»»»»I'd like to thank Simon W for actualy knowing were my pen name comes from and being nice enough to let me know. Any way since some one has paid attention to my story I'll put up another one. I stared this story some time ago and if I get some feed back I ma acually finish one day. So here we go with another Shadowrun Tale. Read, Review & Enjoy««««
A Shadowrun Tale 01
"Teacher, Teach Her"
By The Starfox
Chapter 01
"Sensei"
It was Saturday and Sukiyuki Billy's was jumping, as is normal for a Saturday. I was waiting for Dee, my fixer, she said she had a nice quite job for me. Nothing fancy, more of a babysitting job then a run, but two hundred and fifty nuyen a day, for an open-ended job that wouldn't stop me from taking other work. Well who am I to argue?
Dee showed up about half past twenty with Lane by her side, she limpet slightly as they made there way to my usual booth. As they sat down Tommy, part time bartender, waiter and base player for the band brought them their usual jasmine tea. Lane flashed Tommy a quick smile before he left; Dee just shook her head and squeezed the bridge of her nose under her glasses.
"That won't help you know." I said with a light smile.
"I know." She replied dryly.
We talked about biz for a little bit before getting down to details.
"It's pretty simple really, a company women wants martial arts instruction for herself and her daughter." Dee stopped and took a sip of her tea. "She has arranged for you to work in the gym of the apartment complex she live in, it's pretty upper class and has decent security so your going to want to leave those smudges of yours in the car."
"Null persp Dee." I answered "Anything else?"
"Not really, I'll call her and tell her you're on for tomorrow."
Dee gave me the address of the apartment complex and two-day visitors pass, guess my employer will give me a longer one if she likes my work. Dee and Lane finished their tea and left, Dee paid the tip, and I paid the bill.
It was fifteen fifteen on a Sunday and I was standing in front of a knock out desk clerk who'd just ask me the hardest question in the world, you know one without an answer.
"And you're here to see who?" She'd asked in a sweet silky voice.
I can't believe Dee didn't tell me my employers name, I can't believe I didn't ask. I just stood there staring at here without an answer. I was sure the desk clerk was going to call security when I felt a light tap on my shoulder, I turned around and found myself looking down at young woman, in her mid-thirty's I'd say. She had short brown hair and bright blue eyes, all in all a rather attractive woman.
"Excuse me, sir." She said in a quite, almost shy voice. "Is your name Fox?"
"Yes." I answered calmly.
"Hi, I'm Alice Harper, your employer."
"Good after noon Mrs. Harper. I'm sorry I took so long, but I've a terrible time remembering names I don't have faces for." Okay so I lied a little on the last part, but I don't think she noticed.
"Please follow me. My daughter's waiting for us in the gym."
I followed along, more then a little curious about my employer. She looked tough enough to take on a few of the runners I know, none of the chipped ones, but I can barely keep up with those guys most of the time.
She led me to the gym. Not a bad spot, a little small, but not bad. I saw a young girl sitting on a stack of mats, she looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, not much younger then I was when I first started running, something about her nagged at my memory.
"This is my daughter Samantha." Alice said
"Call me Sam." She said in rather rough voice for a young girl.
Now I was sure I knew this kid from some were but still couldn't place her. My train of thought was interrupted by Alice's voice.
"Mr. Fox?" she asked, I could tell from her tone it wasn't the first time she'd tried to get my attention there.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Harper I must have gotten lost in thought there and please call Nathan." I said
"All right Nathan, then you can call me Alice." She gave a shy smile.
Samantha sighed rather loudly.
"Okay ladies let's get to work. I'll start you out with some basic defensive katas" Man I sound just like my sensei some times.
I ran the two of them through some of the defensive katas I know for around two hours. We were all rather tired by the time I called for a break. Something about the girl kept nagging at me but I still had no idea what it was. Alice told me she only had the gym for another half an hour and asked if she should reserve more time tomorrow, I smiled and told her three hours was sufficient and asked what time she'd like me there tomorrow.
"How's eighteen hundred" she said rather business like.
"Just fine. Is okay if I show a little early?"
She nodded and smiled.
"I'll see you here tomorrow then"
"I'll be right here Mrs. Harper."
She smiled again and left. Samantha sat on one of the stacks of combat mats looking at me. After her mother left she came over to me and stared at me for a few seconds.
"You're a shadow runner, aren't you." She said quietly.
I blinked several times, more then a little taken aback by her question.
"Don't worry I won't tell my mom."
"Your mother doesn't know I'm a runner?" I asked a little surprised.
"Nope. She just thinks you're a regular old martial arts instructor, but that's okay you can probably teach us how to defend ourselves a whole lot better." After that she headed off to the elevators to catch up with her mother.
I just stood there for a second stunned and then headed for my car, squeezing the bridge of my nose as I went. I could hear Dee in the back of my mind saying, "That won't help you know", I kept on going to my car.
I was sitting back at Billy's after I'd just finished with the Harper's training for Wednesday. The band was just starting there first set when Lilly came in and made her way to my usual table.
"Hey foxy, how's trix." She said as she sat across from me.
"Pretty good, but what are you doing here I thought you were pulling third watch all week?"
"I switched my shift with Catharine so we could spend the night together. I mean we hardly see each other lately and I thought since Mad Vixen is playing at the Underground tonight..." She trailed off as she leaned over the table to kiss me.
After the kiss I must have blinked for a full minute as what she said sank in properly.
"Wait a sec Mad Vixen?" I asked a little stupidly.
"Yes."
"My sisters band Mad Vixen?"
"Yes, your sisters band." She replied dryly.
"Is playing the Underground 93." I said slowly, still not fully comprehending.
"That's right loverboy."
"Why wouldn't Maioko tell me she was playing the Underground?"
"She wanted to surprise you why else."
"Oh. Well what the frag are we sitting around here for, come on." I grabbed Lilly's arm and headed for the door, throwing some creds at Tommy as we left.
An hour later we were sitting in the best both at the Underground watching my sister go chromatic on stage. I couldn't believe it my little sis was hitting the big time right in front of me.
I drank in the music and energy like a fine wine as I thrashed in the pit. My sister ripped an old twenty-cent song she'd loved since before she could talk, then suddenly in the thick of the fray of moshing bodies it hit me were I knew Sam from, well actually she hit me.
Sammy hit me pretty hard in the side as we were both crashing with the tide of dancers. She yelped as she impacted with the plates in my duster and started to fall, I caught her arm and pulled her steady before I even knew who she was. I pulled her clear of pit to make sure she was ok still not knowing I knew her.
"Are you alright miss?" I asked still not recognizing Sam in the filtering lights of the club.
"Ya, I'm fine. You didn't have to pull me out of pit it wasn't that bad" she replied, then blinked twice as recognition set in "Nathan." she said shocked.
"Sammy" I replied with an equal amount of shock.
"Nathan?" came Lilly's voice behind me she was using her 'you're keeping something for me aren't you tone, that always sent a chill down my spine. "Well Nathan," she said, drawing out the name "Why don't you introduce me to your friend." She gave me a look that told me I'd pay for this later and looked over at Sammy "Isn't she a little young to be in here."
I had to think quickly to keep me and Sammy out of trouble, but wasn't having much luck at it, so when in doubt tell the truth.
"She's an a, an acquaintance from work." Okay maybe not the whole truth "And she's old enough to be here." And perhaps a small lie.
Before Lilly could start to ask any more awkward questions Maioko finished her set, jumped off the stage and made her way slowly through dispersing moshpit.
"Maioko. Over here." I yelled thinking quickly and taking Sammy's arm as I went to meet up with my sister at the edge of the pit.
"Hey what's going on here?" Sammy asked highly confused as we left Lilly standing in a huff.
"That was my Girl friend."
"So, what's it to me."
"She's a cop, you're under age which means you probably have fake IDC wakarimasu-ka?"
"So ka. Ok so what do we do now?"
"We do nothing, I have a talk with my sister then I take you home so ka?"
"So ka." Sammy replied dejectedly.
She seemed to perk up considerably when she saw who I meant by my sister, she giggled insistently, blurted out something about having all the Mad Vixens CD's, asked if she'd sign one and passed out in the span of about two seconds, all in all not bad. I talked to my sister and gave here a brief run down of the situation.
"You're kidding right." She laughed as I finished.
"No, I'm not." I said a little embarrassed.
"Don't sweat it bro. I'll tell Lilly she's a friend from your work and that her ride ditched here. How's that?"
"Perfect, I'll take Sam home and meet the two of you at the Eye of the Needle around one."
"Just fine bro. Well I'd better get going it looks like she's coming to and I think you're going to want her conscious." Maioko gave me a peck on the cheek and headed off to get Lilly.
Once Sammy was awake enough we headed for my car.
The drive to Sammy's was taking longer then expected, when we had to stop again after moving forward a lousy two meters I lost it a little and slammed my fist against the steering wheel, I saw Sam jump out of the corner of my eye. I turned to her. Her eyes were wild and frantic, like someone who was just woken up by a car bomb going off down the block.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." I said, more then a little ashamed of my outburst.
"It's ok." She replied her voice a bit shaky. "You know you don't have to do this."
"What take you home. No I don't, but I am."
"Look could you just drop me a few blocks from my place I can go the rest of the way."
"Why would you want me to do that, I mean this is pretty good part of town but no street's really all that safe these days."
"I just do ok." She snapped at me. "Sorry Nathan, I didn't mean to snap at you. Look it's hard enough to sneak back in without you driving me up to the front gate."
Sammy looked up into my eyes, this was the first time I'd really looked in her eyes. There was pain hidden in her soft brown eyes and I knew it was important to her that I not drive up to the apartment complex.
"Alright." I sighed. "One block and I watch till you're over the wall."
"But..."
"One block." I interrupted abruptly. "I watch till you're over the wall and I don't tell your mother tomorrow. Wakarimasu-ka?"
"So ka." She sighed. "Thanks Nathan."
"Null persp. She you tomorrow Sammy."
It took a few more minutes to get through traffic. I watched patiently while Sammy artfully made her way over the wall around her apartment complex and was gone. I sighed, turned my West Wind around and headed for the Eye of the Needle.
A Shadowrun Tale 01
"Teacher, Teach Her"
By The Starfox
Chapter 01
"Sensei"
It was Saturday and Sukiyuki Billy's was jumping, as is normal for a Saturday. I was waiting for Dee, my fixer, she said she had a nice quite job for me. Nothing fancy, more of a babysitting job then a run, but two hundred and fifty nuyen a day, for an open-ended job that wouldn't stop me from taking other work. Well who am I to argue?
Dee showed up about half past twenty with Lane by her side, she limpet slightly as they made there way to my usual booth. As they sat down Tommy, part time bartender, waiter and base player for the band brought them their usual jasmine tea. Lane flashed Tommy a quick smile before he left; Dee just shook her head and squeezed the bridge of her nose under her glasses.
"That won't help you know." I said with a light smile.
"I know." She replied dryly.
We talked about biz for a little bit before getting down to details.
"It's pretty simple really, a company women wants martial arts instruction for herself and her daughter." Dee stopped and took a sip of her tea. "She has arranged for you to work in the gym of the apartment complex she live in, it's pretty upper class and has decent security so your going to want to leave those smudges of yours in the car."
"Null persp Dee." I answered "Anything else?"
"Not really, I'll call her and tell her you're on for tomorrow."
Dee gave me the address of the apartment complex and two-day visitors pass, guess my employer will give me a longer one if she likes my work. Dee and Lane finished their tea and left, Dee paid the tip, and I paid the bill.
It was fifteen fifteen on a Sunday and I was standing in front of a knock out desk clerk who'd just ask me the hardest question in the world, you know one without an answer.
"And you're here to see who?" She'd asked in a sweet silky voice.
I can't believe Dee didn't tell me my employers name, I can't believe I didn't ask. I just stood there staring at here without an answer. I was sure the desk clerk was going to call security when I felt a light tap on my shoulder, I turned around and found myself looking down at young woman, in her mid-thirty's I'd say. She had short brown hair and bright blue eyes, all in all a rather attractive woman.
"Excuse me, sir." She said in a quite, almost shy voice. "Is your name Fox?"
"Yes." I answered calmly.
"Hi, I'm Alice Harper, your employer."
"Good after noon Mrs. Harper. I'm sorry I took so long, but I've a terrible time remembering names I don't have faces for." Okay so I lied a little on the last part, but I don't think she noticed.
"Please follow me. My daughter's waiting for us in the gym."
I followed along, more then a little curious about my employer. She looked tough enough to take on a few of the runners I know, none of the chipped ones, but I can barely keep up with those guys most of the time.
She led me to the gym. Not a bad spot, a little small, but not bad. I saw a young girl sitting on a stack of mats, she looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, not much younger then I was when I first started running, something about her nagged at my memory.
"This is my daughter Samantha." Alice said
"Call me Sam." She said in rather rough voice for a young girl.
Now I was sure I knew this kid from some were but still couldn't place her. My train of thought was interrupted by Alice's voice.
"Mr. Fox?" she asked, I could tell from her tone it wasn't the first time she'd tried to get my attention there.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Harper I must have gotten lost in thought there and please call Nathan." I said
"All right Nathan, then you can call me Alice." She gave a shy smile.
Samantha sighed rather loudly.
"Okay ladies let's get to work. I'll start you out with some basic defensive katas" Man I sound just like my sensei some times.
I ran the two of them through some of the defensive katas I know for around two hours. We were all rather tired by the time I called for a break. Something about the girl kept nagging at me but I still had no idea what it was. Alice told me she only had the gym for another half an hour and asked if she should reserve more time tomorrow, I smiled and told her three hours was sufficient and asked what time she'd like me there tomorrow.
"How's eighteen hundred" she said rather business like.
"Just fine. Is okay if I show a little early?"
She nodded and smiled.
"I'll see you here tomorrow then"
"I'll be right here Mrs. Harper."
She smiled again and left. Samantha sat on one of the stacks of combat mats looking at me. After her mother left she came over to me and stared at me for a few seconds.
"You're a shadow runner, aren't you." She said quietly.
I blinked several times, more then a little taken aback by her question.
"Don't worry I won't tell my mom."
"Your mother doesn't know I'm a runner?" I asked a little surprised.
"Nope. She just thinks you're a regular old martial arts instructor, but that's okay you can probably teach us how to defend ourselves a whole lot better." After that she headed off to the elevators to catch up with her mother.
I just stood there for a second stunned and then headed for my car, squeezing the bridge of my nose as I went. I could hear Dee in the back of my mind saying, "That won't help you know", I kept on going to my car.
I was sitting back at Billy's after I'd just finished with the Harper's training for Wednesday. The band was just starting there first set when Lilly came in and made her way to my usual table.
"Hey foxy, how's trix." She said as she sat across from me.
"Pretty good, but what are you doing here I thought you were pulling third watch all week?"
"I switched my shift with Catharine so we could spend the night together. I mean we hardly see each other lately and I thought since Mad Vixen is playing at the Underground tonight..." She trailed off as she leaned over the table to kiss me.
After the kiss I must have blinked for a full minute as what she said sank in properly.
"Wait a sec Mad Vixen?" I asked a little stupidly.
"Yes."
"My sisters band Mad Vixen?"
"Yes, your sisters band." She replied dryly.
"Is playing the Underground 93." I said slowly, still not fully comprehending.
"That's right loverboy."
"Why wouldn't Maioko tell me she was playing the Underground?"
"She wanted to surprise you why else."
"Oh. Well what the frag are we sitting around here for, come on." I grabbed Lilly's arm and headed for the door, throwing some creds at Tommy as we left.
An hour later we were sitting in the best both at the Underground watching my sister go chromatic on stage. I couldn't believe it my little sis was hitting the big time right in front of me.
I drank in the music and energy like a fine wine as I thrashed in the pit. My sister ripped an old twenty-cent song she'd loved since before she could talk, then suddenly in the thick of the fray of moshing bodies it hit me were I knew Sam from, well actually she hit me.
Sammy hit me pretty hard in the side as we were both crashing with the tide of dancers. She yelped as she impacted with the plates in my duster and started to fall, I caught her arm and pulled her steady before I even knew who she was. I pulled her clear of pit to make sure she was ok still not knowing I knew her.
"Are you alright miss?" I asked still not recognizing Sam in the filtering lights of the club.
"Ya, I'm fine. You didn't have to pull me out of pit it wasn't that bad" she replied, then blinked twice as recognition set in "Nathan." she said shocked.
"Sammy" I replied with an equal amount of shock.
"Nathan?" came Lilly's voice behind me she was using her 'you're keeping something for me aren't you tone, that always sent a chill down my spine. "Well Nathan," she said, drawing out the name "Why don't you introduce me to your friend." She gave me a look that told me I'd pay for this later and looked over at Sammy "Isn't she a little young to be in here."
I had to think quickly to keep me and Sammy out of trouble, but wasn't having much luck at it, so when in doubt tell the truth.
"She's an a, an acquaintance from work." Okay maybe not the whole truth "And she's old enough to be here." And perhaps a small lie.
Before Lilly could start to ask any more awkward questions Maioko finished her set, jumped off the stage and made her way slowly through dispersing moshpit.
"Maioko. Over here." I yelled thinking quickly and taking Sammy's arm as I went to meet up with my sister at the edge of the pit.
"Hey what's going on here?" Sammy asked highly confused as we left Lilly standing in a huff.
"That was my Girl friend."
"So, what's it to me."
"She's a cop, you're under age which means you probably have fake IDC wakarimasu-ka?"
"So ka. Ok so what do we do now?"
"We do nothing, I have a talk with my sister then I take you home so ka?"
"So ka." Sammy replied dejectedly.
She seemed to perk up considerably when she saw who I meant by my sister, she giggled insistently, blurted out something about having all the Mad Vixens CD's, asked if she'd sign one and passed out in the span of about two seconds, all in all not bad. I talked to my sister and gave here a brief run down of the situation.
"You're kidding right." She laughed as I finished.
"No, I'm not." I said a little embarrassed.
"Don't sweat it bro. I'll tell Lilly she's a friend from your work and that her ride ditched here. How's that?"
"Perfect, I'll take Sam home and meet the two of you at the Eye of the Needle around one."
"Just fine bro. Well I'd better get going it looks like she's coming to and I think you're going to want her conscious." Maioko gave me a peck on the cheek and headed off to get Lilly.
Once Sammy was awake enough we headed for my car.
The drive to Sammy's was taking longer then expected, when we had to stop again after moving forward a lousy two meters I lost it a little and slammed my fist against the steering wheel, I saw Sam jump out of the corner of my eye. I turned to her. Her eyes were wild and frantic, like someone who was just woken up by a car bomb going off down the block.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." I said, more then a little ashamed of my outburst.
"It's ok." She replied her voice a bit shaky. "You know you don't have to do this."
"What take you home. No I don't, but I am."
"Look could you just drop me a few blocks from my place I can go the rest of the way."
"Why would you want me to do that, I mean this is pretty good part of town but no street's really all that safe these days."
"I just do ok." She snapped at me. "Sorry Nathan, I didn't mean to snap at you. Look it's hard enough to sneak back in without you driving me up to the front gate."
Sammy looked up into my eyes, this was the first time I'd really looked in her eyes. There was pain hidden in her soft brown eyes and I knew it was important to her that I not drive up to the apartment complex.
"Alright." I sighed. "One block and I watch till you're over the wall."
"But..."
"One block." I interrupted abruptly. "I watch till you're over the wall and I don't tell your mother tomorrow. Wakarimasu-ka?"
"So ka." She sighed. "Thanks Nathan."
"Null persp. She you tomorrow Sammy."
It took a few more minutes to get through traffic. I watched patiently while Sammy artfully made her way over the wall around her apartment complex and was gone. I sighed, turned my West Wind around and headed for the Eye of the Needle.