Chapter 27 – Hell Hath No Fury, Pt.2
In the short time they'd been here, James had gotten a good impression of the paradise Virmire had once been. He'd been thinking this would have made an ideal retreat when Shepard's call had broken through.
"Push forward!" he yelled, desperate to get to Shepard quickly. The way she'd said his name had crawled inside him. Whatever it was that had her pleading for help, was bad.
Playtime was over. These mercs weren't going to know what hit them.
O
What had started as an immense pressure against Garrus' forehead-plate, had quickly turned to something truly horrible as the drill passed through his hardened outer layer to the flesh beneath. He wanted nothing more than to fight back, but the straps held him immovably in place. Lawson kept pushing, and Garrus was left with no ability to think of anything but the agonising pain, and unable to refrain from vocalising it, his roar barely drowned out the grinding sound in his head of the metal boring thorough the bone of his skull.
o
"Let's see what you have left, Spectre," jeered Kryek.
The cuffs already gone from Kaidan's ankles, Kryek released the ones at his wrists, then kicked his foot into Kaidan's back. Already on his knees, Kaidan fell forward, barely having the strength to bring his hands up to prevent himself from landing on his face. Each breath was a fight, and his torso felt like it was on fire.
Despite his own pain, the battle for air, and the thumping headache from his over-heated implant, Kaidan was appalled by the distant but invading sound of Garrus' torment.
o
By the time she was approaching the junction, Shepard was fighting back the emotions that refused to remain suppressed. This was a personal hell she had never wanted to re-visit.
This wasn't a choice, it was internal torture. Her dearest friend, who had stuck by her through everything without question, or the wonderful man who had given her more to live for than she could ever have hoped for. A delay in getting to either one of them could well be a death sentence. Terra was stuck in a nightmare scenario, and it was ripping her heart out.
The promise she'd made to Garrus' father rang in her head, rivalled by the thought of Rorie growing up without her father, and Kaidan's parents losing their only child.
But, as a serving soldier, Kaidan would expect her to save Garrus, just as she would if their places were reversed, and if she ignored that she wasn't sure he'd be able to live with the survivor's guilt a second time around, or that she could forgive herself for her own selfishness – because, Garrus forgive her, she wanted Kaidan. Already the shame was eating at her.
The memory of that whirring drill was resounding in her head, along with Kaidan's laboured breathing. Then she heard a blood-curdling sound she knew was Garrus.
Her pace not faltering, she turned left, a sob escaping at knowing she was turning her back on Kaidan.
Cloaking, she passed viewing windows that looked in on labs with medical personnel who she inanely thought were wasting their time trying to help a woman who was likely going to die very soon. One thing she noted was that all of them were clustered in a group, talking amongst themselves with stressed gestures and deep frowns. She guessed hearing Garrus' tortured voice that was now filling the corridor, striking Shepard to her core, was more than these medics had signed up for. Maybe they were realising that their patient wasn't worth their time.
Now hearing the drill, her insides clenched. She had to hurry.
o
Oriana stumbled to her feet, Vakarian's almost feral tones chilling her. She searched for something she could use, spotting the precision laser-pen used in surgeries. Readying it at its highest intensity, she rushed forward and sliced through the twirling metal, instantly separating it from the tool.
Outraged, Miranda backhanded Oriana with the drill, connecting with a thud that knocked her off her feet. "You think you've saved him, Oriana?" She looked at the severed drill-piece protruding from the turian's head, then at the tool in her hand. "I'll just hammer it in." She lifted the drill, spinning it in her hand so she could use the bulkier end, and put all of her weight behind her swing.
An inch from connecting with her target, Miranda met solid resistance, and was shocked when Shepard materialised between her and Garrus, hand clamped on her wrist.
"How-?"
Shepard punched her, the drill falling into Garrus' lap as Miranda was sent flying backwards with a pained grunt, landing near the door.
"Prototype tracker, and friends," Shepard answered, placing a hand on Garrus' clenched one without taking her eyes off Miranda.
Gripping it back, Garrus, panting from adrenaline, pain and relief, laughed a little manically. "Told you. You're not good enough to beat Shepard."
In angry response, Miranda sent a rush of biotic energy that ripped Shepard's hand from his grasp, slamming her up into the ceiling and back to the floor with far more force than she'd managed with Oriana.
Winded, her mouth bleeding, and every bone aching, Shepard, fuelled by anger, pushed herself to her feet. Miranda was aiming a pistol, but Shepard simply sent out an overload, the resulting electrical charge travelling up to mess with Miranda's nervous system. Collapsing on her knees, and breathing heavily, Miranda already looked spent. To be certain, Shepard kicked the gun out of Lawson's limp hand, her own pistol unlatched and primed.
"You had a second chance at life, and you've wasted it, Miranda."
"On the contrary, I think things are about to pay off," Miranda smirked, looking past Shepard. "Your precious turian can't be saved from his fate."
Shepard turned to see Oriana standing beside Garrus, the bruise already puffing out the side of her face. In the woman's hand was the laser-pen, held out at Garrus' head.
"No, Miri," said Oriana, sadly. "You can't be saved." She then used the laser to sear through the control box just behind the head-rest.
"NO!" fumed Miranda.
The mechanisms that held the bindings in place were released, and Garrus hurtled from the chair, past Shepard, and grabbed Miranda by her neck. Lifting her off her feet, he pulled her close enough so that he could snarl into her face, the piece of metal still in his forehead. Then he grunted, looking down to see the blade Miranda had stuck into his side. As Garrus sagged, Shepard was rushing forward, shoving Miranda away from him while catching him, ensuring he didn't fall forward onto his face. Before Miranda could cause more harm, Shepard took out Lawson's kneecaps. By the time Miranda hit the ground, the extreme pain had left her unconscious.
Shepard turned back to Garrus, fearing the worst when she saw his eyes close, and grasping his shoulders. "Talk to me, Garrus."
"I hate Virmire," he said tiredly, not opening his eyes.
In relief, she rested her head briefly against his bloody one. "Ditto." One thought shouted out at her: sound carried down these halls, and she hadn't heard a gunshot yet. Grabbing Garrus' face in her hands, she made sure she had his attention. "I'm coming straight back for you, but I have to get to Kaidan."
He was cognisant enough to weakly wave her away.
"I'll look after him," Oriana murmured, picking up the gun Miranda had dropped earlier, and shakily pointing it in her sister's direction as she moved to get medigel. "I'll need to stop the bleeding."
Trusting Oriana, Shepard hurried to the door.
o
Two gunshots... Kaidan had heard two gunshots. Was it Terra? Or was Garrus gone? There was no more time to consider it.
Rolling onto his back, Kaidan evaded the foot that was intended for his head. Catching Kryek's boot, Kaidan swept the man's other leg out. Kryek hit the ground hard, but where Kaidan wanted to throw a few of his own punches, he was instead left struggling to breathe at all, the exertion proving too much for his damaged lungs. He was losing his fight for air.
Kryek swiftly re-gained his feet, glaring down at Kaidan with hands fisted white.
"Not bad. I'll give you that. Not many could have managed a come-back after the punishment I gave you. But I'm getting bored. And hungry," Kryek added, casually. "Any last words before you die?"
Kaidan slumped back, unable to say a word, watching Kryek lazily withdraw his gun. This was it. He closed his eyes, detaching himself from everything that hurt in order to focus on the two faces that would see him through these last moments - his wife and daughter – knowing he was still the luckiest man in the galaxy….
o
Shepard had only just stepped over Miranda when she heard the shot. It was like she'd taken the hit herself, and with a strangled cry, her legs failed. Landing on her knees, she lost her grip on her pistol.
"Shepard?" Garrus had heard that kind of cry before – that indescribably heart-wrenching sound of absolute grief – and he never wanted to hear it from Shepard. Fighting through the haze, he pushed himself forward, fear for her propelling him. What was the price she'd paid for saving him?
Gasping for air, Shepard was suddenly overcome with a feeling that she had to keep going. There was still a chance he was alive…. He had to be. She couldn't imagine her life without him. Before Garrus could reach out for her, she was lurching to her feet, grabbing up her gun, and scrambling out into the corridor, hitting the far wall before findng her equilibrium.
Shepard could now hear gunfire reverberating from corridors further away; her team were inside, but not close enough to have been responsible for that single shot. Racing past the labs of worried medics, she was only focused on getting to the far end of this long passage that would take her from the left to the right wing of the building. Passing many doors, she aimed for the few that had security panels outside. Those were the holding cells. Two were already open, no-one inside. The third opened to reveal Kaidan lying on the ground, an armoured figure bent over him. Her finger tightened on the trigger at the same time as the man turned.
"Dad!" Shepard exclaimed, immediately relaxing her finger.
"He's alive, but I don't know for how long," Hackett said gravely. "He needs a doctor, a-sap."
Confusion reigning, Kaidan's infrequent shallow gasps were the only thing that made sense to Shepard in that moment, and she ran back out.
Storming into the labs, she raised her pistol to express that she wasn't messing about. "I need a doctor, NOW!" Two men and one woman scurried to gather supplies and equipment, rushing out in the direction she indicated.
Bringing up the rear, she watched them surround Kaidan. She didn't trust them with him, but what choice did she have? "If he dies, so do you." As unfair as it sounded, she meant it.
Feeling useless, Shepard paced, finally noticing the body slumped against the rear wall. The large frame indicated it was Kryek. His back was to her, hunched over, the crown of his head abutting the wall like he'd gone to sulk. The gunshot she'd heard had been from her father's gun.
"We need to move him to the lab," said the female doctor with a calm tone that nonetheless conveyed the importance of doing so quickly.
"Do it." Shepard hovered restlessly as they carefully lifted and carried Kaidan out of the cell. She was about to follow when the gunshot came from behind her.
Whirling around, her heart stuttered as she caught her toppling father, registering the hole in his chest at the same time as Kryek stumbled to his feet, a syringe hanging from where he'd stuck it into his arm. The bullet wound over his heart still bled profusely from her father's shot.
Supporting Hackett's weight with one shaking arm, Shepard sent an incinerating blast from her omnitool at Kryek, who immediately began flailing as it engulfed him. Pulling her father out of the room in order to get him help, she backed along the corridor, keeping her eye on the holding cell entrance. Coming alongside the labs, Shepard allowed more of the medical personnel to take Hackett, but she remained outside to keep vigil.
When Kryek appeared - skin red and blistering, armour steaming and burnt away in places - Shepard wasn't surprised.
Changing to her rifle, Shepard was locked on Kryek, determined not to let him near her family again. Then he was charging, firing his pistol. She stood in place, releasing her own flurry of shots. Her shields fizzled, her armour cracked, and a couple of shots got through at her hip. Kryek was jerking as her own shots hit home, but he kept coming like a blood-raged krogan. His impact threw her back, all the air in her lungs forced out as she landed with his weight on top. Astride her, he reared back a fist, but Shepard unleashed her omniblade, detaching his descending fist at the wrist.
Leaping back, Kryek stared at the end of his arm in astounded outrage. Shepard was up, but the minute she raised her rifle, Kryek barrelled into her again with an enraged bellow. Once again pinned into the ground, Shepard lost her patience. She rammed her forehead onto Kryek's nose, the reeking stench of his burnt flesh threatening to make her retch. The snap was satisfying but it wasn't enough to make him do anything more than blink in his enhanced state. She surged up with her hips, knocking him off-balance, but he caught her with a swing, the bloody stump smacking into her cheekbone causing less damage than his fist would have, but the force behind it enough to send her vision haywire.
Then the weight was gone. Shaking her head like she could make her eyes function properly if she just rattled them enough, she automatically sought a vertical position.
James had Kryek slammed against a wall, swinging his own punches into the man's face. But Kryek was taking them, his face getting bloodier by the second, the concoction running through his body steeling him. As Shepard had done earlier, Kryek brought his head flying at James'. The crunch made her wince, and James was stunned by it. Tearing James' shotgun from his back, Kryek aimed it. Shepard threw herself into Kryek, the gun's blast hitting the wall just beside James' head. Kryek tossed her aside like she weighed nothing, aiming again for James.
A furious yell filled the air, followed by the light of blue energy that surrounded Kryek and yanked him away to the far end of the corridor to hit a wall. Following it up with a shockwave, Jack stormed over to him, biotics blazing, ready to finish the sprawled Kryek close up. Suddenly, he lifted the shotgun he'd kept grip on and fired. Jack's shoulder took the hit, and she tumbled.
Shepard had retrieved her rifle, James releasing his, but Kryek had discarded the empty shotgun and was lifting Jack up by the neck, squeezing as he walked towards them.
"Drop it, or she dies." He stopped a short distance from them.
Jack was writhing, already turning a horrible colour, her eyes rolling back in her head.
"You'll kill her anyway," stated Shepard. It sounded callous, but to believe he'd let her go would have been stupidly naïve. James nodded in support, his face murderous. She swapped her rifle to her left hand and retrieved her pistol from her side, needing precision. "Release her and you'll keep your life."
Kryek laughed, moving Jack so her head was directly in front of his and preventing the possibility of a head shot. "No. Biotic filth has to die." His hand tightened.
Unable to shoot, Shepard ran forward, as did James, but they wouldn't be able to close the distance in the few precious seconds it would take. Then the windows of the lab exploded in a blue aura and Kryek was sent right through the wall into the room beyond, leaving behind Jack who dropped to the floor.
James ran to Jack, while Shepard went through the new hole in the wall to follow through on Kryek. He was still moving, somehow, bones broken, his insides no doubt a mess. He rolled onto his back, wheezing and Shepard looked down at him, waiting for the inevitable. The second he launched himself towards her with a roar, she pulled the trigger. He was flung back to the floor amongst the rubble, her shot leaving a hole dead-centre of his forehead. The type of ammo she used would leave no chance of him returning like Miranda.
It was over.
Strangely detached from everything in the wake of the ensuing quiet, Shepard pivoted tiredly, the stim she'd gotten from Chakwas to keep her own senses sharp after her days of sleeplessness, was wearing off.
She looked over the heads of James and a gasping Jack, and into the lab. Kaidan, chest still heaving and a tube inserted between his ribs, was sitting up from the bed, his biotics still swirling beautifully over him. One of the doctors was trying to get him to lie back, the removed biotic-suppressing collar in one hand, but Kaidan was ignoring everything but her, and she felt herself pulled towards him.
He was real. He was alive. He looked like hell - horrendously bruised skin covering most of his torso, and a lot of blood - but hell had never looked so damn good. She sent him her love through a smile he returned, and he finally acquiesced to the doctor's urging.
In the corridor, Shepard laid a reassuring hand on James' shoulder.
"The others are clearing up the last pockets of resistance," he informed her, his broken nose making it sound like he had a cold. "Joker's heading down with the Normandy, and Chakwas is preparing to come groundside."
"Thank you, James."
Jack's rasping verbal tirade left Shepard in no doubt that she was just fine.
Searching through the viewing windows as she made her way to the lab door, she found her father close to Kaidan. He was laying there, eyes closed, as the doctors worked to seal the wound, and she prayed he'd survive. Without him, Kaidan would likely be dead. She couldn't lose him.
As she approached them, Kaidan removed the oxygen mask and pushed the exasperated doctors aside, wincing as he propped himself up again.
"Hey, beautiful."
With what was somewhere between a laugh and a sob, Terra wrapped her arms gently around him, keeping away from his chest, just needing to feel him. Pulling back, she kissed him. "Hey, handsome."
"Please. Sir. You need to remain still," pleaded a doctor.
"Yes. Do as you're told, General," admonished Shepard with an arched brow.
Lying back down with a sigh, Kaidan kept hold of Terra's hand. "Rorie?" The oxygen mask was replaced.
"She's on the ship, as resilient and happy as ever. I left her asleep in bed. She was hoping you'd be there when she woke up."
"Then that's my next mission," he said beneath the mask, needing to take some deep breaths before he could continue. "Better get cleaned up a bit...first, though. ...Don't want to scare her."
"I don't think anything can scare my granddaughter," came Hackett's groggy voice.
Swinging round in relief, Terra picked up her father's hand, kissing his forehead before giving him a severe look. "What the hell were you doing down here?"
"Following my instinct," Hackett said weakly, wincing as he made the mistake of trying to make himself more comfortable. "Decided you might need some help and called Cortez back. I did teach you everything you know about infiltration, remember. But don't worry, I won't be making a habit of it. I'm definitely too old for this shit," he grimaced.
"Thank you, dad. If you hadn't been there…" Her mouth trembled and she looked at Kaidan. "I heard what Kryek said he'd do. When that gun went off…I thought that was it. That you were gone."
Kaidan pulled her down to him, holding her tightly. It was a feeling he had known once; that mountain of grief that falls in one foul swoop. That she'd experienced it made him hurt far beyond his physical pain. "I'm here, and I'm not...leaving you without a...damn good fight." He looked at Hackett. "Thank you, Steven."
Hackett just nodded with a subtle smile, and Kaidan knew it was because to speak would reveal the emotion there.
"How did you know, dad?" Terra asked.
"I found Antella. Saw the live feeds; the choice you had to make. I know you both. Duty and utter selflessness. I knew you'd reason that you had to go for Garrus." Hackett shrugged with forced casualness. "Couldn't have my little girl lonely for the rest of her days, or a granddaughter without her father. And I'll admit I've grown rather fond of him."
Terra covered her face with her hands. "I'm so sorry, Kaidan."
"Don't." He grasped her hands. "You know I would have wanted...you to rescue Garrus. It was the right...choice. You'd have expected me...to do the same. Because we're soldiers. ...I'm just sorry you...had to be in that position. Again. And here...of all places. But I also know that it's...little consolation to you right now. Garrus okay?"
"Uh. He's been better. I should go check on him. He needs some serious medical attention." She blew out a breath. "At least we've got plenty of neurologists here."
Leaving them frowning at that, Shepard exited the labs and noticed Oriana standing in the corridor, gazing around at the mess they'd created. Miranda's sister was clearly in shock.
"Oriana?" Shepard prompted gently.
"Your friend's okay. I sealed his wounds, though I wouldn't dare touch…" she half-lifted her hand towards her own forehead.
"Best left to the doctors," agreed Shepard.
"He told me to leave," Oriana whispered, her face pale.
Understanding, Shepard moved past her to enter the room. Garrus had hauled the unconscious Miranda into the chair he'd previously occupied, and was standing unsteadily over her, pistol in hand. Meeting Shepard's gaze unflinchingly, she watched his jaw flex.
"Is Kaidan…?"
"He'll be okay," she nodded. "My father turned up."
Garrus breathed out in relief, then hung his head. "You knew he was in danger but you came for me instead, didn't you?" At her silence, he looked up.
"She was drilling into your head," was all Shepard answered, her eyes down as she recalled that instinct to place Kaidan first.
"You crazy woman," sighed Garrus. "Duty to protect…. I may not be a soldier by title, but I can't be anything else inside, and I won't ever be a civilian that needs you or Kaidan to sacrifice yourselves for. I'm not worth it-"
"Yes, you are," she insisted, fiercely.
"-Or that guilt you have because you wanted to save Kaidan." Garrus watched her shame send her eyes to the ground again. "It's natural to want to save your family first."
"You are family."
"Close enough to feel damned lucky, that's for sure, but my point is I'm not, and it's okay that you felt that way. So no more guilt. And thank you, Shepard. For being crazy."
She gave a short laugh. "You're seriously calling me crazy? Have you seen what's sticking out of your head? You should be heading for the med-lab."
His face changed into something darker as he glanced at Lawson. "I've got unfinished business."
"Garrus-"
"No arguments, Shepard." He fixed her with an unwavering look, sure she'd challenge it anyway. To his surprise, she offered her pistol.
"It's where it went wrong last time. You like to use cryo rounds in your pistol. A combination of a fortuitous route through her brain and the freezing properties meant that she had a good chance of surviving long enough for medical intervention. I always use the same ammo in my pistol as I use in my sniper rifle."
Maximum damage rounds. Garrus used them in his sniper rifle, too. He shook his head at his idiocy. He'd used the wrong damn ammo. He rarely used his pistol, but he should have known better. He threw Lawson's gun aside and took Shepard's Paladin. "You're okay with this?" he asked, sceptically.
She wished she could say no, but Shepard looked at Miranda with no hint of compassion left for the woman who had tried to destroy her family. She was at that fine line Garrus was crossing again, and she'd finally been pushed too far to resist joining him there.
She returned her attention to her steadfast friend. "According to official records, Miranda Lawson didn't survive Sanctuary. I see no reason for that to change."
With a hardened heart for the woman in the chair, Shepard left to get Oriana away from what she didn't need to see or hear, and to let Teryck know his son was alive.
oOo
The facility was quiet now. Everyone had transferred to the Normandy, though Chakwas was fuming Garrus had refused to allow her to tend to him until he'd settled his account with Lawson. Cortez was waiting with the shuttle just outside.
Finally, Miranda woke, pained cold blue eyes locking on his, her hate sending daggers his way, but Garrus was impervious.
"What now? You torture me?" she mocked, a trace of fear beneath it all as she realised she now wore a collar (at Shepard's insistence) rendering her far more defenceless without her biotics.
"No. It's tempting, believe me. But I'm tired, and I've had enough. So I'll make this short and sweet. There's only one way I want you, and that's dead. Forever. I just needed to look you in the eye."
He placed the gun under her chin, registering her fast breathing and fully-fledged fear, then pulled the trigger.
She was dead, but Garrus fired until the heat sink sizzled emptily, her head nothing but a bloody pulp.
"Survive that," he growled. Inhaling deeply, Garrus felt like he could now move on. Keen to leave this hell-hole, he lumbered out, the door sliding aside to reveal Shepard leaning against the wall.
"Thought someone should keep an eye on you. In case she gave you trouble."
Garrus huffed his amusement. "You're the only one who gives me trouble, Shepard."
"Yeah, yeah," she rolled her eyes. "More like get you out of it."
"Hm. Can't currently argue that." He reached tentatively up to the foreign object that had no business being in his forehead.
"Can we get back to the ship now so Chakwas can get that thing out of your head? It's seriously beginning to freak me out."
Both wincing as they began to move gingerly down the corridor, Garrus slung his arm over her shoulder.
"One threat down," he nodded.
"Leviathans to go," she sighed.
Garrus groaned.
"What was that for?" laughed Shepard. "You'll be sitting in your plush office, reading reports and answering the Council's calls."
He groaned again. "I'm definitely coming with you now."
oOo