All matter drove together as one as the form came into being. Life flooded within him again as his body was stitched together one atom at a time, materializing out of thin air.
Shepard only had time to view the floor rushing beneath him before he landed upon it with a harsh bang, body skidding across the room for a few seconds, sending up sparks. Instinctively, he jumped up unharmed, body covered with a light coating of ash as he turned in all directions, searching for the person who had accompanied him.
There was no one there. No one else was in the small room with him, or currently following him up from the small device situated in the corner. Surely she would have come out at this time, it was not like this sort of transportation had a traffic delay.
"Tali," he whispered intensely into the room, hoping that she could hear him. "Tali, are you here?"
Nothing, the hallway was completely deserted. Even his comm was down, unable to find any connections in the nearby vicinity. There was no point in lingering around any longer if she was not even here to begin with. There was a door at the far end which seemed like a good place to start. Hopefully he could find Tali and then locate the necessary controls somewhere here, wherever this place was. First things first.
Starting to get used to the sensations of just inhabiting his metallic form again, Shepard clomped through the door and was thrust into an even longer hallway filled with doors situated in rows. He walked to the door directly across from him and it opened to reveal a room identical to the one he had just walked out of.
Are all of these rooms exactly the same? Did Tali come out of one of these?
He knew he did not have any time to search them all. The fleet was getting torn apart out there and he knew he could not waste any time searching for one person in this maze. Tali very well could have come to the same conclusion about him and had gone off in a different direction entirely, perhaps to search for the appropriate console.
The place did not look like any part of the Citadel that he had been to. Of course, there were millions of places on the enormous station that he had not witnessed with his own eyes so this should not have come as a surprise. The low ceiling and the dimly lit corridors told him he was in a maintenance shaft for keepers, most likely.
In confirmation, a keeper trotted out of a room just to his side, oblivious to the cyborg in its midst. Shepard stared as the quadrupedal form walked over to another door and moved inside. He was all alone again, stuck by indecision on where to go.
It was hard to determine which direction he should take as he looked down both ends of the endless corridor. He may have been synthetic but in no way was he psychic. There was only a fifty-fifty chance of him choosing the path Tali went down correctly. Make the wrong choice and it was likely that they would have an even harder time finding each other again.
From out of the corner of his optics, he saw a whitish light flickering at the end of the hall to his right, eliminating the darkness as something was emitting an illumination. The opposite side was still dark and he figured that Tali would not have walked away from the growing light so he decided to head in that direction, breaking into a light jog as door after door passed him by.
As the light grew brighter as he continued on, he could feel the weight of all the souls he had known watching him, waiting for him, awaiting an end to the eternal conflict. His breathing became a steady drag, measured intakes as he lifted one foot in front of the other, anticipating the impact upon the metal surface.
Ashley...Kaidan...Mordin...Legion...Liara...James...Garrus… He gave a low growl at the thought of his compatriots, his friends. Even the last memory of a droll turian grinning at him brought a pang to him, a stab to where it hurt the most. I swear I will end this right here.
Bursting out of the shadows, Shepard stopped as he now found himself situated over a chasm upon a bridge. The walls of the sides of the artificial canyon were shifting all over the places, reacting to unseen stimuli. Pylons moved with the walls, arcing electricity as they spat forth the illumination that had been seen from the hallway prior.
Shepard stepped back as a pylon descended near his location, getting a safe distance away from the deadly energy. The bridge was not exactly safe for someone consisting of an incredibly conductible substance, so he took care to move off it as quickly as possible. Shepard could not even fathom the reason why this place existed. For all he knew, it could be the power generators for the station, a hydraulics shaft for the moving arms, or an elaborate bathroom. His guess was as good as anyone's at this point.
After stepping off the bridge, the path sloped immensely upwards. Taking care not to slip on the steep incline, Shepard trudged up it as he now saw a soft orange light near the peak. Intrigue and anxiety clashing in a boiling mass, he quickened his pace as fast as he could without slipping and falling. Delays were not something he could afford at the moment.
Reaching the top, he blinked in surprise as the view was revealed to him. A few meters ahead was a circular platform with a simple console standing at the end. Above the platform, a structure was positioned that occasionally sent out a spark of lightning, creating the foul smell of ozone that seeped through Shepard's olfactory tubing. He gave a quick cough as he admired the view beyond.
The interior of the Citadel, illuminated before him, glinted like a precious jewel, a geode. The light from the structure filled his optics with orange light, as if its inhabitants were merrily going about their business, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. If he concentrated enough, he could even see the faint lights of skycars traveling through their preset routes, still clinging to their everyday routine on board the station.
What is going on?
The glowing console beckoned to him, blinking in the absence of a controller. Seeing as there were no other routes to traverse, there was no harm in him taking a look, was there? Besides, he could see the schematics of the station illuminated from where he stood. Most likely, he could open the station from here. Job well done.
Shepard lifted his foot and set it down, preparing to go further when it felt like he had just been dipped in concrete. He tried sliding his foot forward a bit but found that it was stuck to the floor, as if someone had poured glue on that very spot.
For that matter, his arms were stuck in their position, slightly out and away from his torso. He could still move his head a bit but it was noticeably more difficult to do so, feeling like he was submerged in a thick liquid. Shepard's limbs shook in response, fighting against the unseen grip that had held him in place.
"What the hell…?" he muttered.
"Congratulations, Shepard," a familiar voice sounded from behind him. "You've come farther than I ever could have imagined."
No...no, god, please…
Soft soles echoing slowly, he strained to turn his head before his gaze dropped to see a set of shining shoes, well-tailored pants, a crisp jacket, and a face he had hoped to never see again in his lifetime.
The Illusive Man smiled as he spread his arms wide, stepping between Shepard and the console. The human looked radically different from when Shepard had seen him last, much to his shock. The flesh of his face was all cracked and peeling, blue wiring exposed underneath the skin. The man's eyes glowed blue, like a husk, and his hair had fallen out in several places. His hands had been completely expunged of skin, the circuitry glimmering as if he had put on elaborate gloves. In short, the man was a wreck.
Shepard's jaw dropped, voice coming out in a metallic croak, "What have they done to you?
"You mean these?" the man indicated his glowing facial features before giving a laugh. "I guess you could call these upgrades. Reaper technology, of course. Quite astonishing, really, once you get used to them."
"You have no idea what you're doing," Shepard growled as he fought his invisible bonds, desiring to snap his tormentor's neck very violently. The hidden presence in his mind twitched and Shepard found himself at the mercy of a power greater than his own, forcing his body to betray itself.
"From your point of view, I'm sure, my goals may seem a little...barbaric. But even now, you stand in the presence of what the Reapers can actually do for all of us. You have to trust me when I say that this is all for the good of mankind."
"And which mankind are you referring to? Just humanity or just Cerberus?"
Now the Illusive Man walked forward, hand held out as it tenderly brushed Shepard's jaw. If he had the ability to lash out and bite off the man's hand, he would have done so.
"All of Cerberus stands for humanity," the husk growled. "We stand for the preservation of our own species, a trait that you never embraced thereby enabling you to push against our point of view."
"I don't...exactly recall the fact that preserving our species requires us to implant ourselves with Reaper technology!"
At this, the Illusive Man gave a shrug, "All radical ideas are controversial at first. Many oppose them in the beginning but sooner or later everyone adapts. It's the same pattern that has followed every single discovery made in all of our history. The automobile, the airplane, the splitting of the atom, the rise of artificial intelligence, all those were scrutinized heavily but now they have become part of our culture, part of our galactic biography."
"But our free will is what makes us human, what makes us...human and alien, alive! How can you compare all that to indoctrination?"
The Illusive Man knelt down so that their he was situated lower than Shepard. "You call yourself alive?" he whispered before he drove a fist into the metal torso without warning. The blow felt like he had just gotten hit with a freight train and he sent up a dry heave as his stomach was uncomfortably compressed. A blow like that should have broken fingers but the Illusive Man now stood as if he had just punched a pillow, flexing his hand thoughtfully.
"You exist right now because of our intervention, Shepard," the man said coldly. "You lost your humanity when you lost your life over Alchera. You're not alive, you're just a sad sack of organs encased in a perpetual limbo. A machine playing the deluded dream of being Commander Shepard, claiming to cheat death time and time again."
Shepard had no words for the deranged man, helpless as he continued to rant in front of him as he displayed his poisonous thoughts. He wondered where Tali was as the words continued to seep into his head. Did she take the opposite route instead? Did she even make it up here?
"...Your recent attitude has been a clear indication. Opposing my every move? Ransacking my organization at every given opportunity? You've been a loose cannon from the very start, a project I should never have sunk my teeth into had I known you were going to be this much of a handful, had I known that your project would be overseen by a bunch of incompetents..."
"I seem to remember that I was not listed among those incompetents, sir," a new voice slithered out from behind, from a distance. "If memory serves me, I did give you a fair warning ahead of time."
"Be quiet, Henry," the man shushed. "I wasn't talking about you."
Rukin. So, he was here as well. That was fine, once he was freed from this grasp he would cave both of their heads in with-
The Illusive Man glanced beyond at something out of Shepard's vision but it caused the man to smile broadly. Turning away for a second, he spoke mildly to the commander, "I've just been fortuitously reminded of another grievance I've had with your little 'escapades.'"
"Oh yeah?" Shepard snarled. "And what might that be?"
"Merely the poor life choice you made with developing a relationship with a quarian, is all."
She'll cut your head off for even mentioning her like that. "Why the hell do you care whom I choose? She has nothing to do with this. It's just us three right now."
The Illusive Man arched an eyebrow, "Three? Don't you mean...four?"
He heard Rukin's stomping feet before the black form could even come into view but it was accompanied by a soft whimpering. A voice that stirred forth a rising anger, a rage so inherent he embraced it as if he had felt this way his whole life.
No…
A shadow partly blocked out the Citadel's light and he raised his head to see the skeleton-like form of Rukin stand, his hideous mug seemingly smiling at him. But in front of the cyborg, a pistol shoved firmly in her back, was Tali. A metal arm had her by the neck as the other arm drove the gun in deeper, making her cry out in pain.
Shepard gave a bellow as he tried to surge forward but he was still being held in place, black tendrils starting to overcome his vision. An optical malfunction, perhaps? Tali's eyes were wide behind her visor, she was so terrified. The fact that she was afraid and in pain drove Shepard insane to the point where he nearly blacked out from his blistering frenzy.
Rukin laughed, "Careful, Shepard. Wouldn't want to do anything rash, now would we?"
Tali struggled in his grip. "John," she whispered, "John...help…"
The Illusive Man scowled, "Incredible, it's even on a first name basis with you as well. My god, Shepard, it's like you have no shame. You and the quarian..."
"Her name is Tali!" Shepard screamed, the noise deafening in the small area.
"Whatever," the husk shrugged. "Clearly it looks like the quarian was the one thing tying you to your past altogether, the one that brought you back to your supposed 'life.'" He walked over and placed a hand underneath Tali's helmet as he forced her to look directly at him, now addressing her. "What exactly did you do to him to make him so...obsessed with you?"
"You don't get to touch her!" Shepard seethed. "Take your goddamned hands off of her!"
"Touchy, touchy," Rukin mocked as Tali squirmed in disgust. "Perhaps you shouldn't have brought her along then. It would have been easier for her in the end."
"Hold her still for a moment, Henry," the Illusive Man ordered, watching his lackey straighten. Before anyone could think of what was happening next, the enhanced human threw his fist into Tali's gut, punching in a good few inches. Tali let out a wet cry and a horrid gasp for air as she struggled to breathe. Shepard was snarling like an animal at the sight of her in pain and was thrashing his limbs every inch he could muster. Feeling the surge of power, he forced himself on his knees so that he could grasp the ground with his hands, feeling the tension rise.
"You see, Shepard?" the Illusive Man gestured to the sputtering quarian in Rukin's grip. "You don't give me the orders. I am the one with control over you...over the quarian. Not you."
Shepard forced himself to laugh, despite the anger, "You aren't controlling anyone. It's just the Reapers, they're using you as a puppet."
"Really? If the Reapers are controlling me, then how come I can do this?" The man raised his glowing arm and Shepard's body rose a foot off the ground. Refusing to give in, he shot the Illusive Man the most glowering look his eyes could muster and the man released his grip, sending the cyborg crashing down before the hold was on him again. "How come I can use their power against you?"
Recovering, he coughed, "That's your proof? That's only the amount of control the Reapers limited you to. Your implants...they only enable the Reapers to control you a lot easier!"
"The proof you seek, Shepard, will be revealed when I finally have my hold on the Reapers. Only then will you realize the folly of your actions in your foolish campaign. Only then will I allow you to see the truth before I kill you. The undeniable truth that the Crucible has the capability to control the Reapers and that I will be the puppetmaster, not as you say, the puppet."
"Might as well kill this one now," Rukin grimaced as Tali resumed her struggling. "The quarian's becoming quite a handful."
Tali immediately ceased upon hearing these words, gazing helplessly at Shepard, who lay on the ground, immobilized. The commander's pulse heightened and he clenched his fists in desperation.
"Not yet, Henry," came the smooth reply. "First, they see the truth. Then I leave them in your hands."
Panic was starting to grip Shepard before a revelation came to mind. An idea that caused a cautious rise of slyness within him. What was it he had heard before? A quote? But from where, and whom? The answer came within moments, the voice of the past whispering forth like a video on playback.
...any outburst from the Crucible will result in mass shutdown of all Reaper forces by triggering a systems overload. Their processes will all flare as one, overheating the core and vaporizing the very power source the Reapers run on…
He laughed quietly, so that no one could hear him and stared up at the Illusive Man. Giving a shrug, he relented, "Okay, then. Open the arms."
The husk blinked, "What?"
"You heard me. Open the arms of the Citadel. Let the Crucible dock. Prove to me that I'm wrong."
Now it was the Illusive Man's turn to laugh. "What is this, Shepard? Trying to pull some reverse psychology on me?"
"Nope," he answered with a hint of false cheeriness. "I just want you to prove to me that you're not full of shit. Prove to me that you have the balls to carry out your threat."
"I plan to, you little prick. I plan to." The Illusive Man started to walk over to the console, hand outstretched before he stopped in place. The arm wavered slightly before it was retracted, trembling as it did so. The man closed his eyes thoughtfully for a moment before he turned around at looked at Shepard again. "Why do you want me to all of a sudden?"
Shepard burst out laughing, his disbelieving hilarity traversing across the Citadel's expanse. The Illusive Man stood still, uncomprehending and looking quite confused. Tali was still in Rukin's stunned grip. having feared that the man she loved had finally gone insane.
"J-John?" she attempted meekly.
The Illusive Man scowled, "Just what do you think is so funny, Shepard?"
"You!" Shepard burst out amid his peals. "You don't get it, do you? They won't let you open the arms no matter how much you bluster. In the end, you're still a puppet who can't escape the strings."
"No one is controlling me!"
"Prove it! Open the arms!"
"Why should I listen to you?"
"Because you can't do it!" Shepard shouted, teeth gnashing victoriously. "You can't control the Reapers and you know it! The Prothean beacon told me, as it told you. The Crucible cannot control the Reapers, it can only destroy them, so why are you fighting us when you could be fighting them?"
The Illusive Man's expression turned to stone until a wide smile broke apart his face, the flesh peeling. A nonchalant chuckle came from the man as he spread his arms in a shrug, "Ah, Shepard. You make for a poor liar, do you know that?"
Shepard sighed, frustrated that his words weren't reaching. "I think you know who's telling the truth and who isn't."
"Do I now? In that case, you might want to rethink your statement a bit."
"Maybe I will, once you let me and Tali go. We can show you the truth."
"And waste this potential opportunity for humanity to become even stronger?" The Illusive Man shook his head, "I don't think so."
This line of circular arguing had aggrieved Shepard to no end. Finally, he was at the end of his wits entirely. "If you don't open those arms right now, everyone will die!" he shouted. "Me, you, every person in the galaxy will perish because you prevented the cycle from ending today!"
"I told you before, do not presume to give me orders, Shepard!" the Illusive Man roared back. "You're forgetting that I am still in control of the situation. I can decide whether you live or you die right now so don't tell me what to do!"
"Can you, really? Because what I see in front of me is a man unable to act on his own free will. You can't even bring it in yourself to kill me!"
"You doubt my resolve?!"
"Yes I do!"
"After everything I've done for humanity?"
"You've done nothing for humanity! Nothing! Not once did you look at the big picture when you were sitting high and mighty on your throne. You've just been doing what the Reapers told you to do, a slave to their very will. All this time, you've weakened humanity and you've never even noticed!"
In the background, Rukin rolled his eyes as he glanced down at the pistol he held. Flicking a thumb down, the loud snick! as the safety was set off drew everyone's attention to the metal monster as he gave a hearty snort.
"Christ, you people sound like a broken record." Barely finishing his sentence, there was a brief catch of plastic coming together and then a boom rocked everyone's eardrums as the shockwave from the report reverberated through them.
Shepard could only watch as everything unraveled in front of him, a slave to fate itself.
Blood, shockingly red, flew into the air in a ragged burst as a small cry joined it. Shepard saw Tali clutch at her stomach, her life seeping through her fingers as Rukin released her from his grip, shoving her away. Nothing holding her up, she collapsed on the ground, feebly twitching as a spreading pool stained the floor.
"TALI!" Shepard screamed, rooted to the spot, pure horror coursing through his form. "NOOOO!"
Rukin stepped over the coughing quarian as blood splattered the interior of her visor. Giving a harsh chuckle, he stepped over to the Illusive Man who looked rather incredulous.
"Damn it, Henry!" he chastised. "What the hell was that for? I told you I wanted them to watch!"
Rukin casually flipped his pistol in his hand, staring down at the fellow cyborg below him who was currently racked with dry sobs. "It was taking way too long. They were delaying you from your destiny, sir." He slammed a fresh clip into his gun, ignoring the moaning from the quarian, "Besides, they were going to die regardless. You said so yourself."
Shepard was rocking back and forth with agony, frantic with the need to reach Tali. She was lying in her own blood, helpless and afraid. She needed him, she needed to have someone with her.
To his shock, her arm jerked for a second as she reached for something, pushing past the unbearable pain to grasp something in one of her hidden pockets. An application of medi-gel? A specialized injection?
Meanwhile, the Illusive Man scowled as he finished berating Rukin, "-You screw up one more time and I'll have you sent to the refuse bin where you'll rust for the next twenty years. No more interruptions like that in the future, understand?"
Rukin gave a curt nod, seemingly uninterested, "Understood sir. However, I would just like to point out that-" The cyborg cocked his head as a small thunk came about. Peering carefully, he pointed at the Illusive Man, "Uh, sir? There's something on your shoulder."
The man's eyes followed the skeletal finger as he spied something clinging to the back of his right shoulder. A cool light shone from the pulsing blue ball as it churned with energy within, stuck to his expensive jacket. Eyebrows lifting in confusion, he looked downward to see Tali on the ground, clutching her Scorpion, breathing through the blood accumulating in her mouth.
With a dry rasp, she managed to choke out, relieved, "I told you that I'd kill you."
The husk's mouth dropped, Rukin yelled in shock, and Shepard laughed from behind them. Moments later, a harsh blue light overtook everything as the explosive detonated, filling the air with noise.
Rukin lifted his hands in shock to protect his metal face, black blood and meat coating him from the explosion. Organs dispersed in a shockwave as the lower half of the Illusive Man collapsed where it had stood. The upper part had been completely torn apart by the Scorpion's mini charge. Tali, quietly laughing, lay still and relaxed as Rukin took a shaking hand and wiped some of the slick fluids off his face, still in disbelief.
The agent only had a moment more to mull things over in his mind before he found himself tackled to the ground, Shepard freed from the Illusive Man's invisible hold and atop him wildly, already pummelling at his head with deadly blows. Rukin threw his arms up to protect his head and turned in a roll, breaking out of Shepard's hold. As the silver form came to pin him down again, the black cyborg kicked out and hit Shepard in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground.
Both cyborgs got to their feet at the same time, rushing towards one another without hesitation. Shepard's haymaker snapped Rukin's head back while the other man's blow caught the commander in the chest. Neither hits did any real damage aside from a few slight dents so they resumed, pounding on each other with the force and precision of a machine.
Shepard managed to get his fingers around Rukin's neck and held his head into position as he threw several punches at it, emphasizing his blows with all the fury out of his mouth, "I'll...kill...you...mother...fucker!"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Rukin croaked, throwing an arm up and breaking out of Shepard's grip. As Shepard fumbled to get into a defensive position, Rukin smashed his face in with an enormous shot, windup and everything. As the commander reeled back, the agent took his chance and landed several punches to Shepard's torso, ducking and weaving through Shepard's sloppy counterattacks.
You still resist. But you will still fail.
Before he disengaged, Rukin took a mighty swipe and Shepard shuddered sideways as a corner of his protective chest plating was dented outward, exposing a good portion of the red synthsac within. Roaring, he threw his elbow backward and hit Rukin hard enough to send him tumbling down the incline towards the bridge, his pistol flying in the air as it became dislodged. Practically frothing at the mouth with a churning hate, Shepard slid down after him as the voices echoed from within.
"Now go back and get the Lieutenant. You know it's the right choice, LT..."
At the bottom, Rukin finished tumbling and rose to his feet, spitting furiously. Before he finished sliding down to the bridge, Shepard leaped and kicked his foot out, connecting hard and throwing Rukin down once more. As quick as lightning, Rukin sprung up again but the face that greeted Shepard was not the black skull, it was the face of someone he knew was long dead, mottled skin mixed with dull, blue eyes.
"We can't stop it! Not forever…"
Saren Arterius now advanced upon Shepard, growling and hissing as he bared his claws. Shepard stood in shock, pondering how this could be when the turian's form dissolved and Rukin appeared out of the mist, hurling his full weight forward as he tackled the commander. The agent raised his fists high and cracked them down on Shepard's chest, causing him to cough in pain.
You are only prolonging the inevitable. Cease your struggle and give in to us.
Strong appendages grasped Shepard's head and slammed it to the floor repeatedly, stunning him. Rukin grunted each time he moved, enjoying the thrill of the fight as well as his prey's helpless position.
"Save her…"
"I've waited for this day for months, Shepard!" Rukin yelled triumphantly in between slams. "Waiting to see the man who eluded me crumble beneath my fingers. You cannot imagine the satisfaction!"
Shepard was seeing stars, spots dancing before his eyes. The form of Rukin was now morphing into different beings as he continued to gloat. Saren, the Illusive Man, a Collector, Tali…
A fist trailed upward as it solidly connected with Rukin's face, throwing him off. Twitching his fingers, Shepard's omni-blade flared outward, causing Rukin to leap backward, evading the orange glow as it scythed towards him.
"Switching to something a little more deadlier?" Rukin called, extending his own blade. "I like your style."
"Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong…"
Poised over the bridge, the two brought their blades to clash in a wicked fusion of energy. Sparks emitted from the exchange, flaring into their optics. Both men pushed against each other, waiting to see who would disengage first. Their limbs fiercely shook as their hydraulics were strained to their limits, staring through the crossed swords in recognition of the fate that they shared.
Are you so blind that you cannot see your folly? The ones who fell before you eventually met their fate willingly. Why not you?
He ducked a nasty swing by Rukin, enabling him to surge forward in a stab. Thanks to quick reflexes, the combat form dodged the blow easily, causing Shepard to whirl in a hasty follow-up. However, Rukin's blade caught the next strike and knocked it out of the way, leaving Shepard defenseless for a split second. But Shepard turned too quickly for Rukin to react, slicing his blade across so that the tip racked Rukin's shoulder, leaving a thin line gouged in his endoskeleton.
"Does this unit have a soul?"
Rukin engaged his second blade and flew at Shepard, a whirling dervish. The commander chopped down to take the agent's first blade off course, leaning backward as the second sliced inches from his throat. He stutter-stepped before coming into Rukin's offensive stance, lowering his body and pushing out with his elbow, knocking Rukin back a few feet.
Snarling, Rukin chopped downward with both blades, causing Shepard to back off as he neared the edge of the bridge. His heels briefly trailed over but he caught himself, leaping safely to the side as Rukin lined up for another charge. Shepard tensed himself, vision still slightly blurry but doing his damndest to give everything an edge.
Your tenacity is admirable but ultimately pointless.
One arm raised, another lowered, the agent moved forward for a pincer strike, hoping for Shepard to leap to his right so that he could attack with both blades at the precise edge of his stance. However, Shepard saw through the move and slid to Rukin's left, swinging his blade forward and impacting through Rukin's arm, slicing through the omni-tool embedded within, blade quickly winking out as the electronic components were severed.
"I know that we will meet again…"
Rukin blinked at the omni-blade impaled through his arm before giving a scream of anger, wrenching it free, but not before Shepard's fist swung out and knocked the agent flat on his back, skidding his body downward a few feet.
Shepard backed up a bit as the still stunned Rukin rolled over on the ground, reaching for something out of sight. Running forward, Shepard knelt and leapt high, blade raised above his head for an overhead strike, aiming at the small of Rukin's back as he still remained situated on the floor.
"Thanks for the ride…"
In the middle of his leap, Rukin rolled around and extended his arm, yelling something unintelligible. The object at the end of the black cyborg's armed flared red-hot and Shepard felt a fire erupt in his chest, causing him to think of nothing else, except the excruciating pain that ate away at him.
Shepard screamed as blood flew from his mouth, crashing to the ground as Rukin rolled out of the way. His hands clutched over where the bullet had hit him, groaning as he pulled his hands away and they came away red, staining the silver metal underneath. With a growing horror, he looked down at himself and gasped as a gurgle trickled from a hole in his synthsac, where Rukin had wrenched the panel from his body.
"Meet me at the bar…"
Rukin stood gripping the smoking pistol, his mouth a perpetual grin as he looked at the writhing Shepard, who was now coughing up blood, dribbling down his shining chin. The black cyborg shook his head sadly as his counterpart lay incapacitated, gesturing with his remaining omni-blade.
"You know," he laughed, "It's funny if you think about it. The great Commander Shepard, felled by a single bullet. All that time you've stared death in the face, resisting against unfathomable odds, and something so small brings you down. An ignominious end for someone of your stature."
Even now, you still refuse to accept the truth. Your fate is sealed, Shepard. Embrace it...and your pain will end.
Shepard could not respond for it felt like with each beat of his heart his chest was slowly getting torn apart. He gurgled as the blood splashed from around his mouth, turning to the side to let it all drain out. His chest heaved as his life flowed through his metal hands, out of his metal body. He curled up as he felt everything ebb and fade, his failure embracing him.
I'm so sorry, Tali.
A foot stepped into his vision and he glared upward, past his weak breathing, to see Rukin prepare his arm for the final strike, the gun discarded. Shepard relaxed himself, readying for the conclusion. If this was to be his last act, so be it. The cycle would continue and all life would be extinguished. That was what the Reapers wanted, wasn't it? For all life to be gone...all life...all life…all life...
"Two parts of the same whole. I am your soulmate, John."
Energy snapped his eyes open, the burning in his chest pushed aside as he gave a throaty rasp. Throwing everything he had into his body, he twisted his head backward, closing his eyes in anticipation anyway. He heard the thunk of the omni-blade impact into the ground inches from his head and Rukin's yell of surprise shortly thereafter.
The blow had missed.
Howling, Shepard grabbed Rukin's arm in a death grip, pinning it down to the ground. Alarmed, Rukin tried to yank himself away but Shepard was holding on too tightly. Throwing out his other arm, his palm impacted directly on the black cyborg's elbow, hearing the crack and snap of metal from within.
How? How can you still resist?
Rukin's arm bent like a cheap spoon, metallic parts rattling inside. The man could only stare at his maimed limb until the silver cyborg twisted in place and the entire limb was ripped off at the elbow, trailing parts across the floor, rattling over the side of the bridge. Rukin began to scream in rage until Shepard sent out a brutal kick, knocking the cyborg backwards into one of the pylons that had lowered from the ceiling.
The horrendous screech of pain from Rukin was almost unbearable to Shepard's ears, allowing him a moment to recover regardless. Electricity surged into the metal form as Rukin horribly twitched, the bursts searing into his body, into his brain. With a huge effort, Rukin broke contact with the pylon and fell to his knees, smoking. His limbs twitched uncontrollably as his fried nerves flared from unknown commands, charged from the energy that had enveloped his body.
Struggling to rise, Rukin barely got more than a few feet before Shepard drove his arm out from across the ground, omni-blade extended and now protruding through the black cyborg's knee. With a twist and a horrific grinding noise, the limb was made useless and Rukin toppled down for good.
Ignoring the blood pouring from his chest, Shepard rose and furiously held Rukin's body up before stabbing him through the shoulder blade. He heard the satisfying noise of metal components being severed and loosened, the clattering sound a welcome music as he withdrew his blade.
For the Rayya, you bastard.
Shepard was growling as he now grabbed for his foe's head. Locking it in a hold, he mercilessly hit him full on in the face, hearing the dull ring of metal on metal as his fist connected once...twice...three times until the leftmost bolt connecting Rukin's lower jaw snapped and the piece was left hanging in place, at an awkward angle.
Rukin gave a pitiful moan as he reached up to set his now diagonal jaw right again but before any of that could happen, Shepard grasped the hanging jaw and pulled with all of his might, hearing the wails emit from his actions. After a few seconds, the entire jaw popped free as the final bolt fractured, leaving Shepard holding a metallic jawbone in his hand.
Rukin's red eyes widened in horror as he silently comprehended the repercussions before Shepard brutally smashed him in the head with his own jaw. Rukin's head bounced off of the ground and Shepard was on him again, bringing the jaw down with such incredible force that the frenzied silver cyborg managed to crack the other cyborg's head wide open, exposing a mass of wiring.
The beating continued as Shepard smacked Rukin every way before tossing the jaw over the edge. He was not finished yet, not by a long shot. Plenty more suffering to be had by the man laying at his feet. Shepard was breathing in a dreadful rasp but Rukin was a little more worse for the wear, his breath coming in a disgusting gurgle as he struggled with his damaged and broken body.
Stepping behind Rukin as he pitifully tried to crawl away, Shepard took his fingers and reached towards his enemy's face. As soon as they clutched over the object that he wanted, he yanked his arm out and the optic trailed wires and fluid as it was pulled out, Rukin screaming as it left him. Quickly, he did the same thing to Rukin's other optic and the cyborg flailed around on the ground, now blind.
A cough and the ground was flecked with tiny red dots. Shepard wiped his mouth, an involuntary gesture, as he bent to turn Rukin over, the cyborg struggling in his grip. Now that the black chestpiece was exposed, Shepard gripped the edge and pulled with all of his strength. The metal might as well have been putty in his hands for it bent and rendered as he tore the protective covering off the maimed cyborg. Rukin raised his remaining hand to ward off any further attacks but Shepard simply batted away the weak limb. His target was now in sight.
Positioning his hand just right, he took a second to consider the trajectory of his arm before he plunged it into Rukin's synthsac, the rubbery material ripping apart as if it was made of paper. Liquid lapped around Shepard's arm as his fingers groped around a firm, fleshy object. The man whose chest he was currently invading bucked on the ground and pleaded to thin air, voice cracking as he screamed. Shepard ignored him as he carefully brought his arm out from the synthsac, still clutching the object in his hand as he took it out into the open air.
Rukin was barely moving, even as Shepard held his still beating heart in his hands. His expressionless face gave no hint to an expressionless receptor. Both knew what would be the final blow, but Rukin gagged as the devastating pain lingered upon him, softly crying.
"P-Please…" came his gasp.
If it was supposed to be a request for mercy or death, it would be granted either way. Shepard prepared his fingers as they clamped down around the object. He eyed the blind cyborg at his knees as he fought to keep from passing out from the blood he had lost so far.
Shepard slightly shook his head. "This time," he growled sadly, "Stay dead."
Not looking, he clenched his hand together with a horrible squelch and warm blood exploded through his fingers, dripping to the floor. The fleshy meat was ground between his metal grip and he watched Rukin spasm suddenly as his heart ceased to beat any more. A large volume of blood was expelled from his mouth before his body fell still. With a final twitch of his foot, Rukin departed, leaving only an empty shell behind.
The remains of the organ fell from his fingers as Shepard's knees buckled and he fell down heavily, throwing out his arms to prevent him from smashing into the ground. He spat out another mouthful of blood as his chest warped his mind in torturous pain.
Numbly, he began crawling forward, disregarding the cyborg lying at the foot of the ramp. Fingers scraping across the smooth surface, Shepard began to ascend back up to the platform, blood dripping everywhere as he continued at his slow pace. Any faster and he would pass out from the pain for it felt like it was everywhere.
All at once, the incline leveled off and he used all of his strength to look across the platform, expecting the orange light and remains of the tussle in front of him.
Strangely, the grid of the Citadel was no longer the scenery that stood across the platform. Rather, the edge of the planet Earth came into view as faint explosions from the battle twinkled beyond. Tiny beams of red ran out from large ships and blue streaks arced across the expanse. The arms of the Citadel were open, and only now did Shepard see the spire of the Crucible peek out from past the platform, already connected as a brief pinprick of red began to grow from the tip.
Eyes trailing up from the huge pool of blood in the center of the room, he followed the streaks of red until they terminated at Tali's slumped form against the console at the end. Her hands hung loosely by her side, he then realized that she had opened the arms.
It seemed like an eternity that it took to reach her, half expecting his progress to be halted by the Reapers once more. But nothing reached out, the chill that had been a part of him had vanished, warmth replacing it in its absence. Struggling to breathe, he finally reached the still quarian and gently laid her upper body across his lap as he now leaned against the console, sighing in relief as the pain lessened somewhat.
Below him, Tali opened her eyes, a faint glow from beyond the threshold. "J-John," she whispered weakly, gently touching the edge of his body, his blood blotching on her fingers, "You're...you're hurt…"
It was as if she did not even acknowledge the gaping hole in her stomach, to his incredulity. He tried not to look at her wound as she now brushed the outline of his dented jaw, caressing his dull, gleaming head.
His hand lightly caught hers as he gave a quick squeeze, his anguish replacing his agony. "Please, Tali," he said haltingly, "Don't...don't try to talk. You're going to be just fine…"
"Oh John," she sighed, sounding far away, "It's too late for that...I'm...I'm dying…"
He coughed at her words, overcome by emotion as something flared in his chest, causing him to wince. Already, his world was starting to lose color, he was even feeling a little sleepy, despite the terrible discovery from her acceptance. "I…" he struggled to find the words, "I think...I might be too."
Tali choked, spluttering within her bloody visor, "I never...I never wanted it to be like this for us...I wanted to live with you...for the rest of my life."
The red glow was increasing in intensity behind them but they could only focus on themselves, wrapped in their own private universe as the life left them behind together. Shepard held the back of Tali's head as he nodded sadly, "I was...I was hoping that I would get to live a normal life…"
"With a house…" she added in a daze, "And a family...there were so many things I wanted to do…"
Shepard was now shaking as he sobbed dryly. Tears were unable to fall but he mumbled around his bloody mouth as memories of what could have been disappeared from his mind's eye. A future, a life, gone. Never to be. Only the inevitability of the unknown awaiting him.
Tali made a few soft sounds to soothe him, before she raised her trembling hands and depressed the catches on her visor. Slowly pulling it off, Shepard saw her wide eyes lower in happiness and her mouth tilt upward in a smile tinged by pain, disregarding the fact that all she saw was a silver skull staring right at her. Blood was streaked across her face and he tenderly wiped most of the blood away, clearing her beautiful face from any more imperfections as she let out a deep breath.
"Please don't cry, John," she whispered, even though she sounded close to tears herself. "It's...it's over, we won. We can go now…"
"I don't…" he stammered, "I don't want to go. I don't want to leave you… I love you...Tali..."
"I love you too," she assured, her stained teeth glinting in her weak smile. "And I won't be leaving you. We will...we will go on together...and we will find each other again."
"H-How?"
She merely placed a hand over his torso, just above his erratically beating heart. She looked up through her shining eyes, "Same whole. We will find a way."
"Tali," he grasped desperately at her hands, "Please…"
Her head was slowly falling backward in his grip, her eyes trailing upwards. Fearful, he moaned as he clutched at her but her eyelids closed as her chest was rising and falling in slower intervals. "Whenever you're ready," she said as quiet as possible, "I'll be waiting...my love."
And with a final breath, she was gone.
"Tali?" he said in shock, shaking her shoulder a bit. "Tali?" He placed a hand over her cheek, trying to coax her back, his willpower failing. "Tali!" Everything started to shake for him as keened over her body, giving a low wail as he laid his head over her chest.
Shepard clutched Tali's body as he rocked back and forth, moaning as his loved one left him, his destiny still reaching for his soul. The cyborg gave a powerful cry to the heavens, roaring his love and loss out loud as he yearned for her, begged for her.
"Oh dear god, no…Tali…"
A shuddering cough interrupted him as he broke down, his hacks intermingled with his sobs. One such convulsion spit up such a large glob of blood that he slumped down, unable to continue any longer.
Still holding onto Tali, he peered to the side at the beautiful view of the planet Earth. It was quite a sight, to see his home planet in such a way that left little to the imagination. To see it hovering like a jewel in front of him, a shining beacon that paved the way.
To the side, the burnt orange glow was becoming deeper as red electricity was starting to arc all over the place. Shepard could feel some parts of his body start to fizzle as the static washed over him. Weakness overcoming him, he attempted to lift an arm but the impulse went nowhere as his vision drooped. His breath was catching painfully in his chest, it hurt to inhale. He could feel the last inches of blackness creeping up on him, not a foreign chill brought on by the Reapers, but a comforting blanket, wrapping around him as his vision started to fade out.
Looking down, he stroked Tali's cheek one last time. "I will find you," he whispered. "I promise you that I will find you."
The black was starting to grow red but Shepard met it all the same. There was an enormous tug and a screaming sound as the energy surged out of the station, screaming away as it engulfed the raging battle beyond. Something grasped at him and he gasped, sinking into the fall that accompanied as his vision blinked out.
He felt himself floating, just suspended for a brief minute before a force caused him to rise. Flying into the dark, he felt his pain and fear evaporate as his body started to tingle all over. The sensation was quite pleasant and he sighed as he felt the touch upon him.
A tiny light, like a star, was hovering in front of him. He could not see his limbs through the thick black but he reached for it all the same. The dot grew wider and brighter until it became blinding, the heat increasing but never becoming unbearable. Surrounding him in a sphere, the white became him as he was whisked off into something more.
Moving past the dark, he embraced the light as it took a familiar form, melding itself to his touch. Feeling the warmth flow into him, Shepard breathed out in relief, all of his pain vanishing.
His heart rising, he gazed upward, eagerly anticipating his destination wherever it might be.