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

Chapter 4
Chapter 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Becca! Don't say it like that!" He replied all flustered and hot about it. Well, that was certainly a surprise to her. She pegged him for someone a bit more free when it comes to sex but to think that he was a shy one? Things might get freaky once she cracked that shell open.
"Hey, I'm not the one that kept sneaking glances on my ass and chest.~" She replied as she sauntered past Hiro, making sure to give a bit more sway in her walk as she did so. Leaning against the open door, she then said, "Hah, you are adorable. As much as I like a good lay, that'll have to come later because I'm itching to pulp some Scav's head with these babies.~"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Yeah?" She asked as she kicked her feet.

"What's your dream?" Hiro asked out while he stared out at the horizon.

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

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

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

"I won't." Hiro turned towards her with a nod.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"To Kiwi,

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

From your loving daughter, Lucy"

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

A/N:

Finally got to write that sweet date I had planned up and yes, they did used Phosphex on those poor fuckers. Anyways, I do hope you guys catch some of the little tidbits I sprinkled in this chapter. Those are certainly mind bending. Another thing, I'm actually suprised only a few of your guys caught on the fact that Lucy went into running. I mean, it was subtle yes but hmmm... maybe I should be a bit more over when it comes to those types of hint. Well, hope you guys like this chapter cause this one kept on growing when I was writing. I didn't expect it to go past 4k... Back to writing the next chapter I go! See you in.... 3 days time? Yeah, sounds about right if all things go well.

Hey, any of you guys interested in reading some pokemon fic? I have a fic: Owning a Gardevoir has its Perks. Maybe give it a chance? I really wish people would like it.

With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @vyor. I owe you a lot. I'd also want to thank my Patrons once against cause guys are going to make me be able to work from home, like I'm this close to giving up finding a job until I could pass a government exam to allow me to get government jobs :V . Thank you so much for letting me write without much worry.

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As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! You guys are bringing me closer to being able to literally live off my passion. You guys rock!. also have a Ko-Fi page! There's also this discord page. Once I finish Chapter 5, I'll finish fixing my Subscribestar unless someone DM me.
 
Well now, that was a bonafide AMAZING date by Night City standards. Hiro really knows how to show a girl a good time. And I couldn't stop laughing when Becca fled from her apartment like that. Poor girl just couldn't handle how smooth her big brother is. Or would it be better to say how "ribbed" he is if those women's shouts were anything to go by? :coolbeans::rofl:

maybe I should be a bit more over when it comes to those types of hint.
Nah, it's GOOD that you can write things that aren't immediately obvious. So many authors spell out every last little thing that there isn't any mystery as to what will happen. Little surprises like this just get us more invested in seeing what happens next.
 
Chapter 5 is up now in Patreon, Ko-Fi page, and now in SubscribeStar as well! I hope to see you guys there soon cause I always want and need new patrons/subscriber. There's an ongoing vote on which idea gets to be made after my next chapter for my Gardevoir Fic so consider dropping by. I'll try to answer the replies tomorrow but for now:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"There's no need for that Hiro. I don't really want to impose and I'll eventually save up on implants." She hurriedly replied. Her boss was extremely generous to those whom he deems worth his time. She felt like she's taking advantage of that generosity if she accepted that and it's not like second hand implants that are compatible with her son wouldn't be hard to come by.

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

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

"If you insist… but just the neural implants please." She relented but insisted on that. Her boy doesn't need those physical implants yet. Implants that could help his sharp mind however? She'll gladly take those. Her thoughts drifted off to that of her boy. She wondered what he was doing right now.
 
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God, these fics were Adam is a strangely lucid Murderhobo are fun, from the Tarrasque of Cyberpunk to a funky Murder Uncle.
 
Chapter 5
Chapter 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'Touche and give me a sec.' Kiwi replied.

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

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

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

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

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

"It was one time and don't worry about it, big guy. We can handle this." She replied reassuringly. There were barely any bodies blocking their way. There were just an obnoxious amount of drones and turrets instead. It was honestly grating on her nerves.
The next floor was by far the hardest floor they encountered, the moment Maine blasted their barricade away the gangers made to block their progress; they were soon pelted with fire from actual people instead of bots and turrets. "Fucking finally! I thought you guys would never come out and play!" She shouted as she dashed out of cover and rushed at the men. She was god damn frustrated with how slow things were and there were just a few men blocking their way to their quarry.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Come on Gloria, think of it as an early christmas bonus. It doesn't have to be a limb or extra organs if you don't like it being so overt, the neural implants would be plenty good enough. Hey Adam, back me up here." The boy insisted as he turned to the very much awake and lucid Borg. Said borg turned towards her with those baleful red eyes of his.
"All I see is wasted potential. Take the offer woman, do not think of the cost now. If you're so worried about it, I'll even foot the bill so you don't have to worry about any future payment that may creep up. Chrome would do the boy good." The cyborg said with a sense of finality in his voice. Gloria couldn't help but nod along at that because he had a point. Having no chrome was putting her son at a disadvantage and against her better judgment, she needed this for him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A/N:

This chapter was a pain to write because of how big it is. This chapter would technically be two chapter long but it was a fic that keeps on giving. Writing a lot of fluff was fun. I do hope you guys like the dating scene cause I love this scene. Just writing the progress of these two's relationship makes me want to giggle and hug a pillow. You might notice that Rebecca here's a bit less experienced and that was intentional. Hey, this is Becca before she met David, lost her brother, lost her friend/mentor, and have yet to come out of all those things unbroken. She's still learning.

With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @vyor for sticking with me for this long. I'd also want to thank my Patrons once against cause guys are going to make me be able to work from home, like I'm this close to giving up finding a job until I could pass a government exam to allow me to get government jobs :V . Thank you so much for letting me write without much worry.

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

By the way, any of you guys interested in reading some DxD fic? I wrote this and it's going to be included in the poll deciding which fic gets an update in 8 days time. Here's the link: Absolution [High School DxD God SI]. I also have a public post in Patreon for a new fic, as the first chapter of a new fics is always free but it's unbeta'd.

As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! You guys are bringing me closer to being able to literally live off my passion. You guys rock!. also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star. There's also this discord page. I should probably stream my WoT there... people there would probably get a kick from me suffering through the Polish Tech tree grind.
 
Yeah, the fluff scenes were adorable. Hiro is a pretty chill dude, lord it would be nice to have a boss like that... Hell, Maine is showing how good of a leader he can be while not falling apart due to cyberpsychosis.

Also, poor Lucy and David, just missed each other.
 


Chapter 5 is up now in Patreon, Ko-Fi page, and SubscribeStar so if you're interested in reading it in advance, you know where to look. Unfortunately, there is no post chapter bonus this time around because this chapter just ballooned to a larger size, like a bit bigger than Ch 5 which was already big enough. Anyways, that chapter is filled with info about Hiro's parents including his mom. I can't wait to post it in 4 days time.

Hey @SirBearington have you seen the new DLC trailer for Chaos Gate Daemonhunters?
Not really. Why?

Yeah, the fluff scenes were adorable. Hiro is a pretty chill dude, lord it would be nice to have a boss like that... Hell, Maine is showing how good of a leader he can be while not falling apart due to cyberpsychosis.

Also, poor Lucy and David, just missed each other.
Heh. That wouldn't be the last time you'll see those two. I have plans, lots of plans. Also, yes, Hiro is a really chill. Just don't mess with him and he won't actively try to make your life hell. As for Maine, Maine has always been the good leader. He only started to fall apart when his body started failing him. All that chrome, chrome he had to be the best for his family, and he's body started betraying him. He just lashed out in the end resulting in him running out of road to run.
 
Chapter 6
Chapter 6

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

"Getting cold feet, Bee?" Maine asked teasingly as he walked ahead confidently. He had Pilar and Dorio flanking him while she and Hiro were in the middle with Kiwi trailing behind. They were getting some curious glances, especially Hiro, but they remained just looks and she ignored them in turn. This was neutral ground after all, plus nobody wanted to get banned from the most exclusive bar in the city.
"I'm just excited! It's not everyday we get to go here, you know." She replied a bit giddily. She couldn't help having her emotions color her voice. It was almost overwhelming even but she kept her cool. Best not to act like a spaz or worst, a fangirl.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"My condolences." the woman apologized.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Piece of cake." Pillar said cockily as he grinned widely.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A/N:

Finally, I found some space to show Hiro's relationship with his father as well as info about his mother. Let's just say that things are tense behind closed doors. Also yes, this version of Rogue did bang Hiro's mother so Hiro can call her a mother fucker lol. For anyone with some bartending knowledge, please forgive me if I didn't write that drink mixing scene good. I tried my best? That's all for now so see you guys in 3 days time after I write chapter 7. Oh yeah, for the girl that Rebecca, Hiro, and the gang needs to rescue, here's her picture:


With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @vyor for reminding me I'm not too much of a failure. I'd also want to thank my Patrons once against cause guys are going to make me be able to work from home, like I'm this close to giving up finding a job until I could pass a government exam to allow me to get government jobs :V . Thank you so much for letting me write without much worry.

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By the way, any of you guys interested in reading some My Hero Acedemia Fic? I wrote this lovely slife of slice snippet set in that universe. Here's the link: Chill, Have an Ice Cream.

As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! You guys are bringing me closer to being able to literally live off my passion. You guys rock!. also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star. There's also this discord page. I should probably stream my WoT there... people there would probably get a kick from me suffering through the Polish Tech tree grind.
 
Ah... so THAT'S what got stolen. Pity that Hiro said the bit about "as long as they don't use it for target practice" with such a carefree attitude. Because not only are these people from a gang, they're from an American paramilitary style gang... I don't think Hiro yet understands just how those sorts of people think. They'll use anything for target practice. Hell, if they have even an inkling that it might explode, that'd just make them want to shoot it even more.

And he was planning on making energy free? I don't really know the lore around the "Age of Red", but I can easily remember what happened to Tesla when he planned to make energy free. That kind of project could turn every corpo in the city against Hiro.

Spoiler: Damsel in distress
Hah! That's who immediately popped into my head when you said "purple highlights", she's perfect as an addition to a Cyberpunk fic. I'm honestly surprised I haven't seen her more often... Though seeing as she is the only rescue target, I'm guessing her friends were already sold off and she's being kept as a bargaining chip?
 


Chapter 7 is up now in Patreon, Ko-Fi page, and SubscribeStar so if you're interested in reading it in advance, you know where to look. Next update would be a bit different though because it's a two parter! 7-1 would be posted after a week but 7-3 would be posted 2-3 days later after that. It's big enough that it reached the threshold for a chapter size in my head so I split it in two. It's chapter involving a typical Friday Fire Fight (good song btw) and I do think it turned out good so hope you'll like it once it drops. Oh btw, here's a post chapter extra you can read in advance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Yeah, curse of being short and babyfaced I suppose." The boy replied as he held out his hands towards David. "Hiro Arasaka but you can just call me Hiro. I've heard great things from your mother and your scholastics and athletic achievements speaks for itself."

David stared down at the offered hand before he reached out and gave him his best hand shake. "David Martiner. Thank you for the opportunity you gave my mother. I'm in your debt."

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

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

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

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

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

Ah... so THAT'S what got stolen. Pity that Hiro said the bit about "as long as they don't use it for target practice" with such a carefree attitude. Because not only are these people from a gang, they're from an American paramilitary style gang... I don't think Hiro yet understands just how those sorts of people think. They'll use anything for target practice. Hell, if they have even an inkling that it might explode, that'd just make them want to shoot it even more.

And he was planning on making energy free? I don't really know the lore around the "Age of Red", but I can easily remember what happened to Tesla when he planned to make energy free. That kind of project could turn every corpo in the city against Hiro.


Hah! That's who immediately popped into my head when you said "purple highlights", she's perfect as an addition to a Cyberpunk fic. I'm honestly surprised I haven't seen her more often... Though seeing as she is the only rescue target, I'm guessing her friends were already sold off and she's being kept as a bargaining chip?
The Age of Red is the aftermath of the Nuking of Arasaka tower. The reason why it's called the Age of Red is due to the color of the sky being blood red from the fallout. It was bad, really bad. It might have been the lowest point of the city but Night City recovered. As for the free energy, it's just within the city. Oh sure he'll be butting heads with the guys supplying power but hey, the other players in the city also get free power. People would also be wary of the free energy since Arasaka controls it.

Also, yes. Olivia was the one that has use, not her friends. The others, yeah, 6th Street did what they do to people not under their "protection".
 
Chapter 7-1
Chapter 7-1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-x-x-x-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"If." Laughed out the fourth as their footsteps got fainter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A/N:

It's a bit smaller compared to earlier chapters but chapter 7 just passed that treshold that have for chapters. I just find chapters past that point too hard to read cause my eyes drift else where. I blame my short attention span. As for that reveal in the end, heh, I ginally got to reveal that little bit of information so I can finally talked about it. I've hinted on that some chapters ago and people didn't picked that up. She did show case an ability innate to her the chapter before that overt reveal but it's subtle. So about Hiro's shadows, first person to guess all three of the shadows gets a reward. All I'm just going to say is that they're all Warhammer characters. Well, that's enough talking for me now. See you guys in 3 days time for part 2. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @vyor for making this year a fun one. I'd also want to thank my Patrons once against cause guys are going to make me be able to work from home, like I'm this close to giving up finding a job until I could pass a government exam to allow me to get government jobs :V . Thank you so much for letting me write without much worry.

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By the way, any of you guys interested in reading some My Hero Academia Fic? I wrote this lovely slice of slice snippet set in that universe. Here's the link: Chill, Have an Ice Cream.

As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! You guys are bringing me closer to being able to literally live off my passion. You guys rock!. also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star. There's also this discord page. I should probably stream my WoT there... people there would probably get a kick from me suffering through the Polish Tech tree grind.
 
Oof, and there went her temper again... I understand that therapists are extinct in Night City, but surely Hiro can hire her one from out of the country? This is now doubly important now that she's started playing around with warpfire. That's not the kind of stuff you want mentally/emotionally compromised people to be using. I'm curious to see just what this means for both Becca, and the story going forward. Because that's gonna be like injecting NOS into muscle car.

Okay... I'm going to suggest going back over this. Because there were a LOT of the same typos. You kept using the wrong pronouns for the characters, using incorrect dialogue punctuation/capitalization at the end of sentences, alongside a lot of other small errors. I think you just sped through this a little too quickly in order to post on deadline, am I right?

Don't mess up," He simply told him as
He - he
him - her

"Good luck," Mained said
Mained - Main

"Fine now, fuck off, let Mr Swabe here
I'm not POSITIVE about this, but I'm pretty sure "Mr Swabe" should be "Mr. Suave" unless the guy's name is actually "Swabe". And even then you need the period.
 
Chapter 7-2
Chapter 7-2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"So you're a witch and a bitch." Kiwi jokingly replied making her snicker in amusement.

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

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

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

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

"Come on Bee, you know we won't do that?" Dorio asked her.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A/N:

I'd like to thank @vyor for being there to cheer me up. I'd also want to thank my Patrons once against cause guys are going to make me be able to work from home, like I'm this close to giving up finding a job until I could pass a government exam to allow me to get government jobs :V . Thank you so much for letting me write without much worry.

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

By the way, any of you guys interested in reading some a League of Legends Fic? This old fic of mine's getting revived because I had a promise to keep and I intend to see it through till it's done:Making You Smile [League of Legends OC Yordle fic]

As always, from here on out, I'd like to remind you that I have a patreon page! You guys are bringing me closer to being able to literally live off my passion. You guys rock!. also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star. There's also this discord page. The Soviet grind is easy.
 
Thanks for the chapter nice update.

40k psykers are powerful but unless there alpha level and well trained no more dangerous then a dozen other things to watch for in this setting. That said if properly trained that's a different story and a step further then that is can he make arcnotech as in technology that uses the warp and truely shows it power in the hands of a psyker.

So the warning about the warp and the things that live in it… does this confirm this is 40k before humanity dark age of technology and if so… where is the emperor?
 


Chapter 8 is up now in Patreon, Ko-Fi page, and SubscribeStar so if you're interested in reading it in advance, you know where to look. It's actually been up for a while but I didn't told you guys cause Christmas time has been a bit busy. Being in my home province sucks ass especially with how hot the afternoon is and how cold the night is. Enough of my complaints. Here's some post chapter fun you guys can read while you wait.

Back in Night City, a certain David Martinez was facing a whole different problem. The boy sighed as his hanger kept on following him even as he took the train back home. His instance of using the train to shake them off might have been a curse as more of his classmates joined him just to experience it. Were they really this far removed from normal life that he had to guide them step by step?

"Like oh my god Martinez, how long have you been keeping this from us? Who thought traveling home could be fun. Sure I could talk to Suzan through the net but talking with her in person is far better am I right?" one of his groupies prattle on, fraying what little patience he had.

Still, it wasn't all bad when his old "friend" Tanaka was roped in as well. He grinned at him as the other boy gave him a glare. Of all the new friends he had, who knew that he'd miss having someone honest around. At Least he knew that the guy still hated his guts. Turning away, he yawned as he closed his eyes and let time slow down around.

Things came to a crawl as movement felt like he was trying to swim through molasses. People slowed down to a barely coherent drawl while everything went into stand still. He let out a breath, feeling the control his new augment gave him. It wasn't the flashiest of augments but damn was it powerful. While most chrome enhanced the body, his chrome enhanced the mind and with it came what his mother boss calls "Bullet Time." He's definitely in bullet time alright.

+Mental Acceleration at 28%. Stable+ droned out his voice inside his head.

Getting used to the VI or machine spirit took him some time but it was godsend once he started using it. It felt like he could have two instances of his mind at once but not quite. At least it wouldn't be quiet while he had a little break from them. The brief time he had in the confines of his mind allowed him to center his mind and relax so he can deal with them once it's done.

+Danger! Danger!+ Shouted his machine spirit in warning as he noticed something on the edge of his vision. He turned towards the direction where his chrome was pointing at him and his eyes widened as the highlighted outline of a gun and a vest full of bombs could be seen strapped to an angry goon.

He cursed as the man raised his gun up in the air and started shooting. "Get down on the ground now!" He shouted as the people inside the train screamed and shouted in terror. "Nobody moves and nobody gets shot!". More gangers pulled out their guns as things quickly devolved into a hostage situation.

Some people tried to fight back only for them to scream out in pain as they were paralyzed by netrunners and then subsequently shot in the head. He pulled down his classmates as he shielded them from the sight of the ganger.

His heart hammered inside the chest as he noticed the unmistakable tattoo of the Voodoo boys on the man's neck. He was now in a hijacking situation and their captors just so happen to be in the gang who was at war with his school's parent corporation. "Fuck…" He breathed out as his mind raced for answers with his augment giving him the details of what he was facing up against. The weapons specs, path of danger along with predictions of a few seconds in the future was overlaid in his vision.

The bloody picture painted by his mind when the Voodoo boys finally noticed them only made him worry even more. "Oho? What do we have here? A bunch of little corpos away from their bodyguards. Seems like our intel was right."

"Boys, round them up. Don't rough them up… too much." The man laughed as he and his classmates were rounded up.

Forced to kneel in front of a camera with their hands behind the back of their head, the gangers made their intentions clear. They were to be the bargaining chips for a deal they were trying to broker with Arasaka. There was a lot of bad blood as Tanaka was beaten to a bloody pulp. He was the first one to be taken in front of the camera.

He knelt there as he kept running simulations, trying to find a way out of this situation. The more data he gathered, the more accurate his simulation became and soon a path became clear for him. The gangers were confident, not even bothering to tie them up after taking their guns. They merely surrounded them with guns, trying to cow them in fear but that would be the last mistake they'll ever commit.

He was at the back of the group but unfortunately for him, he had a gun pointed against his head. There were three other guards and a lone netrunner with them. All of them of haitian descent and they were drugged up to the gills with their dilated eyes and their lack of fear. They were ready to die today.

"You took from us our comrades, our fellow soldiers, widowed our friends and made orphans of their children. Now, you shall all feel our pain!" The man declared as he leveled his gun at the broken Tanaka. He could not act, let him fire and just end the boys life so he'd only be facing up against 4 other guns that were ready to fire but he was not that kind person. Fuck the low chances that his mind was throwing at him. He just had to make those low chances a reality.

+Mental Acceleration at 200% Overclock initiated. Impulse acceleration initiated. Countdown before permanent damage: 5 seconds+ Warned his implant as things became blue tinted. Those five seconds were all he needed.

He forced his hands to move as his heartbeat raced to his chest. Every last fiber in his body screamed as he moved faster than he could normally do. In the first second, he moved his head to the line of fire before grabbing the man's hands. He guided the man's hand as he panic-fired, spraying bullets but missing every last one of his classmates before he shot one of his friends.

As he pulled down, he drove his elbows to the man's armpits, deadening the man's grip as allowing him to use the man as cover for the subsequent shot. He felt burning in his thighs as he was shot but there was no damage to a major blood vessel. He powered through the pain as he pushed the man forward so he could make a grab for the pistol that was falling down his slackened grip.

His arms gripped the Budget Arms Slaught-O-Matic and felt the weight it had, 20 rounds from his estimate. More than enough. With the dead man falling over a shrieking classmate of his, he was now open for fire but so were they.

He aimed at their heads before firing. One bullet each but the disposable gun had more than enough firepower to kill them before they could even process it all. The last thing they'll see was his gun as he fired at them. He shot them one by one, feeling the recoil of the gun with each pull of the trigger. Each shot warped the barrel further, forcing him to take aim at them and ensure he killed them all. For a brief instance, as he aimed at the last one standing, he hesitated. He almost did not shoot the netrunner until his augment highlighted her fingers going for the pin of a grenade. He had to shoot. He let his chrome guide him, forcing him to relax his stance as he fired off the last shot ending the life of the last hostage taker. It was all over in 5 seconds and time went back to normal.

+Overlock Ended. Seek Medical Attention Immediately+ Reminded his chrome just as color returned to the world around him.

The heads of the remaining goons exploded, showering them all in a rain of gore and brain matter. His grips slackend as the after effects of his acceleration came into effect. He fell down screaming as his muscles had literally torn to allow him to move at such speed. His body felt like one giant bruise while his mind felt like it was on fire but he was ok, he knew he was ok.

"Call Trauma team! Now!" Shouted Tanaka of all things as his world became that of pain. He wished he was knocked out but his mind kept him lucid. He'd be awake long enough to see the Trauma team burst through the train's windows to take him away. The pain was horrible but it was worth it. Nobody was going to die on him so long as he can have a say at that.

While his heroic act of bravery would catch the eyes of the city, a particular Borg found something more in him. He had just finished escorting the transfer of manufacturing equipment necessary for the production of his advanced weaponry when a call for him to save some brats was sent out. He was preparing for a slaughter, aching to finally stretch his limbs after weeks of monotonous work, only for his job to be called off by the most unexpected of things.

The large metallic man watched the video over and over again, seeing how utterly ruthless the boy was with his action. This boy's movement was fluid and seamless as no ounce of force was wasted in useless flourishes. It was cold, calculated and executed with machine-like abilities. "Interesting" growled out the borg as he stood up from his desk. Who would have known that his little act of "charity" would bear fruit.
 
Chapter 8
Chapter 8

Rebecca had faced down gangers armed to the teeth, seasoned solos with better equipment, and even cyberpsychos with more chrome than sense; but nothing could have ever prepared her for what she was dealing with right now. There she was, seated inside one Arasaka Tower, with Hiro beside her as they tried to deal with a highly irate and livid Michiko. They squirmed in their seats, afraid to even look up and meet the woman's eyes, as she scolded them.

"What the fuck were you two thinking! You think going out on a mission is a joke!?" the woman shouted as videos of their escape from a burning warehouse played in a loop behind her. "You really had to do it when Adam was busy guarding your other shipment. Of all the hair brained schemes you've had over the years, this might be far the most boneheaded and suicidal of them all!" She added as he threw her arms up in the air as she paced in front of them.

"I'm sorry…" Hiro whispered only to flinch back as the older Arasaka gave him a wide eyed glare.

"I thought I raised you better than this! If you really wanted to go out in the streets, you should have waited till Adam was done with his job for our faction and Revere." Michiko growled out as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sorry wouldn't be enough to bring you back if you had been hurt that night!" The older woman really wasn't holding back her words.

Rebecca raised her hand to catch the woman's attention. "In his defense, it's kinda my fault for not warning him enough." She tried reasoning. She had been far too caught up with the possibility of showing Hiro the fun that she experienced in a firefight and didn't consider how green he was.

"There's no need to cover for your input Rebecca when you're in hot water as well. I just have to drive this lesson into my wayward charge's head before I move on to you." The woman calmly replied, making Rebecca glance away from the intense look of disappointment and anger that came down on her. Gone was the easy going woman she met at the party, now standing before them was one of the board members to the prestigious and cutthroat Arasaka company.

"I've called your grandfather and he wants to have a talk." The woman then said, making Hiro jump up his seat with a look of wide eyed horror and hurt from his aunt's apparent betrayal.

"What! No! You can't do this-" He shouted only for Michiko to hush him, stopping him right on his tracks.

"I can and I will. As your direct superior, I believe it is in your best interest that you meet with your grandfather. If my subordinate won't listen to my words of wisdom then maybe his grandfather can get through his thick skull." She fired back, putting her proverbial foot down, as she leaned in close. Hiro glared at her yet Michiko did not flinch. Instead, it would be Hiro that backed down first as he looked away, a grimace on his lips.

"He heard everything about your little escapade. He has some choice words about your actions and he wants you to come back to Japan as soon as possible. You will have to deal with the old man. You dug this grave, now go lie on it." Michiko hissed out as Hiro backed away and plopped down on his seat with his forehead resting against his palm.

With Hiro pacified and cowed, Michiko now turned her attention to Rebeccea; who found it even more unpleasant as she broke into cold sweat. It felt like she was in the presence of a tiger who found a foolish human wandering into her territory. She was a dead meat and she knew it and now it was her turn to face the music.

"As for you my little solo, oh I have so much I want to say." Rebecca jumped slightly and tensed as she felt the older Arasaka's hands resting on her shoulder like the clawed talons of an eagle clutching its prey. Her hands felt clammy while her throat tightened. Instincts flared as she felt the need to get up and run but it was far too late now.

"Did you know just how much danger you placed my precious nephew in? Do you?" She asked as she leaned in close and whispered into her ears.

Rebecca clenched her fist as she shook her head. She was angry, yes, but not at Michiko but at herself. "No, I didn't think it through." She admitted with a heavy heart. She had been god damn stupid in that fight and even if nothing bad happened in the end, something almost did and it all fell squarely upon her shoulders.

"Exactly, you didn't think and that's the problem. You're just as bad as his father. You think with your crotch, damned the consequence!" Rebecca sucked in a breath as she took it all, letting the other woman speak out her mind.

Hiro took offense at that as he spoke up "Auntie-!"

But Michiko was firm with her stance, refusing to even budge a bit. "No Hiro, she needs to hear this." She rebuked him. He looked conflicted but Rebecca had him back down after she gave him a soft smile and gentle shake of her head. This was her punishment and she was going to take it, even if it hurt.

"I thought I found someone that he could rely on, a close confidant to keep him from doing something stupid, a lover to ground him but instead I have a bitch that only brought out the worst in both of you." Rebecca nodded, gritting her teeth as she forced herself to listen. She was frustrated, she knew that she fucked up, yet those words hurt a lot.

"Where was the cocky girl that promised that she'd be the best output huh? Was that all just bravado? You forgot that this isn't all fun and games girl, and you're playing with my boy's heart and life." Michiko asked pointedly, reminding her of the promise she made and how she had failed her in that regard.

"I thought you were the one but then you brought my boy into a god damn friday night firefight. Rebecca, I'm fucking disappointed." Of all the words she threw so far, that one stung the most. She couldn't help but look down and clutched the hem of her jacket as an overwhelming sense of shame bubbled up from her chest.
"Lucky for you, however, I'm a merciful woman and I know a girl who learnt her lesson when I see one. Disappoint me once more, I'll be putting a bullet between your eyes." Michiko replied as she pulled away from Rebecca. She could only nod slowly as she accepted what little mercy she was given. Words would be meaningless right now and all she could do moving forward was to show that she really did learn.

The two sat there silently after their scolding. She wanted nothing more than to leave now and sulk a bit with Hiro but Michiko was far from over with them as she dropped one last bombshell before she left them. The older Arasaka prepared herself a glass of scotch before suddenly saying, "Oh and one more thing, your Grandfather wants to meet your output so good luck you two.~ Now if you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to."

They were left gobsmacked as the woman drank her scotch before leaving them without so much another word. "Fuck," Hiro ever so eloquently put it, echoing her sentiments to the situation.

"Shit… what the fuck are we going to do?!" She asked in mild panic. She wasn't prepared for any of this to happen just yet. Meeting the emperor was the last thing she wanted to do now of all things.

"She didn't give us a date so I can reasonably delay it if work gets involved." He reasoned out, allowing her to breathe out a sigh of relief.

"For a second there, I thought we have to meet the emperor now." She replied as she sank into her comfortable seat. The plush bean bag in the modern looking office was a good send for her frayed nerves. She felt like she could just sink in and forget about everything.

Hiro hummed as he got up and paced around, "We can make this work. All you need is to impress him enough; so that would mean learning to be the ideal japanese woman which involves learning the language, simple etiquette, as well as get you a proper dress for the occasion which would be the easiest funnily enough." He then said as he listed out the things that they needed to work on. She would have been elated with the chance to try on new clothes for Hiro if not for the spectre of what was to come.

"Yup, seems easy enough. I just have to learn a whole nother language as well as a whole new set of societal norms in one month… fuck this is going to be a tough month isn't it?" Rebecca groaned out as she rolled on to her belly and stared down at the polished floor. It wasn't impossible per say with all the language chips they could use to have her learn the language, but remembering to use it while acting as immaculately as possible under that kind of pressure was just something else.

"There's no other way," Hiro replied with a shake of his head. Scratching the back of his head, he then confessed to her, "I'm going to be honest with you… grandpa is racist but he's getting better?" The forced smile he had stretching across his face wasn't a good sign by any measure.

"Why does that not fill me with confidence..." She noted, feeling even more uneasy, "And I've seen enough Arasaka adverts to know your grandfather's backstory. He's fucking ancient and his values are as well. No need to sugar coat it for me," She then pointed out, gesturing at the large image of his grandfather on one of the rolling adverts beaming up to the very heavens.

"Ok I admit it, he's still a raging asshole, especially if you offend him which you can easily do with how critical he can be to those who he does not see as one of his people, but he's not unreasonable. He can be made to see the other way. Just look at me." He conceded before gesturing at himself. He really wasn't the most stereotypically japanese of people with how he looked more in place in Night City itself rather than Tokyo. There's a chance but it was a slim one at best

"At least we know that he can be reasoned with, right? I just have not to fuck this up. No pressure." She chuckled out with a shake of her head. The odds were stacked against her but it had always been so anyways, so why worry now? Getting up from her seat, she then rolled her shoulders as she looked at the advert ahead, "So, when do we start?" She asked, ready to face the challenge up ahead.

"I'm really sorry choom, but I'm going to have to extend my leave for a bit. I'm kinda being forced to meet the Emperor?" Rebecca explained, trying not to squirm as the tailor measured her. It was all so formal in this shop that it's stifling. She had rattled off her measurements because she damn well knew that was it for her but nope, this had to be perfect so the seamstress had to take her measurement the old fashioned way.

"Holy shit, you're really going to meet your in-laws this early?" Maine asked on the other end of the line with shock coloring his tone.

"Yeah, that's what I thought and marriage is still not yet on the table." She corrected him, pouting as his teasing yet blushing at the image his words invoked. She shook her head, earning her a light swat by the stuffy old seamstress. It was far too early for her to think about wearing a bridal gown.

"Well, good fucking luck on that one. The guys fucking ancient and so's his values. He'd probably be scandalized if he saw your ankle." Maine jested making her roll her eyes.

"Hardy harr harr," She replied, unamused by his usual antics, "But yeah, that's why I need to prepare as much as I can. I'm even getting a kimono just so I can get used to moving around in it!" She half-shouted. Was all of this really necessary?

"I'll need all of this done by the week after this." Hiro ordered casually as an Arasaka representative talked with the cashier about the payment for her rushed custom order.

"Girl has thick birthing hips. Pay extra." The seamstress replied in broken yet understandable english. She did not know if she should take that as a compliment or an insult especially with all the looks she had been getting from the other girls getting their own kimono fitted. Did they think she was fat?

"I can speak Japanese?" She replied even as her tongue prosted at the unfamiliar language. She winced at the look of disgust the woman gave her.

"You say things right but you sound wrong. You used language chip. Practice more!" The woman shouted at her, scolding her for butchering the language.

"Done." And just like that, an extra hundred eddies were exchanged between Hiro's aide and the shop's cashier.

Maybe it was her jet lag addled mind talking but taking a direct flight from Night City to Kyoto to get her size for some custom kimono seemed a bit excessive and she hasn't even talked about how she had to pick 4 patterns for each season or rather 5 since outer space isn't considered a season but apparently there's a right color and design choice for going to space. All in all, she was getting a wardrobe's worth as she'd get 5 formal pairs as well as 5 casual pairs for other occasions.

"Say no more. Besides, the crew does need a break. Might actually put some of the chrome down as well to spend some time with Dorio." Maine's voice proved to be a worthwhile distraction as she tried hard not to think too much about her current situation. That way lies the path to madness.

"You taking off your chrome? Damn choomba, what the hell did you eat?" She laughed, wiping away a tear as she smiled softly. "You don't have to do this for me Maine but… yeah, thanks. I really appreciate this" she then added. It had been quite a year for them already. From just some random solo team off the street to one funded and equipped by a corpo. Yes, they sold out in a sense but hey, they were living the dream. She sucked in her breath as she felt the tailor's tape measure dig into her ribs. Yup, definitely living the dream here.

"Hey, this is long overdue, and it's not like we're in the rat race here. We can have our downtime whenever we want and wherever we want." He reasoned out and she couldn't find any fault in that. They were as free as someone could get, which was one of the allures of being a solo.

"Hope you two have a good time. Send a postcard will you?" She asked playfully as she let out a breath of relief as the hag finally loosened up the tape measure as she wrote it all down on paper. She knew this was an old shop but did they have to be this old fashioned?

"I should be the one saying that to you!" He barked out in laughter. "Before I forget, our crew finally got another netrunner. You'll definitely like having her around." He then said which had her grinning out like a loon.

"Fucking hell, finally and another girl? I can't wait to come back." She exclaimed out loud, earning her another swat from the old bitch. Oh sue her, she had reason to celebrate especially with that piece of news. Not having a netrunner on the field with them was a handicap.

"Heh. Anyway, that's all I have for now. Good luck." With those words, the line finally cut leaving her without distraction. Thankfully, her seamstress was done with her as well.

"Did we have to fly here?" She asked. Yes, feeling real silk against her skin was a different experience altogether but this was something else. "I mean, your grandfather will probably have heard about this." She pointed out in japanese. Well, the seamstress did say she needed to practice so might as well keep at it.

"Oh he knows, but I'm officially on business here." He replied with a smug smile on his face. Hiro was more than happy to help her along as he responded in kind. The translation package that was bundled with the language chip was coming in handy.

"We only flew here to buy formal wear…" She deadpanned as she stared at him.

He kept smiling as he nodded at that. "Exactly, purely business there! This is his favorite shop. From what I've heard from Aunt Michiko, Grandma used to frequent this place." He replied and she could see the logic behind his actions now.

"Best model!" The seamstress suddenly shouted from her work station as she started working on the fabrics she had chosen. Both of them laughed at the woman's outburst as they walked out of the hole in a wall shop. Hidden in one of the many streets of the ancient city of Kyoto. Stepping into the street outside felt like she was stepping into a portal to another time.

While Night City was a city that screamed of modernity and progress, Kyoto was a stark contrast to it as its architecture and street layout harkened to an age long forgotten, an age before the corporations and even modern technology. Sure there were street lights and electric poles, but it didn't take away from the rustic charm the city possessed.

Then there was the air. She didn't notice it when they landed here, but the more she breathed it in, the more she noticed how her lungs didn't clog up with phlegm and how easy it was to just… keep breathing. "Well, this is certainly a nice change of pace from the smog and acid rain." She noted as she watched a pair of hannya mask wearing delivery drones fly by above them. Well, people here certainly doubled down on the mythological aspect of their aesthetic.

"Cleaning up Japan was definitely worth it. We still have to deal with acid rain, especially when the westerlies are blowing, but for the most part we have clean air and clear skies." He said, making her look up to see the blue sky up above with large fluffy clouds as he led her down the busy streets. People were giving her looks, but she ignored them. It wasn't like she's the only one with the wild hair color around; there's a girl with bubblegum pink hair walking just a few feet from them!

"I have plans to clean up China, which is where most of the pollution is coming from, but any effort I make would be for nothing with the local megacorps fucking things over. At Least Korea is not a lost cause with Arasaka's partner there." He explained further as she nodded along. She wasn't in the know for corpo stuff, but it sounded Arasaka was doing well.

Looking around, she observed just how clean everything was. It wasn't just a facade that people brought up to hide the shittiness festering underneath but a genuine look. People looked more curious of her than afraid while they walked with their heads up high. They didn't look like they were on guard most of the time and some were even oblivious to their surroundings as they bumped into each other. There weren't any pigs around either, which was really weird. Maybe this was just the Arasaka part of town but there were also other megacorps around so why weren't they warring against each other? It was all so utterly alien but in a good way.

She watched as a group of kids chatted with each other as they carried trash to a designated trash collection point. Well, that's something you wouldn't see in Night City, "Will Night City ever have a turn?" She asked jokingly as she looked back at Hiro.

He hummed, frowning in concentration as if he was seriously considering the question before he nonchalantly answered, "Within next year once the cleanup of Pacifica is finished."

She gaped at him for how he sounded while answering her. It was as if he was talking about fixing a broken door or cleaning the air filters of an apartment, "You're kinda making it sound like you have plans to take over Night City. Besides, we did rile up the Voodoo boys badly over in Pacifica; I'm not sure they're going anywhere, anytime soon." She recalled, remembering that night pretty well and the Voodoo Boys showed why they weren't something you could mess with casually. They were like rats and cockroaches, evading the Arasaka strike teams and picking their fights. It was a game of cat and mouse between the gang and the megacorp with the city as the Arena. Sooner or later, she swore those guys were going to cause a lot of trouble.

"I wouldn't be much of an Arasaka Scion if I did not, would I~?" he questioned her teasingly, making her chuckle. He got her there, he was still an Arasaka, after all, and there was something about Night City that drew them in.

"You know, having you at the helm wouldn't be half bad." She speculated, wondering what it would be like. He was by far the most relaxed and easy going corpo she knew. She knew Gloria was having a fun time working for him, even if the woman was stressed out from the uncharacteristic kindness Hiro showed, but he did have other subordinates that were definitely unsavory.

Her attention was caught by a nearby news bulletin blasting from an old ham radio inside a food stall, "Tommorows weather will be rainy due to westerly winds so morning commuters are advised to take precaution. Rain will be mild with a slight breeze so commuters are advised to bring their raincoat with them to avoid acid burns. This reminder is brought to you by our partners in the Arasaka Weather Station, Stay Safe! Now back to more news on Nippon Daily…" the reporter declared. It didn't sound right but she couldn't put her finger on why. That was until she noticed the word the woman used.

"Wait… did that news reporter say that there would be rain tomorrow? Shouldn't it be a chance of rain?" She pointed out, wondering why the hell were they confident with the weather of all things.

"Oh she definitely said there will be rain. Oh hey, they're selling Ikayaki here! Two please!" He confirmed before his attention was caught by what the food stall was selling. He walked up to the borg manning the stall who pulled out two squid skewered on a stick and roasted them over open fire.

Well, she was definitely hungry and not even the tentacles were going to stop her from eating! It was times like this that she wanted to experience the most with Hiro. Yes, she was away from the action but this was a nice change of pace. It was definitely relaxing at the very least.

"So, ready for your tea ceremony lessons once we come back home?" Hiro then asked her, making her let out a disgruntled groan. And just like that, her peace and quiet was gone.

"Damn it, I thought you forgot about that." She moaned out in despair. Why did they have to make such a simple ceremony be so complicated? Why didn't they put sugar in such a strong tea? It was almost unpalatable for her and it was a wonder why Hiro enjoyed the ones she made, "You're a sadist, you know that?" She pouted, making him laugh out loud. The things she did for love.

Halfway across the world, back in Night City, a certain David Martinez was facing a whole different problem. The boy sighed as his hangers on kept following him even as he took the train back home. His thought of using the train to shake them off might have been a curse as more of his classmates joined him just to experience it. Were they really this far removed from normal life that he had to guide them step by step?

"Like oh my god Martinez, how long have you been keeping this from us? Who thought traveling home could be fun. Sure I could talk to Suzan through the net but talking with her in person is far better am I right?" one of his groupies prattle on, fraying what little patience he had.

Still, it wasn't all bad when his old "friend" Tanaka was roped in as well. He grinned at him as the other boy gave him a glare. Of all the new friends he had, who knew that he'd miss having someone honest around. At least he knew that the guy still hated his guts. Turning away, he yawned as he closed his eyes and let time slow down around.

Things came to a crawl as movement felt like he was trying to swim through molasses. People slowed down to a barely coherent drawl while everything went into stand still. He let out a breath, feeling the control his new augment gave him. It wasn't the flashiest of augments but damn was it powerful. While most chrome enhanced the body, his chrome enhanced the mind and with it came what his mother boss calls "Bullet Time." He was definitely in bullet time alright.

+Mental Acceleration at 28%. Stable,+ droned out his voice inside his head.

Getting used to the VI, or machine spirit, or whatever you called it, took him some time but it was godsend once he started using it. It felt like he could have two instances of his mind at once but not quite. At least it wouldn't be quiet while he had a little break from them. The brief time he had in the confines of his mind allowed him to center his mind and relax so he could deal with them once it was done.

+Danger! Danger!+ Shouted his machine spirit in warning as he noticed something on the edge of his vision. He turned towards the direction where his chrome was pointing at him and his eyes widened as the highlighted outline of a gun and a vest full of bombs could be seen strapped to an angry goon.

He cursed as the man raised his gun up in the air and started shooting, "Get down on the ground now!" He shouted as the people inside the train screamed and shouted in terror. "Nobody moves and nobody gets shot!" More gangers pulled out their guns as things quickly devolved into a hostage situation.

Some people tried to fight back only for them to scream out in pain as they were paralyzed by netrunners and then subsequently shot in the head. He pulled down his classmates as he shielded them from the sight of the ganger.

His heart hammered inside the chest as he noticed the unmistakable tattoo of the Voodoo boys on the man's neck. He was now in a hijacking situation and their captors just so happened to be in the gang who was at war with his school's parent corporation. "Fuck…" He breathed out as his mind raced for answers with his augment giving him the details of what he was facing up against. The weapons specs, path of danger along with predictions of a few seconds in the future was overlaid in his vision.

The bloody picture painted by his mind when the Voodoo boys finally noticed them only made him worry even more. "Oho? What do we have here? A bunch of little corpos away from their bodyguards. Seems like our intel was right."

"Boys, round them up. Don't rough them up… too much." The man laughed as he and his classmates were rounded up.

Forced to kneel in front of a camera with their hands behind the back of their head, the gangers made their intentions clear. They were to be the bargaining chips for a deal they were trying to broker with Arasaka. There was a lot of bad blood as Tanaka was beaten to a bloody pulp. He was the first one to be taken in front of the camera.

He knelt there as he kept running simulations, trying to find a way out of this situation. The more data he gathered, the more accurate his simulation became and soon a path became clear for him. The gangers were confident, not even bothering to tie them up after taking their guns. They merely surrounded them with guns, trying to cow them in fear but that would be the last mistake they'd ever commit.

He was at the back of the group but, unfortunately for him, he had a gun against his head. There were three other guards and a lone netrunner with them. All of them of haitian descent and they were drugged up to the gills with their dilated eyes and their lack of fear. They were ready to die today.

"You took from us our comrades, our fellow soldiers, widowed our friends and made orphans of their children. Now, you shall all feel our pain." The man declared as he leveled his gun at the broken Tanaka. He could just not act, let him fire and just end the boy's life so he'd only be facing 4 other guns that were ready to fire… but he was not that kind of person. Fuck the low chances that his mind was throwing at him. He just had to make those low chances a reality.

+Mental Acceleration at 200% Overclock initiated. Impulse acceleration initiated. Countdown before permanent damage: 5 seconds,+ Warned his implant as things became blue tinted. Those five seconds were all he needed.

He forced his hands to move as his heartbeat raced to his chest. Every last fiber in his body screamed as he moved faster than he could normally do. In the first second, he moved his head to the line of fire before grabbing the man's hands. He guided the man's hand as he panic-fired, spraying bullets but missing every last one of his classmates before he shot one of his friends.

As he pulled down, he drove his elbows to the man's armpits, deadening the man's grip as allowing him to use the man as cover for the subsequent shot. He felt burning in his thighs as he was shot but there was no damage to any major blood vessels. He powered through the pain as he pushed the man forward so he could make a grab for the pistol that was falling down his slackened grip.

His hands gripped the Budget Arms Slaught-O-Matic and felt the weight it had, 20 rounds from his estimate. More than enough. With the dead man falling over a shrieking classmate of his, he was now open for fire but so were they.

He aimed at their heads before pulling the trigger. One bullet each but the disposable gun had more than enough firepower to kill them before they could even process it all. The last thing they'd see was his gun as he fired at them. He shot them one by one, feeling the recoil of the gun with each pull of the trigger. Each shot warped the barrel further, forcing him to take aim at them and ensure he killed them all. For a brief instance, as he aimed at the last one standing, he hesitated. He almost did not shoot the netrunner until his augment highlighted her fingers going for the pin of a grenade. He had to shoot. He let his chrome guide him, forcing him to relax his stance as he fired off the last shot ending the life of the last hostage taker. It was all over in 5 seconds and time went back to normal.

+Overlock Ended. Seek Medical Attention Immediately,+ Reminded his chrome just as color returned to the world around him.

The heads of the remaining goons exploded, showering them all in a rain of gore and brain matter. His grips slackend as the after effects of his acceleration came into effect. He fell down screaming as his muscles had literally torn themselves apart to allow him to move at such speeds. His body felt like one giant bruise while his mind felt like it was on fire but he was ok, he knew he was ok.

"Call Trauma team! Now!" Shouted Tanaka of all people as his world became pain. He wished he was knocked out but his mind kept him lucid, he'd be awake long enough to see the Trauma team burst through the train's windows to take him away. The pain was horrible but it was worth it. Nobody was going to die on him so long as he could have a say.

While his heroic act of bravery would catch the eyes of the city, a particular Borg found something more in him. He had just finished escorting the transfer of manufacturing equipment necessary for the production of his advanced weaponry when a call for him to save some brats was sent out. He was preparing for a slaughter, aching to finally stretch his limbs after weeks of monotonous work, only for his job to be called off by the most unexpected of things.

The large metallic man watched the video over and over again, seeing how utterly ruthless the boy was with his action. This boy's movement was fluid and seamless as no ounce of force was wasted in useless flourishes. It was cold, calculated and executed with machine-like ability. "Interesting" growled out the borg as he stood up from his desk. Who would have known that his little act of "charity" would bear fruit so soon.

A/N:

Well, seems like it finally time for Rebecca to meet Hiro's grandfather. Also, a rare glimpse into Japan right now. It's Hiro's and Araska's home turf so you can bet your sweet ass that Hiro did not spare any expense trying to fix up the place. It was kinda fun writing the mild culture shock Rebecca experienced. Who knew not getting nuked several times would help Japan not become a hell hole. Anyways, hope you guys like it and I'm sorry for not being able to post this earlier. Kinda slipped my mind... I spent the almost two weeks in my home province and writing was a bitch and a half when the afternoon is hot and humid :V. Hope you guys had some fun memories during the holidays. I promise this year that I'll try to post on time next time.

With that out of the way, I'd like to thank vyor for being my friend. I'd also want to thank my Patrons once again. You guys are the best! Consider dropping by my Patreon page and became a patron today to support me so I can keep on making these types of fics. It means a lot to me to keep on working on my fics. I also have also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star for those who do not like Patreon.

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Say, are you guys interested in reading a One Piece snippet I made in advance? It's not yet beta'd but it's already posted in Patreon. First chapters are always completely free to read so drop on by and read: Shiki's Twenty Year Plan, a One Piece SI fic involving an SI born as the son of Shiki. I'd try to answer as much question if you comment there.
 
Its always interesting to see an SI from a cannon characters perspective, and this is a lot of fun so far. Just hope the grim dark from 40k isnt contagious >_<
 

Chapter 9 is up now in Patreon, Ko-Fi page, and SubscribeStar so if you're interested in reading it in advance, you know where to look. Err, sorry for the rather late announcement. It's been up there for a while and I kinda forgot to tell you guys? Yeah, really sorry about that. Writing Rebecca's interaction with the old man was a bit of a slog and I spent way too much time researching about tea ceremonies. Anyways, here's a little teaser I want to share just to entice you all, just... around 600 words of it. Enjoy and see you next week!

Chapter 9

Rebecca adjusted her obi for what felt like the hundredth time and it didn't help by how stuffy and heavy it all was. She couldn't help it as she needed to be absolutely immaculate on this specific day because this was the day she meets, Hiro's grandfather who was none other than Subaro Arasaka. To say the man was legendary in night city would be an understatement for only a man of will can hold the titanic empire that was Arasaka together.

"Come on Rebecca, just breathe." Hiro whispered to her ears as he gave her hands a reassuring squeeze. There, they sat inside an Aerodyne as it cruised through the sky. Their destination was just ahead, a massive walled compound sitting atop a small hill. This was the true heart of Arasaka's operation, they were heading for the Arasaka Family Compound.

"Easy for you to say when you're not swaddled in what feels like a dozen layers of silk." She fired back as she leaned back against the luxurious leather seat. Not even the chocolates that were provided nor the small sip she had of wine could help calm her frayed nerves.

"Heh. Still though, you got this. I believe in you. This will just be another practice." he reminded her. She smiled before a yawn overtook her. Rubbing her tired eyes, she stared down at the compound down below as their ride started to descend among one of many Aerodynes landing and flying off from the small airport attached to the compound.

"Yes, just another practice. Nothing more, nothing less. She whispered to herself, doing her best to psyche herself up now that they were finally here.

The rows of immaculately dressed maids with their black and white uniforms with more oriental sleeves was quite the sight. They stood there in attention as they came to greet them along with a whole entourage of guards. They were not the ones that caught Rebecca's attention however but it was the man overseeing it all. There, standing ahead of everyone else was an Englishman with graying black hair combed back without nary a stray hair in sight wearing a suit that was pressed to a perfection.

"Good morning young master." The man greeted in japanese as her input brightened up at the sight of the man. "And my my, it seems that he has brought a lady friend home." he then added as his gaze landed on her. Rebecca stared back with a soft smile, waiting for him to say anything else.

"Walter! How's my favorite butler doing? I hope grandfather didn't give you too much trouble while I was away." Hiro greeted as he walked up to the man and gave him a hug. The butlers sighed out as he rolled his eyes and gave Hiro a pat on the head.

"On the contrary, the estate had never experienced such peace in almost 15 years. I believe that might be due to the fact that there haven't been any explosions since you left. Strange, but a welcome change of pace." The taller man snarked out as Hiro pulled away from him. Rebecca had to look away and hide her lips with her sleeves just to avoid laughing. She liked this man.

"You're so funny Walter." Hiro snorted out at the man's joking remark as he turned toward her and introduced her to the family's butler. "Anyway, I would like you to meet my girlfriend. Rebecca, meet Walter. Walter, meet Rebecca."

"Walter Dornez at your service." The man greeted as he forgo the usual japanese way of greeting for a kiss on her hand. Her brow twitched at the man's attempt to flirt but chose to hide it behind a strained smile of her own.

"Charmed." She replied as she did her best not to throttle the man.
 
Chapter 9
Chapter 9

Rebecca adjusted her obi for what felt like the hundredth time and it didn't help with how stuffy and heavy it all was. She couldn't help it as she needed to be absolutely immaculate on this specific day because this was the day she meets Hiro's grandfather, who was none other than Subaro Arasaka. To say the man was legendary in night city would be an understatement for only a man of supreme will could hold the titanic empire that was Arasaka together.

"Come on Rebecca, just breathe." Hiro whispered to her ears as he gave her hands a reassuring squeeze. There, they sat inside an Aerodyne as it cruised through the sky. Their destination was just ahead, a massive walled compound sitting atop a small hill. This was the true heart of Arasaka's operation, they were heading for the Arasaka Family Compound.

"Easy for you to say when you're not swaddled in what feels like a dozen layers of silk," She fired back as she leaned back against the luxurious leather seat. Not even the chocolates that were provided nor the small sip of wine she had could help calm her frayed nerves.

"Heh. Still though, you got this. I believe in you. This will just be another practice run." He reminded her. She smiled before a yawn overtook her. Rubbing her tired eyes, she stared down at the compound down below as their ride started to descend among one of many Aerodynes landing and flying off from the small airport attached to the compound.

"Yes, just another practice run. Nothing more, nothing less." She whispered to herself, doing her best to psyche herself up now that they were finally there.

The rows of immaculately dressed maids with their black and white uniforms with more oriental sleeves was quite the sight. They stood there in attention as they came to greet them along with a whole entourage of guards. They were not the ones that caught Rebecca's attention however but it was the man overseeing it all. There, standing ahead of everyone else was an Englishman with graying black hair combed back without nary a stray hair in sight wearing a suit that was pressed to a perfection.

"Good morning, young master." The man greeted in japanese as her input brightened up at the sight of the man. "And my my, it seems that he has brought a lady friend home," he then added as his gaze landed on her. Rebecca stared back with a soft smile, waiting for him to say anything else.

"Walter! How's my favorite butler doing? I hope grandfather didn't give you too much trouble while I was away," Hiro greeted as he walked up to the man and gave him a hug. The butlers sighed out as he rolled his eyes and gave Hiro a pat on the head.

"On the contrary, the estate had never experienced such peace in almost 15 years. I believe that might be due to the fact that there haven't been any explosions since you left. Strange, but a welcome change of pace," The taller man snarked out as Hiro pulled away from him. Rebecca had to look away and hide her lips with her sleeves just to avoid laughing. She liked this man.

"You're so funny, Walter," Hiro snorted out at the man's joking remark as he turned toward her and introduced her to the family's butler, "Anyway, I would like you to meet my girlfriend. Rebecca, meet Walter. Walter, meet Rebecca."

"Walter Dornez at your service," The man greeted as he forwent the usual japanese way of greeting for a kiss on her hand. Her brow twitched at the man's attempt to flirt but chose to hide it behind a strained smile of her own.

"Charmed," She replied as she did her best not to throttle the man.

"Quite a fiery one are you? Well, the master does have a distaste for those of weak will so no wonder he picked you," The man then said as a rather cheeky smile stretched across his face before gesturing for them as the sea of maids and guards parted before him, "Now, if you'd follow me?"

The gate of the compound was just as impressive as everything else with each of the doors looking like they were made from one massive tree. It wasn't just them that arrived either, but a whole host of people as well. She watched as a pair of businessmen entered through the compound before she specifically was barred by the guard stationed at the gate. She took in a short breath as she turned to look at the butler who in turn was glaring at the man before them.

"The master's orders," The man intoned as he refused to budge one bit even as Hiro was waiting on the other side.

"I'm quite sorry but we'll have to do a quick search before you enter the estate. Normal procedure, I assure you," The butler gritted out through his strained smile. Rebecca smiled back and shook her head. There was no need to be offended for her when this was to be expected. That was why she and Hiro made sure to give quite the impression.

"There's no need. Besides, I've been meaning to find a place to put all my guns down," She laughed out softly as she started unloading her arsenal. Her elegant clothing served well to hide everything as she dropped the bolters she had hidden in her sleeves. That made everyone pause as they turned and watched her start pulling out other weapons. Lasguns, grenades, knives, even an LMG version of the Bolter was handed over to the poor man who was now trying his best to carry everything. Finally, she lifted up the side of her kimono and pulled her favorite black gun.

"Please take care of them alright?~" She sang out in a teasing tone as she watched the man stagger off to find a place to drop it all down. She had packed her most expensive weaponry and the man knew damn well not to scratch her belongings. Was it petty having him carry it all when he was merely following orders? Yes. Was it entertaining to watch? Most certainly it was.

"I'll repeat, isn't she a fiery one. The master doesn't half ass things when it comes to choosing his woman, just as much when he attempts to break the laws of physics themselves." The butler reiterated with an amused tone of his own as they were finally allowed through after a brief search by a female guard.

She smiled as she walked with Hiro confidently. She was ready for the challenges that Hiro's grandfather posed, the question now would be if his grandfather was ready for her?

"Mr. Fujimoto,Tokyo around this time of the year is rather pleasant. Why don't you and your entourage take a tour of the city? Kyoto has its charms but I assure you that Tokyo has character equal to the old capital." Saburo Arasaka, the true head of the Arasaka Corporation, said as he waved off another petitioner as he held court.

There the man sat as the door leading to a balcony overlooking the massive enclosed forest with Mount Fuji in the background remained open. The cool fresh air of the morning flowed in but that couldn't stop the man before them from sweating. Goro Takamura watched it all as he stood there in attention, ready to cut down anyone that tried thinking of anything funny.

"B-but Mr. Arasaka, please, just give me anoth-" The man stuttered, getting on his knees and crawling up to the elderly Arasala, begging his master only for the old man to frown. The fool had just signed his death warrant.

"Good day Mr. Fujimoto. I hope your visit has been pleasant." The Arasaka head chided the blubbering fool who hastily made a bow and scampered off to whatever hole he came from. His master reached up for his forehead and sighed out in frustration. He sympathized with him for the flood of sycophants and asskissers was never ending.

The frown however quickly gave way as word of the young master's arrival came. There was still a frown on the older man's face at the mention of the girl but that gave way to a bemused look as tales of the arsenal of weapons disgorged at one of the poor guards. Goro made sure to remember to have a table placed nearby.

It didn't take long for his former ward to arrive with the girl he had taken fancy in tow. Her pale face, her immaculately done hair and her tidy dress spoke of a cultured woman but those striking and fierce red eyes of hers said otherwise. She might look like a pretty flower but this one had thorns.

"When I heard that she's always armed, I did not expect that she'd bring enough to arm a whole squad of soldiers." The old master commented with wry amusement tinged his tone. He might have remained impassive but the way he relaxed on his seat was a good sign.

"Good afternoon, grandfather." The young master respectfully bowed along with his lover. The two bowed together, with the girl bowing a bit lower. He gave the girl an approving nod.

"So, this is the gaijin girl then. I expected someone… taller," The elderly Arasaka sneered at the girl. Only the girl's soft frown was any sign that she was affected by it. As the master's personal guard, he had studied the girl in front of her. The girl was going to fight an uphill battle with her upbringing and he couldn't help but root for her, but the girl was doing good so far.

"What can I say, grandfather? The best things often come in small packages," Hiro replied for her, defending her before his grandfather.

The old man snorted as he slowly stood up from his seat. With Goro assisting him and making sure he didn't fall over, the man got up to his feet and made his way up to inspect the young master's lover. He walked close, getting well within the striking distance of the girl as he stared at her with those cold weathered eyes that remain sharp despite his extremely advanced age. There was a stand off between the two with the girl refusing to budge.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the old man nodded as he introduced himself, "You may know me already but it's best that I introduce myself. I am Arasaka Saburo, Hiro's grandfather. With what name shall I call you?" The master said as he looked at the girl appraisingly, trying to find any flaw but she wore her dress with the dignity of a proper japanese woman; a feat all on its own.

"My name is Rebecca Hall. It's an honor to meet you," The young woman demurely replied. Her tone was controlled and her speech slower almost imperceptibly.

"Hall. I believe I'm unfamiliar with such a family in all my dealings in the US but no matter. Come, sit. The servants will bring the tea set shortly," The old man quipped, sending another barb towards the girl's way but all he ever got when he turned away was a soft, yet challenging, smile.

Walter and another maid would soon come to the room bringing with them some of the older pieces of ceramic. They were priceless works of art made during the time of the shoguns. Their worn appearance showed their age well and the girl gulped ever so softly at the sight. Emboldened in the front of the cups was a raging wave like texture, an imperfection on the otherwise perfect piece of ceramic yet it was strangely beautiful in its own way.

"Why don't you prepare us some tea while I discuss with my grandson on his recent escapade." The master requested, though anyone that was familiar with him knew it was an order. She was to be the host of the ceremony and she took it in stride as she made a gentle bow from her seiza.

"Please, allow me," She replied as she slowly sat up and walked over to start.

Using the offered basin, she washed her hands, cleansing them before even making a move to touch the tools. She gave proper reverence to the tools as she cleaned them with the linen provided for her with the whisk being cleaned with the hot water served she had scooped from the hot kettle. Scooping the right amount of matcha, she prepared a suitably thick tea for the master. Everything was done with a deliberate pace, neither slow nor hurried, as she made sure that it was well mixed. With the wave on the teacup facing her, she offered it to the elderly man.

Everything was almost done to the prescribed procedures but Goro couldn't help but shake his head; the key word was almost. Still, the master took the offered tea and gave a small bow of gratitude before taking a sip. The old man savored the tea as Rebecca made another cup for the young master.

"Hiro, do you know why I've called you here?" The man then asked as he looked up from his steaming drink.

"To judge my actions, grandfather, as well as meet the woman that has caught my eye," The young master answered with a solemn tone.

"Indeed," The man nodded as he finished his tea. Setting the cup aside, the young woman asked if he wanted another cup to which the elderly Arasaka shook his head. Hiro would soon receive his tea cup with the wave of his cup facing him. He bowed as he received the cup before turning his cup clockwise twice so that the front faced away from him.

"When I sent you to America, I thought you were ready to handle our branch in Night City. Everything was going smoothly, investment was steady, and the confidence the markets had in our stock was at an all time high. Your lab had just been set up and the latest release of your newest weapons system has been a resounding success," the elderly Arasaka started, praising Hiro's effort so far before his frown deepened as he leveled a small glare at his grandson.

"Your actions involving your private life, however, leaves me wanting," The man then scolded, laying before the boy all that he had found him lacking, "Starting a fling with a courtesan and practically screaming it out to the world in a press conference, starting a war with the gaijin's pawns when you're still scrambling to get your manufacturing equipment to the country and then, to top it all off, you decided to get involved in a fire fight," The girl's hands clenched yet she stayed her hand and remained quiet as she allowed her man to fight his own battle.

"Grandfather, I'd like to apologize for the fire fight. I thought I was ready-" The boy apologized only to be cut off.

"But clearly you aren't. You didn't have to get your hands dirty when your executioner could have handled it but you didn't let him. Has your lover clouded your mind that much? What you have done was foolish." The almost bicentennial man growled out, questioning the wisdom that the young master showed.

"My choice of timing left much to be desired," The younger of the two lamely replied making the old man sneer as he turned his attention to the girl who had remained quiet all this time. Her shoulders were squared, her posture tense yet she did her best to remain calm under fire.

"Speaking of your lover… a commoner of all things and a foreigner at that. You are the scion of the house of Arasaka and your future wife should match your station. Almost every prominent family in Japan has offered the hands of their daughters or close relatives to you and far more that I have to reject due to their current situation. You could have anyone and we could have made it work, even a seat beside the chrysanthemum throne is on the table and is still, I would have even contented myself with that Korean whore you had for your sports team as her family is from a more respectable sort but you choose her, why?" The man questioned.

There was a pause as the young woman took deep calming breaths while the two stared off against one another. The young master himself was frowning now as he grounded out, "Because she is my choice and she has yet to make me regret it. I accepted your choice once, grandfather, and she did not live up to my expectations."

The older man glanced away, turning to the beautiful scenery to the side. For a minute, they remained silent before the older man broke the silence, "And so she did." He whispered out.

Hiro nodded before he bowed down to his grandfather, pressing his forehead down on the tatami mat, "Grandfather, I take full responsibility for my actions. Whatever you decide today, I shall follow," the boy intoned, laying his fate before his elder. He had wronged in the older man's eyes and the younger man accepted his faults.

The man closed his eyes as he let out a deep seated sigh before he gestured for Goro to help him, "I'm feeling the need for some fresh air. We'll decide your punishment after we have a round out in the field." The man declared as he motioned for them to follow him.

"First time on a shooting range, Miss Hall?" Walter asked as he observed the young woman before her. She might try to hide it but the wide eyed stare of awe at the rolling fields of grass and the various sporting equipment was truly a sight to behold. Seeing her origins, she might not have had the luxury to enjoy it.

"No, not at all Mr. Dornez it's just the first time I've been in such a wide and open one," The girl admitted as she walked up the table where a pair of preloaded pump action shotguns were set aside.They were old things, hailing from a time before the rise of corporations but they were well kept even if their grip had been worn from all the use. The young lady looked over to the young master, giving him questioning looks to which the man shrugged.
"Well, you're in for a treat then," The butler smiled as the elderly Arasaka grabbed one of the guns and inspected them, loading them with bird shots from a nearby box. Walter gestured for the maids to man the clay pigeon machine.

"So Miss Hall, I heard from my grandson that you're quite a sharp shooter," The old master quarried as he gazed towards the young lady.

The woman blinked, surprised by the question, but she remained poised as she answered without missing a beat, "The use of one's gun is essential for my profession. Nothing beats combat in improving one's shot knowing that a miss can cause one's death."

"Indeed. As much as a soldier is trained for the battlefield, nothing can truly replicate the experience of a real fight," The elderly Arasaka reminisced as he gazed up in the sky.

"I couldn't agree more," The girl nodded in agreement.

"Miss Hall, would you care for a shooting contest? While using a gun out in the field is relaxing, having a friendly competition can spice things up," The old man then asked as he gave the girl one of his ever so rare smiles.

"I'll be more than happy too," The younger girl accepted as she almost grinned from ear to ear until she noticed it and toned down her excitement. The girl was showing cracks from her immaculate appearance but they showed steel of a warrior rather than the softness of a conniving worm; interesting. He made sure to watch her closely as he walked over to the maids manning the machine.

"Walter, prepare the Clay Pigeons," Their master ordered and Walter was more than happy to set the stage for a match.

There was enough ground in the training field of the Arasaka compound to house a clay pigeon shooting range among various other firearm related courses and Walter made sure that everything was ready at a moment's notice. "Miss Hall, your weapons have been prepared. Best of luck. The old master is quite the proficient shooter," He warned the young girl.

"Thank you," The young woman replied as he held comfortably, her hands gripping the stock as she tested the iron sights of the ancient weapon. She nodded appreciatively as she watched the old man start off the competition. There were three machines loaded with the clay targets and one by one they fired. The old man was deft with his hands as he quickly tracked the target and shot them out of them but missed the last as it was far too close to the ground.

"I believe that you're a Night City native, Miss Hall?" The man asked before turning to Walter to order the machines to fire.

"Yes, born and raised in the streets of Watson. Night City is an unforgiving place especially for those that were orphaned, but we survived," The girl casually replied even as she shot them from the most awkward of angles; she held the gun around her waist.

"I can see why," The man replied as the next course started. Two machines now started firing in pairs but in random order, "Any hobbies that you find enjoyable?" The man then asked as he shot down the first pair without any problem.

"I find shooting to be far more relaxing than most forms of mindless entertainment, at least it has practicality," The woman replied as she fired once more from her awkward shooting angle, hitting her targets head on, "I also find enjoyment by reading through classical fiction. Reading provides a different perspective to one's own and can serve well to sharpen the mind."

"A balance of mind and body. Many would tend to ignore one and favor the other, yet they do not see how both are one and the same," The man agreed, praising her for her hobbies. That got his brow rising. Was she of all people getting through the old master?

The next pair were quickly fired at the sky but with varying speed. The older man shot down the low lying and slow moving target first before targeting the other. "You have overcome challenges and now you have achieved lofty heights that many are often not worthy of achieving. What do you intend to do moving forward?" The man pressed on, grilling the girls with ever harder questions.

"I intend to remain by my lover's side, even if it means that I'll have to face a whole new set of hardships. To give up on him would be a betrayal of the trust that he has placed upon me and I aspire to be worthy of the love he gives," The girl declared with a look of grim determination as shot the twin targets in quick succession.

"Loyalty, even if it's blind or senseless, is praiseworthy. A bucket of crabs is all I have most of the time, but to find one that would remain by one's side through all the trials and tribulations of life is exceedingly rare and often elusive especially in this day and age," The older man lamented as the last pair was flung to the air. He waited a bit, letting them fly to the peak of their ark before shooting them down.

"People often get blinded by their own hubris," The young woman replied, sympathizing as Walter prepared a surprise for her for the next round.

"Do you intend to remain in Night City?" The man questioned as the final clay shots were fired in the air.

"Given the chance and if Hiro were to ask me? I would choose to move out and never look back," She answered truthfully as she shot the pair down without so much a blink. Her eyes widened however as five more clay targets were sent flying in the air.

"Is it not where you were born? Is it your home?" The old man asked as the girl took aim and squeezed the trigger only to find that her shotgun had run out of shells. She grabbed four more, two shells paired with each other as she performed a pitch perfect speed load. She shot down three of the lower flying ones before raising her gun for the final pair. With her head slightly tilted to the stock of the gun, she aimed carefully before making her shot. The slug ripped through the last two targets in quick succession. Her audience clapped and he too joined in at the display.

Wiping the sweat off her forehead, she gently set her firearm to the table before making her reply, "Yes, it is where I was born but it is merely a place where I live. It is where I live but it is a hostile place, an unforgiving place, a place not suitable for any child to grow up in."

Turning to the older Arasaka, she continued, "It is cold, it is uncaring, and a blight on this world," She smiled softly, before adding, "You can say that it is a hive of scum and villainy."

Walter had to clench his jaw to avoid bursting out laughing. This girl, he now knew exactly why this girl of all things captured the heart of his former ward. Hiro was a lucky man to have a girl like this by his side. It's a shame that she was not one of the old masters' picks.

"But it would not be for long," The old man nodded gravely before turning to his grandson. "I've finally reached a decision. I will not be asking you to come back to Japan. Our operation in Night City is still a top priority and I need you there to oversee it with Michiko."

The boy visibly deflated just as his master turned his attention to the young firebrand, "As for you, Miss Hall, the estate is for you to explore. Walter will be your guide. Might I suggest the pond next to the shrine? I have yet to feed the ducks with how busy I have been this morning and they might be hungry," The man suggested with a soft smile on his face. The girl brightened up noticeably as she gave the man a smile that reached up to her eyes before nodding eagerly.

"Of course. By your leave?" The girl requested to which his master nodded and gestured for her to go. She did not need to be told twice.

"Right this way, Miss Hall." Walter motioned for her to follow. She earned this small tour inside the compound. He made sure that she wouldn't be bothered by any of the other staff. After all, it would be rather dangerous if anyone from the staff decided to mess with the young master's mistress.

Saburo Araska had enough excitement for the day and sent off any would-be petitioners for the day home as he led his grandson to his personal office. Any important meeting would have been sent through to his youngest daughter and he trusted her well enough to handle it. Now, he simply wanted to spend time with his grandson.

Reaching his room, his faithful retainer opened the door leading to his study for him. His aching bones reminded him that he needs to check his personal physician once more. Heading inside, he motioned for Goro to stand guard as he locked the door behind him. There, inside the relatively privacy of the study, they could finally talk.

This room had once been the office of his father and he remembered the time he spent playing here. It was a more western styled office than he would have liked, but the memories this room held were far too precious for him to destroy. He stepped across the burnt part of the rug, remembering how he almost burned the whole office down when he knocked down a candle, before sitting down on one of the comfortable Edwardian Couch that his father imported and patting the seat beside him.

They sat together in silence for a while as his grandson stretched his tired legs, "I would like to say that I was rather disappointed when I first learned of her through Michiko. I thought you made a mistake in choosing her, but now that I've met her and judged her, I find that I'm the one that's mistaken," He admitted, feeling a bit of deja vu as he was forced to admit that he was wrong in judging a book by its cover. He looked over to his grandson, a union of his rebellious son and a princess from a far off land. He was every bit his father's son, even if there was a rift between the two.
"Make no mistake, however, as fine a woman she is, she is not suitable to be your main wife. Yes, she has a good head on her shoulders and she showed that she can learn and adapt to our customs, but her educational attainment is lacking. She is rather emotional as well, despite how well she held herself back," Just like his father, he had fallen for someone not of his choice. He grimaced as the memories of confronting his son came rushing back. The shouting, the punches thrown, such a foolish boy.

"Simply put, the realities of your situation require you to marry for the sake of the company and the family first and foremost if Arasaka is to survive this century and the ones afterwards. Your wife needs to cover for your weaknesses when it comes to dealing with business," He explained, laying his objections to any official union they might have.

"And unfortunately in your eyes, Rebecca will not be able to meet the challenge," The boy deduced, making him frown. Still, his grandson proved himself to be far different when he saw through the wisdom of his words as he heard his resigned sigh.

"Regrettably, yes. Love and Duty often come at odds, but that does not mean you can't choose both." He comforted him, making his grandson perk up. Cruel he might be to his enemies, he was not one to his own blood.

"She might not be a good candidate to be your wife but she is a good retainer as well as a lover, if this is your taste. If your future wife can get through her and your heart, then all the better but it might not be the case. Best to have her around to ease things out for you and your future wife's sake," He added, acknowledging that the girl might not be perfect but she still was good enough to stand by his grandson's side. Maybe not as a wife, but a lover to warm his bed and calm the emotions he had inside his heart. The girl was also good with firearms, terrifyingly so.

"Thank you grandfather," The boy replied.

"Do not think that you're out of hot water just yet, young man. There are still the consequences of your ill thought out actions," He reminded him. He had been less than pleased with his actions to say the very least. "As for your punishment, you have long denied my attempts to give you a proper body guard, even going so far as to recruit your butcher. I have held my hand but no longer," He declared, leaving no room for questioning. This was his ultimatum and all that he asked of him. His grandson might value his freedom but he valued his life even more.

"I'll… provide accommodations for Jubei," The boy relented with a bit of reluctance to his voice. He laughed at the boy for his assumption. No, he had learned his lesson when it came to choosing his grandson's retainers as well as potential suitors.

"Who said it would be Jubei? You may come out now," He replied before signaling his shadows to descend from their hiding spot. A panel on the roof opened up as the grandfather and daughter duo descended down and knelt before them. The Kamori clan might not be as famous as the Hattori but they had been in the Arasaka's service since time immemorial.

"Finally, you guys should really get someone to clean up there. If I wasn't wearing a mask, I would have sneezed my nose off," The young scion of the Kamori clan mouthed off but was instantly cuffed on the back of the head by her grandfather.

"Kiriko! Not the time. Master, please forgive my wayward daughter," Jubei growled out before forcing his daughter to bow down. The girl tried to fight back but Jubei showed why he was still the head of the clan.

"No need for that my old friend. Besides, she would be Hiro's retainer from here on out?" he replied as he gestured for them to rise up.

"Wait really? Sweet! I won't let you down," The young excitable girl piped up as she gave them both a salute. He and Jubei sucked in a breath before sighing out. Were grandchildren really this much of a handful?

"Well, she's certainly lively," Hiro slowly drew out as he looked at the young kunoichi with apprehension and uncertainty.

"Isn't she not to your tastes?" He questioned with a frown. It was by sheer luck that his shinobi retainer had a granddaughter that was only a few years older than his grandson.

"I did not expect you to drop the subtlety of your actions so soon, father," He deadpanned, making him chuckle softly.

"When a sword can't cut it, it's best to start using a club," He replied with a shrug. Yes, it was crude but his intentions were clear as day.

"She will do," The boy sighed, making the girl gush out in excitement. The girl was certainly a handful but she would be Hiro's problem from now on. He allowed the girl to settle down first and remember who she was standing before sending them off.

"With that out of the way, let's talk about your other actions as well, shall we?" He asked as he leveled the boy a more serious and questioning look. The boy had been rather hasty these past few months. He had waited an entire year before he acted and the results of his actions had been rather explosive.

The boy merely smiled enigmatically as he clarified, "Everything has been going as planned."

"Is it really necessary to play the part of a fool? Starting the war so early with the enemy when you're in the middle of preparing your fortress and factories?" He asked, wondering why he was acting as such. There was a method to the boy's madness, there always had been. Even the explosions in the villa had been a showcase of his technology's potency, even if they were earthshaking.

"People do severely underestimate the fool. Besides, I now know my enemies as well as those who I can't trust," The boy casually answered with a shrug. A bit wasteful in his opinion but Night City was his grandson's theater. The boy needed to learn even if it meant a scrape or two on his knees. It did show who his grandson couldn't trust as well as finding new pieces that were more than willing to play along.

"The cat's paw has decided to stay its hand when the company is in need of their action. They have grown fat and lazy," He scoffed in disgust. It only took two generations before the successors of his son's pet ronin decided that they would not act until called upon. Where was the initiative? The loyalty?

"They are disposable assets in the end. They can be replaced, especially when the public can be swayed to our cause instead. Fear is a useful tool, but it can only get us so far. Being loved is far better." His grandson pointed out.

"And your move to court a shipping company by letting them handle such delicate equipment?" He then questioned. Why had he relied upon the help of outsiders when he had his aunt to call upon for help.

"Equipment I black boxed and would be useless if not assembled properly, grandfather, but to put it simply? Asset denial," The boy answered. That he could understand. Arasaka had stood alone in the last war and look at what that cost them. They had no friends to back them up and they paid for it in blood when their reputation was tarnished by the very bomb used against them. His blood boiled at the very memory of that day, that day when everything went horribly wrong.

"And so the pieces are now set and all that's needed is for me to set things in motion. Not even Militech and NUSA's honeyed words can't sway the public once I'm done with Pacifica. Night City shall serve as quite the forward base for another Corporate War don't you agree, grandfather?" His grandson then asked.

"Indeed, but be careful there." He reminded him. He already lost one heir to the enemies across the ocean, he dared not think what he would do he would lose another.

"Of course grandfather. By the way, about the other project?" His grandson then asked, making his groan out in frustration.

"The answer remains no, Hiro. You have far too many balls in the air to handle that as well. Let your Aunt have it," He scolded the boy as he shook his head. He needed to learn to rely on his blood and not just on him and his cousin.

"If you say so," the boy muttered. He swore out inside the privacy of his head, the friction between his descendants would cost him his life if things got out of hand.

A/N:

Finally got this out. Sorry there was a delay, Real life stuff happened. Anywho, Rebecca made her first impression for Grandpa. He's a racist asshole but he can respect someone who knows their way with a gun. Also yes, he does have a soft spot for his grandkids. You might notice that I didn't have a post chapter ender this time around cause I'm throwing it for next chapter which would be interlude. I'm trying to compile a list of perspective that would be fun to write about as things are shifting. Rebecca's arc is sort of done so now, it's her inputs arc time to begin. Hope to see you guys when I write that.

With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @vyor for keeping me from doing some stupid stuff :V. I'd also want to thank my Patrons once again. You guys are the best! Consider dropping by my Patreon page and became a patron today to support me so I can keep on making these types of fics. It means a lot to me to keep on working on my fics. I also have also have a Ko-Fi page and a Subscribe Star for those who do not like Patreon.

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"The answer remains no, Hiro. You have far too many balls in the air to handle that as well. Let your Aunt have it," He scolded the boy as he shook his head. He needed to learn to rely on his blood and not just on him and his cousin.

"If you say so," the boy muttered. He swore out inside the privacy of his head, the friction between his descendants would cost him his life if things got out of hand.
...why rely on someone you know will backstab you? Err. Arasaka is beginning to show his age here, I suspect...
 
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