Zaeed

Zaeed was ready for this revenge plot to be over. He just wanted to find Vido, put a bullet in the bastard's head, and move on with his life. He had spent the last twenty years on this mission. While he wouldn't quit until it was done. Zaeed really just wanted to move on with his goddamn life.

With Shepard, he started to see the end to his pursuit. The Spectre was one of the best soldiers Massani ever worked with. He was a terror with his sniper rifle. Zaeed was great with one, able to hit a mark a mile out, but Shepard was in another league altogether. He was glad he never had to face the man as an enemy. Massani doubted he would survive the encounter.

There was one part that gave him pause. Shepard was all about self-sacrifice to save people. He would even risk the mission if it meant he could save some innocent bystanders. Zaeed, on the other hand, didn't give a shit about them. He just wanted Vido. So, if there was a choice about who to go after, Zaeed knew they would be at odds.

It didn't matter anyway. It was too late for Zaeed to back out now. The shuttle was already in Zorya's atmo. The factory was already sighted. His revenge was finally here.

He patched Shepard, himself, and Garrus into the comm channel Vido always used. The man hid well, but he was a creature of habit and wouldn't change something so small, so seemingly unimportant.

Sure enough, the channel crackled to life with Santiago's voice.

"We have a shuttle that just touched down in the outskirts. I want Delta to go check it out."

"Looks like they know we're here," Garrus stated.

"Then we go in hot," Zaeed answered. Vido could throw the entire gang at him. It wouldn't deter him.

Shepard didn't agree. "Let's not do anything too drastic until we have to. We don't want them using the workers as shields."

Massani didn't answer. He didn't need Shepard questioning his motives just a few minutes into the mission.

They met Delta squad before too long. The six person team wasn't enough to even slow down the three men. Shepard had taken out the one heavy that took to higher ground before the mercs even realized they were there. Garrus overloaded their FENRIS mech, causing it to explode, ripping two other mercs apart with deadly shrapnel. Shepard shot the pyro's flame tank, causing the extremely flammable fluid to leak out. It caught fire and exploded, liquefying the man carrying it and horribly burning his partner. Massani gunned down the last Blue Sun as he tried to retreat.

They cleaned up. Garrus put two more rounds into each of the mercs hit by shrapnel, ending their misery. Zaeed did the same to the woman caught in the explosion. He had seen other men and women suffer similar injuries, and, without the right care, they would live for a few more agonizing hours before finally succumbing painfully to their wounds. It was better this way.

They encountered a bridge that had been retracted. Why the group they just fought would cut off their only escape route was a mystery to Zaeed. But he didn't care enough to give it much thought. Instead, he wordlessly extended the bridge, stopping it halfway when he heard Vido's voice again.

"Delta's failed. I want Echo and Foxtrot to meet me at the gatehouse. We'll see who these people are and deal with them there."

Shepard turned toward Zaeed. "Vido sure doesn't mind throwing people at us."

"They're expendable," Massani answered. "He was always that way. Our people were always just numbers to him."

"Our people?"

Shit. He hadn't meant to let that slip. Now, Shepard probably wouldn't give up the questioning until he had heard a satisfying answer.

"Santiago and I started the Blue Suns nearly fifty years ago."

If Shepard was surprised, he hid it well. "I never heard about that."

"Because it ain't common knowledge. Vido was the face and ran the numbers. I ran the men. It worked well for almost three decades."

"What happened?"

"Vido turned on me. Even got my men to turn. He paid six of them to hold me down while he put a goddamn pistol to my head and pulled the trigger."

That caught Shepard off guard. "And you survived?!"

He nodded. "And you survived a ship exploding around you and reentering atmo. The human body can live through a lot when it needs to. And rage is one hell of an analgesic."

The man was silent for a moment before speaking again. "This isn't about the factory or the workers, is it?"

"I'll save them. But I'm here for Vido. I won't let him get away."

Shepard didn't get a chance to respond. The bridge had already met the other side, and Zaeed wasted no time crossing it.

If Shepard had any reservations about what Massani just revealed, he didn't express them. Zaeed hoped that meant he would stay out of the way but knew better than to put money on it. Shepard was probably just biding his time, hoping it didn't become an issue.

As soon as Zaeed saw the gatehouse, he knew it was going to be an issue. The place was heavily fortified. The gate itself was thick plates of ablative armor. They would need an explosion much larger than what they could currently generate to get through. That wasn't mentioning the small army of Blue Suns standing atop the gate.

"Zaeed Massani," came a recognizable voice. Vido stepped up from behind his men. "I heard rumors you were alive. I didn't want to believe them. Looks like you're harder man to kill than I thought."

"Vido," he answered with barely contained rage as he reached for his gun.

"Don't be stupid, Massani. I have a whole company of bloodthirsty bastards behind me, ready to kill or be killed on my command. Actually, take your shot. Give my men a reason to put you down like the mad dog you are. Again."

Zaeed wasn't wasting time by listening to Santiago's hot air, however. He was looking for a way through the gatehouse. That's when he spotted fuel lines above his target and pipes next to him that could be easily over-pressurized with a few bashes from his rifle.

He fired on the Blue Suns for cover as he made his way to the pipes. One of the bullets pierced a pipe above the mercs, and it began hissing. Zaeed decided to take advantage.

"What was that?" Vido taunted. "Going nearsighted, old friend?"

"Burn you son of a bitch."

He fired a few more rounds, igniting the volatile compound. The explosion shook the entire gatehouse and threw men every which way, but Vido was far enough to only be knocked down. That was fine with Zaeed. He wanted the man to suffer more.

"You just signed your death warrant, Massani!"

Santiago retreated as more Blue Suns covered him. Zaeed didn't waste his time firing back. He bashed on the pipes with the butt of his rifle. Shepard had called out to him, but he really didn't care enough to listen.

Finally, the pipes started spewing their contents. There was a chain reaction, causing the tubes running just above the gate to leak as well. The fuel caught the flames from the earlier explosion and erupted in a huge ball of fire. Zaeed felt the searing heat of the explosion on his face. When the flames eventually died down and the smoke settled, the large metal doors were gone, leaving a clear path for them to follow.

He looked at Shepard but was surprised by a fist connecting with his jaw. Zaeed recovered to see Shepard looking pissed.

"What the hell were you doing?"

"Opening the gate," he answered as he rubbed his jaw. Zaeed had been punched harder before, but those blows were from krogan. Shepard's punch was the strongest one he felt coming from a human, and Zaeed suspected he was holding back.

"We don't sacrifice lives for the sake of the mission. There's always a better way."

"Like what? Wandering around the jungle for hours, looking for another way in? You want to waste time out here, go ahead. I told you I'm only here to kill Vido."

"You're endangering lives and the mission for your own selfish revenge."

"You really want to do this, Shepard?"

"I really want to knock you the hell out. But thanks to you, we have a burning refinery to save."

"Let it burn! Vido dies, whatever the cost!"

Their argument was interrupted by gunfire. The two unfortunate Blue Suns never had a chance.

Shepard let the spat drop and moved deeper into the facility. Zaeed wondered what was going through his head, hoping it wouldn't keep him from his goal.

Just as they were about to enter the door Vido must have escaped into, they heard a voice come from behind.

"Help! We're trapped!" a man dressed in worker's clothes yelled. "We can't get to the gas valves to shut them off! The whole place is going to blow!" An explosion punctuated the moment.

Zaeed wasn't swayed. "No time. Vido's probably halfway to the shuttle docks by now."

"You're really willing to watch these people die?"

"I've made myself clear. We stop to help these people, and Vido gets away. If he does, I'm blaming you."

Shepard was quiet, but Zaeed knew what he was going to decide. God damn it. It was wrong to bring him. He should have done this himself.

Yet Shepard was always full of surprises, it seemed.

"Take Garrus, and follow Vido. I'll save the workers and catch up when I can."

Zaeed didn't argue. He was getting what he wanted. He turned to leave before Shepard had a chance to change his mind.

"If something happens to Garrus because you are too hell bent on revenge, I'm blaming you, Zaeed!" Shepard called to him.

"I knew you care, Shepard," Garrus yelled back as the doors shut behind them.

The fight to Vido was a whirlwind. Zaeed barely remembered any of it. There was only the rhythm: move, duck, shoot, move, duck, shoot. It was only when they caught up to his old partner that started to take note of what was going on around him.

"Would someone kill him?!" Vido yelled over the noise. "Bonus for the one that does!"

Zaeed shot a concussion blast toward where he heard Vido's voice. He heard the man scream in pain, and a wicked smile formed on his face. But it quickly vanished when Zaeed realized how many people were between him and his target. Vido had too many men and women ready to fight for him, and he would get away even with the injuries he could have.

He pushed forward as far as he dared, but it wasn't enough.

"We're being flanked!" Garrus yelled.

The two men worked to keep their position secured, taking down Blue Sun after Blue Sun. It was exhausting work, and the supply of mercs seemed to have no end.

Then, Zaeed felt the ground begin to shake. He looked forward to see a YMIR mech lumbering its way toward them. That was it. That was the nail in the coffin for this mission. Vido would get away as they were forced to deal with his lackeys.

He was putting down a pyro that was getting to close when he heard a large crack that was followed by insistent beeping. Zaeed looked toward the mech to see its head completely missing and watched as the other mercs scrambled to get away before the inevitable blast. He ducked behind cover to protect himself.

Shepard's voice crackled over his suit's radio. "Zaeed. After the blast, get going. Garrus and I will cover you."

A wave of heat washed over him as the mech's core detonated. Massani wasted no time in jumping over his cover and bolting for the door Vido went through. He noticed one merc rise and started to bring his weapon to bear when his head was evacuated by a bullet.

Like Zaeed said, Shepard was a goddamn savant with his sniper rifle.

It didn't take long for him to catch up with his former partner. Vido was limping toward a gunship, holding his side in obvious pain. Zaeed stopped him by shooting the ground in front of him.

"Zaeed, please. You know it was nothing personal," Vido tried. He turned for another attempt at an escape. "It was just business. I swear."

Zaeed shot again, this time putting the bullet through his leg. Vido cried out in pain as he fell. He attempted to crawl away.

"It was twenty years ago. Look at you. I did you a favor!"

"And I'm here to repay you for it." Zaeed approached the wounded man, catching a whiff of very flammable liquid. He looked down to see that Vido was sitting in it.

"Zaeed, please! I'm going to die here, man. Do something!"

"Fine. Fry, you son of a bitch."

He released his glowing thermal clip into the puddle. The liquid instantly caught fire. Vido screamed in pain as he was engulfed in flames. It was music to Zaeed's ears. It was a pity an explosion ended it too soon.

Zaeed walked back to the doors where Garrus and Shepard met him.

"Where's Vido?" Shepard asked.

"Dealt with."

His face was grim, but he didn't press. "Workers are safe, if you care."

"Then it's a job well done. Everyone got what they wanted."

Shepard grabbed the front of his armor and jerked him close. "You went rogue, Zaeed. I'm pretty lax about insubordination on the ship but not on a mission. I don't need someone on my crew that won't follow orders."

Massani knew he was right. Disobeying orders got people killed. And he couldn't really blame Shepard for being upset. If he were in his position, Zaeed would be pissed too. But this was Vido. All bets were off in this case.

"Don't worry, Shepard. That was a onetime deal. I won't fight you on an order ever again."

Shepard let him go, and he took a step back.

"You did me a solid, Shepard. You helped me even the score. I'll follow you to the goddamn galactic core and back. No questions asked."

Author's Note:

Ah, Zaeed. He is quite the character. There is a simplicity to him that I admire. The man knows what he wants, and he won't let much stand in the way of getting it. And I see a certain sense of honor in him that probably couldn't be found in most mercenaries. I just like the guy.

I keep forgetting to put this in one of these, but I hit over 100,000 words in one of the last few chapters, not counting this AN's. Never expected that, though I probably should have considering how long my other fanfiction was. Hope it was as fun for you to read as it was for me to write.

Thanks for reading and please review.