Author's Notes: Even though the games can be quite dark, this story explores those parts with a lot more detail and expounds upon it, so I feel the need to say TW: There is a short paragraph here that could be triggering for abuse victims. I've marked it with asterisks for those who wish to skip it. The next few upcoming chapters in particular are dark and one smutty, things will be labeled ahead of time like this for those who wish to skip over. Thanks so much for your kind words here!
Garrus stood, enjoying some Palavenian whiskey, listening to his teammates argue and joke over a card game. Melenis and Mierin were quietly shooting each other flirty looks over their cards while Grundan, Montague, and Erash pointed fingers at each other. To his left Weaver and Sensat had their heads together constructing what looked to be some fancy pipe bomb. Someone had put some music on low.
A sudden wave of contentment washed warmly over him. He turned and his mandibles pulled into a grin. Shepard sat on the counter in N7 leggings and one of his black tunics. The cowl hole hung huge off of her shoulder entirely. She smirked at him and leaned back slowly to present a creamy expanse of neck. He sauntered over to her and set his drink down by her thigh. A bead of condensation moved down the outside of the glass. He caged her with his arms, leaning in to relish her scent. She chuckled and slunk her arms around his neck. Spirits, his plates had shifted already.
"Is there a particular reason you so enjoy playing me like a um… some musical instrument?" He ran his tongue along her collar.
"Do you mean a fiddle?" She laughed.
"Mm yeah. You Humans and your weird sayings." He bit down gently, grabbed her ass and yanked her across the counter into him. She wrapped muscular legs around his waist, pressing them together.
"You know, this counter is the perfect height for this."
She chuckled again, and his heart constricted. Spirits, she was perfect.
"Not with all these people here, it's not." She pulled his head down and dropped to a whisper. "Finish that drink and meet me upstairs, Big Guy." She extricated a leg from his waist and hopped down lithely. He watched her walk up the stairs to their bedroom.
Garrus threw back his head, hastily downing his whiskey, and tried to be casual as he walked back by his team and up the stairs.
The door slid back, and Shepard screamed his name. His mouth went dry as he sprinted around the corner to their bedroom.
Garm.
The large Krogan had a meaty hand on her head, pushing her small form into their bed. The gutteral noise that tore from his carapace was something he himself had never heard before. Garrus was on him in a flash, with talons to neck, ripping with wild abandon until Garm stilled, gurgling. He turned to Shepard, who was still lying on the bed face down. His sub-harmonics keened loudly, but he slid next to her and gingerly rolled her over.
"Spirits, Shepard NO!" Her throat had been slit clean across, angry red blood poured down her chest and quickly soaked through the white bedding. He clamped his palm over the wound, but it wouldn't stop. Her blood seeped rapidly between his digits. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes and a great wracking sob tore from her.
"No, Shepard no, please, its okay I'll get Chakwas, you'll see, it's going to be okay." He couldn't breathe, his pulse pounded in his ears.
"Why did you leave me all alone, Garrus?" She struggled out the words and laid an icy hand on his wrist. "Why did you leave them all alone?"
He blinked. Them? It clicked. He stood - abandoning her, despite his aching heart - and flew back down the stairs.
He splashed down nearly waist-deep into a pool of crimson blood, mandibles wide open in shock. Great, large globules of Shepard's blood dripped down from the ceiling. His eyes whirled around the living quarters where his teammates all floated face down in the sea of sanguine fluid, the bodies bobbing gently in the current. Nobody was moving - terror gripped him so fully his muscles were like lead weights - he didn't even get to fully process what was happening before a three-fingered hand suddenly grabbed him by the ankle and pulled him under the surface.
Garrus gasped awake and jumped out of his cot as if it had scalded him. He paced the length of the battery in long strides, trying to rein in his breathing and his sub-harmonics. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing away the imagery of that dream. His brain's ability to find new and creative means to torture him was getting WAY out of line. And as horrifying as that had been, the worst part was the few moments he and Shepard had been… together? Happy? The thought was so foreign, in so MANY ways - but it had been… perfect. His stomach flipped, and nausea swept over him on a full-body shiver. This is exactly why he'd acquired more pain meds on Illium when Chakwas's scripting, rightfully, ran dry. There was a pleasant nothingness after a dose, and more importantly he slept, mercilessly dream free. He was shaking like a leaf… detoxing? Already, just because he didn't take any before bed? He sighed and dragged himself out into the mess hall.
Spirits.
Shepard was slumped at a table, face down in the cradle of her arms. He told himself she was just sleeping, but the startling similarity to his dream sent him across the cantine on jerky legs to check on her. She was clad in a black tank top and matching shorts, with a cold, half-drank cup of tea in front of her. He held still, eye's focused sharply on her back. Thankfully, it rose slowly. He exhaled a breath. She had yellow and green bruises abloomed along most of the skin he could see. As he stood over her studying her slack features, he realized how unusual it felt to see her without a frown or a smirk, the lines around her eyes soft. Garrus moved her drink over to the sink and poured a glass of water for himself as quietly as he could. He carried it back to the battery with him and re-emerged a moment later with a knit blanket.
The Commander registered the odd angle of her neck and the cold material under her arms. She slowly blinked her eyes open. Fuck, she'd fallen asleep in the mess. She lifted her head but hissed in pain as she turned forwards, a familiar black leather
Thane stood in front of her, blinking his double eyelids at her. "I was just trying to decide if it was more merciful to let you sleep here like that, or to wake you and let you return to your cabin."
Shepard flicked her wrist to display the time on her omni tool. 0500. Damn, she'd slept over four hours. Even if it was in a shitty position, that was great for her. She dug a few fingers into her angry muscles. "I haven't been sleeping much. Leaving me in whatever shit way my body has chosen is fine if I manage this again." There was a blanket draped around her shoulders. She looked up at him, pondering then grabbed it to pull it off from her and caught a metallic whiff. Garrus. The motion tweaked her neck and she groaned.
"Will you allow me, Shepard?" Thane pointed at her neck. She nodded, resting her forehead into her hand. He moved behind her and worked two strong hands into her pained muscles. Shit. She had to strangle down an indecent sound. "Judging by the dark circles that ring your eyes, I assume sleep is frequently elusive to you."
"Make whatever assumptions you want, just keep doing that. Forever preferably," she sighed. He smiled.
"Your position is difficult, Siha. I will do what I can to help."
"Mmm. You should worry about yourself, Thane. A suicide mission isn't easy for any of us." She stayed silent for a few minutes as he moved his ministrations between her shoulder blades. "Although, after all of this is over, I recommend seriously considering a job as a personal masseuse."
He chuckled.
"You could make a killing. No pun intended." She paused. "Okay, some pun intended. But if you went to Earth especially, woo boy you'd clean up. And if you really want to put some money into savings, offer rich people happy endings."
"I gather that's a human euphemism for sexual intercourse," he spoke. She nodded. "You did once call me 'hot lizard man'."
She flinched and swiveled her head to look at him. "WHAT?"
Krios smirked. The bastard. "You weren't yourself at the time though."
"Oh geez, I'm not going to live down that fever incident any time soon," Shepard lowered her face back into her arms and he resumed digging into the stiff muscles. "How did you become an assassin, Thane?" She murmured. "You arn't what I imagine when I think of an assassin."
"The Hanar have trained my body for this role since I was six years old."
She snapped her head up and interrupted. "The Hanar?! Wait, you've been killing since you were six?"
"No, of course not. I didn't make my first kill until I was 12."
Huh. Her's had been at 11 out of self-defense. What a shame for any kid to have been put into a position like she had, but what an even worse shame to be forced into it so young.
"They were training me. I wasn't to be thrown away, I was an investment."
"You were a child! Not an investment." She turned to face him, brows furrowed.
Thane blinked and clasped his hands behind his back in his usual stance. "I've given you the wrong idea. They valued me. Yes as a resource, but also as a person. They regretted their need of me."
"Yeah and what need would excessively polite jellyfish who worship the Protheans have for assassins anyway?"
"Every species trains assassins. The Hanar are only unusual in that they need other species to do the killing for them. They have a strong grip and natural toxins, but have you ever seen them move quickly outside of water? Or fire a gun?"
Shepard's brows scrunched. "No, I haven't. Why would your parents agree to that?"
"The agreement was made under the Compact. It was an honor for our family."
"The Compact?"
"Yes. We live on the Hanar homeworld because they rescued us - some of us - from extinction. We owe them our lives. That is the Compact."
"But you don't work for the Hanar anymore. You said you were freelance. What changed?"
He looked away. "I… was asleep for a long time. I paid no attention to what my body was asked to do. But then," His posture stiffened and he stood straight, his eyes wide. "A laser dot trembles on the skull. One finger twitch, he dies. Then the smell of spice on the spring wind. Sunset colored eyes, defiant in the scope. The laser dances away." He drew out of the trance he'd been gripped by midway through his sentence, blinking multiple times.
"A memory. You met someone," Shepard's mouth corner pulled upwards.
"A bystander noticed my spotting laser. She threw herself between me and the target. She couldn't see me, but she stared me down."
"Sunset colored eyes and very brave to risk death for what good she believed in. What was her name?"
He hesitated. "Irikah."
She smiled. "You fell in love."
Thane nodded. "I haven't spoken about her in - well I don't think I ever have. I didn't have anyone left to tell it to."
"She isn't here anymore." Shepards smile vanished.
He looked at the ground.
"You've been alone for a long time." Her heart went out to him. "I know what it feels like to be a scared kid, doing things against my will," she whispered. He snapped his eyes back to hers. "I know what its like to be alone. Thank God I don't have to remember those times… those things with any sort of perfect clarity. What is left is bad enough as it is, so I can only imagine."
"Yes, having to remember is a burden, having to remember the time you begged for someone else's life." His gaze burned through her so she yanked her gaze away. "But I also have the opportunity to blink, and be right back with her." He stepped a few inches closer.
She didn't like that look he was giving her. She snapped her mouth closed. Talking about anything of substance about herself was about the last thing she ever wanted to do. It was hypocritical - he talked relatively freely about himself after all. Even though she knew that, it didn't change her mind one bit.
"Don't romanticize it Thane. It certainly wasn't what you are drawing parallels to." She swung her legs out from under the table to stand. "That was… an unfortunate situation a lot of street kids find themselves in. You learn, eventually, that it's much easier to expect nothing and avoid attachments with others."
He was silent, so she moved over to the kitchen, searching for the implements she would need to make coffee. Garrus's blanket stayed folded neatly where she had been sitting.
The quiet sound of the lift moving pierced through the heavy silence. She expected Tali to round the corner, but to her surprise it was Zaeed.
"Shepard," all six-foot-two of the old mercenary strode toward her quickly. "I got a hit on Vido."
"Oh? Where at?"
"He's taken over a refinery on Zorya and is using the workers as slave labor. Eldfel-Ashland must own it, they are the ones who posted the hit on the extranet last night."
"How long has he been there?"
"Weeks by the sound of it. He's nice and entrenched by now."
"Good. He's likely to stick around. I've got Kasumi's thing later tonight, then I'll set the course."
"Thanks, Shepard. I'll negotiate a price. If we can make some big credits and settle a twenty-year score with that bastard… I'll really owe you," He clapped her on the shoulder. She winced as he hit a bruise.
She turned to regard Thane, who was still standing with his arms behind his back. "Sounds like the perfect job for an assassin."
Zaeed nodded. "Fine by me Shepard. So long as I get the kill shot."
"Kasumi, your cute little plan to force me to walk through the crew deck is blown." Shepard called down the hallway towards port observation. There was no answer. "The only people out here are Hadley and Matthews!" She swiveled to take in their hilarious expressions again. Matthews had just completely stood when she exited the elevator. Hadley had comically dropped the spoon he was using into his bowl of food and was now gaping open-mouthed at her. Children. She shook her head.
"What?! I told everyone to be there at 1800! At least Joker should have shown!" Kasumi's voice floated down the hall.
"That man has zeta-bytes of porn Kasumi, why do you think he'd care? And what are you getting out of this, anyway?"
"What wouldn't I care about?" Joker rounded the corner from the crew quarters and gasped dramatically. "Holy shit, Commander."
Shepard was standing statuesque in the emerald crystal and chain dress, one hand on a hip, green eyes electric behind heavy smokey black liner and eyeshadow.
The thief de-cloaked next to her with a hearty laugh. "That's what I'm getting out of this - endless entertainment. I looked for that dress for hours. Everyone should appreciate it."
"Commander, I care, I really, really do. And Kasumi, it's very appreciated!" Joker implored.
Shepard couldn't help but tease him a little. It was their thing, after all. "If you think the front is good, wait till you see the back," she pivoted on the ball of her foot to present her rear.
"Ahhh! Is it my birthday?" Joker exclaimed.
"Yes Commander, your legs really do look miles long. That dress is working wonders." Karin Chakwas called from the sink where she was washing out her cup.
Shepard rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay, I get it. It's exciting to see a badass all dressed up. But the entire crew really doesn't need to see my nipples. Can we get to the shuttle now?" She pivoted suddenly and singled out Hadley with a finger. "If I find pictures on the extranet I WILL airlock you, soldier!" Hadley paled and quickly deactivated his omni-tool. Joker snorted loudly.
"Shep, everyone at that party is going to see your nipples." Kasumi stood on tiptoe to wrangle the Commander's unruly hair.
"Yeah? And those are criminals I won't ever have to see again. I don't have to command them through the Omega 4 relay."
"Okay, that's a fair point. Just let me fix this and we are ready, Miss Allison Gunn." Kasumi put the finishing touch on a low ponytail, flipping it under and pulling out a few tendrils to frame her face. "Alright. Let's go."
Thirty minutes later Shepard was being ferried to Hock's mansion via a rented shuttle out of Nos Astra.
"Okay, now's the time to give me more about my cover story, Kasumi,"
"Yes, I suppose you've been patient." She flicked information from her omni-tool up to the holo display on the dash of the vehicle. "You run a small, but talented band of mercs in the Terminus Systems. You are ruthless, smart, and known for getting it done, no matter the cost. Precisely the type of person Hock respects. I also took the liberty of researching his tastes. Don't be afraid to use that dress and be the hard bitch you always are. He'll love it. I've been posting about your exploits on the extranet for the last month. A data trail, witnesses, even an article in BadAss Weekly."
"Oooh? How badass? Like, front page or just a blurb?"
Kasumi smirked. "No front pages, those are reserved for THE Commander Shepard."
"Makes sense. And what kind of man are we dealing with here?"
Kasumi's normally playful demeanor vanished. "Hock is a weapons dealer and smuggler. He killed my partner Keiji and stole his gray box. Other than that, he's not so bad. Rich, charismatic, willing to crack open a man's skull to get at its neural implants." She was quiet for a moment before flicking more pictures up on the screen. "Anyway, our friend Hock is throwing a party for his closest friends. A couple dozen of the worst liars, cheaters, slavers, and mass murderers you'll ever want to meet. All of them are bringing a gift as tribute to the man himself. Our tribute is a statue of none other than your old friend Saren - rendered in gold, in perfect, loving detail and filled to the brim with our weapons and armor. Once inside, I'll make my way to Hock's vault door, somewhere in the back of the ballroom. I'll case the joint and we will start peeling back the layers of security. The statue should be moved there, waiting for you to crack it open and suit up. Then we just walk into the vault and take Keiji's gray box. And I'll finally get a chance to say goodbye."
"You've worked really hard on this Kasumi. Keiji must have meant the world to you."
"Was I that obvious?" The thief glanced at her. "Keiji's gray box holds a lot of priceless personal memories. It's all that remains of who he was. Whatever secret he discovered is dangerous. Its what drove Hock after him, and what got him killed. Hock won't hesitate to wipe us out to keep whatever secret that is."
"This ought to be interesting then."
"That's what I'm going for. Keep Hock busy, he loves to hear his own voice especially. If I need you to distract a guard, I'll radio you." Kasumi guided the shuttle down lightly on a landing pad in front of a huge, ridiculous glass mansion. "This is our stop. After you, Miss Gunn."
Shepard exited the shuttle and hit the control button to close the door.
A guard walked down the steps to greet her. "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but all the guests have already arrived. I'll need you to get back in your shuttle and leave."
She opened her mouth to respond, but the man himself came out of the glass doors and hurried down to them. "That won't be necessary. Her invitation was last minute. Why weren't you briefed?" He waved the guard off. "I'm sorry about that. I don't believe we've met. I'm Donovan Hock." His voice was heavily accented, and he was well built, she could tell even through the white suit he was wearing. He was just a few inches taller than her. He stuck out his hand.
She took it with a firm grip. "I'm Allison Gunn. Thank you for the invitation, I've heard a lot about you."
The man smiled and put his other hand atop of hers. "And I've heard a lot about you. You've been busy out in the Terminus. I'm a fan of your work. Will you accompany me?" She nodded and he tucked her hand under his arm to proceed back up the steps and inside his estate. "I'm quite eager to introduce you. Everyone here is a good friend of mine, and I think we could all do a great deal of business together."
Inside there was a slow classical piece playing throughout the home. Everything she could see seemed to be marble and eezo tinged. The main ballroom was just inside the glass doors to the landing pad, with two grand staircases turning into a second floor loft overlooking the room. The mass of people was mostly Human, with one gigantic Krogan Warlord and a smattering of Asari Most of the women were wearing the more popular Asari styled long dresses. She cursed inwardly as every eye turned to her. Her crystal gown was sending pinpricks of light in every direction and was completely at odds with the rest of the attire present. Hock seemed entranced though, which was the whole point. He pulled her along, introducing her to groups as they walked. She overheard Archangel's name but couldn't make out the conversation coming from a group of three further inside the art gallery.
"...I hear Commander Shepard is actually still alive." Someone spoke. She had to rein in her curiosity to keep from turning to see who.
"Yeah right. I saw the footage of that wreck on the net. There's no way…" She and Hock moved out of range and she didn't catch the rest.
Her nerves ramped up a notch. God, she hoped long hair and heavy eye makeup would keep this crappy disguise up. If anyone here recognized her it was game over, because everywhere she looked there were hired guards standing around.
Kasumi came over the com. "I deactivated the vault's barrier, but I'll need a voice and DNA sample for authentication. Good luck."
Shepard was dizzy after meeting so many people, she couldn't keep anyone's names or stories straight, and she'd been bombarded with tons of illicit information. They all just outwardly talked about their criminal doings. She wondered how many here were Cerberus tied. Despite the endless introductions, She had gotten Hock talking as he showed off his art exhibit, and managed to shoot off some good voice snippets to Kasumi. But DNA was more difficult without arousing suspicion. She sighed. Use the dress indeed.
She tugged on his arm suddenly, pulling him towards a corner of the gallery with fewer people. He came readily, surprised after leading her around for so long with no resistance. Shepard turned, resting her back on a wall next to a portrait, and pulled him into her by his lapel. She was sure her intent was probably unmistakable with that, but pushed forward her chest all the same. Inviting. Luckily men like him didn't question their good fortunes - they felt they were owed. Hock stepped up to the challenge, smirking.
"I like what I've seen, Mr. Hock."
"Please call me Donovan," he interrupted, leaning forward into her space.
"Donovan." She let it roll off her tongue huskily. "I think you're right, we could certainly do business." She grabbed his hand and guided it to her hip. He snaked a finger under a delicate chain of her garment to touch hot skin. Like a moth to flame. Perfect. "I would love to see more though." Shepard leaned into him, hands on his neck, and whispered into his ear. "Be careful with the dress? It was expensive," She sucked his earlobe between her lips and carefully bit down. It was all the invitation he needed. He chuckled deeply and pushed his other hand inside to palm her breast. There was a couple not thirty feet away, the man had his eyes glued to them. She winked at him and he darted his gaze away.
* "I must admit, Miss Gunn… you and this dress are exquisite." He pulled the bottom chain up to grab her ass heartily before lowering his face to hers. She pulled him in by his hair to an open-mouthed kiss that he groaned into. They worked each other's tongues, exploring teeth and lips. She gasped into his mouth when a probing finger from the hand on her ass found its way easily through the thong she was wearing and wriggled inside of her. Fucking bastard. He moved to unzip his trousers. Wow, he really was going to go for it, right here in front of the gaping audience behind him. *
Thankfully, two security guards ran up. "Mr Hock!"
His mouth popped off of her neck audibly and he sighed. "This had better be good."
"Sir, the alarms on the windows in your personal room have been tampered with. We cannot confirm if someone has broken in or not, the camera's are down."
"Shit." He murmured into her shoulder. He re-situated himself and stepped back. "Miss Gunn, I will send you the password for my private quarters. Once we check things out, I'll be happy to continue this." She nodded and the three men disappeared around the corner. Shepard blinked. Huh, fortuitous timing, and the other couple had left as well.
Kasumi de-cloaked right next to her, causing her to jump. The thief had a wide grin on her face.
"That was you, huh?" Shepard laid the chains of the dress straight and pulled it back over her chest.
"You looked like you could use some help."
"No kidding. I wasn't expecting to have to go to third base for a DNA sample, but here we are."
"And we could both use a good chunk of the security somewhere else. Did you get anything?"
Shepard held up her fist. "Quite a few loose hairs, sure."
"Great, I've got the password all figured out. Let's head down to the vault," Kasumi smiled.
Hock's vault had been sickeningly impressive to a relative bumpkin like her. Lady Liberty's head, the still surprisingly intact original Michael Angelo's David… not to mention Quarian script on stone tablets, a multitude of Krogan ancestral armor - from the Shiagure line no less! Egyptian artifacts and Prothean statues littered the large room. So it didn't feel wrong at all to make out with THE Kassa Locust and kill every hired bastard Hock could throw at them once he realized they were in the vault. She and Kasumi plowed through a regiment of Eclipse guards, LOKI Mechs, security forces, and they even blew up a good portion of the weapons warehouse he had hidden under his house.
The true icing on the cake had been when Hock had shown up in the flesh, flying around a shielded gunship. She nearly ate a rocket - like a certain Turian - but she managed to biotically launch Kasumi on to the top of it. The thief shorted the shields, and the duo made quick work of the ship after that. Shepard looked over her shoulder towards the other woman and smiled. Kasumi was sitting on the smoldering remains of the gunship, inspecting her prize - Keji's gray box. She must be feeling good, getting revenge for someone she loved. The Commander went back to salvaging anything she could find from the fallen Eclipse mercs. The familiar sound of the Kodiak shuttle's atmo thrusters drew her from her task. It appeared over the side of the building and touched down on a landing pad. Both women made their way to it as the side door threw open. Zaeed and Grunt jumped down, weapons drawn.
"Whoa, at ease men," Shepard held up her hands. "What are you guys doing?"
"We intercepted Hock's security alert and call for backup. Figured you two girlies might need some help." Zaeed answered as he holstered his gun.
Kasumi peered out from under her hood with large eyes. "We already took care of Hock and his minions. Ooh Shep, do you think any of the things from his vault will fit on the Kodiak?!"
"I know what you mean, what I wouldn't give to stuff Lady Liberty's head in there."
Zaeed gaped. "What?! That bastard's got the Lady Liberty?! Fuck the Collectors Shepard, we could retire! Let what's gonna kill everybody kill everybody from private tropical planets!
Grunt's confusion splayed across his wide face.
"While I am tempted to let everyone like Hock burn in Reaper fire, there are a lot of other poor souls like the ones on Horizon that I can't let that happen to. Sadly." She grinned. "He had David too."
"No. No, no no not Michael Angelo's." Zaeed sat down on the tarmac and cradled his head in both hands.
"The one and only." Kasumi stepped up and put her hand on his shoulder. "I get how you feel, Zaeed."
Shepard thought he might cry for a second, so she pulled the Locust out of her pack and held it out under his nose. "Well, we got something."
The old merc gasped and gingerly took it out of her hands. "Shepard."
"I know."
"What in the universe are you Humans rambling about?" Grunt asked.
Zaeed stood and cradled the weapon. "THIS! This is a Kassa Locust! This looks original…" He squinted at a serial number on the grip.
"That's because it is, that's THE Kassa Locust." Kasumi said.
He whispered reverently. "The gun that assassinated two United Nations presidents."
Shepard laughed as Grunt shot her a look. "The Lady Liberty has been missing for centuries. She was a famous statue that represented freedom to a country that destroyed itself with consumer capitalism on Earth. Some of the richest Humans are still relics of that place. Very old money. David is a detailed statue carved from stone by an ancient Human named Michael Angelo, and it was also presumed missing for centuries. That rat bastard had all kinds of stuff in there, Quarian scripts, Shiagure's ancestral armor, tons of amazingly well preserved Prothean statues, even Turian art."
It was Grunt's turn to gasp. "Shiagure's armor?! And you did not take it?"
"How would I ever have carried nearly four hundred pounds of armor and lived to tell about it?"
He grumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like whining.
"Well, let's get out of here. Do you two mind picking up some hitchhikers?" she smirked.
There was no way around it. Zaeed was making her nervous. He had spent the last two days of travel all but salivating over this Vido thing. She'd asked Thane to come along during one of their sparring sessions, because bringing an assassin seemed a good plan when you were out to kill someone - but something seemed off. She really wanted Garrus with her to assuage the roiling anxiety in her gut. Just in case.
Samara had one eye open, regarding her wriggling Commander with a small smile. Shepard had kept attending her and Thane's mediation sessions, but seemed quite distracted tonight.
The soldier's brows furrowed and the glowing biotics in her hands dimmed. She'd been getting at least some hang of being able to quiet her mind, but the edge she was on tonight wasn't easily ignored. She needed to just talk to Garrus and get it over with. She couldn't afford his sulking any longer. "Sorry Samara, I appreciate your time as always, but I've got some business I should take care of." Shepard snapped to her feet and nearly ran out of the starboard observation to the battery. The lock was still green - good he was still up. She passed through the door, and there was Garrus, leaned heavily on the console, eyes closed. It didn't bode well.
"Thannix upgrade going that poorly huh?" She tried to force a little mirth into her sentence.
"Heh, hm. Not really the issue, no," His voice was reedy and slow, lacking his usual sub tones. It was odd.
"So… what is the issue? Are you okay?"
He leaned farther over the holo screen, resting his head in his hands. "What are you here for Shepard?"
She blew out a breath. That snippy answer all but cemented that their days of comradery were long gone. Replaced by his self loathing and new bad habits. Fuck, his self isolation was getting old. Had she been like this after Torfan? The memories seemed hazy. Mentally she warred with herself. Should she let it continue? Omega was eating him alive, obviously. But as long as it wasn't affecting ground missions, what skin was it off her nose? Plenty of Alliance soldiers were using. But she needed to get her friend back. "Dammit Garrus, would you just fucking talk to me?"
He cringed but was silent. She waited, summoning up any spec of patience she could find. He didn't change his mind though, staying quiet and surley with an agitated mandible waving.
"Fine. Keep playing it that way. I wanted to make sure you knew we were on our way to Zorya. I was going to take Thane, but Zaeed's worrisome obsession with this Vido character is making me nervous. I really need someone I can trust at my back."
He could see her staring out of the corner of his eye. He nodded.
"Okay, be suited and at the shuttle at 1300?"
"Sure Shepard. I'll be there."
He sure as fuck was not there. Shepard paced in front of the shuttle, holding her helmet. She flicked her wrist to bring up the clock. 1315. So unlike him. Zaeed was standing inside the Kodiak, arms up on the door rim.
"I'm going to go get him," she announced, and strode off.
"Fucking Christ, Commander. Hurry the fuck up would you?"
"We are running silent, Zaeed. Rein it in. He doesn't know we are here," she called back just before the lift door closed to take her to the crew deck.
The door was locked and the lights dimmed in the battery. She'd had to clumsily hack her way in. Shepard walked down the Thannix towards his cot, squinting to make out his form lying there.
Anxiety slid oily up her spine. "Garrus, what are you doing?" He didn't stir. Shit. She wasted no time, grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him on his back. He was out cold. There were beads of sweat on the hide inside his cowel. She put her hand up in front of his mouth, there was air movement so she dug two fingers into his neck to check for a pulse. She exhaled in relief. It was there. "EDI, send Dr. Chakwas for Garrus, quickly, we need to get him to the med bay. You've been monitoring my life signs… is the rest of the crew not getting the same treatment?" She asked with exasperation.
"Dr. Chakwas is on her way. Operative Vakarian has disabled most of my monitoring equipment in the main battery. Otherwise, yes. I do monitor crew vitals," the AI answered with what sounded like indignation.
"What happened, Commander?" The Doctor and two assistants with a hover stretcher marched in to collect Garrus a short minute later.
"I'm not entirely certain, but I think he has been round robining stims and some sort of downer, I'd guess something like the pain meds you had him on after his jaw surgery. I've seen him jittery with pupils blown on missions and lethargic and irritable once back here," Shepard explained.
Chakwas nodded. "Right. I'll take care of it from here, Commander."
She put her hand on the Doctor's forearm before she turned to follow the stretcher out of the room. "Doc. Do whatever you have to, but I don't want him out of there until he is detoxed."
"I'll get him back right, Commander." She tilted her head respectfully and rushed after the assistants.
Alone again, Shepard pinched the bridge of her nose, thinking. She'd let this go too far. She had known this was the inevitable conclusion to what he was doing, but she'd still just watched him do it. She paced Garrus's sleeping area, biting the inside of her cheek. Some fucking friend she was. The truth was, her lack of sleep and this mission were making it hard for her to even hold her own sanity together, much less his. Now wasn't the proper time to dwell, though. She didn't want to drag Thane into a humid environment, but a breather would have to do. If Zaeed pulled any bullshit, she would need someone as observant as him to have her back. She jogged across the empty mess to life support and walked in.
Thane turned from where he was sitting at his table. "Siha?"
"Can you be ready for Zorya in ten minutes? Bring your helmet, keep the breather on."
"Of course." He blinked his double eyelids.
Fuck. It would be nice if sometimes she was wrong about how bad something was going to go. As soon as they glimpsed the Blue Suns leader, Vido, Zaeed had plunged off the deep end entirely - ignoring her orders and setting up a flaming chain reaction that was in the process of nuking the factory clean off the surface of the planet. She sighed loudly, fixing the old mercenaries' back with a sharp glare even though he couldn't see it as he ran off without them. Another massive blast rocked the catwalk she and Thane were on between the complex's main buildings. The metal plates under their feet flexed and groaned ominously, throwing them both about.
Behind them a voice rang out as they steadied themselves on the walkway's railings. "HELP! Please! we're trapped!"
Shepard swiveled to see a Human male, refinery worker, judging by his clothes.
He was waving down at them from the building. "We can't get to the shut off valve because of the flames, the whole place is going to blow!"
"Ahhh, shit! Damn that old bastard to fucking hell!" She hissed, the station's alarms blaring in the background. Options flashed through her mind. She couldn't let Zaeed do further damage to a refinery that needed time for its workers to evacuate - she had to tail him. "Thane, can you guide them out?"
He nodded, his breathing heavy over the coms. "Yes, I've got EDI's layouts loaded."
"Do it, I've got my tracker on, meet back up with us when you can." She tipped her chin towards him before turning to follow after Massani. The door he'd gone through was now stuck partially open, she had to put a shoulder against it and shove with all her weight to inch it back enough to squeeze through it's opening.
It felt like an eternity as she chased the old man through winding hallways and grenading containers. Shepard ducked gun fire. When the merc stopped to reload, she peeked over her cover to see Zaeed in melee with a Blue Suns bastard further down the tiered production floor. The lack of back up behind her had already gotten her shot a few times as she traipsed through the station after the scumbag finishing off all his leftovers. She clutched a now useless left arm to her side. Never had she missed her previous physique so much as the bum arm forced her to eject heat sinks, cock her shotgun and fire with one arm. Her pistol wouldn't punch through merc armor, so shotgun it was. She silently wished she'd strapped an SMG to her thigh instead…. And never before ever had she ever cursed Garrus as hard as she was right now either.
An idiot Blue Suns member backed up against her cover, so she leaped over and point blanked him in the back of the skull. "How's it coming, Thane?"
"Just a few stragglers left Siha, then I will come find you."
"No rush," she murmured as two YMIR mechs stomped through the doorway between her and Zaeed, followed by a small legion of security mechs and a few more mercs.
Shepard rolled her eyes. Of course. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. - Zaeed you've got a fucking army behind you, you dumb old bastard!" She yelled.
"I see them, clear the middle!" He ducked out of sight behind a control panel just as the mechs spun up their mini guns. A giant tankard suspended from the middle of the room swung towards the grouping.
Oh. Fuck.
Shepard threw herself backwards over some crates as Zaeed took shots at the tank. Three rounds in and it exploded cacophonously. The heat from its fire was searing even through her armor as it bathed the room in flames and some kind of fluid accelerant. When she next looked up Zaeed was gone.
"God fucking damn you Massani!" She fumed into her com but he didn't respond. The blast had leveled the security mechs at least. Shepard tore through the blaze and out a side door the old man must have gone through, bursting out into thankfully open humid air. It was a landing pad, crowded with barrels and a shuttle priming itself for flight. She ran after Zaeed's back as he sprinted across a catwalk.
Vido was making his way up the ramp when Zaeed fired - a mist of red spray exploded from the man's leg as he dropped to the pad with a shout.
She could barely make out what he was saying as she barreled down the walkway towards them. "Zaeed, please, you know it was nothing personal. It was just business!"
"Oh, nothing PERSONAL about cutting me out of my own business and shooting me in the fucking head?!" Zaeed crouched and grabbed Vido by the hair. She slowed to a stop where the walkway met the pad.
"It was twenty years ago! Look at you, I was doing you a favor!" The old merc put his gun against Vido's thigh and pulled the trigger again. The man screamed and curled around his wound. "Zaeed PLEASE!"
Fluid dripped off the platform and soaked through the seal on her boot. Shepard looked down and saw that one barrel had leaked, coating the pad in accelerant.
The old merc was way ahead of her, though. "Burn, you son-of-a-bitch." He stepped down onto the catwalk and ejected a thermal clip into the fluid. It blazed immediately into spectacular flames, engulfing Vido and the shuttle. Vido's bellowing and shrieking only ended when the craft exploded and slowly slid off the platform.
Zaeed had been watching with no expression. Finally, as the last metallic groaning faded to just the cracking of the fire, he turned to face Shepard.
She was ready. He swiveled directly into her shotgun.
"What the fuck are you doing, you crazy broad?!" His brows drew together.
"I've been watching your back for months. I've saved your old ass more than once - I agreed to this little detour, and you run off at the first scent of vengeance. You nearly blow me up, get me shot, and to top it all off you try to kill an entire factory of innocents for your vendetta! And you have the nerve to question me?" Her voice raised dangerously by the end of her speech. Shepard kicked his legs out from under him and he hit the deck painfully on his knees with a cry.
"What fucking use do I have for someone who ignores orders and runs off? Hm?" She yelled, jamming her gun into his forehead. "Make no mistake, Massani. I'll gladly be the woman that finally kills you."
He held both hands up. "Shepard, I've survived a long time watching my own back, with no time to worry about anyone else." His eyes moved behind her. Footsteps tapped along the walkway. Shepard turned just enough to see Thane running towards them.
"Get real convincing, old man. I've got a shipload of people I have to guide back through a suicide mission. I can't afford even the hint of a liability."
"I just cleared my plate and I'm not a junkie when your back is turned. I'll be one of the most reliable people you take with you from now on, Shepard," he spoke gruffly.
Thane stood next to her, his own SMG also pointed at Zaeed, his gaze jumping between them. The faint squeaking of her gauntlet tightening on the rubber of the shotgun stock was the only sound for the ticking seconds as she narrowed her eyes at the mercenary.
"You'd better make me believe it, Massani. I'll make goddamned sure you don't survive a second head shot." She dropped the gun and sheathed it on her back.
