Author's Note: The italicised words are part of a flashback.
Chapter Twenty Nine: Sidonis
"Garrus, are you sure this is what you want?" It wasn't the turian's style to kill out of revenge. This whole plan, this whole methodology, it just wasn't… Garrus. It was disturbingly vicious and left an unsettled feeling in the pit of Shepard's stomach.
He fiddled around with the skycar's temperature controls as he awaited Garrus's answer. He'd be angry that Colt even asked. Still, he had to ask.
"He killed everyone, Shepard. They had lives and families. Why should he get what the others didn't?" Garrus' voice was cold. He sounded like he was talking to the lowest scum of the universe, not his best friend. It made Shepard jerk his hand away from the skycar's console. How did this mission start off as an exciting friendship adventure and then switch into two strangers fighting?
"I'm just saying you should think about it, that's all," Colt said. He gripped the wheel until his knuckles turned white and tightened his jaw until he felt a dull ache. Everyone had changed.
"I've made my decision. I only ask that you help me kill Sidonis, not second guess me." Who the hell did Garrus think he was?
"For the sake of our long and storied friendship, I am going to pretend like I didn't hear that," Colt said, "But if I ever hear that sorta shit outta your mouth ever again, there will be hell to pay. Am I understood?"
Garrus looked at Shepard long and hard before nodding.
The rest of the trip was silent.
…
Fighting through mercs was amazingly therapeutic. There was just something about a good, old fashioned fight that just made Shepard's heart soar. Garrus seemingly enjoyed it as well, which made it even better.
Shepard enjoyed it so much that he practically skipped to Fade's position. The limy bastard's grin as they approached couldn't even put an end to Colt's lifted spirits.
"Have we met before?" Fade asked once the pair was a bit closer.
"We did," Shepard confirmed, "It was six thirty eight on a November evening. I was hunting Saren and you were busily competing for biggest douchebag."
"Oh, that's right. And oddly specific."
"Where's Sidonis?" Garrus stalked over to him, where he towered almost two feet above the human.
"I don't know who you're talking about," Fade spat. Colt watched a piece of goob fly onto the turian's face. Apparently, this guy was also competing for biggest idiot.
"You're lying to me." Garrus picked up Fade by the shoulders and jerked him backwards into a metal wall. Fade's head thudded horrifically into the metal as his neck snapped back. "Did that jog your memory?"
"I think I remember who that is now," Fade slurred. When Garrus let go of him, he almost stumbled to the ground. Giving people permanent brain injuries was not part of the plan. "Let me check my files." Fade wobbled towards a nearby console and typed something on it. "Yep, there he is. What do you want me to do now?"
"Tell Sidonis that you think someone has discovered his identity and that you'll be sending an agent to discuss it with him," Garrus said. He walked towards Fade and watched him type. Shepard could feel Garrus' menacing presence from all the way across the room.
"He knows," Fade said after a few minutes.
Garrus started to leave with Colt hot on his tracks. Once they were out of earshot, he said, "Look, Garrus, I know this hurts. I know how personal this is for you. But slapping people around to get what you want? That's not you and it's not right. I know you know that."
Garrus grunted in reply without turning around. Colt was obviously getting through to the turian.
…
"Alright, remember, you're supposed to lure Sidonis out into the open where I can get a clean shot off," Garrus said. He turned the skycar off and stepped out.
Shepard got out himself before saying, "I remember." Garrus shooting Sidonis in such a highly populated area was the definition of a bad idea. The amount of things that could go wrong was staggering. He could miss and hit a civilian. He could scar tons of people for life. The list went on. All in all, it was just a fucked up plan. There had to be a way to stop Garrus, make him see reason. But what was it?
The two parted with a nod and Shepard took his place by a clock. He put in his earpiece so he could communicate with Garrus and waited for about five minutes. At exactly eight o'clock, a turian walked up to him.
"Are you Fade's agent?" Sidonis asked. Colt got up from leaning against the clock and maneuvered himself so he blocked a clean shot. He didn't want Garrus to kill Sidonis just yet.
"Yes. And you must be Sidonis." Using his real name would get his attention.
"Keep it down! And never use that name again!" Sidonis hissed. He glanced around nervously while wringing his hands. Dark circles were under the turian's dim eyes and he was noticeably skinny. One good look told Colt everything he needed to know. Sidonis was already paying an enormous price and probably would for the rest of his life.
"Garrus is here to kill you," Shepard said suddenly. A simultaneous, "What?' and "What the hell, Shepard," rang in his ears.
"This is obviously a joke. I'm leaving." Sidonis turned to leave but Colt grabbed his arm and yanked him back.
"I'm the only thing between you and a bullet, so I suggest you stop," Colt said. This would have to be orchestrated very, very carefully.
"I...I hear the voices of all those men I led to death. I can't sleep anymore. I just have to wait until exhaustion takes me. So Garrus can kill me, I don't care," Sidonis said with a sigh. He tipped his chin up and closed his eyes as if he expected to be shot right then and there.
"Garrus, listen," Colt started, "Letting him go is the ultimate revenge. At this point, living is worse than dying. He's already ruined. You already have your revenge. You will regret this for the rest of your life if you kill him."
"How do you know?"
…
"So you think you can just backstab me and expect to be welcomed back into the Reds?" Shepard circled a boy not much younger than himself.
"Come on, we all know what I did was for the best." The scumbag grinned. Colt was tempted to punch that look off his face.
The boy, Shawn, probably would've been considered handsome if he wasn't smudged with oil or if his long, greasy hair was cut. He was tied into a ratty, POS chair.
"You went against my command. Everything I told you to do, you went and did the exact opposite," Colt said. This cocky little bastard better have some good answers.
"We all know your judgment was awful. What I did could've very well saved the Reds," Shawn said. His smug voice made Colt's blood boil.
The other members were glancing around uncomfortably at each other. They weren't used to Colt, one of the most senior members of the Reds, being interrogated.
"Being a little dramatic aren't we? If you'd followed what I said, everything would've turned out just fine. Now, in addition to battling winter, we have to deal with Boise Street being under control of the Serpents," Colt said.
This was all a show for the other members. It was just chest pounding and one-upmanship. If they were alone they probably would've punched it out.
"We had to give up Boise to secure a truce. You know that, Cain," Shawn spat.
No one knew Colt's real name and they didn't know Alex's real name either. It was better that way. Harder to get tracked down. Colt had done his fair share of illegal things, but had never been arrested. That was mostly because trying to pin something on the evasive 'Cain' proved to be too difficult.
"Do you know how close Boise is to here? I could've secured a truce without losing that street," Colt shouted in Shawn's face.
"You could've, huh?" Shawn shot back. Colt noticed the rest of the gang starting to shuffle uneasily. Shawn's words must have been getting to them.
Colt pulled out his pistol and shoved it Shawn's face."Do you think this is fucking funny?"
"No, no. Not at all," Shawn stammered. He shrunk back into his chair. Perfect.
"It seems like you think it is," Colt said, "Is this a fucking game to you?" He the pistol harder into Shawn's face. Everyone was watching and Colt needed to send a message that disobeying him was not okay. "I hope you have a God," Colt said. He let his words sink in for a few moments.
Shawn's eyes bulged out of his face before screaming, "Wait! Wha-"
Colt didn't even hear the gun. He only felt the recoil.
…
"Trust me," Shepard said, "I know."
"Fine," Garrus sighed, "Let him go."
Shepard looked up at Sidonis and into his empty eyes. "You can go," Colt said, "He gave you a second chance, don't waste it." He turned around and started walking back to the skycar. With any luck, he'd never see Sidonis again.
What was he going to say to Garrus? What could he say?
The turian was already waiting in the car by the time Colt showed up. "Garrus...," Shepard said as soon as he sat down.
"Look, I understand your reasoning, but I need to think about it more before I talk." Garrus was staring straight ahead with an unreadable expression.
"Okay, I can respect that," Shepard said, "Let's just go home."