The screams had started to echo through the upper wards near the Presidium when Batman flew into the scene. He landed at the top of one of the buildings as an explosion went off. Batman could hear the panicked reports from the C-Sec officers calling for backup. He could understand their fear, they had no idea what they were facing.

Batman did know what he was about to run into. He had encountered the results of the Titan Compound many times on Omega. But even the Dark Knight hadn’t quite gotten used to the sight of the monsters Warlord Bane had become so fond of unleashing. Batman looked down from the roof of the building, at the hulking brute tossing a cab right into a flying C-Sec vehicle that immediately crashed into a nearby building.

The effect Titan had on Turians was distinct from other species. The Councilor was now three times the size of the average Turian. His arms had stretched out with massive muscles that were still expanding as the compound was reaching its peak effect. Several C-Sec officers unloaded on the beast with their assault rifles, but guns had no effect on it.

“Garrus.” Batman said into his communicator.

“Yeah, I’m on my way.” Garrus said while speeding in his car. “I’m hearing radio chatter. Tell me they’re exaggerating.”

“I’m afraid not.”

“You’ve dealt with this on Omega. What do we do?”

“The Councilor is already dead.” Batman answered. “Eventually the compound will trigger a cardiac arrest. Until then, you won’t be able to kill him.”

“Keep him distracted.” Garrus ordered, forgetting he wasn’t speaking to another C-Sec officer. “I’ll take command and try to establish a perimeter.”

“Focus on getting people to safety, lieutenant.” Batman leapt from the rooftop. “I’ll deal with the Councilor.”

The Mutated Councilor had just jumped onto a crashed car when several batarangs slammed into his arm. They pierced his skin but he gave no reaction besides looking up to Batman’s fist right before it slammed into his jaw. After delivering the blow, Batman landed and rolled, assuming a defensive posture.

The Councilor was unaffected by Batman’s punch. Which was not surprising. Batman’s experience with these monsters on Omega have taught him that Bane’s Titan Compound severs pain receptors and increases healing. But all Batman needed was his attention and now he had it.

The Councilor leaped from the car to attack. Batman rolled to the side and threw a smoke bomb at the mutant’s face before firing his grappling hook to scale back up the building. A tactic he had used on Omega with these brutes. But the mutated Councilor quickly recovered from the smoke bomb and leapt up after him with incredible strength and speed, smacking into Batman in mid-air. The two of them landed to the ground and the councilor chucked Batman into the side of the building…

…Garrus had arrived on the scene and taken command of C-Sec’s forces in the area. He had organized them enough to begin getting civilians out of the area. Harkin walked up to him. “Lieutenant, we have a visual on the Batman. He and that thing are duking it out on the streets.”

“If Batman wants to keep that thing busy, I won’t stop him.” Garrus said forcefully. “Get the civilians out and establish a perimeter. Now!”

Harkin sighed and went to carry out his orders while Garrus discreetly activated that private channel that Batman had somehow set up between them. “Batman, what’s happening?”

“The Salarians must’ve refined the Titan Compound.” Batman answered quickly while he scrambled away from the brute. “He’s much quicker than the ones I dealt with on Omega. I need to get him into a confined space to limit his mobility.”

Garrus ran through the layout of the neighborhood in his head. “Sirta Foundation’s Citadel HQ is a few blocks away. It’s closed down for renovations. No civilians.”

Batman knew the building Garrus was referring to. He dodged another charge from the mutated Councilor and went for the rooftops again. This time he activated a pair of booster jets in his boots to give him more of a jump before launching his grappling hook and pulling himself up. He ran across the rooftops and caught sight of the Sirta Foundation logo.

The Councilor was hot on his tail as he jumped from the roof. His cape stiffened into wings to allow him to try to glide his way towards an open window. But this only gave the Brute time to leap from the roof himself, crashing into Batman in midair once again. They both went crashing through one of the windows of the building.

Batman landed on his back with the mutant on top of him. Without missing a beat, Batman got his feet up against the gut of the monster as it frantically threw blows down and promptly reactivated the boosters, sending the brute across the room. Batman readjusted himself into a crouch position when movement in the corner of his eye caused to prepare a batarang. He stopped though when he saw one of the Citadel Keepers casually working on the renovations of the building while the company workers were off shift.

Batman then returned his attention to the Brute that was charging at him with a hard right hook that Batman easily dodged before leaving the room. The brute chased after him, tearing through the walls around the door it was too big for. Leaving a trail of debris that the Keeper promptly began to clean up in it's wake.

C-Sec surrounded the Sirta Foundation building while the battle inside raged. The sound of several walls and levels collapsing echoed out to the street while smoke and dust emerged from the windows.

“Everybody stay back.” Garrus ordered the men. “We don’t know how long the building will hold up. But be ready in case they come out.”

The various officers took up position, guns trained. Garrus was confident the Batman wouldn’t come running out into the line of fire but it was probably best to make sure he doesn’t. He quietly spoke into his comm. “We’re right outside. The men will fire on anything coming out of that building.”

Batman didn’t immediately respond so Garrus kept going. “Anything we can do to assist?”

Inside the building, Batman bobbed and weaved to avoid the wild swings and charges of the mutated Councilor. “The Titan Compound cuts off his pain receptors but the rest of his senses should be unaffected.”

Garrus switched comm to speak to all the C-Sec officers. “Flashbangs! Let’s try to calm them down a bit.”

All the C-Sec officers switched to grenade launchers and began firing flashbang grenades through the windows. Batman got some distance from the brute before covering up with his cape. The flashbangs went off all throughout the building. Including one that landed right by the Councilor, disorienting him. That gave Batman the perfect opportunity.

The Dark Knight emerged from beneath his cape and delivered a couple hard hooks to the brute’s jaw before moving back and taking position between two support columns. The Councilor shook off the punches and flashbangs and made another charging haymaker. Batman ducked and rolled past him, placing a charge on the ground while he did so.

The brute stopped between the two support columns as Batman turned and threw two Batarangs. They didn’t hit the brute. Batman wasn’t aiming at him. Instead, they cut into the support columns and began to glow just as the charge that was now at the Councilor’s beeped. Before the creature could even register the sound, all three devices exploded.

The Councilor fell through the floor while the support columns gave way, triggering a chain reaction that brought several floors down on top of him. Batman ran as nearly a third of the Building collapsed.

“What the hell!?” Harkin yelled while he and other C-Sec officers stepped back instinctively at the sight and sound of the building’s collapse. There was a sudden sense of stillness in the building. “Is it over?”

“Stay here.” Garrus ordered. “I’ll check it out.”

“Alone, you sure about that?”

“I’ll let you know if the scene is clear.” Garrus insisted before walking into the building. He moved slowly through the haze of dust with his assault rifle trained and ready. He came upon a large mound of rubble.

The large arm of the brute sprang out of the pile and the creature pulled itself out from the rubble. Garrus shook off the shock and quickly fired a concussive shot right into the monster’s head, followed by an entire thermal clip of rounds right into its chest…It barely seemed to phase it.

Garrus ejected the clip as the brute prepared to lunge at him... then it suddenly stopped. Its breathing became erratic as its arm tensed up. Then it just fell forward. Dead.

“Cardiac Arrest.” A whispery voice said to Garrus’ left.

Garrus turned and saw Batman standing stoically in the cloud of dust at the other end of the room. He lowered his rifle. “I heard the descriptions over the comm. But seeing it…hell.”

“Freeze!”

Garrus looked back at the entrance of the building to see Harkin pointing his pistol at Batman. He must’ve run in when he heard Garrus fire his rifle. “Stand down, Sargent.”

“We have orders to arrest him.”

“I know what the Executor said!” Garrus barked. “But right now I’m saying STAND DOWN!”

Harkin seemed to think it over for a long second before lowering his pistol. But he kept his eyes on the Batman. “This shit follow you around? I assume the clowns will be showing up tomorrow!”

“Sargent!” Garrus yelled. “Go keep the troops organized. We need a full accounting of casualties. Now!”

“Your ass, Lieutenant.” Harkin grumbled as he left the building.

“I’m sure that’ll be biting me in it soon enough.” Garrus cursed to himself. “Two-Faced little shit.”

Garrus then returned his attention to Batman who just stood there silently. Probably out of respect for Garrus' authority over Harkin. “I’ll put out feelers across the neighborhood. It’s hard to believe Bane and his blood pack could just get to the Councilor’s home without anyone noticing.”

“Don’t let his love of monsters fool you, Garrus.” Batman cautioned. “He has kept himself underground, operating in the shadows while everyone thought he was dead. He’s clearly more subtle than the average Krogan. I doubt we’ll be able to track his movements.”

“So what do we do?”

“We need to get ahead of him.” Batman explained. “Figure out what exactly he’s planning and why?”

“Simple revenge isn’t good enough for you?”

It took a moment for Batman to answer that question. That was certainly the simpliest explanation. An ancient Warlord returning from the dead to bring back the terror of the Krogan Rebellions and avenge the sterilization of his people by tormenting the biology of the Council races. But from what Garrus had told him about Bane, Batman was forced to ask what the endgame was.

“Maybe.” Batman finally answered. “But whatever he’s planning, we need to be prepared for more Titan creatures.”

“Yeah.” Garrus agreed. “I’ll cancel the order to destroy the vial of Titan we have in evidence. Get the labs to analyze it. Maybe produce a cure.”

“Or the vial of Titan can be destroyed before you’re able to do that…as a matter of official record.”

Garrus immediately recognized what Batman was suggesting. “No! No, I’m not doing that.”

“You’re playing catch up here, Garrus.” Batman explained. “It could take C-Sec months to develop a cure. My people can get it done faster.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard about ‘your’ people.” Garrus stated coldly.

“Not all of them.” Batman corrected. “There’s no telling how many doses of Titan Bane still has at his disposal. We need to develop a cure quickly and I have the resources to do it. I know it’s a bold request and that you're probably concerned about political blowback if-”

“Actually, the only thing I’m thinking about is my father.” Garrus answered a little too honestly. His father was a C-Sec man through and through. He respected and honored protocols. The chain of command. He’d never consider stealing evidence and giving it to a vigilante. Hell, the only exception Garrus’ father would ever make to ‘proper procedure’ is shooting the Batman on sight rather than arresting him.

It would’ve been a matter of principle, Garrus’ father had no respect for anyone taking the law into their own hands. He wouldn’t trust the Batman, he certainly wouldn’t help him. But…this was a desperate situation. And, regardless of what anyone would say about the Batman on principle, it was clear he was here to help.

With a sigh, Garrus came to his decision. “I’ll take care of it.”

Batman raised his arm and activated his omni-tool. “I’m sending the location of a drop-box I keep here on the Citadel. Leave the Titan Compound there and my people will get the cure ready.”

Garrus looked at his Omni-tool. “How long do you think it’ll take to devel-”

He looked up and saw that the Batman was gone. Garrus lowered his arm and turned to leave the building. “Didn’t feel like doing that when Harkin walked in?”

Speaking of which, Harkin was right there waiting for Garrus when he stepped back out onto the street. He had a smug smirk on his face while he leaned against one of the C-Sec cars. “Med units are deployed. Haven't found any dead yet, but a few civilians and officers are critical. They’re being rushed to Huerta.”

“Good.” Garrus nodded, attempting to walk off without further dialogue. Though Harkin wasn’t having that.

“How was your chat?” The Sargent asked. “The two of you make a date or something?”

“I don’t want to hear it, Harkin.” Garrus fired back. “We have bigger problems right now than one vigilante.”

“Going off board, Lieutenant?” Harkin smirked. “Reckless, even for you. I can’t imagine the Executor will be pleased.”

Garrus didn’t respond to that. There was a tense silence before Harkin reached into his pocket and pulled out his double headed coin. “Tell you what, I’ll flip for it.”

Harkin flipped the coin. Naturally, it was heads. “It’s your lucky day, Lieutenant. I’m going to be keeping my mouth shut about it.”

“I appreciate that.” Garrus stated plainly. Confident that this wasn’t the end of the issue.

----------------------

The Citadel was in something of a state of shock following the murder of the Turian Councilor. The other two Councilors had been evacuated to the Destiny Ascension, C-Sec was on high alert, and a curfew was in effect across the wards. It struck Saren as a pitifully weak, albeit predictable response.

An unprecedented attack at the very heart of Council Space and the need to maintain ‘normalcy’ was taking precedence over everything else. It was the perfect example of what was wrong in the galaxy. Why everything he was doing was necessary…it was necessary. Saren was sure of it.

He knew some would call him a traitor. A madman. That’s how people are. They are driven by emotion instead of logic. That’s why they uplifted the Krogan in a reckless bid to save the galaxy. That’s why they came to the aid of humanity when they were clearly a dangerous species. All these decisions have created a never ending cycle of war and chaos that seems to grow with each passing generation.

A cleansing needed to happen. Saren had forced himself to accept that basic fact. Something drastic needed to happen otherwise all organic life would collapse. He didn’t want to believe that. He tried to find other ways, but soon he grew to accept the truth. But maybe he could make it so this would be the last time.

Maybe he could prove that organics could learn, accept their failures, and evolve into something better. Maybe then some can be spared. Yes, that made perfect sense. He will prove it to them. And then, thanks to his efforts, not everyone will die. But not everyone would see it that way. In fact, many would fight against it. It was their nature.

And with C-Sec now on alert, Saren knew a distraction was necessary. He typed into his omni-tool and made the call.

“Agent Saren.” A Salarian voice answered. “What can I do for you?”

“Dr. Crane.” The Spectre replied coolly. “I trust everything with those aids of yours were dealt with.”

“Yes. And I am confident that there will be no further ‘off the board’ activities. I thank you for your assistance with C-Sec.”

“Of Course.” Saren said before getting to the point. “But I would like to discuss something else. This attack on the Citadel.”

“A terrible tragedy.” Crane said coldly. “But it could provide us with an opportunity.”

Dr. Crane was famous publicly for his brilliance but, in private, he was renowned for his ruthlessness. Perhaps infamous. It was something that would occasionally get him into hot water within STG, some of whom would think he would take his experiments a bit too far. But Saren had no such qualms.

“You have stated that your fear toxin needed…a wider range of test subjects.”

“Indeed.” Crane confirmed. “Greater number of subjects and species. Need to see how it performs in public spaces. But Council ethics protocols have proven to be…a hindrance.”

“The Council can be short sighted.” Saren stated. “And the people can sometimes not appreciate the need for security. Sometimes they need to be reminded of what they need to be protected from.”

“You are a true patriot and, of course, we now have plausible deniability. Everyone will believe those responsible for the murder of the Councilor will also be responsible for our actions.”

“I will make sure that they do.” Saren assured him. “Get to it.”

Saren deactivated the comm before hearing a modulated voice speaking from behind. “Is all that truly necessary?”

Saren turned and saw Bane standing idly on the other side of the room. Saren didn’t hear the Ancient Warlord come in. His stealth was certainly impressive given his immense size. His feet barely made a sound while he stepped forward and continued his questioning with a subtle, diplomatic posture that was almost Asari. “It would’ve been far more expedient to ask him directly to develop the compound for us. Far less risky as well…He doesn’t know, does he?”

“He doesn’t need to know.” Saren countered.

“Don’t trust that he’ll support the cause? There are…ways around that.”

“I have studied those ways.” Saren explained. “The more control that is exerted, the less capable the subject becomes. And Dr. Crane is far more valuable to us with all of his faculties intact.”

“I suppose I can understand that.” Bane said with a somewhat accusing tone while he stepped up to the Turian’s face. Looking down at him. “Though the same could be said about you.”

Saren knew exactly what Bane was referring to. “My house arrest is only temporary. I’m the Council’s best agent. They’ll rush their review of my conduct and order me to investigate the Turian Councilor’s murder. When that happens, I’ll effectively be in control of C-Sec. Until then, You’ll have to rely on Crane’s distraction.”

“And that I will.” Bane stepped back.

“I hope so.” Saren said. “Because mother will be awake soon. And I don’t think any of us would want to disappoint her.”

Bane nodded and turned to leave but Saren had a question of his own. “Speaking of what’s necessary, is there a reason you decided to come here in person?”

“This is the home of a Council Spectre.” Bane explained. “I imagine it is one of the most secure places in the entire Citadel. Yet, I was able to get in here without you even realizing it. I believed it was important to demonstrate that.”

And, on that note, Bane left while he recited. “True mothers never die.”

“True mothers never die.” Saren repeated.

--------

Bruce was sitting in the Beta-Cave going over the blueprints of the Citadel. His focus was broken by Alfred placing a tray carrying breakfast next to him. “Thanks, Alfred.”

“Of course, sir.” Alfred looked up at the screen. “Any progress?”

“No.” Bruce answered. “It’s incredible how little anyone actually knows about the Citadel. These are the most detailed blueprints from C-Sec’s files and there are still massive gaps. I’d say about a third of the station’s inner infrastructure is unmapped because…there isn’t any need to explore it. The keepers maintain everything and keep certain areas sealed off. And the Council races seem content to leave well enough alone.”

Alfred poured a fresh cup of coffee while Bruce continued. “So if Bane’s tech specialist is good enough to get through the Keepers’ security protocols, which I have to assume he is, then the Blood Pack can effectively go anywhere without detection regardless of increased security measures.”

“That does sound rather frustrating, sir.” Alfred said. “It seems that C-Sec was overconfident in their ability to control who gets on the Citadel.”

“Stands to reason that Bane had help with that.” Bruce typed into the computer and brought up the image and bio of a certain Turian. “Saren Arterius, Council Spectre. He went to great lengths to shut down Garrus’ investigation of Dr. Crane. C-Sec doesn’t have much on him, his files are classified. And attempting to hack into Special Tactics and Recon isn’t a risk I’m willing to take right now.”

Alfred read the bio. “Says here he’s a Turian Nationalist with an ‘antagonistic’ attitude towards aliens…That’s a lovely way of phrasing it but why would he work with a Krogan Warlord?”

“And why would a Turian Spectre assist in the murder of the Turian Councilor?"

“I suppose the big question is whether Agent Arterius is working for Bane or the other way around.” Alfred pointed out. “That is, of course, there isn’t a larger game afoot here.”

Bruce gave him a quick glance in response to that choice of words. “Don’t worry, Watson. I’m sure we’ll get to the bottom of it.”

“I’m sure The Batman will, but Bruce Wayne has some other engagements.”

“The Citadel is under attack-”

“The Citadel isn’t under complete lockdown yet.” Alfred cut in. “You are the Chairman of Wayne Enterprises, maintaining a public profile in the face of terrorism is important. And, frankly, the woman is quite interesting.”

“As nice as Liara is-”

“I wasn’t referring to her.” Alfred handed him a datapad.

Bruce took it and started reading. “Nassana Dantius?”

“You asked me to arrange a meeting, sir.” Alfred explained. “I think you should keep it. Her business connections are quite intriguing.”

“Several deals in the terminus systems.” Bruce scanned through the bio. “Also an investor for Binary Helix which has a contract for Special Tactics and Recon. You think she’s connected with Saren?”

“I believe it is worth investigating.” Alfred then handed him another datapad. “Though I also believe it would be good to keep your date with Dr. T’Soni.”

Bruce looked through Liara’s dossier, a lot of which he already knew, but he certainly understood the point Alfred was making. As supportive as he was, he was never completely comfortable with Bruce being Batman. He never passed up the opportunity to try to push Bruce into spending more time as Bruce Wayne.

“You know.” Bruce said. “Bruce Wayne, the Trillionaire Playboy. That’s just another mask, it isn’t me.”

“Perhaps.” Alfred replied. “But who knows, Sir? If you spend enough time in that mask, maybe you’ll find it fitting better then the other one. And maybe, you’ll feel more comfortable taking both masks off to let someone other than me and Mordin in once and a while.”

There was a beep on the Batcomputer, Bruce pressed a few buttons. “Garrus put the vial of Titan Compound in the Drop box. Get it into a secure package and send it back to Mordin on Omega.”

“I’ll get to it, sir.” Alfred said as he walked off. “I’m sure Professor Solus will have a cure ready in no time.”

Bruce looked down at the two datapads when he suddenly realized that he didn’t ask Alfred to compile dossiers on Liara or Nassana. “Do you run background checks on every woman I-”

“Enjoy your meetings, Master Wayne.” Alfred said plainly as he left the beta-cave.

---------

It was done. Garrus had taken the vial of Titan out of evidence and delivered it to the Batman. A fairly simple task given his position as Head of Major Crimes. The order to destroy the compound had already been entered into the system by the Executor himself. All Garrus had to do was register that the Compound was already destroyed. If anyone asked, Garrus would say he tried to stop the destruction of the compound after what happened to the Councilor and was too late.

None of this calmed his nerves about the decision, however. Garrus couldn’t help but think what would happen if someone looked too close or if everyone within C-Sec’s labs suddenly realized that none of them had actually destroyed the compound. But he would have to cross that bridge if and when he came to it.

Garrus took a deep breath as he entered C-Sec HQ. He could hear the news-vids playing in the background, breaking down their speculations about the horrific murder of the Turian Councilor and the details of the attack. A lot of which seemed to fixate on the Batman. That wasn’t the least bit surprising to Garrus, even the Executor seemed primarily focused on the vigilante.

It was a natural reaction, Garrus knew. Bane and his blood Pack hadn’t made themselves publicly known. To the uninformed, the only connection between the murder of the Councilor and the attacks on Omega from similar monsters was the Batman. The prevailing theory among the journalists and their self-appointed experts was that Batman may be creating these monsters himself in order to stop them as part of some kind of ‘hero-homicide complex.’

Fortunately, Garrus was able to steer the Executor away from that idea and allow him to focus on chasing down the Blood Pack. Though the Executor has maintained that the Batman was to be arrested on sight, still convinced the situation was simply one of Omega’s gang wars spilling over to the Citadel. But that was mere details to Garrus. He would do what was necessary to protect the Citadel, even if it meant helping a masked vigilante. He had always hated injustice and the red tape getting in the way, maybe working with the Batman would allow Garrus to actually get things done for a change.

Garrus’ train of thought was suddenly broken by the sight of Tali walking. She had been discharged?

“Hey.” Garrus said as he walked up to her. Not really sure what he was planning to say or why. If Bane still felt that Tali was someone worth going after he would’ve done it by now. If Bane could get in and out of the home of one of the Councilors without being detected, he could certainly get into C-Sec Headquarters to kill Tali.

“Oh, hello.” The quarian looked around nervously, probably out of fear that she wasn’t going to be allowed to leave.

“Don’t worry.” Garrus reassured her. “Just wanted to ask…uh, you’ve been given the all clear? Medically, I mean?”

“Yes.” Tali answered with a nod. Quarians were always particularly expressive in their movements on account of their enviro-suits. Which, ironically, made it harder for her to conceal how uncomfortable she was.

“You have somewhere to go?” Garrus asked. “I know you’re new to the Citadel.”

“I should be fine. I can figure things out.”

“If you need help, go back to Dr. Michel’s clinic.” Garrus explained. “She does work the various shelters in the wards. She can help you find a bed.”

“I’ll do that.” Tali nodded. “Thanks for everything. If you see Batman, tell him I’m grateful.”

“Sure.”

Tali turned to leave when Garrus suddenly blurted. “And hey…I, uh, know a few turian places with food that you can actually eat.”

Garrus paused, what was he doing? Well, it was too late to stop now. “Might be better than the protein pastes you’ll find at the shelter.”

“I’m not sure I can afford that.”

“I can buy.” Garrus said. “Consider it a parting gift from C-Sec.”

Tali was hesitant. “Sure, it would be nice to have some real food.”

The two said their goodbyes and went about their business. It was definitely best for Garrus to keep Tali close, just in case. He would hate for her to be left vulnerable to Bane and his Blood Pack. After all, just because C-Sec wanted to close the book on the incident with Fist doesn’t mean she’s completely out of danger. It was all for the job, it’s not a date. She certainly wouldn’t think of it as a date….no, definitely not a date.

------

It’s not a date.

Liara was working on some of her notes on the Protheans, going over potential dig sites. That was all her dinner with Wayne was about. She was certainly eager to get a nice source of funding, there were plenty of sites that she hadn’t been able to explore before. It was always so hard to get people to take her research seriously due to her age.

But it wasn’t a date. Bruce Wayne was certainly a very charming human. But it certainly wasn’t a date. No matter how much some might want it to be a date. Speaking of which, the door to the apartment opened. Her mother had returned from her meeting with the Citadel Council aboard the Ascension. Offering advice on the recent terrorist attack.

Such a meeting was expected for an Asari Matriarch, especially when it came to issues of Galactic Security. The Asari Republics were the oldest spacefaring society in the current order of races, they had been the guiding force in establishing the Council and were largely seen as the race of diplomats as compared to the soldiers of the Turian Hierarchy and the spies of the Salarian Union.

Liara personally found that to be a rather narrow minded way of looking at things though perhaps she was a bit biased. Being Benezia’s daughter, there was a general expectation that Liara should follow in her footsteps, even while she was still in her Maiden years, as opposed to running around the galaxy in clubs or merc bands. But Liara wasn’t interested in doing either.

Liara didn’t see herself as a leader or someone who threw herself in the action, she certainly didn’t see herself as a dancer. The only ambition Liara ever had was spending her days in remote dig sites, studying the Protheans. Only taking as much staff as she needed to catalog her findings and protect the scene from scavengers and pirates. But even then she mostly preferred to be left alone. She was never comfortable mingling with people, her own mother least of all.

“Hello, Mother.” Liara said in greeting, barely looking up from her work.

“Hello, little wing.” Benezia replied much to the Liara’s annoyance.

“Could you not call me that?”

“Why not?” Benezia asked.

“Because I’m not a little girl anymore.” Liara answered.

“I know.” Benezia smiled and glanced at Liara’s notes. “Preparing for your dinner with Mr. Wayne.”

“I’m preparing for my meeting with Mr. Wayne.” Liara corrected with an eye roll. “I’ve put together a list of ruins on planets that reside on Class M planets within the human green-zone.”

“That’s smart.” Benezia nodded. “Wayne will have an easier time securing funding for the dig if he can couple it with his company’s Colonial investments.”

“I don’t want him to think I’m asking for handouts.” Liara pointed out. “I would prefer to present the dig as a mutual exchange.”

“Indeed.” Benezia picked up on the datapads and examined some of the planets she had selected. Mostly for show Liars figured. “Should be an easy sell with a good source of workers and scientists for the dig. The humans are obsessed with the protheans.”

“They haven’t gotten bored with them yet.” Liara said with a hint of sarcasm. “Not like the rest of the galaxy.”

Benezia put the datapad down. “Humans have been thrown into a galaxy they know nothing about. It’s natural for them to try to focus so much on its past.”

“Studying the past is important.” Liara said, trying to stay focused on her work.

“Only has a means of understanding the future, Liara.” Benezia hesitated for a moment. “And not at the expense of the present…And I hope you do more than discuss the Protheans when your with Mr. Wayne.”

“Is there anything else I would want to talk to him about?” Liara asked, knowing full well what the answer was going to be.

“He’s a very interesting Human.” Benezia said.

Liara shook her head. As much as she wanted to believe that Benezia dragging her to that crowded fundraiser was purely about supporting her interest in studying the protheans, Liara knew better. “And a very important one. The rich and famous prince of humanity.”

“Liara.” Benezia sighed. “There is more to life than digging around ruins.”

“The Ruins are more interesting.” Liara said. “The Past is so mysterious, not like the present. I look around the universe of today and all I see is suffering. And the impossible burden of trying to solve it all when the ruins teach us that none of our petty conflicts will actually matter a millennia from now.”

“The Past isn’t as comforting as it appears.” Benezia explained. “It just seems romantic because there are enough gaps for us to fill in ourselves.”

“Maybe I prefer romanticism.” Liara said while she stood up from the table.

“I don’t have a problem with that.” Benezia looked at her daughter. “I just wish you could find some of that here and now.”

Liara could see that her mother was trying to help. She wanted to believe that’s what she wanted. That she wasn’t pushing her towards Wayne simply for the political benefits. She really wanted to believe that. She just nodded. “I need to start getting ready.”

“Of course.” Benezia smiled as Liara left the room.

----------

Bruce walked into one of the many office buildings in the financial district at the edge of the Presidium. He told the receptionist that he had an appointment with Nassana, he wasn’t expecting her to come out to greet him but he wasn’t prepared for an Asari Commando to come strolling out.

“Mr. Wayne.” The Commando readied a scanner on her omni-tool. “If you would please.”

“Of course.” Bruce stretched his arms while the Commando performed the scan.

“You’re clean. Thank you for your patience.”

“I guess I can’t blame you. Everyone’s probably on edge right now.”

“Actually, this is standard procedure.” The Commando explained. “Ms. Dantius does a lot of business on Illium, right on the border of the Terminus Systems. This requires extra security.”

‘We’re not on Illium.”

“Complacency is dangerous, Mr. Wayne.” She said as she led Bruce to the elevator.

“It certainly can be.” Bruce said, briefly allowing his playboy charm to recede for a second.

The two of them went up in the elevator. Given the little lecture she gave about security, it wasn’t at all surprising that the Commando decided to escort Bruce up. She was clearly very protective of Nassana, much more than just another bodyguard. Bruce could respect that, though now he was even more curious about what kind of Business dealings Nassana had involved herself in.

The elevator door opened, leading to a small hallway that led to Nassana’s office, and, upon entering, Bruce was immediately greeted by a surprisingly large office complete with several ancient artifacts for decoration and a nice view of the Financial District. Nassana clearly undersold her success and influence to Bruce when they first met.

“Mr. Wayne.” Nassana stood up from her desk. “Glad you could make it.”

“Well, they haven’t completely locked down the Citadel yet.”

Nassana shook hands with Bruce. “These are difficult times. Makes it all the more important for people like us to do what we do.”

Nassana looked to the Commando. “Thank you, Lady Shiva. You may leave us.”

Shiva gave a light bow and left the room.

“And what exactly do you do?” Bruce said, taking another look around the office. It was probably best for him to be impressed. “You do seem to have done very well for yourself.”

“Many of my investments have paid off.” Nassana said with a mixture of pride and humility. “But I can’t take all the credit. Like you, I inherited most of what I have. Which is precisely why we are often judged not by our success, but our actions.”

Nassana then motioned to a pair of couches, she took a seat in one while Bruce placed himself in the other as he asked. “And what kind of actions would that be exactly?”

“Making sure that the galaxy is in a better state than it was when we came in.” Nassana answered. “You know better than most how bad things can be out there even if some would prefer to turn a blind eye.”

She was speaking broadly. Even without the info Alred gave him, Bruce would probably be able to sense there was something she was dancing around here. He had heard speeches like this before and they often went down the same road. The galaxy is a dark place, the establishment is getting in the way of progress…the end goal of making things ‘better’ should justify the means. Bruce had learned the hard way what happens when one falls for such rhetoric though it was probably best to simply follow her lead for the time being.

“The galaxy is a rough place.” Bruce agreed. “I still remember my parents being murdered like it was yesterday. I would like nothing more than to ensure nobody else suffers something like that.”

“An impossible task.” Nassan stated bluntly. “But what happened to your parents was just a symptom of a larger problem. The galaxy is full of greed and corruption. No disrespect to your species but the Council could’ve done a better job of finding a diplomatic solution as opposed to just alienating the Batarians in favor of humanity. Setting off the proxy-war that caused your parents death. It’s just one of many disasters that has befallen the galaxy under the Council’s watch. Their quest for further expansion and power caused the Rachni Rebellions, they’re shortsightedness led to the Krogan Rebellions, and they’re arrogant faith in the Protheans allowed the destruction of the Krypton Mass Relay .”

“And now the Rachni and Kryptonians are all dead.” Bruce said, playing along with her. “And the Krogan are well on their way to joining them.”

“And all in the name of expanding their own power and influence.” Nassana agreed.

The rest of the conversation mostly followed around those lines. Nassana is trying to gauge Bruce’s political attitudes towards the Council. Which was a curious thing to do less than a day after a member of the Council was murdered. Bruce wondered where she was trying to lead him but she clearly wasn’t going to get there in this first meeting. He played along, giving the impression he wasn't a fan of the dreaded establishment. Eventually a beep came from her comm, leading her to end the conversation.

“Forgive me, but this is an important call.”

They both stood up and shook hands as Bruce smiled. “I won’t keep you, so many meetings so little time.”

“You have no idea how true that is.” Nassana said under her breath before giving Bruce a more formal goodbye. “Thanks for meeting with me, Mr. Wayne. Lady Shiva will be right up in the elevator to escort you out.”

Bruce nodded and left the office. Nassana walked over to her deskand answered the comm. “Sorry, I was in a meeting…Yes, with him…I think he might be open to it…I’ll keep you informed on that…true mothers never die.”

Bruce stood right outside the office door. Casually leaning against the wall with his omni-tool picking Nassana’s words. So, he was right? She was trying to recruit him, likely on behalf of Saren. But why? And what was that about ‘mothers?’ Some kind of code? Bruce didn’t know but he didn’t have time to think about it at the moments.

He stepped away from the office door when he heard the beep of the elevator. Lady Shiva proceeded to escort him out of the building. From there he returned to the Wayne estate.

“Master Wayne.” Alfred greeted him. But before Bruce could respond, he added. “We have a guest.”

Bruce looked behind Alfred to see Matriarch Benezia stepping out of the living room area. Bruce looked to his butler. “Thank you, Alfred.”

Alfred gave a nod and left the room. Bruce looked at his guest, getting right back into his trillionaire-playboy mask. “Lady Benezia, this is a surprise. I was just about to get ready to meet your daughter.”

“Yes, I know.”

Bruce gave one of his well rehearsed smiles. “You here to ask about my intentions?”

Benezia smiled back. “I would never imagine doing such a thing.”

“Then what can I do for you?” Bruce chose to stick with playboy-mask. “I’m already late to meet with your daughter, had a meeting that ran a bit long. Ms. Dantius likes to ramble.”

“Nassana Dantius?” Benezia asked. “Looking to expand your business into the Terminus.”

“Illium, actually.” Bruce lied. “Don’t worry, the meaning was strictly business. And I imagine you’re pretty busy right now yourself.”

“Yes.” Benezia agreed. “It is certainly a very dark time. Such sudden terror with the potential of chaos to follow. At times like this the Galaxy demands strong leadership from the Citadel Council and others. It is the duty of a Matriarch to offer counsel during such times…and to seek out counsel.”

“I don’t know how helpful I can be.” Bruce said. “You want to throw a good cocktail party, you call me. A situation like this-”

“You have seen the worst that the galaxy has to offer.” Benezia stated, suddenly seeming hesitant in her words. “What you witnessed. What happened to your parents. Anyone else would’ve given into despair and hate, but you didn’t. You mask your pain well, Mr. Wayne. That is a gift a lot of people don’t appreciate. The ability to wear multiple masks, to be what you need to be at any given moment.”

Bruce fought to maintain his composure. Masks? Does she know? Or was she referring to herself? And for her to show up talking like this immediately after his meeting with Nassana. Was she one of them? No, her attitude about the Council was the polar opposite of Nassana’s. Was she here in response to his meeting with Nassana then? She seemed surprised when he brought her up.

“I have found it is best to be what people in the room need at the moment.”

“A wise policy for a businessman.” Benezia agreed. “But I hope you use it with discretion. You are a very powerful person and the galaxy may be in need of someone like you. I do hope you always find yourself on the right side.”

This was definitely about the meeting with Nassana. Benezia wanted to know if Bruce had been swayed by her. Bruce had definitely found himself in the middle of something a lot bigger than the vengeance of a Krogan Warlord. But while it was pretty clear that Benezia wasn’t involved with Bane, he didn’t know enough to give the Matriarch more than a vague reassurance. An honest one. “I’m on the side of justice. For my parents and everyone who could ever suffer the way they did.”

That answer didn't seemed to satisfy Benezia. She just smiled. “Enjoy your time with my daughter, Mr. Wayne. I trust you’ll be what she needs you to be…when she needs it.”

The Matriarch nodded and proceeded to leave. Once she was gone, Alfred returned to the room. “Shall I summon a car to take you to the restaurant now, sir.”

Bruce stood there a moment, there was something in the way Benzia said that. Something in her tone. Something foreboding. Help!!!! She came here to ask for help. And then Bruce mentioned Nassana and, after that, Benezia wasn’t sure she could trust him...and he didn’t say enough to convince her she could. “No, prepare a quick diagnostic on the Batmobile. I’ll get the suit ready.”

“Master Bruce?”

Bruce walked past his butler, towards the entrance of the beta-cave. “High ranking dignitaries have their addresses bookmarked by C-Sec in the event of emergencies. Once the Batmobile is ready, search their files for where Lady Benezia is staying. Something is about to happen, Alfred. Liara can wait for Bruce Wayne. Right now, Benezia needs the Batman.”

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long delay. 2022 wasn't a good year for me. But I'm back and I ready to finish this book. The Good news is this chapter ended up being so long, I decided to split it into two. The next chapter is already set and should be up friday. Give this a kudos, leave a comment, and stayed tune.

And if you want to talk Batman, Mass Effect, or just yell at me about when future chapters will be ready. Join my Discord.

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