Empty Promise (Prologue Conclusion)

A Few Hours Later, Michelle's Safehouse

"You know, I shouldn't be surprised that you have an actual medical license. You're probably one of the few people in the galaxy that could give my brain a run for it's money." Whitley stated as Michelle examined him through various medical displays.

"Yes, well, I have at least a decade of experience over you, Shepard, so don't go putting yourself down just yet."

Michelle hummed. "Frankly, I think there is a lot you should be concerned about, but let's get through the good news first."

"I'm all ears."

"Alright. Good news. You're not going to die of cancer from your exposure to Element Zero."

"And the bad news?"

Michelle waved her medical holo-display over to Whitley. He stared at it for a few moments, before turning to face Michelle.

"I'm a businessman and an engineer at my best, not a doctor. What does all this mean?"

Michelle waved a few blank screens around Whitley. She pointed to the one he held.

"Well, this is your bio-scan after your fight with Romak. Looking at your nervous system, there's not really anything extraordinary apart from your cybernetic implants…"

She activated a screen to Whitley's right.

"And this is what your bio-scan shows now."

On the screen, Whitley could see clumps of new tissue around various parts of his nervous system, colored a dark red.

"Does this mean-"

"Yes, Shepard. You're a biotic now, like I am. However, if that was the only piece of news I had, I'd have sent you home already. I'm going to show you something else. I want you to see if you notice anything."

Two screens to Whitley's left activated, showing another nervous system. Whitley was about to ask why Michelle was showing him his normal scan again when his eyes caught a small detail.

"This scan…the biotic nodes are present. They're present, but they look almost…dormant?"

He then turned to the next screen.

"And this one…the nodes are active now, but only because they're wired to an implant."

"Shepard, this is a scan for someone who was a latent biotic. Someone who wouldn't awaken their biotic potential until they were exposed to Element Zero later on in life. Once they were diagnosed as a biotic, they were outfitted with an L3 implant, which allowed them to tap into their biotic abilities."

At that moment, everything clicked.

"A latent biotic still has nodes that are present, even when the nodes are dormant. They also need certain implants to use their powers, but in my scan…Are you saying-"

"Yes, Shepard. Somehow, in a way that completely evades all my knowledge, you simultaneously developed biotic nodes and gained complete control over them without any implants in one day."

Whitley stared at her for a few moments, tentative of what he wanted to say.

"So…where does this leave us?" Whitley asked.

"What do you mean?" Michelle asked, confused.

"You know what I mean. Your boss. Something tells me he is going to be very much interested in a human that can use biotics without any implants."

Michelle looked at him for a few moments, pursing her lips.

"Do you want him to know?"

"Considering that he'd probably want to be turned into a lab rat for the rest of my life? Not really. But aren't you going to tell him anyway? From the way you go on and on about the man, you're most likely very loyal to him."

Michelle stared at her tablet, refusing to look at him. "Do you have any plans to join the Alliance?"

"No."

"Are you willing to keep these new abilities of yours a secret?"

"Of course!"

Michelle hummed, before deactivating every screen in the room. "Then in this instance, I believe that what the Illusive Man doesn't know won't hurt him."

Whitley stared at her in disbelief. "Wait, you mean it? You're not going to tell him?"

"As long as you keep your abilities a secret, I see no reason to inform him."

Whitley sat there for a few moments, unable to respond.

"I…thank you, Michelle. I won't forget this."

"Just be careful. The Illusive Man isn't the only one out there who would be interested in someone with your genetic makeup. In the meantime…"

Michelle activated her omni-tool, waving it towards Whitley. The Silverhand on Whitley's arm pinged.

"This is the data I was able to gather from the other slavers. From what little I could glance, there is still a large garrison of slavers somewhere outside Citadel Space, most likely waiting for Balek's orders."

"And what happens when they don't receive their orders soon?"

"That's what worries me, Shepard."

"You don't think they'd…attack the Citadel, would you?"

"I don't know."

"Dammit." Whitley whispered. He'd already seen the damage Balak's slavers could spread if left unchecked, and they were a relatively small force compared to what the data was showing him. The terror they could spread if they attacked in full force…

"I need to look further into this, Michelle."

For the next hour, Whitley put all his focus on the datapads Michelle had gathered for him. It was only through his work that a few videos finally came through the encryption. The brief picture of the video seemed to show Balak standing across a hooded figure. Not wanting to waste any more time than necessary, Whitley hit play.

"Trying to make a deal with my men, human? How foolish."

With a start, Whitley realized that whoever the person was, it must've been the human collaborator the Illusive Man was worried about.

"Hmm. I was under the impression you'd be the best man for the job. I was hoping that we could get you to see things our way, and maybe even come to an arrangement."

"An arrangement?!" Balak laughed, as did the men he had with him. "And what could you possibly offer me, human?"

"How about revenge?" the man offered. He opened his omni-tool, showing a picture.

Whitley's hands clenched. The picture was a portrait of his mother, overseeing the construction of one of the new Alliance vessels.

"Shepard? How…what is this?!"

"I know your story, Balak. Shepard went after your family. It was only thanks to your father's sacrifice you and your brother made it out of her ambush. Recently, Shepard's started to make our lives…difficult, so I thought you and I could help each other. We'll give you and your men a clear shot at Shepard and any of her associates, as well as access to various colonies."

"And what is it you want in return?"

"75% of whatever humans you capture on your raids."

"You want three-quarters of our profits? Is this some kind of joke?!"

"It's three-quarters of your profits in return for gaining your window of opportunity in the Citadel itself, where Shepard would never expect a direct assault."

"If you already have access to the Citadel, why can't you send your own people, or use your own resources?"

"Plausible deniability. My boss is getting soft. He believes that Shepard is too valuable to try and get rid of. If this plan goes off without a hitch, the old man ends up with a lot of egg on his face, and then it'll be my chance to take advantage."

"And the humans? What will you do once they've been given to you?"

"That's on a need-to-know basis. If it helps you feel any better, most of them probably won't survive."

The two men looked at each other for a few moments.

"If you break your word, human, I will kill you…slowly."

"Sounds like we've got ourselves a deal, Batarian."

The video ended. Whitley immediately began to plug the footage into various monitors.

This human…whoever he was, he did his absolute best to hide any identifiable features. Fortunately for me, there's only so much a hood can cover. If I can analyze the reflective surfaces in this video, I might be able to get a bead on who our mysterious traitor is.

It took the silver-haired Shepard almost half an hour to gather what he needed to analyze the man's face, but in the end, it worked. Whitley was rewarded with the briefest glimpse of the man's face.

And what a face it was.

It was clear to Whitley that the man was an addict. The red eyes and the bulging veins made it clear he was hooked on something. It certainly didn't combine well with the cropped hair and stern visage that made him seem more like hardened stone than a human being.

Running his image through the C-Sec database yielded no results. Then again, he probably shouldn't have expected it to, given how much influence this man seemed to have.

In a flash of inspiration, Whitley realized that, while he may not have access to Cerberus or Alliance records, someone else did.

Someone right behind him.

"Michelle, could you come over here? I think I found something!"

Michelle came into the room.

"What've you found, Shepard?"

Whitley played the video.

"I think I found one of the traitors the Illusive Man was talking about. Could you run him through your database?"

The video ended, and Michelle squinted at the image Whitley pulled up, before her eyes widened.

"Oh my god…Shepard…that's Paul Grayson!"

"Who?"

Michelle blinked in surprise. "Oh, that's right. You're not a part of our organization. Well, to put it simply, Paul is one of our top operatives. He's rumored to be the man the Illusive Man approaches when there's a mission that's far too sensitive for anyone else to attempt. If he's turned against us…"

"…Grayson did say that he believes the 'old man' is going too soft, and that my mother's death would give him an advantage. From what I've seen and heard, it looks like your top man has betrayed you. Do you have any idea why?"

Michelle pondered the question for a few moments. "Well, from what I've heard, he's always been obsessed with biotics. Maybe the slaves he took, he used in experiments, and considering that he was willing to deal with slavers…"

Whitley's heart clenched.

"They're dead, aren't they?"

"…Yes. They most likely are."

Whitley growled under his breath.

"He'll pay. Him and his slaver buddies."

Opening his new omni-tool, he turned to face Michelle.

"How quickly can you clean out this apartment?"

"An hour. Why are you asking?"

"Because I'm about to access the C-Sec networks again, and since we're nowhere near the antenna now, the location of this apartment will most likely be compromised."

"Well, that's a shame. I've grown a little fond of this place. In any case, if you believe this is the best course of action, then go ahead. I'll have this place scrubbed."

"Including the QEC?"

"Especially the QEC. The Illusive Man would have my head if I lost something that expensive.

Plugging the data he'd retrieved into the back door he'd left on the C-Sec antenna, Whitley waited with bated breath.

After a minute of waiting, a pinging noise could be heard from his omni-tool.

"Did you get a location?" Michelle asked.

"I did, along with a bunch of other useful data on these omni-tools that unlocked once I was able to verify their base location."

"Nice work! I know someone that's willing to take a look at that data. We'll get it to them, then I'll drop you off at your mother's house."

As Michelle's skycar soared through traffic, Whitley saw C-Sec cruisers above him driving towards Michelle's safe house.

"Don't worry about them. I had my people scrub the place from top to bottom. They won't find anything."

"Nice to have you on my side, Michelle."

Michelle turned on the autopilot. She turned to face Whitley.

"It will take some time before we get to our destination. Would you mind if I had a look at that data?"

Whitley lazily waved his omni-tool. Michelle, hearing a ping from her omni-tool, opened the attached files.

Her face paled slightly as she looked over the files.

"Oh dear."

An Hour Later

Admiral Petrovsky sighed. After the Batarian's attack on Elysium, both the Illusive Man and the Alliance were calling out for retaliation. The problem was, however, that the slavers and pirates had hidden themselves well. By the time the Alliance would be able to retaliate, they would most likely be gone.

Suddenly, Petrovsky's door opened, and a hooded figure walked into his bedroom. Petrovsky fell off his chair, before grabbing his pistol and pointing it at the intruder.

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" he exclaimed. The figure chuckled, before waving his hand. The pistol in Petrovsky's hand glowed red, before it suddenly fell apart, like it had been held together by matchsticks.

"Relax. If I wanted you dead, I'd have chosen something better than barging into your apartment."

The figure tossed a datapad at Petrovsky's feet. Petrovsky, however, didn't pick it up.

"What's this?" he asked the figure.

"The location of the batarians who attacked Elysium. They're hiding in a small moon known as Torfan."

Petrovsky shook his head. "We've been sweeping that system! Torfan is clear!"

The figure tutted at the Admiral disapprovingly. "That's because they've built their strongholds deep underground. You sent teams to investigate the topside, but never underneath the moon itself."

Petrovsky looked down at the datapad, before gingerly picking it up. As he scrolled through it, his eyes began to widen in disbelief.

"This...this is it. This is everything I've been looking for!" Petrovsky turned to the figure. "How did you find this?!"

The figure chuckled. "Let's just say some pirates learned the hard way why they're not welcome to the Citadel right after what they did to my sister." The figure turned away to leave. "I've done my part, Admiral. Now you must do yours."

Petrovsky juggled the datapad in his hand for a few moments, before he decided to grab the figure's attention one last time.

"Wait, wait, just...one more thing."

The figure turned back to him.

"If what you've said is true, then...what do you suggest? How do we fight these bastards?"

The figure rubbed his chin for a few moments. "You really want my answer, Admiral?"

"Yes." Petrovsky replied.

The figure sighed. "You must fight them with only one goal. Complete and utter annihilation. The Batarians are snakes, and the ones that attacked Elysium are particularly venomous. You cannot treat them as mere combatants. They do not share your pity or remorse. So you must do the same to them. Show no pity, remorse, or fear. Take no prisoners. Do not hesitate to kill them all. If just a single, bloody Batarian survives, they will come back, and they will hurt others, just like they did my sister. Just like they did on Elysium."

Petrovsky nodded. "A bit...extreme, but it fits into what some of the other men have been thinking. I'll get it done." Petrovsky turned to the figure. "What's your name?"

The figure chuckled. "Names are for friends, Admiral, so I don't need one."

The figure walked outside Petrovsky's apartment. Waiting in a car was a woman in a form-fitting outfit with raven-colored hair.

"Invading an Admiral's home, right after the mess you made in the Citadel? Quite the bold move, Shepard."

"Hey, you're the one who told me Petrovsky is the one in the Alliance most likely to accept third-party information!"

"You could've just dropped it off on his doorstep and rang the bell."

"Well, you should've told me that earlier! What the hell did you think I was going to do when I asked you to show me how to disarm someone with your biotics?!"

The two didn't speak for a while, settling into silence. As the two neared the docks, Michelle turned to Whitley.

"You saw their defenses, Shepard. A great many Alliance soldiers will most likely die on the planet."

Whitley sighed. "What else do you want me to do, Michelle? Let those bastards go? Not bloody happening. Not after what they did."

"I know, Shepard, and I'd probably do the same in your shoes, but are you ready for that kind of burden? You only made your first kill a week ago."

Whitley looked outside the window, his gaze hardening.

"I've made my decision. No point in turning back now. In any case, what's done is done. I guess now I have to face the music from my family."

"Before that, would you mind if I asked one last thing from you?"

Whitley looked at the clock in his omni-tool. "Depends on how long you're planning to take."

"Not long. Ten minutes, at most."

"Alright, then what do you want to ask?"

"Not here. We'll stop down nearby."

A few minutes later, the two were seated in a busy cafe.

"Is this really the best place to have a private conversation, Michelle?"

"In crowded areas like these, it's much more difficult for someone to eavesdrop on you. Besides, I made a sweep for bugs just before we came in, and I took the liberty of activating a device that ensures anyone trying to listen in on us will hear nothing but a buzzing sound. We're safe."

"Well, guess that's another point on the list about how I'm glad you're not my enemy. Now, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Shepard…I'm not sure how to best word it, so I'll just come out and say it. I want to offer you a position in Cerberus."

Something in Whitley's brain short-circuited.

"Come again?"

"You heard me the first time, Shepard!" Michelle sighed, before continuing.

"Listen, when the Illusive Man sent me here, it wasn't just to take down the slavers. It was to assess your value as an asset to Cerberus and to see if you could be brought into the organization. I admit, when the Illusive Man sent me on this mission, I felt it was beneath me. However, as the days have gone by, I have seen what you are capable of. With a little bit more training, and a few more resources available to you, I have no doubt you will go far in Cerberus."

Whitley wasn't sure how to react the the revelation presented in front of him. His words, usually filled with confidence, were now stumbling out of his mouth.

"I–a…and what makes you think I'd want to join a terrorist organization? The same organization my family is against?"

"Because deep down, you agree with us. With our methods"

"Agree with you?!"

"Shepard, not many people know this, but Cerberus wasn't always a terrorist organization. We first started as the Alliance's Black Ops unit, doing the kind of dirty work they didn't want the Council to hear about. As time passed, the Alliance grew less and less comfortable with our work, and eventually, when the opportunity came, they denounced us alongside the rest of the Council. However, our organization has never forgotten that purpose. We are the guard dogs of humanity, keeping them safe from the larger threats in the galaxy."

"Really? What about Grayson? Seemed like he was doing a fine job protecting humanity, wasn't he?"

"Men like Grayson are the reason why I'm bringing this up now. Grayson, along with a handful of other members, believes the only way to protect humanity is to ensure it's superiority by any means necessary, even if it means making deals with slavers and killing millions of our own people. The Illusive Man needs more people that see things the way he does, like you and I."

Taking a sip of her tea, Michelle continued.

"Shepard, I want to make one thing clear. I'm not making this offer to you because I believe you are gullible. I'm not making this offer because I want to spy on the Shepards or to get my hands on your money or technology. I'm making this offer because I truly believe that our organization will be made better with you as an agent."

The two didn't speak to each other for a few minutes. Finishing her tea, Michelle sighed.

"I'm sorry for springing this on you, Shepard. I'll drop you o-"

"What would you have me do if I joined you?"

Michelle stared at Whitley, shock briefly clear on her face. However, after a few moments of silence, she recovered.

"Well, I was thinking you could shadow me for a year, see how I handle operations, and maybe be given command of one or two of them."

"You know I have school, right?"

"We'll come up with an adequate excuse to get you outside the Citadel, Maybe we'll create a club with some fake members for Auxia."

"Well…I guess all I can say now is…I'm down for it. I'll join Cerberus."

At this, Michelle smiled, and Whitley couldn't help but be taken aback by it. It seemed almost antithetical to the cold and aloof persona he was used to seeing.

It reminded him of Jane.

"Then, in that case, welcome aboard."

Some Time Later

Whitley awoke to the sensation of someone shaking his leg.

"Shepard, we're here." he could hear Michelle state as he rubbed his eyes.

"Time to face the music." Whitley muttered, cracking his neck. The doors to the skycar opened.

Taking a step outside the skycar, Whitley turned to face Michelle.

"Well, guess this is it for now. Guess I'll be seeing you later, Miche-"

"Miranda."

"Hmm?"

"Miranda Lawson. That's my real name. Michelle's just an alias, albeit one with a genuinely rumpled passport in my drawer."

"Hah! I knew it! The first thought I had meeting you was that you weren't telling me your real name!"

"Well, keep those instincts of yours, Shepard, and like I said earlier, you'll go far in Cerberus."

Whitley heard Michell-Miranda's skycar doors close as he turned around. Taking a deep breath, Whitley opened the door.

Walking through the entrance, Whitley was greeted by the sight of his mom and sis staring at him in disbelief.

"Uh….hi."

An Hour Later

The family reunion went just as well as Whitley believed it would.

When Hannah attacked one of the slaver bases, she did so under the assumption that Jane was watching over him. So when she saw Jane, in full military gear, attacking the base as well, Jane was forced to throw Whitley under the bus to avoid a court martial from her own mother. She didn't mention Cerberus or that he'd killed someone, but she'd said enough to tip Hannah off that her son had run away from his protection detail.

There had been some shouting, a great amount of tears, and Whitley feeling genuinely terrible that he'd put so much stress on his mom. To top it all off, Jane also seemed like she had something to say to him.

As the siblings stepped outside, Jane turned to her brother.

"Whitley, I need you to promise me something."

Whitley was tempted to ask if it was about Shattered Eezo, but the previous lecture with Mom had left him feeling drained. He was in no mood to joke around.

"What is it, Jane?"

"I need you to promise me that this is it. No more vigilantism, no more Cerberus, nothing. The only thing you're going to do now is graduate from whatever college you land up in and make a good career."

"But…"

"Dammit, Whitley! Don't tell me you're planning on doing this type of shit again! One more incident like this happens again, I'm telling Mom!"

"I-that won't be necessary, Jane. It won't happen again."

"You promise?" Jane asked.

Whitley looked at her again. Her eyes were full of hope, and in that moment Whitley realized how much of a toll these past few days had taken on his sister. The juggling act between their mom, the Alliance, and Cerberus, on top of her experience in the Skylian Blitz must have been stressful beyond words. Adding his stunts to the mix…

At that moment, Whitley knew he could never tell her. She had already been dragged through the mud enough for his sake. He wouldn't let her get dragged any further. He stared right into Jane's eyes.

"I promise." Whitley lied.

AN: Finally, after almost two years, the prologue arc of this story is finished. All that's left is one small interlude chapter describing Torfan and what happened, and then we'll finally be starting with a time skip to ME1.

I commissioned a cover image for this story a while back. The artist is Ryuutoshi. Follow them on Instagram, they're really talented.

After another rough semester, I finally graduated. I'm on vacation in India with really bad internet and typing all this out on an iPad right now. My AN is much shorter this time because of it. See you in the next update.