ARCHANGEL||MASS EFFECT

PROLOGUE

GARRUS STARED POINTEDLY DOWN THE SCOPE ON HIS RIFLE, ONE EYE SQUINTED SHUT AND THE OTHER FOCUSED ON A PARTICULAR SPOT ON HIS TARGETS HEAD.

His finger tightened around the trigger, before he caught himself. Patience, something he lacked. If he shot now there was a good chance he'd only graze the guy instead of actually hitting his target.

He didn't have to worry about that, it seemed, as a bullet whizzed through the air nearly silent and pierced the man's skull, sending him falling limply to the ground.

Garrus hadn't pulled the trigger, so that wasn't his bullet. Who had shot him?

Garrus was almost angry, not at the man's death but rather that someone had killed his target. His target! The audacity!

Garrus sighed loudly, harshly setting down his rifle before storming out of his hiding spot and towards the body. Hopefully he'd get an idea of who got to him first, that is if he wasn't shot himself.

As be approached the body he realized that there was no blood despite the visible bullet wound in his head.

Strange, he thought. Most headshots tended to involve blood, no matter the species. Some more than others though, like humans. It just so happened this target was human, and yet no blood.

Nearby footsteps drew Garrus' attention and he drew his blaster, training it on the form in the shadows of the alley. There was a low chuckle, seemingly taunting him, that only served to annoy him further.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Archangel. Hello, Vakarian." A woman's voice came from the shadows, laced with a heavy accent he didn't recognize.

"Who the hell are you?" He hissed, aim on the woman unwavering.

The woman drew closer until she was visible under the dim orange lights, eyes scrutinizing him. She was human, but she was the strangest looking human he had ever seen; with whitish-grey hair and skin nearly the very same shade. He had never seen a human who looked like that.

"You can call me Lilith." She extended her hand to him, an offer to shake it, a truce. Garrus lowered his blaster but he did not shake her hand.

"You killed my target."

"Sorry," Lilith shrugged, definitely not sorry as she approached the body. "But he was my target too."

"Is that so?" Garrus scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Uh huh. But something tells me we're after him for very different reasons." Lilith said as she rifled through the man's belongings, seemingly not caring that her fingerprints were all over him now.

"Amateur," Garrus stated. "They'll track you down in no time with those fingerprints, human."

Lilith smirked before raising her hand beside her head, palm out as she wiggled her fingers. "No fingerprints, so you don't need to worry your pretty little head about me."

Garrus stared at her, bewildered. "No...no fingerprints?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Just don't have them," Lilith muttered dismissively before pulling an envelope from the man's pocket. "Why were you after him?"

"Leader of a gang, the Blood Horde." Garrus said, squinting suspiciously as he noticed the sudden change of subject.

"Ah, right." Lilith hummed. "The Blood Pack wannabes, but they're no Vorcha." She stood, opening the envelope with her long nails.

"Why were you after him?" Garrus pressed, trying to get a good look at whatever was in the envelope. Envelope's weren't too common these days, so whatever was in it had to be important.

Lilith's brow pinched together and her face fell, but she didn't seem surprised at all; more so disappointed.

"Seems our friend made some very poor life choices," Lilith sighed, closing the envelope. "Some life choices that might interest you, Vakarian." She held out the envelope to him.

Garrus eyed her warily, deciding in that moment that she was definitely nuts and that she probably did this just to get his attention. She did seem to know who he was, after all. But he took the envelope anyway.

"I know you won't open it," Lilith said suddenly, as if able to read his mind. "But you should, and when you do...I'll be around."

Garrus watched her, bewildered as she turned and began to walk away, shortly disappearing back into the shadows without even the sounds of a footstep.

Garrus was left standing in that alleyway, fiddling with the mystery envelope in his hands as he gazed down at the targets body.

He needed to hide it before anyone wandered by.