Mass Effect: Phoenix Chapter 10 - Joker

"Where are we going?"

Joker sighed, his sister had been asking that very question all morning, "I told you, to see a friend."

"Why won't you just tell me who we are going to see?"

"Gunny," Joker put a hand on his sister's shoulder and squeezed, "it's a surprise. Trust me, you'll like her."

Gunny made a noise in the back of her throat and followed Joker through the streets of London. After three months, the people of the city had cleaned up small sections of the downtown area. The main areas of the city were the cleanest. Joker and his younger sister were walking down London's main avenue. The clock tower, Big Ben, was to their right. It was leaning precariously to one side, great splotches of black soot covering the majestic contours of the tower. Townspeople walked among the remaining rubble, their voices carrying over the still air. Along with the downed buildings, dead Reapers littered the city, some taking up as much as two miles. No one really knew what to do with the Reapers. It had been a topic of discussion for some weeks now. Joker wasn't sure whether or not a decision had been made.

What had to be the most disturbing was the number of dead bodies that were found every day.

The authorities were afraid that the number of causalities throughout not only London, but the world, could spread a disease that would finish off human civilization. In its weakened state, Earth's population couldn't afford such a drastic challenge.

Joker, his bones still healing from the Normandy's collision with the jungle planet three months prior, limped over to the edge of the road and sat on the curb. Gunny sat next to him. Finding his sister had been the most important thing on Joker's mind when they had returned to Earth. He had spent days searching the refugee records for Hilary Moreau. After finding her, he learned that his father hadn't escaped the colony. While Joker had been expecting the news, it still shocked him to learn that his sister and himself were the last members of the Moreau family. He remained strong when hearing the news; his sister was still distraught.

"What are you doing?" Gunny watched as her brother brought up his omnitool and tapped a few of the buttons.

"The person I want you to meet is one of my greatest friends. I served under her command for the past three years-well, not counting the years that she was dead."

"Dead?"

"Dead." Joker nodded. His fingers still tapping the keys.

"People don't come back from the dead." Gunny said hesitantly.

"Well, she did. You've probably heard of her." he huffed in frustration after a few more moments of searching his omnitool, "Come one, Shepard, where are you."

Gunny looked up from the webbed pattern of cracks on the road in front of her she had been studying, "Shepard? Commander Shepard? That's who you've been serving under the past couple of years?"

"Yeah. She's a hell of a commanding officer. She's a legend, Gunny, and you get to meet her first hand." Joker sat up straighter, "Of course, she couldn't have defeated anyone without me. Even legendary space warriors need their pilots."

Gunny was speechless for a moment, "How are we going to see her?"

"She's in a hospital at the edge of town. I think Alenko's been staying with her." He made a noise of triumph, "Found her omnitool. Gonna make sure she's awake before we barge in there."

"Jeff, I don't really think-"

"Gunny, you're going to meet Shepard. You're not getting out of it."

Gunny opened her mouth to reply, but cut herself off as Joker connected with Shepard's omnitool.

In his omnitool's screen Joker watched as Shepard's face appeared pixel by pixel.

"Joker, it's good to see you." Joker noticed that Shepard was paler than usual and lying against a pile of white pillows.

"Hey, Shep. How's hospital life treating you?"

She rolled her eyes, "Not well. I'm going stir crazy."

"I'm sure you are. It's a big leap to go from killing Reapers to lying in a hospital bed for months on end." When she nodded, Joker continued, "I was wondering if I could visit you."

"Sure-on one condition. Bring me some food."

The pilot grinned, "What, do they not feed you there, Shepard?"

Shepard merely shook her head, "Joker, I don't want to know what they feed me here."

"Yeah, I think it's time you had some good ol' Earth food. There's this burger joint that somehow survived the Reaper invasion. It's been packed, but remember when I told you I wanted dead cow? Well, I wasn't lying. Sound good?"

"Hell yeah." Shepard looked to her right and grinned, "Kaidan wants one too"

"Course he does, you all like to rob me of money. Do you know how much those burgers cost? Last ones in London, and they're milking that for all that it is worth. Rip off, if you ask me."

"He said to quit complaining and that he will pay you back."

"Well, tell him I don't take orders when I'm off duty."

"He said to shut up."

"Right, right." Joker's grin never faded from his face, "I'll be by in a little bit. Oh, and Shepard, there's someone who I'm bringing to meet you. Try not to shoot her when we walk in."

Shepard raised her eyebrows, "And why would I want to do that?"

"Well, she can be annoying at times." Gunny hit him in the arm, "Ow! OK, maybe not all the time. Geez."

"See you in a bit, Joker." Shepard closed her omnitool.

Joker glanced sidelong at his younger sister, "Told you she was cool."

Gunny rolled her eyes, "Jeff, she is the hero of the galaxy. People like that don't pay attention to ordinary people like me."

Joker made a tsking noise, "Then you, dear sister, haven't met Shepard. You'll get along great, trust me. You have things in common, like kicking other peoples' asses for fun. She's a great friend."

"Maybe, but you are also one of those intergalactic hero people. Heroes only talk to other heroes."

"Then why am I talking to you if you are an 'ordinary person'?"

"Because you are my brother. I'm not related to Commander Shepard. It's different."

"Your views on people are distorted, Gunny. You're not getting out of meeting Shepard." Gunny looked at him in desperation; Joker sighed, "Trust me, Gunny. Come on, let's get the burgers."

The nurse sitting at the front desk of the hospital looked as if she hadn't slept in days. And, Joker guessed, with the number of patients that were in the hospital, she probably hadn't. She was typing furiously on a laptop, it's glow illuminating her face. She glanced up as a burger-laden Joker and Gunny walked up to her desk.

"Name of patient that you want to visit?"

Joker handed his burgers to Gunny, not listening to her protest, and stepped towards the nurse, "Adalia Shepard."

The nurse laughed, "You and the rest of the galaxy want to see her. I'm not authorized to allow anyone to enter."

"But I'm her friend! She knows me, and she knows I'm coming."

Once again, the nurse let loose a laugh, "Do you know how many people have said that to me?"

Joker was becoming agitated, he stepped closer to the nurse's desk, "Listen to me, ma'am," He almost spat out the title, "I'm Shepard's pilot. I served under her command for the past three years. Let me see my commander."

The nurse shook her head regretfully, "I'm sorry, sir, I can't let you in unless I get authorization from her or one of the other specified individuals. Come back when you have that authorization." With that, she began typing on her keyboard once again.

Joker remained staring at the nurse for a few more moments before Gunny tapped his arm. He looked at his sister.

"Come on, Jeff, let's leave."

Joker shook his head, "I'll contact her again and get her to approve us."

"Maybe we should just leave..."

"Gunny, I didn't buy two extra fifty dollar burgers for nothing. We are getting in to see Shepard or else."

Joker watched as Gunny pursed her lips at the statement. His sister was overly shy about meeting new people-a trait of their mother. Joker, on the other hand, had inherited the overly confident nature of their father. He had also developed such a personality to compensate for the crippling disease that disabled his body.

"Sir," Joker turned around and looked at the nurse, "Can you state your name for me?"

"Jeff Moreau."

"You have just been authorized to visit Miss Shepard. She is in room 215."

"Thanks." Joker grabbed Gunny by the arm and walked along the hallway of the hospital, "It's about frickin' time." He muttered under his breath.

Joker stopped outside room 215 and knocked on the door, he took three burgers from Gunny and waited.

"It's open." Joker heard Alenko say.

Gunny gulped, slinking around the corner of the hallway, unwilling to meet Joker's commanding officer.

Joker, not knowing that is younger sister had slipped away, opened the door and walked into the room. He grinned at the two of them. Shepard was lying in the bed, her bad leg propped on a pillow. Kaidan was leaning his elbows on the mattress next to Shepard with his hands laced together. He sat up when Joker walked in.

"Hungry?" Joker threw a burger at Shepard.

She smiled her thanks, "You bet. Being a pregnant biotic sucks sometimes."

"Hey, there's two biotics in this room, you know." Kaidan held up his hands to catch his own burger.

"Yeah, yeah, Alenko." Joker sat down in one of the rooms chairs and began to eat his burger. His eyes closed at the taste, "That hits the spot. Hey, Shepard, your leg better? I don't see a cast."

Shepard took a bite of her hamburger and savored the taste. It had been a long time since she had had Earth food. The food made in the mess of the Normandy didn't compare. "I do have a cast-in a way. They fitted me with a flexible exoskeleton for my leg. Apparently, I'll be able to walk without a limp in a few more days." Joker nodded, and after another bite of her burger, Shepard asked, "Who did you want me to meet, Joker?"

Joker's eyes opened wide, he had completely forgotten about his sister-which made him sound like an irresponsible brother. He put down his burger and glanced at the door of the room, finally noticing that Gunny had disappeared. He shook his head in dismay, "Well, she was right behind me, but she's shy. Hang on." Joker stood and walked into the hallway of the hospital. He spotted his sister, grabbed her sleeve, ignoring her protests and dragged her into Shepard's room.

"This," Joker said once he had pulled his sister in front of Shepard and Kaidan, "is my little sister, Gunny. Gunny, this is Kaidan Alenko and Shepard. I served with them both on the Normandy."

Gunny managed a small wave as they said their greetings.

In the minutes that followed, Joker and Kaidan sat talking about dealings with the Normandy and her crew. Gunny was leaning against the wall of the room, her hamburger long gone. There was a question that she wanted to ask the commander. She had been mustering up her courage to approach the legendary figure who was lying in the hospital bed a mere five feet away.

Finally finding her resolve, Gunny walked over to Shepard, "Commander, can I ask you a question?"

Shepard glanced up from the data pad she had been staring at and set it aside, "Only if you don't call me 'commander'. You're a little too young to be in the Alliance."

Gunny frowned, "So, what do I call you then?"

Shepard shrugged, "Shepard, Adalia, Dali," she gave a half smile, "pick one."

Gunny nodded, "Dali, is my brother really dating a robot? He won't give me a straight answer."

Shepard chuckled, "Technically, she isn't a robot-she's an AI-artificial intelligence." Shepard added, seeing the look on Gunny's face, "She was the computer interface of my ship-the Normandy, introduced when Cerberus built the SR2 model. After the Reapers attacked Earth, we went to Mars where we took the dead body of a Cerberus operative onboard. EDI-which is abbreviated from Effective Defense Interface, took over that body. It surprised the hell out of us all."

"How did they become involved?"

Shepard smiled mischievously, "Well, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't lend a hand."

"You set them up?"

"In a way. I really only gave the approval. It helped if we all had someone to fight for-someone to come back to in the end." It didn't escape Gunny's notice how Shepard's eyes flickered towards Kaidan at the statement.

"Can you tell me how it happened?"

Shepard propped herself up slightly higher against the pillows, "I started to notice Joker's...attraction...to EDI when I found him flirting with the ship..."

~Finis~