"I can't believe you shoved that whole slice of pizza in your mouth." Brooks stared slacked jawed at me.

"I rolled it first. Like a pizza burrito. That's how you eat pizza on the go." I informed her. I was pretty sure Vega had gotten some inappropriate thoughts. "What's the best way into the archives?"

"The facility is located below the Wards." Brooks activated her omni-tool to show me. "Maybe a direct breach for maximum surprise?"

I clapped her on the shoulder. "I like it. Sounds like you're learning the ropes."

"Hell, hang out with us long enough, and you'll learn ropes, knives, bombs, threasher maws." Cortez listed off.

"But don't hang out too long." Wrex warned. "Or pretty soon you'll be making friends with salarians."

"Within hearing distance." Mordin didn't bother to look up from checking his gun.

The shuttles landed and we climbed out of the shuttles.

"The archives are somewhere below us." Brooks pointed down as if it wasn't obvious. "It could be pretty tricky to get in there."

"Not really." Vega showed us a smallish explosive device.

Mordin nodded approvingly. "Direct approach. Simple can be most effective."

"Don't give him too much credit." Cortez informed him. "Mr. Vega just wants to blow something up."

"Hey, Estabon." Vega set the device. "Shut up."

As soon as it blew, Wrex jumped down. "Krogan first! See you at the party, princesses!"

I sighed gesturing to Mordin. "After you."

We split into three groups. It didn't take long before several red beams were aimed at everyone's chests. "Not this again." I groaned.

"That's enough!" That voice sounded awfully familiar. "Drop your weapons, or this won't end well for her."

Standing on the opposite stairs, a shadowy figure held Brooks.

"You." She tried to say, but the figure squeezed her neck harder.

"All right…" We had no choice. "Everyone, do it."

Once we complied, whoever it was shoved Brooks down.

"Whatever you think you're getting away with…there's nowhere you can run, nowhere you can hide where we can't find you." I snapped. Brooks scrambled to her feet and hurried to hide behind me.

"Hide? Why?" The figure asked stepping forward. "I'm Commander Shepard. I never hide."

Holy shit.

"Uh-huh. So that's how it's going to be." The way Wrex said it, you'd think this was a normal occurrence to him.

The other Shepard overly dramatically jumped down and walked towards my group.

"Who are you?" It was creepy, staring at myself and yet not.

"You weren't the only Shepard that Cerberus brought back to life, but at least one of us will finally do something with it."

"Pretty sure I've been doing plenty with my life and where the hell did you come from?"

"The same DNA as you."

"I have a long lost twin?"

"Clone." Mordin corrected.

"Oh, that's less fun."

"Cerberus spared no expense resurrecting you. With me…I was created for spare parts in case you needed another arm, or a heart, or a lung."

I wouldn't mind having 2 hearts. I'd be hard to kill. Well, harder. Plus, I could be a krogan.

"Where have you been this whole time?" You'd think someone would have mentioned seeing another Shepard running around and why the hell didn't Miranda say anything? Freaking secretive Cerberus princess.

"In a coma…until I woke up six months ago. While you were in a jail cell on Earth, I was learning to be human."

"Oh, you mean the jail cell I was put in after defeating all those Collectors? That time frame?"

"Amazing what a person can do with enough neural implants." Was the other Shepard ignoring me?

"If you're really me, then we're on the same team." If there were two Shepard running around, I could get twice the work done.

"We're not even in the same league."

Ouch.

"Did the Illusive Man send you?"

"No. He abandoned me when he had what he wanted." They gestured to me with their head. "You."

"Might as well go with the original." I said with a bored shrug. "A replica can't compete."

"Purpose behind assassination attempts?" Mordin asked

They glared at Mordin for a second before turning away. "Because I don't have the same memories. I'd never fool my supposed friends… The ones who abandoned their duty to join the cult of Shepard."

"I have a cult?" I should probably be taking this more seriously.

"Like you, Doctor Solus." They turned back to face the salarian. "Curing the genophage? That was your biggest mistake."

I could see Mordin clench his fists in the corner of my eye. "You. Pale in comparison to the real Shepard."

If there's one thing I've learned from hanging around Mordin and a bunch of other salarians, is, as weak as they seem, don't piss one off. I'd rather fight a krogan because at least then he'd stab me in the face and not the back.

"I'm the real thing perfected. I'm you without the wear and tear. The doubts, the failures. I'm the lone wolf you were always meant to be…" They looked to my people on the catwalk. "Without the emotional baggage holding me back."

"Lone wolves don't get shit done." I snapped. This THING! Crossed the line. My doubts and failures are what made me, me. All those that died to get me here deserved more respect. "That's why there's a whole pack of them." I motioned to my comrades.

"No one will ever believe you're Shepard." Wrex snarled.

"Personality too different." Mordin added.

"They will when I'm flying The Normandy."

I touched my ear piece. "This is Shepard! Initiate Normandy lockdown! Transmitting command codes now!" I activated my omni-tool

The other Shepard activated theirs, waved their arm across, and smirked. "Good idea. Too bad the signal was blocked."

I walked right into that one.

"Traynor, this is Shepard. Prep the Normandy for emergency departure. We're leaving. I'm sending the command codes now." Other me smirked in a very evil manor. I didn't even know my face could make that face.

Traynor: "Acknowledge. We'll get underway."

"Never thought I'd say it, but I'm looking forward to killing myself." I pointed at them. "You're Shepard B." I told it. Yes, 'it', because I refuse to call it anything else. "And you're no match for the real deal." I pointed to myself. "Shepard A."

It chuckled. "I guess ominous threats of violence run in our DNA, but mine is more than a threat." They turned away. "Execute them. The cult of Shepard ends today."

I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't stop myself. "How is there a cult when my team failed to join it?"

Shepard B paused and thought it over. "Shut up." And continued walked with two of the mercs.

Like hell I was going to die here. I looked down at my feet where I'd placed my pistol then up. I think I had it. I scooped my pistol up and fired at the large glass Citadel model. It broke into several pieces. As it dropped, I rolled back, grabbed my main gun, and hid behind a desk.

"We still got everyone?" I asked.

Tali: "We're on the balcony!"

Brooks: "I'm okay, too."

Oh, yeah, she was down here somewhere.

"And everyone else?"

Cortez: "Other side!"

Garrus: "Shepard, that's another Citadel you've destroyed."

"Hey, at least the council wasn't on it this time."

Garrus: "On high ground with a sniper rifle. Doesn't get any better than this."

"Having a little party up here! With bullets!"-kaidan

Javik: "These primitives will make good sport."

EDI: "Terminating hostiles!"

Vega: "One big happy ass-kicked family! See that shot, Brooks? That's how legends do it!"

Brooks: "If I wasn't covering my eyes, I'd be impressed."

"All right, everyone. Uncle Urdnot is back in town, and he brought the boom!" Wrex, as always, was in the middle of the fray.

"Is that a catchphrase or something, Wrex?"-shep

"Thought I'd try it out, see what you think!"

Tali: "Try again!"

Merc. Cap.: "Rapier Squad, orders are to kill the other Shepard's crew! No messing around this time!"

Merc. Lieutenant: "But they've got a krogan! Why don't we have a krogan?"

"Cause he's my uncle!" I shouted.

I couldn't help myself.

"Wouldn't want to be you, princesses!" Wrex blasted some poor bastard across the room.

Mer Trooper: "Shit, that's a Prothean over there!"

Javik: "And that's a future corpse over there!"

I almost snorted out a laugh.

Merc. Lieutenant: "I think that turian they've got is Archangel! How the hell are we going to kill him?"

Garrus: "You're not!"

"What's wrong, Garrus, no snappy come back?" I ran along the wall.

Lieutenant: "Then maybe the other Shepard should've stuck around to help!"