Chapter 17


    <em>Ichinose </em>


    <em>The night after the Scav Den Raid.</em>


    Ichi was drinking. What else could he do? He just made more eddies in a few hours of work, than he had in any span of days working for Shobo-Sama.


    But he knew he couldnt do the same job that Motoko had done. He talked to the older Tyger ws when he was ying gofer, or doing odd jobs for them. They often liked to talk. About previous gigs they had done. Of the firefights they had been in.


    So he knew exactly how dangerous it was to hit a scav den. Sure if you were properly borged out, you could do it. Scavs often werent the best fighters, or the best equipped.


    But they were all armed, all ready to murder you. Gunfights sounded cool until you were in one and the other guy was firing back.


    Whats up kid, you''ve been ring at the bottom of your drink since you got back. One of the very same older Tyger ws asked as he plopped his can of Asahi on the table beside Ichi. Seriously, you look like you''re going to kill your beer.


    Hatake I took a gig from a friend today. And


    Ah. You lost someone? Went bad?


    No. No the opposite. It was over before I even got there, I was just The cleanup crew. Nothing more.


    Huh. So you made some easy eddies. Whats got ya down?


    The friend that called me into the job. Shes Ugh. It sounds so stupid. Im jealous! She went from being in the hospital to running jobs that I couldnt pull off. She is younger than me! How does a fourteen year old clear an entire scav den by herself!? I dont get it!


    By herself? You sure?Thats


    Yeah Im sure, she didnt even call us in until it was all over. We are supposed to be her chooms. I mean if she said she was going to try and hit a scav den I would have had Hiromi sit on her, because its dumb!


    Ah I get it. She did something impossible. Something beyond what you think you could do.


    Yeah. He grumbled ring at his beer.


    Well kid. Ill be honest. A kid your age? A fourteen year old able to do a job like that? That aint normal. Shes an edgerunner for sure.


    I know. SheMy goal was to be an edgerunner, not her. Motoko never wanted that before, and now? She is already doing it.


    Dont be stupid kid. You dont want to be an edgerunner. They burn bright, but only a quarter as long. Your choom? Shell be dead before shes twenty. Hell if she is already doing this shit? Before sixteen. Dont live your life like that Ichi. Burn slower, and longer. Trust me. As a guy in his forties. Ive seen a lot of chooms, men and women better than me at fighting, but also better than me at dying. Hatake offered taking a swig of his beer.


    I dont think I can help it. Feeling jealous.


    Yeah, well. Just remember bing an edgerunner has a cost. That level of skill. That willingness to put your life on the line? Hatake shook his head. If she is your choom, then do your best to help out, but make sure you know the line. Edgerunners don''t always realize what is dangerous for normal people. The closest I ever got to getting tlined was when I backed up an edgerunner choom. Got shot up for my trouble.


    What if I want to do that? Be an Edgerunner. Make it big, and prove that Im not just a Gofer?


    Hatake sort of nodded his head for a moment before sighing. Then be ready to be used up kid. Used like a tool. Used as a weapon. Being a gofer aint bad. At least you know youlle back home after a days work. Instead of being thrown into the trash because its convenient. Hatake sounded like this advice was personal. That this advice came from experience.


    Ichi wasnt sure if he could ept it though. To give up on his dream of making it big. Of bing more.


    --


    I grunted as I heard the trucks drive off. This storm was starting to piss me off.


    With shaky hands I reached into one of my thigh pouches and pulled out a max doc. I had found a few of them in the scav den, and since I now knew how useful they were, they were standard kit.


    I huffed it and a momentter my body didnt feel like I was dying.


    I grunted as I sat up, crawling over to a nice rock that I could rest against as I caught my breath.


    Getting thrown from a fast moving car into the desert? Not fun. Smashing into a rock on the way? Ow.


    Getting shot again? Double ow. I winced as I reached behind me and felt the hole in my Netsuit. Yeah the bullet had gone right through.


    Fuck.


    I was gonna have to start crafting soon just to repair my clothes. Why did people keep shooting me! I sighed. Coughing a bit at just how much dust was swirling around me. I could barely see through how thick it was getting.


    And it was starting to get hard to breathe.


    I rose up unsteadily, and then even less steadily as I nearly fell. My leg wasnt great. I messed it up when I went flying from the car. Worse, the wind was getting strong. I fought against it as I climbed back up the hill towards Scorpion''s car.


    Might be able to take shelter inside until this storm was over.


    I mbered up the hill and just at the top I tripped.


    Coughing a bit I pulled myself up and realized I had tripped on a corpse.


    Oh yeah. The guy I stabbed. Instantly I noticed something I needed. Rising up and heading back to grab the goggles from his head. After a minute of struggling to get them clear enough of dust to see I put them on and while it wasnt great. At least I could open my eyes.


    Then I grabbed the guys dust mask.


    It was gross. But as I put it on, I could breath a lot easier.


    I continued searching him, gotta get loot after all. I smiled as I found my knife. That went into my sheath. A little more digging I did find my pistol as well. I was honestly super relieved. That had been a gift from Jun. I didnt want to lose it.


    Okay. I could see, breath, and I had a weapon.


    Lets get to work.


    ---


    Scorpion''s car was a wreck, even if I did have the key shard I wouldnt get it moving.


    I sighed. As I looked outwards. I knew the general path. My eyes GPS meant I knew exactly the direction to get back to the wayhouse.


    So since I didnt find anything of value. I started walking. Trudging through the desert. First I would get to the wayhouse. Then I would start searching for the Raffen base.


    I had considered just sitting tight, hitchhiking back to the city.


    But I had been hired for a job.


    The Solos guide had mentioned that some gigs would blow up in your face. That you would have to make a decision about what kind of Solo you wanted to be. The sort that once the job gets out of control walks away. The ones that lived long lives, but were never respected.


    Or the one that when shit blew up they stood up and got to work.


    Considering how pissed I was? Yeah. I think Im the kind that got to work.


    It took almost an hour to reach the wayhouse. Trudging against dust and sand up and over dunes. I noticed that the trailer with the motorcycle that was what caused all of this was gone.


    Connor was going to be answering some questions next time I saw him.


    I hauled myself inside. Taking a moment to pull off the dust mask and the goggles. I headed into the bathroom and found the sink. Running water.


    Thank god.


    I washed my face allowing my eyes to stop aching from all the dust for the first time in over an hour. Then I washed the goggles and the dust mask as best I could.


    Drying them a bit. I wiped them down and put them back on.


    I felt like I could actually fight now. I did throw a bandage that I ripped out of an old sheet around my shoulder. Didnt want people to see the hole that was still there even if it was mostly closed after the Maxdoc.


    Ow.


    I was just getting ready to head back into the storm, to stumble around in the direction of where I had seen the sand trails the Raffen vehicles had left as they chased us, but I heard it over the howl of the wind.


    A car.


    I slipped into a dark corner, behind the door Unity ready.


    The engine cut off, and I could hear cursing but I didnt hear the engine start again. Instead I heard it. Someoneing up to the door.


    Someone opening the door.


    Someone stumbling inside.


    Someone familiar.


    Fuckin storm. Fuckin Frank! My bike! Bastard klepped my bike. He moaned as the door closed behind him as he took off a mask and goggles like the set I had, and spat dust out of his mouth.


    I struck, a kick right to the back of his knee, arm hooked around his own.


    Ow. My shoulder wasnt happy with the movement.


    But it worked, sending him mming into the floor on his back. I settled on his chest. With my Unity pressed against his mouth.


    What the fu-Ack! He squealed when the barrel of my unity slipped past his teeth.


    No talking. I said simply as he stilled. Feeling my gun in his mouth did a great job shutting him up. I have two questions for you Connor, you are going to answer them very clearly. Because otherwise you get to repaint the floor. Did you set up Scorpion? I asked as I gently pulled my gun out from his mouth.


    No! I told him! I told him he waste! If he had shown up at the time I told him it would have been fine! He was supposed to be here yesterday! Frank and the others were busy there was a boxing match everyone was watching! But Scorpion waste!


    Alright. Ill give you a pass on that. Next question. Where did they take Scorpion?


    Its an old gas station nearby! Here! I can send you the location! Just dont kill me!


    My eyes shed as I received the text with the GPS coordinates.


    He was right. It was close. Now get ready, you are giving me a ride.


    No. He squeaked out. I pushed the barrel of my Unity just a tad deeper against his face.


    No?


    I cant! Theyll know if I get close! They have sensors all over the desert looking for vehicles. If I bring you close theyll kill us. Both of us! I already need to get out of here! He whined pathetically at me.


    I sighed. Fine. I stood, up and stepped back into the storm. Leaving Connor on the floor to his fate.


    Sure I could have waited. I could take a nap and get my leg back into shape, but I wasnt sure how long Scorpion had before the Raffen killed him. I dont remember super well the Raffen missions from the game, but I do remember they werent gentle on their captured people. I didnt have time to take a nap.


    So I pointed myself towards the GPS marker I set up and started trudging. Hopefully I would actually find them, and not just be led into a trap.


    --


    I was in luck.


    The little setup that looked like it used to be a gas station with a few little stores all around it was now covered in Raffen Shiv markings. Mostly Wraith graffitied over the old concrete that I only could barely make out in the storm.


    I settled against the wall letting myself think this through. I found them. Scorpion was inside, along with a small army of Raffen.


    Since I was here, alone, with someone I needed to rescue. I had to do this right.


    The Wraith that I had killed before, Both the one on the Bike that I had blow apart with my baby Which was now long gone.


    Dang. I just realized my poor HMG was somewhere in the desert. Dammit. I shook it off focusing back on my current issue.


    Between the biker and the Wraith I had stabbed to death I had leveled up. That meant I had two stat and skill points.


    So I spent them.


    Cool 8, and Ninjutsu 7. I had been nning on spending my points on Intelligence and Breach, but in this case. I once more needed stealth on my side. So I dropped both points.


    I shivered a bit as it felt like my mind grew a little bit colder. No more like I was just that much more capable of ignoring anything but my objective. Pain, emotions, fear. All of it simply frozen solid.


    I rose up to my feet. Ignoring the limp I had been battling with the whole way as I walked around the edge of the brick wall covered in graffiti.


    I slipped into thepound like a ghost. It was almost startling how simple it all felt. To move without making a sound. The storm which I had been fighting through the entire path was simply epted. Instead of fighting it I let it flow through me. Helping instead of hindering.


    My senses felt sharp as I started hunting.


    I had no idea how many Wraiths there were in thepound. So I would simply have to clear them out. One at a time.


    The first thing I found wasnt a victim.The feeling of my danger sense was what alerted me. Told me I was about to be seen. I slipped backwards instantly looking around the corner of the building I had just walked out from. It was a camera. Set up in the ceiling looking out over the center of the little bundle of buildings. I smiled as my eyes shifted to gold. I started breaching. It took a few minutes, but when it was done. I was through. Then I sent my Ping Quick Hack.


    My eyes shone as I got small little alerts over my hud telling me general where everyone was. It wasnt like in the game. I wasnt seeing people through walls. Instead it was like a little icon showing me generally where they were.


    But it didnt matter.


    I saw enough. The Wraiths were all connected to the security system. I could see the few wandering around, but most were bunkered up to wait out the storm.


    My first Victim was quickly chosen.


    A tarp covering a door to keep the dust out of a smaller room that had their security systems. I peeked in through the window knowing exactly where to best do so to remain unseen.


    There was one man inside, grumbling to himself about the dust as he watched some TV on one of the monitors. The rest showed only dust.


    I crawled in without even ruffling the tarp, With Ninjutsu 7, I no longer felt like a kid ying hide and seek. No, I had training. Years of reflexes and instincts, muscle memory and not quite memory, but just an understanding of what to do.


    The man was eating some instant noodles. I let him finish slurping hisst bite, chewing it and swallowing before my knife slipped through his throat. He gurgled weakly for a moment, his arm trying to reach for an alert, or trying to save himself.


    I didnt let him.


    *100 Ninjutsu XP Gained.*


    *500 XP Gained.*


    *des skill level up!*


    Hmm. de 4. Nice.


    I reached behind my neck and grabbed my connection port. Pulling the cord free I clicked it into theputer system.


    Breaching the system directly It was harder. Breaching a single cameras security was easy. Breaching into an actual security setup? If I hadnt just murdered their security guy I had a feeling I might not have even seeded. I could see theputer sending an alert popup about an intrusion. Even as I worked.


    Luckily there was no one to see the alert.


    And after a few minutes I was in. Their system waspletely under my control. More importantly, I finally got the alert I had been waiting for.


    *Intelligence Leveled up!*


    Intelligence 3! Yes!


    Instantly a daemon was uploaded. Something I hadnt even thought of, just an instinctual reflex. It was sent out to all the Wraith attacking theirwork.


    Their optics would suddenly have difficulty spotting me as the Daemon would try to blur me out of their sight.


    There. I breathed out as I slipped back into the storm. Time to ghost this gig.


    -


    <em>Frank Elder </em>


    <em>Raffen Shiv: Wraith</em>


    This show was dumb. Frank decided as he flicked off the channel. With the storm going on he hade down to his little underground home away from home.


    Well it was just his home now.


    He stretched. He could hear the storm finally letting up. Might actually be able to get something done today. He rose up from the old beat up couch that he probably would need to get reced soon.


    The Blood stains were getting a little much.


    Scorpion was still hanging around. He smiled looking towards the man. He was hanging from his wrists by a set of chains.


    Hang in there Scorp! Well think about reaching out to the Aldecaldos in a few hours Maybe! Heughed at his joke as he walked past the man, The re he was getting for his words caused him to alter his path, a heavy fist into Scorpion''s stomach reminded the man that he was a prisoner. Scorpion''s heavy cough told him he would need to let up soon. Didnt want to kill the guy he was a chance for a payday after all.


    Well, didn''t want to kill him yet. If he could work it out, he would get the eddies and kill old Scorpion as well. That would be a nice bonus.


    There. A reminder of where you are. He told Scorpion reaching up and pping his cheeks a bit,ughing as the nomad moaned at Frank''s roughness on his his bruised face.


    Feeling a little upbeat at the situation he walked up the stairs. Sure Connor had turned out to be a bitch. Dealing with his old family was a big no no. Especially since he hadnt told Frank. If he had, they could have ambushed Scorpion.


    Instead they had to chase him down. Losing people, equipment. It was a mess.


    Ah well. They would get a nice paycheck for ransom, and Connor Well he had nowhere to go now. The Aldecaldos wouldnt harbor him, and now the Wraiths would know he was weak.


    Frank smiled. He would quite enjoy ripping the boy apart. It would be a good way to remind the others not to go against his will.


    He walked into the upper floor and was surprised no one was around.


    Harold! Where you at? I want that windshield fixed on that Revenant! Harold!? He looked around confused. The garage was empty. Harold!?


    He walked out of the building looking around the courtyard. Where the hell is everybody! HEY! I want everyone back to work! These cars are still full of holes! He roared.


    But other than the wind. No response came back.


    He drew his Overture. The big revolver was a good weapon. The noise and power gave him a certain respect whenever he had to shoot someone acting up.


    Someone better be on the cameras. He growled rushing across the dusty courtyard to the security room.


    He walked in and stopped.


    David? He called, noticing the body slumped over. He rushed up and saw it.


    Throat was slit.


    Fuck. He reached over and hit the rm button.


    Instantly a noise echoed through the area. Itsted for a few seconds more than long enough to alert everyone.


    But as Frank headed back into the courtyard nothing happened.


    He looked around waiting for his men to show up.


    Slowly he realized there weren''t the usual hoots and hollers of his men. No gun fire. Not the sound of engines starting up, or even boots rushing around.


    It was a ghost town.


    He jerked around searching for anything.


    Not a thing moved but the dust.


    He moved. Rushing into the barracks. The boys would be fuckin around on some BD again. Surely that was it.


    He entered into a charnel house. The floor practically pools of blood as four of his boysy dead.


    Henry was in his bed, BD wreath still active even with his throat opened.


    Kengo was slumped in his big ass chair. It wasfortable, and Kengo had hauled it across the entire desert ontop of his little packrat of a car.


    Someone had stuffed a screwdriver into his ear.


    It was still quietly dripping blood down the handle into the growing puddle.


    The other two were slumped over the back of the couch.


    He didnt need to look any further. He knew they were dead.


    Who the fuck was doing this? Sure the Wraiths made enemies but this was crazy.


    No one in this desert had this kind of skill. No one took out a room with four men without setting off an rm. That was Corpo Intelligence type shit.


    He left the room in a hurry searching.


    Every room he came across that was supposed to be upied was now only upied by the dead.


    Boomer. The crazy bastard who had been with Frank since the beginning. A friend from his old nomad family that had left right alongside him, and to this day still carried far too many grenades had his head caved in by the looks of it. A fucking carpenters hammer stuck in the back of his head. His body slumped over his workbench.


    His empty workbench.


    Frank swallowed as he looked around.


    No one.


    Who had done this?!


    He was losing his cool. He knew it. His gun was starting to get a little twitchy as he held it out infront of him. Then he came to a decision.


    Fuck this.


    He was going to get to his car, and floor it. He would join the other Wraith group at the cement factory. Sure he would have to shut up and take it from that asshole Hook. But fuck it. Better to lick boots, then get murdered by some Arasaka ninja.


    They hadnt even hit an Arasaka shipment!


    He slipped into the garage, breathing out a sigh of relief that his Reaver was still where it should be. His baby was fast. It would get him out of here in a hurry. He was done with this shitshow.


    He made it three steps before suddenly gunfire erupted around him. He cursed ducking down and was only saved because of the Subdermal armor he had chipped in a year back. The bullet that just knocked into his back would have been it.


    He fired blindly towards where he thought the gunfire came from his Overture barking as he ducked behind the cars deeper into the garage.


    I dont know who you are! He yelled out as he kept moving he just needed to get to his car. But I dont want any of it! Whatever you want! Just take it!


    He crouched down. Not a sound reached him.


    Fuck whoever sent some sort of corpo assasin after his gang. Who the fuck did he kill to deserve this? He couldnt think of anything that would bring this level of heat down on him.


    He slowly snuck around his Reaver. If he could just get in the door. But as he was reaching for the door a gunshots bark echoed through the garage. The noise made his Overture sound like a puppy.


    He had noticed it. The gunman a blur in the corner of his eye and dropped which was the only reason he was still alive.


    Boomers van now had a hole in it that looked like someone shot a sniper rifle at him.


    Fuck was that a Burya!? He reached up and fired twice in the direction that he had seen the blur and rushed out of the garage as fast as he could.


    No way he could get in his Reaver and start it up without that handcannon blowing a hole through him.


    He dashed into the rec room. The stupid arcade games giving him a bit of cover as he poked his gun back around wall and fired hisst two rounds. Quickly reloading as he listened for any noise.


    But there was nothing. Not a sound other than the electronic noises of the arcade machines.


    Reloaded Frank stood up and moved towards the window peaking out through the metal shutters.


    Nothing. No movement. No sound.


    He shivered. He just had to Draw them away and double back to the car.


    If he couldnt get out of here he was dead.


    He moved out through the building, d that they had made paths through the stupid shops that used to be here before they took it over. Let them move around without having to go outside during a dust storm.


    Now it may be saving his life.


    As he thought that he heard it. A noise behind him.


    He turned and fired. Every round mming through the thin walls towards the Arcade room.


    He had definitely heard something!


    He once more reloaded grumbling to himself. Reloading a revolver in the middle of this shit was stupid.


    He would get a smaller gun when this was over.


    Ducking through to another shop he continued moving. Hopefully whoever this cocksucker chasing him down was, they would lose track of him.


    Although the fact he hadnt even gotten eyes on them yet?


    Fuck.


    He crept up to a window to take another peak. But again his dusty little former gas station was quiet. Not a thing moved.


    And not a soul other than him and this ninja was alive.


    He hunkered down for a minute simply staring out the window. Come on, where are they? They had to be somewhere!


    But Frank couldnt see anything, nothing moved.


    Then suddenly that roar echoed out. And he yelped. The wall he had been standing against now had a hole in it, and it had nearly blown a hole through him.


    He started moving again.


    Fuck fuck!


    They were definitely tracking him. Probably high powered optics. Which meant he wasn''t going to be able to sneak away.


    Fine. He called up his Reaver''s auto drive system, and ordered it towards the entrance of their little setup. He was near there now, he would rush into the car and speed off.


    It had to work.


    He heard the engine start up with a roar and it started moving, driving out of the garage towards the entrance.


    Cmon faster! Fucking auto drive!


    Then he heard it. Beep. That means the door was open and it was waiting. He moved. Jumping out a window and rolling just to keep his momentum, he had to be a small target just to survive.


    He leapt into his car practically jumping into the passenger seat he was so desperate. His hands fumbled to push him into the driver seat, he dropped his revolver just to grab the wheel but then to his horror.


    The passenger door slid open.


    Standing there was a Girl? A child? But no, not just a child, because that was a big fucking gun.


    Wait. Wai-


    The sound deafened him as much as it blew him out of his own car. He came to weakly coughing up blood and he realized he had a hole in his chest.


    Fu- he couldnt even curse, blood flowed out from his lungs.


    You just had to try to run. Note to self Motoko. Kill them all without letting them realize whats happening, it makes this job so much easier. He heard the soft voice of the girl as she walked around the back of his ride. His attempts to talk were met with failure as he coughed blood that just didnt seem to stop.


    I was trying to find your rifle, you know? You shot me earlier with a rifle, and I wanted to repay the favor, but then I couldnt find it. It took so long you ended up realizing what was going on. My mistake. I dont like ying with my prey. She said as she knelt beside him. She wasnt just holding a Burya, she had his Overture.


    Alright. Youve made me shoot this stupid thing enough my arms are hurting. Well Im not one for letting someone suffer. Even a scav. Err. Wraith. Same thing really. Shemented simply as she raised his revolver.


    Oh. Shit. Stupid. Almost forgot. Stupid Motoko! She lowered his revolver which made him want to gasp in relief, even if he realized he was dying.


    Too far for a hospital. No medical attention, and no one to do it anyways.


    She reached behind his neck and started forcing shards out of him manually.


    Fu- he gurgled again wanting to tell this kid to fuck off. How did he get killed by a kid? He murdered girls like her before breakfast!


    There we go. She muttered pulling out That was his ride''s key shard. Ive been without wheels of my own for long enough dont you think? She asked waving it around before slotting it in.


    Instantly she raised his Overture once again. Now I dont have to worry about damaging the shard. Good bye.