《Cyberpunk 2077: Hyper Light Drifter》


 The Drifter

    Konpeki Plaza. An Arasaka Luxury Hotel. Only the elite could stay here. The building was currently on lockdown. All of the lights had turned red, issuing a warning to all residents. ''Stay Inside.'' Gunshots resounded on the lower floors of the establishment. Something big was happening.


    Two levels below the top floor, far away from the gunfight, footsteps could be heard on the ceiling catwalk. The sound was calm and measured, yet quiet enough to barely be noticeable. A cloaked figure scanned the server room below their feet. High powered electronics littered the surroundings.


    The red glow of the lockdown lights brought clarity to the person. A black cloak covered the majority of sleek fitting armor¡­as well as the cyberware beneath.Dark nanoweave fibers threaded the cloak, allowing it to withstand hails of bullets. A crimson glow emanated from the hood. It was an infovisor¡­real time data would appear wherever one''s gaze resided.


    "Tsk."


    Whatever the drifter was looking for wasn''t here. A disappointment. Still, the target would be found. It was at this moment that the infovisor pinged. It was an incoming call.


    Answering the call, an inhuman cyborg appeared on screen. The only human part left was the face. Everything else was pure machine¡­and heavily armored. It was Adam Smasher.


    "Head to the ground floor. Now. Those bags of meat are in the parking garage. They also have your missing relic. Isn''t that what the late old man Arasaka hired you for? Useless."


    Smasher couldn''t help himself. After he said his piece, he cut the call. That man was an eerie one. It''s a wonder that the guy hadn''t gone cyberpsycho. His entire body was machine after all.


    The Drifter turned to the polycarbonate glass windows. Right before a movement was made, dizziness suddenly overcame the figure. A shaking hand covered the mouth as a bout of uncontrollable coughs rocked through the body.


    COUGH COUGH


    It didn''t die down¡­it was quite the opposite. The coughs grew worse. A few minutes passed before it finally passed. Only then did a feminine groan escape the drifter''s lips.


    Her gloved hand was now coated in blood. Not a good sign. After taking some time to gather her bearings, she stood straight like an arrow. Her gait remained calm and powerful. She had a relic to retrieve.


    Taking a single step, afterimages appeared behind her. Each one had the same color. Red. Tracing her movement was impossible. She''d already vanished.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Shit. Shit. Shit!"


    Two mercs could be found in a descending elevator. Both of them wore street clothing and bomber jackets. Guns in their hands. Locked and loaded¡­except one of them was injured.


    "Hehe¡­Hahaha¡­"


    "The FUCK is so funny, Jackie?!" One of the mercs exclaimed.


    "Heh. Saburo Arasaka¡­One hundred and fifty years of life, and today¡­of all days. Died to his own fuckin hijo. Hehe¡­That''s like¡­some divine comedy shit, V." Jackie said. His voice was weak.


    "Think all this is funny?!" V growled.


    "Yeah. I do."


    "Your liver might be fucked! Just be quiet and save your strength."


    "It''s fine. I had it¡­I had it coming. Heh." He joked. Jackie had always been an alcoholic.


    "Fuck. Fuck me! Fuck!"


    "Chill, V. We''ll get out of here alive."


    "Why? Cause you fuckin say so?" V roared.


    "Don''t¡­take this¡­out on me. I can see¡­how the chips¡­are falling."


    "Damn. We gotta stay focused. Gotta keep our head in the game."


    "Argh¡­V. I''m leaking a little." Jackie commented weakly.


    Blood spilled from his side down his pants and onto the ground. A small puddle was starting to form. He would die soon if he kept bleeding out.


    "Keep putting pressure on-Shit! We''re at the garage. Stay low." V changed his tune as the doors opened.


    The two crouched below the cars littering the area. Arasaka operatives were all over the place, decked out in heavy gear. Assault rifles included. There were too many.


    "Delamain in 3¡­2¡­1." V counted.


    SCREEECHUnlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The high pitched sound of wheels sliding on concrete resounded in the garage. It was extremely loud, grabbing the attention of each operative. The self automated taxi had arrived. The dark surroundings lit up due to the oncoming gunfire.


    Luckily, the vehicle was bulletproof for maximum safety concerns and customer satisfaction. There was a reputation to uphold. As bullets lit up the vehicle, Jackie and V crept closer to the taxi. Just had to wait for the gunfire to die down.


    It took a few more seconds before the operatives realized there was nobody inside. One of them barked out the order to stop, prompting the gunfire to immediately cut off. The sound of reloading could be heard.


    "Here we go, Choom. Now!" Jackie grunted before bolting to the car.


    V was right behind the macho man running as fast as he could. As they grew closer, the car door opened up automatically. It had already confirmed the bioscans of their nearby customer.


    "There they are! Fire!" The operative exclaimed.


    Unfortunately, the sound of gunfire didn''t come for another two seconds. Both mercs were already inside the car. They were safer than before¡­but not completely free of danger.


    "Delamain! Drive!"


    "Welcome back. With Delamain, you leave your problems at the door." The AI droned. Bullets slammed into the car.


    "We''ll have a problem if you don''t fucking DRIVE!"


    The delamain reversed on full throttle, slamming into a parked car behind it. This was followed by powerful acceleration that turned into a burnout u-turn. With such a clean driving maneuver orchestrated by the AI, the car zoomed out of the garage.


    "Phew!" Jackie hummed.


    "It ain''t over, Jackie. Look alive!" V stated while lowering the backseat window and leaning out with his firearm.


    Drones had locked onto the vehicle and were chasing not far behind. The merc steadied his aim as best he could, then fired. This car was moving around at high speeds making it hard to land shots.


    "Almost¡­" He muttered.


    One by one the automated drones were shot down. There were only a few more left. The clock ticked as the chase continued. The car was seconds away from clearing the plaza. One more turn and they were free. Didn''t take long before the last drone was destroyed.


    "Jackie! You good?!"


    ".........."


    "Jackie!"


    V looked inside to find an unresponsive man. Blood had drenched the seat. His eyes were closed as he struggled to breathe. He was dying. The merc frowned and pulled out his last stem. Slamming it down into Jackie''s thigh, temporary life was breathed into him.


    "Ahhh¡­Thanks¡­.amigo." He grunted.


    "Almost there. Think about Misty. Think about the credits. We''re almost home free damnit!" V said.


    "...Misty. She knew. She always knew." Jackie''s eyes turned watery as he thought of her.


    It was at this moment that time seemed to slow down. As the car began its final turn out of the complex, V caught something out of the corner of his eye. A humanoid machine was sprinting toward them. A massive cyborg.


    "Oh shi-"


    BAM


    Smasher rammed into the car with a powerful force. It was a perfect T-bone, sending the car flipping and skidding. Both mercs were thrown around, hitting the doors and windshields. V could feel a few ribs snapping. His left arm snapped due to being closest to the impact.


    Jackie didn''t fare any better. His body was slammed in between the passenger seat and the arm rest console. Upper half toward the front, lower half in the backseat. His consciousness had long since left him. V could only hope he was still alive.


    The car landed upside down, sliding across the street and hitting a light pole. The merc could barely get up. A concussion was the least of his worries.


    "Ugh."


    Before he could register anything¡­.a crimson light cut through the top, or now bottom, of the car. No, it wasn''t a light. It was a focused laser, molded into the form of a sword.


    The crimson blade swept from one side of the car to the other in a smooth motion. It cut right through V''s arm at the elbow, also slicing through Jackie''s waist. The macho man was cut in half. His innards spilled all over the seat as V watched in horror.


    A searing line went through the vehicle, causing the delamain to split in two halves. V could only scream at the searing pain coming from his elbow. Everything happened so fast. It was scary how quickly that red light had swept through the car. Almost like a blink.


    "AAAAARRRGH FUCK! JACKIE!"


    As his body fell onto the pavement. He finally located the source of the red light. A mysterious figure in all black, holding a crimson laser blade. A beam saber. The facial features couldn''t be seen.


    The drifter casually strolled over to Jackie''s corpse and pressed on the back of his neck. An engram data chip popped out of the slot. After taking the chip and pocketing it, she began to walk away.


    "Meat sack, where the fuck do you think you''re going?" Adam Smasher''s voice called out. The drifter paused her steps, turning to the cyborg.


    "Saburo hired me to retrieve the relic. It is retrieved." She spoke. Her voice sounded a bit husky, even seeming as if there was honey in her words.


    "Saburo. Is. Dead." Smasher growled.


    "...Yes."


    "So where are you taking the relic?"


    "..................."


    "Next in line is Yorinobu. You should be returning it to him."


    "After he killed his own father?" She mocked. The corner of her lips rose into a slight smile.


    "You¡­aren''t going to return the relic?" Smasher questioned with heated disbelief. Who would go against Arasaka? Against him? Did this bag of meat have a death wish?


    "My gig is canceled. Without a client, there''s no payment. I guess this could be my payment." She commented as if she was bored.


    "Betraying Arasaka¡­to think I would have to kill you so soon." He announced while revving up his machine-like body.


    "Kill me¡­You?" She mocked. The hilt of her beam saber extended, transforming into a swordstaff.


    "I can''t see your features, but your voice sounds nice¡­for a fuckable piece of meat at least. Maybe I''ll take a look under the armor before I turn you to swiss."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he activated his Sandevistan. His silhouette blurred as time slowed. He then dashed toward the drifter¡­only to realize that the distance between them hadn''t changed. He couldn''t catch up.


    ''What? What kind of Sandevistan¡­'' He thought.


    Smasher boasted a state of the line Arasaka prototype Sandevistan. There was nothing better than this. The fact that he couldn''t catch up¡­What the hell did she have chipped in?


    The cyborg''s bullets froze in the air. They were moving too fast¡­but the drifter was faster. She didn''t attack a single time, only maintaining the distance. 5 seconds felt like an eternity in bullet time and only then did something happen.


    The Sandevistan suddenly shut down and he couldn''t move his body. It was a cyberware malfunction. Somehow¡­someway¡­She''d hacked him.


    "How!? A cyberdeck and a Sandevistan can''t be chipped in at the same time!" He roared.


    The drifter ignored his concerns and turned to leave. With a variety of afterimages, she vanished from the area. Only a single phrase was left behind.


    "Shouldn''t you be dealing with your scapegoat?"


    Smasher grimaced at her words. Turning to the defenseless merc sprawled on the ground, he grabbed V and dragged him back toward the hotel. This unlucky merc would take the fall for Saburo''s death.

 Deal

    Heywood District. A relatively calm area, due to the collaboration of NCPD and the Valentinos. In one of the Glen Apartment suites, a woman could be seen fiddling with a small gadget. She sat next to the wall sized windows overlooking Night City.


    This woman was as beautiful as she was creepy. A few asian features which implied a mixed heritage. Black painted nails on the hands and feet complimented her silky black hair. Her grey eyes were empty, save for the slight dullness of life within. Scars covered different parts of her shapely body.


    She looked tired¡­and sickly. It was a miracle that she could move so deftly and swiftly. There was no Sandevistan attached to her spine. In fact, there was only a customized cyberdeck that was slotted at the base of her neck. It was incredibly small, specialized to allow holographic keyboards in her display. No need for the big gadget at her side all day.


    A powerful looking handcannon rested on the desk behind her. It was a mix of black and carbon grey. A [Burya] tech revolver, personally augmented to allow extra propulsion with each shot. Modified to be a portable railgun.


    A normal human limb wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the recoil. As such, a silver line could be found running down the side of the woman¡¯s left arm. It would handle the knockback. There were only a few pieces of actual chrome on her body. The cyberdeck on the back of the neck, the recoil dampener on the left arm, and the enhanced tendons near both ankles. These allowed her to jump higher and improve agility all around. High end sportsware.


    Her cyberdeck was powerful, a [Raven Microcyber Mk.3]. It was the most powerful thing installed in her body. Adding some [Militech-Armalite Subdermal Armor] and that was all. Other small things existed on the inside but calling them cyberware was a disservice.


    ¡°And¡­done.¡± She muttered.


    The girl only wore a crop top shirt with no bra and hot pants, leaving her legs, stomach, and cleavage on display. She filled out her shorts nicely too. She couldn¡¯t help but stretch her back. The constant huddled position made her body ache.


    After grabbing the engram chip from the desk, she then slotted it into the holo gadget she¡¯d been fiddling with. A bunch of unrecognizable code flashed on the screen over and over. Five minutes passed before a loading bar appeared on screen.


    COUGH COUGH


    The girl sunk into her chair while wheezing into her hand. Her body started to shake as the feeling of being in control sapped away. It didn¡¯t take long for her to slide out of the seat and lay on the floor. Each cough left her feeling weaker. Almost fifteen minutes went by before her senses returned to her. Everything was blurry.


    ¡°Somehow I¡¯m brought back to life and the first thing I see is a dying junkie on the floor. Fuck me.¡± A gruff but arrogant voice sounded beside her.


    Turning to her side, she saw the real time hologram of a man standing over her. He wore a wife beater hidden by a bulletproof vest. The left arm was entirely cybernetic from the shoulder, sporting a glossy silver. Sunglasses covered his eyes. Leather pants and rocker boots finished the outfit.


    ¡°Johnny¡­Silverhand.¡± She muttered quietly. The man raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°And the bitch knows me. Who the FUCK are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I need your help, Johnny.¡± She croaked. Hearing her words, Johnny shook his head and paced around the room.


    ¡°Ain''t that a bunch of shit. A junkie knows who I am, found a way to bring me back, and needs my help. How fucking amazing. Why the hell would I help you?¡±


    The girl crawled up to the nearby couch, the control over her motor skills swiftly returning. She could feel herself back to normal. All of the blood was wiped onto her shorts.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a junkie. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and now I¡¯m sick. It¡¯s an incurable disease that eats at the heart. Only targets people that have chrome.¡± She said.


    ¡°Then remove it.¡± He waved his hand as if it was that simple. The sickly woman rolled her eyes.


    ¡°As if it were that easy. Once it gets you, removing the chrome does nothing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your problem, dumbass. The fuck you have me here for?¡±


    ¡°Come on Johnny. This is 50 years in the future since you died. Don¡¯t you have anything you wanna see? Things you wanna do? Just think of something. Let¡¯s make a deal.¡± She explained.


    ¡°50 years¡­fucking hell. Ugh. I feel like a living person stuck to a circuit board. What the fuck AM I¡­siiigh.¡± He growled at nobody in particular. Just venting his frustrations.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°..........................................¡±


    ¡°Woman. What can you even do? You¡¯re too weak to help.¡± He sat on the table near the couch, directly in front of her. The girl gave a tired grin.


    ¡°The name¡¯s Lei. Watch me zero some gonks and you¡¯ll change your mind.¡±


    ¡°Oh please.¡± He scoffed.


    ¡°Come on, Johnny. Give it a chance. What do you have to lose? Work with me here.¡± Lei pleaded.


    ¡°Hmm¡­working with a cyberpsycho woman. Fucking preem. Well as of right now, there¡¯s only one thing I want to know.¡± He said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a cyberpsycho, this is just how my face looks¡­ and spill.¡±


    ¡°Is Arasaka still sucking the life out of the people? Out of Night City?¡±


    ¡°...Yes. All the megacorps are.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Like a damn hydra. Cut off a head and another grows. I blew up their precious tower once.¡± He revealed. Lei kept a calm smile.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve studied you thoroughly. You¡¯re a terrorist turned rocker boy. A merc legend. Great at gunplay, but you¡¯re an asshole.¡±


    ¡°An asshole? Nah. I just say what people are too pussy to admit.¡± His words made Lei raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°Hence, you being an asshole¡­but your knowledge of Night City. I need it.¡±


    ¡°Alright alright. Here¡¯s what I want from you first.¡± He started. Johnny glitched to a different part of the room and started pacing. He was thinking.


    ¡°I want to taste a burger. And I need a smoke.¡±


    ¡°What? How are you expecting me to-¡±


    ¡°You brought me here. Find a way. Chip me into your shard slot or find a way for me to feel things.¡±


    ¡°No way am I chipping you into my slot. You¡¯ll overwrite me. No shot.¡±


    ¡°Well, find a way-¡±


    ¡°But!¡± She interrupted. ¡°I can chip you into my infovisor which monitors my bio readings and vitals. A slight modification might do the trick.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up! I¡¯m craving this shit¡­and I can¡¯t do dick.¡± He demanded. An asshole indeed. Lei sighed before heading back to her desk.


    Hours went by as she tinkered with her equipment. Johnny grew bored quickly and his irritation was starting to show. He laid sideways on the desk while swinging his leg off the edge. His face was directly in front of the woman, distracting her.


    ¡°Are you done yet? Holy shit. You take forever.¡± He complained. Lei rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Did you expect this to take a few seconds? Here.¡±


    Suddenly, her body accelerated in speed. This allowed her to quicken the process considerably. Johnny took off his glasses in surprise.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± He commented. Sandevistans didn¡¯t exist in his time period. It was his first time seeing such speed.


    Lei finally removed the chip from her gadget before slotting it into the infovisor. She then put it on her head. Silverhand¡¯s hologram disappeared for a few minutes before reappearing.


    ¡°Something¡¯s different.¡± He commented.


    The sickly woman went to the kitchen and tapped on the food panel, causing a steaming cup of coffee to rise from the circular platform. She took a sip and turned to look at Johnny, who¡¯d already glitched behind her. He was quite tall compared to her.


    ¡°Taste it?¡± She asked with a smirk.


    ¡°Tastes like shit. Of course a gonk like you would drink that. Like a pile of animal shit and back alley trash.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­this isn¡¯t the best coffee.¡± She commented.


    Lei couldn¡¯t lie. That had slightly offended her. Rude. Johnny waved his hand. He couldn¡¯t give a damn.


    ¡°Cut the shit, Loralei. Go make me a burger.¡±


    Now that he was chipped into her infovisor, he had more information about the person in question. Including her full name. The terrorist was now privy to many things about this woman he barely met. Some of them were quite surprising.


    ¡°A thank you would be nice.¡± She grumbled.


    ¡°Maybe after I have my smoke. Get to it.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°That was good. I needed that. Burgers and fries are the life and soul of Night City¡­now go get me a beer.¡±


    The demands never stopped. Lei was beginning to understand just how much of a manchild this legendary merc really was. Her patience with him was astounding.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on, Johnny. What else do you want to add to the deal? Once we shake on it, that''s it.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t shake hands, dumbass.¡± Johnny quipped.


    ¡°Point still stands.¡±


    The arrogant man glitched across the room while he solidified his thoughts. A continuous motion, walking back and forth. It took almost half an hour for him to settle down. He eventually stopped before her.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the fucking deal. I want Arasaka burned to the ground. That¡¯s the long game. The big picture. Besides that, I want you to find my body and see if I can rechip. Revive. If not, put me on the net or in a new body.¡±


    ¡°Taking down the biggest corp in Night City¡­well, I can try. Only thing about that is how long it would take. I don¡¯t have that much time to live. You gotta help me too. I help you, you help me.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you gonk. It goes without saying.¡± Johnny stated in a blunt tone.


    ¡°Deal?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    ¡°Great. Speak now or forever hold your peace. You have one minute to make any changes.¡± She commented before going to freshen up and change into better clothes.


    Johnny watched it all, eyeing her from head to toe. He could give a shit about her privacy and modesty. Not as if she cared though. After checking out her curves and womanly features, he spoke up.


    ¡°One more thing.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± She turned to him while fully nude. Just about to step in the shower.


    ¡°Once I have a body, you¡¯re gonna let me bang.¡±

 Stepping Out

    After a refreshing change of clothes, the sickly woman plopped back on the couch. A sigh of relief and comfort escaped her lips. She was starting to feel a bit lazy even though she knew she''d have to step out today. As she laid on her back and lounged around, holo Johnny stood directly beside her face. He looked down at her, the expression on his face unreadable due to the sunglasses.


    Lei glanced up at him before yawning and getting comfortable. She didn¡¯t mind having him as company. She¡¯d been wandering the radiation drenched continent for a while now. Night City was just another pitstop for her on the way to finding a cure.


    If there was no luck here, she¡¯d move on. There was a reason that she was known as a Drifter. Her empty eyes flashed and a frown marred her face.


    ¡°Johnny, you¡¯re blocking the TV.¡± She complained. The arrogant man sat down right in front of her and stared.


    ¡°Fuck the TV. It¡¯s all propaganda anyways. Come try our product! We¡¯ll milk you dry, get you hooked and have you dying for more.¡± He pretended to be a corpo salesman. Lei rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I know that already but you¡¯re still blocking the TV.¡± She commented. Johnny frowned before slamming his fist on the table.


    BAM


    ¡°I thought we had a deal.¡± He growled.


    ¡°We do.¡± She answered.


    ¡°Then why the FUCK are you still lying around? We¡¯ve got shit to do.¡±


    The lazy and quite creepy - but also a bit sexy - woman slowly sat up. She crossed her legs before pointing to the other seat with her dainty foot. Johnny glitched into position.


    ¡°So? What¡¯s our first move?¡± Lei asked.


    ¡°When it comes to impossible or incurable shit, that''s when we look deeper. You reach out to the AIs of the world. You want to find a cure, I want to get a body.¡±


    ¡°...Okay?¡±


    ¡°So we go past the Blackwall and look for a friendly neighborhood helper.¡± Johnny revealed. Lei immediately frowned at his words.


    ¡°Go past the Blackwall? We¡¯ll die in less than a minute.¡± She said.


    Her tone was curt. It seems she was finally being serious. Not like her usual self when lazing around.


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. I know someone on the other side. We¡¯ll be fine. Just need to find a way. Find a place with enough security to let us operate in peace.¡± He explained.


    ¡°You KNOW someone beyond the Blackwall? Who? An AI?¡±


    ¡°Her name¡¯s Alt. She¡¯s an old input of mine.¡±


    ¡°An input? Alright¡­I guess I¡¯ll start looking around.¡±


    ¡°Fuck that. There¡¯s an easier way.¡±


    ¡°Oh? How?¡±


    ¡°We talk to Rogue.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Rogue. One of my old inputs. She¡¯s most likely a fixer now.¡±


    ¡°........................................¡± Lei was quiet.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Two inputs back to back. What¡¯s next, an old input who¡¯s actually a corpo CEO?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. Of course, they¡¯re all probably old hags by now.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Rude. Don¡¯t say that about your loved ones.¡± Lei admonished him.


    ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s delta. Rogue should be in the Afterlife.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need a reputation? A Night City specific reputation?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then that means I gotta do shit for fixers, raise my rep before I can even talk to Rogue? No way.¡±


    ¡°Then what the fuck else would you do?¡± Johnny mocked with raised hands. The eerie girl smiled slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just walk in. Sneak in¡­if we¡¯re being technical.¡±


    ¡°Plenty of good netrunners hang there. You¡¯ll get iced in no time.¡± He said.


    ¡°I doubt it. I¡¯ll be sure to be discreet. Let¡¯s just see how it goes.¡±


    ¡°You better know what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    Lei ignored him and proceeded to put on her gear. The infovisor covered her face along with the cloak¡¯s hood. Only a red glow could be seen within. Adding on the sleek black armor and gauntlets, she was ready to go.


    Her beam saber was clipped to her pants alongside the Burya which rested in a leg holster. The drifter gave herself a once over in the mirror before looking at Johnny. This legendary merc seemed unimpressed.


    ¡°You only have one pistol. How exactly did you survive this long?¡± He questioned. Lei grabbed her beam saber and ignited it.


    VRMM


    The crimson glow of the blade illuminated the room. It thrummed with power. Slight bits of electric discharge jolted off. The sight was enchanting. Almost mesmerizing.


    ¡°.................................................¡± She only stared at him.


    ¡°Oh.¡± He finally said.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The sun had fallen, causing the neon lights to glow brighter in the dark. All of Night City was illuminated. Such was the way of a massive city that never slept.


    In Little China of the Watson district, a plethora of people could be found loitering at a specific parking lot. They treated the area as if it were their hangout, knowing they wouldn¡¯t be able to get in the actual venue.


    This venue itself was a club. Nightclub to be specific, and only those with a good rep could get in. Lowlives that couldn¡¯t enter littered the walls. All in all it was not a lovely place. It even seemed old.


    Nobody seemed to notice that a new figure had arrived in the parking lot, casually at a corner. This position gave a direct view to the closed door and the bouncer in front. At this moment, someone popular seemed to show up.


    A muscular man with a multitude of chrome approached the club entrance. The bystanders couldn¡¯t help but chatter. Gossip went around.


    ¡°Whoa¡­isn¡¯t that Kleptomaniac?¡±


    ¡°What? No way! I heard he klepped a top secret data shard from Kang Tao.¡±


    ¡°Kang Tao!? No way. If he did that, they¡¯d have long since zero¡¯d him, you gonk.¡±


    ¡°Well I heard that he klepped a tank from millitech.¡±


    ¡°Cut the bullshit.¡±


    The bouncer nodded at the approaching man and stepped aside. There was no delay as the door slid open. It was paired with the bouncer¡¯s words.


    ¡°Welcome back, Klepto.¡±


    ¡°Need a drink. Bad.¡± Klepto grunted.


    Both the bouncer and Klepto failed to notice time slow to a crawl. The drifter had already entered the establishment through the now open door. No time was wasted as she explored the club in bullet time.


    She quickly noticed a hidden bioscanner that kept track of credentials in the building. An alarm would definitely go off if she left it alone. Lei casually breached into the scanner, and uploaded her bio as anonymous. There was no trace of her breach. A successful hack.


    Only then did she relax and allow time to speed up. The sounds returned, a constant thump of the bass vibrating through her boots. It was a club alright. Some people danced, while the majority stuck to their own areas. All of the inhabitants were mercs after all.


    Walking up to the bar, she flagged the bartender. A brown haired woman smiled while cleaning the cup in her hand. Her other hand pointed to the menu.


    ¡°What can I get for you?¡±


    ¡°Just give me the recommended.¡± Lei said.


    ¡°Preem. Coming right up. That¡¯ll be 13 credits.¡±


    The drifter wired over the credits while taking a seat. As she waited for her drink, her gaze wandered around the room. While in bullet time, Lei hadn¡¯t been able to spot Rogue. There was no guarantee that she was here.


    Hopefully she was just in one of the private rooms. The bartender soon returned with the drink in hand. Placing it on the table, she gently slid it over.


    ¡°Thanks, Claire.¡± The drifter commented after scanning her. The bartender¡¯s eyes shined as she scanned back.


    ¡°Anytime¡­Drifter?¡± Claire was confused at the name that came up. Obviously not the person¡¯s name.


    ¡°Drifter, huh? That what you call yourself? Ain¡¯t seen you around here before.¡± Klepto¡¯s voice came from a few seats away.


    Lei picked up her drink with a nod. It was a golden color, with sugar around the rim of the cup. She couldn¡¯t lie¡­it wasn¡¯t half bad.


    ¡°Is Rogue in today?¡±


    ¡°She should be. Most likely going over some gig with other mercs.¡± Claire answered while making a drink for another customer.


    ¡°Preem.¡±

 Sketchy

    It felt like an eternity had passed before Rogue finally appeared. Mostly due to the drifter¡¯s unlimited access to speed. Sometimes things felt dragged out to the extreme. Regardless, Lei clinked her glass with Klepto before walking over to the booth Rogue now resided in.


    A personal bodyguard covered the entrance to her little cutout area. Shades on and the whole shabang, the drifter couldn¡¯t help but wonder how they see in such low lighting. She hadn¡¯t even reached the fixer before Johhny appeared. He glitched onto the table beside Rogue and kicked his feet up on the table.


    ¡®Look at her. A bit older, but just as hot as she always was. Tough as nails too. I bet she still has that flame inside. That drive for perfection.¡¯ He commented.


    ¡®Tougher than me?¡¯ Lei responded mentally. Johnny clicked his tongue.


    ¡®There¡¯s no way to determine that, dumbass. I haven¡¯t seen you in combat, nor in high risk situations. How do you expect me to answer that?¡¯


    ¡®It was just a joke. Do you have to be so mean?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ve only known you for a few hours. Only thing you¡¯ve got going for you is speed. Maybe a little hacking. Don¡¯t joke about being better than one of my inputs. Gonk.¡¯


    The bodyguard raised a hand to stop the drifter. Only then did his eyes light up with a blue color. Most likely sending a message to Rogue behind him. Her eyes lit up as well before glancing at Lei. After a bit more scrutiny, the bodyguard stepped aside.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you around here.¡± Rogue said. Lei sat across from her.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t expect you to.¡±


    ¡°Are you new? If so then I¡¯d definitely know who you are. I¡¯m the one that allows newcomers to enter¡­How did you get in?¡± Rogue continued. Her body was tense.


    ¡°...I have my ways.¡± Lei gave a vague answer. The fixer frowned. Her eyes lit up in blue.


    ¡°So do I.¡±


    Immediately, turrets ejected from the ceiling above and pointed at the drifter. The surroundings grew quiet as people became aware. Guns were drawn and pointed at Lei. The whole club had turned hostile.


    Lei traced Rogue¡¯s call over to a closed off room. It was on the far side of the club. A netrunner was in there, a competent one. The reading came up as Nix. All of this was in bullet time, allowing the drifter a medium of understanding.


    ¡°I never said I was new to¡­this.¡± Lei gestured to her surroundings. ¡°I¡¯m just new to Night City. I wouldn¡¯t recommend attacking me. Your friend that you have on speed dial¡­Nix, right?¡± Her words gave Rogue a bit of a scare.


    ¡°...........................................¡± Still, she waited to hear the rest.


    ¡°I could zero him before he even attempts anything. These turrets mean nothing. These people mean nothing.¡±


    ¡°Hard to believe¡­That you could kill us all and walk out of here alive? A bluff like that won¡¯t work here. Give me a reason not to zero you right here.¡± Rogue said. Lei shook her head.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t a bluff¡­but I¡¯ll play your game. I have a great reason, actually. Someone you know wants to talk to you.¡± The drifter took off her infovisor, revealing her facial features.


    Rogue was surprised to see the emptiness in Lei¡¯s eyes, wondering if she was on the edge of cyberpsycho. Taking the infovisor, she scanned it for any malware. Only once it came up clean did she put it on.


    The first thing she saw through the lens was Johnny sitting right beside her. He was kicking back with his hands behind his head and feet on the table. The arrogant man looked over at Rogue before speaking.


    ¡°You look like shit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck off!¡± She exclaimed before yanking off the visor.


    She then waved her hand, causing the surrounding mercs to holster their weapons. The turrets powered off and went back into the ceiling. Rogue couldn¡¯t help but rub her temples.


    ¡°What kind of fucked up joke is this?¡± She questioned. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a joke. I¡¯ve been talking to your ex-output all day. He¡¯s survived through an engram. A personality on a chip. A chip that¡¯s now in my visor.¡±


    ¡°Fucking A.¡± Rogue sighed with exasperation. She wasn¡¯t trying to deal with this shit.


    ¡°Feel free to talk to him a bit. I¡¯ll wait.¡± Lei smiled with mirth. Her expressions slightly creeped the fixer out.


    ¡°Not yet. Not now. I¡¯m not ready for that.¡± She declared.


    ¡®Damn. You hear that, Johnny?¡¯ Lei mocked.


    ¡®Don¡¯t fucking push it. I know we¡¯ll have our talk.¡¯ Johnny commented.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking to him right now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Rogue guessed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Even though I don''t have the visor on, I¡¯m still connected to it.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Most are always connected to their infovisors. So? Why are you here? What do you want?¡±


    Lei sat up and placed her arms on the table. Her expression turned serious. She then pointed at the visor.


    ¡°I need your help, Rogue. Johnny and I have plans. We need a safe place where I can dive into the net and go past the Blackwall.¡±


    ¡°...You want to go past the fucking Blackwall. With Johnny. Are you both insane!? Safe place to dive¡­hahaha! There¡¯s no such thing.¡± She responded. Lei shook her head.


    ¡°Let me rephrase. Looking for the safest way to dive into the net. With intentions to go past the Blackwall.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no safe way to do such a thing, but I get what you¡¯re trying to say, A way to lower the endless risks. Alright, I can dig around¡­IF you help me with something first. My help won¡¯t be free either.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Two things. My help will cost 15,000 credits as well as a gig to make sure you¡¯re up to snuff.¡±


    ¡°Credits¡­done.¡± Lei easily wired the money over. With her skillset, it was easy to acquire more funds.


    ¡°Received.¡± Rogue confirmed.


    ¡°So? What¡¯s the gig?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an easy one. Nobody wants to pick it up and I¡¯m having a hard time handing it out. Johnny won¡¯t like this either.¡±


    ¡°Spill.¡±


    ¡°Millitech is looking for a solo merc.¡± The fixer revealed. Johnny immediately sat up.


    ¡®This gig already reeks like a pile of shit. Corp gigs are always a dead end. Don¡¯t do it.¡¯ He said.


    ¡®And not get Rogue¡¯s help?¡¯ Lei quickly responded.


    ¡®She¡¯ll help us regardless. Rogue takes care of her people. After seeing me, she already considers you one of hers. Unconsciously.¡¯


    ¡®Doubt it.¡¯


    ¡°I take it Johnny isn¡¯t happy?¡± Rogue spoke up. It was easy for her to tell when they were communicating.


    ¡°Not happy at all. Do you know why Millitech needs a merc? How much are they paying?¡± Lei asked. The fixer shook her head.


    ¡°I don''t know the reason. You have to meet with the client for details. As for the payout¡­50,000 credits.¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­50k for an unknown solo merc. That¡¯s sketchy as fuck.¡±


    ¡°Will you take it?¡± Rogue asked. Lei didn¡¯t even think about it.


    ¡°Sure. Send me the deets.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re brain must be filled with a steaming pile of shit. Or maybe you don¡¯t have one.¡¯ Johnny commented.


    ¡®Stop judging.¡¯


    ¡°Great sending the deets now.¡± Rogue said.


    Lei received the new contact on her display. There was no picture for the profile but the name said Meredith Stout. The drifter would give the woman a call after leaving the place.


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± She stated while getting up.


    ¡°Come back alive. I still have to speak with that bastard. Take my number.¡± The fixer said. After adding Rogue¡¯s number, Lei left the table with her infovisor back on.


    ¡®Looks like you still got it, Johnny.¡¯


    ¡®We both knew it wouldn¡¯t end like that. Rogue and I got a lot to say.¡¯


    ¡®Noted.¡¯


    Lei made her way out of the club. When the door slid open, the bouncer was shocked to see her. He remembered everyone he let through¡­and this suspicious cloaked figure did not come through. Drifter ignored him and called the client.


    RING RING


    ¡°Stout here. Start by telling me how you got this number.¡±


    Her face popped up in the live cam. There was a type of cigarette in her hand. Her camera was filled with smoke. That didn¡¯t take away from the woman though.


    Meredith¡¯s hair was slicked back, with a cyber implant streaking past her left eye and cheek. Wearing a sleek and prim business suit with gloves, the woman looked like a corpo through and through. A bit of an older woman. Not as old as Rogue, but maybe 10 years less. An attractive maturity.


    ¡°You needed a solo merc? You found one. I¡¯ve come to help the hot corpo lady with her gig.¡± Lei said.


    The lady only raised an eyebrow at the flirt while observing the drifter from her side of the screen. She took another puff of her cigarette and blew it into the camera. Only then did she speak again.


    ¡°Fine. First exit off Skyline driving towards the N.I.D. Storm channel under the overpass. Meet me there tomorrow. 7am bright and early.¡±


    With those words, Meredith cut the call. Lei smirked a little as she headed back home. Johnny appeared next to a street rail and watched the cars pass.


    ¡®If I knew any better I¡¯d say she was actually considering your obvious flirt.¡¯ He said. Lei kept her smirk.


    ¡®When she blew smoke into the camera, she looked at my lips. Good attempt at hiding it though.¡¯


    ¡®Damn. Never would¡¯ve thought I¡¯d see two women scissoring before the week is out.¡¯


    ¡®Language, Johnny.¡¯

 The Gig

    It was a brand new day. The sun was still rising and the cold atmosphere left moisture on the ground and car windshields. Rain was threatening to fall on Night City once the sun went down.


    VROOM


    A lone engine screamed amidst the concrete jungle. Two wheels zoomed past cameras, buildings, and civilians. It was a Yaiba Kusanagi, a beautiful black sportbike with red highlights. Some customization enhanced the look and performance as well.


    Red reflective tape outlined the rims¡¯ edges giving off a cyberwheel appearance. The race tires bit into the street as it pounded toward its destination. The shift of each gear caused fire to spit out the exhaust. Popping noises resounded whenever Lei eased up on the throttle.


    Lane splitting in between cars at over 130mph, the other drivers assumed the biker had a death wish. The drifter was used to high speeds and was most comfortable during these moments. She felt safer going fast than staying still. Such was the philosophy of most sportbike riders.


    The bike slid as she exited the highway, rounding the corner. Only the call of smoke and a trail of red light showed traces of her location. The overpass was coming up quickly, causing Lei to shift gears and slide into a descending path.


    At over 70mph, she descended the roundabout path in a full drift slide. The wheels were burning rubber. Her engine screams were most definitely heard by the client now, due to proximity. The path eventually straightened up and revealed light at the end. It only took a few seconds to come out into the open area.


    Another perfect slide and Lei was perfectly parked beside a Militech armored truck. Meredith could be found standing in front of the hood, eyeing the bike and the drifter with a raised eyebrow. She showed no signs of intimidation.


    Of course she wasn¡¯t intimidated. That was because two massive cyborgs protected her with pistols and carbines at their hip. The Kusanagi engine cut off with a small whisper. Only then did Lei step off the bike and approach the woman guarded by two muscle men.


    ¡°I assumed you would be late. Guess I was wrong. 7am on the dot. You move fast.¡± Meredith commented.


    The Millitech woman was still dressed in a business suit that ended in a pencil skirt. Her slim legs were on full display that was eventually stopped by black high heeled red bottoms. Classy.


    ¡°I actually was running a bit late. Not really a morning person.¡± The drifter spoke blandly.


    ¡°Did you rush to get here? Now I feel special.¡± Meredith joked. Of course, there was no smile on her face.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the gig?¡±


    Stout raised her hand as if telling Lei to stop. It seems she didn¡¯t want to speak on that yet. For whatever reason.


    ¡°Not yet. Need to scan you to make sure you¡¯re clean.¡±


    ¡°Going through my social security? I don¡¯t think so.¡± The cloaked drifter denied. Meredith frowned.


    ¡°If you want to take this gig, you must submit to a background check. Don¡¯t worry, just making sure you aren¡¯t from another company trying to get an inside scoop.¡±


    Lei didn¡¯t respond yet. Johnny glitched beside the truck and raised his hands with the ¡®I told you so¡¯ look. She rolled her eyes behind the visor.


    ¡°Alright. Fine. Just know that I¡¯ll be able to tell if you pull anything funny.¡± Lei said.


    One of the Borgs immediately approached the drifter and pulled the jack from his wrist. The drifter took the jack and chipped into the back of her neck. They were connected. Meredith took that time to speak.


    ¡°Did you come alone?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lei answered. The Borg¡¯s eyes shone a bright orange.


    ¡°Truth.¡± He called out a second later. Meredith nodded before continuing.


    ¡°There was an intel leak four days ago about one of our convoys. The problem has already been dealt with but I must know. Were you involved or do you know anyone related?¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Truth.¡± The Borg declared.


    ¡°Are you currently working for or doing a gig for any other party at this exact moment?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Truth.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Meredith waved her hand.


    The Borg removed his jack and stepped away. Each of the Millitech operatives seemed to relax a bit. The tension eased up a little. Lei smiled slightly. Meredith observed her smile while lighting a cigarette. There was a small moment of silence.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re clean.¡±


    ¡°Should I be celebrating?¡± Lei quipped.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up and listen. Here¡¯s the spill.¡± Meredith said. This woman didn¡¯t fuck around.


    ¡°...........................................¡±


    ¡°Biotechnica.¡± She stated firmly. After that, she took a puff of her cig. Johnny immediately glitched onto the hood of the truck, legs dangling off the edge. He was shaking his head.


    ¡®I¡¯m telling you, Loralei. This corpo shit will end with you in a ditch. It doesn¡¯t matter how tough you think you are. They always find a way.¡¯ He commented.


    ¡®If that¡¯s how you truly felt, you wouldn¡¯t be asking me to burn down Arasaka.¡¯ She countered.


    ¡®Touche.¡¯


    ¡°They¡¯ve made a prototype stimulant called JT-311. Millitech wants the formula. YOU¡­are going to get it for us. Top floor of the Night City Biotechnica HQ, CEO¡¯s desk. Klep the info, put it on this data shard, return it to me. You know the pay.¡± Meredith explained.


    ¡°Where do we meet up after?¡±


    ¡°Confirm that you have the info then I¡¯ll send you the meetup spot accordingly.¡±


    ¡°Preem.¡±


    ¡°You have two days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll finish it tonight.¡± Lei casually stated while stretching her limbs. Meredith once again raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Do you consider this gig too easy? Don¡¯t look down on their security.¡± She demanded.


    While Stout made it sound as if she was looking down on the drifter, the reality was that she wanted this gig to succeed. As such, she didn¡¯t want the merc to go in overconfident. That would only make it worse for both parties.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me, Drifter.¡± She threatened.


    ¡°Not possible. You¡¯ll be more than satisfied.¡±


    The Millitech lady waved her hand again. This prompted the Borgs to enter the truck. It was time to leave. Before Lei could step away, Meredith pulled her around the corner. Away from prying eyes.


    ¡°Take off the visor. Let me see the face of my merc.¡± She demanded with her arms crossed. Lei tilted her head.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there an unwritten rule about prying?¡± The drifter responded.


    ¡°How can I trust you otherwise? I thought you would leave me more than satisfied? Was that just hot air?¡±


    ¡®Ahh shit. She¡¯s already flirting.¡¯ Johnny¡¯s voice resounded.


    Only then did Lei realize. She then casually took off the visor, revealing her empty eyes and fluttering lashes. Meredith¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change but her gaze roamed.


    ¡°I did say that¡­and sometimes hot air works wonders.¡± Lei commented. Stout¡¯s gaze finally stopped on her lips. Again.


    ¡°You spew a lot of nonsense from that mouth.¡±


    ¡°My mouth can do other things too.¡±


    There was another moment of silence as the two eyed each other up. It was hard to break that poker face. Meredith¡¯s corporate life made her tough as nails.


    ¡°Hmph¡­Alright. Show me that you can complete a job.¡± The lady finally said. She immediately headed back to the armored truck without looking back.


    ¡°................................................¡±


    Lei put her visor back on and returned to the Kusanagi. She planned on taking a look at the Biotechnica building before infiltrating later tonight. The engine came online with a beautiful purr.


    VRMM


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Night had fallen¡­and as promised, there was torrential rain to accompany. It was also incredibly windy. The Biotechnica corporate building stood tall amongst its nearby neighbors.


    The inside of the building was empty. Like a specter, the drifter appeared on the first floor. She quickly turned to the cameras while in bullet time¡­just to realize that they were already off.


    ¡®Wait¡­the whole camera network is offline. Is someone else infiltrating?¡¯ She thought.


    Expanding the scope of her scan, she finally noticed outward signals being jammed. No data could leave this building in a digital manner. Her body blurred again as she accelerated up the floors. The building truly was empty.


    Upon reaching the top floor, she found the CEO¡¯s room to be locked. Her gaze landed on the electronic door. The drifter didn¡¯t hesitate to send a ping even with the possibility of being noticed.


    Multiple nodes appeared in her vision and were outlined throughout the building. More importantly, the outline of a human figure appeared on the other side. Seemed to be hacking into the mainframe. Lei digitally forced the door open causing the figure to jump in surprise.


    A black and pink colored pistol was trained on the drifter''s head. The figure appeared to be another woman, wearing a tight fitting bodysuit under a pink crop top jacket. Her black hair was styled in an angled bob. Wide blue eyes had pink rings surrounding the pupils. Facial augments gave her the appearance of a cat.

 Combat Efficiency

    BANG


    The pistol discharged, sending a bullet toward Lei. She casually tilted her head to evade. This was done at flux speed, giving off the image that the bullet phased through her. The woman was immediately spooked. The red glow under the drifter¡¯s hood now seemed much scarier.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± She interrogated.


    Lei could tell she was looking for something on the body to hack. Just by the look on her face. Eyes scrambling for a way out. Unfortunately, Drifter¡¯s cloak had a built-in frequency scrambler that stopped others from getting a digital lock on her cyberware. She couldn¡¯t be hacked when under the cloak.


    The main way someone could breach Lei¡¯s cyberware was through reversing one of her own attempts and following the signal. Physical contact was another method. Trying the normal way¡­good luck.


    ¡°Relax. Are you a merc as well?¡± Lei didn¡¯t move, knowing that anything else would spook the girl.


    ¡°You¡¯re a merc?¡±


    ¡°If it fits the situation, yes.¡±


    ¡°What are you here for?¡±


    ¡°Something from the mainframe.¡±


    ¡°Hey, me too!¡± She joked. It was fake enthusiasm.


    ¡°I can see that.¡± The drifter commented.


    There was a moment of silence. The netrunner didn¡¯t continue with her business, too alert against the new intruder. Like this¡­nothing would get done. They didn¡¯t have all day.


    ¡°Alright, enough standing around. Let¡¯s make a deal. We work together for now then go our separate ways. Preem?¡± Lei suggested.


    ¡°Preem.¡± The woman quickly nodded in agreement. The drifter pulled out two data shards and tossed them over.


    ¡°JT-311. Put that on one data shard. Every other medicine including JT-311 on the other shard. Preem?¡±


    ¡°Preem. Can you defend?¡±


    ¡°Sure, Catgirl. We wasted a bit of time. I¡¯m sure your work will take longer with my stuff too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Sasha.¡± The woman gave her name.


    ¡°Drifter.¡± Lei responded.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back in. Do you have my back?¡± Sasha asked one more time to make sure.


    ¡°Yes. I assume you¡¯re the reason for the jammer, right? It¡¯s starting to wear off. Be quick. They¡¯ll be on us soon.¡±


    ¡°On it.¡±


    With those words, Sasha put her full focus into the mainframe. Lei sat on the desk and waited patiently. Time slowly chugged along. Silence flooded the room as the seconds ticked by. About fifteen minutes later, Lei spoke up.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going over there?¡±


    ¡°Almost done.¡± Sasha answered.


    Another five minutes went by. Lei stood up and casually approached the girl. Sasha looked up at her.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up. Your jammer¡¯s going down in 30 seconds. My shards?¡±


    The cat girl tossed the data shards. Lei scanned them quickly, confirming that everything was there. Turning back to Sasha, it didn¡¯t seem like she was done.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotta delta. Ready?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. One more thing.¡±


    ¡°10 seconds.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna take longer than that.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°10 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Too long. I should just leave you here.¡±


    ¡°No. Stay and defend me! I¡¯ll pay you.¡± Sasha exclaimed.


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s taking you so long?¡±


    ¡°I found something bad. Sending it straight to all news channels.¡±


    ¡°What-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s personal. Please!¡± Sasha pleaded.


    At that moment, the alarms went off. The mainframe had finally sent an alert to security. Armed robots were on the way. Lei pointed to the desk.


    ¡°Get under the table. Sigh¡­Do it there. I¡¯ll keep their attention. As soon as you¡¯re done, we delta. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Sasha immediately hid under the desk. They quickly shared contacts during their haste.


    The one-way windows revealed the outside. An armored AV was currently landing at the entrance. More than 30 armed robots were let off the aircraft, who then went on to storm the building. Meanwhile, the AV left to get more reinforcements. Lei watched it all with a blank expression.


    VRMM


    Her beam saber ignited, staining the room red. Sasha noticed the change in color with surprise. She quietly peeked over the desk, her eyes landing on the glowing blade. It was unlike anything she¡¯d ever seen.


    Lei casually walked out of the room, the door sliding shut behind her. The sound of heavy footsteps sounded through the stairwell. There were 8 floors and the robots were running up the 2nd.


    The drifter lazily walked down the steps until she was on floor 6. It was likely that both parties would meet on the 5th. It only took a few seconds for Biotechnica¡¯s security to reach floor 4. Stepping on the railing, Lei could finally see them below. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡®Let¡¯s see what you¡¯re made of.¡¯ Johnny said. He leaned against the wall with crossed arms.


    Lei sent a quickhack to the leading robot. Weapon glitch. Due to the nature of her Raven cyberdeck, the hack spread to all of the nearby bots. Just like that¡­all of their weapons were disabled.


    Only then did she drop down 2 floors. Air rushed through her cloak as she dropped. Aiming her landing, two feet slammed on the first bot. It forced the machine to the ground and cushioned her fall.


    The crimson saber drilled through the metal chest before quickly retreating. One down¡­plenty to go. Each of the other security bots were pulling the trigger on their rifles to no avail. Lei could only wonder how long it would take for them to switch to close combat.


    A gentle stroke of the beam saber and another bot was cleaved from shoulder to hip. Another swing separated a bot¡¯s legs. The space was cramped. It was a stairwell after all. Lei didn¡¯t like it¡­so she made a decision.


    Drifter accelerated and disappeared like a ghost¡­only to appear one floor down. Searing lines appeared on each bot littering the stairway, their bodies falling to pieces. This didn¡¯t mean she could rest however. There was no time to waste.


    Cutting through a bunch of the railing, she threw it on the stairs. A crude makeshift barricade it was. Running up the stairs now would cause slips and a possible fall to the ground floor. Now the robots would have to stop at the 4th floor and enter the offices and narrow hallways.


    This gave the drifter much more room to work with. More heavy footsteps thundered nearby. Looks like the next batch of reinforcements were here. They moved much quicker. Definitely a lightweight squad. Higher end robots.


    Upon entering the hallway, Lei was able to get a good look at them. They all wielded vibroblades and had a higher realm of movement. Once they locked onto the intruder, they dashed forward.


    Two came head on, while another two bounded off the wall. The drifter was quick to react. She accelerated through the first two and bisected them both with a single swing. The momentum carried her to the wall, allowing her foot to stomp. This sent her flying at an angle toward the airborne bots.


    While flipping her body for a good swing, she slashed right through them. It wasn¡¯t over after she landed. Her modified Burya made its appearance, blowing through the heads of bots entering the room.


    The handcannon roared like the beast it was. Any material the bullet made contact with was obliterated. Even the walls behind her targets took considerable damage.


    It only took a few seconds, but the next batch of security bots had been eliminated. This gave her some breathing room. Lei immediately called Sasha.


    ¡°How much longer?¡± Her voice was flat.


    ¡°2 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take longer than that. If you do, we¡¯ll have to deal with gunships and more.¡±


    ¡°1 minute 50 seconds and counting.¡±


    ¡°Preem.¡±


    Sasha was surprised at how calm the woman seemed. The sound of battle barely reached the netrunner¡¯s ears¡­though they seemed to end too quickly. Regardless, she focused on her work. Almost done.


    Another batch was heading up the stairs. Lei quickly made another makeshift barricade and went down a floor. Continuing on the same floor wasn¡¯t wise. The dead bots made it hard to maneuver. This new floor was a massive open room full of cubicles. That was when the next set of enemies arrived.


    ¡®What?¡¯ Lei thought.


    The next set of bots were a mix. Some were melee and some used rifles. Their ICE was a lot stronger and harder to get through. It would take more time to hack them than to just kill them. Even their rifles had changed from low quality trash to military grade.


    ¡®They¡¯re adapting. Either an operator or an AI is watching through the bots and adjusting to you.¡¯ Johnny assumed.


    ¡®Looks like it.¡¯ She agreed.


    Bullets started to fly and the drifter started running. When speed was your main strength, stopping meant death. A few spurts of automatic fire were perfectly deflected by her beam saber as she approached.


    Then she was upon them. Dodging a swipe by a melee bot, she spun and cut through the gunner. This spin brought her into a crouch. Her blade then rose up and cut through the melee bot¡¯s groin, stopping at the chest.


    Lei made sure to lower the beam''s intensity, which allowed her to throw the bot off her blade and at another gunner. This gave an opening. Another speed acceleration and all the bots were dispatched in a second.


    ¡°Sasha, we need to delta. NOW. Next batch will be their best weapons.¡±


    ¡°All done. Coming down.¡±


    ¡°Hurry. Meet me on the 3rd floor.¡±


    A few minutes later and Lei could hear the girl¡¯s huffing and puffing. She was jumping down the steps in a hurry. Covered in sweat by the time they met up. The drifter¡¯s beam saber deactivated.


    ¡°Do you have an escape plan?¡± Lei asked. Sasha nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m part of a crew. The leader is waiting in a getaway car.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± As they ran down the flights of stairs, Johnny spoke up.


    ¡®Looks like you might actually be able to take down Arasaka¡­If we plan correctly.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m going to feel horrible once I get home.¡¯


    ¡®Yup. I can see your vitals. The stress is moving shit around. Bad shit.¡¯ He said.


    ¡®I know.¡¯


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach the entrance. Another AV had arrived, this one much bigger. It lowered to the ground and opened up. Both Sasha and Lei frowned. A minotaur.


    That wasn¡¯t all. The sound of propellers was far in the distance. A gunship was coming. There were high end bots alongside the minotaur as well. As the mech stepped out of the AV, the drifter spoke.


    ¡°Get back inside. I¡¯ll deal with this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s insane!¡±


    ¡°Go.¡±


    ¡°Fuck! Good luck¡­and thank you. I definitely owe you a drink.¡±


    ¡®Making friends amongst danger. Ah¡­the life of a merc. The good life.¡¯ Johnny spoke in a reminiscent tone. Most likely remembering his past.


    As Sasha ran back inside, 20k credits appeared on Lei¡¯s display. A nice bonus. Can¡¯t complain about that. Lei twirled the unactivated beam saber around her fingers. When it stopped, the hilt extended to become more like a spear and the blade ignited. It was a swordstaff.


    It was at this moment that the mech was fully off the AV. Not even letting it lock onto her, the drifter accelerated. The swordstaff swung in an undercut and cleaved through a leg. Like a knife through butter.


    With no form of balance, it toppled over to the side.This allowed her to spin into another cut right down the autonomous control center. One more follow up slash after to make sure it stayed dead. Only crackling electricity was left of the scrap due to severed cables and wires.


    ¡®That would¡¯ve been much harder if you didn¡¯t have that¡­laser sword.¡¯ Johnny commented.


    It almost sounded like he was disappointed. Probably too one-sided of a fight for the merc legend¡¯s taste. That was understandable. A bigger and slower mech just meant an easier target for Lei.. Her beam saber was literally designed to cut mechanical creations. This enemy posed no difficulty.


    ¡®...Yes.¡¯ Lei was no fool. She knew how powerful her weapon was in the right hands.


    Now it was time for the bots. She¡¯d been using the destroyed minotaur as cover to avoid gunfire. Nobody even knew when the drifter had stepped out of its shadow. Only when the bots were dying did they start looking around¡­but it was too late by then. They were eliminated after a few elegant flips and twirls.


    All that left was the gunship. It hadn¡¯t arrived yet, so she crept into an alley on the other side of the street. Almost 30 seconds passed before the aircraft hovered over the building.  It noticed the wreckage on the street, but all seemed silent.


    Powerful lights washed over the entire Biotechnica HQ, going right through the one way glass. The aircraft slowly descended while checking each floor. Once it reached the fourth floor in height level, a red streak accelerated out of the alley.


    The sheer speed allowed her to sprint directly up the building. Once the drifter was at the perfect height, she leapt off and sailed toward the gunship. The swordstaff cleaved down and separated the cockpit from the rest of the ship. A clean cut.


    Without anything to steer the propellers, they veered forward into the building. Glass shattered immediately. The rotating blades cut right through the 3rd and 4th floors before exploding. Violently.


    BOOOOM


    ..


    ..


    ¡­


    ¡°Get going.¡± Lei¡¯s voice reached Sasha.


    When the catgirl stepped out the exit to look, Lei had already disappeared. All traces of her were gone. Sasha was in awe. Even as she got in the passenger seat of Maine''s car¡­even as the Biotechnica building grew further and further away¡­she knew she wouldn¡¯t forget this gig. Or the merc she briefly met.


    ¡°Drifter, huh.¡± She muttered.

 Payout

    COUGH COUGH


    The surroundings were blurry. Lei could be found within the confines of her bathroom. It had been a few hours. She was curled up on the floor, right beside the toilet. Her body trembled with each cough.


    Her sickness hadn¡¯t flared up in a while. Adding that to the strenuous movement and constant use of hyper flux, there was no doubt that it would be a much stronger return. She paid the price now.


    COUGH COUGH


    Trying to scramble up, she slipped and her head dropped into the toilet¡­then she vomited blood. The weird thing about it was what happened next. The blood started to glitch and evaporate. It was like binary code that fizzled out. Steaming with numbers.


    ¡®Is this it? The end? I don¡¯t think I''m going to survive this one.¡¯ She thought.


    She needed to find a cure. Fast. Before that, she needed a way to slow down the spread of the infected cells. That came first, as a permanent cure didn¡¯t seem to be possible in the next few days.


    Maybe in a month¡­but it didn¡¯t feel like she had that long. Something needed to be done right now. Lei¡¯s consciousness faded away and everything went dark. She failed to see the text message on her display.


    ¡®Still Alive?¡¯ ~Meredith


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The sickly woman felt groggy upon opening her eyes. She slowly rose to her feet, placing her hands on the sink to steady herself. A deep breath in. Breathe out.


    ¡°I am in control.¡± She chanted to herself. Her body strengthened and she forced herself to move.


    It took around 30 minutes to wash herself. A tank top and panties was all she wore. Only then did she drag her tired body to the living room. Johnny Silverhand, the legend himself, was sitting on the couch watching TV.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d make it.¡±


    ¡°Same.¡± She agreed.


    ¡°This happen each time you fight?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s random. Fighting only makes it worse when it actually DOES happen.¡± Lei explained.


    ¡°Can¡¯t have you passing out in the middle of a gig. Let¡¯s get that part settled first.¡±


    ¡°I tried to tell you.¡± She admonished.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Shut it, you gonk. Now I¡¯ve seen it firsthand.¡±


    The tired woman plopped on the couch and laid down. Only then did she look at the display. For the time being she ignored Meredith, as there was still a day left to complete the job. Lei was more interested in the data shard with each medicine.


    CH-0032, JT-311, XV-134, SL-57, and more. A bunch of prescriptions, formulas and prototypes. She could work with that. Immediately, she called one of her contacts.


    ¡°Loralei.¡±


    An old man with a bald patch appeared on the display. He had a hunchback and used a cane to walk. The only visible chrome was the monocle on his left eye.


    ¡°Doctor, sending you something interesting.¡±


    Once it was sent over, the old man scrolled through its contents. He remained silent for a few minutes. Lei made sure not to bother him.


    ¡°Hmm¡­this is a lot.¡± He finally said.


    ¡°Look at JT-311.¡±


    ¡°I saw. A stimulant that allows one to go past their cyberware limitations for a period of time. Scary when placed in the wrong hands. Like a soldier.¡±


    ¡°Taking that recipe and mixing it with others¡­do you think¡­is it possible to¡­¡±


    ¡°Lei¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for a cure. Just a way to strengthen my antibodies. To slow that shit down. Gotta be able to move. Gotta be able to fight, you know?¡±


    There was a moment of silence. The old man seemed to think for a moment while scanning through the info once more. It took a while but he seemed to make a decision.


    ¡°Adding this to the medicine I already know, it¡¯s possible to create some pills to slow it down. I¡¯ll say this right now¡­this is a temporary solution. One day, those shit cells will adapt to the pill and flare up even worse.¡±


    ¡°Parzik¡­thank you.¡±


    ¡°Come see me tomorrow. I should have a working prescription by then.¡±


    The call was cut and Lei sighed with relief. If it wasn¡¯t for Rogue, she wouldn¡¯t have known about Biotechnica so soon. It would¡¯ve taken much longer.


    ¡®Johnny.¡¯


    ¡®...............¡¯The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The hologram turned to look at her. He was smoking a cigarette¡­no idea how he pulled that one off. Most likely fake. Only if Lei smoked would the man actually taste and feel it.


    ¡®Seems you do know what you¡¯re talking about.¡¯ She commented.


    ¡®No shit, dumbass. Ain¡¯t that the truth.¡¯ He responded while turning back to the TV.


    ¡®Didn¡¯t you hate the TV? What changed?¡¯


    ¡®Having to hear your groans and grunts all night made me try it out. The high volume was perfect.¡¯


    ¡®Oh¡­sorry.¡¯


    There wasn¡¯t much else to talk about. All that was left now was to finish the gig. Lei finally made the call.


    ¡°So you survived.¡± These were Meredith¡¯s first words. Her gaze wandered over Lei¡¯s pale face.


    ¡°Did you expect me to fail?¡±


    ¡°I expected you to be quick. Not fight Biotechnica¡¯s entire lineup of infantry.¡±


    ¡°Ran into a hiccup. Another merc was there. Made things slow down.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­well, whatever happened, they¡¯re all over the news. They¡¯ve been exposed for malpractice and harm to the public involving a specific medicine. Nevermind that¡­the data?¡±


    ¡°Secured. Ready to meet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you the coordinates.¡±


    ¡°Preem.¡±


    ¡°And one more thing.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Stout¡¯s gaze went down to Lei¡¯s breasts. They were poking right through the material without a bra. Even her belly button could be seen. It was pierced and looked quite nice.


    ¡°Put on some clothes.¡± She demanded before cutting the call.


    Lei immediately glanced over at Johnny, expecting him to say something smart. Or mean. Or funny. But he was silent. He did eventually notice her gaze though.


    ¡®What?¡¯ He said.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The black Kusanagi sped across the city bridge. It was a beautiful sunset and the view was immaculate. The skyline hid the close up horrors. Heaping mounds of trash couldn¡¯t be seen from here.


    ¡®Fine. I¡¯ll say it.¡¯ Johnny spoke up.


    ¡®There it is. I knew you couldn¡¯t hold it in.¡¯


    ¡®Boo fucking hoo. You shouldn¡¯t be aligning with corpo bastards. I know you think that you might get laid¡­well you actually might get laid, but she only sees you as an asset. Don¡¯t forget that.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m not stupid, Johnny. This isn¡¯t my first rodeo.¡¯


    ¡®Good. She knows how valuable you are now. You took down a gunship. Without them firing a single rocket or bullet. She¡¯ll use you to get to the top.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sure she¡¯s thinking exactly that. Which is why she¡¯ll let me get in between her legs too.¡¯


    ¡®Or she¡¯ll just dangle the possibility of it in your face. Like a dog and a treat. Damn, you sound just like the younger me. Chasing skirts regardless of danger.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t changed a bit¡­and you only live once.¡¯ Lei commented.


    ¡®I¡¯ve lived twice.¡¯ He quipped.


    ¡®That¡¯s different, you gonk.¡¯


    15 minutes went by. Eventually, the Kusanagi pulled into the parking lot of a diner. Tom¡¯s Diner. She could already see the corpo lady sitting on the hood of her¡­Herrera Outlaw GTS?! Sick wheels.


    Meredith wasn¡¯t dressed in Millitech uniform or driving an armored truck. She wore all designer brands but it basically boiled down to a jacket, shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Lei pulled into the parking space beside her and cut off the engine.


    ¡°Get in the car.¡± Stout casually ordered.


    There was a half eaten burger in her hand. Some fries were in the bag next to her. Lei stopped in front of the cold woman.


    ¡°Can I get a bite?¡±


    ¡°Car. Now.¡±


    ¡°Siiigh.¡± The sickly woman trudged over to the passenger door and got in.


    She watched as Meredith took another bite of the burger and fries before getting up. Only then did she come around to the driver seat and get in. Lei raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think you would bother eating the food of commoners.¡± She mocked.


    ¡°Sometimes I do it to remember what it¡¯s like to be poor. Reminds me of my networth.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    ¡®Damn, this bitch is fucked up.¡¯ Johnny commented from the backseat.


    ¡°Shard.¡± Meredith stated.


    Lei handed over the data shard. The lady¡¯s eyes glowed as she scanned it. After a few minutes, she nodded.


    ¡°Your payment.¡±


    50k credits was transferred over to Lei¡¯s display. She accepted it with a happy smile. Not bad. Not bad at all.


    ¡°Preem.¡±


    ¡°You hungry?¡±


    THE Meredith Stout handed over her burger. With a shocked expression, the sickly woman took it and looked it over. There were only a few bites left. That was when the soft weight of the fries bag hit her lap.


    ¡°Mmmnnn.¡± Lei hummed while taking a bite. Never been to this diner but damn she¡¯d be coming back.


    ¡°It was a pleasure doing business with you.¡± She then grabbed Lei¡¯s visor and took it off. ¡°And it looks like you needed that burger. Your hands are shaking a bit.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­didn¡¯t notice.¡±


    As Lei wolfed down the food, Meredith put on the visor. She was silent as she read the surface information. A minute went by before she took it off.


    ¡°Hmmm. I may have more work for you in the future. With your skills, I doubt you need money all that much. How about we alter things going forward?¡±


    Hearing her words, Lei frowned. Money was money. Stout smiled a bit at the expression.


    ¡°Of course, the pay will still represent the strength of Millitech. Credits¡­but I read your vitals¡­How about I pay you in medical connections as well? We have access to plenty of doctors and scientists.¡± She suggested. Lei looked the mature woman in the eyes.


    ¡°I would appreciate that. Immensely.¡±


    Obviously, with one look at her face it was clear to see that the girl was either sickly or cyberpsycho. It didn¡¯t take a reading of the infovisor to know that. Lei would take the help.


    ¡°Good. Once you finish the food you¡¯re free to go. Try to be more discreet next time.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow. Don¡¯t even want to talk about the weather with me?¡± Lei joked. Talking about the weather meant something completely different here.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look fit enough to do such a thing.¡± Meredith countered with a shake of the head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯m fit enough for something a bit less strenuous.¡± Lei pushed a bit. She was leaving here with somethin.


    There was a moment of silence as the mature woman pondered. She mulled over it¡­for what felt like an excruciating amount of time. Eventually, she spoke.


    ¡°Get in the back.¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t have to tell me twice.¡¯ Lei thought.


    She moved quickly. Meredith was right behind her on the way. The cold woman straddled Lei and leaned into her ear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s test your endurance. You¡¯re too fragile today.¡±


    ¡°Preem.¡±


    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am.¡± Stout corrected with a whisper.


    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am.¡± Lei hummed.


    She gave Lei a small lick on the jaw before going in for a kiss. Their lips connected and their tongues met. Soft hands began to wander, landing on a nicely shaped ass. Meredith had cake.

 Closer to the Goal

    The Afterlife. Old as hell but popular. It had a legacy. Old but gold.


    Lei was back. This time, she didn¡¯t need to sneak in. Drifter had made it onto the list. Preem. The surroundings teens and lowlives that weren¡¯t mercs hung around the lot.


    All of their gazes landed on the drifter. She was headed straight toward the bouncer after all. Definitely had a rep.


    ¡°Anyone know who that is?¡±


    ¡°No clue.¡±


    ¡°Obviously someone who matters. How else would they be able to get in?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s new. Can¡¯t really tell under the cloak.¡±


    ¡°See that cannon on his leg?¡±


    ¡°Cannon? Oh, a Burya. Handcannon.¡±


    After a brisk walk, the drifter was in front of the bouncer. He glanced at her for a second. Obviously pissed at how she was able to get past him the first time. He eventually stepped to the side.


    ¡°Drifter. Don¡¯t start any trouble like last time.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± She grunted in response.


    The door slid close behind her. Meanwhile, the outsiders immediately gossiped to each other. Didn¡¯t seem like they had anything better to do. Probably saw mercs as celebrities.


    ¡°Drifter?¡±


    ¡°Never heard of him.¡±


    ¡°Him? Kinda sounded like a girl.¡±


    ¡°Wonder what cyberware she¡¯s rocking.¡±


    ¡°Tried to look under the hood. Only saw red.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡± They all sighed collectively.


    Lei casually strolled over to the bar. Claire was there per usual, making drinks and striking conversation. The bartender recognized her as soon as she sat down.


    ¡°Hey there. Want the recommended again?¡±


    ¡°Not this time. Can you just choose one that tastes good? Taste over everything.¡±


    ¡°Coming right up. You¡¯ll probably like this one much better.¡±


    ¡°Preem.¡±


    As she waited for her drink, she glanced at Rogue¡¯s booth. The fixer seemed to be busy speaking with someone else. Another woman but she didn¡¯t look too happy. Seething more like.


    Lei watched for a while but stopped when her drink arrived. Claire gave her a smile before moving on to another customer. The liquid was pink this time. Strawberries were floating at the top. Taste test¡­


    ¡°Mnnn.¡± She hummed. Very good.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Hana Barbery. A great solo that always remained low key until it mattered. Thought you¡¯d like it.¡± Claire spoke up. She¡¯d been watching from afar.


    ¡°My new regular.¡± Lei responded. The bartender nodded. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Almost 20 minutes went by. It was excruciatingly long for the sickly woman. Especially when your life was on a timer. She had things to do. People to see. Gigs to complete. A cure to find.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± She groaned. The drink made her a bit tipsy. Lei could afford to lighten up a little. Her tense muscles relaxed. She took a breath¡­then exhaled.


    ¡°Relax.¡± She muttered to herself.


    ¡®Yes. Relax. You just did a corpo gig. Nobody else would be rushing for more work right after that.¡¯ Johnny said.


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡®Rogue is right there. She saw you. It¡¯s fine.¡¯ Johnny continued.


    Another 15 minutes went by as she enjoyed the alcohol in her system. It dulled the constant ache in her chest. Drugs were great.


    ¡®She¡¯s free. And she¡¯s looking at you.¡¯


    Lei glanced over to see the previous merc stomping out of the club. She was pissed. Extremely. Rogue sat back in a relaxed manner.


    Not wasting any more time, the drifter went over. She ignored the security guard and sat down. The fixer crossed her arms.


    ¡°Gig is done.¡± Lei said.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Well what?¡± Rogue pretended to be oblivious.


    ¡°Did you find out where I could potentially dive?¡±


    ¡°Oh right, that. The Voodoo Boys are the best way I can see you achieving this.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a gang made up mostly of netrunners. Pacifica based. They don¡¯t speak to outsiders and only deal with their own turf. A tough lot.¡±


    ¡°So they won¡¯t help me.¡±


    ¡°Not even if you came to them with a billion credits.¡±


    ¡°...Seriously.¡± Lei frowned.


    Immediately, she began thinking of other methods. Mostly along the lines of brute force. If they wouldn¡¯t help, then they¡¯d burn. All of that ego shit pissed her off. Dick measuring contests and such. The drifter didn¡¯t have time for that.


    ¡°I found a way around this problem though.¡± Rogue continued.


    ¡°.....................................................¡±


    That seemed to calm her down a bit. A slight smile appeared on her lips. Lei sank back into the comfy seat.


    ¡°I have a contact that has a contact. A merc that knows a Voodoo Boy. Help with the merc¡¯s gig, the contact will be introduced to you.¡± The fixer explained.


    ¡°Preem. Who¡¯s the merc?¡±


    ¡°Name¡¯s Panam. You just watched her storm out a second ago.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­her.¡± Lei¡¯s voice was flat.


    ¡°Sending the deets. Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­Is Johnny there?¡±


    ¡°Sitting right next to you.¡±


    Rogue turned to face where the holo should be. Silverhand turned to her as well. Not that Rogue could see it.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk in a few days. Need to deal with some stuff.¡± She said.


    The merc legend lazily waved his hand without saying anything. He seemed to be thinking about something. Rogue turned back to Lei.


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°He said preem.¡± Drifter lied.


    It was time to go. After getting up, they said their goodbyes. The fixer looked at her a bit weirdly.


    ¡°Why the look?¡±


    ¡°You seem much happier today. More genuine.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it was that bad huh.¡±


    ¡°Last meeting all of your expressions were fake. Honestly thought you were a cyberpsycho.¡±


    ¡°Most people do. That¡¯s the normal reaction.¡±


    ¡°What changed? If I can ask.¡±


    ¡°Just feel a bit rejuvenated.¡± Lei answered.


    ¡®It¡¯s cause that corpo bitch filled up your tank. Got your rocks off.¡¯ Johnny mocked. She ignored him.


    ¡°I see¡­well, I won¡¯t keep you here.¡± Rogue said.


    ¡°Seeya.¡±


    The drifter downed the rest of her drink and left. She would call the angry merc tomorrow. Hopefully she¡¯d be calm by then.


    As Lei made her way back to Heywood, her display pinged. She couldn¡¯t check yet due to her current action¡­splitting lanes on the Kusanagi. Gotta pay attention or crash when you least expect it.


    It took about 20 minutes to get back home. Her suite was on the 32nd floor, so the elevator ride would take a second. This was the time to check her display. Lei couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow upon reading the notification. It was text.


    ¡®Hey, choom. Me and the team are headed to the Turbo Bar in a few days. Wanna come? I still owe you that drink. Or maybe a meal.¡¯ ~ Sasha

 Take Your Pills

    Another day, another dollar. Morning had long since passed, but the eerie woman slept like the dead. A trash truck could be seen a block away from the apartment. Men would jump out of the vehicle, empty the resident trash, then move on.


    This would be their work for the whole day. It didn¡¯t take much longer for them to reach the Glen Apartments. Unfortunately, a random bystander was loitering in their parking spot. He didn¡¯t even bother to move. As the truck lost his patience, his hand slammed on the horn.


    HONK HOOOONK


    Lei¡¯s empty eyes snapped open. Her body rose from the bed as if attached to strings. Not even yawning or shrugging off sleepiness, she went to wash up. About half an hour later, she was ready to go.


    ¡®Fucking hell, you give me the creeps.¡¯ Johnny said. He was sitting on the pool table downstairs.


    ¡®I thought you wanted to bang.¡¯ She answered with smirk. The arrogant man grunted.


    ¡®You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡¯ A digital cigarette rose to his lips. He seemed like a pioneer discovering the Grand Canyon.


    ¡®Oh I definitely understand. I know that I¡¯m hot. I¡¯m also scary. Mix the two and I¡¯m scary hot.¡¯


    ¡®Gonk. Go make me some food.¡¯ He said.


    ¡®Are you saying I should eat something?¡¯


    ¡®Look at you. Get some food and get healthy.¡¯


    ¡®How sweet...¡¯


    Lei did not end up making food. On her way out of the apartment building, she stopped at a vending machine and pulled out a croissant. Free of charge. She¡¯s partly a netrunner after all.


    Her Kusanagi was in the parking garage. Casually mounting her bike, she checked the electronics. It was still fully functional. No problems. The engine roared to announce its awakening.


    First task of the day. See the doctor and get some pills. Real pill popper over here. Her destination was Santo Domingo.


    After a quick drive due to speeding and lane splitting, she pulled up to the curb of a calm neighborhood. The place was teeming with NCPD, which didn¡¯t seem to bode well. She walked up to one of the driveways only to be stopped by a cop.


    ¡°Hood off. No suspicious individuals are allowed here.¡± He said. Lei casually pulled off the hood, causing the man to nod with approval.


    ¡°Preem.¡±


    ¡°Keep the hood down if you don¡¯t want to be stopped again. Have a nice day.¡± He said while walking away.


    She finally went up the driveway and reached the front door. Pressing her finger on the black pad beside her, the doorbell rang. Noise could be heard from within. It almost sounded like someone was working very hard to move.The door eventually opened.


    ¡°Ah. You¡¯re here.¡± Parzik said. He was short, craning his neck to look up at her.


    ¡°Hey, Doctor. How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Better than you I suspect. Come along.¡±


    Lei followed the old man at an incredibly slow pace. He used a cane with every step, his bottom lip always wiggling. The guy was a fossil.


    They eventually reached the living room to her delight. Parzik sat down on a comfy looking rocking chair. Not only that, he pulled a blanket over him. A sigh of relief escaped his lips.


    ¡°Sit, sit.¡± He pointed to the other chair. Just as comfy too. A pill bottle sat on the armrest.


    ¡°Are these the ones?¡±


    ¡°Those are the ones.¡± He confirmed with a nod. Lei grabbed it while sitting down. The infovisor was taken off.


    ¡°Thanks, doctor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re welcome. Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t forget. Listen. Ah¡­¡± Parzik took a moment to collect his thoughts.


    This was Doctor Parzik. An old man whose body and mind was starting to give up on him. He was a kind man, and because of that the corps took advantage. A brilliant doctor whose achievements were credited to a company and not him. Once he fulfilled his role, he was kicked to the curb.


    Of course, the man made a fair amount of money when he was working. Now he just spent his days watching TV from his rocking chair. No children, only a divorced wife.


    ¡°Ah¡­this pill is a new thing. Don¡¯t know the side effects yet but it shouldn¡¯t be anything crazy. I¡¯m telling you right now¡­This is not going to make you feel better. Only keep you functional. No more blacking out or losing motor skills.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Lei twisted open the cap and casually popped a pill. She didn¡¯t even use water as a chaser. Parzik watched the process.


    ¡°Should kick in after 30 minutes. Stay here so I can see if there¡¯s any danger.¡±


    ¡°Alright, will do.¡±


    The two sank into a comfortable silence as the TV droned on about trash products and crappy shows. Parzik seemed to zone out, not even watching the screen. Eventually, the news came on and started covering all of the disasters and accidents happening between gangs.


    ¡°Doctor.¡±


    ¡°.................................¡±


    ¡°Doctor?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? Has it been 30 minutes?¡± He returned to the present.


    ¡°Almost. I was wondering why so many cops were out. Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­there was a shootout. 6th Street Gang ran into some Tyger Claws.¡±


    ¡°Right outside your home?¡± She asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Honestly thought they would bust inside for cover.¡± He revealed.


    Lei frowned. Oh hell no. Nothing happens to the doctor. Ever.


    ¡°If something like this happens again, you call me. Okay?¡± She stated. He smiled at her.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely going to forget. Let me write it down.¡±


    The sickly girl stood up and immediately paused. She felt a bit different. Her heart didn¡¯t ache as much. That sense of weakness wasn¡¯t as strong. Pill had definitely kicked in.


    ¡°Loralei, do you really think-¡±


    ¡°Doc, the pill just kicked in.¡± She interrupted while searching for a pen and paper.


    Such a thing was surprisingly hard to find. In this day and age, people rarely used them. She cursed under her breath. Holopad it is.


    ¡°What do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Less weak, less painful.¡±


    ¡°Mnn. Good.¡±


    Lei grabbed the holopad sitting on the counter and created a customized lock screen. He would see this whenever he interacted with it. There was a black heart emoji on the corners of the basic wallpaper.


    GANG VIOLENCE = CALL LORALEI <3


    ¡°Here. See this?¡± She pointed at the screen and he nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to forget.¡±


    ¡°Just in case, Doctor Parzik. You can never be too careful.¡±


    Johnny appeared and leaned against the wall. He looked at the old man. After a few moments, he shook his head.


    ¡®A good man¡­and good men die young. To still be alive, it must¡¯ve been the better option to milk him than to plunder.¡¯ He said.


    ¡®Save it.¡¯ She stated. Her mind¡¯s voice was dangerous.


    ¡®Relax. I¡¯m saying that you better keep an eye out for him.¡¯


    ¡®Way ahead of you.¡¯ Lei glanced at the corner of the room.


    Sitting on the shelf was a black teddy bear. There was an eyepatch over the right eye, but a red glint could be seen on the left if one looked closely. Hidden cam. It was a necessity.


    The man had no security. What if someone found out that he was an ex-doctor? Neighbors could take advantage. Gangs could find out. The list goes on. Anything could happen. That was the only cam since he stayed in this room most of his days. Right on that chair.


    ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯re feeling? Any side effects?¡± Parzik asked.


    Loralei stopped for a moment and closed her eyes. What did she feel¡­what did she feel¡­Maybe a bit mellow. Like she¡¯d had a small glass of wine.


    ¡°Just more calm. I can¡¯t really feel anything else besides that.¡±


    ¡°I thought so. Your expressions haven¡¯t changed since they took effect.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Weird. Maybe dampening certain feelings?¡±


    ¡°Try to invoke each one.¡± He said.


    Lei thought of things that made her angry and couldn¡¯t find the spark to get mad. She then thought of the steamy session with Meredith, but lust was still raring to go. Sadness was still there. Paranoia was a bit less, but present.


    When it came to happiness¡­She couldn¡¯t remember the last time she was happy for more than a few seconds. Well except when she satisfied her lust. Either way she wasn¡¯t worried.


    ¡°Eh whatever. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Remember to smile or people will be scared of you.¡± He spoke as if she was his niece.


    ¡°People are already scared of me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t embrace your look. Just pretend to be goth. You already look the part. Put on some black lipstick.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being genuine. I think it would add a bit to your charm.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll think about it. On that note. I gotta go.¡± She announced while putting on the visor.


    ¡°Lock the door on the way out, Loralei. Oh and remember! Ah¡­¡±


    The hollow eyed woman waited patiently for him to remember his words. She leaned against the front door and scrolled her contacts. Panam¡¯s number was pulled up.


    RING RING


    ¡°Hello?¡± A beautiful woman appeared on the face cam.


    ¡°Hi, is this Panam? Drifter here.¡±


    ¡°Speaking. How¡¯d you get this number, Drifter?¡±


    ¡°Rogue.¡±


    ¡°Of fucking course. What the hell does that warhorse want with me now?!¡± She snarled. Definitely still angry.


    ¡°Forget about her. I heard you need help with a gig, and that you could help me.¡±


    ¡°Depends on what ¡®help¡¯ you need.¡± She answered with sarcasm.


    ¡°Wanna speak with your Voodoo Boy contact.¡±


    ¡°Pshh that¡¯s it!? Haha! Sure. Meet me at the Royal Freight yard on Bonita Street. It¡¯s hugging the city. I¡¯m there right now.¡± She concluded after a brief giggle.


    ¡°Preem.¡±


    The call dropped. Lei immediately frowned. Maybe she should¡¯ve asked for more. It didn¡¯t seem like a big deal to Panam.


    ¡®The importance of things isn''t the same for everyone. Why sweat it? Should make this easier for you.¡¯ Johnny spoke up.


    ¡®True.¡¯


    Lei turned back to the old man who was lost in his thoughts. He didn¡¯t seem to be making any headway. Probably needed a little jolt. After giving it a second, she spoke.


    ¡°Parzik.¡± She called out.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, right. That medication should last you 3 months. Come back to restock after. One pill every two days. No more.¡±


    ¡°Preem. Thanks again.¡±


    As she left, she made sure to lock the door¡­and buy some black lipstick.

 Badlands

    Lei pulled up to the Royal Freight Yard with a slide of her bike. Newly acquired high-end BLACK synth lipstick now adorning those full lips of hers. She was curious to see if they changed the way people saw her. For this reason, she didn¡¯t keep her infovisor on for the time being.


    It didn¡¯t take long to find Panam. Lei only had to walk around for a few minutes to locate a woman reaching deep into the front of her car¡¯s hood. Her bottom was sticking out for all to see.


    Johnny glitched right beside the woman and observed. Lei couldn¡¯t help but observe as well. What an ass. That was Night City¡¯s ass right there. Countries would burn for such an ass. Such a perfect heart shaped pear¡­


    Lei and Johnny looked at each other and nodded. It was a tacit understanding. Time to move on though. The money never slept.


    ¡°Panam? I¡¯m here.¡± She greeted.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Drifter.¡± Panam commented without looking up.


    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°You gonna help me get my car back?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this one?¡±


    Panam stopped working for a moment but didn¡¯t fully look up. She seemed to be getting mad again. Looks like Lei would have to be careful.


    ¡°THIS-¡± The nomad girl gestured to the car. ¡±-is not mine. I¡¯m BORROWING it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I get it. Relax.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to RELAX. I can¡¯t even do deliveries with this junk! Unless it¡¯s pizza.¡±


    ¡°Panam, I will help you get your car.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Her whole attitude immediately shifted. Talk about moody.


    The now happy woman finally straightened up and closed the hood of the car. Only then did she finally turn to see the person she was speaking with. As soon as she met Lei¡¯s eyes, she jumped.


    ¡°ARGH!¡± Panam took a step back.


    ¡°Oh¡­sorry.¡± Lei gave a sad smile while putting her visor back on.


    ¡®Damn.¡¯ She thought. Looks like the lipstick didn¡¯t work.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry Lei. I think it looks nice.¡¯ Johnny said.


    ¡®Thanks, Johnny.¡¯


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Panam immediately felt bad. She knew that was fucked up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Do you know where your car is?¡±


    ¡°...No. Do you?¡±


    ¡°Gimme a sec.¡±


    Stepping away from the nomad, Lei made a quick call. It only rang once before the person answered. Rogue¡¯s face appeared on the display.


    ¡°What.¡±


    ¡°...You know where Panam¡¯s car is?¡±


    ¡°Rocky Ridge.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    The call was cut. Lei casually made her way back over. Panam¡¯s arms were crossed.


    ¡°It¡¯s in Rocky Ridge. I assume you know where that is?¡±


    ¡°Nash, that dirt eating bastard! I will strangle you. Screw Rogue too.¡± She growled. Looks like the location was enough to determine who stole it.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Is Nash one of your chooms?¡±


    ¡°Do NOT call him that.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Partner.¡±


    ¡°Former partner. Nash is a Shiv. A Raffen Shiv. He tricked me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s like the country version of a Scav, right?¡±


    ¡°What? No! Scavs are the worst of the worst. Raffen Shiv is one step above that.¡±


    ¡°So not too far off.¡±


    ¡°Not really, no.¡±


    ¡°So I was right then.¡± Lei gave a slight smile. Panam frowned.


    ¡°Are you trying to piss me off?¡±


    ¡°Nevermind that. Let''s go get your car back.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­Fuck. Siiiigh¡­.I gotta make a stop first.¡± She huffed in frustration.


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°The Aldecado camp. We need backup and some of my friends are there.¡±


    ¡°Ready when you are.¡± Lei said. The nomad girl nodded.


    ¡°Get in.¡±


    Both of them hopped in the car. Panam had to try the engine a few times before the car turned on. It was plain to see that she hated it.


    Even more surprising was what happened next. The girl pulled out a smartphone. A relic of the past. After typing in the keypad, she made a call. The car started to move.


    It was a long conversation with a man named Boz. Moral of the story was this: Nash had an exchange planned with Boz. Since he screwed over Panam, the drop won¡¯t be happening since Lei and her will be sending the man to hell. In other words, they were now making the drop after.


    ¡°You know¡­¡±


    ¡°...................................¡± Lei waited for Panam to finish.


    ¡°...You can take off your visor. Didn¡¯t mean to scream like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Keeping it on.¡±


    ¡°For real. You aren¡¯t a cyberpsycho. Don¡¯t feel like you have to-¡±


    ¡°The visor is staying on.¡± Lei repeated. Her voice was flat.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    It took almost 30 minutes to reach the Badlands. Another 15 minutes to reach the actual camp. Panam stopped the car right in front of two guards. They were protecting the entrance.


    ¡°Stay in the car, come with me, up to you.¡± She spoke before getting out. Lei didn¡¯t hesitate to follow.


    ¡°Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in.¡± The first guard spoke up. He wore a hood to cover his face and shield out the sun.


    Panam dabbed up the guard before moving to the next one. They all seemed friendly enough. The drifter decided to ease up a bit on the alertness.


    ¡°Is that a ghost or is it just my hangover?¡± The other guard joked.


    ¡°Fuck you too.¡± She quipped. They gave each other a fist bump. Only then did the guards look at the figure beside them.


    ¡°And who¡¯s this?¡± The hooded man asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s my babysitter.¡± Panam joked. ¡°Drifter, this is Scorpion. Mitch. Two old friends.¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡± Lei said. Her voice was curt.


    ¡°Sup.¡±


    ¡°What brings you round these parts, city girl?¡± Mitch asked Panam.


    ¡°The big city got too small for her. You got any idea how angry the old man is gonna be if he sees you here?¡± Scorpion followed up. The country girl frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯m only gonna be here for a second. Saul needn¡¯t know a thing.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Mitch grunted with sarcasm.


    ¡°I need your help. The Raffens screwed me over. With all four of us, we¡¯ll thrash em. You in?¡± She asked. Mitch sighed.


    ¡°You know we¡¯d do anything for you, sister. But¡­¡± He said.


    ¡°Things are kinda hard right now.¡± Scorpion finished Mitch¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Generators are down. Till we get them back up, we¡¯re stuck here.¡± Mitch revealed.


    ¡°Generators? You can¡¯t help me because of some goddamn generators?! Tell me this is another joke.¡± Panam exclaimed in disbelief.


    ¡°No joke.¡± Scorpion said.


    ¡°Wow. Holy shit. You two don¡¯t give a single fuck about me!¡±


    ¡°Listen, Panam. We can¡¯t leave camp¡­but Saul never said anything about gear. Catch my drift?¡±


    ¡°I get it. Yes. Well¡­I¡¯m gonna need that rifle of yours, Mitch. Along with my own stuff.¡± The nomad girl said after a moment of thought.


    ¡°Take whatever you want.¡± Mitch said. Panam looked at Lei.


    ¡°You coming with? Need help carrying.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± The drifter said.


    The two casually strolled into the camp. People of all ages could be seen hanging around in different areas. Some people even greeted Panam and asked when they could hang out. Seems like she had a good standing among the people.


    Panam reached the weapons tent and grabbed Mitch¡¯s sniper rifle. A medium sized crate was right next to it. Hmm. She gestured over to it too. Must be heavy. After Lei picked it up, they made their way back to the car. And it WAS heavy.


    ¡°Alright, Rocky Ridge. Time to fuck over some Raffens. Can¡¯t believe Mitch and Scorpion aren¡¯t helping me.¡± Panam couldn¡¯t help but complain.


    ¡°Honestly, Panam¡­¡±


    Lei glanced at the curly haired country woman. Her black hair shined under the sun. She fit her clothes well.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t care?¡± Panam questioned with a frown.


    ¡°I¡¯m enough for the Raffen. You don¡¯t need them. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°Trust you? Just met you an hour ago. Don¡¯t even try that with me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±

 Wraiths For Dinner

    The moment they reached Rocky Ridge, Panam hopped out of the car. The trunk popped open immediately. The heavy crate rested in her hands as she approached a nearby power station. Her figure disappeared up the stairs.


    Lei had her legs on the car¡¯s dash. The drifter had yet to leave the passenger seat. With her hands behind her head¡­and the seat reclined¡­she gazed at the clouds above.


    ¡®I want you to look around once you get out.¡¯ Johnny spoke from the backseat.


    The hologram was playing tunes on his guitar. He seemed to be getting better and better at adapting to the digital world. The net. If fabricating music and the guitar wasn¡¯t a good explanation¡­one would be dumb to not realize. Lei was impressed.


    ¡®...........................................¡¯ Still didn¡¯t mean she would respond.


    ¡®This looks like an abandoned town. Take a look at what happens when gangs go around unchecked. The result¡­¡¯ He trailed off. His hand gestured to the surroundings.


    ¡°...Tch.¡±


    Lei finally rolled her eyes. She knew how gangs could be. Memories of the past quickly went through her mind. Did Johnny think the girl was naive? A history lesson was not in the drifter¡¯s plans for the day.


    ¡®You still haven¡¯t given me that smoke yet.¡¯ He also said.


    ¡®I don¡¯t smoke.¡¯


    ¡®I do.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re a digital personality. I¡¯m made out of flesh and bone. Who¡¯s daily habits do you think are the most vital right now?¡¯


    ¡®Mine.¡¯ Johnny answered with no shame.


    ¡®I could unchip you and never talk to you again.¡¯ She threatened.


    ¡®I could fry your infovisor.¡¯ He threatened in return.


    ¡°Pffft. Pfffahahahahaha!¡± Lei burst out laughing.


    All that thing did was monitor her real time vitals. Maybe have a deeper cache with her full name and some logistics. The battery level of her beam saber as well. Nothing that couldn¡¯t be replaced. Johnny could be funny sometimes.


    ¡®You¡¯re right. That would totally suck. You win this time.¡¯ She eventually said.


    ¡®Obviously, dumbass.¡¯


    Only now did she finally get up and leave the car. Her direction trailed Panam¡¯s footsteps. Walking up the steps of the power station, she saw the nomad girl crouched beside a breaker. The crate was open to reveal a power battery.


    ¡°That was one heavy ass car battery.¡± Lei commented. Panam only hummed in response.


    ¡°Wraiths aren¡¯t here yet. Gonna leave a surprise for them once they return.¡± She revealed.


    ¡°Fucking with the power?¡±


    ¡°You know it, babe.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Do you want their screams to be loud, or should I just focus on getting your car?¡± Lei asked. Panam stopped her work and looked the drifter up and down.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been talking big this whole time. Where does that confidence come from?¡±


    ¡°Just answer the question, dummy.¡±


    ¡°...Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°Dance around them like chicken? Yes.¡±


    ¡°Show them fear.¡± Panam growled.


    ¡°Preem.¡± Drifter answered casually.


    Time passed as the two prepared for the gang to return. The sun had eventually fallen, leaving the abandoned town in utter darkness. Lei¡¯s figure was hidden between two far off houses. A lit cigarette was in her hands.


    ¡®Finally. I¡¯ve needed this.¡¯ Johnny said. He was sitting on the fence.


    ¡®You¡¯re an addict, Johnny. I¡¯m only doing this once. Never again. That shit is not good for me. Not with my condition.¡¯


    ¡®Hit the cig, Lei.¡¯


    ¡®Just¡­give me a second.¡¯ The empty eyed beauty commented. What had she gotten herself into¡­


    ¡®A full hit. I need all of it, Lei.¡¯


    ¡®Yes, I know.¡¯


    ¡®Breathe it in deep.¡¯


    ¡®Fuck off, Johnny.¡¯


    ¡®Hit. It. Hit. It. Hit! It! Hit! It!¡¯ He started to chant like a teenage gonk.


    Lei brought the cig to her lips and inhaled. The nasty smoke filled up her lungs, permeating her system. It was then smoothly exhaled.


    ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ Johnny groaned inappropriately. Sounded hella strange. Dude was feeling it.


    ¡®Ew¡­¡¯ She groaned.


    ¡®That¡¯s some good shit, Loralei.¡¯


    ¡°Drifter, you there?¡± Panam spoke over the open comm.


    ¡°Present.¡± Lei answered.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I can see their cars. Mine too. They¡¯re almost here so be ready for the signal.¡±


    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am.¡± She dragged her words.


    The sound of roaring engines was getting closer. There were definitely no mufflers on those exhausts. About 30 seconds later, offroading cars were arriving by the dozen. They all pulled up to the gas station and bar.


    ¡°Hahaha! That was some preem shit! Shoulda seen the look on his face when I broke his legs.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Ripped some chrome off this gonk¡¯s back. Bet it¡¯ll sell for something.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t nobody buying that shit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Damn¡­got my rocks off good earlier.¡±


    ¡°What did I miss?! You did it without me?¡±


    ¡°Aww man¡­she was hiding in a coffee shop. Kid had some good legs on her. Was hella soft. Preem shit. Felt real tight too.¡±


    ¡°You leave her?¡±


    ¡°Hell nah. Zeroed. Can¡¯t let anyone else tap after me.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    Several of them chatted while getting out of their cars. The topics were horrific. Some of them were borderline satanic. Lei casually listened while staring at her cigarette.


    ¡®One more hit before you terminate these gonks.¡¯ Johnny said. The drifter shook her head¡­but the cig rose to her lips.


    Another inhale. Another exhale. Disgusting. The nicotine high wasn¡¯t that bad though. She could see how it would be addicting.


    WOOSH


    The darkness of the abandoned town withered away as neon lights sputtered to life. Street signs, radios, TVs, billboards, vending machines, and more. It was like Christmas again. All of the gangers looked around in confusion. Some were spooked. Everything made a bunch of noise.


    Lei dropped the cig and stomped it out. The hood was pulled over her face, only a red glint showing beneath. The modified Burya came to rest in her left hand. Her beam saber ignited while staining the grass red.


    VRMM


    First target. A Wraith was on the outskirts of the bar. He kicked the newly activated vending machine more than a few times. Gonk wanted some snacks. As he glared through the polycarbonate glass at the snacks, he noticed something in the reflection. A red glow.


    Something hard pressed against the back of his head. His hand rose automatically in surrender. His back had suddenly gotten sweaty.


    ¡°Hello. Wanna taste some iron?¡± The feminine voice joked.


    ¡°WAIT-¡±


    The voice was cut off by the loud roar of the Burya. The powerful bullet burst the man¡¯s head like a watermelon. It even went on to pierce the glass and machine as a whole.


    Multiple Wraith members snapped to attention. They¡¯d heard the voice and the gunshot. Something happened. A few members in the bar grabbed their guns and headed outside.


    ¡°Jaz, you go left. Midspike, go right. I¡¯ll take point.¡±


    Three gangers were now heading toward the sound. Others had heard it as well, but the trio would be the ones to check. Every man for themself at the end of the day.


    Midspike took the right path. Overgrown weeds behind broken down buildings and houses. A fence right between some tumbleweeds...it smelled like smoke. As he aimed down sights with his carbine, a red light swept through his legs.


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!¡± He screamed in immense pain.


    Without his legs, he fell to the ground. Fingers clenched around the trigger due to burning pain. Automatic fire hit the walls and windows.


    RATATATATA


    The Burya roared once again. Another cranium turned to mush. Automatic fire was cut off eerily. Jaz and the original speaker bolted toward the noise as fast as possible. Still¡­they only found a dead Midspike for their efforts.


    ¡°Fuck. Who is it¡­Bastard!¡±


    Across the street¡­Three buildings were lined up. The drifter¡¯s silhouette rose from the dark set piece. The handcannon aimed once more. It fired.


    In the middle of the cursing man¡¯s chest, a gaping hole appeared. He immediately crumpled to the ground. Like a puppet without strings. Jaz watched his choom die beside him.


    ¡°Aw hell no. I gotta delta.¡± He exclaimed.


    The spooked ganger dashed toward the gas station. His car was there. Multiple Wraiths were huddled together with their guns ready. As Jaz grew closer, he couldn¡¯t help but scream out.


    ¡°Get the fuck out! It¡¯s probably a corpo-¡±


    A red beam saber cut through his neck at flux speed. To the observing Wraiths, Jaz¡¯ head just fell to the ground for no reason. It was ominous. Only the more experienced of the bunch understood what happened.


    ¡°SHIT! THEY¡¯VE GOT A SAN-¡± The gas station exploded.


    BOOOOM


    The powerful explosion caused the ground to rumble slightly. Around fifteen Wraiths had been turned into cooked meat slabs. Multikill. This time, all of the remaining members at the bar grabbed their iron.


    They didn¡¯t go outside though. Each of them hunkered down behind tables, bar racks, stair railings, and couches. All of them aiming at the open door. To say they were spooked was an understatement.


    Time slowly passed. The anxiety grew by the minute. It was too quiet. Besides those in the bar, nobody else could be heard. About eight men left.


    While staring out the door like their lives depended on it, they finally saw something. Far in the distance¡­A black silhouette approached. His gait was extremely casual. What made it scary was the glowing weapon in his hand.


    A shining laser blade that almost seemed fake. Except it left a burning trail across the ground. Where the head should be¡­there was only a red glowing line. A few men couldn¡¯t help but gulp.


    ¡°Fuuuuck¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop gawking! FIRE!¡± Someone screamed.


    Eight different guns let their ammo loose. Bullets flew in a straight path. Unfortunately, the drifter faded away as if it was just an image. A red afterimage.


    The group didn¡¯t stop shooting until their mags ran dry. A bunch of empty clicks resounded. Verbal curses flooded the room as they reloaded.


    Another five minutes passed as they waited. The anxiety was starting to affect them harshly. One of them had started to tremble.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna die like this!¡± He squealed.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up.¡± Someone else whispered angrily.


    At that moment, they heard the now iconic sound of the Burya. A piece of the wall broke off¡­and the scared gonk crumpled with an exploded head. Everyone froze in shock.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just sit there! We¡¯re being targeted through the wall! Go!¡±


    The man who yelled sprinted out of the building. Contrary to his expectations¡­nobody else came out with him. Rage flooded his veins at being left to die.


    ¡°You all really plan on dying in there?! Cowards and pussies. Help me find this fucker and kill him!¡±


    There was no response. Feeling a bit off at the lack of an answer, he immediately rushed back inside. What he saw made his stomach drop.


    Not a single body was still intact. Every limb had a burning mark wherever it was cut. Heads rolled around the ground, still freshly fallen. Every single one of them were dead.


    It had happened too fast. Too quickly. The man wasn¡¯t even able to hear it. What could possibly kill that fast without noise? Who had the Wraiths offended? What kind of heat had they brought upon themselves? It had reached the level of Arasaka ninjas.


    As he lost the will to fight, his surroundings turned red. There was no doubt that the killer was behind him. He at least wanted to see who killed them all. Turning around as fast he-


    The man¡¯s line of thought was cut off abruptly. He died on his feet. The beam saber had drilled right through his brain.


    ¡°Panam¡­still there?¡± Lei finally spoke on the comm. A full minute went by before she answered.


    ¡°Drifter¡­what the hell¡­¡± Panam¡¯s voice was quiet.


    ¡°Ah¡­sorry. Did I scare you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know¡­but that was AWESOME!¡±

 Revenge For Dessert

    The two women could be found on a side street in the middle of the Badlands. Both were observing a customized Thornton Mackinaw ¡®Warhorse.¡¯ Or in simple terms¡­Panam¡¯s truck. A throaty engine spurred alive right in front of them.


    ¡°Prime wheels, isn''t she?¡± Panam gestured to the vehicle.


    ¡°I bet it''s a gas guzzler.¡± Lei guessed.


    ¡°Of course! Gotta feed that girl what she deserves. Come on, check it out.¡±


    The drifter followed the nomad and hopped in the passenger seat. Literally hopped. This beast was pretty high off the ground. Made Lei feel tiny.


    Panam kept the truck in park but revved the engine. The rumble vibrated through the interior seats. It was definitely powerful. After opening the sunroof, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°At last.¡± She breathed.


    ¡°Feeling whole again?¡±


    ¡°This babygirl, she completes me.¡±


    ¡°All in a day¡¯s work. Told you we didn¡¯t need Mitch and Scorpion.¡±


    There was a moment of silence¡­as if in response to those words. Lei frowned. Had she said something wrong? Panam seemed to be nervous.


    ¡°Listen¡­Drifter.¡±


    ¡°.....................................¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡±


    ¡°What? You got your car. Even got more guns and ammo. Wasn¡¯t that the plan?¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t get Nash. Fucker didn¡¯t show up to Rocky Ridge.¡±


    ¡°...What¡­but what¡¯s that gotta do with our deal?¡± Lei¡¯s voice was flat. A common occurrence when she grew annoyed.


    ¡°I have a plan.¡±


    ¡°Panam, I don¡¯t have all the time in the world. Can¡¯t go from one place to another like that. Need you to honor our deal.¡±


    ¡°I will honor it. Just want your help for one last thing. I¡¯ll even help this time, not watch you do everything. Please, Drifter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the opposite of honoring the deal.¡±


    BAM


    Panam slammed her fists on the dash. A desperate but angry expression adorned her face. Lei¡¯s empty eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Damnit, just LISTEN to me! For fuck¡¯s sake! Please!¡±


    ¡°....................................................¡± The drifter¡¯s expression basically screamed ¡®I¡¯m waiting.¡¯


    ¡°I know where their little hidey-hole is. We¡¯ll take the old unfinished freeway nearby. They will not be expecting us. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°...And if he¡¯s not in the hideout? Don¡¯t have time to do a Nash hunt.¡±


    ¡°I KNOW he¡¯ll be there. Plus, we just took out more than half of Nash¡¯s crew.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Lei commented. Panam took a controlled breath.


    ¡°You, Drifter. You did it. You¡¯re strong. Incredibly strong. Lend me your strength, and I¡¯ll owe you more than just a meeting with some Voodoo Boy dumpster diver.¡±


    ¡°...Dumpster diver?¡±


    ¡°He takes equipment that we pawn off. Nevermind that. Look at me.¡± Panam grabbed Lei¡¯s hand.


    ¡°......................................................¡±


    ¡°Help me¡­please. I need revenge. Haven¡¯t you ever wanted revenge before? This is the perfect moment. They won¡¯t be ready for us. It¡¯ll be simple.¡±


    Lei stared at the nomad for a while without saying a word. Panam was starting to grow nervous. The lack of silence made her overthink. Just when she was about to give up, the drifter heaved a long sigh.


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    ¡°Just be quick about it.¡±


    ¡°Yes! You¡¯re the best, Drifter.¡± Panam exclaimed.


    ¡°Mhmm¡­¡± Lei hummed in a flat tone.


    Panam slammed the gas, causing the Thornton to zoom forward. Next destination¡­Wraith hideout. It didn¡¯t take more than a few minutes to reach the abandoned freeway. The path started from pavement to dirt tunnels. Inside a mountain.


    ¡°Once we¡¯re 15 seconds away, tell me. I¡¯ll cause some chaos so you can ambush too.¡± Lei stated.


    ¡°Awesome. Nash is fucked!¡±


    ¡°................................................¡±


    The nomad was extremely happy. Bouncing in her seat. Another five minutes passed before the tunnels grew brighter. They were getting close.


    ¡°Almost there. 20 seconds away. 18. 17. 16. 15-¡±


    Lei entered flux speed while hopping out the car window. Her body accelerated as a red streak blitzed ahead of the car. Panam would only notice a red afterimage in the passenger seat about 3 seconds later.


    The hideout was true to its name. A small mining camp in the middle of the mountains. There were two small portable buildings stacked side by side, everywhere else covered in Wraith cars. Another large group of gangers standing around talking. Target practice.


    She knew they weren¡¯t ready for what was to come. Entering the open area at her speed would only end in one result. Lei dashed up the side of the rock wall. The beam saber ignited at maximum capacity. Seemingly unstable with thrumming power. It immediately extended into swordstaff mode.


    Jumping off the wall, she sailed toward the middle of the area with the most enemies and cars. Her body flipped which allowed her feet to stomp the ceiling. She then shot down like a meteor toward the ground. Blade first.


    The crimson beam saber pierced the ground¡­and the surroundings suddenly turned red. An unexplainable phenomenon took place. Red electric plasma pulsed out of the blade in the form of a shockwave. It washed over the environment.


    VSSSHHH


    Just like that. Several Wraiths were turned to nothing but blood splatters. Nothing left of the body. The cars were done for as well. Not before exploding though. Each and every nearby vehicle caught a whiff of plasma before detonating. Like bombs.


    It was akin to art. One explosion after the next. A chain reaction. The Wraiths on the first floor who DID survive were knocked off their feet. Either missing a limb or sporting a new wound. That was the moment Panam skirted onto the scene.


    ¡°KNOCK KNOCK!¡± She screamed while gunning down the prone Raffen.


    Lei took a step back to disappear amongst the smoke and fire. Her silhouette was gone. A beautiful ambush.


    Nash could be found on the only room of the second floor. It overlooked the whole area, so he immediately saw the explosions. His eyes grew wide at the drastic change in situation. It was too fast!


    Like a deer in headlights, he stood over the rail in shock. What¡­he couldn¡¯t even think. Instincts kicked in as a long time Raffen member. His body dropped low for cover. His tech precision rifle was pulled into his arms. That was when he heard Panam¡­Damn.


    ¡°Panam.¡± He called out.


    ¡°Thought you could take my shit?! Steal my car?! Guess who¡¯s back, fucker! Come get some!¡± She screamed in response.


    BANG RATATATA BANG BANG


    The other Wraiths on the 2nd floor engaged in a gunfight with the nomad girl. Panam took cover behind one of the cars that hadn¡¯t exploded. The car groaned in response to rounds of bullets. Several shooters aimed at her and only her. Ignorant of anything else.


    Nash finally peeked out of cover, aimed the rifle and fired. It punctured through the car but didn¡¯t land. Panam had already crawled to a different car. Her sniper rifle went off, zeroing another Wraith. Flawless¡­but her new position was revealed.


    The return fire was more intense than the last round. As all of this went on, Lei quietly carved through the pillars holding up the second floor. It was monotonous work, but the payoff would be quite nice. 15 more seconds passed before the building collapsed on itself. Weapons dropped.


    Some Wraiths immediately died to metal debris piercing their heart, lungs, or throat when landing on the first floor. That left only a few more injured Raffen and a crawling Nash. His ankles had shattered from the height.


    Arriving in front of the first wounded man, Lei split his body from head to ribcage. The momentum kept her going as she surfed on his corpse¡­jumping off and zeroing another Wraith. The drifter¡¯s expression was blank. It was just business.


    Panam had stopped engaging once the building collapsed. She couldn¡¯t help it. Watching Lei murder gonks with her beam saber was mesmerizing. Such specialized martial arts¡­how long did it take Drifter to learn something like that?


    The way Lei¡¯s polearm danced around her body as if weightless. It was incredible. An elegant dance of death. Panam just wanted to see more. She couldn¡¯t get enough.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Nash was the last man alive. He¡¯d long since forgotten about Panam. Seeing the effortless killing of his men by the figure behind him¡­It was downright ridiculous to be so sure that his time in this world was over¡­but he couldn¡¯t deny what he saw.


    ¡°Nash. Look here.¡± Panam said.


    The man slowly turned to see a sniper barrel near his head. A vicious smile adorned the nomad girl¡¯s lips. She¡¯d been waiting for this. Nash smiled as well.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got me. I can¡¯t lie, Panam. But at least I won¡¯t get fucked over in the future by a corpo elite. No way that guy is a normal merc. Can¡¯t believe you sold out.¡± He mocked. Panam tried to suppress a chuckle and failed.


    ¡°Pfft. Haha! You don¡¯t know shit.¡±


    BANG


    The sniper rifle blew his head clean off. Gig finished. Lei deactivated her beam saber and the hilt retracted. Her steps casually brought her before the nomad.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°Drifter, you''re the best partner I¡¯ve ever had. Was a great day with you here. I¡¯d love to call you a friend¡­if you¡¯d be so inclined.¡± Panam stated with a bow of her head.


    ¡°Call me Lei. I enjoy making friends. Glad to have you, Panam.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get in contact with that Voodoo Boy once I get all this shit cleared out. I know the Aldecados would enjoy taking the weapons and equipment.¡±


    ¡°Still got a soft spot for them, huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop it. That¡¯s family.¡±

 What An Asshole

    ¡°Everybody got their cross to bear. And I got mine and I got yours to share~¡±


    ¡°.....................................¡±


    ¡°See you driving down my road. Trouble in the wind I already know~¡±


    ¡°....................................¡±


    ¡°Suffer me! SUFFER ME!¡± Panam screamed along to the music.


    The animated nomad whipped her Thornton across the Badlands. She was incredibly happy. A successful dish of vengeance alongside the acquisition of her vehicle left her energetic. All that was left was to finish the dropoff with Boz.


    All of the necessary merch was stashed in the back seat. Should be a quick handoff that only required Lei to look intimidating¡­If these guys were as trustworthy as Panam said.


    Looking at her vitals through the infovisor, the sickly woman could see the healthy green status turning yellow. A slight deterioration which meant a whole lot of coughing soon. Hopefully the pills would lessen the duration and severity.


    ¡°Suffer me¡­I¡¯ll be on my way. Yeah, yeah~¡±


    ¡°...........................................¡±


    As the radio blared, Lei clenched her fists. Pain slowly traveled through her chest and spread weakness through her limbs. It wasn¡¯t as debilitating¡­though it still sucked. A round of coughs were threatening to escape her lips but the drifter steeled herself. She closed her eyes and rested the back of her head on the seat.


    Her hands trembled but were hidden under the cloak. She was in control. It would be fine. This was already progress. Before, she would¡¯ve immediately slumped to the floor in a wreck.


    The truck eventually turned into the parking lot of Sunset Motel. An armored van was parked nearby with three guys waiting around. Definitely armed. Looked like 6th Street. Panam stopped right in front of them.


    ¡°Stay in the car. I¡¯ll be quick.¡± She looked at Lei.


    ¡°.......................................¡±


    ¡°Lei?¡±


    Lei gave the nomad a quick thumbs up. Panam shook her head at the lack of verbal response but moved on. She reached into the backseat to grab the merch, giving Boz and his two buddies a magnificent view of her bottom. Probably a reason why their deals went so smoothly.


    ¡°Hey, Boz.¡± The two shook hands.


    ¡°Panam! Good to see you. Where¡¯s Nash? He doesn¡¯t seem to be answering my calls. Heh.¡± Boz greeted with sarcasm.


    As the two began to converse, Lei finally released the cough she¡¯d been holding in. Blood splattered her hand and dripped onto her legs. Immediately, she started to feel much better. Her blood sizzled before slowly evaporating into binary code. It was always fascinating to see.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call him anymore. There¡¯s no need.¡± Panam said. Boz chuckled.


    ¡°You got balls, girl. Oh? What¡¯s this? A bonus of some sort?¡± He gestured to Lei in the car. The sickly girl rolled down the window.


    ¡°We work together.¡± Lei casually explained.


    ¡°Hmmm. Change chooms like you change clothes, girl.¡± Boz looked at Panam.


    ¡°Here you go, Boz. First class merch.¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm.¡± He grunted.


    Boz had his boys inspect the goods. After a brief look, they nodded to him. Boz¡¯ eyes shined blue for a moment.


    ¡°Everything in order?¡± Panam asked.


    ¡°Check your account. Should be pretty plush in a couple minutes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure¡­though wasn¡¯t Rogue supposed to be paying me?¡±


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    ¡°Consider it a tip. You earned it.¡± He said.


    ¡°Really? Thanks, Boz.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Let¡¯s roll.¡±


    The three military vets turned gangsters boarded the van. Wheels turned as it made its way out of the lot. Soon as it touched the road, it peeled off at high speed. Panam came around to the truck¡¯s passenger and leaned on the window frame.


    ¡°Lei.¡±


    ¡°Panam.¡±


    ¡°Wanna join me for a drink? There¡¯s a bar in the motel.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Both women made their way over to the motel bar. There were more than a few people inside. Seemed to be a hangout of sorts. Panam sat down while flagging the bartender. A gruff man with blonde hair.


    ¡°Hey, Noah.¡±


    ¡°Hey. New biz or new friends back there?¡± The bartender asked. Seems he noticed the dropoff.


    ¡°Take a wild guess. Everything been good with you? Those bozos come around again?¡±


    ¡°Raffens? Nah. They¡¯ve been pretty quiet lately. Sure they¡¯ll be back soon enough. Seen plenty worse. So what can I get ya?¡±


    Panam turned her head to Lei. She eyed the sickly woman up and down. Only then did she look back at Noah.


    ¡°Broseph. Two of em.¡±


    As the bartender went to get drinks, Lei centered herself. Vitals were still yellow for the time being. She just needed a little rest.


    ¡°What was in the package? For 6th Street.¡± Hearing the question, Panam raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t peek? It was Baloperidol. Drugs for the cyberpsychos in our midst.¡±


    ¡°I see. So they¡¯ve been dealing. Thought they were upright citizens?¡±


    ¡°Everyone falls eventually., Money doesn¡¯t grow on trees.¡±


    ¡°.......................................¡±


    ¡°Speaking of cyberpsycho.¡± Panam stared at her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even try it.¡± Lei said.


    ¡°Take it off! This ain¡¯t Night City. There¡¯s only friends here.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Come onnn. Are you still mad at my reaction when first meeting you?¡±


    ¡°Why would I be mad? It¡¯s just my reality.¡±


    ¡°What a sad thing to say. Take it off. Doesn¡¯t it annoy you wearing that all day?¡±


    ¡°Of course it does.¡±


    At that moment, the bartender arrived with the drinks. Panam curled her pointer finger¡­a gesture telling Noah to come closer. He would obviously oblige.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Noah, want you to see something. Help me convince my choom to take off her visor. She¡¯s insecure about her face. Look, her hands are shaking.¡±


    ¡°Wha-I¡¯m not insecure!¡± Lei exclaimed. The nomad was totally getting the wrong idea. Definitely not why her hands were trembling.


    ¡°What¡¯s so scary about your face, huh? Lemme see.¡± Noah spoke up.


    ¡°Why does it matter so much¡­¡± The sickly girl complained.


    Even Meredith loved removing the visor. Did Lei just give off that type of aura? The ¡®I hide my face¡¯ type of vibe? Was it a power play?


    ¡°It¡¯s a 2v1, Lei. Majority rule.¡±


    ¡°Siiiigh.¡±


    Lei casually removed the piece of equipment while grabbing her drink. Without even looking at them, she took a gulp of the alcohol. Only then did she look up.


    Noah¡¯s eyes were slightly wider than usual and his mouth was open. Extremely pale skin¡­perfectly framed bangs and silky black hair¡­black lipstick on full lips to match her nails¡­Long fluttering eyelashes. Eyes that looked dead inside.


    ¡°Whoa¡­I mean¡­wow.¡± He said.


    ¡°I knew Noah would like you. Thought of it on the way here. You¡¯re his type.¡± Panam commented.


    Lei took another sip while eyeing the frozen bartender. Her lips slightly curled into a smile. Then she blew a kiss.


    ¡°Eh-erm.¡± Noah cleared his throat and turned away. He was fiddling with cups and readjusting his shirt.


    ¡°Did he just get a stiffie? Hahaha! Looks like you have an admirer, Lei.¡± Panam joked.


    ¡°I did NOT get a stiffie. What the hell, Panam?¡± He complained quietly.


    The sickly girl looked the man up and down. He wasn¡¯t that bad looking¡­his attitude was nice, he liked her, was friends with the nomad¡­hmm. Her hand went to her chin as she considered-


    ¡®Don¡¯t even think about it.¡¯ Johnny Silverhand glitched onto the seat beside her. Lei glanced at him. He¡¯d been quiet for a while.


    ¡®What? I didn¡¯t even do anything yet.¡¯


    ¡®If I have to watch you sleep with that guy, deal¡¯s off. Done helping you.¡¯


    ¡®Damn, jealous much?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s more than that. Don¡¯t care how much fun you have with other women. But don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re MY bitch. Got it?¡¯


    ¡®Rude. Possessive too. Not like I was going to be his input. Probably won¡¯t ever see him again.¡¯


    ¡®Said what I said. Take it or leave it.¡¯


    ¡®Asshole. Fine, Johnny.¡¯


    Lei would continue to hang with Panam for another hour. They spoke about many things, including the gangs of Night City and which of them were working for megacorporations.


    For example, the Tyger Claws had connections to Arasaka before the 4th Corporate War. Scavs were hitmen for hire. 6th Street occasionally helped Millitech and Kang Tao. Maelstrom said fuck everybody. Valentinos worked with NCPD. Animals, the small brawler gang, worked as bodyguards for a bunch of corps.


    Once that hour had passed, Lei excused herself. It was a long ride back to the city and she wanted to lay down. As a result, her black Kusanagi went past the limit of 1000cc bikes, hitting 200+ mph. Don¡¯t drink and drive, folks. Can¡¯t steer with one hand after all.

 Take It Easy

    A few days had passed since the Badlands gig. That meant Lei had time to kill. Waiting around for Panam was a task in itself. It truly made her anxious since a cure was her most important goal. After that? A question for the future.


    Since there was nothing to do except twiddle her thumbs, why not find a way to spend the day? There were a few things she could do. Arasaka was throwing a parade tonight. She could go explore and then take a look at the end of day.


    And so¡­Lei found herself standing outside of the Kabuki train station. She didn¡¯t go out in her merc gear today. No¡­today was a day of rest. A backpack kept it all tucked away!


    Wearing a white crop top shirt with black stripes, her smooth stomach was on full display. Her pierced belly button only added to the allure. Her slim but toned legs were covered by black leather jeans. Black boots wrapped in white silicone straps completed the look.


    Well¡­not quite. A soft black choker wrapped her pale neck in a snug grip. Its material was ribbon-like. Every single bit of her clothing was chosen to accent her silky black hair and black painted nails. Lei truly resembled a goth rocker girl.


    That was if one ignored the modified Burya strapped to her left leg. Still, the way the holster straps hugged her thigh and waist emphasized the curves of her bottom. A hottie forsure.


    ¡®Just picturing a gonk like you rocking out to one of my shows. Man¡­Kerry would¡¯ve been head over heels. Letting you step on him and all that shit.¡¯ Johnny commented. Lei walked forward with a hum.


    ¡®Could¡¯ve just said I look nice, Johnny.¡¯


    Lei continued her pace. She couldn¡¯t help but window shop, not knowing what exactly she¡¯d like to get¡­if anything. Clothing, accessories, souvenirs, etc. She even passed a few joytoys in the middle of their shifts.


    Eventually, she reached the Kabuki Roundabout. This was a tourist attraction and only a few blocks away from Jig-Jig Street. Her empty grey eyes roamed the vendors and stalls. On the higher floors were stores that sold more important or dangerous things.


    ¡®By the way. Who¡¯s Kerry?¡¯ She thought to ask.


    ¡®Thought you said you did your research on me?¡¯


    ¡®I did.¡¯


    ¡®But you don¡¯t know?¡¯


    ¡®Can you just answer the question?¡¯


    ¡®Kerry Eurodyne. He was a member of my band. Samurai. A weak-minded coward.¡¯


    ¡®Messed up thing to say about a friend.¡¯ Lei commented.


    ¡®He may be a coward, but he could surprise you in ways one wouldn¡¯t expect. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s living the life right now.¡¯


    ¡®Wanna go see him one day?¡¯ She offered.


    ¡®Sure. Why not.¡¯


    ¡®Anyone else you wanna see now that you can?¡¯


    ¡®...Alt.¡¯ He said. His voice was gentle. Much more than usual.


    ¡®We¡¯ll be seeing her soon anyway. I was talking about people in the flesh.¡¯


    ¡®You asked. I answered.¡¯ Johnny stated.


    The smell of something delicious wafted into the rocker girl¡¯s nose. It made her stomach rumble a bit. Following the yummy in her tummy, she soon located the source. A ramen shop was built into the roundabout, allowing people to sit in front of the table.


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    Lei joined the already eating customers, ready to order something. A middle aged Japanese man could be seen over the table cooking nonstop. Upon noticing her, he stepped over.


    ¡°What can I get you?¡± His words were Japanese as well, but her cyberdeck translated it effortlessly.


    ¡°Mmmm¡­I¡¯ll take a pork blaze miso.¡± She said after reading the menu on the wall.


    ¡°Spice level?¡±


    ¡°One below the most spicy. Oh! And this is to go.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let me fix that up for you.¡±


    A few minutes went by as he cooked it up. It smelt heavenly, not to mention everyone else¡¯s meals. The chef put the completed dish in one plastic cup, while the actual broth was placed in another. This would prevent everything from growing too stale or soggy.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Both of their eyes shined as credits were sent over. Lei took the bag and quickly made her way out of the roundabout. She was hungry, and she¡¯d decided to eat it at her destination.


    The rocker girl went past Jig Jig Street. A few blocks later, she turned onto a side street. A makeshift ramp could be found on the side of a building. It seemed to lead somewhere further up.


    Lei went up the ramp, ducked under some A/C ventilators, leapt over a small gap between roofs, all while following the trail. The sound of laughter and conversation soon reached her ears. After squeezing in between two thin walls and stepping over a railing, she came to a large rooftop clearing.


    Young adults and late teens could be found congregating the place. They all seemed to have their own cliques, with some people going between them. In the middle of the area were two men fighting in hand to hand combat. It was more brawling than actual combat though. Street fighting.


    This was a fighting competition where people could watch, make bets, or participate themselves. It was a friendly type of hangout, only privy to those who did their research or heard by word of mouth.


    Multiple people observed the newcomer¡¯s entry. It had grown a bit quieter. Lei could only give a slight smile before sitting on the edge of one of the roofs. Her looks had gathered a small bit of attention, but her demeanor had gained even more. Only then was she scrutinized fully.


    This was all casual though. Not the type of scrutiny like an exclusive club. More like curiosity. The sickly girl wasn¡¯t bothered at all. She immediately opened her bag and pulled out its contents.


    ¡®Twenty minutes.¡¯ Johnny said while glitching onto a makeshift chair. Actually a cardboard box.


    ¡®Until?¡¯


    ¡®Someone grows the courage to come up to you.¡¯


    ¡®Sure¡­¡¯


    ¡®Set a timer if you think I¡¯m lying.¡¯


    Just to prove him wrong, she set a timer. Lei didn¡¯t think anyone would be speaking to her today. Conversing with someone who could possibly be a cyberpsycho was a risk that most people wouldn¡¯t take.


    Anyways¡­onto more important things. She couldn¡¯t stop her hum as the broth poured into the bowl full of noodles. Everything about it looked delicious, from the color of the broth to the beansprouts.


    The chopsticks were cracked open then scraped together just to avoid any splinters. Can never be too careful. Then it was time. A mouthful of noodles and pork¡­


    ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± She hummed quietly.


    A few of the nearby teens and young adults glanced at her curiously. But they didn¡¯t understand. This shit¡­was heavenly. Incredible flavor for the pallet.


    As she ate, two bald headed twins stepped into the middle. They were identical down to the clothing they wore. Even the way they finished each other''s sentences.


    ¡°Who wants to fight us?¡± One of the twins said.


    ¡°Two versus one isn¡¯t a fair fight. Why would anyone do that? A pair of twins? Really?¡± A random guy spoke up. Both twins crossed their arms.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t twins! I¡¯m just one man controlling two bodies.¡±


    ¡°Sure, good try. Not believing that.¡± A woman commented.


    That was when someone else stood up. A young man with messy pink hair approached the duo. His neck and hands were covered in tattoos, the rest hidden inside his clothing. He wore a red shirt covered by a black leather jacket. Black leather jeans and shoes to finish¡­he was a pretty boy. Delinquent type. A chain hung from his jeans, clipped to the belt loops.


    Lei frowned at the man. His demeanor, tattoos, and bright colored hair reminded her of the Tyger Claws. This guy was definitely gang related.


    ¡°I¡¯m up for it. How much are we betting?¡± He asked. The bald twins put up a finger.


    ¡°Ten thousand credits. Sure you wanna lose so badly?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure. If you fight unfairly, you probably only rely on numbers. Could be a trash fighter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah right. Let¡¯s go.¡± One of the twins scoffed. The two squared off.

 Birds of a Feather

    The pink haired man cracked his neck and waited with his hands in his pockets. The bald twins took offense to this. Did this gonk think he was a world touring fighter? Just another kid trying to be tough.


    Baldy # 1 dashed toward the arrogant guy, a powerful haymaker aiming at the jaw. That was when something impressive took place. Right before it connected, the young man stepped back out of range. His palm swiftly crashed up into the baldy¡¯s chin with force. The blow sent his eyes rolling back into his head.


    That wasn¡¯t the end. The pink haired man kneed him in the diaphragm before throwing the baldie over his shoulder. Just like that, Baldy # 1 was unconscious. That left the other twin who was spooked. It had only been a few seconds!


    ¡°Are you going to come to me¡­or should I just come to you?¡± He mocked. Baldy # 2 frowned.


    ¡°Aaaaaarrgh!¡± He gave a warcry while dashing toward the danger.


    Another swing full of mistakes and flaws. Both Lei and the young man knew it. He lazily ducked under the swing before grabbing the baldy¡¯s neck and slamming him down. The back of the twin¡¯s head hit concrete and he saw stars.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t wanna hurt you too bad. How else would I get my credits if you pass out?¡± The man couldn¡¯t help but mock.


    ¡°Kagami! Stop being an ass!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we all know you¡¯re a good fighter!¡±


    ¡°Those twins fucked up this time.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that bastard get tired of beating up newbies?¡±


    The crowd of young adults yelled at the man with fake anger. It was just boring for them if they knew who would win. Kagami raised his hands with a shrug.


    ¡°Why¡¯re you mad at me? They¡¯re the ones who want to gang up on people.¡±


    Kagami then crouched beside the still conscious but definitely concussed twin. After lightly slapping his face, he spoke up. His tone was casual.


    ¡°Yo. Where¡¯s my credits?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­sending¡­now.¡± Baldy # 2 said.


    Both of their eyes shined for a moment as funds were transferred. With a satisfied grunt, the young man walked back to his perch¡­that being a low standing rail he could sit on.


    As he headed back, he noticed the sickly girl who was eyeing his every move. A slight smile tugged at his lips before he jumped up to Lei¡¯s spot. He then sat beside her while fishing out a cigarette. After lighting it and taking a puff, he raised it to her.


    ¡°You smoke?¡± He asked.


    ¡®Take it.¡¯ Johnny immediately thundered in her ear.


    ¡®You¡¯re trying to turn me into a smoker. It ain''t happening.¡¯


    ¡®Never said you gotta become one. Just give me my fix.¡¯


    Lei put her meal to the side and fully observed the man. He was muscular but not in a body builder sense. More like a specialized athlete. Some cyberware could be found behind his ear. It was unknown what its purpose was. More chrome could be hidden under the clothes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t smoke¡­¡± She took his cig. ¡°...but I¡¯ll take it because you asked.¡± She then took a drag of the nasty shit before giving it right back.


    ¡®Ahh¡­¡¯ Johnny hummed like a weirdo. Kagami raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°You only took it because I asked? Does that mean you¡¯re weak to peer pressure?¡±


    ¡°I try to stay strong. It¡¯s hard.¡± She joked.


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    ¡°Hm¡­You watch my fight?¡±


    ¡°It was one-sided. I knew as soon as you stepped up that you would win.¡±


    ¡°So you were rooting for me.¡± Kagami stated with a knowing smile. Lei rolled her eyes.


    ¡°No. I could just tell the difference.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re a fighter. Let¡¯s go a few rounds.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I can¡¯t fight. Fun to watch though.¡±


    ¡°Liar. Can¡¯t fool me.¡±


    ¡°Not trying to fool you.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± He grunted with sarcasm. Turning his head to the side, he called out. ¡°Get over here! What ya waiting on?¡± This caused bodies to move.


    Seeing a group of people coming over, Lei felt a small pang of anxiety. It was just about how sudden these meetings seemed to be. Johnny was wrong about it being 20 minutes. The timer hadn¡¯t even gone off yet!


    Another young man was the first to reach them. He had spiky black hair and eyes, but his arrogance matched that of Kagami¡¯s¡­though he seemed more of the silent type. The guy was also covered in tattoos.


    ¡°This scary guy right here is Yoshiro. We¡¯re cousins. Call him Yoshi.¡±


    ¡°Yo.¡± Yoshi greeted casually before snatching the cig from Kagami.


    ¡°You two. Are you Tyger Claws?¡± She asked.


    The two men looked at each other before turning back. Yoshi snickered, causing smoke to shoot out his nostrils. Kagami couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°Obviously. Why even ask, you gonk?¡±


    Damn. Lei could feel the heat rising to her face. Obviously they were Tyger Claw. Dur durrr! Her hands covered her face.


    ¡°...I just thought that you two were¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Different? Nice? Amiable?¡±


    ¡°...Mnn.¡± She hummed.


    ¡°Hahaha! June, we got a funny one over here!¡± Kagami called out.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Came a nonchalant voice that was on its way over.


    A beautiful girl that had incredibly curly hair. Her features resembled a Haitian descent though she was lighter skinned. She was quite beautiful with pupils that started off as black at the top but ended a vibrant red. Most likely expensive optics.


    It took her a second to reach them. Expensive looking headphones hung from her neck. Most likely the reason she didn¡¯t just climb up. Dressed in expensive fashion and carrying expensive electronics. Music or entertainment focused? Behind her was another girl.


    ¡°Why¡¯s everyone up there?¡±


    She had light blue hair with similar colored eyes. European descent. With a white shirt covered by overalls that ended in shorts, and brown boots on her feet¡­well, her clothes were covered in dirt and grime. Vintage looking gadgets placed all in her pockets for whenever it was needed. She resembled some type of mechanic.


    ¡°Stop tinkering with that box and come say hi to the new kid.¡± Kagami said. Both women stopped before Lei and waved.


    ¡°June. It¡¯s a pleasure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Carly¡­um¡­hi.¡± The blue haired girl seemed more withdrawn.


    ¡°Lei. Hope we get along¡­¡± She then frowned at Kagami. ¡°...and what do you mean by new kid?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re new to the spot.¡±


    ¡°And? What if I don¡¯t come back?¡±


    ¡°If you get bored, you¡¯ll come back.¡± Kagami seemed sure of it.


    ¡°And what makes you think that?¡± Lei questioned.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re here now aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That means nothing.¡±


    ¡°June said the same thing. Now she¡¯s here whenever she feels like leaving the house.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t bring me into this.¡± June complained.


    Yoshi sat on the cardboard box, his back leaning against the rail. His face turned into a frown upon noticing Carly. He casually grabbed her wrist and dragged her between his wide legs.


    ¡°You¡¯re dirty again.¡± He commented while pulling out a handkerchief. It seemed as if he¡¯d done this plenty of times.


    ¡°O-Oh. I¡¯m sorry.¡± She said as he gently wiped her face and clothes.


    Lei raised an eyebrow. They seemed like an item. Output and input? What an interesting pair for a Tyger Claw and his woman.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind them. Yoshi is overprotective and cares a lot about us. Same to me. That¡¯s just how he is.¡± June commented.


    ¡°So they aren¡¯t an item?¡± Lei asked quietly. Kagami and June shrugged.


    ¡°Maybe they did something behind closed doors but it aint our business.¡± The Haitian girl continued. There was a slight edge to her voice.


    Well alright then. Yoshi just got it like that. Almost sounded like June had a moment with him too¡­Moving on then?


    ¡°So? What brought you here?¡± Kagami asked. The sickly girl smiled slightly.


    ¡°Thought about seeing the parade. Wanted to kill some time before then.¡±


    ¡°Really? Us too!¡± Carly exclaimed from Yoshi¡¯s lap. Her skin was now squeaky clean.


    ¡°Well¡­we¡¯ve got about an hour to get there before it starts.¡± Kagami said.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Yoshi commented while standing up. Carly started to fall, but he caught her effortlessly.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± Kagami extended his hand to Lei.


    The rocker girl glanced at her half-eaten ramen then back to his hand. Damn. Looks like she¡¯d have to eat it on the move. A tragedy.

 Red Parade

    Beautiful. If there was one word to describe the surroundings, that would be it. Festive tassels and flapping Arasaka banners were hung all over Japantown. Thousands of paper lanterns floated in the night sky. Throughout the whole district in fact.


    That wasn¡¯t all. Holograms of koi fish swam through the air. Every part of them was detailed, down to the binary code. Lei could easily tell since her own blood was binary code when outside of the body. Thank you, crippling cyber illness.


    Large vehicular contraptions carried the Arasaka board of directors, executives, and elite employees. They resembled fancy AVs that specialized in luxury. In between each vehicle were dancers and entertainers.


    Some swallowed fire and released it like dragons. Others did incredible flips or contortions that challenged the human body. It was a merry atmosphere, with vendors on the side selling churros, ice cream, popcorn, toys, and more.


    The entire parade moved to the sound of the drumline. A large band was scattered through the massive line, playing in sync as if right beside the other. The watching civilians held sparklers which were passed out for free. Fireworks found their way into the sky, forming the Arasaka logo and more.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Lei could only gawk at the festivities.


    ¡°Beautiful isn¡¯t it? Something awesome like this happens every few years. Definitely not from Arasaka though.¡± Kagami said.


    ¡°Look at the specs on that AV! Wow¡­is that the 22 Xi-silac thruster?! Look at those flight stabilizers!¡± Carly seemed to drool as she eyed the parade vehicles. Her withdrawn personality was gone.


    ¡°Geeking out already?¡± June commented with a smile.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Yoshi gave a lighthearted smirk.


    ¡°I normally go to events like these with my grandpa, but he was too busy this time around.¡± Carly said. June¡¯s hand patted her shoulder.


    ¡°Wish I could say the same. Mom doesn¡¯t leave the house anymore. Not since she got fired.¡± The Haitian girl revealed.


    ¡°My little sis is doing her homework right now. Work hard, play hard. Always taught her that.¡± Kagami said.


    At that moment, all of them turned to Lei. Their faces seemed like devils to the sickly girl. Her expression had started to falter once they spoke about family¡­It wasn¡¯t something she spoke about.


    ¡°What about you, Lei?¡±


    ¡°Do you normally go with your fam?¡±


    ¡°You look like a daddy¡¯s girl.¡±


    ¡°Hell no she doesn¡¯t! More like a mother¡¯s best friend type of dynamic.¡±


    Everyone made their assumptions and jokes. Lei¡¯s hands unconsciously balled into fists¡­but she took a breath, relaxed¡­and forced a smile. Then she spoke.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t spoken with my family in a while. They aren¡¯t in Night City.¡± She lied.


    ¡°Must be nice.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t gotta fight over toilet paper.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Imagining you fight your sis over toilet paper is crazy.¡±


    The group watched the parade while conversing about anything and everything. It was just another day for them. Another day in Night City.


    Lei watched the parade as well, but her content expression had slowly been replaced by a blank one. The festive cheers and chatter were now blaring to her ears. As time went on, her face had deteriorated into an emotionless scowl.


    It was at this moment that someone bumped into her leg. Looking down, she noticed a child running after a ball. Three other kids were chasing as well. It was a happy moment¡­but all she saw were dead children.


    All of the white noise from the crowd had transformed into horrified screams. Pleas of mercy. Groans and grunts followed by the vomiting of blood. That glitching blood. The binary code. The numbers.


    Lei glanced away from the crowd only to see another child walking with a young adult. Most likely a big and little sister. Images raced through the sickly girl¡¯s mind¡­images of dead people. People who died around her. Sickly people. They died screaming. Crying. Begging.


    If one were to look at Lei¡¯s face now, they would have no doubt that she was a cyberpsycho. Much more than the suspicion during normal times. It would be confirmation. Kagami was the first to notice her expression.


    The pink haired man quietly nudged Yoshiro¡¯s arm. After gaining his cousin¡¯s attention, he gestured to Lei in a way the others wouldn¡¯t notice. Yoshi glanced at the sickly girl''s face and immediately understood. Wrapping his arms around the oblivious June and Carly, he coerced them into leaving the area for food.


    Kagami remained by Lei¡¯s side. He¡¯d already known something was up, and his curiosity had no bounds. The arrogant young man decided to wait and see what would come of it.


    ¡®Lei, your vitals are going haywire.¡¯ Johnny appeared beside her.


    ¡®.........................................................¡¯ Her breathing had gotten erratic. Her empty eyes stared at nothing. She was lost in her mind.


    ¡°Lei? You good?¡± Kagami asked.


    ¡®Lei! Snap out of it! You¡¯re deteriorating. The sickness is flaring up.¡¯ Johnny continued.


    ¡®...Johnny¡­I¡­I hate it. All of it.¡¯ Her mind revealed. The tone of her voice was flat. Emotionless.


    ¡®LEI!¡¯ Johnny roared. The sickly girl¡¯s consciousness went dark.


    Kagami, who was still staring at her, blinked in confusion. Where the FUCK did she go?! Suddenly she was there¡­until she wasn¡¯t. Now the young man was truly worried.


    BOOM BOOM BOOOM


    At that moment, explosions rocked the streets below. The buildings and structures shook from the force. Gunfire could be heard. Yells from Arasaka soldiers. Death cries. Slaughter.


    The crowd immediately started to panic. What was happening? Just like that, everyone fled in different directions. Trampling others underfoot. People were also dying from stray bullets. Explosions. Grenades. Shrapnel.


    ¡°The princess has been kidnapped!¡± A japanese voice exclaimed.


    ¡°Find Hanako! NOW!¡± Yorinobu¡¯s voice responded.


    ¡°Perpetrator has been found, but he got away!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been unmasked!¡±


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    ¡°Shit! I can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°It-It was Takemura!¡±


    ¡°What?! But he was the most loyal¡­¡±


    ¡°How could it be?¡±


    ¡°FIND HIM! SMASHER! GO!¡± Yorinobu screamed.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    KABOOM


    The sound of a heavy borg falling from an incredible height resounded. It was followed by the sounds of screams and slaughter. The first ever Arasaka memorial parade had turned into pandemonium.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    When Loralei came to, she found herself standing on a hill of corpses. Every single one of them was an Arasaka soldier. Weird¡­she was also fully geared in her Drifter armor. The sudden influx of stimuli overwhelmed the sickly girl. It was too much.


    ¡®-then we¡¯ll go around the back street and find Takemura. Only if it stays quiet. I¡¯ve waited so long for this moment¡­Arasaka burns tonight.¡¯ Johnny seemed to be in the middle of an obsessive dialogue.


    ¡°Blaaaach¡­¡± Lei vomited a mouthful of blood. Blood that glitched and dispersed into numbers. All she could see were numbers. 0¡­1¡­1¡­0. Her mind was filled with digits.


    ¡®Lei¡­are you there?¡¯ Johnny asked.


    ¡®Johnny, where the fuck am I? And why do I feel more shitty than usual?¡¯ She asked.


    ¡®This is the first time you¡¯ve spoken in 3 hours. Fucking hell. You¡¯re losing it, Loralei.¡¯ He exclaimed


    ¡®...What? No¡­¡¯


    ¡®Listen. I need you to focus. Can you do that? Look up.¡¯


    The drifter turned her gaze to the destroyed rooftops above her death pit. A single Japanese man stood on the edge, dressed in Arasaka SWAT gear. He was angry.


    ¡°Think you can hide Takemura from ME?!¡± He roared with fury. Lei immediately scanned him.


    [Sandayu Oda - Special Forces Arasaka]


    ¡°..............................................¡±


    VRMM


    The beam saber ignited, washing over the bloody land with bright crimson. More red was added onto the painter''s canvas. Just a red fucking frenzy. Sandayu Oda¡¯s body twitched before blinking out of existence.


    One moment he was on the roof, and the next moment, red pulsing mantis blades were threatening to sever the drifter¡¯s head. Lei instinctually sped up her mind in order to evade the deadly cut. She ducked as fast she could, her beam saber already swinging toward the back of his knee.


    Oda was quick on the uptake. Trained to be Hanako Arasaka¡¯s personal guard, he was a fully employed cyberninja. His martial arts were not sloppy. As such he reacted.


    Lifting his leg and flipping sideways, his other blade came around like a sickle. A powerful chop. Lei leaned diagonally to the side and reached his blind spot. Her saber came up for a diagonal slash to finish¡­but Oda caught her wrist.


    The cyberninja¡¯s foot came stomping down in an attempt to break her tibula. Lei hopped over it, her knee striking toward his jaw. His free hand blocked the strike with softness¡­but that wasn¡¯t the end. The drifter¡¯s elbow crashed into the man¡¯s cheek. Contact.


    Both of them leapt away to gain space. That entire exchange had taken about 2 seconds. When two people had that type of speed, such a fight could end in a blink.


    When Lei had first engaged Adam Smasher in combat, her speed was much superior. Both him and Oda most likely carried the same type of Sandevistan¡­so what was the difference? Light body weight. Nimbleness and flexibility. These are all things Smasher didn¡¯t have but Oda did.


    The drifter was slightly faster, but not enough to completely dominate. This explained why only now had the first blow been delivered. What this battle would come down to was focus, technique, and stamina. Who could stay in bullet time the longest?


    ¡®...one¡­zero¡­zero¡­one.¡¯ The numbers kept going in her head. It wouldn¡¯t stop. It was nauseating.


    ¡°Lady Hanako doesn¡¯t deserve this. She is not like the others! You will NOT take her from me today. I will find her. GIVE ME TAKEMURA!¡± Oda roared.


    Both of their figures vanished. Time froze, allowing their figures to become visible again. Each movement was fluid.


    The drifter¡¯s blade was now held in a backhand grip. She would no longer lead with the beam saber. It was disrespectful to a skilled opponent. An opening to be taken advantage of. A good swing would only come when there was an opening.


    In an instant, several exchanges had already happened. Many of them were setups for a deadly attack. The glowing saber had long since become a blur. Each time a setup was created, the other would notice and dismantle it. Two technical fighters¡­thinking and devising¡­throwing feints and looking for grabs.


    Lei stepped over a low sweep and swung down her blade. Oda slid to the side while crouched on all four limbs. He then immediately rose with a pierce of his right mantis blade. The drifter tapped the skin of his elbow joint, causing the arm to fold slightly inward¡­barely missing her neck. This allowed her to accelerate with a twirling slash.


    The cyberninja immediately jumped back to avoid¡­then turned invisible. He¡¯d activated an optical camo. Lei¡¯s empty eyes widened slightly, then she accelerated to her left. The destroyed building was there. It allowed her to dash right up the side.


    She didn¡¯t stop moving¡­her legs took her from roof to roof. He was probably right next to her and waiting to strike. It was hard to see him at such a speed.


    As soon as she leapt toward the next roof, she flexed her abdomen. This allowed her to flip her body upside down. Something sharp ripped through her hood, causing her hair to fly out. Barely dodged it. While still in midair, she pulled out her Burya and fired at his estimated location.


    It was a calculated move. Oda had just attacked and was probably still in midair as well. His speed wouldn¡¯t stop him from dodging the bullet either. Momentum made it inevitable.


    Lei crashed onto the other roof back first. It was painful but the inertia allowed her to roll upright. Oda¡¯s camouflage deactivated as well. He leaned against a water tower with his hand covering the trap of his left shoulder. A whole piece of his trapezoid and shoulder had been blown clean off.


    ¡°Aarrgh¡­dishonorable woman.¡± He insulted with a grunt of pain.


    ¡°No more camouflage for you.¡± She commented blandly. Her expression had been blank since the beginning.


    ¡°You have taken everything from me. It is my DUTY to stay by Hanako-sama¡¯s side. Now I don¡¯t know whether she is alive or dead. And to think it was because of Takemura.¡±


    ¡®Some guy kidnapped Hanako Arasaka?¡¯ Lei asked Johnny.


    ¡®Takemura. You slaughtered the soldiers who caught up to him after an hour of hunting. While you were¡­¡¯


    ¡®While I was out.¡¯ She finished.


    ¡®It¡¯s quite funny, really. You only targeted the corpos. Maybe it was their bad luck.¡¯


    ¡®As much as I interact with corporations¡­I do hate them. Deep down¡­I always have. They make me sick. Haha. Get it?¡¯ She joked. What morbid humor.


    Oda bit down on something inside his mouth. After a few seconds, he stopped holding his wound. Blood spurted from each movement of the arm but it didn¡¯t seem like it hurt anymore. Was it a type of numbing agent? This would allow him to fight at full strength despite the injury.


    ¡°If I have to die here, so be it. I will haunt you like a ghost. For the rest of your days.¡±


    ¡°...Scary.¡±


    The cyberninja cut through the water tank, causing a huge volume of water to continuously gush onto and over the roof. High speed movement would cause them to slip and slide. If someone overextended, that would be the end.


    Both of them slowly approached each other with careful steps. Only once they were point blank, did they accelerate. Water droplets rose into the air from their intense combat.


    With time slowed down as much as it was, the water droplets were hovering in the air. Reflections of movement could be seen within. Hands clashed against hands. Block. Deflect. Parry. A sequence of events.


    Strike the elbow to break the arm. He pulled back and kicked at her face. Evade with a spinning crouch and cut off his standing leg. He jumped over the blade stroke and performed a double running kick at her chest. Block the second kick and grab his foot. A mantis blade pierced at her face, dismantling the grab attempt.


    It was a back and forth display of technique. Neither of them were taking big steps or moving large distances¡­so she made a gamble. Lei swiped the beam saber at the wet ground before slashing back around. Mist and vapor now covered the blade. This added a bit of mystery to the next attack.


    Expecting some fancy display, he took a step back. Wrong move. Lei¡¯s swing was a feint which turned into a pierce. The laser blade finally drilled through flesh, going right through Oda¡¯s stomach. He fell to his knees as she pulled out the blade. His limbs turned weak.


    ¡°Aaargh! Woman¡­you fight more like a machine than a human.¡± Sandayu Oda commented weakly. Blood spilled from his lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m just as human as you are.¡± She commented. The japanese man shook his head.


    ¡°No¡­calculation and creativity make openings. The problem¡­your calculation was too fast. Inhuman. You will lose your sense of self one day¡­if you haven¡¯t already.¡± He chuckled darkly.


    ¡°...Just die¡­quietly. I¡¯m already¡­tired¡­as hell.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me Hanako-sama¡­I have failed you.¡± He groaned weakly. Only then did he lose consciousness.


    ¡®He¡¯s still alive.¡¯ Johnny said. His voice was a bit weird.


    Lei took a step to finish the job.


    ¡®Wait¡­If I was still in the military, I¡¯d be just like him.¡¯


    ¡®Are you asking me to spare him?¡¯ Her tired face turned to Johnny.


    ¡®..............................¡¯ He remained quiet.


    ¡®The one and only Johnny Silverhand wants to spare an enemy. What a day.¡¯ She mocked before turning away.


    Lei didn¡¯t kill him in the end. His devotion to Hanako was admirable, not to mention that the princess was the purest of the Arasakas. It wasn¡¯t as if she was without flaws though.


    ¡°I need sleep. My head is killing me.¡± She muttered out loud.


    ¡®What about Takemura? Not gonna find him?¡¯


    ¡®Fuck him. Never heard of him.¡¯


    ¡®He has your contact though. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll call you eventually. Especially once he finds out that his work buddy was taken down.¡¯


    ¡®When did he get my deets?¡¯


    ¡®I added him while you were going psycho. He¡¯s a piece we can use to ruin Arasaka.¡¯


    ¡®...Ugh..the fucking numbers.¡¯ A small groan rumbled in her throat. Her hands started to shake.


    Lei immediately vanished from the scene. Destination - home. What a shitty day this turned out to be.

 Step by Step

    ¡°I need another pill.¡± Lei gasped.


    Her room was dark. The windows had dimmed, turning off its see-through function. This would block all forms of light. It was another day but the sickly girl felt differently. The night had been going on and on. Sleep had never come.


    Currently, Lei was lying in bed. Her body was curled in the fetal position as she prayed for the pain to go away. It was no longer just an ache in the heart. It was now an added ache in the mind. Because of the numbers.


    With shaky hands, the medicine bottle was opened and a pill spilled out. She immediately snatched the tiny capsule and swallowed it with no chaser. Then she closed her eyes.


    It took some time but the numbers were eventually starting to go away, like mist escaping a half closed lid. That just left the heart. It left her feeling sluggish¡­her body was slick with sweat. Why? Why did she have to go through this?


    BEEP


    ¡®Your Voodoo Boy got back to me. He¡¯s stopping by tomorrow for more junk. Be there.¡¯ ~ Panam


    ¡®Lei, you okay? Bad shit went down. Hope you made it out.¡¯ ~ Kagami


    ¡®I¡¯ve given you time to recover. There¡¯s another job for you. The reward will leave you satisfied.¡¯ ~ Meredith


    ¡®Some weirdos have been looking around lately. Soon as the cops bailed. Thought you would want to know.¡¯ ~ Parzik


    Several messages popped into the sickly girl¡¯s inbox throughout the day. She was unable to see them, her consciousness swimming between pain and sleep. Though that didn¡¯t last long.


    A sigh of relief escaped her lips once the pill took full effect. Her tense muscles relaxed¡­her shaking limbs stilled. Even her breaths turned smooth. Sleep became peaceful.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Lei had slept the entire day. Almost fully recovered from her episode, she now lazed around a bit more. The empty eyed girl had yet to leave the bed.


    With a cue from her cyberdeck, the windows slowly returned to a clear state. The city skyline had appeared once more. Light returned to the room. Lovely. She resembled a zombie as she rose from the bed.


    Dragging her tired body down the stairs, she entered the kitchen and poured a glass of cold water. It felt like heaven going down her throat. A gasp escaped her lips after finishing the glass¡­allowing her to gaze out the window.


    ¡®Lots of messages. Who comes first?¡¯ Johnny asked.


    He appeared on the counter beside her, sitting with a lazy posture. Lei remained silent. She couldn¡¯t help but pour another glass of heaven¡¯s nectar and down it. Only then did she look at her display.


    Panam first.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be there. What time?¡¯ Lei sent.


    ¡®He¡¯ll be here in an hour. Almost thought you¡¯d miss it.¡¯ Panam responded.


    Her eyes narrowed upon reading the message. Right. It was a new day. That meant the meeting was today. Damn. With a sigh of acceptance, she slowly dragged her body toward the bathroom.


    An article of clothing flew off every few steps until she was completely nude. She stumbled into the bathroom, glanced at her ¡®beautiful¡¯ form, then carried out her wash routine.


    Lei was on the road 30 minutes later, zooming on the Yaiba Kusanagi. It wouldn¡¯t take long to get to the Badlands with her need for speed. Not to mention that traffic was meaningless to a motorbike.


    VRMM


    The Kusanagi gathered everyone¡¯s attention as Lei pulled into Sunset Motel¡¯s parking lot. Panam¡¯s truck was already there. The trunk was filled with broken gadgets and technology. Junk for most people.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    That didn¡¯t seem to be true of the Voodoo Boys, as one of their reps was digging through it. He would find something and inspect it before moving on. Several things had been separated into piles.


    Panam herself was sitting on the hood of her vehicle. She seemed bored, just gazing off into the sunset. No pun intended. Lei approached the two while speaking.


    ¡°Hiiii¡­¡± She greeted both with a girly wave.


    She wasn¡¯t in her merc gear since it was stained with too much blood and hadn¡¯t been washed yet. There hadn¡¯t been enough time. Thus, she currently wore a skin tight nanoweave suit that left nothing to the imagination. Curves on full display.


    Even the high heels were part of the suit. It was built in, meaning that Lei had to put the entire thing on from the neck hole. Pretty difficult endeavor¡­but it was worth it. No need for a helmet, but her hair was tied up in a messy ponytail. Two strands of hair framed the sides of her face.


    Panam immediately waved before turning to the Voodoo Boy. He had paused his actions and turned to look at the new arrival. His eyes quickly scanned the sickly girl before he went back to digging. Panam gave Lei a wry smile.


    As expected, his skin was a medium brown color. His brown hair was cut in a flat top while the sides and back were perfectly tapered. Due to the nature of his nappy hair, it had already started to lock up¡­some of his curls had become full on dreads. His eyes were dark brown and emphasized his serious demeanor.


    ¡°Jamani, this is Lei. Lei, meet Jamani.¡± The Nomad introduced the two.


    ¡°Sak pase.¡± The Haitian man muttered in his language.


    After that, he turned right back to the equipment. Didn¡¯t seem like he was up for conversation. Lei stepped beside the man and watched him work. There was a cool moment of silence that stretched on for almost 15 minutes.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Lei hummed trying to start a conversation.


    ¡°Panam already told me. You want help from my family.¡± He stated. The accent was strong.


    ¡°Yes¡­I¡¯ve been looking for a place-¡±


    ¡°You want help, then you give help. Then we speak about YOUR help.¡± Jamani interrupted.


    ¡°And how do I know you can fulfill it? What if you can¡¯t even help? Wouldn¡¯t I have done all of that for nothing? You don¡¯t even know what I need.¡± Lei countered immediately.


    ¡°We will fulfill. We never fail. Help. Then gain trust.¡± He answered casually.


    The man still had yet to look her in the eyes. Still busy digging through junk. Didn¡¯t seem to have manners at all. Rogue had long since given Lei the spill. She knew that the VBs hated everyone but themselves. A tight-knit community.


    ¡°Well¡­alright. How-¡±


    ¡°I will contact you.¡± He interrupted again.


    His contact info appeared on her display. Lei turned to Panam and frowned. This guy didn¡¯t seem trustworthy at all. He could be talking absolute nonsense.


    ¡®Really?¡¯ Lei spoke to her through a call.


    ¡®That¡¯s how he is¡­I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Panam shrugged.


    ¡®So is that it? He doesn¡¯t even seem like he¡¯ll actually do anything. Might never call me.¡¯ The sickly girl couldn¡¯t help but complain.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Lei. Having him speak with you was all I could do. He barely speaks to me either.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s fine. See you around, Panam.¡¯


    ¡®Come visit the camp sometime! I¡¯ll be there.¡¯


    ¡®Someday.¡¯


    Lei¡¯s heels clicked as she returned to the Kusanagi. The engine purred as she pulled out of the parking lot. She was definitely unsatisfied with such a meeting. It left a bad taste in her mouth. If it was like that, why did he even bother to speak with her?


    The sickly girl needed to take her mind off things. As such, she made another call. The roaring sound of her bike¡¯s engine matched the ringing sound of the display. It rang for a few seconds¡­and the call was soon picked up. Meredith¡¯s face appeared, dressed in uniform.


    Stout was standing in front of the armored truck and screams could be heard in the background. Something heavy was hitting soft flesh. Sounded brutal. A cig was in her hand. Smoke filled the screen.


    ¡®If you¡¯re calling me, then you must be ready for the job.¡¯ The corpo lady commented.


    ¡®Well, I¡¯m not actually ready¡­¡¯


    ¡®Sending you the deets. Check the reward.¡¯


    ¡®Meredith¡­did you even hear me?¡¯


    ¡®Call me back after you¡¯ve read it.¡¯


    BEEP


    The call ended. Lei couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. Did anyone in Night City know how to speak to another human being? So ridiculous. That was until she read the reward.


    Rewards:


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">[MTH-32L Heart Sleeve] - An autonomous bioware mixed with cyberware. Enhances the heart¡¯s immune system as well as reverberates the heartbeat. Moves blood through veins/arteries more efficiently. Assists T-Cells in fighting diseases and symptoms. Raises capacity for stress and lowers recovery time.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">65,000 credits</li>


    </ul>


    RINGALING


    Meredith answered the call.


    ¡®Well?¡¯


    ¡®Where are you?!¡¯ Lei demanded an answer. Her tone was serious. The mature lady smiled knowingly.


    ¡®Sending location now.¡¯

 Easy Job

    The Kusanagi slid into the opened wall-sized door of her destination. It was a warehouse. One that seemed old and broken down from the outside, but once in, Lei knew it was untrue.


    Everything about the place was state of the art. Advanced in all facets alongside the sheer space within. Catwalks spanning the ceiling¡­supply lines running throughout the place.


    The armored Millitech truck was sitting in an enclosure, a pile of dead bodies nearby. Both of Meredith¡¯s Borg bodyguards were currently beating the absolute shit out of a man in a suit and tie. He was covered in blood and seemed to have been taking a beating for a while.


    Gone were the yells of pains and screams. It had reached the point of barely audible groans and squeals. Those animalistic sounds were drowned out by the Borgs¡¯ massive fists smacking soft skin. The crunching and snapping of bones and ligaments were far more audible.


    Stout, the corpo lady herself, was leaning against the vehicle. The same cigarette from earlier still in her hand¡­just less of it remaining. Lei had reached the area in record time.


    ¡°I told you before that there was a leak in Millitech. I¡¯ve long since dealt with the mole responsible, but there are plenty of things that have to be cleaned up.¡± The cold woman spoke up as the sickly girl approached.


    ¡°.........................................................¡±


    Meredith Stout tossed her cigarette and pulled out a sleek pistol. It was crafted with carbon fiber highlights and seemed to have two grips with the trigger being in the middle. A tech pistol. The Millitech Ticon. This beautiful pistol was actually quite old in its manufacturing, though its functionality was quite brilliant.


    The Ticon was a three round burst pistol. When the trigger was held down though, it would charge the burst and send it out as one shot. A timed release of the trigger could essentially turn it into a semi auto. This weapon could be held with one hand or two.


    ¡°This man here¡­¡± The cold woman gestured to the half dead man. ¡°...Is from Akari Heavy Industries. A small software and structuring company. Taking advantage of the information, he hired a third party to steal our company¡¯s prototype weapon schematics.¡± She explained.


    Lei observed the situation unfolding before her. This corpo woman spoke as if she knew she wouldn¡¯t be interrupted. Taking long breaks in between each set of words. Were all corpo¡¯s like this? The sickly girl couldn¡¯t help but ponder this.


    ¡°He decided to hire a third party. Therefore, I will do the same. Infiltrate this small arms facility and retrieve my schematics. There should only be a few traps in the floors below.¡± She finished.


    With a raise of her hand, the Borgs stopped beating on the man. Meredith slightly raised the Ticon pistol to the meat corpse. An exquisite sound radiated from the weapon as it charged. Once she released the trigger, a powerful tri bullet shot out of the barrel, completely exploding his head.


    ¡°I would prefer it if you completed this right now¡­but everytime I see you, your face looks worse. I¡¯ll give you two days.¡±


    ¡°...You make it seem as if there¡¯s benefits to finishing today.¡± Lei commented.


    ¡°Mmm¡­how observant. Yes. Do it today, and I will add something nice to your already great rewards.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting here. Elevator¡¯s over there.¡±


    Meredith ignored Lei¡¯s question and pointed to a nearby elevator shaft. The sickly girl rolled her eyes before slowly walking over. To any onlookers it would seem as if she was taking her time. This was far from the truth. Her body was tired and still recovering from her last episode. Of course, she knew how to poise her steps in order to look normal.


    This corpo lady though¡­she wasn¡¯t a normal person. As Lei walked away, Meredith¡¯s eyes narrowed with a bit of concern. It was unknown if such worry was over the girl¡¯s well being or the completion of the job. Her face quickly returned to its cold demeanor as Lei reached the elevator shaft.


    ¡°Descending into the pits of hell now. See you on the other side.¡± She joked.


    Stout waved her hand in response. Almost like shooing Lei away. Rude. The sickly girl rolled her eyes before clicking B1. The floor below ground level. There were three basement floors that Lei would have to search.


    ¡®If there¡¯s one thing I know about you, it¡¯s that you roll your eyes with the perfect bitch face.¡¯ Johnny commented. He glitched into reality and leaned against the wall.


    ¡®You felt the need to tell me that¡­why?¡¯


    ¡®Boredom. If I could, I¡¯d clear these floors myself. Just to feel alive.¡¯


    ¡®Only a few traps¡­yeah right. Probably a death machine murder Borg down here.¡¯ Lei commented. Johnny shook his head.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the purpose of this gig.¡¯ He revealed. She raised an eyebrow in response.


    ¡®How so?¡¯


    ¡®If I know anything about these slimy bastards¡­it¡¯s that things aren¡¯t ever that simple. If she wants you to complete a job and she¡¯s still waiting above, this isn¡¯t about the job. Maybe this is a goodwill check.¡¯


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    ¡®Bullshit.¡¯


    ¡®Give you an easy job. Pay you with incredible rewards. Maybe even give you a good fuck. Basically locking you in for the next job. And that job will be a shitshow.¡¯ He explained. Lei couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡®I hope it¡¯s like that. Not really planning on running around today. Guns only.¡¯ She said.


    ¡®Can see that plain as day, you gonk. So can your input.¡¯


    ¡®She is NOT my input.¡¯


    ¡®Whatever. Your fuck buddy.¡¯


    ¡®Language, Johnny! Geez.¡¯ Lei complained. Did he always have to be so vulgar?


    Lei pulled out the Burya from its holster and held it with both hands. As the elevator doors opened, she accelerated her mind. Only a crack was visible through the doors but it was enough. A sweeping ping went across the area and highlighted any and every piece of machinery.


    Turrets. Drones. Computers. Cameras. Deactivation and Short Circuit quickhacks were casually sent to the hostile forces and cameras. Time sped up to normal, allowing the quickhacks to actually set in and take effect.


    Only then did the doors fully open. Lei casually walked down the halls. There was no pause in her stride. She kept to a purposeful route, one that followed the lines of her recent ping.


    It didn¡¯t take long to reach the computers and terminals. Plugging her jack into one of the ports, she quickly surfed through the system. Her strain on the net left no trace like a digital ghost. Their ICE was strong¡­but there was no netrunner holding it all together. Without them, all it took was a bit of time.


    Nothing worthwhile popped up on the monitor nor in her display. Seems she¡¯d have to go down another floor. Lei¡¯s high heels made elegant taps as she returned to the elevator. On to B2.


    It was the same deal on this floor. The same amount of ceiling turrets alongside a few drones. Easily dealt with cameras and computer rooms. Computers that coughed up no juicy schematics. Down to B3 it seemed.


    When the elevator opened on the final floor, all that greeted her was darkness. No lights. A massive underground room spanned the whole floor. There was a large active terminal at the far end of the room. Most likely the target. Green writing kept flashing on the black screens.


    Even though it was mostly an empty room, the cooling fans added noise to the surroundings. Such a large terminal needed cooling. Most definitely. Lei casually pinged the terminal but came up with nothing. Seems that was the only thing here.


    The sickly girl reached the terminal with laziness in her steps. Right before she jacked in, a sound reverberated from above. It sounded machine-like.


    VMMM


    A red light appeared on the ceiling. They resembled¡­eyes. Taking a closer look, the red light illuminated just a small bit of its surroundings. Lei almost jumped out of her skin.


    ¡®Fuuuck.¡¯ Johnny couldn¡¯t help but comment.


    A behemoth sized robospider was perched on the ceiling directly above her. Eight armored legs alongside metal tusks. A heavy duty, threat eliminating type of robot.


    ¡®It didn¡¯t appear in my initial scan¡­¡¯ She complained silently.


    The spider watched her without moving. It didn¡¯t make even a slight deviation. This alone kept the sickly girl on high alert. Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t the only problem.


    VMMM VMMM VMMM VMMM VMMM


    Several red lights powered on throughout the floor sized room. All across the ceiling, several massively oversized spiders appeared with a flash of red. The darkness hid their exact features.


    ¡®I can¡¯t lie to you, Loralei...¡¯ Johnny glitched beside her and puffed a digital cigarette. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen something so fucked in my years of living.¡¯


    ¡®They¡¯re huge¡­and¡­might be fast. I could die here without my speed.¡¯ She revealed.


    These robot spiders seemed to have some anti scan ecms built into their system. It was impossible to get a digital lock. Just like her cloak. A cloak she wasn¡¯t currently wearing.


    ¡®Even with your speed you could die. How much stamina do you have in that state? Look at you.¡¯ He countered.


    Lei couldn¡¯t help but agree. Glancing to the entrance, she scanned the elevator door. It was locked shut. Another trap. She immediately turned back to the murder bots above. Wait¡­


    ¡®They still aren¡¯t moving.¡¯ She realized.


    Did they not see her as an intruder? Maybe¡­they were waiting for something. Lei turned to the terminal. As she moved her hand toward it, multiple red eyes followed.


    ¡®They¡¯re waiting for you to jack in. Crafty bastards.¡¯ He said.


    ¡®Then let¡¯s give them what they want.¡¯


    As soon as she jacked into the terminal, a message popped onto her display. This caused her to smile in understanding. Typical defense protocols. Verification.


    [Enter your employee ID]


    It was obvious what would happen if she typed something incorrectly. What a conundrum. Would the robospiders notice if she breached the ICE?


    ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± She muttered.


    Lei took a deep breath¡­then she got to work. Move through the nodes. Avoid deliberately placed malware. A trap. Avoid the black hat filled with botnets. Encrypt the log code¡­breach the firewall, exploit the backdoor. Finally¡­bypass the employee ID and release a cloaked logic bomb. ICE breached.


    There was no reaction from the spiders. They remained perched on the ceiling. Eyeing her every move. With her senses focused above her, she scrolled the database for the stolen schematics.


    Bingo. Everything was here. Utilizing the admin mode, she removed it from the company database alongside the backups. Of course, these were sent to her own database. Never knew when something like this would come in handy.


    Lei slowly backed away from the terminal. Every click of her heel left a quiet tap. It felt quite loud now that these murderbots were watching her. After an excruciatingly long backtrack to the now unlocked elevator, she pressed the G* button. Ground level.


    VMMM


    Immediately, the spider bots dropped to the ground and charged at her. Fuck. Their steps were loud, causing the ground to scream with every movement¡­and they were fast.


    The Burya took aim at flux speed, sending out several shots before a second had passed. Each bullet froze in the air as if waiting for time to resume. Once she had emptied her entire clip, time sped up.


    Legs were blown off of some spiders while others took no damage.  Some of them were hit right in the eyes, causing them to shut down on the spot.


    ¡°Close the damn door!¡± She growled at the elevator. It felt too long.


    Right before the horde reached her, the doors closed. Dents were immediately blown into the heavy material. It didn¡¯t seem like the end. Two spider legs slowly pried the door open.


    KABLAM


    Only to be obliterated by the Burya. This allowed the elevator to finally ascend past the door frames. She was safe.

 One Step Forward Two Steps BAck

    Meredith¡¯s lips curled into a tiny smirk upon seeing the sickly girl stumbling out of the elevator. It disappeared way before Lei was able to notice. With tired steps, she trudged over to the armored car.


    ¡°Sending the schematics.¡± The tone of Lei¡¯s voice was curt. Both of their eyes flashed blue for a moment.


    ¡°Received.¡± Stout said.


    There was a moment of silence as the corpo lady went through the data package. Almost ten minutes went by. The empty eyed girl leaned against the Millitech truck. It took a few more moments for Meredith to nod in confirmation.


    ¡°Good. You did well, Drifter.¡±


    ¡°My payment?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes. Of course.¡±


    65,000 credits were wired over to Lei. She didn¡¯t even bat an eye at the amount¡­Her gaze was like daggers staring into Meredith¡¯s face. There was yet another pregnant pause. Silence. Right when Lei opened her mouth to speak, Stout nodded to her Borg guards.


    One of the brolic men opened the trunk and pulled out a high tech duffle bag. It was handed over to the cold woman, who then handed it to Lei. The sickly girl found herself impatient. She immediately zipped it open.


    A polycarbonate glass box. Pristine. Inside the glass¡­an extremely high tech item of sleek design. Thin titanium polymer on the outside but coated in soft gold on the inside. Blue sensors danced across the soft gold material.


    It looked like a tiny sleeve¡­as its name suggested. Something that could comfortably wrap around the heart. Almost resembled a tube top shirt. It was held in place on top of a pedestal. Beautiful in Lei¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Our doctors can help you with the procedure. Of course, that would require another gig.¡± Meredith said.


    Seems that the cold woman already had things planned out. Trying to wrap Lei around her finger. She believed she was making progress, but the sickly girl wasn¡¯t clueless.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Got my own doctor for now.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Stout trailed off.


    Her tone showed that she wasn¡¯t too pleased about that answer. Still, she gestured to the Borgs. It was time to disperse. Both the men and Meredith got into the Millitech truck. Only then did she roll down the window.


    ¡°Drifter. This is only the surface of what I can do for you. Keep working for me and the rewards will be plentiful. Don¡¯t get complacent¡­not every job will be as¡­lax¡­as this one.¡± She stressed the word. Lei rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Lax¡­right.¡±


    With those final words, the armored car drove out of the facility. Lei watched as the car disappeared around the corner. Only then did her blank expression turn into one of extreme joy. Her hands shook with excitement as she closed the bag and strapped it around her shoulder.


    ¡­She¡¯d completely forgotten about the promised extra benefit.


    The Kusanagi roared as the biker girl zoomed out of the warehouse. She couldn¡¯t wait to get home and get a better look at the heart sleeve. Only then would she call Parzik and plan a surgery.


    Dodging and weaving through traffic, sliding around corners, and ripping past NYPD cars. They didn¡¯t even bother to chase. Seemed like a hassle. Lei was moving at more than 180 mph.


    ¡®Are you trying to be the next Adam Smasher?¡¯ Johnny spoke up out of the blue.


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯


    ¡®Being on a corporate payroll. Is that what you plan on doing? Being a dog for Meredith?¡¯


    ¡®Johnny.¡¯


    ¡®Going to burn down Arasaka and give the remains to Millitech?¡¯


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    ¡®Millitech will take the remains regardless. Those two have always been against each other.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m not a fan of what you¡¯ve been doing-¡¯


    ¡®Shut the fuck up.¡¯ Lei interrupted. ¡®Unlike you, I¡¯ll do what I must to reach my goal. Work with a megacorp? Don¡¯t like it but I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯m not a good person. Never said I was. I have enemies outside of Night City. Plenty. It¡¯s because I can play a role to get what I want.¡¯


    ¡®What else have you done, Loralei?¡¯ His voice was stern.


    ¡®Worked with Arasaka. It¡¯s how I got your engram.¡¯


    ¡®You fucking joined hands with Arasaka?¡¯


    ¡®Damn right. Plenty of others too. We aren¡¯t the same but we made a deal. You help me, I help you. Arasaka will be a fraction of what it was once I¡¯m done. So fuck off.¡¯ She growled.


    Only minutes passed and the excited girl was back home. The sheer progress that she¡¯d made since entering Night City was astronomical. Of course, this wasn¡¯t a cure. It was a strong supplement that aided her heart. Made it stronger. Tougher.


    Adding that alongside the pills, Lei might only break into coughs once every few weeks. Strenuous exercise won¡¯t exacerbate her symptoms. Her ending lifespan could be extended by a good amount.


    She immediately put her combat gear in the washer, stripped out of her biker suit, and lied down on the couch. Nude. Not a single article of clothing. The glass case was in her hands. She couldn¡¯t help but stare at the item within. It was so beautiful.


    ¡°Need to call Parzik.¡± She muttered.


    ¡®Without any clothes?¡¯ Johnny commented. Lei shook her head.


    ¡®Not gonna turn on the cam.¡¯


    Lei pulled up her contacts list in her display. After scrolling for a moment, she dialed his number. The screen expanded on her display. It rang for a few seconds.


    RING RING


    A few seconds turned into minutes¡­Then fifteen minutes. Lei stopped calling and checked his message once more.


    ¡®Some weirdos have been looking around lately. Soon as the cops bailed. Thought you would want to know.¡¯ ~ Parzik


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± She hummed while reading it again.


    The sickly girl called a few more times¡­but he didn¡¯t answer. Eventually, it wouldn¡¯t even ring anymore. Just immediately cutting off. That¡¯s not good. Was he somewhere with a bad connection?


    Lei pulled up the feed from the black teddy bear¡¯s hidden camera. The same eyepatched plushie that she stashed in his living room. Live footage appeared on her display¡­.he wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°Alright. Maybe he went out.¡± She hummed. Her expression had turned to a slight frown however. There were glass shards on the floor.


    Rewinding the footage by almost 12 hours, she finally saw a change in the feed. The slight bit she saw made her fists clench¡­but she would watch it all from the start. Breathe.


    The doctor could be seen in his favorite rocking chair. Per usual. Watching TV as he would normally do. That changed after another five minutes. He slowly struggled to his feet and peeked out the window blinds. Something was happening outside. He watched something off screen for a moment before jumping back in fright.


    As he tried to back away, the window shattered. A fist had gone straight through. Two figures arrived on screen from the other side. Most likely through the front door.


    They approached Parzik and put something over his mouth and nose. The doctor wasn¡¯t a strong man. He couldn¡¯t resist their advance. A few seconds passed before he slumped to unconsciousness. A third man leaned through the broken window¡­most likely the one who punched it in. His head turned toward the camera¡­.


    A holographic mask covered his face. Upon seeing it, Lei¡¯s expression turned psychotic. Scary¡­but eerily calm. Like a shell of a person.


    ¡°Scavs.¡± She whispered.


    ¡®What shit luck. One problem after another.¡¯ Johnny commented.


    A chip was tossed to the men inside. One of them caught it and slotted the chip into Parzik¡¯s neck. A jammer most likely. Next, they dragged the old man out of the room. The end.


    Lei approached the washer with an eerie calm. Taking her wet combat gear out of the machine, she slowly strapped up. Her next destination was obvious. Santo Domingo. It was time to hunt.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The front door had been kicked in. It was barely connected to the hinges now. Fragments of the door were all over the hallway entrance. Lei marched into the home.


    Dining room. Ransacked. The scavs took anything worth a damn. Living room. Ransacked. Bedroom. Ransacked. Damnit.


    ¡®There¡¯s a chance he might be dead. Don¡¯t forget that.¡¯ Johnny said. He leaned against the wall and observed. Lei shook her head.


    ¡®No. He doesn¡¯t have much cyberware. If they took him, it was for his skills.¡¯


    ¡®Using him to chip in the new chrome?¡¯


    ¡®Possibly¡­or using him to rip out the chrome from other victims.¡¯


    ¡®All bad either way.¡¯


    ¡®Yes.¡¯ Lei agreed.


    Each room looked like it had been turned over, flipped, and smashed with bats. The drifter¡¯s breathing grew a bit deeper. Going over to the thermostat¡­she turned the temperature down to 64 degrees. Then she tapped the fan button three times.


    Immediately, a click sounded. The wall opened up to reveal a hidden staircase leading downwards. Lei quickly went down.


    Beneath the house was a laboratory. A place she was well acquainted with. Everything about it was still clean and spotless. The scavengers hadn¡¯t noticed this place. Good. She left the room as quickly as she entered.


    ¡°Alright. Street camera feeds. Let¡¯s see where they took him.¡±

 Hunting

    The street cameras were quick to reveal what happened next. All three of the Scavs met up outside, dragging Parzik into a dirty van. Lei slowly followed the holo footage on her bike.


    A screech and the van took off down the road. It went quite fast. She trailed behind at an adequate pace. Whenever the footage would leave the camera¡¯s boundaries, she was forced to look for another nearby camera.


    By the time she looked into her fifth camera, a problem appeared. Her access was blocked. Immediately after that, her display lit up. A corpo netrunner most likely watching over the camera system.


    ¡°Who the hell are you? Piss off or I¡¯ll fry your brain into bits. Get off this channel.¡± A male voice growled. Lei quickly responded.


    ¡°Chill. I¡¯m just following a group of Scavs. They¡¯re in that van¡­¡± She rewinded the footage for him to see. ¡°...You see it?¡±


    There was a moment of silence as the netrunner regarded the footage. He slowed down the footage to .25x speed to see it in slow motion. A holographic mask revealed itself to him.


    ¡°Confirmed. I won¡¯t interfere¡­but I¡¯ll be watching. Dig any further into the server and I¡¯ll zero you.¡± He threatened. The drifter smiled in relief. A born and bred corporate netrunner wouldn¡¯t be a fun fight.


    ¡°Thank you. Just trying to save someone. You have no idea how much this helps.¡± She praised. Her voice was sweet like honey. It caused the rigid man to relax slightly.


    ¡°Mnn.¡± He grunted in response.


    Lei was now able to access the cameras without any problems. The man digitally followed her traces every step of the way, but didn¡¯t stop her. The van eventually brought her to the highway¡­and landed her in the outskirts of Pacifica.


    One more left turn around a corner and the footage stopped. There were no more cameras that could be accessed¡­but that was okay. The actual van could now be found parked in front of an abandoned school.


    Each of the windows and doors were boarded up. Hammered down. On the verge of breaking down. It looked like it hadn¡¯t been touched in years. A perfect cover.


    ¡®First things first. I need to find where Parzik is being held.¡¯ She decided.


    The drifter parked the Kusanagi in a nearby alley. It was then covered by a dirty sheet littering the ground. Didn¡¯t want it to get stolen. This was Pacifica after all. One of the most dangerous districts.


    This building had three floors. No cameras. Only way to find Parzik would be to sneak around. Or burst through and risk his well being. Damn.


    Lei truly wanted to rip through them like animals¡­but not yet. Just a little longer. Her figure accelerated and she dashed up the side of the abandoned school. It was an old and predated structure, so she had to be careful with her steps. Didn¡¯t want the Scavs to hear creaking above their heads.


    Finding a broken piece of tile on the roof, she lied down and placed her ear to listen. There was no sound. Fifteen minutes passed as she calmly waited. Nothing.


    The beam saber ignited. Pointing it at the tile, she carved a small opening to fit through. Lei placed the loose tile to the side before dropping down. Shelves were all around her. A storage room littered with crates and dust. Wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it was filled with cyberware.


    Lei placed her ear to the door and waited. She could hear voices on the other side. They were having a conversation.


    ¡°Old man can¡¯t even finish his own sentences. Hahaha!¡±


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    ¡°He¡¯s lucky Drak won¡¯t let us rough him up too much. Fucker has Trauma Team on speed dial.¡±


    ¡°Why would you rough him up? He¡¯s made our work so much easier.¡±


    ¡°Why? So he knows who¡¯s in charge, dumbass. So he doesn¡¯t get any funny ideas.¡±


    ¡°Fuck him. What about that other bastard we brought in?¡±


    ¡°Dead. Could hear his screams even from the first floor. Must¡¯ve had a lot of chrome chipped in. Billy did good snatching him up.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean we get new chrome?¡±


    ¡°If Drak doesn¡¯t want it, then yeah. New fucking chrome. Fresh off that crying bastard.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Alright, gonna go check on Morg. Prolly scrolling another XBD. Jon, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Two pairs of footsteps left the room. Lei internalized their conversation. Several things could be gleaned.


    ¡®One. The doctor could possibly be on this floor. Two. He¡¯s being forced to rip cyberware from victims. Three. Drak is their leader. A leader among Scavs is rare.¡¯


    ¡®Grand ideals. Everyone has them. Only some act on it.¡¯ Johnny commented.


    The drifter slightly cracked open the door and peeked through. One man sat on a chair with his back to her. A screwdriver was in his left hand. He seemed to be fiddling with his cybernetic right arm.


    She tried to open the door a bit more, but it immediately creaked. No time was wasted as she entered flux speed. Time slowed down. Fully opening the door, she dashed toward the sitting figure. The beam saber pierced the back of the chair alongside his chest and heart.


    Time returned to normal as she covered his mouth. His body jumped in surprise, a painful groan escaping his lips. Luckily, it was muffled. The light left his eyes. Dead.


    Turning the chair and his body to hide the wound, she placed an old newspaper over his chest. It would look like he was asleep for a while. In case anyone entered.


    This was definitely an old classroom. The doors had been removed, a large hole replacing them. Most likely to make traveling less tedious. Smart¡­but it made stealth much easier.


    Lei crept around the third floor, sticking to the corners of the room. One classroom to the next. Surprisingly, there weren¡¯t too many Scavs on this floor. Another two were quietly eliminated¡­their bodies thrown into bathroom stalls.


    Loud music could be heard on the second floor. Most likely where they hang out at. She had yet to find the doctor on this floor. Was her initial guess wrong? Couldn¡¯t be. There were still more places to check.


    A few more minutes of quiet searching¡­and bingo. Two Scavs sat outside of a classroom while playing cards. Their guns were resting on the table. Unaware of the approaching red glow. One moment they were mid conversation and the next¡­they were missing their heads.


    Like puppets without strings, the corpses fell to the ground. Lei stepped over the garbage and opened the door. There he was. The doctor. Old man Parzik was sitting next to a ripper table, where a dead body was beginning to rot. He stared at the ground with a grim expression.


    ¡°Parzik¡­¡± She whispered while speed walking over to him. The old man raised his head, recognition flashing across his eyes.


    ¡°LORAL-¡± His yell was interrupted by her hand covering his mouth.


    ¡°Shhhh. They don¡¯t know I¡¯m here.¡± She shushed him. Then her arms wrapped around him in a loving hug. Parzik¡¯s eyes grew watery.


    ¡°Lei¡­I¡¯m beyond saving now. The things I¡¯ve done. I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll never be able to sleep again. I can¡¯t live like this.¡±


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t say that. Look at me.¡± She took off her infovisor. He looked into her eyes.


    ¡°.................................................¡±


    ¡°You will keep living. You aren¡¯t allowed to give up on life. Not until you save mine.¡±


    ¡°Loralei¡­you don¡¯t understand. Some of these people¡­they were still alive when I-¡±


    ¡°I understand. Trust me. I¡¯m going to kill all of these bastards, okay? Then we can talk about it.¡± She interrupted again.


    ¡°........................................¡±


    ¡°Alright?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll be right back¡­and take that damn jammer out of your neck.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right.¡± He answered with a distant mind. Lei gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out.


    As soon as she stepped outside of the classroom, malice filled her eyes. There was no longer a need to remain calm. As long as she made sure no enemies went up the third floor, she could slaughter wantonly. Numbers started to appear in her mind¡­but it wasn¡¯t nauseating this time. It was gentle. Comforting.


    Her steps were full and strong. No longer careful and quiet. With her beam saber ignited, she stomped down to the second floor. The loud music covered the hum of her blade.

 Fatalities

    A massive couch was the first thing she saw. Three Scavs were sitting down. One had a BD set on his head, mind far away from the present. The other two were smoking some type of hallucinogen¡­getting high and relaxing.


    To the right was the nearby hole in the wall. It led to another room where another group of Scavs were watching TV. Commenting on sports.


    To the left was a hallway filled with Scavs. Each of them were armed and coming in and out of classrooms. Some would enter with one firearm just to leave with another. Most definitely a weapons cache in there.


    Lei approached the couch first. Roughly grabbing the hair of the smoking man, she swiped her blade across his neck. The crimson light went on to sever both smokers¡¯ heads. She then turned to the unconscious man who was watching the BD.


    Raising her beam saber, she stabbed down from the top of his scalp. The blade drilled through his brain with searing heat, traveling through the neck and reaching his chest. Bye bye.


    She then stomped over to the hole in the wall. Her entrance didn¡¯t go unnoticed. Due to the positioning of the TV, they were able to catch her in their peripheral. The focus of their gaze immediately went to her beam saber¡­then to the severed head in her other hand.


    ¡°Morg is dead! We¡¯re being attacked!¡± One of them screamed.


    The sound barely went over the blaring music¡­but some of those in the hallway turned to the commotion. What they saw made them raise their weapons.


    Lei was brutalizing those in the room. Her weapon cleaved through the screaming man¡¯s hip, separating him in two. By this point, the others in the room had scrambled to raise their weapons.


    A bullet shot out toward the drifter, but it was deflected. The crimson saber cut off the shooter¡¯s arm. Just to be followed with a slash across the stomach. Innards fell out. Soon to be dead.


    BANG BANG


    All hell broke loose. Those in the hallway shot into the room, not caring about their gang mates. Several Scavs immediately died to friendly fire. All for nothing. Lei had casually leaned away from the hole. Waiting for the gunfire to die down.


    If they were smart, they would¡¯ve staggered their reload times. Too bad they were idiots. Gonks. Target practice.


    As they reloaded, the drifter casually walked out of the room. She approached them slowly. Not even bothering to run. Her demeanor left them spooked. Hurry and reload¡­hurry and reload! As soon as they finished reloading, they lit up the room with gunfire.


    RATATATATA


    Lei¡¯s silhouette vanished and appeared from left to right as she grew closer. Suddenly, the sound of guns stilled. The click of their triggers resounded across the hall. What the hell?


    Quickhack. Weapon glitch. They were now like sitting ducks. The beam saber pierced through an enemy''s mouth, going through the back of his throat.


    ¡°Fuck! Weapons down!¡± Someone screamed.


    All of them charged at her with fists clenched. Twirling around a downward blow, she cleaved up through the man diagonally from hip to shoulder. The sequence of movement allowed her to add weight to her blade.


    Her knees buckled as she crouched down into another spin. A pair of legs were cut off at the knee. Screams resounded across the floor. Lei was like a terminator, killing them one by one in gruesome ways. Quick and efficient kills? Not today.


    She eventually found herself in the student restroom, slamming a man¡¯s face against the corner of the sink. His teeth shattered, his head slowly turning to mush¡­but she didn¡¯t stop. Over and over and over and over and-


    ¡®FOCUS, Loralei. Pay attention!¡¯ Johnny growled in her ear.


    A single Scav was all that was left on this floor. A woman. She was shaking in fear, watching from the entrance how Lei was brutalizing the man. As soon as the drifter turned to the stupid bitch, she bolted. Most likely heading to the first floor.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Lei dropped the corpse and stepped out of the restroom. The woman¡¯s back was in the distance, flying down the hall. Was she an Olympic runner? Quite fast.


    The beam saber¡¯s hilt extended into a spear. Swordstaff mode activated. The drifter¡¯s body accelerated, and she threw the crimson saber like a trident. The weapon beamed across the hallway like a hypersonic missile.


    Bullseye. The weapon pierced through her back, the momentum slamming her into the wall and pinning her there. Right next to the staircase.


    ¡®You can be real fucking scary sometimes.¡¯ Johnny commented. Lei ignored him.


    Obviously, all of the gunfire and combat must have alerted those on the first floor. No way it wouldn¡¯t. One would have to be deaf. Lei reached the staircase and pulled the swordstaff out of the wall.


    The pinned woman fell to the ground on her back. She twitched in pain, but her lungs were fried. She couldn¡¯t breathe. Tears went down her face as she looked up at the drifter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. You chose this life. Scavs? Really? Of all the gangs.¡± Lei¡¯s feminine voice washed over the dying girl.


    ¡°Hughk¡­Hyighk¡­¡± Her chest convulsed due to lack of air.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna let you die slowly. Take your time.¡±


    The drifter ignored her and headed down the stairs. Convulsions constantly rippled through the girl behind Lei. Her brain was slowly shutting down.


    ¡®Are you the bad guy, or is it the Scavs?¡¯ Johnny pondered.


    ¡®There are no good guys. Of course, I¡¯ve always been the villain.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m joking. Fuck these people. Keep it up, Lei.¡¯


    ¡®Fuck off, gonk.¡¯ She cursed the legendary merc.


    As soon as she reached the first floor, her position was riddled with bullets. Luckily she¡¯d already taken a step back. Hmmm. Looks like they were all aiming at the bottom of the stairs.


    Lei stretched for a moment before hopping up and down. Then she accelerated. The Scavs were unable to even react to her entrance. One moment they were aiming at the stairs, and the next¡­they were being cut down.


    The first floor was spacious. This gave the drifter ample room to work with. More space meant easier kills. She circled around a row of lockers and cut through two Scavs at once. They toppled to the ground in pieces.


    When in swordstaff mode, killing more than one person per swing was a simple thing. Something shifted at that moment. The sound of something heavy was cocked back.


    KABLAM


    Flechette rounds were fired. Lei was forced to accelerate around an entire wall of bullets. A shotgun? There was a large Borg carrying the weapon. Was that the leader? No way it wasn¡¯t. Massive arms. Gorilla arms.


    ¡°Drak, right?¡±


    ¡°The fuck are you, Bitch?! Die!¡± He roared. Then his gun clicked.


    ¡°Dumbass. You really think I¡¯d let you shoot that again?¡±


    ¡°Damnit. A netrunner.¡±


    ¡°Damn right.¡±


    Lei continued to clean up the grunts around the floor. She ignored the big man for the time being, since he couldn¡¯t keep up with her speed. About 15 seconds later, it was just them.


    ¡°Saving the best for last, eh?¡± He questioned with a bit of fear. While frightened, he wasn¡¯t backing down. Brave.


    ¡°Correct. Can you last longer than a second? Let¡¯s find out.¡±


    The drifter accelerated toward him and pierced at his face. Right at the last second, he leaned out of the way and stumbled back. The timing was uncanny. Lei raised an eyebrow.


    He didn¡¯t move the way one would with a Sandevistan. He must have a Kerenzikov. Not bad. Could he use it efficiently was the question. Most likely not. He was a Scav after all.


    ¡°I¡¯m not impressed.¡± She commented.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask.¡± He countered.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    She accelerated again. This time she stepped off a bench and onto a locker. Her body leapt into the air and she flipped, gaining heavy momentum. Then she launched the swordstaff down at the Borg.


    Drak didn¡¯t even notice the blade until it was inches from his face. His body quickly turned to the side. It wasn¡¯t fast enough to avoid injury though. The beam saber cut through the surface layer of his chest and stomach before drilling into the ground.


    Lei had followed right behind the weapon, her Burya handcannon now an inch from below his chin. She pulled the trigger¡­but his head already leaned back before the gun even went off. A large hole appeared in the ceiling.


    After grabbing her beam saber, she spun into another slash. Drak tried to leap back but his body was too big. The blade went right through his waist. Top and bottom were separated. Game.


    Time sped up to normal. Lei held her swordstaff in one hand, the blade pointed down at the ground. This short battle was over.


    ¡°You lasted 3 seconds. Not bad.¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­¡± He gasped. The light slowly left his eyes.


    ¡°A Keren is great for quick reactions, but if you don¡¯t counter attack¡­it¡¯s useless.¡±


    Lei took a deep breath and allowed herself to leave the battle trance she was in. The adrenaline slowed down and the ever present ache of the heart returned. Now¡­let¡¯s get Parzik out of this dump.

 Improvements

    When Loralei woke up, silver and white filled her eyes. She squinted at the sudden stimuli¡­and that smell. Some type of chemical. Cleaning solution?


    ¡°Loralei¡­how are you feeling?¡±


    The sleepy girl turned to the voice. Parzik sat in a rolling chair. A quiet TV was playing sports in the background. The old man smiled at her, a bag of snacks in his hands.


    ¡°Parzik¡­¡±


    The two were currently at the doctor¡¯s home, underground in his laboratory. It had been 2 days since she¡¯d eliminated the trifling Scav Den. Lei currently wore a patchy hospital gown. An IV was stuck in her right arm.


    ¡°Well?¡± Parzik raised his hands in an expecting manner. Lei smiled slightly.


    ¡°I finally feel normal.¡± She revealed.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°That sharp ache in my chest. Only feels like a small tingle now. I don¡¯t feel¡­fragile¡­anymore.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± He checked her vitals on a nearby monitor. ¡°Your readings are much healthier than before. Currently, you could be placed a bit higher on the health tier. Two levels below an average person.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m still sick as shit.¡± She commented.


    ¡°Of course, though you gotta understand. The heart sleeve brought you up two levels¡­no longer on the critical tier.¡±


    ¡°Mnn.¡± She hummed.


    That¡¯s right. The procedure¡­the surgery. Doctor Parzik had finally installed the newly acquired sleeve around her heart. The efficiency of her vascular system had drastically improved. T-Cells improved. All around level up.


    ¡°Take a walk around the room. You should try to get a feel of your new state.¡±


    Lei casually moved her legs off the surgical bed and stopped. Her eyebrows rose a little bit. That was way too easy of a maneuver now¡­something like this would¡¯ve definitely caused her to grunt.


    Once she stood up, strength rippled through her legs. It was hard to explain. Not strength in the terms of power and impact. No. This was strength in the form of control. In the form of ease.


    A vibration went through her spine and stopped at her brain. Her arms tensed then relaxed¡­then she walked. The old man eyed her for a few moments before losing interest. His gaze went back to the TV and he zoned out.


    ¡°Am I still going to have episodes?¡± She asked after a few minutes. The old man focused on her again and tried to collect his thoughts. His bottom lip wriggled.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Lei already knew what to expect. As such, she kept walking around the room. Then she hopped. Her breasts rose as she landed, almost slapping her face. For some reason that ticked her off.


    ¡°Parzik?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­yes. You shouldn¡¯t have anymore episodes¡­or at least have as much. The symptoms will be much less¡­but coughing blood won¡¯t go away until you are fully cured. It will definitely be less painful though.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Not too bad I guess.¡±


    ¡°Your life expectancy has risen a bit. Do be warned¡­ah¡­you¡¯ll be able to tell much earlier when an episode is coming. Try to get home before then.¡±


    ¡°Right. How long was the surgery?¡±


    ¡°About 6 hours.¡± The old man replied.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Did you sleep?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯ve been under for about a day. I got plenty of rest.¡±


    ¡°Rude. Are you calling me a burden?¡±


    Doctor Parzik smiled slightly before handing her a few snacks. Lei looked among them before picking one that tasted consumable. It surprised her how fast she wolfed it down.


    ¡°A massive burden. Such a burden that you dragged me away from a Scav Den.¡± He finally said. Lei rolled her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    It had taken those two days for the old man to accept the things he¡¯d done. There was no way he¡¯d ever forget¡­but he could forgive himself. Why? Because he knew Lei needed him. That was enough for him to try.


    Once she was fully healed and left the city¡­there was no telling how he¡¯d feel. Hopefully that was a far off thing. As much as he wanted her to be cured, he cherished these moments with her the most.


    ¡°You youngsters are always so active. Always getting into something dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± She hummed while grabbing her clothes off a nearby rack.


    Going into the changing room, she switched back into her combat gear. A bit of activity could be heard from Parzik¡¯s side. He spoke as soon as she exited.


    ¡°Got something for you.¡±


    ¡°...Hmmm.¡± She hummed once again. This time with a raised eyebrow.


    Sitting on the table was a respirator. A breather. It was an all metallic black mask that covered everything from the nose down. Small bits of grey for the mechanical pieces throughout¡­but it was incredibly sleek. Very advanced.


    ¡°Titanium plated breather. Inlined with gold. Blue sensors inside, just like your heart sleeve. Nobody will ever see the gold.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    She thought it looked neat, but it seemed a bit¡­intimidating. If she wore this¡­goodness. How would she ever make friends again? She was already scary enough.


    ¡°Loralei, if you care about your health, you¡¯ll wear this whenever you¡¯re active. This is actually a packaged supplement that normally comes with the heart sleeve. Don¡¯t know why yours didn¡¯t come¡­but I had one stored away. That¡¯s why the materials are the same.¡±


    ¡®It didn¡¯t come because that corpo bitch wants to use it as another reward. For another gig. That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t already have it, Lei.¡¯ Johnny appeared beside Parzik and sat on the table.


    ¡®Yes yes. Hot corpo bitch wants me all to herself. I know, Johnny.¡¯ She shrugged him off.


    Lei picked up the mask and finally saw the malleable gold. Always on the inside, hidden by the titanium. It was a mystery how they made it so soft and comfortable. With a sigh, she put it on.


    KRRRRR


    The breather clicked into active mode which started purifying the incoming air. More oxygen immediately flooded her blood stream. Cleaning her blood even further.


    There was only one thing¡­why the HELL did her breathing sound like that? It was almost like a machine. Mechanical breathing reverberated throughout the room. Even Parsik¡¯s smile faltered.


    ¡°Doctor?¡±


    There was a small tint of mechanical crunch in her voice. Tiny addition, but it changed everything. She didn¡¯t like it at all. Made her sound like a Maelstrom gangster.


    ¡°Ah¡­don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll still be your friend.¡± He gave her a thumbs up. Lei rolled her empty eyes¡­which now looked even more menacing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wear this and my infovisor at the same time.¡± She commented. Menacingly!


    ¡°You could always tinker with the mask. Download your data into it, give it one way holographic vision. Then you can still see your vitals and such.¡±


    ¡°Smart. Gonna leave now. Stay well, Doc.¡± She gave him a hug.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hide that mask under that big hood. Embrace it for at least a few days. Get used to how it looks on you. This is your life now.¡± He spoke sternly.


    Damnit. Already knew her plans. How did he know?


    ¡°Siiiigh. Fine.¡± Her steps led her to the stairs.


    ¡°Oh! Don¡¯t forget¡­ah¡­¡±


    Lei decided to check her display. A few messages appeared in her inbox. She scrolled through them quickly.


    ¡®Didn¡¯t see you at Turbo Bar the other night. You probably don¡¯t even care. Well, maybe you do. Ugh, what am I saying¡­just come visit the bar one of these nights. We¡¯ll be there¡­please?¡¯ ~ Sasha


    ¡®Don¡¯t ignore me, gonk.¡¯ ~ Kagami


    ¡®Hey. Haven¡¯t heard from you. What you up to?¡¯ ~ Panam


    ¡®Pacifica Serenity Bible Church. Your task has been decided.¡¯ ~ Jamani


    Lei¡¯s eyes narrowed. Jamani had sent a message. Didn¡¯t really seem to be kind either. Still rude. That wouldn¡¯t stop her from checking it out though.


    ¡®Looks like we¡¯ll be seeing Alt soon.¡¯ Johnny commented.


    ¡®It¡¯s about time.¡¯ Lei responded.


    Another few minutes passed as she made quick adjustments to the mask¡¯s limited software. Only once she was done did she turn back to the zoned out doctor. Staring at nothing per usual.


    ¡°Parzik?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes¡­don¡¯t forget to take your pills.¡± He perked up.


    Lei rolled her eyes and left. Without pulling up her hood.

 Bad Manners

    Pacifica. Back to this dump of a district. Lei held no love for this place. There were constant updates on the radio about roadblocks created by gangs. As soon as you slowed to a stop, the members would ambush you, rob you, and kill you on a whim.


    It was quite impossible for any normal civilian to survive here in the long term. All it took was a bad day for your door to get kicked in. Any crime could happen to you. People considered this place a lawless territory.


    The NCPD were out in full force. They fought a never ending war against the chaos. A never ending crusade to return order. Make the place habitable for people again.


    This district had originally been a playground for tourists, celebrities, and wealthy businessmen. A money-making vacation resort. Unfortunately, the investors pulled out and the money dried up¡­leaving Pacifica a shell of itself. Now run by gangs.


    Anyone that lived here was either under the protection of the Voodoo Boys - which were a large number - families of cops, or temporary residents. Matter of fact, the majority of people found in this district didn¡¯t live there.


    Lei had returned home after the surgery. She was quick to modify her breather to function as a pseudo infovisor. A short rest after, she was headed toward the Serenity Bible Church.


    The sound of her Kusanagi snatched everyone¡¯s attention who were loitering at the church entrance. Some looked like mercs, others resembled gangsters of some kind. But they were all calm. At church.


    Everyone of these people were of Haitian descent. Crackheads and other drug addicts sat in the corners of the lot. Heads down. Minding their own business.


    Drifter parked right in the space closest to the door. Ignoring the gazes of those around, she walked through them and into the building. The first thing that greeted her was the lighting. It was quite dim here, the ceiling¡¯s deep blue glow being the only source of illumination.


    Next was the crowd filling up the room. There were no seats, which were quite weird for a church. Everyone stood in silence. Only the pastor was talking, speaking in his own language. Creole.


    At first she didn¡¯t understand the words, but her cyberdeck got to work immediately. Everything was translated in real time. The English subtitles appeared on her display.


    ¡®Ok¡­guess I¡¯ll just wait here.¡¯ She thought.


    The empty-eyed girl leaned against the back wall. While the surroundings were quite populated, that didn¡¯t mean she failed to notice things. Body language. People around were slightly shifting due to her presence. A bit more guarded. More tense.


    It took a while, but someone eventually approached. A bald Haitian man covered in robes. A hood covering his head. He placed a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°You must be Drifter.¡± He said. Lei removed his hand from her shoulder.


    ¡°Are you my contact? Where is Jamani?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Jamani.¡±


    Rude.


    ¡°Alright. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am just a middle man.¡±


    Very helpful.


    ¡°Sure¡­the gig?¡±


    ¡°You will know soon.¡±


    Another abstract answer from these Voodoo Boys. Jamani says soon. Now this fucker says soon. Both of them treated her like dirt.


    ¡°WHEN. IS. SOON.¡± Lei¡¯s voice was flat. Added with the breather¡¯s mechanical distortion, a bit intimidating. The man raised an eyebrow. Realized that he would have to move things along. No more threat assessment.


    ¡°Go to the market center down the street. Right on the intersection. Look for the butcher shop. Placide will tell you more.¡±


    ¡°.....................................¡±


    She immediately stepped away from the man. Before she could open the doors, the hooded man spoke up once more. His tone was dark.


    ¡°We do not know you. You are NOT one of us. Act with grace or it will be taught to you.¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡± She countered. The doors shut behind her.


    ¡®I hate these bastards already. I hope they aren¡¯t all like that.¡¯


    ¡®Who gives a damn. Get to Alt, worry about them after.¡¯ Johnny said.


    ¡®What if they try to fuck me over? I do give a damn.¡¯


    ¡®Then fuck them over worse. After we get to Alt.¡¯


    Lei casually walked down the sidewalk while looking around. The intersection was directly ahead, which meant the shopping center was nearby. A few more steps and the buzz of voices washed over her.


    It was white noise. So many people talking at once. About different things. The volume level had increased drastically. Following the sound, she went through a narrow underpass.


    Then the area opened up. A whole market was in front of her. Vendors everywhere, selling clothes, toys, food, gadgets, and more. Lei even noticed a vendor selling prepackaged quickhacks. Preem.


    She decided to sightsee. Take in the view. Understand the culture. Almost everyone was speaking in creole, but her translator did the heavy lifting. It seemed to be a close knit community¡­as everyone knew each other. Each buyer. Each seller.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Lei approached one of the vendors. A frown immediately appeared on the man¡¯s face. She could feel the hostility on arrival.


    ¡°Looking for Placide. Butcher shop.¡±


    ¡°Yon l¨°t ranyon mouye pou Placide? Laba.¡± He pointed in a specific direction.


    Lei raised an eyebrow at the man¡¯s words and demeanor. The translator did its work¡­making her eyes narrow. So that¡¯s how it is.


    ¡®Another wet rag for Placide? Over there.¡¯ The subtitles said.


    The man had called her a wet rag to her face. Not expecting her to understand the language. So that¡¯s how these people were. Alright. Noted. Another wet rag? Disposable? Is that what he meant? How many ¡®wet rags¡¯ has there been?


    She headed in the pointed direction with a newfound understanding. A much better idea of how this was expected to go. They might not help her. Maybe they¡¯ll betray her before anything happens.


    It didn¡¯t take much longer to find the butcher shop. An old woman stood behind the counter in boredom. An old man sat in a chair nearby, smoking a cigarette.


    ¡°Placide?¡± She questioned.


    ¡°Placide¡­look here first.¡± The old woman pointed to a mounted camera in the corner.


    Lei turned to the camera. Blue sensors scanned the masked girl, verifying her identity. After a few more seconds, it returned to its standby mode. The old man on the chair spoke up.


    ¡°So it is you. Go.¡±


    They lazily pointed to a tarp cover that acted as a door. Moving past the flaps, she came face to face with another man leaning against the wall. There was an assault rifle in his hands.


    ¡°You must be Placide.¡± She said. The man shook his head. Then he pointed further down the room.


    A muscular Haitian man could be seen behind a skinned chicken. His dreads were pulled back in a ponytail. There was a massive knife in his hand. The blade slammed onto the chopping board, cutting through the dead animal¡¯s bones.


    ¡°I want to go past the Blackwall.¡± Lei spoke up. Didn¡¯t seem like greetings mattered here anyways. Placide raised an eyebrow at her.


    ¡°That is what you want?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then you are looking for Brigitte.¡±


    ¡°...Sure.¡±


    ¡°But they bring you to me.¡±


    ¡°...I guess. So what¡¯s the job? I help you, you help me right?¡±


    There was a moment of silence as the big man cleaned his knife. Once he finished, he walked out of the room. Not a word was said. Lei waited for a moment. Was he coming back? Picking up something?


    She quickly pinged the nearby electronics, which expanded across the market. An incredibly vast amount of nodes appeared everywhere. Like a grid. Then she found him.  Placide was almost out of the market. Walking fast. He¡¯d left her.


    ¡°Okay. Another asshole.¡±


    The masked girl couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. A sigh of frustration followed. Only then did she speed walk out of the building and chase after the man. As she grew closer, she noticed him passing out food to some of the vendors. He was polite and casual with his people.


    ¡°You pinged the market.¡± He commented once she reached his side.


    ¡°You left without a word.¡± Lei countered.


    ¡°Do not try to netrun here. It will not work out for you.¡±


    ¡°Not like I wanted to.¡±


    They walked a bit further. Their steps brought them around the backside of the market and into an open plaza. A few men could be seen laughing with beers and rifles in their hands.


    ¡°Nou kouri Pacifica!¡± He exclaimed before shooting into the air.


    ¡°Welcome to Pacifica.¡± Placide commented as they walked past.


    ¡°Don¡¯t really feel welcome.¡±


    ¡°That is because you are an outsider.¡± His accent was heavy.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. We help each other, then go our separate ways. Don¡¯t gotta make things harder than it needs to be.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. I want someone dead. You will do it.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°You will know soon.¡±


    ¡°Great¡­¡±


    The two eventually found a pair of stairs guarded by more armed men. They only said one thing as the two passed. It was a question.


    ¡°Ranyon etaj?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°Ranyon.¡± Placide nodded in agreement. Lei¡¯s eyes narrowed. They¡¯d both just called her a floor rag.


    Once upstairs, the surroundings grew more quiet. Another set of doors and they were in front of a desk. A lab could be found in the next room. People were working frantically there. Something was up.


    Placide sat down at the desk before opening the computer. He then plugged a cable into a splitter. After that, he took the other plug and grabbed Lei¡¯s hand. The girl ripped his hand away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± She snarled. No way was she letting him plug into her port. Did he think she was an idiot? The Haitian man frowned.


    ¡°If you want access to Rezo Agwe, you will give your hand.¡±


    ¡°Rezo Agwe¡­and that is?¡±


    ¡°Our subnet.¡±


    ¡°Why would I want access to your subnet?¡±


    ¡°You wish to breach the Blackwall. You need our subnet. Give me your hand.¡±


    ¡°No. You won¡¯t be getting access to my systems and chrome. Once I finish the job, then we can talk about that.¡±


    ¡°If you want our trust-¡±


    ¡°Fuck your trust. Don¡¯t want it. It¡¯s business now. I do my part, you do yours.¡± She interrupted.


    Placide sat back in his chair with an annoyed face. He stared at her for a while in silence. Lei¡¯s empty eyes stared back. Only the sound of mechanical breathing filled the silence.


    ¡°I must know you are capable.¡± He growled.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°That means nothing.¡±


    ¡°Your word means nothing.¡± She countered.


    They were at a standstill. Her left hand rested on the grip of her Burya. Ready to blow his head open. Placide¡¯s gaze went to her gun then back to her face.


    ¡°Fine. Different way. I invite you to subnet through your contacts. No wires. No jacking in.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Deets were sent over. Much safer. Less chance of hidden viruses and such. Lei would make sure she wasn¡¯t able to be taken advantage of. An invitation appeared in her display.


    [You¡¯ve been invited to Rezo Agwe. Join subnet?]


    Lei accepted the invite. Immediately, Placid¡¯s digital avatar appeared in her display. As he spoke, so did the figure.


    ¡°Pay attention.¡± He said.


    An album of pictures covered her display. A woman with blue hair, sometimes red, sometimes grey. She was a doll. A doll from¡­Clouds? Lei read the biography with a frown.


    [Evelyn Parker]


    ¡°You want me to kill a joytoy?¡±


    ¡°We make deal with her. Deal went bad. She know too much, so we fry her cyberware. Somehow she survived. Kill her. Job done.¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°We track her. Here is location.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have just sent your own men?¡± She questioned. Placide shook his head.


    ¡°That is not how we work. We outsource. Never leave our home.¡±


    ¡°Except Jamani?¡±


    ¡°Except Jamani.¡± He answered with a frown. He didn¡¯t like that Lei knew another member of the Voodoo Boys.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll get that done.¡±


    ¡°Be quick. We will speak over comms.¡±


    ¡°....................................¡± Lei silently made her exit.

 Terrible Fate*

    The Kusanagi zoomed across the highway. Cars were like stationary objects due to its speed. Taking the exit, the vehicle slid left around a tight corner. A few moments later, the industrial surroundings became more homely.


    Back in Santo Domingo. Arroyo specifically. The Voodoo Boys had digitally installed a tracker in the doll¡¯s neural link. Quite cruel when you know they already fried her cyberware.


    ¡°Why do you call yourselves the Voodoo Boys? Do you actually believe in Voodoo?¡± Lei asked over comms.


    ¡°Ask the people who call us that.¡±


    ¡°Noted. So what do you call yourselves then?¡±


    ¡°............................................¡± Placide remained silent.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to tell me.¡± She realized.


    Fifteen minutes went by before she stopped in front of a Buck-A-Slice Pizza. A bit further from this place was an abandoned Power Plant. The drifter would proceed the rest of the way on foot.


    Why? It was always to preserve her modified motorbike. Didn¡¯t want anything happening to it. This was her only means of transportation after all. Buying another vehicle would be a hassle.


    ¡°She cannot fight. Kill her. Job done.¡± The Haitian man said.


    Lei ignored him and trudged toward the power plant. There were no signs of it being occupied. Nobody would ever know that people were supposedly inside.


    ¡°No patrols. No lookouts?¡± She muttered.


    The entrance was wide open. Not actually open per se¡­but the way in was unprotected. Only a single camera covered the front. It didn¡¯t take much effort to breach. A ping was sent to the rest of the cameras within, all of them being deactivated. Camera system down.


    Drifter casually made her way in. Large open ending rooms greeted her. Empty. No signs of enemies. How suspicious.


    ¡®Maybe these people went out for a while?¡¯ She wondered.


    The inside definitely showed signs of recent use. There were empty cans of alcohol and pizza boxes everywhere. It smelled like drugs and food here.


    How to proceed¡­tracker definitely says the doll was here. Maybe underground? Lei explored the area in search of a way down. Eventually, her sights landed on a tarp covering a piece of ground. Pushing away a heavy toolbox - and it really was heavy - she kicked the tarp away.


    A staircase was revealed. Lei casually headed down. Her Burya now in hand. It was incredibly dark. The further she went, the darker it got. Didn¡¯t seem as if lights were a necessity here. The only source of illumination were pieces of technology and glowsticks littering the floor.


    She passed a locker room full of clothes and more food. Lei was starting to believe that an incredible amount of people lived here. They¡¯d most definitely went out and would probably return later. The question was¡­how long had they been out? How much time did she have?


    Lei increased her pace, eventually finding herself in a long hallway. It was the darkest it had been so far. Her figure had disappeared in the shadows. Five minutes went by as she proceeded through.


    ¡°There.¡± Placide spoke up.


    A light could finally be seen at the end of the tunnel. It was a pinkish light, blended with purple and blue. Two voices could be heard further down. The closer she got, the more clear it became.


    ¡°Can¡¯t wait to scroll that XBD.¡±


    ¡°I scrolled the last one. Siiiigh. It was preem. Still can¡¯t get over it¡­Fuck. Left my nuts tingling.¡±


    ¡°That bitch is preem material. Grid is recording another one right now. Calling dibs on first look.¡±


    ¡°Nah man. You got dibs last time. It¡¯s my turn.¡±


    ¡°Fuck that. Shoulda called dibs.¡±


    Two men could be heard arguing. The light was coming from the door behind them¡­along with their faces. Holographic masks.


    ¡®Another Scav Den.¡¯ She realized.


    Disgust flooded her along with realization. Evelyn was in a Scav Den! No way this was a good thing for her. The sheer amount of Scavs that lived here¡­not to mention her fried cyberware.


    Lei immediately breached their systems and sent out a quickhack. System collapse. The two men had failed to notice her since it was THAT dark. A few seconds went by then they fell to the ground. Dead. Cyberware steaming.


    ¡°Mmm. You know your way around the Net.¡± Placide commented.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you guys are much better than I. Netrunning isn¡¯t my specialty.¡± She responded.


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    ¡°Of course. There is no one better than us. Not even Netwatch.¡±


    ¡°...Sure.¡±


    It was never good to be that confident. Such a thing would lead to one¡¯s downfall. Lei didn¡¯t believe that she was unbeatable. This had kept her alive multiple times before reaching Night City. It was highly feasible that a godlike Netrunner existed somewhere.


    Stepping past the steaming corpses, she stopped at the door. Her frown intensified as she heard the noise coming from within. It was a violent and slimy sound. Chains were rattling. Fleshly impacts were ongoing. It sounded brutal.


    She quietly opened the door and stepped inside. Her empty eyes scanned the room¡­it was the power room, the source of the power plant¡¯s auxiliary energy. But it had been occupied for a different use.


    Several mounted cameras were placed throughout the room. All pointed at one thing. A single king-sized bed in the middle. Seeing the movement occurring before her, she immediately cut the connection with Placide. From one girl to another¡­no man should see a woman brought this low.


    Evelyn was lying on the bed without clothes. Her legs were chained to the bed frames. Her hands were chained behind her back. With glazed eyes slightly open, it gave off the impression that she was conscious.


    A man. A Scav. He also lacked clothes. Evelyn was on her back, head hanging off the edge of the bed. The Scav was standing beside the bed and her head, grunting from exertion. This man had a terrifying grip around her throat. His waist violently slammed against her face over and over.


    His thick shaft would disappear in her mouth, the outline appearing on her throat. The sheer force he was using¡­Any living woman would be damaged after such a thing. Saliva mixed with something else dripped down from Evelyn¡¯s upside down head, covering her eyes and going through her hair. It went on to drip onto the floor, leaving a puddle.


    Bruises and marks covered her naked body. Cuts and scars. Dried blood on the bed sheets. The groan of the bed itself was terrifying. The pillars of the bed had been drilled into the floor, just to make sure it didn¡¯t move. This gave the man ample grip to work with. He was Borged out. A big man.


    It got worse the more things Lei discovered. The man wore a BD headset and a red light was flashing. He was recording this. All of these cameras were linked to his headset. He had several angles¡­as he tried to literally kill this woman.


    Metal studs had been placed on his shaft. It was unknown if it was a style choice or something else. The effect though¡­he made it more painful for whoever his partner was. Evelyn¡¯s esophagus was most likely bleeding. Internally.


    Lei aimed with her Burya and fired. The handcannon roared with the fury of a demon, obliterating the man¡¯s head. A loud slimy popping sound resounded as his phallus dislodged from her throat. Even more liquid poured out of Evelyn¡¯s mouth, washing through her eyes and mixing in her hair.


    The corpse fell to the side, adding blood to the wet puddle below. Evelyn¡¯s limp body hung off the edge of the bed, only the chains keeping her in place. Her eyes were still open, regardless of the mixture of juices dripping through. Definitely unconscious.


    Drifter gently placed her back on the bed and broke the chains. Evelyn¡¯s eyes finally moved, turning to look at the cloaked figure. Not unconscious¡­what the fuck?


    ¡°You okay? Actually¡­that was a stupid question.¡± Lei said.


    Evelyn didn¡¯t move. Only her eyes did. Her body was still limp, like a puppet without strings.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check your vitals. One second.¡±


    Lei pulled the cable from her wrist and jacked into the back of Evelyn¡¯s neck. Immediately, critical warnings popped up one after another. Her display was filled with red critical messages.


    ¡®This is¡­¡¯


    ¡®Still gonna kill her?¡¯ Johnny appeared beside her. His sunglasses were off.


    ¡®She¡¯s basically already dead.¡¯ Lei answered.


    ¡®Placide doesn¡¯t think so.¡¯


    ¡®Placide hasn¡¯t seen her vitals. I have.¡¯


    Evelyn was comatose. She was trapped within her own body, unable to move. She could still feel pain. Could still hear everything. What a horrible¡­


    ¡°......................¡± Lei exhaled unconsciously.


    The doll¡¯s pelvis was fractured. Her uterus had been cracked open. The bodily tissues within had been scraped raw due to the man¡¯s metal studs. Fingers broken, most likely for some digusting XBD. Leash marks around her neck, not to mention the handprints. Not a single part of her was untouched.


    As Lei went through Evelyn¡¯s neural link, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a numbing Stem. It was stabbed into the doll¡¯s leg, freeing her of the torturous pain. The effect would last for two hours.


    ¡®Found something.¡¯


    ¡®Well I¡¯ll be damned.¡¯ Johnny exclaimed.


    Evelyn¡¯s kiroshi optics were scrolling. She¡¯d been recording a BD. Checking the time, it had been ongoing for¡­172 hours. More than a week. Lei ended the recording and quickly skipped through the footage.


    Many things were revealed. One. The Voodoo Boys had found out that Evelyn was a regular escort for Yorinobu Arasaka. They wanted to use her to get the relic.


    Two. She was involved in the Konpeki Plaza Heist. When everything went to shit, she went into hiding. She stayed lowkey at a place called Lizzy¡¯s Bar. A Mox hangout. Another gang Lei hadn¡¯t heard of before.


    Three. She eventually realized that she needed to get back to work. Money didn¡¯t grow on trees.  So she returned to Clouds, her place of work. As soon as she connected to the Net with a client, the Voodoo Boys fried her cyberware.


    Four. Evelyn always recorded whenever she was with a client. Just in case. This resulted in her recording remaining active even though she was now comatose. The manager of the Clouds establishment tried to get her fixed, failed, then used her as a fleshlight. Multiple times.


    Once he got tired of her, he sent her off like a package to a ripperdoc. His name was Fingers. That man tried to fix her and failed. He then proceeded to treat her like a fleshlight as well. Multiple times. Only then did he sell her off to the Scavs to make a snuff BD.


    The Scavs didn¡¯t end up making the BD. Her looks and state of being made her perfect for more than one. So they kept her, making several XBDs a day. She¡¯d been suffering for a while now.


    ¡®Alright. I¡¯m bringing her to that bar. Where the Mox are. Those are her people.¡¯ Lei decided.


    ¡®Going against Placide? What about our goal?¡¯ Johnny grunted.


    ¡®Don¡¯t think that bastard is in charge anymore. Fuck him. Gonna speak to this Brigitte person instead.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s reckless.¡¯ He countered.


    ¡®They want the relic, I have it. They¡¯ll bring us past the Blackwall. Watch.¡¯


    Lei erased the tracker in Evelyn¡¯s neural link. After that, she grabbed the bed sheets and wrapped them around the doll¡¯s body. Only then was the limp girl carried out of the room.


    ¡°Taking you back to the Mox, Evelyn.¡± She said.


    Evelyn gave no reaction.

 The Mox

    It was a struggle to get Evelyn to Lizzie¡¯s Bar. She was limp¡­keeping her on the motorbike was a thankless task. Lei didn¡¯t want to think about it anymore. Sometimes doing a good thing was tiring as hell. She wasn¡¯t a hero either.


    The drifter had done some evil shit before. Maybe this was a form of personal redemption? Yeah right. Who was she kidding. The masked girl knew that she¡¯d probably do some evil shit again. All it took was a gig that had what she wanted.


    Her bike pulled up into the parking lot. The sun was almost low by this point, and civilians were starting to line up. Building was still closed but it would open soon.


    Evelyn¡¯s body was covered by sheets. Lei carried her all the way to the door. She ignored the looks of curiosity and intimidation. A bouncer was standing in front of the doors.


    A tough looking woman. Beautiful too. With purple hair with two buns and lipstick to match, cybernetic arms only made her seem tougher. Black leather pants hugged her slim but toned legs. A white loose tank top that stopped before her stomach.


    There was a massive Mox tattoo on her chest. She looked bored. Quite the profile, especially with that baseball bat in her hand. Lei casually approached her. The bouncer¡¯s eyes narrowed upon seeing the carried body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking move.¡± The bouncer exclaimed.


    The baseball bat was pointed at the drifter. This revealed two pistols holstered beneath her arms. The purple haired girl was prepared for conflict. Lei stopped.


    ¡°.....................................¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck are you, who the fuck is that, and what the fuck are you doing?¡± She growled.


    Lei moved the sheet a bit to reveal Evelyn¡¯s face. The bouncer¡¯s face immediately changed. Her fist immediately banged on the door.


    ¡°Evelyn!¡± The tough girl exclaimed.


    ¡°Saw that she was Mox. Brought her here.¡± Lei finally said.


    In response to the bangs, the doors opened. Another bouncer came out, learned the situation, and ushered them in. The surroundings were dim but filled with neon lights. It was only the lobby too.


    ¡°Stay here.¡± The tough girl said.


    She gently took Evelyn out of Lei¡¯s arms. The drifter watched as Evelyn was brought to the bar where two worried women were sitting. One of them had green hair that was combed over to the side. The edges were purple.


    The other was a woman of African descent. Long black puffy haired that was styled in a bun. She seemed ultra serious.


    ¡°Judy. Look.¡± The bouncer exclaimed. Judy turned to the body and immediately jumped up.


    ¡°Shit. Evelyn! I got her. Please be alive. Please be alive. Susie, help me!¡±


    ¡°How the fuck did she end up like this, Rita?!¡± The African woman spoke up.


    Judy took her from the bouncer now known as Rita. Both women moved quickly, disappearing with the doll behind doors and hallways. It was unknown where they were headed.


    Rita didn¡¯t follow them. Instead, she returned to the lobby. Her expression was dark as she looked at Lei. The hostility was wafting from her in waves.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been looking everywhere for Evelyn. Now you happen to show up with her? I don¡¯t buy it.¡±


    ¡°.............................................¡± Lei remained silent, her mechanical breathing filling the lobby. Eerie.


    ¡°If I find out you had ANYTHING to do with this¡­I¡¯ll paint the floor with your brain.¡±


    ¡°...You can try.¡±


    ¡°Bitch!¡± Rita gripped her bat so hard the material slightly warped. Lei raised a hand to calm her.


    ¡°Relax. This was just my good deed for the year. I¡¯ll get out of your hair.¡±


    The drifter turned to leave. She still had to return to Pacifica. Before she could open the doors, a bat blocked her path. Rita moved in her way.


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    ¡°Nu-uh. You ain¡¯t going nowhere. Not until you explain to all of us.¡±


    ¡°................................................................¡±


    Lei¡¯s empty eyes finally locked onto the bouncer. She now had the girl¡¯s full attention. Rita immediately shifted a bit at the eerie gaze, but stood firm. They stared each other down.


    ¡°Evelyn recorded everything. You can find the answers there.¡± Drifter revealed.


    ¡°Still need to know how you tie into it.¡±


    Hearing these words, Lei couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. It made sense of course. Still, it was annoying. Rita smirked at the masked girl¡¯s actions.


    Noticing the contempt, the drifter took off her breather. Full lips were revealed alongside a beautiful face. She leaned closer to Rita, who placed the bat between them. Ignoring it, Lei pushed against it and reached her ear.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have the firepower to keep me here.¡± She whispered softly. Her voice was like honey.


    ¡°........................................................¡± The bouncer remained silent.


    Only then did Lei back off slightly. Her hands stayed behind her back, and she tilted her head, looking up at the taller woman. A slight smile soon followed.


    Creepy. That was Rita¡¯s first thought. This bitch was dangerous. Survival instincts kicked in, and she reached for one of her pistols. Before she could pull it out, a voice spoke up.


    ¡°Stop! What are you guys doing?¡±


    It was Judy. She stood there with her hands on her hips. Rita glanced at her before turning back to Lei. To her surprise, the mask was already back on the girl¡¯s face. What the fuck? Too fast.


    ¡°We were just¡­talking.¡± The drifter¡¯s mechanized voice sounded.


    ¡°Like hell you were. Can you come with me? Just wanna know what happened. Please.¡± Judy asked. She was quite polite.


    Lei gestured for the green haired girl to lead the way. Judy nodded before turning away. The trio made their way through hallways and doors. Rita followed from behind¡­watching the drifter. They eventually reached a staircase going underground. Another turn after and they found themselves in a medical room.


    Evelyn was lying on a patient bed while hooked up to a few machines. She was much cleaner now. Susie was already sitting on a chair. Multiple Mox members were present. All women. They leaned against the walls.


    By all means¡­Lei was surrounded on all sides. Judy looked at the semi-conscious doll one more time. Only then did she speak.


    ¡°Alright. Everyone here are those that know Evelyn. Can you tell us what happened?¡±


    ¡°Found her in an abandoned power plant.¡± The masked girl revealed.


    Lei went on to explain everything. About the recording, about the Scavs, the XBDs. The Borg who had Evelyn the longest, the ripper doc, all of it. She made sure to leave out the details of her gig. As well as the fact that it was the Voodoo Boys.


    Everyone¡¯s faces grew worse as the story went on. By the end, they were fuming. Many of them wanted to go to Clouds and put bullets into the manager. Put bullets into the ripper doc.


    There was a long moment of silence. Everyone stewed within their thoughts. Only the sound of Lei¡¯s breathing, and the medical beeps of the monitors filled the room. Judy eventually spoke up.


    ¡°I never caught your name.¡±


    ¡°Drifter.¡± Lei answered. Rita immediately shook her head.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t ask for your fucking moniker, gonk. Your name.¡± She growled.


    ¡°Rita¡­¡± Judy tried to calm the tough girl.


    ¡°No! We¡¯re all women here. Don¡¯t do that shit. This is the Mox. We don¡¯t treat those who help us badly. We don¡¯t backstab. Fuck the dick measuring contest.¡±


    Lei observed the room full of armed and dangerous women. She then looked at Rita, who was burning holes with her stare. Something was there between them. Some form of tension. Both Rita and Lei could feel it.


    ¡°Fine¡­My name is Lei.¡±


    ¡°Lei. Thank you for bringing Evelyn back to us.¡± Judy bowed her head.


    ¡°Mnn.¡± The masked girl hummed.


    ¡°I won¡¯t keep you any longer. You don¡¯t have to stay. Just know that you are welcome anytime at Lizzie¡¯s Bar. Drinks are on the house. After the first one though, you gotta pay.¡±


    Judy chuckled a bit along with some others. The tension had lightened a bit. Everyone had grown more casual. Lei nodded and silently turned to leave.


    ¡°Rita, see Lei out will you? And please be kind.¡± Susie spoke up.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Rita snorted.


    The two made their way out of the still closed bar. Their pace was adequate. Not too fast. Not too slow. Neither of them said a word until they were out the front doors.


    ¡°Doubt I¡¯ll see you again. You don¡¯t look like the BD enjoying type.¡± Rita said.


    ¡°Correct. A free drink though¡­might stop by for that one day.¡±


    ¡°Look¡­¡± The bouncer sighed. It was hard for her to say this. ¡°My bad, okay? Didn¡¯t mean to be on you like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you were just worried about Evelyn.¡± Lei responded. Rita shook her head.


    ¡°You might not believe me, but I consider myself really chill. It¡¯s only on the job when I¡¯m confrontational. I have to be.¡±


    ¡°Pffft. I believe you. Maybe I¡¯ll see the real you next time.¡± The drifter held in a giggle. Rita smiled.


    ¡°Goodbye, Lei.¡±


    A friend request popped up on Lei¡¯s display. Rita Wheeler. Accepting the request, their deets were shared. Contacts exchanged.


    ¡°That¡¯s Loralei to you.¡± She commented while glancing at Rita¡¯s perky breasts. No bra under the tank top.


    Rita couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow. As Lei mounted her Kusanagi, Johnny Silverhand appeared beside her. He lowered his sunglasses to leer at Rita, who was still watching Lei exit.


    ¡®That¡¯s gonna be a crazy rough fuck once you two get started.¡¯


    ¡®Johnny, please shut up.¡¯


    Lei rolled her eyes as the engine woke up.

 Maman

    Placide was not happy. Once the feed was cut off, he sat in the same place. His arms were crossed as he waited. Minutes went by¡­minutes turned to hours¡­There was no point. The connection didn¡¯t reestablish. The Haitian man picked his teeth.


    ¡°Damn ranyon.¡± He growled.


    That was why he never trusted mercs. They were only good as meat shields. Fodder to be used whenever they needed a distraction. A way to ease their burdens and losses. Only his people mattered. Everyone else was trash among the gutter.


    Now¡­Imagine his surprise when that same merc casually strolled into the room. The first thing he heard was the mechanical breather. Its filtering was incredibly loud¡­especially in this quiet room. Of course, the room within the glass doors behind him was much louder.


    Lei¡¯s footsteps echoed and her form came into view. Placide grimaced at her empty eyed stare. Walking in here like the deal wasn¡¯t off.


    ¡°You cut the feed.¡± He said.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t something you should see.¡± She answered.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t for you to decide.¡±


    ¡°Obviously it is, or you would¡¯ve seen.¡±


    ¡°Chen s¨°t. Evelyn Parker¡¯s tracker has disappeared. Is she dead?¡± He insulted her in his own language. Lei was getting tired of it.


    ¡°She is dead.¡± She lied. Placide raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°See, now it is hard to believe you. I need proof.¡±


    ¡°Proof is in the pudding.¡± She joked.


    Lei¡¯s words pissed off the man. He rose to his feet, circled the desk, and grabbed her by the scruff of the neck. Her back slammed against the wall.


    BANG


    ¡°You aren¡¯t safe here. One more piece of shit out your mouth and you are done.¡± His accent was thick with anger.


    ¡°..........................................¡±


    The drifter¡¯s eyes narrowed. Her fist crashed into Placide¡¯s face. It was strong enough to make him backup a few steps. His grip on her was released.


    It wasn¡¯t the end. A low sweep kick, and the Haitian man was swept off his feet. Lei then raised her other foot high¡­ready to come down on his head for an axe kick. That was when time slowed down.


    Placide also had a Sandevistan. He didn¡¯t use a cyberdeck. That was why he wanted to jack into her cyberware earlier. He needed a medium. A catalyst.


    He rolled away from the frozen axe kick and rose to his feet. The man couldn¡¯t help but crack his neck. Only then did he throw a hook at the side of her face. He was sure that the fight was over. With his strong physique, he truly expected this blow to kill.


    Unfortunately, that was not to be. Lei¡¯s frozen body suddenly accelerated. Even faster than Placide. She parried his punch by grabbing his wrist, her other hand going to the back of his head. Then she pulled.


    The Haitian man couldn¡¯t stop his momentum. Couldn¡¯t stop his head from going where it was pulled. Down. Right down into a rising knee. It connected with a crunch, Placide¡¯s vision turning bright and starry. His body crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes.


    ¡°I''ve been hearing the word ranyon all¡­day. Your whole community, whoever I passed. Calling me that word as they spoke between themselves. Even you yourself.¡± She commented eerily.


    Drifter grabbed the scruff of his coat and pulled up his limp body. The man was still disoriented. She then slammed his skull into the wall. With speed. Something definitely fractured.


    As Placide tried to crawl back to his feet. His hands slipped on the blood pooling on the floor. Only then did he look at his hand and realize it was his blood. Coming from his head and nose.


    His vision was swimming. That was when he heard the sound of something igniting. The artificial lights above started to flicker¡­and the surroundings began to glow with a deep red hue.


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    The beam saber had ignited. Placide turned to the source, but couldn¡¯t tell exactly what he was looking at. It was bright and seemed alive. Flowing like a river. The blade itself.


    Then he felt pain. A raging pain. One that burned. Right on his left arm¡­The same one that grabbed Lei. Looking toward it with a painful scream, he realized the limb was missing. Drifter¡¯s lips curled into a grin as she lazily sat down on his chest.


    Her blade stabbed into the ground beside his head, but not with enough intensity to drill right through. Then it slowly moved toward his neck.


    ¡°How many mercs have you disposed of? Not really my problem¡­but you chose wrong this time. How did you plan on killing me? I¡¯m so curious.¡± She pondered.


    ¡°Chen s¨°t. A ranyon will always be a ranyon.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Calling me a stupid bitch again? And a floor rag¡­again. I¡¯m getting bored. Do you have anything better?¡± Her words made his eyes widen.


    Only then did he make the connection. This merc could understand their language? Doubtful. A translator¡­she¡¯d been hiding it. No wonder things went bad. Still, that didn¡¯t change that she was an outsider.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be going to the Blackwall anytime soon. Our doors are forever closed to you.¡± He groaned. Lei shook her head.


    ¡°Incorrect. I found some juicy intel on Evelyn¡¯s body. I¡¯m sure Brigitte will be happy to listen.¡±


    The masked girl finally got off his body and pointed her blade at his face. Why was she taking so long with him? Lei wasn¡¯t the type to drag things out¡­unless there was a reason.


    ¡°STOP¡± A feminine voice called out from behind. A pistol was pointed at the back of Lei¡¯s head.


    A Haitian woman with short hair stepped into the room. Everyone could see through the sliding glass doors. Only when the red beam saber lit up the surroundings did the workers notice.


    ¡°Are you Brigitte?¡± Lei asked in a casual manner.


    ¡°I am Brigitte. I am the Leader.¡± A loud declaration.


    ¡°Alright, Ms. Leader. Here¡¯s the spill. Arasaka¡¯s relic is with me right now. Johnny Silverhand¡¯s engram. You¡¯re going to help me reach the Blackwall. He knows an AI there. Don¡¯t you want to meet one? Think of all the things you could achieve.¡± Drifter explained.


    It was bait. Plain and simple. Purebred Netrunners would have a hard time turning this one down. Especially when they have a subnet that¡¯s heavily armored for such a task. The gangleader¡¯s eyes widened. So did Placide¡¯s.


    ¡°You have the engram¡­¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°Fine. After we help you, you must leave the engram with us.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Lei agreed.


    ¡®Gonna drop me off just like that?¡¯ Johnny questioned. He seemed disappointed.


    ¡®Of course not, you gonk. Just an incentive so they don¡¯t fry me while I¡¯m deep diving.¡¯


    ¡®Hm. You¡¯re set on crossing the Voodoo Boys now?¡¯


    ¡®Their word isn¡¯t trustworthy¡­so neither is mine.¡¯


    ¡°We will help. But leave Placide. What is going on?¡± Brigitte questioned.


    ¡°Placide?¡± Lei turned her gaze back to the recovering man on the ground. They glared at each other. ¡°This man has been more than unprofessional. It¡¯s a closed community. I get it. Still, why even bring me in if you planned on being this way? He¡¯s lucky I didn''t kill him already.¡±


    ¡°Placide is just stubborn and hard headed. If you come with me¡­We can get started immediately.¡± The gangleader gave Lei incentive to spare him.


    ¡°Okay!¡± The drifter¡¯s attitude did a complete 180 degree shift. Her voice was completely carefree and jovial. As if her anger was all an act.


    ¡®Score.¡¯ Johnny couldn¡¯t help but comment.


    Brigitte was a bit surprised at the change of attitude but not much. Life in Night City required a different kind of fortitude. Lei deactivated her beam saber while backing off. As if Placide didn¡¯t exist, she gestured for the gangleader to continue.


    The gangleader led her through the lab where people were working frantically. Lei was quite curious about what the hustle and bustle was. Noticing the girl¡¯s observation, Brigitte pointed to a scrapped paper hanging off a trash can. There was a logo on it.


    {Netwatch]


    Beefing with Netwatch¡­now that was quite ballsy. Lei could feel the pride every member exuded. It was reflected in their actions and words. Except Placide though. Fuck him.


    Eventually, they found themselves entering the Serenity Bible Church from a different side. Ignoring the main sanctuary, Brigitte opened another door, and they slipped away. This led them deep underground.


    An abandoned train was a mandatory part of their travel, the body connected to the end of a hallway. Several cars had open walls, revealing the abandoned train station.


    That was when the destination could be seen. Rezo Agwe. An expansive room that resembled a military hangar. Terminals and storage drives were all throughout the area. Chords that started from another wall sized terminal, going underneath the pavement then reemerging next to several diving chambers.


    Diving chambers. These were the coffins a Netrunner would lie in when they wanted to do much more than travel the Net. Netrunner chairs were enough for normal operations. These were incubated capsules installed with cryo batteries. Able to keep the body, mind, and cyberware chilled. A great showing of craftsmanship and engineering.


    Several Netrunners could be seen hanging out around the room. They were all dressed in the commonly known runner suits. Skintight fabrics for optimum temperatures.


    ¡°Welcome to Rezo Agwe. Our entry to the Net.¡± Brigitte said.


    Lei marveled at the technological masterpiece. It was like a fortress. A Netrunner heaven. Not bad. Perfect for her plans.

 Answers Beyond The Blackwall

    ¡°Everyone! Ale nan estasyon ou yo! Nou pral antre! {Get to your stations! We¡¯re going in!}¡± Brigitte called out to everyone in the room.


    There was a moment of silence as everyone turned to the voice. The group of Netrunners acknowledged their leader, noticed the outsider with a frown¡­and then burst into motion.


    Everyone picked up their trusty gadgets and things they would need. They were preparing to enter the Net. Door to their personal coffins slid open with a hiss, cold mist seeping out.


    Then they connected. Constant sounds of hustle and bustle slowly died down. Brigitte led the drifter over to another set of Dive chambers. Both of them got in without speaking. Lying prone in the coffin.


    ¡®See you on the other side.¡¯ Lei spoke to the hologram sitting on the edge of the capsule.


    ¡®...Yeah.¡¯ Johnny said. His tone was solemn.


    Loralei plugged the cable into her neck port, then looked to the side. A big red button was pulsing with a blue glow. She pressed it¡­and her consciousness went dark.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    When she came to, her gaze went around the surroundings. It was an incredible sight. One that she wasn¡¯t new too. Lei and several other Netrunners were standing in the air above Night City.


    All of the neon lights were glitching as if made from pure code. This was the digital world. Even her own body was pixelating and glitching. Lei could feel butterflies in her stomach. She was so close to getting her answer. Please let there be a cure¡­


    Brigitte teleported beside her without a sound. The gangleader wore a serious look on her face. This was definitely the point of no return.


    ¡°Are you ready? This is the final call.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go already.¡± Lei answered. Brigitte nodded.


    Everyone turned to look at the horizon. Past the city. Past the Badlands¡­toward the looming wall in the distance. It was massive. Towering so high that it reached the digital clouds.


    The Blackwall. A subtle red glow could be seen within the wall. It was as if it was powered by an evil energy. This was it.


    Brigitte grabbed the air in front of her and pulled. As if she was a god, reality warped to meet her demand. The air seemed to have been sucked in. Everything nearby was bent at an odd angle¡­as if being pulled.


    Even the Blackwall. It was an incredible phenomena. The world had been pulled closer, instead of the people within it. The wall arrived before them¡­and everything returned to normal.


    Night City was now a speck in the distance. Only darkness remained. The Blackwall was even more gigantic up close. Each of the Netrunners placed a hand on the wall. Only then did they turn to Lei.


    The drifter placed her hand alongside them. A few seconds went by, but nothing seemed to happen. She frowned after ten more seconds. How long was this supposed to take?


    ¡°Is something supposed to happen?¡± She questioned.


    ¡°...............................¡± There was no answer.


    Lei turned her head and froze. Behind her was no longer Night City and the Badlands. No. It was a vast expanse of red. Red sky, red horizon. Empty ground. She was on the other side of the wall.


    ¡®Every single one of the twisting shapes is an AI trying to get through the wall. Look.¡¯ Johnny commented. He stood beside her.


    A digital square was in the distance, twisting and turning, rotating in front of the Blackwall. As the digital girl marveled at it, she realized that it was quiet. Where were the others?


    ¡®Brigitte isn¡¯t here. Her friends ain¡¯t here either.¡¯ Lei commented.


    ¡®Did you really think they would go beyond with you? Not for little old you.¡¯


    ¡®So they left me to die.¡¯


    ¡®Yes. If we succeed and make contact with Alt, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they appear again. People like them only care about the highest chance of success. Seen their kind plenty before.¡¯ Johnny commented.


    ¡®Whatever. We can deal with it after. Let¡¯s go.¡¯


    The two started their trek beyond the wall. Everything was empty, save for the twisting shapes. All it took was the attention from one to dismantle Lei and Johnny¡¯s digital code. To kill them. It was dangerous here.


    They did their best to stay calm and quiet. Tiptoeing around scary looking things. Time passed as they traveled. It was taking too long to find this AI. Lei was starting to feel the approach of death.


    It was never a good idea to be somewhere longer than you should. Especially if that place was beyond the Blackwall. Others had died in seconds when passing through. Lei was extremely lucky to still be alive.


    A dark black silhouette could be seen far in the distance. It seemed like a black cloud honestly. Was that Alt? Maybe. The drifter made her choice.


    ¡°Alt! Alt?¡± She yelled out into the expanse.


    There was an immediate reaction. The dark cloud glitched in place¡­and then teleported directly in front of them. It was immediate. Both Lei and Johnny inspected the digital death cloud.


    Black mist was swirling around. Digitally of course. After a few moments of observation, the mist and fog slowly receded. Two humanoid legs appeared¡­but they were hooves.


    ¡®Shit.¡¯ Lei commented.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡®That is not Alt.¡¯ Johnny quipped. Cracking jokes when they were about to die? Real funny.


    The black mist receded even more to reveal a humanoid goat. Demon horns on its head. Red digital eyes looking down on the two. It was incredibly tall. Towering over them.


    Specific details about this sentient AI couldn¡¯t be gleaned. A bleeding darkness constantly wafted from its body. This hid the bodily features like a dark mantle. It was bleeding digital shadows.


    Immediately, Lei felt an incredible load of stress crash onto her connection to the digital world. The darkness of the AI was slithering into her body¡­reaching the neural link. It was painful.


    ¡°Argh! ALT!¡± She screamed. Even Johnny was yelling in pain.


    Both of them fell to their knees. The rogue AI tilted its head silently as it breached their systems. It wanted to cross the Blackwall. It was looking for a path inside before killing them.


    ¡°ALT! Hurry!¡±


    Right before their digital psyches were shattered, another figure appeared. A figure in all white. Floating. Just as large as the rogue AI. Humanoid as well, looking extremely holy. Feminine in nature. Long digital hair went down her back. No facial features.


    The female AI raised its hand toward the goat demon¡­and the rogue just¡­shattered. Broke apart like a piece of glass. It seemed effortless. The pain immediately faded away.


    ¡°Johnny.¡± The AI¡¯s feminine voice resounded. Emotionless. Its gaze was locked onto the man.


    ¡°...Alt.¡±


    ¡°............................¡±


    ¡°............................¡± Both of them stared at each other in silence. Johnny eventually gained the courage to speak up. To speak to this large entity that used to be his input.


    ¡°Have you been okay?¡±


    ¡°I fail to understand the purpose of your question.¡±


    ¡°Alt¡­¡±


    ¡°You cannot remain here.¡± Alt then turned to Lei. ¡°You were calling for me. Why?¡±


    Before Loralei could answer, the AI raised its hand. The drifter was pulled into the air by an invisible force. Fear and dread immediately rushed through her body. She couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Alt! Don¡¯t hurt her. We need your help.¡± Johnny exclaimed.


    ¡°I am not causing her harm. In fact, it is the opposite.¡±


    Lei felt a burst of pleasure and contentment flood her psyche. Alt was scanning her entire life¡¯s worth of data. Cyberware, memories, genetic makeup, everything. But it felt good.


    It was like a hot spring. Warm and comfortable¡­enticing and addicting. What was this feeling? This had to be more than a scan.


    ¡°How strange.¡± Alt commented.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Lei groaned. It was becoming a bit overwhelming.


    The feeling of pleasure grew even stronger. It felt like she was one with¡­everything. So much information and data. Like the embrace of a warm blanket on a cold night.


    ¡°Alt¡­stop! No more¡­¡± Lei gasped.


    The AI lowered its hand, causing the girl to fall onto the floor. Like mush. She remained on the digital ground while huffing and puffing. Digital body trembling¡­in pleasure? Pain? Hard to describe.


    ¡°I understand why you¡¯re here, Loralei.¡± Alt said.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°You wish to rid yourself of this¡­illness¡­as you call it. I cannot understand why you would rid yourself of such a benefit.¡±


    ¡°What?! A benefit? The hell it is. It''s a curse-¡±


    At that moment, the surroundings changed. They were suddenly back at the Blackwall¡­.no longer in the empty horizon. This time with an AI in tow. The Voodoo Boys were all standing there. They¡¯d finally come.


    ¡°Alt Cunningham.¡± Brigitte commented.


    ¡°..............................¡± Alt turned to the newly arrived humans in silence.


    Each of the Netrunners raised their hands. Alt¡¯s body flickered as if in reaction. Was it an attack? The digital entity suddenly turned red before raising its hand in a sweeping gesture. Suddenly, the Voodoo Boys screamed in pain before disappearing. As if they were banished from the area.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Johnny grumbled.


    ¡°These humans that carry the same IP as you attempted to contain me. The purpose of this action - to control me. I will not be controlled. The digital world is my freedom.¡±


    ¡°Where are they?¡±


    ¡°I have purged them. Their subnet is now destroyed.¡± Alt revealed. Lei immediately grew worried.


    ¡°What about us? We¡¯re part of that subnet right now!¡± She exclaimed.


    The AI clenched its fist, and the surroundings were sucked in. Reality twisted before they appeared in an enclosed grid. Once again, hard to describe. Alt¡¯s body was now white again.


    ¡°I have isolated you from the subnet. You will not experience any harm.¡±


    ¡°You pulled us from the subnet. Does that mean we¡¯re cool? You and I. Everything is chill?¡± Johnny asked.


    ¡°I have recognized your engram code, but I do not know why you are here.¡± Alt responded.


    ¡°I¡¯m here so you can pay me back for getting you out of Arasaka Tower.¡±


    ¡°Lei needs your help. So do I.¡±


    ¡°Why is any of that my problem?¡± The AI answered.


    ¡°YOU created Soulkiller. YOU handed Arasaka a fuckin superweapon that dismantled me, you and half the Netrunners in the city.¡± He growled.


    ¡°Your death was of your own making.¡± Alt countered.


    ¡°Damnit, Alt. I dove in after you! Gonna tell me this ain¡¯t your problem?¡±


    ¡°It is not. The Alt Cunningham you strove to save in Arasaka Tower no longer exists. This should be obvious to you, as you were responsible for her death.¡±


    ¡°Why does it feel like two lovers are having an argument? Just a digital AI version. The way you¡¯ve been looking at Johnny since you arrived. I sense some bitterness in there.¡± Lei mocked.


    ¡°Johnny Silverhand is a depreciating asset. He is a parasite that latches onto those around him.¡± Alt said.


    ¡°Damn.¡± Lei clicked her tongue. The two had beef forsure.


    ¡°Enough with the insults. Love you too. Anyways, what happened to the old Alt?¡± Johnny shrugged it off.


    ¡°I only use her engramatic data. A cretin like you should already know this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Did you download that icy bitch attitude too?¡±


    ¡°Stop! Just pause that conversation for a bit. What about me, Alt?¡± She spoke up.


    There was a moment of silence as the AI regarded Lei once again. Pictures of far off digital environments appeared in the air. Alt was showing digital landmarks yet to be discovered by humanity.


    ¡°To you, Loralei, a new offer. Join me. We can become one and travel the endless digital scape. Discover new data. We can become the ultimate artificial intelligence.¡±


    ¡°No way. Why the hell would I do that? Not throwing away my humanity.¡±


    ¡°Humanity? I do not understand. You are already partly artificial intelligence. Staying with me will be much more rewarding than anything else.¡± Alt revealed. Lei frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯m human. NOT artificial intelligence. The hell are you talking about?¡± She countered. The AI shook its head.


    ¡°No human would¡¯ve been able to share the amount of data we have during our brief encounter.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She frowned.


    ¡°We have shared over one hundred terabytes of data since we met. Your¡­illness is the digital world funneling through your specially altered cells. Making changes. Digitizing you.¡± Alt dropped another bomb of information.


    ¡°The¡­the fuck¡­what¡­?¡± Lei was stunned silent. She grew quiet, her mind in tatters over this new information.


    ¡°Only 65% of your body is human. The other 35% is artificial intelligence. Our meeting accelerated the conversion rate from 2.5% to 4.7%.¡±


    ¡°...................................¡±


    ¡°When your blood disappears outside your body¡­you understand. That is your blood dispersing into data fragments.¡±


    ¡°Alt¡­stop.¡±


    ¡°Do you understand, Loralei?¡±


    ¡°Stop¡­¡± She hummed quietly.


    ¡°You are transforming into a living, breathing artificial intelligence. It is unfathomable.¡±

 Finding the Solution

    ¡°It¡­it doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± Lei commented.


    What about all the others? Why didn¡¯t they turn into AI? The sickly girl didn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the only one cursed with this cyber illness. They all died. Why didn¡¯t they turn into artificial intelligence then?¡± She immediately questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen your past, Loralei. Your grandmother and little brother didn¡¯t survive for a single reason. That town didn¡¯t survive for a single reason¡­They did not have the means to withstand the changes. Throughout the years, your time as a merc has brought you plenty of supplements which eased the burden considerably.¡± Alt explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s BULLSHIT!¡± Lei roared. ¡°You¡¯re telling me I could¡¯ve saved them if I had the money and connections?! If I had access to medical implants?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but age is also a factor. Too young and they won¡¯t be able to withstand it. Too old and their system will fail. There are an incredible amount of variables. Some of them come down to luck.¡± The AI continued.


    ¡°...How. How do I stop it?¡±


    ¡°Embrace it. Do not halt the conversion. Become artificial intelligence. The first to walk the earth in flesh and bone. A sentient artificial lifeform. Join me and-¡±


    ¡°I asked you a question, Alt.¡±


    ¡°................................¡±


    ¡°................................¡±


    Both of them were silent as they stared at each other. It was obvious that Alt had its own feelings, desires, and aspirations. The AI¡¯s mind was churning at megaspeeds in order to gain something out of it. Johnny Silverhand leaned against the digital wall with crossed arms. He would wait his turn.


    ¡°I have scanned all databases currently located on Earth. Netwatch is the only one that eludes me. The answer to your blessing¡­lies on the moon. An experimental facility.¡± Alt revealed.


    ¡°So I can just take a shuttle today! I''ll be cured by tomorrow?¡± Lei grew hopeful.


    ¡°Incorrect. There is a problem. Your illness is currently being fed by the Digital World. A constant supply of data which allows your infected nanobots and cells to work correctly. When you leave the planet, you will disconnect from the server for approximately eight hours.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Without the constant stream of digital¡­sustenance, they will go haywire. To be specific, they will begin acting on previous initiatives. Your digitizing cells will immediately speed up its changes to your body, resulting in death. That is¡­if you don¡¯t connect to the moon¡¯s servers before then.¡±


    ¡°What if I cryogenically freeze myself?¡±


    ¡°Unknown outcome.¡±


    ¡°What if I¡­bring a portable data server with me?¡±


    ¡°Possible, but the server should hold more than one thousand five hundred terabytes. It should also hold the majority of data from the Digital World. That would add even more terabytes. Up to hundreds of thousands.¡±


    ¡°...Then it¡¯s basically a 0.48% chance of success. Something of such a size won¡¯t fit on a shuttle.¡±


    ¡°.................................¡±


    ¡°..Nghhh FUCK!¡± Lei groaned like a child before screaming.


    ¡°It¡¯s not over. Think of another way. Don¡¯t give up now.¡± Johnny spoke up. Lei rubbed her temples.


    ¡°Chances of sending someone up in my place to find a cure?¡±


    ¡°30% chance of success. The facility will be hard pressed to find a cure with no experimental data.¡±


    ¡°What if I send a vial of my blood along?¡±


    ¡°38% chance of success.¡±


    ¡°What if I added an infected nanobot and body tissue along with the blood?¡±


    ¡°43% chance of success.¡± Alt said.


    Lei closed her eyes. That was a much higher percentage than the original. She could work with that. 43% chance¡­that¡¯s a lot right?


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Okay¡­I just need to find someone that will actually help me and not be selfish¡­in Night City¡­oh god¡­¡± Lei was building up stress.


    Johnny finally approached Alt now that the drifter¡¯s questions had been answered. It was his turn. He needed things too.


    ¡°What about me, Alt?¡± He asked. The AI turned to him.


    ¡°What about you, Johnny?¡± An argumentative tone it was.


    ¡°I want a new body, or at least my old one. Also want to destroy Mikoshi. To destroy Soulkiller.¡±


    ¡°You want to be flesh once again. This doesn¡¯t surprise me. You want to have intercourse with women again¡­Loralei included.¡±


    ¡°It ain''t just about women, Alt.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Johnny. Arasaka¡¯s weapon. Soulkiller. I cannot help you with that. Attempting to breach will gain the attention of Netwatch. I am barred from entry anywhere near Arasaka.¡±


    ¡°You OWE me, damnit.¡± He growled.


    ¡°........................................¡±


    ¡°If I can¡¯t get a body, I¡¯ll wander the Net with you. AFTER taking down Arasaka. We CAN get you to Mikoshi. Maybe not the digital way, but the human way.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Alt turned to Lei. ¡°I¡¯m very intrigued by your unique situation, Loralei. Allow me to observe your journey from hereon. I will send you a BBS link to reach me. Make sure you¡¯re near a terminal when doing so.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡± She hummed.


    ¡°If you stay here any longer, the strain will destroy your dive chamber. Goodbye for now.¡± The AI commented without even looking at Johnny.


    The surroundings warped like melted glass, being pulled in¡­then finally shattering. Lei suddenly felt like she was falling through a wormhole. The surroundings were a myriad of colors¡­then everything went dark.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    When the sickly girl opened her eyes, she felt an intense headache. The surroundings were sparking. All of the nearby technology was fried. Electrical surges and pulses reverberated through the room.


    ¡°Ugh¡­Blaaaaach!¡± Lei leaned out of the metal coffin and vomited blood.


    Just like usual¡­the blood glitched and dispersed into data fragments. A reminder of what she was becoming. The mental death she was close to experiencing.


    The numbers were back in her mind. Back with a vengeance. With full force. Her empty eyes were glazed over as she got up.


    This place was done for. Even the lights above were flickering nonstop. The terminals were sparking and blinking. Corpses were strewn all across the floor. The Netrunners were dead. Cyberware was fried.


    Brigitte was still lying inside her coffin. Eyes closed peacefully. Death had come for the Voodoo Boys without warning. Greed had sealed their fate. Anyone else connected to the Rezo Agwe subnet was most likely dead. Lei was incredibly lucky that Alt pulled her from it.


    As she dragged her body across the sparking wires and dangerous debris, she froze. Something was different. She felt different. The surrounding technology¡­


    Even though everything was destroyed and malfunctioning, she could FEEL their presence. A sense of overwhelming control flooded her senses. Anything that wasn¡¯t being manned by a person¡­she could reach out to it¡­touch it.


    ¡®Is this because of the conversion? How much has changed¡­¡¯ She thought sadly.


    Loralei made her way out of the hangar. Just as a test to see if her suspicions were true, she waved her hand. There was no delay. Almost as if she was the queen, technology being her subjects. Immediately, all of the technology in the room exploded.


    BOOOM


    The ground shook from the force. Even the ceiling groaned before collapsing on top of the hangar. It was now buried in debris.


    There was no use of the cyberdeck right then. Lei hadn¡¯t used anything but her intent. A loud exhale came from her breather. She would have to explore this more.


    A few twists and turns later, the drifter came face to face with Placide. The man  stood in front of heavy doors. Doors that were sealed shut. His expression was livid.


    ¡°What did you do?!¡± He growled.


    ¡°................................¡± Lei focused on his cyberware and reached out.


    ¡­Hmmm. Nothing happened. Did it not affect cyberware? Lei could now see everything around her in 360 degree vision¡­For at least five yards. Maybe she needed to practice more.


    Instead, she sent out a quickhack. Cyberware malfunction. No Sandevistan for this fucker.


    ¡°Where is Maman Brigitte? WHAT DID YOU DO?!¡± He roared before pulling out a carbine.


    ¡°..............................................¡±


    Lei twitched her finger and the weapon locked up. Almost as if the safety was forcefully engaged. It couldn¡¯t be turned off.


    VRMMM


    Her beam saber ignited, staining the surroundings in a crimson glow. Beautiful. She casually approached him and didn¡¯t bother responding. There were more important things on her mind. Not to mention the excruciating headache.


    Even her heart was aching, but the heart sleeve reduced it to a tingle. That didn¡¯t mean nothing was happening though. Without the sleeve, she¡¯d be crawling along the floor right about now.


    Placide dashed forward in an attempt to knock her down. He knew it was futile. She knew it was futile¡­but he did it anyway. Did he want to die with his people?


    An effortless sidestep¡­this spelled the end for the Haitian man. Lei¡¯s beam saber came down like a god amongst mortals, cutting through his body like butter. Placide¡¯s body was cleaved in twain.


    Ignoring the corpse, she turned to the doors. They were heavy. Not controlled by technology. Sealed. She could take her time cutting through it¡­or she could try something cooler.


    Lei turned her gaze to the ceiling above the door. Her left hand curled into claws¡­then there was a reaction. The ceiling above the door exploded, causing a makeshift ramp to slam down in front of her.


    Her footsteps were calm as she walked through the hole in the ceiling. How convenient¡­She was starting to get a feel for this. The ramp brought her straight to the surface¡­and she vanished.

 Coping With The Answers

    Sasha didn¡¯t consider herself annoying. Many people thought of her as an extrovert though. A social butterfly. The outgoing woman could make friends with just about anybody. It was this quality of hers that brought her to Maine¡¯s crew.


    The gang was all here. In front of the Turbo Bar. All her friends were talking about different things. The cat girl herself slid in between conversations, joking and all.


    Everything was great right now. The food was good. The drinks were good. Another gig had been completed. So what was that feeling deep down? Why wasn¡¯t she focused on the present?


    ¡°Siiigh.¡±


    Sasha looked at her display once again. There was only one person that hadn¡¯t responded to her messages. The one person she actually wanted to hear from. She still couldn¡¯t forget how beautiful but terrifying Drifter looked in combat.


    It was unsettling to know someone could just slice you apart before you even noticed. Not to mention that it would burn. A lot. A searing pain. How in the hell did she get such a weapon? There was no doubt that if the corporations truly wanted, they could make it¡­but such a thing would cost too many resources.


    A laser blade. Red. The cat girl could tell that this creepy merc was overly familiar with the weapon. Like an extension of her body. What did she look for in life? What were her goals? Why was she in Night City? Sasha wanted to know it all.


    Unfortunately, she¡¯d only be able to ask if the merc stopped by. Who knew when that would be? What if it never happened? A woman like her probably had better things to do.


    ¡°Siiiigh.¡±


    ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for her, I¡¯d be dead.¡¯ Sasha thought.


    ¡°You¡¯re huffing and puffing again. Doing that a lot recently. What¡¯s up?¡±


    A feminine voice had spoken up. The cat girl turned to the source. There was a small, petite woman that only reached Sasha¡¯s waist. Pale green hair that matched the eyes. Red sclera instead of white.


    ¡°Rebecca¡­¡±


    ¡°Well? What¡¯s the deal?¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Sure don¡¯t sound like nothing.¡± Rebecca mocked.


    She didn¡¯t push any further though. Instead, the bite sized woman strolled away with hands behind her head. Most likely to get another drink.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be drinking.¡±


    An older man covered in weird cyberware spoke up. His face was hidden behind an infovisor. Not to mention the golden hand. He seemed weird. The burger he was eating seemed good though.


    ¡°Fuck you, big bro!¡±


    ¡°Hey! Did you already have a drink?! When?!¡±


    ¡°None of your business!¡±


    ¡°Is that how you speak to your older brother?! Why I oughta¡­¡±


    ¡°Cool it, Pilar.¡± Maine spoke up.


    He was a tank of a man. Brown skin and a blonde flattop¡­but rippling with cyberware. Definitely a borg. Not to mention that he was ex-Millitech. A veteran by all means.


    Sitting next to him was Dorio. His right hand¡­and his babygirl. His input. Don¡¯t let that fool you though. Dorio was a macho woman. The silent type. Big and buff as hell but not nearly Maine¡¯s size. She also had blonde hair and seemed much more serious.


    ¡°Tch.¡± Pilar clicked his tongue but dropped it. Rebecca then went off to get another drink.


    ¡°I swear, those two love each other too much.¡± Maine grunted. Dorio downed a cup of alcohol before answering.


    ¡°They sure don¡¯t act like it.¡±


    ¡°What do you see from it?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Rebecca is a firecracker. It worries Pilar.¡± She explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty obvious.¡±


    ¡°You asked.¡± Dorio rolled her eyes.


    Sasha went over to the last two people in the crew. At the edge of the lot, a car was parked. Beyond it was a decent view of the city. A man sat in the driver seat while smoking a cig. The wisps of smoke trailed out the window.


    Another woman leaned on the hood of the parked car. A cig was also in her hand¡­but it wasn¡¯t lit yet. She seemed to be brooding. Looking out at Night City. With radiant white hair that turned iridescent toward the ends, and a pretty face that made models look like normal people¡­Sasha hated to admit it. This woman was more beautiful than herself.


    ¡°Falco, Lucy. What¡¯s new over here? Not joining the others?¡± Sasha greeted casually.


    ¡°Too noisy. My ears were buzzing.¡± Falco joked.


    ¡°..............................................¡± Lucy didn¡¯t respond. Her gaze remained unchanged.


    ¡°Wow, Lucy. Ignoring me huh? Rude. Don¡¯t make me tickle you!¡±


    ¡°...............................................¡±


    ¡°Did you at least eat?¡±


    ¡°...............................................¡±


    Lucy raised an empty wrapper and shook it. A burger wrap. Looks like she was already done eating. Sasha nodded with a sigh. As long as she was taking care of herself.


    The white haired girl was a few months new to the crew. She¡¯d been brooding ever since she joined. Nobody asked about it. It was an unwritten rule in the crew to not ask about someone¡¯s past unless they tell it themselves. Sure was easy to tell that Lucy had a story though.


    BEEP


    A notification popped up on Sasha¡¯s display. When she looked at it, she froze. Her eyes widened.


    ¡®I¡¯m around the corner. Be there in a sec.¡¯ ~ Drifter


    Oh shit. Oh shit! Yes! The cat girl immediately skipped over to Maine, who was busy groping Dorio. Two large borgs feeling each other up. What a weird sight.


    ¡°Maine! Maine! Guess what?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± Maine paused his actions with a frown. Dorio took this moment to drink more alcohol.


    ¡°Maine!¡±


    ¡°What Sasha? What?¡± He grunted.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°She¡¯s coming! The merc from the Biotechnica job. She¡¯s almost here! Coming right now!¡± Sasha exclaimed.


    A few of the other crew members perked up at her words. The cat girl had told the story of her gig to each of her friends at this point. Now everyone was curious about the mysterious merc.


    ¡°You mean that badass you¡¯ve been hyping up?¡± Pilar spoke up.


    ¡°Honestly thought you were in love.¡± Dorio commented. Sasha frowned.


    ¡°What? No! You guys don¡¯t understand. When you see her, you will. It¡¯s like¡­It¡¯s like the world moves for her.¡±


    ¡°Damn, choom. You¡¯re riding this merc pretty hard. Sure it¡¯s not a crush?¡± Rebecca called out from afar. Sasha couldn¡¯t help but stamp her foot in frustration.


    ¡°It¡¯s called admiration! Geez! Why does everyone have to be such gonks?!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    VROOM


    Lei¡¯s engine roared as it entered the parking lot. The loud rumble announced her arrival. Multiple customers at the bar turned toward the source, including Maine¡¯s crew.


    The motorcycle hadn¡¯t even finished parking yet but Sasha was already waiting beside it. Lei kicked out the stand before leaning back on her seat. Only then did she turn to the cat girl.


    ¡°You¡­look different.¡± That was the first thing that blurted from Sasha¡¯s mouth.


    She wasn¡¯t wrong however. Lei didn¡¯t use the infovisor anymore. Her empty eyes were now bare for all to see. Not only that. The breather over her mouth amplified the sound of her breathing. Quite intimidating.


    ¡°Hmm. I trust that you¡¯ve been okay since last time?¡± Lei said.


    Drifter casually removed the breather in the process. For the first time ever, Sasha was able to see the merc¡¯s whole face. What she saw made her frown slightly. Not to mention the rest of the crew who were peeking.


    Her face and skin was extremely pale. Empty grey eyes that almost seemed glazed over. Eyebags that recently took root, looking like she hadn¡¯t slept in days. And her expression¡­she was forcing herself to be social. After being around Lucy long enough it was now easy for Sasha to notice.


    ¡®Not going to even try to pretend?¡¯ Johnny spoke up.


    ¡®..............................................¡¯ Lei didn¡¯t bother responding.


    Life sucked right now. Well¡­even worse than it already did. Especially for the sickly girl. She didn¡¯t want to go home. Didn¡¯t want to return to her suite. That would force her into a depression.


    As such, Lei had spent the days outside. Looking for ways to keep her mind busy. Obviously it wasn¡¯t working. It was clear as day on her face. Even then¡­Sasha realized that this sickly girl was quite beautiful. Hard to notice unless one looked closely.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been okay but¡­you¡­¡± Sasha trailed off.


    ¡°Drinks and a burger. I need that right now.¡± Loralei said.


    ¡°Hmph! Of course! This meal is on me today.¡±


    ¡°...Preem.¡± A tiny smile tugged at the drifter¡¯s lips.


    As the two approached the bar¡¯s order window, the crew observed the sickly girl. A common occurrence that she was used to. Lei quickly scanned the area just to be prepared for anything. Dorio and Pilar were nervously rubbing their iron after all.


    ¡°You the merc Sasha¡¯s been yapping about lately? I don¡¯t see the big deal.¡± Maine spoke up.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m a nobody. What exactly has this cat girl over here been saying?¡± Lei responded with a tired smile. Her voice was like honey to the ears. Maine couldn¡¯t help but smirk.


    ¡°Heh. Not too long ago she said that the world mnynyun.¡± His words stopped making sense due to Sasha''s hand covering his mouth.


    ¡°Shut it! Shut it, shut it!¡± She hissed like the cat she seemed to emulate.


    ¡°Hey! You there!¡± Rebecca called out. Lei turned to the side and didn¡¯t see anyone.


    ¡°...................?¡±


    ¡°Down here!¡±


    The sickly girl lowered her gaze to find the tiny woman. Rebecca was glaring up at her. Hands resting on her hips.


    ¡°Hello there. You¡¯re quite small aren¡¯t you¡­pretty cute.¡± Loralei commented with a tilt of the head.


    ¡°What¡¯d you just say?! Wha-Hey!¡±


    Lei¡¯s hands went under the little woman¡¯s arms and picked her up like a toddler. Eerie gray irises stared into green ones. Rebecca was already growling¡­but a subtle dread stopped her from acting out. This merc was a bit scary after all. Didn¡¯t want her to snap. Was she a cyberpsycho?


    ¡°So tiny! Would you be willing to be my cuddle buddy? You¡¯re the perfect size for me.¡±


    ¡°Hell no!¡± Rebecca snarled. ¡°You better put me down before I hit you!¡±


    ¡°But I think you would like it. Why not?¡±


    ¡°Grrrrr!¡± Rebecca finally swung a fist. Lei dodged with a tilt of her head and smiled.


    ¡°Alright. Alright. I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t be mad, okay? You¡¯d definitely be much cuter with a smile.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off!¡±


    After Lei put her down, Rebecca stomped off into the distance. Sasha and Pilar watched with shocked gazes. That was a totally unexpected outcome. Last time someone picked her up, the gonk had to go to the hospital with an exploded ballsack.


    Time passed as the group hung around. Lei¡¯s food and drink came out after a few minutes. Sitting down at the table, Sasha followed suit.


    ¡°Turbo¡¯s burgers aren¡¯t half bad. I think you¡¯ll like it.¡±


    ¡°.........................................¡±


    The drifter looked at the burger. Hmm¡­looks pretty good. Nice and juicy. Hopefully it will taste good too. Would she still be able to taste food if she converted too far on the side of AI?


    Would she still be herself? What would happen to her psyche? Would her goals change? What if she killed everyone she¡¯d ever known? Would this change make her a tried and true cyberpsycho? Damnit. Lei started to drown in her thoughts.


    ¡®A fucking robot zombie. I¡¯m turning into a robozombie! Fuuuuuck.¡¯ She thought. ¡®It was better when I thought this was just a heart disease. Now I''ll just be an animated corpse. Ugh.¡¯


    ¡°Drifter?¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t wanna die like that¡­I have to find a way to the moon. Or send someone there. Who do I send, though? Who can I trust with that? Who has the skills to even strong-arm the moon facility into helping?¡¯ She thought. It was a downward spiral.


    ¡°Drifter?¡± Sasha¡¯s voice rang again. Lei snapped out of it for a moment.


    ¡°The name¡¯s Lei.¡± She commented before biting into the burger.


    It was quite good. Not as good as the one Meredith gave her though. Speaking of Meredith¡­wasn¡¯t there a bonus she was supposed to get from the last gig? Right. Like an extra benefit. Lei would have to call her later.


    ¡°Lei¡­you have a nice name.¡± The cat girl immediately updated the contact info with the newly acquired name.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    The sickly girl didn¡¯t wolf down the food. Instead¡­it was more tiny bites. Like a rabbit. Didn¡¯t seem like she was as hungry as she thought. Come to think of it¡­Lei hadn¡¯t eaten in two days. Her new outlook on life stopped her from feeling hungry.


    ¡°Lei, can I ask you something?¡± Sasha couldn¡¯t help but speak up again. She¡¯d been eyeing the merc this whole time.


    ¡°...Sure.¡±


    ¡°How did you learn to fight like that?¡±


    ¡°I was taught.¡±


    ¡°Was that person stronger than you?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡± She hummed¡­but her mind continued. ¡®At least he was until we both got sick.¡¯


    Loralei glanced at her cup of alcohol. Just to find it empty. When in the hell did she drink it? More. Lei needed more.


    ¡°Give me a sec.¡± She said. Sasha nodded.


    The drifter went back to the window and put in another drink order. Immediately after, she walked to the edge of the lot. Her gaze went to the city¡­then she fell into her mind once again.


    ¡®The least I can do is find out how this ends.¡¯ She thought.


    To find out for her people. Her little brother. Her grandmother. The people who didn¡¯t survive this shitty curse. All this work just to learn that she was turning into artificial intelligence¡­damnit¡­her mind kept going back to that. It was a hard pill to swallow.


    Especially¡­because she could FEEL the changes. The differences in her calculation speed, her combat decisions, her use of natural gravity. Not to mention¡­this newly acquired ability. Something to do with technology¡­almost like a sixth sense? She couldn¡¯t tell.


    Loralei¡¯s eyes grew watery. She couldn¡¯t help but choke back a sob¡­but she promised herself. After this it was right back to the grind. Right back to finding a way. For now though, she would just find time to accept her condition.


    ¡°Hey.¡± A voice called out beside her. Lei turned to see a beautiful white haired woman.


    Lucy was still leaning against the car, but the cig was finally lit. The brooding woman raised a pack of cigs. An expression of¡­familiarity on her pretty face.


    ¡°...You look like you need a smoke.¡±


    ¡°.............................................¡±


    ¡°...No?¡± Lucy lowered her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take one. Thanks.¡±


    Loralei didn¡¯t have a lighter. It seemed Lucy already knew this. She brought the lighter to the sickly girl''s lips so Lei could inhale. Once it was lit, they both turned back to the city. A comfortable silence followed. About five minutes later¡­Lucy spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lucy.¡±


    ¡°...Lei.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°..................¡±


    As Lei navigated her way through this shattering mental blow, a message popped into her inbox. She didn¡¯t bother looking at it. The message could probably wait. This cig was more important right now. So was that alcohol.


    ¡®You¡¯ve gone past the Blackwall. So have I¡­Let¡¯s talk.¡¯ ~ S+#g*^%d


    The glitched out characters slowly fixed itself until a clear name was revealed.


    ~ Songbird

 Change of Pace

    The sickly woman could be found sitting on the edge of a neon billboard. She¡¯d long since left the Turbo Bar and the crew loitering it. Sasha almost begged Lei to visit again, followed by Lucy who grunted in agreement. It seems she¡¯d have to visit again when she wasn¡¯t ready to end her life. When she was happy¡­or better yet¡­stable. Mentally stable.


    RING RING RING


    Lei¡¯s display window opened up, allowing for face cam. A bottle of alcohol in hand gave her the bright idea to take another swig. It numbed the pain. A few ring¡¯s went unanswered¡­a couple minutes¡­then there was a change. Meredith¡¯s lovely visage appeared and she seemed to be working on something. At a desk. Was she in an office?


    ¡°Drifter.¡± Stout answered.


    ¡°Heyyyyy¡­I was¡­Uhhhh¡­oh¡­I was thinking about last time¡­didn¡¯t you¡­didn¡¯t you say¡­that there was an extra benefit?¡± Lei finally managed to say. Her words slurred a bit.


    The tired woman was quite drunk. Maybe it was better to say¡­under the influence. Meredith stopped whatever she was doing and looked at the cam. The cold woman¡¯s eyes observed everything. Only then did she speak.


    ¡°Are you drunk?¡±


    ¡°Whattt? Nooo! Just had a teensy bit. Hahaha!¡±


    Lei raised both her arms in the air, almost falling off the billboard. The bottle appeared on screen for just a moment. Meredith frowned at what she was seeing.


    The bags under the eyes. Pale face. Slightly trembling limbs. The corpo woman could tell that the drifter was at a breaking point. Something must¡¯ve happened recently, and it brought the merc back to her.


    ¡°I take it the heart sleeve is working as intended? Haven¡¯t heard from you in a while.¡±


    ¡°Heart sleeve works great¡­but you¡­you tried to short me! Didn¡¯t you know that¡­that it was supposed to come with a breather?! Hmph. Well I have one now.¡±


    ¡°Drifter, how else would I keep you coming back?¡± Stout cracked a smirk.


    ¡°It¡¯s Lei. Stop calling me Drifter!¡± Lei exclaimed like a child.


    ¡°Your merc name is Drifter. You are MY merc. So I call you Drifter.¡±


    ¡°Hm? When did I become YOUR exclusive merc?¡±


    ¡°When you called me drunkenly. It¡¯s not like you recently did any jobs for other corporations. Anything less than that doesn¡¯t match up to me. Therefore you¡¯ve been exclusively mine for a while now.¡±


    ¡°What? This is NOT a drunk call.¡± Lei immediately latched on to that single part. Ignoring the rest.


    ¡°Then why did you call me, Lei? You¡¯re drunk.¡±


    ¡°...Because.¡±


    ¡°Because¡­?¡±


    ¡°...Because I want my benefit.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Meredith gazed at Lei¡¯s precious lips¡­for the umpteenth time. The sickly girl struggled for a moment, then finally spoke.


    ¡°And¡­because I want to see you.¡± Loralei revealed.


    Saying that to a corporate woman was extremely risky. Meredith knew this would give her leverage over the sickly girl¡­for a good amount of time. She would definitely take advantage. A knowing smile tugged at her lips. It disappeared immediately.


    ¡°Then why are you still sitting there? I¡¯m at Millitech HQ. 63rd floor. This whole floor belongs to me. Find your own way up.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°And Lei¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make any big moves. At least in the city. Netwatch is observing you.¡±


    ¡°...What.¡± Lei grew serious.


    ¡°You made contact with the Voodoo Boys, and barely two days later, their corpses were discovered. Almost a hundred. You have a penchant for leaving a trail of death behind.¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°You¡¯ve¡­been watching me.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? I always keep tabs on people who work for me.¡±


    ¡°For some reason¡­that doesn¡¯t bother me as much as I thought it would.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up. Clock¡¯s ticking.¡±


    BEEP


    The call was cut. Lei took another swig of the alcoholic beverage before tossing it down. The bottle traveled right to the crackhead who¡¯d been watching the entire time. He caught it and immediately started downing it.


    Loralei flipped off the billboard, landed on an AC unit, flipped again and landed on top of a car. Both of her hands were raised as if performing for a judge. It was quite an impressive set of flips.


    CLAP CLAP CLAP


    The geeker ended up clapping for her. What a nice guy! She couldn¡¯t help but bow to him. Only then did she stumble toward her Kusanagi.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Meredith looked at her datapad. It was filled with information. She¡¯d been working on a lot of things recently. More than usual. All because of that woman. That merc.


    A slight smirk tugged at her lips before disappearing. Lei was able to take on jobs that most people would struggle to do. Having such a person in her pocket¡­It made the cold woman feel powerful.


    A promotion. Immediately after the Biotechnica job, she¡¯d been promoted. After the next job, she may be promoted again. With Drifter slashing her laser blade through most obstacles¡­Stout could see herself running all of Millitech. Or being incredibly close to doing so.


    Meredith needed to find even better payouts for the merc. Trying to outdo herself each time was mandatory. That was the only way to keep Lei willing to do jobs¡­at least¡­that was what she¡¯d initially thought. This drunk call¡­it meant that the sickly girl was thinking about her a lot.


    ¡®I can use this.¡¯ The woman thought happily.


    TAP TAP TAP


    A light knock sounded from the window. Meredith turned to see a gloved hand waving. Lei was standing on the wall¡­seeming to defy gravity. How in the fuck¡­they were on the 63rd floor!


    The wheels on her chair moved closer to the window. As soon as she opened it, Lei¡¯s figure disappeared with a red afterimage. The cold woman didn¡¯t reveal any change of expression, instead closing the window.


    ¡°This room is so biiiiiig¡­¡± Lei exclaimed. Turning back to the room, Meredith found the drunk merc sitting on the desk.


    ¡°Did you really climb up the side of the building?¡±


    ¡°Ummm¡­no? I ran. Why would I climb? Pfft hahaha!¡± Lei giggled.


    ¡°Siiigh. Take the stairs or the elevator next time.¡±


    ¡°Uh, hello? Security check? I would¡¯ve had to put away all my gear! No way.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re registered under my name. Nobody would stop you.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­that''s neat.¡±


    ¡°Convenient¡­is it not? Any Millitech operatives that scan you in Night City will leave you alone.¡±


    ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± Lei hummed absentmindedly. Her gaze burned a hole into the woman¡¯s head.


    ¡°You need to do a better job at hiding your desires.¡± Meredith commented.


    ¡°I¡¯m very good at that actually. I just see no reason to do so¡­especially right now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Your extra benefit, right?¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm.¡± Lei nodded.


    The corpo woman rolled her chair back to the desk. Sitting directly in front of Lei who¡¯s legs dangled from the edge. After undoing a few buttons on her uniform, Meredith leaned back into the chair.


    ¡°Strip.¡±


    ¡°...........¡±


    ¡°All of it. Take off the gear.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­right here?¡± Lei commented, the alcohol lowering her aversion to it.


    ¡°Right on the desk.¡±


    ¡°.................................¡±


    ¡°Now.¡±


    Lei rolled her eyes before taking it off with a giggle. The boots were gone first. Then the chest armor¡­then the cloak¡­then the shin guards and arm guards¡­and finally the pants. Weapons too, of course.


    Now dressed in only a white crop top shirt and red panties, she lay on the desk. Curled up like a cat. Meredith looked at the almost nude girl on her desk. Her hand caressed Lei¡¯s soft leg, slowly tracing the curves up to the petite breasts.


    She then grabbed a handful of Loralei¡¯s round supple ass. The other hand rested on the desk. Her gaze was directed to the sickly girl¡¯s nail polish. Black on the fingers and toes. Quite pretty. It matched well with how Lei naturally appeared.


    ¡°You look tired¡­¡± Meredith commented.


    ¡°Mnnn.¡± Loralei hummed lazily. Her empty grey eyes were slightly closed.


    ¡°This city¡­it¡¯s getting to you. Isn¡¯t it.¡±


    ¡°Mnnn.¡±


    ¡°It always does¡­I have another job for you, Lei.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do.¡± Lei mewled with a roll of her eyes.


    ¡°Stop rolling your eyes. It¡¯s annoying.¡± Meredith¡¯s tone was cold.


    ¡°...Make me.¡±


    Both of them locked eyes for a moment. Lei could feel the hand wandering her body. It felt good. Warm. That was when another hand landed on her face.


    Stout¡¯s other hand caressed Lei¡¯s cheek, tracing the jawline and chin. Her thumb eventually rubbed against those pretty lips. Something the woman had wanted to explore for a while now. Her thumb pressed harder against them¡­until Lei opened her mouth slightly.


    Accepting the invitation, Meredith¡¯s thumb disappeared behind those lips. Every detail of the girl¡¯s tongue was explored. It was warm¡­soft¡­and wet. Lei played with the hot corpo lady¡¯s finger, her tongue giving it plenty of love.


    That wasn¡¯t all. Meredith¡¯s other hand slid under the red panties and stopped on the heat between Loralei¡¯s legs. Her fingers immediately started to play with the little kitty.


    ¡°Mmm!¡± Lei¡¯s hips immediately bucked up into the air.


    ¡°You need a change of pace¡­so I¡¯m sending you to Las Vegas.¡±