It was with a sense of fuzzy well restedness that Avreus finally awoke from his slumber. Stretching luxuriantly out on the plain white bedspread. Reveling in the comfiness of the pillows.

"Get up."

A small voice in his head said. Avreus groaned in a manner that a less charitable observer might have called pitiful.

"Dun wanna-."

He mumbled. Half tempted to simply sink back into the covers and retreat back into the peace of slumber.

"Get. Up. Sleep later, work now."

It said again. This time more insistent. Avreus huffed, and slowly drew the covers away. Rising to a sitting position as he blinked the sleep from his eyes.

It was, in his opinion at least. Somewhat unfortunate that his time in the Hierarchy's military had instilled, with a great deal of pain. A sense of personal responsibility.

Oh yes, he certainly would have liked to just stay in bed all day. But there was always a little nagging voice in the back of his head, (which, come to think of it. Sounded rather a lot like his sister) that always poked and prodded at him until he did whatever it was he was choosing to put off.

He got up. Slowly, taking his time stretching out his joints. With that he looked down, he'd fallen asleep in his clothes? Odd, even at his most tired he usually found time to strip to his underclothes to sleep.

He really must have been tired.

And how long had he been asleep anyway? He turned to look at the small clock sitting solitary on the nightstand, and balked.

"12 hours?!"

Even at his most laggardly, Avreus had never been that deep of a sleeper. It certainly struck him as odd that he had only discovered his apparent penchant for 12 hour beauty sleeps on the day he happened to come aboard Zero's ship.

He ran subconsciously through the possibilities.

Knockout gas?

He thought for a moment, was he displaying any of the common effects? Well he wasn't drowsy, honestly he was feeling more well rested then he had in a while. He didn't have a headache, and his heart rate seemed normal.

And ignoring all that. His omni-tool was modified with a biohazard and hazmat package. It would have caught the presence of anything in the air that wasn't air almost before he entered his room.

He couldn't have been slipped something in a drink, they hadn't offered him one. And they probably hadn't tranq'd him. Since there was nothing to indicate a dart anywhere on his person.

Finally, after a few more moments of this. Avreus finally settled on the most likely option.

He was probably just being paranoid.

Not that he would've blamed anyone in his position for being paranoid. This was Zero after all.

Well, since he was already dressed-.

He shook the last remnants of sleep from his senses and stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. He squinted slightly in the low light. Turians as a rule had slightly better night vision then the other races. But even in this gloom Avreus still needed a moment to let his eyes adjust.

Evidently Zero didn't spend much time in this part of the ship. If Avreus was having this hard of a time seeing. Then the human, (or at the very least that was what Avreus assumed he was) would have been fumbling around hopelessly.

As he stepped through the darkened halls of the ship. It struck Avreus again just how devoid of character the ship was. Crews in the Terminus inevitably marked their homes. Scratches, dings, and dents. Scratched messages and names. They all marked a ship as lived in, as a home. But this one might as well have been factory new.

It felt…. off. Lonely, wrong.

He wasn't sure about his destination. But barring extensive modification by the owners, ships of this make and model usually had what he was looking for right, around-

-here!

He stopped in front of the set of double doors that led into the ship's small cargo hold. Taking a deep fortifying breath as he raised his arm and activated his omnitool.

The encryption on the lock itself was, to his surprise, exceedingly basic. He would have expected someone like Zero to have a more comprehensive security system. Though Avreus supposed that the man had probably never expected intrusion this far into his inner sanctum.

As he stepped through. Avreus noted that the bay had obviously been converted from its original purpose. It seemed to be part armory, part workshop. Off to one side a workbench covered with weapons in various states of assembly. A rack in the middle of the floor at about head height stocked with various weapons. Pistols, rifles, and what Avreus noted with some bemusement to be a sword. Double edged, with a small angled crossguard. Supple, oiled black leather wrapped around the handle and scabbard.

Across the opposite wall. Hung sets of what looked like light armor. Though Avreus noted with some surprise they were evidently not mass produced sets. No brand logos anywhere to be seen. And he had never seen armor of similar make or design. It was exorbitantly expensive most of the time to get even one set of custom made armor. Let alone five. Artisans and craftsmen often charged a king's ransom for their skills. But then again, considering Zero's noted preference for maintaining his own gear. Perhaps he had made them himself?

Something to take note of certainly.

He looked over the weapons. With what he didn't mind admitting was a touch of jealousy. Fucking hell Zero had some good gear, heavily modified high end weaponry. One or two things he had only heard of. And a few that he hadn't. All immaculately maintained. Though all of them had evidently seen extensive use.

Almost subconsciously Avreus reached a hand out to wrap his hand around the grip of a particularly fine looking handcannon. Stopping himself only just in time. He couldn't risk getting something incriminating on anything in here. He stepped silently away from the small armory and toward a nearby workbench. On it a rifle was stripped into its component parts. Pins to hold the weapon together deposited in a small plastic container off to one side. The ammo block, most often a lump of tungsten or steel that made up most of the weight in modern weapons. Sitting beside it. Evidently Zero had been fiddling with the feeding mechanism. Internal parts glistening with what looked like a fairly recent coating of lubricant.

None of that however. Quite compared to what Avreus' eyes were now firmly fixed on.

It was of all things. A picture, the subjects had evidently been caught unawares by the photographer. There were two of them. A young human male, pale skinned and dark haired. And a human female of around the same age. With skin more sunkissed. And hair colored in an auburn hue. They were leaning against eachother. Together on a couch. The young woman's back pressed to the male's chest. Head resting in the crook of his neck. Avreus had never considered himself adept at reading human facial expressions. But even he couldn't miss the obvious and intense affection between the two. Both completely content, and entirely at ease in one another's company.

The young man. Judging from the hair at least, was Zero. Though Avreus couldn't put a name to the young woman's face.

It was silly he knew. But it still struck Avreus just how…. normal he looked. He honestly didn't look much older than Avreus himself.

His was not the face he would have put to one of the most feared people in terminus space. He didn't look like a peerless assassin. Known and feared by all. He looked like a normal teenager sharing a tender moment with his sweetheart.

Avreus regarded the picture for a moment more before he gave a mental shrug and turned away from the photograph. It was oddly comforting to know that there was a person behind all the stories. It wasn't anything actionable. Nothing that would be of any real use to Aria, but it showed that another person existed beyond the Zero persona. One who might have weaknesses that Zero didn't. And bonds to be exploited by the sufficiently opportunistic.

For Avreus' part. If Aria wanted to try and get one over on Zero then she was welcome to try. But that would be her mistake to make. Not his, and he would be certain to put as much distance between himself and the resulting fallout as possible.

Even if a normal person did exist underneath the layers of gravitas that the people of the Terminus had laid on him. That didn't change who he was, or what he was capable of.

As he continued to look about. Avreus felt a sudden shift in the air. A sixth sense screaming at him of terrible impending danger. As he spun around, he felt the temperature plummet.

Zero was standing in an incongruously casual stance. Regarding Avreus with an expression Avreus could only class as predatory.

How had Avreus not heard him come in?

"Ohspiritsohspiritsohspirits."

His movements were slow, casual. A lion slowly pacing towards a wounded gazelle. Avreus suddenly wished he had cared enough about the temple services he had been dragged to as a child to remember some prayers.

"He's going to kill me. I'm going to die, I'm going to die alone without anyone knowing or caring, without ever seeing my family again-."

"Are you lost?"

Zero's voice cut through the tumult of panic and jumbled thoughts. Avreus swallowed a lump in his suddenly very dry throat. And fought to get his breathing regular.

"I, um-."

Zero was only a few feet away now. Arms crossed as he regarded Avreus.

"-Uh, what?"

Zero spoke again.

"Lost, are you?"

Avreus, now in better control of his faculties. Nodded frantically. Trying and only partly succeeding to keep the panic from his voice.

"Uh, yeah. Lost, definitely lost! Silly me!"

Zero nodded. Seemingly understanding.

"Ah I see, how unfortunate."

He said, tone disarmingly casual.

"Well, I hope you come to me or my assistant in the future if you need help finding something. It wouldn't do for you to get lost again."

He stepped closer. Expression betraying his true sentiments. Even as his tone remained entirely genial.

"There are dangerous areas on the ship, places where accidents may happen."

Avreus was hyperventilating now, he was almost certain of it.

"It can be so easy to have…. accidents."

Zero looked Avreus dead in the eye. The facade of friendliness dropped entirely.

"I trust we understand each other?"

Avreus nodded hurriedly.

"Y-yes! Perfectly."

Zero stepped back.

"Lovely."

He said, and the atmosphere of the room suddenly became distinctly less oppressive. Avreus gulped a deep breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"Would you care to join me for breakfast?"

Avreus looked on nonplussed.

"I-, what?"

Zero gestured towards the door.

"Breakfast Mr Pravum, the first meal of the day? I noticed you haven't eaten anything since you arrived. You must be famished."

Avreus had to admit, a hot meal would do him a world of good right now. Assuming he could master his nerves enough to keep it down.

Wordlessly he followed in the human's train. Body still shaking with the aftershocks of the terror he had induced. Managing only by slow degrees to still the pounding of his heart and the trembling of his hands as he was led through the bowels of the ship and up into its common areas.

He was eventually led after some time and through empty corridors into a sort of common room, evidently meant to house more occupants than then the two that now stood therein. Off to one side was a small kitchenette. Which had evidently seen no small amount of use in its time. A fully stocked set of pots and pans hung over the small stove. And Avreus could see a small but impressive collection of spices sitting in a rack to one side of it. To the other end of the room was a sitting area. Zero had evidently spared no expense for his own comfort. For the furniture there looked luxurious to Avreus' eye. And surely most have commanded a dear price in credits. And the table and chairs-. Spirits was that actual wood?!

He turned an appraising eye to Zero as they crossed the threshold together. Such luxuries were not in and of themselves indicative of outrageous wealth. But Zero was evidently doing quite well for himself. And Avreus idly wondered if his profession of assassin alone could account for what he'd seen thus far.

"Umbra."

Zero's voice broke the silence as they entered. And the thing that had guided Avreus aboard was suddenly there. Hooded cloak as usual hiding the creature's features.

"Yes master?"

Avreus could only barely suppress the shudder that hearing that voice induced. Zero pointed towards the kitchenette.

"I'd be grateful if you could see to our guests' comfort while I prepare us a meal."

The cowled head dipped low as Umbra acknowledged his instructions. "It would be my utmost pleasure."

The cloaked figure turned to Avreus and with an almost uncomfortably deferential air. Gestured toward the luxuriantly furnished sitting area.

"This way sir, if you please."

Avreus allowed himself to be led there. And sank into the indicated chair with a noise he very much hoped hadn't come out as a moan.

Merciful loving spirits was it comfortable.

Avreus settled into the almost unbelievably plush cushioning of the chair. Drifting into a state of blissfully contented drowsed idyll.

Behind him he could hear the clinking and clanking of pots and pans. The oh so satisfying sound of sizzling fats. And sample upon the air the appetizing scent of cooking meat.

If what he was smelling was any indication. He was about to have a rather appetizing meal, and if he was especially lucky. It might not even be poisoned

The meal, as it turned out, proved to be both delicious and free of toxins. The company in which he ate it however might soon prove to be as dangerous as any poison.

Zero had remained as silent as the grave throughout the duration of their shared meal. And Avreus was hesitant to break the silence. He took a bracing breath as he considered the prospect.

"Come on."

He thought to himself as he regarded the human sitting across from him.

"I mean, he's not gonna kill you just for trying to make conversation right?"

Finally Avreus summoned up what meager courage he could. And said, artfully:

"Um-, er. Are you-?"

Zero looked up from his partially emptied plate to pin Avreus with a stare that would have made a charging Krogan stumble. His expression communicated many things, but most chiefly his disbelief that he was being engaged in small talk.

The look that would almost certainly have killed were they gifted with such power. Did not change as Avreus soldiered on. Choosing to ignore the growing sense of dread that seemed to permeate the air around his host.

"Uh-, Why-? Why are you going after Balarek?"

The room seemed almost to grow noticeably colder, as the name of the pirate warlord was uttered. Zero's expression visibly darkened.

"You're aware of how he makes a living, correct?"

Avreus shuddered, the latent venom in the human's words sending a fearful chill down the length of his spine, like creeping frost. Zero continued.

"Pirate, slaver, Mercenary, Hegemony lackey, though they would disavow any connection if that was ever openly exposed."

Avreus listened and made an attempt to understand.

"Did he attack someone well off enough to hire you?"

Zero's eyes narrowed.

"No."

The one word, spoken with all the vicious hate a voice could possibly muster. Communicated everything and yet nothing at all.

So it was personal? What had the warlord done to piss off someone like Zero? Even among the most powerful figures in the Terminus, it was a commonly accepted fact that drawing the enigmatic assassin's ire was a uniformly fatal prospect. Had Balarek been presented with an opportunity that made Zero's wrath seem like a worthwhile consequence? Or had the slight he'd committed been enacted in ignorance?

Whatever the act that had set Zero's sights upon him. Avreus could confess to feeling something akin to pity for the batarian, even if he did richly deserve what he had coming.

Evidently not wishing to be engaged further, Zero said nothing else for the remainder of their shared meal. And Avreus for his part. Handed his cleared plate to the hooded servant and left the room with all the haste politeness would allow.

Hi.

Not dead, despite rumors. You'll be interested to hear that this story is finally reaching a stage I've been eager to reach for a VERY long time. Introducing new characters. Really getting into the meat of things. I hope ( but refuse to promise) that these chapters will be coming out at a somewhat quicker pace. Sorry if you were disappointed by the lack of really major shit happening. This is more of transitionary chapter.

Now for another thing.

I've seen several complaints relating to Matthew making stupid or unwise decisions. Or otherwise just not being as on top of things as some feel he should be. To which I respond: what's your point exactly? If you want to read a story where the hero of the hour is a perfect hypercompetent badass that always knows exactly what to do in any situation. Then I would recommend you look elsewhere, god knows this website has no shortage of such work.

Don't mistake me. Stories like that can be fun. Both to read and to write. But that's not what I'm trying to make here. Writing a story where the hero never has to struggle or work for any of his victories would get rather boring to write.

Yes, this story is, at its core, a dumb tropey wish fulfillment power fantasy. But I want the power fantasy to be at least somewhat earned.

Don't get me wrong though, I appreciate every review I get, even the ones calling me a talentless hack.

Hope you enjoyed. And keep an eye out. The next chapter will be out soon.

And for those of you tearing into me for the older chapters:

Fair enough, but cut me a little slack? I started writing this when I was fifteen.

-Dark