Several Hours Earlier
(The Valley of the Pagans: Gorillaz (feat. Beck)
"Woah-ho-ho-ho! Check me out!"
"You don't need to be in midair for people to do that."
"Shut up, James."
"What? It's a compliment."
"Quite the proper one, too."
"You two are lucky I'm in this… bubble… thing."
As Samantha Traynor, James Vega, Miranda Lawson, Steve Cortez and Urdnot Wrex watched, Liara T'Soni held Abby Williams in the air inside a Biotic Lift Field. Slowly weaving her hand from side to side, the Asari made Abby float over the railing of the mezzanine and towards the living area.
"This is trippy." Abby said with a giggle. "Biotics are badass."
"That certainly looks like fun, Abby." Traynor observed. "Just please don't hurt yourself."
"How could I? Liara is the one in control." The Assassin reached out. "Care to join me? The air is fine."
"I'm perfectly-"
"Liara?"
"With pleasure." T'Soni grinned. The cheeky Asari pointed her free hand at the Specialist, suddenly surrounding her in a Biotic Field.
"Oh, no. Please don't." Samantha looked around frantically as her shoes began to leave the floor. "Liara! Put me down!"
Traynor could only squeal helplessly as Liara lifted her up and towards Abby, tumbling over herself in the air.
"No! Liara, please! I have terrible motion sickness! I get woozy on *hic* shuttle rides!"
T'Soni quietly moved her two subjects closer together as Traynor flailed for Abby's extended hand. They finally connected after a few seconds, albeit with Samantha upside down. Once Williams helped her get right side up, and kept a tight hold on her, the frantic Specialist began to calm down.
"I hate you both." Traynor growled. Liara smiled, but her expression quickly faded from the Biotic exertion.
"Need a hand?" Miranda offered. At the Doctor's nod, Lawson extended her hand and took on the Mass Effect Field surrounding Abby.
"See? It's fine up here."
Samantha glanced down. "We are quite high up."
"Are you kidding me? You live on a spaceship. Heights should mean nothing to you." Abby gently pushed off of Samantha, spinning herself around.
"Well, I'm never near a window when we orbit planets!"
"Oh, you worry too much. Liara isn't going to drop you, and Miranda isn't going to-woah!"
Williams was suddenly thrown towards the ceiling, the Field only surrounding her feet, dangling precariously over the living room. "Miranda? Was it something I said?" She glanced down, or up, and found that her skirt had fallen out of place. The Assassin sheepishly covered herself, failing to notice the blush on Traynor's cheeks.
"Yes. And you know what it is." The Operative said, pivoting her hand in a corkscrew motion. Abby slowly rotated around, with the spin gradually becoming faster.
"What? What is there to be mad about?" The volume of her voice rose and fell as she spun through the air.
"Me and Jack?! Are you kidding me, Assassin?"
"It was just an idea! I thought you two would be a good match! You don't have to take everything so seriously!" Abby's efforts to keep her clothing in place were becoming in vain, and her words were difficult to make out over her hysterical laughter. "You've made your point! Can you put me down now?!"
"No. Not until you've learned your lesson. You're having far too much fun up there!"
"Damn right I am! This is just like the teacups at the carnival!"
Miranda growled under her breath and straightened her hand, and Abby's spiral halted in an instant. She was still giggling, and her eyes continued spinning. By this point, she had completely forgotten about the fact that she was flashing the entire party, and Traynor had to avert her gaze.
Even though she had already seen nearly all there was to see.
"Nice view, Abby!" James jeered, earning a sharp elbow jab from Cortez. Looking up from the couches below, Joker took in the bizarre spectacle, munching through one of Vega's homemade empanadas.
"Hey, check it out. Dinner and a show."
Jack began to chuckle at the Assassin's predicament, but her expression soured when she eyed the balcony. She set down her beer bottle and approached the stairs, ducking as Williams flew overhead and nearly hit one of the wall mounted paintings.
"Okay, Miranda! I get it! You're mad! I'm getting really dizzy! Can you please put me down?"
"No! Not until you apologize!"
"I'm getting dizzy just watching." Wrex said, his crimson eyes tracking the Assassin's every move.
"Hey, Cheerleader!" Jack barked as she reached the top of the stairs. "You wanna kill the poor kid?"
"You heard what she said!" Miranda replied defensively. "About you and me! As if!"
"I think you've made your point! She almost took my fuckin' head off on the way up here."
"That's your fault. Not mine."
"So if your Field fails-"
"Please don't say that!" Samantha and Abby cried in unison.
"-fails, and she flies out the window and lands on some idiot Salarian or somebody, it'll be their fault for walking?"
"I'll put her down when she apologizes."
"Jesus. How childish are you?" Jack stuck out her hand and interrupted what would have been another orbit around the apartment, freezing Abby directly in front of Traynor. The Assassin shook her head and focused her swirling eyes on the woman in front of her.
Samantha was surrounded by a blue and purple cloud, which illuminated her skin and made her eyes glow brilliantly. While it may have been the dizziness, Abby found herself completely awestruck at Traynor's appearance. The color of her warm blue cocktail dress popped, her hair danced weightlessly, and she responded to Abby's slackjawed expression with a tilt of her brow.
"Hi there." Williams said with a nervous grin.
"This was your idea." Sam crossed her arms.
"And I should have these ideas more often. This color suits you."
On that, Traynor had to agree.
Miranda and Jack's combined Mass Effect Fields created a beautiful violet aura around Abby. Though, Samantha found herself unable to take all of it in, as the Assassin was upside down once again.
"This is like something out of Spider Man." Abby said, clumsily pushing her skirt between her legs. "If I wasn't about to throw up, I think I'd tell you to lay one on me."
"And I might oblige, if the two people holding you up weren't about to fight each other."
"Huh?"
As Abby looked towards the mezzanine, she was able to see Jack use both hands to grab Miranda's arm, pushing her and causing the Mass Effect Field to abruptly vanish. Williams began to fall, but was caught by Traynor, with help from Liara.
"My hero." Abby said with a swoon in her voice, cradled in Samantha's arms.
"Can you put us down now, Liara?"
"Certainly." The Asari said. "My apologies for how drastic and dangerous a turn that took." Liara gently set the Specialist down, who in turn placed Abby on her feet. The Assassin stumbled, having been flailing through the air for the last several minutes, before using Traynor's shoulder to steady herself. By this time, Miranda had shaken off Jack, and was now glaring sharply at the younger Williams. Abby looked up, but was interrupted before she could say anything.
"You really went this far over that?" Jack asked.
"I would argue that I didn't go far enough. What Abigail said was uncouth, incredibly crude, and-"
"And something that wasn't a bad idea." Jack said, causing Miranda to stare at her. "What? What's wrong with it? I mean, you're fucking hot, Lawson. I don't think there's a person alive who's seen you and not wanted to fuck you. Am I right?" Jack looked around with her hand raised, and saw James and Traynor raise their hands in unison, followed shortly after by Abby, Wrex, and a sheepish Liara. Steve didn't move, and simply shook his head when Jack gestured to him.
"So, that's it? That's all there is to me?" Miranda demanded. "Just because of my looks?"
"No!" Jack began. "It's not just that. I mean, it's a major component, bu that's not the only thing. Your attitude, your strength, your quick wit. You're awesome, Miranda. I…" Jack shook her head and facepalmed. "Dammit, Shepard! You and your Goddamn stupid compassion. Listen to me! I sound like a fuckin' idiot."
"Jack." Lawson cut in. "Maybe we should go… somewhere else for this conversation?"
Subject Zero looked around, as if she was suddenly realizing what she had said in front of so many people. She wordlessly followed the Operative, leaving the others somewhat confused.
"Well, that was interesting." Wrex grunted.
"Do we get a turn?" Grunt asked, having come up to investigate the commotion. Liara simply looked at the young Krogan.
"So… does that mean she's not mad at me anymore?" Abby asked, still feeling wobbly.
"I'd say so." Traynor answered, letting the Assassin stand on her own.
"Huh." Cortez observed after a moment. "Abigail Williams; Assassin, Blade For Hire, and Matchmaker."
"Heh. The Assassin Brotherhood offers many services." She said cheekily, still shaking off her wild ride. "Some are just more well known than others." Williams put out a hand to lean against the railing. "Hooh, boy. That was… wow." She looked up at Liara. "Hey. Could a… regular person like me learn how to do that Biotic stuff?"
T'Soni studied the Assassin for a moment. "Unlikely, given how no Biotic powers have manifested at your… age. Sorry. How old are you, Abigail?"
"Much younger than you." Abby grinned. "Twenty five. In Human terms, I'm considered a recent adult."
"Then… close to my age from the Asari point of view, so there's hope for you." The Doctor said with a snicker. "I doubt you were ever exposed to large amounts of Element Zero as a child."
"Not that I know of. Or I'd imagine Ash would have superpowers too." Abby shrugged. "Eh. I'll just have to make due with throwing people around with Rope Darts."
"Rope What?" James asked.
"It's a piece of the Assassin arsenal. A metal spike tied to a rope, that I can throw at someone to lasso them. Comes in handy for those pesky targets who try to run away."
"Sounds somewhat similar to a Lift Field if you asked me." Liara said.
"But, couldn't you have used that on that Kai Leng guy during the Cerberus attack?"
"I never got a chance." Abby explained. "It takes time to take the thing out, get it properly coiled, then take aim, then throw it. During that foot chase at the Embassy, I couldn't have gotten my hands on the thing before he jumped onto that SkyCar. Next time, Leng won't get so lucky."
Present Day
Cerberus Cruiser Aphrodite
En Route to Omega
"So, Shepard. I think you've held me in suspense for long enough." Pirate Queen of Omega Aria T'Loak began. "What's this about a… personnel issue you're having?"
Commander Shepard looked up at her Asari friend. Or, the back of her. Aria was intently focused on the Mass Effect Corridor stretching before them, as if mentally counting down the seconds before they arrived in the Omega System.
"One of my crew members may have already gone to Omega." Shepard begrudgingly explained. "She's on a mission to take down General Petrovsky."
"You say that like it's a bad thing." Aria remarked after a moment's thought. "Just as long as I'm the one who kills him, we're fine."
"You know her, actually. She's an acquaintance."
"I have many acquaintances, Shepard."
"Abigail Williams. Assassin from the Arcturus Brotherhood."
Aria turned around, her brow furrowing. "How did Abby get roped in with you?"
"I have many acquaintances, too." Jane shot back. "One of them being her older sister, my XO." The Commander looked at the hologram display of the Omega station. "She came here behind my back, after I ordered her not to."
"She told me the contrary. Ugh… The kid always had a habit of going her own way." T'Loak mused. "It's a wonder why the Brotherhood accepted her at all."
"Now she's God-knows where, tear-assing around the station, and I have an entire Alliance Fleet waiting for me halfway across the galaxy." Shepard eyed the digital clock face on her helmet visor. "We're supposed to be assaulting Cronos Station right now."
"Cronos Station?"
"A well hidden, deep space station in the Horsehead Nebula. The headquarters for Cerberus."
Aria made a flabbergasted noise.
"Why the hell are you here then? Go! Go get Cerberus. We'll take care of this."
"I can't leave Abby here during your invasion."
"I'll make sure to get her back to you in one piece. Personally."
"No. I have to help her." Shepard declared. "I let her down. I have to make up for it."
"Ugh. You soldiers and your sense of loyalty." Aria groaned, rubbing her carapace. "Why in the Hell am I friends with you?... Fine. Just don't expect me to cut corners just so you can get back in time for tea. From the way you put it, Williams being here is your fuckup."
"I know that." Shepard growled.
"We're nearly through the relay." Aria's navigator announced. "If you two are finished gossiping."
"Shut it, Bray." T'Loak hissed. "Just get us through the blockade." The Batarian chuckled to himself as the Cruiser exited FTL.
Meanwhile…
"So, how did it go?"
"I talked to some people, took care of a few problems, got some free cocktails. The folks I helped know about your plan, and the problems I took care of think you sent me. And the drinks were very refreshing."
"Nice work. I guess that's why Aria likes you."
"I always aim to please. So… what's next?"
Nyreen Kandros pushed herself away from her planning table, eyeing the Human Assassin. "Right now, nothing. The groundwork has been set for the district, and my people are already making inroads. So if I were you, I'd-"
The Turian was interrupted by an alarm sounding, followed by some frantic chatter from her communication officers.
"Boss!" A Salarian called out. "There's an attack incoming."
"Who is it? Cerberus? How did they find us?"
"I can't tell who it is. External feeds are showing the Cerberus ships shooting at… each other?"
"Splinter group?" Abby offered.
"Doubtful." The Salarian said, rather analytically. "Cerberus units participating in occupation unified. All working towards controlling the Terminus Systems. No deviation identified in their work patterns… No. Someone else."
"Who could've commandeered a Cerberus cruiser?"
"I could think of someone." Nyreen said.
"So could I. Though, I think we're talking about a different person." The pair eyed each other.
"Aria."
"Commander Shepard." They said in unison.
"How?"
"Who?"
"She's the Pirate Queen."
"She's the savior of the galaxy."
"What?" The Salarian asked after a moment's silence, Abby and Kandros staring at each other.
"My head hurts." Williams looked down for a moment, while Nyreen eyed the wall of camera monitors.
"Aria I can understand… but why would Commander Shepard come here?"
"Probably to help. And… to get me."
"Why?"
"I'm part of her crew. And I didn't exactly come here with her blessing." Abby confessed. "The opposite, in fact."
"Oh. That doesn't sound good."
"No. I'm probably in some deep shit when she gets here. Maybe Aria will keep her from getting too carried away."
"Boss… something's happening." Overhead lights in the hideout flickered, and explosion shockwaves rattled every window.
Nyreen leaned against the back of the Salarian's chair. "What now?"
"Multiple hull breaches detected throughout the lower levels of the station. It looks like one of the Cerberus ships crashed. It appears to be the one that instigated the attack." His eyes widened. "There are more ships entering the system as well. All identified as Aria's fleet. I'm picking up power fluctuations in the station's shield array."
"I guess we know who's coming."
"The crashed Cruiser jettisoned lifepods."
"Cerberus Troopers will be all over them."
"Abigail, go check it out." Nyreen ordered. Abby nodded and donned her hood. "In the meantime, I'll see if I can intercept our new guests."
A/N: Hi, Fanfiction. Miss me?
All I can really say is that real life is a serious drag
4 hour round trip commutes should be illegal
Anywho, I thought I'd come by and drop an update before disappearing into the void again. There's not a whole lot going on here, other than laying ground work for the run in with Shepard and Abby. And how will the big one with Petrovsky turn out?
Omega was one of my favorite Mass Effect 3 DLCs, second only to Citadel. Leviathan would be on that list, I just don't think it should have been a DLC. Leviathan should have been what Mass Effect 2 was about, but that's a rant for another time
Thanks to anyone who's still hanging around. I haven't forgotten about this fic. Writing is just hard
Comments? Critiques? Leave them below. I read every comment, and will reply if I can
As always, thanks for reading, and see you next time!
