Side Story: A talk with a Tiger Mom
[Fallout x Cyberpunk/Ghost]

A scientific Blunder continuation

"You're alive are you?" The curt tone of Wakako was a nostalgic one, She had the only sense of humor that Six tolerated.

"You sound surprised, I thought you likened me to a cockroach last time we spoke." Six replied sprawling onto the chair opposite to her.

"Bug spray exists, I would have thought someone would have found yours by now." She huffed while taking a drag from a cigarette.

"Not yet, many people have tried and with luck a good many will fail. Anything new with you? Another husband perhaps?" Six joked with a smirk crossing his scarred face.

A dangerous glint entered Wakako's eye, and Six had to remind himself to not be a jackass to people who could have a hit ordered and completed in a single day.

"No, there aren't any men around, only bugs." She snipes her glare, somehow getting colder.

"Well tell me if you find any then, I need some relaxing."

"The point Six, get to it."

"Your so cold, after all these years...fine I need help tracking something or somebody if it was stolen." Six sat up and flicked over two grand to warm her icy heart.

"The rest will come later, It's complicated but not a hot item, just rare."

"What is the item?"

"It's a skill chip with…my signature on it and really good ice against trackers."

Wakako's eyes narrowed. "You said this wasn't a hot item, I think a skill chip with the info of someone who can give that Arasaka tin can a run for his money is hot enough."

"Your flattery knows no bounds. But I didn't blow his brains out, a mistake I will pay for." He rested a hand on his helmet, the glowing red eyes looking back blankly.

"A mistake many have paid for. You know I can't guarantee much, your style is discrete more often than not. Besides of course when your fancies get a hold of you. You searched elsewhere?" Wakako's eyes were golden, probably already sending out texts for her eyes and ears.

"I did, been looking across the whole damn city for a couple months already. Finally narrowed it down to Tiger Claw territory but that's about it. So I decided that I might as well have more people looking for it." Six rubbed at the back of his neck. Then he paused.

The soft sound of footsteps almost indiscernible to anyone but Six entered his hearing the low woosh of the door opening caused him to act. Six's revolver was already raised and pointed at the door with a tease of GRX, only to see a tiny asian girl with two cyber arms and purple hair halfway pointing a revolver at him. She was fast…was she waiting outside for Wakako already?

"Makoto, don't startle my customer. One of you will lose a head." Wakoko's voice was…was that some amusement underneath her ice. Six lowered his revolver with a huff.

"Is she someone who can help me? Girls got soft steps and a fast draw but I need more than that." Six turned his eyes back on Wakako.

"She's one of my best in intel gathering, she isn't cheap but she will get what you need." Six's eyes narrowed at the glowing remark and reappraised the girl..she wasn't her granddaughter right? He didn't voice the question aloud in the case of wanting to keep his brains inside his head.

"How much?" Six asks.

"15" She starts with a smirk. Oh she's going to play this game.

"10" He responds with a smirk.

"16" Oh for the love of, this is why he spent time with the docs they ain't got a lick of bartering tallent in them.

"13"

"14.5"

"Fine, you win."

"What just happened?" The voice of the teenager interrupted his thoughts.

"I'm too soft is what happened." Six growled, before turning to Makoto.

"You're going to help me find a chip that's got a unique signature from any other. I'll send you the details now, probably in a scav den…they've gone pretty far underground recently. Need someone with netrunning experience to find them. I've tracked it down to somewhere in the area. Any Scavs killed you can keep the equipment along with payment. Just need that chip."

The kids' eyes lit up with excitement and a predatory gleam. Geez Night City kids were vicious.

"You can count on me." God this kid gave him the creeps, sounding like a professional merc. Hell probably was, what was she 14? Same time he joined the army. Her body language was not one of a kid that's for certain. Probably some corp experiment.

"Fine, get going, send me the info once you've got it."

As they were exiting his tracking device pinged…weird.

Eh, probably nothing. The amount of false alarms he had in this city was annoying, if he went after each one he'd be here till next year.

Author's notes

I've decided that GRX is pretty much a sandy except since it was created by the Think Tank they have their own name for it since it only interacts with their cybernetics.

If anyone's wondering half of his search around the city was him doing side quests...because he has the impulse control of a cyberpsycho on Jet. Apparently getting shot in the head isn't good for impulse control who knew?