Interlude: Boys Will Be Boys

There were about twelve of them. More or less. Twelve "crew" kids in the hangar, left to entertain themselves while their parents were upstairs getting drunk in the mess and celebrating the anniversary of when they'd finally defeated the Reapers. Or something.

But Izzy hadn't gotten time to count or even talk to the other kids when the fight broke out. So that's how the ten of them ended up standing there, totally aghast, while the 14 year old human boy and the 11 year old turian boy went at it.

Idiots, Izzy couldn't help but think.

Jason was being a jerk, which he was prone to be if he was showing off, which of course he was because he was absolutely head over heels for Jacob's daughter (never mind that she was four years older than him). He'd just kept going on and on… Really, it had made her and Remus both sick.

He was bragging about his combat and biotic skills (which were about the only talents he had, Izzy thought petulantly). And then whatever small amount of brains Jason had left went out the airlock.

"Really, I don't mind showing you. I'm sure Reme will be happy to help out. We'll set up a demonstration and I'll be happy to show you what the real son of Jane Shepard can do-"

She was going to yell at him not to be such an ass. Her hands were on her hips and her mouth was already open, but before the words could come out there was a loud THUD that filled the hangar and resonated off the shuttles.

To be honest, no one was sure if that thud was from Remus colliding with his older brother or from Jason's head hitting the ground.

The only person who didn't seem to be shocked by the tackle, the sudden display of aggression by the normally quiet turian, was Jason.

Needless to say, it had gone downhill from there.

Jason and Remus kept punching and kicking each other, rolling around on the floor and trying to gain the upper hand. Jason was older and still slightly bigger, but Remus' body was built for this type of fighting. Neither could gain a distinct advantage, though that didn't stop either boy from trying.

Izzy didn't want to think about how much trouble they'd all get in if one of the boys ended up with a bloody nose or black eye. "You JERKS. STOP IT!" she had stepped forward to try and pull them off each other, but every time she reached in she immediately had to pull her hands back to keep from getting hit. "UGH!" she yelled, finally losing patience. She was still too young to have any real control over her biotics, so even she was surprised when the blew energy erupted from her and roughly pushed the boys about ten feet apart from each other.

She thought it would be over then, but Remus immediately went into a fighting stance. She looked to Jason pleadingly, but he was just smiling wickedly.

"Good idea, Izzy," he said and then charged up his own biotics.

"THAT'S CHEATING!"Remus yelled as he was forced to dodge out of the way of a couple well placed attacks. "NO BIOTICS!"

Jason just kept grinning. And then Remus growled and pulled off his gloves and boots, throwing them to the side. The other kids were completely confused, but the look of horror on Jason's face said that maybe he knew the significance.

"HEY, NO TALONS-" but then he was on his back again and there was a long line down his cheek.

And to Izzy's utter horror, the boys went back to wrestling, now with the combined effect of biotics and turian talons. And she was pretty sure she saw Tali's daughter placing a bet with Alenko's son. Great. Absolutely no backup on this one.

It took another three full minutes before EDI appeared at the door of the hangar. "Children. Commander Shepard is on her way down to investigate the use of biotics. I suggest you cease your current activities."

Jason and Remus immediately froze. They looked at each other in terror before pushing off the ground and trying to dust off their clothes. Jason tried to straighten his hair and Remus only managed to get his boots on when their mother walked in.

All the children there had grown up hearing about the legend that was Jane Shepard. Somehow all the first-hand stories their parents had told them made her seem even larger than life than the vids did. Knowing that she had saved their mom or dad's life on multiple occasions would probably do that to a kid. So seeing her come into the hangar, even if it was just in her civvies, left them all awestruck.

Shepard smiled at the kids, raised on eyebrow at Izzy's still horrorstruck face, and then frowned when she saw the state of her boys.

And just like that, Jane Shepard dissolved into Commander Shepard. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Report."

Both just pointed to the other and said, "He started it."

"Izzy?"

While she wasn't thrilled about being put in the middle, she understood Shepard's motives. She was the most familiar with the boys' antics since they all lived at the citadel. And she was brutally honest to the point where she wouldn't lie to protect either of them. "Well... Remus was the first to attack."

At that, Jason stuck up his middle finger at the other boy. He always knew he liked Izzy.

"But... Jason was being very rude and verbally abusing Remus."

Fuck that, I never liked her, he thought. Remus stuck his tongue out at him. It was annoying enough of a gesture from a human, but seeing that long, serpentine tongue was just off-putting.

Shepard crossed her arms and seemed to think it over. "Vakarians. 50 laps around the hangar." When they just stood there gapping at their totally unfair (deserved) punishment, Shepard growled before shouting, "Move out, soldiers!"

The rest of the kids were speechless as the older boys began running, starting at the large double doors. Shepard seemed amused by their reactions. Apparently this sort of military upbringing was not the way her former crew was conditioning their kids. Slackers. "Let this be a lesson to you kids," she said half-jokingly. She wasn't sure what the lesson they were learning was. Don't fight your brother... or don't piss her off. She mentally shrugged. Both very important lessons.

"Izzy, I expect you to make sure the boys follow through and complete their laps."

"Yes, ma'am." While most kids would have felt like this was a punishment, Izzy beamed with pride at being chosen for this responsibility. Shepard grinned slightly as she couldn't help but be reminded of Miranda.

"Well, I'm going to head back up to the party. I'll see you kids later." When she walked out the doors, she waved and called out "Play nice!" for good measure. As they shut behind her, the boys finished their first lap and called out "One!" in unison.

The kids watched Jason and Remus in silence for a couple minutes. Izzy couldn't help but think how stupid they were being. Fifty laps and they seemed to be sprinting - going all out. They'd be exhausted before they were halfway done. Why the hell would they-

"UGH!" she yelled in disgust, surprising everyone else. "They're racing."

The brothers tried not to laugh.