It has been week since Daniel left the board of Normandy. Legion remained deactivated in the AI core and Liara was taking care of Shepard's respiratory problems and broken jaw.
"Doctor Chakwas said that your jaw is healing quite fast for a regular human. You should be fine before we enter the war." She said and placed a bag of ice on Shepard's face.
"Ah!" Shepard yelped hoarsely thanks to his trachea being squeezed.
"Sorry! I know it must hurt!"
"It doesn't hurt that much as what Legion told me…"
"That thing about Daniel causing problems, and that you wanted to make your life easy by letting him die? I think Legion was acting in state of total blackout… now we know he's got feelings."
"That was the other thing that hurt me… and that I couldn't see through this before. Legion was always strange. Ever since I met him, he called me a name, didn't call me 'human' or 'organic' or some similar shit. Then all those questions… how could I be so blind?" Shepard held the bag of ice tighter, "Gah… I'm idiot."
"I like that idiot, but I also like commander Shepard. The man who never lets anyone behind. Honestly, Shepard. I am mad at Legion for what he did to you but at the same time, he made a point that Daniel is our friend."
"I know, Liara. I think I should head down and talk to him."
"There is energy field in case he would be still… you know, angry." Liara said and Shepard gave her nod. He stood up, holding the bag of ice. Down in the AI core, Legion was finally active, talking with Tali and Garrus. They were separated by energy field.
"To be honest, I never thought I would see that side of you, Legion. Only that eye of yours what changed made me concerned." Garrus said.
"I didn't mean to hurt Shepard-commander. Emotions are still something I'm trying to control but… I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me."
"You should apologize Shepard himself. It was him who you broke jaw!" Tali told him off.
"Creator Tali'Zorah, I don't want anyone to be mad at me… not now. It was a week since I last saw Daniel… and I feel something bad in me. It tries to pull me down in the darkness, only with Daniel it's fine…"
"That's what we humans call loneliness." Shepard said hoarsely as he entered the AI core.
"Shepard-commander! You are fine!"
"Wow… Shepard, that voice! If I was blind I would think it was your grandfather talking!" Garrus added.
"Yes, I am fine. And I must thank you, Legion." Shepard said.
"I… don't understand, Shepard-commander."
"Thank him? Shepard, he would choke you to death if we didn't act!" Tali questioned him.
"I know. And it gave me valuable lesson. It reminded me of what I was. Leaving Daniel behind was a bad idea. Now I know what's important. Reapers can wait. We must find Daniel and bring him back to us. Thank you, Legion."
"You are… welcome, Shepard-commander." Legion said quietly and Shepard smiled.
"EDI! You can let our prisoner go." Shepard said and EDI dismissed the field. Legion's faceplates signalized happiness building in him, he spread his arms to the sides ready to give Shepard hug but stopped and rested in casual position.
"I'm sorry… I assume that isn't the right way to thank you." Legion said and Shepard reached out his hand. Legion grabbed it and they shook them.
"Save your hugs for Daniel once we find him. I still have doubts and want my rib cage to hold in place."
"Heh…!" Legion left a laugh and realized what he did so he raised his hand to his eye, "What was that?"
"That was a laugh. You reacted to a joke I made."
"Sounds like Daniel chose the right synthetic to be with!" Garrus chuckled. Everything was fine except for one thing – Daniel was missing. Legion explained Daniel's plan to Shepard who seemed to be interested, the only question was 'When will he send the distress signal?'. Another few days passed and Legion was becoming desperate already. Daniel, send the signal! Let me know you are alright! Legion thought. Finally, something happened. Legion was in the war room standing by the computer when at that moment Shepard came out of a vid-com room.
"Legion?"
"Shepard-commander?" Legion stopped his work.
"Admiral Hackett just informed me that the Alliance has received a distress call from Terminus systems. We cannot confirm anything, but it might be Daniel."
"We must go there now, Shepard-commander! Who knows how much time Daniel has?!"
"I've already patched the coordinates to Joker. We should be in Terminus systems soon." Shepard was thinking about strategy how to get through Cerberus warships to the base where the Illusive man should have his hideout. Once Normandy entered mass relay and made jump into the system where the signal was coming from, they could see warships but for some reason, they weren't active.
"They're not attacking us." Joker said.
"It's somehow too easy. Be careful while docking to the base." Shepard advised and then assembled team. Because Cerberus was cardinal danger, he took almost everyone in the crew – Javik, Liara, Garrus, Tali, Legion. Normandy docked to the Cerberus HQ and Shepard's group rushed in the base. They ran because they thought some soldiers would attack them. Soon they realized that the base was completely empty. They couldn't hear or see anyone. Shepard had his doubts.
"Shepard… it's too calm…" Garrus said.
"I know, Garrus. Let's just go and see the Illusive man himself!" Shepard said and the group ran through halls and bridge to the room which was the last one unexplored. Shepard opened the door with button, discovering a circular black room with wide glass window directed towards the star.
"Illusive man?! Tell us where you hide Daniel!" Shepard retorted. He expected the figure sitting on the chair in the center of room to be the Illusive man, but it wasn't him.
"You finally came, Shepard." Familiar voice said, Shepard realized whom it belonged to.
"Daniel?" Shepard asked and Daniel stood up from the Illusive man's chair, walking towards the glass window. His figure darkened because of the light coming from the star.
"Just… look at the star, Shepard. It's so… so beautiful." Daniel rested his hand on the window, saying that hoarsely like he was about to cry, "Unfortunately, it will not become a black hole, neither neutron star. It will blow up into supernova…"
"Daniel, what happened? Where is everyone from Cerberus? Where is the Illusive man?" Shepard asked.
"Cerberus… no longer exists, and so does the Illusive man."
"You killed him?" Garrus asked.
"Garrus… yes."
"Why don't you talk to us face to face, Daniel? Tell us what was going on while you were here." Liara asked.
"It looks like you brought whole crew, Shepard, but ok. Let's take it in the reversed order, Liara. When I was taken in Cerberus, I was brought directly to the Illusive man. He interrogated me, wanted a blueprints about project Soma, but I told him I didn't know. Naturally, the Illusive man was a cruel bastard. Instead of putting me in detention, he used me, and he used me for experiments…" Daniel turned around and came closer to the group of his friends. Everyone was disgusted by the look that they had to see.
Daniel's half of body was transformed into a husk form.
"Keelah… I have never thought that the Illusive man could go this far!" Tali said quietly.
"Yes… now that I was turned into this, I can be proud holder of Husk surname." Daniel went back towards his chair, "These experiments were unsuccessful so instead of complete transformation I ended up like chimera." He sighed, "But experiments had their side effect. I gained biotic powers and once I learned how to master them, the Illusive man was in big problem! He begged for mercy! I showed him how Renok must have felt when he lied helplessly under a foot of his soldier!" Daniel growled and used his biotics to throw the chair at wall.
"We came for you, Daniel. You can return back and we will find a way how to reverse this transformation." Liara said.
"Your concern is nice, friends. I didn't send the distress signal for help, I just wanted to say good bye."
"Wait… good bye?" Shepard asked.
"Shepard came here for you! We're not moving out without you!" Javik said and was about to use his shockwave power but Daniel turned quickly around and used his biotics to block it. Their attacks crossed, now it was matter of who was stronger. Battle of powers was creating strong wind in the room.
"Shepard! It's too strong!" Garrus shouted.
"Unbelievable! The last one with such a biotic power was Jack or Samara! This is even more!" Shepard said and Daniel finally managed to push Javik's attack back. Javik didn't expect that and soon the biotic power threw him at wall. Liara went to Javik to make sure he was fine. Everyone looked at Daniel who was breathing wearily. He returned to watch the star, this time pulling out his gun and reloading it.
"I can't go back. It's too late for me… and I don't want to face the one who's standing among you. I am monster…" Daniel said, putting the gun against his temporal bone, the click of ready trigger sounded. Shepard didn't know what to do quickly. In a split of second, the gun shot and loud sound echoed through the base. Shepard was completely frozen and so were others. Daniel thought it would hurt, but didn't feel anything. A three-fingered metal hand was holding the gun barrel at the end. Suddenly Legion came from behind to look at Daniel.
"Did you see… how fast he was?!" Garrus said. Legion seriously appeared in speed of light behind Daniel. Daniel still held the gun and Legion held the barrel. The next thing followed this was that Daniel saw how Legion's hand crushed the gun barrel in his palm. Then he looked back at the Geth's face.
"I waited too long just to see you die. I will not allow that as long as I am here." Legion said.
"Legion… but I am not the one you used to know."
"I caused injury to Shepard-commander only to convince him to come for you. I love you, Daniel. That will not change with some transformation." Legion said and Daniel wasn't able to say anything. He let Legion to throw his gun away and wrap his metallic arms around Daniel. Daniel rested with his head on Legion's chest and Legion stroked Daniel's hair, or at least what remained of them after transformation.
The big group of Normandy returned back all together on the ship, leaving the Cerberus base.