Title: Ilos Chapter Three
Author: DinkyMew – In Collaboration with Jagespages
Game: Mass Effect (one)
Disclaimer: Bioware own all content and characters relating to the Mass Effect Franchise. Abigail Shepard is my own creation inspired by Jane Shepard created by Bioware. Any original characters herein are my own creations and are not necessarily affiliated with Bioware – with the exception of Foster Hobbins who belongs entirely to Julia Jones and the Swagger Vasa Chronicles. **You may not copy, edit or distribute this fanfiction without my expressed permission – thank you**
Author's Note: When life gives you lemons, just make lemonade – to you writer's block, two big fingers in your face!
The drop was always the worst.
The thought entered her head and she grimaced, the sinking – weightless feeling – in her gut reminding her entirely of the last Mako drop they did. On Virmire.
Ash, I need your help. She thought crushing her eyes closed as she dipped her head into her chest bracing for impact. This is your fight too.
The jar of the Mako contacting surface made her bite her tongue and she groaned as hot blood spurt, warm and coppery, inside her mouth. The wheels jounced a little as the Mako rolled, gradually, the sound of gunfire outside pinging off the reinforced armour and shielding of the body.
"Tell me we squashed the bastard?" Garrus asked hopefully, his reptilian eyes narrowing to the Leuitenant in the driver seat.
"Afraid not." Kaidan panted, turning to look at them "He's brought up some kind of door Commander we have no hope of getting past it in this."
Shepard grunted, unbuckling herself and moving to behind the seat where Alenko was peering at the console. "There has to be a way through." She said determined "Ideas?"
Kaidan moved his shoulders "We could try tracing some kind of security console, I could maybe hack the controls if we could find it…" He glanced up at her, a shallow cut over his left eye where his forehead had struck the dash on landing was bleeding, the blood running past his temple as he pulled a face "but that's a big 'if' Commander. This place is enormous."
She wiped her mouth seeing the alarm in his eyes as he spotted the blood on her lips and turned from him, turning back to look at the others.
Hobbs was watching her intently, unharmed it seemed by the descent – which figured she supposed, he would be used to drops being an operative. Beside him his brother foster looked a bit pale and woozy, but to give him his credit he snapped to attention when he saw her looking his way. A hard look coming over his eyes that reminded her more than a little of his older brother.
Garrus was up already, shouldering his rifle eagerly and almost bouncing on his feet as he waited for her orders. Finding Saren had become such a huge thing to the turian she almost forgot his personal vendetta against him.
Wrex looked at her placidly, as though he had just woken up, shaking his great head of scaled skin as he blinked at her.
"Are we here?" He asked, his lips curling back into a grin.
"All right." Shepard said "You know your jobs guys, Alenko, Hobbs and I will take point. Garrus, Wrex, Foster you guys bring up our rear, clear out any geth they send in as reinforcements. We're heading for the conduit fast and hard. Got it?"
"Aye aye ma'am!" Foster shouted, almost eager to try the new phrase out and she had to fight to keep the smile from her face as she turned back to Kaidan. He was looking at her seriously but she ignored it, leaning past him to hit the console and open the Mako door.
"Form out." She ordered, turning to see the others on their feet and dropping out the side of the Mako and onto Ilos soil.
"Shepard." She closed her eyes turning as Kaidan unbuckled himself and moved to her side "What happened?" He asked, a hand coming to the side of her face.
She slapped it aside angrily "Stop it." She hissed "When we're here it's 'Commander' lieutenant. And if I take a bullet you better not come back for me. You keep going till you get to the Conduit. You get me?"
His dark eyes looked stung as he watched her for a long moment – could he read the word hypocrite stamped on her forehead because she was sure she had just stencilled it there in black ink. If the roles were reversed she knew too well that was one order she would not follow.
Could not.
"Aye aye Ma'am." He nodded, avoiding her gaze as he pushed past her gently. She felt compelled to reach out and grab him, to reassure him of her feelings, but she kept her arms trained by her side. She ground down on her teeth as she heard his boots trample onto Ilos and she waited a moment, forcing herself to put the emotions aside as she followed him out the side door.
It was not what he expected. But then he wasn't sure what he had been expecting at all.
It looked a lot like Earth, like forest – or some overgrown ruin undiscovered in the Amazon – but everything had turned the colour of rust, and the milky light of the fading sun barely penetrated the cloud cover as they trudged toward the bunker door that had sealed closed behind Saren and his squad of Geth.
Hobbs paused, kicking loose leaf litter and dead vines with his boots as he watched Commander Shepard approach the bunker her pistol drawn and ready. She stopped, her hand running over the smooth slab as she sighed turning back to them.
"I don't see a way to open it." She said, her brow creasing into a frown "Thoughts?"
The lieutenant moved next to her, running his hands over the partition too as he looked at her seriously "Maybe contact our prothean expert?" He suggested.
Shepard nodded her agreement touching the comm in her ear gently. "Liara?" She asked, the message crackling as it was transmitted to the Normandy.
After a beat the Asari's breathless voice came back to her "I'm here Commander." She said eagerly.
"We've hit a bunker of some sort, any ideas how to get it open?"
There was a long pause and then she heard Liara take a breath "The Prothean's liked to keep security linked to consoles just like us Shepard. You would be looking for a security room – likely above where you are for vantage. If the bunker is still operational that means there must still be power – which is amazing, so many years have passed and to stil-"
"A security room?" Shepard prodded agitated and Liara cleared her throat.
"Yes Commander." She said gently.
Shepard cut the comm, turning back to Kaidan as she looked upward at the towering mass of broken structures and jagged statues before them.
"Alright." She said "Garrus, take Foster and Wrex and secure the perimeter – I need you to stay by the Mako while we try and locate a security console."
Garrus looked at the new recruit, taking in his measure. He noticed Wrex was doing the same thing. Foster was the unknown. Wrex and he had worked together and had become a team—seamless, integrated.
Foster had skills, but would he prove to be a worthy part of the crew? That remained to be seen.
"I'll hang back, he said, climbing on the top of the Mako and lying prone. "Wrex, you and Foster scout the perimeter."
Wrex humphed deep in his throat. Foster looked like he was about to say something, but Garrus saw him bite his lip. He had passed the first test. Shepard had asked Garrus to let her know if the young man wouldn't follow the chain of command.
Wrex moved to take point and Foster followed.
Foster gazed at the huge vines that sprang from the ground and crawled like gigantic snakes all over the terrain. He heard a sound—strange, unknown. Wrex held him back, then pushed him to the side of the entrance. "Geth," he rumbled.
Foster swallowed and clutched his pistol tightly. Sweat popped up on his face and he rolled his neck to relieve some of the tension. "Any advice how to take them out?"
"I personally like to rush them and blow them to pieces with my shotgun," the krogan said and proceeded to do just that. Foster put away his pistol when he saw how little damage it did to the geth. He trotted after Wrex and propped the Mantis on the top of a piece of rocky cover, aimed and fired. Headshots worked with the geth, but he had to place more than one bullet. He aimed for what looked like to him as flashlights on their heads.
Garrus came up behind him. "First off, I shouldn't have been able to sneak up on you like that, kid. Second, that's two for you and…" He lined up a shot with his sniper rifle and three geth fell in secession. "And three for me."
Garrus felt something nudge him in his stomach and looked down. A gleam came into his blue eyes as he saw Foster had his pistol, business end pointed at the turian. "There might be hope for you yet."
Foster smirked and stowed his pistol, relying on his Mantis to take out geth. Garrus thought of himself as a substitute Shepard in that he would see to the welfare of his team and this was an opportunity to teach the greenhorn a few tricks.
"If you have it, use overload, warp and throw."
Foster looked at him like he was crazy. "How about hacking their technology? I can do that. I can take down their shields, too." He tapped on his wrist where the omni-tool had been installed.
Garrus' mandibles twitched as he laughed softly. "You turn it on like this, greenie."
Foster blushed and flinched when the omni-tool's amber lights appeared. He'd been given a crash course by Socks, but he was still a little unsure how to work it. He appreciated Garrus' patience as the turian ran over it with him.
"Shields down," Foster announced and sent his drone to go harass one of the rocket geth. His teeth rattled in his head when the geth released a rocket and it ploughed into the cover he, Garrus and Wrex crouched behind. They were showered with debris. Wrex roared, clearly displeased and he rushed the last of the geth that had been left to ambush them, clubbing it with his shotgun, knocking it down and kicking it to pieces.
"Krogan blood lust," Garrus said in his quiet, understated manner. "Give him time to come out of it."
There was another strange noise, like machinery—heavy machinery. Something large, silver with a glowing eye was rising.
"Oh, shit. A Colossus." Garrus gestured for them to move to different cover.
"Two of them," Wrex shouted. "Wish we had the Mako," the krogan grumbled.
"Fos… Now where the hell did he go?" Garrus ticked off in his head that Foster had just failed in his book. You never left your teammates behind like this.
Foster ran as fast as he could to the Mako and climbed inside. He'd watched Kaidan drive it so he knew which controls and, after some groping, found the start button. The vehicle lurched forward and tried to climb the walls, banging into the vines, almost turning upside down.
"Who the hell designed this thing," he said as he was flung against the padding. He finally got the damned thing facing toward the entrance. He aimed the cannon and fired, watching in satisfaction as the wall that prevented them from bringing it in the first place had crumbled and the way was clear. He drove the Mako and pulled up beside his comrades in arms. He opened the door.
"Want a ride, or…you could stay in there and take potshots at those monsters."
Wrex' laughter rumbled and Garrus clicked his mandibles, a sign of approval. "I'll drive," he told Foster.
"I can do it."
"His idea," Wrex stated. "Smart."
It still wasn't easy taking out two colossus. The white energy blinded him and Foster had to blink his eyes several times to focus them.
"Use the cannon. Rock her back and forth." Garrus was an expert on the Mako.
Foster gritted his teeth and all three inhabitants exchanged high-fives when the second monster fell.
"We better get her repaired before Shepard gets back or she'll skin us alive." Garrus motioned to Foster who loaned him his engineering skills as they began to repair the Mako.
Wrex stood guard.
Hobbs watched Shepard as she moved in a fury of strides.
The whole area was eerie and silent as they pressed down what used to be a staircase but now was so overgrown and hidden under brush it was almost unrecognisable. They had almost reached the bottom when Kaidan tripped, falling forward gracelessly and Shepard snapped round steadying him by shoving him roughly in the opposite direction.
"Keep your feet Alenko." She said sharply and he steadied himself once more, blushing a little as he muttered an apology. He was just thankful the helmet saved everyone seeing his embarrassment.
Hobbs smiled but it faded fast as a familiar whirring noise sounded over the side of the staircase and before he could react Shepard was already moving her body a glowing orb of biotic power as she brought up her barriers and began to lay into the geth waiting for them.
The sound of gunfire rallied his senses and he quickly moved to cover, Kaidan ducking beside him and he paused momentarily considering kicking him back out into the open before his senses reminded him that would be certain death for the guy.
"Not content stealing my girl you have to steal my cover now?" He bit off under his breath not sure if the lieutenant heard it or not as he peered over the top only to duck swiftly back down as a rain of bullets bit into the stone masonry they were hiding behind.
Hobbs held his breath, glancing round the edge of cover spotting Shepard ducked behind a low wall not too far ahead of them. Her hands were over her head – which in typical Shepard fashion was helmet-less, no matter how often he told her she never listened - hair falling loose around her face as she bared her teeth – grit and dirt and moss peppering her where she was crouched.
The gunfire was not letting up, and as they fired on her he saw two geth approaching her position intending to flank her while she was under pressure. He closed his eyes, knowing he had to see this objectively but before he could work a plan he heard the lieutenant beside him move.
"Shepard!" Kaidan shouted, and the sound of his voice drew her attention as she motioned for him to stay put frantically, but he wasn't listening. Hobbs turned, grabbing for him, but he was too fast, shifting under his grip and rushing out into the open under the barrage of gunfire.
He could see the lieutenant's shields take the hits and he turned throwing biotic warps at the approaching geth knocking them back as they shook violently and sparked, exploding in a hail of shrapnel and smoke. He crouched beside Shepard, and Hobbs cursed under his breath, turning quickly and shooting the remaining two geth in the head with his pistol.
"Hobbs." Shepard said and he paused checking the way ahead which was now clear before getting to his feet carefully.
As he made his way to them he could already see the lieutenant was bleeding, the wound was low on his person, close to the stomach and he grimaced as he came to a stop.
"Not your cleverest." He said with a small smile and Shepard glanced up at him.
"Give me your medigel." She said holding a gloved hand out. Hobbs complied, handing her what medigel he had and watched as she applied it over the wound gently. "You have to get him back to the Mako." She said at last.
"I'm fine." Kaidan ground out between his teeth "I'll be fine Commander."
She shook her head "No Kaidan. You're not. You need to give this time to knit – otherwise you will tear your wound open and bleed to death." She added harshly "Stop arguing with me." With that she got to her feet looking one way and then the other "Get him back to the Mako." She said to Hobbs "I'll go on and find the security console and meet you all back there."
Hobbs hesitated, looking down at the wounded leuitenant and then back to her "Shepard…" He started and she pointed a warning finger at him to halt his protests. Then she was moving again, and he had to stop her, had to go with her – there was no way she could go alone.
But she had given the order.
Without a word Hobbs stooped to lift the lieutenant into a fireman's carry, careful to apply pressure to the wounded area for maximum discomfort.
"Hobbs." Kaidan grunted, scrabbling to find a hold on his armour "I can walk. Put me down."
"Shut it Alenko." Hobbs barked "Wanted to be the hero – ended up the damsel." He added smirking "Story of your life, eh?"
"Fuck you Hobbs." The lieutenant grumbled, hissing as Hobb's shoulder armour dug painfully into his wound.
"Stop bleeding on me." Hobbs added "This armour is expensive."
"There's some kind of strange signal," Garrus announced when his omni-tool pinged an alert. He opened it and gazed in consternation at the amount of signatures roaming the landscape. Foster stared down at the map.
"What are all those red dots?"
Wrex cracked up, bellowing laughter. When Garrus and Foster looked at him as if he'd lost his mind, he stopped. "What? I thought he was joking!"
Garrus' mandibles clicked in agitation. "Damn! There's no way they can handle all of those geth!"
Foster, grimy and covered in sweat even with the cooling system in his new armor, had finished the last repair and turned off his omni-tool. His eyes widened at the number of dots, each one representing a geth, and he was unable to hide his growing fear that he'd never see his brother again.
"Are the large blips what I think they are?" he asked.
"Sorry, but they are. The large blips are Armatures and the smaller ones are geth." Garrus laid a talon on Foster's shoulder. "Take it easy, kid. We've got the Mako, which gives us a major advantage."
"Yeah, thanks to you." Wrex whopped Foster on the back, knocking him against the Mako. "I might even start liking you. You've got a quad on you!"
Garrus raised two, long, thick fingers. "Cut the chatter. We're taking the Mako here." He pointed to a spot on the map. The most geth are there."
"Ha-ha-ha!" Wrex rubbed his hands together gleefully. "My kind of day! Killing more geth—lots more geth."
Garrus took the wheel and drove. Foster was happy to let him. Driving the Mako had been an experience, but not one he wanted to repeat. The Mako crawled through an open area. Garrus had them keep their eyes peeled for an ambush. It was eerily quiet in the confines of the vehicle.
"No sign of them yet," Foster muttered. He had the port open and his sniper rifle resting on it, ready for a shot.
"There's an Armature control station," Garrus said, pointing. "We program that to take out the geth and that should even the odds some." He tapped the HUD screen on the Mako console. "Three green blips were above where they were. Garrus was so relieved to see all three of them, he didn't hear Foster at first, but the new recruit repeated it.
"Guess it's a good thing I'm an engineer."
"Hop out and re-program that thing. We've got your back." Wrex said, giving him a shove toward the door.
Wrex opened the door and Foster jumped down to the ground. He kept low as he raced across the expanse to the control. He had mad skills, but he knew his new omni-tool accomplished most of the work. He pressed the button that indicated he was switching targets from living to synthetics and was gratified to see the console accept the change.
He returned to the Mako and climbed in, trying to conceal how hard he was shaking.
"I smell fear," Wrex stated and chortled. "Fear's good. Respect it, Fos, but never let it rule you."
Shepard moved silently, pressing to the ruins and the structures dotting the landscape of Ilos. So far she had been lucky to move unhindered, but ahead she could see geth setting up some kind of perimeter, at least a squadron of troopers and an armature in her direct sight – but her omnitool scanner showed more further on.
It was not looking good.
The area was flat, dotted with dried, twisting trees and dead leaf litter and ahead she could see the room that her sensors told her held the console she needed. She was almost there.
Taking a steadying breath Shepard brought up her omnitool interface, scrambling the signal for the geth armature with sabotage instantly overheating the gun turret and rendering it useless. The tactic worked but it gave away her position, the armature swinging around to detect the source of the stealth attack.
Almost immediately the geth troopers began firing at her, the rounds hitting her shields as she quickened her pace, closing the distance comfortably and erecting a biotic barrier simultaneously as she launched a ferocious punch to the geth nearest her. The light in the light in the centre shattered, the pain jarring up her arm as she raised her pistol, firing direct into the metal head as the geth crumpled beside her.
She gathered her biotics, sending a wave out in an arc and the geth stumbled back allowing her time to bring her pistol up smoothly shooting, one –two – three in the head as they fell, sparking and shaking before shattering in an array of tiny explosions, circuitry and wiring flying everywhere like blood and guts.
But now she was out of time.
The previously defunct armature had recovered systems from her sabotage and stalked round, the siege pulse assault canon aiming directly for her mercilessly. She moved, ducking behind cover swiftly just as the blast crashed into the ground beside her sending dirt and grass and rock spraying over her as she cradled her head.
She heard the armature moving, the great crunch of its mechanical legs making the ground shake as it moved toward her. Catching her breath she pulled her biotics through her again, getting to her feet in a fluid motion and channelling that energy outwith herself. It hit the armature heavily, lifting it from the ground where it kicked and thrashed and then she brought it back, letting the armature crash to the ground, its legs buckling beneath the weight of the main body.
Without waiting she fired her pistol, the bullets hitting shields briefly before the shields shattered and at last the rounds began to hit metal, plating and smoke drifting toward her as she bore down on the machine with cold fury.
Her omnitool flashed again and she passed an overload onto the armature, the mechanics inside crackling and grinding as it struggled to get back its feet. She staggered back as it reared up, the smaller gun aiming for her as it began to fire.
The rounds hit her shields and she grit her teeth, taking another step back as the armature forced her to take cover once more. A bullet ripped through the shielding and kinetic barriers, burrowing deep into her shoulder as she cried out – her biotics flaring to life as her anger rose to the surface.
With a heavy grunt she charged, pushing biotic energy from her that tore at the metal plating of the machine. She pushed further, her skin glowing brighter as she sent a train of energy straight at the hulking monstrosity and this time it barrelled against it, knocking it back as the successive blows tore chunks from the machinery causing it to spark and blister and burst as it writhed on its back like an insect.
Shepard watched as it finally stilled, panting, her chest heaving as she leaned forward onto her knees to catch her breath.
It was then she heard the mechanical sound of more legs and looked up to see another armature cresting the hill and behind it another.
"You got to be kidding me." She panted.
Foster watched the trek of the two armatures he'd re-programmed on Garrus' omni-tool map. He grinned.
"That ought to help her out some. I could always…"
"No, you couldn't!" Garrus cut him off sharply. "Corporal Vindex Hobbins, you'll stay here, and that's an order."
Foster winced at the tone of command, something he usually shied away from or blatantly ignored. "I just meant if you thought one of us needs to help out the commander." He gave the turian his most charming smile.
"Nice try, kid." Garrus gently patted him on the shoulder. "I know you're worried about your brother. Hobbs can take care of himself."
"I know that." Foster's mouth turned down. "I just thought Commander Shepard could use some assistance."
"Commander Shepard's a one-man army, Fos." Wrex spoke up, having stayed out of it until now.
Garrus straightened when he heard the familiar sound of more geth approaching their position.
"Looks like a whole squad. Stay sharp." Garrus signaled Wrex and the huge krogan lumbered left to take position behind one of the numerous stone barriers. "Foster, go right. Wait for my signal."
Foster nodded. He had an idea, but he waited to see what Garrus' orders would be, so he took shelter, clutching his sniper rifle, chewing his bottom lip, digging into the dirt with his boots, trying to expel as much nervous energy as he could.
Garrus signaled and the krogan and corporal flanked the geth squad as it came up the narrow staircase. Foster held his two grenades and let Wrex know he was going to throw them as soon as the geth came out into the open.
Wrex nodded and gripped his shotgun. His barrier shield glowed blue as he activated it just as the geth came into view.
Foster tossed the grenades into their midst and he and Wrex ducked behind cover as the cryo grenades turned the squad into ice statues. Garrus picked them off with his rifle; Wrex shot them close range with his shotgun and Foster toppled them, watching with satisfaction as they broke into a million pieces.
Garrus laughed. "Now, why didn't I think of that?"'"That's a whole shit load for me, Gare."
"Don't ever call me Gare again," the turian chided, but Foster saw the way his mandibles twitched and knew he was amused.
Wrex chuckled loudly.
All three froze when they heard the tred of heavy footsteps.
Shepard was a fury of motion, moving with blistering speed, her body a solid, fluid corona of energy as bullets grazed by her – deflected by her barriers as she pushed out biotic move after move.
She was fading fast, her skin burning to touch and she knew burnout was not far from seizing her, but she couldn't stop. She had to get to that console.
The armatures, for some reason she couldn't figure out, were attacking the geth alongside her, but she was in no position to argue or complain. With another push she pushed the geth back firing two rounds to the head and one to the chest of the nearest trooper while dodging a melee attack from a shock trooper. She swung back, bringing her leg up and kicking the chest of the creature, knocking it back a few paces as she raised her gun, the light in the centre of its head shattering with a hot pop as she pumped rounds into it.
Behind her the armatures ground and whirred as they came to a stop, detecting no more hostiles in the area. Shepard glanced behind her, the eerie size of them made her uneasy as she pushed away from the clearing, heading for the staircase ahead that according to her omnitool would lead to the security console.
Stumbling she pushed up the staircase into an overgrown chamber, her omnitool scanner telling her this was where the signal was located for the console. It took a moment, for the room was so overgrown and derelict nothing immediately stood out.
Moving to the console she pulled the vines from the screen, swept the dead leaves from the holo-board and began to wake it up. The green glow of the console showed systems in prothean – a language she could understand thanks to the cipher she had received on Feros – and swiftly she hacked the controls, opening all secured doors and allowing access to all lifts. It would give Saren a head start too – but there was no way that bastard was getting to the conduit before her.
Closing the console down once more she backed away the sound of an explosion below making her start. The mechanical grating sound of geth communicating floated up toward her and she ducked behind the wall, pressing her back there. It would appear they had taken out the armatures and were coming for her next.
"Almost there darling." Hobbs grunted, the weight of the lieutenant starting to make his back ache as he moved steadily through the ruins. When he didn't answer Hobbs jostled him a little, making sure to dig his shoulder into the wound. When there was still no response he shook him a bit more. "Alenko?" He asked and then sharper still "Alenko?"
At last there was a low groan and Hobbs caught his breath, relief washing through him momentarily "Come on." He panted "Don't fall asleep on me now, I'm just getting warmed up."
"Shut up Hobbs." Came the weak response, but he knew the man was fading fast, knew that if he were going to make it he had to get that adrenaline moving absent a stim.
"Come on Alenko – you die here I'll have no choice but to take Abby to bed with me. Girl will need some serious consoling after this." He half smiled, raising his leg carefully to climb the staircase as he stabilised the weight to stop him toppling back down the stairs.
It got a bit more of a reaction from him, he felt him move on his shoulder, his hand which had been dangling limp curled around the shoulder of his armour and Hobbs had never been so thankful to have the man put his hand on him
"You keep your hands off her." Kaidan said, the words laced with pain and muffled from inside his helmet.
Hobbs smiled, jostling him a little for discomfort and was gratified when he let out a painful grunt, he had to keep the man awake "No promises there Alenko." He warned "Me and Temps have history. History you wouldn't get."
"I don't give a shit Hobbs." Kaidan grunted "the visor of his helmet steaming with his ragged breaths "She chose me."
Hobbs grit his teeth, muscling forward as he cleared his throat "Then stay awake lieutenant, because the moment you fuck up I'll be waiting." Stay awake, stay awake, stay awake.
Kaidan's hand slackened on his armour and Hobbs gave him a jab in the ribs with his shoulder "Kaidan?" He said, cresting the top of the stairs "Kaidan?" When he got no response he reached a hand over to slap the man's helmet. "Kaidan?!"
Another jerky movement and the lieutenant's voice rasped through the speaker in his helmet "Fuck you Hobbs." He groaned.
Stay awake.
"Get in line." Hobbs replied with a grin. "Behind Abigail."
It was surreal, the cold from the cryo still lingering as a mist in the air—frozen geth particles starting to thaw out, some white liquid glistening in the grass. The mist parted, wisps floating away as a tall, imposing figure appeared, and at first it was a mirage, a two-headed mirage, and then the figure coalesced into two, one in blue armor slung over the other's shoulders, clutching at the one in black. Helmets were over the faces, but Foster saw a pair of sizzling turquoise eyes blazing through the slit on his helmet.
For a moment, Hobbs paused when he saw the three of them and it registered the Mako was quite a few yards from where they'd left it.
"Kaidan?" Garrus quickly opened the Mako and rummaged in the med supplies for med-gel and bandages.
Hobbs put him down unceremoniously in the grass and stood nonchalantly, his gaze never leaving his brother. "You behaving, Beer?"
"That's Corporal Beer to you," Foster razzed him.
"You're bleeding," Hobbs observed, eyes narrowing.
"Geth ice chip caught him on the chin."
"I'm fine," Kaidan tried to stand and fell back, landing with a thump against Wrex who grunted. "I…Shepard…"
"The Commander was under heavy fire and you decided to try and play hero Alenko. We all know why so stow it." Hobbs spat.
Foster's eyes widened. He knew that voice. His brother was pissed.
"You hurt?" Foster tried to keep the anxiety out of his voice.
"I'll live," Hobbs transferred his searing gaze to the hapless lieutenant. "I'm heading back," he announced.
"Shepard said…" Kaidan struggled to his feet. "If you're going back, I'm going,too!"
Hobbs removed his helmet and held it in the crook of his arm. His gaze burned into Kaidan's soft brown eyes.
"Will you two pyjacks stop it?" Wrex pushed them apart.
Garrus cleared his throat. "Did Shepard tell you to come back, Hobbs? Because unless you can get on your comm and I hear her say the words, you're staying here."
"Fuck you, Garrus." He tempered the words with a tight smile. "I don't take orders from you. Or Shepard for that matter."
Garrus' long talons pointed at Hobbs, the tips reflected in the black armor. "But we take orders from Shepard." Garrus' gaze centered on Kaidan. "Right, Lieutenant?"
Foster snickered and then turned it into a cough when it brought Garrus' attention to him. "I…yes, of course."
Hobbs stood arrogantly, lips curled in a sneer. Foster almost felt sorry for Stinko—almost.
Needing an outlet, Hobbs switched his ire to his brother. "I better not find out you've been misbehaving."
Foster gave him the finger. "Nope."
Hobbs brought a palm flatly down on the top of his brother's helmet with blunt force. Foster backed a step. "Ouch, dammit, that hurt!"
"Boys," Garrus scolded.
Wrex huffed a laugh.
"Let's get in the Mako and meet Shepard—save her some walking." The others nodded at the turian's request.
Kaidan started to get into the Mako and Foster stuck a foot out, tripping him. He was close enough to the door to grab it to keep from falling. He whirled, body starting to glow blue. "You did that on purpose, Corporal!"
"No, sir, I wouldn't do something like that, sir."
Kaidan scowled. He noticed Hobbs was watching and in one of his gloved hands he gripped the handle of a K-bar knife.
"Are you…?" Kaidan's skin crackled with biotic energy. "Are you daring…?"
"Talk much?" Foster muttered. Garrus glared at him, and he lowered his gaze.
"Garrus, give me some of those bandages. I'll cut them to size for the lieutenant." Hobbs ground out. He spat, the spittle landing on the top of Kaidan's boot.
"You arrogant sonavabitch!" Kaidan launched himself at Hobbs, but Hobbs wasn't there and Kaidan's arms wind milled as he overshot the door and landed hard on the ground. He leapt to his feet, blue swirls appearing, his hands aglow.
Hobbs threw his helmet down into the grass. "Come on!" he goaded. "Bring it!"
Garrus and Wrex exchanged looks and nodded. Before the men could injure each other, Wrex grabbed Hobbs and Garrus hauled Kaidan into the Mako, slamming him onto the seat.
Hobbs didn't struggle. He met a pair of blue eyes that were swimming in tears. He went limp in Wrex's grip.
"You good?" the krogan asked him.
Hobbs felt like the words were broken glass across his tongue. "I'm good."
Wrex released him. Garrus had placed his menacing presence in the doorway, blocking Kaidan from leaving and Hobbs from entering.
"Let's play nice," he advised.
"I'm going back to Shepard," Hobbs announced.
"I'm going with you," Foster said.
Hobbs scowled fiercely at him. 'The hell you are, and what the hell are you crying for?!"
Foster grinned. "It's called a little bro ploy, to keep you from being brought up on murder charges of an Alliance officer. Worked like a charm."
"Yeah, well, we'll discuss it in private." He shot Garrus a look that told him the turian would have to physically restrain him.
Garrus sighed. "Of course you are."