Mass Effect - A Hero Rises Ch. 24

"Every door, Miss Lawson. They want a riot, they can have one. We're leaving with Jack, so we grab him, and get the fuck out of here quickly. We'll leave the prisoners and Blue Suns to fight each other."

We stepped forward together, looking below as it appeared the Blue Suns had kept Jack in the fridge, so to speak. After what we were told, I didn't really blame them, in all honesty. As he was retrieved, it soon became obvious that Jack wasn't what we expected at all. "Jack's a bird!" Zaeed exclaimed.

Then we watch the biotic power we'd been told about on display. She tore through at least three giant mechs like they were paper, and she quickly disappeared in a biotic surge. We all shared a glance and ran after her, listening as explosions started to echo around the prison.

"Kill any Blue Suns. As for the prisoners, if they attack us, kill them. If they're not bothering us, leave them."

Within minutes, the prison was tearing itself apart. I spent half my time biotic charging around the yard, blasting away Blue Suns and the occasional prisoner. Most of the latter were just looking to escape. Fat chance of that happening, but they were helping us distract the guards, which we killed far more easily than we would have otherwise. In the corridors, I linked up with Jacob and Miranda, learning how to combine biotic attacks. I always found training useful, but it was doing it out on the field, under pressure, even with your life on the line, when you definitely proved and even excelled at a new skill. We soon had biotic combo's ripping apart the Blue Suns defences.

"All prisoners. Return to your cells immediately or I'll open ever airlock on this ship!"

"He's bluffing," Zaeed stated, "He'd immediately lose his leverage."

As we moved on through what seemed like the dead centre of the prison, another message suggested we should probably work faster.

"Warning! Power plant damage has led to overload. Core systems failure imminent."

"Shepard, are we ever going to complete a mission where you don't blow something up?" Garrus wondered ever so sarcastically.

"Don't say I never do anything nice for you."

He barked a laugh before firing his rifle, blasting the head off a mercenary in the distance. As for Jack, we barely saw any sign of her, simply following the trail of destruction and dead bodies, whether they were Blue Suns or other prisoners. There was the occasional explosion as she did something or other. It usually ended up in flames or blow apart.

"Find Jack! Full alert! Find Jack!"

"Did the money transfer go through?" I wondered.

"The Illusive Man wouldn't have authorised the transfer until we had Jack back on the ship," Miranda replied. I didn't really care if he lost money or not, it was simple curiosity.

The Blue Suns were pulling back, eventually making a final stand. I had a feeling more than half the prisoners were probably dead by now, killed by us, them, or Jack. The five of us converged where he was. He had maybe a dozen mercenaries left, though a few of them were carrying wounds. "Stand down, Kuril, and I'll make your death quick."

I was boasting as the bastard had the high ground. Making a series of gestures, we split up into small teams and opened fire, Garrus disappearing as I knew he'd only have eyes for his fellow turian. The Blue Suns worked smart together, so I chose to cause some confusion, charging quickly between them, blasting away before retreating the same way I'd arrived. It caused my shields to fail more than once as they learned after I'd shot three of them. As for Kuril, he was firing at my colleagues though didn't seem able to get a shot off at me at least.

Then there was the crack of a sniper, nearly everyone looking up at Kuril. His shields failed, and before he could even think about diving into cover, the next shot slammed through his head, causing half of his face to practically cave in, before he collapsed to the ground. With their commander gone, the Blue Suns wilted and we slaughtered the bastards. We didn't take delight in it, we were simply doing our job.

Ignoring the riot that was still in progress, Miranda was able to direct us towards a nearby passage that allowed us onto the original corridor where our ship was. That's where we met Jack, clearly deranged. She wasn't armed with a gun, she was holding a bloodied knife that she'd clearly used with relish, as besides the body art all over her body, she was also covered in blood. Her head was shaved, she had dark eyes, and her small breasts were strapped down so tight, she had the body of a boy, not a woman. She didn't even notice our arrival, pacing almost nervously, swearing to herself. Then she stopped and turned towards us, coming to an immediate halt. Her eyes rested on me for all of a second before they moved to the side, and her face turned into one of such rage, I worried she was going to try and charge at us. "Cerberus," she growled.

"Do you always get that reaction, Jacob?" Garrus asked, obviously rhetorically. I guess he knew better than to joke with Miranda.

When she summoned her biotics, that's when I raised my weapon. "Calm the fuck down, Jack. We're not here to harm you unless you need it."

"You're Cerberus. Go fuck yourself."

I pointed at my chest. "Nope, wrong answer. No symbol on my chest here. Just black with a nice red and white stripe down my arm. Not Cerberus. I'm currently of no affiliation."

She pointed the knife to my side. "She's Cerberus," and it moved to my other side, "And so is he."

"Correct. But the turian isn't. Nor is the old guy in the yellow armour."

"Old guy?"

"Just go with it, Zaeed. So, anyway, this prison is about to blow up, Jack. So you have two options. One, you can come with us. You're not our prisoner, but I will need to talk to you on the ship."

"Which flies Cerberus colours."

"Yeah, just ignore that for now."

"Second option?"

"We leave you here and go on our merry way."

"Third option, I kill all of you and take your ship."

"Oh, I like her, Shepard. She's got spunk," Zaeed stated with humour.

"Wait, Shepard? Why do I know that name?" I gave her a few moments then it seemed to click. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"Long story. Yes and no. I'm back. Issues to deal with. Things to kill. You're invited along. Want to join?"

"You're serious?" There were a series of explosions that suggested we didn't have long. "Fuck it, you're the only way off this tin can. But I want information if I'm coming along. About Cerberus. I want to see files. That's my bargain."

I shrugged. I didn't really care what files she wanted. Miranda was bound to bitch at me, but I didn't care what she said either. "Sure, no problem." I gestured with my weapon. "Now, if we're done here, I think leaving with haste would be the best idea." She slid the knife into the band of her pants and approached, though stopped and gestured for the rest to move first. "You're going first," I said, gesturing again, "I'm not even close to even considering trust yet."

"Pussy."

"Just move, Jack."

We ran down the docking bay, keying a series of commands onto a terminal before I stepped into the airlock. Once the compression cycle finished, Joker pretty much shoved the ship into reverse, turned it around and stepped on the gas. We were rocked by the explosion that blew the prison to smithereens. If there was a news report to follow, it would have said There were no other survivors.

It was obvious Jack was not comfortably being a ship, surrounded by Cerberus personnel, with giant Cerberus logos on the ship. Knowing only a limited part of her history, and taking a good look at her, I suggested we go to the med-bay first, dismissing the rest of the team, asking them to wait while Jack and I descended alone. "Why, so your doctor can experiment on me?"

"No. Any idea how long you were on ice? Considering you were in a prison, some sort of rudimentary exam might be a good idea. See a few scars too, and you're covered in blood. Some of it might be yours. Once we're done there, we'll find you a place to bunk then we'll go over some ground rules as I explain why you're here."

"Rules? Fuck off."

"Rule number one. Don't tell me to fuck off unless it's in jest. And even then, there are limits."

"Think you're some sort of hard nut? Taken on harder than you."

"Maybe you have, but don't think that because you're a woman I won't leave you bloodied and battered on the ground. Fought enough mercenaries to take sex and gender completely out of the equation by now."

The elevator doors opened and I gestured for Jack to move, walking her towards the med-bay. Chakwas took one look at Jack and thought she'd been shot. I told her that probably wasn't the case but I'd like her looked at. "Will she be any trouble?"

"If she lifts a finger in your direction, Doc, I'll be sure to know and deal with it personally. That's a warning to behave, Jack. And try to be honest. It's for your benefit, after all."

"Fuck you very much."

The rest of the team appeared as I was grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, leaning against the counter as looked through the window into the med-bay. Jack appeared to be co-operating at least, though I could see Chakwas was keeping a little distance between the pair of them. Didn't blame her, in all honesty.

"I'm struggling to see the benefit of this," Miranda stated, "She's clearly unstable and I doubt how effective she will be as part of a squad."

"Don't underestimate my abilities to mould people into an effective team, Miss Lawson. I managed to get a turian, an asari, a quarian and a krogan to work together. We know little about her, only what Kuril told us, which appears somewhat truthful, but we don't know her story."

"Her biotic power was off the scale," Jacob stated, "Never seen anything like it."

"And certainly had a bone of contention with Cerberus. Wonder why?" Garrus wondered. If the bastard could smirk, it would have been enormous.

"Anyway, mission report. Good job, people. We retrieved the prisoner... or recruit. Possibly saved the Illusive Man some cash... not that I care. And we worked effectively as a unit. Still things to work on but, considering the betrayal, which I guess we expected, we came out better than when we arrived. So I'd chalk that one into the win column."

"What's next, Shepard?" Garrus asked.

"One more recruit then I'm not sure. I'll have to check the dossier and figure out how far it is from here. Might be a couple of days. I'll let you know as soon as I have the information."

The other four eventually returned to their quarters, or disappeared to one of the lounges. Jack was in the med-bay for a while before she eventually wandered out, coming directly towards me. "Don't suppose I can have a shower, get rid of all the blood?"

"Want some new clothes?"

"Um... Do you have any black trousers at least?"

"I'm sure we do. What about a shirt or jacket?"

"Do my tits offend you, Shepard?"

"No, I'm thinking that the temperature in here is on the cool side, don't want you catching a cold unnecessarily." My comment made her laugh so I just shrugged. "Suit yourself. Showers are around the corner. I'll speak to someone about getting you some trousers. Underwear. Socks. And I'll get you're a shirt or two just in case."

She was in the shower for quite a while after I'd managed to locate the spare clothing, also handing her some body wash. When she walked back out, she certainly looked cleaner, a lot less dirt and blood, and at least her trousers didn't appear stained with blood either. "Hungry?" I wondered.

"Yeah, I guess."

"There's plenty of food in the fridge over there. Fill up a plate if you want, then I'll show you where you can lay your head."

"I'm not sleeping in the crew quarters."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Fine, I guess I can't complain when others requested the same. Where?"

"I don't know. Somewhere private. No through traffic."

"Well, upstairs is out. This level is always busy. So you've got engineering or the hangar bay."

"Let's try engineering."

"It's loud."

"I'd prefer loud."

Shrugging, she headed to the fridge first, eventually piling up her plate with leftovers from the previous couple of meals, grabbed two bottles of water at the same time, then I escorted her to the elevator, taking her down one level. I pointed out where Zaeed was, the other storage room was locked up tight, full of crates, so she ended up heading into where Ken and Gabby worked, walking down steps underneath. "Ah, this will do. Get a cot down here and it'll feel like home."

I shrugged helplessly, but if that's what she wanted, fine. "Okay, do I need to go over some ground rules?"

She sat down on the ground with the plate on her lap, munching away as she looked up. "Yeah, whatever, Shepard. Talk away."

"You take drugs?"

"Recently? No. Have I done them before? Yes, of course. Usually red sand. Being a biotic, it's a better high."

"Do drugs while on this ship and I'll throw you out the airlock. Only warning."

"No plans on dabbling, Shepard. I have a feeling taking a red sand in this sort of atmosphere would kill the high."

"Can I trust you around the others?"

"If you mean the cheerleader and the boy scout, those two idiots that were with you on the ship, sure, long as they stay out of my way. Don't expect me to be friendly, Shepard. I don't do friends. I get what's going on here though. Guess you're building some sort of squad?"

I raised my eyebrows at her perception. So she obviously had some brains. "I'll put it simply. There's a species called the Collectors. They're invading human colonies, kidnapping the inhabitants. Already kidnapped thousands. The whole purpose of this is to build a squad, go through the Omega Four relay, and destroy them."

"Sounds good to me, Shepard." Then she looked up again. "Thought you were Alliance?"

"I was. I died. Woke up. Cerberus spent money on me. They've given me what I need to do the job."

"You realise they're lying cunts and will turn on you the minute your back is turned."

"I plan on being long gone by the time that happens. For now, this is my reality. And the same goes for you. But you'll be getting paid by them all the same."

"I want files, Shepard. I guess you're wondering about the hate? Why I am the way I am is because of them. So I want files on me. Someone on this ship will be able to give me access. Bet the cheerleader will know how. I'll go ask..."

"I'll ask. I don't want you two near each other if not on mission."

"Sensible decision, Shepard."

"Meals are served three times a day. There is a lounge. If you want to drink, don't get drunk. Try not to cause fights and arguments. I would ask you be civil, but..."

"I'll spend most of my time down here. Anywhere I can train?"

"Hangar bay. I'm usually down there in the morning. There's a gym and other things you can use."

"Good. Least I can practice my biotics. Is that it, Shepard, or do you want something else?"

"That's it for now, Jack. What did Doctor Chakwas say?"

"She said I was surprisingly healthy for someone who'd just been in the fridge and with the number of scars on my body. Before you try, don't even bother asking. They're not for you to know about."

Shrugging, I said, "Sure, Jack. No problem. I'll leave you alone for now. I'll either see you at meal times or I'll ensure the information you want is sent down."

She nodded, stuffing her face again so I left her to it. I wasn't expecting a thank you and I certainly didn't get one. Walking past Ken and Gabby, I said if she was causing trouble to let me know, but I figured she'd probably spend most of her time down there alone. And I knew why she wanted it loud. She didn't want to be alone with her thoughts. That bit was easy to figure out.

Heading upstairs to the mess again, I headed straight for Miranda's office. This time, she didn't seem surprised to see me. "I know what you're here for, Commander. I never agreed..."

"You're going to do it, Miss Lawson. I have no doubt you're fucking organisation is behind whatever happened to her, so I know I probably can't order you to do it, but maybe you can show you have a conscience, or perhaps a heart beating under that ice cold exterior, and you'll meet the terms of her agreement and pass across the information she needed. The dossier told us her name was Subject Zero. I reckon the Illusive Man knows exactly who she is so your databases are going to have information about her."

She set her jaw again, glaring at me. She had two choices. Agree, and I'd walk out happy. Disagree, and we would be having one hell of an almighty argument, where I'd probably get rather angered and do something I would regret afterwards. It was a silent battle of wills but she eventually relented. "Fine, Commander. I will obtain what information I can and deli..."

"Ah, no. Give the information to Kelly. I'll deliver it myself."

"You don't trust..."

"I don't trust either of you, but if you were to head down there, it would end with significant damage to the engineering department, and either one or both of you either injured or dead. So as I told Jack, stay away from her. Her dislike for anyone wearing that symbol is obvious. You seemed to have a pre-conceived opinion of her that seems to have been backed up by what we found."

"You are right there, Commander. Very well, I'll collate the information and give it to Kelly."

"Thank you."

I think the fact I said those two words surprised her as I turned around, about to leave, when she asked, "Why do you hate us so much?" The question brought me to a halt, turning around slowly as she was now leaning forward, looking rather pensive about the answer I would give. "I would have thought you'd be grateful that it was Cerberus who brought you back to life, that you'd be... thankful to me that I led the mission to bring you back. But all we've received since the moment we woke you up is hostility. I want to know why?"

"Miss Lawson, I'm not even sure where to begin. But it's quite obvious the files you had on me completely whitewashed anything I discovered in relation to Cerberus during my mission in regards to Saren."

"I read those files. The Illusive Man..."

I held up a hand. "I'm going to stop you right there, Miss Lawson. He's spitting bullshit."

"He insists they were rogue cells."

"And I guess you just believed him without any evidence to back that up?"

"I am one of his most trusted operatives, Commander. The Illusive Man does not lie..."

"No, he manipulates." I gestured as I added, "We are all pawns on a chessboard in regards to his ambitions of dominance."

"He only wants what is best for humanity. Surely the reaction of the Council to your return should suggest to you that Cerberus are at least partially right in regards to their objectives?"

"If you mean ensuring humanity is equal to every other race in the galaxy, I'd applaud your efforts. But those of us who haven't been brainwashed know this is nothing but a human-supremacist organisation, yet while they aim for that achievement, they also conduct horrific experiments on the very humans they are trying to apparently save from 'the aliens'. And I think that young woman downstairs is one of his victims. As for the Council, I'd agree with you in the fact they show little interest apart from themselves, but then again, I'd say they simply share a very human trait. They look out for themselves first above all others."

"I believe what we are doing what is right for the human race."

"And one day, that belief may just blow up in your face, Miss Lawson."

She paused a moment, considering what she was going to say next. "I do believe we just had a five-minute conversation with yelling at each other, Commander." I just shrugged. Then she asked, "I know you've been getting to know everyone on the ship but... well, I have noticed you haven't approached me."