(music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYdSOCGBwLE )
âI donât think Iâm comfortable here.â Lizzie murmured as Jason led her into the dark club thatâs only source of light were the flashing white and blue strobes that hung from the ceiling and illuminated the club like lightning strikes.
âOh come on!â Jason urged as he pulled her through the door and over to the dance floor âIt will be fun I promise.â The club was called
Churoiâs and was owned by a volus of the same name. It wasnât like most other bars and clubs on the Citadel that didnât allow anybody below adult age in, here if you could pay you could play. Jason had paid the forty credit entry fee for both of them so he could guilt Lizzie into coming inside. She had a hesitant frown across her face as Jason practically threw her onto the dance floor and into the mesh of dancers, who were cramped into the dancing space with slightly more room than a sardine in a can. Lizzie looked extremely uncomfortable as she stood amongst the crowd, not even attempting to move with the rhythm of the heavy beat that thumped through the speakers.
âCome on get into a little.â Jason yelled over the music and started to pump his body in synchronization with the pounding beat of the techno music and the blinding flashes of the strobe lights. Lizzie slowly began to move her hips to the beat of the music, but her upper body was still stiff making her look like pendulum on a coco clock. Jason shook his head as he ran up next to her âNo, no not like that come on!â he urged as he and began bobbing his head and snapping his body to the beat of the music.
Lizzie looked at him and tried to mimic his movements, but she gave up before even make a real attempt at it âCome on this is stupid! Letâs just go please.â She begged as Jason made his way behind her.
âYou have to at least try!â he shouted over the pulsing beat âhere let me help yaâ.â Jason picked her arms up from her sides and brought them up just above here head and starting flailing them about in the air.
âWhat are you doing?â Lizzie giggled as Jason kept flailing her arms like she was some wacky cartoon character
âIâm trying to get you to dance! Come one if you donât start moving your arms to the rhythm Iâm just going to keep doing this!â Jason gave her one of his famous cocky smiles, and to his surprise Lizzie game a smile right back.
âIâll dance, Iâll dance just stop that!â she laughed as Jason stepped back and she started to move her arms to the beat, her body began to sway with the rhythm but it all still seemed uncomfortable and unnatural.
âPut your body into it!â Jason said as he came over and grabbed the beautiful girlâs hips. She pulled away violently and turned to him with a little bit of irritation
âWhat do you think youâre doing? Thatâs not okay, okay?â She snapped at him
âJust relax; Iâm only trying to help you get into the swing of thing!â He looked at her lustful eyes. He was speaking the truth; he was trying to help her dance since she moved like a dying sea turtle, but he trying to get his hands on her and move in a little closer as well. Who could blame him? Lizzie was a beautiful girl.
Lizzie looked at him, as she contemplated what to say. Then she turned back around and moved back into her original position âOkay, but no funny stuff.â She commanded. Jason smiled
âNo funny stuff, I promise.â
******
The whiskey warmed Jacobâs blood as he took a swig from his silver flask then brought it back down between his legs and starred at his left hand. He closed the metallic fingers, then opened them, then closed them once more. The metallic fingers that were attached to his palm were just another reminder of the memories. Memories that he would rather have locked away forever, memories that required more whiskey to go away, he took another swig of whiskey and looked out over the small artificial lake he had found to sit by. Jillian would have loved the view, she always had a thing about water, said it reminded her of her home on Eden Prime long before the Geth invasion.
Jacob frowned, that day was the worst in his lifeâŠthe day that she was ripped away from him. He looked at his hand and shook his head as a tear formed in the corner of his eye âIâm so sorry JillianâŠI should have been able to stop themâŠI should have been able to save youâ he held his tears back and leaned his head back and began to chug the last half of his whiskey. Still not enough alcohol, he would need to go back to the Marathon and refill, or maybe he would just find a bar somewhere and drown his sorrows there.
âIncoming transmissionâ a digitalized voice called out to Jacob from his Omni tool. He looked down to it and activated the communications array.
âStaff Lieutenant Trox.â Jacob recognized the voice as Connor DeMarcoâs. Trox had talked to him a few times since he took the job as security specialist
âWhat is it Connor?â Jacob asked with irritation that was not meant to be directed at Connor.
âCaptain Titus needs you to report to the cube immediately with a security detachment, they have a problem so go in with guns hot.â What? Captain Tummy Tickler was deploying the security force on the Citadel? There must be something big going on.
Troxâs old training kicked in and he began giving orders âI want six of my security officers, tell them to gear up with their High Risk Situations equipment make sure they have a sharp shooter and tell them to met me at the cube! Also warn C-SEC that an alliance Military Police team will be making a tactile entry into the cube arena.â
âAye-aye sir.â DeMarco replied as Trox shoved he flask in his back pocket and bolted down the shining halls of the Citadel. As he ran he activated the map on his Omni tool so he could find his way to the Cube. He was forced to push pedestrians out of the way, since the streets were crowded with aliens and humans alike.
âPolice! Police get out of the way, move your asses!â Trox was taken back to his day as a cop on Earth as he forced his way past people. He needed to get to the cube quick; he was in the mood to kick someoneâs ass.
******
Lizzie tripped over her own feet laughing as her Jason made their way to a quiet corner of the dance club âSo tell me I wasnât right!â Jason yelled to Lizzie over the beating music.
âOkay, okay you were right!â Lizzie responded with a chuckle. She was a really good dancer when she got into it. Jason had been mesmerized by the way she had started moving her hips, and the way her body moved to the beat. The strobe lights had been bouncing off her hair, making her beauty even more defined in the harsh blueâs and whites of the club. When the two got over to the corner, where it was easier to hear once another, Lizzie inquired âHow did you know about this place? Itâs almost street level.â
Jason shrugged âWell my uncle was kindaâ strict so I spent a lot of time not doing what he said. He didnât like me coming to these types of places, so I did and eventually I found all the good ones.â
âYou knowâ Lizzie said with a serious look on her face âYou shouldnât have disobeyed him like that. Itâs the fifth commandment âHonor thy father and thy mother, that your days may be long upon the Earthâ.â
âWell Iâm in luck.â Jason said with a know it all grin âHeâs not my father; heâs my uncle so Iâm in the clear.â
Lizzie gave him a crooked look âItâs talking about all your elders, plus if you spent most your life with him he is pretty much like your father so it would count anyway.â
Jason shook his head and his grin became a little less wide âNeither of my father figures were much of a father figure, so I think Iâm safe.â Lizzie looked at him with a sympathetic stare like he was a hurt puppy, and it got his blood boiling. She was about to say something else but he interjected so that he wouldnât go off on her âso, who was that guy you were with on the ship?â
She hesitated to answer, and just starred at Jason. She knew he was trying to avoid the subject so she decided not to chase it any longer âThat was Braden, we have been friends a long time.â
âOh really, so whatâs your guyâs story? You twoâŠâ Jason brought his hands together in a joining gesture
Lizzie thought for a sec and smiled âyeah, I guess you could say that.â
âHe looked kindaâ young, how old is he?â Jason asked with a shred of curiosity
âHe is fifteen.â
âFifteen? And youâre seventeen arenât you?â
fifteen! Fifteen! Jason thought to himself
my competitions a goddamn fifteen year old!? âYeah, but he acts much older then he is. Plus itâs only two years so itâs not that big of a leap.â Lizzie answered with a shrug
âHmm, well there must be more than meets the eye if he was able to snag a beautiful girl such as you.â Lizzie blushed a little, and Jason grinned
yep, thatâs right just working the magic he though arrogantly to himself
âWell, heâs smart, kind, good hearted.â She drifted off and Jason looked at her crookedly
so he is a goodie two shoes? âThatâs it, nothing else spectacular that makes you like him? Because to be honest I think I could take him.â Jason made a mock muscle and showed off like he was some body builder.
Lizzie rolled her eyes âYeah I donât think so Jason.â She said with a grin
âAnd why not?â Jason arrogantly asked
âBecause he is a biotic, I think he could handle you.â She said with a playful smile, but Jasonâs grin dissipated like she had just punched him in the stomach
âHeâŠheâs a biotic?â Jason asked, not sure if he had heard her right over the music
Lizzie looked at him strangely, wondering what had brought about this sudden behavior âYeahâŠwhy is there something wrong with that?â
Jason cocked his head for a second and ran a hand past his mouth âWell, um no not with me Iâm fine with biotics.â
âThen what is it?â Lizzie asked impatiently
âWell.â Jason rubbed the back of his neck âMy dad doesnât take to kindly to them, so you might want to keep Braden away from him.â He had seen his dad around biotics before, it wasnât pretty.
âYour dad doesnât like biotics?! Iâve seen him with that silver asari flask of his, they are biotics!â Lizzie growled, a little angered on Bradenâs behalf
âItâs not all biotics he doesnât likeâŠjust human ones.â He said cautiously
âWhatâs wrong with human biotics!?â Lizzie snapped, still with a tone of irritated anger in her voice
Jason didnât answer, he looked to the floor, a feeling of utter emptiness started to overflow him and that aura reached Lizzie who starred at him awkwardly. The thought of what happened brought an unbearable pain to his heart, âA long time agoâŠwhen I was almost fourâŠâ he stopped and put a hand on his heart, the pain was still there âA biotic killed my mom.â Jason shook his head, he was so young but he could remember it so vividly like it was seared into his mind. He shook his head âItâŠwas so long ago but I can remember it so clear.â He had to fight to hold back tears, that day tore his family apart. He grabbed onto his chest right above his heart and held it tight, and he and his dad had permanent reminders of it.
Lizzie looked at him with guilt written all over her face âIâm so sorry I didnât mean tooâŠâ she trailed off, obviously in a little shock
âNo...Itâs fine. It was a long time ago.â Of course it wasnât really fine, but he had learned to lock that pain away.
There were a few moments of silence, but then the strobe lights turned a light, red and a techno song meant for close dancing began to play over the speakers
(Music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W8Of04PvOI )
Jason started moving to the beat and looked at Lizzie with a smile that he forced himself to put on âCome on letâs danceâ
Lizzie shook her head âbut-â Jason didnât give her a chance to answer as he put a hand on her back and started walking her to the dance floor âI donât know about this.â She said as she looked at the other people in the club dancing extremely close to one another, but then Jason grabbed her hands
âCome on it will be fun.â He smirked as he pulled her over to the dance floor, she looked uncomfortable again so Jason did most the dancing at first âCome on move it! You were great before!â He egged her on, and with an unsure smile she began to dance with the boy. As Jason got closer in, to where their bodies were almost touching his smile became real, and hers became sure as they danced like they had no worries in the universe.
*****
By the time Jacob had made it to the entrance of the cube, his assembled team was just arriving. The team was decked out in bulky, grey, assault armor and totting assault rifles. They looked like a true force to be reckoned with. As Jacob got within a few dozen feet of the entrance he pulled his pistol, he knew he should have packed his Assault rifle.
âI want an assault entry! Clear the room for hostiles and for God sakes donât shoot a civvie!â The team stacked up at the entrance and Jacob got at the end of the line right behind a woman with a sniper rifle âthat you Jackson?â Jacob asked the women.
âYes sir!â the women answered with an unhindered focus
âI want you as far back and high as possible, keep a look out for any hidden threats.â Jacob ordered
âReady for entry?â the point man asked as civilians looked on in confusion. Jacob patted Jackson on the back, then she patted the officer in front of her and so on all the way up the line until the point man had been patted. Then as quick as a flash the point man hit the button to open the door and he rushed in going right, the man behind him going left and so on in that pattern as the whole team entered the arena seating area.
Each officer, including Jacob, yelled to the civilians around them âMilitary Police stay in your seats!â Jacob scanned the rows for any signs of a threat, but he couldnât see anything he wouldnât expect not the see there. In fact everyone seemed rather calm, except for the people who saw the alliance marines busting in with guns ready. Jacob scanned the seats for the captain and spotted him with some other Marathon crew members observing the security teamâs entry. Quickly Jacob ran over to the captain and stopped when he was next to him, still searching for a threat in the seats.
âWhereâs the threat bossâ?â Jacob inquired to his commander, who pointed to the arena at a figure that wore a helmet but was obviously a women by her figure. She was standing, staring at Harrison and a kid that Jacob had seen once or twice on the ship but wasnât sure who was. He looked a closely and saw the biotic energy extending from the womanâs handsâŠand his blood boiled to an absolute rage. âTeam, the threat is a woman in the middle of the arena! Get to firing positions around the seating area and take aim, Jackson I want you aimed up for a clean head shot.â The team moved instantly, each member taking up a firing position at least forty feet away from one another.
âOrders bossâ?â Jacob inquired, but in his mind he wasnât looking for any other answer to the question besides âtake the shotâ.
Let me kill her, let me kill her, you know you want to let me kill her . Jacobâs earlier reminiscence about his wife put him in a foul mood, and now all he wanted was to see a biotic dead.
âHold your fire Trox.â Tummy Tickler said,
What?! âSir?â Jacob asked with shock
âHold your fire.â The Captain repeated
âSir, with all do respect we can end whatever is happening now!â he got close to the captains ear âWe can blow her fucking head off right now.â
The captain looked at Jacob with a look of irritation and slight anger âI
said hold your fire, Staff Lieutenant.â Jacob shook his head and ran his metallic fingers through his beard. He then angrily pressed the communications button on his Omni tool so he could speak to his team
âHold your fire. But Jackson, keep a bead on that bitch down there.â
âAye-aye, sir.â Jackson replied.
Jacob looked on at the scene that was taking place, and then grunted with disgust at the captains orders as he continued to scan the arena for a secondary threat.