Kallen tugged at the ropes holding her again, and while her skin rubbed off and bled she did gain a little more leverage. She couldn't allow these terrorists to take Lelouch, he wouldn't survive not with monsters like them. Across the bay four mercenaries played with knives performing some ritual scarification on one of their team members while others swapped blood and shared their narcotics with one another. Kallen was thankful though, they weren't forcing her and Euphie to take the drugs, she needed to be clear of mind, being clear of mind is what let her make her plans, she knew that in total there should be twelve mercenaries down here, and while she wasn't armed, many of these crates were for weapons smuggling so if she could get free she had a fighting chance.
"Kallen, are you able to reach it now?" Behind Kallen Euphemia was waiting patiently. The Princess had woken up shortly after Kocoum had left to wait for Lelouch's arrival at Chora's Den. Shortly after that the two began conspiring for their escape, something that Euphemia was much better prepared for than Kallen had expected.
While not a combatant Euphemia did have a knife, but she couldn't grab and use it as her hands were tied in a way that prevented that possibility, but Kallen could get the Knife when Euphie dropped it, but only if she could free her hands a little more and have a little more reach. There was also the matter that the clock was then on the moment Euphemia dropped her hidden knife as there was almost no way for Kallen and Euphemia to hide their arms and wrists with their positions in their chairs.
But Euphie's shield was a model that should, once turned back on, keep the Princess safe while Kallen did all the bloody work. If only Kallen could, "Hurry up they could have Lelouch any moment now." Euphemia hissed unhelpfully.
"I know, I know I just can't seem to...oh fuck that...fffffuck! Ok drop it now." Kallen hissed back, feeling an extremely painful pop in her wrist just as her arm was able to move reaching out just above Euphie's own hands, though her hand was starting to numb already, which wasn't a good sign.
The soft weight of the knife landed in Kallen's hand and after a few tense moments she was able to get the blade of the knife to extend and she began to carve through the ropes holding Euphemia's wrists. As Kallen worked the guards continued their distractions one smoking heavily while his companions began drinking while playing blackjack.
"Ok Kallen my hands are free, are you Ok?" Euphie then stated as the rope Kallen pressed the Knife against slackened.
"I'm fine, just cut my hands free, now." Kallen replied carefully watching the gazes of their captors. Euphie's work was slower, but thanks to Kallen's previous pain and work, she also still had less to cut, Kallen could even feel her wrists come free just as Josh walked back into the bay.
"Hey I need someone to go check in with Kocoum. Looks like the damned Prince walked up to a cop just outside the Den, and..." The Terrorist leader stopped glaring at his troops. "...you three, make sure Kocoum gets the damn Prince. And you!" Josh pointed to the smoking Merc storming over to the man in rage.
The Merc leader then grabbed the man ripping the man's helmet off then grabbed him by the hair and dragged him over forcing the man's face inches from Kallen's own. "You treating these bitches like they aren't threats? I ordered you to watch them. Well time to learn a fucking lesson. Bite him bitch."
Kallen looked between the man in her face, and the Terrorist leader. "What?"
"I said bite him, bitch." As the Terrorist spoke he put his pistol into Kallen's face. "Do it, or I put a bullet through your fucking skull."
Kallen gulped, fighting back the revolution at what she was about to do, and with a growl bit into the man's cheek, her teeth tearing flesh and the coppery taste of blood filled her mouth as well as the disgusting taste of the man's raw flesh. The soldier first was gasping in surprise before screaming in pain while the terrorist leader snarled down at his subordinate.
"They're dangerous fucking animals, Jose. And so when I tell you to fucking keep watch over them, I God damn mean it. Now suck it up you fucking baby, we've got more medigel than we know what to do with. Stop biting bitch!" The leader ranted, unaware of just how correct he was, but Kallen was thankful she could pull away from the man in front of her so she could spit out the filthy blood from her mouth.
Meanwhile the Merc fell forward in her seat catching the edge and bending over her, tears of pain and blood running down his chin as he gasped in agony. "W-wh-wait... when did?" Kallen acres first, using Euphie's knife she stabbed through the man's eye, the final shock rendering him unconscious and dying or dead outright before he could even scream as Kallen's personal shield activated and the Knight grabbed a gun, a scimitar shotgun from off her captor's back and started unloading into the Terrorists leader.
The man dropped and rolled bouncing back to his feet before sprinting to cover. They were alone for a moment but there were more ropes to cut and far more terrorists to deal with. Kallen searched the body laying in her and found the man's sidearm. Taking it she then passed the knife back to Euphemia while covering them with the pistol. "Cut us free, then take cover!"
The Princess then bent down and started cutting the bindings at her feet. Meanwhile Kallen could hear the sounds of the remaining terrorists shouting and moving up while their leader poked up from his cover trying to spray shots at Kallen who in turn used her stolen pistol to keep the man's head down. Thanks to Kallen's efforts the Terrorists blind fire couldn't even break Kallen's Shield before Euphemia was standing between Kallen and the Terrorist using her self to shield Kallen as she set to work cutting away at the restraints holding Kallen to the chair and holding her legs to the chair legs.
Still Euphie's cutting was slow going and by the time the Princess had cut through the final binding on Kallen's leg three more of the Mercenaries had joined their leader and the second Kallen was free she had to shield Euphemia with her own body as the Princess's shield had broken in that instant. While shielding her liege's sister with her own body, Kallen physically carried the girl and sprinted into cover.
Hidden behind some of the crates Kallen took stock while inspecting her pistol. Four of the terrorists with fully automatic weapons had her and Euphemia pinned and at least four terrorists were up trying to capture Lelouch, and at least five more Terrorists were still lurking. They had to be close to Chora's Den, maybe just a level under it.
"Boss elevator came down, some freaking Krogan came out and is shooting up the place!" One of the Mercenaries from the area outside the firefight shouted from behind cover. Kallen immediately took note and had her hopes raise, whoever this was, rival gangsters, or maybe mercenaries Lelouch had somehow hired, they were evening up the fight.
Two of the Terrorists broke cover and started moving to join the fight at the elevator but this just allowed Kallen to begin firing her shots punching through the shields and armor of the first and with five shots she had breached his shield and put three rounds in his back dropping the first target. The Second she breached the shields but was only able to put a round into her leg before Kallen's own shields flared and the Knight of Honor was forced to fall back into cover.
Now the fight was Kallen, the terrorist leader, one additional terrorist, and the wounded one who was pulling himself back into cover. Much better odds for the Knight. Kallen tracked their movement as the leader ducked for cover and the second terrorist began to rise to fire. As this happened Kallen took rough aim at her target and opened fire first catching the man's shield causing it to flare and the near miss causing the man to flinch. This allowed Kallen to rise and aim her pistol better and unloading the gun into her target, and seven shots later the man was down while the wounded terrorist began firing wildly at Kallen from behind her cover.
"You're good Britannian, but if you give up now I'll let you live, otherwise your scalp is mine bitch." Josh shouted from behind his cover while Kallen peaked over her shoulder and her cover, resting her back and fighting off the pain in her wrists from the rope burns, skinning, and the strain from the kick of the pistol.
"You first, I might suggest we don't execute you for treason, just imprisonment under Temple Tower for kidnapping a royal!" Kallen shouted back, waiting for an answer or gunfire.
Instead there was a thwonk, and suddenly a zipping round flew over Kallen's head before detonating the concussive force slamming Kallen back against her cover painfully and with enough power to break the Knight's shield.
"Son of a bitch!" Kallen shook off the darkening of her vision from the certain concussion she now had.
As soon as she was able Kallen raised from her cover only for a burst of gunfire from a waiting and sighted in Josh to breach her shield and clip her in the arm as she ducked back for cover, realizing that the bastard had baited her.
"Raaah!" An angry slightly higher pitched battle cry came from across the bay and Kallen looked over her shoulder just as Lelouch rushed forward alone, his shield deflecting stray shots as the wounded terrorist fired at the Prince but her shots were too late as the Prince stabbed a trainer Gun-Sword into the woman's neck.
Now Josh was surrounded. "You're fucking dead brat!" The Terrorist leader shot and breached Lelouch's shield a single shot grazing the Prince's shoulder but Kallen answered with her own gun shots clipping the man's shielded back.
The Terrorist spun in place and his gun fire swept the top of Kallen's cover eventually catching her outstretched arm and with three rounds breaching her weakened shields and then knocking the mass accelerator pistol from Kallen's grasp.
The pistol flew from Kallen's hand the components breaking apart due to the impact. Then suddenly her shield systems chimed performance maximizing and allowing the recharged batteries to match a shield to her moving form almost immediately.
"Kallen!" The Knight looked past her cover as Lelouch stood and threw the Gun-Sword... a throw that didn't even make half the distance from him to his knight, before the sword hit the ground and rolled and skidded until it was between Lelouch, Kallen and near Josh.
"God damn it Lelouch!" Kallen shouted driving for the gun at a full sprint.
"Morons!" But as Josh aimed his gun, the weapon opened up starting an automated cool down cycle along with every weapon in the Terrorist's arsenal as Lelouch waved his Omnitool in the man's direction. The Terrorist looked at his weapon in confusion before looking about and then throwing it down and moving for the thrown Gun-Sword.
Kallen dove for sword and grabbed the weapon's hilt before her enemy could reach it. Kallen rose with vengeance in her eye, just as Josh's gun chimed that it was ready to fire, but now it was too late, with an upward swing Kallen cut the M-8 Avenger in Josh's hands cut in half. The Gun-Sword's MVS edging made the weapon glow as it came apart in the Terrorist leader's hands. And then Kallen pulled the sword back thrust the blade into the long haired kidnappers chest, punching through his shield and armor with practiced ease just before swiping the blade down and cutting through the man's chest then swinging to lob off the man's head.
"Kallen!" Lelouch shouted his voice filled with relief.
"Lelouch!" Euphemia darted past the Knight hugging then fretting over her brother. Despite the small bleeding wound on his shoulder Lelouch hugged his half sister tight.
Kallen stumbled to Lelouch's side before dropping to her knee. "Your highness. I'm sorry, I..."
"Kallen are you alright?" Lelouch interrupted.
"I'm fine, it's..."
"No she's not Lelouch, Kallen's been through a lot." Euphemia now interrupted Kallen frustrating the shamed Knight.
Lelouch smiled a sorry smile at his knight then. "It's alright Kallen, let's get you some medical care, I saw a clinic nearby on a map when I was looking for you both. I'm sure I can convince them to be discreet... umm, do you need any..." Lelouch cut himself off and took on a stern expression. "Let's go."
Kallen cast an careful eye on the scene after the small hidden area where she and Euphemia had been held, here there were more boxes used as cover where broken bodies lay strewn about a Krogan laying dead in the center of all the carnage. The Krogan dying as he was beating the last mercenary to death with his his crest.
Lelouch then confidently led the group to the elevator and hit the up command only for the elevator to refuse to rise. The Prince then groaned and opened his omnitool clearly intent on hacking it before stopping. "What does it mean fire hazard? There wasn't such a warning when we were shooting up that bar. What the hell is going on up there?"
"Maybe we should ask the Manner to send someone to pick us up?" Euphemia suggested causing Lelouch to groan.
Shepard couldn't believe the last few days she had been having, not that any of them was her worst day, but it certainly involved a lot more people shooting at her than she had expected. Meeting Garrus involved her getting shot at by several mobsters who had opened fire the moment the C-Sec officer had dropped their leader, said leader having taken a doctor hostage the moment Shepard had walked into Clinic.
And what has Garrus done after putting a bullet into the head of the lead mobster? He allowed everything to degrade into a full firefight that nearly had gotten the Person of Interest killed. Yet the Doctor had confessed that she had been treating a Quarian female yesterday and guided her to Fist knowing the gangster worked for the Shadow Broker.
"Except Fist doesn't work for the Shadow Broker." Shepard stated after hearing the doctor's statement, getting a startled look from the doctor.
"What do you mean?" Garrus asked looking over to the N7.
However before Hana could answer the Krogan Wrex let loose a chuckle and answered instead. "Means Saren bought him, and I've been hired to kill him in response."
Hana rolled her eyes. "Fist is helping Saren cover his tracks."
The Doctor then went wide eyed next to Garrus. "Then, she is walking into a trap. The Quarian she left to meet with Fist today!"
Garrus then growled a metallic growl. "If Fist gets to her before we do she's dead."
Hana nodded. "One of my men is already at Fist's I'll warn him, but let's move, we can't waste any time."
"Wait, what about me, I'm the only one who knew where the Quarian was hiding, where she might have stashed whatever it is Fist wants." The clinic doctor then cried.
"Fuck! Ashley guard her, and have her take you to the Quarian's place." Hana then ordered while her Omnitool tried to connect to Susaku's.
"What Hana, you're taking a Merc and a Cop with you, you can't..." Ashley began but Hana cut her off.
"If we fuck up your our only hope." Shepard's comm then chimed, an incoming transmission.
"This is Shepard." The Alliance Commander barked impatiently.
"Hana, thank God, I got through. They've got us pinned here. Fist had some Merc reinforcements in the back rooms and his thugs are swarming the front of the building. I think they plan to burn us out and I can't get to the Prince." Susaku stated in a rushed tone with the sounds of gunfire clear in the background of his transmission along with a panicked sounding woman screaming.
"What about the Quarian?" Hana now demanded through the line while gesturing to Garrus and Wrex, the Turian immediately leading the trio to a nearby C-Sec aircar.
"What about the Quarian? Do you know where she is?" Susaku asked sounding incredibly confused.
"Focus on Fist, if she hasn't gone to ground, or if he doesn't already have her, he knows where she's going to be, and soon." Hana stated as the Aircar took off its sirens blaring in the emergency colors of multiple different species.
To get from the clinic to Chora's Den by Aircar took three minutes, a full five minutes shorter than if Shepard's team was hoofing it on foot. And this approach gave Hana a good sight of the near twenty gangsters surrounding the entrance to Chora's Den some of whom were throwing improvised fire bombs into the club. However it also made her team's approach obvious and any element of surprise they had was gone... All except one element that even Shepard didn't expect as the Aircar rammed through the railings of the walkway crushing five of the criminals instantly and throwing four others off the walkway to fall further down into the Wards, certain to die.
The mobsters froze in shock and stood by watching as the door to the Aircar rose and Garrus stepped out rifle in one hand while his other grabbed Shepard by her collar dragging her with him, not that she needed his help as She was already calling upon her biotic powers preparing to fling more of the criminals over the edge. Wrex was already out, charging headlong into a small group of five confused gangsters and bowling them over with his hardened Krogan body.
Releasing her biotic throw Shepard sent two more of the criminals over the edge and Garrus' rifle opened up shredding the low budget shields on one gangster and riddling him with holes. Finally the stupor of the criminals broke and they turned on the trio opening fire, while five instead turned and rushed into Chora's Den, deciding to try and force their way through the entrenched Japanese Devicer and whoever was in there with him rather than staying to fight a Krogan Mercenary, a crazed C-Sec officer, and a Biotic N7 Marine. Shepard pitied the men and their mistake, in most cases they would have been right, but the inhuman speed and strength of Susaku Kururgi meant those five were already as good as casualties.
While supposedly myth, seeing Susaku in action Hana wondered if the legends about Futaba Sumeragi and her love with some sort of Ninja cursed to be an akuma by a witch weren't somehow true at least in part. Still Shepard's biotics put her ahead of Susaku in a head on fight between them, but against these chaff, Susaku was certainly the more terrifying.
Casting the invasive thoughts aside Hana set to work. As Wrex pulled out a shotgun unloading point blank into another hapless thug, Garrus finished sweeping his rifle adding another three to his tally of kills for tonight. For her own part Hana boosted her shields with a Biotic Barrier and charged the nearest thug, using her biotics to hit fat above her weight she broke the man's jaw with a fast light jab, before biotically pulling another to her so she could kick him. Then she began to use her pistol, gunning down a third before her barrier broke forcing the Biotic to take cover.
Then Garrus gunned down another man who broke and ran, while Wrex leapt on an remaining three of the gangsters his shotgun catching all three of them at once and with two pulls of the trigger they were all dead or dying. This left the last gangster to Shepard who shot the man from behind cover, the railing was strong and could even resist mass accelerator rounds, but the railing didn't cover feet. The man's shield flared and after another shot he fell with a round through his foot, and then he received three more into his now exposed side and chest putting that combatant out of the battle.
"We've got active mercs mixed with friendlies, inside, confirm your targets before firing." Hana instructed just outside the doors Chora's Den.
"You know I read the file on Eden Prime, I don't think you did much confirming targets there." Hana nearly growled as Garrus snarked back at her.
"Just do as I say." And Shepard breached into the building while shouting. "Hana Shepard coming in!"
Inside the club already there were segments of the central bar and dancers booths were ablaze, but a Turian with a pistol was watching the door, pistol ready side clutched as blue blood seeped through his fingers. "I've got omnigel, Wrex, Garrus help Susaku. Susaku one Krogan Merc and Turian C-Sec providing assist, repeat incoming assist!"
The pair rushed past Shepard as they joined Susaku at the other side of the Bar while gun fire continued from that side of the building. There the Alliance Devicer was laying out suppressive fire towards a back door while four Mercenaries in a yellow and red armor used an armored crate as cover to slowly advance on Susaku while using a shotgun and a rifle to try and suppress the Alliance member. One of the Mercenaries lay dead by the door behind the group clearly taken down before the group could get behind their current cover.
This ended though as Wrex put his Biotic power into a forward charge crashing into the crate slamming the weight back into the four mercenaries, and with the four stumbling back, their barriers weakened by the mass of the impact Garrus fired a concussive shot that threw each of the four against the walls. Before they could recover Susaku was among them and with two quick kicks two were entirely out and with a throat punch Susaku set the third choking.
"Gotcha bitch!" The fourth cried standing and bringing up his shotgun only to be grabbed from behind and thrown into the wall with enough force to shatter all his bones by the big red armored Turian who chuckled in a deep voice at the sight.
It was then that Hana rounded the bar watching the flames. "Why the hell is the fire suppression system not working?"
"The Prince's Krogan and Salarian shot the system in their rampage earlier." Susaku answered while trying to work the controls to a door that looked like a storage area.
The Alliance Devicer slammed his fist against the door. "Who makes an elevator system that locks down in case of fire, what about egress?"
"What do you mean the Prince's Salarian and Krogan?" Shepard asked.
"The Prince showed up, some mercs were attempting to kidnap him, that Turian detective stopped them, but took a fairly nasty hit, doesn't even remember the Prince. The Prince and his Krogan took this elevator." Susaku explained.
Hana groaned in frustration. "Fuck, we have to leave him for now, Fist is in the back hopefully with our Quarian still alive, or knowing where she's going to be."
Now Hana took the lead pressing into crime Lord's office. Inside Fist shouted some corny claim while a pair of automated turrets rose from stands behind him. But Shepard and her team were well covered and besides being stationary the turrets were exposed.
All the more pathetic, with his turrets down, Fist fell down to the ground screaming. "Wait! Wait I surrender, I surrender!"
Hana growled. "God damn it, where's the Quarian?"
Fist with tears running down his eyes pleaded. "Please, I-I don't know, that's the truth!"
Susaku sighed behind Hana. "Why do they assume they can get away with lying?"
Hana rolled her eyes. "Ok which leg do I shoot first?"
"She wouldn't see me, said she would only see the Shadow Broker." Fist provided his voice thick with panic.
"Impossible the Shadow Broker only works through his agents." Garrus announced with absolute confidence.
"Even I was hired through an Intermediate." Wrex then added.
"Wait, Shepard, who is this?" Susaku then asked.
Hana didn't even look back to the trio behind her. "Susaku Kururgi, meet Garrus of C-Sec and Wrex a mercenary working for the Shadow Broker, Hey Garrus maybe you can help Susaku get down to the Prince."
Fist Groaned. "Like they said, no one meets the Shadow Broker, ever. I've never met him, but she didn't know that. Told her I'd set a meeting up, but when she gets there my men will be waiting."
Hana put her gun to Fist's crotch. "Want your nuts, tell me where that is now."
"Nearby, in the Wards, back behind the markets. She's supposed to be meeting them in a couple minutes. Ummm here the coordinates are even on my desk." Fist provided while dripping sweat.
"Wrex, cover the rear, don't waste time." Hana ordered, turning and giving a wink to the Krogan who just gave her a hard look that suggested that he was confused. The Krogan then aimed and fired his shotgun, twice, and Fist was dead.
"Susaku, Garrus, we have the Quarian, we need to move now or they'll kill her!" Shepard sprinted past the pair and soon Susaku was right at Hana's side while Garrus and Wrex were running right behind Hana.
They rushed through the burning Club, and passed the C-Sec aircar's wreckage without sparing a glance. Two minutes of running later and they were in the back halls of the Wards. The dim light and ribbed structure, perfect for hiding all types of crime, or any sort of ambush. Then Hana spotted the first signs of the Ambush site, a Salarian and a Turian, both positioned to fire a rocket launcher down into a depression of the halls while concealing themselves from anyone inside.
"The deal is off." A filtered voice loudly proclaimed and the Turian began to rise with the rocket launcher. Shepard reached out with her Biotic power pulling against the Turian, the force of her pull flinging the Turian back just as he fired, his rocket instead impacting the cover he and his companion were using, the blast shredding the Salarian apart.
Susaku then sprinted ahead while Wrex finished the Turian. Garrus then reach the cover, a sniper rifle in hand, and then there was a single shot and everything was over. Next to the Quarian lay two dead Salarian, and across from her a Turian lay dead, a perfect headshot having ended his life.
Looking over the scene Hana could see Susaku helping the Quarian to her feet, she was shaking and cursing. "Damn it, Fist set me up, I shouldn't have trusted a human."
"Hey it's alright, we're here, and he'll get what's coming to him." Susaku tried to reassure her.
"Actually he's already dead, an assassin got to him, one of the Shinozaki I think." Hana lied, which got a look of disbelief from both Susaku and Garrus and a "heh" from Wrex.
Susaku then turned back to the Quarian at his side. "Did they hurt you?"
The Quarian put a hand on her hip. "I know how to look after myself."
"I-I'm just making sure you're alright. I wasn't suggesting..." Susaku stammered while Hana stepped forward.
"Can it, Fist was trying to kill you over data. Data suggesting Saren has connection to the Geth. We need that data, or else things are going to get a lot worse for all of us." Hana insisted.
"And who are you?" The Quarian insisted.
"Hana Shepard, Alliance military, that's Susaku, also Alliance, this is Garrus of C-Sec, and that's Wrex Krogan Mercenary." Hana provided.
"I am Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya. I do have the information you referred to, but I can't share it with you here, it's not safe." The now identified Tali'Zorah stated.
"How about C-Sec?" Susaku suggested.
"Human embassy is better, C-Sec might just seize the evidence and get it kicked away never to be seen." Garrus immediately countered.
Hana nodded. "Right, we'll go there." Hana then keyed her comms before getting two connection responses, one from Ashley and one from Kaiden. "VIP secure, moving to the Embassy, meet us there."
Both Kaiden and Ashley responded on the affirmative while Susaku began trying to reassure Tali'Zorah again. "We'll escort you to the Embassy. Everything should be fine now."
"Really Susaku?" Hana just shook her head in disappointment.
"No, it's alright. Thank you Susaku, but I can take care of myself. All Quarian's are trained in firearms before leaving the fleet, and I learned quite a bit more than that before I started my Pilgrimage." Hana just shook her head... this information better be damned worth it.
Reviews:
OMAC001: And the answer is the exercise freak who can lap bullets on a race track.
Imperial warlord: Thanks.