Adele was lost in thought about the past two days events. Zaeed saving her drunken ass, bringing her to his apartment, fed her, and then left. She wasn't about to let him reappear again in her life and then just as quickly walk out.
To: Zaeed M.
From: Adele S.
Subject: Not One To Hang Around?
Didn't take you as the type of person who leaves a girl in your apartment.
From: Zaeed M.
To: Adele S.
Subject: Apartment
Had a rushed request for a bounty. Paid big. And plus, practically everything in that apartment is stolen or bought with bloody, so by all means, steal what you want. Where you headed next butterfly?
To: Zaeed M.
From: Adele S.
Subject: N7 Training.
After my mission on Akuze they slapped a medal on my chest and called me a hero. I'm being sent through the N7 program due to my tough "physical and mental state." Fucking brass now gives awards for getting your whole squad killed.
From: Zaeed M.
To: Adele S.
Subject: Akuze
I heard the story. Last time a checked you don't control threwsher maws. Fucking giant worms.
From: Adele S.
To: Zaeed M.
Subject: Giant Worms
I don't agree but I'm heading to the N7 facility now. Might be out of contact for a while. Don't become a damn ghost again Massani.
To:Adele S.
From: Zaeed M.
Subject: You're the Boss
When did you become so bossy? Stay alive butterfly.
Adele closed out of the email chat on her omni tool, grabbed her bag, and headed towards transport for the N7 training grounds.
Three Months Later
Adele walked out of the barracks with her belongings all in her bag. Shore leave never sounded better. She completed up through the N3 program, and was allowed a week of shore leave before having to report back to finish her training. As soon as she had stepped onto the facility a few months back, whispers started. Lone Survivor. Almost A Slave Girl. Groups whispered as she walked down the halls. She tried to ignore them, but their words fueled the anger inside of her. The very first day Adele made her presence known before the first drill even started.
She walked into the locker room and started loading her stuff into a locker.
"Hey girl," A man said to her from beside her. She glared at him. "What's a pretty princess like you doing here? Hear you're an Alliance charity case and horror story, got you from Mindoir and you slaughtered your whole squad on Akuze," the man prodded, getting in her face. Adele kept loading her things into her locker. "I'm talking to you bitch," the man said before slamming her locker shut. She barely had enough time to yank her hand out of the way of he slamming locker. Her rage boiled up, but she didn't come her to fight with an asshole like this. She turned and started to walk away, using every ounce of self control she could, but a hand reached out to grab her. Before his hand could even touch her, Adele spun around twisting his arm until she heard a sickening pop and then brought her knee up into his groin.
"I'm a fucking survivor asshole, and it would suit you to learn respect and to treat people like human beings." Adele whispered into his ear, before letting him slide to the floor in pain. She finished putting her stuff away, suited up in her armor and headed out. She listened to instructors all day yell in every marine's face about how they completed the drill, but not only did she get yelled at, she got a nick name.
"What was the purpose of taking a different route than the rest of your team private?! That's how marine's get themselves, and others, killed!" The toughest instructor yelled in her face.
"I was trying to obtain a look out point so we could be more aware of what we were up against sir!" Adele replied back with. The drill instructor looked over from top to bottom.
"Next time take a small team to scout out the area Barbie!" The instructor shouted. "Barbie." Adele wanted to smack herself in the face. Out of all the nicknames she could've gotten, and she got "Barbie."
Jane walked towards the transport a little ways down the road, but a couple of people banged into her, looking for trouble.
"Sorry Barbie, did I break a nail?" One of them taunted. Adele picked herself up off the ground, only to be kicked by another one in the stomach, causing her to fall to her knees. A few more kicks to her face and the rest of her body took place before a gun shot fired off. Automatically the abuse stopped, and the group ran back to the base. Cowards Adele thought as she wiped at the blood dripping out of her mouth.
"What the bloody hell is their problem?" Zaeed's gruff voice rang out as he reattached his weapons to his back and went to help her up.
"Didn't make a great first impression on my comrades," Adele replied. It was starting to get colder as the sun went down, and her fatigues weren't helping much with warmth. Zaeed was carrying her bag as he walked next to her. "What are you doing here anyways?" Adele asked.
"We had an abrupt end to our short little reunion. I'm here to show you what your missing." Zaeed said, walking towards a landing zone with a skycar on it. The silence out near the landing pad was broken by a small sound. Zaeed looked at Shepard to find the sound was coming from her chattering teeth. He opened her bag to look for a jacket. He pulled out the only other item of clothing in the bag besides fatigues.
"I couldn't find this for the life of me." Zaeed said as he held the sweatshirt that Adele stole from his apartment. Adele started to blush as she tried to think of an excuse. "If you wanted more of me, all you had to do was ask butteryfly," Zaeed whispered, sending chills up Adele's spine. She played off the comment by punching him in the shoulder. Zaeed laughed and placed the sweatshirt over her head and waited for her to punch her arms through.
"Where are we going anyways?" Adele asked as she got in the skycar passenger seat.
"To the place you called home for a short while after Mindoir" Zaeed answered. The skycar took off, and Adele fell asleep with the comforting smell of Zaeed mixed into, what she now claimed as, her sweatshirt.