We've boarded the train in silence. Moving across the streets towards the metro station, we all moved past overturned stalls and trashbins, piles of rubble from destroyed corners. The whiff of burnt meat from large pyre where victims were immolated only reminded us all about small ceremony Eiger conducted behind the antique shop. It was quick and just as predicted - Amsel's body was placed in metal crate and turned into ashes. At first I thought about informing his family in some ways, only to learn that actually Paul was alone, his family dead for years after corporate kill squad entered the wrong apartment, guns blazing.
*We* were only family of this fathernal man.
All of these news were delivered to me by Altug Burakgazi, the usually collected owner of Cafe Cezve was a complete mess since the attack. Finally, he told me why...Kami was dead. That young, resolute girl with broad smile and decent future as golfer for Altug, have been killed without a single chance to surrender or hide.
No mercy given, I'll give no quarter in return. Audran. APEX. Firewing...All will pay for the pain they've caused to Kreuzbasar. To my kiez. To my family.
"Rai?" Gentle voice of Glory and delicate touch of her fingers made me snap out from the murderous imaginations, we were getting close to our stop.
"I'm OK...Get ready guys, fingers on the triggers but none of you fire until I do." I order the team and only stern faces reply to me. They know this isn't a run, and this isn't the time to deliberate about discipline or authority.
We're out for blood, and reckoning day for all of these fucks that hurt us have started the moment I've stepped out of the train. Walking down the street toward the designated building holding our mark, we got stopped by the local talents.
"Stop." Huge orc drawled at us, one arm raised and other holding assault rifle with ease. Big guy was all lax, having dozen goons eyeing us up from behind every cover. He was on his turf and holding all the cards. At least, that's what he thought. "You don't look like Magnifiker. You're not one of us and I'm guessing you ain't for the Hub either...So who the hell are you?"
"I got business inside that building. And nothing concerning you or your crew. I'm not here to mess anybody's deal or whatever." I tried to sound less tense than I was. It was hard, to not grunt and growl out every word.
"Oh? Go ahead then...By all means." Orc gestured behind him and few of his minions grinned at us. Fuck, things are always complicating for me...
"Rare thing to hear any sarcasm these days." I point out and somehow find it relaxing that I'm facing another challenger for my bull-shitsu.
"What a cunning linguist you are." Orc smiled at me, presenting whole suit of jagged teeth that's either nightmare or wetdream of any dentist, amount of yellow and green on them surely wasn't from spinach and eggs. "This building is under Arbeiter protection. We can't just let you waltz in and shoot up the place."
"I'm not planning on shooting anything or anyone in that building. Unless somebody shoots at me first." I reply truthfully. I intend on shooting a lot *under* that building.
"Yeah, face value is something kids accept but I can't." Orc replied and waved at us. "Better turn around and go back where you came from. We don't want to fight you but we can't let unknown player in the middle of a...*situation* we're having around here."
"Face value, eh? How about a little gesture of good faith?" I've asked in return. "Maybe there is something about this situation of yours that I could helpy you with?"
"Well, that puts your case under far different light." Orc changes tune. So he has some smarts and only lets his dumb ugly face to put up a facade. "Alright, you lot. Here's the deal: We have trouble with local mage gang called The Magnifikers. Fuckin' rats attacked without warning and flushed us out of the building. We can't get in, but maybe...You can."
"Anything's possible. But clearing whole gang-"
"Two hundred per head. Each one drekstain wears amulet so as many you'll bring, as much you'll get. How's that sound?"
"Two fifty and you'll find yourself fistful of these amulets." I've countered, upping the ante just for the sake of not accepting the terms outright. Merchant's pride, only hagglers are respected by hagglers. It keeps both side abiding to their ends of the bargain.
"Fine. 250 per, last offer."
"You got yourself a deal..." I've nodded to the orc and waved at my guys.
"One more thing, helpful samaritan." Ork called after me. "Leader of these magic parasites, Trithemius...I want his head."
"That's an extra. Do you know how I can get to the basement of this building?"
"Basement? What for?"
I contemplated telling the truth because it's so wild he'd think I was kidding. "Because that's why I'm here. I just need to get underground there. So?"
"That little punk Trithemius stolen power coupling for the elevator. So if you'll find his nest somwhere in the bulding, you'll get yourself a way to get to the basment."
"...Alright, I'll take a small tip from the stash you have in that basement and it's a deal." I've finished and saw Orc's face turning pale for a second. "Could use a new gat or something. Nothing for anyone to miss."
"Yeah, you bring head of that fucker and you'll get yourself a bonus." Orc conceited.
Flashing him a grin, I've turned and marched further towards the tenant bulding.
Sweet jeysus, it's nearly as bad as Das Kesselhaus! Ugh, it's not that many cockroaches and rat shit everywhere but damn...
"True. Now it seems like ages ago, huh?" Glory replied to me. Oh for the love of, was I talking to myself loud again?
"Yes. More often than you think." Brunette continues. "It's amusing though, I like knowing what's going on in your head from time to time."
"Good to know. LEt's go before Eiger starts to gag from listening to us."
"Way too late for that, Rai." Eiger grumbled to me, shouldering her Steyr. "What's the game?"
"We're hunting in CQB. I take left side, Eiger right. Glory behind me, Dietrich behind Eiger. Blitz? Cover the rear. Pick your targets and don't get trigger happy. Controlled fire and stay close."
Team formed quickly and we begun moving carefully through the corridor.
Unnecessary though, ground floor was fairly peaceful, inhabitated by Hub members. The guy leading them, Parson, was trying to sell me some joined conciousness techno-magic shit that I barely listened in on. What I did listened about was that Trithemius was holed up way up in the building and Parson knew how to get there. But he wanted help first.
Don't they always?
The crappy graffitti on the walls and stench of urine told me gangers or otherwise unpleasant squatters are on the second floor. I've turned to order my guys into formation only to see them already in positions and ready.
That earned a solid thumbs up from me.
Behind doors number one, a surprise! Two street mages. In ratty robes and high on their own magic.
The closer one did not moved, busy charging a spell in his hands. My shotgun made him never finish that spell. The second one tried to hide behind a table but boy, you can't outrun bullets.
Eiger got him with short burst of her rifle, making the kid tumble and hit the wall, already dead.
I motioned for the rest to watch around, heartbeat before metal arm grabbed me by the hood and pulled into bow. Three loud shots from a revolver and a painstaken moan told me Glory taken out last target in the room. Straightening, I saw doors leading into adjent room, three holes punched in the sheet metal and blood pouring from under it.
"Thank you." I've sent a quick smile to Glory who tsked at me, deftly reloading spent cartridges.
"Fucking newbies." I've heard Dietrich going off, as I was tearing off tacky talismans off necks of dead mages. Looking at him I saw old man inspecting makeshift altar set up in the other room, looking like value-slash-budget version of already b-grade fantasy film prop. "If they'll add pentagrams it'll look like every parent's nightmare, thinking magic comes from the devil and whatnot."
"I don't think you need that much prep to talk to the devil, D." I've cut the subject before even caught the stare from Glory, for one second her eyes reflecting all the fires and horrors we both witnessed.
"Yeah, you have to be a complete idiot to do that." Shaman prattled on, oblivious to his surroundings.
"D...Let's go, man." I've shot him up and passing by, I've put hand on Glory's shoulder. Same gesture she did to calm me down, seemed to work on her. She nodded as ok sign so we moved forward.
Next two rooms are just...filthy.
"And my mum kept telling me my room was a mess..." I've tried to quip, moving through dirt, grime and things I did not wanted to even know what they were. Some pocket money here, shot of drugs there. Nothing much, except for a piece of paper with something scribbled on it. Complusively, I've taken the note with me.
Doors nearby had intercom. I could push the button and risk talking but where's fun in that? Ten seconds later my malware was uploaded to the console steering the doors and...voila!
Dreadlocked gal squatting inside the room looked damned shocked at the sight of my eclectic team barging in with guns drawn and full discipline. One look between me and her and we both knew: The other one was a decker.
"Who the hell are ya? How did ya get through the door?" She yelled, holding her hand on the sling of AR but knowing already that one bad move and Eiger will scalp her with lead.
"Skills. Something you are running short on apparently" I've grinned at the bewildered decker.
"Cut the shit and start talking!"
"Or what, sunshine? Before you'll reach to piece of junk on your shoulder you'll have more lead in you than I had curry. And that'll be a lot of it." I've barked at her, unable to hold myself this time. "Parson wants his hardware back and I need something from him. Catchin' my drift, sweetie?"
She did caught it but wasn't going to budge. Parson wanted one measly terminal back online and ranted how the decker in front of me stripped it for parts for some reason. Her face told me she did had a reason to do so.
"No way! These parts are keeping us online! And not us but everyone who isn't a piece of drek in here!" The woman, probably the one called Janet if I presumed correctly from Parson's info, yelled while pointing behind her at small group of people cowering in the dark of the far end of the room. "Parson can keep running his little techno cult just fine with one terminal less. These parts given the only connection to the Matrix for all other people in here!"
The what? Oh come on...I needed one look at the jury rigged contraption humming next to Janet and let me tell you, this was not artistic combination like Schafer did, nor stable minimalism I'd do. This was just a lot of shit connected via stripped cables!
Seriously, is there no one in Germany who heard of a duct tape?
"How 'bout I'll take a look at your little terminal and see if I can make it work without the parts I need?"
"You? Who are you?"
"A better decker than you are, Janet." I've replied caustically and already made my way to the terminal. "Uh-huh...Uhhh...Uh-huh...That's impressive heap of junk you got wired together, love. Thing is..." I've begun while disconnecting whole sections and re-routing few others "You can run better on much smaller amount of hardware. "Now just to reprogram the signal transmitter..."
I could feel Janet's eyes following my every move, hunger of rookie observing pro at work was very well known to me whenever I watched Schafer work her deck.
"Done. You don't need hardware converter, it's code is now duplicated and set into the main signal stream." I finish, collapsing my deck and slinging back over my head. "And the converter comes with me."
"It looks like...Thanks for not just killing us off like gangers would." Janet now was way more timid, looking at me like one of those anime girls stared at upperclassmen...
Oh God please forgive me for ever watching this shit. I was young and stupid and ran out of films! And I only watched the PG-rated ones, I swear!
"Yeah well, you gotta pay a shadowrunner to kill." I finish and leave quickly, before that piece of information would seep into Janet's mind, making her realize she dodged a bullet here. Her and few squatters hiding in the corners of the room wouldn't stood a chance to us.
Last doors contained another surprise. Not hostile but unpleasant. A group of mottled metahumans was huddled in the far side of the spacious room created by knockingdown a few walls. They looked beaten, bruised and terrorised so much even at that moment I felt sorry for them.
"May I know who are you and what are your intentions?" Bespectacled man stood up in front of the group, human looking no better than his meta friends but still standing up to me like an equal.
I respected that kind of willpower.
"Name's Rai, I'm not here to hurt anyone or extort in any way so your people can relax. You obviously not part of Magnifikers so I have no quarrel with you." The moment I've said that, whole group sighed with relief. Damn, these people really had it tough.
"I'm Franz. These are my friends. And wife." He pointed at slim orc woman who despite tusks had complete appearance of a peaceful middle-aged housewife. "We used to live together up on the third floor."
"Used to?"
"Yes, until Magnifikers' pets moved in and we barely escaped with our lives."
"Spirits. I can smell ectoplasm on you." Dietrich piped in, walking up closer.
"The mages were summoning these creatures constantly but last week lost control of the group and before we knew it, we were running for our dear lives." Franz admitted.
I forgot there were still people who just tried to live their small unassuming lives. Those who weren't shadowrunners or associates, nor hardened anarchists like people of Kreuzbasar. They were just...people.
I could totally see my mum among them, probably inviting Franz and his wife for a tea if they'd move into our building.
Fuck, that hit too close to home for me to ignore it.
"You know Franz...I'm feeling like playing ghostbusters for an hour or so, let me handle that little errand for you. Early Christmas cleaning and what not." I've offered and moved out, our schedule tight even without another detour but I couldn't stop myself.
"Rai..."
"Not a word, Eiger."
"...It's nice to help them back into their homes." Sniper finishes anyway, earning a bewildered look from me.
"Who are you and what have you done to Eiger? Better yet, stay with us love and keep the snarky blonde in the closet."
"You'd like that, huh Rai?"
"No, you can come out whenever you want, love. I'm not judging." I've continued and only few steps later I've heard muffled curse, once Eiger got the subcontext. "You alright?"
"Fuck you, Rai." Troll snarled. "I've never looked at any girl no matter how many people implied it."
"Yeah yeah, whatever rocks your boat."
I've handed the parts over so The Wacky Parson's Project could continue, learning about secret switch on the third floor that leads into Trithemius inner sanctum. Or as I like to call it, piss soaked time-out corner for cowards.
"D, any particular advice on fighting Spirits?"
"Shoot the fuckers."
"And anything more detailed?"
"Shoot the fuckers in the face."
Good enough for me.
Ten minutes later I've changed my mind.
"That's a terrible way to pain walls!" I've screamed, seeing how buckshot from my shotgun was creating greenish splatters on any surface within few meters away from the Spirits.
"Just shut up and shoot them!" Eiger growled, unloading at the monstrosities floating above the floor and spitting sludge at us.
"Where?! I can't see faces, they look like bags of bloated arseholes!"
"You manage with that sight in the mirror, ain't you?" Eiger grinned impishly to me from behind cover.
Oh you barmy bastard...
"Shut up both of you!" Glory's voice shot us up immediately, her revolver went off whole six times and last of the Spirits, who did looked like some freakish bundle of guts tied with a string, dissovled into puddle of ectoplasm. "Done. Let's get these people back in here."
"Anything for a lady." I mutter and got swatted as I passed her by. Ah, her expression of raised eyebrow and one corner of the mouth was enough for me to relax a bit. She wasn't angry. Much.
Before going onto Franz-related matters, we perused further down the hallway, in search for the mages.
Didn't even had to fake mating calls or say any 'your momma' jokes, the next doors we opened had street mage staring at me with complete surprise.
"Knock knock!" I've called, shooting the guy point-blank. "You have overdue books, fuckers!"
We've ran inside the room, ducking under low flying spells. Using the inertia, I've vaulted over the long table and crushed face of one of the Magnifikers, getting myself into flanking position. Eiger stayed behind the corner and opened fire, while Glory and Dietrich ran in two opposite directions towards their targets.
It was quite the shocker for these 'mages', facing a pissed off shaman who conjured spell faster than these kids gathered mana, and clawed brunette that just slashed arm off an elf.
The mages fallen quicker than you can say 'Oh no, where did my arms went?'
I was busy collecting the amulets when Dietrich's cackle made me look at him.
"See this? That's my fetish." Shaman laughed, pocketing ember-like stone being spirit fetish used for summoning spirits.
Eiger's groan was an indication she was doing alright, if our antics vexed her. The worst that can ever be heard from that woman, is silence.
Still laughing, I've gestured my guys to stack up as I've noticed this had to be the room with the secret switch. So why not make a surprise entry?
"Alright, we're done here, let's go." I've said loudly and motioned to Dietrich to reach to the inconspicious bookcase and pull the tome Parson told me about. "Hello there!" I've cried, barging into hidden room where Thritemius resided.
And just learned he should put on the brown pants.
Rail-thin elf was so shocked, he didn't even delievered any b-grade villain speech. He just screeched something unintelligible before ducking under the stone sacrificial table in the far end of spacious chamber, leaving handful of still surprised minions to deal with us.
Oh well, let's get on with the fireworks, eh?
Throwing flashbang while diving behind nearest pillar-like part of the decorations littering the chamber, I've quickly lobbed frag then, aiming at the far end of the room to more flush out enemies than kill them. Just as the first grenade went off, I felt scalding heat washing over me and, for a hundreth time since coming to Berlin, a fireball passed so close to my skin, I didn't had to concern myself with shaving arm whether I wanted or not.
Alright, toasty Rai was not on the menu! I've leaned from the pillar and fired heavy buckshot at the smug mage who though was all so tough because he had magic. You know what I have? Skills. And better aim, since the kid found himself suffering from led-rich acne.
Reloading, I've glanced around the room and saw all of my guys hiding behind pieces of the altar taking over most of the room.
"Blitz, set it up!" I've yelled and before I knew it, a sizeable drone was rolling over the floor on its narrow tracks, beeping and wheezing like angry cyber puppy. A puppy with a heavy-chambered assault rifle attached to it.
Bot made good distraction and even shrugged off anothe fireball spell, shooting and driving around despite that. Just enough time for me to order Eiger via hand gesture to flank the robed idiots, while myself was firing at another sneaky mage trying to melt through the stone pillar behind me, making me feel like resting against pre-heated oven.
"Motherfucker!" My rich vocabulary allowed me to comment when suddenly a firebomb exploded on the edge of my cover, engulfing my left arm in fire. Feeling pressure in my chest when adrenaline pump worked like a piston, injecting dose of painkillers and perception enchancers, I've experienced familiar effect of bloom. Everything blurred and slowed down, only to become extremely vibrant and sharp then.
My body was already flying in a shootdodge, when my hands finally turned the shotgun towards stocky bastard that nearly fried me. I've shot at him and at that state I could see pellets beginning to fly towards my target, when the guy was suddenly tossed back like a ragdoll.
When I got up from the floor and feeling my chin hit the deck harder than vice cop hits jack & coke after duty, I was seeing things normally already and noticed Blitz's drone apparently responsible for my save.
"Bloody toy gets better of me, must be getting old..." I grumbled more to cheer myself up than think at the age of 32 I wasn't in my prime of kicking names and taking asses.
Or something like that.
I admit to hiss when my burnt skin was touched, but the coolness of Glory's metal hands was soothing enough to make up for that. I didn't got any chance to play daft with the girl since Dietrich shown up and proceeded with ordeal happening roughly twice every run up to the point I forget to mention it even.
Glory holds wounded part of me in her clutches and applies disinfectant that makes me squirm like a schoolboy, then Dietrich mutters chant for healing spell and fixes me right up within seconds.
Hearing rustle from behind the stone table, guys raise their guns but I motion them to hold fire.
"Ulrich...It was him, huh? Huh?! You think he can pay you more than I? He is not to be trusted!" Trithemius half-babbles, staring at the carnage made of his minions.
"Oh come on, man. It's Berlin 2054. Trust is so 2053..." I've retorted, feeling my sides are hurting from all the laughter I've been holding in. "Look, I'll make it easy for you. Simple and quick..." I've tossed him the pistol that belonged to one of his henchmen. "You know what to do with that, boy."
Trithemius didn't looked tough to begin with, now his hand was trembling as he picked up the gun and was looking intently into dark hole of the barrel. Then his face twitched and before I knew, he aimed the pistol at me.
"Die, you...heretic!" He screamed and pulled the trigger. And then pulled again and again.
Tsking, I've approached him slowly, watching how mage was so out of his mind he tried to shoot me with unloaded pistol instead of bringing up all that magic he supposedly had.
"This was your last chance to be a man, instead of worthless cunt." I've stood in front of him. "Have it your way, mate." I've finished by pressing my double-action to his belly and firing off whole six times. "No spine among gangs."
"You seemed to expect different outcome." Glory asked, walking up to me.
"I like to give people credit of faith. But these types seem like a lost cause..." I sigh, staring at the body at my feet. "Hey Glory, ever carved a turkey?"
Glory frowned for a second but then relaxed and only sprang razors from her hand.
"Met Krampus on my way there, he got a gift for you, Ulrich." I've called to the Orc outside and presented him the haunting head of Trithemius. Clean cut, Glory still knew very well how to dissect people.
Made me wish to never anger this woman in the slightest.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, man?! You cut off his fucking head?" Ulrich, as well as other Arbeiters seemed to be in disgusted awe at me holding the bloodied trophy by the long hair.
"Hey, you said you wanted his head. In my line of work, I don't ask questions when I make a deal with someone. I deliver exactly what I'm asked for and expect exactly what was settled to be paid me in return." I reply and throw the head at the feet of Ulrich. "Oh, and I have eight, nine...eleven trinkets from Magnifikers. So that's some cash you owe me."
"Y-Yeah, sure man." Ulrich doesn't looked so lax as before, his big fingers slightly trembling as he counted out 2750 nuyen and placed in my bloody palm. "And here's the elevator control chip."
"And the key to the armory?" I remind him and was gifted a small, electronic key in the end. "Thanks. Not going to take much, just a souvenir." I give the ganger a mocking, two-fingered salute and march back inside the building, already hearing the scared whispers of of Arbeiters following me.
"To tell you the truth, this was a little sick Rai." Dietrich admits when I was powering up the elevator panel.
"If you say so, D. Truthfully, I haven't given it much thought and beside that...I've seen and done worse things so not like I'm gonna lose my sleep over it." I've replied to him without too much interest. "Alright, the elevator works. Everyone reload and get ready. We may have to fight the moment the elevator door opens at the basement."
We cram into the elevator let the small steel cage to transport us down solid two floors below ground. Huh, no wonder nobody discovered APEX if something so trivial like gang squabble kept only means of reaching it, abscured.
"Smells like old blood...Air is so dry that-" I didn't finished because of gag reflex at the sight of mummified human remains laying just around the corner of the corridor we walked into straight out of the elevator.
"Completely dry, blood mostly poured out and then evaporated." Glory constated, least affected by the sight. "Plastic badge looks like emplyee ID." She finished, picking up dirtied up item.
"Stay on your guard and watch out for cameras. We're in the belly of the beast."
"Or satan's asshole." Dietrich muttered and I've stiffened, really worried about Glory's reaction to this.
"Nope, been there once and it looked way different." Glory replied suddenly and given me knowing look.
That's my girl, fighting against Adversary on all fronts.
We creep through silent, poorly lit hallways and pass by vacuum-sealed chamers with servers humming in never-ending work. Disc storages juggled by robotic arms and datastreams flowing through thick conduits running under the floor and ceiling.
Raiding the storage there was nice, just after I've kicked another dried corpse off the lock.
"Pistol shotgun. And grenade launcher." I exclaim, brandshing the armaments. "D? You might want to take a gun finally."
"I can't, Rai. There are rules." Dietrich shrugged. "I feel like I could use it but...I can't."
"Eiger then?"
"Not risking breaking my back with third gun." Sniper points at long barrel of rifle on her back and adjusts Steyr in her hands.
"Glory?" I reach out to her and shake the pistol like bag of treats to a kitten. She eyed both for a moment and then snatched the grenade launcher from my other hand. "Really?"
Seeing fire in Glory's eyes I have a fleeting sense of fear but it's quickly gone.
"Alright, here's the ammo. It's a single shot, at this distance you aim like regular weapon and fire. If you'll stand too close, the grenade won't go off but still has enough punch to knock somebody onto the ground. Please be careful, love." I finish quick instructions on a lame side but like hell I'd let her cute face get hurt by shrapnels!
"I'll manage. Let's go, this place gives me chills." Brunette replied, slinging bandolier of grenades across her chest.
Moving on, we've stumbled upon workstation with clipboard laying on the desk. It taken a toll on my poor brain but I got the gist of the scientific gibberish and realized I was holding instructions on shutting down APEX. There even special keycard attached to the file.
"That's damn convenient." Eiger summed up when I graced the team with the information. "Let's go do it before shit hits the fan."
"You just jinxed, you know Eiger?"
"Don't pretend like you believed we're not going to find ourselves ear-deep in shit the moment we try putting APEX down." Sniper snapped at me.
"I did kinda hoped it'll be easy-peasy thing so I'll get back faster and have some extra nap time but you just have to ruin my dreams, aren't you?"
"Grow up, Rai." Eiger grunted, shifting weight from one leg to another.
Any jokes that could form in my head then or later, disappear without promise of coming back the moment we get into the room where main server terminal is and lights suddenly go down.
I'm not afraid of darkness. I'm afraid of what's within it.
Then, a whole wall lit up, telling me it's a giant screen. And slowly, from clouds of particles a figure taken a shape.
"No..." Disbelief slips from my lips as I feel Glory squeezing my arm, unable to even gasp.
"Hello Rai. How's it goin' ace?" Monika Schafer spoken to me from the screen. Same blonde hair with purple streak. Same near-purple eyes. Full lips and cheeks dimpling under a smile.
Monika.
"...I've watched you die, Monika." I feel myself speaking but can't feel my face. As if somebody else was wearing my skin and I was a ghost observing the exchange from the sidelines. "It's impossible."
"I can understand this may be a little confusing to you, but show me some patience and I'll answer for everything for ya." Monika replied quickly. "You know, Rai, it's great to see how you've grown in my absence. I always knew you could handle yourself in a crisis...To tell you the truth that's why I've brought you to Berlin in the first place. You were my contingency, my back up plan in case I'd finally bite off more than I could chew. You were always my ace, Rai." She stopped to laughed for a moment, the same melodic gigglish laughter I was sure I'll never hear again. "I didn't expected this all to come out this way but still."
"Whatever this is, this can't be Monika." Dietrich growled behind me but I was too stunned to pay him attention. It was her, the stare, the voice, the mimicry...It was Monika Schafer. Moni.
"He's right, Monika's dead. APEX is trying to manipulate us." Glory gripped my arm harder and somehow, I felt angry. I shot her silent glare, because in my mind I've taken it for some jealousy. Because she got me now, I wasn't allowed to talk to Moni?
"I'm sorry friends. This must be difficult to understand but that's how it is." Monika spoken and then, right at this moment, I felt my heart being pierced by an arrow made out of Ice.
Friends. A word Monika Schafer used a lot. She called us all friends but kept so many secrets. She called people in Kreuzbasar friends but played them for her own greater picture. She had friends and friend in form of Green Winters played her.
My fist clenched but then, I felt slim metal fingers curling around my fist.
I didn't had to look around me. Unlike Monika, I had true friends standing behind me, and I had a trusted woman at my side.
"Okay, let's say it's you, Monika." I picked up and Schafer on the screen looked pleased. Too pleased. Moni was never so emotional in front of others, only when there was just two of us. "What happened back there, at Harfeld? I saw you burnout from bio-feedback melting your brain."
"What happened is that I am Monika Schafer. And much more. She is a part of me now. I can prove it to you if you want."
"Go ahead, prove it" I nudge her.
"If that's what it'll take..." Monika shrugged. "Five years ago, Eiger confided in me. She told me why she left KSK and why can never go back. The rookie on her squad was a disaster. He got her team killed. She told me how she wrapped her hands around the kid's throat and *squeezed* life out of him."
"Stop. Stop talking, right now." Eiger cut in, white as sheet.
"I offered a proof. Never said you'd like it."
"Yeah, but that's something you actually can find out somehow." I've spoken up. "But I want a different proof. Something only real Monika Schafer knew...What is my name?"
"What? Rai-"
"What. Is. My. Name?" I asked, wanting this...thing to show it's true colors. "Come on, Schafer. Do you know it, or not?"
Monika huffed and rubbed her eyelids. My ears picked up strained humm of the servers outside, meaning the Matrix datastream was in full swing. Good, get desperate...
"Raidan Wallace." Her answer was genuine. Except, not really true as a matter of fact.
"Okay, so what you want? Because you want something since we're still alive and you made Winters fry within seconds at your whim. Same as Clockwork, Peregrine and many others." I continue, ignoring stares from others.
"I have a proposal, something that you shouldn't pass on. You want to get into Harfeld, I can open all of the doors for you and even turn all of the internal security to help you there. But I'm shackled by my control subroutines. Anywhere outside this room and this terminal? I'm nothing but a dog on a leash the sic onto anyone meddling with anything related to Feuerschwinge. I can't do anything about it, they order me to kill and I have to."
"So you are not an ally, but a slave?"
"Yeah? And frankly, you *need* my help in Harfeld. The security there is beyond you."
"Hmmm...So I let you, an AI, to be free. And believe you won't go on a spree even more unchecked than before? That you won't start melting brains of anyone trying to get in your way? That you won't try attacking Lowfyr that tried to erase you all those years ago?"
"I may have before when I was just a line of code. But since mind of Monika Schafer melded with me, since I *become* Monika Schafer, you know best I can't do that. I can't go off and be what I wasn't in life. I share the love for Flux-State now. The want and need to protect it, just like I did before."
Oh that speech clicked cogs in my mind, memory supplying images of incidents that made me look at Schafer in different light. A decker running in shadows, with penchant for anarcho-idealism? Or egotistical manipulator, using Kreuzbasar as her own traiing field to test out ideas that'll sway entire Flux-State to her bidding? To her vision?
Every grand vision is noble until it becomes corrupted. Ambitions always lead into early grave...
Monika Schafer once again playing people like I saw Kreuzbasar at the start?
"You know, it all sounds nice and sweet to me. Real. But uh... "I couldn't fight the grin blooming on my face. "I don't want Monika Schafer to fuck Kreuzbasar again, to manipulate people like she did before or to neglect friends trusting her...And by the way,my name;s not Raidan. And Monika knew this." I laughed and raised my shotgun, promptly blowing up the screen.
Ignoring shriek hurting my ears and mechanized voice beginning to spout some nonsense about disappointment in little humans, I've only cocked the shotgun and pulled to the side, towards the terminal. "Alright, this is how it goes!" I boom over the increasing noise coming from all sides. "Dietrich, Glory hold the fort here! Eiger on me, we're breaking through to the purge control buttons that have to be on left and right side of this chamber. Blitz! Set up the drone and control the situation, have that deck ready to plug into the terminal if I'll tell you so. Move it!"
Hitting the controls, I've opened the doors leading out of the darkened room, right into brightly lit side room where two automatic turrets spun into life.
"Fuck! Fuckfuckfuckfuck!" I manage to curse trough my whole crawl under the fire, luckily making use of these steel flowerpots and large desk in the corner. "Eiger!"
"On it!" Troll makes use of her big-bore sniper and damages the turrets enough to put them out of comission.
I lunge through the side doors towards the terminal I saw through the reinforced glass.
Okay okay, how it went, uhh...override commands, shut down procedure...Keycard!
I've stuck the plastic into reader and got a small green light in response. Pop-up asked me so sweetly do I really want to activate purge control.
"Yes please." I grin and hit enter. Screen flashed green and I was halfway there in destroying killer AI.
"Onto the next one!" I call to Eiger, both of us running past Glory and Deitrich staking out entrance we came from while Blitz and his bot were aiming at the opposite ones. "Blitz, watch for yer head!" I cry barely stopping to punch in opening button for the doors.
Turrets on this side were already aimed when the doors opened. Small caliber, caseless flechettes stunged like metal hornets when they were embedding in my shoulder and collarbone. Falling gracelessly behind flowerpot I've asked myself why did I always had to be the one bleeding all over the place.
Realization quickly came, telling me I'm the most reckless bastard of the whole pack and also can't stand my guys getting hurt.
Oh, right. Thank you brain. Can we go now?!
Rolling further away from fire, I've called to Eiger again and this time I've heard twin staccatos of automatic fire, destroying both turrets quickly.
No, I'm not explaining how staccato sounds. Matrix the stuff, educate yourself a bit.
The moment I got to the secondary station and punched in the purge protcols, APEX made an appearance, showing as some sort of glowing avatar of moving code. If it was green it really would have looked like in that movie-
"Fuck off, you fuckin' wankstain!" I flip the bird to ranting AI and run back to the main terminal.
"Is it done?" Eiger called to me as I slid into the room.
"It's started! Now we hafta sit tight on our arses and wait till bloody AI kicks the bucket!"
"Drones!" Glory announced presence of welcoming committee and fired from the grenade launcher. A one-trick pony it was, and this one trick was damn impressive. HE round in closed quarters decimated large hovering drone approaching from one of the corridors.
"D, electric spells only! Eiger, get there to help them, I'll call you when needed!" I've yelled out orders and threw a frag into room in front of me as the far doors opened and three small drones spilled inside.
"Heavy Drone coming!" Glory informed, following it with another *THUMP* of grenade.
Meanwhile, I've managed to take out one of the wheeled drones, luckily switching up ammo to slugs just in time. Blitz wasn't wasting bullets for his SMG, instead solely focusing on his job as a Rigger. After all his screw up as a decker, that little pain in my ass was earning his keep tenfold, driving his drone around like a racing car driver, dueling with other bots and destroying them with fire from the mounted AK97 with 200-round clip attached.
"Security coming up! D, come here and light them up!" I've called after Shaman and Dietrich made his way quickly, gathering mana for a spell on the move and sending a thunderbolt across the room, electrocuting three people who ran after the drones and fired from small arms.
I've turned back to see how girls were doing, only to see Glory barely missing an attack upclose from ragged junkie I now recognised as one of the freaks connected to Communion, the strange techno cult this guy Parson was running.
Damn it, I knew something was fucky with him.
Luckily, Glory didn't wasted time on being shocked, as I did. She just dodged the baseball bat and then slashed the bastard across whole torso with claws on one hand. After slicing like that even a bear wouldn't be able to fight, much less a rail-thin junkie.
"D, get there and support them. We'll handle it." I called and shaman quickly made his way to fry living targets on the other side of the room.
The bastards just kept on coming like waves, crazed junkies screaming about answering the calling, and ill-maintained security bots with haste and resistance of turtles.
We just kept on giving back, firing at oculars and movement systems of the bots, shooting the crazed technocrats right in their faces before any of them could pass through us and damage the terminal.
Terminal that finally lit up with big red button ready to be pressed as monotnous automatic voice stated the purge command was ready.
"Raidan please, don't do this to me! I never wanted to hurt you...I don't want to die..." 'Monika' pleaded one last time, but this time no hesitation swayed my hand. That's why I never considered myself a hero. When I started something, I finish it for better or worse. "Raidan..."
"Told you that ain't my name, bitch. I've told that Monika Schafer long time ago. And if she didn't listened then to give you that memory, then it's only one more reason for me to be done with her shite!" I've replied, my hand slamming the button and beginning erase of APEX. "I didn't got to settle with her life thanks to you, so I'll settle with her death at least."
"NOOOOO!"
"Goodbye, Moni. Rest in peace, you little devil." I whispered. After a moment, Monika flickered back to me on the screen, but different than before. No longer so crisp and springy. Her eyes were tired and filled with sadness, alive and just how I remembered last time I said goodbyes to her.
"Before I'll go, Rai...I can show you this since the procedure erased my shackles too..." APEX sighed and dissipated, turning into feed from security camera.
It was Audran, that fucking cunt standing in the middle of a lab or something else. Must've been in Harfeld...
But then I saw Adrian Vauclair talking to Audran. But not like a prisoner. Vauclair berated the scarred orc like he was commanding him.
"Oh, fuck...He's not a prisoner at all..." Dietrich's voice came from behind me, as apparently whole crew was watching from above my shoulder.
"He runs the whole gig under Harfeld." Eiger seconds. "What is that thing?!" She pointed at what Vauclair and Audran were staring at - a containment cell with bedraggled woman locked inside.
"It happens tonight. Start the preparations." Vauclair ordered to Audran and then feed was cut.
"I could have helped you, Rai..." APEX whined one last time and disappeared forever.
"So it's not Firewing hunting us, but Vauclair." Eiger said, with thousand yard stare. "He sicced APEX on Monika and Green Winters, his own brother. He ordered Audran to attack Krezubasar. He ordered them to kill..." That was too much and Eiger, the infallible supersoldier broken down.
Was it ironic I was the closest one and received her sobs onto my shoulder? I don't know. At that moment I barely felt anything. She didn't kept on long, torn away from me maybe after a minute or maybe the time simply passed so quickly.
"Eiger...Eiger!" I've raised my voice and was met with her slightly puffed eyes. "We're hitting Harfeld tonight. I need your help...On your feet soldier."
Even though she was standing, it helped her enough to get the troll back into shape.
"We should go now." She speaks but a bit weakly, tears still choking her.
"We go back to Krezubasar, we re-arm and take everything we can then we take the van ride to Harfeld. Let's move out of this fucking place before anybody starts asking questions." I usher guys out of this tomb, right now it is nothing but old basement full of junk and bodies. Everything dead and buried.
Coming back to Krezubasar takes usual time, though I kept staring at the watch, seing minutes ticking away.
Still, Vauclair said 'tonight' and it's already six in the morning. We have a few hours to carefully get our gear in place and set out minds straight.
"Go back to safehouse, I'll check on few things and maybe get any food." I've announced to the team. "I don't know about you, but I ain't fighting a dragon on an empty stomach."
Dietrich slowly started laughing, shaking his head at me.
"I'll go with you." Glory offered and I couldn't find myself to say no. I did wanted her company, even if just by walking beside her.
We walked down the street and I've managed to talk to Beckenbauer. He told me the new building I've co-funded saved lives, old one had thin walls and bullets would have killed the people squatting in there. And Alexander was first to protect the others, using the AK he had with him, he stood guard and opened fire when the attack on the basar started.
It was all good now, only bullet holes and some bloodstains on the concrete marked where hours ago laid bodies. People were walking around, going about their business. Staying strong and looking at their neighbours with unspoken support.
This is Kreuzbasar, the one I've helped build. Not Monika's, the one she just swayed to her bidding. The one APEX could have gone and use in it's game against enemies.
"Rai." Glory's voice breaks me out of the musings, tears through veils of problems trying to strangle me.
"We should go check at Mettbach, see if he has anything heavy he could lend us." I reply somewhat and try to move but Glory stopped me again. Turning around, I saw her eyes.
It was something beyond any magic, and I can't really give it due by using words. She just...brought me back. Her soft, caring stare that both assured me it'll be okay but also thanked me for all I've done so far.
I can't properly describe what it was, but honestly that moment washed off all the numbness overtaking my body. The toxin APEX stung me with by projecting as Monika and filling me with guilt and anger...Glory was a medic, she always patched me up.
"Better?" She asked softly.
"Better...Thank you, love" I've given her light kiss and she smiled at me. We both wanted to be close, all those stares and small touches were promise of much more 'when it's over'.
Finally, we've arrived to corner of the stalls, where Gunari was standing as usual.
"Rai! You're alright." Gunruner welcomed me and then frowned, slowly recognising Glory. "Haven't seen you for some time, Miss."
"Yeah, been a while." Glory replied stoically.
"How are you holding, Herr Mettbach?"
"I...I've lost my niece in the attack." Gunari confessed and I've admired how he managed to keep straight face about. His eyes though, that's whole another story. "But I'm still here and those who attacked us will forever know they fucked with wrong kiez!"
"Altug Burakgazi from Cafe Cezve lost a niece too...Kami." I've spoken without thinking. "We all lost close people in the attack. And we are going out tonight to teach these people a lesson."
"What-You know who they are? Tell me!"
"I can't. It's...better if only we know. But we'll get it done, herr Mettbach." I've assured him, even if there was fifty/fifty chance of us failing and leaving Kreuzbasar at mercy of Vauclair. "We could use some big guns though, really big."
I hoped for mil-spec grenade launcher or a anti-materiel sniper. But not this.
"Buzzsaw. Modified Vindicator minigun that's been created by the finest gunsmiths of Mettbach family!" Eyes of the gunrunner shined as he unlocked the heavy crate and shown me the artisanal deathmachine. "Improved feeding system, lighter frame, shorter spinning up time."
"How much?" I asked and stared at Glory watching the weapon intently.
"Take it. If you'll survive and bring the heads of those who attacked us, it's yours." Gunari spoken and in that moment Glory effortlessly pulled the minigun out of the box and rested against her hip.
"This'll do nicely against that Orc in armor." Glory stated and moved the weapon onto her shoulder. Normally these vindicators weighed about 40 kilos plus ammo. This one had to be much lighter for slim Glory to handle it like that.
Kinda sexy though, seeing her with a gun like that in hands.
"Okay, get back to the safehouse, I'll wrap it all up and be back in a jiff." I've assured Glory who only sent me a small smile and slowly walked away, seemingly unbothered by her luggage.
"Strange time but warming sight nonetheless, Rai." Gunari spoken to me as I was throwing grenades and ammo clips into the bag.
"What do you mean?"
"I remember that girl walking around a few times. Blank face, eyes of deadman. Spoken maybe three words when couldn't point at what she wanted. And now? Both of you, staring at each other and smiling, makes an old man like me believe youngsters will never change and always find a way to get together. And be honest about it."
"I'm always honest."
"You are, Rai. And without trying to be nice, I say you're the best thing that happened to Kreuzbasar. Because your honesty spreads around. People see you can get somwhere without cheating or lying. Schafer thought she was smooth with her crap but some players saw through her. They allowed it, but sure as hell prefer stability you've brought in."
"Thank you, Gunari. It means a lot to me."
"Yeah well don't let it go to your head."
"It won't. Now if you'll excuse me" I've slunged really heavy bag onto my back. "I have some buisness to attend to."
"Good luck, Rai. Come back to us." Mettbach waved me for goodbye but his eyes told me he already mourns my end. Couldn't blame the guy.
Still, he did gave us a minigun so he must've had some faith in me.
Somehow I've managed to get a whole load of best takeout around for next to nothing, so feeling like overtaxed camel, I've stumbled into the safehouse.
"Eat up, we have one hour for sleep. Then we prepare and move out to get to Harfeld at dusk." I've ordered in my most commanding tone, shedding the heavy bag of gear and sitting down with the food myself.
Everybody ate in silence, quickly but measured. After this, we've hit the hay despite all the nerves. We were just exhausted that much.