Scavengers

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"This is the idea of you two explaining to me why a Primarch and a grease monkey are so closey with each other." A voice remarked from the other side if the room, apparently having been there the entire time.

Ceres murmured something that sounded like a protest, until the vibration of the metal being cut sent pain rocketing through her and she passed out cold.
"I'll get a message to her, but she may already be too far to get back in time." The doctor breathed, giving Ceres something that would keep her unconscious, and free from pain for now.

"Why were you so afraid for me to see her?" Ceres whispered, gesturing to where she had paused the video with the other woman's beautiful face on the screen. "Are you ashamed of what we did?"

The Salarian turned his head to look Orinia over again. "Unusual for Turian female to have such soft heart." He commented. "The girl is not meant to be. She was created, as such has no rights."

Brutal's gaze shot toward the screen and he instantly scrambled to turn it off. "I don't want to talk about her." He said almost too quickly. "Just...leave it alone, Ceres." He added, his tone almost too soft to be heard. His fingers curled into fists at his sides and he came very close to destroying the image in front of him. 

"How can you say that?" Orinia demanded, her chest heaving. "She is not some omni tool you can turn on and off at your leisure. She is a living breathing thing! She has as much right to life as any one of us standing on this deck right here!" 
"Not after the things she's done." Hacket muttered, shaking his head. "She's little more than an animal. Victus, get a handle on your mate. There's no time to listen to her innocent bullshit right now."

"I'll take that as a yes." Ceres whispered as she rose to her feet, all the while avoiding meeting Brutal's green gaze. "Thanks for getting me here, but I came for a reason. Guess... I'll see you around." She added as she headed for the door.

Victus gently rested his hands on Orinia's shoulders and shook his head at Hackett. "So not speak of Orinia as though she is an object to be controlled. The lady has a point, Lolly is not an animal."

"Yeah. Just go." Brutal muttered, the hurt in his voice so heavy it was like a tangible force. "You too have better things to do. Here. Take my card so they'll believe you have authorization from Hacket to take the shuttle. It's fully stocked. It'll get you where you're wanting to go. Have a nice life, little one." He mumbled, holding out the card to her. His back was to her, refusing to look at her again. 

"Just how far into your body did that blade go, Victus? Did it knock loose your brain stem? Did you not see what that thing did today? What she was trying to do to your own mate? If you hadn't been there to stop it she'd have killed her. I've seen it before. If you hadn't had that chip in, she'd have probably made you do it." Hacket snapped.

Ceres' lip trembled as she stared hard at the door. "You don't understand... I do not know how to 'have a nice life'. In case you didn't notice, bad things... and people, they follow me wherever i go." She whispered. "I shouldn't expect any more, if you knew the truth, you would use that gun on me, just as you wish to use it on Lolly. You are lucky... You have memories of love to keep you company at night." She added as she door slid open.

When Hackett brought up Victus' injury, the Primarch unintentionally tightened his grip on Orinia's slender shoulders. "Do not lash out at me because your people cannot control what they created!"

"No I don't. That memory went away a long time ago." Brutal whispered, throwing a fist into the screen. It shattered, sending sparks flying all around him. "Just go!" He roared. 

"I didn't know about that creation but I sure as hell plan to capitalize on it!" Hacket hissed. "And if you wish to have any hope of getting rid of Vivica, you will help us."

Ceres jumped, screwing her eyes shut as the sparks flew. "Don't lose it with me because you are too cowardly to face your own past!" The small woman roared back.

"Is that the sound of a human official blackmailing the Turian Primarch?" Doc snorted, simply to make matters worse.

"I lost it the day that I killed her." Brutal said, yanking his now bleeding fist out of the screen. "Are you happy now? You know the story I wasn't willing to share. The thing I didn't want you to know because I knew it would send you running a mile in the other direction." 

"Sure as hell sounds like it, doesn't it?" Hacket snapped, his patience long gone.

"Why do you even care what I think?" Ceres asked, though her voice had softened and she had let the door slide shut again. "I'm a nobody, and I don't believe you killed your wife." She added, crossing the room and gently taking hold of Brutal's bleeding fist.

Doc grinned then simply walked away in the direction that Lolly had been taken.
Victus and Hackett were left glaring at each other, with Orinia in the middle.

"You weren't there." Brutal whispered, trying to pull his hand back but not trying that hard. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. Besides, you're leaving aren't you?" 

"Come on. You need to be there when she wakes up so she doesn't freak out." Hacket said, motioning Victus to follow him.

"No, you got what you wanted from me all along, right?" Ceres asked without looking up from where she was cleaning Brutal's hand. "Something even Mimic couldn't buy from me..."

"What you mean is, so she doesn't kill you." Victus remarked thinly as he took Orinia's hand. He didn't say it out loud, but he needed her help to walk now.

"What happened between us I didn't want or plan for until it happened." Brutal said, shaking his head. "I told you I didn't want anything from you that you weren't willing to give me. I didn't just take anything from you. And I don't want to talk about my wife."

Orinia rested her talons over Victus' making it seem that she was the one who needed him. "I cannot believe those people. They are as bad as my mother."

Ceres thought it would hurt less if Brutal had just reached into her chest and squashed both her lungs. "I was just convenient... I understand." She replied softly. The young woman said nothing more as she bound Brutal's fist up once it was clean. "You can have a good laugh about me with the other humans now... The stupid quarian who threw herself at you." She breathed, on her feet again and out the door before Brutal could say anything this time.

"Princess, I don't believe even Sovereign was that bad." Victus snorted as they slowly pressed forward.

"At least Sovereign talked a better game." Orinia agreed. "These humans look like...oh what's that phrase they use...chickens with their heads cut off?" She added, glancing up at him. "I am glad to see that turians aren't as cruel to their females as I once thought. I am beginning to count myself lucky."

Victus smiled and squeezed Orinia's talons. "Suddenly I don't seem like such a monster, do I?" He chuckled. "However..." His smiled quickly faded. "I feel like I have failed you at every turn. Nothing has gone right so far."

"I wouldn't say that." Orinia said softly, blushing deeply. She took his free talon, resting it on her midsection.  "We really should consider rushing that bonding ceremony, Victus." She added, again glancing up at him. "I promise not to back out on you this time." 
"She'll have to wait out here." Hacket hissed as they came to a stop outside the metal door. He was frowning deeply at them, shaking his head. "No sense in a diplomatic incident no is there?"

"I think we are beyond incident now, admiral." Victus replied thinly. Both men missed the sight of the power dipping only for a second and a ventilation cover was removed.

Brutal had returned, this time carrying a shotgun. He was even more irrational than before. In that moment, Lolly had nothing on him. He cocked the gun, aiming it at Victus' back. "Excuse me, Primarch. But I need to get in that room. I'm going to end my suffering and make it easier on everyone else." He snarled, not caring who he had to hurt to get to Lolly.

Victus sighed wearily, wondering how much worse things could get. "Excuse me, but just who are you to involve yourself in any of this?" He asked, his patience long since worn away.

"Primarch, don't make this ugly." Brutal said softly. "So far I've ignored councilwoman Vivica's order and kept you both alive but I promise you that will change if you don't move. I shouldn't have let it get this far before."
"Don't blame anyone but yourself, boy." Hacket snapped. "I gave you an order and you disobeyed. What happened as a result of that is your fault and no one else's."

While they were outside arguing, Ceres had made it inside Lolly's room and now none of the previous access codes would work. The young woman had locked herself inside the room with a friend who possibly didn't even remember who she was.

Lolly was lying on a cold hard table, fighting for every breath she took. She didn't want to fight. She wanted to let go and have it all be over with but the cosmic joke that was her life continued. Now she couldn't even find a happy place to go to. There was nothing to make her feel better. There was not even a Golias to make it all worth it anymore.

"Oh Lolly..." Ceres breathed her friend's name as she edged across the room. "You knew this would happen... That's why you never escaped with me." She whispered.

"You deserved a better life." Lolly gasped out, blood spraying past her lips. "Not everyone...deserved to hear the voices..." She turned her head, watching the door on the far side of the room. "They all died...they killed things and themselves...you were always so happy...so nice...I didn't want you to...die...to do thing that would make you...not smile...anymore...He's coming back...he has sharp things...you should go..."

Ceres shook her head and grasped Lolly's hand tightly. "No! I won't let him! No one else understand what at place was like." She whispered. "And I didn't deserve better... I'm not good enough for anyone."

"I was going to make him...shoot you..." Lolly told her, grunting against the pain. "But I couldn't he wouldn't...he has...feelings for you...I...was so mad...I didn't realize it was you until it was too late...I have to let him hurt me...you have to go..." She ground out. "You go. I'll be fine..."

Ceres was shaking her head firmly. "He had an itch... I was there." She assured her friend with a sob she could barely choke back. "Please, Lolly... Just let me get you out of here! It should always have been just you and me!"

"I can't leave now...it was my fault Golias is dead. I deserve this. You deserve...him...you both need love. It's too late for me. There is nothing left for me but death. Can't you hear the whispers? Can't you hear them? They want me to start hurting people again. Open the door Ceres. Let the man called Doc come in and do what he is being paid to do."

"I tried the love thing already... It didn't work out so well." Ceres breathed, gently stroking Lolly's cheek now. "How can I be with someone who still loves someone else? I'm no replacement for a hero wife!"

"She was no hero." Lolly said, still watching the door. "Rosie was a coward. She was willing to sacrifice her husband to save herself. She tried. She nearly killed him. I...drove her insane for what she did. I cause her pain. I punished her for her sins. Ceres, she was willing to let them hurt him....to tear him apart to save herself and he never knew. He still believes he killed her for no reason. He blames me. He doesn't know what I did for him."