A/N: Hello! My story has an M rating as I am sure you have noticed. This chapter is violent - I hope everyone can enjoy it! :) Please leave your thoughts, they are much appreciated. Special thanks to Vector 71 and "Twist the knife" Bebus.
Chapter 13, Jeremy: Blood and Bones
Caught completely off guard, Kaidan forgot his biotics and just braced for impact. Grom bulldozed him to the ground and ripped off the human's helmet, placing his Claymore against Alenko's forehead.
"See you later, Spectre!" he mocked, as he pulled the trigger.
With a violent crack Kaidan's head exploded in a red gory spray of blood and bones. Jerking once, the body fell silent; its head reduced to a filthy stain on the broken concrete, blood still pumping from the neck.
Jeremy observed the gruesome spectacle from his nearby cover and winced when he saw Alenko's life end in such a horrific manner. My goodness... nobody deserves that...
Reloading, the krogan chief scoured the area for his next victim. His deep laughter drowned out the noise of the fire as it rang over the plaza. "Bwa ha ha! Come out humans, I have a surprise for you!" The Claymore shotgun clicked with a new thermal clip.
Grom can not resist giving the headless corpse at his feet a mighty kick as he yelled out to his clan, "Come out whelps, and I will teach you how to behead a pyjak!"
A dozen krogan came out of the warehouse to stand in half a circle, keeping a respectful distance to their Chief. Their long shadows flickered with the movement of the light, as the warehouse fire seemed to intensify. Grom decided to turn this into an exhibition. "Don't interfere, just watch me skin these clowns alive."
I will complete this mission. Jeremy's thoughts went into overdrive, as he observed the krogan group in the centre. The leader is key. I will take him down, but he has to live. First I have to empty that shotgun. No cloak, he needs to see me.
He left his cover and bolted straight at the laughing krogan, who was pleased to see him. "Look at this, he wants to play!" He aimed for the human's chest, and fired the massive shotgun.
With a deafening boom, the Claymore shot a hail of death directly at the human.
Completely focused on Grom's right hand, Jeremy performed a sideways and forward roll as he saw the huge muscles pull the trigger. His lightning move brought him within striking distance of the krogan and he slid forward, kicking the legs in front of him. Krogan are top heavy, legs are the weak point.
With a loud crash, Grom went down and Jeremy took that second to kick the Claymore away. Quickly rising to his feet the krogan let out a loud battlecry and he charged forward to drive Jeremy into the ground.
Vettock fully anticipated the move and rolled sideways once more. At the last possible moment he delivered a crunching kick against his opponent's left knee.
"Gah! You fight like a vorcha. Stand there and fight!" The krogan was obviously frustrated with this slippery human.
It gave Jeremy great pleasure to see a slight wobble in the krogan's step, as the two combatants circled each other, looking for an opening. Their long shadows danced over the concrete in the eerie light of the fire.
When Grom charged him again, Jeremy tried to sidestep him but the krogan warmaster had caught up with his tricks. He managed to grab Jeremy's right forearm and squeezed with all his might.
A cry escaped the human's lips as he felt a hand like a vise clamp around his extremity. The two of them heard loud nauseating cracks as both bones broke, and Vettock felt a numbing pain start to spread.
If I don't break free, I will be dead. The thought came in a rush, as he tried to stave off panic. With all his might he threw his body to the left, tugging his limp arm from the krogan's grasp.
It would have been succesful, but the monster's huge mouth bit down on his hand, and yanked in the opposite direction. Jeremy's arm did come free, but a sharp pain shot through his hand. He looked up to see two of his fingers still stuck in the large krogan's mouth.
Crunching through armour, muscle and bone, the krogan spat out a mouthful of what was left of the fingers and grinned, "A snack, how nice!", clearly enjoying the taste of human. Jeremy felt his stomach clench as he saw the huge creature's throat twitch, swallowing his flesh.
Dazed, Vettock stared at his opponent. Within moments his right arm and hand had been rendered useless, and Grom appeared to be unharmed. The blood and pain instantly reminded him of Crucible Day and a hopeless feeling descended on him. That bastard just ate my fingers...
Pounding his chest the Chief laughed. "Now I want another piece!" He towered over Jeremy and enjoyed the moment. His clansmen clapped and cheered him on, as he readied himself for the next charge.
Noticing Garrus to his left, Jeremy shook his head when the turian made a questioning gesture with his assault rifle. "Only when I am in mortal danger."
Garrus looked at him like he saw water burning. "Continuously!"
Three more times the krogan charged him, and all three times Vettock was able to dodge out of the way, retaliating with a swift kick against the left leg. After the third one, he saw the Chief wobble a bit as he tried to right himself. Go now!
Sprinting towards his opponent, he intended to use both legs to kick the krogan's knee. That was his undoing.
Grom Kuwek lunged forward and delivered a massive head butt to the side of Jeremy's face.
The human staggered backwards; he clearly felt the warmth of blood on his cheek and in his mouth. His hand moved to his ear but only noticed a warm pulp.
Looking at his opponent, doubt clouded his mind. N7 krogan training... this better work...
"Ha ha!" boasted the krogan. "Let me end your suffering...!"
Jeremy took a breath, reached deep down and somehow found the strength to immediately charge again, something the chief was obviously not counting on.
This time, the human's move worked to perfection as he slid down right in front of the krogan and delivered a vicious kick against the left knee. With great satisfaction he heard a loud crack. Yes, broke it!
"Wraaagh!" The behemoth let out a deep thunderous scream of pain and anger. He tried to take his weight of his left leg and steady himself; Jeremy did not give him that opportunity. He grabbed the right leg and pulled with all his might. The Chief came crashing down. The ground shook as the massive creature fell onto his back.
Immediately the krogan in the circle raised their weapons at him. With a lightning move, Jeremy hid himself behind the Chief's body, while he took his combat blade from his boot; The human jammed the large serrated knife deep in the krogan's eye and left it there. "That's for my fingers, bastard!"
Squeeling like a pig, the Chief tried to reach for it, but Jeremy viciously twisted the knife and drove it even deeper into the behemoth's skull. Blood violently squirted upwards from what used to be an eye, covering Jeremy's face.
Panting heavily and bleeding from various wounds, he forced his most authoritative voice. "Krogan! Stop hiding behind guns, I challenge any of you to fight me!"
The krogan warriors looked at the grim human, who hovered over their Chief's body as a dark bloodied nightmare. This human had taken down Grom Kuwek, strongest fighter of northwest Tuchanka. They looked at one another, but remained silent.
"Then go back to your camp, and I will provide a ship as soon as possible." Jeremy pointed at the Chief, "This one comes with me. He will have to answer for the murder of a Council Spectre."
They slowly turned and started to move towards their transports. Garrus jumped forward and quickly put electri-cuffs on the Chief, while James studied Vettock's face. "Madre de Dios, that's gonna leave one hell of a scar amigo."
Jeremy grinned, and winced as pain shot through his cheek and ear. "Ouch. It only hurts when I laugh."
As the turians were finally able to extinguish the warehouse fire, the three of them turned to Alenko's body. In the dying light of the flames the headless corpse presented a cold and desolate image.
Twenty hours later, Jeremy was sitting comfortably on the sofa in the starboard lounge. Samantha was circling him with pillows, making sure he was not in pain. "I should get injured more often, this is awesome." He laughed, and quickly regretted it as pain shot through his face.
"Laugh it up mister, you could have died down there," chided Traynor, a serious look on her face. As she looked at her hurt friend, she suddenly had to swallow hard. "I am so glad you're alive Jem."
He noticed the change in her mood and touched her hand in an reassuring gesture, thankful for her concern. "I am fine Sam, but yes it was close. Thank you for caring."
She leaned in and gave him a warm hug. "You are my brother Jeremy, please be careful!"
This time she fixed two gin and tonics, and he gratefully accepted the drink. They sat in a comfortable silence for some minutes, both of them clearly appreciating the other's company.
"You should have just shot him." offered Samantha, breaking the silence.
"We can not afford krogan fatalities on Palaven."
Specialist Traynor nodded slowly, but was not letting up. "Why not just shoot him in the knees then?"
"Sam, think about it. There were a dozen armed krogan there. If we'd started shooting, they would have happily retaliated and both sides would have suffered casualties. My solution worked."
She sighed, as she slowly sipped her gin. "I know you are right, but your solution got you beat up and made you lose two fingers..."
"I can do without my pinky and ring finger. Kaidan lost his life down there... "
A solemn quiet filled the room as they thought of the casket in the port cargo hold.
"I should have stood by him. Instead I ducked for cover." He frowned as guilt crept up on him. "I should have done something!"
Samantha quickly took his hand, determined to nip this in the bud. "Stop! You are not doing this to yourself, I won't allow it."
Nodding, he knew she was right, but the feeling lingered.
Jeremy had been in the medical bay, then in his own bed for most of the day, so Samantha filled him in on the news. "Garrus talked to the Council and we have been ordered to take the krogan to Thessia. But first we will make a quick trip to Earth to return Kaidan's body."
She sighed deeply. "Shortly after you guys got back from Palaven I talked to Urdnot Wrex. He's sending two large ships to pick up his people. The ships should be here in less than a day."
"My goodness, why couldn't that have happened two hours earlier? Fate is a cruel mistress." Sadness filled his voice.
Sam nodded and the two drank in silence for a few minutes.
"Thessia!" Exclaimed Vettock, "I've never been there, have you Sam?"
A painful expression fell over her face, as she recalled the massive invasion. She had tried hard to forget the devastated look in Liara's eyes when the ground team had returned from their surface mission.
Traynor managed to sound sad and optimistic at the same time, "Yes I have, but without Reapers it should be a lot more pleasant. Like you said earlier, it is time to leave the past behind."
He took one of the pillows from behind his back and playfully threw it at his friend. "Good. I'm sure Garrus needs to meet with the Council, perhaps we can arrange a few days shore leave?"
"Sounds lovely Jem! Let's take a walk on Thessia." Her face colored with excitement as she thought of time outside the Normandy, exploring a new planet and its very feminine inhabitants.
Walking into the lounge, Garrus Vakarian overheard the last few words of their conversation. "A-ha, this is where you guys are hiding. Already making vacation plans?"
Both humans grinned sheepishly and could not think of a proper reply.
"What foul drink are we having tonight?" Garrus hummed, as he smelled the alcohol.
"Gin and tonic, Garrus. Don't try it, it will kill you." As soon as he made the joke, Jeremy realised it was terrible timing, with one of them actually dying earlier.
"Mmm..." hummed the the turian, obviously thinking of Kaidan. "I cannot believe he's gone... we went through so much together... " Garrus turned around and stared at the stars for a couple of minutes.
"Mmm... we will bring him to earth, and then you can drop me right back off at Palaven. I need some time to see my family, it's been way too long already."
Shock filled Jeremy's face. "You're not coming to Thessia? Who will command the Normandy? Who will talk to the Council?" As the words left his lips, the answer was already obvious to him.
Grinning behind his teeth, Garrus half-joked, "You are next in the chain of command Jeremy, you can figure it out."