Neon Cogs: Chapter 7-2 (Patreon)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-x-x-x-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-x-x-x-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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