Cupid's Arrow: Adoration in the Cosmos

Chapter 3

The team I had was pretty good. One member that stood out was Miranda. She's one of the best Cerberus operatives out there. She might've been the best, but she was too bitchy. Maybe she was bitchy because The Illusive Man put me in charge of this mission. I sense a bit of jealously around her. When we arrived at the base, it didn't take long for us to see the problem. The Geth were armed and ready to fight. So was I. One. Two. Three. I was racking up dead Geth like a game. Maybe I should've asked for a kiss for every Geth I kill. "You have skills." Miranda smirked. "I see why our boss likes you."

We made our way to the main entrance. "Prepare for more hostiles." I'm glad I had a good team, because we were outnumbered from the beginning. Over a thousand Geths stood in our way, and those thousands fell. After a long heated battle, a scientist greeted us.

He threw his hands up and pleaded, "Don't shoot! I work here!"

We lowered our weapons and slowly approached. "What happened here?" I spoke calmly to help bring him to ease.

The scientist's words were scattered at first, but eventually they fell in line. "We were working on a way to take control of the Geth. We were given this task by The Illusive Man, which I think you already knew that. My brother has this incredible ability. He can communicate with the Geth. So we created a Human Visual Intelligence to test the control. My brother volunteered to be a part of this experiment, but now it has backed fire. The VI is using the Geth to destroy everything in sight. I need someone to go to the center of the base and calm my brother down. He won't let me go near him."

This plan reeked of chaos, but there wasn't any other choice. "Let's go."

"Wait!" The scientist grabbed my shoulder. "My brother...he's special. Not just his talents, but him as a person. He's autistic. So please, be gentle."

I nodded and made our way to the center of the base. "I'm starting to wonder if that scientist is telling us the truth." Too bad my analyzing implant can't detect liars.

"I agree." Miranda spoke coldly. Even when we have an agreement, she stills a total bitch.

I wasn't prepare for what we came face to. His brother, his autistic brother, was hooked up to machines. He was begging us to release him. His eyes were bleeding. He didn't volunteer himself; his brother volunteered him. "Wait!" A familiar voice was heard from behind, a voice that lies.

I pointed my gun to his face. "You better start talking. This time with truth."

The scientist released a small sigh. "We needed this information. What we did was inhuman, but look what we were able to accomplish. We are getting close to controlling the Geth."

"And you're willing to sacrifice your brother! Your autistic brother!" I snapped back at him.

"I..." He couldn't even look in his brother's eyes.

"My family abused me growing up. My family will be remembered with hatred. Is that what you want? You want your brother to live with that kind of pain?" I formed a fist.

The scientist glanced at his brother. He saw the blood falling. The tears were even falling with blood. "No, but we need him. Please let me fix this. Let me make this right."

I had a decision to make, and it was a tough one. I either take his brother with me and find him a better place, or let the scientist keep him. I made a choice that I thought was good for humanity. "I'm only letting you keep him because this project needs his talents." I threw a right hook. "That was for your brother. You better make things right with your brother. And I'm sure The Illusive Man will want to hear about this."

"No, you can't tell him. He'll fire me for what I did." His nose was bleeding. Shame that's all he got.

"That's probably because he has a good heart, unlike you." I turned my back and made my way back to the HQ. It's a good thing I added dinner to my reward; I worked up an appetite.

When we got back to the HQ, it was late. I'm not much for having dinner at 11 o'clock at night. "I'm sure our boss will like to speak with you. He's still up if you like to speak with him." Miranda was starting to loosen up, or maybe she was too tired.

I rubbed my eyes and let out a yawn. "Yeah, I'll stop by will quick."

I entered his office stealthily. The Illusive Man was sleeping in his chair. His eyes are charming, even when they're shut. He had his arms crossed and a glass of bourbon on the side. I sneaked behind and wrapped my arms around him. "Too tired for dinner?" I gave him one of my sweet smiles. Not everyone gets one.

He returned a smile and chuckled. "No, I was just waiting." He led the way to his private quarters. His private quarter was massive. He had his own kitchen and living area, and of course the bedroom. "I kept dinner in the oven to keep it warm." He pulled out two plates. The meal was perfection. We had steaks, potatoes, and green beans. "Wasn't sure what kind of drink you'd like. I have a lot to pick from. I have many wines to pick from. I know you're not 21 yet, but no one needs to know."

I let a giggle out. "I'm actually a whiskey girl."

The Illusive Man showed a smiled that was sweeter than mine. "You're my kind of woman. I'm starting to like you a lot more." He poured us a glass and placed our meal and drinks on the coffee table. He turned the TV on. "So what kind of movie would my sweet angel like to watch?"

I could feel my face turn red. "Smooth talker, I see." I chuckled. "I actually never watched TV. My brother always hogged the TV. My parent's never let me watch anything, because I was always grounded for researching and studying what the galaxy has out there."

He moved closer to me. My heart was playing romantic ballads. "How about I put something cheesy on?"

"So romantic comedy?" We both chuckled.

"Too cheesy?" The Illusive Man stroked my cheek.

I moved close to him. Our legs touched each other. "No. It's perfect."

The movie was playing but we were too busy eating and talking to notice it. When we finished our meal, we poured another glass. "I appreciate what you did on that base. I don't condone what the scientist did, but his findings will be a huge asset. Thank you for looking after Cerberus needs. I know it wasn't an easy choice. I fired the scientist and his brother will be in good care by great Cerberus doctors."

I leaned close to him and whispered, "You know, I'm still waiting for the other part of the deal." I threw myself on his lap and wrapped my arms around him. "Don't keep me waiting. I hate waiting." Before I could smile, he pulled me in for one long kiss. "Do we really need to stop at one?"

He smirked and gave a chuckle, "No." He laid back on the sofa and I followed him on top. This was the best feeling I ever experienced. Kiss after kiss. When we pulled apart, I rested my head on his shoulder. "It's been so long since I've felt this way, Shadow. Please don't leave."

I could feel his heartbeat increase. Beat after beat. "I won't leave. I'll be by your side, always." I felt a kiss land on my forehead. We closed our eyes, and fell asleep in each other's arms. Love was never on my mind, but I'm glad it slipped in.