One Hell of a Soldier

*raises hand*

As the evening continued, the vibrant atmosphere intensified. The endless food stalls lining against every street still scented the air with whatever cuisine was displayed on the table. The people showed no signs of boredom, only faces of content and bliss. 

The only one to be lost within her own trance was the commander. Having satiated the hunger that wrecked havoc within her stomach, she settled deeper into the bench, cradling a beer bottle in her hands. Thanks to anxious thoughts, her mind retreated into an sense of isolation. She felt utterly out of place, something completely unusual. Perhaps it was homesickness? Or exhaustion?

Lost in thought, her hands unconsciously tilted forward. The bottle now at a dangerous angle, a thin golden stream began to trickle out. It continued spilling until Shepard had formed a small pool between her feet. By then, an unfamiliar voice interrupted her blank state.

That boy...

Since the pilgrimage at the Memorial Garden, her mind always returned to the boy from Earth. She had been incapable of decent sleep since witnessing his murder. He was the catalyst, the trigger to the degradation of her mental health as his death infected her dreams. She could still recreate that horrific scene, the anger and regret still clinging to those memories. 

She watched the survivors frantically climb into Alliance rescue ships as Reaper forces descended deeper into the city. Then she saw him there among the masses. He was so afraid and confused and lost. He looked up, and saw the red-haired woman from earlier. She had tried to coax him out of hiding earlier, yet the fear prevented him. As the soldiers called for, he quickly scrambled into the last remaining ship. He would be taken away from this scary place and be safe. But then a flash of red, and--

Time and time she attempted to forget, only for the nightmares to return with increased frequency. It was far too painful to confront, and years of suppressing horrid events convinced her to continue with the habit. Yet this time the agony was much too strong. She could feel her heart race at an incredible speed and her skin paled by the minute.

What was happening to her? Shepard attempted to draw breath, and found herself choking instead. Her surroundings immediately blurred into a disorganized palette of color. Assaulted by the rush of vertigo, the commander dropped to one knee and clutched at her head.

A pleasant vibe washed over the wards as residents lounged around in energetic conversations or partaking in the incredible feast laid before them. Thankful for the scientists’ mercy, they happily indulged in the festivities without any concerns. Excluding a certain redhead, of course. Picking at her own plate of various snacks, her hardened emerald eyes observed the crowds for any unpleasant individuals. Everything was peaceful until her gaze settled on a pair. 

The young lady sitting on a bench held an annoyed expression whereas the man standing before her displayed rather aggressive gestures. It would seem she wouldn’t be able to enjoy the festivities just yet. Holding tightly onto her plate, Shepard swiftly marched towards them. 

“Kasumi, is that really you?!” she shouted at the girl.

Feigning a surprised expression, she rushed towards her with an energetic smile. The delinquent peered over his shoulder with a scowl, however the commander was prepared for him. Her movements remained calm and composed. Her face revealed nothing other than the artificial persona she had crafted just moments before. 

“Oh my god, it really is you! It’s me, Shepard! From that time we met in Mindoir?” she briefly turned towards the man, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to chat with my friend here. I haven’t seen her in nearly 15 years.”

She offered an apologetic smile while waving her hand dismissively. Settling into the empty seat besides the young lady, Shepard swiftly engaged her in the false reunion.  To say the delinquent was displeased was an understatement. At first it seemed he would attempt to engage the commander, though simply scoffed and walked elsewhere.

Despite her friendly words, her eyes followed the man until he disappeared into corner. She instantly breathed a sigh of relief--She wasn’t energetic enough to engage in combat at the moment. 

In all honesty, the commander questioned as to her presence here. As the event laid in place for the third night commenced, an overwhelming sense of dread fell upon her shoulders. Tonight was meant to remember lost loved ones. Scribbling unspoken thoughts and prayers to send offshore, guided by the warm lantern’s light. 

And it sickened her. 

To clarify, Shepard found the event itself extremely thoughtful. Residents were offered an opportunity to reach out to friends and families--A rarity for the scientists to provide. However remembering her own comrades sent her stomach churning with anxiety. She immediately recalled her nightmares, the twisted dark dreams that terrorized her every night. The shadows speaking in familiar voices, reminding her of their last moments in the land of the living. Every death imprinted a memorable image in her mind as though teasing her. 

Absentmindedly following the migration, she was caught unaware of a peculiar sight. Several paces ahead sauntered a young boy, and though that in itself wasn’t too interesting, what followed next shocked her. He had abruptly halted in his tracks, his body standing unnaturally still. As though sensing her gaze, he spun in his tracks until she was able to observe his face. 

It was him. The young boy from Earth. 

Utterly baffled by his appearance, she instinctively took several steps backwards. Unfortunately she failed to notice the people behind her and clumsily stumbled into a stranger. 

{Basically came back right in time for the event, so putting in a starter ad with a cap of 3! However before liking it, there’s something I’d like to point out.

Shepard suffers from PTSD due to the trauma she went through during her childhood, and her military career. Due to the nature of this event, she will be experiencing some of the symptoms. Also, she may or may not divulge into said trauma, which is pretty gruesome. 

  He scoffed at her attitude. Not offended, no, more amused than anything. It wasn’t every day someone saw a guy as rough as Frank Castle, looked him in the eye, and straight sassed him like that. She had more balls than half the guys he’d met around here so far.

  “Happy juice, huh? Fair enough… never seen it that color before, that’s all.” He went back to his food and coffee, sitting in silence for an uninterrupted moment before curiosity overtook him once again. “Does it uh… does it taste any good?” 

Expectations hoping that would be the final interruption, the commander eagerly diverted her attention towards the steaming plate of steak and potatoes. Merely imagining the taste of actual beef caused her mouth to water tremendously. 

At least until his voice perked up again. 

“So you’re an A.I?”

Unbeknownst to her new acquaintance, the commander was overwhelmed with curious excitement. The study of artificial intelligence always enraptured her. In contrast to many of her peer’s apprehension or even irrational hatred, she quietly held sympathy for the synthetic race.

Imagine her surprise upon spotting one at the dance party? They were fairly easy to spot considering their unique appearance, and Shepard barely hesitated to strike a conversation. Their discussion rapidly gained speed as the A.I proved to be both friendly and somewhat talkative. 

“Sorry, I hope I’m not offending you. I just don’t get the chance to speak to an A.I that often.”

Despite harboring dark sentiments towards the creators of Spirale, the commander had to commemorate their astounding efforts. She admittedly held reservations against the festival during the announcements. It was a natural instincts of hers to observe everything with a skeptical eye.

Yet arriving to the nightly dance party released all tension from her body. The scenery was near homogeneous to the nightclubs from her world (though unfortunately lacked asari dancers). Her feet immediately carried her to the bar and before the next song commenced, three glasses worth of liquor coursed through her body. 

Longing emerald hues peered towards the dance floor. Either most recognized the song or was overwhelmed with boredom as many filled the space, swaying their bodies to the beat. That’s when Shepard made the ultimate decision to join the fun. Setting down the empty glass at the nearest table, she marched towards the center with the upmost confidence.

Despite receiving quizzical glances from some party-goers, she continued expressing her “unique” style. Dancing had always been a favorite past time of hers and damn those that would take it away from her. 

“I don’t exactly agree with that. Sure, there are some negatives in loving someone. Betrayal, disrespect, abuse, and not to leaving yourself vulnerable to them. But there are also good things about love. There’s that intimate level of comfort you share, where you can reveal personal secrets. And if things in your life are tough, they will always be there to support you.”

“Right. I’ve seen them in movies,” and movies ONLY. Or Television shows. Those too. “What do you mean by capital planet? Like how the capital of France is Paris or the capital of the united states is DC?” What else could the lady possibly mean, right? Raising an eyebrow though, Annastasia huffs, “I can handle myself, you know?” Could she really though? She’s been here for…almost  a month. At least it feels like it. She wasn’t used to seeing what she was seeing with those eyes of her’s. “I’m not a kid, I’m not scared.” She adds in to finish. She’s a little scared. It’s not something she will admit at all. 

“Uh...something like that,” she scratched her cheek, pondering on how best to explain, “It’s the human homeworld since that’s where our people began. But we’re actually spread all across the galaxy."

The commander chuckled softly at the girl’s adamant expression. Regardless she had already made her decision.