(53 Seconds Ago)

The last Banshee wail swept by him on its tour of London.

'Jaaaack,' Garrus yelled to his companion.

'I know, I know, goddammitt!', she barked back.

Beneath his gloved fingers, EDI's grip spasmed in a very organic imitation of the throes of death; a powerful mirror by a supposedly 'artificial' being. Her one remaining eye pulsed with light, focusing, searching in point of fact.

'Jeff?', EDI whispered, 'Jeff, are you there? I'm…having difficulty…seeing. It is so…dark.'

The Turian opened his mouth, an honest reply on his tongue, but instead his voice disobeyed the stoicism of the soldier and answered with the words of a friend.

'Yes…I'm here…I'm here.'

Whether the grin that touched her half-face was relief or simply another spasm, Vakarian knew not, but he was glad for it regardless.

Another Banshee wail erupted; this one was much closer. With a glance, down the destroyed street, he saw the tell-tale blue flash of biotic transport.

Vakarian used his left hand to point out the enemy's location.

'Jack! Here they come!'

'Jeff?'

Garrus forced his eyes from the descending horror and gripped EDI's hand.

'I'm here…I'll always be here.'

'Jeff…I believe I know…what love is,' EDI's voice clicked in near silence. 'It's…an…equation…each side…must balance…for it to be…accurate.'

Having witnessed death for decades, Garrus was surprised when his own voice choked.

'T…that's the best way I've ever heard it described.'

Again the half-smile ghosted across EDI's ravaged face.

'You…are my missing…variable…Jeff, you are…my love.'

Garrus cupped her hand with both of his, 'You did it, EDI, you solved it. We are in balance.'

Pressing his pistol into her hand, Garrus drew close for one last moment with his friend.

'Jeff loves you. Until the end of it all.'

More sensing than actually seeing anything, the Turian rolled away from EDI just as a taloned hand swept the space recently occupied by his head. Selfless and heroic beyond the measure of even the greatest of History's heroes, Garrus sacrificed his own safety, and his chance to retrieve his sniper rifle, and screamed to his partner, just as a Banshee warped in behind her.

'JACK!'

Weaponless Vakarian bobbed, rolled and weaved, trying desperately to gain separation from the razor-handed frights. In a flash of color, his Omni-Tool's blade illuminated and deflected a claw an inch before it would have torn out his throat. For one frosty second, Turian and Monster regarded each other at a proximity usually reserved for lovers.

Twisted bone clicked and clacked through mortis'd muscle, as the Banshee's mouth clenched in anticipation of a kill. Despite the monstrosity before him, Garrus smiled.

'It might be today, beautiful, but you won't be the one to do it.'

Deftly spinning one hundred and eighty degrees, the greatest of Shepard's soldiers leaned back into the Banshee, driving his blade behind him…and through the Reaper Witch's abdomen. Consumed by its barely contained biotics, the creature immediately began to shrivel and melt, but Garrus was already moving back toward EDI.

But when he turned back toward his fallen friend, all he could do was bear witness.

Somehow, among all the wails and savagery, Garrus heard EDI's last words.

'Until…the end of it all.'

With a belch of death, the 'metal' woman's pistol fired, severing the arm of another Banshee and subsequently freeing Jack.

The Turian did not see another Banshee rip EDI apart, but he felt her passing, as one's soul always tremors at the loss of a loved one.

Five of the witches remained, and Garrus knew luck could only carry a soldier so far…and his was spent. With one last twist, the Turian slid to a stop and faced four of his foes. Raising the blade of his Omni-Tool, the Archangel warned the Banshees that the price of his life would be very, very steep.

'Who's coming with me!'

The blinding flare warned him a second before Jack's dire command captured the attention of the Banshees Vakarian faced.

'BURN, BITCH!'

(The Present)

The Banshees never turned back toward Garrus.

They didn't see him dive behind a toppled church bell.

The perverted Asari saw only one last thing…the dawn of Jack's rage.