Mass Effect: Another Time, Another Place

Chapter 17: Aftermath

Summary:

A week has passed since the incident on Feros and Wyatt has healed up in the meantime. He's been taking the time to talk to the crew and getting to know them better while Shepard has been dealing with a Geth Incursion on assignment from Hackett. The crew have also been getting to know Wyatt during this time. However, when Tali comes back from one such assignment with minor injuries, Wyatt gets back into the field with a simple assignment in her stead, while Tali thinks about Wyatt and what he means to her. He also reveals his knowledge of hand-to-hand combat with Shepard.

Chapter 17:

:1 week later - Shepard's POV:

It had been a week since Feros and Wyatt was almost fully recovered. He was walking around with bandages around his torso, so he didn't wear anything on his top half for his recovery. We reported to Admiral Hackett what we found on Feros, and he said he'd deal with the Creepers transported to the Nodacrux colony. Meanwhile, we were following the leads from the Geth Terminal in ExoGeni on orders from Admiral Hackett. We had one more base to go. After that, Wyatt should be able to return to duty. We're returning to the Citadel first to resupply and have a rest after dealing with the Geth.

I reviewed the footage from the Feros mission that SIA provided me with... And now I had a question to ask Wyatt. I found him leaving Engineering with Tali and heading up the Cargo Lift. I waited for the lift to go up and then I followed them up. I sat by them in the Mess when they had gotten their food. "Oh, hey Shepard. I'm just still learning from my amazing teacher here." he smiled and Tali looked away, blushing. They're so cute together... I wonder if they'll finally confess?

I smiled at that and shook my head. "I was just thinking about Feros... And there was something which slipped my attention that I need to ask about." I told him and Wyatt seemed confused.

He raised his eyebrow. "Oh? And what's that?" he asked me.

I brought up my Omni-Tool and replayed him reaching up and destroying the 'Spider-Geth' that leapt on his back. He yelled out in what seemed like pure hatred. Tali flinched at the footage, remembering it as I did, it seemed.

Wyatt looked away and took a sip of his coffee before letting out a sigh and turning his head to me. "It's... Well... I was about to say a remnant form my past, but I suppose it's not. It's me." he looked down and his eyes cast upwards to me. "Back during World War Two, there was a group called the Cobra Unit. I was part of this group. Each of us carried emotions and feelings into battle, known as Battle-Emotion. I was their Solo Operator, sent to the harshest theatres of war help Allied Progression without the others. At first, I didn't know this until they asked me to join officially. We were The Joy, The Sorrow, The Pain, The Fury, The Fear and myself, The Hate. Sometimes I was called The Courage as well, since that was my bared emotion. But inside me, I carried a deep hatred of my enemies." He explained to Tali and myself, both of us listening closely to him as he spoke.

I took a deep breath after hearing him out. "You really are full of surprises..." he marvelled and I shrugged with a chuckle in response.

He then shook his head before remembering something. "Oh yeah, I also carry..." he reached into his pocket then and produced a small device... "This. A microbomb. Our missions, orders and equipment were so classified that we were to avoid capture at any cost. Even our corpses were to be destroyed upon death. So, we carried these into battle with us. When I died in Virginia, it wasn't in battle, so the bomb was deactivated." he explained to us... That's... Really fucked up. "So, just a warning. If I die in battle, it's likely I'm going out with a bang." he smirked at us and winked.

He was so carefree and nonchalant about death... And now I understand why. From an early age he was expected to die a certain way by those who commanded him. Death has been a normalcy in his life for... Well, most of it. "Wow..." was all I managed to say.