Chapter 3: Onward to Chernobog!
"So, how long will it take to get there?"
The Borg in a leather jacket, takes a bite on the beef jerky in his hand. Then, he jumps on the hood of the buggy, and he adjusts his seven ruby eyes at the nine-tails kitsune who leans on the hood as she reads the map in front of her.
"From here…." Suzuran takes the compass from the hood, and observes it on her palm. "It will take three hours to get there."
"Well that ain't far…" Nux jumps out, and lands beside the fox girl. Then, he leans his arm on the buggy with a smirk on his lips. "The question is who is driving this time?"
"How about we answer that question through a small game?" Suzuran answers with a playful tone as she raises her index finger.
"Now that's a fair idea!" Nux eats the whole beef jerky, and swallows it while he straightens up his body as he stretches his shoulders. "So, how are we gonna do this?"
"Jack'n point~!" Suzuran forms her fingers into stone, scissors, and paper. "Whoever gets a three point will win the game, and the loser will be the driver."
"Preem!" Nux nods in excitement as he stretches his arms. "Be warned, I ain't holding back. So, don't cry if you lose my lil choom!"
"Mhm, same to you too" Suzuran sticks her chest out with pride, and feels confident she can beat him in this game. "Ready!"
"Yep" Nux, and Suzuran prepare their hands, and both are waiting for the signal.
"Jack!"
"And"
"Point~!"
….
"Nice!" Suzuran says when she beat the borg by using her stone against his scissor. "One point for me!"
"Don't get cocky, gal. You still got two more…." Nux shakes his head, and focuses his mind on the game. "Again!"
The borg, and the kitsune began their duel once more, and let their fingers loose. Unfortunately, the borg lost this match again.
"Umu! Looks like we know who is going to drive today!"
"Tsk!" Nux clicked his tongue as he knew the outcome of this game. No luck or skill can change the tide of this match, not unless he uses one of his chrome….
"Forgive me of what I am about to do….." Nux whispers as he prepares his Kerenzikov. "Alright, one more…"
"Kay, I will win this!" Suzuran nods in confidence as she knows that victory is hers. Little did she know that the tide would turn against her, and this time she will have no chance against him.
"Jack"
"And"
"Point~"
The world went in slow motion from the perception of the Borg. Before his eyes, he can see his opponent's fingers slowly unfold into a paper which gives him enough time to predict his counter move against her. So, he uses scissors against her and wins this round in just a split second, decision.
"oooohhh yeah, Hella preem!" Nux pumps his fist in victory with a mischievous grin on his lips.
As for our cute little fox, she is unfazed by his victory, and still confident that she will still seize her rights for that passenger seat. However, her confidence was shattered like broken glass when the Borg won another round. She swears that something is amiss…
"Aha, it seems like a shotgun will be mine." Nux said with a grin on his lips. However, behind that grin he felt guilt for his action.
"Not so fast! I am still one way from not being a driver." Suzuran says as she pouts her rosy cheek.
Alas, the fox girl lost the game for she is no match against the reflex of the Borg. After all, the Kerenzikov booster is capable of augmenting the power of the user 's brain which makes his computation abnormally faster than any person. Which explains why time moves slowly from Nux perception. Truly, Suzuran is no match against the power of chrome.
"SHOTGUN!" Nux said with a grin as he jumped in the passenger seat.
While the fox girl looked at him, to her palm, back and forth. Disbelief that she somehow lost that game when she is one point away from victory. She swears, she smells something suspicious in him. "I felt like….you cheated."
"Nah, never. I didn't cheat, I swear…." Nux raises his both hands, and shakes his head.
"Oh really…" Suzuran sits on the driver seat, and latches her seatbelt. Then, she peers her eyes on the Borg as she tries to observe any hint of deception. Unfortunately, all she sees is red eyes, and metal on his face which makes her realize how hard it is to read a person's emotions without having eyes. Now thinking about it, she is sure his people treat him like a monster for having a face like that which she understood, because she too went panic when she saw him for the first time. Thankfully, she is wrong about him, and because of that, she regrets misjudging him. So, she hopes that she can make up for it…
"Are you falling for me?" Nux nudges her in the shoulder, and he points to his mischievous smile.
"Wh-What!?" Suzuran flusters like a ripe tomato when she realizes that she has been staring at him for a long time. So, she turns her blushing face away from his sight, and bends her fluffy fox ears to cover her reddened cheeks. "um-ah, I will never fall for your smile-wait,what!? Um, Suzuran, what are you saying!?"
Nux laughs, and feels amused to see the fox girl panic in her clumsiness; he swears that she is cute when she gets like that. "Relax, choom. I am just kidding."
"You really enjoy making fun of me." Suzuran pouts her rosy cheek, and shrunk her shoulders as she places her hands on the steering wheel. "You know people who like to tease little girls, often can get bad karma."
"Oh, yah!" Nux lifts his chin with an amusing smile in his inhuman face. "I'll look forward to that!"
"Mhm, you will regret what you say...teaser." Suzuran shifts the gear up, and steps on the pedal as the engine revving up from its slumber.
Then, the buggy rolls through the sands as it shoves the dust away from their path while an Octant drone flies by their side.
SomeTime Later…..
[Cyberpunk2077- Never Fade away by SAMURAI]
"WHOOOOOOO!" Nux screams in joy while he stands up from his seat, and stretches his arms to the air. Enjoying the winds of freedom that blast to his face. At same time, the music from their radio is blasting to their ears, bringing exhilarating joy to the borg. "A thing of beauty-I know, will never fade away, what did you to me-I know. Said what you had to say, but a thing of beauty. YEAH! WE WILL NEVER FADE AWAY."
As for the little fox, she was never a fan of any metal music for she more prefer calm, or classical one, just like one of the music her mothers plays on piano. However, she can't help, but bob her head, and start to enjoy it too. It seems like Nux, frolic energy is influencing her. It must be…
"Hell yah! These are the best days of my life." Nux screams at the top of his lungs. Feeling like he is on the top of the world.
"You love these songs very much, Mr. Nux." Suzuran says with a meek smile while she tries to keep the buggy straight on this rocky road.
"Oh, It ain't about that. My lil choom." Nux replies while he breathes the air of freedom. "It's about being away from corpos, from blood, dodging bullets, away from Night City. For the first time in my life, I've never felt so free! Damn, now I get why we envied the 'Nomads'."
"Mhm." Suzuran says in her worried voice when she feels the buggy start to tremble. It's like the road tracks are getting too rough for their wheels. "I don't want to spoil your fun, but I think this will be a good time to sit down."
"Nah, you can't just tell me what to do!" Nux stands straight, and spreads his arms to the air. " Because my voice of FREEDOM SAID SO!"
"I am serious, Mr. Nux. If you don't sit down, you mi-Kya!"
"GAH!"
Suddenly, the wheels stumble on the bumps made of rocks which lead the buggy to shake violently. So, this made the Borg lose his balance, and bangs his face against the iron pole before sending him back to his chair.
"Mr. Nux!" Suzuran says with her eye's side while she slows the speed of her buggy till it stops still. Then, she checks upon the borg who is whining in pain as he tries to cover his nose. "Oh no, Oh no. Mr. Nux, are you alright?"
"I don't know, but I think the blood on my nose knows better." Nux answers with his sarcastic smile.
"Oh gosh Mr Nux, would you stop joking just for a sec, please." Suzuran didn't take his joke kindly this time, because his well-being is in peril. That alone is enough for her to take this situation seriously. After complaining about his behaviour, she grabs his hands, and spreads it open to let her see his nose which brings her eye's wide to her shock. "Mr. Nux, y-your nose broke."
"Really, damn" Nux said when he finally realised why he felt discomfort on his nose. "Now, I become uglier than ever."
Suzuran rolls her eyes, unamused by his comments. Sometimes, she wishes that this joker can read the mood of their atmosphere. Not like she can't help it either way, so the only thing she can do right now is fix him. Unannounced, the fox holds on to the borg's broken nose, and sets it up straight.
*Crack*
"Better?" Suzuran asks with her foxy ears bent, anxiously.
"*sniff* yup, better." Nux replies bravely however, the fox girl notices the sounds of whimpers from his mouth which tells her that it was painful to him.
"See, this is what happens when you don't listen." Suzuran takes out her napkin while she gets closer to him, which makes Nux back away a bit when he notices her cute face is getting closer to his. Without any warning, the fox girl wipes the blood on his nose, and caresses his metallic cheeks. She did it like a mother who soothes her own sobbing son. "Dolore, dolore, vai via!"
Nux sighs in relief when the fox girl distances herself away from him when she finishes cleaning his face, so he thinks that everything is back to normal. However, he didn't expect this to come.
In a blink of an eye, the fox girl gave him a small kiss on his nose which made the Borg CPU overheat till smoke started piping out from his cheeks, and ears.
"W-Whoa, why did you do that!?" Nux asks in panic, while he frantically waving his hands in the air.
"To make the pain go away…" Suzuran answers with a tint of blush on her cheeks, while she licks the tip of her finger, and she looks at him with her bewitching foxy eyes.
The Borg swears he notices something strange on the way she looks at him, he can't describe it in words, but his guts tells him that this is not good. "I never heard of such a thing?"
"When I was a pup, Mama always did that to me after she treated my wounds." Suzuran simply shrugs her shoulders.
"Uh-huh..." Nux nods while his cautious eyes watch her.
"Anyway, that's done. Shall we go?"
"Yeah, just lemme get my seatbelt." Nux nods in agreement while he does what he said. "Don't wanna break my nose for a second time."
" Glad you learned, quick." Suzuran sticks her tongue out in a mischievous way, and hits the road.
"I think you did that on purpose?"
"What? No, If I do that on purpose. Why would I warn you in the first place?" Suzuran argues back as she pouts her rosy cheek. Then, she let out a brief giggle when she remembered what she said back then. "More likely, I think it's bad karma."
"Yeah…." Nux replies unconvincingly. However, before he could retort, he noticed something on the side mirror. He sees a convoy of humvees following them behind. "Choom, we got contacts in our rear."
"Yeah, I see it too." Suzuran nods while she takes a peek at her side mirrors. "Umm..how many are there in a convoy?"
Nux connects his mind to his drone, and uses her eyes to monitor the convoy from the sky. "Hold on….Ah, there we go. I scan four humvees in the convoy, also I notice some red markings on their paint job…"
"Reapers!" Suzuran says with her foxy ears jerk up, when she recognizes the description of their humvees.
"Reapers?" Nux asks as he tips his head to the side. "Are they friend or foe?"
Nux questions were answers by the arrow bolt bounces on their ride
"Okay, THEY ARE NOT A FRIEND, I REPEAT THEY ARE NOT A FRIEND!"
"Hold on!" Suzuran steps on the gas pedal to full speed as she drifts her buggy left, and right to dodge their incoming bolts.
"Muninn! A little help over here!" Nux shouts with his bulb eyes stare at the sky. Watching the Octant drone flying follow them behind, who is also busy dodging bolts. "Whaddya means you don't have a firing sight!?"
"What's wrong?"
"Muninn can't do anything because we are in her way, she is afraid that she might accidentally shoot us too!" Nux explains while he pulls his G-58 Dian 'Mjolnir" Smart smg from his hip. Then, he watches the Mjolnir automatically unfolds its stock, and spins its barrel. "Not that I complain because...I can finally shoot something!"
Nux bravely sticks himself out of the window, and aims his Mjolnir smg to the side. Then, within his vision his Smart SMG marks the head of the driver, and the shooter who has been shooting them with a crossbow for a while, but not for long he thought.
BRAPAPAPAPAPA
Nux squeezes the trigger in a burst fire, and watches his Micro-guide bullets curve its path to the air as its home into the shooter. Which blasted the shooter's head into pieces while it left the headless torso dangling in the window.
"What the fuck, Dave!?" The driver screams in panic when he sees the body of his friend is vibrating itself with an electricity spark dancing on the corpse.
Unfortunately, before he can figure out what is going on. All of sudden a bullet blasts through his jaw, and sends his bloody face splat on the steering wheel.
"What, you can use guns Mr. Nux? Like those Sanktas?" Suzuran asks as she watches how he kills them, and sends their humvee into a ditch, rolling through the slope like falling rocks till it went up into fiery flame.
"Yeah! Why ask?" Nux asks as he retreats back to his seat while he flinches from the arrow bolts that bounce beside him.
"It's because no one can afford guns! Unless you have a licence."
"I see!" Nux hums in wonder when he realizes the reasons why those gonks are shooting them with crossbows, but still is it really that hard to get a gun in this world? Well time will tell he guesses, for now he gotta take those gonks that keep shooting them.
Once, the Reapers are in the middle of reloading their primitive weapons. The Borg took this chance, and shot the lead humvee in the same manner which sent their fate into a fiery flames.
"Fuck, those guys got some serious firepower." the ursa with a mask shouts as he kicks the shoulder of his driver. "We need to get ahead or we die like those idiots! Hit the nitro bro, juice it up!"
The driver silently nods in agreement while he turns up the Nitro canister, and puts more heat to his pedal.
Vwroooooommmmmm!
The last two Reapers humvees managed to catch up with the buggy, and passed ahead of them. Then, the shooters stick themselves out from their window, and let loose their bolts in their crossbow.
"Kyah!"
"Keep yer head down, lil choom!" Nux shouts while he puts the fox girl head down as he watches the bolt bouncing off their hood, and their windshield. However, some managed to hit him, but his leather jacket, and the chrome on his skin just made those bolts bounce away from him. But it's not over yet, the Borg raise his Mjolnir, and squeeze the trigger which responds only with a sound of click that echo from his Smart SMG. "Fuckin, gonk me! I am out of ammo."
VEEP! VOOP! VEEP!
The Octant drone flies away from them, and makes a curved path back to their position. Then, she dives in with a sonic boom howling through the air, and strafe in from the side of the road. Firing all its arsenal upon the two humvees, sending a burning rain that erupted all of the sands, and blasting the humvees into a firing ball of flame.
"Suzuran, get ready to dodge them!" Nux screams, and holds on to the bar as he watches the burning cars, and debris rolling towards them.
"I got an idea, hold on!" Suzuran said as she closed her eyes, and focused her mind which made the Borg baffle from what she was doing. Before he opens his lips, he suddenly froze when sees the aura of the girl start glowing like a shimmering star.
"NEBULOUS FIREFOX!"
"Holy S-shit!" Nux gasps with his jaw drops in surprise when he witnesses a legit magic, for the first time in his life.
Before him, their world shimmered like a mirage that slows everything down till it stands still . Not only does she just slow everything, but their buggy is levitating from the ground, too. Damn, this must be how it felt on zero-G, the borg thought.
After a few seconds passed, everything returned to normal while the car, and debris just flopped to the ground. No longer pose any threat to them.
"You didn't tell me that you can do magic?" Nux said with his seven eye bulbs directly staring at the fox girl, and he was still bewildered by the scene he witnessed before him.
"That…*huff*...*puff* was 'ART'. We call it Originium Arts." Suzuran says in her meek voice, while she is gently brushing the side of her shoulder.
"You okay, Suzuran? You look kinda pale." Nux asks with a concerned tone when he notices that his little fox looks exhausted.
"I am okay, really. I just feel a little bit winded." Suzuran says with a small smile, and she feels happy to hear it from him. She doesn't know why, but hearing from the person she likes makes her chest tight.
"You are not looking good, choom. That power that you used did a number on you…"
"No, I am fine. This happened when I didn't use my staff. My staff aids me to control my power, not using it usually ends up like this. But, no worry Mr Nux. I am a strong girl, hehehehe." Suzuran giggles as she tries to put up with her smile. However, behind that facade. She felt guilty of telling the half-truth to him because there is a cautionary tale behind the reasons for using Arts, and he doesn't know that. She just doesn't want to make him worry more about her.
"Okay, but you really need to rest." Nux steps out from the buggy, and goes to her side. Without any warning, he slid his arm to her back, and legs as he lifted her up till he carried her in a bridal style.
"Kya! Mr. Nux!" Suzuran yelps while her fluffy ears, and tail wagging in joy. For she never expects that the person she likes will carry her as if she was his bride. Uwauwauwa! What are you thinking Suzuran, calm yourself! Calm!
"Suzuran, your fluffy tail is hitting my face!" Nux complains as he walks to the other side of the buggy, while the fluffy nine tails of the blushing fox are blocking his sight
.
"Sorry, I am sorry Mr. Nux!" Suzuran replies with tears of panic while she tries to hold on her nine-tails that uncontrollably wagging in excitement. "Calmati! Suzuran, calmati! Umuuuu…."
"There we go!" Nux says, and gently lays down the fox girl on the passenger seat. Then, he went back to the driver seat, leaving the blushing kitsune to her own space.
"Umuuuu, Questo è imbarazzante." Suzuran mumble under her breath, and she folds her foxy ears to hide blushing cheeks while her face is turned away from him. Trying to hide her meekness away from his sight.
"Hey you doing fine there, choom?" Nux asks while he takes control of the steering, and drives its wheel back on the road.
"Yes, I am fine. Grazie " Suzuran composes herself, and smacks her rosy cheeks. Hoping this will calm her down.
"Preem, don't worry just relax my lil choom." Nux said with a smile, and bumps his fist against his left chest. "Remember, your big ol choom is always here for you."
Suzuran held on to her chest as she felt something skip in her heart. Then, the fox girl shifts into a fetal position, and hugs her knee. While her emerald eyes are staring at the face of a man he likes, admiring him quietly.
"Mr Nux?"
"Yep"
"I am glad you are here for me." Suzuran says with a smile that shines brighter than the sun.
SomeTime Later…...
"That's Chernobog!" Nux shouts with his jaw drop in shock while he drives their buggy besides the huge moving city.
"Yes, it's one of the oldest cities in Ursus."
"Suzuran, you don't understand." Nux shouts, and still bewildered by the sight before him. "It's a city on wheels, my choom. A CITY ON WHEELS, YOU KNOW HOW CRAZY THAT SOUND IS!?"
"It seems like you don't have a city like that back in your world." Suzuran says with a wry smile, while her foxy ears bend to the sides.
"I don't get it, why put wheels on the city?" Nux asks in wonder.
"Because that's the only way to avoid 'Catastrophe'" Suzuran says, and she is searching something in her bag.
"Catastrophe? Was that?"
"It's like a storm, but instead of raining water. It rains a chunk of orginium stone from the skies."
"Yeah, I think I get why you put wheels on the city." Nux nods his head, and feels terrified when he draws an image of meteors falling in the city, from his thoughts. "Damn, even though you all don't have any flying cars or cyberware. Building a city on wheels is an impressive feat, I'll give you that."
"Mhm!"
"what are you doing?" Nux lifts his eye bulbs in wonder when he is observing the fox girl attached something on the top of their buggy.
"It's a beacon strobe light." Suzuran explains while she peeks through her binoculars. Looking for someone on the top wall of the Chernobog. "This will notify our friends that we are here."
"I see, so what do we do now?" Nux asks while he keeps his distance away from the moving city. "Wait?"
"Now, we figure out how we get past those border security."
[Eastern Wall, Chernobog ]
"Control to Matoimaru, Control to Matoimaru?"
On the top of the wall, there is an oni lady leaning on the edge of the cliff railing. This charming oni has twin horns in her head, and a waist length silver hair. She wears detached sleeves, a leather shirt, a skirt, and a waist cape that reaches to her knees with a color theme of black, and white. Not only is she beautiful, she also has an alluring body such as her bountiful bosom, and slender waist.
"Matoimaru, do you copy over?"
"*sigh* kyukei o kudasai" The oni complained under her breath as she let out a lethargic sigh. "Hai, I read you loud, and clear, control."
"Good, give me an update on the eastern gate?"
"Well everything is normal in here, besides from the securities harassing, and detaining the foreigners or infected alike, Ursus bastards." Matoimaru says as she watches the border securities, in her disgust.
"The recruit?"
"Oh, she'll be here."
"Are you sure?"
"What, you think that adorable, fluffy vulpo is the type of girl who breaks promises?" Matoimaru retort with a smug smile on her lips
"I can't argue with that, but sti- "
"She is here." Matoimaru says with a grin while she notices a flashing beacon beyond her horizon.
"Good, now pick up that girl, and proceed as we plan. Make sure to RTB before sun down. Good luck, Matoimaru. Control, out"
"Yosh!" The oni lady rests her Naginata on her shoulder as she stretches her body side to side. "Time to get back to work."
To be continued…?