My back burned with pain, teeth gnashed until they too ached. It dulled the pain throbbing on my right cheek. Blood stained my fingers, mandibles pinned to my cheeks. Julian towered over me, fists quivering by his sides, eyes still glowing, the circuitry spreading down his cheeks. His punch smacked a sensitive patch, winding me long enough for him to wind back another punch. My hands pushed back off the floor, rolling away from his fist. The metal floor bowed under the Reaper reinforced punch. Julian snarled as my feet quivered under me, heaving me off the floor. Alone in a quiet room far from help, the other crew wouldn't hear my cries for help until it was too late. The room rattled as the Reaper thundered high above our heads.
"Where is she?" Julian hissed through his teeth.
"She's not here," I grunted.
"I didn't ask where she wasn't!" he thundered. "I asked where my sister is!"
"Gideon! S-She's with Gideon," I coughed. Julian's teeth bared.
"That doesn't tell me where she is," he said, a snarl on his lips.
"I don't know where he is," I said. "He's with Shepard, that's all I know. I don't know where either of them are!"
Julian snarled, looked ready to punch me again. The ceiling cracked under another tremble, his jaw tightened, straightening as he stared up. He stalked away, closing his eyes. The glow burned through his eyelids, but it gave me time to get myself on my feet and straight. The seconds ticked by, a breathing swelling the room. As time ebbed, the glow eased. My heart settled. He was close to the edge. Unless he had just lost. My teeth grit. Twitching towards the pistol at my hip. What was his specialisation again, mind manipulation? Gideon saw it in action… the effects still continued to this day. A permanent change in someone's character… Spirits have mercy. If Julian lost, could we take him and Nyryntha at the same time?
"Call Gideon and arrange a meet up. I need to see Dell and ask why she's been so quiet," Julian said through gritted teeth. My mandibles fluttered. How best to deal with this…
"Gid's trying to make Dell a normal human again," I said. Julian froze mid-step, heart freezing in his chest. Seconds ticked before he wheeled to face me. Julian had been angry, enraged, haughty, exacerbated, relieved and even embarrassed and flustered. Now his jaw swung wide, eyes rolling along the floor. He closed his mouth quickly though, recomposing himself. The burns along the corner of his eyes shrank.
"…That …isn't possible," Julian said, distracted.
"Oh? Gideon seems to think so. He's got a plan all worked out and everything," I said, composing myself. Could he learn Dell was dead and still hang on? Was hope that strong?
"The Saboteur tech is built into her nervous system, you cannot remove it without paralysing her! And then there are the circuits in her brain! She cannot-" Julian said.
"They're already working on a full body clone," I said. Julian froze, eyes locked to my expression. "And then they'll do what the Reapers did to create you; put her memories into the clone and destroy the Saboteur body," I said.
"That requires Dell to… die," Julian said, stuttering as his fists curled by his side. "The memory capture kills-"
"A temporary matter," I emphasised. Julian blinked, a hard blink. "Is it not better to die for a short time and come back Reaper-free than to never die and wonder if you have to kill yourself to save those you love?" Julian's eyes narrowed, every muscle tensing before they diverted. So, he thought the same, planning for the end. "Work with us Julian. Do you think I want something to happen to her? I know it is a crazy plan but… what can we do? We have to face the fact she is a Saboteur at some point. She's frustrated she can't go on the ground missions now with the sensitivity problem. Dell is already thinking of ways to off herself when the war is over," Spirits, it felt strange to speak of her as if she was still here… Julian closed his eyes, but the Reaper seemed further away now. He winced, shaking his head as blood dripped from his nose. His hand smeared it away with a rough rub. He heaved a heavy sigh.
"We'll… deal with this later. We have a Reaper to deal with. Why are you here anyway?" he grumbled, kicking the door open. My eyes scanned the hall before following him down, keeping a safe distance should Reaper wires rush to strangle me.
"Gid found something while trying to track Nyryntha. An ammo that Saboteurs hate," I said. Julian frowned.
"Why would Gideon want to track Nyryntha? She isn't chasing Dell now," he asked.
"Dell's missing memories. On top of keeping tabs on the damn Reaper, he thinks he can grab her drives and get the memories Dell lost. Her kidnapping, her time at the Collector Base… when she woke up on the Constellation," I said. Julian blinked, frown easing. "But these are the scientists who made the Anti-Saboteur Ammo. We're recruiting them to prepare for the war,"
"Do you have any of this ammo?" he asked, spotting the crew ahead.
"I don't know. We'll see if they have any here," I said, giving Iona a sideways glance. Her mandibles pinned, noticing the blood. If hardened my heart. She could come back… given time. Gideon… please, for my heart's sake. And Julian's life. A bulky krogan stepped forward, maroon crest riddled with scars. A burning green eye flickered, sending my soul scurrying away. His shoulders held 2 stars. A Rear Admiral.
"Admiral," the krogan grunted. "We've sealed the back way, too many husks. The Wraiths are proving to be more of a pain in the ass than we thought,"
"Have the team apply full, air-tight suits. I can't have people dropping dead on me now," Julian said.
"Aye, aye," the krogan said, thumping away as his voice shook the air. Julian pulled his helmet over his head.
"Wraiths?" I asked. Julian snorted as his suit pressurised.
"Volus husks," he said. My heart skipped a beat. "They float on an ammonia cloud, and pump out more when you get anywhere near them. And the sneaky bastards run when you try to get close. You need a sniper a good distance away to get them. Their armour is tougher than most husks," Julian sighed. "The worst part is they mask all the husks around them. Infrared only picks up husks if they have moved enough to produce the heat necessary to overcome the masking abilities of the fog. Not the Wraiths though, they don't produce enough heat to make much more than a blimp,"
"Is this what you've been doing with your fleet?" I asked, slipping my helmet into place. Julian snorted.
"I do more than that, Autillin," he said, tone growing colder. "Someone needs to do the recon work for my sister's warpath," My head shook, noting my crew following my example.
"Don't mention warpaths, Julian," I sighed. "Raisha carved one right through the crew,"
"So that's why you're in charge. Where's the krogan?" he asked, arming his pistol as his team assessed the group to escort out.
"The Citadel. She's too potent to keep on the Starquake. We'll mutiny again," I rumbled. Julian's eyes narrowed.
"Again?" he echoed.
"Long story, I'll tell you once we get the hell out of here," I said. Julian's gaze swung forward, focusing on the task at hand. "Have the scientists' suit up. We've got new husks to worry about," I ordered. The group of 16 people quivered at the order, but shuffled towards a room to gear up all the same.
"New husks?" Phentos asked. He got the short version of the story. His groan mimicked the crew. "And the Hunters were bad enough," his helmet muffled part of his words until the radio kicked in.
"At least we have backup," Cathleen grinned, although it faltered when she noticed Julian's frozen glare through his helmet.
"We are here because the Starquake and Nyryntha crossed paths again," the krogan said. The scientists returned, suited up.
"We have little time. Ivox, split the team. The Starquake wants these scientists so make sure they get there," Julian ordered, rounding up his team to plan the escape. The Starquake team gathered around, mumbling between themselves. A new husk, Julian on the brink, a Reaper above our heads. We were in deep shit.
But we had no time to waste. The longer we stayed down here, the more opportunity we gave the Reapers to plan and overcome us. The soldiers surrounded the scientists as we back down the caves towards the elevator. An echoing of chattering rang down the caverns. My skin crawled, waiting for Hunters to pounce and crawl through us. The extra bodies brought comfort, extra hands to wade through the army waiting for us. The elevator poked from the darkness. We piled on, setting up gunmen to look up and to the sides. We split into teams, one biotic with each. Why, who knows. The elevator shuddered, lifting itself upwards towards the surface.
Within seconds, a cloud of blue tinted smog poured down the slanted elevator shaft. The team near the rear of the shaft kicked out the ramp protecting us from falling down the abyss. Segments snapped off, clattering down the void to crash on the ground. The chatter of a thousand beasts crept down to greet us. The smog clung to the ground, smoothing us in a sea of blue and muck. Julian's team – the more experienced group – threw up biotic shields. Seconds later, the twisted faces of Hunters and Husks smashed against them. They screamed, scythes and hands clawing for any weakness. Well, now we knew why we had biotics. Bullets flew, deafening me as the waves of pops shattered the screeches. The battle seemed to go well, but the Reapers had other ideas. The gas thickened, leaking through the biotic barrier until even my lower carapace vanished from sight. Husks had no such problems. Had we not arranged ourselves, the friendly fire would be astronomical. The biotics grunted under the strain of husks and bullets, the foes sprawling on all sides. It didn't matter how many bullets flew, it wasn't enough.
One biotic failed, a flurry of screams bouncing through the shaft and darkened blue fog. My teeth ground together, the resolve of the other biotics hardened. Was it one of the scientist pods, Julian's men or my men? A clatter at the shield snapped me back to focus. A hiss poked through the noise. Fire swept through the elevator, the heat testing the limits of the temperature shields. Blood trickled from my ears as the screeches pitched. The flames eased, a sudden rush that drained the air of oxygen. The smog cleared enough for people to see each other. It wasn't for long, a brief survey of the damage before another wave of blue mist poured down from above. The breather gave the biotics time to catch their breaths and ease their amps. One of Julian's team was missing, along with a few scientists. My eyes tracked up, peering through the oncoming mist. The top was so close. So close. Julian remained tall, reloading a missile launcher loaded with incendiary ammo. Well, at least his R&D department kept itself useful. He vanished as the blue fog smothered us. The screams from the husks steadied my hand as the flurry of bullets rained again.
The elevator bounced to a halt, the smog pouring down the shaft until it masked everything below our waists. Husks stood tall in the mists, the humans unable to crouch like their prowling companions. The Hunters threatened to pounce from the depths and we had no way of seeing them. The human Husks acted as decoys, distracting us while the Hunters waited like predators. In the distance, a ball like creature disappeared behind a corner, masked in mist. The Wraith. Julian took point, krogan on both sides as he forced a path with the battlemasters and biotics. A second team of hardy turians, including a Cabal team, watched the rear. My helmet switched to infrared, searching for any foes lurking in the mist. The gas masked everything from view, even the lower halves of our bodies. If it had a thermo signature, they poked through, but otherwise, nothing. The team in the middle kept to watching the flanks and the ceiling, just in case. The closer we got to the main lobby, the more enemies waited for us at each corridor and doorway. We were not escaping this way, Julian realised this as well. He diverted us through a stairway, curling up away from the flooded lower floors. A shuttle deck was further up, on a shuttle deck ¾ up the building. It would make us an open target to Nyryntha though. We passed an abandoned office, windows peering to the carnage outside.
The Starquake joined the Constellation frigates in swarming the Reaper, dancing around all attempts to down them. Higher and further away, the Cruisers provided additional help, but left enough space so their lumbering forms could escape or retreat to the Constellation should it need protection. The Andromeda led the team. The Reaper thundered under the pelting shells, but refused to fall. Between the Reaper and the building, the horde pressed on. Fighters and gunships swarmed like bees, the ground rupturing under the intense firefights. Husks flew, the thick mists parting for a time. The battle shook the windows until they hummed, threatening to the shatter. Up another set of stairs, we burst into fresh air thick with ezzo and explosive residue. The faint hint of ammonia hovered, nausea swimming my sight. More husks swarmed from higher up the building, but most came from below. The Tempest clicked, but my hand found too few heat sinks to feel comfortable. My supplies were hot as hot as my gun. Nyryntha was playing the long game. We had limited ammo. Did she have unlimited forces? My hand grappled Julian's shoulder, forcing him to a halt. The resulting glare threatened to melt my helmet.
"Julian, we are running out of ammo, we can't keep this up!" I snapped. The man popped his jaw, studying the scene around us as bullets pushed back the husks. He was an Admiral, let's see how he copes.
"We saw turrets on the way in on the roofs and walls of the building. Diego, get to it!" He barked. A dark tan human saluted, his omni-tool already bright on his arm. He sprinted towards a panel, a group following to keep him safe. "Serrena, set up kill zones around the roof, take your team!" the pale asari hailed 'aye, aye' and rushed off with a fair chunk of people. They laid turrets and mines as the husks stumbled back. "Gregor, take the snipers up to that raised platform. Traek, watch their backs and near!" a batarian and krogan saluted with cries, rushing off to follow his command. Phally, watch that Reaper, you're on death beam watch!" a female salarian cried out before sprinting after the snipers. A few others joined her. Julian's eyes focused on me. "Autillin, you are protecting those scientists, since you want them so much,"
"Understood," I said, nothing Phentos rallying the team. "So, how do we escape?" I asked.
"Get rid of the Reaper and we'll have no problems. The Constellation got an upgrade," he said.
"I hope this doesn't destroy her, you know, Dell's memories and whatnot," I added, heart thundering in my chest. Julian blinked, a hint of Reaper blue glowing in his eyes. He growled, the light fading.
"It'll driver her off," he rumbled. Raising a finger to his ear. A shuddering breath escaped. If Nyryntha died before we got Dell's memories…
The turrets on the building whined, the building shuddering as they fired their first round. Husks near to the building tumbled into the craters and blast waves. It would slow their approach if nothing else. The air roared as a brilliant light planted itself into the ground beside Nyryntha like a meteor. The Reaper lost balance, the legs flailing out, boosters on max and maximising what ballast she had to stay upright. Another erupted 20 seconds later. The air trembled with Nyryntha's displeasure as she rebalanced herself, the heavy artillery more than she expected. After another shell threatened to destroy the land around her with deep craters, she had enough. What husks remained nearby rushed towards her, fleeing the turret fire. A fourth shell skimmed past a prong on her 'tail', sending her stumbling away. She growled, stabilising herself on the unstable ground before bending her legs. The cruisers turned, powering towards the Constellation as the Reaper bounced off the ground. The frigates gave chase, husks tumbling from the Reaper. Husk ground forces returned their original target; us. Their suicide run rushed back.
With the Reaper gone, the frigates returns, releasing shuttles for pickup. The automated turrets kept the majority of the beasts at bay, the fighters and gunships tidying up the stragglers. The snipers focused on the Wraiths, small blasts of blue cloud bursting up the sea of mist. Wraiths were twisted, horned creatures floated on a bed of blue mist, a biotic field surrounding the creature. Horns curled up like a ridge along the head and back, the drooping structures on the face split into small hoses. Along the arms and neck, valves oozed more smoke. The limbs themselves seemed attached by magic, surrounded in a sea of blue as the arms extended out further than any Volus should. The team had to deal with the husks bursting from the windows or doors. A kill zone kept most of them at bay, a wonderful thing to behold. It gave us time to prep the quivering scientists to jump into the inbound shuttles with their gear. The first set of the shuttles hovered off the ground, bearing Constellation colours. The scientists jumped for it, fear masked by the mist collecting before their helmets. They dragged their gear with them. The Starquake shuttle arrived with the second lot of shuttles. The final scientists and the crew jumped on. Before I could join them, Julian grabbed my carapace and yanked me back. The crew waited, floundering. Julian's gaze pinned me in place as he yanked me across the roof. My warm waved, the shuttle door closing with hesitation. Julian kept me by his heel until the last set of shuttles arrived. He pulled me after him, the door closing as a Hunter smashed into the door. The shuttle powered away, barrel rolling to shake off the last of the husks before whisking us back into space. All the shuttles returned to the Constellation aside from the Starquake one. Said frigate joined a queue to dock up inside the dreadnaught.
Julian's grip didn't relent as he yanked me dockside, forcing me to walk by his heel towards the elevator. He only released me when I couldn't run away. All the while my brain racked itself to keep the story consistent. He didn't know she was dead, but would I convince him to keep going even though she died. Dell would know what to say… but then we wouldn't be in this boat if she was. The elevator dinged, snapping me awake. Julian's frown dragged me from the elevator, marching after him after down the hall. We walked in silence, the air tight. A scattering of crew in blue, grey and black strolled by, but none got in Julian's way. Before I knew it, Julian pulled me into the living quarters. His living quarters. My heart tightened. How many crew members were in the area to help me if he turned, if I failed? Not enough…
His room was plain, a bland dark metal wall with an even darker floor. He gave all the homely decorations to Dell's room next door. It felt cold in comparison. One wall, the side furthest from the windows and with the TV, was plastered with photos. His reason to keep going. Dell featured most of them, but one, small photo beside a reclining chair, looked older. Not as old as the photos of his parents, a different photo of the wedding, but years old at least. My heart skipped a beat. Was that… Saria T'Spia with her arms around Julian's neck? Was he smiling?! And Julian didn't have grey hair or his scars… A robotic growl snapped my back straight, turning to see the glowing eyes were back.
"Keep your eyes to yourself," he snarled. My throat tightened, turning my back to the wall of photos. "Now, tell me what the fuck is going on," My shoulders rolled back, the plan falling into place.
"We were en route to the Upsilon Steppe, Dell wanted a quick ground mission to scratch that itch of hers," I said. Julian snorted, but the glow eased. "But it turned out to be a trap. A Saboteur was waiting, Atanase. Nyryntha reprogrammed a relay and jumped to the system. Atanase … separated the team from Dell then used Sensory Overload to incapacitate Dell. We sent a team from the Starquake to rescue her. Atanase got Dell inside Nyryntha but a team was close behind. We aren't sure what was going on, but the team got to her just as Atanase put her on this curtain of cables," Julian jolted, the glow creeping back, circuitry spinning from the corner of his eyes. "The team split, one rescued Dell, the other dealt with Atanase. We managed to evac Dell in one piece," Tension along Julian's shoulders eased. "But there was a problem.
"We didn't… pull her off fast enough. Dell was in incredible pain, she screamed herself hoarse and then kept trying. Nothing we did eased it. Pain medication, temporary paralysis, it didn't stop. She was… begging for relief," A tremor shook Julian, eyes fixed to face as he lowered himself on a hard sofa.
"Why are you saying 'was'?" he asked. My shoulders tightened.
"I'll get to that. Gideon decided enough was enough. He couldn't deal with Dell being in so much pain and wanted to cure her. The Reaper tech was trying to kill her from the inside, so he thought about removing them. When he dug through the data from the Collector Base, he realised he could reverse the Saboteur process and make Dell a normal human. We were too focused on… Spirits knows what to listen. Gideon took Dell, along with Mat'al and the Spectre Marruns to track down Shepard to get his help. But, a few weeks ago…" my words faltered, desperate for the words. Julian fell still. "She was in so much pain, Julian. She never stopped crying, could barely speak. Gideon used what blueprints he could get to make a memory storage device. But, like with the Saboteur creation it… kills the person when it copies their memories. Dell knew that, but she begged…" The circuitry spread along Julian's face, cracking like ice.
"She's… dead?" he asked, voiced hushed, a robotic undertone to his voice.
"For now," I said, the words tumbling out. Julian blinked, a hard blink. "She trusted us to look after the rest until she came back," Julian's tremor worsened, a trickle of blood running from his nose. "She'll be back, Julian. But not without you," I stressed. His eyes lifted, circuitry covering the entirety of his face, eyes brilliant white. Had he lost? "Julian, we need you. She needs you. Gideon is confident he has the tech to bring her back, but he needs Nyryntha just in case there is incompatibility problems. He's trying to make redundancies to maximise Dell's chances, Julian, but he needs your help. We can't pin Nyryntha down ourselves." The circuitry continued to grow. "Are you going to fail her right when she needs you?" Julian froze, the glowing eyes flashing back to normal for a second. His jaw tightened, more blood dripping from his nose and ears. "She needs you, more than ever. She said she trusted you to help where Gid could do nothing. Julian's hands buried into his hair, coughing. A spasm overtook him. My hands grabbed his shoulders, slamming him into the back of the sofa.
"Don't you dare lose! You're not turning your back on Dell when she can't shoot you! What the fuck is she going to think when she gets back, huh?!" I barked, holding his shoulders until my talons dug in. Julian grunted, a trickle of blood escaping his mouth now. The circuitry around his face shrank and grew, the ongoing fight intensifying. "Are you seriously giving up on her? Did you give up on her when she disappeared all those years ago? Gideon's plan is sound, but we can't do it without you! Spirits damn you, you thick son of a bitch!"
My fist smashed into his face. In an instant the circuitry flashed, faded. It eased back, but not as strong as before. Julian lay sprawled against the sofa arm, head flopped back. My fist raised again, ready to strike again. Julian's chest shuddered, jolting. It took a moment to hear the sobs. He raised a hand to his face, sliding up to cover his eye.
"You don't know jack shit!" he thundered, tears in his voice. "Do you have any idea what it's like to stab someone you love in the back? Have you had to live your entire fucking life with that regret? I cut contact with her because her hatred terrified me! Then this shit happens! 8 years of fear, anxiety, all because I didn't know how she'd react when she woke from the Saboteur Cell? Would she hate me, would she lose to her Reaper to spite me? I lost everything to this fucking war!" he lashed out. My instincts saving me from a flailed punch. Julian nearly fell from the sofa, blood and tears smeared over his face. "Everything but her… she was the only thing this fucking war hadn't taken from me. The only fucking thing! I lost my friends, my mentors, my home as I knew it, my mother committed suicide after I vanished, my father died from depression, heartbreak and overwork, the woman I loved woke up beside me and tried to kill me and every time I close my eyes I am haunted by nightmares and flashbacks of the worst things life can throw at you! You don't know fucking shit!"
"Then prove it!" I snapped. Julian's twisted glare snarled. "Help us! Help us guarantee that Dell can come back! Not as she was, but as the girl you grew up with! You want her to know everything you did for her? We can't do that with Nyryntha! She has a full copy of Dell's memories and the tech we can reverse engineer to bring her back in case Gideon's doesn't work. Or are you going to sit there crying about the what-ifs? What do you have to lose? If you sit there you lose everything! Help us and you can save the one thing in your life the Reapers haven't twisted!" Julian's jaw tightened, teeth grit, but the glow vanished, trickles of blood staining his cheeks, nose and chin. His eyes squeezed shut, a mixture of tears and blood spilling free. "Or are you going to abandon her, abandon her to face this fucking war herself? Abandon her to face the grief and guilt of ripping your fucking spine out because you were too weak to believe?!" Julian snarled. He pressed his lips together, quivering as he pulled himself upright on the sofa. His hard gaze returned, if bleary eyed and on the brink of mental exhaustion.
"I want to see her," he said through gritted teeth.
"Not until I get confirmation that's still you in there," I said. His eye twitched. "You wouldn't want me to risk putting Dell's last hope in danger, would you?" I asked. Julian snorted, flopping against the back of the sofa again. He rubbed the back of his hand across his face, noting the blood and tears. His shoulders quivered, teeth gnashing as his moment of weakness sunk in. He flopped his head back.
"Discinous, call the RPAT team. Tell them to get up here ASAP," he said.
"Understood, Admiral. RPAT team is on their way," a salarian said over the intercom.
Julian's hand flopped towards a container of wet wipes, snatching one to rub his face. He stayed seated, swaying, leaving me to pace. With Julian distracted, it gave me time to study a few of the pictures on the wall. My heart fluttered. An unscarred Dell sat by a window, the rings of Saturn glowing behind her. Spirits, she had the widest smile on her face. Beside it, a disgruntled Julian leaned against a banister on the Citadel, overlooking the docks. He had Dell by the back of her top as she leaned over to peer down at the people running below. All of these memories… and Dell remembered none of them. My eyes drifted over my shoulder, Julian leaning on his knees, holding his head with a hand. Shit, now I was feeling sympathy for the prick. The door parted, a full team of 30 people storming the room. My spine straightened, Julian didn't even bother moving.
"Admiral?" a brunette female human asked, kneeling down beside him. Julian shook his head.
"Check to see if that is still your Admiral there or if it's Palalrian," I said. The woman spun, mouth ajar. "He just about lost… or has," The team shared one look. Seconds passed before the team sprinted into action. A female turian kicked me out the room as they dragged wires out of boxes. Well, it freed me to prepare the team just in case. It took 20 minutes to return to the dock, by which time the Starquake had docked. Iona leaned on the railing outside the airlock. My mandibles pinned. Her shoulders sagged when she found me.
"Spirits, I was getting worried," she said. My mandibles cracked hard enough to make her hesitate.
"It isn't happening," I muttered, stalking through the air lock. My heart was set, nothing Iona could do would change it. After those images, after my words… I believed she'd be back. She had to come back. On the bridge, Indira and Shayan waited with baited breath. Shayan trembled, Indira held her lips tight.
"We might have a chance," I said. Indira perked. "Indira, get the crew together, block Marshal at all costs. We need a rundown meeting,"
"Understood, getting everyone to the meeting hall," she said, already darting to the intercom. Seconds passed, but people move to the meeting room on Deck 3.
The spacious room had 80 seats, plus the 6 at the front for the commanders and officers. Chairs tiered the further back you went tiered but not too high. The ceilings weren't huge. The room hummed with activity as I took my place at the front. Drutus and the Commanders weren't far behind. With all the crew in the room, they got the rundown of the situation, and the story to run with. It lasted an hour, making damn sure everyone had brainwashed themselves with the story. We couldn't lose Julian, not like this.
The Reaper Forces Sheet has been updated for this chapter. Please see profile for link to Archive.
A/N: Sorry for the massive delay. A mixture of writers block and this chapter was just annoying me. But it's done now so fingers crossed I can move on with a bit more pace!