Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or DC Comics.

Vacation

"Talking"

"Thinking"

Eddie was a criminal. More than that, he was a professional criminal. It wasn't that surprising. Given where he grew up, it was either become a criminal or end up dead. And Eddie liked living.

As he had been a criminal for the past thirty years, it was safe to say that Eddie had seen his share of things and lived through interesting times. He had done his share of time, kept his mouth shut, and gotten into more than a few turf wars. There were days where he was amazed he was still alive. He wasn't the only one either. It garnered him some respect from other criminals and got him what could be described as delicate jobs.

Like now. With humanity joining the galaxy, that meant crime followed. Already black markets were reaching out and forming protentional contacts, seeing what could be smuggled back to Earth. Everyone was looking out for their own advantage, which meant they searching for anything and everything, even if it was too far away.

Which was why Eddie wound up traveling through the Terminus Systems to Omega. His job was to scout out opportunities. However, that was the official reason. His outfit knew this would be a long shot.

So, for the past two days, he had been seeing Omega's sights. For a former mining site turned underworld mecca, Eddie could admit Omega did its job well. The only kind of protection around was the hired kind. The gangs made sure to let everyone know what was their turf and fought hard to protect it. If someone was shot on the street, people didn't bat an eye. It was a hard world, the kind where if someone didn't wise up, they would end up dead.

A normal person would've been nervous or even terrified of coming to Omega.

Eddie just found himself bored.

Nothing here scared him. When someone had tried to rob him, the thief a kid barely out of his teens, all Eddie did was slap the gun out of his hands and kept walking. When the deals with the possible contacts fell through, as he had expected, he treated it with a shrug and walked away. He was fairly certain that had surprised the smugglers more than it should've.

So now, he was sitting in the Afterlife bar, just waiting until his ride came back. His drink was some kind of asari alcohol. Since he didn't know what it could do, best to take it slow. Hence why he was still on the first cup. A shadow moved overhead as one of the dancers started her routine. Eddie watched her for a long moment before looking down. She might've been graceful and alluring but he could get that back home. All part of the life.

Instead, Eddie chose to watch the club. There was plenty of action happening in Afterlife. There was a deal going down in the corner, another on the upper floor, and a third close to the door. And those were only the three in his general sight. He was sure if he got up and walked around a little, he would see a lot more.

His eyes stayed on the third deal. Both parties were getting antsy. The buyer looked ready to run. His hand kept falling to the side, close to a pocket. Eddie knew what was coming next and so signaled the bartender. "Whatta ya want?" the batarian said.

"If you got security, tell them the table at the door is about to be stupid," Eddie replied. "Nobody wants their night interrupted by shooting, am I right?" He got no answer. That was fine. Left him to his drink.

Shouts suddenly erupted behind him. Sounded like the club's bouncers were a little slow on the draw. A shot rang out, only to be swallowed up by the music. It was the only shot. Punches were quickly thrown, and the issue was resolved. As the sounds died, swept away by the pounding base, Eddie glanced back. The bouncers were escorting the men out, by the back of their shirts.

He considered his drink once more and finished it off. He set the glass on the counter, only to see another beside it. "What's this?"

"Complements from the lady," the bartender answered.

The drink was blue and had a smokey look to it. Eddie had never seen its kind before. And that made him suspicious. "Who's the lady?"

"The only lady you need to know around here."

That was annoying cryptic and unhelpful. When it came to something like that, Eddie knew it was time to get out. "Tell her thanks, but I'll pass." He got up and paid the bill. Only when he turned around, there were bouncers blocking his path.

The bartender smirked. "That's alright. She'll want to talk to you anyway." At his nod, the bouncers led the human deeper into the club.

It was only thanks to his years and experiences that Eddie kept cool. This wasn't the first time he had been in this situation. The only real difference was that he was alone, and his hands weren't tied behind his back. As they ascended to the club's higher floors, the bouncers stepped away and the guards took their positions.

The first thing Eddie noticed about the guards was the armor. It was black, blacker than what could be seen in the club. The guns they were packing were serious business too. They looked more appropriate on a battlefield than a club. Then again, from what Eddie had seen around Omega, a battlefield would've been likely. The men themselves were a mix of species but they knew what they were doing. They stayed alert, watching him and for any possible threats.

An asari was waiting for them in a private lounge. One look and Eddie knew that this was the boss. Not just of Afterlife but something more. "Hold still," one of the guards told him before scanning him with his omni-tool. It didn't take long before the scan was done. "He's clean."

The asari watched him for a long moment. He stood tall, for a human in his forties. His hair was already going grey, and he didn't try to hide it. "You just gonna stand there?" she asked, lip slightly turning up in a sneer.

"Yes," Eddie replied. "You're the one who called me. It's clear that you're the boss. I don't do anything until you tell me so." He had that pounded into his head back when he started out. The bullet through the leg helped too.

The sneer disappeared and she looked him over at again. "You're not like the other humans I've seen. They all come here, eager to make their mark and get some kind of power."

That sounded familiar. "I've been in the business a long time. I know where I stand." It's what had kept him alive this long.

"Yeah, I've seen how you'd be an old hand." No one could mistake the insulting tone at the last two words. "I've also heard how you've been going around Omega, trying to see if you can secure trade routes back to Earth. How's that coming?"

"Not well," Eddie answered with a shrug.

She smirked. "Let me kill any hope you might have left. You're not going to get any of those routes. Anyone who does, will suffer painful consequences."

He didn't get angry, only understanding. "And you can do that, then? Omega's a big place from what I've seen."

Her smirk turned regal as she looked down her nose at him. "I am Omega. And Omega only has one rule: Don't fuck with Aria." Her statement made it clear just how dangerous she was, here and everywhere. He still said nothing. She like it. He knew not to shoot his mouth off. "But perhaps, I can change my mind. If you come work for me, your friends back on Earth would get what they want. What do you say?"

"What does your healthcare coverage look like?"

Out of all the possible questions he could've asked, neither Aria nor her men expected that. More than that, he was completely serious. "If you get hurt, there are some doctors who'll patch you up," Aria told him.

"What about sprained injuries? Dislocations? Hyperextensions? Broken bones?" They all stared at him as if he was crazy. Eddie only sighed in resignation. "That's what I thought. I'll pass on your offer, Ms. Aria. Truth be told, my bosses didn't expect much out of this trip. So I've been treated it as a vacation."

It was that last word that got Aria's attention. "A vacation?" she repeated. "You came to Omega as a vacation?"

"Yes."

One of the turians behind them snorted. "Are you some kind of crazy or something?" His humor vanished as the human turned and looked at him. The look demanded he shut up, lest he be treated to a painful and humiliating lesson. He had gotten the look before, but only from Aria. How could this human give him the same look?

Eddie looked at each and every one of them. It didn't take long for them to avert their eyes, doing what they could to find something else. "…Since I woke up today, I saw about five drug deals in plain sight, three kidnappings, six gangs trying to get more territory, and two actual shoot-outs. I'm assuming that's business as usual on Omega?" he asked Aria, who nodded. "I call that a slow day. And quite frankly, the idea that you're as dangerous as you think you are, is hysterical."

Any superiority she wore was gone now, replaced by a slowly building fury. "You're either very brave, or very stupid, to say that out loud, in front of me." Her temper was only held back by her control. "So, why don't you tell me why you think that?"

Eddie did a bold thing at that: he looked down his nose at the Pirate Queen of Omega. "Lady, I'm from Gotham."

The name meant nothing to her and her men, except for one. "Oh shit." Eddie glanced his way and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Star City."

"Ah." With his curiosity satisfied, he looked back at Aria. "You might run things here, but you're just another kingpin to me. I have seen, and heard about, scarier things than you." She didn't say anything to that, only sneered at him. It was clear what she thought about his words.

So, he would have to give an example. "About six months ago, this asari woman came to Gotham, went straight to the cops. Told the commissioner that she was a Justicar on the hunt for something called an Ardat-Yakshi." Her eyes widened slightly at the name. "Said she was certain that her target was in Gotham and while she would appreciate help from the cops, she would find her target, no matter what. So, the commissioner took her down to the morgue, where her target was, on the slab with a bullet hole right between the eyes. According to the cops, she had arrived the day before, intent on claiming the whole of Gotham for her own, and would up pissing off the Penguin." Eddie knew the story was true, since he heard it from the dirty cop that found the body and did the investigation. From what he understood, every cop that heard the story found it completely hilarious.

And he wasn't done. "There was also a krogan merc, I think he was called Rorlok, who came to Gotham. He visited all the families, all the gangs, letting them know that soon, they would be answering to him, and it would be smart to do it now." He gave them a moment to let it sink in. "Not even eight hours after he started, he was found and eaten by Killer Croc. There wasn't enough left of him to make up a skeleton."

He looked the Pirate Queen of Omega right in the eyes. "That's only two stories, and I haven't gotten to the crazy ones. If you're not careful, one bad day in Gotham will bend you over and screw you in the worst way possible. Then it'll get creative. Compared to that, yeah, coming to Omega is a vacation."

Silence held strong as the man from Gotham and the Pirate Queen glared at one another. "Once my ride arrives, I'm leaving," Eddie said. "Until then, I'm going to have my vacation. That alright with you?"

"Not going to try any more deals?" she asked, doing her best to regain control.

"No."

"…Fine. Get out of my sight."

At that, Eddie surprised her again: he tipped his head in respect. "Ma'am." He did try to leave it at that. But his pride as a criminal, and a Gothamite, demanded he get in one last parting shot. So, as he started down the stairs, he said, "Have fun in your safe environment."

Needless-to-say, Eddie pretty much ran out of Afterlife that, and was banned for life. Not that it mattered too much to him.

While Aria did her best to keep any tales of that meeting smothered, there was one aspect that managed to get out. For many in the galaxy, Omega was an important place. If a person achieved their goals there, the rest fell into line. It was known as the corrupt heart of the Terminus Systems, the Pirate Queen's Den, the evil twin of the Citadel, amongst other names.

But after that meeting, Omega was given another name, one that haunted Aria no matter what she did.

Gotham Easy Mode.

End

Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.

This little chapter can best be summed up like so:

Omega: We're the worst of the worst. There's no law here. Come at your own peril!

Gotham (and the rest of DC-Earth): You're adorable.

This whole story pretty much sprouted from Eddie's declaration to Aria. Here's a guy who's survived the streets of Gotham going on thirty years, including Batman, and this one woman supposedly running a mining station thinks she can make him nervous? That line was just begging to be said.

Having said that, I do believe Eddie would be concerned about medical coverage. He's gotten into a few fights with Batman and his family, and with injuries that get him sent to a hospital. He would know what kind of damages could be done to the body. Bullet holes are just one part and not the end-all, be-all.

Try as Aria might, Omega's new nickname is not going to go away. It'll provide all new set of concerns for her. People will start to wonder just how hard Gotham is if Omega is considered the easier of two. And villains (super or otherwise) from Earth will start coming to Omega for vacation due to Eddie's trip. After all, they're there on pleasure and there's no superhero to come after them. Sounds quite relaxing. And when Archangel starts popping up, their reaction will be something along the lines of "Finally joining the big leagues?"

In case you're wondering, yes, the Justicar was Samara. I figured it was a great example. She came to Earth expecting her daughter's usual tactics, only to find her dead and the cops treating it as another on the beat. Goes to show that humanity might be new to the galactic stage, but they can still be unimpressed by its criminals.

I'll see you all next chapter!