Hey guys and gals!

Here is another chapter for you guys to enjoy! Today (17th of June) marks a special day for me. It's now one year ago I posted the first three chapters of this story. And look at it now, 40 chapters strong. I'm so glad for all you, all the reviews you leave really do keep me going, so please keep it up.

I have (Once again) broken a chapter up into two. Sorry about that, on the top side, next chapter should be out sometime next week.

Kind regards

KanisRussell.

22/7 2185

Illum

Miranda was leading the way. She had a contact that would help her. Garrus was right beside Mads. Tali had been left back at the Normandy, considering the episode yesterday; it was probably for the best she stayed back. Mads had no idea what went through Tali's head yesterday, but he had a feeling it would have ended ugly. Still, he feared he might have given the wrong message to Tali, when he told her to stay back. He would have to correct that at some point.

Miranda spoke with the Asari contact she had. There had been a problem; her father was rushing his plan. Her contact, Niket or something, had warned them. She got the location of the men who wished to kidnap her sister.

Her father certainly had the resources. The Eclipse were by no means cheap and there were a lot of them. They even shot at their sky car as they flew around. They ceased their fire quickly however. Landing was not that comfortable, but it would do. The Merc leader came up to them as they got out of the car.

"What a warm welcome." Mads mumbled as he climbed out.

The Merc leader stopped a few yards before them. His goons had already lined up behind him. He looked smug, and way too sure of himself. "My contractor told me to give you guys one chance to walk away. You are getting it now."

"No deal. We are here for my sister!" Miranada replied. The Merc leader's face turned red at the rejection of, what his saw to be, a perfectly fair plan. Tension grew thick in the air and the Mercs slowly raised their firearms.

Mads' hand went to his belt and pretty much all the guns were pointed at them. Even the Merc leader equipped his pistol.

"Fellas! Please, calm down. I'm just getting a cigarette." Mads tried to reason. They did sort calm down a little, but when he reached for his concealed lighter, they trained their guns at them once again.

"Come on guys. We're just talking. And I can't smoke a cigarette without fire, can I?" Mads said as he showcased the lighter to them. Once again, they calmed down. "We can be reasonable, no need for this to end bloody."

"The deal stands, walk away and we won't harm you." The Merc said for a finally time as Mads gave fire to his own cigarette.

"It saddens me to hear that, I thought you were a sound businessman. Let's make another deal. You all walk away, and we get the sister. Everyone wins." Mads proposed. They all stared at him for a while to see if he was serious.

"Like I said, our deal is the only one that flies." The Merc leader said, presumably as a final note.

Mads sighed. "You drive a hard bargain. But, if that's the way it has to be, then so be it." Mads let out. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see both Garrus and Miranda looking at him confused. Did he just admit defeat? Would he just allow them to take her sister?

Mads began to holster his lighter and the Merc leader once again had a smug look on his face, believing he had won. Then, just as Mads had locked the zippo lighter to his belt, Mads did a quick draw. So quick that most people didn't even notice it. He fired a shot, and it was a bullseye to the throat of the Merc leader, who instantly fell to the ground with his hands locked around his own throat in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding.

The other Mercs were caught off guards. But Garrus and Miranda were quick to seize the opportunity and begin firing. It didn't take long for the rest of the Mercs to be either dead or seriously wounded. The Merc leader was still on the ground trying his damnest to stop the bleeding. Mads squatted down next to him and took an extra-long huff of his cigarette.

"I'd reckon.. You got maybe... 1-2 minutes left before you die. Now, the reason why you are dying, it's because of that good ol' sin... .What's it called? Ahhh yes, Pride. You see, I gave you a choice to walk away, and you didn't. That is why you are at death's door now. I hope hell suits you well, and be sure to tell the devil I'm coming for his ass next." Mads explained to the dying man, who pretty much kicked the bucket right after Mads was done speaking.

"God damn, Romanov. You just took everyone by surprise." Garrus said as he came up to Mads' side. Mads slowly closed the eyes of deceased Merc Leader.

"It's always about getting an edge." Mads replied as he got up. "Let's go kill the dipshits that want your sister" Mads ordered. Miranda nodded. "Thank you." She said silently.

Shooting, killing, running. That was what they did. When they came upon a radio, Miranda was able to patch them in and get them an update on what was going on. She even told Mads more in detail about her sister, and what she did. Deep down, Mads could understand, in some twisted fucked up way.

"Family is precious. I get that, I really do." Mads told her, and she knew what he meant. That look of understanding, it seemed to be new to her.

"What about this Niket fella, can he be trusted?" Mads asked as they rode an elevator up.

"Of course he can!" Miranda said like it was the dumbest question in the universe. "He is the closest friend I got, he helped me when one else would."

"And you're sure your father doesn't know about your friendship with Niket? He could be using him against you." Mads asked, he had to make sure. It wasn't about being rude, but if there was a chance, he had to know about it.

"No way in hell that is ever going to happen. He understands how my father is like." That should be it, case closed, right?

Another set of bad guys to shoot came upon them. Oh boy, her father was throwing numbers at this job. It was clear that this was something he wasn't about to let go. Maybe that was understandable, he had thrown many hours of research into creating Miranda and her sister. But sympathy for twisted guys was never really Mads' strong suit.

Then, in some fucked up irony, the radio once again came to life. The top Merc on the job spoke about Niket, and that he would be turned over the sister to them any moment now. Miranda was confused, trying to find an answer that wasn't there. Mads knew the Merc leader wasn't fucking with them.

And then, the doors opened. The satisfaction of being right wasn't sweet on Mads. Because Miranda was broken at the realization that Niket had turned on her. Niket also realized it was Miranda.

"Miri." He spoke, completely surprised to see her. It was clear he hadn't been properly briefly that she was headed his way. That Captain Enyala jumped off the crate.

"This should be fun."

"Niket! You snake! You sold me out?" Miranda asked, a hint of sadness in her voice. The betrayal had hit her hard.

"It wasn't about choice. You stole your sister!" Niket replied

"I recused her." Miranda corrected.

"Did you? You might think as much. There was a life of wealth waiting for her, and you took that from her! I know what it's like to be poor." Niket said in a rather harsh tone.

"Listen. Niket, you can still make this right. We are not without mercy. If you lie to Miranda's father and tell him you don't know where the kid is, we can let you walk. As simple as that." Mads promised.

"How do I know that deal is valid? That you won't just turn your back on me." Niket asked.

"Judge not, and you will not be judged. Condemn not, and you will not be condemned... Forgive... And you will be forgiven. Those are some note-worthy words from the bible. You will do well to remember them." Mads explained.

He seemed sold on the idea. "Okay. I'll do it."

"I don't want to see you ever again, Niket!" Miranda added.

Before Niket could reply, he was dead. "Done" Captain Enyala remarked after killing him.

"You bitch!" Miranda said as she went on the offensive. Garrus joined her. Mads sighed. It would always end in bloodshed. No matter what you proposed. Miranda and Garrus were locked in a trench war with Captain Enyala and her troops. Mads took the opportunity to sneak around. He was successful in doing so. He came up behind the captain. He pulled out his new knife. It was time to test how good it was.

He grabbed a hold of her forehead and turned her head up, exposing her throat. She dropped her weapon and attempted to struggle, right up until she felt the cold steel press against her throat. "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh." and then he slid her throat.

It was smooth with the new knife. She once again tried to stop the bleeding in a fruitless attempt. She did, however, stay on her feet. Mads decided to finish her off. He kicked her in the back, causing her to launch forward. Her waist touched the railing and she fell over, falling a long way down to her death.

That marked the end of that battle. Mads wiped the blood of the blade. When will they ever learn? He thought, everything would be so much simpler if they didn't always overestimate their own abilities. If they would just listen to him, everything would have been so much better. That should go for everyone.

After the battle, they decided to go and check up on Miranda's sister, Oriana. They saw her with her old family. She was none the wiser over the fight for her that had occurred. She looked very happy, Miranda watched her.

"Aren't you going to say hi?" Mads asked as he stood by Miranda's side.

"She doesn't know me. And it would be dangerous if I let her know about me. This is how it should be. She gets to live the life I have always dreamed of." She replied. Mads tried to read her face, and saw that she was debating this herself.

"Family is everything. Family is who you die for. I think you should say hi, let her know she has a sister that cares about her. That can mean the world to her, and I think it can mean a lot to you as well." Mads persisted.

Miranda sighed. Then she nodded after a short period of silence. She began walking over to her sister. Mads didn't know what they talked about, but they seemed to smile and laugh together. That should close that chapter in the book. There was closure after all, and that made Mads smile. It was true, him and Miranda were by no means good friends, but they needed each other to finish this mission.

23/7 2185

Normandy

Mads had original planned the leave on this day, but something came up. Something always comes up. The illusive man had been kind enough to send some very interesting information to him. The shadow Broker. The man/woman who was everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

And Liara was hot on his/her tail. This information could give Liara the edge she needed. Now, the moral question remained. Should he give it to her? Would it make her feel better? Should he even care?

That did of course raise the question, if Liara killed the Shadow Broker, what would come after? What sort of aftermath should they expect? As far as Mads had understood, there has always been a Shadow Broker, and it seems certain that there always will be. So, what's the harm in letting Liara get a little revenge?

Why did he have to be her moral compass? It's not like he was much of a figure to look up to. Sometimes... Sometimes a little revenge can help people get over things, something it leaves them empty.

Either way, he was going to do it. He called up Garrus and they both walked to Liara's office on Illum. Liara was surprised to see them both there, unsure of what they wanted. Mads and Garrus both took a seat. Mads cleared his throat as Liara wanted patiently for him to speak.

"I know you are after the Shadow Broker, Liara." Mads stated. Liara was instantly interested.

"That is true." Liara replied as she shifted in her seat, eagerly waiting for what he had to say.

"Then you might find this little piece of information interesting." Mads remarked as he gave her a small hard disk with the information. Liara took a look at it after hooking it up to her terminal. She saw the information and was amazed by it. It showed different contractors for the Shadow Broker... But most of all... It showed someone she knew.

Feron was his name. "What's this Feron to you?" Mads asked as Liara looked over the picture. Studying it.

"He... He was my friend. He helped me." Liara replied.

"With what?" Mads pressed on.

Liara sighed. She probably realized she might as well tell the truth. "When you died... I was... I was lost. You had taken me under your wing; you were there for me when my mother died." Liara took a pause. She stood up from her chair and looked out the window over the Illum market square.

"For a time I went back to the way things were before. I was adrift for some time, until someone contacted me. I had never figured I would ever assist Cerberus, and I never thought they would seek help from someone who wasn't even human. I recovered your body from the Shadow Broker. He was going to sell it to the collectors. Cerberus put me up with Feron. I didn't think I could trust him for one bit, but in the end, he sacrificed himself for my safety." Liara explained.

"Jesus... I'm sorry Liara. I didn't know." Mads said. Unsure of what to make of the events that had taken place while he was dead.

"So you see, Romanov. I can't leave him for dead, not when I know he is alive."

"I understand, I really do."

"I'll need to research this. And I need some time alone."

"I'll come to your apartment later, we can speak about the next course of action." Mads said. Liara thought about it for a few seconds, before nodding. "Okay, I'll see you there." She stormed out. Mads simply leaned back in the chair.

Later that night, Mads and Garrus went to Liara's apartment. Only to find it a crime scene. Virtual police tape (that was pretty much as big a joke as the real thing) was set up. Officers were investigating the scene, looking for clues. Mads simply walked through the virtual tape, that reacted to him with a small alarm. The officers looked up at him and Garrus and ordered them to stop.

"Hey you there! You're not supposed to be here!" One of the officers barked. Mads just mimicked a jerking off gesture. The Asari officer looked confused at him.

"There are allowed here. You two are dismissed." A figure from the shadows ordered.

"But you can't do that!" The Asari officer protested.

"I just did. Now get out of here." Mads could see her now. She too was an Asari, although she did have some more fancy armor than the rest of them.

"And who are you?" Mads asked as he eyed the Asari walking down the stairs. The officers left the apartment.

"I'm Tela Vasir. Special Tactics and Reconnaissance." She replied.

"A Spectre? Interesting." Mads remarked. What was a Spectre doing working a small time thing like this?

"It should be. But, I'm nothing compared to you, Captain Romanov." She said.

"You want me to give you an autograph?" Mads joked.

"Yeah sure, right here on my chest plate."

"Hehehehhe- Fuck you." Mads replied.

"So, tell me. Where you close to Dr. T'Soni?" Tela asked.

"We were friends. What happened?" Mads asked back, while taking a look around the apartment.

"Someone didn't like your friend. It seems like there was an attempted murder." She answered. "You're welcome to look around, we couldn't find any information on her current whereabouts."

"I will." Mads replied and began looking more around. The biggest thing was the bullet hole in the glass. "A sniper, high caliber." Mads remarked as he studied it.

"Someone really had it out for your friend. Had she been doing something to piss someone off?" Tela asked.

"Oh boy, hasn't she? She was an information broker. Could be a lot of people after her." Mads knew this was because of the Shadow Broker, but he wanted to see what the Spectre was after.

Mads looked further around the apartment, ignoring all the comments from the Asari Spectre as he looked for clues. Tela had stated that Liara had stuck around long enough to do something before she left. Mads knew it was probably to try and leave a message to him. He saw a piece of his old armor, he smiled as he saw it. Completely damaged, it's a wonder they could salvage him.

Then, he checked out her bedroom. And lo and behold, there was a small picture of the original Normandy. He picked it up to look closer at it, but it turned at his touch. It now showed a picture of Ilos. Interesting indeed. Mads began to look closer at the things in the apartment with Prothean background. He did so until he found what he was looking for. A small disk with a video, it showed the last conversation with a Salarian. It even gave him a location.

"No time to waste then." The Spectre said. Before they could leave the apartment, Mads grabbed Garrus' arm. "Keep an eye on her, I don't trust her." Mads whispered, just low enough so she couldn't hear it. Garrus nodded at the request, he had his own doubts about her.

When they arrived at the place, they were greeted by a bomb going off. It shook the ground they stood on, Mads almost lost his balance. "Looks like the party has already started." Mads remarked as people stormed out of now burning building.

"I'll fly up and start to look from there. You take the ground and work your way up." She ordered as she got back in the car.

"Yeah sure." Mads mumbled. "Looks like we get the ass end of this job." Mads remarked as he began to walk forward to the building. Garrus nodded and followed him inside. Someone had leaked her location, and if Mads were to make a qualified guess, it was the Spectre. Everything about her was... Rotten, in one way or another.

Smoke was filling the lobby, and the sound of a distorted voice over that was glitching out. The alarm had gone off as well and the lobby was filled with injured people. Most of the doors had locked, and the elevator was out. The only way up was the stairs.

And the dipshits who blew the bomb was still there as well, most likely to finish the job and clear up any loose ends. The shadow broker liked it that way. Mads and Garrus took cover behind one of the walls as Mads equipped his AK. He checked the mag to see if it was full, and then he peaked around the corner.

Garrus and Mads fought their way through the building, taking each corridor with ease, yet with caution. Mads was sure to check every room for signs of Liara. The continued to move up, and with each corridor came a new set of agents send straight from the Shadow Broker.

While the agents were good (The Shadow broker didn't buy anything cheap) they simply weren't as good as Mads and Garrus. Mads could see how good Garrus was becoming, in fact, he would even go as far as to say Garrus could lead almost as well as Mads. However, Garrus couldn't motive his fellow troops as well as Mads, in there lies the problem.

They came to a door, and while they began opening it, they heard a gunshot on the other side. Mads held a firm grip on his AK as the door slowly opened. It revealed the Salarian, Sakat was his name, dead on the ground. The agent, who killed him, had been killed by Tela.

"Damn, if only I had been a second faster." She remarked. Mads could sense a lie, there was writing on the wall.

When Mads didn't respond, she went to another topic. "Did you find the body of your friend?"

And... Almost on cue, Liara showed up, right behind them. Almost like she had a teleporter or something like that.

"You mean this body?" Liara asked as she pointed her gun at Tela. Either Liara had the same feeling as Mads. Or, more likely, she had information he hadn't. So Mads didn't take Tela's side.

"This is the woman who tried to kill me!" Liara said, not even realizing Mads had taken her side already.

"You had a rough day, put the gun down." Tela commanded. Yet she took a few steps backwards.

"I saw you break into my apartment after I left. Don't act innocent." Liara replied.

"I knew there was something rotten about you." Mads said as he pulled out his magnum and pointed it at the Spectre.

"Thanks for the help by the way." Tela said.

"She the one who called the Shadow Broker's men here. They bombed the place. She even beat me to Sekat and stole the data. She still has the disk."

"That's right, but you won't ever see its content." Tela used her biotic powers to crush the window behind her and use the glass to try and kill them. Luckily, Liara was fast as well. She formed a biotic shield, keeping them safe from the flying sharp glass pieces.

When Tela saw this, she made a run for it. Trying to make it to the window and jump out. Mads ran after her and managed to spoil her plan, even if it was only by a little. He threw them both out the window, yet he didn't count on her using her biotics to land safely. Mads had biotics, but he hadn't learned all the things yet. And he hardly ever used them.

He landed hard on the ground, letting out a grunt of pain as he landed. Liara jumped down as well as began to run after Tela. Mads took a few moments to get on his feet again.