This chapter requires serious knowledge of the Mass Effect Universe and the ending to the trilogy. My version is a bit different because Mass Effect deserves so much better than Deus ex machina.
It was kinda odd writing this, I rarely write fight/action. Let me know what you think!
Chapter 14, Endgame
They had come this far. Only to lose it all.
Grimacing in pain Liara tried to get off the floor, her broken arm hanging uselessly by her side. She couldn't feel her fingers, couldn't feel her wrist. All she felt was a sharp, piercing pain all throughout her arm.
"Ah!"
She finally managed to get on her knees but the searing pain in her arm didn't allow her to go any further. A steady stream of blood leaked from her hand to the floor. As if seeing it for the first time she shook her head, disbelieving what'd happened.
Goddess... s-she shot me!
The beam run had been gruesome. Many had fallen. Somehow they'd made it to the Citadel. Meeting Anderson had been a welcome bonus. But the Illusive man...
Trembling with effort she sat up, staring in disbelief as Shepard aimed her pistol at Anderson. Sweat covered Jane's face, her forehead wrinkled, breathing heavily though her nose. Out of the corner of her eye Liara noticed the Illusive's man twisted grin, his eyes shining with pure evil.
Shepard fired. Two, three times. Sprays of blood shot from Anderson's chest, his body twitching with the impact. Jane wailed and it was the most horrifying sound Liara had ever heard.
He crumpled to the floor. Jerking like a wooden doll Shepard approached him and fired point blank at his forehead. Blood poured from his face but she kept firing. The shots boomed through the hall. Closing her eyes Liara winced. Oh Jane!
"Not so smug now Shepard?" The fool cackled, "you're my puppet... like the Reapers are my puppet." He casually raised his hand. "But you've outlived your usefulnes. Goodbye Shepard."
Gasping with shock she watched as Jane slowly placed the gun against her ear, her arm trembling with effort.
Something primal stirred deep within the asari. A fire so hot it burned away all pain. She'd never felt so angry, so determined.
"NO!"
Her raw power exploded in the Illusive man's brain.
NO!
Forcing a mind meld on anyone was unthinkable - a heinous crime in asari society. She barely registered what she was doing but the Illusive man groaned with shock when a mind not his own... invaded.
"T'Soni! What... what?"
"You will let her go."
"Get out! Get out of my head!"
With blistering force she destroyed his thoughts.
No. This ends.
His brain was empty, blank. Liara watched with relief as Jane blinked and shook her head.
"Kill him Jane. I'm n-not sure how long I can hold him!"
Even as she spoke she felt the intense strain sap her strength. "Kill him - now!"
Total confusion best described the look in Shepard's eyes. Dazed, she lightly swayed on her feet. "Liara... I... "
She felt the Illusive man pushing her out. Backed by the raw power of the Reaper's control he fought back, driving the asari's invasion away. "G-good try T'Soni. I was going to let you live. But no more!" Taking one step closer he pulled out his own pistol, placing it against Liara's temple and pulled the trigger.
In a blur of blue light the Illusive man was violently knocked back. With one fluid motion Jane ended her charge, pressing her shotgun against his semi-metallic face.
"Die!"
His skull exploded in a filthy fountain of blood and gore.
Jane watched the headless corpse twitch, kicked it, then ran over to Liara. "Oh Blue I'm so sorry I never meant to shoot you!"
Smiling faintly she held her wrist. "Of c-course. I k-know. It was m-mind control."
"Oh God your arm's a mess. Here, sit still."
Pressing a pack of medi-gel on the wound Jane cringed as she noticed the pain ripple across Liara's face. The asari's blood dripped onto her hands and Shepard felt sick to her stomach for what she'd done. "Damn!"
"Hurts b-badly. I'm c-convinced the bone's broken. Bullet must have s-shattered it."
"Fuck. That sucks."
"Don't blame yourself. It was n-not your doing. Do you h-hear me?"
"I know. It still sucks." Jane nodded, her face an ashen gravestone. Then she noticed Anderson's body, motionless in an ocean of blood.
"Oh no!" Staggering over to the corpse she knelt down in the blood and placed her hands on his chest.
"No! You can't be dead! I didn't do this!"
Feeling that the end was near Liara scanned the room. On the opposite side she detected three colored cylinders. Closing her eyes she sensed the blue and green pulsing with the twisted spirit of the Reapers.
A trap! Even here...
The red cylinder felt... different. Hope. A new beginning.
"Jane!"
Shepard sobbed on top of Anderson and Liara knew she had to be careful. Reaching out she touched the crushed mind.
Yes. I feel your pain.
Jane blinked at her with tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were hollow, cracked. "...Blue..."
I know. I love you. You can end this right now.
Sensing the finality, Jane rose. Rage burned in her eyes as she inspected the cylinders. Completely covered in blood she was the Goddes of Death.
Red. Destroy the red.
Jane shot the red tube and the entire room went dark.
