Those We Watch Over

by: Vergil1989 the Crossover King and Archer83

Summary: Some heroes are born, others are made. Regardless of their origins, one thing is certain. No matter their reality, their past, or their unique circumstance, as long as there are those willing to fight in defense of the weak and the oppressed, true heroes will never die.

Disclaimer: We own neither Bioware's Mass Effect trilogy, or the new Blizzard game, Overwatch. We're just overzealous fans, enjoying our time and our overactive imaginations, a little too much.

Authors Notes: Archer83: Okay folks, I gotta give Vergil a lot of credit for this one. I may have thought up a half remembered idea a long time ago and showed him the cinematic trailer for Overwatch, but Vergil was the driving force behind this idea. He's the one you can thank for this story's very existence. That said, if you hate it, cough, it's entirely his fault, cough. If you love it, well that was exactly what both of us were going for!

Vergil1989: Hey! You can take half of the blame if they hate this you know! 'Sigh'. This is what happens when we stay up too late and I have one too many Mountain Dews in a row. I'm a lightweight, what can I say? In all seriousness though, if Archer hadn't found that clip and sent it to me on a whim, we wouldn't have thought of this grand new tale. There might not be a lot of information to go on for the new Blizzard game as of us posting this, but what there is on the official site for Overwatch just had my brain exploding with ideas, and this is the result. That said, we hope you guys and gals enjoy the story for what it is.

That and Archer couldn't shut up about Tracer. Sounded like a total fangirl, he did.

"Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones."

-Winston Churchill

Chapter 1: The World Could Always Use More Heroes

The Citadel, Zakura Ward

It all began with a direct call from the Council to her omni-tool. During her shore leave. What a bunch of useless morons. Least Tevos is hot. Totally tap dat blue ass. Wonder how drunk I'd have to get ol' Garrus for a nice, chaffy threesome? Was the first semi-drunken thought that came to mind.

Despite the fact they had made her life difficult after her death and subsequent revival though, Jessie Shepard, the first human Spectre, had an obligation to assist the Council and the people of the galaxy. There wasn't any question in her mind whether or not she would answer this latest interruption of her near quixotic quest to get as shitfaced as possible barhopping with Garrus and Tali. Because despite how the Citadel Council had tried to discredit all she had done for them when she had stopped Sovereign, she and her crew had taken up the mantle of being guardians for the galaxy. Even if the Council didn't deserve the help, innocent lives were at stake, and they didn't deserve to be gunned down by some nutjob with an ax to grind.

Thane should be meeting Kolyat on the Presidum right about now...little extra firepower couldn't hurt. Hate to interrupt his time with his son though…. Shepard sighed though, knowing that he'd have to catch up with Kolyat later as she finally slapped a hand on her wrist mounted omni-tool. "Joker, have Thane meet me by the Zakura Ward lift. We have a job to do in the market square." Jessie said into her comm link before she, the turian sniper, and the quarian genius mechanic took off, her semi-drunken state forgotten as adrenaline rushed through her cybernetically enhanced body. One benefit of being brought back from the dead was the handy body modifications.

"Any info besides the fact the Council decided to ruin our happy hour...hours, Shepard?" Garrus asked, a sly smirk on his face as he pulled his side arm off of his hip holster he kept on him at all times. "And I bet you don't think I'm a 'lightweight' now do you Shepard?"

Shepard chuckled at the comment, her crystal blue eyes shining brightly as she slid to a stop by the elevator that would get them down to the appropriate level. All they would have to do from there was run a few short blocks from the lift. "A hostage situation has developed in the market. Only tactical info we have is two hostiles and a kid caught in the middle." Shepard rolled her eyes at the turian, shaking off the last effects of her epic bender. "And you had two ales Garrus. That's practically the definition." She retorted as she brushed a hand through her brunette hair, getting a few strands out of her eyes in the process. Really need to get a damn haircut again.

"She's got you there Garrus." Tali chortled before growing serious, her visor covered face locked on the Commander. "Anything else to go on Shepard? Not to sound rude, but this sounds like a job for C-Sec to me."

Any other day, Jessie would have agreed with her long time friend, but the Council's message had her worried. "From what I got from the Council, these guys are different from your average mercs. The words 'Extremely Hostile' were in bold in the message. Twice. I guess we'll find out when we get there Tali. Just keep your eyes peeled and keep your heads down." Pulling her own side arm from a holster underneath her jet black dress, Shepard stepped into the elevator just as Thane slipped into the small compartment right behind Garrus. Only a nod passed between them as their eyes met, but it was enough to know the assassin was with them and ready for a fight.

"I'm not complaining, I'll take a gunfight in the Presidium over holding your hair for you in the bathroom any day of the week Shepard." Tali snarked before giving Thane a hidden smile. Despite the fact he could kill them all with his reptilian pinkies, the drell was a trusted ally and friend to them all.

"Damn it Tali... You beat me to it." Garrus sulked, making a last second calibration to his pistol.

Thane chuckled warmly, sending a pleasant chill down Jessie's spine as he caught onto the conversation almost immediately. "I have to agree with Ms. Zorah. You do tend to celebrate rather voraciously siha. However, the fact that you are not afraid to enjoy life so fully amidst all the darkness that surrounds us on a regular basis is admirable."

"And that is why I like you Thane. You at least understand the need to let your hair down. If you had hair, that is." Jessie ignored the feigned gagging noises she could hear from Garrus as she kissed the drell, briefly, before pulling away from the assassin just as the elevator doors opened. "Let's go kick some ass and save a scared kid."

"Right behind ya Commander. I'm heading up for that overpass." Garrus said as he pointed to a bridge that overlooked the market square, offering plenty of cover for the skilled sharpshooter. Even without his sniper rifle, he was a crack shot with a pistol. He'd have plenty of chances to rain down hell on their opponents.

"Alright, if you get a shot, you take it Garrus. We need to get those hostages out of the danger zone." Jessie replied as she, Tali, and Thane started forward, letting Garrus get set up on overwatch.

"Really Commander?" A familiar sarcastic sing song tone came over their comms a split second later. "Danger Zo-"

"I swear to god Joker, I will waltz your ass all over the CIC if you break comm silence again." She didn't have to raise her voice to frighten Joker, the Normandy's ace pilot, into silence. Still, she had to smile despite the bad mood she was in, and continued forward, her pistol raised as she contacted Joker again. "Have EDI monitor all incoming comms chatter in the area. If anything comes up, patch us through."

"Patching in now Shepard." The AI replied, overriding Joker before he could try and get a word in edgewise. "C-Sec reports heavy fire coming from an office building across the Presidium's circumferential artificial lake five hundred and twenty seven meters west of your current position. Be advised, there are confirmed reports of at least one sniper, lightly armored but very accurate. At last count, nine C-sec officers have been wounded, two fatalities. They also report strange sightings of what is described as 'a moving cloud of black smoke' that has been seen in the general vicinity the sniper. Anyone who gets close to this 'smoke' is promptly gunned down by shotgun fire."

"Some kind of cloaking field we've never seen before?" Tali asked, her suit's sensors already primed and active for extensive sweeps across all spectrums. She hoped she might be able to break through whatever technology the cloaked gunman was using, before he found them next.

"What of the young hostage? Have they been harmed?" Thane inquired with a frown, not noticing the brief gleam in Shepard's eyes.

Those bastards better hope I get to them before he does. Shepard mused, knowing exactly what Thane was pondering. Killing those that would endanger children to protect themselves with methods not quite as fast or painless as he usually applied. He was the epitome of a surgeon with a sniper rifle, but it went far beyond that. Thane's body itself was a high precision scalpel, able to dismantle an opponent with pinpoint precision, and she knew his stance on endangering innocent bystanders. Who ever was behind this was going to die, painfully, but he'd be sure let them know it was about to happen first.

"Reports indicate that the hostage is, at present, unharmed and-" Shepard could easily make out Joker's concerned voice in the background clearly taking her threat seriously as he had decided to go through EDI instead of risking telling her something himself over the comm.

Jessie sighed as they ran across to the open market. "Just spit it out Joker."

"Commander, look up, at your ten o'clock!" Joker yelled, his tone of voice alerting her to the danger about to hit them.

Three things happened at once. Garrus didn't bother with a warning as he fired over Shepard's head, right into the heart of the 'smoke' that had started to rise out of the ground right in front of them. It disappeared, but not before it got a shot off, the resounding boom of a high powered shotgun their only warning as her team scattered at the last second. Finding cover was easy since there were a large number of abandoned transports and market kiosks all over the Presidium.

"That's new." Jessie deadpanned as the 'smoke' appeared again, before taking the form of a black clad man in a white, death like mask dual wielding shotguns of a type she had never seen before. Those look interesting, might have to confiscate them after I slag his corpse. The 'smoke' still lingered, swirling and dancing around the gunman as if it had a mind of its own. Or as if it was being controlled by the man himself.

"Your needless theatricality and williness to take a child hostage is beyond distasteful." Thane muttered as he calmly aimed his pistol at the dark figure's head. "May Kalahira grant you mercy in the next life." He wasted no more time as he squeezed the trigger on his pistol, filling the air with several shots in the space of a few seconds.

To Thane's surprise, the gunman disappeared only to reappear several feet away just as his rounds got close. The gunman's retort was as short as it was disturbing. "Die. Die! DIE!"

"GET DOWN!" Shepard shouted as explosions rocked the heavy C-Sec transport she had decided to use as cover. Apparently she wasn't the only one that favored ammo mods since the gunman's shotguns started to spit out mini grenades with every pull of the trigger. "Damn, this guy is pissing me off already!" Shepard yelled before snapping out of cover, her pistol raised and aimed at the freak of nature. Time slowed down to a crawl as she used her adrenaline mod, dilating time around her before pulling the trigger. Round after high powered round disappeared into the black smoke surrounding the gunman, and she was mildly satisfied and disappointed that he had to jump back and duck behind his own cover by the time she was forced to let her gun cool off.

Another shot rang out from above and the whirling dervish of destruction promptly vanished into yet another billowing cloud of inky black smoke. "Scoped and dropped!" Garrus bragged, having forced the shadowy freak back further still, buying them some breathing room.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that mon ami." A female voice, a noticeable old Earth french accent, filtered through their comms before the sniper made herself known by taking a shot at Garrus. If not for a strange blue blurr and a timely jerk to the right, the bullet would have punched through his skull, leaving his brains on the deck. "I missed?! I never miss!" The woman shouted, but whatever she said next was interrupted when Tali cut her link to their comms a second later.

"Comms are clear Commander." The quarian replied before bringing her own weapon to bear on the distant sniper just as Garrus checked in.

"Shepard, watch for the sniper, fifth floor balcony, above the Fornax stand. She's good..." Garrus, normally one for banter, didn't stick around to give his female counterpart another chance to ventilate his skull as he took off with all speed to find another position that didn't make him a sitting varren. "This is a new experience, getting shot at by a scantily clad assassin." He muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

Tali's audible huff of annoyance could be heard over the background gunfire. "Funny how you noticed that, and not, say, what type of sniper rifle she has." The turian didn't need to see the young quarian to know she was shaking her head in disgust.

"Oh I did, didn't recognize it, but I want one. Has a nifty machine gun attachment." Garrus replied just as the sniper started unloading an entire clip in his general direction. "She certainly seems to like me. Why do all the crazy ones try to shoot me without buying me dinner first?" If not for the small, solid metallic barrier that was on the edge of the bridge he was running across, Garrus was sure he'd have been riddled full of holes already. As it was, only a few rounds found him, but his shield generator belt took the brunt of the damage that would have otherwise laid him low.

"The shadow's back Commander." Thane reported just as the black cloud materialized in the center of the square. Just as the gunman raised one of its weapons, Thane snap drew his pistol and shot the man in the chest several times, forcing the shadow bender back several steps.

"Take her out and I'll let you handle the interrogation Garrus." Shepard said as she nodded to Tali to activate her drone. She wanted to hit that shotgun toting freak on all sides. Turning to Thane, she silently gestured for him to try and get close the moment she started firing at the bastard again once her adrenaline mod recharged. She'd distract him, he'd bring the gunman down with extreme prejudice if that's what it took.

"You're on." Garrus replied, his smirk back in place as he climbed a ladder leading to a rooftop that was cluttered with a number of vents and air conditioning units, providing ample cover for the turian.

"Chitika, go for...anything solid." Tali hesitantly sent off her combat drone, warily eyeing the seemingly random path of the smoke cloud.

"Yes. YES! GIVE ME A CHALLENGE! How about a surprise?" Shepard froze up when she saw that the gunman had the young wiggling hostage held up by the back of his shirt. "Got you." Before she could duck back down, his shotgun snapped up. The resounding boom was all she heard before the red spray slammed into her kinetic shield, driving her back several feet. She hardly had time to breathe before he fired again, driving her back further. The second shot had her skidding across the metal deck on her back, and while she was dazed from the pounding, she was otherwise alright. That would change though if she didn't get to cover quick.

"Shepard's hit! Oh keelah, that dress is never going to be the same." To make matters worse, the gunman barely had to turn before he took out Tali's drone with a single shot before it could zap him.

"Glad you're so concerned about my formal wear Tali." Shepard muttered as she stumbled behind cover.

"Take him down Garrus!" Thane shouted, only to be driven back when the sniper took a shot at him as he tried to run to her side. The drell slammed his fist into the deck next to him in a rare show of frustration. "I'm pinned down! I can't reach Shepard!" The sniper was too far for him to use his biotics, and he wasn't sure what would happen if he used them against the gunman on the ground. It was never wise to mix two different types of energy together, the results could be...problematic.

"I can't get a clean shot!" Garrus shouted back. Between the shadow freak and the sniper, he couldn't concentrate on both without leaving himself open to one or the other.

Well this sucks. Shepard mused as she stumbled forward, not surprised to see flecks of red on her palm as she coughed into to her hand. Maybe she wasn't as fine as she thought. Her day became worse when she saw the red targeting laser from the sniper's weapon. "Oh gre-"

"Lemme go you big...jerk!" If she wasn't half conscious at the moment, Shepard would have been cheering the kid on as he desperately tried to wiggle free in the man's grasp. Landing a lucky strike to the side of the death mask with what looked to be a reinforced cast on his arm, the boy managed to distract and infuriate his stunned captor long enough to squirm free and dash away.

The sniper was oblivious to this as she centered her scope on the prone soldier's head, planning to cut the head off of this rather elite unit then and there. "You're mine." Just as she prepared to pull the trigger, the distinctive blue blur flashed in front of her scope. "YOU!"

"Coming through love!" Before Shepard knew what was happening, the blur slammed into her, and the next second, she was halfway across the street, behind the same transport she had been hiding behind earlier. Before Jessie could begin to wonder what had just happened, the blue blur was gone, having moved towards the death masked freak. "Hey mate, long time no see!"

"You….it's past time you met your end!" Before he could get a bead on her though, the blue blur had zipped away, twin submachine guns firing with every step until she had gotten out of range of the man's shotguns. The blur giggled at the heavily armed man before pointing at his belt. "Stop laughing!"

"This is so much fun though Reapster! Catch ya later!" The team got a glimpse of a spiky haired young woman giving the shotgun shadow bender a two finger salute before zipping away once more.

Thane had long since scooped up the boy in his arms and gotten him behind cover as he heard two distinct sounds. The tingling of metal and satisfied laughter. Looking down, he saw what could only be multiple grenade pins in the smiling boy's grasp. "Take cover!"

"No! I am death, I am IMMORT-"

The various thoughts that were racing through Thane's mind were cut off by the massive series of explosions that followed. The blue blur streaked to his side, taking the form of the same grinning woman who smiled and nodded to the boy. "Oh, an oldie but goodie that one is! Cheers!" Of the black smoke or the gunman, there was no trace when the blast cleared.

"Reaper! Reaper report! Blast!" The sniper growled, and was about to use her grapple gun to get away, until a massive shadow fell over her. She froze for only a moment, but it was enough.

"You aren't going anywhere Widowmaker!" One massive paw slammed into her midriff, forcing her over the balcony she had been using before she slammed onto the bottom floor in a disorganized heap. Following in her wake was the biggest, and easily the second angriest gorilla Jessie had ever seen, covered in armor from head to waist. Before the sniper could bring her gun to bear, the giant ape knocked it from her hand and grabbed her by her throat, bringing her up to his level. "This fight is over!"

Lunging towards the flying weapon, Garrus cradled it in his talons like a long lost lover. "Thanks for the new toy. I'll be sure to take good care of her." The scathing look the pale, grey skinned woman shot him could have cut through the Normandy's armor like a hot knife through butter.

"Don't get too attached mon ami! This is just the beginning!" Widow shouted back before shoving a grenade into the gorilla's open mouth. Dropping her as a thick, billowing green cloud enveloped them, Widowmaker grappled up to a nearby building before the toxic cloud could affect her as well.

What could only be described as a window shatteringly loud coughing fit and roar of pure rage soon followed. "Winston! Calm down mate, Widow's toxin's gonna be the end of ya if ya don't calm down!" The spiky haired girl said as she rushed to his side, concern etched in her green orange ski goggle covered eyes, and strangely enough, the big ape complied.

"Left pocket, back side. Get it done old friend." Winston said as he tried to reach for the indicated pouch on his armor himself. Whatever had been in that grenade though was making his fingers slow, unresponsive, and if Shepard didn't know any better, she'd say his vision was already failing him. Ripping open the small compartment, the comparatively tiny woman reached in and pulled out a ridiculous big hypodermic syringe filled with a purplish substance.

"Just think happy thoughts Winston." Without the slightest hesitation, she jammed the needle into the side of the ape's thick neck before pushing the plunger down as fast as she could. Shepard and her allies had to cover their ears at the roar of pain the gorilla let out at the rather vicious way the small girl had stabbed him with whatever antidote had been in that syringe. "There we go love, all better right?"

Winston glared at her, squinting his brown eyes. "Ow. You know that's supposed to be injected into my gluteus maximus right?"

"Oops. Sorry, was a bit more concerned with savin' your life big guy." The woman giggled, casually tossing the used vail behind her as if disposing of incriminating evidence.

"Can someone start making some sense?" Garrus said as he walked up to the strange duo, his new sniper rifle held up against his shoulder. "Who are you for starters? Not that we don't appreciate the assist. Love that accent of your's by the way, are all brazilian Earth women so beautiful?"

"Hehe, wrong continent mate!" The cheerful pipsqueak next to the giant ape informed the turian sharp shooter. "Tracer's the name, shootin' bad blokes in the face is my game. Good friends 'o mine just call me Lena. Captain Lena Oxton. This oversized friend of mine is Winston. Genius inventor, even if he is a little on the hairy side."

"Hey!" Winston grunted before turning to rest of the group. The sheepish look on his face was strange to see after how ferocious he had appeared just a few minutes earlier. "Umm, could you point us to your nearest transdimensional portal by any chance? We have two young gentlemen to get safely back to their families."

Garrus responded to that unique question with all his vast technical knowledge. "Huh?"

"I'll take this one Garrus." Jessie said as she looked towards the rather polite gorilla, two thoughts she never believe she'd have cross her mind in the same sentence. Despite the insanity of the day, she managed to keep her cool. The odd duo had just saved their lives after all. "Sorry big guy, but we're all out of portals at the moment."

"That. Was. Awesome!" The boy, who had been silently staring in awe at everyone and everything around him loudly exclaimed as he jumped into the air.

"Timmy!" The small group quickly parted as another teenaged human boy, wearing a blue hoodie and a pair of gray pants. Out of all of them, he looked the most mundane as he scooped the younger boy up and hugged him tightly before turning to point an accusing finger at 'Tracer'. "I can't believe you did that to me! Leaving me with that big stupid talking jellyfish and- " The older of the two humans stopped and stared at the assorted aliens and their apparent leader in dumbfoundment. "Great, just great."

"Wow! That is the coolest looking alien I've ever seen!" Despite having been the one held hostage by the gunman, the younger of the two brothers was practically bouncing off the walls as he squirmed away from his brother's protective grip and hopped up and down excitedly. Thane and Tali blinked at the young boy's enthusiasm while Tracer giggled into her hand at the sight. "This is so cool! Guess how many aliens I've seen in like...twenty minutes!" He held up seven fingers for emphasis. "Can we stay Brian?! Can we can we can we?!"

"Can you shut up for two seconds Timmy?! I'm trying to think!" Tracer swatted the back of the teen's head with a gloved hand. "What was that for?!"

"For bein' a proper jerk to your kid brother. Thought that much was obvious. Ya need to relax mate, there's no need to cause a ruckus. We're all in this together after all." Jessie shared a look with her companions, having considered doing that herself, but Tracer had beaten her to it. It was probably just as well though, she might have cold clocked the kid by accident.

"Indeed, there's no need to be rude to your brother young man. We are all trapped here until we can find a way home." Winston said before gently pushing the two apart and turning to Shepard. "Our apologies for dragging you into this confrontation ma'am. Suffice it to say, if not for the intervention of these two, we might not be having this conversation."

Timmy nodded so rapidly Shepard was half worried he was going to give himself whiplash as he launched into a detailed explanation, even providing them with sound effects. "Yeah! Brian was so awesome when he found Sidewinder's portal gun after he used Doomfists's gauntlet on Widowmaker! First he zapped Widowmaker, then Reaper! Zzzzaaaapppp, ZZZaaapppp! But then the gun exploded with a big VVVRROOSHH! and we all went through this flashy tunnel! This is the best birthday party ever!"

Shepard grinned, finding Timmy's actions entertaining. Turning to the older of the pair, she found it rather cute Brian was blushing as he tried to hide his face under his hoodie. "Really? That's pretty brave of you kid."

"So courageous, and you're only, what twelve human years old?" She had to stop Tali from outright hugging the boy, he looked mortified and shocked enough as it was.

"I'm fifteen! ...I was just protecting my annoying little brother. I don't see what the big deal is" Brian replied quietly and rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't think it would do all this."

"You don't need superpowers to be a hero." Winston replied sagely and nodded his head, as if agreeing with his own statement.

"Sometimes you just need to be in the right place, at the right time, and press the wrong bloomin' button." Tracer admonished the boy, putting one hand on her hip while the other rested against her jaw. "Huh. Maybe that's why the sign said 'Do not touch.'"

"I could have let Widow shoot you instead you know. Instead of redirecting her shot at the last second." Brian grumbled, but there was no bite to his words as he crossed his arms over his chest. He frowned at the barely contained smile hidden behind her hand. "And you're totally messing with me, aren't you?"

"Took ya long enough mate. Sidewinder always did complain about it glitchin' up though. Guess this was what he meant." Tracer replied as she waved her arms as if to encompass the entire Citadel.

"Uh huh. I take it this is the norm for you folks?" Shepard asked, and wasn't all that surprised by the answer she got.

"Pretty much mate. Where we're from, things are a tad bit different. Heroes like me and the big guy still fight the good fight though!" She quickly glanced around the massive artificial construct that was the Presidium. "Nice place. Bit overdone though, ain't it? ...Are there fish in that lake? Could go for a bit of fish an' chips I could!"

"Heh, I knew there was a reason I liked you." Garrus chuckled as he held out his hand to the blue blur returning from a far off railing by the lake. "Garrus Vakarian, former C-Sec officer. My friends here are Tali'zorah vas Normandy, Thane Krios, and Commander Jessie Shepard. And sorry, no fish, but you wouldn't be the first one to ask that."

"No worries mate. And it's nice to meetcha all." Tracer replied as she shook the officer's taloned hand eagerly before turning to her own friend. "Winston, hows 'bout you start whipping up some gadgets and what's-its and get us home? I'll treat the lads to a nice meal, I will. Come back in say 'bout an hour?"

"With what exactly? I have no tools, no equipment, and no resources!" Winston huffed in irritation, before giving the petite firespite a guilty look. "Sorry Tracer, but it might take far longer than you believe to get us out of this mess." Winston hung his head, but he perked up when Tracer put a hand on his cheek and tapped him playfully on the chin.

"No worries then love. We'll just make do with what's at hand. In the meantime, ya must be starving right? Say Garrus, anywhere we can get a bite?"

Garrus rubbed at the back of his fringe, mildly freaked out at her very casual approach to dealing with another species she clearly had never seen before. "Um, you aren't going to at least ask me about the mandibles?"

Tracer merely shrugged and flashed him a grin. "Very manly looking they are. As for why we ain't all collywobbles over the view, might as well call it 'aliens invading Tuesday' for us mate. But don't worry, not all of you blokes are bad news."

"Fascinating. That explains everything rather succinctly." Thane offered with a respectful nod of his head.

"You're...a talking Earth gorilla..." Was the only thing a dumbfounded Tali could think to say after pulling her attention away from the two boys to openly stare at Winston.

Jessie gently patted the girl on the back before turning to Winston, an apologetic look on her face for the quarian's reaction. "You'll have to forgive Tali, little slow on the uptake when it comes to inexplicably strange things happening to us for no reason. Should really be used to it by now I suppose. Although I'll admit this is a first for me too."

Winston ambled over to the suited woman and gently took her right hand in his. "Hmm, hermetically sealed environmental suit, complete with shield generators, emergency induction ports, and combat armoring. It's a pleasure to meet you." Shepard couldn't hold back the yelp of laughter that burst from her when the giant lightly pressed his lips to the back of Tali's gloved hand. "I seem to have missed something."

"She's not as funny as she thinks." Tali said as she glared at the Commander, having recovered some semblance of her composure. "Let's just say that this is the last thing I expected to have happen today. And I don't mean seeing a talking gorilla."

"I'm actually a genetically modified cross between various primate species, but that's an easy mistake to make. Suffice it to say madam, I was the genius level intellect behind our former group Tracer and I were a part of, Overwatch." Winston replied, his brown eyes practically gleaming despite the strange situation he found himself in.

"I know a certain salarian scientist who would enjoy spending some time with you if you're half as smart as you claim Winston." The distant sound of approaching sirens drew Jessie's attention before she turned back to the odd foursome. "I don't know about you folks, but I don't feel like trying to explain this one to the local authorities. Do you?"

Tracer looked over her shoulder towards Winston, her grin giving way to a thoughtful expression. "Whaddya think big guy? Should we trust the fiery little minx and her chums? Seem like good folk to me."

"Hmm." Winston murmured quietly as he stroked his broad, fur covered chin.

"Well, if it helps, my ship has it's own laboratory and we'd be happy to-" She never got a chance to finish her line of thought as Winston interrupted her with a raised paw. Well that was easy. He's like a bear with honey...or high end scientific equipment.

"Let's go with them." Winston was already shoving his petite companion towards Shepard.

Can we come to?! Can we can we can we?" Brian could only sigh as his brother jumped up and down, waving his hands around in excitement. "We came with them, we're staying'with them! Somebody's gotta keep them from getting in trouble."

"These two did render timely assistance." Winston agreed, chuckling at the younger of the two boys before ruffling Timmy's hair gently.

"A rather difficult logic to argue against Shepard." Thane whispered to her with the faint hint of a smirk on his lips.

"I didn't plan to leave you two here anyway." Shepard replied, chuckling softly at the exuberant Timmy as she knelt down to his level. "I just have two rules if you're staying on my ship kiddo. Try and stay out of trouble yourself while you're keeping an eye on these two." Her crystal blue eyes mischievously flicked to Winston and Tracer. "And second, having dessert is mandatory in the mess hall."

"Huh?" It was the first time Timmy had anything on his face that didn't resemble a giant grin.

"She means where they eat." Brian explained.

"Oh! Thanks!" And like a switch being flipped, the grin was back. "There's ice cream right?!"

"You know you're going to regret this right Shepard?" Tali asked, a twinkle in her silver gray eyes despite her statement.

"Nah, besides, if he gets into trouble, I can dump him into the airlock for a few hours of solitary." The young boy's grin vanished in an instant before he dashed over to the massive gorilla and grabbed his leg for dear life.

"She's gonna shoot me into space!" He managed a brave glare from behind the gorilla's giant forearm. "Smash her Winston!"

"Wait, what? No! I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" Jessie hurriedly said as Tracer shook her head at the marine and sighed.

"Wow. Probably a bad time to say 'That was a joke' Shepard. Honestly, you're like an over the top villainous pirate out of some horrible B holovid." Garrus muttered, shaking his head at his mortified commander.

"Yours is truly a maternal spirit siha." Thane quipped, just barely able to stop from chuckling at the scene before him.

"It's Shepard, what do you expect? She shoots mercs and giant death machines for a living." Tali deadpanned, a wide grin plastered on her face. "Don't worry, we'll protect you from Commander Grumpy Bosh'tet." With a nod to the turian, Tali and Garrus nudged past a facepalming Shepard.

Tracer had started to walk backwards besides the group, her hands folded behind her head and her perpetual grin on her face. "Don't have much experience with kids do ya ma'am?"

"I like kids. They just don't like me much." Jessie retorted, and sighed at the amused looks on her comrades' faces. "Okay, so I don't know how to handle them. You happy?"

"Never would have guessed." The older boy grumbled, but managed a small smile a moment later. "Still, thanks for letting us tag along until this gets sorted out. I'll try and keep Tim outta your hair."

At this point, Shepard turned to see the several dozen C-Sec officers staring blankly at the scene before them in open mouth, or mandibled, shock. She did the only thing she could think of and activated her omni-tool, displaying her Spectre authority. "Spectre business, I want a complete forensic rundown and full report on the scene ASAP. I want to know what we were shooting at. As for these four, I'll, ah, be taking them into protective custody." Shepard's eyes flicked to the younger boy warily staring up at her. "Which is really a very good thing in your case kid, I promise." It's a hell of a lot better than them strapping your big friend here to a dissection table and tossing the flakey brit in a padded cell while they stripped apart her toys. Not to mention the Alliance's piece of shit foster care system...ah memories.

Winston said nothing as he observed a range of emotions pass over the human woman's face, but he still noted them as he watched the C-Sec officers let them pass. Not without a lot of questioning, and more than a few confused looks, but they still let them go. Her Spectre status must mean a great deal in this space-time continuum. Interesting. He was happy to see that Tracer had a similarly thoughtful look on her face, but he would expect nothing less from his long time friend and companion.

But he sighed when he saw her gaze fix upon one of the rather alluring blue skinned women amongst the officers. He could practically hear Tracer's thoughts as he looked at her stunned visage. Those blue squid ladies look so glamorous in spiffy unis! Wonder if I might chat one of em up later...

"Um..." Shepard felt the sudden urge to clear her throat. It seemed her 'Commander' voice wasn't cooperating today. "Let's move out people."

"Let's move out blah blah blah. I am a bossy jerk that likes to be mean." Timmy gruffly mocked as the Spectre hung her head and sighed before marching towards the nearest aircar terminal. She was just grateful most of them were automated these days, trying to explain a talking gorilla to a cab driver was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Shut up Timmy! Don't make the people with tons of guns angry." The fact he was looking at Shepard when he said it didn't go unnoticed by anyone.

Timmy's reply wasn't exactly original as he stuck his tongue out. "No you shut up!"

I need a drink. Or better yet, lock myself and Thane in my quarters for the next eight hours. Hmm, not a bad idea. Let's see how Commander Grumpy Bosh'tet's mutineers like playing babysitter. Shepard's plan was blown to hell as Timmy held out of his arms expediently in front of Thane and the drell hesitantly scooped him up before putting him on his right shoulder. Damn. There goes that idea.