chapter 3-
Archangel.
They made it through the base as swiftly as possible fearing for their possible new recruits life.
Jane took every chance she could to mess with the Mercenary's machinery- from disabling heavy mechs to electrocuting the shit out of a Batarian mechanic fixing up a gunship.
Aki had to smile; Cerberus hadn't messed with anything bringing her back.
This was Jane through and through.
She'd use everything at her disposal to avoid unnecessary casualties instead of running in headfirst to a fight that could cost the lives of teammates.
Aki found herself suddenly frowning, it was evident just how different they were... she was impulsive and frankly reckless compared to her older sibling.
Grunt examined his new comrade, running his eyes along her curves, the way her seemingly flimsy armour hugged her in all the right places, silver hair over her face, the way she walked was agile and quiet, predatory.
He lingered on the soft pink scars running down from her eyebrow to the centre of her right cheek, they were old but deep enough that they hadn't healed to the point of being concealed.
She looked young and innocent, her eyes being the only sinister things about her, they were steely and cold, constantly analysing.
Grunt could see no comparison between the siblings.
Jane always seemed to be happy, always had a smile, care and compassion etched into her features, her green eyes soft and approachable.
They came to a stop at the bridge, they could see Archangel pop up, a round whizzing in their direction.
Aki glared throwing up a biotic shield- the shot shattered against what should have been Shepard.
Jane frowned in response, there's something off about this.
"nice welcome- and we're meant to fuckin' recruit this guy" Jack scolded
Aki's eyebrows knitted together as she looked toward the figure again, he was Turian that was sure.
The armour frame was unmistakable, he was also skilled, his shots precise and relentless, searching for weak spots in his enemies but that shot was a concussive...
it would barely do any damage from this distance bar breaking through a shield.
any good shooter would have known that.
Shepard nodded gun now in hand save the target-get out, Grunt followed suite.
"Shepard- the merc's are advancing" Jack nodded to the group jumping down onto the bridge.
"Can we just go already? I'm itchin' for a fight" Grunt snarled
"Well then- let's give them a surprise of our own" Jane smiled, jumping from the barricade "move it people!"
Aki, Grunt and Jack were hot on her heels, "take out the mercs" she roared
Aki nodded to her sibling, "my pleasure" she ghosted along biotics rippling, swords flashing as she sliced through the mercs in front, charging forward, gun out. shots firing.
Her elbow smashed against an advancing merc; she threw him down her heel colliding against his throat.
Shepard and Grunt took the ones skirting the sides whilst Jack threw shockwaves left, right and centre.
They crossed through the building with ease. Aki walked around the ground floor coming to an abrupt halt examining the body bags neatly lined in a row beside her feet, "looks like Archangel lost a few people"
Jane crossed to her putting a hand on her shoulder, "let's go- he's essential" Aki nodded.
Shepard smiled softly running a hand over her jaw, eyes shining brightly in the dim lighting as her dark eyebrows drew together, "it's a hell of a set up here- like a rat in a trap"
Aki nodded once sternly, brushing a lock of stray hair behind her ear, "yeah- he's cornered himself, but it also gives him enough leeway to hold his own position, works both ways", she followed after Shepard as she ascended the stairs to the upper level coming to the door to the room Archangel was held up in.
Shepard nodded to her companions and hit the panel, the four crossed in the door shutting behind them with a soft shoom.
Shepard took lead moving closer to the figure who stood at the balcony, poised for a shot, his sniper ready in his hands scope against his eye, "Archangel?" Shepard pressed to the back of the Turian.
Archangel waved a hand as he levelled up his shot waiting patiently before sniping down a straggling merc on the level below, he turned slowly and began crossing toward them- his hips swaying as he pulled the helmet off.
Aki couldn't help but smirk as he took a seat on some crates to their side, gun between his legs as he nodded to Jane.
Shepard grinned at him recognising her old friend instantly.
"Shepard" the rasp in his voice instantly made Aki's insides squirm, she ran her eyes over him and felt herself flush, Garrus... fuck
"I thought you were dead" he continued, taking in the form of the commander her armour as usual bold- crimson and black, bulky with an N7 and Cerberus badge to the side.
Garrus frowned she's with Cerberus now? Well that's different.
"what are you doing here?" Jane pressed dumfounded at his predicament.
Garrus sighed disappointment lacing his features, mandibles clicking softly; "it's good to see you too"
Garrus looked behind to the three who stood at the commanders' shoulders.
His piercing gaze laying heavily on the small silver haired figure, Aki, he smiled softly, she looked so different, his eyes lingered on her for a long moment as she nodded to him in greeting.
Jane arched an eyebrow, "I'm just surprised to see you"
Shepard had never seen Garrus like this before, he looked broken, defeated, whatever happened here had taken its toll, "you and me both. Still it's good to see a friendly face… Or two… Killing mercs are hard work, especially on my own"
"What're you doing out here on omega?" Jane pressed, her eyes firmly on the Turian.
Garrus bowed his head, eyes on the floor, "I got fed up with all the bureaucratic crap on the citadel. Figured I could do more good on my own" he looked up to Shepard, relief and disbelief still flooding his system.
Shepard was alive and standing in front of him "at least it's not hard to find criminals here. All I have to do is point my gun and shoot"
"So, when did you become archangel?" Aki smirked "it's a drastic change" they hadn't talked for a while at least 6 months and he'd been busy it seemed.
He laughed sadly, "it's just a name the locals gave me for my… Good deeds. But it's uh, it's just Garrus to you"
Her mind wandered to the body bags, Garrus had went through so much alone, I should have been here with him.
Jane cleared her throat trying to banish the booming silence, "you shot at us, almost got me too" Jane joked
"Concussive rounds only… No harm done, didn't want the merc's getting suspicious"
Shepard folded her arms across her chest "uh huh"
"If I wanted to take more than your shield's down, I'd have done it" he smiled, "besides you were taking your sweet time had to get you moving somehow"
"So, we got here- how the hell are we getting back out?" Shepard pressed.
"That bridge has saved me- funnelling all those witless idiots into scope. But it works both ways they slaughter us if we try get out that way" Garrus stood up walking to the window, he put the scope of his sniper up to his eye and looked out no movement he noted
"So, we what? Just wait for them to rush us?" Jack frowned
"It's not all that bad" Garrus looked to them "this place has held them off so far and with the four of you, I suggest we hold this location wait for a crack in their defences and take our chances. Not a perfect plan but it's a plan"
Shepard nodded "how'd you let yourself get into this situation?"
That's what I'd like to know Aki's mind sighed as she looked to the Turian, his eyes burning fiercely
"My feelings got in the way of my better judgement. I'll make you a deal: you get me out of here alive and I'll tell you the whole damn thing"
Shepard laughed "I didn't like sneaking anyway… Let's spill a little merc blood"
Aki and Garrus laughed "glad to see you haven't changed"
Shepard and Garrus moved to the window, Garrus pulling his sniper up to his eye again and scanning the base "hmm… Looks like they know their infiltration team failed" he passed the sniper to Shepard "take a look" Shepard brought it up scanning the area with the scope "scouts. Eclipse I think"
Shepard zoomed in on a mech her finger instantly clicking the trigger blowing off its head "one less now" Jane handed the gun back to Garrus who nodded.
"We better get ready- I'll stay up here I can do a lot of damage from this vantage point. You… You can do what you do best just like old times, Shepard"
"Let's kick some ass" Jack grinned her shotgun already in hand
Aki laughed softly walking to the window "I'll be on the bridge" she dropped from the ledge, her blades out, she held the hilts tightly as the onslaught commenced.
Shots were fired from every direction, bullets whizzing through the air, orbs of biotics splattering mercenaries against walls.
Aki's earpiece filled with her comrade's happy cheers 'got that one' 'head shot', 'never saw me coming', she had missed being a part of a team, it had been years since she'd worked alongside anyone opting for solo assignments only.
"heads up, they're deploying snipers" Grunt warned.
Aki pressed a finger to her earpiece, "I'll take them" she hurled a shockwave across the bridge running in, obliterating the snipers that had been deployed, a shot crashing into the skull of the final one dousing her with splatters of blood and brains, "mine" Garrus laughed over the comm channel.
Aki turned slightly flicking the chunk of flesh from her shoulder before flipping him the bird and continuing onward his husky laugh filling her ear making every hair on her body stand on edge.
Shepard cleared the ground floor taking cover as the heavies were deployed, she swapped weapon pulling out a handgun rolling into cover, timing her shots taking out their shields before emptying a thermal clip into them.
Jane turned spotting a trooper taking cover behind a shuttle and ran for him smashing his head against the hardened frame, drawing back her arm and using the omni blade to pierce through the troopers armour dropping the twitching body to the floor, "that was the last one" the bridge went quiet… Too quiet.
Aki stood watch, using the scope on her gun to get a closer look. There was movement on the other side, a mech being deployed, air lifted over the barricade.
she looked to Shepard "Heavy mech's been deployed"
"That Problem should take care of itself" Jane assured them with a smirk
The mech whirred to life as soon as it touched the floor, merc's coming around its sides hoping to use it as protection.
The mech unleashed hell on them its guns annihilating all those who came into contact, the merc's shouts and screams echoing "regroup upstairs- take out anything that makes it passed that mech"
Aki followed Shepard emerging into the room that overlooked the bridge. Garrus and Grunt shooting down at the merc's that had begun firing upon the mech. A rocket launcher finished the job, Jack hurled biotics, flinging bodies around.
Aki frowned scanning the bridge, "Jaroth's on the bridge"
"I see him" Shepard overloaded his shield's as Garrus fired an incendiary round, the Salarian's armour went up in flames. Jack threw a shockwave knocking him off balance as Garrus lined his sight up, "got him" the shot rang out, the eclipse leaders body thudding against the floor.
"We've still got Blood pack and Blue Suns left, think we can make a break for it?"
Aki leaned back against a wall, looking to the four in front of her, "has anyone noticed they're not coming over the bridge yet?"
"They're planning something" Jack frowned "sneaky fuckers"
Garrus looked over the bridge, visor whirring softly "they've reinforced the other side heavily-" a loud bang followed by an alarm blaring cut him off
"What the hell was that?" Grunt frowned
Garrus instantly clicked on his omni tool searching the schematics, "damn it. They've breached the lower level, well they had to use their brains eventually. You'd better get down there Shepard. I'll keep the bridge clear"
Shepard shook her head, "let's split up I'm not leaving you alone. I'll leave one of my team here"
Garrus frowned slightly, his brow plate furrowed "are you sure? You don't know what's down there"
"Aki stay with Garrus- Grunt and Jack you're with me"
They nodded Grunt and Jack walked toward Shepard as Aki crossed by to the window taking up position, "Go down a level the basement is on the west side of the main room, behind the stairs- I'll radio you directions if you need help but you've gotta get down there quick"
Shepard turned on her heel, "be back soon" Grunt and Jack followed her out of the room and down the Stairs.
They entered through the door and darted down another staircase the alarms still blaring, "get to the console and close that shutter before they can get through"
Shepard nodded to Jack "you heard the man"
Aki smirked glancing to Garrus as he took up position "been a while huh"
He nodded "Shame we always meet up in these situations Aki" he frowned firing.
Aki sighed, "I wish you had of told me Garrus" she hurled Mercs away with her biotics "i would've happily teamed up with you"
"I'm sorry Aki, you're one of the most capable people I know. I don't know why I didn't." the regret laced his voice, if he had of told her maybe this wouldn't have happened but at the time it was an unnatural desire to keep her safe, even with her line of work- but to do it for him, to risk her life for him he just couldn't ask that. "I was scared for you- after losing Shepard, I just couldn't lose you too"
"and you think i could stand to lose you?" she snapped back at him she hurled the last merc off the bridge before turning to face him with a frown.
Garrus's eyes shot to her, there was always this pull between them, something that Garrus had tried and failed to brush off back on the Normandy, and after, but her words made his stomach twist painfully.
they had met up after Jane had died. Talked and got drunk on a few occasions and there were always moments like this, this crazy stillness where he couldn't breathe, move or think- where he would just drown in her presence.
he could recall her hand on his face, how she had held him as he felt the world slipping away under the weight of turian brandy, the linger of her laughter in that bar...
he knew what this feeling was and how long her had held it, but wouldn't allow it to consume him.
Aki exhaled heavily "I'm glad your safe".
Jane charged through the space between them and the console hitting the shutter panel taking cover at the side of the entrance as the countdown commenced.
Shepard fired at the oncoming merc's, she hurled a frag as the shutter slammed down the explosion echoing, they moved to the side into a hall swarming with merc's and Varren.
Jack hurled shockwaves to detonate the explosives around the room as Shepard moved in toward the console.
She took cover, gunning down the merc's within the passageway until the shutter closed.
"Just one more shutter. Hurry"
The trio turned quick heading for the final passage.
"they're making another push but we're okay so far" Garrus radioed in
"Nearly there" Shepard assured them
Shepard hit the door control and entered in placing well timed shots, jumping over the piping in the way.
"Shit-" Grunt ran pushing Shepard aside as Jack threw a pyro backward forming a Shield around them as another unleashed a flamethrower, Grunt fired into an oncoming Vorcha's chest, he threw his body back into another one advancing, a blue orb shooting them both off their feet as Jack unleashed her biotics.
"I can see the panel"
Shepard nodded "thanks" she ran, the pair behind covering her.
The shutter slammed down as the Krogan which blocked its descent was pulled forward only to be annihilated by a flurry of bullets.
"Get back here Shepard, they're coming in through the doors"
Shepard and the others darted back through the underground tunnel emerging back into the ground floor in time to see Garm and two Vorcha entering the base, a shot from above put one down, Shepard the other, more swarming behind.
Garm darted for the stairs two Krogan henchmen tailing after him.
"They're going for Archangel" Jack shouted shooting wildly
"I know- he's really pissed these fuckers off"
"Aki! - Garm's on his way- we'll take down as many as we can on our way up"
"Gotcha" Aki replied looking away from Garrus.
Jane snarled as she kicked a Varren that advanced for her in the face, assault rifle tearing through its neck, "we need to get up there"
They launched forward.
Shepard's assault rifle tore through the merc's, Grunt overloading shields before hurling frag Grenades.
Jack and Shepard ran for the remainder, biotics and guns destroying everything.
Aki's swords hacked against flesh as the Krogan burst into the room, the others running up the stairs, "I need help with this guy Shepard" Garrus shouted whilst firing.
Aki threw a warp orb at a Krogan henchman before following up with a shockwave, a biotic explosion sending him flying. Shepard took the kill firing into his skull as he emerged into the room, taking no time to fire a clip full of warp rounds into Garm.
Aki turned her attention to the other Krogan, she ran for him snap kicking him in the stomach before hurling a blue fist into his throat, he coughed and gagged.
She pulled her sword from its sheath sliding it between the plates in his armour, he thrashed against her small frame trying to overpower her, her hand twisted forcing it in deeper before ripping it free a spurt of blue following in its wake.
"shit!" Garrus shouted Aki spun to look at him as he rolled out the way of Garms advance, she snarled as the Krogan henchman's forehead connected with her face using her two seconds of distraction to his advantage. She spat the blood that pooled in her mouth into his face before charging him knocking him off his feet, her blade coming down through his throat.
Shepard rolled as Garm fired, taking cover behind a couch reloading her clip before popping up to fire again. Aki watched as Garrus fired a shot into his chest with enough force it sent him across the room.
Shepard was up in an instant ending Garm's existence with a bullet between the eyes.
"Thanks Shepard" Jane looked to him and nodded "they hardly got to me and we took out Garm and his blood pack, this day just gets better and better"
"I aim to please. Only the blue Suns left- I say we take our chances and fight our way out"
"Now you're talking" Grunt pitched in
Garrus nodded "yeah- I think you're right Tarak's got the toughest group but nothing we haven't faced before. Besides he won't be expecting us to meet him head-on- " the gunship broke through the far window glass shattering
"Heads up"
"Damn it! I thought I took that thing out already" Garrus yelled irritated
Everyone ran taking cover, "they fixed it but not completely. I made sure of that" Jane shouted over the hail of bullets.
"Yeah- bet that Batarian was juddering for a while" Jack smirked, the troops swarmed in where the gunship had made its entrance, everyone firing from cover destroying shield's leaving the troops susceptible for other team members to deliver the final blows.
"They're repelling down the side wall, ground floor" Garrus yelled over the gunfire.
Aki tailed after Shepard as she headed for the door meeting the swarm on the stairs.
She hit her cloak and jumped from the rail of the corridor landing silently behind a merc, she quickly disarmed him bringing her sword down through his chest before moving on disabling as many as she could whilst Shepard and Grunt dealt with the rest. Jack giving cover fire, the explosion from the room Garrus was in caught their attention shit!
Shepard ground her teeth "get your asses back up there!" She hollered.
"Garrus!" Aki yelled darting up the stairs.
Shepard gasped as her shoulder was pulled backward tugging her from the line of fire as the gunship ripped through the room trying to annihilate anyone within. She looked to the silver haired woman gripping her tightly, "fuck" Jane swallowed hard too close
Aki's stomach knotted painfully.
She looked around spotting the fallen Turian who lay in a pool of blue blood and ran for him.
Aki grunted throwing up a biotic bubble around them, her body doubled over the Turian protecting him from any more harm, "shit Garrus!" She swallowed hard panic setting in, oh fuck!
Shepard ran to the couch watching as Aki held up her shield with one hand whilst frantically trying to stem the bleeding with medi-gel, "he alive?" Jane pressed hesitantly.
"Yeah" aki nodded
Jane nodded once sternly as she ducked using the couch as cover. she swapped weapons pulling out a rocket launcher, "let's take this fucker down" she motioned to Grunt who nodded with a snarl, they never ceased their relentless crossfire, Jack hurling the gunship backward.
The gunship started smoking, fires spurting from the turbines.
Shepard quickly stood up, a final round connecting with the ship, it burst into a fiery mass and fell from the sky an explosion echoing out.
"Don't you dare die on me" Aki whispered as she held his bloodied body, "don't you leave me Garrus" his breaths were gasps, blood dripping from his mouth, "oh fucking hell!"
Jane ran to her sister as she cradled the broken Turian in her arms, his breathing raspy, it did not look good, "we're getting you outta here Garrus- hold on"
Shepard looked to Jack "radio joker make sure they're ready for us"