Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect.

I'd like to thank 3 fan fiction writers for significant inspiration: iNf3ctioNZ, bale626, and Herr Wozzeck

Prologue

I was running. Running as quickly as my body would allow, because I knew the psychos behind were out to kill me. Most of the gang had fallen far behind, and as I'm in much better shape than most people, this number was steadily growing. The corresponding drop in pursuers had given me some hope for possibly getting to safety.

But just as I had thought that, some idiot darted in front of me. I collided with the guy, loosing my balance and momentum. More importantly, colliding with the random stranger made me lose the lead. The closest thug behind me managed to catch up, and I found myself at gunpoint.

"This ... this is what happens when you fuck with us, punk" The man gasped, more than a little out of breath.

And then I saw a flash from the gun, and then two more. For a moment, I wondered if he had missed me, because I hadn't felt anything. Then I heard screaming around me, and noticed that it was getting harder to breath. It was only then that I started to feel the pain, originating from 3 points in my chest.

I looked down. Blood. My blood. And quite a bit of it too.

The pain didn't really bother me as much as how hard it was getting to breath; and how it was getting dark around the edges of my vision. I looked back up at the man who had shot me, and with a bit of detachment, noted that the man's pistol was now aimed at my head. I watched as my life flashed before my eyes, watched as the gun flashed for a fourth time, and watched as I died there on the street.