Neon Cogs [Cyberpunk 2077/Warhammer 40k Arasaka SI]

Prologue

SirBearington

Well-known member
Prologue

If someone told Rebecca yesterday that she was going to be a hero and save some exec's kid from some random gangbangers, she would have asked them if they were high on Glitter or some other shit cause no way that'll ever happen to her. The chance for that was absolutely zero, zilch, nada but life had a funny habit of making jokes. She wouldn't have known that today was the day that the unlikely happened.

She started her day with the sun high up the sky. She overslept and her bro decided to ditch her instead of waking her up. Then again, she would have kicked him in the nads but she was still pissed! It was totally irresponsible on his part plus she probably missed that debriefing Maine said he was going to do so that means she doesn't get to join the next gig. Son of a bitch wanted her to beg him for cash. Well she said screw him.

So there she was walking around, minding her biz, when she heard a commotion over in the distance. People started walking faster after glancing at an alleyway. "What the hell?" She whispered under her breath as curiosity got the better of her. She headed to the alley to see what the fuss was all about.

There in the alley, she'd find some gonks surrounding a kid with a stuffed toy. She could just walk away but like hell if she was letting some random shit fuck around in Mox territory. She had some iron on her hips and she was going to use it.

So there she went, charging in without hesitation, with her guns ready to save a random kid. At a closer glance, They weren't even from the bigger gangs like Maelstrom or something. She wasn't even sure who they were affiliated to and even if they were, she wasn't going to let that shit fly here.

"Who the hell do you think you are marching on our turf!?" She shouted as she fired a shot up in the air.

"Oh shit, it's a Mox! Run!" The streetscums shouted as they bolted away. She made sure to shoot some of them in the leg to remind them to never come back here. Seeing them limp as blood came pouring out of their ass was extremely therapeutic for her. She's adding that on the bucket list on how to kill her bro later.

With that dealt with, she could finally check on the kid and see what his problem was. "Hey gonks for brains, what's the deal, huh? Walking in an alley of all things, are you blind or something?" She shouted at the white haired kid who looked at her all wide doe eyed.

Looking up and down at him, she pegged him for some rich kid; probably a tourist or something based on his clothing which looked way too expensive for a Beave or even a Mover. It looked far too neo militaristic but with a gothic flair. All monochrome with no noticeable branding. Whatever he was wearing, it was preem shit. He was also carrying this weird toy. A bit creepy with the half skull and half metal face hidden beneath a cloak of red but who was she to judge. Overall, he looked just like a harmless kid, a cute one but maybe a bit of a gonk.

The boy pouted as he replied "Hey! I brought protection ok. It might be the first time I've stepped outside Westbrook but I came prepared."

She gave the boy a sly grin as she asked in turn, "So bought some condoms?"

She let out a loud laugh as the boy turned a bright red. "I walked myself right into that didn't I?" He asked as she gave the boy a pat on the back. The fact that he didn't flinch away from the touch already made her see him in a better light.

"Right you are on that one. Now, there's the matter of payment for my service!" She had to remind the kid that nothing was free down below. The boy took it in stride as he just nodded along. He truly was a rich kid.

"Will this do?" He asked as he sent her some eddies. She almost did a spit take when the numbers started rolling up and up and up. Did the boy just send her 6 digits? She had to double check but the numbers remained the same. She knew he looked loaded but she didn't know he was this loaded.

"Oh by the way, here's a gun as well." he then said as she handed him a plastic looking ray gun toy. She still took it nonetheless. She wasn't going to refuse the kids' generosity. A bit bulky but her jacket has more than enough space to fit the gun in.

'Fuck you Pilar! I hit the jackpot!' She thought to herself as she slung her arms around the slightly taller boy.

"It's more than enough, Choom! In fact, why don't I show you around the city? You obviously need some protection and a guide and it just so happens that I'm free today so what do you say?" She said as the boy got a bit redder. He was adorable and she might just keep him. Still, she kinda feels bad about the kid. He was so clueless and innocent it was almost painful. No wonder some gonks tried robbing him for all he was worth.

"I'd like that very much… choom." He replied as he smiled. She felt her own cheeks heat up but ignored it as she grinned back and led him onwards.

"Oh wait, before we go, I just need to call my bodyguard." He said as he stopped on his tracks. She turned towards him and gave him a questioning stare.

"You had a bodyguard all this time! Where the fuck is he?" She shouted. She should really not be blowing up on the kid but she can't help it when his guard was risking this kid's life by getting him all surrounded.

He had the gall to look sheepish of all things as he scratched the back of his head and replied "He's in the shadows… whenever he shows up, people always scream so I had him hide most of the time." This only made her question his choice of bodyguard even more.

"Wait, calling him now. Hey, she's cool. Yes I know. You can go back home, you know. You sure you want to keep watching?" He then said as he started talking to his bodyguard. She tapped her foot impatiently as he kept talking to the guard on the other end of the line before he finally finished.

"What's the name of this mysterious bodyguard of yours anyways?" She then asked as he walked towards her.

"Adam." He replied nonchalantly as they continued their walk.

"Like Adam Smasher?" She asked jokingly. The Arasaka boogeyman was as real as they can get and she dreads having to meet him out in the street. Thankfully, he doesn't do bodyguard missions.

"Oh hey you know his name. I thought people didn't talk about him in this part of town." He replied like he was just talking about the weather. She couldn't help but laugh at his joke. Man, she thought to herself, this kid was funny.

"Hah! You know kid, I like you." She then said as they left the alley and back to civilized space. "Yeah, your bodyguards Adam fucking Smasher." She snorted. The more she thinks about it, the funnier it gets and she can't help it.

"Hey, I'm not a kid. I'm 20, you know." He replied with a pout.

"Heh. That makes us kindred spirits! I would toast to that but bouncers usually shoo me away if I'm not with my brother." She answered back.

"Well, darn. I actually wanted to see if I could visit the Afterlife." He then said dreamily.

"Hold on to your pedal there mister. No one can just enter Afterlife. You have to have a certain amount of street cred before they allow you in. Even I can't quite go in there just yet." She admitted. Yes Maine was an up and comer but they still need a bit more cred before they can enter. The crestfallen look on his face was almost too much to bear. Damn puppies eyes were past her defenses.

"Kid, it's not the end of the world we can't go there. Besides there's tons of other places we can go with all the eddies you gave me." She replied truthfully. With the eddies she had now, she could splurge a bit on some of the preem stuff. "Btw, what's your name? Can't keep calling you kid, mine's Rebecca by the way but my chooms call me Becca."

"Hiro and well… you can call me Hiro." He replied as she nodded in approval. He does have some brains up there.

"Well Hiro, I think this is the start of a wonderful friendship." She then said as they headed out to town.
She had the time of her life. She almost wanted to kiss Pilar right now for not waking her up, almost cause Pilar was still a disgusting piece of shit who needs to get shot preferably by her own two hands. With a cup of fancy coffee in one hand, made with real 100% coffee beans she might add as she saw the whole process, and the other around Hiro, they walked down the empty street. They traveled around as much as they could and it was already late by the time she was heading back home. Even Pilar sent some messages her way but a simple shout got him to shut up.

"That was fucking Nova Choom! Fucking Nova. Your parent's must be high up the Saka ladder if you made that Corpo shiver and grovel like that. Nice touch on the Japanese by the way." She said.

"I'm not really from around her. Just came here a year ago." He admitted.

"So wait, you're from overseas?" She asked.

"Yup. All the way from the land of the rising sun. Had to convince my grandfather that I could handle Night City before he gave me his blessing. I had to make him a nice sword just to get him to agree." He answered, making her whistle.

"So you're some Techie kid or some shit?" She asked once more as she got more and more curious about him. Who was this kid exactly, she asked herself.

"I'd what you call a ripperdoc and a techie package. I also dabble in netrunning but my Aunt's way better than I'll ever be." The kid replied.

"Oh man, you're not lying are you?" She then said.

"Yup. I have my license and everything. Here." He said as he sent her a pic of his license. The name was a bit blurred but there it was, a true ripperdoc in the flesh. "If you ever need medical assistance, you can hit me up."

"Well damn Hiro, I wouldn't mind that at all" She said. There was awkward silence between them as they walked down the road before Hiro suddenly asked her something.

"Hey Becca, want to do this again sometime? Maybe I could take you Westbrook. I know a lot of places in Japantown." he offered. She had to grin at that.

"Oh? Asking me out on a date already~?" She asked in a teasing tone.

"And what if I am?" He asked with a terrible blush in his face. Kitty has some bite in him. She had to admit but he was merely a novice against a master.

"Well, I wouldn't say no to a cutie like you." She answered, making him turn into a tomato. He was way too adorable for his own good. "Here, let me give you my number." She then added as she sent him her info.

After exchanging info and walking a bit more, they finally got to her apartment. She wasn't going to leave him outside without protection because of his shitty bodyguard. If he was going to be calling a ride back home, best he does it while in a safer place.

"So here we are, my apartment. Make yourself at home while you wait for your ride home." She said as she opened the door.

"Hey bro, we have company! Make yourself decent or I will!" She shouted, making his brother flail around his side of the room. Even with his side hidden by a divider, she still knew that he was up to some creepy shit.

"What the fuck Becca! I told you no guests!" Pilar shouted as he peered out from his "room" and glared at them.

"Shut the fuck up Pilar. This kid is Hiro and he's just staying here for a while till his ride comes by to pick him up". She replied as she glared at him in turn. Pilar was about to say something when Hiro intervened.

"I could order some food?" Hiro offered, making Pilar look at him considerately as he stroked his chin like he was deep in thought.

"What kind of food are we talking about here?" Pilar asked, making her groan out as she slapped her palm against her face.

"Some Ramen from Bleu?" Hiro replied with a casual shrug.

"You shitting me?" Pilar replied as he gave them a disbelieving look.

"Nope! Also, shut your filthy trap. Kids way too pure for the likes of you" She answered. She had no time with his shit but Pilar had to do his thing however as he came bolting out of his room.

"Chooom! My man, sorry about earlier. Make yourself at home!" Pilar shouted happily as he did a total 180 on Hiro. From annoyance to honored guest. Even Hiro was repulsed by Pilar as he talked the kids' ears out.

'Feel my pain' She mouthed at him with a smirk before she sauntered off to get a bath. "Hey Hiro, keep Pilar busy for a while will ya? Just need to take a bath." She said as she dropped her jacket on the floor and walked off.

"Umm can I invite my bodyguard in? He's been following us all this time and he could use seat." Hiro asked from behind her.

"No worries! A friend of my sister is a friend of mine so invite him in!" Pilar replied cheerfully, making her snort. No guests, huh? She asked herself as she inserted some coins in the vending machine to get some shampoo and hot water ready.

She took her merry time in the bath as she just topped up the water. She had money and she was damn well going to enjoy it. She finished relaxed and refreshed, smelling like roses. She might have splurged a bit on the shampoo but a girl had to take care of her hair.

She took a sniff at the air and noticed the smell of food coming from outside. The smell of real food was truly something else. She honestly believed that she might have some trouble eating even SCOP after this, much less kibble. Still, Hiro did offer a date so she might just have a second taste.

Drying her body and putting some clothes on, she got out of the bath as she dried her hair with her towel. "Hey Hiro, Pilar didn't cause… you…" She said before trailing off as she finally caught a glimpse of Hiro's body guard. Ice filled her veins as the inhumane gaze of the full borg straight right into her and bored into her very soul.

The being in front of her could barely even be called a human any more with all the chrome he had on him. The only visible flesh in his body was his face and even then she wasn't even sure if it was actual flesh or synth skin. He wasn't just chromed up the gills but armed to the teeth with a missile launcher pod right atop his shoulder and that's not even talking about what he could have hidden in his body. There was no denying it, it was Arasaka's very own Boogeyman. There, Sitting in her sofa with her brother and Hiro was Adam Smasher, in the flesh.

"Ah yes the meatbag. I'd like to thank you for entertaining my charge. He is extremely… happy." He growled out with barely restrained impatience making her take a step back.

"Now, now Adam, be nice. You know how close it is till we start field testing the Arasaka Heavy Bolter and you don't want us finding any other tester do you?" Hiro replied, casually scolding the beast wrapped in chrome.

Adam growled as he nodded. "Forgive me Hiro… and Rebecca."

Rebecca was now extremely confused. She wasn't even sure anymore if she accidently used up one of Pillars pick me up or if this was just a fever dream. Even Pilar looked scared and confused right now as he didn't even dare touch the piping hot food in front of him.

Seeing her all confused, Hiro smiled as he started explaining. "You're probably confused about all this. Well, let me introduce myself properly this time around."

Standing up, he bowed as he made his introduction. "My name is Hiro Arasaka, son of Yorunobu Arasaka. Thank you for showing me around Night City."

The sound of an AV landing nearby along with the sounds of boots touching down on the ground quickly drowned out all conversation. "Well Becca, seems like my ride finally arrived. I'll be in touch with you but for now, I'll have to leave."

With that, Adam stood up as he followed his master away leaving her stupefied what the hell had just happened. It took a minute before the silence was broken with Pilar asking her a question. "Hey sis… did we really have Adam Smasher and some Exec's kid at our house?"

"Yeah… it seems like we did." Rebecca answered as she walked over to their table and plopped down on one of the seats. She didn't even mind the dent made by Adam's weight on one of the chairs as she started eating while taking some of the good meat cuts from Pillars untouched Ramen.

"H-hey! That's mine!" He shouted as he made a grab for his bowl.

"Fuck you! I need this!" She shouted as she started eating in earnest. Yes she was stress eating but today was just way too much excitement once she realized who she was with. Oddly enough though, despite all of it… she kinda hoped that Hiro would call her. He owed her a date now for scaring her god damn it!

A/N:

My beta pointed me at this site and so here I am. So this is the Cyberpunk idea I had been brewing in my mind for a while and was voted by my patrons. The SI is born an Arasaka and now they're in Night City. I'd probably start writing more about the changes this SI has made so far but let's just say that they might be wild.

Anyways, I'd like to thank @Vyor. because no matter what, I know I can rely on you. Also, I'd like to thank my patrons:

Rashomon, Anon, victor a lopez-barron, Nick, Philip Nguyen, Alex Wierzbicki, cailk, Lapiver, Just_a_Knight, Alexander Cullison, Biigoh, WorkForFood, Alex, Logan Williams, Brody McDermott, Nicolaas Van Der Wath, Baron_Dio, thefrobro, Zach, Aea, Derp king, GWSwift, Sammy88, John Michael Funelas Bueno, BigBee, Boris Bondar, Nathan White, scott murray, Darion Smith, Jorge Benedicto, Thordur hrafn, Klever Kilvanya, sam thomas, xedex, Lurker number 5, Fernandes, Alina, Laurence wu, Gabriel, Edwin Rodriguez, asdo, Adam Maslowski, Jeff Abozne, Weise, Christopher LaFerney, Sharp, Ruben Melchor, Dao, Fool, Sandy Ruiz, Invalid, Drain, Hyrdro4C, Harpy81, taylor smith, Tjark Niehues, Jmatt890, Adrian Kopyt, Auke86, Sover_Invic, UnlimitedLikes, Maelstrom232, Matthew Moore, Eredhel, anthony turner, Daniel King, Germayne Martinez, ethan maloney, Jonald Theodore Cuyos, Just Graham, kenni nielsen, Joshua Guderian, Andreyebidu, Andrew Roberts, toxic badger, TheForgottenKing, Christopher Osborne, HyperionTheWatcher, ShyGuy42, Legion_13, Austin Fisher, Yobikir

As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! You guys are bringing me closer to being able to literally live off my passion. You guys rock!. also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star. There's also this discord page. I should stream my WoT play... even as horrible as it is. The Soviet grind is easy.
 
Chapter 1

SirBearington

Well-known member
Chapter 1

Rebecca liked to believe she was just a simple girl. All she wanted in life was some good iron and an input to call hers. What can she say? Nothing gets her blood running hotter than violence and a good lay. That was how she liked it and it’s what she’s good at. She’ll probably die guns blazing with her man but now… she wasn’t so sure as things got a whole lot more complicated.

She stared down at the bowl of kibbles in front of her, prodding it with her spoon as she kept thinking about the day before. The brown mass of rehydrated food stuff slowly swirling inside a bowl as she kept on thinking about the night before. She normally would be chowing down right now but was too preoccupied to eat right now. Even Pilar, the slob that he usually is, was taking it slow today.

“You haven’t touched your food” Pilar pointed out as he chewed on his food. She sighed as she gently pushed her bowl away.

“Not hungry.” Rebecca replied as she slumped down on the table and stared off into the distance.

“Want me to buy you something good?” Pillar asked as he shoveled another spoonful of kibble into his mouth. At least he still had his appetite, she thought to herself as she turned and stared back at her brother.

With a wry grin spreading across her face, she then teased her brother “You? Buying me something good? I should be the one asking you that.”

“Still thinking about last night?” Pilar asked once more. He was getting annoyed with all the questions he was making but she can’t really deny it.

“Is it really that obvious?” Rebecca turned face down before letting out a groan of frustration. She couldn’t help but think about those stupid puppy eyes. How could she have missed something so obvious. Was it because he gave her such a great time?

“God damn he got you good. Usually, you would be shouting at me or somethin.” Pilar replied as she heard him shovel food down his mouth.

“Why me though?” She asked him. Yes she was pretty but he probably had a ton of girls after him. She couldn’t wrap her head around this idea that she was someone special. She couldn’t help but feel her cheeks heat up at the thought.

Pilar quirked an eyebrow at her before shouting in response, “Why not you? Someone calling my sister ugly cause I’ll rip them to shreds!”

She turned her head towards his brother with a stupefied look on her face “Who are you and what did you do to my brother” she asked.

Pilar merely rolled his eyes as he pressed forward without pause. “Ok. Let me ask you this then. Did he look at any girl when you were around him?” he asked.

She frowned but entertained his question anyway, “No… it’s actually quite funny that he kept following me around like a lost puppy.” He remembered he had this goofy smile with him and he looked so goddamn happy when they hit the gun shop and fired at the range.

“Did he say anything about your clothes?” He asked again.

“No, not even once.” She remembered as her frown got even deeper as she recalled that time when she bumped into a Corpo, “Not even when we went to this high class restaurant. He just barreled right in and gave this look to the waiters. I remembered bumping into this Arasaka Corp and fucker called me a whore and everything. Kept shouting about my clothes but Hiro just stood up and gave him a dressing down.”

“Did he ask you about what you like? Maybe he was fishing for a gift to give you” Pillar then asked as he stroked his chin. Suddenly, the gun in her pocket felt so warm now. Reaching down, she pulled out the toy-like gun and looked at it in both horror and elation.

“Fuck…” She breathed out as Pilar nodded “Does he have a crush on me!?” she shouted as she laid down the gun and stood straight up from her seat.

Scraping the last bit of sauce from the meal, Pilar finished it with a loud burping as he answered her question, “See? He likes you so stop being gonk about it. Stop thinking too much about it. Just do things. Go with the flow and live the moment. He could be playing with you or he could be not. Either way, I’ll shoot him even if it means dying, if he ever breaks your heart then so be it.”

“Stop making so much fucking sense!” Rebecca shouted as she leaned close and hammered her fist down on his crappy mohawk. Still, she couldn’t help but feel just a bit more relaxed now. Going with the flow sounded like a good idea for her.

“Ow-! God damn it Becca, Not the hair! Chill!” Pilar shouted as he shielded his head and leaned away. Before she could jump at him and strangle him, both receive a message from Maine along with the sound of knocking from the door.

“Hey Choom, open up.” Messaged Maine as they stopped on their tracks. Glaring at her brother, she huffed as she went on to answer the door.

Opening the door, she quickly found out that it wasn’t just Maine that dropped by. The gang's all here. The main man himself Maine towered over the motley ensemble with his girlfriend Dorio beside him. Besides the two were, there was also their net runner Kiwi along with Lucy. They were a sight for sore eyes and she felt touched that they all sported a look of concern. Even Kiwi looked uncharacteristically emotive without the usually detached and cold look she often sported.

Looking up at them, she asked her crew “So… I see you’ve heard about last night?” . It seems everyone and their mother heard what happened least.

“Yeah, we heard plenty enough. Heard Arasaka’s mad dog dropped by your house.” Maine replied with a shrug. Of course they heard so might so she might as well tell them everything.

Rebecca sighed as she reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose before gesturing for them to come in. “Best you guys get settled in because I promise you this is a long story.” She said as she turned around and walked towards the couch.

-x-x-x-

“So let me get this straight. You saved this kid from some random muggers then you took him out on a date and you didn’t know who he was till his bodyguard dropped by?” Maine asked as he leaned forward with an amused smile plastered across his face. She suddenly felt that his face was just a tad bit more punchable right now.

“It was not a date ok! I took him out on tour cause the gonk obviously needed someone to show him around!” She defended herself as Kiwi snorted.

“So, the date at a high end restaurant, the shooting range gunplay and the gift giving isn’t a date. Some high standards you have there Becca.” Kiwi snarked as she took a huff from her cigarette.

“Oh shut up will you!” She shouted as she threw her hands up in frustration.

“And here we thought you pissed off an Arasaka Exec, instead we found out that our little gunslinger charmed one instead.” Maine chuckled as she growled at him warningly while her cheeks burned from indignation. She had had enough teasing for the day damn it all!

“Who knew her aggressive go-getter attitude would catch someone's attention for once.” Kiwi added as she sent them all snippets of various news articles, All of them showing Hiro. The articles were wide and varied but all told the same thing, Hiro was one of the forces behind Arasaka's rise back to prominence.

“Grandson of Saburo Arasaka and son of Yorinobu to an unknown edgerunner from around here. Graduated and finished his studies at age 12. Became the youngest Arasaka board member at age 14 and earned his PhD in Theoretical Physics at age 16.” Kiwi started listing off the accomplishments under Hiro’s belt.

“The amount of patents in his name frankly boggles the mind. Physics, Material Science, and Biology to name a few of the fields he specializes in. Kid’s a polymath and polyglot and wouldn’t you know it, he’s a licensed doctor as well. Talk about an overachiever. In short, he’s Arasaka’s golden goose and you now have him wrapped around your fingers, congratulations.” Kiwi finished off before looking at the gun over on top of Rebecca’s lap warily. She wasn’t sure why everyone kept looking at the gun. It looks cool and all with its black matte finish and the green highlights but like it’s not like it.

Everyone stared at Kiwi as they digested what she just said before they turned their attention on her. Maine and Dorio nodded as they gave her both thumbs up while Lucy had this look she couldn’t quite decipher. She shrugged it off as Kiwi added “You know… Militech would pay a king's ransom for any information about the kid and having someone, a close confidant or even an input that could tattle to them… I can’t even think of how much they’re going to be paying”

“Hey! Don’t you there even suggest something like that!” She shouted as she aimed her toy gun at Kiwi. Kiwi raised her hand in surrender as Pilar pulled her back.

“Becca, Chill. Kiwi, not cool. This Hiro kid’s Becca input.” Maine scolded their netrunner as the woman nodded.

“Just saying is all. Besides, with Becca being this kid's output, we could probably get some corporate immunity if we play nice” Kiwi replied.

She huffed as she crossed her arms and leaned back against her couch. “He ain’t my input… yet” She muttered as she felt her cheeks heat up.

“You know, all this talk about input and output got me thinking…” Dorio wondered as she looked at her contemplatively, “What if the Emperor finds out?”

“Oh shit you're right. I could still feel my back hurting from that time when I first proposed to you. Your old man almost broke my back!” Maine winced at the memories Dorio accidentally pulled up.

Rebecca couldn’t help but gulp in nervousness. The Emperor was infamous for his natioanalistic tendencies and his pride. If he did find out she practically dated his grandson, she’ll definitely be under his radar and wasn’t that something to be worried about.

“Fuck.” Rebecca breathed out as she ran her hand across her hair before she started playing with the toy gun Hiro gave her. It had some heft to it and it did feel good in her hands.

“You think the kid gave you an experimental gun?” Maine jokingly asked. She snorted in amusement at the thought. It wasn’t so far fetched but prototypes were one of a kind and expensive. No way she’s holding one right now.

She stopped spinning the gun and looked down on it. Inspecting every detail of the faux firearm, she did find It had everything a gun had but it could be some sort of fancy gel gun for all she knew. Aiming at the window and right at one the passing skull like Arasaka Delivery drone, she then replied “This? Nah, probably not. Here let me show you.”

She squeezed the trigger and all hell broke loose. She squeaked in surprise from the gun bucking against her hands as it shot an arc of green lightning straight at the window. The electrical arc ate through the window, the delivery drone and a water tower which exploded in a giant cloud of green tinted steam. What’s worse was that the shot left some sort of corrosive effect which ate through the stuff that it passed through.

They all stared wide eyed and gaped at the carnage caused by the shot as the shouts of alarm and cries of panic could be heard outside. Rebecca looked down at the very real and very dangerous gun in her hand before slowly setting it down on the table.

“Becca… what the fuck was that!” Lucy shouted as the normally unflappable girl shouted, echoing the thoughts of everyone in the room.

“Hiro’s gift…” She replied honestly.

“And you said he’s not your input? Yeah, I’m not buying it.” Kiwi deadpanned as she approached her apartment's surprise balcony as the green corrosion faded away. She made sure to avoid even touching anything as she peered down to inspect what she assumed was the drone.

“You know… I always thought the view would be nice if I had a balcony there.” Pilar whispered before covering his face.”Our land lord's going to fuck tan my hide.” He lamented. They really can’t hide something this big and they might be visited by the NCPD later.

“I’ll handle it.” She replied as he gently patted his brother on the back. This was her fuck up. Hopefully it would be cheap but she could already feel her wallet getting a bit lighter.

Thankfully or unfortunately, Hiro decided it was the best time to call her. She jumped in surprise as she stared at the number in front of her and she kept staring at it and wondering if it’s a good idea to answer it right now.

“I’m going to take a guess and say that’s this Hiro kid calling.” Maine asked as she nodded a little too fast. She bit her lips as indecision took hold.

“Oh come on Becca! Didn’t I just tell you to just do it!” Pillar shouted which steeled her mind.

“Ok fine! I’m going to respond so shut the fuck up! She shouted in turn as she answered the call. Gathering her thoughts, she greeted Hiro happily “Hey Choom! How’s it hanging?”

Maine covered his face as his shoulders started shaking while Dorio couldn’t help herself as she squealed out in delight. She flipped the two the bird before turning her attention back to the call. “Hey Becca, open the news channel right now.”

“Open the news channel now, why?” She asked, confused at Hiro’s sudden request.

“Just do it. It’s a surprise.~” Hiro said and before she could even reply, Pilar was already on it as he ran towards their TV and turned it on. She along with everyone else huddled around the tiny screen as Pilar turned it to the right channel.

There standing in front of a speech conference was Hiro making a speech for the journalist and the camera. Whatever it was that he was speaking about, they already missed most of it. Still, they were there to hear the end of his speech. “And I would like to conclude the opening ceremony for the Arasaka Mechanicus Lab by greeting a special someone I met while exploring this city. Hi Becca!-”

She quickly turned the channel much to the dismay of the others. “Hey what gives! The kid’s definitely going to say something else! How can I prepare my shovel talk now damn it.” Pilar shouted as she kept turning the channel. Her heart was racing while her ears burned and she hated it damn it all. She should be the one teasing him, not the other way around!

Finally, she settled on a nice boring channel. The ones with the useless 24 hour talk shows and away from Hiro’s little stunt. “Today at Night City’s Morning Brew, Who is Becca? More after these messages from our corporate sponsors!”

She couldn’t help but groan as she sunk into her knees and covered her face. She didn’t need anyone telling her that she was blushing like some Corpo school girl on her first night out in Lizzie’s bar. She hated Hiro for turning things around. She tucked herself into a tiny ball and hoped everyone went away.

“Got to say nice catch.” Kiwi said appreciatively as she felt the old hag gently stroking her hair. It wasn’t fair that Hiro could mess her up like this.

“Why the hell did you guys drop by anyways?” She whined as she looked up at them.

Maine shrugged as he said “Heard you were in trouble and well, Gloria’s getting out of the biz so I wanted to throw a farewell party for her and I can’t have that party without everyone there.”

“Wait, she’s actually quitting the gig?” Rebecca asked, genuinely surprised that Gloria of all people finally got lucky enough to quit. The gal kept them supplied with some good chrome and it’s a shame that she wouldn’t do it anymore but at least someone’s having a good time.

-x-x-x-

David Martinez was just your average kid from the mean streets of Santo Domingo. Everyone knows him in their apartment block as the corpo school kid, the lucky kid that’s living the dream but he kinda resented it a bit. Still, he kept going to him and made sure that he was up to par with the other kids. They can’t sling that much shit if the only thing they can sling is where he came from and his status in life. It gets stale fast after all.

He knew they were dirt poor and he had this feeling that no matter how hard he tried, the stains these kids perceived on him would never go away but today was weird… really weird. As he walked past the gate of his school, he felt something was already off. People were looking at him differently. While they used to look at him like he was some sort of shit stuck beneath their shoes, now… it was as if they regarded him like a cut of meat to eat and devour.

“Hey Martinez! Looking good!” Called one of them out.

“Yo David my man. We need another man on the team and I heard from someone that you’re just the man we need.” Offered the usually aloft Soccer team lead.

“Hey, wanna hang out later? The girls and I know a good place in the Kubuki district. You should totally come with us.~” called another, this time a couple of cute girls who were giving him looks which was freaking him out.

“Yeah… I’m kinda busy right now but maybe later!” He replied as he bravely ran away from them. What the hell was happening right now? Did he finally lose it and go psycho? Was he using some tainted BD right now?

Before he could even think about that any further, his train of thought was delayed as he bumped into the one person he hated meeting in his day to day school.

“Hey! Watch-...” Shouted Tanaka before he slowly trailed off. For a second, he thought he saw some fear in Tanaka’s eyes but that can’t be right can it? “Sorry about that.” Tanaka quickly muttered as he walked away, practically darting off to wherever he was going.

“What in the world is going on?” As if on cue to answer him, his mother came calling. He quickly answered it without hesitation.

“Hey mom. Anything happened at work?” He asked a bit bewildered at the time she was calling. She’s supposed to be at work right now? He knew she probably just arrived at work and the asses there hated people calling while on the clock.

“Hey kiddo, just want to tell you that I got a promotion… Yay?” His mother replied with an equally confused tone as he was. It seems that it wasn’t him that was experiencing strange shit.

“... so you too mom?” He hazard a guess to which his mother replied.

“Wait, that fast? Anyways, I just wanted to tell you to come home early. Going to be borrowing your uncle’s old butane burner. I’m going to cook something my abuela once cooked for me. Stay safe ok? Love you!” With that, the call ended leaving even him more confused.

“Did I die?” He asked as he walked off in a daze. If he died, he shrugged, might as well make the most out of the strange scenario he found himself in.

A/N:

As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! You guys are bringing me closer to being able to literally live off my passion. You guys rock!. also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star. There's also this discord page. I should stream my WoT play... even as horrible as it is. The Soviet grind is easy.
 
Last edited:

LordSunhawk

Das BOOT (literally)
Owner
Administrator
Staff Member
Founder
As in the horizontal bar across? Not at the moment, we're working on a site upgrade however, so once that is done that feature should work properly.
 

ATP

Well-known member
So,Arasaka would rule Earth under Hiro and his waifu? seems legit to me.
One problem - if Emprah is hiding on Earth,he would take power anyway.
 

Vyor

My influence grows!
So,Arasaka would rule Earth under Hiro and his waifu? seems legit to me.
One problem - if Emprah is hiding on Earth,he would take power anyway.

Big E was content to stay in the background as of this point in 40k.
 

ATP

Well-known member
Big E was content to stay in the background as of this point in 40k.
So,basically notching changed,and it could even really happen in WH40 past ?
Unless Hiro would take Arasaka into space,invent FTL,and start fighting orks.That would be change.
It would be funny,if there would be no Human Federation ,but Arasaka Corporation.Especially IF they do not fall,kicked Eldar asses,and conqered Galaxy.
By this point,Emprah could decide to never take control!

P.S Merry Christmas !
 
Chapter 2

SirBearington

Well-known member
Chapter 2

Hiro didn’t give her a chance to process what just happened at all as he called right after his big damn speech. She jolted in surprise as she saw the caller. She crossed her arms and huffed in annoyance as she stared at the number. She had half a mind to ignore him and his stupidly cute voice but she forgot that her crew was there with her.

Squatting beside her with a stupid grin on his face, Maine started poking her cheeks as he said “Hey, hey, is that who I think who it is?”. She looked away in annoyance, refusing to make eye contact with Maine even when he redoubled his effort in poking her.

Even Dorio joined in as the bigger woman ruffled her hair. She swatted the woman's hand away in annoyance but Dorio only cooed in response. “Oh come Bee, just give the boy a chance. You know what they say about people in love~?” She then added

Recca reluctantly looked up to the other woman before asking “What?”

“Love makes a fool out of us all.~” Maine replied as Dorio pulled the gonk in for a kiss. Rebecca screamed out in frustration as she pulled at her own hair.

“Fine! Fine! I’ll go answer the stupid call” She shouted as she finally accepted Hiro’s call. She felt her face was on fire by the time she answered the phone but she powered on as she wished to give Hiro a piece of her mind.

“What the fuck was that choom!?” She practically screamed at the line as she fumed and huffed. Hiro was getting under her skin like no one else and it was throwing her off her game. She should be the one getting him all hot under the collar, not her!

“Just some light teasing Becca.” Hiro casually replied with a hint of amusement in his voice.

She stood up and paced around and practically growled in both annoyance and embarrassment. Maine and Dorio wisely gave her some space as she moved back to sit on the sofa. The only consolation prize she had was the look of surprise on Maine as he flailed around as he sat on the spot where Smasher destroyed their sofa. Heh, no one in the city could boast that they have a cast of Smasher’s ass. “Oh light teasing he says. You practically called me out to everyone in the city!” She shouted in reply.

“I might have gotten a bit hasty. I just miss you is all.” Hiro replied and sounded like a kicked puppy. Oh now he’s starting to make her feel bad. She hated how sincere he sounded. She really couldn’t hate a puppy dog like him for too long.

“Fucking… fuck.” She cursed as she rested her forearm against the wall before leaning against it. She gave in as she replied, “Fine! Fine! Your gun’s good, terrifying even, but it’s not enough to make up for your gonk ass stunt, got it!?”

Yes, she was letting him off the hook but she was going to make it as ugly as she could. She was feeling a bit petty right now. She heard him chuckle nervously on the other line as he admitted, “Ok, I fucked up hard on this one. I’ll pay you back, I promise. Say, I did offer to take you out on a date right?” Hiro admitted his mistake and tried to own up to it.

Which only made Becca blush all the harder as she replied, “Y-yeah, What about it? It’s not like I’m interested or anything, ok!?” She quickly added on the end just to set things clear between them. Yes, she totally didn’t want to give him a head pat or anything.

“My grandfather's throwing a party in my honor. Just something he wanted to do after I set up my lab here in the States. So, wanna come to the party at Arasaka tower?” Hiro offered which left her even more flabbergasted and confused than ever before.

“Eh!? But I don’t have a proper dress!” She shouted in panic making Kiwi quirk an eyebrow at her while Dorio and Maine waited eagerly in the sideline. Pilar on the other hand was muttering under his breath as he crossed his arms across his chest.

“I could send my driver to your apartment?” Hiro offered and she could already hear him offering her how he could buy her a dress for the occasion.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she replied placatingly, “No need Hiro. What’s the dress code though?” She might have to ask some of the Mox for help but she won’t be taking any more of Hiro’s money. Anymore and she’ll be practically indebted to him and she really didn’t want that to happen. It’d just sour everyones opinion in her opinion.

“It’s freestyle. Just go with whatever you like.” Hiro replied reassuringly, which eased Becca’s mind. Still, it seems like she’ll have to make some call with her old buddies back in Lizzie’s bar. She might have an idea on what to wear just for the occasion and she had the eddies to have it made. “Oh by the way, you can bring up to… four other people with you. Just show them this pass. Wait, I need to talk to some people. I’ll be looking forward to you coming in later. See you then!” He then suddenly dropped on her.

“H-hey! You just can’t… leave like that.” She tried calling out only to trail out before sagging in disappointment.

“So, how was the lovers spat?” Kiwi asked as she flicked the spent cigarette butt right out of the gaping hole in their apartment and fished out a new one to smoke. Odd, Kiwi’s using way more cigarettes than normal. She shrugged it off as she flipped the bird at their netrunner.

“Oh fuck off, will you?” She replied without any heat as she pulled away from the wall and plopped down on one of the seats. “So… he called me out on a date? Goddamn impulsive gonk actually asked me out!” She then added as she felt all riled up again. She kept staring at the tickets now on her inbox and she still couldn’t quite believe they were there.

“Pay up.” Maine said to Dorio who responded by rolling her eyes. Becca was often jealous of how Dorio and Maine were. They were real partners in crime. What was she with Hiro? She still wasn’t sure.

“Sounds like a pain. Good luck on that. Come on Lucy, let’s blow this joint.” Kiwi waved as she walked out toward the door.

“Oh no no no, Hiro didn’t just invite me, he also gave me enough tickets to invite all of you! You're all coming with me whether you like it or not!” She shouted. She wasn’t going alone on this one, she was going to bring the entire crew with her. If she was going to share the pain of having to deal with corpos with them.

“And what makes you think you can force me to go with you?” Kiwi asked as she looked back at her with an amused look on her face.

She grinned back as she replied, “Everyone important in Arasaka will probably be there. It’s the best place to network.”. It wasn’t a secret to everyone that Kiwi wanted money, a lot of it, and she banked on her being greedy and she was right about it. Kiwi’s eyes widened as she realized how big this was.

“Fuck… I don’t have a good dress.” Kiwi replied as she gave in. Her grin grew all the wider as she turned to the others.

She then pointed at the others as she started firing off reasons why they should back her up on this particular dinner party. “Maine, the party is for Hiro’s lab. He has all the chrome. Dorio, Maine needs a tard wrangler.”

Maine blinked as he shouted “Oh come on! I’m not that bad! Dorio, babe, back me up.”

Dorio pat his back before giving her a thumbs up. Maine gave her a look of betrayal. Rebecca continued on with her brother and Lucy, “Pilar, there’s a lot of girls there and Lucy… You’ll be left out if you don’t go. Also, sisterly solidarity?” She really wasn’t that close with Lucy if she was going to be honest. She was Kiwi’s responsibility and Kiwi, as unlikely as it seems, was a great mom to raise Lucy.

“We’re all going ok! Yes, even you Pilar… just behave.” She announced, to which everyone cursed about their lack of formal wear; all except Dorio.

“Finally I can wear that dress my mother gave me!” Cheered the amazon. Maine and Pilar meanwhile grumbled about their suits not fitting anymore.

“I’ll be skipping on this one.” Lucy replied without hesitation. She nodded at that. She could respect that, and it’s not like she has anything that Lucy would probably like. That and the fact she always kept targeting Arasaka might have a hand in that. The possibility of someone recognizing her there would probably be too much. Who knows just how many eddies she filched from the Saka corpse? She’s definitely on some watchlist by now. “It’s cool Luz.” she said.

“As for you gonks, You guys will be fine. Don’t sweat on it too much.~” She waved off their concern. It’s not like the party had a strict dress code. Besides, they’re all kitsch. Loath as she admits it, even her brother was also kitsch to a certain degree. He’s the only one she knew that could sport that gangly look with his extremely long limbs and that ridiculous mohawk without looking like a fool.

“Anyways, I need to make some calls and go places because the party’s tonight. Be here before six or I will be coming for your ass.” She shouted as she sauntered off to the door. “I’ll be at Lizzie’s bar if you need me.” she added before going off to her old watering hole.

-x-x-x-

“You sure we won’t get blocked in the entrance?” Rebecca asked as she fidgeted in her seat. She tugged at the custom made dress she had ordered from an old friend of hers. It was amazing but she just wasn’t used to wearing it. It was both freeing and, at the same time, restrictive. She’d rather have her jacket any day of the week, but she wanted to get back at Hiro right now.

“Don’t worry Becca, I made sure of it. Just show them the badge if they don’t budge, I’ll call Adam.” Hiro replied over the line.

“Please don’t.” She begged him. She still shivered at the memory of the infamous borg.

“Fine, but seriously. Just call when you get here ok? I have to talk to some investors now. Bye!” He said then as the line cut off. She felt their ride started to slow down. Falco was nice enough to be their chaperone after Lucy declined her offer. It was her loss as Falco was going to be hanging out with her and the crew. There was also the fact that he might just be the only guy they could trust with a rented limo.

Maine was dozing off before the party with Dorio leaning against him. The two were quite the pair with the stunning red dress Dorio had, which showed off her figure and muscles together, while Maine had a red suit with the sleeves ripped off. Not a bad look for the big man. Meanwhile, Kiwi was wearing a flapper dress in her usual color, though this time around she was bringing a long cigarette holder for her smoke. As for her big brother… he was just wearing his usual outfit. He might have brought out his more expensive clothing but it was still the same.

“Really bro?” She asked as she glared at him. Here they were, the whole crew all dressed up and Pilar went with a Neo Kitsch look. Her disappointment for him was immeasurable for how he was rolling in with literal streetwear.

“What? It’s boga alright? Chicks dig the biker look! Just you wait.” He laughed out confidently as she leaned against the seat of the car.

“Whatever. Just do your thing away from prying eyes.” She reminded him off as she crossed her arms and looked at the crowd of vultures outside the packed entrance of the Arasaka tower. There were a lot of newscasters and paparazzi parked right around the red carpet and each of them baying and shouting for attention to get that perfect shot to sell and peddle to the masses.

The line of cars and aerodynes ahead slowly shrank until it was their turn. The moment she and the crew stepped out of the car, they were immediately bombarded with photographs and requests for an interview. It was quite jarring being in the receiving of these, supposed, people instead of being one of the ones watching them sell their wares on TV.

She was half tempted to pull her pistol at them, but she stayed her hands as she gestured for Maine and the others to follow her lead. She walked ahead, strutting like she owned the place and pushing people aside when they got in her way. The bitch she nudged aside turned and glared at them as she stumbled in front of the camera’s. Rebecca can’t help it, she was hogging the entire carpet and blocking everyone else and her patience was already frayed.

“Excuse me! Who the fuck do you think you are?” Shouted the harpy as Rebecca ignored her.

“Fuck off, I don’t have time for this.” She succinctly replied but all it did was enraged the diva.

“You fucking proles bitch! Think a nobody like you can walk in here!? Guards!” She shouted, calling the attention of the Arasaka guards. They looked angry and armed. Maine was about to pull his gun on them but Rebecca gave him a look that she had this handled. She kept her cool as she simply pulled out the digital badge that Hiro sent her way.

The way the guards choked as they backpedaled and apologized was simply cathartic. “Our apologies miss. We did not realize you were the young master's guest. Please, let us escort you.” The guards said as they bowed deeply in front of her.

“No need? I just want to get to the party.” She waved them off. She ignored the further cries of outrage as she saw the woman getting dragged away.

“Understood. Right this way, miss.” The guards said as they guided her and the group inside the tower. Leaving the flashing lights and sound behind them, they finally entered the belly of the beast. The tower from a distance was a monolithic structure of neo gothic architecture. It was foreboding from a distance and now inside it, she couldn’t help but feel dwarfed by the huge vaulted ceiling and sharp architecture. It was both old yet new with all the tubes of metal running across the walls along with the lights keeping the place lit. It felt more like she was in a church or castle rather than the heart of the Arasaka operation in Night City and America.

“Damn impressive.” Whispered Maine as the guards led them to the elevator. One of the guards called for an attendant who quickly rushed to their side.

“Take them to the party and don’t let anyone stop them.” One of their guards said before walking off back to the entrance. The receptionist bowed at them before guiding them inside the elevator. Without command, she punched in the floor where Rebecca thought that the party was being held, and took them to their destination.

One boring elevator ride after, they arrived. The receptionist took them down a long hallway before leading them to a large decorated double door. Pushing them open, Rebecca and the crew would find themselves atop a flight of stairs leading down to a crowd of the wealthy and the elite. From famous celebrities to influential movers, to even powerful execs from not only Arasaka but from various other corpos who are aligned with the huge mega corporation. There was even Kerry Eurodyne in the distance, though he might be a tad bit drunk with how he was being helped by one of the waiters. These were the elite of the elite and they were all here mingling and talking to each other.

“That’s a whole lot of eddies right there. Think we should nab- oof!” Pilar absentmindedly said before she silenced him with an elbow to the stomach.

“We’re here to party, so shut it!” She whispered harshly to her brother. It would look bad if they were escorted out of the building if Pilar stole something or maybe even worse like getting shot on site. “Please, just behave for once?” She begged him.

Pilar gaped at her request before nodding and crossed his heart. She rolled her eyes at his childish display but still accepted it nonetheless as she walked down the stairs. Eyes turned towards their group as they descended down the stairs. They were newcomers afterall, fresh meat in their leering and judging eyes but she refused to let any of them affect her as she held her head up high and walked with pride.

“Becca!” Shouted a familiar voice as Hiro came running to her direction. He was happy as a clam with that huge smile on his face and she couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“Hiro! Looking sharp there.” Rebecca replied as she looked up and down at Hiro’s choice of outfit. She didn’t peg him for someone who loved the classics. He was wearing a simple three piece suit. He might be hiding a kevlar vest under his coat and he certainly came in armed with an iron hidden on his belt.

“So, I take it that you’re Becca’s crewmates?” Hiro asked as he looked up at them. Maine gave him one of his winning smiles while Dorio gave him a polite smile. Pilar stood behind Maine trying to act all tough while Kiwi made herself scarce as she gave Hiro an acknowledging nod.

“Right there you are. Name’s Maine and Becca’s part of my crew.” Maine replied as he extended a hand over to Hiro.

“Hiro, Hiro Arasaka.” Hiro replied as he took his hands without hesitation and gave him a firm shake. Rebecca could see the slight flex on Maine’s hand but Hiro didn’t even twitch.

Letting go of Hiro’s hand, Maine then said, “We heard a lot about you from Becca over here. She might be a foul mouthed and violent girl but don’t let that fool you. There’s a golden heart beneath all those shell casings and guns.” She didn’t know if she was going to punch Maine for that or give him a hug because that was one of the nicest things he’d said in a while.

“It’s one of the reasons why I like her.” Hiro responded. He shocked her and was about to say something before Pilar suddenly barged in between her and Hiro.

Pilar stared at the boy and she was about to pull him away before Pilar said, “Hurt my sister and I'll hurt you even if I die trying.” There was a certain finality in his tone, a certainty that he would do as promised.

“I’ll protect her. Even if I have to protect her from myself.” Hiro replied as he met her brother's gaze. Pilar nodded in satisfaction before he returned to his usual self.

“Well that settles it then! Take care of her for me while I~ go get myself a date!” He laughed as he walked away from the group. For a second there, she almost liked him but he had to ruin it for her by being himself.

Hiro broke her out of her musing as she grabbed on to her hands and dragged her away. “Come on Becca. I want you to meet my Aunt!” He shouted as he eagerly dragged her away. A small smile spreads across her face as she lets herself get dragged along. He really was just an adorable and well meaning gonk.

-x-x-x-

David stared down at the steaming bowl of chicken mole before him. Beside it were two steamed corn cobs. No matter how much he poked it or stirred it, it didn’t fade away like some dream. It was as real as it could get as the savory scent of the dish filled his lungs and it wasn’t just some tiny serving people usually got from a high end restaurant but a full bowl enough for second servings and some more as well as enough rice for both of them.

“Well, what do you think?” His mother asked as she gave him a large serving. “The last time I cooked was when I was still a little girl. My abuela was adamant we learned the old ways even if we couldn’t afford it. She would come back all dusty after capturing some gophers. It was…fun.” His mom trailed off as she smiled fondly at the memory. “But I Iearned! Hopefully I’m not that rusty. I also didn’t get to buy all the ingredients at such a short notice and I had to use some stop gaps for the missing ones but this is as authentic as you can get!” She then added, adamant about her claims.

“Wow…” He whispered as he looked down on the meal before them. “Mom, you didn’t have to cook this much. I know we're a little tight on the budget but real food? Like how much of our savings did you-” He said before his mom stood up and cut him off.

“David, you deserve this ok.” She whispered as he reached out to him, resting her hands on his shoulder before smiling at him even as tears started forming from her eyes. “I… I’ve been a bad mom. I should have been able to give you this but I couldn't but now… now I can finally-!” she whispered as tears welled in her eyes.

She wiped her eyes as more tears flowed down her cheeks. He couldn't help but feel a bit misty eyed as well as he was now on the verge of crying. “God damn it mom. Please don’t cry because if you do… you’re going to make me as well.” he replied as he tried to keep it all in and stay strong for her.

“It’s just, I’ve been working so hard and I can’t even give you what you need but now that I got hired at Arasaka…” His mother let out an ugly crying laugh as she pulled back and sat back down on her seat. “Just, just enjoy this with me David ok?” she asked with a wide happy smile across her face.

Grabbing the serving spoon, he poured some of the mole over the peeled corn cob and let it swim in the meaty sauce. He allowed himself to be generous just to see his mother smile. Grabbing the cob, he lifted it up to his mouth and took a bite. He could taste the burnt garlic and the large amount of spice overwhelming his taste but it was the best meal he ever had. He kept on eating even as tears started dripping down on his food.

“N-now you’re the one making me cry here.” Her mother claimed as she laughed and cried at the same time. Both of them cried and laughed as for once, they didn’t have any worry in the world. It was a feeling that David would never forget."

A/N:

As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! You guys are bringing me closer to being able to literally live off my passion. You guys rock!. also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star. There's also this discord page. I should stream my WoT play... even as horrible as it is. The Soviet grind is easy.
 
Chapter 3

SirBearington

Well-known member
Chapter 3

As soon Hiro started dragging her away, everyone in the group started to make excuses to get away. She knew damn well what they were doing and she appreciated it despite how heavy handed they were being. Kiwi was the first to break away from them.

“If anyone needs me, I’ll be at the bar. Later.” The flapper said as she sauntered off to get herself a drink. With how many people were drinking at the bar, Rebecca had a feeling that the drinks were free. Still, she wouldn’t go anywhere near that bar with the dark brooding figure of the boogeyman there.

“Ummm… uh, wait. Hey Dorio, is that who I think it is?” Maine floundered a bit as he scrambled for an excuse before his eyes spotted someone in the room. She turned to where he was looking and found a full borg currently escorting a white haired beauty sporting a wide brimmed hat. She was giving the borg looks as she glanced at her wrist watch from time to time.

“Well I’ll be damned. Hey Bee, we're just going to say hi to an old friend of ours.” Dorio excused herself and Maine as the couple headed for the fullborg. The tin man looked as happy as a fullborg could be with how he seemed to loosen up as her crew’s leader greeted him loudly.

“Ahriman you son of a bitch, I thought you were dead! Haven't seen you since the war." Maine shouted as he and the borg shook hands before bumping chest. The woman with the other man was not happy and if Rebecca had to guess, Dorio and Maine just clam jammed the hell out of her.

“That was the plan.” Ahriman casually replied as he, Maine, and Dorio started to chat, much to the displeasure of the rich girl Ahriman was with.

Even Falco was in on the fun after he missed everything else by arriving last. The lonesome cowboy tipped his hat to her as he walked off to a nearby balcony. He really didn’t look like the type to socialize in these types of things anyway and he only came for the food.

“So, that just leaves the two of us huh?” Hiro said as they watched the others do their things. They might not be the best crew out there but they were still her crew damn it and she’ll still love them even if they were being gonks about things.

“Nah, it’s fine. Those guy’s been bugging me ever since your little broadcast stunt mister big shot.” She replied as she gave him a playful punch in the shoulder. He took it in good nature as he smiled with her. Keeping hold of her hand, he led her through the crowd.

“Sorry about the short notice. Should have probably picked you up as well but things have been hectic to say the least…” Hiro apologized as they walked past the various movers and celebrities that called Night City their home. It was a colorful ensemble of different styles and personalities, each trying to be the center of attention as they dined and drank the night away.

“Nah it's cool Hiro. At least I got to have a friend make me a new dress.” She replied with a grin. She paid handsomely for it and seeing how it caught Hiro’s eyes made it all worth it. He was still a boy after all and her charms could still work on him. She caught him sneaking glances at her and boy did it stroke her bruised ego.

“She’s certainly talented. I think she’ll appreciate having higher paying clientele after the news network picks up who made your dress… Becca?” He replied before trailing off as she choked and realized she just made a horrible mistake. She slapped her forehead with the palm of her hands and let out a groan.

“God fucking damn… she’s going to kill me.” She cursed herself for forgetting the one thing she should have done down below at the red carpet. It was the one thing she could have done aside from paying her friend twice her rate and she somehow forgot it.

“Wait, why?” Hiro asked as he tilted his head at her.

“I shrugged off all the reporters trying to talk to me?” She replied with a pained smile making Hiro wince. She sagged and deflated when the realization hit home. She could have given her friend a much needed advertisement for her work if she was a little more friendly with the blood sucking parasites called paparazzis.

“Ohhhh.” Hiro replied before he reached out and gave her a pat on the head. She would have snapped normally but she felt too ashamed right now for letting her friend down. “Don’t worry Becca. You know, I think some fashion reporters are already on the case trying to find your mysterious tailor.” He then added.

She let out a sigh of relief as before letting out a laugh. “Oh thank fuck. I thought I would have to hide from her whenever I visit Lizzie’s.” she replied as she wiped an imaginary sweat from her forehead. Those journo’s were often worse and more cut-throat than informants in many ways. They’d definitely be on the case in trying to figure out who made her dress.

“Hiro? There you are!” A young woman’s voice then called out, making Hiro turn towards them. She peered out from behind Hiro to see who dared interrupt. Pushing past the crowd of people was a short haired Japanese woman wearing a sharp looking suit. She didn’t look a day older than 30 but in spite of that, and the lack of the foreign features Hiro sported, the resemblance she had to Hiro was unmistakable.

“Sorry Auntie Michiko. I just wanted to greet Rebecca. Rebecca, Aunt Michiko. Aunt Michiko, Rebecca.” Hiro introduced Rebecca to another Arasaka. She felt like this was going to be the norm from here on out, but she was an edgerunner. She just had to roll with the punches as they came her way.

Putting on her best smile, she extended her hand to the woman. “Yo! Glad to meet you. Name’s Rebecca but my friends call me Becca.” She introduced herself. She suddenly felt a bit nervous when Hiro’s aunt eyed her up and down but she relaxed as the other woman broke out into a smile and shook her hand.

“So, you must be this Becca that Hiro kept talking about.” The woman replied, making Hiro sputter out and turn red in embarrassment. “I can see why he couldn’t stop thinking about you.
You definitely have some moxie.” she then said, making Rebecca snort out in amusement.

“Auntie!” Hiro cried out in embarrassment which Rebecca couldn’t help but cackle at with how red faced he was. Seeing him on the receiving end of the teasing was cathartic in a good way.

“Now now, you know all too well what was going to happen when you brought her to me. After all, it’s not every day I get to meet my favorite nephew’s special ‘friend’.” Michiko then said and it was now Rebecca’s turn to blush. Hiro tried to reply but he just stuttered away and averted from her gaze and that of his aunt. He was obvious as hell but hearing it from his aunt was something else.

“Yes, you just took off all of a sudden for a ‘friend’.” Michiko teasingly said as she watched both of them squirm under her gaze. “Here I thought there was an emergency in your lab but it seems that it’s a different kind of emergency.” Hiro’s aunt chuckled as she ruffled the boy's hair who only got redder. She was definitely his aunt as she was just as much of a tease as Hiro was, if not even more so.

“Oh hey! Are those tempura I see at the buffet table?” Hiro mechanically replied as he pointed at the table on the other end of the room. “Why don’t I go grab some! Becca, take care of my aunt for now will you?” he said as he ran away with his ears burning from the weapon grade teasing they just received. She couldn’t blame him but now… now she was all alone with his Aunt.

“We’ll be at my table, ok?” Michiko called out before she shook her head in wry amusement. “This has been the most expressive I've seen him in ages around another person, you know that?” She then said as she turned towards her. Rebecca raised a brow at that revelation. Hiro? Not expressive? Well, wasn’t that an oxymoron.

“Oh? He’s quite animated last time I checked. I’d know since I’ve been on the receiving end of his teasing.” She replied to Michiko. Pouting, her thoughts soon drifted to that gonk. Hiro wore his heart on his sleeve and it was easy for her to read his mood. It’s what makes it so jarring to interact with him. He was just so honest at times her instincts were telling her that she must be lying.

“Believe me. Last time I saw him this hopeful, a girl broke his fragile heart. After that, he started wearing masks to hide it away. I wonder what he saw in you that made him open up?” Michiko replied as she gestured for her to follow her.

“Maybe because I’m not a bitch.” Rebecca fired back. She did not take kindly to that backhanded comment. Michiko's smile turned to a genuine grin as she let out a laugh.

“Hah, here I thought you were merely a whore.” Michiko then said.

“This whore has more class than the girls in this party.” Rebecca snorted as she took a glance at the dance floor. All the fake laughter as girls hung on to every word of their partner. It was frankly disgusting with how much they debased themselves. She’d rather be in Lizzie’s bar right now because at least there, people were a bit more genuine about things.

Michiko gave her an approving nod as they finally got to table away from all the party goers. “He is weak to strong women.”

“He has good taste then.” Rebecca couldn’t help but answer.

Away from the crowd, Rebecca would soon find herself seated with another mover inside the Arasaka’s power structure. Some would kill for a chance to talk to them but for Rebecca, this was just some private girl talk. Peeling away all the glitz and glamor of their name, Rebecca would still see them as what they were, humans just like everyone else.

“He wears his heart on his sleeves. It’s hard to see him keeping his emotions in check.” Rebecca commented as she sat down and leaned against her seat.

Michiko merely smiled as she grabbed a flute of sparkling liquid from one of those weird servants with their choppy and mechanical movement. For a brief second, she thought they were human but a casual observation showed they were merely robots. Strangely, Michiko seemed to give them a look she couldn’t quite decipher. Before she could think about it any further, the other woman handed her a drink which she happily accepted. “Oh you can be surprised by how proficient he can be at that. One moment he can be smiling and laughing with you, the next thing you know he has his butcher all over you.” The older woman said.

Mulling over Michiko’s word, Rebecca stared ahead and watched as Hiro had to stop and socialize with people. She let her feelings go for once and actually looked and observed. For the first time, she got to see a side that Hiro had kept from her. As he kept getting blocked on his way back with people calling for his attention, she couldn’t help but feel a bit shocked at how he could easily pick up a mask. A smile here, a genuine sounding laugh at a crappy joke, and a cheerful greeting yet her eyes could see the truth in his eyes. No matter how good his mask was, he still couldn’t hide what was beneath.

“Yeah, I might not truly know him yet… but I choose to trust him. He’s a well meaning gonk underneath that infuriating smile of his and he has yet to show me otherwise.” Rebecca answered as a soft smile spread across her face. It might just be the boy's charms but she’d take the risk. What’s an edgerunner’s life without some pain after all.

“Has anyone told you just how brutally honest you can be?” Michiko asked amusedly.

“Got a problem with that?” Rebecca asked with a smug smile on her face. She’s been told that once or twice before and she takes it as a compliment. Life’s too short for being an obtuse ass.

“No. I actually like it. It’s a breath of fresh air from the snake pit above.” Michiko replied, making Rebecca give her a look of surprise. She was caught off guard with the venom that Michiko had. Michiko merely rolled her eyes at her looks as she added, “Oh don’t give me that look. You know well enough from the rumors alone. Let me give you a hint. Take what you imagine and crank it all the way up to eleven. I had to shield Hiro from all those snakes when he was first brought to his grandfather.” Michiko grimaced as she downed her entire flute of alcohol. “My bastard of an uncle wouldn’t even protect his own son.” She then said as she glared at a particular direction.

“Wait, I thought you were his aunt?” Rebecca said in surprise. She thought Michiko was a bit older with the way she talked and how Hiro treated her but she was wrong.

“Oh that. He keeps calling me auntie as a way to tease me about my age. He’s a little shit like that but I basically raised him as my own.” Michiko replied with a self deprecating smile.

“Well, at least I know why he’s a little shit.” Rebecca smiled with her, making Michiko chuckle.

“You know Rebecca, since you’ve been so honest with me, let me be honest with you.” Michiko replied as she set down her glass and looked at her. The way the amusement melted away to be replaced with such a serious look would have made any other girl flinch away but not her. Rebecca liked to think she was made of sterner stuff. “I don’t really like you and I think you’ll be a bad influence on Hiro but I can’t stop him. He’s old enough to make his own decisions, experience love and heartbreaks and live the life he wants.” The older woman admitted. There was no bullshit, just two girls being honest with each other.

Rebecca stared back, unflinching, refusing to back down from Michiko’s challenge. What was Hiro truly to her? Will he just fling or something else. She still wasn’t quite sure yet but one thing for certain, whatever it is, she’ll be the best damn girl to ever do so for Hiro.“Maybe I’ll just have to be the best damn input then.” She replied. Maybe it was spite or maybe it was pride but no one can look down on her.

“Now, wasn’t that easy? At least now you’re no longer just honest to me.” Michiko replied as a smug smile spread across her face. Rebecca’s brow twitched as she flipped her the bird before she reached for her forehead to massage the growing headache she had. Truly, Corpo’s had a nasty habit of fucking with people, even if it’s light hearted fun and teasing.

Michiko laughed as she slowly set her glass beside her. Glancing at Rebecca, the older woman then warned her “I just have to warn you that this would be no fairy tale. Whatever notion you have of an easy life, throw that all away at the window because you will be ruffling some feathers. The whole family has been talking when our little Hiro fell in love again. Do you know how long our grandfather’s been trying to play matchmaker? He will not be happy.”

Rebecca snorted as she gave toast to that. It’s not like anyone had any love for the Emperor as even his own blood seemed to hate him. Before she could reply, Michiko’s eyes lit up before she turned her head away. “Excuse me for a second, my assistant’s calling. Sasha? What seems to be the problem?” She replied as she got up and walked away from the seat.

Hiro would then come back with plates on hand stacked with food aplenty. He was frowning abit but he kept his frustration hidden with a smile. “Hey, sorry about that. Some people couldn’t take the hint that I was a bit busy. Anything I missed?” He apologized as he let out a nervous chuckle.

Rebecca smiled back as she shook her head and waved off his concerns. “Nothing much. Just had some girl on girl talk with your aunt. She’s talking to her assistant by the way.” She replied as she gestured towards the other woman who was looking more and more concerned as she talked to the other person in the line.

The woman let out a string of curse as she ended the call. Walking back to them, Michiko excused herself from the party “Hiro, I'll have to go. There’s a situation over at Danger Gal. Some girl found a rogue netrunner and let’s just say this particular runner is not happy being found.”

With the way Hiro sucked in his breath and how he shook his head in dismay, she had a good idea what happened and it smelled of a scrambled egg head. “Do you need Adam or?” Hiro offered.

Michiko’s eyes widened as she frantically waved her hand in front of her. “Oh no no no, nothing of that sort. I think we can handle this. I’m really sorry Hiro but I have to go.” She said before walking off the exit. Before she left, Rebecca swore she heard her whisper something along the lines of, “Fucking Hanako.”

The two were left on their own and thankfully, none of the other vultures that stalked Hiro from earlier dared come their way. She could now finally have some time with Hiro on his lonesome and maybe actually make a move. First things first, she needed to taste what he brought with him.

“This is some of the best cricket tempura I had. Didn’t know they grew tails though. Are these some river crickets?” Rebecca asked as she chewed on the Tempura. It was pure meat with little to no kibble extenders. The lack of shell was always amazing as she could just chew away until she hit the tail. This must have been one of those super crickets she'd been hearing about.

Hiro snorted and almost choked on his drink as he laughed at that. She pouted but kept eating as it simply was too good to pass up. Shaking his head, he then said “Nah, they’re not crickets but shrimps. Still, I’ve heard that crickets taste like shrimp so I couldn't blame you for mistaking that.”

“Wait no shit?” She said in surprise as she lifted up another shrimp and inspected it before gobbling it all up. Without the head, she didn’t notice it was the real deal. Focusing on just the shrimp, she quickly ate through the remaining ones before quickly jabbing her fork on Hiro’s pile

“Yeah-! Hey! Those are mine!” Hiro shouted as he lifted up his plate but not before she could get another one for herself!

“Hah, you snooze, you lose.” She teased him as she happily munched away at the tasty crustacean. She downed it with the glass of bubbly alcohol Michiko gave her. Fine food and better booze lifted up her spirits like no other.

Hiro pouted to which she started laughing until both of them laughed together. Away from the people, she finds spending time with him extremely entertaining. She couldn’t get enough of him at times with that dangerous smile of his. That smile however would fade away and be replaced with a hollow one as one of the human servers came to their seat.

“Excuse me Hiro-sama, a gentleman from the Militech Company wants to talk to you.” The woman stated as she bowed her head low. Rebecca could practically hear the groans of frustration Hiro had inside his head as he started frowning once more.

All these interruptions were getting to Rebecca and she just couldn’t take it anymore. Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe she was genuinely upset with how people here couldn’t seem to treat this as a simple party but one thing clear, they would keep getting interrupted no matter what. “You know what, enough of this. Hey Hiro, let’s get out of here!” She shouted as she sat up. Some people were staring at them now, but she did not care one bit.

“Wait, why? I thought you were having a good time? The dance hasn’t started yet as well.“ Hiro replied as he looked at her with confusion. Yes, the food and company were nice but everything else sucked. This was more of a meeting with a celebratory air to mask it than a real one.

“And you're not, you gonk. You’ve been frowning ever since you came back from the buffet table and these people won’t stop till they have a bit of your time. The problem is that there’s hundreds of them and only one of you.” She said in turn as she reached for his hand and started dragging him away.

“But it’s just a few seconds…” He protested but he didn't resist as he stood up and followed after her. She stomped ahead and headed for the door, passing by the surprised Militech corpo who only gaped as he was ignored.

“No buts. Let’s just go.” She replied. She wanted to take a breather away from the place even if only for a little bit.

“Where though?” He then asked as they were about to ascend the stairs. That stopped her dead in her tracks. She really didn’t know where to go but her mind was clear on what she wanted and what would be good for either of them.

“Anywhere but here. I’m not really vibing with this place. It makes my trigger finger itchy.” She replied as she shook her head. The black gun given to her suddenly felt a lot heavier while it was strapped to her thighs.

Hiro hummed for a bit before perking up with a smile as he asked her. “Well, I did promise to get you out on a date. Hey Becca, wanna go out for a ride?”.

That caught her attention instantly as she gestured for him to keep going “I’m interested…what’s the deets?”

Hiro’s smile turned to a grin as he replied “Well, I have an idea where we might have some fun but first, we need to borrow a certain car!” It was now Rebecca’s turn to be dragged along as she was dragged to a towering black figure sitting in the bar.

“Hey Adam! I need to borrow your car.” Hiro shouted, making Rebecca and everyone nearby choke. Kiwi in particular gagged and would have spat all over the bartender if it wasn’t for her chrome. The netrunner gave Hiro and Rebecca a look before she slowly got off her seat and slid down as if she was going to take cover.

Adam slowly turned towards Hiro and Rebecca and gave them the flattest and most unamused look he could give and for a full borg that was saying something, he really showed his displeasure as he kept staring at them. Hiro was unfazed as he simply stared back at the man. Adam narrowed his eyes as he asked “Why?”

“Me and Becca are going out on a sunday drive by out in Pacifica.” Hiro casually replied. The borg let out a sigh and rolled his eyes before he reached for his back and pulled out a key which he promptly gave to Hiro.

“... If I don’t see any blood, I swear.” The borg replied with a shake of his head as he turned back to enjoy his bottle of vodka and jar of pickles.

With keys in hand, he led her up the stairs. He was certainly in better spirits now as they practically ran away from the party. “Let’s go! We’ll need more weapons for this trip.” He excitedly replied and she could only whoop out joyfully. Things were certainly getting spicier tonight.

A/N:

As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! You guys are bringing me closer to being able to literally live off my passion. You guys rock!. also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star. There's also this discord page. I should stream my WoT play... even as horrible as it is. The Soviet grind is easy.
 
Chapter 4

SirBearington

Well-known member
Chapter 4

When Hiro said they needed to stock up before going on a run, she expected them to raid one of the armories inside the building. She did not expect to be dragged straight into Hiro’s personal workshop. The workshop wasn’t what Rebecca expected to be. It wasn’t some heavily defended room on the top of the tower or a secret room which could only be accessed through a hidden passageway, but rather was some out of the way nondescript room with an equally bland door. She would have missed it even if she knew which floor the room was with how all the doors looked alike. The only difference she found was how ridiculously thick the door was when it slid open. It honestly looked more at home in a bank than for a random room.

“Sorry about the mess, I haven’t cleaned up yet.” Hiro said as he led her inside. She could feel her eyes twitch at the mess she found herself in. It was a small room, barely any bigger than her own apartment but it was stuffed to the gills with all the tools and materials anyone would need in making weapons and chrome and a couple more that she couldn’t figure out the use for.

There were literal rocks, strange black rocks mind you, but there were rocks sitting there on one of the desks. She was confused at that. Even the doll of the weird hooded skull face borg and the black dragon looked reasonable but rocks? She couldn’t guess on what it was for.

“Hiro… remind me one day to drag your ass here and clean up with you.” She replied with a low growl. Yes, Her brother would kill for the chance to have access to half the tools and materials just laying around here but he’d also be as likely to shoot Hiro for not arranging things properly.

“Yeah, hah. Really sorry about this. Just let me find my tools before we go. You can take whatever gun you want from here.” Hiro then said as he headed for a corner hidden behind one of the shelves stock to the brim with more chrome than the shelves of a back alley ripper doc or a techie.

That got her grinning like a loon. Given pretty much free reign to take what she wanted, she looked around trying to find something that suits her. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately to some, there were no guns similar to the one she had on her but there were other guns that caught her attention.

She let out a small gasp in surprise as she found not one, but several Lasguns inside a bin like some cheap gun in a Budget Arms shop. “You have these here!?” She asked excitedly as she fished one out and held it in her arms. She thought she’d never get her hands on one of these. It was a weapon that took Night City and the rest of the world by storm.

Relatively lightweight, extremely durable and quite powerful with a decent rate of fire, few came close to offering what the Arasaka managed to squeeze into the frame of the Lasgun. Sure you could buy an LMG but those were heavy and you can use a lighter rifle but those lack the punch the Lasgun could throw. There was her gun which was strapped to her thigh, but that was one weapon she wouldn’t compare to anything. Everyone she knew wanted one of these with how reliable they were. She didn’t know how his people figured out a way to scale things down from a backpack down to a small brick but she had to give props to them for doing what was once considered impossible. Rumor had it that you could toss them in a fire and it’d charge the battery, but those were just rumors right?

“Which one? You have to be specific here cause there’s a lot of stuff in here!” Hiro shouted back before cursing as she heard the sound of something metallic hitting the ground.

“The top shelf stuff Arasaka sells in... Oh wait, Forgot who you are for a brief second.” She palmed her face as she remembered who she was with. Of course he’d have dozens of these just laying around like some common firearm.

“Huh, I thought the Bolter hadn’t been released… wait, why are you holding that paper weight?” Hiro replied as he came back wearing a large heavy bag. He looked at the gun in her hands in confusion. She gasped in shock and stared right back at him in disbelief at what he just called the Queen of the Streets as she hugged the gun close to her chest.

“Paper weight!? These are Lasguns. Literal laser guns with enough power to put most guns out on the street to shame and one that doesn’t require you to lug around a power pack. How can you call this paperweight?” She asked in bafflement as the literal top shelf stuff Arasaka gun shops had, which were usually under lock and key, was looked upon like it was some cheap disposable Slaught-O-Matic.

“Eh, they’re nothing special.” Hiro replied dismissively as a mechanized tentacle reached out from behind him and grabbed another gun from one of the shelves.“Sure they’re rugged as hell and easy on the logistics but they’re nothing special? Like, the gauss pistol I gave you is a literal work of art…Lasguns though… bottom of the barrel.” He explained before offering the bulky gun to her.

She looked at the gun in his hands and the one she was holding before sighing as she slung the lasgun over her shoulder before taking what was offered to her. It was big and had a bit of heft to it, but the large bore as well as the equally brutally large bullets inside the magazine were something she approved of. “You know… I shouldn’t be surprised at this point. I’m still taking this one.” She said as she spun the heavy gun and aimed at an armor stand in the corner holding a half finished armor clearly meant for a girl. Hey, if they were bottom of the barrel, she was going to take one.

Hiro snorted out in amusement and shook his head before replying.“Sure. You can take as many as you want. As for the bolter, you won’t be disappointed! Adam loves this a lot with all the bullet mods you can have loaded here. We’ll be releasing this to the public by Monday next week.”

“You know, I’m not sure if should be excited or horrified that Adam fucking Smasher loves this gun.” She replied with a chuckle. Her life truly had become an absurd comedy, but she wasn’t going to complain right now. She was saving up for one of the heavier guns she’d found in a Budget Arms store and kitting it up but now, she was far more armed than even seasoned solo. Truly Hiro was a man after her own heart.

“So, ready to kill some stray Scavs, Maelstrom, and Voodoo Boys?” Hiro asked as more mechanized tentacles slipped out of his back, each tipped with an assortment of weapons. She grinned as she cocked the bolter in her hands. She was going to enjoy this. It was her civic duty to rid the streets of those scum after all. Maelstroms were psychos, the Voodoo Boys doomed a venture that could have helped the city, and the Scavs, well she was going to make sure that she aimed to make them suffer.

“Oh before that, can you wear this, by the way?” Hiro asked as he offered her a bracelet made of dark stones. She felt her cheeks heat up again as she looked at the jewelry before looking up at him. It looked vaguely ancient Egyptian in a theme with green glowing rune and a weird ankh with four side prongs and a horn atop it.

“Guns and Jewelry? You certainly know how to spoil a girl but, I’ll have to say no on this one.” She replied with a smirk. She was honestly feeling overwhelmed with all the gifts here. She felt she was taking advantage of him and she didn’t want to come out as a gold digger.

“It’s a nondescript Trauma Team beacon. If it ever senses something on your vitals or if it’s taken from you, it’ll call in every single Trauma team to your location.” Hiro explained as he bashfully looked away. She bit her lips as she mulled over the choice. A trauma team pick up was valuable, life was precious and a literal second chance was something most fixers offer up as a reward. Against her pride, she gave in.

“Ok fine. I’ll take it but not because it looks pretty or anything.” She replied as she reached out for the bracelet. The moment she put it on, however, things started going weird. Vertigo hit her like a truck as her senses suddenly felt sharper. She could taste colors, hear objects, and see sound. “Hey Hiro, you sure this isn’t a BD to give you synesthesia?” She asked.

Hiro blinked as he said, “Let me check that… must have added something.” He replied as he took apart the thing with the mechanical arms before putting it back together after replacing one bead out of it. “Here, try this.” He said as he gave it back to her. She was a bit leery at it now, but she took the risk anyway and wore it. Thankfully, she didn’t start feeling weird again.

“Hey Hiro, you know if you wanted to fuck, you could have just asked instead of trying to put something weird in there.” She teased him to see his intentions. The way he turned red and blustered in embarrassment was an amusing and relieving sign.

“Becca! Don’t say it like that!” He replied all flustered and hot about it. Well, that was certainly a surprise to her. She pegged him for someone a bit more free when it comes to sex but to think that he was a shy one? Things might get freaky once she cracked that shell open.

“Hey, I’m not the one that kept sneaking glances on my ass and chest.~” She replied as she sauntered past Hiro, making sure to give a bit more sway in her walk as she did so. Leaning against the open door, she then said, “Hah, you are adorable. As much as I like a good lay, that’ll have to come later because I’m itching to pulp some Scav’s head with these babies.~”

“Y-yeah. Follow me, the garage is this way.” Hiro replied with a gulp before he led her out of the room. She took note of how he walked a bit faster. Someone was certainly excited about things.

Becca smirked as she skipped along while following him. It was all too easy now that it was her turn to do the teasing. She was going to have some much fun teasing him now that she knew how easy it was to get him hot in the collar. Adorable and horny, almost like a bunny really. She just had to ask Susanna if he had any spare male joytoy costumes in the back.

-x-x-x-

One elevator ride later, Rebecca would find herself in the parking lot housing all the cars of various high ranking execs and important people for Arasaka. There were a lot of high end sports cars around with their sleek design and flashy yet tasteful looks that employed gold, but not to the level of tackiness that the Valentinos had, and then there was the ever so classic Chevillon Emperor that looked powerful with its big boxy design and heavy set of wheels.

“So, where’s Adam’s tank? Or does he use an APC?” Rebecca wondered as she looked around. She wasn’t seeing any heavily armed vehicle. No guns, no visible missiles, no nothing. She didn’t see anything that vaguely resembled what she thought Adam Smasher would take out on a ride.

“It’s here somewhere. Let me just…” Hiro raised the keys of Adam’s car and pressed the remote key. The sound of a car unlocking nearby made her turn and what she found completely baffled her.

She expected a tank, or a gun on wheels, not an old fashioned muscle car. Despite being a normal car, it fit its owner to a T. It was large, imposing and powerful with the large engine block she knew was sitting behind that hood. Its large boxy appearance made it look like it could take a beating before it even got scratched. The missile launcher visible beneath the light was the only tell tale sign that this was something that Adam would definitely ride in.

“Wait, that’s Adam’s car?” She asked as she walked around the beast. There was a humanoid robot attending to it, washing it diligently… and it looked like it had just finished washing away the last traces of blood off the car.

“Damn it. Shoo! Bad bot! Go back to the maintenance closest.” Hiro cursed out as he scolded the robot who froze before straightening up and walking away. “I don’t know why but that Servitor keeps washing Adam’s car…” He shook his head in dismay. Ah, that certainly explained why Adam wanted them to run over someone.

“Anyways, yeah. Surprising isn’t it? Modified this beauty for him. You know, I half expected him to bring a tank hull when he said he wanted his ride repaired, not this.” He laughed out as he opened the door and hopped in. It was obviously modified to allow Adam to fit inside, which made Hiro look even smaller in the seat but he had his tentacles to hold the wheels and operate the car.

“Surprising? Yeah, nah. I’m at a loss for words here. Like wow, it looks good.” She said as she traced her hands around the car. She might not know cars, unlike her brother, but she could appreciate one well enough.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go!” He asked as he opened the other door for her. She didn’t have to be told twice as she followed his suit and the two were off without any more delays. They blasted off the exit at the side of Arasaka’s tower and headed straight for the main highways.

They were certainly well beyond the speed limit as Hiro recklessly drove past the other cars on the street with almost manic glee. To the other cars, they were merely a blur as Hiro just floored it. She laughed in glee as they headed straight for Pacifica. The unfinished towers and its surroundings in the distance slowly getting larger

“Hey Becca, man the turrets. We’re going in guns blazing!” Hiro shouted as they neared one of the entrances to Pacifica. A panel flipped open in front and she was greeted with the weapons system of the war rig. She plugged herself in and found herself in control of every weapon in the vehicle. There were guns aplenty, missile launchers, chain swords and something called a phosphex thrower. She didn’t know what it was, but she'd find out soon enough.

“Fuck yeah!” She shouted as she armed the machine guns in front of them. The windows in front of Hiro adjusted to show the street ahead even as the guns obstructed parts of their vision. Up ahead, there were a couple of cops barring the entrance and they were already pointing their weapons at them. Hiro only smiled as their car went faster.

The pigs scattered as they recognized which car was heading their way. “Becca! Activate the chain swords!” He shouted as he aimed their ride straight towards the opened gates of Pacifica.

She cackled as she deployed the swords hidden behind the bumpers. They slipped out of their hidden compartments and lined themselves in front of them like a demented cow catcher. The roar of the saw blades could be heard over the sound of their car and the howling wind and sound they produced when they touched the cars in front of them was indescribable. They smashed through the cars and shredded them, metal tearing and parts flying as they sliced through without pause or slowing down. Nothing could stop them.

Pacifica was the most dangerous place in Night City. It was the home of the most hardened criminals Night City had to offer. Gangs vied for dominance over the area, but the Voodoo boys were firmly entrenched inside. The tall buildings and the central stadium served as bastions for them. They controlled this part of town and they did not take lightly to outsiders.

Their entrance didn’t go unnoticed as the various gangsters in the middle of a fire fight started turning their weapons on them instead of their rivals. Rebbecca made sure to answer accordingly as she opened fire. Gyro rockets started blasting out of the turret in front, pepperring them with explosive fire. Hiro swerved around, catching various Voodoo boys in his chainsword bumpers, shredding them in a crimson shower of gore and offals. Blood sprayed everywhere as they were sliced and diced into ribbons by the spinning saw blades in front of the car.

Even amidst the carnage, Rebecca couldn’t help but roll down the window and add her own fire to the mix. She laughed out loudly as she fired her Bolter pistol and Lasgun in tandem. The Bolter gun kicked like a mule but the sound, oh the sound was glorious. The heavy thundering bangs followed by the subsequent explosions of what sounded like cluster grenade mixed in with the loud of crack of the very air itself flash fried echoed across the street mixe

Hiro spun them around, letting her fire at everyone and everything before her clips ran empty and her gun ran too hot to fire anymore. “More! I want more!” She shouted as they painted the streets red. Hiro whooped out with her as he nodded and headed deeper inside the combat zone.

It wasn’t just Voodoo boys that they found in the Zone. While the gang ruled the area, that didn't stop others from trying to make temporary enclaves inside. While she and Hiro were slaughtering people left and right, they still picked who they targeted. Maelstrom gangs were rendered down to scrap metal as they passed by. The ever so opportunistic Scavs who flocked around the dead and dying like vultures became giblets under the heavy firepower of her ride. The Voodoo boys, on the other hand, became the main target of Hiro in his quest to paint their car red.

Heavy ordinance was leveled against them, but Adam’s car kept on giving out surprises. She wasn’t going to deny that she screamed when she saw someone firing a rocket at them, but the car merely shrugged it off as the unscratched hull glowed a brief green. “Iron Halo bitch!” Hiro shouted as he turned their ride and rammed the bastard against a wall.

The man was torn in half as the car’s bumper started eating through flesh and the concrete wall behind it. The brutality was a nice touch but she wanted a bit more boom rather than slash. “Hey Hiro, what’s this phosphex thrower here?” She asked as Hiro pulled back and drove straight for the central plaza.

Hiro’s grin sent shivers of excitement up her spine. “It’s a surprise! Don’t fire till I say go and when you do, don’t stop!” He shouted as he sped through the road. Barricades? Blown up cars? Nothing could stop their rampage as they tore through them like they were rice paper.

The central towers loomed up ahead as the amount of lead aimed at them kept ramping up to the point that the Iron Halo flickered and the glass cracked, yet it held. The damage was merely cosmetic and the surprise they had from suddenly bursting onto the scene without so much as a warning was helping sow confusion and fear amongst the ranks of these bastards.

Slamming his foot down hard on the pedal, Hiro started his loop around the central district where the gunfire was at its heaviest. “Becca now!” Hiro shouted and Becca slammed her metaphorical fingers on the trigger. White flame washed around them as everything started to burn. Men, guns, the road itself burnt as they passed through like a comet of destruction.

She felt like she came a bit as she kept firing even as her view was obstructed by the sea of fire. She held no mercy for anyone out in the road now, especially past midnight. No civilian in their right mind would ever venture out in the open inside the Combat Zone, so she fired away without pause. She laughed at the carnage as they looped around the central area before zooming off.

-x-x-x-

After that, things started to die down as they ran out of targets and ran dangerously low on ammunition. Fuel, however, was not an issue with the backup battery inside the car. “Fucking Nova, no fucking amazing” She whispered out in a hoarse voice. She screamed her voice out in her excitement. She’d racked up more bodies today than in the last few months combined.

“Hah yeah… I need to make a BD of that. I might just use that for a game I’d been meaning to get published.” Hiro replied as they cruised through the highway in Night City. They’d just left Pacifica an hour ago and were just going wherever. They were up all night killing people left and now the first crack of dawn peaked from the horizon.

“Hey Hiro, can we go to the Badlands? I want to show you something.” Becca then said as she watched the light of dawn reach up the night sky. With how fast they were going, they still had some time to get to the place before the sun rose. Hiro nodded as he took the next exit and headed for the outskirts of the city.

They left the city soon after and now they were out in the wild. The car handled the rough terrain as well as any road. “There, right at that hill. I wanna show you something!” She pointed excitedly at a nearby hill. Hiro drove off the road and headed straight for the hill.

They were just on time for the sunrise when they got to the top. “Come on, it’s almost starting!” She shouted as rushed out of the car with Hiro in town.

“H-hey! What’s with the hurry- Oh…” Hiro asked out as the sun started rising up the sky. The plains below were soon illuminated by the sun’s light. The dark sky slowly changed colors and soon the light blue sky of dawn dominated above.

“I know right? Best view you’ll ever get around here. Bro used to take me out here when I was younger.” She said as sat down on a particular boulder. It was nice and flat, just perfect to sit on for two people while watching the sun rise.

“Used to?” Hiro asked, concern or maybe confusion evident in his voice.

“Hadn’t had time since… well, forever. Just been too busy in the endless rat race.” She replied as she basked in the feeling of the rays of the sun against her stark white skin. It was peaceful out here, away from everything. There was just her, Hiro, and the wilderness.

They watched the sunrise together in peace and quiet, occasionally making small talk as they sat there. They’d had a wild night and this was a nice way to destress and cool off. “Hey Becca?” Hiro then asked as Rebecca took a peek at him.

“Yeah?” She asked as she kicked her feet.

“What’s your dream?” Hiro asked out while he stared out at the horizon.

“What’s with all the sappy stuff all of a sudden~?“ She snorted in amusement as she turned towards him.

“Come on, just humor me here.” Hiro answered back with a soft smile on his face.

She hummed for a bit, thinking if she should tell him before nodding. “Ok, I’ll tell you. Don’t laugh ok?” She made him promise as she looked at him seriously.

“I won’t.” Hiro turned towards her with a nod.

“I want to be a mother. I want to settle down with someone and raise children. Shooting things is fun and all but you have to stop once in a while and a family sounds like a good way to remind me that I have more to live for than simple violence.” Rebecca replied, letting it all out and telling him her innermost desire. The other Mox kept saying it was adorable and she just hated all the cooing’s and aww’s she received from them.

Hiro suddenly burst in a fit of giggle making her brow twitch. “Damn it you gonk! I told you not to laugh!” She shouted as she punched him lightly on the shoulder.

“Sorry sorry, I didn’t expect it at all.” Hiro replied as he raised his hands in self defense. “I just didn’t expect something like that. I thought you’d go with a comfortable life or something.”

Rebecca snorted at that. “A comfortable life is boring. I want some action and hardship in my life along with the joy and laughs. There’s no ups if there’s no downs you know? Do you know how much of a pain it is raising someone? Yeah, having to cook for Pilar and the others is a pain in the ass but it’s fun, fulfilling even.” She admitted. Cooking Eezy Beef was an art she wanted to keep honing.

“It’s a nice dream.” Hiro replied and she raised her fist once more. “No really, I swear! It’s cute, kinda like you really.” he added as he slowly lowered his hands.

She blushed as she looked away with a huff. “You better mean that, mister.” She growled threateningly at him. Was having a family that funny of a dream?

“Well since you shared yours, I’ll share you mine” Hiro then said. That got her to turn back towards him. She waited for him to answer only for him to point up at the sky. She looked up a bit and wondered what he meant about it.

“You… want to go to space? Don’t you go there like every holiday or something?” She asked. He was certainly wealthy enough for the ride up there.

“No, I want to explore space.” Hiro explained and things made a whole lot more sense to her now. “To explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!” he then quoted unashamedly.

It was now Rebecca’s turn to laugh. “Really, Star Trek?” She asked as she wiped a false tear off her eyes.

“Hey it’s a classic for a reason. Oh yeah, forgot to add that I want to shoot some aliens in the face if I ever find that they’re like the Cardassians.” Hiro then added with a nod.

“Yeah, Fuck those guys. If you ever find some baddies out there, I’m sure turning them inside out would be fun.” Rebecca agreed to that. There was certainly going to be conflict up there and it’s best to be armed to the teeth when they meet them. Can’t have them thinking that humanity was just easy prey that would roll over the moment adversity faced them.

“Well. It would be more fun if I had someone with me.” Hiro then said as he stared back at her. She rolled her eyes before she suddenly reached out to the back of Hiro’s head and pulled the lovable idiot in for a kiss. There was some hesitation at first but slowly he relented and allowed her to lead as she locked lips with the boy.

After a long and passionate kiss, Rebecca pulled back with a grin as she left him breathless and flushed from arousal. She certainly still had it in her. “Well, exploring space and raising a family sounds like it could work well together.” She whispered into his ears while her hands danced down below. She certainly liked what she was feeling down below but she had enough fun for the day. She was far too exhausted to have any more excitement and teasing the hell out of him was way too fun. She was definitely going to ride him, but that would be for another time.

She stretched a bit to work out her sore shoulders. Firing those guns certainly was a hard task and she’d need a good long rest. Her bed called her she wanted to know if her brother suddenly choked on a spoon or something. This was the longest she’d left him all alone. He’s probably starving by now.

“Hey lover boy, let’s go. Don’t want to be caught out here when the heat starts ramping up.” She called out as she sauntered back to their blood-caked ride. The gore coating the hull of the war wagon remained fresh despite how long it had been since they killed all those people and Rebecca did not want to know how that was a thing.

The ride back home was an uneventful ride and she liked it that way. She’d had enough excitement for the day. ”Hey Hiro, I had a great time. Think we can have a repeat of this… next week?” She asked as she thinked long and hard about when they could do this again. They both had lives to live and she did not want to get him in trouble for the fun they had. He was an uptown boy, she was a downtown girl, but they could certainly make this work.

“I’m going to look forward to that. Getting to stretch my legs after being cooped up in my lab for so long is refreshing.” Hiro replied with a smile. Hiro getting a taste of the Solo lifestyle? Well that was certainly something Rebecca thought as she shook her head and chuckled.

Rebecca stepped out the car and immediately felt something was off as she heard strange sounds coming from the tarp covered hole where her apartment was. She frowned as she headed for her apartment and the closer she got, the more she wished she did not go back home.

“More daddy~! More!” A female voice screamed out through the door as Rebecca stood there frozen in shock. Was her brother with another woman in the house?

“Oh god! It’s so deep! Right there! Keep hitting me there!” Another female voice called out making Rebecca gag. He was with two girls?! She ran out of the apartment but not before she heard her brother’s voice.

“Yeah hehe,~ Pilar’s right here for you girls!” Pilar’s obnoxious voice shouted before it faded as she burst through the exit of her apartment.

Thankfully, Hiro was still there and was talking to someone. She walked up to the car and knocked hurriedly. Hiro canceled the call as he turned towards her in confusion. He unlocked the door for her and she jumped right back in as she sat down and covered her face. “Did… something happen? Should I call trauma team?” he asked before she waved him off.

“Take me anywhere, just anywhere.” She groaned in mortification and horror.

Hiro quickly caught on to what happened and he howled out in laughter as he drove off back to the tower. She slept in Hiro’s room that day before she came back to her apartment. For days after that incident, she couldn’t look at Pilar’s eyes.

-x-x-x-

Kiwi woke up with a scream as she flailed around the silken bed she found herself in. She pulled at the first thing she found, a fluffy pillow, and covered herself as she looked around the luxurious apartment she found herself in. She didn’t know where she was or what happened. The last thing she remembered was how she got smashed enough to start flirting with Adam…

She groaned as she flopped back on her, or rather Adam’s bed, and covered her face. The memories of the night hit along with a headache from a nasty hangover like a freight train for her poor brain. It wasn’t just her brain that she found aching but the general area between her legs.

“Fuck… did I just get fucked by Adam Smasher?” She laughed out half hysterically as a blinking message in her interface caught her eye. They were the typical messages from her crew and people she knew but two stood out from the rest. One was from Adam Smasher while the other was from her ward, Lucy. She opened Adam’s message first.

‘Foods in the fridge and the bath’s behind the stairs. Don’t get locked out, not my apartment. Burrowed it from some Arasaka corpo.’ It read. She scoffed at that as she rolled to the side of the bed and tried getting off but found her legs were made of jello.

“Fucking pig. If the sex wasn’t worth I’d have half the mind to leave something nasty here.” She growled out as she limped towards the bath to get cleaned up. She might be pissed off, but she was satisfied. Adam certainly had experience in spades.

It took ages to reach the bathroom but it was well worth it as she helped herself to as much water as she could. She let out a sigh in relief as steam filled the bath. She felt her aches melt away as enjoyed every drop under the shower.

Turning her attention to Lucy’s message and ignoring everyone else's message for now, she started reading it. The large amount of eddies suddenly deposited in her account started worrying her as she kept reading the message over and over again.

“To Kiwi,

It’s inevitable that we would soon part ways but I didn’t know it would be this soon. I’m sorry I didn’t get to say a proper goodbye to you. You were my mentor, and more importantly my mother, for the longest time and it hurts for me to leave now but I really have to go. Thank you for everything that you taught me. I wished we had more time together. I’m leaving you a fraction of the egg nest I built up as a thank you and as a request to not pursue me. Please, for my sake and your safety, don’t. Good bye.

From your loving daughter, Lucy”

Kiwi took in a deep breath as she leaned against the wall before slowly sliding down. Looking up at the light above her, she cursed out “Damn it Lucy… We could have worked something out with Arasaka so you’d no longer have to run from your past…We’re this close to corpo immunity.”

A/N:

As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! You guys are bringing me closer to being able to literally live off my passion. You guys rock!. also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star. There's also this discord page. I should stream my WoT play... even as horrible as it is. The Soviet grind is easy.
 
Chapter 5

SirBearington

Well-known member
Chapter 5

Life had surprisingly stayed pretty much the same after that night for Rebecca. Oh sure there was the fact that she was dating royalty but she was still a Solo and Hiro was still the head of the Arasaka R&D. She expected there to be compromises as she was a downtown girl and Hiro was an uptown boy but she did not expect her input to be so extremely supportive of her career as a Solo.

There was no talk of her moving in, well there were some but it was just a thing he brought up once or twice, or stopping her career. In fact, he encouraged it and even supplied her crew with weapons. Oh sure she was basically one of his guinea pigs when it came to testing out weapons but it was a dream come true. Testing guns and murdering assholes? Yes please. It was honestly quite sweet in her opinion, as she got to support her input as well in her own tiny ways.

Speaking of her life as Solo, here she was doing what she loved best, murder. Her crew was contacted for a simple job, it was just to clear out a suspected Voodoo Boy Netrunner hideout. Things didn’t pan out so well, especially when the den they were going to hit just so happened to be the current hideout of a Voudo priest of all things and not just some random initiate trying to prove himself.

‘So, you two really didn’t do it?’ Asked Kiwi over the net as Rebecca and Maine searched the building for the ganger netrunner. Kiwi couldn’t find him so they had to do it the manual way, search every last room.

‘Yeah yeah, is it so hard to believe?’ She replied. The whole job was a fucking slog. It was just a few guys but they had taken over a whole apartment building and were using the defenses that were supposed to defend the occupants to great effect.

Speaking of which, she elbowed Maine and shouted just as she heard a panel open up behind them, “Turret!” As a turret popped out from the ceiling and started peppering the walls around them with lead forcing; them to jump into one of the rooms they’d just cleared.

“Fuckign hell, how many turrets does this building have?!” Maine shouted as he tried peering from the door frame only to jerk back as metal sparked just inches away from where his face was just moments ago.

‘Well considering it's you we’re talking about, it kinda is.’ Kiwi snarked back in reply.

Rebecca rolled her eyes as she fired back, ‘Said the woman that Adam smashed and a turret on Floor 5, we need it down now.’ She reached inside the bandolier she wore only to find that she was out of smoke grenades.

‘Touche and give me a sec.’ Kiwi replied.

‘Kinda wish Lucy- Oh shit, sorry about that’ She answered only to apologize for the faux paus. Lucy leaving had been a surprise for most of the group. Sure she wasn’t the friendliest or most sociable but she was a good front line netrunner with her quick hacks. Without her though, Kiwi had to pick up the slack and Kiwi was better as a backline support.

‘No, it’s ok. Also, they’re free for the picking in three…’ Kiwi said with a sigh. She reminded herself to ask the woman for some girls' night out even if it was only Kiwi, Dorio, and her to drink their problems away. What was with it with Netrunners leaving their crew? First it was Sasha and now it’s Lucy?

“So the bitch who burnt down our homes is here. You think you’ll get out of here alive?!” Spoke the priest through the speaker underneath a turret as it spat hot lead in her direction before it was cut off and short circuited thanks to Kiwi. She made sure to shut it up real quick as her gun’s high explosive microjets slammed into the gun turret and turned it into scrap metal. Burning down parts of Pacifica on her date gave her quite the boost on her street cred but with fame came the complications attached with it.

“Oh come on! That was like a week ago. Won’t you forgive a cutie like me?” She shouted to the priest knowing full well that he could hear her. She probably boasted the biggest bounty from the Voodoo boys just next to that of Hiro. She couldn’t blame them as the fire kept burning for days and one of the towers actually collapsed on the last day of the fire.

“Easy on the taunts there Bee, we still have a floor to clear. We still haven’t seen everything this guy has under his sleeve.” Reminded Maine as he led the assault. He was the first to get out of cover and Rebecca soon followed close by, walking side by side with him so she could get into the action as well. “Taunting is after we’re sure we can make holes in their skulls, so eyes open and stay with me ok? Don’t want a repeat of last time.” He added as they walked up a flight of stairs slowly.

“It was one time and don’t worry about it, big guy. We can handle this.” She replied reassuringly. There were barely any bodies blocking their way. There were just an obnoxious amount of drones and turrets instead. It was honestly grating on her nerves.

The next floor was by far the hardest floor they encountered, the moment Maine blasted their barricade away the gangers made to block their progress; they were soon pelted with fire from actual people instead of bots and turrets. “Fucking finally! I thought you guys would never come out and play!” She shouted as she dashed out of cover and rushed at the men. She was god damn frustrated with how slow things were and there were just a few men blocking their way to their quarry.

The Arasaka Bolter Mk.1 was proving to be her favorite gun thus far. Sure the Laspitol had it beat when it comes to the amount of shots she could fire but the Bolter just had that satisfying kick to it and of course its anti material capability. What were her bullets tipped with? Diamonds? Whatever it was, it was ripping through the heavily armed men like hot knives through butter.

“God damn it, Bee!” She was so engrossed with shooting people up that she almost missed the shadow rushing towards her. Time seemed to slow down as she turned her head ever so slowly to see a woman leaping at her with claws dripping with some unknown liquid. Her heart hammered inside her head as she tried bringing her guns to bear but she was far too slow.

The woman, however, wouldn’t be able to touch her as her upper body exploded in an explosion of gore after Maine shot the would be assassin with his arm cannon. Rebecca cursed as she finally turned around and started shooting the corpse. “Fuck fuck fuck!” The corpse twitched and flailed as it was reduced to an unrecognizable mush. She stood there panting as blood dripped from her face and her jacket. She’d need a new one after this with all the gunk covering her.

“Damn it, what the hell did I tell you?” Maine replied as he finally caught up. He looked at her in concern and anger as he scolded him. She looked away, refusing to look him in the eye after she almost died to a rookie's mistake.

“Y-Yeah, fuck. Should have not done that.” She admitted as she pulled out the magazine of her gun and reloaded. The turrets were destroyed, the men and women dead and all that’s left was the skinny ass of the netrunner hiding behind a barricaded door.

“Don’t come any closer! I have this room rigged to explode!” The Vodou priest threatened, making her and Maine cuss out. He could be bluffing, he could be not. Best to have Kiwi handle this before they make a move or they might fly sky high.

‘No he doesn’t, I just fried his detonator. Shoot him in between the legs for me. Gave me quite the hard time even with my new stuff.’ Kiwi then said to both of them as she would hear cursing behind the closed door.

“Copy that!” Rebecca answered as she holstered her bolter before she pulled out her black gun; She wasn’t feeling like giving any mercy today.

Maine merely shook his head as he reloaded his arm cannon before checking the ammo of his shotgun. “I swear, you almost got your ass flatlined. You need to get that bloodlust under control or it’s gonna bite your ass one of these days.” he lectured as he tapped the butt of his shotgun on the door. The hollow sounding ring of cheap aluminum was a reassuring sound.

She threw up her hands in surrender as she sighed out. “Ok ok, I get it. Can we just go and kill the guy behind the door?” She asked as she just wanted to finish this job before it further sours her mood.

“Yeah. Let’s get this over with.” Maine replied as he aimed his shotgun on the door handle, pressing the muzzle firmly where the lock meets the doorframe. “On my command!” He shouted as Rebecca aimed her gun at the door.

“Now!” The Big Man fired, breaching the door before kicking the door open and Rebecca started blasting; There was nothing left afterwards.

-x-x-x-

Rebecca might have been sulking when the Arasaka affiliated fixer’s car left Maine’s turf. Sure they were paid well for their trouble given the current war between Arasaka and the Voodoo boys after that incident, that still didn’t change the fact that maybe she was getting in way over her head and now here she was sitting in front of Maine as he grilled her about the job they just finished. She just nodded along, not really feeling it right at that moment and the midday heat wasn’t helping.

“Rebecca, we’re scaling back on the Voodoo Boy jobs for a bit.” Maine then said, making her snap out of her funk. She gaped at the big man as she stared her down before she exploded on his face. He was just going to drop this bomb on her?

“Wait what?! But that’s our current biggest earner. We’re also getting a lot of street cred from that!” Rebecca shouted as she stood up from her turned over box/seat. They were raking in far more than they ever had and they got to shoot people. They were having fun and Maine had to be a killjoy about it.

“That is exactly why we're not going.” Mained answered back, making her flinch as he stood up to his full height. He loomed over her, daring her to answer back, as he tapped the side of his head and added “You're not thinking straight and as much as I hate to admit it, we can’t do those jobs without our heaviest hitter.”

She blinked, frowning as he processed those words before she looked up at Maine in shock and betrayal. “Wait wait wait, you didn’t mean it like that right? You’re not actually going to actually bench me are you?” She asked with a strained smile.

Maine shook his head sadly. “Missy, you need a time out starting now. No combat missions, no nothing. We’ll find some easier jobs or just go spend some time with your Input.” He answered, making Rebecca rage even more.

“Oh come on Maine! You can’t do this to me. Back me up here Kiwi, I still did good didn’t I?” She shouted, fuming at how Maine was treating her. She wasn’t some doll, she was an experienced and seasoned solo; she could handle it.

“I can and I will for your sake. When I accepted those jobs from Douglas, I thought you were ready with all the firepower we can bring to bear. Turns out, that got into your head. You’ve been far too reckless these past few weeks.” Maine explained and she tried to reason something, anything but she found nothing as she choked on her answer.

“The big man got a point. You’ve been acting like you're immortal with those big guns of yours” Kiwi pointed out as she gestured at that gun strapped to her thighs. She looked at the woman in betrayal but the older woman did not budge with her point. She was sticking with Maine and there was nothing Rebecca could do to convince her otherwise.

Even Pilar was against her as he piped up from the side. “Sis, you really need to chill. Like holy hell and here I thought Maine was bad when he got his cannon the first time around and I tell you he was a very trigger happy camper back when he got that baby.”

“But I need-” She replied in a panic only to be cut off by Maine.

“And don’t go telling me you're strapped for cash. You're still going to get your fair share even if you’re not going on missions with us. You need to cool down. End of discussion.” Maine replied with a sense of finality as he judged her unfit to keep fighting. She stood there, staring at her crew as emotions roiled inside her chest.

“Fuck this and fuck you!” She shouted as she threw her arms up and walked away. She didn’t want to hear any more of this. She needed to get away for a bit and find some way to cool down before she does anything drastic.

“Come on Bee, it’s not that bad. We can still do courier missions as well as stake outs like we used to.” Dorio said soothingly but it didn’t help her calm down one bit. Those jobs were boring as hell and she hated having to do those. It was one of the reasons she was eager to prove that she could handle things but they aren’t seeing it that way.

“Why don’t you talk to Hiro. Maybe he’ll talk some sense to you.” Maine called out as she decided to take the train to Watson.

“Maybe I will!” She shouted back and flipped him off as she walked off on her own so she could have her time off. She grumbled as she sent out a call for Hiro so she could have someone to vent to. Hiro would definitely side with her on this one, right?

-x-x-x-

One phone call, a train ride, and a taxi later; Rebecca would find herself in Watson. It took her a bit longer to get there than usual as she decided to drop by Lizzie’s for a change of clothes. Getting a spare Arasaka Academy uniform her size was well worth the eddies, especially with the looks she was getting. Sure the cops were glaring at her but they just glared and kept to themselves like good little guard dogs.

“Hey Becca! Glad you made it.” Hiro said before he took one glance at her before snorting in amusement. The tell tale brief glow of his eyes told her that he took a photo of her. “Really?” He asked with a grin as she clung to his arms.

“Well, since we’re going on a date, I thought I might as well wear something eye-catching and it worked, didn’t it~?” She asked as she pressed her chest against his forearms. The light dusting of pink on his cheeks was all the answer she needed. “Now share that pic! I wanna see.” She badgered him as Hiro led her to the ice cream shop he was talking about.

Hiro shook his head and laughed as he ruffled her hair before he slung his arms around her shoulders. “Can’t say no to a cutie like you.” He replied as Rebecca felt her stomach go aflutter from just being near him. All her worries seemed to go away now that she was with him and the bold neon sign of the ice cream parlor was a sight for sore eyes.

After a few sweet words, and a bit of arm twisting on who got to pay for the ice cream, she and Hiro shared a seat as they ate their ice cream in peace. She sat atop his lap while he leaned against her and wrapped his arms around his waist. “Well, that wasn’t that hard, was it?”

“You didn’t have to twist my arms literally, you know.” Hiro pouted as he rested his chin on top of her shoulder. She merely preened as she took a large bite out of her chocolate ice cream. Feeling the frozen treat melt on her tongue had her moaning in pleasure. The smooth texture, and lack of ice chunks was an absolute treat.

“How else was I going to convince you otherwise?” She asked as a group of Arasaka school girl’s looked at her all scandalized and confused on who she was. She snickered at how they kept sneaking glances at her before talking among themselves. She had to admit, fucking with people’s heads was way funnier than she expected.

“Point.” Hiro replied as he dug in their shared cup of ice cream and took a bite of his own but not before he filched another wafer. She pouted at that because she was saving that one for the end but he could have it, especially since she was the one treating him. If it was the other way around, she’d eat all the sprinkles and toppings first. “So, what made you look all glum and annoyed?” He asked as he poked her cheeks.

She sighed and replied, “Is it really that obvious?” She was going to have some fun with him before she told him about her problems but that plan was dead in the water since he sniffed it out. She took another bite of the sweet delectable treat and sucked on the golden spoon for a bit.

“Well, you look way too tense, more so than usual.” HIro replied as he pressed his chin on her shoulder. That had her blinking as she hadn’t even noticed that. “Here let me just…” He whispered as he pulled away, his hands moving to her shoulders before she felt all the kinks and knots melt away. She crossed her legs as she felt her eyes roll up their sockets.

“Mmmm fuck, this is amazing.” She replied as she closed her eyes and leaned against his touch. Feeling his cool hands against her neck and shoulders and having them work their magic was something she could get addicted too.

“With how my Aunt’s constantly stressed out, I learned how to give a good back rub.” He explained as his hands slowly trailed downwards. The only regret she had right now was that she was wearing an oversized sweater but maybe that was a blessing as she might have just pulled her uniform off to get a better experience otherwise.

“You’re going to give this to me every single day from now on, got it?” She demanded as she let out a satisfied sigh. An input that supported her career and gave good backrubs? She definitely hit the jackpot here and she wasn’t going to let go.

“Hah. I knew you'd say that.” He replied as he pulled back his hands. She whined out a bit but she knew she could just get more later, the more obvious kinks were already worked on anyways. There was no need for her to be that demanding. “So, what’s on your mind?” He then asked as his arms once again wrapped around her stomach.

She nodded as she snuggled up against him and started explaining how Maine basically grounded her from taking some of the more exciting jobs. “Well… had a mission with one of your fixers and it almost went titsup…” She started to explain as Hiro lent an ear to her problem.

She only gave him an abridged version of what happened but she did not hold back on the details. She told him everything even if she sounded dumb when she started telling it out loud. As painful as it was, she didn’t want to lie or sugar coat what she did.

Hiro hummed for a bit before he truthfully answered “You know… after hearing that. Yeah, I have to agree with Maine on this one.” Damn did the truth hurt a lot especially when it came from her special somebody.

“Oh come on! Not you too!” She shouted without much heat in her voice. In retrospect, and after a pint of ice cream, she realized that she acted like a fucking brat. She felt her cheeks burn a bit at that. She should have known better but she let her emotions get the best of her there; she was still upset though.

“Come on Becca, think about it.” Hiro answered as he started to gently stroke her hair, letting his fingers massage her scalp. “How many times have you nearly been flatlined this week?” He then asked. She looked down on the empty cup of ice cream as she started thinking about it.

“Two…?” She answered slowly but the raised eyebrow that Hiro gave her made her give in pretty quickly. “Ok, fine, it was three.” She confessed, as she had a lot of close calls this week and it made her uncomfortable once she started thinking about it. Was she really that reckless?

“... Maybe you need a less gungho job, and I might just have something that will pique your interest. It’s still something up your alley but less violent and hey I actually need to be on the ground for this one.” Hiro then said, catching her attention pretty quickly.

“Oh? What do you have in mind?” She asked with interest before the last part caused her to turn to him in surprise, “And you want to do what now? Did you just say you actually want to join in? Like boots on the ground?” She added in surprise. She knew he was interested in it but she didn’t expect him to act on it.

“Yup,~ I just need you guys to help me retrieve something that’s been stolen from me. As for the deets, that’ll have to wait as it’s some pretty sensitive information. The only thing I’ll say for now is that it’s sensitive enough that I need to be there to make sure that it doesn’t explode.” Hiro replied with a bright smile on his face.

“For a guy that got his package stolen, you sound a bit too happy.” She replied as she poked the cheeks of her input. Things being stolen was a norm in Night City. The only question was if what’s stolen was worth being taken back. Hiring solos for that job wasn’t really out of the norm and Rebecca already had some guesses on what it might have been.

“Oh I’m pissed but it also means I might get to shoot people with my girlfriend.~” Hiro replied as he held her tightly before burying his face against her hair. She let out a sigh of contentment as she held his arms.

“Old fashioned much?” She teased him as she leaned against his hold while she basked at the warmth of her input. “Well, can’t say I’m not interested. Is this just you trying to make an excuse to spend time with me?” She then asked. Hiro had the full might of the Arasaka megacorporation backing him. He could get his own people doing his dirty work, hell even Adam alone would be enough but he was specifically offering this job to her? Yeah, he’s definitely looking for excuses here.

“What if it is?” Hiro brazenly answered, making her giggle out as her cheeks turned a rosy pink. Pulling his hands off her stomach and turning around to straddle him, she then wrapped her legs around his waist.

“Awww, come here.” She answered as she held the side of his head, cupping his cheeks, before pulling him close for a kiss. They locked lips away and the scandalized gasp from the side only made it all the sweeter. Was she shameless? Oh hell yes, especially when it came with her input. The fact that it turned her on was just the cherry on top.

Unfortunately, their kiss had to end as they pulled away gasping for air. She smiled smugly as she rested her head against the crook of his neck. They stayed there for a while, just enjoying one another's company and making some small talk but eventually they had to get out. Stretching her legs before and walking around, sightseeing around Corpo Plaza. All the large gothic buildings with their pointed spires and flying buttresses made it feel like she was in some fantasy city.

“About that job, I’m going to call a special fixer for this. You guys will need all the information you can get about the target location and there's no better fixer in Night City than her." He then said as they walked around while holding hands.

“Hah. Special Fixer? Sounds like you’re describing Rogue Amendiares” She said, snorting in amusement at the image of the legendary fixer giving her crew the deets on their target. Thinking about it, was Hiro banned from even entering the Afterlife? She also wanted to know if Adam could enter, though did the Borg even want to go there? The smug smile that started stretching across Hiro's face however made it look like he was really going to try and get the service of Rogue. “Nooo, come on Hiro, stop teasing me here! You know I’m her biggest fan.” She said in surprise as she swatted his shoulder only for him to keep on smiling and even chuckle.

"You'll see, you'll see." Hiro replied ever so enigmatically, making her huff out. Alright then, he could keep his secrets.

"I swear you're just getting my hopes up." She replied as they stepped in the large shadow of the biggest building of them all. Arasaka's main tower loomed ahead with its large arched doorway and its thick reinforced walls. The large door honestly looked more like a door fit for a giant rather than a normal human yet Hiro assured her that those doors could be opened.

"Anyways, I kinda need to get back to work. Doing some maintenance on Adam's body. Want to watch?" Hiro turned to her, looking hopeful. While wet work wasn’t something that interested her, seeing all the weapons Adam Smasher had hidden in his body was something she’d be very interested in seeing.

"You know what… yeah sure, why not?" She smiled as she smiled back at him. Hey, she had nothing better to do and any excuse to spend time with him was well worth it in her opinion.

-x-x-x-

Life for Gloria Martinez was great. She didn't have to worry about bills and payments anymore thanks to her high paying job and her son's future was all but assured thanks to who she was working for. Yes, her recruitment to Arasaka's R&D as a Medical technician was a bit unorthodox, but Arasaka made their point when they kicked in the door at her old job and all but forced their contract on her. Maybe she should have answered those “spam messages” she’d been getting all those months ago. Now here she was, assisting one of the potential heirs to the Arasaka fortune as he operated on Adam Smasher.

“So, I heard your son’s doing well in school. Joined the football team and is still keeping his grades up.” Hiro said as he checked on the vitals of Adam’s Smashers organs inside the man’s biopod. The legendary solo was suspended midair by heavy chains as they worked on ensuring the connection between his biological and mechanical parts was as seamless as possible. Today, they were replacing some of the old copper wiring he still had inside him with a special silver alloy.

“Oh yes, Mr. Arasaka. He’s doing quite well. He complains about fatigue from the strenuous regime his captain has him perform but he looks happy about it.” She replied as she handed him the spool of said precious metal as the boy's mechadendrites did the delicate procedure with ease. As gruesome as the procedure was, the Borg looked more bored than in discomfort.

“You know you’re making me feel old here, didn’t I tell you to just call me Hiro?” Hiro pouted, making Gloria chuckle. As talented and powerful Hiro was, he was still a young man at heart. At first, she thought she was only hired as eye candy but now with all the medical procedures she was participating in, she kinda wished she was just hired as eye candy. She had to perform twice as hard as everyone else to make sure she wasn’t replaced.

“O-of course… Hiro.” She replied as she took a glance on the monitor. Her eyes glanced at the untouched vial of anesthetics hooked to the mix.

“Must have been expensive to give him all the good upgrades.” Hiro then commented, making her smile as she shook her head in negative.

“Oh no, it’s all on his own really. We’re too poor to get some of the limb enhancements, much less any brain implants. It’s amazing how good he can be when he puts his mind into it.” She responded with a hint of pride in her voice. The fact that she didn’t need to embellish on the facts about her son's achievements always filled her with joy.

“Wait seriously? Why didn’t you tell me then. We could set him up with some of the good stuff. Hey, maybe he could be a recipient for the Cogitator Neural Implant.” Hiro then offered as he gestured at the bundle of gold, silver and other non-reactive exotic metals on one of the shelves in the medical theater. She blanched at how nonchalant he was with his offer as that implant might be worth well more than she was several times over on the black market.

“There’s no need for that Hiro. I don’t really want to impose and I’ll eventually save up for implants.” She hurriedly replied. Her boss was extremely generous to those whom he deemed worth his time. She felt like she’d be taking advantage of that generosity if she accepted, and it wasn’t like second hand implants that were compatible with her son would be hard to come by.

“Come on Gloria, think of it as an early christmas bonus. It doesn’t have to be a limb or extra organs if you don’t like it being so overt, the neural implants would be plenty good enough. Hey Adam, back me up here.” The boy insisted as he turned to the very much awake and lucid Borg. Said borg turned towards her with those baleful red eyes of his.

“All I see is wasted potential. Take the offer woman, do not think of the cost now. If you're so worried about it, I’ll even foot the bill so you don’t have to worry about any future payment that may creep up. Chrome would do the boy good.” The cyborg said with a sense of finality in his voice. Gloria couldn’t help but nod along at that because he had a point. Having no chrome was putting her son at a disadvantage and against her better judgment, she needed this for him.

“If you insist… but just the neural implants please.” She relented but insisted on that. Her boy didn’t need those physical implants yet, or ever if she could help it. Implants that could help his sharp mind, however? She’d gladly take those. Her thoughts drifted off to that of her boy. She wondered what he was doing right now.

-x-x-x-

Not too far away on a train back home, David Martinez sighed as he had his ears talked off by his hangerons? His fangirls? He wasn’t quite sure but they followed him and hung onto his every word. It got worse after he actually accepted the football captain’s offer and tested out.

Yes, they found out that he had talent, but he didn’t have the chrome so they started building up his strength. He still felt sore but he was getting better, more muscular even, after his captain employed tough love on him. Damn bastard looked smug when he scored a goal against another club.

So now, he had a permanent flock of girls around him and what’s worse was that he found out that these girls lived near his new apartment. It’s not like he’s complaining though as they were nice eye candy but could they stop gossiping for one minute? Even small talk was better than what they were saying right now.

“So, did you hear about that Mox girl kissing a guy in Corpo Place? Like wow, why wasn’t she kicked off the plaza?“ One of his hanger ons said. A Mox in Corpo Plaza, well wouldn’t that be a sight.

“I know right? Wearing our uniform and ruining our reputation. The nerve of that girl.” Another replied. Well, maybe not all of their gossip was inane crap.

He just let them talk, tuning them out whenever things got too boring. It was then that he saw a flash of rainbow hair in the window of the train. The image he saw was hazy but he couldn’t help but be transfixed at the sight of the woman that walked behind them. He turned around to find no one.

“Hey David, is something wrong?” One of the girls, Denice if remembered correctly, asked.

“Yeah, it was nothing Denice. Just thought I saw something.” He replied as he shook his head. Heh, what a joke. Here he was turning at the sight of a pretty girl like he’s some horn dog.

“You’re way too stressed David. You should chill out especially with how hard you’re going in the field. Why don’t we drop by the noodle shop?” The other girl then said.

“Yeah, that actually sounds good.” He nodded along. He was hungry and his captain did say to eat a bit more. It would only be later than he’d find out that he was pickpocketed, much to the amusement of his hangers on until they found out that they were also pickpocketed. Thankfully, he had a spare data chip of cash hidden in his shoes.

A/N:

As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! I also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star.
 
Chapter 6

SirBearington

Well-known member
Chapter 6


Rebecca couldn’t help but fidget in excitement as she held on to Hiro’s hands as she and the crew descended down a flight of stairs. Maine walked ahead as he led the crew and Hiro to the bar up ahead. The dark crummy hallway with steam leaking from overhead pipes, the loud punk music emanating from up ahead, the gruff bouncer guarding the entrance, and the large neon sign above was all she needed to know they were in the right place. They were going to enter the Afterlife.


“Getting cold feet, Bee?” Maine asked teasingly as he walked ahead confidently. He had Pilar and Dorio flanking him while she and Hiro were in the middle with Kiwi trailing behind. They were getting some curious glances, especially Hiro, but they remained just looks and she ignored them in turn. This was neutral ground after all, plus nobody wanted to get banned from the most exclusive bar in the city.


“I’m just excited! It’s not everyday we get to go here, you know.” She replied a bit giddily. She couldn’t help having her emotions color her voice. It was almost overwhelming even but she kept her cool. Best not to act like a spaz or worst, a fangirl.


“It’s been a week since you bugged Maine about this job. Thought you’d already burnt out all that energy of yours after all that time” Kiwi commented as she let out a puff of smoke from her rebreather.


“Aren’t you excited? This is the Afterlife we’re going to!” Rebecca asked as she looked back at the woman. She could gesture at almost any other guys and gals walking in and out of the bar and they’d probably have a story worth telling. After all, you need to be somebody to get in and while Hiro pulled some strings, Maine and crew pulled their own weight.


She pouted a bit, remembering all the begging she had to do as well as the week-long wait she had to do without doing anything. At least she got to spend more time with Hiro but that could only take her so far. She was left restless rather than calmed with all the pent up energy she had now.


“Oh I am, just a bit better at hiding it.” Kiwi replied as her eyes lit with amusement and a bit of smugness with how she held her head up high. She might still sport the best poker face around but her eyes betrayed her emotions and there was that look that had Rebecca grinning and what she was wearing right now made that smile all the wider. Her eyes trailed up the netrunners fancy wide brimmed hat. She had to hand it to the old girl, she could make almost anything work and look stylish while doing so.

“So, a gift from your boyfriend~?” She then asked as she poked the older woman on the side. Kiwi merely rolled her eyes but she made no move to deny it.

“You should have seen what happened when Adam walked in Jinguji.” Hiro whispered into her ears making her giggle out as she covered her mouth and looked away.


“Shut it you.” She fired back without any heat making Rebecca laugh out loud. It looked like she wasn’t the only one that had a complicated love life now. All three of the girls in the team had their inputs. Girls night out would be better than ever with all the juicy topics they can talk about now.


Their little banter had to wait for now as they had a bouncer to deal with. “And here comes another crew of schmucks. Got any names on ya? Maybe some ID’s for the kiddies there?” The bouncer said as he eyed them like they were some cockroaches he accidentally stepped on, making her clench her fist a bit but she took a breath and she merely leveled a glare at him. Hiro’s hands squeezing hers was more than enough to remind her to calm down.


Maine merely smiled as he introduced the crew. “Name’s Maine and this here’s my crew. ” He said as he gestured at them. She could feel the eyes of some people on the back of her neck at the name and it had her smiling once more. She had her reasons to be smug after all.


“Is that supposed to ring any bells?” The bouncer asked unimpressed but he squared up and seemed tense. She could see his hands itching to reach for the gun in his waist but he kept cool about it. She had to give respect to that level of professionalism even if she hated him for being a massive prick.


“We’re here to see a certain special lady. Purely business.” her leader replied casually. They were here to meet a special someone indeed with the job they were going to do today.


The bouncer cracked a smile, amused at their apparent gall, as he turned to the side and reached for his ear. “Hey Boss, some punks here to see ya?” He called out before listening intently to the woman on the other line. He frowned a bit before blinking and looking at them in disbelief. “Seriously? Well, I’ll be damned. Got it, telling them now,” he added as walked to the side to allow them in.


“Boss Lady say’s to give her a second, just finishing some personal matters. Get right in, get yourself some drinks on the house.” The buff man said as he gave them a nod.


Maine nodded back as he walked right in with the rest of the gang. She and Hiro were about to go in when the man placed a hand on Hiro’s shoulder. She looked at him with murder in her eyes and a hand reachign for her gun but the serious look instead of the patronizing one she expected was the one that greeted her which made her stay her hands for now to let him say what he wanted.


“Word of advice kid, you got balls for coming here but you better be packing some heat since this ain’t no playground.” The muscle bound man suggested to which Hiro smile appreciatively.


Hiro simply slung his arms around her shoulder before replying “I’m not too worried about that. After all, I have someone to back me up when things get rough.”. Rebecca didn’t know if she wanted to punch him on the shoulder or kiss him as the man grinned with a nod before letting them through.


“Heh, kids these days I swear. Getting em younger and younger.” She heard him whisper, making her turn and flip the bird at him.


“I’m 24 you asshat!” She shouted as Hiro dragged her away but the disbelieving look that the bouncer made only made her furious. “Let me at em! Fucker needs to die!” She growled out as Hiro slipped his arms underneath her armpit and pulled her away.


Denied the chance to shove her gun where the sun doesn’t shine, she sat there in one of the bar stools as she fumed and brooded while Hiro rubbed her back soothingly. Nothing ticked her off more than being called a little girl. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it, Becca. You know how I feel about this as well.” he said. It was one of the things they shared, their youthful looks both a blessing and curse.

“Fuck that guy. I want a strong drink now.” She grumbled out as she slumped on the bar top. She kicked her legs against the stile of the bar as her legs were too short to use the foot rail below.

Her prayer was, thankfully, answered as the smiling visage of the bartender attended to them. “I might have something that can help you with that. So, what’ll it be?” the woman said as she leaned against the top. Rebecca looked up at her and found only a genuine smile of someone looking to ask them for a drink. “Sorry about Em over there. He can be quite…” she replied as she looked up and quirked her lips while she tried to find a proper word.


“An ass?” She snarked out and the woman let out a chuckle.


“I’d use insufferable but, yeah. Anyways, back to that drink. I’m sure you and your input could use one.“ The woman answered back as she leaned against the bar top. Rebecca hummed in response as her mind wandered on what to order. She could order a Johnny Silver hand but that was too basic plus kinda ironic to buy with who she was with. She wouldn’t have to think for long however as it seems that Hiro had something in mind.


“Hey Becca, mind if we try out a drink my mother used to drink?” Hiro said, making her turn her head to her input. That certainly caught her attention. Never once did she hear him talk about his family aside from Michiko and she had yet to see his mother. For all intent and purposes, Hiro’s mom was a mystery that she had yet to see.


“Oh, a former patron eh? Let's see what you got.” The bartender said as she crossed her arms across her chest and waited for him to reply.


“Add 1 oz lemon vodka, 1 oz cranberry vodka, and 1.5 oz Grenadine. Stir and strain over ice into a highball glass then top it with some Sprite.” Hiro replied easily. The woman nodded and was about to reach for a pair of coupe glasses behind her before she froze on her spot. She slowly turned and looked at Hiro with this questioning look on her face.


The woman frowned as she stopped reaching for the glassware and leaned closely to inspect Hiro’s face. Hiro blinked in surprise as he looked back at her. There was a flash of recognition in her eyes as she whispered in surprise “Wait, you’re A2’s boy? Oh shit, you are. How could I’ve missed those eyes and hair? Here I thought you were just some punk trying to rock her look and here we are.”


“A2? You know her?” Rebecca asked as she perked up and stood up straight on her seat. She was in the dark here and the fact that Hiro’s mom was famous enough for the bartender of the Afterlife to remember her was something. Just when she thought she had Hiro figured out, here come these curve balls out of nowhere. Just who was Hiro’s mother?


“I didn’t really know her but the previous bartender knew her quite well. Also, Should I or…?” The bartender asked as she looked at Hiro while she reached for a bottle of Grenadine nearby.


“By all means.” Hiro replied, gesturing for the woman to go ahead. The woman nodded as she reached for the other bottles to finish the drink. With the bottles in hand, she started mixing up the drink as she regaled them with the tale of another Solo from the past. Rebecca was practically on the edge of her seat as she leaned in close to hear every detail of this.


Cleaning her throat, the woman started while she started pouring them their drinks. “Ok. A2’s a bit of a legend. She was an infamous netrunner back in the day at the tail end of the Time of the Red. She’s not as famous as Spider Murphy or Bartmoss but she’s up there alright. She can quick hack you just as fast as she can swing her sword and god did she have a bit of a temper on her. You don’t want to be on her wrong side cause she got that sword of hers that just dices people up and she knows how to wield it, let me tell you.” Hiro smiled softly at that as the woman traced her fingers across a certain part of the bar top. She looked down and noticed the almost invincible cut on the metal table top. Her eye followed the line and found that it went all the way down to the stone floor.


“Anyways, she rode with the Steel Dragons and rumors, or rather facts have it that she’s Yorunobu Arasaka’s girl. She and Yorunobu were a couple unlike any other. Any job that involved fucking over the corps, call them and you have your crew.” Rebecca couldn’t help but snort at that. Yorunobu Arasaka, a solo who hated corpos? Despite how well known Yorunobu’s past was, she still couldn’t quite see him as the corpo hating legend he once was. The image he had right now couldn’t be further away from his old self with how entrenched he was in Arasaka. He was the face of Arasaka in Night City as the poster pinned to a dart board could attest to.


“Just don’t be caught being affiliated with a corpo else you become another body in the bloody path they left in their wake. They were on top of the world. Then one day, A2 suddenly disappeared and a husk of a man took the reins of Arasaka. We don’t know what happened, there was no body, no nothing. They took one mission against an Arasaka data fortress and that’s the last thing we heard about old A2 and who your dad used to be. He’s still there… but there’s something missing in those eyes of his.” The woman said with sadness tingeing her voice as she stirred both their drinks.


Hiro snorted as he sported a wry smile “Yeah, kinda sounds like dad alright. Stubborn fucking ass. Nothing can get past that thick head of his.” He vented as he let out an annoyed sigh. Rebecca reached out for his hands and he squeezed her hands as he started frowning. Rebecca reminded herself to give Hiro’s father a punch right to the face. Sounded like the guy needed something to remind him about things.


“The only guys in the know last I heard are him, ole Michiko, Rogue, and well you. They keep saying that she’s alive but she hasn’t been seen in decades…” the woman trailed off as she looked down on the pink drink.


“Yeah… she’s alive but I wouldn’t call it living.” Hiro admitted and Rebecca couldn’t help but wince at that. A mysterious disappearance and a data fortress? Yeah, she didn’t have to think that hard to have a fuzzy picture of what happened. It was one of the dangers of being a netrunner and one that made her swore off at that


“My condolences.” the woman apologized.


Hiro waved it off as he replied, “It’s fine. It’s ancient history by now. Still, kinda one of the reasons why I want to go here.“ His voice and smile might tell him he was fine but he still looked hurt. He couldn’t hide it all, she knew the feeling of reminiscing about the past all too well.


“Well, you won’t be disappointed. Your mom’s a bit of a sweet tooth, so be careful with her drink. I’ve seen some people underestimate it kinda like how people underestimated her.” The woman replied, smiling brightly as she pushed the drink towards the two. “Hah, no wonder she loved this.” She chuckled as she gave them a nod before taking her leave to attend to the other customers waiting for their drinks.


“Thank you.” Hiro said as he grabbed the drink. Their little party however would be interrupted as Pilar waved at them from across the bar. He gestured at the room behind him as the others were already parting in. She sighed as she grabbed her drink, just when things were starting but then again this was what they came for.


“One last drink before we hit the road?” He asked with a joking smile as he raised his coupe glass. She giggled as she raised her own drink and toasted with him.


“This is our only drink for the road, silly.” She answered as she downed the drink as fast as she could. She found that it agreed with her as the sweetness of the cocktail overwhelmed the unusually strong drink. It went down fast but she could already feel her cheeks heating up as it settled in her stomach.


“Huh, holy shit she wasn’t kidding when she said this was sweet. Almost couldn’t taste the alcohol here.” She replied, pleasantly surprised at the drink before she glanced at Hiro. She snickered as he grimaced and shook his head after downing the drink. “Heh, going for a strong drink even when you know you're a lightweight?”


“I just wanted a taste.” Hiro pouted in reply as he got off his seat. She got off hers as well as she led them to the meeting place. They were the only one left and best not to keep them waiting.


“Then you should have drunk it all.” Rebecca replied, scolding her input for his fool hardy decision. He might be smart but his wisdom could be lacking at times.


“Don’t like wasting stuff.” Hiro answered back as his cheeks burned from the alcohol and embarrassment. She shook her head at that as she wrapped her arms around his shoulder and ruffled his hair.


Passing by a rough looking bodyguard, both of them would find themselves face to face with the legendary fixer herself, Rogue Amendiares. The silver haired vixen lounged on her seat as she held a glass of whiskey on the rocks. To her right was a dark skinned man who was taking a nap. She looked at them with amusement as she placed down her drink before she commented “You two are giving me quite the sense of deja vu. Last time I saw an Arasaka in the hands of a girl was 20 years ago.”


Shifting on her seat and gesturing to one of the empty seats besides Pilar, she then added, “Well, it took you long enough and here I thought I was the one making you wait.” The others were already seated and were waiting for them. Maine had his arms around Dorio while Kiwi was as far away as possible from Pilar who was chomping on a bag of chips as loud as possible. In front of them was a table full of snacks and some beer bottles which her brother was also helping himself with. She grumbled as she and Hiro sat down with her brother. At least the meeting wasn’t so tense already. It felt more like a casual meeting between friends rather than business; there was booze, food and good music.


“Just had to try something out. It was sweet.“ Hiro replied as he leaned back on his seat while she had his arms around his shoulder. Both of them settled in, getting themselves comfortable for a night of business. Rebecca had to be mindful of her legs to avoid it from tapping. This was their first meeting with the famed fixer. She did not want to give a bad impression on her.


“Heh. Thought your pops would be too busy drinking himself to death to teach you that,” The older woman then said. Hiro grimaced at the mention of his father.


With a shake of his head, he answered back “Not him, learned it from Aunt Michiko.” There was a clear tone of distaste in his voice.


Rogue snorted at that. “Yup, sounds about right,” she replied.


“You know his parents?” Dorio piped up, curious at the casual conversation the two were having. They talked as if Rogue was just a close family friend, a surprising fact given the history between her and the Arasaka’s. Everyone was curious as she and her crew looked at the fixer for answers but she merely grinned at them.

“Oh I know his parents, especially his mom, and rather intimately at that.” She replied as she waggled her eyebrows at Hiro who blanched and turned away, trying to cover his ears from hearing anything further. Her brother gagged on his drink as he started coughing and pounding at his chest. Maine looked the most amused of all as he leaned closer to hear the juicy details while Dorio just pinched the bridge of her nose. “The only regret I have is knowing your dad but your mom, mhmm. Hottest piece of ass I’ve seen.” She added making Kiwi look at the woman in disgust. Well, that is certainly one way to know them.


“I wished I didn’t know that.” Hiro groaned out as he covered his face in mortification. She gave him a pat on the back as the elderly woman laughed her heart out. No one should know the sex life of their relatives, much less their own parents.


Wiping a stray tear from her eyes, she cleared her throat as she gestured for her body to close the door behind them. “Enough small talk then, let’s get down to business. Squama, Nix, if anyone tries snooping around, you know what to do.” She said as the man beside her and the guard nodded. The door closed and immediately the music coming from outside was silenced.


Things got a whole lot more serious as Rogue’s eyes gained this hard glint. They were still sharp and her body nimble despite her age. Pillar took one long swig from his bottle before setting it down while Maine straightened up and squared his shoulder. It was now time for business.


“Before you tell them about the target, mind if I get everyone up to speed? I just need everyone to know the gravity of this situation.” Hiro then said. When he offered this job to Maine, he kept his lips sealed about the details about the things that were stolen from him, just that he needed it retrieved. The mission was simple after all, retrieve what was stolen, don’t get caught and they could get a nice bounty for a job well done.


The fixer shrugged as she replied, “I don’t see a problem in that. Nix, hand out the chips.” The man beside her pulled out a box containing several data chips, enough for the entire crew. She stared down on the memory chip before sighing as she inserted the thing to the slot near the back of her ears. She blinked at the static as the data started to load.


Down on the table was an augmented video of a hijacking of a nondescript delivery truck just as it left the gates of the port area. It wasn’t the usual roving band of Maelstrom, what attacked the heavily armed and armored vehicle was a professional fighting force wearing tactical gear and a whole lot of american flag bandanas.


They hit hard and fast, ramming the truck on the side with a large modified Chevilion Emperor with a large cow catcher strapped in front of its big blocky hood. The truck didn’t stand a chance as it rolled on top of the vehicle before flipping to its back and preventing the turret from popping. Motorcycles came screeching out of the alleys to distract the port authority from responding while the Chevilion disgorged its occupants and leading them was a man wearing a green beret, a bit pretentious in her opinion.


The men were quick to attach an explosive charge on the back of the truck, not even bothering to use a netrunner, to crack the thing wide open. They stormed inside, blasting away before coming out with a large heavy box the size of a man. With their target secured, they loaded it up to the same armored car they used before slipping away. In and out in under a few minutes. They didn’t even take anything else, just that single box.

The video ended just as the port authorities finally came to the rescue as they shot down some opportunistic Scav trying to take some of the cargo that was scattered from the heist. It was clear as day on what this really was. This wasn’t your normal robbery, this was premeditated and planned for. Several more photos popped up on the edge of her vision. One was the news coverage of the event where a one armed Arasaka corpo could be seen being dragged from the van, the other was a render of the stolen box, and finally was the close up of the leader of the group that raided the truck.


“Two weeks ago, a couple of assholes affiliated with the 6th Streets hit an anonymous convoy containing a shipment of extremely sensitive equipment that I had delivered from Japan to Night City, marking the last time I’ll ever have something shipped by Revere Courier Service; ‘Your package is sacred’ my ass, they allowed some Voodoo boys on their servers.” He grumbled as he played back the video just as everyone from the 6th Street gang was in view. There they could see their gear, a mismatch of Militech and other NUSA branded guns but all of them were high end. Even their gear was, as they weren’t just LARPing as paramilitary this time around.


Pillar stroked his chin as he leaned forward to give the frozen image a better look before he brought something up. “Why didn’t you just have it sent via Hitashi? They’re not as famous but they’re just as good. Currently waiting for them to deliver some chrome I bought online and they pride themselves on secrecy.” He did have a great point, Hitashi has always played second fiddle compared to the multinational company but what they can’t give in in volume and cheapness was the sheer reliability they recently had.


Hiro shook his head at that as he replied, “Aunt Hanako owns that company and let’s just say that we don’t have the best of relationships after I kept siphoning funds from her projects,” She nodded in understanding. From what she heard from Michiko and Hiro, Hanako was focused more on the netrunning activities and projects of the company. With all the stuff Hiro has been pumping out, there was little room in the budget for those projects.


He raised his finger before he lowered it down. “Ohhh… shutting up now.” he said as leaned back on his seat.


Hiro nodded as the image of the crime scene disappeared as a three dimensional miniature of the stolen box replaced it. It was heavy looking with more locks on it than a paranoid tinfoil hatter’s apartment. The box unlocked and there inside was a large selection of pistols labeled “Plasma Pistol X1.” They looked far more advanced than her own Laspistol and Bolter but they seemed rather fragile with all the ceramics in their construction.

It looked bad enough but it got even worse as the bottom panel was revealed and out came a small crystalline object surrounded by a sphere of black colored stone. Kiwi quickly paled as their vision was drowned out by the same green baleful glow of her prized pistol. Rebecca could feel every hair on her body rise up as her throat suddenly felt dry and parched.


“As for what they stole, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. They stole what’s effectively a nuclear bomb and they don’t know it because they’re too busy playing with the guns I shipped with it.“ Hiro then revealed and Rogue reached up for her half forgotten glass and downed it in one go.


“A bomb?!” She half shrieked and half whispered hysterically as Maine’s face tightened. The risks just got a whole lot higher now and a whole lot of people might die if they fucked up. She glared lightly at Hiro as she felt her brow twitch. When he said that this mission would make her not rely too much on guns, she didn’t expect to be saddled with a mission this sensitive. For good measure, she punched his shoulder and he took it.


“I deserved that.” He replied as rubbed his shoulder. She was going to have a good long talk on proper communication later but for now, she had to sit through this meeting. “Also, it’s not exactly a bomb, it’s more a power source. I’ve been meaning to set up a power plant here in Night City but most of my speciality tools are still in Tokyo. I couldn’t set up the most critical component here so I had to have it made back there before shipping it over.” He added. Rebecca reached up and massaged her temple. She sorely wished that Hiro’s dump stat was strength rather than wisdom.


“What do you intend to power with something strong enough to level multiple city blocks…“ Maine asked as he crossed his arms across his massive chest. He was looking for an explanation and so was she now.


“The whole city and then some. I have a project that requires a strong power source and I found that I could also give power to almost everyone else while doing so.” She sucked in a breath before sighing. Now there was the lovable idiot she fell for. He had his heart in the right place but he did not think this through.


Rogue gave Hiro a deadpan look before shaking his head. “How altruistic of you. Too bad it could plunge the city to a second age of the red.” She reminded everyone and Dorio grimaced at that. The age of the blood colored sky was yet to be forgotten when its survivors still lived. Even if she didn’t live through it, she’d heard enough about it.


Hiro nodded as he looked at Rogue. “Well, that’s why I asked for your service. There’s no one more in the know than you, after all. If there’s any person that knows what the target's favorite lunch is then it would be you.” He replied confidently and she nodded in agreement. The network Rogue built up from her long life and her skills as both a former solo and a fixer was damn impressive and only she knew just how far that rabbit hole goes down too.


“Also, don’t worry about it. So long as they don’t use it as some form of target practice, it won’t go boom. Easy peasy.” He added reassuringly with a self assured smile. She scoffed at that, easy peasy her ass. They likely had to infiltrate a 6th Street stronghold and getting past the neighborhood they’re located in would be a huge pain.


“You came to the right person then.” Rogue replied as she reached out and swiped right, pushing the box away as the close up of one of the perpetrators was brought up. The man was turned to face them before it was compared to a group picture of the higher ups of the 6th Street. The unmistakable white brimmed cowboy hat and well trimmed beard with that smug thousand white smile of his was unmistakable but it was the man to his right that was highlighted. Everyone else was cropped out and his image was compared to that of the man in the attack. The cheekbones, ears and nose ship all matched up. All that was missing was a green beret and they had their man.


“This is the man that stole your tech. He’s a high ranking officer in the 6th Street who goes by the name of Pablo Silva. As for why they stole from you? It’s purely business really, nothing more and nothing else.” Rogue started as the guys file was brought up. Father of three, Gunrunner, Drugpedller, as well as a human trafficked, pretty standard stuff for a gang member of his rank.


“Your little war with the Voodoo’s gave these patriotic hypocrites a lot of customers but words have it they themselves are running out of stock. Your package just so happens to arrive at an unfortunate time with the Voodoo boys sending any information they can gather outside of your data fortress to anyone that’s willing to take a bite.Those Plasma Pistols of yours, well, that piqued the interest of ole Pablo here.” More photos were brought up showing teh 6th Street handing weapons to the Voodoo boys. They must have paid them quite a lot to stop the 6th Street from shooting them and stringing them up.


“Fortunately for you, he did not hide your product in his house. He had it hidden in a warehouse just near the outskirts of the 6th Street Heartlands. It’s where his particular group conduct their operations, from gun running to human trafficking.” The image of the dealings was then replaced by a heavily fortified warehouse. It was brimming with gun emplacements and men guarding its perimeter. Most of the defense was in the form of gun turrets which was actually an advantage.


“Kiwi, think you can hack those?” Maine asked as he turned to their seasoned Netrunner.


Kiwi gave it some thought as she hummed before nodding “Give me an hour and I can give you some extra time,” she replied confidently. Those guns looked bigger and beefier than the ones available for the civilian market so that was a welcomed answer.


“The warehouse boasts quite the number of troopers guarding and you wouldn’t want to mess with them, no offense. You’ll be facing a wall of guns if you decide to go in guns blazing.” Rogue commented to which she and the rest of the crew nodded. They were armed, heavily so, but even that was a ridiculous number of guns facing back at them. They’d be made out of lead if all those guns start firing.

“Normally, you wouldn’t be able to crack this unless you want to risk an all out war on two fronts, She said, directing that comment to Hiro who grumbled at that ”Thankfully for you, you have a crew that could possibly pull this off and you just happen to have a short window of opportunity to take advantage of.”


The image of the warehouse was set aside for now as a picture of Pablo Silva and who she assumed were his loyal friends and coworkers standing there in a baseball pitch behind a line up of kids in old fashioned baseball uniforms. She had to suppress an aww with how adorable they looked in their little get up. “You see, the 6th Street’s annual Little League Baseball tournament is heating up and Pablo’s and his men’s kids are all in the running for the championship.”


“The match is set after sundown so the little kiddies won't get skin cancer. He’ll be taking most of his men with him leaving the warehouse practically unguarded. Miss this date and your job will get a whole lot harder.” The image of the warehouse came back with the men reduced to a more manageable level. It was practically a skeleton crew at this point but they still had a shit ton of gun turrets.


“Get in, knock out anyone that might see us, get the stolen product, then get out.” Maine listed out the steps they’ll take to get the job. Despite the nature of the thing they needed to retrieve, the job was really straightforward and with the details they had, it was just a matter of memorizing where the people patrol and which areas are a death sentence to be caught in.


“Piece of cake.” Pillar said cockily as he grinned widely.


Dorio stroked her chin as she looked down upon the details of the location before asking her own input “It’s harder than I expected but we can do this right Maine?”


Maine smiled back confidently as he nodded. “Yeah. We need to be careful, but we have this in the bag,” he said with a nod


The octogenarian grinned at them as she then said, “Well, seems like you guys are pretty confident with this job so how about this, Interested in doing another job on top of that?” That got everyone turning their heads to her. That was unexpected, though nothing out of the ordinary.


“What do you have in mind?” Maine asked as he leaned forward.


“Normally, I wouldn't do this but a friend of mine asked and your job just so happens to be in the same place where his daughter is being kept. Rescue her and let’s just say that you have someone that can whisper to the ears of the Orto’s.” Rogue replied as another photo popped up in their vision. It was the group photo of Valentino’s gang members with the head honcho himself, Campo Orto himself with his big bushy mustache and scared face. They stood there with their flashy cars and equally gaudy jewelry but amidst all the men was a single smug looking teenage girl with purple highlights. She wasn’t a girl of one of them but a family member considering she also sported the same jewelry and type of guns these guys carried with them.


A second photo was soon shown where the Latina was smiling widely as she and her friends partied under the strobing lights of a rave party. “She and her friends were having a joyride until they made a wrong turn. Wandered off too far from home and she and her friends are quite the lookers. You know how things usually go,” Rebecca snarled a bit at that.


“There is of course the usual fee. My friend’s twisting my arm here but at least he’s paying with an arm and a leg. So, what do you say?” She added, sweetening the pot a bit. She quickly glanced over to the big guy hoping he said yes. Adding more goals for a job was risky as is but she couldn’t let this go. The girl needed help and she'd be damned if she couldn’t help her when they could do it. Hiro looked at her and both of them nodded, agreeing that this was something worth doing.


“She’s held in the same location?” Dorio asked as she looked at the silver haired woman. Kiwi looked a bit unsure about it but she didn’t voice any objections. Pilar looked like he was rearing for a fight. Even if her brother’s reasoning was impure, he still had his heart in the right place.


Dorio paused for a bit, thinking about it long and hard before she finally nodded. “Consider it done.”


The elderly fixer grinned as she continued with the details of the mission.“Excellent. Now, for the route’s you can take…” She went one while Rebecca listened intently. This was a job that just got a whole lot more interesting. She couldn’t fuck this up.

A/N:

As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! I also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star.
 
Chapter 7-1

SirBearington

Well-known member
Chapter 7-1

Rebecca had never felt so naked up until now. Without the reassuring weight of her heavier guns, she felt under armed. She neither had her bolters nor did she have her black gun on her person, she didn’t even have her normal guns; All she had right now was her laspistol and that was it. “I knew we had to be quiet but did that have to mean we’re only armed with peashooters?” She complained with a pout.


Kiwi scoffed at her comment. “Who’d have guessed that the gun nut would call las pistols peashooters,” the blonde snarked while she was hooking herself up to the modified chair they had installed in the crew’s car. Rebecca couldn’t help but curse that even with her short legs, her knees were still pressed up against its hard surface.


“Bite me!” She answered back as she crossed her arms across her chest. The womans seat was armored and bolted down and she’d be dumb to kick the base.


“Knock it off you two. They’re finally leaving, look alive people!” Maine called out as he turned away from the window before reaching out for the door.


“Finally! I thought they’d never leave,” Rebecca cheered as sat up and climbed on top of the disgruntled netrunner so she could take a look. She made to dig her knees on the woman's stomach as she watched the armored cars of Pablo Silva and his goons drive off.


“Can you not?” Kiwi hissed out. Rebecca was a merciful queen so she got off the woman but not before she flashed her with a smirk. Maine merely sighed as he got off before he started stretching. They’d been waiting inside for quite some time and with Kiwi’s rig, it was quite cramped, so finally getting out was a relief. Hidden behind the rocks out in the badlands, they were safe from prying eyes.


It was a bit chilly today in the desert but nothing her jacket could handle. She rubbed her hands together while the others limbered up. Turning her attention to her boyfriend, she watched as he made the adorable way to psyche himself up by slapping his cheeks after he slung a much slimmer pack over his back. She tossed her arms around his shoulder making him stumble a bit as she teased him. “Sure you can take it Hiro~? You know things could get ugly.”


Hiro smiled back reassuringly as he replied cheekily “Don’t worry, It’s not my first time.” She let out a laugh as he winked back at her. Well that certainly got her in the mood now.


Wrapping herself against her arms, she leaned up against his reddened ears before whispering to him, “Once we complete both jobs, I’ll make sure to give you a ride you’ll never forget.~” She chuckled as she felt himself tense up and turned an interesting shade of red just before she pulled away.


“I heard that!” Pillar growled in protest as he peered out of their getaway vehicle waving her black pistol. She flipped a bird at him as she started stretching as well.


Before they headed for the warehouse, Maine pulled her aside to give her a talk. She stared up at the bigger man as he crossed his arms across his chest. There was no hint of joviality nor frustration in his face, just a calm and almost serene look. “I think I don’t have to remind you that Hiro’s life is in your hands. Don’t mess up,” He simply told him as he turned his attention to the boy trying to defend himself from Dorio’s attempt at a head pat.

This was the first time that Hiro would get a taste of her line of work and no manner of talking could dissuade him from not taking part. He trusted her whole heartedly that it almost hurt at times. “Yeah, understood,” she replied before she turned back to Maine. Was this what Maine felt whenever he took Dorio out on a job with him?


Maine nodded with a smile before he reached out and ruffled her hair. She cringed back as she attempted to fight it off but it was no use with all the mass he had had in his big meaty fist. “Just remember your first time and stop him from doing that and you’ll do fine. Kid’s raw but he has a good head up there,” he said, making her groan out at the memory.


“Damn it Maine, do you really have to remind me of that?” She asked out with a pout as she fixed her hair clips. Getting them right was always a pain and he had to mess them up.


“I do and I will keep reminding you now, go knock them out.” Miane replied as he gently pushed her towards Hiro. She rolled his eyes as she walked up to her input so she could get him before Dorio broke something.


-x-x-x-


They hid behind the outcrop they parked their car in while Kiwi did her work. The man was paranoid, she had to give him that with all the camera’s dotting the building, but she couldn’t fault him for it because of who he’d messed with. She would have praised his balls if it weren’t her boyfriend's stuff he stole. She looked to her right to see Dorio and Maine while to her left was Hiro. Falco was on the wheels while Pillar was sitting shotgun with him while they protected Kiwi.


“The cameras are all down. You have a half an hour till their netrunner figures out something’s wrong. Make it count. Fucking sloppy…” Kiwi muttered out. One Netrunner’s mistake was theirs to take advantage of. Peering up from their cover, Maine made the call and they made the mad dash for the fence surrounding the warehouse.


Without their boss around, security was noticeably lax. Even from down below, she knew the guard in the spot they picked to enter had dozed off. It made things easier as the desert shrubbery made for poor cover. They quickly made it to the chain link fence and this was where Hiro did his magic.

The familiar but slimmer mechanical tentacles slid out of his pack which snipped through the metallic fence with ease with their clawed tips. A Maine sized hole in the fence was quickly made and they filtered through. Hiding amongst the boxes as they heard the footsteps of the rotating guards scheduled to start just right now, Rebecca held her breath as she heard the man’s heavy footsteps plodding towards their position before he made a stop.

“Don’t you dare leave me here John. You know I can’t stand Rodrick and his constant yapping!” Another guard called out as the sound of a heavy door being opened could be heard from their covers.


“Yeah yeah sure.” Their guard waved off their concern before he muttered out to himself, “As if I’ll stay here while the boss is away. Time to make my escape.” They heard him walk past their position but before he could even get a chance to see the entrance they made, Hiro made sure he would never speak of it.


He didn’t have any chance to scream as Hiro’s tendril lashed out to his neck. He didn’t get a chance to scream as the tentacles clamped down on his neck before he was pulled into their cover. The slackened form of the man and rapidly staining pants was all Rebecca needed to know as Hiro pulled back his tentacle revealing a 12 inch spike coated with some shards of bones and brain matter. She felt a bit sickened at the gaping triangular hole left in the man's neck but it was a clean death.


She wasn’t given any more time to think as Dorio gestured that the coast was clear. They jumped out of their cover and made a dash for the fire exit. With their back against the wall, Hiro went back to work. Getting the door open was an easy affair even with the lack of an electronic lock when you had access to high powered lasers to simply melt the door’s latch.

Maine was the first one into the now permanently opened door and they followed in. Maine stopped her and Hiro just as they were about to bolt off down to the stairs leading down to the basement. “You know the plan. Get the target and book it.” He reminded them with a stern look while keeping his voice quiet.


Rebecca nodded as she answered back, “Yeah, in and out in 5 minutes.” There was little room for mistakes here. They were in the core territories of the 6th street, any fuck up could have them swarmed and subsequently lynched.


“Good luck,” Mained said as he turned towards his and Dorio’s target which was located in the offices in the front of the building.


“Yeah, and bring back Dorio in one piece, ok?” She called out to him.


Maine merely grinned back as he gave them a salute before he and Dorio headed for the direction of the offices in the front of the warehouse. They stuck to the shadows and it didn't take long for them to disappear through one of the many alleys of the large storage racks leaving her alone with Hiro. Turning to her partner, she gestured for him to follow her as they headed to the other direction. Right up ahead of them was a flight of stairs leading to the basement below.


The inside of the warehouse was much more cramped than the usual one’s she had to fight in. Despite their reputation as nothing more than gun toting cowboys, the 6th Street were smarter than they looked. The dimly lit corridor lined with turrets was a sight she did not like one bit even if they’re effectively blind with the camera’s on the end of the corridor slumped over.


“This will take forever. Hey Kiwi, need some help here.” She called out to Kiwi over the coms. She could already hear Kiwi grumbling all the way here as she finally picked up their call.


“Give me a sec, I just finished dealing with Maine’s problem. Disabling the turrets so stay put.” The precious minutes they had to stay put in the stairs felt almost like an eternity but, finally, the turrets sagged and went into standby mode. She could finally breathe out a sigh of relief. “There. Go straight ahead and turn right at the last corridor. You’ll find the engineering room there and that’s where she’s being kept.”


She didn’t need to be told twice as she bolted for the corridor while keeping her feet light on the floor. Hiro was hot behind her heels, keeping an eye on their back as they headed for the room where the hostage was taken. The place was as empty as it can get and the only thing she could hear was the constant hum of the nearby machinery. It was almost too easy but, as though the universe was listening, the lights above their heads suddenly turned on.


“Damn it, Hide. Multiple Guards coming down the basement. Take the supply closet to your right!” Kiwi shouted in warning, Rebecca pulling Hiro into the corridor they were going to take.


Rebecca could barely stop herself from cursing out loud as she heard footsteps echo down the empty hallway. The door at the end of the hallway was taunting them, mocking them for how close they were but how short they came. They could make a dash for the engineering room but she doubted they could kill all the guards before one of them sounded the alarm. She had a good aim but she wasn’t that good. She grabbed Hiro and quickly pushed him in the closet before squeezing himself in.

As compromising and suggestive their current situation was now with her body pressed up against his, they still had people to deal with. She heard them pass by and Kiwi fed them their conversation as they headed straight for the engineering room.


“Damn it Rodrick. You’re really going for it huh? You know the boss is going to chop your dick off right?” One of the voices called out in amusement.


“Damn bitch thinks she’s better than me, I’ll show her. Heh, I bet she’ll be begging for more after I’m done with her.'' Slurred out who she assumed was Rodrick. She felt her fist clench in rage and only Hiro’s hands kept her from doing drastic right now


“Heh, with your pencil dick? As if.” Taunted another voice. She could hear something sloshing before the sound of a bottle crashing against the door filled her coms. She felt her shake in anger as she tried to contain herself. Their target was all alone in a room with a drunk and his friends. Her mind raced on how she could put a cap on each of their heads. There were five heads to pop and just one of her.


“Well it’s your dick on the chopping block. Send us the BD after you're done with her.” Called out a third voice as the sound of a creaky door echoed in the corridor.

“Fine now, fuck off, let Mr Swabe here have his way with the whore.” Shouted the drunkard at the others. They were going to be leaving from the sound of it as she heard two of them pass by their location.

“Go choke on a dick and die you brave son of a bitch,” Shouted as fourth as he left the man to his own devices.

“Is he really lucky if the boss finds out?” Asked the third as they passed by the closet she was hiding in.

“If.” Laughed out the fourth as their footsteps got fainter.


Each word spoken only added fuel to the proverbial fire in Rebecca’s heart right now. She tried breathing deeply to calm herself down but all she could see was red right now. She clenched her fist tightly around the grip of her laspistol as she felt her fingers itch to pull the trigger. Someone was going to die and they will die like an animal.


“Damn it! damn it! Fuck!” She cursed out through a clenched jaw as she felt Hiro trying to pull her back and face him.


“Becca, Becca! I know this is fucked up but calm down before we go shank him.” Hiro tried to reason but she had no time to calm down. She was going to kill this mother fucker and with the lights turning off, he had no friends to back him up. All it’d take was one shot and she’d calm down. She quickly opened the door and slipped out of Hiro’s grasp as he scrambled for her. “Becca! Wait!” she heard him but by then she was already at the door.


“Rebecca! No!” Shouted Kiwi but she had her mind already set at this point.


With her laspistol in hand, she kicked the door open and there she saw the fucker with a surprised look on his face as he pulling their target’s shorts off. She wasted no time as she aimed that gun right at his ugly mug before squeezing down on the trigger. There was no lag between the laser firing off the focusing lens and the man’s head. The practically instantaneous beam speared through his skull, drilling through bone, flesh and gore and flash broiled everything it passed through. There was no resistance and flesh parted before her shot and there obstructed by his body was a tall tank of propane leaning against the wall.


She had no time to scream, there was just a blinding flash of light as her shot melted through the tank. Fire bloomed from the container as the pressure wave hit her but not before she felt herself dragged back and shielded from the blast by her lover. He shielded him with his body as she felt herself deafened by the resounding bang of the explosion. She was blinded as all she could see was indistinct shapes that slowly came back to focus and deafened as liquid dripped down her ears.

She stared dumbly at Hiro as he shook her, his mouth moving but all she heard was ringing. Her vision came back soon as she saw the room bathed in flashing red lights. She tried answering back but no sound was coming out of her mouth. She bit back a curse as she finally heard something. “Rebecca! Answer me! What the fuck did you do!” The netrunner shouted in anger. “The whole fucking neighborhood’s awake and I’m now trying to fend off dozens of half awake netrunners!”


“Plan’s derailed. We shot one of the guards but accidentally hit a propane tank. Targets fine though.” Hiro called back to their shared comms as he got off her. Scrambling on to her feet, she grabbed on to Hiro, who looked at her in confusion, and checked his back. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she found no holes or signs of bleeding.


“What? I’m fine but we need to get out of her fast.” Hiro reassured her as he talked through their comms.


“I fucked up. I fucked up. I’m sorry!” She cried out in panic. Her heart was racing as she felt a bit faint at just how royal screwed they were right now but Hiro was not having any of it. Hiro grabbed her and slapped her, snapping her out of her spiraling panic before pulling her in for a kiss. She felt her fears melt away as he held him there in his hands before he pulled away.


Pressing his forehead against her, he answered back. “We fucked up. I shouldn’t have held you back and followed you there. I could have killed him just as quickly but I didn’t. I was talking when I should have acted.”


“As sweet as you two sound, we still have a huge problem. The guy’s came back and I'm trying my best not to get you two peppered by turret gunfire here.” Kiwi reminded them urgently.


Rebecca wiped away a stray tear as she tore her eyes away from Hiro and towards their target. The burnt corpse of the fucker was drapped over the latina, shielding her from most of the blast even if she was a bit singed. Hiro nodded as he went over to push the body aside and started checking on her. Hiro’s sigh of relief was a welcome sight with all the fuck up that happened in the past few minutes.


“Is there any other exit?” Hiro asked as he fixed the girl’s clothes, making sure she was decent now.


“No.” Kiwi replied and that haunting word filled her with ice, light panic following as she saw four heavily armed and pissed 6th street gangers. Rebecca quickly grabbed the door and closed it, thanking the fact that it was enough to stop whatever bullets they were using from passing through but they were now effectively trapped here in this room like rats.



“Fuck, we’re trapped here… damn it. Damn it! I should have stopped and thought things through.” She shouted as he leaned up against the barren concrete wall before sliding down. Running her fingers across her, her eyes were drawn to Hiro’s bracelet. She scoffed at the idea that Trauma Team would be enough to put down the pissed off hornet’s nest she kicked.


“You have to fight your way out. Maine’s going to try and get you but there’s no guarantee. Everyone in the building’s heading down to the basement. I’m sorry.” Kiwi added morosely as the coms on her end cut off with cursing. Kiwi was a decent netrunner but even she couldn’t fight off dozens of netrunners at once.


“Shit… there really is no way huh.” Hiro replied as he started rummaging through his pack and pulling out black glossy rocks of all things. He sat down and started carving it, chipping away at the material with his clawed tentacles.


“Fuck, what the hell are we going to do!?” She shouted in despair as she looked down at the lone laspistol she had. Hiro had his tentacles but they had limited range and the ordinance the men trying to break down their door was way heavier and longer in range.

“Rebecca, do you trust me?” Hiro then asked as he stared down at the octagonal onyx crystal he had in his hands. Gone was the rough and raw surface of the rock and came the glossy and almost glass like sheen to it.

“What? Of course I do but Hiro, this is not the time.” Rebecca shouted half hysterically.

“Rebecca, I’ve been keeping a secret from you.” Hiro suddenly said as he knelt before her. He grabbed her hands, making her freeze in place in confusion. He had secrets but what secrets did he want to tell her that needed to be told now of all things? “I've been keeping this from you to protect you and I wished I didn’t have to tell you this right now but there’s no choice.”

“What the hell?” She mouthed in confusion as he unclasped the bracelet he gave her before pressing the carved stone on to her hands and held on them tightly. The same sensation she felt the first time touched the bracelet came roaring back but this time, it was far stronger. She felt color washing over everything as a sense of vertigo overtook her senses. She felt like she was floating atop a rocky ocean of colors but it wasn’t the sensations that took her words away but the ghostly flame that flickered to life atop their clasped fingers.

“What did… you do…” she breathed out as she stared at the ethereal fire in an almost hypnotic trance. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from it as Hiro had her holding on to the stone while the fire spread down to her hands. She should have panicked when it spread, but the flame calmed her. She felt no fear as she played with the fire which responded to her call like it was a part of her. She looked back at Hiro as four shadows stretched behind him. Despite looking all the same, she felt that all four of them were different. She didn’t know why but she knew who those shadows were. Hiro’s own shadow was flanked by the visionary, the blacksmith, and that of the dragon.

Hiro sighed as he looked up to her with a sad smile. “Rebecca, you are what is called a Latent Psyker.” He answered her. She didn’t know why he looked so downcast but she knew one thing she could do. She’d burn this place to the ground till he smiled once again.

A/N:

As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! I also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star.
 
Chapter 7-2

SirBearington

Well-known member
Chapter 7-2


Rebecca stared down at her burning fist as the kaleidoscopic flame danced to her will. She unclasped her hand and guided the fire to pool at the center of her palm, molding it to a molten star in her hand. A manic giggle bubbled out of her chest as she looked down on the stone in her other hand; she could definitely use this. They definitely had the firepower to fight their way out of this situation. They had a chance and like hell she’d fail when she had a warehouse to burn.


She glanced at Hiro who tried igniting his own fire but his flame sputtered out into sparks like a lighter that ran out of her fuel. She could feel the ebb and flow of the sea being sucked into his very being, like something was eating away at it. “Becca, I need you to make me a promise now.” Hiro asked with a sigh as he looked back at her.

She nodded as she snuffed out the fire and pocketed the stone in her jacket’s pocket. She could still feel the sea at the back of her mind even if was a bit fainter. “Is it something about being a Pysker?” She asked. She had read enough novels to know that there’d be a catch to such powers. Nothing in this world comes for free after all.


“Yes. You feel the sea right?” Hiro asked as the sound of one of the turrets protecting the engineering room exploded outside. To think that this ocean of energy was there around them all this time. Hiro opened her eyes and he knew about this sea long before she was even aware of it. She damn well knew she needed to listen.


“Whatever you do, don’t dig in too deep. The Sea is alive and there are things lurking beneath.” Hiro warned her and the sheer disgust he had at the mere mention of whatever lay hidden in the depths had her shiver in fear. “They’re weaker now but they’re still dangerous. Don’t listen to them, promise?” he begged her with fear tinging his tone and she listened to him.

“Don’t stare into the void, got it.” She nodded, shuddering at that thought at whatever lurked out there. Hiro smiled at her reassuringly as he leaned up to her and kissed her once more. She pulled him in, needing the comfort of his lips right now; he tasted like plums and flowers.


“I’m going to get addicted to this and it’s all your fault,” She growled out without any heat as she reluctantly pulled away and faced the door as the final turret finally gave way. Hiro smirked as he picked up the hostage. It was now or never and their window for escape narrowed the longer they waited.


“I believe in you.” He whispered to her and even if her own ears couldn’t hear those words the Sea did, they filled her with hope as she ignited her fire once more and started feeding it, drawing in as much as she dared from the sea up until she felt the deep end. The fire grew until she could barely contain it anymore and just in time as their enemies were at the gates. She could hear them outside and the blast of their shotgun reduced the hinges to scrap metal.

“I know.” She replied with a smirk as the door was kicked down revealing the four guards from earlier. She roared out as she finally let loose, letting out a wave of fire in front of them. They burned, reduced to a crisp as the sea roiled and their very souls were pushed into its depths. Despite being deafened from the earlier blast, she could still hear their cries of agony. She drowned out their screams as she ran up ahead, reducing those that stood in their way to molten slag and ashes.


Men, Women, Borgs, or Androids, her flames cared not as they burnt all the same. She laughed as she left a trail of fire and destruction. She cleared the way up ahead as she bathed everything with her flames. She kept her pace slow so Hiro could keep up and so he could cover her back and fire at everything she missed.

Walking up the stairs, they came face to face with a warehouse full of angry gangoons. She tossed a fireball at a charging LARPer who screamed as her ethereal fire consumed his form before ducking as retaliatory fire came their way. “How many are there!” Rebecca asked as she saw flashes of light up ahead. Maine and Dorio were trying to fight their way to them but they were bogged down.


Hiro’s tentacle peered out from cover before a live feed of the firefight on the ground floor. “Becca, hit those jerry cans!” Hiro pointed as another tentacle peeked up and started firing suppressing fire.


She peeked out of cover and threw a lance of fire at the pile of jerry cans. The resulting fireball was just as impressive as her flamethrower earlier. Jumping out of the stairwell, they charged ahead, burning and blasting away with almost reckless abandon. They fought their way through disoriented and confused guards until they finally saw Dorio and Maine walking down a flight of stairs while blasting away with the advance prototype Plasma Pistols.She almost felt jealous at the sight but she quickly cheered up as she immolated a poor schmuck who had back turned away from her.


Dorio shouted at them as Maine fired at the soldiers who aimed their guns at Dorio. Maine had the large coffin sized box strapped to his back, protecting it with his body, but this reduced his movement to a crawl. “I can’t hear you!” She shouted as she forced fire down the throat of a surprised ganger who ran into her.


Dorio nodded as she gestured at the entrance. The tell tale glow of her black gun flashed from the windows before Dorio told her where safety was. With renewed effort and a clear goal in mind, both of them beelined for the entrance but that task was made all harder as the 6th Street reinforcement came in droves. Her little stunt earlier definitely kicked the hornets nest as they made it a slog but eventually they met up with the two.


Dorio was banged up while Maine had a gaping hole in his side but he was holding up. The corridor leading to the entrance was littered with corpses as Kiwi held the door of their getaway vehicle wide open. Pillar had the 6th Street pinned down as he fired erratically, reducing both people and their cover to dust but he was slowing down. They wouldn’t be able to keep this up any longer, but they had the hostage and the package; all they needed to do now was get out and they needed out now.


She grabbed Hiro’s hands to drag him away but he pulled back. She turned around, giving him a confused look until he gestured at the stacks of barrels that were marked with 9mm rounds. “Becca, burn everything. This place is loaded with enough ammunition for an Anchorage. That’ll distract them,” She might not know what happened in Anchorage but lighting everything on fire sounded like a good idea. She always wanted to do a cookoff.


The fireballs she made definitely drew attention as her crewmates stared at its flame before she threw it at one of the flammable looking pallets. She kept throwing, backing away as she did so with the rest booking it to the getaway car, until she was sure that this place was going to be reduced to a smoking crater once the fire hit the various ammunitions stored inside the warehouse.


With the building now on fire, she jumped inside their car as Falco floored it. She pulled the door closed with Kiwi and Maine as gunfire peppered their armored vehicle. She slumped against Hiro as it was now finally over. The sounds of gunfire hitting their vehicle became few and far in between. After all, the 6th Street had a lot more to deal with and, as if right on cue, there was a flash before the back of their car was lifted up and came crashing back down.


Away from danger and in the arms of her lover, she finally felt safe and with it came the crash. She felt her adrenaline drain away as a weariness settled upon her. She ached all over and it was as if her very soul was screaming at the strain she put herself in. She was dead tired with her vision wavering and her consciousness tethering at the edge.

Before she slipped into unconsciousness, she looked up at Maine as he being patched up by Dorio and whispered, “I fucked up. I’m sorry.” With those words, her body gave up and she blacked out. There in Hiro’s arms, she dreamed of the past and the future ahead. She dreamed of star gods with their soulless hordes, of ancient and venerable beings with their orcish and elven host, of a golden man made from the souls of the shamans and priest old, of the laughter of cruel gods as they were born, and of a galaxy that only knew war.


-x-x-x-


Things were a blur after the events of yesterday but it was over and now they had to deal with the fall out of what they did. They sat there in Rogue’s booth inside the Afterlife drinking with her as Maine recounted the story of what happened during that night. It was heavily edited with the big man leaving out how she could throw around fire and chalking it up to a far more plausible excuse.


Fooling Rogue, however, was a futile exercise of words. She had been in the business longer than Rebecca had been alive and she knew that they were hiding something, but she remained quiet as she took a sip from her glass of whisky. Setting down the now empty glass, shen then said, “So let me get this straight, things were going fine until your friend here shot a guard and accidentally set off a petrochem tank.”


“I couldn’t hear shit until Hiro patched me up.” Rebecca commented as she rubbed the gauze covering her ears. Getting her eardrums repaired was far faster than she had expected but then again, Hiro had a whole operating theater up there in the Arasaka Tower. She could still hear the ringing from yesterday but it was getting softer by the day. That’d be the last time she’d accidentally, or intentionally for that matter, blow up a tank inside an enclosed room.


Rogue nodded along before she continued, dissecting their stories for any flaws as she laid it out for them to hear, “That alerted the guards and you had to fight your way out of the basement. A fire fight ensued which ended up with the warehouse getting set ablaze when you used those plasma pistols. This fire ended up in a cookoff which ended up breaking windows as far as Watsons…”

Rebecca looked away after but Maine remained as cool as a cucumber as he merely shrugged at her accusations and replied, “That’s what happened.” He stood by his words and he wasn’t taking them back. Besides, it actually sounded more plausible than what amounted to witchcraft.


Rogue gave them a flat look of disbelief but Maine stared back unashamedly, challenging the woman to call his shit out. There was a tense stand off between them as Rogue’s eyes narrowed marginally but she was the one that blinked first as she groaned out and reached for her temples. She massaged her temples before she held out her hands to Hiro who promptly reached for his pack and pulled out a plain ceramic bottle with a cork stopper for her.


She grabbed the bottle of expensive booze and was about to pour it in her glass but she decided otherwise. She simply opened it up and drank it straight from the bottle. She felt ashamed they had to make her deal with their shit but this was the life of a fixer and she’s here to vet for their story so they can claim their rewards from Campo Orto.


Setting down the bottle, she wiped her lips before scratching her head. “You know what, I’m honestly impressed that you fucked things up so bad but somehow managed to succeed in both jobs. The last time I’ve seen something like this was when Johnny was still around.” She admitted with a shake of her head and Rebecca wasn’t sure if she’d take that as a compliment or an insult.


The older woman sighed out before she snapped her fingers and her pet netrunner pulled out two boxes from his coat. “Still, a job done is still a job done despite the collateral damage you managed to cause. The 6th Streets took a big hit and now the Tyger Claws and Maelstrom are nipping at their borders. Still, the current gang wars slowly spiraling out into a full blown civil war within Night City is better than a second nuclear holocaust I suppose.” She said as she pushed one box to Maine while the other was specifically given to her. Rebecca stared down at the box and opened to to see a plain unmarked data chip

“Here’s your crew pay Maine, The Valentino’s send their regards.” Maine nodded as he slipped the box inside his coat before Rogue turned her gaze towards Rebecca. “As for your little bonus, that’s Campo Orto’s contact info.” The fixer said with a grin, making Rebecca blink in surprise. She looked down on the chip before looking up at the other woman.


“No shit?” She whispered out in surprise. It wasn’t every day that you got to have direct contact with the head of one of the major gangs in the city.


“Let’s just say your stunt definitely caught people’s eyes, Little Firebird. That’s all for now so if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to have my privacy with this beautiful lady over here.” Rebecca had to contain herself from screaming in joy there and then. She held the box close to her chest as she followed her crew and Hiro away from the booth so the Fixer could enjoy her booze.


They rented out one of the sound proof booths to celebrate their success. They might have fucked up but it was a job done. Rebecca leaned against Hiro’s shoulder while she stared at the bottle of beer she shared with Hiro.


“I’d have to admit, that wasn’t as convincing of a story as when we first thought it up.” Dorio hummed out as she had her arm slung around Maine’s shoulder as the big man nursed his bandaged sides. He was a big ball of bruises and bandages but he was hale and well.


“What are they going to do? Say that something’s fishy with the story when we made a smoking crater right at the edge of the 6th Street’s turf?” Pillar snorted out as he took a long good swig from his bottle of booze.


“There will be survivors” Kiwi commented and Rebecca nodded. She doubted she killed them all. As shitty as the 6th Street was to others, they were still soldiers at heart. No man left behind even if it means diving into a burning ammo dump.


“But no one would believe them or they’re more likely to chalk it up to some advanced form of cyberware.” Hiro then said to which everyone nodded. News of Arasaka’s experimental plasma pistol leaked into the public and if plasma were on the table, couldn’t some form of fireball thrower be reasonable?


“Speaking of ‘cyberware’, have you always known Bee could do that?” Dorio asked curiously Hiro as the buff woman gestured at her. Rebecca played with the stone turned amulet before Pillar reached out with a cigarette in hand. She sighed as she snapped her fingers and did that party trick she practiced doing in private. She had to light Kiwi’s cigarette as well.

Hiro shook his head as he honestly replied. “No, I had some inklings but I didn’t know she’d register on the scale until that night I took her out in Pacifica.” There was a scale to being a psyker and she was on the lower end of it? Now she wanted to know what one on the upper end would be like.


“So, what’s it like?” Dorio then asked, looking a bit awe struck at the pretty flame dancing atop Rebecca's finger.


Snuffing the fire out, she snuggled up a bit closer to Hiro as she answered. “It's hard to describe. In the back of my head, I knew I could always feel it but I didn’t realize it was there until Hiro showed me the Sea of Souls. Honestly, the best I could describe it is some form of psychic phenomenon or magic.”


“So you’re a witch and a bitch.” Kiwi jokingly replied making her snicker in amusement.


“Damn right I am. I should get a witch hat one of these days.” She fired back. She liked being a psyker even if there was danger. It was almost like cyberpsychosis from what Hiro explained but way worse. She just had to live with that and besides, she had Hiro to rely on.


“Ok, Little Bee could do some freaky stuff. That’s settled so now let’s talk about your fuck up.” Maine then spoke up and her jovial mood melted away as it was replaced with a more somber sadness. She was afraid to talk about it but she had to face this.


She reluctantly pulled away from Hiro and stood up. All eyes were now on her and Maine waited for her to give her explanation. Clearing her throat, she spoke without sugarcoating things, “Yeah, I fucked up big time. Like holy hell could it have gone way worse than it did.” It hurt to admit it but that was the truth. Maine had warned her that this would bite her in the ass but she chose not to internalize it until now when it almost cost her everything. “I acted before I could think and not only did I almost cost my own and my boyfriend's life but also that of the crew. I should have stopped and listened but I let my emotions get the best of me. I… I’m a danger to the crew and I don’t deserve to have you. If you’d let me go, I’d understand.” She added with great pain. Maine’s crew was like family to her and to be let go would be devastating but if it was what it’d take for them to forgive her, then so be it.


She closed her eyes, waiting for those heavy words but all she felt was the large hands patting her comfortingly. She opened her eyes to see Maine and the rest of the crew smiling at her. “I forgive you.” She felt tears threatening to spill down her cheeks but she held it back with a shaky smile. “Besides, I'd be a bad leader if I didn’t see that you learned your lesson. It might have been a painful lesson for all of us, but the good thing is that it’s over.”


“Come on Bee, you know we won’t do that?” Dorio asked her.


“Rebecca, you are the least annoying of the bunch. I wouldn’t have anyone to talk to if you left.” Kiwi replied with an impassive tone but she could see that smile in her eyes.


“You’d be dead without me protecting you 24/7!” Pillar then piped up making her laugh out loud.

“Fuck you Pillar.” She chuckled out as she wiped the tears away. She loved these gonks and she wouldn’t trade the world for them. Maine then leaned in close and whispered conspiratorially to her. “Just between you and me, I got pampered a lot by Dorio after that firefight so I think we’re even- Dorio! God damn it woman, that hurts,” His whisper wasn’t left unheard as Dorio heard plenty enough based on the pissed off smile she sported after she punched him in the shoulders.

“Weren't you looking to get pampered, Maine~? I’m just showing you my love here,” Dorio replied as she cracked her knuckles.


“I kid! I kid!” Maine replied as he raised his hands in surrender.


She laughed harder at the hilarious sight as the worries she had earlier melted away. Things were looking good now and everyone was having a good time. Right now seemed like a good time to make her request. “Hey Maine, mind if I take a month off? I kinda need it to cool off. I think I had enough combat for this year and I’m looking to spend more time with Hiro.” She asked, making Maine look at her in surprise.

“Who the fuck are you and what did you do to my sister?!” Pillar shouted as he waved his bottle at her.

She flipped him off before latching onto Hiro. “Oh fuck off Pillar. You’d have the apartment all for yourself because I’ll be taking some lessons from Hiro and that means I’ll be staying with him,~” She answered back with a wide grin. She could throw fireballs but there was more to it than just fire and she couldn’t wait to have a fraction of that. Maybe she could make her own version of Ball Lightning!


“I… am extremely conflicted right now. On one hand, I can finally spend some of my hard earned eddies on some joy toys and not have you bitch about it but on the other hand, my little sister will be all alone with a boy…” Pillar replied as he stroked his chin.


“I wouldn’t be bitching if you weren’t seducing my friends!” She fired back a bit heatedly. It was one thing for him to hire an escort but did it have to her friends specifically?


“That’s the problem! Almost every good Joy Toy in the Mox territory is your friend! Like what gives!? Do you have some secret book meeting or something?” He asked in outrage, making her gape at him with Dorio and Kiwi coughing with her.

“I refuse to comment on that.” She chose to answer, making Pillar throw up his arms in frustration.


“I might have something that can help change your mind.” Hiro then said as he pulled out a package from his pack. He glanced at the pack wondering how much it could carry despite its size but he chose not to comment as Hiro handed it to the older man.


“I’ll be the judge of that.” Pillar grabbed the box and took a peek inside before a shit eating grin spread across his face. He quickly closed the box as he laughed out in excitement “Oh, oh! Holy shit! My man! When’s the wedding?”

Rebecca bit back a curse as before she face palmed, “God damn it Pillar.” Sometimes he was a good brother but most of the time he was just this. She wondered if there was a place where he could trade him in for a new one.


-x-x-x-


David tapped his heels as he waited in the operating room while his mom fret over him. “Are you sure you're ok, David? We can reschedule this.” Her mother asked him, making him sigh out as he uncrossed his arms and leaned back against the surprisingly comfortable operating table.


“I’m ok mom. Besides, it’s just brain surgery!” He jokingly said but he probably shouldn’t have said that as his mom redoubled her efforts to dissuade him. He was kinda amused because it felt like she was the one chipping in rather than him. Still, the sight of the funky looking brain implant over at the table was intimidating. There were so many wires and it looked so fragile.


Thankfully, his mother quickly stopped as the sound of a door opening from behind him filled the room. “Sir! How was your day?” her mother replied happily as she greeted who he assumed was his mom’s boss. He turned around to see just what they looked like and he was confused to say that least.

“It’s just Hiro, Gloria. You know it sounds so weird when you call me sir.” David did not expect him to sound so young and look like he was barely out of middle school. Her mom’s boss looked like he was a kid cosplaying as a doctor, especially with the pack he had strapped to himself.

“So… you’re the boss? I thought you’d be a bit… older?” David commented, making her mother gasp out in horror.


“David!” She scolded before bowing lowly to the boy. “I’m sorry about that sir. Please forgive him,” She apologized for him, making him frown a bit but his anger fizzled out when the boy just chuckled and waved it off.

“Yeah, curse of being short and babyfaced I suppose.” The boy replied as he held out his hand towards David. “Hiro Arasaka, but you can just call me Hiro. I’ve heard great things from your mother and your scholastic and athletic achievements speak for themselves.”

David stared down at the offered hand before he reached out and gave him his best hand shake, “David Martinez. Thank you for the opportunity you gave my mother, I’m in your debt.”

“Oh no, nothing of that David. Gloria’s a wonderful assistant to have and I owe it to her for keeping me organized, though I have to remind her from time to time that her shift has ended.” Hiro replied, making him snort in amusement. That definitely sounded like his mom. She was always a hard worker.


Hiro then gestured for him to lay down on the table so they could begin. He almost freaked out when tentacles came out of the pack but he calmed down when he saw them preparing the tools the young doctor needed in operating with his skull.


“So David, interested in becoming a corpo mercenary? It’s rare to have a combination of good grades and athletics. You definitely have the talent to pursue it or anything else really,” The Arasaka heir asked jokingly with David’s mother pouting at it.

David had been tempted to take on that line of work as he didn’t have to deal with the likes of Tanaka but his mother would disapprove. There was little advancement there and it’s a very dangerous line of work, “Can’t say I’m not interested but I’d rather stick to the cubicle.”

“Well, if you ever change your mind, I’ll hook you up with Adam.” David quirked a brow as he felt the clamps hold his head in place. Adam? That name sounded very familiar but he just shrugged it off. The Arasaka was probably just joking around anyways, it’s not like he’s seriously considering him for such a job.

A/N:

As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! I also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star.
 

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