DISCLAIMER: THE SONG FEATURED HERE IS "DEMONS" BY IMAGINE DRAGONS. I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHT TO THE LYRICS OF THE SONG. ITS IS BEING USED WITHOUT A FORMAL LISCENCE.
Thea sat uncomfortably in her chair. Even her usual "I don't care about others" attitude didn't prevent her from noticing the tension in the air. Both Jackson and Kisa had left the hospital that morning, carrying bags full of belongings. The trio had went to Kisa's apartment to finish Jackson's story as well as to pack all of Kisa's belongings to leave Nevos.
Jackson told the asaris that he knows of a device which can stop the Reapers behind Beta-Two, and needed a team of scientists to work on it. He didn't say exactly what the device was, although he did mention something about eezo. Once the device is completed (Jackson had made it clear that he will find somebody to work on it), Jackson would need a very capable strike team to deliver and activate the device – beyond Beta-Two.
"That's why I need you two." Jackson said. "This mission is hazy, suicidal and has no pay whatsoever. You will be kept in the dark until the moment we pass through Beta-Two. I can't even tell you exactly what your jobs will be when we go to deploy the device. But it needs to be done and…"
"You need those with a strong moral compass and is also slightly crazy" Thea finished it for him. Jackson nodded in agreement.
"Alright. I'm in." She glanced nervously at her cousin, who was yet to speak a word. She had been unusually quiet and avoided eye contact. She was listening, for sure, but how much she took in was debatable. Thea moved her attention back to at Jackson, who had avoided making any interactions with Kisa. He looked tired, and a she could see traces of sadness carefully masked by his seriousness. Jackson was certainly good at hiding his feelings.
Having being with countless partners of numerous species (although she is yet to conceive a child), Thea was a self-proclaimed love expert. Drawing from her extensive personal experience, she came to her conclusion:
Jackson rejected Kisa, but he still has feelings towards her. Perhaps something is holding him back… Hmmm. Star-crossed lovers? This is going to be bad, and this conversation is certainly not constructive. This can't continue, especially in the battlefield! What should I do?
Thea glanced at her omni-tool. "Um, I forgot to meet somebody. Sorry Jackson, but I have to go. Will be back in thirty minutes." And do something while I'm gone, idiot!
"Right. Are you sure you'll do this? It's a suicide mission and you shouldn't take it so lightly." Jackson replied with a worried expression. He was somewhat surprised at Thea's light-hearted reply.
"Look, you'll find nobody else who is more qualified and fitting. And if I don't agree, then you'll have to kill me because I know too much, right?" Jackson didn't respond, but she knew she was right. "So I may as well. I might be able to save the whole world this time, instead of taking down some bad guys."
With that, Thea left the room in a hurry, hoping that the problem would be solved. For the first time in her love-advising career, she didn't know what to do.
…
Kisa felt every beat of her heart. She instinctively knew that Thea was lying; there was nobody she had an appointment with. Thea's message was clear "talk to him!"
She didn't know what to say. Love was something new for her. She had determinedly avoided that feeling throughout her life, until she met Jackson. It was almost like those badly-written romance stories: love at first sight.
She was sure that Jackson was also developing feelings for her, too. Even though he continuously hid his emotions, Kisa could see right through him. Four hundred years of life gave you significant advantages when reading someone else's feelings. Her cousin's countless love tips also helped.
You never asked. And he never rejected. All he said was "sorry". That's all that he said. A voice inside Kisa's head argued. She wanted to believe it. She desperately wanted to believe it.
The silence was deafening. For a few minutes, the human and the asari sat on the opposite sides of the sofa in the small apartment, neither liking their situation. The only sound came from their slow and steady breaths. Suddenly, Jackson started to sing. His voice was somewhat hoarse, but deep and almost dramatic.
When the days are cold
And the cards all fold
And the Saints we see
Are all made of gold
Kisa looked at him in surprise. Why was he singing all of a sudden? She then saw his face. His eyes were closed and his mask was gone. He was trying to say something, but clearly didn't know how to say it. He expression was true and uncut – determination. He had come to some sort of conclusion.
When your dreams all fail
And the ones we hail
Are the worst of all
And the blood's run still
I wanna hide the truth
I wanna shelter you
But with the beast inside
There's nowhere we can hide
No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come
When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide!
It's where my demons hide!
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide!
It's where my demons hide!
Kisa realised what he was saying. She felt relieved, somewhat angry and scared. Demons…
Jackson's voice rose slightly, and he continued to sing.
At the curtain's call
It's the last of all
When the lights fade out
All the sinners crawl
So they dug your grave
And the masquerade
Will come calling out
At the mess you made
Don't wanna let you down
But I am, hell bound
Though this is all for you
Don't wanna hide the truth
No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come
When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide!
It's where my demons hide!
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide!
It's where my demons hide!
Kisa was crying out of relief. Jackson did love her… but he was just afraid to do so. She moved closer to Jackson, who opened his eyes and looked directly at her. He continued to sing, loud and clear. He was a very good singer.
They say it's what you make
I say it's up to fate
It's woven in my soul
I need to let you go
Your eyes, they shine so bright
I wanna save that light
I can't escape this now
Unless you show me how!
When you feel my heat!
Look into my eyes!
It's where my demons hide!
It's where my demons hide!
Don't get too close!
It's dark inside!
It's where my demons hide!
It's where my demons hide!
They sat very close now, and the silence enveloped them. Jackson reached up and wiped her tears.
"Do you understand?"
"Yes."
Jackson smiled wearily. At least she won't be in pain now.
…
"Sir? You might want to take a look at this."
"What is it?"
"An Alliance military man was found alone in a damaged gunship – M44 Hammerhead with the Alliance designation. He was admitted into hospital on Nevos and received significant medical attention."
"And…?"
"It was covered up, fearing the tourist's panic. However, a couple of days later, a gunfight broke out near one of its restaurants, initiated by Eclipse mercenaries. About 70 participants were captured, all of them having been hit with concussive rounds. They reported being attacked by a man with significant biotic abilities. An arrest warrant was sent out across Nevos on this man, who was calling himself Mr Wolf. But he looks very much like…"
He brought up a holo.
"Lone Wolf? Liam Jackson? How…? You're right, concussive rounds and biotic abilities certainly sounds like Liam, and that holo definitely shows him, though he seems to have gained more cuts on his face. Nice catch, Specialist. Hmm… activate the transponder on his armour. If it's on Nevos, then… let's just wait and see what he is doing. Also, send an agent to Nevos. Shadow him."
"Sir!"
Why hasn't he reported in? How come he managed to arrive so quickly? What is he doing? The man asked himself. He wore a standard Systems Alliance officer's uniform, although he had an Admiral's badge on his chest. He looked quietly out of his window, watching the Citadel sky. He had always wondered how a fake sky soothed him, but there were many things he didn't understand.
The Nightly Wind, one of the three ships that went with Jackson, arrived merely a day ago. The crew reported that there was a relay named Beta-Two at the coordinates indicated in the Prothean video. They had also said that Jackson's ship, SSV Jungfrau had entered the relay. The third ship, SSV Carnivore,was on its way home.
The Nightly Wind was a ship that Jackson had hijacked from Eclipse especially for this mission, and was the fastest ship that the Admiral had ever seen. It was now going through extensive retrofitting to upgrade its weapons and armour, as well as stealth technology gained from the legendary SSV Normandy. The Nightly Wind also didn't match many of the standard Alliance regulations, so that had to be taken care of as well.
He wondered what happened to SSV Jungfrau, the battle-cruiser. It was probably destroyed, most likely with all of its crew, save for Jackson himself. He knew that Jackson was a natural leader; one who would not abandon his ship. If anything, he would have done everything he could to die with the ship. He sincerely hoped that Jackson wasn't alone – if he had to endure another lone survival…
The Admiral shook his head. He utterly believed in Jackson's abilities, and more importantly Jackson as a person. However, he wasn't sure how anybody would hold up after everything that he had gone through. His experiment-based birth, his childhood, semi-forced enlistment at the age of twelve, death of his fiancée during operations on Torfan, losing all of his team during an eezo terrorism attack, yet another lone-surival during Eden Prime War… His combat history was colourful, but his psych profile was dotted with red warnings.
His failures and the deaths of his team were never his fault, but he had always blamed it on himself. During the three years that he was in HIGHCOM, he completely refused to work in a fireteam, except for Operation Unveiling, where they found Beta-Two…
I pray that you are well, Liam.The man thought.