The Hybrid |Garrus | Mass Effect ✔

The Hybrid: Chapter One

"Listen, Shepard, I..." Garrus looked down at his hands trying to make sense of everything that was going on in his head. Several thoughts seemed to fight their way to the surface. So many words were slamming around in his head, like a crowded room of the nightclub on the Citadel. He wanted to tell the beautiful woman in front of him his feelings for her but nothing was coming out. Instead, it was beginning to become awkward. He sighed, looking away from the confused human. 

She's human, it probably wouldn't work out in the end anyways. 

"Garrus?" Shepard took a step forward, looking up at her friend. She was curious about what was going on in that turian brain but also a bit confused. Garrus looked up to his Commander, his friend, and his current crush. He wasn't sure what to do about this human; she was strong, both mentally and physically, and the way she carried herself made Garrus feel something. She was beautiful for a human and perhaps it was the scars for Garrus. She carried many scars on her face, even more now since they lost the first Normandy. She had come back from the dead. When he saw her walking on the bridge on Omega with all the other idiots, he was beside himself. From that moment on he didn't want to leave Shepherd's side again. 

"Garrus," Shepard approached Garrus, touching his shoulder, "Whatever it is, you can tell me." 

Before Garrus could say anything, Joker interrupted them on the intercom. Garrus rubbed the back of his neck while Shepard took a step back. 

"ETA ten minutes, Commander." 

"Right. Thanks, Joker." She turned her attention back to Garrus, "I need you and Thane with me on this mission, Garrus." 

"Right. I'll go get ready." Garrus turned on his heel and walked towards the elevator. A good firefight should get his head on straight and not think about the Commander anymore. He couldn't bring a human home to his family. He wanted to be able to have children with her, but biology would not work in their favor; he frowned at the thought. Garrus made his way towards his locker that was facing the opposite of the kitchen in the mess hall. Garrus entered his combination, opening up to reveal his favorite sniper.  He gathered his things for the mission, trying to get his mind onto something other than Shepard. 

Garrus proceeded down to the belly of the ship where Commander Shepard and Thane stood. The shuttle was preparing to leave the Normandy. 

"Mission debriefing." Thane and Garrus stood next to Shepard as she put her arm out in front of her, her omni-tool glowing. With a few inputs, a map was displayed in front of them: it was Omega. Aria ran Omega after it was attacked and it was slowly coming together, but now it seems another problem has arisen. 

"We are going to Afterlife to speak with Aria. She has information about a scientist who has been kidnapping turian children." 

Garrus' hands tightened on his sniper rifle. His stomach churned and the eyes of the assassin fell onto him. Shepard cleared her throat and continued with the mission debriefing but Garrus couldn't focus on the specifics. He wanted to murder the person accountable for stealing children. It reminded him of last year when he finally put Dr. Heart to rest, the cruel man who dissected people to sell their organs on the black market. Now it's happening all over again. 

"Garrus—" 

"This is bullshit," Garrus growled; he had more words to say but he couldn't talk. Thane stood there quietly with his hands behind his back. Behind his dark-red tinted glasses, he was examining the details of the Turian. How his eyes showed anger and how his mandibles flared. He looked at Shepard, taking note of her worried look towards her friend. Thane stood there and said nothing, he acknowledged the plan that the Commander had for the mission. It would be a silent mission, hopefully with no gunfire as they were only gathering intel at this point. 

"Shuttle is ready to board, Ma'am." 

"We are approaching the LZ," Joker announced. Garrus, Thane, and Shepard rushed to the shuttle. Once it was launched from the Normandy, Garrus looked towards the Commander; she was leaning against the shuttle, looking out towards Omega. Garrus had questions that he wanted answers to but knew that she didn't know the answers to them. He stood there, brewing in his own thoughts. 

"Land us on Omega and wait for us." The Commander asked the driver. He agrees, opening the doors for the Commander and her comrades. Thane and Garrus followed Shepard out of the shuttle and onto the bridge leading to the station. After passing several security checks from officers, they found themselves in line at the most popular nightclub on Omega which was operated by Aria. This wasn't Shepard's first time being here and Garrus remembered killing several people; the memory caused him to smile inside of his helmet. Thane, on the other hand, has never been to the station. The sights and sounds kept his mind curious, causing him to absorb all the little details about Omega, even noticing the women in the dark corner by the taxi service station. 

"I'm here to see Aria," Shepard announced to the bouncer. 

"And what do you want, human? Everyone here wants to see Aria." 

"I'm Commander Shepard of the Alliance. Aria called for me personally." 

The turian bouncer thought for a moment. He took a glance at the other turian and the drell and then turned his attention back to the human standing before him. She stood there with confidence, her posture demonstrating it well. Her red eyes seemed to glow from Afterlife's beaming hue; the turian shifted his weight. 

"Just you. Not the turian and the drell." 

"They're with me," Shepard said, "I can let your boss know that you didn't let my friends through with me. I'm sure she would be pleased to hear about it."  Shepard crossed her arms, glaring at the turian. She knew that people were on edge, but she didn't want to go in without her friends; there had been too many close calls before. 

"Whatever. Don't start any trouble." The turian guard glared at Shepard, stepping aside to let her through. Garrus and Thane followed behind, never acknowledging the guard. As they stepped foot inside the club, the atmosphere changed. There were more people inside the club than the previous times they were around, this time with more drunks and chaos. There was a heated argument between a turian and a human, asari were on the tables performing, there were guards with guns at every door, and krogan shouting and laughing caused the place to shake. Shepard went towards Aria, up the stairs, and onto the second landing. Garrus and Thane stayed close to her, trying not to be tempted by the dancing asari, or the alcohol, which Garrus could use right about now. If he wasn't on a mission he would partake with his fellow comrades and escape reality. 

"Make sure no one is sniping me," Shepard told Garrus and Than, to which they nod. Thane examined the area surrounding him, taking in all the small details while Garrus looked at the high points, wishing that there was a sniper. At least then he would have an excuse to fire his weapon. Shepard talked to Aria about what she knew about the scientist; she had a lead with some members of the Blue Suns going missing in the quarantine area. The sickness was starting to dwindle but there still hasn't been a cure. After Dr. Mordin Solus joined the Normandy, efforts towards the cure had become nonexistent and the Blue Suns were given permission to execute any sick inside the quarantine zone. After the order was given, men were dropping like flies. One moment they were there and the next they were gone. 

"I don't know much after that. If you talk to the Captain, he'll tell you what has been happening with his men." 

Shepard thanked the asari for her wisdom, looking at her two companions. She noticed how lost and pissed off Garrus looked, causing her to frown; she wasn't sure how to comfort him. Shepard put her hand on Garrus' arm, having him look down at her, causing his eyes to soften. 

"We'll find the bastard," Shepard said, loud enough for Garrus to hear over the booming thumps of the music. Garrus nods in affirmation. Shepard gives him a smile, making her way toward the Afterlife exit. The drell walked behind them, examining everything, making sure that the assassin he spotted in the rafters was not after them.