#Kai leng

[roseygeearts]

This has been rotating in my brain

[hardcore-like-eezo]

How it should have ended

[angstyastro]

We all agree Kai Leng has plot armor but I also like to believe that he knew he could not 1v1 Shepard and was booking it every encounter like a coward because ngl with you I too would shit bricks at seeing THE commander Shepard in their grief and rage and absolute tank of a body with all their cybernetics coming at him like the kool aid man.

Like if I saw Shepard doing this after I shanked her lizard bf I would run too ngl

[edenprime]

I despise Kai Leng and his pathetic faux foil role in ME3 so much. It would've been so much better if it had been the Virmire victim and honestly- it would've made the Cerberus storyline so much better. It would've turned "Shepard becomes an idiot every time some guy with a sword appears" into "Shepard is blindsided by seeing their friend back from the dead". It also works with the foils dynamic and more:

Both brought back by Cerberus. Shows Shepard the other side of the coin - how they could've been if Cerberus had actually messed with their head. Shepard also makes some comments about themselves that make it look, in a way, like they do have some lingering doubts at the very least about coming back. When you look at the Shepard VI and they ask if they are really like that, when they ask EDI if they are transhuman or cyborg, when they refuse to talk about the clone situation every time it's brought up on the DLC, when they keep comparing the clone to themselves... I know we have the child dreams as our show of Shepards PTSD, but this could've added another layer to it.

"And for every soldier you [the reapers] add, your enemy loses two: the one you converted, and his buddy on the other side who can't pull the trigger on a friend." -> we could see this! Javik aludes to the same, but we never see it on screen. It's just a hypothetical, the only people who become indoctrinated are villains, Cerberus, or their allies. This would've shown that, it would've been some cool foreshadowing. As it is, it's just a loose end.

Shepard spat in Cerberus eye when they left, especially if they destroyed the Collector base. Using the resuscitated and indoctrinated friend against them would've been an incredible way of spitting back at them. It would've been an amazing show of power. It could've demonstrated that Shepard wasn't the first, that Cerberus was already experimenting with life and death even before the success of the Lazarus project.

It gives more credibility to TIM's claims that he can control the reapers, and it's a nice setup to the reveal of what's actually going on in Horizon and Sanctuary.

And even then, no Kai Leng and no Virmire victim would've been better than Kai Leng. Everything stays the same but that plot-armored jackass doesn't exist. Cerberus attempts a coup with regular agents, they steal the data from thessia with regular agents, they show up as regular agents on Horizon, etc. Because Leng doesn't work at all in the story. He doesn't.

Regardless of how well it was executed, the entire Cerberus plot line is supposed to be a "coming full circle" moment from me1. We had the indoctrinated Saren leading the indoctrinated geth (synthetic) in me1. We have the indoctrinated TIM leading indoctrinated humans (organics) in me3. We end up with a "showdown" between saren/TIM in which depending on how persuasive we were during our previous talks, they (now deformed by reaper tech) shoot themselves in the head.

Where does Kai Leng fit into all of this? He doesn't! He's just... there. He's got no room in the story.

[clericofshadows]

REGIS SHEPARD - 26/??? MASS EFFECT 3 - PRIORITY: CERBERUS HQ MODS: SHUT UP LENG & GUARDIAN ARMORS FOR SHEPARD

[dalekofchaos]

Imagine the Virmire Sacrifice as the Cerberus assassin instead of Kai Leng

Inspired by my poll

Kai Leng was a terrible character from terrible novels. No one wanted him in the games. He could barely handle a Drell with space cancer and couldn’t even kill Anderson and Sanders, but they want us to expect us to believe that Leng is Shepard’s equal? To me I would just have him executed on Omega since Leng DID kill Aria's daughter.

But yes storywise, it's better. Shepard was haunted about not being able to save either Kaidan/Ashley. TIM would use the Virmire casualty as Plan B should Shepard turn against his interests.

Imagine Cerberus was on Virmire. Cerberus scientists working on a counter agent to stop the Genophage cure and even working on a virus that could kill Saren.

The Illusive Man reveals to his agents it's too late, however he tells them there can be a valuable asset they can retrieve.

Cerberus mad dashes to the bomb site and grabs Ash/Kaidan in time, however the bomb goes off and the after shock hits the Cerberus vessel and renders the Virmire survivor in a comatose state.

A second Cerberus ship comes and rescues Ash/Kaidan. They report to TIM that Project Virmire is ago, but once they wake up, it will take a lot of convincing. TIM has a plan.

The Virmire survivor wakes up during the time of ME2. Confused, they recognize this is not an Alliance facility and definitely no Council race facility. They put two and two together and realize it's Cerberus and try to escape and then they are sedated.

They are brought before TIM. Ash/Kaidan swears they would rather die than join Cerberus. Explains they know about Admiral Kahoku, the Rachni, Thorian and Husk experiments and most importantly Akuze.

TIM explains it easily. That they were a necessary evil. and tells them how easily their near death experience could've been avoided if those monstrosities were weaponized against Saren. The Admiral knew too much and Akuze, Shepard/Toombs got justice and Dr Wayne was put on a very public trial that damaged Cerberus reputation.

Then the manipulation begins.

If it's Ashley, then TIM uses the fact that he knew and personally served under her grandfather. Shepard, The Alliance and the Council left her for dead and acts as if the Reapers don't exist, as if the very reason she went missing never happened. Says things how "I've seen your records and seen you in action. If you were there, Shanxi never would've fallen and the Williams family would be the most prestigious family in the Alliance and you would've been the first human Spectre, not Shepard." "You were looked down on the Alliance, the family that was cursed because the good general wanted to protect and save lives. Little do you know, the Turians were looking for something on Shanxi. Saren was there, and his brother" Ashley looks curious. He has her. He explains his story with General Williams, Desolas Arterius and Saren. Desolas indoctrinated for Turian supremacy, leading Saren down the path he would take and what would be the foundation of Cerberus. Ashley asks one simple question. "When do I start?"

If it's Kaidan, TIM uses Kaidan's past against him. His righteous murder of Vyrnnus that he was shunned and how gifted he was. Admitting Cerberus should have snatched him when they had the chance. "Had we had you, you could've provided our failed experiment the guidance she needed(obviously I'm talking about Jack here) then goes on to tell him how the Alliance abandoned him, Shepard has forsaken him and worse of all, they all deny the existence of the Reapers. Kaidan refuses to believe him and snaps. Cerberus agents are prepare to stun him, TIM wavers them off. Kaidan gives off a look that he wants revenge. On The Alliance, The Council and Shepard. "They will all pay."

Ashley would be turned into Cerberus' Super Soldier. Wearing the Cerberus Assault Armor(the armor WE wear, not the shitty ME3 grunt armor), but with the Shade/Nightmare/Spirit helmet.

Kaidan becomes a mix of Phantom and Phoenix. The ultimate human biotic, he is what Jack could've became if they kept her.

Their goals would be to eliminate high valued targets for Cerberus. Killing key Alliance figures, people who are close to cracking down on Cerberus(example, Dr Wayne was publicly assassinated and after Toombs threat to get a merc team to hunt Cerberus down, they kill him) killing Alien leaders and a whole bunch of targets that stand in Cerberus's way to control the Reapers.

Or in a different scenario. The explosion nearly destroys the ship carrying them in, causing them to be husks of their former selves.

Cerberus in this scenario would experiment on them to make them the ultimate soldier for Cerberus. They would essentially become The Winter Soldier of Mass Effect.

it would’ve been far more impactful if the Cerberus assassin was masked, and later revealed to be a heavy cyborg’d and indoctrinated Ashley/Kaiden, whichever you left behind on Virmire. There would be a reaction if you bring the one you saved with to encounter the one we did not save on Thesia.

But storywise.

The first time you meet the Cerberus Assassin, is on Earth. We see this shadow stalking you and Anderson and as we’re leaving Earth, we see Kai Leng killing Anderson. With Shepard swearing revenge.

Throughout ME3, Ash/Kaidan would be stalking Shepard. Causing trouble as we encounter Cerberus. Trying to kill Eve, attempting to abduct the Grissom Academy students, activating the bomb on Tuchunka and the attempt on the Council.

When we finally confront them on Priority Citadel, they kill Thane and omni-slash their mask off. We get the reveal. Shepard is shocked, Ash/Kaidan hesitates after hearing Shepard utter their name.

It would also help to explain his inexplicable plot armor. Rather than surviving against the onslaught of Shepard due to plot reasons, he would not be killed, as Shepard is haunted by not being able to save them, Ash/Kaidan uses that as the opportunity to take him down on Thessia.

Because Ashley did not undergo her character arc, I could imagine Ashley saying things like "I should have been the First Human Spectre, a hero for humanity, not aliens." "I am the hero humanity deserves" "I will make my grandfather proud." "The Alliance has failed humanity and my family" If you romanced Ashley and accidentally left her behind "You BASTARD...I loved you and you LEFT ME TO DIE!"

With Kaidan I can see him saying things like "I am the peak of Biotic perfection." "The Alliance betrayed me. You left me and the Council deserves to die" "Vyrnaus deserved to die, I know that now." "You will pay for leaving me to die" If you didn't save Grissom Academy. "I personally went to Grissom Academy, took those kids and made them like me. Subject Zero never should have left us, now she is ascended to perfection."(if you got Jack's loyalty, Jack begs Shepard to kill her) If you romanced Kaidan and accidentally left him behind "You're just like Rahna. You left me and you betrayed me. After I kill you, I'll kill Rahna."

If we go with the Winter Soldier concept, then it's just TIM manipulating them like a puppet. However periodic exposure to Shepard and the other VS makes them remember

However, if you bring the other Virmire survivor with to Thessia, then there is a chance to turn Ash or Kaidan back to the light.

This works better if you romanced the other Virmire survivor, but if not it works the same result. You can only save Ash/Kaidan if you bring the other VS.

With a charm/intimidate option, Ash/Kaidan follows Shepard's lead and talks down Ash/Kaidan. and in the end they break through their indoctrination and apologize for everything.

Otherwise, they would have to be killed and could not be saved. I don’t think that convincing him to commit suicide like Saren or TIM would work, because it would be too similar to the TIM suicide not too long, and would lose impact because of it. They would have to be fought and killed one last time in combat, and have a tragic end with Ash/Kaidan cursing Shepard while Shepard looks on them with despair or disdain.

If you saved them, then Ash/Kaidan would board the Citadel with you. And when TIM tries to talk you into controlling the Reapers, Ash/Kaidan will shoot him dead.

If Winter Soldier scenario, then both Shepard and OVS can break through and save them. They join us and depending on your war assets, if high, they kill TIM without incident. If low, they sacrifice themselves and gives Shepard the opening to kill TIM.

We talk, have a moment. If it's Kaidan, they talk about the good old days with the original Normandy. Jenkins, Dr Chakwas and Anderson. "Oh Shepard, I'm so sorry" Shepard forgives them. If romanced, they talk about the relationship they were going to start and Shepard says "we can have a cup of coffee and see where things go from there" "I'd like that, Shepard". If Ashley, they reminisce on meeting on Eden Prime, the Normandy, their almost relationship with Shepard saying "we can finish where we left off" "Oh Shepard" and remembering why she volunteered to stay behind.

Alternatively since Ash/Kaidan wasn't shot, they save Shepard. They call the other survivor and rescue Shepard as the Crucible is about to be fired off if destroyed is chosen. If you choose Control, then Ash/Kaidan shoots themselves because they can't bare to live after Shepard fulfills TIM's desires. If Synthesis is chosen then they will be on the Normandy with the other crew members.

[sewermageboy]

playing Stray Gods and Apollo has captivated me with his sad dad swag and his general lack of will to live.

But apparently he's voiced by Troy Baker, so I now have to live with the agony of knowing he shares a voice with fucking Kai Leng.

[notmeowse]

[mass-effect-anonymous]

CONFESSION:

I always really liked the idea of switching Kai Leng out for a brainwashed/resurrected Virmire sacrifice. It would have been melodramatic, sure, but the implications of Cerberus using the knowledge of the Lazarus project to intentionally manipulate Shepard once again with someone from their past is really intriguing. Plus, it would have really added to the horror aspect they were going with in ME3.

[meggannn]

mass effect + the onion (14)

screencap credit

[sonpat-rides-again]

Cringe fail assassin

[fontofnothing]

Mass Effect 3 test run update: I have never not taken that renegade interrupt.

[perryabbott]

Mass Effect 3: Legendary Edition (2021) dev. BioWare

[angstyastro]

Kai Leng v. Shepard.png

[laelior]

There's a lot of narrative problems with Kai Leng but most of them boil down to how he's set up as a foil to Shepard but literally all of that set-up is done through side media and not in the game itself.

[sol-consort]

May we have a crumb of yandere Kai Leng x reader headcannons or something like that? 🙏 🥺 (I'm sorry)

Hell yeah my dude, you may even get a smooch on the forehead for being the bravest soul out there to ask for this.

Yandere Kai Leng HC

[Dark content, yandere, stalking, obsession, possessive behaviour, enemies with tension, love/hate relationship]

[Shepard reader - gender neutral]

"You killed the scientists... What do you want?"

"Your attention."

Kai Leng is many things, an assassin, a killer, a bastard and the most annoying thorn digging at your side with exceptional delight.

The way he snatches victory from your fingertips at the last moment, drinks in the expression on your face going from genuine surprise to despair and then rage.

It makes the blood pump faster in his veins, being at the centre of your undivided attention as you stare at him with a look of pure primal rage.

Careful Shepard, you treat a man this way and he might get the wrong idea.

Next thing you know, he's breaking into the Normandy undetected while it's docked on the Citidal. Crew blissfully unaware as they enjoy their shore leave for a day.

Your quarters aren't what he expected, not from the best fighter he ever went against in his life. Yet so very endearing, you collect ship models? You care for fish?

How...cute.

He traces his gloved fingers against the surface of your desk, leaves a couple smudges on the glass of the aquarium with a smirk as he imagines the annoyed look on your face.

Sits on your chair, examines the various medals you keep in a case display. Reading what each one was for, looking through your life achievements as if it was a to do list he's crossing off, comparing his own skills to yours without a hint of shame.

Moving to your couch, he spots a half empty glass of wine. A small smudge of lips against the rim of the delicate glass.

Nimble fingers pick it up, careful not to let the sharp metal nails on his gloves scratch the surface. He drinks in the aroma of the wine.

Oh, definitely not his type, you have an awful taste in wine. He thinks as he turns the glass around, parting his lips and pressing his mouth against where your own lips have been.

Downing it in one gulp, he feels the same rush of dopamine whenever he fights you. The same shiver ran up his spine as that day he noticed a bit of your blood on his finger and licked it off while meeting your eyes, shameless at the look of disgust in yours.

You tasted just as awful as this wine, as sickingly bittersweet, and he can't get enough.

Your bed is on display next to him, all made and neat just like any alliance soldier must have been taught to do.

What a good little soldier you are, he thinks, did you keep your bed all made for him to ruin?

So many ideas go through his head on the ways he could piss you off with this, maybe spill the wine on it? Or how about his own blood? Maybe litter the cover with bullet holes and spell out his name.

He walks closers to the seemingly soft thing, lifting the covers and leaning down.

It...smells like you. Like the faint scent he catches whenever he has you pressed under him during combat, amidst the smell of gunpowder and rubble, your own scent stood out as he pressed his nose closer to your neck, alongside his sharp sword.

Kai Leng buried his face in the pillow much like he wanted to do with your neck just before you flipped him over on the ground and pointed a gun at his head.

He settles for laying on the bed, nothing else. You wouldn't have had an idea he was here except for the few wrinkles on the sheets his heavy armour would leave behind.

Your bed is surprisingly hard, much like your own body. He thought it was fitting, and yet a part of him wanted to force you on a soft bed, see you unwillingly sink into the comfortable fluffy sheets and have your muscles unconsciously relax.

Do you keep yourself constantly sharp not to lose your survival instincts? Do you refrain from allowing yourself the luxury of comfort not to grow soft around the edges?

He has read and heard so many things about you, he has searched the aftermath of every battlefield you left behind.

He knows more about you than anyone could ever claim to, more than the person you've shared this bed with before could ever attest to.

On his way out, he removes the bugs he planted to block the cameras. Twirling one of your shiny medals between his fingers, your opened wine bottle in the other hand.

"You're not as weak as I thought. But never forget that your best wasn't good enough to stop me."

He's cocky and confident in his own skills. He has nothing to prove and no one to impress.

But you, oh you, always working hard to meet other's expectations. Always being spun around and dragged from one trivial mission to another, hunting for the most useless of sentimental items to return to their owners without being asked to.

He hated seeing others use you, he felt like it was only his right to have you running around searching for him.

Whenever your focus drifted elsewhere, he'd blow up a small colony here to get you chasing after his trail again, plant a small hijacking device on an alliance ship you'd need to save, let some info slip so your sources could get a tip on him.

Let your pathetic crew think they managed to track him when he turned off his own firewalls just long enough to ignite the flames.

He always gives you just enough to keep the fire burning, just enough to keep him out of reach with you on his heels.

Just enough so you don't get distracted by lesser matters.

Or lesser people.

He has seen your record, read your personal information reports and he was not impressed by the person you've called your lover.

What do you even see in them?

Now he can't have his cute little commander getting distracted by some lame date or a sorry excuse of a person you call a lover, no he needs you to focus on him.

And if slitting more throats was all it took to keep your pretty eyes focused on him, then can you really blame him?

Can you blame him for looking forward to each fight with you.

Your back aches from the sharp stones of the cracked wall behind you digging into your armour. Legs floating just above the ground below as you were helplessly pinned to the wall by a hand against your throat, helmet cracked open with your eyes glaring into the masked figure in front of you.

There's a sharp dagger against your heart, an obsidian blade threatening to tear through your armour like paper. It has also dug a way through to your bare flesh with its tip, you feel the cold press of the sharp stone against your skin.

Heart beating, your fingers stay still against the trigger of your pistol. Despite the barrel pressed directly onto the temple of his head, Kai Leng paid it no attention as his closed his body against yours more.

Thighs touching each other, the heat radiating off of the two of you from your previous game of cat and mouse. The way he keeps all of your weight lifted off of the ground with just a single hand, pressing hard enough to choke you but not cut your air off.

He's smiling, a gesture so seemingly innocent yet smug at your scowling expression. Each one holding the thread of life of each other, the threat of snapping it hangs thick in the air but neither of you makes the first move.

The dagger is steady against your heart, his body keeps moving closer. You're struggling not to let your grip on the pistol falters, it's all you have left.

Letting go of your neck, the supply of air makes you regain your wits. His body is tightly pressed against your now, the blunt edge of his dagger pressing against his own heart.

Strangely, his free hand holds you lovingly. Holds you like you're partners in a slow dance, like you're seconds away from sharing a kiss after months spent at sea away from your lover.

His face is moving in, your eyes are glued to his lips. Your mouth parts on its own.

Closing your eyes, you feel your finger slipping from the trigger on the pistol. You feel the dagger faltering.

Within a second, you immediately bring up your knee to dig painful in his stomach and free yourself. He staggers backward before finding a cover from the barrage of bullets you fire his way.

The dagger slashed across your armor, a line from your heart and upwards to collar bone. The marks of his fingers on your neck left a visible bruise.

He noticed your high collared wardrobe choices in the following weeks, the corner of his lips tugging upwards at the purple traces peaking through the turtlenecks you wore.

But his own bruise from your solid knee hitting his stomach was on fill display as he wore lighter clothes during his training. Stopping in front of the mirror in his room to lift his shirt and admire the mark you've left on him.

He wanted more.

He wanted your claws marking down his back, he wanted your thighs squeezing his waist until it bruised.

Your teethmarks against his neck and shoulders, a slap to the face, a punch to bruise his side.

Reducing the two of you to animals in a state of primal fighting for domination, he wanted you to give your best to him and watch as he still overpowers you.

Make you struggle for your life and then lose to him, time after time he wanted to keep you frustrated and losing.

Making the acclaimed hero, the Commander Shepard, feel weak against another human for once in your life.

It gave him such a power trip. A rush of ego going straight to his heart and between his legs.

You were his. Since the day you the Illusive man handed him your file, you were fated to be his.

He wanted you more than anything, he wanted you more than air itself at times. Wanted to push and prod you and experience all of your reactions, wanted to put you below him then watch you flip him over.

Kai Leng will take anything and everything you have to offer, be it love or hate. He will gladly feed his obsession off of both, make you feel his body pressing against yours during each encounter.

Remind you of your equal, that you're not the unbreakable titanium everyone claims you to be.

That just like him, you're human too. Weak and prone to error.

He will never look at you with stars in his eyes like the rest of your loyal crew does. He will never see you as bigger than life like the other humans do.

He will always see past all the fancy titles, shiny medals and heavy armour.

And see you. Not Shepard, not your last name and not the commander.

But you.

Bare, strong, weak.

And no one else besides him will get that, no one else will be your equal but him.

He will make sure of it, that you won't get to experience this with anyone else.

Everyone is worshipping at your feet. Doesn't it get tiring? Don't you want to feel alive? Really alive rather than being reduced to this symbol of hope rather than the living being you are?

And so he reminds you of that, several messages disguised as war reports or intel from military officials sent by him.

Only for the first line to be met with, is him praising you for doing such a good job and opening these messages, falling straight into his trap.

Be good for him, read through the whole thing. Through all the demeaning praise and gratifying insults, through all the things he has written about you.

Like eating at a restaurant and leaving a review afterwards, that's how he treats those battles the two of you have. Sending you a performance review afterwards and listing the things you did wrong and how to improve them.

Making you the more confused by him, by why he does the things he does.

Sometimes, his messages include information about you that no one else knows, references to moments you were sure you've spent alone, past, and present.

He ignores every questioning message you send him, cherry picking the parts of your message to reply to.

He grew more and more unhinged with his messages as time went on, more and more shameless with his voicing his inner thoughts on a recording and sending it to you.

There's a faint sound of gunshots and screams in the background, as if he was recording them on missions. Forcing you to have to listen to them so you may catch any details on where he was and who he was killing.

Other times, you started finding things on your bed and desk that you were sure you didn't buy whenever you came back from a shore break on the Citidal.

A dark chocolate candy bar on your desk.

An apple on the table.

A shirt that's not quite your size, washed and folded on the bed.

A perfume that smells faintly familiar.

One handwritten letter you found, stabbed to the bedframe with an obsidian dagger.

"The legend of Shepard needs to be re-written.

I hope l'm there for the last chapter. It ends with your death."