.
Loyalty and Limerence
Part 2
Chapter 4
The Normandy SR2, Present Day
Although it had taken him a bit to work up the nerve to remove the sheets and get dressed with that artificial intelligence and spirits knew who else watching, Garrus finally stepped toward the doors of the medbay, fully dressed. He took a moment to look down and evaluate himself, and he had to admit that Jane had guessed his size fairly accurately. Something about that made his chest tighten not unpleasantly. All of a sudden, the door beeped and whooshed open to reveal Dr. Chakwas with a fresh cup of coffee in her hands.
"Garrus," She exclaimed in surprise, stepping into the room, "Are you feeling steady enough to be out of bed? I don't want you pushing yourself, your wounds are quite serious." Garrus tried to smile at the woman, but worried that it came across as more of a grimace. Maybe she couldn't tell the difference, human facial expressions were so different.
"I'm fine, whatever you gave me before worked like a charm. I need to meet with Jane, she's bringing me to see… Shepard." He couldn't stop the hesitation in his voice as he stumbled over the name. It felt old and stale on his tongue as though it had been ages since he'd been used to saying it. She stared him down, raising one disbelieving eyebrow as she looked him up and down from his wobbling knees to his eyes pinched in pain. "I'm not at my strongest, but I'll be okay." He conceded after a moment.
"Hmm. Well, okay, but don't push yourself. When you're done with the Commander, please come straight back. I have a few more tests I would like to run before I'm done with you, and you need rest." Garrus nodded quickly, eager to make whatever promises he needed to get out of the bright lights of the medbay. He'd just managed to side step the doctor when he froze, turning around to look back at her.
"You wouldn't happen to know what happened to my visor, would you? I peeked through the pile of gear, but I didn't see it." Garrus felt himself holding his breath as he waited for her answer. There were so many files he'd kept saved on his visor, the thought of losing it was a little heartbreaking. Chakwas seemed to consider the thought before frowning.
"You know, I'm not sure. I remember removing it when you were first brought in, but I don't remember seeing it after that. It was fairly damaged in the explosion, I'm sorry Garrus." He felt himself wilt, but nodded his head.
"I see. Well, thank you. Hopefully it will turn up. Please let me know if you see it." She nodded and he turned to leave, only to realize he had no idea where he was supposed to be going. Stepping forward tentatively, he expected to see the stairways leading to the upper deck, only to find a series of doors. This ship was clearly different from the original Normandy, not only sleeker but substantially bigger.
Turning, Garrus nearly jumped when he saw Jane leaning against the wall, watching him. She pushed herself off the wall and jammed her fist through a holo button for what he realized was the elevator. Looking up at him, she gestured for him to follow as the door opened and she stepped inside.
The door closed and they both took up position at either end of the enclosed space, the silence stretching out to fill it. Garrus tried to keep his eyes on his feet before him, his arms crossed, but every now and then he found himself looking up to glance at the woman before him. After a few instances of catching her eyes moving away, he wondered idly if she found the silence as awkward as he did. He couldn't remember a point in their friendship that had ever felt quite this strange, and it made his heart sink.
"You look good." His eyes shot up to look at her in surprise, his mandibles fluttering at the sudden compliment. "The clothes fit well." Her face was expressionless, but he felt himself flush at the attention, regardless.
"Thanks." He managed to mutter, pleased until the silence set in and he felt the awkwardness attempting to suffocate him. Stumbling, he attempted to keep the conversation afloat, which somehow had him feeling like a gangly teen all over again. "I, er- You did a good job picking the right size." She opened her mouth to reply, a sudden sheepish look on her face, but was interrupted before she could say anything.
"Your fit and clothing size data was still on file in the C-Sec databases, it was quite simple for me to access your old personnel files. Their firewalls were surprisingly easy to bypass." The electronic voice that filtered through the elevator's speakers sounded almost smug, and Garrus noticed Jane roll her eyes somewhat affectionately.
"Well, EDI, I don't think they ever considered the pants size of their investigators to be terribly sensitive data in need of layers of encryption." Garrus couldn't help the amused snort that left him.
A moment later, the door opened to reveal the CIC. As they stepped out, his heart clenched at the familiar room. It was, without a doubt, the Normandy's CIC, though on a completely different scale. The room was massive, and like the rest of the ship, a huge improvement upon the original. The size helped rid it of the slightly claustrophobic feeling he'd felt before and the sleekness made it nearly a work of art.
Jane, who had already turned to head toward a door on the right side of the room, turned back to see him gaping like a fish. Smirking, she crossed her arms and tapped her foot in a teasing fashion.
"Yes, yes, it's all very impressive. There will be time for a tour later. Let's get a move on." She called out before disappearing through the door. Hurrying to catch up, Garrus followed her into a room that was clearly a lab of some sort. He froze when he noticed the older salarian standing at a table in the middle of the room typing into a console. The man's eyes glanced up quick as a flash upon their entry before dropping back down to the screen before him.
"Shepard, how can I hel-" The salarian cut himself off suddenly, his fingers freezing as he glanced over to look Garrus up and down. "Oh ho, up already, are you? Yes, given background, physical conditioning, experience. Not surprising. Reputation, well deserved. Archangel. Good to finally meet in person." Garrus felt his jaw pop open in surprise at the rapid flow of words from the older man.
"This," Jane gestured to the salarian, "Is Mordin Solus. He ran the-"
"-the clinic on Omega, yes I know. Or, knew of him." Garrus glanced at Jane before returning his gaze to Mordin. "Like you said, it's good to finally meet. I hope you found the, uh… commandeered supplies we sent your way helpful?"
"Ah, yes, yes. Additional supplies always useful. Always appreciated. Approved of your work on Omega. Very helpful." Mordin nodded as he narrowed his eyes slightly. Garrus blinked in surprise.
"I didn't expect that from a doctor. Our methods were… a bit- er, permanent."
"Lots of ways to help people. Sometimes heal patients." Mordin gestured to himself, "Sometimes execute dangerous people." He gestured to Garrus, "Either way helps. Two faces. Same coin." Garrus felt himself smile, deciding he liked the older salarian. Mordin opened his mouth to continue, only to be interrupted by an abrupt cough from Jane.
"We can stop by to chat more later, but I need to get him over to meet with John."
"Ah, yes. Pleasure to meet you. Come see me later. Facial cybernetics still healing. Will need to examine soon. Stop by when you're done. I'll be here." With a complete lack of ceremony, Mordin abruptly returned to his work as though the two of them were no longer there. Garrus looked over and shared a look with Jane, who smiled and shrugged as if to say 'it is what it is', and they continued through the next door.
Garrus paused before the door to the communication room, suddenly feeling his feet drag. He could feel apprehension starting to flutter in his belly, unsure of what to expect behind the door. Jane looked back at him, a question in her eyes. He squared his shoulders, pushing back the nerves and nodded. Jane brought her hand up to the door controls and it whooshed open to reveal two men deep in conversation.
"-Best we can tell, he'll have full functionality, but-" Jacob paused as Garrus and Jane strode into the room, Jane pausing to lean against the door frame with her arms crossed. Both men looked up and turned to face them, and Garrus felt it like a blow to the stomach.
Before him stood none other than John Shepard, in the flesh. He looked almost exactly as Garrus remembered him, short cropped hair, small scar by his hairline, chiseled face, warm and inviting eyes. The only difference was a jarring set of scars spider-webbing across one of his cheeks.
"Tough son of a bitch. Didn't think he'd be up yet." Jacob murmured appreciatively as he examined Garrus, and Shepard's face broke into a huge grin as he stepped forward. Garrus opened his mouth to say something, but found no words waiting on his tongue. He was well and truly speechless.
"Garrus! Man, is it good to see you on your feet. When I assigned Jane to lead the mission to rescue Archangel, I had no idea that it would be you! What are the chances? But then she dragged you aboard, a bloody mess. How are you feeling?" Shepard grabbed up his hand in a firm shake, reaching forward to clap him on the shoulder with his other hand. Garrus couldn't help but smile and he felt sensation beginning to return to his limbs, enough to return the gesture.
"I feel like I should be the one asking you. I thought you were dead, Shepard." He couldn't quite keep the breathy disbelief from his voice. Shepard chuckled, and though the sound was blissfully familiar, there was a new, cynical edge to the sound.
"Yeah, I thought so, too. But here I am, alive and whole. Which is slightly more than I can say about you. They did what they could, but you're going to have some scars. I'm sorry." Garrus shrugged off the concern, juggling his discomfort and shock with the thought that Shepard seemed to be having his own issues with scarring. After a moment, he latched onto comforting humor.
"Ah, probably for the best." He took a step back and shrugged nonchalantly, "Everyone was always ignoring you and hitting on me. Time for you to get a fair shot at it." There was a snort from behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder briefly to see Jane covering a grin with a hand. Looking back to Shepard, he saw the man's amused brow lift as he shook his head in exasperation.
"I just woke up from having died and I'm already the butt of your jokes, eh guys?" Shepard shot a long suffering look at both him and Jane, causing Garrus to grin. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted Jacob offering a quick salute to Shepard before leaving the room.
"Well, I'll leave you guys to catch up and talk business. Call if you need anything." Jane offered before turning to follow Jacob out of the room. It was silent for a few moments as Garrus tried to reconcile with the fact that John Shepard was indeed standing before him, alive.
"Shepard, how are you alive? Joker saw you get spaced." A pained expression flitted across Shepard's face for a moment before returning to his usual stoicism.
"To be honest? I'm not really sure. Cerberus ended up with my body, somehow, and they paid an arm and a leg to put me back together. I only just woke up a little while ago to find they had all this-" Shepard gestured about to the ship around them, "-ready for me, along with a mission."
"A mission?"
"Entire human colonies have been disappearing, Garrus. No evidence of violence, nothing stolen besides the people. Every man, woman, and child. Gone without a trace. Cerberus wants to know how and why, and to stop it if we can." Garrus frowned as he considered the information.
"Bizzare. Can't say I've heard much about it. Why aren't the Alliance the ones dealing with this?"
"I'm not sure why no one seems concerned about it. We're going to be making our way to the Citadel soon to talk to Anderson and the council, so maybe we'll learn more. But Cerberus is willing to give me this ship, the manpower, and the funds to investigate, and I intend to get to the bottom of it."
"They certainly went to a great deal of trouble to bring you back. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but why did they feel like they needed you for this?"
"We've learned that it's the Collectors attacking the colonies, and we suspect it's the Reapers pulling their strings. Cerberus thought I was the only man for the job, I suppose." Garrus' blood ran cold at the mention of the Reapers, the seriousness of the situation becoming apparent.
"I see. Well, that makes a little more sense, then."
"Garrus, I'm not going to lie. This mission is incredibly dangerous. We're likely going to be attempting to make a trip through the Omega 4 Relay, which might be a one way trip. We're not sure. That said, I cannot emphasize enough how important this mission is. I'm putting together a team, the best of the best, to help me take the Collectors out. I understand if you're not willing to join us, especially after everything you've been through recently. But I'd like you to consider it, we can really use a man of your expertise and knowledge." Garrus studied the man before him and his proposition in silence for a moment, his brow plates pressed together in a thoughtful frown.
"Are you sure you trust Cerberus, Shepard? You remember the awful experiments they were doing." Garrus asked carefully, and Shepard sneered at the wall where the Cerberus emblem was emblazoned.
"That's why I'm glad you're here, Garrus. If I'm walking into hell, I want someone I can trust at my side." Garrus felt his mandibles flick at the other man's words and he couldn't stop a sardonic smile from creeping onto his face.
"You do realize this plan has me walking into hell, too." Garrus chuckled, rolling his eyes, "Just like old times. Count me in." He hadn't really even needed to think about it, honestly. He had nowhere else to go. His team was dead, and he couldn't imagine slinking back to Palaven with his tail between his legs. If the Shepards needed his help for something, who was he to say no?
And if he died? Well, he never should have escaped that apartment on Omega. He was living on borrowed time, and Death was going to come knocking eventually, anyway.
"Wonderful, thank you, Garrus." Shepard offered his hand again and they shook. "It's so good to finally have someone on board whom I know I can trust." He sighed, rubbing a hand over his close cropped hair in clear evidence of the stress he was under. Garrus felt himself pause, confused.
"I can understand not trusting Cerberus, that I approve of. But what about Jane? She's your sister, you guys are close. Surely you can trust her if you can trust anyone." Shepard seemed to tense, his eyes darting away as his face went blank. The silence dragged on for a moment before Shepard abruptly changed the topic.
"Would you be up for accompanying me back to Omega to pick up some last minute supplies before we head out?" Garrus hesitated at the unexpected question, reeling with conversational whiplash.
"I suppose so. I do need to replace my armor and get some other equipment. But I doubt Chakwas will be happy with me if I leave without checking with her first. Mordin also wanted me to visit him." Garrus shrugged and Shepard chuckled, his smile still pinched and strained.
"That's fine, we're not in a rush quite yet. If they give you too much hassle, just let me know."
"Honestly, they both scare me a little."
"You and me both."
Omega, 1.25 Years Ago
Much like Illium, Omega was somehow exactly as Jane had imagined, and yet completely different. As she stepped off the shuttle, her pack over her shoulder, she took a moment to take in the dirt, gloom, and stink of the place, and instantly understood what Tela Vasir had meant. As she walked by, a group of grimy looking vorcha sneered at her from where they crouched against the wall nearby, hissing obscenities at her in low growls. Further down the hall, two men kicked at a fallen batarian, cursing at him for trying to skip out on a bill. Garbage, muck, and god knew what else littered the floor, filling a few corners and tumbling out of nearby forgotten trash cans.
Sneering, Jane continued down the hall until it opened up into some sort of market bustling with denizens of all sorts. There were enough people coming and going that she didn't stand out, despite being a newcomer, but it was still hard to shake the feeling of being watched. As she slowly weaved her way between stalls, shops, and patrons, the sensation of being watched only intensified, making the hair on her neck stand up. Glancing around, she only managed to register a sea of foreign faces, colors, and species, and so she picked up her pace, attempting to pull up some sort of map on her omni-tool.
Catching the sound of hurried feet somewhere vaguely behind her, Jane felt her heart begin to pound as Liara's words of warning drifted back to her.
Watch out for the Collectors. They're up to something, but I don't know what.
They have agents everywhere, so please watch your back.
Hurrying to a trot, she glanced back again to see a flash of blue dart between two krogan before she turned a corner and pushed her way amongst a group of people ahead. Shouldering her way through them, she spotted an alley ahead. Bursting into a sprint, she ducked into it before noticing it was a dead end. Trying to force down the fear building in her stomach, she whipped around only to crash headlong into a man standing at the mouth of the alley.
Jane felt two hands grab her wrists as they came up, holding her firmly. Looking up, the first thing she registered was the large, ugly scar maring one side of the man's face, and one milky white eye staring down at her, jaring in comparison to its darker counterpart. The amused smile stretching across his face seemed warped and twisted when paired with the scar puckering his cheek. Paired with the lecherous gleam in his eyes, Jane immediately squared her shoulders, ready to act.
"Hello there, girlie. You seem scared, do you need a big, strong man to keep you safe?" The man's voice was rough and gravely, the words laced with barely concealed implications. Without hesitation, Jane twisted her arms to break his hold, shifted her center of gravity and grabbed his white and yellow chest plate. His eyes only had time to widen slightly before he went flying over her shoulder, landing with a ummph! and crashing hard to the ground.
Immediately, she was on him with a knee pressed down between his shoulder blades, keeping one arm crushed beneath his chest and wrenching his other up at an awkward angle behind his back.
"What the fuck! You goddamn bitch!"
"Who are you and why were you chasing me?" Jane hissed, pressing down harder and applying pressure to his hand to increase the pain. The man groaned, attempting to buck her off of him. Grabbing her pistol, she dug it into the back of his head, and he froze in an instant.
"Chasing you? You're fucking crazy. I saw you dart in here looking like you saw a ghost and thought I'd offer assistance! Clearly that was a fucking mistake!" Jane furrowed her brows, twisting around to examine the entrance to the alley a few yards away where people hurried past, completely unaware or at least unconcerned by the events unfolding within. Looking back down at the man below her, she frowned.
"So you're not with the Shadow Broker?" Jane demanded, pressing the gun's barrel in a little deeper, causing the man to hiss. Or worse, she thought, the Collectors…
"Fuck, you're wrapped up in some shit, aren't you? Just my luck. Look, Girlie, I was just trying to be nice-" Jane scoffed, disbelieving, "-But as you clearly don't need my help, why don't you just let me up and we can go our separate ways." The man suggested, his voice tinged by the slightest hint of desperation. She considered his words for a moment before making her decision.
"If I let you go, I don't ever want to see your ugly mug again, do I make myself clear?" Jane leaned down to hiss at him, twisting his hand further. Carefully, she shifted her grip onto two of his fingers, twisting just to the point before snapping them. "If our paths do cross again, I'll make the damage a little more permanent, do you hear me?" He nodded, and she jerked her knee into his back. "I can't hear you." She snapped, anger starting to surface in her voice.
"Yes, yes! I understand!" After a moment, she finally let go, pressing herself off of him and pulling herself to her feet. As he started to scramble to his feet, she lurched forward and grabbed the shotgun holstered at his hip. With a snap of her wrist, it went flying further down the alleyway.
"While it's been a pleasure, I really must be going." Jane stated dryly as she took a few steps backward toward the main street.
"Fucking Christ, that's the last time I go after a redhead." The man groaned to himself as he stretched his shoulder, causing Jane to roll her eyes before turning to leave him behind. With a quick look both ways down the street, she saw nothing suspicious before she turned and made her way back into the crowds.
As she stood before the bright sign reading 'Afterlife', Jane realized she'd finally arrived at the club Liara had directed her to. Not only did it seem to be bustling, a line of waiting patrons stretching down away from the front door, but its central and cleanly kept location hinted at its importance. Curious, Jane made her way up to the bouncer at the door. Her instructions from Liara had been fairly clear.
"Hey, I'm supposed to meet someone here called Aria, I was told to talk to you when I arrived?" The bemused expression on the guard's face made her eye twitch in irritation, but after a moment he pulled up his omni-tool and asked for her name with a condescending smirk.
"Jane Shepard." She crossed her arms, leaving her holstered firearm at her hip visible as her eyes narrowed.
"Ah, okay. Yeah, Aria's expecting you." He said with evident surprise in his voice before his eyes flicked down to eye her weaponry with appreciation, "Come with me." Waving to another guard to take his place, he turned and ushered her into the club without further ado. Before she knew it, she was following the man through throbbing crowds of drunk, dancing bodies bobbing to thumping electronic music.
As the neon lights flashed and her senses were assaulted with stimuli, she experienced the same split second of panic she always did when entering similar places. Refusing to relent to the feeling, she quickly took it in a strong, suffocating grip. She mercilessly rammed it back down inside herself, taking a deep breath and refocusing on the back of the man leading her onward. The recollected explosions, screams, and blood slowly started to fade to be replaced by the existing music, laughs, and holovids around her.
She grit her teeth in irritation with herself as she picked up her pace, her feet falling leadenly as she gripped her fists tightly. The man leading her stopped to check with a man at the bottom of a set of stairs before turning and motioning for her to follow him up. Soon, she found herself stepping up onto a loft above the main floor of the club, standing before a sectional couch with a single bored looking asari. She clutched a drink loosely in one hand where it dangled over the edge of the couch as she lounged at her ease.
"Aria?" Jane asked as she stepped forward, only to be met by the extended hand of one of the guards. She turned to look at him as he pulled up his omni-tool to conduct a scan. As he nodded, stepping back, Jane wondered idly what he could have been scanning for, as it certainly hadn't been weapons. She was armed to the teeth, like usual, but that didn't seem to bother the man.
"So… You must be the human T'soni found for me." The asari, who Jane could only assume was Aria, drawled before nodding to the other side of the couch, a clear invitation… Or perhaps, an instruction.
Jane moved slowly, coming to sit somewhat gingerly on the edge of the seat, her eyes darting to each of the nearby guards quickly, sizing them up, before landing on Aria. Her eyes were hard like ice and just about as warm, and Jane felt as though she'd been stripped, sized, and measured to the ounce.
"You're more interesting than I anticipated. At first I was disappointed you weren't the famous one, but the more I think about it, you might do nicely." She seemed self satisfied, which caused Jane to arch an eyebrow.
"And who, exactly, are you?" Jane asked dryly, which caused Aria to chuckle as she stood, coming to rest as she looked down upon the club below them.
"I'm Omega's boss, CEO,-" She looked back at Jane with a smirk, "-Queen, if you're feeling dramatic."
"I see. Well, I hear you're in the market for some help." Jane started, all too aware how little she truly understood the situation before her, silently cursing Liara for giving her so little information.
"You could say that." Aria examined her for another moment before her smile faded, "T'soni sent me something of a resume for you, but I don't really like paperwork. I have a little interview for you."
"Oh? What does that entail?" With that, Aria nodded to one of the guards, who came over and offered a datapad to Jane. Taking it, she looked down to see details laid out before her.
"It's not hard to find bull headed muscle men with guns on Omega. I'm looking for an enforcer with a little more finesse who is able to handle some more delicate situations." Jane took in the information and her heart sank as long distant memories of days long past bubbled up.
"You're looking for a hitman, an assassin."
"You could call it that, I suppose. There are people alive who need to be dead, and I'm looking to bring someone on who can help fix that problem. If you can handle that-" Aria nodded at the data pad in Jane's hand, "-then you're hired." As she sat there, Jane felt like she was sixteen all over again, sitting on a spindly chair in the Red's hideout. She was holding her hand out to accept an old pistol and nodding hesitantly as she was given instructions on where to find her first mark, a member from a rival gang that had ambushed one of their drug mules the week before.
She blinked, a bitter taste on her tongue as she nodded at Aria, leaning back as she worked to squash the unease before it could become evident. Putting a smirk on her face, Jane flung her arms out over the top of the couch in a languid pose she knew dripped with confidence and comfort she wasn't currently feeling. She leveled the asari before her with a challenging, heavy lidded stare.
"Come now, Aria, I was expecting a challenge. But if that's all you need done, consider it done."
"Crap." Jane muttered as she flung herself into cover just before her tactical cloak fizzled out, nearly leaving her visible to a number of heavily armed mercs. She waited a few moments as her hammering heart slowly calmed to a slower pace in her chest, furiously thinking over her options. Despite her bravado and swagger, the trial mission had ended up being a lot trickier than she'd initially supposed… Which was probably the point.
Looking around her, Jane's eyes fell on a vent not far away. Pulling up her hacked copy of the layout maps, she quickly checked the feasibility of her quickly forming plan. After a few moments, she activated her cloak again and made a dash for it. Holding up her omni-tool, she waved a hand over the vent controls, causing it to spark. The vent popped open and she thrust herself into it as quietly as she could manage, closing it behind herself.
Trying to keep her armored body quiet as she climbed through the vent system was an interesting challenge, but somehow she managed to weave her way through without raising an alarm. She came across a few vents into rooms, but most were empty. Finally, she heard the muffled sound of voices from an upcoming vent, and slowed to a stop in an attempt to gather what information she could.
"... an't see us staying here that much longer, it's getting too hot." A man's voice muttered, clearly disgruntled.
"Yeah, he's gotten on a few too many people's shit lists, if you ask me." An older woman added, followed by a snort.
"You're telling me. I hear Archangel took out Kaesius' warehouse the other day. Bet it's only a matter of time before he strikes here, too." The first man pointed out before taking a puff on a cigarette. Jane took a moment to wonder who this Archangel was.
"With the bounty on Macavoy's head, I'm surprised there aren't half a dozen bounty hunters descending upon us as we speak." The woman grumbled and Jane smirked as she silently continued down the vents, enjoying the irony.
Finally, she came upon a particular vent and stopped to check her map. Nodding, she listened for a minute before deciding the room was empty. As quietly as she could, she removed the vent cover before dropping down into the small, dark room.
"Umpppphhh!" A man grunted as she landed hard on his shoulders, sending them both crashing to the ground in a heap. Groaning, Jane hurried to detangle their limbs, struggling to see in the gloomy room. "What the hell..?" The man's familiar, accented, and gravelly voice made Jane's eyes shoot open, apprehension jolting down her spine. Scrambling backwards, she pulled herself to her feet as she reached for her sidearm.
"What that fuck are you doing here?!" She squinted into the dark, registering the twisted, scarred face, single milky eye, and yellow armor of the creep she'd run into earlier in the market alleyway. "I warned you to stay the hell away from me." Jane spat as she leveled her pistol with the man's head.
The older, scarred human stared at her for a moment before his head fell backwards, his shoulders slumping as he groaned in frustration. Lifting his hands up in supplication, he looked at her with a highly unamused glare.
"You have got to be kidding me, Girlie. What are you doing here, of all places?" They stared at each other silently before he added with no small amount of suspicion, "Wait, are you after the Macavoy bounty as well? You better back the fuck off, Sweetheart, I got here first." Confusion blossomed on Jane's face, her gun lowering ever so slightly.
"Huh?" She knew it was a mistake the moment she saw the gleam in his eyes. He was upon her in a flash, knocking her gun to the side just before she managed to get off a shot. They went down in a heap again, fists and booted feet flying as they grappled for control. Jane grunted as his gauntleted fist collided with her left eye, sending her head snapping back to smash against the floor. She struggled to move away, but her head was ringing and her vision was obscured by the blood gushing from her split brow.
He was upon her in a flash, straddling her torso, his fist raised to deliver another blow as her breath caught in her chest. In a heartbeat, instinct and a lifetime of training took over. Reaching for his off hand, she tugged it across his body at the same instant she braced her left foot and rammed her right knee into his lower back, sending him flying forward to her left side. Rolling until she was astride him instead, she raised her fist to deliver a satisfying blow to his jaw. As he cried out in pain, she used his distraction to reach for her pistol, jamming it under his chin. She held her breath as he stiffened, only breathing again when he finally stilled, acknowledging his defeat.
"Enough of this bullshit." Jane used her free hand to wipe the blood out of her eye, her head still ringing. "Who are you, and what are you doing here? I thought I told you to get lost." The man scoffed, glaring up at her.
"Get lost?" He growled as she withdrew the gun just enough for him to speak, "Are you daft? I'm not following you, Girlie. I was camped out here waiting for my chance long before you dropped in." They were both silent for a moment before he continued. "The name is Massani. Zaeed Massani. I'm here after the bounty on Macavoy, I imagine the same reason you're here. Who the fuck are you?"
"I'm after him, but not for any bounty. I need his omni tool and the data on it. The name is Shepard."
"Well, Sweethea-" She pressed the gun in a little deeper, causing him to stiffen again, swallowing nervously.
"The name-" She drew a little closer to his face, letting a predatory snarl bloom across her face, "-is Shepard."
"Well, Shepard," He tried again as soon as her pistol let up slightly, "Maybe we can come to an understanding. You need his omni tool, I need his head. Perhaps we can both leave here with what we want."
"How am I supposed to trust you? You could be one of his men, you could run and raise the alarm the second my back is turned, or worse."
"Do you really think I would have been squatting in this dark closet if I was one of his peons?"
She stared down at him for a moment, enjoying letting him sweat. He deserved it, the little shit. Finally, she leaned back, keeping the gun drawn on him as she stood up. She offered him a hand as he got to his feet, letting go to rub the blood out of her eye again.
"Okay, Old Man. Assuming you're not a backstabbing bastard, you have yourself a deal."
The omni tool bounced as it landed on the couch beside Aria, and Jane fell as much as sat down across from her. Aria raised a brow, her expression otherwise neutral as she examined the bloodied but determined woman before her. With a small toss of her head, she signaled for one of her men to gather up the device.
"I'm going to need a minute to bypass the security." He muttered as he stooped to pick it up, quickly affixing it to his wrist before bringing up the orange display. Jane grinned as his eyes suddenly opened wide in surprise, his fingers pausing. "...Neeeevermind. Looks like that's already been taken care of."
"Above and beyond the call of duty, wasn't that kind." Aria purred, her face still neutral in reserved judgement. Jane waited patiently, trying desperately not to betray how exhausted she was. She forced herself not to finger the cut across her eyebrow, which had mercifully stopped bleeding some time before, but still throbbed intensely. It would probably scar, she hadn't taken the time to clean it up or apply medigel yet, but at this point she hardly cared. She just wanted to sleep.
"Yeeep. Seems like it's all here, all the files you wanted." The man remarked, pleasure barely restrained in his voice. Aria smiled at that, finally, though it never reached her eyes.
"Wonderful. And I assume you tied up all the loose ends, as instructed." It was a statement, not a question, and Jane nodded.
"It's all taken care of." Zaeed might have taken the final shot, but what did it matter? They both got what they wanted.
"Perfect. Well, Shepard, welcome aboard. Go get some rest and we'll be in touch." Aria looked away toward one of the large holoscreens in a clear gesture of dismissal.
"Thanks. Looking forward to it." Jane stifled the groan as she stood up, rolling her sore shoulder. Sleep sounded entirely too good. Casually, she strode past the many guards as she made her way back down to the main floor of the club, easily melding in with the undulating crowd.
She was just contemplating grabbing a quick drink on her way out when she saw it; a quick flash of blue armor, the tall frame of a turian, pale facial plates, familiar blue clan markings-
"Garrus!" Jane called out, nearly tripping as her heart leapt into her throat. Had it really been him, after all this time? Whoever it was, they'd disappeared into the crowd, prompting her to give chase as she clumsily shoved her way in the direction she'd last seen them.
Her heart was hammering in her ears as she finally came to a halt in the middle of the dance floor, frantically swiveling her head in every direction, desperate to catch another glimpse of whoever it had been.
But they were gone. He was gone. She was a fool to have thought otherwise, and she deserved this for what she'd done. Jane felt a familiar anger and despair replace the ephemeral flash of hope that had caught her up. Hope and something else. Setting her jaw, she ignored the prickle at the corner of her eyes as she strode purposefully toward the exit, shouldering patrons out of her way as she went.