He jerked his arm away so quickly that Miranda nearly lost her balance. You didn't mean for this to happen?" He laughed, but it came out as something closer to a choked sob. "You wanted them to create more thresher maw venom. How did you think they were going to test it? Set up some targets at a firing range? God, I never thought you were stupid, Lawson. Or maybe it was just me."
"I thought they would be tested on batarian slavers. People who deserved it. Never the Alliance. Never you."
"Well, isn't that refreshing?" He turned back to face her. "You suggest developing illegal biological weaponry, send it up the chain of command of a terrorist organization, and then you complain about who those terrorists test it on. I was wrong; you are stupid. How you managed to bring me back to life I will never understand. Tell me, what's the real reason you're in charge? Did the Illusive Man think I'd want to **** you so badly that I'd do anything you said? I've got to hand it to him. It almost worked."
Miranda recoiled. So much for him being different from the rest. He would mock her just as cruelly as Jack. No, it was worse. He knew her, knew how hard it had been for that trust him with her insecurities and how much it mattered that he had valued her as a person. And he had thrown it back in her face. Two could play at that game. "Believe what you want. It wouldn't be the first time I've seduced a hypocritical ingrate for information. I'll be happy to provide a list."
His fist clenched. "Shut up."
The barb had hit home. Score one for male vanity. "That's how I started in Cerberus: sleeping with people for information or to blackmail them. Sometimes I even pretended to be in love. Did you think that you were special?" Half true. She had made her reputation with honey traps, but her orders for Project Lazarus were merely to assist, observe, and report. Not that he deserved to know that. "And this wasn't my fault, in any case I only made suggestions."
"Always trying to evade responsibility. You are the real Cerberus." His tone was suddenly brisk and official. "But for you, there would have been know massacre on Akuze. Let's see, that's forty-nine counts of manslaughter at the very least, war crimes, and destruction of military property. Possibly treason. I'm still a Spectre. I should arrest you." He shook his head. "No, your kind never get justice."
Miranda felt something press against the back of her helmet. "You're wrong, Shepard," said Toombs quietly. "They do if we kill them."
Too brutal? Not brutal enough? As unpleasant as she is, is Miranda IC?