Chapter Text
"Human muscles tense. Could be cause from stress. Suggest resting before mission."
"Like I have time for that."
"Stress could cause headache, high blood pressure, a defective memory--best to care before condition can grow worse."
Anna rolled her shoulder back and forth before grabbing the different pieces of her armor. The pieces were quite heavy, but she paid no mind; they were apart of what kept her safe, kept her from dying when bullets flew through the air or a man struck back during the process of strangulation.
The job Esmea recommended had been just what she needed. Her sibling has inquired intel from an anonymous gentleman--either Esmea wouldn't say, or he didn't, but she figured it to be the former--who wanted someone to take out a deceitful client of his own.
No problem, she'd said. It wasn't anything she couldn't handle.
Only he required a physical, and they could only use the guns he provided.
"I wouldn't do this unless I had to--you know that, Mordin," Anna spoke and rolled her neck around while grasping the breastplate attached to her chest. "As long as it won't kill me, I'll be fine."
"Put stress on heart, could slow blood flow and, again, affect blood pressure," he suggested in his usual tone while tapping a few buttons on his omnitool. The Salarian Scientist spoke under his breath for a moment before releasing air from his nose and popping his head back up.
"Physical sent to omnitool. Good luck with mission. Will be here if injury occurs," Mordin spoke as his mouth formed in a small smile.
Anna had just finished attaching her visor to her ear when her omnitool beeped against her arm. She gave a single nod to the doctor before cracking another smile as well.
"See you later, Doc," she chuckled softly and turned for the exit with a wave. It wouldn't be the last time he saw her; Anna would get into some kind of trouble that required assistance.
Ascending the stairs from the clinic, she ran over the mission details in her mind. The organization was run by a few different people; from Turians to humans, the crazy guy had garnered a whole set. They were meant to meet on the outskirts of Omega, then fly to a different planet for a formal meeting with their chief. It was more secretive than Anna would have liked, but the pay was good.
The mercenary was slightly desperate.
The long, winding hallways and endless flights of stairs eventually led her to the exterior of Afterlife. A man was arguing his way inside of the club, to which a bouncer was repeatedly denying his access. She found it funny; the human race still found a way to be a nuisance even in outer space.
People were familiar with her name on Omega. It was no secret she was related to the one reigning assassin that plagued the galaxy. Even if they didn't look similar, they were in the same line of work--one just a little less brutal.
Her steps clicked against the metal flooring as she neared the port for the ships. However, a Turian gaurd piqued her interest. He was tall, with a darker brown color covering the metal plating of his face. A green marking lined the edge of his fringe and chin. Her rushed steps slowed to a snail's pace as her eyes ran over his person, her lips pulling into a grin.
She knew this Turian. She bothered him every time she came. Unforunately, she had no time for any antics; when she came back, though, he'd be first on her list.
Whistling to catch his attention, Anna held up her arm and made a call me motion. Afterward, she winked. It wasn't the first time the merc shot her shot and it most definitely wouldn't be her last.
The guard simply sighed and shook his head before turning to face the opposite direction. Again, he always rejected her and it most definitely wouldn't be his last.
Anna made a slight groan, but picked up her steps again.
She walked a few ways and up another flight of stairs before a large ship came into view. It didn't look very discreet, but alas, she wasn't here to ask questions.
To her left stood a Batarian with a smug look on his face and a large weapon in his hand. He was clearing off a few people in front of her; she could've sworn she saw a familiar face among the crowd..
"That's crazy," she huffed under her breath and moved to stand behind a tall Turian. The line moved ever-so-slowly according to Anna's patience. She was never one to truly wait for anything.
It took over exactly five-minutes--she'd been tracking the time with her visor--before she finally reached the Batarian. Her arms, which had been crossed, dropped to her sides.
"Name?" he barked gruffly, his mouth forming in a solid frown against his face.
"Anna," said the mercenary, using the same tone. She tapped the marking on her shoulderplate and quirked her brow. "I trust we don't have any issues, yeah?"
She could tell that struck a nerve. His shoulder stiffened and his eyes did a slight roll from their sockets to show his irritation. Anna was always good at that--irritating to the point of losing one's mind.
When he nodded his head forward, she gave a click of her tongue and saluted the soldier with her two fingers. Her heel clicked against the metal flooring as she neared the ship and quickly jumped from the platform to the deck of the airlock. Another member of the crew pressed a button and typed in a code, allowing the doors to open and Anna to walk through.
In a long hallway, she turned over her pistol and shotgun. She hadn't a clue how their weapons would hold up, but it would suffice.
Inside was much less crowded than she expected. Considering the fact the ship was smaller in its interior, it could be assumed that most of the room was given to the engine or other needed storage. Anna's eyes scanned the crowd of mixed races; her expression didn't hold one of friendliness and it seemed the same thing was reciprocated.
Then she saw it.
The universe had an odd way to give one karma. The Gods gave it in different ways for different people; for Esmea, it was the fact she went psycho at any given chance--but maybe that was by choice; for her parents, it was the fact they had children while already trying to make ends meet.
For her, it was Zaeed Massani. She had to resist the urge to turn around, grab her gun, and shoot herself in the leg so she could bail.
But Anna wasn't a quitter. No matter how many butterflies she got in her stomach, or how her cheeks flushed and her heart raced when he met her eyes, she'd stand by her mission, get her money, and leave. That's what she did--that's what they both did.
Straightening her back and tightening her shoulders, she turned her head back forward and proceeded to walk toward another hallway. She felt eyes on her back, following the length of her spine, then back up across her shoulder blades--all until the doors shut behind her.
The mercenary let her arms relax and let out the breath she knew very well she'd held. She glanced over her shoulder before dashing forward down the metal structure like something was behind her and ready to steal her life away.
What happened to her confidence? She'd just had it before she stepped onto the ship, but it just- It left as soon as she saw his face. That must've meant something--her pessimistic mind agreed that it had to be bad, but what if it were good?
"Hah- no," Anna murmured allowed and turned down another corridor. She finally stopped to take a peak at exactly where she'd ended up.
To her left stood a wide window that opened to the stars in the system. It was in the shape of a square, but with rounded edges instead of a sharp line. In front of it stood a long line of railing for one to lean against for support--or to protect the glass from patrons who wished to destroy it so everyone got lost in space.
The merc let out another breath from her chest and leaned forward against the hard rail.
Her thoughts were jumbled--and when her thoughts were jumbled, she usually just spoke to Esmea about it and the problem resolved itself.
But there was no Esmea this time.
Thinking back, she could remember the times they hated each other. They were always out for the other's blood no matter what they did. At one point, they didn't speak for a whole year. The animosity between the siblings could be cut with a knife with how much it'd grown.
But when Esmea needed help, Anna was the one she ran to. No matter how much they used to hate it, they relied on each one for nearly everything. They were the rock when the other needed it.
"Who shit on your day?"
Anna jumped out of her skin when another person spoke behind her. She reached to grab her pistol but fumbled when it wasn't against her hip. It occurred to her that she'd had to leave it up front; she guessed the boss has assumed everyone would be civil. An idiot mistake.
But she recognized that voice. It was the same one that plagued her mind whenever she tried to sleep and the first to bother it when she woke up. It was the same one that caused her so much grief over the past few weeks.
Slowly relaxing back into the rail, Anna let out a small sigh from her nose. She laced her fingers in between those of the other hand and let her head hand slightly. She remained silent for a moment, but she heard no footsteps of retreat. He didn't seem to come closer either.
"Are you stalking me?" she finally asked and raised her head to look over her shoulder. She'd looked just in time to see him roll his eyes and scoff under his breath.
She grinned.
"I could say the same for you," Zaeed retorted and stepped forward to the railing. He turned around so his back faced the metal bar and leaned, his elbows propping against it.
Anna looked at the mercenary with a quirk of her brow. "I wouldn't hunt you down even if somebody paid me," she replied. More than her usual attitude slipped through the cracks, but she didn't seem to catch it.