\+/ Tales From Night City \+/ Chapter 28 - Raincheck
Thick clouds of smoke gently whisp through the air undisturbed. The sun's rays beam through the shadeless window of Brian and Zaunya's motel room. The scattered stray sounds of various cars and people going about their day are feint on the other side of the door. Brian is seen pacing back and forth in the room causing the smoke to scatter and dissipate... he occasionally glances out the window to check the roads. You see cigarette butts scattered throughout the trashy room, most of them being fresh. Zaunya sits at the edge of the bed with her legs crossed and her elbows rested on her lap. The idle smoke from her cig remains consistent and still as she stares down at the floor of the motel in deep thought as a flashback begins:
"AUDREY!" A loud banging on a metal door is heard causing Audrey to jolt awake and fall out of her chair. The screams and banging continues as Audrey quickly scrambles to get up and get to the door. As she slides it open she sees Zaunya struggling to carry Brian. Audrey's eyes open wide as she gasps and steps out of the way allowing Zaunya to drag Brian's unconscious body down into the room.
Streaks of blood flow behind them as Zaunya and Audrey work to get Brian onto the ripper chair. "MOVE!" Audrey shouts as she gets in-between them and quickly begins to cut and rip Brian's clothes off. She starts to grab for various tools and items while turning on various pieces of equipment. Zaunya slowly steps back while putting her hands on her head with her eyes and mouth wide open covered in blood.
"Is...is he alive?" She says under her breath to herself as Audrey scrambles to work on Brian.
"SHIT." Audrey yells through her teeth. "He needs blood.." She says as she B-Lines it to a cabinet.
You see Brian layed on the ripper chair completely mangled... looking as if fresh off the battlefield of a corpo war as you hear Audrey and Zaunya's frantic communications completely muffled.
Audrey and Zaunya are next seen standing just outside of the room leaned up against the side of the building with smokes in hand. The distant sirens and Night City street sounds take over the space as the two rest in each other's company covered in blood. Audrey breaks the silence.
"Where the fuck have you been Zaunya." Audrey asks in a tired tone.. Zaunya doesn't respond.
Audrey steps in front of her and begins to check her wounds and patchwork... occasionally opening her coat and lightly grabbing her face and turning it. Zaunya gently grabs Audrey's wrist and moves it away from her face. "I'm.. i'm fine." Zaunya says while turning away.
"I told you get the fuck outta the city... and who the fuck is tha-" Audrey says with growing anger while pointing back at the door with her thumb.
"I'm sorry. Audrey.." Zaunya says while looking down at the floor.
"Sorry..? You're SORRY!? Do you know what the fuck is gonna happen if they find out you're still here!?" Audrey yells cracking her voice. She takes a few steps away turning her back and looking up and down the street.
"You knew i wasn't going to fucking leave Audrey."
"Zaunya." Audrey says exhaling and closing her eyes while looking down.
"This isn't over... Audrey... Its not gonna be... I have to finish it."
Audrey quickly turns around and walks up to Zaunya getting right in her face and grabbing both of her shoulders now speaking in an emotional begging tone. "No no no Zaunya please.. look at me. You can't do this... your mom-"
Zaunya looks up at Audrey directly into her eyes. Audrey begins to be overwhelmed with emotion as she begins to continue to speak but struggles to find the words to say. As Audrey looks at her, its clear the woman she is looking at is no longer the same woman she once knew and cared for. She sees in her eyes a different person.. one with fire and purpose. Emotions she once felt are long gone or buried. Audrey picks up on this energy after taking a long hard look at Zaunya's face causing her to step back while neither break eye contact.
Zaunya takes another drag of her cigarette "I'm gonna bring the whole thing down." She says in a calm, serious tone while exhaling the smoke and looking deep into Audrey's eyes. The two separate and share a pause as music blaring from a car passes by along with more sirens off in the distance.
"Now tell me what you want for all of this." Zaunya says pointing back at the door.
Audrey, near the street with her back turned to Zaunya puts her hands on her hips and takes a deep breath. "An eye." She says causing Zaunya to stand up straight and look over at her with her arms crossed. She continues
"There's this corpo gonk who got my number from someone I don't even speak to anymore. He was climbing the brown nose mountain and well on his way to a cushy executive existence. At the time he was good for the eds but luckily i know how this game works and made em pay for one eye at a time. He must've pissed someone higher up off soon after because I never even received payment for the first one. Its an Oracle...I don't just keep those lying around and can definitely do better with a pair instead of just one."
Audrey finally turns around and faces Zaunya after a brief pause.
"Bring me the eye." Audrey says in a serious tone nodding her head up. Zaunya, with her arms crossed drops her cigarette and steps on it. Cutting to black.