Full warning this is my first time writing a story.
Criticism encouraged if constructive
Watson, Night City January 1st 2063
The boom of a shotgun breaks the buzz of Night City over in Watson a man falls over with his chest blown open. The shotgun that blew him open was held by a Tyger Claw, a Corpo woman standing nearby with his little girl's arm in hand. "Dumb Bastard" the Corpo woman says as she starts to walk back towards her car dragging the little girl behind her as she struggles to keep hold of her. She wears the basic Militech office wear with a name tag that says Pax. The Tyger Claw looks at the woman "What do you plan on doing with the kid?" he said, moving the shotgun to his shoulder as he examined the kid. "Pax scoffs looking at the Tyger Claw with disgust. "None of your biz you were hired for protection stick to what I paid you for." She says messaging someone on her holo before they both heard a bang looking in the direction it came from they notice a dumpster being held open by a gloved hand. "Can a guy sleep off a high in a dumpster without being bothered by dumbasses?" a male voice says in a low baritone. The Tyger and Pax both draw weapons, the Tyger his shotgun Pax with a Lexington. Brown hair braided with wires and a face covered by a mirror-like mask look back at them from the edge of the dumpster's side. "Those won't be needed thank you.'' the man says as the Tyger and Pax wince and drop their guns as they overheat. "Now to follow up what your friend there said, what are you doing with the kid?" Pax looks at him awed by the fact that an apparent homeless man would ask her what she was doing as a corpo. "How is it any of your business what I do with my things?" She asked seething lightly "Cuz that's a person not a thing and you don't seem like the motherly type." The man says lifting himself out of the dumpster and rolling onto the ground before standing and stretching, cracking several bones in his torso and legs. Pax looks at him pissed and the Tyger walks over prepared to throw the man out of the alley before suddenly a beep is heard and he's behind the Tyger a joint burning through a hole in his mask where his mouth should be. "Where are you going,choom didn't you want to know to?" he says towering over the Tyger at 6 ft 5 one arm wrapped around the Animals shoulder the other aiming a Projectile Launcher at Pax. Pax looks at him and the Tyger in horror causing her to loosen her grip letting the little girl run behind another dumpster in terror. Pax whimpers slightly "I was going to send her to my boss. That guy had a debt and didn't pay. The boss offered to take the girl but the man refused and asked me to take care of it." Pax says terrified before she's suddenly blown in half by a round from the launcher. The mask slowly fades away revealing a caucasian man with deep hazel eyes and a crooked nose smiling sadistically "All I needed to hear Corpo." he says as he moves towards the woman's corpse. The Tyger shakes his head "You sometimes scare me Jean with how calm you are while killing corpos."The Tyger says while walking next to him. "Well we both knew she was going to die when the package you picked up was a kid so why bother." Jean says while patting down the corpses for anything good. "Besides it's not like you weren't about to do it yourself or am I wrong Flare?" Flare looks at him with barely visible anger. "You knew I planned on it!" he yells, throwing a bottle at Jean which he dodges before handing him the joint. "Hit that while I bag these two." Jean says while pulling both corpses into body bags he pulled out of the dumpster. Flare looks around "Where did the kid go?" Jean freezes and looks around "SHIT I'll find the kid you get the bodies in the van." Flare pales and they both get up and look around. Jean reactivates his mask and pulls an overture out of the dumpster and walks around trying to find the kid. "Hey kid where you run off to we're not gonna hurt ya." Jean says as he walks towards a smaller alley that has bloody footprints. He walks into the alley and notices the girl sitting with her back to the wall and puts the revolver into the waistband of his pants. "Hey kid you alright no cuts no bruises?'' Jean says as he sits down next to her. The kid yelps and moves away forcing herself between the dumpster and Jean. "Leave me alone!" the kid yells. Jean looks at her with disdain noticing that the clothes she's in are threadbare what looks like a hospital gown. (Jeans suddenly standing in a different alley watching two kids beat up another before an officer arrives and gets them off him the kid looks at the officer with hazel eyes the officer smiles and offers to buy the kid food.) Jean blinks away the memories as he holds his hand out to the kid. The kid pulls out the Lexington she swiped off Pax and Jean barely dodges the bullet. "Jesus kid put that thing away Im not trying to hurt you for fucks sake!" Jean says pissed that he didn't notice the gun missing. The kid moves fast swiping at Jean hoping to hit him with the butt of the gun and misses before firing off another shot Jean moves out of the way and disables the gun with a quick hack. "That's enough of that. ''Jean says before suddenly appearing in front of the kid and pulling the Lexington from her and releasing the mag and peering inside. "Huh looks like the Corpo forgot to buy bullets." Jean looks at the kid. "What's your name, little girl? "He looks down into purple eyes before handing the gun back. "My name is Violet." She says weakly. "You can call me V. '' Jean looks at her "How old are you V?" Jean asks, crouching down V looks at him scared but strong. "14" she says, puffing out her chest to seem braver. "How old are you, mirror man?" she says trying to intimidate Jean. Jean laughs and his mask fades away revealing his face smiling at the bravery of V. ``I'm 20 and not a mirror." V looks away in defiance while Jean just smiles. Flare walks into the alley "Jean have you found her I put the bodies in the back of the car." Jean looks at Flare. "Yeah I found her. Jean points at himself then Flare. "I'm Jean and that's Flare. Flare looks at V then Jean ``We should get going Regina's gonna want the bodies and we still got to eat." he said while handing him a shard which Jean slots before handing back to him and then holding out a hand to V. "Come on, we'll get you some food." V nods and grabs Jean's hand. Flare and Jean walk to the van with V before putting the bodies in the back and climbing in Flare in the driver's seat with V in the passenger and Jean stretched out in the back. "Flare starts up the van and lets V pick the music while Jean scrolls through his Holo to find a place to eat. "V buck a slice or take out" V looks at Flare who mouths take out before repeating it to Jean as they drive. They arrive at Regina's drop point and let her guys take the bodies while Regina and Jean trade information while he smokes a joint and she smokes a cigarette Flare and V are collecting the eddies from the client once Jean and Regina are done Jean says goodbye and gets back in the van where Flare hands him the eddies. Jean splits the money into three piles, sticks one into his waistband and hands the other two to Flare and V surprising her. "You're gonna want that kid, the world revolves around it sadly" Jean says as he reaches over and pats her on the shoulder. "Where are we going? '' V asks Jean answers "My place takeout will be there after we get there. Jean answers half asleep. After a few minutes Flare pulled into a small slum full of trailers, Rvs, and homeless camps before parking next to a trailer that looked like it had been set on fire a few times. "Don't question the burn marks I was fixing the walls' ' Jean says while picking up the take out bag from a drone that flew off after he paid. Flare went first V after him with Jean closing the door. The inside of the trailer was made up of 2 couches, 2 futons, and 3 recliners. In the living room there was a table with swivel chairs in the kitchen, a hallway with three doors in the living room and one room next to the kitchen. As Jean walks in the room it changes showing a child under a blanket. ("You're nothing compared to your sister." a parent says to the child before throwing a report card down showing Ds and Fs the child sobs before walking down the hallway into one of the rooms.)"Jean you ok" Flare says pulling Jean back to reality. "Yep let's eat on the back porch" Jean says shakily. They all walk out on top of the back porch area, the sliding glass door switched out for a metal sheet door and the porch walls reinforced with scrap and bulletproof glass. On the porch is a pool table, a small poker table and several bean bags in a corner. V took her food and walked over to the table while Flare went with her. Jean went and grabbed a basket and tossed his jacket in there and changed from a pair of garbage stained jeans to gym shorts and a tank top revealing a Sandevistan along with his full Projectile Launcher arm. Jean brought out a pair of gym shorts and a shirt and gave it to V. "Get out of that gown you're not in a hospital." Jean says jokingly before sitting down and grabbing his food. "There's a bathroom down the hall to your left first door." V goes in while Flare and Jean pass around the food deciding a good amount out of their orders for her. V comes out a few minutes later in the clothes and Jean hands her the food V looks at it suspiciously "What's this?" She asked, causing Jean to look at her and point at each food. "Pork lo mein, california roll, dumplings, egg rolls and my favorite pork fried rice." Flare rolls his eyes "He loves it so much that he eats it every time he gets takeout." V tried it and then started gulping it Jean laughs and chows down Flare rolls his eyes and cracks a smile. "So kid you got any family to go to?" Flare asks sitting back against the chair V looks at him with anger "No my family hates me." Jean perks up "Any friends"? V looks at him "No". "Then I guess you're staying with me". Jean says "Cause I'm not letting you end up homeless." He waves around the room. "As you can tell from where I live I'm barely not homeless." Jean pats V on the head. "You can stay with me and Flare will take care of you." Flare looks at Jean with shock. "You will raise her. I only pay rent and own the car." Jean looks at him before smirking. ".You can't say you don't want to teach her blade work because I know you do." Flare looks at Jean. "That was a pipe dream and I told you in confidence." Flare tries to smack Jean but he dodges. V laughs and Jean smiles at her. "One thing though." V and Flare look at Jean. "You can't go by Violet, that's what the Corpos call you." Jean says looking at V "You got to have a street name like me and Flare. V looks at Jean "You don't have a street name" V points out while Jean smiles and looks at her. "Zephyr means wind. I chose it when I- well let's not talk about that." Jean looks around before walking over to the pool table and pulling a trunk from under it and opens it revealing to be full smoking supplies. Jean pulls out a bong, a pipe, and a wax burner. He hands the pipe to Flare who pulls a bag of weed out of his pocket while Jean sets up and lights the wax burner before sitting down with his bong and loading it up. "To new beginnings." He says before taking a rip. Flare pulls deep from his pipe while V looks around confused. "Breathe in deep the wax burners releasing the marijuana into the air while the glass traps it and hot boxes us." Jean explained "You're gonna feel really happy and there's a 75% chance you'll feel like you're falling through the floor." He says while V takes in a few deep breaths "If you can't handle it the last room at the end of the hallway is where you'll be Flares got the other I've got the master need help just ask." V looks at him angrily. "I can handle it fine." Jean smiles before all three look out the window at the sunset. "This is gonna be Interesting."