Loose trash and open garbage bags littered the whole of the apartment. Scattered across the tables were empty bottles that one would assume contained some sort of alcohol from the smell of them. If you could get past the smell of the garbage, that is. Some of the lights were long since burned out and others were flickering on occasion. The kitchen sink was a mountain of dirty and broken dishes; atop it was what looked like broccoli with hair growing out of it.
Wait… Nope, that's a sylvoku wing. (Sort of like a dextro chicken that's native to Palaven) Also gross.
Standing in the center of this pigsty, Zavala couldn't help but gag with every breath. The stench was so ripe, his eyes started watering. The last time he smelled something this rancid was when he infiltrated a Hive den on Uranus. Pun not intended. Even Targe couldn't stand the odor, and Ghosts didn't even have noses.
Who in the world could ever live in such filth? Zavala looked to the bar top in the kitchen. A lone turian was found bent over the surface, hands covering his face as he wept. There was a scar etched into the right of his mandible.
Garrus.
He was half naked, dressed in only his trousers. The plates across his body were dry and cracked, very poor density. Garrus reeked of booze. The way he would hiccup every now and again indicated that he was drunk, and heavily. There was also a small bottle next to him on the counter. The contents were some small tablets, each one had the image of a turian with spiral eyes and a happy smile. Hallex. Garrus had to have been hammered by now.
Zavala gazed at the turian in shock. Such a sorry state for someone who seemed so strong. What could have caused him to end up like this?
Although, deep down, he may have already known the answer to that.
"I'm sorry…"
The uneasy sound of his voice ticked Zavala. Such hopelessness… So much as two words felt like they weighed two thousand d pounds.
"I'm so sorry, Shepard…"
Garrus sobbed into his hands. Salty tears flooded from his eyes, crashing onto the bar top like droplets of rain that poured endlessly.
"It's all my fault… I should have gone with you…"
He stood up off the bar, fists clenched together tightly. The talons on his fingertip dig into the soft flesh of his hands and blue blood trickled from in between his fingers.
"If I didn't get my damned leg snagged..! I could have..!"
Garrus' eyes darted towards the empty liquor bottle beside him. A rage ignited within his soul, one fueled by self loathing. He reached over to grab it by the neck, then threw it with all his might across the apartment.
It was heading straight at Zavala. The Titan ducked out of the way before the bottle could reach him. Instead hitting the window and shattering into fragments instantly. Garrus let out a furious screech at the top of his lungs.
"FUUUUUUUCK!"
The fringe atop his head was fully erect out of anger. His fangs visible for the world to see. Garrus panted heavily in his fit of anger. It soon vanished, replaced by sorrow once again. He was a total mess. A destroyed apartment. Self neglect. Random fits of mood swings. He was falling apart. All Garrus wanted was the pain to stop, once and for all.
He got his salvation. A krogan hunting knife.
Garrus picked up the large serrated blade. Wrex had given him this knife as a gift, in case he ever needed it. Week, he had never needed it more than he did at this moment. Garrus inhaled deeply, then looked up at the ceiling.
"See you at the bar…"
He walked over to his living room and sat at his couch. Slowly, Garrus moved the edge of the blade to his wrist and, with a quick slice into the soft flesh, his vein opened.
Zavala gasped in horror, fight or flight response kicking into overdrive. "Commander, no!" He shouted.
The Titan attempted to grab hold of Garrus, but his hand just seemed to pass through his body as though he were a ghost. Garrus moved to his other wrist and slit it as well. Blood was now flowing freely from both his hands at an alarming rate, yet he didn't seem to care. Not in the slightest. Vakarian set both his arms down onto the couch and closed his eyes. It would be over soon. He would be with her again.
Or so he thought. The door to his apartment opened.
"GARRUS!"
Someone ran into the apartment, frenzied by shock. They dashed to the turian's rescue as fast as they could. That was when they saw what had happened. "Hang on, Garrus! You're gonna be fine!"
Garrus groggily shook his head in refusal. "No… No, don't… Please, just let me die…" His voice was but a whimper, practically begging for the comfort of death.
The figure looked around for anything that could be used to stop the bleeding. They spotted two tea towels by the stove. They rushed over to grab them, then wrapped them tightly around Garrus' wrists as best they could. Those would only slow down the bleeding. He needed to go to a hospital. An Omni-Tool powered up, the figure was connected to emergency services and gave them the details of the accident and address of the apartment.
"Be advised, the victim's injuries were intentional." The figure added.
"No… Please…"
They looked down at the broken turian, their face contorted with fear for his life. They knelt down and took Garrus by the hand.
"Don't you do this to me, Vakarian!" The figure yelled. "I already have the weight of the whole team on Omega hanging over my head! I'll never be able to live with myself if I let you die too! Not after you gave me this second chance!"
Zavala couldn't stand his powerlessness to help. All he could do was watch as the turian that he was harshly interrogating sat dying in front of him, throwing everything away without any sort of hesitation over their grief. It was a pain unlike any other, like ripping out one's organs or being pumped full of toxic chemicals. You can't even bring yourself to look in the mirror out of the fear of who you might see. Zavala knew that sort of pain. It had been with him ever since that day.
The day that he had gotten him killed.
He felt something heavy rest atop his armored shoulder. Zavala turned to his left, the large form of Caiatl in his field of view. She looked down at him with an understanding gaze.
"There is nothing that can be done, Commander." She stated. "This is a memory that must play out."
Zavala looked back to Garrus. He had just lost consciousness and was slouched to his side. His savior panicked, trying desperately to keep the turian awake. The Titan couldn't stand this. "Vakarian…" Zavala muttered softly. "He… He and I…"
"You are more alike than you first realized." Caiatl finished for him. "I have seen this grief before. I am sure you know from where, and whom."
Yes. He did. He really did.
The brief silence was cut short unfortunately. A large tremor shook the apartment Zavala and Caiatl stood in, the two of them nearly falling over onto trash bags. The quake soon creased, but their nerves were rattled.
"What was that?!" Exclaimed Caiatl anxiously.
"Nothing good, from what I can tell." Zavala turned to the door the two of them came in through. It stood solitarily in the middle of the apartment. "We need to get back, now."
The Empress nodded. They dashed off to the door, Caiatl barging straight through like a charging rhino. Before he himself stepped through, Zavala couldn't help but look back at Garrus with pity. Paramedics had just arrived and were loading him onto a stretcher for transport. He felt a small sense of relief.
This was but one painful memory from the turian's past. One better left buried and unspoken of. Garrus had been patient and open to the Vanguard in their exploration of his mind, so Zavala would not mention this event to him or Jane.
He owed him that much.
The doors across the edges of the Mindscape swung open almost simultaneously. Each leader of the Coalition bolting out of them like they were all on fire. They all assembled in the center between the doors. Zavala made sure to do a head count to see if everyone had emerged. Ikora, Osiris, Saint, Caiatl, and Mithrax were present. Jane, Garrus, Crow, and Mara were not.
A lone door in the center of the Mindscape swung open. Garrus and Jane both dashed out from inside; the door behind them vanishing into nothingness upon its vacancy. "What's going on?" Jane questioned.
One more opens. Mara emerged from it. This door in particular had a sign over it that left everyone flustered and somewhat unsettled. 'FANTASIES.'
"What?" Mara asked as though she were born yesterday.
"What the hell could you possibly find in THERE that could show I'm not dangerous?!" Garrus asked back, blushing like a madman.
Another quake shook the world around them, this one much stronger than the others. Garrus lost his balance and slipped, but Jane caught him just before he hit the ground and helped him back up.
"I know what this is." Caiatl spoke out. "Someone is attempting to join their mind into ours through another Psion. The result causes the Mindscape to grow unstable."
"Are we in any danger?" Asked Garrus.
The empress shook her head. "Not as long as my Psion maintains the link. I would however remain vigilant. We have knowledge of who is attempting to intrude in your consciousness."
The quakes eventually cease once again. Admits the calm, faint voices echoed across the space. They were soft, distorted, barely audible unless one listened close. From what they could gather, there were three voices in total. All female. Osiris recognized one of them.
"That sounds like Ana. She must have come to present her latest findings on Rasputin."
The old Warlock explained that their voices could be heard due to their bodies still being aware of what was around them. Even if their consciousnesses were elsewhere, their senses would remain functional in the material world. Another voice was heard along with Ana's. This one sounded young and had a flanging effect to it.
"Eido." Said Mithrax.
Garrus tilted his head in confusion. "Mithrax's daughter." Jane told the turian.
The third voice was alien to the Coalition. Carried a Slavic accent, like Saint's, but it was female. It also sounded synthetic, as though this person were speaking through a speaker. The only one of them who could tell who it belonged to. Or rather two. Garrus and Mithrax.
It was Tali.
Garrus was shocked. She was here? Did the Normandy follow him through the Anomaly? If so, who else was in this world with him? It was unlikely Tali had come alone.
"Well now, aren't you lot a colorful bunch?"
Everyone felt their bodies lock up in surprise. A fourth voice, a male one, and it was nearby. They all looked to the source in the far corner of the Mindscape. There stood a blue Exo man, dressed in a black and white kimono. In his hand was a kiseru, a tobacco pipe of Japanese design, smoke burning from the tip. The Exo brought the mouthpiece to his mouth and sucked in the vapors into his body before blowing out a ring-shaped plume of smoke. His blue eyes beaming towards the turian in the background.
"Hello, Garrus."
Garrus froze up. He recognized that Exo from earlier. He thought it was just his mind playing tricks on him at first. Unfortunately, he couldn't be more wrong.
"Illusive Man!"
"Commander, you know him?" Asked Ikora.
He nodded. "He's from my world. The former head of a human supremacy group called Cerberus. The lowest of the low among the galaxy's long list of scumbags."
Harper-3 laughed, smoke escaping from the corners of his mouthpiece with every cackle. "Hey, had it not been for this scumbag submitting your dossier to Shepard, you'd be as dead as the rest of your team on Omega. Show me at least a little gratitude."
That remark caused Garrus' temper to flare. He attempted to charge, but Jane stopped him and calmed him down. Harper grinned smugly, then looked over at the armored woman. At first, he hardly recognized who she was until he saw the N7 insignia on her armor.
"Speaking of whom, it's been quite a while, Commander. You look good for a dead woman twice over. Or is it Jane Doe now? I'm not sure."
Jane cocked her brow in curiosity. How he referred to her with that title managed to strike at a chord within her. Letting go of Garrus, she approached. Zavala urged Jane not to, but she insisted. Her hand hovered just over the hand cannon strapped to her side, fingers twitching, itching, in need for her grip to be filled by the comfort of cold steel.
"You know me, tin can?" She questioned.
Harper twirled the pipe in his fingers carefully. "You don't remember this, but we used to cooperate with one another." He told her patiently. "My organization was responsible for bringing you back to life the first time you died, when the Collectors destroyed your ship."
Hold on. She had died once already, before she was a Lightbearer? And these people just resurrected her?! How? There was no such technology capable of doing that aside from Ghosts. If it were true, does Garrus know? Jane looked over to him.
"It's true. I wasn't there, but Miranda told me some of the details of the procedure. That woman whose teeth you knocked out back in C-Sec. Cerberus spent billions to bring you back to fight the Reapers."
Well, that was better than nothing, she supposed. Still hard to wrap her head around that idea of dying twice during her Lightless days. A thought for another time.
"Okay… Then doesn't that make us allies?" Jane assumed.
"Unfortunately, no." Harper took a puff from his pipe. "Our methods on how to best deal with the Reapers clashed with one another. You wanted to destroy them, whereas I wanted to control them so that humanity could take their place at the top of galactic civilization. Something YOU prevented me from doing."
Garrus rolled his eyes and groaned. This again? Back during the Reaper War was when Cerberus finally went over the edge. The Illusive Man's plans to control the Reapers, only worsened by the fact that he was subtly indoctrinated by the Reaper corpse he recovered from the Collectors, ended up turning the once somewhat agreeable idealist into a full on psychopathic mastermind. He waged war against the Alliance while they were currently fighting off Reaper forces across the galaxy. This of course was so that he could by time and collect data on how to find out how he could gain control over the mechanical monstrosities and use them to conquer the Milky Way. Shepard saw through his propaganda instantly and put a stop to his schemes, as Garrus knew she would.
"Sounds like I had the right reasons." Jane narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms along her chest. "From how I was hearing it, I'd say you wanted humanity to scare the entire galaxy into submission with the promise of their worlds being wiped out if you got what you wanted."
A grunt of irritation reverberated in Harper's vocal modulator. "Even without your memories, you're as soft as you've always been, Commander."
Zavala stepped out from the background, stopping right beside his fellow Titan. "And you sound like a xenophobic madman with a hero complex, Illusive Man."
Harper let out a humored scoff. "I'm being criticized by you, Zavala? You let the Fallen and Cabal, the ones you deemed 'the enemies of humanity', set up camp within the walls of Earth's last safe settlement and play Alliance with them, from what I've heard from a certain Kell of Darkness."
An angry group escaped from Mithrax's mask. "Eramis…"
Zavala's fists tightened. There was a faint spark of electricity that crackled around it as a result. His anger was growing, but his composure remained rock-steady.
"The looming threat affects all of us as a whole, not just humanity anymore. If we are to survive the battle to come, then old grudges must be buried for the benefit of us all." The Awoken commander looked over to the red haired woman next to him. "This pain in my ass here taught me that."
Jane smirked from the recognition. Caiatl approached as well. She stood tall alongside her Guardian companions. "As she taught me." Zavala looked up towards her, as Caiatl looked down to him. They both smiled at one another, proud to stand beside the other as comrades.
"You may not think it as we do, but the only way one can truly achieve greatness and protect those who are unable to protect themselves is not with mountain moving power, but by coming together, and working beside one another as equals. I think, deep down, you understand that as well, Illusive Man. Why else would you have formed your organization?"
Harper stared blankly at Zavala, unimpressed. His pipe dangling in between his metal fingers, one hand resting at his hip. Smoke blew out from the corner of his mouth piece. Harper noticed that his kiseru was empty. A hand reached into the pocket of his kimono and pulled out both a match book and a small bag containing a brown substance. Tobacco, most likely. Harper placed the pipe into his mouthpiece, gently inserted a fair sized clump into the pipe's small bowl, then used the matches to light the tobacco on fire so he could smoke it. Once that was done, he placed the bag and matches back in his pocket, then shifted his focus back to those across from him.
"Is that what you tell yourself when Caiatl has you on your knees with your face buried in between her legs, Zavala?"
…
…
…
SAY WHAT?!
Both Zavala and Caiatl's faces blushed so hard that they turned the deepest shade of red imaginable. "Buried in between her legs"?! The nerve of such a lecherous remark spoken so openly! Caiatl in particular practically had steam coming out of her ears.
"Wha- You miserable- Insignificant speck of feculent- How dare you!" The empress roared in fury.
Garrus found himself gagging in disgust just from the thought of the commander and the empress together like that. He tried desperately not to imagine it. Too bad he did… Vakarian shook off his disgust.
"You obviously didn't come here to argue philosophies or talk smack. I know you better than that." Garrus pointed out.
"How did you even infiltrate this domain at all?" Asked Caiatl, still angry.
It was then that Harper let his mouthpiece shift into a grin. "Well Caiatl, you could say that I'm a friend of the family."
Her eyes narrowed beneath her golden helm suspiciously, and impatiently. She had little time to decipher this man's cryptic nonsense. It was that kind of enigmatic talk that drives her mad. Avoiding direct answers for their own fun and enjoyment. A smug look on their face, revealing in seeing one squirm in finding the… answer…
Hold the phone. It was a long shot, but… Could it be..?
Friend of the family. HER family?!
"No!"
Zavala looked to her worriedly. "Caiatl?"
The empress let out a growl of primal rage. She dashed off towards a thick column that she immediately started to climb up. It was sturdy enough to support her weight. Her hands smashed into its solid metal body so that she could climb. Eventually, Caiatl had reached the top. Reaching behind her back, she drew her massive maul, the Hammer of Proving. Caiatl tensed her body and roared a mighty shout.
"FATHER! I KNOW THIS MEDDLING IS YOUR DOING! REVEAL YOURSELF, YOU FAT HEATHEN! DO YOU HEAR ME?!"
Once more, the world shook. This time even more violently than the previous. Everyone either fell onto the knees or or rears. Caiatl however remained upright, unmoved in the slightest. Garrus looked up into the sky. A purple energy enveloped the heavens, painting the sky a deep amethyst color. The energy began to gather into a single point and form some blubberous mass. The sounds of pompous laughter filled the air. Jane recognized the laughter immediately. She dreaded who it belonged to as much as Caiatl did.
The energy finally took shape. What hovered above the Coalition now was a colossal Cabal face. It was much flabbier than Caiatl's was, and its face was contorted into a sick smile of glee and smugness. Caiatl's fists tightened and her temper flared. He had come.
"I hear you, daughter."
"C-Calus…" Garrus muttered under his breath.
Caiatl's eyes now burned with a hatred so hot that it would rival the blaze of the sun itself. The former Cabal Emperor himself, Calus, speaking through the mouth of a psychic avatar. This was how Harper-3 was communicating with them. Calus was using his own psionic powers to reach out to them with Harper piggybacking him.
Father and daughter, reunited within the confines of a psychic mindtrap, and the way Calus referred to Caiatl as his "daughter", had never been said with more disgust for her than it did now.
Garrus himself was shocked to his core. He had only met Calus that one time in his dreams, but he could immediately tell that the Cabal was not one to be trusted, especially if he would work alongside someone like the Illusive Man. Not to mention, learning that Caiatl was his daughter? That only added to his surprise.
"Come to try your hand at inducing an aneurism in me once more, like in my Leviathan? You've accomplished that many times already, back before you stole my throne!"
Despite his joyous voice, Calus spoke with a rich disdain towards his own child. He held a deep hatred for her, as she did him. The one who overthrew the emperor to hand off his throne to another and then banish him aboard a prison he would turn into some kind of cruise ship. Such a reunion was of sour taste.
"Silence!" Caiatl shouted. "You choose to converse with me, once again behind the safety of an avatar? Your cowardice knows no bounds!"
Calus snickered, unfazed by her insults. He would so easily be enraged by his child's sharp tongue.
"Still as prickly as ever, my Caiatl, like a rose. But strip it of its thorns, and its only remaining strength is its feeble beauty… And your thorns were torn out long ago."
The empress sneered. Calus treasured the sight.
"I am not here to engage. I am simply acting as an anchor for Harper to converse with all of you, and also, as a bridge for our turian friend there."
Caiatl, and everyone else present, looked over at Garrus. Their expressions were a mix of shock and confusion. Garrus froze up. His reaction was that of someone ignorant to the situation. The lack of knowledge made Calus laugh.
"He is one of us! A Disciple! The Archangel of our Witness!"
Jane felt her whole world shatter. Fear, anger, skepticism. So many emotions were overwhelming her all at once, she could hardly process them. All Doe could do was stare at Garrus, who was eyeing her right back with a frightened aura around him and seemed like he was about to have a panic attack.
"You're a… Garrus, is this true?" She asked him, silently praying against all odds that it wasn't.
"You? A Disciple?!" Questioned Osiris.
One step backward, the turian retreated away. Garrus could feel his heart racing a million miles a minute. He could barely breathe. Vision was going blurry. No doubt this was his anxiety going into overdrive. Garrus truly hoped this was just another nightmare. Except it wasn't.
"Wha- N-no! I-I-I have no idea what Calus is talking about!"
Mara strutted closer. Her luminescent eyes locked onto him with laser focus. "None of us had spoken his name yet. How do you know who he is, Commander?"
Shit. His tongue slipped. Caiatl jumped down from her high point. She landed onto earth like a falling meteor, leaving a crater at her feet. She growled angrily at Garrus and shot a death glare his way.
"You scheme with Calus and the Witness?! By Acrius' blade, I will have your spine for your deceit!"
Garrus was now trembling in terror. His legs might as well have been wet noodles ready to collapse. Garrus could see how Shepard was looking at him. Betrayed. Lied to. Manipulated. It was killing him to see it all in her.
"Shepard, I am not with them! I swear! I'm just as clueless about what's going on as you are! You have to believe me!" Garrus pleaded.
Jane wasn't even sure what to say to Garrus. How to even respond was beyond her. She wanted to believe him. She really did. The past five years of her life were all about finding him after all. Now though, hearing this? Doe wasn't even sure what to believe at the moment. She was at a crossroads on who and what to trust. Garrus and the promise of learning who she is, or the Vanguard and her duty to the city.
"Jane, you know me!"
In her eyes, tears started to form gradually. No… She didn't know him.
Not one bit.
"He's telling the truth!"
A shout caught everyone's attention. Standing atop an Alliance Dreadnought was Crow. His cloak flowing in the wind; pistol in hand.
"Brother." Said Mara hopefully.
"How are you certain of this, Crow?" Caiatl questioned his judgment.
Crow moved out of the way. A new figure revealed himself. A reptilian humanoid wearing a black suit and sunglasses. Garrus recognized him on the spot. He was a friend, one he was sure that he'd never see again, after he was run through by Kai Leng's sword.
"Thane..?"
"Hello Garrus." The drell then turned to the Titan with crimson locks. "Shepard."
Jane gazed up at Thane, clueless. She had no recollection of that man, but he seemed to know her, as he referred to Jane by her previous name as Vakarian does.
"Thane, I… I don't understand. How are you here..?" Garrus questioned, his jaw hanging agape.
Thane pushed his glasses closer to his face. "I'll give you an explanation later. We have more urgent matters to deal with."
"Crow, who is this?" Asked Mithrax.
"A friend, Misraakskel. Thane is someone from Commander Vakarian's past."
The duo leapt down from the ship and proceeded towards the others. Thane rested a hand on Garrus' shoulder in assurance. The turian couldn't believe what he was seeing. Thane was here, and he was alive. How? Was this a result of his Mindscape? Did he… conjure him? While Garrus pondered on how this could be, Crow continued.
"He showed me the nightmares Garrus had been having. The Witness only reached out to him recently, Garrus has no clue as to what they're about or why it's reaching out to him at all. He's not a Disciple. I can assure you."
"But he has the potential to become one, need he choose it!" Argued Caiatl.
"That won't happen, Empress." However despite the Hunter's protests, Caiatl's grip on her hammer did not loosen. Crow needed to reach her. He couldn't let this become a repeat of last time, when he screwed up. "You've seen through his memories, all of you have. So did it. Garrus isn't a power hungry killer or a greedy emperor."
His gaze turned to Garrus. The turian was still rattled, but not as bad as earlier. Crow gave him a trusting smile.
"He's a good man who believes in doing what's right."
The tension in the air began to wane. Everyone, even Caiatl, dropped their suspicions, though only slightly. It wasn't that they believed Garrus, but what Crow was telling them. He was right. There had been no signs of maliciousness or wrongdoing from what was seen through his memories. That was their entire reason for being here, after all, and Garrus had willingly let them to explore. What kind of villain would do that?
"Garrus isn't a Disciple of the Witness." Crow turned his focus towards Harper-3 and Calus. "But they want to make him into one. That's why they're here."
Harper placed the pipe in his mouth to free his hands. He gave a show of applause by slowly and sarcastically clapping his metal hands together. Calus let out a booming guffaw.
"Aren't you the perceptive one? Huh, kid? The wise and dastardly Crow, always swooping in when nobody wants him to and cawing as loud as he can until someone acknowledges him." Harper snarked.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Crow coldly replied.
With another puff of his pipe, Harper exhaled smoke. He rolled the pipe over and gently tapped it to loosen ash from within its bowl. "The reason I'm here is so that I can round up Commander Vakarian over there and bring him to where he's supposed to be. Not playing soldier again with you lot."
"What do you mean, "round up", metal head?" Questioned Jane.
The Exo twirled the pipe in his fingers. "This was part of our little 'rescue operation', Shepard. See, there was no way we could even get a hold of Garrus physically while he was in the Last City, surrounded by an army of Guardians. However, acquiring his mind would be a different story."
"My mind? I don't get it." Said Garrus.
"These Exo bodies are something else, aren't they?" Harper started pacing slowly, back and forth. "Robotic bodies that can house any sort of mind. Human or not." His LED optics looked upwards, to Calus' avatar. "You see, Calus here has the ability to pull others into a psychic plain separate from our reality, though only at close range, of course. Luckily, there's a loophole in that handicap. If there's another who is currently generating a Mindscape, then my friend can lock onto it and bridge the gap between the two consciousnesses telepathically, even connect another mind to bring along for the ride. Again, that's how I'm here."
The explanation shone some form of knowledge at least. So that was how these two had entered Mindscape. Using psychic wavelengths to track and infiltrate a mental domain. It was almost like tracing a cell phone call to find the caller's location. Insidious, but clever.
"If that were true, then my Psion would have sensed an anomaly and instantly pulled our consciousness back into our bodies and erased this world! You along with it!" Caiatl protested. "It… should have by now…"
Calus felt humor swell up within him. "Yes, if only it were YOUR Psion, Caiatl!"
With a gasp and eyes going wide, Caiatl then realized that she was duped. Her forces had been compromised by her father's agents. How could she let that happen?!
"Now that we've established the connection, all that's left is to bring Garrus close enough to Calus so that he can extract his mind from this place. I already have a dormant Exo frame waiting for you, and don't worry, I made it look turian."
Extract his mind? Was Harper being serious? Garrus shuttered as a chill raced up his spine and around his carapace. These psychoses aimed to kidnap him. As if he didn't have enough on his plate right now.
"No way! You're dreaming if you think I'm going anywhere with you two!" Garrus growled.
Jane moved in front of the Turian with her Ace of Spades drawn. She twirled the gun in her fingers twice before tightly gripping the gun's handle. "If you pricks want him, you'll have to get past me."
Her eyes looked back at Garrus. He was genuinely surprised, likely due to her questioning his aligences not five seconds ago. There were traces of remorse in Jane's emerald orbs.
"I'm sorry I doubted you back there. I'll make it up to you, by protecting you."
"As will I."
Much to Jane's own astoundment, Zavala came forward. There was an aura of conviction basically radiating off him. His eyes flickered. That meant he was making a HUD selection. 'Fabian Strategy'. Zavala manifested a large brown and black auto rifle and took hold of it.
"Commander?" Jane gasped.
"The whole point of this interview was to give Garrus a chance. Remember?" He replied, cocking his assault weapon. "That is what we're doing."
Not just the commander, even Caiatl stepped up, taking her place among her comrades. "Indeed." Her HUD selected something called 'Ticuu's Divination'. Caiatl put away her hammer and then a large, golden bow of ancient Cabal design appeared in her hand in the melee weapon's place. Garrus certainly wasn't expecting her to come in and protect him.
"So you trust me too?" Garrus asked.
Caiatl sneered down at him, but her gaze was not as hostile as it was before. In the truth of the matter, no. She didn't trust him. It was more a grudging acceptance if anything. Not to mention, if protecting Garrus meant she could stop Calus from getting what he wanted, then she would protect that turian with her life.
"For now."
"Do not count us out, brother bird!"
Saint, Osiris, Ikora, Crow, Mithrax, even Mara. Everyone in the Coalition equipped their weapons and stood in front of Garrus protectively. The turian commander almost couldn't comprehend what was happening. The people who locked him up, prodded at his mind, accused him of being an enemy, now all ready to fight for him as though he were one of their own. Garrus thought for sure they would rip him to pieces or something.
"Stand up, Garrus."
Garrus gazed up at his left, Thane offered him a helping hand up. He accepted. the drell passed something onto Garrus. A small rifle with a zoom scope attachment. On the side of its body was a text. 'MIDA Multi-Tool.' It was easy to assume this was a Guardian weapon from the design. Where did Thane find this?
"Here. Crow lent me this from his arsenal. It should suffice for you." Thane said to him so soft it may as well have been a whisper.
"What about you?" Asked Garrus.
Krios reached for his lower back and drew another weapon. A tactical submachine gun, one of his preferred weapons. The style of it was like that of the rifle Garrus was handed, scope included. It was labeled: 'MIDA Mini-Tool.' Thane let his lips curl into a cocky smirk. Garrus chuckled. He should have known that Thane was never underprepared for anything.
The two aliens, armed and ready for battle, steeled themselves. Working together to fight Cerberus. Just like old times.
Ikora raised her jet black and glowing orange shotgun, Invective, and pumped the gun's forend, loading a shell into the chamber. "The two of you are going to have to pry this turian from our cold, dead hands before you can whisk him off to the Witness." The Warlock declared threateningly.
Harper could feel his irritation growing. He knew it would be this easy, but he never would have guessed that the Vanguard would choose to protect a potential Disciple rather than just kill him and be done with it already. They had their morals and codes of honor, just like Commander Shepard. Only thing now was that there were more than one of her. Harper could have sworn that he had a nightmare about that once. The Exo took one final puff from his pipe.
"If you all insist, then… that can be arranged."
Harper raised one one of his hands. His fingers flicked, making a loud *SNAP*. Space around him seemed to distort, bend submissively to the will of an unknown force. In the areas of the warped space emerged some kind of computer wire patterning and a light blue luminescence. Then, in a flash of light, something appeared from the distortions. Robots. Many of them, and were of various different appearances and sizes. From basic platforms with slap rifles, to floating drones, even large scale mechs that were armed with grenade launchers. There was also a distinct feature each one of them had. A glass container in their centers, filled with a glowing white substance.
Osiris immediately recognized these mechanical monstrosities. "Vex!" He shouted, tightening his grip on his pulse rifle, Vigilance Wing.
These Vex had features that seemed unique from other collectives scattered across Sol. Instead of their common brass or copper bodies, their platforms were a deep black with glowing azure wiring entwined around their bodies. Even their optics were a vibrant blue instead of the usual red, and each one had the Cerberus crest painted onto their craniums.
Garrus and Thane thought they looked familiar, like Husks. Both aliens had seen enough of those things in their lifetimes to know Reaper technology when they see it.
"May I present to you the Shinigami Spectrum. My own personal Vex collective." Harper
The Vex platforms focused their opticals on the organic standing across from them. Each one loaded their weapons and engaged motor functions to ready for combat. The airborne units let out a high pitched sound similar to a cry and their shells opened up to let long filaments writhe free like tentacles. Harper spread his arms out to bask in the presence of his cybernetic arms, reveling with twisted pride.
"Remarkable, aren't they?" He proclaimed. "The Vex are an extraordinary species. They exist as Radiolaria, billions of microscopic organisms existing together in a collective consciousness, capable of reconstructing other organic materials into their own design. Just like the Reapers, only far more efficiently."
A luminous white fluid secreted from Harper's right arm. Radiolaria, a Vex's true form. It swirled and flowed around his arm like a coiling snake. Harper was utterly transfixed on the glowing liquid, hypnotized by its synchronized movement.
"And the sheer number of independent minds that can exist in so much as a single drop. Hundreds of thousands! I'm sure you can begin to imagine how many minds could be in a cup's worth of it."
"Yeah yeah, Vex Milk is weird. We got it." Said Crow in an annoyed voice. He absolutely despised it when bad guys would just rant on.
Garrus put on a look of disgust at Crow's remark. "Vex Milk"..? Eww…
The Radiolaria around the Exo's arm withdrew back into his body. Harper sighed at the sensation. The feeling of the absorption seemed to please him. Osiris narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Nobody else in Sol knows more about the Vex than he does, and the way Harper could manipulate that Radiolaria so easily. There were only two possible explanations for that. Harper's frame was part Vex itself, or he was using some kind of technology to allow manipulation, like how Guardians can use the fluid in enhancing their weapons.
Harper raised his hand. The Vex troops all stood at attention like obedient soldiers. "Dispose of them. Leave the turian alive… and Shepard to me."
The Vex, complying with their master's commands, took aim with their weapons. Their glowing optics focused, locked onto selected targets. Zavala grunted. The Awoken could feel his adrenaline spiking. It was finally time to fight.
"Everyone, eyes up!" He shouted.
Garrus shifted his feet forward so that he could have his back to Jane's. He powered on his Kuwashii Visor and disabled the safety of his scout rifle. The mandibles on his face spread outwards slightly to make way for an excited smirk.
"You and me fighting birds of killer robots again? Just like old times!" Garrus said nostalgically.
Jane smiled back at him. She pulled back the hammer of her hand cannon with her thumb. "I look forward to learning more about those old times once we get out of this."
Everybody took aim. The sounds of gunfire, and Saint's laughter, filled the air.