Author's Note: Andromeda is officially out! And so far, I think it's fantastic. It feels like a Mass Effect game. The complaints regarding the facial animations and glitches come from a legitimate place, but are over exaggerated. The story, voice acting, and dialogue make up for it.

On a similar note, I found a datapad in Andromeda from none other than a person named Colt. Concincidence?

As for With Lions, I want to make it clear that I am going to finish this. Even though the next chapter of Mass Effect is out, I intend to finish Colt's story. I want to thank everyone that has enjoyed With Lions so far. You're the reason I started and the reason I keep going.

Chapter Eighty Seven: The Beginning of the End

Colt gripped the windowsill and tensed his jaw while watching the world below. There were a thousand and one questions that needed an answer. Not only for his own peace of mind, but for the good of the entire galaxy.

He turned around and surveyed the dim scene in front of him. His apartment was so much smaller when it was shared with another person, even if the other person was unconsciousness...And tied to a chair.

He'd stashed the Red Sand away and tried to stack the canned foods in a half reasonable way. He even shoved the old, bloodied bandages into the other room. Best not to tip the clone off regarding any of his bad habits.

Colt rubbed his jaw before turning to look out the window once more.

What did the clone know? What had the Alliance done to him? And what did they want from him?

When he first brought the clone back, he'd checked his leg out of sheer curiosity. And sure enough, it was missing and replaced with an exact copy of Colt's own robotic leg. The Alliance was serious about being able to replace Colt at any given moment, but how far had they actually gone?

Did the Alliance even know what Cerberus had done to Colt? And if they did, did they translate that into the clone? Hell, Colt didn't even really know what Cerberus had done. For all he knew, he was some AI or a Reaper monstrosity.

"Who are you?"

Colt let his gaze linger on the people below before turning around and studying the clone. The look in his eyes, that quiet fury, it was uncanny. Shepard had seen that same exact look in his own reflection.

He ignored the clone's question, instead asking, "Why'd you gather those people in the warehouse?"

The clone stayed quiet before grinning and licking his lips. "Those fuckers had it coming for a long time, and as for myself? I got tired of cowering."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw an opportunity and I took it," the clone said, "I'm on shore leave and my chance came up. I've been running from them for far too long. I had to take my life back...But you probably know all this."

Colt raised an eyebrow. "And why would I know?"

"You're my clone, right? You know the story."

Wait, what? Colt couldn't help but stare.

His omni-tool started ringing before he could fully process, let alone formulate a response. "Hello?" He said dazedly without bothering to check who it was.

"Commander," Admiral Hackett said, "I know you're on shore leave but something's come up."

Shepard finally glanced down at his omni-tool. "Is there something wrong, sir?"

"No, no, nothing like that. Some admirals are on the Citadel today and have requested to watch your promotion ceremony."

"Sir?"

"Your promotion to Commander? We discussed this a couple weeks ago."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir," he said, "I just had a momentary lapse of memory. Do you have a time in mind, sir?"

"As soon as you can get here. I want to set everything up and get you prepped. I'll make sure it's quick, you deserve some actual R and R."

"Thank you, sir. I'll see you there."

"See you there. Hackett out."

Shepard glanced back up from his omni-tool and caught the clone glaring. He glanced away quickly but not before Colt caught his look of uncertainty.

"Look, I know this is weird," he said after a moment, "But we can figure out what the hell is going on here. I need to go, but then we can get to the bottom of this."

The clone looked back up but kept his mouth shut.

Colt rubbed the bridge of his nose. Oh, fuck. He absolutely did not wanna leave the clone alone. That was practically asking for some sort of clusterfuck...But what other option did he have? There was no one, besides Liara and EDI, he would dump the clone off with. Leaving him tied up for the couple hours during this stupid ceremony was downright inhumane. The only real option he had was to leave the clone and hope for the best.

"I gotta go. I have my orders," Colt said, "Please, I'm begging you to stay in this apartment. When I get back, we can work out this whole situation. If you are at least sort of interested in what's happening, stick around."

The clone gave him a long, measured look before nodding. "I will."

Colt breathed a sigh of relief. "Good." He walked over and untied the clone from his chair. "I'll be back soon."

…

He hadn't been to the Citadel's Alliance Command Building in forever, not since the beginning of the Reaper War. It was bustling, as always. Yet there was something missing. Colt looked around a bit before realizing what it was. Despite how busy it was, the number of Alliance personnel was far less than his previous visits. Whether that was due to troops being spread thin or the mass slaughter of military officials, he didn't know.

He walked up to the front desk. "Hi, can you tell me where-"

"Commander Shepard?!" The young Lieutenant's eyes grew wide. He took a shaky breath before continuing. "Big fan, uuh, sir. Actually I've been a fan since the Blitz. You're the reason I joined the Alliance."

Colt smiled at the young man. There were no combat medals pinned to his chest, which was probably why he was thanking Shepard instead of slapping him. "That's great, Lieutenant. The Alliance always needs enthusiastic Marines such as yourself."

"Do you mind if I get a picture?" He asked, grinning wildly. What sort of monster would deny such a hopeful individual?

"Of course."

He ran around the desk and flung his arm around Colt's shoulders. A quick flash from his omni-tool followed and then another. "Perfect!" The young man said. He looked up at Shepard with genuine warmth. There wasn't a single indication of exhaustion or heaviness, which was a dramatic change from everyone else he'd interacted with for the past couple months.

Honest to God, Colt could not remember the last time he met someone so full of hope, himself included. This young man didn't even look sleep deprived. There wasn't a single line of concern etched into his face. What was that like?

"Great," Shepard said, faking enthusiasm, "Can you tell me where Admiral Hackett is?"

…

"Perfect. You showed up at a great time," Hackett greeted him.

Shepard saluted him before saying, "I aim to please, sir."

"I wouldn't doubt it. Now, everything's already set up. All you have to do is repeat after me and stand still while your new rank is pinned on."

"Understood, sir," Colt said. He adjusted his Star of Terra and looked around. "So, where are we gonna do it?"

...

Traynor opened up the data file that Donelly had requested. She looked up from the datapad and scanned the engineering deck. Neither Daniels nor Donnelly were around. Weird. Donelly had called for the data file only a few minutes ago. He should've been down here. Maybe they were at lunch?

She started to turn around when a figure caught her eye. Someone was standing near the reactor core. Hopefully that was one of the engineers. She walked towards the person, eager to pass off the datapad.

As she got closer, she realized it was a different person altogether. "Hey Commander," she greeted. "I thought you were on the Citadel?"

She was about to get closer to him, but some deep-seated feeling of unease stopped her. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and terror was quick to overwhelm her.

Shepard turned slowly and rested his gaze on her. The look he was giving her was nothing but evil. It made her skin crawl.

"Traynor," he rumbled. It sounded like someone trying to imitate his voice. Almost correct, but off enough to let Sam know this thing wasn't human.

He walked towards her calmly and set a hand on her shoulder. Her whole body trembled with fear. "Keep up the good work, Specialist," he said. She stood paralyzed as he gave her shoulder a firm squeeze. It was firm enough to almost hurt. He flashed her a smile that lacked the Commander's usual warmth. As soon as he lifted his hand off her, she stumbled backward. The ability to move came roaring over her and she took off for the elevator.

…

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman. Today we are honoring Lieutenant Commander Colt Shepard's dedication and hard work to the Human Systems Alliance's mission to serve and protect all members of the galaxy. We are very pleased to have Fleet Admiral Steven Hackett presiding over the ceremony today," Vice Admiral Roy said.

Hackett stepped forward sending off flashes from the news drones that lit up the room like a barrage of fireworks. "Lieutenant Commander Colt Shepard has had a distinguished career with Alliance Navy. He's a two-time recipient of the Star of Terra, the Alliance's highest honor, for service exceeding all expectation. Currently, he is the only member of the Alliance to have been awarded the Star of Terra twice. He's also a member of the Alliance's special operations community, and graduate of Interplanetary Combatives Training and Officer Candidate School. While all N7 designated soldiers are required to have a high-level of proficiency in small team operations and tactics, strategy, and small team leadership, Lieutenant Commander Shepard earned additional honors in each field. His commitment to fighting the Reaper threat is also known galaxy-wide. No other individual has shown the same level of tenacity and resolve to ending the crisis. It is for all these reasons, plus countless more, that I am pleased to promote Lieutenant Commander Shepard to the rank of Commander."

Hackett motioned for him to step forward before pinning his new rank on. "Congratulations, Commander," Hackett said with a smile. Pride swelled in Colt's chest and he allowed himself to feel a sense of accomplishment he'd long denied himself.

"Thank you, sir," Colt said. He saluted the Admiral before they both turned to the press.

He was just starting to settle into the rhythm of things when he heard a click to his right. His heart skipped a beat before his head caught up. It was the sound of a thermo-clip snapping into place.

Colt shoved Hackett to the ground before turning around and stepping in front of the Admiral. Someone dressed as a guard was raising his gun and placing his trigger finger. Colt extended his body quickly, allowing biotic energy to flow easily. A sharp crack of blue came out of his finger tips and exploded against the guard. It hit him in his waist, effectively cutting him into two pieces. The pieces splattered against the glass behind him, leaving a mark that slowly dripped to the ground.

Several people started screaming, followed by a mad scramble for cover. Colt stayed where he was as people brushed past him. It was an ideal place to listen.

He turned quickly as soon as he heard another thermo clip lock into place. Fuck, there was always more than just one. Another supposed guard already had his gun raised and another was taking his helmet off. Colt was close enough to deck one in the face, sending him flying back into a conference table. The guard hit the table hard enough to split it into two. Luckily, he didn't get back up.

Colt bolted towards the last assailant, reaching him quickly. He grabbed the guy's gun and ripped it out of his grasp before getting a hold of his arm and snapping it like a toothpick. Shepard cut off his screams of pain by punching him in the throat. He writhed on the ground before going limp.

An alarm screeched to life, accompanied by a red blaring light. "Attention all personnel. This is an emergency lockdown. Please go to your assigned stations and await further instructions," an automated voice said. The doors leading into the conference room rolled down and locked.

Shepard listened for other assailants but heard nothing. Hopefully that was the last of all this bullshit. "Is everyone okay?" Colt asked, turning to the group of people cowering behind the largest set of tables.

"I-I think so," Hackett said, standing. He looked around at the group and then back to Shepard.

"Hopefully that was it."

"Who could it have-Shepard, look out!" Hackett shouted, diving for cover again.

Colt turned around to see a shuttle careening towards the enormous glass window just a little in front of him. "Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding me," he growled. He put up a biotic shield to protect himself and the others.

…

"Woah, hey, Traynor? Are you okay?"

"Shepard's down in the engineering bay! Only it's not Shepard! It was some sort of...creature!"

"Wait, what?," Garrus asked, still gripping her shoulders, "Slow down and breathe."

Traynor sucked in a few breathes but still looked wild-eyed. "Tell me what happened," he said gently. Other people in Mess Hall gathered around, curious to see what all the excitement was about.

"I was bringing down a datapad for Donnelly and I saw Shepard, but it wasn't him."

"What do you mean it wasn't him?"

"When it talked to me, it sounded like an animal trying to speak," she said, "I understood it but there was no flow. It was broken up and lacked tone." Garrus felt her shiver under his talons.

"What's going on?" Liara asked as she walked out of her cabin.

"There's some sort of...thing on the engineering deck," Traynor answered.

"Uh, guys?" Joker pointed to the Mess's vid screen.

"-reports are coming in that the Alliance Headquarters on the Citadel are under attack. Initial reports indicate that Admiral Hackett and Commander Shepard are inside the building. Let's go to Brian, who's currently on scene. Brian?"

"Thanks. It looks as though the building has been put into lockdown-"

The camera moved off the news anchor and jerked violently upward before zooming in at a headache inducing speed. As soon as the picture cleared, Garrus could see a shuttle right before it hit the building.

"Oh, fuck me," Garrus groaned.

…

Colt rolled over on his back and opened his eyes to sparking cables and smoke. The other people in the room had regular heartbeats, so at least they weren't injured. His biotic shield must've taken most of the shuttle's impact.

He was slow to get up and staggered a bit once he was on his feet. Everything was sore, but at least he wasn't dead.

"Commander Shepard," someone said behind him, "Congratulations on the promotion." He stumbled a bit as he turned around. Who in the hell? "Sorry to interrupt the party."

Kai Leng? This day just kept getting better.

"What, you haven't gotten your ass kicked enough?" Shepard asked.

"We'll see about that." Kai Leng unsheathed his sword.

"You're just a sad replacement for me," Colt taunted, "The Illusive Man could've done so much better and he knows it. You're no Commander Shepard."

"Looks like we have something in common," Kai Leng said, grinning.

Colt was seeing red. His heart hammered away in his chest while his body tensed in rage. How the hell did he know about that?...Whatever, it didn't matter. Kai Leng wasn't going to live long enough to use that information. He fired up his biotics and flew across the gap between them. Kai Leng didn't even have time to react before Colt knocked the sword out of his grip and wrapped his hands around Leng's throat. It was time to end this before it even started.

"They're not on your side," Kai Leng choked out, "They wanted to let you rot in prison." His fingers were digging into Colt's face, which only fueled the fire.

"Who?" Shepard growled, tightening his grip.

"Shepard. He's a traitor!" Someone shouted, "A disgrace!"

Colt looked up from his victim and saw a video playing on a sole vid screen.

"He can't be trusted," Admiral Rogers said on-screen.

Colt let his biotics die off. He peered more closely at the screen before realizing it was pieces of video strung together. It looked like most of the videos were taken during Admiralty meetings.

"As far as I'm concerned, we buried a hero," another Admiral said, "This new Shepard...he's just an echo."

"There is a darkness in Commander Shepard that can no longer be ignored. We should be prepared to eliminate him...He is no longer loyal to humanity. We should proceed carefully and have a plan for a replacement."

Shepard released his vice-grip on Kai Leng, letting the Cerberus operative flop to the floor and suck in air greedily. He walked towards the vid-screen and watched Admiral after Admiral shit on him. These were people he respected and looked up to. And they tore him to pieces with something akin to glee. Even Hackett had some choice words about Colt. They weren't as severe as most, but cut to the quick nonetheless.

A twitch started in Colt's hand. His biotics pleaded to be used and his blood thrummed against his ears. A whole body shiver cleared his mind, allowing a single thought to well in his mind: kill.

He looked up at the cowering Admirals and wanted nothing more than to slaughter them where they crouched. A moment ago they'd been singing his praises, acting like they'd always had faith in Shepard. Fucking liars.

"End this," Kai Leng growled. Shepard almost took a step forward before he caught sight of himself in a shard of glass. His face was dripping blood and his dress uniform was torn and equally as bloody. This wasn't him.

The Reapers were counting on him to turn and the Admirals had apparently expected this. He wasn't in the business of proving people right.

He bent down and grabbed Kai Leng's sword. "End this, Colt," Leng repeated. Shepard took a moment to admire the sword before turning on his heel and plunging it deep into Kai Leng's chest. He pulled the sword from his chest before ramming it in again. Blood spattered against Colt's face, making this so much more satisfying. The Cerberus' operative gave him a look of disbelief before coughing blood onto Shepard's face. Colt dragged him closer like some sort of human kabob. "That was for Thane, you son of a bitch," he whispered before letting him sink to the floor. Shepard watched, and enjoyed, every pained expression Kai Leng made. He sputtered out blood for some time before finally going still.

Colt fell backwards a bit before catching himself on a table. The destruction around him was impressively bloody. Adding to the mess was Kai Leng, who was still spilling blood and clearish liquid onto the floor, forming a puddle of dull red.

He shook his head and took in a deep breath to try and calm down. He'd almost given in and played into the Reaper's game. He felt the pull of vengeance and the same darkness that plagued his every decision. He'd almost ended the war in the Reaper's favor. For a moment, he'd seriously considered killing all the Admirals. All his work, all his blood, sweat, and tears, all of it, was almost wasted in a moment of rage.

But he didn't do it. He'd considered it, sure, but he didn't act on the urge. In fact, he never would. The Reapers and Cerberus and the Admirals were all wrong about him. He wasn't some easily manipulated monster, no matter how much everyone seemed to want that.

"Commander," a weak voice called out. He got up quickly, guilty that he'd forgotten about the people cowering.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked while rounding the corner. A quick look around revealed that everyone appeared shaken but uninjured.

"We're okay, thanks to you," Admiral Hackett said while standing. He looked at Colt with complete trust. Evidently, he had no idea about Shepard's dark consideration.

"Thank God," Shepard said, "We need to stay put until C-Sec clears the building. If anyone has any injuries, I can patch you up until emergency services-"

Pain shot through Colt's skull, causing him to fall to his knees. Pain hammered through his skull like it never had before.

"Commander?" Someone's put their hand on his shoulder. Colt quickly shoved it off and fell backward. He scrambled to his feet and stumbled away. The pain made it difficult to see and impossible to think.

He needed to get away from these prying eyes.

…

"There's no one down there," Garrus said, holstering his pistol.

"You're sure?" Traynor asked.

"Positive. We checked twice," he said, nodding to Vega.

"Not a peep," Vega agreed, "Don't worry, we were thorough."

"My scans didn't pick anyone up, either," EDI said.

Traynor shook her head before saying, "Then who, or what, did I see?"

"I'm not sure," Garrus said, "But-"

"-Look!" Joker interrupted, pointing at the vid screen once more.

"C-Sec has breached the building and is going through its clearing procedures," a reporter said, "It's unclear who attacked the Alliance headquarters at this time. However-"

The camera jerked away from the reporter and zoomed in quickly on a person.

"It appears that Commander Shepard has just exited the building!" The reporter shouted over the sudden surge of conversation.

"Tough bastard," Grunt growled. Garrus was inclined to agree.

Shepard limped towards the crowd. Cameras lit him up, making it even easier to see his blood- soaked clothes.

"Commander, what happened?"

"Who is responsible for the attack, Commander?"

Shepard continued to limp forward, ignoring the shouting reporters. The dull look in his eyes was uncharacteristic of Shepard. "I think he's hurt," Garrus said, peering more closely at his face.

"He is," Liara agreed. She stood up and got closer to the screen. The rest of the people gathered in the Mess Hall mirrored Liara's worried look.

"Commander-"

Shepard fell to his knees, eliciting a gasp from the crowd. He leaned forward on his hands and coughed up blood onto the ground. He gripped his stomach with one hand and coughed up even more blood.

"Commander, do you need medical attention?" Someone asked.

"Somebody help!" Another shouted.

Shepard looked up, causing the camera to zoom-in on his face. Blood was dripping out of his mouth, down his chin, and onto the ground. He was breathing heavily and had the same dull look in his eyes.

He jumped up suddenly and turned around.

"What's he looking at?" Garrus wondered. As soon as he said it, Shepard bolted through the crowd. He disappeared around a corner, leaving the reporters clamoring.

"You're right, Garrus," Liara said after a moment, "He was looking at something that caused him to run. EDI, can you tell who it was?"

"I can try," the AI said. The video backed up and then zoomed in to the person he seemed to be looking at. "The face is a match in my database."

"Who is it?" Garrus asked.

EDI seemed to hesitate before saying, "Admiral Rowan Shepard."