As we were making our way to get something to eat, a message came through my omni-tool. Huh. That is odd.

"I have to go take care of something. You guys go on ahead. I should be quick."

Garrus and Tali opted to go with me. I didn't have any reason to argue, so I'd just shrugged and let it happen.

"Viridian." A woman waved me over, leaning back against the rail between the glass and the room.

Aroch Ward, a place where a handful of my contacts did business.

I gave her a nod, moving to her, mirroring her position. "What have you got?"

"It's a signal that was originally reported in the gambling section of Flux. No one can figure out where it's bouncing around to. Figured it was right up your alley."

"Sounds like a challenge. I like it." I pushed off, going over to my companions. "Let's get started."

Once at Flux, it was easy to find where the signal was coming from. Keying that into the program I'd made years ago, I followed it around as it bounced from place to place. Eventually leading us to a little storage area on the Presidium.

Straight to an AI trapped in a console. It was funneling credits so it could afford to get itself installed on a small starship.

Garrus and Tali both froze when it started the self-destruct sequence. All it took was some keystrokes, and it was deactivated. I sent a quick message to a contact in C-Sec, telling them what had happened and where to find the thing. I also took some of the credits for myself.

"That was fun." I commented as we watched C-Sec officers head into the storage room from a distance.

...

The mako touched down on Metgos, with me as the only passenger. I'd convinced the others to stay behind. Argument being that the planet had a three hazard rating and, still, their armors weren't designed for it. They'd be liabilities, but to their chagrin.

It took a little driving, but I eventually came across the distress beacon, stopping short of the site. I turned on my camera and mic, a condition to them acquiescing.

"Based on the location, and the fact that there's nothing around, I'm guessing a trap." I murmured. "Welp, let's get this ball rolling."

Without further ado, I climbed out of the vehicle, making my way on foot. Upon reaching it, geth popped up from the ground, completely surrounding me.

If they'd had the ability to foresee my moves, like I could theirs, it wouldn't have gone as ridiculously easy as it did. Every time one of them shot at me, I'd dodged, so that they ended up shooting the one across from them. by the time I was done- which was good, because I was starting to get bored- I could practically feel the anxiety and disapproval radiating from the Normandy.

Sure enough, the moment I was back on the ship, I was bombarded with various exclamations of scoldings.

I nodded along, inputting the coordinates for a special pick up.

Just as we reached Tuntau, the ones letting me know verbally they were upset ran out of steam.

"Alright. Now that that's dealt with- Wrex!" He looked over at me with interest. "You're coming for this. No ifs, ands, or buts."

He merely nodded, going to the mako.

"I love you and how easy-going you can be."

"When you're the one saying to do something, hard not to listen. Bad shit happens to people who don't."

...

"And this!" I hacked the vault, opening it. "Is what we're here for!"

I did the whole scene- tada and jazz hands.

He rolled his eyes, going up to it and peering inside. A low whistle as he pulled out the worm armor, looked it over.

"Didn't realize you'd remembered that conversation."

"I've had feelers out ever since, following its pathing, looking for it to stay in any one place for long enough to get it." I was grinning. "It was only a matter of time."

"Thanks, Shepard."

...

The next morning, I input the coordinates for Agebinium. Left my room to get a bottle of water and sat at one of the mess tables.

Tali approached me just as I finished it, wringing her hands. "Can we... Can we talk?" A whispered "Privately?" as she leaned in close.

I motioned for her to follow me to my quarters, curious, but not enough to sneak a vision. I could wait until she got it out. "We can talk here. I've made sure no one can listen in."

She sat in the chair closest to the door- more like her legs gave out, actually.

When she didn't say anything more, I moved to the chair across from her. Tilted my head, angling so she was looking at me. "Tali? What is it?"

"Are you not human?"

Well, that wasn't on the list of things I'd come up with on the short walk over here.

She didn't give me time to respond. "I overheard Garrus and Liara talking." Ah, damn. "They weren't being loud or anything. I just happened to be under the table, because I'd dropped something. I- I can't even remember what it was, now, but that's not important. They were talking about your homeworld. And magic. And how you're not human."

Well, they were getting a talking to, Kaidan included.

"They're correct- I'm not human. Just look like it. Grandma was created from a fragment of a goddess. Altea. My homeworld isn't in this galaxy, so it's technically undiscovered. They don't have tech like the Milky Way does, and I doubt they will within the next few centuries, barring an alien species uplifting them." I paused, leaning back in my seat. "Do you have any questions about magic?"

"Are there different kinds?"

"Restoration, which is anything healing. Conjuration, Illusion, Alteration. Destruction, which covers attack spells. There's also Enchanting- the act of imbuing something with magic, but that isn't magic itself, technically." I grimaced. "Straight up healing is my weakest. I can cure diseases, but closing wounds is beyond me. for that, I usually ask my patron deities for help. It's how Kaidan and I survived on Virmire. I can create shields and barriers just fine, but not strong enough to withstand a nuke blast. They can pass as biotics, so that's nice. I just have to make them blue."

"That is... pretty cool. I understand why few people know."

Tali was cool. I'd really liked her, even though I'd thought she was too naïve. But she'd just cemented it. We were definitely friends now. She was stuck with me.

"Yeah. Though, now, I have to talk to them, and Kaidan, about where they talk about me." A sigh. "My life has gotten even more complicated since I first stepped foot on the Normandy." A ping came through. I was beginning to wonder if people were waiting for me to be in a conversation before sending me messages. "If you want to know more, you can ask one of those three. I don't mean to be dismissive, but I should check my backlog. See what else I have to add to the list, while we're on our way to Agebinium."

She left, with a parting that she would definitely be asking them.

A short time later, as we entered the cluster and I was making my way to the cargo bay, Joker called me over the radio to let me know Hackett wanted to speak to me.

I fought against narrowing my eyes as I took the call on my omni-tool.

"Shepard." He sounded a bit strained.

"Hackett."

"Something uncomfortable has just come up." "Just" as in it was brought to your attention a few minutes ago. Not as in "just occurred."

"Sir, if this is about the probe, I already know. It's why we're in the cluster, to begin with." He blinked. "Don't worry. I'll get it taken care of."

"Thank you, Shepard. Hackett, out." He ended the call.

I took a deep breath. Hackett sure was out of the loop a lot these days. And now, he was aware of it. I hoped it would kickstart him to cleaning up house.

A vision started creeping in around the edges, and I let part of myself slip into it. When I only did it partially, so that I was still aware of my surroundings, I was less prone to nosebleeds. And when I did get one, it was easy enough to wipe away before it was noticed.

The probe, underground. A hologram of a turian. Told we need to diffuse the bomb. The turian was somewhere on the planet, watching and waiting for us to die. The blast is loud and blows a hole out of the mountain. Partial collapse. No survivors. Which meant my barrier hadn't been enough, my prayers potentially unanswered? If I'd even had the chance to say them to begin with.

"Shepard." Wrex nodded to me as I got off the elevator.

"Wrex." I mimicked him.

A motion of my fingers to rewind, and I notice four slots for omni-gel. Large slots. I'd wager anywhere between a hundred to a hundred and fifty units.

My sight was my own again, and I clapped my hands together. "This is another solo mission. Sorry, guys."

Most everyone backed off, at that. Garrus, however, approached me as I was climbing into the mako.

He leaned into the vehicle, giving me a turian frown. "Why?"

I kept my voice low. "The probe, being a bomb, needs to be diffused. Problem is, I only saw it blowing up, no survivors. But I did see omni-gel slots. So, I'm hoping that I can get it done without incident."

"If you took someone else with you, that would double efficiency."

"Are you suggesting I take you along?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Shepard." Tali spoke up, moving to stand beside the turian. "I feel like you should not go alone."

Three of us, four slots. We'd get it done quicker, that's for sure. Man, I wished I didn't always wear my hair in a bun. The urge to ruffle it in thought was strong.

"Fine." I relented. "Get in. Just know that the vision means my barrier won't hold up against the blast. This could be suicide." I rolled my eyes as they darted into the mako. None of the others, save Wrex were paying us any mind, so I didn't feel the need to say they were going with me. "Let's get on with it. Joker? We're ready."

Finding the facility was easy enough, it kind of stuck out, having a staircase leading into the side of a mountain.

The turian, Elanos Haliat, who happened to be responsible for the Skyllian Blitz I'd heard about, was the one in the hologram.

What I hadn't counted on was the timer silently starting while he was still giving his monologue. Sneaky as hell, but a cleverness I respected.

Two seconds, by the time I noticed. My eyes widened, and I threw my arms out. I didn't even have time to say anything, to use a shout.

The countdown stopped, anyway. One second left.

What had I done...? The feeling of being crushed hit me a moment later, almost bringing me to my knees.

"What-" Tali began.

I cut her off, gritting my teeth- I could feel the energy raging against the very fabric of my being. "Two options: diffuse or get out. I can't hold this forever."

"Get out, including you?" The wheels were turning in his head.

"I'm- I'm not sure I can move." I winced.

"If we left, carrying you-" He started.

She finished. "-we can make them believe we're dead. They won't be expecting us, then."

A nod between them, and I was carefully swept off my feet, bring carried bridal style.

"Can I ask- What, exactly are you doing?" She asked, hesitant.

"I-" I cried out in pain, the energy beating against me ferociously now. "Time. Stop." I forced out.

We cleared the mountain, through a different path than we'd originally come from, in silence. The way we'd come being agreed upon as being too far to get to the surface.

Upon leaving the facility, Tali pointed out a campsite, the one from my vision. The two made their way toward it, Garrus remarking that the man standing frozen just outside the covered area, watching the mountain intently, was Elanos himself.

I bit my tongue, hard enough to draw blood, to hold in a scream as they made their way behind the camp. Another agreement, that I should let the magic go before they dealt with the men. Neither of them wanted me to suffer any longer than necessary.

After settling on a spot, I released my hold on time. The energy caved in, threatening to make me implode. I could feel myself shrinking, before rubber banding back into form. The whole thing happened in the time for the magic to disperse.

The mountain exploded a second later, the aftershock causing a strong wind to hit us.

Yep. No way my barrier, on its own, would've been able to handle it. And there definitely hadn't been time to call upon my patrons, so it really would've been on my own.

Elanos cackled like a villain, unaware of the sniper Garrus had trained on him. At his signal, both he and Tali fired, her taking out the guards with him.

Once they were taken care of, Garrus turned to me, eyes scanning my face. "We need to get her to Chakwas."

Hey. I'm right here.

No reaction, like I hadn't- I hadn't actually said it, had I?

The quarian radioed Joker as I was lifted off the ground, being handled like glass.

I grabbed his arm when he reached across me to buckle my seatbelt, forcing words out. "I'm not going to the med bay. I'm going to my room."

"You-"

"Shepard-"

"I'm. Not. Going." A growl.

He stared me down, a battle of wills. Who would relent first?

Reaching up, he made it obvious what he was doing- patching into comms. Keeping eye contact. "Joker, let Chakwas know Shepard needs a look over."

I could've killed him, would've tried too, had I not been so damn exhausted. I felt tears slide down my cheeks, too worn out to wipe them away. His eyes widened, and I managed to turn my face away. I hated that I cried when I was angry. Didn't help that I felt incapable of doing much of anything.