The metallic apertures creaked as they opened wide. Wide enough for Shepard. Without hesitation, she sprinted toward one of the circular openings, only to skid to a halt. Darkness lay beyond the openings, save for a pair of small, blue lights in each. A chittering hiss announced the Commander's new companions... husks. Once human themselves, the reaper corruption had fully transformed them into synthetic humanoid drones, bent by the will of the Reapers. The Reapers! That was it!
As the first scrambled toward the unarmed soldier, Shepard held out her hands and shouted, "Stop!" To her astonishment, the husk obeyed, halting abruptly in its tracks. The others followed suit. Commander Shepard found herself surrounded by a quartet of silent, staring monsters. With no sudden movements, Shepard lowered her arms, watching. They stared back. It seemed her power over the Reapers extended to the foot-soldiers. "Walk away," she ordered. Again they followed instruction, taking a step back.
"You cling to hope, even when none remains. Your efforts are amusing, Shepard, but nothing more," Harbinger's rumbling voice filled the chamber, and the husks began their approach anew, now at a methodically slow pace. The soldier held out her hands again, sweat beaded at her brow. What little hope remained, sunk to the pit of her stomach. Not one of the husks showed signs of stopping. Yet Commander Shepard did not survive an improbably victory over the ancient destroyers only to be beaten by four measly husks. Scowling fiercely, the soldier battered a swift rising elbow into the nearest drone's jaw, knocking it from its feet.
"Such futility. I will enjoy breaking you, Shepard," Harbinger growled darkly. Shepard was a war hero, but even she could only stand alone and unarmed for so long. A hard kick to the second husk's chest sent it crashing to the floor.
"No!" Shepard shouted as the third wrapped its skeletal fingers around her wrists. She roared and flailed, but could not break free. Thrashing her legs about, the commander soon found one calf ensnared in the grip of the fourth. The first regained its composure and promptly seized her last free limb.
"This will hurt you, Shepard."
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