Max glanced over his squad. Beside pissed off Miranda and grinning Kasumi rest was surprisingly calm. Nobody complained that Max was leading them.
"Okay, here's the layout." Max begun. Team was sitting in big assault tomkah that Chief Scout gave them along with driver to get to Weyrloc hospital."We're against Blood Pack originators. That means gang MO"
"Thane, sniper overwatch, vorcha like to carry flamers, shoot the tanks." Thane nodded.
"Miranda, Warp armors. Concetrate on krogans" - "Understood"
"Samara, use anything you know that can rip trough armor" - "I will Max"
"Jack, shockwave anyone that'll come close, shotgun when even closer" - "Hell yeah"
"Kasumi, flashbangs and EMP's. Cloak only when covered and for sure kill. One swipe would break you in half" - "Mondai nai"
"Mordin, incinerate them, snap freeze won't do much to shielded armor" - "Correct, will adjust for higher temperatures"
"Tali? Drone won't do much unless exploding would take them down. Overload any shields, it's crucial." - "You got it"
Max sighed, so far so good. "You all have incediary ammo mods on your guns so fire away. If any krogan would get closer, retreat. Specially that battlemasters are biotics. You don't wanna know what happens when krogan punches using biotics..."
"Hey, don't worry so much. We'll be okay" Kasumi smirked. Max looked as good leading as Shep. Mayby little cuter...
"That's why I don't lead. I have to worry." Max shooked his head. "I'll be using a lot of explosives so try keeping it in a wedge formation. I'm going first with you paired on my sides. Pairings that I think would be best: Tali-Jack, Kasumi-Miranda, Thane-Mordin, Samara stick behind me. Questions or complaints?"
Silence.
"Okay, let's roll"
/.../
John and his little squad brought heaviest weapons they had, including modified guns and grenades from Max, dubbed 'Ass-busters' by genius Harlequinn.
"Okay guys, we don't know what it'll be so Grunt and I will keep anything closer at bay, Garrus and Zaeed, sniper duty. Don't waste your ammo."
They rode in similar tomkah. Deployed in a wide yard littered with corpses of krogan. Piles of rubble provided some cover from every angle. Yard was blocked from one side with a huge wall, while the other had a gate. That just closed.
"To begin the rite, activate the maw hammer!" Shaman's voice thundered through speakers located somwhere. Shepard noticed a big red button on one of the walls.
"Not much of theatrics. Grunt? Care to do the honors?" Grunt nodded and punched the button. John quickly motioned to take positions in the middle of yard, covering behind rubble.
"First krogan's conquered Tuchanka! A planet only we able to survive on!" Shaman spoke.
Shepard watched as huge cylindric device dubbed 'maw hammer' is being raised very high then falls along it's tube and hits the ground generating strange vibrant crash and slight earthquake.
/.../
Max's team was moving into compound. Approach was easy and team stuck to his orders. After they entered the actual hospital a few krogans were standing on a balcony.
"Trespassers! I am a clanspeaker for great Weyrloc Guld!" a krogan in the front yelled. "You are commanded to leave! Flee and spread the news that our leader will soon overcome genophage and the galaxy will know the wrath of new krogan! We will drown our enemies in blood!"
Max fired bullet above clanspeaker wishing that pipe he hit contained flammable gas or at least steam. VI in his helmet quickly reported that it was flammable gas. Oh joy.
"Hah! Stupid human can't even shoot right!" clanspeaker boasted. Max fired another round. Ricochet created spark, igniting gas, turning it into a ball of fire that engulfed all krogan and leaving them as charred corpses. After that, whole balcony exploded.
"Building inspector should be...fired "
"Yeaaaaaaah!" Kasumi replied and chuckled with Max. Rest ignored popcultural, human joke.
Unfortunately, rest of krogans was alarmed. As they fought through groups. Max stumbled upon few corpses of krogan females. Mordin quickly scanned them. He was shocked.
"Sterile krogan female. Tumors, mutations...they're trying to counter genophage while experimenting on live subjects..."
"This is what's left of krogan, professor." Max retorted. "John told me about your work. Maybe it was correct then, but now? This Wrex is changing the krogans. If he would manage to change them all...you should help them going back to life. Otherwise they'll all end like this. Animals or worse."
"Unacceptable actions here...I partially agree. However won't commit to anything like that without being sure that's the best option."
"Don't analyze it. Use your heart from time to time. Now let's go."
Max ordered move out. Fighting through corridors and halls they witnessed few more bodies. Evidence of...torture. Whole squad was tense. Finally they reached area of labs. As they walked into a wide hall, doors on the other side opened and few heavily armored krogans walked in.
/.../
"Varren! Horde of 'em!" Zaeed yelled switching to his assault rifle and taking down beast with short bursts. Shepard ordered conserving ammo despite all of them carrying to the brim.
As the feral beasts were pouring from hatches on the sides of yard. Shepard maintained discipline among his squad and was surprised that Grunt obediently kept his position.
"Keep it up Grunt! That's what true soldier does!" John thought that praise should help him. He was a kid by some means. Grunt gave him a toothy smile of a predator and shot another varren right in the head with his shotgun.
After few waves, maw hammer raised again.
"Then Krogans were lifted to the stars! We were hunting enemy that only we could chase and destroy in their lair!"
Hammer fell generating another crash but of different note.
"They won't have rachni here right?" Shepard winced recalling ones on Noveria. Then a hideous cross between insect and bat landed for a moment, leaving big, red bugs that screeched while moving towards the Team.
"Klixens!" Garrus yelled and started shooting. "Keep you distance! They blow up after being killed!" As of demonstration few bugs exploded in balls of fire.
"Open fire! Give 'em hell, everything you got!" John realized conserving ammo was pointless at this point. Better this than die in a blast.
/.../
"Weaklings! I will crush you! Then every other idiot who would dare to stand in my way!" A huge krogan in golden armor roared. Probably Guld.
"Fan out! Remember your assignments!" Max ordered and opened fire at bunch of krogans.
It looked bad. Ratio was at least 1:1 if not more in favour of krogans. But team stood their ground, throwing bombs, grenades and biotics while firing from all the guns. Max was throwing sticky bombs with thermite that turned at least 4 krogans into lizard BBQ. But then a blue missile flew above his head and hit something. Max only heard a yelp and blood frozened in his veins. Kasumi. He turned around seeing his little thief sprawled on the ground. No. no no no no no...He recalled Ellie Montes. This nice, talented tech girl from his squad. She tripped the wire and then an explosion came... She landed exactly the same as Kasumi now...
"Alright you fucks...Playtime's over..." Max growled and rerouted his cloak for full camouflage.
"You'll learn to not fuck with me!" He screamed so loud tha others heard him even through combat. Invisible, Max leapt from cover and ran. His gun on his back. Bombs in his hands. No more jokes.
/.../
Taking out klixen's were painful. All of them were at least hit if not hurt by shrapnels from exploding carapaces. Except Garrus.
"Turian school of making soldier out of recruit." He chuckled.
"Then I see you failed that before, Birdman" John replied laughing. He hoped this was over.
Raising maw hammer proved him wrong. What the hell worse the krogans can muster?
"Now we all bear the genophage. Our curse and mark. Only the strong will be born and strongest survive!" Shaman spoke again. Then hammer hit the ground again. Earth shaken harder than before, and didn't stopped shaking.
"What shakes the ground?" Grunt roared.
John felt cold fingers of fear gripping his heart. He felt that tremors before...Akuze...
/.../
"Suppress them!" Miranda threw a concussive grenade on the krogans and saw Max dissappearing in haze.
"What the hell is he doing?" Jack yelled looking at Max.
"I don't now!"
Max was running like all hell against the krogans. Being nigh invisible in chaos he was moving past krogans shooting at the team that stopped firing by Miranda's orders. Every time he was making a pass he threw a sticky thermite grenade that was turning krogans into slabs of burned meat in a can of their armor.
Team was just looking, Max was moving so chaotic yet so fast, they coudn't fire without risking hitting him. They just saw krogans dying one by one in flash heat of hellfire.
"I was really pissed with your experiments you sick fucks!" Max roared throwing another grenade. "But hurting my girl crossed the fuckin' line!" He moved under krogan trying to take a swing at him not seeing anything, and planted a mine on warriors back. "BURN!"
Whole squad was staggered by the carnage and fury Max unleashed. Finally he got one on one with Gould.
"I will kill-"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Max slided between battlemasters legs, sticking grenades to them, then coming behind him. Mines exploded, crippling krogan. He fell on the ground clutching his blown off legs and roared. Max de-cloaked, walked up to him and rolled over face up.
"Nobody touches my girl" He growled and stuck some device in clan leader's opened mouth. Krogan tried to take it out but Max took a step back and detonated the device. A piston shot explosive inside Gould and blow him up from inside creating a fountain of guts.
/.../
"Thresher maw!" Grunt roared. John felt his body is getting numb. He was there again. Akuze. A green lieutenant and 20 men with him. Only he survived...
Giant worm with teethed mouth that can devour just about anything, emerged from the ground and towered above yard.
"Shepard move!" Zaeed yelled but John was paralyzed. He just stared at this huge worm that could stand up to a tank and eat it. And was able to spit acid from the sacs in it's mouth...
Fight the past brother...take the high road... Max's voice sounded in his ear.
Acid sacs...most vulnerable spot. Remember this Shepard, might save your life one day, John heard Wrex's voice in his head now.
"Thanks...brothers..." John flashed a grin and unslung Collector Beam Gun from Horizon.
"Aim at the acid sacs when that bitch opens her mouth!" Shepard yelled and pulled the trigger. Time for payback...
Concetrated fire and accuracy of disciplned warriors were enough to destroy vital organ of monstrous worm. With thunderous crash it fell to the ground and didn't moved.
/.../
"Max!" Tali screamed in utter terror at the scene just happened. Jester turned around and ran up to his girlfriend while she was being tended to by Mordin.
"No no no no no no... 'Sumi! Wake up! Don't do this to me 'Sumi!" Max was panicking, Mordin gestured to him. He opened his scanning tool.
"She's uncounsious, will administer medi-gel. Slight concussion but stable. She'll live if we survive this." Mordin quickly spoke.
"Are you sure?" Max was still spitting flames.
"Yes, nothing to worry, she just needs to stay out back. I'm sure our goal is very close. Perhaps no more fight would be required."
"Thane, can you carry her? Samara and Jack to the sides, anything happens you make a barrier around and no matter what, don't put it down. Clear? Move out!" Max barked last words.
The crossed short corridor then they entered labs. Max motioned others to stop and along with Mordin walked up to the salarian feverishly typing on a console.
"Maelon. No signs of restraints...brainwash possibly?" Mordin spoke prompting salarian in scientist coat to stop typing.
"For being so intelligent doctor Solus, you failed to see the obvious!" Maelon turned around. "I want to be here! I'm undoing the genophage!"
"Undoing? Why? Whole group agreed. Best viable choice-"
"How could I oppose great professor Solus?! I was you student!" Maelon cried. "We comitted a genocide on krogans! Turned them into desperate animals!"
Mordin walked up and punched Maelon, then put a pistol to his head. "Unacceptable methods, torture, experiments on life subjects..."
"We already have blood of milions on our hands! Few more won't make a difference!" Maelon retorted.
"You won't change...Have to kill you..." Mordin was about to pull the trigger when Max stopped him.
"You're not a killer Mordin. Let this idiot go. If he'll survive escaping from here...He'll drop off the grid, right Maelon?" Max glanced at panicked Maelon.
"Y-Yes! I-I will!"
Mordin took Maelon's omni-tool and let him run away.
"Thank you Max. Killing him would be easier. Simpler. But not better."
"This is the line Mordin. You showed you're on the right side. Not righteous one"
Mordin looked on screens filled with medical gibberish.
"Maelon's data...Only link left to his works...So much suffering it caused, should we delete it?"
"Better keep it. Don't waste torment of those subjects. In worst case, you'll just never need to use it."
"Point taken, capturing data. Wiping local copy...Ready to go back. Will check on condition of miss Goto"
/.../
John shaken off his musings. He took down the thresher maw. A baptise by blood not just for Grunt but for Shepard too. Killing a demon from the past felt like absolution from some guilt.
"You took down a thresher maw...impressive." A growly voice came from behind the opening gate. Uvenk came accomapnied by few warriors. "Nobody done that in the rite since Wrex himself...You could be addition to my clan as well."
"You spat on me and my battlemaster! But now you changed your tune because I'm strong?" Grunt growled.
"A warrior like you deserves consideration...You would be given a status of a warrior. Not allowed to breed of course..."
Grunt only let out a noise that Shepard heard once from Wrex. On Virmire when he was close to murder everybody in his sight...
"If I know Grunt, your answer is coming to you at muzzle velocity" John spoke reloading his rifle.
"You do know Grunt. This pyjak is varren food!" Grunt started charging at Uvenk before he finished. Shepard and the rest started shooting at rest of Gathatog soldiers. Dispatching them, John glanced at source of gurgling sound. View was...concerning at least.
Grunt was dismembering Uvenk. He blasted off his arm, ripped the other and then crushed his face with vicious headbutt.
"You okay Grunt?" John asked walking up to his soldier. Grunt only nodded smiling.
"Bringing down a thresher maw...and then killing an irritating pyjak that still held high place in opposition to Urdnot clan...great day it is." Shaman spoke approaching them with wide smile.
/.../
Going back in tomkah, Max spent whole ride in the back, holding Kasumi's head on his lap, with a concerned look on his face.
Whole team was still shocked with both mayhem that Max unleashed and the reason for it - his apparent affection towards Kasumi. Either out of respect or fear, nobody touched the subject. Whole squad was in their own thoughts. Only Tali mustered some courage to sit next to Max and finally talk to him.
"How is she?"
"Concussion, Mordin says she'll be okay but out for a few hours at least. Doc is already preaparing med bay..."
"Chakwas will patch her up I'm sure."
"Yeah...Shitty way to lead, getting your team whacked..."
"You couldn't forsee this."
"I should. But I'm not my brother. I wasn't even good at OCS... He's the damn leader. I can't be resposible for others..."
"You are. You did great, trust me. I've seen Shepard doing exactly same thing. Feeling guilty for 'not doing enough' Rest of us are barely touched. That's something."
"Yeah...Maybe."
"Max...I know that Kasumi is special to you. She told me a little after I pressed her." Tali carefuly said. "It's great you know? I've never seen her blushing" Tali smiled.
"Well I'm kinda clingy when it comes to those matters...Seeing her...I've lost a girl already once. Tripped a booby trap, torn to shreds, died on my hands...She looked same as Kasumi...just laying there, not moving." Max shed a tear. That made Tali wince. "I snapped and lost myself. Didn't cared anymore. Just wanted to punish them..."
"Max, I...understand that." Tali tried.
"Well I'm pretty sure if you got hit, Logan will burn half the galaxy in reprisal." Max smiled faintly.
"Yeah...that's hard to believe..." Tali tried to stop this shift of topic.
"It's a fact. Only difference is, unlike others, you would burn whole galaxy for him." Max smiled. "Actually I'm more than happy for it. I was worried Logan would end up with some slut that has nothing to offer...I'm happy he met someone like you Tali."
"Thank you Max" Tali felt that she's blushing.
"Don't mention it. Help me with 'Sumi" Max said and they carried her out of tomkah and quickly carried into shuttle. "Thanks, rest of you wait here for Logan. I'll stay with 'Sumi and send shuttle back."
/.../
"Visit me more often Shepard. You bring me a strong warrior, kill Uvenk and now I hear that leader of Weyrloc clan got killed by some unknown forces but my name was dropped by some rumor" Wrex laughed from his throne. "Already took over his grounds and people. They were eager since I rule with justice not with iron hand."
"Glad we could help, so...about Grunt" John motioned to young warrior. Grunt walked up to Wrex. Warlord stood up.
"Grunt. You are Urdnot now. You are by all means entitled to have property, demand entry to female camps and apply to serve under battlemaster." Wrex said with pride in his voice.
"Shepard's my battlemaster! He has a soul of a krogan, no krannt is stronger." Grunt barked.
"So it'll be. Serve well. Kill often." Wrex pulled a huge shotgun from his back. "And take this. "A krogan warrior should wield krogan weapon. A Claymore shotgun, this sacred weapon slayed foes and beasts alike. I find you worthy having my gun" Grunt took the gun and made a short bow.
"I will serve with honor, fight with my dying breath and spread fear in my enemies" Grunt replied.
"Atta boy. Listen to Shepard. He knows a lot and he's a brother to me." Wrex shooked Grunt's arm then turned to John. "Hell of a day, a huge gain for me, and for you too I guess."
"Yeah, remember when I told you about Akuze? Finally killed another demon from my past. Feels damn good." John said smiling. There was no fear about this nightmare anymore.
"Fight well Shepard. And bring Grunt back alive. He'll be vital in the future, I'm sure of it"
"Goodbye Wrex. I'll see you around" John motioned to his squad to get back at the pad. He saw rest of his operatives there.
Tali walked up and hugged him. "Kheelah Shepard! You okay?" She sounded so worried and sweet at once that made John melt a bit.
"Yeah yeah I'm okay, we're all are. Walk in a park."
"Kheelah I was so afraid...We had a little problem at the base."
"I heard you killed clan leader." John replied with a smile.
"We didn't. Max did" Miranda spoke.
"Yeah, he went fuckin' nuts and murdered krogans with bombs, then crippled fuckin' leader, stuck a mine in his ugly mouth and blew him to pieces. Awesome" Jack piped in delighted with mayhem.
"Max? What the hell happened?" John knew somebody was missing. Little harlequinn must've really did something since whole team looked disgruntled.
"Kasumi got hit by that battlemaster with biotics" Tali spoke.
"Oh fuck..." John put it together. Max was sensitive when it comes to family or girls. That he went against bunch of krogans only proved how much he was into Kasumi. Better they work out and be okay 'cause otherwise...Collectors would have to stop worrying about John.
"Is she okay?"
"Yes, concussion only. Max took her to Chakwas."
"Alright, everybody load up to the shuttle"
/.../
Kasumi was laying in med bay. Her hood off. Chakwas wanted to tell Max to go, protecting girl's privacy but as she saw concerned look on Max's face and his hand gripping hers she knew what these two were. She only closed shutters to cover windows and begun scanning little thief.
"No need to worry Max. Kasumi will be okay. I gave her some light painkillers and something to reduce swelling. In few hours she should be awake but up and running will be tommorow at best.
"Thank you doctor..." Max replied still holding Kasumi's hand. "Do you mind if I'll stay here for a bit?"
"I would normally but I see I couldn't pry you from her with a crowbar" Chakwas smiled. It was surprising that flirty loud man would come closer with such distanced and secluded woman.
"I think you're right Doc." Max replied gently brushing Kasumi's hair with his free hand.
"That explains a lot Max." Chakwas smiled and sat at her desk.
A knock on the doors. "It's Shepard." voice said. Max opened his eyes an picked head up from Kasumi's lap. She was still sleeping. He walked up to the doors and covering Kasumi, opened them.
"Hey Max."
"Logan" Max quickly closed the doors behind him.
"How is she doing?"
"Alright, still sleeping though. Hell of a headache coming."
"Look man, you did your best-"
"No I didn't. I fucked up." Max was sad. Not angry, just sad that bad luck always caught up to him.
"You didn't, she's alive and everybody else is fine." John touched his brother's arm. "Max, I just fought a thresher maw on foot. Been scared of those monsters since on Akuze where I've lost twenty men and almost my leg. But you told me earlier to take the high road. You made this possible brother."
Max looked on him. John continued "Your girl will be okay. Whole squad is actually scared of you now. They told me you attacked a bunch of krogans. Alone. Then executed clan leader."
"I-I've lost my shit. I recalled how I've lost previous girl. I thought 'Sumi died too and I- I flipped. Just wanted to kill them."
"I get it, but that was huge load of luck that you're alive Max. Don't do this anymore."
"I wouldn't do it even first time...But girls always make everything more complicated huh?" Max chuckled.
"Yeah...Go back to her but take a break later and eat something."
"I will. And tell others that this won't happen again. Unless somebody try to take on 'Sumi." Max smiled and walked into med bay.