Citadel Part 6 Zaed, Jack, and Kasumi

Heading back to the Normandy was fun enough. Especially the looks on Udina's face seeing Jack and Zaed. His complaints were ignored. Jack was having different problems though.

"Look, you got a done a raw deal, but whoopie dee fucking do. Chance to get out of this shit life and for you to get answers." Leo said seriously. "I am trying to give you something that you always said people would never give you."

"What is that!?"

"An honest chance Jennifer. And answers. About your mother and family. About what happened to you. Not just the bits you could get from a Cerberus facility." Leo said simply. "By blowing it up or threatening its workers."

"I could just kill you. You know?"

"You could try." Leo let loose a twisted amount of Spiritual Energy. Assaulting her with a few minor mental projections. "I will survive and grow stronger from it. The Citadel.. well that bites for them really."

"Mighty bold claim." Jack biotics flared up in defiance.

"Then you would just be another drugee cunt that doesn't know better." Leo shrugged already fed up with this. "I tried. Good luck. I will send word to your mother about what her bitch of a daughter not wanting to meet after all this time. She was to busy trying to get a fix and causing trouble. Wallowing in self pity."

"Fuck you!" Jack cursed angry.

"Nah, not worth it. I might catch your case of loser." Leo flipped her off leaving. Zaed waited till he was far enough away before pulling away. Kasumi coming around from stealth to speak with him. "Go ahead."

"You could have been nicer." Kasumi looked back a little. She liked Jack from the few missions they did together. More than Zaed anyway.

"No sense. If I was nice, she would have acted against me out of spite or some shit." Leo waved his hand dismissing the concerns. "I am not good at lying and can only speak what I know, and think I know. Some people just want to stay miserable. Nothing to be done about that. Well, not nice things anyway. They can be used as a good commodity."

"I think you are nuts for even trying like this." Zaed came around. "Should have just left her alone. Bad enough you paid some of her fines. And the medical bills. And then the work to get her out of jail. I am gonna miss her though. It was like having a daughter."

Leo and Kasumi eyeballed him a bit. Slightly taken back.

"You paid my medical bills?" Jack had caught up with them. Slightly out of breath with a bruised knuckle. Most likely from punching a wall or something. Or maybe a person. "I.. will take you up on your offer. If I do not like it.."

"Then you do not like it." Leo passed a file over as they walked from his Omni-tool. "It is as simple as that. Truth has a way of just screwing people over. Your mother's contact is in there as well. I suggest you are careful. Certain people believe her to be dead."

She was quiet after that. It did not last long. Especially when getting to the file about the project was taken over by those doing their own thing. Several files on the different institutions that formed in the wake of the ending of the research.

Cerebrus actually shutting down the facility she was at. Finding out the actual Illusive man's name and his picture made her pause. She remembers seeing him once when she was really little.

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Medical on the Normandy-

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"So, this stuff will make me.. like younger?" Zaed questioned.

"Yes. For the last time. The body will slow down cell wise for a few seconds. Dividing less than needed. Skin wise, a facelift, and healthier muscles. In the future, maybe more color in the hair." Leo gave the last injection and turned to watch the vitals spike.

All bioengineering from his earth combined with the tech here. Considering humans lived to a 150 here, it made for some great advancements.

"Steady climb and rising. You are in excellent shape which is odd. Better shape than a few people I know."

"You derived this from Asari and Turian genetics." Kasumi said from the side. Looking over the technical sequence herself. She knew a little from friends that messed with stuff like this. "To distribute it with Omni-gel, good call. Considering it is the closes thing to program cells already."

"So, an extra Nutri paste, and everything will be great." Leo grabbed some as well. As well as some water. The enhancements he took as well. "Your next bathroom use will suck. Also...."

"Also?"

"Increase in your sex drive." Leo smirked. "Keep control of it with... whatever you want. Also part of the study on the male of the subjects."

"How many male subjects do you have?"

"Three. You, project 2, and myself." Leo would not divulge project 2's identity. That would be just rude. "And.." He stopped. Seeing Jack come over. Slightly red-eyed. "What is it?"

"She.. told me she loved me. Never stopped thinking about me a single day. Somewhat religious, but that is alright." Jack smiled lightly. "We plan on keeping in touch every few days. I told her.. we need to wait to meet. I am not in the right place to meet face to face."

"Ok." Leo said simply. "Might get rid of the shit fest of tattoos. Grow your hair out."

"You could be a little more interested." Kasumi added in.

"I know a lot about her already. She can tell me herself if she wants to talk about it." Leo gave a small smile. "Not gonna pry since, well no reason to." Stopping, he had to ask one thing. "Do you want to get better in all avenues?"

"Yes." Was Jack's honest answer. She sat on the other bed staring at him. "Whatever it takes."

"Good. The tattoo's I can copy them onto a scan for you to think over and keep a log of what and why they were there. Remove them from your body in one go after." Leo liked them but they also were a jumbled mess.

"I am keeping them. To much history." Jack watched as Leo shrugged at her. "Got something against tattoo's?" He shook no. She wonders if he had any. "You have any?"

"Yes, I do." Leo moved over to another iv. Changing the bag out with another cocktail and checking them over.

"What are they of?"

"Sorry, but that is.. private and.." Leo moved over to get started on her. "..a bit of a private tale. That requires the signing of a contract with deep ramifications. Death if betrayed. I am sure you would not want to sign something like that."

"Nope." Jack answered. She didn't feel the incision at all. But she watched it on the screen in front of her. On the bottom, a display showing exactly what was happening to her. "So complete detox. As well as a fluid change. Meaning.."

"Blood transfusion." Kasumi answered. She sat on a stool next to her. "It will take plasma while doing so. A fresh batch of blood will be given to you from a donor. Checking and observing a few procedures at once."

"Did you do this?" Jack asked her. She shook no. "How many have done this?"

"You are the first.. willing female." Leo said. "I did it to myself awhile back. The others.."

"What the hell Shepard!?" Jack was angered by the thought of working with someone who took unwilling test subjects. Hit to close to home.

"Calm down. Junkies do not listen to people. They had to learn the hard way. So, I used force. They are better for it. Well were. I think one went back to selling and taking on Omega like an idiot." Leo was referring to the experiments that were done before with the A.I. here as well as himself back on his original Earth. "Have to do the hard stuff when they are unwilling."

"The others?" Jack received a link on her Omni-tool. She looked it over quickly. "Seriously, one is an Illium official. And a Turian delegate!"

"Calm yourself. Haaa, did not know you will speak so loud." Leo covered her mouth. She nodded having calmed down. Not minding the taste of his plastic gloves. She almost wanted to bite him at first. "That is good. Behave, geez."

"So.. how many more are you going to recruit?" Zaed asked. "I know a few that would fit in with "wet work" anyway."

"Unfortunately, it is an Alliance vessel. So.."

"Ran by a Spectre." Nihlus said. He walked in observing everything over after finishing his talk with the Council with Jane. "Good news, they have decided to review some things over. Especially with the recent "info" you have given us."

"Awww, this sounds bad. Did Tevos at least send a few money shots?" Leo asked. The door opened to Dr. Chakwas's office. Jane had left it coming over. "Hmmm?"

"You told the Council I found the intel!" Jane yelled. "What the hell?!"

"It was to make up for the butt hurt that result in my actions. Give a little brownie points for the future."

"Why not say it was from you?" Jane was still upset.

"Because, it is your ship. The information was during something you discussed. And while the ship..."

"I do not need charity."

"OK." Leo answered and looked back to the screens. Tapping away and adjusting the readings. Ignoring her anger. "Duly noted and it will not happen again."

"We are not done talking Leo."

"Well keep talking." Leo went back to work.

"What were you thinking? Just take and do a little to tie things over. That is not how it works."

"It is politics... that is exactly how it works. Or are you to stupid to understand that." It was a statement, not a question. Leo turned to face Jane directly. His eyes flaring in biotic might. "You can not be that stupid. It would not make any sense at all. Telling them everything upfront results in nothing but trouble. How many times has the Alliance done the same thing to several officers and enlisted alike over the years?"

"I am not stupid. Do not change the subject."

"This all pertains to it. You will need valuable intel as a Spectre. To gain favor as well as impress them to get rid of the disdain in their eyes of being a human. Do not forget that Saren burned the previous human Spectre before he amounted to anything. The same will happen to you."

"I do things out in the open."

"I do as well. You just do not know it all. The proper people know already."

"Just not me?"

"Why would I bother you with the small stuff?" Leo cocked his head in wonder. "You do not know every mission detail of everyone on this vessel. That would be stupid and a major security risk. As a.."

"What about as your damn Sister!?" She poked him in the chest. "What about as a fellow Alliance Officer!?" Jane pressed deeper with her finger. "Dammit! What about as another human being!?"

"All bullshit that is irrelevant for the most part. Just.." Leo's voice was to neutral for her liking. Jane cracked him in the face. The punched had enough force to make him turn the other way. The room became quiet besides the few machines making noise. Leo looked back at her still neutrally. ".. do you feel better now?"

"I think that is enough Commander Shepard." Nihlus said. "Best to do this later. When things calm just a little."

"No need." Leo said calmly. "The first one is always free. Because let's face it, I generally deserve it." He gave a shrug. "The next time however, you may want to bring your full squad to back you up." He made the finger bang at her. "I will kill you next time."

*Fwoosh!* A small blast of biotic energy brushed her face.

"That is defintely enough!" Kaiden yelled. He and Ashley had moved over after Dr.Chakwas had called them about needing a blood sample. "Geez, what is wrong with you?"

"She is your sister." Ashley chimed in as well.

"She is just another corpse that is still moving." Leo shrugged. "Already dead in my eyes." He turned going back to work. The others leaving with Jane who looked visibly hurt. Kasumi, Zaed, and Jack observed him for a bit. "Ah, the element zero build-up, can be solved with a better L implant. This one is to weak to take the brunt of your force."

"Holy shit.. you are really something else." Zaed said after a few minutes passed. "I worked with guys like you before. All of them.. crazy when angered. Defintely great in the field getting things done. But shit..."

"A right bastard really." Kasumi said. "Glad you are not against me. I think.. I am going to take a nap. Sleep off this aggression." She turned over and closed her eyes.

"I think you did it on purpose." Jack said getting Zaed's attention with Leo's. "You said just the right words to distance yourself from her and to alienate yourself from part of her crew."

"What.. maybe." Jack grinned at him. "That obvious?"

"Yeah.. to me anyway. Truth said in a certain way hurts the most. That contract you talked about.." Jack sighed thinking it over one last time. "Haaa, I will sign it." Leo sent the file over. She signed it and watched as a weird set of text appeared at the bottom. Eyes wide as the information was almost to much to believe. "Holy... shit!"

"Language." Leo said. "Just thought it would be funny is all. Have a good night Jennifer." Leo moved to a small cot in Dr. Chakwas's office. Everything was set up and he needed to sleep for once. Working his Omni-tool to send a few messages out to a few people right quick. The A.I. at work on monitoring the others. 'Ahh, I need to sleep in a good bed soon.'

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A few hours later-

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As Leo fell into a deep sleep, things were happening with the crew. The argument with Jane and Leo circulated quickly on the small vessel. Some understanding what he said and others not. A certain Quarian and Krogan had snuck off talking it over in private.

"Soo, what do you think Wrex?" Tali asked.

"I think, things will get really crazy in the future. But.. I like the way Jane handled herself. She has fire in her belly." Wrex clicked away at his omni-tool with an old friend. Acting on information that Leo gave him. He just received confirmation on something. "Tch, but Leo did not tell a lie. Okeer is working on something big."

"Do you think he can cure the genophage?"

"No, something else." Wrex's eyes lit up looking it over. He had a tough decision to make. And not enough time to come to a good one. "What about the information he gave you?"

"My.. contact confirmed it as well. Things are not going well with the Fleet." Tali hung her head low. She couldn't tell him her father was researching Geth. "A few more checks and I will have to do something as well. Saren will be the least of our problems if I don't."

Both received an anonymous message. It came from the A.I. to guide them in a direction that would be for Leo's benefit. The target was people they knew.