Ghost in the City: Cyberpunk Gamer SI

Meditating in the corner was… weird. Akari had walked me through a few steps and then zoned out on her own. But I wasn't the type to meditate while sitting in a yoga pose.

So I didn't bother trying. Instead I slowly shifted my arms. Feeling the differences as I waved them around quietly. Just… Processing. It was funny, I had so much knowledge in my head from such a vast array of topics, yet none of them could really help me with this. I had tried some of the martial arts I had gained from Street Brawler, and it helped. But it wasn't a panacea.

Only time could truly help.

Well that or more stat points. I had a bet that Adaptation would help quite a bit. But that was for the future. I still needed to grow at least comfortable enough that I was able to gain those points. My accuracy was still off, my balance, everything.

It might seem odd, but it was true. While training my quickdraw the night before I realized that slightly different length arms. Fingers that were longer but stronger, and the phantom limb, meant my gun was ending up pointed in the wrong spot. I was forcing myself to untrain habits I had developed.

So here I was. Faking meditation as I ran through some of the Taichi kata with my arms. Just letting myself adapt.

Hopefully.

Sitting here doing nothing did have some benefits though.

Sensei wasn't just helping Akari, and I.

While apparently most of the Dojo's students were sent away, either too busy with the war, or simply not trusted enough to know that the dojo was in use. That didn't mean there weren't others.

I got to watch Borgs fight each other.

The Kamikaze group were more than a dozen, borgs I had seen so far. As they came in, usually in small groups I got to watch them relax around the dojo. Spar, or in some cases sit by themselves as they glared or zoned out.

Cyberpsycho. Almost all of them had some of the symptoms. Irritability. Blankness. Some twitched or shook.

It was interesting to see. I could see some of the same traits that Jun had picked up. But at least he wasn't as bad as most of them.

He also wasn't nearly as chromed out as most of them were.

But that wasn't what all of them did. Some would meet in the middle of the dojo floor and spar. Considering the amount of chrome involved, it was nothing like a fight between humans.

So I watched. I learned. I noticed the ones with internal weapons, or augments. I watched how they used them. When, and what tells they had.

That guy and his mantis blades. He would alway twist his wrist before the blades deployed. A twitch, or part of the mechanism?

That woman with the same blade legs as Akari. Seeing it from the side I could see the way she had to shift her balance forward. Too far forward. Her legs were powerful but had little surface friction to work with. So she was either fully charging forward, or forced to stand up practically straight to keep upright.

I guess that explains why Akari learned to fight on her hands.

But seeing it from the outside? It meant next time I had ideas of how to fight against that. Well… Mostly. Whenever a Sandevistan or some of the other speed enhancers came into play…

Fine.

When fighting Borgs rule 1. Never let them realize they were in a fight. Until I had a sandy in order to keep up, I just wouldn't fight them. Couldn't fight them. My Burya would still be with me, but if I was in a Maelstrom den killing borgs then the moment I fired game over I would have to run, or die.

So I would assassinate them. I nodded to myself. Decision made. Fall back on what I am good at. So I would need to go quiet. And be better at it. Problem was. A blade wasn't always good enough against borgs but I wasn't the only person with that same problem!

Now I needed more information. Lucky for me. I was literally in a place for it. I rose up and started looking for my former sparring partner.

I wasn't the only person with that same problem!

"Hey Akari?" I asked, finally finding the woman that had left an hour into her meditation downstairs in the breakroom, chomping down on something from the vending machines.

"Huh? Kid. What do you want? I'm not here to play with you." She muttered her voice still electronic as she continued eating.
"You use blades right? Mantis, and your legs. How do you kill a really borged up gonk? I mean… How do you get your blades through their armor?"

"Stupid question kid." She said and suddenly her arm shifted into a blade that looked as deadly as I am sure it was. "These babies are made for cutting chaff, Nano filament cuts right through, but sometimes it can get stuck. If I am against something a bit heavier? Gotta use the upgrade!" She laughed as her blade suddenly Started glowing. A harsh wave of heat washed over my face as the blades ignited to an incredibly high temperature. "Stab these babies in, and not even fuckers with thermal resistance Real Skinn will survive cooking from the inside. That's how you kill borgs. Cut 'em, and if you can't? Boil 'em!" She broke into a pretty scary laugh.

But I couldn't help but nod along.

"Know where I could get a Thermal Katana?" I asked and her laugh changed to a different tone. She wasn't laughing at her evil thoughts, she was just laughing at me.

Rood.

"I'm not your momma. Get it yourself." She finally offered and waved me away.

Fine.

—--

I continued practicing while I waited for Jun to come back. Unfortunately every time Sensei would see me practicing he would throw a Shinai at me, or pull me into Tai-Chi, or whatever other exercise he was doing.

It was like he expected me to get into trouble the moment I was out of his sight or left unattended.

Which, okay teenager. Sure I could understand it, but it was still annoying.

That night Jun came home, and I couldn't help but let out a breath of relief. "Jun-Nii!" I called out as I noticed him out of the corner of my eye coming in with a group of four.

All four of them had obviously seen a fight.

Luckily it looked like only minor injuries, and it was a bit of a shock to see Jun in full war gear.

He wore actual armor over his chest for one. Jun's tendency to show off his chest had been something I had planned on teasing him about in the coming days.

But more interesting was the mask he wore.

I guess I know for sure now why they called him the Oni. He wore a japanese Oni mask across his jaw, giving him a sharp toothed grin.

At my call he slowed his walk and pulled down the mask showing his face and how tired he looked.

Seeing the rest of his little group all look to him, and none of them seemed happy I just waved him off to go with his little team.

We would talk after.

—--

"The Maelstrom broke as soon as we showed up. But they had enough heavy guns to keep us from doing much. We killed a few borgs and dropped them off at the rippers, and that's about it." He offered an hour or two later when he had finally come to find me. Apparently his little team had been doing an after action report of some kind.

Huh I guess Tyger Claws knew at least a bit about keeping everything running, even when dealing with a bunch of gangster kids.

"What about you Imouto. How was your day? How are the shoulders, any pain? Be honest."

"Nope. No pain. I'm healing quick." I told him as I bit into my XXL burrito and did my best to pretend it didn't taste like refried sick.

I don't know how Jun could seemingly happily take big bites of the meal.

"Good. Good. Just don't go overboard." He demanded pointing his burrito at me which I almost wanted to parry away.

What a powerful weapon.

"Anyway Jun-Nii. Where did you get your Katana? I'm looking to buy one. Probably a Thermal one." I chirped at him suddenly, his chewing slows before he swallows his bite.

"No."

I blew up my cheeks at him in offense at his instant denial.

"I'm not asking you to buy it or something. I have money! I just need to know where I can get one."

"Still no. You are staying here. Safe." He offered and I glared a bit.

"I'm not going to stay here forever. Another few days I'll be back to fighting fit. Then I'm heading out."

"No."

"You can't just say no!" I shrieked at him pointing my burrito.

"No." He said doing exactly what I told him he couldn't!

I huffed at him as I took another bite and chewed it for a moment. I didn't want to fall into sibling spat here. Jun needed to understand that he couldn't huddle me into an apartment to hide away.

"Jun. I know you want to protect me, but I'm not going to live in this place. Once I'm healed up… I'm going to get hunting down The Bastard. And the Spider Ripper. Once I have both of their skulls on sticks I might chill, but that's the limit of my chill at the moment."

"Chill?" He seemed to ask himself as he was working out what I mean. "Still no."

I stood up slamming my hands on the table which actually made a very sharp noise throughout the breakroom. We glared at each other for a minute.

"I'm not asking. If you won't help. I'll do it without you. I'm sure Hiromi caaaaaan! Fuck!" I cursed my anger disappearing. I hadn't messaged Hiromi! It had been days! I had been completely out of contact. I instantly called her, only to get a noise in my ear and a "This call could not be completed." message.

"Idiot. This whole place has a jammer up to make sure the Maelstrom can't track us here." Jun cut in my rising panic as my yellow eyes zipped to him. "Hiromi can wait. Unt- Dammit Motoko! Stop!" he rose up and yelled but I was already heading up the stairs.

I knew Hiromi pretty well by this point, we were best chooms. If she heard that I had gotten kidnapped!? If she couldn't get in touch with me or Jun she might do something stupid!

I rushed up stairs ignoring Jun as I ran to the entrance of the dojo and then out onto the street.

Still no good. I turned and started running down the street. I could hear Jun running after me and he quickly tried to grab me but I slapped his hands away.

We both had chrome hands now. "Not now Jun!"

"Motoko! Stop being stupid! We aren't supposed to make calls from here!"

"Then get your bike! Hiromi is an idiot Jun she will definitely do something stupid if I don't tell her I'm alive!"

"Ugh." Jun offered with a grunt as he realized I was right.

And because of that he realized I wasn't going to stop.

"Fine. Come with me. Now!" he barked and I followed after as we headed back into the dojo, and then into the apartment. We actually slipped back into the car that we had used to move everything and Jun drove us out into the city.

Finally a few blocks away as we passed through the city Jun told me to try and call again.

*Motoko! Where have you been! My calls haven't connected!*

I breathed out a sigh of relief. Hiromi didn't sound like she was freaking out, or anything.

*Hey Hiromi. Sorry a lot of stuff happened. I'm with Jun right now, but they are keeping him in a place that has jammers up. I realized it all happened without telling you. I was worried you would be freaking out with me out of contact.*

*Oh good! You should always remember your bestest choom! How is Jun? He alright? Not injured?*

*No. He is grumpy, but we actually went through a lot. Listen Hiromi. Don't go around the apartment okay? Jun stopped by and Maelstrom tracked him. They decided to kidnap me and I ended up getting rescued. So stay away in c-*

*What the FUCK!? What do you mean Kidnapped!? Are you alright! Motoko! You can't get kidnapped again! What the fuck? Fuck!*

*Hey hey! I'm okay… Honest. The Strom did cut me up a bit but I'm all in one piece, and after the Tyger Claw Ripper that Jun took me to put me back together, I even went to Vik's and had him double check. I'm fine.*

*Motoko… If you had to go to a ripper… You got chrome? How much? What happened?*

*Just my arms. Nothing serious.*

*Fuck… Motoko… Toko. Don't try to protect me okay? We are chooms. How bad? What happened?*

I sighed a bit as I rubbed my thumb and fingers together feeling the odd sensations.

*It was pretty bad while it happened, they got lucky that I didn't have my anti-borg weapon when they jumped me. They cut me up, and threw me into a fighting pit. I killed the kid they pit me against and they ended up chipping in some bad chrome arms. Jun rescued me around then, and took me to a Tyger Claw ripper. I'm alright now. Honest.*

*Shit. I didn't even know. I've been trapped at home this whole week. Dammit!* Hiromi cursed for a while as I listened, just sighing trying to ignore Jun's questioning look.

*Listen Hiromi. I'm glad you heard about this from me, and not from out in the wild. I was really worried you would have found out and gone off on a crusade to try and rescue me or something. Please just. Stay safe okay? I've got Jun being super protective right now too. So I get the parents thing.*

*Fuck. Toko, you got kidnapped again and I couldn't even… I didn't even find out!* Hiromi made a sound of just pure frustration over the line.

I really didn't know what to say.

*I'm okay.*

*I'm not… I'm glad you're okay though, Toko. Fuck that's so! Ugh!*

*I know. But I'm glad you're safe too. I think Jun is getting done with being patient though. Listen I'll be out of touch a bunch. Tyger Claws really like their jammers, but I won't be staying with Jun for long. Once I finish recovering I'll message you. Okay?*

*Yeah… yeah. I get it. Stay safe, Toko. Promise?*

*Of course! I promise!*

I ended the call and flopped back into the seat.

"Okay. Hiromi is okay, she didn't even know. I'm really… I'm really glad she is safe."

"She's your choom… It's fine." Jun said as we started making our way back towards the dojo along the streets.

I was quiet for a while before I decided to continue where we had left off.

"I won't stay at the dojo for long."

"You will. It is safe there." He said instantly his fists gripping the steering wheel as he slowly drove through the traffic.

"Jun-Nii. I love you. I want you to be happy. I know that you just want to protect me. I love that. I do, but that's not going to stop me from doing what I need to do…" I opened my mouth, my mind shooting to anything that I could use to convince him. A hard headed teen like Jun. He wouldn't accept any answer but his.

Unless I agreed with him, Jun would do everything he could to stop me…

Well if he could. I was strong. A lot stronger than he probably thought.

"You don't think I can take care of myself." I muttered aloud realization flashing through me.

"You are my little sister, you aren't going out to fight Maelstrom! It doesn't matter what jobs you've done for Wakako. Or… Anything else. You are not ready for that."

"But you are?" I said the words without a thought. I knew what I would need to convince Jun, and there was only one way to reach it.

"Yes. I have experience you lack. Advantages you do not have. Stay in the apartment where it is safe. I will handle your revenge. The trash that took you. They will die."

"Yeah they will. By me." I told him instantly denying him his victory, but I was smiling. Jun was so sweet. Trying to keep his little sister safe, even willing to hunt down the Strom that hurt me.

It was just too bad I was far from helpless.

"When we get to the dojo spar with me. If you beat me, I'll shut up and stay inside. For now." I offered as I stared out onto the road. Just watching as these passed us by.

I would have to prove to Jun that I wasn't just his kid sister anymore. It's just too bad I couldn't start off from stealth. It would make this a lot easier.

Jun was quiet for a while as we pulled through a few dark alley ways to make sure no one was following before we traveled into the underground parking lot.

"You are injured. I will not hurt you."

"I'm fine. And if you want to keep me from leaving. Then you are gonna have to." I told him as we pulled into the spot. "I'll meet you inside." I said simply as I slipped out of the car ignoring him calling my name as I hurried inside then out the window to the Dojo.

Inside it was just as active as it had been before, but I ignored that. Instead focusing on what was coming. Jun was probably going to beat my ass. I honestly don't even know if he had a sandy, or a reflex booster.

But I was a gamer. If he beat me today, it would make me stronger for tomorrow. If he beat me tomorrow it would make me stronger for the next day.

Jun was being an ass, so even if he won, I was still going to leave him with some bruises. I grabbed one of the Shinai off the racks along the edge of the room, nodding as it was in good condition.

Jun was walking in then. Looking towards me and his perpetual grumpy frown was stronger than ever.

But he seemed to realize I wasn't budging. He walked over across from me and grabbed his own Shinai. The katana on his hip was taken off and placed against the wall.

Our actions seemed to get some attention as Sensei noticed the two of us preparing. He looked from me to Jun before nodding. Without a word he opened up the space in the dojo pulling off the other Tyger Claw borgs who were meditating, or doing Tai-chi under Sensei's instruction.

Then once it was clear we both knew. Swordsman instinct maybe?

Or just siblings knowing each others tells.

We moved. Rushing towards the center without a word. Jun with his stupid long teenage boy arms was in range first, but Parry was in full effect.

Jun wasn't overwhelmingly fast like Akari. But he was a lot stronger. My shinai easily caught his first strike, but actually deflecting it took a bit of effort. Then I was on the attack. He reacted instantly shifting into his own deflections as my Shinai became a blur of attacks, slashing stabbing, sliding against his blade to try and smash into his stupid face.

My attacks took him off guard and instantly Jun was back pedaling as I pushed him. Despite his greater strength he was treating my shinai as an actual blade.

Good he was taking this seriously.

But as much as I pushed, nothing made it through. Jun was good. Then to my surprise Jun locked his blade with mine and in that moment he reached out and grabbed my dominant hand on my shinai.

I noticed it. The shift in his balance. I had dealt with this exact situation again!

I wasn't going to have my chest broken again!

Juns kick was blocked when I just leapt into the air and landed both of my feet against his leg leaving me hanging in the air completely at his mercy.

But at least he hadn't kicked me!

Jun's grip on my first hardened and then he threw me to the side launching me across the room.

My instinctual reaction surprised me.

I let go of the Shinai. A part of me reminding myself there were tons of them around the room to grab so instead his throw was turned into a tumble through the air, and then a few backflips as I hit the ground to create distance until I was at the wall.

I nearly chuckled at Juns flabbergasted look, his dropped jaw was literally making this entire thing worth it.

Hah! Bet you didn't know your little sister had athletics 5! I was at least a moderately good acrobat!

But then I was done playing.

I reached out and grabbed two Shinai.

The first Blades Perk I had grabbed had been Ambidextrous. And my arms were now much much stronger than a normal girl my age.

The feeling of my arms might not be perfect, but I was about to beat some big brother ass. I stomped back towards Jun doing a few flourishes with my Shinai to tell him that I wasn't playing at dual wielding. Then I was on him and Jun was once more back pedaling as I absolutely stormed into a series of attacks against him.

My breath was still fairly even. Jun might have more chrome, but I was in better shape than my burrito loving brother.

The sharp snapping of faux bamboo on faux bamboo echoed through the room, as with two Shinai I finally started slipping past Jun's defenses.

My first blow slipped past and hit his shoulder, then another hitting his wrist, but it was all chrome, and he seemed to be growing really annoyed. I could see his eyebrows narrowing and his face turning into a scowl.

He pushed me back and swung. I blocked but still ended up thrown off my feet at the blow as he put all of his strength into the swing.

I rolled away and then jumped back to my feet, jumping right back at him.

It quickly became obvious Jun had the strength to send me flying, but I was faster, and with two shinai, he was struggling to resist my flurry of blows.

Once more Jun went for a grab, but I had literally taken a perk in grappling!

His hand was grabbed as I discarded a shinai and then I was leaping my leg arcing over his bicep and suddenly my leg was wrapped around his neck. I tugged and unbalanced him, the two of us went tumbling as he dropped his shinai, with me so close it was easy to grab me. And then we were rolling on the ground, both of us grabbing at the other rolling and grunting as we grabbed, forcing the other to release and grab each other again.

Jun pinching my thigh to make me release his neck earned him a fist grinding into his side that was still meat which made him flinch and break his grip on my other arm that he had been working into a pin, then I grabbed his ankle which was close by and twister, while it wasn't flesh anymore, it would still hurt, I then yelped as as he found a pressure point in my side which earned him a knee to his stomach for his troubles and then we were rolling around again I managed to mash his face into the mat with the palm of my hand before he flipped me onto my back and and arm wrapped around my throat.

Considering how much I knew about choking someone out like that, I wasn't hard to elbow just below his armpit, weakening the grip, even with a chrome arm, as I kicked up and flipped under his arm my leg once again in place around his neck but then suddenly I was pulled off him with a yelp as someone grabbed the back of my shirt and just lifted me out of the pile.

"Oh hey Sensei." I offered in greeting toward the very irritated man.

"Both of you come with me. Now!" he barked, making Jun twitch as much as I did as I was dropped back to my feet.

We were put in time out.

Like literal time out. Sensei set us down in a corner and made us meditate. Akari and some of the other Tyger Claws laughing on the sidelines at our sibling moment.

"You aren't leaving." Jun said, the first words we had spoken since we had been put in time out. We had just finished walking into the apartment hours later after being forced to meditate on our mistakes.

"Not yet. But soon." I told him as I flopped onto the couch before facing him.

"You didn't defeat me." He grumbled from the door.

"You didn't defeat me either. The deal was if you beat me I would shut up and stay. Jun… I know what I'm trying to do is dangerous. I know it sounds crazy! I know. But I can do it. I can do this and come home every night. I have the skill."

"You don't! You just got out of the hospital! You lost your memory!" Jun practically ranted as he waved his arms above his head.

"I've killed more than twenty people. Scavs. Raffen. Maelstrom. Normal and Borgs." I said practically punching him in the face with what I have done.

"You are my little sister! You don't have to kill anyone! I will do it for you! Stay here! Where it is safe, I'll… I'll put you into a school! I can even do Arasaka Academy! You can go to school with Hiromi where it is safe! Where you don't have to stain your hands with blood! Where you don't have to worry about-"

I stood up at his rant and pulled him into a strong hug. Burying my face into his chest as I held him tight.

"I love you too Jun." I told him, cutting off whatever he was trying to desperately say. Then I pulled away so he could see me. "But I like killing. I'm not going to stop." I watched as he tried to process that for a moment and as he opened his mouth I reached up and poked his lips. "No. Listen." I demanded as I stepped away and dragged him to the couch.

I waited until he settled in as I sat on the little table so we could face each other.

"I really like killing, fighting. I like doing jobs. I like sneaking through a Valentino chopshop to steal information. I like going out as a bodyguard for a Nomad who ends up being a pretty cool guy. I liked when we got chased by Raffen. I liked grabbing my HMG and firing it watching big tough Raffen scream in terror as they get turned into a splatter in the desert. I loved that after, when they left me for dead. When I chased them through the desert, and snuck into their camp. I have never had more fun in my life! Then when I was slowly hunting them through their camp. I killed every man in the camp without any of them managing to call for help or even cry out. I loved when I had their leader at my mercy at the end and I stole his car. And then I shot him."

I was quiet at that, watching as Jun's eyes had widened massively as I spoke as I revealed just a bit of what I had been up to.

"How?" He finally asked quietly, looking a little shook. "How did you do that? How did you survive? You were never that good with a Katana."

"I learned." I answered simply, it was true in a way. "Killing someone is easy. The trick is just surviving long enough that you learn how to do it better. And a bit of luck." I added with a casual shrug. "I know you worry. I worry about you too… but I can't stop you from going out there to hunt Maelstrom in revenge. Just like you can't stop me from doing the same."

I stared into his face as emotions roiled over him, his fists clenching over and over as he tried to fight back his own instincts.

"Come out with me." I told him then, cutting off his inner battle with himself. "Let me show you what I can do. That you don't have to be afraid. I want you to be part of my life Jun-Nii, and I want to be part of yours. But you'll have to let me go make my own mistakes. Or my own glory."

"You can die!"

"I can also die walking down the street, or be gunned down in the middle of a gangwar while driving down the freeway. I'm not gonna be safe if I hide Jun. But, at least I can have some safety if I prove I have the ability to kill any gonk stupid enough to try." I kind of fluttered my legs a bit as I sat on the table wondering what else I could say.

What else could I do to prove to Jun that I was able to walk in the same circles that he did. That just as he had done plenty of raids against Maelstrom, I could do that too.

"Tomorrow night." He said finally quietly. "Kamikaze are going to hit a few Maelstrom dens, If… I will ask if they will allow you to come. If you… If you prove to me you are capable after… I'll…"

"Okay." I told him he didn't have to finish, he was struggling to let me go, which wasn't a surprise. Jun was pretty stubborn after all. So instead of any more tense conversations I pulled Jun into a big warm hug.

Seriously gotta get that Real Skinn, Jun. Your arms are very unhuggable right now.

—--

Apparently the one in charge of the Kamikaze approved of me joining them for an outing, although from the way Jun phrased it, it was less that I could come, and more that they simply didn't care if I died trying.

Jokes on them. I have no intention of dying. Not until I've murdered every spider eyed asshole in this city. It was a shame. I liked spiders….

Wait! If I killed all of them, that means I could take their symbol for myself right? "I'll become the Black Widow… wait I'm already Motoko." I muttered to myself as I finished loading my Burya.

My lovely perfect Burya that I was never going anywhere without… That thought struck me and I realized I probably needed a shower gun now too… I'm sure I could put a carnage in there. That thing doesn't care if it gets rusty.

I nodded at that. Shower Shotgun sounds perfect.

Stupid Night city.

I pulled her into my shoulder holster and stretched. It felt good to be back in my gear again. Even if the feel of the Lexington in my back holster wasn't quite the same as my Unity.

I miss that gun.

At least I still had my knife. I patted my hip where it rested. That thing had kept me alive in the pit. It was nice that one of the borgs in Kamikaze had grabbed it while looting.

"Motoko."
"Jun-Nii. All set?" I asked as I turned to him, noticing the weird look on his face.

"Oh this is the first time Jun has seen my work clothes huh?" I asked him as I did a little pirouette that would make a ballerina nod at how good it was.

Thank you Athletics.

"What are you wearing? Put a real jacket on and a shirt." Then without waiting he turns and walks out.

"F-fuckin' jerk!" I yelled back at him utterly shocked at how instantly he had cut down my cute Motoko cospl-Outfit. My outfit!

I chased after him, and it was only as I entered the main room of the apartment that I caught the slight smirk on his face.

Oh! Jun was being an asshole big brother.

Jerk!

"Idiot!" I yelled at him as I made a move to brush past him.

His arm wrapping me up in a hug pulling me off my feet stopped that. Then with the casualness of a big brother he walked me back to the bedroom and plopped me on the bed.

"I have something for you." He said after a moment as I glared at him for carrying me around. Just because he had stupid gorilla arms, and I wasn't heavy enough to stop him!

It wasn't fair!

"What?" I demanded a little petulantly, which probably didn't help my case of trying to get Jun to trust me as a professional, but he was being stupid. So there.

"I want you to be safe." He said simply as he headed into the closet in the bedroom, something I hadn't messed with.

I honestly didn't think anything was actually in there.

But there was, in fact. It was an armory.

"Ooh Goodies!" I chirped only to be denied instantly with an outstretched hand.

"My stuff. Don't touch." He said in that exact older sibling voice that told me I had probably snuck into his stuff too many times to count.

Yeah that's fair.

I settled down as he went back in and pulled something out that I perked up at.

"It's my spare… Please do not ruin it. They are expensive." He tells me as he pulls out a fucking Katana.

Oooh man. I was gonna weeb these Maelstroms to death… wait that sounds wrong.

I shook that stupid thought out as I stood up and took the Katana Jun was holding out for me. The same military style as the one he had. I popped it out of the sheath just an inch seeing the incredibly sharp blade before nodding. Luckily it had a belt on the sheath, so after a moment I had it wrapped around my hips.

I was starting to have a few too many straps on me, Shoulder holster, rear holster and now sword belt.

It's fine though.

Cause it looked fuckin badass.

"Thanks Jun."

"It's a thermal Katana like you wanted. The button is on the side. Don't cut off a limb, or burn yourself… Or a building down. Better yet, just don't use it." He said moving to take it away which I promptly slapped his hand and then he was mushing his hand into my face and I was kicking at his dumb stupid plastic abs.

We finally broke away a few minutes later after Jun put me in a headlock, which I hip tossed him over my shoulder for daring and the loud thump as he almost crashed into the living room table startled us both.

"Truce." I demanded, and Jun huffed a quiet laugh before he agreed as we split up and straightened up.

Jun had mussed my hair. The jerk. After a quick stop in the bathroom to reorder my hair we both left the apartment down into the parking garage.

There the rest of Kamikaze were already waiting. Although I noticed they weren't hanging around their own rides, or vehicles that looked like something the Tyger Claws would drive.

Unmarked vans, and cars were idling waiting.

Luckily we weren't the last to show up. "Jun. Good, still waiting on a few stragglers." The borg I had met in the Ripper doc said as Jun approached. This time the man wasn't heading into a ripper. He was armed and armored up.

The flak jacket he wore was actually open showing off his chest, and holographic neon tattoos. I was pretty sure the jacket was less defense than the obvious subdermal armor meaning it was more for looks than utility.

"Hai. Fujimura-Sama." Jun offered with a bow. Ah that was the Borg's name. Right, the doctor said that as well.

"The girl will be your responsibility." He added nodding to me, and Jun simply bowed lower in agreement.

I nodded to Jun. I wasn't about to cause any problems. We all had Maelstrom to kill.

The wait was mostly quiet, most of the Kamikaze were heavily borged, and none of them seemed sociable. Mostly they just hung around, checked their gear.

Or stared into nothing.

Yeah. This was definitely the Psychos of the Tyger Claws.

Dammit Jun. I wasn't going to let you fall prey to that.

So we ended up settling in, Jun was driving another one of the inconspicuous cars and I was sitting in the back despite no one else in the car.

"Why do I have to sit back here? I called shotgun." I grumbled at my brother who was starting to stare into nothing as time went by.

So I was using sisterly petulance to distract him.

"Akari makes me drive. Don't bother her when she gets here." Jun replied with a tired sigh.

But it was emotion. It wasn't that coolness that took over his voice at times.

"Finally." Akari suddenly uttered as she swung the passenger door open and flopped in. The woman looked more like a plastic robot than a human. She was even wearing a mask to hide away what little flesh there was left on her face. All bright red and white plastic, despite knowing it was actually as strong as steel it still made her look fragile. "You're so slow Jun-kun, making me wait. Well let's go. Don't want to piss off Fujimura-Sama anymore than you already have." She said as she leaned back arms behind her head.

"You are the one that is late, and the one Fujimura-Sama is angry with Akari… Again." He offered as he started driving out of the garage following a few of the other vehicles. Although once out on the street everyone began driving in different directions.

Sneaky. If everyone had a different route there was less chance of a whole cavalcade being spotted.

"That's just what you like to believe, Jun." Akari offered nodding her doll-like head before she turned around in her seat. "How about that? You actually brought your little killer. Fujimura-Sama allowed that?"

"He did. Motoko is allowed to come today. As a test."

"Hah! She doesn't have the chrome to join Kamikaze."

"I'm not really planning on joining. Jun just needs reassurance, I know how to fight." I cut in. I wanted to make sure these crazy psychos didn't think I was one of them. That would be terrible if they thought I was as crazy as them!

I was just here to murder people.

"Oh she just needs to reassure her Oniiiii-chaaan." Akari teased as she looked to Jun. "Despite getting his butt whooped?"

"She did not whoop my butt." Jun muttered, but I wasn't going to pick a fight right now.

So I let it pass even as Akari continued teasing Jun.

I looked out the window instead, watching the city go by. My hands slowly opened and closed as I warmed up my joints. I was really looking forward to killing some Strom tonight, ripping them apart, and getting just an ounce of the payment they owed me back.

The drive didn't take very long. Slowly we pulled into a garage, parking deep into the structure that already had a few of the other Kamikaze's vehicles parked and empty. I followed Jun as he followed Akari who led us around the structure, Akari was quiet and focused for once, Jun and I followed her lead. Although I wasn't going cool, I let my footsteps quiet until they practically disappeared.

The parking garage connected to some sort of office building, or maybe they were apartments. It was hard to tell, I felt like the building changed its zoning with every few steps. Eventually we were let into a room on the north side of the building that was on the second floor. There a few of the Kamikaze were preparing. Armoring and fitting weapons into holsters as they prepared.

I followed Jun as he seemed to lead me to the window and point out. I peeked out and there wasn't much to see, another building right next to us, and a dirty alley below.

"The place down the alleyway is a Strom armory. Hauling loot they collected from raids there. We are here to clear them out and hold the place down long enough for everything to be taken back." Jun explained to me quietly as I looked down the alley. It was… Well it was an old shop. Whatever it had once been was long gone, the place looked busted up. The Strom probably hadn't asked to take over the store.

But if that was an armory?

Motoko like.

"Numbers?" I asked and Jun just shrugged which had me puff out a bit of air in irritation. Planning an assault without knowing the numbers they would be facing?

Psychos. Of the non-Cyber variety.

"Doesn't matter." Akari said as she walked up her plastic face expressionless as her voice as she looked out the window with her glowing eyes. "We will kill them. That's our job. Don't get in our way, little killer." She said a sinister threat in her voice at the end.

I noticed Jun straightening and moving to stand between us.

How sweet.

But unnecessary. "I won't." I offered simply turning back to the window for a second. "We have anyone breaching their security already?"

"We do. Stay out of it. I don't want a kid getting in my way of the dive." A voice full of static called out, and one of the Kamikaze, one who I hadn't seen much of or spoken to yet said. The man was just as borged out as all of them, but he was also I noticed, hooked into a few pieces of tech. It took me a few seconds of scanning to realize.

It was all refrigeration units. The borg had a portable ice bath for when he dived into the net.

"Understood." I agreed. Everyone was so snappy. But I guess that was just part of working with people one step into Cyber Psychosis.

"We have movement." Akari called out suddenly and everyone turned towards the window to peek.

Cyberpsycho or not everyone was curious. We all watched a big box truck pull up, drivers window down with a Maelstrom smoking up a storm as he backed up to the front of the store.

"Good timing." A man's voice called out through the room grabbing everyone's attention. Fujimura the Borg was there.

"Fujimura-Sama." A few greetings came out from the group, Jun included. But most were quiet, lost in their own little worlds.

"Kamikaze! We strike now before they can unload the truck. Tomaru make sure the driver can't escape. The rest of you. Strike!" He roared as he charged straight forward making me jerk and jump to the side along with Jun and Akari as he jumped straight through the window we had been looking out of.

A moment later most of the group was gone. Some moving at incredible speeds, others simply bloodthirsty ready to fight.

Jun gave me a single look ensuring I was alright, "Stay behind us." Before he followed out the window.

Then I was left in the room alone with the netrunner who was probably the furthest from me, if you counted awareness.

"You dicks. We are on the second floor!" I cursed at them as I stuck my head out the now broken window, the sound of gunfire and screams already starting up.

It took me half a second to find a way down and I backed up before leaping out. Parkour made the jump a fearless move. I leapt across to the opposite side of the alley, a fire escape easily grabbed onto and then in a few seconds I was dropping down catching the escape and then dropping to the floor.

Then I was chasing after. The end of the alley faced the shop the Maelstrom had taken, and I could see gunfire and death coming from within.

The driver of the truck slumped over the wheel, a hole through the windshield. I ignored him and instead rushed forward into the now even more broken front window as gunfire came out in sharp notes from within. I slipped inside, feeling cool flow over me. My Kiroshi easily pierced the darkness and gave me sight inside.

The Kamikaze had definitely surprised the Maelstrom, but this place was well defended. A turret was rotating around from the back of the store, the HMG placed inside it having shattered the Kamikaze assault as everyone had jumped into cover.

I sighed this is why you found out the numbers before you rushed in.

Thankfully a moment later as I was running through ways to break the damn thing I was surprised.

Akari disappeared from where she had been zipping forward the HMG firing at her avoided by simply not being where the bullets landed as she surged forward and then her blade cut through the HMG ending its threat.

The Maelstrom cursed at their now destroyed defense as weapons fire burst out towards Akari who was now much slower as she ducked and dodged trying to break line of sight.

The Kamikaze moved in response. Fujimura was first. The massive borg rushed forward smashing through a wall to take two Maelstrom by surprise as he began beating them to a pulp by smashing them together.

Jun was there I noticed, his blade cutting out and leaving blood trails as he passed.

The others were moving as well.

I blinked before I realized it.

They were stealing my XP!

"Fuck." I cursed as I jumped up Burya quickdrawn in an instant as my baby's retort echoed through the room. My Kiroshi had a Maelstrom highlighted through a wall. The guy had a nasty looking LMG that he was firing non stop filling the room with lead.

Aiming at Jun.

I fired once. Missed. Then twice. Then again, and again. I was already reloading even as my last round burst a hole through the wall.

My new arms and Recoil Reduction meant I wasn't even in pain. Sure it almost pushed me back a step with each shot, but Recoil Reduction already taught me exactly how to handle that.

*500 XP Gained.*

I frowned. The one I had targeted through the wall had only been a weakling? I jerked back just in time, catching a Borg rise up with a shotgun pointed at me, breaking the terrible concrete I was hiding behind into powder.

A Burya makes a fair bit of noise. I guess even with Kamikaze rushing in, I had got some attention.

I finished reloading, my eyes already highlighted the gonk that had shot at me, and I was about to shoot when I stopped.

Jun was there, cutting the guy in half. Then again. And again.

Oh. Jun was maaad.

Stupid though. I jumped up and aimed. The Maelstrom gonk that was aiming at my very angry idiot brother. A shot from my Burya ended the threat, even if it wasn't a great shot. I had been aiming for his chest, and instead hit him in the pelvis he dropped with a cry as his legs stopped working.

Another round into his prone body was all I needed.

*500 XP Gained.*

I looked around for another target, but everyone was dying, or dead. I tsked as I reloaded my Burya slowly as I slipped into the building. Keeping an eye out for any movement as I started checking the dead as I walked up closer and closer to Jun who was glaring furiously at the very dead lump of flesh that was the Maelstrom idiot that shot at me.

"Jun, you with me?" I asked as I stepped closer to him, my Burya still ready to fire in case of any surprises.

"I never left!" He snapped a bit but with a deep breath he swished his blade to clear it of blood and sheathed it.

"Preem." I offered calmly, no point poking Jun when he was being prickly. My loot senses were immediately active though. I made my way through the area clearing all the corpses and checking in the side rooms and bathrooms just to make sure.

Thankfully the store was clear, while Kamikaze went to work recovering. One of the other borgs, a guy I hadn't spoken with, that carried around an Ajax, had been hit. A trail of white blood ran down his side.

Looks like would survive but he would need a trip to a ripper.

But I just poked around. The back of the shop was definitely an armory, plenty of weapons and equipment was laying around. My fingers wiggled. One of the first times since I got these new arms I felt fully in tune with my chrome.

They wouldn't notice if a few pieces went into my pockets… I giggled a little as I reached out to grab a nice looking Nekomata Sniper rifle, something I didn't have in my arsenal as of yet. When the front door banged open. I jerked away like a kid caught with her hand in a cookie jar as I looked behind me and noticed a lot of Tyger Claw members, saunter in.

I sighed as they instantly went to the gear and started loading everything up into a few trucks that had pulled up. The Maelstrom Truck was already on its way down the street as someone had jumped in, pushed the dead driver out and started it up.

"C'mon Motoko. We are just keeping an eye out while everything is cleared out." Jun said as he walked up to me, as he noticed me looking around wondering what to do.

"Ah sure sure." I muttered a little irritated. This wasn't very fun. Sure I got to flatline two gonks, but I barely got any XP, and it was already over.

Killing the Raffen had been more fun, even if murdering the Maelstrom warmed a little part of me that wanted to genocide the entire group.

"You got two huh?" Akari asked as she suddenly approached her voice still holding that sinister coldness of someone not fully there.

"Only two." I confirmed, irritated. "I'm not used to working with a group like this, I was a little too slow." I added grumbling as I berated myself while looking at all the corpses.

So much missed XP!

"Heh, there's always more." She offered her voice almost musical despite being electronic. The sense of bloodlust was intense.

"Stop fucking around. Eyes out." A rolling gravel voice interrupted Akari's teasing as she stilled and pulled away from me to do just that.

Fujimura. The borg 'leader' of Kamikaze was glaring towards me. But well. It wasn't focused on me. Just in general.

I did as he suggested mostly because I could see how short the guy's fuse was. I followed Jun outside and we took in the empty street. The gunfire had done well to make sure everyone got away.

"Be more careful." Jun demanded of me a moment after earning a blink as the non-sequitur threw me for a loop.

"I was fine. Nothing even got close to hitting me."
"You almost got shot." He retorted instantly his body tense. Anxiety coloring his voice and body, he was practically pacing unable to stop moving. "I don't want you doing this. You don't have enough chrome, or enough armor. After this go back to the apartment. And hunker down. We can find something for you to do when I get home. I'm-"

"No." I cut in immediately turning to look up into his face. He was wearing an Oni mask around his jaw. The sharp hungry grin didn't intimidate me though. "I already told you Jun. I'm not just gonna sit at home."

"I don't want you to just sit at home! But this is dangerous!"

"I know." I agree. I looked away from Jun trying to keep my irritation at bay. I didn't want to turn this into a fight. I knew Jun was trying to protect me, trying to be the big brother, the parent really. That he wanted to be.

But right now it was annoying.

I gathered myself back up idly stroking a thumb up along my chromed palm of my other hand. The irritation of everything was hitting me. Making it hard to keep my own cool. I took a breath and activated Cold Blood. Letting my emotions freeze. Letting my mind attack the problem.

I didn't get far. I turned back to Jun. He was not quite pacing, but obviously trying to figure out something to say to me, but it was the Kamikaze Netrunner whose name I still didn't know that broke in. Calling all of us instantly.

"Maelstrom assault incoming. We need to move." The call buzzed in and then ended. Instantly the Tyger Claws started running, quickly grabbing whatever they had on hand and disappearing it into the trucks, as they started driving off.

"Let's move." Fujimura called out and instantly the Kamikaze started moving back through the alley.

"Wait, that's it?" I asked Jun as I jogged to keep up with him as he followed.

"Yeah. The Maelstrom assault will be more than we can handle so we fade away. It's part of the plan. We poke them like this, steal what we can weaken and kill and fade away when they try to retaliate. Now that we have confirmation one of their big forces is coming here to wipe us out, another group will smash another location." He turned to look at me as we all reached a back door to the apartment complex we had first arrived in.

Fujimura had already smashed the door open. "C'mon we need to leave before the Maelstrom arrive." Jun said as I started lagging behind.

"No. You go." I told him an idea forming in my mind. A terrible perfect idea. My smile must have looked quite bloody as I pushed Jun through the door. "Go on Jun. I'll be okay." I tell him and I manage two steps before a pair of hands grabbed both of my biceps, pinned my arms to my sides and lifted me up.

"No. We're leaving." Jun said with a growl as he quickly hooked me under his arm and jogged back into the building.

"Jun-Nii. You are really killing my murder boner right now." I told him, purposefully making the situation as uncomfortable as I could in protest. But he ignored me, despite Akari chuckling in her synthetic voice as she followed along. We made it to the car and I allowed Jun to stuff me in the back seat without too much protest as we peeled out, following the last of the Kamikaze vehicles.

"I'm submitting an official complaint." I told him after he had slowed down and joined normal traffic.

"Denied." He retorted instantly.

"Murder Blocking me is rude." I growled at him from the back seat as I pouted. I had wanted to sneak into one of the Maelstrom trucks and let them lead me to their base, then I would murder everyone!

"Know your limits!" He snapped Jun losing his temper as I could hear the steering wheel in his hands creek. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Are you trying to die?"

"I would have been fine." I countered with every ounce of irritation leaking out only for Jun to bark out a laugh.

"Next time don't try to attack a full on Maelstrom Counter hit squad, and I might believe you!"

I didn't argue again as Jun drove us back.

It's fine. It just meant I really couldn't stick with Jun to go murder anyone.

I would just have to go on my own!

We stopped at the garage and as I grumpily made my way out of the car Jun grabbed me stopping me from stomping off to the apartment.

"Stop being grumpy. You're like a cat. C'mon, after action meeting." He told me as he waited for me to stop resisting before I sighed and followed after.

"Fine." I grump at him, but followed after as we went out the window to the Dojo.

We headed straight downstairs from the side entrance and into the server room, there arrayed around the TV on old couches Kamikaze were waiting as Fujimura stood in front of the TV looming over the gathering.

Unfortunately there was no more space on the couches so Jun and I waited behind, while Akari just slipped into the lap of one of the borgs.

Not that it seemed to be welcome as he grumbled and tried to shove her off only to earn a sharp foot curling up and nearly skewering his throat. The two of them fought for a moment. A bladed foot, and a chromed out hand practically sparking off eachother, before Fujimura growled a low noise that seemed to vibrate the room and cut out the attempted homicide.

"Failure. We took a wound from a basic op. I'm disappointed." He said and I realized he was basically giving us a score on how well we had all done.

Rude. He was the one in charge. If we failed, it was his fault… If they failed. I wasn't really a part of this. Why was I even here?

"He'll live! It was just a 9mm, went under his subdermals. Doc is already checking him out." Akari called out but was silenced with a look.

"We are the Kamikaze, we shouldn't be taking wounds from chaff. I expect all of you to receive a session with Ozeki Sensei." He demanded and all the hardened killers and murders, the somewhat emotionless borgs all groaned.

"Kusanagi! You got distracted. If you can't keep your focus, put down your mask." He demanded suddenly singling out… Jun. Thankfully. As he was staring at Jun and not me.

"I will not fail again Fujimura-Sama."

"Your sister fighting beside you had better not distract you again. Girl. You killed two with that hand cannon of yours. You should have killed at least three."

"Yeah I know. I'm super annoyed! I only killed two you know? I was gonna stay behind and murder some of their reinforcements too, but Jun pulled me away."

"A common Maelstrom assault group is more than forty borgs girl."

"Really?! So many? Aww man… Now I'm really disappointed." I grumbled as I purposefully turned away from Jun. So much XP! Ruined! Seriously I could have just snuck into their cars while they were distracted, then they would take me back to their headquarters. I would just slowly ghost them one by one, until they were all dead! It would have worked!

I mean sure, so many could make it hard… But I could do it!

The room was silent for a while as I grumbled staring at the wall before Fujimura finally seemed to continue.

"Right. We will have another job tomorrow. Prepare." He demanded and then stomped out of the room.

"Ack!" I cried out instantly as Jun grabbed the top of my head with his stupid chrome hand.

"You aren't going to fight forty borgs!" He hissed as he pushed me out of the room back towards the apartment.

Shows what he knows.

—--

I wasn't tired. Honestly I didn't even feel the need to sleep, normally I would have just grabbed some tech and started working.

But I wanted blood.

Jun had gone to sleep and I went ahead and napped for an hour. Which is the reason Jun had no idea that I had gotten up afterwards and suited back up.

I left.

I loved Jun cause he was such a dumb older brother, but I wasn't going to live my life his way. I couldn't.

So I slipped out of the apartment, out onto the street and then headed a few blocks away to get out from the jammer, and to make sure what I did next wouldn't lead back to the Dojo.

I called my car.

It was something that still took me by surprise. Self driving cars were still kinda wild. I waited for about ten minutes for my Quadra to turn the corner and stop in front of me, with a beep of its horn letting me know it had arrived.

I slipped into the driver's seat with a grin.

I was only 250 XP away from a level up. My foot touched the gas pedal and I was off. Driving into the city actually feeling alone for the first time in almost a week. I felt free. No Tyger Claws hovering around, no Jun almost smothering me in protectiveness.

I was actually relieved to just be away.

I drove north. Up into Watson. Towards Maelstrom turf. I had no idea where I could find them, but I bet just driving around would find me a few targets to prey upon. The city was in an active war right now.

Unfortunately for the first long while, I didn't find much. The streets were quiet, broken only by gunshots blocks away that by the time I came anywhere near, I couldn't find the source.

Annoying to say the least.

I drove around. Only finding the tail ends of skirmishes. I guess even in a gang war there wasn't constant mass fighting going on.

Shame.

Finally though, action found me. I turned a corner only to come across a road block. Three cars on fire and burning as a squad of Maelstrom gonks hung around them guns out.

I only had a second to react, because the goons were already raising their guns.

Cool dropped over me. Everything became clear.

I hit the accelerator. The fact I turned their little trap immediately back on them is why I didn't get absolutely destroyed, and why some of them jumped out of the way instead of shooting up my ride.

Not that they didn't try. A few bullets ricocheted off my Quadra's armor.

So I accelerated towards the road block, the four sets of spider optics all reacting in different ways.

I flipped the steering wheel at the last second. My Quadra's back end slipped out at the sudden adjustment, as the car spun.

A loud *Thunk thunk* echoing out from behind me, as my wheels ran over a prone maelstrom gonk who had thought jumping away from where I had been aiming would save him.

Then my driver's door opened with a flip of the handle, and before the car had even come to a complete stop I was stepping out.

Burya already raised and aiming. My Kiroshi kept track of all of them.

The thunderous retort of my handcannon smashed into the first Borg, the fucker that had started shooting at my car with his Lexington in a spray of bullets. I was lucky, despite my Quick draw aim being off, the second of adjustment I had to make as I stepped out of the Quadra let me adjust.

My one bullet did the trick.

I turned to the next one. And again my Burya barked into the night and the screams of Maelstrom being sent straight to their digital gods cut out.

Of course my assault wasn't perfect. I hadn't exactly expected a road block ambush. I winced as a round from one of the goons on the other side of the barrier slammed into my chest. His panicked fire wasn't accurate, but it was unfortunately painful.

The SMG skittered bullets across the pavement as I moved, rushing him. I could feel another round pound into my chest, but I ignored it. Even if it knocked the air out of me, I could still move.

I slid over the back of one of the burning cars and then I was right next to him. His red eyes were unable to widen in terror, but I could see the look on his face.

It warmed my frozen heart for a moment.

Then my Katana blurred a superheated red line through the darkness.

And his arms fell with a splat onto the ground. White blood splashing over my boots.

"Fuuuck!" he screamed, falling to the ground and rolling around after I disarmed him. Instinctually he screamed curses at the pain as I watched on.

I took a moment to catch my breath, each gasp was coming out a little painfully. I checked my side and winced as I pulled out a bullet from the side of my leotard.

At least the armor was working. Still hurt though. Felt like I had gotten punched in the ribs. The armless gonk was still screaming which was annoying though. I walked over and without a word smashed my boot into his side. Katana held point down towards his stupid throat.

His screams turned into, wheezing cries of pain but that was all I needed. "You are only alive because I need something from you. You want to stay alive? Answer my question. Where can I find the Spider Ripper doc?"

The Maelstrom gonk was still whining in pain but he seemed to hear me.

"Fuck you!" He finally said, as he tried to spit at me.

His head rolled away a moment later.

"Should have left two of them alive. That way I can kill one in front of the other and get my answers." I muttered to myself as I sheathed the Katana.

I like Katana. Katana is good.

I sighed, rubbing my ribs, bullets hurt. Stupid Maelstrom. Looking around at the dead bodies and the burned out wrecks, I realized I should probably do something. Normally I would call the NCPD, but that wasn't really… a thing right now.

So instead I got looting. Checking the bodies, grabbing weapons and throwing them in the trunk of my Quadra before dragging the bodies off the street. With the Quadra I nudged the burning wrecks out of the road opening it back up.

Satisfied I jumped back into my ride and floored it through the former roadblock.

All the while I smiled. I had leveled up!

*500 XP Gained.*

*500 XP Gained.*

*500 XP Gained.*

*500 XP Gained.*

*Level up achieved!*

*One Stat Point Gained.*

*One Skill Point Gained.*

Level 6! I had also leveled up driving and Handguns!

*Driving skill level up!*

*1 Perk Point Gained.*

*Handguns skill level up!*

*1 Perk Point Gained.*

With my awesome driving attack I had hit Driving 5, and Handguns 5. Two perks!

Both were easy picks.

Since I was driving a high end car I wanted something to make sure I could handle it as best as I could when I needed to really move.

Plus I just thought it was cool.

Drifting: Never spill a drop of Tofu water. You have a prescient knowledge of how to go into, and pull out of a drift.

The second perk was just as easy. Considering I now knew some perks could carry over to other weapons and guns, a perk I had considered okay was now super needed.

Rapid Reload: Never drop a mag, or fumble a reload. Reloading your gun will never slow down your rate of fire.

That would work for all of my guns.

I shook the instincts and muscle memory out of my head for a moment after I picked both back to back.

I was ready to continue my hunt.

Now if only my arms weren't so… Weird. My eyes wandered to adaptation…

Not yet. I could fight like this, and I didn't know what adaptation would do. Best to try new things when I am at home safe.

So I simply kept going. This was opening up to be a good night!

—--

This was not a good night fuckers, dented my car!

I had found more Maelstrom.

Or rather they had found me. Again. I think driving a jet black Quadra wasn't a good idea for stealth.

I had stopped at a light. Driving safe was important after all. When a van full of Maelstrom had turned a corner ahead veering left and right down the road, van doors opened and the gonks cheering and roaring as they smashed cars and anything they could reach with pipes or tire irons.

They were driving on the wrong side of the road aiming straight for me.

I realized it just in time to flip my Quadra into reverse and hit the gas, just managing to turn the car so the van didn't hit me full on. Instead they scraped past my Quadra before stopping not far away. A bunch of the gonks jumping out brandishing melee weapons, or hand guns.

I growled even as Cool flowed over me. Angry, very angry, but a cold furious rage.

Those fuckers dented my car!

So as the Maelstrom fucks approached, I did something they probably weren't expecting. I hit the gas straight at them.

They never seemed to expect the aggressive acceleration.

The first Gonk was smashed into my hood, his stupid red eyes looking up at me in horror as I drove him down the street. He was hanging on for dear life trying to stay on as I accelerated much faster than he probably expected.

I drove for a moment longer, long enough for the Maelstroms gunfire behind me to fall silent before I opened my driver's door. Burya peeked out to say hello. The poor gonks face stilled in terror as he came face to face with my hand cannon.

I was really thankful that the Quadra didn't have a windshield, but instead an armored chassis and a digital screen, because the blood splatter would have taken minutes to get rid of with windshield wipers.

*500 XP Gained.*

I looked back, the other Maelstrom had rushed to their van and were chasing me.

I hummed a little as I hit the accelerator. My hands danced over the steering wheel, as I took a turn in a drift. I looked into my rear view mirror expecting to see them chasing me, Only to realize a problem.

They were fucking slow.

Just that drift, and my acceleration alone meant they were already losing me.

I couldn't accept that.

These fuckers had tried to kill me! They had scratched and dented my car! I just spent thousand of eddies fixing that! And killing people was my job!

These gonks were so slow. I accelerated again. Drifting into an alley between two parked cars I raced to the next street, and then took a left, and another left.

I slowed down around the next corner. Lights off. Turning down the street and seeing the stupid Maelstrom Van slow rolling past the alley I had raced down. But they realized I had lost them. I grinned as I turned the engine off, and slipped into a parking space. Waiting as I watched the gonks pile out of the van to pick up their poor friend off the road. Eventually they grabbed him and dragged him into the van, a trail of blood running across the blacktop.

Once they all piled in, they started driving off.

I started up my engine keeping the lights off and did the same.

That's right, you gonks. Lead me to some more XP.

Did you know following someone is actually a lot harder than you might think?

Get too far away and they could turn a corner and I might lose sight of them, stay too close and they might notice the rumble of my engine behind them. I got really lucky. I didn't have any specific skill set helping here, but Driving and Ninjutsu came together to make sure I managed to keep on them through the streets of Night City.

All the way to their little lot, tucked away between industrial parks. I made sure to park and disappear as I watched them turn in, wait for the gate to open and then finish driving inside.

"Perfect." I practically growled hands reflexively clenching at the slaughter that I was now eagerly looking forward to. I reached over to the bag of guns that was still sitting on my passenger seat and opened it up, only to frown.

All of it looked nice, sure, but I still learned my lesson from the Kamikaze. If I went in loud I might not walk out.

I took a deep breath and patted my poor Carnage and Tactician, I kept collecting shotguns, and not really using them.

I would have to figure out something to do with them soon.

But instead I secured the Katana on my hip once more, and made sure my Burya was loaded and ready, with plenty of ammo in my thigh pockets, along with my medical pouches.

Then I disappeared into the night. The entire area was poorly lit, old industrial parks and massive empty structures. I dashed down the sidewalk, my feet not making a single noise as I crept up to the gate the van had disappeared into. Peaking my head inside, I instantly jerked back.

The gate led to a small lot area with two buildings on each side, the one to the left was unconnected to the main structure, looking more like an office attachment. Then there was the main structure, which had a rolling garage door that was closing. There were guards, but like I expected the Maelstrom weren't so much looking around as just lazing around the area. One was on the ground floor, back against the office building sitting in a broken old lawn chair, a little TV on a stand in front of him that he was watching.

But there were cameras. And I had noticed someone standing on top of the garage as well, turning and walking away from the courtyard. Probably having checked on the Van coming in before disappearing back over the roof..

I peeked twice more, thankfully the streets weren't well lit out here, so I was able to scope out a few of the cameras. A quick scan using my Kiroshi told me everything I needed to know.

They were definitely connected to a secure system.

If I tried to breach them they would definitely signal an intrusion because even with a glance I could see they were more secure than I would normally attribute to Maelstrom. Luckily Ping was still safe to use. My eyes flashed as I peeked out and Pinged the camera hanging over the actual entrance door to the garage.

A moment later the Quick Hack went through and My vision even through the wall suddenly had a golden line showing me where to go.

I still loved seeing the wi-fi connections between all the systems. Although this time I was impressed. They definitely had an actual netrunner running things, because my Ping, only had a single connection point.

According to all the knowledge I had gained on Netrunning, that meant the system was secured. Each Camera might have a single hub system, but each spoke was cut off meaning I couldn't just see every camera or security system on the system. I would have to breach the hub to be able to do that.

Unfortunately the line led inside, which means I would have to sneak in with the cameras still active and take it out and the Netrunner without sounding an alarm.

I pulled up my stat screen for a moment. I did have a stat and skill point…

It was just one more point… I could always start saving for the adaptation right after… Plus I might even get enough kills…

My finger aimed to hit the button, even if it was all virtual but I did like the feeling of actually pushing the buttons, but I stalled.

No. I could do this. I needed to experiment with Adaptation when I got home. The foreign feeling of my new arms made this an absolute priority.

Even if it would put my Cool all the way to nine… Such a big number…

I shook it away. I could still level Ninjutsu without spending a point right now.

Time to work for it. So I shook the idea out of my head and decided to find a way in. There wasn't anything on this side of the gate, so I backed up a bit and did a fun little acrobatic somersault. I tumbled forward and then back to my feet on the other side of the gate. So fast and in the dark I knew the gonk watching TV couldn't have seen me.

I smiled as I got an athletics alert, but I immediately started moving silently again. Time to sneak through this Maelstrom base.

I paced around the outside of the lot. The concrete wall surrounding the place was topped by barbed wire but after searching around I found an alley on the back side that had another gate leading from it, and from here, I was in even greater shadow. With it I could scope out the layout including keeping an eye for the guy on the roof.

After a minute of peeking and checking out the layout, I realized I was gonna have to kill the guy on the roof If I was going to get in. He had moved away from the edge, but with a bit of effort and pulling myself up on the concrete wall carefully avoiding the wire and peeking over I had spotted him.

He was camped in a little structure they had set up on the roof. I could faintly hear a TV going from up there as well, so both guards were distracted.

The easiest way to get up there was from the concrete wall which only had a small gap to the roof, but the barbed wire was in the way. I couldn't exactly walk through that, it would slice me to ribbons… Or just knock me down like it did in the game…

No wait. This wasn't a game! I rolled my eyes because bonking my head might make noise, and it would definitely be motion which was anathema to stealth. Stillness is sightless. I slipped past the rear gate towards the back corner of the property. The darkest quietest section.

It was also well hidden from any of the cameras.

With a grin I pulled out my Katana. The blazing hot edge glowing in the darkness.

I held it up and slowly cut through the razor wire. The heat slowly melted through the strand, and after a minute I had sliced two cuts into the wire. Then came the hard part, slowly before the wire could fall and make a racket I turned off the heat blade and used the sword to slowly gather up the small section of the wire I had cut, then mostly thanks to the strength in my new arms I lifted it off the wall and slowly let it fall to the ground outside the complex.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I was done, sheathing my Katana and stretching my back because that had been pretty rough on my shoulder muscles. The tension in between my shoulder blades felt horrible. I roled my shoulders, but that didn't do anything, not like it used to, they weren't even attached to the muscles in the same way. The tension simply sat there like a rock.

I could feel my fingers practically twitching as I felt muscles try to contract and shift try to adjust against unyielding chrome.

I shook it away, deep breath in and out. I now had a way in. Focus on the mission.

I quickly jumped the fence, Parkour making the whole thing childs play as I then basically stepped onto the roof of the garage. My trusty knife was pulled free as I lowered myself to the ground and almost crawled up to the little hidden structure.

It was a couple pieces of garbage nailed together resting on an AC unit. The whole thing was just wide enough for him to sit inside on a chair with a little TV and a table.

Luckily he was distracted by the TV. I scanned him first, making sure he wasn't protected with Subdermal armor.

I was starting to hate running into cheaters who used subdermal armor!

He wasn't. At least not everywhere. Knife went in and out, and his TV got sprayed with arterial blood but it was quiet. I made sure he slumped over in his chair. No one would ever notice.

*750 XP Gained.*

I blinked. That was weird, I almost never got that XP. It was usually only 500, or 1000. Why was this guy an odd number? Maybe it was the partial armor? He would be tougher than a normal gonk on the street, even if his subdermal wasn't a full covering.

But as I started looking around I noticed it.

"Ah." I whispered breathlessly. I reached out and took the rifle that was resting against the 'door' of the hide.

A Nekomata! The moment I touched her I knew she was loaded and ready, practically purring to be used. I had missed my opportunity earlier, but not again! But I shook my head. Too loud.

"Next time." I whispered silently against her barrel as I held a toy that I was going to have so much fun with. A sniper rifle!

Oh man I was gonna get so many head shots!

But that was later. I set the Nekomata down where I could collect it later and started exploring. This guy wouldn't be up here without a way down, and I found it. There was a door on the roof, that was a staircase access.

It was unlocked and I slipped in.

The noise inside was louder, heavy metal that the Maelstrom were rocking out to, and the general noise of people. I slipped down the stairway slowly. Making sure to check every corner. I had to be very very careful of cameras.

The stairs led to a second floor room that was overlooking the garage area, where most of the gonks were hanging around. I could hear a few curses, and raised voices from there. But that wasn't my goal. I was following the golden light.

The first room I came to was a break room. Couches around an entertainment station, food and drinks, an old microwave.

Everything a gang would need to keep their people going. It wasn't empty. A Maelstrom gonk was grumbling as he ripped apart some food packaging to put in the microwave.

I checked for cameras and since it was clear I moved in. This guy had better Subdermals. At least he did around his neck.

There was a serious problem with borgs. You never knew if they had a second heart or something.

Thankfully I had a way around it. My katana was drawn without a noise. The thermal blade heated up instantly to a withering temperature. As I approached something alerted him whether the heat from the blade, a noise, or a flickering of something out of the corner of his optics.

Hell it could have been a reflection in the shiny microwave.

It didn't save him though. He started turning as my Katana flashed, cutting and burning through his armored neck. It was hard, tough, his Subdermal trying to stall out my blade, but it was kind of hard to scream when your throat was being burned away.

I jerked the blade free and he slumped to the ground, head not quite unattached, but definitely dead.

*1000 XP Gained.*

Oh yeah. That's the good stuff.

I sheathed my Katana, asI hauled him up as best I could, grunting a bit at the weight as I pulled him into a dark corner.

Then I stood up, and continued on following that golden line. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I slipped through the shadows. I was… happy. Thrilled, excited and every positive emotion I could imagine. There was probably something wrong with that, but I didn't care!

I guess I had been honest with Jun.

I really did love killing.

I walked out onto a catwalk overlooking the garage, and I could see them hauling the dead Maelstrom from the Van and into a small room in the back. I couldn't quite make out what everyone was saying, the music was too loud.

I would have to do something about that, maybe a cyberware to let me make out sound better? That actually could be useful. I made a note for myself before continuing across the catwalk not a single noise was made as I stepped onto the metal grate floors. I traveled across the entire building, following the golden light. To a small room in the upper corner of the building.

I licked my lips as I got closer and closer to my target. Pressing myself up against the wall next to the see-through armored door that was so popular in Night City, I peeked in, only to still.

Empty. Whatever Netrunner ran the security here wasn't in.

I pouted, I had been looking forward to that kill. I kind of wanted to steal some Netrunning gear.

I slipped into the room without any trouble, and looked around the array of computers. With a few minutes of work I was breaching into the security system. The cameras all turned off, while I uploaded my Daemon.

I could practically see the Daemon slipping into the network back hacking to every member of Maelstrom that was hooked into the security. Their visuals of me would distort and disappear.

I pulled out the jack from the computer rig, and had just clicked it back into my neck when I felt it.

Danger sense!

I moved, flattening myself against the wall next to the door, as the glass door opened, and a Maelstrom gonk walked in, wearing a netrunning suit.

I hadn't seen him before, where had he been? In the small room they had taken the dead gonk from before?

It didn't matter. I wasn't exactly hidden from where I stood and he would see me as soon as he sat at the computer.

So I never gave him the chance. I reached out, both of my armored hands grabbing a different side of his head before I jerked.

The echoing snap of his neck shattering from the force broke the silence and I simply held his body for a moment as he twitched and shivered in his death throes.

*1000 XP Gained.*

Okay that made this easier. I also smiled at the ninjutsu alerts I was getting for the stealth kills.

I let him flop onto the ground as I stretched my back. Holding someone up by his head was hard even with Cyber arms. I walked back over to the system, and brought up the security cams.

I started scanning and counting, getting the numbers of the Strom in their little hideout, looking for the actual dangerous ones.

Marking everything I could see with the cameras, I shut them back down and slipped back out of the room.

The first Maelstrom didn't even see me, he was looking through a tool box, digging through it as he struggled to find the tool he needed. When I dropped down from above Katana blazing the force sliced completely through his neck.

His head fell into the tool box as I pushed his body to fall away from the stuff. The noise of his body falling was completely covered up by the heavy music filling the garage.

*500 XP Gained.*

I slipped away, already heading towards the next target. A woman this time. She was in the cab of a truck that had the hood up. Another Strom working on the inside of the cab. I could hear him call out from time to time to tell her to give it some gas or test something.

With the cab door open it was a cake walk. I slipped in my knife glinting for just a moment as I ripped her throat apart pushing her to fall into the passenger seat as she bled out with quiet gasps not loud enough to be heard over the music.

*500 XP Gained.*

With her gone the guy working on the engine was next. I slipped back out and around and while his face was stuck inside the hood he got to feel a knife ripping open his throat as well. I left him there, leaking blood into the engine.

*500 XP Gained.*

Unfortunately as good as I was, I wasn't perfect.

"FUCK!" A voice roared out and I jerked back. The Strom I had head chopped had been found.

I grumbled, stupid NPC's! Don't you know you are supposed to stay put? I had completely missed one! So I rushed him.

"CARL IS DEAD! FUCK WE GO-" His cry was cut off as I leapt at him, knife sinking into his throat as I twisted around him for a moment, using the centrifugal force to rip the knife right back out. He fell like I had cut his strings.

*500 XP Gained.*

*Level up achieved!*

*One Stat Point Gained.*

*One Skill Point Gained.*

I grinned despite being caught as a few Maelstrom rushed from whatever they were doing to check out what the yelling was about.

They found me there. Already moving, knife dripping with blood as I raced through the mess of vehicles and parts aiming for one thing in particular. I dodged through instinctive bullets that were arcing closer and closer to me. But I made it.

I hit the light switch and then slashed it with my Katana.

Darkness instantly smothering the entire garage beside a few electronic lights still active, radios and such.

But with darkness came a moment, where they would lose sight of me. Their optics having to react to the change in lighting, I continued running, ignoring the gun fire that splattered where I had been.

Plus I grinned, my Daemon was working through their network. I wonder what they were thinking? When despite being able to see in the dark with their stupid optics, I seemed to disappear into the shadows?

William "FrostGuard" Frost

FrostGuard was pretty pissed. A fuckin jap was tearing up the boys. Damn Tyger Claws were attacking in the middle of the night with fuckin ninjas!

He had only seen the one. Just one, and a kid at that. The girl was fast. After Jackshift had called out everyone had grabbed a weapon, but Jack hadn't lived long after that.

Good kid Jack, bit stupid, but he did right in the end he put out the alarm.

But now Frost had a fuckin ninja jap killing everyone. There were only six Strom left. Everyone else FrostGuard had called didn't pick up. Hell even Byte wasn't picking up.

Fuckin Ninja already killed their Netrunner. Fuck. Brick was gonna be pissed. Byte had been important. Not every gonk on the street can act as a serious Netrunner.

"Stay close!" He yelled out as he forced his Ajax to keep aiming around the dark room. Bitch had disappeared as soon as the boys started calling out for her.

Then she cut the fucking lights!

If they were any of the other gangs it might have worked, but the Spyder Optics the Maelstrom chipped into every member could see in the dark just fine.

Except, somehow she had disappeared. One moment he was staring at her as she raced off into the side of the garage, and then next his optics simply couldn't keep track of her, or more like she had simply shifted into smoke and disappeared.

Fuckin bullshit.

Some sort of Optical Camo? He wasn't sure, hadn't seen any of the usual shifting from that.

"Where the fuck did she go!?" RustProof called out and Frost snorted at the panicked tone as some of the fuckers lost their cool. Firing blindly into the darkness.

They were panicking. Frost realized right then that if he stuck around he was just as likely to get shot in the back as he was the front. He started shifting back towards the entrance, optics wide to look for her. She had to still be here right?

Maybe she had just delta'd once she got spotted?

Possible, but Frost wasn't going to count on it. He had already sent out an alert, all he had to do was survive until the response showed up.

"H-hey! Where did StickShift go?!" RustProof called out suddenly as he spun around, and Frost looked around his Ajax following his sight as he looked to where Oil that fuck had been standing.

He wasn't there anymore.

Realizing what had happened Frost let instincts from the war take over. He shifted and fired, shattering the Radios that had been filling the garage with music the whole time.

The music that had covered the ninjas assault.

The sudden quiet was almost oppressive and Frost, Rust, and the other two remaining Maelstrom all quickly gathered together in a group guns out. Even if Frost and his Ajax was the biggest piece among them.

He sighed, realized they were all cluttering him because they wanted him to save them.

Cowards.

But he didn't know what to say, so instead of trying to take control of the idiots, he continued backing up towards the door. Hopefully they will be able to hear her now.

But the garage was quiet besides the whispering and clanking of the idiots surrounding him.

Fuck this. Frost kept walking backwards towards the door. Yet nothing was moving. Just a quiet that had settled on the garage.

Finally he reached the door and with one hand burst it open as he hurried outside the other four right along with him.

Outside it was quiet, and Frost caught his breath for a second as he looked around. OilSlicks post on the ground floor was knocked over as he had come running at the alert, but Frost hadn't seen TriggerFinger. He looked up but other than the faint sound of his TV playing, he wasn't around.

Dead then.

Damn she had snuck up on that old war dog?

"Alright. C'mon stay together you idiots!" He barked as his little group had started splitting apart, but his call brought them back together. "We hold out here. She can't sneak up on us here, we just have to wait for reinforcements. See how this ninja bitch likes trying her hand against forty of us!" He yelled the number. If the Ninja was still here, hopefully the idea of forty men all hunting her would scare her off. Even if it wasn't likely he would receive that kind of response. Hopefully the Jap didn't know that. Then with a few pointed fingers and barked orders, he had everyone in place.

There were only two ways out of the Garage, well three if you counted the massive roller doors. Otherwise it was the roof, and the ground floor door that they had just walked out of.

She was trapped in there. All he had to do was keep the place secure until more guns showed up.

At least that is what he thought.

He turned around to look over everyone making sure everyone was where they should be.

When a gunshot startled everyone as the gonk he had sent up onto the roof to watch the roof access came falling off the edge of the roof falling with a splat as he had a massive hole in his chest.

"Damn Gonk!" He cursed him for being stupid enough to get shot. His Ajax came up and peppered the roof, causing the others to join him. If she was up there, they only had to hit her once!

Four Maelstrom unloading on the roof had to be enough!
He flipped his empty magazine out and grabbed his spare from his jacket pocket.

He would be out after this. Dammit. He wasn't exactly loaded for war while he had his feet up inside the safe house!

"Anyone see her?" He roared which slowly caused everyone to stop firing as they all reloaded but all he got back was shaking heads.

"Well don't just stand there! Go-" he was cut off as a gunshot rang out, one that he recognized this time.

TriggerFingers Sniper Rifle. Fuck.

One of the boys, head still shaking, suddenly only had a spray of blood in place of his skull. Slowly he flopped down onto the ground.

Ajax raised he started firing towards where the gunshot had come from, but as his round bounced off concrete he realized what had happened.

The bitch. She was shooting through the walls!

"She's shooting through the walls! Move! Don't stand still! Her optics can't lock you if you keep moving!" He roared out and it was only barely enough to save OilSlick as he shifted and moved just in time for a round to punch through the wall of the garage.

The bitch had gone back inside?

Fine!

He roared as he rushed back into the door, he wasn't going to stand around and get ripped apart. If she was running around with a Nekomata it would slow her down, they weren't exactly the most mobile weapons considering how long and heavy they were.

He kicked the door back open his optics again cutting through the darkness as he searched for her. A flicker of movement and he opened fire his Ajax barked again and again as he filled the area with bullets.

She disappeared again jumping behind the Van as he stopped firing waiting for her to appear only to realize she had somehow vanished!

"Hey Gonks! She is on the run stay together!" He roared through the walls as he rushed not to follow her, but to the little office he had taken over when they claimed this old garage as a base.

He keyed open the door and slipped inside, quickly grabbing his old vest that had his extra mags and slipped into it, all the while shifting around to make sure she couldn't pop him through a wall.

Of course a moment later gunshots started echoing around. Tiny blips of his buddies' peashooters, and the big echoing retorts of the Nekomata.

He ran to get back outside, but by the time he kicked the door open again it was quiet.

They were dead. OilSlick well on his way to being an OilStain as he bled out.

"Bitch! Come on then! You've cut down these gonks! You think you're hard!? They are chaff! I'll rip you apart!" He roared out as he kept moving searching for her. How does one ninja jap do this? Kill his entire squad?

He really wished his reinforcements would show up already.

It was pure luck in the end, the faint hint of something glinting in the corner of his optics he immediately dove into a roll bringing up his Ajax and firing. The shot from the Nekomata missed him by inches. She was back on the roof, hiding in TriggerFingers little shack. He lit it up, not stopping the automatic fire until his mag was empty and he quickly reloaded and started firing again.

Nothing. He waited, unable to see well if she was still in there, but not willing to climb the ladder that would take him up to the roof.

He waited, and it was only when his optics spotted blood that he started to relax.

"Got ya huh bitch?" He called out with a chuckle as he kept his rifle up. Never relax until the body is confirmed dead. Usually with a double tap.

But with how many rounds he had punched into the little shack she would have to be dead. Surely.

A gunshot and he grunted back as the round slammed into him, his Subdermal and chest rig barely stopping the round from blowing a hole through him, but it still knocked him on his ass. He rolled instantly rushing for cover.

How the fuck was she still alive!?

"How are you still alive!?" He roared rising and once more unloading a magazine into the shack, this time he didn't stay still. Using his gunfire to keep her pinned as he climbed up onto some of the old oil barrels that had been laying around since before they moved in.

He kept firing as he rose up, enough to actually see into the shed even as he continued firing into his mag emptied.

He looked in.

Where was she? TriggerFinger was there, looking pretty awful thanks to all the rounds that had ripped through him, but he didn't see the ninja.

Wait.

Wait!

If TriggerFinger was dead, why was there an arm sticking out from his body pointing a handgun right at Frost?

The round punctured through this time. His vest wasn't able to stop a second high caliber round, and his subdermal failed.

He died before he hit the ground.

—--

I coughed up blood as I pushed the corpse off me. "Ow!" I whined as I poked the multiple holes in me. Most of them in my legs, one unfortunately in my chest where my poor Leotard had finally given up, unable to stop the bullets. Unfortunately while I was small enough to hide behind the bulk of an armored borg as rounds hammered into my hidey hole. Even the borgs armor had to give up eventually. A few rounds penetrating few had slammed into me as the fucker with the Ajax just kept on firing.

Jerk.

I yanked my med pocket open and grabbed a MaxDoc. Quickly inhaling it I instantly felt better.

"That was the second one I had to burn." I reminded myself. I only had one left on me. This last borg was way more skilled than I expected. Plus he had actually taken a Nekomata round to the chest, Even if I hadn't had time to charge it up. It had just been a normal round which was the only reason he hadn't died.

I grunted as I pushed the corpse off me. "Thanks Choom." I told him despite how horrible his corpse looked now, he had really saved my tail.

"I really like it more when I just kill them all without them noticing." I grumble as I grab the fallen Nekomata and head towards the side of the roof. I winced a bit as I dropped down to the ground level. My legs still sore. I guess one MaxDoc didn't cover everything. I thought about using another but I wasn't bleeding anywhere.

Better to save it.

I sighed, as much as I wanted to call Ichi and try to have him come help loot this place to the bedrock I knew I didn't have time.

The Strom leader had mentioned he had called for help.

"Quick loot Motoko." I told myself with a deep breath as I quickly ran to the first body. As my hands danced through pockets I called my car which drove from down the street to stop in front of the open gate. I grabbed the guns and anything else I could find and hold in my arms as I raced to the car and dumped it into the passenger seat before rushing back for more.

Two runs to grab everything outside, and I headed in. Considering the time limit I raced upstairs first, Netrunner was number one priority.

I wanted to see if he had any netrunning stuff!

As soon as I hit his body I unfortunately gave up on stealing his Netrunning suit.

I didn't have time or desire to strip a corpse like that right now. Instead I started popping shards out of his skull passing them into my pocket. I did check his skull and he did indeed have a netdeck…

I considered yanking it. I could. It would take a few minutes, but I could totally do that.

But something about ripping chrome right out of someone's body… It didn't sit right with me. If I had more time maybe I would call in the calvary and they would probably do some ripping, but I let it go. Instead I focused on his gear. I plugged into his computer and yanked the data into a shard. I would go over it later, but hopefully it would have some information on where I could find the Spider Ripper, and the Bastard.

Then as I started grabbing more goodies, I heard an engine outside.

Instantly I went cold as I dropped everything and headed back to the roof. Whoever was showing up was about to get ripped apart. I had only heard one engine.

That meant the numbers were doable. More loot?

More loot.

I crept along the roof. Whoever it was was walking around the courtyard, they were slow, cautious. I couldn't hear any conversation, and only one set of footsteps crunching into the gravel.

Only one? Well it didn't matter.

I reached the edge, but I missed them by a second. They had just walked into the building below me.

I went full cold just so I wouldn't make a grunt of pain and dropped. Falling into a silent crouch just outside the door.

My Katana was already flashing, red edge arcing through darkness to give me just a few more points of XP.

I stilled.

My breath came out in a soft pant.

"Jun!?" I cried out, causing him to jump practically out of his skin, his own Katana coming up to as if to defend only to realize I was standing literally behind him, my Katana inches from taking his head.

Jun shrieked in a hilariously girly voice, but once he realized who it was he gasped in shock. "Motoko!?"

Gonna remember that one for later, that scream was hilarious! but now wasn't the time for that.

Because Jun's face hardened and he was glaring now. "Motoko! What do you think you are doing!?"

"Murder?" I answered honestly before my mind could catch up with my mouth. I clamped my mouth shut as my answer seemed to knock the wind out of Jun's anger. I looked around, knowing he must have already seen all the dead bodies. All the people I had murdered.

We were both silent, staring at each other for a moment before I lowered my shoulders sheathing my Katana. "Okay let's be honest. I mean… Is this even the worst thing you ever caught me doing?" I asked, hoping my former pre-coma self really was the hellion I suspected she was.

Jun did not in fact agree.

His exasperated expression only lasted a moment before it turned to anger. "What are you thinking? What are you even doing? You could have died! You are still recovering! You are… What? Chasing Maelstrom around the city!?" He roared after a sound of pure frustrated anger as he turned and hammered a fist into the wall of the garage. The poor garage did not stand up well.

"How did you even find me?" I interrupted his battering of the poor garage.

"I followed your tracker! What else would I do when you sneak out in the middle of the night!"

I blinked. "I have a tracker?" I frowned. That was… Not okay.

"Of course Oka-san gave us both trackers when we were kids." He answered simply going silent for a moment at the mention of our mother. "You don't remember."

I felt my lips down into a frown. The idea that I had some tracker in me was… I really didn't like it. At the same time it wasn't Jun's fault so I just breathed it out. I would get back to that later.

Before I could even start on what was next though. We both heard it, engines.

"We need to go."

"Let's run!" We both said to each other before rushing towards the exit. The engines were too close.

By the time we hit the gate we both realized what happened.

Slowing to a stop, surrounding my car and Jun's Bike, both blocking the entrance to the gate, were three Maelstrom trucks.

Already I could see the red eyed borgs climbing out to look around.

"Cover me!" I called out as I rushed forward. Burya drawn and aimed, and only when they noticed me did I fire. Three rounds echoed, sending borgs scurrying as I rushed to my car. While my shots had sent a few running for cover a few of the borgs were starting to aim at me, so I did the smart thing. I put up my arms to guard my face and jumped into the still open passenger door ignoring the stray bullets slammed into my arms.

I reached down under my passenger seat for a box that I had filled from the Raffen raid, and never really used.

Popping it open I started grabbing grenades.

I glanced out the door seeing Jun in full rage mode as he offhanded a Shingen, a smart SMG that I didn't even know he had. It must collapse down or something. Still he was shooting mini missiles into the crowd roaring and drawing attention.

Stupid Jun. He was gonna get shot doin' that.

I flipped the switches, pressed the buttons, or pulled the pin for the grenades as I started chucking them wildly out of the car towards the Maelstrom trucks.

It took a moment and then the explosions started going off, and the screams and cries of dying Maelstrom finally overrode the sound of gunfire.

I turned back towards Jun to tell him to get on his Kusanagi and get out of here, but he had already unsheathed his Katana and was going wild on the now utterly disrupted Maelstrom. One of their trucks was burning from an incendiary grenade highlighting the fight as he rushed in and started cutting.

Well, if he wanted to murder all of these Maelstrom, I wasn't going to be left behind. I slipped out of my car, Katana drawn, and moved.

Quickly leaping up onto the hood of my car and then forward to cut the arm off a Maelstrom gonk aiming a shotgun at Jun. The thermal blade cut right through, and his head was parted a moment later before he could even scream with a casual swipe. Then I was among them, and between Jun and I? The grenades having thrown them around killing or maiming?

It was wheat to a scythe. Jun drew their eyes, the Oni. I could practically taste their terror as he kept among them, not letting them get any clear shots as he cut them into pieces with pure power.

While that happened. I ghosted them. Heads parted from necks, limbs were lost suddenly, and then lives a moment later. While I did get shot again, this time in the back the fucker lost his arm and then head a moment later. While Jun was just tanking everything.

By the time I caught up to Jun it was over. He was dueling a large borg with a nasty looking sawn off shotgun fit for a cyborg, and a chain sword of all things trying to keep Jun from bisecting him.

Unfortunately I don't believe in honorable duels. The Borg died in moments after my Katana surged out the front of his neck as I stabbed him through his spine. My face a rictus grin as I managed to kill steal from Jun.

I was laughing, my cold breaking as Jun practically jumped at my sudden appearance once again. I could see him instantly look around, but I threw him a thumbs up. "I confirmed kills on everyone else. We're clear." I told him. His eyes continued to rove around as if he didn't fully believe me, which was fair, always good to verify yourself.

But yeah.

I killed them all.

The fools half blown up by grenades. The ones desperately trying to run. The Gonks that tried to attack me. I cut them all down. Between the fires, and Jun it was easy. They were so shell shocked I waltzed through them like a ghost.

"We should probably grab what we can and go." I told him only to see he wasn't just breathing hard but actually wincing. I quickly pushed in and with deft fingers found the problem. "Right through the Subdermal." I told him after got his hands away from the bullet hole in his thigh.

"Thanks I hadn't noticed." He growled a bit but a moment later he had a maxdoc in his mouth.

"Take that, and hop in the car. Send your bike home without you, you can't drive like that."

"It's a bullet hole. I can ride just fine." He grumbled, but I wasn't having any of that and quickly pulled him along his limping steps, unable to resist as I pulled him towards the passenger seat of my ride.

I winced a little at how much junk was now strewn across it, but he sighed and settled in as I threw a roll of bandages I had in my medical pouch at him as I raced back to the driver side.

"Buckle up." I reminded him as I hammered the gear and hit the gas instantly roaring down the street causing Jun to yelp as I absolutely floored it.

Had to get Jun back to the dojo. He was bleeding!

"Slow down!"

"No!" I barked back as I zipped through the city, absolutely flooring my engine. The mostly empty streets thanks to all the shootings meant I rarely had to slow for traffic, and so I raced through the city more like I was playing… Well Cyberpunk.

Well if the driving in the game was any good anyways.

"Please slow down!" He begged as I came up to a red light with a bit of traffic, we were in a busier section, lots of bars and clubs around here, and even with a gang war people were still partying.

His pleading switched to Japanese and I honestly couldn't keep up, as I slipped in between two cars idling at the red, flowed into a drift barely sliding right behind a truck my front bumper almost kissing the rear of the bumper before I slipped around the truck and cut in front of it before flooring it disappearing down the street with a roar of my Quadra's engine.

"Please please please slow down!" He begged and I scoffed. We were almost there. Just a few smaller side streets that were covered in little shops. Most were closed and empty. I didn't even slow down as I flew down the darkened street. The few people I could see hearing me coming and getting out of the way.

Which was smart.

I came around the corner of the dojo in a rush and only slowed a tiny bit as I drifted down into the parking garage for the apartment complex.

I quickly found a space and slowed to gently park into one close to the elevator to the first floor. "C'mon Jun, let's get you to your ripper." I told him as I jumped out of the car to run around towards his side, he was already climbing out when I reached him, and as I tried to get close to help him his hand reached out and pushed my face away.

"Jwun!"

"Motoko. Stop smothering me… Also you are never allowed to drive again. Ever." He told me as he started walking just with a hefty limp towards the elevator.

"That's not fair! I'm pretty good at driving!"

"Terrifying."
"Everyone complains about me driving slow, but when I actually drive fast you complain too!?" I argued as I kept with him, happy to use the conversation to keep him distracted.

"That's because no one knows how terrifying you driving fast is. Where did you even learn to drive like that?"

"Playing around mostly." I answered truthfully… From a certain point of view.

"Terrifying." He deadpanned as he rested back against the elevator seemingly exhausted.

Oh. Right. Jun had been awake all day, fought with me. Fought during the Kamikaze raid, and then chased me out too.

Dang. I actually felt super sorry for him now. "Let's get you into the ripper and get you a nap. You look tired." I told him as I sidled up to him resting my head on his shoulder for a moment.

"I wonder why that is?" He snarked at me, seemingly too tired to get angry. Huh I guess sleepy Jun is snarky Jun.

I opened my mouth to respond but closed it. I hadn't really needed Jun, but I understood it was difficult for him to understand just what I could do. What a Gamer was capable of.

"Thanks for coming to help me Jun… I promise I won't run off in the middle of the night again. I'll let you know when I go out, so you… Well you'll probably still worry, but at least I won't just vanish on you."

Jun's hands clenched but then loosened.

"When you killed that last Strom. You were laughing."

"Yeah. I was having fun. We work well together… You just need to work on getting shot less." I told him, resisting the urge to poke at him with a finger. He was injured so I wasn't going to poke his bullet wounds. That would be rude, even if the urge to mess with my brother was almost irresistible.

"I didn't believe you before. When you said you enjoyed it."

I scratched at my cheek a bit embarrassed as Jun was staring at me as the elevator came to a stop. "Yeah well… I guess It's just one of those things. I'm good at it… Plus I have my own reasons to enjoy killing them."

"Yeah." He was quiet as he hobbled out, my attempts to help more getting in his way, than really helping. As I tried to get him to the window that we could climb out of. It was a bit difficult, but we managed to get him through and the vendors on the other side quickly noticed and actually helped out, not saying a word as they took an arm and helped Jun into the Dojo's side entrance and downstairs into the ripper clinic.

"What the? Kusanagi!?" The female ripper was sitting at a chair and jumped up when Jun was carried in, she took a moment to look me over as well. I was still covered in blood, but I waved her towards Jun and she didn't need any further prompting to ignore me.

He was settled onto the ripper chair, and she went to work cleaning the bullet holes, and starting to work. I settled onto a normal chair nearby and decided to hang out. It wasn't like I was gonna do anything but go take a nap when I got back to the room anyways.

Might as well make sure Jun is okay.

Jun basically started napping as the doc worked. She was alright, but she didn't have that amazing deftness that Vik had.

I really should have just hauled him to Viks.

"Kusanagi!" A voice called out just as soon as the door opened, and Fujimura stomped in. The guy was a bit bleary eyed, and his hair was messy.

I guess someone woke him up.

"Fujimura-Sama." Jun responded, his eyes snapping open and he made to sit up only to be pushed down by the Doc.

"Stay down while I work." She demanded glaring before giving a sitting bow to Fujimura. Seemingly letting him know he could continue.

"I didn't set up any further raids. The battle was over, I thought I was clear that you were supposed to be resting. Now I find out you went out and got injured. You damage not just yourself, but the Kamikaze! Explain!" He barked stomping up to Jun, and I got the feeling he was only seconds away from dragging Jun out of the chair by his… well Jun didn't have a shirt on, but the same idea stood.

Jun of course spoke quickly, before I could. "Apologies. A family matter came up."

Fujimura instantly looked to me, his eyes glaring and face full of rage.

Of course I wasn't impressed. Bedhead wasn't exactly intimidating.

"You once again cause trouble?"

"I didn't do anything. Jun was just being overprotective and decided to foll-" I was cut off as the man actually backhanded me.

He hit me.

It almost knocked me right out of the chair considering how strong he was. I could practically feel a tooth loosen as well as I sat back up. I wiggled my jaw a bit and spit out some of the blood onto the floor.

Stupid idiot made me bite my cheek.

I went cold. No, I went arctic. I caught his eyes and held them as I spoke. "You strike me again, and I'll take the hand."

He watched me for a moment before snorting. "Accept your punishment with grace. You damage the Kamikaze with your foolishness? You receive a reminder. Your brother is important to the Tyger Claws. Important to Kamikaze. You were brought here by our kindness, but that is twice now you have cost the Kamikaze."

"Fujimura-sama! Motoko is my sister. She is not yours to discipline!" Jun growled, he had sat up when I was struck. Much to the irritation of the Doc.

"Then ensure that she does not damage the Kamikaze again, and I will not feel the need to interfere in family affairs!" The man barked back without any give.

"Motoko did nothing wrong. Fujimura-sama. It was my own weakness that led to injury." Jun said, barely keeping his voice from an angry bark as he glared up at the borg.

The man finally turned from my stare which was dangerous of him.

I was still figuring out whether dismembering him would be the best way to get my point across.

"I expect a fast recovery Kusanagi. The Kamikaze have work to do." He finally said after a few moments of imperious glaring, before he stomped out of the room.

"Jun… Your boss is an asshole." I finally told him which caused my brother to slowly lean back onto the chair with a groan.

—--

Once Jun was fully fixed up, he fell asleep with a few meds from the doc. Considering he was passed out and practically drooling, I decided to head back to the apartment.

But not before taking a picture of his drooling face. Blackmail get!

The silliness helped soothe the irritation and the pain of my cheek.

I walked into the apartment and only once the door closed did I sigh.

I was still hurting. Bullets might get blocked by the armor, and I was mostly healed up from the Maxdoc, but I was still sore.

Plus the worst part?

"Ugh all the blood dried." I grumbled as I ran a few fingers through my hair only to get tangled in the bloody matted strands. I wouldn't be able to take a nap without cleaning up first.

So with a tired grunt I walked into the apartment's little bathroom that also had a washer dryer. I stripped down to my panties and stuffed the dirty clothes into the washer noticing my boots were going to need some serious attention too.

Dangit.

So as I started the cycle I grabbed some cleaning gunk and sat down in front of the washer with my boots. Slowly wiping the poor abused footwear clean of dirty Maelstrom blood.

At least one benefit of being in such a hellish future is that bloodstains weren't an issue. The cleaning gunk I rubbed into the boots pulled the blood right out.

Groaning, as my shoulders ached, I headed into a shower and dunked my head into the nice hot water for a moment stretching a bit to start scrubbing the blood off. I zoned out for a bit just letting the heat flow into my bones, well and my arms. Cyberware felt cool to the skin and the night was getting cooler. So feeling the metal warm under the spray was actually pretty nice.

My chest always feels a little chilly now with the Cyberware installed. But right now it felt good, even if water flowing over my arms felt wrong.

Which reminded me about what I had gained tonight.

I couldn't help but whistle as I opened the alerts. I hadn't checked between looting and then Jun.

The XP gains went down for a while. But it was the level I had gained that I was smiling about. Three levels in one night!? I giggled a little as I did a little dance under the shower, hell yeah!

*Level up achieved!*

*One Stat Point Gained.*

*One Skill Point Gained.*

I giggled as I looked at the alert. Glancing at my stat page just to see where I am at.

Level 8
2500/9000

Very nice. Plus the three Stat and Skill points that were saved up!

But that wasn't even close to everything! So many improvements!

*Athletics skill level up!*

It was midway down the list, so I guess all the running and jumping around I had done, had some benefits. Athletics 6 was awesome!

*Handguns skill level up!*

Handguns had gone up to six, which made sense. I had been firing the Burya so much lately. It really was an integral part of my toolkit. I really needed to take her apart and give her a thorough checkup.

Even happier for me, was Assault. Assault 4 thanks to my new Nekomata. I finally had a good weapon for leveling that skill.

While Ninjutsu and Cool itself didn't level, Cold Blood had gone up to 7. Matching up with Ninjutsu. So that was fun! Less pain for me was a good thing!

Then I blinked.

Then I blinked again. Then I dug into the alert list to figure out what the hell happened.

"This doesn't make any sense! Stupid system! I want to talk to an admin! I want a refund!" I screeched a bit as practically jumped up and down in anger.

*Engineering Experience Gained.*

*Skill not unlocked, no XP gained.*

*Engineering Unlocked.*

*Engineering skill level up!*

*Engineering skill level up!*

*1 Perk Point Gained.*

I didn't build anything!? But apparently grenades counted for Engineering!? What? How does that work!?

I had definitely used grenades before! Why was I only now getting XP for Engineering if they were connected to that!?

I thought back to the last time I had used grenades, and I had to go all the way to the Scav raid. That's right, I had brought a few with me…

Then I remembered how often the damn things were kicked back at me… "Did… did I not actually hit anyone with a grenade!?" No I had! The two at the end, the ones hiding in the computer room, I remembered throwing the grenade in and then leaping in after to shoot them…

But they had been hiding in cover… I hadn't actually hit anyone with a grenade until now!?

I pushed my back up against the side of the shower and slid down it groaning. If I had known that I could level Engineering by killing people with grenades! I could have done so much! Now that I had accepted the alert, I could feel the information sliding in, and it was dense. Which was weird because usually the knowledge came right then, but I guess engineering was so dense, it waited until it was out of combat?

Well I guess the system wasn't too bad then. I would hold off on my demand for refunds for now…

Besides, Motoko likes numbers.

I blinked away water as I came back to myself after who knows how long when the washing machine beeped. I did a quick shampoo wash of my hair to make sure the blood was out, before jumping out of the shower and throwing my clothes into the dryer.

Grabbing a few towels to start drying off, I wandered onto the couch and opened up the menu again.

I hadn't gained any other stat increases. I had been hoping for a reflex improvement, but it hadn't come. Plenty of alerts for it, and it was getting close, but I wasn't there yet.

Which opened up the next question.

What do I spend my Stat and skill points on. To start, I already knew where my stat points would go.

A few button presses and I was on the Adaptation page.

Militech Condor *Adaptation Militech Condor 0/10*

I didn't hesitate. Not this time. Pushing the button.

*Spend 1 Stat point to improve Adaptation?*

*Y/N*

I hit the yes option, and instantly the numbers changed.

Militech Condor *Adaptation Militech Condor 1/10*

I shivered. Not from the cold, the apartment was just fine, and I was warm from the shower. No, I shivered because the Phantom limb I had been fighting against since I got my arms stopped. I had gotten… well not used to it, but I got to the point I could move my arm without it throwing me off.

And now? Now it was gone. I let out a noisy sigh as I flopped back on the couch.

Wow that felt… Nice.

I brought my arm up to my face and opened and closed a fist. So much was still off. The sensations were wrong. The fact it was the wrong length, or that my fingers settled in the wrong spot. Still nagged at me, made me feel like something was off.

But now at least it felt like mine.

I opened the page adding another point.

Militech Condor *Adaptation Militech Condor 2/10*

Muscles in my back unclenched. My shoulders, all mechanical at this point, shifted, settling differently. I gasped, an exhale of relief. I hadn't even realized I had kept my shoulders tense, trying to force them into the same position my old arms would have been, but the Condor had longer shoulders. I realized I had literally been hunching up on myself for days.

I relaxed and it felt. Right? No. Normal. It felt normal. For the first time since I woke up on the rippers chair, I felt slightly normal. That little part of you that unclenches after something terrible when your body and mind finally realize everything is going to be okay.

I was going to be okay.

I swallowed a little as I threw my forearm over my eyes. Jun was't here, but I didn't want anyone to see me crying. Tears started falling and I very quickly started sobbing, crying and crying, an ugly noise escaping me as I let the pain that had infested me. Made me so angry, and made me want to just stay cold forever slowly seep away.

As I felt my heart unfreeze fully for the first time.

I hadn't even realized I had been doing it. How could I? Cold Blood wasn't just some weird gamer power, it was a skill. Knowledge that I was practically a master at.

It was the equivalent to spending years and years hardening your heart. Freezing your emotions so that nothing could interfere with your thoughts.

Of course the trauma would make me fall back on it, even subconsciously. It wasn't like I could split where Motoko ends, and the knowledge I had gained through the system began.

There was no difference. It was my knowledge and experience. I just had a lot of weird skills. Extra experience.

So I finally subconsciously relaxed, felt safe. So I let it go, and so I bawled. The stress and horror of what happened. My worry for Jun, and just the pain all pouring out of me.

I cried and I cried. Until finally I just couldn't anymore.

Thankfully I was already wrapped up in a towel so I was able to wipe my now gooey arm, and my gooier face. Blowing my nose loud and wetly let me breath again as I stood up. I went back to the laundry room, and threw both towels in, after quickly washing my face, and my arm. I felt…

Good. Cathartic.

I grabbed some comfy old clothes out of what Jun had grabbed from the apartment and flopped onto the couch. I turned on the TV and just switched it to some Cartoon channel. Something mindless. I got comfy as it played, as I looked at the stat menu again.

I still had one Stat Point left. I thought about it. I could use it for Reflex which was a struggle to level, or Tech which would be great.

But this was more important. I wasn't some idiot Edgerunner wanting to burn out in a blaze of glory.

I wasn't.

I really wasn't. I wanted to live, because you can't have fun when you die. So I decided I would spend it on Adaptation again.

But not to my arms.

*Spend 1 Stat point to improve Adaptation?*

I accepted, and my stats changed.

Kiroshi Mk1 *Adaptation Kiroshi Mk1 1/2*

I blinked.

Then I blinked again. Then again. It was still weird, but that cold sensation of my eyelids flowing over a waterproof eye didn't bother me as much. It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't like much was.

But when I closed my eyes, it didn't feel uncomfortable. It didn't make me itch or want to leave my eyes open all night.

Without my auto sleep, I very likely would not have been able to sleep well with my Kiroshi.

But now?

I relaxed curled up in a big fluffy blanket watching cartoons I dozed off, for the first time in a while sleeping peacefully without needing to insta sleep.

ZZzzZZ

"Whusa?" I mumbled as I startled awake at the sound of a door opening. I sat covered in blankets and one eye caked shut cold drool on my chin which I quickly wiped away.

"Real cute." Jun told me dryly as he caught sight of my sleepy face.

"Jerk." I snapped at him, cut off by a big yawn as I stretched arm high and wide letting the muscles in my upper back stretch out a bit.

It wasn't like stretching my Cyberware mattered. Although I did notice my right arm wasn't right. But it wasn't the usual discomfort, I glanced at it and noticed the dent.

Right. I had gotten shot last night in the arm… Which reminded me about someone else being shot.

"Jun? Are you all healed up?"

"Mostly." He confirmed plopping down on the couch beside me and peeling his burrito from a wrapper.

"I'm glad." I told him gently as he took a big bite. "Sorry I didn't come back, I was gonna but… well I had my own little thing." I told him quietly with a smile as I relaxed my shoulders getting to feel my arms settle.

It wasn't how they would have settled before, but it was how they settled now, and that fact didn't bother me so much right then.

"You okay?" He mumbled from between bites and I gave him a smile and a nod.

"Yep! I had a big cry… Everything sort of hit me last night. But I'm feeling a lot better."

"Good. That's good." He told me quietly, and while I could feel the emotion in his voice he was definitely fighting back another emotion.

"You wanna talk about me running off last night?" I prompted and I could see him take a deep breath and let it out.

"Yeah. I do."

"Okay. I'm not going anywhere. So let's… Let's really talk Jun." I rose up off the couch pulling my blanket with me to flop on the other side of the table as I settled in, letting us talk face to face.

He was quiet for a while as he chewed but the way he was staring I knew he was thinking.

"You didn't need me last night."

"Maybe. Maybe not." I shrugged a weird feeling now that I was holding my shoulders lower. "I was looting when you showed up, but I might have gotten greedy and stuck around too long."

"Motoko… You didn't need me." He said bluntly, sounding sad as he put the empty burrito wrapper on the table. "You handle yourself like a pro… I left you behind during the raid because I didn't want you there. I didn't want you in danger. But you still caught up. You still killed. I hated it. I hate it. Seeing you do that. Putting blood on your hands… But no matter what I do, you're still gonna do it."

"Yeah." I confirmed with a sad smile as I looked at my brother really fighting himself. Jun wasn't an emotional guy. At least not like this. He was a hothead. Not an empathetic thinker.

But he was trying.

"I can't stop you. I want to. I… I would kill anyone to stop you, but that won't change anything. You will still do what you want. Just like always." He sighed his hands seemingly not able to sit still as he kept opening and closing them, or pushing them together. "I'm scared Motoko. Scared that you will get hurt. I can't protect you if you put yourself in danger." His leg was bouncing as he started talking knee up and down in a rapid succession.

"I'm scared for you too Jun… But I can't stop you. You joined the Kamikaze, which… Man, that name has some connotations." I grumbled. "But I have to trust you. I have to believe you will stay safe, because I can't… I can't physically stop you."

"And I can't physically stop you." He agreed, the two of us looking each other over with matching quirks of our lips.

"What a pair we make huh Jun-Nii?"

"Yeah Imouto." He chuckled a little, actually sounding like… Well Jun. Before everything. "A real pair. We both have a death wish."

"No." I told him instantly, standing up and reaching across the table to put both my hands on his cheeks. "Not a death wish. Just a bloody path ahead of each of us… It's not a death wish. We might die. We might not. But Jun-Nii. I promise. I won't throw my life away. If I die, it will be doing something I believe is right. And maybe something I love. Cause I do like it."

"Little Killer." He finally said with a huffed out laugh as he reached forward and suddenly I wasn't standing on the other side of the table. No, I was squeezed tight against Jun's chest as he held me. I laughed, and hugged him back.

We were both broken. Maybe even crazy. But the world was crazy too.

So we would survive.

—--

"Ow!" I growled as I zapped myself once again. After the nice long hug from Jun, and a bit of sibling bonding Jun had gone into his room to take a nap, still tired from the drugs and his bullet holes, while I went to work on my newest skill!

Engineering!

With Engineering my Crafting had suddenly linked with the knowledge and had exploded.

Two halves of the same coin. Crafting was slapping shit together. How good are you at physically making something? Do you know the right tolerances, the right diameter to make something just work?

But Engineering? Engineering was planning. Design. Engineering was creation. It was the difference between the tinker in his home lab shaving away a few millimeters on something to make it work better, to the engineer that designed the whole thing in a lab.

Together they synced, I was both of those people. The creator, and the end user. Plus with my other skills I was the operator.

How many people could say they were a true Renaissance woman? I could do it all! Although I still couldn't paint.

So with just how flexible my knowledge was, first step was to mess with my equipment.

I had done some tinkering with my guns already, but I had a lot to do.

First I went out to the car and grabbed all the loot from the Maelstrom garage.

The Nekomata was first. I had looked it over, but there wasn't much I could change, the previous user knew his gun. It was a solid piece of work. The modifications it had were all solid improvements.

At least for now.

Instead I had a bunch of tech scrap that I already had ideas for.

If I was going to level Engineering, I might as well do it easily.

Grenades!

An explosive, a trigger, and a casing, honestly with my 3D printer I could make everything but the explosives, but those were easy.

I had stolen a bunch of grenade stuff from the Raffen base, and now I was actually motivated to use it. The shard I klepped that had the crazy grenade Raffens tips and tricks on how to create grenades was actually easy to understand with my Engineering knowledge.

Which is why I was putting together homemade grenades. After half a dozen frag grenades I decided that a couple EMP grenades might be really useful.

The discharge for it was pretty standard stuff. I grab a battery that I could find in most devices, and basically set it into a supercharger that would cause it to explode, put that in a case, and set it all up from a button.

Voila EMP grenade. I guess that says a lot about power sources in Cyberpunk that with a few modifications you could turn them into a dangerous explosive.

Honestly the scrap metal I had was running low considering how simple Grenade interiors were.

"What the hell is that?" Jun said suddenly looking at me from the door, his fire hair limp and sticking out at weird angles from a nap.

"Grenade."

He blinked. Then he blinked again as he looked down towards the wires that I was holding in my hands as I was wiring up an EMP grenade.

"Not in the house."

"It's safe!"

"Not in the house." He said again before slowly backing back into his room.

"Fine!" I grumbled as I undid all the wiring before tossing the grenades in pieces back into my parts section. Not about to leave an unfinished halfway put together grenade in my box.

That's stupid.

But now I had nothing to do. The Maelstrom would all be sleeping with the sun still up…

I blinked.

Why did I think I had nothing to do? I had a car. A city, friends…

That's right. I had friends.

I snorted at myself. I had been so stressed out, so focusing on killing I had practically forgotten.

I stood up and stretched feeling the play of muscles in my back loosen up from my hunched over position.

"Hey Jun! I'm gonna go see Hiromi!"

Jun's head popped out of his room a moment later as he instantly looked to the table, not seeing whatever he was looking for he seemed to relax.

"You shouldn't be running around. It's dangerous out there."

"Hiromi is stuck at home, at least last I talked to her. I'll go visit. My car is armored so unless I'm jumped by an entire attack squadron of Strom, I'll be fine. Besides… I should probably get out and do something other than hyperfocus on the Maelstrom." I threw Jun a thumbs up and gave him a big smile. "I'll be careful!"

He slowly nodded as he stepped out, walked over and to my surprise pulled me into a hug. He ended it nearly instantly without a word as he walked into the kitchen to grab a drink.

"Love you too Jun-nii!" I called back as I ran around gathering some stuff. Mostly my jacket and guns. I did decide to bring my Katana though. Maybe Hiromi and I could practice?

A few blocks away from the Dojo I called Hiromi.

*Motoko! Are you okay? Everything alright?*

*Hey Hiromi! I'm okay! How are you? Still stuck at home?*

*Uh, Yeah… My 'rents are still super protective right now.* She said but there was something in her voice a tremor, or… I wasn't sure.

*Want to hang out?*

*Yes! Save me Motoko! I'm so bored!*

*Well I'm on my way over. I can tell you what I've been up to.*

*Perfect! Seriously, it's been the wooorst! Both of my parents are working from home to avoid any gang problems!* Hiromi started chattering, which was actually pretty soothing as I continued the drive. By the time I was pulling into a parking spot in Hiromi's apartment's garage, she seemed normal-happy and chattering away.

I guess she really had been lonely.

I shouldn't have let myself spiral into my own issues… Hiromi was my Choom. Being stuck inside, practically locked away all day? That sucked.

We ended the call as I parked, and I hurried to the elevator. The long wait as it rose up had me tapping my foot, but finally it opened, and there was Hiromi already rushing me.

"Motokooooo!" She cried out in delight as she slammed into me in a massive hug.

I couldn't help but laugh as I had to spin her around a few times to bleed off the momentum. Finally her feet were back on the floor and she looked me over for a moment looking at my new arms. I brought my right arm up and flexed a bit.

"It's taken a bit to get used to, but I'm starting to feel comfortable with them."

Hiromi wasn't smiling though. Her smile had turned into a frown, before she shook herself Which is when I noticed her hair wasn't in her usual Mohawk. Instead it was sort of laid down, much more casual than I had ever seen her hair. And her Neon whisker marks weren't on, leaving her cheeks chrome, but sort of bare. But I knew something was wrong when she tried to smile at me. Only for it to fold. "I'm sorry… I wasn't there, I…"

"Heey. It's okay, honestly! I actually started feeling better about it last night… I uh, had a cry last night." I revealed, a little embarrassed.

"Gonk." She whispered gently, as she was obviously fighting back tears, but she took a deep breath and let it out. She reached out and grabbed my hand and started pulling me along. "C'mon we can hang out in my room, and you can tell me everything!"

"Sure!" I chirped as I was tugged along, Hiromi was shorter than me, but she tugged me along without any trouble. Her wild girl was showing a bit of a return. That was good. Hiromi was acting weird.

I was tugged into her big fancy apartment, past her mother who was looking on to see what was going on with a blank look. I gave her a wave and she simply nodded before Hiromi pulled me fully into her room. She spun me around and pushed me onto her bed before closing her door.

"Tell me everything!" She demanded standing over me with her hands on her hips and I giggled at her expression.

"Sure. So it started when Jun came home-"

—--

We ended up sprawled on her bed as I told my story. Half way through my story Hiromi had grabbed my hand and refused to give it back. Now she was running her fingers along my chrome which felt… Weird.

Ticklish? But not. I hadn't really had many people touch me gently since I got my arms, besides Jun, and his arms were just as chrome as mine.

So to feel actual human flesh running a finger up my palm was really strange.

Goosebumps were running all along my back.

"Wish I had been there." She muttered finally as I finished my story of everything I had done.

"I don't." I told her bluntly. "Outnumbered and outgunned, I tried to run and I couldn't make it. It was a hit squad. I'm just lucky they were stupid enough to kidnap me, and not just flatline me then and there." I said and Hiromi's fingers gripped hard against my hand.

"You're my best choom Motoko. You can't die okay?" She spoke quietly as she grabbed my attention with how desperate her voice was.

"I have no intention of having a drink named after me in the Afterlife." I told her not really able to promise not to die. "I'll be as safe as I can be."

"Hah! No way, when you do finally bite it, they will definitely give you a drink, you're gonna be a bad bitch Edgerunner. And I'll be your cunning and beautiful corpo contact that no one can be sure is on their side!" Hiromi offered with a chuckle, but I was frowning.

Hiromi had never in the time I had known her said she was going to be a corpo.

Ever.

Quite the opposite in fact.

"Hiromi?" I asked, voice quiet and she just sort of looked away.

"It's nothing Toko… Just everything." But I smelled a problem, so I didn't let up. I squeezed her hand back and tugged her hand until she looked up.

Finally she spoke. "It started with parent stuff. Them being here constantly, means they… Well I'm forced to deal with them constantly now. Not like before. Dad was always away before, but having him constantly in my face… Telling me what I am going to do in the future. Showing me his work, and what to do… But it's not that."

She visibly swallowed as she curled up, her legs pulling up to her chest as she held my hand like a lifeline.

"I went out." She said quietly in a whisper. "It was late, and I wanted… I just wanted to rebel I guess. I snuck outside, and jumped on my bike, and I went for a drive. It was fine at first. I had my Katana, and I was… I was stupid. Confident. I didn't even think anything could happen…"

"Did someone hurt you?" I practically growled, my eyes narrowed and I could feel my teeth grinding. If someone hurt Hiromi!

"No." She shook her head which nearly instantly poured water over the black rage building up. "It's pathetic. I can't even-" She was definitely starting to cry a bit, but that was not okay!

"Hey, hey! It's okay. Hiromi what's got you so bothered? Tell me? Best Chooms don't judge best chooms." I assure her as I did my best to comfort her.

Suddenly she was shaking her head looking down at her knees, but she started talking, never taking her eyes away from the ground.

"I got scared. I was driving along thinking I was some bad bitch. A gun fight started up. Wasn't even Tyger Claws, or Maelstrom. Just some stupid fuckbags robbing some store getting shot at. I drove past as they started shooting. Scared the absolute shit of me. I… I jerked, lost control, crashed my bike. I wasn't hurt, but… I hid Motoko. Just that, just gunshots near me sent me hiding in a fuckin dumpster… I don't I don't really know how long I was hiding. Eventually I… Eventually I got together enough to get back on my bike and ride home."

She looked up, tears in her eyes as she revealed her story. "I'm a coward Motoko… I couldn't… I couldn't go out and actually be a StreetKid. I'm just a corpo brat after all! That's… that's all I'll ever be."

"But I'm complaining about stupid shit… You're the one that got kidnapped again, and had horrible things happen. I just had to take a shower when I got ho-"

I ignored Hiromi's attempts to push away from her problems, and instead squeezed her into a tight hug.

"You're wrong. There is nothing wrong, or shameful about being scared." I whisper into her hair as I hold her, and absolutely refuse to release her, until she gives in and starts hugging me back.

"Ichi went out, Malcolm went out. You went out. I couldn't Motoko. I thought… I thought with you back everything would be great, we would be a duo, but I can't… I'm a coward, how can I be your partner if I can't even go outside?"

"Well… Then you can be my Fixer!"

Hiromi snorted, and then started chuckling until she laughed and laughed as she hugged me back.

"Gonk!"

"Nope. I'm a Best Choom." I tell her earning more giggles as she nods along

"That's true I guess… It's okay? That I…"

"Hiromi. You're my first friend. And I say that as someone who literally had amnesia and only knew Jun in the whole world. You came in and made friends with me, remember? No matter what you choose to do, or choose to be, I'll always be your best choom. Even if I have to sneak into Araska tower to hang out with you at work. Or if you are my go to fixer, or just my go to couch, to crash on and play games and watch bad movies."

She started crying again.

Hiromi eventually calmed down and we just hung out for a while as she recovered. Eventually she felt better and wiped her eyes and like a switch we were back to happy Hiromi.

Or at least Hiromi that pretended to be happy.

We were interrupted while Hiromi was telling me about how her online classes were when suddenly her bedroom door opened.

"Hiromi."
"Mom! It's called knocking! I know you know how to do it!" Hiromi snapped as she sat up but didn't let go of my hand.

"We are having dinner, your father is eating with us… Motoko. You are welcome to join us." She offered to me her eyes hyperfocusing on me for a moment before she stepped in, approaching Hiromi and reaching down to wipe a bit at Hiromi's face with her thumb. "You should wash up first. Never show them weakness Hiromi, a put together face is an armor all on its own." She said before standing up and leaving without another word.

"Your mom is a little intense." I whispered.

"Yeah." Hiromi grumbled as sat up. "But she is right, I should clean up a bit." She finally pulled away from me as she rose. Stomping over to a connected bathroom. The light turning on let me see the insides of her bathroom, and I could only roll my eyes.

It was very Hiromi.

Tyger Claw stickers littered her mirror, and there was a ton of hair stuff that let her wear her typical mohawk. Plus piles and piles of makeup. That looked mostly unused but stacked up like towers.

She didn't do much, just washed her face a bit to get rid of the tear tracks and she was back out, looking…

Well like she had been crying a bit, but more firm. "Hungry? You can delta if you don't want to deal with the 'rents."

"I'll come. I haven't met your dad yet."

"Oh yeah, you don't remember meeting him. That's gonna be interesting." Hiromi said, sounding like it would be anything but. I followed her out of her room. Adjusting my holsters a bit to settle more comfortably as I headed into the massive dining room. A steaming dinner was already set out, with four spots. As I walked in, a pair of men wearing suits were packing up a cart that they had brought the food in on, and were heading out.

I guess this complex was ritzy enough to have room service.

"C'mon Motoko, sit here." Hiromi guided me to a spot and pushed me in as she took the next closest spot, scooting her chair and food over so she was closer.

"Ah there is Hiromi's friend." A slick voice called out from behind me as I turned, a man wearing a suit stepped out of an office, every piece of him perfectly in place as he walked in and patted Hiromi on the shoulder smiling in a way that seemed…

Fake.

Even Hiromi sent her dad a glare for it which he seemed to ignore. "It was… Motoko?"

"Motoko Kusanagi." I introduced myself and he nodded.

"That's right. That's right, It's been years since I last saw you. Well you certainly changed your style. My dear lovely wife tells me you have been working as a Mercenary? That's a useful job." He offered with a smile that was absolutely fake.

But he was also Hiromi's dad. So I just nodded as he and his wife settled into their seats

"Yeah. I've been doing some work with Wakako. Mostly minor stuff, some bodyguard work and asset acquisition." I told him. Earning a blink from Hiromi at my words, and then Hiromi's dad started laughing.

"Asset Acquisition! An excellent way to put it! You should see what you can do for Arasaka, with that quick wit!" His smile didn't reach his eyes but Hiromi's mother asked Hiromi a question about her schoolwork after that and I was able to look down at the meal.

Looked like something I would have eaten in my past life. Even if the piece of meat that looked like a chunk cut off from a roast, was definitely not Pork or Beef. It looked like it, but the taste was wrong.

"What about you Motoko? Any school in your life? Education is important for young girls, You will need it to get anywhere in life." Hiromi's mother asked me suddenly as Hiromi did her best to not answer anything about her own education.

"Nothing official. I don't go to school exactly, but I'm not sitting around all day. Netrunning, Tinkering, Gunsmithing. I dabble a little with everything." I told her after swallowing a bite of Mashed Potatoes. Definitely not real potato. It tasted like the boxed stuff. Not terrible, and it was at least a familiar taste and texture.

"Oh? That's a diverse skillset for a girl your age. I find people that try to do everything, end up failing to do anything." Hiromi's father cut in, with a smile.

I swear I think the guy just smiled through whatever he was saying or doing just out of habit.

"I think I focus on everything in a way. I've been interested in Robotics with my tinkering. I want to create a drone system for my… Job." I admit. It was something I had in mind for a while, but it was… complicated. Drones in cyberpunk were amazing, but there was an issue with cost, to effectiveness. That and intelligence.

"Drones? Militech spends billions a year trying to come out with the next great Drone system. The problem always comes down to size. Make it smart enough to be useful, and the AI takes up too much room, and too much power, so their little drones always balloon in size. Or end up just another drone system needing a big truck to make it work." He said with a shake of his head.

"True. I do want something closer in size to their Flathead, but that is hardly on the open market."

I took another bite of mashed potatoes, something I hadn't had since waking up in Night City, but it was the sudden silence that had me look up and notice the narrowed eyes of both adults.

Hiromi beside me had noticed something was up, but obviously had as much of a clue as I did.

"How are you aware of a Militech experimental Drone system?" Hiromi's father asked casually.

I blinked. That's right. The Flathead was an experimental item when you get one in 2077. That was why the quest was such a pain. Maelstrom stole one, from Millitech which is why you were trying to get it from them.

That was in 2077. Two years early? It was probably still in development. Maybe not even an actualized product.

"Came across it. It sounded useful, so I've been thinking of making something similar."

"What exactly do you know about the Flathead?" Once again that voice of forced casualness, made me realize he was digging.

"It's small, probably remote operated. To bypass the AI size issue. Something about a camo system." I tell him using my hands to give about the size of what the Flathead should be. Honestly it was the size of a smallish dog.

"Interesting. If you find out any more, or if you happen to have any concrete data, I would be happy to be informed of a competitor's work. I would be happy to pay you for hard data." He said his eyes locked on mine. He wasn't smiling.

I nodded.

"Sure. If I come across any Corpo stuff on my jobs, I'll make sure you can get a look at it. For Hiromi." I answered and finished with another bite of my dinner.

Then that fake smile was back on his face. "Excellent. Looks like my dear Buttercup made a very useful friend indeed, excellent work Hiromi, and here I thought you failed your Human Resources course." Her father said with a loud laugh as he swallowed a bit of his wine. Hiromi's mother was quiet just with a small fake smile on her face as well, but her eyes were sharp like a hawk.

"I did fail it Dad." Hiromi muttered, irritated.

Awkward.

—--

Hiromi and I hung out the rest of the day, never talking about anything serious, just playing games, or spending some time with Hiromi painting my nails.

"Even if you are full chrome now, still gotta look like a bad bitch Motoko. Besides Green an-"

"No Tyger Claw colors! I already have enough issues with Jun and where I am staying now."

"Fiiine. Purple is more your color anyways." She admitted with a grin.

But as it grew late I did leave. Hiromi, still stuck at home, forced me to promise to call and visit more, which I assured her I would. As I walked back to the Quadra feeling kinda normal I couldn't help but smile a bit.

Today had been nice. I mean Hiromi having a meltdown wasn't, but it was nice to be pulled away from Maelstrom. Away from the harsh reality I had been feeling since the Maelstrom kidnapping, and back towards the realization that just because bad stuff happened to me, didn't mean I had to let it control my entire life, that…

That I wanted to be happy.

I wanted to enjoy my life. I just had to accept that even through the bad things.

I kept that little smile on my face as I made the circuitous route back towards the Dojo. Jun wasn't in the apartment when I got home, and I was tired from the emotional rollercoaster with Hiromi, so I just decided to go to sleep.

Tomorrow would be a new day.

—--

"So do you have it?" I asked. I wasn't going to hide in the apartment, nor was I going to only head out to murder people.

I still had a life to live. That meant going shopping!

"Hmm. Interesting request, sit tight for a few minutes, let me go through my private collection." Yoko said as she adjusted her round glasses. I had traveled to the Dewdrop Inn in order to find a program, but not a netrunning one.

The thing was, Netrunners main job wasn't just throwing out quickhacks or breaking into security.

It was data theft.

Data was knowledge.

And knowledge was power.

So since I had finally unlocked Engineering, I needed something specific, something I hadn't run across.

Turns out the reason why, was because CAD, or design programing was almost always proprietary.

Every Corp would use its own private program, locked down, and hardcoded.

Not that a Netrunner couldn't break into that and swipe data, but how often did they steal the entire program itself? Why bother? Netrunners aren't engineers, and the people that want the data, have their own program that they use

So here I was, going to the only Netrunner cafe, that I really trusted. Yoko being someone at the very least that would hold data for V even after T-Bug died.

So she was at least semi reliable.

Hopefully.

I looked around the room the Netrunning chairs in the back were both occupied, but they weren't anyone I knew, and I wasn't about to go poking them. So I just sort of hung around as Yoko disappeared into the back of her shop.

Thankfully she wasn't gone for too long.

"I have something." She appeared saying putting down a shard case. "Arasaka design software. Not a common piece of data, but I did have a copy." She said as she slid it across the desk towards me. Hand pinning the shard case to the table. "This sort of stuff has plenty of protections. Arasaka won't be happy if they ever find out you used it."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks Yoko, how much do I owe you?"

"No no, this data? Not something eddies can buy. You wanted to be a Netrunner? We don't deal in just eddies. Information. Data. Something useful." She slid down her dark sunglasses as she said it.

Her hand was still on the shard case. Waiting.

Fuck. I wasn't a normal Netrunner! It wasn't like I practiced by sneaking into corpo systems, stealing little bits and pieces of data!

I was a gamer! I just grinded! But then I remembered!

My hands instantly went to my pouches.

Pulling out bits and bobs.

Mostly ammo…

Okay like a lot of ammo.

One pouch for my Burya, another for my Unity… Lexington.

For my Lexington.

I even had some shotgun shells in another, but then in that pouch I found my goal.

A handful of shards without a case were spilled across the counter.

"There they are!" I said happily as I brushed the shotgun shells off the shards and pushed them towards Yoko.

All I got was an upturned eyebrow in turn.

"I klepped these off a Maelstrom Netrunner the other night. He was solid, full gear, full setup. His security was tight. I did check them, but they didn't have what I was looking for. But it was full of his Net logs-"

"I'll accept it." She said, interrupting me, but I could tell it was more out of pity than interest. Her lips were twitching a bit despite the way she was squeezing them together a bit.

She was laughing at me!

"I'll uh… keep an eye out for data you'll like." I offered. I didn't really like when people thought I was a novice. I mean I was, but only because grinding Netrunner stuff was difficult, but soon I would be amazing!

"Good. Get out of here kid. Happy Netrunning." She said as she gathered up the shards. Leaving me a moment to put everything back in my pouches.

I slipped the shard into one of my emptier pocket pouches. Tugging on it to make sure it was sealed.

Didn't want to lose that.

As I stepped out onto the Kabuki Roundabout I took a moment to just look around.

It was emptier than usual, much emptier in fact, but even during a gang war Night City has to continue on. Walking around the structure to head towards where I had parked I passed some people still willing to go out and do their job, or just willing to shop.

In fact I slowed at a little food stand and had a cup of some noodle thing in a styrofoam cup to eat out of as I continued my walk.

Which was when I was suddenly stopped as a Mox girl stomped out in front of me. The Kitsch clothing, well what there was of it anyways. In pastel. The tattoos despite her young age, all told me she was definitely Mox.

The glare was weird though.

"You're Nox's 'savior' right? Purple hair, a Leotard, and plenty of hardware. That fits you to a T." She said abruptly as she practically invaded my personal space.

I blinked looking around, noticing the girl had been at a table full of Mox, all of them looking curiously at what their friend was up to.

It took me a moment to parse out what she had said as she forced me to switch gears from relaxing to talking.

"Wha? Nox? Yeah I know him… I wouldn't really say savior though, it was just some bullying."

"Well, it was kinda fucked to ghost him like that. I know he is a bit of a pain in the ass, but you could at least tell him before you blocked him or something. He's been hyping you up to the Mox, vouching for you and shit. But then you just vanish on him?" She hissed a bit, eyes narrowed.

What?

"What?" I blinked a bit at her words trying to make heads or tails of the sudden hostility, before it came to me.

Ah, I was being stupid.

"That's right… It must've looked like I dropped off the edge of the world." I spoke the realization before chuckling a little. "Listen, it's not like that… Nox is… well I'm not sure I would call him a friend, but he was nice enough. But with everything going on, I've been out of touch."

"Yeah whatever. Not like I really care. I just agreed to stop you if I ever saw you."

"Right…" I muttered as I opened my phone system.

I hadn't really checked my stuff, but as I pulled up the system and actually looked at it, I noticed I had plenty of messages.

Missed calls, texts, even Voicemail alerts.

I winced a bit. My system had updated when I first ran out of the jammer to call Hiromi, but I had been hyperfocused on my gonk friend, that I had thought would be rushing around Night City looking for me. Then I had been too distracted with the desire to kill the Maelstrom fuckers.

I hadn't bothered to actually notice all the other messages.

I had a few from Ichi, mostly just a few alerts on how his work had been going the first few nights of the war, but that trailed off not long after.

I guess my lack of response had meant he stopped messaging me.

But I had a ton from Nox.

He was a texter.

I had a barrage of texts that trailed off when he must have realized I wasn't responding.

Most interestingly though was that the texts said he had a gig for me. I considered it. Would a gig from a kid that pushes BD's really be worth my time? Then I remembered two very important things.

First, I was still mostly unknown. Wakako might have some respect for my skills, and maybe the Tyger Claws might realize I was pretty useful, but that was about it.

Second? Side quests are fun! It's not always about the reward, or the money!

So I opened up a text message.

*Hey, sorry for being out of touch so long. I was under a jammer and recovering. What's this about a gig?*

I nodded once that was done. Realizing I had been standing there right in front of all the Mox. I Waved at them trying to ignore that they were all looking at me, as I started heading back towards the car remembering to finish off my noodle cup as I went. I hadn't even made it back to my Quadra when I got a response.

*Ringing*

Nox was calling me, I shrugged, it would be easier through a phone call anyways.

*Hey Nox.*

*Motoko! I'm glad you messaged me! How are you? Everything Preem? I've been trying to reach out, you said you were recovering? You alright?-*

*Yeah, I noticed sorry about not responding, I've been hanging out under a jammer.* I cut in, as Nox was also apparently a bit of a blabber mouth. *Just some Maelstrom issues. I just noticed your messages. You mentioned a gig?*

*Yes! I had this brain wave, a preem idea. The preemest! So listen, umm can you come by Lizzie's? It's way easier if I show you rather than try to explain it… I guess? Is that nova? Not too pushy?*

*Sure. I'm free, I can stop by.* I agreed, side quest, get!

Despite being midday, Lizzie's was already busy.

That's just Night City for you. As I pulled into a parking spot I could see Rita the bouncer throwing some drunk out of the club. The poor guy not able to fight back against the borg woman who happily tossed him on his ass onto the asphalt.

I walked up stepping over the groaning drunk as I headed up to the door only to be stopped by Rita as she sauntered into my path.

"Nox finally found ya huh?" She seemed to question her eyes locked on mine.

"Yeah, I had someone let me know he was trying to get in touch." I told her as I stopped, as the way she was looking told me she wasn't happy.

"We aren't the type to be pissed with avoiding someone you aren't interested in, but it's fucked not to at least let him down easy." She said with a little glare. Telling me in no uncertain terms that my disappearance wasn't taken well.

Jeez what is it with these Mox? "There was nothing like that. I was out of touch because of some Maelstrom trouble. I was under a jammer. I didn't even know he was trying to contact me."

She snorted a bit but stepped aside letting me in. Thankfully it seems she wasn't taking the matter into her own hands.

I decided to ignore every Mox's weird assumptions and just get back to business.

Side Quest!

I walked through the entrance without stopping at the desk. I wasn't here to buy BD's after all.

Honestly BD stuff kinda creeped me out. The fact that you could feel other peoples emotions during a BD, rather than your own? It was like…

Art that forces a perspective on you. Which was sorta weird. Imagine watching a TV show, but instead of enjoying it from your own perspective, you felt the emotions of the main character, watched from their eyes.

It was just weird.

One of the reasons I hadn't done any Brain Dance stuff since I woke up in Night City, normal TV and games was good enough for me.

No need to stick other people's emotions in my head.

The main room was actually surprisingly full. Again the fact it was mid day seemed to have no effect on Night City debauchery.

But I didn't see Nox.

So I did what any gun toting merc does when you enter a bar.

I walked up to the bartender and settled into a chair, waiting for him to finish an order before walking over.

"What can I get you?"

"Just information. I'm looking for Nox, he asked me to meet him."

"Ah. That's right, you're that one girl." The bartender gave a chuckle as his eyes went yellow. "I let him know, he'll be here in a minute."

I shrugged, I could have sent a text too.

"So Mox tends to be defensive about the kids… Might be a good idea to let the kid down flat if you aren't interested instead of ghosting him." The man offered as he wiped a glass clean.

"Wait." I couldn't help but ask as I brought up my hand to the guy to stop him from saying anything further. "Did Nox tell everyone that I ghosted him or something? You're the third Mox I've met today that mentioned that."

"Well less he told us, and more he has been mopin-"

"THANKS MATEO!" Nox yelled as the boy practically jumped the bar to try and shut the bartender up. "Hey Motoko! Glad you made it. C'mon I have something preem to show you." He said glaring at the bartender who was smiling behind the teenager's hand as waved his hands in a 'go on then' motion.

"Sure." I offered shrugging which grabbed Nox's attention.

"Whoa. That's fresh chrome. Double full arm replacement?" He asked, looking curiously at my arms.

"Yeah, the reason no messages went through. I got kidnapped by Maelstrom. Ended up needing some ripper work done after. Been under a jammer for the bit. Sorry about that." I explained. Hopefully the explanation would stop making every Mox I ran into tell me off for ignoring Nox.

Seriously Suzie didn't seem to be too happy with Nox, but considering everyone's reaction, he must be pretty loved by the Mox.

"Damn." He muttered looking shocked as he took in my arms.

But I wasn't about to get into it right now, especially with someone I wasn't super close to. "So the gig?"

"R-right. Yeah c'mon it's this way." He offered slowly seeming to come to some conclusion as he finally slipped off the bar and waved me to follow.

We went through the back down some halls until we came to a place I actually remembered.

Down a set of dark steps into a server room. The room that carried all the Mox's BD's probably, considering they literally ran a BD club it made sense they would need a ton of storage, and processing.

But this was the realm of a certain character.

"Judes!" Nox yelled out as he hurried forward rushing into the next room as I hesitated.

I don't know if I was ready to meet Judy!

I'd seen her naked!

Well I mean. It was a video game but still!

She was real here. How do you respond to someone that you've basically seen in a porn!?

I resisted slapping myself but only just, as I shook my head. "Focus Motoko." I demanded as I let cool slip over. Then I walked into the room where Nox was standing next to Judy Alvarez.

She was… Younger. It struck me then, that Judy was pretty young in 2077. Right now, she practically looked like a teenager, or only just out of it.

"Motoko! This is Judy, she is absolutely NOVA at anything tech, but she is the best BD Maestro in Night City. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Jude, this is Motoko, she backed me up before, didn't even try to cred me. She is running as an Edgerunner, and would be perfect for that idea I talked to you about."

"Yeah I remember Nox. Didn't she ghost you?" Judy asked as she pulled up a BD wreath set and set it on the desk she was sitting at.

"N-no! It wasn't like that. She got into some trouble that's all… Her arms weren't chrome before." He offered the end quietly, practically whispering it, but I picked it up without much trouble.

Judy's eyes shifted to me, to my arms back to him, and I could just make out through a side profile that Nox was looking… Worried?

"Right moving on from that." Judy grabbed her wreath and sort of pointed it at me. "You know anything about Virtue?"

I blinked at the random question, I opened my mouth to answer then closed it. The word was familiar, and it was on the tip of my tongue. But Judy didn't wait.

"Virtues are raw BD's unedited. The base recording. Then a BD editor like me goes through, fixes it up, gets rid of the dangerous highs, or the uncomfortable lows. Makes it usable for people."

"And Judy is the best!" Nox offered with a grin as he sat back on the desk. "But there are a lot of markets for BD's. Not just… Porn." He offered chuckling a little with a blush across his cheeks.

"Right. I get that… So what's the gig?"

"Nox's idea. Wants to move into Edgerunner BD's. They are extremely popular, although usually, they are snuff films." Judy offered looking at me.

Oh!

"Oooh. You want me to record BD's?"

"Exactly!" Nox offered rushing up to me practically bouncing on his feet. "You were nova when you fought Ian and his assholes. It gave me the idea see! What if we start putting out Preem BD's of Edgerunners on gigs. With the best BD editor in Night City cleaning them up, we can offer the experience to people that they can't get outside of XBD's."

"Not that we expect you to do something crazy right away." Judy interrupted, waving her hands a bit as she tried to calm Nox down. "We don't want you doing something crazy and flatlining, but whatever is normal is fine, the goal is to sort of…" Judy trailed off as she rolled her wrist as she searched for the right word.

"My goal is to build up a catalog, and brand. Right now there aren't really any BD's of Edgerunners working that isn't an XBD. The only BD's that come close are like Jimmy Kurosaki's Edgerunner, but those are all Cyberpsycho shit." Nox said, shaking his head as Judy nodded along.

I guess the Mox had an issue with that sort of BD?

"I mean sure, sending out an edgerunner to do gigs while we record is asking for some deaths. But I want to make a BD that a normal person can enjoy, a taste of, 'What it's like to be an edgerunner.' Nox said, speaking quickly and almost rambling, I could hear the excitement in his voice as he talked.

"So you want me?"

"Of course! You're preem! You fight really well, you're a good person, and…" Nox trailed off blushing a little as he tried to figure out what to say.

"You are good looking." Judy interrupted with a smirk causing Nox to jump and glare at her. "You'd be surprised how many people enjoy a BD from the perspective of someone good looking."

"That… and the pay probably won't be great at first?" Nox added, looking apologetic. "It's gonna cost to get everything started. Shards to store it on, Judy's services, which aren't free."

"Hey I know I'm good, and I already work all day doing this."

"I know I know!" Nox offered hands up. "Anyway, yeah… So the pay is gonna be shit?" He said questioningly looking towards me.

Ah I see.

The real reason behind choosing me.

"I'm a young Edgerunner, someone you know, and probably the only person that heard your deal and then heard the pay and didn't walk out." I said, smirking myself as Judy chuckled as she seemed to watch what was happening with no intention of getting involved.

Nox on the other hand was going red in the face from embarrassment.

"I…"

"Sure. Sounds fun." I interrupted as I looked around the place. "So this is your setup? Preem, Judy very preem. I don't even recognize all of this stuff."

"Most of it is tweaked under the box, only the cases are standard." She offered with a grin as I seemed to ignore Nox's confusion as he looked around like the world wasn't on its right axle.

"You will?"

"Sure. It's not like I don't already go out and take gigs. Making extra money on the side for some of them? Sounds like a good idea. Just as long as the eddies do end up in my pocket once everything has started."

"Deal! I promise you won't regret this!"

"Cool. So what do I need to record a BD, I don't have the Cyberware for that."

"Right… About that?" Nox asked, once more wincing.

"Kid's broke, and a good BD recorder is about 500 eddies." Judy interrupted with a flat response.

I gave Nox a scowl that he looked like he desperately wanted to do something to fix before I sighed.

"I'll go talk to my Ripper."

"You do that! Come around once you are chipped." Judy says waving from above her chair as the woman had put back on her BD wreath and was getting back to work.

"Thank you." Nox said as he sort of followed me as I decided to leave Judy to her work.

"Don't worry about it. Besides… It's smart." I turned on him suddenly poking my finger right into his face which had him freak as he backpedaled in retreat. "I respect the entrepreneurial spirit. Honestly it's a nova idea, something I can do, and it's extra eddies for something I'm already doing. But Nox. I like blunt honesty more than hype. Next time if you have an idea and there is a problem just talk to me."

Then as he stood that mouth opening and closing trying to find the words I held out my hand. "Partner?"

His mouth clicked shut and his spine straightened out.

"Partners!" We shook hands and I gave him a firm nod.

"Now I'm off to my ripper."

"Oh! Mind if I come?"

"Sure." I agreed. It would be nice to get to know Nox more anyways.

—--

"Your taste in music is kinda bad." Nox told me as I puffed up my cheeks a bit. He redened a bit too as his words finally seemed to reach his brain. Realizing he was being rude!

Just because I thought the Samurai songs were still cool. It wasn't my fault! He grew up in a world where they were old before he even was born! For me they were catchy new songs, and while Silverhand was a jackass, he was a talented jackass.

"I just like what I like!"

"Right." He muttered, trying to awkwardly end the conversation he was kinda fidgeting which I could see out of the corner of my eye thanks to my wide vision. I let it go Ididn't really feel like arguing my music preferences. Instead I found a parking spot in front of Misty's Esoterica.

"C'mon this is it." I told him as I slipped out of my car, watching as he looked around confused.

"I thought you said you were going to see a ripper?"

"I am." I replied smiling as I stepped into Misty's shop and called out. "Misty?"

"Oh is that Motoko?" Misty's voice called out from the back as her fluffy hair poked around the corner with the rest of her following as she stepped out I noticed the… Buddhist? Statue she was carrying?

I noticed she was struggling and instantly I was rushing up to her, easily grabbing the statue and lifting it out of her arms.

Misty really needed to work out more, even before I got my arms, I could have lifted the statue.

"Oh! Thank you Motoko. You're pretty strong huh?" She asked, looking surprised as I lifted it up and I just shrugged.

"Cyberarms, and healthy exercise." I gave her a response with a big smile. "Where does this go?"

"Oh here, thank you… Oh and you have a friend? Welcome to Misty's Esoterica!" She called out to Nox who was looking around with the same look Hiromi had on when I first brought her here. I was giggling as I placed the statue down in the place Misty wanted it.

"Is Vik in?"

"He is! Watching the game from what I heard when I walked past the stairs… Are you okay?" Misty asked suddenly as she seemed to appear in my personal space and place a hand on my shoulder. "You don't seem to be in any pain anymore, but…"

"I'm great Misty. Vik took perfect care of me, and I healed all up." I assured her with a smile, pulling up my leotard around my shoulder so she could see the connection of Chrome and flesh.

I let her poke her nose in for a moment before she nodded "I don't see any injury. You healed quick."

"Yeah well. If I'm honest I was having a rough time of it at first, but I stopped trying to think of my arms as the same as my flesh ones… I realized I was different now, but my ghost can't be hurt with a little metal." I told her, even if it still wasn't 100%. I still had flashes of discomfort, not pain, but shoving heavy metal arms into my shoulders left me with plenty of little issues.

But Adaptation had helped so much, I felt incredible. More… Normal.

Misty looked into my face for a moment before she nodded. "I'm glad. If you need some spiritual guidance… I would be honored if you let me help in any way I can. I'm not Vik. I can't fix your body, but there are plenty of options to help fix your spirit. Or your ghost? I'm not familiar with that belief." Misty said but it was definitely a question.

Shit did I say Ghost? Oh fuck, what do I do? I can't be honest then I would have to admit I'm a fucking nerd!

Like a super nerd!

"Ah-Eh, well, it's…" I stuttered along before Misty seemed to get my discomfort and just sort of chuckled at me… No with me. I broke into a laugh along with her. "I'll tell you about it sometime. It's kinda embarrassing."

"I look forward to it. Hearing about different beliefs is why I opened my shop." She said waving her arms a bit showing off the decor.

"So she isn't your Ripper?"

"No, Misty is just awesome." I told Nox as Misty laughed at my response before throwing me a wink.

"I sometimes work as Vik's nurse, but I'm not a ripper. C'mon I'll walk you down." Misty offered, threading her arm with mine. I happily joined her laughing as we walked out the back and down the steps.

"Vik? You have customers!" Misty called down which again made me think she was more than just a sometimes nurse.

More like a nurse, assistant, and secretary all in one. Well plus his Landlord, as if I remembered right, she was the owner of the little basement storage that Vik used.

Nox was frowning in the same way Hiromi did as he followed us down.

Vik, we need to talk about your aesthetics! I couldn't help but joke in my head as the gate was unlocked and Vik saw me.

"Motoko! Glad to see you up and about, how're the arms, any weakness, flashing pains? Come sit, I'll take a look." He offered instantly swiveling his chair to his ripper seat as he waved me forward.

Could I admit that I absolutely loved these two? Vik was total dad energy, and Misty was total big sister energy.

That's it. I'm adopting them both.

I barked out a laugh to my own thoughts confusing everyone, but I didn't care.

I happily walked over and plopped in the chair. "Vik, Nox, no Nox I refuse to introduce you using your tagline." I offered at the boys pout but to my distress he interrupted.

"Nox the Mox!" He threw a wink at Misty which…

He was cruising for a bruising flirting with Jackie's girl…. Well soon to be girl I am pretty sure they weren't dating yet, at least I hadn't seen him… That just meant I would have to protect her for him then! Jackie Misty OTP!

"Hmm. That's odd." Vik muttered beside me, and I realized he was checking my shoulder.

Fuck of course he would notice how fast I healed.

"Hey Misty, can you do me a favor? Take Nox upstairs for a few minutes?" I asked with an apologetic smile, and the boy despite being a teenager seemed to realize that I was asking her to get him out of here for a bit.

Misty nodded once sharply. "Course! C'mon Nox, have you ever had your fortune read?"

"Umm, no. But it could be fun?"

"That's the spirit!" Misty offered with a grin as they headed up.

Vik though hadn't been looking at the byplay, no he was already grabbing multiple other tools and taking a look at my shoulder very closely.

Finally he pulled his face from the little pad he had his nose buried in, as his other hand pushed a weird probe against my shoulder scanning it.

"Motoko. How are you completely healed? There isn't even any scar tissue left." He asked, his hand on the prob still.

I opened my mouth to answer then closed it.

I had kinda thought I would eventually be asked about all my weirdness, I just hadn't even thought about it this time. But of course Vik would notice, I could have come back in six months, and he likely still would have noticed something was weird.

"Fast Heal, or other drugs don't heal like this, completely. I would swear if asked that you were born with this chrome. Which is impossible."

I opened my mouth again, to say something, to come up with some answer that would make sense.

I just didn't have one. Instant healing… No instant perfect healing? There wasn't anything quite like it.

"I know it's weird, but I can't really explain it." I decided instead. I just… Didn't want to lie to him. Vik was a good person, had done me a serious favor when he fixed up my arms.

He sat back a bit looking me over as he ran his hand over his cheeks and chin, I noticed it was not the hand covered in Ripper gear.

"You in any danger kid?"

"No! I uh… I'm safe Vik. No one knows I can heal fast. I even kept it from Jun… I uh… When I woke up from a coma? A year long coma, I was able to walk again in like a week." I told him and I watched his eye brows come together in shock.

"Impossible."

"I heal fast… I can basically fully recover from just about anything with a full nights rest. Eight hours of sleep, and pop, I'm good to go."

"Fuck." He whispered, causing me to giggle as he realized what he had said. "Shit.. No wait. Sorry. Sorry Kid. Okay you can't tell me how?"

"I know how… But I really can't talk about it. I trust you Vik, don't think I don't, I mean, you're basically my full time doctor now. But I just can't really explain it."

"Healing at this level? Hell kid that would put me out of a job, in a good way. You can't tell me anything?"

"It's not transferable, and there isn't any way to copy it as far as I know." I offered, actually sad at the idea. I hadn't really considered how useful Gamer Healing could be, but Vik had instantly gone to other people, about how this could help them.

I really wasn't a hero I guess.

"Alright." He took a deep breath and shook it off. "If you want me to be your ripper, I'm gonna need to know what this is. Maybe an overnight after an injury so I can get some scans, or figure out what is happening, it makes me nervous to do anything if I don't know how the healing process will be."

"Okay." I told him which must have surprised him at my easy agreement. "I trust you." I answered by giving him a thumbs up. "So yeah… That's my big secret. I heal fast, that's one of the reasons why I'm not afraid to work as a merc."

"Well kid, for a secret, it's a hell of a big one… Alright. Alright. Enough of this, Your shoulder looks great. And you obviously came here for something?"

"BD recorder." I said laughing at Vik's surprised look before he flushed.

Literally the guy went fully red. "Kid… I get you might be getting a good deal with the Mox, but maybe… Is that kind of work really what you-"

"Vik. My friend, doctor, and someone I respect. Before you embarrass yourself anymore. The idea is to record while I'm on gigs for a sort of softcore XBD release. Killing and doing Merc work, not normal Mox stuff."

"Oh thank Christ." He exhaled practically whooping as the air rushed out of him, but that was completely muffled by my absolute giggle fit.

"Oh also… Can you check my arms? I got a bit dinged up by some Maelstrom the other night, and my right arm has this hitch when I try to-"

"Yeah kid, shush, I'll take care of it. Giving me a heart attack…" He grumbled but he was hiding a smirk.

I matched him. It was nice. To be able to just… Reveal the truth. "Thanks Vik." I whispered, feeling my eyes water a little as he took care of me. Total dad energy.

It was a very fast procedure for Vik to install a BD recorder. I already had my Kiroshi, so I really only needed the small nodule that was added to my Neural Link. You couldn't even notice as it was just a few moments work to pop open the back of my neck where my cable ports were, install the squarish box that was software and storage for the recordings, and then close me back up.

I think the arm was even faster, he popped me open, and just did some magic with a few tools, and the dent was fine.

I didn't even need anesthesia. It was more hardware installation, than surgery.

"Alright left and right? No twinge? No points where your neck feels like it grinds on anything? Good. All set then." Vik says as he takes his hands off the side of my neck where he was guiding my head.

"I checked out the BD recorder myself, so I trust there isn't anything hidden on it, which is a serious concern. I've seen far too many people come in, after being blackmailed when someone gave them a recorder with a backdoor. Just make sure you keep it turned off when you don't want it on."

"Got it. Thanks Vik. For everything."

"Don't look at me like that, with those puppy dog eyes. You're a good kid. Stay alive."

"I will. I can't die until I get older than you!" I tease as I hop off the chair, earning a deep chuckle from the man.

"Well at least I know it will be years down the line then. Go on, I bet Misty is torturing your Mox friend."

"Yeah, she is pretty preem like that." I said as I walked up the stairs, my waving hand the last thing Vik could see as I walked up and into Misty's.

"So what does that mean?" I heard as I turned the corner. Nox was sitting over an array of Tarot cards Misty had laid out.

"I told you, what it means changes depending on you. But the tarot can help guide your way, open a path. I hope it helps."

"I still have no idea what it means."

"It means you should listen to Misty." I offered surprising both of them, I guess I had been too quiet?

"Oh Motoko, everything okay?"

"Yep! Vik and I just needed a talk, I'm all set and chipped with a BD Recorder." I tell the two earning a jerk from Misty.

"BD recorder!?"

I had to bite back a giggle as Misty reacted just like Vik. "Don't worry, nothing weird. I'm working with Nox and the Mox, doing BD's of my merc work. Like Softcore XBD's." I explain earning a wrinkled nose at my words but eventually she nodded.

"You'll be safe?"

"Course! All it means is that I'll have a chance to make more eddies for each gig I do." I said as I jerked my head at Nox. "You ready to go? Judy needed to set up some stuff first right?"

"Yeah! Awesome! Jude's gonna be shocked you got chipped so fast… Thanks for uh, paying for it."

"Don't worry about it, Everything after this is the easy part for me, I'm just gonna do my normal jobs, you're the one who has to sell them." I say, laughing even though he was looking at me like I was crazy.

Why did everyone always look at me like that?

—--

"Back already?" Judy's voice called out as we walked down into her little lab.

"Yep! Jude, Motoko got chipped! You ready?"

"Sure sure." The girl said digging a shard out of her desk and pushing it into her computer before running a program. My eyes caught the shifting text as she typed, and I realized she was setting up a program for a BD recorder.

I walked up as she worked, and while I wasn't perfect I was able to follow along with the program. It made me relax a bit realizing it was mostly about how much data on what to store.

"You don't like the BD recorder's standard settings?"

"Nope, they are slop, We've been making so many BD's we've designed our own adjustments. You don't mind?" She asked not looking away from the computer as she worked.

"I'm not seeing anything that can activate the recorder when I don't want it on. Mostly just sensitivity settings for emotions, and increased bandwidth for my vision?"

"About right! Standard BD virtues aren't meant for high quality optics like those Kiroshi. They can let me increase the quality a good bit, will let me pick out more interesting things on the virtue as I edit it."

"Cool." I whispered, earning a snort from the older girl.

"You sound like my Grandmother." She said suddenly, actually looking at me with a half smile. "Nobody says cool anymore."

"I do."

"It's kinda… Lame."

"I'm bringing it back!" I argued instantly, how could anyone think 'cool' wasn't cool slang!? It was cool!

Judy actually broke into a husky laugh then both arms holding her stomach as she chortled almost crying as I pouted at her.

"Oh choom, that's funny!" She finally managed to stop laughing long enough to say as she went back to typing just with little giggles breaking in now and then. I pouted harder as I turned to Nox who was pointedly not looking at me.

Oh it's on. I'm now making it a duty to say Cool at least once on every one of these stupid BD recordings, just to prove it wasn't lame.

Take that!

"Here." Judy finally said throwing the shard at me, and I slotted it, I did run a double check that there was nothing malicious.

I was fairly certain Judy wouldn't pull a fast one, but it was just good ideas to check random software.

It looked fine to everything I could see, and I let it update my BD recorders settings.

"Preem. So next time I take a gig I'll turn on the recording and bring you the… Virtue?"

"You got it. Raw BD's are Virtues." Judy confirmed, before she suddenly shooed me away. "Now both of you get out of here, I still have a lot of work to do, Nox take your Output upstairs have some fun or something."

"Motoko isn't my Output! Judy!"

"Hahahaha!" She cackled ignoring Nox's frantic denials.

Aww she was teasing him. That's cute.

—---

"Umm here?" Nox offered me as he settled a drink onto the table in front of me. He had led me up and offered a seat then ran off to grab a drink.

Thankfully I had made sure to mention I don't drink alcohol. So I had a can of some lemony soda.

"Thanks." I agreed as I popped the tab. "It's pretty impressive, coming up with the idea of Edgerunner BD's."

"Oh well. I've always wanted to sell my own BD's, you know? I came up with the idea after selling an XBD to a guy, he ended up showing up the next day, he had puked his guts out, asked if there was anything actiony like that with just less…"

"Cyberpsycho?"

"Exactly. Edgerunners are super popular you know? Everyone can talk about Blackhand, or Rogue! But not many can actually experience that. So I thought about trying to find an Edgerunner, to talk about my idea with. I was trying to find someone just you know as a side thing when I ran into you."

"And you decided to ask me after seeing me have a fist fight with a couple kids? One I didn't win?"

"Please Ian's actually pretty nasty hand to hand, there is a reason I was on the ground, but I mean… You're my age, already a merc. You walk the walk, talk the talk. It made me realize I don't need to start at the top. Plus you're my age, do you have any idea how many kids our age want to be an Edgerunner? To experience life as a merc even second hand? From someone their own age? That'll be a rush."

"I can see it." I agreed taking a sip from my drink. "So I guess it's in my corner now. I'll need to find a gig, or just go out and find some trouble to record." My words made Nox wince a bit.

"Sorry. To put everything in your lap."

"It's fine. Like I said, this is a good idea. It could be fun, I've never been a movie star before… BD star? No, that kinda has certain connotations." I muttered causing Nox to snort into his drink.

"BD stars are a thing too. Of the non-porn style." He offered and I chuckled nodding, there was a big BD studio here in the city too. That's where they did that fucking crucifixion questline…

Right. Night City was fucked up.

"Alright. I suppose I should get to work then. I'll reach out to Wakako and see if she has anything… Or I could go hunt some Maelstrom." Nox winced at that and quickly put his drink down.

"Maybe something less… dangerous?"

"Eh. Maelstrom are pretty easy. Most of the time their guys are watching TV, or mid BD. It's super easy to kill someone when they are in the middle of a BD." I say making the motion of slicing their throat that at this point was practically rote to me.

"R-right. That easy?"

"Oh sure. They are so distracted they never notice. Scavs are that way too. Always a couple in the middle of some BD relaxing while the others work. The first time I went into a Scav nest I killed two of them that way." I offer making sure not to mention it wasn't just my first Scav nest, but my only one. Didn't want him to think I was some noob or something. Seriously, only one Scav Den? That was pretty noobish I think. Rookie numbers Motoko.

Nox just sort of nodded along with me as I explained how easy it was murder someone in the middle of a BD.

—--

Leaving Nox at Lizzie's after we hung out for a while, I decided I might as well see what was going on with Wakako. I hadn't heard from her since the whole kidnapping thing. Which surprised me, I expected her to reach out at some point for a job.

So I drove home.

Driving down the street next to the apartment I looked around as I slowly rolled down the road. It was quiet. The old man that usually ran the food cart next to the entrance of the apartment was gone.

The streets were… quiet. It made me sad. I actually kind of liked the density of Night City, to be able to just walk amongst a horde of people.

I kept going. I wasn't going to stop at the apartment. I was here to see Wakako. I drove down and parked on the street outside Jig-Jig street. As I walked through the darkened area I couldn't help but chuff out a laugh.

A gang war going on. The normally full streets practically empty and nearly barren.

Jig-Jig street? As busy as ever. Shaking my head I walked past the dolls that were still offering services, past the Johns that were flirting and paying for services. Pass the people that wandered to different stalls buying and selling.

I noticed plenty of guards hanging around. My Kiroshi punching through the dark corners between the shops seeing men in suits, or just gangsters hanging around keeping an eye out.

I guess Wakako was well protected.

I entered her Pachinko parlor, again wondering about her choice of venue.

"Get in here girl. Stop wasting my time." Wakako called out as I walked in, as usual not waiting for me to check if she was free.

The woman as usual was sitting back in her chair cigarette smoke haloing her as her TV ran some ancient broadcast of a show that was probably coming out when I would have been alive in my last life.

"Long time no see Wakako. How are you?" I said not sure what else to say.

She of course wasn't enthused about my greeting.

"Sit down girl. I'm not pleased with you. Joining the Kamikaze? Foolish, a waste of your ability. I pay more."

I opened my mouth closed it. Frowned, then rose a finger. "I didn't though?"

An elegant eyebrow rose up, and a moment later her eyes turned gold.

A text was sent with a picture.

Oh, it was a picture of me standing with Jun after the assault we did on the Maelstrom armory.

"I hold off on sending you any jobs after your unfortunate assault. Giving you time to recover and then you join up with those fools?"

"I didn't join them, not really, the one next to me is Jun my brother. He was being all overprotective after the kidnapping, so I went on that raid to prove I could handle myself… It didn't really work, but I ran out after and hit another Maelstrom group on my own, and Jun… You don't care."

"No."

"Right, I'm not a part of Kamikaze. Terrible name by the way."

She hummed a little as her sharp eyes kept locked on mine, but I wasn't about to flinch, I was telling her the truth.

Besides she was dangerous in a way, but I think she was actually pretty nice when you get past all the necessary harshness of living in Night City.

"Fine." Her eyes went gold again and I blinked as she sent me like three different messages. "I've been forced to hold onto these gigs for longer than I would have liked. Complete them."

I blinked looking at the three different gigs she had sent me reading through them quickly, all of them were pretty much the same.

Go to a place, steal something bring it to Wakako.

Easy really, but there was a complication.

"If that's all." She dismissed me, but I didn't get up.

"Question."

Her narrowed eyes prompted me to quickly get on with it. "I've picked up a side gig, I'm recording my gigs for BD release through the Mox… I just want to make sure none of them are sensitive, and a BD of me doing this won't cause trouble for the client… Or you."

My question actually surprised her. Her face didn't shift, her body didn't move, she gave nothing away. But the fact she didn't have an instant answer like always told me a lot. Finally she nodded.

"Foolish, but I don't argue with fools. A week. Don't release the recordings for a week. For these three gigs. You will ask before recording any gig I give you in the future."

"Will do!" I offered flashing a smile, and ignoring her remarks about me being a fool. It wasn't about being smart or stupid! It was about doing something cool!

I stood then wandering back out into Jig-Jig street.

I guess I had some jobs to do?

—--

The first job was childishly easy.

Megabuilding H1 looked just like all the Megabuildings, just more run down since it was the oldest.

I headed up to floor 15, found the correct apartment number, and unlocked the door with practically a glance.

The standard security system on the door, was as useless as a door with a key sticking out of it. I walked in, boots utterly silent as I walked past the guy in the middle of enjoying a BD on his couch, walked over to his computer, grabbed the shard that was sticking out of the side of it, confirmed it was the right one with the verification program Wakako had given me and walked back out.

Gig complete. Poor security made it childsplay.

I did record the whole thing but I doubt anyone would get any enjoyment out of it. It only lasted like thirty seconds.

Then I moved on.

Next job was in 6th St. Territory. A guy was hiding out there, in a gang house, paying 6th street to keep him safe.

I wasn't there to kill him though. Wakako's gig workup explained some bare bones. Guy had blackmail on his boss, Boss wanted the blackmail taken care of.

So my job was to find the information, ensure it was recovered.

Normally it would be deleted but Wakako wanted the data. Not my business.

I pulled over a block away. The gang house was in a suburban area of run down homes. I walked down the next street over. It wasn't hard to check a map and find the number of the house directly behind the gang house.

Once I found it I simply walked right through the small gated backyard.

It wasn't like people had dogs anymore.

I stilled at that, realizing that was true.

I really wanted to pet a puppy…

I shook it off. Work now, sad realization later.

I climbed the fence only after looking over it and making sure no one was hanging out in the back or had a camera setup.

Nothing, I climbed over the fence in seconds drawing on my inner Jackie Chan, smiling as I managed to climb the fence just like he would as I went completely cold and hurried to the house.

Mission recommended complete stealth. Apparently the boss wanted the guy trying to blackmail him to be alive to realize his plan fell through.

Honestly I didn't know who was the good guy here. Was the boss cruel? Evil? Was his worker trying to steal money that didn't belong to him?

I had no idea. Nor did I really care. I wasn't a hero.

I slipped in through the back door noticing the living room to my right was occupied, a TV going and a few people talking to each other making fun of the show. I walked past the open door without them noticing, heading for the upstairs.

I was half way up the stairs when I felt it. That shiver up my spine.

Danger sense.

I leapt off the stairs landing without even a scrape on the tiled floor as I slipped into a closet at the foot of the stairs.

The steps coming down the stairs I tracked with my ears as a new voice joined the two in the living room.

I slipped out. Continued on my path up the stairs. Two doors, I checked one, looking under the door jam, nothing I could see or hear, I stood and just barely opened the door.

Empty room.

I slipped inside. Looking to see if my target was inside. The bedroom was a wreck, I instantly realized it wasn't the right one. This room was well lived in. My target had only just started staying with them. I checked the hall and slipped out, moving to the next room, I slipped inside once I checked it. Empty. But this one had the marks of someone having moved stuff around just recently. The computer on the desk was new.

No dust.

No lucky shards sticking in this time, but that was fine, I pulled out the cord from my neck and plugged it in.

ICE.

I blinked as the system resisted, desperate to keep me out. It actually gave me some difficulty. The ICE on this laptop was a bit more powerful than the defenses of a Vending machine.

Hell it was tougher than the security system the Netrunner Maelstrom had!

I frowned as I found myself actually needing to fight against it. I could keep it from sending any sort of alert, as it was just a mindless system not backed up by a Netrunner defending it, but it was still…

Tough. Where the hell had this guy even found this level of ICE? I frowned realizing I might actually take some time to get through this. It seems the reason this guy managed to steal this info from his boss was probably because of his netrunning skill…

Hmmm.

I could steal the computer, but without breaching in, I had no way to know if there was a backup. So I looked away for a moment and prepared myself in case I needed to delta.

Window open, path free, and the computer unhooked from a power supply, and ready to be snatched and grabbed.

Then I refocused on the digital defenses and got to work.

Security code blasted through my vision as I breached and breached, each wall of ICE seemingly more dense than the last, over and over, I broke through.

I could see the alerts for both Breach and Intelligence flowing through, as I fought against the defense.

Damn, if I had known how much experience I could get from something like this, I would have bought a ICE program myself just to break it.

Still I kept focused even as minutes passed, as the noise from downstairs continued.

I just had to hope they were occupied.

Finally something changed.

*Breach Protocol skill level up!*

I felt the inrush of instincts and knowledge, and my work went even faster. Tricks the ICE threw up that stymied me, now only slowed me for a moment, as my mind worked through problem after problem.

*Intelligence Leveled up!*

The alert came in, Intelligence 5, and if I was doing anything else I wouldn't have noticed change.

But this time I did. Considering I was literally solving difficult equations, puzzles, and general issues the ICE was programmed to throw up.

But with Intelligence? Came clarity. Came simplicity.

The speed of me facing a new problem, and then putting forth the correct solution increased. Less wondering, less confusion, less brute force.

I blinked.

The computer was displaying its desktop. I was in.

Seconds later I had confirmation. The file I was looking for was there, and it hadn't been copied, at least according to the metadata.

Target acquired.

I closed the laptop down, and used my already prepared getaway. I was out the window, landing in the backyard, and across the short fenced off area in moments.

Then I was on the other street, and more than capable of just walking casually to my car.

The third job involved stealing something…

Wakako… is this going to be a theme? Problem was I had to steal something from someone rich. I parked down the street from my target at a little shopping area. Grabbed some dinner and looked at the skyscraper that my target lived in.

This corpo was rich, had security, and owned a weird statue that my client wanted. I read through the mission brief again, shaking my head that I was literally stealing some fancy art piece for another rich guy to crow about.

Problem? This was a secure building. Like Hiromi's home, but even more fancy. There would be serious security including actual people to keep everyone out.

So I needed to figure out a way through all of that, into the guys apartment, find the object, steal it, and escape without any issues.

I could do that… Probably?

I walked past the entrance of the building, scanning everything inside and checking what the bottom floor security was like.

It was tough. A receptionist. Two LMG turrets hidden in the roof. And a camera over the receptionist's head.

The building was pretty big though, it had tons of little shops on the bottom floor. Rather than rush in, I decided to actually look around, a walk around the block to scope out the area.

There was a little alleyway cut into the side of the building with loading docks, and garbage dumpsters.

But it had a security camera watching over it. Of course.

"This is gonna be annoying." I muttered as I completed my circuit. I had a few options, but none of them were very appetizing.

So I started poking. I walked to the alleyway and did something I hadn't used yet. I breached into the camera from afar using the Breach Quickhack instead of the direct function, then once its systems were under my control? I turned it off. With that done I hid between a few dumpsters to see what would happen. If the security system was in any way well designed someone would come out to check on the downed camera…

Right?

I breached their system, and I wasn't elegant about it, surely it would send an alert to their security room and someone would come take a look.

Right?

An hour later I felt utterly irritated.

What is this security!? Their system gets hacked and they just ignore it!?

I got up and stomped towards the rear door.

It had a keypad that I poked my cord into and started breaching.

It popped open.

"Mother fucker!" I hissed. This security was fake! It was radioshack level shit that someone had screwed in place to make the security seem tighter!

It was like those old padlocks you could just smack with a hammer and have them pop open. The image of security more than the fact.

I went cold as I stepped in. Fine, they have shit security, just makes my job easier… Even if I could still smell the trash I had been sitting next to for the last hour.

The back room was a loading area probably for the entire building, and not just the apartments.

It was also thankfully empty. With a few doors leading out, I started checking them.

Broom Closet, Kitchen, Main hallway, I could see the main street I had first walked up to the building from. And the elevators.

I smiled as I walked out of the back room, no one even looking my way and the only camera in the area in the front room not even looking at the elevators.

I pushed the request and it denied me.

Ah, stupid thing needed a passkey…

I thought about snooping around a bit, I bet I could find a few extra pass shards, in the lobby or something, but I just pulled out my cord and plugged it in.

The elevator opened up.

When I finished this job I was going to send a complaint about this building's security. This wasn't even fun.

I pushed the eight on the touchpad, and waited as it took me up. The target had a private floor for his home, so once I was up there, security might be harder. Might actually give me a challenge.

The elevator opened and I could already hear voices.

The elevator opened into a small entrance lobby, with a single door leading into the apartment. I peeked out of the elevator, searched for cameras quickly before walking out of the elevator.

Nothing.

The door had a little code lock just like the building's back door.

I frowned, sticking my cord inside I breached.

The door clicked open.

I was glad I was feeling cold right then, because that was so dumb. You live in Night city! Why don't you have security!?

I slipped inside. Two voices.

A male and a female. Head on a swivel I kept searching for any security, There was actually an HMG turret recessed into the floor in the first room…

But it was off, and manually controlled from what my scan was showing. So I didn't have to worry about it unless the owner noticed me.

I walked past it, started scanning everything looking for the object that Wakako's Client wanted.

Nothing in the front lobby, I slipped a peek towards the… Kitchenette? No a bar. The apartment owner had company… I think that was a Doll. Or a Joytoy. She reminded me of Evelyn Parker from the game. Similar style, very neokitsch.

Definitely an escort. I looked away, that should keep them busy for a bit. I slipped past the open door to the long hallway and started checking rooms. First room was a small office. A laptop called me, but it wasn't what I was here for. Next room was an entertainment room, a big couch, a large TV, even a BD wreath on a table.

Guy liked his fun.

But not my target. Stupid little statue thing!

I had to slowly maneuver myself upstairs thankfully just out of sight from the bar, and started checking the rooms up there. Interestingly, the first room I checked was a massive bathroom, like huge. A pool more than a bathtub.

Instant jealousy. I wanted a massive hot tub bathtub! I pouted, I didn't even have time to look around it, no statue, so I slipped out to the next room.

As I was about to open the door I heard them.

"C'mon Hellena, let me show you something." I stilled waiting. Were they coming up or staying on the ground floor?

The moment I heard a foot step on the stairs I got my answer. I slipped into the room I was about to enter and slowly inched the door shut then I turned around.

"Fuck."

Bedroom.

I glanced around, I needed a hiding spot. Bed? No it was a massive thing that was attached to the floor. Doors? Two, one definitely attached to the bathroom.

I checked the other one, slipping into the closet. It was a walk-in closet, practically a room on its own. Tons of clothes on hangers and shoes. It smelled like a store.

I just inched the door shut when the bedroom door opened.

Giggling and whispered nothings.

Oh.

Eww.

I sighed silently as I heard the bed start creaking.

This was going to be a while.

It was not a while.

Ten minutes later, both of them were breathless although I could tell the Joytoy was faking it, and they both got up and slipped into the bathroom.

Thank fuck the guy didn't have a Mr. Studd.

Once I was sure they were both in the bathroom and its stupid massive pool bathtub, I slipped out of the closet.

The statue wasn't here.

I slipped out into the hallway without a sound and looked around. Now that they were in one room, I could check around.

It didn't take long. The statue was on a little cabinet in the room with the bar. I hadn't been able to see it from the entrance.

I checked it for security.

Nothing. I grabbed the damn thing and headed for the elevator, wanting to stomp the whole time.

I was glad that was over.

—--

I pulled up to Jig-Jig street having cooled off a bit.

Seriously, how can they allow such poor security!?

I walked into Wakako's parlor arms full of stuff as I walked into her office.

As usual she was already waiting for me, her eyebrow raised as she saw my arms full.

"Here is everything." I told her placing the statue in front of her, along with the laptop, and a shard in a row. "Also you would think better security systems would be important in Night City, but people really don't focus on it." I vented to Wakako.

"Netrunners are required to stop another netrunner. Usual policy is to hire guards if you want something protected." She offered, surprising me as she actually responded to my whining.

I blinked at Wakakos response.

"Makes sense I guess."

"Good work." She finally offered, examining all three items on her desk. "Your death would have been a pointless waste. Don't allow yourself to be taken by surprise again. It's irritating to find someone capable of doing a job without bullets involved."

"Thanks?"

She nodded, eyes suddenly glowing gold as a huge amount of eddies was dropped into my account.

"Pay for the gigs, and the bonus for all three. Get out of here, I'll let you know when I have another gig ready for you." She said waving me off, but again I didn't run away instantly.

"Thanks Wakako. I'll make sure to be safe." I tell her with a smile earning a scoff as she waves me off.

Wakako didn't want to admit it, but she had actually seemed worried about me. Old Dragon Lady she might be, but she wasn't terrible.

Probably.

—--

I flopped onto the couch at the Dojo apartments tired.

"What have you been up to all day?" Jun asked quietly as he turned down the volume of the TV he was watching. The news oddly enough.

"Well I went out to get some design software… I want to make some robot stuff. It's a long term project. I picked that up, then I ran into the Mox, which… Did I tell you about Nox?"

"Nox… Is that a gang?"

"No Not the-... Nox is a Mox. Total nerd. I met him rescuing him from some jerks trying to sell the BD's he was trying to sell." I tell him as I lay on my back on the couch my arms waving above me as I speak. "Anyway I hadn't talked to him since before the kidnapping, and I ran into a Mox girl that was annoyed that I had ghosted her friend… So I called him up, met up with him, and he offered me a gig."

"A kid selling BD's offering you a job? What does he want you to sell BD's too? Absolutely not."

I opened my mouth.

I closed my mouth.

I knew exactly what it would sound like if I said what I was about to say. Twice already I had gotten to surprise people with it.

I should rephrase it.

I should be clear when I speak.

But where is the fun in that? Third times the charm!

"He wanted me to make BD's for the Mox and I agreed." I felt my lips twitching. Despite myself not even Cold Blood 7 could stop me from almost laughing at the look on Jun's face.

First it was a nod, like hearing me doing something other than merc work was good. Then his nodding head stilled as my words registered.

"NO!" He shouted raising up and reaching out to grab at me, I let him his hands wrapping around my shoulders. "ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

I couldn't help it.

The look on his face!

I burst out into laughter, the noise absolutely ripping itself out of me. As Jun pinned me to the couch.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I laughed practically crying as I felt Jun's hands loosen up realizing I was messing with him.

"Don't joke about that stuff!"

"Sorry sorry!" I gasped deep breaths finally seeing Jun's angry face through my tears as I wiped them away. "It's kinda true though. Just said in the worst way possible. I'm going to be recording BD's while I am doing mercenary gigs. Basically when I work with Wakako, who is a slave driver by the way, she threw THREE gigs in my face today! I had to do all three of them back to back I'm-"

"What do you mean, recording BD's!? Focus on the important part, Imouto." He demanded shaking me a little making me giggle.

"Alright, sorry, anyway, The idea is to sell BD's of me doing merc stuff, like XBD's but cleaner. No Cyberpsycho stuff that everyone buys, but just clean gigs giving people a taste of what it's like. I mean, I'm a teenager so the hope is that kids will be interested in it."

"That's…" He stopped whatever he was about to say. "Just be careful about that. If someone finds out you were the one to rob them, or kill their buddy, they might…"

"Yeah. I've been thinking about that. I'm gonna talk to Judy. Judy is the Mox's BD Maestro. About making sure any direct visuals of me are left out. Let people just feel what it's like. I wonder… Can you mess with a BD so any reflections would look like the user's face?"

Jun gave me a look before flicking my forehead. "Do I look like I know anything about BD editing? But you should ask, if that's possible, it'll keep you a lot safer." He said and pulled me up from where I was laying on the couch to pull me into a hug. I snuggled in a little, liking the affection even if his arms still sucked.

"You really need to get some Real Skinn… Go see Vik." I grumbled at him poking him in his stupid plastic abs which of course didn't do much.

His arm clamping down on me until I could barely breathe in retaliation.

"J-erk." I gasped out.

"Ah, if only my Imouto was cute."

"B-ich, 'm Dorable!" I countered barely audible as I struggled to get away from his stupid gorilla arm.

Stupid gorilla!

Finally he let me go and I kicked him a few times before we settled back in to hang out and watch the news.

—---

Considering I was all 'caught up' on Wakako's jobs, I had some time on my hands.

I found myself tapping my fingers together considering.

Revenge.

It feels good. Satisfying. To do harm to someone that harmed you. But it's not an easy thing to do. I still wanted that Spider Ripper to die. That Maelstrom Bastard needed to lose a few of his limbs.

But how much effort was I going to give to them? How much of myself was I going to give over to the task of hunting them?

If I had asked myself before the adaptation, I wouldn't have even listened, just made plans to keep killing them. I was so angry. So hurt.

The Adaptation didn't fix me. Didn't fix the problem. I still had that burning hatred in my stomach.

Yet…

I breathed in and out.

I wanted to live. I wanted to have fun! I wanted to be lazy sometimes!

Revenge was surprisingly tedious. You had to keep that burning hatred lit at all times, because if you started letting it burn out, you started realizing it was kinda pointless to be that obsessed.

So yes. I would hunt that Spider Ripper. And the Bastard. I would murder them. Hell I would torture them, if I had the time. Because in the end I'm not a hero. Not a good person.

But I wouldn't exist to do it. I wouldn't spend my life around killing them. They had already taken my arms.

They wouldn't take my life.

With that I nodded. It was enough. Something I could accept. That caused that urge to go kill Maelstrom to ease off. To let other things take the stage.

So since I didn't feel like murder right now, I decided to settle in and work on some skills.

With my CAD program, and a laptop that I removed any remote access from by physically tearing out the 'wi-fi' connections. I had an off the grid system, that I could pull up Arasaka's CAD system.

Then I learned that just because I have some knowledge about engineering, doesn't mean I'm any good at it.

Robotics wizard helped a little despite being more about putting together robots. But even then.

"That's not gonna work." I grumbled at myself, looking at the Tachikoma Prototype design.

"If I actually built this, I would have to immediately put it out of its misery." I told myself as I grimaced at just how bad it was.

Designing a robot was… Complicated.

At least I was getting Engineering Alerts really consistently from it.

So I went back to the drawing board.

"Let's just work on a limb to start us off." I muttered as I designed to narrow my focus for a bit. The triple fingered Tachikoma limb, that could shoot, and extend out was impossible considering I wasn't building a SUV sized armored support system.

Instead I was thinking… A bit smaller to start out. I still remember how useful the Flathead was in the game, even if you only get it for the one mission, what would some of the missions be like if you had a small army of them that were also AI?

AI.

I hadn't considered that problem yet. I could probably design a remote control version of them… Eventually.

But an AI? I didn't have a lot of knowledge on how to even design one, but I knew the hardware requirements of an AI were crazy high. I mean Delamain's AI was housed in a massive room sized core.

A robot that didn't even reach my knees couldn't possibly reach that point. Even if I programmed the AI to be incredibly efficient.

"Motoko." Jun suddenly called out pulling my head away from the screen as I peek up over the couch where I had made a little nest for myself.

"Jun-Nii?"

"There is another raid tonight… You… You can come." He told me hesitating a bit at the reveal.

I blinked.

I didn't want to go murder Strom right now! I wanted to design robots! Stupid Jun!

But at the same time. I could use the XP, and… My head was clearer. I didn't need to rush in and kill every Strom myself. Even if it's only a kill or two, that's still making an improvement. Levels will come.

Then I remembered!

"Sure! I'll bring my Nekomata!" I called out suddenly eagerly! I could shoot tons of people through walls while the Kamikaze ran around like bulls in a china shop!

Jun actually suddenly looked pleased. "Good! Get ready!" He ordered pointing firmly as he turned away looking pleased.

I guess Jun was happy to keep me away from the fight. But he was silly. I would have happily stayed home tonight.

I really should have stayed home tonight.

We had gone out to hit a Maelstrom attack. Apparently, someone had managed to get information that the Strom were going to hit a Tyger Claw business, specifically a little gun shop that supplied quite a few Tyger Claws with firearms.

So Kamikaze were sent to take out the attack. What that entailed was everyone piling into four cars in a nearby alley and being as quiet as possible as we waited.

Which meant putting a group of budding Cyberpsychoes into close proximity to each other with the anxiety of future conflict.

I was with Jun and Akari again and just with that, I was ready to kill someone. Akari was getting snippy. Jun was surprisingly handling his anger really well.

Honestly he was handling Akari poking him with her sharp feet, or continuously trying to turn on the radio over and over despite all of us supposed to be quiet really well.

I however was not.

Akari kept pushing her passenger seat back into me, and whenever I moved behind Jun she would start trying to poke ME with her feet blades.

I was half a minute away from bashing my Nekomata in the back of her head to get some peace, when both Jun and Akari stilled.

I glanced around the seat, both of their eyes were yellow.

I rolled my eyes at not being included and just leaned back Jun would tell me what the call was about.

"Alright, the Maelstrom trucks are a minute out. Get ready." Jun said and I nodded.

Then I instantly opened the door to Jun's shock.

"Motoko?" He whispered at me as I climbed out.

"I'll be on the roof. I'll wait for you guys to start attacking before firing." I tell them, pointing to the old buildings we were parked between, I could get up onto the roof and have an overwatch position. If you were willing to do a couple of tricky leaps.

I stuck the Nekomata over my shoulder and rushed away before Jun could say anything else.

I was honestly needing my own space. Akari was fun in short doses.

Short doses.

I tightened my gloves as I started climbing up the building. Sliding from a dumpster to an AC unit, then along the window ledge to jump to the next floor, where I grabbed an overhand and climbed up with a bit of effort.

Parkour made it a simple process of just pulling myself up after a jump each jump and leap climbing me higher and higher in the shortest time.

Then I was on the roof, and I hurried to overlook the Tyger Claw shop. Crouching up to the edge, I pulled off my Nekomata and started checking it over. Gun Nut already told me it was fine, but knowing, and 'Knowing', are two different things. Loaded, with the safety off, I rose up, having already chosen the best place to keep myself completely out of view. A shade from a sign put me entirely into shadow, and the brick I was pushed up against was colorful from Graffiti, so I would be invisible without a lot of attention.

I eased my eye over the scope. I could hear them.

The Maelstrom trucks were old beaters, hyper tuned monsters, or just loud. Loud and driven angrily.

They came around the corner in a mess, two of them even scraping against each other as they took the turn too sharply but neither driver seemed to care. The cavalcade roared down the street stopping around the shop, the Maelstrom actually managing an okay semi circle around it, to isolate it.

I waited. Kiroshi already scanning the gangsters. My NCPD File Search letting my scan not just tell me what the Strom were using for weapons, and some of their Cyberware, but also their rap sheet.

The more I scanned the more I smiled.

Cleaning up scum was a duty to all lovers of Peace and Justice after all. I scanned them as I waited, nothing really surprising popping out.

Murder, kidnapping and illegal squatting.

But I waited.

The Maelstrom borgs were hollering as if they already won, as they stepped out, a few guns firing into the air, or into the front of the shop seemingly just for fun.

I waited.

And then finally as the door opened, it happened.

The first Borg to try and enter got ripped apart as an HMG began firing from within the building. Instantly the Maelstrom jumped for cover and started firing back into the store. The forceful response more than the borgs expected.

Which is when I saw them.

Kamikaze, rushing in head first from behind. I sighed as I kept both eyes open, one through the scope, and one without as I watched, waited.

The first Maelstrom to notice the enemies at his back and turn around, was my target. His shotgun was raised.

I exhaled, a stream of what felt like freezing air escaping my lips. It was so easy.

My scope was already adjusted for range.

My arms held perfectly still. I couldn't design a better weapons platform than my own body at that moment. I pulled the trigger.

The borg lost his head, his Shotgun falling out of his hands as his body followed. Bleeding out across the pavement.

I specifically ignored the alerts coming through. Making sure they wouldn't be caught on the BD I was scrolling.

I shifted, my firing had unfortunately caused a few of the Maelstrom gonks to turn around hearing the rifle, but Kamikaze were on them now. Jun just behind Fujimura. Katana blazing red as he leapt over the back of one of the pickups, cutting down the Maelstrom gonk that was standing up on the bed, and then putting himself into the group.

But I was overwatch and I saw everything.

The Kamikaze gonkhead that hadn't properly checked his ass and didn't notice the driver of one of the trucks step out and start aiming at his back. The Kamikaze was punching a borg into scrap despite the body being quite dead. Hazards of Cyberpsychos I supposed.

Then I fired.

The driver slammed face first into his truck's rear door, as my round burst through his chest, he slipped to the pavement without resistance.

I shifted again.

It was funny. I rarely tended to use rifles, but with all of my skills and perks. They did synergize well. I fired again.

The gonk that Fujimura was wrestling with, had been just as big as the angry Kamikaze leader. They had tangled on the floor each trying to rip the other apart with their cyberware and strength.

I had a clear shot and took it. The Maelstroms spider like head came apart in two splattering Fujimura in white borg blood.

I moved on, uncaring that I could see Fujimura's angry glare looking towards me.

But instead of firing I dropped. A barrage of bullets slamming into my previous position, I rolled along completely unbothered by the stone shrapnel as I kept the Nekomata closed.

Chrome arms made rolling on the ground surprisingly painless.

The burst of automatic fire was pulled away, but that was all I needed. As soon as it stopped I sprung up. Jogging sideways along the edge of the rooftop, stealth no longer needed, lining up the shot, the gonk that had just shot at me, while still distracted as he was being shot at, noticed and started aiming towards me.

Too slow.

I fired.

The fucker ducked away just in time his own response wildly missing even when mine punched a quarter sized hole into the side of the truck he was now taking cover behind.

I didn't wait. My hands already dancing, as I grabbed another magazine from a hip pouch, dropping the empty magazine, and slamming the new one home. I was already aiming in once I stabilized from the reload I fired. Punching through the truck, and the moron that thought a few bits of car siding would stop a tech Sniper Rifle.

I didn't stop moving, instead focusing on my next target, but it was already over.

Kamikaze were tearing the last few Maelstrom members into pieces.

A quick look over the battlefield to make sure no one was playing dead, and I nodded.

Mission complete.

I threw the Nekomata over my shoulder taking a moment to scope out my path and leapt off the side of the building, landing on a sign, I slipped off that to another lower sign, and then onto a ledge of the building, then simply stepped off and landed on the concrete.

I exhaled.

That felt good.

I took a moment to glance at the alerts after I shut off the BD scrolling. Looking through the list of alerts, very pleased with what I saw.

*500 XP Gained.*

*100 Assault XP Gained.*

*100 Assault XP Gained.*

*500 XP Gained.*

*100 Assault XP Gained.*

*Assault skill level up!*

*1 Perk Point Gained.*

*1000 XP Gained.*

*100 Assault XP Gained.*

*500 XP Gained.*

A new perk! Yay! I would have to check on that later, for now I focused on the scene around me.

I jogged up, noticing the Kamikaze were twitchy, all of them looking for more bloodshed. I ignored their glares and wandered up to Jun.

"You okay Jun-nii? Get hit at all?" I asked already reaching for my medical pouch, but he waved me off.

"Nothing my Subdermal didn't catch." He mentioned, as I looked towards his plastic abs, a ragged scrape cut through the flesh, but I could see it was only skin deep. The bullet ricocheted.

Ow. That still looked painful.

"You sure? I got a MaxDoc, got some painkillers." I mumbled pulling out some stuff I had picked up at the random pharmacy I had stopped at before all of this.

"I don't feel it. I have a Pain Editor." He told me with a shrug, and I had nothing on that, just nodding. Even if my fingers twitched to tie a bandage around it.

I looked around at the carnage then. The twenty or so Maelstrom borgs were torn to pieces. Blood dripped and ran down the road. A few of the Kamikaze were injured, only one seriously, a shotgun had clipped one of the female members. She was down an arm, but otherwise fine.

A visit to a ripper and she would be right as rain.

Funny how combat was in the future. Vicious bloody affairs.

A few vans roaring down the roads had me twitching but the Kamikaze around us waved them forward and they stopped.

Instantly Tyger Claw grunts jumped out of the back of the familiar moving vans.

It was like the ones Ichi had borrowed for the Scav raid.

No. I blinked, feeling the cool dryness of my Kiroshi. Not like the Vans.

The same van, because there in the driver seat, which I could only make out due to my Kiroshi was Ichi.

"Jun. I'm gonna go see how Ichi is doing, you alright?"

"Huh? Oh your choom. Go on, I'm fine. Stop hovering." He ordered waving me off, but it was in a joking manner that made me smile as I threw him a thumbs up and ran up to the van.

Happily jumping up onto the door and sticking my crossed arms onto the rim so I could stick my head in.

"Long time no see!" I cried out instantly causing Ichi to yelp like a girl and scrambled around as he tried and failed to fumble a gun out of his holster.

"Motoko?"

"You should either practice that draw a bit more, or store a gun somewhere you can grab easily." I informed him with a grin. As the boy sighed out all of his air and seemed to check his heart.

"Please don't do that! These jobs are tense."

"Why? All the Maelstrom gonks are dead."
"Yeah maybe. They aren't always, and reinforcements are a thing."

"Well then you should definitely work on that draw. How you been Ichi? I haven't heard from you since… Well."

"Since the war heated up yeah… Motoko. Is that chrome?" He asked, blinking in shock as he took in my arms resting on the door.

"Yeah. I got klepped by the Maelstrom, they were trying to draw out Jun. Apparently he killed enough of the Strom to make a mark."

"Klepped… Again!?" He asked, looking horrified.

"Yeah. Right outside the apartment. Shot me up, and cut off my hands." I waved my hands a bit wiggling the fingers. "It really sucked, they took me to this pit fight thing. It's… Well I don't really want to talk about it. Eventually Jun got enough people together to come get me. I was alive… Mostly. I'm fixed up… Mostly." I admitted actually feeling my voice go a little heavy at the end there.

He looked me over for a moment, nodding, "You're strong. You'll be okay. But if you need anything, we are still chooms."

I smiled at that. What else could I do? I didn't really have many chooms. "Thanks Ichi. Where is Malcolm anyways? I thought he was your co-pilot while you worked?"

"Malcolm bailed… We got shot up a few nights into everything, neither of us got hit, but one of the guys in the back got torn up. Malcolm tried to stabilize the guy but it didn't work out. He took it hard. He's been staying home ever since."

I frowned a bit. I wasn't really close to Malcolm, but he was part of our little kiddy gang. "I should call him, or visit maybe?"

Ichi looked surprised at my question. "You would do that?"

"Of course! We… I mean, I'm not really close to you or him, or Omaeda, but you guys are still my chooms… I mean, You've known me since before the coma right? And we were a little pack of troublemakers. I got to look out for you guys, or at least… At least offer an ear." Honestly something I probably should have been doing before… I had been a little self focused, ignoring making friends or my old chooms.

Ichi was quiet for a moment before he smiled. "Malcolm would like that. Really."

"How about you then? The Tyger Claw loot recovery job doing well?" I asked, putting on a teasing smile as he chuffed a bit.

"Honestly? You paid better."

I cackled at that, both of us breaking into laughter.

"Well maybe I should hire you full time. I hit this Maelstrom place the other night, and with everything including Jun showing up tracking me down I had to leave sooo much loot. I was so sad." I told him as I plopped my chin down on the door. "Leaving loot behind is wrong!"

"Well obviously you need to hire a professional loot recovery agent… Unfortunately I'm all booked." He said giving the length just long enough to get my hopes up.

"Mean!"

"So you and the Kamikaze? You know those guys are.."

"Cyberpsychos? No, I totally missed that, and thought they were all perfectly reasonable people." I said tonelessly, managing to draw a snort from him.

"Well, be careful. They are useful, and effective, but all the guys that work with them tell horror stories. Sometimes they go off on the retrieval guys."

"I can see it. " I nod thinking on the few times that they seemed to start losing it. "But I just gotta keep an eye on Jun. He… Well he wasn't in a good place."

"Well you gotta stick with your brother… I never would have thought they would let you in though. You have to be seriously chromed up for them to even consider."

"I'm not… Joined, I mean. I'm more like a… ghost. That follows Jun around. That's all."

"Pfft. Yeah more like an Onryo." He joked and it took me a moment to remember what that meant.

"Hey! I don't crawl out of TVs! And my hair is nice!"

He just shook his head at me smiling which earned him a light tap on the shoulder, that he winced and rubbed. It was only a baby tap… With my chrome knuckles.

"Ow… I'm sorry. I didn't hear about the kidnapping thing. I just thought you were busy doing crazy shit again. I should have reached out." He mumbled after a while of silence between us.

"I was under a jammer for a long while… But I should have reached out and checked on you too. I visited Hiromi, but I didn't even call… Sorry. Not much of a choom I guess."

"Eh. You're better than you used to be. Scarier, funnily enough, even if old you was more interested in being intimidating, but you manage it better."

Interesting! "Really? How would you describe old me?" I asked, I hadn't really gotten much from anyone about how I used to be. Who I used to be.

He hesitated for a bit but shrugged. "Listen I liked you, we were chooms and we got into trouble together, but you were kinda a bitch. You got us into so much trouble that we could have avoided by just not starting shit."

"Wow. Hiromi never mentioned that!"

"She wouldn't… Hiromi has always been i- Ah never mind. Look, your brother is trying to get your attention." He instantly switched topics pointing.

As interested as I was in what he had been about to say I turned and saw Jun waving for me.

"Well he is my current ride, so I better delta. Keep in touch Ichi. We are still chooms!"

"Same to you Motoko."

I nodded as I jumped off and hurried after Jun.

—--

"Girl! You are coming too." Fujimura demanded as we all piled out of the cars. I had been heading back towards the apartment to put up my equipment, and probably clean my Nekomata, but Fujimura had suddenly called out, specifically at me.

"After action report?"

"Yeah. Guess Fujimura-Sama wants you there. You must have done well." Jun offered with a smile as Akari suddenly poked her head in between us.

"Or terrible! Maybe he'll cut you up for messing up so bad?"

"I don't think I messed up?" I told her as we walked but she was quick to run in front of me and walk backwards which seemed to take some effort with her feet blades.

"Ooh but you ran off! Fujimura-Sama haaates when people do something he didn't tell them to. Motoko is in troooouble." She mocked as we reached the window that let us into the Dojo area.

"Shut up Akari." Jun grumbled at her, but then we were there, in the downstairs area of the dojo. With the couches and little plastic chairs arrayed around Fujimura that stood.

"Another injury, pathetic." He growled out as he looked over the people. "Injuries are expected, serious injuries are not. If you are incapable of not losing a limb, then get better chrome, or die so someone more skilled can use yours." He demanded pulling no punches.

Also wow. What an asshole thing to say.

"Girl!" He said suddenly pulled me away from my thoughts. I was standing behind Jun who was sitting on one of the plastic chairs in the circle.

"Yes?"

"You nearly shot me tonight." He said bluntly and I couldn't help but wonder what the hell he was talking about.

"No I didn't."

"Your bullet passed less then a foot from my head."

"Yeah? It didn't come anywhere close to you. I mean, I'm not a crack shot or anything, but at that range? I could probably get the round to kiss you if I wanted." I replied getting a little grumbly. This guy was such an asshole, and I was kind of sick of it.

He looked me over before nodding. "Kamikaze don't have a marksman. That skillset doesn't tend to come hand in hand with our purpose. Kusanagi! Your sister is acceptably useful. You didn't waste our time having us save her." He offered and then just…

Turned away and started squeezing everyone through the wringer on their fuckups. Jun and I both weren't exempt. Apparently I fired too slow…

Well yeah. I only had Assault 5! I wasn't going to shoot any faster. I might friendly fire!

Well… I could still level it up some more. It was fun.

By the time I settled onto the couch that night, blanket pulled up to my chin and ready for a sleep to get the muscle pain in my back to go away. I had a thought.

"Wait… Does he think I'm a member now!? But I'm not a Cyberpsycho!"

The next morning I decided I needed some friend time. So I went over to see Hiromi.

While I made it up to their floor, it took almost ten minutes after I hit the button for the doorbell before someone came to the door.

"Oh hello Hiromi's mom." I greeted her with a smile as she opened the door. A scowl set on her face.

"Hiromi is in class right now." She said as if that explained everything.
"Wait. I thought they closed the academy while everything was going on?"

"They have. Hiromi is taking her class right now." Hiromi's mom explained getting annoyed and I realized what she was actually saying, Hiromi would be in the middle of her Group BD class… Thing.

"Oh gotcha… Umm do you know how long that is gonna take? Should I wait in my car, or go grab some lunch before coming back or something?"

The woman sighed before stepping aside to my surprise. "You can wait in her room, just don't disturb her while she is in class. Hiromi will be happy to see you." The woman offered, sounding kind of stilted as I slowly walked in. Hiromi's mother took a few steps before slowing. "Hiromi hasn't handled the security measures we implemented well… Your last visit was… Well taken." The woman offered a little awkwardly before she seemed to breathe in and out, and then that solid stone face was back. "Remember, don't disrupt her class."

"I won't." I agreed, a little surprised. I guess Hiromi's parents did care… They were just corpo. Which had its own issues.

I walked into Hiromi's room, and there she was resting on a big comfy looking chair, a BD wreath on her head actively in the middle of her session.

Cool.

I decided not to bother her, instead settling on another chair in front of her computer.

I waited for a while before I realized this was going to be boring. So I looked at the computer she was hooked up to.

Obviously her class wasn't a normal BD, in the show it allowed multiple people to all take part in a class environment. So it would need a lot of processing power. The fact they could even do this remotely was… Impressive. But considering how many Arasaka executives went to the school, of course they would choose the option to keep their kids from being murdered or kidnapped.

Still.. It was right there… I popped the cord out of my neck and pushed it into the computer's access port.

Oh! That was some strong security! I guess Arasaka execs wouldn't buy their daughter cheap stuff… I could do this without sending any alerts up, since it wasn't like I was actually looking to break through. So I started poking the security, touching the ICE.

It was tough shit!

How fun! Without any need to worry about time or anything it was like opening a puzzle game while I waited.

*100 Intelligence XP Gained*

I smiled happily as the alerts for upgrades came in.

*100 Breach Protocol XP Gained.*

Both skills were being tested with this security. But long before I would have broken through especially with how slow I was taking it, Hiromi moved.

I looked over as she sat up groaning a bit as she stretched her arms as she was taking off her wreath. I held up my hand.

"Hey Hiromi!"

"EEEeee!" She squealed, arms jerking and sending her wreath up into the air. I pushed on the floor letting the chair I was on roll a bit as I held out a hand and snatched the wreath out of the air.

"Safe!"

"MOTOKO!?"

"Hiromi!" I greeted with a smile that had her blinking a bit as she looked around like she wasn't sure what was going on.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to come visit! Your Mom let me in as long as I didn't bother you while you were in your class. Have fun?"

"A-ah. No. It's boring… But I'm glad you're here." She said instead with a smile that I returned.

"Anyway! Let me unplug out of this." I told her my neck cord was stretched to its limits in order to save Hiromi's Wreath from the floor.

"Wait. Why are you plugged into my system?"

"Mostly because I was bored! But you have really good security! I was practicing breaking through the ICE, it's really good shit by the way." I told her as I rolled back to the system and unplugged.

"Wait. You were trying to break through my ICE!? Motoko! That! I have private stuff on that system!" She said face going a little red.

"Oh I wasn't gonna look at anything Hiromi I promise. I've just been working on my Netrunning stuff recently, and I was curious what the ICE would be like. It was really advanced Arasaka stuff. It was cool… I didn't mean to make a pun there." I admitted, Hiromi rolling her eyes at me, but at least she wasn't mad anymore.

"Nobody says Cool anymore Motoko. Were you watching old shows or something?"

"H-Hey Cool is cool! You can't just replace Cool!"

"Preem so much better." She said, but she was purposefully teasing me I could tell.

"Anyway! Want to play some games? Or watch some TV? I'm taking a cool down day after last night."

"What happened last night?"

"Well Jun invited me to another Kamikaze raid-"

"Whaaa! How was it? Was it amazing?" Hiromi asked looking so much like a kid wanting a fun story.

I laughed, I couldn't help it. "So I recently klepped this absolutely Preeeeem. Nekomata. Its previous owner came down with a case of ripped out throat, so I took her, and she is a dream. He might have been Maelstrom, but he did take care of his girl."

"A Sniper Rifle? Do you even know how to shoot one?"
"Course I do! My arms make it super stable too! Anyway, So I-"

—--

"Jeez you're out there doing so much stuff… I'm not even able to leave the house." She sighed during the story Hiromi had cuddled up and was now looking up at me from my lap. "I… I'm sorry. You always tried to drag me into stuff, but I'm just a coward."

"You're not a coward Hiromi. If I had any sense I wouldn't be running around with all the crazy shit going on."

"But you are… You aren't afraid."

"I'm afraid sometimes! Just not like in the moment." I told her being honest. "Besides fear is good. Fear is that little voice in your head telling you that you are being stupid. It just means you are smarter than me. Cause I don't listen." I told her, making fun of myself a bit to earn a chuckle from her.

"It still sounds so preem. So cool. You gonk." She added poking me making me laugh as she used my slang.

I couldn't help it! Even if everyone looked at me weird when I shouted cool.

"Well… Do you want to see?"

"Hmm?"

"I forgot to tell you, I made friends with some Mox a while back, saved him from getting jumped, but he offered me a job idea, and I thought it was a good idea. So I went to Viks and got a BD Recorder implant."

"Motoko!" Hiromi jerked out of my lap. "You can't! The Mox BD's are-!"

I couldn't help but laugh at Hiromi's reaction, it was just like Jun's!

"No no Sorry sorry. Nox wants me to make BD recordings of my gigs!" I told her as I put my finger to her lips to keep her from exploding. "So I recorded the last couple of times I've been out. Including last night's raid… So do you want to see? I was planning on dropping a visit to the Mox's BD editor today to drop off the recordings.. I don't know how long it will take to edit them b-"

"Of course! I want them!" She assured me, Hiromi was sitting up now staring me in the face. "But Motoko. You should be more careful. The Mox aren't as nice as they like to make everyone think. How much are they even paying you for the Recordings?"

"Not much at first."

"Ugh. Motoko! BD recordings are hot items! If you have an awesome recording you could sell it for a ton!"

"Hey! I'm not a complete gonk. Nox the guy that came up with the idea is our age, so I'm giving him a break to get started, but if it works out, you're right a lot of eddies will start flowing… Besides if he ever does fuck me over. I can always just hunt him down and kill him. I kinda do that for a living." I remind her with a shit eating grin.

Hiromi looked at me for a minute before chuckling shaking her head. "You are such a gonk."

—--

Hiromi and I hung out for a while after that until her next class was starting. I promised to see her again soon and headed out. This time I went to Lizzies.

The streets were more populated than usual, I noticed as I drove down the street. Every time I stopped at a red light, people were crossing the street. It felt more normal. Like the city was returning to what it had been before. Yet the NCPD were still missing. The effects of that meant I could visibly see crime as I drove down the streets.

Theft was everywhere.

Damaged buildings that had been looted, or in some cases tried to be looted only to end with dead thieves.

Night City took self defense seriously after all.

Pulling into Lizzies I wasn't surprised to see the parking lot was packed. People were obviously still coming here, to a relatively safe place to get some distance from reality.

But I found a spot and walked through the few little groups of people hanging out, outside the bar.

Rita as usual was out front, her baseball bat at her side as she watched me walk up.

"Kid."

"Hey Rita. Is Judy in?" I asked as I walked up to her. Honestly if I could not have to walk through the bar that would be best.

Rita's eyes narrowed a bit at my question. Holding out her hand. "Why do you want to see Judy?"

"I'm dropping off some BD recordings to her. Part of Nox and I's thing." I told her honestly, this reaction was weird, and now I was a little curious about Rita's weird reaction.

"Stay here." She demanded nodding at another Mox who took her spot in front of the door to act as bouncer as she walked in.

Weird.

"Any idea what's going on?" I ask the Mox who just kept staring at me without a word. "Good talk." I snarked but decided to just back up a bit and wait. Finally Rita came back out and nodded for me to follow her.

Stepping away from the car I had been leaning against I followed with a quick jog to catch up.

"What's going on? I've met Judy before, never had this much concern."

Rita was silent as she walked me through the floor of Lizzies, and then into the back halls, leading me towards Judy's underground lair.

"We had some Tyger Claws sniffing around for her. They always try to recruit good editors. They were a little aggressive about it the other night, so I've been ready to bust some kneecaps." Rita finally said as we started down the stairs.

"Ah gotcha. That explains a lot."

"Especially since you're TC." She said with a firm look.

"I'm really not… My brother is though." I admitted as we wandered down but Rita didn't respond any further just keeping an eye on me as she led me to Judy who was already free of her Wreath and waiting.

"Motoko."

"Hey Judy. I got some recordings." I greeted with a smile. "Rita said you had some trouble the other night? You okay?" I asked and she just kind waved her hand back and forth.

"I'm fine. Nothing Rita can't handle, just some pushy bastards wanting access to my skills. Come sit here, I'll pull the recordings." She said as she pointed me at a chair and wandered over to her computer. Pulling a cord out with a connection port she rolled over to me as I settled into the chair.

"Alright go ahead and connect to this, and start the upload." She says and I nod, pulling the cord out of my neck and slotting it into the port. Instantly the connection locked and I started transferring the files.

I had been recording at the start of all the gigs Wakako had given me, and the raid last night. So hopefully four missions would be enough, even if the Wakako gigs were pretty slow. I mean, I hadn't even killed anyone!

"And four files? Four?" Judy asked, as she typed away at her system.

"Yeah! Three of them were acquisition gigs I got from Wakako. But don't worry I asked her about recording them before I did. As long as a week passes before we release them we are all good. And the last one was… Well I was working with my brother Jun and the Tyger Claws. Maelstrom trap." I offered, not wanting to side swipe her with the information I worked with the Tyger Claws.

"You're TC?" Judy asked sort of tonelessly not looking at me.

"No. No, no I'm not!" I told her firmly. "My Brother is a member though. Well technically I'm a legacy. Both of my parents were in the Claws. But I didn't join, I'm just a merc. I just back up my brother on Maelstrom raids." I waved my hands a bit. "Mostly for payback for what they did to me." I said kind of showing off my arms a bit. The chrome glinting in the dark studios light.

Judy didn't respond but Rita kinda stepped closer and sat on the edge of the big chair Judy had sat me on.

"I've been forcibly chipped before… If you ever want to talk about it." She offered suddenly and I blinked because Rita had never shown much interest in me before then. "Just don't give me any reason to bust your skull in." She offered and her words actually pulled Judy away from the computer to look in shock that I felt a bit as well.

Because Rita had just tried to be nice.

"I don't plan too. I don't have anything against the Mox." I told her and she nodded a bit before rising up.

"Well Judy, you going to check the BD's?"

"Yeah, I have some time, and Nox has bribed me to at least get the first few done first."

"Bribe? Did that kid seriously sneak you some of that disgusting pure caffeine shit we banned?"

"Maybe!" Judy offered smiling, before she sort of glanced towards me. I was making her uncomfortable. She had a certain look on her face.

"Was it bad… The Tyger Claws that tried to recruit you?" I asked, I knew that look. It was fear. Judy had been freaked out.

I had never heard of Tyger Claws bothering Judy in the game, but… I guess it sorta makes sense. Tyger Claws were constantly trying to reclaim Mox business. In the game they owned Clouds, and if Judys crazy plan actually worked and you put Clouds under Mox control…

Well Tyger Claws didn't react with grace. They sent a kill team.

"It's nothing. Just they broke into my place. I'm sleeping here for a bit until a better security system is hooked up." She explained and I frowned.

"Hey Judy. I know you don't know me or anything, but we are… chooms? I guess? If the Claws ever snatched you. I promise. I'll come find you, and kill any of them that get in my way. Okay Choom?"

My serious, honest, drama filled moment was broken by Rita snorting through her pretty plastic chrome nose.

"Sure kid. The Mox will have already hunted any fuckers down that dared, but I'm sure you'll show up." Rita offered joking, but it seemed to be the right thing to say because Rita was more relaxed than she had been before, and Judy wasn't so tense either.

"So how long will it take to edit the BD? I uh… Have a choom that was interested in seeing them too."

"Come back… around tomorrow? Yeah Tomorrow. These aren't super long. But go on, both of you, I'll need to focus on this." Judy demanded waving us away which Rita was already standing to leave.

"Cool oh wait one more thing. When someone is in the BD, can they like… Not see my face? Or at least have trouble figuring out who I am? I just don't want anyone to be sure who it is that is stealing from them, or killing them, or killing their friends, or-"

"Whoa whoa. Chill Choom. Your face would already be blocked by those Kiroshi of yours, but I'll be adding a body filter in. Whoever is in the BD will feel like it's them doing everything. It works way better on action BDs. Let everyone feel the motion and action through their own body, creates a deeper connection."

Preem! You are amazing Judy. Thank you! I guess I'll see you tomorrow then!" I chirped happily following the borg out of the room and up the stairs, but then she stopped me.

"Hey. I was serious before. I know what it's like… If you ever want to talk to someone that went through it." Rita said and it took me a moment to realize what she meant.

I couldn't help but break out into a gentle smile. "Thanks Rita. I'm okay, well okay-ish. I'll be okay." I ramble at her earning a smile on the chromed up woman's face.

"Well the offer is open. It's why we started the Mox in the first place. To help people."

"Preem." But I wasn't really in need of someone to talk to. I was actually feeling loads better after the adaptation upgrade had opened up the floodgates.

Wait! I still had a perk!

I forgot!

I was smiling brightly as I followed Rita out and towards my car, I was gonna go home and pick a preem perk! Upgrades! Yay!

Judy Alvarez

Judy was glad that was over. Such an awkward conversation, and even worse she had been totally treating the kid like some TC hit squad.

Stupid Jude. Real stupid.

She was a good kid, even helped out Nox. Nox who was very annoying, but still had that bratty charm that made everyone like him…

Mostly. If they didn't want to punch him.

But he was annoying, and that meant most people outside the Mox did fall more on the punching side of the spectrum. He tended to get beat up a little too often.

Still it was over, and she had four virtues to edit through and turn them into nice shiny Mox approved XBD's. It was a bit… Well Judy didn't think it was likely to work. What kind of gigs could a kid get up to that anyone would want to watch?

Judy was well aware of what normal XBD viewers were like. What they wanted.

Sick fucks.

But maybe this softcore XBD would be a hit among kids. Give them a look into the experience of working as a Merc, from a kids perspective.

She picked up the most recent one first. Motoko had said this was from last night. Tyger Claws assaulting Maelstrom.

"I'm not afraid of the Tyger Claws." She said, strengthening herself as she slipped on her wreath, hands on the edit controls.

Time to work.

First she started the BD, and instantly she was there. She could hear and feel and taste. Nothing too strong yet thankfully. Some BD's liked to start already mid… Act. Judy hated feeling it. Sex wasn't exactly something she wanted to feel from certain perspectives.

Which was why she always started a BD with the senses layer turned down. Get a feel for the BD first before she edits it all down to make it smooth to experience.

"Alright, the Maelstrom trucks are a minute out. Get ready."

Judy shivered as the irritation she was feeling instantly vanished in a rush of excitement. The BDs emotion layer hyping up her own.

The conversation continued but Judy only kept half an ear on it. Then Motoko started moving. Judy focused the feel of the girl moving an important element to the BD. Especially with all the edits she would make to replace the visual layer with the watcher.

Most users of the BD would focus on visual, humans were like that, but one of the big things that would throw someone out of a BD was odd feelings. So balancing it right was super important. Usually you had to throttle it way down. If you were scrolling someone fat, and you weren't?

That sense of disconnect would be pretty intense.

Although some people scrolled BD's like that on purpose. Everything was someone's fetish.

But this? Just through the motion, Judy could feel live muscle, shifting balance. Motoko wasn't just some kid with a gun, she definitely worked out. It was pretty intense. Judy wasn't exactly the type to hit the gym.

She left it playing without delving heavily into editing, just to see, when suddenly Motoko went from a walk to motion in an instant, a blitz up the side of a building that by the time Judy realized what was happening she had to pause the recording, take off the wreath and actually step away.

Judy didn't really like heights, and the feeling of free climbing up a building made her stomach flip.

But it was so sure. No hesitation, no slipping, or stumbling just up the building like climbing a ladder.

No faster than a ladder.

Grabbing her secret stash of Mega Joult. Thank you Nox for slipping that in. She recaffeinated and felt ready to continue.

Slipping back into the BD she let it play. She was on the top of the building. The cold air was crisp, but Motoko's breath was completely even, like she hadn't just climbed a building. Hell her heart rate had barely gone up.

Judy made a note, she would need to adjust that feeling, actually maybe increase it, let people feel their heart beating without any disruption, let them feel how calm Motoko was?

Judy would have to test it both ways, but for now she let it continue.

A rifle pulled off her shoulder Judy felt her hands roam over it quickly. A single practiced action, and it was practiced, Judy knew the difference. It felt good. That would be nice. Motoko certainly had some gun experience.

Then… Then Motoko stalked. Judy suddenly realized the audio file was practically dead. Not a sound as Motoko stalked up to the edge.

She played through it a few times there. Just to see what she could catch, and she realized despite walking in boots, there was barely a sound coming from her steps.

Damn. She must have a really good Lynx Paw. Judy went ahead and brought some focus in the BD towards the lack of sound with each step. Letting people feel that surety of stepping without a sound.

Motoko kneeled, settled into the shadows and then brought up her… Nekomata? Yeah Judy was pretty sure that was the right name. Eyes slipped over the scope, and Judy nodded to herself, everything was so clear. Kiroshi made this so much easier. The visual file was actually higher density than a normal BD. Kiroshi were expensive after all.

Then Judy could hear it. A rumble of a truck that Motoko instantly picked up, her attention focused on the sound making it come in so clear. Judy wouldn't need to play with it much.

Motoko took it all in without shifting an inch, she remained perfectly still. The cavalcade of Maelstrom. She was already picking out faces thanks to her scope and Kiroshi. And Judy made sure to focus on some of them, bring them into focus on the BD.

XBDs were all about murder after all. Even if Judy found it disgusting it was what people wanted.

She watched as the Maelstrom parked around, and noticed the information Motoko gathered about their NCPD record! Nice. Judy made sure to bring each one into sight, it would let the user get a look at the people that were about to die.

Then Judy felt it.

Motoko was smiling. BD's recorded emotions. And since Judy hadn't finished cleaning up the BD, she could feel exactly what Motoko was feeling. Exhilaration. A macabre happiness about the targets she was going to kill.

Motoko had been happy that she was going to kill these Maelstrom especially.

She continued letting that excitement flow through her. She would maybe have to heighten the excitement emotional layer a bit, it was pretty low. Building the tension a bit more could be good.

The Maelstrom stepped out, firing around, opening the shop only to be blown apart with a riot of noise.

Judy flinched, but Motoko didn't. Perfectly calm at the sight and sudden assault. Not a twitch, not a bump in her heart rate.

Just control, and a focused excitement.

It was enough to make the differences all the more apparent. In a normal BD she would have smoothed it, maybe lowered the users surprise, or increase Motoko's. Just to make sure it felt like a smooth transition.

But there was something about the complete calm that was… Noticeable. And Judy decided she was going to have to play with that. Maybe leave it as is.

Motoko's attention shifted. Tyger Claws. Racing out towards the Maelstrom from behind.

Yet even as she registered that her scope was focused on the Maelstrom ready to shift.

Then it happened, a Maelstrom started to turn around, they had noticed the Tyger Claws.

Judy felt herself freeze. Outside the BD. Her throat opened in a silent gasp as everything changed.

The emotion file practically spazzed out.

Judy's heart was racing outside of the BD.

Because in an instant she felt it. The supreme control over herself.

No, the control Motoko had over herself. Emotions distractions, all of it disappeared. There was only…

Purpose.

The rest of the BD went by in a blur of controlled focus. Every part of her body moved in tandem, every breath, every thought, all working towards the purpose of killing whoever Motoko needed dead.

By the time the BD ended Judy had stopped paying any attention to editing. Had stopped even remembering who she was.

Because for a while she wasn't Judy experiencing a BD, she was Motoko. Every instinct, every movement felt so sure. So right. Perfect.

Judy pulled off the wreath and nearly chucked it away before controlling herself.

She couldn't control herself like Motoko. Already the feeling of her own heartbeat speeding was so… Strange. Especially after feeling so in control. But Judy couldn't. Her heart raced, her body twitched. It was wrong. All of these things could be controlled. She just… Had to learn how.

Judy had no idea.

"I need a break." She said instantly standing up on wonky legs her stride was wrong. She could feel it, even if she wasn't sure what she was doing wrong, but there was an awareness there, that she was moving wrong. Too slow, too heavy, too loud.

"Fuck me." She whispered as she hit the bathroom and washed her face. That had been… Intense.

Judy felt her eyes go gold as she decided to make a call. "Rita. I need you down here if you got a minute… I want you to see this."

—--

Finally!

No more distractions!

I settled down into the apartment with an armful of components I had needed, and set to work.

I had CAD. I had some knowledge, a full toolkit, and some peace and quiet.

Time to get to work!

The idea I had come up with while I was killing Maelstrom had been percolating in my head.

I needed a way to listen into conversations. If I was sneaking around, then being able to gather intel was a must. Luckily this was the future. Parabolic Microphones were outdated tech.

Long range microphones were easy enough to tech together.

Even I could do it!

I had the basic know-how in my head thanks to Engineering. The skill had flooded me with solutions and knowledge on not just how to tinker with something, but to have a needed idea and then what it would take to create it.

It was dense stuff. Technical Ability was knowledge about what exists… Sorta. Crafting, was being able to physically put something together. Engineering was knowing how to design something from the ground up. And a bit of fixing problems while crafting… But then again Crafting had solutions to engineering as well.

Or maybe I was wrong about all three! It was all so dense, and mixed together, it was difficult for my own head to split them into their own categories.

It all fit together. All three parts were sort of needed to create a whole. But the knowledge dumps were insane. Comprehensive education was rare in Night City, Especially outside of Corpo kids. Rarer still was an education that someone could take and then immediately be able to use.

Even with my low stat and skill points. I was probably more flexible than most Techies, a wider base, if not as deep. Yet.

So I started designing. I needed it to be small but functional. High range, good fidelity. With the ability to narrow down sounds.

Can't have loud music stopping me from being able to listen in. Although that would be a later problem. Programming the damn thing came later. First was the engineering half. Design and create.

The microphone was fiddly, but other than a bit of sloppiness thanks to my manual dexterity still not being 100% perfect at times with the chrome. My transferred skills helped me get it working.

Then I set up a small transceiver, and went to work on the ear piece. Which I actually scratch built. Since anything I made would be cheaper than one from a store.

With that done I set the two pieces of tech to the same channel, and activated it.

Nothing.

"Fuck."

—--

It took me four hours to figure out what went wrong.

The answer? Nothing. I was just a moron.

I was under a jammer! Of course my wireless connection didn't work!

Realizing that wireless access like that was just asking to become useless under a jamming system, I tore it apart, and decided to go a little analog. With my 3D printer I created some wires that would connect the two parts, even created a small wire storage that would wind up the wire when I was done.

All done the entire piece of tech was small enough to hold in my hand, and be stored in one of my pouches. But with that, I was able to pull it out, stick the ear piece in my ear, and stretch out the wire along my arm. The mic easily attached to my fingers, and was small enough it wouldn't get in the way if I needed to fight with it on.

I turned on the TV to a very low level and walked across the room, to the point I could barely hear it then I pointed the mic.

The voice of the news reporter came in clearly in my ear, only a static pop from time to time showing it wasn't a direct audio, but a long range mic picking up a TV audio.

Done.

"I did it." I couldn't help but breathe out as I looked at my long distance microphone. I could listen into conversations now! But the alerts that I had ignored were my first stop.

*Engineering skill level up!*

Engineering 3, it had leveled up while I was working in CAD designing my new toy. Apparently my system liked it when I designed the ear piece from scratch as well. But there was more. So much more!

*Technical Attribute Leveled up!*

Technical Attribute was now level 4! And it had even leveled up mid build because I had a bunch of alerts for Crafting, ending with a level up!

*Crafting skill level up!*

Crafting 4.

My entire Tech tree had leveled up in one afternoon! Which just goes to show how little I had actually built… I would really need to fix that. Tech was too useful a thing, plus it was fun…

But Leveling up Engineering had reminded me!I still had an Engineering perk! Hell I had two perks! The Assault perk was still sitting there too!

I stretched and fell back onto the couch, instantly wincing and sitting up to move a piece of the wireless system that I had apparently dropped on the couch back to a table and then laid back down.

This was the life.

I had two perks to choose, Engineering and an Assault Perk. I opened up the Perk list to take a look.

Engineering first, since I had forgotten about it for so long. Since I didn't really intend on going mad bomber, I ignored most of the grenade focused perks. I was looking for tech stuff.

And I found it. Like Crafting there were tons of perks here, but I ended up choosing the one I wanted the most.

Design Wizard: Your designs will always be beyond the average, you work faster, and more efficiently while designing.

I nodded as I selected it. Feeling the rush of the perk coming into play.

And instantly wished I had picked this before spending all afternoon working on my Directional Microphone. That would have made things a lot easier…

I shook it off. No point pouting at what I could do better. I would constantly be improving just take it as it is. I shook it all away and focused back on the menu.

It had been a while since I saw the assault perks. I ran through them again, my eye catching on Bullet Counting, but I didn't really need that. My Kiroshi, and a Smart link would take care of that… When I got a Smart Link anyways.

But it was pointless. I didn't need it. Not for a Perk point.

Instead I looked for other Synergy Perks. Perks that would upgrade not just assault weapons, but potentially all of them. I had already taken Gun Nut, which was incredibly useful in order to keep myself from looking like an idiot by trying to shoot a gun that was still on safe.

Most of the perks were Assault skill focused. Accuracy with Rifles, SMG's or Sniper Rifles.

Things that were useful, but that would come with just increased stats anyways…

But I was tempted to do the Sniper Rifle one.

'Crack Shot: While wielding a Sniper Rifle, If you are in range you can work out a path for your bullet to reach its target.'

That sounded mildly terrifying.

But it wasn't exactly what I was going for…

Yet.

No, instead I continued digging, Until I found it. The exact perk I wanted. Because it didn't just deal with a specific series of guns. The name of it had made me pass over it at first.

'Rifle Ace. Long rifles of all types are deadly in your experienced hands. Ready your long gun to fire in a blink.'

It was literally Quickdraw for long guns! I was kicking my feet into the air and laughing as I selected it. Instantly I felt the information flow. That surety of motion and knowledge that I KNEW the best way to do something.

It was amazing. I loved new perks and skill upgrades, that confusion, or amateur attempts at something simply washing away under absolute surety.

The natural anxiety that everyone feels. That 'am I doing it right?' feeling was gone.

I sighed in happiness, deciding to take a break from any grinding for the night. I put on some wacky future cartoons, and curled up on the couch.

The next morning I headed out to go see Judy. I did at least wait until afternoon, as I was pretty sure Judy wasn't a morning person. She just gave me that vibe.

Pulling up into Lizzies I was greeted at the door by a different bouncer than usual. Rita wasn't there. But I was waved through and I headed into the back and down the stairs.

I slipped into Judy's studio, only to find Judy mid BD.

I shrugged and grabbed a chair and settled in waiting for her to finish her editing. Or whatever she was doing. Unfortunately this was boring, and it wasn't like I could go and hack into her system. Judy wasn't Hiromi.

So I just waited. Minutes passed as I watched Judy sort of mumble to herself as she rested on the chair.

Finally she shifted, slipping the wreath up away from her eyes and letting her stretch a bit.

"Hey Judy."

"EEEEEee!" She shrieked as I accidentally startled her.

I should probably stop doing that.

"Sorry Judy, you okay?" I asked after a moment as Judy was gasping for air and holding her heart.

"Don't do that!" She hissed at me, hand clutched to her heart.

"Sorry! I just didn't want to disturb you while you were working."

She muttered a few expletives in spanish under her breath as she slowly rose up and took a few steps around as if gathering herself again.

"You are way too quiet. Those Lynx Paws of yours must be high end." She finally said and I tilted my head.

"I don't have a pair of Lynx Paws. I thought about getting them, they would definitely help me be sneaky, but I haven't picked them up yet."

"What? That's not right, you're already super quiet. What do you have that lets you do that?"

"Practice mostly." I answered semi-truthfully, I even pulled up my boots and undid one to show my normal fleshy foot. "See."

"Shit!" she blinked before shaking herself a bit. "What crazy corpo black ops training did you crawl out of? Half the stuff on the BD, I have no idea how you even do it. Really Motoko… It was eye opening. Where did you learn to move like that?"

I decided a lie was perfect here. Let people draw their own conclusions. "Well my Mom used to be a Netrunner, and my dad was a Solo. They worked together." I decided to offer with a shrug, as if that explained everything.

Nailed it.

"Right… Crazy. Anyway. You here for the BDs?"

"Yeah! Did you finish them?"

"I did… I spent all night editing them. The side jobs were smooth, I actually thought they were pretty interesting. The Maelstrom one? It was preem work. Terrifying but preem. Took forever to edit the virtu, but it was good… You, uh… Do that a lot? Killing people?" She asked nonchalantly as she was busying herself with her system, leaning back and pushing some keys on a keyboard.

I hummed a bit. "Sometimes. Depends on the gig and the people. I've killed a lot of Maelstrom recently, but that's more for personal reasons." I replied, wiggling my hand a little to show what I meant.

"Right. Right. Preem." She muttered, obviously uncomfortable with the thought.

"Not really your thing huh?" I couldn't help but ask.
"I don't like XBDs. There's a reason I do BD work for the Mox, and not anyone else." She mentions pushing a final key and looking over to me, her expression was still uncomfortable, but I could see her try to get over it.

I winced a bit. "Sorry. Should Nox and I find a different editor?"

"No, no nothing like that. It just makes me uncomfortable, but it ain't the first time I scrolled some fucked up shit. This was less fucked up than most to be fair. Really it was the surprise at how it felt more than anything. You're more deadly than you let on. You know?" She said quietly, looking me over as if… Well I guess she was comparing the me that was sitting in a chair in front of her, to the one she had seen in the BD.

I could only shrug and smile at that. "I try."

"Yeah." Judy said awkwardly before pulling herself together, she reached over and hit a button on a machine connected to her system, a short buzzing noise echoed out, and I blinked when I recognized it. A BD file producer.

As I watched a few BDs started clunking out, each of them wrapped in that stupid condom wrapper.

Four in total.

"Well here you go. The first of your BDs." She said, swiping them up and offering them to me. I quickly grabbed each of them, gently looking them over. I couldn't help but snort as the wrapper had Mox colors, and well… The packaging wasn't really matching. But I knew how to be polite, and it was a Nox problem.

"Thanks Judy."

"Hey don't mention it. Nox is the one who bribed me to do this, so it's not like you owe me anything."

"Still thanks. I can't wait to show these to my Choom Hiromi. I hope it cheers her up a bit."

"XBDs would cheer her up?" Judy asked, sounding a little skeptical.

"Not that! Not exactly, but like. Seeing what I do because she's been a little trapped and… it's a long story."

"Right, not my bizz. I-"

"JUDY! I'm here!" Nox suddenly called out as he ran down the steps, his hair a bit in disarray.

"Did you just get out of bed?" I couldn't help but ask as I noticed the way his hair was everywhere and he looked half asleep.

"Yes! Hey Motoko, I was up all night waiting… but I'm here! Judy, you finished the BDs?"

"Yep, a while ago, they weren't super long, not like a long session… Anyways. You need to make them though. You aren't burning through my printer."

"Aww. C'mon Jude, You know Suzie charges me!"

"It costs money to make BD's Nox, you know that."

"How much? I have some cash I can put in." I offered, interrupting as Nox was going full puppy dog.

"Hey I can't do that Motoko… You already put in enough eddies!"

"It's not a big deal Nox." I offered my eyes going blue as I threw a couple grand towards Nox. "There you go. That should be enough to get started right?"

"A-a-eh!" He choked a bit but Judy just snorted at his reaction.

"Just make sure you make more than you spend Nox." She tells him as she pulls a shard out of her computer. "Here. These are the four files. Go on, I got some work to finish up… After my break." She muttered rubbing her eyes a bit. I guess I had been proven wrong, Judy was a morning person, she just stayed up all night to be one.

"R-right. C'mon Motoko! Let's go! I'll show you how to make some BDs."

I shrugged, willing to take a look.

The puppy-I mean, Nox led me upstairs chattering away at how he had already put some buyers together, and if sales went well, he knew some street kids that would sell them on his behalf.

Nox definitely had some ideas about spreading them around.

It was cute how excited he was about it.

He led me up and into one of the BD booths upstairs, where I did my best to ignore the music and the partying going on around me.

He put the shard into a machine along the wall, and with a few options selected, BDs began flowing out.

"I'll start with like ten of each, spread it around, let some interest build up. I hope it'll explode right out, but sometimes it takes a bit before buyers will start biting, word of mouth and stuff… That okay?" He asked over the blaring music and I threw him a thumbs up.

"Yeah nothing happens instantly. Just let me know. I don't know when my next gig will be, but I'll let you know once I have some more cool recordings.

"Great! Okay! All done." He said the same backpack he had when I first rescued him was now full of BD wrappers.

"Do you… Want to come along? See the process?" He asked, sounding a little nervous. Was he worried about getting jumped again?

"Sorry I have some other stops to make, but if anyone causes you any trouble call me. I'll come help." I told him. While he smiled at my reply, it was a bit of a weak one.

"Right. I guess I'll see you later?"

"Of course. Keep in touch Nox, let me know how the sales go! I'm super excited to hear about it."

"I'll… I'll send texts every day, to uhh. Update you?"

"Preem!"

—--

Funnily enough, it was Hiromi that gave me the idea for my next grinding session.

Her Arasaka ICE had been a good whetstone to grind against for my overall Netrunning skills.

So I headed over to Yoko's for my next adventure. The Netrunning Cafe was as busy as always, only one of the chairs was actually in use.

But as always Yoko was standing there already watching me behind her glasses as I entered.

"Oh? Back already?"

"I need some ICE. Preferably something pretty high end." I told her and flashed her a smile.

"You already know what I deal in. Any information to trade?" Yoko's question made me wince. I really didn't have anything.

"I don't suppose what I just asked for is something I can buy with Eddies?"

"Not unless you want some over the counter WET." She said with a blank look behind her sunglasses.

"Wet?" I couldn't help but ask. The way she said it was weird.

"ICE that's melted. Already been solved. Useless." She informed me and I nodded. That was good to know. It also gave me an idea.

"Actually… WET would be just fine. Do you have something that was solid before it was solved?"

Yoko seemed to take in my words with a sort of confused stare, before she shrugged.

"Sure Motoko, I have some old copies of everything, it's sort of my thing. What do you want?"

"How much will…. Two grand get me?" I asked checking my account. Wakako had given me some good eddies for the gigs I had done plus bonuses. I could spend a little here. Splurge really.

"I'll go get you a stack." She replies laughing a little as she disappears into the back.

Cool!

—---

So I now had a ton of shards that had ICE programs.

But I needed something to run them on, and I had a good option…

But it involved going home.

I still had another repaired laptop in the apartment. But I hadn't been back alone since…

So I took a deep breath and drove over. Sliding into my parking spot in the parking garage, and checking my guns. Making sure my Burya was loaded… I also grabbed my Carnage.

Just to make sure.

Then I walked up to the apartment fully loaded for war. It earned me a few looks, but I was just happy there were people around again. In fact!

I happily took a slight skip in my goal as the food cart guy that sold the tasty mystery meat balls on a stick was in his usual spot out the front door.

"Morning!" I greeted, as I passed over some eddies and got my usual order in return.

"Glad to see you're alive, kid." He offered with a nod, but that was all the words he offered and I wasn't waiting around.

I headed inside. Passed the piled up trash, that was actually worse than normal. A few of the old asian guys that were playing chess just inside were back in their normal spots.

It was almost like before. Just without the protection of the NCPD ever arriving if something went wrong.

I took the stairs easily racing up the flights until I arrived home.

The door opened easily.

Home.

I took a deep breath and let it out.

I finished off my meat stick, placed my Carnage on the table and flopped onto the couch.

It was good to be home. The last time where we just grabbed stuff wasn't the same thing.

Still I wasn't here to relax.

I was here to grind.

I grabbed my Laptop, I had planned on selling this one, but using it as training was good too.

I installed one of the WET ICE from the pile of shards, and locked down the laptop.

Just because the ICE was solved, and wouldn't stop any Netrunner that knew what they were doing, doesn't mean it wasn't still good security if they didn't have the solution. It was like a lock that everyone had a key for. But if you chose not to use a key and instead tried to picklock it… Well it was still a lock.

Really it just meant I could pull out my cord and jack in, and start hammering the security.

It didn't matter if the ICE noticed.

It didn't matter if I failed, or succeeded.

If I failed, I just tried again. If I succeeded then I could just uninstal the ICE, chuck the shard in the trash, and grab a fresh one.

I wasn't going to stay at home the whole day. So after just a couple hours of intense grinding, I locked everything down and decided to head back to the dojo. I couldn't let Jun start freaking out when I didn't come back.

But I left with plenty of alerts.

*Intelligence Leveled up!*

Intelligence 6.

*Breach Protocol skill level up!*

*1 Perk Point Gained.*

*Breach Protocol skill level up!*

Breach Protocol leveled twice in just that amount of time. Since I was breaking ICE without worrying about alerting someone, or having some Black ICE catch me unaware, I was able to go all out. Uncaring about mistakes, or caution.

I learned a lot, even without the levels, but with them?

Breach Protocol 6. I was filled to the brim with knowledge about breaching system security. In a way I was at the point where I finally realized how little I knew about it.

I shook off the knowledge of the mountain I was staring up at when it came to the knowledge of the net, and instead focused on getting back to Jun.

I decided to keep the perk saved for now. Mostly because I wasn't sure what I wanted out of it yet. A little time to think about it would do me some good.

—--

After a winding route back home, carefully making sure I wasn't followed I made it back to the dojo apartments. Finding Jun already napping in his bedroom, I crashed on the couch and decided I would join him.

My brain was tired from all the Netrunning. I didn't like puzzles, and Breaching systems was like the worlds most complicated puzzle game.

I just had to deal with it for now until I got good enough that the puzzles were all easy mode.

I set myself a sleep schedule for eight hours and activated it, passing out instantly.

I did not sleep for eight hours.

I startled awake.

Something was wrong.

I looked around, having grabbed my Burya off the living room table as I rose up. The TV was off, there weren't any noises. No intruders no movement…

But something had struck that chord in me to wake up. I blinked the tiredness out of my eyes, since I didn't get my full eight hours I was groggy.

But then I heard it.

Sirens.

I ran to the window, but couldn't see anything.

But I could hear them.

I turned on the TV, switched to the news and got my confirmation.

"-Are once more on the streets. A full deployment of all NCPD forces have been released onto the city to once more secure a peaceful Night City. The Curfew is in full effect. NCPD has asked us to remind all citizens, that the safest action they can take is to head home and lock their doors until NCPD once more secures any and all troublemakers in our fair city-"

I turned away from it then, opening Jun's room to see him still passed out as I flipped on the lights.

"Wha!" He surged up and looked around confused.

"Jun! The NCPD are back. Listen!" I demanded and he blinked confused at me for a moment until he heard the sirens as well.

"Shit!" He cursed as he jumped out of bed and grabbed the first clothes he could find. Before rushing out of his room and towards the dojo.

Since I was wondering what the Tyger Claw response was. I decided to follow. Benefits of Jun being higher up in the gang I guess.

We both slipped into the dojo, only to discover it was surprisingly calm.

Jun looked around before finding Sensei.

"Sensei!"

"Kusanagi… Kusanagi." He greeted us both but focused on Jun. "So you heard?"

"Motoko woke me. Are there any orders?"

"No." The voice that responded wasn't Sensei. Instead Fujimura, walked out from around the corner, if memory serves, there was an office over there. "We knew exactly when the NCPD would return. The word went out, and all contacts are going to ground tonight. The NCPD will not find the Tyger Claws in their sights. So stay off the streets." He rumbled out a metal finger pointing, but not quite making contact with Jun's chest.

"Understood Fujimura-Sama."

I shrugged, fair enough. I wasn't about to run out on the streets with the NCPD probably arresting anyone and everyone.

With that Jun started a conversation with Fujimura, that I didn't care about, and I wandered off.

The dojo was quiet and Sensei just gave me a little nod showing he saw me, but he was speaking with Jun and Fujimura as well.

So I went back to the apartment. Settling back onto the couch and turning on the news.

Of course the news was filled with 'positive' situations happening throughout the city. It was all bullshit propaganda, but it did give me an idea of how fast NCPD was spreading across the city.

I couldn't help but wonder how the return of law enforcement would affect Night City.

I did the smart thing after waking up the next day and stayed inside.

I was really lucky, without my ability to fall asleep at will, I definitely wouldn't have managed to get much sleep. The constant NCPD sirens throughout the night meant when I finally did wake up, it was to a groggy Jun drinking some caffeinated drink he had grabbed out of a vending machine while watching the news.

Me though? After eight hours I was perky.

"Couldn't sleep?" I chirped at him as I rose up and stretched.

"No." He grunted as he took another sip as I sat up and stretched. Then I hopped out and cleaned up a bit before grabbing my new testing laptop.

I settled onto the couch cross legged right next to Jun as I slotted my cord in, and went to work on another set of ICE.

"What are you doing?" He eventually asked, distracting me a bit, but I kept myself from getting booted out of the Breach.

"Netrunning training! I'm getting used to breaching through ICE." I told him with a smile, one eye on him, the other taken over by a screen displaying the ICE countermeasures.

"Huh." He offered, turning back to the news and taking another sip of his drink.

Silly Jun. I would have to get him a pair of earmuffs or something, if he kept having trouble sleeping.

I was practically buzzing though. I really wanting to go out and do something, but knew it was a bad idea. So instead I fell back on what was my favorite activity when I was stuck inside.

Grinding!

Although…

"Hey Jun?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind if I mess with you a bit?" I asked only to have Jun slowly turn towards me, mouth still buried in the can.

"Whatever you are thinking… No." He responded after a moment deadpan.

"Aww." I whined at him. "You don't even know what I was thinking."

"And I know I wouldn't enjoy it so no."

"I just wanted to send my quick hacks at you for practice. You probably have better ICE than most people I would see on the street…. Right? You do have ICE right?"

"I have the ICE provided for me, and my ECM."

Oh right. The tattoos were actually not just tattoos but a ECM system the Tyger Claws preferred.

"Preem." I told him. "So can I quick hack you? It's just Ping."

"No."

"You are boring when you are sleepy." I grumbled at him, but went back to my Breaching…

Of course. He might not even notice… I looked towards him out of the corner of my eye and just before I managed to send the Quickhack his hand reached out and grabbed my face covering my eyes.

"Ow ow ow ow!" I hissed as he squeezed a bit.

"I said no."

"I give! Surrender!" I whined not really wanting to start a fight with my laptop in my lap.

Plus Jun was obviously grumpy right now. And I wasn't sure I wanted to mess with Grumpy Jun.

He let go and I sighed as he gave me a single look before turning back to the news.

"Fine. See if I ever act as a Netrunner for you. You'll be like 'Motoko! My beautiful and genius little sister, please save me by hacking into this evil mainframe!' And I'll just be like 'No way you jerky faced older brother! You didn't believe in your glorious and slightly eccentric little sister!'"

"I would never say that. More like Annoying brat." Jun replied and that I couldn't allow that. So I kicked him which unfortunately was a mistake.

Grumpy Jun had no chill.

"Okay if I offer a cease fire can I at least reach my laptop?" I mumbled into the couch from beneath Jun.

The jerk had literally sat on me, and knocked my laptop out of my lap in the scuffle. So I wasn't even able to grind!

Trapped beneath my stupid heavy brother who was definitely eating too many burritos.

The fatty.

I managed to swivel my head a bit and catch his eye. Then I realized to my horror what I was seeing. Those weren't my Nii-chans eyes. They were the eyes of a Cyberpsycho.

Jun was too far gone.

"No." He told me smiling the look of a monster as he reached down and continued to poke my face.

I couldn't even retaliate! He had managed to pin both my arms while I was still playing around!

"My Vengeance… Will be legendary." I told him but he didn't seem to mind.

A few minutes of my pleading getting nowhere, we were both interrupted by the door to the apartment opening.

My inability to grab a gun and do anything was the only reason I wasn't pointing my Lexington at whoever walked in without knocking.

"Akari. The door was closed." Jun said grumpily as he glared towards the door which is when Alari appeared in my view.

First she looked at Jun, then down to me, then back up at Jun.

Then she sat.

The bitch sat on my struggling legs.

"Vengeance." I mumbled into the couch because I couldn't even kick or wiggle with two heavy borg asses on me.

"Now now Jun boy, you should really knock on the door before entering my apartment. Got any more of those?" She asked, pointing towards the can of soda Jun was drinking.

"Akari." Jun growled out.

"Oh fine. You are as always boring. Far too serious. But getting better since your cute little sister came around. How is she by the way? Not too flat?" She asked, but the fact I could see her wave her hands over her own plastic tits told me she was making a double joke.

"At least mine are real!" I hissed. "OW!" I yelped as she took a sharp nail and poked the bottom of my foot that was trapped under her plastic ass.

"Oh I'm sorry I thought I heard a-"

"Akari. Don't stab my sister." Jun said, sounding totally done with this as he stood up.

Freeing me.

"C'mon Jun b-" That was as far as Akari got, now freed I rose up, arching backwards, my knees digging into the couch as I slammed a bit into Akari's side grabbing her shoulder wrapping my arm around hers and then flexing to literally toss her over my shoulder and off the couch.

Her absolutely shocked yelped was glorious as she went flying and landed off the couch in a massive thud.

"That's for calling me flat." I huffed a bit as I rolled a bit to get onto my feet. The Borg woman laying on her back staring up at me with a dropped jaw.

"Yeah Motoko does that." Jun called out as he grabbed a soda and we both heard the hiss as it popped open.

Then he just started drinking.

"Don't mind me. Carry on." He offered waving his hand.

Asshole.

Akari though, instead of getting up and going on the assault, just started laughing.

"You really are a fearless little thing aren't you? Last time I nearly went off on someone they started running away every time I met them from then on. Look at you, willing to literally throw me around? Jun, your cute little Imouto is gonna either get herself killed, or become a monster."

"I'll be a monster!"

"More like get me killed." Jun and I said at the same time.

I just snorted at Jun being a jerk as Akari rose up chuckling still. "It's kinda nice to be treated like a normal person again. Just be careful little Imouto." Akari said and she was suddenly beside me her arm over my shoulders. "You might set me off some day." She whispered into my ear.

"Akari!"

"Fine, fine. I'll leave her alone. You big overprotective brother you. Fujimura-Sama is calling everyone in." She said and Jun quickly put his can down.

"When's the meeting?"

"Now?" She asked, sounding innocent, but Jun sighed as he instantly rushed for his room. Hurriedly getting dressed and ready.

"You should come too little Imouto. This isn't a war meeting, so they are likely shutting down our little headquarters. The excuse of the gangwar keeping the dojo closed isn't going to fly much longer." She offered poking my nose with her thin claw like chrome.

Seriously Akari had this thing, where she had to be constantly poking or prodding, or stabbing someone.

"Sure." I said shrugging as I slipped out from her claws and started getting dressed, if not as quickly as Jun.

A few minutes later I was following after Jun as he stalked to the dojo, trying to pretend he was put together, and not grumpy, running on barely any sleep.

Akari as usual, being annoying, but not to me this time.

Inside the dojo the main room was full.

The entire Kamikaze group were here, most were sitting seiza around as Fujimura stalked around. A few couldn't sit that way thanks to wounds, or simply how their legs worked. But otherwise that was the room. The only one that wasn't was Sensei.

He stood against the far wall. I decided to do like him, resting up against the wall, and not joining the group.

I didn't want to let them think I was one of theirs anymore than they already did.

"NCPD have already done much of our job for us. Maelstrom has been pushed back. They were caught unaware by the return of the cops." Fujimura called out suddenly as Jun slipped into a spot, Akari settling in nearby. There were nodding heads and sharp grins from the group at that.

"There has already been communication from the Maelstrom leader Brick." He called out but this time only a few of the Kamikaze looked pleased. Jun most of all was now frowning.

"Yes. That means there will likely be an end to this war with Maelstrom." Fujimura called out and I could see Jun's tension ratcheting up.

"That does not mean we will stop killing them of course." Fujimura added his eyes happened to be passing over Jun. "But the full out assault to push back the Maelstrom is over. We won. There will still be plenty of blood for those of you with grudges. But it does mean that the Kamikaze will no longer act as a fast response unit. You will all return home. Duties will come slower, and in smaller groups. You bled for your people. Kamikaze!" He said something at the end.

Something in japanese, that I just couldn't figure out.

Stupid America brain. I only knew two languages, English and bad English.

But all of the Kamikaze offered a bow, as Fujimura did the same. Huh.

The rest of the little Cyberpsycho party was pretty boring. Fujimura went around to the group, some of them were told they would be returning to previous jobs as there was no reason to keep the entire Kamikaze group together during a peace time.

Jun wasn't one of them.

Instead he was told the Dojo apartment could be his if he liked, but otherwise, he was free to return home.

The Jammer wasn't needed anymore, and everything was going to sort of…

Go back to normal? If anything could go back to normal. If I thought I was feeling a little confused about all the changes that were happening. Jun looked like someone had tugged the rug out from under him down a massive flight of stairs.

He was just kinda… Staring into the distance.

I walked over since the borgs were milling around or wandering out of the room, and plopped next to Jun. I didn't say anything. I didn't need to. He was feeling lost. His goal pulled out from under him. It's okay Jun. We can figure out what to do next.

Together.

—---

I followed Jun around for the next while as he finally stood up and headed back to the apartment. Once he was inside he made to move back to his room but I finally spoke up.

"Jun!" I called out loudly enough to startle him.

"Motoko?"

"Take your time. Get some sleep, and don't worry. We will figure everything out. I'll be here when you are ready to talk." I told him before walking over and flopping on the couch. He watched me for a minute before snorting, and then turning and walking back inside his room.

"Idiot." He said as he entered his room, but I let that pass.

I was totally going to wake him up in a day or two by jumping on him. Let him get settled and not think about the revenge that was coming.

Until then I had some grinding to do. I really wanted another point in intelligence. It was time for the system to properly acknowledge my brain!

I spent the rest of the day grinding out alerts, but it was coming in a lot slower, plus Jun kept interrupting me with watching the TV which kept drawing my attention away from my grind.

—--

Another afternoon passed with me grinding away trying to get enough Intelligence alerts.

When suddenly my head started beeping.

I was getting messages. I looked at the small list of messages, some from Hiromi, mostly just talking about how boring her classes were.

But I got a few from Nox, and one from Judy as well!

*Nox: Got some clients lined up. No sales yet, like you said, but I'm putting out feelers!*

*Nox: Managed to snag a few more kids interested in your gigs, haven't gotten any responses back yet!*

*Nox: Hey! Haven't heard from you, that Jammer again? Gave someone a sneak peak, interest was super high! Even managed to get him on the line all four BDs.*

*Nox: Big day today! Word is getting around! The NCPD coming back is making things hard though. Might be slow sales at first. Since it'll be dangerous to get around. Shame. If we could have the BDs on the market now all the people stuck at home would have something to check out. Haven't heard from you…*

I nodded along at Nox's messages. I would have to send him a text letting him know the jammer was down… Well for once I might want to hold off on that just yet, he was a Mox. So I continued on reading the other messages.

*Judy: Motoko, I feel like I was a bit bitchy last time we talked. Just wanted to make sure you know, you are welcome with the Mox. Regardless of your TC connections. I was just freaking out a bit.*

Oh. That was kinda sweet of Judy. I didn't really feel that I couldn't. I mean she had just been threatened by the TC with kidnapping. I'd be a little uncomfortable too.

As I was browsing through the sudden deluge of messages, Jun came out of his room. "Jammer is down." He said suddenly as he walked past the couch towards the fridge pulling out a drink and hammering it down.

"Yeah, I just got a ton of texts. I'll have to call Hiromi!"

"Do it after, pack up first. We're… going home." He said and I actually whooped as I jumped off the couch. It would be sorta nice to return to normality, that and the jammer was such a massive pain in the ass!

I hurriedly gathered up everything, arms overflowing with my treasures, as I raced it down to the car.

It took a few trips.

With that Jun slipped onto his Kusanagi, my Quadra ended up being stuffed with junk that Jun had gathered since he left since he couldn't carry it on his motorcycle.

Then we raced home.

Well Jun did. I followed the traffic laws, and at the first red light that Jun blew through I lost him.

Seriously Jun. I don't care if your butt is made of metal, you are on a motorcycle, drive safely!

Finally I reached home.

I parked out on the curb, where Jun was waiting. I stayed with the car to make sure nothing got klepped as Jun ran up and down the stairs toting everything inside.

Then I parked in the garage and headed inside.

Home.

The streets were crazy busy, I couldn't help but notice as I crossed the street, even more than usual. It's like with the NCPD returning everything that hadn't wanted to leave their homes were now on the sidewalks. That and I supposed with the curfew no one wanted to be caught outside after dark when the NCPD were feeling more trigger happy than normal.

I walked through the throng of people, some heading towards the Cherry Blossom Market, some to other shops down the street, and some just hanging out.

It was nice. The tense atmosphere of the city was gone, returned to this constant mishmash of people.

I ran up the stairs and entered the apartment to hear Jun shuffling around in his room. I peeked in and saw him going through a backpack of stuff. Slowly taking it out looking it over, running his fingers over the items and then putting them somewhere around the room.

It felt like a personal moment so I went ninja and slipped into my room without him noticing.

Ninja skills were useful for something other than on gigs!

Inside I shut the door and looked around. My bags and stuff were in a pile at the entrance.

I walked inside. It felt… Odd to be here. This had been my room since I woke up here in Night City. It wasn't quite nostalgic, but it felt good to be here. I decided not to unpack anything yet, instead I walked over and flopped onto the bed.

I lay there for a bit just sort of taking in the familiar ceiling.

When I finally felt like doing something again I opened up my menu and made a call.

*Ringing*

*Hey hey! Motoko!*

*Hey Hiromi! How are you? With the NCPD back on the streets, did your parents lift the lockdown?*

*Ugh. Not just yet. But school is opening next week with normal classes so they have to by then. How about you? How are the TC reacting?*

*Not sure about most of them, but Kamikaze are spreading back out, the secret headquarters they were using is emptying out. Jun and I are actually back home.*

*Whoa, Nova. So it really is over then?*

*Looks like at least the gang war is over. Not the killing. Lot of the Kamikaze still looked ready to go hunt more Maelstrom… Jun among them, but it's okay. I think everything is getting better with him. He seems more stable now.*

*That's great! I know you were worried, but I knew Jun would be okay! He is too cute to Cyberpsycho.* She said and I could tell she was teasing me.

*Gag me with a spoon, Hiromi.* Her giggles were my only response for a while until finally they ended with her going quiet for a bit.

*So hey. Choom. Choomer. Choomiest?* Hiromi suddenly asked, sounding a little quiet.

*What do you need Hiromi?* I answered, trying to keep from laughing at her words.

*My bike is still wrecked… Can't exactly drive it right now, and I'm gonna wait a bit to give an excuse to the 'rents so they don't freak on me… Mind giving me a ride to class and back?*

*Huh. You want your Street Punk Merc friend drive you right up to Arasaka Tower? I'm down.* I answered after a pause, making her laugh back at me.

*Thanks Choom. Just for a day or two? I can tell my parents I crashed after that, and get my bike fixed up.*

*No worries. I'll act as a chauffeur. Will M'lady need anything dry cleaned as well? Or perhaps someone assassinated?* I asked, trying to sound as snooty as I could which caused Hiromi to break into giggles.

*You're such a gonk!*

*Speaking of damaged vehicles though. I should probably take my Quadra into the shop.*

*Wait what? Why? What happened?*

*Didn't I tell you? That night I hit the Maelstrom, the damn gonks side swiped me.*

*Oh that's right… Is the damage bad? I know you were pretty pissed about it.*

*It's not terrible, the car is armored, paint and dents mostly, I'll just need t-* I stopped.

Wait.

Fuckin hold on a second.

I could fix it. Mechanic work was well within the bounds of all the knowledge dumps I had been getting from the System.

*Toko? Helloooo?*

*I'm here! I just realized I actually do know how to fix it. I think… I think I'll go fix up my car. It'll be a nice little grind session.* I said without thinking.

*Grind? Why would you need to grind your car?*

*Oh! Uhhh. No? No, grind like doing a task and keeping at it until it's done.* I added, making up an excuse. Thank you Slang being so common in Night City.

*Alright. Let me know how it goes… Do you think you could fix my bike? I mean-*

*Probably! I'll have to look it over, but I can do that for my choom!* Plus! If I could repair it that means more grinding! Motoko you're a genius!

*Preem. If I don't have to make an excuse for my 'rents that would be best. They are fully up my ass still. How has it been out there? Is it… Better?*

*People are everywhere! More than usual, all the people that were hiding are out on the streets now. The TC knew the NCPD were coming and hid away, and so Maelstrom got hit hard, they are making peace even.*

*Wait! Maelstrom and Tyger Claws are making peace!? Why didn't you tell me!*

*I just did though?*

*Ugh. Motoko!*

*Sorry! I didn't think about it. Yeah the Kamikaze leader told everyone, apparently there is going to be an end to the TC-Strom war. At least officially.*

*Wow. That's huge! I actually… I actually should let my 'rents know. That might be useful to them. Listen, call me later? If not, see you Monday?*

*Sure! Chat with me later Hiromi!*

The call clicked off and I nodded, already jumping to my feet. I had some grinding to do!

I grabbed my toolbox from where Jun had dumped it on the floor of my bedroom, and rushed back out.

"Going out to the parking garage! Call me if you need me!" I called out to Jun who was now in the kitchen going through the fridge, and I was off clanking down the stairs as I carried the toolbox I ran across the street, although my head was swiveling, and my right hand free in order to quickdraw if I needed.

Not going to make that mistake again. Burya was in its holster and ready to go if needed.

But nothing happened. I ran into the garage and reached the car.

The side of my Quadra was still suffering from a nasty dent all along the side. The paint utterly ripped off.

Fucking Maelstrom.

But I knelt down, popping my tool box open. With a deftness I grabbed the needed tools, Instantly my hands went to work humming lightly as I slowly worked out the dents in the armored side. Honestly the fact it was armored made my job harder, but it just needed more force to even out, and the few places that some internal circuitry was crushed I simply spent a few minutes scanning and then remaking a replacement, a bit of testing to make sure it worked and I was set.

I hadn't even known that one of my rear lights was out! That was so dangerous! What if someone rear ended me!

Well it was fixed now. I stood up, sure the paint was more trashed than it had been before, but with a few going over of a magnetic tool that let me smooth out the plate. It was done.

Now to check on all the spots that had been hit… And probably a carwash, I forgot about the whole blowing someone's head off on the hood. The bits of gore still stuck on the hood was a little gnarly…

I probably should have taken that to a carwash before this… Ew.

I almost turned and walked all the way back inside when I remembered.

My eyes turned gold.

*Motoko? What's wrong?* Jun responded nearly instantly.

*Nothing! Nothing. I'm okay. Just calling to let you know, I'm gonna need to hit a carwash… I uh. Forgot to clean up my poor Quadra after everything.*

*Oh… Thank you for telling me. Drive safe.*

*Will do!*

I slipped out into the heavy traffic of the city, easily winding a safe path through the city, enjoying the quiet ride.

Then I realized it didn't have to be quiet. I turned on the radio, and instantly started nodding along to Body Heat Radio.

Listen… It had some good songs as long as that Pon pon shit wasn't playing… Wait, wasn't the song literally Ponpon shit? I meant Ponpon shit, shit. Because I hate that song. Luckily I don't think it has been released yet. Body Heat was a pretty solid choice when I wasn't in the mood for Samurai.

Anyway I found a nice carwash, went through and did my best to pretend there wasn't a massive wave of red bloody water flowing off my car as I went through.

The one attendant that was sitting behind a bullet proof glass was doing his best not to notice. So I pretended it wasn't happening too.

Best for everyone.

—---

As I went through the car wash I had some time to think about what else I needed to do, which reminded me of a promise I had made.

But then I realized I had no idea where to go.

So I made a call.

*Motoko?* Ichi's voice answered after a few moments, and he sounded sleepy.

*Ichi! Heya choom. How's things? Did I wake you? Sorry about that. Also can you slip me Malcolms address? I want to stop by and check on him.*

*Oh yeah, you did say you were gonna do that… Sure Motoko." He mumbled obviously groggy enough my rapid fire took him a minute to parse.

I got a text from Ichi a moment later.

*Thanks Choom… Maybe tonight we can all meet up again? I can probably get Hiromi free too. Omaeda too maybe? Are you working tonight?*

The line was quiet for a minute.

*Y-yeah… If you… If Malcolm is willing. I'm down. It'll be nice… To just… Hang out again.*

*These last few weeks were rough on you huh Ichi?* I couldn't help but ask. While he had said he wasn't working with Malcolm anymore. The way he spoke…

They had a fight. Definitely.

*Heh. I guess I could say the same to you. If you can get Hiromi and Malcolm that would be great… Ho-oh Club?*

*Ugh. That place gives me a headache, but I get it. Sure we can hang there.* I answered, it was 'our' spot I guess… Actually I had no idea. Had we hung out there before the coma? Or just after?

*Alright… I'm gonna crash for a few more hours.*

*Sounds good! Cya!*

I hung up and started up the engine. Malcolm wasn't too far. Made sense. We were all in the same area. Street kids that grew up together.

I drove out into the streets, following the path to Malcolms address.

The small apartment complex a couple blocks north of the Cherry Blossom Market. It took me a while to find a good parking spot, but it didn't take me long to slip inside and find apartment J24.

I rapped my chrome knuckles on the door. Waiting, I could hear something.

The door was suddenly pulled open, a large man with a tired expression and holding a Tactician in his arms was there. Whatever he was trying to say was cut off mid sentence when he noticed me.

"We are- oh… hello?"

"Hello. I'm Motoko, is Malcolm in?" I chirped trying to look cute and innocent.

Despite being fully armed.

"Yeah… One second." He turned away from the door. "MALCOLM!" He yelled and I could hear a yelp and a bit of cursing.

"WHAT!?"

"DOOR!" The man yelled back and I was laughing a bit at how… normal it seemed. Doesn't matter if it's the 2000's, or 2070's parents and teenagers really don't change.

I heard a bit of grumbling as things were knocked around before Malcolm suddenly jogged into view. A BD wreath around his neck he was about to yell at his pops when he noticed me.

"Motoko?"

"Hey Malcolm!" I waved a bit and Malcolm's father looked from me to his son.

"Well don't be a gonk invite the girl in." The old man rumbled before walking into the house.

"D-Dad! It's not like that!"

I just laughed. His dad seemed pretty happy, so I guess Malcolm wasn't bringing cute girls home very often.

"Motoko? What are you doing here?"

"Stuff got crazy, you know? With everything… I figured it was a good idea to see all the chooms. How you doing Malcolm?" I asked and my question seemed to really confuse him for a minute.

"I'm… Alright?"

"I'm glad." I nodded to myself for a few moments, the silence between us lengthening.

"Moron! Invite the girl in!" The loud call from behind Malcolm caused him to jump before he turned back inside.

"Dad! Shut up!" Malcolm instantly called back but after a moment he sighed. "Want to come in?"

"Sure!" I chirped following Malcolm inside his apartment, we ended up settled on his couch where he had obviously just been watching a BD.

"Anything good?" I prompted miming towards my neck.

"Wha? Oh. The Wreath, yeah some neat stuff. I uh. Haven't had much of a taste for intense BD's since… Everything."

"Ichi told me a bit, about what happened, I mean."

"Course Ichi couldn't keep his trap shut." Malcolm grumbled.

"It's not like that. I asked. You okay?"

"Fine." He said, indicating he was anything but fine. "What happened to you? New chrome?" He asked indicating my forearms there were obviously no longer flesh.

"I got kidnapped by the Maelstrom, and they cut my arms off." I answered, and then I sighed. "It was kind of a thing."

"Fuck." He said face going a little pale at my casual reveal.

"Yeah." I agreed with him as he shifted a bit, from being hunched over and defensive.

"You… You okay?"

"Surprisingly, I'm doing pretty good. I uh… Tried to pretend I was fine at first. But all that did was make me angry. So I focused on that, and… Yeah. I'm doing better. It still sucks." I answered with a shrug. "What about you?"

"Better than that. I still got all my meat."

"Don't need to compare bad things choom. Serious. Talk to me?"

Malcolm went quiet for a while playing with the wreath which he slowly took off from around his neck and placed on the table.

"Not much to say. Sam was cool. Older kid. Like Ichi, well liked by the Claws. We got some fire from some random Maelstrom gonk. I just remember being terrified. I was in the back of the truck with Sam, Ichi up front. Driving away as fast as we can and suddenly… Bullet Holes through the sides of the truck. I screamed, and when it was over Sam was dying. Nothing I could do."

Malcolms eyes were growing wet by the end of his story.

"Ever had someone you know flatline like that?" I asked, as Malcolm had grown silent at the end.

"No. It scared me Motoko. Not something you have to deal with." He grumbled wiping his eyes.

"I get scared too Malcolm." I said as gently as I could.

"Motoko. I've seen you after you flatlined a scav den solo. You don't have a scared bone in your body."

"Not true. Not true at all." I mumbled towards the end. I just wasn't afraid of the same things everyone else was…

How could I? I had already died once. Once you know what's on the other side, how can you be afraid?

But I was afraid of things still. Just not death.

"Listen. I want all of us to get together tonight. You, Ichi, Hiromi, Omaeda if he wants. All of us at the club… A lot has happened. But we are still chooms. We still ran together. Please come?" Malcolm looked up, our eyes met and we sat for a while as he thought.

"Sure."

I smiled and threw out a fist, which unfortunately took a moment for him to get before he scoffed and bumped my fist. "You are so weird."

I pouted at him, and we both got a chuckle at that.

Malcolm and I hung out for a while. Just kind of getting to know each other. He was more lowkey than he ever had been before, but at the same time as we talked, I started seeing that same energy that he had before.

I guess he just needed a friend.

I guess we all did.

—--

"So can Hiromi come?" I asked Hiromi's mother who had answered the door.

The Corpo woman was looking at me like I was some crazy person coming up to the door to borrow sugar or something weird.

I guess I probably shouldn't have opened with 'Can Hiromi come out to play?'

Fuckin' brain. Why do you do this to me?

The woman finally spoke, interrupting my silent meltdown.

"You want to take Hiromi to that club, went to with all of her other… Street friends?"

"Yeah! Now that the NCPD is back, and it's safer… We all went through a lot. Hiromi too! So I figured it would be nice to have all of us gather back up again. A reunion, a… A chance to be with our chooms."

"The streets are still dangerous."

"Nothing will touch her." I said suddenly. Feeling cold flowing through me. "I'll kill anyone stupid enough to think they can even make the attempt." I promised.

"Motoko!" Hiromi called out suddenly as she ran past her mom and jumped me in a hug.

"Hiromi!" I cheered back as we hugged for a moment.

"Save me! I'm bored… Moooom. Don't be weird with Motoko, you should have said she was here." Hiromi turned on her mother, scowling.

"Motoko was asking if you could leave tonight to go visit that club of yours." The woman interrupted Hiromi. "Do you wish to go?"

"Wa-! Yes! Please!"

"Very well. Motoko, will be your bodyguard for the night. Don't leave her side. I expect that is an acceptable requirement Motoko?" The woman asked to my surprise.

"Of course."

"Then you may go." The older woman said simply turning around and heading back inside like the matter was finished.

"Does your mom actually like me?" I couldn't help but whisper to Hiromi, because it almost felt like that.

"Not sure. I think Mom thinks someone well armed is a good thing for me? I wouldn't… I wouldn't say they like you. More like they want to use you." Hiromi muttered a little irritated at the end.

"Eh, whatever! Let's go!" I urged her on and Hiromi actually smiled as she grabbed me and pulled me inside. She needed to get ready to head outside.

As she was in the bathroom doing her hair a bit, although not into her usual mohawk, I remembered I had something!

"Oh Hiromi! I have the BDs from my gigs. I'll leave them here on your desk."

"Wha!" She called out as she poked her head through the bathroom bead curtain.

Stupid bead curtain.

"You got them! I want to see! Right now!"

"We don't have time." I told her. It was already getting late, and we were supposed to meet Ichi and Malcolm soon.

"Uuuugh!" She whined but spun back into the bathroom. To finish up.

It was just lucky her makeup was mostly cyberware neon lights, so I didn't have to wait long as she finished.

The Quadra purred as I pulled up to the Ho-oh Club.

I almost preferred Lizzies…

No, I actually don't. I sighed to myself why did my chooms all want to hang out in sleazy clubs and bars?

Well at least they were BD clubs, and not… Clouds.

As I stepped out Hiromi happily bounced out a moment after as she had been in full energy since we left her apartment. I noticed the damage to the club had been fully repaired, in fact there were now more concrete barricades blocking part of the tunnel entrance to the club.

I guess Shobo or whatever his name is, had done some work increasing the defenses of the club.

As we entered, the place was actually pretty packed. Plenty of Tyger Claws hanging around drinking and having a good time, alongside some civvies.

I guess the gang war ending was spreading around, and now everyone wanted to blow off some steam.

"Is Ichi or Malcolm here yet?" I asked Hiromi and she shrugged looking towards our normal table that was occupied by some random people.

"Let's check the bar?" I asked, and she was already walking that way as I kept up. The bartender nodded to the two of us, ready to take our orders.

No one cared about serving alcohol to minors in Night City. Especially not a gang hangout like this.

"Hey, we're looking for Ichi. Has he come in yet?" I asked the bartender but got a shaken head.

"Haven't seen him girls. You want something to drink?"

"Yeees!" Hiromi instantly jumped and started ordering something extremely alcoholic. I just ordered something fizzy.

"I'll text him." I tell her as she is already happily watching her drink be made.

*At Ho-oh.*

Then since I didn't get an immediate response I settled into the stool at the bar besides Hiromi who was already happily chattering with a few of the Tyger Claws sitting at the bar.

Hiromi is gonna Hiromi I guess.

A few minutes later I got an update from Ichi.

*Ichi: Runnin' a little late. Malcolm and I had it out a bit. Be there soon.*

I blinked.

"Ichi says he'll be here soon." I told Hiromi who turned away from the Tyger Claw guy she was chattering at that was visibly getting irritated at her chatter.

"Preem! Bout time we've been here forever already Toko!" Hiromi whined at me, and she purposefully made her voice annoying as she leaned into me.

And that I guess was just enough. The Tyger Claw sitting beside Hiromi that she had been annoying for the last few minutes pounded a fist into the table.

"Will you shut the fuck up you punk! You've been blabbering away! Fuckin' punk brats thinking they are hard shit ruining my buzz!" He snapped, rising up. His buddy on his other side was also standing up.

Which is when I slipped past Hiromi, stepping in front of her.

I didn't say anything, just making sure that I was between Hiromi and this gonk.

"Hey fuck off yourself then you gonk!" Hiromi instantly replied. I guess her previous scare wasn't affecting her at the moment. Made sense. This was our club too. She had been going here for a while.

While she and the gonk got into it, I stayed between them. My increased vision took it all in. The two gonks, the Tyger Claws in the club all looking quite ready to jump into a fight. I noticed a few of the old timers, the ones that had been coming here before the war look over, and look like they were going to get involved, only to sit down as the emotions of the club turned against us.

This wasn't the same club Hiromi and I were used to. The Tyger Claws were more on edge.

I guess the war hadn't been easy on them.

It wasn't just Hiromi that was getting looked at angrily. Hiromi wasn't as decked out as she usually was, a lot of her TC gear left at home. She was almost… Dressing down from her usual. But I wasn't wearing anything that marked me as Tyger Claw.

I didn't even have my Katana on me.

This could get dicey.

Diplomacy, or shock and awe? I considered my options. Even as Hiromi kept barking back at the guy, obviously getting pissed at how he was acting like she was an outsider. She was even making fun of the guys dick at this point. Which definitely wasn't going to calm things down.

This was gonna go bad swiftly. I could see how everyone was reacting. Hiromi was definitely playing with fire.

But fuck them. Hiromi and I weren't TC, but she had done plenty of jobs with Ichi, who was. And I? Well I did fight with the Kamikaze… Even if I definitely 100% wasn't one of them! At all!

The first guy grabbed a beer bottle. But not to take a drink. He grabbed it around the top, ready to smash it into what must be in his eyes, a pair of punks.

Eh.

I was no good at diplomacy anyways.

I waited. Just staring. Ready.

And the idiot set me up perfectly.

With one hand still holding the bottle, he reached out and grabbed at the collar of my jacket. Probably trying to throw me to the side so he could smash Hiromi with the bottle.

I looked at his hand holding me up, practically hauling me off my feet. Then back at him.

Then my hands moved.

Street Brawler wasn't something I used much but I had spent a good chunk of time grinding it. Hadn't had much need for it, as getting close was only my goal from stealth.

But it was very satisfying when I pulled an Alita.

I had always wanted to do that.

One of my arms gripped his forearm twisting just so as my fingers dug in, weakening his grip and letting me pull in closer.

Putting his neck into reach.

My grip was instant and unrelenting, and then since I now had him by two points it was child's play to shift him. I might not be very heavy, but my Chrome arms gave me plenty of torque.

The bar rocked as I went ahead and doinked his head off the bar. Which unfortunately didn't break, the noise echoed through the bar.

And then… Well I guess it was time for a bar fight.

His buddy swung at me, but I was a master of improvised weapons!

I stole the beer bottle his buddy had been holding, and ducked his fist. A moment later he had a bottle smash into his face.

Then with a smile of pure happiness on my face, I simply fell into the rhythm.

Because more and more Tyger Claws were coming at me. The fights were perfectly clear. My emotions, despite raging inside, kept completely in check with Cold Blood.

Not that I wasn't utterly enjoying myself. I always wanted to be in a bar fight.

But I didn't make it unscathed.

A chair was smashed into me.

I took a few punches from a martial artist Claw.

Some crazy gonk smashed a bottle into my arms which peppered me with little bits of glass.

But as much as they gave, I returned.

Chair gonk was smashed in the face with a flying bottle that I stole from Hiromi as she was standing on the bar cursing everyone one out and to my utter delight was double fisting her middle fingers to the entire room.

Stirring up shit in the middle of an outnumbered bar fight? That was my crazy bitch alright.

Martial artist fucker knew how to fight, and he was even better than me. His longer arms and legs also helped. But he managed to slip in and started beating on me. Cold Blood fully active was the only reason I wasn't crying out in pain as he managed to slam a few good fists into my face.

But a Martial Artist wasn't always a good Street Brawler. So when I grabbed a stool, I threw off his assault, and then it was my turn.

"I don't want no trouble!" I yelled out happily, purposefully playing up the chinese accent, and not sounding at all like that was true. While screaming that out I used the stool to keep catching his fists until I managed to tangle him up just right and smash the flat rim into his nose sending him to the ground.

Bottle guy got his neck grabbed after smashing the bottle on my arms, because he got too close and a flying knee broke his face.

I felt a grin on my face, as I was getting alerts for not just body, but a full level up from Street Brawler!

Street Brawler 6! Just for a bar fight? I would have to do this more often!

But then one of the gonks ruined it.

He pulled iron.

The room went still as the bastard drew his pistol with a japanese shout at me.

Everyone was waiting to see what would happen.

Everything went still, but I wasn't intimidated. The unkept fucked up rusted piece of shit Lexington wasn't the piece that was going to flatline me not today, not ever.

So I reached up, put a thumb to my nostril and blew out a glob of blood before speaking. "Careful. I'm armed too." I warned him as I gently opened my jacket with my left hand showing the Burya in its holster. "Don't turn this into a gunfight."

"Bitch! You think you can come in here! Fuck with us!? I'll sell you on the street as a whore! I'll turn you into a fuck-"

"Enough." The voice cut through despite the man yelling and every Tyger Claw in the bar stiffened, as Jotaro walked into the bar proper from the back. "What exactly is happening here?" He demanded looking around, first towards his guy that had his gun out, then towards me.

Listen it wasn't my fault I was surrounded by groaning Tyger Claw men, they shouldn't have started it.

"Listen, I don't want no trouble." I offered despite my own brain telling me to just stay quiet.

But dammit I never got a chance to make such perfect Jackie Chan references before, so I guess my mouth was going to take its chances. It was also pulling into a smirk at the words. Seeing the gunman lowering his weapon, waiting for Jotaro to say something, I took a few steps back and settled against the bar. Hiromi was looking at me in shock from over the bar.

She had totally bailed over at the gunman pulling his pistol. Smart girl.

I threw her a smile and turned back to the boss.

He looked pissed. I flashed him a smile when he turned to look at me.

What can I say? A fight actually put me in a good mood. At least until the dumbass decided to pull a gun. I was still ready to quickdraw my Burya in an instant if he decided to raise that pistol back up.

"Clean this mess up. All of you. Does this look like a fighting pit?" Jotaro demanded and he was definitely pissed, his eyes kept flashing to the non Tyger Claw people that were cowering in the corners trying to avoid getting dragged into a gunfight.

Ah I guess, he wasn't happy about potentially losing customers over this.

Only after all the Tyger Claws started cleaning things up and returning the club to order did he stalk over towards me.

"And you? Do you think you can walk into my club, and cause such a commotion?" He said only after fully entering my personal space, his voice a hissed whisper.

"Listen choom. This guy decided to start the fight, I'm on the job protecting my client, so this is his fault not mine." I tell him idly poking my boot at the poor gonk whose face now decorated the bar.

Jotaro's eyes narrowed. "It is… Kusanagi? Is it not? I remember the face. Do you think that what you have done here will go without punishment? Do you think this sort of disrespect will be tolerated?" The man was pissed. I could see it in his eyes. The hatred and wrath.

"Disrespect?" I questioned coldly, wondering what the hell he was talking about.

"That's right. My club! This place is under my control, nothing happens here without my permission." He reaches out and snags my jaw.

And puts himself at about four seconds away from losing the hand. I was gonna start collecting Tyger Claw fuckheads hands if this kept up.

"And I didn't give you permission to beat my men, to damage my club. I think this will cost y-"

"Motoko! Oh! Shobo-sama!" Ichi suddenly called out as he rushed over having probably seen someone looming over me, but not realizing it was his boss. Malcolm just behind him looked confused at the whole situation.

Funnily enough both boys looked a little ruffled too. Like they had just been in a fight.

Fucking gonks.

"Hey Ichi. Hey Malcolm." I mumbled out a bit, the gonk still had my chin in his hand.

"Ichinose. You're choom here, caused a commotion in my club." Jotaro said, trying to sound calm and collected, but there was an edge to his voice. This guy was crazy, I realized.

Ichi hesitated for a moment as Jotaro looked at him, as if he wasn't sure what to say.

I didn't hesitate.

"Perhaps you should remind your people not to pick fights with teenagers then. It might end up embarrassing for them." I said pointedly. I didn't like the way Jotaro was looking at me and Hiromi.

It was making my trigger finger itch.

"Motoko! Be polite to Shobo-Sama! You know he is important to the Tyger Claws! Even if you are with the Kamikaze you shouldn't pick fights." Ichi suddenly said almost too quickly to be natural.

That was weird.

I wasn't a member of Kamikaze… I wasn't! But Ichi knew that. I had told him that last time. And the way he said it, it was like…

"Kamikaze?" Jotaro asked, and he finally let go of my chin. While I was trying to figure out what was going on, Ichi managed to snatch the initiative.

"Indeed Shobo-Sama. Motoko works with the Kamikaze. I saw her assisting them in an assault just a few nights ago. Her brother Jun is also a member. You may have heard of him. They have started calling him the Oni?" Ichi offered loudly, something about the way he was talking…

"Stupid name." I muttered, my mouth as always free to do as it liked as I thought.

But Jotaro must have heard the name, because suddenly he was standing up straight, and acting affable.

"I see, I see! Then this isn't just someone causing trouble, but an honored member of the Kamikaze. I see. I will ensure my men learn not to pick fights with our honored warriors." He said chuckling fakely.

He wasn't happy though. His eyes never stopped glaring at me, even as he started calling out to everyone to clean everything up, in his own words. "The show is over! Let's return to celebrating!"

Ichi hovered beside me as I kept my eyes on the man, who was walking around a bit settling things back to normal. Malcolm settled into a stool that he picked up beside the bar, looking to Hiromi who only gave him a shrug.

"Motoko!" Ichi whispered into my ear. "What are you thinking! Do you want to end up flatlined!?"

Ah. I see. Ichi was actually afraid of his boss. He didn't just not want to piss him off for his job or something.

No, that was real fear. That was why he threw the Kamikaze name around.

"I wasn't in any danger. If it came down to a gunfight, I would be alright." I assured him, but I couldn't help but wonder why he was so afraid. Jotaro was probably one of the least dangerous guys in the club, he didn't have the movement of a fighter. "What was the deal there? Your boss seemed pretty… Unstable there, and you're scared of him." I asked, whispering quietly.

"Shobo-sama is extremely talented in managing businesses, but he has a dangerous reputation for a reason." Ichi whispered to me.

I turned to look at Hiromi who was still hanging out on the other side of the bar looking a little spooked at the sudden bar brawl turning almost gun fight. I flashed her a smile and a thumbs up, which earned me a whispered "Gonk" in return.

But she did crawl back over the bar and settle into a chair next to Ichi Malcolm and I. Malcolm was doing a great job actually. Despite everything settling down his head was looking around the room, and I could see the way his hand kept close to the pistol hidden in his jacket.

"Doesn't strike me as the dangerous type… Not exactly a fighter." I mentioned, Jotaro was soft. He didn't have any of the muscles, or movement of a fight. I could tell. Every inch of him was the rich man used to sending others to die.

"Shobo-sama can be plenty dangerous. He is very useful to the Tyger Claws. Every business he takes over starts making massive profits… He gets away with a lot because of it." Ichi answered before he sighed and took a seat at the bar flicking a finger at the bartender who obviously recognized him.

The bartender had returned now that everything had calmed down. The moment the fight started, he had rushed for the back.

Smart guy.

He dropped off a bottle of beer for Ichi, and then started passing a few more to Hiromi and Malcolm. I refused one that he offered me, and instead just ordered another fizzy drink.

My first one was laying on the floor.

Hiromi kind of fussed over me, trying to put a wet cloth up to my nose that had been bleeding a bit, but I was waving her away.

I'd be fine with a shower and a nap.

But then the four of us all sort of become aware of each other.

"It's been a while since we have all been together." I mentioned, with a chuckle and my declaration had the whole group sort of relax.

"Yeah no shit! To the four of us!" Hiromi offered, instantly raising up her bottle which the boys hesitated but it was with a resigned air that they brought their bottles up. My can clinked among them.

"It's been a hell of a time for all of us." I started realizing what we all needed. "Did you know I got my arms chopped off? It sucked. How about you Hiromi?" I immediately pinned the next target for sharing.

It took her a moment as she was mid swig making her choke a bit as I threw the attention at her.

"Wha-? Motoko!"

"C'mon choom. Share! You'll feel better after. We've all been through some real shit."

"What? Motoko I… Nothing happened to me!"

"C'mon Hiromi. You told me. How long have we all been friends? I mean. I only remember so much, but we are all chooms."

"You have to be kidding." She hissed at me, her eyes shooting from me to Malcolm and Ichi, who were looking on confused. "I'm not telling them!"

"Why not? Chooms are chooms even through the hard times Hiromi. If they don't respect you… No if they make fun of you, or treat you badly, because of something bad that happened, then at least you know they aren't your chooms. Better to know, then to find out at a worse time. C'mon everyone… This whole thing, the war? It's been rough on all of us."

I looked to Malcolm, then Ichi.

"When I got chipped with these arms, I went totally crazy. All I wanted to do was kill Maelstrom. I was so angry, and hurt, and all I could think about was taking out that pain on the ones that hurt me… but I don't live for them. I live for me. To have good days. To have bad days. But they are mine."

I opened my mouth, but I didn't have anything else to share. I just… I just wanted to share with my friends?

"Fine! Fuckin gonk with your stupid smile!" Hiromi almost roared, drawing some attention but we were far enough away from everyone that no one could overhear as she slammed back the last of the beer chugging it down. "I ran out one night. My 'rents been keeping me locked up, but I went out anyways to prove how hard I was… I ended up crashing my bike practically pissing my pants, and hiding in the trash… I wasn't even the one being shot at. But I realized I'm just a poser. Motoko… She already told me to just be me. So there. I'm not brave enough to run out there when shit gets real."

She immediately looked like she wanted to take another swig of beer but she was empty. I let everyone process what she said. Then before anyone could say anything, I elbowed Ichi.

He looked to me.

Then over my shoulder. To Malcolm.

"I ran trucks. It sucked. People died. I, I caused people to die, because I wasn't fast enough, or smart enough… It made me cold. Because if I cared? Then I wouldn't be able to keep doing it. I ended up causing a fight with my best choom because I was… Because I was scared and angry, and lashing out, and… I couldn't be there for him when he needed me. I… I'm sorry Malcolm. What I said. Really… I wish I had been there for you choom."

Malcolm had an utterly hilarious expression on his face as it looked like he was holding back tears.

"I went out with my best choom. We were gonna make eddies, prove our rep. But shit got real. Getting shot at? That ain't something anyone is ready for. A guy that was guiding us got flatlined. Died in my arms. I… I tried to get my choom to go to the hospital, to a ripper… But he was already dead, and… Ichi you were right. He was already dead. I knew that. I just couldn't accept it. I freaked on you when you refused."

The two chooms were both teary eyed and then suddenly I was pushed aside a bit as two guys hugged it out, back slapping each other and hiding tears.

Adorable.

Once they were settled I had moved over to let them sit together as they knocked back the beers. I decided to break the tension.

"I killed a guy with a knife in my teeth. It was after they cut off my hands. They threw me into this pit and forced me to fight to the death… But I did it with a knife in my teeth. It was preem." I told them out of nowhere, earning shocked looks from the group.

"Yeah? Well I ran over this Maelstrom borg with the truck, Malcolm was there."

"Oh yeah! When you did that I was hanging off the back and as we drove by I was flipping the Borg off, and telling him to suck my-"

"That's so not fair… All I did was trick that gonk Tomaru into loading up an XBD in the middle of class." She grumbled, but instantly both of the boys were on her.

"Deets!"

"C'mon Hiromi! I want to hear about you burning this corpo gonk!"

"I'm interested as well." I told her with a smile.

Hours later I was driving a much drunker Hiromi home.

A night out had been… Nice. We all ended up sharing the stories of what happened to us over the past weeks. We all shared the good and the bad, and in the end?

We actually felt like Chooms.

It was really nice.

Pulling up to Hiromi's apartment, it took a bit of cajoling to get the drunk girl out of the car, and eventually I was forced to princess carry her as she kept falling and giggling.

Did I mention she was drunk?

It was a little awkward knocking on the door to her apartment, waiting for someone to answer.

Her mother didn't say a word, just an unhappy glare as I carried her almost snoring daughter into the apartment. After a minute of settling her on her bed, making sure she was laying on her side and finding a trash can that would work as a bucket, I hurried out of the dark apartment under the heavy eyes of the corpo woman.

But I was safe!

I escaped back out to the city where there weren't angry corpo mom glares.

Instead there was freedom.

I mean sure freedom sounded like NCPD sirens, which still hadn't entirely let up. The NCPD were practically leaving the sirens going through the night just to make sure their presence was felt.

But I shook that feeling away. Time to go home.

I was humming when I got home. Never Fade Away drifting in the air as I walked into the apartment and threw up a hand to say hello to Jun who was sitting on the couch when he leapt from the couch startling me.

"Motoko! What happened!? Are you okay? Who did this? I'll kill them!"

"Wha?" I asked before blinking, reaching up to my nose.

Riiiight.

Bar fight. I forgot. Sure the pain was there, but it was so little, I wasn't even paying attention to it. Considering how high my Cold Blood skill was, It wasn't even enough I needed to really use the skill to not feel it. And a nights sleep would set me right…

Fuck.

"Uhh. You should see the other guy?"

Much to my shock this did not set my brother at ease.

"Who did this?" He demanded in a growl holding onto my shoulders.

"Some gonks at the club. Hiromi annoyed them by talking or something, and they decided to start a fight. It's okay Jun, really. It was kinda fun honestly. Besides. I won." I inform him ending in a bright smile as I manage to shake off his hands a bit so I could flex my arm.

Not that I had any natural muscle, there, but the image was important.

"The club? Ho-oh?"

"Yeah. Some TC Gonks."

"They touched you? You!?" He growled and I realized Jun was actually getting pretty pissed, like Psycho level angry, not his usual hotheadedness.

So I reached up and grabbed his face between my hands.

"Hey! Jun. Come on, come back. Everyone is fine. Deep breaths Jun-Nii. Deep breaths." I ordered, and while he instantly looked to fight, I didn't let him.

Chrome hands were stronk.

"Jun-Nii? You back with me?"

He let out a long breath out of his mouth that came out more of a hiss than anything else.

"I never left!" He snapped back, but I could tell he was back. His eyes were seeing me and not anyone else.

"Right!" I chirped at him as I let go, getting glared at all the while.

"They should not have touched you! Not a Tyger Claw!"

"I kinda beat their ass Jun… Plus it was fun."
"Tsk. Ho-oh Club? That means… Jotaro Shobo? That is the man in charge there?"

"Yeah good memory. Hiromi and I had a bit of a run in with him after the bar fight. He was super mad. Talking about 'punishment' and stuff. Ichi showed up then, and name dropped the Kamikaze… I'd rather him not spread around that I worked with them, but it made Mr. White suit back off."

"The Devil of Kabuki, said he would punish you? I'll kill him." Jun growled, his fists clenching and unclenching as he must have imagined murdering the Devi-

"Devil of Kabuki?" I asked before I felt it.

Realization.

Jotaro Shobo. The Devil of Kabuki.

The Devil of Kabuki. Jotaro Shobo.

"That disgusting Mother Fuck-" I cut myself off as my own hands clenched and I had to rely on Cold Blood to keep from punching walls and cursing up a storm.

I remembered that fucker now!

I had only done that quest once. But I remember! The Mox had wanted him dead, because he was a monster. That motherfucker kidnapped people only to torture them to make XBDs!

I made XBDs as well, but I murdered people that deserved it. Not kidnapped people that hadn't done anything. Not people just down on their luck nabbed by assholes like Jotaro Shobo.

"You know of him?" Jun suddenly asked, pulling me out of my rapid fire thoughts as I stopped my pacing in the living room.

"Yeah. I've heard of the Devil of Kabuki before! And the fucked up shit he does." I muttered. All the times I had met Jotaro Shobo sliding into my realization.

Of course I remembered the Ho-oh club now. I had thought the name was familiar. It was where you go to kill the Devil of Kabuki. A job that… Regina? the fixer gives you on behalf of the Mox.

Jotaro had no problem kidnapping even Moxes to scroll XBDs of.

Jotaro Shobo?

Jotaro Shobo was a dead man walking.

The decision was made. All I had to do was figure out how I wanted to get it done? Loud or quiet?

No, I took a breath. I would need some advice on this. This would be complicated. Very very complicated, my connections with the TC was useful at times, and at others it was a noose.

So I shook the disgust at myself for talking to that man, and not knowing away. I was in the moment.

"It's okay Jun." I told him, Jun having been hovering around as I went off in my own head at the realization of who I had been interacting with.

"Doesn't seem okay. Motoko? Imouto?" Jun asked, his face worried and I could see the stiff way he held his hands as if wanting to grab me, but not sure if he should.

"Really Jun-Nii. I'm okay. I think I'll probably go talk to Wakako tomorrow about it. Might get some advice. But… I guess I just wasn't really ready… To actually been hanging around someone like that, and I hadn't even noticed."

Of course. The truth was worse than that.

I had forgotten.

Jotaro Shobo was a monster, but only a side quest. A little gig you could do, that unless you actually paid attention, you wouldn't even need to hear the guys name.

How many horrible people, monsters, or evil things happened in the game that I wasn't remembering?

I brushed past Jun and headed into my room. I had taken to mostly sleeping on the couch surrounded by parts and pieces of my tinkering or my laptops to grind with, but what I needed now was no distractions.

I sighed once the door closed behind me. I started stripping weapons settled on a dresser, their holsters ready to be buckled on when I got dressed, as I slipped out of my Leotard, out of my armored clothing that made me feel like a badass, and into something comfy.

Then I sat on the bed and laid back. "What else did I forget?" So rather than sleep. Rather than spend a night grinding, I started thinking back to the game. To the anime.

To everything I hadn't been thinking about as I'd been either having too much fun grinding, or too murderous to think about.

Jotaro was just one mission. Were there any other gigs that I should remember? So I started thinking back.

The first thing that popped into my head?

"That fucking sick fuck!" I gasped remembering the farm. River and his stupid quest. The creepy fuckin cartoon that I swore if I ever had to watch again I was gonna uninstall the damn game.

The creepy bastard and his farm… Fuck. I don't remember the name of the farm. I would have to jump onto the map I had installed, and see if I can't find it. Hopefully it will actually be listed.

I took a deep breath and let it out.

Okay. That was one thing that needed to be dealt with, maybe even sooner than Jotaro.

What else?

Wait. That Scav Ripper… Shit. I can't remember what his name was, but he shouldn't be hard to find. He had an open Ripper shop. Hopefully he is already set up, and I'll go and put an end to his bullshit, anyone willing to pretend to be a doctor only to rip them apart for pieces for scavs deserved a messy death.

Maybe even get some more Scav den data from it.

That made me think of Fingers.

He was disgusting, and I definitely felt like putting a bullet in his head, but he wasn't scaving people. Just being a disgusting molesting fuck.

But the Joytoys that go to him, do it because he was 'cheap' thanks to what he did…

I would have to talk to Vik. He would know best. Would killing Fingers actually be a net good?

Fuck. This is why I said I wasn't a hero. I don't like these kinds of complex good and evil choices. I hated Good and Evil alignment choices in games.

I guess… I guess it was good that I didn't have one.

I couldn't think of anything else directly relevant at the moment. Except for Edgerunners… Faraday was on my list too. That four eyed fucker needed to get put in the dirt, but he was dangerous. He had plenty of guards.

That was enough for now. I had my targets.

I should sleep. Let the night pass and be ready the next day.

But that kidnapping fuck was out there. Right now.

I pulled up my map. Farms in the badlands, it took an hour to narrow down my options. Unfortunately it had been way too long since I had actually played 2077.

I didn't remember which farm it was and despite most of them closing down, there were still a few of them around the city.

So I had a list. I would just hit all of them until I found it.

I should sleep. I could do it. Just a push of a button and I would be out for eight hours.

But my knee was bouncing. My fingers tapping. Every piece of me wanted to get up and go kill that creepy fuck.

Fuck it.

I wasn't some hero, but I wasn't going to let that bastard live for another day if I could help it. Making me watch that creepy cartoon in the game was enough to earn his death certificate, even without the kidnapping and creepy shit he does.

I got up and started packing my equipment back on. I stepped out as I zipped the leotard back up to see Jun was still up watching TV with a half eaten burrito in his hand.

"I thought you went to bed?" He asked, noticing I was arming back up. I even had my Nekomata over my back.

"I was. But something came up. Don't wait up for me. I might not come back in before morning. Might take a while to find him." I say as I finish strapping everything on and walk over to Jun to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later-"

The hand gripping the back of my Jacket kept me from walking.

"Not a chance. It's late, what are you doing?"

"Gotta kill a guy. Gonna take a while to hunt him down first." I answered truthfully which unfortunately didn't earn me my release.

"Details. Now." He said standing up to block my way.

"Fine! I got some info on a serial killer. Some crazy fuck that kidnaps kids does weird shit to them. I know… Generally where he is. Gonna need to hit a few locations to find him, but I'm going to assassinate him, and rescue anyone he has kidnapped."

Jun blinked at my response. My reveal obviously surprised him as he seemed to mull it over.

"Fine. I'm coming too."

I sighed. I really didn't need Jun and his big stompy feet following me around.

"Juuuuun!" Whined at him irritated at him trying to interfere in my mur-assasination.

It's an assassination. One is a job, the other is mental sickness.

"No. It's late, and I know I can't talk you out of leaving." He said standing up and looming over me. "Since I know how you are, I'm coming with. Someone to watch your back."

"Fine. I'll wait for you to get ready. It's gonna be more of a stealth job you know? The guy has like a ton of mines and turrets defending his farm last I heard."

He looked at me for a moment and then he slapped the back of my head!

"If that is the case you definitely need someone there to watch your back. Imouto. You can rely on me. You have other chooms as well. Stop trying to take on everything alone." He added as I gaped at him as he walked off.

"I can handle myself just fine!" I called out to him, but he ignored me as he headed into his room to grab his gear.

I stood there at the door a little huffy rubbing the back of my head. Jerk. Stupidface!

A few minutes later Jun walked out, yawning a bit as he was now kitted up in his Kamikaze gear, facemask included.

I rolled my eyes and headed down. Jun following after. Jun kept yawning so I actually stopped at a vending machine and bought a couple of drinks stuffing a few into his arms, making sure they were the type he liked before heading to the garage.

He didn't say anything but he was giving me an amused smirk as he followed after.

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything." He replied instantly, but he was still smirking.

Jerk!

We reached the car, but Jun was walking over towards his Kusanagi. "Jun! C'mon." I pointed at my car as I set the cans down on the roof for a moment as I opened the door and started arranging my Nekomata.

"I'll just follow you." He said side eyeing me.

"Not a chance. We are leaving the city. Unless you want to drive your Kusanagi through the badlands?" I asked, and I saw him wince a little.

NC streets could be bad enough with potholes, and general debris, but the roads out of the city were… Rough.

The Nomads drove their cars with offroad tires, and alterations for a reason.

Like my Quadra.

"C'mon."

"Just… Drive slowly." He demanded, as he relented and moved to the passenger seat.

"I always drive safely!"

—--

Driving out of the city was easy enough. It wasn't like many people drove out of Night City in the middle of the night.

If only Jun would stop trying to change the radio.

"Jun if you change my radio to that garbage one more time, I'm gonna start driving fast just to end this torture." I told him out of the corner of his eye.

Jun wasn't a fan of 'oldies' which. Samurai were. Technically.

I mean they were over fifty years old. Of course kids that grew up in NC thought the music was for old people.

They just had no taste! The original sounds? Johnny might be a real piece of shit, but he had some monster vocals and Guitar work.

"Ugh. Why do you listen to this scop. It's terrible." He grumbled at me.

"As someone who listens to Us Cracks, you have no right to talk about my music preferences."

"Us Cracks are at least modern."

I groaned as the argument went around again.

But I finally had an actual distraction.

"Heads up." I said suddenly turning off the engine. The headlights had already been turned off as we left the city.

My Kiroshi could see just fine and there wasn't exactly a lot of traffic.

Jun sat up from where he had been slouching in the seat.

"What is it?"

"First of the potential targets. Poppy Farm. Be careful. If this is it, the crazy fucker put up mines."

"You already told me." he said, rolling his eyes. "I won't forget a warning about landmines Motoko."
I nodded but I was narrowing my eyes.

The road went right past the only structure around.

I frowned as I noticed the fires highlighting the massive graffiti covering the front.

'Wraiths'

Not exactly what I was looking for. "This isn't it." I admitted as we cruised down the road without a sound. No mines. No defenses.

But Wraiths.

A couple of Wraith vehicles parked around, a barrel on fire lighting up the exterior. A few milling around drinking beers.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Not this farm… Still tempted to clear them out though." I admitted. They were obviously winding down, sitting around drinking or sleeping.

They wouldn't know what hit them.

"Starting a firefight for what? Imouto… As I learned. You need to bank the fire of your bloodlust." He said, surprising me.

The car finally came to a stop, still invisible to the Wraiths in the night but I looked away from the farm to Jun.

"Okay, who told you that? That didn't sound like you at all." I demanded and to my delight he actually looked a little embarrassed.

"Sensei."

I snorted before chuckling at him, Jun was soon pouting at me.

"Alright. Alright. I guess… I guess we can just ignore them." I said, sighing a bit. Fuckin Wraiths.

"I didn't say that." Jun offered after a few moments and I blinked at him, as he smirked at me. "I simply wanted to be sure you weren't rushing into a fight for nothing. What do you hope to gain?"

Numbers?

No, I couldn't exactly tell him that. Plus..

He was right. Morgan's Solo Guide. That book I never even finished reading way back when. I had taken some of the words to heart, made my rules, only to forget them when I got kidnapped.

I wasn't some psycho, killing for fun.

I was a merc. A Solo. Someone that did what she did for a reason, and what reasons do I have for killing a bunch of Wraiths?

"I know a Nomad. We clear this camp, we can let him know. Probably make some good eddies for the sale of the Wraith cars. That plus we get any weapons, and eddies the Wraith have on them."

"And what is the risk?"

I blinked.

Risk? From a bunch of sleeping Wraiths in the middle of the night?

"Jun you are vastly overestimating those gonks, or underestimating me. I could probably kill every wraith in that camp without them ever knowing I was there."

His quirked eyebrow told me he didn't believe me.

I felt an actual smile stretching my lips.

"I bet you complete control over the radio, I can do it." I offered which surprised him for a moment but then he chuffed out a laugh.

"If you can't. I control the radio not just on this trip, but from now on."

I winced. If I messed up and had to listen to the Us Cracks and the Pon Pon Shit or something? I might actually go Cyberpsycho…

But proving I was a badass and winning a bet against Jun? Totally worth the risk.

"Deal. Just stay here. Unless you hear gunshots. Shouldn't take me long." I told him, then I looked forward and blinked as I activated the BD recorder. Might as well get another benefit from this little side quest.

Then I slipped out of the car and into the darkness of the dusty desert road. Cactus and bushes surrounded me, and I could hear the sound of a radio in the distance. My blood turned to ice as I crept forward.

My eyes let me see just fine, but it was because of that, that I knew I had to be even better.

If even one Wraith had good optics and noticed me creeping along?

Jun would win our bet!

Plus they would shoot at me. That too I guess.

But as I moved in closer and closer stalking amongst the bushes and cactus, I knew this would work.

These guys were even more confident than the Maelstrom had been. After all, The Raffen were the predators of the Badlands. As much as the Nomads liked to talk big and tough, the Raffen were feeding on the Nomads, not the other way around.

So I crept in. My eyes flashing in scans looking for any defenses, only to find nothing.

Not even cameras. Just nothing.

Just a few Raffen outside, and probably more inside.

So I crept closer every inch of my body working in tandem to keep me out of sight. To keep me quiet. Until I was in the shadows of the barn.

I slipped inside.

No one noticed. No one even heard my footsteps as I slipped around the open barn doors and I was inside. The lights inside were old. Most didn't work.

A perfect environment for my work.

I went to the far back of the barn. Just to check for any security.

Nothing. Just a few of the old barn stables filled with tents, or sleeping bags. This was obviously not the Raffens' home. Just a place to spend the night despite the giant painted on Wraiths outside the barn.

Their vehicles were also inside. I went around to each of them just to make sure they were all empty.

All but one.

The poor Raffen sleeping in his back seat didn't notice me as I poked my head over the side door to stare at him for a moment. His door was locked.

His security wasn't good enough to stop me. I didn't even bother closing the door when I was done just pulling him mostly out of the car so he wouldn't bleed on the interior.

Then it was time.

The poor Raffen were split up. Sleeping or hanging around drinking and whiling the night away. It made sense. It was getting late.

A glance at my integrated clock in my Kiroshi, something I didn't tend to think about, showed the time.

2:07AM

A good time.

The second guy lost his life to a knife through the throat while he was sleeping in his little sleeping bag.

The next I killed by cutting through his tent rather than trying to unzip it. He died just as quickly.

I didn't feel much as I slowly cleaved through the sleeping Raffen.

They weren't even a threat as the sleeping men died one after another.

Six sleepers in total.

3000 xp.

Then I had to deal with the three outside.

I considered how to do it. They were split apart, but all chatting with each other.

Difficult.

I could grab my gun, but that wasn't how I wanted to run this.

So I turned back inside and searched a few of the corpses for what I wanted.

I smiled as I found plenty of what I needed.

Then I stood up from the shadows.

I loved stealth. I loved sneaking around, but there was something truly freeing about walking openly out of the barn up to the first guy who was sitting down on some old garbage.

One of his buddies noticed me as I walked up to him and let my knife slam into his throat and out.

My other hand was already moving. The knife I had looted whistled through the air. Hitting…

Mostly where I wanted. It was a little off.

I really needed to up my Reflexes some more.

On the other hand, even as one man died, and the other gasped as a blade appeared in his chest I was pulling a third blade from my waist.

With a little flourish I lined it up even as the third Raffen tried to react. Tried to rise up and draw her rifle sitting at his side.

The whistling blade put an end to that, as she fell crying out breathlessly. I swiftly threw another blade, this one actually landed where I wanted. Her throat suddenly blocked by a solid piece of metal put an end to her as she writhed on the floor dying.

I had checked every inch of the inside of the farm, and I hadn't seen any of them wandering around in the night so I was fairly confident I was done.

My eyes turned gold.

*Motoko?*

I reached down and slipped my blade into the second Raffens throat, he was bleeding out on the ground a knife in his chest, lung pierced, but I put him out of his misery as I answered Jun.

*All Clear Jun-nii! Come on over, let's loot up.* I told him before dropping the call. I could hear my Quadra's engine start up a few moments later as the car rumbled off the road and towards the farm.

Perfect.

Loot. XP. And I could send a message to Scorpion. Maybe the Aldecaldos could use a few more cars? I peeked into the barn noticing there were a few Raffen vehicles now ownerless.

"Damn." Jun whispered behind me as I turned away from the barn to see him already walking amongst the corpses. With a motion he tugged free the knife in the Raffens throat. Bringing it up to his face he looked it over. "I remember. When you were practicing that." He said sounding a little off.

"I uh… spent some time on it. It's a useful skill." I lied. I really hadn't done much knife throwing since I played with it so long ago, but the instincts, the experience, the muscle memory was all part of Ninjutsu.

I could practically feel the blade still between my fingers. The motion I had made to throw it. I hadn't even thought about it. Just did what I knew was right.

"Well. You cleared them out alright."

"Go ahead and look around Jun, might find something you want. I'm gonna call Scorpion."

"Scorpion?" Jun asked but I ignored his question as I turned away from him, took a few steps away and felt my eyes turn gold again.

I felt my foot tapping away for a while as Scorpion didn't pick up at the first ring, or the second, or the tenth.

Finally the call connected, and a grumpy voice came over the line.

*Fuckin' hell. What!? Do you have any idea what time it is!* Scorpion cursed and grumbled on the line but I smiled.

*Hey Scorpion, you still need a car?* I asked ignoring his complaints, I was trying to do him a favor after all.

*What?*

I rolled my eyes at his question, the man must have been asleep he was really being slow to catch on.

*Wait Motoko? Why are you calling so late?*

*C'mon Scorpion keep up. Do you still need a car? Or rather any of the Aldecaldos? I have… Six? Raffen Vehicles that are now ownerless. You or your family want them?*

*What?* I snorted, at least this time it was a what of surprise, and not just pure confusion. I let the call stay silent for a minute.

*Fuck you hit another Raffen Camp?* He asked blearily, obviously struggling to think.

*More like a pit stop. I was searching for someone else, and ran into them. So you want the vehicles? I'll give you a good deal for them.*

*Fuck. Yeah. Hold on. Give me… Give me a minute. I need to wake up.* He grumbled a bit and the line went silent, as he must be paying attention to something other than the call.

While I waited I turned towards the bodies and started looting them. Each of them men of course had a weapon, rifles or shotguns seemed to be the preference.

I looked through the growing pile of weapons with an interested eye. I certainly didn't need much else, but it was always nice to see if there was something interesting among the chaff. I didn't find anything I wanted to add to my growing armory, but I did find a few pieces of interest. Optics, or little mods that I quickly uninstalled on the weapons and chucked into the Quadra's trunk.

I could have some fun with some of that!

*Motoko. You there?*

*Course Scorpion, feel a bit more awake?*

*Yeah at least I'm alive. You said you had six vehicles?*

I didn't respond right away, instead looking into the barn and taking a picture of the vehicles all parked. Then sent that.

*Yep.*

*Holy… Preem. Very Preem. Motoko, you know we don't have the cash reserves for all of them, but I, well I'm still stuck on my bike, I wouldn't mind an actual roof over my head.*

*That's fine, listen if you can come pick them up, we can count it as an IOU. I don't really want to try and hold these until other Raffen decide to come find out where their buddies are, and I don't have the desire to try and sell them to a bunch of gonks. Pay me what you can, and maybe we can barter out some other stuff, but I know you're reliable so I gave you a call.*

The line went silent at my offer for a long while. Long enough I started to wonder if I had lost connection.

*Scorpion?*

*Yeah. Yeah I'm here. Fuck Choom. I don't know what to say.*

*Say you'll come take these off my hands and pay me what you can later.* I told him with a laugh which I got an almost strangled sound in turn.

*Alright. I'll get the Aldecaldos together. We'll come take them off your hands, won't be difficult to get them repainted and keyed to us. Listen. Kid, I still owe you one. A big one, and this… I'll pay you back somehow. I promise.*

*Don't stress so much Choom. Getting these out of the hands of Raffen is already a lot. Listen I gotta run. I'll send you the coordinates, but I'm in the middle of something. Don't have time to hang around.*

*Yeah of course. I'll… I'll keep in touch. Don't hesitate to come by if you ever need something.*

"Motoko. Are we going to be waiting around all night?" Jun asked, interrupting, and I threw him a one moment gesture at him.

*I gotta run. Stay safe Scorpion.*

*You too kid.*

I nodded, as I finally disconnected.

"Okay. Ready to go? Loot anything good?" I asked him but Jun just shook his head.

"I just klepped some Eddie shards. They didn't have anything I wanted."

"Preem! Follow me then I want to find that serial killer fuck before he can target anyone else."

I jogged over to the car pointedly ignoring Juns eyebrow as he looked around at the dead bodies around him.

—--

We drove to another farm nearby only for another miss.

While I drove I was looking over my stat screen. Since there was no traffic out in the badlands it was easy enough to split my attention.

4500 XP from the Raffen. None of them were big guys, so I only got 500xp a head.

Still that leveled me up again.

*Level up achieved!*

*One Stat Point Gained.*

*One Skill Point Gained.*

Level 9.

Of course as much as I wanted to start spamming stats again. I knew the rule. So the stat point was immediately dropped into adaptation for my arms. I twitched a little as the point went through. A coolness in my chest that I realized had actually been impacting my breathing as I tried to naturally shy away from the cold, eased. I inhaled, and exhaled. Feeling.

Better.

One more step.

But what was I gonna do with all these skill points? I had four of them saved at this point, and that was a lot.

But I didn't really need to spend it on anything. Most of my skills were getting close to the stat cap, or they were something I would grind once I had some better tools.

Looking at you Quickhack. One of these days I was gonna get an upgrade to my Netdeck and get some actual toys.

In the end I just pushed it away. I would think about it when I wasn't mid hunt for a serial killer.

"Okay we are coming up on the next potential place. Keep your eyes open." I told Jun, who had been yawning for a while.

Poor Jun was sleepy.

We were coming close to three in the morning after all.

Lights off I turned off my engine as we started coasting down the empty road.

I had been forced to head back into the city and go out a different exit just to get to this point. Edgewood Farm.

The name was sort of foggy-familiar. So I was really hoping this was it. As we approached I noticed the large gate surrounding the area, and while that didn't ring any bells in my head, as we coasted past the entrance. I saw it.

Mines.

"Jun."

"I saw it. This the place?"

"Yeah." I muttered as I let the car keep drifting down the way a bit farther from the farm house and barn so that when I braked it was as quiet as could be.

"Alright we gotta be careful."

"No kidding. How are you going to get around the mines?"

"Slowly." I told him with a laugh. We both stepped out of the car and headed towards the gate. I crept up to the edge of the locked gate waving Jun back as I started scanning.

First I needed to turn off those cameras. A security camera was over the entrance to the farm house. I started breaching in through the Quickhack, but noticed the problem pretty quickly. This psycho was a netrunner. Or at least good enough that his defenses weren't easy to break through.

I pulled back. I wasn't breaking into the cameras defenses without setting off an alert, and that was something I didn't want to happen.

"Motoko?" Jun whispered and I shook my head. "Defenses on his stuff is tight. Give me a minute." I told him as I thought. I could try to get around to the camera to breach it directly, I could try to sneak into the little house, but no telling what he had set up there…

And I would be in direct view of the camera.

So what can I do?

Wait.

I don't need to do this silent. He was one guy in the middle of nowhere…

I just needed to draw him out.

"Jun I'm going to draw him out and then just headshot this fucker. Once he is down, we can get through his defenses at our own pace."

"Okay. I'm with you." He said and I threw him a thumbs up as I hurried back to the car. I had left my Nekomata inside. Quickly pulling her free I rushed back to the entrance.

I might not be able to break into the camera, but I could get a mine to go off.

Once I settled back in I grabbed a rock, and with a smirk hucked it over the wall right towards a Mine I had already spotted.

The explosion was deafening in the silent night.

A moment later two turrets popped out of the ground near the barn. I wanted to whistle but kept silent as they started searching around. Automatic lights also activated lighting up the farm.

But then silence. I could feel Jun getting jittery behind me as I just waited for it. I was backed up just enough that the camera couldn't spot me, or the barrel of the Nekomata as I kept it pointed at the front door of the little farmhouse.

He had to be here. It was so early in the morning.

Then a few minutes later the door opened.

Well I didn't remember the guy from the game, but he was in the right place at the right time.

He stepped out onto the porch. Looking around grumpily. He was looking towards the smoking hole where the mine used to be when I took the shot.

The sharp retort of my rail gun broke the night, and the mans body flopped.

"I hope you're right." Jun said from behind me.

But I already knew I was.

*750 XP Gained.*

The only time I gained 750 was for people that weren't borged out, but were still dangerous in some way. Netrunner, bosses of men.

And now Serial Killers.

I stepped out and took aim. The HMG turrets each took two shots as they buzzed around trying to locate what was shooting at them before they came apart.

"Alright stay close Jun. I'm gonna hack these mines as we go."

I opened the gate by pulling it open… With Juns stupid gorilla strength helping out, and then the minefield. My eyes shifted as I scanned the first mine. Working on it's ICE to try and break through.

I didn't in fact break through.

I was glaring a few minutes later when I realized that military ICE designed for land mines probably wasn't off the shelf ICE.

"Motoko?"

"Just… Just stand back." I grumbled pulling out the Lexington in my back holster. While I couldn't break through the ICE, I wasn't worried about someone coming out to check any more. I started firing, blowing a path through the mines.

Thankfully the entrance of the barn didn't have any mines right out front even if it was locked down. There just weren't any ways to actually get in. "Wait here." I told Jun as I turned around and headed for the farmhouse.

He definitely had a way in from inside. I passed the dead body without a glance. I started searching, nothing on the first floor, just old trash and a living room. Upstairs though? A bedroom, with a big computer system. I accessed it without any trouble. The security ignored. The system was already unlocked and opened from being in use.

But there wasn't an access point. Just lots of emails, both to his victims and a saved folder full of saved pictures from the news and other media about the Meat Man.

Fuckin' sick. I guess this guy had a nickname to the media.

So I stopped looking through his personal computer. There had to be something more. With a bit of exploration I found a switch behind the computer desk.

As I pressed it, A hidden door opened. Leading to another little secure room. Including the barn access controls. A few moments later I could hear the doors rolling up outside, and I wasn't going to stick around inside.

I rushed out, Jun nowhere to be seen as I rushed to the barn keeping an eye out for mines.

There was Jun, inside standing next to a…

Well it was a person with that creepy gas mask on. Only this mask wasn't to keep the gas out. It was meant to pump oxygen and other chemicals to cows. Only now it was worn by some teens and it wasn't oxygen they were inhaling.

I took a few moments checking the system before I realized I would need to shut down the entire system from the source in order to unhook the two people inside.

"Stay with them, be ready to pull that tube off when I tell you!" I called out to Jun as I rushed towards the back finding the control room, idly putting a fist into the TV that had that fucking cartoon playing.

It only took a moment to find the right switch and the whirr and noise of the air system suddenly quieted. "Do it now!"

Rushing back out onto the main barn Jun was pulling the mask off one of the people. I hit the other. A few seconds and I had the boy inside free.

He didn't make a sound as I pulled the mask from his face, checking his pulse…

Slowly I felt it. A weak beating.

"That one alive?"

"Yeah."

"Okay I'm going to call NCPD." I told him, earning a hesitating nod from Jun.

I dialed the number and a few moments I was put to a recorded message, and not even a person.

That was so NCPD I couldn't believe it.

I went through the menu needing to select three options and pay a 10 eddie bill, before the line connected.

"NCPD what is your emergency?"

"I have two young men that have been kidnapped and pumped full of some kind of drug by a psycho. This guys definitely a serial killer. These two are alive, but I doubt they are his only victims."

"Estimated wait time for a patrol vehicle is… Fourty-five minutes to your current location. Thank yo-"

"Hold on! These kids might be dead in fourty-five minutes! Look at this!" I backed up and took a picture before sending it down the line.

"Miss, we don't accept pictures. Nor will NCPD alter our deployment speed. Another 10 Eddies will be deducted from your account for the lengthened call. Thank you fo-"

"This is the Meat Man. The Serial killer. Don't sit there and tell me no one is interested in that!"

The line was quiet for a moment. "Please hold."

I blinked.

Well that was easy.

A minute or so later the call was answered.

"This is Detective Stints. If this is a game, I'll bash your skull in."

That was… Certainly an introduction.

"It's not. I have two people that were kidnapped and drugged, and a dead psycho serial killer that is probably your Meat man. At the least he had practically every news article mentioning him saved to his personal computer. I just need an ambulance to come get these people before they die."

"You tried to send a picture. Send it to me now."

I didn't just send that. I sent that picture another about the location including the mines and the dead body.

The line was quiet for a few minutes.

"I'll be on my way. A patrol car will be there soon. Stick around. I'll have questions."

"Sure. Just make sure they know about the mines. I'll clear up as many of them I can. But this guy was crazy."

"I'll make sure the patrol car knows."

The line ended.

"Chatty guy isn't he?" I muttered but at least I got something.

"NCPD is actually showing up? I didn't expect that." Jun muttered as he caught up with me.

"Yeah… You ever heard of the Meat Man?"

Jun blinked and then frowned. "Yeah, a little. Urban myth?"

"I think this guy was him, at least he seemed very interested in what the news said about him."

"I'm glad you put a bullet in him." Jun said simply with a nod and to my surprise he reached out and squeezed my shoulder. "You did good. But we should probably get out of here before the cops show up."

"You can if you want. But I'm staying. To make sure."

Jun let out a sigh and nodded settling in to wait.

The next twenty minutes were mostly spent doing three things. Checking on the two people that still hadn't woken up but at least were still breathing. Long silences.

And explosions.

I was trying to disable the damn Mines, by breaching them and wasn't getting too far. They actually kept exploding on me, but at least as I tried I was getting rid of them, and of course I was getting the wrong XP alerts.

*100 Engineering XP Gained.*

I was doing the Quick Hack Breach, but getting Engineering XP.

Dammit system! I need a manual! Where is my Prima Official Guide!?

I shook it off and kept working, at least I was getting something, and Engineering was awesome. Then we heard it. The roar of a car coming down the road. "Jun I'll flag them down."

"No." Jun said suddenly grabbing me and holding me back. "Just let them work at their own pace. NCPD don't like people walking up to them." He told me holding me back as he rested against the Barn wall.

"Fine." I agreed it made sense…

I guess.

The gate was already open and the flashing lights of the car suddenly turned in, but stopped before coming close. Two officers stepped out both waving flashlights, one with a pistol in his off hand, and the other carrying a Copperhead. The assault rifle had a powerful flashlight on the end and he was waving it around, but kept an eye on Jun and I.

Both men were like startled cats, looking at every step.

I guess the warning about mines had gone through… That and the many craters that now littered the yard.

Finally both officers got close enough and lit Jun and I up, despite both of us being under a light.

"No sudden moves. Put your hands up!" One roared and I felt Jun obey begrudgingly, and I quickly followed after. The two officers approached and actually forcefully put us both on our knees and started handcuffing us both.

I could feel Jun muscles tense beside me, but I just turned and gave him a smile which had him relax.

"Evening Officers." I mentioned despite grunting around the harsh hands handcuffing my hands behind my back. "The two-"

"Quiet!" The guy handcuffing me snapped, and I was thankful that he didn't actually strike me like he motioned too.

Not because I was worried about him hurting me. Funnily enough I actually knew ways to break free of Handcuffs. Ninjutsu as always being the MVP.

No, I was worried Jun would have ripped the cuffs off and started beating the cops to death.

A few moments later we were both 'secured' by the officers and the one with the handgun went into the barn to look around.

He came out a minute later cursing and the two officers pulled away to speak in rushed whispers to each other.

Although at least in the end the grabbed their radio and started sending messages along.

"Told you we should have left." Jun whispered side eyeing me.

"It's fine. Just a… Okay they are idiots, but hopefully this will all go well once the detective gets here." I said, voice filled with hope.

Things did not in fact get better when Stints did show up.