Anderson was hurrying after Michael.
As was the rest of the squad, a tail following a man that didn't even seem aware of their presence.
And Tali was starting to get angry.
The Presidium was beautiful as ever, the sparse pedestrians around not paying the group any heed, too focused on their own dealings to notice or even care about what was happening, what might very well decide their fate.
It only made Tali all the angrier.
They don't care, they're...they don't understand! Kept in the dark by the damn Council! And what if we told them? Would they believe us? No! Keelah...they'll only understand the danger they're in when the citadel fleet is being torn apart around them...
Wrex was plodding forth next to her, the Krogan silent, frowning, and damn silent! Not saying anything! Not trying to help!
Is the big bad Krogan scared? Or just too stupid to know what to do!
And to her right Garrus was no better! The Turian walking stiffly, claws hitting the railing to the graceful bridge they were crossing in regular intervals, his jaw clenching tight with suppressed anger, suppressed!
Let it out you big waste of plates!
And Liara...the blue brain-melter seemed content to drift behind them like a ghost, apparently in some sort of shock, as if she could feel Michael's state in a way the others couldn't and couldn't handle it.
Fat lot of good you're doing then...
Tali found a growl escape her, making Wrex shoot her a surprised look, only to look away as she shot him an accusing glare.
Ahead Anderson was gesticulating, the man apparently the only useful one among them all as he tried to help Michael: "Please Michael, stop for a moment, talk to me."
There was no answer from Michael, the man moving with slouching steps, uncaring of the man trying to help him.
Tali glared at that large back, hands curling into fists as she followed. And you! You're supposed to lead us! To find solutions! To get past this! It's what you do! What you've done for months! I can't even imagine you not doing it! But now you're grieving and suddenly you can't! Dammit Michael! You're supposed to be my-our Captain! Not this!
Tali knew she was just working herself up, clutching at the anger, making it greater then the grief and worry...but embraced it none the less. Wanting the anger, needing it for what she had to do.
Anderson's voice was full of desperation, and tinged with the knowledge that his pleads were to deaf ears: "Listen, you're in that place again, I know, but please, you don't have to stay there for long like before, we can still do something, this isn't the end."
But Michael didn't care, the man beyond caring about any chances, about any missions, about any galaxy and about his damn people! His crew! Those believing in him even when he stopped!
Tali embraced the anger, hugged it close to her heart, felt it sear her veins like liquid fire.
After all the grief and tears and sorrow it felt...good.
"Michael please!" Anderson reached out, grabbed Michael's arm...only for the man to pull himself free as he continued to walk, aimlessly moving forward, needing to walk, needing to move, to flee.
Unacceptable.
Tali pushed herself past Wrex's heavy shoulder, drawing a surprised grunt from the Krogan which went unanswered as she moved up next to Anderson and gritted her teeth as a bubble of nervousness forced its way into her gullet...
Michael wouldn't allow himself to be nervous, he'd just do it...and damn it, I won't do less!
Anderson tore his gaze away from Michael, anguish replaced by surprise as he looked at her.
She just shot him a glare, too angry to care he didn't deserve it as she moved past him.
Only to find Michael's steps increase, as if sensing her approach...
Oh no you don't you bosh'tet!
Tali increased the length of her steps, jogging past Michael, then whirling about, strides long as she moved backwards, her right hand shooting forth to push at his chest. "Michael! Stop!"
He didn't seem to see her, his eyes glazed and distant as he kept walking, pressing against her hand and forcing her backwards, as if her pushing hand was nothing but the wind, and her words nothing but unimportant noise. "Michael! Dammit!" Her fingers curled, gripping his armoured breastplate tightly even as she tried to shove him backwards, to stop him, if only for a moment.
Anger, it rushed through her, a great surge, making her burn with a need to let it out.
And before her Michael just kept walking, pushing her backwards, uncaring, unheeding, lost.
That's it.
"Michael!" Tali's left hand flew forth, palm striking Michael across his right cheek, hard, forcing his head to the left with the force of the impact.
He stopped so suddenly that Tali would have fallen backwards if she hadn't held onto his armour, instead she simply stumbled to a halt as she watched the man blink, slowly, as if in a daze. His head turned, slowly, a red mark slowly appearing on his cheek from the impact of her palm even as he focused on her.
His eyes remained dull though, uninterested, distant.
And Tali felt her anger grow.
"Now listen to me you little..." She gripped his armour tightly, pulling herself closer as her left hand pointed an accusing finger into the face of the man, the face a head above hers... Forgot how big he is up close... "...little...bosh'tet!" She shook her head, unable to truly give voice to what she felt. "What's wrong with you! You just stood there and took that crap the Council threw at you! And you know they were wrong!"
Nothing, silence, dullness...that was her answer.
It was maddening.
"But no! You think you deserve it! And of course you think so you stupid fool! You think everything you do is some damn repentance for what happened before! As if every mistake is some confirmation of a great flaw in you! So yes, you want to get punished, fine! Get punished!"
A blink, the dull eyes looking down at her, as if he was dreaming.
"But don't let us get punished too!" She shoved him, hard, feeling the anger crash within her like the waves of a stormy sea. "Saren wants to summon the Reapers! He's trying to get us all killed! And you are the only one, the only one who can lead us against them!" She shoved him again, the man taking half a step back with the force of the push even as she glared up into those dull eyes. "You are our leader! You are the one that makes us able to do what we've done! You are the one who can lead us to stop him! You have to do this! We need you!"
Another blink, the man slowly turning his head away from her...
No, you don't get to escape this time.
Her right hand shot up, grabbing Michael by the jaw, forcing him to look at her. "The galaxy will burn!" A third blink, a hint of activity behind his dull eyes, a cringing. "The Citadel has fourteen million people! The galaxy billions! And they will all die!"
She felt it, a slight shake underneath her hand, felt even through her glove as Michael relented, keeping his gaze meeting hers.
She didn't relent though, not daring to let go of her anger. "The Council is doing nothing!" She released Michael's jaw, only to grip his breastplate again, using it to pull him downwards, close to her visor as she spat the words out: "The Alliance, the Turians, even us Quarians! None but you are moving to stop Saren! And if you don't continue he will succeed!"
Michael's mouth finally opened, but no words came, a pain just beneath his eyes, as if worming its way forth.
She didn't let it soften her heart though, wouldn't allow it as her left hand came round, once more smacking into his face even as she felt tears prickle her face. "Dammit Michael! Ashley didn't die for this!" She gestured back at the others, but didn't dare take her eyes of Michael as the man visibly swayed with the mention of the woman. "Yes, she died! You can't be perfect! Everything can't go perfectly! But do you think she would like you to just stand here as Saren continues his plan of a genocide upon the galaxy! She would damn well kick your ass!"
He flinched...and she held on, forcing him to stay put.
"If you don't do anything she died for nothing! If you don't do anything you spit on everything she fought for! If you don't do anything you will have failed her!" He shirked away from the words...and Tali pressed on, heart aching with an equal amount of anger and care."You will have failed us! All of us!"
Michael visibly trembled now, caught like in a vice between the feeling of failure and the punishment he wanted...and the horror of further failures.
And Tali shook him, violently. "I won't let you drag yourself into this pit you've dug for yourself!And especially not when the fate of a galaxy is at stake! So you will damn well lead us after Saren if I so have to drag you all the way to Ilos myself!" She shook him again, feeling her anger slowly turn to exhaustion. "So you will take us out of here, get Saren and complete our mission!" For the third time her left hand drew back, palm open... "Is that understood!" ...and swung.
Only to stop halfway there, wrist caught in the vice that was Michael's grip, drawing a small gasp from her.
She looked up her stopped hand, how her wrist disappeared in Michael's far larger hand...and felt her anger simmer down even as she with a swallow looked up at Michael's face...only to find it downcast, every feature of him...still.
A small sigh...and she saw his eyes dart left and right, thinking, reluctantly making calculations.
It wasn't the great reaction to her efforts she'd hoped for...but it would have to do, reluctant or not...he was thinking.
A small nod...and she forced herself to take a step back, to pull her hand free from his grip as he stood there, planing, coming with ideas, throwing some aside, finding a way...
Then his mouth moved, voice low as he with a weary tone spoke: "David...we will need your help."
"Yes?" Captain Anderson was next to them instantly, body tense with hope, not for the mission, but for Michael...he shot Tali a look of gratitude, the look a father would send...and Tali found herself blushing as she looked away. "What do you need? Name it and I'll get it done."
"Well the first step involves ambassador Udina..." Michael slowly replied, looking sideways at Anderson even as the tiniest of smiles appeared in the corner of his lip, as if he found the ambassador that so obviously had abandoned them to the council amusing. "...and your fist."
Oh...
Tali caught herself smiling, not so much at the pleasantness of the idea, but that Michael found some amusement in it, that there was life left in him.
And Anderson...the man's voice was a low and warm growl: "I like that plan..."
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Thanks to Abydos Jackson for whooping to this one. ;-)