Fill: ghost, ghost, i know you live within me (Part 2c/7)
anonymous
May 31 2013, 21:11:26 UTC
His new name came out of nowhere.
Garrus never found out who started it, and he felt like it was bad luck to ask if Shepard had heard anything on her solitary rambles through Omega. Somewhere, somehow, someone he helped gave him a name.
The name burned through Omega like the city was kindling.
Archangel.
***
Shepard never called him Archangel.
***
Shepard took to disappearing for days.
The first time she left, Garrus didn’t leave the apartment until she came back two days later. She appeared behind him as he was methodically shredding his third uneaten ration pack. He felt the change in air pressure seconds before she started talking.
“Eclipse mercs are setting up a new base in the lower levels of the Kartu District. Looks like they’re trying to branch out, take over some of Blue Suns’ business. Could get ugly, but --”
“Where the hell were you?” Garrus managed to keep from shouting with the last thread of his restraint. Shepard blinked at him.
“Recon,” she bit out.
“Recon,” said Garrus. “Recon.”
“Is there a problem, Garrus?”
“You were gone,” he said. “You didn’t say anything, you just left.”
“Your point?” Shepard tilted her head. “Should I have left a note? Dear Garrus, I’m currently haunting dark corners of Omega, eavesdropping on mercs. Home before dinner.”
With a massive effort, Garrus swallowed his anger and unclenched his hand from the edge of the table. Shepard’s eyes followed the motion. Her posture relaxed a fraction.
“You want to build a team, that’s great. But right now, I’m what you’ve got, Garrus. And you have to let me use my... unique qualities. I can’t hold a gun for more than three minutes without feeling like I’m about to collapse, so I can’t fight. But listening? That I can do.” Shepard turned away, but he caught her arm and pulled her back. He caught her off-balance and she nearly stumbled into him.
“If you’re on my team, Shepard, you can’t disappear without telling me.”
“That an order, Vakarian?”
“If that makes it easier, yes.” He let go of her arm. “Never thought I’d see the day when you’d be taking orders from me, Shepard.”
“Impossible things happen all the time.” Shepard leaned against the table. “So. You want me to tell you what I heard, or do you have more food to destroy?”
***
Garrus found his first squad member while he was tracking a mid-level slaver who’d been using Omega as a waystation. In between taking down the slaver’s shields with a concussive round and switching back to regular ammo for the kill, Garrus saw a flicker of movement from halfway down the alley.
Ten seconds later, the slaver was dead and the biggest human Garrus had ever seen was standing in front of him, with bloody hands and a wide grin.
“I like usin’ me fists,” he announced, without preamble. “Sorry for takin’ yer kill, but it looked like so much fun I had to give it a go. Archangel, right?”
Butler was the only name the man gave, and Garrus didn’t ask for another. His arms were criss-crossed with scars, and a long time ago, someone had sliced his mouth open on either side. Shepard called it a Glasgow smile, and wouldn’t elaborate when Garrus asked.
“My god, he’s a bruiser,” was Shepard’s only comment when Garrus asked her what she thought.
“Come on, Shepard.” Nearly a month had passed since she appeared at his bedside, and even though there wasn’t anything close to intimacy between them, he felt like he could prod without getting his head bitten off. “You have to have something more to say.”
She shrugged with one shoulder. “It’s your operation, Garrus. I’m not in command here, you are. Do you trust him?”
“Not yet,” Garrus answered. “But he stepped in to fight when he didn’t have to. And nothing he’s said makes me think he has merc ties. There are a few ways to tell, some obvious signs. I learned them at C-Sec.” He adjusted his armor. “But he knows what Archangel looks like. That’s dangerous.”
“He’s the only living person on this rock who does,” said Shepard. “I can watch him,” she offered, a little stiffly. “Have to do something with my nights.”
For lack of something to say, Garrus nodded.
*** It wasn’t until much later Garrus realized Shepard had sounded jealous.
Garrus never found out who started it, and he felt like it was bad luck to ask if Shepard had heard anything on her solitary rambles through Omega. Somewhere, somehow, someone he helped gave him a name.
The name burned through Omega like the city was kindling.
Archangel.
***
Shepard never called him Archangel.
***
Shepard took to disappearing for days.
The first time she left, Garrus didn’t leave the apartment until she came back two days later. She appeared behind him as he was methodically shredding his third uneaten ration pack. He felt the change in air pressure seconds before she started talking.
“Eclipse mercs are setting up a new base in the lower levels of the Kartu District. Looks like they’re trying to branch out, take over some of Blue Suns’ business. Could get ugly, but --”
“Where the hell were you?” Garrus managed to keep from shouting with the last thread of his restraint. Shepard blinked at him.
“Recon,” she bit out.
“Recon,” said Garrus. “Recon.”
“Is there a problem, Garrus?”
“You were gone,” he said. “You didn’t say anything, you just left.”
“Your point?” Shepard tilted her head. “Should I have left a note? Dear Garrus, I’m currently haunting dark corners of Omega, eavesdropping on mercs. Home before dinner.”
With a massive effort, Garrus swallowed his anger and unclenched his hand from the edge of the table. Shepard’s eyes followed the motion. Her posture relaxed a fraction.
“You want to build a team, that’s great. But right now, I’m what you’ve got, Garrus. And you have to let me use my... unique qualities. I can’t hold a gun for more than three minutes without feeling like I’m about to collapse, so I can’t fight. But listening? That I can do.” Shepard turned away, but he caught her arm and pulled her back. He caught her off-balance and she nearly stumbled into him.
“If you’re on my team, Shepard, you can’t disappear without telling me.”
“That an order, Vakarian?”
“If that makes it easier, yes.” He let go of her arm. “Never thought I’d see the day when you’d be taking orders from me, Shepard.”
“Impossible things happen all the time.” Shepard leaned against the table. “So. You want me to tell you what I heard, or do you have more food to destroy?”
***
Garrus found his first squad member while he was tracking a mid-level slaver who’d been using Omega as a waystation. In between taking down the slaver’s shields with a concussive round and switching back to regular ammo for the kill, Garrus saw a flicker of movement from halfway down the alley.
Ten seconds later, the slaver was dead and the biggest human Garrus had ever seen was standing in front of him, with bloody hands and a wide grin.
“I like usin’ me fists,” he announced, without preamble. “Sorry for takin’ yer kill, but it looked like so much fun I had to give it a go. Archangel, right?”
Butler was the only name the man gave, and Garrus didn’t ask for another. His arms were criss-crossed with scars, and a long time ago, someone had sliced his mouth open on either side. Shepard called it a Glasgow smile, and wouldn’t elaborate when Garrus asked.
“My god, he’s a bruiser,” was Shepard’s only comment when Garrus asked her what she thought.
“Come on, Shepard.” Nearly a month had passed since she appeared at his bedside, and even though there wasn’t anything close to intimacy between them, he felt like he could prod without getting his head bitten off. “You have to have something more to say.”
She shrugged with one shoulder. “It’s your operation, Garrus. I’m not in command here, you are. Do you trust him?”
“Not yet,” Garrus answered. “But he stepped in to fight when he didn’t have to. And nothing he’s said makes me think he has merc ties. There are a few ways to tell, some obvious signs. I learned them at C-Sec.” He adjusted his armor. “But he knows what Archangel looks like. That’s dangerous.”
“He’s the only living person on this rock who does,” said Shepard. “I can watch him,” she offered, a little stiffly. “Have to do something with my nights.”
For lack of something to say, Garrus nodded.
***
It wasn’t until much later Garrus realized Shepard had sounded jealous.
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