Toxic
New member
First off, I know this is an MK site, but the forum says that we can post any writings we have. Don't like it? Too bad, I do.
EDIT: I have a name now: Lightning Strikes Twice. Awe-inspiring, right?
Please leave lots of feedback. What did you like? What didn't you like? Pick out the smallest details, grammar errors, spelling errors, phrasing errors, I really don't care. I just want my work to become as good as possible, and every piece of (constructive) criticism helps me achieve that goal.
Thanks.
EDIT: I have a name now: Lightning Strikes Twice. Awe-inspiring, right?
Spoiler:
Chapter 1:
She stumbled forward as the bullet ripped through her environmental suit, blasting straight through her leg. The temptation to give in, to accept death at the hands of the mercenaries pursuing her returned, stronger than ever, and she fell towards the unforgiving stone beneath her. Was this how it ended? Killed on her pilgrimage, in the dockyards of Illium, far away from her friends and family on the migrant fleet?
No, it can't end here. She put an arm beneath her, pushing her body off the ground. It doesn't end here. She got put one foot beneath her, then the other, as she shakily got to her feet. Pain shot through her whole leg as she limped forward, fighting against her with every step. She heard voices behind her, getting closer with every second. Suddenly, she felt the impact of something against the back of her helmet, her vision blurred, and the ground rushed towards her.
* * *
"I don't have to say a word to you, asari. You don't even have any warrants or anything."
"Council spectres don't need warrants. As long as the job gets done, we have the authority to do anything we want. You co-operate with me, and everyone's happy. If you make things difficult..." the asari began to say, pulling her pistol out of it's holster. "... I think that one civilian casualty is acceptable collateral damage."
"********! Even spectres can't go around shooting people."
"Oh, we definitely can," she said, pointing the gun at his head, "but it might hurt my reputation."
"Yeah, see? Now how 'bout you let me go, and we'll forget this ever happened, kay?"
The asari looked at him for a while, and then smiled. "There are other ways for people to die, besides bullet wounds. How high do you think this building is?" she asked him, shooting the glass out of a window high above. "Would anyone really care if a shady information broker jumped out a window?"
"Hah! Stupid asari *****! That window is four meters up, you'd need a krogan to throw someone that high."
She smiled again. "How about we make a bet?" she asked him, as shimmering blue veil began forming around her body, barely noticeable in the dark room they were standing in. "I throw you out that window, you give me the info I want."
"Yeah sure. When you fail horribly, I ge- wait... what?" The man looked down in shock as his feet lifted off the ground. He soon found himself floating in front of the shot out window, looking out at the ground, hundreds of meters below. "How? Are you... You're a biotic?"
"Right, now how about I ask you my question again. Where is that quarian?"
"Okay! All right! I'll tell you! Just put me down!"
"I don't think so. Now you tell me where she is, and I'll put you down. Hesitate, and I'll slam you into a wall."
"Okay, okay. I set up a meeting for her with one of the shadow brokers contacts."
"And that's where you're having those mercenaries kill her."
"What?" The man said, shock, suddenly evident in his voice. "There are mercenaries after her? Her contacts is my friend! You have to stop them!"
"You're saying you didn't set her up?"
"No, I didn't know anything about this! I don't even know what she wanted with the shadow broker!" He was gasping now, though whether it was from shock, or a fear of heights, she wasn't sure. "You've got to help them!"
"Then tell me where that god damn meeting place is!"
"It's down in the dockyards," the man said, his face pale now. "The western area of the dockyards."
She dropped the man back on the floor, just light enough to keep bones from breaking. "If I find out you're lying..." she said, as she sprinted for an elevator. "You'll wish I'd thrown you out that window
* * *
She woke up to a wave of searing pain. What happened? Where am I? She tilted her, head to the side, to get a better look at her surroundings when she noticed the long crack running through her visor. Suddenly, everything came back to her in a rush of memories. Seeing her contact dead, the fear of getting chased, the pain of the bullet going through her body, the shock of the blow to her head. I have to move, get away, she thought to herself as she started to push her body off the ground below.
The sound of a mercenaries voice froze her in place. "Going somewhere?"
How could I be so stupid! How do you forget about the people who shot you!
"We didn't chase you across these shipping yards for fun," he said, stepping in front of her prone form. "You have information regarding some very powerful people. Information that they would rather keep out of the hands of galactic authorities. I've been paid to make sure it stays out of those hands. You quarians are smart, I think you can figure out how I deal with people in possession of such information."
"So... you're just going to... kill me?" She said, fear evident in her voice.
"Actually, I was going to let Andrews over there..." he began, pointing to another mercenary, this one missing an arm, "...interrogate you until we get the information we need. You took his arm off when you pulled that stunt with the shipping containers. I think he deserves some payback."
"You mean... torture?" she asked, in a voice barely more than a whisper.
"You quarians are smart. Did you figure that out own? Or did the knife he's holding tip you off? Andrews, if you would."
"My pleasure boss, always wanted to hear a quarian scream."
She watched as the one armed mercenary, approached her, knife in hand. Why was this happening? Death was one thing, but torture?" Why? What had she done to deserve this? The merc was on top of her now, holding the knife over her arm.
* * *
The meeting place is just behind this corner, she thought to herself, pulling out her assault rifle. I'll just tell her that she's got mercs after her, and get her to... Oh.
A single corpse greeted her at the meeting place. Looks like her contact. Single shot to the head, looks like it came from a pistol. Probably fired from behind those crates. Poor bastard never saw it coming.
"Obviously he wasn't working with the mercs," she said, speaking to herself aloud, "but how am I going to find them now that their go- Crash! A small explosion shook the dockyards. That was close by! They must still be after her! She took off in a dash, using her biotics to speed up her movement.
* * *
"Why don't we start here?" the merc said with a sadistic grin, still holding the knife over her arm. "Arm for an arm, eh? This knife is specially designed to rip through armour. Doubt that suit of yours will protect you long."
This couldn't be happening to her. She knew that pilgrimages were dangerous, but no one had ever told her she'd be tortured by mercenaries! She wasn't going through this. She'd give them the data, and let death come painlessly. "Wait! Stop!"
The first merc who had spoken to her made a quick hand gesture, and the one he called Andrews put the knife away. "You going to give us what we want already? The fun hasn't even started yet."
"The data's in my omni-tool." She brought up the holographic device, pressed a few buttons, and showed the mercs the document. "See? Can you just kill me now? I... I... Death... Death is bad enough! But I... I don't want to go through torture! I gave you your information! Can't you just kill me now?"
"We'll have to make sure it's the real thing, and that you don't have copies stored anywhere else. Andrews, check it, is that the only one? Is it legit?"
"Yep, it's the real deal boss, and as far as I can tell, she doesn't have any other copies stored anywhere."
"Good, carry on then."
"Wait! But you said..."
"I didn't say anything. You gave us the info. I didn't say it would change anything."
"But... No... You can't! Why?"
"Entertainment," the merc said, with the coldest voice she'd ever heard.
Desperate, she looked up at the merc hovering over her. "Please..." she said, her voice weak with terror.
He looked at her, and then looked back at the first mercenary. "Boss, am I gettin' paid extra for this?"
"Does it matter?"
The merc looked at the stump where his arm used to be. "Nope."
She closed her eyes, and waited for the pain to start. The fear was so intense that her mind barely registered the loud crack of a sniper rifle that rang throughout the dock yard.
End Chapter One
She stumbled forward as the bullet ripped through her environmental suit, blasting straight through her leg. The temptation to give in, to accept death at the hands of the mercenaries pursuing her returned, stronger than ever, and she fell towards the unforgiving stone beneath her. Was this how it ended? Killed on her pilgrimage, in the dockyards of Illium, far away from her friends and family on the migrant fleet?
No, it can't end here. She put an arm beneath her, pushing her body off the ground. It doesn't end here. She got put one foot beneath her, then the other, as she shakily got to her feet. Pain shot through her whole leg as she limped forward, fighting against her with every step. She heard voices behind her, getting closer with every second. Suddenly, she felt the impact of something against the back of her helmet, her vision blurred, and the ground rushed towards her.
* * *
"I don't have to say a word to you, asari. You don't even have any warrants or anything."
"Council spectres don't need warrants. As long as the job gets done, we have the authority to do anything we want. You co-operate with me, and everyone's happy. If you make things difficult..." the asari began to say, pulling her pistol out of it's holster. "... I think that one civilian casualty is acceptable collateral damage."
"********! Even spectres can't go around shooting people."
"Oh, we definitely can," she said, pointing the gun at his head, "but it might hurt my reputation."
"Yeah, see? Now how 'bout you let me go, and we'll forget this ever happened, kay?"
The asari looked at him for a while, and then smiled. "There are other ways for people to die, besides bullet wounds. How high do you think this building is?" she asked him, shooting the glass out of a window high above. "Would anyone really care if a shady information broker jumped out a window?"
"Hah! Stupid asari *****! That window is four meters up, you'd need a krogan to throw someone that high."
She smiled again. "How about we make a bet?" she asked him, as shimmering blue veil began forming around her body, barely noticeable in the dark room they were standing in. "I throw you out that window, you give me the info I want."
"Yeah sure. When you fail horribly, I ge- wait... what?" The man looked down in shock as his feet lifted off the ground. He soon found himself floating in front of the shot out window, looking out at the ground, hundreds of meters below. "How? Are you... You're a biotic?"
"Right, now how about I ask you my question again. Where is that quarian?"
"Okay! All right! I'll tell you! Just put me down!"
"I don't think so. Now you tell me where she is, and I'll put you down. Hesitate, and I'll slam you into a wall."
"Okay, okay. I set up a meeting for her with one of the shadow brokers contacts."
"And that's where you're having those mercenaries kill her."
"What?" The man said, shock, suddenly evident in his voice. "There are mercenaries after her? Her contacts is my friend! You have to stop them!"
"You're saying you didn't set her up?"
"No, I didn't know anything about this! I don't even know what she wanted with the shadow broker!" He was gasping now, though whether it was from shock, or a fear of heights, she wasn't sure. "You've got to help them!"
"Then tell me where that god damn meeting place is!"
"It's down in the dockyards," the man said, his face pale now. "The western area of the dockyards."
She dropped the man back on the floor, just light enough to keep bones from breaking. "If I find out you're lying..." she said, as she sprinted for an elevator. "You'll wish I'd thrown you out that window
* * *
She woke up to a wave of searing pain. What happened? Where am I? She tilted her, head to the side, to get a better look at her surroundings when she noticed the long crack running through her visor. Suddenly, everything came back to her in a rush of memories. Seeing her contact dead, the fear of getting chased, the pain of the bullet going through her body, the shock of the blow to her head. I have to move, get away, she thought to herself as she started to push her body off the ground below.
The sound of a mercenaries voice froze her in place. "Going somewhere?"
How could I be so stupid! How do you forget about the people who shot you!
"We didn't chase you across these shipping yards for fun," he said, stepping in front of her prone form. "You have information regarding some very powerful people. Information that they would rather keep out of the hands of galactic authorities. I've been paid to make sure it stays out of those hands. You quarians are smart, I think you can figure out how I deal with people in possession of such information."
"So... you're just going to... kill me?" She said, fear evident in her voice.
"Actually, I was going to let Andrews over there..." he began, pointing to another mercenary, this one missing an arm, "...interrogate you until we get the information we need. You took his arm off when you pulled that stunt with the shipping containers. I think he deserves some payback."
"You mean... torture?" she asked, in a voice barely more than a whisper.
"You quarians are smart. Did you figure that out own? Or did the knife he's holding tip you off? Andrews, if you would."
"My pleasure boss, always wanted to hear a quarian scream."
She watched as the one armed mercenary, approached her, knife in hand. Why was this happening? Death was one thing, but torture?" Why? What had she done to deserve this? The merc was on top of her now, holding the knife over her arm.
* * *
The meeting place is just behind this corner, she thought to herself, pulling out her assault rifle. I'll just tell her that she's got mercs after her, and get her to... Oh.
A single corpse greeted her at the meeting place. Looks like her contact. Single shot to the head, looks like it came from a pistol. Probably fired from behind those crates. Poor bastard never saw it coming.
"Obviously he wasn't working with the mercs," she said, speaking to herself aloud, "but how am I going to find them now that their go- Crash! A small explosion shook the dockyards. That was close by! They must still be after her! She took off in a dash, using her biotics to speed up her movement.
* * *
"Why don't we start here?" the merc said with a sadistic grin, still holding the knife over her arm. "Arm for an arm, eh? This knife is specially designed to rip through armour. Doubt that suit of yours will protect you long."
This couldn't be happening to her. She knew that pilgrimages were dangerous, but no one had ever told her she'd be tortured by mercenaries! She wasn't going through this. She'd give them the data, and let death come painlessly. "Wait! Stop!"
The first merc who had spoken to her made a quick hand gesture, and the one he called Andrews put the knife away. "You going to give us what we want already? The fun hasn't even started yet."
"The data's in my omni-tool." She brought up the holographic device, pressed a few buttons, and showed the mercs the document. "See? Can you just kill me now? I... I... Death... Death is bad enough! But I... I don't want to go through torture! I gave you your information! Can't you just kill me now?"
"We'll have to make sure it's the real thing, and that you don't have copies stored anywhere else. Andrews, check it, is that the only one? Is it legit?"
"Yep, it's the real deal boss, and as far as I can tell, she doesn't have any other copies stored anywhere."
"Good, carry on then."
"Wait! But you said..."
"I didn't say anything. You gave us the info. I didn't say it would change anything."
"But... No... You can't! Why?"
"Entertainment," the merc said, with the coldest voice she'd ever heard.
Desperate, she looked up at the merc hovering over her. "Please..." she said, her voice weak with terror.
He looked at her, and then looked back at the first mercenary. "Boss, am I gettin' paid extra for this?"
"Does it matter?"
The merc looked at the stump where his arm used to be. "Nope."
She closed her eyes, and waited for the pain to start. The fear was so intense that her mind barely registered the loud crack of a sniper rifle that rang throughout the dock yard.
End Chapter One
Please leave lots of feedback. What did you like? What didn't you like? Pick out the smallest details, grammar errors, spelling errors, phrasing errors, I really don't care. I just want my work to become as good as possible, and every piece of (constructive) criticism helps me achieve that goal.
Thanks.
Last edited: