Miranda walked slowly through the bustling crowds of the Wards, keeping herself alert – the dim lights of the place making everyone unrecognizable – everyone an enemy, a threat. She kept one of her hands on her weapon, the tempest sub-machine gun that had gotten her through so many dangerous situations with Shepard. She hoped she wouldn't need it, but with this Agent, she couldn't be sure.
There was a lot of uncertainty coursing through her as she continued walking. Was it right to leave Shepard like that? After all he did for her – did he deserve that?
'Yes,' she reaffirmed to herself, 'I'm doing this for him. He's dead otherwise.'
You don't really believe that, do you?
'I do,' she told herself once more, 'He risked his life for me on countless situations – least I can do in return is to make sure he lives his fully.'
She walked into a small back alley and leaned against the wall, pausing for a moment to try and distract herself from thinking about Shepard. She went through her plan in her mind once more in an attempt to do such.
'Meet with the Agent,' she began, slowly going through the critical points of her plan in her mind, 'Give him the information – that secures Shepard's safety. Take the offer – if I deny it, I'm dead. Taking the offer gives me the antidote – which clears me. Go wherever they need me to go – but slowly work at undoing their work. If I want revenge on these bastards, what better way to do it than on the inside.'
A triumphant smirk appeared on her face as she took in a deep breath and rejoined the crowd, 'I'll destroy them for what they've done.'
She continued following the flow of the crowd for another five minutes, before an alleyway that seemed so reconigzable pulled her away. She inched closer to the dark street, inspecting the still ruined architect from Sovereign's attack on the Citadel. She noted everything as she continued walking down the alley – keeping herself on high alert.
It was a surprise to even her when she finally realized where the alley lead – Chora's Den, or what remains of it. Having been destroyed, the place never reopened – the Black Star Lounge probably having a hand in that. It didn't necessarily bother her though, she never liked the place – seeing as nothing but smut and pervasion. She shook her head in disgust at the place, but something pulled her towards it – some force making her inch closer and closer, until she was standing in the entrance – staring in.
It's once vibrant dance room was now dark – tables having been turned over and the entire place been stripped bare by looters and thugs. Half broken bottles sat quietly on the shelves, bullet holes being evident everywhere. Whether they were caused by when Shepard came after Fist – or another attack, she couldn't tell.
She took a step further inside – and immediately she knew something was wrong. For a place that had been uninhabited for so long, her step didn't unsettle any dust that would've found its way on the floor. Someone had been here recently – and that someone, was standing right behind her.
"I'm surprised you found your way here, Ms. Lawson," the voice said behind her.
Quickly withdrawing her SMG, she turned and aimed directly at the salarian agent standing behind her. She lowered her gun when she realized it was him.
"A bit edgey, are we not?" He laughed as she returned the gun to her belt.
"Dealing with an individual like you, I'd say I'm taking necessary precautions."
He shrugged slightly, bringing his hand up to scratch his scaly scalp, "Do you have the information?"
"I do."
"Hand it over then," he replied, holding a hand out – impatience plainly etched on his face.
She withdrew the small OSD from her pouch, clutching it in her hand tightly as she glared at the Agent, "I'm not handing this over until I have confirmation that Shepard is safe – and the antidote for this… poison… is in my hands."
"Ms. Lawson, with the position that you are in – making demands isn't exactly something you can do. Either way, I'll get the information from you. Willingly or," he withdrew the small remote from his pouch, "over your dead body."
She hesitated, knowing that he was right, "Just tell me one thing."
His tone turned impatient, "-What-?"
"Who was the assassin?"
He smirked devilishly, "Haha, before I tell you – I want to hear your theories first. Indulge me," he crossed his arms.
"Smith is the obvious one. She snuck a weapon onboard. I overheard Morgan having a conversation with Shepard regarding it. A weapon of that magnitude would kill everyone on board the Normandy, not just Shepard."
He let out a laugh, "It could."
"So it is her?"
"Of course not, it's Morgan."
Shepard immediately come to the forefront of Miranda's mind, the fear that the crewmember he trusted the most was the one who was assigned to kill him should've been foreseeable by Miranda.
The salarian Agent laughed, understanding the look on Miranda's face as the revelation swept over her, "Oh come on – you didn't see it coming? The hesitant medical man who somehow knew about a prototype weapon onboard the Normandy? We practically gave it away."
"Now," he paused, extending his hand once more, "The OSD, please. I have other important matters to attend to."
Miranda hesitated a bit before dropping the disc into the Agent's hands, "Now hold up your end of the bargain – call off the assassin."
He smiled once more as he inspected the disk, placing it into his pocket before staring at Miranda, "No."
"What?" She muttered, urgency filling her voice.
"You honestly didn't think that we would let Shepard and you walk away from this unscathed, did you? You and your pathetic group of heroes have been a thorn in the Shadow Broker's side for some time now – we just had to figure out a way to knock him and you out at the same time."
"You tricked me!"
"And all too easily," he smirked, bringing the remote up in his hand - his finger hovering over the button, "Goodbye, Ms. Lawson."
His finger came down – and as the button depressed into the remote, she could feel a warm sensation course through her body as the poison was released into her bloodstream.
"You bastard," she growled.
She raised her pistol in the Agent's direction, but a trembling in her arm caused her to fire early, missing the Agent by a good deal. As Miranda brought her other hand up to steady her aim, the figure in front of her went blurry. She blinked her eyes tight and shook her head, repeating several times, but to no avail.
The Agent laughed to himself as he casually turned his back on her and walked away, his blurry visage becoming completely indiscernible to her within seconds.
Her mind was slowly becoming clouded with a thick fog. Never before had simple thoughts been so difficult for Miranda to grasp onto. She put her palm to her forehead, pushing against her face as she tried to rub away the agony that was creeping into her head. She dropped her gun as a wave of pain swept through her body and brought her to her knees. For one lucid moment, she was in control again and her thoughts landed on her only hope - Shepard.
'I need to find him,' she told herself, repeating it until it became a mantra. The fog descended on her once more and all rational thought left her body - save that one thought that was her only chance of surviving.
Shakily rising to her feet again, Miranda slowly trudged in the direction she thought led to the Normandy. The waves of pain were becoming more frequent - and more agonizing - but she refused to let them stop her. She had to reach Shepard. She had nearly reached the markets in the lower wards when the trembling in her body turned to violent shakes. Unable to support herself in her weakened state, she collapsed to the floor, convulsing violently.
Miranda thought of Shepard one last time - and then the darkness overcame her.