Ghost in the City: Cyberpunk Gamer SI

[Seras]

I sauntered down the steps into the yacht, and into the room that was more like a club than what I expected on a boat.

And I actually had three sleepers…

Oh no there was a fourth person passed out, half way under a table.

Four.

One of them I recognized.

Too bad for Bartolomeo. The owner of the yacht was someone I had been planning on having a certain kind of meeting with already. The other three I didn't recognize, although the fact the other two were women told me what had been happening. Bart had one woman curled up against him. Both were naked enough I knew what had been happening. The two men were equally undressed but the big guy had rolled off the couch at some point and was basically napping under the shadow of a table.

I nearly whistled as I walked along the room, taking note of everything.

Like the fact Mr. Table had a Burya near him.

Interesting.

I picked it up and checked it. Loaded.

That was an easy fix, and then I put it back to where it was.

There weren't a lot of people that walked around with a Burya. They were clunky, heavy, difficult to conceal, overpowered weapons for most people.

It only made me more suspicious about Mr. Table's identity.

Was he the Scav contact that Bart had?

Was this guy important with the Scavs? Well I might just find out.

First I hacked into all four of the sleeping gonks. It only took a few moments to breach their systems and put in a jammer.

Any attempts to reach out for help would fail couldn't have that after all.

Then I grabbed an unopened bottle of champagne, swished it around, shook it up to make sure it was nice and frothy, and then popped the cork.

The spray of champagne over Barts face was more than enough to leave him sputtering awake with a curse.

"The fuck! Bastard who did that? Is that you Sandra? You bitch!" He cursed, clearing his eyes of the frothing alcohol.

"Not exactly." I told him using my Sexy Motoko Voice. After all, this guy wasn't dealing with a teenager looking at a big score.

No, this time I was a dangerous edgerunner having already taken a millionaire hostage.

He jerked away as he caught sight of me.

I was wearing the section 9 gear with a few additions. The upper part of my face was covered by a set of tech gogs I had picked up.

I mean the Major had a set. So I needed one too.

Especially since this was my first big gig.

"The fuck-" Bart was cut off as I pulled my Lexington out from behind me.

He might be a millionaire but he was also a NC resident. He knew instantly what trouble he was in.

"Hey easy! Listen, I'm sure we can work this out. Whatever bounty is on my head, I'll pay it out! Honest I mean this is my yacht, I have the eddies!" His gibbering had obviously started waking the others, thankfully with the techgogs on no one could see my eyes as I tracked Mr. Table as he sat up from underneath the thing taking in the sight of me pointing a gun at Bart.

"I'm not here because you have a bounty, Bartolomeo Mordellini." I informed him calmly. "I'm here because of the multiple crates of Scav gathered chrome that is currently below our feet." I idly tapped my toes a few times to let the sound echo around.

Then I went silent to let my statement fill the air and I could see the fear on his face.

"Bitch." A russian accented voice said from behind me, but I ignored the big russian man that was now pointing a Burya at me.

The fact he was mostly naked was also a reason I was doing my best not to look. Nice Mr. Studd there champ.

"Let me guess you are the Scav contact Bart here is working with?"

"Hah! As if you will ever find out little whore, I will enjoy seeing your corpse ripped into-"

That was as far as he got as I drew on him. My Burya casually pulled out of my shoulder holster and aimed. I purposefully drew slow.

Giving the fucker plenty of time to pull the trigger himself.

The audible *Click* of his Burya failing to fire was very satisfying, but not as satisfying as seeing his head suddenly vanish.

I let the roar of my Burya echo around the room. The girls both screamed in shock at the sudden noise, both now fully awake and suddenly realizing the danger they were in.

"H-hey!" Bart called out hands up as I hadn't taken my Lexington away from his face, nor had I truly looked away from him.

I loved my Kiroshi.

"Bartolomeo. Perhaps now you are more willing to listen?"

"Yeah! Yeah sure whatever you want! Yeah the hold has the chrome! I swear they threatened me! Kajetan had a gun up to my head! Honest! He nearly kidnapped me once and–"

"I really don't care." I told him simply because I didn't.

I didn't believe for a second he was just being threatened. You don't usually have an orgy with a guy that was threatening your life.

Or maybe you did? Hell if I know how Night City scumbags ran things. Fucking weirdos.

No, I had no doubt that Bart thought he was cool and dangerous for having gangster connections.

"What what are you going to do to us?" The woman sitting besides Bart asked, she had been slowly trying to gather her clothes to cover herself after realizing the situation she was in.

"You and that one aren't any of my interest. You are free to go once we get where we are going." I told the woman.

"Wait. What? Going?" Bart asked, looking around in confusion, before seemingly remembering he was on a yacht.

That his yacht could actually move.

"Take a look for yourself. Feel free to jump into the water if you want to escape early, but I wouldn't recommend it." I told them as I pointed at the front of the boat. "I want all of you out there on the front of the boat. Get dressed and get moving." I ordered and the girls were quick to listen, reaching around to grab clothes and start dressing themselves.

"Bart that means you." I demanded my Lexington still aimed at him and he hurried to find a pair of pants amidst the party mess.

I simply turned away. Taking only a moment to grab the empty Burya. Didn't want to risk someone finding some ammo for it, and headed back out and into the bridge.

We hadn't gone too far. This thing wasn't exactly a speed boat. So I only made a slight adjustment to the course. Of course as I was doing that I was seeing a lack of three gonks standing out on the front of the boat so I could keep track of them.

I walked back down, noticing the three had mostly huddled together. The girls now dressed, if not decent. While Bart looked like he was searching for something, tearing through the cabinets and couches.

Ah he probably had a gun somewhere.

I fired a round into the fancy molding above his head earning screams from all three.

Heh. Bart screamed like a girl.

"I said get to the front of the boat. Perhaps I wasn't clear."

The three hurried out barely dressed and terrified. With that done I went back up to the bridge to navigate to the drop off.

—--

With the three gonks at the front of the boat, I was able to sail it down the coast while keeping an eye on them. The one time they thought to try and sneak back inside, I had come down with a warning shot that had come much closer to hitting than they had liked.

So they stayed where I wanted them.

I was actually surprised at the lack of response. No NCPD patrol boats tracking us. Or AV's flying in to launch a MaxTac team.

It was just a quiet trip through the waters until we left the sights of the city behind and towards our destination.

Then slowly I spotted my stop. A few trucks sitting out near the water with a dozen or so workers ready to haul the loot out of the hold. The only place along the coast that was low enough to get on, but wasn't a beach. It was old concrete, a boat dock at one point years and years ago, but had been abandoned for decades.

Ichi and Malcolm had found it, and so we had our meetup point,.

As I approached nice and slow, cables were thrown over and only once I had the engine off did I head out to grab the cables and lock the boat in place.

Everyone was wearing masks hiding their faces and quickly got to work, setting up a ramp and dragging hand trucks up to start unloading the crates.

Richard gave me a nod as he passed by.

In the end Hiromi had pushed for using the SLS for this gig. I still hated the idea, but we needed the muscle to get this shit out of here at any real speed.

Besides as much as they all listened to me. I wasn't their boss. We all worked together. Even if I did a bit more a lot of the time.

Ichi, Malcolm, Hiromi and I would be keeping an eye on the trucks to make sure nothing disappeared as we transported everything back to a storage yard that Ichi and I had put together for us.

The three gonks were pulled off the boat by a few of the SLS and pushed out of the way.

There was no need to worry about holding onto them.

We were in the middle of the desert miles from Night City. They must have realized it too, as the girls mostly stayed huddled together, while Bart continued to glare and curse under his breath.

Especially when crates of chrome started being pulled off the yacht.

Each one made the man angrier.

But he wasn't a complete fool. He kept himself quiet just glaring.

Just as the first few crates started getting pulled out of the yacht my Quadra pulled up.

Hiromi had dropped me off at the Marina, and had driven my Quadra out to meet me. I walked over and noticed the eager look on her face as she stepped out of the car, but she didn't move away from it, just leaning against the car as she looked on as more and more chrome was put into our hands.

"It's amazing." She whispered and I nodded along as Hiromi looked on at all the hard work she had done.

After all, I might be the one handling all the combat and stuff, but logistics were Hiromi's speciality.

Hiromi and I watched on, after she gave me back the key to my Quadra and we watched on as the trucks were loaded up, each crate representing a ton of eddies for our pockets.

Then when the hold was emptied it was show time.

The BD needed a finale after all.

I walked back onto the boat making sure it was empty. I noticed the lounge area in the lower decks was suddenly far less full of money and drugs.

I rolled my eyes at the SLS but if they wanted to grab a bonus as long as they stayed away from the chrome I wouldn't complain.

The yacht was let free despite Bart yelling asking what was going on.

It took a minute to angle the yacht out to sea. Then I hit the engine and ran.

I leapt off the boat landing in the shallow water as the yacht started its journey out into the pacific.

"That! That's my yacht!" Bart yelled looking at me in anger.

But I ignored him, unfortunately for him, the gig wasn't over yet.

I walked over to my Quadra under the watchful eyes of my crew, the SLS and the three prisoners.

There I pulled out of my trunk a special surprise.

The case was heaved out and then opened, and the moment the kids saw what I was pulling free they all screamed in surprise.

Then cheered.

"Watch the back blast." I told Hiromi as I hefted my Uragan onto my shoulder.

I knew having a Rocket Launcher would come in handy someday.

"Wait… Wait wait wait!" Bart screamed but he was held back by the guns Malcolm and Ichi were covering him with.

Then I fired.

The Rocket launched, giving me a bit of a kick as it soared high into the sky before angling back down.

The Nomad missiles were pretty good. Normal Uragan missiles were just dumbfire, but having some guidance on them was a nice trick.

The missile came down on top of the yacht.

The explosion was shattering.

For all Barts stupid Yacht looked like a sleek stealth ship, it was just a pleasure cruiser.

It ripped apart, then exploded again when its Chooh2 went up. I might have made sure the fuel tanks were topped off before all of this happened.

Just for the extra fireworks.

The entire ship turned into nothing but shrapnel as the kids around us all cheered at the explosion.

"You bitch. You blew up my Yacht!" Bart called out sounding almost defeated as he fell into the sand around the concrete. He was angry.

He was wrathful.

He was going to be a problem.

Which is why this had already been all planned.

I walked over and before he could even realize what I was about to do. I put a bullet in his head.

*250 XP Gained.*

The two girls started shrieking as they realized I had just executed their choom.

"Working with Scavs meant you were a dead man. Did you think I was going to let you walk free?" I asked his corpse before turning to the girls. They both flinched looking horrified.

"Not gonna hurt either of you two. You have two options. Walk now, or hitch a ride back to the City. If you cause any problems though I'll kill you." I informed the two women with simple words and then adjusted the Uragan on my shoulder and looked back to my crew.

"Pack it up! We are moving!" I called out and everyone cheered.

Gig complete. BD ended.

—--

We did just as I said. Driving into the city, we dropped off the two women at the first metro stop we came to. They both hurried away, and that was the last I saw of them.

We drove on. Towards the storage yard Ichi had sorted out for us. Well mostly his work. I had unfortunately realized that if we were going to store this much loot we couldn't just do it on our own terms. It would be picked clean far too easily. There was too much. It was too tempting.

We couldn't trust the SLS to watch it without it going missing, so while they were transport they wouldn't be the ones watching our loot.

No, I had unfortunately been forced to make a deal with the devil.

We pulled into a storage yard, waved in by the Tyger Claws gangsters sitting around the entrance as each truck moved in under their eyes.

Inside I pulled to the side as the trucks moved in to start unloading into a storage lot Ichi was managing. I had put Ichi and I into a room with a man I didn't want to deal with to help set this up. A man that was even now waiting for me.

I unfortunately had a conversation in front of me.

"Fujimura." I greeted as I stepped out of the Quadra. The man was leaning against his own car obviously waiting to see what would happen.

"Kusanagi. I see you were successful." He mentioned looking actually pleased as the trucks opened up and the many many crates of chrome was revealed.

"Yeah. Worked out just like I said. No issues other than the owner of the yacht was onboard when I klepped it." I noticed his look and rolled my eyes. "He's flatlined, as is the Scav fucker he was partying with. Pretty sure it was his contact."

"I see. Then it was a successful gig. If one of my subordinates pulled off a success like this, I would have no choice but to promote them." He mentioned, obviously digging, but I shrugged.

"Too bad I'm not your subordinate. Our deal won't have any surprise complications will it?" I asked not quite looking at the man as we both watched Ichi guide the kids into unloading.

I was really glad that none of the trucks had gone missing enroute.

Then again. Other than me driving my Quadra Malcolm, Ichi, and even Hiromi had been driving the trucks. I had been tempted to ask Nox for help as well, but there was honestly a reason I had revealed my Uragan to the kids before we left.

I made it very plain that if any of them tried to run off with a truck… I would deal with them.

"It will not. These men are mine, and they will treat your belongings as my own. None will go missing. As long as your part of the deal is upheld."

"Course. Everyone wants chrome. Me, my chooms, even you." It told him. That was the price of using TC protection.

Fujimura, or more specifically the Kamikaze would have the right to get some of the chrome we gathered, basically their ripper would come in pick out things they wanted, and they would all be free up to a certain point, basically Hiromi gave them a stipend they could grab some things with, the rest they could buy if they wanted to be clients. It would keep us from having to pay the TC directly as well.

Honestly the deal was pretty heavily on my side. Fujimura had seemed very pleased to try and tie me ever closer to the TC.

As always Fujimura was tying the noose around my neck all the tighter.

Their ripper would be here soon, I would have to reach out to Vik as well. See if he wanted to come down for some cheap chrome.

No, I remembered Hiromi was already on that. I already noticed the way she was still hanging around inside the truck definitely on a call with someone.

Good. The sooner we turned all of this chrome into eddies the safer we would all be.

It was a lot harder to steal bank accounts, than crates of chrome.

I would already be hanging around the lot just to make sure no one managed to get in.

A heavy hand landed on my shoulder and I didn't startle. I had of course already noticed his approach.

"Good job Imouto." Jun said, pulling me into a side hug as he looked at the crates with pride.

"Yeah… Good job me." I muttered frowning. The job wasn't done. Not yet.

Despite succeeding. Despite the potential of making a ridiculous sum of eddies from this chrome.

As long as this chrome was still chrome and in our hands, it would put a target on us all.

I shook myself free from Jun without a word and headed to look around the storage lot. I would be keeping a close eye on the chrome in the lot over the next few days until it all sold. So I was going to get a feel for the grounds.

As Hiromi oversaw the SLS unloading the chrome into the storage unit. As Ichi and Malcolm congratulated each other on their new riches.

As Fujimura looked on with that arrogant look on his face as if he was the one who planned all of this.

I watched on, really wishing I had my Nekomata with me.

Just in case.

—--

It was four long days later.

I was doing some minor programming work on my laptop while looking over the storage lot when I noticed Jun of all people pull into the storage space.

The TC gangsters all greeted him eagerly.

Heh Jun being famous was still funny to me.

Of course I put my laptop away to focus on what Jun was doing. Simply connecting back into the camera systems all over the storage lot that let me listen in.

"-don't know where she is? She's been hanging around the last four days!" Jun argued and the gangster he was talking to just shrugged.

"Haven't seen her."

Jun looked around in confusion. He must be wondering what was going on because every time he had texted me to try and get me to come home had been me saying I was keeping an eye on the loot.

So I squinted my eyes and reached out with a finger just letting the finger touch the top of where his head was and then snapped a picture, which I sent him as a text.

I watched on as a moment later he startled before looking around himself as he tried to figure out where I was.

Then of course he just called me because Jun's Hide and Seek game is pretty weak.

*Motoko Where are you?*

*I literally sent you a picture you gonk. Head across the street into the office building. The lobby is open and you can take the elevator up. I've already added you into the security. Also stop trying to spot me, you are going to give my hide away.*

Then I hung up on him. Wakako might be a bitch for doing it to me, but it was pretty funny to do it to other people.

Then I just waited, keeping an eye on the lot through the scope of my Nekomata as I waited for Jun to get here.

Finally the roof access door opened and Jun stepped out and I waved at him my hand poking through the dark piece of carpet I had… 'acquired' from an empty floor in the office below me.

No one was using it! They could have it back when I was done.

"Motoko, what are you doing?" Jun asked as he stood up over me.

"Gonk, get down! Don't let anyone see you!" I snap back even raising the carpet up a bit showing him the entrance so he could slip in.

The hide had been growing over the last few days. Originally just part of the AC unit chosen because I was able to get access to the plugs so I could charge my laptop. It had grown with the addition of a few chairs found in the offices below, the carpet over top and some cushions stolen from a couch that was in the lobby so I had something soft to sit on.

Thankfully it wasn't too hot this week, and I had some nice sea breezes to double up on that.

"Here take a cushion." I offered sliding it over and Jun gave me a really mean look. There was absolutely no reason to look disappointed! I was working! Also my pillow fort game was insane! Look at this thing! I was in the lap of luxury!

"Motoko what are you doing up here? You haven't come home in days."

"I already told you! I'm keeping an eye on the loot. Hiromi, Ichi and Malcolm came by like an hour ago for another load she found a buyer for. I'm making sure it doesn't disappear before then." I argued instantly.

"Fujimura-Sama gave you his word that wouldn't happen. Just come home."

"I know Fujimura wouldn't steal from me… Probably. But I don't trust those gonks." I said pointing out through the peek hole made with an office chair that my Nekomata was resting on and the carpet overhanging meaning it was only a tiny hole and it would be nearly impossible to see back through.

"Ugh. Motoko you pulled off an awesome gig. The TC are all chattering about what you did, hell lot of people are. The Yacht theft was all over the news. No one is going to steal from you."

"Trusting other people not to steal from me is pretty stupid, when I can just make sure they can't." I said, using both hands to gesture to the Nekomata which was very specifically pointing at the storage lot.

"The TC won't steal from you Motoko."

"Maybe." I agreed without actually agreeing.

"Whatever, fine… Tell me about your gig." He demanded and had the audacity to steal another of my cushions to rest his back against as he leaned against the AC unit.

I narrowed my eyes at the blatant theft but decided to show once again that I was the better person.

Completely ignoring how everything around me was stolen in one form or another because those were the intrusive thoughts you just didn't listen to.

"You'll be able to see it yourself soon once the BD comes out, but it was pretty awesome. I blew up the yacht with my rocket launcher! It exploded!" I couldn't help but gush a little and Jun stilled.

"Wait, when did you get a Rocket Launcher?"

"The Uragan that was under my bed? I've had it for a while now. I traded it to the Nomads. Remember when we hit that Raffen group before the Meat Man thing."

"What do you mean under your bed?" He demanded with a growl. Realizing the danger I made to run.

I wasn't able to escape.

 

[Rodvek97]

Will Vicky make her debut here too?

 

[Seras]

I ended up stuck watching over the lot for an entire week as Hiromi wheeled and dealed. Selling off chrome to anyone and everyone willing to buy.

Considering the amount, it was almost lucky that the TC were interested in so much of it, because offloading it was not easy for Hiromi.

We definitely flooded the market for civilian chrome to rippers and the like.

In the end there wasn't any trouble. Sure we had a few people sniffing around, but they all gave up when they saw the TC guys guarding everything.

Nothing big.

No kids sneaking around trying to steal it. No TC grunts trying to swipe a crate.

No Scavs showing up to get back their chrome.

Nothing.

It was quiet.

At least not toward the lot. Because I was so busy I had to pass on a gig that Jackie had been given by Wakako, which sucked, Wakako hadn't been pleased that I wasn't able to join in, but considering I hadn't heard anything Jackie must have succeeded.

After we sold everything, or at least enough of the chrome that the dregs left behind weren't really something we were going to worry about. I was able to stop lurking over the lot.

For my chooms it was a week of running around selling like crazy. They were forced to protect, transport, and sell the chrome without me as I watched over the hoard.

A week before Jun's increasing grumpiness at me not coming home ended as the chrome was finally gone.

A week before we all finally met up to celebrate our success.

"Cheers!" Ichi called out and raised a glass. I raised my own to click with his, as Malcolm and Hiromi both joined in.

We were at the Ho-Oh Club celebrating.

"Heh! You should have told me about your little act of Piracy Motoko!" Akari whined as she downed her own beer.

"Akari let them enjoy their success." Jun said with a roll of his eyes. Practically holding the borg back from jumping into our little group.

We were at the Ho-Oh club, because Jun wanted to basically throw a party for my success and he picked the location. Akari had somehow found out about it and decided she wanted to join.

I hadn't had the heart to tell him I wasn't a fan of this place, considering the old management.

But it was still a TC club, and now that it had a second floor open, that is what Jun took over for the party.

At least the second floor was nice. A bit higher class than the BD bar down below. It was more like an actual club. The couches were comfier too.

I leaned back as Jun and Akari bickered, as Hiromi continued to look super proud.

She had been on Cloud 9 since we had sold the last of the chrome. Utterly thrilled with all the work she had done.

Honestly we all were.

I was just more anxious about the repercussions. The looming threat of what the response could be. Which is why I was happily hanging out with the chooms to relax.

"Motoko! When is the BD gonna be ready?" Ichi asked, suddenly pulling me back into the present.

"Ah. I haven't dropped it off yet. I've been a little busy." I reminded them with a sigh. All my chooms nodded, unlike Jun. Ichi, Malcolm, and Hiromi had all been super relieved that I had taken up watching the loot. "I'll go visit Judy soon." I assured them.

"You know you could go to a TC editor." Jun offered looking grumpy at the mention of my Mox friend.

"Nah. Judy's preem." I denied instantly, besides. The longer it took the BD to release the better. I had actually been really tempted not to make one of the recording. Tempted to kill the two women that Bart had been with as well.

If there had been no survivors, it would have been quieter.

But the SLS had seen, the TC had known. It would have gotten out eventually. So instead I was going to be blatant about it. Show how dangerous I was, by being almost overconfident.

Yeah I had stolen the Scav shipment. What were they going to do about it? Fight me?

That last bit was the reason I was worried.

I liked my life in Night City. I didn't want to have to worry about even more knives in the dark.

I shook it off.

That nagging feeling of danger wasn't any of my skills or knowledge.

It was just paranoia. I took a deep breath and exhaled.

"So what is everyone going to do with your eddies?" I asked and suddenly my chooms went silent as they all considered their wealth.

We had made enough eddies to put all four of us into a new economic bracket. At least until we spent it all, but it wasn't like street kids like us normally had tens of thousands of eddies we could blow as we liked.

"Oh, well. I'm gonna save most of it for my Grandmother just in case. I mean, maybe look into some chrome." Ichi offered with a casual shrug, although I noted that the last bit was less a maybe and more a definitely for the teenager.

"Oh I'm getting some better chrome too. I'm thinking some subdermal… Just so I don't have to worry so much about getting shot up." Malcolm offered. "Otherwise… Maybe a car of my own. I wouldn't mind having my own ride."

"Oh! I'm going to invest it into some quality flash chrome!" Hiromi happily cheered. "I need to look the part. Father offered to take me to an Arasaka medical clinic for some real corpo chrome."

"Oh fancy!" I said smiling, considering the Arasaka aesthetics… Yeah that would look pretty preem on Hiromi. It might change her style to a more goth style, but I bet it would look cute on her.

"What about you Motoko?"

I shrugged, I had a few things I wanted. I still wanted to get a Kusanagi Yaiba of my own.

Motorcycles were cool after all.

But I also wanted to get more chrome, and I would need to set aside thirty, maybe forty grand for a future plan.

Then I needed eddies for my engineering XP grind…

And I could do well with an even newer Cyberdeck…

I snorted. "I have so many things I have no idea!" I told my chooms earning laughs from Hiromi and Jun chuckled at me too. So that was nice. But Jun reached over and pinched me!

"Ow! Jerk!"

"Get some more chrome Motoko. You don't have to take something from the chrome you klepped, but go get some upgrades. Promise me you'll at least get some subdermal, Maybe a pain editor, and biomon as well. Just fit yourself out."

"I… I'll get the Subdermal." I admitted and all my chooms cheered and Jun nodded pleased. I really didn't need a pain editor. Cold Blood did an amazing job of that already, and a biomon seemed silly.

I didn't need a damn health bar.

"Good, you should protect yourself. Is there anything else you've been thinking about?" He asked prodding me and I did have to nod. There was lots of stuff!

I really wanted a Sandy after all! And Optical Camo! Going invisible would be so preem! I wanted to be even sneakier! Maybe some Lynx paws of my own so I would be even quieter! I mean, sure I probably didn't need that last one, but I could get some jumpy ankles…

Was it time to get some leg chrome? I had to consider as my mind actually remembered it was a thing.

Yeah. It might be.

I would have to talk to Vik about it. He would give me Dad level advice.

—--

I woke up the next morning in my actual bed. I had decided to take a full eight hours of sleep, just to reset myself.

It felt nice to wake up refreshed and feeling good. I guess in the end I couldn't complain about what the future would hold.

I would just deal with it as it came, and keep preparing just in case it was dangerous.

So that was exactly what I was going to do.

I got up and headed out. Jun was already gone, he must have been tired when he drove into work this morning since he stayed up so late partying with Akari. Who was entertaining at a party while also incredibly annoying. So the usual.

The sky was falling like crazy and I noticed the streets were semi flooded.

I avoided the oncoming traffic as best I could due to all the puddles and the tendency of people in NC not to give a shit. So it took a bit longer than usual before I piled into my Quadra and headed out into the streets safe from the rain.

The streets slick with oil painting the entire road a rainbow as I drove through the traffic towards Viks.

I parked outside Misty's Esoterica like always and rushed inside to get out of the rain, earning a laugh from Misty as she watched me pull my jacket from over my head.

"What? It's rainy out there!"

"I know you gonk, usually people bring an umbrella when it's raining." She teased pointing out her own neon umbrella resting in the corner.

"Pshht! I don't need it!" I said, although the fact I was still wiping water out of my hair had Misty giggling.

"Sure you don't. Here to see Vik? I don't see any bullet holes this time." Misty offered and I grinned at her tone.

"Nope, just a visit. I was too busy doing guard duty to see him after he put in the order for all that chrome I picked up."

"I heard about that. Vik mentioned it… You going to be okay Motoko? That was a lot of stuff you dropped off I hear. More than usual."

"Yeah…" I muttered still wondering that myself. "I did a really big gig. I found out this rich playboy guy was working with Scavs. Holding onto their chrome in the hold of his yacht… So I klepped it. You know, thinking about it. The NCPD will have to put Piracy on my rap sheet… That's pretty cool." I muttered I would have to go check the NCPD sheet on me soon.

Misty just snorted at my muttering and pulled me into a hug which was nice.

"That must have been dangerous, but if you stole from Scavs. That's a good thing."

"Yeah… It's big though. I'm worried about them retaliating. It's one of the reasons I'm here to talk to Vik… I think it's time for some new chrome. I'm ready for an upgrade." I tell her and she just nods.

It wasn't like people really had that much of an issue with chrome. So Misty probably just thought I was making a big deal with all the eddies I had now.

But this was me deciding to overcome my fear.

"Then you should go see him. Good to see you Motoko, come by more often okay?"

"I will! I'll come hang out later we should get food or something!" I agreed, earning a smile as I headed through the shop down the stairs and into Vik's lair.

"Motoko! Come in come in! You didn't say you were going to stop by." Vik called out as he turned down the sound of a boxing match playing on his small TV.

"Vik… I need some chrome." I said as firm as I could and Vik noticed it. Slowly he nodded.

"You sure? No, I see that you are. Alright kid. Let's get you chipped up. What do you need, let's make sure I have what you need."

"First? I need some Subdermal. The best we can get. I don't want people putting any more holes in me if we can help it." I told him and this time Vik frowned.

"A good choice, but I don't have anything that high end in stock… I know a guy though, give me a sec." He muttered as his eyes went gold and he leaned back into his chair.

Since he was obviously making a call I wandered over to the ripper chair and plopped in.

Just kicking my feet for a while as Vik tried to help me.

Good old Vik.

"I got something. A set of Militech-Armalite Ballistic Guard."

"Armalite? Isn't that a gun company?" I couldn't help but ask. Armalite was a name I recognized. They made one of the most popular guns in the world. The AR rifle platform. It was always weird when I came across a company that I remembered from my last life.

"Huh? Oh, they were about a century ago. Surprised you remember that." Vik mentioned and I had to resist starting to whistle at my accidental reveal. "They make armor for Militech now. Their subdermal is top of the line. A lot of it flooded the market after the last war."

I nodded made sense. I bet a lot of it that hit the market wasn't brand new either. Plenty of old NUSA soldiers dying on the street only to have their chrome stripped.

It was kinda gross, but I trusted Vik.

"Well kid anything else you are looking to get?"

"Yeah." I pulled up my leg by the ankle and pointed at my legs. "Know any good reinforced tendon cyberware? I need to up my mobility. Um but preferably something that isn't going to make my ankles creak as I sneak around. So big jumps but still quiet."
"Heh that's an old wives tale, they will be just as silent as your own ankles. But that I can do. I'm guessing you aren't looking for something cheap?"

"I want the best of the best Vik. I have the eddies. Better to go for quality for what I'm putting in me."

"Well kid, now you're talking my language. Check that screen, let's go through a list and see what we can scrounge up." He said as he rolled over and I pulled down the screen on his ripper chair watching as the options changed until it showed a listing of all sorts of leg Cyberware.

Small updates, like the reinforced tendons, to nearly full chrome legs all listed out.

I shook my head at some of the many options. "Just the reinforced tendons. I don't want to go crazy here Vik. Not yet anyways. Maybe someday I'll get a matching set of limbs." I joked.

"Alright kid, don't worry. We'll find you the chrome you are looking for, In fact… Let me check my stock, I might just have a surprise that would be perfect!" He offered with a smile that I couldn't help but return.

I was feeling a little nervous to add more metal into me, but not because I was afraid of psychosis or anything, but just because I wanted to make sure I was taking it slow and steady.

But getting shot so much would kill me a whole lot faster than a bit of mental zaniness.

Besides, I had found plenty of ways to get XP. If nothing else I could always go Daemon hunting.

—--

It took two hours for Vik to get his delivery of the Subdermal. Which I did look over in a sort of fascination.

The armor wasn't a solid piece like cloth, or armored panels like I expected.

The subdermal instead was a sort of hexagonal mesh that could be put together like… Well Lego wasn't quite right, but you could add and remove the hexagons to adjust it to the exact size you wanted.

In essence, it would be put together piece by piece beneath my skin turning into a bullet resistant mesh.

Vik made sure to keep mentioning it was bullet resistant, and not bulletproof despite what the marketing would tell me.

"Trust me Vik. I know the difference between bulletproof, and bullet resistant." I assured him but he just gave me his dad look and continued setting up the blueprint of where the mesh would be implanted in on his screen.

The reinforced tendons were easier Something he had pulled out of storage covered in dust. Vik had talked up the chrome quite a bit and I did trust him but…

"They seem kinda sketchy." I muttered as he put down the container for the implant on the table beside me.

"These are beyond solid kid. Professional sport quality Cyberware. The stuff they fit on Night City Heat… You have no idea what that is." He said suddenly at my blank stare.

"I have no idea what that is." I agree.

"Kids these days. It's the Night City Professional Basketball team!"

"I don't watch sports Vik." I denied his excitement turning him into a grumpy old man complaining about kids not liking the right sports ball team.

"Regardless! The chrome used to be owned by a basketball player, a kid that grew up here in heywood actually. Dante, good kid, came by every once in a while for years. A few years back he came by to have me do the upgrade. He was worried his agency was setting him up to take a fall with a new set of chrome. After I checked his chrome, I swapped him up, and he said I could keep these as payment. Funny kid. Paid me afterwards anyways." Vik chuckled but he gave me a strong look. "These things are high end sportsware. Chrome like this is in a lot of ways even better than the top of the line stuff you could find. It's pricy, but since you don't care about cost, trust me. This is the chrome you want."

"Alright Vik. I trust you. I'm ready. Let's get Chippin."

Vik stilled and gave me a look

I returned a firm nod.

"Alright Kid. Lay back." Vik said reassuring me with a hand on my shoulder as he gassed me up a bit and I was out.

—--

Militech-Armalite Ballistic Guard *Adaptation Ballistic Guard 0/2*
Serano Air-Groove Ankles *Adaptation Serano Air 0/1*

I was checking my status after Vik woke me up and had me sit up.

"You all there kid?" He asked and I nodded shooing away the screen.

"Yeah, just taking it in. Bit itchy, and my ankles feel kinda big, and wobbly."

"That's normal. Your skin is itchy because it's healing. Once it's done with that, you might feel some weird stretching. You are literally bigger on the inside now after all." Vik said joking to try and keep me calm. "The tendons is a big replacement kid. I mean this is the first time you've ever gotten such a big change in chrome outside of the obvious. Take it slow." He told me firmly, but I just nodded.

It wasn't too bad though. I had chosen this, so I was pretty comfortable with a bit of weirdness for a little.

"Now normally I wouldn't even let you walk for a while, but that's professional chrome made for fast healing… And you already heal fast. So make sure you do some light exercise, starting in a few days!" He cut himself off poking my chest. "Before you do something crazy, you will feel like you are running weirdly at first, and you should practice outdoors in a place it won't be too bad if you fall to get used to your new jumping ability. I've seen a lot of fools fall to their death because they tried to leap across something they shouldn't."

"Got it. Take it slow, get used to it, and wait a few days for everything to heal, or Vik will give me his disappointed dad face." I joked and to my surprise Vik almost jolted at my words, before a slow deep chuckle escaped him.

"Yeah that's right kid. I'll give you the worst disappointed dad face of your life." He said, smiling a little as he reached out and to my surprise…

And maybe secret delight, he fluffed my hair.
"Hey!" I pouted as required by all teenage girls when someone messes their hair but he just smirked at me.

"Now take a puff of this now. It'll help keep the pain down, and help heal up the wounds. Yes Motoko I remember you heal fast, but take it anyways. Come by tomorrow or the day after at the latest. I'll want to check you out after you sleep."

"Thanks Vik." I said seriously, reaching out and grabbing his wrist for a moment. "Really thanks."

"Heh, anytime kid."

—--

"Hey Misty." I called out as I walked into her shop. I was very grateful no one had seen me walking up the stairs to Viks clinic. I hadn't fallen, but the bounciness was going to take some getting used to. It was like wearing moon boots. My ankles also felt like they were made of rubber. It was fun, but in a weird sort of way.

They also hurt a bit, but between Cold Blood and Viks drugs I wasn't exactly bothered.

Besides, I was heading home to sleep it all off.

"Motoko! You've been down there a while, get some new chrome?" Misty offered as she waved me over to a table she was sitting at.

"Yeah, new ankles, and some subdermal. I kinda want to stop getting shot at all the time." I told her and she nodded at that trying not to look uncomfortable at me getting shot.

"Vik will have taken care of you though. Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm good. I'm just gonna head home to sleep it off, and then I'll be right as rain." I offered before noticing the way she looked a little down at that. "But I wouldn't mind a few minutes to rest my feet. Whatcha looking at?" I asked as I took a seat across from Misty who looked up in delight as she started chattering about the article she was reading.

"Speaking of Motoko. You sure you don't want a Tarot reading?" Misty asked already seeming to pull out the cards but I shook my head, reaching out to pause her hold.

"No thanks. I prefer to let the future be something I make… I don't need to be told what's going to happen. I'd rather get the fun of experiencing it directly." I told her and for a moment Misty looked like she wanted to argue, probably tell me I was getting it wrong, but eventually she just smiled and put the cards away.

"That's very wise of you Motoko. Living your life as it comes."

"It's not like that really. I'm just too much of a gonk, if you told me something bad was going to happen, I would end up freaking out and probably just make it all worse." I laughed, it was doubly true since Misty definitely had some ability to tell the future.

Best just avoid it though.

"I think it says a lot about you though. It means you really have your own path set out for yourself. I like it." She offered and I beamed a little at her compliment.

"Hungry?" Misty asked suddenly, and I couldn't help but nod which had her beaming. Five minutes later we were both set up in comfy chairs with some very zen ambient music playing as the two of us devoured some takeout Misty had run out to get from a restaurant nearby.

It was nice. Cozy.

 

[Seras]

Home was nice. Jun was still at work when I got home but I was kind of glad because I was really wanting a nap.

My chest itched.

Like crazy.

I was forced to use Cool just to resist the irritation. So I really wanted a full sleep to hopefully remove the discomfort.

As I flopped onto the bed wincing a bit as I pulled my boots off my ankles that were all blotchy and swollen.

Despite Vik's gentle touch he had still stuffed shit into my body. I was bruised up a bit. I didn't even want to check my chest. My leotard thankfully had a bit of stretch to it despite the armored layer so It was wearable. It did feel a little tighter than normal, although that could just be the swelling.

So I laid back onto my bed and set myself to eight hours.

I blinked awake feeling pretty damn good. I stretched, noticing that the pain that had been just under my skin before was gone, although I winced a bit as the itching wasn't entirely done with.

Sure it wasn't nearly as bad as it was, but as I stretched and felt the way my skin stretched there was a bit of irritation in areas.

I scratched a bit and that seemed to end it.

For now.

I checked my ankles which… Well they didn't quite look like how my ankles used to look. Part of that was the realskin seams over where the chrome had been added in. There were two seams, One along the top of my foot, and one about mid thigh height. The Real Skinn was a good match for my own so that was cool.

Vik did good work. I actually thought the seams were kinda cool too.

I wiggled my ankles left and right.

Up and down.

Rapid fire wiggled them.

Seems everything was good.

I stood up, rocking a bit, I did have a bit more bounce to my step. I would definitely need some practice to get the hang of everything again, but it was pretty natural to walk forward and I didn't have too many problems.

Without thinking I did a little extra bounce that would normally have just put me an inch off the floor only to bounce my head off the ceiling.

"Ow."

Hadn't Vik warned me to be careful where I practice…

Fuck he could never know. The Dad look would shatter my self esteem forever.

I rubbed my head as I left my bedroom. I was gonna need some exercise.

Time to go for a jog.

—-

I was so bouncy! It was taking up my entire focus as I ran down the street. My feet felt like they wanted to lift off the ground with every step. Once I got used to just how much bounce I could get, I entertained myself by doing front flips over the terrain of Night City as I jogged around.

Startling people as I literally flipped over their heads if they were in my way.

When Vik had originally told me about the Serano, he had mentioned their quality. He hadn't told me my hops would go to pro basketball player level. Or rather he had, but I hadn't understood.

I was leaping high enough that my feet would be over where my head was at the apex of the leap if I was walking.

Hell. I was easily leaping six feet straight up without a lot of effort. Especially since I could probably get even higher with some training and getting used to them.

It was super awesome.

And sort of distracting. I just knew I was going to overestimate my leaps for a while until I got used to them…

Or until I burned a stat point for Adaptation. It was only a one drop for my ankles which was nice.

Both the subdermal, and the ankles being so low cost had reassured me.

I guess my arms had been so costly due to the unique circumstance.

I stretched my arms up to the sky enjoying the tension in my chest from the action. Of course as usual the chrome arms hitched, or maxed out their extension in a weird spot.

I still needed to add more points into them.

But my ability to move was certainly better than it had been. I started slipping into some parkour, leaping up over vending machines, or other obstacles, as I broke into a jog. Letting myself really see what I could do.

I was still right around the block of the apartment, but Instead of circling around. I turned and just ran.

Hitting another office or apartment building and just…

Going up.

Climbing straight up a building was a very unique experience, it wasn't something most people ever really did.

But my hands knew exactly where to grab, my legs brought me to where I needed to move ever upward and I didn't hesitate.

I reached the roof by flipping over the edge landing in a quiet crouch.

I grinned to the kid that had been hanging around the roof a can of something in his hand dropped as he flailed at my sudden appearance beside him from the wrong direction. Then just kept moving.

I bounced over the edge, landing on a sign board and then running along it until I leapt again. Hands gripping into concrete and metal as I climbed over the side of an upper level bridge. As always parts of Night City were multiple levels, and it was awesome to be able to reach them completely on foot.

Then I ran, jumping and climbing onto a street light, until I was on top of it.

I stood looking over the street chest rising and falling in a gentle rhythm. The fact I wasn't out of breath, but I was breathing harder than normal, just a reminder I still needed to level body and athletics more.

I laughed at the thought, unable to hold back breaking into a long delighted laugh as I raised my hands above my head.

I loved this world.

I loved being able to be more.

As my laugh ended I turned Parkour helped me pick out the best rout. I jumped from the light pole to a building.

Everywhere I looked I could see a million paths I could run through the city.

It didn't matter what was before me, because I could traverse it.

So I leapt again and again.

—-

My feet landed quiet as a mouse in front of my apartment building. I was definitely breathing heavily now, sweating like crazy and really feeling the exercise. I had gotten a few Body alerts popping up, having been running and parkouring through the city for the last few hours just loving the rush of movement, and getting practice with what I could now do.

I looked up at the section of the city high above the apartment that I had just came down from.

That would be a useful trick in the future.

I suddenly turned and remembered the attack that had lost me my arms. How I had tried to climb up a building to escape.

With my new ankles I would have been able to get away.

Not that it matters. I patted my shoulder holster. I was always armed now.

Of course I looked at my alerts for a moment.

*100 Body XP Gained*

*100 Body XP Gained*

I was really going to have to start seriously pushing myself if I wanted to grind more level ups.

I headed inside, wiping my forehead and running up the stairs because I might as well get a little more exercise.

I jumped into a quick shower to clean up and after slipping into a new leotard I flopped on the couch and grabbed my laptop. I still had another Quick Hack that I hadn't 'fixed' yet.

Weapon Glitch.

Ping was an amazing utility, giving me information to better sneak around.

Reboot Optics was excellent at removing threats, but it was also very obvious.

Weapon Glitch? Weapon Glitch was just as good at removing threats, but it could also be prepared in advance.

No one missed when their eyes suddenly stopped working, but being able to turn off weapons before ever being revealed would give me a good advantage.

I looked at both the original Weapon Glitch I had bought from Yoko. The 'fixed' version I had put together which was okay, but still not great.

Then I considered how I could make it great.

I had enough experience now. Enough skill that I knew what to do. How to go about it.

I was going to make a Weapon Glitch that would just be hilarious. If I could get the hack to bounce through the network, I could definitely get it to spread to every weapon connected to whatever gonk I was fighting against.

I could potentially get it to bounce an unlimited amount of times within the network if I process the virus right.

Length and spread. That was my goal. Sure I could probably get a version that causes weapons to explode or something, at least smart weapons, causing their fuel and ammunition to cook off in the gun would be nasty, but that meant less loot!

No, I wanted a single quick hack to massively reduce the threat of a large group of people.

So I started programming.

—-

"-Mass hacking incident perpetrated by what the NCPD have decided to call the Laughing Man Hacker."

I blinked as I watched the news report. I had remembered that there had been an actual news report about my act of piracy.

So of course I had checked it out!

Apparently hacking the optics of dozens of rich and famous had caused a bit of a wave. I had to giggle uncontrollably as some playboy singer was interviewed absolutely spitting mad about how I had blinded him.

Apparently he had been mid… Coitus when it happened, and it had been with a married woman. A woman that was his bosses wife. Blind as they had been, they hadn't been able to split up before someone had come to help them.

I'd apologize but the guys rant was a bit much.

Temptation to assassinate rising.

But it was all hot air… I think. I made a note to check if the guy actually knew anyone that could cause me trouble.

In the end since they didn't take too long to figure out how to fix the blindness the incident slipped off the news.

But for a short time the Laughing Man, had been big news.

Cool.

Scary, but cool.

In the end the news never figured out who I was before the whole incident was forgotten. In the end I had only killed the one person after all. Everyone else affected was just given a small optical virus that had been fixed that night.

I tapped my neck feeling the shard ports.

I still had the BD recording saved. I hadn't handed it over yet. I could just forget about it…

No, that was fear talking. I rose up and stretched. It was getting late, but Judy should still be at Lizzies.

I got dressed and headed out enjoying the drive through the city, singing along to the radio.

Lizzies was booming when I got there. So much so that I had to drive down the street to find a parking spot. In fact there was practically a line getting in, but I did what any person does when they know the bouncer.

I walked past the line up to Rita.

She was glaring at a pair of gonk kids at the front of the line that were trying to talk their way in.

"C'mon! We've been out here for three hours!"

"And you'll wait a bit longer." Rita offered with a glare and a move that caused her baseball bat to tap against her chrome shoulder with a tink noise.

Of course I was getting attention by bypassing the line. Glares and a few irritated call outs, but they all expected Rita to halt me.

"Hey Rita."

"Motoko." She greeted with a single nod, before looking me over. "Business or pleasure?"

"Business. I'm here to see Judy."

"Go on in then." Rita said and the looks I got from the people in the line was pretty hurtful.

Wasn't my fault I was here with actual business.

The insides were crowded as I wandered in walking past hordes of people flirting and drinking.

Luckily I was able to walk right through to the back and then down into Judy's lair.

As I walked in, I was surprised that Judy wasn't alone.

Suzie Q. The leader of the Mox was standing beside her, looking down at a monitor.

"Oh. Hey Judy. Should I come back later?" I asked, making sure they knew I was there.

I knew how sneaky I was, I didn't want to get caught standing around waiting for them to notice and have people think I was spying.

"Jesus!" Judy jumped despite my attempt to not scare her. "Motoko! I'm getting a bell on you I swear to god!"

"Sorry sorry!" I flailed a bit as I apologized mostly because Suzie Q had jumped too, and she unlike Judy didn't look amused.

Or very happy to see me.

"No come on in, Suzie was just looking over my list of new BD's. What brings you here?" Judy waved me in, which I noticed didn't make Suzie very happy.

But I wasn't here to make her happy.

"I got another BD. A big one this time. I went on a big gig, stole tons and tons of scav chrome from where they were keeping it. Stole a yacht, blew it up with a rocket launcher at the end! Should be preem." I offered, trying to act casual at the awesome tidbits I just offered.

"Wait. Stole a yacht? Motoko! Are you the Laughing Man?" Judy asked suddenly without warning! I wasn't ready for this!

"Ugh! I can't believe they called me that! I'm not the laughing man, I'm not a super wizard class hacker… Yet." I muttered, I would get that power someday.

"Super wizard class hacker? What in the world is even that?" Judy struggled to ask as she laughed through the question.

"It's a thing!" I argued but it was Suzie Q that broke in then.

"You're the one that broke into the Gold Beach Marina? You?" She asked, looking me over, with a look saying she refused to believe me.

I shrugged. I wasn't here to prove I had done something.

I popped the shard out of my socket and offered it up to Judy. "See for yourself."

"Yoink!" Judy chirped, snatching the shard and pushing her chair wheeling over to her system where she inserted the shard and seemed more than willing to get to work.

"You're the one that saved Nox." Suzie Q muttered suddenly as if she suddenly remembered where she had seen me.

"Yeah, that's how Nox and I met. I've been giving my BD's to Judie, to fix up, and then Nox sells them."

"That's right. The XBD's. I remember now… You're also the one that took out Jotaro."

I didn't say anything. I didn't nod, or make any acceptance of that. Just a glare on my face as I thought about that monster.

"Alright. Judy get those BD's added to the server before you jump into that. You might not look like much, but any girl that can make the news, and murder that monster is someone welcome here." She gave me a single firm nod as if my presence was now accepted before walking off.

"She always like that?" I couldn't help but ask Judy.

"Yeah, that's how Suzie is now. She used to be a lot nicer, before Lizzie died." Judy offered, sounding distracted as her fingers ran across her keyboard.

—--

Back home I didn't jump back into programming even if I kept having the feeling of 'programming good' whispered into my brain.

Inspired programmer was super useful, but it did mean I had that urge to act on it all the time.

No, instead I grabbed my guitar and my music box. I had been rushing around so much the last few weeks, first tracking the scavs, then the gig to steal from them, and then guarding the loot.

I had even jumped straight into work when I got home, but I really needed to decompress a bit.

So I hit my first note and played something actiony just to get the energy out of myself. Slowly as I finished song after song, I slipped into more relaxed music. Soothing tones and crooning vocals.

A few songs went by and then suddenly I got an alert.

*Rockerboy skill level up!*

Rockerboy 6! I smiled as I felt myself relax, as always improving made me feel better. So I just kept playing, and while I played I considered my situation.

While I still winced a bit at actually starting to get a rep, it did have benefits. There was a certain respect in the city for people who have done things.

Stealing a yacht and blowing it up counted, I guess. Maybe?

I don't know. Night City people were fucking weird.

I now had eddies to spare. Even with the purchase of my subdermal, and new ankles I still had a ton of eddies.

It was nice, but honestly I wasn't ready to buckle down and slam through tech yet. I was just too focused on other skills. So the eddies were pretty much just going to be sitting around for now unless something popped into my head that I wanted.

I continued to play along to songs as I relaxed, letting the sounds lull me into a calm mood.

—-

The next day I got a call from someone I wasn't expecting.

*Yoko! What's up?*

*Motoko. Or perhaps I should call you the laughing man?* She asked, in a teasing tone.

*Ugh. I can't believe the news actually started calling me that, just because I used the J.D. Salinger quote.*

*It's eye-catching, and you inflicted it upon some of the rich and famous. Of course it would become news. You should come by the server. I've had a lot of questions about who it was with a reboot Optic hack that could last for hours. People are interested, as someone who has been around the block? You want to come in and get some of their attention out of the way now. Unless you want to deal with everyone trying to hack you constantly over the next few months.*

*Ugh. That's annoying! It's not really turning them off that long. It's just a trick.* I replied irritated.

*Oh I'm aware. You modified their user preferences, making them blind. Smart. I hadn't even considered that before. Usually the settings don't go that dark.*

*How do you already know? Ugh. The only reason they don't is because the settings are purposefully limited. I just added-*

*Come to the server Motoko. There are a lot of people that want to hear all about what you did. Think of it as a congratulations party. You did something interesting enough that everyone wants to hear the story from the source.*

*Oh. Okay yeah. Sure. I'll be there soon!*

*Excellent, then I'll see you soon Motoko.* Yoko hung up and I smiled at that. Quickly jumping away from the couch and heading to get dressed.

There was a part of me wondering if this was a trap and the NCPD were going to attack my unconscious body, and haul me into jail, but I trusted Yoko.

Plus I was kinda wanting to show off.

 

[Seras]

I walked into the DewDrop Inn server to see there was a section set aside where a bunch of Netrunners were gathered, including Yoko.

She waved me over and smiled as I looked over the group. There were about ten of them, and other than Yoko, and the one Netrunner who Yoko had brought in when I did the server dive there wasn't anyone I was familiar with, but they were all obviously here for me.

"Ah so it was you!" A voice called out and I had to blink.

His face… Wait, this guy? Why was he so familiar? I actually was pretty sure I recognized this one!

"Yes?"

"On one hand, I want to shove all my worst daemons in your face for blinding me right in the middle of a very enjoyable night with a woman I had been trying to get on my yacht for years… But on the other hand you killed that bastard Bart, and blew up his eyesore of a yacht… So I'll let it go." He offered and I just blinked at this random guy who had a very familiar face.

"Otter Business, leave the girl alone, we are here to congratulate her on her programming." Another Netrunner called out, shooting me a smile and waving for me to take a seat.

"Pfft. It took me two hours to figure out what she had done! Two!" He growled, throwing his avatars arms up in the air. "Fine, fine… It was a good program. I was only able to recover a few fragments of the source program, though, wouldn't mind getting a taste of the original." He said and suddenly he was booed by everyone that was sitting around the table. A few even threw digital 'chaff' at him.

"Stop trying to steal the march you wannabe. Don't you have a crappy TV show that no one watches to get to?" Another voice called out and Otter seemed to take this personally.

"I have a primetime spot! You bitch!"

"Now, now, let's not fight. Ghost. Come join us. Everyone, this is Ghost's first big meet and greet, so let's all be polite or else she'll ghost us." Yoko offered tittering behind a fan causing everyone at the table to groan.

"I'm ignoring that you old Fox." The Netrunner whose server I had dived called out and then turned to me. "This is pretty unusual, normally a new hacker doesn't bring this much attention, but a new program? That's hot stuff. We are all here for different reasons. Some to congratulate you. Some to sniff out a potential buy." He informed me as everyone around the table then turned their eyes on me.

"Before you speak Ghost. I know what you are thinking, but everyone here is interested in your "Laughing Man" quick hack. So it's also an opportunity to trade with others, gain information, or favors, or even equipment you might not have. But I suggest you at least hear them out. You never know what another runner might be sitting on that would interest you." Yoko explained, even as she giggled at my grumpy face as she called it the Laughing Man.

"Ugh. Don't you start Yoko. It's bad enough the news started calling me that… My handle is Ghost. Not Laughing Man. But that's kinda cool. I'm not really interested in trading it though." I explained earning a few boos from the group.

"Ironic name, they picked out since you aren't a man. But it's certainly an interesting icon, what made you think of it?" Otter asked cutting in, and I noticed everyone else sort of glaring at him.

"Ignore him. Media's always have to ask questions even when they just run an economics show."

"It's a primetime show!" He called out and finally my mind connected.

"Ah! That's where I recognize you from. Your Business is My Business, right?" I asked, snapping my fingers as it struck me where I knew the guy. It wasn't a show Jun and I watched but I remember seeing it while scrolling through things a few times.

"That's right! Since you are a fan, I guess I'll forgive the hack, what's a little hacking between friends after all!" He said, chuckling.

"Oh shut up already you peacock. Hey, your hack was nasty. You slammed every person at the Marina with it, and it locked them down for hours! Even if it gets more popular there are plenty of norms that will never know how to fix it. They had to call the NCPD netrunners in just to get everyone able to see again. It was preem. C'mon don't be a gonk. How much for a copy?" A woman asked, the only identifying feature was the fact both of her eyes were covered by a set of techgogs.

Similar to the ones I had even.

But before I could speak and deny being willing to sell my work, another Netrunner spoke. This one had been sitting back not speaking, and basically trying to pretend to be too cool for this group.

"Don't let this shallows-runner tempt you. I checked out your previous work as well. Yoko confirmed that it was your code, so let me be blunt. Trade it to me, don't give it to anyone else, I'll pay you more than any of these wannabes can offer." The man had stood up from his chair as he spoke. He was bald with piercing eyes and I was a bit uncomfortable as he was locked onto me, his eyes never shifting.

I narrowed my eyes as I noticed it, and slapped his backtrace down with the most brutal assault I could. A Barrier shooting up ahead of me, to break his attempt to find my physical body.

This bastard was actually trying to track me down!
"Try that again, and I'll kill you." I told him and while he seemed unconcerned, it was Yoko that stepped in.

"Ma>< I've warned you that actions like that won't be allowed on this server regardless of how powerful your corporation is. There won't be another time." She said and suddenly he glitched and his avatar vanished in a distortion of a forced movement. "He won't be allowed back, He is banned from the server. I'm sorry Ghost. I knew Ma>< had joined Arasaka, but I wasn't expecting him to act like them already."

"Ah it's okay. I caught him pretty quick… That was a sneaky trace though."

"Ugh now the mood is ruined! Yoko! Play some music! We can't do a net party with this sort of atmosphere. As long as that's cool with you Laughing Man." Another of the netrunners sitting around asked and I was grateful my face couldn't show how much I was flushing.

"I prefer Ghost honestly, if it comes to my handle."

"Wait. Wait wait. Yoko was calling you that too… Didn't Bug complain to us about a Ghost?"

Yoko then spoke up, giggling a little. "She did indeed! Was that you Ghost?" Yoko said laughing, but the way she spoke. She was offering me a denial if I didn't want to reveal that it was me.

Yoko was pretty cool like that.

"Yeah I met T-Bug in a Microtech warehouse. She was gathering data for a choom of hers. Someone I actually know funnily enough so I helped out."

"Oh man she was complaining for days about that! She was so annoyed that some unknown runner had her locked down." Yoko giggled, earning some laughs from the other netrunners as well.

I guess T-Bug was well known.

"Alright, well then Ghost. What would get you to want to trade for your program?" One of the other runners asked suddenly and everyone realized that the tension had eased up enough to get back to business.

"I'm really not intending on trading it. I mean I traded my Ping to Yoko, but this one is…"

"A personal hack." Yoko nodded and I couldn't help but smile and agree. "Still Ghost, like I said, it would be a good idea to hear offers. You may be surprised at what can be offered, or what might interest you." Yoko said with a toothy grin.

"How about connections for a better deck? I know someone who has an Arasaka Mk.3 that would be willing to sell if I recommended it." One of the Netrunners offers a woman whose hair pulsed with light from scalp to tips consistently.

"Oh please she could find that on her own without your help." Another cut in, "Stop trying to rip the kid off. We don't want a programmer with that sort of skill to bail to the corps or something! Speaking of kid, never join a corp. I saw that Ping you dropped to Yoko, it was impressive work, real nova stuff, but they would eat you up. They would put you in a lab and never let you leave. I'm serious." The netrunner told me with a firm finger pointed at me.

"God R1ot. Let it go. We get it you are anti-corp. They don't lock programmers into little dark rooms." Another cut in but a few of the others booed at him.

"Says the Militech runner!"

"Corpo dog!" Another called out, but it was more…

Teasing?

"Oh fuck off all of you. I'm not a programmer, but I do security for a Militech site, we don't lock our programmers away. We do protect them though. A good programmer is worth their weight in eddies."

"I don't know about that. I'm a programmer, and I never had a corp offer me that much." Another grumbled, but that only caused the whole group to almost as one call out.

"I said good programmers!"

"You have to be good!"

"Hahaha!" Yoko's laugh rolled over the group and I couldn't help but smile.

What a weird group. Despite probably being enemies, here they were all… Compatriots? I wouldn't say friends, but it still stood.

"I'm kinda surprised that everyone is so friendly."

"Ah yeah that happens." R1ot offered his face smiling. "Sure if I caught any of these wannabes sneaking into my server, I would Black ICE them in a heartbeat, but we are all netrunners. We all started as kids plugging into their first modem and stealing something from a vending machine."

"Speak for yourself! My first hack was a car! It was the most beautiful Mizutani Shion I had ever seen. Drove her for miles… Eventually I crashed, but for a short time I was the happiest person in Night City."

"Gonk."

"So! Since everyone keeps getting distracted, Ghost, let's talk price for that juicy new program you got."

"Wait. I mean… I know it's great and everything." I demurred, earning some chuckles. "But why are you all so interested in my program? There must be better stuff already out on the market?"

"Sure, but if it's on market, it's already halfway solved. We are a community kid, once you get to a certain height, you already know everything out on the market, how to defend against it, as best you can anyways." R1ot offered with a shrug. "But you have something new. Something that no one knows how to protect themselves from. So I want it so I can protect my system from it. Others want to use it. For at least a while, it's a hot commodity."

"I guess that makes sense… Sorry to say I'm still not really interested, but I am a programmer, and since I've obviously impressed all of you, there is something I'm always on the lookout for that I'd be happy to trade some debugging work if you want." I offered and from the instant interest I guess I was right on the money.

No one liked debugging after all.

"I'm always looking for information on Scavs. If you get me something usable, I'll happily debug your code."

I smirked as I got interested looks from all across the table.

—--

"So that's what happened." I explained to Jun as we were both at the apartment. I had gotten home and brought food that wasn't XXL burritos for Jun to eat.

We were eating Ramen.

We were rich now you know?

"So you had a bunch of netrunners wanting to buy your program you've been working on? That's… Really amazing Motoko. Good job." Jun offered with a smile and a pat on my head.

I squirmed a bit. It wasn't like I enjoyed the praise you know!

After a few moments I swiped at his hand so he wouldn't think I was easy. "Well it took a lot of work to make the thing! And I'm happy with it. Of course now I have a bunch of debug work I can do on the side… And a bunch of Scav data I'll need to go through." I smirked at that. Then pouted a bit. "Yoko offered her help in handling the work orders. In exchange for a bit of work she wants done too. Sneaky kitsune." I had been thankful at her offer even if I knew she had ulterior motives.

Seriously, netrunners were very pushy. Having them have to go through Yoko would save me a lot of stress.

"That's right, you mentioned Yoko uses a kitsune avatar? That's so weird." He muttered and I just laughed at Jun. Despite having a netrunner mother Jun was probably even worse at netrunning stuff than past Motoko.

"Well Yoko is a very… Unique woman. But the Scav data should point me to a few more dens, and I still have one that I need to clear up. So more loot to gather up!"

"Just be careful. I don't want to have to pull you out of a Scav den again." Jun said, and I had to look at him with that. Jun never mentioned the Scav den.

Like ever.

"I'm strong now. You won't have to."

He met my eyes and took a slurp of his ramen.

"Just be careful."

"Yeah… I'm a little worried. That with everything I'm doing I'm going to piss off someone, or just get someone's attention, and it'll cause problems." I admitted to him, revealing a big part of my worry.

"You have the TC to fall back on if something ever goes wrong… Motoko. I want you to stay safe. I'd be happiest if you stayed home and just worked on your programming or playing music all day. Safe things. But that isn't what would make you happiest. So…" Jun struggled then as if trying to find the words, but I was a little surprised.

Jun had really grown a lot in the last couple months.

"So it's fine. If you piss someone off and they come for you. We can kill them together. Just be as safe as you can. But don't stop. You're an edgerunner. Stop worrying about falling, I'll catch you."

"I'm not an edgerunner! I'm just a merc!"
Jun just smirked at me and now that he was finished eating his Ramen, he grabbed the XXL Burrito he had been eating before I got home and bit into it.

Disgusting.

—--

I spent the rest of the evening hanging out with Jun as he lazed around the apartment on the couch. I had shown off my new chrome as well. My jump skills had super impressed him as I was bouncing all over the place in the apartment..

Even if he had laughed at me and asked how many times I had hit my head on the ceiling.

Jerk!

Only the one time.

Then I had a nice eight hour nap and headed out in the morning to visit Vik.

While I was technically feeling great, other than the little wiggles of new chrome. He had still wanted another visit to check everything over.

So as I waved hello to Misty who was busy with an actual client!

I was so proud!

I leapt around a bit in the alley heading down into Viks clinic and greeted him with a happy smile as I did a few cartwheels.

"Chrome is doing great Vik!" I chirped out as I saw him.

"Glad to see you are adapting to it well, but I'll be the one that decides if it's doing great." He said with a smile as he pointed at the chair. "You were supposed to be here yesterday."

"Got pulled into a netrunning thing. Sorry Vik, I really couldn't get away."

"Well at least you show up. Even if it's a day late." He teased and then he settled in and started scanning. "Your healing is still… Impossible, If I hadn't put this chrome in myself, I would say this healing pattern is years old. Everything looks good, your nerves have definitely connected. The swelling is down around the Subdermal as well. How's it feel?"

"A little itchy sometimes, but I'm getting used to it."

"Hmm. Normally itchiness this early is just healing, but that isn't your issue. Where are you getting the itch?" I pointed out a few spots and he started scanning them.

"Just a few parts of the mesh bundling up wrong. Let me see what I can do." He muttered and I relaxed back despite the fact Vik was poking needles and things into me to manually adjust the subdermal weave.

But when he was done, I had to admit despite having a few new bandaids over a few spots. I wasn't as itchy.

"Thanks Vik!"

"It's what I'm here for kid… Well when people actually show up for their check ups." He said then suddenly stabbed a cold finger right into my side making me squeal. "No missing the next checkup!"

"I won't! I promise!" I pleaded, hands raised. Vik! Vik knew my weak spot! I wasn't normally that ticklish, but I still had spots! How did he know!?

"Well I'm not seeing any issues. Everything looks good. How are you feeling up here?" He asked, pointing at his own head. "Any problems? Confusion? Shakes?"

I couldn't help but smile in return. "Nothing that I've noticed. I think my arms are still more of a mental strain than the new stuff… But I'm not noticing any problems. I'll talk to Jun, or you as soon as I do. Get the chrome right out if I have to."

Vik nodded, reaching out and ruffling my hair. "You're a good kid Motoko, don't let your greed ruin your future. I saw Jackie the other day, he came in with a big bruise he earned while on a gig, fixed him right up though. He mentioned that Wakako had finally cut him loose?"

"Ah no. I was guarding the loot I stole, Wakako called and told me there was a gig but I had to cancel, so I guess Jackie got it alone… I didn't know he got hurt."
"Hah. Just a bruise kid, he got in a fist fight and won just fine. He was proud of the bruise more than anything. You two still working together?"

"Yeah! Or… I guess I hope so? I've been a little busy the last while. I was planning a big raid, and I spent a bunch of time on the net, and I wasn't there for this last gig either… Should I call him? Ask if he wants some work? I know of a Scav den I wanted to hit…"

"Oh? Another one already?"

"Well I have one that led me to my last big gig, I didn't touch the peons right away while I was tracking where they took their chrome. There should still be a bunch there, and some gonks to flatline."

"Well I'm sure Jackie would be happy to back you up, just be careful kid. Scavs might be less dangerous than the big gangs, but they can be like cornered rats. Nasty to deal with if they feel threatened."

I nodded at that. "I'll keep that in mind Vik."

"Alright kid, why don't you get out of here. I'm sure you have exciting things to do today rather than hang out with an old fossil."

"What, where is Wakako?" I said with a faux gasp before coughing a bit as I realized what I just said. "Don't… Don't tell her I made that joke okay?"

"Future blackmail." He assured me with a sinister smile.

 

[Seras]

"So that's the place Jackie." I told the older man as we pulled up to the Scav den.

Ichi and Malcolm weren't far behind. Hiromi wasn't here this time, but that's because she was at school, and super bummed that I had decided to hit this Scav den without her.

Instead I had asked Jackie if he wanted to join.

"Huh. You sure Hermanita? Doesn't look like a Scav hole."

"Yep. I've still got all their cameras infested. I've already looped the outside cameras so no worries on them spotting our approach! But yeah I can see them inside. Here, I'll cut you into the feed." I told him and he nodded as I hooked up our call to show the live feed inside the old office building.

Jackie had actually chipped in a new set of optics, and they had a connection speed high enough for me to direct video him.

Thank fuck.

"Not too many of them. Should be easy enough." Jackie offered and I nodded along.

"Yeah normally I go slow and take them all out quietly, but considering how small this group is." I shrugged. "Loud and quick?"

"That's my normal style Hermanita." He said, throwing me a big smile.

"Great. I'll add a tracker into your sight for each of them. Let me get my iron, and let's take this place out." I said as I stepped out of the Quadra waving to Ichi who was parking just behind me, I went to the trunk of the Quadra, popping it open.

I really needed to do some work on this.

My trunk was a mess. Guns, and ammo, quite a bit of the ammo now loose and rattling around reached my eyes, and I noticed the weapon I was actually going for was stuck behind the big case my Uragan was resting in. Still needed to put that away. Temptation to use it was a bit too much for normal gigs.

I winced a bit. My Poor Nekomata was jammed behind the Uragan case as well. Okay tonight I was going to take a break from everything and organize my trunk space. This was embarrassing.

But I didn't grab my Nekomata, or Uragan. Instead I grabbed another weapon that would suit this fight.

I usually relied on my Burya, because of stealth, but if we were going to hit them hard, then I was going to use something that would keep up with me.

I pulled my Nokota D5 Copperhead out of the trunk. The assault rifle was something I had picked up at some point… Was it the first Scav raid? I wondered…

I couldn't remember!

I laughed to myself, I had collected so many weapons I had forgotten where half of them had even come from! I loaded up holding the rifle correctly, in a way that I would be able to quick-aim it monstrously fast if I needed, and then I turned to Jackie.

Jackie still just had his Nue.

"You want something a bit bigger?" I asked him, pointing at my trunk, but despite looking a little tempted he shook his head.

"This is my shooter, I won't need another for a group this small."

"Alright. Let's go then!" I said bouncing a little as I started moving towards the gate that blocked off the entrance.

The gate was locked, and I didn't even want to open it up yet considering how old it looked I'm sure it would be noisy.

Or trapped.

So I quickly leapt right over it, easily turning my leap into a front flip letting me land on the other side without a sound, as I fell to my knee, gun raised.

I felt so cool.

I did my best to ignore Jackie's grumbling as he clambered as quietly as he could over the fence.

It wasn't that quiet.

Thankfully the Scavs inside didn't notice. Once he landed with a thump beside me, I raced off towards the entrance. Rifle held to my chest as I kept low and reached the entrance. I knew from the cameras that no one was inside, but it was good practice to always double check, so I was peeking into the entrance and waving Jackie behind me as I moved in.

That and it felt cool to be all tactical about it.

Not that I was going to admit that to anyone.

The office was two stories, and the Scavs were set up on the second floor. The elevator of course would be too loud, but the stairwell was easy enough to reach, and their security wasn't exactly there to help them anymore.

I smiled as I tugged on the door and it opened, locks already disengaged.

"Nice work Hermanita." Jackie whispered and I threw him a smile as we headed up the stairs. Just for fun I leapt, touching the concrete wall of the stairwell and then bouncing up and over the stairs skipping the whole stairs problem. In just a moment I was at the second floor door, waiting for Jackie to follow me up at a much slower pace.

Okay, the Serano may just be the most 'fun' Cyberware I've installed. That included the Cyberdeck.

Cyberspace was fun, but jump good was cool.

"Alright Conejita, let's take it slow for poor Jackie." He whispered when he caught up, and I chuffed soundlessly at him. Even if I had no idea what Conejita meant. Then I blinked and I was looking through the camera that showed the other side of the door.

The Scav group was small, only six chooms.

I sent the data to Jackie watching him perk up as he could see the lines targeting each Scav shooting through the wall.

His surprised look turned into a dark smirk.

I nodded and then slammed into the door.

No stealth on this run.

This was a firepower run. Hadn't done this… Ever.

Rifle raised up I fired four rounds punching through the drywall and suddenly the light I had been using to aim winked out.

Shooting through walls was the best.

Jackie was moving Nue raised as he slammed into a door already firing at the gonk that was on the other side.

My Copperhead barked right alongside him.

While Jackie was rushing the entrance making a big noise my gun was just slamming rounds through the thin walls.

It was childsplay, and I enjoyed the noise of the alerts popping up in my head.

The actual fight only lasted a few moments. Between Jackie who killed two guys practically the moment he bum rushed the room proving he wasn't a joke as a solo at all, and then my rifle shooting through the walls the Scavs died without much fight.

"You okay Jackie?"

"Just a scrape Hermanita. Won't even need to see Vik. Got stopped by my jacket." He chuckled flexing his right bicep where a round had definitely nicked him.

I nodded pleased as I went through the area making sure we hadn't missed anyone. Only once did I need a double tap on a Scav that was trying to crawl away, leading a pool of blood behind him.

"All clear!" I called out, pleased at the whole thing.

I hadn't really needed Jackie, but it wasn't about needing help for this gig, it was about setting up a relationship.

This was the first time I had shown Jackie how useful it would be to have me on a gig.

I had setup the location. Got numbers and targeting data. Solved basically everything to get him right where he needed to be to do the most damage, and most importantly!

"Ready for us?" Ichi called out from the stairwell.

"Yeah come on up. I'll get the elevator working!" I called back to him, earning a confirmation in turn.

"So now what?" Jackie asked, looking around at the few crates of chrome that was now all ours.

"We wait around while Ichi and Malcolm load up. Just make sure no Scavs show up and ambush us, and then we go home, have a party, and let Hiromi sell the chrome, we get our cut and prep for the next gig." I told him and he blinked at me before laughing.

"You got yourself a nice little system then eh? Who registers the bounties?" He asked and I frowned confused.

"Bounties?"

"On the gonks? Most of these guys have a few hundred eddie in bounties you know?"

"Oh yeah… The bounties… That I totally register… with the NCPD… Right?" I winced as Jackie gave me a look.

Then he burst into laughter.

What!? I don't usually concern myself over a few hundred eddies! Plus you have to call the NCPD for that!

"You never registered bounties?"

"Nope. Well I called the NCPD once on a Scav den, but I was just letting them know there were bodies there. I delta'ed right after.

"Heh, jeeze, you clear out a Scav den in seconds, but then you go and say things like that. Reminds me you're still a kid." Jackie chuckled, but I wasn't laughing along with him.

Dammit. This was supposed to be my chance to show how useful I was!

I sighed and shook my head. At least I had my four alerts for XP to tide me over.

*500 XP Gained.*

*500 XP Gained.*

*500 XP Gained.*

*500 XP Gained.*

—--

To my surprise Jackie actually stuck around after we loaded everything up. He even helped out loading the chrome which went much faster with his strength. Thanks to his work we were done at lightning speed and on our way out of the den.

As we drove away Jackie made the calls to the NCPD bounty office, letting them know about the corpses, what they were up to, who they were, and that meat wagons would be needed.

Then as we dropped off the loot at the TC owned storage lot that was still under our control. Jackie still stuck around.

I was watching as Jackie joked with some of the TC enforcers hanging around getting laughs out of the entire group despite there being a large 'tino shaped Jackie in the middle of their turf.

"What's got you so focused?" Malcolm asked as he walked past me with an arm full of guns. Formerly Scav iron.

"Jackie. I expected the TC guys to be more aggressive about him."

"Well he did come in with you, and he's pretty friendly. Plus the fact he looks like he could take all of those guys at once means they probably don't want to cause problems."

"Yeah I guess, but I don't think they are afraid of him, they are just enjoying his banter." I chuckled as Jackie's story ended with him throwing his arms up to mimic an explosion and all the guards laughed. I just shook my head.

Jackie really was the type of guy to make friends with anyone.

"Alright Motoko! All done." Ichi said, walking up pushing the hand truck he had just unloaded into the storage unit.

"Jackie! We are all stored up!" I called over to the older man and he nodded to me, telling the guards one last joke as he walked through them and joined up.

"All done then huh kid?"

"Yep! Now we just need Hiromi to set up the sales, and Ichi and Malcolm will help haul stuff around. Thanks guys." I said turning to the two that had to haul heavy crates of stuff around, both scoffed and laughed at me.

"We have the easy part, you have to go flatline gonks. Want to hit the club tonight?" Ichi asked and I shrugged, but before I could say more Jackie was there.

"Of course little Chiko! Hermanita, how about you all come by the El Coyote eh? We didn't party together last time, but my Mama owns the Coyote, so why don't you three come by and we can celebrate!"

Malcolm and Ichi were already nodding, looking interested, but I was more surprised that Jackie actually invited me.

Well us.

But last time he hadn't been very interested in celebrating. We were just a bunch of teenagers after all.

"Sure Jackie. I'll come, you guys?"

"Yeah, always nice to celebrate on the boss's dime." Malcolm said specifically, throwing me a teasing look.

"Now, now Malcolm, Hiromi isn't here-Ow! Motoko!" Ichi grumbled rubbing his shoulder where I slugged him.

"I'm calling Hiromi and specifically telling her you guys are cut off from any alcohol on our tab." I threaten them hand on my hip and chrome finger wagging, with something that doesn't really exist, but both boys plays along and whined to me.

Jackie just laughed.

—--

El Coyote Cojo was a 'tino bar. As we all walked in I felt my nose wrinkle a little at the smell of cigarette and cigar smoke.

Just like most bars here in the city.

Gonna need some chrome lungs at some point just to avoid the second hand smoke.

"Nice place." Malcolm offered as he swaggered in and up to the bartender, who quirked an eyebrow at Malcolm walking up to look at the drink menu.

"Let me get a Diente Dorado. I'm not paying tonight after all!" He said choosing the most expensive drink on the menu.

As Ichi, Jackie and I walked up Jackie got a few calls from regulars and he was smiling and relaxed. This was his place after all. He settled into the seat. "Pepe! Take care of my little chooms alright?"

"Sure Jackie. Diente Dorado coming up."
I dope slapped Malcolm, but let him order his stupid drink that had literal gold flakes in it.

Probably tasted disgusting.

"I'll just get a soda. I think there was a Nicola machine over there." I told the boys, Malcolm and Ichi already familiar with my no alcohol thing.

"What? Hermanita you don't want a drink?" Jackie asked, surprised at my words.

"Yeah I don't like drinking." I told him as I slipped off the bar stool and wandered over to the back of the bar to get a drink.

It took me two tries to get one that I could drink.

NiCola Classic tasted like cough syrup. I was not someone who could recreationally drink cough syrup so that was an instant pass.

With a different flavor that I could stomach I joined the boys that were happy with their own drinks as Jackie was talking to Pepe about the gig.

"They all started screaming as I bashed in the door. I flatlined two of them right quick, but by then, the rest were already done. Chica could shoot them straight through the walls!"

"The walls were just drywall, it was an old office building, it wasn't anything spectacular anyone could have done it." I added as I took my seat, Pepe chuckling at the story as Jackie kept trying to hype it all up.

"What's all this?" A new voice called out and from the front came in a woman that I sort of recognized. Jackie's shout just confirmed it.

"Mama! Come meet my little chooms! I've told you about Motoko here already yeah? The girl is more dangerous with an iron than anyone would expect from a teenager, and these are her chooms, Malcolm and Ichi, good kids, they helped gather up all the eddies!" Jackie said with a boisterous laugh.

"Oh this is the girl that works with Wakako?" Mama Welles asked as she looked me over.

I waved a little from around my soda.

"My little chooms. This is Mama Welles, the owner of El Coyote, and my Mama." Jackie said leaning back against the bar.

"Well if you are chooms with my Jackie, you are all welcome here. Pepe don't overcharge them yeah?"

"You got it." The bartender offered with a nod.

"You've been doing work with my Jackie?" The woman asked me and I nodded, throwing up a thumbs up.

"Yeah. We both go to the same ripper, and Jackie wanted work with Wakako, who I already work for! So I asked Wakako if we could do some gigs together to see if we click. I've been looking for someone with a more aggressive look. Can't rightly intimidate some gonks if you are half their size." I deadpanned waving my arms at myself.

Mama Welles laughed a little. "The one thing god gave my chico was an intimidating frame." The woman offered nodding along.

"What! Mama, god also gave me my baby blues, and a sweet voice yeah?"

"Of course dear." Mama Welles agreed without doing anything of the sort. I snorted into my drink as Jackie was teased by his mother.

This was nice.

Still wasn't sure it was a bar I would want to relax at all the time, but then again. I wasn't really interested in bars in the first place.

—-

We hung around El Coyote for a while drinking and swapping stories, it was nice.

Jackie felt a lot more accepting of me now, and I was tempted to ask what had changed. The last time we finished a gig he hadn't been interested in celebrating, but now he was.

So maybe I had finally reached a point he felt I was worth being friends with?

I didn't know, and I didn't want to ask because that just felt a little weird.

Still I drove home, gig complete and feeling pretty good about murdering some more Scavs.

I had some time, no gigs set up for the next while. Other than helping Hiromi sell even more of our chrome, I had nothing else planned.

So it was time to play!

I rushed into the door only to stop because Jun was home, and he wasn't alone.

"Ah! Look Jun your cute little sister finally came home. How terrible to leave her big brother all alone at home!"

"Akari you were here the whole time." Jun grumbled as he sat on the couch to my surprise he was on a laptop that wasn't mine, and reading something.

"Hey Jun, what's Akari doing here?"

"Rude." The borg grumbled and her narrowed eyes told me she was probably going to stab me at some point tonight.

"Akari failed to finish a task for Fujimura-Sama, so I'm- Ow."

"Don't tell her that! Just tell her you are helping me!" Akari hissed after stabbing Jun with her pointy feet.

"Akari fucked up and I'm helping."

"That's even worse!"

"Okay." I chirped, deciding to ignore that entirely. Unfortunately Akari was taking up my spot on the couch, it wasn't like the apartment was big enough for so much sitting room. Grumbling I went into my room and got more comfortable taking off my boots and collecting some things I would need before heading out.

Jun was still working while Akari fucked around, not helping…

"Jun do you need help?"

My brother looked up slowly from the laptop, his eyes a little blood shot which was impressive cause those weren't natural eyes, but his optics.

"Yes, please."

"Hey! I'm helping!"

"Yes I need help thank you Motoko." Jun repeated, ignoring Akari.

"Okay." I said, then because it was fun. I leapt doing a flip and landing on the back of the couch behind Jun and Akari. Both borgs jerked at my sudden move but Jun relaxed with what I could tell was a roll of his eyes even if I couldn't see them anymore as Akari slowly lowered her feet. I rested against Juns back, my chin on his head as I looked at what he was working on.

"Budget report?"

"Akari is supposed to be watching over a business for Fujimura-Sama."

"I am! I took out three guys that were stealing!" The woman whined.

"She didn't do the paperwork." Jun said grumbling as he continued looking over the budget reports.

"Dot." I spouted gibberish, pointing at a number that wasn't right, Jun looked it over sighed and quickly fixed it before continuing down the file. "Why did Fujimura give this gig to Akari if she can't do it?"

"Ugh. Don't say it like that! I can do it! I just… Didn't!"

"She was supposed to learn about the company and get better at management, improve her usefulness to Fujimura-Sama."

"Okay you are ignoring everything I'm saying, and I get you're siblings, but it's starting to piss me off."

We continued to ignore Akari as she grew irritated.

"Okay I know you guys didn't go through 200 lamps. So I'm guessing this is drugs here?" I asked, pointing at some of the numbers that were obviously off.

"I can't confirm." Jun said with a motion that had me rolling along with his shrug.

"Okay well. I'm sorry to say Jun-Nii, I don't have the experience to help you with this one." I inform him, patting him on the head as I stand up and with a quick leap land back on the apartment floor.

"Thanks." He grumbles and I couldn't help but giggle. He was trying to help his choom, but sometimes you gotta let your chooms live with their mistakes.

Instead I reached over and grabbed my laptop and music box.

I really wanted to finish this stupid thing!

I popped open the laptop and started programming, doing my best to ignore Akari doing everything in her power to get attention.

 

[Seras]

Two days. Of programming and I was…

Done.

My music box, or at least the code was ready. I just needed to finish putting it all together.

I flopped back onto the couch and just groaned. You would think coding something like this would take less time than a Quick Hack, and in some ways you would be right, but this was sorta… Complicated. A quick hack only did one thing, this box needed to be flexible.

I ran through my head what parts I would need and that list started to grow.

But it would be worth it. This was my pet project. Sure it was a glorified toy, but it was important for me to finish it anyways.

I got up to get dressed, stopped and realized I hadn't showered in…

Okay so it's been two days. I wince as I was very thankful that Jun hadn't noticed. If he thought I wasn't taking care of myself he would be upset.

I took a quick shower, and then realized I really needed to eat.

Okay downside to be constantly inspired. I was gonna have to start setting alarms if I was going to code anything.

I finished getting dressed and headed downstairs. Meatstick stall guy was outside the apartment like usual and I ended up devouring a few of them before I felt better. Now that I was properly taken care of. It was time to get back to it.

To finish the box I really needed some specific supplies. I headed out driving to the music shop I had bought my guitar from.

As I walked in the first few chords of Never Fade Away played above me.

Something that still made me chuckle a bit. Johnny would be rolling in his digital grave if he realized that Samurai were practically corporate jingles now.

I walked right through the many instruments laying around until I found what I needed.

A synth keyboard.

I popped my personal link into the slot to check if it had everything I needed.

"You obviously know what you want." A voice called out and I looked up to see the sales person. The guy looked like a forty year old rocker stuffed into a corporate uniform.

His bushy beard completely covered the lanyard with his name on it.

"Yeah, just checking the code to see if this is the one I need."

"Oh? Looking to make some digital music huh?"

"I just need to replicate a lot of different instruments." I offered and he nodded before pointing above me.

"If you want a wide selection you want the Digi-tizer. The E-Numeral you are looking at, has a real wonky brass selection." He offered pointing to another Synth.

"Oh. Thanks." I muttered pulling out of the synth and moving to the next, after a few checks including running a few riffs on the keyboard because I had the ability and it was fun I nodded. He was right. The Brass notes sounded better.

"Damn. Was that Chippin In? Rare to see a kid these days know the classics." He said and I just smiled with a shrug.

"Samurai were good. Johnny might be a bit of a bastard, but he knew his music."

"Hah! Spoken like a true Rockerboy. You lookin to take the Digi?"

"Yeah, I'll take it. Thanks. I'll take that amp and a few bits and bobs as well. You guys don't happen to have a holo emitter?"

"Oh? Looking to make some bitchin visuals too? Unfortunately not. Instruments and supplies only, but I know the place my band bought one. Just don't tell the bosses I told you to buy from them." He said with a wink and I laughed at that, and made the promise.

—--

Back home I was taking up 90% of the couch, and 100% of the table as I worked everything together.

The synth had a personal link port, so with the coding of that, and literally ripping the instrument apart and hooking it into my music box, I now had the ability to play just about any instrument purely through my link.

To save size, I kept the speaker, and amp as separate items, but there was another thing I needed to hook directly into the system

Three holographic display emitters.

They were a cool piece of tech, a lot of places used holographic TVs, the tech was well used, and it didn't take me long to hook them into the music box, a bit of soldering a bit of fitting things together, a bit of adjustment to the power links and they were in.

Once I finished it, I sat back enjoying the alert telling me I got a few blips of XP for my Tech Attribute. But not a level up.

I really needed to work with tech more. It was too useful to ignore.

But I ignored that because it was done!

Well part of it anyways.

The code was complete.

The hardware was put together.

But now I had to actually create what I wanted using what I had.

First thing, I went into my room and dressed up. Brushed my hair. Did some makeup, which took a while because I hadn't exactly practiced doing any makeup since I woke up. But I managed it. Making my eyes pop a little. Wearing a clean leotard and even cleaned up my jacket before slipping into it.

Okay then I went back out and had the music box actually record what I looked like. Standing still as the emitter slowly ran a scan over me. Creating a 3d image of myself, that it could add into whatever holographic display I wanted it to show.

Of course right around then I realized I would need images of the instruments as well.

Dammit.

I rushed back to the music shop. Carrying in my music box, I ended up dropping a couple hundred eddies, to the music shop guy to let me take scans with all the instruments, particularly the best quality, or coolest looking ones.

—--

Once more back in the apartment I was ready to start my first test.

I decided on a song and went to work. Plugged my personal link into the music box, and started with the most important part.

The music.

With my guitar in my hands mostly just to let my hands play over the notes, I started recording a track.

The sound of the guitar played back into my head sounded great, any error was easy to cut the correct chord back in, and I was off. Finishing the song with the guitar without any issue. I had played it a few times with just that already.

Then I switched to drums. Mentally creating the track. Using the Synth to recreate the noise of the drums as I played through the song adding in the drums to the guitar track.

Something I couldn't do without all my Rockerboy knowledge. I had never touched a drum set before outside of playing around in a past life, or while getting scanned in this one, yet I knew exactly how to use the Synth to create a digital track. What notes and how to get the sound right. It all flowed together.

Then I had to stop and do some work on creating unique sounds because some of the sounds used in the song weren't instrumental, I had to use my own programming skill to alter the Synths programming even further, to give me the ability to create entirely new sounds. Sounds that had only existed in my head.

Again and again, I played through the song until I had every beat sounding as perfect as I remember thanks to Perfect Musical Memory.

Guitar, drums, electronic, even the ending roaring vocals I managed myself. Every sound of the song pulled together completely from my brain, through a machine interface.

I loved the future.

And it was all silent as a grave outside my brain.

As I put the song together no neighbor heard it. It was just for me, and me alone.

—--

I hid behind my new stack of mess on the table when Jun came home, purposefully pretending I wasn't able to see his judgemental look as I continued to put the display for the song together.

I ignored him when he came out later as well, as I was still editing the holographic display to match up.

I was watching a visual of what it would show on the laptop as I edited it mostly with my neural connection which was really really tough, but as long as I took it really slow, I could get better accuracy than going through it by hand.

The three emitters would all have their own image to display, and the track was finished, both with the guitar track baked in, and one without. Just in case I wanted to do a live play of the song.

And slowly it all came together.

Holographic tech was old hat to Cyberpunk. With my own computer skill it only took me a few hours to fill in the seven minute track.

Then finally it was ready. A single program with a completed version of a song that I recreated. Every note, every sound, every roar just how it was in my head.

I sat back blinking, realizing what I had just completed. That my music box was finally… Finally done. That it was working and everything was how it should be.

But I was way too hyped up to not do something. I stood up but stillled, unfortunately I was too embarrassed to just go out and start playing!

People would see me!

So I decided to fall back on my usual solution when I felt an urge to move.

Murder!

When I sold my debugging services to the netrunners, my trade had been knowledge on Scavs. Locations, holdouts, favorite bars.

Anything.

Everything.

Whatever they had.

While not all of them had direct Scav den locations. A few did.

Sure I could wait for my chooms… But it was late… Well early, the sun would be coming up soon.

But they might notice I was being weird! No one can know! If it goes bad the Scavs will all be dead anyways!

So I popped a shard into the music box, recording a copy of the song, quickly took a moment to etch the name of the song onto the shard, and went to grab some gear.

Considering the nature of the song…

My Carnage was selected. I didn't use a shotgun often enough. I loaded one of my attachable pockets full of shells and looked around… What else could I take?

Katana was an option and I considered it. But I had to shake my head. It would be a little more finessey than I was going for tonight. This music wasn't sword fight music, not unless you were carrying a greatsword or something.

Another time. Another song.

I did reach over into the medkit that I had been putting together from stuff I've collected. I grabbed all the MaxDocs I had and stuffed them all over the place, hooking them into whatever place I could. I was looking for a brutal fight tonight. Had to make sure I would walk away in the end.

I stepped out of my room right into Jun, who reached out and put a hand on my Carnage to stop me.

"Motoko?"

"Yes, this is Motoko?"

"What are you doing?"

I opened my mouth to answer and didn't have a good enough answer.

"Murder?"

He frowned at me. "Details."

"I know of a Scav den, I'm gonna go murder them… I uh, finished a song so I wanted to do a BD of me murdering a bunch of Scavs while I rocked out to it… It's gonna be cool." I explained trying to get away but Jun wasn't having it.

"That's… Motoko you are the weirdest person I know… I'm coming with."

"No way!" I denied instantly. "It could be embarrassing! You can't come."

"Motoko you aren't hitting a Scav den without backup."

"Why? I usually do!"

"You usually have your chooms with you… I don't even know how you keep finding these dens, they are usually hidden."

"Internet." I said smiling dopily at being able to pull out an old meme.

Jun didn't get it.

"Why don't you call your chooms then?" He argued and I grumbled, I had already explained that I didn't want them to see!

"Fine! I'll call in Ichi and Malcolm after I'm done to loot everything down. Now you don't have to follow me." My perfect reasoning delivered I moved to step around him.

He didn't accept my reasoning.

—--

"This is so embarrassing." I muttered as I parked the Quadra in the parking area for Megabuilding H11.

"I'm just here to make sure you don't get in over your head." Jun told me completely uncaring about how much I whined at him that I didn't need supervision while murdering Scavs.

"I called Ichi and Malcolm. They'll help!"

"You said you didn't want to call them in until afterwards. I don't want you in a firefight without someone to back you up. It's common sense Motoko… The fact you are so skilled and keep forgetting that is gonk brain shit." He grumbled at me. "You want me to trust you to fight, I do. But that doesn't mean you skip basic shit."

I huffed, but didn't really have a response to that.

Fucking Jun. Using common sense and shit on me.

I don't want common sense. I want action!

Whatever. I was a badass merc! Jun babying me would be water over my back!

I stepped out of the car and did the same thing I had done the last time I hit a Scav den in a megabuilding.

I found an elevator and went up to the floor above the one that I had been told was the den. Jun followed me around much to my irritation.

When I was there I circled the floor, searching for the usual signs, and while there weren't a bunch of emptied apartment buildings like there had been in the last one, they still had a whole section of the building cut off with trash and refuse.

"That's them." I told Jun as I pointed to the corner section of the building. This late at night the whole thing was bathed in red light and shadows, but it was still obvious where the Scavs lived.

"Sure you don't need any help?" He asked, sounding more vicious than usual, but I shook my head.

This was my murder, get your own!

"Just sit tight and watch." I told him instead, poking a finger into his side that he slapped away.

Then I focused, first I knelt down, and could just see a camera the Scavs had set up. As usual they loved putting up their little security system. Too bad they sucked at it.

My eyes blazed as I breached into the camera, nearly instantly slipping through the ICE and then moving through the security system.

There were four cameras hooked up around the place. None of them showed the actual ripper room, but that was just common sense. But one of the Scavs could be seen, resting on an old couch as he smoked a cigarette, and watched TV.

I pinged him, letting the program unspool and slowly slip through the Scavs system to all of his buddies.

I smirked as the group all highlighted in my vision.

Okay. There were quite a few of them. This was a big den, and it was late.. Or early. So I guess they were mostly here resting.

It didn't matter. I was already in their system. Weapon Glitch was prepared. My personal version of Weapon Glitch had been completed, and was ready for its baptism.

The war will soon begin.

I smiled. I was ready. I shushed Jun and waved him a bit away before closing my eyes. When I opened my eyes it would be go time. What was the movie term? A single take? I was going to clear this Scav den in slightly less than seven minutes the song would last. No fuckups would be tolerated. This was going to be pure adrenaline if I did it right!

I smirked to myself. Hopefully the Scavs could last long enough.

Then I exhaled ice.

 

[Seras]

Chapter 93, or as I like to call it.

The Only Thing They Fear Is You(Motoko.)

Music above is reccomended while reading. Maybe put it on repeat though? The timing doesn't 100% work I've noticed.

----

When I opened my eyes I was recording. Staring straight over the edge to the Scavs home. Not that the people watching this in the future would know that yet.

I could feel my breath coming out icy cold, but it wasn't enough to stop the excitement I could feel pulsing up.

I pulled the shard out of my pocket. Flashed it in front of my eyes.

Looked at the name of the song etched into the plastic.

The Only Thing They Fear Is You.

I slotted it into my neck. A little less than seven minutes.

That's how long I had to murder all of the Scavs.

Because a moment later the music started. The sound mirroring an ancient, at least by this years reckoning, musician.

I mean if people considered Samurai to be oldies, then The DOOM Eternal Soundtrack would be considered the same.

Before the song could get going without me I leapt. My feet hit the ground on the floor below just as the first drop hit and I rolled forward to bleed off speed before jumping up to my feet, and then I was moving. I didn't care about cameras.

I didn't care about noise.

I was the Boss Monster. They would learn to fear me.

I blew the door open with my Carnage, not bothering with the lock, as I let all my hatred for Scavs fill me.

Cold Blood was all about control. I had only used it in one way up until now. Used it to suppress everything so nothing could interfere with the cold calculus of combat.

But I wasn't here for cold blooded murder.

Instead, I flipped the script, I brought out all my rage, my hatred, my disgust for these people.

That feeling of horror mixed with certainty that I had to kill them.

That murder was the only option.

I saw my first Scav as I burst into the first room. The details were unimportant, but I noted them anyway. A former apartment now taken over as a recreation room for the Scavs to relax in, alcohol and drugs strewn across the table sitting under the holo TV.

As he saw me, I let that rage fill me.

As he tried to leap out of the chair at my entrance, it was time. Weapon Glitch slammed into his system, bouncing again and again as my entire Cyberdecks RAM was used in repeat.

I had figured out the best way to make sure no one could shoot me, was by simply hacking them over and over and over again.

It was a loop Quickhack. Every time my Cyberdeck would get enough RAM to run the program again it would do so throughout the system without my direct attention. As long as the network didn't alter its security it would be an endless disruption of weapons.

I was already in their security.

Their weapons were now useless.

The first Scav didn't even get a chance to pull the trigger to find out how fucked he was.

I leapt a snarl on my face as I cleared the distance.

From the entrance to the Scav standing in the indented recreation area, was more than twenty feet across.

I slammed my Carnage into the fuckers face like a club at the end of my leap. His scream of pain went ignored as I didn't end there. I rolled past him to bleed off momentum and then I was on him again fist raised and slammed into his already broken and bleeding face.

Again and again. I hammered him. Even grabbing his head and smashing it into the table until I was sure he was dead.

Breathing deeply, but not heavily. Adrenaline surged through me. The music was still going, and so was I.

I moved. Leaping and practically bouncing off the walls, moving more like an animal than man as I surged into the next room. Leaping through the broken wall connecting the apartments. The Scavs were reacting, shouting for help at the sounds of my gunshot, alarm that something was attacking them. The flipping of their normal predator and prey dynamics as always making them fearful. Their bleating calls were just noise telling me where they were.

The next room was a ripper room. The stink of blood and dead bodies filled it, but I barely hesitated leaping right over a ripper chair that had an elderly man laying across it, body ripped open the face of one of the Scav ripper docs moving away obviously realizing he was in danger.

He screamed as my fist slammed into his face with all my weight and force behind it.

I loved my new ankles. Superman punching a monster in the face was the best.

He went down, but he wasn't alone.

Carnage flipped up and his buddy who had an Ajax roared as he tried to open fire on me only for his gun to beep and not fire.

Mine did.

He went down in a torrent of blood as the carnage turned him into a newly painted wall. That done I flipped the carnage barrel up to the ceiling and slammed it right into the face of the ripper doc, ignoring his crying pleading for mercy as I continued to hammer his skull into the floor until the metal stock of my shotgun hit concrete.

Okay. Now I was breathing a bit heavy.

It felt fantastic. I pushed the cold blooded control even higher. Rage and hate flowed and it was all I felt.

I glanced up to see another Scav peeking into the room. The moment he saw me, he made an attempt to shoot me only for his gun to fail. This guy leapt back into the room once he realized it, which is the only thing that saved his life as I brought my Carnage down and blasted where he had been.

I charged, leaping into the room he had just escaped into and came out into a roll.

Four soon to be dead Scavs faced me.

Excellent.

I had all the time I needed to aim my shotgun at them and fire. I didn't hit any of them as they fled into cover, but it did make them scramble around. Which is why the gonk that had just tried to shoot me suddenly had an intimate meeting with Carnage-chan! As I slammed her into his face like a baseball bat.

I love this shotgun. Doesn't matter if you literally beat someone to death with it, it'll still fire!

But before I could kill him he kicked out, his much longer legs slamming me away and forcing me off my feet for a moment, as I rolled and then came out of it with my Carnage raised.

"No! Wa-!" His pleadings ended with Carnage sounding off followed by the heavy cycle as I cocked the next round.

"Kill her!" One of the Scavs screamed out trying to do just that.

They would fail. These pathetic mewling creatures would not kill me.

One guy obviously pissed at what he saw charged me, a knife drawn and ready.

He didn't expect me to charge him back. He knew how to use a knife. I would even say he was pretty good.

I didn't care.

I wasn't fighting. I was raging. I slammed into him, ignoring how he nicked my side with the knife, the blade skittering off my leotard or subdermal, wasn't sure which as I slammed into him.

He screamed as I used one hand to literally slam my thumb into his eye socket so I could grip his face were musical, flowing perfectly into the song pounding in my head as I proceeded to try and beat him to death with the carnage in my right hand.

I ignored his attempts to at first stab me, and then just try to desperately get me away.

Neither stopped me.

His death came regardless, as my thumb wormed its way through to his end.

Then there were three, before I could even rise up though. There were once again four.

"Cyka!" A voice roared out, and this time I was caught off guard.

They had realized their weapons weren't working against me, but it turns out it didn't matter.

Big fuckin' Scav decided to remind me I wasn't invincible.

He blurred, a Sandy activated and suddenly I was the one being punched across the room. Out through a hole in the wall and into the ripper room I had just come from.

I coughed, blood flowed.

It hurt, but I would live. I pulled a MaxDoc and huffed it. Letting the adrenaline flow.

I could hear russian. Scared russian, and a firm confident voice.

Ah. The fucker had taken my Carnage. I added it into the next round of Weapon Glitch. Then, as the music once more peaked in my head.

I rose up slow and steady.

They had knocked me into a mess off medical equipment and storage the ripper room had, so as I stood metal clattered and glass shattered off me.

The firm russian voice from before wasn't so firm anymore.

They were looking at me.

I cracked my neck, and spit the blood out of my mouth.

Big borg fucker had my Carnage. He aimed it, and like a good girl she just clicked, already disabled. Eh she only had one round left anyways.

I bared my teeth, a rumbling snarl leaving my throat in time with the roar of the guitar in my head. Then I moved.

My speed surprised Sandevistan Scav, but he activated his implant again probably a fearful reflex, as he suddenly shifted from where he was when I leapt to right in front of me. My leap was aborted, he slammed into me.

All too many pounds of him hitting me like a truck and this time he followed me back into the room pounding me into the concrete wall in a clatter of equipment.

He knocked the air out of me. He hit me hard, hard enough to rattle my head. He had me pinned against the wall as he was already starting to beat on me.

Too bad, he hadn't managed to actually kill me.

I threw a fist back, and his Sandy speed kept him from getting slugged, but that was fine.

I had fought people with Sandevistan. The Dojo had taught me a lot about how they work. Their strengths and weaknesses.

That there was always a time limit, and not every Sandy was the crazy shit that David had.

I raised my arms up in a guard as he punched back Sandy speed punches slamming me back into the wall, and my shoulder ached from the stress of trying to keep my chrome fists from slamming into my own face.

It was a moderate success.

He hit me again, and then again, and suddenly he was moving at a normal speed..

Something I had been told. When a Sandy turns off and you go from super speed to normal? In that moment you felt like you were suddenly moving in slow mo. You felt the shift as time changed.

I had spoken with a few people that used the sandy and they all said the same thing if you could get them to admit it.

The moment the Sandy turned off was their weakest moment.

Quickdrawing my Burya, I slammed it right into his mouth before pulling the trigger.

His head separated in two from the force.

I hurt. My vision was a little woozy, but that was just a concussion, and the BD would still be recording fine. I was definitely bleeding internally. Easily fixable once this was over. Lungs were struggling to breathe. He had knocked the wind out of me twice.

But I was in control. I forced my body to breathe. I forced myself to stay on my feet. Because the rage wasn't gone.

The Scav fell backwards as I pushed him away, letting his bulk fall and revealing the three Scavs from before.

Ah, no it was six now. There was a moment of silence. Or maybe that was just my ears ringing. Close range Burya shots do tend to deafen me for a moment, but as I watched.

I smiled.

Fear. I could smell it. I took a step forward.

"Fuck this!" One of them screamed and tried to run.

I shot him, just to prove a point.

Then I holstered Burya and rushed them. The first guy had been smart enough to try and grab a melee weapon. A hunk of wood from a chair I think. I took the blow on my forearms, not even feeling it compared to the Sand Scavs hits, and the wood broke apart. So did he when I reached up and grabbed him by his jaw and started slamming my chrome fists into his face.

His attempts to bite down on my chrome fingers were pointless, he fell backwards, and as he fell I jerked his head to slam him into the side of a table.

That either killed him or knocked him senseless because he didn't resist as I raised up his head and battered him into the table a few more times.

His buddy slammed into me. Grappling me as he tried to body me down. I slammed my forehead into his nose despite how it made my head spin and started punching.

He started punching.

Me punching in his throat did more than him punching my face. He gasped as he fell to his knees.

I rose up and kicked him across the face before leaving him to die with his broken esophagus.

Three more to go.

They had all grabbed weapons. One had grabbed a knife from the guy that tried that earlier, the other two had metal rebar.

I smiled out another snarl as I grabbed another MaxDoc in the stillness of the fight and huffed it down. The surge of adrenaline should mask the sudden lowering of pain.

I stalked forward but not towards them, I stopped at where Carnage had been left behind and kicked her up into my arms.

The music peaked.

I moved. Like she was a baseball bat I weighed in, blocking the first gonks swing with the rebar only to leap up and drop a kick right into his nose. I could feel it break on my boots as I flipped back and the other two surged forward.

I blocked and parried the rebar and knife, keeping the weapons away from me even as my breath came out in a desperate wheeze.

Even as I was pushed back and back.

They could have had me. They were good. Working together to keep me from ripping either one of them apart.

But they had done something stupid. They backed me into a corner.

So I leapt. Backwards. My boots slammed into the concrete wall and then I kicked off, my ankles more than making up my bodies weight launching me up and over their heads.

And towards their buddy whose nose I had broken.

He didn't have time to react, too busy trying to see through his busted face.

Carnage fell onto the back of his head, and something snapped.

I hit him again just to make sure.

Then turned towards the two.

Carnage shifted to one hand, as I reached to my hip and drew my own knife.

"Fuck this." The one with the rebar said sounding panicked as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a fucking frag grenade.

He yelled out something in Russian, that I was just going to assume was fuck you, and threw it at me.

I dropped my knife. I grabbed my Carnage in two hands and knocked the grenade to the side.

Then I leapt at them.

The man screaming as I slammed into him, was a moment I was doubly glad I was recording.

We went down in a jumble of limbs as the grenade went off. Shrapnel pinging around the room, but I had a gonk between me and it. Unfortunately the pinging metal didn't actually do any harm to the gonk I was using as a shield.

Fortunately I did. Both hands grabbing his face I plunged my thumbs into his eyes and with that had full control of his movement.

I slammed his skull into the floor using all the muscles I had at my disposal, even jumping putting all my weight into his skull.

I looked up expecting to have the guy with a knife trying to stick me, but he was nowhere to be seen.

No.

No one escapes.

I rushed to follow, jumping over garbage and the junk the frag grenade had strewn around as he raced away like a madman he leapt through what was once the front door to an apartment into the hallway splitting the Megabuildings apartments, then raced across the way and into another set.

I grinned as he had gathered even more Scavs for me to kill.

Idly I slowed and fixed my Carnage, reloading her as well, five shells in, before pumping her loudly, the noise echoing through the complex.

The next room was obviously another rest area. Far enough away the Scavs could take a nap without having to hear the ripping of bodies apart, or the screams of mercy.

Both of which I would make sure they heard soon enough.

I stepped into the opened door to see the group all readied for me.

Guns were aimed at me and triggers were pulled but other than clicks, or other bad noises nothing fired.

Seven.

I fired.

Six.

Madness. They charged me, or fled. The group was disorderly, despite some of them potentially being ex-soldiers, they were Scavs now. Some charged, some fled, all would die.

I fired again, and again.

Another Scav died, as they finally reached me. Swinging a Cut-o-Matic at me. I instantly fell in love.

A chainsaw sword? A chainsword that actually worked? For me!?

I wanted it.

I leapt straight up disappearing from the Scavs sight as I lined up a shot. Carnage fired and he turned into a puddle below me that I fell into. Blood coating me as I fired again clearing some room long enough for me to bend down and pick up my new chainsword.

I grinned ferally as I felt it buzz back up.

I leapt forward, dropping my Carnage as I slammed into the first Scav that was an instant too slow to avoid me.

Blood hot and messy coated me as I ripped into the monsters neck.

The Scavs started running.

I chased them. Leaping from filth to filth. Their attempts to resist were unable to stall me out as I battered down any defense.

I looked around as I grunted my Chainsword was stuck in the head of one of fuckers. Stupid chrome skull.

There was still one more. The same gonk that had fled from me in the first place I had purposefully left him for last, but he wasn't in the room anymore.
He was back the other way?

Hah! The coward had tried to escape while I was distracted with his chooms! Unfortunately I still had him in my sight, his own agent was telling me exactly where he was. I raced back through the hallway, back into the Scavs work room.

The music was building up to the end.

And my own voice, demonic and angry roared in my ears.

'Rip and TEAR. RIP AND TEAR!'

He had escaped back into the ripper doc room. Into another section that was covered in the plastic sheets to stop blood splatter. He was trying to hide.

He screamed as he saw me. As I ignored his attempts to hide from me.

I slammed into him like a wild cat. He screamed in terror. A true guttural horror note as I promptly began beating him to death.

I smashed my fist into his face over and over as he desperately tried to fend me off. Punches were slammed into my face and chest, that I ignored.

It hurt, but pain was passing.

Murder was forever.

Hands balled, I slammed both arms down into his face again until his struggling ceased.

Until bone bent.

"Rip and Tear." I said, exhaling along with the songs only lyrics. "Until it's done." I whispered breath hoarse and heavy, I probably had a busted rib in there somewhere, but it was just… Cathartic.

Even if I really shouldn't have enjoyed that as much as I just had.

"A-aha!" A voice weak and terrified squeaked from nearby.

I looked away from the broken body beneath me. Eyes focused and hand already reaching for my Burya.

Six red optics met my own.

Maelstrom.

 

[Seras]

My heart was suddenly beating in my ears. Teeth grinding. If I wasn't already a bit out of breath I was sure I would be screaming with every exhale.

MAELSTROM.

My hand instinctively already reaching for my Burya to put the monster down.

I snapped my eyes shut. Inhale. Exhale.

I opened my eyes feeling at least myself. I wasn't sure if that feeling had been from all the rage I had been pumping into myself, or just…

Maelstrom.

But my hand fell away from my Burya. I didn't need to kill her. The girl was barely alive.

Broken. Ripped apart. White borg blood mixed with red real blood covered her. I was honestly shocked she was still alive considering how much blood was dripping from her onto the floor.

I stilled, everything that I was struggled with a decision.

On one hand, Maelstrom. Kill her. Painfully.

On the other, she was a victim of Scavs. No one deserved that. Funny how my two most hated enemies were responsible for this situation.

My eyes flickered as I scanned her. She had a rap sheet. I read it over still unsure what to do.

"Natalie Desanto AKA GearSlot." I said finally my eyes bored into her optics. As if I could kill her by just glaring.

"A-are you-*cough* D-did Kamhead send you?" She asked, quietly a desperate hope in her voice.

The sound of it left my tongue tasting of ash, and a disgust welling up in me.

It's all fun and games to put people in a pit to fight for their life, but get put into a Scav den and suddenly they are the victim! I raged inside my mind. My hands gripped so hard I could feel the blood coating my palms run down my fingers. I shifted them, to keep from breaking something internally.

"No, I was not sent here by some Maelstrom piece of shit! I happily kill you fucks whenever I get the chance after what you monsters did to me!" I roared back, my voice throaty and raw. My insides were still not doing great. I should really stop and take some MaxDoc to heal up again, but my hands were struggling to do anything but grip my own arms now as I glared at the Maelstrom in front of me.

All I could see is those fucking optics staring at me.

"Oh." She muttered a raspy sigh escaping her. "Figures."

I stalked up to her. For the first time in a while my arms felt wrong. Like just being around some Maelstrom made my phantom limbs act up again, as if I had an extra set of limbs already reaching for her throat to throttle her to death.

My head felt quiet. The song ended so it was just me and her and the sound of dripping blood.

Just me, and her.

Her life in my hands. She was dying regardless. Body torn into by Scavs. Another victim of them just as I had been…

I exhaled and it came out more like a growl. But the breath was ice cold on my tongue.

Suddenly I reached out and grabbed her face, uncaring about the blood I left there as I pushed her head to the side. She whimpered in fear and pain. As she knew a beast was here to kill her.

But I wasn't a mindless beast.

I pulled the shard that was in her neuroport.

"I'm not going to rescue you, but that should be what was blocking your agent. Call some of your chooms. If they care about you, maybe you'll survive." I bit out crunching the shard in my hand. Fucking Scav shit made to shut down someone from being able to call for help.

Then I started walking away. I couldn't deal with this shit!

"W-wait! W-where are we? I don't know where to tell-Tell them to go!" She begged weakly, desperate.

My feet stomped into bloody flooring halting me cold.

"Megabuilding H11 Floor 37. Tell them to get to the North West side. Should be obvious where to go." I ground behind clenched teeth, as I started taking another step away. I wanted to get out of here.

Then she was coughing, I could hear the blood in her synth-lungs. I had killed enough people to know what someone dying sounded like.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!

I turned around and grabbed a medkit off a pile of bodies. Fucking Scavs. They obviously took care of each other in here when needed. They had a full medical kit all stocked up. I thrust a MaxDoc into her hand, which would help a little, but grabbed a canister of borg blood.

I jammed it into her, not caring to be gentle. She whimpered, but it obviously helped. Blood pressure surging back as her breathing evened out, even giving her the strength to take the MaxDoc.

"There, that's all the mercy I have for someone in Maelstrom." I told her firmly. Slamming the medkit back onto the table beside her and storming off.

As I turned the corner I came across the dead Scavs, and remembered what I had been doing here.

I turned off the BD recorder, and grabbed a MaxDoc of my own.

I also needed to find a damn bathroom. Jun would freak if I came out this covered in my own blood like this.

My irritation spiked when I realized I would have to go hunt down my knife, I had dropped my Carnage somewhere as well.

Plus Ichi and Malcolm would be on their way soon, and so would a group of Maelstrom.

Fuck. Fuck!

I found a bathroom, but stopped before cleaning up. The sight of myself covered in blood gave me an idea. Instead I called Jun.

*Motoko! You okay? It went quiet!*

*Jun change of plans. I need you to stay up there… Scavs had a victim in here they are fucked, They are calling for someone to get them out of here, but I don't want you to get involved.* I said ignoring his worried tone.

*Motoko? What's going on I can come down to help if someone is dying. I know some first aid stuff.* Jun's voice asked, obviously concerned.

*Maelstrom. The victim is a Maelstrom girl.* Considering how much I want to kill her, and her fucking friends, I doubted Jun was much more reasonable.

*Did you kill it?* Jun asked, suddenly his voice sounded a little dead.

*No, I didn't kill her! I just said… She was already in pieces.* I told him, and don't think I didn't notice how you called her an it Jun. That's rather telling Onii-chan. *It's ruined my mood though. Jun just let me handle this. Some of her chooms are going to come pick her up. That will be that.*

*No. If more Maelstrom are coming I should come down. Make sure they don't ever leave, we can-*

*Jun, if the Maelstrom find out you are here alone, they are going to send a hit squad to take you out. Just… Stay hidden up there, I'll patch you into the cameras so you can keep watch, but I just want these fucks gone so Malcolm and Ichi can loot… Please just stay cool. I know… I know this isn't comforting. But I have an idea. It's not like I plan on being gentle with the fucks.*

*It's your gig.* He said suddenly just as flat as before, then the call ended.

Fuck.

—--

I had called Ichi to let him know the situation, so he wouldn't park too close until I let him know it was clear. Then I waited. Forced to listen to the Maelstrom woman slowly die even with the blood injection and MaxDoc.

My foot was tapping in irritation when finally the elevator started up and three Maelstrom came stepping out carefully onto the floor with guns in hand.

Of course I let them approach.

Let them find the broken open entrance door.

I stalked them. My silent steps more than capable of bypassing their chrome audio equipment. The fact I had access to all the cameras meant I could stay around the corner always completely hidden from their stupid Optics which were difficult to get around.

"Fuckin' hell this really is a Scav den! I guess GearSlot was right. Think she was actually klepped, or she just leading us into a trap?" One of them asked suddenly.

"Fuck off, she was legit, now find her!" The other growled out and the first made a motion that I knew he was rolling his nonexistent eyes.

"Just cause you fuck her sometimes…"

"No! Because she is one of us, and we don't let Maelstrom get fucked by Scavs." He grumbled as they stepped into the first rooms.

"Fuck, look at that scop!" The first Maelstrom whistled as they came across the first body I had left, head bashed in across the table.

"Guess Gearslot was right. Some solo came through here, wiped them out. C'mon!"

While I followed them along. I was recording. The moment the elevator rose to the top I had started recording again.

The Only Thing They Fear is You 2 Electric Boogaloo.

I waited for them to find their choom. Unfortunately for the Maelstrom, each had already had their security breached through as I tracked them.

I was now in control.

"Fuck Gearslot you look like some truly rusty shit." The guy that sounded actually worried about her muttered when they found her.

"Fuck you." She wheezed but she sounded relieved. "Now get me… Get me out of here." She begged and the big guy nodded, already reaching down to pick her up.

"Hell no! Look around, look at all this chrome!" The stupid fuck said.

That's it. Can't allow them to even consider that.

The stereo that the Scavs were so fond of started up with a thought from where I was hiding, literally crawling among the corpse of the Scav ripper doc I had murdered before.

The first guitar riff echoed through the room.

"The fuck? Where's that song coming from?"

"What song is that?" The third asked looking around more in interest at the notes.

"I think… I think the girl, the solo wants us to leave." Gearslot muttered quietly in the big Maelstroms arms.

"What? Fuck that! This is our territory! It's our chrome! Some Fleshy cunt can-"

That was when I dropped the darkness on them.

For stupid worthless chrome junkies their optics were usually high end, giving them vision way better than a normal person could have.

Even if the chrome was a disgusting mess.

But it was still just chrome.

Still able to be shut down.

Two of them instantly lost sight.

"What? Fuck I can't see!" Stupid and the other gonk that wasn't holding his injured choom suddenly lost their right to see. The third the big fuck that was carrying the girl was allowed to retain his vision. I wanted at least one of them to see this.

I moved.

As the song pulsed through the radio, I slammed into stupid fuck. Carnage bashing his knee in and then whipping around to smash his face. Sending him crumpling to the floor at the unseen attack. Then I slammed the barrel into his cheek putting weight behind it so he could really feel the pressure of the barrel pressing down on him. But I wasn't looking at the gonk that was a split second from losing his head, I was staring at the big fuck with the girl in his arms.

My bloodsoaked body glaring with all my might. Every ounce of barely restrained rage on display.

The voice that came out wasn't my normal one. Sexy Motoko voice was in play mostly to make me sound older. "Only warning. Take your chooms and get lost." I pumped the shotgun just so stupid would know exactly what was pressing against his stupid face.

Then I let my hack finish processing. I blinded them all got up, leaping away, and then bouncing again leaving the ripper room, as I deactivated the quick hack for the entire group.

Just as their sight had disappeared, it suddenly came back, as I undid the attack. I also tweaked the stereo. Letting the sound dimm down so it was just a faint rumble in the background. A warning if they were smart.

I watched on from the camera system as I moved to a place they wouldn't find me even if they looked.

"Bitch!" Stupid cursed as he rose up his gun waving this way and that, but after a few seconds he realized other than his chooms he was alone. "Where did she go!?"

"Don't know." The big guy said but as he had been holding his injured output firmly actually trying to protect her even with his vision lost. "But let's not find out. Move your shit, we're leaving."

Stupid fuck looked like he was going to argue but eventually he just cursed and spit onto the floor following the other two.

I watched as they got into the elevator and left. I knew Jun had been watching too, so I was actually impressed they got away without being murdered.

Time to check on my brother, get my crew to loot this place, and deal with everything.

Fuck.

—--

"I told you Jun, I'm fine. I'll stop at Viks to get checked out." I told him grumbling. He had seen how much blood I had on me from the cameras, and it seemed he had taken all the feelings he had about seeing Maelstrom and not murdering them, towards smothering me.

"You don't look fine." He grumbled as I drove us as quickly as I could away from the Megabuilding.

This was supposed to be fun! It was supposed to be a glorious orgy of violence and brutality! Fun! I was supposed to be the Doom Slayer against acceptable targets! Like a game, but more real!

But now all I could think about was how it ended. The bitter taste in my throat at being reminded Maelstrom existed.

"It totally ruined my song." I grumbled, the fact I had been so happy to finally finish an awesome song felt so… Far away now.

"What song?" Jun asked, almost startling me and pulling me out of the spiral of just frustration I was feeling.

That's right. It was actually done. Like done done… I felt a tiny bit of that happiness in finishing the song and music box come back, as I popped the shard from my neck and stuck it into the Quadra's stereo.

The song started and I could tell the noise surprised Jun as my heavy riffs dropped into the heavy drums.

Okay, so maybe seeing Jun's face perk up in interest as he listened to a song I played helped my mood a bit.

I stopped on the street in front of the apartment complex to let Jun off at home. Despite it being so late, I did want to go see Vik. Just to get a checkup. But as I parked Jun surprised me by popping the shard out of the stereo before I could stop him.

"Jun!"

"Nope. This is mine now." He told me actually teasing me, before racing out of the Quadra before I could stop him.

"Hey! Get back here! Give it back!" I called out as I started to slip out of the Quadra, but Jun pointed right at me.

"No! You are injured, go to Viks!" He demanded and I stalled which gave him all the time he needed to race inside.

"Bastard!" I yelled at him, but he just laughed as he raced inside.

I was going to powerbomb his ass the very next time I caught him sleeping. I decided, but it was with a much lighter feeling that I slipped back into the Quadra.

—--

Thankfully Vik was able to take care of me. To my surprise he hadn't been in his clinic when I got there. I actually had to call him up.

Turns out Vik actually had a life outside of waiting around in his clinic for my gonk ass.

It gave me weird vibes, like meeting a teacher outside of school.

"You have a fracture in your skull, and two of your ribs kid." Vik unfortunately hadn't been happy at me, when I explained that I was still feeling pain even after 'healing.'

"I figured. Broken bones don't tend to heal up without sleeping." I explained and he just sighed rubbing at his head with one hand not covered in Ripper needles.

"Alright, kid. I'm glad you came to me for me to check you out, so I won't yell at you too much." He offered with a warm hand on my shoulder as he thankfully let me off easy.

I hadn't actually told him just why I was a bit more beat up than normal. Hopefully he won't find out it was something I basically did to myself.

"Well I want you to rest then, here, for observation. Head wounds like that… Skull fractures are serious kid. So rest. I'm going to make sure you don't have a brain hemorrhage in your sleep."

With those orders from Vik what else could I do? I leaned back and closed my eyes.

—--

With a clean bill of health and skull back to how it should be I left Viks the next morning. intending to go see Judy to drop off the new BD. Unfortunately I was still kinda covered in blood. I had washed up a bit, but there was only so much I could do without a change of clothes and a shower.

So I went home instead. Did just that, and even took a few moments to get some food in me. Then I raced over to Lizzies.

I had cut out a bit of the BD already. Mostly just everything after meeting the Maelstrom victim. I didn't want anyone to see how rattled it had made me. I had kept a copy of me messing with the second Maelstrom group, but that wasn't going to be handed over to Judy. It wasn't good enough to really bother with.

Lizzies was quieter than normal, being so early in the morning when I pulled up. Rita wasn't even the one guarding the door, but another girl that I had seen around, but hadn't spoken with. I waved at her as I passed and got a nod in return.

The insides were still active, but slower than normal. People were mostly hanging around in little corners rather than packing up the place, but I moved through.

Judy's realm was how it always was. Dark and hidden away, but to my surprise, Judy wasn't actually here.

Huh.

I shrugged, it would have been nice to talk to her, but it is what it is. I grabbed the shard with the virtu on it and placed it onto Judy's desk. Knowing she would get it. I was a few steps away before I stopped and quickly picked it back up.

Etching the name of the BD onto the shard with a grin before putting it back nice and obvious on her computer there. Now she would know what to call the BD for Nox.

Showing my mature and reasonable mentality I also sent Judy a text letting her know it was on her desk, including that the BD was a bit more brutal than before so she should be ready. As tempting as it was to leave it as a surprise, that might not be an entirely nice thing to do for someone kinda doing me a favor by fixing up my virtu.

With that I headed back out of the club into the sunny California day.

I blinked at the sunny bright day, raising my hand over my eyes as I glared at it.

"Nah fuck that." I grumbled heading to my car. I was going to go hide in the apartment… Maybe get some Ramen first.

—--

I was on the couch with a bowl of to go ramen in front of me as I looked through my system alerts.

Eighteen Scavs.

I hadn't actually counted last night.

I had brutally murdered eighteen Scavs.

Seventeen 500xp alerts, and one 1000xp alert was in the listing.

9500xp was nice on its own. The level up to level 12 was great.

But that wasn't even all that my system had given me. I had used skills I didn't often practice. I had fought in a way that I never had.

Street Brawler had leveled up, and considering how early I had got those alerts, I might have gotten a good way into the next level if it wasn't already maxed out with Body at 7.

But better than that, I leveled Annihilation! Annihilation 5 also unlocked a perk. I had to go back and check to even remember what perk I had picked before, and it was Recoil Reduction. One of the reasons I was able to even use my Burya without breaking my arm. I was a little hyped at wondering what I would pick next!

Quick Hacks 7. Also popped up in the list. I guess my rolling Weapon Glitch had been good for more than just giving me a brutal melee.

I had gained a lot from that fight.

I stretched as I considered what to do with my points.

I'll admit a big part of me was tempted to put the stat point into intelligence.

Just to see. What was 11 in a stat/skill? What did it mean?

But I shook off the temptation. Instead I went to my adaptation page and pushed another point into my arms.

Militech Condor *Adaptation Militech Condor 5/8*

I exhaled and I shrugged, and honestly. I couldn't even really feel the difference so much anymore. Sure they still gave weird signals sometimes. Falling asleep on my arm only to wake up and feel like someone else was touching my face was a weird recurring issue in the morning.

But it felt… Normal.

I felt normal.

Well, I felt normal enough. Ignoring the slight itch of my Subdermal. The ache my ankles gave me in my calves as they forced bone and muscle to move in ways they wouldn't normally. Or the small minor things that I felt from time to time.

In the end. It was just me.

I smiled and nodded looking at my skill points.

Did I want to spend them?

I had two…

Nah there wasn't anything that wasn't already close to max level that I couldn't level up pretty quick.

Rockerboy staring at me still at level 6 was tempting to actually grind out though.

I did finally finish my music box! I grinned as I stretched, wiggling my toes as I finished off the ramen.

Time to make some songs!

I reached over and plugged my personal link into the box humming as I started on a new track. I was thinking… Samurai. I nodded, decision made. Let's see how I compare to Johnny.

 

[Seras]

Working through the catalog of Samurai songs took me most of the night. Each song needed multiple playthroughs, just for the initial tracks, and then I had to add the holo emitter setup which now that I had done it once with my first song, did go easier. I just needed to add a few more move sets for drums and guitar, and then set up the keyboard and bass.

Jun didn't come home that night, which was annoying. I still needed to get my shard back from him. But at least I was able to distract myself with rocking out.

Rockerboy was gaining xp again. And in the middle of the night as I finished Never Fade Away, I got a new level up!

Rockerboy 7!

I hummed as the knowledge hit, and took it all in. That was nice addition a bit more high end musical stuff, and some adjustments I could do while singing to bring more emotion into the song.

Of course when I heard the door open in the morning I was instantly on my feet and finger pointed at my idiot brother.

"Give it back!"

"No." He responded as he walked stretching and yawning. "I like it. It suits me."

"No! It's my song! It's meant to suit me!" I argued and Jun looked at me, and just scoffed.

Which is when I did the mature thing and yowled in fury and leapt on his head. And I do mean on his head. I nearly fell feet and hands first into his hair.

How dare he!

But my jump was stalled. His arms caught me mid leap… Had Jun known what I was going to do, or were his reflexes that good? He didn't have a sandy or Keren… Right?

My thoughts were interrupted as Jun flipped me around and even with Street Brawler leveling I wasn't able to stop him from swinging me around a bit and bombed me onto the couch.

Which creaked a little ominously but held.

Then he sat on me.

"What have we learned?" He teased and I punched him a few times near his kidneys only for it to not really do much. Stupid subdermal! "Ah. I guess nothing apparently." He added as he reached down and started poking me. Which only made me want to punch him more.

"I swear I'm going to chip in some gorilla arms so you can't just ignore my punches."

"That would just make you more like a gorilla than you already are. Sure you want to do that?" He teased and I could feel my face getting red in anger as I struggled for a bit under him.

Stupid Jun and his… "FAT!" I yelled into his face. "GO ON A DIET!"

Jun just blinked at me before smirking. He reached into his jacket pocket…

"No."

"Oh yes." He assured me as he took out an XXL burrito and started eating it.

"You're so disgusting."

"They're good! I don't get why you don't like them anymore."

"They aren't burritos! They are just sludge!"

Jun just shrugged. "Tasty tho."

I looked up at the kitchen to where the radio was. I would have my revenge! The radio started playing Samurai music suddenly.

Jun frowned and looked like he was considering standing up to turn it off but just decided to ignore it. He turned on the TV to watch something turning up the volume to drown out the song.

Wrong move.

I had complete control!

The TV Glitched.

It started playing the song as well.

"Motoko."

"You will never know peace." I told him firmly. He sighed and tried the remote.

Nope. Already hacked that.

"Motoko. No hacking the TV." Jun demanded using his authority voice.

I gave him a deadpan stare.

"How about a truce?"

"Get your fat ass off me."

"Fine." He grumbled standing up as I could finally breathe normally again and I clambered up to stand on the couch so we were about the same height… No dammit Jun was still taller!

I put my hands on my hips and glared.

"Give me back my shard!"

"Make me a copy."

"No! I already have the original. The reason I want the shard is so no one else can listen to it! Well I mean they'll be able to once they watch the BD I guess, but I mean… Ugh! Fine keep it!"

"I will." He said smiling and patted me on the head. "Gotta keep my Imouto's first recording. It's special."

"Bwah!" I flailed, pushing his hand away. No fair! Cheating!

"Heh. You should play a live gig." He said suddenly, smiling. "Fujimura-Sama was really impressed with the piano solo you did."

"No way!" I argued instantly, returning to normal to cross my arms in an X. "That's embarrassing, I don't want anyone to hear my songs!" Except when they were the backing to an awesome XBD!

"Pfft." Jun just laughed at me, which didn't help! "I've already shown your song to some of the others. The Only Thing They Fear was a hit. They liked it."

I gaped at Jun who was smiling at me. No!

"You didn't!"

"I did! Akari was really into it. She bugged me for a copy, I didn't give it to her though. She will probably come poke you for it… Be ready."

"Noooo!" I whined at him, I was blushing! Stupid Onii-chan! Making me get all self conscious! "You aren't allowed to show it to anyone! Give it back!"

"Nope. What else you got? Any other songs?" He asked his face in a proud smile.

"Samurai Songs!" I immediately offered, turning his smile into a disgusted look.

"Nevermind then. Let me know when you make something else."

"I won't! Ever! You shared it!"

"It was preem. Cool. I liked it, made me want to go murder something." He offered and I nodded along. Yeah that's true. That song did that to me too.

"That's what I felt. It's why the song is my theme song now! Motoko's Theme!" I called out telling him why the song was important.

"Oni's Theme sounds better." I gaped at him.

"Never! You can't just steal my theme! I made it myself!"

"Well you can't stop me." He said reminding me he had my shard with a tap of his hand against his neck.

Which was his mistake. It was reasonable enough. Jun still hadn't quite fitted my netrunning skill into his mind yet.

My eyes blazed in code and half a second later his Neuroport ejected the shard sending it tumbling into the air.

Heh! Lucy wasn't the only Picksocket around!

I leapt for the shard that had ejected, but Jun wasn't giving up without a fight. We ended up wrestling and tumbling around the couch for a while.

In the end his stupid fat strength meant he kept the shard and I sulked at him in the corner as he very obviously played the song in his head.

—--

"I can't believe you hit another Scav den without me!" Hiromi whined the exact second after almost kicking in the door and glaring at me from the entryway.

"Hiromi don't kick doors that can break them." I reminded her only to get a groan from her as I guess I ruined her outrage.

"Why! I could have come!"

"I wasn't going to call anyone… It was a BD gig more than anything but Jun wouldn't let me go alone. So I ended up calling Ichi and Malcolm after to collect everything."

"But not me?"

"It was a school night." I reminded her, earning a look of disgust from her..

"Stop using that as an excuse!" She whined before flopping beside me on the couch reaching out to grab me so I couldn't escape. "I demand restitution! One Million Motoko hours of service will just about cover this insult!" She added in her most Corpo voice. It had me giggling at her act, but I pulled myself together to give her my most deadpan reply.

"Sorry, no can do, but I'll pick up dinner." I retorted and Hiromi giggled and seemed to relax.

"I'll take it."

—--

Hiromi dragged me to a more expensive sort of restaurant than I would normally go to, but considering how many eddies I had sliding into my bank account I just shrugged and accepted what she wanted, and ate the overpriced food.

It was making her happy.

We were in a dark little booth with an electric candle lighting our table and Hiromi was all smiles while she told me about her day at the academy.

"Seriously. They are so gonk. They think people will just listen to whatever they say without any care. I'm pretty sure the first time they try to hire a merc they are going to get shot." Hiromi added with a roll of her eyes and I couldn't help but be amused at how well she had scored on her "Workplace Reinforcement" quiz.

"I think you just have way more experience than most of them in dealing with solos… Not that I really count. I don't think using me as an example is a good idea."

Hiromi opened her mouth to retort but ended up closing it and bursting into giggles. "Probably not! Oh! Now I have this image in my head! Motoko! You have to record the first time some corp tries to hire you okay? I want to see the look on their face when they realize what they are dealing with!"

"That… Okay that does sound funny, but the way you say that makes it sound like I'm weird!" I argued pushing a piece of… Well it was supposed to be shrimp, but it was just scop made to look and sort of taste like shrimp.

Hiromi of course just smirked at me, until I looked away first. Meanie.

I suddenly perked up as a text came in, the chime jolting in my ear.

*Judy: JESUS. FUCK! What the fuck was that?*

Before I could even message back another came in.

*Judy: I'm glad you warned me, but still! Are you okay!? Did you go Cyberpsycho on me or something? DON'T MAKE ME CALL RITA!*

"Ah one sec. Judy just saw my BD." I told Hiromi who was looking curiously as my eyes were obviously gold as I looked through my texts.

Before I could actually respond Judy sent another message.

*Judy: FUCK IT. I'm calling Rita anyways!*

*Motoko: Please don't. I'm fine. Not a psycho!*

*Motoko: Cyber or otherwise! It was just for the BD. I do have a thing about Scavs after all. I'm actually at dinner with my Choom right now. Eating and doing normal stuff! Nothing psycho going on I'm okay! Don't tell Rita I'm a Cyberpsycho!*

*Judy: Fine! Fine. I'll chill. But seriously. You gave me a warning, but a bit more detail would have been nice! Fuck my heart is pounding! A bit more brutal my ass! You! I will never forget the feeling of sticking my thumbs in someone's eyeballs now thanks to you!*

*Motoko: Sorry.*

*Judy: Fuck, you better be! You sure you aren't a fucking Cyberpscyho? No. You wouldn't be this normal I guess? I don't know I've never dealt with a Cyberpsycho before! Fine. Okay. Fine. As long as you aren't a psycho I guess it's all good. Sides, I guess it's all good. Nox will be happy to hear about a new virtu. Well as long as it isn't going to be evidence for MaxTac… Well yet anyways. I'm gonna finish the BD, make it fucking sparkly preem. Just don't drop something like this on me again. Fuck I do porn, I didn't sign up to learn what brain feels like!*

*Motoko: Double super sorry. Anything I can do to make up for it?*

*Judy: Heh, some replacement caffeine to start. I had to chug half my stash just to calm down after that overload.*

*Motoko: Judy, I don't think Caffeine is what you want if you are- You know what. Nevermind. Sure I'll replace your stuff. Sorry.*

*Judy: It's fine I guess. I'm just glad you read normal. But I'm expecting you to check in with Rita or something! Or just don't do something like that again! Anyway I'll have it done ASAP. I kinda want to see some reactions to this one..*

I shook my head at Judy's reaction, taking a deep breath. At least Judy was okay with it. I mean… Just because it was me at my most brutal overlaid with heavy metal that no one had ever heard before that literally ended with Rip and Tear… Surely no one could misconstrued that in the wrong light…

Right?

"I may have gone a bit overboard on my last BD." I admitted to Hiromi who only looked interested rather than concerned.

Yep. This may have been a mistake.

A fun mistake. But still a mistake.

—--

Apparently we were having a slumber party.

Hiromi had followed me home after dinner. She flopped onto the couch as we entered besides Jun. "Hiya Jun!"

"Hiromi. Taking care of my gonk sister tonight?"

"Yep! Motoko is all fed!"

"I bought dinner." I grumbled at Hiromi going along with Jun's teasing as I settled onto the armrest of the couch. Jun and Hiromi taking up the rest.

"Motoko! Play your song for me!" Hiromi demanded, leaning back like a queen surveying her domain.

"No." My instant flat denial broke her facade, and the whining began.

"Motokooooo! I want to hear you play your new soooong! Judy got to hear it!" She begged leaning into me and being purposefully annoying.

"Judy is listening to a recording of it in a BD. It's not the same!" I argued. I had explained after Judy's text what I had done at the Scav den. And Hiromi to my surprise hadn't said anything about wanting to hear 'my' song then.

I guess she just wanted a private showing.

"I want to hear you play it too." Jun said, a smirk shot in my direction. Earning a happy smile from Hiromi as she met his eyes and both of then looked at me.

"Don't even think about it."

"Motokoooo!"

"C'mon Imouto!"

They started cheering for me! Like actual cheers! They were even getting louder and I realized then if I didn't do something… They were going to keep getting louder until I did!

FUCKING GONKS!

I felt my face heating up but pushed it down with cool, which was a mistake. Because if I was controlling my emotions, I wasn't too embarrassed to actually play in front of people.

I did have to test my Music Box after all.

I glared at them both before walking around grabbing my music box and pushing my personal link into it.

I placed it onto the floor behind me as I grabbed my guitar. With a bit of finagling, I hooked the amp and speakers I had bought, up to the music box. While ignoring the cheers of my choom and stupid brother.

"You both better appreciate this." I told them as I did a few tests to make sure the sound was coming out, and then walked around the apartment turning off most of the lights.

Then I activated the song.

The moment I started the first chords, behind me holograms began forming.

On my right a drum set formed and then I could hear Jun and Hiromi both gasp in surprise as a holographic me formed with it. The hologram unfortunately didn't do anything fancy like twirl a drumstick or something. I would actually need to get pictures of me doing that and spend a lot more time improving the routine, but it did have me behind the drums and hitting all the notes on a drum.

To my left a double keyboard setup and a bunch of extra electrical equipment popped up. To represent me working on the more electronic sounds.

And then, suddenly the drop hit, and drummer me went to town.

Thankfully there wasn't any vocals through the song, so I could concentrate fully on just making sure the notes I was playing were right.

The recorded version of the other instruments sounded fine, and I was actually doing it. I wasn't fumbling, my notes were hitting, and I even roared along with the chant at the end.

Then it ended.

"Eeeeee!" Hiromi slammed into me once the song was obviously ended literally leaping on top of me that I had to balance my best choom with not breaking my guitar as she clung onto me. "THAT WAS SO PREEM!" She screamed and burst into laughter after.

I was just desperately trying not to fall and break something.

Jun thankfully came to my rescue, but not by lifting Hiromi off me, instead he grabbed my guitar and pulled it free.

Thanks. Jerk. I mouthed at him, and he just laughed at me.

"Hiromi. C'mon!"

"No way! I know an actual Rockerboy now!" She yelled so excited. "You have to give me a super pass to all your shows forever!" She demanded and I just laughed and nodded.

Because I was never going to do any shows! Silly Hiromi.

Besides, even if I did do shows she would have a super pass anyways. What a gonk.

"That was so amazing Motoko! I can't believe you wrote your own song!" Hiromi said, still holding onto me like a monkey.

I winced trying to explain that I hadn't written the song originally was… Difficult. I made an apology to the amazing Mick Gordon that I was taking credit for his work.

"Okay okay, time to climb off." I grumbled at her as I pushed her until she had to let go. But Hiromi's good cheer couldn't be ended so easily.

"Motoko! We need to set up a show! We can sell tickets!" Hiromi was going a little crazy.

"No way. I'm not putting on any shows Hiromi. This is just my thing. My relaxing thing." I tell her before realizing what I had just said.

Right. This was my relaxing thing. Or supposed to be… Turning it into another murder thing… Fuck.

Rita was gonna be so disappointed when she found out! This was supposed to be my zen thing! My hobby to pull me out of the routine murder I committed.

With that realization I exhaled in annoyance at myself. I reached out grabbing Hiromi by the shoulders and guided her back to the couch. "I'm glad you liked my song. Now never ever tell anyone about this. Especially you Jun. You traitor. Akari is going to be so annoying now."

"Heh."

"Nooo! Motoko you are so talented! You have to!" Hiromi whined at me, but I ignored her. No way. That was embarrassing.

In the end I ignored Hiromi's begging, and eventually Jun just laughed at the two of us as he turned the TV on. Although he did give me a head pat for doing so well.

I ended up sitting on the floor with my back against the couch, Hiromi looming over me as she watched me work, as I worked on another song.

It was the only thing I could do to get her to stop bugging me about singing more. Of course I had to take my laptop and hook it into the network to let Hiromi see the visual of me putting the songs tracks together.

There were so many different songs I wanted to play, but since I had already started on the DOOM Soundtrack, I might as well continue with another of the songs I liked.

BFG Division was hilariously relevant in Night City after all.

—-

Jun ended up waking Hiromi up in the morning. He had gone to bed eventually, and Hiromi had just curled up on the couch with her head half way resting on my shoulder as I worked.

During the quiet night I had added most of a few other songs together, although I still wanted to actually perform the guitar sections myself to finish them off. Something I couldn't do with Hiromi asleep.

I had gained a few Rockerboy alerts as well as I worked on the songs!

I guess creating digital music still counted as far as Rockerboy was concerned.

"Morning Motoko. Morning Jun." Hiromi muttered groggily as was woken up by Jun opening and closing the fridge, the noise all it took to bring her back to wakefulness.

"Morning Hiromi." I chirp as my choom blinks and gives me a smile in return as she starts stretching out and waking up.

I put my stuff away, considering I had been working through the night I wanted a break from tracks and notes for a while.

"Breakfast?" I asked my choom and she blinked sleepily and nodded.

Aww. Sleepy Hiromi was all quiet.

 

[Seras]

Nox

"It's nothing like you'll find anywhere else. It's not some shock jock gore shit. This is an edgerunner, doing a real gig. A professional!" He commented practically slapping his bag as he talked the guy into it.

"Yeah kid I know. I heard about the Boat Heist." The man offered, rolling his eyes as he looked around. He wasn't the first customer Nox had that hadn't been super comfortable buying peddled BD's, X or otherwise, off the street from a street kid.

But Nox had prime shit now. Motoko's BD's were unique enough that word of mouth got around. It wasn't everyday someone could feel an actual professional at work.

Nox was super thankful that Motoko had wanted to hide her body and shit from the BD. It let him sell to people that wouldn't buy a BD from a teenagers perspective normally.

"Well I got one here for you. As well as the back log of that Edgerunners other works. Some are pretty low key, but I assure you, once you finish you will know what it's like to be a-"

"An Edgerunner. I've heard your push already kid. Just show me what you got." The older man demanded and as Nox held out a copy of all the BD's he thought he could push on the older guy. Eddies and Shards traded hands, and the man disappeared. Leaving Nox with an easy couple grand.

He loved this shit. The Boat Heist had been on the news, so he could easily push for high end XBD prices for it. And that led to people wanting more of Motoko.

Money was flowing in, more money than he had ever expected.

As always he made a note in a program he kept on his agent of how much he made, and how much he would owe Motoko for her cut.

It was small time honestly. Motoko barely even noticed when he sent her updates on how well everything was going. Judy his only other person he had to pay mostly just wanted him to bring her more caffeine.

The eddies were just flowing in, and Nox was even considering hiring a guard just to make sure no more trouble happened.

*Ringing*

Judy? He thought hearing the call and checking the caller ID.

*Hey Jude, what's up?*

*FUCK!* He winced, at the loud noise. He had an internal agent now. A very useful piece of chrome he had purchased with some of the profits, but it meant he couldn't lean away from the phone. *THE FUCKING FUCK NOX. FUCK!*

*Jude?*

*UGH. I can't believe I did this shit! Nox you are so lucky you're a Mox. If you weren't I would be kicking your ass right now! Motoko's last BD was fucking! Fuck. My heart literally won't stop fucking pounding, and I can't get the feeling of literally… Fuck… At least she warned me first. But I need bigger warnings than this!*

*Hey, Hey Jude. Calm down, what's going on?*

*Ugh. Motoko dropped a new BD on my desk.* And at that Nox was cheering literally jumping in the air and whooping audibly as he rushed to pack his shit.

New content! Fuck he was gonna make more eddies! Running into that beautiful girl was the best thing that ever happened to him in his entire life!

*I'm on my way! Did you finish it?*

*Yeah I fucking finished it Nox! I wou- Sorry.* Judy went quiet for a minute. *I'm still dealing with the aftershocks of the virtu, I still feel angry. Just come by, and bring me a few cans. I'm out thanks to editing this bitch.*

*On my way Jude. On my way.*

She hung up and Nox was whooping as he ran down the street. He was going to jump in his crappy car that he had bought with the eddies and run it all the way to Lizzies. Everything was going perfect today!

—--

"Rip and Tear. Until it's done." His mouth formed the words even as he was gasping for air. His head still hurt, and his ribs ached, but everything else just felt like fire and hate as he glared down at the last Scav. At the last monster he had ripped apart.

The transition was sudden like the BD cut off in a weird spot and suddenly Nox was Nox. He wasn't a murder machine glaring down at the corpses of the fucking SCAVS! No he was laying on his back with Judy looking over him.

"Fuuuuuuuuck." He whimpered, despite the pain being gone. The rage and anger and hatred, but it left his nerves feeling raw as he rolled off the chair and nearly face planted. He was gasping for air he realized, and he wondered for a moment if he was going to be sick?

"Yeah. I may need to tone that down a bit." Judy offered. He had shown up and she had been twitchy and quick to anger and now he knew why. He felt the same way, but there was also… He rolled over and just laid on his back. Sucking in air and letting the cool floor of Judy's workshop cool him down.

"Jesus fucking christ."

"Yeah." Judy replied and even handed him a soda as she stood over him. "You alright?"
"Just processing. I wasn't… Is Motoko okay?"

"I called her. I could only stay in the virtu for like a minute before I pulled out at first. I called her then. She sounded normal. Apologized and stuff. Still not sure if she is actually…"

"Yeah… Yeah… Fuck." Nox had felt the cool calculated control Motoko exuded probably more than anybody. He sold the damn BD's after all. He watched them often enough to make sure he could explain them to buyers.

He knew that Motoko was a killer. Absolutely unhesitatingly murderous when she wanted. The facade of her chipper happiness disappeared when it was time for her to kill.

But now he wasn't sure what the real Motoko was.

Was it the nice teenager that would help out a boy getting beaten. The cold calculating Solo?

Or the Monster of rage and hate hidden within?

"So yeah. That's a thing." Judy offered as she took a long sip of her drink. "I'm thinking of sicking Rita on her."

"Yeah."

"I'll never get the feeling of brains out of my nails." She told him and Nox had to agree. He had seen a lot of XBD's. That was definitely the first time someone had stuck a thumb through someone's eye.

"It was fucking preem though."

"It was the most uncomfortable virtu I have ever edited." She retorted instantly.

"Preem work."

Judy just laughed as he ignored her complaints. She wasn't really mad. Judy might pretend all she wanted, but she loved BD's and XBD's as much as anyone. Hell he still slipped her some of the shit coming out from the big names so she could rip it apart and see what they had done. Improve her own craft. She's a connoisseur.

And he had caught her a few times just enjoying a BD here or there.

"Fuck. I'm gonna sell that BD." He muttered realizing what he had on his hands.

"Not until after I tone it down a bit."

"Don't. Leave it." He decided. He would explain that it was more raw than normal. It was better this way. No one would forget the BD… "The Only Thing They Fear Is You." Nox had come up with the names of all the BD's Motoko had dropped off until now. But fuck, if she had come up with the best name possible for this BD.

Anyone who scrolled this BD was going to feel like it was the damned truth.

—--

My agent ringing in my head woke me up in the middle of my nap.

"Blargh?" I asked aloud as I blinked my eyes and sat up. I had spent the entire previous day playing with Hiromi, traveling the city shopping for clothes and just hanging out with my choom. Then I spent some of the night doing some debugging work that Yoko had set up for me. Getting through some of the backlog of service requests that were piling up in my inbox.

But now it was early-late. And I was actually muggy. Not something I usually deal with.

Realizing I hadn't actually spoken into my Agent I shook myself and did it again.

*Hello?*

*Hermanita, It's Jackie! Sorry about calling you so late, little choom, but I have a problem, and I need a netrunner. Uh I already tried Bug but she cussed me out. Can you help?* Jackie blurted out, and instantly I could tell he was stressed. Talking too fast, and almost stumbling over his words.

I blinked as I tried to process the question before grunting a bit as I rose up. *Yeah, Jack, I can help. What's the deets?*

*I got a computer system here that has information I need, but I can't get in. I'll send you the address?*

*Sure I'll be on my way.*

*Thanks Hermanita.*

I rose to hurry and get dressed. Noting that Jun was sleeping in his bed so I went stealthy so I wouldn't disturb him.

Slipping out of the apartment I rushed down the stairs using the movement to get my blood pumping to help wake me up.

I hated being groggy, but I wasn't going to blame Jackie. He had called me!

I raced across the street to the parking garage. Jackie actually relied on me! I was inordinately happy about the fact.

I checked the address and set it to my GPS and started driving, actually going a little faster than normal through the city.

—--

The address took me to an old warehouse in Santo Domingo. I pulled up to the open gate and frowned.

Multiple vehicles were inside, and I could see dead bodies lying on the ground.

Not just that. Some of the bodies were wearing armor. Orange Armor. Kang Tao? What were Kang Tao gonks doing here? What was Jackie getting himself into?

I parked and turned off the engine.

Time to move.

The chainlink fence protected a dirty lot, covered in old garbage including a fire pit and some old ratty chairs.

Obviously the abandoned lot had been taken over. Now the question was, what was going on?

I slipped through the gate, staying in cover from the sightlines of the entrance to the warehouse that had its bay door open as I came up on the first normal body.

Tino? I checked the markings and it was the same sort of tats and markings a tino might use, but it wasn't quite right. The body was wearing a bandanna around the neck with a weird symbol on it.

Offshoot street gang? Maybe just a few Tino kids forming their own gang to fuck around? But why the murder? Kang Tao being involved was a bit much for what I would expect from a street gang.

I looked over the wounds and frowned.

Big rounds. Five rounds center mass. Someone took this kid out brutally. Kang Tao hadn't been interested in talking.

Burya now firmly in my hand, because this was sketchy I rushed up to the warehouse's entrance, peeking in.

It was empty except for a Kang Tao Van parked in the back.

But there was a light on in the back office. I glanced around, then did it again to confirm the lack of any cameras.

The darkness of the warehouse no barrier to my optics I rushed in. Using the weight bearing struts to stay in cover as I raced to the back. The Van was empty front and back, the back door was even open. Slowly I crept up to the office window to peek in, and relaxed, almost sighing in relief.

I quickly called Jackie after confirming he was just sitting in a chair waiting.

*Hermanita you here?* He asked as soon as the call connected as I watched him physically rise up from his chair.

*Yeah just outside the office you are parked in. I'm coming in. Didn't want to startle you.* I added, gave him a second before I opened the door and walked in.

"Whew you're sneaky as always." Jackie said, chuckling as he sat back down.

"Fuck Jackie! You're hurt!" I snapped, rushing in as I noticed the blood rolling down his shoulder.

"Just a flesh wound Hermanita. I'll be fine." He said trying to calm me, but the way his left arm was hitching meant that was a lie. I almost went off on him, when I noticed it.

The dead Kang Tao body in the corner.

"Jackie? What's going on?"

"One of the fuckers that killed the kids outside. They were just gonk kids. Didn't deserve this shit." Jackie hissed, the big man usually easy going honestly furious as he walked over and kicked the body.

He was already very dead Jackie.

"What were Kang Tao doing here?"

"The kids… The Red Piratas, Red Pirates. Just a small group of kids fucking around, klepping shit they shouldn't have. Danny… He lives near me, I've boxed with him a little, just you know taught him how to punch. Kid doesn't have a papa." Jackie was quiet for a moment before shaking his head.

"He gone?"

"Yeah. I saw him outside. He's the one who called me for help. The Piratas klepped a vehicle only to find out it's owner was Kang Tao. It was a corpos car, there was something in the trunk. Danny realized how hot it was, but couldn't just dump it… They had taken the car on a joy ride. Everyone knew who had klepped the ride." Jackie sighed, rubbing his face tiredly.

"So Kang Tao came to get it back. Without mercy." I added and Jackie nodded.

"I need to find out where they are Hermanita. Can't let this one stand. Not even the corps can just walk into Tino territory and flatline our boys. Even Padre agrees. This is too far. So I called in some backup, but I'm stuck at step one." he said, pointing with his good arm and I figured it out.

There was a Kang Tao armored case that had a laptop inside sitting on the office desk. Blood along one side of it told me how Jackie had gotten it. It was on, but obviously needed a password as it was stuck on the login page.

"Okay I'm putting things together." I said as I walked over to the laptop.

"Knew you were the right call. Fast on your feet." He complimented me, I just snorted in amusement, as I checked the laptop. I wasn't even his first pick. Don't think I had missed that he called T-Bug first.

Then I frowned. Dangerous.

"This is gonna take a bit. The security on this thing is dangerous."

"Okay Hermanita. Just… As fast as you can. I need to find out where they ran. Can't send Danny on without the men who killed him following behind…" Jackie grunted in anger as he glared around the small office.

In the quiet of the office as Jackie brooded, I was working my way into the laptop.

No way I was sticking my personal link into a port on this thing. Just looking at it I could see the massive module on it's side. Basically it was a Black ICE port. You stick your link in without the right codes it tries to fry your brain. Probably melts the laptop hard drive along with it.

So instead I was relying on Ghost Touch. A few key presses caused the OS to enter a diagnostic mode.

Then I basically started poking the system using wireless connections. Sending connection requests, that would be denied, but the laptop would still need to accept a few bytes of code to verify if it was an allowed connection.

Over and over, I sent tiny bits of data through, that would all be stored in the same processing node to verify if it was a legit connection. The laptop normally would have dumped the data after dismissing the connection, but if I sent the data over a slow enough bandwidth causing the computer to assume it was a connection error, so it would save the data as it constantly tried to gather enough information to accept or deny, the data would be saved.

And slowly a virus was put together that would add in access information.

"Hermanita?"

"Gonna take a bit Jackie. Don't rush me. I'm going as fast as I can." I mumbled, never tearing my eyes from the laptop as my vision was filled with data.

I was literally writing a virus in real time as I sent bytes of it into a new system. A virus that would then need to put itself together after.

I heard it then, as I was going an engine rumbling into the lot. An over tuned absolute monster of an engine.

Also I recognized that noise. A Kusanagi?

"Jackie? If I need to move away from this I'll lose progress."

"No worries Hermanita, I said I called in some backup yeah? The fucking calvary is here." Jackie said with a laugh as he stepped out of the office behind me, but I was focusing on getting into this system.

Stupid Kang Tao Security.

A new voice called out behind me.

"Who's the kid?" A woman's voice behind me asked and Jackie responded a moment later.

"Motoko. Good kid, she's a netrunner. And a Solo. She's hacking into the Kang Tao system to find out where they ran off to."

"Fuck Jackie. You got some street kid to try and break into corp sec? You might as well just put a bullet in her head now. Or not I guess, The fucking kid isn't even plugged. How is she supposed to Breach?"

I ignored the woman, even if I really wanted to turn around and give her a piece of my mind, but there was only one way to really shut someone up.

Do something they already dismissed you from being capable of.

The virus was coming together. I was sending the data that was basically restructuring the data in the laptops node that would activate once it was complete.

"Hey, easy Hermana! Motoko isn't some scop kid. I've done gigs with her. I told you I started working with a solo for Wakako's gigs yeah? Well that's her."

"Fourteen? Fuck me. Seriously a little TC brat?" She suddenly said, and I realized she must have scanned me. Pulling up my data.

"Like you have much room to talk there Hermana." Jackie suddenly teased and since there was an almost echoing silence I could tell Jackie was getting glared at.

"Jack you know I got your back if you need it, and hell going after Kang Tao for that piece of tech you said the kids found is something I'm all for. But it looks like they've already cleared off. I'll help cause some trouble for you, but I can't storm a Kang Tao office."

"I know, I know Choom, just give Motoko a bit, she'll find out where those fuckers went and we will track them right down."

The womans scoff only told me what she really thought of that.

"I'm in." I said suddenly as I stood up and stretched. Fuck that took forever.

"What?"

I turned around to face Jackie and his choom only to blink.

I knew that face.

I fucking knew that face!

I went cold, to keep myself from wanting to immediately spaz out.

V.

That was female V. Standing in front of me in a corpo suit was definitely Female V. The red hair, the shaved left side. Even the EMP threading was the same going from her cheeks up over her eyes.

"You're still on the login screen. How is that in?" She demanded, instantly harsh and criticizing.

Wow she was a total bitch.

Was it weird that I always loved that about her while playing the game?

I smiled.

"Username: USUCK, all caps. Password: colon uppercase-D." I took a step away and waved at the laptop earning a surprised look before she walked over and typed away.

The Kang Tao login screen gave way to the actual desktop.

"Fuck me." V Whispered as she quickly hit an icon on the desktop and a bunch of future excel sheets popped up. "Oh I'm taking this." pulled a shard out of her socket and went to plug it in.

"Hold up." I demanded stopping her from putting it in.

"What?" She demanded a glare and a twitch of her hands that told me she had stopped herself from striking out at me. Hair trigger much?

"You put that in, and they will notice. Right now the access isn't being deleted because it's not doing anything. Find out where the stuff we need is first."

To my surprise the woman continued to glare at me, as if she was deciding whether to listen or not.

"C'mon V. Padre gave me a gig to hunt these pendejo's down. Gig first yeah?" Jackie backed me up, and smiling at the woman in that way of his.

"Fine." She grunted and instead started typing away as she pulled up a program that after a few moments of watching her navigate made me realize it was dispatch information.

Who went where. It was limited to this group though. Which was actually good security.

"I got them. They are at a drop site that Kang Tao like to use. Whatever it is they found Kang Tao want to get it out of the city. We aren't too late, but we have to move." She looked over her shoulder to Jackie, her red hair hanging over just one side of her head blocking her face from my sight before Jackie nodded, throwing her a thumbs up, earning a scoff but only then did she plug the shard she had into the laptop.

It began trying to download anything and everything it could.

"Alright while this downloads Jackie, go grab the Kang Tao Van, we can use it to get close without them realizing their chooms are zeroed." V demanded even snapping a finger at Jackie to get him to move.

"Aye Hermana, I'll get our ride."

"And find a medkit before you bleed out you dumb fuck gonk!" She yelled suddenly, and I could hear Jackie chuckling a little.

They were so cute! If I didn't already know they weren't into eachother like that I would absolutely ship them.

"Alright kid, time to clear off." V said suddenly reminding me she was also a turbobitch.

"What, you don't want a netrunner backup?"

"Don't know you. Don't need you." She said instantly. "Clear off."

I thought about it. Considered arguing, but in the end I turned and walked out with a smirk on my face. I don't remember agreeing to work for her either, Jackie was my choom so it wasn't like I was just going to let him head into this kind of shit without some backup. Walking through the warehouse and then out into the dirt lot, a splash of color caught my eye…

Yeah. That could work.

 

[Seras]

V

V sighed grimacing at the feeling of her insides swirling and shifting. Fucking BioMon was doing it's best to keep her stress down, but Jackie just had to call at the worst fuckin' time.

Jenkins was going to kill her when he found out she wasn't following up on the new Militech Prototype Sandy, and instead was out trying to help out a non affiliate.

She exhaled, giving herself a moment to just breathe as the hacking shard downloaded everything it could from the Kang Tao system. Maybe this data would balance things out? It wasn't like even someone in Counter-Intel got access to a unit database like this.

Fuck that had impressed her. A fourteen year old kid broke through Kang Tao security, without even jacking in? What the hell had she even done? Probably some netrunner wizard shit.

V shook her head, she never could wrap her head around high level netrunning. Sure she knew how to ping a system, and do some data breaches, but any good ICE would keep her right out.

The shard pinged as the laptop suddenly froze and shut down.

"Looks like they finally noticed." She grabbed the shard out of the laptop and tucked it away. Patting it for a bit of comfort. Please be enough for Jenkins.

"Alright Jackie I'm good, you took care of that boo boo?" She demanded as she walked out, of the little warehouse backroom. Noticing that the kid was gone. Good. She hadn't liked that smirk the kid had sent her. Brats like that always wanted to poke their nose into shit.

V slipped into the Kang Tao Van Jackie was already idling for them.

"I'm bandaged up, C'mon V don't baby me. Where's Motoko?"

"Don't know, told her to split."

"V! Motoko's a good shooter. Hell girl is sneaky as shit. We could have used her."

"I don't bring along people I don't know, Jack. Besides, she's just a kid. I don't want some street brat getting in the way." Jackie sent her a look telling her he was about to argue, but she sent him a glare instead and he backed down. Instead the Van started moving. Heading towards their destination.

Good. She was already on borrowed time and didn't have the desire to deal with any more bullshit from Jackie right now…

No. She shouldn't think like that. Jackie was a choom, maybe the only one she had. And he had saved her fuckin' life. He had proven to be trustworthy, the only person in her life that was. She shouldn't think like that at him.

Her life in Counter-intel was making her twitchy about everyone. She let her implants calm her down even more. She needed a clear head and she relaxed a bit as the rush of chemicals hit her blood.

Quantified Satori was going to harp at her for overuse again.

Dammit.

She put her life coach out of her mind. She had Kang Tao to annihilate. The idea almost got her excited. She had been behind a desk for too long.

"Jackie, you got anything bigger than that peashooter you run with?"
"I don't need anything but my baby, you know that V!" He practically squawked at her in outrage.

"Jackie for fuck sake. Get a bigger iron! At least a Yukimura if you have to have a damn handgun." She snapped at him, her Biomon beeping at her about her blood pressure.

Fucking piece of shit, the Biomons job was to control her blood pressure not hers!

"Buy the top of the line Arasaka stuff huh? Can't take the corp out of the woman eh?" Jackie teased and V just huffed cause he was sort of right, but then the thought hit her.

She shouldn't have snapped at him. He didn't deserve that. Even if she had yelled at him so many times about how his low firepower was going to get him killed…

He should get a fucking Overture or something. Brawly fuck!

She took a breath and let it out. She had to say something. She had been quiet for too long. He might think she was actually angry at him. Or he might be angry himself. He wasn't saying shit. Fuck. C'mon V, you stupid bitch. Say something to break the tension…

"Oh but I don't like revolvers Chica I always run out of ammo." She mocks in his voice, literally as she used her chrome to emulate him for a second. Jackie looked to her for a second and then started laughing. Long and loud Jackie broke into near giggles at her. She felt herself relax.. She hadn't pushed too hard. Hadn't pissed him off for the last time leaving her alone.

It was okay. She hadn't messed up the one good relationship she still had.

"We're here Chica. You ready?" He called suddenly and she realized they were.

"Always." She rolled her eyes, pulling out her Shingen and linking in. Immediately the reticle followed her eye. Smart system ready. But she also pulled her sidearm. The Kenshin with the big silencer just like she enjoyed. "Just roll up on the entrance. I'll get us access." She said knowing Jackie would know what she meant.

They had pulled this maneuver back on the border. Hell it was how they had gotten out of that mess.

"You still using that overdesigned piece of scop? Should get a real pistol. Nue are good." Jackie teased and V seriously considered beating him over the head with her extremely expensive, Arasaka Handgun.

"It's still the best handgun on the market!" She hissed quietly at him, as they were getting close.

"Maybe if you want an ugly piece of shit." He argued practically giggling. Fucker was riling her, but it… Well it felt good. You didn't have these sorts of conversations with people during an Arasaka Op.

She was either in charge so they shut their fucking mouth and did what she said, or she was being ordered around by Jenkins or someone even higher up, so V kept her mouth shut.

Fuck she missed doing work with Jackie.

She sometimes worked with other mercs, but they were either intimidated by her. The black suited Arasaka enforcer. Like they should be.

Or they were assholes treating her like corpo scum. Jackie might rag on Arasaka, but when he laughed he was laughing with you.

She closed her eyes and opened them. Dropping her emotions a bit more.

It had been a long time since she felt this happy.

As the van pulled up to the checkpoint of the old Kang Tao warehouse, which in reality was just one of their drop off points. One of the few places Arasaka weren't bullying them like the helpless bitches they were, out of. Kang Tao were so far down the totem pole, they had to operate out of a fucking 'abandoned' warehouse for their more black op pickups.

It was time. The Van stopped at the guard entrance, and V was ready. Crawling across Jackies stupid lap. Pistol right up against the glass.

Jackie waited for her nod, and rolled the window down. Letting her send four silenced rounds with unerring aim into the Kang Tao guards face. After a few seconds she matched Jackies growing smile as no alert came out. The Kang Tao vans tinted scan proof windows protecting them from the security even noticing the shots as V shot still within the cab.

"Give me a second to turn the damn turrets and Cameras off." She said as she peaked out of her side window at a security camera through a tiny gap, her eyes scanning, and she activated the security system Daemon she had.

She had no idea how it worked.

She had no idea what it did exactly. But it turned off cameras and turrets on a network without her having to do anything herself, which was by definition the best Quick Hack she could ever have. One that didn't need her to sit there and beat her head against ICE.

Fucking puzzles gave her a headache. Sure it was expensive, but being part of Arasaka meant she got the best goodies.

After a few minutes the camera system at the checkpoint powered down as did the turrets.

"Good work Chica." Jackie offered as he slipped out of the van and nearly crawled into the guards window looking for the switch to open up the dividing bar blocking them.

V snorted at the sight of her big chooms ass shaking around barely held in by his jeans as he struggled to find the right switch. Jackie was practically crawling into the little window.

"Jack. We gotta get you into the gym more choom." She whispered to him teasing.

"Hey! You know the chica's love a little- Oh, hold up. Found it!" He grunted a bit as he finally got himself out of the window as the bar rose up and slipped into the truck to drive onto the property.

"Alright Jack, it's real now. So watch your shots, and your head. Let's try to get through quiet at first then fast. Maybe we can get in and out before the snipers they probably have set up get us."

"I remember that plan V. We tried that plan last time. It didn't go so well Hermana." Jackie teased, even if he was in game face.

But V couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed even through the biomon dampening everything.

"The garbage chute worked!" She hissed back.

He turned to look at her just as he was about to slide out of the van, having parked in a shadowy corner of the lot where a few other vans were parked out.

Not a good sign, but Jackies look took all of her attention. He didn't say anything. He didn't need to.

"Not a word!" She told him with a glare. Sure leaping into a trash chute hadn't been her greatest plan, but it had worked!

"Heh. You pulled that out of a movie. Still can't believe we survived. I swear I still got bumps on my ass from the landing."

"You landed on me." She reminded him. As they both gathered together at the side of the warehouse checking around to make sure no one was there.

"Yeah, but Hermana, you're all chrome! You broke my ass!"

"I'll break your ass alright choom. Now shut up." She demanded as they moved. Jackie easily fell into lockstep. The two had only been on a few gigs together, but honestly that's all it took. She knew his tells by now. He knew hers.

And she trusted him.

They went into the warehouse unlike the one they were in a half hour ago it was brightly lit, a few men in Kang Tao uniforms or armor hanging around, all of them helmets off relaxing, joking, and drinking from vending machines or office coffee.

Jackie was behind her. So V was the tip. Jackie would cover up the slack. Helmets off? Stupid mistake.

The Kenshin came up first. She charged the shot letting the capacitors reach their limit before firing the first time, then swiveled perfectly on target, body and aim exactly where she wanted it to land. Robotic.

She used to like firing guns. Had been damn good at it. But the Arasaka chrome used a skill chip integration. It wasn't as good in all circumstances, but it could load up a set of moves and perform them perfectly in a blur.

For an operative that was too useful to pass up. Not that she had a choice. Everyone got the standard package after all.

Now it was just targeting, and letting the chrome work. Bodies started dropping, but it took a moment before the Kang Tao noticed. A moment longer than they had, because the second one of them did notice her Shingen came up. The reason she used smart weapons. The skill chipped chrome was good, but unable to adapt.

Smart weapons mitigated that factor. She started firing, Jackie right behind her, His Nue covering her back as she waded in, Flowing from cover firing right over it, and sending Kang Tao guards scurrying into the shadows.

It didn't save them.

She tugged a grenade out of her pocket now that she didn't need the Kenshin and threw it exactly where it needed to bounce into that particular corner. It activated quietly the GASH Anti-Personnel grenade was her favorite. Instead of big loud explosions you had lasers chopping everyone into bits. Ending another threat.

All was silent for a moment after as she scanned the area, her optics counting the corpses confirming all of the people she had seen were now on the floor confirmed dead.

Seemed so. She didn't relax, she could have missed one. "Jackie. Confirm we got all of them maybe, find the package they took back from the boys, but we need to get out of here. No way we didn't set off an alarm."

Jackie walked off, gun raised as he checked his corners, he might be a reckless street merc, but he was still a merc.

She checked the floor as well as starting from the opposite side.

"Hey V, I found it!" Jackie called out, coming back gun at his side and a big metal case held in hand, a sinister grin on his face. "Gonna fuck these guys for the shit they pulled." Jackie practically growled. But V was fighting her own urge. Every inch of her Arasaka Counter-Intel training was telling her to neutralize the non-affiliate his usefulness at it's end and take the case.

She ignored that insanity. Pushing every piece of that thought away.

This was a favor returned. This time Arasaka would just have to buy the info from Padre, like the rest of the world.

Even it if would have been a nice notch in her profile.

She nodded to Jackie no sign of her inner thoughts on her face. Turning around and heading towards the door, it was time to get out of here.

Just as she reached it, her chrome reacted, activating her sandy, which caused the Acrobatics skill shard to force her into a roll towards the nearest cover without any thought from herself. Which meant she vanished just as heavy fire burst through the opened entrance way that would have sprayed her down.

Reinforcements were here. Fuck.

Fuck! That fast? Not possible! This was a fucking drop off spot! Not a hub! Kang Tao couldn't just keep a full company of troops here! Arasaka, Militech, all of the big players wouldn't allow it!

Unless this was the team meant to come by and secure the case they were stealing because it might actually be important.

Fuck.

"Jackie?" She asked after her sandy turned off. The sandy cool down had her huffing and puffing as she instantly felt overheated and sick.

"I'm alright V!" He yelled back from behind a support pole. Good. Shit. She peaked and ducked back letting a few rounds bounce off the wall before sticking a hand over the edge of the wall and firing. Her Shingen held the lock for a few seconds and putting some rounds down got her some cover. She leapt, rolling away from the entrance and gaining actual mobility.

"Ideas V?" Jackie asked, having fired a few rounds himself while she moved.

"See any trash chutes?" She demanded and the laugh that escaped him helped a little. Even if it was the realization they were in deep shit.

She peeked again. No lock engaged at her quick glance, they were behind cover now. Armored and carrying heavy weapons.

"Maybe a back entrance?" Jackie called and V shrugged he had been the one to look back there.

"You see any?"
"Nope!"

"Well that's fucking helpful then isn't it!?" She snapped at Jackie but he just shrugged and then ducked back, going to see what he could find while V held the entrance.

She just sighed, peaking and firing two rounds to scare a few brave Kang Tao back into cover.

They would hold for a while. At least until they had enough men. Or an AV. Fuck Kang Tao AV would definitely be on it's way.

"Anything!?" She called out and Jackie's head peaked out from the back of the warehouse.

"It's all solid back here!" He replied as he then started moving back towards the entrance slipping cover to cover. Dodging a few ringing shots.

Great.

She peeked out, snapped off a few more shots that might have hit, or not. The Kang Tao armor wasn't complete garbage. More than capable of saving them from a couple rounds.

"Got any smart ideas Chica?"

"Bum rush them?" She offered sarcastically. It took a moment to realize Jackie didn't respond back and as she looked over her shoulder the look on his face! He was actually considering it. She reached around and grabbed an old bolt and chucked it at him. "We are not bum rushing them!"

"Owe! Hey I was just considering it. No harm in that right?" He patted his head where she had donked him.

"It's too bad you guys sent away your backup huh." A new voice spoke from inside! She spun her Shingen up searching. Where!?

"Motoko?" Jackies voice caused V to only slightly relax what? The kid?

"Sup Jackie." The voice was suddenly clear and its origin appeared as a hand waved over the edge of the catwalk above them, well out of sight of either of them and from the entrance way. Suddenly a purple head of hair poked over making V realize the girl had been…

Just fucking laying on her back? Directly above her. V realized with a chill. "You want help now?" Then, she was sure just to piss her off there was a crinkle and the girl stuffed a chip in her mouth.

"Hah! You enjoying your break Motoko?"

"Hey don't blame me for letting you guys have all the fun, I try not to interfere in gigs I'm not invited for. Want some?" She offered the bag of chips to Jackie who despite being in a firefight, seemed to delight in the situation and nodded. The kid rolled it up and tossed it over.

"We aren't eating right now! What the fuck Jack! What's the kid doing here!?"

"Don't know! You followed us Motoko?"

"Technically you followed me. I was there when you got the location, remember? I left first. You old guys are slow. But seriously? You want some help? I accept payment in eddies, and fun adventures." She said in a teasing tone, and Jackie just started cracking up.

"Hermanita. If you can help us out a bit I'd love it! You have something in mind?"

"Already breached the gonks' defenses. I'll blind the whole group we mop up and get out of here. They're all talking about an AV coming in to just blow holes in the building until we die. So let's do it quick fast, alright?"

"Fuck."

"Fuck." Jackie and V both uttered together looking at each other and Jackie grinning at the synchronicity of the statement.

"Do it. How long will they be blind?"

"Please. This is my shit." The girl said, suddenly slipping almost off the edge of the catwalk. Revealing she was actually wearing Kang-Tao Armor. "They'll never see again." And with that ominous reveal, the purple haired girl hanging from her knees from the catwalk upside down just turned towards the doors. The open doors that had a full Kang Tao squad outside of.

The squad that she should be in full view of, and she started firing.

"You waiting for me to count down or something chooms?" She asked while still firing, holding a Copperhead of all things. Ugh. A Nokota, and Militech chrome arms? Fuck this girls equipment offended V at every level. Using those shitty corps equipment.

But she put that aside, as Jackie was already moving, running out the door looking to kill the group blocking them from leaving.

So V didn't hesitate. She followed even if it meant she was about to die. Yet, she didn't. As she raced out there were no gun shots. The Kang Tao guards were seemingly trying to shoot, but nothing was happening, and none of them were pointing in the right direction anyways.

They were blind.

She charged, fired her Shingen as fast as she could until it was dry and then holstered it.

Then she leapt and her Mantis blades slipped out. For just a moment V actually felt like herself, as she sliced through gonks that needed to die. This was the one piece of chrome that wasn't controlled by Arasaka chipware, and mandates from the on high, and all sorts of bullshit. Jenkins had okayed her request for them only after she had proven herself reliable.

Now if only she could get Jenkins to allow her to carry her fucking LMG around! Stupid operator pistol bullshit was so fucking boring!

Her poor baby wasn't 'Arasaka' enough for Counter Intel. So she was always stuck with these fucking pea shooters.

But these thoughts were in the back of her head as she ripped and cut through helpless blind Kang Tao guards until the entire blockade at the entrance of their little black site was dead.

It felt good.

Then it was over. And her implants soothed her enjoyment into that morass of just existence.

"Whew! That was pretty lucky hey V?" Jackie asked, smiling in that dopey way as she calmly closed her arms back up. The blood would be cleaned and mess would be cleaned with the internal systems without her input.

"Lucky. Your street kid followed us." She grumbled then jerked as she turned around and the girl was right there. Seemingly having been checking out her blades.

"I was here first. Technically! Since I found the info and arrived first you followed me." She said… Teasing. "I like your mantis blades, always thought about getting a set. My Condor were sort of an emergency buy. I know you are going to say something something Arasaka, but what's your best suggestion for a set?" She asked surprising V but before she could even process Jackie cut in.

"Ladies, before we meet and greet? Let's get out of here before more Kang Tao show up." Jackie begged.

"Oh yeah." The kid said, and then surged away bouncing up and over a Kang Tao Van leaping right over the fence. The sudden movement caused V to jerk a bit nearly trying to shoot at what startled her. She grumbled at the kids sudden moves looking at Jackie for some commiseration.

"That kid…" V started and Jackie chuckled.

"She kind of grew on me too. C'mon. Let's grab this one and delta." Jackie said and only V's desire to not get killed by a combat AV kept her from arguing.

Growing on her? Not even a little!

She shook her head and focused. They still needed to get out of here.

 

[Seras]

V

It was time to get the fuck out of here. V ran straight towards the first Van Jackie right behind her.

She might make fun of Kang Tao as a corporation, but that didn't mean they wouldn't send enough hardware at her to end her bought and paid for ass.

She slid right through the driver door into the passenger seat Jackie right behind her as he instantly started up the car and started driving. There was a parking garage a few blocks away that they could stash the van call in their own rides and get out of there. Then all of this would be over with and she could go home and get drunk.

Which is why she really wanted to murder her luck as she caught what was happening out of the corner of her optics and reached out and grabbed the wheel from Jackie and spun it moments before they would have even left the warehouse gate. The van spun out Jackie cursed, but they both survived the high caliber rounds, and missiles that shattered where the van had been a moment before.

The feel of the Van knocking around from the impact of the high explosive causing her stomach to flop as it just barely managed to stay on it's four wheels.

They were stopped though. Whether the van was damaged, or just pinned on what was left of the entrance checkpoints little hut was up in the air. She looked around and grimaced. The other vans were now burning wrecks smashed and crumpled from the power of a corporation not playing around anymore.

An AV was here.

"Fuck."

"Shit Hermana. I don't think we are outrunning that." Jackie admitted trying to back up, probably to head back into the warehouse to get some cover, but the van was sputtering, and they weren't moving.

V looked around. They wouldn't make it back inside the warehouse. But there wasn't any other cover. Even the fencing was chainlink. Then suddenly the sky lit up. The sound reached her. Hissing fuel and shrieking air. V looked away, not willing to look at her end. But she noticed that Jackie, who had a second before been looking backwards while trying to reverse the truck, had calmly looked forward at the sound.

A man to the end her Jack. Looking straight at his death, staring it down.

V would remember to tell him that because that wasn't today. The explosion was far enough away V realized she wasn't dying.

A rocket had been fired, but not at the van. As the AV was lining up for a landing probably to disgorge troops, or just block the road while broad siding them. A rocket slammed into it. A horrid rancor of erupted steel and fire echoed out as the AV spun from the blow.

V knew Av's. They were tough fuckers. One rocket wouldn't completely kill it. Maybe mission kill it for a bit, but it wasn't a fucking movie or something, it wouldn't blow up. It should be able to stabilize and reorient, or at least safely control crash.

But the missile had nearly hit the cockpit. It was damaged enough that V was sure it must have jumbled the pilot, chrome or not. It spun and before it could stabilize it slammed into a nearby building.

The horrible noise as it ground itself into the concrete stonework was bad enough.

Then it tilted with a sharp jerk, something catching on the interior of the building and then there was no saving it as it was pointing straight down.

It came loose and smashed down onto the street crushing a car beneath its flaming bulk.

Then there was silence for a minute as she barely breathed just taking in the fact she wasn't dead.

Then the silence was broken.

"I FUCKING KNEW I WOULD NEED THIS SOME DAY! FUCK YOU SAUL!" A yell absolutely blasted from their right and V looked out the window and couldn't help but stare at the kid.

The kid had a fucking Uragan Rocket Launcher!?

Who the fuck gave a teenager a rocket launcher!?

Then much to V's confusion, while she was standing on top of a Black Nomad Quadra 66, arms raised above her head holding the Rocket Launcher between them. The kid was shaking it up and down then she started making a… Honking noise?

"Van is fucked." Jackie interrupted her from the horrified shock at what she was seeing.

"Right we need to go." She said kicking the door open and jumping out. There were plenty of other vans…

Or there had been. Fuck.

The roar of engines as another Kang Tao van turned onto the road obviously driving like mad.

"Shit! C'mon you old folks! Get in the car!" The fucking little brat yelped as she jumped down and tossed the rocket launcher into her open trunk before slamming it shut.

The desire for V to scream about what would happen if that launcher went off while in there was just thrown away because this entire gig was now officially shit show status. She raced around the gate. Jackie puffing along right behind her as he carried the big metal case that was the cause of all the trouble.

"I drive!" V yelled as she raced towards the car but the purple haired girl took the time to turn, give her a single look and then slide into the driver seat.

Fucking little shit!

The car roared to life and for a second V wondered if they were about to be abandoned, but its tires screeched and it spun out flipping it around and revealing the open passenger door towards both of them.

"Run faster!" The kid yelled back and V grit her teeth. A gun shot rang out and then another. "Jackie get in!" She yelled as she hit the side of the car and turned Shingen pulled free and unloading towards the van that was racing at them. As Jackie nearly leapt in she fired until she was dry and then with an internal sigh leapt in landing basically ontop of Jackie.

The moment she was in the wheels squealed, and the Quadra kicked. Racing down the street away from the pursuing vans.

"Oh man you guys! I've been wanting to get in a car chase forever! Jackie! You're my favorite fixer… Don't tell Wakako!" The kid said laughing in delight as she hit an intersection and the Quadra roared as it got some air before continuing its race through the streets.

V and Jackie weren't having such a good time. Jackie was sitting, barely fitting with the case by his feet, V flopped over his lap. Her legs half out the car.

"Jackie grab me."

"Trying Hermana! A bit out of place myself!" He said but his burly arm thankfully grabbed her tight as the street turned a bit and she wasn't flung out of the car like she feared was going to happen.

Then a gun shot thunked into the back of the car.

"Asshole!" The kid yelled angry at the noise. "We have a turn coming up! Get your ass situated!" She yelled at V.

V listened. Reaching up to grab a car handle she flipped, thanked her chrome for giving her incredible flexibility, as she basically turned herself into a ball and spun around. Now her legs were in the girls space. But Jackie could hold her easier, and V could actually do something. She reloaded her Shingen as Jackie just sighed at her. Probably irritated, he had to grab her around her chest.

Grow up Jackie you gonk these puppies were fucking preem chrome. Chest sticking out of the car. She aimed and started firing at the van that was following her.

"Trying to drive with your stupid corpo shoes in my face here." The kid yelled and V ignored her as she kept firing.

Kid was obviously competent enough she'd live.

"Jackie hold on! I'm drifting!" The kid warned and Jackied clamped down on V which was one part of the warning because a moment later they were suddenly going sideways.

"Ahhhh!" V Screamed. She couldn't help it. Her face was very very close to that light pole, and the street and they were going sideways! Cars don't go sideways!

The massive bark of a Burya had her jerk her eyes away from her imminent death to the inside of the car where the kid was actually.

Okay fine. That was maybe slightly preem. The kid was drifting the car while shooting a handgun that she should not be able to handle with her left hand.

Then they were straight and the kid returned the gun to her holster a moment later. "I missed the driver. Bet I spooked him though… Jackie Grenade! Red top." She demanded holding out her left hand as she continued driving with her right, eyes locked on the street.

"Sorry Hermanita. Hands are a bit full here."

"Fuck off Jack! Where are the grenades?" V Demanded, she would punch Jackie for that joke another time, just cause he had his hands on her tits. That wasn't funny!

Maybe a little funny.

Maybe just some teasing at Lizzies later.

"Under the seat. C'mon hurry it up!" The kid demanded, and V rolled her eyes leaning into the car and digging around under the seat which was pretty awkward. Jackie better not make a joke with her digging around his crotch.

"What the fuck are these?" She asked, looking at the very much non-standard grenades.

"Red top!"

V found one and handed it over. She had thought about using them herself, but she didn't recognize the brand. "Where did you even get these things?"

"Made them!"

"Jackie jump out of the car with me." V said instantly. Sitting on a box of homemade grenades while in a car chase was not how she wanted to die.

"Oh fuck off." The kid snappedback, then with one hand popped the tab, spun the timer on the top and then released.

"Kid…"

"One sec."

"KID!"

"One Cooking Potato…" The cook offered back and V literally thought she was about to die as the kid just held the ticking fucking grenade.

Then she dropped it out the side of the car.

A second later it exploded and the Quadra barely even rumbled…

"We're alive?" Jackie asked. And V looked to him. The gonk literally had his eyes closed.

"I made those timers myself!"

"That's why we're worried!" V snapped back but then it got quiet.

"The Van?"

"Took out the tires. They are losing us. I've been running them around this industrial park, gonna get onto the freeway and we'll be long gone. Would you two sort yourself out? You're embarrassing me." The kid joked flashing a grin despite her eyes never leaving the road.

"Where did you find this kid Jack?"

"She sorta found me to be honest Hermana." Jackie said with a shrug. V finally just decided to fuck it and relaxed went limp as she flopped on Jackie for a minute.

"Jackie, this was a total shit show."

"Sorta like the border yeah?"

"Jackie, I've told you. You aren't allowed to make reasonable points to me, when I'm angry." She denied him.

"You two are great!" The kid offered and V seriously considered just kicking her.

Nah. She'd probably be the one to die in the accident not the kid who was wearing her fucking seatbelt.

Who did that?

When they finally stopped it was by unanimous consensus. The kid had just pulled them off the freeway in Heywood. Found the first parking lot and basically just slid into a spot.

V was so done with tonight. Despite the camaraderie filling a piece of her she knew she would have to smother again come morning she had not exactly enjoyed the shitshow. She oozed off of Jackie the only way she could actually get out of the car as she finally got free. Ignoring the mess on her hands as she had to pull herself free by crawling out fo the car.

She rose, flicking her hands to remove the worst and shifted her shoulders and back her suit adjusting back to how it should be. Good. She didn't look like she had just gone through hell.

Jackie took a bit longer. Untangling himself from the big case they stole. The box of grenades, and just the awkward angle he had been sitting. He got free and stumbled a few steps as he stretched and groaned.

The kid popped out the driver side and rested both arms on the top of the roof seemingly just watching.

"Okay now that I can feel my-well there are ladies present. I'm going to call Padre." Jackie said cutting him off as he realized he was the lone guy present. Fuckin' Jackie. Always telling a joke to break the tension.

"You do that Jack." V said as she looked around. Just a bunch of shops and kiosks. Shame she could use a smoke right now. So instead she focused on the stray. V was a meticulous woman. Had to be to last in counter intel.

Netrunning. Shooting. Driving. Heavy weapon on hand. Stealth. That last one was probably the one that as she made a thought of it caused her eyes to narrow.

The kid had been right above her. Literally laying a few feet above her without a care during an intense firefight. She hadn't even known she was there. She had searched that warehouse. Her eyes were high end Arasaka optics meant for intel gathering.

They hadn't even noticed her.

"You're all glary right now." The kid offered back with a smirk.

"You were laying above me on the catwalk."

"Heh! Yeah that was funny. You should have seen your face when I spoke up. You whipped around like a freaked out cat."

"People don't sneak up on me."

She shrugged without a care. "I'm an infiltrator. It's my specialty… Wait, should I be telling you this? Eh. Hiromi's parents are with Arasaka too. So I guess it's fine." She added talking more to herself than anything.

Hiromi?

A few seconds of searching, and she got it.

Hiromi Mitsunashi. Only child of Keiko and Albert Mitsunashi. They were unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but they had known about the girl?

She did a quick check, and yes. She wouldn't have to have a firm conversation with them. They had updated the Flathead project with information gathered from a contact and even marked it appropriately. But had marked it questionable, which meant it wasn't flagged in the system directly to intel to look into.

A fourteen year old had gotten info on the Militech Flathead? Bullshit. Absolute bullshit. Militech were acting like mother bears about that project. Nothing had come out yet. V had been on the taskforce trying to steal the plans.

Twice.

"Who the hell are you?"

The girl blinked at the question before seeming to smirk as her head disappeared and a moment later she had leapt onto the top of her car.

"Glorious Infiltrator Motoko Kusanagi! Netrunner and all around amazing person!"

Then she struck a pose. Hand on her hip which was cocked out and making a V with her fingers over one eye.

V really wanted to shoot her.

"Yeah! You tell them hermanita!" Jackie called out as he finally walked back looking pleased and Motoko seemed to take the attention to heart and puffed up even more.

Why was V dealing these idiots? Why was she wasting her time working with a fucking washed up merc that couldn't ever seem to get himself out of small time, without everything going to shit, and a now a teenage wonder that V desperately wanted to either put a few hundreds bullets into. Or drag back to Counter Intel.

As an experiment or the future super thief she wasn't sure which yet.

So why wasn't she?

"C'mon Hermana! Padre promised a lot of eddies for all the trouble! Rounds on me at the bar tonight!" He said dropping an arm over her shoulder, and pulling V into his bulk in a side hug. The first gentle touch not gained from joytoys or people literally trying to honey trap her in…

Oh right. She was a lonely friendless gonk, and Jack was literally the only person in the city she could put any trust in without being burned.

"Fuck it, fine. But you are gonna pay for that Jack."

"Hehe. Go a little easy on me choom."

"Fuck no."

—--

Half an hour later everyone pulled into Lizzies.

V's bike had showed up. Jackie just decided to stick with the kid. A runner for Padre had come around and taken the case, freeing them of that concern.

"I still can't believe you both come to Lizzies! I've never seen you here… I mean I don't come here to drink, so that's probably part of it." The girl blathered as soon as V stepped off her bike.

"We usually hang out in the private booths Hermana."

"That must be it. Hey Rita!" The little gonk ran off to Rita fucking Wheeler with a hand over her head waving like a kid. Ignoring the line ran right up and to V's surprise didn't get a bat to the face, instead Rita nodded her head inside without a seconds thought. But the kid didn't just disappear, instead throwing a finger to V and Jackie.

If V wasn't who she was, she would have missed it. But like Arasaka wouldn't put in listening devices into a Counter Intel agent.

"Rita these are my chooms, we just did this massive gig! We're here to party! Should we get in line? They're here to drink. I'm never sure of the rules of that kind of thing."

Wheeler looked over the kid then Jackie and V before just letting out a chuckle. "Heh. It's fine Motoko. Take your chooms in. I recognize Welles, and his stiff bitch corpo. Neither will cause trouble. Or else." She said looking up the last part of the sentence they had been close enough to catch.

"Rita you're the best!"

"Well you owe me one. I want a private rendition of that song of yours." Rita said teasing smile going wide as the kid gasped

"How did you-Judy squealed!"

"Of course she did! She came up the other day legs shaking and needed an actual drink. You okay kid? Judy said it was pretty brutal." She asked the kid who looked a little nervous about something.

"Ah…" Motoko made a noise before coming together, clearing her throat and straightening up. "I'm good Rita. That was more of a forced experience. I finished the song and it was so brutal and heavy I wanted to… set the scene? Just… don't watch it! It's not good! Yeah you should totally not watch it!" The girl rambled on but the fucks waiting outside were making noise and Rita was forced to focus on them.

"Fuck off! They're allowed! Go on Motoko we'll talk later. Remember what I said! You owe me!"

"Never!" The kid called out behind her as she slipped inside and rejoined them. So the kid had Mox connections too.

V shook it off. She wasn't here for intel.

She was here to get fucking drunk and forget all the trouble she would be in come the morning, when Jenkins found out what she had been up to. He would cover for her. He always did. She was too useful not to. But he was still going to grill her ass and probably have her do scop work for weeks.

They passed through the bar and grabbed one of the circular private booths along the edge of the bar. Settling in.

"I'll get us some drinks then! V the usual? 'Toko what are you drinking tonight?"

"Oh I'll just get a soda Jackie. I don't drink."

"Fuck that." V said, slapping the table and pointing. "You fought beside us. We survived, we celebrate. Grab her something fruity Jack. But she's gonna drink it."

"I don't drink V." The kid responded back flatly. No give at all.

V actually felt impressed, most teens would have folded with just that.

"You can't toast a new friendship with just soda Hermanita." Jackie said having not run off just yet. He reached over and patted the kid on the shoulder. "I'll bring something, and if you don't drink it you don't. But you should at least for the toast!"

"Ugh you drunks! It's just alcohol! It has no actual meaning!" She hissed back, but Jackie was just laughing.

"Stubborn kid aren't you?"

"Can be!" She settled into the wide booth as V took her own spot and finally relaxed. No one was coming to kill her here. Jackies crazy gig was done with, and everything was just… Quiet.

Until the girl started humming along to the pop song that was playing above them.

"Like the song or something?" She asked half trying to point out that it was annoying and half teasing.

Fuck Jackie had been right. She had sorta grown on her… Probably right around the time she had drifted them through that intersection.

V could respect a preem line like that.

"Huh? What? Oh! The humming. Not really! It's kinda shit to be honest. Bad habit I picked up. I tend to sing along to stuff now." She mentions and just laughs at herself. "This stuff isn't my thing. I like Samurai and that sort of stuff."

V sat up a bit. "Chippin 'In." V said instantly, and the girl scoffed.

"Never Fade Away! Obviously!"

"Never is good, but Chippin 'In is the song that speaks best!" V argued pounding a fist into the table.

"Says the borg. Never Fade Away is the best. It does the best job representing human spirit! Never stopping!"

"It's barely even a Samurai song! Silverhand wrote it when he went solo, and just integrated it into the band when he came back for their reunion tour!"

"Oh no the band only played it together on stage during their all come together tour. Are you going to say Black Dog doesn't count too?" The kid hissed back.

"Hey Black Dog even existing is a fucking miracle! Everyone gives it leeway!" V retorted back. That song had almost been completely lost when the one copy of it had gone to shit after the Arasaka tower bombing.

"Besides, Never Fade Away was shit as a Johnny Solo song. It took Kerry on Guitar to actually make it work." She offered and V damn near leapt out of her seat.

"You take that shit back! Without Silverhand Kerry wouldn't be shit!"

"Oooh. Feisty. We got a Silverhand Fangirl? Really?" The kid seemed absolutely thrilled at this little piece of knowledge.

Thanking her hormonal control implant V just scoffed instead of sputtered. "No. I just know the truth. There's a reason that for all his fame and fortune and plat albums and shit, Eurodyne doesn't have the cultural impact Silverhand had.

"Eurodyne is the better musician."

V had to stop herself from popping her blades at the audacity of this bitch!

Then she realized.

She was having fun. When was the last time she got to talk music with someone? Enjoyed getting into an argument about her favorite band?

What was she even doing with her life? When having a conversation with a teenager made her feel this invigorated…

She flopped back into the couch, the fight going out of her. She really needed that drink. The intrusive thoughts were getting to her.

 

[Seras]

V went silent after my victory with nothing to refute my perfect argument for what Samurai song was the best. I settled down as well. V looked… Tired.

Honestly I kinda wondered who would look more worn. V now, Or V dying from the engram?

I felt a little sad for the woman knowing her future. Knowing that all the stress and heartache and pain she was suffering under from Arasaka would all amount to nothing. Hell less than nothing. A bullet to the head, if Jackie hadn't been there.

"And two drinks for mis amigas!" Jackie said, showing up with his hands full of drinks, dropping a tumbler in front of V, one for himself, and to my surprise a martini style glass, and a can of soda in front of me. "You don't have to drink the alcohol Hermanita, but me and V do this every time after a gig it's our little tradition." He said as he settled down.

"V?"

"I'm fine Jack. Just been needing a drink." V said, arching an eye at Jackie who chuckled.

"Sorry choom. The lines were a little long tonight, had a big group dropping off like forty orders right in front of me." He just laughed it off and V looked for a second like she was going to go bust some assholes down to size but just shrugged it off and grabbed her drink.

"To good fortune." V offered.
"To good friends." Jackie replied back.

"To the good fortune to have good friends!" They both said at the same time and then looked to me.

Ugh. Miserable bad influence adults!

I grabbed the stupid martini glass.

"To adding new friends to that list." I added on my own and Jackie burst into a bright smile. I guess I had done well then we clinked out drinks and took a swallow.

Blegh! So gross!

—--

"A thing of beauty! I know! Will never fade away!" I shouted out standing on top of the table V right beside me singing along with me. The Corpo woman had a pretty good voice!

"Motoko! Get off the table!"

"Rita! Hey! Hold on the songs almost done!" I called back. I don't know why she winced. I had just yelled a little!

We were partying! V and I were great chooms now! Sure she was a little drunk, having been absolutely hammering back shots, but that was okay! One of us had the brilliant idea of requesting some Samurai songs from the system, and one thing led to another.

I don't remember exactly who got up on the table to sing first, but I was having a great time!

"Oh no you don't." There was a jumble of movement or something there and the next thing I remember is waking up as I crash into a pile of trash bags.

It had been surprisingly gentle though.

"You able to get a handle on these two?"

"No p-prob-prob… I can do it! Come on now Hermana! Hermanita, let's stand up yeah?" Jackie was there and I blinked, raising my head out of the trash.

"You okay there kid?" Rita asked and I checked myself. No injuries. I threw her a thumbs up. "You good to have these two help you get home?" She asked as well, glaring a bit at Jackie which was unfair. He was really struggling with V from the looks of it. Was the Corpo woman passed out face down in the trash? Oh no she was just puking.

"V and Jackie and I are chooooooms!" I called out in response. I even reached out and pulled V's head out of the trash.

The regurgitated flood of nastiness meant I quickly let go of her hair ignoring the slimy plop as she fell back.

"We'll be okay Rita, Honest. I'll drive them home." Jackie offered. The man sounding a little tipsy. You shouldn't get so drunk Jackie.

Wait. Driving and drunk?

"NO! Drunk driving is bad! BAAAAD!"

"I'll call a cab."

"Yay!"

—--

I blinked awake instantly. "Unfamiliar ceiling." I muttered as I Rose up and stretched. "Oh gross what died in my mouth?" I grunted wanting to stick out my tongue at the taste, but other than that I was fine.

No headache or anything, I patted myself down noticing most of my gear was settled on the table next to me, but my Kang Tao armor was missing…

I don't remember what happened to it.

Looking around I tried to figure out where I was.

The array of men stuff around the room gave me a hint to where I was. "This Jackies place?" I asked, looking around in surprise. I was on his couch with a little blanket strewn over me.

"Oh you awake too kid?" I sat up and there was V. Not a hair out of place, the corpo woman looked like she was ready to step into a boardroom or a battlefield.

"You can just call me Motoko." I told her as I got up and stretched.

It hit me then. Aw man. I got drunk. I hated that! It was so gross! "Huh no hangover or anything huh? Must be nice to be a kid. Poor Jackie is still laid up."

"Heh. Really?"

"Yeah nasty hangover. The oaf." V said as she sipped on a can of something. "I'll be heading out soon. Kid, it wasn't horrible working with you."

"Is that your nice way of saying I'm more competent than you expected and I'm useful?" I asked as I took a seat across from her.

She scoffed but didn't actually deny my words.

So I threw her my deets.

"Really?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Hey, I know what it's like up in that stuffy office they probably got you in. If you ever need someone you can trust to watch your back, I am a merc." I explained and she seemed kind of surprised at my words for a moment before her face blanked as always.

"I'll keep it in mind." She sends her own deets back. Giving me a number and even an email although it was a .Arasaka address which meant I wasn't going anywhere near it. "Oh I looked into our little jaunt last night. Kang Tao are frothing mad, but they don't have much to go on. I'd suggest you get your car repainted, maybe reset the ID, and don't let it spread around."

"It wasn't exactly a big deal." I said honestly. I mean you don't see AV's much in the game, but that was engine limitations, those things are everywhere in Night City. I'd honestly been surprised I hadn't gotten involved in an aerial chase through the city until now.

"Pfft. You took out a Kang Tao AV kid. You do know the price tag on those things right?"

"Million or something?"

"More like twenty." She said with an actual laugh. "And worse, it crashed in the city. NCPD, get involved for things like that, which means KT is paying fines and bribes to make it go away. Like I said. Alter your car a bit, and keep it quiet."

I hesitated but nodded. "Shame. I wanted to make a BD of that explosion. Commemorate it a bit."

V went still for a moment before speaking. "You record BD's while on gigs?"

"Yeah! It's preem! I have a choom with the mox that edits and then another that sells them off." I explain in a rush, happy to share. V just shakes her head.

"Not sure if that's preem, or just crazy. Be careful kid, and don't put me in any of them. Last thing I would need is my boss finding out."

"Deal."

"Alright I'm out. I already checked on Jack. If you're feeling good feel free to leave when-"

"YOU BITCHES!" A voice screamed out as the door opened and a woman I didn't know stomped in. She started absolutely going off in spanish, which my limited vocabulary recognized most of them as insults.

"Hello to you too. You're Camillla right?" V said calmly, seemingly unbothered by the slightly short spanish woman that was ranting and raving at her.

Oh and me. The woman spit out something at me too.

"Who wants to know some homewrecking whores in my Jackies home!?"

I blinked.

Did… That's right. Jackie mentioned he had an Output.

So this was the girl that Jackie had left, eventually dating Misty.

The girl that Mama Welles had preferred.

Huh. No accounting for taste Mama Welles.

"I'm V. An associate of Jackies."

"Yeah I'm sure he associated with you all night you-" And there was the string of spanish added on.

Awkward.

This was so awkward. My cringe meter was absolutely blasting and that thing was broken half the time.

"Hey, how about we all take a second. Jackie V and I all had a gig last night. We didn't like… Do that." I said, waving my hands in different shapes to show the things that we didn't do.

Before the woman could turn to me and start exploding because she was definitely about to Jackie came stumbling out of his bedroom.

Jackie looked like shit. I almost wanted to giggle as he stumbled into the room clutching his head. Voice croaking as he barely could open his eyes.

"Cami? That you? Everything alright?" He asked as he stumbled over and finding the right woman pulled her into a hug. But she slapped him away and started screeching.

Ow.

That was making my head hurt, and I didn't even have a hangover. Jackie looked utterly fucked up.

"Jack. I'm gonna head out." V said showing zero sympathy as she just walked out after everything leaving poor Jackie to his fate.

I followed after her, because I wasn't a gonk.

—--

V and I split up, and I did as she recommended. Jackie had dropped some eddies into my account last night at some point, so I just headed over to a detailing shop.

This time my Reaver didn't look like a Raffen vehicle, so it only cost a more reasonable amount to redo the black paint and add some purple in for highlights. By the time it was done, I had already modified the identification with a bit of netrunning and it was lunchtime and I was getting hungry so I stopped for some noodles.

Oh, and my Kang Tao Armor had been in the passenger seat. I must have taken it off at some point.

Then I pulled open my system alerts.

I had to whistle a bit as I looked through the alerts. Blowing up that AV had certainly given me a nice stack of Engineering XP from the Uragan.

And a level up.

*Engineering skill level up!*

Jeez that skill was so low. And it still made no sense why Engineering had to do with explosions!

I shook it off and continued going down my list.

"Assault XP, Assault XP. Assault level up!"

*Assault skill level up!*

Assault 6! I guess using my Assault Rifles instead of just defaulting to my Burya all the time came in handy.

Aww yiss! New levels!

*Driving skill level up!*

Driving 7!

I guess that race through the city while being shot at had helped me out!

Well that and my daily driving.

That was all my skill upgrades from the night of hell raising with V and Jackie, but that wasn't all I pulled out of the wreckage.

*750 XP Gained.*

*750 XP Gained.*

*750 XP Gained.*

*750 XP Gained.*

A short burst of XP in the middle of the fight. That was where I blinded everyone and shot a few guys.

But then there was the big bunch.

A single 1000 XP stack, and then five more 750 drops.

In the end I wasn't quite at a new level up, but I was very close. Considering it had all happened sort of on accident. I would have to do something nice for Jackie as thanks for all that XP.

Ah wait, he wouldn't know what I was talking about. Better to just be there for another gig if he ever needed me.

I slurped up the last of my ramen and dropped a tip to the Ramen chef who gave me a bow as I headed out of the shop.

I'd been running around doing gigs a lot recently.

"Time to go get some more songs!" I decided as I stepped away from my empty bowl of ramen.

—--

Despite only being Rockerboy 7, it wasn't hard to basically recreate songs. Any mistakes I made while recording them through my music box were easily fixed with a bit of digital chop shopping.

But it was a nice time waster.

Each song had to be played through multiple times, then multiple times on top to fix errors. Then mashing it all together, which took more time.

The very second song I wrote out for my box?

Never Fade Away by Samurai!

Maybe I would bug V sometime and get her to co vocal it with me? I had been pretty drunk, but I still remember noting her voice was really good.

The song after that, I went with something that didn't exist.

Smells like Teen Spirit by Nirvana.

It was a simple song to work on and grind some more experience. I mean. Some of the songs were incredibly technical, and it was only because of a perk giving me perfect memory that I could remember how they went.

Nirvana was… Simple by comparison to The Only Thing They Fear.

Not that it wasn't a good song.

I mean. It would fit right into Night City, the first lyric was "Load up on guns, bring your friends." If there was ever a song lyric that fit Night City that was it.

So I added the song to my list. Enjoying crooning aloud as I recorded the audio.

As I was finangling the drum track, which was taking a while, considering I had to do it completely digitally. Jun got home, opening the door and seeming to relax at seeing me camped out on the couch like normal.

"You left last night." He commented as he put down some of his stuff. His Katana joining my own on the Katana rack near the shrine.

"Jackie called me for netrunner help on a gig." I told him leaving out all of the actual exciting bits.

"You could have left a message." He said and I nodded at that. He was right. I mean. I hadn't because Jun might have tried to stop me, or follow along, but I could have. He sighed seeing I wasn't going to actually do the right thing and say I will in the future.

"You okay?"

"Oh I'm fine. I met one of Jackies Chooms! V's so cool. Arasaka Counter-intel. She has this I'll kill you and destroy your entire family aura about her. But she can sing Never Fade Away so she isn't all bad!"

Jun blinks at my rather odd words before seemingly deciding asking isn't worth the effort.

"Counter-Intel? Those kinda of people are… Crazy. I'm not sure I want you hanging out with someone like that."

"Nah. V's more Jackies Choom. They saved each other on some gig. I didn't get the deets. Anyway, she's safe enough. I don't think I'll hang out with her, without Jackie or something, and he's like… Her weakness. She goes all buttery soft around him. It's adorable."
"They Input-Output?"

"Nope. I think they might have something there, but neither is willing. I think V's life is just complicated." I shrugged, deciding to take a break from this drum section.

"And the gig he pulled you into?"

"Break into a corpo laptop for some info on where something was taken. When I got there everything was quiet. Took me like ten minutes to break in."

"You were out all night. Motoko, you're avoiding saying what you actually did on the gig. You always blab about the entire adventure when I ask. I usually have to leave to get you to stop."

"Rude!"

"Avoiding the question."

"Okay, fine. Yeah the corp was Kang Tao. Some minor gang of kids klepped a car that had some stuff in the trunk. Kang Tao wanted it back, and killed the kids. Jackie was hired by Padre to get the stuff back, mostly in revenge for the killing and well… I followed Jackie and V on the gig as their backup. Shit got a little crazy."

"Define crazy." Jun said flatly and I winced before looking around a little.

"Okay, first. You can't tell anyone. V mentioned Kang Tao has no idea who did it, so that's good, because they are pissed."

"What did you and your chooms do?"

"Well… This is more of a me thing?"

Jun was done paying attention to his gear that he was taking off, he walked over and sat on the couch glaring down at me.

"I blew up an AV with my Rocket Launcher! It crashed and made a massive crash and Jun-Nii it was the coolest, most preem thing EVER! I've been wanting to tell someone all day!" I let it all out in a rush making an explosion motion with my hands to emphasize how amazing it was!

I blew up an aircraft!

I always wanted to do that!

"Fucking hell." Jun said as he tried to process what I had done. It wasn't like you could just walk up to someone you know and say you shot down an airplane with a rocket launcher and not have it be a bit of a deal to process.

So I remained quiet just squirming under Jun's gaze as he came to a conclusion about how he felt.

"Ow!" He hit me right on the head.

"Don't go to war with the corps you idiot!" He hissed at me quietly, obviously not wanting to shout something so incendiary through the walls.

"I didn't!"

"High explosives is an escalation!"

"Well! Fine! I'll get a Techtronika Grad and use that as an AT rifle instead! I'll just snipe the pilots ou-Ow!"

"Don't blow up AV's! Fuck I can't believe I have to explain this!"

"Okay fine! I'll leave the AV fuckers alone. I'll just kill everyone they drop off if I ever run into them or something."

"Just stop putting yourself in situations that corps are sending AVs at you! I've never had this problem!"

I considered it.

He had already hit me twice so you know what?

"Wow, that's pretty sad Jun. You should get on my level." There was silence for a moment between us as we locked eyes.

"OW!"

 

[Seras]

I slept a full eight hours after that. Woke up to a warm sunrise over Night City that I could only just see outside the apartment window. Did the normal morning things. Had breakfast, watched TV, realized NC TV still sucked and in the end just didn't do anything serious.

And in the end I was rewarded! Hiromi called asking if I wanted to meet up for lunch. Giving me something to do other than be lazy around the apartment.

Turns out she meant for us to meet up on her lunch break from the academy, but I wasn't going to complain. Because Hiromi had a surprise when I picked her up!

I pulled in across from Arasaka Academy into a waiting area, and idled while waiting for HIromi to show up, that I was actually surprised when someone walked up to the car and only when I noticed her did she strike a pose.

Hiromi had chipped in some chrome!

She had new optics. It was the thing that caught my eye, as they were glowing in a hypnotic swirl of colors although mostly her eyes remained a neon green. Her favorite color. I was staring as she slipped into the Quadra. My scan was blocked as I was so interested in what she had chipped in. High end Arasaka Optics for sure, stuff that competes with Kiroshi definitely.

She also had some changes to her EMP threading as well, and her Neon makeup.

The threading was darker now. My previous assumption that I would end up with Goth Hiromi had been fairly accurate, as the lines were now a more matte black to match her other new chrome. She definitely had some sort of hand chrome now, with all the black plastic and metal that wrapped around her fingers and a bit over her knuckles.

"Preem chrome Hiromi." I finally said after checking out all the changes for a moment and I could tell she was preening under the attention.

"Oh these little things? Nothing big. Just some minor changes!" She faux played down her changes and I couldn't help but giggle at her attempts.

"How's it all feel? Any issues?"

"No, it's no big." She denied instantly, but I wasn't going to let it go with just that. I reached over and grabbed her hand with mine partially to catch her attention and also to examine the new chrome.

"If you ever have trouble. It's not something to be ashamed of. My arms gave me trouble and I'm glad I talked to people about it." I told her, eyes meeting her own and I could see the swirl of colors in them shift suddenly even faster.

"Bwuh! It's fine! Minor alterations for the most part! Most of it is just some upgrades you know, new eyes with better scans, and some hand chrome that will help as an Arasaka goon… Executive. I should probably stop saying that." She muttered and I laughed at her as she blushed a little.

I reached out then, tracing a finger down the dark EMP threading going along her cheek. "No more kitty whiskers huh?"

She was flushing a lot at me pointing out her old aesthetic. "It just felt childish! So I changed a little!... It looks okay?"

"Yeah, it's preem! I like Goth Hiromi. She's cute."

"G-goth? What the hell is that?" Hiromi asked, and I had a moment of complete brain shut down.

Goth wasn't a thing!?

"It's… A thing. With stuff? Anyway! You look cute! I always did like the Arasaka aesthetic to be honest." I told her, and while she didn't look like she was going to let it go, she did preen again under my words.

"Well good! C'mon let's get some food. I only have so long for a lunch break… So thanks for coming to pick me up. I wanted to see yo- to show off my new chrome!"

I nodded quickly, pulling out of the little park and really just heading a bit down the street to an area with some food shops. "The chrome is absolutely preem." I continued to assure her as we pulled in and took a few minutes to order.

I ended up eating some weird fancy wrap thing. It had.. Lettuce? No I'm pretty sure that wasn't actually lettuce but I was pretending. Really hard.

Thankfully Hiromi wasn't just wanting to show off her chrome, and was distracting me.

"It's so boring Motoko!" She whined as she stuffed her own wrap in her face as she sat with me in the Quadra.

"School is important."

"I know! It doesn't make it any less boring though." She grumbled. "I saw your newest BD." She said suddenly and I jerked as I realized the last BD I had dropped had been 'that' one.

"O-oh. You okay? It didn't make you sick or anything right?"

"What? C'mon Motoko. I don't entirely get why you hang out with the Mox, but Judy is definitely a Maestro when it comes to tuning BD's no way I would get sick. It was fucking preem though. That first drop? I felt like my stomach was going out of my throat, but you just hit the ground in a roll and were off." Hiromi made a few punching motions with her fists.

I didn't really know what to say as I was a little embarrassed at how brutal that particular engagement had been. "It didn't bother you? The whole…" I rolled my wrist as I couldn't find the word.

"No way! It was exciting, and knowing it was you behind it all only made it way more preem." She assured me. "I see why you wrote that song though. It really did fit way better with the action."

"Ah… Yeah. It's meant to be a song that plays during a brutal fight." I muttered a little embarrassed that Hiromi had actually seen it!

She wasn't supposed to see it!

"It was very preem, it's getting super popular. All the rich kids are buying it. This one had so much brutality even the normal XBD watchers wanted it." She informed me as she took another bite of her wrap. "The Only Thing They Fear is You. Preem title. That's the name of your song?"

"Yeah… Yeah that's the name of the song. It's not too weird?" Ah! I was right! It was so awkward having my bestie see that BD! I shouldn't have made it! Stupid past Motoko!

"Not at all! A lot of XBD's have weird names! Seriously, I've handled so many weird BD's over the last couple weeks. I only agreed to help Nox sell to the academy kids so I could make sure everyone could see your preem BD's. But I've had to deal with a lot of trash. I even had to do a hostile takeover of this street kid that goes to the academy. He was selling stuff, but he was selling the BD's like some weird corner hawker."

"Wait. Some kid was selling BD's in the academy?" And why did that sound familiar? I asked myself already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. Some street kid that got in on grades. Which is totally weird by the way. Anyway, you'd think some smart kid would know how to sell BD's but he was hawking them like a back alley dealer. Barely anyone bought from him. I took his little attempt and turned it into an actual business." She said flipping her hair with one hand.

"That's really impressive Hiromi!" I chirped and I could see her face go red at my compliment even if she side eyed me a bit to make sure I was actually being sincere. Which I was.

I couldn't set up a business like that.

"Ugh! I can't look at you with your dopey smile! I have to get back to class anyways. Thanks. Motoko. For coming to spend time with me." She said as she slipped out of the Quadra with a wave and then a little jog to run back to the academy.

I just laughed at her fleeing form as I started the car and pulled out of the little parking the food shops had.

It was too bad. I was pretty sure the kid Hiromi had taken over the BD business from was David. I still wanted to meet the gonk.

Eh, someday, I decided.

—--

"Heeey Rita." I called, drawling out the greeting a bit at the look the older woman gave me.

"Give me one reason I should ever let you inside again?" She asked, arms crossing over her chest.

"Cause. I'm super duper sorry about causing trouble! It won't happen again… I uh. Don't drink for a reason you know?"

Rita kept the unamused look on her face for quite a while before finally it cracked and she laughed at me.

"Well at least a little trash dive hasn't hurt your ego too badly."

"Nah I'm okay… I only kinda remember that night. So I guess V and I singing on the table was causing some problems?"

"Oh please, that's barely a problem. The issue is you hacked our music system to play Samurai music on repeat. Judy had to come up and reset the whole thing to stop the ten thousand repeats of Never Fade Away."

"Ooh. I don't remember that… Sorry."

Rita huffed a laugh and rolled her eyes. "You're lucky we owe you one. Just don't do it again."

"Deal." I agreed and Rita nodded, making a motion that I could enter, but I just blinked at her. "Oh I'm not here to party or something. I just knew I should apologize for causing trouble." I said and Rita looked at me.

I looked at her.

She blinked.

I blinked.

"You came here to apologize… To me?"
"Well yeah! I caused you trouble! You even had to throw me out of the club… Drunk Motoko can't have been easy to deal with."

"You were actually docile once I got you off the table. I just had to tell you you were in trouble and you were kinda blubbering and going along with it."

"I definitely didn't blubber!"

"Can you say that for sure?" She asked and I had no real response to that one.

I huffed in outrage and Rita once again broke out into laughter. "So what are you doing just coming by?"
"Mostly! I just stopped to see Hiromi on her lunch break, and I don't have any gigs or anything for the day."

"In that case why don't you come hang with me. I'm getting off soon. You can show me how far you've come with your hobby."

"Oh that's right! I do owe you for that… Why don't you come to my place then! I can show you my music box! I just finished a few songs!"

Rita blinked and then seemed utterly amused at my offer bursting into a full body laugh. "Sure Motoko I'll come over to your house and play." She said cracking up.

I just pouted at her, because that's not what I said!

—--

"Welcome to my home!" I introduced with a wave at the apartment for Rita.

"Huh." She commented looking over all my junk still left out on the living room table.

"D-don't just huh! Sorry about the mess though." I muttered a little embarrassed. Dangit Rita was a cool older woman! It wasn't fair that my place was a little messy! Dangit Jun! Aren't you the responsible one!?

No wait. He almost went full Cyberpsycho.

I was the responsible one.

Fuck no wonder our apartment was a damn mess. No one should trust me with responsibility!

I shook off that horror filled realization as I gestured for Rita to take the couch.

"Want anything to drink? Eat?"

"I'm good Motoko. I had a lunch break about an hour before you showed up. So this is where you've been working on your hobby?"

"Yeah! Mostly! I mean. I could probably go find a better place for acoustics, but I'm using a high end mic I picked up for the vocals, and the rest of the tracks are recorded digitally, so I can tweak them if they sound off… Do you want to hear?"

Rita settled on the couch and gave me one of those cool smirks that told me she was totally humoring me!

I was just gonna have to blow her socks off!

I went over to my music box and took it from the living room table to set it on the floor and set up the song I was gonna play.

Then I grabbed my guitar. Doing a few test chords to make sure it was ready.

One good thing about the new guitars, no need to tune the strings. It was a digital guitar after all.

"So this is called Smells like Teen Spirit." I told her and she huffed a bit at the name but I pulled my Personal Link cord out of the back of my neck and slotted it into the music box behind me, and started the song.

Instantly behind me two holograms slowly came together, obviously surprising Rita, as I went into the stuttered chords of the intro.

"Load up on guns, bring your friends." I crooned the intro to the song, my voice wasn't quite the honey of Cobain, but I could make it a more similar sultry croon with Sexy Motoko Voice!

And I jammed out. A one woman band. Showing off to the person to originally give me the idea to find a hobby.

"A denial." I ended the last lyric letting the guitar finish humming out the final chord.

Then silence. The holograms that had been jamming out behind me went out leaving the room how it was before I started.

"So… What do you think?" I asked the woman. Rita's face had gone kinda blank middle way through the song.

"I think that's a bit further along than a hobby." She said honestly.

I didn't really know how to take that, so I just sort of smiled and probably looked a little uncomfortable.

"You got talent Motoko. I'm really impressed. I've never heard that song before either."

"Ah. I like it." I said, I never was very comfortable with taking credit for work others had done. Even if they didn't exist in this world.

"I do too. It's got a certain flair. Maybe we'll have you come in and play at Lizzies."

"No way!" I denied instantly. "I'm not interested in live shows like that! It would be so embarrassing if I messed up."

"Pfft. You're adorable kid." Rita said, laughing at me! How mean!

I was definitely going to come up with an amazing retort and make Rita apologize when the door opened.

"Thought that was you playing." Jun said as he meandered in looking tired.

"Jun-Nii!" I greeted, but there was a sudden tenseness in the atmosphere as the two older people noticed each other.

Rita was Mox, and Mox were not exactly on good terms with the TC.

"Oni." Rita finally broke the silence. A simple greeting but using Jun's work name. What is up with that? Does everyone know who he is now? How come they know who he is, but not me? This is unfair!

"Bouncer." He greeted back, without any additions.

"Awkward." I broke in instantly, cutting out the tension.

"Rita, this is Jun my older brother, Jun this is Rita, she's the one that helped me start looking for a hobby, so I owe all the music stuff I've been working on to her. I brought her over to show her a song I wrote as a thank you."

Jun blinked, seemingly stepping back from the semi-hostile edge.

"Motoko's a bit of a gonk, but thanks for looking out for her. I know it's not always easy."

Rita took in Jun's words and just shrugged, seeming to relax a little. "I'm used to helping out with the younger girls. Motoko's no trouble… When she isn't standing on a table and drunk singing her heart out."

Jun blinked before a smirk popped across his lips. "She didn't share that story. I'll have to get it out of her sometime."

"Rita! You aren't supposed to share that!" But they both just ignored my offense. Jun wasn't supposed to know I got drunk and thrown out of the bar! He would never let me live it down!

"Any of Motoko's chooms are welcome." Jun said breaking up the fact they were ignoring me by then patting me on the head as he moved past. "I was just bringing some food home, hungry?"

"No, but thanks." Rita said back, sounding much more relaxed.

"Well if you need anything let me know. Motoko. You finished a new song? I want to hear." He demanded and I glared at him Jun was up to something!

I knew that look on his face, the one where he got all smirky and pushed his chin up like he was looking down at me!

"Nope. You don't get to hear my awesome cool new song."

"Well that's a shame. Rita right? What's this about Motoko drunk singing-?"

"Right! A new song I finished Jun-Nii! Why don't you just take a seat for the full experience and no talking while I sing! In fact no talking at all! Ever!" I demanded, forced to switch gears at my brothers evil vile blackmail!

—--

Despite my best attempts once I finished off my second rendition of Smells like Teen Spirit. Jun and Rita still got to talking about their one and only shared point.

"So she was dancing on the table?"

"With V, a corpo woman that comes in from time to time. Never seen her get so wild either."

"It's all Jackies fault!" I groaned into my hands, and Jun laughed at me, openly amused at hearing about my drunk escapades.

"I wish I had been there now." He said with a sigh and Rita chuckled at the two of us as I glared at Jun in return.

"Well now that you both have had so much fun making fun of me! I'm gonna go hang out with cool people!" I told them both as I rose up and settled my guitar back on the stand and the Music box back off the floor.

Really didn't want to deal with someone kicking it on accident. Especially since the only person likely to do that was Jun, and his stupid borg feet.

"C'mon now 'Toko. It's just a little teasing." Rita said, while still laughing at me, so I didn't give her the benefit of a response, just a huff as I crossed my arms and walked into the kitchen with all my dignity.

"Bathroom!" I retorted as I did just that, going into the bathroom to give myself some space and hopefully have the topic change when I came out. No fair for Rita and Jun to both pick on me!. I was just finishing up when I heard it.

A laugh.

No. That wasn't a laugh. A laugh is more Hahaha. This was more. Tehehe!

That was a fucking giggle!

I poked my head out of the bathroom to peer into the living room with my wide eyes demanding explanations, because that was Rita.

Rita. Mox Bouncer badass, and all around scary woman, giggling like a schoolgirl with my brother.

It was impossible.

I refused to believe it, but my lying eyes showed me the truth.

Did… Did Jun have game? Was he actually good with women?

Because I was seeing my brother. The TC enforcer, flirting with the Mox Bouncer.

He must have scored some sort of critical. Because I refuse to believe my burrito obsessed brother who likes garbage like the Us Cracks actually has game!

"Uh. Motoko. What's gotten into you?" Jun asked suddenly as he caught sight of my staring.

"Nothing." I said firmly but I didn't move my eyes. Instead I was kept them wide and locked on Jun and Rita. Refusing to accept what I was seeing. As I stayed half poking out over the kitchen counter.

Rita caught it after a moment. And I got to see the delightful look of the womans plastic looking Real Skinn flush a little in an actual blush.

"I should get going." She said then to both Jun and I's surprise.

"You don't have to!" I argued.

"There isn't a rush." Jun said much calmer than my own response. "Don't mind Motoko. She's always like this. She's probably just planning some petty revenge."

"Petty!?"

"No. I appreciate the offer, and the show Motoko, but I should get out of here… This was a surprise, but a good one." She finally said looking to Jun, and if I wasn't a super secret mega hacker…

And the fact I had totally breached into Jun's agent forever ago… Mostly for fun. Mostly.

Well I caught the shared deets.

Rita… Rita just gave him her number.

Jun looked as gobsmacked as I was as Rita flashed him a smirk, and then looked to me. "See ya around Motoko. Keep practicing. I want to see you up on stage someday." She offered as she walked out of the apartment.

"Wait what ju-" Jun's question was cut off as I leapt on him wrapping myself around his head and squeezing.

"WAS THIS THE IDIOT FLIRTING WITH GIRLS UNDER MY ROOF!?" I yelled, probably loud enough Rita would still catch it.

Details.

"I wasn't flirting!" Jun yelped in surprise as he quickly startled wrestling me off him, unfortunately he was still much stronger than me, and he was getting used to my holds at this point. "Was I?" He asked himself after finally pinning me down.

"Gonk."

 

[Seras]

I left Jun to brood over his playboy ways. I headed out of the apartment entirely to give him some space. He was totally freaking out on the inside at flirting with Rita, and I would normally stick around to calm him down, but he honestly needed some private time to come to terms with the fact he might actually still be alive and interested in girls.

I headed out onto the street with no real plans.

Did I want to go hang out with my chooms? Go netrunning? Shoot something?

That last one was pretty tempting, but I didn't exactly have a lot of targets at the moment. I guess I could go find some scavs?

I shook my head, just because I was bored was no reason to get into a gunfight…

Even if it was really tempting.

So instead I should… I pulled up my agent on my eyes. I had a lot of money.

I should probably spend some of it? I mean that was what people did when they had disposable income right? Spend it on stupid stuff?

What did I want?

More Chrome? Probably not a good idea. At least until I get a few more points into Adaptation.

I already had a preem ride… I could go find a Kusanagi. I always wanted a motorcycle… I looked at my account.

I certainly had the eddies. Between the big scav raid, and all the smaller ones, Hiromi had been raking in the eddies with all the chrome sales.

I checked the time, Hiromi would be out of school soon, maybe enough time for everything to work out.

So I pulled up a number and made a call.

*Motoko, what do you want?* Wakako asked as soon as she picked up the phone.

*Do you have any info on a Kusanagi for sale?*

*I don't deal in people. If your brother ended up on the market, I have no interest in it.* It took me a moment to catch what had just been said. Wakako spoke completely straight. No hint of the joke she had just made in her tone.

*Hahaha, I'm laughing so hard Wakako, Wow you should go work at a comedy club. So you got any info?*

*I do happen to have a few sellers for Kusanagi. You teenagers and your motorcycles.*

*They are cool Wakako! Don't tell me none of your husbands ever gave you a ride on their bikes.* I teased right back and I knew I had got her as I got a scoffing noise through the line, but not an actual refusal. *But do you have any that aren't the Mizuchi mod? I'm looking for something more standard.*

*That does lower the amount of sellers. I'll send you the information.*

*Thanks Wakako!* I chirped in a rush, before she could hang up, and it was a moment after the line went dead.

Gotcha!

A few moments later I got a text.

Pictures of a pretty red Kusanagi, and a price that made me wince.

I sent the confirmation, and eddies, and a few moments later I got a location to pick it up, as well as a digital key.

I rushed across the street to get into my Quadra.

I had promised Hiromi a ride if I ever got a Bike afterall!

—--

The Kusanagi was everything I had ever wanted. It was also a smoother ride than Jun's stupid over tuned Mizuchi. It was exactly what I wanted, if not for a few issues.

"Pretty sure whoever owned this thing last, fucked with the brakes." I grumbled as I once again felt the brakes slipping as I came to a stop.

Good thing I drove so safely otherwise I would have crashed right into the back of the car stopped at the light.

Also one of the front head lights was out. Have to fix that before nighttime. I had already looked up a few shops where I could buy them.

Unfortunately discovering the brakes were bad meant I couldn't race across the city to pick up Hiromi for the ride I promised her.

Had to do some work on my new baby first.

I pulled into the parking lot of a part store. It was sketchy to the eyes of my old life, but in this one, it was actually a pretty safe spot.

I pulled into an open spot in a corner far enough away I could do some work without anyone getting in the way and slid off my new ride.

I resisted the urge to squeal like a kid as I did a cool saunter into the store past a few of the gonks that hung around shops like this checking out the rides that came in.

This sort of place was popular with racing types. It's why I had picked this particular shop while searching the city-net. Kusanagi weren't cheap bikes, and they used high end parts for a lot of things.

One of the teens that were hanging around the entrance gave my ride a whistle as I passed him by. "Nice wheels kid."

"She's preem right?" I asked as I walked past, stepping into the shop and taking it all in.

Inside the smell of oil, grease, and steel filled my nose a nostalgic smell. I remember being dragged into shops like this all the time in my past life. I shook off the smell and began searching.

The head light was easy enough to find, and I went ahead and grabbed a replacement for all the lights as well.

Brakes though weren't just out in the store front.

"What can I help you with Hermanita?" The Tino behind the counter asked as he looked me over wondering what I was doing here.

Not every day you see a fourteen year old in a shop like this.

"I need some brakes for my Kusanagi Yaiba. They're dying bad."

"Alright. Let me see what we got." He stepped away from the counter and into the back that was covered in parts and boxes of parts.

After a short wait he came back with a set of square boxes that were definitely not factory standard, and he pulled out two brake pads for my bike.

Thankfully I had enough Tech Attribute that I was able to tell that while used, the brakes were still in good condition.

I did a few checks on both though just to be sure, chrome fingers sliding into spots to check that they weren't just trash made to look normal. I could see the seller nod along as I seemed to actually know what I was doing.

"They'll do." I passed the eddies over for them and the head lights and carried it all out of the shop.

Once again I was glad my Body was so high, because the Kusanagi had big fucking brakes. They were heavy.

I walked out and set them on the concrete in front of my Kusanagi as I waited for my tool box to arrive.

I could drive it home and work on it there. But I didn't really want to drive my bike with the brakes all fucked up.

Seriously, it was dangerous!

Unfortunately It wasn't like I kept my toolbox in my Quadra. It was beside the couch where I had left it while working on the Music box, so that meant I had to call Jun.

To my surprise Jun showed up not on his own Kusanagi, but in my Quadra!

The black with purple Quadra was also getting some attention from the teens all hanging around. I guess it wasn't every day they saw a Nomad custom Quadra Type-66. I could see the kids all perk up as Jun pulled in and into the space next to my Kusanagi. Of course all the attention they had vanished in an instant when Jun stepped out.

I could practically hear the whispers of "Oni" echoed between all the kids.

Okay seriously what was Jun doing that was spreading his rep around so much? I was fairly confident I had killed more people than him! I shook off the outrage as I waved to Jun.

"Hey Jun. You brought my Quadra?"

"It's not exactly comfortable riding a bike with a toolbox in my arms. I didn't figure you would mind." He said and I just nodded. I had given Jun a key for my Quadra, but he had stuck to his bike even when it would be more convenient.

"Sorry for pulling you out of your brooding." I told him and that earned me a glare as he offered me the tool box pushing me back with it a bit.

"I wasn't brooding."
"Sure. Sure." I agreed without doing anything of the sort as I took my tools and went to work.

"Pass me the-" Jun said as he crouched down and looked like he was going to help.

So I immediately threatened him with a wrench. "Don't even think about it! This is my baby."

"Do you even know how to… replace the brakes?" Jun asked, noticing the parts I had bought. He ignored me for a moment as he walked over to the boxes of brakes to check them.

"They're fine Jun. Used, but in good condition." I told him, and he scowled a little.

"I was just double checking. Common scam is to fill the inside of the brakes with gunk to make them look new."

"Already checked for that." I told him and Jun had nothing to say to that as he nodded and to my surprise he took a seat and just let me get on with it.

So I did. I had done something pretty similar with Hiromi's Kusanagi after she crashed it. Despite her Kusanagi being the stupid Mizuchi custom job. I had to figure out the paneling but once that was done. It only took me a few minutes to get the front wheel off, and check the brakes.

Yep. I whistled at just how bad they were.

"You drove on those?"

"Only a little. It didn't take me long to figure out something was wrong after all." I told Jun but he was still scowling as I passed the brake over to him as he motioned for it and he scowled as he looked it over.

"I'm surprised you didn't crash."

"I'm a safe driver!" I chirped happily as I pulled the fresh brakes out and got to work installing it. My hands deftly handled the whole task. Even the finicky parts that you were guaranteed to scrape the shit out of your hands trying to do were no problem, as my hands were chrome!

"Front brake done." I told him, as I shifted the bike to get access to the rear wheel and worked on that.

"I'll have to have you check out my Kusanagi."

"Blegh! I don't work on Mizuchi! Those things are-"

"Yeah yeah, I know. You think they're stupid." Jun said while rolling his eyes.

"They are! I'll do my own custom job! And when I'm done they'll call it the Motoko Kusanagi, and everyone will want one!" I told him firmly, waving my wrench at him for a moment to prove my seriousness.

Jun just laughed at me though, which was super rude.

At least he wasn't brooding so much anymore.

—--

"And done." I confirmed finishing putting the last panel on. I had replaced the brakes and the lights. While checking the lights there had been some wires that looked rough. So since I had the panel off already I had gone ahead and replaced those as well.

"I should ride it first to make sure it's sa-" Jun tried but I quickly hopped onto the seat and glared at my stupid brother.

"Not a chance."

He just laughed because the jerks teasing had gotten a reaction.

I was going to drop kick him in his sleep. See how he likes being messed with.

I slipped back off, and finished putting my toolbox away in the Quadra which Jun had settled into the drivers seat.

"Take it slow at first." Jun warned, but I was in no mood for slow and steady.

I started her up. The engine roaring to life as I did a quick burnout to adjust my bike to face the street.

"Motoko No!"

"Motoko Yes!" I called back as I let go of the brakes and roared out of the parking lot. I could hear Jun cursing and starting up my Quadra right after as I cackled and roared down the streets of Night City.

I would go slow. So Jun could keep up.

—---


Instead of meeting up with Hiromi that night, I decided I would surprise her later instead. Since it had taken so long to fix the bike up enough to be safe. So after I drove back to the apartment so Jun would be off my tail I headed back out into the city free of overbearing Nii-chans.

It was a shame my Driving skill was already maxed out with Reflex. As testing out my new bike would have been a good chance to earn some XP.

But I didn't mind. It was less a stat thing, and more just getting to learn the wiggles of my new bike.

Like whoever had owned her before had done some custom work on her. The engine was throatier than a normal Kusanagi, something I only noticed when I was able to really open her up now that her brakes were fixed.

I would have to take her apart and see what had been done.

But I didn't mind the sound. It was better than the horrible Mizuchi that always sounded overtuned and tinny.

Which was a noise I soon noticed as I was stopped at a red light, a Mizuchi pulled up beside me. Sliding in between an old beat up Galena to stop beside me at the front of the light.

The kid on the back was definitely TC. He even had one of the Arasaka style Kabuto helmets on his head, not for protection, but just to look even more Japanese.

He revved his shitwagon and I winced at how horrible it sounded. I could practically hear the engine ripping itself apart as it tried to keep up with the overturning.

So I revved my bike. The throaty roar of my new girl rumbled out.

I could see it on his face. He was thinking the same thing I was just a moment before, just in reverse.

He thought his stupid Mizuchi was the better bike.

The light hit green, and for once I wasn't following the laws. My Kusanagi roared as I gunned it the noise fighting against the ugly noise coming from the Mizuchi as we both raced off the line.

Night City wasn't a safe place to street race without someone setting it up. The streets were filled with cars and pedestrians.

But this was also Night City, and other than me, no one cared about the laws.

We raced down the street, weaving in between the cars, he got an early lead, the overtuned first gears of his Mizuchi giving him just enough extra power to pull the lead.

Well that and experience slipping in between traffic, this was my first time on a full size Kusanagi, and my girl was a little bit wider than a Mizuchi.

But the road up ahead angled into a sharp turn. We both broke through the traffic with him in the lead, but as we hit the turn he had to slow down to make it.

I didn't.

Whooping in delight, I drifted right past him almost completely on the side of my bike, just barely keeping it from sparking off the asphalt as I blew past him and then had to slow down as we came up to another red light.

A few moments later he pulled up beside me and gave me a nod.

"Not bad!"

I just laughed at his attempt to keep some tatters of his remaining ego.

"You should come race!" He called out and I surprised myself by actually considering it.

I mean. I liked following the laws when driving… But I had grown up in the Fast and the Furious era. I wasn't going to go around screaming about family or something. But street races were inherently cool.

"Send me the deets!" I called back. The light was changing and it was time to drive. I got a text from him with an address just as I pulled away driving off into the city weaving in and out of traffic.

Just a little. It was important to be safe about it after all.

—--

I was pulling into the parking lot of the apartment when I realized we only had the two spots. I grumbled as I had to park my baby close to Jun's stupid bike.

I slipped off and then looked back grimacing a bit at the look between the two Kusanagi.

The standard beautiful version, that did have some modifications but it was all under the hood so to speak and then the Mizuchi that was barely identifiable as a Kusanagi at all…

I felt like there was some meta commentary there about Jun and I, but I decided to ignore that entirely and instead just turned to head inside.

I had been driving around for a few hours and I had a lot of fun, but it was time to head home and put my feet up.

I stopped by the old man selling meat sticks to grab one happily scarfing it down as I raced up the stairs enjoying the bounciness of my ankles as I hit the fourth floor.

I slipped inside. "Jun I'm home!"

"About time." He grumbled coming out of the bathroom and wiping down his hair obviously he had just gotten out of a shower.

"I was having fun!" I argued justifying my ride around the city.

Jun just ignored me and went back into the bathroom to finish drying his hair and so I flopped on the couch.

I didn't really feel like music stuff at the moment. Plus I did have other projects I needed to work on. It took a few minutes but I went and found the Kang Tao armor I had stolen and left in the Quadra before coming back up to the apartment.

First I took some tools to remove the Kang Tao symbols and stuff. Mostly just paint, but some cutting was required as well.

Then I finished painting it. Removing the Kang Tao orange, and replacing it with a nice purple.

Yeah. That looked better. I ended up sitting the armor in a corner to dry and at that point I was actually feeling kinda… Lazy-tired?

so I made the mistake of turning the TV on to see what I could find.

 

[Seras]

"Future TV was a mistake." I whispered after watching in horrified awe what passed for a popular action movie that only came out a few years ago.

It was horrible.

No wonder everyone in Night City was so violent. They had no good violence to watch on TV! I nodded to myself. I was gonna need to up the production quality of my XBD's. The people deserved high quality violence!

"What are you doing?" I blinked, looking at Jun as he looked at me. I lowered my fist that had been aiming at the sky and wiped some imaginary dust from my leotard as I sat back down on the couch.

"Nothing."

Jun gave me a look telling me he didn't believe me for a second. Then he just walked past me to sit on the couch. "Your movie done?"

"It was so awful I've deleted it from my brain." I assured him and Jun laughed.

"It was a good flick. The special effects needed work though."

"What special effects? Whenever he punched someone it was obviously just a dummy full of blood. I literally don't think they did any digital alterations on the entire movie."

"Yeah why would they? The dummies were too fake. They should have gotten some robots inside them to let them move or something."

"That actually sounds cool, but I know even if they did that it would still look like shit. I hate TV." I grumbled and Jun just snorted and then turned back on the TV. Switching to a show he liked.

I faux gagged at him, but didn't fight him for the remote. It wasn't like there was anything else I wanted to watch.

Then I felt it. That prickling in my shoulders as my hindbrain noticed something. I moved instantly. No hesitation as something in my senses was telling me I was in danger. I barreled into Jun full bore knocking us both off the side of the couch Jun was instantly yelling in anger at me, thinking I was fucking around, but then the noise hit him.

A gun shot slamming through our window and into the couch.

"Sniper!" I yelled out, as I looked towards the window. Instantly the shutters closed. The safety shutters were meant to keep out stray gunfire and the like, but against a Sniper?

Fuck I even recognized the sound of that gunshot. That was a Nekomata.

"Stay down!" Jun yelled at me as I made to rise towards my room. I needed a gun, to counter snipe, but my Nekomata was in the Quadra!

Then we both heard it.

Boots on flooring.

"Fuck."

"Fuck." Jun and I both uttered and he let me go, I rushed for my room. I still had a Tactician Shotgun in there… Unfortunately my HMG wouldn't be a good choice despite how much I itched to pick her up. Jun just grabbed his Katana from the stand on our family shrine.

A moment later I heard it even as I was preparing my Tactician. Another echoing retort, and metal failing to stop the railgun firing into our apartment.

It took a second for me to process, but I realized the sniper had to be on the road leading up to the city level above us. Probably just sitting there parked on the side of the road shooting into our apartment.

That meant we had no place we could hide in any of the main rooms.

I hurried out relieved to see Jun hadn't been hit. The sniper must just be firing randomly.

I crouched down beside Jun who was hunkered down resting his back against the shrine facing the door.

"We should charge them. If we stay in here, the sniper will eventually get lucky."

He nodded, not saying anything further, and I noticed his eyes were golden. Ah, he was making a call. Good.

"Ready?" He asked and all I did was reach up and grab my Katana too, and slipped it through my belt. Then nodding.

Tactician was already loaded. No need to wrack it just to show off.

He surged forward, the door opening instantly and surprising the group of gonks all formed up as one of them had obviously been trying to break in through the lock.

A tech guy not a netrunner huh?

Jun was faster than I was. Mostly because I didn't have a clear shot with his stupid head in the way, but he slammed into the guys waiting ignoring SMG's and pistols and simply ran them down like a bull. Two died instantly as one was skewered with a Katana and the others head was grabbed and he was simply thrown into his chooms.

Neck broken, the gonks body went floppy.

Then I was there. I leapt my feet hitting the concrete hallway wall. Sticking me for just half a second thanks to the friction. More than long enough to fire a shot into the arrayed group. My eyes already blurring as I worked to send a Quickhack through to shut off their weapons as well.

Then it was all hell.

They started firing, Jun starting swinging, I fired and hacked everything I could. Their weapon fire quickly shut off which caused them to freak out, as they had an angry Oni in front of them.

The fight only lasted a few moments. Jun's absurd chromed out strength. Even with only being able to really stab with his Katana, he was still skewering the fools that attacked us, and breaking limbs or necks with his other hand.

"Down!" I yelled out, and Jun was in tune enough to do that. As a sniper round ripped through the concrete hallway.

I had caught the transmission one of the fuckers had sent out just in time. I turned and fired my shotgun into the 'dead' fucker and looked away only once his head stopped existing.

"Stairwell!" I yelled, leaping over Jun and down the stairs, Jun joining me as another round ripped through the hall.

We should be safe here though. A Nekomata can only shoot through so much concrete before even that railgun just can't punch through anymore.

"What the fuck?" I asked aloud my heart barely moving as Cold Blood had taken over, but even with that going full blast the outrage in my head was making my blood feel like it was boiling, going hot and cold.

"Scavs." Jun said and I blinked looking at one of the corpses.

I scanned his face and yep.

Record of working with Scavs.

Scavs had attacked us. Me. Scavs had attacked me, I realized.

"This is my fault."

"Worry about that later. Focus on the fight. Our reinforcements are on the way so we just have to hold."

I nodded already expecting that, from Juns earlier call, but still. These fuckers. They attacked my home.

I moved.

"Motoko!" I ignored Jun, as I raced down the stairs. Outside there were two vans. Both backed up to the entrance with the back doors open. I leapt into the first one sliding on the metal flooring as I slid right up to the driver's seat.

The driver there hadn't noticed me until that moment. When I had a shotgun slamming into the side of his face and pushing him into the glass of the vans side window.

"Fuck!" he cursed at the blow but then stilled as the barrel of my shotgun mashed into his cheek.

"I want answers, asshole." I hissed reaching out and slamming his head into the glass again to prove my point.

"Bitch! You think we are just going to let you keep killing us? You think we are that stupid? You and your brother are marked! We will-"

"You will die. All of you. Every Scav in this city. Even if I have to spend the next year to do it. Hunting every single one of you down. There is no hole deep enough. No place safe enough to stop me." I said tonelessly.

I didn't need to get angry with this piece of trash. What I said wasn't some threat to get him to talk.

It was simply what it was.

They had come after me in my home. Had nearly shot my brother.

I had gone too far. There was no other option now.

It was kill or be killed. Wipe out the Scavs. Or they would eventually get lucky. So there was no other option. I saw Jun doing the same thing I was through the drivers window. The poor Scav in the driver seat of the second van had been pulled fully into the back and the entire van was rocking and echoing with the fuckers screams.

Good.

Jun was probably beating him to death.

"Your chooms you sent into my home are all dead. You and your choom over there are fucked. Unless you tell me everything I want to know."

"Fuck you-Bitch!" He hissed as I slammed him into the window again, but he just glared, and said something in russian.

So I slammed his head into the glass again. "This is Night City! Speak English Motherfucker! Now tell me what the fuck the plan was? You think you are going to get away with attacking me at home!?"

"You won't get shit out of me! Kill me and all the-"

"You're right. I will kill you." I pulled the trigger. Ignoring the mess I crawled back out, going slow and careful as the sniper was still around until I slipped into the back of the other Van.

Jun was still beating the driver to death.

Well no he was already dead, but Jun was still hammering the mess into the floor.

"Jun! Focus up." I demanded. Now wasn't the time for going Cyberpsycho.

He looked up at me, but still slammed his fist down one last time.

"I'm going to see if the sniper is still here."

Jun looked constipated for a second like he wanted to agree, but eventually whatever was fighting against that thought won out. "No. Just wait for the Kamikaze. Fujimura-sama is on his way."

"He might be gone by then." I argue as I'm already climbing over Jun noticing he has a few bullet holes from our hallway battle.

Dammit.

I felt my teeth clench at the idea that Jun was hurt because of me.

I slipped into the driver's seat and the van was already on. So I quickly hit the gas. Ignoring Jun's grumbling as I took off.

The sniper position was just around the corner. I drove down the road uncaring if the sniper saw me. He might have a good high position from the on ramp looking into our fourth floor apartment, but he was also dealing with a barrier around the road. He wouldn't be able to aim at the ground floor as easily.

I practically drifted around the corner at the end of the street ignoring Juns cursing as he rolled around in the back. I could already see him.

A big Thorton Mackinaw parked on the ramp. Traffic just going around it, and doing their best to ignore it.

I couldn't. I felt my stomach drop my mind fritz. Because the iconography? The symbols? Everything about it screamed only one thing. Something I knew.

"Fucking Maelstrom!" I growled, surprising myself at the rage I felt as I hit the gas. "Hold on to something!" I called out to Jun.

Somehow the sniper hadn't noticed. That or he was high, because the truck wasn't even moving when I slammed into it. The gonk was probably too scope focused. Shitty amateur hour sniper.

The Villefort Columbus I was driving wasn't nearly as beefy as the Mackinaw. Which was basically a super sized pickup truck.

But slamming into it going as fast as I could get it to go, still rocked everything, smashed me around a little and ended up with the truck pinned against the side of the road.

He wouldn't escape now.

To my surprise Jun was out of the van before I was. I guess I had to spend a bit more time untangling myself from the seatbelt.

I was trying to catch up when he reached the Mackinaw and ripped the door right off the truck.

A moment later he leapt back nearly landing on me as something big fired inside the truck at where he had been.

Then I was there. Rushing in and I found myself face to face with a Maelstrom member and his Nekomata. I was too fast though. He wasn't in a good position. It was obvious he had been looking out the passenger window into the apartment when we hit him. So he was all turned around and holding the Nekomata awkwardly.

I bashed the end of the Nekomata out of the line of fire and then I was on him.

He was still Maelstrom.

He had chrome. He had a lot of chrome. My knuckles would mostly be hitting chrome if I punched him nearly anywhere.

But none of that mattered.

My fist slammed into his stupid optics and he was cursing throwing his own chrome fists at me.

I ripped into him. Uncaring about where he hit me. This fucker had sniped me in my own home!

I was going to tear out every piece of chrome in his worthless corpse with my own hands! Just so his stupid spirit-belief bullshit would leave him a normy in the afterlife!

I might have been screaming that at him as I went at him, because a moment later Jun grabbed me by the back of my Leotard and flung me right out of the car and onto the street.

The van blocking the entire road kept anyone from running me over, but it still hurt!

Jun you asshole! Asphalt hurts!

But as I looked up intending to continue with my murder. It was already over. Jun had gotten his hands on the Maelstrom gonk.

I was pretty strong, and I was okay with my fists.

But they called Jun the Oni, and I sometimes got reminded of why.

As he literally ripped the Maelstroms arm off and started beating him to death with it.

Okay fair enough. You do you Jun.

I groaned and winced as I noticed my nose was bleeding. Since Jun was occupied, I popped a MaxDoc, and instantly felt back to 100%.

Then it struck me.

I knew that Maelstrom.

I had seen him before. I recognized him.

"Stupid Fuck." I whispered. That was the gonk! One of the fuckers that had come to the scav den. He had been with… Gear Shaft? Gear Slot? Whatever her name had been. The stupid one that had thought about stealing from me.

I recognized him.

"What the fuck is going on?" Why was a Maelstrom shit working with Scavs… No wait, that was a stupid question.

Maelstrom needed chrome. Scavs had chrome…

But then… His choom had been klepped by Scavs, rescued and he went and joined them against us? What fucking crazy shit was that? Or was he the reason she was there in the first place? Maelstrom politics. Fuck me,.

Oh well. Jun had already taken care of any chance for us to get any info from the poor fucker.

He was dead.

"Jun he's dead, stop punching a corpse." I told him firmly, earning a look back from my rage filled brother, but after a moment or two where he seemed to consider it he did finally let go.

"You shouldn't have charged him like that! What if he shot you!" Jun snapped at me, growling and baring his teeth, as his anger at the Maelstrom and the entire situation didn't just disappear like mine did.

With a single thought Cold Blood shut off all the rage and let me think clearly.

"Sorry Jun-Nii. I didn't want this one to get away. Plus, I had you watching my back." I told him with a smile hoping it would sputter out his anger, and while he did turn away from me, his fist slammed into the side of the Maelstrom truck showing he was still raging.

That was fine.

I was still pretty angry about it too.

But you know what? Even if this fucker was dead… That didn't mean I didn't have a lead.

"Natalie Desanto AKA GearSlot." I whispered to myself. A reminder of the words I had spoken while choosing not to kill that Maelstrom girl.

Did my own mercy then lead to this?

I shook off the horrifying thought. It didn't matter yet. I would find out. And if mercy was what led to this attack on our home. Then I would just rectify that mistake.

And the mistake of allowing Maelstrom, and Scavs to exist.

—--

Jun and I parked the van and the Maelstroms truck in front of the apartment, and waited.

It wasn't long until the roar of Kusanagi motorcycles started flowing down the road. Followed by other cars all tuned up and painted in all sorts of things. Tyger Claw symbols, Japanese letters, anything and everything.

It looks like Fujimura hadn't held back. More than twenty vehicles all parked in front of the apartment taking up much of the street. The mass gathering caused the people that would normally fill the street to all disappear, watching on from windows or store fronts.

"Kusanagi. You need a Ripper?" Fujimura asked as he stepped out of a high end Quadra Turbo-R.

I liked my Quadra Type-66 more. The 66 was a muscle car, while the Turbo R was like a japanese racer.

"No. Just scratches." Jun uttered as he rose up. I had looked over his 'scratches' as best I could in the few minutes since we had headed back to the apartment, but I wasn't a doc.

"Yes, he needs to get checked out and patched up." I uttered without hesitation. "He still has some bullets in him."

"I'm fine Motoko." Jun hissed at me, but he was acting more like an annoyed older brother, than the furious rage beast he had been just before.

Fujimura of course only gave both of us a lifted eyebrow. The man was utterly uninterested in our sibling cat fights.

"What happened?" He demanded and Jun the dutiful little soldier answered, explaining what he saw from his perspective.

I kept quiet. It wasn't my job to explain shit to Fujimura.

"Kusanagi." He uttered, and this time he was talking to me. Our eyes met, and for once I actually felt a little softness towards the man.

Because he wasn't glaring at me like he usually did. No, he actually looked rather sympathetic.

"You are unharmed?"

"They didn't touch me. I had a good meatwall. Worst I got was a bit of a fist, but you should see the other guy… Jun ripped his arm off and beat him to death with it." I explained and the man exhaled air out of his nose.

It wasn't a laugh of course. Men like Fujimura didn't do that sort of thing.

"Going after one of our people in their own home is unacceptable. Action will be taken." He said to me, but I didn't really care.

The Tyger Claws could do something, or nothing.

It didn't matter.

This was now personal. Very personal.

"Ah, but I see you intend to seek your own revenge." He said annoying me by actually being right.

"They shot up my home. I hated them before, but now it's an existential threat. They die, or Jun and I do. So I choose them."

Fujimura nodded, looking pleased.

"I agree. So you have a choice, Kusanagi. Do you head off into the sunset alone? Or do you let your family, and your friends assist you?" He asked, and it took me a moment to get what he was saying.

He wasn't talking about Hiromi and my chooms.

He meant the Tyger Claws.

Do I go off to do this alone. Or will I accept gang assistance.

This was it wasn't it? The path that people in Night City walk that leads them into a gang in truth.

I scowled, irritated, but I didn't have a good response. I was too ready to do stupid thing to kill Scavs and Maelstrom right now.

He turned back to Jun. "Go get checked out. I will be reaching out to Ichida-Sama to put the Claws into a war footing with the Scavs… And perhaps the Maelstrom once again." He added and Jun grumbled but nodded his head.

"Understood."

"Kusanagi. Make your decision. We will likely begin assaulting the Scavs tonight." Fujimura told me and all I could do was feel irritated. Like I needed them to find Scavs.

"C'mon Jun let's get you to a ripper before you bleed all over everything." I snapped at Jun doing my best to ignore Fujimura.

I needed time to think.

 

[Seras]

I ended up taking Jun to his ripper, who was not Vik. Which irritated me.

But in the end he was patched up and we drove back to the apartment.

The horde of Tyger Claws around the apartment had thinned but not dispersed. In fact many of them were settling onto steps, or in shop fronts across the street or in the area and just hunkering down.

I doubt many of the normal people in the area were very comfortable with this.

In the end though I was too focused on my own problems.

They had attacked me.

I had honestly known it would happen. Expected it in a way, just without being willing to admit it could happen again.

So like I said there was only one option left for me.

No, I shook away that Night City blindness. I could run. Leave the city. I was a Netrunner more than capable of keeping any records of myself off the web, and so I could disappear.

But on the same hand I fucking refused to run from Scavs. This was my life. I was going to live to be old and decrepit, but I wasn't going to get there by hiding in fear.

If I let fear win, I would just as surely be dead. Fear was the little death after all.

So no. There was only one path. To fight back. Fighting wasn't something I was afraid of. But joining the Tyger Claws was.

Being part of a gang wasn't just something I could walk away from. So I had to decide. Would joining them today, would getting their help in destroying any chance of the Scavs fighting back be worth the shackles they would wrap around my ankles?

"Big thoughts?" Jun asked, breaking me out of my spiral of thoughts.

"I don't know what to do. I don't want to… I don't want to be Motoko Kusanagi. Tyger Claw."

"It's not so bad. You'll have to start calling Fujimura, Sama." Jun added and I snorted as I parked the Quadra.

"You're such a gonk." We didn't say anything else as we walked back across the street to the apartment. There to my Surprise Fujimura himself stepped out of his car and joined us. Looking over Jun before nodding pleased that Jun wasn't bleeding all over himself.

"Kusanagi. Are you fit?"

"Yes. Only scratches."

"Then get your gear. We have a few locations we are hitting before the sun rises once again." Fujimura said, noting the dropping sun.

A tension filled me as I felt my hands clenched.

They knew where Scavs were?

"No one not openly a member of the Tyger Claws will be welcome." He cut in suddenly looking to me. I scowled in turn glaring. "Regardless of your feelings, Kusanagi. The Scavs attacked a member of the Tyger Claws openly at home. So the Tyger Claws must act firmly. And it must be the Tyger Claws who do it."

"I'm not a Tyger Claw."
"No you are not, yet you wish to join us in this regardless."

"Motoko." I turned to Jun and he reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to be afraid. I'll protect you no matter what. I'll make sure the Scavs won't bother us again. If you don't want to join. Then you don't have to, but if you do. I'll be there too."

Why did everyone want me to sign up for a fucking gang?

I turned away from the two bad influences and went into the apartment.

I had some gear I needed to gather.

—--

Unfortunately I was followed. As I entered my room, grabbing my spare ammo and things, I heard Jun and Fujimura enter the apartment. Fujimura's deep rumble, words unclear through the wall, but still telling.

Fucker.

I looked up and walked over to my little dresser. Covered in old junk from the old Motoko. My stuff now, and hidden underneath it all?

A Menpo.

The grin of an Oni looking back at me.

Jun wore one. And he became an Oni for the Tyger Claws. I knew that was all he ever wanted to be. For Jun, that was his life.

I glared at the mask, at the collar that it represented.

My metaphors for prison implements were on point today I guess.

I pulled off my half jacket. Went searching for my gloves that I forgot to wear half the time now that my hands were chrome, and put them on.

Without the Jacket. My holsters were on full display. Normally I used the jacket to hide things. To show myself as less armed. Less dangerous.

That wasn't the Motoko Kusanagi that I was planning on showing today.

I reached out for the mask.

And put it in the trash where it belonged.

Fujimura thought he could entagle this tiger by offering up bait. A few Scav dens.

Who the hell did he think I was? Did he realize how many Scavs I've killed?

I loaded up on my spare ammo pouches. Slipped an array of spare magazines I had gathered over the months of looting all over me. My Lexington would have plenty of ammo.

I checked my knife. Simple but clean and sharp.

I stopped.

I had put away my small half jacket, because it didn't feel right wearing it… Plus I had a feeling I was going to get shot a lot tonight.

I could wear my Kang Tao armor? No, but there was my armored coat from my section 9 gear. It even had a longer tail, sort of like a trench coat…

I needed to buy a trench coat. The Major had a trench coat sometimes! The intro to Stand Alone Complex 2nd gig! She had a badass trench coat!

Or the manga! She had that cool white one.

I shook it off. Kill scavs. Buy trench coat later.

I stepped out, and I'm sure I surprised both men as I wasn't wearing the stupid mask.

I reached out and grabbed my Katana slipping the sheath into my belt.

"I'm going to kill more Scavs, than your entire organization tonight. Just so we are clear about what is about to happen." My blunt declaration didn't faze the man who was sitting back on our couch like he owned the place.

"You could kill more with us."

"Maybe. But if you are killing Scavs. And I'm killing Scavs. That's just more Scavs."

"Motoko… It's dangerous! If they know to attack us at home, they are going to be more prepared for you! They will expect retaliation. You can't just go out and hit them alone! Not tonight! Not after everything! Just… Just stay home. We can get you help and-"

"No Jun. They can't possibly expect what is going to happen." Finally everything was clear.

No more Tyger Claw politics. No more worry about stealing loot to pack away. Nothing to slow me down.

Just me.

And all the Scavs in the city that I needed to murder as brutally as possible.

Icy blood flowed through my veins, and for the first time since the attack. I had surety, a goal. And a path to follow without any confusing politics, or worries for the future.

"Dammit Motoko. I already told you, you can't go alone! Just go put on the mask, and join us. We can kill them all together!"

But I wasn't interested in playing this like Jun wanted. I wasn't interested in playing at all.

"I'll keep in touch Jun. I have to update Fujimura here with my numbers after all." I said as I walked out of the apartment. Jun tried to stop me, but I was already gone. He was too slow to catch up.

I felt like everything was slow as I headed down the stairs. My boots didn't make a sound. I sent out texts to everyone ignoring Jun's growled words for me to stop as he chased after me.

I hadn't even told Hiromi or my chooms what had happened yet! I quickly sent off a text to them all. Making sure they knew I had been attacked, and that they should batten down the hatches in case the Scavs came for them.

But that wasn't the only one I reached out to. As I hit the street and stepped out among the Tyger Claws all looking at me strangely, considering how militaristic I must have looked to them. I walked over to the street as my Kusanagi came rolling out of the parking garage and met me on the side of the road.

*Motoko. I heard about what happened.* I nodded at Yoko's voice. That made sense, Yoko would likely have a connection to the TC considering where she lived, and I would likely show up on her trackers.

*Yoko. I'm calling in all the favors and everything you owe me. You Gathered a bunch of information already, but I need every location of Scavs you can find. Dens. Homes. Businesses. Places being broken into. I don't care. If a Scav is doing it, I want to know.*

*That's a lot of work Motoko. Not something your favors cover.*

*I'll personally work on some coding for you in payment. This is important to me Yoko. They tried to snipe me and my brother in my own home.* I slipped onto the Kusanagi. It felt right to be on a bike for this.

Jun was there reaching out to stop me.

I hit the gas, leaving him far behind. Heading towards my first target.

After all, I had gotten some leads already thanks to the netrunners. A few emails between them and some code debugging had given me some information already.

But I would need more.

I wasn't planning on stopping.

*Alright Motoko. I'll gather together what I can for the cost of the favors I owe you. And I'll prep a few other things we can discuss the worth of after. Good hunting.*

The call ended.

Good. I made another call.

*Still alive I hear.*

*Wakako. How much?* I was blunt as I weaved through traffic. The Kusanagi roaring.

I wasn't following the traffic laws today.

*Hmph. This is how you ask for something from me?*

*How much for the information I'm sure you already know I want?*

*You are in luck. I have a gig that I normally would not have taken. In this case, since it will already be cleared either by you or the Kamikaze, it costs me nothing to have claimed the gig. I'll send you the details.*

*I'll do it. The cost for additional locations?*

*Ho? You believe you will not have your hands full already?*

*All of them Wakako. I'm killing all of them. How much?*

*I will send you the costs per location. Do not overreach yourself girl. You are too useful to me to have you burn out against such trash.*

*I'm not dying. They are.*

I ended the call there, for once beating Wakako to the punch, and I sped off. Yet before I could do anything else. I answered a call that had been interrupting my call to Wakako for the last while.

*Hey Hiromi.*

*Motoko! You're okay! What's this about being attacked!? What happened?*

*I can't talk long Hiromi. I'm a bit busy, but just what it sounds. Make sure Malcolm and Ichi are safe for me? The Scavs came after me in my home so they might go after them, and you as well.*

*Well I'll be fine… I'll tell my dad about the Scav threat. He'll make sure everything is safe for me. I already spoke to Malcolm and Ichi both are okay, but Ichi is freaking out about his Grandmother.*

*Fuck. Just… Hopefully I'll get all their attention here. Stay low, stay armed. Tell them that okay?*

*You should tell them that yourself! We should all meet up we can bunker down somewhere and-*

*Hiromi. I'm killing them. The Scavs. All of them I can find. I'm not hiding. They attacked me at home.*

*Fuck. Motoko. That's so dangerous, they are going to expect you if you keep hitting them… Do you even have a information on places to hit? Do you need to do more netrunning. We can meet up at your basement and protect you!*

Why did everyone want to protect me right now? It was setting my teeth on edge.

Protect protect protect! That's all anyone kept saying!

I didn't want to be fucking protected right now! I wanted to fucking murder the bastards that threatened me! I bit it all back. Going cold so I wouldn't snap at Hiromi.

*No. I'm not netrunning right now. No way to know how aggressive they might be on the web as well. I called Yoko just a bit ago. She'll do the info gathering for me… Hopefully. You have some contacts as well right? Anyone that would know where Scavs might be hiding?*

*Doubtful… But I'll check anyways… I'll… Don't… You can trust me if you need anything! So call me all the time with updates!*

*Sure Hiromi. I'm going to go. I'll talk to you later.*

*Later! I'll see you later! We will get some food! I mean it Motoko!*

*Okay. I promise.*

The call ended. Okay. No more playing. No more gigs. No more wasting time looting. Just the sort of murderous rampage these scum deserve.

I breathed out arctic air.

—--

The Oni

He was riding the edge all night. He knew it. Fujimura knew it. Akari knew it.

She just didn't care.

She was a woman that was well over the edge herself.

But Jun couldn't fall. He had to be there for Motoko.

"Kusanagi. Clean yourself. We will be at the next location soon."

He nodded, grabbing a towel that was already coated in blood and wiped at his face. His hands shook. He couldn't even remember how many people he had killed tonight.

Not enough.

It would never be enough. The look of shock on Motoko's face. The horror that their home wasn't safe?

He hadn't had the heart to explain that they would have to move. Tomorrow. After he had satisfied the bloodlust in his chest, he would be Jun, and not the Oni. He would explain it to her then.. If she was alive. And not dying in some Scav den, coated in blood and oh so small in his arms-

He stopped thinking. That was something for Jun. Right now he was just the Oni. Just the killer.

The car stopped and The Oni stepped out. His Katana creaked in his hand as he gripped the hilt.

His mask was on. And he moved.

The entire squad Fujimura had put together moved. This wasn't the first Scav den they had attacked tonight after all. They all knew what to do.

The Oni was the battering ram. Akari would move around and kill as she liked in support. Although he would have to be careful. She had used her Sandy a few times already tonight.

There were a few others. Guns that The Oni knew, but wasn't close with.

It wasn't like most of the Kamikaze during the war were still as chromed up as Akari and Oni.

No it was only the two of them that decided to walk the edge. The Oni because he refused to allow himself to not be capable of saving her again.

He couldn't allow himself to be that weak.

Akari because she was already over the edge. Somehow keeping stable enough that the higher ups hadn't forced her to dechrome, or called MaxTac.

The elevator opened and the Oni put all such thoughts away. His blood roared. A fire burning through his veins. The fact he was so close to more Scavs filled him with an endless rage.

He raced down the hall. There was no point in silence. The Oni was pure brute force. Except he stalled when the door was already open.

Instead of smashing through it he pushed it the rest of the way open and rushed in looking for his enemies.

"Holy shit. Talk about a Charnel house." Akari whispered beside him. As she looked around.

The Oni had heard of things like that before when talking about Scavs, but so rarely about the Scavs themselves. The dead bodies, cut into pieces around the room meant there were no Scavs here.

He wanted to rage. Wanted to smash a fist through the wall to let out a bit of that rage that now had no outlet.

"Who the fuck did this?" He growled glancing at the corpses. Akari was already peering into other rooms and all she did was stick her head back around the corner and ran a thumb over her neck while making a choking noise.

All dead then.

*What is the hold up Kamikaze. I hear no gunshots.* Fujimura-Sama spoke into the group call pulling his attention away from the dead bodies around him.

*Fujimura-Sama! Place is already cleared!* Akari responded with a chirp. And a few moments later an image of the room was sent into the group call.

*Hmm. This place was known to the higher ups, but no one should have struck it yet. We move on Kamikaze.*

*Oh. I know who did it.* Akari chirped, The Oni looked over his eyes blazing in anger at Akari's games.

*Akari. I want answers not games.* Fujimura-Sama coming in cutting through Akari's games. She wouldn't have answered without constant attention.

*Duh. It's the lugs kid sister. Katana wounds. Big ass hole through this meat.* She offered kicking one of the corpses, something only Jun could see, but he noticed that there was a big hole in the corpse.

"What?" Jun-No, the Oni asked wondering what the fuck Akari was talking about.

"What, you think someone else came in here and cut down an entire Den? It's your sisters MO isn't it?"

The heat in his veins dimmed. So Motoko had done this? She had already gotten some revenge? Good. That was good.

He looked around suddenly with a surge of worry. Had she been hurt? Was she okay?

He quickly sent her a text. Asking if she was okay.

*Fine Jun. Busy.*

That was all he got back.

*Fine. Get back to the car. We will move on.* Fujimura-sama cut through and Akari sighed as she cartwheeled and spun over the corpses and headed for the door.

The Oni hesitated, but followed after. He kept looking over his shoulder for some sign that Motoko really had done this.

He stepped into the elevator in silence. His previous focused rage disrupted by thoughts of his little sister.

He knew Motoko could do some amazing things. He had been there when she cleared that Scav den after all. He had trusted her to manage as long as he was there watching over her…

But the idea of her going out on a one woman crusade terrified him.

One mistake. That was all it took. But he couldn't stop her. He was going to break those stupid ankles of hers the next time he saw her. Stupid bouncy bullshit.

The anger was back by the time he reached the car with Fujimura.

"There are other dens." He said simply as everyone slipped back into the cars and they took back off into the city.

They continued on. Another den was found. A small rest stop for a group of Scavs operating in Westbrook.

The Oni enjoyed destroying them. The fear in their eyes as he ripped them apart with his bare hands was intoxicating.

So they moved on.

A bigger location had been discovered. After all, every Tyger Claw now knew that the Scavs had attacked one of their own. Information was flooding in every sighting reported, both from the actual members, or just from informants all over the city.

The Oni had killed many of them tonight. He wondered how many Motoko had killed. She had confidently said she would kill more than the Kamikaze.

He would just have to kill so many that she failed. Then she would realize how foolish she had been and stay close. Let him keep her safe.

That's all he wanted.

Suddenly the car braked hard and Jun rocked a bit from the back seat.

"Oh awesome splatter zone!" Akari chirped out. She had taken the front seat and so she could see what had happened. The Oni peaked out behind her head and saw that a car in front of them had jerked off the road practically onto the sidewalk.

A corpse smashed into the hood of the car.

"Huh. That's a Scav!" Akari laughed in delight. He realized she must have scanned the corpse. A moment later The Oni did the same and confirmed it. Scav connections.

"I believe we are directly under the den we came here to clear out. Kamikaze. Move now. Ensure no survivors." Fujimura barked and Akari was already out of the car running towards the apartment building.

The Oni followed slower, but no less urgently.

Could it be?

 

[Seras]

"Holy fuck." I whispered. Staring as actual deja vu struck me.

I had gotten some deets from Wakako about this location. After I cleared out her gig location which was a waste of time. Only three Scavs working in a small cell, but she had at least started selling me more info.

Considering one of the places I hit had already been cleared out maybe an hour before me. I realized Wakako was being sneaky and selling me the locations the TC knew about.

Whatever. It didn't matter to me.

But I had pulled into an underground parking garage for this apartment complex, stepped out and walked to the elevator, and it was only as it opened did it strike me.

I knew this place.

I had been here before. Many times. The elevator was old. Covered in graffiti. Old metal that looked rusted and stained.

But I knew where I was. This was the same Elevator that V and Jackie would walk into in a few years to rescue… what was her name? Sandra something?

The first gig.

And I was staring at the entrance to it all. I checked the information. Floor 15. I didn't know if it was the same floor as V went to in the future, but it didn't matter.

I pushed the nostalgia away.

I stepped inside.

The ride up was quiet, the elevator did stop on the fifth floor suddenly. The doors opened revealing a normal looking man that made to step in before stopping when he caught sight of me.

Our eyes met. Then slowly the door shut without him making a move to enter.

Kinda rude but alright.

It continued on ever upwards then it opened.

A very familiar hallway.

The room I was looking for was 1237, and as I approached I knew.

This really was the first gig. Somehow I was here two years early clearing out a bunch of Scavs.

Wait didn't they come back to this place again after V cleared them? Was I going to have to go back and check on all the previous Scav dens to make sure they didn't come infest the place again!?

Once again I shook it off. I stood before the door.

It opened with a look. The security far too weak to stop me.

The familiarity hit me. The first room was beaten down, but mostly used as a kitchen. A table and food left out. To my surprise the place was quiet. No pounding music, or anything. Just an eerie silence.

I moved to the doorway to the next room. Peering in. A ripper lab. But no bodies were left around. It was kind of quiet.

I nodded. This wasn't the first den tonight that had gotten word of what was going on. That had realized that the TC were hunting Scavs dens. I had found one just before this den that had been completely empty. Whatever Scav group that had held it abandoning the merchandize at the threat.

I stilled before I entered the room. Something struck me as wrong. My eyes flashed into a scan and after a few moments I found it.

A laser.

Huh the Scavs had some brain cells after all. They had placed a fucking mine of all things in the little hallway.

I remembered the last time I had tried to defuse a mine and scowled a bit.

Fine! I leapt easily avoiding the trigger and landing in the next room. Old blood, but no bodies. Yeah they probably were a bit too busy to go klep some people. What with the whole territory searching for them.

I moved. Eyes flashing in scans constantly to make sure I wasn't walking into another trap.

The next room to my disappointment was empty as well. But I knew this place. So I didn't follow along. I moved towards the outside porch laughing as I followed the edge, and instead peeked in through the windows, uncaring that I was fifteen stories off the road far below.

The main room that I remembered had been secured up. Crates and couches set up to give cover. I quickly pinged the first gonk I could see, and hummed as the web of connections grew before my eyes.

The connections to what I guessed were mines at the entrances were ignored.

Not any danger to me.

I moved. Jumping along the edge of the building until I reached the second outer porch. To my delight someone was out there, smoking a cigarette.

I dropped a Weapon Glitch on the entire group as I leapt landing behind the gonk who was sitting in a crappy lawn chair. I prepped my leg bringing it really far back and then let it all out.

His scream echoed long and loud as he went over the edge.

Then it was on.

I moved both hands full of gun as I leapt inside. Gonk number one got four Lexington Rounds into his chest, dropping him. The next got a single shot through a wall. Burya as always dominating any lesser weapons as that one round was all I needed.

Then I came up to my feet facing the little main room that had all sorts of defenses set up.

The Scavs weren't slow. Weapons were raised. Triggers were pulled. Nothing happened. And then their eyes went dark.

I tore through them. A monster gunning them down without hesitation. Their little pillbox of crates and armor turned into their tomb as I simply walked around the exterior and put bullets into bodies.

I reloaded whenever needed, hands a blur. Rapid Reload turning the act even while dual wielding into a blur of movement, and action.

This group of scum wasn't even worth drawing my Katana this time.

I checked with a ping after I killed all the ones in front of me. Only the static mines and things registered back, but I wanted to be sure.

No survivors. So I started walking through the building checking every room, just to make sure.

As I came upon the back door to the little Scav den, only then reminding me that I didn't have to walk through the 'front' entrance. I scoffed at myself as I opened the door and stepped out casually wiping some blood off of my arms when I noticed it out of the corner of my eye.

I blinked.

"Motoko?" Jun asked as he, Akari, and two other men I didn't know were all piled in front of the main door to the Scav den looking like they were about to breach it.

"Heeey Jun." I greeted, feeling a little weird. Was it weird to walk into my brother in the middle of something like this? I mean… It kinda felt weird.

"Motoko!" He roared and charged at me and I yelped, instantly my mind realizing that if I ran for the elevator Jun would catch me.

Well fuck it I turned back into the den and ran.

Instantly I realized the problem.

Mines.

"Fuck." I growled, drawing my Burya and firing a single round ahead of me. Wincing as the explosion nearly sent me back a step, but that at least cleared the path.

"Motoko!"

"I'm fine! Just watch for mines! They thought that would be enough! Bunch of gonks amiright?" I called back as I broke out into a run.

"Motoko!" Jun roared and I was getting serious Resident Evil vibes. Was Jun a Nemesis now only able to yell out the name of his target?

I ran to the patio and skidded to a halt as I turned, seeing Jun approach.

"What do you want Jun? I'm kinda busy." I called out and he stalled at my sudden discussion, his face twisting into confusion before he glared at me.

"This is dangerous! You are coming with us! We can- MOTOKO!" He yelled in horror as I turned and just jumped.

Nah Jun. I don't feel like being babied right now. Scavs to kill and all that.

The patio was fifteen floors up. And it overlooked a street far far below. But across the way were more buildings, and apartments.

My leap took me out into the clear sky between them.

The air rushing past me was exhilarating as I leapt from the patio across the gap between buildings.

It was a far jump. Crossing an entire street in a single leap. But I could make it. My ankles gave me incredible hops and I still had Parkour and Cat-like to handle the landing.

I hit the ground and rolled skidding to a stop and then I turned.

Jun was across the way. And a few floors up.

Our eyes met.

"No." I told him simply. Not that he could hear it. Then just to prove the fucking point. I walked up to the edge, and leapt off that too.

A single floor down I landed, and then bounced down to the next.

I was about thirteen floors up.

Thirteen jumps? That wasn't exactly a problem.

I left Jun far behind. Even if he took an elevator I would still be on the ground long before he could catch up.

Down I went, Parkour's instincts guiding me into a delightful drop down the side of a skyscraper.

I leapt, rolled, flipped, and slid down the building in a single natural movement that left me breathless in delight.

Then I was on the sidewalk. Startling more than a few people as I dropped from the sky to land in a crouch among them. I rose up, brushed myself off and walked to the crosswalk.

Unfortunately while that was cool my Kusanagi was parked in the parking garage connected to the first apartment building. So I had to hurry to ensure Jun wasn't going to catch me.

I took a second to look at a wrecked car on the side of the road. That hadn't been there befoooore. Oh. That was a dead Scav on the hood. I very quickly looked away and felt the urge to whistle innocently rush through me.

Honestly officer I have no idea how that Scav got there!

As I slipped into the garage I noticed to my surprise Fujimura was there. Leaning against a car another car behind him.

Huh. Well wasn't my problem. I walked into the shadows and slipped over to where I parked my Kusanagi.

Only when I started the engine did Fujimura twitch. My head lights came on blinding him for a second but then I was off driving right past him.

Our eyes met. Then I was gone.

I had more Scavs to kill. No time for politics today. Politics was future Motoko's problem.

—--

Akari

"Okay Jun-chan. While that is kinda annoying… Your kid sister is fucking preem, cause fuck that. I would not jump off a fucking building like that." She chirped standing beside the big lug that had been standing at the edge of the building watching the tiny figure of his sister get smaller and smaller.

She meant it too. A long fall like that was a good way to kill yourself. Being heavier than normal, meant most borgs didn't like heights. Too easy for something to give way and send you tumbling a few stories to your death.

No response? Can't have that! She budged him with her shoulder not getting a response even then.

So she poked him.

"Fuck Akari!" Jun-chan snapped eyes blazing and growling. Ah good! That's right look at her! Pay attention to her!

"Oh no Fujimura-sama! Jun-chan yelled at me!" She whined aloud not sending that over the call. Fujimura would just scold her after all.

"C'mon let's go." He growled stomping away although he didn't get far. He checked out the main room and the little blood bath his cute little sister had left behind.

Akari smiled, despite being a little scared at just how far out on the edge little Motoko was.

Jun was stable enough. Especially with Motoko helping, but who the fuck just walked through Scav dens like this solo? Not just that, but did so as a teenager? Girl would be dead soon. She'd bite off more than she can chew.

Or everything in Night City would try only to find her too tough.

"Do you think your little sister is more like gristle or fat?" She asked Jun-chan only to get ignored.

Oh well, worse for him, she wouldn't share her worry about his sisters death then.

Seriously, who jumped off buildings like that?

She poked her foot into the guts of a Scav nodding as he didn't even shift. Dead for sure.

"So did she chip in a bunch of chrome or something?" She asked honestly. There was half a dozen Scavs in this room. In a little defended space, weapons littered the area. Enough stuff that Akari wouldn't have wanted to attack without her Sandy ready to start up.

But she was already out of that for the night. Her neck still felt burning. Like when she burned her tongue while eating something hot and then even if you are eating your favorite it doesn't taste right only like burning.

That's how Akari knew she had pushed her Sandy too hard. It had stopped feeling good the last time. Now it just burned.

"Motoko is a genius. She can do anything if she puts her mind to it." Jun said suddenly, with the surety of an older brother hyping up his little sibling.

Yeah Akari called bullshit. Motoko was kinda off. Had been since they first met. Not many kids are stupid enough to pick a fight with a Cyberpsycho. Akari had almost killed her that first time when she hadn't lost fast enough.

Hmm. No even someone who could last with a Katana against her wasn't enough to survive this. Too much experience was needed here.

The warning about mines was telling, but more than that.

A normal person, couldn't walk against a defended position and just kill everyone. Akari looked at the numbers and decided instantly that alone this would have been dangerous for her. She likely would have been shot a few times.

"C'mon. We have more Scavs to kill." He grunted not hearing her internal monologue which was totally his fault. Jun should really learn how to read her a bit better. He wouldn't ever get into her pants if he didn't… Well maybe even so. She followed after him, eyes firmly locked onto his butt.

—--

The sun was rising.

I noticed it in surprise as I let the Scav I had just killed was dropped onto the floor. Another small place cleared out. Only five gonks in this one. Just big enough to go kidnap a few people from time to time.

Well they were dead now.

"Until tomorrow night then." I decided. Shutting off the BD recorder.

I wasn't tired, but I was basically out of Scav dens.

I stepped out of the little shop the Scavs had killed the owners for and taken over. My Kusanagi parked not far down the sidewalk I walked over and slipped on.

What a night.

I didn't even want to look at my system yet. I had a feeling numbers would have gone up quite a bit. I would need some time to look it over, and doing that while driving was dumb.

But I also wasn't ready to head home yet.

I drove over to Lizzies. I had a feeling since the sun was literally rising Judy would probably be sleeping, if the club was even open, but I wanted to drop off my new virtu to her.

Scav Extermination: Night 1. Would probably be popular enough considering how many of the fuckers I had murdered tonight. Not that it was enough. I don't think it would ever feel like enough.

I shouldn't have been surprised though when I pulled up to Lizzies it was still open. Still busy.

That's Night City for you. No Rita standing out front which is a disappointment, but I was stopped before I could walk in, the bouncer in Rita's spot firmly standing in my way.

"If you are here for trouble turn around." The bouncer said instantly, I could see the way she gripped her spiked baseball bat tightly that she was definitely uncomfortable.

I stopped.

Then I face palmed.

"Shit, sorry. I'm covered in blood aren't I?" I asked rhetorically as I looked myself over and winced.

Yeah I had a few bullet holes in my Leotard. My right arm was literally rusty red from all the times I slit someones throat and got splattered. And I could feel some of my hair sticking together for the same reason.

"Just a bit." The bouncer said warily, and I winced.

"Dangit. Sorry I was just here to drop something off for Judy. I didn't even think… I'll come back later." I said instantly. Yeah I doubted the Mox wanted some crazy blood stained teenager walking through their bar.

"You do that." The bouncer offered, but she wasn't calming down.

I was probably throwing all sorts of Cyberpsycho vibes.

Which was totally unfair!

I turned around. I would bother Judy later. I think I just needed a shower, and a change of clothes.

—--

The moment I walked into the apartment I was irritated. The bottom floor had a couple of Tyger Claw toughs hanging around. Taking over the table that was usually used up by the old men to play their board games.

They noticed me instantly and went for guns, then visibly relaxed at the sight of me and settling back down.

"Morning! No one has gone into your place!" One of the men greeted standing up with a lazy saunter of a man trying to pretend calm.

I was still covered in blood after all.

"That's good." I muttered not interested in this entire conversation in the least.

"Yeah. So you're the Oni's sis huh? Hah you certainly got the same look dontcha. Coming home covered in Scav blood. How many of those fuckers you flatline tonight huh?" He asked casually with a smile, and a weird slouch.

It took me a second to realize the guy was trying to be friendly.

No. Something was off. He was smiling a little wide, and the way he was dressed…

Was this guy trying to flirt with me while I was covered in other people's blood?

Well I could certainly give him points for bravery. Yet. There was something still off. The way he moved. The way he looked. He was dressed nicely. High end. The sort of look you would take out to a party, but not one where you would be stuck guarding some gonks apartment. My nose twitched and I could even smell a bit of cologne.

Wait. Was Fujimura going at me another way? Was Fujimura trying to honey dick me!?

Nope. I refused to even continue to consider this. "I'm gonna go." I said instead of answering his question. I raised my hand and pointed to the elevator. "Excuse me."

"Whoa hey, you don't need to delta so quick! We're here to help out ya know? So you need anything? Some food. A run to the store for something? Whatever it is, we're, you know, here to handle whatever you need!" He called out as he sort of walked after me, but nope.

I was not in the mood to deal with this.

I refused to look at him too. I could already practically hear the wink he threw at me, and if I saw it, I might just have to punch him.

"I'm good. Thanks." I said and turned away from the elevator and jogged up the stairs. The elevator would definitely slow me down and end with me trapped in an enclosed space with him. My legs pumped as I hurried up the stairs. Leaving him far behind.

 

[Seras]

Freshly showered Motoko felt much better than blood coated Motoko. I did have to take a brush to my arms though. Vik was definitely going to give me that look next time I saw him if I let blood stains get stuck in my joints.

After spending a good while digging into nooks and crannies of my arms. I walked back into the apartment.

Of course nothing was how it should be. For one the windows were all broken. The metal guard was also ruined, a hole punched through a few blinds breaking the whole system.

The couch though was the worst. The bullet had smashed through the couch through the wall and continued on, but had caused what little fluff there was left in our ancient couch to balloon out.

It was totally wrecked. Gonna need to buy a new damn couch. I had cleaned up the glass before I took a shower, and now here I was.

I was on the couch going over the fingers on my left hand still cleaning out bits of grime.

I heard it before I realized what it was. The elevator came up and stopped at our floor. I glanced up. The door opened, I was on guard already reaching for my Burya that I still had holstered to my chest.

I guess I just didn't feel very safe right now without it.

But then Jun stepped into the apartment, his feet practically slamming into the ground.

Which was unusual because Jun had his sneaky feet.

"Motoko!" Jun didn't quite roar but I rolled my eyes. Serious Nemesis vibes Jun. I know you can say more than my name.

"Yes this is Motoko." I replied flippantly, but decided not to leave it there. "Hey Jun. Showers free." I told him looking over his own bloody state. He stilled as if trying to restrain himself from acting out at my casual tone.

Which now that I think about it was likely exactly what was happening.

Suddenly he was on me grabbing me by the arms and lifting me straight off the couch until we were face to face. The towel on my head flopped forward a bit, almost covering one of my eyes, but I couldn't exactly reach it with how Jun was holding me like this.

"Do not ever! EVER! Jump off a building like that again! Are you insane!" He didn't quite yell. Instead it was the noise of someone trying to stay quiet, but still wanting to yell.

"My BD recorder was on when I made that leap. I'll make sure to give you a copy. It was pret-t-t-t-ty." I stopped as Jun shook me like back and forth suddenly.

"DON'T PLAY DUMB!" He roared and I was silenced mostly because he had given me shaken baby syndrome.

"Okay first ow."

"Why? Why are you like this! Why don't you ever listen! Why don't you ever just be safe!?"

Okay I was done with this.

My forehead bashed into Jun's stupid face.

"Fuck!" He cursed as he let me go.

"Ow. Your face is hard as fuck!" I cursed back holding my forehead. Was I bleeding? I was! When did Jun get his face armored! Ow! But I shook that off. I had to focus on my brother. The last time I had seen him like this…

"I'm so FUCKING DONE WITH YOU!" He roared and to my lack of surprise swung at me. But I wasn't going to let him hurt me whenever he was deep in the throes of Cyberpsychosis.

I leapt over him, and as I landed, kicked both of his knees out.

I rolled just barely avoiding his bulk as he hit the floor with an oof.

I picked myself up as Jun started to do the same. He was definitely heated.

"You know the last time you swung at me like that you didn't actually aim for me. This time you did." I said, trying to cut through his anger to reach him.

He did slow as he stood up he was huffing and puffing. Anger and adrenaline shooting through him.

"You were supposed to let me help! We were supposed to do this together! You throw yourself into danger over and over and-" He growled out but he wasn't swinging at me anymore."You never listen!"

I of course ignored his words. I listened to Jun all the time. Just not every time. I wasn't his toy after all.

"You've had a rough night Jun. Maybe it was a bad idea to head out on my own, but not because it was dangerous. But because you aren't handling this well. Being attacked at home must have really messed with you huh?" I asked and his blazing eyes jerked up to meet mine in a glare.

We both were silent. Jun was visibly holding himself back from whatever he was trying to yell at me.

Dammit... Fujimura. I leave my brother in your hands for one night, and he is back to practically full cyberpsychosis again. His rants about protecting me, right back to how he was before.

I wasn't going to get kidnapped to shock him out of it this time either.

"Okay Jun. I'm calling an official cease fire. Go take a shower. Clean up. Get some clean clothes." I demanded pointing at the bathroom.

"I'm not… Motoko I'm not taking a shower right now! You-"

"Will be here when you come out. Clean, not covered in blood. Look at yourself Jun." I said and he blinked slowly looking at a near by mirror on the wall.

"It's fine."

"Your hair is like 90% blood right now. What did you do, hold a Scav over your head and rip him in half?"

"No."

Jun that no was a pretty weak denial. Nope, not going to think about that.

"Take a shower Jun-nii. I'll be here. Waiting for you when you are done." Then carefully I walked up to him and pushed him.

He barely budged at first, but slowly the tension in him eased and he let me push him to the bathroom.

—--

"Feel better?" I asked, as he came out of the shower patting his damp hair.

"I'm fine." He grumbled, but I didn't argue about that. Jun was touchy right now.

"Come sit." I demanded pointing at the couch and Jun nodded, settling into the couch in a single big flop that made the poor thing groan. I had grabbed some of his casual clothes for him when he went into the shower, so thankfully he hadn't redressed in his TC outfit.

Sweatpants and a t-shirt was good comfy clothing, and Jun needed comfy right now.

"Motoko-"

"Yes this is Motoko." I replied cutting him off. I should stop doing that. Konosuba probably doesn't even exist in this world. That joke wouldn't make any sense.

But having caught Jun on the back foot by talking I surprised him. Grabbing the comb and towel I had prepared beforehand I crawled behind him settling on the back of the couch.

"What are you-"

"Shush." Then I started floofing his hair with the towel.

"Motoko." Jun grumbled, and I proved myself the more mature one of us by resisting responding the same way again. Instead I pulled the towel down and started combing my big stupid Onii-chans hair. Making sure he got all the blood and guts out of it.

I had seen Jun eat his burritos. He was as messy an eater as he was a killer.

"What crazy thing is going through your head now?" He drawled, but I was smiling because that was Jun speaking and not the angry rage beast.

"Nothing you want to hear. But if you are asking about me combing your hair. It's because you need a little bit of time to realize that we are safe. Everything is okay. I'm here. Not hurt. You are here. Only a few more bullet holes than normal… Looks like you actually went to a ripper though. So I won't yell at you for that." I told him, having pulled up his shirt to check and see that he had a few new holes in his chest, but they had at least been treated.

"I'm fine Motoko. I'm more worried about you!"

"Yeah I noticed that. With all the screaming of my name and everything." I told him bluntly.

"You ran off to get into fights alone!"

"Which as a stealth infiltration specialist… I should get cards. Jun note for the future. I need business cards. Anyway, As a stealth specialist, going solo is actually pretty safe for me. Which you know. You saw me take out the Raffen that one time, remember? And the Scavs that night you were feeling overprotective again."

"You should have someone watch your back! People don't go solo like that for long Motoko. It only takes one mistake to die like that! When I said you could do as you liked! Piss off anyone you want. I wasn't intending for you to go after them by yourself!"

"This isn't the first Scav den I've hit solo Jun. You know that. And it only takes one mistake to die regardless Jun. But I was fine. I went in hard. Full optical blackout, and weapon glitch. Only then did I appear and start killing. But this whole thing isn't about me hitting Scav dens. You only get like this when you don't feel safe… I think that's the trigger for your psychosis. So I'm sorry. I'm sorry what I was doing was making you feel unsafe."

He didn't say anything, but I could feel the tension still in him as I combed his rather silly hair. But that's fine. This wasn't entirely a rational issue Jun was having.

We had been attacked. We had been attacked somewhere that is supposed to be safe. Of course that would set off Jun's psychosis.

It was something I had come to accept about my new lifes brother long ago. Jun wasn't mentally healthy.

He was stable mostly. He was I think getting better, but he wasn't good.

I doubt he would ever be good again. Not without a whole lot of therapy, and ripping nearly all the chrome out of him.

"You aren't hurt?" He asked finally out of the blue.

"I accidentally tripped in some blood and bruised my butt." I told him honestly and it took a moment but my brother's shoulders started shaking a bit and he snrrked and snorted and then broke out into full blown laughter at me.

Just as Keikaku.

Keikaku means plan.

—--

Jun was asleep. I had helped dry him off and ended up putting a XXL burrito into him, before making sure he got to sleep.

I couldn't actually order him to sleep of course, that would just make him obstinate, but he had been up for a long time, and just letting everything go quiet, and calm belly full of warm Burrito he had slumped off into his room not long after.

Flopping onto the couch I stared at the ceiling for a while just processing.

Jun's mental state. My own less than stellar mental health at the moment. Like the fact I didn't have anymore god damned Scavs to kill.

I sighed. That was exactly the problem. That urge to keep hunting them. Killing Scavs was a good thing, but I wasn't being calm about it. I was too emotionally disrupted myself.

But I… I wasn't ready to stop yet. A little more. A little more murder and I would take a break. I just needed more dens to wipe out…

Hopefully Wakako would come in clutch. Or Yoko.

But it might actually be time to spread out a bit. Wakako only really took care of gigs in a small part of the city…

I could reach out to Regina for info. I wasn't sure what our relationship was at the moment, but a free offer to clear out any Scav gigs, and eddies for info should at least clear up some issues.

But that was still only a tiny bit of the city.

I was going to need to reach out to Jackie. He knew Padre. That was another piece of the city.

That was how serious I was about this. No more. No more letting Scavs hide in the corners of the city.

They die. Or I do. That was where we were at, and I wasn't about to let myself die to a bunch of scum sucking Scavs.

So I needed contacts with all of the Fixers.

And I needed more chrome. Even as I thought that I winced and wanted to punch myself for being a fool, but it was still true.

"Okay Motoko. One thing at a time." I whispered and opened my system.

Time to see what I had gained last night. I didn't even know how many people I had killed last night. I hadn't bothered counting. It would be like counting how many cockroaches you squashed.

I looked at the alerts and only stopped myself from whistling for Jun.

That was a lot of XP.

It took a few moments to count it all up, but yeah.

23,500 XP… I did some quick math. 47? If everyone counted for the common 500 XP? I didn't remember killing anyone super borged out or anything… I shook it off. It didn't matter.

I had gained two levels. Going all out. Not worrying about gathering chrome or loot outside of just reloading my ammo. It meant I killed a lot of Scavs.

I was level 14 now.

2 Stat point.
4 Skill point.

I also had a lot of fun points to play with. Adaptation, or push a stat?

In the end I looked at my full character sheet, just to give myself an idea of where I stood.

Level 14
7,500/15,000

Body 7(14) Due to Cyberization, Maximum value has increased by 7.
-Athletics 7
-Street Brawler 7
-Annihilation 5

Reflex 7
-Blades 6
-Handguns 6
-Assault 6
-Driving 7

Intelligence 10 (14) Due to Cyberization, Maximum value has increased by 4.
-Breach Protocol 9
-Quick Hacks 7
-Programming 10

Cool 8
-Ninjutsu 8
-Cold Blood 8
-Rockerboy 7

Technical attribute 4 (8) Due to Cyberization, Maximum value has increased by 4.
-Crafting 4
-Engineering 4

2 Stat point.
4 Skill point.


Perks.
Ambidextrous Blades 2
Quickdraw Handguns 2
Gun Nut Assault 2
Parkour Athletics 2
Grappling Street Brawler 2
Drive By Driving 2
Cat-like Athletics 5
Cool Nerves Cold Blood 2
Danger Sense Ninjutsu 2
Wall Breaking Breach Protocol 2
Cyber Security Quick Hack 2
Recoil Reduction. Annihilation 2
Cyber Ninja Ninjutsu 5
Fearless Chill. Cold Blood 5.
Improvised Weapons Street Brawler 5
Parry Blades 5
Robotics wizard Crafting 2
Drifting Driving 5
Rapid Reload Handguns 5
Design Wizard Engineering 2
Rifle Ace Assault 5
Ghost touch Breach 5
Perfect Musical Memory Rockerboy 2.
Debug Programming 2
Siren Song Rockerboy 5
Hacking Wizard Quick Hacks 5
Inspired Programmer Programming 5
A.I. Whisperer: Programming 10
*Unused* Annihilation 5

Cyberware:
Seacho Electronics Mk.2 *Adaptation Seacho Mk.2 0/0*
Kiroshi Mk1 *Adaptation Kiroshi Mk1 1/2*
Militech Condor *Adaptation Militech Condor 5/8*
Arasaka Smart Link System. *Adaptation Smart Link 0/0*
Arasaka Ex-Disk *Adatapation Ex-Disk 0/0*
Militech-Armalite Ballistic Guard *Adaptation Ballistic Guard 0/2*
Serano Air-Groove Ankles *Adaptation Serano Air 0/1*

So I had a few things.

Cool.

Despite Rockerboy giving me a few Cool alerts from time to time. Cool hadn't budged in a while.

Cool which was super important, as Ninjutsu, and Cold Blood were absolutely integral. What would Ninjutsu 10 look like?

But I also had Reflex, and Body. Both had also been rather locked.

Reflex was hard to level as well. Needing dedicated time to slowly work on my reflexes, my speed. Something I hadn't really done in a long while.

Body was easier. I just needed to hit a gym… Which reminded me I still had a Gym Membership. A membership I hadn't used in months… Fuck cancelling that was going to get expensive huh?

Don't get distracted, Motoko.

Did I want to adapt. Or get stronger?

It wasn't as easy as you would think. I wasn't even touching on Intelligence, and what going over 10 could do for me there.

I took a deep breath and exhaled.

Okay what do I need? Long term and short term.

Long term I was going to need to save points for my stats over 10. And adaptation. Both were integral.

Short term? I needed… Cool. I needed even better stealth. Ninjutsu was too powerful to ignore and could potentially save my ass in way too many ways. Also I needed better information gathering, considering my main hold up now was finding the Scav, so I could murder them.

Okay.

I wasn't going to use points to increase stats under 10 for now. As useful as it would be. Cool was pretty close to leveling, and I would be better off saving it for things I can't get in any other way.

But Adaptation was too important to put off. I had already made that decision to worry about my mental health before.

So I went and dropped a point into my Ankles.

Serano Air-Groove Ankles *Adaptation Serano Air 1/1*

When I was done I blinked as I got a new alert pop up.

*Adaptation Complete: Serano Air-Groove Ankles*

It wasn't a sudden thing. It wasn't like an itch that just went away. Or something that just felt off stopping.

Instead it was just a surety, a comfort. Like… Like when you look at your hands and you know every inch of your skin. A comfortable knowledge that everything was as it should be.

I pulled my foot up into my lap to check. The Real Skinn that covered my ankle created a sort of seam over the top of my foot, and around my ankle. The skin color was right because Vik was a god among men.

But it had always felt weird. Like the ankle didn't stretch to the same points as my old flesh and blood.

But now? There was no discomfort as I stretched my foot up and down past the points my old ankle would need to stop. Past the angles left and right it could comfortably move.

Because my ankle could.

My ankle.

I stretched out putting my foot on the table and just kinda looking at it. It felt… Right.

This was me. Part blood and bone, and part metal and synth skin.

I was Motoko. Cyborg.

Yep. As always adaptation was the maybe the most important benefit of my system overall. Others might not think so. They would probably just pump their numbers and borg out and then go crazy. But for me. Being happy was the most important thing.

Being happy… I shook it off. I would be happy when the Scavs were dead.

This was the first time I completely adapted to Chrome.

It felt right. This was who I was supposed to be. I forgot sometimes that I was basically trying to pretend to be a Cyborg.

But I wasn't anymore. I was a cyborg now. Arms ankles, eyes and skin. Bits and pieces here and there were chrome. Were more than just flesh and blood, and that wasn't a good, or bad thing. It just was.

"I kinda feel sorry for all the fuckers that piss me off in a year or two." I whispered to the room quietly. Adam Smasher was a high functioning Cyberpsycho.

I was just Cyberpsycho immune if I took it slow. I had the same ability V did, with Johnny shouldering her chrome addiction. If I went slow and chromed out. I could go full borg while still being just as fun loving and happy as I was now.

Yeah. That was the goal.

I put my second stat point into my Subdermal. The slight shift in the way I slouched on the couch to keep the subdermal from getting itchy was by itself super useful.

But it was just another step into accepting myself.

 

[Seras]

Stats decided for now, it was time to make some calls, and get some contacts. Information was crucial if I was going to send a message to the Scavs.

First I sent a text to Regina.

*Motoko: Been a while. Looking for any information on Scav locations. I'll do any gigs that require clearing out Scavs for free as well.*

I didn't get a response back instantly so I moved on. Considering what I was going to do, I sent a text to Wakako.

*Motoko: Going to be reaching out to more Fixers for more Scav deets. Don't get mad!*

Good. Wakako can't get mad now! Definitely! I definitely wasn't going to get a weird shit assignment from her the next time I reached out…

Definitely.

Okay time to call a choom.

*Hello?*

*Hey Jackie. It's Motoko. You got a second?*

*Oh sure Hermanita, what's up?*

*Scavs attacked me and my brother at home. We're fine, but I'm not taking it sitting down. I'm hoping you might put me in touch with Padre? I'm doing gigs that involve Scav hunting for free right now, and paying for any additional Scav dens he might know about as well.*

*Whoa whoa, hold up now Hermanita. You got attacked at home? Shit! You should have called me. You need a safe place to crash?*

*Jun has TC connections, so we have a few of their thugs hanging around keeping an eye on the place. But I'm looking to just remove the problem if I can.*

*Ah little choom, that's not gonna happen. There are thousands of Scavs in Night City. If not more.*

*Well I cleared up half a hundred last night, so I think I'm making a good push for it already.* I said bluntly. Jackie was cool, but I was kinda sick of everyone treating me like a teenager.

Okay Hiromi. I get it. Maybe having a rep does come with some side benefits too.

*Jesus Hermanita.. Really?*

*Yeah Jackie. My brother Jun was running around with his group of killers and wiping out dens too. So Night City lost a lot of scum last night. But I'm not done. They attacked me in my home Jackie. So can you help me out?*

*Alright. Yeah I'll reach out to Padre. He'll want a face to face.*

*That's fine Jackie. I'm doing prep for tonight anyways.*

*You need another shooter? I'll watch your back if you-*

*No. Jackie. This is for me. Thanks though. If I ever run into some trouble or something, I'll call you. But this is me working through the many angry emotions that being attacked at home has given me.*

*Heh, well can't say I don't understand that. You're good Motoko, Solid. Even V thinks so. But don't go thinking that makes you invincible. Be careful. Walk away if you have to.*

*I will Jackie. I don't intend to get flatlined by these scum. Listen, I need to go. Let me know what you hear from Padre?*

*I'll call him right away Hermanita.*

*Thanks Jack.* We hung up not long after and I sighed relieved.

Then I got a text.

*Wakako: I expected you would reach out for more. Just remember who your fixer is when this is all said and done. And don't be a fool. Be careful who you take gigs from.*

I couldn't help but snort. Statement of prescience. A threat. And a warning to be careful. Wakako had such a funny attitude to everything.

*Motoko I won't forget, and I'll be careful. Thanks Wakako.*

—--

I headed out not long after.

Stopped for a moment as I walked through the lobby as the flirt smiled and stood up when I walked by.

"Motoko! Hey. Going out? Need anything? We're here to make sure nothing happens after all!"

"I'm good, thanks." I said blowing past him. Since I was planning on buying some ammo, I called for my Quadra and not my Kusanagi.

"You sure! We all know how to shoot. I'm not bad! It's always good to have someone watching your back yeah?" Flirt offered and I did my best to ignore him as I stopped to grab some lunch from my favorite Meat stick guy.

The old man gave me a stilted smile, mostly because of the thug looking over my shoulder.

Why was he taller than me? This was bullshit. I should cut off his fucking legs for being taller than me. Idiots are always taller than me! Wasn't he asian!? He should be short!

Fuck I was asian too. Dammit.

"Thanks. Keep the change." I told the old man as I grabbed my food and since I was getting used to all this future tech my Quadra was already pulling out of the garage and parking on the street nearby.

"Really Motoko, Fujimura-sama gave us this gig to watch you and your brothers back! You should rely on us- wait!" He called out, but I was already sliding into the car.

Not dealing with that right now.

I stopped at the gun store I had originally bought the holsters for my guns at. Picked up as much ammo for my Burya as I could.

It wasn't exactly a common cartridge, and even with only the four round magazines I had been running low. With a new box I was topped up for a good while.

"Not everyday I see a kid using a monster like that. You be careful kid, that thing can break chrome just as easily as bone if you aren't careful." The owner offered as he pushed the ammo box across through the slow in the bullet proof glass at me.

"Been using the Burya for a while now. I know how to handle them." I reply without any heat. This guy didn't know me. I wasn't going to get angry at someone just worrying about a kid running around with a wrist breaker.

I paid for my ammo and headed home to drop off the extra.

—--

I blew past the kids in the lobby, rushing up the stairs with my arms full of my ammo. I was going to really prepare for tonight.

Jun was right, getting shot sucked, and a lucky shot could hurt. So I was going to armor up.

The armored Section 9 suit was a good starting point. I know Night City gonks found wearing 'too much' armor on the streets was something to be made fun of for. What was it… Doughboy? Yeah Doughboy or Doughgirl if you were caught wearing too much protection.

But I didn't care. I was here to murder a lot of people, and while going out in my normal outfit was comfy. There were times I should prepare for actual fucking war.

I slipped into my room, Jun still sleeping. I put on the armored pants and adjusted my boots. Slapped the longer sleeved coat over my leotard. But that was only half done. Going around the couch I grabbed my piece of equipment.

The Kang Tao armor had been painted to match my colors, and in less bright orange. I hadn't done much to adjust it to my size fully yet, but it was still good enough.

I threw on the main chest rig. Securing it with deft hands as it tightened down more than enough to work.

A few minutes of adjusting my holsters to give me ease of access, and finally my Netgogs over my face to complete the outfit.

I checked myself out in a mirror.

Honestly the style might be different, but I certainly looked like the Major in some of her Black Ops outfits. It soothed me in a way. Even if I wasn't just in my leotard and cosplay outfit. I still looked like Motoko. I still looked like me.

I stopped to check in on Jun. He was still asleep. Good. I would have some time to get shit done before he woke up then.

I headed out. Taking the stairs and walking past the thugs watching the door. Ignoring the way they startled when they saw me.

Just because I was armored up, and holding my Copperhead, clipped to my new vest.

The flirt didn't follow me this time as I walked right past him. My Quadra was already waiting for me on the street outside the apartment.

I slipped in. Jackie had already pulled through. I had gotten an invite. Time to go see Padre.

I had received a message from Jackie telling me where to go. It was just surprising that Padre had agreed so quickly, and where I was going. I guess Jackie was pretty well known about the Heywood boys.

The location according to my map was a basketball court down in Heywood.

It didn't take me long to drive through the city, and even less time to find the right spot. It was the graffiti that clued me in.

A giant picture of Padre on the wall was kind of a clue. There was a ton of it. Pictures on the walls of the building all covered in Christian iconography, or just Padre in some way. His name, his face.

Weird, but hey I live in a place covered in graffiti tigers so…

I had to drive down the road a ways to find a place to park, but unfortunately I stopped then realizing I had fucked up a little.

Everyone walking by, or hanging out around the area were wearing normal clothes.

I was very much not.

I was wearing a cyber soldier's outfit. Armor and weapons galore.

Dammit. It would be so embarrassing to have everyone thinking I'm coming to attack Padre. Or if they think I'm a doughgirl…

My resolve firmed. I had a plan.

—--

Padre AKA Sebastian Ibarra

Sebastian clapped quietly as another basket was made. The boys were having a good game today. The two teams competing against each other were friends. So there was no worry of bloodshed, or violence.

A rare thing indeed.

He checked the time in his agent for a moment. Jackie had reached out to him, a rare thing indeed. The boy was too independent, too set on his path. Yet the respect remained. Sebastian remembered when the boy decided to leave the Tino's. Another rare thing.

But Jackie was so well liked, there wasn't much trouble over it.

But he had agreed to meet this little tiger that Jackie had fallen in with. Mostly out of respect for her help saving Jackie during the gig the boy had fallen into.

Kang-Tao was still pushing into his territory in anger at losing the data. Unfortunately as most things, it had passed through his hands quickly, and straight into the hands of their enemies.

So he was no longer a threat. No longer worth spending the resources to kill. Not that it stopped them from sending a few kill teams after him to cause trouble. They just knew it wouldn't succeed. It was the growling of an injured wolf after all.

But even an injured wolf could kill.

Which is why Sebastian was out and about acting like nothing was threatening him. Still. A tiger coming into the lair of the wolves of Heywood was always a dangerous thing.

Sebastian had of course pulled up the information he had on the girl. It wasn't much, although some words to a netrunner he knew that sent him data gave him a fuller view.

A dangerous young girl indeed. Jackie had told him that she had destroyed an AV. Disabled an entire squad of Kang-Tao. And yet it was still difficult to believe.

But Sebastian was not a man who disbelieved what the information he had confirmed was true told him.

A dangerous tiger wanted to meet him, and he knew why. Wakako had been difficult as always, but she answered the question he wanted to know.

A Scav hunt. It wasn't the first time some angry young killer had come up to him wanting all the information on Scavs.

It wouldn't be the last. The Scavs were rats, but like all rats, when you corner them, they become vicious things, full of teeth.

This girl would learn as all young ones did.

Or die.

A noise came from behind him.

Directly behind him.

Directly behind him where no one had been. He was sure of it. Only a single row of the old bleachers he was sitting on, and a brick wall.

He always sat here. To ensure his back was protected.

A faux cough. As if someone was trying to get his attention.

He turned, standing behind him was a woman. Arms resting back on the guard rail at the top of the bleachers standing casually and trying to not seem like she was threatening him.

"The fuck-Padre!" Miguel his guard reacted, having done the same thing Padre himself had. It was only his hand rising up to calm Miguel that kept a firefight from breaking out.

Unfortunately the shout of his guard had caused a disruption to the festivities.

"Please calm yourselves. Just a planned meeting." He called out to a few of the 'Tino that were around him, they too reached for guns before slowly calming down.

"Sorry about this. I was trying to avoid notice." She muttered, with a sigh and Padre realized why Wakako had described the woman as odd.

It wasn't everyday Padre was reminded how easy it would be for a true assassin to remove him.

Impressive.

"Think nothing of it, child. You are Motoko?"

"Ah yeah sorry forgot about the gogs." She said reaching up and pulling the tech gogs upwards showing off her very youthful face. Jackie had told him that the girl was young.

He had almost forgotten what with having someone actually appear behind him without warning.

"Motoko Kusanagi. Thank you for meeting me, Padre." She introduced herself politely and he nodded, waving her forward to sit beside him for one, and so he wouldn't have to twist his neck so much to look at her.

She slipped into the seat next to him adjusting the rifle she had strapped to her chest with an unconscious motion before her hands ignored it.

He had seen killers who could barely stop touching their weapon. It was a habit of young killers too nervous to stop adjusting the weight of a weapon, and old killers who were twitchy too ready to defend themselves.

It was rare he found a killer capable of being utterly calm.

Jackie? Where did you find this one?

"How can I help you?" He asked instead his eyes mostly returned to the game, although he never truly stopped watching her out of the corner of his eyes.

"Any information on Scavs you have, or can get. I'll pay in eddies or work."

"Yes Jackie said as much. You realize it's a fool's errand? If wiping out the Scavs could be done. Someone would have before."

"If you have an infestation you don't kill a few of them and call it done. You don't stop until everyone is dead, never to return." She replied with a casual shrug. "They started it. Which is actually true." She added quietly as if she had forgotten that for a moment.

"Then I will give you the information. Heywood Scavs have no function in our community. They take and steal and offer nothing back. But I will not assist you further. This war you are starting on, will only cause trouble if I move further."

"That's fine. Just the location of them is enough for me. And I don't care if no one joins me, or if everyone rises up against them. I just want them dead."

"I think it will be closer to the former than the later child." He offered, almost wanting to laugh at the idea of the city actually acting to remove the Scavs.

Even when he was younger the city couldn't work together to remove any of the truly vile gangs.

Sometimes they died, but it was usually the act of a single gang, or a few working in concert to remove them utterly.

The damned clowns for instance. Padre whispered a prayer to the almighty that the Bozos no longer haunted the streets of Night City.

"It's my personal Crusade Padre." She added suddenly as she rose up. "It doesn't matter how long it takes. I won't stop trying to remove them. I don't think I can."

"Take the wisdom learned from the crusades then child. Rarely do they end well for those involved." He answered and she gave him a nod at that. "Very well. I will offer you a few locations I would like cleaned up. If you still wish to know more afterwards. We can talk price."

He sent her the file he had on a few Scav locations here in Heywood. Perhaps he would send her a few gigs as well if she succeeded. She certainly showed her competency to him today.

Wakako had been holding out on him, he decided.

"See you around then Padre." She said and disappeared into a leap that launched her to the second floor. The apartments had small overhangs, and she easily reached the second floor, and then with a leap and then another she disappeared over the building faster than Padre could have moved that distance on the ground.

"Padre? Do we do anything about her?"

"No, Miguel. She is not a threat to us. Some children will do whatever task is set before them. Some make their own. That young woman has created her own crusade. There is no point in getting involved." He waved his man down and returned to the game.

An interesting child indeed. He would have to put together a meeting with young Jackie sometime.

—--

"Nailed it." I told myself as I slipped into the Quadra to drive off.

I had slipped up the building next to my car and then managed to reach Padre with absolutely no one knowing. I had accidentally startled him a bit by landing behind him on the bleachers, but at least no one would think I was a dough girl!

I opened the file he had sent and felt a smirk crossing my face. Padre had certainly come in clutch. There were a few different locations, that he had some Scav information, and a few rumors put together pointing to some potential spots.

Looking out the window I glared. It was still the middle of the day. It was easier to hunt them during the night, but they also could be hunting themselves.

I shrugged. I had pretty good armor. A full magazine. And a location full of soon to be dead men.

My Quadra started up with a rumble and I was gone.

 

[Seras]

I was all prepped. I had found the little Scav den that Padre sent me the info for, in the basement of an abandoned building on the west side of Heywood.

I had broken their security. Pinged into their network, tracked their movements in real time as I hung out in the abandoned backlot of the building.

The only signs of use were tire tracks and the fact the old gate had a long curving path through the dirt showing it was still opened from time to time.

I was stacked up on the side of the back door, one hand reaching for the doorknob that I already ensured would open, and the other on my rifle. Ready to breach and begin killing.

Then I got a call.

I almost flinched. Took a single breath, in and out, and checked the caller ID. With a silent hiss of irritation I answered.

*Jun, I'm a bit busy.*

*Imouto. Drop what you are doing. Something has come up.*

I look at the moving figures through the walls outlined in digital glows.

*Bit busy, here Jun.*

*The Maelstrom have reached out to the Tyger Claws about the attack.*

I blinked. I hadn't forgotten the Maelstrom fucker that sniped at Jun and I. But I had put them on the back burner to focus on the Scavs.

*What?*

*The fuckers… The Maelstrom aren't happy about the chance of the war starting again so soon. So they reached out. They want a meeting to discuss the attack. They are apparently saying it wasn't them…* Jun made a noise of frustration that actually came over the call.

But he wasn't even finished.

*But they are saying they have information on who ordered the hit.*

I hesitated. The Scavs were right there…

But this was more important.

*Where?*

*You remember The bar? Fujimura is meeting the Maelstrom there. Fujimura said you don't have to be here, but I know you.*

*I'm on my way. I have some questions needing answers as well. Thanks Jun.*

I was gone in a flash. Back over the abandoned lot. Over the wall with just a double hop to clear the barbed wire at the top.

I was slamming myself into the Quadra and taking off as fast as I could.

Answers on who had actually tried to kill me? Tried to kill Jun?

That was worth letting these Scavs live a little longer.

—--

When I pulled into the little market that held Fujimura's bar. I was surprised to see Jun already out in the parking lot waiting for me.

He didn't look happy.

I stepped out and I could tell my appearance surprised Jun.

Oh right. My outfit was pretty militarized.

I pulled my techgogs up out of my eyes as I walked up to him. Although I still had my Copperhead in my hands.

I wasn't intending to show up casually after all.

Jun didn't say anything as I approached, and I could tell he was partly furious and partly sulking.

"Fujimura kicked you out?"

"No!" He snapped back, but then went silent.

Yep.

"Hard to keep your cool around them huh?" I asked and Jun's glare at me told me I had hit the nail on the coffin. "Yeah. Just seeing their stupid optics irritates me too. What's really going on Jun?"

"They aren't taking responsibility for the assassination. Blaming it all on the sniper. Saying the piece of shit reached out to the Scavs about our home's location without permission. They're saying the Sniper was actually working with the Scavs entirely. So he was no longer Strom."

"Yeah? Fuck that. They attacked our home… Twice." I hissed out.

"That's what I said." Jun said, sounding kinda normal actually as he smirked at me. "Fujimura-sama asked me to leave after I said that to their face."

"Sure." I nodded. I'm sure there weren't any threats of violence or my gonk brother trying to strangle the Maelstrom involved in any way.

"Alright. I'm gonna go get some answers." I said and Jun didn't stop me, instead he just started walking to the bar. Creating a path through the crowd, although considering how armed I was, they were already splitting for me anyways.

Jun stopped at the entrance with an irritated grunt but he leaned his back against the wall of the building at the top of the stairs.

Ah right. He wasn't allowed in.

I eased up my rifle, making it obvious I wasn't literally holding my finger on the trigger as I sauntered down. Into the bars gloom.

Instantly I had eyes on me. The bartender. Men hanging out at the bar. Or in the booths along the walls.

Not all of them TC either.

Maelstrom optics locked on me, their twitchy owners already looking ready to start firing.

I took a few steps down, and forced myself to stay calm when it was obvious I wasn't going to be allowed to pass into the back considering how insanely on guard the Strom were acting when I moved.

I stopped at the bar instead. Unclipping my Copperhead from my rig I placed it on the table moving casually so the Maelstrom I was standing next to would stop reaching for that pistol.

"Hold on to this for me." I asked the Bartender who nodded slowly and took it to hide it behind the bar, and then I moved toward the back.

The small stairs leading up to the back area with the darkest most private booths were guarded on one side by a man I vaguely recognized. He was one of the Kamikazi Borgs. One of the men I had worked with on that gig so long ago.

Well sort worked with. They had run ahead like assholes.

The other was a big Maelstrom monster. Probably half a ton of pure chrome as he looked me over with his nine eyes.

"Private meeting." He grumbled out, sounding more like an engine off its timing than a man.

"I'm aware." I said, but the Strom shifted, putting himself in the way.

The TC guard tensed, but didn't make a move to stop him.

Either he wanted to see how it went, or he just didn't want to create conflict between the two factions.

"I said private. You ain't on the list." He rumbled at me, but I barely slowed.

I inhaled and exhaled through my nose for a moment. My first reaction was to give the fucker an ultimatum and then go through him if he tried to stop me, but this wasn't my place. My gig. I might have been involved, but this was Fujimura's place, and while I didn't really feel like I owed him anything.

Jun still worked under him. I should still be polite to my brother's boss…

Polite-ish anyways.

"You just going to stand there, or are you going to tell this lugnut I can go through?" I asked, looking to the TC guard.

The asshole just shrugged.

"Pfft. Like I give a shit what this fucker says. You ain't on the-Hey!" He grunted as his eyes suddenly went dark.

He made two swipes at me, which I easily avoided and just walked around him.

That was probably going to cause some kind of trouble later, but that was future Motoko's problem. I heard a crash behind me but I didn't bother to turn to look. I walked up the steps and over to the only booth that was occupied.

Fujimura. Another man I recognized from the Kamikaze gigs. Across from two Maelstrom.

A big guy and…

My eyes flashed as I scanned her just to be sure.

"Natalie Desanto AKA GearSlot." I Introduced myself to the group by calling out one of them.

The woman was put together, chromed out and looking pissed and dangerous, nothing like what I had seen from her the last time we met.

"Motoko Kusanagi. AKA Ghost." She responded back instantly.

I actually felt like blinking at that. That was the first time someone outside the net called me that. Did she look into me to get that name, I wasn't exactly well known in the city. Maybe something on my NCPD rap sheet had update?

Now I was kinda curious. I would have to check my rap sheet later.

"The fuck is this Fujimura?" The question came not from the Maelstrom man who was looking on with a face I couldn't pull any emotion from. It was so destroyed. But the Yakuza looking guy sitting next to Fujimura. The one that it only took a moment to gather was someone higher up the totem pole than Fujimura himself.

Mostly because it was the first time I've seen a Tyger Claw member not use -sama when saying his name.

"An unexpected guest. Azegami-sama " Fujimura answered gravely, as he gave me a look that promised trouble.

For some reason the guy was kinda familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Kusanagi. Sit or leave." Fujimura demanded and I resisted snorting at him as I took a seat. Facing the Maelstrom fuckers only to be forced to blink again.

"Wait. You're Brick? Aren't you the Strom leader?"

The borg just shrugged. "I've been called that. So you the one huh? The Only Thing They Fear huh? It was a nice Riff. The BD was good. You're a little too cold during your murders though. There's some chrome that can fix that. Get you properly heated up." He offered in greeting and I actually had to stop myself from twitching at the comment.

Disgusting. So digusting horrible utterly disgusting. Of course the Maelstrom would be the fuckers that knew about my BD. The idea of them watching my BD, of being in my ghost?

Disgusting.

Before I could say anything else the TC boss interrupted.

"Now that the interruption is ove-" The noise of someone smashing into something outside the booth interrupted the boss.

"Bitch you fucking blinded me! I'm going to rip your damn head off!"

Fujimura looked right at me, but I ignored him. That couldn't have been my fault. I was sitting right here.

Fujimura looked at me.

I blinked, but after a moment, he didn't stop. I relented, turning off the hack. "He can see again. Shouldn't have tried to block me." I mumbled the last part, but finally took a seat at the table.

"Heh. You got old EngineBlock good with that one." Brick said with a rumbling chuckle.

"Good. Now without interruptions." Azegami started again. His bald head and many tattoos gave him the look of an angry Yakuza, as he growled. "The Tyger Claws accept the Maelstroms' reasoning with this. Considering how recently we were at war it is the decision that this was a rogue act. As long as the requests we have made will be paid in full."

I listened to the words without exploding.

I wasn't Jun after all.

I never expected the Tyger Claws to actually protect us to start with. No, the only one that could do that would be me.

When I murder everyone that could harm us. I inhaled and exhaled. Letting the cold soothe back the feelings rushing through me.

"Glad to hear it. Fucking prick causing this kind of trouble. He was a little shit to start with." Brick offered, but now it was my turn to interrupt.

"I would like to know why he was working with Scavs. Especially since just a few weeks before I rescued her, from a Scav den. Seems pretty fucked up for a choom to work with the fuckers that scaved a choom of his." I cut in, the booth going quiet for a moment.

I was in luck. It seems Fujimura, and Azegami were both interested enough not to get involved at my question.

"Not a fuckin' clue. You knew him, yeah? You explain." Brick looked to GearSlot who just nodded a bit. But her hands were giving her away. Constantly clenching and unclenching, and nearly popping at how tightly she was squeezing her knuckles together. The fact they were some version of Gorilla arms meant she was squeezing tight enough to bend steel.

"CamShaft-"

"No." Brick cut in, finger raised up so quickly and closely it nearly took off GearSlots head it felt like, as he jammed his finger into her face. "That's not his name. Not anymore. Fucker betrayed us. He isn't Maelstrom. Call him by his flesh."

"Randall." She offered instead and this time Bricks cut off was a laugh.

"Randall? Fuckin' hell. Shouldn't be surprised never met a Randall that's not a piece of shit."

"Right. Randall's always been greedy. After he saw the Scav den he helped pull me out of… Well I can't be completely sure, but we think he went looking for them. To get some chrome. That last time he spoke to anyone he mentioned he traded information about… You. For more chrome. He didn't mention who he traded with, but I guess we know now."

She was looking at me.

"So me saving your life, led to an assassination attempt. I guess I should be lucky that the dumbass was so completely incompetent he and his Scav buddies fucked it up."

"Yeah." She growled out looking like she wanted to say more, but she looked to Brick and then the others and instead just stayed silent.

"The failure of this attack is the only reason we are here talking." Azegami said, cutting in as he put out a cigarette in an ashtray. "Kusanagi. Drop it. The only member of the Maelstrom responsible is dead. Consider this issue with the Maelstrom dropped." The Boss said. Ordering me, as if I gave a shit at his order.

I could practically feel my neck itch. My hackles rise. Who was this fat bald fuck to tell me that something was dropped?

"Kusanagi." Fujimura cut in suddenly and I realized that once again Fujimura was the guy they put in charge of all the TC Cyberpsychos. The guy that figures people out and learns how to get them to do what he needs, because he only took an instant to realize that his boss had said something stupid. "Go check on your brother. You will not find the rest of this meeting interesting."

I considered telling him to fuck off. I was already pissed with this entire situation, but that wouldn't get me anything.

"Wonderful. Well this has been completely fucking worthless. I guess it's a good thing for you that I was massacring Scavs, and not hitting your people then." I said as I rose up, throwing a final threat to Brick.

"Heh, we aren't Scavs kid. You got some talent there, but you aren't top shelf yet." Brick replied with a deep chuckle.

I stopped my turn away. I had been about to leave, but…

I turned enough that I could look at Brick with a single eye. The thought struck me.

Brick was a good leader for Maelstrom. Kept them mostly out of trouble. It was that passivity that caused his usurpation in a few years. If I killed him right now, the TC would be pissed. They would definitely be forced into a war with them. A new Maelstrom leader might just mean they don't know when to stop. Might not know how to stop another war.

I could pit two troublesome gangs into a war that might end in destroying or at least weakening both.

The thought passed. The positives. The negatives.

Brick knew. His ripped apart chrome face broke into a smile that told me, if I drew my gun he would react.

He might even be fast enough. Pretty sure that big chunk of chrome on the back of his neck was a Sandy, or a Keren.

Either way, he would be fast. Maybe fast enough to survive.

Would the TC help kill him, or try to stop me?

I turned away.

No. When I kill brick, it wasn't going to be at a neutral meeting.

"See ya around Maelstrom."

"See ya around Ghost." Brick called out sounding completely amused at the situation. Used my Netrunner tag as well.

I stepped out of the booth around the very angry Strom borg who was glaring at me with his stupid optics… Only three of them were red.

Why were only three of his optics running? I turned off the hack, which would have removed the Laughing Man disruption and returned vision.

Then I noticed he had some of the optical wires revealed… Had he reached into his own head to try and check for hardware issues?

Gross.

I ignored him though, instead heading to the bar to pick up my rifle when I heard her approach.

"I'm not really in the mood for a chat." I replied as I turned around.

GearSlot was coming up behind me. The woman was tall. Although most of that was a set of extended legs. I hadn't really noticed before, but she must have taken being klepped by the Scavs personally. Her arms were Gorilla arms. Legs were some mish mash of combat mods for extreme strength. She was covered in surgery cuts for new Subdermal, and just armor in general.

If she was looking to go Cyberpsycho, she was well on her way… Well Maelstrom. So probably already there.

"Just… Gimme a sec, okay?" She said not quite snapping, but sounding angry. "Fuckin' hate shit like this. Don't like meatbags. They give me the creeps, but I owe you. So just… Thanks, alright? I've looked into you since that night. Know how you got that chrome. Know you hate our guts, and why. You still helped me get out."

"Congratulations. Are we done?"

"Fuckin' No! I'm not doing this well and shit, but listen Ghost, I get it… I'm Strom. Yeah? We got a rep with meat. Everyone hates us, and we know why. We glorify it even. But that doesn't mean we don't pay back what we owe." GearSlot looked uncomfortable before sighing and then I got a text.

Contact information.

"Listen. Contact me if you want… If you ever like… need something from our side of the city. I owe you one." The spider eyes of the Strom forcefully looked away.

I wasn't sure what kind of face I was making, but I specifically cooled myself down to look at it clinically.

"Sure." I finally said, not sure what else I could really do.

"Wrenched up!" She said suddenly her demeanor shifted, her mouth going into a happy smile full of razor sharp teeth. "Hey umm. I saw the BD you made of that night. Well I mean, I've seen like all of them by now! I just wanted to say it was hella ripper. Like just the preemest shit. That song that played? Do you like… buzz it anywhere or something? I kinda… Well it's a good song you know? For me. It's like the song of freedom! After that night. Everyone digs it, I kinda showed it around and all."

I held back the shudder of disgust at the idea that my song was popular among the Maelstrom.

Please let this one just be a fucking weirdo. I might really have to murder them all if they actually enjoyed my hobby that I only picked up because of the damage they did to me.

"Not… Not yet. It's mostly just a hobby."

"Oh okay! I have a ripped copy from the BD. So I'll just keep listening to that… The screams of the Scavs don't bother me… Obviously." She said her voice losing emotion at the last word.

"Yeah." I muttered. "See ya around." I firmly disengaged from the conversation as I made to leave.

"Yeah! Good luck! You know killing the Scav trash!"

I ran into Jun at the top of the stairs. My brother was still glaring at nothing, irritated at being sent away.

"So you heard?"
"This day is so fucking weird. I just had a Maelstrom fangirl over my BD work. Jun I'm going home… Fuck today."

Jun blinked at me, and considered it himself.

"Fuck today." He said as well.

We went to our Ramen bar.

Noodles and hot broth soothe difficult emotions.

 

[Seras]

I was sitting on the couch. Well laying on it more than anything. I probably should go kill those Scavs… Or play some music to let the hobby do what it was supposed to and soothe out these kinds of emotional issues, but I was just so done.

"Fuck today." I reminded myself and that was good enough.

"Fuck today." Jun called out from his room, obviously hearing me.

Then I got a call.

Fuck.

*Hey Hiromi.* I answered. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to my best choom. I just didn't want to talk to anyone right now.

*Motoko! Tell this fucking ugly gonk at the front of your building to let us up! Otherwise Hiromi is gonna whoop some fuckheads ass!*

I sighed.

Fuck today.

*I'll be right down.*

I climbed up and didn't so much put on my boots as I just threw them on my feet. So I wouldn't step on anything sharp lying around and headed downstairs.

I was so done with today I even used the elevator.

The door opened to arguing.

"Move aside already! I don't know who you are, and you certainly don't have the right to keep us from seeing Motoko. We're Motoko's gang! Her crew! Who the hell are you supposed to be?"

"The guard in charge bitch! No one bothers the Kusanagi's! I don't care what crazy shit you say! You're gonna get your ass knocked the fuck out if you don't-Motoko! Hey! Just getting rid of-"

"Hiromi, Ichi, Malcolm. Get in the elevator." I demanded, not ready to deal with this.

"Ah! They are your chooms then? Had to stop them, and make sure you know? Can't let some weirdos bother you and your brother Motoko! Do you need anything? I-"

"Hurry it up you three." I called out and stepped back into the elevator.

"Finally!" Malcolm said obviously as irritated at the argument as I was. "Hey Motoko. How're you holding up?" He asked, as the first one in the elevator.

"Fuck today." I informed him and he just nodded along like I said something wise.

"It's okay Motoko! Your chooms are here to make your day better!" Hiromi called out smiling and Ichi passed me an apologetic smile.

"She was determined to bring us all together today to see what we can do to help."

"Ah. That explains Hiromi's Hirominess." I offered, earning a protesting noise from the girl. I threw an arm over her shoulder and pulled her into a hug. "Thanks for checking in on me. I guess I could use a break from all the stuff going on."

"Right! If my Motoko needs some relaxation, that's what we are here for!"

"I thought we were here to make Motoko let us help kill Scavs." Malcolm said to Ichi in a faux whisper.

Hiromi of course kicked him and the two would have broken into a fight if the elevator didn't open.

"C'mon." I called as I walked past the distracted HIromi with Ichi following.

"Oh wow." Hiromi stalled out along with the boys when they got a look at the apartment. I mean there wasn't any glass left lying around, but there were still big holes in the walls and the barrier blinds.

"Yeah it's a little fucked up still. Jun and I need to call in an actual repair guy or something."

"You are both gonks. I know someone. I'll call them in to get everything fixed up." Hiromi said and before I could stop her, her eyes flashed as she made a call and she turned and ignored me as I moved to stop her.

"Heh. That's Hiromi alright." Ichi said laughing as he ignored my ineffectual attempts to get Hiromi to stop.

She was stronger though! Did she get more chrome? I looked her over with narrowed eyes. Then I reached out.

"Eep! Motoko!"

"When did you get muscles?" I asked as my hands pulled away Hiromi's casual clothes to let me check out her bicep, and then her stomach.

Yep those were muscles there.

"I-it's a Biotechnica upgrade package! Motoko!"

"That's so… Cool." I said I was going to say unfair, but really I had absolutely no room to talk there. Biotechnica huh?

That was neat. I hadn't thought much about Bioware since I kinda just wanted to go full borg eventually.

I shrugged and pulled my chrome hands free of Hiromi's clothes realizing why Hiromi was wiggling and flushed at my exploration.

"Ah! Sorry were my hands cold!?" I quickly pulled them away and checked my chrome palm against my cheek for a second.

No it wasn't too bad. Maybe Hiromi just has a high body temperature? She was always looking flushed after all.

"When did you get bioware work done?" Malcolm asked curious, and Hiromi shushed him as she was still on the phone.

A few moments later she blinked and her eyes were back to normal and then she leapt on me.

"Wha!"

"YOU! NOT WHEN I'M ON A BUSINESS CALL YOU GONK!" She shrieked as she pushed me down and tried to faux strangle me.

I couldn't help but start giggling, because while Hiromi was pretty strong, I was still stronger, and her response was great.

"Sorry!"

"You aren't sorry!" She said struggling and I only giggled harder. Okay maybe today wasn't entirely awful.

"Ah that explains the noise." Jun said as he poked his head out of his room and into the living room. "Hey guys."

"Jun!"

"Hey Jun." Malcolm and Ichi both greeted my brother while Hiromi focused on trying to stuff my face into the couch.

She was failing and it was definitely irritating her.

Relying too much on chrome, or mods is a bad idea Hiromi. Gotta have the skill to back it up, and my grappling perk made me pretty good at this.

"Ugh fine!" She eventually gave in as I kept her from achieving her goal as she sat up surprising me, by sitting her stupid fat ass right on my stomach, knocking the air out of me a bit.

"Oof! Hiromi!"

"I don't listen to chairs." She said to the air and then looked to Jun. "Hey Jun. You doing okay?"

"Heh. The day has come where my kid sister's little chooms are worried about me." He uttered shaking his head and standing up straight flashing her a grin to my surprise. "I'm fine. Irritated about everything but fine."

"Hmm. Motoko hasn't talked about it yet. Anything we can do to help? I do have connections now." Hiromi said partially preening at her own words.

"Nah. The Maelstrom basically said the guy that attacked them wasn't one of theirs and the TC is going along with it. So we only got Scavs to retaliate against, but… It's impossible to know which group attacked us, or if there will be more attacks coming."

My chooms were quiet at Jun's final words.

"I'm sorry." Hiromi said, reaching over and grabbing my hand as she adjusted herself to not be sitting on my stomach. "I can't… I can't believe they attacked your home, and now you can't pinpoint the ones responsible."

"So we just kill them all." I say with a shrug. "It's been my solution since it happened. I'm just going to kill every Scav I find until there aren't any more."

Jun snorted, looking like he was going to agree, but to my surprise he ran a hand over his face and through his hair. "Maybe it's time we settle it there too, Motoko. We reach out with our contacts and make a deal."

"Hell no!"

"Motoko. We got lucky last time. You spotted the sniper just in time, but that guy was an amateur. What if they just bombed our apartment while we were in here. Or sent more than a van full of grunts… Honestly I'm surprised they sent so few."

"I think Randall was the one responsible for that." I muttered and everyone looked at me. "The Maelstrom sniper, apparently his name was Randall… I ran into him before. The night I recorded my BD for The Only Thing They Fear." I explained sitting up pushing Hiromi to the side a bit so I was sitting up and not just half way sprawled across the couch.

Sitting up I ran through what I had figured out.

"So that night I ran into a Maelstrom girl in the Scav den. They had pulled her apart, but she was still awake… I felt sorry for her, so I helped her get help. Randall was one of the Maelstrom fucks that showed up. He was a moron. But he must have realized who I was after… Probably from the BD? According to GearSlot he seemed incredibly interested in all the Chrome the Scavs had. I think he found a Scav group and reached out to them. Set up the assault on Jun and I. Maybe Revenge for the war? Or he offered our location to the Scavs. I mean it's not like my BD's aren't getting around. Maybe he told them he knew who was recording the BD's and… I don't know."

Everything was just an assumption. Jun had made sure we wouldn't be able to ask Randall, and the Scavs weren't exactly chatty.

"Motoko… There is something else. Something Fujimura-sama mentioned to me. He assigned us a few guards, but they are just kids they can't stop shit… He mentioned that we should move into a more secure location."

"Fuck no!" I snapped outraged at the very idea, but Jun didn't let my instant response ruffle him.

"I think we should consider it Motoko. There are plenty of locations we could move to that have more security. Fujimura-sama controls a floor of a building that he rents out to TC. It's safe. Protected."

"Jun I said no! We arent-I'm not moving! This is our home!" I denied but Jun moved away from the wall he had been resting against and walked around Ichi and Malcolm who were both being really quiet.

Shit that was the look of a couple of people watching an argument between family members and not being sure what to do.

Sorry guys.

Jun stopped in front of me and rested his stupid heavy hand on my head.

"Home is where we live. Not a place. I want you to be safe, Motoko. I want us to be safe… I try to protect you as much as I can, but you just do whatever you want anyways, so I can't stop you there. But I think we should move. To a bigger place, a more secure place… Don't you want a bigger room? One with your own space."

"I like my current room just fine!"

"It's a closet you gonk. You've never had a real room before. You could have a workbench and tinker with your stuff without me accidentally sitting on it or-"

"Wait, when did you sit on my stuff!?"

Jun blinked at me and then just mushed my hair. "We are going to look around at places… Maybe tomorrow. Keep an open mind, okay?" Then Jun disappeared and as I fixed my hair I looked up to see him disappear back into his room.

"I'm like 90% sure he just tried to distract me from the fact he apparently sat on some of my stuff and broke it."

"You think so?" Hiromi asked, and I nodded.

"I'm honestly more curious than upset. I don't remember finding anything missing…" I shook it off. I would tackle Jun in his sleep and demand my answers later. "Alright chooms, enough of this shit. Want to get some food, and watch some garbage TV or something?"

"Sounds good to me!" Malcolm said before anyone else could argue.

"Great. Malcolm, you are with me on the food run. Hiromi, Ichi figure out what to watch?"

—--

The next morning, long after everyone had gone home, Jun poked me as I was working on some programming stuff for Yoko in payment for the Scav locations.

"C'mon."

"I already told you Jun. I'm not moving."

"Come anyways." He demanded and gave me a look.

Fine. If only because if I didn't go with him he was going to lift me up and carry me like a sack of angry kittens.

I got up, got dressed, wasted some time taking a shower specifically in protest, and came out only to get whipped in the face with a towel.

Then Jun attacked me with the towel.

"H-hey! Sto-oooop!" I whined but my brother has no mercy in his heart. He ran the towel over my hair like a machine and when he finally released me I fell to the floor blinking as if someone had just mugged me.

"There, your hair is dry, c'mon."

"You… Are you kidding me? I'm a girl you gonk! Now I have to do my hair! Look at it!" I yelled at him my hair was poofy I could feel it. Standing up more like an afro than my normal style!

"I look like I just got in a fight with an electrical outlet! And I lost!"

"Heh." Jun just laughed at me, and made no motion to do anything more so I scurried back into the bathroom to battle my hair.

I ended up needing to wet it back down just to be able to style it again.

"You know it's funny. You don't really do makeup or anything, but you're pretty protective of your hair style." Jun said from the kitchen as he watched me wrestle my hair with a brush desperately trying not to get it stuck in the mess of my hair.

"I'm plenty girly!"

Jun just gave me a look of disbelief. Hey! That's so mean!

"Motoko I've seen you wear the same leotard for days on end before."

I paused in utter betrayal! I was programming then! I was too busy for things like… Showering… Or changing clothes…

"We never speak of this again, or I tell everyone about the bed burrito."

He blinked. Considering. Then nodded. Turning around and walking away like the conversation never happened.

Good.

Some things should just be kept between siblings.

—--

"Wow. I'm totally impressed, Jun-nii! Truly this is the best place ever!"

"Your sarcasm isn't really necessary." He grumbled at me as we looked at the building.

Funnily enough, we were just down the street from the apartments that I cleared the other night. The same tutorial Scav den from the game. Just north, along the same road I had leapt over while escaping Jun was a bunch of apartment buildings all smashed together into a mess.

Of course the entrance was a big red Torri Gate. That and everything was covered in graffiti Tigers.

If you missed the fact this was Tyger Claw Territory.

"Just come look at the apartments, okay? They are big. Bigger than our current place, and they are safe."

"I'm playing along for now, mostly because I love you, and want to spend time with you, but I'm not interested." I informed him, which to my secret delight earned me a heavy hand ruffling my hair a little.

I swiped a punch at him in retaliation of course, but it was still nice.

"C'mon let's see the place before anything else. You might like it. We'll have neighbors that aren't Ms. Kagura." He offered and I blinked before remembering the old lady that was our neighbor on our floor.

"Oh right. I forgot about her."

"Well there will be some kids our age here. So maybe someone you actually get along with. Someone to add to your little group?"

"Yeah sure Jun." I agreed without actually agreeing. If they lived here they would be TC brats… Okay that's not a good excuse considering most of my friends were just that, but they were probably gonks.

My decision not to like the situation I was stuck in, had Jun rolling his eyes as I shot grumpy looks at him constantly.

We walked into the building from a side entrance through a shop into a hallway that led to a dozen closed doors. Jun led us to an elevator and then hit the twenty-seventh floor.

Finally we hit the floor, and I had to admit. The moment the doors opened I did have to quirk an eyebrow. The elevator entrance area was clean.

Like actually clean.

It was actually a surprise I was so used to the decaying squalor, I barely noticed it anymore.

Yet here, there were clean carpets. White walls which did have Tyger Claw stuff on it, but it was paintings, instead of just graffiti.

"I told you Fujimura-sama owns this floor and rents it out to Tyger Claws. You think he would put up with a messy space?"

I scoffed but followed Jun down the hall. I noticed the security without a thought. Ninjutsu and Netrunning meant I couldn't help but notice it.

Quality cameras, security features on every door. A hidden HMG turret in the roof inside the elevator entrance way.

Okay it was definitely more secure than our previous place.

There we only had security gates on the stairs which didn't do much since the elevators were still open access.

"This is it." Jun said suddenly as he stopped in front of a room. 2704.Jun looked to me like he was expecting some interest, but I had literally been in plenty of apartments over the last few days.

Mostly killing Scavs, but the point stood.

He looked a little bummed that I was remaining disinterested as he opened the door.

The apartment was actually pretty big.

It opened into a large living room. Something we didn't really have in our place. It even had one of those round media couches indented into the floor in the corner.

There was a small inset nearby that had a fridge, and a pseudo kitchenette. Just without any of the normal stuff in a kitchen, because people don't cook in Cyberpunk.

More like they were pushed to not cook, but that wasn't something I was going to focus on right now.

The Bathroom still didn't have an actual door.

Fucking Cyberpunk. I swear to god doors on bathrooms were normal! Why did no one have a damn…

I sighed letting the irritation go. I was still finding myself easily riled up since the attack. It was obvious the attack hadn't exactly left me my usual self. I took a deep breath and let it out, feeling arctic for a moment, as I steadied my heart and then breathed normally.

Jun was wandering around looking around the place with a happy smile on his face.

Dammit. Jun wanted to move didn't he?

The brush with returning Cyberpsychosis seemed to have washed off his back after everything. Which was good, but it did kind of piss me off, because it meant Jun was actually…

Jun was actually happy looking around this apartment. It wasn't faked, or something he was trying to convince me.

This was something he wanted.

I forgot.

People in Night City cared about reputation. Reputation was important. And the way you showed off your rep was owning things.

Fast cars, fancy clothes, lots of chrome.

A big apartment.

Our place was kinda a shithole. I knew that. I just… I had grown comfy. It was security. Safety like a blanket.

I was going to have to be the mature one. Jun deserved that. Jun deserved to be able to have a nice big apartment with room to actually move, and fancy stuff.

He was a teenager taking care of his kid sister. His kid sister that shouldn't be throwing a fucking tantrum like an actual teenager about moving into a bigger, fancier, more secure apartment.

Dammit. I hated when my face was rubbed in the negative effects of my own childishness. I mean… I wasn't going to change, but at least I could acknowledge when it caused problems.

There actually was more than one room here. I guess I really would have my own room. Jun was distracted with checking out the entertainment system, acting like the teenager he was as I checked the rooms.

"I call dibs on this one!" I call out, knowing the reaction it would get.

"That's the bigger room!" Jun yelped as he charged at me, and I broke the smile on my face before he could see it.

There would be a fight, I would likely be sat on for a while, and in the end Jun would 'earn' his master bedroom. But it was better this way.

Because as much as I was focused on my own happiness. I wanted Jun the big gonk to be happy too, and maybe… Maybe it was time to let him have that happiness without his needy, childish sister getting in the way.

 

[Seras]

We went home to the apartment after and the whole time Jun was being insufferable.

"I told you you would like it!" he teased, smiling like the stupid gonk he is.

My desire to punch him was rising. Just because I had accepted that moving was what Jun wanted, and I shouldn't hold him back didn't mean I really wanted it.

But he was acting like I was super happy with it all.

"Jun shut up." I told him simply as I walked around my room cleaning things up. Gathering up everything so we could start moving stuff.

"When do you want me to call Ichi with his truck? Wait, when does the lease and stuff actually go through?" How did leasing even work in Night City?

"What do you mean, it's already ours." Jun said as he popped his head around the corner from his room to look at me.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Fujimura already gave you the apartment before you ever tried to convince me to move didn't he?" I accused him, eyes narrowed as I prepared for the answer I already knew.

Jun blinked realizing he was suddenly standing in the middle of a minefield.

"Nooo?" He said and I chucked an old shoe at him that I had found in a corner. Unfortunately he was pretty quick and dodged it.

"Jerk." I grumbled as I continued to dig things out of corners. And finding bags and boxes to put them in.

I picked up another cardboard box that Jun had grabbed to stuff shit into.

Well it wasn't actually cardboard. It looked like it, sorta felt like it, but it wasn't. And I had long ago decided not to ask questions about what stuff in Night City was actually made of.

I should be killing Scavs right now.

Not dealing with moving.

I pulled out my little dresser, noticing a bunch of stuff that I had never seen before back behind it.

Motoko was kind of a slob…

Okay I was still kind of a slob, but I had a lot less knick knacks and junk…

Okay I still had a lot of junk, but it was all tech supplies!

"Huh." I muttered pulling out an actual digital photo display. I switched it on and blinked.

"So that's what I looked like before." It was a picture of Motoko… Well older Motoko sitting on Jun's Kusanagi. She was dressed up fully in Tyger Claw swag, hair done up in mohawk…

I guess HIromi and I used to share hairstyles? Although mine had been a shorter faux hawk.

I looked at it for a while. I had no real connection to it. Jun was younger. Probably fifteen? He looked hilarious with his tough guy wannabe looks…

No wait. That means he would be around Ichi and Malcolm's age! He was a wannabe too! Oh man!

"Hey Jun, look what I found!" I called out smirking as I walked out of my bedroom to see Jun carefully disassembling the family shrine.

"What'd you find?" He asked solemnly as he slowly took down the picture of our parents.

"Nothing that interesting. Need some help?" I asked as I threw the picture frame onto the couch and moved to help Jun pack up our family shrine.

I'd tease him about the picture later.

—--

"So you're really moving?" Ichi asked as I led him inside.

"Yeah. It was important to Jun." I admitted as I pushed a box to the side to clear up some room on the couch. "Take a seat."

"No I can help!" He offered doing the usual childish act of flexing an arm.

"If you want? But the guy who brings the truck can put his feet up if he wants." I informed him which earned me a chuckle.

"Crazy to think last night was the last time we'll ever meet up here." He muttered, and I did my best to keep cool, to not let that thought strike my heart.

For Jun.

"Yeah, but starting tonight, You'll be able to meet up and party at our new place." Jun said as he appeared from around the corner, holding a box in one under and a long bag that I realized was acting as his gun bag.

Huh, I didn't know Jun had a gun bag…

Wait fuck I don't have a gun bag! All my guns were stolen from gonks! It's cool. Just pretend I don't notice and it won't matter.

"Yeah that's true. We'll have a new meetup. Motoko's fancy new place."

"It is kinda fancy." I whispered to Ichi as I walked by arms full of boxes. "Grab that one?"

"Yeah sure." He hefted up another box and all three of us headed down towards his truck.

It was parked just out front of the apartment, and the guards were keeping an eye on it, so we wouldn't have to worry about anything going missing while loading it up.

Pushing my box in, I stopped and headed over to the meat stick guy. "Gonna miss my usual." I told him and he chuckled and passed me an extra large stick.

Thanks, Meat stick guy. You're the best.

I paid extra though. I definitely had more eddies than the poor old man.

As I took a break and ate my last meat stick skewer I looked around. Mostly because I was still on edge and expecting to see a Scav hunter group or something barreling down the road.

But there was nothing.

Just a quiet day on the streets.

In the end, despite my fears there hadn't been a second Scav attack. No bomb, or trick. It made me nervous because I thought there would have been and yet.

Nothing.

I didn't know why though. Then again what I had done could have been completely covered by the acts of the Tygers.

Considering how Scavs act. We could have killed the Scavs that knew about where I lived. Or killed all the Scavs that cared.

The whole thing was a massive mess, and unlike in a video game that would always have a helpful conversation shard sitting on the side of a table or something, there wasn't anything that helpful for me to figure this out.

I still really wanted to kill them. Just to make sure, but the whole thing was weird.

In the end the real world wasn't a game, or an anime. I wasn't the main character of Night City.

Well…

Not yet.

—--

"Well. This is it." Jun said as he dropped the last box of stuff into the middle of the living room.

We were completely moved out.

Our entire apartment, our entire life, had fit in the back of Ichi's truck. It had only taken one load to move everything over.

Our vehicles were now parked in a garage under the building.

Our stuff was there on the floor. Malcolm and Ichi were watching the truck to make sure nothing went missing while Jun and I unloaded.

"Yeah." I muttered before sighing and walking into my room. It had an actual bed. One of the weird future beds that were everywhere in Night city. Gently I pulled out a special object out of my jacket. Something I hadn't trusted letting anyone else mess with. The bed had little drawers along the side of it, and for now that was good enough. I slipped it in.

"What's that?" Jun asked, not quite startling me.

"A cyberdeck." I explained. I just didn't explain that it was Rache fucking Bartmosses deck.

"Okay?"

"It's rare, one of a kind, so I kept it on me." I told him and then shrugged heading back out to the apartment. "I'll go get the boys."

"Yeah, sounds good." Jun said looking at the pile of junk that we had stacked up on the floor. He sighed and grabbed the first box.

That's right Jun! Suffer at the knowledge that moving sucked!

I headed out. The hallway as usual was so fancy it almost made me uncomfortable. I kept checking my boots to make sure I wasn't tracking mud on the carpets.

But as I walked past the apartment right next to ours, I heard something that halted me in my place.

Music.

Not recorded sound, but someone actually playing an instrument. I stopped to listen for a moment as the tune came through the walls.

Huh. They were good! I hummed along for a moment as I let the song play through. I liked it. The musician had a recorded track they were playing with, a lot of recorded sounds, and a definite Japanese electronica groove.

Honestly I was just thankful it wasn't Us Cracks.

I shook it off, and decided I would say hello to my new neighbor sometime soon.

Until then I needed to head back down and let the boys know we had finished and they were now free.

I headed down taking the elevator that took forever to get down to the garage basement floor.

I walked out and had to frown.

A few Tygers were messing with the boys.

Around the front of Ichi's truck were a group of teenagers. They were obviously unwelcome as they were resting against the truck, one even sitting on the front of Ichi's hood, her legs swinging as they obviously were causing trouble.

"Hey!" I called out as I walked over catching the eyes of the group. "What are you guys bothering my chooms for?"

"Eh? Bothering? We are just checking out these weird gonks idling in our garage. Who the hell are you?" The one that had been hanging his elbow in Ichi's window called out, but didn't move away, instead a couple of his chooms were focusing on me.

"They were helping us move in. Twenty-Seventh floor." I called out, emphasizing the floor. Fujimura owned the entire floor? Then anyone in the area would know not to mess with anyone from that floor.

Their 'leader' slowly pulled away from the window as he looked me over.

"You don't look like the type to live on that floor."

"Fujimura and I have an understanding… And my Nii-chan is one of his men. Now stop harassing my chooms." I demanded.

I had learned from my lesson with Hiromi. Be blunt and direct with gangsters because they might not have the brain cells to rub together to understand a less blunt threat.

It still grated at me. To rely on Fujimura's rep. The stupid "Do you know who I am?" Statements always annoyed me.

I walked past the group, noticing the girl on the hood had slipped off, and tried to make it look like she hadn't just been sitting on Ichi's truck.

"Thanks for the help guys. Jun and I have it from here. Why don't you head out of here, We are just going to be unpacking for a while… Here, dinner's on me, okay?" I quickly sent a bunch of eddies to Malcolm and Ichi, despite Ichi's glare.

He had refused any payment for helping out today, but I wasn't going to let them help Jun and I move for free.

"Hey! That's the boss for you!" Malcolm called out more than happy for the payment.

"You don't have to… Motoko!" Ichi yelled behind me but I was already hurrying away, passing through the gangster gonks who were all watching me, their faces all showing their curiosity in who I was.

If I was important.

If I was lying.

If I was telling the truth.

But I wasn't here to satisfy their curiosity. I rushed back to the elevator and headed back up.

Time to unpack.

—---

Jun and I both flopped onto the big round couch.

"That was tiring."

"Yeah." I agreed with Jun. Everything was unpacked, or at least the boxes were put away in our rooms for later. Our family shrine was up. Our weapons were stored away, which had taken a bit longer than expected.

My armory had to my absolute delight put Jun's to shame, and we might have gotten into a wrestling match when he made a move towards my HMG.

Mine!

But now we were basically done.

All moved out.

All moved in.

"It's gonna be great Motoko. You'll see." He said and I didn't respond. He had been saying stuff like this to me all day, trying to hype me up for the new move.

"Aren't you the least bit excited? A new place? Bigger! Better!" I could try to explain to him that I knew what moving to a new apartment was like. It usually just ended with a month of getting used to it, before realizing all the new problems you had to live with that might not be the horrible ones from the last place, but were still shit.

But I couldn't exactly tell him that. As far as Jun was aware this was my first new place ever.

"I'm gonna play the entire Samurai Catalog at full blast right outside your room all night… Fair warning." I informed him and received a retaliatory pillow in exchange.

"You'll like it. It's better in every way from our old place." Jun informed me with a dreamy voice.

"You realize of course there isn't an XXL burrito machine outside the apartment door anymore." Then I let that tidbit settle in. A moment later Jun was at the door and then rushing down the hall.

I had checked as we walked in. No XXL burritos in the area that I had seen.

Good luck Jun-nii!

—--

Okay. We were moved in. Now back to work.

*Yes really. Why are you so confused? You sent the shard with the code over, and I just spent the last couple hours debugging it. It's done.*

*I expected you to take at least a week checking it over Motoko… Please make sure you are thorough.*

I sighed audibly and rubbed my face.

*I've already gone through it all Yoko. I'll add a file into the shard showing everything I fixed just so you can be sure, but I'm done. There isn't anything else that needs to be fixed unless you want me to start rewriting the code from scratch.*

The line was quiet for a while. *Very well. I'll have a runner come by your new place for a pickup. I'll confirm the work, and message you when I've found an issue, or written off the favor.*

*Perfect. Talk to you later then.*

I hung up. Wakako was right. Hanging up on people that were annoying you was great.

I groaned as I flopped on the couch. Between coding work and moving in. I was done for now. Jun was still bustling about his room setting things up looking happier than I had seen him in a while.

Stupid Jun. Being happy about this crummy apartment.

I wanted to go kill Scavs.

I rolled up and rushed to my room. Grabbing my ammo and MaxDoc pouches, I suited up. If I went fast enough Jun wouldn't catch me leaving and bother me again.

I geared up quickly, grabbing my Kang Tao armor and doing a full suit up.

Techgogs equipped I was ready for war.

Sliding the goggles over my eyes I slipped over to my door and peaked out.

No Jun in sight. Operation was a go.

I rushed out bare feet utterly silent on the carpet. Honestly it was a weird feeling since I was so used to the tiled floors that filled NIght City and the fact I usually just wore my boots around so I would be safe from any trash on the floor.

But this apartment was too clean, so I had to leave my boots at the front door. I quickly grabbed them and left through the door once the door was closed I slipped them on. Taking a minute to secure everything and then I was heading down the hall. Passing by music neighbor and reaching the elevator without anyone noticing beside the cameras.

I quickly sent Jun a Text.

*Motoko: Heading out for a while.*

Just as the door shut.

Didn't want Jun to try and stop me. I whistled fakely as I pretended to ignore the text he sent back in response wanting to know what I was doing.

Then I was back in the garage, and the city was mine.

I walked out stalking towards where Jun and I's parking spot was located. Ignoring the attention that the Tyger teens gave me as I walked around.

Don't call me a Dough Girl. Don't call me a Dough Girl!

I ignored them. I didn't even want to know what they were saying as I walked up to the Quadra and popped the trunk.

Inside my armory was ready. I grabbed the Copperhead from the roof of the trunk. I had spent some time adding additional weapon slots to the trunk over time. Honestly I had a few cutouts that I didn't even own yet, but more as future desires.

I patted my Nekomata a bit as I left it behind. I needed to work with Jackie and V and stuff more. I would get more sniper work with them I felt.

But I ignored that as I walked to the driver seat and laid my Copperhead in the passenger footwell. So I could grab it quickly if needed.

I had a few more places to hit tonight.

Time to get to work.

 

[Seras]

Second site of the night.

The first location hadn't even been a real Scav Den. Just a small storage unit that three gonks that were definitely not official Scavs, just fuckers willing to do horrible things to people.

They were all dead now, and I had the XP to prove it.

*500 XP Gained.*

*500 XP Gained.*

*500 XP Gained.*

I don't care if you were official Scavs, or just some assholes ripping people apart for eddies. They were all fucking trash in my opinion.

But that had just been on the way to Heywood. The building I was parked just down the street from was the bigger place I had ended up skipping to go to the Maelstrom meeting.

Once again. I accessed the system. Pinged them all, and had the entire place scoped out.

I was once again stacked up on the door. I waited half a second to see if Jun would call me to interrupt again, but it never came.

Go time. I surged through, rifle leading the way. I couldn't just shoot through the walls this time. The basement they were hiding in was all solid concrete.. Unless I was using my Nekomata or my Burya I wouldn't get any rounds through.

But I didn't need that.

The first room was a garage. Two gonks inside. One working on a van. Obviously their meat wagon. The other was sitting in the driver seat obviously helping out.

Both were too slow to avoid my Copperhead as I unloaded on them both as I rushed them. The driver coated the windscreen in blood and the mechanic fell into his tool box very dead.

I didn't pay attention to the noise of my system telling me I had gotten XP.

*500 XP Gained.*

*500 XP Gained.*

I didn't slow down. I still had half a magazine and more Scavs.

Obviously the gun shots would alert them. So I didn't slow down. At the back of the garage was a door that led into the basement area itself. This building had once been some sort of shop. The top floor had big open windows and butted against the street. Obviously they didn't use it, but this basement was basically a loading and storage area.

The next room now was just a big empty space full of Scavs, and dead bodies. And all their equipment to rip people apart.

I leapt into the room using all my strength and my chrome ankles bouncing well past the door where instantly a few of the Scavs fired trying to kill me.

They missed. Then their guns stopped firing as I shut that down with a toothy grin.

I loved being a Netrunner. One of them I noticed did respond. A faint effort to fight back against the hack on the digital scape, but he was far too slow to stop it as it pinged him, then his chooms, then him again and again and again.

I rolled along the concrete, until I slowed enough. I rose up. Lines of golden light already telling me where to aim.

I popped up and three rounds echoed through the room, The light I was using as a guide post vanished, along with earning an alert.

*500 XP Gained.*

I rolled, slipping out of view behind the plastic sheets they had hanging from the ceiling all over the place to section off Ripper chairs.

To keep the blood splatter down.

Yeah it would still be useful now.

I flipped around, lined up my rifle with the golden lights and just started plugging away.

I got another one, before the others ducked behind cover realizing their weapons were dead.

*500 XP Gained.*

"Who the fuck is attacking us!?" A voice called out sounding terrified and I could practically hear the noise of metal on metal as he desperately tried to get his malfunctioning gun to work.

"Some bitch! Watch out for more! They got a Netrunner!"

"Don't worry!" I called out in return, using my sexy Motoko voice as well, I was recording after all. "I'm the one who is going to send you all to hell!" I yelled out excited for what came next.

I shifted back up to my feet still crouched and then leapt.

The plastic sheet kept me from view until the last moment when I hit it at the apex of my jump and then ripped through.

They freaked, leaping out of cover desperately pointing weapons that weren't functional. Only one had a smart idea and grabbed a big fucking machete knife and charged at me.

I hit the ground, rolled forward and he reached me just as my rifle was brought up.

I unloaded on him, easily blasting him away from me with the remainder of my magazine.

*500 XP Gained.*

I dropped the rifle. Reload would take too long, and I had other options.

Lexington was quickdrawn to a position right against my chest as I turned and unloaded into another Scav that was trying to attack me from behind. He cried out as his chest turned into swiss cheese.

Then he died.

*500 XP Gained.*

I started chasing the rest, killing another one who was hiding under a table as if he could just disappear there, and then to my irritation two of them were smart.

*500 XP Gained.*

They delta'ed. I ran at a door that the two had slipped into and was brought to a complete halt as I slammed into it and it didn't budge.

I slammed the handle again and pushed but the door barely budged.

They had thrown something heavy on the other side.

"Fuckers!"
I turned and ran. I would have to head out the garage and get around the building. They were escaping out the front!

Even with all my speed by the time I made it to the front of the store their car was already nearly down the street, their golden lines fading away as they got too far away from the building net, and already well past the range I could quickhack as I could see them directly.

My Quadra was parked around the back. It would take too long to get into it, and then chase them.

Two escaped.

Two Scavs escaped me.

I had done this because I wanted to practice going loud. But I let two Scavs escape!

I should have blinded them. I should have shown up with my HMG.

I should have stealthed the whole group.

I should have… I should have…

I stepped back and pushed myself against the front of the old boarded up storefront.

Cool.

Get cool.

I exhaled arctic air and suddenly the absolute fit I had been half way into stalled out.

"I'm okay. Mistakes happen, and we learn from them." I told myself. I had almost just had a complete freakout over letting two Scavs get away.

Yeah that wasn't a healthy sign.

"Fuck."

—--

I ignored everything as I headed home.

I still had more Scav dens I could hit, but I was obviously not handling this whole situation as well as I thought I was.

The apartment was quiet as I stomped in flipping off my boots at the door with a few wobbling bounces as I then stripped out of my armor letting it just drop to the floor.

There was a ton of floor space. Plenty of space to leave things for later.

I stripped out of my Section 9 clothes, the armored weight feeling far too restricting right now. Both jacket and pants were thrown onto the floor leaving me feeling a lot cooler as I wiped some sweat off my head.

Then I flopped face first onto the couch.

The couch wasn't right. It was too cushiony. It didn't smell like home either.

I screamed into the cushion slamming my fist down into it over and over until I was out of air.

Then I rolled off the couch and stood up. Annoyed at the stupid inset couch I had to climb out of just to get back on the floor.

I ran into my room. There was only one solution to this frustration I was feeling.

I grabbed my guitar and my music box.

I could have stayed in my room, but I didn't want to be in there right now. So I hooked myself into my Music box and dropped the box onto the couch as I paced around the back of the couch.

I wanted something angry. Something fitting, but I wasn't sure what to play.

I felt frustrated. Burned on the inside because everything that was happening just…

"I'm going to burn this city." I muttered the song coming to mind instantly. Not exactly my favorite band. Not even my favorite song, but I couldn't deny that there was a reason it fit Edgerunners so well.

And right now I was feeling full of fire too. Franz Ferdinand's This Fire… Yeah I could make it work.

I switched up my voice, I wasn't going to try and copy the singer from Franz Ferdinand… At least I was pretty sure that was just the band name and not the artist…

Oh well. No way for me to know now.

And so my voice went huskier. Heavier. I wasn't going to play the song with the almost joyful chaos feeling the original had.

I was angry.

So I let that out.

I practically growled out the first line. Letting the anger and frustration at the Scavs. At Jun and his stupid new apartment. At everything.

"I'm going to burn this city!" I roared, slamming the guitar to get the notes just right. And I just let it all out. Like Rita had said. A hobby was important. A way to feel the emotions I kept locked up tight with Cold Blood.

Catharsis.

"I'll burn it down!" I said the last lyric, before rolling into shredding the guitar, Hyping the noise up louder and louder, faster and faster until it just stopped.

I exhaled and flopped onto the back of the couch, feet resting on the cushions as I just hunched over and exhaled all the fire in my belly.

I ran a chrome hand through my hair. The unique texture was always a weird feeling and I practically luxuriated in it for that moment. Sweat sticking to the metal as I breathed and cooled off.

I didn't feel very calm even still.

It wasn't that they escaped. That was just the trigger. The fact was I didn't like change very much. I liked my routines, and any change that happened was okay as long as it was my choice.

I pulled my music box over. The vocal and Guitar track would both need some work, trying a brand new vocal and guitar style on a song was kinda new to me.

I went to work. Both as something to distract myself with, and also I guess I just wanted to hear it as well.

—--

I stopped as I heard something loud bonk into the door. I quickly pulled off my guitar and grabbed my Lexington aiming at the door, because that had been a really weird noise.

Then the doorbell rang.

I quickly stacked up at the side of the door and then in a flash I opened it, the pneumatic door popping out of the way and I was aiming before quickly yanking my gun into the air to keep it from aiming at who had rang the bell.

"Hiromi?"

"H-Hey Motoko…" She said and we both stared at each other.

Hiromi had a big red mark on her forehead.

It took me a moment to realize what had happened.

"You don't have the door key here yet." I reminded her and her semi pout turned into a tearful look as if demanding me to take back what I had just said as she held a hand over her forehead.

I quickly holstered my Lexington and pulled her inside and into a hug.

"That never happened." She demanded and I made all the right noises of acceptance. "I wanted to surprise you! I got excited." She explained and I just nodded and rubbed her back as she buried her face into my shoulder.

She was so used to having the key to our place that she had tried to rush the door. The door hadn't opened.

Poor Hiromi.

I brought her over to the couch and settled her in. Ignoring her faux sniffle that she pointedly threw a look at me after demanding I don't acknowledge it.

"How did you know where the new place was? I thought I would have to come pick you up and show you."

She seemed to shake herself a bit and sat up straight. "I called Ichi of course. He helped you move, so I got the address and everything. I couldn't use the elevator, so I had to use the stairs." She whined at me, I actually blinked at that.

"You should have just called. I would have come down to get you."

"I wanted to surprise you!" She whined and I couldn't help but start laughing.

"You did!" I told her with a big smile and then she realized I was teasing her and whined at me in distress.

"Jerk! Gonk! You aren't! Ugh! You have your guitar out! Play a song for me!" She finally demanded as she turned a bit red, but not as red as the mark on her forehead.

"Hiromi, I don-"

"Pleeeease." She whined, putting her hands up to her chest and begging.

"Fine. I'm working on something new anyways, I could use a separate ear."

"Yeeeees!" She hissed, wiggling and kicking. "Serenade me!" She demanded as she sprawled out on the couch looking eager.

"Not really that kind of song." I muttered. I hadn't completed the drum track just yet, but I could still just enjoy doing another vocals and guitar play through.

First I went into my room and came out with the speakers and Amp for the guitar. I had recorded everything digitally so I wouldn't disturb my neighbors. Even if musician neighbor might not mind.

So I picked up my guitar plugged it into my music box, plugged that into the speakers and amp, and then I started another rendition of This Fire.

I played. I roared, and sang and slammed my guitar. The emotions hadn't diminished, only been released a little and so I raged a little while I sang. I turned the almost peppy song into something darker.

A threat.

"This fire is out of control!.

I'm going to burn this city, burn this city!"

And so I played for Hiromi, but mostly I played for me.

For the Motoko that didn't want to obsess with killing every Scav in the city and just wanted to do whatever crazy thing that came to my mind.

For the Motoko that as much as she wanted to fight and kill, didn't like at all that others could turn it back on her. Could harm her. Could harm her friends. Her family.

I was breathing heavily when I finished the song. I closed my eyes, I couldn't look at Hiromi. Because I couldn't handle someone not liking the song at that moment. I pulled off the guitar and stood up, taking a moment to remember where the fridge was. I grabbed a can of… Whatever the hell this was. The logo and stuff was so artsy I couldn't tell. I popped it and drank it down.

Eh. I've had worse, but I felt off. Weird. It took a moment as I pulled up my system to realize what had happened.

*Cool Leveled up!*

Cool 9. No wonder I felt… Better. Was it that? No, not better. Not exactly, but… Cooler. Like the stress wasn't hurting me as bad.

Then I turned around running a hand through my hair, "So what did you-oof!" I grunted as Hiromi slammed into me and squealed.

"Eeeeee!"

"I guess you liked it then?"

"You are going to be world famous, I'm gonna be your super awesome manager and it's gonna be the best!" She cheered in delight and broke into a few chuckles. Not exactly what I was hoping would be her response, but I guess as long as Hiromi was happy.

No wait. I don't want to be world famous!

Dangit Hiromi!

—-

"So how long until the whole song is done?" Hiromi asked as she sat beside me on the couch. I had grabbed the laptop to once again allow Hiromi to see what I was doing on the Music box as I recorded the digital tracks to finish the song.

"Not sure… I'm sorta trying something different on this song. Originally.. Well it was supposed to be more upbeat almost? It sounds weird, but yeah. I'm just making it darker. More Samurai, less Us Cracks." I explained and Hiromi giggled at my description.

"You should make an Us Cracks version! Jun would listen to it!"

"Ugh. Please don't remind me." I grumbled at her, but in the end I shrugged. "I think I've got most of it. I'm mostly just… fiddling now. Making sure I didn't flub anything, and making sure all the tracks line up and actually flow."

"It's so crazy how good you are at everything." She muttered, and I actually stilled a little.

This wasn't the first time Hiromi had said something similar. Not the first time someone had noticed that I was picking up on things too fast.

"I… I just-" I started to stutter tensing up, but Hiromi practically leapt on me in response.

"Whoa. Ah. I didn't mean anything by it Motoko! You're so amazing. I'm just a little jealous! You can do basically anything it's just a little… intimidating? I guess. Trying to keep up."

I quickly shoved my guitar off my shoulder and reached over to grab at Hiromi to her surprise as I pulled her bodily into a hug.

A tight one so she couldn't escape.

"It's not a race… And I'm way behind in tons of things, but I don't… Please don't think you need to compete. I need my best choom."I said burying my face into her neck as I used everyone lick of knowledge to grapple Hiromi in an unbreakable hug.

"Hey! No way am I going anywhere! You are stuck with me forever!" Hiromi responded and I nodded into her shoulder as I still refused to let go. Hiromi didn't seem to mind just patting my back this time. "You okay Motoko? The song, and now this… You seem a little… Stressed?"

"I don't think I'm handling all the stuff that happened as well as I would like." I admit speaking into her jacket letting the texture muffle the words a little and create the disconnect that lets me share. "I hate that we got attacked at home, and now, Jun moved us here, and I didn't want to move Hiromi. I miss home already."

"Oh." Hiromi whispered and then tightened her hug on me as well.

—---

"Sorry." I ended up saying a while later when I finally pulled away from Hiromi. I hadn't cried, but it was definitely a close call. Thanks Cool.

"You don't have to apologize! I'm just… No, that's gonna come out wrong." She said and then flushed at even saying that.

"What?"

"I just… It's nice that you aren't completely put together? Getting homesick after a move… I guess it just means I don't have to be perfect yet either? Sorry that sounds stupid since this is obviously bothering you, but…"

"Nah. It's okay." I bumped her shoulder to add weight to my words.

Hiromi perked up, obviously deciding to change topics. "I like your new song! It's very Rockerboy! Are you going to record it into a BD like the last one? Or are you finally ready to let your number one Manager Hiromi set up a gi-"

"Nope."

"Aww." She whined, but I was laughing.

"Number one Manager?"

"Hey, just being honest." She said with a wink and we both broke into laughter.

"You gonna stay the night tonight?" I asked suddenly, and Hiromi nodded firmly. Good. I could use the company.

 

[Seras]

Was it weird that the strangest part about waking up with Hiromi gripped around my waist was that we were in a bed and not on an old couch.

"Unfamiliar ceiling." I mumbled looking at the white plastic of the beds roof section, this being one of the weird all in one Cyberpunk beds rather than the couch or my old bed at the apartment.

I blinked as I realized I hadn't set myself an eight hours like usual, but something had actually woken up, and it wasn't Hiromi's snorting snores in my ear.

"Ah. The Rockerboy is at it again." I mumbled. The faint rumble of bass coming through the walls had woken me up.

After a bit of wiggling I managed to work my way free of Hiromi's death grip, getting her attached to a pillow instead as I got up and stretched.

I hadn't done the insta sleep so I was actually a little drowsy still. I grunted quickly as I stretched out my back.

Quietly I padded out to the living room and noticed Jun's boots were by the door. I guess… Okay that was slightly useful in quickly determining when my gonk brother was home or not.

He must have come in pretty late. I hadn't even heard him…

Okay, I was going to put some of my own security up. The old apartment had been small enough that if anyone entered I would notice even if I was asleep, but now if I was in my room. I might not notice at all.

I walked up to the fridge and then slammed it shut.

It was full of XXL Burritos.

Full.

"Time to cannon ball a fucking gonk." I determined and headed to his room. His door swished open and I saw that Jun was passed out in a mess of blankets.

Jun was a messy sleeper.

He was about to become a whole lot messier as I prepped myself with a few stretches and then I leapt.

Elbow dropping onto him.

Gently. I didn't really want to hurt him.

The loud "Oof." That burst out of him meant I had achieved my goal.

But Motoko was no fool! I had learned from my previous mistakes!

I instantly got up and delta'ed.

The angry Oni roared and rushed after me, struggling to free himself from his blanket bindings. I easily made it to the living room before him and I only had a moment to decide a strategy.

Couch? Not deep enough to hide.

Kitchen? Too full of Burritos.

My room? Obvious choice Also full of potential weakness with Hiromi. She would likely help Jun just because. Or Jun would use her as a hostage. Neither were acceptable.

The roar of the Oni behind me urged me on. I leapt across the room rolling and turning to see him rumble out of his room, red eyes bloodshot and angry.

"MOTOKO!" He roared, as he charged.

Unfortunately for him. I was a Ninja.

I charged back, leaping just in time to miss his grasping hands, and planting a foot right onto the top of his head letting me get just a bit more distance away as he spun in rage to catch me.

"Too slow! Nyayaya!" I taunted wiggling my tongue at him. The Oni raged and chased, but there was one benefit of our bigger apartment.

It had a higher ceiling.

I was able to continue to leap away as he chased, planting my foot right on top of his head as many times as I could until finally I tired out the beast.

Not that I wasn't worn out as well.

"How… About a… Peace talk?" I offered breathing heavily as I rested against the wall near the couches. Jun was over by the kitchen where I had just left him once again face resting against the fridge.

"Motoko! Why!?"

"Why? You need to ask me that you gonk!? Open the fucking fridge!"

"What's wrong with the fridge!" He demanded back opening it and looking around, seemingly making sure his burritos were still there. "Looks fine to me!"

"You fucking moron! You filled OUR fridge full of your stupid Burritos! You can't even eat that many before they go bad you gonk!"

"XXL Burritos are good for three months, Motoko. You should know that." He replied in a tone saying I was the moron for not knowing and accepting this as fact.

"Oh my god, how often have you eaten three month old Burritos!?"

"What?"

"I think I'm gonna be sick!" I mumbled at the idea. They already tasted awful, what would old XXL burritos taste like?

Of course that was my mistake. I took my eyes off the Oni.

A moment later two impossible to budge arms wrapped around my chest and held me tight against him.

"Caught you."

"Yeah but you're the one that eats those things. So I think I'm still the winner." I told him.

Jun didn't like that.

Jun will remember that.

"Hey. What are you doing?" I demanded as Jun started moving. "Jun? Hey Jun! Hiromi! My Brother has gone Cyberpsycho! Look at the fridge!" I demanded to Hiromi who we must have woken up as she was blinking sleepily at the fact Jun was carrying me across the apartment.

Then he took me into the bathroom.

"Hey! He-ey! Jun! Don't you Da-Eeeee!" I squealed as Jun carried me right into the shower and hip checked the shower controls.

Jun didn't seem to mind the freezing cold water as he held me right into the blast for a long while as I struggled to free myself.

—--

"You okay?"

"F-f-f-fi-n-ne!" I chattered at Hiromi as she rubbed a towel around my shoulders. Jun was a madman!

He stepped out of his room rubbing a towel over his own hair and looking like he had won a million bucks.

The grin on his face was something I swore to remove in the most annoying fashion possible.

"Y-o-ou kno-w-w th-this m-means war!" I snarled at him but Jun had won the battle despite my surgical initial strike.

"You okay Hiromi? We didn't wake you too early with the roughhousing did we?" Jun asked and to my irritation Hiromi giggled.

"No Problem Jun! I got an interesting show out of it after all." Jun just smirked at her, as he headed into the kitchen and to my disgust grabbed a burrito for breakfast.

"You want one?"

"N-NEVER!" I chattered but Hiromi shrugged and accepted breakfast. I couldn't even look at her after.

That burrito probably gave her super cancer! Ignore the fact I've eaten them from time to time in the past! That was the past!

"What XXL burrito Corpo has you in their Pocket Jun-nii? Just tell me and I'll make them disappear! We can buy you some new tastebuds!" I begged him but instead of answering he just chucked one of the burritos at my head, and I was too cold to dodge.

I glared at him as the burrito thankfully didn't splatter across my face but definitely crumpled against me deforming around my face.

"That's disgusting Jun."

"Eat your breakfast you brat."

—--

The doorbell rang not long after. Hiromi was already gone, needing to go to school today, and Jun was just eating his second XXL burrito of the day.

Disgusting.

I quickly put my laptop to the side. A slight push with my feet put me into a handstand on the back of the couch and then I was back on my feet and walking towards the door, room for doing cool gymnastic stuff was, I would admit another small benefit of the new place "I'll get it!" I called to Jun who didn't look like he was making any attempt to get the door anyways.

Jerk.

I for once wasn't actually armed. Even I didn't sleep with my gun holsters on me, but I had done some of the basic prepwork last night. Right next to the door was my Carnage shotgun, which I prepped with my left arm, gun pointing downwards but ready and opened the door with my right hand.

As soon as I saw who it was, I was tempted to raise the shotgun up. But Jun would get angry.

"Fujimura."

"Kusanagi." He greeted me in turn, to my surprise he was alone. Probably the first time I had ever seen him somewhere without at least one or two of the Kamikaze at his back.

"Fujimura-sama! Come in!" Jun said as he had stood up quickly. Probably realizing I had no intention of actually inviting the guy inside.

I didn't grumble, but I thought about it real hard as I stepped away and put my Carnage back against the wall for next time.

He stepped in and walked over to Jun.

"Junichirou. How are you settling in?"

"Very well Sir! The apartment is perfect for us. Thank you again." Jun replied, even offering a little bow.

"Good. If you have any problems you know I am down the hall." He said and then took a seat on the couch.

But before I could get annoyed at him just sitting down as he liked, I couldn't help but be surprised.

"Wait, you live here too?"

"I own this entire floor." He stated simply. Hmm. He was kinda a dick, but I couldn't deny that it fit. He could fill the floor with people that would protect him and offer them homes all at the same time.

Fujimura struck me as the kinda guy that would do one thing with multiple benefits.

"Kusanagi. Sit." He demanded and I realized that he was talking to me.

Instantly my hackles rose up. I was going to give him exactly what I thought about him ordering me around in my own 'home' but I noticed Jun looking at me with a stupid pleading puppy dog face.

"Fine."

I settled onto the couch. "What do you want Fujimura?"

"Your rudeness during the meeting you barged into has been noted. Kusanagi." He said to me and I just ran an eyebrow up at him. Like I care? He seemed completely unbothered by my lack of reaction.

"Word was put out among our connections for information on who exactly was involved with the assault on your home. The Scavs that attacked you assaulted you with their entire group. They are gone. That should be the end of that problem." He offered and I could see Jun relax with a sigh.

"Wait, why would that be the end? If the Scavs are willing to attack us once why not do it again. We obviously pissed them off… I pissed them off." I acknowledged my own responsibility in this.

"You are young, and lack the understanding of why Scavs still exist in this city." Fujimura replied back instantly. Then seemed to realize that Jun was looking to him wanting to better understand the situation as well. So the older man let out a faint breath that could be a sigh and continued. "You think of them like the Tyger Claws. Or perhaps the Maelstrom. That is incorrect. There is no leader of the Scavs. There are hundreds."

"Right. They are fragmented to make sure if one group gets wiped out it doesn't hit the rest, but that-"

"Incorrect. They are fragmented because many of the groups you call Scavs have no relation to each other at all, never have, and never will."

"But then how do they work together? They all wear similar things! Act the same, hell most of them I've run into speak russian!"

"Many Russian immigrants find their ability to earn eddies in Night City difficult. So they group with like minded men and become another nest of rats. Similar to others but with no true connection between them."

"Copy cats… You are telling me every group of Scav is just a copycat of the idea? They…"

"Not all. The Russian Bratva started the concept of the Scav in Night City many years ago, but since then? Yes. Even many who are born within Night City will call themselves Scavs. Will speak Russian even if they are not a native speaker."

It struck me then.

I knew this. I knew what this was. The fact struck me like a fist.

It almost made me dizzy at just what I was dealing with. "Stand Alone Complex." I whispered aloud.

Multiple people with no association, all working towards a common goal, copying a criminal.

That Scavs weren't a gang with a leader I could murder and be done with it. They were the dispossessed looking to make eddies, and copying something scary to protect themselves. Putting on a mask to easily describe themselves…

"Hmm?" Fujimura prompted, hearing my whispered words.

"Nothing. Just an explanation that I wasn't expecting. How do you kill a group that pops up without any central control? A completely random group of people all committing horrible crimes?"

"You don't. You send out the exterminators from time to time to clear out the infestations and then move on." Fujimura said, and I couldn't help but look up because, the way he said it.

That wasn't an irritating old man explaining things to a kid.

It was… Gentle. Or as gentle as a man like Fujimura could ever do.

"Let it go Kusanagi. Kill them when you find them. Exterminate them when you can. But don't dedicate your life to something that will never end."

"That's stupid. Even if it's a Stand Alone Complex. There are ways to fight back! I just have to make the idea of Scavs so toxic that no one will ever use it again." The words were out of my mouth before I realized it, but the truth of them made me nod. "I've already started a way to do it. I kill them and every time I do, I send out a BD. I can show the city. Over and over. That being a Scav will just get you killed. Quicky. Brutally."

Fujimura didn't speak for a while, just watching me with a flat face.

"I told you most Scavs are without leadership, but don't think that means all of them are. The Bratva will not ignore you. They will destroy you swiftly, and without compromise."

I had nothing to say to that. Bombing. Snipers. An actually competent kill squad.

I wasn't invincible, and worse yet, my chooms were either.

Why was this so hard?

"Of course that is only if you continue to work as you have been. Alone. The Claws make it a point to remove Scavs from our territory whenever we find them. This is something the Bratva is already aware of, and they do not often settle in our territory for this reason. You're path to be an edgerunner won't bring you what you desire."

I met his eyes and had to admit.

He was right.

If I tried to do this like a Night City Edgerunner. I would end up dead. My chooms would die, and likely everything would go to shit.

If I tried to join the gangs, my path would be different, but I would just be a disposable tool.

If I joined a corp, that's just another flavor of gang.

I knew all the paths that someone in Night City could take. I knew the downward spirals they all inevitably fell into…

Could I avoid the same trap?

I stood up and just walked back to my room. I didn't want to deal with Fujimura anymore. I had things to consider.

—--

I ended up taking a nap. Eight hours passed in a blink, but in the end it made me feel better. It made me feel more in control.

I walked out into the living room to an empty apartment. Jun obviously was at work or out, and I just didn't want to deal with the quiet. I turned on the TV and ignored the stupid shows, but at least it created some noise.

The couch didn't make much noise as I flopped on it. Not like our old one that squeaked, or poofed out air depending on where you landed.

Was it weird that despite this apartment feeling closest to something from my last life, that it now felt foreign?

The apartment had carpet. My feet tapped out an arpeggio as I thought.

I think I had to stop for a while. Too much had changed all at once, and between the Kamikaze and my own actions we had done a pretty good job of wiping out a whole lot of Scavs.

There would always be more.

Well there would be more until I killed them all and salt and ashed the very idea of being a Scav in Night City.

But until then. I needed to slow down. For my own sake.

Besides, I could use the time to gather more Scav den info.

No. I stood up then as I realized what I was doing. Obsession was something I had always had a… Well I wouldn't call it an issue exactly. But it could be. And right now it was.

We were safe. The Scavs wouldn't have any idea where we lived, and we had protection. I would do some work on the security today, and then… Then I would stop thinking about Scavs for a few days. Minimum.

I reached over and grabbed my Guitar. I wasn't good with sitting and doing nothing. So I would just make music for a while instead.

 

[Seras]

The day had come and gone. Then the night. Jun hadn't come home, and the sun was rising. I had taken a break after an hour of playing music, and gone out. Spending a couple grand on some additional security for the apartment. Then Installing it all. Of course it was just off the shelf junk.

It wouldn't really stop anyone.

But I was currently programming out a bit of a trick. The thing with door locks is that they are never really going to stop someone. Instead I was going to keep the entire thing looking off the shelf, while inside the programming would have a bit of a trick.

Sure you can break into the apartment if you really want.

But I would know.

And knowing is half the way to avoid a trap, or a surprise raid.

I was still working on the code. Making the security system send an alarm if it was hacked wasn't hard. But letting it work without alerting the netrunner breaking in was.

So I was fiddling with a few design options to sneak the alert through.

It was progressing pretty well with Inspired Programmer keeping me full of inspiration.

*Ringing* I blinked at the noise checking the agent view.

*Malcolm! What's up?*

*Motoko I need help! Fuck! Cocksuckers shot me!* Malcolm gasped into the line as soon as I chirped my greeting.

Instantly I was moving, rushing for my room to grab my guns.

*Where are you? Tell me everything.*

*Fuck. Shit I'm bleeding bad. Okay okay. I'll send you my ping. I'm on a train right now.. II lost them, they stopped chasing me when I got on the rail. Fuck. Oh god. I was buying a car! They were trying to jump me. Steal the money and those fucks! It was supposed to be my car! They fucking killed me over this shit!* His voice broke down into a quiet moan.

*Okay I'm on my way. I'm pinging everyone as well, in case someone is closer. We're on our way Malcolm, just don't pass out okay. Stay awake.* I demanded as I scooped up my boots as I ran into the hall and raced to the elevator. I hit the button requesting it and then again and again.

Too slow.

I turned and rushed for the stairs. I slammed into the door and fought my boots onto my feet. Then as I slipped into the stairwell I leapt.

I landed on the railing two stories down, then I leapt down again.

Again and again. I leapt past some people hanging out in the stairwell. Kids adults. Whatever. It wasn't a concern.

*I'm still with you Malcolm, talk to me buddy.*

*Fuck it hurts. Never been shot before! Those assholes!* He whined and cried into the line, but I would rather him do that, then have it go silent. The last jump I dropped three stories to land in a crouch on the garage level. Startling some of the Tyger Claw kids that were smoking and hanging out under the stairs.

I slammed into the door and rushed for my Quadra. The door opened at a glance as I leapt inside from the passenger side.

Sliding into the driver seat, I gunned it backwards. My eyes instantly connected to the cameras on the Quadra to roar out of my space.

I didn't bother to spin around. Tires screeching through the garage I slipped my Quadra into a reverse drift to make the entrance ramp and continued roaring backwards until I hit the top of the ramp absolutely maxing out the engine as it leapt into the air. I hit the ground and Spun, finally facing forward already in the street and ignoring the honks of people that I had nearly crashed into.

My Quadra roared. All 1000 horsepower roared as my foot hit the pedal all the way down.

*I'm on my way!* I said again into the phone as for the first time I really truly ignored traffic laws.

I raced the streets. Swerved through traffic, and ignored lights. The sidewalk was perfectly good for getting around traffic as well to my current estimation.

I had no care about anything because one of my chooms was in trouble.

Malcolm was my friend.

I wasn't ready to lose a friend to this city.

*Talk to me Malcolm. Tell me about these assholes.*

*... Fuck. They… They were selling a Rayfield Motoko. It was a second gen Caliburn. Yellow silver. The best… The best paintjob. It was so beautiful. And cheap… It was only 70k. I wanted it so bad. I decided… I thought fuck it. It's my dream car, you know? I… I have a poster of it above my bed. Dreamed about that car since… Forever. If I had it… that means I made it you know?*

*Yeah Malcolm, and you will. Believe me. Just keep breathing choom. I'm almost there.* And I was. Malcolm was still in Westbrook. Just farther south. Near Charter Hill. He had sent me an active GPS ping, and it wasn't moving. *Did you get off the rail?*

*Yeah… Yeah they kicked me off. Bleeding too much I guess… Fuckers.* He mumbled.

Fuck.

*Hey Malcolm, listen to me. You keep your damn eyes open, and keep breathing! You hear me?*

*Yeah… I gotta listen to you right? Boss? Heh. Who would have thought I'd be working for your gonk ass. Fuck. It's been great though…* He trailed off.

*Yeah it's awesome, and your brain is amazing at noticing things! Couldn't have done the yacht heist without you yeah? You were the one to figure out the Scavs. So stay alive Malcolm, that's an order from your boss!* I gasped out desperately as I made a stupidly dangerous turn.

*Yeah…*

I skidded to a halt as Traffic was blocking me again and the sidewalk was full. I honked and revved into the sidewalk anyways. People scurried out of the way as I drove as slow as I could bear around the cars stopped at a light until I hit the road and revved to skid onto the cross street into the active traffic. Swiftly forcing a position and then accelerating.

Just gotta hope NCPD were busy right now…

At least I was getting responses from everyone. Vik had responded to my frantic text message and he was on his way with med supplies to keep someone alive. I just had to get Malcolm to him.

I was there. The sidewalk was a perfectly good parking spot as I nearly drove onto the escalators running up to the platform.

Driver side door opened, and I was off like a shot, Racing up the escalator until there were people in the way and then I jumped onto the railings and just raced up that.

Then I was on the platform, and it wasn't hard to see Malcolm.. A pool of blood with bloody footprints leading to him slumped up against a sign and a small space in the crowd, but no one was trying to help.

Assholes.

I leapt. Landing beside him in a single movement.

"Hey Malcolm. Calvary is here. C'mon. Take this." I offered him a MaxDoc, while I grabbed an Airhypo and jammed it into his chest.

"FuuuuUUK!." He cursed his breath suddenly much fuller as the Airhypo oxygenated his blood.

Well as much as it could anyways.

"Take the MaxDoc Malcolm." I demanded and grabbed some bandages out of a hip pouch.

Fuck the bullet hole was bad.

Through and through his chest, just below his armpit and out almost between his ribs on the front.

That was… Not good.

I wrapped a bandage around him as best I could and then hefted him up.

Malcolm was bigger than me, true.

But I was so freaked out, I didn't even care that he was a bit heavier than me. I pulled him into a princess carry ignoring his cry of pain as I started rushing to the escalator.

*Vik! I got him. Sending you pics. I'll be rushing to meet you!* I sent Vik as I finally didn't need to be on call with Malcolm.

*Alright Kid. Just breathe, steady now. Let's save your choom.* He whispered into my ear, and it was calming as I rushed down the escalator doing my best not to jostle Malcolm, or bump him into anything.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY!" I roared at some fucking morons not idling in front of me, and it was only when I started to try and grab my Burya that they hurried out of the way.

My Quadra was still there idling, Although I wasn't surprised to note some gonk kid was running off with an arm full of…

Okay stealing my homemade grenades was pretty ballsy. That's a scary kid for the next few days.

I slipped Malcolm into the passenger seat, and strapped him in.

This was going to get wild.

"H-hey. You're gonna have to not drive like a… Granny." Malcolm joked at me weakly as I slipped into the driver seat.

"Yeah." I agreed bluntly and then floored it again. Vik was heading this way, but it was still far. And Malcolm was bleeding.

I couldn't tell exactly what I babbled at Malcolm to keep him focused as I raced through the streets, it was all a blur, and I was sure that without Cool Nerves I definitely would have gotten into an accident as I was sure my entire body would be shaking if not for that.

Thank you system. Thank you Gamer powers. Thank you whatever thing gave me the ability to actually act through my panic and try to save my choom.

I almost ran into Vik. Who was driving an old Villefort Columbus van. I slid into a screeching powerslide right beside him nearly startling him off the road as he jerked the wheel a bit, but braked after and then he was there. My passenger door opened and Vik instantly slipped some device with a big canister attached against Malcolms chest.

I heard the pneumatic sound as it activated.

"Fuck!" Malcolm hissed, but Vik was just chuckling, talking calmly, and a moment later. Instead of a reedy wet breathing coming out in a rush from Malcolm, it seemed to even out a bit. And some color very quickly came back to his face.

"C'mon lets get you in the van, and I'll plug those holes yeah?" Vik said as calm as ever seemingly completely unconcerned about what he was helping with, and I could see how that calm soothed Malcolm who obviously was freaking out at what had happened.

Fuck Vik. You are truly an angel.

—---

Ignoring the traffic build up behind us, we got Malcolm into the van. The van off the middle of the road, and my Quadra out of the way, and Vik went to work.

I couldn't even start to explain to you the Ripper doc magic that Vik did there on the side of the road in a beat up old Van, but within ten minutes Malcolm was breathing easy, resting in a stretcher and even cracking a joke with the old ripper.

Ichi showed up first. His own Van roared down the road and parked up onto the sidewalk alongside us as he jumped out, nearly leaping onto Malcolm to make sure he was okay.

"Hey, easy Ichi, easy." Malcolm said, sounding tired, but amused at Ichi's reaction.

"You alright? Dr. Vik? He'll be okay?"

"Right as rain, kid. Not the first time I've patched up a bullet hole." Vik joked back but he was doing something with the hole in Malcolms side, his face buried in a screen looking at Malcolms chest.

It took a second but Ichi breathed out and nearly slumped to the floor. "Hey I'm alright now Ichi. It's okay. Motoko got to me in time."

"I can't believe you were gonk enough to trust Granny driver Motoko to come rescue you. Should have called me first." Ichi said with an almost sob in his voice as he told the joke.

Which is the only reason I didn't punch him for it.

I didn't drive like a granny!

"Heh. Knew… Knew you were across town remember? Figured 'Toko would be free."

"Well you were right!" I told him firmly from the floor of the van. I wasn't napping or anything just trying to calm myself. The relief at Malcolm not dying was just…

Too much.

"And I was right." Malcolm said, waving a hand off his cot in my direction.

"I'm glad you're alright Malcolm. Fuck. Can't believe you got shot."

"Me neither." He offered and both boys went quiet even if I could only see Ichi looking down at Malcolm with an array of angry emotions across his face.

"Who did it?"

"Some assholes down near Santo. Supposed to be legit, car trade through a site. I checked it out with some guys on the site. Everything looked legit. They sell cars, boosted, damaged whatever. Got a hit for the car I was looking for… Fuck it's my fault. They didn't have a fucking Caliburn, probably heard about me looking for one. Thought I was probably some rich kid or something. Fuck."

"Don't worry Malcolm. We'll find them." Ichi said which surprised me because I was about to say that too.

Ichi looked to me and I just nodded. Both of us understood what was going to happen next.

"Malcolm!" A breathless cry pulled us towards the door, where Hiromi had just pulled up on her Kusanagi. She rushed in, and it was luck that Ichi grabbed her before she almost flopped onto Malcolm.

"I was in class! I'm sorry I didn't even get the ping until now! Are you-"

"He'll live kid, Don't worry I'm patching him up just fine." Vik said with a smile and Hiromi almost sagged.

—--

We filled in Hiromi on everything, and in the end an hour later Malcolm was at Viks clinic resting.

But I was going to go find some fuckers that shot my choom. I was almost up the stairs when Ichi grabbed my arm stopping me.

"I'm going with." He said no hesitation in his voice.

He was pissed. Which is why I didn't want him to come. Even at my angriest, I still had Cold Blood keeping my mind clear. Keeping myself clear to make decisions like shooting gonks rather than talking to them.

"Ichi-"

"Don't Motoko. I'm coming. Or I'll go alone. They shot my choom over a fucking car sale. Malcolm wasn't even fucking with them, but they just- Fuck that."

"I'm coming too." Hiromi said as she walked up the stairs behind Ichi, patting him on the shoulder once as she walked right past us both. "What do you both need an invitation?" She asked as she turned and gave one of her superior looks at the two of us.

If it wasn't such a serious moment between us, I would have leapt on her, pinned her to the ground and… Mess with her hair or something. I don't know.

"Alright, fine. We all go! But, I call the shots." I demand looking at the two of my chooms with firm looks.

"I'm fine with that." Hiromi said and a moment later Ichi nodded.

"Good. First thing first. Go get suited up. These fucks have guns and obviously aren't afraid to use it. So go get ready." I ordered much to both of their irritations, but in the end they listened. Hiromi jumped onto her Kusanagi, and Ichi in his van.

I went home myself to grab my own Section 9 equipment.

I was going to make a point against these assholes.

—--

Suited up and ready we all met up near the location Malcolm had given us. "Stay close together guys, and keep your eyes open.." I demanded making sure they both understood before we walked down the block towards where Malcolms little meetup was supposed to happen.

I had my techgogs down blocking my eyes and face, as I wandered through the crowds of Night city people.

We were in Charter hill, just on the other side of the canal cutting off Charter Hill and Arroyo.

I followed the location GPS through a back alley, Through a small alley filled with old homeless tents, and then into a small inner court area for the apartments around me. The place had old shop spaces all closed down and shuttered along the edges. Each of the shutters now covered in years of gang tags.

Hiromi and Ichi both stayed close together, weapons ready and waiting.

But while there were some people here, it didn't look like our people.

Not that we were sure what they looked like.

Dammit Malcolm. You walked into a deal with no backup, no information on whose these fuckers were!

I let it go as I searched around, trying to find a clue, or just someone I thought could answer some questions when I noticed it.

A puddle of blood. With a trail leading through to the street beyond.

I stepped low and touched it with a chrome finger.

This was where Malcolm got shot. I could actually see the rail line he must have run to from here. Straight through the gap he had escaped through. And the trail of blood.

"This is the right place alright." I muttered as I looked around scanning the area, eyes flashing checking everything I could.

"Hiromi." I called out and pointed.

A homeless man was in the courtyard. A little shack of cardboard and old benches in a corner.

She nodded and Ichi followed. She would ask questions, and maybe get some answers. She was better at that. While I was better at this.

The Courtyard didn't have cameras. Any that might have originally been set up were long gone, ripped out of their mounts for whatever purpose their thief wanted. But that didn't mean shit to me.

This was still Night City. There were only so many places one could move unnoticed to avoid all cameras.

I circled the building. Marking a map with every camera pointed in the direction I needed. If the people who had shot Malcolm had come, or gone into this set of apartments I would find them.

I met back up with Hiromi and Ichi Hiromi looking a little irritated, but her face shifted as she saw me return.

"Some moderate good news." She offered with a shrug. "The old man saw the shooting. I had to pay him a chunk of eddies to get the information, but he blabbed quickly enough. Apparently he hadn't seen the guys before. They aren't from these apartments, probably came here to make sure they couldn't be tracked after stealing Malcolms eddies… Wait, did they actually get the eddies from Malcolm?"

I blinked.

Ichi blinked.

"I'll call him and ask. Keep filling Motoko in." Ichi said and we all nodded.

"Right. So, they aren't from around here, but I was able to get what direction they left in. No idea what vehicle they might have, but at least we have a location for where they went."

"Which way?" I asked and Hiromi pointed me towards another alleyway on the opposite side from where we had walked in from.

"So they are going north… That alley. There's some cameras at a few restaurants across the street. We'll be able to ID them." I assured my chooms and despite Ichi's eyes glowing yellow he nodded along having been listening in even as he made the call.

"Alright. Let's go take a look as well before we head out. I want to get some eyes on the area." I told them and Hiromi and Ichi followed as we walked through the alley. This one didn't have a tent city in it, but it was filled with doors and ways into the buildings around them.

Not good. Hopefully the homeless man was right, and they weren't native to the area. I would really hate to have to try and track some gonks through this rat warren of hallways and back entrances.

I leapt to the side as a pipe rumbled and something foul smelling and just as disgusting looking poured out of it into the alley.

"Grooooss!" Hiromi whined, and all I could do was nod along.

"Yeah. Watch your feet."I mumbled already knowing I would be washing my boots off before ever stepping into the apartment.

We wandered down the alley until finally reaching the street. It was bright and active. No signs of the rundown practically abandoned courtyard we just passed through.

"So what are we looking for?" Ichi asked and I shrugged my eyes scanning the street. I had already walked past this exact spot before, but now I was double checking. Sending out pings to any electronic devices I could see to find what they were connected to.

And slowly I got an idea of how everything was put together.

Of course I was still wearing my techgogs I realized which explained why Hiromi and Ichi were both wondering what the hell I was doing.

"Sorry. I'm scanning everything. I want to see what open systems there are in the area, as well maybe something more hidden."

"Gotcha! How can we help?" Hiromi asked and I just reached out to pull her into a side hug to quiet her for a moment. I was tracking down a stray connection connected to the net from the cafe across the street but I ended up sighing.

Just some punk piggybacking on the cafe's TV connection.

"Nothing stands out. Unless we want to try and ask all the people on the street if they remember seeing our perps. I think it's time to head to the net."

 

[Seras]

"You guys don't have to wait around. You could go check on Malcolm…" I offered as we entered the basement of the Straight Lane Apartments, where all my netrunning stuff was kept.

"Malcolm is asleep, and Dr. Vik doesn't want us bothering him. Besides, we can help you like last time. Go through data while you keep up the hunt." Ichi replied and I didn't have a response for that.

I felt bad that my chooms would be hanging around me while I was basically sleeping, while leaving Malcolm alone. Especially with how antsy Ichi was to help.

"It's fine Motoko. The sooner we find these fucks, the sooner we kill them and let Malcolm sleep like a baby." Hiromi reminded me and I nodded as I clambered onto my netrunning chair. I pulled out the chair's connectors and fitted them into my leotard so the biomonitors would keep an eye on me, and the coolant could flow then rested back.

"Okay. I'll see you later." I told them and closed my eyes.

Only to open them in my blank lobby space.

It only took me a moment to adjust and then I was off. Zipping through the city in a blur as I used the IP address of all the systems I had been scanning back at the attack site to practically teleport there.

Then I set foot onto the netscape and went to work. First I accessed the cafe that was across the street. Breaking through their ICE with only a few moments of work since their system wasn't especially well protected. I ignored the connection to the other netrunner I had noticed before, and instead accessed their camera.

Only five minutes into entering the net I got my eyes on the fuckers that shot Malcolm.

It was hard to miss.

The four street thugs all charging through the alley, one still holding a pistol in his hand as they clambered into a rust bucket Archer Hella.

Then they took off with a jerky motion as they seemed to forget to release the parking brake before slamming the gas.

Part of me was still furious at these fucks but…

Malcolm? Really choom? You trusted that these fucking gonks had a fucking Supercar for sale? They didn't look like they had XXL burrito to their name.

I sent a note for Ichi to ask Malcolm for more details on why he trusted these guys in the first place. These guys were just thugs. Chaff.

I refused to believe Malcolm was that stupid…

Okay he had gone without backup. So maybe he was a little brain dead, but I refused to believe he was this stupid.

But they had given me what I needed. A direction.

"The Archer Hella we are looking for is heading East on Lele. Towards… Pardey? Yeah. Is there a freeway connection there?" I asked my team as I started going down the street, checking if there was a good corner store with a camera on the intersection.

*No freeway connection there They would have to go south and then get on from the Republic Way connection.* Hiromi replied after a moment and I nodded.

Okay Let's cut down on what paths they could take, and track them home.

—---

Two hours later I pulled out of the net to take a break.

I hadn't exactly eaten today and Hiromi and Ichi were both getting hungry.

We had tracked the fuckers through Charter Hill, Into Heywood of all places. I had thought they might be connected to the Tinos. But then as they moved through the area they turned east.

Into Arroyo. Then into Rancho Coronado.

6th St?

I lost them multiple times in the area. Unfortunately the industrial parks giving way to suburbs, cut out a lot of my ability to snoop.

"Oh. Thanks Ichi!" I Chirped as I finally opened my eyes to reality to see Ichi had obviously gone on a food run at some point.

"No problem. There wasn't much we could do to help there at the end." He said stuffing a piece of some noodle dish into his mouth.

"Yeah. Rancho Coronado is a bit of a dead zone." I grumbled. Sure there were still security cameras in the area, but they were few and far between, and worse some were pointing just at the front door, or at places I couldn't use.

"So what do you think?" Hiromi asked and I grumbled a bit as I sat and stuffed my own little meal into my mouth so I wouldn't have to speak at first.

"Rancho is 6th St. If the guys fled there, they are probably 6th St. Or maybe they are an offshoot gang or something. We either go and start hunting them down, or maybe see if we can't use some diplomacy? Reach out to 6th St. Might be able to find out who they are that way?"

"You think 6th St. Would give up info on one of their own to us?" Ichi asked, obviously skeptical, and I shook my head.

"No I don't. Which means we are probably going to have to hunt them down, in the middle of gang territory… This is gonna be a pain."

"We could try and lure them out?" Hiromi asked and I shrugged.

"I don't think that will work Hiromi. However Malcolm contacted them, they aren't going to respond through those methods. Especially if they suspect Malcolm isn't dead. Think about it. They wanted his eddies. If they have even a single braincell they will realize a teenager flashing that kind of money probably has people that will kill them to get a paycheck."

"Ah true… They're gonna suspect someone is coming to kill them."

I blinked.

"Yeah. They will. They will suspect someone is going to try and hunt them down… Hiromi you are very smart." I told her, and she looked questioning at me.

People in Night City were pretty direct. Normally if something like this happened, and Malcolm was some Corpo kid. They would hire a merc. The merc would try to hunt them down, succeed or not, and that would basically be it. Once the merc failed to find them… Then the fuckers would be safe from retaliation. Wasn't like a merc was going to get paid if they found them a week after pissing off the guy hiring them by failing.

Hiromi continued to look confused at my words. But while she hadn't said anything genius herself, it was actually very accurate. If they suspected someone was coming for them… Then that's what we would show them.

"We are going to trick them. They are probably hiding right now. Deep in some hole. It won't be easy to find them, and even if we do, we will have to deal with 6th St. getting involved… But if we convince them that they got away with it? If they think they are all clear, they will stop hiding. Then we won't have to hunt them down through 6th St. territory. We will just invite them to a nice little deal and remove them then."

"So you go and pretend to look for them?" Ichi asked and I shook my head.

"No, I won't be a good choice, I'm weird cause I'm so young besides, I was trying to take a break this week anyways. Better to get someone that looks like a merc, give 6th St. Exactly what they suspect to see. That way they won't react strongly. Just another merc searching for someone for a bounty before giving up."

"So we hire someone to pretend to look for them just to give up?" Ichi asked looking a little unhappy with it.

"Exactly. We hire a merc for an easy few days, of fucking around in Rancho Coronado, pretending to find our boys. And then he gives up, once he stops showing up. Obviously he couldn't find them and so everyone in the area will know that he gave up and that solves the whole problem."

"Wait but who? Are you going to ask Jun or Fujimura-sama to hire a merc?"

"Nah. I know a guy." I said and grinned as I started making a call to Jackie. A week or so contract to hang around Rancho Coronado, eat on my dime, and make a half hearted attempt to find the four gonks? Jackie would probably be all for it.

Plus it was a perfect excuse to go home and relax for a while like I planned before Malcolm got shot.

I breathed in, and out. Yeah. I still needed that break.

—--

After making a call and setting up the whole situation with Jackie, he ended up agreeing, laughing the whole time at the idea.

I was just glad he was willing to do it, for less than normal merc money. I mean, sure I could pay him fully, but this should be a pretty safe gig. Although I did offer a hazard pay if 6th St. did try to jump him or something.

Until then we all went to Viks.

"He's still sleeping." He assured us patting Ichi on the shoulder as the boy had instantly walked over to Vik for an update about his best choom.

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Just keep quiet and let him rest. He'll be fine. Everything is stable, and he is mostly just recovering blood and healing a bit. I shot him up with Quick Heal and everything. The boy'll be on his feet in a week like nothing happened." Ichi gave out a shuddered sigh at the words, his shoulders almost trembling as Vik patted the Section 9 jacket that we were all still wearing.

I mouthed a thank you to Vik as Hiromi and I braced Ichi. Hiromi pressed her forehead against the side of his head, while I reached over and ran a hand through Ichi's dark hair.

"I'll be okay." He said a little grumpily a few moments later when he realized both of us girls were being gentle with him.

"We know." I said and Hiromi agreed. Ichi stood straight. Annoyingly taller than I was and wiped our affection off of him like it was covered in cooties.

He would be okay, and so would Malcolm.

—--

I flopped onto the couch at home a few hours later.

Vik had eventually sent us all home to rest, agreeing he would text us when Malcolm woke up.

Rolling sideways I looked at the new holo TV and stared at it. It was too high up. The old TV was just on a table across the room and was a little above head height when on the couch. The Holo TV had the display way up towards the ceiling.

It made my neck hurt to look so high up while sprawled out.

Probably some corpo plan with Biotechnica to sell more Bioware necks to people or something.

I rolled my face into the couch.

Maybe a good eight hours of sleep would help?

I faintly felt a thump of bass through the couch. Reaching down I placed a chrome finger against the floor, even with the carpet I could feel the faintest hint of vibrations there.

Rockerboy neighbor was playing again.

My guitar was over there… It would be something to do. Get out some of the frustration I've been dealing with.

I fumbled across the couch without actually getting up until I reached my guitar and flopped onto my back so I could rest it on my stomach.

That didn't really feel right either…

In the end I rolled off the couch. Laying back on the carpet, feet resting on the couch like I was sitting backwards.

Yeah, that felt better. Everything felt upside down to me right now. Stupid Night City. Stupid Scavs. And Jun. And fuckers shooting my choom.

It was an annoying fact that as much as I wanted to just play in Night City like it was a video game, if I did that people I loved would die. Or I would.

My hand strummed a chord. Then because I simply knew which chord to use I changed it and then strummed the beginnings to a song.

"You don't want to hurt me."

Edgerunners was right about one thing.

"We're only here once. Why blame yourself?" Major Crimes, by Health. It suited my mood at the moment.

—--

"Motoko! I'm hom- Whoa!" Jun yelped as I poked my head over the couch. It had been a few hours of sad songs, and I was surprisingly feeling a lot better.

"Hey Jun."

"Jeeze don't scare me like that. Oh playing some songs?"

"Yeah I've been feeling a little down and stuff with everything. So I'm letting out the bad stuff. It's going okay." I chirped as I laid the guitar on the couch and flipped up to see what Jun was up to.

He had a bag of something that didn't smell like XXL burritos in his arms.

"Yeah I noticed… How's your choom?."

"Malcolm will be okay. I got him to Vik in time." I said, not mentioning how absolutely terrified I had been that I wouldn't be in time. That despite everything I would make it. I was suddenly so incredibly grateful for my system once again.

I wouldn't have to worry about nightmares.

"I'm glad… I uh… Got you something."

He said and to my surprise he opened the bag and it was…

Ramen.

The Ramen we always bought from the shop in Sakura Market. The Ramen stand that wasn't super far from here, but more than far enough you wouldn't just stop by for Ramen that could get closer.

"Jun?"

"I noticed you've been upset, and then today happened too." He said simply as he settled the Ramen bowls on the couch center table. "I know I pushed you into moving. I think… I wouldn't have done it, if I didn't think it was the best idea at the time. For safety, and just how big it is, but I know I pushed you on it." He said, before closing his eyes and breathing in and out, as if calming his mind. "So I wanted to do something to make you feel… Normal."

He pushed the Ramen over to me and I looked at it.

Jun was such a gonk I thought, definitely not seeing him through a bit of blurriness around the edges of my vision.

"You are such a gonk." I told him as I walked over and threw my arms around his neck. I wasn't crying Jun was crying! He had faulty chrome for his optic lubricants! It was raining inside! I got something stuck in my eye!

Ignoring the fact I could poke my Kiroshi and not really be bothered by something like that.

Stupid Jun!

"Thank you for going along with it, and just… I'm sorry it wasn't what you wanted. Hopefully we can make this place our home. And you'll end up loving it even more. It certainly smells better." He muttered the end and I laughed, definitely not choking a bit on a sob.

"The carpet is nice too!" I informed him.

"The Fridge is bigger."

"Oh the bathroom has better hot water!"

We went on and on telling each other good things about the new apartment, falling into the little game without even needing to discuss it, pure sibling comradery in action.

It was nice.

I even forgave him for the already cold Ramen when I tried it. Turns out his Kusanagi isn't exactly great for keeping Ramen warm on the cooling nights of Night City.

I ate it anyway though.

—--

"What are you doing?" I asked Jun in the morning. I had slept, but Jun as usual slept in, but then to my surprise he came out of his room dressed in…

Well athletic clothes?

"Hitting the gym."

"You?" I couldn't help but ask in surprise. Jun was…

He was a lazy teenager given chrome muscles. He didn't exercise. At least not that I've ever seen.

"I go to the Gym!" He hissed every bit the offended teenager, but then hesitated before admitting "Sensei told me I've let the normal muscles I've got left grow a bit weak. So I've been informed to workout until he is satisfied."

I blinked. He looked away grimacing, because we both knew what was going to happen next.

"Pffft! Can't be a big scary Oni if you are fat!" I mocked in delighted laughter making Jun's shoulders slump at my words.

"I knew it. I knew this was going to happen, but I answered anyways. Why did I answer?" Jun muttered to himself but I heard him.

"So where you going? Is there a good Gym around here?" I asked because honestly… I could use my downtime to get another Body level…

That actually sounded like fun. I've been a bit in the dumps, but exercise was good for that!

"There's a TC Gym, yeah. Want to come?" He offered and I instantly frowned at him. I really didn't…

On the other hand, if there was a Gym in the building I wouldn't have to pay for that corpo Gym anymore!

Wait… I haven't been there in months! Shit I had to cancel!

Fucking Gym membership!

"Sure." I agreed, heading into my room with a quick flip over the back of the couch to get changed.

—--

The Gym was actually just outside the apartment complex. There was a little path and then what used to be a basketball court? Or maybe a tennis court. I couldn't tell, but now it was full of workout equipment.

And TC grunts using it.

Jun walked in without a moment's hesitation. Because to him these were his people. I took a moment to scope it out a bit first. Looking over the group. There were currently about five people using the equipment, all of which gave Jun a greeting as he entered.

I idly wondered how it worked. Were these guys Fujimura's people as well, or just well aware that Jun was Kamikaze and so being careful?

In the end it didn't matter. I didn't get the greetings Jun did, but no one bothered me as I found some free weights and loaded some pounds on the pole, before settling into a corner to do some squats.

I started with squats mostly so I could keep an eye on the area. I would have to switch to something else eventually if someone noticed that I was going overboard. There were too many people around for me to just work through a single machine or exercise until I got my alerts.

"You a new kid?" A rough voice asked and I looked up into an old man's face. Greyed beard and old Chrome. It was the first thing I thought when I looked up into his eyes.

This was a man that survived in Night City. He was shirtless as he had obviously been exercising, the wraps on his hands reminding me that I had seen him on a punching bag a few moments before. Old Tattoos stretched across his chest and back.

This man would be a Yakuza if he wasn't very obviously a Tyger Claw.

"Yeah, just moved in." I informed him as I continued my reps up and down.

"Then you're the Kusanagi girl! Well you got good form. Keep it up. I'm John, this is my gym. If you need a partner for anything ask me. I'll help, or find someone who can. Don't break anything, no fighting in the gym. Good?"

"Perfectly." I offered the old man. As I continued up and down. I needed to push myself if I was going to get a Body alert.

Or eventually a level up. I was still a long way off. Not enough really pushing my body to the limit since I stopped actively exercising.

The older man watched for a moment before nodding seemingly pleased at my exercise and then turned to walk off. A few moments later he was critiquing a teenage boy for fucking around with his own free weights.

It always made me wonder what I should feel when someone among the TC treated me normally. These were the same guys that worked with Jotaro.

That committed horrible crimes.

I sighed. This was Night City I suppose.

 

[Seras]

I used Jun as a measuring stick. Switching to a new exercise whenever he did. Since despite all his chrome, my brother was a bit out of shape. Too many burritos.

My calves and thighs were burning but it felt good because I had gotten a few Body alerts as I exercised as well!

Then considering most of the stuff was already claimed I walked up to the punching speed bag. The small bag wasn't my usual go to for exercises, but that actually worked to my benefit. I had done punching machines and such before, but never a speed bag.

Although with my chrome arms I wasn't sure if I would actually get much out of it. I wasn't exactly working muscles with my arms, but I wanted to try it anyway.

Plus it was free.

I stretched my legs bouncing a bit to work out the tired muscles as I walked up and hit the bag. It flopped fast, too fast.

I had vague memories of seeing people use the thing in the past, and I had even seen John use it as I walked in.

I held back and struck it again. It bounced and flopped much more controllably.

"Better." A voice startled me and I looked back to see the old TC man himself. "Three count. Like this." He informed me, walking up and striking the bag once, letting it three times before he struck it again, and instantly there was a balance.

He stopped right after. "Try again."

I shrugged, a tap of my fist, and I waited. Then struck again. Then again. I got the pace down nearly instantly.

"Good. Now sw-"

I had already switched hands, starting to shift which hand struck the back, constantly changing the number of hits, and adjusting.

"Huh. You pick things up quick." He complimented, and I shrugged as I moved.

"I know how to fight pretty well, used some punching machines before, just never a speed bag." I informed him.

"Show me." he demanded as he walked over behind the speed bag for a set of mitts. He slipped them on and waved me over.

I sighed. I was kinda just wanting to do my own thing. But I shrugged and walked over.

And then we started, I punched out and struck his mitts as he moved, and I moved with him, following him around striking the mitts even dodging his telegraphed swipes as I fell into the rhythm, and I could see him testing me. Starting slow before going faster and faster, telegraphing less and less to see where I stood.

Finally I had to block his mitt as I leaped back to keep from getting smacked in the face and he nodded. "You're not bad kid. Who trained you?"

"No one really. For this anyways. Sensei at the Deravaja Dojo worked with me on some sword stuff."

He scoffed at my words as he looked me over. "Well you either had years of training or you're a natural."

"The second actually." Jun said suddenly as he walked over and pulled me in by the shoulder.

"Ew! Jun! You sweat beast! Gross!" I cursed at him as he had pulled me right into his stinky armpit.

Jun of course realizing what he had done just laughed at my horror as I wiped at my shoulder.

"Kusanagi."

"John." Jun greeted back, before nodding his head at me. "My sister is a genius. Most of the time anyways."

"Gonk." I retorted, flushing a little at being complimented. I mean. If you were going by how quickly I could learn something thanks to my system, I would be a super genius. But I also kinda wasn't. So it was a bit embarrassing to be complimented for something that wasn't really true, but something I couldn't really argue.

"Huh. Well she gots some good hands." John offered complimenting my punching skill.

But I couldn't let that setup go. "Bought them myself." I retorted a little sarcastically earning a blink from the older man before he actually let out a deep chuckle.

"Got me there kid. Got me there. You done already Kusanagi?" John asked and Jun shrugged. "I can't wear myself out. I have work tonight."

Both of us looked to Jun with eyes filled with disappointment.

"Don't get fat Jun-nii."

"I'm not fat!" He actually shouted and everyone looked at him. Jun had that moment of realization that he had spoken a little too loud. "I'm not fat." He poked me with a finger, but in the end he did turn around and go work on a treadmill sort of thing for a while.

—--

"Have fun?" Jun asked as we both headed up on the elevator.

"Exercise isn't really fun to me." I answered. Sure, I had eventually forgiven John for bothering me when he pulled me into some more exercises that had pulled another Body Alert from my system. I enjoyed the results, but the act itself was mostly just drudgery, if not for Cool keeping me on task, I probably would have stopped long before even Jun.

Although… It was kinda nice though to get my muscles burning again.

"Heh. You had a happy look on your face though?"

"I did not!"

"Ah I see. John is married you know?"

"Wha? JUN!"

"What? You like olde-" I punched him instantly for daring to utter such lies!

"I do not like older guys!" I yelled as the elevator door opened and into the face of the woman that was standing there.

The woman was wearing a cool leather like jacket neon lights lighting it up in a strobe effect, her hair glowing to a musical beat that she was also nodding her head to. She had a guitar strapped over her back, and as I looked on she blew a bubble of pink bubblegum and popped it.

She was, in one word, cool.

And probably Rockerboy neighbor.

"Nice guitar." I offered, unable to say anything else. I recognized the model from the music shop, although I couldn't remember the name. I wasn't exactly an instrument hound after all.

"It does what I need." She muttered cooly, hip cocked to the side and looking us over. Although I noticed her eyes were mostly on Jun.

"Jun, right? You just moved in." She greeted, her eyes practically flashing.

"Yeah. Nice to meet you." He said, still fighting off chuckles at my previous yell.

"Preem. You should come see the show sometime." She offered and reached into her guitar bag and pulled out a leaflet. "TC get a discount." She added and Jun took the leaflet. I stood up on my tiptoes to take a look.

Huh. Apparently the girls band, Violent Hemorrhage was playing at a club not far from here. There was a picture of the girl herself obviously the lead on the leaflet.

"Cool." I muttered, because it was pretty cool. I wonder what kind of music she played? Maybe we could jam together some time? I haven't had the chance to play with someone else yet.

"I might show up." Jun offered and the girl smirked, and I instantly realized she was flirting.

Gross! She was flirting with Jun!

Why were all of these girls interested in Jun!? He was a burrito addict! And he throws his socks everywhere!

"What kind of music do you play?" I asked, looking towards the girl, and she just scoffed.

"Should be fairly obvious, no? The Violent Hemorrhage play NeoRock Electrosmash."

"What the hell is NeoRockSmash?" I asked instantly because suddenly I felt like I was in the mid 2000's again and everyone was talking about New Rave Hyperpop Synth-Electroclash. Or something similarly gibberish.

The girl looked like she was going to say something biting, but Jun was right there, and she smoothed out and instead just spoke with the most syrupy sweet voice. "Maybe just stick with pop."

Okay cool girl. First off? No one tells me to listen to pop music.

Secondly, this means war.

My narrowed eyes obviously spoke my intent because she just rolled her eyes and looked to Jun. "See you around Kusanagi." She said, sounding very sultry and she sashayed into the elevator past us. Pointedly almost rubbing against Jun as they nearly jostled at the entrance, and then.

The elevator shut.

"I don't like Rockerboy Neighbor." I said instantly. To make sure Jun wasn't getting any weird ideas.

Like sexual interest.

"She's a bit rude, yeah." He agreed and I smiled at him for saying what I wanted. Jun could find way better girls than her! Even if she was cool!

And she had that don't fuck with me attitude that was pretty awesome. Stupid Cool Rockerboys.

But I would rather Jun get with Akari… Or Rita! Rita was a good choice! Better than Cool rockerboy girl.

I was gonna wipe that stupid smug smirk off her face. I decided right then.

"I'm gonna go take a shower and practice." I told Jun and started for the apartment.

"Practice what?" He asked, following after as I stomped off.

"Music of course!"

—--

Of course it was only mid shower that I remembered that Malcolm was injured and I took a moment to cool my irritation at Rockerboy girl to put that to the side, so I could get ready and go to hang out with Malcolm. Because my choom was more important.

Of course I wasn't the only visitor as I stomped down the stairs to Vik's clinic.

Ichi had finally been told to go home that morning apparently, but Hiromi was there when I stepped down into Vik's clinic.

"Motoko!"

"Hey Hiromi. Hey Malcolm, how you feeling?" I asked as I walked over to where the two were hanging out. Pulling off my Guitar and setting my Music box to the side so I could give some hugs to my chooms. Malcolm still rested on the Ripper chair Hiromi pulled up next to him with a tablet in her hands. It only took me a moment to realize the two of them were playing games.

Aww. Hiromi had come to play videogames with Malcolm!

I kept the laughter of delight on the inside as I pulled up a chair to watch the two playing the game.

And instantly wanted to die.

The game was shit. Garbage. Full of microtransactions, and the screen was at least 40% ads built into the hud.

I could feel my soul leaving my body as the two were happily playing as if this was acceptable.

I couldn't make heads or tails of the actual gameplay. It looks sort of like a farmville clone? But there weren't plants, instead I realized what it was when Hiromi pulled up a menu and I saw the name of the game.

"Corporate Commander?"

"Yeah! It's fun. You run a startup corp and have to survive and grow and stuff. Malcolm and I play it sometimes, I figured with him stuck in a chair it was a perfect time to finally kill that bitch Excel Corp!"

"Hiromi, they are obviously more than willing to throw thousands of eddies into the game. I don't think we are going to beat them today. Or ever." Malcolm seemed to remind Hiromi who pouted and looked angry at the game.

Huh, Hiromi was pretty competitive.

"Motoko! Since you are here, you should join Mitsunashi Industries! We could use a few more Subsidiaries!" Hiromi said, smiling with a big grin.

A feeling struck me. I looked to Malcolm.

"Hiromi, are you using the fact Malcolm can't run away to force him to help your video game company?"

"No! Never! Malcolm is a proud member of the Mitsunashi Industries Conglomerate!"

"That's exactly what is happening." Malcolm offered instead never taking his eyes off the tablet he was playing on.

Hiromi's jaw dropped as she spun towards Malcolm. "Malcolm!" I couldn't restrain my laughter as Hiromi looked absolutely offended at the reveal.

But the fact she ended up looking a little embarrassed after a moment told me it was probably pretty close to the truth anyways.

Malcolm looked up and threw me a wink though. So obviously he was cool with it.

"Hiromi…" I trailed off meaningfully and she flushed a little red at the disappointment in my voice.

Then I just smiled and threw an arm over her shoulders. "Silly gonk."

"You're the gonk." She mumbled but left it at that.

"What's with the guitar and stuff Motoko?" Malcolm asked and I smiled as I pulled away from Hiromi and grabbed my stuff.

"Well obviously with my choom laid up on a ripper chair he would need something to help stave off the boredom! So I figured I could play some music while we hang out. Any requests?" I asked him and he perked up a bit at the idea.

Then Hiromi cut him off. "Wait! You're gonna play for Malcolm!? You made such a fuss when I got you to play for Jun and I! Motoko! No fair!"

"Malcolm is injured. He gets special treatment Hiromi." I reminded my choom which she just puffed her cheeks at me pretending to be annoyed and then we both burst into giggles as one.

Malcolm mumbled something I didn't catch, but it sounded like "These two gonks." And then he spoke louder. "I don't care. I just want to see you play something. You've been all secrety about it." He told me and I laughed. That was pretty true.

Fine.

"Okay I have some a few songs I think you'll like." I said as I grabbed my music box and plugged in. Nirvana should be pretty on point for Malcolm, and I already had Smells Like Teen Spirit finished.

So I settled in and after a moment my hands hit the chords. I was doing my best to ignore my chooms both staring at me, as the emitters started up and the drums slammed into the intro.

As I played through the song Malcolm seemed into it, nodding his head, while Hiromi was fully engaged, eyes wide which I noticed as I finally looked up from my guitar and our eyes met, her face flushed in excitement as I sang for the crowd of two.

"Ow." Malcolm said, suddenly hissing and wincing as he shifted and moved to hold his side.

"Malcolm!" The song ended instantly music box turned off, as I stood up, but he waved me off.

"I'm fine. I just jerked a bit! I'm okay. Heh. Good song Motoko. I was getting into a bit too much." he replied and I sat back down with a sigh. Whew.

"Maybe something more low key?" I asked and Malcolm and Hiromi both shook their heads, Hiromi standing up and pointing.

"Finish the song Motoko! Better yet! Start again! Repeat! Put it on loop!"

"Pfft. Ow, Hiromi don't make me laugh so hard." Malcolm gasped struggling not to laugh so hard it hurt him.

"I wouldn't mind hearing it from the start as well." A new voice called out.

"Hey Vik!" I chirped, waving as the ripper finished walking in. He had been resting against the entrance way listening as the song finished.

"Motoko, I remember you mentioning picking up the guitar as a hobby, but that was good work there kid." He said as he walked over and grabbed his chair rolling over to us once he was down.

"Well. I'm still learning and everything." I demurred, but Vik's dad energy wasn't going to let me go that easy."

"Nonsense, that was excellent. What song was that? Never heard that band before."

"Ah… The song was Smells Like Teen Spirit. Uh… No band. I mean. I don't have one."

"Wait! Motoko! You wrote that yourself!?" Malcolm asked, gasping and I didn't say anything. I mean, it wasn't like I could say it was Nirvana.

They don't exist here.

And saying I wrote it was… Yeah that made me uncomfortable. So I didn't say anything.

"I'll play it from the start for you Vik. But just… Don't tell anyone okay? It's embarrassing."

Vik literally just laughed at me, but he had a big smile so I forgave him. Then I started playing again.

"Load up on guns, bring your friends!"

—--

It was still a little embarrassing to play songs in front of people, but Malcolm liked the music, and him being hurt was more important.

I had taken a few breaks from time to time working on making new songs to my chooms surprise, as I put together an entire song in just an hour or so before putting on a rendition of Lithium Flower.

But then I got a call from my current contracted merc. "Hang on guys. Got a call." I told my chooms who were distracted with their games anyway.

*Hey Jackie! How goes?*

*Hoh. Easy enough Hermanita. An easy gig is an easy gig. Went around flashed pictures of your targets. Got a whole lot of run around stories, but I've spent most of the day eating burgers.* Jackie broke into a laugh at that and I smiled along with him.

Jackie had of course been the merc that I thought of first when I needed someone to be visibly snooping around Rancho Coronado. Jackie was the perfect fit. Big enough that no one would want to fight him while he was asking questions, friendly enough that the few that did would end up letting it go, especially when he would be very visibly lazily following the requirements to find the gonks.

Spending most of his time eating food and hanging out.

*You sure you don't want me to actually try and find these gonks? I've had a few people hint they wouldn't mind letting me know for a certain amount of eddies. Apparently your targets aren't well liked. Even if one of them is the nephew of some important choom in 6th St.* He said suddenly and I had to frown at that.

I hadn't considered that it might be easy to find them. That 6th St. and the people in the suburbs might not like the gonks. And one of them was highly connected. That did complicate things.

*Tempting.* I finally admitted but shook it off. *If you can get the info cheap, then I wouldn't mind. I'll even throw in a bonus, but I don't want you to push too hard.*

*Yeah Hermanita I remember your plan. No problem. I'll keep letting everyone think I'm just not that interested, and if I do end up with their location then I'll let you know. How's little Malcolm holding up?*

I smiled at Jackies question, he had been pretty mad when he learned Malcolm had been shot. I guess for Jackie just a single gig and then a bar trip was enough to make them chooms.

*Malcolms okay. Looking better already. Vik says he'll be back on his feet by the end of the week.*

*Good. Glad to hear that Hermanita. Alright then. I'll update you again tomorrow, but I got a beer and a burger with my name on it.* He said, sounding cheerful as the call disconnected.

—--

Eventually Malcolm's mother came into the clinic and despite Hiromi and I's best efforts to stick around to enjoy the look on Malcolm's face, we did eventually have to leave.

Malcolm's mom was super embarrassing for him. I think if we hadn't left he might have just finished himself off to save himself the trouble.

Unfortunately Hiromi needed to head home.

"I have homework I've been putting off, and well, Malcolm is a good excuse but my teachers won't accept it, and then my 'rents will be on my case." She whined at me as we walked over to our cars.

"I get it. We'll meet up soon! Once Malcolm is feeling better we should all go out and have a night to relax." I offered and Hiromi seemed to perk up.

"Yeah! I'll get through this week and then it'll be a party night! I'll find out if there's anything going on this weekend! Be prepared Motoko! Because I'm going to drag you to the preemest places!"

I just laughed as Hiromi hopped onto her bike and drove off with a waving arm behind her.

I slipped into the Quadra and decided to head home.

I was still taking a break from anything, murdery related and so I was gonna go flop on the couch. Maybe do some more coding work?

No. I shook my head. I'll go hit the gym some more. I could use some mindless exercise time. It had actually been…

Relaxing.

 

[Seras]

"Back again? Well you're more consistent than your brother." John offered as he noticed me working on a full punching bag. I was ducking and sliding making sure I was working my footing the best I could as I circled the bag. My legs getting a workout with how often I was shifting around and throwing hands.

"Jun's lazy about exercise. Prefers to just chrome up." I mentioned in short gasps as I backed off the bag, for a moment and then moved back in a few punches to the side as if I was up close and punching kidneys. I might be fairly out of breath, but I was close to a level up!

"Most kids prefer that. You've got chrome arms, but still practice, pretty unusual." He said and then walked over holding the back so it wouldn't bounce as much letting me start hammering into the bag even harder and faster.

"Skill and strength aren't the same." I huffed out dryly as I looked at the older man who was looking over my form and seemingly finding no issues over my motions as I went wild. Moving as fast as possible as I hammered chrome hands into the bag again and again.

I was just glad I had actually put on the padded knuckle gloves that had been lying around. Otherwise I would have punched right through the damn thing.

"You know how to box."

"Boxing's one of the martial arts I actually had someone work with me on. I know an old guy that used to be a pro." I replied. Even if Vik had only given me the one lesson with Jackie that one time.

It was still the truth and a better lie than nothing.

"You got something driving you. Something on your mind kid?"

"Huh?" I asked as I backed off and did some stretches to cool down a bit. "What do you mean?"

"You've been out here punching the bag for over an hour. Something is driving you. Need to vent?" The old man offered as he continued to hold the bag for me.

I blinked, checking the time on my system before realizing I had lost track of time.

Oops.

Sure I was tired. I was sweating up a storm and I was pretty out of breath, but that was all minor stuff.

A nap and I would be back to 100% and feeling fine. But no one else knew that.

I shook my head. "I've had a lot of stuff happen in the last week or two. But I'm not… I'm not letting it bother me. I just lost track of time."

"Heh. If I could get half the gonks that I train up to lose track of time like you. My job would be a lot easier." I didn't have anything to say to that, and as much as I wanted to try and get that Body level up. I realized I had gone a bit overboard. I took off the gloves and set them to the side as I walked off.

I heard a chuckle behind me, but I ignored it.

Shower and then a nap. That was all I needed.

—--

Waking up refreshed that evening I crawled out of my new bed and looked around the apartment. Jun's boots were gone. So I was alone.

I sent a text out to the group chat, just to see how Malcolm was doing, and then instantly got flooded by replies.

*Motoko: How's Malcolm holding up?*

*Malcolm: Doing alright.*

*Malcolm: Ichi's been smothering me and I just kicked him out of the clinic. So expect some whining.*

*Ichi: Malcolm kicked me out of the clinic!*

*Ichi: I'm not whining! I just wanted to make sure you're doing okay!*

*HIromi: I'm stuck finishing homework! Motoko rescue me! Also Malcolm and Ichi have been whining about each other all day.*

*Malcolm: We have not!*

*Ichi: The hell we have! Hiromi shut up!*

*Hiromi: See?*

I laughed at the back and forth. It seems everyone was doing okay if Malcolm and Ichi could fight.

*Motoko: Preem. Reminder once Malcolm is back on his feet we are going to have a big party!*

*Malcolm: Yes! See this is what I wanted to hear!*

*Ichi: Yeah alright that sounds good. Know where you want to have it?*

I blinked at that. Then I remembered. I walked into the kitchen and found the flyer.

I sent a picture to my chooms.

*Motoko: Maybe? There's a bar near where I am that does live music. Want to test it out? Or we could go hit Lizzie's?*

*Malcolm: Eh. As much as I like Lizzie's, they don't like us much. Anyone been to this bar?*

*Ichi: Yeah. I made some deliveries there before the war. Harukiya was nice enough I guess. More of a music bar, than the BD stuff we normally hang at. They have an entrance fee though.*

*Hiromi: Ichi we have money to pay for an entrance fee!*

*Malcolm: You say that like we don't have eddies. Hiromi beat me to it!*

*Motoko: Then I guess we get to try it out once Malcolm feels better!*

I nodded as the conversation flowed into background noise of messages popping in. I wanted to scope out how good Rockerboy Neighbor was anyways! Stupid cool jerk!

I'd show them! I'd show them all!

But first… I was so close to a new Body level!

—--

The sound of 'The Only Thing They Fear Is You' blasted through the apartment as I ran around.

I couldn't rely on pushups to try and get the Body level so I had decided to use acrobatics. I was currently flipping around the apartment from one wall to the next, ending each set with a cool spinning kick, or a faux superman punch into the air, just to give myself something to do.

It was exercise and actually pretty hard work, since I was sweating up a storm and getting my muscles burning.

Then mid afternoon finally it happened.

*100 Body XP Gained*

*Body Leveled up!*

Body 8!

I stopped my routine as I felt the shudder go through my muscles. Breath in. Breath out.

"I feel amazing." I whispered as I rushed to the bathroom and the mirror. It only took a few moments of checking my muscles to see the difference. Stronger. I felt stronger. I flexed my abs and grinned as it was definitely visible in the mirror.

Hell yeah! Superhero abs!

I exhaled in relief as I flopped onto the toilet for a moment.

"Sweaty." I mumbled as I quickly stripped and fell into the shower letting the warm water wash it all away.

Heh. It had been a while since I had tried to grind out a Body point. I still wasn't exactly the type to exercise all the time, but I had to admit it did feel good. Plus it meant I could grind out Athletics and Street Brawling again! I could go Parkour and get something out of it.

Well other than just fun.

That brought me up short.

Fun.

My system gave me incredible skills. Power. Talent. It let me do so many things… Like hunting Scavs down like the dogs they are.

But all of that was just what I could do. It wasn't who I was.

Who I was… Was someone who took those skills and had fun with them.

I blinked as I wiped the water off my face. I got out of the shower. Quickly drying off, and getting dressed, adjusting my boots to make sure they were night and tight.

I loaded up my normal gear just in case but I could feel the beat of my heart urging me on.

Quickly running to the music box I copied a song to a shard. I had put together this song because I wanted it, and it had taken forever considering how many non-instrumental sounds it needed.

But complete it was, and now I had the perfect idea for what to do with it.

I headed up to the roof.

—--

The howl of wind blowing between skyscrapers. The stink of the city below me. And the California sky above.

I was on the roof, but I wasn't as high as I could go. There was another section of the building that had almost japanese styled penthouses. I was sure some high end Arasaka, or TC guy lived up there. I quickly bounced my way up. Climbing along the side of the building, hitting AC units, and piping until I reached the penthouse.

I winced a bit at all the security, but I ended up just worming around it as I climbed over Japanese style tile roofing until I reached the very top.

Okay. It was time.

I blinked in between one moment and the next.

A BD recording began.

I had considered doing a test run first, to find all the right spots, but I trusted Parkour and my own mobility.

We were doing it live. It was just… Better that way.

I pulled a shard out of my pocket, flashed it before my eyes. I was getting call backs to Only Thing They Fear BD. But this wasn't that.

This one Judy might actually like.

Inner Universe was scratched into the shard.

I pushed it into my port and let my agent play the song in my ear.

And as the notes began, I moved. I ran leaping off the roof to the short wall that surrounded the japanese garden, then leapt again. Completely freefalling into the Night City sky.

For just a moment. I was motionless. Perfectly still. Then I reached out. Snagged a pipe that I was falling past, pulling myself into the building so my boots could slow my decent, slowing enough until I hit an angled roof, where I was able to bleed the a bit more of the falls speed off, as I slid down and then once more I was in the sky.

I landed twenty feet below in a roll on a bridgeway between the buildings. Immediately jumping to my feet as I ran across the roof of the walkway. I could hear people below me wondering at the noise but I ignored them. Leaping off the side Another drop, another rolling landing and I was moving all the way across the street running along the roofing of the buildings across from the new apartment.

I leapt over bits and bobs, noticed the asian lanterns that hung down from the side of the building, noticed the wire they were hooked through and the idea flowed.

I drew my knife as I flowed into a powerslide. Grabbing the wire I slid off the roof. Falling a good three or so feet before the wire snagged.

Then I cut it with my knife. The back end of my blade had wire cutters and in a second I was falling again. Sheathing my knife I managed to wrap the wire around my chrome hands a few times so I had a good grip as I fell.

Above me the pittering noise of the studs drilled into the concrete that the wire had been hooked into popped loose one by one, and then it happened.

The wire at the end was attached to a much stronger cable tie.

And instead of falling, I was swinging.

My stomach flew up into my throat as I flowed through the air. For a second there I was spiderman.

Then of course because this was flying by the seat of my pants. I realized I was about to slam right into one of those concrete walkways.

I reached up, grabbed the wire and tugged myself up fighting the centrifugal force. Shifting my trajectory just in time so instead of slamming into the side I was able to bring my legs up and swing right into the open side window.

I let go of the wire holding on to it would only see me smashing into the roof as the wire caught, but I was still in trouble.

Too fast.

I slammed my boots into the concrete which sent me tumbling, but also pushed me up just enough that instead of slamming into the concrete barrier on the other side of the walkway I went through its window as well, sending me hurtling out the other side in a deadly tumble.

My heart was hammering in my chest. My breath was coming out in a rush. I couldn't even hear the music over the adrenaline spiking.

But I moved using my chrome to come down on the roof first to protect myself I managed to get myself under control as chrome left trails of sparks across the concrete that I was skimming across

I was very thankful for my boots and pants. Because I could feel the road rash starting to build up where my pants weren't as armored.

Then I was at the end of the line.

Still sliding. Still going too fast to stop, but the roof ended ahead of me.

So I stopped trying to slow down and instead once more used my boots to slam into the concrete and bounce me up.

I was in the air.

The music was there, and I knew what to do.

The flow of motions that were required to keep me alive flowing through me, and I moved. Reaching out I grabbed a pipe spinning me around it twice as I started falling then letting go. Sending me out once more, but this time at the right trajectory to reach an apartment balcony.

I rolled into the little concrete cube of personal space and then bounced up and into the next, and then again before my speed was under my control and then I was up on the guard rail along the edge of the little rectangular balconies running across them at full speed.

Almost there!

I had fallen quite far at this point. Only a few floors above the street level I was coming to the end of the street. Where it curved, but that was fine. I leapt out and this time I landed on the street lights. They shifted and swayed under my weight, but held and then I was running along the top and then to the light across the road, and then further. I was close to Megabuilding H8 now. I could practically touch it as I ran along, but that wasn't where I was going. Instead I leapt down. Hurtling from the floor level I had been at, into the gloom.

The noise below me shifted from city streets. To back alley deals. To the sounds of pleasure and anger.

Jig-jig street.

I moved along the rooftops. Staying in the dark. Hidden from view from anyone not willing to look up. As I flowed through the area leaping from sign to sign, from window sill to corner apartment, that I actually rolled into and then out the window ignoring the scream of surprise from the john the Joytoy had been working over behind me.

Then I was just above the street level main entrance to the back alley, and there it was.

I leapt this time not landing atop a street light, but grabbing it and flipping around, then releasing, setting myself on a course, avoiding the giant eldritch statue that was above my target, and landing firmly on the sidewalk right next to the stairs down into Sakura Market. Then I was walking calmly, and steadily. Feeling my heart beating, and my breathing still rushing in and out as I cooled down, to my favorite place. I plopped down at the Ramen place, and since I was still recording didn't say a word. Just pointed towards what I wanted.

A moment later the Ramen was rolled out to me, and I didn't turn off the BD until the taste of the broth was on my tongue.

—---

"Ow!" I whined as Vik gave me a look.

"Don't complain about it, if you are going to do it." He told me and could only pout a bit.

"What did you even do to scrape down your chrome like that?" Malcolm called from across the room. He was still resting in the ripper chair although he would be heading home soon. His Mom wanted to bring him home to mother him. I had come to see Malcolm after Ramen.

Definitely just for that.

Not because my hands looked like I had run them against a grinder.

Most of the chrome was okay, but at certain points… Well the concrete hadn't been kind to it, and it felt like I had an exposed nerve. So I had Vik looking it over.

"Nothing! Perfectly normal stuff! Not at all weird or strange!" I denied Malcolm who laughed once before wincing at his side.

"Most of the pads are okay, but I'll need to replace a bit here." He said sounding like he was mostly talking to himself, but saying it loud enough I could hear it. He pulled back and rolled across the clinic pulling open a crate and rummaging through it.

A few moments later he comes back with a sealed plastic bag. Inside were basically chrome pieces.

"Let's see." He muttered and then unsealed the bag reached in with his ripper gear covered hand and came out holding a piece of chrome. "There we are." He muttered, resealing the bag and then leaned over my hand a moment later I felt a tickling sensation as he did something and a piece of my palm disconnected, revealing wires and sensors below. Then he placed a new piece of chrome down and had to keep from wiggling as the ticklish feeling surged up my arm.

Then it just soothed away and Vik nodded checking his little monitor device. "Connection is good. Test it out for me." He mentioned and arm was released and I started poking at the cleaner section of chrome on my palm.

"Yeah. Feels… Normal?"

"Good. Be more careful, okay kid?"

"Yes! Sorry Vik."

The old ripper laughed at me, before patting my shoulder. "Should be all good. Let me know if you have any problems."

"Dr. Vektor, is Malcolm ready?" A voice called out and I turned towards the entrance to see Malcolms mom, the woman still looked a little tense after the shooting.

"Let me check his vitals one last time, but unless somethings changed, he's all set." Vik assured the woman his calm attitude did help. As he finished patting my shoulder and rolling over to check on Malcolm.

I ended up sticking around to help Malcolm out of the clinic and into his Mom's car.

He hadn't liked the fact that I had carried him up the stairs in a princess carry.

The pictures were worth it though.