\+/ Tales From Night City \+/ Chapter 36 - Night City Trust
The back alley door to the hideout slides open as you see Audrey with a look of surprise on her face. She is met by Brian carrying Zaunya in over his shoulder whom is completely out of it... Audrey immediately begins to help Brian carrying her in as Zaunya's feet drag behind them.
"WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED!?" Audrey shouts in a panic as her and Brian make their way to one of the bedrooms talking back and forth about the op. The kid slowly steps into the hideout after them looking around at the place in admiration.
"Nova..." The kid says under his breath in awe at the place. Its clear that the contrast in area and location to the quality of the living space catches him off guard. 'How would they...tch.. why would they setup here..? They on the run too..?' The kid thinks to himself. The kid's thoughts are abruptly cut off as he hears commotion coming from the room behind him, making him turn around.
He turns to see Audrey B-Line it out of the room with iron in hand and Brian quickly following behind her. "Audrey.. come on." Brian says pleading. Audrey with her eyes locked on the kid shoves him up against the closed apartment door pinning him by his throat and pointing the iron at his face.
"WHAT THE FFUCK DID YOU DO TO HER!" She screams scaring the shit out of the kid. The kid unable to speak while being choked looks at her with his eyes open wide in complete fear and surrender.
"AUDREY!" Brian yells; Audrey ignores him and yanks the kid off the wall and throws him to the ground by his throat. She then pins him to the ground by his throat and puts her knee on his chest with the iron pressing on his cheek making him squeal. She speaks through her teeth in a softened whisper looking directly into his eyes as she changes the energy and tone of the moment with growing rage.
"Shh...shh...listen to me... shh... listen... if she has permanent neuro damage from this shit.. i will END you do you UNDERSTAND ME!? DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAN-"
"AUDREY!" Brian yells as he yanks her off of the kid by her shoulders. The kid stays laying there with his hands up scared and overwhelmed by the situation. Audrey turns to Brian and shoves him hard.
"What the FUCK happened out there!? And why would you bring this kid HERE?"
"Kid tripped us up... rat gave us the slip. We had to do some clean up... no shots fired so we got outta there pretty unnoticed."
"PRETTY UNNOTICED!?" She responds frustrated. "WE WEREN'T NOTICED." Brian shouts sternly changing the energy of the moment and briefly calming Audrey. "The kid knows where he ran off too.. and its not his corp... its not a loss.. its a reset."
Audrey turns away from Brian and looks at the kid on the floor in anger. She looks back at Brian before B-Lining back toward the room Zaunya is laying in. She stares daggers at the kid as she steps over him saying nothing and sliding the door closed. The kid watches Audrey walk back to the room before he is unexpectedly yanked up to his feet by his hoodie by Brian.
"Get up.. come on." Brian says as he yanks the kid by his hoodie over to the couch and shoves him down onto it. Brian grabs a chair and places it right in front of the kid before sitting down and looking directly into his eyes with his blood red, crimson Nue on his lap. The kid finally speaks after glancing over at the occupied room and glancing down at Brian's iron.
"Yo man... I promise i-"
"The rat.. where's he gonna be." Brian says in a shifted tone
"No. Seriously choom I didn't mean to hurt your girl. She has-" Brian lightly slaps the kid in the face, cutting him off.
"Focus kid. Focus." He says in a calmed tone. "The rat."
"I can help her! Let me help her!" The kid pleads slightly frustrated.
Brian begins to speak but the kid cuts him off in a serious tone speaking in a near whisper.
"Listen..she's got vulnerability points that she can't be runnin' around with out there... If i can do what I did to her... there's no tellin' what another runner out there with bad intentions can do."
Brian pauses and sits back in his chair staring at the kid with his hand on his iron and says nothing. The break and silence makes the kid uncomfortable as he impatiently waits for Brian to say something. He glances over at the room and then back at Brian.
"Look choom its gonna get worse before it gets better!" The kid says impatiently while looking at Brian with a serious expression on his face. Brian looks deep into the kids eyes as the kid returns the look with the same depth and seriousness. Brian recognizes the truth in them as he continues to stare him down while the kid does the same unwaning.