The room was dark as I got up. And I didn't like it, I didn't like being alone in it, so I decided to leave it. I opened the door and exited it, finding myself in a dark hallway, and upon hearing noise from below, I began to walk toward the stairwell at its end. The noise grew louder as I neared, and a large racket began to overwhelm my sensations as I reached it. Grimacing, I briskly walked down the steps into the basement below.
Which suddenly came to life before my eyes as strobe lights hit my face, blinding me, music blaring over the speakers on the party floor to further disorient me. People danced, someone yelled, drinks were spilled, my wrist was grabbed as a friend passed by, hollering at me to help him hit up the two biddies outside. But...I already knew.
The brisk air of the house's backyard did little to convince me otherwise. Neither did the girl who slapped my back and pass me her drink as she went inside behind me. The guys yelling at each other angrily in the yard across from us met the same resolution. I ignored that my friend tugged my wrist, gripping his stomach now, gently letting go as he fell to the ground.
The next breeze that hit my face was not brisk at all, but rather wet, humid, and freezing, causing me to shield my face, shy away. But the mud beneath my feet fastened them in place, refusing to let me go back inside. The belligerent shouting of the two across from me now seemed to devolve into terrified screams as decrepit buildings toppled behind him. The mud was up to my hips now, and the howling around me heightened to a climax as a shadow above threatened to engulf us all. But I already knew. A shrill cry. A shriek. A sharp-pitched sound erupted from above that made my blood run cold and hair stand on in and mouth run dry. I couldn't feel my extremities anymore. As the mud fully engulfed me, pressing against my lips, up my nose, aggravating my eyes as it enveloped me, I looked up toward the dark sky, only to see nothing.
But this was all just a-
It was a deafening scream.
I shut my eyes when the sound assaulted my ears, the unpleasant cacophony that came after it sounding like nails being dragged along a chalkboard. Immediately after I shut them, textures, shapes, images, pictures, scenes, worlds flitted by one after another. The incoherent chattering/screams of long forgotten races accompanied them. The chaotic nature of the message pervaded my brain, snaked through my every thought. The sounds and images slithering through my head were too much, and I screamed in horror only to find no sound leave my mouth.
Two yellow stars.
A blood red backdrop.
Two black worlds.
And then...it.
It emerged from the dark. But the light spilling forth purged it all. It's light shone radiantly.
And it's eyes were angelic. It's eyes were loving. It's eyes were hope. Hopeful of me. Those eyes.
...and I had to ask.
...Why?
...Why me?
I lazily opened my eyes as it ended.
I admitted to myself that I had known it from the start. I had to admit I knew from the very first one what they were. What I was seeing. But in retrospect, no, let me backtrack. I didn't. That was my mistake. I thought I knew what they were. But after this...it was obvious they were different after all. The only genuine vision I had was at the beacon.
The rest that followed...they were something else entirely. And I always wondered what the significance of them were. Why did they show me, or rather, taunt me with what I was missing in my own world? Every one of them had synced up with the time lapse, this one only reinforcing it. A party would mean I was back at school. Weeks had passed since the last one, so it was fair to see that I had been back in school for weeks too. But why was I shown what occurred here and in what should be my own reality.
What the transition between my normal livelihood and its abstract theme of becoming lost and swallowed and disappearing into nothing had to do with anything too. Why I was having them in the first place. I could only blame it all on the beacon but...I knew this third one would be the last. But I have no explanation as to why I would possibly think or know that either.
The first one I barely even remember. I think immediately after I woke that I realized that I had accepted things as they were. Too easily in fact. I thought it was just my ability to adapt well but...maybe not? Was I just pretending things were not as heavy as they were? And that second one...I remember that one had hit me hard. Made me realize I had really lost my family. Who I was. It made me realize I was trapped here.
But this one...compared to those, I don't really feel anything. Which is kind of frightening. I didn't feel any emotion about it at all. I mean right now...why I am thinking like this? Why am I so calm? What did I just dream about?
...what's that?
My ears now picked up faint sounds coming from outside the room. I frowned however upon rising from bed. Largely due to the fact that I didn't recognize the setting around me. At all. The plain, cracked walls. The foreign knick-knacks strewn about its shelves. It was completely alien to me. And now I had to wonder again...if I'm still dreaming.
The noise quickly died down as I calmly waited for something else to occur. Because something was going to happen for sure. Something big. I could just feel it-
The racket returned now in force, just like I had predicted. A large commotion was going on outside the room as voices both feminine and masculine erupted outside in heated debate.
And that was it. I resolved to get out of bed and find out where and what the hell was-
And then someone burst inside my room, its curtain sent flying aside as she entered, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to muffle her sobbing. I immediately got out of bed in response, approaching her, gingerly placing a hand on her heaving shoulder to console her.
"Hey. Hey, it's alright."
I moved my arms down to wrap around her as she moved her muzzle into my shoulder next, holding herself pitifully, heaving, breaking down into my shirt.
"Al, he...I...it's my...it's my-"
I took her gently to the bed, sitting her down.
"It's going to be alright."
"...he...he-"
"I'll take care of it."
"Al...wait-"
But I had already left her side as I remembered where I was. I had already tossed the curtain aside as I exited the Old Man's bedroom, entering the scene that had been responsible for all that arguing from before. And the eyes of the apartment room's occupants all turned to me.
"You-"
"No, he had nothing to do with it."
The steel-colored Turian was immediately cut off by Nar Tasi, who looked more weary than possible beyond his faded mask. And the Turian took that as the last insult.
"This won't stand. It won't go on any longer. I won't allow it. I'll show you that your wrong Tasi. I'll bring honor to Zaetor's memory, you can be sure of it."
The Turian rose from his seat, moving like a violent storm, quickly exiting the Old Man's complex, followed by three others who had been seated nearby. And after their departure, a weathered Asari was left sitting next to the withered Quarian, both now gazing absently at his table.
I then noticed the presence of one other in the room that I had missed. They were laying down, blanket covering them. My teeth grit together as I spurred myself toward it.
I thought one of them would object, would at least say something, anything about it, but they didn't, didn't even make a move to stop me as I approached. And as I wordlessly kneeled to pick the sheet off it-
I stared hard at the face it was hiding before quickly releasing the blanket. As it fell back to the ground, I could only manage to whisper-
"What happened."
My question was met with silence, as neither spoke.
"FUCK!"
In a fit, I struck my fist against the wall, furious that they refused to answer.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!"
Most likely because they didn't want to answer. Didn't want to acknowledge it. They were simply put, cowards.
I had turned back around now to stare them down, and the Asari now excused herself from the room, unable to take it, leaving me alone with the Old Quarian.
"Who did it. Who did that?!"
A grey-skinned Turian suddenly entered the room not a moment after the Asari had left, eyeing Nar Tasi before turning his attention to me, and then toward the blanketed person behind me. His red tattoos bobbed with his lips as he next spoke to no one in particular. "They really did it huh?" His gaze was then caught by something on the table, a noticeable figurine that I had first noticed upon entering as well. It was in bad shape, broken into several emerald pieces. And the Turian only smiled when he saw it. "That belonged to the Salarra's didn't it?"
"It did," the old man finally croaked.
"...Is that the reason he died?"
The old man sat still, gazing at the table's centerpiece, before subtly bobbing his head.
"He was a good kid."
"What Happened."
He turned to me now, red eyes narrowing sharply. "Your kind happened Human. It's all anyone in the Abode can talk about right now. How the son of Zaetor was brutally murdered by apes-"
"I don't need those hateful words in my home!" Nar Tasi suddenly erupted, eyes furious. "Leave if you are here to accost MY guests in MY home!"
"Who were they. Why."
"From what I heard, the Humans had been waiting from him. He had slipped away from Leena to retrieve what he had apparently dropped the other day while you two were on your grand chase from the law-"
That's what the sound had been-
"-And in the time we had been sorting out what had happened, they had already found where he had dropped it, had apparently waited patiently in the corridor for him to return for it, and then proceeded to make their statement. And lo and behold, that's exactly what he did."
"I don't want to hear this anymore. If you just came here to gawk at him, you can LEAVE-"
"They beat him, punctured his suit, tortured him, beat him some more, and then destroyed the only thing he wanted in the first place." He motioned to the shattered idol. "And once he was broken, oh, then they were done. Then they finally killed him. You Humans did that to him. You really all are a cruel race, aren't you? They must have waited for hours for him to return, you know that? Just waited...waiting so they could savagely beat a young boy to death."
"Who are they."
"You will not. You have no stake in this Marauder-"
"Haha, the Tenth Street Reds. Who else? Their little gang moved in here naught months ago, and from the very start, tried their darnedest to destroy our little community. Extorted our businesses, turned our district into a haven of crime, and quite boldly got rid of anyone who spoke up about it. You have to be yanking my mandible-"
And that name rung in my head. I knew that name. I had heard it the first day I met Zael.
"Where are they."
"Where are they? Haha, where aren't they you dolt. They're in the shops, they're in the streets, they're in the Citadel's security force. Just turn your head and look at the nearest Human next to you. Odds are, you'll find one."
"I meant specifically. They have to have a meeting place."
The Turian guffawed. "Yeah, here you go." He typed into his omni-tool and then waved it in the air. Mine chirped upon receiving the coordinates. "How'd I just know you'd have one? Humans really do have everything don't they?"
"OUT!" Nar Tasi was vehement now. "LEAVE!"
The crimson tattooed Turian frowned before turning to do just that. "Say hi to your friends for me."
The old man threw the nearest vanity after the Turian, which could be heard shortly after shattering outside.
I made to follow the Turian.
"Marauder I forbid you from leaving! You're still in debt to me for treating your wounds the other night-"
I quickly checked my omni-tool to finally affirm my suspicions. I had slept for more than half the day upon seeing its chronometer. It would be getting dark soon. And I had missed work.
"-and, y-yes, you can't have forgotten that you are still in debt to me for finding you room and board here, your new occupation, your new livelihood! You are not to leave! I forbid it! What happened is of no concern to you. You...you didn't even know him! Don't do this out of some misguided attempt to feign empathy! You can't, the dead don't-"
"You're right," I could only respond coldly, stopping him there. "You're right, I didn't know him. But to be completely blunt with ya, I couldn't care less about him. I mean, I only knew him for three days. I couldn't care about any of you to be honest. No offense. So tell me...why would I care about anything you've done for me up to this point?"
The Old Man was at a loss for words now.
"...Marauder...don't throw away your life for him. Listen to me please. You must live. To carry on his-"
"I wanna tell you something Old Man." I approached the table now, eyeing him coldly. "That's not my name. Marauder Shield isn't. Even. My Name. Wanna know my real name? I'm sorry, I don't remember my real name. I don't even remember where I'm from in fact. Nor do I remember who I am. Nor do I know how I ended up like this. I must admit I also have no family. I have no friends. I have no memory of what I am or again, what I've done up to this point in my life. The few I have met have decided to discard me like the trash I am and informed me that I'm never welcome in their company again. The one reason I had for even being here. So tell me. You're an intelligent man. Can you in good conscience tell me someone like that is even living. Are they even alive?"
"...you don't know what you speak of."
"Without any of that, that'd person be a ghost. Transient. I have no reason for 'living' here anymore. If I were to die today, no one would even notice-"
"I would!" the Quarian grew belligerent. "Leena would! I've lived three times of your span so don't you dare lecture me! Your arrogance comes from your youth! Do you even know what the name Nar Tasi means?! Crew of no one! When I was banished from the Flotilla, I lost everything I held dear! And I was exactly that! NO ONE! I lost my family, I lost my ship, I lost my people, and I lost my name! But I have lived on. Yes, I struggled. But I have lived on. Instead of being weak, I moved on. And now there isn't a soul here that would even dare to say that I never existed! I bear the title of Nar Tasi with pride now, because it reminds me of my origins. That I have come from a child of no one to a father of many. And that future could be yours too. ANY possibility could be yours from this moment on. But you have to-"
"Huh. Does one of those futures include him?"
I motioned to the blanket.
"..."
"What you said might be true. No, I'm being arrogant. You're right. Entirely right. Everyone has the possibility of a better future. Or at least, A future. But if there was a possibility of changing all that...the opportunity to reach a future you couldn't possibly have access to...don't tell me you wouldn't choose the former over the latter. That you'd rather be a penniless life line and slave to a bunch of uneducated drug addicts and dirty hobos than an esteemed and respected Captain of a live ship back in the Flotilla, responsible for thousands instead of a few insignificant hundred."
That was cruel.
"You have the life you are given Marauder. You cannot change the past. You can only move forward-"
"For anyone else. But for me...that may not be true. And after hearing your words, you've finally convinced me. I'm finally willing to find out for sure. So I thank you for that."
"MARAUDER!"
As I left, I knew it was finally time to test out that absurd theory that had almost played out on Noveria. That of the clichéd Reset. If I was truly special, and if this was all just a game, or some fucked up VR, I'd soon know. Not before taking as many of those bastards with me though. Just for kicks. Well, either that would happen or I'd just die a horrible death in a seedy slum that no one would even know of. But hey, you can't make an omelet without cracking a few eggs. Or whatever.
So goodbye Shitadel, it was nice knowin' ya.
This is the last time I ever plan to see this dump again.
...
...
...Sorry Leena.
...Sorry Old Man.
The coordinates that asshole Turian gave me brought me to a club. A large one. It was still located in the district of Manash, still shouldered by the dozens of dilapidated buildings nearby. But it looked completely new. A place certainly made to draw attention to its inhabitants. Let people know they were people of import. The apparent meeting place of the district's local mob. The Tenth Street Reds.
I crossed the street and rapped on the door several times before an old-fashioned shutter was slid open level with my eyes.
"Vhat's the word."
"Forgot."
"Haha...you fuckin' new guys. I'll remember your face. Next time you forget, you can forget ever coming back."
The door opened with a creak and the scruffy looking shit stain of a person that opened it muttered the word "Volgograd," as I entered.
Le Castle Vania - LED Spirals (Extended Version) [Do yourself a favor and have it play on youtuberepeat]
The club was dark, and its strobes did little to illuminate it. The music's bass was loud, in poor taste, and did little to help the feel that this place was anything but dead. The oblong bar island in the center of the room had more bottles than you could count strewn across its counter top. Several individuals were slumped on stools atop it too, unconscious or on the verge of it because of tweaking from the least I could tell. And to the sides of the room were half a dozen booths, hosting what I assumed to be various members of the Reds.
"The boss here?"
"Yeah," the idiot behind me decided to affirm, pointing toward a booth in the back corner of the club. It was almost too easy.
No, it was in fact, unreal.
Without any opposition, he let me stride across the floor and around the oblong bar at the club's center toward the table he had motioned. I tightened my fists as I finished rounding the counter, gaze already set on the table I had been pointed to. It was really this easy. The people who had terrorized the aliens here were really this stupid. It was almost comedic. Comedic that they had gotten as bad as they have around here.
And as I came to a stop, several feet away from the table, its occupant's eyes now turned toward me. The bass thrummed as their faces showed me indifference. I counted four that currently sat at it. The one on the far left of the semi-circular booth was one I immediately recognized.
The garbage I had met the very first day I ran into the Quarian. The puke green shirt, baggy leather pants, scruffy looking stubble on his chin. My anger immediately welled upon just looking at him. I still remembered his name from that day. Next to him was a thick girl with auburn hair, clad in an orange sweatshirt, and from what I could tell, was also sporting a 22nd century version of google glasses.
On the other end of the booth was what looked like a hooker, face clearly layered in enough make-up to make them look like a clown, and bright orange hair that reminded me of a tangerine. A deep purple crop top matched her eyeliner.
Both females had their arms lazily wrapped around the man sitting at the booth's center, face clearly bored. The blonde was wearing a blue and orange sports jacket, white shirt beneath it, and in clear contrast to the other male at the table, face was clean shaved, not a single mar to its name. His cold, empty, blue eyes fixated on me as I stood there, hands balled into fists, brows narrowed, looking at me like a bored predator, watching prey not worth half-its time.
"What do you want friend?"
Then the one named Motty's eyes suddenly sprung wide, shooting up from his seat, apparently recognizing now who I was from our run-in days before. "Fyod, this is the khuy I told you about who stuck us up back behind Kranod's!"
"Really?" he said apathetically, shifting in his seat.
"The one that protected that suit-"
"You're the one in charge of the reds?"
"Yah," Fyod replied. "Who are you?"
In response, I then reached into the back of my pants, raising the brow of several people at the table, before pulling my gun out, and pointing it in his direction.
"Your end."
I had to at least throw out a one-liner. Every story needs to end with one of those.
The girl's eyed me like I was the insane husk I was now, while Motty merely looked at me in shock. I also heard a click or two further away behind me. This was it.
Fyod narrowed his eyes in response. Peering into the gaze of the man that was about to kill him. He stood there adamant, looking every bit like the two-bit fuck he-
"BAHAHAHAHA!"
The laughter unnerved me, causing me to take a step back, finger immediately tightening the trigger, while the other three at the table now looked at their leader like he was insane. Is insane. He now clapped his hands in an exaggerated matter, wretching from the laughter. '
"What are you doing."
"Oh ah ha ha ha, ohhhh you pizdá! I really missed you ya know? I almost didn't recognize ya! That was a good one, really pulled one over on this suka here." The man continued to laugh as Motty looked at him perturbed. "Stick a gun in his face, waving it around to scare the shit out of him? Walk into the middle of this place and do the same to me? HAHAhahaha-"
"...what...what's going on?"
"Yeah. Good question." I thought as my hand remained trained on the lunatic called Fyod, completely still.
"Oh ha ha...haaaa. Let me introduce him to you all. I mean, I've almost forgot myself. It's been a long time since we last saw each other hasn't it?"
I glanced over my shoulder as long as I dared before returning to stare down Fyod. "What are you talking about."
"Oh, haha, classic lev, always with the jokes." He turned to his filth-ridden acquaintance. "He's an old member. From the good ol' days. The Infamous Lev of the Reds, Alexei! How many years has it been lev? I can't even remember."
"I think you have me mistaken," I replied coldly. "I'm not your friend."
"I know it's been awhile, but there's no need to be like that!" he replied laughing. He motioned to someone behind. "Bring a drink for our friend-"
"Are you the ones who killed that Quarian child today."
His brevity now faltered, laughter dying down, raising a brow at me. "What? ...you mean the suit rat? No, no that was you wasn't it Motty? You and Georgio's men?"
"Yeah that was me. We got that lil' bastard real good after the trouble he gave us. Should have seen him after we were done with him. Georgio really laid into that little suit-rat for what he did to his face. We were just going to leave him there, but he was real bad, and so being the nice guy I am, I-"
"What are you doing?" Fyod said as I turned my gun toward Motty and pulled the trigger.
I was met with a hiss, as the gun refused to fire, chamber jamming, merely emptying out a heat sink onto the bar's floor in response.
"Did...did you just try to shoot him?" Fyod asked, disturbingly nonchalant. Motty's eyes were split wide open, mouth ajar, face a mix of disgust and fear. "...hm, maybe I was mistaken." A Raikou was now in his hand, pointed in my direction. His blue irises were emotionless as they stared at me, devoid of anything remotely Human. "You're from that ghetto aren't you? Here about that Quarian you were just asking about huh? Do you know how many of you stupid blyáds have tried to come into this house and take 'revenge' for those they 'lost'? Fuck." He shook his head. "I really thought you were lev. It's been awhile, but I swear, you look JUST like him." He now glared at me with scorn. "Always looking at us exactly the way you're looking at me right now...like he was somehow better than the rest of us. Better than me. Like we were beneath him. Oh, it infuriates me just thinking about it. I mean, you're exactly how I'd picture he'd be ten years from now. It's spooky. Ah, but, you know what? I guess-"
The cacophony that suddenly erupted from the entrance to the Red's hangout wrenched our attention away from each other. The clattering of the steel door being knocked off its hinges had garnered everyone's attention in fact.
Fyod wasted no time in firing his Raikou in the Elcor's direction, as did several other members of the gang that had their guns out in the room. The Elcor suddenly grasped the bouncer standing beside him, in one of his giant vice-like hands, and with a loud bellow, subsequently tossed the man clear across the room, over my head, and nailed Fyod, causing him to topple over the booth.
I stood there in shock as Turians started pouring into the club in the Elcor's wake, letting out cries at the top of their lungs, brandishing make-shift weapons that would embarrass a mob in the 17th century-
"QB-2V2, get 'em!"
I turned back toward the booth before me just in time to witness a Fenris mech suddenly shoot out from underneath the table. The hulking mech immediately charged in my direction, cybernetic screen bright red and dead set on me. I immediately backpedaled, leveling my gun with it, discharging rounds at its head in response. I hit the countertop of the bar behind me as the thing finally sputtered dead two seconds later, head sliding to my feet, the light of its digital screen flickering to an end.
How I hadn't seen it before when I approached them, I had no idea. But as gunfire continued to break out in the club around me, people screaming, glass breaking, bass still pumping, I decided to take advantage of the chaos as best I could when I saw Motty now charging head down in my direction.
Adrenaline Rush.
And my body hit the floor after nothing happened, gun flying out of my hand upon impact by rule of drama after he had tackled me.
I immediately heaved the bastard off me in response before he had a chance to do anything and flipped around, reaching out for my gun. But it was too far. Before I could even think of what to do next, he grabbed me by the throat in both hands, dragged me up, back to my feet, and slammed my head against the bar's counter top.
"You fuckin' xenophile! You were distracting us weren't you?! You-"
My hands were knocked away from his as my head was smashed against the bar again, upon which my right brushed against something solid. In response to his words, I decided to grab the object and subsequently smash the glass bottle across Motty's face. He immediately let go in response, howling in pain. I then shoved him off me with several pounds of muscle and dove back to my left, to get back my gun-
Which I noticed was now already in the hands of another Red several feet away, currently wrestling with a Turian. Only a moment had passed before it went off once and the Turian's eyes lost their-
"GhRK!"
The arm shot around my neck and began crushing it, abnormally strong for being so slim. I gurgled as the mauve sleeve doubled up, choke hold only tightening further as I tried to pry them off me.
"Ghkf-grk-gafljgh-"
My eyes bulged as they continued to strangle me, and in attempt to get them off, shaking my head wildly, I noticed to my left that another Red was now running at me from across the room, across the mayhem, knife in hand.
With inhuman strength, I roared, bending down, grabbing the legs of the person behind me and lifted them up, surprised to find them abnormally light. I then backpedaled away from the man chasing me, only stopping once I rammed my assailant as hard as I could against the wall behind us. She let out a gasp as I did, and I took in a breath of fresh air as the knife-wielding lunatic now lunged for my gut.
I twisted my body out of the way as his knife shot past where I had just been, clanging against the wall. I in turn let go of the legs I had been holding and instead chose to grasp that left arm of his holding the knife tightly. Then in one fluid motion I sent a knee to his gut causing him to double over, yanked out his arm with my left, cocked my right, and smashed my fist against the back of his elbow. He howled in pain as I did and dropped the knife, upon which I then followed it all up by smashing his head against the establishment's steel wall.
I dropped to the ground as the woman previously choking me resumed doing so however, having already recovered from her brief shock. Can't believe I forgot about that. Unfortunately for her, the knife was already in my hand before I knew what happened and now embedded itself into the attacker behind me. She immediately let go with a scream as the knife grossly stuck out of her shoulder, and now free, I flipped her over my shoulder and socked her in the face for good measure. I had a moment to register what I had just done to the woman caked in tacky eye shadow before I glanced across the floor.
Which is where I saw him. A mustachioed man with a bandaged eye that I had just seen for the first time in my life naught a day ago. The man who had started this whole chain of events and was most likely the man named Georgio mentioned earlier. The one the Quarian had stole from just the other day.
I didn't care about the Quarian. I didn't. He was in and out of my life before I had time to even blink.
I was striding toward him now, ignoring the shouts and bloody murder going on around me as the music continued to blare.
He might has well not have existed at all. How could I care for someone that only existed for less than a blink? How did he even matter in the grand scheme of things? Compared to everything else-
Out of my peripheries I saw it coming, and I ducked as the pipe whistled over my head. I then bounced back toward the bar behind me.
"HEY, we're on the same side!"
The Turian unfortunately just saw the Human in front of him and swung the pipe again. In turn, I ducked again as it sloppily flew by, and then rammed my head into his mid-riff as hard as I could, forcing an 'oof' to escape his lips. I then shot my head upward, headbutting his chin. But as I made to slug him with my right, he had already dropped his pipe and grabbed my hand in his own. Then mimicked the movement on my left. Before either of us could move next however, he spit blood onto my face, and he quickly went limp as Georgio pulled his knife out from the base of his fringe.
"You're velcome."
Our eyes met, and before he knew what had happened, I had kicked out his leg, wrenched the shiv out of his hands, plunged it into his remaining good eye, and then socked him for good measure as he begun to scream. He hit the floor unconscious, and in a split second decision, I then decided to spit on him. And then I turned away from the fat fuck upon realizing.
Realizing he wasn't truly the one that had done it as the adrenaline coursing through me winded down. I had just heard the confession of who had minutes earlier. I then turned back toward the spot they had dropped to the floor. Only to find they were already gone.
"Fuck."
I wiped the blue blood of the Turian off my face as I now searched the club for him wildly, eyes flitting across the room as people were still fighting for their lives. Fights like this didn't end soon. Brawls like this took time. Apparently. And more people were spilling into the building still. Latecomers from the Abode. Reinforcements for the Reds. Out the unhinged door, I could hear a gunfight now going on outside in the streets. Then someone went sailing past my face into the bar and I leapt back in response. Probably the Elcor again. A real hard ass if he was still alive and kicking after that very first volley of gunfire-
I saw him as he saw me. His face was bloody, still cut up by thousands of shards from the handle of alcohol I had smashed against his face. And his gaze told me he was out for my blood.
Motty dropped the Salarian's head and oriented his body toward me as I quickly begun approaching him, darting across the room toward him, failing to notice the broken bottle he was now holding up toward me. Oh shit.
He slashed wildly causing me to immediately pivot and jump backwards when I was only feet away, stopping my march forward, with my eyes going wide as the glass started whistling through the air as he cut at me again. I could only do this for so long-
I couldn't dodge the third one. It slashed through my uniform and drew blood. But my hand shot up to grab his as it had tried to sail past. And I then followed it up with a kick to his stomach as hard as I could. And then I kicked again when he didn't let go.
And then once more when he still refused. That time he let go. The bottle shot out from his hand as I sent him backwards, doubled over in pain. But before I could follow up, I felt something strike the back of my head.
I immediately sent an elbow backward in response when it failed to have the effect intended. She grunted as it connected with her face, staggering backward, bent over, nose bloody, glasses shattered upon impact. I then quickly followed the attack with a sock to the girl's face, one that I now recognized from the booth earlier. She then dropped to the ground with a thud.
"Vera!"
Realizing my current situation, I quickly turned back around to face Motty.
Only instead, my face met his fist. Dazed, I reflexively blocked the next punch out of instinct.
What instinct.
After that failed, he immediately followed up by trying to tackle me to the floor like before. Tried anyway. His head slammed into my body, but I had already splayed my legs preventing the takedown, next wrapping my arms around his neck as he tried to wrestle me down. And as he clawed at my arms wrapped around his head, I sent a knee to his doubled over body. The blow stunned him, and I quickly took one step to the side of him, still grasping his neck in a hold with my left arm but freeing the other.
Whereupon I then proceeded to start mollywhopping him.
My right met his face again and again as he tried to wrestle out of my hold, but it was already useless. It was already over for him at that point. His fate was sealed. My fist went under and over and under and over again and again and again, just busting up every part of his face it could find. My fist became bloody, not from his blood, but from the glass shards still embedded in it. It stung as I brought it in again and again. But I didn't care. I felt him go limp in my arms after just the first few slugs, but I continued to wail on his face long after just to be sure.
And as I was about to do so again, fist colored red, knuckles stinging, eyes blurred by sweat...it was sweat wasn't it...I stopped myself. I saw that his face was now bloody and purple. Eyes shut close by the swelling from the beating. Glass still strewn across the face from what I had done to it earlier, shards sticking out of it every which way. And for an instant, instead of Motty...
For an instant I saw Zael.
His face had been broken and bruised, swelling unnaturally, pierced by hundreds of pieces of glass that had been from his shattered mask's visor. I hadn't been able to stomach seeing it then. It had instead infuriated me. I couldn't see anything else but that face for the last few hours. But now...the thought of it just made me sick.
Another gun shot rang out over the bass of the club.
Then I registered that it had been particularly directed at me as it ripped through my left shoulder.
I screamed in pain, dropping the unconscious thug to the floor as blood sprayed out from the gunshot wound, sending me staggering backwards.
I then looked toward the shooter, who was now currently grappling with a Turian. One that I recognized had been in Old Man Quarian's home. And a second too late to stop him apparently. The alien immediately attempted to shank the shooter, but his hand was blocked by the gun, where he was then subsequently headbutted, and then finished with a shot through the eye. Despite the graphic act, his killer then turned toward me with a smile, face covered in blue, grinning like a fucking lunatic.
But instead of being yards away from him, I was now inches.
Next thing I knew, I saw stars.
I lashed out wildly, out of blind fear, and connected with something immediately.
I then blinked again, vision already recovered, right in time to see Fyod pistol whip my face.
I grabbed out for it as he did, head split open, vision sputtering, and in blind luck, felt my hand grip something. In one move, I flung him over my shoulder before I met the same fate as the Turian beside me. A shot went off, deafening me, causing me to yell as I dropped myself on top of him next.
Vision still swimming, ear drum throbbing, clothes damp with sweat, I doubled my grasp on the hand holding gun, instinctively bashing it once as hard as I could against the floor, causing his hand to release it and sending the Raikou scattering away.
He grabbed at my neck, and I quickly rolled off him, pushing away, stumbling back up, blinking furiously while trying to recover my wits. My efforts got me a powerful kick to my midriff.
He immediately followed with another kick aimed at my leg, and I quickly blocked it by raising my own. I then ducked under the following hook coming from his left, where I was immediately met with an uppercut from his right. Everything went white for a moment. But I bared my teeth, came back to, sending the next punch flying aside inches before my eyes, and then struck his face with a follow-up from my left. My shoulder screamed out in pain as I did, cursing me.
But I refused to let up. My foot quickly knocked his aside before the next volley, causing him to lose his stance in surprise, and at the same time, I sent another cross with mu right, flying toward his head unhindered that he was now completely unprepared for it.
He reeled backwards, creating distance between us, sending out a hook in case I had pursued him. But I panted heavily where I was, blood and sweat dripping down my forehead, cheek cut and swollen, left shoulder burning like a brand. My right bicep was bleeding, but I felt no pain there.
Fyod looked worse, eye already black, still covered in blue from the Turian, shirt no longer white but bright red. He gave a grin as he suddenly lunged back in.
He blocked my counter and then struck my throat with a cuff, causing me to choke. I couldn't breathe. And then I felt myself soar over his shoulder, head and body slamming against the ground. The club bass was inaudible now over my gasping.
Next thing I knew, he was atop me, straddling me, and I realized what this was. I subsequently spit blood as he struck my face. And then again as he crossed with the opposite fist. I tried to buck him off, but he had too much control. I feebly brought my hands up to protect my face as the next blows came. So instead, he then struck the side of my head in response, causing me to black out.
no-
I came to just as another blow came across my arm, causing pain to shoot up my left shoulder. I lay there on my back, arms taut, as he continued to beat me senseless. I couldn't see out of my right eye anymore.
No-
He was vicious, brutally raining blow after blow now on my head. Relentless. He was relentless. I felt an elbow slam against the arms currently covering my face. I yelled as his knuckles were brought down on my wrist next, feeling like it had just snapped because of it.
NO-
Fyod blows were getting more and more ferocious, beating away what little sense I had left. Out from under my battered arms, I then saw him cock his arm. The next explosion of strikes would be it.
NOT HERE DAMMIT-
I subsequently abandoned my defense, exposing my face to his onslaught. And while doing so, raised my fist in turn, and sent it in toward his groin. His next punch fell flat as he doubled over in pain from the dick punch. I then bucked him off me and began scrambling to the gun that was currently laying under the table in front of me.
And then I realized my mistake. I felt him jump on my back, his python immediately wrap around my throat, squeezing too tight for me to think. I gagged for air as he placed his left hand on his elbow, pressuring my trachea so hard now that it felt like it was going to be simply crushed.
This is it.
I reached out for the gun still yards away before I felt myself begin to convulse. My ears began to ring.
It was...
"You can die here with all the rest you alien fucker-"
...no...it wasn't...it wasn't a good run-
I felt my face turning purple as it was deprived of oxygen, trachea crushed in by his biceps. The ringing was getting louder.
-I...I don't want to die here!
"I swear to the Maker, I'm just gonna kill every Quarian I see after this," he muttered into my ear as he continued strangling me.
...
I finally let my hands drop from the arm wrapped around my neck.
"NO ONE FUCKS WITH THE TENTH STREET REDS-"
And then snatched one of the fingers pressed against his elbow, bending it back as far as I could. A pop could be heard as it was subsequently wrenched from its socket.
"ARGH-"
REVERSE HEADBUTT.
I smashed the back of my head into his face, gasping buckets of air as he released his grip, the noise in my ears now at its peak. I then dove forward, now free, and snatched the pistol out from beneath the table of the booth. Which, contrary to what I had thought, turned out to actually be mine.
What luck.
I then flipped over in time to see the fuck leaping at me. I shot once before he collided with me.
I then shoved him off me before more of his blood stained my only shirt. The ringing in my ears was still unceasing and still annoying however, keeping me from even attempting to think straight.
But Fyod was practically limp when I had shoved him off, and as I now crouched over his prone body, shoving the gun in his face, he simply stared back at me emotionless. His crystal blue eyes still looked empty now, just as they had when I had first come in. He opened his mouth, lips cut and swollen, simply saying-
"Get on with it."
Staring at Fyod's face...that ugly ass face...that twisted, ugly ass face...that busted up, bloody and blackened, twisted ugly ass face...
"SPECIAL RESPONSE IS HERE! EVERYONE SCRAM!"
I couldn't do it. I just couldn't fucking do it. And he soon realized it too.
"Heh...it's been so long but...I still recognize that look." He sneered. "That fucking look. You are lev aren't you. Why'd you come back lev? What were you even after?"
I stared at him absentmindedly as the words left my lips.
"My name's Shield. You...fuck."
I smashed his face with the butt of the Predator before quickly pushing myself off.
"EVERYONE FREEZE."
"Emphatically: You'll never take me alive."
I looked on as the Elcor suddenly galloped past me followed by several other Turians. I got up and mindlessly took after them, running toward the back door they were apparently aiming for.
Several other Reds were already clamoring down the alleyway as we exited it.
"WE SAID FREEZE!"
It was dusk outside, the lights powering the district were dim, the back alley darkened by the shadows cast by the neighboring buildings. Save for the lights of the C-Sec sky car at the end of it.
"You are all under arrest. Drop your weapons and put your hands-"
The Elcor suddenly charged ahead, ignoring their demands, knocking aside two gang members before him as he did. Instead of open-firing however, the two officers wisely ducked out of the way as the Elcor subsequently barreled through the car, actually flipping it over.
"With resolve: To Freedom."
The rest of the people still not caught by the fuzz now pounded the pavement with their feet, taking off, away from the building now being blockaded. The ringing that had been in my ears grew even louder as multiple C-Sec cars zoomed over heard, lights flashing, their annoying sirens blaring.
I chose the alleyway across from us as gunfire immediately erupted around me. And I didn't look behind me as I continued to run. I didn't want to. I continued to sprint down the corridor, planned to as long as I was able, ringing still growing stronger as Citadel Security continued to fly overhead, locking down the district around me.
I passed an open avenue while headed to the next back street across from me, were I immediately saw a raid occurring, squad cars still flitting above the sky inundating the air with their sirens. They weren't just here for the club. They were apparently locking down the entire neighborhood.
I booked it even harder, ignoring every single demand of my body to stop.
I continued to hurtle down those corridors, past red sand addicts rendered unconscious, past Keepers attending to empty space, past mountains of trash and refuse that's stench almost forced me to collapse on the spot.
But I was going to just keep running.
Nothing was going to stop me
Because that's all I could do.
Run from things.
Codex Entry:
Manash Riots of '83
Today, chaos struck the Manash district of Kithoi Ward as gun fire and looting broke out over its streets.
Officer Brent Lebedev was reportedly at an apartment office building with two other officers in the district when they spotted who they believed was famous political dissident Faeus Camdus accompanied by several dozen of his followers marching on a location known to be frequented commonly by Humans. They called for back-up once gunfire broke out, which resulted shortly after Camdus and his followers had trespassed on the establishment's premises.
Skyway 87-IZ was shut down for several hours as rioters and looters took to the streets in turn, following the outbreak of violence. Inhabitants of the district burned stores, invaded homes, and threw rocks and other objects at officers arriving on the scene, with a seemingly overwhelming focus on Humans being the target of aggression in particular.
Three Citadel Security officers have been reported to be injured, with at least sixteen confirmed civilian deaths.
Executor Venari Pallin says every action will be taken to restore order, with contingency plans for large scale isolation of the district and martial law to be enacted in less than an hours' notice. The Executor continues to say officers have legal backing to use any tactics necessary, including using baton rounds and omni-nets.
When approached on the subject that a number of the acts of violence made were against Humans, Systems Alliance and Human ambassador Donnel Udina had this to say.
"These malicious acts of violence are horrid enough without realizing they targeted a select group of individuals in particular. The fact that these individuals belonged to Humanity makes them no less horrid. But it is evidence enough that many Humans are still marginalized and persecuted in our era since our arrival on the galactic stage. We must work effortlessly in our actions to ensure this bigotry and hatred is eradicated from Citadel Space, all space, and instead, replaced with a racial equality, fostered by mutual understanding between our peoples, and an exchange of culture that only serves to further proliferate a sense of unity between all races. Humanity will still continue to stand strong in face of these heinous acts, and will continue in its endeavors to support those affected by this tragedy."
Author's Notes:
Well gang this is it. Get your last bets in. I'll go ahead and spoil that things have come to a head, and the recent turn of events in the last few chapters will result in one of the most anticipated moments in any SI story finally being delivered...the history of the mystery SI. Oooooh.
While this chapter was the most overt (whether you believe what that racist asshole said or not), I'm pretty sure all the hints have already been sprinkled in the story. Not that anyone would take the time to look but...I can safely assure you all the broad strokes of Shield's past are there. There are three easy ones if the beginning of this chapter stood out to you. Shepard has even overtly stated it a couple times, though I guess her conclusions were based on false premises. Anyway, expect contrived happenstances, deus exs' and unlikely coincidences to abound for the reveal. Just like how Shield suddenly became an action hero for this chapter. Unless...the person fighting didn't happen to be Shield. OOOHHhhOJOHhOH.
And I couldn't tell you why I did it. Ever since that one AN where I joked about how the Mystery Gang would be the ones who'd reveal Shield's past, I haven't been able to get it out of my head. So here they are. I also couldn't tell you why I made them all Russian or gangbangers but alas, here we are. Fyodor, Anhi, Vera, Motty, and QB-2V2, you shan't be missed.
Reviews:
PW - I cherish your kind words and feed on your compliments. Please, don't stop. Please. I can't live without them. As long as I have you, you're the only real follower I need~
(PS - Just kidding, I treasure you all equally) (PPS - Just kidding, you're actually my favorite, current reader. Don't tell PW or the others.)
December - Check again buttmunch.
Guest - Check again buttmunch.
DirtyCanuck - Uh, I'm pretty sure Shields is living the life. I don't know what you're talking about.
HenryWinkler - Then check again for the next chapter in a couple years buttmunch.
EvilDoctorPorkchop - Despite appearances, the slash is still on actually. Currently working on ShieldxUnderageUndeadQuarianBoyToy standalone. Expect to see it in the community soon!
Toothy - Five years. Seventy-Five chapters. Seventy-Five divided by Five is Fifteen. Fifteen chapters per year. Story is Two years old. Two years times Fifteen is Thirty. Story has Thirty Six chapters. Thirty Six greater than Thirty. So, uh, by my calculations, I think not. Lern 2 math n004.
PyrotheIDon'tReadInnerMonologues -CHECK AGAIN (and in the next chapter) BUTTMUNCH.
Despised Earl of Pembroke - In order: But he would appear to be a mad man or an extremely prescient mad man, I still see the ball gag, I have learned the Roaring Twenties were pretty great so my b, and CHECK AGAIN BUTTMUNCH. I don't know what you're talking about. Typis? What Typus? I don't see any Typoos.
In the Next Chapter: ...THAT'S THE SECRET?! LAME!
Tune in next time on Mass Effective: A Hero Made!