My heart was suddenly beating in my ears. Teeth grinding. If I wasnt already a bit out of breath I was sure I would be screaming with every exhale.
MAELSTROM.
My hand instinctively already reaching for my Burya to put the monster down.
I snapped my eyes shut. Inhale. Exhale.
I opened my eyes feeling at least myself. I wasnt sure if that feeling had been from all the rage I had been pumping into myself, or just
Maelstrom.
But my hand fell away from my Burya. I didnt need to kill her. The girl was barely alive.
Broken. Ripped apart. White borg blood mixed with red real blood covered her. I was honestly shocked she was still alive considering how much blood was dripping from her onto the floor.
I stilled, everything that I was struggled with a decision.
On one hand, Maelstrom. Kill her. Painfully.
On the other, she was a victim of Scavs. No one deserved that. Funny how my two most hated enemies were responsible for this situation.
My eyes flickered as I scanned her. She had a rap sheet. I read it over still unsure what to do.
Natalie Desanto AKA GearSlot. I said finally my eyes bored into her optics. As if I could kill her by just glaring.
A-are you-*cough* D-did Kamhead send you? She asked, quietly a desperate hope in her voice.
The sound of it left my tongue tasting of ash, and a disgust welling up in .
Its all fun and gas to put people in a pit to fight for their life, but get put into a Scav den and suddenly they are the victim! I raged inside my mind. My hands gripped so hard I could feel the blood coating my palms run down my fingers. I shifted them, to keep from breaking sothing internally.
No, I was not sent here by so Maelstrom piece of shit! I happily kill you fucks whenever I get the chance after what you monsters did to ! I roared back, my voice throaty and raw. My insides were still not doing great. I should really stop and take so MaxDoc to heal up again, but my hands were struggling to do anything but grip my own arms now as I glared at the Maelstrom in front of .
All I could see is those fucking optics staring at .
Oh. She muttered a raspy sigh escaping her. Figures.
I stalked up to her. For the first ti in a while my arms felt wrong. Like just being around so Maelstrom made my phantom limbs act up again, as if I had an extra set of limbs already reaching for her throat to throttle her to death.
My head felt quiet. The song ended so it was just and her and the sound of dripping blood.
Just , and her.
Her life in my hands. She was dying regardless. Body torn into by Scavs. Another victim of them just as I had been
I exhaled and it ca out more like a growl. But the breath was ice cold on my tongue.
Suddenly I reached out and grabbed her face, uncaring about the blood I left there as I pushed her head to the side. She whimpered in fear and pain. As she knew a beast was here to kill her.
But I wasnt a mindless beast.
I pulled the shard that was in her neuroport.
Im not going to rescue you, but that should be what was blocking your agent. Call so of your chooms. If they care about you, maybe youll survive. I bit out crunching the shard in my hand. Fucking Scav shit made to shut down soone from being able to call for help.
Then I started walking away. I couldnt deal with this shit!
W-wait! W-where are we? I dont know where to tell-Tell them to go! She begged weakly, desperate.
My feet stomped into bloody flooring halting cold.
gabuilding H11 Floor 37. Tell them to get to the North West side. Should be obvious where to go. I ground behind clenched teeth, as I started taking another step away. I wanted to get out of here.
Then she was coughing, I could hear the blood in her synth-lungs. I had killed enough people to know what soone dying sounded like.
Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!
I turned around and grabbed a dkit off a pile of bodies. Fucking Scavs. They obviously took care of each other in here when needed. They had a full dical kit all stocked up. I thrust a MaxDoc into her hand, which would help a little, but grabbed a canister of borg blood.
I jamd it into her, not caring to be gentle. She whimpered, but it obviously helped. Blood pressure surging back as her breathing evened out, even giving her the strength to take the MaxDoc.
There, thats all the rcy I have for soone in Maelstrom. I told her firmly. Slamming the dkit back onto the table beside her and storming off.
As I turned the corner I ca across the dead Scavs, and rembered what I had been doing here.
I turned off the BD recorder, and grabbed a MaxDoc of my own.
I also needed to find a damn bathroom. Jun would freak if I ca out this covered in my own blood like this.
My irritation spiked when I realized I would have to go hunt down my knife, I had dropped my Carnage sowhere as well.
Plus Ichi and Malcolm would be on their way soon, and so would a group of Maelstrom.
Fuck. Fuck!
I found a bathroom, but stopped before cleaning up. The sight of myself covered in blood gave an idea. Instead I called Jun.
*Motoko! You okay? It went quiet!*
*Jun change of plans. I need you to stay up there Scavs had a victim in here they are fucked, They are calling for soone to get them out of here, but I dont want you to get involved.* I said ignoring his worried tone.
*Motoko? Whats going on I can co down to help if soone is dying. I know so first aid stuff.* Juns voice asked, obviously concerned.
*Maelstrom. The victim is a Maelstrom girl.* Considering how much I want to kill her, and her fucking friends, I doubted Jun was much more reasonable.
*Did you kill it?* Jun asked, suddenly his voice sounded a little dead.
*No, I didnt kill her! I just said She was already in pieces.* I told him, and dont think I didnt notice how you called her an it Jun. Thats rather telling Onii-chan. *Its ruined my mood though. Jun just let handle this. So of her chooms are going to co pick her up. That will be that.*
*No. If more Maelstrom are coming I should co down. Make sure they dont ever leave, we can-*
*Jun, if the Maelstrom find out you are here alone, they are going to send a hit squad to take you out. Just Stay hidden up there, Ill patch you into the caras so you can keep watch, but I just want these fucks gone so Malcolm and Ichi can loot Please just stay cool. I know I know this isnt comforting. But I have an idea. Its not like I plan on being gentle with the fucks.*
*Its your gig.* He said suddenly just as flat as before, then the call ended.
Fuck.
--
I had called Ichi to let him know the situation, so he wouldnt park too close until I let him know it was clear. Then I waited. Forced to listen to the Maelstrom woman slowly die even with the blood injection and MaxDoc.
My foot was tapping in irritation when finally the elevator started up and three Maelstrom ca stepping out carefully onto the floor with guns in hand.
Of course I let them approach.
Let them find the broken open entrance door.
I stalked them. My silent steps more than capable of bypassing their chro audio equipnt. The fact I had access to all the caras ant I could stay around the corner always completely hidden from their stupid Optics which were difficult to get around.
Fuckin hell this really is a Scav den! I guess GearSlot was right. Think she was actually klepped, or she just leading us into a trap? One of them asked suddenly.
Fuck off, she was legit, now find her! The other growled out and the first made a motion that I knew he was rolling his nonexistent eyes.
Just cause you fuck her sotis
No! Because she is one of us, and we dont let Maelstrom get fucked by Scavs. He grumbled as they stepped into the first rooms.
Fuck, look at that scop! The first Maelstrom whistled as they ca across the first body I had left, head bashed in across the table.
Guess Gearslot was right. So solo ca through here, wiped them out. Cmon!
While I followed them along. I was recording. The mont the elevator rose to the top I had started recording again.
The Only Thing They Fear is You 2 Electric Boogaloo.
I waited for them to find their choom. Unfortunately for the Maelstrom, each had already had their security breached through as I tracked them.
I was now in control.
Fuck Gearslot you look like so truly rusty shit. The guy that sounded actually worried about her muttered when they found her.
Fuck you. She wheezed but she sounded relieved. Now get Get out of here. She begged and the big guy nodded, already reaching down to pick her up.
Hell no! Look around, look at all this chro! The stupid fuck said.
Thats it. Cant allow them to even consider that.
The stereo that the Scavs were so fond of started up with a thought from where I was hiding, literally crawling among the corpse of the Scav ripper doc I had murdered before.
The first guitar riff echoed through the room.
The fuck? Wheres that song coming from?
What song is that? The third asked looking around more in interest at the notes.
I think I think the girl, the solo wants us to leave. Gearslot muttered quietly in the big Maelstroms arms.
What? Fuck that! This is our territory! Its our chro! So Fleshy cunt can-
That was when I dropped the darkness on them.
For stupid worthless chro junkies their optics were usually high end, giving them vision way better than a normal person could have.
Even if the chro was a disgusting ss.
But it was still just chro.
Still able to be shut down.
Two of them instantly lost sight.
What? Fuck I cant see! Stupid and the other gonk that wasnt holding his injured choom suddenly lost their right to see. The third the big fuck that was carrying the girl was allowed to retain his vision. I wanted at least one of them to see this.
I moved.
As the song pulsed through the radio, I slamd into stupid fuck. Carnage bashing his knee in and then whipping around to smash his face. Sending him crumpling to the floor at the unseen attack. Then I slamd the barrel into his cheek putting weight behind it so he could really feel the pressure of the barrel pressing down on him. But I wasnt looking at the gonk that was a split second from losing his head, I was staring at the big fuck with the girl in his arms.
My bloodsoaked body glaring with all my might. Every ounce of barely restrained rage on display.
The voice that ca out wasnt my normal one. Sexy Motoko voice was in play mostly to make sound older. Only warning. Take your chooms and get lost. I pumped the shotgun just so stupid would know exactly what was pressing against his stupid face.
Then I let my hack finish processing. I blinded them all got up, leaping away, and then bouncing again leaving the ripper room, as I deactivated the quick hack for the entire group.
Just as their sight had disappeared, it suddenly ca back, as I undid the attack. I also tweaked the stereo. Letting the sound dimm down so it was just a faint rumble in the background. A warning if they were smart.
I watched on from the cara system as I moved to a place they wouldnt find even if they looked.
Bitch! Stupid cursed as he rose up his gun waving this way and that, but after a few seconds he realized other than his chooms he was alone. Where did she go!?
Dont know. The big guy said but as he had been holding his injured output firmly actually trying to protect her even with his vision lost. But lets not find out. Move your shit, were leaving.
Stupid fuck looked like he was going to argue but eventually he just cursed and spit onto the floor following the other two.
I watched as they got into the elevator and left. I knew Jun had been watching too, so I was actually impressed they got away without being murdered.
Ti to check on my brother, get my crew to loot this place, and deal with everything.
Fuck.
--
I told you Jun, Im fine. Ill stop at Viks to get checked out. I told him grumbling. He had seen how much blood I had on from the caras, and it seed he had taken all the feelings he had about seeing Maelstrom and not murdering them, towards smothering .
You dont look fine. He grumbled as I drove us as quickly as I could away from the gabuilding.
This was supposed to be fun! It was supposed to be a glorious orgy of violence and brutality! Fun! I was supposed to be the Doom Slayer against acceptable targets! Like a ga, but more real!
But now all I could think about was how it ended. The bitter taste in my throat at being reminded Maelstrom existed.
It totally ruined my song. I grumbled, the fact I had been so happy to finally finish an aweso song felt so Far away now.
What song? Jun asked, almost startling and pulling out of the spiral of just frustration I was feeling.
Thats right. It was actually done. Like done done I felt a tiny bit of that happiness in finishing the song and music box co back, as I popped the shard from my neck and stuck it into the Quadras stereo.
The song started and I could tell the noise surprised Jun as my heavy riffs dropped into the heavy drums.
Okay, so maybe seeing Juns face perk up in interest as he listened to a song I played helped my mood a bit.
I stopped on the street in front of the apartnt complex to let Jun off at ho. Despite it being so late, I did want to go see Vik. Just to get a checkup. But as I parked Jun surprised by popping the shard out of the stereo before I could stop him.
Jun!
Nope. This is mine now. He told actually teasing , before racing out of the Quadra before I could stop him.
Hey! Get back here! Give it back! I called out as I started to slip out of the Quadra, but Jun pointed right at .
No! You are injured, go to Viks! He demanded and I stalled which gave him all the ti he needed to race inside.
Bastard! I yelled at him, but he just laughed as he raced inside.
I was going to powerbomb his ass the very next ti I caught him sleeping. I decided, but it was with a much lighter feeling that I slipped back into the Quadra.
--
Thankfully Vik was able to take care of . To my surprise he hadnt been in his clinic when I got there. I actually had to call him up.
Turns out Vik actually had a life outside of waiting around in his clinic for my gonk ass.
It gave weird vibes, like eting a teacher outside of school.
You have a fracture in your skull, and two of your ribs kid. Vik unfortunately hadnt been happy at , when I explained that I was still feeling pain even after healing.
I figured. Broken bones dont tend to heal up without sleeping. I explained and he just sighed rubbing at his head with one hand not covered in Ripper needles.
Alright, kid. Im glad you ca to for to check you out, so I wont yell at you too much. He offered with a warm hand on my shoulder as he thankfully let off easy.
I hadnt actually told him just why I was a bit more beat up than normal. Hopefully he wont find out it was sothing I basically did to myself.
Well I want you to rest then, here, for observation. Head wounds like that Skull fractures are serious kid. So rest. Im going to make sure you dont have a brain hemorrhage in your sleep.
With those orders from Vik what else could I do? I leaned back and closed my eyes.
--
With a clean bill of health and skull back to how it should be I left Viks the next morning. intending to go see Judy to drop off the new BD. Unfortunately I was still kinda covered in blood. I had washed up a bit, but there was only so much I could do without a change of clothes and a shower.
So I went ho instead. Did just that, and even took a few monts to get so food in . Then I raced over to Lizzies.
I had cut out a bit of the BD already. Mostly just everything after eting the Maelstrom victim. I didnt want anyone to see how rattled it had made . I had kept a copy of ssing with the second Maelstrom group, but that wasnt going to be handed over to Judy. It wasnt good enough to really bother with.
Lizzies was quieter than normal, being so early in the morning when I pulled up. Rita wasnt even the one guarding the door, but another girl that I had seen around, but hadnt spoken with. I waved at her as I passed and got a nod in return.
The insides were still active, but slower than normal. People were mostly hanging around in little corners rather than packing up the place, but I moved through.
Judys realm was how it always was. Dark and hidden away, but to my surprise, Judy wasnt actually here.
Huh.
I shrugged, it would have been nice to talk to her, but it is what it is. I grabbed the shard with the virtu on it and placed it onto Judys desk. Knowing she would get it. I was a few steps away before I stopped and quickly picked it back up.
Etching the na of the BD onto the shard with a grin before putting it back nice and obvious on her computer there. Now she would know what to call the BD for Nox.
Showing my mature and reasonable ntality I also sent Judy a text letting her know it was on her desk, including that the BD was a bit more brutal than before so she should be ready. As tempting as it was to leave it as a surprise, that might not be an entirely nice thing to do for soone kinda doing a favor by fixing up my virtu.
With that I headed back out of the club into the sunny California day.
I blinked at the sunny bright day, raising my hand over my eyes as I glared at it.
Nah fuck that. I grumbled heading to my car. I was going to go hide in the apartnt Maybe get so Ran first.
--
I was on the couch with a bowl of to go ran in front of as I looked through my system alerts.
Eighteen Scavs.
I hadnt actually counted last night.
I had brutally murdered eighteen Scavs.
Seventeen 500xp alerts, and one 1000xp alert was in the listing.
9500xp was nice on its own. The level up to level 12 was great.
But that wasnt even all that my system had given . I had used skills I didnt often practice. I had fought in a way that I never had.
Street Brawler had leveled up, and considering how early I had got those alerts, I might have gotten a good way into the next level if it wasnt already maxed out with Body at 7.
But better than that, I leveled Annihilation! Annihilation 5 also unlocked a perk. I had to go back and check to even rember what perk I had picked before, and it was Recoil Reduction. One of the reasons I was able to even use my Burya without breaking my arm. I was a little hyped at wondering what I would pick next!
Quick Hacks 7. Also popped up in the list. I guess my rolling Weapon Glitch had been good for more than just giving a brutal lee.
I had gained a lot from that fight.
I stretched as I considered what to do with my points.
Ill admit a big part of was tempted to put the stat point into intelligence.
Just to see. What was 11 in a stat/skill? What did it an?
But I shook off the temptation. Instead I went to my adaptation page and pushed another point into my arms.
Militech Condor *Adaptation Militech Condor 5/8*
I exhaled and I shrugged, and honestly. I couldnt even really feel the difference so much anymore. Sure they still gave weird signals sotis. Falling asleep on my arm only to wake up and feel like soone else was touching my face was a weird recurring issue in the morning.
But it felt Normal.
I felt normal.
Well, I felt normal enough. Ignoring the slight itch of my Subdermal. The ache my ankles gave in my calves as they forced bone and muscle to move in ways they wouldnt normally. Or the small minor things that I felt from ti to ti.
In the end. It was just .
I smiled and nodded looking at my skill points.
Did I want to spend them?
I had two
Nah there wasnt anything that wasnt already close to max level that I couldnt level up pretty quick.
Rockerboy staring at still at level 6 was tempting to actually grind out though.
I did finally finish my music box! I grinned as I stretched, wiggling my toes as I finished off the ran.
Ti to make so songs!
I reached over and plugged my personal link into the box humming as I started on a new track. I was thinking Samurai. I nodded, decision made. Lets see how I compare to Johnny.
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