Psychopath

"Something I can help you with skin job? You look a bit more pissed off than usual."

Leaning against the CIC's wall while toying with all the possible ways of killing its staff, Subject Zero wondered what the greater irony in that sentence was. Was it from the fact that the krogan named Grunt had no hair to speak of and was therefore setting double standards for making remarks at her lack of it? Was it because she was more pissed off than usual? Or, was the greatest irony that she was reflecting on irony in the first place instead of using her mind for the things it was meant for.

Ah, fuck it. Analyzation is for hippies.

"What do you want, you overgrown toad?" the biotic asked, sensing the mercenary's presence through means beyond the conventional five. "I thought you'd be busy trading blows with Archangel."

"Taylor put a stop to that," grunted the krogan, his apparent disdain for the ex-marine bordering on that for turians. Apparently it was a disdain that extended to other humans as well, the berserker looking out over the CIC as if analysing the best course of attack.

"So, what's bothering you?" Grunt asked eventually, breaking the hum of computers, chatter between staff and the usual bickering between the pilot and EDI. "Worried that your race is about to go the same way as mine? Afraid that you don't have the strength of a true warrior to fight them?"

"I'm not fighting for humans," Zero murmured, her thoughts of killing now purely centred on the renegade beside her. "That's Shepard's job."

Grunt nodded in understanding. "That, I can agree with. He has to save his species and gets to bring aliens along for the ride." He let out a deep chuckle, his voice like a vehicle that belonged on Earth's streets centuries ago. "Worked out well for me so far."

"What?" Zero asked, spinning around to face the krogan with more speed than she'd usually apply in such circumstances. "What the hell are you on about?"

"Shepard wants me to fight, I fight, not to mention racking up kills," said Grunt simply, expressing his life's philosophy in thirteen words (or seven if you scaled it down). "What's the problem with that?"

Zero bit her lip-not hard enough to draw blood (she'd had enough of that when she'd joined the Cult of Shades), but still enough to register some pain. For the first time in awhile, she was conflicted. Part of her wanted to storm off right now and pick a fight with the drell assassin. Part of her wanted to stay and argue with Grunt. Part of her wanted to let out a biotic attack and kill everyone in the room. In the end, much to her surprise, the second option won out.

"I don't get it," the ex-convict murmured. "Shepard's calm, deliberate, patient. It pisses me off and I would have thought it would have got to you also."

"He's patient outside of battle and like demon within it," stated Grunt, demonstrating grammar that Zero thought was outside his species' linguistic abilities. "He knows what he wants and he'll play both sides of the coin to get it. And as long as I get to be on the bad side of that coin, I'm happy to stay on this rust bucket."

It was a bit much to call the Normandy a rust bucket, especially when one considered the likes of Omega, let alone Purgatory. Still, Zero was in no mood to comment.

"Question is, do you know what you want?" Grunt continued.

Zero blinked. What the hell was this krogan on about? She didn't know and given the cautious look from Chambers as she passed by, the administrator didn't know either. Unfortunately, while snapping the bitch's neck was well within her abilities, taking on the krogan was another matter entirely. And right now, as much as she hated to admit it, talking was the only method she could use right now, apart from retreating. And that was never an option.

"What are you trying to say Grunt?" murmured Zero, trying to keep her temper under control.

Grunt laughed. "What I'm saying, is that you don't know what you want. You claim to take what you want, but right now, I don't see that happening."

"What are you-..."

"You like Shepard," the krogan stated, sounding like a civilized being for once. "You fight for him, you're willing to die for him and I bet deep down you want to screw him as well. And that, more than anything, pisses you off, doesn't it?"

Zero didn't answer. Not immediately at least.

"Well?" asked Grunt. "What have you got to say, you little-..."

Zero snapped.

Despite the krogan being stronger and heavier than her, the former cultist still had biotic abilities at her disposal. So when she slammed the krogan against the room's wall, the crash reverberating throughout all of CIC, she had the power to keep him in place.

"Listen up you overgrown tadpole," the assassin hissed, baring her teeth like an aggravated varen. "I'm not fighting for Shepard. I'm not fighting for anyone. I'm fighting because that's what I was made for."

For awhile, Grunt didn't speak. Nor did anyone else in the room for that matter, all eyes fixed on the two members of Shepard's squad and perhaps the least welcome members of it bar Legion. Then again, since geth didn't really have emotions to control them, maybe the AI was more welcome.

Whatever. Zero didn't give a damn what they thought. Releasing her grip on Grunt and storming out, she didn't care what the krogan thought either. Bloody hell, she didn't give a flying fuck what any of the crew thought.

Yeah... she thought to herself, striding by a bemused Samara. That's why Shepard wanted me on his team.

Zero stopped short. What? What did I just think? Did I...did I...

The assassin shook her head. It meant nothing. And if she couldn't stop thinking about Commander John Shepard then there was always plan b.

Maybe she could toy with how to kill him.

A/N

Probably apparent, but I'll mention that this was taken from Zero's narrative trailer, similar ideas having been recorded for the other characters who've been given similar treatment. Why I actually gave one of the game's more disturbing characters the treatment of putting paper to keyboard is another matter entirely...