Flynn was starting to dislike elevators. Every time he turned around he found himself in another one as it slowly moved up or down depending on where he needed to be. He was beginning to get sick of it entirely.
Yet, here he was. In another one that brought him to the lower level of the Rift station where the hot labs were located, and the epicenter for the Rachni infestation.
After Shepard questioned Captain Ventralis more, the team got a good understanding of what was going on and decided to split up. The Commander stayed in the barracks with Liara and Wrex to help the survivors where they could, while the slayer said he would deal with the Rachni in the hot labs.
Of course, Shepard refused to send him alone.
"We got a plan when we reach the labs?" asked Garrus. Assault rifle in hand as he prepared for what they would encounter when the elevator stopped.
Kill everything that doesn't walk on two legs. Flynn signed bluntly with his super shotgun resting on his shoulder.
"So, a standard day for you then?" the Turian quipped.
The slayer snorted, A standard day for me is killing just about everything trying to kill me. Trying being the main focus.
When the lift stopped and the door opened, the duo stepped out into the empty, and surprisingly quiet room beyond. A lone man could be seen sitting in a chair in the center with his head bowed forward.
"Yaroslev Tartakovsky?" asked Garrus as they entered the room and approached the hunched over man.
"Are you all here to secure the situation?" asked the scientist weakly, looking up at them with hollow eyes.
"We're here to help. What do you do here?" asked the detective.
"I'm the operations director. I would stand and shake your hands but...ehh." he groaned as he leaned back in the chair. "You must listen to me. If we do not contain our mistake, the people at Port Hanshan will drop bombs from the battle stations. You understand? I had to do what I could to keep this place from becoming a crater."
"You let them out?!" Garrus said sharply when he realized what the man was saying. "All the people that died here, how the hell can you justify something like that?"
"I was only following orders." said Tartakovsky, shifting his weight.
Flynn narrowed his eyes, bringing his double-barrel up and aimed at the scientist. "My friend here doesn't speak..or has a lot of patience. We need a way to wipe out all the Rachni here in the labs." said Garrus.
Tartakovsky let out a deep sigh before bringing up his omni-tool. "I'll send you
the key to activate the neutron purge. It'll kill all the specimens that are still in the area. The arming controls are through that door over there." he said motioning to said door. "You must hurry, before-ARGH!"
A sharp tendril burst from the floor and speared the man through his back and out his
chest. It happened so quickly no one could have even attempted to stop it as a Rachni Warrior pulled itself out of the floor. Throwing the body of the dead scientist across the room before going after the two in front of it.
The slayer's super shotgun registered, blasting the large insect to bloody pieces. "Dammit!" Garrus shouted as he ran over to the dead man and checked him over. "He never finished sending us the activation key! How are we supposed to deal with the Rachni?"
His answer was Flynn reloading his double-barrel with a raised eyebrow behind his visor. "...right. The old fashioned way it is." the detective lamented as a series of loud screeches could be heard echoing through the walls along with the rumble of dozens of skittering legs.
The duo stood back to back, the slayer switching to his plasma rifle and snapping the heat-blast mod into the side of the barrel as the sounds grew louder. The vents around the room shook before they started blowing open one after the other, a large group of warriors and workers swarmed into the room like a flood.
Garrus grit his teeth and mandibles at the opposition, Flynn however grinned widely as they opened fire on the tide of bugs.
X
"Still can't see how Taggart gets to have fun killing Rachni with Vakarian while I'm stuck on bodyguard duty." Wrex griped as he paced the lab room where Shepard and Liara were working on synthesizing a cure for an illness that was passing through the Peak-15 survivors.
Jane rolled her eyes at the old Krogan's complaints. "And like I said earlier. Trusting you and Flynn together is a recipe for disaster. Maybe later when there's nothing but enemies around we can drop you from the Normandy right in the middle of them."
Wrex paused, then grinned widely at the thought of such a situation.
"I think you gave him something to think about." said Liara as they continued to work.
"At least he isn't moaning anymore." the Commander replied. They finished synthesizing the cure the doctor had entrusted them to make and now had to wait for it to finish. Jane looked at the young Asari and decided to voice something that had been on her mind a while.
"You and Flynn seemed to have gotten pretty close lately." her statement had caused Liara's cheeks to turn a soft purple.
"H-How do you mean?" asked the archaeologist, a slight hitch in her voice.
Shepard hid a smirk, "I mean that you guys spend a good amount of time together. Mostly he keeps to himself except when he's either in briefings, in the mess or working on his weapons with Tali. And it's usually either you or him seeking the other out."
The blush Liara was sporting grew a little darker, "We talk. Well...I talk, and he listens. He Is intimidating when he wants to be, but his presence is nice. It makes me feel...safe." Her whole face darkened a lot more when she realized what she had admitted.
Jane gave her her full attention, now very interested. "I take it none of that has anything to do with the legend he's made with your people?"
Liara shook her head, getting the heat in her face under control. "No. Even though he's the very same warrior that saved the Asari, I know that there is so more to him than what he is. After we learned where he was from and what he has done, I've wanted to know more about who he is. Doomslayer is his title, not his identity."
"You want to know the man, not the legend." the Commander said, understanding what Liara was telling her. "Can't say that I blame you. Someone who has seen and been to so many places probably has a big story to tell."
The Asari bit her lip a little, "He told me about his family. Before Hell first invaded his world. I don't know how, but I believe that he trusts me...and I feel that I can trust him to. It is hard to explain, there just seems to be this connection between us."
Shepard gave her a thoughtful look, Wrex's comment earlier coming back to her. "Is it possible that you're developing feelings for him?" she asked, deciding to go for a direct approach.
Almost immediately Liara's blush returned full force. "W-What? Fe-Feelings? For him? We haven't known each other that long! How could anyone possibly-"
"Liara, relax." Jane said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It was just a thought. And I'm not exactly an expert on romance, so don't take my question too seriously." The archeologist calmed and she continued, "You have to admit, the way you described how things are between the two of you does sound like the beginning of something."
"If that's the case, then what should I do? I haven't really been in a situation like this before." admitted Liara.
Shepard shrugged, "Honestly, neither have I really. Kinda sad now that I think about it." she said, muttering the last part to herself, "But if there really is a connection between the two of you, I say see where it goes. The guy may be a walking apocalypse for Hell, but even I can see that there's more under all that rage."
She then smirked again, "And isn't it the job of an archeologist to uncover ancient truths?"
Liara laughed lightly at the red-head's joke. "I suppose you're right. Thank you, Shepard."
A few meters away, Wrex rolled his eyes as the two women talked among themselves. "Taggart and Vakarian are probably having a blast right now."
X
Another Rachni warrior was blown apart by a point-blank blast of heated plasma as a volley of bolts burned through several more that were behind it.
Flynn raised his boot and brought it down on a worker with a wet crunch, slashing his Doom Blade through the air and taking the head off another warrior before spinning around and skewering a worker that leapt at him.
Garrus sprayed bullets into the oncoming swarm, taking out several Rachni. Taking out a grenade from his belt, the detective primed it and tossed the explosive into a clustered group. The detonation sending blood and body parts flying in all directions.
The slayer switched to his combat shotgun and began firing sticky grenades in a wide arc. Several explosions shook the room and took out dozens of insects and wounded others. He followed up by launching a couple grenades from his equipment launcher, causing more of the Rachni to become nothing more than smoldering remains.
Seeing Garrus struggling behind him, Flynn spun around, pulling the Turian down and firing an ice bomb into the swarm. Over a dozen of the Rachni were frozen in their tracks, only to be shattered when the slayer slammed a blood punch into the floor, the shockwave breaking them like cheap glass.
The bodies of the attacking bugs began to pile up, the duo continuing to stand back to back as they killed all that got within range.
Garrus was starting to feel fatigue settling in, the constant fighting starting to take its toll. But at the same time he was feeling a rush that he never remembered experiencing before. Something primal as he cut down the Rachni around him.
His rifle overheated for what felt like the hundredth time and he growled, dropping the weapon and taking out his pistol with his right hand and activating his omni-tool on his left. A glowing-orange blade unfolding from the projection that he used to cut off the tentacle of a Rachni warrior before shooting it in the head.
Flynn watched the detective and felt a boost in respect as the 'by-the-book' cop went into a type of battle rage as he fought. His hand snapped out and grabbed a bug by the neck, a sharp twist and a pull ripping the creature's head off.
The battle seemed to last hours, but in reality it only went on for another five minutes or so before the swarm had stopped coming. The broken, burned and bullet riddled corpses of the Rachni were piled high around the lab, a couple still twitching a moment longer before going still.
Looking around at all the death, Flynn reloaded what weapons he needed to before casting a glance at Garrus who was breathing heavily. Reaching out and holding the Turian's shoulder, the detective looked up and nodded.
"I'm good...Damn, how do you fight like that all the time?" Garrus asked as he got his second wind.
Practice from countless years of combat. The slayer signed. You get used to it.
"I think I'll stick to what I know, unless the situation calls for it." the Turian replied as they made their way back to the elevator. "At least the Rachni down here are dealt with. Maybe now the security keeping the survivors alive can breathe a little easier."
Reaching the upper level, the duo disembarked and made their way to the barracks. Only to be stopped by Ventralis and his team. "I apologize, gentlemen. But I'm afraid I cannot allow you entry. We have direct orders from Matriarch Benezia." his men raised their weapons only for the Captain to find his head encased in Flynn's powerful grip.
The slayer brought out his double-barrel and blasted the guard on the man's left while Garrus put down the other. Ventralis' shouts of alarm were muffled by his hand, his hands trying in vain to break free as Flynn applied more pressure until a loud crunch silenced him. His limbs going slack before he was dropped to the floor, blood escaping his ears, nose and eyes from having his skull crushed.
"Should have known these guys would stay on Benezia's payroll." said Garrus. Flynn nodded when they heard gunfire coming from the barracks. Charging through the door, they found the rest of the team trading bullets with the rest of the security personnel who had turned on them.
Flynn dashed forward, closing the distance between him and three guards. Stabbing his Doom Blade through one's back and using him as a shield when the others turned their weapons on him. Blowing the head off another with his super shotgun and then using the meat hook to grab the last guard and drag him forward where he punched him hard enough to shatter his shields and remove his head from his shoulders in a splash of grey matter.
A couple of Geth drones flew into the open space and opened fire on the team, but were brought down with a combination of biotics and gunfire.
"What just happened?" asked Jane once the fighting was done. "We came back to check on the folks here when the guards just started shooting."
"Ventralis was on the take with Benezia." said Garrus, "The second we finished with the Rachni in the labs they tried to gun us down too. Guess no one up here can be trusted."
"Doesn't matter. The snake said Benezia came through here." said Wrex. "I say we track the bitch down and finish this."
Shepard nodded before casting a glance over at Liara. The young Asari had her eyes closed taking deep breaths as she attempted to calm herself. "You don't have to do this, Liara The four of us can handle it if you're not ready to." said Jane letting her compassionate nature out.
"No, I am fine." said Liara, opening her eyes and glaring at the doorway that had a sign marked 'Restricted'. "I need to face her, and understand why she's doing this." She felt a large hand on her arm and looked at Flynn who gave her an encouraging nod. The young Asari smiled back in thanks.
Preparing themselves for what they might face, the team traversed the empty halls and up a large flight of steps. The door at the top opening for them as they entered a large room surrounded by walkways suspended above the floor below with doors in each corner.
A large glass containment unit sat in the center and held a large Rachni. And standing in front of the container on top of a high rise in the walkways facing the glass was Matriarch Benezia. Who
stared at the Queen not even acknowledging their presence before speaking.
"You do not know the privilege of being a mother. There is power in creation. To shape a life. Turn it toward happiness or despair." she said without emotion. "Her children were to be ours. Raised to hunt and slay Saren's enemies."
She turned to the group, her gaze going to each of them before centering on the tall human in armor. "I see Saren's intel was correct. The Slayer has returned to our universe after so many eons. I see now why he was so concerned with the path of death and destruction he leaves in his wake."
Flynn narrowed his eyes at the Matriarch as she turned her attention to Liara next;
"I won't be moved by fear, nore sympathy. No matter who you bring into this confrontation." said Benezia while looking back to the Commander.
"Liara's here because she wants to be. Not because I asked her to." said Jane sticking up for Liara. "And I couldn't keep Flynn from a fight no matter what I do."
Benezia narrowed her eyes, "Indeed? What have you told them about me, Liara?" she asked, leering at her only child.
"What could I say, mother?" asked Liara, her voice cracking slightly. "That you're insane? Evil? Should I explain how to kill you? What could I say?!"
The Matriarch didn't respond to her child's words, instead looking back at Shepard. "Have you ever faced an Asari Commando unit before, Commander? Few Humans have." she said darkly.
"I can't believe you'd kill your own daughter." said Jane disgusted.
Benezia's eyes darkened as her biotics flared, "I now realize I should have been stricter with her." She shot her hand out, freezing the group in stasis as doors opened around the room and Asari and Geth began to enter with guns drawn as they converged on the helpless team.
Flynn felt his blood boil, his vision tinting red while his body began to vibrate. Memories of his capture and imprisonment in Hell overtaking his thoughts when the biotic attack struck. Indoctrinated or not, the bitch had the audacity to try and trap him?! He refused to be caged!
NEVER AGAIN!
[Doom Eternal OST "The only thing they fear, is you." by Mick Gordon]
Red electricity crackled along his frame before he broke the biotic stasis in an explosion of raw power. The following shockwave breaking the stasis cast over the others and sending them and everyone/thing around them to the floor.
The slayer stood, fists clenched at his sides and shaking. His rage overcame him as he launched himself at the Asari Commandos and Geth units that were trying to regain their bearings. Not even bothering with his arsenal as he grabbed a Geth trooper and ripped it in half.
One of the Asari raised her shotgun, but was grabbed by the neck and thrown into the side of the containment unit in the center of the room. Her purple blood splashing across the surface as her broken body fell to the ground below.
Bullets ricochet off the Praetor suit from different directions, but to the slayer it was nothing but white noise over the rush of his boiling blood in his ears. Extending his Doom Blade, he grabbed a Geth by the head before removing it from the rest of the synthetic's body. He then spun around and sliced a Commando's throat open, the Asari grabbing at the gushing opening before being kicked into two of her sisters, sending all of them plummeting over the edge of the walkway.
Shepard and the others had managed to get back to their feet in time to see Flynn tearing his way through Benezia's escort. A Commando screamed as her arm had been broken, a shard of bone sticking out of her elbow that was then jammed through her eye into her brain.
Several other Asari looked to be hesitating seeing their sisters dying in such a way. But they never had a chance to reconsider as the slayer was on them in an instant. Knocking one to the floor where her skull was crushed beneath his fist. His Doom Blade slashed upward, slicing through another Commando's armor and chest open where he then grabbed the edges and ripped her ribcage open. Exposing her organs and spraying blood and bits of torn flesh.
Turning his attention to a squad of Geth that entered the room, Flynn cracked his knuckles before meeting them head on.
To those on the sidelines, it became obvious that the slayer had entered a berserk state and the chances of stopping him were less than zero. Instead, Shepard and the rest of the team had focused on dealing with any stragglers while he dealt with the bulk of their forces.
On her raised platform, Benezia pulled herself back to her feet. Her headdress having been knocked off when her stasis had been shattered with a thin line of blood dripping from her nose. The haze that had been shrouding her mind for a while now had been broken, her eyes looking on as the slayer viciously slaughtered her acolytes and the synthetics that had been assigned to protect her.
For the first time in her many centuries of life, the Matriarch felt fear. True, unbridaled, primal fear. The many stories she had been taught in her youth coming to the forefront of her mind. This wasn't a man, this wasn't a mortal...this was a god made flesh. One that had earned Athame's favor. Soaked in the blood of his enemies and the embodiment of rage and vengeance.
Saren's manipulating words quickly became nothing but a distant afterthought when Benezia realized the full weight of the situation she was in.
Flynn slammed his fist into a Geth trooper's back and ripped out its synthetic spine with the head still attached when the effects of his berserker rage began to fade. Tossing the head aside, he stomped past the many bodies he'd left scattered along the walkway. Shepard and the others had finished the few survivors that had either kept their distance from him or had just arrived as he climbed the steps to the center platform.
Benezia saw his approach and scrambled away in terror until her back hit the console by the containment unit. Eyes wide with sweat dripping down her brow.
"It truly is you..." she whispered as the slayer loomed over her. His eyes burning into hers, filled with a fury that was legendary. His Doom Blade extended with an ominous 'shink' making her flinch with the knowledge that her death would soon be upon her.
"Flynn wait!" Flynn paused, looking over his shoulder to see Liara and Shepard standing there, Wrex and Garrus not too far away standing guard in case reinforcements arrived. The young Asari had her gaze centered on her mother while the Commander's was on him.
"We still need to know what she was doing for Saren, and Liara needs answers." Jane said, hoping to diffuse the living atomic bomb.
The slayer looked from her to Liara who in turn gave him a pleading look back. Sighing, he retracted his wrist blade and took a couple steps back, allowing them to approach the Matriarch who kept him within her visual range.
"Mother...why?" Liara asked, kneeling by the older Asari's side.
Benezia finally turned to her daughter, the fear in her eyes fading a little. "Li-Liara...I…" she shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "You need to listen, you and the Commander both. Saren has been whispering in my mind, his indoctrination was strong, I couldn't hope to fight it."
"Indoctrination? What are you talking about?" asked Shepard.
"Saren has the ability to manipulate others to his whim. I was able to lock away part of my mind, saving it for the right moment where I could use it against him. It was freed thanks to…" the Matriarch sent a fleeting glance at Flynn before continuing. "But I do not know how long it will last."
"Are you saying he brainwashed you?" asked Liara.
Benezia nodded, "I'm not sure how. But it is his flagship, Sovereign. It is a dreadnought of incredible size and it's power is extraordinary."
"I've seen it." said Jane, "It's unlike any ship ever recorded. Where did he get it?"
"I cannot say. The Geth did not build it. It's technology is far more advanced than that of any known species." explained the Matriarch. "The more you stay aboard, the more Saren's will seems correct. You sit at his feet as his words pour over you. It's subtle at first. I thought I was strong enough to resist. Instead I became a willing tool, eager to serve."
The Commander became serious, "Why did he send you here? What was he after?"
"Saren sent me here to acquire the location of the Mu Relay. It's position was lost thousands of years ago." Benezia answered. She looked over at the Rachni Queen within the containment unit, "Two thousand years ago, the Rachni inhabited the area where the relay now resides. The Rachni can share memories across generations. Queens inherit the knowledge of their mothers. I took the knowledge from the Queen...I was not gentle." she said with sorrow in her tone.
"Why does Saren need the Mu Relay? Does it have anything to do with the Conduit?" asked Shepard.
"He believes it will lead him to it, yes. But that is all he shared with me, I was only a servant to his cause. Nothing more." said the Matriarch.
"It's not too late to make this right, Mother." Liara cut in, "We can still stop Saren, together."
Benezia nodded, bringing up her omni-tool and hitting a few keys before the Commander's omni-tool chimed. "I just sent you the information. You must hurry, I sent it to Saren before you arrived." she looked solemn, "I was not myself. I should have been stronger, should have stopped...him...UGH!" she gripped the sides of her head as the indoctrination began to regain its hold.
"Mother!" Liara shouted. "What's happening?!"
"It...His voice is at my ear! Fingers on my spine! I...I can't…" the Matriarch gritted out, fighting with all her strength against the intrusion in her mind.
"Fight him! I can't lose you! Please!" he daughter begged.
"I...I'm sorry...I…" Benezia went silent, her head slumping forward.
Shepard and Liara looked to one another briefly, "Benezia?/Mother?" they asked.
Without warning, a blast of biotic power sent them both flying backwards, landing at the foot of the steps where Garrus and Wrex rushed to them.
On the platform, Benezia rose to her feet, her eyes dark with a sneer on her lips as her biotics flared. "You all will die here." she all but growled as she charged another attack-
Only to have Flynn to step in her path. She barely had a second to register his appearance before a sharp pain flared in her stomach. Looking down, she found the slayer's Doom Blade stabbed into her, the tip coming out her back.
The world around them slowed to a near crawl as the Matriarch looked up into the slayer's visor. And once again her mind was cleared when their gazes locked.
Both of them knew the truth. No matter how hard she fought, her mind wouldn't be able to come back from the indoctrination. She'd be a threat to anyone around her, even if she managed to suppress the control, she'd be nothing more than a time bomb waiting to go off.
A look of gratitude reflected in Benezia's blue eyes while his grey ones looked back in understanding. Flynn retracted his blade and carefully laid her on the floor. Even though he was pissed at what she had done and tried to do, she wasn't in control of her actions. And did anything in her power to help them in the end.
To him, she didn't deserve his usual brand of brutality.
"Mother!" Liara shouted, running up and dropping down beside her.
"It is alright, Liara." Benezia said softly. "My mind would never be my own again after Saren's machinations. At least now I can be free."
Tears streamed down the younger Asari's face. Her mother's hand reached up and wiped them away. "I have always loved you, my Little Wing. Never forget that I have never been more proud to be your mother." said the Matriarch warmly.
She turned her gaze to the slayer, "I have no right to ask anything of you. But please, as a mother's last wish, watch over my little girl."
Flynn's expression couldn't be seen, but he gave a small nod. A silent promise to the dying Asari. Benezia smiled with the knowledge her child would be safe before going limp, her head rolling to the side as the life left her.
Liara bowed her head, eyes clenched as she sobbed quietly. Flynn reached forward and gently closed Benezia's eyes as Shepard, Garrus and Wrex joined them. The Commander kneeling beside the young Asari who buried her face into her shoulder as she cried.
The slayer stood up, turning his attention to the Rachni Queen's cell and stepping toward it. A few feet away, a dead Asari with a missing arm began to twitch and crawl to its feet.
Inside the containment unit, the Queen screeched at the approaching human before he spun around, super shotgun appearing in his hand with both barrels aimed at the head of the resurrected Commando.
"This one...serves as our voice. We cannot sing. Not in these low spaces. Your musics are colorless..." spoke the Asari in a broken, echoing voice.
"Musics?" Jane asked. She, Garrus and Wrex with weapons drawn on the walking corpse.
"Your way of communicating is strange...flat. It does not color the air. When we speak, one moves all. We are the...mother. We sing for those left behind. The children you thought silenced...we are Rachni." said the corpse.
Wrex growled, clenching his shotgun. Shepard held a hand out to him, "How are you speaking through her?" she asked, motioning to the arm-less body.
"Our kind sing through touches of thought. We pluck the strings, and the other understands. She is weak to urging." the Queen explained through her puppet. "She has colors we have no names for. But she is ending. Her music is bittersweet. It is beautiful."
The corpse swung its head around and looked at Flynn, "But, none can compare to yours. We attempted to touch your strings, a violent symphony of reds, yellows and purples. Your cords sing of...destruction and rage that burns hotter than the stars themselves. It does not need words, it is magnificent."
The slayer tilted his head, but kept his double barrel aimed forward. It wasn't every day something complimented his rage, it was actually more than a little odd he had to admit.
"None of you are in harmony with those who hoped to control us." the Queen said to everyone. "What will you sing? Will you release us? Or are we to fade away to the silence of memory once more?"
"There are tanks of acid above that can kill anything. I say melt the thing." Wrex grunted bluntly. More than willing to end the Rachni once again.
"We can't just bring a species to extinction like this, Wrex." Garrus argued. "We can't damn them for what the previous generations had done."
"Garrus is right." Liara spoke up, still at her mother's side. "She hasn't done anything to us. We can't kill her for what she is or what the Rachni had done in the past."
Jane turned to the corpse, "What of your children? The ones taken from you?"
"They were stolen before they could learn to sing. They are lost to the silence. You have freed them of their pain. An act we thank you for." said the Queen.
"And your plans? Will you remain peaceful?" asked the Commander.
"No. We...I do not know what happened in the war. We only heard discordance, songs the color of oily shadows." answered the Queen. "We would seek a hidden place to teach our children harmony. If they understand, perhaps we would return."
The mention of 'oily shadows' had Flynn glancing at Benezia. More than likely being the only one that saw the similarities. Another species falling victim to an advanced race beyond their understanding, something he knows and has learned very well.
Shepard looked to be thinking things over, weighing the pros and cons of the decision she was about to make and the consequences of said decision.
But to the slayer, there was only one option.
Lowering his gun, Flynn approached the console and slammed his fist down on a switch.
"Flynn?! What did you-" Shepard's words were cut off when the unit containing the Rachni Queen began to raise. Locking in place, one of the walls opened, allowing the last Rachni her freedom.
The large insect looked down, her eyes meeting the slayer's who motioned with his head for her to get going. The Queen warbled before scuttling into the opening and disappearing from sight. The Asari corpse she had been using to communicate collapsed to the food, the connection severing with her departure.
"What the hell did you do, Taggart?!" Wrex bellowed, unable to believe what he had just witnessed. Flynn walked past them, kneeling down on Benezia's other side before scooping the Matriarch's body into his arms. He then began making his way toward the exit, Liara at his side.
It had been one of the few times he had shown mercy, and he didn't feel like being interrogated about it.
Shepard watched him depart before turning back to the empty cell that held the Rachni Queen. She'd been all for sparing her, but the slayer had beaten her to the punch.
"I guess our resident killing machine has a bit of mercy in him after all." said Garrus in approval.
"It was a mistake. Don't know what was going through his head, but like I said before; We Krogan ain't saving the council from them a second time." Wrex said before stomping off after the first two.
The Commander had a smile spread across her face. Mistake or not, she knew Flynn did the right thing. Her earlier discussion with Liara came back, and she realized how right they both were.
There was definitely a lot more to the slayer than met the eye.
A/N: Shepard has no idea.
I know a lot of people wanted me to spare Benezia, and I would have been more than happy to if Flynn had the ability to do so. The Slayer was created for killing demons and crushing Hell beneath his boot, which was one of the reasons why I merged the consciousness of my OC insert with that of the slayer, giving more depth to the character than just a silent killing machine.
Some may hate me for it, but you can't please everyone I suppose.
Also, even though Benezia was able to fight off the indoctrination, there is no coming back from it in the end. Much like what happened to Rana in the news feeds you read in ME3. In a way, Benezia's death was a mercy to keep her from hurting anyone else. And she had accepted it in the end.
I should have mentioned that there might be a couple OOC moments throughout the story. As much as I want to stick to straight up canon, I think a little mix up here and there in dialogue makes for an interesting fic.
The next chapter will be a bit more of a canon diversion, but there will be more build up between Flynn and Liara which will lead to what everyone is expecting. So stay tuned.
PS; I read the notes regarding to an error or two to a couple past chapters and I am in the process of making the amendments. Thanks for finding them and letting me know so I can fix them up.