writetober: day 23
using this prompt list
23 October: Omega
“a law unto itself”
“He’s a turian. And a damn good sniper. We’ve set him up with a fake tip about a squad of ours going to collect protection money from some people in one of the lower districts. He’ll be there.”
“Then I’ll be there too. And when I get back, you better have the money.” Duke didn’t know the Blood Pack leader’s name, and they were pretty sure he didn’t know theirs either. All he knew was Streak, the biotic bounty hunter, and that he was paying Duke to take out Archangel. They’d suppressed the self-loathing at killing a vigilante by now, and even if they hadn’t, the Blood Pack bastard wouldn’t be able to see their face though the one-way glass on their helmet.
They turned on their heel and started away, letting one hand crackle with biotics as a warning to anyone who was thinking of sneaking up behind them as revenge for a bounty they’d collected on another Blood Pack head.
Archangel. Strange name for a turian to choose.
Duke quickened their step.
The Duchess was silent as Duke crept through the district, motion detector and noise amplifier active on their heads-up display. Curfew had come and gone, and now was when gangbangers would be collecting on their protection racket: when the good citizens of Omega would be cozy in their living rooms, blissfully ignorant of the crimes outside their apartments.
Yeah fucking right.
A skitter of claws on the metal floor had Duke turning, raising the Duchess to sight. Nothing. They had to find Archangel fast. Just because Duke couldn’t see a sniper didn’t mean the sniper couldn’t see them. Close quarters, or at least a line of sight, was their best bet. They dashed out from behind the corner, sprinting for the elevator that would take them to the next floor.
They almost felt the bullet whiz past them. They whirled and raised the Duchess again, looking up to the rafters, looking for turian armor.
“Looking too high, Streak.”
Duke’s gun jerked down, leveling at the helmeted turian with his rifle raised. “You must be Archangel.”
“And you’re Streak. I had a feeling that tip was fake. Too easy. I put out some feelers, heard about your deal with the Blood Pack. Why are you working with them? I’ve heard about your other…exploits. You could be protecting the people here.”
“It puts food in my belly. Pro bono good deeds don’t.” There was something familiar about this fucker. His voice? Nah, all that flanging always sounded the same.
“Don’t worry about that. I’ve got a team. We take care of each other.”
“And where are they now?”
“I thought this would go better if I were the only one to meet you. Didn’t want you to come out shooting.”
“Funny you should say that, seeing as I don’t have to come out shooting.” Duke didn’t give Archangel a chance to answer. Blue flared around them, sparking along their spine and yanking Archangel toward them. They gave him credit for hanging onto his gun, even when they planted a solid, armored kick right at his skinny waist, knocking him back again. The Duchess was powering up, they were sighting down the barrel to put a slug in Archangel’s head, they could already see the credits—
“I know that move—Duke?”
They froze. “Who the hell—?”
Archangel’s gun clattered to the ground, and he fumbled to get his helmet off. The Duchess’s barrel dropped to Duke’s side just as their jaw dropped to their collarbone.
“Garrus?”
“Spirits. I thought I’d never see you again.” He pushed himself back to his feet. “What are you doing on Omega? I thought the Alliance didn’t come to the Terminus, and definitely not to work with the Blood Pack.”
“I’m not Alliance anymore,” Duke admitted, pulling off their own helmet. “I deserted after giving the admirals some serious lip about disrespecting Shepard’s memory.”
They both fell quiet. Shepard was still a gaping hole in both their chests. “What about you?” Duke asked finally. “C-Sec?”
“Same as you. Left when I couldn’t see them doing any real good.”
Duke sighed, rubbing at their undercut with a still-armored hand. “Well…it’s good to see a familiar face. Even your ugly mug, G.”
“I can’t see anything; you’re too far down.”
Duke grinned and punched Garrus’s armor with a clang. “Guess I’ll have to give up that bounty. It’s good knowing you’re still kicking around on this fuckin’ station too.”
“You could join my team. I know we could use your help.”
“Maybe,” Duke said quietly. “Maybe if you find me later. I’ll think about it. I know I could use a friend.” They held out their fist. “For now, we go our separate ways.”
Garrus touched his curled claws to Duke’s knuckles. “All right. Find me if you change your mind.”
Duke smiled at him one last time. “Stay alive, Vakarian.”
“Same to you, Wilder.”
Duke pulled their helmet back on and went back the way they came, not looking back.