`A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Let me tell you it was a fun one to write.
Chapter 6: I'm not trusting some Ronin and fodder
October 13th 2073
"Remember, the quieter we do this, the faster we finish this gig," Jackie's voice crackled through the comm channel, shared by Naruto and Sasuke.
"Don't worry, we'll make sure you stay under the radar," Naruto reassured, his gaze fixed on the Ebunike docks alongside Sasuke. Across the street, Jackie minimized his presence, a daunting task given the near emptiness of the docks save for occasional riff-raff.
Their plan unfolded simply: Naruto and Sasuke would scout ahead, guiding Jackie through the labyrinth of containers until they reached their target—a faded blue shipping container conveniently loaded onto a truck.
The gig's particulars were straightforward: the truck lay somewhere within Ebunike, its security a minimal challenge when compared against the usual night guards of the company. Despite the deep Maelstrom territory, the docks remained outside their control, a relief to the trio's frayed nerves.
The trio understood the imperative of maintaining silence as they extracted the truck and its cargo from the docks. Their destination: the southern part of the Glen, where they would rendezvous with Kirk and his contact.
"Remember, no killing. The last thing we need is the NCPD turning this into a homicide case and breathing down our necks," Jackie reiterated sternly. He was uncertain about their tendencies towards violence; his knowledge of Naruto was brief, and his encounter with Sasuke barely scratched the surface. Who in his opinion was a somber fucker who ironically had a glow to him as if he got some the night prior.
"Let's speed this up," Sasuke urged, donning his mask and pulling his hood over his head, leaving only his vivid purple and red eyes visible. With a swift leap, he traversed rooftops, disappearing into the compound below.
"We'll open the gates soon. Stay prepared," Naruto replied, following suit by masking up and hooding himself, leaping across rooftops to gain a strategic view of the gate and its surroundings.
Naruto conjured two clones and quickly muted his comm to issue orders. "Scan for guards. Subdue and conceal them if necessary." The clones acknowledged the command and vanished from sight.
"Jackie, weren't there supposed to be guards?" Sasuke queried over the comm. Having entered a small building within the compound, he was puzzled by the absence of workers or sentries.
"Not too crazy, but there should be about a dozen or so," Jackie replied, his pace cautious as he approached the front gate, his own hoodie drawn up to obscure his features.
"Nothing in sight from my end either," Naruto chimed in, descending to ground level without spotting any guards near the front gate.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Jackie muttered under his breath, his unease mounting as the gate swung open smoothly before him. He scanned the area, observing Naruto's silent departure from the small control room adjacent to the gate, effortlessly leaping onto the stacked containers. Jackie hadn't realized Naruto possessed Mantis legs, but then again, reflecting on it, no organic limb could have launched that Valentino wannabe into a vending machine like that.
"I'm inside the main building, and it's deserted," Sasuke reported, his voice echoing through the comm as he returned to the window he had used for entry.
"I think I've figured out what happened to the guards..." Naruto's tone dripped with disgust as he was provided the memories retrieved from his clones.
"What's going on, Carnal?" Jackie's pace slowed, his senses heightened as he scanned the area for signs of danger.
"Maelstrom caught wind of the shipment," Naruto replied solemnly, his gaze shifting downward from the stack of containers he perched upon. Below lay a grim scene: twelve lifeless guards piled haphazardly, while ten Maelstrom members loitered around the front of the truck.
"Damn Kirk, I swear I'm going to end him," Jackie seethed, his hand instinctively reaching for his handgun, the metallic click of the slider echoing in the tense air.
"Naruto and I will handle this," Sasuke declared, landing gracefully beside Naruto, his eyes fixed on the unfolding scene.
Naruto exchanged a meaningful glance with Sasuke, a silent agreement passing between them. In unison, they drew the katanas slung across their backs—weapons liberated from the Tiger Claws just weeks earlier.
The situation had taken a grim turn. The guards lay slain, victims of a brutal and callous attack, replaced by a dozen ruthless gangers. Their cruelty demanded retribution; to spare them would only invite further suffering upon the vulnerable. Ten lives would be forfeit to safeguard the many.
As one, Naruto and Sasuke leaped from their vantage point, each selecting their initial target and descending upon them with calculated precision. Their blades found purchase in the vulnerable crooks of their victims' necks.
Caught off guard, the gangers recoiled in shock, affording Sasuke the opportunity to retrieve a Tanto from the sheath at his lower back. With a swift flick, the dagger found its mark, embedding itself in the forehead of one assailant. A grisly mix of sparks and blood erupted, marking the swift justice delivered by Sasuke's blade.
Naruto swiftly dislodged his sword from the lifeless Maelstrom, executing a fluid spin to his left. With a deft diagonal slash from right to left, he cleaved through the ganger obstructing his path. Their brief advantage was fleeting, however, as the gangers quickly regained their composure to retaliate.
As the fallen ganger crumpled at Naruto's feet, another assailant, armed with mantis claws, lunged forward to take his place. The assailant, a woman, relied on the swift agility granted by her Dynalar sandevistan augmentation. Yet, her confidence wavered as Naruto intercepted her attack, effortlessly parrying the dual blades and meeting her gaze with unyielding resolve.
Despite the majority of his features obscured, a feral grin emanated from Naruto's eyes as he raised his free hand, two fingers extending upwards amidst a small cloud of smoke materializing above him. Before the haze could dissipate, a blade surged forth, piercing through the woman's chest and penetrating her synthetic heart. As her vision blurred, she glimpsed not another individual, but a replication of the man she had sought to cut down.
With her final breaths escaping her lips, she watched in disbelief as the duplicate spun through the air, driving the blade into the abdomen of one of her comrades. Abruptly, the smoke engulfed the replica, causing it to vanish along with the weapon it wielded. The wounds inflicted, however, remained—a chilling testament to the lethal efficacy of Naruto's tactics.
In her final moments, her thoughts fixated on a single realization: the masked figures before her were not men, but monstrous entities in a human disguise.
Naruto, without the need for validation of his clone's actions, surged forward toward his fifth target, executing a swift upward slash that ended the life of the man, who, in his panic, struggled to draw his handgun from its holster.
Meanwhile, on Sasuke's front, his tanto found its mark in the man's forehead before he swiftly pivoted in a one-eighty motion. With a single fluid stroke of his katana, he severed the head of a female ganger. In the midst of the carnage, the distinctive click of a firearm being readied caught his attention from the right. With a sharp turn of his head, Sasuke locked eyes with the lone visor of the gun-wielding Maelstrom member.
Fortunately, Sasuke's assumptions proved correct, and the ganger froze, ensnared by the genjutsu. Uncertain of its effectiveness without direct eye contact, Sasuke relied on the assumption that the visor's connection to the brain would render it susceptible.
Convinced that the ganger posed no further threat, Sasuke swung his blade to the right at head level, feeling the resistance of metal and flesh before the body yielded. With his fourth enemy dispatched, he advanced, executing a diagonal slice from the left shoulder to the right hip, ensuring the demise of the individual ensnared by the genjutsu.
With all ten guards incapacitated, Naruto and Sasuke responded swiftly to Jackie's urgent call over the comm channel. "We're toward the back. Follow the widest path," Sasuke directed, glancing downward to ensure every Maelstrom member had been neutralized—a precautionary measure stemming from past encounters with the Tiger Claws.
In less than a minute, Jackie rounded the corner, his pistol poised and ready. His eyes widened as he beheld Naruto and Sasuke diligently clearing the bodies of the gangers, making way for the truck to be able to drive without obstacles in the way.
"Damn it..." Jackie muttered aloud, taking in the grim scene before him. The stacked bodies of the twelve guards lay amidst the scattered Maelstrom members, crimson and black pooling from their wounds.
"We can't linger here. These ten were likely not the only ones aware of our operation," Sasuke remarked, brushing aside Jackie's reaction as he focused on the urgency of their situation.
"Fixer or not, i'm going to fucking kill Kirk." Jackie seethed aloud, his frustration palpable as he extracted a small device from his jacket and pressed it against the truck's door.
The device whirred to life, cycling through a sequence of numbers before emitting a green light and popping open the driver's door. Without hesitation, Jackie leaped into the driver's seat, affixing the device to the dashboard. Another sequence of numbers flashed across the device, turning green once more as the truck roared to life.
Naruto and Sasuke wasted no time, slipping into the truck through the passenger door, with Naruto positioned in the middle and Sasuke near the exit. With no need for verbal cues, Jackie shifted the truck into drive and navigated through the compound, eventually exiting through the main gate.
Jackie steered the truck out of the compound and onto the streets of Watson, opting for a route that avoided the freeway. Silence enveloped the cabin for several minutes before Naruto broke the quiet.
"Why aren't we taking the freeway?" Naruto inquired.
"The cargo's too conspicuous. NCPD tends to target large trucks with hefty cargo," Jackie explained, his focus on navigating the vehicle as he made another turn onto a main street heading south toward Little China.
"Corruption, I presume?" Sasuke remarked, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside his window.
"Bingo," Jackie confirmed with a snort of disdain.
"How deep does it go?" Naruto inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"If you've got the scratch, anything flies," Jackie replied with a humorless chuckle, betraying the extent of the city's corruption.
Interrupting the conversation, Sasuke interjected, "Two cars have been tailing us since we left the docks."
"Maelstrom?" Jackie queried, glancing at his side mirror to confirm Sasuke's observation.
"Looks like a truck and a van... damn it," Sasuke cursed, recognizing the menacing presence tailing them.
"Fucking Sixth Street!" Jackie exclaimed, his frustration mounting as a bullet shattered his mirror.
"I'm really starting to see why you hate Kirk so much." Naruto remarked wryly, as Jackie slammed his foot on the gas pedal, determined to outrun their pursuers.
"Keep the car steady," Sasuke instructed, retrieving a Liberty from his waistband and rolling down the window. Though not a sharpshooter by any means, his limited experience from target shooting with Rita compelled him to take action. Losing their pursuers was paramount if they hoped to deliver the shipment safely.
With determined focus, Sasuke fired off two shots. The first missed its mark, but the second struck the hood of the truck, deflecting and shattering the windshield of the vehicle behind them.
"HANG ON!" Jackie's voice thundered as he veered the steering wheel sharply to the right, narrowly avoiding a collision with another car.
"Was that Maelstrom?!" Naruto yelled, his grip firm on Sasuke to prevent him from being thrown out of the window amidst the chaos.
"Yes!" Jackie shouted in confirmation as he swerved to avoid another Maelstrom van that threatened to collide with them.
"Naruto, let go!" Sasuke commanded, forcefully kicking away Naruto's restraining arm.
Naruto complied, releasing his hold on Sasuke's legs, only to watch in astonishment as Sasuke hoisted himself onto the roof of the truck.
"Damn it! Where's he going?" Jackie exclaimed, stealing a quick glance at Sasuke's disappearing legs as they vanished over the roof.
"I'll go check!" Naruto declared, determined to follow Sasuke's lead.
"Naruto! Wait!... [I'm going to fucking kill Kirk…]" Jackie's protest fell on deaf ears as Naruto disregarded him and ascended onto the roof.
As Naruto emerged onto the roof, he found Sasuke positioned as low as possible on the container, deftly evading the hail of bullets. Emulating Sasuke's technique, Naruto infused his soles with chakra for added stability.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Naruto barked at Sasuke, who raised himself up and took aim with his gun. The first shot struck the hood of the Sixth Street truck, followed by a precise hit to the shoulder of the passenger, incapacitating him.
Sasuke gritted his teeth in frustration, lamenting the lack of shuriken or kunai which would have made hitting his mark effortless compared to the handgun's limitations.
"Unless you've got a better plan, shut up and get back in the truck!" Sasuke retorted sharply, his irritation palpable.
Naruto cursed under his breath, surveying the chaotic scene unfolding around them. Four vehicles trailed them, their occupants engaged in a frenzied exchange of gunfire. Their attention shifted erratically, alternating between targeting the cargo and each other with each shot fired.
"I've got an idea!" Naruto exclaimed suddenly.
"What— Naruto!" Sasuke's voice rose in alarm as he watched Naruto produce his tanto and launch himself off the trailer into the air.
With a solid thud, Naruto landed on the roof of the truck, driving his tanto into the metal to secure his position. He swiftly infused his soles with chakra for stability and leaned towards the passenger side. Extending his cybernetic arm, he seized hold of the Sixth Street member and forcefully pulled him out of the vehicle.
As the Maelstrom vehicle ran over the fallen ganger's body, Naruto swiftly slid through the passenger window. With a swift motion, he delivered a powerful kick to the driver, sending both the ganger and the door hurtling into the street.
Taking control of the driver's seat, Naruto grasped the steering wheel firmly. "Alright, Naruto, you got this. Driving isn't that hard," he reassured himself. His experience behind the wheel was limited to a handful of occasions with Rita and even Judy. While not an expert, he recalled Jiraiya's words: "Practice makes perfect." With determination, Naruto focused on navigating the streets ahead.
With a prayer on his lips, Naruto floored the gas pedal, closing the gap between the Maelstrom van and the Sixth Street van, now engaged in a fierce exchange of gunfire. As he maneuvered alongside the van, Naruto seized the gun wedged between his seat and the middle console, firing wildly without bothering to aim given the close proximity.
The third shot found its mark, piercing the ganger's skull. The lifeless body slumped forward, inadvertently jerking the steering wheel to the right. The sudden motion, coupled with the van's high speed, caused it to flip over in a chaotic spin. Nearly hitting the sixth street vehicle, only due to the van swerving out the way just in time.
Naruto noted the elimination of two of the four vehicles and redirected his focus to the Sixth Street van. Observing their erratic shooting pattern, he accelerated and positioned himself diagonally in relation to them. With a sudden wrench of the wheel to the right, Naruto executed a pit maneuver, bringing himself into direct sight of the driver. Intent on neutralizing the threat, he raised the handgun, only to hear the ominous click of an empty chamber.
"What the..." Naruto muttered in frustration, repeatedly pulling the trigger in disbelief. With a groan of exasperation, he hurled the useless gun at the window, the impact causing it to crack and effectively obstruct the driver's vision.
With his mission accomplished, Naruto leaped out of the driver's door, crashing against the back of the cargo trailer and seizing its edge before swinging himself over and landing firmly on his feet.
Meanwhile, the Sixth Street van, desperate to rid itself of the truck jammed in its front, swerved sharply to the left, dislodging the truck but careening directly into a light pole. The impact sent both the driver and passenger hurtling through the windshield.
Observing the imminent approach of the bridge leading to the city center, Sasuke recognized the need to halt the pursuit. Taking swift action, he aimed and fired one last bullet at the driver, intending to bring an end to the chase.
As the situation escalated, Sasuke's thoughts coalesced into a singular command:
"Amaterasu." His Sharingan manifested into its Mangekyo form, summoning forth the sinister black flames that engulfed both the driver and passenger. Their cries of surprise and agony echoed across the distance.
In the grip of panic, the driver relinquished control of the wheel, sending the van careening into the road's central divider. It was then Sasuke distinguished the flames.
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged no words as they returned to the front of the truck. Naruto led the way, sliding his feet in first, followed by Sasuke, their actions speaking volumes as they left the chaos behind them.
"It's over. We can ease off now," Sasuke declared, his voice steady as Jackie navigated the bridge into downtown.
"Are you sure?" Jackie inquired, unable to verify for himself without a mirror.
"Yeah, nobody's following us," Naruto confirmed, his words punctuated by a deep breath drawn through the pollution-laden air seeping behind his mask.
~~~SCENE~~~
Gasping in pain and despair, a Maelstrom ganger clawed his way out of the wreckage of the overturned van. Every movement sent a jolt of agony through his cybernetic and organic body as sharp pieces of glass and metal tore into his flesh, leaving behind a trail of cuts and bruises. With sheer determination, he managed to crawl a few feet away from the wreckage, propping himself against the cool wall of a nearby building.
Taking shaky breaths, he winced as a sharp, stabbing pain pierced his right side. It was undoubtedly a broken rib or two, a cruel reminder of the brutal ordeal he had just endured.
"I've had it with this crap," he groaned aloud, pushing himself upright and leaning against the wall, putting distance between himself and the grim crime scene.
It was just his luck, within his first week of joining Maelstrom he was almost killed by two teens who saved a damn Mox from being played with. Then in less than six months he's almost killed again by two damn Morgan Blackhand wannabes! Only this time instead of two kids with missing arms. It was two masked monsters of the night that jumped from car to car.
This wasn't worth some pocket change worth of eddies and glitter. Maybe if the pay was better and it was some synthcoke. Yea, that would be better than what he was getting right now.
"Maybe my sister will let me join her crew," he murmured to himself, deciding to give her a call when he was patched up. Despite two years having passed since they last spoke, she was family. A dysfunctional and chaotic family, no doubt, but family nonetheless.
~~~SCENE~~~
"They're late, Kirk," the 'connection' behind the entire operation complained, a note of annoyance evident in their voice.
"They'll arrive, trust me. They're my top people," Kirk assured, though deep down, he was already formulating escape plans. In truth, he was contemplating his exit from Night City and strategizing the best way to fake his death.
Several minutes of uncomfortable silence filled the air before the low rumble of a truck resonated through the alley walls. Kirk breathed a sigh of relief at the sound, assuming it was Jackie's truck. However, his relief turned to apprehension as his gaze fell upon the vehicle. Bullet holes riddled the truck, and the cargo bay bore several ominous punctures.
"Hmm... Doesn't seem like it was a smooth operation, Kirk," the connection remarked disapprovingly.
"You're damn right it wasn't smooth!" a voice bellowed from inside the truck, shattering the silence with its intensity.
Kirk's complexion paled as the connection raised an eyebrow, her displeasure palpable as she absorbed the alarming revelation.
"Maelstrom got wind of the cargo, and then we ended up in a damn chase across all of Watson with Sixth Street and Maelstrom!" Naruto's voice reverberated as he emerged from the vehicle, his and Sasuke's masks still firmly in place to shield their identities.
"What?" The connection's response was immediate, punctuated by the snap of her fingers, prompting her bodyguards to raise their weapons, their aim fixed on the alley from which the truck had emerged.
"We lost them. You'll probably hear about it in the news tomorrow morning," Sasuke stated calmly, brushing off the evident hostility from the guards.
"Jackie, is this true?" Kirk's voice quivered slightly, betraying his anxiety over the potential fallout.
Jackie, who had maintained silence throughout, observed the identity of the connection before finally nodding and breaking his silence. "Yeah, the two brothers took care of them while I prevented them from hijacking the truck."
He refrained from mentioning Naruto and Sasuke by name, recalling their request to avoid using their names in front of others due to the hostility it could provoke. As he understood it, the fewer people who knew their identities, the safer they would be.
The connection, known for her skepticism toward Edgerunners, turned to her guards. "Drone the area. I'm not trusting some Ronin and fodder."
Naruto began to protest, but Sasuke halted him with a raised hand. They weren't familiar with the term "Ronin," but they both sensed it wasn't a compliment. Meanwhile, Jackie could only scoff at the blatant insults.
After three tense minutes, the guard signaled that the area was secure. "Good. Here's your payment," the connection declared, motioning for one of the guards to open a briefcase containing three shards. "Twenty-five thousand eddies each, and what's left of the cargo."
Naruto, Sasuke, and Jackie accepted the shards, their anticipation building as they followed Kirk and the others toward the back of the shipping container. Each of them, including Kirk, stood poised, eager to see what lay within.
As the lock broke and swung open, their mouths fell open in astonishment at the sight before them. "It's just Tra-" Naruto began to comment.
But Jackie's shout of excitement cut him off. "Gold, a fucking gold mine!" he exclaimed.
The unexpected reaction caught everyone off guard, even the connection, who hadn't anticipated such enthusiasm from them. "Search for the case," they ordered the guards, who nodded and ventured into the container to comply.
Minutes ticked by until one of the guards exclaimed, "Found it!" while extracting a large, bulky metal case adorned with the famous Militech symbol and name.
"It's been a pleasure doing business with you three," the connection remarked, clicking open the box to ensure the actual cargo remained safe and intact.
"If you ever need another mission completed," Naruto interjected, seizing the opportunity for potential future work and a sizable sum of eddies. Despite the mission having gone awry, he couldn't help but reflect that compared to the tasks he undertook in the Leaf, it was likely the easiest money he'd made in a long time.
"I'll be sure to remember that. Here's my contact information, just in case," they replied, nodding their head and transmitting their number to the three party members.
"What's your name?" Sasuke inquired, noting that the number only displayed one word: 'Militech'.
"It's Meredith. Keep an eye out for another call in the future," the Corpo declared, stepping into the car, followed by her guards.
"Damn, so I was right," Jackie whispered to himself, his eyes fixed on the retreating black SUV.
"Militech stealing their own cyberware?" Naruto queried, his confusion evident as the realization of the mission's true nature struck him.
"They probably had it stolen and were just reclaiming it," Jackie surmised, his gaze shifting to the shipping container, now laden with implications.
"Ehem," Kirk coughed out, drawing the attention of the three.
"What is it, Kirk?" Jackie snapped, his patience worn thin with the fixer.
"It's only fair that the fixer gets the first pick," Kirk asserted.
"Kirk... I'm going to give you five seconds to leave," Jackie warned, his tone dripping with disdain as he barely spared a glance at the fixer.
"You sure you want to speak to me like that?" Kirk retorted, attempting to sound intimidating despite the circumstances.
"Leave," Sasuke commanded, his irritation palpable as he cast a fleeting glance at Kirk. The intensity of his tone seemed to echo off the walls, sending a clear message to the fixer whom he had only encountered minutes earlier.
Kirk involuntarily took a step back, the weight of the single word seeming to hang heavily in the air. Locking eyes with the masked man, he felt a chill of foreboding run down his spine, a sense of impending danger looming ominously.
"As a gesture of goodwill, I'll let you keep the rest for a job well done, and I apologize for what happened," Kirk backpedaled hastily, his attempt at reconciliation tinged with a hint of unease.
The three diverted their attention from Kirk as he hurriedly departed, refocusing on their newfound prize. "So, what are we looking at, Jackie? Looks like a bunch of old vehicles," Naruto remarked, finally removing his mask and hoodie.
"Not just any old vehicles... the gold of vehicles," Jackie replied in awe.
Inside the container lay several vehicles: two cars and three motorcycles, each bearing one or two bullet holes, unfortunately.
"Care to elaborate on what you mean exactly?" Sasuke inquired, eyeing one of the motorcycles. Despite his limited knowledge of vehicles, he could discern that it was in rough shape and would require some parts replacement.
"They're vehicles from before the DataKrash, dating back to the nineties if my memory serves me right. The bikes appear to be from Suzuki, a prominent bike corporation before Yaiba bankrupted them," Jackie marveled, his excitement evident at the prospect of riding one.
"Alright, and what about the cars?" Naruto inquired, his gaze lingering on one of the two.
"These beauties... They're from Nissan. Arguably one of the best corporations that produced cars back in the day," Jackie elucidated, his attention now fixed on the front of the cars.
"But they also went bankrupt, I'm guessing," Sasuke remarked.
Jackie nodded solemnly. "The DataKrash obliterated nearly every company. It was like an apocalypse... But that doesn't mean these gems vanished from the earth."
"What are the cars called?" Naruto queried, his curiosity piqued.
"I can't be certain of the exact model, but they're Skylines, likely the newer models before everything went haywire," Jackie replied.
"Why would Sixth Street be smuggling vehicles with Militech gear?" Sasuke pondered aloud, voicing the perplexity shared by all.
"Sixth street is notorious for modifying cars for street racing. It looks like they hid the actual gear with a shipment to throw off any inspections."
"So what's the plan with them? I doubt they even run anymore... Plus, Sasuke and I don't really know how to drive, let alone have a license," Naruto explained, highlighting the practical uselessness of the vehicles at present.
Jackie remained silent, his expression betraying his contemplation. After a minute of thoughtful silence, he clapped his hands together and nodded. "The guy I rent my garage from hooks me up with good deals. I'll rent out the neighboring garage and store them there. Then we can figure out what to do next."
Sasuke and Naruto agreed. They had no space to store the vehicles, and Jackie seemed reliable compared to the usual characters of Night City. This fact alone spoke volumes about his character. Moreover, they knew where he lived, so he couldn't easily vanish.
"Let's move the truck then, and we can dump it somewhere far away from here," Jackie suggested, moving to close the container.
~~~SCENE~~~
"What the hell do you mean you lost them?" barked an older man.
"It was a total mess, Morton. The moment we made contact with the truck, Maelstrom showed up out of nowhere. Then, to make matters worse, two guys wearing masks emerged from the truck, and one of them started jumping from car to car," exaggerated the Sixth Street ganger as he sat on a chair, a local medic doing their best to patch him up.
Morton, the leader of Sixth Street, growled in frustration. "God damn it!" he shouted, finally losing his temper.
Not only had they lost their shipment of cars and bikes, but they had also lost the actual cargo of Militech gear, setting them back seven figures. How did Maelstrom and the others who stole it get wind of it? He didn't know, but he swore he was going to find out who leaked the information. And when he did, he was going to make sure they were made an example of.
"Wait, two guys wearing masks and jumping car to car?" Morton asked, his brow furrowed in concern.
The survivor of Sixth Street nodded weakly. "Yeah, the masks were kind of like what those fucking Claws wear."
"Tiger Claws? So not only did Maelstrom find out, but someone also leaked it to the Claws?" Morton mused aloud, his mind racing to identify who could be leaking crucial information, potentially sparking a gang war within the city.
"They weren't Tiger Claws, though. They didn't dress like them, they only wore masks—a white one and a green one," the ganger replied, recalling the details. The two were dressed casually, blending into the crowd, with only their masks setting them apart. Ironically, the masks also obscured their identities.
"Matt! Get everyone to check into some masked mercs!" Morton ordered the Sixth Street Netrunner. He was determined to find out who had kleped what rightfully belonged to him, even if it meant tearing down Night City.
~~~SCENE~~~
"We don't know what happened! Brick, I swear!" Cried the Maelstrom ganger, her knees on the floor as she held her left cybernetic arm that had been torn off during the crash of his van.
"How the fuck don't you know what happened? Ten of ours are dead in the compound with twelve dead guards! We have NCPD breathing down our necks, and then we got our boys littered all down Watson with Sixth street, and in the end, WE DON'T HAVE THE CARGO!" Brick, the leader of Maelstrom, explained, his voice slowly rising until he was shouting in anger.
"I'm telling you, it was like they were both like the boogeyman! Look at the camera footage we got," cried the ganger, afraid of what Brick might do to them.
Brick glared at the cowering ganger and sneered. He was going to see just what the fuck happened, and who the hell took the Cargo he had kleped.
~~~SCENE~~~
"How's the tech?" Asked Meredith as she lit a cigarette.
"Looks to be in pristine condition still." Replied the guard as he opened the box to inspect the item a bit more.
"Good, Also, I want the CCTV footage of Watson. NCPD is probably already skimming it over. I want the raw footage by the time we reach base," Meredith ordered.
Call it curiosity, but Meredith wanted to see what exactly the masked Ronin were capable of. From what they said, they encountered opposition from the moment they began the gig. Yet, there wasn't even a scratch on them. The camera footage would reveal just what those two were made of, and if it impressed Meredith, she might consider offering them more jobs in the future. If she played her cards right, she might even secure a promotion for herself.
A/N: A first successful mission for the boys, along with getting some connections of their own in some high places. Although, it seems like their mission wasn't as perfect as they seem.
I also liked how I added some old school vehicles into the mix. I always found it odd how other fics and even lore refused to even mention older vehicles and such. But don't worry, I'm not giving the cars to them right off the rip. It's something they're going to build up to. Having to rebuild their chosen vehicle from the ground up.
Of course like always how did everyone enjoy the chapter? Anything you specifically liked? Things you didn't like? Anything you might want to see in the future? Please leave a review or even a PM if you're too shy, and if you haven't please favorite and follow the story.
Translations
Culo - Ass
Que - what
Chingados - the fuck
Mierda - shit
Replies
Samuel Santillan - Thank you, it was indeed a good night for them. Even though one had a better night than the other. And you may be right of how the gig did indeed put them on the map. Thing is was it a good or bad thing.
Almevo - I'll go into more in depth explanation of summons along with Kurama. But don't worry, it isn't the last we see of the angsty fox.
Uzunin - I really do wish I had the time to do 10k chapters. Unfortunately a man need money and for that he needs a job. Thank you though and I do hope to try to stay true to their characters, but it is Night City. and it does have a habit of making people change.
Lil Author Vert - W Reader
2Booty Enjoyer - Don't give up hope, it's only the first six chapters of the story. There's still many more people for the two to meet.
Spellbat - and let their names strike fear.
bahrithariq - Sasuke used his Sharingan to have the guard see what he wanted him to see and feel. Basically making the guard feel the gun but ignore it thinking it was nothing to concern himself with.
draken666 - Ya know, i'm surprised people are giving into the Judy train. But we'll see what happens :)