Layden Keen emerged from one of the maintenance tunnels into an alleyway down in one of the lower wards. The arm Victor Zsasz sliced was wrapped up in a makeshift sling and soaked in medi-gel he had taken with him on the botched deal. He had to keep his head down in the keeper tunnels given how hot things got in the Warehouse district.

He had spent an entire day down there trying to figure out how to get off the Citadel when a message came in on his Omni-Tool. The Blood Pack had arrived on the Citadel and were expecting their product. Keen still had the case containing the vials of compound and figured they were his best chance to escape C-Sec and Fist.

Layden Keen entered a largely automated recycling center, where the Citadel’s Trash and bio-waste goes to be dissolved to its base elements and repurposed or something of that nature. Layden didn’t actually know how this place worked but it was operated entirely by the Keepers which would explain why the Blood Pack would hide out here. He imagined Krogan and Vorcha were used to the smell.

“Hey, welp.” A Krogan growled from behind one of the trash heeps. “Over here.”

The Salarian gave a quick look and went over. He saw several Krogan and Vorcha standing there. “Hey, Hey. I’m gla-”

One of The Krogan mercs grabbed Keen and shoved him against a crate. “You fucking double-crossing pyjack!”

“No, please.” Keen desperately tried to explain. “I have the stuff right here.”

“Yeah, ‘cause you couldn’t hack it off!” The merc yelled while

“No, I made extra. I was still going to make the order.”

“This isn’t about services rendered.” A modulated voice said from the darkness. “This is a matter of trust…and greed.”

The merc released Keen and stepped back while Warlord Bane emerged from the Shadows. The Salarian found all Krogan inherently frightening with their almost prehistoric features, but the beast walking up to him was something else. Over a head taller than the average Krogan, Warlord Bane was a mountain among giants.

But it wasn’t simply Bane’s size that terrified Keen. He was clearly very old, very beat up. He stood there like Krogan undead with extreme scars, skin that seemed that was cracked and withering. There seemed to be these simmering steel colored lines throughout his skin and a glow to his eyes that Keen assumed were cybernetics. And a metal mask practically welded into his jaw with a speaker to allow him to speak.

“You were given very clear instructions.” Bane explained. “And you broke from those instructions, attracted attention from C-Sec, and drew the Bat here.”

“The Bat?” Keen didn’t know what he was talking about. “Look, I’m sorry. I just needed the extra money.”

“As I said. A matter of trust and greed.” Bane didn’t just spit out his words like other Krogan. There was an eloquence to the way he spoke that was unlike most of his species, sounding more like a dignified statesman than brutal warrior. “And now, the time has come for you to reap what you sow.”

Keen opened his mouth to speak when fingers wrapped around his throat seemingly at the speed of light. And before Keen could even feel the pressure of Bane’s squeezing his hand with a jerk of his wrist, the Salarian’s body was on the ground…with his head dropping a split-second later and rolling away.

Bane shook the green blood off his hand as one of the Vorcha opened the case to confirm the compound was in there. “We have more than enough.”

“Good.” The Warlord said. “And so the long summer of injustice shall soon give way to a winter of cold, furious vengeance…and the Spring of our salvation.”

Bane signaled to an individual to step forward from the shadows, it was a Quarian man. The Warlord instructed. “Get to work.”

“What about Tali?” The Quarian asked. “She’s still alive, with the info your men let slip. Info that almost certainly includes me.”

“That grenade has already gone off.” Bane explained. “By now either Batman or C-Sec have her omni-tool and are likely decrypting it as we speak. We are on the clock now. Sadly your involvement and eventual exile can no longer be avoided. Consider your payment doubled with the Blood Pack’s apologies and guarantee of…protection.”

The Quarian wasn’t happy with that deal, he had hoped to use the creds from this job to buy a good ship to use for his pilgrimage and earn himself great standing in the Flotilla. Not live under glorified house arrest with the Blood Pack watching his every move. But he wasn’t in much position to argue, not after witnessing what Bane had just done to the Salarian. “Fine. I’ll get to it.”

“And what of the Bat?” One of the Krogan mercs asked.

Bane wiped the rest of the green blood from his hand. “I will break him.”

—

Tali'Zorah woke up to the sound of her heartbeat coming from the medical equipment. Through the visor of her helmet, the sight of wires plugged into her suit became clear. Synching up with her own self-contained health monitoring system. She half expected to still be in Dr. Michel’s clinic. That everything that happened to her was just a nightmare.

But Dr. Michel was nowhere in sight. In her place was a Turian wearing the blue uniform of a C-Sec officer. He was sitting next to the hospital bed, she turned to look at him but that only alerted her to how sore her body still was.

“You’re awake.” The Turian said. “Try not to move around too much.”

“Where am I?”

“Medical Wing of Citadel Security.” He explained. “My name is Garrus Vakarian of Major Crimes. GIven the events of yesterday, I felt it was best to have you in protective custody until you are fully recovered.”

“Thanks.” Tali said nervously. She had heard a lot of bad rumors about how C-Sec treated Quarians and wasn’t sure whether to trust the officer’s words. Even through her helmet, Garrus recognized her concerns.

“I can assure, no harm will come to you while you’re here.” Garrus assured. “Our medics say you should be good to leave tomorrow. In the meantime, are you good to answer some questions?”

“Sure.”

Garrus ran through the basic questions and she gave honest answers. Tali explained that she had learned that one of her fellow Quarians had gotten mixed up with the Blood Pack. A tech expert named Gregur. That was particularly alarming to Garrus though, unfortunately, Tali didn’t know for what purpose he joined them, the data she managed to copy from a Blood Pack merc was encrypted and Batman took it.

“What do you know about the Batman?” Garrus asked, thinking back to the imposing, masked human from the previous day. Holding Fist over that ledge with ease.

“I heard about him on Omega but never saw him before last night.” Tali explained. “I know he’s one of the good guys.”

Garrus had heard the stories. The masked warrior who had emerged to battle the outlaw pseudo-government of gangs and mobsters that ruled Omega. Protecting the innocent and instilling fear in those who would exploit them. There have been many vigilantes in Omega’s history, though few have had the Batman’s reputation or impact.

But then his thoughts returned to the Quarian woman before him. He couldn’t help but be impressed with her. To take it upon herself to investigate one of her own people’s criminal activities, steal from the Blood Pack of all groups, and come to the Citadel with the Omni-tool to, presumably, hand the info to either C-Sec or Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. She was clearly as smart as she was brave to know whatever the Blood Pack was up to was serious.

“I’ll let you rest.” Garrus said with a bit of a nervous nod. “You’ve been through a lot.”

Tali thanked him. She definitely appreciated the Turian's professionalism and sincere attitude. And given all the excitement, she was more than happy to rest up for a day.

Garrus left the medical wing and made his way through C-Sec headquarters. He had another meeting with the Executor to deal with, he didn’t need any warning about what the head of C-Sec wanted to talk to him about. The stories of Batman’s appearance on the Citadel have spread like wildfire on the extranet and Citadel News Net. The voice of human reporter Emily Wong echoed through the halls of Citadel Security.

“And what does the alleged appearance of The Batman mean for the Citadel?” Emily Wong asked at the end of her report. “And how will C-Sec respond to the presence of a vigilante?”

“The same thing we do to all criminals!” The Executor yelled as he turned to the vid-screen and turned to Garrus who was now standing in his office. “Tell me it isn’t true.”

“Sorry.” Garrus replied. “But I saw him with my own eyes. The Batman is on the Citadel.”

“Unacceptable. I will not have one of Omega’s wannabe cops running rampant on my station. Consider this your new top priority.”

“And what about my current investigation?” Garrus asked as the door opened behind him.

“I think I can help with that.” Another Turian said as he walked into the room. Garrus turned and looked at the imposing figure who had strolled into the room. Garrus knew damn well who it was.

“Saren.” Garrus greeted the Spectre.

“Garrus.” Saren Arterius said back. The two had met before but, even if they hadn’t, Garrus would be more than aware of Saren’s reputation. An operative of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance, Saren was known within law enforcement circles as a ruthless agent who did most of his work on the fringes of Council Space. Garrus never liked Saren, something about him always rubbed Garrus the wrong way.

Garrus looked to the Executor and then back at Saren. He was smart enough to see what’s going on. “Let me guess, you were the one who got Kersya their military contract.”

“Dr. Crane is a brilliant scientist.” Saren explained. “He came highly recommended by the STG and I feel his work can benefit the Spectres and the Council.”

“You’re here to tell me to back off, I take it.”

“On the contrary, I come with a peace offering.” Saren produced a datapad which he handed to the Executor. “After conducting an internal audit, Dr. Crane was able to identify a third member of the Conspiracy. Dr. Gedaw Olorn. After interrogating him, I discovered the hiding place of Layden Keen. He was dead, but the illegal compound has been retrieved and disposed of.”

The Executor read through the datapad but Garrus kept his gaze fixated on the Turian Spectre. It was clear that he was lying even if Garrus didn’t know why or to what end. “I would like to speak to Dr. Olorn myself to corroborate his testimony. As a matter of record.”

“That is no longer possible.” Saren said with an almost smug tone. “I have already extradited Dr. Olorn back to Salarian Authorities. They have assured me that my record of his confession will be sufficient.”

“As will we.” The Executor said as he put down the datapad. “C-Sec will accept the findings of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. I’m sure the Courts will come to a similar judgment.”

“Thank you, Executor.” Saren said with a nod of his head. “And, on behalf of Dr. Crane, allow me to apologize for this regrettable breach of security. But the three traitors are dealt with and, thanks to the efforts of Major Crimes, Fist and his cohorts are in prison. Measures will be taken to avoid it in the future.”

Garrus was not happy with any of this. Spectres were high level operatives that existed above and outside the law with a mission to preserve Galactic Peace and Justice by any means necessary. Officially, and legally, they didn’t actually exist. Logically, this should mean that, while they’re protected from legal blowback for their missions, they also shouldn't have any influence on any official legal processes.

In practice, however, Spectres actually wield a tremendous amount of influence and power over the very systems that they had no official standing in. Because of course they do. After all, how could they succeed in their mandate to preserve Galactic peace if the various governments and law enforcing agencies in Council Space didn’t view them as the will and authority of the Council. It was a strange gray area that was easy for people like Saren to abuse.

Garrus knew the Executor could see what was happening but he also knew the C-Sec boss wasn’t willing to risk a political firestorm to challenge one of the Council’s top agents even if he did agree with Garrus’ objections. But Garrus wasn’t willing to go quietly. “And what about the Blood Pack?”

“I see no evidence that The Blood Pack had anything to do with the conspiracy to sell the illegal compound to Fist.” Saren answered. “In fact, I’d say the issue of Fist trafficking a Quarian is unrelated to Dr Crane and Kersya Bio-Chemicals. And I think the best thing for you and your Department is to keep its focus on criminals and vigilantes.”

“Thank you, Agent Arterius.” The Executor said diplomatically to bring an end to the tension. Saren nodded again and turned to leave.

“Enjoy the party, Garrus.” The Spectre said as he walked out of the room. “I hear Udina has set up an open bar.”

The door closed behind Saren. Garrus looked to the Executor. “What is he talking about?”

“Yes.” The Executor sighed. “Mr. Wayne has put out an invitation to the officers of C-Sec to that fundraiser Udina is putting on for his foundation.”

Garrus groaned as his boss pressed on. “You’re not expected to donate, buy, or gamble anything. Mr. Wayne just wanted to express his ‘admiration’ to the Citadel’s best. I’m only passing that invitation along to those ranked detective and above but department heads, like yourself, are expected to attend.”

“Weren’t you just telling me to dedicate my time to finding the Batman?”

“You have staff, don’t you?” The Executor shot back. “Mr. Wayne actually asked for you specifically. His way of thanking you for getting him through the docks, I suppose. My fault for assigning you that detail. Just consider it an obligation of diplomacy.”

“An obligation of diplomacy with an open bar.” Garrus remarked as he left the office.

“That’s the spirit.”

Garrus returned to Major Crimes where word had spread about Mr. Wayne’s invitation. Harkin was obviously going to the event. He actually didn’t have much choice in the matter given his status as the highest ranking human officer in C-Sec. Not that he had any complaints about it, he was more than happy to enjoy the open bar.

“How about you?” Garrus asked Anaya who shrugged.

“I don’t know.” She answered. “I’m not really one for parties.”

“Oh, come on.” Harkin teased. “Going to be a lot of card tables and games.”

Anaya rolled her eyes. “I’m not much of a gambler.”

“You just need some practice.” Harkin said, pulling out a coin. “Tell you what, heads you go, tails you don’t.”

Harkin flipped the coin but Anaya caught it before he could. She held it up to reveal that it was a double-headed coin. She smirked and flipped the coin back to him. “Nice try.”

“What? It’s my family’s lucky coin.” Harkin said as he put the trinket away. Trying to gamble with a double-headed coin, a rather apt metaphor for the Sargent’s career as far as Garrus was concerned.

“Hold down the fort.” Garrus instructed Anaya. “And start digging into the reports that have been coming out of Omega over the past 3 years. It’s not a coincidence that The Batman and Blood Pack are here at the same time.”

“I’m on it.” Anaya said. “Enjoy the party.”

—

It was going to take a while for the Bat-computer to decrypt the information on Tali’s omni-tool. In the meantime, Bruce had to put on his best suit along with his one true mask. The mask of Bruce Wayne, Trillionaire playboy. The mask that most people knew. The mask that most people couldn’t see.

He exited the cab outside the Fundraiser where he was met with a horde of flashing lights and reporters asking questions. Bruce didn’t pay them much mind, just gave them a smile and strolled on into one of the Presidium’s premium Banquet halls. It was impressive that Udina managed to throw all of this together so quickly. The ambassador must’ve started putting the event together under a different pretext before Bruce arrived on the Citadel..

Udina, as if conjured by Bruce’s very thought of him, was right there to greet Bruce as he entered. “Mr. Wayne. As punctual as ever.”

“Come now, Ambassador.” Bruce smiled. “You didn’t expect me to not wait for all the other guests to arrive before making my grand entrance.”

“I suppose that would’ve been foolish of me.” Udina sighed. “But now that you are here, let’s get to work.”

Udina began with the most distinguished dignitaries at the Gala, the Citadel Council. While it was not surprising to the leaders of galactic society at the fundraiser, Bruce more than understood the significance of them endorsing the Wayne Foundation in this manner. Udina went through the standard introductions.

“Good day, Councilors.” The ambassador said. “Humanity is honored to have you present at this event.”

“The honor is ours, Ambassador.” The Salarian Councilor replied.

“Indeed.” The Turian Councilor added. “The Wayne Foundation’s efforts have benefited a lot more than just humanity.”

“Thank you, Councilors.” Bruce nodded his head in respect.

“If I may.” The Asari Councilor gestured. “There is someone who has been eager to meet you.”

Bruce turned to see an Asari Matriarch stepping forward. Matriarch was the final stage of an Asari’s life, after the Maiden and Matron stage, beginning around the age of 700. While their official power depends on official position, Asari Matriarchs are typically viewed as community elders. Often brought in as an unofficial capacity as advisers.

“Mr. Wayne.” The Matriarch introduced herself. “My name is Benezia T’Soni.”

Bruce nodded his head again only to see the Asari had decided to cater to the human convention of shaking hands. Containing his surprise, Bruce extended his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I have watched your career with great interest.” Benezia said. “I admire your efforts to expand Wayne Enterprises beyond human business ventures.”

That was certainly true enough, Bruce’s father, Thomas Wayne, had worked tirelessly to make Wayne Enterprises at the forefront of Humanity’s private sector alongside the rise of the Human Systems Alliance as the forefront of its political sphere. Bruce, however, recognized the need of gaining a foothold in the greater galactic market.

Wayne Enterprises was now firmly established on the Citadel itself and the frontier, but breaking into the private markets of each council race was proving slightly difficult. Bruce had managed to get approval for a new Wayne Tower on Illium but he definitely wanted to establish the Company in the core Asari worlds. But he was guessing Matriarch Benezia T’Soni was perfectly aware of that.

Bruce certainly appreciated the benefit of having an Asari Matriarch at his side. Hell, that might even get Wayne Enterprises on Thessia. But he wondered what Benezia would request in return. Would she settle for the role of unofficial mentor and sponsor, or would she want a seat on the Board of Directors. Though, the first favor was probably about to be asked as Benezia looked towards a younger Asari behind her.

“If I may introduce my daughter, Liara.”

Liara stepped forward nervously. “Hello, Mr. Wayne.”

“Dr. T’Soni.” Bruce shook the archeologist’s hand. “I’m familiar with your work.”

There was an exchange of a few more pleasantries before Udina led the conversation to some official business, much to the annoyance of the council. Benezia wasn’t bothered by politics but Bruce, however, had no interest in it. Or rather, Bruce Wayne the Trillionaire Playboy couldn’t have any interest in it. So he offered to grab a drink for Liara.

“Oh, thank you.” Liara said as Bruce tracked down a waiter to grab a couple of drinks.

Bruce had never been able to ascertain the growth rate of the Asari. He could see two different individuals in their Matron stage and be stunned to discover a 200 year gap in their age. Though the differences between the Matriarch and her daughter were vast.

By human standards, Benezia seemed like, well, an aging Matriarch of an elite family. She was regal and dignified. Liara, meanwhile, had the look and nervous energy of a twenty-something grad student trying desperately to remain calm and focused while lamenting the forthcoming grade on her term paper. Her hand was practically shaking when Bruce handed her a drink. “Thank you.”

“You’re not too comfortable at parties, are you?” Bruce asked.

“No, not really.” Liara admitted while she nursed her drink. Bruce meanwhile took a big gulp of his while she continued. “I’ve never been very good with crowds. I’m much more comfortable on a dig site.”

Bruce could certainly sympathize with that. He was often in more agony in a setting like this than he ever was during his worst battles while being Batman. It took time for him to learn how to properly wear his playboy mask. Liara clearly hadn’t had the time to perfect her craft at navigating the public sphere. Something she obviously needed to do to get funding for her digs.

Bruce figured it was best to steer the conversation in that direction. “I have read your books on the Protheans.”

“Have you?” Liara asked. “Yes, of course. I heard Wayne Enterprises had interest in the protheans. Or, I should say you had interest, or have interest. Goddess, I’m rambling.”

“It’s fine.” Bruce reassured her. “But yes, I’ve had a certain fascination with the Protheans. Naturally, given how much the Mars Archives advanced humanity, my shareholders view them as a solid investment.”

“Indeed.” Liara said. “I, uh, understand the potential financial benefits of Prothean Technology but such viewpoints have led to the complete destruction of entire ruins. Considering how little of the Protheans remain in the Galaxy, I believe we should work to preserve as well as study.”

Bruce was more than aware of Liara’s work and has funded Prothean digs before. And endearing himself to an Asari Matriarch by assisting her daughter was certainly a wise business decision. But it may be more productive to meet Liara in a less loud environment. “I agree. I’d be interested in discussing it with you one on one.”

“Sure, I’d love that.” Liara smiled. The two of them shared a few more parting words before Liara left to find a less crowded area of the Fundraiser.

Bruce finished off his drink when he heard the voice of another Asari. “Well she’s a nervous one, isn’t she?”

“Not everyone is a natural at these kinds of parties.” Bruce placed his empty glass on the tray of a passing waiter before turning to face the Asari. “You should’ve seen me at my first fundraiser.

“I find it difficult to imagine a nervous Bruce Wayne.” The Asari said in a flirtatious manner and handed him a fresh drink. “Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Nassana Dantius.”

Bruce looked at the Asari. She was attractive like all Asari, seemed older and more confident than Liara. Bruce didn’t immediately recognize her, she wasn’t one of the celebrity dignitaries. She was either a social climber or someone interested in a business ‘opportunity.’ Bruce was curious which Nasana was. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“Quite the party you have here.” Nassana complemented. Bruce was tempted to correct her and say it was actually Udina’s party but he decided to just thank her before she proceeded to get to the point. “You know, as much as I respect a good Prothean Excavation, I think there are far more efficient ways to make inroads in Asari Space.”

Bruce smiled. “Oh, is there?”

“I’ve actually been trying to get in touch with you for a while, Mr. Wayne.” Nassana explained. “I have some business investments on Illium and, ever since you built that new tower. I’ve been interested in meeting you but you have been so busy in the traverse and terminus systems.’

“What investments are you involved in on Illium?”

“I've been involved in several different ventures.” Nassana answered.

“Ah, we humans have a word for that.” Bruce said. “You’re an entrepreneur.”\

“Is that word a compliment or an insult?” Nassana asked

“Depends on the entrepreneur.” Bruce explained. “And the ideas and success they have.”

“I have plenty of ideas, Mr. Wayne.” Nassana smiled seductively at the trillionaire. “And I think you and I could have plenty of success working together.”

Bruce looked at the attractive Asari smiling at him, listening to her speak when suddenly had a very familiar feeling about her. “Are you sure we haven’t met before?”

“I don’t believe so.” Nassana smiled. “I think I would remember meeting the richest Human in the Galaxy.”

“Well, you look very familiar.” Bruce took sip from his drink

“Maybe you’ve gotten to know one of my sisters.” Nassana teased, nearly prompting a spit take from Bruce.

The two of them laughed before Bruce joked. “Could’ve been worse, could’ve said your mother.”

Nassana shrugged. “Mother’s dead I’m afraid.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Bruce said as Garrus caught his eye on the other side of the Banquet Hall. It was good for the mask to spend enough time with charming women to get the news-vids talking from time to time. But, as charming as Nassana was, it was time for Bruce to move on. He agreed to a ‘business meeting’ with Nassana and went over to the gaming section of the fundraiser.

Garrus was watching Harkin play one of the human games, Roulette. It seemed to be a simple enough game. There is a wheel that spins and you can bet on where the little white ball would land, whether that be a specific number or simply red or black. Harkin was certainly a fan of the game though Garrus didn’t quite get it.

“Lieutenant Vakarian.” Bruce said as he approached. “Glad you could make it. Having any luck?”

“I’m more into cards, myself.” Garrus answered. “You know, like Skillian Five. I prefer games where there’s some element of strategy, as opposed to blind luck.”

“Well, I believe Udina set up a few card tables.” Bruce looked around. “I have agreed to stake the C-Sec officers. It’s all for charity.”

“All for charity, Mr. Wayne.” Garrus nodded while Udina’s voice came over the speaker.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Udina said from the stage, prompting the music and chattering of the crowd to quiet down. “May I have your attention.”

“Looks like I’m about to get my cue.” Bruce said to Garrus. “Enjoy the party.”

Bruce left the gambling area and walked towards the stage while Udina continued. “On behalf of Humanity, let me say thank you all for coming. The Wayne Foundation has been one of our most charitable organizations for generations. And, under Bruce Wayne’s stewardship, the Foundation has sought to help all species of Council Space and beyond. But I’m sure he’ll want to tell you his plans himself. Ladies and Gentlemen, Bruce Wayne.”

There was a light applause while Bruce got onto the stage, shook hands with Udina, and stepped up to the podium. “Thank you ambassador. And thank you all. I know there is a lot of hesitance for people here on the Citadel to invest in anything in the Terminus Systems. But pretending the Terminus systems aren’t there will not protect our colonies. My father…”

Bruce paused while memories began to press up against his public mask. “My father believed in building the future of Humanity. With Wayne Enterprises, he helped establish our colonies and, yes, build warships and stations for the Alliance. He believed in not only building new homes, but having the strength to protect them.”

The mask was beginning to crack now, the Trillionaire playboy giving way to the darkness. “My father was proud of what our family’s company did for humanity. He would take me and my mother on tours of Arcturus station and the colonies. To teach me what ambition and strength could build…but there was another lesson I learned out there.

The mask was coming apart now, Bruce worked to keep his emotions under control while the memory of his mother yelling to him hit him. Run Bruce! Hide!

“I watched as my parents were publicly executed by Slavers on Mindior.” Bruce said to the crowd. “I learned that ambition and strength alone can’t always protect you. I was lucky, because, even as an orphan, I still had my family’s wealth. As I speak, there are thousands of orphans left abandoned on Omega to be scooped up and brainwashed by merc bands, pirates, and slavers. I believe in strength and ambition, but I also believe that Security can only be achieved when compassion is involved in the process. And, with your support, that is exactly what we will bring to Omega with the Wayne Foundation’s new orphanage.”

There was a light applause while Bruce managed to re-secure his playboy mask and smiled. “Thank you. Hope everyone has a fun night.”

Bruce stepped off the stage as a beep came from his omni-tool. He glanced down at it to see a message from Alfred. The Bat-Computer had finished decrypting the data.

—

Fist was sitting in an interrogation room at C-Sec with a human officer standing in the corner. Fist had been there for a while and was losing patience. “What the hell is taking so long? Where’s my advocate?”

The officer didn’t have a chance to answer before the door opened and a turian walked in. “I’m afraid your advocate won’t do you much good here Mr. Fist.”

“Who the hell are you?” Fist demanded while the door closed behind the Turian. He clearly wasn’t C-Sec. He wasn’t in full armor but he was armed with a shotgun and pistol. No C-sec officer would walk into an interrogation with weapons.

“My name is Saren Arterius.” The turian answered as he walked up to him. “I’m a Spectre.”

“Shit.” Fist sighed, fully realizing the significance of a Spectre showing up anywhere. “What do you want?”

“Just to have a little chat.” Saren walked up and grabbed Fist by the arm, dragging him out of his chair and up against the wall.

“The fuck!?” Fist grunted while the C-Sec officer in the corner became a bit nervous.

“Sir.” The human officer began, not really sure how to proceed. “Uh, would you like me to step out.”

“Don’t worry, officer.” Saren said calmly while holding Fist against the wall with one arm. “I never kill anyone without a reason.”

Suddenly, Saren used his free hand to draw his shotgun and fired back at the officer. The spray of the blast shredded right into the human's uniform and into his chest, sending him falling back into the corner. Before Fist could even process what was happening, Saren then dropped and dramatically fell to the ground…tossing his now empty shotgun to Fist who instinctively caught it as Saren drew his pistol.

Now understanding what was happening, the panicked Fist dropped the shotgun and pleaded. “No…wait.”

“I can always find a reason.” Saren said while he pulled the trigger…

Word had gotten to Garrus about the incident pretty fast courtesy of Detective Anaya. To say he was pissed walking into the Executor’s office would be an understatement. “What the fuck happened!?”

Before the Executor could answer, Garrus turned and saw that Saren was in the room. “And what the fuck are you doing here!”

“Garrus.” The Executor tried to cut in but Garrus was seeing red at this point. His suspect was dead, a C-Sec officer was dead, and there were no cameras active in the room because that’s just what Spectres do.

“Mind telling me what happened in that room?” Garrus demanded of the Spectre.

“Before I left the Citadel, I wanted to be sure there were no loose ends.” Saren explained in a somber tone that struck Garrus as insultingly insincere. “I sought to interrogate Fist to see if he had received any date packs from the Salarian researchers prior to the attempted sale. Couldn’t risk future security leaks. He managed to grab my shotgun and I had to put him down. Sadly, I was not fast enough to save your officer.”

“That’s a load of crap!” Garrus yelled. “You expect me to believe that a fucking Spectre couldn’t keep his gun out of the hands of an unarmed prisoner!”

“Garrus, please.” The Executor said.

“No.” The Spectre raised his hand submissively. “The Lieutenant is right. In my arrogance, I refused to take a human criminal seriously and one of your men is dead as a result. It is of course within your right to file a complaint against me with the Citadel.”

This so-called display of humility and remorse was working for Garrus. “How big of you since the Council will likely accept your claim of self-defense!”

“That’s enough!” The Executor yelled. “I will file a complaint with the Council on this matter and the Spectre will be under a voluntary house arrest here on the Citadel. In the meantime, I suggest you go take a breather Garrus.”

—

A frustrated and tired Garrus walked out onto the docks not far from C-Sec HQ. It was astonishing how quickly things had gone bad. Just a day earlier, he had taken Fist into custody and it seemed he was making progress on figuring out what was going on with the arrival of The Batman and the Blood Pack. Now, a Spectre was mopping up and he felt more in the dark than ever before. He needed to relax a bit.

Garrus went to one of the Citadel’s defense turrets, as the head of Major Crimes he had access to them and nobody in C-Sec ever asked any questions about him doing one of his ‘random inspections.’ He went up to the defense turret, passed the keepers, scanned his ID and began tinkering away at the targeting system.

He had been at it for a little while when a voice came in from behind him. “Garrus, you have time to talk.”

Garrus turned and saw the Batman standing there at the edge of the platform. The lieutenant just turned back to the turret. “Can it wait? I’m in the middle of some calibrations.”

“I’m afraid not.”

Garrus sighed and stood up. “Ok then…I presume you’ve decrypted Tali’s omni-tool.”

“I have.” The Batman explained. “And we need to move quickly before the Blood Pack makes its move.”

“I take it the Compound wasn’t found and destroyed then?”

The Batman wasn’t expecting that question. “Were you told that it was?”

“Yes.” Garrus answered. “By the Spectre, Saren. Though I did kind of figure he was lying. I don’t suppose there was anything in that omni-tool about him and Crane.”

“No.” The Batman answered. “I do know that Saren was Crane’s main sponsor when he applied for his company’s military contract with the Spectres. But it is entirely possible that those three researchers went into business for themselves and the Saren and Crane are simply minimizing the damage.”

Garrus chuckled. “Forgive me, but you don’t strike me as that kind of optimist.”

“Neither do you, Lieutenant.”

“Well, what was on that Omni-tool then?” Garrus asked. “What did it tell you about the Blood Pack?”

“It told me who is running them.” The Batman explained. “A Krogan Warlord by the name of Bane.”

Garrus recognized that name. He had heard it many times growing up…from his history teachers. “Bane is dead.”

“He’s not.”

“No!” Garrus insisted. “Weyrloc Bane was killed at the height of the Krogan Rebellions. And even if he wasn’t, he was one of the older Warlords at the start of the war. He’d be, what, two thousand years old now?”

“Two thousand, three hundred, and forty-seven years old.” Batman specified. “If the data on the Omni-tool is to be believed.

“Krogan don’t live that long!”

“This one has.” Batman reiterated. “Or, rather, he’s been kept alive. He is being maintained through some kind of cybernetic technology. Very advanced. Very old.”

“Prothean?”

The Batman shook his head. “It’s something else, something much older and far more powerful. I’m not sure what yet. But he’s been running the Blood Pack in secret and now he’s come to the Citadel.”

This was a lot for Garrus to take in. An ancient Warlord back from the dead to terrorize the galaxy yet again. He could understand the appeal of the Executor’s desire to stick with the simple solution of Omega’s gang wars spilling over to the Citadel. It seemed absurd that he would even take this masked vigilante at his word. But, if what the Batman was saying wasn’t true, why is everyone so desperate to sweep everything under the rug?

“That compound the Salarians made for him.” Garrus said. “What is it?”

“They call it Titan. In layman's terms, it’s a powerful gene-mod designed to recreate the Krogan blood rage in other species. Though there is an…extreme side effect. It is difficult to expla-”

The Batman suddenly fell silent as a question suddenly popped up in his head. It seemed inconsequential but he felt compelled to ask. “How do you know the name Bane?”

“What?” Garrus was thrown by that sudden shift. “All Turians know who Warlord Bane is.”

“Why?” The Batman pressed. “There were several Warlords in the Rebellions, what made Bane so special?”

“When my people were called upon to fight the Krogan, Bane recognized we had the potential to beat them.” Garrus explained. “He rallied the horde to attack Palaven in an attempt to take us out quickly. He was killed on Palaven’s moon by Prona Sparatus…”

And then it was Garrus’ turn to fall silent as a sudden realization hit him. The Batman looked at him. “What is it?”

“After killing Bane, Sparatus was promoted.” Garrus said with a growing sense of horror. “He was put in charge of the task force that deployed the Genophage on the Krogan. It cemented his family’s standing in the Hierarchy. His descendant is the current Turian Councilor.”

Without another word, the Batman turned and fired his grappling hook to leave the platform while Garrus turned on his comm. “This is Lieutenant Vakarian, I need the location of the Turian Councilor now.”

—

Councilor Sparatus had just returned to his home on the Presidium. He thanked his C-Sec escort and wished a good rest of their evening before proceeding to walk over to the bar in his study. He couldn’t drink at the fundraiser, it would have been seen as a dishonorable thing for the Turian representative on the Council to do in public. But now it was time to catch up on lost time.

He poured himself a stiff drink and turned to go to his chair when a shape emerged in the corner of his eye. He looked and saw a Vorcha standing there. “Hello, Councilor.”

“How did you get in here!?” The Councilor yelled right before being grabbed from behind by a Krogan. He was dragged out of the study and into the living room area where more Krogan and Vorcha were waiting. The Councilor continued to protest but fell silent when he saw the Warlord. Even with the mask, Sparatus recognized who it was almost immediately. He had seen the old vids of him enough while he was growing up.

“It’s impossible.” The Councilor managed to spit out.

“Impossible you say.” Bane said as he gestured his men to drag the Councilor over to a table . “Yes, I suppose it is. Yet, here I am.”

The Krogan mercs planted the Councilor on the table as he yelled. “What, you come back after all these centuries to punish a man for his ancestor killing you?”

“Not at all.” Bane corrected. “I bear no ill will towards Prona Sparatus for defeating me. He met me in the field of battle and emerged victorious. I would happily honor him for that…if not for what he did after.”

The Councilor paused. “That was war.”

“War!?” Bane screamed. “War is what Prona and I did on Palaven’s moon. War is not dooming an entire species to an eternity of watching mountains infants who never got the chance to breathe pile up like useless garbage.”

Bane walked over to one of his vorcha who had the case of Titan opened and ready. The Warlord grabbed one of the vials and inserted it into an injector while the Councilor asked. “What are you going to do?”

“Turnabout is fair play, Councilor.” Bane said while he walked to the restrained Turian. “Just as Prona Sparatus infected the Krogan, I will now infect the Citadel. Soon, all of the elites who looked down on us will feel the Blood Rage.”

Bane stuck the injector into the Councilor’s neck while he finished. “Now you all will become the mindless savages you see us as.”

The orange fluid left the vial and entered the Turian who immediately began to Spasm. Bane removed the injector and said to his men. “Toss him out to the streets while he can still be carried.”

They did just that as The Warlord walked over to the Quarian who had just located a secret safe hidden in the panels of the wall. He managed to hack it and open it up before stepping aside. Bane reached his hand into the small opening and pulled out what he was really looking for. “Let’s go.”

Author’s Note:

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, the action will start picking up soon. I’m going to try to get two more chapters posted before the release of the new Batman movie. I’ve set up a discord channel where I’ll give updates on my progress on future chapters, where we can discuss your thoughts on this story, and we can discuss hype for the new Batman movie and just discuss fandom related things. Go to my bio to find out how to get to my discord channel.