from his apron, ready to take our orders.
"You know me, Al. I'll have the usual, and throw on some extra bacon on that, will you?"
"Sure thing! One Mid-Western platter coming right up!" he nods attentively, jotting down the order.
"I'll have the steak plate," Lynn looks up from the menu.
"And I'll just have the hamburger," Nick speaks up.
"Anything to drink?"
"I think coffee would be good for all of us," I reply.
"Alright, you guys should get your orders soon. It won't be too long of a wait; things are pretty slow right now at this time of the day," Al smiles at us before retreating towards the kitchen. "And it's good to see you back again, Leonus!"
"You seem to know the owner real well, Leonus. You eat here often?" Nick asks, looking on at me interestedly.
"Yeah, as soon as I found out that they serve the best bacon sandwiches in the city! I'd take Nate here often too," I reply, grinning fondly at the memory.
Lynn's brow creases as she interjects. "Wait, this is a human restaurant. They only serve levo-amino foods here. How the heck are you eating this stuff without getting sick?"
"Oh, haven't I told you about it before?"
"Relax, Lynn. Leonus here is kind of a turian freak when you get down to it."
I shoot back an amused expression back at Nick. "And by a freak, you mean that I'm able to eat levo-amino foods without an allergic reaction?"
"Seriously?" Lynn looks at me incredulously.
"Yeah, they fill me up just like regular dextro food but they don't give me any nutrition though. So I make sure to take my share of dietary supplements."
"Huh, interesting," she rubs her chin. "I didn't know turians were capable of that. Worst I've seen are them ending up in the hospital."
"Yeah, it almost gave all of us a heart attack when we found out. All because of that bacon cheeseburger I left lying around that one day," Nick reminds me.
I recall back to that day years ago, something that Nick intends to never let me forget. I swear that he's going to rub it in my face at every single chance he gets.
"Spirits, of course! How could I ever forget?" I throw my hands up in mock exasperation. "In my defense, I was hungry and that thing you called a 'cheeseburger' looked delicious at the time."
"Yeah, this was way back before Nate even came along," Nick explains to Lynn, giving her some context as to our inside conversation. "It was close to two in the morning and I was taking a break from my research, getting some supper. I went out for some fresh air and by the time I got back, my burger was gone. And guess who I caught putting half the damn thing in his mouth?" he chuckles.
I join in along with him as we reminisce about days long gone by. "And spirits, it was worth every single bite."
"Yeah, I still don't think it was worth hauling your ass to the hospital only to learn you're immune to levo foods though." He lets out a long sigh, his eyes glazing over with nostalgia. "Boy, Aurania sure was pissed that we had to wake her up in the middle of the night. Who knew asari also needed their beauty sleep?"
The conversation hits an awkward lull as soon as Aurania's name is mentioned, but thankfully, Lynn saves it.
"Speaking of which, where'd Nate and Ranae go? I only saw Ralak in the house when we left."
"They headed downtown to get something to eat. I figured let them have some fun, those two deserve it especially what we've all been through," I answer. "Let them just be kids again, you know?"
"Technically, Ranae's close to almost a hundred years old now, you know," Nick points out. I let the comment slide.
"Ah, I see. It's just so nice to see young love blossoming," Lynn fawns.
"W-what? I'm sure it's nothing like that!" I sputter. "I'm just glad that those two are getting along."
"Right…" she rolls her eyes.
"Well, I was always teasing him about it but I still think he's too young to be having a relationship." I turn to Nick, hoping that he can vouch for me at least. "Nick, you agree with me, right?"
"Hey, this is my son we're talking about! I think he's old enough to be making his own decisions. I don't really mind as long as it makes him happy. And besides, he could do a lot worse than Ranae, you know," he simply shrugs, unwilling to take sides.
"Oh, the dramas and joy of adolescence," I groan lightly. "Why do human teenagers have to be so much more complicated than turians?"
"Ever heard of a thing called puppy love, Leonus? I will gladly teach you in its way, my young Padawan," Lynn grins at me.
I sigh and rub my temples lightly. That classic human sci-fi epic reference is not lost on me either.
I let out a small burp, rubbing my belly. I can still taste the tangy and exotic aroma of the asari cuisine on my tongue. I'll admit that the asari know how to cook up great foods.
"So, what did you think of the place? I thought the food was pretty good," I say, turning to Ranae.
We both exit Thessia's Corner located in one of the busier downtown districts, having satisfied both (okay, maybe just mine) of our biotically-induced hunger pangs. The sun's still up, but only for a couple more hours. Days get shorter in the fall but the avenues are still populated with plenty of people and even more are still stuck at their jobs in the colorful high-rise buildings all around us.
"The food was decent, although I regretted that the eezo-free ingredients did dampen the taste somewhat," the asari remarks.
"Wait, what?" I do a double take. "You eat food laced with eezo?"
"Of course. Every living thing on Thessia had trace elements of element zero in them," she replies, making it sound as if that's the most normal thing in the world. "Granted, I understood their decision though – human physiology isn't actually suited for eezo consumption."
I scratch my head, still trying to process her words as we depart down the street in the direction of the tramline that would take us home.
"So, any plans on what you want to do next? Don't tell me you want to go home already," I ask, half-hoping that we could go do something fun since we're already out of the house.
She whirls around to face me, a small grin etched on her face. "Well, now that you've mentioned it, I really wasn't hoping to return just yet."
I catch up to her and walk alongside her, matching her pace. "What did you have in mind?"
"I don't know," she glances skywards, like she's searching for something in the clouds before continuing, "But it'd be a shame to waste such a good day like this cooped up indoors."
Ranae does make a valid point – it's a really nice day out today. It's not too cold out and it doesn't seem to be as windy either. Days like this really are rare during the fall. I'll take it as a sign. I glance over to Ranae and judging by the slight bounce in her steps, she seems to be having a really good time. Well, I wasn't going to disappoint her.
"Why don't we head on over to the James Madison Park? It's got one heck of a great view of the lake."
"That sounds like a great idea," she claps her hands in delight. "Shall we take the public transport or something?"
I take a look at my surroundings, trying to get my bearings before I'm able to pinpoint where the park is. "Nah, let's go by foot instead. It's only a couple of blocks away and besides, I really need to walk all this food off," I say.
"Lead the way then…fatty," she grins. I roll my eyes.
Fifteen minutes of walking later in the brisk, cool fall weather and we finally arrive at our destination. It's four in the evening so I figure that we have at least an hour or two before the sun sets. Apparently, we're not the only ones who thought to make the most out of the fine weather today. The park is filled with college-aged kids from the nearby university and I even spot a few families with their children in tow. Thankfully, the place isn't as crowded as it usually is over the summer months.
"Wow, this place is beautiful!" Ranae gasps in awe.
And for good reason too. James Madison Park is probably the nicest outdoors spot here in all of New Madison. The expanse of clean, perfectly-manicured lawns, the trees teeming with the reds, yellow and oranges of the fall, and the pristine waters of Lake Mendota lapping against the shoreline; the view of the small, quaint park is picturesque. Everything about the place comes together to form one relaxing and beautiful whole.
I zip up my jacket against the gentle breeze coming in from the lake stretching out into the distance and Ranae does the same; pulling her cardigan tight around her asari dress. We wander aimlessly around the park for a while, content in soaking up the ambience of the park and people around us.
We eventually find a comfortable spot on the lawn where we sit facing the lake.
"The breeze feels good," Ranae remarks. She closes her eyes and lets herself be basked in the warm rays of the sun.
As I look out over the serene waters of the lake, I nurse a thought that's always been on my mind. "You ever wondered what we'd all be doing if none of this ever happened?"
"I'd always dreamt of becoming an artist one day," she chuckles. "What about you?"
The question stops me short. I've never really given it much thought. All I cared about was finishing high school and I'll just go wherever life takes me next. "I…don't know. Maybe study engineering in college or something."
"Well, it looks like the galaxy has other plans for you," she says.
"Just like you?"
"Yes," she smiles. "Just like me."
We go back to staring off into the lake. There isn't at all an awkward lull in the conversation; instead, the two of just are content to enjoy each other's company and silence. I'm just so comfortable with her presence that I don't even give it a second thought when I reach out my hand and rest it on hers. She even gives it a little, affectionate squeeze.
What wouldn't I give for this day to last forever.
"Well, well, well, look who's decided to show up again! If it isn't good ol' Sunderland!"
A deep and sneering voice shatters the moment. Ranae and I turn around…only to see Sheldon and Brock staring down upon us. Tagging along behind the two must be their posse – four other guys who I've seen before around Madison-Middleton high school. It doesn't surprise me to see that they look just like the delinquents that Sheldon and Brock are.
"We were worried sick when we saw that you stopped coming to classes," Brock leers at me; making it a point to parade his immense frame against mine. "What's the matter? Don't tell me you decided to ditch school on account of us?" The barely-concealed sarcasm in his voice is enough to make me cringe on the inside.
"Brock, that's enough. Leave him alone," Ranae shoots back with an unnervingly steady voice.
"Well, looks like Sunderland ain't doing too bad for himself, is he?" comes Sheldon's sniveling voice as he notices Ranae. "What's someone like you doing with that loser, anyways?" He eyes her up and down.
Brock's attention suddenly switches to her as he lightly elbows Sheldon aside. "It's been a while since I've seen you around, Ranae," the bully speaks in as smooth and suave a tone as he's able to muster. "So, you finally decide to take up my offer on that date?"
"It'll have to wait until the day I die. And we asari live very long lives," she retorts. "And besides, couldn't you have picked a better time to bother us? Nate and I were just enjoying a lovely day at the park here."
Oh crap.
I guess even a dumbass like Brock can piece two and two together; even Sheldon and his posse are as taken aback as he is by this turn of events. Ranae clearly isn't all too well-versed on the matters of high school societal dynamics.
I turn to Brock and see jealous rage starting to bubble up in his expression although he tries his best to play it cool. Given how simple-minded some bullies can be, it doesn't take much to read him like an open book.
**"Well," he snorts as he returns his attention to me. He's definitely out for blood. "I guess since I haven't seen this loser in a while, I might as well welcome him back." He lunges and roughly pulls me to my feet by the collar of my jacket.
"Hey!" I yell, pushing him off of me.
"What?!" he retorts sharply. "You planning to do something about it, freak?"
I furtively glance at Ranae and see that she's already on her feet, ready to respond. Her back's lowered and she's already flexing her fingers, ready for a fight. I size up our opponents – it's six against us two; I'm pretty sure I can handle myself and with Ranae's training, this is going to be a walk in the park. Pun included.
"As a matter of fact, I am," I grin smugly. Without having to worry about expulsion from school anymore, I realize there's nothing holding me back from dishing some much-needed revenge. Oh, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this day.
"So you think this is funny, huh? I'll wipe that fucking smile off of your face!" Brock lunges at me, ready to clock me on the jaw.
As he swings his fist at me – a move I see coming from a mile away – I take one step back, avoiding the blow, lean forward and push off with all of my body weight on the withdrawn foot. I lash out with a left punch to Brock's gut and follow up with a solid right hook across his jaw. It was pure bliss when I feel the punches connecting.
Brock's huge frame stumbles backward as he clutches his stomach in pain. Shock colors his entire posse's expression as they struggle to process what just happened.
"What the…"
I put on the most smug smile I can manage and beckon them over. "Well, I'm waiting," I taunt.
"Get that freak!" Brock hisses. The bullies shake off their initial surprise and lunge for me. Even Sheldon joins in the fray.
The first bully makes a beeline for me, only to catch a foot in the groin as I lash out with a low kick. Realizing that I don't have time for any fancy moves, I rush him and slam my shoulder into him. The impact sends him stumbling and falling back onto the lawn.
A yell causes me to turn around in time to face my next adversary. I wasn't fast enough as stars explode into my vision when bully number 2's left hook finds my face. Disoriented, I raise my right arm and thankfully manage to block another blow. Muscle memory kicking in, I clumsily wrap it around his arm and get a good enough grip. With him temporarily immobilized, I instinctively position my left leg behind his right and sweep him off his feet while simultaneously slamming him into the ground in a textbook reap toss.
"Nate!"
Before I'm able to shake off the slight ringing in my head and heed Ranae's warning, something tackles me from the side but I dig my heels into the ground, struggling to stay upright. Bully 3 has his arms firmly wrapped around me as he blindly pounds into my gut. Even as I struggle to break free, I see the other guy moving in to take advantage of my predicament from the corner of my eye.
Ranae comes out of nowhere and gracefully delivers a sweep kick and follows up with an elbow drop right into the solar plexus of Bully 4. She rolls off of him as he groans in pain, struggling to catch the breath knocked out of him.
Bully 3 gets in a few good hits while he latches on and I retaliate in kind by bringing both fists down across back. I do it once and then twice before I'm able to tear out of his grip. I knee him right in the face, hearing an audible crack and he stumbles back, gripping his bloody nose. I lunge forward and lash out with a kick across his face. My foot connects with his already-broekn nose and bully number three eats it, landing in a clumsy heap on the lawn.
"You blue-skinned bitch, stay out of this!" Sheldon yells somewhere to my side but I don't have the benefit of time to pay him any attention…..
…right as somebody grips me from behind in a hammerlock. I grunt in pain as his vice-like grip slowly crushes my head and my windpipe. I reach behind me and claw my way towards his face. Finding his eyes, I dig as deeply as I can into them until he finally lets me go with a bloodcurdling cry. It's not long until he comes back at me for seconds. Bully 2's sloppily aimed punch flies wide as I duck down and then sidestep to avoid a clumsy front kick. I get up behind him and kick him in the knee. He yelps out in pain as he collapses into a kneeling position. I get a small running start and wrap my arm around his head just as I let my legs out from under me. The forward momentum carries me forward and I slam his face into the ground in a bulldog.
I don't notice Bully 1 until he rushes me. He clips me in the jaw and in that dazed moment, he throws several blows into my gut. I forcibly shove him away to put some distance between us. He comes at me again but this time I'm ready. I sidestep and counter with a cross but he manages to avoid it. He grins smugly at me when he knows he's got me. With my arm already extended behind his head, I bring it around and wrap it around his head. I sweep his legs out just as I throw my entire body weight behind me, converting my misstep into an impromptu DDT. Bully 1 eats a faceful of dirt and I doubt if he'll be getting up anytime soon.
I get to my feet and take stock of my surroundings. All four of Brock's goons are lying on the ground, either knocked out or moaning in pain. Sheldon, on the other hand, is preoccupied with Ranae. She seems to almost be toying with him as she skillfully dodges each and every one of his blows, while landing enough of her own to rile him up. That just leaves me and Brock to settle his beef with me one on one.
I meet his gaze and for the briefest of moments, see the shocked apprehension reflected in them. Then, it's gone; only to be replaced with contempt for me at making him a fool in front of his peers.
"You're going to pay for this, Sunderland!" Brock yells as he eyes his fallen comrades.
He charges at me like a mad bull and I'm caught off guard by his sheer speed. I try sidestepping, but I lose my footing for a split second. Before I know it, I feel as though I'm hit by a train. Brock barrels into me and pins me to the ground. I'm barely able to twist my head out of the way as he slams his fist downwards. Out of desperation, I slam both my open palms on the side of his head, aiming for the ears. Brock yelps out in pain, and I grunt with effort as I struggle to squirm out from under him.
I break free from under him and rise to my feet. Brock takes several uncertain steps towards me, swaying slightly on his feet. He throws a wild haymaker, and I'm barely able to block it. The blow throws me off balance so I lethargically retreat to his side, just beyond his periphery. He tries a backfist but I duck under it and come up with a solid uppercut to his jaw and throw in a straight for good measure. I gotta say, it feels good to finally be dishing out some good old revenge.
"What's the matter, Brock? Surprised that a freak like me is kicking your ass?" I pant.
"S-Shut up!"
With a yell, he charges for me again, obviously blinded by rage and fury. Honestly, I expected Brock to put up a better fight. But with rage blinding him, this fight's pretty much decided. I dig my feet into the ground. As Brock approaches, I grab his outstretched arm with both hands, pivot my body to leverage him off his feet and then follow through by slamming him down onto the ground. Not one to give up easily, Brock gets up to his feet doggedly.
You've got to be kidding me.
I watch him cautiously as I struggle to catch my own breath. He lumbers over to me but the beating he's taken is starting to show – his steps are clumsy and slow. I take the preemptive strike and lash out with a kick to his groin. This brings him down to one knee and I perform a one-two jab before cupping my fists together and swinging it across his face. With Brock sufficiently dazed, I chance several steps backwards and get a running start.
"Coup de grace, you asshole!"
I leap off the ground and throw my entire weight behind a mighty punch. My fist connects and with that, the big bully finally falls to the ground, unconscious.
"God damnit!" I grit my teeth, nursing my aching knuckles. "Your face made of stone or something?!"
"Nate, are you okay?" Ranae rushes over to inspect my bruised hand. Just behind her, Sheldon lays on the ground, writhing in pain.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I wave the pain off, trying not to let it show on my face.
"I'm sure you are," she replies with a smile in her voice. "Let's just go back before we draw any more attention to ourselves."
"G-great idea," I wince.
"I have to say though, I'm glad that you finally stood up to those bullies. That'll probably be a lesson they won't be forgetting soon."
She gingerly takes me by the arm and guides us out of the park as the gathered crowds look on with a mixture of confusion and surprise. "Yeah, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy myself just a little."
**The house is quiet, except for the rumbling snores emanating from Ralak in the living room. I open my bedroom door as quietly as possible so that I don't awaken Ranae who's sound asleep. An ethereal, white glow from the city's skyline peeks through the window at the end of the hallway, casting enough light to illuminate my way to the bathroom. I yawn and crack my neck, still a little sore from the scuffle at the park.
As I shut the door behind me, I turn around and spot a figure silhouetted in the hallway.
"A-Aunt Lynn?" I rub my eyes, still heavy from sleep. "What are you still doing up?"
"Well, I uhh…" she stammers. "I-I just wanted to get something to eat from downstairs before going back to bed. What about you?"
"Bathroom," I yawn, trudging towards the door. "I'm not sure how much food we still have left lying around but help yourself."
She nods almost sheepishly and that's the last I see of her as I enter the bathroom. When I emerge a minute later, the hallway is quiet and dark once more. In my current half-asleep state, I don't even hear Aunt Lynn making her way downstairs. But I do hear a whoosh as a door shuts itself at the other end of the hallway.
That's funny, I could have sworn the guest room was in the other direction. Oh well.
I reenter my room and climb back under the soft, warm covers of my bed. Today has really been a good day, if I may say so myself. For once, everything is going as well as I could have hoped it to be.
I close my eyes and immediately drift off into one of the best sleeps I've had in ages.
A/N: Well, thanks for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoyed it. I'll try to be more punctual and timely with the updates from here on out, unless Game of Thrones takes over my life (and yes, I've just started watching the first season, hoping to find out what's so great about it)
So, until next time!