A/N: Woah, hello there readers! Hope all of you are doing well!

I believe I said something along the lines of the next chapters coming soon in the last chapter… Well, it seems I have to stop giving out promises that I apparently can't keep. I have no idea why this chapter took so long. I have no real explanation to give to you. The chapter isn't that long either, but I figured it would be better to give you guys something rather than having you guys wait another six months for a slightly larger update.

The story passed it's 4 year birthday… And that makes me feel old. I still remember starting it, and somehow I have yet to actually complete a FanFiction in those four years I have been active… Let's just hope I can at least finish this before I kick the bucket.

Anyhows, Enjoy the chapter fellers, and please leave some reviews!

Kind regards

KanisRussell.

30/4/2186

SSV Normandy, on route to the Citadel.

It was with a heavy heart that they helped those poor workers on the mining colony. It was no doubt that those workers would be in for the shock of their life when they saw the wider state of the Galaxy. The Alliance was notified of the place and would help them along, perhaps even give them some purpose. Mads and his team went back to the ship soon after that. All of them were a bit confused as to what had happened, having been left with more questions than answers. While the scope of this was getting larger, it seemed as though they were playing with fire. Leviathan was no joke. It didn't want to be found, but it's secret intrigued all of them. One way or another, they would uncover it.

"So Leviathan not only is capable of destroying a Reaper, and effectively posing such a threat that they allocate resources to find it, but it's also able to indoctrinate?" Mads asked no one in particular in the meeting room. He shifted a bit on his feet as his mind tried to comprehend what they had seen on the mining colony. Leviathan was shaping out to be much more dangerous than first thought. But if they could somehow manage to study it, or understand it… Hell, if they could get it on their side, imagine what it might mean for the war effort.

"Could it actually be a Reaper?" Tali asked back. Mads thought about it for a second.

"It's possible, a rogue Reaper perhaps? Doesn't make much sense though. Could be that Leviathan has picked up a few of the Reaper's tricks to use against the Reapers over the years. Question is… Why does it fight against them?" Mads theorized as he sat down.

"Maybe an old enemy? Still fighting out of spite? Seems likely at least. Though it doesn't match any known species we know, it might be an age-old enemy. One left still fighting." Jane argued. Mads and Kaiden both nodded in agreement.

"Good thinking Jane. That's where I lean towards as well." Mads replied with a smile. "Edi, did we get anything noteworthy from Dr. Garneau's notes?" Mads asked Edi, who turned to face him.

"Yes, it seems that Garneau created a way to block the artifact's mind-affecting properties. The artifact seems to be the key." Edi answered, and Mads nodded his head.

"Alright, there was an artifact in Dr, Bryson's office, right? We need to shield it off then. I want you with me when we return there, Edi." Mads requested.

"Of course." She replied, as if she had always expected that outcome. Mads smiled, sometimes it was still weird seeing her in that robot body, but he was also a bit shocked at how accustomed he had become to it. Joker in particular had really adapted to it.

"Dismissed for now then." Mads said, and watched as his entire team went their ways to fulfill their duties on the ship. Tali remained though, and he was glad she did. "I want to know more about those artifacts. Right now they seem to be too hot, especially if they can control people like that…" Mads remarked.

"Agreed. We need to do something about the one on the Citadel. If not… There is no telling what damage it could do." Tali said. "And you still didn't buy me dinner. I'm still waiting, and I do not forget." He knew she was smiling under that damn helmet.

"I'll keep that in mind." Mads replied cheekily. It might be nice to enjoy a little downtime while they were on the Citadel. But somehow it also felt wrong to take shore leave, especially since everyone back on Earth didn't have that option.

1/5/2186

Citadel.

Mads had noticed how down his shuttle pilot Steve Cortez seemed most of the time. He felt glad that Steve was secure enough to share what had happened to him, and Mads understood that kind of pain… And a lot of people out there were probably feeling the same thing. There were dual reasons as to why he had suggested Steve take the time to do something that could make him relax, both because he sympathized with him, as well as because he needed him to be invested in living. Burying yourself in work only seemed to do the trick for a short time, he knew that as well.

That's why Mads was happy to find Steve standing in at the Dock, his hands on the railing looking out at the vessels being taxied in and out of the citadel docks. He had mentioned he enjoyed it during that in his early days. It was a nice thing to fall back on, giving yourself a moment.

"You know, there is a wall in the refugee camp, a place where people hang up memories of their loved ones… Perhaps I should….-"

"What's stopping you?" Mads asked, hoping it would be a push in the right direction.

"Nothing… Nothing I suppose." Steve answered as self realization hit him.

"I'll come with you if you'd like. Might make it easier." Mads suggested. It was the least he could do for the poor man, especially after all that Cortez had done for him.

"Yes… That would be nice."

They walked to the elevator together and took it down a level, and found the refugee camp as overloaded as it always was. People without homes were stuck there, asking for handouts. And in the sea of cries for food or shelter, was the wall with pictures. Steve looked at it, clutching the data drive tightly in his hands as he tried to muster up the strength to finally let go, and do the right thing. The very thing his late husband asked him to do. Mads placed his hand on Steve's shoulder.

"Go ahead." It was an order, but he knew that was what Steve needed to hear. He needed someone else telling him to do it. Steve nodded slowly, and began making his way to the wall, until finally he came up to it. With a heavy heart, he placed the data drive on the wall, and said his final goodbyes. In time, it might be a beautiful memory, but not right now. Steve was still struck by tears, and it wasn't something that would go away overnight.

At least now, the first steps towards a new tomorrow were being undertaken by the shuttle pilot. That was the most important step as well.

1/5/2186

Dr. Bryson's office, Citadel.

Mads rushed straight for the artifact in the lab. They couldn't afford to waste a single second, especially since there was no telling how far the range was on that thing. If given enough time, it may very well be able to influence all of the Citadel. "Edi, can you close this thing off?" Mads asked as he stared at it. He wondered if perhaps it was already beginning to work it's magic on him.

"Using Garneau's notes, I should be able to shield it off without any difficulties." Edi remarked as she went to work. And within a few seconds, a button lit up, which Mads pushed. It turned on some sort of shield, hopefully it would be enough to stop it's effect from taking root.

"Why weren't Bryson… Or us for that matter, affected by it? It's been here for god knows how long." Mads asked, hoping someone would pop out with the answer.

"Could be determined by how much time you spend near the artifact." Tali suggested. She was probably right, even indoctrination took time, as evident by Saren, or Benezia's talk three years ago. "Spend a long enough time around it, and within a long enough timeline Leviathan has enough control to fully use a host as it pleases." Tali continued on.

"It's dangerous as hell then. I mean, the assistant tried to put a bullet in both me and you Tali. Is it even an ally worth recruiting?" Mads wondered, once again voicing his thoughts to the room.

"It could be trying to protect itself by controlling them. Throw people off it's trail." Edi theorized. Mads thought about it. It was certainly possible.

"Could very well be, but it also proves that we have yet to understand what we are chasing." Mads replied with a sigh. This was already proving tough, but it had to be. If Leviathan was as old as they thought it was, how long had it hidden itself from the outside world? It wouldn't be an easy road to follow, but it was a path they had to walk.

"Regardless, this artifact is still our main resource for finding Leviathan. We have no other links." Edi pointed out, and once again, she was right. As of now, this was the only way to find the creature. "Perhaps we could find some more information around the lab?" Edi suggested. Mads, once again, nodded.

"You're right. Let us take another look around here, see if we can't find something. It's possible his team found something useful." Mads ordered, and they all instantly went around to have a look at what the lab had to offer. The apartment, or house depending on you ask, itself was large, and there was a lot of group to cover.

They spent almost an hour looking around, trying to determine their best lead. Their best lead was currently his daughter, Ann. She had left a message to Dr. Garneau explaining that she theorised the artifact could control people. If indeed she had uncovered another artifact, perhaps she knew more. It was just a question of learning where she was. First, they learned the project name, afterwards they found the specs for the ship she left on. A study of the gear she had taken along with her, and what she hadn't taken with her.

With all that information gathered, Edi could predict where Ann went. Once again, liable to be somewhere nasty, and there was bound to be Reapers going there as well. They couldn't afford to waste time, especially when Ann was their only current lead. Seems dinner would have to wait once more.

2/5/2186

SSV Normandy, on route to Zaherin.

"Did you ever hear of a Leviathan in your cycle, Javik?" Mads asked curiously as he watched the Prothean wash his hands for, what must have been, the millionth time.

"No. As far as I was concerned, the only Reaper killers were us.." Javik replied with the usual cold demeanor that only he could pull off so effortlessly.

"Fair enough I guess." Mads sighed. It was often hard to keep a conversation going with the Prothean."Do you support the idea that we could get it on our side?" Mads tried to ask. Javik looked over at him, unimpressed as ever.

"Everyone must fight, Captain. It is the way of nature. If this Leviathan is capable of killing a Reaper, it should come out of hiding and fight. Only cowards hide." Javik really did follow a doctrine of Social Darwinism, but apparently the entire Prothean empire did. "Do you really believe that uniting the Geth with the Quarians will result in peace, Captain? Synthetics always rebel against their creators." Javik turned around and asked, changing the subject completely. Mads wasn't surprised at the question, it was one he himself had wondered about a fair bit the last few days.

"I do. Legion proved the Geth weren't as we figured. They were always seeking to understand organics, and now they might very well have that chance. As long as the Quarians can keep the peace with the Geth, and view them as equal partners and not as slaves… Then I think this galaxy will be better off… And having two fleets for the price of one isn't so bad either." Mads answered truthfully.

"I hope you are right, Captain." Was all Javik had to say, the conversation pretty much ending there. It was clear Javik felt strongly about this, and Mads could see why. He had spent his entire life fighting Reapers, to showcase trust for any synthetic would be like throwing your lot in with the enemy. Good thing Javik had sworn to be with Mads until the Reapers were done for.

Seeing as the conversation had been closed by Javik, Mads exited the Protheans' room, stopped just before the door to look back at the Prothean, and then turned his eyes to the memory shard, which Javik had told him contained the memories of countless Protheans before him. It was weird how Mads could sometimes see himself in the Prothean, they were very much alike, and at the same time, not.

He finally fully exited the room and made his way to engineering, and the first thing that greeted him was an argument between Engineer Donnelly and Engineer Daniels. It wasn't unusual, Donnelly had a thing for commenting on women's curves, and every other aspect of their bodies. But this time it was different, Daniels was accusing Donnelly of not commenting on her body. Mads could see where this was going, and he smiled a bit. Donnelly and Daniels were always going to be a couple sooner or later. Seems Engineer Daniels decided to push a bit now.

"We're not fighting this war for ourselves, Kenneth. We're fighting it for the ones close to us. You would do well in remembering that." Mads reminded the Scottish engineer, who seemed to take it to heart.

"You're right Captain… Gabby… I think your legs are spectacular." Kenneth finally said, and somehow it seemed as though he did feel relieved in saying that, perhaps it had already been on his mind. Kenneth was probably hoping to save getting tangled up in a relationship until the war was over… But with this kind of war, it could go either way. Better to live in the moment.

"Well… That's a start." Gabby replied, having calmed down a bit. Mads smiled as he walked away from the two, he hoped the prompt was enough to at least get the train going, for better or for worse.

"Good thing you at least got them to shut up. I tried saying the same thing to Donnelly, but I think he needed to hear it from you." Tali remarked as she turned to face him. Mads gestured with his head to have her follow him to the drive core. She did as instructed.

"Maybe. Life is short enough as it is, no need to hold back, especially not in these times we live in." Mads said, and perhaps that was true enough for himself. Not living life. "I have been meaning to ask, how is it going on Rannoch? Are the Geth and Quarians getting along?" He then asked.

"Yes, surprisingly we have. So far at least. It's still a bit too early to know for sure, but the Geth are helping us resettle our planet, and speeding up the process of helping our immune systems." Tali answered with a hopeful tone.

"Really? How?" Mads asked confused.

"The Geth are uploading themselves into our suits, mincking infections to help our immune system adapt better and without too much risk. It almost doesn't seem possible, but in a few years there will be Quarian children who will be able to walk around with suits… Of course, we might still wear them. The suits have become a part of our culture." She then explained, and Mads was impressed. The Geth were really doing their part to help their former enemies.

"That's… Fantastic, unbelievable almost… Just let me know if a Geth uploads itself into your suit though." Mads joked a bit. Tali laughed.

"Don't worry. The only one who gets inside my suit is you." Mads smiled at that. She got closer to him. "Nothing stands between us now… Go up to your cabin, I left something for you there." She requested.

"I will." He promised. And with that, he left her to work.

The picture was beautiful, it captured her beauty so well. It was a nice gesture from her, he couldn't help but smile as he looked at it. Usually she had been camera shy, not willing to have any picture taken of her without the mask. This signaled a huge show of trust on her part… And it made him realize he needed to begin to trust her to the fullest as well.

Dr. Chakwas and Tali had both been riding him on his alcohol abuse, like how he drank every night before bed, often sneaking a little bit of whiskey in his cup in the morning, taking sips of vodka throughout the day, hidden in his water bottle. No longer… He had to trust them. So, in the moment, he decided that he would win this war as a sober man, so he could actually see where it was going. He would have to address the smoking as well, but one thing at the time.

It was a radical change, for him at least. The last 12 years of his life had been on autopilot, like sleep walking through a haze of smoke. Never once caring for what happened to him. He perhaps should have taken it as a blessing that Cerberus had seen fit to effectively give him a new liver and a new set of lungs, like hitting the reset button… Only to fall right back into the same old habits, like it was an obligation. Mind over matter it seems, old habits die hard, but they have to die at some point.

It wouldn't be the death of him, he decided. He was taking back control, and no time like the present to do it. Always postponed such issues were more than likely to result in him just not doing anything about it. So, he had a strange mixture of pride and sorrow emptying out his alcohol bottles and throwing them away. A chapter begins, a better one perhaps.

4/5/2186

Zaherin.

"The entire place is a hot zone Captain!" Steve yelled out as they were approaching the LZ. Mads could see the same signatures as Steve. Reapers were all over the campsite, tracking down and killing everyone there.

"Any sign of Ann Bryson?" Mads asked as he tried to steady himself in the shuttle.

"Negative Captain, I think she might be-... Hold on a sec! A signal is coming through!" Steve said as he tried to enhance it. "I see her! In that prefab!" Steve proclaimed as he opened up the shuttle doors. Her voice could barely be heard over the comms, but she was alive… For now at least.

Before they could proceed any further, they came under attack from a harvester. Rocking the shuttle violently as Steve struggled to regain control of the shuttle. Mads cursed under his breath as he tried to remain steady. "Can you put us down?" Mads asked as he made his way to the cockpit.

"Negative Captain! Too hot! I'll find a new spot!" Steve said as he flew the shuttle up about a click further on the cliff side. "Go!" He commanded as he opened the shuttle doors, they all rushed out. Steve took off like a stabbed rat, trying his hardest to avoid the wrath of the harvesters. Lucky for him, he was still one of the best shuttle pilots in the Alliance. Steve hadn't been kidding when he said the scene was hot. Reaper forces were there in numbers, attacking this research station like it was a vital war asset. It matched up to what they had seen on the mining colony, the Reapers were as obsessed with finding the artifacts as they were, and that probably meant that Ann was sitting duck right about now.

Armed with this knowledge, Mads ordered his team to move forward. They navigated the research station, which was falling apart around them. Reaper forces tried to hold them back, sending husks and the like after them. It was enough to slow them down, enough so that Mads was worried they might not make it to Ann in time. If Ann died, so did their only lead. It was with this mindset Mads pushed forward, through the very thick of it. He dropped the Reaper forces and tried to avoid falling alongside the buildings. They scaled the cliff, moving further upwards to get to their goal, Dr. Bryson.

It was tough, having to keep your mind focused on not just killing the enemies, but minding where your feet were, but both were just as likely to kill you. But, through usage of their skills, they made it to Ann's workstation, where she was still holding up. He knew she was still alive, they had kept in contact over the comms. She had a look of relief on her face, but at the same time, sadness. She had witnessed the Death of her coworkers in front of her. Mindless slaughter by the Reapers was likely to break anyone, no matter how tough one claimed to be.

"Thank god you are here! I was beginning to think that-..." She paused, unsure if finishing the sentence was wise. He understood.

"We got you, Ann. But we need to get you out of here." Mads said as he checked the ammo count in his magazine.

"Right… Yes, of course." She replied as he helped her off the ground. The other team members took point as Mads escorted her forward.

"Tell me what's going on Doctor." Mads requested as they took cover.

"Well… I was at the dig site… Doing work on the Leivatian. Then… The Reapers showed up in force, and began killing us…" She paused, looked away to try and get the images out of her head. She looked back at him. "Captain… What's going on?" She was nervous, but confused at the same time, as would be expected in such a situation.

"I have been following the Leivatian's leads. Pretty sure the Reapers are doing the same thing, hence why we both are here. My best-"

"Romanov, Look!" Garrus pointed to the painting on the wall. It looked a bit like one of those ancient cave paintings one might find dotted around Earth. Primitive cultures tried to document their own lifes. They must have missed it on the way in.

"Is that Leivatian?" Mads asked, almost concerned. It looked as though the species that used to roam this planet worshipped the being like a god, probably made these paintings to honor it.

"Yes, I believe so… It's-... Old, older than we thought. To me, it looks as though the natives are under its power." Ann clarified. Mads shrugged.

"Willingly?" Mads asked as he continued looking at it. He knew the answer.

"Most likely not." She answered as he looked at it. "It looks like a Reaper, but to me it seems as though it acted alone, outside of their power… It's just a theory of course." Ann explained, and that lined up with one of their theories so far, the most likely theory. Perhaps a Reaper that grew a conscience. Mads never thought such a thing was possible, but then again… Anything is possible.

"Did you find something of note recently? An artifact?" Mads then asked, remembering the call she gave Dr. Garneau.

"Yes, of course, the Artifact. Incredible, it's just ahead." Ann gestured to the path before them. Mads gave an order for his team to move up. Mads looked out over the horizon, and it was still filled with Harvesters. It was still a surreal thing to see, like massive birds carelessly flying through the sky. "It may sound strange, but I am certain it affects people, but I only had a short time to study it, so I can't say for sure." Ann explained as they moved along.

"It's not a theory doc. Seen it first hand. In fact, I meant to tell you-" Before Mads could move any further with his attempt to tell her that her Father had died, Garrus called out that there were Reaper forces just ahead of them. They all ducked down to get a better look, and sure enough, they were toying with the artifact. It looked like one of them was using it in a fashion not entirely dissimilar from Prothean beacons. "What are they doing?" Mads asked concerned. There was no telling where this would go next.

"I don't know. It seems like they have activated it tried, but we never managed anything-" A sudden shift changed, she paused. Mads looked over at her, and saw only the same he had seen at the Office back on the citadel. Her demeanor changed for the worse, she became darker in a sense. She walked forward a few steps, looking at the scene standing straight up, not giving a damn that she exposed not only herself, but the entire squad to the Reapers.

"They have learned too well… The Darkness must not be breached…" She said, but it was not her voice nor words. It was Levithan.

"Take out the artifact!" Mads quickly ordered, and Garrus quickly lined up a shot and took the thing out before it could do any more damage. The Reaper forces interacting with the artifact were blown away, but they were far from the only forces there. Ann was released just as soon as it had overtaken her. She fell to her knees as Mads ordered Cortez to come pick them up at once. But he was still two minutes out, which meant they had to survive until then. Mads made sure to tell Ann that if she saw that Shuttle, she had to b-line it as fast as she could.

Getting Ann to cover, the crew prepared themselves for the onslaught that would ensue. Several more Reaper troops were dropped into battle, putting the heat on them. To make matters worse, some harvesters decide to intervene in the battle themselves. But luckily they had enough firepower to keep the situation under control, but even Mads had to admit: Those two minutes felt like some of the longest he had ever been through.

As Cortez pulled up the Shuttle, everyone ran as fast as they could to get there as soon as possible. Mads made sure that Ann got on, she was the only reason they were here, and without her they would be dead in the water. Finally, they were able to escape the planet and put it behind them.

"You okay Ann?" Mads asked as Ann sat down. She looked up at him.

"Yeah… At least, I think so. Did I black out?" She asked back, a tad bit confused at what had happened.

"Yes, more importantly, I believe Leviathan controlled you. We destroyed the artifact before you got hurt. I have seen it's effect before… And well, it's not pretty." Images of her father dead on the ground flashed through his mind, but before he could fill her in, she spoke.

"Really? Leviathan itself? How incredible!"

"The Reapers seem as interested in finding it as we are." Mads remarked, but it was hard to find a place where the Reapers weren't located these days.

"It certainly seems that way…" She replied as she hunched over.

"I was hoping you would be the missing link in figuring out why… But… I'm afraid I have some bad news Doctor." Mads had to tell her, she deserved to know.

"Please, call me Ann. Suppose the Leviathan broke off from the other-"

"Doctor!" Mads cut her off, and she looked up at him. "Your father-... Your father is dead. He was killed by his assistant, who was under the control of Leviathan." He could tell how that news hit her. She looked dead for a moment, pale skin and all that.

"What?-" her voice was so meek. Like having your world ripped from you. He knew what that was like.

"I tried to stop it… But it all happened so fast. I really wish there were more I could have-"

"I-... I want to see his office." She requested. Mads nodded slowly.

"Of course."