This is a re-release of a fanfic I was writing years ago. I decided to rewrite the whole story and start again.
Buried Beneath ch1: Just Another Job
Omega, 2183, January 10th 7:38 PM
Omega, it's such a piece of shit. A wayward space station drifting out in the Terminus Systems. Where crime runs rampant and almost every asshole wants to fuck you around or worse. Just like that stupid turian vendor that I'm pretty sure tried to sell me bad meat this morning.
Let's not forget that at the helm of this whole fucked up kingdom is the queen herself, Aria T'Loak. Don't get me wrong, I like Aria, especially when she's paying me. And since she requested me, someone must have royally pissed her off.
Adjusting the strap of my bag and emerging onto the main street, avoiding a puddle of what I hope is water. The buildings are bathed in reds and browns, giving the station a rusty, old look. Afterlife is a block ahead, its crimson glow casting a neon-lit aura over the bustling crowd.
As I approach the entrance, I pass a long line of people waiting to enter. Ignoring the protests of those in the queue, I stride past them with a nod to the elcor bouncer.
The door closes between us, cutting off the complaints, as I find myself in the dimly lit corridor leading to the heart of Afterlife. Oranges, yellows, and pinks, all lead to yet another sign displaying the club name. From the door, there's the muted sound of trashy music and the faint smell of many, many, mistakes.
And speaking of mistakes, if that group of batarians eyeing me even dare to approach me, they'll soon be making one. I know them, some small-time gang trying to make a name for themself. Good luck with that, it'll be hard to compete with the major gangs that already run most of the station.
"Vex!" One of them calls out, his voice dripping with malice.
"Fuck," I mumble under my breath as the group closes the distance between us, standing a respectable few feet away from me. I drop my bag to the ground, preparing for whatever comes next. "What do you want?" I demand.
One of them steps forward. "We just want to chat." There's a stupid, smug grin on his face. I know the guy, Sorish, I'm pretty sure. Small-time weasel.
"I'm sure you would." I glare at him, I don't have time for this.
"Capris," he snarls like that's supposed to mean something to me. "We know you killed him." He's pointing at me now, lips curled, and anger in his four eyes.
I raise an eyebrow and shrug. "Who the fuck is Capris?"
Now that sets him off. His hand goes quickly behind his back and I waste no time grabbing my carnifex. Aiming at him mere seconds before he does the same, both of us locked in an intense stare.
"You insolent bitch!" Specks of spit fly from his mouth.
"Listen." I sigh, this is really putting a damper on my night. "You shoot me, my kinetic barrier takes the bullet, and then I shoot you," I explain, his hand faltering just a little, and with that, I know I've won. "I'd think really hard if I were you."
His resolve wavers, and he lowers his gun. Disappointment, I think, is written all over his face before his head falls. "Just go."
"Don't try that again, Sorish," I warn with a smirk. I grab my bag and walk off, making my way towards the club doors.
The door swings open, and a wave of loud music assaults my ears. The place is packed, just as I expected. It's hot, muggy even, and the air reeks of alcohol and sweat. Tables are filled, asari are dancing, and the bright lights. Sounds like Afterlife to me.
Aria's platform, her throne, juts out above the giant pink-lit pillar in the centre of the room. The bar encircles the bottom, and above it, there's a dance platform. Aria likes being above everyone else, in this case literally.
I make my way across the club, avoiding dancers and drunk assholes. I run a hand through my short, black hair and straighten my clothes, trying to look presentable as I finally reach the stairs leading to Aria. We've done business a lot over the last four years or so, but I still want to look somewhat professional.
"Wait." Another batarian stops me once I reach the top of the stairs, a stern expression on his face as he pulls out a scanner. "I need to check you for weapons."
"Seriously, Garka? You know I'm armed." I glance over his shoulder at Aria, who sits on her couch looking slightly amused. "Hey Aria, a little help?"
She waves a hand towards Garka while crossing her legs. "A safety measure," she states, her voice indifferent. "I'm sure you understand."
I scoff. "I'm not stupid," or suicidal. I walk over, setting my bag on the ground and taking my seat on the couch, leaving a few empty cushions between us. "You're my biggest client, plus I know not to fuck with Aria." Playing off her ego is always the best way to get on her good side.
She smirks and hands me a datapad. I glance at the screen, a turian I don't recognise staring back at me. "His name is Sermus Alril," Aria begins, tone still flat. "He stole a lot of credits from me, and now he's disappeared."
"How much?" I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.
"The amount of credits isn't a concern." Her brow creases. "I want him to pay for daring to cross me." And that's why you don't cross her. It's off with their head at the first inkling of betrayal, guilty or not.
I scan the information onto my omni-tool and fold my arms. "So, about my payment."
Aria waves a dismissive hand, rolling her eyes. "Formalities, Vex. You'll receive your usual fee."
I nod. "Consider him as good as dead." A smart turian couldn't beat me, let alone one stupid enough to steal from the literal ruler of Omega.
"Careful Vex," Aria coos. "Overconfidence isn't becoming of you."
I smile and stand up, shouldering my bag. "I think it suits me well." With a wave, I bid her farewell. "See you around, Aria."
She waves nonchalantly as I head for the stairs.
Omega, 2183, January 10th 8:21 PM
Sermus Alril's apartment lobby feels claustrophobic and dull. Most likely because it's in one of the shittier districts. Maybe that's why he stole it, desperate times. Not that it's a good idea to figure out why when I'm here to kill him.
A monitor in the corner catches my attention with a news broadcast playing quietly. The name Riley Shepard stands out. Well, Commander Riley Shepard now, the first human Spectre. Quite a step up from our days back in Vancouver, when we were just stupid kids in a gang. I wonder if the Tenth Street Reds are still around, and if so, what it would take to get rid of them. Not that I care that much anymore.
My reminiscing gets interrupted as the elevator doors open. Stepping inside, I bring up the file on my omni-tool. Apartment 206. What are the chances he'll be home so I can make this quick? Not likely, I imagine.
Moments later, the elevator reaches the second story, the door across displaying a '201' above it with half a missing 0. This place is falling apart, not to mention the strange substance glued on the wall and how filthy the floors are.
The hallway is completely quiet as I make my way towards 206. It's like every resident is purposely being discreet. If I had to guess, it's probably owned by one of the gangs if it's this empty when they hear the elevator.
I arrive at a dull grey door, marked only with a '6' and a faded imprint of a '20' above it. The screen beside it is heavily scratched, but after a quick tap, I can see it's still functional.
I sigh before opening my hacking program and looking around, I don't know why I bother when this place is practically a ghost town. It doesn't even take long to unlock.
Fuck. His place is utterly tossed. Drawers and cabinets are open, picture frames are empty, and furniture is discarded along with random household objects. He left in a rush, I wonder what tipped him off. Maybe, and just maybe, he's not as stupid as I thought. I begin my search for clues, questioning how much Aria truly knew about him, especially since her file mentioned no friends or family.
As I scour the place, my omni-tool lights up. Nulan's face appears on the display, my salarian best friend and one of Eclipse's best tech experts. I'm glad to see him right now.
"Nulan, what's up?" I greet him, opening a random set of drawers. Nothing inside but some random trash.
"Hey Vex," he answers cooly. "I was about to go get some drinks, you want to come?"
"Can't, sorry." I scowl at him. "I'm on a job, but the fucker knows someone's onto him, he's gone dark." I move over to the closet, examining the few items of clothing left behind. "There's no mention of any friends or family."
"Twenty per cent and I'll help you find him," he offers.
I give him a dirty look. Bloody extortionist. "Ten, and I'll treat you to a night at Afterlife." I raise an eyebrow. "Deal?"
He breaks into a grin. "Woman after my own heart." He puts a hand over his chest and I roll my eyes in response. "What's his name?"
"I'll send you the file." I forward the information before Nulan signs off. Since he's helping me, I exit the apartment, confident he'll find what I need.
Omega, 2183, January 10th 8:44 PM
I barely make it back onto the cold, red-tinted street before I get a call. "Nulan, I assume you have something?"
"Yeah, he paid for a ship off-world that leaves in the morning." Well, that's good news, he won't be going anywhere tonight. "Also," he adds. "His mother has an apartment here."
"His file didn't say that," I note with a hint of annoyance. "He's probably a small fry, I doubt Aria cared enough to look that far into him."
"Or he wiped his file." I can hear his smirk, even through the comm link. "As best as he could anyway."
I kick at an empty can I'm standing next to. "Where's his mother now?"
"That's the best part," Nulan muses. "She lives in an apartment right outside of Afterlife and there's an unfinished building just across the street."
"It's a little cocky of him to sit right under Aria's nose like that." The nerve of this guy, but maybe that's why it's the perfect place. "I can watch the place for a few hours, but if he's going off-world in the morning, I need to find him tonight."
"I'll keep an eye out, I'd be bored if you had to go off-world for a while." I knew he loved me. "Anyway, I'll send the information to you. Go get him."
"Will do," I reply with a smile. "I appreciate it. I'll call you if things go bad."
"I appreciate the easy credits," Nulan chuckles, before ending the call.
And with that, I head towards the Afterlife Plaza.
Omega, 2183, January 10th 9:12 PM
After scouting the outside of the building, I have a good idea of which floor to use. Once inside, I head for the elevator and- You've got to be fucking kidding me. Broken? There are like fifty-thousand stairs.
With a heavy sigh, I start my trek up the many flights of stairs. Eventually, I reach the apartment to see it's really bearbones. Only an unfinished kitchen and some doors across the room. It'll have to do.
Dumping my bag onto the countertop, I walk towards the window. I have a great view of her living room and kitchen. It's almost perfect, but I can't really see much detail from here. Luckily, I have just the thing.
I unzip my bag, revealing my favourite thing in this whole universe. My M-92 Mantis. High-velocity barrel to make quick work of those vexing barriers, ultralight material for easy mobility, and a stylish black and blue finish, I never did like the factory colours. This sniper and I have racked up quite the kill count together.
"Hello friend," I murmur, a smile breaks across my face, "I hope you're ready to get to work." I pull the sniper out, along with a stand and folded chair. There's no way I'm standing for hours while I scope this place out.
Settling into my seat, I peer through the scope, adjusting it to focus on the other apartment. Now that I can see, I have to say her decorating could use some work. For one thing, orange and green look atrocious together.
But, I'm not here to judge a soon-to-be grieving mother's decor.
Omega, 2183, January 10th 10:56 PM
Patience was never my strong suit, which is ironic considering my profession. Riley was always good at it. It's funny to think about her again after years of her not even crossing my mind. A Spectre, she somehow became a Spectre. Well, I guess if any human was going to do it, she would be it. She always aspired to be more, there's not much that's more than becoming a Spectre.
My thoughts are interrupted as the sound of my omni-tool fills the air. With a sigh, I answer, "Yeah?"
"Any luck?" Nulan's voice comes through, slightly slurred. Something tells me he started drinking already. I guess he won't be much help if this goes on for much longer.
"I'm still sitting around this boring ass apartment looking at an uglier, but also boring ass apartment." I pull my face away from the scope to rub my eyes as he breaks into laughter.
"Sounds like a fun night." Probably for him. "It's late, they could be asleep already."
"You know, I was hoping I wouldn't have to go across there and get my hands dirty." I lean back in my chair, eyes still on the apartment. "I can't risk staying here all night when he's leaving tomorrow."
"I'll check again. Maybe I missed-" I'm sure Nulan continues talking, but I'm too focused on the light that just flickered on.
"Hold on." I look back down the scope. Someone comes into view. That's definitely the turian whose face I've stared at about fifty times tonight. I let out a small chuckle of relief.
"That's my cue to leave." I hear the call disconnect.
Sermus walks towards the window, presumably to close the blinds. His features are etched into my mind by now. His brown and grey skin, his scarred mandible, his black turian eyes. Absolutely no doubt, that's him.
I inhale deeply, steadying my aim. It's always surreal, he has no idea that his life is about to end. One minute, he's on top of the world with stolen credits in his account, hours away from getting off-world and being one step closer to freedom. All mere moments away from being snuffed out.
I squeeze the trigger, and in a fraction of a second, the bullet pierces through the window across the street, shattering his kinetic barrier. He falls back, his body slumping to the ground just out of view.
Omega, 2183, January 10th 11:25 PM
Thanks to my asari friend, Sashia, who works for the medical centre, Sermus Alril's mother reportedly heard the thud of her son's body hitting the floor. She called for help, but it was too late. He was dead before he even hit the ground.
And I was gone before anyone could even think to check for a sniper. Which is why I'm currently walking through Afterlife for the second time tonight. Garka, the ever-annoying nuisance he is, stopping me for a second time also.
"You're back," he says, eyeing me suspiciously.
"Garka." I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Come on, I come bearing good news."
He turns toward Aria, who just waves him off again. He moves aside and I roll my eyes at him as I pass. Formalities, Aria would say. More like a hassle if you ask me.
"So," Aria begins as I take a seat, her eyes not even flicking in my direction. "You're bearing good news I hear?"
I nod, though she's not looking at me and acting bored with this whole conversation. "Sermus Alril is dead and his mother needs a new window."
Aria smirks, finally glancing at me, seeming amused. "You don't disappoint." She opens her omni-tool. "Your credits, as we agreed." Formalities.
"I wouldn't want to disappoint you," I agree, opening my omni-tool and watching the credits enter my account. "I'll take my leave now."
Aria just gives a nod as I stand to leave. Another successful job, now it's time for a really long nap.
Author Notes
Thank you for reading the first chapter.