Mass Effect: Element of Kindness

by CommanderApplejack

Recruit

Chapter 65

Recruit

The first night they stayed at Sidonis’ place neither Garrus nor Fluttershy got enough rest. Garrus didn’t really trust their new friend yet, so he had opted to keep guard for the first few nights, always taking the first watch and leaving Fluttershy the second. This went on for a good three days before Garrus finally felt Sidonis trustworthy enough to sleep without anyone staying on guard duty.

It wasn’t long before Garrus found a suitable location to start working out of, so over the next couple of weeks Garrus and Sidonis would go out on runs to disturb criminal operations. They would leave behind Fluttershy to tend to their new base of operations to ‘create a reputation’ among the criminal gangs of Omega.

Archangel

That’s what Garrus was calling himself. Even though Fluttershy mostly spent her time within the walls of the base, the few times she went out she heard the hushed whispers from the civilians of Omega. A helmeted, blue armored turian who took down gang members, not caring to which gang they belonged. A pattern of large white wings covered the front plate of his armor⁠—something Fluttershy was responsible for painting.

But that wasn’t why Fluttershy was stalking around Omega right now. With Archangel’s growing reputation they might attract new potential recruits, the problem was that being impossible to find for the gangs also meant that new recruits wouldn’t be able to find them. So Fluttershy and Sidonis would go out separately to bars and walk through the streets, listening to conversations of unwitting inhabitants of the station.

Fluttershy hadn’t had any luck yet, but after overhearing a salarian ask about Archangel, she decided to follow him. He didn’t have any gang signs painted on his armor, and the way he seemed to avoid any criminals on the street gave Fluttershy hope that he was looking for Garrus to join up, but she wasn’t just going to tell him where Garrus was until she knew more about him.

It had taken the salarian a good while to arrive back at the place Fluttershy presumed he was staying since he was constantly checking if he was being followed. Little did he know of the invisible pegasus flying above him. Unlike the Citadel which carefully maintained mass effect fields, Omega just sealed large spaces and pumped them full of air which gave Fluttershy a good amount of flight options.

When the salarian opened the door to his apartment, Fluttershy snuck in along with him, her heart beating furiously as adrenaline coursed through her veins. She had yet to be detected by the salarian who made his way through the hallways before entering his apartment proper.

Fluttershy didn’t waste any time looking around the few rooms of the apartment. It was scarcely furnished with the bare minimums. The only thing of note was the large holo-projector that showed a scan of Omega. Red dots marking various locations in its lower sections, some of the locations Fluttershy recognized as places where Garrus was operating.

Seeing this made Fluttershy even more interested in what this salarian’s intentions were. Picking her assault rifle off of its magnetic clamp, she got ready to confront the salarian.

“Why are you looking for Archangel?” Fluttershy asked pointedly as she decloaked while pointing her rifle at the surprised salarian.

“…Archangel is doing good work and it looks like he’s just getting started. Want in,” the salarian replied as he got over his surprise at the appearance of the infiltrator. The reply also gave Fluttershy hope that she might have found their first new recruit, but she wasn’t going to just spill the beans.

Fluttershy pretended to huff indignantly, “Why would you want to help that lowlife? I’d rather claim the bounty.”

The salarian tensed up and slowly reached for something hidden under the table. “Think it’s best if you leave now. Would get messy if you don’t.”

A shiver went up Fluttershy’s spine at the coldness in the salarian’s voice, she really felt like this salarian was sincere but would still let Garrus make the final call. Opening her omni-tool, Fluttershy sent a location to the salarian’s own. “Be there in six hours. Archangel will determine if he thinks you’re trustworthy.”

Fluttershy immediately cloaked and rushed towards the door, it easily opened from the inside and allowed Fluttershy to get into the air. She couldn’t believe what she’d just done. Part of her felt slightly reviled by her actions, but another was very proud of the fact that she’d been able to remain completely undetected by the salarian until she wanted to be seen.

But even though she was excited, she still had to inform Garrus that she’d found a possible new member. A quick call with her omni-tool would fix that.

“Hey Shy, where are you? You were supposed to be back by now.”

“Sorry, I found someone promising. Gave him the first location and told him to be there in six hours, a bit less now,” the pegasus replied, a smile on her face as she sped through the air. At the pace she was going she’d be back in no time.

“Atta girl! Guess Sidonis now owes me a hundred credits for not being the first to find a new recruit,” Garrus laughed.

“You were betting on who found the first new recruit?!” Fluttershy asked indignantly.

“Hey, I actually made my bet on you finding someone first! I trusted that you could do it,” Garrus said in defense of himself. Fluttershy still rolled her eyes but decided to drop it.

“Fine. Is there anything else you want me to do?”

“Well, since you found someone, do you want to give him his test? I’ve got a few leads on some Blue Sun drug trafficking scheme. It’s pretty major, but we can have him intercept one of the minor shipments as a test. Of course I’ll be there to watch just in case it goes south,” Garrus proposed. Fluttershy didn’t immediately reply as she thought about what to do. She had yet to engage any criminal directly. Maybe spied on them, but not fought.

Do I want to get myself involved in the fighting? Or should I just keep myself to the sidelines?

1. I think It’s best if you did it.

2. I’ll do it.

3. Why go for the small shipment? We can handle the big one. [Dangerous]

[Vote link]

Author's Note:

Whoo boy, I've been gone for a while. To make a long story short: I attended Gamescom. Sent most of the time at the convention itself or with the 405th guys. Things like Xbox open doors were awesome for example.

I'll have pictures sometime soon ^.^

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!

[Paragon] or [Renegade] are colored when available, though normal options might also contribute to one or the other. As for the shippers under us, [Romance] is now also a thing.
When an option is not available due to various reasons it will be colored [Grey]

https://www.strawpoll.me/18547848
[Certainty: 70]

Now edited by gerandakis and lordelliot

Remember that comments are like authors' food, we gain energy from them. Constructive criticism is welcome.

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Go for the small shipment. See if the mobs have started setting up Q Traps, ambushes yet. Or are willing the throw away the small stuff as distraction, diversion from capabilities?

[GT3RS]

You went to Gamescom? Lucky! I'm going to XO19 but it's not gonna be near as good lol

[Starcat5]

A large shipment is too risky for breaking in the newbe, so 3 is out. Also, if she is going to be Archangel's guardian angel, she is going to need the practice. Option 2 it is.

[Solemn Vigil]

9795773
How about Vicar?

vicar - noun:
1. A cleric acting as a local resprestative of a higher ranking member of the clergy
2. A person acting on behalf of, or representing, another person.

It certainly seems to fit with what Fluttershy is doing for Garrus by acting as a recruiter/scout.

[MDCommissioner]

She couldn’t believe what she’d just done. Part of her felt slightly reviled by her actions, but another was very proud of the fact that she’d been able to remain completely undetected by the salarian until she wanted to be seen.

....why is it that I now would relish in seeing Fluttershy as a member of the Bat-Family? Must be cause of how well she's taken to her new stealth tech.

[Chronokat]

9803266
Hmmm... if garrus is archangel if we give her a divine angel equivalent.. shed be a throne the third level of angel their characteristics are peace and submission and are responsible for maintaining cosmic harmony they also are gods chariot and they sing gods gospel... i think ophanim is another name they go by but i havent kept up on church stuff since i was a kid. If they go by the angel name equivalent wed have to learn more about the other two. Maybe base non ranking members might be called guardian.

Edit: i know there's a sex joke in there about garrus riding his chariot and her singing his gospel. But it wasnt intentional.

[JonimStarGuy]

9803266
Ohhhh, That’s a good one!

[Redstargazer]

9803266
Yes! So much yes. If there isn't a plan for using it already, then maybe it could be put to a vote?

Also, got a pitch I hope CommanderApplejack will consider. One thing that is important for any Pony crossover imho is the fact that their presence tends to have a positive impact on events big and small. How about we have it change the fates of Team Archangel? Could have her interaction inspire Sidonis to decide against turning on the team? Maybe even having the double cross turn into Team Archangel attempt at a trap for the gangs that simply backfired which gives Shepard a reason to save them? So many possibilities: a touching farewell where the team basically tells a reluctant Garuss 'Go save the universe. You can leave Omega to us till then, boss.' The team could be contacted later to be a war asset, they could give Shepard inside help during retaking Omega and we learn they gained respect from whole station during Cerberus occupation. Just seems like a waste to me for them to all be killed according to old script with Fluttershy in the mix.

[Black--Soul]

1. Fluttershy still had problems killing Sapient beings...

[Black--Soul]

9803046
Good points. But Arch Angel is still a new player so i doubt he is yet on their radar...
9803087
Good reasoning. Fluttershy still need to overcome the 'kill sapient' things...
9803514
The look would fit...
9803530
Glorious sex joke stays glorious.
9805751
Agreed, the potencial is simply huge!

[Black--Soul]

1. Fluttershy is still hesitant in kill or die situations.
Also no need to poke the boss if you can deal with their support staff first.