"Alright everyone, a couple of things beforehand." I call, stepping into the room where team awaited me. "First of all, which one of you kind souls I should be thanking for cleaning up my stuff?"
"Don't look at me boss." Dietrich bluntly states. Eiger's stare gives all of the negative answer I suspected her of, so...
"It's not you sucking up to me, ain't you Blitz?" I ask, lying to myself.
"Uhh...No? I can try next time if you want but it can have bad consequences." Decker replies, scratching his head.
"So...Thank you Glory. From the bottom of my black heart, I appreciate it." I turn to chrome lady who nods to me, making me feel even worse about the cold shoulder I've given her half an hour ago. "Alright, now about the job...Did you all taken extra ammo?"
"And grenades." Eiger points at six frags in large pouch strapped to her thigh. Huh, big girl steals my tricks? Flattering.
"I've seized the anti-armor ammo, since nobody else uses SMG around here...That's okay?" Blitz chimes in.
"Aye, anything that'll help you, mate." I reply and stock up on the shotshells for my Remington.
"Where did you lost your rifle? And how did you got an axe and a shotgun?" Eiger finally asks about the elephant in the room. I sigh and while preparing myself for the run, I try to quickly tell whole story in as few words as possible.
"That is-You couldn't call us for help?!" Troll sniper snaps when I was done.
"Didn't thought about it really, little preoccupied with things in front of me...And I didn't wanted to risk your lives for nothing."
"It was not 'nothing' Rai." Glory's voice breaks in. "You've helped some people again, people who were destined to perish."
"Well that's my biggest flaw, you know? I got it from Monika, I just can't walk past underdogs being kicked around. "
"Because Monika would've done the same?" Glory inquired.
"Because this is what I do, love. This is what I am and I want to be." I reply, slinging Remington and making sure axe slides out easily from the holder on my back, strapped under the deckcase.
"We're going against Knight Errant forces. So that means good guns and solid nerves under fire." I brief my team while we're riding on an empty train. "Keep yourself covered, make use of these grenades and no heroic charges against the enemy, clear?"
"Says the guy with short-ranged weapons." Eiger remarks and I have delicate feeling it wasn't only to be a hardass. But the thought of her being playful was as foreign to me as Glory laughing.
"Exactly. That's my job. You stay put and safe." I finish just before we get to our destination. "Let's do this."
The moment we've ran into reception room, I've spotted two Knight Errant soldiers. Armors were alright, but they've forgotten helmets...First one didn't even managed to make a sound when load of pellets hit him in the face, His friend nearly made it behind the table, but two knives hit her in the neck and ear, making her stumble. Shot from Glory's handcannon tossed the slim woman away.
"Eiger, Blitz on the right, we take left!" I command and move forward, loading up the shotgun on the move.
Another guard was too busy running through the doors and screaming over the radio to notice me, a hit from the handle of my gun sent the guy flat onto his ass, just in time to stare in the barrel of Remington.
Bloody hell. However you'd look at it.
Passing by security terminal, I've managed to hack it without need to jack-in, gaining feed from the cams around the place. "I spy with my little eye..."
Hearing Dietrich's laughter, it made me realize I've said the last part out loud.
"We have a proper welcoming comittee awaiting us but there are side doors too." I inform my team.
"We also have a layline just beyond the doors, Rai." Dietrich adds.
It works nice at the start, me punching in from the side and killing from the flank, as Dietrich runs into the room and while stepping on the magical vein apmlifying his powers, he tosses a hardcore spell, only to jump behind nearest cover right after. Eiger lingers in the corridor, landing a shot at the mage right in front of me, tossing the man off my path. I shoot two shells at the gunman hiding behind a table and spray blindfire, only to witness Glory vaulting over said table, amidst the flying bullets, and sinking her blades in the man in one, swift move.
"We're done." Glory calls, only to prompt doors closest to her to open and begin spitting out a whole squad of fighters.
With irritated groan containing all of my frustration and worries about Glory's safety, I run towards her and try to sharply change direction, pulling brunette with me. We land on a dead body that cushions our fall a bit, as we scurry behind cover, chased by hail of bullets.
"Told you, no heroics!"I chide her while reloading.
"You think you're the only one unafraid to die?!" Glory snapped at me and retracted blades on one hand, pulling out her pistol. "You don't own me!"
"No, but I do care a fucking lot about you staying alive!" I argue back, rising from cover and firing three solid slugs against our enemies. "Light 'em up, D!" I cry and lightning bolt flies above, hitting someone at least, judging from the screams.
Glory grunts and jumps out from the cover, covering her face with metal arms that deflect small caliber bullet on my own eyes, and then she buries claws into shoulder of broad man, turning him around and using like living shield, killing off another Errant.
"Have you lost your bloody mind?!" I cry, running up to her, just in time to fire at one last Errant peering from behind the corner. "Charging like that without cover?!"
"I'm supposed to sit on my ass because you say so?" Glory's voice raises, as she disposes of her shield and opens fire at new squad emerging from third side of the room we were in.
"Yes, for chrissakes, I tell you to be bloody careful and I hope you will be!" I continue, firing from my shotgun at running up enemy and, Murphy you barmy bastard, hit him lethally.
"You can't order me!" Glory continues and lunges behind the corner, catching unaware solider into her claws and destroys his throat in one wave of three of her bladed fingers.
All I can is groan again, tearing axe off my back and swinging it, making it slip from my hands and fly one step away before embedding itself into chest of the last Errant.
"Are you two done?!" Eiger's scream made us both freeze and look at the troll staring at us with disbelief. "I've seen a lot of crazy shit on a run but this is fucking unbelieveable. Are you serious?"
The anger vents from my head, and judging from Glory slumping her arms, she also begins to realize how hilarious it had to be to anyone beside two of us, to stand around and bicker while killing off enemies before the even graze us.
"Just when I thought you two are gonna do the old kiss-kiss-slap trope." Dietrich grins at us, evidently amused.
I was too pissed off to blush and Glory...I doubt she was even able to.
"Laugh it out, D. It'll take some years off your ugly mug." I try to snark in retalliation, picking up my gear and reloading. "Fan out but stay frosty. We need to find our target."
We found an ambush set up behind next doors, leading us into fire of automatic turrets.
"Hold them off! I need a sec!" I yell while opening up my deck and trying to pinpoint frequency of the turrets. Luckily, Glory does not try to charge this time, Eiger throwing couple of grenades inside stops her behind cover.
"Things are heating up!" Eiger yells, firing from her shotgun blindly.
"Got it! Stay in cover!" I warn and suddenly, there's a whirl of turrets spinning up and beginning to slaughter Errants. Yeah, these remote toys are so new-age and hip but so easy to hack unlike hardwired old models...
Two mages that ran from side room were so surprised when the guns turned around and eviscerated both of them, crossfire so unfortunate it also taken both turrets out at the same time.
"We're clear, let's get to the elevator-Hold up!" I motion to the team. "Where the bloody hell's Blitz?"
"I'm here Chief! I'm comin'." I hear from around the corner and temporarily forgotten decker shows up. "Couldn't let all the nuyen go to waste, no?" He shakes bag that's already full in two-thirds.
That son of a-
"...Better this than pissing yourself in the corner." I sigh, little wary. "But next time, focus on helping us against the living, instead of jumping the dead guys, kay?"
"I would but you and metal lady were killing all these chummers like nobody's business so I've made myself useful instead of just staring at you two bicker." Blitz shrug and I can't neglect how right he was at that moment.
Covering it with mask of annoyance, I wave at the rest and we pack into the elevator.
Trying to not feel or smell anything, we pass by *cages* where pile of mutilated bodies were dumped, some piece still wearing high-end ballistic armors. Way above our paygrade, corporate gear.
"Hold them off until reinforcements arrive!" I hear a yell the moment doors on the far side of the room open and we all barge into spacious hall with bigger, sturdier cells on each side wall.
Reinforcements, that's never anything good. Okay, think Rai, think before this all will turn into bloodbath...
"Eiger, keep these fucks away from me! I'm gonna jack-in and try to lock out reinforcements!" I order to the troll. "You said I didn't protected Monika? Try protecting me now to prove me wrong!"
Eiger opens her mouth for a second but then closes it loudly, pursing lips in silent grimace of assent.
I ran to the corner where computer console lays on massive metal desk. Sliding under it, I'm protected enough from the fire to unpack my deck and reach behind my ear, pull off the kevlar slide and uncover Datajack. My ears catch metallic whirr of a drone springing into life, recalling Blitz's new toy, just before everything changes...
I open my eyes and I welcome myself in the cyber-ethereal world of Matrix. It's something hard to describe with words to someone who never streamed own conciousness into world of ones and zeroes. The floor is made out of shiny, glass tiles underlit by blueish streams of light, everything pulsing like software blood cells coursing through the veins. In a lot of ways, Matrix is a living organism...
Just a few steps away from well that's my literal doors to enter and leave Matrix, lays a gate. It leads into nothingness it would seem, utter void behind it the same as the one that platform I'm on is suspended within.
No wonder lesser minds lose themselves in the Matrix, this place is surreal even for me stepping in here for a hundredth time. I may've stand there and muse for ages, if not for something like a cold breeze brushing against my arm, snapping me out of cybernetic romantics and reminding why I'm here. I've stepped through the gate briskly, experiencing familiar sensation of hot and cold shower at once.
Welcome to the Maze. Corridors with no roofs or doors are software routes I traverse in search of my targets - nodes with data or clusters containing security protocols. Reddish cubes that digitalized themselves in front of me? Security measures here are white cells, rushing to destroy the virus I am.
Bad for them, this is the closest thing I can get to wielding magic and boy, I have lots of spells in my digital book.
"Burn." I've spoken, forming hands into finger gun and suddenly a reddish lightning struck from my palms, flying into the cubes like a rocket. Both security ICs disperse in cloud of pixel particles, fatally eroded by my Kill virus that I've tweaked a bit.
I've broken into pace, since first strike the clock begun to tick and security alert begun to reach higher levels like a lit fuse trying to reach a powder keg. The further down the path, the stronger security I'll face. Rounding the corner I barely have time to cross arms in front of me, *casting* a digital defensive spell, before a lightning bolt fired by sphere hovering in front of me would fry my brain. The hit is like a gust of hot wind, pushing me back a bit and making feel like stung by low voltage.
"Die!" I yell and form a cross, small black ball fires into the sphere. White IC are more advanced programs, able to shake off simple kill command. But termination protocols...
Sphere whines mechanically and dissolves into particles that disappear after a second. Huh, so far so good, nothing too hard or time consuming.
Just as I notice shiny pillar of moving data, awaiting me in the corner of the Maze, deja vu strucks me as I narrowly dodge claws hacking my head off. Twice in one night I have to face a ghoulish nightmare with claws, only this one is red and floats few inches above the imaginary floor.
But I can hurt it just like the fleshy ones in the sewers. And I don't even need to have an axe...
"Cut!" I wave my hand and invisible blade chops off armed limbs from Sparky IC, name fitting as it begun to buzz and spit sparks like a damaged mech. I don't wait for it to load it's chest cannon able of delievering neural shock. Mimmicking Glory in real life, I lunge forward and criss-cross cut with my arms, slicing the sentinel into four parts that fallen into cloud of sparks and particles.
I supress grin, when I touch the pillar, putting my hand inside the flurry and grabbing a handful of it, I pull. The pillar erupts internally and collapses, suddenly the protocols stopping. All of the connected doors were inactive from now on, unless I'll jump start them personally, using my own routine I've just left in the pillar. It would be like a digital signature a lot of cocky or fresh deckers leave, though mine will dissolve after an hour and leave no traces to pursue me, effectively granting me ghost's status quo in this system.
Running back to the Doors, I feel bit of a pressure on my arm, and fleeting feeling of something, or someone, tugging on me...
"Rai." I open my eyes and feel cool chrome squeezing on my bicep. Looking to the side I see Glory who, the moment I've looked at her, let me go and turned head back to the battlefield, now full of dead bodies. Not uttering a word to me, Glory leaned out while brandishing my own shotgun, and killed a man trying to rush towards us.
"We're good. Let's mop up these muppets." I say just to acknowledge my presence back into reality, part of me preoccupied about reasons for Glory to touch me. She did that more and more often lately...
Not much of killing left to do, between few bodies riddled with buckshot, others are either mown down by large blullets of Eiger's rifle or have marks of precise bursts, surely fired from AR mounted on squaking drone that now drove around Blitz like a puppy proud of bringing a stick back.
At the far end of the room, a dwarf impatiently tapped on the reinforced glass of his cell. That oughta be our target we're supposed to kill off...But if this was a corporate op, then why I was staring at shadowrunner? Something's fucky in here.
The guy irkes me, but pitches the sale quite good, pointing out that elusive Herr Fucks who employed us was holding out, typically, about the other team sent in here before. I've decided to ignore Eiger's stare boring into my skull and do not kill this guy outright, especially since he promised to compensate me breaking the deal with Fuchs, handing over same money and even throwing in a bonus in form of some weapon he called Pain Inducer.
The way guy grinned about it, it was first mark telling me what I should do but I've ignored it at that time.
Second time was when the bastard giggled over mutilated corpse in the lab room, the automatic scalpels constantly chopping and dicing some poor sod leaving no mercy or dignity to the body.
I wasn't about to give him a third strike. With a heavy sigh, I've pulled up my Remington and fired from the hip, tearing a huge hole in the psycho rigger's chest, making the dwarf fall onto the floor with shock painted on his bearded face.
I look up at my team to see admonishment but only Eiger seems to frown on me. Blitz is confused as always but Dietrich and Glory have impassion colored with content on their faces. That changes when doors leading to the exit open suddenly and three people in suits barge in, heavily armed for someone like them.
"Herr Rai...Interpid and rebellious as expected." Company Man snarls at me, every letter he spits out to me reeks with disgust. "But in the end you did fulfilled your end of the contract. Who knew that shadowrunners have some remnants of integrity."
"There was no integrity here." I reply heavily. "I just wanted skin him off the money he talked about before collecting the head. Don't think I'd pass by double money."
"Huh, typical spineless thug." Suit grimaces and spits on the floor. "Still, the target is dead. I will report to Herr Fuchs you've fulfilled what was required of you." He turns around and leaves with entourage, not paying attention to us.
"Let's get home..." I suggest and start dragging myself outside and toawrds U-Bahn, not in the mood to talk to anyone about anything.
I dream on the ride back, rattling of the empty traincar lulled me into sleep. The exhaustion of the long night catching up to me with the weight of terrible mistake I nearly made by saving bloody psychopath just because of face value...Monika taught me that, gave me this optimism in my darkest hour.
Ah, Moni...Life was so simple when it was just two of us standing against whole world. But was it really like that to you? Because the more I learn about your actions in these years we were apart, the less I feel like I knew you at all...
Buzzing sound breaks me from my slumber. Snapping eyes open, I stare at my commlink.