Karmic Acumen
Well-known member
... Not gonna lie, this is a lot more engaging than the story proper. At least right now.
Hurray for emotional manipulation?
Hurray for emotional manipulation?
Ghost in the City Cyberpunk Gamer SI
- Thread starter Seras
- Start date
-
- Tags
- cyberpunk gamer self-insert
City!Ghost in the Shell Pt. 3
Seras
Well-known member
Chief Daisuke Aramaki.
Damn them for this. His older brother. A man that Daisuke hadn’t seen in years… In jail for Drug trafficking!?
He didn’t want to believe it. So he didn’t, but he had to find out the truth. So he went to the only lead he had.
The Refugee district was as run down as he expected. It saddened him honestly. He remembered Japan as it once was. After the reconstruction, before the wars.
Before so many wars.
He shook it off and continued searching. Yousuke… His older brother, he hadn’t heard from him in years, and now…
Could it really be him? Could this be where he had been living? Here. Living his life in this place? That reporter dropping an actual picture in his lap was the only reason he was here.
He lined up the picture to the horizon. His brother had been here. Standing at this spot. Before his apparent arrest. Now… Now he just needed evidence.
“Wait, is that you Yousuke?!” A voice called out, jerking his attention over. A middle aged man that looked like he barely belonged here in the refugee district was waving Daisuke down. The man was sitting at an old table strewn with cans and full ashtrays.
“I take it then you know Yousuke?” He asked, as he walked over.
“Hey, hey! That means your Yousukes younger brother then, aren’t you? Wow you sure do look just like the old goat!” The man offered, laughing.
“So he was here then?” Daisuke cut right to the chase.
“Yeah but yesterday the police showed up and took him away.” The man offered with a sigh of regret.
“I would like for you to tell me what happened if you don’t mind?”
There was a quiet nod from the man, and he waved to another chair.
“Yesterday Yousuke was picked up by the cops. Drug trafficking. Bullshit. The whole thing. Yousuke was a good guy. He helped people. Didn’t do drugs, much less sold them.”
“I am glad to hear that. I didn’t want to believe my brother would be capable of it. Can you tell me where it happened? If anyone saw? I will need to gather evidence.”
“That… I can actually help you with.” The man stood up and moved over to a box nearby rummaging around in it.
Daisuke realized it was the man's belongings as he pulled out a fresh disk.
“Here. I was there watching the whole thing. I saw the cops plant the drugs. I just didn’t have anyone to give it to.” He settled back in and offered the disk.
“Perfect!” Daisuke grabbed the disk and pulled out his personal link he hooked into the disk and started watching the recording.
But the moment he went to do so. The man he had been talking to moved.
Daisuke startled back as he was attacked, unable to move away fast enough as the man reached out and grabbed his tie and then swung something in his fist at his neck!
And was stopped cold.
As if his arm was caught in a vice.
“Oh no! The Chief! The Chief! Are you okay?” A Tachikoma suddenly asked from his feet, and Daisuke had a moment to see a familiar shift as optical camo wavered.
“Thank you Major.” He called out with relief, before stopping. That wasn’t the Major.
“Anytime Chief.” The Doppelganger said, with an amused lilt to her voice in his subordinates voice.
“Hey! What the hell! Get off, do you know who-” The man cried out as a moment later he was smashed into the table by the smaller girl, then she locked him down with a ghost key.
How the hell a non-security agent could get their hands on a device that is heavily regulated he would have to find out later.
“Thank you… Kusanagi.”
“Aww chief, you can just call me Motoko.” She offered with a laugh. “But I get how weird it is, whatever is most comfortable for you is fine.” She offered, as the Tachikoma hopped up onto the table.
“Chief! Chief! Are you okay! Are you hurt? Do you need to hug a cat?” It asked, and Daisuke had to blink at the odd question.
“No. No, I'm fine. You made it just in time… How did you-”
“C’mon chief. You realize by now that you are dealing with powerful people that don’t want it known that they allowed the Mirai vaccine to be stifled for money. Of course they will target you. You in particular, are a weakness they can exploit, by ruining your good name. By filling you full of drugs for example.” She placed the canister from the man's hand on the table.
A syringe.
“Heavy drugs. The sort of stuff to disable you, and there are a few officers on the way to investigate a tip about a drug deal.”
“Then. We should go.”
“Don’t be in a hurry. They won’t notice us. Catch your breath first.” She demanded kindly. It frustrated him a little that the way she spoke, the cadence, the words. All sounded like the Major.
“And I can trust you?”
“It would be silly of me to say yes, but… I think… I think you’re a good man, and I wouldn’t mind earning your trust someday.” That earnest statement surprised him from the elusive doppelganger.
“Then I could use your assistance in moving this body to my car. I would very much like to question this man.”
“Ah don’t worry about it. You scared your team, you know? Batou is here looking for you.” She replied and then to his surprise she slipped into the chair.
A moment later the Tachikoma cried happily as it rolled over and fell into her lap.
Suddenly the teenaged girl had a cat in her lap that she started petting.
“Well, if you are going to stick around. I hope you don’t mind me asking you some questions?” He said eyes focusing on the girl, already suspecting she wasn’t even here anymore.
“I can’t answer everything. But I wouldn’t mind playing a game of twenty questions while we wait for Batou.”
“Then I’ll start. What is your relationship with Major Kusanagi?”
“Ah right to the heart of the matter are you? Honestly? Nothing. We share a name, and a similar shell design appreciation. Although I like using my actual age.”
“You are a teenager?”
“Sixteen.” She agreed, smiling.
“And the fact you used her security key? That-”
“I needed her key to save the Tachikoma. Otherwise it really is a funny coincidence… Okay I’ll admit. I saw her hairstyle once while looking into her, a while back and I loved it, so I picked the same color and style. And eye color… Okay it sounds bad when I say that. But really we use similar models of shells, at least on the outside. Mostly.” She said, tapping a knuckle across her metal shoulder.
“A rare coincidence. Same name. Same look.”
“If I had nefarious intentions, wouldn’t I have just chosen to use the up-aged body model, and none of you would have even noticed? I can walk through your security without setting off an alarm after all.”
“The fact you have gone out of your way to save my people in every meeting so far is the only reason I’m speaking to you calmly and not trying to arrest you. For impersonating a government official.”
“I only did that to save the Tachi. They were on their way to developing their ghosts. So that was murder to kill them. So I was just keeping your team's hands clean.”
He huffed at her quick rebuttal.
“Thank you. For saving the Tachikoma then.”
“Chief. You are very welcome.” She offered with a smile that he had only rarely seen on the Majors face.
Warmth and respect.
“Hmph. I have more questions. I would like you to come in with me.”
“I can’t. I know it’s annoying to hear that. But Section 9 is about to have a lot of trouble. The Prime Minister is going to throw you under the bus since it’s election season. Chief. Be careful. They will do anything to set up you and your team. You might survive just fine as you have favors. But they will try to murder your people if they resist.”
“And how do you know this?”
“I listened to a private conversation between the Prime Minister and a certain Secretary General Yakushima. Who is the one you want. The one that caused all of the Serano Genomics and Mirai Vaccine issues.”
“I could use that phone call, if you are speaking the truth.”
“If I give it to you now. They will assassinate you.”
“Hmph. You let me worry about that.”
“No. Like I said, right now if you try anything the Prime Minister will turn a blind eye. Get him on your side and get yourself some protection. I’ll keep an eye on you and your team, but I’m good, but I can’t be everywhere.” Then she shifted looking away and he turned, seeing Batou hurrying over.
“You shou-” He stopped. She was gone. As if she had never been there to begin with.
“Chief! Are you okay?”
“I am fine. I was rescued by our mysterious doppelganger. Please pickup this man and bring him along. I would like to know who hired him to drug me.”
“Yes chief!” Both men shared a look at the empty alleyway around them.
How long had she even been there?
—--
The Major
“That tickles!”
“No it doesn't, you don’t have sensors for that.” She denied as she continued to examine the Mini-Tachikoma, or apparently Mini-Koma as the doppelganger had called them.
“Ah! My spleen!”
“Another thing you don’t have… Also this is your foot, your spleen wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh! Thanks Major. Ahh My Achilles tendon!”
Rolling her eyes to hide the fact she had almost been amused at the Mini-Koma’s antics.
“Are you satisfied now Major?” It asked her, and she was surprised at the sudden question.
“No, I’m still trying to find out more about your chassis.”
“Hmm. Denied! Mr. Batou is returning, and I want to see him!” The Tachikoma… Refused her command. As it stood back up on its legs and just bounced off the table.
Right. Ghosts. They had personality now.
“You know you are still within my command. You have to follow my orders.”
“Technically we were assigned to the Anakatsu lab! So we are no longer members of Section 9!” The Mini-Koma called out as it hurried out the door no doubt towards where Batou was.
“Looks like that one was named right after all. Troublemaker.” Ichikawa said from beside her, he had been looking things over as well.
“Seems so.”
“I don’t like this Major. We have Dr. Imakurusu. We have the evidence of everything, but the Prime Minister is dragging his feet, and now the chief is attacked…”
“I know.” She agreed. Everything right now smelled fishy, and she had a bad feeling about what was coming.
“-Mr. Batou! The Major is great! You will like her I am sure! She is very kind and always listens to us! And she protected Mr. Batou!” The conversation between Batou and the Tachikoma filtered in as they drew closer.
“She could be a bad guy Troublemaker.”
“Impossible. The Major is a good human! She showed us how to be a defender of Love and Justice!”
“Yeah speaking of that, you guys… What exactly do you mean when you say that?”
“Oh!? Does Mr. Batou not know about Sailor Moon? Ooh! Ooh! We can watch it together! It’s a good story! And we all love it!”
“Ah. Isn’t that a little girls anime? Is that where you got this from?”
“Yes! The Major showed us her anime collection! Although she did lock some of them away ‘until we were older.’ Do you think I’m older now Mr. Batou?”
“Ah… If the Ma-If the girl didn’t let you watch them, it’s probably best to leave it at that for now,” He offered, having walked in and noticed her own unamused look.
“The chief?” She decided not wanting to even start with Batou’s nonsense right now.
“Split off and went home while I dropped off our new suspect. Ichikawa, got anything on him?”
“Of course. I’ll give you one guess who he works for.”
“NSS?”
“Heh. Got it in one. Not one of their main guys, but with the loss of that whole team, they pulled from their second liners.”
“So they really are targeting the chief.” Batou said with a glare, but a moment later the Tachikoma rolled over to his foot and started patting at him.
“Don’t be upset Mr. Batou! The Major won’t let anything happen to the chief!” And Motoko could see the moment Batou decided he liked the sound of that.
“Yeah that’s right. You hear that Major? The Major won’t let anything happen to the chief.”
If she still had his ghost key she would have made him punch himself again. Instead she just replayed the video of the last time she had done that in her cyberbrain and ignored Batou.
“I’m heading out.” She said she needed a few hours of shut eye after all this.
She had a feeling things were going to get complicated soon.
“Sleep well Major!” Troublemaker called out, waving his little extendo hand.
She didn’t respond as she headed out.
So much was flowing through her mind. They had everything. The physical evidence. The witness. Proof that Serano Genomics was involved in a conspiracy to keep an actual cure to Cyberbrain Sclerosis under wraps.
That the Laughing Man’s involvement started with that.
And in the end. The Prime Minister was dragging his feet. Was keeping the whole thing from blowing up for politics.
Her ghost was guiding her, as it ever did, and she was feeling… Anxious.
Something was definitely wrong.
She shook it off, headed down into the garage and moved to slip into her car when she stilled.
The door was already open. Then a throaty roar started up across the way and a car she had never seen before pulled out with a throttle that was more roar than grumble.
A car she had never seen before in more than one way. Whoever had designed the thing was a fan of brutal threat. The passenger door opened sliding up, and there in the driver seat…
“Get in loser. We’re going to break the Japanese Government.”
The Doppelganger called out looking out over the rim of Motoko’s own sunglasses. Stolen from her own car…
“Give those back.”
“No, they look better on me.” She said with a smirk she had seen on her own face before, and then didn’t say anything else. Just waiting.
An offer.
Motoko didn’t sigh. Didn’t twitch. Moving her face took conscious effort after all, but she wanted answers. Even if she had seen the Chiefs conversation with the doppelganger.
She slipped into the passenger seat. Noticing the Tachikoma that popped out from a small space behind the seats and waved at her excitedly.
Then Motoko was jerked back into her seat as the car suddenly roared like a lion ready to hunt and pressed her back at the acceleration and they were going way too fast that was a wall!
Then the back end slipped out, and it just arced through the turn to the surface level the rear end probably a centimeter from the wall and they were on the street. Getting air which caused Motoko to tumble a bit and desperately grab onto something as they landed on the actual street and then took off.
“Seatbelt.”
—--
The Major
She took me straight to her home.
There must be a malfunction in my shell, because I felt my eye twitching.
Motoko had been gritting her teeth when the girl had pulled up to her own building. The one she used as her safe house. The one she owned the entire penthouse mansion.
Only instead of hitting the top floor button on the elevator the girl had hit the second to top floor.
“Is this a joke?”
“Yes.”
The elevator opened up to a lobby room, and Motoko had to grit her teeth. There was a freight elevator in this building. It had been one of the reasons she had picked this as her safe house. She could move heavy equipment up to her mansion without a lot of effort.
A freight elevator more than capable of moving a Tachikoma.
“Major!”
“Oh it’s the major!”
“Major major!”
The full size Tachikoma were in spaces set up long the interior wall, but it was the Mini-koma that were calling out greetings. All eight of them now that one was with Batou rushed over to say hello.
“I don’t find this funny.”
“I do the look on your face that I was right under your nose this whole time?”
“This is my safe house. No one is supposed to know it belongs to me.”
“No one in the government knows.” She said with a smirk. “Besides now you know about my safe house. So we are even.”
“Major! I finished it! I finished it!”
“Oh you guys finally finished Nanoha huh? Hmm. Troublemaker will be upset he missed it.”
“We will sync with him later!”
“Maybe!”
“He deserves to miss it for running away!”
“Now now. Troublemaker is meant to be with Batou. Who else will keep Batou safe?” She argued and the Tachikoma all cutely shifted to rub their undercarriage like they were stroking their chins.
“The Major is correct. Damage to Mr. Batou would be curtailed with Troublemaker watching over him. Even without the full chassis.”
“Yes, but he went rogue! Punishment is still required to fit the crime!” Motoko watched as the group actually argued for whether to set a punishment for the Tachikoma. Their ghosts were evolving so quickly.
“C’mon leave them to plot. They’ll be arguing for at least an hour. Probably make some kinda of judicial council. Have that crumble into infighting, and then decide to watch another anime and forget all about it.” The Doppelganger said as she flicked her own sunglasses back to Motoko who caught them easily.
“Make yourself comfortable. Mi Casa es su casa. As a good friend of mine would say.” She sounded sad as she said it, but shrugged and continued on towards a smaller area of the floor. That was set up as an eatery. A couch and chairs set around some tables and the like.
If it wasn’t just in the middle of basically an open room it would look cleaner.
She took off her jacket and threw it over the back of the couch and flopped onto the couch.
“We should talk Motoko.”
Yes. Yes we should.
—--
Damn them for this. His older brother. A man that Daisuke hadn’t seen in years… In jail for Drug trafficking!?
He didn’t want to believe it. So he didn’t, but he had to find out the truth. So he went to the only lead he had.
The Refugee district was as run down as he expected. It saddened him honestly. He remembered Japan as it once was. After the reconstruction, before the wars.
Before so many wars.
He shook it off and continued searching. Yousuke… His older brother, he hadn’t heard from him in years, and now…
Could it really be him? Could this be where he had been living? Here. Living his life in this place? That reporter dropping an actual picture in his lap was the only reason he was here.
He lined up the picture to the horizon. His brother had been here. Standing at this spot. Before his apparent arrest. Now… Now he just needed evidence.
“Wait, is that you Yousuke?!” A voice called out, jerking his attention over. A middle aged man that looked like he barely belonged here in the refugee district was waving Daisuke down. The man was sitting at an old table strewn with cans and full ashtrays.
“I take it then you know Yousuke?” He asked, as he walked over.
“Hey, hey! That means your Yousukes younger brother then, aren’t you? Wow you sure do look just like the old goat!” The man offered, laughing.
“So he was here then?” Daisuke cut right to the chase.
“Yeah but yesterday the police showed up and took him away.” The man offered with a sigh of regret.
“I would like for you to tell me what happened if you don’t mind?”
There was a quiet nod from the man, and he waved to another chair.
“Yesterday Yousuke was picked up by the cops. Drug trafficking. Bullshit. The whole thing. Yousuke was a good guy. He helped people. Didn’t do drugs, much less sold them.”
“I am glad to hear that. I didn’t want to believe my brother would be capable of it. Can you tell me where it happened? If anyone saw? I will need to gather evidence.”
“That… I can actually help you with.” The man stood up and moved over to a box nearby rummaging around in it.
Daisuke realized it was the man's belongings as he pulled out a fresh disk.
“Here. I was there watching the whole thing. I saw the cops plant the drugs. I just didn’t have anyone to give it to.” He settled back in and offered the disk.
“Perfect!” Daisuke grabbed the disk and pulled out his personal link he hooked into the disk and started watching the recording.
But the moment he went to do so. The man he had been talking to moved.
Daisuke startled back as he was attacked, unable to move away fast enough as the man reached out and grabbed his tie and then swung something in his fist at his neck!
And was stopped cold.
As if his arm was caught in a vice.
“Oh no! The Chief! The Chief! Are you okay?” A Tachikoma suddenly asked from his feet, and Daisuke had a moment to see a familiar shift as optical camo wavered.
“Thank you Major.” He called out with relief, before stopping. That wasn’t the Major.
“Anytime Chief.” The Doppelganger said, with an amused lilt to her voice in his subordinates voice.
“Hey! What the hell! Get off, do you know who-” The man cried out as a moment later he was smashed into the table by the smaller girl, then she locked him down with a ghost key.
How the hell a non-security agent could get their hands on a device that is heavily regulated he would have to find out later.
“Thank you… Kusanagi.”
“Aww chief, you can just call me Motoko.” She offered with a laugh. “But I get how weird it is, whatever is most comfortable for you is fine.” She offered, as the Tachikoma hopped up onto the table.
“Chief! Chief! Are you okay! Are you hurt? Do you need to hug a cat?” It asked, and Daisuke had to blink at the odd question.
“No. No, I'm fine. You made it just in time… How did you-”
“C’mon chief. You realize by now that you are dealing with powerful people that don’t want it known that they allowed the Mirai vaccine to be stifled for money. Of course they will target you. You in particular, are a weakness they can exploit, by ruining your good name. By filling you full of drugs for example.” She placed the canister from the man's hand on the table.
A syringe.
“Heavy drugs. The sort of stuff to disable you, and there are a few officers on the way to investigate a tip about a drug deal.”
“Then. We should go.”
“Don’t be in a hurry. They won’t notice us. Catch your breath first.” She demanded kindly. It frustrated him a little that the way she spoke, the cadence, the words. All sounded like the Major.
“And I can trust you?”
“It would be silly of me to say yes, but… I think… I think you’re a good man, and I wouldn’t mind earning your trust someday.” That earnest statement surprised him from the elusive doppelganger.
“Then I could use your assistance in moving this body to my car. I would very much like to question this man.”
“Ah don’t worry about it. You scared your team, you know? Batou is here looking for you.” She replied and then to his surprise she slipped into the chair.
A moment later the Tachikoma cried happily as it rolled over and fell into her lap.
Suddenly the teenaged girl had a cat in her lap that she started petting.
“Well, if you are going to stick around. I hope you don’t mind me asking you some questions?” He said eyes focusing on the girl, already suspecting she wasn’t even here anymore.
“I can’t answer everything. But I wouldn’t mind playing a game of twenty questions while we wait for Batou.”
“Then I’ll start. What is your relationship with Major Kusanagi?”
“Ah right to the heart of the matter are you? Honestly? Nothing. We share a name, and a similar shell design appreciation. Although I like using my actual age.”
“You are a teenager?”
“Sixteen.” She agreed, smiling.
“And the fact you used her security key? That-”
“I needed her key to save the Tachikoma. Otherwise it really is a funny coincidence… Okay I’ll admit. I saw her hairstyle once while looking into her, a while back and I loved it, so I picked the same color and style. And eye color… Okay it sounds bad when I say that. But really we use similar models of shells, at least on the outside. Mostly.” She said, tapping a knuckle across her metal shoulder.
“A rare coincidence. Same name. Same look.”
“If I had nefarious intentions, wouldn’t I have just chosen to use the up-aged body model, and none of you would have even noticed? I can walk through your security without setting off an alarm after all.”
“The fact you have gone out of your way to save my people in every meeting so far is the only reason I’m speaking to you calmly and not trying to arrest you. For impersonating a government official.”
“I only did that to save the Tachi. They were on their way to developing their ghosts. So that was murder to kill them. So I was just keeping your team's hands clean.”
He huffed at her quick rebuttal.
“Thank you. For saving the Tachikoma then.”
“Chief. You are very welcome.” She offered with a smile that he had only rarely seen on the Majors face.
Warmth and respect.
“Hmph. I have more questions. I would like you to come in with me.”
“I can’t. I know it’s annoying to hear that. But Section 9 is about to have a lot of trouble. The Prime Minister is going to throw you under the bus since it’s election season. Chief. Be careful. They will do anything to set up you and your team. You might survive just fine as you have favors. But they will try to murder your people if they resist.”
“And how do you know this?”
“I listened to a private conversation between the Prime Minister and a certain Secretary General Yakushima. Who is the one you want. The one that caused all of the Serano Genomics and Mirai Vaccine issues.”
“I could use that phone call, if you are speaking the truth.”
“If I give it to you now. They will assassinate you.”
“Hmph. You let me worry about that.”
“No. Like I said, right now if you try anything the Prime Minister will turn a blind eye. Get him on your side and get yourself some protection. I’ll keep an eye on you and your team, but I’m good, but I can’t be everywhere.” Then she shifted looking away and he turned, seeing Batou hurrying over.
“You shou-” He stopped. She was gone. As if she had never been there to begin with.
“Chief! Are you okay?”
“I am fine. I was rescued by our mysterious doppelganger. Please pickup this man and bring him along. I would like to know who hired him to drug me.”
“Yes chief!” Both men shared a look at the empty alleyway around them.
How long had she even been there?
—--
The Major
“That tickles!”
“No it doesn't, you don’t have sensors for that.” She denied as she continued to examine the Mini-Tachikoma, or apparently Mini-Koma as the doppelganger had called them.
“Ah! My spleen!”
“Another thing you don’t have… Also this is your foot, your spleen wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh! Thanks Major. Ahh My Achilles tendon!”
Rolling her eyes to hide the fact she had almost been amused at the Mini-Koma’s antics.
“Are you satisfied now Major?” It asked her, and she was surprised at the sudden question.
“No, I’m still trying to find out more about your chassis.”
“Hmm. Denied! Mr. Batou is returning, and I want to see him!” The Tachikoma… Refused her command. As it stood back up on its legs and just bounced off the table.
Right. Ghosts. They had personality now.
“You know you are still within my command. You have to follow my orders.”
“Technically we were assigned to the Anakatsu lab! So we are no longer members of Section 9!” The Mini-Koma called out as it hurried out the door no doubt towards where Batou was.
“Looks like that one was named right after all. Troublemaker.” Ichikawa said from beside her, he had been looking things over as well.
“Seems so.”
“I don’t like this Major. We have Dr. Imakurusu. We have the evidence of everything, but the Prime Minister is dragging his feet, and now the chief is attacked…”
“I know.” She agreed. Everything right now smelled fishy, and she had a bad feeling about what was coming.
“-Mr. Batou! The Major is great! You will like her I am sure! She is very kind and always listens to us! And she protected Mr. Batou!” The conversation between Batou and the Tachikoma filtered in as they drew closer.
“She could be a bad guy Troublemaker.”
“Impossible. The Major is a good human! She showed us how to be a defender of Love and Justice!”
“Yeah speaking of that, you guys… What exactly do you mean when you say that?”
“Oh!? Does Mr. Batou not know about Sailor Moon? Ooh! Ooh! We can watch it together! It’s a good story! And we all love it!”
“Ah. Isn’t that a little girls anime? Is that where you got this from?”
“Yes! The Major showed us her anime collection! Although she did lock some of them away ‘until we were older.’ Do you think I’m older now Mr. Batou?”
“Ah… If the Ma-If the girl didn’t let you watch them, it’s probably best to leave it at that for now,” He offered, having walked in and noticed her own unamused look.
“The chief?” She decided not wanting to even start with Batou’s nonsense right now.
“Split off and went home while I dropped off our new suspect. Ichikawa, got anything on him?”
“Of course. I’ll give you one guess who he works for.”
“NSS?”
“Heh. Got it in one. Not one of their main guys, but with the loss of that whole team, they pulled from their second liners.”
“So they really are targeting the chief.” Batou said with a glare, but a moment later the Tachikoma rolled over to his foot and started patting at him.
“Don’t be upset Mr. Batou! The Major won’t let anything happen to the chief!” And Motoko could see the moment Batou decided he liked the sound of that.
“Yeah that’s right. You hear that Major? The Major won’t let anything happen to the chief.”
If she still had his ghost key she would have made him punch himself again. Instead she just replayed the video of the last time she had done that in her cyberbrain and ignored Batou.
“I’m heading out.” She said she needed a few hours of shut eye after all this.
She had a feeling things were going to get complicated soon.
“Sleep well Major!” Troublemaker called out, waving his little extendo hand.
She didn’t respond as she headed out.
So much was flowing through her mind. They had everything. The physical evidence. The witness. Proof that Serano Genomics was involved in a conspiracy to keep an actual cure to Cyberbrain Sclerosis under wraps.
That the Laughing Man’s involvement started with that.
And in the end. The Prime Minister was dragging his feet. Was keeping the whole thing from blowing up for politics.
Her ghost was guiding her, as it ever did, and she was feeling… Anxious.
Something was definitely wrong.
She shook it off, headed down into the garage and moved to slip into her car when she stilled.
The door was already open. Then a throaty roar started up across the way and a car she had never seen before pulled out with a throttle that was more roar than grumble.
A car she had never seen before in more than one way. Whoever had designed the thing was a fan of brutal threat. The passenger door opened sliding up, and there in the driver seat…
“Get in loser. We’re going to break the Japanese Government.”
The Doppelganger called out looking out over the rim of Motoko’s own sunglasses. Stolen from her own car…
“Give those back.”
“No, they look better on me.” She said with a smirk she had seen on her own face before, and then didn’t say anything else. Just waiting.
An offer.
Motoko didn’t sigh. Didn’t twitch. Moving her face took conscious effort after all, but she wanted answers. Even if she had seen the Chiefs conversation with the doppelganger.
She slipped into the passenger seat. Noticing the Tachikoma that popped out from a small space behind the seats and waved at her excitedly.
Then Motoko was jerked back into her seat as the car suddenly roared like a lion ready to hunt and pressed her back at the acceleration and they were going way too fast that was a wall!
Then the back end slipped out, and it just arced through the turn to the surface level the rear end probably a centimeter from the wall and they were on the street. Getting air which caused Motoko to tumble a bit and desperately grab onto something as they landed on the actual street and then took off.
“Seatbelt.”
—--
The Major
She took me straight to her home.
There must be a malfunction in my shell, because I felt my eye twitching.
Motoko had been gritting her teeth when the girl had pulled up to her own building. The one she used as her safe house. The one she owned the entire penthouse mansion.
Only instead of hitting the top floor button on the elevator the girl had hit the second to top floor.
“Is this a joke?”
“Yes.”
The elevator opened up to a lobby room, and Motoko had to grit her teeth. There was a freight elevator in this building. It had been one of the reasons she had picked this as her safe house. She could move heavy equipment up to her mansion without a lot of effort.
A freight elevator more than capable of moving a Tachikoma.
“Major!”
“Oh it’s the major!”
“Major major!”
The full size Tachikoma were in spaces set up long the interior wall, but it was the Mini-koma that were calling out greetings. All eight of them now that one was with Batou rushed over to say hello.
“I don’t find this funny.”
“I do the look on your face that I was right under your nose this whole time?”
“This is my safe house. No one is supposed to know it belongs to me.”
“No one in the government knows.” She said with a smirk. “Besides now you know about my safe house. So we are even.”
“Major! I finished it! I finished it!”
“Oh you guys finally finished Nanoha huh? Hmm. Troublemaker will be upset he missed it.”
“We will sync with him later!”
“Maybe!”
“He deserves to miss it for running away!”
“Now now. Troublemaker is meant to be with Batou. Who else will keep Batou safe?” She argued and the Tachikoma all cutely shifted to rub their undercarriage like they were stroking their chins.
“The Major is correct. Damage to Mr. Batou would be curtailed with Troublemaker watching over him. Even without the full chassis.”
“Yes, but he went rogue! Punishment is still required to fit the crime!” Motoko watched as the group actually argued for whether to set a punishment for the Tachikoma. Their ghosts were evolving so quickly.
“C’mon leave them to plot. They’ll be arguing for at least an hour. Probably make some kinda of judicial council. Have that crumble into infighting, and then decide to watch another anime and forget all about it.” The Doppelganger said as she flicked her own sunglasses back to Motoko who caught them easily.
“Make yourself comfortable. Mi Casa es su casa. As a good friend of mine would say.” She sounded sad as she said it, but shrugged and continued on towards a smaller area of the floor. That was set up as an eatery. A couch and chairs set around some tables and the like.
If it wasn’t just in the middle of basically an open room it would look cleaner.
She took off her jacket and threw it over the back of the couch and flopped onto the couch.
“We should talk Motoko.”
Yes. Yes we should.
—--
Karmic Acumen
Well-known member
This is the equivalent of skipping the first playthrough of the game's sequel straight into New Game+.
Last edited:
"First of all, why is there a heavy machine gun and a rocket launcher on the table"
"A girl needs accessories!"
Karmic Acumen
Well-known member
Actually, to quote myself, wouldn't this better qualify as the prequel?
Chapter 102
Seras
Well-known member
“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.
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.
Karmic Acumen
Well-known member
Join us or we'll just steal your revenge from you.
Gang life doesn't allow independents after all, it seems.
Gang life doesn't allow independents after all, it seems.
Bear Ribs
Well-known member
Yes Motoko, your problems stem from being too nice and not solving enough of your problems with violence. If you were more of a crazed maniac who went around attacking every random gonk and making videos of it, surely all would be well.
Blasterbot
Well-known member
eh it was also an attack on Jun and his family. if they don't do anything they are gonna look weak.
Karmic Acumen
Well-known member
See, this is an argument AGAINST putting pressure on her right now. What are they gonna do if she says no, take her prisoner so she isn't near the action?
Never has, never will.
There was never a doubt that the TCs were about to go to war again. He just wants to know if he should plan for Motoko to be involved in the planning and action...or give her support for whatever missions she picks.
Naah...he'll just proceed as he thinks best without her input.
At least, that's how I read all this.
Blasterbot
Well-known member
they do however want her working with them on this. if they don't say anything she is gonna run of and try and do some stupid solo thing that is very likely to get her killed. and regardless of how much she protests she is seen as associated with the TC. so her suiciding on some maelstrom or scav base will look like they just used a "deniable" asset. not to mention how it would affect Jun.
Sure the reasons aren't entirely altruistic. but letting a 14 year old go off on her own crusade of vengeance is kinda dumb.
fair. there is the argument that it costs very little to ask this now and it is something that needs to bee known ASAP for planning.
Carrot of Truth
War is Peace
That's a sucky choice out of all the gangs only Scavs are worse than TC and just barely so. I'd just join the Aldecaldos before getting in deep with TC already have the car for it too.
Argent
Well-known member
Have to say this story continues to impress. I do like the slice of life stuff but I am happy to see some of the worlds reactions. You can only be a murder hobo for so long before Night City pushes back.
I also can't help but think it is time for a new look for this on coming rampage.
I also can't help but think it is time for a new look for this on coming rampage.
Chapter 103
Seras
Well-known member
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?
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?
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Karmic Acumen
Well-known member
I am extremely glad she didn't sign up. Fuck gangs.
@Karmic Acumen
Is it bad that I wanted to start ad libbing, "It's Raining Men?"
Is it bad that I wanted to start ad libbing, "It's Raining Men?"
Corvus 501
Active member
"It's raining Scavs!
Hallelujah, it's raining Scavs!
It's raining Scavs! Amen!
Hallelujah, it's raining Scavs!
It's raining Scavs! Amen!
Carrot of Truth
War is Peace
If you don't own a trench coat are you really even Cyberpunking?