Most people go their entire lives without being hit by three Stone Cold Stunners in a row. More still went their entire lives without being chokeslammed through a duracrete floor. Warning messages flashed across John's visor as rubble pelted Gold Experience's heavy plate. He couldn't see what was going on above, but he knew that the others had Black Hole Sun outnumbered.<br/><br/>'Incoming!' Joyeuse yelled.<br/><br/>Somersaulting out of harm's way, John lashed out with a biotic shockwave as something spiked the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile down into the hole. He noted that she wore proper armor this time rather than a buff jacket, which would have been a smart move had she packed a helmet. Quickdrawing his pistol, the Solar introduced her to the typical Terminus System greeting: two in the chest, three in the skull. Well, the<span style="font-style: italic">head</span>, since her armor had more skulls than a Games Workshop miniature. She staggered back, roaring in pain and anger as the Mask of Winters dropped in to join the brawl. The wrestler clotheslined John without breaking stride, even as the Zenith shot him in the abdomen. How silly of him to think that the Mask had lost his immunity to bullets. The only thing Mascara de los Inviernos sold was<span style="font-style: italic">merchandise</span>.<br/><br/>'Bloody hell,' yelled a servo-skull from above, 'this is looking to be yet another amazing slobberknocker!'<br/><br/>It seemed that the Mask had also kept his announcers' ghosts around.<br/><br/>'Damn right, Mike, and this is vintage Mask of Winters! He is just pounding the hell out of that Solar and OOH, TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER!'<br/><br/>Coughing, John crawled clear of the Mask. He noted that the act splashed a small bit of blood on his faceplate and the bottom of the visor. As the luchador approached, John turned and hurled a fistful of gravel at him.<br/><br/>'Really?' the Mask taunted. 'Really, hombre? You think throwing sand in my eyes is going to work?'<br/><br/>Actually, yes. It took the Mask's attention off John's other hand, which stuck an adhesive grenade to the man's crotch. The explosion sent the crowd booing. It wasn't enough to actually damage the Mask of Winters, but it at least stunned him for a brief moment, enough for John to land a flurry of punches that sent the Cerberus leader back several meters into a nearby wall. Behind John, the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile lunged, hoping to drive her daiklave into John's back. A laser took her down before she got halfway, flinging her off the balcony. Joyeuse snickered.<br/><br/>'Man, she just can't catch a break.'<br/><br/>'Looks like Shepard sure took a break, though.'<br/><br/>The Terrestrial sighed in exasperation as she, Liara, and Garrus filed out of a nearby door. Smoke wafted from Killer Queen's barrel.<br/><br/>'Laugh it up, fuzzball. Some of us had to take the long way up.'<br/><br/>Grunting, the Mask of Winters heaved a pile of debris away and dusted himself off. 'You got better, I'll admit, but I think I'll just cut the crap and murder you now. We're on a tight time fra--Wait, what the hell is that noise?'<br/><br/>John, Shepard, Garrus, and Liara paused to listen in. There<span style="font-style: italic">was</span>a funny noise, come to think of it. It sounded like--<br/><br/>'MinemineminemineMINEMINEMINEMINEMINE!'<br/><br/>Yep. The Maiden vaulted back onto the balcony, her armor and daiklave coated in salarian blood, her expression one of complete berserk rage. With reckless abandon, she charged, blade raised in the hope of a single killing blow. With a gesture, Shepard sheathed Killer Queen in the nothingness of Elsewhere and plucked a new weapon from the void--a jade nodachi, long and wickedly sharp. John left the two to their battle while he and the Mask continued their match, their rapid-fire strikes and parries far too quick for mortal eyes to follow, the impacts of their blows casting shockwaves and digging craters into the duracrete floors and walls. He dimly heard Shepard's voice on the comm.<br/><br/>'Wrex, how much longer until the female is safe? We've got Exalted in the perimeter and a whole lot more mortal grunts on the way!'