I'm not about to comprise,
Give you up to say goodbye…
"Garrus, can we please talk about this?" Shepard said desperately, exiting the airlock and following Garrus through the CIC, to the elevator. Thane hung back, keeping his distance from them.
"I said I don't want to talk about it," he growled, his subharmonics seething furiously. Several engineers swiveled their heads around as their voices carried.
They had just left the Citadel. Garrus had gone there with the ultimate goal of seeking revenge on Sidonis for the betrayal of their squadmates on Omega. Shepard initially agreed to help him find the other turian and lure him from hiding, but it all went to shit upon speaking with him. She had blocked Garrus' shot, warned Sidonis of his intentions, and somehow convinced Garrus to let him go.
Reaching the shuttle, Garrus had said everything was alright and that he couldn't pull the trigger. But during the ride back to the Normandy, he replayed the situation through his head over and over again, becoming more livid each time he did. His men deserved fates better than this, and Sidonis living did nothing to ease it. By the time they reached the ship, Garrus had convinced himself, killing the other turian would have been the best option, but Shepard obviously didn't feel the same.
Loading themselves onto the elevator, Garrus punched the button to take him down a level. He irritably noticed as Shepard didn't push the one for her cabin.
"You know what I did was right," she said, folding her arms and leaning against the wall.
"I know what you did was selfish! You should have let me take the damn shot!" he shouted at her as the door to the elevator slid open, revealing Miranda. The Cerberus XO was apparently waiting for the lift. Her mouth hung slightly open, as if about to say something, but the Commander was quicker.
"Can it, Lawson," Shepard snapped at the woman.
"Excuse me?" Miranda said haughtily, arching an eyebrow in slight confusion. Garrus pushed past the black haired woman, stomping off in the direction of the Main Battery, Shepard in tow.
"What I did was for your own damn good!" she yelled at his armored back. When he disregarded her, she grabbed him on the shoulder and wheeled him around to face her with surprising strength.
"Don't ignore me Vakarian,"
"And don't assume you know what's best for me. I can take care of myself!"
"Oh right! When I came for you on Omega, you were cornered, starved, and about to die because you decided to foolishly go up against three merc groups at the same time! Doesn't sound like you can take care of yourself at all!" spat Shepard.
Mordin and Dr. Chakwas poked their heads out of the medbay. Gardner attempted to blend in with his refrigerator, pushing himself into the corner. Kasumi switched on her tactical cloak and skirted off in the opposite direction. Garrus glanced around, noticing everyone attempting to not listen in on their argument.
"Shepard, you're causing a scene," he said in a low voice. She threw her hands into the air, exasperated, "I really don't give a shit! I'm pulling rank and ordering you to talk to me!"
He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing, saying incredulously, "Are you kidding me?"
"I'm being dead, fucking serious, Vakarian. Why are you so damn upset with me?" Shepard demanded. Spirits, she could make a krogan cry when she was pissed.
"You agreed to help me kill that son of a bitch and then kept me from actually shooting him. Why?" he said finally.
"I did it for your own good!"
"You keep saying that, but why?" he repeated.
Shepard sighed, "Because killing someone for the sake of revenge can change people Garrus."
"Not me…," it was his turn to fold his arms across his carapace stubbornly.
"No? You were so obsessed with vengeance that you almost killed that volus masquerading around as Fade. You would have murdered Harkin if I hadn't stopped you, and executing Sidonis wouldn't have changed a thing. You're men would still be dead, and you would have been so consumed with grief because you would be unable to fix it," she said defiantly.
Garrus' unscarred mandible twitched as he regarded Shepard. He knew she was right, but he would, in no way, admit it to her... at least not yet.
"You don't need to concern yourself with me," he said, glaring down at her. "You have too much on your plate already."
"But I do Garrus… fuck… I… You have no idea, do you?" she asked, wringing her gloved hands together, in what he took as nervousness.
"No idea what?" he said, brow plates furrowing in confusion.
She stood with her mouth agape, baffled for a moment before she was able to recover herself.
"You're so dense!" she groaned.
"Shepard, what are you talking about?" he questioned again.
"Damnit!" she shrieked at no one and turned on heel, skulking back towards the elevator, fists clenched.
He stood there by the Main Battery door for what seemed like an eternity, perplexed at the scene that had just unfolded before him.
"What the hell was that?!" Garrus said aloud.
"Women," muttered Gardner coming out of the shadows of his small corner of the kitchen. Garrus shot the mess cook a derisive look and trudged into the Battery.
Looking back on their first argument, Garrus supposed he ought to have been more versed in Shepard's euphemisms. He wasn't sure what triggered the memory exactly, but he imagined it had something to do with being back on this damned asteroid, the shit and piss of the galaxy. It was a place of lowlifes, degenerates, criminals and scum who had no place in Citadel Space. He despised this damn place, but if it meant finding Shepard, he would face down the Blue Suns, the Blood Pack, the Eclipse and the Talons by himself.
So with Javik and Wrex beside him, they followed the small squadron through the docking bay and into the center of Omega, Afterlife, where Aria T'Loak ruled over her forsaken rock. Garrus counted at least thirteen guards before reaching the nightclub, not including their escort. He had certainly faced more overwhelming odds in the past, but he was a bit more hesitant to try his luck again. However, he did have a small army of his own aboard the Normandy, waiting patiently for his signal should plans go astray.
They reach Afterlife, passing by the bar, asari dancers, more bouncers and a number of sketchy patrons. At long last they reached the stairs and the dais where Aria typically resided. Upon arrival, three more guards drew weapons, with one of them saying, "That's far enough."
Aria T'Loak was situated by the balcony, overlooking the nightclub, with her hands clasped behind her, back towards them. She was just out of reach, but close enough for Garrus to hear what she said.
"I can't ever get enough of this music," she spoke to them. "It surges through Afterlife as blood courses through veins, taking hold, and not letting go…" The asari turned to face them, seeking Garrus' eyes first.
"Not letting go like some should," she said irritably, sitting down on her couch and crossing her legs.
Garrus felt Wrex shift slightly
"So what are three of Shepard's little minions doing on my doorstep? I wonder…," she said thoughtfully, tapping her foot. Before any of them could answer her, she spoke again, this time, directing her words at Wrex.
"Ah, the krogan mercenary, Urdnot Wrex. I hear you're a warlord now, leader of Clan Urdnot and ruler over all krogan. Oh, you must be so proud," Aria sneered.
"Aleena. I see you're still a bitch to kill," Wrex nodded. "Not surprising Cerberus couldn't finish the job if I couldn't."
Aria smirked at him, "Better luck next time. But enough inane chit chat. As much as I've enjoy our little reunion, you need to realize something… I've helped Shepard enough to last three of my lifetimes. The war is over. The Commander is dead, and if you ask me, she got what was coming to her. She poked her nose into too many places it didn't belong." She waved her hand in the air, dismissing them impatiently.
Wrex opened his mouth the say something, but in one swift movement, Garrus was on top of Aria, talons clenched around her blue throat, pistol pressed against her forehead.
The music in the dance club fizzled out as all of Aria's pawns drew their weapons in unison. Wrex unfolded his shotgun, and Javik's green biotics surged to his hands.
"Get the fuck off of me!" she shrieked.
"Don't you dare speak of Shepard like that," Garrus growled, his subvocals challenging Aria to question him.
"And who the fuck do you think you are to threaten me? I could give the order and you would be dead where you stand in a matter of seconds," the asari sneered furiously.
"Me? I've been many things in my life: ex C-SEC cop, Spectre candidate, Shepard's lover, Primarch of Palaven… and… Oh... perhaps you've heard of Archangel," Garrus breathed the last word into her ear. Aria's eyes widened, and he could feel her pulse quicken beneath her chest.
"Bullshit," she spat, quickly recovering from her initial surprise. "Archangel's dead."
Garrus barked a laugh, "Or so you were told when the merc groups couldn't find my body. Good news for me… Bad for you, I suppose." His grip tightened around Aria's throat as he moved his M-11 from her forehead to her knee. "Should have done the dirty work yourself, Aria, rather than take a vorcha's word for it."
Aria's hands flared with biotics. Garus repositioned himself to move his knee onto one of her glowing hands, causing her to yell in frustration and fury.
"Don't," he started, but quickly changed his mind. "Better yet, you should do it... you should kill me… I have nothing to fucking lose… and everything to gain in this… Do so, and the Normandy will blast this damn rock from orbit with the Thannix Cannons," he bluffed, knowing full well that the cannons were in pieces inside the Main Battery, but Aria didn't need to know that bit of information. "It takes two blasts to take out a fully operational Collector ship, so I imagine it would do a nasty bit of damage to your dear Omega."
The blue haze and static energy surrounding the asari died.
"Do it," she taunted. Garrus paused for a moment considering his options. Aria took this as a hesitation and continued, "You don't have the quad for it. Your precious Shepard wouldn't do it. No… she was too much of a pussy when it came to revenge."
Archangel snarled in rage and pulled the trigger, blasting a round into the asari's leg, just above the kneecap. A resounding gunshot reverberated off the walls of Afterlife, as Aria's scream pierced the eardrums of everyone present.
Her men inched closer, and Garrus heard the sound of armor piercing rounds being switched on throughout the club.
He replaced the pistol back on her forehead.
"I suggest you cooperate, Aria, or we're going to have an even bigger mess on our hands than just a little spilt blood," Garrus said in a low tone, jerking his head to the side, indicating the rest of the off shore party had arrived, including his father and Hannah Shepard. Wrex must have hailed them from his earpiece when the situation turned away from their original plans. Garrus made a mental note to thank the krogan later.
Glancing their way and breathing heavily, Aria nodded her compliance, fear and loathing and pain, distinct, in her tense eyes.
"Alright, what the fuck do you want?" she hissed at him.
Climbing off Aria and standing above her, Garrus said, "See? Isn't this easier than bitching and moaning how you don't want to help me?"
Liara offered him a datapad, which Garrus grasped in hand and passed it to Aria. Hands shaking, the Queen of Omega took it.
"What am I looking at?" she asked, voice quavering.
Garrus holstered his pistol and folded his arms across his chest, saying, "I don't think the Cerberus influence is quite gone from Omega,"
Updated 6/7/14