Notes:

metalhead- human slur for turian
squint - slur for batarian
IA = Internal Affairs
APD = Alliance Police Department, which is divided into branches depending on cities.
green = new, inexperienced

Bit more background = this is Alternate Universe ME Earth where different alien races have been allowed to settle on Earth and become citizens following the end of the Reaper War.

DISCLAIMER: the racist attitudes of the MC and some of the characters in no way reflects my own personal beliefs. I love me some aliens lol, especially Quarians ;)

Summary:

Gordon Lou, in short, was a piece of shit.

Racist, xenophobic, it's all the same thing - and he was both.

His Father was gunned down by a Turian mercenary, and shortly after, his mother was raped and killed by a Batarian slaver. The colony he lived in? Burned to the ground. As a kid, he was shuffled from colony to colony, and finally sent back to the hellhole that was Earth, where he was raised in an orphanage.

An Earth that had changed a lot in recent years. The Citadel was destroyed during the Reaper invasion, and Earth had opened its doors to refugees of all species. The culture shock was rough, to put it mildly. But society adapted, as it always did, and became stronger for it.

But to people like Gordon, it would always be a mistake. The trauma. The hate. He could never let it go.

And so he joined up with the APD, not to save lives, but to "put xeno scum behind bars." Only 5 years on the force and he was promoted to Detective (human privilege coupled with actual talent for investigation), despite the fact that he had racked up a questionable number of police brutality incidents.

But then he was assigned a new partner, one that threatened to turn his world and beliefs upside down.

The interrogation interview room where he was held was lit with a piercing fluorescence.

There was a plain square table in the center, and two chairs.

Gordon scowled as the suit entered and sat across from him.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Lou. You know why we're here?" The suit asked as he arranged the notes on his clipboard.

Fucking Internal Affairs. Fuck you. I did nothing wrong.

"You tell me, poindexter." Gordon challenged.

The suit frowned slightly, before resuming. "Tell me again what happened. How Regus died? In detail, please." He clicked the end of his pen, and began scribbling some preliminary notes on his pad.

Regus Varathian. Metalhead dickguzzler. Never liked him.

"He was dead before I could get there. Scavs shot him up." Gordon said.

More scribbling. "There are records that your partner made several desperate calls to you for backup. Why didn't you respond sooner?"

A shrug. "Drove as fast as I could. What more do you want from me? Come on, this shit happens all the time. Why do you care so much about some goddamned metalhead?"

A pause. More scribbling. "...I see. Metalhead, huh? You mean Turian."

"No, I mean metalhead. We done here?"

"Hmm. Just one more thing. What do you think about our new alien partnerships? The new citizens of Earth? The refugees?"

Nice try, asshole.

"Nothing. I think nothing."

The agent pursed his lips into a thin line. Then scribbled a final note.

"Thank you, Mr. Lou. You are dismissed. We'll be in touch... and soon, I bet."

"I doubt that."

Fucking finally. And fuck you too.

Gordon slammed the door as he left the room. And stomped towards the bathroom.

He splashed cold water across his face, then stared at the mirror. Dull brown eyes stared back at him. Heavy dark bags hung beneath them. A jagged scar ran from his upper right cheek and down to his right jaw. A keepsake from the time he had to bring in a drunk and disorderly Turian. Talons got him good.

He took out a small container, then dumped out a few pills, swallowing them in one go. Sometimes, the only thing getting him through the day were his anti-anxiety pills. Kept him from caving in a metalhead's or a squint's skull in a fit of paranoia/PTSD on bad days.

Having calmed down sufficiently, he exited the restroom, and made his way to the Chief's office.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes, yes... come in Gordon. Have a seat." His thick red mustache waggled as he spoke. "You finished up with IA yet?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now, Gordon, I know how you feel. Trust me. We good ol' boys are a dying breed, but son, I can't keep covering for you. The city council is pushing for integration. For diversity. Aliens- err, I mean, refugees and A1B Citizens- have equal rights on Earth now. You know that. And- Regus, he was actually a good detective, for a metalhead."

Chief Macmillan shuffled a few papers before continuing. "Point is, I can't have you losing every single quote unquote 'xeno' partner I pair you up with. It's starting to become a pattern, and IA is lighting a fire beneath my ass. Push comes to shove, you're going to lose your badge, Detective, nothing I can do about it."

"You can't be serious." Gordon growled.

The Chief looked straight into his eyes. "I am dead serious, son. Get your act together, or get the hell out. It's your choice. I can't protect you forever. Listen, and listen good- the aliens are part of the police now. Deal with it."

He sighed, running a hand through his balding, wispy auburn hair. "You're one of my best detectives, Gordon. I'd hate to lose you." He pushed a folder forward. "Here's the file on your new partner. She's waiting for you downstairs. And for the love of God, don't let her die on you too. Dismissed." Having said that, Chief Macmillan swiveled his chair around, turning his back to Gordon, and stared out at the window overlooking the city skyline.

Gordon wordlessly took the folder from his chief, and slipped out the door.

If not for the pills he'd popped earlier, he'd have torn up the folder, and stormed off right then and there. But then he'd be out of a job, and that ain't helping nobody but the xenos.

He flipped through the folder. And his heart sank with every line he read.

Another goddamned xeno partner!? It's like they're testing me!


DOSSIER: Aela'Farah Vas Earth Nar Razza

DOB: 2/21/2165 (24 years of age)

Summary: Aela emigrated from Rannoch via the Razza liveship to Earth at 5 years of age, escaping along with her parents from the Quarian civil war that had engulfed the planet shortly after its reconquest. Preliminary psych evaluations show that the candidate has fully assimilated into human culture, and can communicate in several human languages without need of an auto-translator. She has demonstrated professionalism, and a high degree of aptitude in Academy. Therefore, she is recommended to be placed on a shortlist to be promoted to an investigative role to fully utilize her capabilities, following the mandatory introductory years as a patrolman.

Career: Aela has served with distinction during her time as...


Gordon didn't bother to read the rest, and slammed the folder shut.

They paired me up with a goddamn suit-rat? These suit gyps... they're half of the thieves I've thrown into the slammer! I can't believe this bullshit. And she's green as hell to boot.

The headshot photo of her still peeked out from the folder. He grasped it, and glanced at it for a few seconds, before stuffing it back in.

...Goddamn helmets. Can't ever see what they actually look like. Sneaky bastards.

He sighed in resignation, before finally meandering downstairs to meet his new partner in the lobby.

He passed Jenkins as he walked by.

"What's got you so down in the dumps?" Jenkins said, sipping on some coffee.

"They partnered me up with a xeno again." Gordon groaned, rolling his eyes.

"So what?"

"So I don't like them. I don't trust them. And I sure as hell don't want to work with them."

"Sheesh. Still the same as ever, huh Cerberus."

"Don't call me that. I'm no fucking terrorist." Gordon growled.

"You sure think like one."

"Up yours, asshole."

"I'm rubber and you're racist glue." Jenkins mocked.

Gordon raised a fist as if to clock him, but lowered it and turned in a huff, continuing his way downstairs. "Yeah yeah."

Fucker. These younguns and their progressiveness.

It made him sick.

Naive, but he'll learn soon enough.

Gordon thought to himself.

...

He made his way downstairs to where all the patrolmen and junior detectives worked, and spotted her. The Quarian was at her standing desk, typing away while sucking up coffee through a straw.

He took a deep breath to compose himself, before walking over.

"Hey." He grunted.

"Oh hi! You must be my new partner. I've heard you're one of our best detectives. I'm honored. I'm Aela. Nice to meet you, Detective Gordon." She reached out a disgustingly 3 fingered hand for him to shake.

He left it hanging. "Save it. I don't like brownnosers." Gordon growled.

Aela was stubborn, and kept her hand outstretched. "And I don't like assholes. Are you going to shake my hand? You're being very rude."

Gordon almost let himself crack a smile. Didn't see that coming.

What's with her?

"That's me. I'm a rude asshole." Gordon twisted his mouth into a sneer before it could half smile. "Not the ace detective mentor that's gonna take you under his wing, like you've imagined, is it?"

"Keelah. Don't act like you're some old wise detective, you're barely a few years older than me." Aela said, hand on her hip.

"...Been a detective longer than you." Gordon sulked, despite himself.

"Not by much. But hey, I'm going to do us both a favor, and request a partner change."

Gordon raised an eyebrow. "That would be lovely."

"Wasn't keen on working with a human, but an asshole at that? No thanks."

Now Gordon was genuinely amused.

She doesn't like humans?

"Whaddaya mean by that? You got something against humans?"

"Sure I do. You stalk us around when we try to shop, you beat us and chase us out when we so much as loiter for even a minute. You call us suit gypsies. You assume all of us are thieves. You tell us to go back to Rannoch." She started listing. "Listen, I joined the APD to change it. From the inside. Cause of assholes like you."

Gordon shrugged dismissively. "Well all those things about the Quarian refugees... it's true. Stop thieving so much if you don't like being discriminated against. And the suits you always wear- we can't see your face, we can't trust you. Can't read your intentions."

"Unbelievable. You human pigs are all the same. Go sit your baconator ass over there, and I'll submit the request right now." Aela said, then began typing furiously.

"Gladly." Gordon said, with self-satisfaction.

...

A few minutes later, and they both found themselves in the Chief's office, facing a huffing and puffing, tomato-faced Chief.

"What the hell is the meaning of this, Detective Aela?"

He began reading the partner change request out loud.

" 'Detective Gordon is a piece of shit racist and I can't work with him. Please swap me with someone else before I kick his ass. I hope a ganger fucks his ass raw with his own baton. Sincerely, Aela.' "

High degree of professionalism my ass. Gordon thought, chuckling to himself.

"What on Earth is the matter with you? Sending me this?" A vein bulged from the Chief's temple.

"Gordon is terrible. I can't work with someone like that." Aela said, idly swatting at an ink stain on her wrist.

The Chief sighed, cradling his forehead in his hands. "It's like I'm running a circus here... Listen up- we're short-staffed, there's nobody else to swap with, the city council wants interspecies partnerships, long story short - tough titty, deal with it. That goes for you too, chuckling dipshit. You think this is some kind of a joke!?"

Gordon stopped laughing.

The Chief pointed a meaty finger at the two of them.

"Get your asses back to work, and get the hell out of my office. I don't want to hear any more whining. From either of you. I get this horseshit from either you again and it's your ass. DISMISSED."

...

A few hours later... driving in downtown.

"I hate you." Gordon grunted for the tenth time.

"I hate you more." Came her reply.

"Fuck you."

"Ditto."

Gordon reached over and dialed the volume up, blasting metal rock through their patrol car, in an effort to drown her out.

"Keelah, you humans call that music?"

"Fuck you. Like you suitgyps got any better?"

"Matter of fact, we do, Piggy." Aela suddenly ejected Gordon's disc, and inserted her own, then hacked it so that he couldn't eject hers.

"The fuck did you do!?" Gordon jammed his thumb against the eject button over and over again as his ears were assaulted by the xeno music he hated so much.

Aela smirked in smug satisfaction beneath her helmet for the rest of the car ride, bobbing her head to the beat, ignoring Gordon's groaning and moaning.

Good God, this would be a long day, and we haven't even arrived to the scene of the crime yet. This suit-gyp girl's a pain in the ass! Even worse than Regus.

Notes:

Well, thanks for reading.

No promises that I'll finish but If there's interest maybe I'll write more.