"Wake up."

The child swam through her mind as Shepard limped slowly down the length of path leading to her three choices.

"I am the Catalyst."

She could feel dark tendrils of oozing energy warping her thought process.

"I know you've thought about destroying us."

"Us"? Why would he say "us"? Shepard gazed towards the crimson altar symbolizing the Reaper's destruction, not taking a step.

"Or, do you think you can control us?"

"Us" again. Why would the Catalyst group himself with the Reapers? The haze pushed into her vision more fervently this time as she looked towards the brilliant azure electricity used to control the cold, elegant monsters.

"There is another solution…synthesis."

Shepard's mind was a blur as she stared down the virescent pillar of pulsing energy. It called her towards it, urging her to fuse the races. Her head hurt as thoughts that weren't her own shoved their way through her psyche. Three choices. All vastly different.

One to destroy all synthetic life.

Us.

One to control it.

US.

And one to fuse all life into one semi-organic prototype.

HE SAID "US"!

The haze fractured as the thought solidified. Shepard spun back on the small, translucent form, realization plain on her face. He wasn't "The Catalyst", he was nothing more than a Reaper's illusion squatting on her mind. Attempting to indoctrinate her and ally her with the Reapers in their sick "solution". NO! Her voice echoed in her head. The sound resonating and chasing away the remaining swirls of darkness. She took a step towards her crimson salvation, moving slowly due to the sting of her injuries. As she neared the mass of wires, she raised her pistol and fired. Round after round penetrated the tubing, her resolve growing with each shot. The altar burst into flames and set off a chain reaction. The blasts lit her grim, determined face as she continued to pump bullets into the metal. She grinned as her surroundings flashed white and her last thoughts were of those she loved.

Garrus. Her Archangel. Her rock. Her best friend.

She felt the skin of her arms melting away as she was swept into the detonation.

Tali. Her Admiral. Her brilliant tech geek. Her sister.

Every nerve ending fired white hot pain and she fell deeper into her memory.

Thane. Her assassin. Her angel of life and death. Her life's love, too soon stolen.

The pain had stopped, the nerves burnt beyond usefulness.

Thane….

Soft black took over her vision.