The year is 2060. Amazing advances in technology have created a huge grey area between man and machine. Implants, also known as cyberware, allow humankind to greatly surpass the barriers that once limited it. Humans fusing with computers is no longer a thing of the past, thanks to an immense computer network known as The Matrix. Thanks to the people of Texas, corporations now hold more power than most governments.
On top of all that, magic has once again returned to the world. Dragons exist, as to other creatures of lore and fable. What once were considered to be little more than fairy tales now walk the streets with the rest of mankind. Elves, trolls, orks and dwarves...known collectively as metahumans are part of everyday life. Native Americans, generally more in tune with nature and magic than most, have created their own nations, their independance shown by a vast display of magical energy. Right in the middle of one of those nations, the Salish-Shide, lies the Seattle Metroplex.
The Seattle Metroplex is a place where almost anything can happen, as long as money's involved. Megacorp buildings tower over everything in the downtown district, CEOs raking in the cash as their corporations continue to advance technology and eat up the smaller corps. However, with all that going on..the real business took place in the shadows..the not-so-legal type of business...the shadowruns. The type of business Jack was good at.
He stepped out of the front door of his apartment building, and right into a puddle. Scowling down at it, then up at the lightly falling rain, he shook his head and continued on his walk. He had a long walk ahead of him, as he lived in the Puyallup Barrens. Not exactly safe, but most people knew better than to mess with him.
Boris was a large man. Raised on the streets from the age of seven, he was also an extremely tough man, who was more or less independant. He had a small gang that usually followed him around, though right now they were asleep. One of the few flaws Boris had, however, was that he hadn't yet learned not to mess with Jack...so when he saw a man approaching middle-age, walking around by himself...he did what came naturally.
Jack stumbled forward as a large hand shoved against his back, and cursed under his breath before turning around, only to find himself staring down the sawed-off barrel of a Remington 990 shotgun.
"Make one move an' I splatter yer head all over th'street. Wearin' a coat like that, you gotta have some creds..hand 'em over."
Jack looked away from that gun and down at his clothing. Regular clothes with a Securetech Longcoat over it all. He figured Boris must have recognized the fact that the coat was armored.
"Back the fuck off, I don't have any cash on me." he said as he turned an emerald glare up towards Boris's eyes. The large man blinked, hand seeming to tremble a bit, then he snarled and shoved the barrel of the gun forward, striking Jack in the mouth with it.
"In that case I'll just hafta take that coat!"
Jack blinked as he was struck and stumbled back a bit, then wiped some of the freely-flowing blood from his chin. He recovered quickly, however, and dove to the side just as the trigger on that shotgun was squeezed. A shot rang out loudly into the air, and the slug fired from the shotgun made a whizzing sound as it sailed on its path to impact with the shin of an extremely unlucky pedestrian. The man let out a scream of pain as his lower leg was more or less severed, and dropped to the ground clutching it and screaming. No one would come to help him in this neighborhood, though. Jack, in the meantime, sent a kick from his prone position into the back of Boris's knee. As Boris dropped to that knee, the shotgun fired again, though this time the slug sparked harmlessly off the street and sailed off into the air.
Boris was now starting to get worried. He grabbed the shotgun's grip with the hand that'd dropped it as he fell, and was turning to point the weapon at Jack when he heard an impact with his face..his vision exploded in a flurry of stars and he felt himself falling back, though only barely did he feel the back of his head connect with the sidewalk. As his vision cleared, he realized Jack had kicked him again in the face, and judging by the pressure on his wrist, was now standing on it. He fired his shotgun futilely until the squeezes of the trigger only resulted in clicks, then growled up at Jack. Just as he tried to struggle and get up to his feet, Jack's foot left his wrist and slammed down onto his throat, hard, and remained there.
"Well now this is interesting. I didn't even have to draw a weapon yet..must still be on the top of my game." Jack smirked down at Boris, then sent a kick to that shotgun which sent it skidding down the street a ways. "Looks like you need to learn not to mess with people you know nothing about." His hand then slid into his longcoat and he pulled out a Cavalier Deputy revolver. He spun the cylinder once, then thumbed back the hammer with a click and aimed down at Boris's head. "Well...let's hope fate was kind to you."
Boris closed his eyes and then..winced as he heard a click, then opened an eye and looked up at Jack, who was smirking once more.
"Well well, look at the lucky man. Get the hell outta here before I get tempted to do that again." Jack said as he slid the gun back under his coat, then got off of Boris's throat and continued on his way, leaving a very stunned, and surprisingly happy Boris lying there on the street.
On top of all that, magic has once again returned to the world. Dragons exist, as to other creatures of lore and fable. What once were considered to be little more than fairy tales now walk the streets with the rest of mankind. Elves, trolls, orks and dwarves...known collectively as metahumans are part of everyday life. Native Americans, generally more in tune with nature and magic than most, have created their own nations, their independance shown by a vast display of magical energy. Right in the middle of one of those nations, the Salish-Shide, lies the Seattle Metroplex.
The Seattle Metroplex is a place where almost anything can happen, as long as money's involved. Megacorp buildings tower over everything in the downtown district, CEOs raking in the cash as their corporations continue to advance technology and eat up the smaller corps. However, with all that going on..the real business took place in the shadows..the not-so-legal type of business...the shadowruns. The type of business Jack was good at.
He stepped out of the front door of his apartment building, and right into a puddle. Scowling down at it, then up at the lightly falling rain, he shook his head and continued on his walk. He had a long walk ahead of him, as he lived in the Puyallup Barrens. Not exactly safe, but most people knew better than to mess with him.
Boris was a large man. Raised on the streets from the age of seven, he was also an extremely tough man, who was more or less independant. He had a small gang that usually followed him around, though right now they were asleep. One of the few flaws Boris had, however, was that he hadn't yet learned not to mess with Jack...so when he saw a man approaching middle-age, walking around by himself...he did what came naturally.
Jack stumbled forward as a large hand shoved against his back, and cursed under his breath before turning around, only to find himself staring down the sawed-off barrel of a Remington 990 shotgun.
"Make one move an' I splatter yer head all over th'street. Wearin' a coat like that, you gotta have some creds..hand 'em over."
Jack looked away from that gun and down at his clothing. Regular clothes with a Securetech Longcoat over it all. He figured Boris must have recognized the fact that the coat was armored.
"Back the fuck off, I don't have any cash on me." he said as he turned an emerald glare up towards Boris's eyes. The large man blinked, hand seeming to tremble a bit, then he snarled and shoved the barrel of the gun forward, striking Jack in the mouth with it.
"In that case I'll just hafta take that coat!"
Jack blinked as he was struck and stumbled back a bit, then wiped some of the freely-flowing blood from his chin. He recovered quickly, however, and dove to the side just as the trigger on that shotgun was squeezed. A shot rang out loudly into the air, and the slug fired from the shotgun made a whizzing sound as it sailed on its path to impact with the shin of an extremely unlucky pedestrian. The man let out a scream of pain as his lower leg was more or less severed, and dropped to the ground clutching it and screaming. No one would come to help him in this neighborhood, though. Jack, in the meantime, sent a kick from his prone position into the back of Boris's knee. As Boris dropped to that knee, the shotgun fired again, though this time the slug sparked harmlessly off the street and sailed off into the air.
Boris was now starting to get worried. He grabbed the shotgun's grip with the hand that'd dropped it as he fell, and was turning to point the weapon at Jack when he heard an impact with his face..his vision exploded in a flurry of stars and he felt himself falling back, though only barely did he feel the back of his head connect with the sidewalk. As his vision cleared, he realized Jack had kicked him again in the face, and judging by the pressure on his wrist, was now standing on it. He fired his shotgun futilely until the squeezes of the trigger only resulted in clicks, then growled up at Jack. Just as he tried to struggle and get up to his feet, Jack's foot left his wrist and slammed down onto his throat, hard, and remained there.
"Well now this is interesting. I didn't even have to draw a weapon yet..must still be on the top of my game." Jack smirked down at Boris, then sent a kick to that shotgun which sent it skidding down the street a ways. "Looks like you need to learn not to mess with people you know nothing about." His hand then slid into his longcoat and he pulled out a Cavalier Deputy revolver. He spun the cylinder once, then thumbed back the hammer with a click and aimed down at Boris's head. "Well...let's hope fate was kind to you."
Boris closed his eyes and then..winced as he heard a click, then opened an eye and looked up at Jack, who was smirking once more.
"Well well, look at the lucky man. Get the hell outta here before I get tempted to do that again." Jack said as he slid the gun back under his coat, then got off of Boris's throat and continued on his way, leaving a very stunned, and surprisingly happy Boris lying there on the street.