Ashley Shepard, Forgotten Hero

Chapter 5

I open my eyes and I look around me, I see the three main merc groups around me. "She's awake, well missy you're going to be bait. A hostage for say, and don't try to escape."

For the first time since I woke up I'm afraid, as they push me towards the bridge I hit my silent alarm.

"If you shoot any of us she dies!" They shout to him. I will not be the hostage. I shoot all of them backwards and run towards the building. I duck behind a wall, I pop out and shoot at least three of them.

A rocket flies past my head and slams into the wall, I run up the stairs and shoot three more mercs. Finally they're all gone and I walk up the stairs. "Ashley?!"

"Garrus?!" I yell.

"Ashley what's wrong?"

"It's Archangel, he's Garrus and well the mercs zapped me. So I was bait so he wouldn't shoot me but I escaped but I'm stuck in the building with Garrus," I tell Joker.

"I'll get Shepard immediately."

"Take your time Joker, I'll be here all day. But actually please hurry."

I pull out my sniper rifle and I shoot anything that moves over there, "Fifteen Garrus, beat that!"

"Ok miss cocky, you're on."

"Watch this, grenade bullet." I load it and shoot it into a crowd behind the barricade. In a fiery explosion I kill at least thirty. "Fine you win Ashley, now how did you get here?"

"Well Shepard is alive, and she will explain it better than me."

"We'll be ok Ashley, we'll make it out of here." At those words a flash from my past flooded my vision.

(Memory)

The weird aliens walk past us with floating containers, Zaria, Kaiden, Julia and I are hiding in a closet. Those things are to strong, Jack was already frozen. Julia's boyfriend is gone, I hug my sister.

Kaiden whispers to me," We'll be ok Ashley, we'll make it out of here." He kisses me on the nose and I feel like the child I really am. I feel like the day I lost my dad, helpless and scared.

"It think they're gone," I whisper.

When we walk out no one is here, the crew is gone. "What we're those things?"

"I don't know, I don't know."

I snap back to the present, hurry Shepard, hurry.

/Shepard\

"What is it Joker?"

"It's Ashley, Archangel is Garrus and she's with him. They need help, now."

I sigh, that girl is a problem. "We just finished here so we'll be right there." I sigh, Ashley will jeopardize this mission.

/Ashley\

I hear shooting, I look outside and I see Shepard. "Garrus, Shepard's here."

"Bout time to." I laugh. I use my sniper rifle to take out anyone that's behind her. "You miss her Garrus?"

"Ya, I did." I roll my eyes at the big softy. "I'll stay here Shepard, you take care of those bloody doors."

/On the ship\

"What the hell were you thinking Ashley!!" Shepard screams at me.

"I was looking around, I haven't seen a lot and I was shopping! It's not my fault they found a chink in my armor and zapped me! At least I had armor so I didn't die!!" I scream back.

"I WISH YOU DID!" Tears run down my face. "If that's what you think commander," I whisper. I salut her then leave the briefing room. I slowly walk back to my cabin, Shepard's right though. I mess a lot of stuff up, I should just leave.

"Next stop is the citadel," Joker tells us. Perfect, I still have my apartment there. I drift off into a uneasy sleep, the words of the commander still in my mind. When we arrive at the Citadel I wait until Shepard leaves, than I grab all of my stuff and walk up to the bridge.

"Let me guess Ashley, your leaving because of what Shepard said."

"I can't work with her Joker, she hates me," I sigh.

"Just keep in touch, I won't tell her where you went. You're going to your apartment right?" I nod my head.

"Bye Joker, and tell the commander that what she saw on the videos from Freedoms Progress I've seen before. Tell her beware the bugs."

"Ok..... Be safe Ashley."

"You to Joker, and don't slip into you know what again."

"See ya Squirt," he tells me. I flip his hat off again.

"See ya Joker, good luck." I walk off the Normandy and I pass through security.

"Sorry mam but it says that you're Shepard."

"I'm not, I'm Ashley Dawn. Please fix that."

"Of course." I nod my head and I go to my apartment. I pay the last of my rent and I go inside, I place my armor in the back of my close and cover it with my bags.

"Home sweet home, home sweet home."

/Joker\

"Joker where's Ashley? She doesn't need rescuing again does she?" Shepard asks me. I glare at her, "Commander she left, I only got a message from her and that's it." I hit play.

"Joker I'm leaving, I can't work with Shepard, she hates me. I also mess everything up, I can't put this mission in danger. Don't try to find me, at least for awhile. Oh and I know you'll play this for Shepard so here's two messages for her. The first one is. Shepard, you can want me to die all you want but I'm stronger than that. Second is the Collectors you saw on video in Freedoms Progress I've faced before, they are tough songs of bitches and beware the bugs. See ya later, maybe, Lieutenant Ashely."

"I can't believe it, Joker we can't leave her." Now she cares, something is obviously wrong. "Commander she doesn't want to be found, we can come back later."

"Fine..... Go to these coordinates."

"Yes mam, are you sure you want to go to that world?"

"Yes Joker," she snaps at me.

"Fine, you don't have to be so bossy."

She doesn't answer me and walks towards everyone who is a fighter. Not that I'm not a fighter but everyone who's on her squad. I see Garrus shake his head, so does Jacob. The doctor and Miranda walk down to the armory.

"Jeff why did you lie to the commader?" EDI asks me.

"I made a promise, it's a human thing ok."

"Wait you did what did you do Joker?" Garrus. "Nothing Garrus, I just told a small lie to the commander."

"Is it about Ashley, because I can't believe what she said to her. It's not her fault, she didn't know what Omega was like," Jacob says.

"You know where she went don't you, Joker!"

I sigh, "What if I do, I'm not telling anyone because she doesn't want me to. But she told me that if we need her she'll be ready, didn't you notice her armor is gone."

"Joker we promise we won't tell Shepard, it's just we need to know."

I shake my head and I can't decide, my head is hurting. "She has an apartment but I don't know where, I only have her contact information!"

I feel a hand on my shoulder, "She's like a little sister to me, I can't let someone hurt her." I sigh. It feels like hours pass before Shepard radios me.

"Joker Okeer is a no go but we have a package that needs picking up." I sigh, I bring the ship around and I see a tank with a krogan in it. "Shepard what is that?"

"A tank bread Krogan, what does it look like." She snaps at me. I glare at her, "Joker get us to the Citadel, I have to meet with Anderson."

"Yes mam," I say trying to hold back my anger. I get in my seat and head towards the mass relay.