Chapter Eleven:
Santo Domingo:Rancho Coronado.
The girls and I arrived to the hideout before the rest, as they had to shake Trauma Team. Kiwi and I got to drinking as Lucy went off, probably to reach David. The beer didn't sit well as I instantly threw up, my stomach a bag of knots still.
Kicking my feet up I recline on the couch besides Kiwi who's still drinking her Broseph Ale. She gives me a stigant look as her eyes line me up and down.
"You want my advice, don't try to be like David. Learn the limitations of the implants, and work from there." Kiwi adviced analyzing my prognosis.
"If my friends are in danger of course I can't concern myself with limitations.." I say full of conviction.
"That's gonna get you flatlined. Put your own safety before your crew and remember always look out for number one." Kiwi voice stern and serious.
"If that's how you roll, I can't fault you on that. Me personally, I won't let any friend die if I can help it. That includes you." I say closing my eyes wishing for the pain to subside.
My body was going between the states of hot and cold, shivering and sweating in the same fashion on repeat. The chills brought shivering, the heat flashes brought on restlessness.
"Here, this should alleviate the symptoms for a while." Kiwi returns with a inhaler. I take two puffs and the pain subsided but the fatigue is still there.
"Thanks..." I dryly mouth out closing my eyes and sinking deeper into the couch. My eyes heavy and worn out.
"Alright get this bastard prepped, Kiwi get ready for deep dive." I hear Maine voice commanding everyone, I stand up and walk over to him and Dorio.
"Anything you need from me boss?" I ask Maine.
"Yeah kid, go home and rest you look like shit."
"What the big lug is trying to say, good work for today." Dorio says.
"C'mon Lucy where heading home." David calls for her and the three of us reach the parking lot. As I go for the door of my car I collapse on one knee. Blood dripping from my nose.
"Shit!" I scream out loud in pain. My vision blurry and shakey, perhaps from the medicine.
"Alright you're in no state to drive. Lucy we might as well take him with us for the night."
"I think you're right." In a split second I appear seated in the back seat of their car. Did David use his Sandy just to place me in the car.
I didn't give it much thought as we rolled pass different areas of the city.
Japantown:Lucy Apartment.
Lucy apartment was minimalist but the views outside her window are stunning. David threw off his signature yellow jacket, I slip out of my hoodie and was left in a black tank top.
"Couch is all yours." Lucy says slowly undressing. Erg I need a shower."
"I'll join you." Pipped up David and they excused themselves to the bathroom. I took the time too wash my hands and face in the kitchen sink, before opening up the fridge.
The least I can do is have a meal cooked for them by the time they got done showering. Inside the fridge was half a carton of eggs and some mildly old cheese and half a loaf of bread. I pull out a stick of butter and grease a skillet up before putting it on an burner. Carefully and with precision I cracked shells and whisk them to fluffy goodness. I add cheese to the mix and pour it all into the skillet.
The aroma dance around the apartment as I made a heap of scrambled eggs. With the eggs done I toss the bread softly on a low flame until flakey and golden. I pull three plates out of the cabinet and plate up the eggs and toast for three. Seating the table with food I wash the dishes extremely quickly as Lucy came out wrapped in a towel. The pair soppin wet.
In a blink of eye David is dressed and so is Lucy. A bit lazy use of the Sandy, but I ain't one to judge.
"Eat up, it's the least I could do for y'all putting up for the night."
"I haven't had eggs in sometime," David beams as we all sit down for the meal.
"It's all I really know how to cook, but please don't hold back, if they are horrible let me know."
The three of us ate the eggs and toast, David nearly inhaled his plate. Lucy and I had took our time.
"Delicious." Smiles David.
"It's not half bad." Lucy says ever so cynical of me.
"Glad it was half way decent." I say pleased stretching my arm's in yawn."I don't know about you two but I can definitely go for some sleep." I say laying back on couch. Lucy tosses me a spare blanket and I curl up in underneath, letting my eyes grow heavy and shut.
I was dreaming of the day my mother walked out, I was five at the time, her and dad were arguing. She left to find her tribe or something, that's the only real memory of her I have left.
I am awoken by Lucy who's shaking me. David and her are at the ready and I slip into my hoodie, I can hear the pitter patter of rain tapping on the windowsill. The three of us exit the apartment and head downstairs and down the block, Falco made a stop by, Lucy was still tired as she hunched over under the protection of the buildings overpass that block out the rain. David was the one who walk over to Falco's van. I stood by Lucy doing some stretches as I felt relieved even for the few hours of sleep.
God did Falco have had horrible timing it was the middle of the night for fuck sakes.
"The fuck Falco, can't just drop by and not ask Maine. Why? You're here so just tell me." Falco just drove off mid sentence. "Hey! Huh!?" David stammered.
"Looks like it back to the work." I say unenthusiastically.
Santo Domingo:Rancho Coronado.
Back at base we were seated on a sofa as Maine and Dorio we're looking grim. There wasn't much said about why we was needed more or less David and Lucy, I only was here by proxy because I was with them.
"I can't believe this shit!" Lucy says aggravated.
"Huh. Your saying Kiwi out of commission? How, she was working Tanka, somethin go way south?" David ask's.
"We were only gone for a couple of hours how did this happen?" I end up asking.
"Should ask the gonk next to me." Dorio replies.
"Fuck off!" Maine cures back at her.
"Maine punched her out, she ran into some Ice that snagged her and he lost it."
"Huh?"
"Sounds like Maine needs his head checked." Lucy fires back.
"Ehh?" Maine grunts.
"Lucy that was uncalled for." I ream her.
"Easy Maine, next time you start lossing it-" Maine barges off.
"Hey lossing it?"
"That's right, Cyberpsychosis." Dorio confirms.
David goes to follow behind Maine.
"Can't be, it's Maine we're talking about. I don't believe it." I say shaking.
"It's the truth, he's been fighting it for a while now, truth be told we are far pass that point of no return."
"Can't he just downgrade?" I try to figure out.
"Currently it's to late, it can't be reversed. Even if he began removing parts, he be only delaying the inevitable and extending the pain." Mottly say out loud giving his two sense. It's been a few hours since he spoke.
"You don't know that, don't count him out just yet!" I yell at Mottly, rushing to speak with Maine.
"Stubborn fool!" I can hear Dorio cry out.
Out in the hallway I see David at the end heading this way. He downtrodden and his face has a huge hand print. I nod as we cross paths, I reach the middle of the hallway. I can hear Maine speaking to himself.
"Won't do it, ain't no way I'm gonna start downgrading. Not now, can't stop running." I knock on the room door and step in.
"Maine, I just heard. I'm sorry, but I can't simply watch you roll over and subcome to this. You aren't alone." I say softly with concern.
"It's you kid, how long has it been now."
"About a month, why?"
"I never taught you about attachments, it's only going to hinder you." He voice murmurs between normal and gibberish. He starting to daze out.
"I don't care, I won't let you turn into some Cyberpsycho maniac. I won't."
"Stay out of my biz Ryan." Maine warns.
"I can't, and you know that. All of you have been a family to me, and I haven't had one in nearly a decade."
"Buzz off!" Maine throws a heavy hand left hook it catches me in the gut, he was so fast and put so much strength behind it. I go slamming into the wall in a body shape crater. I feel the world around me go numb.
"Ma-in-e-..."
Coming too I pull myself out of the wall, I dust myself off and rush out to the hall, I have no clue where Maine wander off to but I knew he was very dangerous.
"Dorio, where Maine?" I ask blood dripping from my jawline.
"Christ who did that?" She asks me.
"It doesn't matter, Maine shouldn't be alone. Not during this."
"Fine, let's go join the big idiot."
Dorio leads us to another room where Maine is sitting spaced out. She explain what I missed. I sit next to him and Dorio joins.
"Ryan what happened, did you get jumped." He asks confused and concerned. The poor guy was in and out of fits of the Cyberpsychosis.
"Sorta like that, but we got bigger fish to fry. Let's hope we can still extract that Data." I reply.
Maine began to load his weapon's so does Dorio, I pull out my Nowaki, assault rifle. Whatever was going to happen, I was sticking with Maine to end.
"Need a plan b, just in case she don't make it."
Plan a, b or z, should of never had come to this." Dorio grunts.
"Whatever the case, only this moment matters."
I finish arming myself up with ammo and ready to go, when Maine shouts aloud, "Fuck you staring at Faraday." But then he collapse to the floor and Dorio rushes over to help him. She injects him with medicine but he doesn't react.
"Maine snap out of it."
"Shit this isn't good, I'll go check on David and Lucy." Maine begins coughing and convulsing.
"Wait I'll call him, just keep him still." She commands.
There is no answer and Maine suddenly comes to. I follow behind Dorio and Maine to where the two are.
We reach the room and Dorio slams it open inside are David who's out of it and Lucy who in the middle of a deep dive. But this was wasn't the worse part.
"David the fuck is this?" Dorio demands to know.
"Why's this dawg awake where the damn tranq? Give it!" Maine yells shoving David to the floor. Just then Tanaka head short circuit in a explosion."What, the fuck was that. Yo he kicks it, this shits over." The alarm is blaring extremely loud overhead. Poor fuck, offed himself.
"Hey David, snap out of it damn it, you're the one who jacked her in, so yank her out!"
"David!" I grab him by his shoulder and shakes him. "Lucy needs you." He quickly stumble to his feet and grips her body out of the ice.
"Lucy still stuck in deep dive." He shouts franticly.
"You kidding me!?" Dorio fires back.
"C'mon hurry, just cut the link."
Dorio begins to tap frantically at the keyboard.
"Okay, pull now!"
David pulls out the link from her deep dive port, and I breath sigh of relief. Thank God we manage to pull this off. She let's out a big exhale and the alarms stop.
"How the data?" Maine asks as if that was he only concern.
"Is that all you care about?" I say pointing to barely breathing Lucy.
"Tanaka already flatlined but it should be fine."
Maine walks over to David who focused on Lucy. She trembling something fierce. I feel bad watching her like that.
"David!"
"Yea Lucy alright-" Next thing I know Maine smacks the crap David face.
"Start talking, the fuck was you thinkin?"
"Me? The Fuck was you thinking, what you doing." David argue back with Maine.
"Cut the shit you two!" I yell.
"The hell you say?"
"Punching out Kiwi, dropping all this shit on Lucy. You're the one fucking around. The fuck!"
I move in-between the two them, before thing got worse. "Enough already." I plead.
"Don't you start kid!" He warns. "Ryan learn to mind your damn biz." He says to me.
"Hey Maine, David and Ryan, the jammer got fried when Tanaka flatlined, Trauma Team caught the sig." Dorio alerts us.
"Mother fuck!" Maine begins firing at the chains binding Tanaka. He turns back to face us. "David we aren't done you hear me. Now prep our wheels quick."
David there just staring into space, as I try to snap his attention by waving my hand across his face. He's giving me deer in headlights stare. Of all the times to fucking daze out it was the worse possible.
"David, man do what Maine said and get Lucy out of here."
Then Dorio takes over and slaps him around,"Get it together David. You signed up for this shit, do it." He snaps out of it finally.
"Bring the ride, we'll catch up." Maine says strapping Tanaka to himself after giving him a shot reviving him.
"Go I got them covered." I say assuringly.
"Got it." He lifts up Lucy and is gone in flash.
"Fuck Maine, hurry." I say frantic.
"Fucking platinum premium plan service, Dorio.."
"Got it!" She says tossing him his gun.
"Kid get going too, out the back."
"No way, I won't leave you."
"Someone going to have to look out for David, ought it be you." He says.
"No goddamn-it no fucking way. Nada no chance. Tell him Dorio." I plead.
Smack!
"Kid you're only going to slow us down."
"But, but..."
"Go already!" He screams ferociously at me.
"Damn it. Dorio look after him. And good luck."
"I know. And Ryan no matter what you hear you keep going as far as fast as you can." Dorio says to me softly.
I break away from the pair, eyes dripping tears as I navigate towards the back. I am not as fast as David and don't wanna over do it by using the Accelerator.
I bust out the back door and three patrol cars are parked by the back door. They were going to ambush them from the back as well.
"NCPD!" They shout.
"Fuck off, I'm not letting you pass!" I shout to the officer's as I open fire at the six men with my assault rifle. One of them fires but I dodge the shot and fire at another, killing him. I toss a grenade and fire three shots into the ambush, blasting through one of the vehicles. In return, I get a spray of bullets and an explosion that almost knocks me out of my feet. Blood splatter all over me in red mist, four of them lie dead on the floor.
I weave out the way of the incoming bullet's from the last two men and dive to the ground. I take out two more with the last of my grenades as I reload the gun with the flick of a switch. More siren's blare as more patrol cars pile up in the back.
"Leave us alone!" I scream at the police cars, before going back to the fight. I manage to kill another three of them before falling to the floor. My head is pounding from the explosions and I decide My breathing's heavy as I lay there on the floor. I gaze over my kill's, they all look like they were good guys. I look over to the men who are marching down toward me, I jump to my feet and attempt to draw my gun but all I manage to do is shoot a few bullets at the officer who walks in front of me. He doesn't even flinch as my bullets tear through his body. I barely manage to get a grip on the gun when the young cop pounces on me. I crash into the cement floor, knocking the wind out of me, he wrestles the gun out of my hand and places both hands down on my neck.
I breath heavily as he presses his palms down on my throat, I struggle but it only causes the cop to tighten his grip. "Fuck! I am NOT fucking dying here!" I scream, and I surrender my arms to Mottly who pulls out my pistol and fires it point blank, leaving a gaping hole in his forehead. I wiggle fire and open fire on the swarm of officers in a final stand. They all go down, except for one. I raise my weapon and start shooting at him. He ducks behind cover and fires back, I feel a bullet tear into my arm, as I take a step back I hear a loud buzzing as I take another bullet to the shoulder. I mange to get him between the eyes the moment he breaks from cover.
I slowly catch my breath as I'm drench in blood. I don't feel my wounds but I do feel something warm running down my face. I feel a single tear fall down my face as I collapse to the ground, exhausted, laughing frantically.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Incoming Call-
Ryan: Lucy your awake thank God."
Lucy: Ryan listen, Maine's gone full psycho, they've called in MaxTac. David... David went in to help Maine. I'm begging you save David.
Ryan: Alright..."
Call Ended-
I stood back up and ran back into the building, where the gun shoots are coming from. But to my surprise, Maine's built a pyre out of explosive canisters. On top lies Dorio limp dead body. Shit what going on. David is shaking as leaf, MaxTac breaks into the room. I'm nearly there to help when Maine arms canon fire off at the pile, causing an massive explosion.
My Synaptic Accelerator kicks in and run as time is slowed down around me. The bubble of the explosion is expanding. Fuck just make it in time! I pray. I mange grip David's wrist yanking him forward, running out there as the explosion is nearly done expanding. I don't have much time left to use Accelerator. I max out at twelve seconds. But David snaps to and next thing I know I'm being yanked forward exponential faster zipping across the building. I clench his wrist not letting go. In a moment notice I'm placed in the back seat of the car and time for me has reverted and the building explodes outwardly killing everyone trapped in a ball of fire. David is the passenger seat.
Lucy drives off and all I could do is stare blankly into nothingness. I see from the rear view mirror David motionless stoic face, a tear dripping from his eyes. I automatically follow suit as we leave behind our dead friends. Next thing I know Lucy has pulled over, and I was staring out into the night abyss. I look over to Lucy and then David.
"I'm, I'm... Yeah..." I stutter exiting the car wanting to be alone I face the dark on my own, making my way home... As I approach my front door, a small wave of pain comes over me, I stop, leaning against the wall in agony. After what seemed like an eternity, my eyes finally focus on my door. As I open it, my hand falls on the handle, a feeling of dread grips as I walk in and step into my shower clothes on everything and let myself bawl like a baby.
"Maine..."
A/N: Hey everyone glad everyone is enjoying this story, honestly I wasn't expecting the support and amount of people reading this. I wanna say Thank you. Man this chapter is by far the longest and it broke me. I had writers block on how to approach this. Plus trying to follow the exact dialogue and trying to fit Ryan exactly into the scope of the episode. Plus having to put myself with watching Maine die was was hard for me. Gotta love Maine. But yeah, gonna take a few days to recover and the next chapters will be short and off the canon route, doing more exploring for Ryan past as well going through his next transformation of upgrades. Before doing what I think is a time skip when David becomes buff and leader of the Edge Runners.
