A/N: My apologies for taking so long to update. Getting ready to enrol in college has been a nightmare. Goodbye GCSE's hello A levels :/ This chapter isn't entirely awesome in fact I have had much difficulty writing it what with college and writer's block. However I hope it's to your liking, if it is let me know and the same applies if you don't like it. I'm also sorry for how short this chapter is. So to make up for it i'm going to try and write the next chapter and get it up as soon as possible. Now I can go play my mass effect replacement: Dragon age!
I do not own Mass Effect unfortunately, this fact makes me cry everyday and to top that I do not own Kill Bill *Dies*
The squad stepped out of the shuttle to be greeted with the familiar stench of blood, alcohol and sweat.
The lump of rock hadn't changed much except Afterlife's decor had been altered. New fluorescent blue and pink lights grazed the thick air atmospherically luring you into a trance.
"If you ignore the poverty, this place could pass for any Tokyo club," Kasumi mumbled with a hint of disdain.
It was unusual for the thief to let things get to her, but the realisation of just how much Tokyo and Omega were alike these days made the thief cringe.
Shepard kept her eyes fixated on the entrance of Afterlife. "Keep close guys and follow me."
Usually a place such as Omega wouldn't intimidate Shepard. However on this particular visit she had no armour or weapons to speak of.
As the former commander waded her way through the crowds she finally reached the entrance. One quick glance back reassured Shepard that her team were not dead yet. That was a plus.
Blockading the entrance stood a muscular batarian doorman typing at a data-pad vigorously.
He looked grouchy and had heavy bags drooping from his six eyes.
Shepard coughed to catch his attention causing all his eyes to blink at her at once. All those eyeballs really did creep the hell out of Shepard sometimes sending an unwanted shiver down her spine.
"Where do you think your going honey?" he rasped in a sing song manner.
"I have business with Aria," Shepard stated locking eyes with the creepy batarian.
He chuckled to himself darkly only halting when he realised she was serious. Kasumi rolled her eyes in retaliation.
"Nobody sees Aria human, you want to obliterate some brain cells with booze you wait in line till the elcor let's you through," the batarian ordered turning his attention back to his data pad.
"We could always just go looking for Massani without directions?" Joker added knowing the idea would be dismissed anyway, but at least it looked like he was taking part. In all honesty Joker had no intention of wondering around Omega aimlessly.
In return Shepard eyed the pilot with a glint of humour in her eyes before turning to Kasumi.
"If you want Shepard I can sneak in for you?" the thief offered.
Just as Shepard was about to reply the batarian interjected into their conversation. All of a sudden all these thoughts conjured up in Shepard's mind on how the doorman must have heard Kasumi talk about sneaking in. He was probably getting ready to shoot them all dead on the spot right now as an example to the other customers, she had to think fast she-
"Did you just say, Shepard?" he gasped, completely ruining the hard look he had going on.
"Let's say I did…" Kasumi replied placing a hand on her hips.
Grumbling to himself the batarian shook his head.
It occurred to Shepard that she had never seen a happy batarian with a job that had nothing to do with violence or a dark past. Whether it was pure coincidence or a jibe at their race she did not know.
"She will see you two," the batarian sighed opening the door up for Shepard and Kasumi.
Shepard couldn't help but look back at a shocked Jacob and Joker standing awkwardly behind her, both unsure of what to do.
"You mean four," Shepard corrected.
The batarian was stunned at first then amused at the fire this human had, none the less he didn't like the look of the two males. If there was one thing he hated more than a female human it was a male human.
"Don't try to correct me human!" he voiced. "Candy-man and cripple-boy wait out here, either you two see Aria or none of you see her. Your choice."
Kasumi and Shepard stared at Jacob and Joker apologetically.
"It's okay guys, we will be fine," Jacob smiled convincingly enough to force the two women to nod and enter the club.
Just before the doors shut behind the two women Shepard faintly heard Joker say to Jacob, "I wish I shared your optimism candy-man."
Afterlife seemed to have upgraded their music system, it sounded louder than before to the point where you couldn't hear yourself speak. The dingy club had the same old asari strippers shaking their money makers and surprisingly human strippers too.
One girl stood out from the dancers, she had pink hair and a rake thin body. Her frame looked like she it was about to cave in at any moment, however despite the facts the girl just kept dancing rapidly. Tattoos ate away at what was left of her arms trailing all the way down to her legs. They were roses with thorns spiralling down, each rose a bright colour that stood out.
The stripper momentarily paused shooting a quizzical look towards Shepard. Her continued to hang wide-open before she was aware that Shepard was staring back. The girl awkwardly resumed the actions she was doing earlier with the pole. Whoever this girl was, she recognised Shepard which wasn't entirely a good thing.
Continuing along the dance floor Kasumi gave an induced cough towards Aria's guards. The batarian, Anton lurked out from his shadowed corner.
"You again?" he grumbled taking a chance to look the pair up and down.
"I need to see Aria," was Shepard's rehearsed reply.
"Hmph, I bet you do…" the batarian murmured. He inclined his head towards the stairs without uttering another word. Why was he being so laid-back about letting her see Aria? No scans? No weapon checks?
Making their way up the stairs Kasumi leaned in and whispered "I don't like this Shepard."
Before Shepard could reassure the thief the pair were presented with Aria who had her back to them. No-one else was upstairs in the V.I.P lounge with the asari strangely. No guards whatsoever, just the three females.
Shepard didn't like the looks of this either letting her body become prepared for anything and tense up. Kasumi observed her commander and did the same.
With her back to the two females Aria tilted her head down to observe the bombarded dance floor.
"I was wondering when you would show," Aria spoke in a sadistic tone. Shepard and Kasumi remained quiet. "I appreciate you going to all that trouble of sending someone after me…an intriguing challenge, i'll admit that." The asari still had not turned around and kept her eyes set on the spiraling view of Afterlife.
"I'm afraid I have no idea what your talking about," Shepard replied carelessly. As far as she was concerned Aria's ramblings weren't getting her anywhere, all she wanted was to be pointed in the direction of Massani.
"Oh but you do…Jack was one of your former crew members was she not?" Aria pursued.
"Jack?" Shepard whispered to herself.
"Yes…Jack," the asari breathed heavily turning around to face the pair, a smirk played across the corners of her mouth and a -
A massive scar across her lips, a darker blue compared to her original purple tinted skin tone.
Shepard and Kasumi stared longer than they needed to. The scar was to put bluntly an eyesore basked in Afterlife's lights for all to see. Shepard had never noticed that scar before.
The commander's glaring eyes did not go unnoticed by Aria unfortunately.
"That bald headed bitch is doing everything in her power to mess with me. She's vermin that needs to be exterminated," Aria explained keeping her anger in check by keeping her voice to a low hissing octave.
Jack always liked breaking the rules. Obviously if she came to Omega she will break the 'Don't fuck with Aria' one. Shepard expected no less from the biotic.
"Perhaps…" Aria continued. "You have actually found me my match. Men who were loyal to me slowly joined her little cause, however this doesn't mean that I go completely without." On that note ten guards rammed their way with weapons up both sets of stairs eagerly aiming for Kasumi and Shepard.
Shepard quickly scanned her odds of getting out of Afterlife alive and they were not good.
"What the fuck Aria?" Shepard gritted through her teeth while the guards lined up their shots.
"You're the reason Jack is here, and for bringing that cunt into my station you have to die," the asari concluded fiercely.
Damn it Shepard really wished she had her armour and weapons right now…
Aria waved a hand to signal her guards to shoot. Acting on impulse Shepard screamed "Wait!" so loud you could forget how deafening the club music was for a second.
The guards hesitated while Aria stood there in a intimidating posture. Her face remained blank but told Shepard she had her full attention. Here it goes…
"Aria I didn't send Jack here and i'm certainly not here to fight you," she forced herself to say, her eyes never leaving Aria's cold frame.
It wasn't like Shepard to be on the receiving end, but she had to deal with it. Aria definitely was a match for her and it wouldn't be an easy task taking the asari down, let alone all her guards weaponless.
Aria chuckled her signature laugh, she had Shepard right where she wanted her.
In all honesty Aria wasn't too fond of having the commander gunned down. When she first met Shepard she saw the waves of potential she had, the human reminded Aria of herself when she was young. However crossing the one rule of Omega had it's consequences…
"Have you any proof of that?" Aria questioned, knowing fully well the commander had none.
Shepard's fear faded dramatically as rage consumed her. She quickly forgot about the guns pointing at her as she walked up the steps despite Kasumi's disapproval.
Shepard closed the space between Aria and herself, noticing that the asari refused to break eye contact or back down. Good, she wanted her full attention.
"Proof?" Shepard emphasised, feeling the guns slowly fall back on her as she stared into Aria's cruel gaze.
"On a Citadel chapel, a man and a woman are getting married. The woman is heavily pregnant at the time. Five people turn up, shoot everyone, leaving the bride till last. They beat her within a inch of her life, before lodging a bullet into her brain…Jack was one of the people responsible. Is that proof enough to show i've cut ties with her?" Shepard vented out.
In the background she heard a stunned Kasumi mutter "Shit."
This was all new information to the thief after all. Shepard didn't really feel the need to explain her situation to Kasumi and Jacob yet. There was no relevance. All they needed to know was that they were getting the Normandy back. With that plan out the window Shepard concluded that she would explain later…if she got out alive.
"How are you here if they shot you in the head?" was Aria's only reply. It was monotone in order to sound uninterested in Shepard's third person narrative of her betrayal.
"I got lucky," Shepard hissed instantly.
Aria looked frustrated as she ordered her men to back down. The turian and batarian guards hesitantly lowered there weapons, exchanging uneasy glances before heading down the stairs.
Slithering over to the sofa Aria inclined for Shepard and Kasumi to sit.
In a split second Aria was able to go from wanting to have someone gunned down to having a peaceful chat with them. The asari worked in mysterious ways indeed.
"It seems to me that we share a common interest," Aria smirked making the scar across lip stand out even more.
"Is that so?" Shepard replied unenthusiastically as she leaned against the accommodating leather.
"We both want Jack dead."