Lucy arrived at the meetup spot slightly later than she had anticipated. The metro had suffered a minor delay, a cyberpsycho who had gone berserk on one of the more suburban lines.

Jackie and Valerie were sitting on the boot of a black Hella. The car looked utilitarian, function over form.

"Took you long enough!" Jackie chuckled, waving at the netrunner. At his side, Valerie also waved.

"My bad," Lucy admitted, "NCART got delayed."

"Shit," Valerie grinned, "You still using the metro? You sure you and David don't need a loan?"

"Nothin' like that." Lucy's face felt slightly hot, "I just... never thought about getting a car or anything."

"Why?"

Lucy knew why, because she kept saving up for the moon. David too, gonk that he was, would put in whatever eddies he had to spare into that shared account.

Though... she contemplated, her priorities had changed, she hadn't thought about that elusive trip for months, if she was being honest.

Every dream I have... she hummed to herself. Every happy dream, it's not always the moon, I guess. It's always... always David.

"Maybe I should." Lucy mused, "Get a car, I mean."

"Doesn't have to be a car," Jackie chimed in, getting off the hood of the Hella and running his hands along the bike parked next to it. "Take your Input and give Wakako a visit, I hear she's got a preem Kusanagi for sale."

"I'll think about it." Lucy said, "Now where's this shard we need to klep?"

Valerie pointed to a small, unassuming house.

"We're recovering it for Padre." the older woman said, "But the gig came from El Capitan."

"Must be important." Lucy mused, "That why the payout's nova?"

Valerie nodded. Jackie chuckled.

"Apparently there's somethin' on that shard the old man can use to bust 6th Street's balls." he said, slapping his knee. "Serves 'em right, fuckers."

"Alright." Lucy nodded, "I'll find an access port on the outside, try and see if there are any cameras or traps, once I do, you two head on in."

Valerie and Jackie nodded.

The ex-corpo pumped her shotgun, grinning. Jackie pulled out two gold plated pistols, ensuring they were loaded.

"Let's rock."

Lucy breathed in deeply, there wasn't many cameras connected to the home's localnet. So she got creative.

TV's were often voice activated, so she jacked in to the microphone, trying to see if there were any voices.

She spotted a laptop amongst the connected devices. Exiting the TV's mic, she touched a finger to the laptop, prodding for any ICE.

A single security protocol emerged, looking for the intrusion.

Lucy hummed, a rudimentary program. Good, yet also bad. If she got spotted prematurely, if she was too aggressive with her breaching, the program might implode. Wiping what utility the laptop has and triggering any alarms attached to the localnet.

She lets the current of data carry her. Letting herself be masked by the buzz of information. The program began scanning, looking over every packet of data for any oddities.

It scanned methodically, predictably, in order of appearance.

Big mistake.

Lucy emerged, grasping the program in both hands. It shrieked, trying to send a signal to the net's Nexus.

She breathed deep, feeling a cold shock as she sank one level deeper. They were there, but not there. The Nexus would still register all devices connected, all routines normal.

Releasing her breath, she began the transfer. Light purple code traveling from the Interface port at the base of her skull, down her arms and into the struggling program.

"Shh." she soothed, "Quiet now."

She grimaced, the feeling never quite went away. A sensation of disgust at just how useful the invasive piece of cyberware was. Some days she wished she could tear the damn thing out of her head without killing herself. On particularly bad days she didn't really care even if it did.

Sighing, she focused on the task at hand. Those days seemed like distant memories. Ever since she had met David she felt more human, more like who she wanted to be. Rather than what she was; an escaped piece of Arasaka property, wearing Arasaka chrome.

The program gurgled, glowing a docile blue. It trembled in her hands.

"Good boy." she whispered, holding her breath as they surfaced again.

She began to unravel the strands of code that held the laptop together, messages, advertisements and scams all swam by as she found what she was looking for.

A yellow glow, distorting, unstable.

She took it in her hands, gently coaxing it into shape. Once it formed into the crude facsimile of a screen, Lucy peered through the laptop's camera.

She gasped.

"Jackie? Valerie?" she called out, continuing as she felt their presence on the group call, "You can go in now but..."

She swallowed nervously.

"I think there's been a massacre."

Jackie tried the door. Rather than sliding open, it fell off its hinge.

"¿Qué chingados?" he swore, peering down the dark corridor.

Valerie stepped past him, tiptoeing into the abode.

"Luce?" she whispered, "Can't see shit in here."

"On it, on it." the young netrunner said, "One moment..."

The lights came on, and Jackie swore.

"Hijo de la grandísima puta" he breathed, the hallway was caked in blood.

"Jesus..." Valerie grimaced, cringing at the smell.

"Any eyes on target?" Jackie asked.

"No. Not yet, but..." Lucy trailed off, "Guys... there's something in the basement. Someone"

"I'll take point, cover me, Jack." Valerie said, hefting her shotgun again.

"Right behind you, jaina." Jackie said.

They stepped over several bodies, some intact, others not so much.

As they entered the basement, they heard a wail, electronically distorted.

Valerie took a step out, aiming at the source of the noise.

Immediately, the Solo was knocked off her feet. Jackie fired two shots at the figure that had collided with her, going wide as it ducked its head to one side.

The figure was a human woman, or perhaps it was at one point.

Valerie grunted, trying to strike at the woman with her enhanced fists.

Perhaps it was because she didn't have a good angle, or perhaps the woman was just that resilient, but they bounced off the woman with a dull thwack.

Cyberpsycho.

Jackie roared, using his full body to slam into the psycho.

The woman shrieked, unleashing Mantis Blades to their full reach.

They swung wide, unable to find a good angle on the large man.

Getting to her feet, Valerie swung a reinforced fist at the momentarily immobilized psycho.

Her fist was blocked by the woman's blades, steel knuckles shattering one of the blades outright. Valerie flinched as shards of metal flew towards her.

The psycho broke free of Jackie's grip, launching herself away from the two. She collided with one of the shelves in the cramped basement, knocking it over.

Valerie and Jackie had barely retrieved their weapons when the woman shrieked again, crouching down and preparing to pounce.

Suddenly, the woman jerked away, sparks flying.

"Shit she's got some crazy ICE." Lucy's voice echoed in their heads. "Need to get closer, hold on! I'm on my way!"

Jackie wanted to say something, to tell the younger woman to stay away, but the netrunner had ended the call.

"Here she comes, Jack!" Valerie shouted, a blast from the shotgun causing the psycho to lurch out of the way, swinging her one good blade.

Jackie ducked under it, already taking a step forward. He grabbed the psycho's bladed arm, immobilizing it.

Valerie took two more shots, the psycho managing to just barely escape serious wounds by twisting and contorting her body.

"Me cago en tu madre!" Jackie growled, taking a step and pinning the woman's bladed arm behind her back. "Take the shot, Val!"

"Can't! I'll hit you too!" the woman shouted, trying to find a way to fire at the psycho without hitting her friend.

"Jesús, just fuckin' do it!" he shouted, grunting as the psycho kicked out, causing him to trip on the fallen shelf.

Valerie fired at the woman, swinging the shotgun like a club when she got too close. She blocked her blade with her own arm, metal biting into metal. The force knocked her off balance, slamming her head first into the concrete wall of the basement.

The older woman groaned, trying to grab anything to defend herself. The cyberpsycho seemed to have entered a state of blissful tranquility, like a hunter stalking wounded prey.

Then, suddenly, the woman shrieked again, sparks emerging from the cyberware in her arms and running down her back.

She tried to lunge at Valerie, blade whistling through the air, but a thin, glowing hot wire wrapped itself around it and held it back.

Valerie looked up.

Lucy.

The pale haired netrunner panted, she had made it just in time.

She quickly assessed the situation, Jackie was slowly getting to his feet, Valerie might take a little longer.

She uploaded one of her more powerful hacks, swallowing as she prepared to deal with the task of surviving until it went off.

The psycho growled, refocusing her aggression on Lucy. Trying to pull her blade free, she howled.

Lucy gritted her teeth, fighting with all her might to keep her feet planted.

So this is why Kiwi says netrunners aren't suited to field work. Lucy thought sardonically.

Jackie was on his feet now, he grabbed a broken piece of pipe, holding it one hand, one of his pistols was in the other.

The psycho howled, redirecting her momentum.

Suddenly, Lucy's wire went slack, the psycho going from fighting Lucy's wire to lunging into her.

Lucy's eyes went wide, she twisted her body as much as she could, letting the psycho's blade fly past her. She grunted as the psycho herself collided with her. Reinforced limbs overpowering her more normal cyberware.

The two collided with a thud. Jackie swung at the psycho with the pipe, herhead jerked forward with the impact. Enraged, the crazed woman swung with her blade.

She didn't miss.

Jackie fell to the ground, blood spraying across the psycho's face. The crazed woman breathed in. Relishing the sensation.

Lucy cursed, she pulled out her pistol, firing off shots in an attempt to fend off the cyberpsycho.

Still in an enraged state, the psycho abandoned all battle tactics, instead striking and scratching and clawing at Lucy any place she could reach.

A gnarled, mechanically enhanced hand scratched at the back of her head, loosening the synth-flesh that covered her Deep Dive interface.

Lucy's eyes widened.

No.

The psycho's fingers grasped it.

No, no, NO!

With a sound like tearing fabric, the psycho pulled it free, holding it almost triumphantly.

Lucy's hands immediately went to cover her interface.

"N-no..." she whimpered, "Please..."

She barely heard the affirmative ping of her hack successfully uploading. The crazed woman jerked violently, then fell limp, still holding the patch of synth-flesh.

Slowly, the psycho began to move, almost groggily.

Neither she nor the psycho noticed Valerie had gotten to her feet, aiming her shotgun at the psycho's head.

BANG.

Valerie exhaled, her head still pounded from the impact. She looked at Jackie, groaning on the ground.

The cut looked shallow, thankfully.

Tossing him an air-hypo, she turned her attention to the netrunner of their group.

She kneeled next to her, looking her over without touching her, searching for injuries.

"Lucy?" she asked, "Lucy!"

The woman looked uninjured, but unresponsive, she clutched the back of her head.

"No, no, no..." she whimpered, over and over.

Shit... Valerie thought.

"I got this, jaina." Jackie groaned, "You just go look for the shard, give her some space."

Valerie nodded. Casting one last concerned look at the woman they had brought into this job.

"Hey..." Jackie said softly.

He placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder, retracting it immediately, when the other woman flinched away from it.

"Hey, Luce." he continued, "Let's get you up off the floor, eh? We gotta get you back to David."

His words finally seemed to register with the woman, a look of recognition entered her eyes as she looked at Jackie.

"Jackie...?" she breathed out. Jackie recognized that tone well, Lucy hid it well, but she was scared, on the verge of tears.

"C'mon," Jackie smiled reassuringly, "Let's get you upstairs. Want a Broseph? Got a couple in Val's car!"

Lucy nodded, tears slowly began to stream down her face, marring her makeup.

"Can you walk?" Jackie asked, Lucy nodded, trying to get to her feet.

"Guess not." Jackie remarked, watching the netrunner wince, clutching her thigh.

"Just bruised, I think." Lucy sniffed, "Give me a minute."

"Nah," Jackie said plainly, he turned, showing Lucy his back. "Climb on."

"I'm not a child." Lucy pouted. Jackie chuckled.

"Yeah, but you're hurt. It's what friends do. Buena onda, yes?"

Lucy clutched the bottle in her hands, she sat in the backseat of Valerie's car. Jackie had stowed his bike somewhere secluded, saying he'd come back for it another day.

She grimaced, letting a hand finger the exposed interface gingerly. They had to have seen it, there was no way they couldn't have seen it.

She breathed out shakily, taking a sip of her drink.

Just another reminder that she was different. That she was... 'special'. That she didn't deserve the freedoms she enjoyed.

"Gonna drop you off at your place, " Valerie addressed her, "Zip you your cut when I get 'em. This job got... a little more complicated than I thought."

Lucy nodded, taking another sip of her drink.

"My bad." she mumbled, "I fucked up."

"Lucy, no." Valerie said kindly, but firmly. "Without your support we wouldn't have known what we were getting into, and without your hacks we'd probably be dead."

"Don't sweat it, chica." Jackie said with a smile, "You pulled your weight out there. Wouldn't mind workin' with you again! Uh... if you wanted to, that is."

Lucy clenched the bottle hard.

"Yeah... maybe..." she said, passively.

Lucy waved the two off. Jackie and Valerie saying their goodbyes as well as another stern reminder to not blame herself.

The walk up the steps to her apartment felt like they stretched out to forever. Her trembling, shaking fingers kept finding themselves clutching at her interface.

They can all see it. A primal, feral part of her brain screamed at her. They can all see it and they know.

Lucy gritted her teeth, pressing forward.

They know what you are. Arasaka Property.

She swayed, leaning against the wall of the corridor.

Her apartment was right there.

She just needed to make the last few steps.

You think David doesn't care?

She tripped over her own feet.

You think that he doesn't hate you? Arasaka ruined his life. You think he's not disgusted at you?

Unable to find the strength to move, Lucy just curled into a ball, hands cradling her interface again.

"N-no." she gasped. "Please, no..."

"Lucy!" she heard the door hiss open, David's voice cutting through and jolting her awake.

No, please... she silently begged. Don't see me like this.

David picked her up, whisking her into their apartment. Lucy clutched his shirt, clinging to it like a lifeline.

David set her down on their bed. Looking her over for injuries.

He saw some minor cuts and bruises, but it looked like they had already been treated. He paused as he saw that her Deep Dive Interface was exposed.

Initially, he thought that she may have removed it herself, perhaps for the job. Perhaps it was the synaptic accelerator, or maybe he was more observant than he had thought. He spotted slight scratches on the back of her head, to either side of her Interface.

"Are you hurt?" David asked, "Do you need anything? I'll get you a drink-"

He was cut off by Lucy leaning forward, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his shirt.

She breathed in deeply.

"Why do you love me?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"What-" David began, he was cut off by a quiet sob.

"You're so good to me." she said, breathing heavily, "Even though you know what I am. Even though my chrome, my... everything... is Arasaka..."

David wrapped his arms around the woman.

"I don't care." he whispered.

"But you should!" Lucy insisted, trembling. "Arasaka took everything from you. I wouldn't blame you if... if you hated the parts of me that were 'Saka too..."

David took Lucy's face in his hands, planting a tender kiss on her lips.

Fuck it, he thought. Caution to the wind.

"Lucy." he said firmly, "I don't love you in spite of your chrome or your past."

Lucy looked at him, lost in his eyes.

"They... they make up everything that makes you... well... you" he said.

"If you can't believe me then... well... I'll show you."

Lucy began to say something, only to be cut off as David pressed his lips against hers.

His fingers gently caressed the seams of Lucy's Interface. He felt his netrunner tense up, slowly relaxing as he traced the line between her skin and her chrome.

He pulled back, feeling Lucy whine at the loss of contact. He smiled.

Taking Lucy's hand in his own, he pressed a kiss to the monowire port in Lucy's wrist.

He felt Lucy shiver at the touch, moaning at the kiss.

I've got you. He ran a hand up the various ports in her back, feeling her gasp at the light, ticklish touches.

I've got you.