Ghost in the City Cyberpunk Gamer SI
- Thread starter Seras
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- cyberpunk gamer self-insert
Chapter 26
Seras
Well-known member
I woke up, who knows how long later. I was still drugged up but not as badly. I could feel it making everything seem sort of muffled or fluffy, but I wasn’t having conversations with my wrist anymore.
Probably for the best. I could feel my cheeks heating up a bit as I remembered that fact.
Then it died when I remembered what had happened.
The medical bay I was in was pretty small, a back room ripper office like I expected. The many many pieces of Tyger Claw stuff strewn around told me a lot.
I guess Jun had taken me to his Ripper.
I was still strapped down, I noticed as I looked around the little room. I slowly raised my arm, which wasn’t easy.
Yep. Still there. Still chrome. I felt a shiver down my spine.
It wasn’t right. The feeling it gave as I slowly managed to form a fist and then spread ‘my’ fingers.
So that was it. I had been planning on some chrome arms. It had been my plan. Probably a set of Mantis blades, or a cool Monowire, or gorilla arms for the utility there had been so many options I hadn’t decided.
I guess the decision had come and gone.
“Oh finally up are we?” The woman from before the Ripper asked as she entered. She was an older woman. Not quite graying, but probably close to that. Her face lined in a few wrinkles, but the shining chrome lines up and down her cheeks showed just how much chrome she had.
“Yeah… Jun?” I asked, looking around and not seeing him.
“I managed to convince him to sit in a chair outside about an hour ago. He passed out nearly instantly. Your brother doesn’t sleep much even when his little sister isn’t in my clinic.
I nodded at that. Jun being too stubborn to actually sleep when he needs to didn’t surprise me at all. “And me? How… How bad is it?” I asked as I raised my arm… I shivered as it didn’t feel ‘right’ It felt like I had four arms. Or more, the feeling of phantom limb meant even as I tried to move my arm it moved slower than my expectations leaving me with a feeling of my limb being in the wrong spot.
“Better than you would expect.” She answered simply as she sat down in a chair beside me. “Considering what they did to you, I expected you to be brain dead. But you managed to keep from having an aneurysm. I pulled the connections as fast as I could, which is why your arms feel off. I wasn’t exactly gentle. Speed was more important. But that will heal. Give it a few days and your kinesthesia should feel normal.”
“Yeah. It’s a little off.”
“Nerve damage or sorts. Those… Things they put on you were overloading your nervous system. It will be tender.” She shrugged at that. “You are alive and not brain dead. It’s more than most could hope for.”
“Yeah.” I muttered as I looked up at the unfamiliar ceiling.
That had been some shit. It was probably the drugs I was on leaving me feeling sort of fluffy, but I could feel it. The anxiety and nervousness bubbling up under it.
I would probably be a little frantic for a while. I really hadn’t been expecting a kidnapping attempt in the middle of the day right in front of my home.
“Fuckin’ Night City.”
“A phrase I hear often.” The Ripper chuckled, as she reached out and without a word started poking her tools into my shoulder I would have flinched if I wasn’t feeling so mellow from the drugs.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking on the connections. The Condor is a solid piece of chrome, but your circumstances make it complicated.”
“Militech Condor. That’s what it’s called right?” I asked as I scanned the other arm she wasn’t working on. I had no idea what a Militech Condor was. Or what it could do. Unfortunately my scan didn’t tell me the things I really wanted to know.
Was it a good arm? Was it garbage? Would I have to worry about it failing on me? Or breaking?
“Never heard of them before? Not much of a Chrome head are you?”
“No. I know some things, but not a lot about specific cyberware.”
“Alright, I’ll give you the rundown. The Condor is a few gens old. It was popular before the Unification War, but Militech came out with the Orion at the beginning of the war as a surprise for Arasaka. The Condor wasn’t able to compete so they got sold off as work pieces. Lot of factories in Watson bought up the stock after the war and started chippin’ them in.” The woman spoke in a quiet voice which I realized she was probably doing to distract me.
But I kinda wanted to know this anyway.
“They do just fine there, but as you would expect a lot of factories sell off stock, or lose people over the years. They may be a decade old, but there isn’t anything wrong with them. They just don’t quite compete with the later advancements. Don’t worry. You won’t have any issues with them. They are better than your old fleshware.” The woman offered and I blinked.
“Fleshware?”
“Yeah. You’ve got Cyberware. And Fleshware.” She said, chuckling as she pointed first at my arm. Then she poked me in the stomach. “Sorry. It’s a Ripper joke.” She added afterwards as I just kinda looked at her blankly.
“Right.”
“Well you won’t have any issues. They are rated for combat, so they won’t break the first time you have to punch some Strom lowlife.”
“Good to know.” I whispered quietly as I looked them over. They looked. Utilitarian. The metal was a sort of polished steel finish. They sort of reminded me of Johnny's arm, at least in color. They were definitely more realistic than his arm though. A smooth contour between the digits on the fingers meant the whole thing looked more like a normal arm just dipped in metal and plastic.
I looked away. What else could I do? I wasn’t ready for this. At least not like this. I had wanted my first foray into Cyberware, into transhumanism, to be a momentous moment for me. Something that meant I took a huge plunge into the future. Into a dream I had since I was a kid.
Cyborgs were cool.
“I didn’t ask for this.” I whispered quietly. Yeah. I feel you Adam. I get it.
“Hmm?”
“Nothing important.” I responded quietly as I lowered my arm. I would just have to deal. Roll with the punches.
“Alright. This one looks good. The connections are healing well. Just make sure you take it very slow for at least a week.” She orders with a firm look as she spins around the ripper chair I was in, and she starts working on my other shoulder. Seeing her open up my shoulder the metal plates shifting letting her access the insides was… Weird.
I did my best to just ignore the feeling.
It was just another thing I would have to get used to… I guess.
The door suddenly opened, and I looked over expecting Jun.
Only that wasn’t Jun. The man and I used that term lightly that stepped inside, was more chrome than flesh. Legs, arms, chest, even his face was chromed out.
“So the kid lived.” He said his voice sounded robotic, and… lifeless.
“She did. Tougher than she looks.” The Ripper said as she rose up away from my shoulder instantly as he came in. “How can I assist you today Fujimura-Sama?” She asked with a bow after she stood before him.
“Leg is acting up again.” He stated simply, and the Ripper nodded gesturing for another chair in her little clinic that he swiftly settled into. As she instantly began opening up his right leg and checking things out.
She could have at least closed up my shoulder first…
The room was quiet for a while as I watched the Ripper work on the Borgs leg.
Suddenly the borg turned his head towards me. “Your brother used up a lot of favors to get you in here. Hope you appreciate that.” He suddenly spoke to me, his blazing eyes a swirl of color.
“Yeah. I’ll owe Jun a lot.”
“You owe the Tygers a lot. We take care of our own, but as much as we give, we expect just as much back.” He said his eyes locked to mine.
A promise, and a threat in one.
—--
Hours later, after the Ripper had checked over the borg who hadn’t said a word to me following his declaration, and after she had checked me over. Jun suddenly burst into the room.
“Motoko!”
“Present.” I responded as I looked away from the TV that the Ripper had kindly turned on for me. I would have just left, but she told me to stay resting. She didn’t want me walking around putting any pressure on the recovering nerves.
“I… Motoko. I…” Jun babbled a bit. The last time I had seen him he had been so cold, but now it was like all the frost had melted away.
Just leaving the terrified teenager beneath. Poor Jun. I would just have to be a good little sister and help him recover.
“Thank you Jun. For saving me.” I told him with a smile and a twitch of my arm as I instinctively tried to give him a thumbs up.
“Motoko. I didn’t save you. I got you put there in the first place! I knew I shouldn’t have come to the apartment! Everyone warned me to stay away. That if I went back they could track me to you! I should have listened!” He cursed his fist clenching and looked like he was going to punch something.
“Nah that’s dumb.” I told him firmly, cutting right through everything. “Avoiding someone to try and protect them doesn’t really protect them. Like ever. You should have just told me. We could have figured something out… but I’m not going to berate you Jun. What happened wasn’t your fault. You didn’t kidnap me, or mean for it to happen.” I shook my head wiping away that irritation at Jun avoiding me like the plague to ‘protect’ me.
I knew that wasn’t the full truth. Jun had been… Cold the last time I saw him, I was still really worried about how he was handling all of his new chrome.
I was feeling it too. The different senses. The way everything wasn’t quite right. That niggling on your brain as something foreign pressed against it.
I could see how people lost their minds
“They wouldn’t have known you even existed if I hadn’t…”
“If I hadn’t bothered you so much and threatened to run out in the gang war to find you? It’s funny if they had jumped me about a minute earlier things would have been different. I had just packed all my guns in the car.” I told him with a chuckle as I imagined those borgs faces if they had been facing me with a carnage and a bit more equipment.
“When did you get a car? No, I mean how?” Jun asked looking confused but before I could answer he waved his own question off. “Never mind. That isn’t important right now. Imouto. Just rest. I promise. I’ll find the ones who did this to you. I’ll kill them. You will never have to worry about them again. I promise.” He said his voice turned to gravel as he growled out his promise.
“Denied.” I immediately cut in. Jun was hot headed if I didn’t immediately squish his vengeful rampage he would really go do it.
“What?” He asked kinda surprised, and I really wish I had control of my arms because I would be crossing them in an X right then.
“I’ve already got a blood vendetta against them. So until I cut off like all of their limbs no one else can kill them. Denied.” I answered simply with a nod. Yep. I was hunting those borg fucks once I recovered. Especially that spider motherfucker. Cut off my arms? I’ll cut off all eight of your legs and your arms.
Jun sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in obvious irritation. “This isn’t… This isn’t a game Motoko. These men are dangerous. You should know that. You aren’t going to be able to just kill them.”
“Sure I will.” I told him, but it was then I realized.
Jun had no idea how much of an asskicker I was! I had done all these gigs, but Jun kept being Jun and not being around!
“I’m pretty cool, you know? I’ve done all sorts of cool stuff since you've been gone, I went on a gig for Wakako even!”
Jun blinked at that before wincing. “You bothered Wakako!? She hates Oka-san, Motoko! Why would you go to her?”
“Cause she was right around the corner… Really? She hates our mom? Weird. Do you know why?”
“It’s not important. Motoko. Imouto. I don’t care how many jobs you have done. We will talk about that later. But you aren’t going after the Maelstrom. They are dangerous!”
I had to bite back on my instant retort of ‘But you do it!’ that never works on people.
Ever.
“Jun. You remember how you left to go kill a bunch of Maelstrom because your choom died, and I kept trying to tell you to stop and come home so you don’t end up a Cyberpsycho or die?” I asked him describing all of his actions over the last while.
“No… That’s now what happened. Or how I would describe it.”
“Right. But that feeling you got whenever I told you to stop? Yeah. That’s what I’m feeling. I love you Jun, and I promise I’ll be safe.” And then I felt that coldness freeze my soul.
My hands were still wonky, more floppy than useful but I was able to do this. I reached out and wrapped my hand around Jun’s jacket and pulled him just a bit closer so he could see the surety in my eyes.
“But I will not be satisfied until I beat them both to death with their own limbs, and nothing not even you will get in my way of murdering those monsters.” I swore to him letting him see just how serious I was before I let go of his jacket, wincing a bit at the difficulty in getting my hand to actually release. I ended up sort of tugging on his jacket for a moment until I finally seemed to get the right connection across and the hand popped open.
“Sorry about that.” I told him as I settled my arm back on the Ripper Chair I had been resting on.
“No.” He said as he pulled me into a hug that felt crushing as I felt him bury his face into my hair, as he held me tight. “I won’t let you throw yourself into danger Imouto.” He whispered into my hair.
This time I decided not to say anything. Jun didn’t understand yet. But he would. A bit of time for my body to recover. Maybe a full night's sleep sometime soon, a bit of practice to make sure my arms… Well worked.
And I would go hunting. That dark sinister part of me that I kept pushing away when I considered my proclivity for murder rose up.
This time I didn’t push it down. This time I didn’t justify it to myself. Sure they were evil. They had done a great evil to me.
But in order to find them I was fully prepared to commit even greater evils against anyone that stood between me and them.
I felt no sympathy for all the Maelstrom gangers that I would soon run into.
Only eagerness.
—--
Eventually Jun’s hovering drove even the Ripper doc mad, and she proclaimed that I was well enough to not sit around here anymore.
So Jun decided to take me home.
But not our home. While Jun tried to force me into a wheelchair once I was finally released from the Chair I wasn’t having it. It was my arms that were floopy, not my legs. With a double set of slings to keep my arms from jostling my wounded shoulders I followed Jun out of the room, through a basement with a bunch of servers, and a large couch and TV to rest on, up a flight up stairs into…
A Dojo?
“This is Deravaja Dojo. Don’t tell anyone this is where we are.” Jun tells me as he shows me around the building.
“Why?”
“Because no one outside the higher ups in the Tyger Claws know this is where we are resting, or where we go to recover.” Jun says, sounding a little proud as he shows me around. He seemed… Irritated about having to do it, but then every time he seemed to be growing annoyed he would look at me, and suddenly, the old Jun would be back.
I guess having his kid sister cut up was cutting through his… Well I wasn’t going to deny it, his budding Cyberpsychosis.
“Who is we? I’m not important, and I didn’t think you were either… No offense.”
My hurried addition came too late, because Jun was actually looking a little offended as he puffed up a little. “We are the Kamikaze. The force that crushes a Maelstrom.” He answered, sounding all proud.
But I just couldn’t help but think it was some serious weeb shit, and coming from me that said a lot. So I just nodded and kept my mouth shut.
Jun sounded proud of his weeb club, so I wasn’t going to make fun of it.
Aloud anyways.
“So the Tyger Claws put together a group of people with heavy Cyberware to fight against the Maelstrom Borgs?”
“Exactly. This is our HQ and medical station. Which is why you can’t tell anyone where you are. Promise me Imouto.”
“Promise.” I answered simply, it wasn’t really a big deal for me.
“Good. Come. I will show you where you will be staying.” He said as he walked me out the Dojo through a side door, into an alley. There were food vendors sizzling things around the edge of the fence, but Jun walked in between two vendors who simply ignored Juns presence as if he didn’t exist. Behind the vendors was a small little nook between the large complex next door and the Dojo, mostly filled with trash, and nothing else.
No door.
But Jun didn’t slow walking up to the building he knocked on a window and after a few moments it opened. With a little help from Jun I made it through into a small break room for the building. The woman that sat at a desk beside the window was simply tapping away and ignoring our presence as Jun guided me out of the break room and into a hallway. Then he walked into an apartment.
“This is where you will be staying until Maelstrom are gone. I’ll go out to gather some clothes and things from the apartment later.” Jun informed me as I looked around the small mostly barren apartment that had a few of Juns things laying around. His jacket that he rarely wore was thrown over the coffee table and there was a mess of old food containers littering a small table.
“So this is where you’ve been staying?”
“Yes. C’mon I’ll get you settled in. You can take the bed.” He says simply as he guides me into a small bedroom that was equally barren besides a few pieces of Jun’s clothing scattered around.
“Home sweet home.” I told him as I looked around.
I just wanted to go back to the apartment. I had so much stuff to do. But for now I would go along with Jun’s crazy secret apartment hideaway.
—--
I didn’t get a full night's sleep. It seems dumb since I could literally sleep as long as I wanted instantly, but I chose specifically not to do that.
I would need to see a Ripper again probably very soon, and it would be fairly obvious if I walked in with new arms, yet not a single hint of the surgery still existing.
So I would deal with a bit of early rising grumpiness.
The few hours I had allowed myself did help. Washing out more of the pain meds that only made me fuzzy instead of really helping.
Although my arms were still floppy. That would take a few days more to recover from. I carefully put my arms back in their slings as I left the room that Jun had given up for me, only to find Jun resting on the couch staring at the TV whispering a news channel with a particularly blank look on his face.
He didn’t even notice as I stepped out. Just sitting there. Quietly. Alone.
“Couldn’t sleep either huh?” I asked him despite the fact I could have slept the whole day away if I really wanted.
He didn’t startle but seemed to blink a little as if he wasn’t sure where he was. It took him a moment of staring before he spoke. “Motoko. You should go back to sleep. You need to rest.”
“I think I’ve slept all I’m gonna get tonight.” I offered as I walked over and settled in next to him on the couch. “You should sleep yourself. Staring blankly at a TV isn’t going to make you feel better.”
“Don’t tell me wh-” He cut himself off as his voice rose in that cold way that I was becoming more familiar with.
“You back with me?” I asked after a moment and he really did twitch this time.
“I never left. I’m fine.”
“You can lie to me Jun. But you shouldn’t lie to yourself. It’s unhealthy.”
“I’m fine! I’m not going Cyberpsycho!”
“The fact you already know what I’m suspecting is a bad sign Jun-Nii.” I tell him, causing him to sort of glare and sort of cringe at the same time.
So instead of saying anything else I just scooted in, much to Jun’s discomfort. Ignoring whatever was going through his head I acted like all little sisters and just flopped against him.
Little sisters and cats. Very similar in many mysterious ways.
It took a while but eventually Jun relaxed and the tension I could in him slowly eased.
Eventually he spoke.
“It’s just the shakes, and I zone out sometimes. Nothing… Crazy.”
“Jun. Please don’t add in any more chrome. Not even one thing. Please. For me.”
My begging didn’t get a response for a long time as we sat there in the dark, lit only by the Newscaster.
“I’ll… I’ll think about it.”
“Good… Good.”
“What about you?” He asked suddenly, a little gruffly, but gentle as he reached out and poked gently at my chrome shoulders.
I opened my mouth to deny any issues. To tell him I was fine, and I would be ready to go kill some stroms soon.
But I had just told him, he shouldn’t lie to himself.
I couldn’t exactly go and instantly make myself a hypocrite.
“I’m alive.” I told him which earned me his full interest as something must have come out in my voice. “I didn’t… I didn’t have time to think about it while I was there. Too much fighting off the pain, or trying to survive. I don’t know if I’m really finished processing it… So maybe But I… I really hate that it happened to me… That, that it happened to me again.”
“I thought… when you got kidnapped again. I thought… I didn’t think I could get lucky enough to save you twice. I’m glad. That you aren’t dead. That you aren’t crazy… That I don’t have to meet you again for the third time.”
“I’m sorry I’m not the Motoko you originally knew.” I admitted quietly, a part of me well aware I wasn’t entirely his sister. That I was just playing pretend with the teenager who was going through so much.
I had felt sad for Jun from the first time I walked into our little apartment and realized that he was alone.
All he had was me, and all I had was him.
“Please.” He whispered quietly into the dimly lit room. “Just take care I don’t want you doing something… Like me, and losing you. I can’t.”
I leaned into him heavily for a moment taking in the raw… Fear. That was in his voice. But I didn’t respond. Because I knew I would recover soon. That I would be ready to get my own… Revenge. I wouldn’t lie to myself.
I wanted revenge, and with the gamer system pushing me forward I was gonna get it.
“Right now, I could just use a hug.” I told him instead, which meant a few moments later his arm was wrapped over my shoulder.
“Stupid Jun-Nii. Get some Real Skinn already. Your arms are the worst at hugs.” I told him, but I didn’t let him pull away.
Probably for the best. I could feel my cheeks heating up a bit as I remembered that fact.
Then it died when I remembered what had happened.
The medical bay I was in was pretty small, a back room ripper office like I expected. The many many pieces of Tyger Claw stuff strewn around told me a lot.
I guess Jun had taken me to his Ripper.
I was still strapped down, I noticed as I looked around the little room. I slowly raised my arm, which wasn’t easy.
Yep. Still there. Still chrome. I felt a shiver down my spine.
It wasn’t right. The feeling it gave as I slowly managed to form a fist and then spread ‘my’ fingers.
So that was it. I had been planning on some chrome arms. It had been my plan. Probably a set of Mantis blades, or a cool Monowire, or gorilla arms for the utility there had been so many options I hadn’t decided.
I guess the decision had come and gone.
“Oh finally up are we?” The woman from before the Ripper asked as she entered. She was an older woman. Not quite graying, but probably close to that. Her face lined in a few wrinkles, but the shining chrome lines up and down her cheeks showed just how much chrome she had.
“Yeah… Jun?” I asked, looking around and not seeing him.
“I managed to convince him to sit in a chair outside about an hour ago. He passed out nearly instantly. Your brother doesn’t sleep much even when his little sister isn’t in my clinic.
I nodded at that. Jun being too stubborn to actually sleep when he needs to didn’t surprise me at all. “And me? How… How bad is it?” I asked as I raised my arm… I shivered as it didn’t feel ‘right’ It felt like I had four arms. Or more, the feeling of phantom limb meant even as I tried to move my arm it moved slower than my expectations leaving me with a feeling of my limb being in the wrong spot.
“Better than you would expect.” She answered simply as she sat down in a chair beside me. “Considering what they did to you, I expected you to be brain dead. But you managed to keep from having an aneurysm. I pulled the connections as fast as I could, which is why your arms feel off. I wasn’t exactly gentle. Speed was more important. But that will heal. Give it a few days and your kinesthesia should feel normal.”
“Yeah. It’s a little off.”
“Nerve damage or sorts. Those… Things they put on you were overloading your nervous system. It will be tender.” She shrugged at that. “You are alive and not brain dead. It’s more than most could hope for.”
“Yeah.” I muttered as I looked up at the unfamiliar ceiling.
That had been some shit. It was probably the drugs I was on leaving me feeling sort of fluffy, but I could feel it. The anxiety and nervousness bubbling up under it.
I would probably be a little frantic for a while. I really hadn’t been expecting a kidnapping attempt in the middle of the day right in front of my home.
“Fuckin’ Night City.”
“A phrase I hear often.” The Ripper chuckled, as she reached out and without a word started poking her tools into my shoulder I would have flinched if I wasn’t feeling so mellow from the drugs.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking on the connections. The Condor is a solid piece of chrome, but your circumstances make it complicated.”
“Militech Condor. That’s what it’s called right?” I asked as I scanned the other arm she wasn’t working on. I had no idea what a Militech Condor was. Or what it could do. Unfortunately my scan didn’t tell me the things I really wanted to know.
Was it a good arm? Was it garbage? Would I have to worry about it failing on me? Or breaking?
“Never heard of them before? Not much of a Chrome head are you?”
“No. I know some things, but not a lot about specific cyberware.”
“Alright, I’ll give you the rundown. The Condor is a few gens old. It was popular before the Unification War, but Militech came out with the Orion at the beginning of the war as a surprise for Arasaka. The Condor wasn’t able to compete so they got sold off as work pieces. Lot of factories in Watson bought up the stock after the war and started chippin’ them in.” The woman spoke in a quiet voice which I realized she was probably doing to distract me.
But I kinda wanted to know this anyway.
“They do just fine there, but as you would expect a lot of factories sell off stock, or lose people over the years. They may be a decade old, but there isn’t anything wrong with them. They just don’t quite compete with the later advancements. Don’t worry. You won’t have any issues with them. They are better than your old fleshware.” The woman offered and I blinked.
“Fleshware?”
“Yeah. You’ve got Cyberware. And Fleshware.” She said, chuckling as she pointed first at my arm. Then she poked me in the stomach. “Sorry. It’s a Ripper joke.” She added afterwards as I just kinda looked at her blankly.
“Right.”
“Well you won’t have any issues. They are rated for combat, so they won’t break the first time you have to punch some Strom lowlife.”
“Good to know.” I whispered quietly as I looked them over. They looked. Utilitarian. The metal was a sort of polished steel finish. They sort of reminded me of Johnny's arm, at least in color. They were definitely more realistic than his arm though. A smooth contour between the digits on the fingers meant the whole thing looked more like a normal arm just dipped in metal and plastic.
I looked away. What else could I do? I wasn’t ready for this. At least not like this. I had wanted my first foray into Cyberware, into transhumanism, to be a momentous moment for me. Something that meant I took a huge plunge into the future. Into a dream I had since I was a kid.
Cyborgs were cool.
“I didn’t ask for this.” I whispered quietly. Yeah. I feel you Adam. I get it.
“Hmm?”
“Nothing important.” I responded quietly as I lowered my arm. I would just have to deal. Roll with the punches.
“Alright. This one looks good. The connections are healing well. Just make sure you take it very slow for at least a week.” She orders with a firm look as she spins around the ripper chair I was in, and she starts working on my other shoulder. Seeing her open up my shoulder the metal plates shifting letting her access the insides was… Weird.
I did my best to just ignore the feeling.
It was just another thing I would have to get used to… I guess.
The door suddenly opened, and I looked over expecting Jun.
Only that wasn’t Jun. The man and I used that term lightly that stepped inside, was more chrome than flesh. Legs, arms, chest, even his face was chromed out.
“So the kid lived.” He said his voice sounded robotic, and… lifeless.
“She did. Tougher than she looks.” The Ripper said as she rose up away from my shoulder instantly as he came in. “How can I assist you today Fujimura-Sama?” She asked with a bow after she stood before him.
“Leg is acting up again.” He stated simply, and the Ripper nodded gesturing for another chair in her little clinic that he swiftly settled into. As she instantly began opening up his right leg and checking things out.
She could have at least closed up my shoulder first…
The room was quiet for a while as I watched the Ripper work on the Borgs leg.
Suddenly the borg turned his head towards me. “Your brother used up a lot of favors to get you in here. Hope you appreciate that.” He suddenly spoke to me, his blazing eyes a swirl of color.
“Yeah. I’ll owe Jun a lot.”
“You owe the Tygers a lot. We take care of our own, but as much as we give, we expect just as much back.” He said his eyes locked to mine.
A promise, and a threat in one.
—--
Hours later, after the Ripper had checked over the borg who hadn’t said a word to me following his declaration, and after she had checked me over. Jun suddenly burst into the room.
“Motoko!”
“Present.” I responded as I looked away from the TV that the Ripper had kindly turned on for me. I would have just left, but she told me to stay resting. She didn’t want me walking around putting any pressure on the recovering nerves.
“I… Motoko. I…” Jun babbled a bit. The last time I had seen him he had been so cold, but now it was like all the frost had melted away.
Just leaving the terrified teenager beneath. Poor Jun. I would just have to be a good little sister and help him recover.
“Thank you Jun. For saving me.” I told him with a smile and a twitch of my arm as I instinctively tried to give him a thumbs up.
“Motoko. I didn’t save you. I got you put there in the first place! I knew I shouldn’t have come to the apartment! Everyone warned me to stay away. That if I went back they could track me to you! I should have listened!” He cursed his fist clenching and looked like he was going to punch something.
“Nah that’s dumb.” I told him firmly, cutting right through everything. “Avoiding someone to try and protect them doesn’t really protect them. Like ever. You should have just told me. We could have figured something out… but I’m not going to berate you Jun. What happened wasn’t your fault. You didn’t kidnap me, or mean for it to happen.” I shook my head wiping away that irritation at Jun avoiding me like the plague to ‘protect’ me.
I knew that wasn’t the full truth. Jun had been… Cold the last time I saw him, I was still really worried about how he was handling all of his new chrome.
I was feeling it too. The different senses. The way everything wasn’t quite right. That niggling on your brain as something foreign pressed against it.
I could see how people lost their minds
“They wouldn’t have known you even existed if I hadn’t…”
“If I hadn’t bothered you so much and threatened to run out in the gang war to find you? It’s funny if they had jumped me about a minute earlier things would have been different. I had just packed all my guns in the car.” I told him with a chuckle as I imagined those borgs faces if they had been facing me with a carnage and a bit more equipment.
“When did you get a car? No, I mean how?” Jun asked looking confused but before I could answer he waved his own question off. “Never mind. That isn’t important right now. Imouto. Just rest. I promise. I’ll find the ones who did this to you. I’ll kill them. You will never have to worry about them again. I promise.” He said his voice turned to gravel as he growled out his promise.
“Denied.” I immediately cut in. Jun was hot headed if I didn’t immediately squish his vengeful rampage he would really go do it.
“What?” He asked kinda surprised, and I really wish I had control of my arms because I would be crossing them in an X right then.
“I’ve already got a blood vendetta against them. So until I cut off like all of their limbs no one else can kill them. Denied.” I answered simply with a nod. Yep. I was hunting those borg fucks once I recovered. Especially that spider motherfucker. Cut off my arms? I’ll cut off all eight of your legs and your arms.
Jun sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in obvious irritation. “This isn’t… This isn’t a game Motoko. These men are dangerous. You should know that. You aren’t going to be able to just kill them.”
“Sure I will.” I told him, but it was then I realized.
Jun had no idea how much of an asskicker I was! I had done all these gigs, but Jun kept being Jun and not being around!
“I’m pretty cool, you know? I’ve done all sorts of cool stuff since you've been gone, I went on a gig for Wakako even!”
Jun blinked at that before wincing. “You bothered Wakako!? She hates Oka-san, Motoko! Why would you go to her?”
“Cause she was right around the corner… Really? She hates our mom? Weird. Do you know why?”
“It’s not important. Motoko. Imouto. I don’t care how many jobs you have done. We will talk about that later. But you aren’t going after the Maelstrom. They are dangerous!”
I had to bite back on my instant retort of ‘But you do it!’ that never works on people.
Ever.
“Jun. You remember how you left to go kill a bunch of Maelstrom because your choom died, and I kept trying to tell you to stop and come home so you don’t end up a Cyberpsycho or die?” I asked him describing all of his actions over the last while.
“No… That’s now what happened. Or how I would describe it.”
“Right. But that feeling you got whenever I told you to stop? Yeah. That’s what I’m feeling. I love you Jun, and I promise I’ll be safe.” And then I felt that coldness freeze my soul.
My hands were still wonky, more floppy than useful but I was able to do this. I reached out and wrapped my hand around Jun’s jacket and pulled him just a bit closer so he could see the surety in my eyes.
“But I will not be satisfied until I beat them both to death with their own limbs, and nothing not even you will get in my way of murdering those monsters.” I swore to him letting him see just how serious I was before I let go of his jacket, wincing a bit at the difficulty in getting my hand to actually release. I ended up sort of tugging on his jacket for a moment until I finally seemed to get the right connection across and the hand popped open.
“Sorry about that.” I told him as I settled my arm back on the Ripper Chair I had been resting on.
“No.” He said as he pulled me into a hug that felt crushing as I felt him bury his face into my hair, as he held me tight. “I won’t let you throw yourself into danger Imouto.” He whispered into my hair.
This time I decided not to say anything. Jun didn’t understand yet. But he would. A bit of time for my body to recover. Maybe a full night's sleep sometime soon, a bit of practice to make sure my arms… Well worked.
And I would go hunting. That dark sinister part of me that I kept pushing away when I considered my proclivity for murder rose up.
This time I didn’t push it down. This time I didn’t justify it to myself. Sure they were evil. They had done a great evil to me.
But in order to find them I was fully prepared to commit even greater evils against anyone that stood between me and them.
I felt no sympathy for all the Maelstrom gangers that I would soon run into.
Only eagerness.
—--
Eventually Jun’s hovering drove even the Ripper doc mad, and she proclaimed that I was well enough to not sit around here anymore.
So Jun decided to take me home.
But not our home. While Jun tried to force me into a wheelchair once I was finally released from the Chair I wasn’t having it. It was my arms that were floopy, not my legs. With a double set of slings to keep my arms from jostling my wounded shoulders I followed Jun out of the room, through a basement with a bunch of servers, and a large couch and TV to rest on, up a flight up stairs into…
A Dojo?
“This is Deravaja Dojo. Don’t tell anyone this is where we are.” Jun tells me as he shows me around the building.
“Why?”
“Because no one outside the higher ups in the Tyger Claws know this is where we are resting, or where we go to recover.” Jun says, sounding a little proud as he shows me around. He seemed… Irritated about having to do it, but then every time he seemed to be growing annoyed he would look at me, and suddenly, the old Jun would be back.
I guess having his kid sister cut up was cutting through his… Well I wasn’t going to deny it, his budding Cyberpsychosis.
“Who is we? I’m not important, and I didn’t think you were either… No offense.”
My hurried addition came too late, because Jun was actually looking a little offended as he puffed up a little. “We are the Kamikaze. The force that crushes a Maelstrom.” He answered, sounding all proud.
But I just couldn’t help but think it was some serious weeb shit, and coming from me that said a lot. So I just nodded and kept my mouth shut.
Jun sounded proud of his weeb club, so I wasn’t going to make fun of it.
Aloud anyways.
“So the Tyger Claws put together a group of people with heavy Cyberware to fight against the Maelstrom Borgs?”
“Exactly. This is our HQ and medical station. Which is why you can’t tell anyone where you are. Promise me Imouto.”
“Promise.” I answered simply, it wasn’t really a big deal for me.
“Good. Come. I will show you where you will be staying.” He said as he walked me out the Dojo through a side door, into an alley. There were food vendors sizzling things around the edge of the fence, but Jun walked in between two vendors who simply ignored Juns presence as if he didn’t exist. Behind the vendors was a small little nook between the large complex next door and the Dojo, mostly filled with trash, and nothing else.
No door.
But Jun didn’t slow walking up to the building he knocked on a window and after a few moments it opened. With a little help from Jun I made it through into a small break room for the building. The woman that sat at a desk beside the window was simply tapping away and ignoring our presence as Jun guided me out of the break room and into a hallway. Then he walked into an apartment.
“This is where you will be staying until Maelstrom are gone. I’ll go out to gather some clothes and things from the apartment later.” Jun informed me as I looked around the small mostly barren apartment that had a few of Juns things laying around. His jacket that he rarely wore was thrown over the coffee table and there was a mess of old food containers littering a small table.
“So this is where you’ve been staying?”
“Yes. C’mon I’ll get you settled in. You can take the bed.” He says simply as he guides me into a small bedroom that was equally barren besides a few pieces of Jun’s clothing scattered around.
“Home sweet home.” I told him as I looked around.
I just wanted to go back to the apartment. I had so much stuff to do. But for now I would go along with Jun’s crazy secret apartment hideaway.
—--
I didn’t get a full night's sleep. It seems dumb since I could literally sleep as long as I wanted instantly, but I chose specifically not to do that.
I would need to see a Ripper again probably very soon, and it would be fairly obvious if I walked in with new arms, yet not a single hint of the surgery still existing.
So I would deal with a bit of early rising grumpiness.
The few hours I had allowed myself did help. Washing out more of the pain meds that only made me fuzzy instead of really helping.
Although my arms were still floppy. That would take a few days more to recover from. I carefully put my arms back in their slings as I left the room that Jun had given up for me, only to find Jun resting on the couch staring at the TV whispering a news channel with a particularly blank look on his face.
He didn’t even notice as I stepped out. Just sitting there. Quietly. Alone.
“Couldn’t sleep either huh?” I asked him despite the fact I could have slept the whole day away if I really wanted.
He didn’t startle but seemed to blink a little as if he wasn’t sure where he was. It took him a moment of staring before he spoke. “Motoko. You should go back to sleep. You need to rest.”
“I think I’ve slept all I’m gonna get tonight.” I offered as I walked over and settled in next to him on the couch. “You should sleep yourself. Staring blankly at a TV isn’t going to make you feel better.”
“Don’t tell me wh-” He cut himself off as his voice rose in that cold way that I was becoming more familiar with.
“You back with me?” I asked after a moment and he really did twitch this time.
“I never left. I’m fine.”
“You can lie to me Jun. But you shouldn’t lie to yourself. It’s unhealthy.”
“I’m fine! I’m not going Cyberpsycho!”
“The fact you already know what I’m suspecting is a bad sign Jun-Nii.” I tell him, causing him to sort of glare and sort of cringe at the same time.
So instead of saying anything else I just scooted in, much to Jun’s discomfort. Ignoring whatever was going through his head I acted like all little sisters and just flopped against him.
Little sisters and cats. Very similar in many mysterious ways.
It took a while but eventually Jun relaxed and the tension I could in him slowly eased.
Eventually he spoke.
“It’s just the shakes, and I zone out sometimes. Nothing… Crazy.”
“Jun. Please don’t add in any more chrome. Not even one thing. Please. For me.”
My begging didn’t get a response for a long time as we sat there in the dark, lit only by the Newscaster.
“I’ll… I’ll think about it.”
“Good… Good.”
“What about you?” He asked suddenly, a little gruffly, but gentle as he reached out and poked gently at my chrome shoulders.
I opened my mouth to deny any issues. To tell him I was fine, and I would be ready to go kill some stroms soon.
But I had just told him, he shouldn’t lie to himself.
I couldn’t exactly go and instantly make myself a hypocrite.
“I’m alive.” I told him which earned me his full interest as something must have come out in my voice. “I didn’t… I didn’t have time to think about it while I was there. Too much fighting off the pain, or trying to survive. I don’t know if I’m really finished processing it… So maybe But I… I really hate that it happened to me… That, that it happened to me again.”
“I thought… when you got kidnapped again. I thought… I didn’t think I could get lucky enough to save you twice. I’m glad. That you aren’t dead. That you aren’t crazy… That I don’t have to meet you again for the third time.”
“I’m sorry I’m not the Motoko you originally knew.” I admitted quietly, a part of me well aware I wasn’t entirely his sister. That I was just playing pretend with the teenager who was going through so much.
I had felt sad for Jun from the first time I walked into our little apartment and realized that he was alone.
All he had was me, and all I had was him.
“Please.” He whispered quietly into the dimly lit room. “Just take care I don’t want you doing something… Like me, and losing you. I can’t.”
I leaned into him heavily for a moment taking in the raw… Fear. That was in his voice. But I didn’t respond. Because I knew I would recover soon. That I would be ready to get my own… Revenge. I wouldn’t lie to myself.
I wanted revenge, and with the gamer system pushing me forward I was gonna get it.
“Right now, I could just use a hug.” I told him instead, which meant a few moments later his arm was wrapped over my shoulder.
“Stupid Jun-Nii. Get some Real Skinn already. Your arms are the worst at hugs.” I told him, but I didn’t let him pull away.
PeaceMaker 03
Well-known member
Moto time to take Jun and get a cyber tune-up with Viktor Vektor.
How much of the Cyberpsycho is from badly wired chrome?
Every time I see yellow I taste lemons, I hate lemons now. I can not listen to music anymore it causes my brain to lock up and when I come out of my fugue state I have headaches that increase/fade in pain to the rhythm of the music.
How much of the Cyberpsycho is from badly wired chrome?
Every time I see yellow I taste lemons, I hate lemons now. I can not listen to music anymore it causes my brain to lock up and when I come out of my fugue state I have headaches that increase/fade in pain to the rhythm of the music.
Chapter 27
Seras
Well-known member
—--
I think my sense of time towards how long a wound takes to heal was a bit off. The next morning after once again not sleeping a full eight hours Jun dragged me back through the window and into the Dojo then downstairs into the surprise Ripper clinic.
The same ripper checked me over, gave me some meds including some drugs to acclimate to the new limbs, and told me that she wouldn’t have to see me again unless something went wrong.
That was the good part.
“It should be another two or three days before everything feels normal, and probably another two weeks after that before you can start really using your arms for more than light work.” She informed me as she air hypoed me with whatever drugs she wanted me to have.
“That’s way too long! I’ll be fine sooner than that!” I argued but Jun and the Ripper weren’t having it.
“Normally a surgery like this wouldn’t take that long to recover from, a few days at most, but you went through two surgeries back to back. Trust me Motoko. You need to take it very easy for a while. Let your shoulders heal unless you want to deal with permanent damage. You are lucky that the Tyger Claws decided to allow you the use of some of our Speed Heal. If not for Jun’s contribution to the Tyger Claws it would not have been offered considering how low our stock is.” The ripper informed me as she checked over a medical monitor.
“Wait. Is that expensive or something? I can pay for it… Actually I should pay for all of this. How much? I have a chunk of eddies already, and I can go get more.” My mind instantly turned to how much loot I would be collecting from the dead Maelstrom I would soon be mowing through.
“Don’t worry about it Imouto. It’s all taken care of.” Jun stated simply trying to end the conversation but I just ignored him and kept looking at the ripper.
“Hard to say, I’m not running a normal clinic here. I’m only here to work with the Kamikaze. But Speed Heal is currently almost impossible to find on the streets. You can guess why. Plus those arms of yours might have come from something your brother collected, but they still belonged to the Claws.” She looked at me for a moment. “It was an expensive procedure.”
“Fill out a statement of how much when you get a chance. I’ll take care of it.” I told her with a shrug. She was already basically wiping her hands of dealing with me, so I was more than happy to pay eddies not to have Tyger Claw feeling like I owed them hanging over my head.
“You will not! It has already been taken care of Motoko. You don’t need to worry about anything.” Jun butts in, trying to cut me off. Jun was doing the overprotective big brother thing so that was nice.
But I was a bratty kid sister.
“So just make sure you get that to me soon.” I told her, completely ignoring Jun, before slipping off the chair. She was done looking me over, and frankly.
I had things I wanted to do, and people I wanted to see.
“Hey Jun. You said you were gonna go to the apartment to pick stuff up right? So can I come with?” I decided to change the subject as Jun was glaring at me with his cold emotionless eyes.
It quickly warmed up as I changed the subject. He hesitated a moment before sighing a bit at my puppy dog eyes. “Fine. We will be going incognito anyways. C’mon. I borrowed a car.”
“Probably a good idea. I can’t exactly drive my car like this.” I agreed, and the reminder seemed to make Jun twitch a bit.
“Right. A car. How exactly did you afford a car?”
“It’s a long story. I was on a job for Wakako.”
“I still don’t know how you pulled that off. Wakako isn’t exactly our biggest fan.”
“She was nice enough. I mean, old lady rude, but I could deal. She even said I was a valuable agent last time we talked!” I argued as Jun guided me out of the dojo, back through the apartment block this time I was led into an underground parking garage that was obviously blocked off for Tyger Claw use with a lowered gate. I was settled into an unmarked heavily tinted Arche Hella. And Jun started the engine and we were out in the city.
To my surprise Jun actually drove like a normal person.
“Have to pretend we are unimportant. I don’t want any Maelstrom to track us.” He mentioned, after noticing my surprised look.
“So that’s what it takes to get you to drive safely. Interesting.” I teased him, earning a scowl as he continued down the road.
“Before we stop at home, there is a place I need to go.” I told him now that we were already on the road and it would be harder to refuse. “Need to go to Little China.” I told him earning a very unimpressed look from Jun.
“We aren’t going on a side trip. What do you even need in Little China?”
My eyes went gold as I sent him a text for the location. “My ripper. Vik is one of the best in Night City, and I mean that honestly. He’s a legend for those in the know.” I told him as he looked at me like I was…
Well his amnesiac kid sister making grand proclamations.
“Listen. Just… Please. I know you have your Ripper doc that you brought me too, but I don’t… I would feel a lot more comfortable with a checkup from Vik… Please Jun?” I begged.
He was definitely glaring, and I could see his chromed hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
“Fine. But first you have to tell me why you even went to a ripper, or how you know this guy.”
“Oh. You didn’t notice? My eyes Jun. I got a set of Kiroshi’s Vik managed to find them for me.”
“Ow.” I muttered as I barely stopped myself from bonking my head on the dash. Really glad I had my seatbelt on.
Jun had hit the breaks. Hard.
“What?! When? How!? Kiroshi aren’t cheap! I don’t even have a set of Kiroshi!”
“All of which is basically the same answer Jun. I told you. I’ve been doing gigs for Wakako… And some side biz. It’s your fault you know! I wanted to tell you all about the adventures I’ve been having but you wouldn’t even answer your phone!”
“I couldn’t I was on the job! You can be tracked through calls by a skilled Netrunner. I was trying to protect you!” His voice rose up into a shout at the end. “Now I find out you were doing jobs for Wakako! That you met some creepy back alley ripper!? That you chipped new chrome and I didn’t even know!?” He was roaring, his fist rocked out and smashed into the dash electronics and buttons pinged around for a moment.
I wasn’t really surprised. I mean it wasn’t the first time that Jun had expressed his anger by punching something.
We really should work on that, it was a bad way to release stress. But it was what he said that made me sad, or maybe what he was saying.
“I was safe. Hiromi was with me when Vik chipped me. She was super sus too. But Vik’s good people. Like an honestly good person. So I was fine. And yeah Wakako is surprisingly nice to me. I mean she is really to the point, we don’t chit chat… And she may have sent me on some really boring gofer missions. I should tell you about the wedding ring fiasco… Anyway. I’m okay Jun. Honest. And I’ll be okay moving forward. What happened yesterday wasn’t your fault.”
He slowly pulled his fist out of the dash. His fist clenching and unclenching.
I realized then.
Jun for all of his attempts to be cool was struggling with all his new chrome just like I was.
I reached out without a word. Even if it was still floppy I put my hand in his clenching fist.
I held his hand the rest of the way. Slowly feeling the tension in his fingers die down.
Which was super weird by the way because I was still getting a really bad phantom limb sensation, so I barely even felt like we were holding hands at times.
But I kept cool. I was trying to comfort my stupid brother after all.
Finally after a few minutes of driving through Night City traffic Jun spoke. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there, Motoko. I’ll… I’ll be there from now on. I promise.”
“Don’t worry. And just give me some space, showing up to a gig with my big brother peering over my shoulder would be embarrassing. Almost as embarrassing as the time I had to take the bus to a job and the people I was trying to collect from literally watched me get off the bus… I thought I was gonna die.”
“Pfft.” A noise escaped Jun and I pouted at him as his little burst of amusement turned into a chuckle as he processed what I had just told him. “They really saw you get off the bus?”
“Yep. They were at the gas station right there. I had to do a long walk over to them too.”
“Hahaha!” Jun’s laughter was nice. It had been a while since I heard him laugh as he took endless joy at my suffering.
“At least you’ve been safe… Until yesterday.”
“Yeah I only got shot like once.” Well more than that, but I had successfully covered up the bullet wounds every other time! Because I was a genius and master of disguise!
That was about when Jun once again slammed on the breaks.
“YOU WHAT!?”
—--
Jun pulling the car in front of Misty’s Esoterica was a relief. He had been seething for the last few minutes.
“It was just a flesh wound.” I mumbled. Quietly. Very quietly. Because the last time I had said that Jun almost smashed the car into a pole because he was yelling at me. Jun might have already parked, but I didn’t trust him not to start throttling me if I tried to say it again.
Apparently the reveal that I had been shot on a job was not doing good things to Jun’s blood pressure.
I was gonna ask Vik to check over Jun now too. Because his face going so red probably wasn’t healthy.
“Oh my! Motoko!?” A voice called out and I turned to see Misty having come out of her shop after seeing me.
“Hey Misty. How’s the biz?” I asked, but that was ignored as she rushed up to me.
“Your arms! Vik didn’t tell me you were getting that much work done! Is everything connected well? No problems?”
“Ah. Well it wasn’t Vik. I got klepped by some Malestrom, they were pretty pissed so they decided to cut me up a bit. I'm here for a checkup from Vik. I trust him to make sure everything is good.”
“Oh.. Oh! Motoko. I’m sorry.” Misty gasped as she looked from my arms still held in their slings then up to my face. “Are you… Are you gonna be okay? Do you want to talk? I have some really nice soothing ambience shards that really help in meditation, and a f-”
“I’m alright.” I interrupted her. “I just want to get Vik to check me over. I don’t know the ripper that ended up fixing me up… Oh by the way this is my brother Jun.” I say shifting sideways since I couldn’t really point very well. Misty sort of blinked in that foggy way she tended towards as she looked Jun over.
The fact he was wearing a big heavy shirt to cover most of his tattoos, yet still looked like a yakuza on vacation probably ran through Misty's head. “Nice to meet you.” She seemed to settle on and Jun just gave a disinterested nod. He was grumpy at me still.
“Is Vik in?”
“Oh of course, come on, I’ll walk you down. This is so serious. I can’t believe that the Maelstrom grabbed you. I mean, I’ve heard they do that sometimes, but that is…” She trailed off again with a sad little sigh.
“Yeah it was pretty rough. I wish I had been a little less surprised. I would have been able to fight back a lot better, but I wasn’t exactly prepared… Which I guess is my fault. Always be prepared right? Eh. I’ll remember it for the future.” I told her with confidence.
It didn’t seem to help as she was nibbling at her finger nail nervously.
But we all walked through her shop and down into Viks clinic. Jun was looking around, obviously unhappy with the aesthetics.
Hiromi and Jun were both so alike sometimes! No reason to be so skeptical. Just because Viks clinic was underground, in an alley, in a storage unit and not a building! No reason to be so sketched out! Vik was amazing!
I led us down as Misty followed behind along with Jun who was looking all over the place.
“Hey Vik!” I called out sounding a little chipper. I felt way more comfortable here than I had in the Tyger Claw Rippers chair.
Seriously the lady felt like a back alley yakuza doc. Which I guess she kinda was.
“Oh? Is that Motoko, what’s going on kid, any-What the hell?” He stopped as he looked me over and noticed that both of my arms were in a sling.
“Hey Vik. Lot of stuff happened. I kinda need a check up.” I offered looking down at my arms.
“Damn kid that’s a hell of a job to have done… No that ain't right. What happened?” He asked his voice changing from surprise to anger as he actually got off his rolly chair and stalked over. Jun seemed to step closer, but I just moved away from him so Vik could see. His hand pulled up the shoulder of the generic T-shirt Jun had given me to wear as his eyes narrowed.
“This was a hackjob. What absolute piece of shit did this work on you.”
“Well first was a Spider Ripper with Maelstrom. He cut my arms off and decided to add some Sketch Chrome. It was set up to drive me Psycho. Jun my brother, Say hi Jun! Rescued me and took me to his Tyger Claw Ripper. She got the arms off and chipped in these Condors so at least I would have limbs… I’m just wanting a check up from someone I trust. Make sure everything was handled right.”
Vik was real quiet for a moment, as I watched his jaw clench. I realized he wasn’t looking anymore, but instead was staring off into the distance.
Oh Vik was real angry.
“Vik?” I prompted forcing him to come back.
“Yeah. Sorry. C’mon kid. Take a seat, let’s check everything. I’ll make sure everything is squared away… Don’t worry.” Vik said going full dad energy as he helped me get settled onto the chair and started dragging equipment over. Jun was still hovering but Vik’s obvious skill was shining through even to me. So Jun, who had been under the knife of more Rippers than I had, must have noticed as he slowly started letting the tension drain out of him.
Vik was in full doctor mode.
It was funny Vik was usually a jovial guy, quick to make dad jokes at the drop of a hat.
But he was also an amazing Ripper. No. An amazing Doctor.
And right now he seemed to be… Anger Doctoring? Hate Doctoring? He was still kinda scowling, but his hands were absolutely dancing over his tools as he scanned my shoulders and the chrome all at the same time.
Vik was possessed.
It was Nova.
Finally Vik with a quiet mutter to himself rose up and grabbed a few things from a few different containers around his office, before rolling back over.
“Gonna port in here. The ripper did a half decent job, but I can see a few quick fixes that… Well they work, but they can be done better. Take a seat son, you’re gonna be here for an hour or so. Misty, can you get some water for everyone?” Vik called out as first looked to Jun and then Misty as he tapped a few things on the shoulder of my new arm, and a port opened, where he plugged in a scanning tool of some kind, and then with the work of a man that had done this a million times, he poked and prodded and inside.
“Need to find out what she gave you before I can give you any anesthesia. Don’t trust some docs doses. They either undercut, or give too much to seem like a ‘safer’ doc. Quick blood test, and we will get started. Some of the nerve connectors are doubled up. It’s faster, and doesn’t really cause big issues, but it does mean the nerves not connected will either die off, losing some sense of touch, or you start getting pains as they start sending signals that something is wrong.”
“Thanks Vik.” I told him with a smile and a sigh of relief. Even Jun seemed… Impressed at Viks skill as he balanced multiple different scans with the effortlessness of a man that was truly in his element. An hour later Vik had calmed down enough he was cracking bad jokes making even Jun have a smirk on his face as Vik finally pulled away from my other shoulder.
“I’ve done everything I can to make sure the interface is stable, and all the connections are done correctly… It’ll be a few days before you start feeling normal again. The injury and multiple surgeries takes time to heal. But it should heal fine from here.” He added wiping his head a bit as he reached out and took a drink to quench his thirst.
“Great. Thanks Vik. I really appreciate you checking me over… Can you do Jun as well?”
“What? Motoko. I don’t need a checkup.” Jun interrupted instantly once he understood what I said.
But I ignored his stupid statement. “All of his chrome is new. I’m worried they might not have put everything together right.”
“Motoko stop ignoring me.” Jun growled.
So I ignored him.
Vik watched the byplay with a bit of amusement. “I wouldn’t mind, but maybe another time. I’m gonna need at least a few to stretch my legs.” He joked with a smile and I blinked.
“Oh! Right. Sorry I didn’t mean to overwork you.”
“Nothing to worry about. How about it Jun? Want a checkup?”
“I’m fine!”
“But your ripper didn’t do all of my connections right. Vik fixed them right?” I asked, turning to the man who nodded slowly. “So maybe she skipped some steps with you too! For me Jun, please get a checkup. Vik is… amazing. He can make sure all of your chrome isn’t causing you any issues. You’ve been irritable since you started getting chrome.”
“Irritability? Is that something new?” Vik asked cutting in looking concerned. He turned to Jun. “Have you been noticing any unusual emotional control problems? Irritability, shortness of temper?”
“No! I am in perfect control!” Jun snapped. Losing control.
He quirked an eyebrow turning to me.
“It’s not that unusual. Jun has always been a hothead. It’s the coldness that is more concerning.” I offered and Jun was definitely unhappy about being talked about as he stepped closer and slapped a hand over my mouth.
A hand that I really couldn’t do much about… Vik had numbed my shoulders and arms while he worked.
“Mwh fue!” I called out telling him this wasn’t fair as Jun suddenly returned back to that look.
The big brother taking pleasure in siblings torture look.
“I am fine.” He said turning to Vik. “But I might seek out a checkup at some point. Your skill was… Impressive.”
“Sooner is better than later son. Really. The one thing you don’t want is to leave a problem to fester. With Cyberware that never, and I mean never, ends well.” Vik repeated himself before smiling at my plight.
He was in on it! Traitor!
“I am curious though. I… I have been absent from Motoko’s life… But how did she meet you? It must be a recent relationship.” Jun asked now that I could say anything.
“Oh, it was an interesting day alright. She-”
“Mgh fnto!” I tried to tell Vik to shut his mouth because Jun was gonna freak out! I would have been cutting a hand across my throat as well if I could move my arms.
Unfortunately I could not. And Vik had no mercy.
“-Came in with boxes of Cyberware. Tons of stuff. She offered it to me so I could do something good with it.”
“Boxes of Cyberware?” Jun asked blinking. “Where did she get that much Cyberware? Where did you get that much Cyberware?” He asked head tilting down towards me.
My attempts to keep Vik from speaking failed.
“Scav raid from what she said… You didn't know?”
“SCAV!? MOTOKO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?” Jun roared his flamey eyes really making him look like a demon as he glared down at me.
Ah. Is that why they called him the Oni? I guess that answers that question!
—--
The drive from Viks was very quiet. Jun had not taken the story about the Scav raid well.
And I mean really not well.
He had exploded at first. Stalking back and forth as I explained what I had done. Then he had gone quiet. Eventually just ordered me to the car when he was done. Vik had been a little apologetic, but I just gave him a smile telling him it was no big.
Jun got angry, and was overprotective. Nothing to be upset about. It would have come out eventually.
“Exactly what jobs did you do for Wakako? The one you got shot. What happened?” He finally said as we were half way to home.
To the apartment to pick up stuff I would need for a while.
So I started telling him about the job. About Scorpion, the gig. That I had brought an HMG with me. Which had earned me a startled look from Jun and me yelling at him to watch the road as we almost crashed.
I told him how the gig had gone, the chase, firing the HMG out the side of the car.
The car crash. That I had been shot trying to rescue Scorpion.
How I hadn’t let the gig end there. That I had chased after him through the desert. Finding the Raffens location.
How I had gone in and murdered each and every one of them. Unlike with Hiromi, unlike with everyone I went into the whole thing. Every detail I explained the best I could.
The kills, and how I had done it.
By the end of my story we were at the apartment Jun pulled into the parking garage and stopped because my car was in his spot.
“Do you like it? My Quadra?” I asked a little nervously, he hadn’t said anything since I had finished my story.
He pulled into the spot next to it, and stepped out without a word.
Which was annoying because getting the door was awkward. Eventually I got it, and slipped out Jun was just standing there looking into the darkness of the garage.
“Jun?”
“I didn’t want you to put yourself at risk Motoko.” He said quietly, practically whispering to the quiet stillness of the underground garage. “You were supposed to be home safe. Taken care of. Little gigs with your friends that weren’t supposed to be dangerous. You weren’t supposed to have to kill. I messed that up before I even left, but this is… It’s not right.”
He turned towards me. “Why, why can’t you just be safe? Why are you throwing yourself into this life? I don’t want this for you! Not you! Not my little Motoko who always rushes into things! That wanted to be a Tyger Claw more than I ever did… Who shouldn’t have ever been caught by Scavs, and shouldn't have ever had to stain her hands!”
He was ranting… And not quite but almost crying. Damn. I hadn’t wanted to shock Jun this much! I already expected he was in a sensitive state.
Okay Motoko. Time to calm Jun down.
Before he could say anything else I pushed into his space and forced him to hug me. My arms were still floppy, but I could move them enough for him to get the idea.
“You didn’t fail Jun. You didn’t mess up. You didn’t do anything wrong. You saved me. Took care of me. You made me happy even when I was scared about everything around me. Not knowing anything I was really scared but you made that fear go away.” I spoke loud enough to be heard despite pushing my face into his chest. His arms slowly wrapped around my shoulders.
His hands were shaking.
“You didn’t fail. I was never going to be safe Jun. I was never going to stay at home and hide away. The best way to keep me safe was for me to learn how to fight. The only way to learn is to do.” I told him as I felt his arms continue to shake.
“You aren’t responsible for what happened. You didn’t ask for it to happen, and you tried to prevent it. You can’t blame yourself for other people's actions. You also can’t protect me from the world. Not even if you were… Not even if our last name was Arasaka would I be safe. So I’ve been learning to make myself safe.”
“You shouldn’t have to! You should be safe!” He finally spoke, repeating himself blindly.
I shook my head making sure he could feel the motion.
“The only way I’ll be safe Jun is to become able to protect myself. Which is exactly what I’m gonna do. I wasn’t paying attention and let the Strom get the jump on me. That won’t happen next time. I’ll be prepared and if anyone ever tries to jump me again I’ll make them regret ever trying. I’ll make them die.” I tell him confidently.
That burning sensation in my chest. That disgust and horror at what they had done to me was locked up tight.
But not gone. Never gone. That night had been an offense against me I would never forgive.
Scavs. Raffen. Maelstrom.
All of them were at the same level. Maelstrom I had tried to give the benefit of the doubt in some ways. Sure they did horrible things. I knew about their AI rituals. I knew that they tried to force chrome on people like the monk.
I knew they were scum, but I had mentally put them into another category from scum that needs to die. I had placed them above that, because I didn’t hate their desire to gain more chrome. I mean. I liked the Mechanicus in some ways too. I can understand their motivation.
But my face had been firmly rubbed in the fact they were no better than the Scavs. So I would treat them that way. I would hunt them. Unlike Jun and his little band of borgs. I wasn’t limited.
I was a Gamer. A superweapon the likes of which the world had never seen. I stepped away from Jun then. His hands had finally stopped shaking so much although he was still obviously lost in thoughts just like I had been.
Now if only my hands would stop clenching so hard. I was struggling to get them to relax. They were both clenched into fists.
“C’mon Jun let’s go get some stuff okay?”
He blinked a bit as if remembering where he was before he nodded quietly. Juns protective arm over my shoulder was nice as we crossed the street.
The bloodstains were still there.
I did my best to ignore them. Maelstrom would pay for every drop of blood they took from me.
I think my sense of time towards how long a wound takes to heal was a bit off. The next morning after once again not sleeping a full eight hours Jun dragged me back through the window and into the Dojo then downstairs into the surprise Ripper clinic.
The same ripper checked me over, gave me some meds including some drugs to acclimate to the new limbs, and told me that she wouldn’t have to see me again unless something went wrong.
That was the good part.
“It should be another two or three days before everything feels normal, and probably another two weeks after that before you can start really using your arms for more than light work.” She informed me as she air hypoed me with whatever drugs she wanted me to have.
“That’s way too long! I’ll be fine sooner than that!” I argued but Jun and the Ripper weren’t having it.
“Normally a surgery like this wouldn’t take that long to recover from, a few days at most, but you went through two surgeries back to back. Trust me Motoko. You need to take it very easy for a while. Let your shoulders heal unless you want to deal with permanent damage. You are lucky that the Tyger Claws decided to allow you the use of some of our Speed Heal. If not for Jun’s contribution to the Tyger Claws it would not have been offered considering how low our stock is.” The ripper informed me as she checked over a medical monitor.
“Wait. Is that expensive or something? I can pay for it… Actually I should pay for all of this. How much? I have a chunk of eddies already, and I can go get more.” My mind instantly turned to how much loot I would be collecting from the dead Maelstrom I would soon be mowing through.
“Don’t worry about it Imouto. It’s all taken care of.” Jun stated simply trying to end the conversation but I just ignored him and kept looking at the ripper.
“Hard to say, I’m not running a normal clinic here. I’m only here to work with the Kamikaze. But Speed Heal is currently almost impossible to find on the streets. You can guess why. Plus those arms of yours might have come from something your brother collected, but they still belonged to the Claws.” She looked at me for a moment. “It was an expensive procedure.”
“Fill out a statement of how much when you get a chance. I’ll take care of it.” I told her with a shrug. She was already basically wiping her hands of dealing with me, so I was more than happy to pay eddies not to have Tyger Claw feeling like I owed them hanging over my head.
“You will not! It has already been taken care of Motoko. You don’t need to worry about anything.” Jun butts in, trying to cut me off. Jun was doing the overprotective big brother thing so that was nice.
But I was a bratty kid sister.
“So just make sure you get that to me soon.” I told her, completely ignoring Jun, before slipping off the chair. She was done looking me over, and frankly.
I had things I wanted to do, and people I wanted to see.
“Hey Jun. You said you were gonna go to the apartment to pick stuff up right? So can I come with?” I decided to change the subject as Jun was glaring at me with his cold emotionless eyes.
It quickly warmed up as I changed the subject. He hesitated a moment before sighing a bit at my puppy dog eyes. “Fine. We will be going incognito anyways. C’mon. I borrowed a car.”
“Probably a good idea. I can’t exactly drive my car like this.” I agreed, and the reminder seemed to make Jun twitch a bit.
“Right. A car. How exactly did you afford a car?”
“It’s a long story. I was on a job for Wakako.”
“I still don’t know how you pulled that off. Wakako isn’t exactly our biggest fan.”
“She was nice enough. I mean, old lady rude, but I could deal. She even said I was a valuable agent last time we talked!” I argued as Jun guided me out of the dojo, back through the apartment block this time I was led into an underground parking garage that was obviously blocked off for Tyger Claw use with a lowered gate. I was settled into an unmarked heavily tinted Arche Hella. And Jun started the engine and we were out in the city.
To my surprise Jun actually drove like a normal person.
“Have to pretend we are unimportant. I don’t want any Maelstrom to track us.” He mentioned, after noticing my surprised look.
“So that’s what it takes to get you to drive safely. Interesting.” I teased him, earning a scowl as he continued down the road.
“Before we stop at home, there is a place I need to go.” I told him now that we were already on the road and it would be harder to refuse. “Need to go to Little China.” I told him earning a very unimpressed look from Jun.
“We aren’t going on a side trip. What do you even need in Little China?”
My eyes went gold as I sent him a text for the location. “My ripper. Vik is one of the best in Night City, and I mean that honestly. He’s a legend for those in the know.” I told him as he looked at me like I was…
Well his amnesiac kid sister making grand proclamations.
“Listen. Just… Please. I know you have your Ripper doc that you brought me too, but I don’t… I would feel a lot more comfortable with a checkup from Vik… Please Jun?” I begged.
He was definitely glaring, and I could see his chromed hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
“Fine. But first you have to tell me why you even went to a ripper, or how you know this guy.”
“Oh. You didn’t notice? My eyes Jun. I got a set of Kiroshi’s Vik managed to find them for me.”
“Ow.” I muttered as I barely stopped myself from bonking my head on the dash. Really glad I had my seatbelt on.
Jun had hit the breaks. Hard.
“What?! When? How!? Kiroshi aren’t cheap! I don’t even have a set of Kiroshi!”
“All of which is basically the same answer Jun. I told you. I’ve been doing gigs for Wakako… And some side biz. It’s your fault you know! I wanted to tell you all about the adventures I’ve been having but you wouldn’t even answer your phone!”
“I couldn’t I was on the job! You can be tracked through calls by a skilled Netrunner. I was trying to protect you!” His voice rose up into a shout at the end. “Now I find out you were doing jobs for Wakako! That you met some creepy back alley ripper!? That you chipped new chrome and I didn’t even know!?” He was roaring, his fist rocked out and smashed into the dash electronics and buttons pinged around for a moment.
I wasn’t really surprised. I mean it wasn’t the first time that Jun had expressed his anger by punching something.
We really should work on that, it was a bad way to release stress. But it was what he said that made me sad, or maybe what he was saying.
“I was safe. Hiromi was with me when Vik chipped me. She was super sus too. But Vik’s good people. Like an honestly good person. So I was fine. And yeah Wakako is surprisingly nice to me. I mean she is really to the point, we don’t chit chat… And she may have sent me on some really boring gofer missions. I should tell you about the wedding ring fiasco… Anyway. I’m okay Jun. Honest. And I’ll be okay moving forward. What happened yesterday wasn’t your fault.”
He slowly pulled his fist out of the dash. His fist clenching and unclenching.
I realized then.
Jun for all of his attempts to be cool was struggling with all his new chrome just like I was.
I reached out without a word. Even if it was still floppy I put my hand in his clenching fist.
I held his hand the rest of the way. Slowly feeling the tension in his fingers die down.
Which was super weird by the way because I was still getting a really bad phantom limb sensation, so I barely even felt like we were holding hands at times.
But I kept cool. I was trying to comfort my stupid brother after all.
Finally after a few minutes of driving through Night City traffic Jun spoke. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there, Motoko. I’ll… I’ll be there from now on. I promise.”
“Don’t worry. And just give me some space, showing up to a gig with my big brother peering over my shoulder would be embarrassing. Almost as embarrassing as the time I had to take the bus to a job and the people I was trying to collect from literally watched me get off the bus… I thought I was gonna die.”
“Pfft.” A noise escaped Jun and I pouted at him as his little burst of amusement turned into a chuckle as he processed what I had just told him. “They really saw you get off the bus?”
“Yep. They were at the gas station right there. I had to do a long walk over to them too.”
“Hahaha!” Jun’s laughter was nice. It had been a while since I heard him laugh as he took endless joy at my suffering.
“At least you’ve been safe… Until yesterday.”
“Yeah I only got shot like once.” Well more than that, but I had successfully covered up the bullet wounds every other time! Because I was a genius and master of disguise!
That was about when Jun once again slammed on the breaks.
“YOU WHAT!?”
—--
Jun pulling the car in front of Misty’s Esoterica was a relief. He had been seething for the last few minutes.
“It was just a flesh wound.” I mumbled. Quietly. Very quietly. Because the last time I had said that Jun almost smashed the car into a pole because he was yelling at me. Jun might have already parked, but I didn’t trust him not to start throttling me if I tried to say it again.
Apparently the reveal that I had been shot on a job was not doing good things to Jun’s blood pressure.
I was gonna ask Vik to check over Jun now too. Because his face going so red probably wasn’t healthy.
“Oh my! Motoko!?” A voice called out and I turned to see Misty having come out of her shop after seeing me.
“Hey Misty. How’s the biz?” I asked, but that was ignored as she rushed up to me.
“Your arms! Vik didn’t tell me you were getting that much work done! Is everything connected well? No problems?”
“Ah. Well it wasn’t Vik. I got klepped by some Malestrom, they were pretty pissed so they decided to cut me up a bit. I'm here for a checkup from Vik. I trust him to make sure everything is good.”
“Oh.. Oh! Motoko. I’m sorry.” Misty gasped as she looked from my arms still held in their slings then up to my face. “Are you… Are you gonna be okay? Do you want to talk? I have some really nice soothing ambience shards that really help in meditation, and a f-”
“I’m alright.” I interrupted her. “I just want to get Vik to check me over. I don’t know the ripper that ended up fixing me up… Oh by the way this is my brother Jun.” I say shifting sideways since I couldn’t really point very well. Misty sort of blinked in that foggy way she tended towards as she looked Jun over.
The fact he was wearing a big heavy shirt to cover most of his tattoos, yet still looked like a yakuza on vacation probably ran through Misty's head. “Nice to meet you.” She seemed to settle on and Jun just gave a disinterested nod. He was grumpy at me still.
“Is Vik in?”
“Oh of course, come on, I’ll walk you down. This is so serious. I can’t believe that the Maelstrom grabbed you. I mean, I’ve heard they do that sometimes, but that is…” She trailed off again with a sad little sigh.
“Yeah it was pretty rough. I wish I had been a little less surprised. I would have been able to fight back a lot better, but I wasn’t exactly prepared… Which I guess is my fault. Always be prepared right? Eh. I’ll remember it for the future.” I told her with confidence.
It didn’t seem to help as she was nibbling at her finger nail nervously.
But we all walked through her shop and down into Viks clinic. Jun was looking around, obviously unhappy with the aesthetics.
Hiromi and Jun were both so alike sometimes! No reason to be so skeptical. Just because Viks clinic was underground, in an alley, in a storage unit and not a building! No reason to be so sketched out! Vik was amazing!
I led us down as Misty followed behind along with Jun who was looking all over the place.
“Hey Vik!” I called out sounding a little chipper. I felt way more comfortable here than I had in the Tyger Claw Rippers chair.
Seriously the lady felt like a back alley yakuza doc. Which I guess she kinda was.
“Oh? Is that Motoko, what’s going on kid, any-What the hell?” He stopped as he looked me over and noticed that both of my arms were in a sling.
“Hey Vik. Lot of stuff happened. I kinda need a check up.” I offered looking down at my arms.
“Damn kid that’s a hell of a job to have done… No that ain't right. What happened?” He asked his voice changing from surprise to anger as he actually got off his rolly chair and stalked over. Jun seemed to step closer, but I just moved away from him so Vik could see. His hand pulled up the shoulder of the generic T-shirt Jun had given me to wear as his eyes narrowed.
“This was a hackjob. What absolute piece of shit did this work on you.”
“Well first was a Spider Ripper with Maelstrom. He cut my arms off and decided to add some Sketch Chrome. It was set up to drive me Psycho. Jun my brother, Say hi Jun! Rescued me and took me to his Tyger Claw Ripper. She got the arms off and chipped in these Condors so at least I would have limbs… I’m just wanting a check up from someone I trust. Make sure everything was handled right.”
Vik was real quiet for a moment, as I watched his jaw clench. I realized he wasn’t looking anymore, but instead was staring off into the distance.
Oh Vik was real angry.
“Vik?” I prompted forcing him to come back.
“Yeah. Sorry. C’mon kid. Take a seat, let’s check everything. I’ll make sure everything is squared away… Don’t worry.” Vik said going full dad energy as he helped me get settled onto the chair and started dragging equipment over. Jun was still hovering but Vik’s obvious skill was shining through even to me. So Jun, who had been under the knife of more Rippers than I had, must have noticed as he slowly started letting the tension drain out of him.
Vik was in full doctor mode.
It was funny Vik was usually a jovial guy, quick to make dad jokes at the drop of a hat.
But he was also an amazing Ripper. No. An amazing Doctor.
And right now he seemed to be… Anger Doctoring? Hate Doctoring? He was still kinda scowling, but his hands were absolutely dancing over his tools as he scanned my shoulders and the chrome all at the same time.
Vik was possessed.
It was Nova.
Finally Vik with a quiet mutter to himself rose up and grabbed a few things from a few different containers around his office, before rolling back over.
“Gonna port in here. The ripper did a half decent job, but I can see a few quick fixes that… Well they work, but they can be done better. Take a seat son, you’re gonna be here for an hour or so. Misty, can you get some water for everyone?” Vik called out as first looked to Jun and then Misty as he tapped a few things on the shoulder of my new arm, and a port opened, where he plugged in a scanning tool of some kind, and then with the work of a man that had done this a million times, he poked and prodded and inside.
“Need to find out what she gave you before I can give you any anesthesia. Don’t trust some docs doses. They either undercut, or give too much to seem like a ‘safer’ doc. Quick blood test, and we will get started. Some of the nerve connectors are doubled up. It’s faster, and doesn’t really cause big issues, but it does mean the nerves not connected will either die off, losing some sense of touch, or you start getting pains as they start sending signals that something is wrong.”
“Thanks Vik.” I told him with a smile and a sigh of relief. Even Jun seemed… Impressed at Viks skill as he balanced multiple different scans with the effortlessness of a man that was truly in his element. An hour later Vik had calmed down enough he was cracking bad jokes making even Jun have a smirk on his face as Vik finally pulled away from my other shoulder.
“I’ve done everything I can to make sure the interface is stable, and all the connections are done correctly… It’ll be a few days before you start feeling normal again. The injury and multiple surgeries takes time to heal. But it should heal fine from here.” He added wiping his head a bit as he reached out and took a drink to quench his thirst.
“Great. Thanks Vik. I really appreciate you checking me over… Can you do Jun as well?”
“What? Motoko. I don’t need a checkup.” Jun interrupted instantly once he understood what I said.
But I ignored his stupid statement. “All of his chrome is new. I’m worried they might not have put everything together right.”
“Motoko stop ignoring me.” Jun growled.
So I ignored him.
Vik watched the byplay with a bit of amusement. “I wouldn’t mind, but maybe another time. I’m gonna need at least a few to stretch my legs.” He joked with a smile and I blinked.
“Oh! Right. Sorry I didn’t mean to overwork you.”
“Nothing to worry about. How about it Jun? Want a checkup?”
“I’m fine!”
“But your ripper didn’t do all of my connections right. Vik fixed them right?” I asked, turning to the man who nodded slowly. “So maybe she skipped some steps with you too! For me Jun, please get a checkup. Vik is… amazing. He can make sure all of your chrome isn’t causing you any issues. You’ve been irritable since you started getting chrome.”
“Irritability? Is that something new?” Vik asked cutting in looking concerned. He turned to Jun. “Have you been noticing any unusual emotional control problems? Irritability, shortness of temper?”
“No! I am in perfect control!” Jun snapped. Losing control.
He quirked an eyebrow turning to me.
“It’s not that unusual. Jun has always been a hothead. It’s the coldness that is more concerning.” I offered and Jun was definitely unhappy about being talked about as he stepped closer and slapped a hand over my mouth.
A hand that I really couldn’t do much about… Vik had numbed my shoulders and arms while he worked.
“Mwh fue!” I called out telling him this wasn’t fair as Jun suddenly returned back to that look.
The big brother taking pleasure in siblings torture look.
“I am fine.” He said turning to Vik. “But I might seek out a checkup at some point. Your skill was… Impressive.”
“Sooner is better than later son. Really. The one thing you don’t want is to leave a problem to fester. With Cyberware that never, and I mean never, ends well.” Vik repeated himself before smiling at my plight.
He was in on it! Traitor!
“I am curious though. I… I have been absent from Motoko’s life… But how did she meet you? It must be a recent relationship.” Jun asked now that I could say anything.
“Oh, it was an interesting day alright. She-”
“Mgh fnto!” I tried to tell Vik to shut his mouth because Jun was gonna freak out! I would have been cutting a hand across my throat as well if I could move my arms.
Unfortunately I could not. And Vik had no mercy.
“-Came in with boxes of Cyberware. Tons of stuff. She offered it to me so I could do something good with it.”
“Boxes of Cyberware?” Jun asked blinking. “Where did she get that much Cyberware? Where did you get that much Cyberware?” He asked head tilting down towards me.
My attempts to keep Vik from speaking failed.
“Scav raid from what she said… You didn't know?”
“SCAV!? MOTOKO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?” Jun roared his flamey eyes really making him look like a demon as he glared down at me.
Ah. Is that why they called him the Oni? I guess that answers that question!
—--
The drive from Viks was very quiet. Jun had not taken the story about the Scav raid well.
And I mean really not well.
He had exploded at first. Stalking back and forth as I explained what I had done. Then he had gone quiet. Eventually just ordered me to the car when he was done. Vik had been a little apologetic, but I just gave him a smile telling him it was no big.
Jun got angry, and was overprotective. Nothing to be upset about. It would have come out eventually.
“Exactly what jobs did you do for Wakako? The one you got shot. What happened?” He finally said as we were half way to home.
To the apartment to pick up stuff I would need for a while.
So I started telling him about the job. About Scorpion, the gig. That I had brought an HMG with me. Which had earned me a startled look from Jun and me yelling at him to watch the road as we almost crashed.
I told him how the gig had gone, the chase, firing the HMG out the side of the car.
The car crash. That I had been shot trying to rescue Scorpion.
How I hadn’t let the gig end there. That I had chased after him through the desert. Finding the Raffens location.
How I had gone in and murdered each and every one of them. Unlike with Hiromi, unlike with everyone I went into the whole thing. Every detail I explained the best I could.
The kills, and how I had done it.
By the end of my story we were at the apartment Jun pulled into the parking garage and stopped because my car was in his spot.
“Do you like it? My Quadra?” I asked a little nervously, he hadn’t said anything since I had finished my story.
He pulled into the spot next to it, and stepped out without a word.
Which was annoying because getting the door was awkward. Eventually I got it, and slipped out Jun was just standing there looking into the darkness of the garage.
“Jun?”
“I didn’t want you to put yourself at risk Motoko.” He said quietly, practically whispering to the quiet stillness of the underground garage. “You were supposed to be home safe. Taken care of. Little gigs with your friends that weren’t supposed to be dangerous. You weren’t supposed to have to kill. I messed that up before I even left, but this is… It’s not right.”
He turned towards me. “Why, why can’t you just be safe? Why are you throwing yourself into this life? I don’t want this for you! Not you! Not my little Motoko who always rushes into things! That wanted to be a Tyger Claw more than I ever did… Who shouldn’t have ever been caught by Scavs, and shouldn't have ever had to stain her hands!”
He was ranting… And not quite but almost crying. Damn. I hadn’t wanted to shock Jun this much! I already expected he was in a sensitive state.
Okay Motoko. Time to calm Jun down.
Before he could say anything else I pushed into his space and forced him to hug me. My arms were still floppy, but I could move them enough for him to get the idea.
“You didn’t fail Jun. You didn’t mess up. You didn’t do anything wrong. You saved me. Took care of me. You made me happy even when I was scared about everything around me. Not knowing anything I was really scared but you made that fear go away.” I spoke loud enough to be heard despite pushing my face into his chest. His arms slowly wrapped around my shoulders.
His hands were shaking.
“You didn’t fail. I was never going to be safe Jun. I was never going to stay at home and hide away. The best way to keep me safe was for me to learn how to fight. The only way to learn is to do.” I told him as I felt his arms continue to shake.
“You aren’t responsible for what happened. You didn’t ask for it to happen, and you tried to prevent it. You can’t blame yourself for other people's actions. You also can’t protect me from the world. Not even if you were… Not even if our last name was Arasaka would I be safe. So I’ve been learning to make myself safe.”
“You shouldn’t have to! You should be safe!” He finally spoke, repeating himself blindly.
I shook my head making sure he could feel the motion.
“The only way I’ll be safe Jun is to become able to protect myself. Which is exactly what I’m gonna do. I wasn’t paying attention and let the Strom get the jump on me. That won’t happen next time. I’ll be prepared and if anyone ever tries to jump me again I’ll make them regret ever trying. I’ll make them die.” I tell him confidently.
That burning sensation in my chest. That disgust and horror at what they had done to me was locked up tight.
But not gone. Never gone. That night had been an offense against me I would never forgive.
Scavs. Raffen. Maelstrom.
All of them were at the same level. Maelstrom I had tried to give the benefit of the doubt in some ways. Sure they did horrible things. I knew about their AI rituals. I knew that they tried to force chrome on people like the monk.
I knew they were scum, but I had mentally put them into another category from scum that needs to die. I had placed them above that, because I didn’t hate their desire to gain more chrome. I mean. I liked the Mechanicus in some ways too. I can understand their motivation.
But my face had been firmly rubbed in the fact they were no better than the Scavs. So I would treat them that way. I would hunt them. Unlike Jun and his little band of borgs. I wasn’t limited.
I was a Gamer. A superweapon the likes of which the world had never seen. I stepped away from Jun then. His hands had finally stopped shaking so much although he was still obviously lost in thoughts just like I had been.
Now if only my hands would stop clenching so hard. I was struggling to get them to relax. They were both clenched into fists.
“C’mon Jun let’s go get some stuff okay?”
He blinked a bit as if remembering where he was before he nodded quietly. Juns protective arm over my shoulder was nice as we crossed the street.
The bloodstains were still there.
I did my best to ignore them. Maelstrom would pay for every drop of blood they took from me.
posh-goofiness
Well-known member
And just like that, the final moral shackles are gone. Man, that's gunna bite the Maelstrom in the ass later on.
Chapter 28
Seras
Well-known member
—---
With Juns help we gathered up a bunch of stuff from the apartment. I really wasn’t able to help much as even a backpack would go over my still injured shoulders.
Still he gathered up a bunch of things including some of my repair work and tools, and we left the apartment.
It was kinda sad. I knew we would come back, eventually, but it was still sad to be sort of moving away from home.
It was where I felt safe.
Jun didn’t talk much on the way back to the Dojo apartments. Only speaking up about getting some food, which we stopped at on the way.
To my absolute shock Jun didn’t order a XXL Burrito.
Has Jun gone completely Cyberpsycho? Now I was actually worried, but he seemed normal as we ate on the drive back.
Truly watching Jun eat something other than XXL Burritos was too weird for this world!
We drove around instead of going straight to the apartment. Through a few heavy Tyger Claw zones as I could see them literally walking the street.
“Anyone following us will be spotted and removed.” Jun explained at my curious look as we finally made it down to the Dojo.
After hauling my stuff inside the apartment Jun left to do some Tyger Claw stuff.
His words.
I settled in for a sleep. It was time to do a full heal, see how well I would handle having new arms.
And start preparing for my revenge.
—--
I blinked awake, as always using the menu to sleep for eight hours left me feeling 100% rested, and wide awake. I sat up looking around. I had purposefully fallen asleep on the couch so that Jun could keep his bed so I didn’t see him as I looked around. Checking the clock I noticed it was only nine pm. Late, but not too late. Jun was probably still up even. With that I looked down to my arms and tried to move them.
That sluggish feeling was gone. But it still wasn’t right. Wasn’t normal.
I lifted my right arm and felt… Off. The feeling of a phantom limb struck me heavily. As I lifted my arm it felt like it was a second too slow, leaving my brain telling me my arm should be there, but it hadn’t made it.
I tested the same with my left arm finding the noodly arm effect was gone, but the foreignness was still present.
I stood up shaking myself loose from my slings that I had fallen asleep with. I felt my breath come out shaky. A tightness behind my eyes.
It was scary. What I had gone through, what they had done to me, and now the effects of which I was still dealing with.
I was scared.
I exhaled ice. The coldness creeping up my veins freezing my anxiety. My fears. I could deal with this. Hundreds of thousands of people live in Night City with Chrome arms. It wasn’t weird. Or impossible. Just a short time to get used to it and I would be fine.
It was just a change. Just one more change. Just like all the changes I had made since I woke up in the hospital. Just one more tiny alteration in my life.
I let the ice melt. Let my feelings slowly slip back into my thoughts.
I was scared. But not because I hated the cyborg arms. But because it hadn’t been my choice.
I had wanted this, but at my pace. I exhaled warmth. No tears threatened to come out. “Okay Motoko. Step one. Get used to the limbs.”Closing my eyes I stretched my arms out then opened them. Looking at them for the first time as mine.
They weren’t Militech Condors. They weren’t Chrome.
They were my arms.
My fingers were thin. The Ripper must have adjusted the… My arms, to suit a woman. I spread my arms sideways getting a feel for my wingspan. It was… About the same? Not an easy thing to tell, but it was there. My fingers were longer now. I realized I could clench my fists and my fingers didn’t rest at the same place they would have before.
I played with my fingers for a moment. Pressing each finger to my thumb one after another wiggled the digits, and even threw up a middle finger.
Just to make sure for next time.
Then I moved to my palms. They weren’t flesh. Instead a smooth stainless steel, or aluminum, but covered at parts with a rubberized grip. I could feel it. The sensors of the Cyberware gave me an almost accurate sense of touch.
The foreignness was still there, and I had to close my eyes and just breathe as I felt new sensations for old actions.
Touching my own palm shouldn’t cause me this much discomfort. Shouldn’t feel so wrong.
But I exhaled. Let myself simply adjust. Let the feeling of it flow through me. This was what my hand felt like. I pushed my hands together letting the feeling flow through my mind.
This was me.
I let my palms drift apart. Now I focused on my wrists. Feeling their range of motion. Every angle I would ever need as I slowly shifted my wrist this way and that.
My wrist was strong.
My old… No. My wrists before. My wrists before had been kinda weak. Not helped by the feeling of them breaking whenever I shot my Burya.
But I could feel how much stronger they were. The tension of pushing them to their limit actually a nice feeling. Yes it was strange but it didn’t hurt, like when you stretched with meat, a nice feeling.
I moved on
My forearms were coated smooth steel. Small gaps in the exterior showed the muscle underneath. I could see the synth muscle contract and shift as I moved my wrists, I let myself grow used to the sight, and feeling.
My elbow was weird. The range of motion was a lot wider. Able to go a bit beyond an elbows normal range of motion on the extension. I repeated the motion for a while simply growing used to the differences.
My biceps were defined. The military nature of the limb was in full view, but it didn’t bother me. I had muscles before from all the Body training.
There wasn’t much to think about. It’s not like you really think about your bicep very often. The length was about right. And I could feel the muscles contracting as I curled my hands to my shoulders.
My shoulders were different. Obviously. They had a texture to them, my shoulders had an almost armored section. It wasn’t large, but it made my shoulder feel larger in my peripheral vision that was so clear with my Kiroshi.
I could feel the metal cool against my skin that ran from my shoulder to above my breast. The length of how far the arms had extended into my chest? Or just how the arms connected to my nerves?
No idea.
I exhaled letting the feeling pass.
These were my arms.
I opened my stat menu.
—--
Level 5
4750/6000
Body 6(10) Due to Cyberization, Maximum value has increased by 4.
-Athletics 5
-Street Brawler 5
-Annihilation 4
Reflex 6
-Blades 6
-Handguns 4
Assault 3
-Driving 4
Intelligence 4
-Breach Protocol 3
-Quick Hacks 3
Cool 8
-Ninjutsu 7
-Cold Blood 6
Technical attribute 3(7) Due to Cyberization, Maximum value has increased by 4.
-Crafting 3
0 Stat point.
0 Skill point.
Perks.
Ambidextrous Blades 2
Quickdraw Handguns 2
Gun Nut Assault 2
Parkour Athletics 2
Grappling Street Brawler 2
Drive By Driver 2
Cat-like Athletics 5
Cool Nerves Cold Blood 2
Danger Sense Ninjutsu 2
Wall Breaking Breach Protocol 2
Cyber Security Quick Hack 2
Recoil Reduction. Annihilation 2
Cyber Ninja Ninjutsu 5
Fearless Chill. Cold Blood 5.
Improvised Weapons Street Brawler 5
Parry Blades 5
Robotics wizard Crafting 2
Cyberware:
Militech Paraline *Adaptation Militech Paraline 0/0*
Kiroshi Mk1 *Adaptation Kiroshi Mk1 0/2*
Militech Condor *Adaptation Militech Condor 0/10*
The numbers soothed me. There weren’t any negatives, or loss of stats. It means I was okay. That I could grind out a bit and be back to where I was… No, be even better.
I liked that. The chrome hadn’t been my choice, but I had always meant to do it. To be better. I clenched my first and felt the pressure within the grip.
I blinked my eyes and sighed. I guess I could understand why chipping in chrome would drive you nuts.
My eyes still felt weird when blinking to the extent that not blinking felt more comfortable, but my body still wanted to blink. It was a struggle to keep from doing it.
Now I also had my arms feeling off. Every part of them worked. I could feel everything. The sensors were actually really advanced, but…
It wasn’t the same. And that feeling of offness was distracting.
Irritating.
Like if your arm fell asleep and you tried using it to do a normal task. You could, but the lack of normal sensation left you uncomfortable. Yeah. That was what it was like. I decided.
“Fine. I just have to get used to it.” I affirmed to myself once more, extending my arms and running through a test of my fingers. “Time to grind.” I muttered as I fell back on my Street Brawler knowledge. The knowledge of how to train to fight.
I threw a punch. It whipped out. It wasn’t right. The phantom limb was still there making the punch feel slow. Off.
I pulled back and threw it again.
And again.
And again.
I would grow used to it mentally even if I can’t physically. Adaptation was probably going to be a very important stat for me right now. My hopes were pinning on the stat making everything go back to feeling normal.
That meant I had only one choice.
Kill.
Good thing I already had plenty of acceptable targets.
“What are you doing!?” Jun’s voice suddenly interrupted me as I punched, making me stop. I looked over he had just entered the apartment, and was looking at me in concern.
“Punching?”
“Sit down! You are still healing! Are you an idiot!?... Of course you are.” He muttered as he practically picked me up and sat me on the couch. A moment later he came back with a bag full of my tech stuff I had asked him to bring from the apartment.
“Light duty only! What part of that didn’t make it through your gonk head?” He cursed at me actually sounding pretty pissed as he slammed the bag on the table.
I winced. That wasn’t good for my tools Jun.
But I was wise! I kept my mouth shut and nodded along as Jun stalked around the apartment.
I would just wait for him to leave.
Until then I pulled out some of my tools and had a very strange session making some pieces that I was gonna use to modify my Unity. The old gun had been with me for a while. It was about time I spent a little time working on it.
It was almost an hour later when I finished the new trigger that would be a bit smoother than the old one, holding the part up to the light admiring its look when I realized.
My Unity was gone.
I put the trigger down and had to wipe my eyes.
—-
I was so bored.
Jun was still mother henning me. So I wasn’t able to do any real exercise or grinding when he was around, and he had patently refused to let me go anywhere. So I had been stuck inside playing with the few pieces of tech I had. I had already breached the security on every device in the apartment, and many of them in the building itself.
Bored, Bored, bored!
Jun though was a good big brother. He must have a Brother-Sense because as I was slowly losing my mind he pulled me out of the apartment and brought me over to the Dojo.
I was feeling relieved and happy, I might get some exercise done, until he walked me over to an older man that had on a Gi.
And a lot of Tyger Claw tattoos. But that was more the norm than not here.
“Sensei. This is Motoko.” Jun suddenly introduced me.
“Hmph.” Was the only noise he made as he looked me over. “I am Ozeki Sensei. Those arms of yours are new.” He said and it took me a moment to realize he was asking a question with how gravely his voice was.
“Yes.”
“Then you will be helpless as a babe until you learn them.” He said simply as he turned and grabbed a shinai off a rack and then threw it at me.
It wasn’t a gentle throw. I managed to keep from yelping as I jerked, my arms raising to catch them, but the timing was off. My hand wasn’t where I needed it to be and the sword ended up getting caught on my fingers and nearly smacking me in the face.
But I managed to seal both hands around the sword wincing as it creaked a bit but it was fine.
“Sensei… Light duty only.” Jun hinted loudly looking a little irritated but Ozeki Sensei just turned towards me.
“Kusanagi. You have a task to complete.” He dismissed Jun with a single sentence and even Jun realized it as he frowned but gave a small bow before turning and walking away.
Wait Jun. I was feeling very unsafe! Protect me!
“Now. Show me your stance!” He barked his voice so growly that I instantly did as I was told. Feeling myself falling into a neutral stance, shinai held out before me.
“Now Strike!” He demanded and I swung.
He didn’t like that. He ran me through the wringer.
I was supposed to be on light duty! Even if I was actually fine now! This was unfair!
—--
I had gained a few blade alerts by the time I was ‘released’ and allowed to run away back to the apartment.
It wasn’t like I was that tired or anything. It wasn’t that what he had me do was unlike what I normally do when I grind.
He was just intimidating! He growled and glared constantly! I work best with positive reinforcement you know!?
Still it was done. I escaped and went home, tinkered with my spare parts until Jun came back.
“I’ll be gone tonight. And most of tomorrow. Don’t leave the apartments. You can go to the Dojo, or speak to the secretary in the break room if you need something.” He ordered before I could even greet him as he rushed into his room and then came out carrying his weapons.
I realized he was going out to kill Maelstrom. Instantly I felt the itch to follow him. I could help. A lot. I could make sure Jun would be safe.
But Jun would never accept that. Not after what had just happened. I would need to ‘recover’ enough that I could push past his initial refusals.
I would need to grind.
“Jun-Nii. Be safe.” I demanded as he almost walked out the door, but I stopped him with a behind hug.
“I will. Imouto.” He answered softly, his voice breaking from that cold icy tone he kept falling back into. But he couldn’t stay he broke off and headed out of the apartment right after.
Once he was gone I turned around.
I picked up the table in front of the couch and moved it out of the way.
So I had at least twelve hours or more before Jun came back. Time to work through everything I knew until my arms could do what I expected them to.
I dropped down and started doing push ups. Then I pushed myself to my feet. Throwing punches into the air. I grabbed a pistol that Jun had left behind for me. He had noticed that I didn’t have my Unity anymore.
A Lexington. It felt close enough to my old Unity, if not quite the same, and after grabbing my old holster and fitting it in, I went back to it. Pushups, jumping jacks, punches, quick drawing. Everything I knew I would need. I even started juggling the magazine of the lexington between my hands to make sure I could catch things.
And quickly reload the gun.
That foreign feeling never left. The Phantom limbs never lined up right.
But that was fine. I could live with it. As long as my arms did what I needed. As long as I could shoot, and punch and stab.
As long as I could kill.
—---
The next morning I went back to the dojo. The Sensei wasn’t alone. Another borg was there going through some Taichi if the knowledge from Street Brawling was reliable.
The fact she was seeming to hesitate a bit on some of the motions.
Yeah. She had been injured. New chrome. She was going through something similar to me.
But unlike me she was a borg. She had the weird leg blades that some of the Tyger Claw borged out women had and was doing her best to remain stable as she went through the movements. I watched for a while as Sensei led her through the kata.
“Who’s the kid?” The woman finally asked, her voice sounding completely electronic.
“Focus!” Sensei barked not answering until the woman was back in form.
“Motoko is Jun Kusanagi’s sister.” He finally offered only once the woman had proven she was focused again.
“Huh the kid's kid sister huh?” She muttered looking over to me before Sensei made a noise of displeasure and she refocused.
I continued watching until Sensei spoke up.
“Motoko. Join us.” He demanded. It wasn’t a request. I sighed internally, but rose up and slipped into the kata without issue.
Street Brawling hadn’t given me the direct knowledge on how to do it, but I could easily follow a new Kata. Especially one as slow and relatively simple as Tai-chi.
I followed along finding the rhythm without any issue. It wasn’t any more mindless than grinding with the punching machine so I quickly fell into the zone of just following Sensei’s moves.
*100 Street Brawler XP Gained.*
I blinked and felt a smile coming to my lips as the alert popped in.
“Motoko was it? Those arms of yours are new.” The woman said suddenly as we both followed the motions.
“Yeah. Strom decided it would be fun to cut my arms off and put on a set of cyberarms wrong. So I got a new set now. Trying to get used to them… It’s your hip right?” I pointed out, the woman had been favoring her left leg and the way she moved it was like her balance was off.
“Good eye.” She offered after a moment. “I took a round that punched through. Blew off my leg. Managed to pull myself out of the action. Got a refit and here I am. Getting used to the changes. Sensei is the best at getting us back up and running again. There is a reason we are camping out in his Dojo.”
“Hmph.” He grunted, eyeing us both as very specifically did a motion we hadn’t copied right.
Both of us jumped back to it but it seemed he was displeased.
“Akari. Motoko. You will spar.” He demanded instantly, and I looked at the woman. Akari I supposed to wonder what he meant, but she was smirking a bit at me.
“Sorry kid. I’ll go easy on you, but what Sensei says goes.” She said as her hands formed into fists.
Suddenly a Shinai was thrown at me. I only caught the motion due to my Kiroshi, I nearly fumbled as he had chucked it quite hard at me. I managed to get the grip and turn it into a flourish as I faced the woman.
“Hoh? Not bad kid. Try to keep up.” Akari offered before she… Moved.
Even with my Kiroshi I was barely able to react fast enough to fist arcing towards me. I wasn’t fast enough.
I wasn’t fast enough.
The fist stopped as it tapped my nose.
“Never fought someone with a Sandy before, have ya?” She asked with an utterly arrogant smile. “Gotta move quick kid, otherwise you get flatlined.”
“Fool.” Sensei said as he whacked the back of Akaris head. The older woman yelped and turned with a thunderous glare before seemingly calming after a moment. “What good is a spar if you use such tricks. Back to your place.”
“Yes Sensei.” Akari offered but there was a hint of angry rebellion in her voice.
“It’s okay. She’s right. I never faced Sandevistan. It’s good to see what it can do.” I offered trying to lower the tension that had suddenly appeared.
“Spar. Begin.” Sensei offered without any further words, and I refocused on Akari who didn’t seem to have any hesitation on her mind.
She rushed me, her fists clenched, but this time it was at a more normal speed.
I soon learned the Shinai wasn’t going to stop her, her Cyber arms were more than capable of blocking the Shinai without a care and sending a fist rushing for my stomach.
Since she wasn’t moving at sandy level speeds I managed to jump away, but then she was on me. Punches thrown at me in a barrage, fast and strong, her arms weren’t gorilla arms, but that hardly matters at a certain point. It was still a metal clad fist rushing me.
And so we sparred. She was better than me. Faster than me. Stronger than me.
It didn't take long until I was taking blows that left nasty bruises on my chest. My arms the only part of me strong enough to stop her fists from crashing into me. Even my Parry perk was simply knocked aside. The Shinai simply couldn’t last against her hits whenever I used it to try and parry her fists away, the faux bamboo creaking at the stress each time as I was forced to give up on the parry.
Finally I managed to get into a position that my thrust with the shinai wasn’t something she could ignore. The thrust would have slammed into her throat.
And then suddenly she wasn’t there. I blinked.
Actually blinked because it took me that moment to realize what she had done.
“Did you just do a backflip?”
“Course. My arms are more than strong enough to catch me. And my legs are way stronger. I’ve cut down Strom completely on my hands before.” Akari offered as she looked up towards me. Her body in a sort of scorpion pose with her arms holding her up. Her legs pointed towards me like she was going to strike and stab me.
Well… I could do that! Athletics, parkour, and even Cat-like gave me a solid understanding on how to move.
I rushed her this time.
Her legs flicked out, the pointed cyberware more than strong enough to knock me senseless.
I spun letting the blow pass me as I crouched down swiping at her left arm to force her to lift it to block.
Then I leapt rolling sideways over her striking leg flipping in the air as I landed on her other side. The shinai swiping out while it wasn’t strong enough to truly hurt her, it was more than strong enough to jerk her arm back as I slammed it into the inside of her elbow.
She fell, her other arm still returning down to regain stability as She took a tumble, instantly she rolled with the motion, her cyberware the only thing keeping her from a neck injury as she rolled back to her feet and attacked me.
I back flipped landing on my new arms with only a slight bit of wobble to avoid her leg slashing through where I had just been.
This was fun!
I got back to my feet just in time to block a few kicks and punches with my shinai. Akari though wasn’t happy.
She looked kinda pissed.
“Akari!” Sensei suddenly barked out as I dodged another strike from the womans feet, but she wasn’t listening.
Oh.
Oh I guess this was suddenly not a spar.
She moved.
Fast. A blur of colors as she approached and struck.
I had only barely got my arms crossed to block the punch that sent me tumbling. I let myself roll a few times even with my breath taken from me before I extended my legs catching the matt floors to break my momentum. I used my arms to make sure I wasn’t smashing my face into the ground.
When I stopped I was already staring at her, ready to leap back up from my split leg position, my hands gripping the mat ready to launch me into the air if need be.
“Akari!” Sensei was pissed but the woman just stood there, seeming to take a minute to calm herself.
“Well kid, how’re the arms. Still have the phantom limbs?” She asked and in that moment… No.
The speed of the attacks and the focus on fighting had blurred the sensation.
I was breathing heavily as I caught my breath so I couldn’t say much.
That was okay Sensei had enough words for me.
“Akari. Meditation! You obviously lack control over your spirit. Go!” He barked at the end and even the borged out woman jumped a little at his words.
“Yes Sensei. Keep it up kid. You might just be worth keeping around.”
“You wouldn’t say that if I was coming from out of sight.” I grumbled quietly, as I finally pushed myself back to my feet. Rubbing my chest I grumbled a little. “Supposed to be on light duty.”
“That is unnecessary. You have already healed plenty.” Sensei suddenly said from beside me, startling me at his sudden appearance.
“How’d you know?”
“I deal with many men and women that need physical adjustment to their chrome. I know what an injury looks like. Your chest?” It took me a moment to realize he was asking after my injury.
I shrugged but he didn’t look satisfied so I did a few stretches and breathed deeply and while it was sore and painful I was fine. “It’s fine.”
“Good. Akari is usually more in control. It will not happen again.” He said with a growl.
“It was fine. She isn’t the first borg I’ve fought.” I shrugged. Honestly it was good practice. A reminder that despite my benefits I could still be overpowered.
He looked me over before nodding. “Come. You could use meditation as well. Akari will walk you through it.” He called out and I could hear the woman grumble from the sidelines where she had moved away and sat cross legged.
“C’mon kid. Time to bring yourself into alignment as Sensei likes to say.”
I shrugged. As I settled in.
To my surprise Akari wasn’t a bad teacher, and I realized long after I settled in cross legged with my hands formed into different poses to let myself align. That this entire thing was a course for potential Cyberpsychos. Jun was with them, and Akari was a member of Kamikaze as well.
They were all here under Sensei’s watchful eye. Kept healthy and stable as the Tyger Claws could get them.
Huh. I was kinda surprised. You don’t expect a gang to care that much, but I guess when you put in thousands of eddies worth of equipment into them, keeping them from completely losing it was in your best interest.
With Juns help we gathered up a bunch of stuff from the apartment. I really wasn’t able to help much as even a backpack would go over my still injured shoulders.
Still he gathered up a bunch of things including some of my repair work and tools, and we left the apartment.
It was kinda sad. I knew we would come back, eventually, but it was still sad to be sort of moving away from home.
It was where I felt safe.
Jun didn’t talk much on the way back to the Dojo apartments. Only speaking up about getting some food, which we stopped at on the way.
To my absolute shock Jun didn’t order a XXL Burrito.
Has Jun gone completely Cyberpsycho? Now I was actually worried, but he seemed normal as we ate on the drive back.
Truly watching Jun eat something other than XXL Burritos was too weird for this world!
We drove around instead of going straight to the apartment. Through a few heavy Tyger Claw zones as I could see them literally walking the street.
“Anyone following us will be spotted and removed.” Jun explained at my curious look as we finally made it down to the Dojo.
After hauling my stuff inside the apartment Jun left to do some Tyger Claw stuff.
His words.
I settled in for a sleep. It was time to do a full heal, see how well I would handle having new arms.
And start preparing for my revenge.
—--
I blinked awake, as always using the menu to sleep for eight hours left me feeling 100% rested, and wide awake. I sat up looking around. I had purposefully fallen asleep on the couch so that Jun could keep his bed so I didn’t see him as I looked around. Checking the clock I noticed it was only nine pm. Late, but not too late. Jun was probably still up even. With that I looked down to my arms and tried to move them.
That sluggish feeling was gone. But it still wasn’t right. Wasn’t normal.
I lifted my right arm and felt… Off. The feeling of a phantom limb struck me heavily. As I lifted my arm it felt like it was a second too slow, leaving my brain telling me my arm should be there, but it hadn’t made it.
I tested the same with my left arm finding the noodly arm effect was gone, but the foreignness was still present.
I stood up shaking myself loose from my slings that I had fallen asleep with. I felt my breath come out shaky. A tightness behind my eyes.
It was scary. What I had gone through, what they had done to me, and now the effects of which I was still dealing with.
I was scared.
I exhaled ice. The coldness creeping up my veins freezing my anxiety. My fears. I could deal with this. Hundreds of thousands of people live in Night City with Chrome arms. It wasn’t weird. Or impossible. Just a short time to get used to it and I would be fine.
It was just a change. Just one more change. Just like all the changes I had made since I woke up in the hospital. Just one more tiny alteration in my life.
I let the ice melt. Let my feelings slowly slip back into my thoughts.
I was scared. But not because I hated the cyborg arms. But because it hadn’t been my choice.
I had wanted this, but at my pace. I exhaled warmth. No tears threatened to come out. “Okay Motoko. Step one. Get used to the limbs.”Closing my eyes I stretched my arms out then opened them. Looking at them for the first time as mine.
They weren’t Militech Condors. They weren’t Chrome.
They were my arms.
My fingers were thin. The Ripper must have adjusted the… My arms, to suit a woman. I spread my arms sideways getting a feel for my wingspan. It was… About the same? Not an easy thing to tell, but it was there. My fingers were longer now. I realized I could clench my fists and my fingers didn’t rest at the same place they would have before.
I played with my fingers for a moment. Pressing each finger to my thumb one after another wiggled the digits, and even threw up a middle finger.
Just to make sure for next time.
Then I moved to my palms. They weren’t flesh. Instead a smooth stainless steel, or aluminum, but covered at parts with a rubberized grip. I could feel it. The sensors of the Cyberware gave me an almost accurate sense of touch.
The foreignness was still there, and I had to close my eyes and just breathe as I felt new sensations for old actions.
Touching my own palm shouldn’t cause me this much discomfort. Shouldn’t feel so wrong.
But I exhaled. Let myself simply adjust. Let the feeling of it flow through me. This was what my hand felt like. I pushed my hands together letting the feeling flow through my mind.
This was me.
I let my palms drift apart. Now I focused on my wrists. Feeling their range of motion. Every angle I would ever need as I slowly shifted my wrist this way and that.
My wrist was strong.
My old… No. My wrists before. My wrists before had been kinda weak. Not helped by the feeling of them breaking whenever I shot my Burya.
But I could feel how much stronger they were. The tension of pushing them to their limit actually a nice feeling. Yes it was strange but it didn’t hurt, like when you stretched with meat, a nice feeling.
I moved on
My forearms were coated smooth steel. Small gaps in the exterior showed the muscle underneath. I could see the synth muscle contract and shift as I moved my wrists, I let myself grow used to the sight, and feeling.
My elbow was weird. The range of motion was a lot wider. Able to go a bit beyond an elbows normal range of motion on the extension. I repeated the motion for a while simply growing used to the differences.
My biceps were defined. The military nature of the limb was in full view, but it didn’t bother me. I had muscles before from all the Body training.
There wasn’t much to think about. It’s not like you really think about your bicep very often. The length was about right. And I could feel the muscles contracting as I curled my hands to my shoulders.
My shoulders were different. Obviously. They had a texture to them, my shoulders had an almost armored section. It wasn’t large, but it made my shoulder feel larger in my peripheral vision that was so clear with my Kiroshi.
I could feel the metal cool against my skin that ran from my shoulder to above my breast. The length of how far the arms had extended into my chest? Or just how the arms connected to my nerves?
No idea.
I exhaled letting the feeling pass.
These were my arms.
I opened my stat menu.
—--
Level 5
4750/6000
Body 6(10) Due to Cyberization, Maximum value has increased by 4.
-Athletics 5
-Street Brawler 5
-Annihilation 4
Reflex 6
-Blades 6
-Handguns 4
Assault 3
-Driving 4
Intelligence 4
-Breach Protocol 3
-Quick Hacks 3
Cool 8
-Ninjutsu 7
-Cold Blood 6
Technical attribute 3(7) Due to Cyberization, Maximum value has increased by 4.
-Crafting 3
0 Stat point.
0 Skill point.
Perks.
Ambidextrous Blades 2
Quickdraw Handguns 2
Gun Nut Assault 2
Parkour Athletics 2
Grappling Street Brawler 2
Drive By Driver 2
Cat-like Athletics 5
Cool Nerves Cold Blood 2
Danger Sense Ninjutsu 2
Wall Breaking Breach Protocol 2
Cyber Security Quick Hack 2
Recoil Reduction. Annihilation 2
Cyber Ninja Ninjutsu 5
Fearless Chill. Cold Blood 5.
Improvised Weapons Street Brawler 5
Parry Blades 5
Robotics wizard Crafting 2
Cyberware:
Militech Paraline *Adaptation Militech Paraline 0/0*
Kiroshi Mk1 *Adaptation Kiroshi Mk1 0/2*
Militech Condor *Adaptation Militech Condor 0/10*
The numbers soothed me. There weren’t any negatives, or loss of stats. It means I was okay. That I could grind out a bit and be back to where I was… No, be even better.
I liked that. The chrome hadn’t been my choice, but I had always meant to do it. To be better. I clenched my first and felt the pressure within the grip.
I blinked my eyes and sighed. I guess I could understand why chipping in chrome would drive you nuts.
My eyes still felt weird when blinking to the extent that not blinking felt more comfortable, but my body still wanted to blink. It was a struggle to keep from doing it.
Now I also had my arms feeling off. Every part of them worked. I could feel everything. The sensors were actually really advanced, but…
It wasn’t the same. And that feeling of offness was distracting.
Irritating.
Like if your arm fell asleep and you tried using it to do a normal task. You could, but the lack of normal sensation left you uncomfortable. Yeah. That was what it was like. I decided.
“Fine. I just have to get used to it.” I affirmed to myself once more, extending my arms and running through a test of my fingers. “Time to grind.” I muttered as I fell back on my Street Brawler knowledge. The knowledge of how to train to fight.
I threw a punch. It whipped out. It wasn’t right. The phantom limb was still there making the punch feel slow. Off.
I pulled back and threw it again.
And again.
And again.
I would grow used to it mentally even if I can’t physically. Adaptation was probably going to be a very important stat for me right now. My hopes were pinning on the stat making everything go back to feeling normal.
That meant I had only one choice.
Kill.
Good thing I already had plenty of acceptable targets.
“What are you doing!?” Jun’s voice suddenly interrupted me as I punched, making me stop. I looked over he had just entered the apartment, and was looking at me in concern.
“Punching?”
“Sit down! You are still healing! Are you an idiot!?... Of course you are.” He muttered as he practically picked me up and sat me on the couch. A moment later he came back with a bag full of my tech stuff I had asked him to bring from the apartment.
“Light duty only! What part of that didn’t make it through your gonk head?” He cursed at me actually sounding pretty pissed as he slammed the bag on the table.
I winced. That wasn’t good for my tools Jun.
But I was wise! I kept my mouth shut and nodded along as Jun stalked around the apartment.
I would just wait for him to leave.
Until then I pulled out some of my tools and had a very strange session making some pieces that I was gonna use to modify my Unity. The old gun had been with me for a while. It was about time I spent a little time working on it.
It was almost an hour later when I finished the new trigger that would be a bit smoother than the old one, holding the part up to the light admiring its look when I realized.
My Unity was gone.
I put the trigger down and had to wipe my eyes.
—-
I was so bored.
Jun was still mother henning me. So I wasn’t able to do any real exercise or grinding when he was around, and he had patently refused to let me go anywhere. So I had been stuck inside playing with the few pieces of tech I had. I had already breached the security on every device in the apartment, and many of them in the building itself.
Bored, Bored, bored!
Jun though was a good big brother. He must have a Brother-Sense because as I was slowly losing my mind he pulled me out of the apartment and brought me over to the Dojo.
I was feeling relieved and happy, I might get some exercise done, until he walked me over to an older man that had on a Gi.
And a lot of Tyger Claw tattoos. But that was more the norm than not here.
“Sensei. This is Motoko.” Jun suddenly introduced me.
“Hmph.” Was the only noise he made as he looked me over. “I am Ozeki Sensei. Those arms of yours are new.” He said and it took me a moment to realize he was asking a question with how gravely his voice was.
“Yes.”
“Then you will be helpless as a babe until you learn them.” He said simply as he turned and grabbed a shinai off a rack and then threw it at me.
It wasn’t a gentle throw. I managed to keep from yelping as I jerked, my arms raising to catch them, but the timing was off. My hand wasn’t where I needed it to be and the sword ended up getting caught on my fingers and nearly smacking me in the face.
But I managed to seal both hands around the sword wincing as it creaked a bit but it was fine.
“Sensei… Light duty only.” Jun hinted loudly looking a little irritated but Ozeki Sensei just turned towards me.
“Kusanagi. You have a task to complete.” He dismissed Jun with a single sentence and even Jun realized it as he frowned but gave a small bow before turning and walking away.
Wait Jun. I was feeling very unsafe! Protect me!
“Now. Show me your stance!” He barked his voice so growly that I instantly did as I was told. Feeling myself falling into a neutral stance, shinai held out before me.
“Now Strike!” He demanded and I swung.
He didn’t like that. He ran me through the wringer.
I was supposed to be on light duty! Even if I was actually fine now! This was unfair!
—--
I had gained a few blade alerts by the time I was ‘released’ and allowed to run away back to the apartment.
It wasn’t like I was that tired or anything. It wasn’t that what he had me do was unlike what I normally do when I grind.
He was just intimidating! He growled and glared constantly! I work best with positive reinforcement you know!?
Still it was done. I escaped and went home, tinkered with my spare parts until Jun came back.
“I’ll be gone tonight. And most of tomorrow. Don’t leave the apartments. You can go to the Dojo, or speak to the secretary in the break room if you need something.” He ordered before I could even greet him as he rushed into his room and then came out carrying his weapons.
I realized he was going out to kill Maelstrom. Instantly I felt the itch to follow him. I could help. A lot. I could make sure Jun would be safe.
But Jun would never accept that. Not after what had just happened. I would need to ‘recover’ enough that I could push past his initial refusals.
I would need to grind.
“Jun-Nii. Be safe.” I demanded as he almost walked out the door, but I stopped him with a behind hug.
“I will. Imouto.” He answered softly, his voice breaking from that cold icy tone he kept falling back into. But he couldn’t stay he broke off and headed out of the apartment right after.
Once he was gone I turned around.
I picked up the table in front of the couch and moved it out of the way.
So I had at least twelve hours or more before Jun came back. Time to work through everything I knew until my arms could do what I expected them to.
I dropped down and started doing push ups. Then I pushed myself to my feet. Throwing punches into the air. I grabbed a pistol that Jun had left behind for me. He had noticed that I didn’t have my Unity anymore.
A Lexington. It felt close enough to my old Unity, if not quite the same, and after grabbing my old holster and fitting it in, I went back to it. Pushups, jumping jacks, punches, quick drawing. Everything I knew I would need. I even started juggling the magazine of the lexington between my hands to make sure I could catch things.
And quickly reload the gun.
That foreign feeling never left. The Phantom limbs never lined up right.
But that was fine. I could live with it. As long as my arms did what I needed. As long as I could shoot, and punch and stab.
As long as I could kill.
—---
The next morning I went back to the dojo. The Sensei wasn’t alone. Another borg was there going through some Taichi if the knowledge from Street Brawling was reliable.
The fact she was seeming to hesitate a bit on some of the motions.
Yeah. She had been injured. New chrome. She was going through something similar to me.
But unlike me she was a borg. She had the weird leg blades that some of the Tyger Claw borged out women had and was doing her best to remain stable as she went through the movements. I watched for a while as Sensei led her through the kata.
“Who’s the kid?” The woman finally asked, her voice sounding completely electronic.
“Focus!” Sensei barked not answering until the woman was back in form.
“Motoko is Jun Kusanagi’s sister.” He finally offered only once the woman had proven she was focused again.
“Huh the kid's kid sister huh?” She muttered looking over to me before Sensei made a noise of displeasure and she refocused.
I continued watching until Sensei spoke up.
“Motoko. Join us.” He demanded. It wasn’t a request. I sighed internally, but rose up and slipped into the kata without issue.
Street Brawling hadn’t given me the direct knowledge on how to do it, but I could easily follow a new Kata. Especially one as slow and relatively simple as Tai-chi.
I followed along finding the rhythm without any issue. It wasn’t any more mindless than grinding with the punching machine so I quickly fell into the zone of just following Sensei’s moves.
*100 Street Brawler XP Gained.*
I blinked and felt a smile coming to my lips as the alert popped in.
“Motoko was it? Those arms of yours are new.” The woman said suddenly as we both followed the motions.
“Yeah. Strom decided it would be fun to cut my arms off and put on a set of cyberarms wrong. So I got a new set now. Trying to get used to them… It’s your hip right?” I pointed out, the woman had been favoring her left leg and the way she moved it was like her balance was off.
“Good eye.” She offered after a moment. “I took a round that punched through. Blew off my leg. Managed to pull myself out of the action. Got a refit and here I am. Getting used to the changes. Sensei is the best at getting us back up and running again. There is a reason we are camping out in his Dojo.”
“Hmph.” He grunted, eyeing us both as very specifically did a motion we hadn’t copied right.
Both of us jumped back to it but it seemed he was displeased.
“Akari. Motoko. You will spar.” He demanded instantly, and I looked at the woman. Akari I supposed to wonder what he meant, but she was smirking a bit at me.
“Sorry kid. I’ll go easy on you, but what Sensei says goes.” She said as her hands formed into fists.
Suddenly a Shinai was thrown at me. I only caught the motion due to my Kiroshi, I nearly fumbled as he had chucked it quite hard at me. I managed to get the grip and turn it into a flourish as I faced the woman.
“Hoh? Not bad kid. Try to keep up.” Akari offered before she… Moved.
Even with my Kiroshi I was barely able to react fast enough to fist arcing towards me. I wasn’t fast enough.
I wasn’t fast enough.
The fist stopped as it tapped my nose.
“Never fought someone with a Sandy before, have ya?” She asked with an utterly arrogant smile. “Gotta move quick kid, otherwise you get flatlined.”
“Fool.” Sensei said as he whacked the back of Akaris head. The older woman yelped and turned with a thunderous glare before seemingly calming after a moment. “What good is a spar if you use such tricks. Back to your place.”
“Yes Sensei.” Akari offered but there was a hint of angry rebellion in her voice.
“It’s okay. She’s right. I never faced Sandevistan. It’s good to see what it can do.” I offered trying to lower the tension that had suddenly appeared.
“Spar. Begin.” Sensei offered without any further words, and I refocused on Akari who didn’t seem to have any hesitation on her mind.
She rushed me, her fists clenched, but this time it was at a more normal speed.
I soon learned the Shinai wasn’t going to stop her, her Cyber arms were more than capable of blocking the Shinai without a care and sending a fist rushing for my stomach.
Since she wasn’t moving at sandy level speeds I managed to jump away, but then she was on me. Punches thrown at me in a barrage, fast and strong, her arms weren’t gorilla arms, but that hardly matters at a certain point. It was still a metal clad fist rushing me.
And so we sparred. She was better than me. Faster than me. Stronger than me.
It didn't take long until I was taking blows that left nasty bruises on my chest. My arms the only part of me strong enough to stop her fists from crashing into me. Even my Parry perk was simply knocked aside. The Shinai simply couldn’t last against her hits whenever I used it to try and parry her fists away, the faux bamboo creaking at the stress each time as I was forced to give up on the parry.
Finally I managed to get into a position that my thrust with the shinai wasn’t something she could ignore. The thrust would have slammed into her throat.
And then suddenly she wasn’t there. I blinked.
Actually blinked because it took me that moment to realize what she had done.
“Did you just do a backflip?”
“Course. My arms are more than strong enough to catch me. And my legs are way stronger. I’ve cut down Strom completely on my hands before.” Akari offered as she looked up towards me. Her body in a sort of scorpion pose with her arms holding her up. Her legs pointed towards me like she was going to strike and stab me.
Well… I could do that! Athletics, parkour, and even Cat-like gave me a solid understanding on how to move.
I rushed her this time.
Her legs flicked out, the pointed cyberware more than strong enough to knock me senseless.
I spun letting the blow pass me as I crouched down swiping at her left arm to force her to lift it to block.
Then I leapt rolling sideways over her striking leg flipping in the air as I landed on her other side. The shinai swiping out while it wasn’t strong enough to truly hurt her, it was more than strong enough to jerk her arm back as I slammed it into the inside of her elbow.
She fell, her other arm still returning down to regain stability as She took a tumble, instantly she rolled with the motion, her cyberware the only thing keeping her from a neck injury as she rolled back to her feet and attacked me.
I back flipped landing on my new arms with only a slight bit of wobble to avoid her leg slashing through where I had just been.
This was fun!
I got back to my feet just in time to block a few kicks and punches with my shinai. Akari though wasn’t happy.
She looked kinda pissed.
“Akari!” Sensei suddenly barked out as I dodged another strike from the womans feet, but she wasn’t listening.
Oh.
Oh I guess this was suddenly not a spar.
She moved.
Fast. A blur of colors as she approached and struck.
I had only barely got my arms crossed to block the punch that sent me tumbling. I let myself roll a few times even with my breath taken from me before I extended my legs catching the matt floors to break my momentum. I used my arms to make sure I wasn’t smashing my face into the ground.
When I stopped I was already staring at her, ready to leap back up from my split leg position, my hands gripping the mat ready to launch me into the air if need be.
“Akari!” Sensei was pissed but the woman just stood there, seeming to take a minute to calm herself.
“Well kid, how’re the arms. Still have the phantom limbs?” She asked and in that moment… No.
The speed of the attacks and the focus on fighting had blurred the sensation.
I was breathing heavily as I caught my breath so I couldn’t say much.
That was okay Sensei had enough words for me.
“Akari. Meditation! You obviously lack control over your spirit. Go!” He barked at the end and even the borged out woman jumped a little at his words.
“Yes Sensei. Keep it up kid. You might just be worth keeping around.”
“You wouldn’t say that if I was coming from out of sight.” I grumbled quietly, as I finally pushed myself back to my feet. Rubbing my chest I grumbled a little. “Supposed to be on light duty.”
“That is unnecessary. You have already healed plenty.” Sensei suddenly said from beside me, startling me at his sudden appearance.
“How’d you know?”
“I deal with many men and women that need physical adjustment to their chrome. I know what an injury looks like. Your chest?” It took me a moment to realize he was asking after my injury.
I shrugged but he didn’t look satisfied so I did a few stretches and breathed deeply and while it was sore and painful I was fine. “It’s fine.”
“Good. Akari is usually more in control. It will not happen again.” He said with a growl.
“It was fine. She isn’t the first borg I’ve fought.” I shrugged. Honestly it was good practice. A reminder that despite my benefits I could still be overpowered.
He looked me over before nodding. “Come. You could use meditation as well. Akari will walk you through it.” He called out and I could hear the woman grumble from the sidelines where she had moved away and sat cross legged.
“C’mon kid. Time to bring yourself into alignment as Sensei likes to say.”
I shrugged. As I settled in.
To my surprise Akari wasn’t a bad teacher, and I realized long after I settled in cross legged with my hands formed into different poses to let myself align. That this entire thing was a course for potential Cyberpsychos. Jun was with them, and Akari was a member of Kamikaze as well.
They were all here under Sensei’s watchful eye. Kept healthy and stable as the Tyger Claws could get them.
Huh. I was kinda surprised. You don’t expect a gang to care that much, but I guess when you put in thousands of eddies worth of equipment into them, keeping them from completely losing it was in your best interest.
posh-goofiness
Well-known member
Gunna be interesting to see the Tyber Claws come into conflict with Motoko, she's building up a reputation with members so she isn't just some nobody they can gank when she refuses to join. Once she pays off the chrome, it'll be interesting to see how her relations to them will change.
PeaceMaker 03
Well-known member
Is Akari going to be a big sister mentor that Moto tries to get Jun romantically involved with?
I read where Jun was called “the kid” by Akari. She must be an oldster at 21 or 22, compared to Jun’s 19.
I read where Jun was called “the kid” by Akari. She must be an oldster at 21 or 22, compared to Jun’s 19.
Chapter 29
Seras
Well-known member
Meditating in the corner was… weird. Akari had walked me through a few steps and then zoned out on her own. But I wasn’t the type to meditate while sitting in a yoga pose.
So I didn’t bother trying. Instead I slowly shifted my arms. Feeling the differences as I waved them around quietly. Just… Processing. It was funny, I had so much knowledge in my head from such a vast array of topics, yet none of them could really help me with this. I had tried some of the martial arts I had gained from Street Brawler, and it helped. But it wasn’t a panacea.
Only time could truly help.
Well that or more stat points. I had a bet that Adaptation would help quite a bit. But that was for the future. I still needed to grow at least comfortable enough that I was able to gain those points. My accuracy was still off, my balance, everything.
It might seem odd, but it was true. While training my quickdraw the night before I realized that slightly different length arms. Fingers that were longer but stronger, and the phantom limb, meant my gun was ending up pointed in the wrong spot. I was forcing myself to untrain habits I had developed.
So here I was. Faking meditation as I ran through some of the Taichi kata with my arms. Just letting myself adapt.
Hopefully.
Sitting here doing nothing did have some benefits though.
Sensei wasn’t just helping Akari, and I.
While apparently most of the Dojo’s students were sent away, either too busy with the war, or simply not trusted enough to know that the dojo was in use. That didn’t mean there weren't others.
I got to watch Borgs fight each other.
The Kamikaze group were more than a dozen, borgs I had seen so far. As they came in, usually in small groups I got to watch them relax around the dojo. Spar, or in some cases sit by themselves as they glared or zoned out.
Cyberpsycho. Almost all of them had some of the symptoms. Irritability. Blankness. Some twitched or shook.
It was interesting to see. I could see some of the same traits that Jun had picked up. But at least he wasn’t as bad as most of them.
He also wasn’t nearly as chromed out as most of them were.
But that wasn’t what all of them did. Some would meet in the middle of the dojo floor and spar. Considering the amount of chrome involved, it was nothing like a fight between humans.
So I watched. I learned. I noticed the ones with internal weapons, or augments. I watched how they used them. When, and what tells they had.
That guy and his mantis blades. He would alway twist his wrist before the blades deployed. A twitch, or part of the mechanism?
That woman with the same blade legs as Akari. Seeing it from the side I could see the way she had to shift her balance forward. Too far forward. Her legs were powerful but had little surface friction to work with. So she was either fully charging forward, or forced to stand up practically straight to keep upright.
I guess that explains why Akari learned to fight on her hands.
But seeing it from the outside? It meant next time I had ideas of how to fight against that. Well… Mostly. Whenever a Sandevistan or some of the other speed enhancers came into play…
Fine.
When fighting Borgs rule 1. Never let them realize they were in a fight. Until I had a sandy in order to keep up, I just wouldn’t fight them. Couldn’t fight them. My Burya would still be with me, but if I was in a Maelstrom den killing borgs then the moment I fired game over I would have to run, or die.
So I would assassinate them. I nodded to myself. Decision made. Fall back on what I am good at. So I would need to go quiet. And be better at it. Problem was. A blade wasn’t always good enough against borgs but I wasn’t the only person with that same problem!
Now I needed more information. Lucky for me. I was literally in a place for it. I rose up and started looking for my former sparring partner.
I wasn’t the only person with that same problem!
“Hey Akari?” I asked, finally finding the woman that had left an hour into her meditation downstairs in the breakroom, chomping down on something from the vending machines.
“Huh? Kid. What do you want? I’m not here to play with you.” She muttered her voice still electronic as she continued eating.
“You use blades right? Mantis, and your legs. How do you kill a really borged up gonk? I mean… How do you get your blades through their armor?”
“Stupid question kid.” She said and suddenly her arm shifted into a blade that looked as deadly as I am sure it was. “These babies are made for cutting chaff, Nano filament cuts right through, but sometimes it can get stuck. If I am against something a bit heavier? Gotta use the upgrade!” She laughed as her blade suddenly Started glowing. A harsh wave of heat washed over my face as the blades ignited to an incredibly high temperature. “Stab these babies in, and not even fuckers with thermal resistance Real Skinn will survive cooking from the inside. That’s how you kill borgs. Cut ‘em, and if you can’t? Boil ‘em!” She broke into a pretty scary laugh.
But I couldn’t help but nod along.
“Know where I could get a Thermal Katana?” I asked and her laugh changed to a different tone. She wasn’t laughing at her evil thoughts, she was just laughing at me.
Rood.
“I’m not your momma. Get it yourself.” She finally offered and waved me away.
Fine.
—--
I continued practicing while I waited for Jun to come back. Unfortunately every time Sensei would see me practicing he would throw a Shinai at me, or pull me into Tai-Chi, or whatever other exercise he was doing.
It was like he expected me to get into trouble the moment I was out of his sight or left unattended.
Which, okay teenager. Sure I could understand it, but it was still annoying.
That night Jun came home, and I couldn’t help but let out a breath of relief. “Jun-Nii!” I called out as I noticed him out of the corner of my eye coming in with a group of four.
All four of them had obviously seen a fight.
Luckily it looked like only minor injuries, and it was a bit of a shock to see Jun in full war gear.
He wore actual armor over his chest for one. Jun’s tendency to show off his chest had been something I had planned on teasing him about in the coming days.
But more interesting was the mask he wore.
I guess I know for sure now why they called him the Oni. He wore a japanese Oni mask across his jaw, giving him a sharp toothed grin.
At my call he slowed his walk and pulled down the mask showing his face and how tired he looked.
Seeing the rest of his little group all look to him, and none of them seemed happy I just waved him off to go with his little team.
We would talk after.
—--
“The Maelstrom broke as soon as we showed up. But they had enough heavy guns to keep us from doing much. We killed a few borgs and dropped them off at the rippers, and that’s about it.” He offered an hour or two later when he had finally come to find me. Apparently his little team had been doing an after action report of some kind.
Huh I guess Tyger Claws knew at least a bit about keeping everything running, even when dealing with a bunch of gangster kids.
“What about you Imouto. How was your day? How are the shoulders, any pain? Be honest.”
“Nope. No pain. I’m healing quick.” I told him as I bit into my XXL burrito and did my best to pretend it didn’t taste like refried sick.
I don’t know how Jun could seemingly happily take big bites of the meal.
“Good. Good. Just don’t go overboard.” He demanded pointing his burrito at me which I almost wanted to parry away.
What a powerful weapon.
“Anyway Jun-Nii. Where did you get your Katana? I’m looking to buy one. Probably a Thermal one.” I chirped at him suddenly, his chewing slows before he swallows his bite.
“No.”
I blew up my cheeks at him in offense at his instant denial.
“I’m not asking you to buy it or something. I have money! I just need to know where I can get one.”
“Still no. You are staying here. Safe.” He offered and I glared a bit.
“I’m not going to stay here forever. Another few days I’ll be back to fighting fit. Then I’m heading out.”
“No.”
“You can’t just say no!” I shrieked at him pointing my burrito.
“No.” He said doing exactly what I told him he couldn’t!
I huffed at him as I took another bite and chewed it for a moment. I didn’t want to fall into sibling spat here. Jun needed to understand that he couldn’t huddle me into an apartment to hide away.
“Jun. I know you want to protect me, but I’m not going to live in this place. Once I’m healed up… I’m going to get hunting down The Bastard. And the Spider Ripper. Once I have both of their skulls on sticks I might chill, but that’s the limit of my chill at the moment.”
“Chill?” He seemed to ask himself as he was working out what I mean. “Still no.”
I stood up slamming my hands on the table which actually made a very sharp noise throughout the breakroom. We glared at each other for a minute.
“I’m not asking. If you won’t help. I’ll do it without you. I’m sure Hiromi caaaaaan! Fuck!” I cursed my anger disappearing. I hadn’t messaged Hiromi! It had been days! I had been completely out of contact. I instantly called her, only to get a noise in my ear and a “This call could not be completed.” message.
“Idiot. This whole place has a jammer up to make sure the Maelstrom can’t track us here.” Jun cut in my rising panic as my yellow eyes zipped to him. “Hiromi can wait. Unt- Dammit Motoko! Stop!” he rose up and yelled but I was already heading up the stairs.
I knew Hiromi pretty well by this point, we were best chooms. If she heard that I had gotten kidnapped!? If she couldn’t get in touch with me or Jun she might do something stupid!
I rushed up stairs ignoring Jun as I ran to the entrance of the dojo and then out onto the street.
Still no good. I turned and started running down the street. I could hear Jun running after me and he quickly tried to grab me but I slapped his hands away.
We both had chrome hands now. “Not now Jun!”
“Motoko! Stop being stupid! We aren’t supposed to make calls from here!”
“Then get your bike! Hiromi is an idiot Jun she will definitely do something stupid if I don’t tell her I’m alive!”
“Ugh.” Jun offered with a grunt as he realized I was right.
And because of that he realized I wasn’t going to stop.
“Fine. Come with me. Now!” he barked and I followed after as we headed back into the dojo, and then into the apartment. We actually slipped back into the car that we had used to move everything and Jun drove us out into the city.
Finally a few blocks away as we passed through the city Jun told me to try and call again.
*Motoko! Where have you been! My calls haven’t connected!*
I breathed out a sigh of relief. Hiromi didn’t sound like she was freaking out, or anything.
*Hey Hiromi. Sorry a lot of stuff happened. I’m with Jun right now, but they are keeping him in a place that has jammers up. I realized it all happened without telling you. I was worried you would be freaking out with me out of contact.*
*Oh good! You should always remember your bestest choom! How is Jun? He alright? Not injured?*
*No. He is grumpy, but we actually went through a lot. Listen Hiromi. Don’t go around the apartment okay? Jun stopped by and Maelstrom tracked him. They decided to kidnap me and I ended up getting rescued. So stay away in c-*
*What the FUCK!? What do you mean Kidnapped!? Are you alright! Motoko! You can’t get kidnapped again! What the fuck? Fuck!*
*Hey hey! I’m okay… Honest. The Strom did cut me up a bit but I’m all in one piece, and after the Tyger Claw Ripper that Jun took me to put me back together, I even went to Vik’s and had him double check. I’m fine.*
*Motoko… If you had to go to a ripper… You got chrome? How much? What happened?*
*Just my arms. Nothing serious.*
*Fuck… Motoko… Toko. Don’t try to protect me okay? We are chooms. How bad? What happened?*
I sighed a bit as I rubbed my thumb and fingers together feeling the odd sensations.
*It was pretty bad while it happened, they got lucky that I didn’t have my anti-borg weapon when they jumped me. They cut me up, and threw me into a fighting pit. I killed the kid they pit me against and they ended up chipping in some bad chrome arms. Jun rescued me around then, and took me to a Tyger Claw ripper. I’m alright now. Honest.*
*Shit. I didn’t even know. I’ve been trapped at home this whole week. Dammit!* Hiromi cursed for a while as I listened, just sighing trying to ignore Jun’s questioning look.
*Listen Hiromi. I’m glad you heard about this from me, and not from out in the wild. I was really worried you would have found out and gone off on a crusade to try and rescue me or something. Please just. Stay safe okay? I’ve got Jun being super protective right now too. So I get the parents thing.*
*Fuck. Toko, you got kidnapped again and I couldn’t even… I didn’t even find out!* Hiromi made a sound of just pure frustration over the line.
I really didn’t know what to say.
*I’m okay.*
*I’m not… I’m glad you're okay though, Toko. Fuck that’s so! Ugh!*
*I know. But I’m glad you're safe too. I think Jun is getting done with being patient though. Listen I’ll be out of touch a bunch. Tyger Claws really like their jammers, but I won’t be staying with Jun for long. Once I finish recovering I’ll message you. Okay?*
*Yeah… yeah. I get it. Stay safe, Toko. Promise?*
*Of course! I promise!*
I ended the call and flopped back into the seat.
“Okay. Hiromi is okay, she didn’t even know. I’m really… I’m really glad she is safe.”
“She’s your choom… It’s fine.” Jun said as we started making our way back towards the dojo along the streets.
I was quiet for a while before I decided to continue where we had left off.
“I won’t stay at the dojo for long.”
“You will. It is safe there.” He said instantly his fists gripping the steering wheel as he slowly drove through the traffic.
“Jun-Nii. I love you. I want you to be happy. I know that you just want to protect me. I love that. I do, but that’s not going to stop me from doing what I need to do…” I opened my mouth, my mind shooting to anything that I could use to convince him. A hard headed teen like Jun. He wouldn’t accept any answer but his.
Unless I agreed with him, Jun would do everything he could to stop me…
Well if he could. I was strong. A lot stronger than he probably thought.
“You don’t think I can take care of myself.” I muttered aloud realization flashing through me.
“You are my little sister, you aren’t going out to fight Maelstrom! It doesn’t matter what jobs you’ve done for Wakako. Or… Anything else. You are not ready for that.”
“But you are?” I said the words without a thought. I knew what I would need to convince Jun, and there was only one way to reach it.
“Yes. I have experience you lack. Advantages you do not have. Stay in the apartment where it is safe. I will handle your revenge. The trash that took you. They will die.”
“Yeah they will. By me.” I told him instantly denying him his victory, but I was smiling. Jun was so sweet. Trying to keep his little sister safe, even willing to hunt down the Strom that hurt me.
It was just too bad I was far from helpless.
“When we get to the dojo spar with me. If you beat me, I’ll shut up and stay inside. For now.” I offered as I stared out onto the road. Just watching as these passed us by.
I would have to prove to Jun that I wasn’t just his kid sister anymore. It’s just too bad I couldn’t start off from stealth. It would make this a lot easier.
Jun was quiet for a while as we pulled through a few dark alley ways to make sure no one was following before we traveled into the underground parking lot.
“You are injured. I will not hurt you.”
“I’m fine. And if you want to keep me from leaving. Then you are gonna have to.” I told him as we pulled into the spot. “I’ll meet you inside.” I said simply as I slipped out of the car ignoring him calling my name as I hurried inside then out the window to the Dojo.
Inside it was just as active as it had been before, but I ignored that. Instead focusing on what was coming. Jun was probably going to beat my ass. I honestly don’t even know if he had a sandy, or a reflex booster.
But I was a gamer. If he beat me today, it would make me stronger for tomorrow. If he beat me tomorrow it would make me stronger for the next day.
Jun was being an ass, so even if he won, I was still going to leave him with some bruises. I grabbed one of the Shinai off the racks along the edge of the room, nodding as it was in good condition.
Jun was walking in then. Looking towards me and his perpetual grumpy frown was stronger than ever.
But he seemed to realize I wasn’t budging. He walked over across from me and grabbed his own Shinai. The katana on his hip was taken off and placed against the wall.
Our actions seemed to get some attention as Sensei noticed the two of us preparing. He looked from me to Jun before nodding. Without a word he opened up the space in the dojo pulling off the other Tyger Claw borgs who were meditating, or doing Tai-chi under Sensei’s instruction.
Then once it was clear we both knew. Swordsman instinct maybe?
Or just siblings knowing each others tells.
We moved. Rushing towards the center without a word. Jun with his stupid long teenage boy arms was in range first, but Parry was in full effect.
Jun wasn’t overwhelmingly fast like Akari. But he was a lot stronger. My shinai easily caught his first strike, but actually deflecting it took a bit of effort. Then I was on the attack. He reacted instantly shifting into his own deflections as my Shinai became a blur of attacks, slashing stabbing, sliding against his blade to try and smash into his stupid face.
My attacks took him off guard and instantly Jun was back pedaling as I pushed him. Despite his greater strength he was treating my shinai as an actual blade.
Good he was taking this seriously.
But as much as I pushed, nothing made it through. Jun was good. Then to my surprise Jun locked his blade with mine and in that moment he reached out and grabbed my dominant hand on my shinai.
I noticed it. The shift in his balance. I had dealt with this exact situation again!
I wasn’t going to have my chest broken again!
Juns kick was blocked when I just leapt into the air and landed both of my feet against his leg leaving me hanging in the air completely at his mercy.
But at least he hadn’t kicked me!
Jun’s grip on my first hardened and then he threw me to the side launching me across the room.
My instinctual reaction surprised me.
I let go of the Shinai. A part of me reminding myself there were tons of them around the room to grab so instead his throw was turned into a tumble through the air, and then a few backflips as I hit the ground to create distance until I was at the wall.
I nearly chuckled at Juns flabbergasted look, his dropped jaw was literally making this entire thing worth it.
Hah! Bet you didn’t know your little sister had athletics 5! I was at least a moderately good acrobat!
But then I was done playing.
I reached out and grabbed two Shinai.
The first Blades Perk I had grabbed had been Ambidextrous. And my arms were now much much stronger than a normal girl my age.
The feeling of my arms might not be perfect, but I was about to beat some big brother ass. I stomped back towards Jun doing a few flourishes with my Shinai to tell him that I wasn’t playing at dual wielding. Then I was on him and Jun was once more back pedaling as I absolutely stormed into a series of attacks against him.
My breath was still fairly even. Jun might have more chrome, but I was in better shape than my burrito loving brother.
The sharp snapping of faux bamboo on faux bamboo echoed through the room, as with two Shinai I finally started slipping past Jun’s defenses.
My first blow slipped past and hit his shoulder, then another hitting his wrist, but it was all chrome, and he seemed to be growing really annoyed. I could see his eyebrows narrowing and his face turning into a scowl.
He pushed me back and swung. I blocked but still ended up thrown off my feet at the blow as he put all of his strength into the swing.
I rolled away and then jumped back to my feet, jumping right back at him.
It quickly became obvious Jun had the strength to send me flying, but I was faster, and with two shinai, he was struggling to resist my flurry of blows.
Once more Jun went for a grab, but I had literally taken a perk in grappling!
His hand was grabbed as I discarded a shinai and then I was leaping my leg arcing over his bicep and suddenly my leg was wrapped around his neck. I tugged and unbalanced him, the two of us went tumbling as he dropped his shinai, with me so close it was easy to grab me. And then we were rolling on the ground, both of us grabbing at the other rolling and grunting as we grabbed, forcing the other to release and grab each other again.
Jun pinching my thigh to make me release his neck earned him a fist grinding into his side that was still meat which made him flinch and break his grip on my other arm that he had been working into a pin, then I grabbed his ankle which was close by and twister, while it wasn’t flesh anymore, it would still hurt, I then yelped as as he found a pressure point in my side which earned him a knee to his stomach for his troubles and then we were rolling around again I managed to mash his face into the mat with the palm of my hand before he flipped me onto my back and and arm wrapped around my throat.
Considering how much I knew about choking someone out like that, I wasn’t hard to elbow just below his armpit, weakening the grip, even with a chrome arm, as I kicked up and flipped under his arm my leg once again in place around his neck but then suddenly I was pulled off him with a yelp as someone grabbed the back of my shirt and just lifted me out of the pile.
“Oh hey Sensei.” I offered in greeting toward the very irritated man.
“Both of you come with me. Now!” he barked, making Jun twitch as much as I did as I was dropped back to my feet.
We were put in time out.
Like literal time out. Sensei set us down in a corner and made us meditate. Akari and some of the other Tyger Claws laughing on the sidelines at our sibling moment.
(A/N)
Sorry to say going on a short hiatus over the holidays. So I'll be continuing my upload schedule in the beginning of January sometime. Just haven't had time to do a lot of writing so far this month, and I'm falling a bit behind on my backlog.
So I didn’t bother trying. Instead I slowly shifted my arms. Feeling the differences as I waved them around quietly. Just… Processing. It was funny, I had so much knowledge in my head from such a vast array of topics, yet none of them could really help me with this. I had tried some of the martial arts I had gained from Street Brawler, and it helped. But it wasn’t a panacea.
Only time could truly help.
Well that or more stat points. I had a bet that Adaptation would help quite a bit. But that was for the future. I still needed to grow at least comfortable enough that I was able to gain those points. My accuracy was still off, my balance, everything.
It might seem odd, but it was true. While training my quickdraw the night before I realized that slightly different length arms. Fingers that were longer but stronger, and the phantom limb, meant my gun was ending up pointed in the wrong spot. I was forcing myself to untrain habits I had developed.
So here I was. Faking meditation as I ran through some of the Taichi kata with my arms. Just letting myself adapt.
Hopefully.
Sitting here doing nothing did have some benefits though.
Sensei wasn’t just helping Akari, and I.
While apparently most of the Dojo’s students were sent away, either too busy with the war, or simply not trusted enough to know that the dojo was in use. That didn’t mean there weren't others.
I got to watch Borgs fight each other.
The Kamikaze group were more than a dozen, borgs I had seen so far. As they came in, usually in small groups I got to watch them relax around the dojo. Spar, or in some cases sit by themselves as they glared or zoned out.
Cyberpsycho. Almost all of them had some of the symptoms. Irritability. Blankness. Some twitched or shook.
It was interesting to see. I could see some of the same traits that Jun had picked up. But at least he wasn’t as bad as most of them.
He also wasn’t nearly as chromed out as most of them were.
But that wasn’t what all of them did. Some would meet in the middle of the dojo floor and spar. Considering the amount of chrome involved, it was nothing like a fight between humans.
So I watched. I learned. I noticed the ones with internal weapons, or augments. I watched how they used them. When, and what tells they had.
That guy and his mantis blades. He would alway twist his wrist before the blades deployed. A twitch, or part of the mechanism?
That woman with the same blade legs as Akari. Seeing it from the side I could see the way she had to shift her balance forward. Too far forward. Her legs were powerful but had little surface friction to work with. So she was either fully charging forward, or forced to stand up practically straight to keep upright.
I guess that explains why Akari learned to fight on her hands.
But seeing it from the outside? It meant next time I had ideas of how to fight against that. Well… Mostly. Whenever a Sandevistan or some of the other speed enhancers came into play…
Fine.
When fighting Borgs rule 1. Never let them realize they were in a fight. Until I had a sandy in order to keep up, I just wouldn’t fight them. Couldn’t fight them. My Burya would still be with me, but if I was in a Maelstrom den killing borgs then the moment I fired game over I would have to run, or die.
So I would assassinate them. I nodded to myself. Decision made. Fall back on what I am good at. So I would need to go quiet. And be better at it. Problem was. A blade wasn’t always good enough against borgs but I wasn’t the only person with that same problem!
Now I needed more information. Lucky for me. I was literally in a place for it. I rose up and started looking for my former sparring partner.
I wasn’t the only person with that same problem!
“Hey Akari?” I asked, finally finding the woman that had left an hour into her meditation downstairs in the breakroom, chomping down on something from the vending machines.
“Huh? Kid. What do you want? I’m not here to play with you.” She muttered her voice still electronic as she continued eating.
“You use blades right? Mantis, and your legs. How do you kill a really borged up gonk? I mean… How do you get your blades through their armor?”
“Stupid question kid.” She said and suddenly her arm shifted into a blade that looked as deadly as I am sure it was. “These babies are made for cutting chaff, Nano filament cuts right through, but sometimes it can get stuck. If I am against something a bit heavier? Gotta use the upgrade!” She laughed as her blade suddenly Started glowing. A harsh wave of heat washed over my face as the blades ignited to an incredibly high temperature. “Stab these babies in, and not even fuckers with thermal resistance Real Skinn will survive cooking from the inside. That’s how you kill borgs. Cut ‘em, and if you can’t? Boil ‘em!” She broke into a pretty scary laugh.
But I couldn’t help but nod along.
“Know where I could get a Thermal Katana?” I asked and her laugh changed to a different tone. She wasn’t laughing at her evil thoughts, she was just laughing at me.
Rood.
“I’m not your momma. Get it yourself.” She finally offered and waved me away.
Fine.
—--
I continued practicing while I waited for Jun to come back. Unfortunately every time Sensei would see me practicing he would throw a Shinai at me, or pull me into Tai-Chi, or whatever other exercise he was doing.
It was like he expected me to get into trouble the moment I was out of his sight or left unattended.
Which, okay teenager. Sure I could understand it, but it was still annoying.
That night Jun came home, and I couldn’t help but let out a breath of relief. “Jun-Nii!” I called out as I noticed him out of the corner of my eye coming in with a group of four.
All four of them had obviously seen a fight.
Luckily it looked like only minor injuries, and it was a bit of a shock to see Jun in full war gear.
He wore actual armor over his chest for one. Jun’s tendency to show off his chest had been something I had planned on teasing him about in the coming days.
But more interesting was the mask he wore.
I guess I know for sure now why they called him the Oni. He wore a japanese Oni mask across his jaw, giving him a sharp toothed grin.
At my call he slowed his walk and pulled down the mask showing his face and how tired he looked.
Seeing the rest of his little group all look to him, and none of them seemed happy I just waved him off to go with his little team.
We would talk after.
—--
“The Maelstrom broke as soon as we showed up. But they had enough heavy guns to keep us from doing much. We killed a few borgs and dropped them off at the rippers, and that’s about it.” He offered an hour or two later when he had finally come to find me. Apparently his little team had been doing an after action report of some kind.
Huh I guess Tyger Claws knew at least a bit about keeping everything running, even when dealing with a bunch of gangster kids.
“What about you Imouto. How was your day? How are the shoulders, any pain? Be honest.”
“Nope. No pain. I’m healing quick.” I told him as I bit into my XXL burrito and did my best to pretend it didn’t taste like refried sick.
I don’t know how Jun could seemingly happily take big bites of the meal.
“Good. Good. Just don’t go overboard.” He demanded pointing his burrito at me which I almost wanted to parry away.
What a powerful weapon.
“Anyway Jun-Nii. Where did you get your Katana? I’m looking to buy one. Probably a Thermal one.” I chirped at him suddenly, his chewing slows before he swallows his bite.
“No.”
I blew up my cheeks at him in offense at his instant denial.
“I’m not asking you to buy it or something. I have money! I just need to know where I can get one.”
“Still no. You are staying here. Safe.” He offered and I glared a bit.
“I’m not going to stay here forever. Another few days I’ll be back to fighting fit. Then I’m heading out.”
“No.”
“You can’t just say no!” I shrieked at him pointing my burrito.
“No.” He said doing exactly what I told him he couldn’t!
I huffed at him as I took another bite and chewed it for a moment. I didn’t want to fall into sibling spat here. Jun needed to understand that he couldn’t huddle me into an apartment to hide away.
“Jun. I know you want to protect me, but I’m not going to live in this place. Once I’m healed up… I’m going to get hunting down The Bastard. And the Spider Ripper. Once I have both of their skulls on sticks I might chill, but that’s the limit of my chill at the moment.”
“Chill?” He seemed to ask himself as he was working out what I mean. “Still no.”
I stood up slamming my hands on the table which actually made a very sharp noise throughout the breakroom. We glared at each other for a minute.
“I’m not asking. If you won’t help. I’ll do it without you. I’m sure Hiromi caaaaaan! Fuck!” I cursed my anger disappearing. I hadn’t messaged Hiromi! It had been days! I had been completely out of contact. I instantly called her, only to get a noise in my ear and a “This call could not be completed.” message.
“Idiot. This whole place has a jammer up to make sure the Maelstrom can’t track us here.” Jun cut in my rising panic as my yellow eyes zipped to him. “Hiromi can wait. Unt- Dammit Motoko! Stop!” he rose up and yelled but I was already heading up the stairs.
I knew Hiromi pretty well by this point, we were best chooms. If she heard that I had gotten kidnapped!? If she couldn’t get in touch with me or Jun she might do something stupid!
I rushed up stairs ignoring Jun as I ran to the entrance of the dojo and then out onto the street.
Still no good. I turned and started running down the street. I could hear Jun running after me and he quickly tried to grab me but I slapped his hands away.
We both had chrome hands now. “Not now Jun!”
“Motoko! Stop being stupid! We aren’t supposed to make calls from here!”
“Then get your bike! Hiromi is an idiot Jun she will definitely do something stupid if I don’t tell her I’m alive!”
“Ugh.” Jun offered with a grunt as he realized I was right.
And because of that he realized I wasn’t going to stop.
“Fine. Come with me. Now!” he barked and I followed after as we headed back into the dojo, and then into the apartment. We actually slipped back into the car that we had used to move everything and Jun drove us out into the city.
Finally a few blocks away as we passed through the city Jun told me to try and call again.
*Motoko! Where have you been! My calls haven’t connected!*
I breathed out a sigh of relief. Hiromi didn’t sound like she was freaking out, or anything.
*Hey Hiromi. Sorry a lot of stuff happened. I’m with Jun right now, but they are keeping him in a place that has jammers up. I realized it all happened without telling you. I was worried you would be freaking out with me out of contact.*
*Oh good! You should always remember your bestest choom! How is Jun? He alright? Not injured?*
*No. He is grumpy, but we actually went through a lot. Listen Hiromi. Don’t go around the apartment okay? Jun stopped by and Maelstrom tracked him. They decided to kidnap me and I ended up getting rescued. So stay away in c-*
*What the FUCK!? What do you mean Kidnapped!? Are you alright! Motoko! You can’t get kidnapped again! What the fuck? Fuck!*
*Hey hey! I’m okay… Honest. The Strom did cut me up a bit but I’m all in one piece, and after the Tyger Claw Ripper that Jun took me to put me back together, I even went to Vik’s and had him double check. I’m fine.*
*Motoko… If you had to go to a ripper… You got chrome? How much? What happened?*
*Just my arms. Nothing serious.*
*Fuck… Motoko… Toko. Don’t try to protect me okay? We are chooms. How bad? What happened?*
I sighed a bit as I rubbed my thumb and fingers together feeling the odd sensations.
*It was pretty bad while it happened, they got lucky that I didn’t have my anti-borg weapon when they jumped me. They cut me up, and threw me into a fighting pit. I killed the kid they pit me against and they ended up chipping in some bad chrome arms. Jun rescued me around then, and took me to a Tyger Claw ripper. I’m alright now. Honest.*
*Shit. I didn’t even know. I’ve been trapped at home this whole week. Dammit!* Hiromi cursed for a while as I listened, just sighing trying to ignore Jun’s questioning look.
*Listen Hiromi. I’m glad you heard about this from me, and not from out in the wild. I was really worried you would have found out and gone off on a crusade to try and rescue me or something. Please just. Stay safe okay? I’ve got Jun being super protective right now too. So I get the parents thing.*
*Fuck. Toko, you got kidnapped again and I couldn’t even… I didn’t even find out!* Hiromi made a sound of just pure frustration over the line.
I really didn’t know what to say.
*I’m okay.*
*I’m not… I’m glad you're okay though, Toko. Fuck that’s so! Ugh!*
*I know. But I’m glad you're safe too. I think Jun is getting done with being patient though. Listen I’ll be out of touch a bunch. Tyger Claws really like their jammers, but I won’t be staying with Jun for long. Once I finish recovering I’ll message you. Okay?*
*Yeah… yeah. I get it. Stay safe, Toko. Promise?*
*Of course! I promise!*
I ended the call and flopped back into the seat.
“Okay. Hiromi is okay, she didn’t even know. I’m really… I’m really glad she is safe.”
“She’s your choom… It’s fine.” Jun said as we started making our way back towards the dojo along the streets.
I was quiet for a while before I decided to continue where we had left off.
“I won’t stay at the dojo for long.”
“You will. It is safe there.” He said instantly his fists gripping the steering wheel as he slowly drove through the traffic.
“Jun-Nii. I love you. I want you to be happy. I know that you just want to protect me. I love that. I do, but that’s not going to stop me from doing what I need to do…” I opened my mouth, my mind shooting to anything that I could use to convince him. A hard headed teen like Jun. He wouldn’t accept any answer but his.
Unless I agreed with him, Jun would do everything he could to stop me…
Well if he could. I was strong. A lot stronger than he probably thought.
“You don’t think I can take care of myself.” I muttered aloud realization flashing through me.
“You are my little sister, you aren’t going out to fight Maelstrom! It doesn’t matter what jobs you’ve done for Wakako. Or… Anything else. You are not ready for that.”
“But you are?” I said the words without a thought. I knew what I would need to convince Jun, and there was only one way to reach it.
“Yes. I have experience you lack. Advantages you do not have. Stay in the apartment where it is safe. I will handle your revenge. The trash that took you. They will die.”
“Yeah they will. By me.” I told him instantly denying him his victory, but I was smiling. Jun was so sweet. Trying to keep his little sister safe, even willing to hunt down the Strom that hurt me.
It was just too bad I was far from helpless.
“When we get to the dojo spar with me. If you beat me, I’ll shut up and stay inside. For now.” I offered as I stared out onto the road. Just watching as these passed us by.
I would have to prove to Jun that I wasn’t just his kid sister anymore. It’s just too bad I couldn’t start off from stealth. It would make this a lot easier.
Jun was quiet for a while as we pulled through a few dark alley ways to make sure no one was following before we traveled into the underground parking lot.
“You are injured. I will not hurt you.”
“I’m fine. And if you want to keep me from leaving. Then you are gonna have to.” I told him as we pulled into the spot. “I’ll meet you inside.” I said simply as I slipped out of the car ignoring him calling my name as I hurried inside then out the window to the Dojo.
Inside it was just as active as it had been before, but I ignored that. Instead focusing on what was coming. Jun was probably going to beat my ass. I honestly don’t even know if he had a sandy, or a reflex booster.
But I was a gamer. If he beat me today, it would make me stronger for tomorrow. If he beat me tomorrow it would make me stronger for the next day.
Jun was being an ass, so even if he won, I was still going to leave him with some bruises. I grabbed one of the Shinai off the racks along the edge of the room, nodding as it was in good condition.
Jun was walking in then. Looking towards me and his perpetual grumpy frown was stronger than ever.
But he seemed to realize I wasn’t budging. He walked over across from me and grabbed his own Shinai. The katana on his hip was taken off and placed against the wall.
Our actions seemed to get some attention as Sensei noticed the two of us preparing. He looked from me to Jun before nodding. Without a word he opened up the space in the dojo pulling off the other Tyger Claw borgs who were meditating, or doing Tai-chi under Sensei’s instruction.
Then once it was clear we both knew. Swordsman instinct maybe?
Or just siblings knowing each others tells.
We moved. Rushing towards the center without a word. Jun with his stupid long teenage boy arms was in range first, but Parry was in full effect.
Jun wasn’t overwhelmingly fast like Akari. But he was a lot stronger. My shinai easily caught his first strike, but actually deflecting it took a bit of effort. Then I was on the attack. He reacted instantly shifting into his own deflections as my Shinai became a blur of attacks, slashing stabbing, sliding against his blade to try and smash into his stupid face.
My attacks took him off guard and instantly Jun was back pedaling as I pushed him. Despite his greater strength he was treating my shinai as an actual blade.
Good he was taking this seriously.
But as much as I pushed, nothing made it through. Jun was good. Then to my surprise Jun locked his blade with mine and in that moment he reached out and grabbed my dominant hand on my shinai.
I noticed it. The shift in his balance. I had dealt with this exact situation again!
I wasn’t going to have my chest broken again!
Juns kick was blocked when I just leapt into the air and landed both of my feet against his leg leaving me hanging in the air completely at his mercy.
But at least he hadn’t kicked me!
Jun’s grip on my first hardened and then he threw me to the side launching me across the room.
My instinctual reaction surprised me.
I let go of the Shinai. A part of me reminding myself there were tons of them around the room to grab so instead his throw was turned into a tumble through the air, and then a few backflips as I hit the ground to create distance until I was at the wall.
I nearly chuckled at Juns flabbergasted look, his dropped jaw was literally making this entire thing worth it.
Hah! Bet you didn’t know your little sister had athletics 5! I was at least a moderately good acrobat!
But then I was done playing.
I reached out and grabbed two Shinai.
The first Blades Perk I had grabbed had been Ambidextrous. And my arms were now much much stronger than a normal girl my age.
The feeling of my arms might not be perfect, but I was about to beat some big brother ass. I stomped back towards Jun doing a few flourishes with my Shinai to tell him that I wasn’t playing at dual wielding. Then I was on him and Jun was once more back pedaling as I absolutely stormed into a series of attacks against him.
My breath was still fairly even. Jun might have more chrome, but I was in better shape than my burrito loving brother.
The sharp snapping of faux bamboo on faux bamboo echoed through the room, as with two Shinai I finally started slipping past Jun’s defenses.
My first blow slipped past and hit his shoulder, then another hitting his wrist, but it was all chrome, and he seemed to be growing really annoyed. I could see his eyebrows narrowing and his face turning into a scowl.
He pushed me back and swung. I blocked but still ended up thrown off my feet at the blow as he put all of his strength into the swing.
I rolled away and then jumped back to my feet, jumping right back at him.
It quickly became obvious Jun had the strength to send me flying, but I was faster, and with two shinai, he was struggling to resist my flurry of blows.
Once more Jun went for a grab, but I had literally taken a perk in grappling!
His hand was grabbed as I discarded a shinai and then I was leaping my leg arcing over his bicep and suddenly my leg was wrapped around his neck. I tugged and unbalanced him, the two of us went tumbling as he dropped his shinai, with me so close it was easy to grab me. And then we were rolling on the ground, both of us grabbing at the other rolling and grunting as we grabbed, forcing the other to release and grab each other again.
Jun pinching my thigh to make me release his neck earned him a fist grinding into his side that was still meat which made him flinch and break his grip on my other arm that he had been working into a pin, then I grabbed his ankle which was close by and twister, while it wasn’t flesh anymore, it would still hurt, I then yelped as as he found a pressure point in my side which earned him a knee to his stomach for his troubles and then we were rolling around again I managed to mash his face into the mat with the palm of my hand before he flipped me onto my back and and arm wrapped around my throat.
Considering how much I knew about choking someone out like that, I wasn’t hard to elbow just below his armpit, weakening the grip, even with a chrome arm, as I kicked up and flipped under his arm my leg once again in place around his neck but then suddenly I was pulled off him with a yelp as someone grabbed the back of my shirt and just lifted me out of the pile.
“Oh hey Sensei.” I offered in greeting toward the very irritated man.
“Both of you come with me. Now!” he barked, making Jun twitch as much as I did as I was dropped back to my feet.
We were put in time out.
Like literal time out. Sensei set us down in a corner and made us meditate. Akari and some of the other Tyger Claws laughing on the sidelines at our sibling moment.
(A/N)
Sorry to say going on a short hiatus over the holidays. So I'll be continuing my upload schedule in the beginning of January sometime. Just haven't had time to do a lot of writing so far this month, and I'm falling a bit behind on my backlog.
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Yah, updates!
Have Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Chapter 30
Seras
Well-known member
“You aren’t leaving.” Jun said, the first words we had spoken since we had been put in time out. We had just finished walking into the apartment hours later after being forced to meditate on our mistakes.
“Not yet. But soon.” I told him as I flopped onto the couch before facing him.
“You didn’t defeat me.” He grumbled from the door.
“You didn’t defeat me either. The deal was if you beat me I would shut up and stay. Jun… I know what I’m trying to do is dangerous. I know it sounds crazy! I know. But I can do it. I can do this and come home every night. I have the skill.”
“You don’t! You just got out of the hospital! You lost your memory!” Jun practically ranted as he waved his arms above his head.
“I’ve killed more than twenty people. Scavs. Raffen. Maelstrom. Normal and Borgs.” I said practically punching him in the face with what I have done.
“You are my little sister! You don’t have to kill anyone! I will do it for you! Stay here! Where it is safe, I’ll… I’ll put you into a school! I can even do Arasaka Academy! You can go to school with Hiromi where it is safe! Where you don’t have to stain your hands with blood! Where you don’t have to worry about-”
I stood up at his rant and pulled him into a strong hug. Burying my face into his chest as I held him tight.
“I love you too Jun.” I told him, cutting off whatever he was trying to desperately say. Then I pulled away so he could see me. “But I like killing. I’m not going to stop.” I watched as he tried to process that for a moment and as he opened his mouth I reached up and poked his lips. “No. Listen.” I demanded as I stepped away and dragged him to the couch.
I waited until he settled in as I sat on the little table so we could face each other.
“I really like killing, fighting. I like doing jobs. I like sneaking through a Valentino chopshop to steal information. I like going out as a bodyguard for a Nomad who ends up being a pretty cool guy. I liked when we got chased by Raffen. I liked grabbing my HMG and firing it watching big tough Raffen scream in terror as they get turned into a splatter in the desert. I loved that after, when they left me for dead. When I chased them through the desert, and snuck into their camp. I have never had more fun in my life! Then when I was slowly hunting them through their camp. I killed every man in the camp without any of them managing to call for help or even cry out. I loved when I had their leader at my mercy at the end and I stole his car. And then I shot him.”
I was quiet at that, watching as Jun’s eyes had widened massively as I spoke as I revealed just a bit of what I had been up to.
“How?” He finally asked quietly, looking a little shook. “How did you do that? How did you survive? You were never that good with a Katana.”
“I learned.” I answered simply, it was true in a way. “Killing someone is easy. The trick is just surviving long enough that you learn how to do it better. And a bit of luck.” I added with a casual shrug. “I know you worry. I worry about you too… but I can’t stop you from going out there to hunt Maelstrom in revenge. Just like you can’t stop me from doing the same.”
I stared into his face as emotions roiled over him, his fists clenching over and over as he tried to fight back his own instincts.
“Come out with me.” I told him then, cutting off his inner battle with himself. “Let me show you what I can do. That you don’t have to be afraid. I want you to be part of my life Jun-Nii, and I want to be part of yours. But you’ll have to let me go make my own mistakes. Or my own glory.”
“You can die!”
“I can also die walking down the street, or be gunned down in the middle of a gangwar while driving down the freeway. I’m not gonna be safe if I hide Jun. But, at least I can have some safety if I prove I have the ability to kill any gonk stupid enough to try.” I kind of fluttered my legs a bit as I sat on the table wondering what else I could say.
What else could I do to prove to Jun that I was able to walk in the same circles that he did. That just as he had done plenty of raids against Maelstrom, I could do that too.
“Tomorrow night.” He said finally quietly. “Kamikaze are going to hit a few Maelstrom dens, If… I will ask if they will allow you to come. If you… If you prove to me you are capable after… I’ll…”
“Okay.” I told him he didn’t have to finish, he was struggling to let me go, which wasn’t a surprise. Jun was pretty stubborn after all. So instead of any more tense conversations I pulled Jun into a big warm hug.
Seriously gotta get that Real Skinn, Jun. Your arms are very unhuggable right now.
—--
Apparently the one in charge of the Kamikaze approved of me joining them for an outing, although from the way Jun phrased it, it was less that I could come, and more that they simply didn’t care if I died trying.
Jokes on them. I have no intention of dying. Not until I’ve murdered every spider eyed asshole in this city. It was a shame. I liked spiders….
Wait! If I killed all of them, that means I could take their symbol for myself right? “I’ll become the Black Widow… wait I’m already Motoko.” I muttered to myself as I finished loading my Burya.
My lovely perfect Burya that I was never going anywhere without… That thought struck me and I realized I probably needed a shower gun now too… I’m sure I could put a carnage in there. That thing doesn’t care if it gets rusty.
I nodded at that. Shower Shotgun sounds perfect.
Stupid Night city.
I pulled her into my shoulder holster and stretched. It felt good to be back in my gear again. Even if the feel of the Lexington in my back holster wasn’t quite the same as my Unity.
I miss that gun.
At least I still had my knife. I patted my hip where it rested. That thing had kept me alive in the pit. It was nice that one of the borgs in Kamikaze had grabbed it while looting.
“Motoko.”
“Jun-Nii. All set?” I asked as I turned to him, noticing the weird look on his face.
“Oh this is the first time Jun has seen my work clothes huh?” I asked him as I did a little pirouette that would make a ballerina nod at how good it was.
Thank you Athletics.
“What are you wearing? Put a real jacket on and a shirt.” Then without waiting he turns and walks out.
“F-fuckin’ jerk!” I yelled back at him utterly shocked at how instantly he had cut down my cute Motoko cospl-Outfit. My outfit!
I chased after him, and it was only as I entered the main room of the apartment that I caught the slight smirk on his face.
Oh! Jun was being an asshole big brother.
Jerk!
“Idiot!” I yelled at him as I made a move to brush past him.
His arm wrapping me up in a hug pulling me off my feet stopped that. Then with the casualness of a big brother he walked me back to the bedroom and plopped me on the bed.
“I have something for you.” He said after a moment as I glared at him for carrying me around. Just because he had stupid gorilla arms, and I wasn’t heavy enough to stop him!
It wasn’t fair!
“What?” I demanded a little petulantly, which probably didn’t help my case of trying to get Jun to trust me as a professional, but he was being stupid. So there.
“I want you to be safe.” He said simply as he headed into the closet in the bedroom, something I hadn’t messed with.
I honestly didn’t think anything was actually in there.
But there was, in fact. It was an armory.
“Ooh Goodies!” I chirped only to be denied instantly with an outstretched hand.
“My stuff. Don’t touch.” He said in that exact older sibling voice that told me I had probably snuck into his stuff too many times to count.
Yeah that’s fair.
I settled down as he went back in and pulled something out that I perked up at.
“It’s my spare… Please do not ruin it. They are expensive.” He tells me as he pulls out a fucking Katana.
Oooh man. I was gonna weeb these Maelstroms to death… wait that sounds wrong.
I shook that stupid thought out as I stood up and took the Katana Jun was holding out for me. The same military style as the one he had. I popped it out of the sheath just an inch seeing the incredibly sharp blade before nodding. Luckily it had a belt on the sheath, so after a moment I had it wrapped around my hips.
I was starting to have a few too many straps on me, Shoulder holster, rear holster and now sword belt.
It’s fine though.
Cause it looked fuckin badass.
“Thanks Jun.”
“It’s a thermal Katana like you wanted. The button is on the side. Don’t cut off a limb, or burn yourself… Or a building down. Better yet, just don’t use it.” He said moving to take it away which I promptly slapped his hand and then he was mushing his hand into my face and I was kicking at his dumb stupid plastic abs.
We finally broke away a few minutes later after Jun put me in a headlock, which I hip tossed him over my shoulder for daring and the loud thump as he almost crashed into the living room table startled us both.
“Truce.” I demanded, and Jun huffed a quiet laugh before he agreed as we split up and straightened up.
Jun had mussed my hair. The jerk. After a quick stop in the bathroom to reorder my hair we both left the apartment down into the parking garage.
There the rest of Kamikaze were already waiting. Although I noticed they weren’t hanging around their own rides, or vehicles that looked like something the Tyger Claws would drive.
Unmarked vans, and cars were idling waiting.
Luckily we weren’t the last to show up. “Jun. Good, still waiting on a few stragglers.” The borg I had met in the Ripper doc said as Jun approached. This time the man wasn’t heading into a ripper. He was armed and armored up.
The flak jacket he wore was actually open showing off his chest, and holographic neon tattoos. I was pretty sure the jacket was less defense than the obvious subdermal armor meaning it was more for looks than utility.
“Hai. Fujimura-Sama.” Jun offered with a bow. Ah that was the Borg's name. Right, the doctor said that as well.
“The girl will be your responsibility.” He added nodding to me, and Jun simply bowed lower in agreement.
I nodded to Jun. I wasn’t about to cause any problems. We all had Maelstrom to kill.
The wait was mostly quiet, most of the Kamikaze were heavily borged, and none of them seemed sociable. Mostly they just hung around, checked their gear.
Or stared into nothing.
Yeah. This was definitely the Psychos of the Tyger Claws.
Dammit Jun. I wasn’t going to let you fall prey to that.
So we ended up settling in, Jun was driving another one of the inconspicuous cars and I was sitting in the back despite no one else in the car.
“Why do I have to sit back here? I called shotgun.” I grumbled at my brother who was starting to stare into nothing as time went by.
So I was using sisterly petulance to distract him.
“Akari makes me drive. Don’t bother her when she gets here.” Jun replied with a tired sigh.
But it was emotion. It wasn’t that coolness that took over his voice at times.
“Finally.” Akari suddenly uttered as she swung the passenger door open and flopped in. The woman looked more like a plastic robot than a human. She was even wearing a mask to hide away what little flesh there was left on her face. All bright red and white plastic, despite knowing it was actually as strong as steel it still made her look fragile. “You’re so slow Jun-kun, making me wait. Well let’s go. Don’t want to piss off Fujimura-Sama anymore than you already have.” She said as she leaned back arms behind her head.
“You are the one that is late, and the one Fujimura-Sama is angry with Akari… Again.” He offered as he started driving out of the garage following a few of the other vehicles. Although once out on the street everyone began driving in different directions.
Sneaky. If everyone had a different route there was less chance of a whole cavalcade being spotted.
“That’s just what you like to believe, Jun.” Akari offered nodding her doll-like head before she turned around in her seat. “How about that? You actually brought your little killer. Fujimura-Sama allowed that?”
“He did. Motoko is allowed to come today. As a test.”
“Hah! She doesn’t have the chrome to join Kamikaze.”
“I’m not really planning on joining. Jun just needs reassurance, I know how to fight.” I cut in. I wanted to make sure these crazy psychos didn’t think I was one of them. That would be terrible if they thought I was as crazy as them!
I was just here to murder people.
“Oh she just needs to reassure her Oniiiii-chaaan.” Akari teased as she looked to Jun. “Despite getting his butt whooped?”
“She did not whoop my butt.” Jun muttered, but I wasn’t going to pick a fight right now.
So I let it pass even as Akari continued teasing Jun.
I looked out the window instead, watching the city go by. My hands slowly opened and closed as I warmed up my joints. I was really looking forward to killing some Strom tonight, ripping them apart, and getting just an ounce of the payment they owed me back.
The drive didn’t take very long. Slowly we pulled into a garage, parking deep into the structure that already had a few of the other Kamikaze’s vehicles parked and empty. I followed Jun as he followed Akari who led us around the structure, Akari was quiet and focused for once, Jun and I followed her lead. Although I wasn’t going cool, I let my footsteps quiet until they practically disappeared.
The parking garage connected to some sort of office building, or maybe they were apartments. It was hard to tell, I felt like the building changed its zoning with every few steps. Eventually we were let into a room on the north side of the building that was on the second floor. There a few of the Kamikaze were preparing. Armoring and fitting weapons into holsters as they prepared.
I followed Jun as he seemed to lead me to the window and point out. I peaked out and there wasn’t much to see, another building right next to us, and a dirty alley below.
“The place down the alleyway is a Strom armory. Hauling loot they collected from raids there. We are here to clear them out and hold the place down long enough for everything to be taken back.” Jun explained to me quietly as I looked down the alley. It was… Well it was an old shop. Whatever it had once been was long gone, the place looked busted up. The Strom probably hadn’t asked to take over the store.
But if that was an armory?
Motoko like.
“Numbers?” I asked and Jun just shrugged which had me puff out a bit of air in irritation. Planning an assault without knowing the numbers they would be facing?
Psychos. Of the non-Cyber variety.
“Doesn’t matter.” Akari said as she walked up her plastic face expressionless as her voice as she looked out the window with her glowing eyes. “We will kill them. That’s our job. Don’t get in our way, little killer.” She said a sinister threat in her voice at the end.
I noticed Jun straightening and moving to stand between us.
How sweet.
But unnecessary. “I won’t.” I offered simply turning back to the window for a second. “We have anyone breaching their security already?”
“We do. Stay out of it. I don’t want a kid getting in my way of the dive.” A voice full of static called out, and one of the Kamikaze, one who I hadn’t seen much of or spoken to yet said. The man was just as borged out as all of them, but he was also I noticed, hooked into a few pieces of tech. It took me a few seconds of scanning to realize.
It was all refrigeration units. The borg had a portable ice bath for when he dived into the net.
“Understood.” I agreed. Everyone was so snappy. But I guess that was just part of working with people one step into Cyber Psychosis.
“We have movement.” Akari called out suddenly and everyone turned towards the window to peek.
Cyberpsycho or not everyone was curious. We all watched a big box truck pull up, drivers window down with a Maelstrom smoking up a storm as he backed up to the front of the store.
“Good timing.” A man's voice called out through the room grabbing everyone's attention. Fujimura the Borg was there.
“Fujimura-Sama.” A few greetings came out from the group, Jun included. But most were quiet, lost in their own little worlds.
“Kamikaze! We strike now before they can unload the truck. Tomaru make sure the driver can’t escape. The rest of you. Strike!” He roared as he charged straight forward making me jerk and jump to the side along with Jun and Akari as he jumped straight through the window we had been looking out of.
A moment later most of the group was gone. Some moving at incredible speeds, others simply bloodthirsty ready to fight.
Jun gave me a single look ensuring I was alright, “Stay behind us.” Before he followed out the window.
Then I was left in the room alone with the netrunner who was probably the furthest from me, if you counted awareness.
“You dicks. We are on the second floor!” I cursed at them as I stuck my head out the now broken window, the sound of gunfire and screams already starting up.
It took me half a second to find a way down and I backed up before leaping out. Parkour made the jump a fearless move. I leapt across to the opposite side of the alley, a fire escape easily grabbed onto and then in a few seconds I was dropping down catching the escape and then dropping to the floor.
Then I was chasing after. The end of the alley faced the shop the Maelstrom had taken, and I could see gunfire and death coming from within.
The driver of the truck slumped over the wheel, a hole through the windshield. I ignored him and instead rushed forward into the now even more broken front window as gunfire came out in sharp notes from within. I slipped inside, feeling cool flow over me. My Kiroshi easily pierced the darkness and gave me sight inside.
The Kamikaze had definitely surprised the Maelstrom, but this place was well defended. A turret was rotating around from the back of the store, the HMG placed inside it having shattered the Kamikaze assault as everyone had jumped into cover.
I sighed this is why you found out the numbers before you rushed in.
Thankfully a moment later as I was running through ways to break the damn thing I was surprised.
Akari disappeared from where she had been zipping forward the HMG firing at her avoided by simply not being where the bullets landed as she surged forward and then her blade cut through the HMG ending its threat.
The Maelstrom cursed at their now destroyed defense as weapons fire burst out towards Akari who was now much slower as she ducked and dodged trying to break line of sight.
The Kamikaze moved in response. Fujimura was first. The massive borg rushed forward smashing through a wall to take two Maelstrom by surprise as he began beating them to a pulp by smashing them together.
Jun was there I noticed, his blade cutting out and leaving blood trails as he passed.
The others were moving as well.
I blinked before I realized it.
They were stealing my XP!
“Fuck.” I cursed as I jumped up Burya quickdrawn in an instant as my baby’s retort echoed through the room. My Kiroshi had a Maelstrom highlighted through a wall. The guy had a nasty looking LMG that he was firing non stop filling the room with lead.
Aiming at Jun.
I fired once. Missed. Then twice. Then again, and again. I was already reloading even as my last round burst a hole through the wall.
My new arms and Recoil Reduction meant I wasn’t even in pain. Sure it almost pushed me back a step with each shot, but Recoil Reduction already taught me exactly how to handle that.
*500 XP Gained.*
I frowned. The one I had targeted through the wall had only been a weakling? I jerked back just in time, catching a Borg rise up with a shotgun pointed at me, breaking the terrible concrete O was hiding behind into powder.
A Burya makes a fair bit of noise. I guess even with Kamikaze rushing in, I had got some attention.
I finished reloading, my eyes already highlighted the gonk that had shot at me, and I was about to shoot when I stopped.
Jun was there, cutting the guy in half. Then again. And again.
Oh. Jun was maaad.
Stupid though. I jumped up and aimed. The Maelstrom gonk that was aiming at my very angry idiot brother. A shot from my Burya ended the threat, even if it wasn’t a great shot. I had been aiming for his chest, and instead hit him in the pelvis he dropped with a cry as his legs stopped working.
Another round into his prone body was all I needed.
*500 XP Gained.*
I looked around for another target, but everyone was dying, or dead. I tsked as I reloaded my Burya slowly as I slipped into the building. Keeping an eye out for any movement as I started checking the dead as I walked up closer and closer to Jun who was glaring furiously at the very dead lump of flesh that was the Maelstrom idiot that shot at me.
“Jun, you with me?” I asked as I stepped closer to him, my Burya still ready to fire in case of any surprises.
“I never left!” He snapped a bit but with a deep breath he swished his blade to clear it of blood and sheathed it.
“Preem.” I offered calmly, no point poking Jun when he was being prickly. My loot senses were immediately active though. I made my way through the area clearing all the corpses and checking in the side rooms and bathrooms just to make sure.
Thankfully the store was clear, while Kamikaze went to work recovering. One of the other borgs, a guy I hadn’t spoken with, that carried around an Ajax, had been hit. A trail of white blood ran down his side.
Looks like would survive but he would need a trip to a ripper.
But I just poked around. The back of the shop was definitely an armory, plenty of weapons and equipment was laying around. My fingers wiggled. One of the first times since I got these new arms I felt fully in tune with my chrome.
They wouldn’t notice if a few pieces went into my pockets… I giggled a little as I reached out to grab a nice looking Nekomata Sniper rifle, something I didn’t have in my arsenal as of yet. When the front door banged open. I jerked away like a kid caught with her hand in a cookie jar as I looked behind me and noticed a lot of Tyger Claw members, saunter in.
I sighed as they instantly went to the gear and started loading everything up into a few trucks that had pulled up. The Maelstrom Truck was already on its way down the street as someone had jumped in, pushed the dead driver out and started it up.
“C’mon Motoko. We are just keeping an eye out while everything is cleared out.” Jun said as he walked up to me, as he noticed me looking around wondering what to do.
“Ah sure sure.” I muttered a little irritated. This wasn’t very fun. Sure I got to flatline two gonks, but I barely got any XP, and it was already over.
Killing the Raffen had been more fun, even if murdering the Maelstrom warmed a little part of me that wanted to genocide the entire group.
“You got two huh?” Akari asked as she suddenly approached her voice still holding that sinister coldness of someone not fully there.
“Only two.” I confirmed, irritated. “I’m not used to working with a group like this, I was a little too slow.” I added grumbling as I berated myself while looking at all the corpses.
So much missed XP!
“Heh, there’s always more.” She offered her voice almost musical despite being electronic. The sense of bloodlust was intense.
“Stop fucking around. Eyes out.” A rolling gravel voice interrupted Akari’s teasing as she stilled and pulled away from me to do just that.
Fujimura. The borg ‘leader’ of Kamikaze was glaring towards me. But well. It wasn’t focused on me. Just in general.
I did as he suggested mostly because I could see how short the guy's fuse was. I followed Jun outside and we took in the empty street. The gunfire had done well to make sure everyone got away.
“Be more careful.” Jun demanded of me a moment after earning a blink as the non-sequitur threw me for a loop.
“I was fine. Nothing even got close to hitting me.”
“You almost got shot.” He retorted instantly his body tense. Anxiety coloring his voice and body, he was practically pacing unable to stop moving. “I don’t want you doing this. You don’t have enough chrome, or enough armor. After this go back to the apartment. And hunker down. We can find something for you to do when I get home. I’m-”
“No.” I cut in immediately turning to look up into his face. He was wearing an Oni mask around his jaw. The sharp hungry grin didn’t intimidate me though. “I already told you Jun. I’m not just gonna sit at home.”
“I don’t want you to just sit at home! But this is dangerous!”
“I know.” I agree. I looked away from Jun trying to keep my irritation at bay. I didn’t want to turn this into a fight. I knew Jun was trying to protect me, trying to be the big brother, the parent really. That he wanted to be.
But right now it was annoying.
I gathered myself back up idly stroking a thumb up along my chromed palm of my other hand. The irritation of everything was hitting me. Making it hard to keep my own cool. I took a breath and activated Cold Blood. Letting my emotions freeze. Letting my mind attack the problem.
I didn’t get far. I turned back to Jun. He was not quite pacing, but obviously trying to figure out something to say to me, but it was the Kamikaze Netrunner whose name I still didn’t know that broke in. Calling all of us instantly.
“Maelstrom assault incoming. We need to move.” The call buzzed in and then ended. Instantly the Tyger Claws started running, quickly grabbing whatever they had on hand and disappearing it into the trucks, as they started driving off.
“Let’s move.” Fujimura called out and instantly the Kamikaze started moving back through the alley.
“Wait, that's it?” I asked Jun as I jogged to keep up with him as he followed.
“Yeah. The Maelstrom assault will be more than we can handle so we fade away. It’s part of the plan. We poke them like this, steal what we can weaken and kill and fade away when they try to retaliate. Now that we have confirmation one of their big forces is coming here to wipe us out, another group will smash another location.” He turned to look at me as we all reached a back door to the apartment complex we had first arrived in.
Fujimura had already smashed the door open. “C’mon we need to leave before the Maelstrom arrive.” Jun said as I started lagging behind.
“No. You go.” I told him an idea forming in my mind. A terrible perfect idea. My smile must have looked quite bloody as I pushed Jun through the door. “Go on Jun. I’ll be okay.” I tell him and I manage two steps before a pair of hands grabbed both of my biceps, pinned my arms to my sides and lifted me up.
“No. We’re leaving.” Jun said with a growl as he quickly hooked me under his arm and jogged back into the building.
“Jun-Nii. You are really killing my murder boner right now.” I told him, purposefully making the situation as uncomfortable as I could in protest. But he ignored me, despite Akari chuckling in her synthetic voice as she followed along. We made it to the car and I allowed Jun to stuff me in the back seat without too much protest as we peeled out, following the last of the Kamikaze vehicles.
“I’m submitting an official complaint.” I told him after he had slowed down and joined normal traffic.
“Denied.” He retorted instantly.
“Murder Blocking me is rude.” I growled at him from the back seat as I pouted. I had wanted to sneak into one of the Maelstrom trucks and let them lead me to their base, then I would murder everyone!
“Know your limits!” He snapped Jun losing his temper as I could hear the steering wheel in his hands creek. “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Are you trying to die?”
“I would have been fine.” I countered with every ounce of irritation leaking out only for Jun to bark out a laugh.
“Next time don’t try to attack a full on Maelstrom Counter hit squad, and I might believe you!”
I didn’t argue again as Jun drove us back.
It’s fine. It just meant I really couldn’t stick with Jun to go murder anyone.
I would just have to go on my own!
----
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(A/N)
Sorry about the wait! Holidays were a little crazy, so I'm glad I took a break. Patreon Is up and running. Again no advanced chapters, or anything, but the poll is up. If you can't, or don't want to support, no pressure!
Thank you all so much for enjoying my stories and helping me improve my writing. I hope everyone had some good holidays!
“Not yet. But soon.” I told him as I flopped onto the couch before facing him.
“You didn’t defeat me.” He grumbled from the door.
“You didn’t defeat me either. The deal was if you beat me I would shut up and stay. Jun… I know what I’m trying to do is dangerous. I know it sounds crazy! I know. But I can do it. I can do this and come home every night. I have the skill.”
“You don’t! You just got out of the hospital! You lost your memory!” Jun practically ranted as he waved his arms above his head.
“I’ve killed more than twenty people. Scavs. Raffen. Maelstrom. Normal and Borgs.” I said practically punching him in the face with what I have done.
“You are my little sister! You don’t have to kill anyone! I will do it for you! Stay here! Where it is safe, I’ll… I’ll put you into a school! I can even do Arasaka Academy! You can go to school with Hiromi where it is safe! Where you don’t have to stain your hands with blood! Where you don’t have to worry about-”
I stood up at his rant and pulled him into a strong hug. Burying my face into his chest as I held him tight.
“I love you too Jun.” I told him, cutting off whatever he was trying to desperately say. Then I pulled away so he could see me. “But I like killing. I’m not going to stop.” I watched as he tried to process that for a moment and as he opened his mouth I reached up and poked his lips. “No. Listen.” I demanded as I stepped away and dragged him to the couch.
I waited until he settled in as I sat on the little table so we could face each other.
“I really like killing, fighting. I like doing jobs. I like sneaking through a Valentino chopshop to steal information. I like going out as a bodyguard for a Nomad who ends up being a pretty cool guy. I liked when we got chased by Raffen. I liked grabbing my HMG and firing it watching big tough Raffen scream in terror as they get turned into a splatter in the desert. I loved that after, when they left me for dead. When I chased them through the desert, and snuck into their camp. I have never had more fun in my life! Then when I was slowly hunting them through their camp. I killed every man in the camp without any of them managing to call for help or even cry out. I loved when I had their leader at my mercy at the end and I stole his car. And then I shot him.”
I was quiet at that, watching as Jun’s eyes had widened massively as I spoke as I revealed just a bit of what I had been up to.
“How?” He finally asked quietly, looking a little shook. “How did you do that? How did you survive? You were never that good with a Katana.”
“I learned.” I answered simply, it was true in a way. “Killing someone is easy. The trick is just surviving long enough that you learn how to do it better. And a bit of luck.” I added with a casual shrug. “I know you worry. I worry about you too… but I can’t stop you from going out there to hunt Maelstrom in revenge. Just like you can’t stop me from doing the same.”
I stared into his face as emotions roiled over him, his fists clenching over and over as he tried to fight back his own instincts.
“Come out with me.” I told him then, cutting off his inner battle with himself. “Let me show you what I can do. That you don’t have to be afraid. I want you to be part of my life Jun-Nii, and I want to be part of yours. But you’ll have to let me go make my own mistakes. Or my own glory.”
“You can die!”
“I can also die walking down the street, or be gunned down in the middle of a gangwar while driving down the freeway. I’m not gonna be safe if I hide Jun. But, at least I can have some safety if I prove I have the ability to kill any gonk stupid enough to try.” I kind of fluttered my legs a bit as I sat on the table wondering what else I could say.
What else could I do to prove to Jun that I was able to walk in the same circles that he did. That just as he had done plenty of raids against Maelstrom, I could do that too.
“Tomorrow night.” He said finally quietly. “Kamikaze are going to hit a few Maelstrom dens, If… I will ask if they will allow you to come. If you… If you prove to me you are capable after… I’ll…”
“Okay.” I told him he didn’t have to finish, he was struggling to let me go, which wasn’t a surprise. Jun was pretty stubborn after all. So instead of any more tense conversations I pulled Jun into a big warm hug.
Seriously gotta get that Real Skinn, Jun. Your arms are very unhuggable right now.
—--
Apparently the one in charge of the Kamikaze approved of me joining them for an outing, although from the way Jun phrased it, it was less that I could come, and more that they simply didn’t care if I died trying.
Jokes on them. I have no intention of dying. Not until I’ve murdered every spider eyed asshole in this city. It was a shame. I liked spiders….
Wait! If I killed all of them, that means I could take their symbol for myself right? “I’ll become the Black Widow… wait I’m already Motoko.” I muttered to myself as I finished loading my Burya.
My lovely perfect Burya that I was never going anywhere without… That thought struck me and I realized I probably needed a shower gun now too… I’m sure I could put a carnage in there. That thing doesn’t care if it gets rusty.
I nodded at that. Shower Shotgun sounds perfect.
Stupid Night city.
I pulled her into my shoulder holster and stretched. It felt good to be back in my gear again. Even if the feel of the Lexington in my back holster wasn’t quite the same as my Unity.
I miss that gun.
At least I still had my knife. I patted my hip where it rested. That thing had kept me alive in the pit. It was nice that one of the borgs in Kamikaze had grabbed it while looting.
“Motoko.”
“Jun-Nii. All set?” I asked as I turned to him, noticing the weird look on his face.
“Oh this is the first time Jun has seen my work clothes huh?” I asked him as I did a little pirouette that would make a ballerina nod at how good it was.
Thank you Athletics.
“What are you wearing? Put a real jacket on and a shirt.” Then without waiting he turns and walks out.
“F-fuckin’ jerk!” I yelled back at him utterly shocked at how instantly he had cut down my cute Motoko cospl-Outfit. My outfit!
I chased after him, and it was only as I entered the main room of the apartment that I caught the slight smirk on his face.
Oh! Jun was being an asshole big brother.
Jerk!
“Idiot!” I yelled at him as I made a move to brush past him.
His arm wrapping me up in a hug pulling me off my feet stopped that. Then with the casualness of a big brother he walked me back to the bedroom and plopped me on the bed.
“I have something for you.” He said after a moment as I glared at him for carrying me around. Just because he had stupid gorilla arms, and I wasn’t heavy enough to stop him!
It wasn’t fair!
“What?” I demanded a little petulantly, which probably didn’t help my case of trying to get Jun to trust me as a professional, but he was being stupid. So there.
“I want you to be safe.” He said simply as he headed into the closet in the bedroom, something I hadn’t messed with.
I honestly didn’t think anything was actually in there.
But there was, in fact. It was an armory.
“Ooh Goodies!” I chirped only to be denied instantly with an outstretched hand.
“My stuff. Don’t touch.” He said in that exact older sibling voice that told me I had probably snuck into his stuff too many times to count.
Yeah that’s fair.
I settled down as he went back in and pulled something out that I perked up at.
“It’s my spare… Please do not ruin it. They are expensive.” He tells me as he pulls out a fucking Katana.
Oooh man. I was gonna weeb these Maelstroms to death… wait that sounds wrong.
I shook that stupid thought out as I stood up and took the Katana Jun was holding out for me. The same military style as the one he had. I popped it out of the sheath just an inch seeing the incredibly sharp blade before nodding. Luckily it had a belt on the sheath, so after a moment I had it wrapped around my hips.
I was starting to have a few too many straps on me, Shoulder holster, rear holster and now sword belt.
It’s fine though.
Cause it looked fuckin badass.
“Thanks Jun.”
“It’s a thermal Katana like you wanted. The button is on the side. Don’t cut off a limb, or burn yourself… Or a building down. Better yet, just don’t use it.” He said moving to take it away which I promptly slapped his hand and then he was mushing his hand into my face and I was kicking at his dumb stupid plastic abs.
We finally broke away a few minutes later after Jun put me in a headlock, which I hip tossed him over my shoulder for daring and the loud thump as he almost crashed into the living room table startled us both.
“Truce.” I demanded, and Jun huffed a quiet laugh before he agreed as we split up and straightened up.
Jun had mussed my hair. The jerk. After a quick stop in the bathroom to reorder my hair we both left the apartment down into the parking garage.
There the rest of Kamikaze were already waiting. Although I noticed they weren’t hanging around their own rides, or vehicles that looked like something the Tyger Claws would drive.
Unmarked vans, and cars were idling waiting.
Luckily we weren’t the last to show up. “Jun. Good, still waiting on a few stragglers.” The borg I had met in the Ripper doc said as Jun approached. This time the man wasn’t heading into a ripper. He was armed and armored up.
The flak jacket he wore was actually open showing off his chest, and holographic neon tattoos. I was pretty sure the jacket was less defense than the obvious subdermal armor meaning it was more for looks than utility.
“Hai. Fujimura-Sama.” Jun offered with a bow. Ah that was the Borg's name. Right, the doctor said that as well.
“The girl will be your responsibility.” He added nodding to me, and Jun simply bowed lower in agreement.
I nodded to Jun. I wasn’t about to cause any problems. We all had Maelstrom to kill.
The wait was mostly quiet, most of the Kamikaze were heavily borged, and none of them seemed sociable. Mostly they just hung around, checked their gear.
Or stared into nothing.
Yeah. This was definitely the Psychos of the Tyger Claws.
Dammit Jun. I wasn’t going to let you fall prey to that.
So we ended up settling in, Jun was driving another one of the inconspicuous cars and I was sitting in the back despite no one else in the car.
“Why do I have to sit back here? I called shotgun.” I grumbled at my brother who was starting to stare into nothing as time went by.
So I was using sisterly petulance to distract him.
“Akari makes me drive. Don’t bother her when she gets here.” Jun replied with a tired sigh.
But it was emotion. It wasn’t that coolness that took over his voice at times.
“Finally.” Akari suddenly uttered as she swung the passenger door open and flopped in. The woman looked more like a plastic robot than a human. She was even wearing a mask to hide away what little flesh there was left on her face. All bright red and white plastic, despite knowing it was actually as strong as steel it still made her look fragile. “You’re so slow Jun-kun, making me wait. Well let’s go. Don’t want to piss off Fujimura-Sama anymore than you already have.” She said as she leaned back arms behind her head.
“You are the one that is late, and the one Fujimura-Sama is angry with Akari… Again.” He offered as he started driving out of the garage following a few of the other vehicles. Although once out on the street everyone began driving in different directions.
Sneaky. If everyone had a different route there was less chance of a whole cavalcade being spotted.
“That’s just what you like to believe, Jun.” Akari offered nodding her doll-like head before she turned around in her seat. “How about that? You actually brought your little killer. Fujimura-Sama allowed that?”
“He did. Motoko is allowed to come today. As a test.”
“Hah! She doesn’t have the chrome to join Kamikaze.”
“I’m not really planning on joining. Jun just needs reassurance, I know how to fight.” I cut in. I wanted to make sure these crazy psychos didn’t think I was one of them. That would be terrible if they thought I was as crazy as them!
I was just here to murder people.
“Oh she just needs to reassure her Oniiiii-chaaan.” Akari teased as she looked to Jun. “Despite getting his butt whooped?”
“She did not whoop my butt.” Jun muttered, but I wasn’t going to pick a fight right now.
So I let it pass even as Akari continued teasing Jun.
I looked out the window instead, watching the city go by. My hands slowly opened and closed as I warmed up my joints. I was really looking forward to killing some Strom tonight, ripping them apart, and getting just an ounce of the payment they owed me back.
The drive didn’t take very long. Slowly we pulled into a garage, parking deep into the structure that already had a few of the other Kamikaze’s vehicles parked and empty. I followed Jun as he followed Akari who led us around the structure, Akari was quiet and focused for once, Jun and I followed her lead. Although I wasn’t going cool, I let my footsteps quiet until they practically disappeared.
The parking garage connected to some sort of office building, or maybe they were apartments. It was hard to tell, I felt like the building changed its zoning with every few steps. Eventually we were let into a room on the north side of the building that was on the second floor. There a few of the Kamikaze were preparing. Armoring and fitting weapons into holsters as they prepared.
I followed Jun as he seemed to lead me to the window and point out. I peaked out and there wasn’t much to see, another building right next to us, and a dirty alley below.
“The place down the alleyway is a Strom armory. Hauling loot they collected from raids there. We are here to clear them out and hold the place down long enough for everything to be taken back.” Jun explained to me quietly as I looked down the alley. It was… Well it was an old shop. Whatever it had once been was long gone, the place looked busted up. The Strom probably hadn’t asked to take over the store.
But if that was an armory?
Motoko like.
“Numbers?” I asked and Jun just shrugged which had me puff out a bit of air in irritation. Planning an assault without knowing the numbers they would be facing?
Psychos. Of the non-Cyber variety.
“Doesn’t matter.” Akari said as she walked up her plastic face expressionless as her voice as she looked out the window with her glowing eyes. “We will kill them. That’s our job. Don’t get in our way, little killer.” She said a sinister threat in her voice at the end.
I noticed Jun straightening and moving to stand between us.
How sweet.
But unnecessary. “I won’t.” I offered simply turning back to the window for a second. “We have anyone breaching their security already?”
“We do. Stay out of it. I don’t want a kid getting in my way of the dive.” A voice full of static called out, and one of the Kamikaze, one who I hadn’t seen much of or spoken to yet said. The man was just as borged out as all of them, but he was also I noticed, hooked into a few pieces of tech. It took me a few seconds of scanning to realize.
It was all refrigeration units. The borg had a portable ice bath for when he dived into the net.
“Understood.” I agreed. Everyone was so snappy. But I guess that was just part of working with people one step into Cyber Psychosis.
“We have movement.” Akari called out suddenly and everyone turned towards the window to peek.
Cyberpsycho or not everyone was curious. We all watched a big box truck pull up, drivers window down with a Maelstrom smoking up a storm as he backed up to the front of the store.
“Good timing.” A man's voice called out through the room grabbing everyone's attention. Fujimura the Borg was there.
“Fujimura-Sama.” A few greetings came out from the group, Jun included. But most were quiet, lost in their own little worlds.
“Kamikaze! We strike now before they can unload the truck. Tomaru make sure the driver can’t escape. The rest of you. Strike!” He roared as he charged straight forward making me jerk and jump to the side along with Jun and Akari as he jumped straight through the window we had been looking out of.
A moment later most of the group was gone. Some moving at incredible speeds, others simply bloodthirsty ready to fight.
Jun gave me a single look ensuring I was alright, “Stay behind us.” Before he followed out the window.
Then I was left in the room alone with the netrunner who was probably the furthest from me, if you counted awareness.
“You dicks. We are on the second floor!” I cursed at them as I stuck my head out the now broken window, the sound of gunfire and screams already starting up.
It took me half a second to find a way down and I backed up before leaping out. Parkour made the jump a fearless move. I leapt across to the opposite side of the alley, a fire escape easily grabbed onto and then in a few seconds I was dropping down catching the escape and then dropping to the floor.
Then I was chasing after. The end of the alley faced the shop the Maelstrom had taken, and I could see gunfire and death coming from within.
The driver of the truck slumped over the wheel, a hole through the windshield. I ignored him and instead rushed forward into the now even more broken front window as gunfire came out in sharp notes from within. I slipped inside, feeling cool flow over me. My Kiroshi easily pierced the darkness and gave me sight inside.
The Kamikaze had definitely surprised the Maelstrom, but this place was well defended. A turret was rotating around from the back of the store, the HMG placed inside it having shattered the Kamikaze assault as everyone had jumped into cover.
I sighed this is why you found out the numbers before you rushed in.
Thankfully a moment later as I was running through ways to break the damn thing I was surprised.
Akari disappeared from where she had been zipping forward the HMG firing at her avoided by simply not being where the bullets landed as she surged forward and then her blade cut through the HMG ending its threat.
The Maelstrom cursed at their now destroyed defense as weapons fire burst out towards Akari who was now much slower as she ducked and dodged trying to break line of sight.
The Kamikaze moved in response. Fujimura was first. The massive borg rushed forward smashing through a wall to take two Maelstrom by surprise as he began beating them to a pulp by smashing them together.
Jun was there I noticed, his blade cutting out and leaving blood trails as he passed.
The others were moving as well.
I blinked before I realized it.
They were stealing my XP!
“Fuck.” I cursed as I jumped up Burya quickdrawn in an instant as my baby’s retort echoed through the room. My Kiroshi had a Maelstrom highlighted through a wall. The guy had a nasty looking LMG that he was firing non stop filling the room with lead.
Aiming at Jun.
I fired once. Missed. Then twice. Then again, and again. I was already reloading even as my last round burst a hole through the wall.
My new arms and Recoil Reduction meant I wasn’t even in pain. Sure it almost pushed me back a step with each shot, but Recoil Reduction already taught me exactly how to handle that.
*500 XP Gained.*
I frowned. The one I had targeted through the wall had only been a weakling? I jerked back just in time, catching a Borg rise up with a shotgun pointed at me, breaking the terrible concrete O was hiding behind into powder.
A Burya makes a fair bit of noise. I guess even with Kamikaze rushing in, I had got some attention.
I finished reloading, my eyes already highlighted the gonk that had shot at me, and I was about to shoot when I stopped.
Jun was there, cutting the guy in half. Then again. And again.
Oh. Jun was maaad.
Stupid though. I jumped up and aimed. The Maelstrom gonk that was aiming at my very angry idiot brother. A shot from my Burya ended the threat, even if it wasn’t a great shot. I had been aiming for his chest, and instead hit him in the pelvis he dropped with a cry as his legs stopped working.
Another round into his prone body was all I needed.
*500 XP Gained.*
I looked around for another target, but everyone was dying, or dead. I tsked as I reloaded my Burya slowly as I slipped into the building. Keeping an eye out for any movement as I started checking the dead as I walked up closer and closer to Jun who was glaring furiously at the very dead lump of flesh that was the Maelstrom idiot that shot at me.
“Jun, you with me?” I asked as I stepped closer to him, my Burya still ready to fire in case of any surprises.
“I never left!” He snapped a bit but with a deep breath he swished his blade to clear it of blood and sheathed it.
“Preem.” I offered calmly, no point poking Jun when he was being prickly. My loot senses were immediately active though. I made my way through the area clearing all the corpses and checking in the side rooms and bathrooms just to make sure.
Thankfully the store was clear, while Kamikaze went to work recovering. One of the other borgs, a guy I hadn’t spoken with, that carried around an Ajax, had been hit. A trail of white blood ran down his side.
Looks like would survive but he would need a trip to a ripper.
But I just poked around. The back of the shop was definitely an armory, plenty of weapons and equipment was laying around. My fingers wiggled. One of the first times since I got these new arms I felt fully in tune with my chrome.
They wouldn’t notice if a few pieces went into my pockets… I giggled a little as I reached out to grab a nice looking Nekomata Sniper rifle, something I didn’t have in my arsenal as of yet. When the front door banged open. I jerked away like a kid caught with her hand in a cookie jar as I looked behind me and noticed a lot of Tyger Claw members, saunter in.
I sighed as they instantly went to the gear and started loading everything up into a few trucks that had pulled up. The Maelstrom Truck was already on its way down the street as someone had jumped in, pushed the dead driver out and started it up.
“C’mon Motoko. We are just keeping an eye out while everything is cleared out.” Jun said as he walked up to me, as he noticed me looking around wondering what to do.
“Ah sure sure.” I muttered a little irritated. This wasn’t very fun. Sure I got to flatline two gonks, but I barely got any XP, and it was already over.
Killing the Raffen had been more fun, even if murdering the Maelstrom warmed a little part of me that wanted to genocide the entire group.
“You got two huh?” Akari asked as she suddenly approached her voice still holding that sinister coldness of someone not fully there.
“Only two.” I confirmed, irritated. “I’m not used to working with a group like this, I was a little too slow.” I added grumbling as I berated myself while looking at all the corpses.
So much missed XP!
“Heh, there’s always more.” She offered her voice almost musical despite being electronic. The sense of bloodlust was intense.
“Stop fucking around. Eyes out.” A rolling gravel voice interrupted Akari’s teasing as she stilled and pulled away from me to do just that.
Fujimura. The borg ‘leader’ of Kamikaze was glaring towards me. But well. It wasn’t focused on me. Just in general.
I did as he suggested mostly because I could see how short the guy's fuse was. I followed Jun outside and we took in the empty street. The gunfire had done well to make sure everyone got away.
“Be more careful.” Jun demanded of me a moment after earning a blink as the non-sequitur threw me for a loop.
“I was fine. Nothing even got close to hitting me.”
“You almost got shot.” He retorted instantly his body tense. Anxiety coloring his voice and body, he was practically pacing unable to stop moving. “I don’t want you doing this. You don’t have enough chrome, or enough armor. After this go back to the apartment. And hunker down. We can find something for you to do when I get home. I’m-”
“No.” I cut in immediately turning to look up into his face. He was wearing an Oni mask around his jaw. The sharp hungry grin didn’t intimidate me though. “I already told you Jun. I’m not just gonna sit at home.”
“I don’t want you to just sit at home! But this is dangerous!”
“I know.” I agree. I looked away from Jun trying to keep my irritation at bay. I didn’t want to turn this into a fight. I knew Jun was trying to protect me, trying to be the big brother, the parent really. That he wanted to be.
But right now it was annoying.
I gathered myself back up idly stroking a thumb up along my chromed palm of my other hand. The irritation of everything was hitting me. Making it hard to keep my own cool. I took a breath and activated Cold Blood. Letting my emotions freeze. Letting my mind attack the problem.
I didn’t get far. I turned back to Jun. He was not quite pacing, but obviously trying to figure out something to say to me, but it was the Kamikaze Netrunner whose name I still didn’t know that broke in. Calling all of us instantly.
“Maelstrom assault incoming. We need to move.” The call buzzed in and then ended. Instantly the Tyger Claws started running, quickly grabbing whatever they had on hand and disappearing it into the trucks, as they started driving off.
“Let’s move.” Fujimura called out and instantly the Kamikaze started moving back through the alley.
“Wait, that's it?” I asked Jun as I jogged to keep up with him as he followed.
“Yeah. The Maelstrom assault will be more than we can handle so we fade away. It’s part of the plan. We poke them like this, steal what we can weaken and kill and fade away when they try to retaliate. Now that we have confirmation one of their big forces is coming here to wipe us out, another group will smash another location.” He turned to look at me as we all reached a back door to the apartment complex we had first arrived in.
Fujimura had already smashed the door open. “C’mon we need to leave before the Maelstrom arrive.” Jun said as I started lagging behind.
“No. You go.” I told him an idea forming in my mind. A terrible perfect idea. My smile must have looked quite bloody as I pushed Jun through the door. “Go on Jun. I’ll be okay.” I tell him and I manage two steps before a pair of hands grabbed both of my biceps, pinned my arms to my sides and lifted me up.
“No. We’re leaving.” Jun said with a growl as he quickly hooked me under his arm and jogged back into the building.
“Jun-Nii. You are really killing my murder boner right now.” I told him, purposefully making the situation as uncomfortable as I could in protest. But he ignored me, despite Akari chuckling in her synthetic voice as she followed along. We made it to the car and I allowed Jun to stuff me in the back seat without too much protest as we peeled out, following the last of the Kamikaze vehicles.
“I’m submitting an official complaint.” I told him after he had slowed down and joined normal traffic.
“Denied.” He retorted instantly.
“Murder Blocking me is rude.” I growled at him from the back seat as I pouted. I had wanted to sneak into one of the Maelstrom trucks and let them lead me to their base, then I would murder everyone!
“Know your limits!” He snapped Jun losing his temper as I could hear the steering wheel in his hands creek. “Are you trying to get yourself killed? Are you trying to die?”
“I would have been fine.” I countered with every ounce of irritation leaking out only for Jun to bark out a laugh.
“Next time don’t try to attack a full on Maelstrom Counter hit squad, and I might believe you!”
I didn’t argue again as Jun drove us back.
It’s fine. It just meant I really couldn’t stick with Jun to go murder anyone.
I would just have to go on my own!
----
----
(A/N)
Sorry about the wait! Holidays were a little crazy, so I'm glad I took a break. Patreon Is up and running. Again no advanced chapters, or anything, but the poll is up. If you can't, or don't want to support, no pressure!
Thank you all so much for enjoying my stories and helping me improve my writing. I hope everyone had some good holidays!
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Blasterbot
Well-known member
can confirm Big Bros will murder block their little sisters.
Chapter 31
Seras
Well-known member
We stopped at the garage and as I grumpily made my way out of the car Jun grabbed me stopping me from stomping off to the apartment.
“Stop being grumpy. You’re like a cat. C’mon, after action meeting.” He told me as he waited for me to stop resisting before I sighed and followed after.
“Fine.” I grump at him, but followed after as we went out the window to the Dojo.
We headed straight downstairs from the side entrance and into the server room, there arrayed around the TV on old couches Kamikaze were waiting as Fujimura stood in front of the TV looming over the gathering.
Unfortunately there was no more space on the couches so Jun and I waited behind, while Akari just slipped into the lap of one of the borgs.
Not that it seemed to be welcome as he grumbled and tried to shove her off only to earn a sharp foot curling up and nearly skewering his throat. The two of them fought for a moment. A bladed foot, and a chromed out hand practically sparking off eachother, before Fujimura growled a low noise that seemed to vibrate the room and cut out the attempted homicide.
“Failure. We took a wound from a basic op. I’m disappointed.” He said and I realized he was basically giving us a score on how well we had all done.
Rude. He was the one in charge. If we failed, it was his fault… If they failed. I wasn’t really a part of this. Why was I even here?
“He’ll live! It was just a 9mm, went under his subdermals. Doc is already checking him out.” Akari called out but was silenced with a look.
“We are the Kamikaze, we shouldn’t be taking wounds from chaff. I expect all of you to receive a session with Ozeki Sensei.” He demanded and all the hardened killers and murders, the somewhat emotionless borgs all groaned.
“Kusanagi! You got distracted. If you can’t keep your focus, put down your mask.” He demanded suddenly singling out… Jun. Thankfully. As he was staring at Jun and not me.
“I will not fail again Fujimura-Sama.”
“Your sister fighting beside you had better not distract you again. Girl. You killed two with that hand cannon of yours. You should have killed at least three.”
“Yeah I know. I’m super annoyed! I only killed two you know? I was gonna stay behind and murder some of their reinforcements too, but Jun pulled me away.”
“A common Maelstrom assault group is more than forty borgs girl.”
“Really?! So many? Aww man… Now I’m really disappointed.” I grumbled as I purposefully turned away from Jun. So much XP! Ruined! Seriously I could have just snuck into their cars while they were distracted, then they would take me back to their headquarters. I would just slowly ghost them one by one, until they were all dead! It would have worked!
I mean sure, so many could make it hard… But I could do it!
The room was silent for a while as I grumbled staring at the wall before Fujimura finally seemed to continue.
“Right. We will have another job tomorrow. Prepare.” He demanded and then stomped out of the room.
“Ack!” I cried out instantly as Jun grabbed the top of my head with his stupid chrome hand.
“You aren’t going to fight forty borgs!” He hissed as he pushed me out of the room back towards the apartment.
Shows what he knows.
—--
I wasn’t tired. Honestly I didn’t even feel the need to sleep, normally I would have just grabbed some tech and started working.
But I wanted blood.
Jun had gone to sleep and I went ahead and napped for an hour. Which is the reason Jun had no idea that I had gotten up afterwards and suited back up.
I left.
I loved Jun cause he was such a dumb older brother, but I wasn’t going to live my life his way. I couldn’t.
So I slipped out of the apartment, out onto the street and then headed a few blocks away to get out from the jammer, and to make sure what I did next wouldn’t lead back to the Dojo.
I called my car.
It was something that still took me by surprise. Self driving cars were still kinda wild. I waited for about ten minutes for my Quadra to turn the corner and stop in front of me, with a beep of its horn letting me know it had arrived.
I slipped into the driver's seat with a grin.
I was only 250 XP away from a level up. My foot touched the gas pedal and I was off. Driving into the city actually feeling alone for the first time in almost a week. I felt free. No Tyger Claws hovering around, no Jun almost smothering me in protectiveness.
I was actually relieved to just be away.
I drove north. Up into Watson. Towards Maelstrom turf. I had no idea where I could find them, but I bet just driving around would find me a few targets to prey upon. The city was in an active war right now.
Unfortunately for the first long while, I didn’t find much. The streets were quiet, broken only by gunshots blocks away that by the time I came anywhere near, I couldn’t find the source.
Annoying to say the least.
I drove around. Only finding the tail ends of skirmishes. I guess even in a gang war there wasn’t constant mass fighting going on.
Shame.
Finally though, action found me. I turned a corner only to come across a road block. Three cars on fire and burning as a squad of Maelstrom gonks hung around them guns out.
I only had a second to react, because the goons were already raising their guns.
Cool dropped over me. Everything became clear.
I hit the accelerator. The fact I turned their little trap immediately back on them is why I didn’t get absolutely destroyed, and why some of them jumped out of the way instead of shooting up my ride.
Not that they didn’t try. A few bullets ricocheted off my Quadra’s armor.
So I accelerated towards the road block, the four sets of spider optics all reacting in different ways.
I flipped the steering wheel at the last second. My Quadra’s back end slipped out at the sudden adjustment, as the car spun.
A loud *Thunk thunk* echoing out from behind me, as my wheels ran over a prone maelstrom gonk who had thought jumping away from where I had been aiming would save him.
Then my driver's door opened with a flip of the handle, and before the car had even come to a complete stop I was stepping out.
Burya already raised and aiming. My Kiroshi kept track of all of them.
The thunderous retort of my handcannon smashed into the first Borg, the fucker that had started shooting at my car with his Lexington in a spray of bullets. I was lucky, despite my Quick draw aim being off, the second of adjustment I had to make as I stepped out of the Quadra let me adjust.
My one bullet did the trick.
I turned to the next one. And again my Burya barked into the night and the screams of Maelstrom being sent straight to their digital gods cut out.
Of course my assault wasn’t perfect. I hadn’t exactly expected a road block ambush. I winced as a round from one of the goons on the other side of the barrier slammed into my chest. His panicked fire wasn’t accurate, but it was unfortunately painful.
The SMG skittered bullets across the pavement as I moved, rushing him. I could feel another round pound into my chest, but I ignored it. Even if it knocked the air out of me, I could still move.
I slid over the back of one of the burning cars and then I was right next to him. His red eyes were unable to widen in terror, but I could see the look on his face.
It warmed my frozen heart for a moment.
Then my Katana blurred a superheated red line through the darkness.
And his arms fell with a splat onto the ground. White blood splashing over my boots.
“Fuuuck!” he screamed, falling to the ground and rolling around after I disarmed him. Instinctually he screamed curses at the pain as I watched on.
I took a moment to catch my breath, each gasp was coming out a little painfully. I checked my side and winced as I pulled out a bullet from the side of my leotard.
At least the armor was working. Still hurt though. Felt like I had gotten punched in the ribs. The armless gonk was still screaming which was annoying though. I walked over and without a word smashed my boot into his side. Katana held point down towards his stupid throat.
His screams turned into, wheezing cries of pain but that was all I needed. “You are only alive because I need something from you. You want to stay alive? Answer my question. Where can I find the Spider Ripper doc?”
The Maelstrom gonk was still whining in pain but he seemed to hear me.
“Fuck you!” He finally said, as he tried to spit at me.
His head rolled away a moment later.
“Should have left two of them alive. That way I can kill one in front of the other and get my answers.” I muttered to myself as I sheathed the Katana.
I like Katana. Katana is good.
I sighed, rubbing my ribs, bullets hurt. Stupid Maelstrom. Looking around at the dead bodies and the burned out wrecks, I realized I should probably do something. Normally I would call the NCPD, but that wasn’t really… a thing right now.
So instead I got looting. Checking the bodies, grabbing weapons and throwing them in the trunk of my Quadra before dragging the bodies off the street. With the Quadra I nudged the burning wrecks out of the road opening it back up.
Satisfied I jumped back into my ride and floored it through the former roadblock.
All the while I smiled. I had leveled up!
*500 XP Gained.*
*500 XP Gained.*
*500 XP Gained.*
*500 XP Gained.*
*Level up achieved!*
*One Stat Point Gained.*
*One Skill Point Gained.*
Level 6! I had also leveled up driving and Handguns!
*Driving skill level up!*
*1 Perk Point Gained.*
*Handguns skill level up!*
*1 Perk Point Gained.*
With my awesome driving attack I had hit Driving 5, and Handguns 5. Two perks!
Both were easy picks.
Since I was driving a high end car I wanted something to make sure I could handle it as best as I could when I needed to really move.
Plus I just thought it was cool.
Drifting: Never spill a drop of Tofu water. You have a prescient knowledge of how to go into, and pull out of a drift.
The second perk was just as easy. Considering I now knew some perks could carry over to other weapons and guns, a perk I had considered okay was now super needed.
Rapid Reload: Never drop a mag, or fumble a reload. Reloading your gun will never slow down your rate of fire.
That would work for all of my guns.
I shook the instincts and muscle memory out of my head for a moment after I picked both back to back.
I was ready to continue my hunt.
Now if only my arms weren’t so… Weird. My eyes wandered to adaptation…
Not yet. I could fight like this, and I didn’t know what adaptation would do. Best to try new things when I am at home safe.
So I simply kept going. This was opening up to be a good night!
—--
This was not a good night fuckers, dented my car!
I had found more Maelstrom.
Or rather they had found me. Again. I think driving a jet black Quadra wasn’t a good idea for stealth.
I had stopped at a light. Driving safe was important after all. When a van full of Maelstrom had turned a corner ahead veering left and right down the road, van doors opened and the gonks cheering and roaring as they smashed cars and anything they could reach with pipes or tire irons.
They were driving on the wrong side of the road aiming straight for me.
I realized it just in time to flip my Quadra into reverse and hit the gas, just managing to turn the car so the van didn’t hit me full on. Instead they scraped past my Quadra before stopping not far away. A bunch of the gonks jumping out brandishing melee weapons, or hand guns.
I growled even as Cool flowed over me. Angry, very angry, but a cold furious rage.
Those fuckers dented my car!
So as the Maelstrom fucks approached, I did something they probably weren’t expecting. I hit the gas straight at them.
They never seemed to expect the aggressive acceleration.
The first Gonk was smashed into my hood, his stupid red eyes looking up at me in horror as I drove him down the street. He was hanging on for dear life trying to stay on as I accelerated much faster than he probably expected.
I drove for a moment longer, long enough for the Maelstroms gunfire behind me to fall silent before I opened my driver's door. Burya peeked out to say hello. The poor gonks face stilled in terror as he came face to face with my hand cannon.
I was really thankful that the Quadra didn’t have a windshield, but instead an armored chassis and a digital screen, because the blood splatter would have taken minutes to get rid of with windshield wipers.
*500 XP Gained.*
I looked back, the other Maelstrom had rushed to their van and were chasing me.
I hummed a little as I hit the accelerator. My hands danced over the steering wheel, as I took a turn in a drift. I looked into my rear view mirror expecting to see them chasing me, Only to realize a problem.
They were fucking slow.
Just that drift, and my acceleration alone meant they were already losing me.
I couldn’t accept that.
These fuckers had tried to kill me! They had scratched and dented my car! I just spent thousand of eddies fixing that! And killing people was my job!
These gonks were so slow. I accelerated again. Drifting into an alley between two parked cars I raced to the next street, and then took a left, and another left.
I slowed down around the next corner. Lights off. Turning down the street and seeing the stupid Maelstrom Van slow rolling past the alley I had raced down. But they realized I had lost them. I grinned as I turned the engine off, and slipped into a parking space. Waiting as I watched the gonks pile out of the van to pick up their poor friend off the road. Eventually they grabbed him and dragged him into the van, a trail of blood running across the blacktop.
Once they all piled in, they started driving off.
I started up my engine keeping the lights off and did the same.
That’s right, you gonks. Lead me to some more XP.
“Stop being grumpy. You’re like a cat. C’mon, after action meeting.” He told me as he waited for me to stop resisting before I sighed and followed after.
“Fine.” I grump at him, but followed after as we went out the window to the Dojo.
We headed straight downstairs from the side entrance and into the server room, there arrayed around the TV on old couches Kamikaze were waiting as Fujimura stood in front of the TV looming over the gathering.
Unfortunately there was no more space on the couches so Jun and I waited behind, while Akari just slipped into the lap of one of the borgs.
Not that it seemed to be welcome as he grumbled and tried to shove her off only to earn a sharp foot curling up and nearly skewering his throat. The two of them fought for a moment. A bladed foot, and a chromed out hand practically sparking off eachother, before Fujimura growled a low noise that seemed to vibrate the room and cut out the attempted homicide.
“Failure. We took a wound from a basic op. I’m disappointed.” He said and I realized he was basically giving us a score on how well we had all done.
Rude. He was the one in charge. If we failed, it was his fault… If they failed. I wasn’t really a part of this. Why was I even here?
“He’ll live! It was just a 9mm, went under his subdermals. Doc is already checking him out.” Akari called out but was silenced with a look.
“We are the Kamikaze, we shouldn’t be taking wounds from chaff. I expect all of you to receive a session with Ozeki Sensei.” He demanded and all the hardened killers and murders, the somewhat emotionless borgs all groaned.
“Kusanagi! You got distracted. If you can’t keep your focus, put down your mask.” He demanded suddenly singling out… Jun. Thankfully. As he was staring at Jun and not me.
“I will not fail again Fujimura-Sama.”
“Your sister fighting beside you had better not distract you again. Girl. You killed two with that hand cannon of yours. You should have killed at least three.”
“Yeah I know. I’m super annoyed! I only killed two you know? I was gonna stay behind and murder some of their reinforcements too, but Jun pulled me away.”
“A common Maelstrom assault group is more than forty borgs girl.”
“Really?! So many? Aww man… Now I’m really disappointed.” I grumbled as I purposefully turned away from Jun. So much XP! Ruined! Seriously I could have just snuck into their cars while they were distracted, then they would take me back to their headquarters. I would just slowly ghost them one by one, until they were all dead! It would have worked!
I mean sure, so many could make it hard… But I could do it!
The room was silent for a while as I grumbled staring at the wall before Fujimura finally seemed to continue.
“Right. We will have another job tomorrow. Prepare.” He demanded and then stomped out of the room.
“Ack!” I cried out instantly as Jun grabbed the top of my head with his stupid chrome hand.
“You aren’t going to fight forty borgs!” He hissed as he pushed me out of the room back towards the apartment.
Shows what he knows.
—--
I wasn’t tired. Honestly I didn’t even feel the need to sleep, normally I would have just grabbed some tech and started working.
But I wanted blood.
Jun had gone to sleep and I went ahead and napped for an hour. Which is the reason Jun had no idea that I had gotten up afterwards and suited back up.
I left.
I loved Jun cause he was such a dumb older brother, but I wasn’t going to live my life his way. I couldn’t.
So I slipped out of the apartment, out onto the street and then headed a few blocks away to get out from the jammer, and to make sure what I did next wouldn’t lead back to the Dojo.
I called my car.
It was something that still took me by surprise. Self driving cars were still kinda wild. I waited for about ten minutes for my Quadra to turn the corner and stop in front of me, with a beep of its horn letting me know it had arrived.
I slipped into the driver's seat with a grin.
I was only 250 XP away from a level up. My foot touched the gas pedal and I was off. Driving into the city actually feeling alone for the first time in almost a week. I felt free. No Tyger Claws hovering around, no Jun almost smothering me in protectiveness.
I was actually relieved to just be away.
I drove north. Up into Watson. Towards Maelstrom turf. I had no idea where I could find them, but I bet just driving around would find me a few targets to prey upon. The city was in an active war right now.
Unfortunately for the first long while, I didn’t find much. The streets were quiet, broken only by gunshots blocks away that by the time I came anywhere near, I couldn’t find the source.
Annoying to say the least.
I drove around. Only finding the tail ends of skirmishes. I guess even in a gang war there wasn’t constant mass fighting going on.
Shame.
Finally though, action found me. I turned a corner only to come across a road block. Three cars on fire and burning as a squad of Maelstrom gonks hung around them guns out.
I only had a second to react, because the goons were already raising their guns.
Cool dropped over me. Everything became clear.
I hit the accelerator. The fact I turned their little trap immediately back on them is why I didn’t get absolutely destroyed, and why some of them jumped out of the way instead of shooting up my ride.
Not that they didn’t try. A few bullets ricocheted off my Quadra’s armor.
So I accelerated towards the road block, the four sets of spider optics all reacting in different ways.
I flipped the steering wheel at the last second. My Quadra’s back end slipped out at the sudden adjustment, as the car spun.
A loud *Thunk thunk* echoing out from behind me, as my wheels ran over a prone maelstrom gonk who had thought jumping away from where I had been aiming would save him.
Then my driver's door opened with a flip of the handle, and before the car had even come to a complete stop I was stepping out.
Burya already raised and aiming. My Kiroshi kept track of all of them.
The thunderous retort of my handcannon smashed into the first Borg, the fucker that had started shooting at my car with his Lexington in a spray of bullets. I was lucky, despite my Quick draw aim being off, the second of adjustment I had to make as I stepped out of the Quadra let me adjust.
My one bullet did the trick.
I turned to the next one. And again my Burya barked into the night and the screams of Maelstrom being sent straight to their digital gods cut out.
Of course my assault wasn’t perfect. I hadn’t exactly expected a road block ambush. I winced as a round from one of the goons on the other side of the barrier slammed into my chest. His panicked fire wasn’t accurate, but it was unfortunately painful.
The SMG skittered bullets across the pavement as I moved, rushing him. I could feel another round pound into my chest, but I ignored it. Even if it knocked the air out of me, I could still move.
I slid over the back of one of the burning cars and then I was right next to him. His red eyes were unable to widen in terror, but I could see the look on his face.
It warmed my frozen heart for a moment.
Then my Katana blurred a superheated red line through the darkness.
And his arms fell with a splat onto the ground. White blood splashing over my boots.
“Fuuuck!” he screamed, falling to the ground and rolling around after I disarmed him. Instinctually he screamed curses at the pain as I watched on.
I took a moment to catch my breath, each gasp was coming out a little painfully. I checked my side and winced as I pulled out a bullet from the side of my leotard.
At least the armor was working. Still hurt though. Felt like I had gotten punched in the ribs. The armless gonk was still screaming which was annoying though. I walked over and without a word smashed my boot into his side. Katana held point down towards his stupid throat.
His screams turned into, wheezing cries of pain but that was all I needed. “You are only alive because I need something from you. You want to stay alive? Answer my question. Where can I find the Spider Ripper doc?”
The Maelstrom gonk was still whining in pain but he seemed to hear me.
“Fuck you!” He finally said, as he tried to spit at me.
His head rolled away a moment later.
“Should have left two of them alive. That way I can kill one in front of the other and get my answers.” I muttered to myself as I sheathed the Katana.
I like Katana. Katana is good.
I sighed, rubbing my ribs, bullets hurt. Stupid Maelstrom. Looking around at the dead bodies and the burned out wrecks, I realized I should probably do something. Normally I would call the NCPD, but that wasn’t really… a thing right now.
So instead I got looting. Checking the bodies, grabbing weapons and throwing them in the trunk of my Quadra before dragging the bodies off the street. With the Quadra I nudged the burning wrecks out of the road opening it back up.
Satisfied I jumped back into my ride and floored it through the former roadblock.
All the while I smiled. I had leveled up!
*500 XP Gained.*
*500 XP Gained.*
*500 XP Gained.*
*500 XP Gained.*
*Level up achieved!*
*One Stat Point Gained.*
*One Skill Point Gained.*
Level 6! I had also leveled up driving and Handguns!
*Driving skill level up!*
*1 Perk Point Gained.*
*Handguns skill level up!*
*1 Perk Point Gained.*
With my awesome driving attack I had hit Driving 5, and Handguns 5. Two perks!
Both were easy picks.
Since I was driving a high end car I wanted something to make sure I could handle it as best as I could when I needed to really move.
Plus I just thought it was cool.
Drifting: Never spill a drop of Tofu water. You have a prescient knowledge of how to go into, and pull out of a drift.
The second perk was just as easy. Considering I now knew some perks could carry over to other weapons and guns, a perk I had considered okay was now super needed.
Rapid Reload: Never drop a mag, or fumble a reload. Reloading your gun will never slow down your rate of fire.
That would work for all of my guns.
I shook the instincts and muscle memory out of my head for a moment after I picked both back to back.
I was ready to continue my hunt.
Now if only my arms weren’t so… Weird. My eyes wandered to adaptation…
Not yet. I could fight like this, and I didn’t know what adaptation would do. Best to try new things when I am at home safe.
So I simply kept going. This was opening up to be a good night!
—--
This was not a good night fuckers, dented my car!
I had found more Maelstrom.
Or rather they had found me. Again. I think driving a jet black Quadra wasn’t a good idea for stealth.
I had stopped at a light. Driving safe was important after all. When a van full of Maelstrom had turned a corner ahead veering left and right down the road, van doors opened and the gonks cheering and roaring as they smashed cars and anything they could reach with pipes or tire irons.
They were driving on the wrong side of the road aiming straight for me.
I realized it just in time to flip my Quadra into reverse and hit the gas, just managing to turn the car so the van didn’t hit me full on. Instead they scraped past my Quadra before stopping not far away. A bunch of the gonks jumping out brandishing melee weapons, or hand guns.
I growled even as Cool flowed over me. Angry, very angry, but a cold furious rage.
Those fuckers dented my car!
So as the Maelstrom fucks approached, I did something they probably weren’t expecting. I hit the gas straight at them.
They never seemed to expect the aggressive acceleration.
The first Gonk was smashed into my hood, his stupid red eyes looking up at me in horror as I drove him down the street. He was hanging on for dear life trying to stay on as I accelerated much faster than he probably expected.
I drove for a moment longer, long enough for the Maelstroms gunfire behind me to fall silent before I opened my driver's door. Burya peeked out to say hello. The poor gonks face stilled in terror as he came face to face with my hand cannon.
I was really thankful that the Quadra didn’t have a windshield, but instead an armored chassis and a digital screen, because the blood splatter would have taken minutes to get rid of with windshield wipers.
*500 XP Gained.*
I looked back, the other Maelstrom had rushed to their van and were chasing me.
I hummed a little as I hit the accelerator. My hands danced over the steering wheel, as I took a turn in a drift. I looked into my rear view mirror expecting to see them chasing me, Only to realize a problem.
They were fucking slow.
Just that drift, and my acceleration alone meant they were already losing me.
I couldn’t accept that.
These fuckers had tried to kill me! They had scratched and dented my car! I just spent thousand of eddies fixing that! And killing people was my job!
These gonks were so slow. I accelerated again. Drifting into an alley between two parked cars I raced to the next street, and then took a left, and another left.
I slowed down around the next corner. Lights off. Turning down the street and seeing the stupid Maelstrom Van slow rolling past the alley I had raced down. But they realized I had lost them. I grinned as I turned the engine off, and slipped into a parking space. Waiting as I watched the gonks pile out of the van to pick up their poor friend off the road. Eventually they grabbed him and dragged him into the van, a trail of blood running across the blacktop.
Once they all piled in, they started driving off.
I started up my engine keeping the lights off and did the same.
That’s right, you gonks. Lead me to some more XP.
Blasterbot
Well-known member
Murder or preemptive self defense? not sure yet...
posh-goofiness
Well-known member
The aftermath of this rampage will be glorious. If she pulls this off, will the gang war just... stop... without the ripper to put their members back together?
Bear Ribs
Well-known member
More likely it puts them in a death spiral. Unless they find a replacement ripper, each injury hits them harder and reduces their manpower faster than their enemies. This means in the next fight, they have fewer numbers and more battered borgs to deploy which will take even more damage. A few fights like that and they'll be completely on the defensive and either surrender or get starved out.
Chapter 32
Seras
Well-known member
Did you know following someone is actually a lot harder than you might think?
Get too far away and they could turn a corner and I might lose sight of them, stay too close and they might notice the rumble of my engine behind them. I got really lucky. I didn’t have any specific skill set helping here, but Driving and Ninjutsu came together to make sure I managed to keep on them through the streets of Night City.
All the way to their little lot, tucked away between industrial parks. I made sure to park and disappear as I watched them turn in, wait for the gate to open and then finish driving inside.
“Perfect.” I practically growled hands reflexively clenching at the slaughter that I was now eagerly looking forward to. I reached over to the bag of guns that was still sitting on my passenger seat and opened it up, only to frown.
All of it looked nice, sure, but I still learned my lesson from the Kamikaze. If I went in loud I might not walk out.
I took a deep breath and patted my poor Carnage and Tactician, I kept collecting shotguns, and not really using them.
I would have to figure out something to do with them soon.
But instead I secured the Katana on my hip once more, and made sure my Burya was loaded and ready, with plenty of ammo in my thigh pockets, along with my medical pouches.
Then I disappeared into the night. The entire area was poorly lit, old industrial parks and massive empty structures. I dashed down the sidewalk, my feet not making a single noise as I crept up to the gate the van had disappeared into. Peaking my head inside, I instantly jerked back.
The gate led to a small lot area with two buildings on each side, the one to the left was unconnected to the main structure, looking more like an office attachment. Then there was the main structure, which had a rolling garage door that was closing. There were guards, but like I expected the Maelstrom weren’t so much looking around as just lazing around the area. One was on the ground floor, back against the office building sitting in a broken old lawn chair, a little TV on a stand in front of him that he was watching.
But there were cameras. And I had noticed someone standing on top of the garage as well, turning and walking away from the courtyard. Probably having checked on the Van coming in before disappearing back over the roof..
I peeked twice more, thankfully the streets weren’t well lit out here, so I was able to scope out a few of the cameras. A quick scan using my Kiroshi told me everything I needed to know.
They were definitely connected to a secure system.
If I tried to breach them they would definitely signal an intrusion because even with a glance I could see they were more secure than I would normally attribute to Maelstrom. Luckily Ping was still safe to use. My eyes flashed as I peeked out and Pinged the camera hanging over the actual entrance door to the garage.
A moment later the Quick Hack went through and My vision even through the wall suddenly had a golden line showing me where to go.
I still loved seeing the wi-fi connections between all the systems. Although this time I was impressed. They definitely had an actual netrunner running things, because my Ping, only had a single connection point.
According to all the knowledge I had gained on Netrunning, that meant the system was secured. Each Camera might have a single hub system, but each spoke was cut off meaning I couldn’t just see every camera or security system on the system. I would have to breach the hub to be able to do that.
Unfortunately the line led inside, which means I would have to sneak in with the cameras still active and take it out and the Netrunner without sounding an alarm.
I pulled up my stat screen for a moment. I did have a stat and skill point…
It was just one more point… I could always start saving for the adaptation right after… Plus I might even get enough kills…
My finger aimed to hit the button, even if it was all virtual but I did like the feeling of actually pushing the buttons, but I stalled.
No. I could do this. I needed to experiment with Adaptation when I got home. The foreign feeling of my new arms made this an absolute priority.
Even if it would put my Cool all the way to nine… Such a big number…
I shook it away. I could still level Ninjutsu without spending a point right now.
Time to work for it. So I shook the idea out of my head and decided to find a way in. There wasn’t anything on this side of the gate, so I backed up a bit and did a fun little acrobatic somersault. I tumbled forward and then back to my feet on the other side of the gate. So fast and in the dark I knew the gonk watching TV couldn’t have seen me.
I smiled as I got an athletics alert, but I immediately started moving silently again. Time to sneak through this Maelstrom base.
I paced around the outside of the lot. The concrete wall surrounding the place was topped by barbed wire but after searching around I found an alley on the back side that had another gate leading from it, and from here, I was in even greater shadow. With it I could scope out the layout including keeping an eye for the guy on the roof.
After a minute of peeking and checking out the layout, I realized I was gonna have to kill the guy on the roof If I was going to get in. He had moved away from the edge, but with a bit of effort and pulling myself up on the concrete wall carefully avoiding the wire and peeking over I had spotted him.
He was camped in a little structure they had set up on the roof. I could faintly hear a TV going from up there as well, so both guards were distracted.
The easiest way to get up there was from the concrete wall which only had a small gap to the roof, but the barbed wire was in the way. I couldn’t exactly walk through that, it would slice me to ribbons… Or just knock me down like it did in the game…
No wait. This wasn’t a game! I rolled my eyes because bonking my head might make noise, and it would definitely be motion which was anathema to stealth. Stillness is sightless. I slipped past the rear gate towards the back corner of the property. The darkest quietest section.
It was also well hidden from any of the cameras.
With a grin I pulled out my Katana. The blazing hot edge glowing in the darkness.
I held it up and slowly cut through the razor wire. The heat slowly melted through the strand, and after a minute I had sliced two cuts into the wire. Then came the hard part, slowly before the wire could fall and make a racket I turned off the heat blade and used the sword to slowly gather up the small section of the wire I had cut, then mostly thanks to the strength in my new arms I lifted it off the wall and slowly let it fall to the ground outside the complex.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I was done, sheathing my Katana and stretching my back because that had been pretty rough on my shoulder muscles. The tension in between my shoulder blades felt horrible. I roled my shoulders, but that didn’t do anything, not like it used to, they weren’t even attached to the muscles in the same way. The tension simply sat there like a rock.
I could feel my fingers practically twitching as I felt muscles try to contract and shift try to adjust against unyielding chrome.
I shook it away, deep breath in and out. I now had a way in. Focus on the mission.
I quickly jumped the fence, Parkour making the whole thing childs play as I then basically stepped onto the roof of the garage. My trusty knife was pulled free as I lowered myself to the ground and almost crawled up to the little hidden structure.
It was a couple pieces of garbage nailed together resting on an AC unit. The whole thing was just wide enough for him to sit inside on a chair with a little TV and a table.
Luckily he was distracted by the TV. I scanned him first, making sure he wasn’t protected with Subdermal armor.
I was starting to hate running into cheaters who used subdermal armor!
He wasn’t. At least not everywhere. Knife went in and out, and his TV got sprayed with arterial blood but it was quiet. I made sure he slumped over in his chair. No one would ever notice.
*750 XP Gained.*
I blinked. That was weird, I almost never got that XP. It was usually only 500, or 1000. Why was this guy an odd number? Maybe it was the partial armor? He would be tougher than a normal gonk on the street, even if his subdermal wasn’t a full covering.
But as I started looking around I noticed it.
“Ah.” I whispered breathlessly. I reached out and took the rifle that was resting against the ‘door’ of the hide.
A Nekomata! The moment I touched her I knew she was loaded and ready, practically purring to be used. I had missed my opportunity earlier, but not again! But I shook my head. Too loud.
“Next time.” I whispered silently against her barrel as I held a toy that I was going to have so much fun with. A sniper rifle!
Oh man I was gonna get so many head shots!
But that was later. I set the Nekomata down where I could collect it later and started exploring. This guy wouldn’t be up here without a way down, and I found it. There was a door on the roof, that was a staircase access.
It was unlocked and I slipped in.
The noise inside was louder, heavy metal that the Maelstrom were rocking out to, and the general noise of people. I slipped down the stairway slowly. Making sure to check every corner. I had to be very very careful of cameras.
The stairs led to a second floor room that was overlooking the garage area, where most of the gonks were hanging around. I could hear a few curses, and raised voices from there. But that wasn’t my goal. I was following the golden light.
The first room I came to was a break room. Couches around an entertainment station, food and drinks, an old microwave.
Everything a gang would need to keep their people going. It wasn’t empty. A Maelstrom gonk was grumbling as he ripped apart some food packaging to put in the microwave.
I checked for cameras and since it was clear I moved in. This guy had better Subdermals. At least he did around his neck.
There was a serious problem with borgs. You never knew if they had a second heart or something.
Thankfully I had a way around it. My katana was drawn without a noise. The thermal blade heated up instantly to a withering temperature. As I approached something alerted him whether the heat from the blade, a noise, or a flickering of something out of the corner of his optics.
Hell it could have been a reflection in the shiny microwave.
It didn’t save him though. He started turning as my Katana flashed, cutting and burning through his armored neck. It was hard, tough, his Subdermal trying to stall out my blade, but it was kind of hard to scream when your throat was being burned away.
I jerked the blade free and he slumped to the ground, head not quite unattached, but definitely dead.
*1000 XP Gained.*
Oh yeah. That’s the good stuff.
I sheathed my Katana, asI hauled him up as best I could, grunting a bit at the weight as I pulled him into a dark corner.
Then I stood up, and continued on following that golden line. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as I slipped through the shadows. I was… happy. Thrilled, excited and every positive emotion I could imagine. There was probably something wrong with that, but I didn’t care!
I guess I had been honest with Jun.
I really did love killing.
I walked out onto a catwalk overlooking the garage, and I could see them hauling the dead Maelstrom from the Van and into a small room in the back. I couldn’t quite make out what everyone was saying, the music was too loud.
I would have to do something about that, maybe a cyberware to let me make out sound better? That actually could be useful. I made a note for myself before continuing across the catwalk not a single noise was made as I stepped onto the metal grate floors. I traveled across the entire building, following the golden light. To a small room in the upper corner of the building.
I licked my lips as I got closer and closer to my target. Pressing myself up against the wall next to the see-through armored door that was so popular in Night City, I peeked in, only to still.
Empty. Whatever Netrunner ran the security here wasn’t in.
I pouted, I had been looking forward to that kill. I kind of wanted to steal some Netrunning gear.
I slipped into the room without any trouble, and looked around the array of computers. With a few minutes of work I was breaching into the security system. The cameras all turned off, while I uploaded my Daemon.
I could practically see the Daemon slipping into the network back hacking to every member of Maelstrom that was hooked into the security. Their visuals of me would distort and disappear.
I pulled out the jack from the computer rig, and had just clicked it back into my neck when I felt it.
Danger sense!
I moved, flattening myself against the wall next to the door, as the glass door opened, and a Maelstrom gonk walked in, wearing a netrunning suit.
I hadn’t seen him before, where had he been? In the small room they had taken the dead gonk from before?
It didn’t matter. I wasn’t exactly hidden from where I stood and he would see me as soon as he sat at the computer.
So I never gave him the chance. I reached out, both of my armored hands grabbing a different side of his head before I jerked.
The echoing snap of his neck shattering from the force broke the silence and I simply held his body for a moment as he twitched and shivered in his death throes.
*1000 XP Gained.*
Okay that made this easier. I also smiled at the ninjutsu alerts I was getting for the stealth kills.
I let him flop onto the ground as I stretched my back. Holding someone up by his head was hard even with Cyber arms. I walked back over to the system, and brought up the security cams.
I started scanning and counting, getting the numbers of the Strom in their little hideout, looking for the actual dangerous ones.
Marking everything I could see with the cameras, I shut them back down and slipped back out of the room.
The first Maelstrom didn’t even see me, he was looking through a tool box, digging through it as he struggled to find the tool he needed. When I dropped down from above Katana blazing the force sliced completely through his neck.
His head fell into the tool box as I pushed his body to fall away from the stuff. The noise of his body falling was completely covered up by the heavy music filling the garage.
*500 XP Gained.*
I slipped away, already heading towards the next target. A woman this time. She was in the cab of a truck that had the hood up. Another Strom working on the inside of the cab. I could hear him call out from time to time to tell her to give it some gas or test something.
With the cab door open it was a cake walk. I slipped in my knife glinting for just a moment as I ripped her throat apart pushing her to fall into the passenger seat as she bled out with quiet gasps not loud enough to be heard over the music.
*500 XP Gained.*
With her gone the guy working on the engine was next. I slipped back out and around and while his face was stuck inside the hood he got to feel a knife ripping open his throat as well. I left him there, leaking blood into the engine.
*500 XP Gained.*
Unfortunately as good as I was, I wasn’t perfect.
“FUCK!” A voice roared out and I jerked back. The Strom I had head chopped had been found.
I grumbled, stupid NPC’s! Don’t you know you are supposed to stay put? I had completely missed one! So I rushed him.
“CARL IS DEAD! FUCK WE GO-” His cry was cut off as I leapt at him, knife sinking into his throat as I twisted around him for a moment, using the centrifugal force to rip the knife right back out. He fell like I had cut his strings.
*500 XP Gained.*
*Level up achieved!*
*One Stat Point Gained.*
*One Skill Point Gained.*
I grinned despite being caught as a few Maelstrom rushed from whatever they were doing to check out what the yelling was about.
They found me there. Already moving, knife dripping with blood as I raced through the mess of vehicles and parts aiming for one thing in particular. I dodged through instinctive bullets that were arcing closer and closer to me. But I made it.
I hit the light switch and then slashed it with my Katana.
Darkness instantly smothering the entire garage beside a few electronic lights still active, radios and such.
But with darkness came a moment, where they would lose sight of me. Their optics having to react to the change in lighting, I continued running, ignoring the gun fire that splattered where I had been.
Plus I grinned, my Daemon was working through their network. I wonder what they were thinking? When despite being able to see in the dark with their stupid optics, I seemed to disappear into the shadows?
Get too far away and they could turn a corner and I might lose sight of them, stay too close and they might notice the rumble of my engine behind them. I got really lucky. I didn’t have any specific skill set helping here, but Driving and Ninjutsu came together to make sure I managed to keep on them through the streets of Night City.
All the way to their little lot, tucked away between industrial parks. I made sure to park and disappear as I watched them turn in, wait for the gate to open and then finish driving inside.
“Perfect.” I practically growled hands reflexively clenching at the slaughter that I was now eagerly looking forward to. I reached over to the bag of guns that was still sitting on my passenger seat and opened it up, only to frown.
All of it looked nice, sure, but I still learned my lesson from the Kamikaze. If I went in loud I might not walk out.
I took a deep breath and patted my poor Carnage and Tactician, I kept collecting shotguns, and not really using them.
I would have to figure out something to do with them soon.
But instead I secured the Katana on my hip once more, and made sure my Burya was loaded and ready, with plenty of ammo in my thigh pockets, along with my medical pouches.
Then I disappeared into the night. The entire area was poorly lit, old industrial parks and massive empty structures. I dashed down the sidewalk, my feet not making a single noise as I crept up to the gate the van had disappeared into. Peaking my head inside, I instantly jerked back.
The gate led to a small lot area with two buildings on each side, the one to the left was unconnected to the main structure, looking more like an office attachment. Then there was the main structure, which had a rolling garage door that was closing. There were guards, but like I expected the Maelstrom weren’t so much looking around as just lazing around the area. One was on the ground floor, back against the office building sitting in a broken old lawn chair, a little TV on a stand in front of him that he was watching.
But there were cameras. And I had noticed someone standing on top of the garage as well, turning and walking away from the courtyard. Probably having checked on the Van coming in before disappearing back over the roof..
I peeked twice more, thankfully the streets weren’t well lit out here, so I was able to scope out a few of the cameras. A quick scan using my Kiroshi told me everything I needed to know.
They were definitely connected to a secure system.
If I tried to breach them they would definitely signal an intrusion because even with a glance I could see they were more secure than I would normally attribute to Maelstrom. Luckily Ping was still safe to use. My eyes flashed as I peeked out and Pinged the camera hanging over the actual entrance door to the garage.
A moment later the Quick Hack went through and My vision even through the wall suddenly had a golden line showing me where to go.
I still loved seeing the wi-fi connections between all the systems. Although this time I was impressed. They definitely had an actual netrunner running things, because my Ping, only had a single connection point.
According to all the knowledge I had gained on Netrunning, that meant the system was secured. Each Camera might have a single hub system, but each spoke was cut off meaning I couldn’t just see every camera or security system on the system. I would have to breach the hub to be able to do that.
Unfortunately the line led inside, which means I would have to sneak in with the cameras still active and take it out and the Netrunner without sounding an alarm.
I pulled up my stat screen for a moment. I did have a stat and skill point…
It was just one more point… I could always start saving for the adaptation right after… Plus I might even get enough kills…
My finger aimed to hit the button, even if it was all virtual but I did like the feeling of actually pushing the buttons, but I stalled.
No. I could do this. I needed to experiment with Adaptation when I got home. The foreign feeling of my new arms made this an absolute priority.
Even if it would put my Cool all the way to nine… Such a big number…
I shook it away. I could still level Ninjutsu without spending a point right now.
Time to work for it. So I shook the idea out of my head and decided to find a way in. There wasn’t anything on this side of the gate, so I backed up a bit and did a fun little acrobatic somersault. I tumbled forward and then back to my feet on the other side of the gate. So fast and in the dark I knew the gonk watching TV couldn’t have seen me.
I smiled as I got an athletics alert, but I immediately started moving silently again. Time to sneak through this Maelstrom base.
I paced around the outside of the lot. The concrete wall surrounding the place was topped by barbed wire but after searching around I found an alley on the back side that had another gate leading from it, and from here, I was in even greater shadow. With it I could scope out the layout including keeping an eye for the guy on the roof.
After a minute of peeking and checking out the layout, I realized I was gonna have to kill the guy on the roof If I was going to get in. He had moved away from the edge, but with a bit of effort and pulling myself up on the concrete wall carefully avoiding the wire and peeking over I had spotted him.
He was camped in a little structure they had set up on the roof. I could faintly hear a TV going from up there as well, so both guards were distracted.
The easiest way to get up there was from the concrete wall which only had a small gap to the roof, but the barbed wire was in the way. I couldn’t exactly walk through that, it would slice me to ribbons… Or just knock me down like it did in the game…
No wait. This wasn’t a game! I rolled my eyes because bonking my head might make noise, and it would definitely be motion which was anathema to stealth. Stillness is sightless. I slipped past the rear gate towards the back corner of the property. The darkest quietest section.
It was also well hidden from any of the cameras.
With a grin I pulled out my Katana. The blazing hot edge glowing in the darkness.
I held it up and slowly cut through the razor wire. The heat slowly melted through the strand, and after a minute I had sliced two cuts into the wire. Then came the hard part, slowly before the wire could fall and make a racket I turned off the heat blade and used the sword to slowly gather up the small section of the wire I had cut, then mostly thanks to the strength in my new arms I lifted it off the wall and slowly let it fall to the ground outside the complex.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I was done, sheathing my Katana and stretching my back because that had been pretty rough on my shoulder muscles. The tension in between my shoulder blades felt horrible. I roled my shoulders, but that didn’t do anything, not like it used to, they weren’t even attached to the muscles in the same way. The tension simply sat there like a rock.
I could feel my fingers practically twitching as I felt muscles try to contract and shift try to adjust against unyielding chrome.
I shook it away, deep breath in and out. I now had a way in. Focus on the mission.
I quickly jumped the fence, Parkour making the whole thing childs play as I then basically stepped onto the roof of the garage. My trusty knife was pulled free as I lowered myself to the ground and almost crawled up to the little hidden structure.
It was a couple pieces of garbage nailed together resting on an AC unit. The whole thing was just wide enough for him to sit inside on a chair with a little TV and a table.
Luckily he was distracted by the TV. I scanned him first, making sure he wasn’t protected with Subdermal armor.
I was starting to hate running into cheaters who used subdermal armor!
He wasn’t. At least not everywhere. Knife went in and out, and his TV got sprayed with arterial blood but it was quiet. I made sure he slumped over in his chair. No one would ever notice.
*750 XP Gained.*
I blinked. That was weird, I almost never got that XP. It was usually only 500, or 1000. Why was this guy an odd number? Maybe it was the partial armor? He would be tougher than a normal gonk on the street, even if his subdermal wasn’t a full covering.
But as I started looking around I noticed it.
“Ah.” I whispered breathlessly. I reached out and took the rifle that was resting against the ‘door’ of the hide.
A Nekomata! The moment I touched her I knew she was loaded and ready, practically purring to be used. I had missed my opportunity earlier, but not again! But I shook my head. Too loud.
“Next time.” I whispered silently against her barrel as I held a toy that I was going to have so much fun with. A sniper rifle!
Oh man I was gonna get so many head shots!
But that was later. I set the Nekomata down where I could collect it later and started exploring. This guy wouldn’t be up here without a way down, and I found it. There was a door on the roof, that was a staircase access.
It was unlocked and I slipped in.
The noise inside was louder, heavy metal that the Maelstrom were rocking out to, and the general noise of people. I slipped down the stairway slowly. Making sure to check every corner. I had to be very very careful of cameras.
The stairs led to a second floor room that was overlooking the garage area, where most of the gonks were hanging around. I could hear a few curses, and raised voices from there. But that wasn’t my goal. I was following the golden light.
The first room I came to was a break room. Couches around an entertainment station, food and drinks, an old microwave.
Everything a gang would need to keep their people going. It wasn’t empty. A Maelstrom gonk was grumbling as he ripped apart some food packaging to put in the microwave.
I checked for cameras and since it was clear I moved in. This guy had better Subdermals. At least he did around his neck.
There was a serious problem with borgs. You never knew if they had a second heart or something.
Thankfully I had a way around it. My katana was drawn without a noise. The thermal blade heated up instantly to a withering temperature. As I approached something alerted him whether the heat from the blade, a noise, or a flickering of something out of the corner of his optics.
Hell it could have been a reflection in the shiny microwave.
It didn’t save him though. He started turning as my Katana flashed, cutting and burning through his armored neck. It was hard, tough, his Subdermal trying to stall out my blade, but it was kind of hard to scream when your throat was being burned away.
I jerked the blade free and he slumped to the ground, head not quite unattached, but definitely dead.
*1000 XP Gained.*
Oh yeah. That’s the good stuff.
I sheathed my Katana, asI hauled him up as best I could, grunting a bit at the weight as I pulled him into a dark corner.
Then I stood up, and continued on following that golden line. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as I slipped through the shadows. I was… happy. Thrilled, excited and every positive emotion I could imagine. There was probably something wrong with that, but I didn’t care!
I guess I had been honest with Jun.
I really did love killing.
I walked out onto a catwalk overlooking the garage, and I could see them hauling the dead Maelstrom from the Van and into a small room in the back. I couldn’t quite make out what everyone was saying, the music was too loud.
I would have to do something about that, maybe a cyberware to let me make out sound better? That actually could be useful. I made a note for myself before continuing across the catwalk not a single noise was made as I stepped onto the metal grate floors. I traveled across the entire building, following the golden light. To a small room in the upper corner of the building.
I licked my lips as I got closer and closer to my target. Pressing myself up against the wall next to the see-through armored door that was so popular in Night City, I peeked in, only to still.
Empty. Whatever Netrunner ran the security here wasn’t in.
I pouted, I had been looking forward to that kill. I kind of wanted to steal some Netrunning gear.
I slipped into the room without any trouble, and looked around the array of computers. With a few minutes of work I was breaching into the security system. The cameras all turned off, while I uploaded my Daemon.
I could practically see the Daemon slipping into the network back hacking to every member of Maelstrom that was hooked into the security. Their visuals of me would distort and disappear.
I pulled out the jack from the computer rig, and had just clicked it back into my neck when I felt it.
Danger sense!
I moved, flattening myself against the wall next to the door, as the glass door opened, and a Maelstrom gonk walked in, wearing a netrunning suit.
I hadn’t seen him before, where had he been? In the small room they had taken the dead gonk from before?
It didn’t matter. I wasn’t exactly hidden from where I stood and he would see me as soon as he sat at the computer.
So I never gave him the chance. I reached out, both of my armored hands grabbing a different side of his head before I jerked.
The echoing snap of his neck shattering from the force broke the silence and I simply held his body for a moment as he twitched and shivered in his death throes.
*1000 XP Gained.*
Okay that made this easier. I also smiled at the ninjutsu alerts I was getting for the stealth kills.
I let him flop onto the ground as I stretched my back. Holding someone up by his head was hard even with Cyber arms. I walked back over to the system, and brought up the security cams.
I started scanning and counting, getting the numbers of the Strom in their little hideout, looking for the actual dangerous ones.
Marking everything I could see with the cameras, I shut them back down and slipped back out of the room.
The first Maelstrom didn’t even see me, he was looking through a tool box, digging through it as he struggled to find the tool he needed. When I dropped down from above Katana blazing the force sliced completely through his neck.
His head fell into the tool box as I pushed his body to fall away from the stuff. The noise of his body falling was completely covered up by the heavy music filling the garage.
*500 XP Gained.*
I slipped away, already heading towards the next target. A woman this time. She was in the cab of a truck that had the hood up. Another Strom working on the inside of the cab. I could hear him call out from time to time to tell her to give it some gas or test something.
With the cab door open it was a cake walk. I slipped in my knife glinting for just a moment as I ripped her throat apart pushing her to fall into the passenger seat as she bled out with quiet gasps not loud enough to be heard over the music.
*500 XP Gained.*
With her gone the guy working on the engine was next. I slipped back out and around and while his face was stuck inside the hood he got to feel a knife ripping open his throat as well. I left him there, leaking blood into the engine.
*500 XP Gained.*
Unfortunately as good as I was, I wasn’t perfect.
“FUCK!” A voice roared out and I jerked back. The Strom I had head chopped had been found.
I grumbled, stupid NPC’s! Don’t you know you are supposed to stay put? I had completely missed one! So I rushed him.
“CARL IS DEAD! FUCK WE GO-” His cry was cut off as I leapt at him, knife sinking into his throat as I twisted around him for a moment, using the centrifugal force to rip the knife right back out. He fell like I had cut his strings.
*500 XP Gained.*
*Level up achieved!*
*One Stat Point Gained.*
*One Skill Point Gained.*
I grinned despite being caught as a few Maelstrom rushed from whatever they were doing to check out what the yelling was about.
They found me there. Already moving, knife dripping with blood as I raced through the mess of vehicles and parts aiming for one thing in particular. I dodged through instinctive bullets that were arcing closer and closer to me. But I made it.
I hit the light switch and then slashed it with my Katana.
Darkness instantly smothering the entire garage beside a few electronic lights still active, radios and such.
But with darkness came a moment, where they would lose sight of me. Their optics having to react to the change in lighting, I continued running, ignoring the gun fire that splattered where I had been.
Plus I grinned, my Daemon was working through their network. I wonder what they were thinking? When despite being able to see in the dark with their stupid optics, I seemed to disappear into the shadows?
PeaceMaker 03
Well-known member
Moto cat is among the iron mice. XP go better.....