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Shepard settled into the copilot's seat next to Cortez in the first shuttle. "Commander, just don't … touch anything. Okay?" he asked.

"Me? I'm great with one of these."

Kaidan and Garrus both groaned loudly. "Do not let her fly," Garrus demanded.

"We can drop you off, you know, Vakarian. Missing your warm bed and your milk and cookies?"

Brooks shook her head. "It's just so … so great how none of you ever take anything seriously."

"She has a point," Shepard said. "Straighten up, all of you. Brooks, what's the best way into the Archives?"

Looking surprised to have her opinion consulted, Brooks chewed on her fingernail before offering, "Well, the facility is located below the Wards. Maybe a direct breach for maximum surprise?"

"I like it. See, now you're learning the ropes."

Cortez grinned. "Hell, hang out with us long enough, you'll learn ropes, knives, bombs, thresher maws …"

Kaidan and Garrus chuckled and Brooks looked petrified. "Um, thresher maws?"

"You kind of had to be there," Garrus told her.

Shepard shrugged. "Whatever gets the job done."

Over the comms from the second shuttle, Wrex's voice crackled through. "Just don't hang out with us too long, or next thing you know, you'll be making friends with asari!"

"Hey," Liara snapped from the third shuttle. "I heard that."

"At least he thinks you're a friend, Liara," Kaidan pointed out.

She replied, "I don't know if that's comforting."

The first shuttle slowed and touched down. Shepard breathed a sigh of relief. "We're here now, can we at least act like professionals?"

There was a chorus of "Yes, Shepard" from all three shuttles, which made her smile and Brooks chew her fingernail some more.

They climbed out, and Brooks anxiously paced the floor. "The archives are somewhere below us. It could be pretty tricky to get in there."

Vega grinned at her, unstrapping a small bomb from his back. "Or not." He placed it carefully on the floor, activated it, and stepped back while it blew open a sizeable hole.

Wrex elbowed him aside to look down. "Krogan first!" he sang out happily. "See you at the party, princesses!" And he leaped into the darkness. After a moment there was a thud, and then a disappointed krogan voice floated up. "Shepard, you promised me things to shoot."

"Wait for it, Wrex!" she called back, hoping there would be nothing to wait for—but with her luck, of course there would be.

The others followed, one by one. Once Brooks went through, Shepard beckoned to Emily Wong, whom she'd seen crouching down behind a skycar. She was glad the reporter's innate caution had led her to avoid being seen.

"This is extreme, even for you, Commander."

"I know it. And not entirely my choice. Just … stay here, keep filming, and keep an eye out for anything strange, will you?"

Emily raised an eyebrow. "What, exactly, qualifies as 'strange' to you?"

Shepard shrugged. "How do I know? Apparently my whole life is strange." She glanced at the hole. Only Kaidan and Garrus were left to go through.

Patting her on the shoulder, Emily said, "Go on. I've got your back—"

"And I've got your exclusive when this is over."

"This is what I love about you."

Shepard cast her a smile before leaping into the hole after the others.

And, of course, as soon as her boots hit the floor of the archives, the mercs appeared. Even as she was unslinging and aiming her gun, Shepard sighed. "Here we go again."

Fortunately for her, and unfortunately for the mercs, she wasn't in a fancy restaurant surrounded by civilians this time. She was here with a team of experienced fighters who loved their work. Vega and Wrex immediately started trying to one-up each other.

And then the mercs pulled back while a single figure approached from the darkness of the upper level.

Shepard signaled to her people to cease fire, as well. No point in further bloodshed that could get one of her companions hurt if it wasn't necessary.

"Drop your weapons," said the strange figure in a voice that sounded strangely familiar to Shepard, "or this won't go well for her."

They had Brooks pinioned. Brooks was struggling against the hold, but couldn't get free.

Knowing that all her people carried concealed weapons on their persons, anyway, Shepard signaled them to lay down their guns, doing so cautiously herself. The mercs surrounded them, and everyone dutifully put up their hands. The figure let go of Brooks, pushing her down to the lower level from the upper so that she landed hard on her shoulder and lay sprawled on the floor, moaning.

"Whatever you think you're getting away with, there's nowhere you can run, nowhere you can hide where we can't find you," Shepard said. It was really nothing more than the truth. Liara alone could find almost anyone at any given time.

But the figure only laughed. "Hide? Why?"

They stepped forward into the light, and there was a collective gasp as everyone present recognized the familiar face the figure wore. Her words underscored it: "I never hide. I'm Commander Shepard."

Behind her, Shepard heard Kaidan's soft "What the—?" and Wrex's grunt. "Uh-huh. So this is how it's going to be."

"I knew one person couldn't do all those things," Garrus added.

"Vakarian," Shepard snapped. "Not funny."

"Oh, come on, it's a little funny," Vega protested.

Shepard ignored them all as the woman wearing her face leaped down from the upper level and came toward her. A lot of bad things had happened to her, and she had rolled with them, but this—this just pissed her off.