The Cost Of Loyalty

Aite, 2185, December 5th 4:58 PM

The Hammerhead glides down through the black, landing next to the others at the front of Atlas Station. I step out onto the metal platform. The station is built into the mountain, half-swallowed by rock and darkness. The only thing visible is the bridge leading to a single door.

I don't like this.

Riley turns to the group. "We just need to get to the main server room. Everyone ready?"

A few nods, a couple of murmurs of agreement.

"Good." Riley starts down the bridge.

Bodies are scattered along the walkway, slumped against the railing or lying across the bridge. I try not to look, I don't want to think about it.

I fall into step beside Kasumi, keeping my eyes on the path ahead. "This place is creepier than the geth ship."

She glances at me. "You've got that right."

"With all of us here, we'll be fine, though." It sounds like I'm reassuring her, but… I'm trying to convince myself. This whole thing is unsettling me.

Kasumi nods, but she doesn't look convinced. "Yeah. I agree."

Archer's voice comes through the comms. "Looks like you all made it. Good. I'm getting some troubling readings here, though."

I look at Riley, but she just keeps moving, eyes ahead.

Archer continues, "The VI is trying to upload its program directly from your location."

The door in front of us slides open, a small camera tracking our movement. Inside, the only light is coming from a panel on the wall. Sparks pop from the exposed wires. The moment we step in, the room lights up. A dead Cerberus officer is slumped over at the reception desk.

Walking further into the facility. Doors unlock and lock behind us, forcing us onto a single path. The lights only turn on when we step through, illuminating more bodies. The VI is watching us, directing us, deciding where it wants us to go.

We reach what looks like a lab. An elevator sits at the other end, barely visible in the dark. My visor picks up details no one else can see. The blood on the walls, the broken equipment.

As we approach the elevator, the lights turn on.

I open my omni-tool, trying to hack the controls. The VI lets out a sudden, shrieking wail. The elevator doors start to open. I rush back with the others and three geth step out, weapons raised.

All thirteen of us open fire. They don't last long.

The last geth drops, and we pile into the elevator. The doors close, but the VI screeches again.

"Oh, shit," I say as the floor drops.

The elevator moves up and down, throwing us against each other. Lights flash red. A metallic groan, and then the whole thing falls. I brace for the impact, and for a second, I think we're about to die, but the fall's short. The doors slide open, and we stumble out into another lab.

Deactivated geth stand around the room and against the walls. The VI appears on a nearby screen, its glowing green face staring down at us. Then, one of the geth sparks and falls.

I tighten my grip on my pistol. Yeah, I hate this place.

The VI leads us further in, taking us through more doors until we reach what we're here for. The VI server room.

"Get ready." Riley steps forward, staring at the console. "Who knows what this button will do."

She presses it.

Nothing happens. Then the green face appears on the console's monitor. Riley jolts, shaking like she's being electrocuted.

She turns, her eyes glowing green through her visor.

"Riles?" I step toward her, hesitating before reaching out.

"Don't touch her!" Miranda snaps.

I freeze, my hand halfway to Riley's shoulder.

Miranda doesn't even look at me. Her eyes are locked on Riley. "We don't know what physical contact will do."

The group moves, parting to let Riley through as she walks past us. Her movements are… sluggish. Not like her at all.

"We can follow her," Kasumi suggests, stepping forward.

Riley stumbles to the door, slipping through it quickly before it slams shut behind her. Glowing red locks appear all over it.

I rush forward, already opening my omni-tool. "I should've fucking grabbed her."

Miranda crosses her arms. "And what if something happened to you?"

"And what if it didn't?" I snap.

Jack exhales. "As much as I hate to agree with the cheerleader… She has a point."

Tali steps closer, her voice softer. "We're worried too, Vex. But we have to be careful."

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Okay, whatever. Just… help me get through this lock."

Kasumi and Tali join me, working the lock from different angles. It feels like forever, too many minutes pass, but finally, the door unlocks.

Miranda steps forward. "We can split up. We can cover more grou-"

I sprint out as the door opens, rushing down the hallway. I hear the sounds of footsteps behind me, probably some of the group. But I don't look back. I have to find Riley.

Aite, 2185, December 5th 5:32 PM

I burst into a room, stopping in my tracks.

What the fuck?

A man hangs suspended by machinery in the centre, tubes coming out of his mouth, his eyes forced wide open. His face twisted in pain. He looks… scared. This must be Archer's brother, David.

If Jack hadn't escaped on Pragia… would Cerberus have done something like this to her?

Riley and Archer stand on either side of him, both staring at each other intently.

I hear the sound of footsteps as people enter the room behind me. There are a few gasps and shocked profanity as they see him, too.

Riley doesn't even seem to notice us. "I've seen enough of your cruelty to know he'll never be free from it here. I'm taking him away."

She turns towards David, and Archer reaches for his gun. I don't hesitate and fire first.

The bullet tears into his leg, and he collapses with a cry of pain. He drops his pistol as he clutches his wound.

He glares up at Riley. "Where will you take him?"

Riley steps towards David, not even looking at Archer. "I won't be telling you." She glances back at us. "Tell the Illusive Man to send a medic for him."

Sighing, I holster my weapon. It's over, for now.

I turn to leave, spotting Miranda behind me. She's staring at David, her face pale. She doesn't say anything, but from her expression, she seems shaken.

And that… unsettles me more than anything.

Aite, 2185, December 5th 7:04 PM

The front of Hermes Station is quiet. The facility behind us, cold and silent. I don't want to look at it, I want to be as far away from here as possible. But for now, we're all just… waiting.

No one talks. No one even really looks at each other.

Riley's still inside, though, setting David up for transport.

I shift my weight, trying not to think about everything that happened. Every one of us is probably doing the same. Just trying to forget what we saw. If anyone even can.

Jack kicks the side of a Hammerhead. "Are we not gonna talk about it?"

Grunt huffs from where he's sitting, his shotgun across his lap. "Talk about what?"

Jack pauses, staring at him. "The fucking human computer back there."

"Oh." Grunt looks down at his weapon. "That was… weird."

Understatement of the fucking century.

Tali folds her arms. "What Cerberus did to him was cruel."

"Yeah," Kasumi agrees. "I've seen some messed up things, but that…" She trails off, shaking her head.

Archangel scoffs, his arms crossed as he leans against the Hammerhead. "They turned a kid into a tool. Not surprising, coming from Cerberus, but still disgusting."

"David Archer," Samara says, her voice calm. "He should not have suffered for the ambitions of others."

Thane nods in agreement. "It was unnatural. To force one's mind into such servitude…"

I tune them out, my eyes moving toward the edge of the group.

Miranda stands apart from the rest of us, arms crossed tight, and eyes fixed on the ground. She's been like that since we left the lab. Too far inside her own head.

Something's wrong.

I sigh, debating whether to ask her. But... not here. Not with everyone around. If she's gonna talk, it'll be in private.

Archangel lets out a laugh. "I doubt the Illusive Man will be happy about how this ended."

Jacob shakes his head. "Yeah, well, he'll get over it."

"Doubt it," Zaeed mutters, checking his rifle. "But what's he gonna do? Fire us? Bit late for that."

Mordin tilts his head. "Not logical for him to be upset. Project had clear ethical failures. Violation of human rights. No practical long-term success. Even if VI continued development, subject would have deteriorated."

Jack rolls her eyes. "Yeah? Tell that to Cerberus."

"Shepard did what was right," Samara says simply.

No arguments there.

The group quiets down. No one seems willing to say more. Maybe we're all just exhausted. Maybe we're all thinking the same thing. This place, this whole mission, it was a fucking nightmare.

I let out a slow breath, forcing myself to relax. "Well," I say, breaking the silence. "At least we never have to come back here."

Kasumi smirks, looking up at me. "Gotta look on the bright side."

Jacob sighs. "Except Shepard wants us to check on the geth later."

I glance at him. "Why didn't we do that now?"

He shrugs. "She said there's something more important to focus on first. The IFF."

"That's true." Archangel looks between us. "But, we should have gotten it sooner."

I roll my eyes. "You know the ship wasn't ready."

Archangel nods. "Yeah, let's just hope the upgrades are enough."

I see what he's getting at, but we have new shields, armour, and guns. It better be enough.

Tali sighs, sounding tired. "Can we just focus on getting out of here?"

As if on cue, Joker's voice comes through the comms. "Good news, kids. Your ride's inbound. I'll have you back on the Normandy before the Alliance can even start sniffing around."

I look up, spotting a shape against the darkening sky, steadily growing larger as it approaches.

The shuttle.

Footsteps come from behind. I glance over my shoulder to see Riley.

"I set David up inside," she says, walking toward us. "Let's get out of here before the Alliance shows up."

Nobody says anything. We just fall in line behind her, heading for the shuttle.

I glance back at Miranda.

She still hasn't moved.

I sigh and turn away. I can't wait to get out of here.

Normandy, 2185, December 5th 8:11 PM

The elevator door slides open, and I step out onto the crew deck. I barely make it a few feet before walking straight into someone. I step back, ready to apologise, when I see Archangel standing there, arms crossed.

"In a hurry?" he asks.

I pause, rubbing the back of my neck. "I-no. Sorry. I was just… coming here." Really? That's the best I've got?

Archangel gives me a funny look, head tilting. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I wave him off, trying to scoot past him. "I'll talk to you later, Archangel."

"Wait, Vex." He steps to the side, blocking my path. "You called me Garrus earlier."

Shit. I did. I could pretend I don't remember. I could brush him off. But something about the way he's watching me… like he actually cares about the answer. It makes me stop.

"I know." I sigh, hands dropping to my sides. "It slipped out."

He hesitates like he's choosing his words carefully. "I thought…" He trails off.

I frown. "Thought what?"

He looks like he regrets speaking up. "I thought it was… nice."

I just stare at him. How… what do I say to that? I have no fucking idea what to do with this version of him.

Well, I have to say something. So, here goes.

I take a deep breath. "Riley trusts you. Tali, Joker, the doctor… they all trust you. Everyone vouches for you, says nice things about you." My hands clench beside me. "But I see the man who took my best friend away from me."

Archangel doesn't flinch. He just nods slowly.

I swallow. "We… We both took him away. But I've learned something important these last few months."

His gaze locks onto mine. "And what's that?"

"That forgiveness is hard…" I hesitate. "But not impossible."

He looks at me like he's not sure he heard me right.

"This mission is bigger than all of us," I continue. "I don't want to hate you anymore."

I don't know if I'm saying it for him or myself. Maybe both.

He's quiet for a moment. "Does that mean you forgive me?"

I let out a slow breath. Today, I saw what unforgivable truly is. David Archer… his terrified eyes, his body strung up to that fucking machine.

Archangel has blood on his hands… but so do I. So does everyone on this ship.

"Yeah," I say softly. "I can forgive you… and myself."

He stares at me for a moment. He doesn't smile, doesn't do anything but hold out his arm.

I stare at it because something about this feels like it matters. More than it should. I grasp his forearm in a firm grip.

His hand tightens around mine. "Thank you."

I nod, feeling a bit awkward. "Anytime."

We let go, and he steps back, watching me. "Now go see Miranda."

I blink, running a hand through my hair. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

He smirks, just a little. "You think I don't notice things?"

Smiling, I give him a short nod. "Thanks, Garrus."

He smiles and steps into the elevator, pressing a button. "Good luck."

The door shuts, and he's gone.

Sighing, I head for Miranda's office door. I knock, no answer. I wait another second, then another. I knock again.

Still nothing.

That's weird. I know she's in there. EDI said she went straight to her room when we got back. Unless the stupid AI is lying. But… no, I doubt it.

My hand hovers by the door panel. She never locks it.

I hesitate. I shouldn't. If she wants to be left alone, I should respect that.

But I can't shake the feeling that something's wrong.

I open the door and step inside. The room is dim, lit mostly by the stars outside. Miranda sits by the window, curled into her chair. The chair that Jack stole is still gone. It's a funny thought. I almost smile.

But I shake the memory away. I'm not here for that. I came here because... I don't know. I just know I had to.

The door closes behind me, and I take a step forward. "Are you okay?"

Miranda's eyes don't leave the window. "Vex, I'm fi-"

"I know you're not," I interrupt.

Her head snaps toward me, startled. Maybe she thought I'd just accept it and leave. Maybe that's what she wanted. But I don't.

She exhales slowly, folding her arms tighter across her chest. "Today was… a lot."

I nod because I don't know what else to say.

She glances back at the window, fingers tightening against her sleeves. Her nails press hard enough to leave faint creases in the fabric.

"It reminded me of my father." Her voice is quieter now. "And Oriana. I couldn't imagine allowing… let alone doing that to my sibling."

I don't speak. I just let her talk.

Miranda shakes her head, jaw clenching. "And the Illusive Man knew. He let this happen." Her breath catches. "I read what happened to Jack on Pragia, and ever since... there's been this nagging feeling."

"It's disgusting." She runs a hand through her hair. "And I don't even want to get started on what happened today."

I glance down. "I know. It was terrible."

"No." Miranda looks at me. "It was more than terrible." There's something fragile in her voice. Like she's only just holding herself together. "If these are the things Cerberus is capable of… I don't think I can remain a part of it."

I freeze. I must have misheard her. "What?"

She doesn't look away. "After we stop the Collectors... I'm leaving." Her voice wavers, just slightly. "I have to leave."

I stare at her. Miranda… wants to leave Cerberus. I can't believe it.

"You were the one who told me I was blind," she says, softer now. "I suppose this is what I needed to finally see."

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. I should feel vindicated. This is everything I wanted, everything I fought with her about. I should be throwing it in her face, rubbing salt in every wound.

But all I can think about is how broken she must be feeling right now.

Miranda glances down at her lap, tears welling up. "Would you have stayed with me... if I'd done this sooner?"

I don't know how to answer that. My throat closes up, and before I know it... I'm moving. I stand beside her chair, close enough to feel the warmth coming off her. Close enough to fall right back into old habits… if I'm not careful.

She looks up at me, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

What the fuck am I doing?

Her hand lifts, slow at first, brushing against my arm before sliding down. Her fingers lightly curl around mine.

I don't pull away.

Miranda rises to her feet, closing the last bit of distance between us.

Her eyes drift down to my mouth. I barely realise what she's about to do until her lips are already on mine.

I kiss her back without thinking.

It's instinct, muscle memory. And I remember everything. The way she tilts her head to deepen the kiss, the way her fingers tighten around mine.

But the second I remember, I also remember why I shouldn't.

I pull back. Not far, just enough to break the kiss.

We stay close, and I can still feel her breath on my lips.

Miranda's hand starts to slip away, but I catch it before she can. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. I just know I don't want her to let go.

"Vex…" she breathes, quietly, hesitantly.

I swallow hard. "Do you mean it?"

Her eyes lift to meet mine. I don't see any doubt. "After everything I've seen… everything I've done. I can't keep pretending it's for the greater good. I won't."

I squeeze her hand. "I don't know if I forgive you."

She brings her other hand to my cheek, brushing it with her thumb. "I don't know if I deserve it."

Fuck it.

I bring my lips to hers again.

Her arms wrap around me, clutching like she's afraid I'll disappear if she lets go.

I'm afraid of the same fucking thing.

Thank you for reading.