I decided to release this early since I won't have time this weekend.

An Eye For An Eye

Normandy, 2185, September 20th 7:58 AM

Entering the armoury, I spot Jacob by one of the tables, examining a pistol. It's been a few days since I was allowed to do anything on the ship. Now that my shoulder is mostly healed, I'm ready to finally have a sense of normality.

"Hey, boss," I greet as I walk up to the table, trying not to sound too eager.

"Shepard told me you were cleared for work." He glances up at me. "Honestly, I didn't think you'd come back so soon."

"You act like I hate it here." I notice all the weapons on the table. "Maintenance?"

He nods. "Yeah."

I pick up Riley's M-8 Avenger, letting out a sigh of relief. "Feels good to move my arm without pain."

"I bet." Jacob chuckles. "And I have good news, your upgrade was approved."

"Fuck yes." I place Riley's weapon down since it doesn't need anything.

He smiles at me. "We'll be picking it up on Illium."

"Illium? It would have to be Nos Astra, right? Why there?" I've been to Nos Astra a few times. Great stores, clubs, uh laws. Seems a bit out of the way just for an upgrade though.

"Yeah, Nos Astra," Jacob confirms. "We'll be there in a week or so. I can't say much about why, but we have to make some stops along the way. Zaeed put in a request."

"Zaeed?" I scrunch my nose up. "What did he want?"

He shrugs. "He wants to go to Zorya, I don't know the specifics. You could go ask him."

Zorya? Why would Zaeed want to go there? "I may go find him. I want in."

"You don't even know what he wants." He raises an eyebrow. "Besides, are you even cleared for missions?"

"Full bill of health." I run a hand over an M-300 Claymore, Grunt's I believe. "Cleared for all active duty as of today. Chakwas seal of approval."

He smiles at that. "All right. Just don't go falling off buildings any time soon."

I wave a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah." Everyone was understanding about the incident, even though some of them gave me shit for it, mostly Jack. "Thanks for fixing the thruster."

He picks up another weapon, giving it a closer inspection. "Don't mention it."

The room goes silent for a while, the only sound being our tools as we work on different armaments. There's a lot of them, and most crew mates have more than one. I'm sure Jack keeps her weapon of choice in her room somewhere. Which I'm pretty sure is the M-27 Scimitar that's mysteriously gone missing.

"I can't wait to get that scram pulsar," I mention, filling the silence.

Jacob laughs at that. "At least it'll give me a good look at your mantis."

I look up at him, my eyes narrowing. "Why?"

He shrugs, meeting my gaze. "It's modified, right?"

"Yeah, by me." I don't like where he's going with this. "Like it will continue to be."

He shakes his head. "I won't touch it, I just want a look."

"Sure." Why am I agreeing to this? "Under my supervision."

Jacob smiles. "Of course."

I nod and lower my eyes back onto the weapon in my hand. At least we're on the same page about that.

Normandy, 2185, September 20th 4:23 PM

The stench hits me as I step into the starboard cargo hold. I wrinkle my nose. "You're actually next to the garbage disposal," I remark, pausing by the door.

Zaeed turns towards me, his expression shifting to annoyance. "What do you want, Ward?"

Walking across the room, I stand a few feet away from him, taking note of the scattered items around the hold. "Straight to the point, you never change."

"Yeah." He leans back against the wall. "Well, I've run out of patience lately." His eyes narrow at me.

"Then I'll make it quick." I cross my arms defensively. "You requested a mission, I want to come along."

He straightens up at that, seeming a bit curious. "And why is that?"

I've run into Zaeed a lot on Omega, mainly on jobs where we had the same target. Or, jobs where he was hired to protect my target. I may not know him that well, but what I do know is something's bothering him.

"I wanted to offer my help." I shrug, meeting his gaze.

"Come on, Ward." He takes a step closer, his voice low. "We both know that's not the reason." He gives me a smug smirk. "You want to prove yourself after that fuck up on the last mission."

"You don't know anything." He's getting on my nerves.

"I know why you're here." He sneers at me. "Cerberus has credits, lots of them."

"Is that what you think?" I ask, my voice tight as I try to keep my cool.

He walks over, invading my personal space. "You can't fool me, I know you."

Stepping back, I feel anger building up. "Go fuck yourself." I storm towards the door.

His chuckle follows me, echoing in the small room, and without looking back, I flip him off. Asshole.

Normandy, 2185, September 20th 9:26 PM

Stepping out of the shower, I felt a lot better. Which was much needed after working out with Jack, her idea for dealing with anger. Not that I care what Zaeed thinks. He's right that I want to prove myself after Horizon, but not about the credits.

I quickly dry off and slip into some comfortable old clothes for the evening. Gathering my stuff, I open the bathroom door, noticing Riley standing by the fish tank. I didn't expect her back so soon.

"Hey, Riles," I greet, nodding towards the bathroom. "Shower's all yours if you need it."

"In a minute." She presses the feeder button on the fish tank before turning to me. "You're coming on a mission tomorrow."

Uh, okay. I won't argue with that. "What mission?" I close the distance between us.

"Zaeed requested you for a mission on Zorya." She hands me a datapad. "We're liberating an EAE refinery from the Blue Suns." Of course, Zaeed always has a thing for them.

"Are you sure he asked for me?" He didn't seem to want my help. "Why?"

She shrugs. "He didn't say."

Bullshit. "That bastard."

Riley raises an eyebrow, her interest being piqued. "Should I be concerned about something?"

"No." I shake my head. "Zaeed is just being an ass."

She crosses her arms. "Explain."

I sigh, starting to feel frustrated again. "He just thinks he knows me. He implied I'm just here for the credits." If I wanted more credits, I would have stayed on Omega.

She nods. "Okay, why are you here?" She gives me a curious look as the question hangs between us.

That's a loaded question. Why am I here? The answer is obvious. "Archangel's here." I keep my face neutral.

She visibly deflates but recovers quickly. "And that's why you're not allowed near him."

"Yeah, yeah." I wave her off, walking past her to the stairs. "I'm waiting for everything to be done and dusted."

Behind me, I heard her sigh. "Just get up early tomorrow. We leave at seven."

Normandy, 2185, September 21st 6:54 AM

Besides the pilot preparing the shuttle, Zaeed is the only one in the shuttle bay. He's leaning against some crates, observing the pilot. I'm surprised Riley wasn't the first here, or at the very least, that she didn't beat me here.

"Hey, asshole!" I call out to Zaeed, making my way over to him. "What changed your mind?"

"I don't remember saying you couldn't come," he clarifies, crossing his arms.

"Oh." He's not wrong, maybe I overreacted yesterday. "I guess you didn't." Well, that's embarrassing.

"Lighten up, Ward." He gives me a smirk. "I had every intention of bringing you along."

"You did?" I raise an eyebrow, I'm genuinely surprised. "Why?"

He gestures nonchalantly toward the elevator. "Unlike the others, I know what you're capable of. You get things done, no matter what."

"Ah, yeah. Thanks." I'm not used to Zaeed complimenting me, at least I think that's what that was.

The sound of the elevator opening behind me shifts my attention, and I turn to see Riley stepping out. She scans the bay before fixing her gaze on us.

"Everyone's here," she announces. "Let's get to it."

"About time," Zaeed grumbles, following Riley's lead as she approaches us.

As we all board the shuttle, Riley starts a conversation with the pilot, leaving me to take a seat across from Zaeed. For some reason, it feels more claustrophobic than last time. I think I'm actually nervous.

I knew from the start that this whole mission was dangerous. Getting hurt is inevitable. I can't let it bother me, I have to show Riley that recruiting me wasn't a mistake.

Then there's the lingering thought I've been ignoring. The Reapers, the collectors... it's all true. How are we supposed to fight something like that? We don't stand a chance, not by ourselves anyway.

"You alright?" Riley's voice pulls me from my thoughts as she settles beside me.

"Yeah, just thinking." I turn to face her. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

She pats me on the shoulder. "What's on your mind?"

"After what happened on the last mission." I pause for a moment, trying to figure out how to ask. "Would you train me?"

She raises her eyebrows in surprise before smiling. "We can start tomorrow."

I give her a nod, and we fall into silence as the shuttle heads toward the refinery. As we land in a small clearing, I step out, observing the plumes of smoke rising into the sky.

"And it was almost a perfect place for a resort," I comment before checking my mantis one last time.

"Vex," Riley warns sternly.

"I know, I know. I'm taking it seriously." I roll my eyes, stowing away my sniper.

Zaeed opens his omni-tool, pressing a few buttons. "Tapping into Blue Suns communications. Stay tight, and look out for ambushes."

The shuttle starts to leave as we begin walking down a pathway between the thick trees. There are a lot of great spots to bunker down if they send people to investigate, but knowing the Blue Suns, they wouldn't send people this far down, they would set up ambushes closer to their location.

"Squad Bravo, a shuttle landed near your location. Check it out," a voice says over my comms. I guess that's what Zaeed was tapping into.

We continue walking through the jungle until we find a small area with three bodies lying on the ground. Zaeed kneels to examine them.

"Shot in the back and left to rot," he notes before standing back up. "That's definitely Vido's style."

Seriously? "That's why we're here?" I step closer to Zaeed. "I was told about the Blue Suns, but no one mentioned the fucking king of them."

Zaeed sneers. "Well, now you know."

"Joy." I take a few steps back. Why was I kept in the dark about this? Riley should have told me.

"You didn't tell me about this," Riley points out, locking eyes with Zaeed. I guess that explains that.

"Now you both know," he deflects, waving his hand dismissively.

He starts to turn away when Riley pushes his shoulder, forcing him to face her again. "This will not happen again, understand? I need to know every detail."

"Sure." Zaeed shrugs, walking off ahead of us.

We come up to a small ledge. Climbing down, we step through some tree roots before reaching a rocky path. Can't say I love walking through the jungle.

"Command to Bravo. Take a position. Likely these people are not runaways," the voice over the comm declares. Seems they're catching on.

Walking alongside Zaeed, I lower my voice. "That wasn't cool, Massani. Riley's not Cerberus, don't keep things from her."

"Doesn't matter. I don't know her." He gives me a sideways glance.

"I know." I shrug. "But I do, and you know me, isn't that enough?"

"Why would that be enough?" He increases his pace, leaving me trailing behind.

"Report to base! Armed intruders incoming at the southern checkpoint," a new voice on the comms commands.

As we turn the corner, we see debris scattered across a small opening, revealing a wall to the right where two Blue Suns members take cover. Another enemy, closer to us, fires shots, forcing us to run for cover. With a quick scan of my visor, I see a sniper on some nearby stairs, ready to shoot.

While Zaeed and Riley engage the others, I focus on the sniper, waiting for the right moment. As shots fly around us, I squeeze the trigger, sending the sniper tumbling down the stairs. With that out of the way, Zaeed and Riley handle the rest of the Blue Suns.

Moving forward, we approach a path between some dense trees. Three more Blue Suns members, accompanied by a FENRIS mech, head toward us. They're well-armed, one even has a flamethrower, forcing us to keep our distance.

Lucky for us, the Blue Suns don't last long, allowing us to continue toward a console. There's a gap between the jungle and the refinery, so this is probably the bridge controls.

Riley activates the bridge as Vido's voice appears on the comms. "This is Commander Santiago. If any of you retreat while the intruders are still alive, I'll kill you myself."

"Cheery guy," I quip, eyes scanning the refinery. Vido Santiago, I've never met him, but his reputation appears to be correct. The ruthless founder of The Blue Suns.

"Stop the bridge," Zaeed commands, signalling Riley to stop. "Sounds like he hasn't changed."

Riley obliges, giving Zaeed a curious look. "You know him?" she asks, giving Zaeed her full attention.

Zaeed crosses his arms. "I knew he was a sadistic bastard back when we started the Blue Suns. The Suns only got meaner after he staged his little coup twenty years ago."

"You founded the Blue Suns?" I ask, the news catching me off guard.

Zaeed shrugs. "It's not common knowledge."

"Clearly." I roll my eyes. "Why?"

Zaeed's gaze meets mine. "Vido wiped me out of the records. He ran the books, I led the men. Worked real well for a while. Then Vido decided to start hiring batarians. Cheaper labour, he said. Goddamn terrorists, I said."

I don't like them either, but sheesh.

"Twenty years is a long time, Zaeed," Riley says, regaining his attention. "Way too long to hold a grudge."

"A grudge?" Zaeed is instantly in Riley's face, but she doesn't move an inch. "Vido turned my men against me. He paid six of them to restrain me while he put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger," Zaeed growls. "For twenty years, I've seen that bastard every time I closed my eyes. Every time I sighted down on a target. Every time I heard a gunshot." He backs away from her. "Don't call that a goddamned 'grudge.'"

So, that's how he lost his eye. I've always wanted to ask, but it was never any of my business. We aren't exactly friends, merely acquaintances. But, even when we were on opposite sides, we went out of our way to not seriously injure each other, we had a mutual respect for one another. I couldn't imagine that betrayal.

"You survived a gunshot to the head?" Riley's eyebrow arches, clearly sceptical.

"Yeah." A smirk plays on his lips. "And you survived your ship getting disintegrated. A stubborn enough person can survive just about anything. Rage is a hell of an anaesthetic. Isn't that right, Ward?"

Huh? Oh. I cross my arms, scowling. "If you're referring to the time I was shot in the leg, then fuck you."

Zaeed lets out a short laugh. "Funny story, you should ask her about it one day, Shepard."

"I hate Vorcha," I add, feeling annoyed by the mention of them.

"Maybe later," Riley acknowledges with a roll of her eyes. "Let's just keep moving."

She presses a button and the bridge extends with a mechanical whir, reaching the other side as Vido's voice graces us yet again. "They're at the southern access. All squads mass at the gatehouse! Now!"

"They know we're here. Bring it on, you son of a bitch!" Zaeed roars as he rushes across the bridge. Damn, he really wants Vido.

We follow him across and up some stairs that lead to a path snaking through the dense jungle. Eventually, we arrive at a giant roller door. It seems to be the only entrance from this side.

Opening my omni-tool, I approach the door, ready to hack our way in. Or-not? "It's already open." This feels like a trap.

"Then let's go," Zaeed orders, pushing me aside to open the door.

Asshole.

Inside, we're greeted by a room cluttered with piles of pipes and metal, like some kind of industrial storage room. Across from us stands another door, likely leading further into the refinery, while above us, five figures loom on a balcony. The one in the middle, Vido, steps forward.

"Zaeed Massani," Vido says. "You finally tracked me down."

"Vido," Zaeed snarls, stepping forward.

"Don't be stupid, Zaeed. I have a whole company of bloodthirsty bastards behind me, ready to kill or be killed on my command." Vido crosses his arms defiantly.

"Oh boy," I mutter under my breath. This doesn't feel good. Zaeed better not get me fucking killed.

"Actually," Vido continues. "Take your shot. Give my men a reason to put you down like the mad dog you are. Again."

A tense silence fills the room before Zaeed unleashes a roar of anger, firing his rifle wildly at the men. He breaks away from the group, darting towards some pipes on the wall.

"Zaeed!" Riley shouts through the chaos.

Zaeed doesn't land a single shot and halts his fire. But I doubt it's because of Riley.

"What was that? Gone nearsighted, old friend?" Vido taunts, chuckling to himself as the pipes beside him start to leak.

Oh.

"Burn, you son of a bitch." Zaeed takes one final shot.

Boom.

Riley nudges me as she moves to take cover behind a nearby stack of metal. I follow suit, my heart pounding with adrenaline.

A shaken Vido looks out over the railing. "You just signed your death warrant, Massani!" He turns, making a quick exit.

His men rain down gunfire at us as Zaeed pounds the pipe on the wall with the butt of his rifle. With a crack, the valve breaks, triggering a series of explosions that chain through the room. The men above us yell in pain, some even tumbling over the railing and crashing into the ground next to us.

"What the hell are you doing?" Riley demands, looking absolutely pissed off as she storms over to Zaeed.

"Opening the gate." Zaeed smirks as the room goes quiet. Besides the fire that's like everywhere now.

"No." There's anger in her voice as she confronts him. "We don't sacrifice lives. We look for a better way."

"Like what?" Zaeed challenges her, defiantly meeting Riley's gaze. "Wandering out in the jungle for hours, looking for another way in?"

I step forward, attempting to defuse the situation. "Zaeed, listen to-"

"You want to waste time out here, go ahead. I'm going to kill Vido," Zaeed interrupts, brushing me off.

Riley takes a step forward. She delivers a quick punch to Zaeed's jaw, causing him to stagger back, clutching his cheek.

"You're endangering not only our lives but the lives of innocent people. And for what? Your selfish revenge," Riley seethes.

"You really want to do this, Shepard?" Zaeed gets into a more defensive stance.

"I would love to deal with you." Riley takes a step back. "But we have a burning refinery to save."

Zaeed glares at her. "Let these people burn! Vido dies, whatever the cost!"

Riley meets his gaze. "Move out."

Annoyed, I trail behind them, stepping through the now-opened gateway onto a catwalk. Two Turian Blue Suns members stumble into view, thrown off balance by a nearby explosion. I opt to use my pistol as I help Riley and Zaeed take them out.

Pressing forward, we reach the door on the opposite end. I approach it to check for locks, but just like the last door, it's unlocked.

As we're about to enter, a frantic man appears on the railing above us, gesturing urgently for our attention. "Help! We're trapped! We can't get to the gas valves to shut them off! The whole place is going to blow!"

"No time," Zaeed declares, already turning away toward the door. "Vido's probably halfway to the shuttle docks by now."

That's it. "Are you serious?" I ask, shoving his shoulder to gain his attention. "You're willing to let them die?"

"Damn right." He meets my gaze and I can see the anger there. "We stop to help them and Vido gets away. I thought you of all people would make the right choice. Don't make me regret bringing you."

"What?" I falter. What does he mean by that?

He jabs a finger against my chest plate. "You're a damned assassin, Ward. You'll do whatever it takes to eliminate your target."

Anger rises in my chest. How dare he bring me here just so he can use me? "First off, hitman, not assassin," I correct sharply, swatting his hand away. "Second, we're saving those people. You can either come with us or go off and kill Vido alone."

We glare at each other in an intense standoff. Fuck, I'm pissed, really pissed. What kind of person does he think I am?

"We have to go now, they need us," Riley interjects, her voice cutting through the tension.

Zaeed is the first to break eye contact, turning his attention to Riley. "I'm going after Vido, no matter the cost."

Riley shakes her head, disappointed. "Then go."

Without hesitation, Zaeed rushes off through the door. I honestly can't believe him.

Riley signals with a nod before leaping over the side of the catwalk. She waits on the other side, making sure I'm following her. As I pass her, I offer a reassuring pat on the shoulder to show that I have her back.

We hack our way into the building, entering as flames roar around us. The heat presses from all sides, forcing us to put on our breathers. With determination, we continue through the smoke.

We navigate through the building, down slopes and upstairs that are slick with ash and debris. The air crackles with the sound of exploding pipes and roaring flames. With every step, I can feel the adrenaline rush through me.

As we reach a control panel, I quickly open my omni-tool, my fingers flying across the interface. It's a fuel control station, perfect. Within a moment, I reroute the fuel, but it seems there are two more stations.

We continue, heading across a bridge. Charred bodies are lying around another station, I force myself to ignore them as I focus on moving the fuel.

The building trembles beneath us, the structure groaning as we head up some more stairs. At the top, we find ourselves in front of a room behind glass. Several workers are trapped inside.

"Upstairs! The extinguishing system is upstairs!" a voice cries out from behind the pane.

Stopping in my tracks, I watch them trying to break out. I can't help but imagine what would have happened if we just ignored these people like Zaeed. He would have doomed them, I hope he's proud of himself.

"The doors won't open until the fire's out!" a woman yells, slamming a fist onto the glass.

"Come on," Riley urges, patting my shoulder. The gesture snaps me out of it, pushing me to continue.

As we move away from the trapped workers, my stomach drops as a man's panicked voice echoes behind us. "We're going to die!"

We continue until we reach the last control panel. It's easy enough to reroute as the flames flicker around us. Making the area look like some kind of hellish landscape.

Finally, we reach a small room cluttered with desks and equipment. I spot the controls for the extinguishing system further in the room. A sense of relief washes over me as I beeline for them, activating the sprinklers.

As the flames start to die down, replaced by the steady patter of water, I allow myself a moment to catch my breath. We did it, I can't believe it.

Stepping through the next door, we cross another catwalk, I spot some workers running beneath us to safety. A small smile spreads across my face at the sight. It feels good knowing we at least saved some people.

Reaching the end of the catwalk, we leap down onto a stack of boxes. I have no idea where we are, but Riley doesn't seem to have trouble navigating the area, so I follow her into the next room.

Riley gestures for me to ready my weapon as she approaches a door on the right side of the room. I raise my pistol, carefully peeking around the corner. Lockers line one of the walls, two Blue Suns members stationed beside them.

They seem oblivious to our presence, so I nod at Riley. She gives me a signal and we enter the room in unison. I raise my pistol, aiming at one of the men while Riley handles the other.

Bang.

The crack of gunfire fills the air, the sound echoing briefly before both bodies crumble to the ground.

"Clear," Riley declares, lowering her weapon.

"Guess we're going that way?" I wave a hand towards the only door that sits next to the lockers.

"Seems so." Riley moves towards it. "Let's go."

As the door opens, we're met with the sight of a massive room of machinery and vats of fuel. Doors line the walls with a single exit across from us. Further inside, Zaeed is fighting a bunch of the Blue Suns, some of which turn to us.

We scramble for cover as bullets rain down on us. Riley seems to keep her composure, I can't help but wonder what her plan is for getting us out of this mess.

"You brought Shepard with you, and you still don't have a chance," Vido's taunting voice crackles over the comms.

"Fucking rude, I'm not even worth an honourable mention," I quip, swapping out my pistol for my mantis.

We trade gunfire as Vido continues to shit-talk us. It's clear he's trying to provoke Zaeed, and unfortunately, it's working.

"That bastard!" Zaeed roars, hurling a grenade towards some of the Blue Suns.

"Get ready, Zaeed!" Vido announces. "Here it comes!" Great, what now?

A massive tank attached to the ceiling begins to move, spewing flames as it advances towards Zaeed. That's not good.

"Vex, help me shoot that thing down!" Riley commands.

Nodding in acknowledgment, I focus my fire on the tank. We better shoot that thing down quickly, I only have so much ammo. Every shot counts, and I can't afford to miss now. I've always taken my time to aim, but right now, there's no room for hesitation.

The tank releases, engulfing a group of Blue Suns in flames as it crashes to the ground, the explosion sending shockwaves through the air. As the smoke clears, a silence settles, broken only by the crackle of flames.

"Is it over?" I peer from behind cover. My heart sinks as I catch sight of a YMIR mech stirring to life on the opposite side of the room. "Spoke too soon."

Quickly, I retrieve a disruptor round and load it into my sniper. Locking eyes with Riley, I gesture towards the mech. Her nod of confirmation is all I need to spring into action.

Rushing out of cover, I fire the shot into the mech before getting behind one of the fuel vats and reloading another round. My next shot causes the mech to flicker with electricity.

Zaeed throws another grenade as Riley peppers it with gunfire. Moments later, the mech erupts in an explosion, pieces of it scattering across the room.

Without missing a beat, Zaeed is already charging to the door. Riley darts after him, leaving me no choice but to follow. We can't afford to let Zaeed do something else that's reckless.

We exit the building, finding ourselves on the shuttle dock. An airship is overhead, already turning to leave. Seems we're too late.

"Not this time, Zaeed, you son of a bitch! See you in another twenty years!" Vido taunts over the comms.

Zaeed charges to the edge of the dock, shouting like a madman as he unleashes a barrage of shots at the escaping airship. Some of them seem to hit the ship as it disappears over the distant horizon, hidden by the trees.

He quickly reloads before turning his attention to us, his weapon trained on Riley as she readies her pistol. I reach for mine, but a sudden realisation causes me to freeze. I look down at the puddle beside Zaeed's discarded heatsink.

He says something I'm not focusing on and takes a step forward, accidentally kicking it into the puddle. My eyes go wide as I realise what it is, fuel.

"Watch out!" I shout, diving out of the way just as it ignites.

An explosion erupts through the air, debris raining down around me as I lay prone, shielding my head.

"Son of a bitch!" Zaeed's voice echoes through the smoke. At least he's still alive.

Pushing myself to my feet, I scan the aftermath. Zaeed lies a few feet away, legs pinned beneath a beam, but otherwise, he seems fine. Riley stands nearby, staring at him.

"Zaeed, you good?" I inquire, eyeing the beam. It shouldn't be too difficult to move.

When he doesn't respond, Riley strides over and crouches beside him. "Are you?" she asks, her expression unreadable.

"The hell do you care? I'm fine. Now come on. Get me out of this shithole." Zaeed sounds frustrated as he struggles against the beam trapping him.

Riley responds with a casual shrug. "After what you did today, I don't think I want you on my ship, Zaeed."

What is she doing? I'm mad too, but we can't just leave him here. "Riley-" I begin to interject, but she raises a hand to silence me.

"If you didn't need me, Cerberus wouldn't have paid my fee," Zaeed counters. "I'll do what I was paid to do. Nothing more, nothing less. Now stop screwing around! Let's go."

"You were selfish, you put us in danger." Riley raises to her feet. "You put the mission in danger. People died, Zaeed."

He scoffs at her. "I've survived this long watching my own back. No time to worry about anyone else-"

His words are cut short as Riley draws her pistol, levelling it at his head.

I take a step forward, this can't continue. "What are you-"

"Vex!" she snaps, halting me, her eyes locking onto mine with a warning. I step back instinctively as she returns her gaze to Zaeed. "You're on my team. If we don't work together, then we can't pull this off. And if we don't pull this off, no one wins."

"You-" Zaeed's eyes fall. "You have a point."

"Good." Riley holsters her weapon.

She gestures for me to help with the beam, and I hurry to her side. Together, we lift it enough for Zaeed to shuffle out. Riley extends a hand to help him up, which he accepts without hesitation.

"I'm not done with Vido, but I can put that behind me long enough to get your mission done," Zaeed agrees, looking out over the trees one last time. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Normandy, 2185, September 21st 1:32 PM

Digging into my bowl of stew, I let out a satisfied sigh. I've been waiting for this for hours, I'm starving. Gardner may be the weirdest guy ever, but at least his food is good... mostly.

About halfway through my meal, Riley appears at the table. She settles across from me, her gaze fixed on me, but she remains quiet. It's getting awkward, so I stop eating and meet her stare.

"Vex," she finally speaks up. "Can I have a word?"

Setting down my spoon, I nod. "Sure thing, Riles."

"Come with me." She gets up from her seat. I do as I'm told and follow her as we head across the crew deck to the starboard observation area. We step inside, silently waiting as the door closes behind us.

"What's up?" I wait casually, sliding my hands into my pockets.

She turns to face me, a serious expression etched on her face. "Vex, I'm the Commander of this ship and what you did today was unacceptable."

"What I did today?" I question, genuinely confused.

"On the docks," she elaborates. "I want my crew to speak their minds, but you need to stop questioning me, I know what I'm doing." She puts her hands behind her back, something I've only seen her do when she's in official Alliance mode.

Is she serious? "What did you expect me to do? I thought you were going to shoot him."

She narrows her eyes. "If that's what you believed, then you don't truly know me."

"You're right, I don't know you." I meet her eyes. "Thirteen years is a long time, Riley. That's literally half my life. We've both changed. I'm not even the same person I was last month." Stepping forward, I continue. "Zaeed thought I'd stand by and let those people die, and maybe I would have considered it before, but not now. Not the person I've become."

Riley's hands fall to her sides, surprise flickering across her face. "Vex, I-"

"No, I'm not done," I interrupt. "I used to think I had the perfect life. It was carefree, I had credits, women, and a great friend." I pause, trying to compose myself. "But when Archangel killed Nulan, I dropped everything to get revenge. It consumed me just like it has Zaeed, but I don't want that. I refuse to let it control me."

Riley's eyes grow softer as she listens to me. "I know a lot of time has passed. I don't know what you've been through since you left Earth, but I know you're not a bad person, Vex."

"When I left the Reds, I wanted to be someone Jay would be proud of." I lower my head. "Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of that. But meeting you again has shown me that I can be better."

Riley cracks a small smile. "So, I'll ask again. Why are you here?"

I look up. Why is she asking me that again? I told her it was because Archangel was here, which is true, but maybe there's more to it. I still want it, I would give up almost anything for it. Just not this, not at the expense of becoming the person I always wanted to be.

With tears threatening to escape, I offer my response, "I want a second chance."

Placing her hand on my shoulder, Riley gives it a gentle squeeze. "Jay would be proud of you."

Fuck. I fight to contain my emotions, but a few tears betray me, trickling down my cheeks. "I hope so."

"I know so." She smiles and pulls me into a comforting hug.

Thank you for reading.