Chapter 5: Message In A Bottle

October 23th, 2185

Starboard Observation, SR-2 Normandy

"What a sight." Steve couldn't stop staring in awe at the massive construct rapidly approaching out of the Starboard Observation deck's window. It's still hard to believe any of this is even real.

The last time the Normandy had docked at the immense station to drop off the small group of Cerberus 'test subjects' he had saved, Steve hadn't been worried about sight seeing. He had had other problems to occupy his time, mainly seeing to their well being and, more importantly, keeping Jenka from pawing all over him. He was just thankful that Tali had stepped in to distract the young quarian girl before she could show him what a 'nerve stim' was. He had a feeling that would have been… awkward.

Now though, he was able to gawk at the massive station as they neared the Citadel's docks. "How does something that big not just tear itself apart?" It was impossible for him to tear his blue gaze away as the Normandy raced towards the gigantic, multi-armed space station. "It's like something out of a comic book..."

"Artificial gravity, generated by giant eezo cores within the structure. And because the Citadel is in a slow, continuous spin, it also aids in keeping it together." Tali explained absentmindedly before tapping Rogers on his forehead and nodding to his active omni-tool. "What's a comic book? Nevermind. Now pay attention will you? I do have the rest of the ship to take care of." She teased, even if it was partially true.

"Sorry. You know, I was pretty handy with a wrench back in the day-"

"No, no, let's just focus on your lesson." Tali hastily blurted out as she held up her arms. No way am I letting the ancient ice man wreck the drive core. He has trouble opening a door!

"Better pay attention Rogers, or Tutor'Zorah might just zap you again. Oh, and for the record, size isn't everything." Joker 'helpfully' informed the two from the relative safety of the cockpit. The withering glare he just knew was on Tali's face didn't have quite the same effect through a security monitor. He chuckled before continuing his usual sarcastic banter. "Keep glaring Tali, but you know I'm right. Go pout, I win."

With a wave of her glowing arm, the camera instantly deactivated, though the stunned pilot didn't need to know that Tali had gotten EDI to agree to disable the security system on command just to see Jeff's reaction. "That ought to shut that annoying bosh'tet up for a while."

Steve was rather impressed as the LED light on the nearby camera blinked off the moment Tali's hand waved in the camera's general direction. "So. Are we alone now or what? Always being watched is a little creepy for my taste. We didn't even have 'security cameras' in my day." He mentally winced when he realized how old he was making himself sound.

"I feel I must inform you that my other non visual sensors located in this room are currently active. My primary programing doesn't allow me to deactivate them, so I can continuously monitor the vital signs of the crew or detect any other form of distress. I apologize for any discomfort this might cause you Captain Rogers, but it is for the continued well being of everyone onboard."

"Guess I can't complain about it then." Steve shrugged, even if it still weirded him out a little bit that he was being watched at all hours of the day. That, and now that he thought about it, EDI most likely wanted to be sure everyone was alright. Hence her constant, almost motherly, observation of the entire ship. Even if she was a part of the Normandy itself, Steve couldn't help but see her as a person to some extent, just doing her duty for those under her care. The fact he didn't have the ingrained fear of artificial intelligence, like most of the people of this century seemed to, also helped. For the most part anyway. Several of the crew still gave him odd looks for calmly answering EDI when she randomly spoke up instead of looking mildly startled as was the norm.

Like the odd glance he was fairly sure was on Tali's face at that moment when he directed his gaze back to her tinted visor. "For a man out of his time, you've taken to EDI and Legion a lot quicker than anyone else."

Steve could only shrug in response. "It probably helps I don't see them as mere tools or machines to be used and discarded once their purpose is served. When I was a kid you could only read about incredible stuff like this in novels and comic books." Steve gestured to the room at large with his hands. "If someone had told me I'd be living it though, I'd have asked if they needed help getting back to the nearest asylum."

"I've noticed that humans can be a little close minded, but that's hardly a rare trait in this galaxy. On the other hand, if I told my father I've been training a human who was frozen alive in ice over two centuries ago, he'd probably override my suit and inject me with antipsychotics before I could finish."

"Seems like we have something in common then Tali." Steve chuckled as a small smile pulled at his lips before he turned to his omni-tool again. The strange, apparently electrically powered, device had been giving him all kinds of trouble, but thanks to Tali's less than subtle teaching methods, which usually entailed being zapped anytime he made a mistake, he had been slowly figuring out how to make it do what he wanted. Including, in a bit of irony, how to electrocute a hostile target if need be. Tali had been adamant that he learn at least one tech based attack to supplement his well honed combat skills. A familiar annoying beep that had quickly become the bane of his existence since putting on the device screamed for his attention yet again. Oh great, more beeping, just what I needed. "Speaking of teaching me how to work this thing, how do I stop that beeping sound?"

"Figure it out." Tali deadpanned, leaning back in the comfortable sofa. She knew what it was, a private message alert was about as simple as it got, but she wanted him to figure it out on his own. "Who knows, it might be the self destruct. They usually come with a sixty second timer, just so you know."

"Very funny. If that were the case, you'd have already gotten out of here or turned it off yourself." Steve retorted, pretending to shield the chuckling quarian with his body, unable to help the smirk on his face as he tapped at the holographic display. It took him a few seconds, but Steve's eyes lit up when he realized what it was that was making the omni-tool beep incessantly at him yet again. "Let me guess, big flashing circle?"

"What's the human phrase? Bongo?"

"I actually know that one. It's bingo, but close enough." Opening up his private messages, he raised an eyebrow when he saw he had close to two dozen messages waiting for him. "Huh, didn't think I was that popular already."

"Most of it's junk mail." Tali stated, not needing to actually read the list to know most of it was likely spam. She got her fair share on a regular basis. "You can definitely delete anything that's in capital letters or offering to improve your... um, performance."

"I'll play it safe and go through all of them when I have to the time." Steve told her with a nod as he glanced back at the glowing list.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Tali replied, a little curious to see his reaction when Steve opened up the first advertisement proclaiming he could improve his stamina in the bedroom. She highly doubted he'd need any help in that particular arena, not with the musculature he had under his simple gray gym shirt. Not that she was interested in that sort of thing. At least that's what she insisted on telling herself.

Peering closer at the display, one of the messages towards the top caught his eye. "Wait a minute... oh boy, I think got a message from Jenka... again."

"Awe! That's so sweet, I bet she even..." Tali glanced over the message, scanning it for a familiar bit of code at the bottom. "Yup. She did. It's a admiration mark. Think um... what do human woman do to show their affection in a private message?"

"Ah... you mean like lipstick or perfume?" Steve squeaked out, not liking where this was going one bit. He had gotten quite a bit of fan mail during his hey day, and there had been quite a few letters that had smelled of perfume, among other things. He had even gotten a package with a pair of woman's underwear in it. That particular package had wound up in the nearest trash can before Peggy could lay eyes on it. Getting shot at again would have been the least of his worries if she had.

"Something like that yes." Tali chuckled before putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Jenka's harmless, if a bit lovestruck, but you did save her life Steve, along with everyone else being held hostage on that ship. Personally I'd be surprised if she didn't try to win you over with cute little signs of affection like this." She nodded to the futuristic emoticon attached to the message for emphasis before letting her hand fall from his shoulder. What came out of her mouth next had Steve's cheeks turning bright red. "Should I leave you two alone? I wouldn't want to invade your privacy... more than I already have."

"It's fine, I'll just send her a quick reply... um, how do I do that?" Tali merely crossed her arms and nodded towards the orange display. "Right. Do it myself." Steve muttered, half tempted to duck under the nearest table in embarrassment at what Jenka had sent him in her message. Lovestruck might have been a bit of a mild understatement. What the... oh this can't be good. "Um, what exactly does Pemla'tiyl mean? Because apparently we've 'entered' it. Huh."

It was Tali's turn to blush and stare at Steve's omni-tool as if he had opened up a hanar-asari porn video. The chances of that were zero to none, unless it was completely accidental, but that didn't stop the quarian from looking at Steve's arm as if she expected the omni-tool to jump up and bite her. "Uh…. are you sure you really want to know?"

"Yes? ... Maybe?" He hesitantly replied, his curiosity winning out over his deep seated shyness, which was just a part of his nature.

Tali sighed but nodded, both surprised by his willingness to learn more about quarian customs, and a bit concerned, not to mention mortified, that Jenka was pushing things this far so quickly and leaving it to her to explain the implications to Steve. "It's a phase of... courtship." When Steve's eyebrows shot straight up in worry she immediately thrust out her arms. "Only the first one! It could just lead to a very deep friendship. ...Or more." This last bit Tali blurted out in a barely audible whisper, but it was still more than loud enough for Steve to hear.

"Or more?! What does that mean?!" Tali tilted her head to the side, giving Steve her best 'Really?' in quarian body language. It was enough for him as he slowly turned his attention back to his arm. "Oohhh... Somehow that doesn't surprise me at this point. I always seemed to draw... attention from women back home."

"Should I make you a long stick to beat them off with?" Tali asked as she crossed her arms under her chest.

Steve only rolled his eyes and chuckled sarcastically. "Ha. Ha. Very funny. Yes, I know that one too."

"At least you aren't completely clueless." Tali chuckled good naturedly.

Despite the awkward conversation moments ago, he was able to shoot the quarian a smirk before saying, "I always was at the top of my class." Steve glanced down at his pocket, as if remembering something he had forgotten. "And in my day... you were supposed to bring the teacher an apple. I haven't really been able to find one of those, but I got the requisitions officer to do me favor." Steve dug a sealed ration pouch out and proudly handed it to the now very curious quarian. "They say it tastes like turian apples, I don't know if that's anything like-"

Steve's apples to apples comparison was promptly cut short as Tali wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tight enough for even the super soldier to feel it. "Thank you! This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me since Shepard gave me a copy of that geth data. But since I've never had fruit before, you're tied for first place. And I'm rambling again. Sorry, I do that sometimes." Tali admitted with an embarrassed laugh, prying her traitorous wringing fingers apart yet again.

"You've... never had fruit before?" Steve made a mental note in the back of his mind to set aside enough credits to buy Tali a huge basket worth of fruit ration tubes. He'd have gone for actual fruit, but her suit and her weak immune system stonewalled that idea.

Tali sighed and shook her head in response to his question. "So called fruit flavored protein paste is about the closest I've gotten to actual fruit, but it's not the same thing. The food here on the Normandy's a lot better than most I've ever had before, but I've never had the chance to sink my teeth into an apple, or anything solid really."

"Because of your compromised immune system that requires you to wear the suit." Steve said with a knowing nod. "Doctor Chakwas was nice enough to teach me the basics of using medi-gel and ah... xenobiology first aid. In case anyone got hurt." He was starting to wonder if Karin had had an ulterior motive, such as getting him used to working with people outside his species, but he wasn't about to complain since it had answered a few questions about his crewmates. Besides, other than their obvious physical differences, they were just like him as far as he was concerned.

"Uh huh." Tali said absentmindedly as she nodded, all her focus at the moment on the treasured ration tube in her hands. She couldn't help but feel a pang of homesickness since only another quarian would have done anything half as kind outside of Shepard and her crewmates. That thought led to another, one she didn't like to consider, but it was unavoidable as she hung her head and sighed heavily. To Steve's eyes, it looked like the weight of the galaxy had just fallen on Tali's slender shoulders. "Sometimes, like now for instance, I hate this suit, even if it does allow me to leave the Flotilla and be a part of all this. Things might have been better if we had never created the geth, we might have a homeworld, and not be forced to scavenge for scraps like the 'thieves' we've been labeled as by the galaxy at large."

"I'm sorry Tali." Steve felt like kicking himself for inadvertantly pulling the passionate quarian's thoughts down a dark path. "Your people made one mistake and the rest of the galaxy hates you for it. I don't see how that's fair, or right. I could never understand how someone can be so racist that they feel the need to persecute another person just because of some minor difference between them."

"And I wish there were more people like you and Shepard out there, but the galaxy can be a very harsh place, and the sooner you realise that the better Steve." Tali quietly muttered, regretting her words the moment they left her mouth, but she knew that Steve had to hear them all the same.

"Call me an eternal optimist Tali. I swear you look like just like a kid in a candy store." Steve's blue eyes glinted humorously at the giddy fidgeting that started the moment Tali looked back down at her prize. "Now go on and enjoy your 'apple' Ms. Zorah." Tali couldn't stay depressed with an invitation like that and offered him the quarian equivalent of a beaming smile, her eyes crinkling into amused glowing slits, much to Steve's immense and silent relief.

Shepard's Quarters, SR-2 Normandy

Unaware to both of them, EDI had only cut off Joker's monitor feed, not the actual camera. Shepard was watching the two via her omni-tool, a small, grateful smile on her face as Tali sanitized the exterior of the ration pouch in glee before plugging its port into her helmet. "And the mystery of how he is still a blushing virgin continues." She mused aloud, even as she made a mental note to get Tali something that didn't come in a tube, after setting up a sterile room for her to enjoy it. "Tied for first my ass. I don't like to lose Mr. Rogers." With an amused flick of her finger, she deactivated the monitor, confident in the fact Tali would be the last one complaining over her little 'bidding war' for the engineer's affection.

"The man really does live up to the legend doesn't he Commander?" Hackett muttered with a wry grin as he downed his second glass of whiskey. Having settled himself at Shepard's desk in her private quarters, the Admiral nodded approvingly in thought.

Shepard chuckled as she reached up and tapped at one of the model starships that hung in front of her. "A sweetheart and a damn fine tactician sir. Didn't see that one coming."

"Your crew certainly seems to agree with that assessment. It's none of my business, but we both know you're going to being taking him on ground missions. Let him get a feel for modern combat on the battlefield." The basics might have remained the same, but the presence of biotics and tech based attackers changed the game considerably. Hackett had seen enough people fried in their own armors because a skilled hacker had seized control of their suits, or turned into a fine red mist by being smashed apart by a biotic.

"And you're wondering when. When I think he's ready. I'm impressed at how fast he's adapted in the last two weeks, given everything he's gone through, but I won't risk his life and the lives of my crew if I have the slightest doubt in his abilities."

"This is your show Shepard, and I trust your judgment more than most of my own officers. But he's one hell of a powerful symbol, even centuries after his 'death'. You could always use that to your advantage. Maybe win a few battles without having to fire a shot."

"If only it were that easy." Shepard replied, frowning in disapproval at Hackett's line of thought. "Besides, I'm not a fan of being the Alliance's poster girl as it is, having Steve put through the same treatment is the last thing I want to do to him."

"It might not be your choice Commander, but I at least sympathize and understand your reasoning."

"What aren't you telling me?" Shepard asked, her gaze hardening as she glanced at Hackett.

"You're not going to like it. I have a friend at Alliance Intel, send him a case of scotch every now and then to keep me well informed of developments on the extranet. Not only is the Alliance brass well aware of your 'Living Legend' of a crew member, but so is half of Council Space."

Shepard slumped in her chair, giving a defeated sigh. "Well there goes my plan to ease him into things."

Hackett clinked the ice around in his glass before setting it down on Shepard's desk and heading for the door. "Told you you wouldn't like it."

"Thanks for the heads up sir."

"You know, I'm almost hoping Al-Jilani manages to rile him up, one jab from him would make your right hook feel like a love tap." Hackett shrugged as Shepard continued to frown at him. "You're not on an Alliance ship anymore Commander, and C-Sec isn't exactly going to toss out the press for being on a public dock.

"Hitting a woman, even if she's a total bitch? Steve would cut his own arm off first. No, he's too old fashioned and too damn nice for that kind of drastic action. Shaming her in front of her own audience though? That I'd pay to see."

"There's still a few open spots in the ship wide pool if you're interested." Hackett grinned and tossed her a casual salute before heading for the elevator.

Shepard smirked as she leaned against the doorway, before a concerned gleam in her hazel eyes. "Five hundred credits on 'utter humiliation within two minutes' it is. But I didn't ask you up here to talk about Rogers sir, and I'm afraid I'll have to flank your tactical retreat too."

Hackett's hand froze just shy of the elevator controls, already knowing what she really wanted to talk about. "Right. I almost forgot you learned from one of the best. Anderson would be proud." He held up a hand before Shepard could say a word and looked over his shoulder. "Don't worry, I might be after Cerberus with a vengeance, but I won't shoot the two agents you have working for you Commander. Just don't expect me to be cordial with them or the rest of your ex Cerberus crew. They're still the enemy as far as I'm concerned. They still aided the group that killed my daughter. And they're responsible for a lot more terrible shit than either of us could probably imagine. You'd be wise to remember that."

"I haven't forgotten sir. So I'm guessing that I should probably keep you and Jacob out of the armory at the same time?"

"Probably a good idea. He's still jumpy as hell around me since he tried to salute me my first day aboard. I may have overreacted slightly."

"I wouldn't call grabbing a loaded pistol off the armory table and telling him to get the hell out of your sight a slight overreaction, but I'm not one to really talk."

Hackett had no ready response to that as he hit the elevator controls before stepping into the lift. Shepard crossed her arms and watched the doors start to close, but not before the grisled Admiral spoke up. "I promise not to shoot any of your crew, but that's that best I can do Commander." The barest hint of a grin pulled at his scarred face as the doors sealed. "Hackett out."

Zakura Ward Docking Bay, The Citadel

One hour later...

"Speak the devil's name and she'll appear." Shepard cursed as she disembarked alongside Rogers, Thane, and Samara. Most of the crew had already gone on ahead, picking up supplies, new weapons and armor, and doing a number of similar chores, both personal and related to the mission. It had been enough for the reporters to get wind of their arrival, leaving Shepard to fight the urge to drop Al-Jilani to the deck a second time when her hover camera honed in on Rogers and herself the moment they left the airlock like a vulture circling a fresh carcass.

"Excuse me! 'Captain Rogers', Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani, Westerlund News. Is it true that you're just a regular soldier pretending to be the legendary war hero Captain America from Earth's mid twentieth century? Are you part of some propaganda ploy by the Alliance military? And exactly what purpose would such a ploy serve?"

"Excuse me?" Both Shepard and Rogers said at the same time, both of them equally stunned by Jilani's daring to label Steve with such disingenuous assertions for vastly different reasons. The Commander couldn't believe what she was hearing, having thought al-Jilani couldn't stoop any lower, but apparently she still had a few surprises up her sleeve after slithering out from under whatever rock she came from. The Captain was just surprised a reporter would immediately jump to false assumptions in her interview and follow through with similarly misinformed questions in an effort to get what she believed to be the truth.

Before Shepard could step in and boot stomp the journalistic equivalent of a cockroach, Steve subtly shook his head and stepped between her and al-Jilani, having already heard the rather infamous story of their last meeting from a thoroughly impressed Joker. The last thing they needed to happen was Irene managing to make herself look like some brutal thug, when in truth she was anything but. That didn't stop him from coming up with a response that would deal with the reporter in an effective, non violent manner though. He'd seen her kind before, and he knew how to deal with them. "First of all, no, I'm not 'pretending' to be anyone. My name is Captain Steven Grant Rogers and I have no idea what you're talking about. Honestly, I think it might be a good idea for you to get some help, you seem very confused."

al-Jilani blinked in surprise before rapidly recovering off camera. "The only help I need is yours Captain. I'm just trying to help the citizens of the galaxy get to the truth behind this nefarious-"

"By twisting the facts to suit your own disingenuous views?" He asked matter of factly, once more stunning the reporter into silence, which he immediately took advantage of. "You want the truth miss? It's people like you that give reporters a bad name. You say you're after the truth, but what you're really after is a chance to drag everyone through the mud to further your own selfish ambition."

al-Jilani wasn't able to recover her veneer of professionalism so easily this time, as her smug smirk turned into a sneer. "I don't see how your misogynistic, outdated-"

"I wasn't finished." Rogers stated calmly, unaffected by her attempted tirade. "Did it ever occur to you once in your life that you might be wrong?" He asked, hoping to beat her with simple logic. "That you do more harm than good, giving the people watching this false information that fits your viewpoint when you could be informing them of what's really going on around them?"

He was sorely disappointed when she simply continued onward unabated, as if he hadn't said a word. "This is all just some stall tactic, more stone walling from a deceptive and secretive Alliance military that-"

Getting the hint that only cold hard evidence would appease her, or at least shut her up, Rogers came up with another idea, one that he had Tali to thank for since she had shown him most of the common features an omni-tool possessed. "Do you have a scanner on your omni-tool?"

al-Jilani stared at Rogers for a solid three seconds before finally responding. "I don't see what that has to do with-"

"Yes or no? Also, deceptive and secretive mean the same thing, just in case your were curious." al-Jilani's annoyed and dumbfounded response was to activate the scanner on her omni-tool and jerk her arm out towards him. "Thanks." Without any hesitation, Steve pulled the combat knife out if its sheath on his belt, getting just a little too much satisfaction at al-Jilani's sharp intake of breath and rapidly widening sea-green eyes. Pricking the end of his thumb, he let a single drop of blood fall onto the omni-tool's scanner, and held up the cut to the hover camera so it could observe how quickly the small cut disappeared for further emphasis that he really was who he said he was. He leaned closer to the shaken reporter, careful to keep his face in view of the camera as well as her outstretched arm. "It's going to be positive."

No sooner had the words left his mouth did his profile appear over al-Jilani's arm, his original profile, created by the SSR when he was first drafted into Project Rebirth. Beside that, the Systems Alliance copy appeared right next to it, and both images had a flashing green bar that simply read as 'Positive.' al-Jilani's face had gone white as a sheet when she flicked her eyes over the results. "That's impossible."

"Not quite. Now if we're done here, my Commander and I have a job to do. The same job every soldier worth their salt has done since I enlisted. Protecting those that can't protect themselves against enemies both foreign, and domestic." Rogers gently shoved his way past the stunned reporter with an equally impressed Thane, Shepard, and Samara hot on his heels.

"That was quite impressive Captain Rogers." Samara stated quietly. "You would make an excellent Justicar." The venerable asari added with a nod of her head.

Steve just blinked in confusion and made a mental note to look up whoever the Justicars were when he got the chance. "Um... thank you?"

"I believe that is the highest compliment one could ever receive from a member of the Order." Thane quietly observed over Steve's shoulder.

"That's funny, I don't recall ever getting that particular compliment Samara. Although, I don't mind being your Commander Steve, has a nice ring to it." Shepard mused aloud as she lead the way through the busy docks to the stairs that would take them deeper into the Zakura Wards.

"If it's any consolation, neither did I Shepard." Thane replied as he cocked his head ever so slightly to the side in thought.

A flicker of a grin appeared on the ancient asari's face before she replied. "Captain Rogers is less prone to... moral ambiguity than either of you are."

Shepard was less than pleased by the Justicar's light teasing. "Hey! I'm plenty moral. I peacefully let that salarian pirate go last month didn't I?"

Thane cocked his head to the side in thought again, a wisp of a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "As I recall, you let him bleed out Siha, that's not quite the same as releasing him."

"His buddies would disagree." Shepard muttered with a shrug before looking towards her companions, never breaking her determined stride towards the market. "Let's get our shit together before we run into someone else that tries to piss me off."

"In that case, we may wish to take a less traveled route." Thane softly quipped as Irene spun her head around to glare at him. "Perhaps the closest Rapid Transit terminal would be a good choice?"

Steve, as always, was less than subtle about expressing his feelings as he stared at the glaring Irene for a solid five seconds, his obvious concern for her mental well being abundantly clear. "Um, Commander, Yeomen Chambers is a really good listener, maybe you should-"

"You know what, that's a great idea. Thane. Interested in a threesome?" As Thane politely coughed in surprise, the coloration of his scales darkening ever so slightly, Shepard cocked an eyebrow as her hazel gaze flicked back to Steve. "Because that would be a lot more fun for all of us than me getting shrinked on a couch by a horny Yeomen." Her less than amused hazel gaze flicked back to the drell like a cobra striking her prey. "You know what, scratch that threesome idea Thane, I might just invite Kelly up for a late night chat."

"Really Commander? You don't take anything seriously do you?" Steve asked as they marched away from the docks and towards the markets, torn between being mortified and embarrassed for willingly associating with her.

Shepard looked over her shoulder just as she stopped before the first of many shops she planned to visit before they returned to the ship. "Oh I take things seriously, but my mind's my own business Rogers."

Steve made a point of tapping a finger against his own helmet. "Right, because nobody ever has anything to be worried about up here."

Shepard's mischievous grin was back as she eyed up the uncomfortable looking soldier. "Is that sarcasm I hear Steve? I didn't think you had it in you. You get a gold star and the cutest asari stripper I can find. Granted, that might be a bit harder after blowing up Chora's Den, but I like a challenge."

"I-I just tell it like it is Commander." Steve stuttered out in embarrassment before managing to ignore the heat in his cheeks. "If you don't like it, that's your prerogative." Rogers replied and cocked an eyebrow before the frown on his lips morphed into a grin. Samara and Thane shared a look before breaking away from the odd pair to tend to their own affairs. Steve noted their passing, but he didn't break from Shepard's side as they continued through the markets. "You don't have to play the Commander part around me all the time you know. I wouldn't mind getting to know Irene Shepard once in a while."

"Oh I know, but someone has to look like they know what the Hell they're doing, and I don't see anyone else stepping up." Shepard silently nodded to herself, confirming some internal affirmation. As much as she appreciated Steve's attempts to get to know her as a person rather than the soldier, she honestly wasn't sure sometimes where one started and the other ended. Instead she nodded towards the next shop, putting the thought to the side for now. "Now, let's go. We have more shit to pick up in this trip before we leave. New armor for you, one that doesn't have stripes for instance. I don't know if you ever noticed it before, but it sort of makes you a sitting duck on the battlefield."

Steve smirked and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "The more Hydra shot at me, the less they shot at my team. Besides, I can take a little punishment. And I'm kinda partial to the stars and stripes."

"Good answer Captain. You're thinking like a natural leader." Shepard patted Steve on his arm before nodding to the red stripe that ran down her right arm. "We take the punishment so our team doesn't have to. As for your fashion sense, the stars and stripes might be a couple centuries outdated, but for you they work. Besides, it's part of your thing anyway. Can't really call you Captain America otherwise. Might be more PC to call you Captain United North American States now, but I've never been one for political correctness. That and it doesn't have quite the same ring to it." It was here that she lowered her head a little. "You might have just drawn a giant target on your back with that little interview with al-Jihani, but you were a powerful symbol in your time. What I said before still stands, maybe that's what we need now."

Steve cocked his head to the side in thought as they walked down the busy thoroughfare. "Last time I checked, people seem to think that position has already been filled."

"Oh really?" Shepard asked, one of her eyebrows shooting to her forehead in an open show of amusement.

"Yup. Turns out there's this determined, hard as nails marine who doesn't seem to care how many toes she steps on to get the truth out to the galaxy. Even if most people would rather believe she's wrong." Steve shrugged his massive shoulders, instantly recognizing Shepard's irked frown. "Try not to take it too personally, I know the feeling."

"I bet." Shepard replied and gave him a genuine smile in response after letting her frown disappear. Nudging him with her elbow, she nodded towards the nearby armor shop. "Since we're on the subject, I made a special order, and it should be ready. I think you're going to like it Steve."

"A special order? Should I be worried?" Despite his sarcasm, Steve couldn't help but smirk as they entered the small, spartan looking shop. "Excuse me."

"Yeah, what can I get ya?" The salarian shopkeeper looked up only to gasp in surprise and did a doubletake. "You're him! That frozen primitive human they dug up in the extranet articles! Capta-"

"Yeah, I get that a lot." Steve interrupted him, smiling good naturedly despite his desire to get this trip done before he was swarmed by his adoring fans.

"Sorry sorry, you must be here on the Commander's recommendation. If you're with her though, it only makes sense you'd need better gear than whatever that is." He chuckled, nodding his head towards the outdated hardsuit Shepard had given him. "Not to be rude, but that won't do you a lot of good these days Captain."

"It worked well enough back in the day of one week ago. Wow. I feel old just saying that." Steve told him, mocking his currently far less than normal circumstances.

"I honestly can't imagine what you're going through, but you came to the right place for all your defensive needs." The store clerk said as he dragged a heavy gunmetal gray crate out from a back room and dropped it on the counter before Rogers. Tapping at a digital lock on the box, the lid slid away before the salarian pulled out a much more 'modern' hardsuit. Honestly, Steve was wondering why Shepard wanted to deprive him of the wonder of engineering and possibly space magic that was the invisibly shielded armor he already had. "Terminus heavy armor, already painted according to the Commander's specifications. She said you were partial to the red, white, and blue."

"How am I supposed to see out of this?" Steve asked the shop owner as he scooped up the angular helmet, glancing at it disapprovingly. The V shaped tinted visor didn't allow for a wide field of vision in his opinion.

The salarian only shrugged. "Sorry Captain, it comes standard with the armor. You don't have to use it, but it's recommended since a helmet does tend to do a good job of deflecting most small arms fire even without the kinetic barriers."

Steve cocked a dubious eyebrow at the ridiculously narrow V shape face plate. "I'm not planning on jousting any time soon, but thanks for the tip."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Shepard asked, an amused note in her voice, having since leaned against the counter.

Steve's fascinated gaze quickly snapped from the rest of the futuristic armor to Irene's wry grin. "Oh right, sorry. Thank you, this looks amazing, I'll be sure to put it to good use. Can I keep this one though, never hurts to have a backup." Steve asked as he gestured to his well worn black, blue, and gray armor.

Shepard nodded and smirked approvingly at Steve's request. "Alliance Marine 101: It never hurts to have a spare suit laying around."

"Let's hope I never need it." Steve said with a chuckle as he went back to eyeing the new armor. The red, vein like lines that ran the length of the black suit were a little disconcerting, but the rest of it wasn't too bad in his opinion.

The salarian stared at him in awe as Rogers took in his work. "You fought against a far superior force during your world's second great war in your time Captain, and came out the other side to tell the tale. That alone proves you were one of the best fighters of your time. I...might have checked the old Earth archives when news spread of your recent revival." The salarian admitted sheepishly. "I don't suppose I could ask you for a holo pic?"

"Sure." Steve leaned in closer over the counter as the salarian opened his omni-tool display and tilted it towards them. Shepard did her best to keep a straight face when the rather bright flash forced Rogers to blink several times to clear the spots from his baby blues. "Got a pen?" Steve asked with his best winning smile, knowing what was coming next. He had grown used to humoring his fans before and during a war long ago.

"What's a pen?" The salarian asked with a confused blink before realization struck. "Oh! I remember reading about those. Sorry, no pens in this era Captain. Not unless you're an antiques dealer anyway. Here, you can use my omni-stylus." With an expectant look, Steve was handed the slim orange glowing device. "Just make it out to Salin Okani. I'll be sure to get it put up on the wall later."

"To Salin Okani, Sal's Armor is my favorite store on the Citadel, sincerely Captain Steven Grant Rogers."

"Thank you! Ha! Let's see Garak's smug face when he lays eyes on this. Superior krogan armorer my cloaca." Steve only smiled and walked away after easily hefting the metal crate with the armor still inside, leaving Shepard and the smug salarian behind. The moment he was out of earshot, the salarian turned to the Commander and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know, for being a relic, he's not as dumb as my superiors thought he'd be."

Shepard rolled her eyes, holding up a finger until she was reasonably certain Steve was out of earshot. "For being an STG spook Salin, you certainly squealed like a fanboy."

"Well, my sincere love of ancient tales of combat certainly didn't hurt my performance. That and since you've taken Dr. Solus aboard your little crusade, my superiors are concerned as you can understand."

"Because of his work on the genophage?" Shepard asked, already knowing the answer.

Salin nodded, confirming her suspicions. "I see he told you. Yes." He didn't ask the question that his superiors wanted answered, having a feeling he knew the answer already. Her views on the genophage, among other sensitive topics, were well known. "Good luck Commander. You'll need it. Especially if you happen to be under observation by multiple agents of the STG. Hypothetically, of course."

He wasn't disappointed when Shepard started away, throwing a parting parting comment over her shoulder. "Tell them they can get in line. Thanks for the heads up Salin."

"My pleasure, and if you happen to discover any more ancient heroes in your travels, be sure to let me know." Salin glanced to the row of the very old and faded pictures mixed with a smattering of newer holopics prominently hung on the wall of his shop, one of which was of a smirking human man with a goatee, wearing red and gold armor. "What I wouldn't have given to have met the great Tony Stark. At least I got to meet the Captain America. What a pair they would have been." Salin mused aloud before turning back to the front desk, only to see Shepard had since disappeared. "And I never got her signed autograph. Oh well. Maybe next time."

Ten minutes later...

Not giving the trusted former agent another thought, Shepard beamed with delight as they approached the next destination on her list. "You smell that?" She asked once she caught up to Steve.

"Smells like... gun oil?"

"Exactly."

"They still use gun oil to clean weapons?"

"If it isn't broken don't fix it."

Steve jabbed a thumb at the small arsenal already magnetized to his back. "I've got plenty of guns. Unless you just want to window shop, women still like doing that right?"

Rolling her amused hazel eyes again, Shepard let that one go with a snort of laughter. The fact she had been planning on doing exactly that was beside the point. "We do, but most women aren't into the kind of stuff I am."

"Mainly things that blow up you mean." Steve chuckled, having seen her impressive collection of firearms and heavy weaponry in the ship's armory.

"I like model ships too if that helps." Shepard said with a shrug.

"I think you told me that before, I haven't seen them yet though. So, you a Lionel gal or-"

"Just shut up and pick." Shepard pointed to the well stocked wall at the back of the store. "And, no, you don't get to say you're happy with the gear you have. Those were hand me downs and some bargain bin finds."

"Probably a good thing I cleaned them then, wouldn't want old surplus ordinance exploding in my face."

"You got me there smartass." Shepard turned to the attentive male quarian beyond the counter, who was patiently waiting for them to make a selection. "My friend here has a taste for older models, think you can help us out?"

"Does Admiral Koris secretly hate his ship's name?" The quarian standing behind the counter quipped to himself with a chuckle.

Rogers looked between the two, confusion etched on his handsome face. "Huh? I don't get it."

"Don't blow a fuse Steve, it's an inside joke. Quarians consider it bad luck to change a ship's name. So no matter how ridiculous it might happen to be, they keep it."

"Oh! Now that I understand. Nice to meet you sir, you've got a fine looking collection here." The owner blinked his glowing eyes twice as Steve held out his hand. Rogers' confident smile began to falter as he wondered if he had broken some unknown cultural rule.

"Shake the man's hand already kid, he's just being polite. Besides, I happen to agree with him." Shepard stated, not at all surprised by the quarian's confusion.

"It's just odd to meet two humans who- you know what forget it. Jor'Reegar Nar Tonbay, nice to meet you." The quarian humbly informed them and firmly grasped the Captain's hand.

Irene's eyebrows shot up to her forehead when she heard the name. "Reegar? Let me guess, your brother Kal is a marine right?"

"That's right. He said you saved him as well as Tali'Zorah on Haest- some planet which I've never heard of." Jor quickly corrected himself as he ran a hand across the back of his suited neck. "You didn't hear that…."

"Hear what kid?" Irene smirked and cocked her head to the side in feigned confusion, much to Jor's relief. "Don't worry, I know how to keep my mouth shut. So does my tall, incredibly old friend here."

"That's funny, for a human he doesn't- nevermind. You said you were interested in older model weapons? Not that surprising for a man of your... vast experience."

"She did, I didn't. And I'm only two hundred and sixty seven. And some change." Steve retorted before he sighed heavily at the snickers Irene was finding hard to contain. "You do know I know where you sleep right Commander?"

"Just get the man whatever high end non thermal clip stock you have laying around." The grinning marine managed to make the word sound like a foul curse as Jor rapidly nodded and ducked into a small back room.

"Wow. You really hate more modern weapons don't you? Personally, I think they shoot just fine, even if they don't seem to pack as much power in each shot." Steve noted, even if he preferred the older models that Shepard had loaned him that didn't have the thermal clips to worry about. While they were just like the ammo clips he was used to back in his day, he had grown rather fond of using the hand me downs she had thrown his way, some of which had been the non thermal clip variants.

"Imagine you're facing a dozen... HYDRA soldiers advancing on you." Shepard began and held up a finger before continuing her tirade. "Would you rather A: Reload multiple times by which point you might as well pull out a knife or B: Use your beloved, heavily modded assault rifle named Ripley to mow them down with a continuous, and damn near inexhaustible stream of fire thanks to the two frictionless material mods you added?"

"You really like those 'old' sci fi movies they watch in the mess don't you?" Shepard only shrugged just as Jor came back out of the storage room behind his little shop, his arms heavily weighed down by an assortment of weapon crates which he was just able to set on the counter.

"This is all I could find that might meet your requirements sir. That, and I already scavenged parts from the rest for repairs."

Rogers nodded his approval as he glanced over the assorted items before looking up towards Jor. "How much?"

"For which items sir?" The quarian asked, unaware of Steve's intentions.

"All of it. I have the feeling I know a few people who wouldn't mind using one of these 'antiques'."

"Um, alright. Let's call it ninety-two thousand for the lot." Jor replied hesitantly, and about fainted when Steve transferred the credits without blinking. "Keelah?! Are you sure about this sir?"

"You're just trying to get by. Ninety-five it is. From what I've gathered, right after I rubbed my eyes and checked the prices on the screen again, you're practically giving me this stuff. And from the way the Commander all but drooling, I'm gonna take a guess this was all pretty high end a few years ago."

"You'd be right, but still, ninety-five? I couldn't possib-" The playful smirk on Steve's face silenced Jor, realizing he wasn't going to take no for an answer. When it finally sunk in, the quarian couldn't help but smile behind his visor in gratitude for his unheard of generosity. "It's nice to know there are humans out there like yourself and Commander Shepard."

"Standing right here." Irene playfully waved her arm in front of the astounded man's visored gaze. "I'm just along for the ride on this one kid. Tell Kal I said hey and he better not get himself into anymore trouble. I might not be around to pull his ass out of the fire again." Shepard stated as she reached out and patted Jor on his shoulder before gathering up half of the weapon crates and the box of spare parts while Steve grabbed the rest. "I can't wait to see Jacob's face when he sees this. Might even get a smile out of him yet."

No sooner had the words left her mouth did Irene see Thane seemingly appear out of thin air. The slightly worried look on his face clued her in that something was wrong. Before she could ask, he beat her to it and nodded towards a secluded spot in the market. "Forgive me Siha, but I find that I require your assistance in a... personal matter."

"What's wrong Thane?" She didn't need to hear the details, it was enough that he was trusting her with his problem and asking for her assistance.

"Commander, maybe we should-" Before Steve could say another word, Shepard dumped her crates on top of his with a quiet mutter. "Right, I'll go back to the ship."

"And don't get into an ethical debate on the way. ...Unless it's on the virtues of genetic modification in unborn children, then go nuts, you're practically the poster boy."

"Huh?"

Shepard shrugged her shoulders as she turned to join Thane. "You'd be shocked how many awkward conversations I get dragged into."

"Usually twice a day, roughly the same number as-" Thane paused as Shepard cast him another searing glare, a now familiar wry grin pulling at his lips.

"If you still want my help you won't finish that sentence."

Thane merely gave a curt nod, a wry grin splitting his yellow lips as the pair headed for the nearest Rapid Transit terminal, leaving Steve to carry their recent purchases back to the ship. "Ah, okay then! Good luck with whatever is it you're doing!" He called after them, but they were long gone. Steve shook his head and had only been walking back for five minutes when his omni-tool started beeping. "Great." He muttered, setting the crates down at his feet, and was a little surprised to see a familiar turian face on his arm. "Garrus?"

"Finally found someone who wasn't busy. Apparently Shepard and Thane had business, can't imagine what they're up to, probably better if I don't." He chuckled dryly before his expression hardened. At least Steve thought it did anyway, he was still getting the hang of dealing with actual aliens. "I have a problem I need a hand with, normally I'd ask Irene, but she's otherwise preoccupied. You though, are the second most trusted person on the Normandy who can actually hold his own in a fight. Mainly since Liara isn't around. Also, Jacob and Zaeed are busy tinkering, Tali's having a 'girl's night' with Kasumi and Jack told me to fuck off."

"So I was the bottom of the barrel." Steve deadpanned.

"It was you or Grunt honestly. At least I was nice about it." Garrus sighed and ran a taloned hand down his face. "Look...I don't ask this lightly Rogers, but I can't do this on my own. Just get back to the dock, I'll explain on the way."

"Alright. Give me ten minutes. I'll see you then."

"Got it, and Rogers….thanks for doing this. I won't forget it." Steve barely had a chance to nod in reply before Garrus cut the connection on his end.

Citadel, Factory District

One hour later...

Chasing down a corrupt C-Sec officer through an automated factory had been just like the old days for Steve when he had been hunting down HYDRA officers through the ruins of their Valkyrie factories. Unlike the old days though, they hadn't had giant mechs on their sides, trying to mow them down with giant chain guns and rocket launchers, controlled by the very man they were chasing after he hid inside an office overlooking the factory.

Trapped behind a stack of giant metal crates, Steve popped his head out only to jerk it back when a rather large bullet hole appeared by the side of his helmet. "Little help?!"

"What, they didn't have YMIRs back in the day? You had it easy." Garrus chuckled dryly into his comms.

"Tell me that after you jump off a four story HYDRA tank as it's exploding!" Steve yelled over the continuous stream of minigun fire that was eating away at his cover. Just when he thought he'd have to try and make a run for a new hiding place, two sniper rounds slammed into the approaching YMIR, stripping its barriers before its small, circular face plate was shredded by the follow up shot. That left its partner, but it gave Steve room to breathe. "Thanks!"

"Don't mention it." Garrus said through the comms as he ducked back down behind his sniper's nest. Having set up shop a fair distance away, he had a pretty good line of sight on Harkin's hiding place, but he couldn't get a bead on the man himself, especially with the second YMIR still gunning for himself and Rogers. "Think you can handle the other mech? I can't get a clean shot from here." Garrus stated, the boxes Steve had been hiding behind were serving to hinder his ability to take out the other mech.

"On it!" Looking down the scope of his newly calibrated, Garrus had practically insisted, 'old model' M-8 Avenger assault rifle, Steve rolled out of his cover and jerked his rifle up long before the YMIR had time to react. Ten seconds later of continuous fire soon left the mech a smoking ruin of its former self before it fell backwards and exploded. "Target down, moving up."

"Not bad for a guy who's almost three centuries old." Garrus drawled as he jumped down from his nest and soon caught up with Steve just as the super soldier was breaking the office door down with one good kick. The door was blasted off its hinges and nearly clipped Harkin on his shoulder as the man stumbled in an effort to avoid being smashed by the improvised projectile.

"Hey, it's only two and a half... and some change." Steve retorted lamely as he grabbed Harkin and pinned him to the wall with one arm.

"Feeling your age already?" Garrus asked before he drew his pistol and casually pointed it in Harkin's face.

Ignoring Garrus' taunt, Steve focused his attention on the squirming man in front of them. "My friend has some questions. I suggest you give him answers."

"The boy scout and his side kick? Yeah I know about you Rogers, you ain't the kind to hurt a guy like me."

"He isn't, I am." Garrus stated, his voice cold as ice as he fired a round into Harkin's leg, just below the knee. "I can do this all day Harkin, or is that Fade? I always get that confused."

"Jesus Garrus! You used to be a decent cop even with that stick up your ass!" Harkin screamed, the only thing holding him up was an equally shocked Steve. "You can go to hell!"

"Not the information I was looking for." As Garrus sweeped the barrel to aim at the wounded man's other leg, Steve shoved it down towards the deck. "Is this where you play good cop? I don't need your help."

"You won't get anything out of him if he bleeds out first either Garrus. Now I agree he's the scum of the earth, but even scum have basic rights."

"Says the man that's letting the scum who betrayed my entire team get away because he's too squeamish to do what needs to be done."

"I have the courage not to. That's the difference between us and guys like him. You're better than that Garrus, you're better than the man you're after." Steve stated calmly and nodded to Harkin for emphasis. Garrus found, much to his surprise, he didn't have a ready answer for that one.

Harkin wasn't so tight lipped though, much to both men's shared annoyance. "Awe. You idiots done wasting my time with this pansy ass shit?"

Garrus sighed and shifted his aim ever so slightly, before a mass accelerated round grazed the side of Harkin's leg with a yelp of pain. "Now I'm going to ask you nicely for my overly polite friend, where is Sidonis?"

"Alright alright!" Harkin screeched before he pulled out an OSD drive and tossed it at Garrus. "Here, I hope you choke on it you bastard!"

"Pleasure doing business with you." Garrus deadpanned before slamming his armored knee into Harkin's grion. The former dirty cop went limp and fell to the floor in an undignified heap. When Steve gave him a dirty look, the turian only shrugged. "I didn't kill him."

"Right." Steve drawled, giving the smug turian a dubious look. "Let's get this over with before I change my mind about this whole mess."

"And if Shepard calls?" The turian asked as they started to dash back through the factory.

"What do you think Garrus?" Steve retorted, having already established that he couldn't lie to save his life.

"Just checking."

"We can always say you took me sightseeing, which technically isn't a lie. Only this place had more explosions and thugs than your average tourist trap."

"Right." Garrus sarcastically drawled in return as he studied the stolen data. "You do that, and when you end up locked on the wrong side of an airlock hatch, don't blame me."

"And now you're referencing that weird show Joker loves about brown coated space smuggler outlaws during a manhunt for your old partner. Could this day get any weirder?" Steve asked rhetorically as he and his turian companion climbed into the vehicle they had taken to get to the factory in the first place.

"Stick around Rogers, you get used to Shepard's version of insanity pretty quick."

Citadel, Orbital Lounge

Twenty minutes later...

Steve was starting to wonder who he must have angered in a past life as he played the part of human shield while Garrus tried to get a clear shot on his old team member. It hadn't taken the super soldier long to see, despite his inexperience with turian facial expressions, that Sidonis was a broken shell of his former self. Omega, where Garrus had run merry havoc with a team of his own against the merc groups that ran the space station, had been betrayed by the very turian he was trying to keep from being shot dead, but Steve could tell his actions had already done what Garrus was planning to do. Sidonis was already a dead man walking, there was little point in doing further damage to the turian, who admitted to selling out his team members while Garrus had been lured away.

The problem Steve was facing at that moment was convincing Garrus of the fact. "Right now I'm the only thing protecting you from a bullet to the head Sidonis. Garrus is set up and ready to put one between your eyes." Steve told him bluntly when he tried to push past him for a second time. "You aren't telling me everything, are you?"

"Who are you human? Why are you doing this to me! Haven't I suffered enough! I got all of them killed, is that what you want to hear?! I looked the other way for a few credits and every single one of them got slaughtered for my cowardice... There isn't a day that goes by that I don't wish I had done things differently, even if I only ended up dying with them... at least they wouldn't have gone out knowing I had left them to die." Sidonis suddenly moved to shove Steve aside, or at least tried to as the surprisingly strong human jerked him back.

"Look at him Garrus, he's already paying for what he did." Steve sighed and patted Sidonis on his shoulder. "I've seen weak men before, guys who just can't pass up the temptation and give in." A moment later, just on general principle alone, Steve's right hook found its target, smashing Sidonis' nose into a flat pancake. The turian said nothing as he clamped a hand over his broken nose, attempting to staunch the bleeding. "This is no different, even if he made the choice to leave your team to die Garrus. But it's your call." With a glance over his shoulder, Steve stepped aside and watched as Sidonis let out a deep breath and closed his eyes, resigned to his fate. When nothing happened, Steve felt a ghost of a smile flicker on his face.

"Just...tell him to go." Garrus finally said and let out a defeated sigh of his own.

"Get moving. Garrus is giving you a second chance. I wouldn't waste it if I were you." Steve waited until the shocked turian was out of earshot before speaking up. "You're a good soldier Garrus." Steve quietly told him as he watched Sidonis walk away at a fast clip. "And you remind me... of a good friend." It took Steve a moment to realize that Garrus must have already cut the link when only silence greeted him. "You're welcome." Steve muttered to himself as he turned to leave. Just as he reached the car, with Garrus impatiently waiting for him, Steve's omni-tool started beeping at him once again. "Oh what now?"

"Probably someone else who's life you can ruin, you should get that." Garrus grumbled from the driver's seat as they lifted off.

Managing to deactivate the annoying beep coming from his arm, Steve frowned and turned to his irritated turian pilot. "You did the right thing you know."

"Just shut up and sit there." Garrus grumbled, in no mood to talk about what had happened in the lounge.

"I could do that." Steve told him a with shrug of his shoulders. "Or I could tell you there's no point in tormenting a broken man. Having to live with what he's done is a far worse punishment than putting a bullet in his head."

"It's not too late for you to be thrown out of this aircar you know." Garrus muttered, but sighed and looked away since he knew Steve was right. "What about my men? They deserved better… they deserved to be put to rest, and I couldn't even do that for them."

"I think Doc Erskine would say something to the effect that the line between good and evil tends to blur Garrus. And I'd have to agree with him. Not much is ever black and white, life is just a whole lotta gray. You were doing what you thought was right, and I honestly can't blame you for wanting to put Sidonis in a body bag, but from what I've seen, you stayed true to yourself." Just to drive the point home, Steve reached over and poked Garrus in the chest, right around where he assumed his heart resided. "A good man."

"I hate gray." Garrus made a point of eyeing Steve's old armor up and down before turning his gaze back to the racing structures in front of them. Alright Stripes, you win this one." A moment later though, Garrus shot Steve an accusatory glare. "Wait, you stole that one didn't you? About lines blurring."

"Never had much of a poker face. It's something the Doc tried to tell me the night before... the night before he died."

"Oh crap."

"Hey it's alright, we've all lost peo-"

"No, not that. Look." Garrus pointed a talon towards the rapidly approaching docks below with a weary sigh. "I'd say we're pretty well screwed right now." Standing before the Normandy's airlock was one very angry looking Commander Irene Shepard. One hip was cocked to the side, her arms were crossed just under her chest, and there was a deep frown plastered on her face. Even Steve had already managed to figure out that any one of those alone usually meant you were in trouble, but all three of them put together meant it was probably a good idea to contact your next of kin. "If it's any consolation Rogers, it was nice knowing you."

"Ditto." Steve replied with a gulp. "I ah, don't suppose we could just keep going?" No sooner had the words left his mouth than a bullet grazed their windshield. Promptly turning the vehicle so they were facing forward, Steve was the first to see the smoking pistol in Irene's tightly clenched hand. "I take that as a no." The fact he was drawing a terrified comparison between Peggy Carter and the irate Commander wasn't lost on Rogers, even if he didn't say as much out loud.

"I'm taking the blame, this was my idea, no point in both of us getting on her bad side... even worse side." Garrus muttered somberly as they started to descend towards the dock.

Steve just gave him an affronted look as the aircar began to settle with a gentle thump. "Hey, I volunteered, there's no way I'm letting you take all the heat for this."

"To the gallows together then? I can deal with that. You sure you weren't a turian in a past life Rogers?"

"Pretty sure. Although I did have this really weird dream about being stuck on a huge train once. I was leading a revolt and-" A loud tapping sound instantly caught Steve's attention as his blue eyes flicked to see Irene tapping her pistol against the canopy. "I'll tell you later, if she doesn't shoot us first."

Both men jumped as Steve's omni-tool started its incessant beeping yet again. "You might want to check your messages now rather than later. I get the funny feeling you're going to be busy cleaning the latrine with a toothbrush, and I'll be right there with you. To supervise of course."

"If we're lucky." Shepard's tapping became louder and far more insistent as Steve meekly held up a finger and showed her his active omni-tool display. When she sighed and started to cock her arm back to break the window, he was out of his seat and standing in front of her, still as a statue, in the time it took her to let her arm fall to her side.

"Start talking." Was all she said once Garrus was standing beside Rogers.

"It's my fault." The pair sputtered simultaneously as Steve's eyes flicked over his two new messages and selected the last one, both of which were from Jenka.

"Oh, I knew that already." Shepard purred in a distinctly non sexy way. "What I don't know is just how stupid the two of you have to be to go on a completely unauthorized-" Shepard paused mid tirade as she took in the ashen look on Steve's face. When she saw the reason why displayed on his omni-tool, she couldn't blame him for looking like a muscular ghost. "Get your asses onboard, we'll deal with this major lapse in judgment on the way."

Rogers wasn't even listening to her words as he ran for the airlock, his blue gaze locked on the familiar green suited quarian girl in front of him, a pistol aimed at her helmeted head and a katana leveled at her throat. A shining black metal visor stared back at him as the man wielding both weapons tightened his grip, making Jenka shake with terror as the blade grazed her suit. "You have four days to reach the coordinates in this message... if not, I start sending you pieces of your little suit rat friend here. I'd hurry since it will take nearly that long for the Man's stolen ship and AI to reach them. I look forward to seeing just how good you really are Captain." Before Steve could send a reply, the message deleted itself, leaving him staring at a blank glowing screen.

End Notes: Archer83: Well this has certainly been a long time in coming, but we hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Things are definitely going to get a lot darker from here on out, Steve has had his calm moment in the storm to adjust to his new world and friends. Now it's time for him to fight for them. You can take a man out of time, but you can't take the fight out of the man. Cerberus is going to wish they had never even heard of this 'kid from Brooklyn' when Steve is done with them.

Vergil1989: Indeed, I couldn't have said it better myself Archer. We might have taken a long time to get this updated, but we haven't forgotten what the fans love about this story. It certainly helps we enjoy this quite a bit as well, so it made it quite easy to put this together once we got started again. As for Rogers, well, he might be a man out of his time, but he's not without his tricks. Cerberus is going to be finding that out the hard way, or Kai Leng will be a bigger dick than usual and gut the first Avenger like a fish. You'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out won't you? In all seriousness, we'll try to get this updated a lot quicker than last time. Adios folks!