I don't own Mass Effect. If I did, you'd be able to shoot the council members in the face instead of Sovereign doing it for you.

That's just a total rip off.


"It should have been me commander."

Shepard sighed. "Ashley, how many times do I have to say that that you're wrong?"

"By my count it's been 23." Wrex deadpanned. "What the hell is keeping Bourne?"

"He said he'd be up here in a few minutes." Shepard answered. And if he isn't, he's going to regret it.

"Commander, it should have been me. You know that. Alenko was the superior officer. I would have gladly stayed behind."

"Alenko knew the risks going in-"

"Not all of them." There was a collective jump at Bourne's voice.

"Would it kill to make some noise when you walk?" Shepard griped.

"Probably not. But I needed a good laugh." He walked over to his usual spot on the wall.

"Are you ok Jason?"

"According to me, yes. According to Chakwas, I'm still supposed to be in the med bay."

"Then why are you up here?" Shepard asked with a disapproving frown.

"I put Chakwas in stasis."

They stared at him a moment. Then Shepard sighed and covered her face with a hand. "And you just walked out. Somehow Bourne, I'm not surprised."

"Hey, I didn't hear her telling me to stay. She just stood there when I walked out."

"That's because you put her in stasis." Shepard said in exasperation.

Bourne waved a hand. "Details." His face darkened. "Though details would have been nice going in."

"What do you mean?" Garrus asked.

Bourne sighed, rubbing his temples. "Let's just say, it's crowded up here."

Garrus's hand instinctively went to his gun.

"Calm down Garrus. If Iron was going to break out at any moment, I'd have locked myself in the brig."

He held his hand up. "Besides, with this restraint on me, he wouldn't be able to do much even if he did manage to take over." he glared around the room. "Speaking of which, would someone like to give me the key so we don't end up with another-"

"What details are you talking about Bourne?" Shepard interrupted.

He smirked. "Well, if you want to get Smurfette there to check that's fine, but the conduit is on Illos."

Shepard frowned, trying to figure out what he meant by that, and if he needed to be punched for it. Knowing him, it was probably an innuendo.

"Illos, I don't think I've heard of that." Garrus muttered, cutting off her train of thought. But then again, that might be for the best right now.

Liara's mouth moved silently as she whispered to herself.

"Illos is a planet only accessible through the Mu Relay, which was lost thousands of years ago." She said after a moment.

"So then, how is Saren supposed to get to it?" Ashley said.

Bourne nodded at Liara. "Her mom is on Noveria trying to find the coordinates of the thing."

"And you know all this how?" Garrus asked.

Bourne looked at him impassively for a moment. "You have a few trust issues, don't you?"

"Not when it's deserved. What was all that that Saren said?"

"Well, for starters, Jason Bourne isn't my real name. Not that it matters, but I figure that's a good starting point."

"So then, what is your real name?" Ashley asked, face between angry and confused.

He shrugged. "Good question. Long story short, that whole story about being raised by a merc gang on Omega was one big lie." He grimaced. "Or so I thought. I don't remember much before meeting you three on Eden Prime."

"So you've been lying this whole time?" Ashley said, clearly hurt.

"What was I supposed to say? That I had no idea who I was, or why I looked like a merc? Not to mention the Biotics? I didn't even know my own name!" he sighed. "I thought about telling you the truth, but even what I told Shepard only scrapes the surface."

Garrus stood up suddenly, hand dropping to his pistol. "Well your lies paralyzed Alenko and nearly killed Tali."

"Right. I totally meant to do that on purpose." He said sarcastically. "Garrus, to be frank, if I had wanted any of you dead, you would have been worm food a long time ago. And if you really wanted me dead, you'd have shot me by now. I know you have more than enough guts to do it, so I figure that means that you don't really want to."

"Bourne…"

"Ok, look, I'll tell you what I can. When I passed out earlier, it was because things were resurfacing. Saren created me to be a weapon, and put Iron's mind in to control it. Thing is, I got sucked in too, from where ever I was, minus the memories. Just knowledge that leaked from Iron." Bourne smiled darkly." Iron of course betrayed Saren, which ended up with his ship crashing on Eden Prime, and me being in charge." He shook his head. "Didn't work out so well for him."

"That still doesn't explain how you know about Illos. Assuming you aren't lying again."

"Liara can confirm it with Shepard, I'm sure. And as for how I know, it's the same reason that I knew Sovereign's real name. Saren might think that he's in charge, but it's really Sovereign pulling the strings. You saw that as well as I did"

He shrugged. "Like I said, my memories were hit pretty hard, but I think that Sovereign must have done more with me than Saren realized. Like telling me about Noveria for instance. Maybe it'd have sent me if I hadn't broken free. Or I might have ended up on Virmire securing the other Beacon. Or looking for the Prothean expert on Therum."

He crossed his arms. "If I'm being vague, it's because I don't know a lot about this."

Shepard looked at Liara. "Well, one way to find out if he's right."

Bourne leaned against the wall, eyes closed. "Just do it before I get images in my head I don't need."

"Jason…"

"Emphasis on the unneeded, Ash. Wake me when they're done."


Bourne

I turned my focus inward, leaving only a distant awareness of the outside world. I could dimly hear Shepard and Liara melding minds.

(Later, you are going to pay for blaming me.)

)You and what army?(

*Well, if he gets me on his side, you'd be in trouble.*

)…. I'll be honest here, having a chick's voice in my head sorta freaks me out.(

(Yeah, if you make him start shopping, I'm going to help him take you out.)

)If that happened Iron, I'd take her out myself.(

*You don't take anything seriously do you?*

)Oh, I'm sorry Hero, you're right. I'm in a video game trying to save the universe, while simultaneously attempting to ignore the fact that my friend is going to be dead in a few short months, and possibly me along with her. Not to mention, Ash might straight up dump me. So you're right, I have no right to try to make jokes as a coping mechanism. (

(Yep, she's definitely affecting you. Don't get your panties in such a twist.)

)Next time we meet in my head like before, you are getting a knife right to the family jewels.(

(Ok come on, that's just wrong. Even for me. Who do you honestly know that deserves that?)

)Udina, the Turian council member, Garrus on certain days, you, the Turian councilman, Udina, The Turian counselor, (

*You have some social issues to work on.*

)Hey, when they pissed me off in game I could skip past it. Doesn't work that way here.(

*Ok, violence, that's one.*

(Wow, I'm actually starting to like her. Well, as much as I can like a goody two shoes like her.)

)At least she isn't a mindless butcher like you are.(

*Can you stop arguing long enough to have an actual conversation and plan something out?*

) How much to tell Raptor?(

( Why tell her anything? All it'll do is make her trust you less. Which means it'll be that much harder to get revenge on Saren.)

*Well, since she thinks you're from the future, she's bound to think that you knew about Virmire.*

)I know. She deserves the truth about that at least.(

(You know, I just realized, if I'm 'insane', why do you want my advice?)

)My store of people I can ask for advice on this is pretty limited.(

*He has a point.*

)Thank you.(

*I was talking about Iron.*

I heard a gasp from Liara, and I snapped my eyes open, pushing Hero and Iron away.

"I take it that means I was right?"

"The conduit is on Illos. I recognized it from my research."

I pushed away from the wall. "Good. First thing I've been right about today. But unless we have the coordinates for the Mu Relay, we aren't getting there anytime soon."

"Unless we do manage to somehow find the coordinates-" She suddenly swayed, and Shepard was at her side in an instant.

"Liara?"

"I'm fine Raptor. But sorting out the visions tire me out more than when we would normally meld minds."

Just think about something else, just think about something else,

(Dead ponies.)

Hero and I both mentally glared at him.

(Well, maybe he should have been more specific.)

"You should go to our room and lie down for a bit." Shepard said.

)Ok, I don't want your help this time Iron.(

(You have no sense of humor.)

"Except for Bourne, you're dismissed."

She waved me over, and I sighed. )You know, I almost prefer talking to Iron to talking to the council.(

*You said 'almost', right?*

)Yes.(

*Good. You had me worried for a minute there.*

(You know, if you can't put up with just me, you aren't going to have a very fun experience on the SR-2.)

I stood next to Shepard. "Joker, patch us in."

"You want to warn the council about Soveriegn?" He sounded hoarse, and his usual cheerful demeanor was gone. Kaiden must have hit him hard too.

(Brilliant deduction Holmes.)

I felt an strong urge to trigger my Biotics as the Council's holograms materialized. It was a good thing I had the restraint on.

(That is not me this time.)

*Nope. You just don't like those guys.*

)No. I don't.(

"Commander, Bourne, I'm glad to see your mission on Virmire was a success."

(She has an odd idea of success.)

)Your idea of success is to kill as many people as painfully as possible.(

(… True.)

*Pay attention!*

"Saren is formidable enough without an army of Krogan serving under him."

I almost growled. "Do you idiots never read the damn reports? Sovereign is the real threat, Saren is just its puppet."

*… That could have been said better.*

(I agree.)

*Thank you.*

(You only called them idiots? They need something way stronger than that.)

*I take it back.*

"The Reapers wiped out the Protheans, and if we don't stop them, we're next." Shepard agreed, shooting me a look that said to let her handle this.

The Salarian spoke hesitantly. "Yes, we saw mention of this on your report. Sovereign. A sentient machine. A true artificial intelligence. This is quite alarming. If it turns out to be accurate."

The Turian gave a harsh laugh. "It sounds more like Bourne has been snorting Red-Sand."

It took everything I had not to let lose the string of expletives flooding through my head. Hero and Iron were actually shocked into silence. Somehow, despite how many times I've had them accuse me of lying, in game or not, I still want to kick him in the nuts for saying that .Repeatedly.

(You already wanted to do that.)

*That's true.*

)Well now I want to do it more!(

"Sovereign is real. The Reapers are real. Saren even admitted it." Shepard defended me.

"He's playing you. He's obviously heard about your visions." The Turian scoffed. "You two are walking right into his lie."

)Iron, if I ever do decide to kill him, I'm letting you do it. That way it will be as long, drawn out, and painful as physically possible.(

(I just might have to take you up on that.)

)I'm not saying I'd do it. I'm just saying it would be satisfying.(

*It would not. You'd just regret it later when you were on trial.*

)I can dream, can't I?(

"We tried to warn you about Saren, and you wouldn't listen. Don't make the same mistake now."

"Yeah, because if turned out that good before, just imagine how well it will work out now." I said sarcastically.

"You humans have a saying. Even a broken clock is right twice a day." The Turian chuckled.

I saw red, and I was barely keeping my temper under wraps. "Yeah, well we have another saying too."

I raised both fists, and flipped him off doubly. "Go Fuck yourself." Ok, maybe I am losing my temper a bit

(…. You know, maybe you should disconnect now. You're just letting them piss you off.)

*I thought you'd want him pissed off?*

(Not while I'm trapped in his head. He's a real ass when he's mad.)

)Shut up!(

To my irritation, the Councilor took it calmly. "Maybe we were wrong Bourne."

*See? You managed to win him over.*

(Wait for it.)

"Maybe Humans are too hot headed to be Spectres."

(Told you.)

)Ok, is it wrong of me to sort of want to let them get killed?(

(Not at all.)

*Yes.*

(And you say I'm crazy.)

)That's because you are!(

"Enough!" The Asari broke in. Raptor sighed in relief at her intervention. "Commander Shepard and Lt. Bourne have performed admirably so far. This discussion is just a minor disagreement."

Minor disagreement? If we were having this conversation in person, that Turian would be needing a full body cast!

*Ok, we get it. You don't like the council.*

"You and Bourne seem to have a lot of disagreements." Shepard said wryly, shooting me a "I'm going to be pissed about this later" glare.

"Try looking at it from our perspective. Saren is recognizable as a threat."

Only when it's shoved under your nose with more evidence than should be needed. I managed to refrain from saying it out loud that time, though it took a lot of effort.

"However, as far as we know, the Reapers only exist in your visions."

The Salarian put in his two credits. "Our decisions affect trillions of lives. We can't make decisions based on wild accusations, even from Spectres. Were you to bring solid evidence, that would be another matter, but as it stands…"

"The Council cannot take any official action here." The Asari finished. "That is why the Spectres were created."

I shook my head. "Well, it's obvious that you won't see the truth, so I guess we should stop wasting each other's time."

The Salarian sighed "If you truly believe Soveriegn is a threat-"

"It is." Raptor and I said at once. As did the two Shepards in my head.

I took one of my knives from my pocket, and examined it. "It seems that yet another human saying is true. 'None are so blind as those that Will not see.' I'd say it was nice talking to you, but I'd be lying."

I threw the knife at the off button, my long hours of practice letting me hit the mark effortlessly at this range, even without my powers. And I got the feeling that I'd gotten some experience when Saren was trying to use me, even if I couldn't consciously remember it. I picked it back up and slid it back into my pocket. Ok, now I feel a little better.

*Yeah, but she's still going to be pissed.*

)How do you know?(

*…..*

(…Really Bourne?)

)Ok, yeah, stupid question.(

(No kidding.)

I turned to Shepard, who was now glaring at me full force. And I recognized that glint in her eye by now.

My hand went up to block her punch, and I held it there a moment, meeting her gaze evenly.

She pulled it away. "Bourne, do you try to make my life more difficult?"

I kept my expression even, though maybe it was a good thing I didn't have the Biotics. "Shepard, if you'd seen what the Reapers are capable of as well as I have, you'd be just as angry with those idiots."

"You just pissed off the three most powerful people-"

"And the dumbest, clearly."

She groaned in exasperation.

"Way I see it, you're the one that actually matters here. I'm just a side note. If they're pissed at me, it takes the heat off you."

"Or they consider us both the same."

I waved a hand. "Let's agree to disagree. We have bigger issues."

She sighed. "Ok mister knows everything, where to next?"

I brought up my Omni-tool, checking the date. About three weeks since Eden Prime. Which didn't leave much time until the Battle of the Citadel. I grimaced at the thought of the many lives lost, but between Kaiden and Fai Dan, I'd learned my lesson about trying to change fate from its intended path.

"I take it that means we're going somewhere I won't like?"

I sighed. "Our next Priority needs to be Noveria."

"What about Cerberus?"

I swore. "I don't know Shepard. Time goes different in fiction than reality."

She frowned, and I realized my slip. "Fiction?"

"Well, with that many versions of you, there were bound to be a few things that had the details stretched too far. Or a few things that did so deliberately for the sake of storytelling."

She nodded, and I held back a sigh of relief. "I hate to mention it now, but Admiral Hacket called and asked us to check out a few Geth outposts."

That got my attention. "That might be worth doing. If we give whatever data we find to Tali, she could take it as a pilgrimage gift."

"You seem awfully sure of yourself on that one. But it makes sense."

I shrugged. "Honestly, most of the things we can do are unimportant. What we need to do should take priority."

"It can't be that easy to find a lost Relay."

"Easier than you think." I shook my head. "I'll just say that we should bring Wrex more than anyone."

"Why?"

"It won't matter whether you know or not. It doesn't matter that I know. Didn't change Virmire much."

Her face darkened as she got my meaning. "So you didn't just know that you might have to make a choice,"

"I thought Kaiden would be left behind if I wanted to save Ashley."

Her face darkened, and I saw her punch coming a mile away, but this time I deserved it so I let it connect. A few seconds later, when I was on the ground seeing stars, I regretted it.

*Damn, I wish I could've hit like that.*

(Pssh, I could do that easy. You remember the reporter?)

*Beating her up isn't exactly something to brag about.*

"You knew?" Raptor asked, seemingly unable to fully convey her shock.

I laughed bitterly. "I had it all planned out. I sent Ash with the larger group, we were already heading to her, you won't romancing Kaiden,"

"What was that last one?"

"We were already heading towards her," I said, getting back to my feet and trying to steer away from those waters.

"You mean I might have ended up with Kaiden?"

I sighed. "Shepard, if you have any respect for me, you will change the subject."

"What if I was male, like in some versions?"

*Ok, change the subject. I don't care if you have to knock her out.*

(You are such a prude.)

*Yeah, well I'm the prude that could leave you in a singularity for five hours.*

)What would it take to get you to do that?(

With some effort, I turned back to Raptor Shepard.

"Until you said we were going after Kaiden, I'd given up any hope of saving him." I began pacing again. "But when Iron lent me his Biotics, I thought I might have had a chance. Since it was me that made the choice, he couldn't count it as his own doing, so in his delusion he wouldn't get control." I answered her unspoken question.

"I tore through the opposition, and made it to where you were in time to hear Saren."

Shepard's expression softened. "So you did try to save him at least."

"Emphasis on try. Apparently reality couldn't handle if they had both survived unharmed. So the odds were tweaked, and my knife bounced off me into him." I stopped pacing, looking directly at her.

"You should have told me." She said, crossing her arms. Her emotions were well-hidden.

"It wouldn't have changed anything. Except that Ash would have died instead."

(You are so pathetic. You know that it won't matter in mere months, yet you still hope onto that stupid scrap of hope.)

Despite my efforts, Iron's word caused some emotion to emerge on my face. Shepard noticed it instantly. "What else?"

"You don't want me to tell you."

"I do. Even if I can't change it-"

"I once heard that a hundred people were asked, if they could know the exact date they would die, would they want to? Almost every one said no, and believe me Shepard, you don't." I looked away. "Knowing that I might die at the same time isn't an easy thing to know. I try not to think about it, but when I do, I don't know whether to be frustrated, annoyed, scared, or angry. Or all of the above."

Shepard put a hand on my shoulder. "It's natural to fear death."

I laughed. "Shepard, if I was scared of it, I'd high tail it out of here." My expression became somber. "You don't want to know the reason why I'm not scared of it. And you're too much a friend for me to tell you."

"I've lived through too much for anything to scare me."

"What about leaving Liara behind?"

Shepard's face twisted before she regained control, and I knew I'd hit hard. But she has to understand.

"Shepard, creepy as it sounds, I know you better than almost anyone. You may put on a tough act, but you don't like the idea of death more than anyone else."

"Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once."

(She's anything but a coward, I'll give her that. But she can still die more than once, so…)

)Hey Hero, you said there's a way we can both block him out?(

*If there was, we wouldn't hear him for a looong time*

I pushed past Shepard to the door.. "When it happens, you'll understand why I didn't burden you with the knowledge ahead of time."

"I didn't get a single point for the Shakespeare quote?"

I smiled despite myself. "I always liked 'Et tu Brute?' better."

"I'd have expected you to more go for 'to be, or not to be'"

I turned to her.

"Bourne, I wanted you as my second because I trusted you, not just because of something I couldn't control."

"Yeah, well, If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go shoot something, and it might coincidently look like that Turian counselor."

"Want company?"

I chuckled. "Shepard, I always have company, remember?"

"Is Iron getting stronger?"

"Maybe. But so is Hero."

"Hero?"

"You remember that Saren said there were three of us in here? Turns out Hero was just hiding since I ended up an amnesiac."

"I wondered about that. But isn't Hero sort of a girl's name?"

(Ok, I'm not even getting involved in that minefield.)

*Yeah, you can handle this one.*

"Let's just say, Hero is a lot like you." I thought for a moment. "But with less chance of me getting hit."


Tali

"Garrus, hasn't he saved you at least once by now?"

"I don't know. I was too busy getting beaten up by Iron. Or that time it was actually him that attacked me."

Tali sighed, checking the engine readings again. "Maybe it's just a culture difference. If he had caused an accident on the flotilla, he would have to prove it wasn't his fault. He has."

"Or, he's just crazy."

"Garrus, Liara and I were both listening on the coms to what Saren said. Iron is real."

"Just because he's mostly contained doesn't make Bourne any less dangerous."

Tali sighed and turned to face him. "If you're always expecting it to happen again, you'll both just end up at each other's necks."

"I think you mean, 'at each other's throats'."

Tali frowned inside her helmet. Apparently she still had a few things to learn about alien metaphors.

"Ok, maybe you have a point. But Bourne has to earn my trust."

Tali shrugged. "I guess that's as good as I can get. But you don't need to keep rubbing his face in it. He's good at keeping his face masked, but I can read his body language pretty well. Every time you bring up what happened to me, he tenses like he wants to run. I can tell he regrets it fully."

She turned back to the console. "And he has a point about knowing things that you don't." For a moment, she considered telling him what she'd found out by accident. But Bourne would know that it was her, and the fact that he'd trusted her with it stopped her. If Bourne wants to tell him, that's his choice.

"Ok. I need to go finish up a few things on the Mako. But just be careful around him. Look what happened to Alenko."

If Tali didn't have a mask, she would have been found out instantly. But as it was, she could hear Garrus leaving. Wait, if he's from the future, that means he knew about Virmire!

Tali's first instinct was to tell Shepard, but part of her knew it was a bad idea. Shepard must have figure it out by now, and maybe Bourne had a reason not to tell them. Tali knew how hard it could be to have such important information; she had been followed for a week after she got the data from the Geth. She touched the envirosuit where she'd been shot. It hadn't been as painful as when Iron stabbed her with her own knife, but it wasn't something she'd be eager to repeat.

Tali forced herself to concentrate on the engine. I can always tell Shepard later. And as much as she… Well, I can't really figure out how I fell about Garrus. But he clearly has a vendetta against Bourne for what Iron did.

Tali could no longer quite bring herself to trust Bourne, but Shepard trusted him, and that was enough for her. But I'm still going to keep a closer eye on him.


Shepard.

"I believe that's two for me, and one for you." Bourne
gloated.

Shepard rolled her eyes. "You only beat me by one point with the pistols, and that was because you cheated with your Biotics."

"How was it cheating?"

"You knocked the target to the side so I'd miss it."

"I was pulling it closer to me."

"Uh huh."

Bourne chuckled and put away the shotgun.

"You know Bourne, Saren might be deluded, but he knows what he's doing training soldiers." Bourne was as good as she was with his custom modded pistol, and much better with shotguns.

But Shepard still owned with the assault rifle. She smiled. "You know, we still have one last gun to use."

"Hah! Like I'd be dumb enough to go against you with a sniper? Only time I ever saw you miss a target was Saren. And that was because of reality warping."

Shepard frowned. "Remind me how that works?"

"Well, since Hero and Iron are alternate versions of you from the future, they more or less know can happen. And since I know what can happen in multiple branches… I guess it somehow makes reality more or less stable so it keeps within certain boundaries." He laughed suddenly. "Damn, now I sound like a nerd."

Shepard rolled her eyes. "So you forfeit than?"

"Something like that."

"Well unless I somehow end up with Biotics, you have me beaten there at least."

Bourne chuckled. "I hope not. You're dangerous enough already. They made you a Biotic? Reapers would surrender in a week."

Shepard shook her head. "So you want to work with your Biotics for a bit, or are you going to hit the showers?"

Bourne's face instantly snapped to its blank look. "You go ahead."

Shepard chuckled. "How is it you can make every joke there is-"

"Oh shut up."

Shepard shook her head as she walked away.


Bourne

)Will you stop laughing Iron?(

(Or else what?)

*I know even more bad songs than him.*

)Yeah, but then I'd hear it too! I mean, it'd still be better than listening to him, but-(

(You two have no sense of humor.)

I brought up my Omni-tool and hit the com. "Joker, what's our current destination?"

"Uh, actually, we don't have one right now."

I considered my options. "Head for the Citadel. We need supplies." I softened my voice a little. "And we need to offload Alenko."

"Roger that Bourne." he said soberly.

I thought about saying more, but comforting was more Shepard's thing.

I cut the channel and activated my custom Biotic training program.

I smiled as I warped Udina in the face.

*What did I sign myself up for?*


Ok, long story short, it's "Research" time again. I might or might not get another chapter out over the weekend, but hopefully I can get another one out by Monday.

Until next time, Keelah Se'lai.

And if you're new to the story, let me know what you think in a review. I always appreciate feedback.