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[Cknarf]

Frank stood barefoot on the cold concrete floor of the parking garage, using the door and the roof of the limo for support. He couldn’t help but smile, the sight of the Severns taking his mind back to harder, yet happier times when he still had a family of his own. The smile faded as he turned his attention to the van. Molly had been loaded into the back, and was being hooked up to various pieces of medical equipment.

 

He glanced back and forth between the vehicles, tapping  his foot as he tried to make a decision. He was either going with the family, as Molly likely would have wanted, or, still feeling somewhat responsible for what had happened, going with the detective to wherever it was she was headed.  He was running out of time. The men in the van looked at each other, and nodded. One climbed out, and shut the double doors, before walking to the front of the vehicle.

 

Quickly, Frank got into the back of the limo to gather his things. He began to pick up the pieces of his tattered, bloody tux, before tossing them aside like ‘f*** it’.

 

I’ll get a new one.

 

He emerged with only his shoes, and Molly’s raincoat.

 

“I’ma ride with Mols.” He said, draping the coat over his shoulder, and starting to walk backwards towards the van. “Gonna make sure she gets where she’s goin’” He turned, and started in a jog towards the van’s path.  Waving his pistol, he flagged it down, and climbed into the passenger seat.

 

“I’ll see you at the shuttle!”

[Cainhurst Crow]

Vahallan Threshold - Paz System - Garvug - Extraction Zone (JB & SJ)

 

The frigate approached quickly, zooming through the now unoccupied air of the zone with ease. At this altitude, it was dangerous for a vessel such as this to fly, as the atmosphere required they drop down their ships kinetic barriers to converse power and maintain altitude. Flying at the shields only slightly higher than most gunships or shuttles, a stray anti-AA gun or missile could blow them out of the sky.

 

Quill took Naleena from Essul and loaded her onto the shuttle. Essul went back to pick up Naleena’s weapons. He hid behind some debris, turning to see the group almost ready to dust off. Just a minute, 45 seconds at most, and they'd be airborne. He expected the frigate to begin blasting into them with its tertiary anti-personnel cannons. However, instead the loading ramp of the ship opened, as Machaera walked calmly out towards the edge.

 

His coat blew in the cold breeze, hood over his head concealing the armor beneath. His eyes glowed blue in the shadows over his face, and his appearance was made stranger from the blade armor he'd deployed, covering his shoulders, forearms, and chest with addition armor, and bladed attachments. Behind him 4 more armored soldiers came out, 2 wielding Argus rifles, and the other 2 wielding Striker assault rifles.

 

"Remember, keep them grounded only. I'll deal the death blows myself..." Machaera orders with a grin as his soldiers nodded, Machaera loading his own Argus rifle and trusty Locust SMG as he got ready to make his move. He spotted his target, a Batarian by the looks of it, grinning as he prepared to attack with his usual dramatic flair.

 

Essul looked up to the vessel, and the person within, with a surprised look, utterly baffled by how odd he looked. Without warning, Machaera jumped from the ramp, hovering stories above the ground, as his body shimmered with biotic energy. Essul's eyes widened as he recognized the tactic, leaping away from his cover spot as Machaera charged, slamming into the ground and now face to face with Essul.

 

“Hurry, get these people loaded! Careful!” Irina said.

 

“Heads close! Heads close!” Tallis said as the moved them onto the shuttle and she and Irina laid Ereba next to Naleena.

 

When they were finished, Tallis grabbed her Claymore and put up a barrier, and exited the shuttle, taking position at a concrete barricade about 7 meters in front of the shuttle. She saw Essul in trouble.

 

"And who are you?" Machaera asked as he looked to Essul, a sly grin as Essul drew his Cazador and trained it on Machaera. He opened fired, shots firing out rapidly from the weapon, as Machaera shimmered and to the side, biotically teleporting as he rushed forward and struck out with his sword. The blade struck the side of the Cazador, and glided clean through the other end, skewering the SMG as Essul let go of the weapon and leaped back.

 

Machaera swung the blade, gutting the gun as it slide off his sword and flung towards Essul’s face. Essul knocked it aside, looking back to Machaera to see him coming right towards Essul, striking out with a viscous elbow strike. The blades from Machaera’s blade armor scraped across Essul’s helmet, cutting into it with its serrated blades and cracking the visor. It didn't do much else however, Essul barely feeling the blow with his damaged nerves, and with fast reflex reached out to grab Machaera’s outstretched arm, the other shooting out to grab his sword-hand.

 

The frigate lowered as the soldiers began to leap down from the ramps, taking aim at the shuttle as they let their boss have his fight, opening fire on the shuttle. A few more came out on the ramp after the landing soldiers, supplying additional fire.

 

Essul gripped Machaera by both arms, staring into his cybernetic eyes as he called back to the others, "You're not going anywhere!" Essul said through gritted teeth as he held onto Machaera in a vice-like-grip. He reared back his head, slamming it down against Machaera’s face.

 

He drew blood, obviously damaging Machaera’s nose, however the Batarian spec ops seemed to simply shrug off the blow, and aimed his left palm towards Essul’s chest, a sudden shot of energy slamming Essul as Machaera fired his phase disruptor point blank, charring the front of his armor and causing Essul to lose his grip.

 

The two broke away from one another. Machaera reached up to brush off the blood from his dripping nose. "Not bad..."  he said with a roll of his neck, as Essul flicked out his wrists, his whipcords deploying as he channeled his biotic energy through them. Essul raised his arms, bringing down the whips with a massive blow, but Machaera jumped to the right as he avoided them.

 

Quill jumped to one side, barely avoiding the slash as the Geth platform was loaded up. "The Batarian’s in trouble! The other guy’s gonna kill him!"

 

Vayne moved to try and get out of the shuttle, dropping the Geth platform inside the ship, "Someone give him some cover fire!" Vayne said over his comms, "And get your ass over here now! We gotta take off!"

 

Tallis threw a warp that struck Machaera, weakening his armor and shields, then hit him with a throw detonating the warp and staggering Machaera. The explosion knocked him off his feet, falling on his back as Essul tried to take the chance to smash him. Machaera quickly recovered, aiming his Omni tool at Essul as the other threw himself back, dodging the ballistic blade salvo he recognized as coming. In no time he was back on his two feet, blade in hand and closing in on Essul in hot pursuit.

   

The soldiers continued to fire on the group, most of it peppering Tallis's barrier, while the Strikers’ explosive ammo would occasionally slam into the hull, some shots coming close to the thrusters. The explosive shots weren't critically fatal, but each chipped away at the armor separating them from the vacuum of space.

 

VERA rotated the turret on the shuttle in the direction of the incoming ordinance, and fired the GARDIAN laser.

 

“F*ck!” one of the mercs screamed as the beam shot through him, his torso falling to the ground cauterized before he died in pain while his armor burned and his legs lay in a crumpled heap next to him.

 

Another merc shouted, “Man down!”

 

VERA turned the battery on the other group that was firing at the shuttle and they scattered into the buildings before she could fire, but she fired at the building façades into which they retreated setting them on fire.

 

Irina hit the floor inside the hatch, and had Ereba’s M-98 scoping the area from where the ordinance had been coming. “They’re probably looking for a better position: more scattered. There are possibly three left,” she said. “Arian, watch the buildings. Let VERA worry about the ship.”

 

Essul continued to lash out with his whips, but each one missed their mark as Machaera dodged out of the way, sometimes teleporting to do so. Each time he smiled at Essul, his grin growing as he reached down and drew his SMG. Essul’s eye's widened as he acted on instinct, throwing out his hand with a lash and aiming to disarm Machaera. Machaera saw the lash coming, eyes flashing red as he ducked and spun, trying to avoid the strike. However, the lash found its target on Machaera’s rifle, holstering on his back.

 

With a quick pull back, Machaera was off his feet, the gun ripped from the holster as Essul caught it, the Argus rifle unfolding as Essul ran forward. Machaera barely got his balance back when Essul was running towards him, bringing the butt of the gun squarely across the others jaw, a loud pop heard as Machaera spun and plopped to the ground.

 

"Come on, Get to the shuttle!" Quill said as he fired up at the soldiers on the ramp, trying to provide cover with his lancer as Essul ran for the ship. He was so close, only a few feet away, when something collided with his back, sending him flying and slamming him into the open doorway of the shuttle. Machaera shimmered from his charge, barriers recharged and jaw hanging open at an ugly angle as he glared death at essul. His blade began to glow with biotic energy, bringing it back for a biotic slash when quill ran forward, the Krogan shouldering the Batarian and sending him tumbling away, taking a biotic slash full on as his shields dropped to nothing.

 

Some of the gunfire shifted off the shuttle, aiming for the Krogan as he tried to run for cover. A strike round to the back of his knee however, and he fell to the floor, landing behind some debris away from the shuttle and the others. He looked to them as Essul pulled himself inside, trying to stand but falling to one knee as Machaera stood up once more, blood dripping from his wounded face as he ran towards the wounded Krogan.

 

"Go!!! Get out of here now!!" Quill shouted as he still held his lancer, firing it towards Machaera and his men. He pulled a frag grenade and primed it, tossing it over the shuttle and towards the building as hard as he could. He kept firing at Machaera and forced him to cover, drawing their attention for the moment as Irina punched the latch button closing the hatches on the shuttle.

 

VERA finally announced something over the comm. “This vessel is ready to depart, but this frigate is obstructing our path. Its ramp has been left open. I will encourage it to move. Target locked. Firing.”

 

Flames billowed out of the opening in the frigate sending anyone that was standing in the vicinity of the ramp flying out of the ship and onto the ground below. The ramp itself was partially damaged and would not close.

 

“Careless organics. The open ramp left the interior of their ship vulnerable,” VERA said as she fired again scoring another interior hit. “Scans indicate that 25 enemy were killed on three decks. Several systems were damaged: one critical. The frigate has now left the area. Prepare for immediate dust off. VI, execute flight program Rosebud.”

 

The shuttle’s VI followed the flight program VERA had entered perfectly. At the altitude of 100 meters, the shuttle engaged its FTL drives and returned to normal space at a distance of one kilometer from the Janiri.

 

 

//////////////////////////////////////

 

Quill looked up towards the smoking frigate as he swerved away, flying farther and farther out as the shuttle flew off and FTL jumped. His guns warning sensor came online as it overheated, steam flashing out as Machaera emerged from his cover, looking pissed as he marched towards the Krogan. Quill reached behind himself with one arm, the other shooting forward as his Omni tool deployed. Machaera moved quickly, sword flashing out as quills arm dropped to the ground at the elbow, a second later his cry of pain cut short as the sword plunged through his throat. 

 

Machaera’s eyes glowed red like fiery brimstone as what parts of his mouth he could move curled into a smile. He'd lost men, and a ship, and the spectre had escaped. While the initial plan was successful, and an alliance secured, he'd lost a lot more then he should have, many good men and women perishing from his vain battle. And yet, he didn't care, not a single drop of regret could be found in his murderous smile. It didn't matter that his men were dying, and his ship damaged.

 

He'd spilled blood, and felt the thrill of a fight against a rather strong and surprising foe. And now he stood here, watching a krogan slip away into deaths grasp. All in all, combined with the hellscape Garvug was turning into, Machaera couldn't help but be happy.

 

Quill gasped as he felt the blade go through him, knowing it was over as he looked up towards the sky. 'Never thought I'd go out like this...die before I reached a hundred...' He thought to himself as he looked Machaera right in the eyes, mustering up the strength to spit in his face one last time. 

 

'Wish I didn't die doin one last job for you vayne...but at least I can die, like a true krogan should...' before bringing his other arm out to show what he held, 'Takin the other guy down with me!'

 

"See...you...in Hell..." He croaked, grenade clutched and primed as Machaera’s smile dropped, jumping away from his blade as he raised his arms defensively.

 

The detonation resounded, blending in to the war torn soundtrack of the rest of the planet. Just another explosion in a sea of many, quickly being left behind on Garvug’s surface.

[TheMajonese]

"By the spirits, who was that?" Arian got rid of his helmet and glared at Essul as if the batarian could give him an answer. "We went down there to negotiate peace and then grab that prothean artifact!" It was hard for him not to start yelling. "What do we have? Nothing! The planet is a warzone, that other krogan is probably dead, the spectre's shot and we don't even have the artifact! And who the f*ck was that batarian? What happened at the conference?"

[Kel Riever]

...New York City

The pair of corrupt law enforcement agents, all that was left of the team sent to kill Morgan, moved through dark hallways.  Their guns were trained and their eyes were wide with anxiety.  The voice on the com, Morgan’s voice, spoke again.

“I remember you both now.  Waylon Yount, Elaine Richter. Foot soldiers, met in passing, unremarkable among a sea of ambitious, amoral operatives, though I’m sure you wouldn’t agree.  You’ve seen how the woman you answer to works…”

“You’re going to get strangled to death by my bare hands, Morgan!”  Yount screamed his threat, though there was a squeak to the pitch of his volume that betrayed his fear.

As the pair came to a ‘T’ intersection, a bit of light filtered through from one adjoining hallway.  There was a window at the end, looking out into the storm.  The pair scanned each way, then turned left, deeper into the building, at the gestured command of Richter.

“You killed a lot of people, Morgan,” Richter said both into the com and loud enough to be heard without it.  “Yount’s angry.  It takes a lot of work to find loyal people, you know that.  But we can still deal.  This road can be turned back upon, at least before the other police come.”

“Are you really trying to bargain with me, Richter?”

The corrupt policewoman knew what he meant.  She’d witnessed the victims in Iyana’s hands, the ones killed to further her purposes.  Abruptly, Yount pulled up his hand to halt and pointed at the floor in front of them with the light on his rifle.  There was blood spatter, dripped in a line, as if leaking from an open wound.  It headed further down the hallway, to eventually be swallowed by a near perfect gloom.  Only the lights from the rifles, and a feebly lit exit sign marking the long hallway’s end, interrupted the darkness.

A sliver of hope slipped into Richter, and she made her retort to Morgan.  “I don’t feel doomed, Morgan.  I don’t feel as if my fate is sealed yet.”

Richter and Yount were passing a set of closed doors on either side of them when a shadow from behind subtly changed the filtering of light from the window behind them now.  Both spun, and standing before the window was a silhouette.  Yount roared, and fired bursts from his Vindicator immediately.  Richter saw the body bounce around unnaturally and shouted, “Wait!”  Then she noticed the door next to her had opened into shadow. 

There was the retort of a chemical discharge before either Richter or Yount could react.  Richter saw a large projectile pass her in the blink of an eye and heard Yount scream, this time in excruciating pain.  A cable was now stretched just in front of Richter and she saw it reel back the way it came.  In the next half a second, Richter turned towards her one remaining ally.

Yount’s chest had imploded where the hook from Morgan’s grappling gun had hit.  The gun’s projectile deployed its hooks to catch Yount’s ribcage, and as the tension from the cable was yanked back, he wailed, and clenched his fingers in agony.

“No!” Richter cried out in despair.

The reflex reaction of Yount’s fingers pulled the trigger tight on his Vindicator and as his body rotated with the pull of the cable, the assault rifle whipped around and fired a three round burst into Richter’s abdomen. She was then knocked to the floor when Yount slammed into her because the rapidly retracting grappling gun cable dragged him.  Richter saw Yount’s body disappear into the door of shadow. 

Each of Yount’s three rounds in Richter’s abdomen then exploded.

[Kel Riever]

Richter opened her eyes to the sound of a voice above her.  She knew it was Morgan’s.  Most of what she saw was with the tunnel vision induced by her shocked state, but one figure was clear; Morgan Severn stood over Richter in his suit of dark grey, illuminated by the orange hard light of his tech armor. 

“It’s amazing how guns, bodies and a few toolkits go so well together.  That was one of your dead snipers silhouetted against the window.  The remotely triggered bolt driver was a bit lucky; I would have never guessed the bolt would hit the back of that one agent’s neck.  Duct tape and wire, probably the most important of the tools that I found.”  Morgan paused to peer at Elaine who was face up on the floor.  “You’re awake.  I’m not much of a talker usually, so we’ll have to make this quick.”

Elaine started to look down when Morgan put his palm up to stop her.  “You aren’t going to want to do that.  Those three shots exploded and blew out everything beneath the flesh under your ribs.  You’re internally severed in half.  Medigel can only go so far, but at least it’s gotten you awake for our last conversation.”

Morgan squatted next to Richter as she groaned from both pain and the knowledge that she would soon be dead.  “Hello, Elaine.  We’re at the part where Iyana believes we will finally get to experience each other without any pretense.  Like I said, we’ll have to be quick, because you don’t have long now.  Go ahead and tell me all the things you want me to know.”

Richter groaned again, this time in horror.

“That’s it?”  Morgan sighed and removed his helmet to face Richter directly.  “Nothing to say, because there’s nothing that matters.  It’s a bad case of a worthless life, Elaine.  You know that part about my mistake coming back for my family.  You probably don’t have anyone important in your life anymore, do you?  Cut off ties, manipulated people, used your loved ones for your own selfish games, perhaps?  That’s the difference between us, Richter.  I want you to know before you are gone for good that in the end, I have something that matters.  Something to say.  Something I fight for that isn’t simply about myself.  I’ll walk from here to see my sister again, enjoy time spent with my mother, listen to some bad jokes from my brother.  Most of all, what I’m going to do is walk back into the embrace of the woman I love, who showed me I could be more than someone like you.  That feeling, Elaine, and I know you won’t really understand what I’m speaking of, but that feeling is worth everything.”

Richter streamed a tear down each of her cheeks. She rasped a death rattle.

“Goodbye, Elaine.”

Morgan watched the life go out of Richter’s eyes.  When she was gone, he put his helmet back on and left.

[Cainhurst Crow]

"Treachery, of the worst sort..." Essul said with a strained growl, hand clutching his stomach as he looked towards the turian. "Hailot double crossed us, and manipulated everyone from the start. He was not as stupid as we thought, and somehow swayed members of the corporatists bodyguards to turn on them..." Essul got to his feet, still looking to arian as he spoke.

 

"Now the leaders are all dead. As is the vorcha Kyll, presumably. Issac as well, though it may be good riddance. Wrund seemed to think he was an agent of cerberus. And he didn't seem to deny it all too well..." Essul said solemnly as he reached up to cover his mouth, leaning on the side of the ship as a coughing fit came on. His armor registered massive kinetic damage, and had deployed medigel to help. But there was only so much one could do to heal internal wounds, talking not being one of them.

 

"I left him..." Vayne said as he still kept looking out towards the planet below, "I said I'd get him out of there...goddammit..." Vayne said quietly to himself, resting his head in his heads as he couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. So much had happened, so quickly, and none of it good. It was almost too much to believe.

 

"I don't know who that batarian was, I've never seen anyone fight like that, or use those types of ships or tactics. What I do know is he worked with Wrund, and evidently, was in some way intended to receive the relic instead of us..." Essul said, remembering the words wrund used in his gloat to a tee, "What I do know is Naleena was injured because of this double cross. Because we...because I failed to keep her covered..." He said, bitterly remembering when she'd rushed out, on his request. He could have held out, waited till she had time to make her way to back him up. Maybe if he did she wouldn't have...

 

Essul glanced towards Naleena's weapons, having nearly gotten impaled by that crazed batarian swordsman in order to retrieve them. He did a good job getting those and putting his life on the line. 'So why didn't I do it back then...' he thought, guilt starting to eat away as the ship traveled to the Janiri. 'Why didn't I save what really mattered?'

[Redbelle]

Anika watched Frank leave with steely eye's, but as the doors were closing the corner of her lip tugged and she nodded his way. "You did good Frank. See you when I see you".

 

With the doors closed Anika then turned her attention to the family. They were safe, for now. Hedeki's men were loyal to a fault and the plan to evacuate them amid a flurry of identical vehicles was sound. They had to move soon though. That wasn't difficult to grasp. What was holding her back though was Morgan.

 

She'd stayed with the family, but until she got them back to the Medusa they were still her charge. Her head told her to simply get in the van with them and make sure they made it.

 

Only the family wasn't whole. Morgan was still out there and her bond of comradeship was making it difficult to decide, go with the family, or recover Morgan. If he was even still alive......

 

Anika bit her lip as she dialed up Morgan's frequency and set it to burst transmission. The burst should, in theory make make it hard to localize as she recorded what she wanted. "Morgan. Family made it. Send your location if you need me. Otherwise I'm taking them the whole way".

 

She sent the transmission and waited.

[Kel Riever]

Morgan was on the landing deck Iyana's agents had come in from.  He peered over the edge in the rain, and saw the police activity thirty stories below.  The patrol cruisers were arriving, with the first handful moving to cover the obvious exits of the buildings.  Others would be arriving, first from low, then high.  With the response already in progress, Morgan guessed he had thirty seconds to a minute to get out, even with deception, or he'd have to escape through the cordon of blue.

The ex-shadow broker agent would have taken Richter's cruiser, but it was clear she'd killed someone inside.  Likely she thought she was going to have the chance to cover up her assassination of what looked like her partner.  Morgan instead went for the S.W.A.T. van.  It had been left running, its occupants equally overconfident about their ability to return.  He wouldn't be able to go far in the van before it was traced, once the status of the team was discovered, but he could make it the few critical blocks away to avoid being netted.  From there, he'd have to figure out his return.

As he pulled away in the S.W.A.T. skyvan, Morgan received Anika's transmission.  He remembered his brother's vocal, descriptive outburst of Anika, and it made him smirk a moment.  Morgan flipped his own com to send his response back to her with the same, tightly controlled, communication.  "I'm all right, Anika, but I was delayed.  It will take time to get out so I trust you to bring my family home."  The last word popped out of Morgan's mouth before he realized it.  "They'll be safe in your hands, and with Jess.  Besides I think my brother will be happy to get to ride along with a hot Amazon.  I'll need to rendezvous with the Medusa at her next port of call.  Maybe we can relay that through the Yakuza; they can let me know where that is as soon as you do."

Morgan hesitated to ask his next question, but he needed to know.  "Anika...Molly.  Is she going to make it?"

[Redbelle]

Anika returned another burst. "The med team Fixit alerted got to her. She was alive last I saw her. Franks gone with her. It's out of our hands. I'll let Hedeki know you need picking up. We're heading to Franks shuttle. I'll get them out. Anything I need to pass on"?

 

The last burst sent Anika climbed into the van and found herself sitting next to the brother who held his rifle in his hands. The Yakuza sitting opposite her looked worried at the young man with the rifle in hand but a quick glance by Anika let her know the safety was on.

 

"You know....". She told him as the doors closed. ".... I was taught to rest my finger on the trigger guard when combat wasn't occurring. That way, if I forgot, or needed the safety off, I'd have another level of safety from an accidental discharge".

[Kel Riever]

"Yeah, Anika," Morgan added after her question.  "If you would, let Jess know these three things:  First, that my family will be happy to help with whatever needs doing on the ship while they are there.  Second, put in a good word for Jess for me.  Let her know she was on my mind the whole time, and have it get in with her, Anika.  You're good with that.  Third, tell Jess nothing's going to stop me from getting back to the Medusa and I'll be aboard her as soon as I can, I promise."

[Kel Riever]

(Note:  The following was all RedBelle)

Previously...

Upon the Throne of The Lord

Tarballs eye's squinted in the harsh glare of the light that shone in through the windows of the lower floor. So long had he existed in the empty vacuum of space in a small, regulated bubble of gravity, air and light that he found his first trip down to a planet to have side effects that he had never known before. Of course, the last time he'd been down on a planet he'd been a young man......

Now he was old. And in his advanced years he'd gathered great power and wealth. A trade he was entirely comfortable with compared to those of his age who had never amounted to his lofty station. But those years......

He had been young once. Fighting alongside men equally as young and reckless as he. The first contact wars had been harrowing as humanity had learned they were not alone in the universe. Worse still, that the first encounter with another life form had proven that other life out there could, and would be hostile. And the technology they would have to fight against was decades ahead, or even unimagined by human minds who still grappled with the possibilities the new technology would allow, only to discover they were children playing with knowledge they didn't understand while those from beyond the Sol system, who had mastered it, killed.

Humanity's greatest achievement nearly turned into it's final accolade. They had been unprepared, ill equipped and lacked the leadership in those days that had seen people like him thrown against a superior adversary with nothing but a hope and a prayer that he and his fellows could somehow turn the tide.

The memories of broken ships, his comrades dying in their hundreds, none of that had mattered. It was the job. It was what he had signed on for. No, what really gnawed at him was how quickly it had stopped. How the battles and deaths had been halted by an intervention from yet another alien race. Opp's, just a misunderstanding. We'll send ambassadors and diplomats now so we can straighten the whole mess out.....

......But what if that intervention had never been staged?

That was the thought that triggered that cold bead of sweat down his back. The true lesson of the First Contact Wars. They were, in essence, a small fish in a large pond when it came to the galaxy. And while everyone liked to pretend that no predators existed that could do them harm, Humanity had been given a hard lesson in reality.

Just because you never thought they existed, didn't mean monsters weren't real.

Lord Tarball's musings were interrupted by a tightness in his chest as his memories of his youth fell away leaving him back in the reality where he was confined to his throne. It seemed that age had indeed caught up with him. He had spent the years well however. From leaving the Earth's Military to joining the then Kings and Queens of it's time. It had been a small organization back then. But one that held promise in his eye's. It had been a fledgling dream at the time but after hearing of the organization and their volunteering to take over the less important roles military ships..... That on top of their success in those roles had forced a question in Tarballs mind. Could they do it again if called upon?

And so Tarballs had climbed to the top of the K&Q and once their, began to restructure the entire organization. On the surface it was still the K&Q. Underneath however, deals had been made. Agreements reached. Infrastructure put in place and crews assembled, all so that in the event of the unexpected, they would have another private army to field..... His private army.....

And still it wasn't enough..... It would never be enough. The strength of the K&Q existed in it's ships. The biggest captained by his Kings and Queens. Supported by a flotilla of others that ran normal shipping. Supporting the efforts of the Capital ships and his own. The carrier, the old war horse that it was, existed as the center of his empire as he used his web to acquire technology and knowledge that he could use to give his army the fighting edge it needed.......

The tightness in his chest increased and he dug his finger's into the hard golden metal of his throne. As if it knew he was in distress, the throne purred in a way no one but he could ever hear. The throne needed him. It cried out when he was away to long and it's joy when he returned to it was evident. It knew what he wanted and the he felt the hum vibrate through him as the tightness went away, leaving only a warmth in him that the planet's sun was unable to provide. Age had indeed caught up with him he knew. But the throne, ever loyal and dependable, staved off his decline. He, Lord Tarballs, had work to do and the Throne knew that. Knew it, and would support him as long as he never left it again. That was fine by Tarballs. He was tired. So very very tired, yet still needed to maintain his influence. He hoarded his strength and the Throne gave him more when he needed it the most. In his more quieter moments Tarballs thought he could sometimes hear the Throne singing to him.....

He looked up again as his eye's finally adjusted to the light of the foreign sun. A ruined world from the first contact war. Abandoned after the pounding this colony had suffered and abandoned and forgotten. The tower that had been rebuilt in the middle of all the destruction. Poetic in it's own way. Rebuilding after suffering so much destruction was humanities way, but suffering destruction with no power to stop it? That was a way no sentient should ever have to endure.

The throne warned him that they were coming. The woman who had bested one of his Captains. Someone who had revealed a weakness in his organization. Like everything Tarballs knew he had to understand the weakness before he could purge it and reforge what was weak into something strong. And the woman who had done this to his captain? To his organization?

To him?

Well, to say he was headhunting would accurately describe his intention

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Valhallan Threshold - Paz System

 

The shuttle appeared on Commander Selani’s tactical screen at a distance of 1 km.

 

“VERA, contact the shuttle and inform the pilot that the shuttle bay doors are open and ready to receive,” Selani said.

 

“I am piloting the shuttle, Commander,” VERA replied. “However, I understand that was a habitual response to the situation.”

 

“Is everyone alright?”

 

“Aside from the boss, Essul has suffered internal injuries, though they are not severe,” VERA said. “I am landing in the shuttle bay as we speak.”

 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 

 

A medical team awaited in the shuttle bay with a gurney and IV. Tallis awakened Ereba after they loaded Naleena onto it. The medical team disappeared into the elevator.

 

Ereba was slow to respond, but came out of it and turned her head to Tallis. “I don’t recommend long melds like that. They can be exhausting. Plus, they’re really weird. I feel like I really know her, and she’ll probably remember everything. Goddess I hope she doesn’t start on me about the crap I got away with on my last assignment. It’s… weird. I need something sweet, not that you aren’t, but not that kind of sweet.”

 

Tallis nodded and reached into her pack for a peanut butter cookie.

 

“Yeah, this will do just fine,” Ereba smiled. “Thanks. Who’d a thought that going after pieces of old junk would be so dangerous?”

 

Tallis pointed to the elevator and made signs with her hands.

 

“You want to tell Jenus and Iole what happened?”

 

Tallis nodded.

 

“Okay, let’s go.”

 

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 

VERA bypassed all elevator controls and took it directly to the floor with Med Bay. Dr. Tolus and his surgical team awaited.

 

Dr. Tolus waited inside. “Hurry, hurry. No time to waste.”

 

The surgical team cut open Naleena’s armor and removed it while Dr. Tolus applied a local anesthesia, and he ordered the first blood transfusion. The availability of synthetic Asari blood on the ship would have to suffice for the time being. He would be able to stabilize her condition, but she would need additional treatment in a better facility.

 

“VERA, inform Commander Selani we need to get to The Citadel. I can stabilize her, but she’ll need better treatment than I can provide,” Dr. Tolus said.

 

“Acknowledged, Dr. Tolus.”

 

Initial scans showed that the projectile had entered the caused damage to the pleura, diaphragm, mediastinum, and had damaged branches off the large vein, but fortunately missed the Asari equivalent of the aorta. He inserted a chest drain into the haemothorax. The next procedure was to open her and remove the severely damaged tissue and the projectiles under general anesthesia. She was in surgery for two hours.

 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 

Selani received the message from VERA.”

 

“Jorril, set course for The Citadel via the Raheel-Leyya Relay,” Selani ordered. “VERA open a channel to the Medusa.”

 

“This is the Medusa. Janiri, what is your status?” Dahlia asked.

 

“We are leaving the system for The Citadel immediately. Mission is aborted. Inform Captain Stone we’ll meet her there. Selani out.”

 

The Janiri engaged FTL drive and left the system.

[Redbelle]

As the information came in, Jess breathed a sighed of relief. The situation with the various other ships in and around the area was a hair trigger away from becoming a shooting match she wanted to be well clear of.

 

"Marshall. Turn us around and get us to the relay. Duncan. Message those other ships that we regret our hasty departure but the situation around the planet is to volatile to risk our presence". 

 

Jess settled back in her chair and kept her eye's on the range finder between her ship and the others. She wouldn't be happy till they were out of the system. As the range finder clicked upwards and seeing no sign of pursuit she rubbed her eye's and wondered how Babe and Sherie were doing with their talk. She wondered if Priss was okay too and resolved to catch up with her. Though telling her Babe was staying was news she was wondering how to spin to keep Priss aboard. And at long last her thoughts turned to the Earth team.

 

Hedeki, someone she'd known a long time ago, had sent a thank you while they'd been in orbit shadowing the Janiri thanking her for the booze. He'd mentioned Anika and Morgan as well as Molly and a pilot with balls of Krogan steel she assumed was Frank...... Since then though, nothing.

 

She hoped they were okay.

[Kel Riever]

…on the Janiri

“That com buoy being destroyed is a real problem,”Jenus told Iole as they rode the Janiri’s elevator to the shuttle bay.  They had entered on a different level after the medical team with Naleena had exited, so they didn’t see their commander, but they had heard the news. “Can’t notify any out-system hospital and get it prepped until travel through the relay.  There’ll probably be time, but still...at least Trenchcoat will probably pull through.  She’s almost as tough as me.”

“Almost,” Iole remarked with a smile.  “Calling her ‘Trenchcoat’ now?”

“It’s something.  At least most of the rest of the team sounds all right.  Irina wouldn’t tell anyone she’d been hurt if she didn’t have to.  I’ll need to give her a once over, make sure she didn’t snap a fibula and walk it off.”

The two asari laughed.

Jenus stopped short briefly with her humor.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about not being able to get an update on Frank.  Maybe they haven’t tried to contact us, but that buoy out makes it impossible.”

“Like you said, until we get through the relay.  I admit I’m nervous, but I have to trust he’ll come back in one piece.”

With dark eyes squinting as she smirked, Jenus tried to cheer Iole up.  “One piece, or just the piece that’s important.”

That caused Iole to burst out laughing again, and the infection of the humor had Jenus chortling too.  That’s when the doors to the elevator opened and they were standing in front of Tallis and Ereba.

~ ~ ~ ~

…New York City

Getting rid of the S.W.A.T. van wasn’t going to be as much of a problem for Morgan as getting something to conceal himself in, but he was an old hand at disappearing.  The skyvan was ditched right in front of a ground level Chinese food restaurant.  Nobody questioned a double parked law enforcement vehicle, nor an armored man going in a restaurant for what looked like an early dinner.  He ordered, paid, and asked to use the bathroom, which was a simple ruse to get himself out the back door.  In a typically oderous, and now rain drenched alley, a clothes refabrication service and dry cleaner had thrown its own rear door open to catch what had been a beautiful early summer day before the storm.  Nobody closed it once the storm started and with a regular stream of customers coming from the front, Morgan snatched a raincoat off a rack near the rear without notice.  An umbrella was something he’d have to do without, but he could throw up the high coat collar and keep his head down.

Before he could get on his way, however, Morgan moved deeper into the alley and into a dark corner to assess himself physically.  He carefully removed the shoulderpad where the round has passed through the hardened layer when he was shot at on the rooftop.  When Morgan saw the size of the wound, he was surprised he had shrugged off the pain.  Medigel has sealed the damage, so he had no more concerns about it, but it was much more substantial than he’d thought.  It was when Morgan got to his thigh that he was really taken aback.  What seemed like a tiny puncture from a block shaving on the outside had turned out to become much larger under the thigh plate.  The S.W.A.T. team had mostly been using explosive rounds and Morgan didn’t even recall being hit in the leg.  Ignoring a small puncture would easily be explained away by the rushes of adrenaline he experienced and even had developed a control over.  But the penetrating round had gone off below the plate, blasting a nasty tear in the top of his thigh.  Despite, again, having been cared for by the armor’s automatic medigel application, Morgan didn’t ever recall disregarding a wound of the size inflicted.  Something had occurred during the firefight Morgan wasn’t used to, the kind of immunity that soldiers sometimes reported experiencing in combat when they pushed themselves to the furthest limits of their training and survival.  He’d just never had any kind of experience like that himself, and chalked up such things to rumors and tall tales, or the odd miracle.

There was no more work to be done on the wounds in the field, so Morgan replaced his armor plates, gave himself another quick check over, then threw the raincoat on.  He couldn’t help but think of Molly when he did, and his heart reached out to the detective.  The sound of a passing siren had his mind return to the task at hand and that was getting back.  Staying in one place was no good; Morgan had to keep moving until he heard from the Yakuza or one of the other team members.

[Kel Riever]

…on the Medusa

Amy Hayashi sought Jess out of the corner of her eye, and watched the Captain settle back.  Jess didn’t seem very relaxed, but Amy wasn’t sure if her observation was accurate, or the nagging concern of doubling back to the Citadel along the course they had just traveled meant the anxiousness was on her own behalf.  Before Jess caught her looking, Amy occupied herself with her station console, while giving the bun on her head a bit of a pat.  Straightening her kimono a bit also seemed appropriate.

Her mind wandering to Stone again, Amy folded her hands and figited.  She never thought sitting at anything that worked like a desk would leave her stir crazy.

~ ~ ~ ~

Not only did the firewall go up, but Babe had installed a hard cut switch on the cable networking her to the guns.  The benefit of the Medusa was that systems could not be entirely seized by another hack, as they weren’t fully intergrated.  That didn’t mean hacking wasn’t a danger, but it did mean that the difficulty was far greater.  Babe wasn’t going to throw one of the ships best defenses out the window, so linking the weapon systems came with some failsafes. 

The threat having subsided, Babe still left the red switch for the main cable in the ‘off’ position.  It could always be thrown back on in plenty of time to link up.  Unfortunately, with the matter of the enemy ships settled, Babe started to think about what had happened on the bridge again.

First, the woman in pink came to mind.  Babe wanted to go find her and make sure she was all right, despite what had happened.  She knew, of course, that she’d be the last person who wanted to be seen.  But Babe felt that way and it hurt her that the situation had become so uncontrolled.  She did her best to keep herself together and what happened never was supposed to.

Babe wondered, in fact, why she wanted to stay?  She should just have run, somehow run, but she couldn’t.  It was something the Captain said?  Maybe it was the ship she’d fell in love with at first sight.  Caught between a terror she didn’t want to think about and a passion of being aboard that pulled at her every fiber, Babe didn’t know what to do.

The clink of China brought Babe whipping back into reality, and simultaneously spinning around in the chair she’d sat in since the bridge called.

“I’m…I’m so sorry,” Babe said to Sherie.  “I must have zoned out with everything that was going on.”  Regaining herself a bit, Babe still felt a bit pressed in by having another person in the same room, at least another person who seemed to be watching her with interest.  Babe removed her dark red leather jacket, and felt much better with just her white cotton crop top.   She bit the side of her lip and repeated her previous thoughts, with a rather poor summary.  “You had asked and there’s no one in here but me.  I don’t know if I can make dinner hour…it’s just that I’m no good with people…well what I mean is it never goes well.”

Babe looked at Sherie worriedly.

[Cknarf]

Aside from the occasional sigh, Frank rode along in silence. Anytime a distant siren could be heard over the constant beep of medical equipment, he’d be against the door, with eyes to the sky. The whole ride, he’d been thinking of nothing but how things could go terribly, terribly wrong. He gripped his pistol a little tighter, as a pair of flashing lights crossed one of the streets ahead.

 

“Family?” The man at the controls asked, as he addressed Frank’s fidgeting. “Partner, perhaps?”

 

Frank looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. The driver tilted his head, referring to the badge in Frank’s hand that he subconsciously thumbed at.

 

“God, no. I ain’t no fuckin’ cop.” Frank scoffed, before looking back out the window. “Can’t stand ‘em.”

 

The driver smirked, as if to agree.

 

“‘Cept this one.” He threw a thumb over his shoulder. “She’s alright.”

 

“She will be. Our people are among the best on Earth.”

 

Frank just pursed his lips, and nodded.

 

“Unfortunately, due to our arrangements, you will not be meeting them. You will be dropped off prior to our arrival at the hospital. Please, understand.”

 

“I get it.”

 

“We will be arriving shortly. If you would like to speak with her, I recommend that you do so now.”

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

Frank sat on the bench in the back, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees.

 

“Hey, Mols…” He began, looking up from the floor. “I uh… I wanted to talk to you, ‘fore I left. About stuff. And things, or whatever.” He shrugged, looking back down at his feet.

 

“Family’s on their way.’Cept Morgan. He threw himself at a gunship. It exploded, and he didn’t so… yeah. That was pretty cool. He’s not goin’ with.”

 

“Maybe I’ll stay behind, too. Even a guy that punches gunships out of the sky needs someone to watch his back once in awhile, right? ‘Sides. I’ve always wanted to explore the homeworld a bit, ya know? Maybe check out this ‘Louisiana’.” Frank made quotes with his fingers. “I dunno. I could use a break from all the… well,  killin’ people. Sh*t’s wearin’ on me, Mols. You know it more than anyone else.”

 

“Two minutes!” The driver shouted from the front.

 

“We’re runnin’ outta time, so I’ll wrap it up.” Frank sat up straight. “I’m sorry for the way things went down back there. I feel like…” He took a deep breath. “I know it probably woulda went bad anyways, but I can’t help but think maybe things would be different if I just…”

 

Frank wiped at his eye. It got hella dusty in the back of that van all of the sudden.

 

“Ready?” The driver asked, while making the approach to the drop off.

 

“Yeah.” Frank nodded.

 

“Looks like this is my stop.” Frank stood, as the van began to descend. “Do me, no, the galaxy a favor and come back from this, huh? It could use a few more cops like you.” He moved to the door, just as the van landed “Catch ya on the rebound, Mols.” He smiled, and pushed the door open.

 

“Oh, hey! Almost forgot!!” He started, totally ruining the cheesy line he just dropped by moving back into the van.

 

“Hope you don’t mind me holdin’ on to this.” He held up her badge by the chain. “I’m gonna have some fun with this thing later on.” He smirked. “I’ll give it back later, promise! See ya around, detective!”

 

Frank climbed out of the van, and was met by some waiting Yakuza, who promptly handed him a suit, and whisked him to another vehicle.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Frank stepped out of the alley and onto the streets of New York in surprisingly well fitting black suit. He couldn’t see sh*t out of the dark sunglasses that he had insisted on, but damn, if he didn’t look like a baller.

 

“Yo. Got Mols where she gots to go.” He said over comms, as he started walking. Not in any particular direction, of course. What did you expect?

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Valhallan Threshold - Between the stars

 

Ereba stood with a grim expression. “Well, I'm glad to see you two have kissed and made up. You haven't heard, have you?”

 

Jenus had a look of confusion on her face.

 

“The mission was a failure and our CO is in emergency surgery,” Ereba said. “We did the best we could, but we got our asses kicked.”

 

Iole blushed, glancing sideways at Jenus a moment then looking down.  “We heard about Naleena.”

Jenus remained cool and stepped out of the elevator before Iole followed.  Recovering part of the hard demeanor she was best known for, she pat Ereba on the shoulder with a reassuring hand and said, “Look it in the face.  We took a glance at the data coming in before we headed down here.  You’re solid, Ereba, getting Naleena out with the others.  That Spectre owes you and so does everyone aboard.”  Her hard demeanor eased slightly and her voice lowered.  “Are you going to be all right, Ereba?”

 

Ereba's eyes welled, and tears started running down her cheeks. She sat down  on some crates in the shuttle bay. “I dunno, Jenus. I don't f*ckin' know. There's gunships comin' at us. VERA was in that robot and thank f*ckin' Athame she was because if she wasn't we'd all be dead. Tallis did what she could but she was pretty much watching our backs. I mean she was out of biotic and shotgun range of everything,” Ereba said and put her face in her hands. “Then it happened. Naleena and Essul are making a run for it. Essul makes it and is laying down covering fire. We all are. Naleena is hopping and rolling from one spot to the next. She got hit and her cloak isn't working. Then it was like watching a bad action scene in a movie. I thought she was dead, Jenus,” Ereba looked up at her.

 

“I melded with her for... I don't know... I tried to slow her heart rate down, you know like we're trained? You ever do that with anyone like that? You're not the same afterward. It changes you. You... know them, and I'm guessing that her being Asari, she'll remember it, too.” Ereba was shaking, then took a deep breath. “I'll be alright.... First real combat. Training and sims are easy.”

[Kel Riever]

"Easy, little sniper," Jenus said and sat down next to Ereba.  "You aren't all krogan.  Leave some room for the asari in you."  She put a comforting arm around Ereba and pulled her snugly in.  "What you did is nothing small.  Why don't you take a minute and let it out of your system."  Jenus rubbed Ereba's shoulder gently, doing her best to calm her newest companion down.

Iole nodded.  "We're pround of you and Tallis, coming back here. It gets taken for granted sometimes, but we understand, even if we weren't there.  Jenus is right, take a breather."

Tallis' eyes popped wide open as she witnessed Jenus being nice and Iole being downright agreeable with her.  She was in more shock at their reaction than she was by Ereba's momentary breakdown.  One of her brows raised so high in surprise it looked like it would fly out the top of her crested head.

[Redbelle]

The plan worked Anika was glad to learn. The Yakuza extraction whisked the family and herself to safety as the van rumbled back to the warehouse.

 

Still, the price of extracting the family had been a high one.

 

Molly could be alive, or dead. Morgan and Frank were separated from the group  and as for herself.....

 

......

 

She had never considered the possibility that she'd be taking the family back to the Medusa by herself. She had to. She couldn't wait. The longer she left the family dangling like a thread the greater the chance those after them would catch up and...... well. Probably best not tell the family what probable fate awaited them if they were caught.

 

The van stopped and Anika heard the cab doors open. The weight of the van shifted then leveled. A moment later the doors opened and Anika looked out to see the door's being held open by two non descript men. Between them, looking in, was Hedeki.

 

"Anika-kun.....". He paused as Anika stepped out of the van and the grav suspension seemed to audibly groan in relief as her armoured wieght left the van. She was followed by the brother who still grasped his rifle. The men saw it and immediately began reaching into their jackets until Anika put a gauntlet and pushed the rifle muzzle down.

 

"It's okay...... These people got us out. Their friends".

 

"Anika-kun"! Hedeki said again, obviously annoyed at being ignored from the conversation. "....where are the rest of you! I heard! Samurai-san and Krogan Balls..... You..... separated"?

 

"Hai". Anika said, ignoring the heaviness in her gut. "I have to go now".

 

"Without them? Your Molly..... My doctor's called..... I'm sorry. Much damage".

 

"Will she live"?

 

Hedeki was silent for a moment. "Hai. Fixit a good program. Not as soothing as Suzie Fixit but, kept your Molly going long enough to reach doctors...... But, Doctors examine her. Much, much damage. Intensive care and life support needed. Can fix the internal injuries but.... Spine. The shot that nearly killed her was made to do maximum damage to flesh. Nerve damage. If she lives, she will not walk under her own power again".

 

Anika listened impassively. Inside however, she wished she'd listened to her instincts sooner and dropped everyone on that roof just seconds earlier.

 

She'd really messed up this pickup

 

"I have to go". She repeated. "I have to get them to safety".

 

"Yes! Get them to ship! Make sure the sacrifices today matter! I will look out for your people. Help them get back if they desire. Krogan Balls shuttle is ready"!

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Valhallan Threshold - Between the Stars

 

Irina pulled her gear out of the shuttle and slung it over her shoulder. Her armor was covered in blood splatter and dust from the close quarters combat in the hospital. There was an empty can of soda in her path on the deck left there by one of the mechanics, and she disgustingly sent it flying into the far wall with her foot as she headed toward the elevator.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Two hours later, Dr. Tolus emerged from Med-Bay. He was exhausted. The surgery was not complicated but it was stressful. He went upstairs to the wardroom to get something to eat.

 

Ereba saw him, stood, and approached. “Doc! Is she gonna make it?”

 

Dr. Tolus stopped and nodded. “Yes. She is stable. Out of danger, but need to get to hospital. Still a lot of treatment needed.”

 

“Can I see her?”

 

“In a few hours, maybe. She is not awake,” Dr. Tolus said. “I need to get something to eat. Feel light-headed.”

[Kel Riever]

Jenus, Iole and Tallis had gone to wait for Naleena with Ereba.  Tallis was still staring wide eyed at her old companions.  They were exchanging a casual banter between them.

“Ereba, we’re not going to invade your space,” Jenus said.  “If you want to see the Spectre by yourself, we’ll wait for you to let us know how things are.”

“Yes,” Iole added, “We’ve all been in medical before, though not quite in the same way.  We’ll wait outside for you.”

“I’ve got to see how Red is doing, Goldie.  Maybe you can get Ereba something to eat while she waits?  I’ll bet she’s hungry too.”

“Sure, Jenus.  Ereba, what can I get you?”

Tallis stumbled for no good reason as her leg caught the corner of a side table outside the bay.

~ ~ ~ ~

…New York City

Morgan heard Frank on the com. “Good job, Eli.  I can’t talk long.  I’m around 54 and Madison, probably not that close but if you need me, let me know where you are and I can get to you.” 

The rain was still coming down but it wasn’t as strong.  Morgan kept walking, blending in with the foot traffic.

[Cknarf]

"I'm comin' up on some kinda club. Looks like my kinda place." Frank nodded a little bit, while opening his map. "I'm riiiiiight... here, if you wanna come scoop." He sent his location. "Yeah. 39th st, little ways offa Fifth."  He glanced up at the sign.

 

NOPE.

 

Turns out, it was the exact opposite of his kinda place.

 

"I'll uh... be waitin' outside."

[Kel Riever]

Grabbing a cab was a good way to keep off the streets and out of sight from a police search.  The rain helped too, a good excuse for anyone to be flagging down a cab, though finding one took longer than usual.  Cabbies were a thing of the past, but New York still required its cabs be painted in iconic yellow.  

It took ten minutes to get to Frank's location, with traffic, which was quite a bit with the use of the sky pattern.  Morgan caught the news on a video screen during the ride;  the chaos was hitting the news.  He'd have to suggest to Frank that he lay really low, up until he or they both found a way off the planet.

Morgan made sure to stop a block away, then walked the rest of the distance.  Frank was catching some of the rain in a nice suit and a pair of sunglasses.  A street vendor was selling cheap umbrellas out of a cart along the way, so Morgan picked up two, covering himself with one of them.  He approached Frank, greeting him like an old friend.  "Nice threads, looks like you got set up all right.  I'm going to go out on a limb and say that meeting in front of an Elcor pleasure shop was an accident."

[Cknarf]

((ETA: This totally happened at some point.))

 

"We all have our vices, Señor Morales." Frank took hold of the umbrella that was handed to him.

 

The f*** does this work?

 

"For some, it is alcohol. Others, tobacco. For me? It's most definitely filthy, filthy elcor pornography." He finally figured out how the umbrella worked.

 

"Now what?"

Modifié par Cknarf, 28 mai 2015 - 03:19 .