Ants in the Chromedome
Night City the new jewel of the new era of cyberware and bodily augmentations in the world. The skyscrapers covered the city from one end to the other, casting light through the darkness, only to cast shadows through the dark clouds of rain that covered the skies. But the flying cars and the advanced technology were all just an illusion. This was the world of the cyberpunks, a world that favored the fast, the big and the strong. In the new world, all those that walked its streets were augmented, almost all were changing their organic vessels for the shiny bright new pieces of chrome. But for all the augmentations and new body parts made out of steel and motor oil, there were many that lived in the slums and the dark corners of the city. And in those corners was where the most danger lurked. Gangs, shady deals, drugs, corporate control of everything that breathed the air of the city.
Down on the streets as the rain poured down, two cars drove down to a tall building covered in gang graffiti. They stopped at the entrance as three men with cybernetic augmentations on their bodies and big guns walked around them, looking for any signs of anything being out of place. The men looked inside, around and under the car for any surprises, making sure that their business was clean of any unwanted tricks.
"What's the hold up? We came here to make a deal not to be stuck out in the rain like some damn gonk!" A man poked his head out of the car with a sneer. "We don't have anything up our sleeves!"
"Well too bad! We don't want anyone popping in unannounced." One of the men finished looking under the car. "They're clean! Let 'em through!"
The gates to the hideout opened up for the car to drive on in. As the car drove into the building everyone looked around for anyone that could or even would dare to sneak into their hideout. Their eyes scanned for anything that was remotely cybernetic. They weren't expecting anything like an army or some rival gang coming. They were instead waiting for a single man to come in and try to ruin their deal.
"No signs of him," One of the men said.
"That's the problem," The third man said. "No one can see the gonk coming. It must be some sick chrome that he's using. To turn invisible like that."
As they continued to talk, a group of ants emerged from the sewer drain behind them. They climbed up the wall until they were behind the first man. Then it happened, something jumped at the back of one of the armed men.
"What was that?" The man asked, only to receive a punch to the jaw.
The force that struck the man, sent him to the ground before jumping. It landed on the back of another man as he looked for anything that moved. Before he could notice what had happened, the same force knocked the weapon out of his hands before receiving what felt like an uppercut punch to his jaw. The third gangster turned to see his fellow mercenaries fall, allowing panic to set in just in time for a blow to land between his eyes.
Inside the building, the three men came out of the car to meet up with the rest of the gang members. Just like the gang members, they were armed to the teeth with all sorts of chrome and weapons, pistols and shotguns mostly. It was something that almost any criminal packed before leaving. But these criminals wore black suits and carried the responsibility of representing one of the city's top corporations. The men looked up at the leader of the gang with weary eyes and twitchy trigger fingers. They looked at each other, sizing each other up akin to two boxers about to duke it out in the middle of the ring.
"So, are we doing this?" The leader of the car asked. "Arasaka won't like us wasting time."
"The Tiger Claws don't like to waste time either, that's why we want to keep this quick and easy. The Purple Cobras want some of that dangerous chrome too. We got the Eddies, you got the tech?" The leaders got in each other's faces, looking for whoever blinks first.
The Arasaka representative snapped his fingers to one of his men. One of the men went to the trunk of the car, popping it open. He returned to his boss's side with a silver briefcase in hand.
"Here it is, now for our payment." The leader asked.
"Of course," The Purple Cobra said. "Bring it in."
Another member of the Purple Cobras pulled up a briefcase full of chips.
"I hope you didn't knock over any gas stations to get us this money." The leader chuckled. "But I'll understand if you have had to take more less than pleasant jobs to rack up the Eddies. After all, it isn't like the Tiger Claws are pulling their punches."
"It ain't just those crazies we've got to worry about. You haven't heard the rumors have you?" The leader of the Purple Cobras asked.
"What rumors? If it's about that Cyberpsycho that was taken out, you don't have to worry about him." The Arasaka representative smirked. "I hear he was scrapped for parts." Everyone but the leader of the Purple Cobras laughed at the joke.
As they all laughed, legions of ants snuck into the room, making their way to the cameras and the weapons of the gangsters and members of Arasaka. They moved with precision, blinding the room from any other peering eyes and clogging their weapons without them knowing. They kept to the shadows, making sure to be as quiet as mice but amongst them a single figure stood taller than the other ants. Its red eyes zoomed into the briefcase that belonged to Arasaka. He knew what was inside it and he was going to get it back.
"It ain't no cyberpsycho running loose until MaxTac decides to put them down. At least, I hope it isn't a psycho," the Purple Cobra said. "No one can see it coming. Moves around like a phantom in the shadows some say. Others believe that it's some Nova-leveled Cyber-Runner taking out everyone and covering their tracks before anyone can even notice them. Others say that it is a living colony of AIs that have found some semblance of a body made out of scrap. But there is one thing everyone agrees on is that wherever it goes, ants follow. That's why they have dubbed him, the Ant-Runner," He said, not once losing his serious tone.
"Ants? Like, you mean the insects?" The Arasaka representative laughed. "Man, you gonks really have some funny boogie men!" He laughed, pointing at the leader.
However, all the Purple Cobras stopped laughing as they saw what was on the Arasaka corpo's hand and finger. Their eyes widened as they instantly recognized what it was. At the lack of laughter, the Arasaka representative stopped laughing, getting back his breath before looking to everyone for an explanation. He followed the look of the gang members and his own men to his hand. After his chrome upgrade, his hand was still getting used to the sensory feel of it, which was the reason he hadn't felt them move. What he saw on his hand was nothing more than a little ant looking at him with its small eyes.
"AAAAHHHH!" The Arasaka executive winced and freaked at the sight of the insect. "What's that abomination doing here?! There are no animals in Night City!"
"He's here!" The Purple Cobra screamed. "The ANT-RUNNER is here!" All gang members pulled out their weapons ready for an attack. Fear and worry filled them as several of them tried to fire their weapons only for them to blow up in their hands or end up jammed for some reason. "You brought him here!" The Purple Cobra leader demanded.
The Arasaka goons aimed their own guns at the Purple Cobras in their own defense. They pulled their triggers only to find out that they were also jammed. Suddenly, one of the goons felt electricity scrambling his brains, like a taser had just been jabbed into his spine. Sparks sprouted from his neck before collapsing on the floor. The same thing happened to the other guard of the Arasaka corpos, making the rest of the people shudder in fear.
Panic spread like a fire as everyone started swinging wildly at anything that moved. They pulled out whatever weapon they still had in hand and started firing at anything they didn't recognize. But their panic was exactly what their enemy wanted.
"Okay, time to give them a show." A figure stood up from the shadows, jumping down to the first enemy.
The figure planted its feet on the forehead of one of the gang members taking him down. It ran down to his neck, punching into its neck implants, ripping out his circuitry. As the gang member was electrocuted, the figure jumped quickly at the other gang member, punching him across the face with a right hook. Using its speed and momentum, the figure grabbed hold of the gang member's neck, putting an electric zapper inside its opening port before throwing him at his comrades. As they crashed into each other, the figure pressed a button on its hand, sending electric pulses into the goons, shocking them with bright electricity. It turned its sights to the rest, narrowing its eyes.
The figure called forth its ants to him, jumping on top of a flying ant, riding it towards the remaining gangsters and corporate goons like a swarm of angry bees. It directed them like a fighting flying squad, swarming the men with high speed flyers. As the men swung their arms and weapons at the swarm, the figure jumped at the leader of the Purple Cobra, punching him in the eye, shattering it with his full strength. It then jumped out of his empty eye socket grabbing hold of the Arasaka corpo's neck, pulling him against the car and battering his head against the hood of the vehicle. Just as it was about to punch the back of the corpo's head, it heard the sound of a bullet being fired. Its eyes turned to the large bullet coming towards it like a large truck. Not wasting any time, the figure jumped to the side as far as its body allowed him, feeling the heat of the shot going past him like a runaway subway train going at top speed. The figure landed on a nearby table, causing it to move. This gave the Purple Cobra an idea of where it was.
The gangster fired at the table with rage and anger as his eye dripped from its empty socket. He was not going to let the Ant-Runner get him. He would get the new boogie man of Night City. His finger squeezed the trigger over and over, filling the table with holes and flying splinters.
The Ant-Runner ran and weaved through the shots, making sure to avoid the raining bullets and splinters. It looked down to his belt and at its weapon in his holster.
"I hoped to use this after some more testing. No time like the present." The Ant-Runner jumped over the table, hiding from the last fired shots.
The Purple Cobra leader heard a click coming from his pistol. It was empty. He quickly dropped the empty cartridge before pulling another clip.
But before he could load it, the figure appeared behind the table, growing to its full size.
He was an average height man, wearing a strange suit. A red skin tight suit with a silver utility belt and holster, silver armored boots, armored silver forearm gauntlets with black gloves, an armless black hoodie over the suit with a red ant symbol across his chest and finally a silver ant shaped helmet with red lenses. This was the Ant-Runner.
He pulled out what appeared to be a portable blow torch from its belt holster, pulling the trigger. A red heat bolt shot out of the barrel of the weapon, shooting off the arm of the Purple Cobra leader at the elbow.
"Oh shit! I didn't intend to do that!" The Ant-Runner freaked out as the gangster screamed in pain before passing out. "Um, good thing the blast cauterized the wound at least. I'm willing to call this field test a success."
Ant-Runner sheathed his blaster back in its holster before walking to the two briefcases. He grabbed the Arasaka briefcase first, opening it up with ease. Inside it, he saw what looked like a black armored canon integrated arm. It resembled one of the older models that didn't even look close to flesh and blood, but it was compact and had a powerful battery inside it from what he could see. This was a weapon straight from Arasaka's labs or so they'd have the world believe. Closing the briefcase and attaching it to his suit, the Ant-Runner was about to leave the area and head back to his base, only for his eyes to catch sight of the other briefcase. He looked around at all the people in the building and then back at the briefcase. He knew that the money had been stolen and if he left it, either group would use it to cause more trouble for him. Besides, this would help him get any upgrades to his gear and further along his mission.
"Well, time to cash in on my talents I suppose." Ant-Runner took the other briefcase. "Time to head home." He pressed a button on his right hand, shrinking him down to the size of an ant.
As much as Night City was the place legends were made, not everyone liked living there or saw it as a good idea overall. That was how outposts outside the city were built by nomads and people that preferred the desert sand and large rocks rather than the smell of chrome and neon-lights for the night. It was akin to the suburbs in most big cities, if it was mostly inhabited by drifters, nomads and people that wanted to stay out of the radar. It was filled with repair shops, bars, inns and a couple of small houses for people to live in. And that meant, neighbors had to help each other out regardless of the situation they lived in.
"Alright, Mr. Garcia, your truck should be fine in just a sec."
"Thank you, Robin, you're a welcomed change of pace in this damn desert," Mr. Garcia said as the mechanic rolled out from underneath the old pick up.
The mechanic was a young man of average height and slightly muscular built and a boyish face. He had a black haired mullet after years on the roads and laying low through the United States, or what was left of them, and clear blue eyes. He has fair skin with a scar across his right eyebrow. He often wore a navy blue t-shirt with an Ace of Spades on his chest, a red bandana around his neck, a brown jacket, a pair of black gloves, a pair of blue jeans and black sneakers. This was Robin Lee Brown.
"Let's see if that did the deal." Robin hopped to the driver's seat, turning on the ignition. The sound of the motor purring like a lion brought a smile to their faces. "Good as new. Just don't go racing at night and you'll be aces, Mr. Garcia."
"I'll keep that in mind, Robin. Thanks again for looking up the old heap of scrap in such short notice." Mr. Garcia transferred Robin some Eddies for his trouble. "Certainly don't charge as much as the other jackals here."
"House special, sir." Robin wiped his hands with his handkerchief as he watched Mr. Garcia drove out of the garage.
As soon as he saw the old man leave, he pulled out an old touchscreen phone with cables connected to its side and enhanced batteries. He looked at the screen to see the transaction from the job. Usually most people would've been able to see the simple money transaction with their eye implants, or their wallet chips, but not in the case of Robin. No, Robin was something that most people weren't, he was fully organic. Which made him less than an undesirable in some circles and mostly an unknown that people looked away from. Which was fine by him. He liked to be one of those faces that people just didn't remember or confused with someone else. It was the perfect camouflage in a world that valued tech and cybernetic body enhancements over organics, or as most people liked to call it-
"Hey, Meat!"
Robin looked at the entrance of his garage to see some of the local goons that made his life hard. He sighed as he looked at the two nomads that scoured the desert for junk to sell. And sadly, he was one of their few clients.
The first guy wore a boar-like mask over his face, short torn pants, boots, a black vest and a large chain wrapped over his shoulder. With a body fit for a tanned sumo wrestler and black tied up hair, he was the muscle of the two nomads. And it didn't hurt that he often carried a large anti-armor gatling gun to mow down anything on his path. He went by Roadhog and he was carrying a large box full of metal and pieces they'd scavenge.
Next to him was a stick of a guy with a cybernetic right arm and a cybernetic peg leg and had the look of a crazed man with a cooked brain. He had spiky blond hair and red crazy eyes with skin blackened with soot. Wearing what could only resemble the clothes of a homeless person in desperate need of a wash, including torn pants and a black t-shirt with the words 'Ain't no place like home' scribbled on it. He carried a sawed off shotgun and a belt filled with grenades as his weapons while smelling like he'd just jumped into the garbage. This was Junkrat.
"Roadhog, Junkrat, to what do I owe the smell of desperation and BO?" Robin put away his phone before leaning against his working bench. "You two finally going to pay me for fixing your bikes?"
"We got some scrap that we thought you'd be interested in, Meat." Junkrat laughed as Roadhog dropped the bag before Robin's feet. "Maybe some of it will finally put some chrome in your dome. Or you can make a girlfriend fuck toy out of it!"
Robin could almost feel how Roadhog rolled his eyes at his partner's antics. He could only assume he'd long installed a mute function to his enhancements whenever his partner spoke or laughed. The mechanic sometimes was tempted to get something like that, if only to not listen to the crazed nomad.
Seeing no other choice, Robin knelt down, examining the pile before him. Most of it was rusted or broken beyond repair, but there were some pieces he could use. He picked them up to make sure they were of use. Being picky in their living conditions wasn't a good thing, and for what he needed to do, he had to scavenge and make use of what he had. With a sigh, he pulled out all the pieces he could use and put them on the table.
"I'll be taking these pieces." Robin pointed to the pile.
"Nice making business with you, Meat. That'll be 4 grand." Junkrat extended his cybernetic hand expecting the money.
"4 grand for a few pounds of scrap? You're joking, right?" Robin asked. "Last time you were here I bought twice as much as that for a few less zeroes. Has demand really gone up that high, or am I just the guy to get suckered into paying more?" Looking at Junkrat and Roadhog with an accusatory finger, Robin got in their faces.
"What? You think we'd charge you extra for no good reason?" Junkrat feigned being wounded. "I'm hurt, Meat. Roadhog, tell me it ain't true, man." Junkrat hugged his friend, only getting a pat on the back for his troubles. "Tell you what. You give us a grand and we call it even."
"Five hundred and you got a deal." Robin bartered.
"800 Eddies." Junkrat snapped.
"Six fifty." Robin haggled. "And not a dime more."
"You got a deal." Junkrat smiled as Roadhog pulled the bag back.
Robin paid the nomads before they went on their way. He managed to overhear Junkrat laughing about how they had gotten the pieces for nothing and sold them for ten times their value. But the mechanic knew better, these pieces in the proper hands were worth a lot more for what he needed them. Smirking, he began to work on the pieces. As someone with no clean cut access to technology or chrome in his body, Robin knew the value of what the little things could do with the proper care. After cleaning up the pieces, he pulled out a small motor attached to a coiled up cable. Pulling on the cable a few times, he made sure that it was resistant enough to hold the weight that he needed. Grabbing the pieces of metal, he brought them together to make a makeshift claw perfect for a grappling hook. After sharpening the claw, he screwed it onto the cable.
"Okay, time to test this sucker. Wish me luck guys, and stay away from the target." Robin muttered as he put a microphone in his ear for his use.
Robin focused his aim as a large old coffee can was placed next to the stairs that lead to his bedroom. He pressed the button, firing the grappling hook, hitting the can, digging into the metal.
"Alright. Now to pull it back," Robin muttered, pressing the button once more. But nothing happened.
Robin pressed the button back and forth, frowning. He cursed under his breath before giving the motor a whack. The coiled rope pulled the coffee can back at top speed, knocking him out of his working table. Robin winced as the blow from the coffee can blared in his forehead. He rolled, holding his forehead as he pulled himself up from the ground. He was so focused on the pain he was feeling that he almost didn't hear footsteps walking towards him.
"Mr. Brown, I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time."
Robin turned around to see his landlady, Mrs. Pamela Adonis. A sweet lady in her fifties that had been nominated as the head of the community for several years thanks to her contacts and work between the nomads and the Night City market. She was a tall woman with long white hair, brown eyes, yellow circuitry marks on her cheeks and dark skin. Often, she wore a brown jacket, a black shirt, pants with white criss-cross patterns and red boots. She was the one most people went to for help and the one that helped maintain the peace in the suburbs.
"Mrs. Adonis, just fixing some junk to sell for the right price. What can I do for you?" Robin asked. "If this is about the rent, I'll pay on time this month."
"I appreciate your punctuality, corazon. But I'm not here for that. I came here… to ask for a favor." Mrs. Adonis sighed.
"A favor? If you need something fixed, I can put it together no problem, you'll be getting your money no problem." Robin smiled.
"No, this favor is of a more personal nature," Mrs. Adonis said. "I need you to find my son."
"Your son? Isn't Pepe a little old for a babysitter?" Robin joked.
"Yes, but he was in the middle of securing a deal with this new gang, The Purple Cobras. In exchange for supplies, we were to let them have a hideout outside the city for their less than legal stuff." Mrs. Adonis explained. "Pepe was supposed to meet them yesterday after they finished up another job. But he hasn't returned."
"Another job?" Robin asked.
"Edgerunner business with corpos never ends well. I'm worried that the deal went south and Pepe found himself caught in the middle." Mrs. Adonis explained. "I need someone that isn't linked to any known gangs or corporations to ask around for Pepe. He probably found some woman and is sleeping off some hangover, or at least that's what I want to believe. With all the cyberpsychos running around these days, I fear that-you get the picture."
"I understand, and since I can pass undetected since I'm all meat, I'm the perfect man for the job?" Robin asked. "Not to sound cliche, but what's in it for me?"
"I'm aware that my eternal gratitude won't be enough. What if I instead help you get some chrome in your system, corazon?" Mrs. Adonis asked.
"Yeah, sorry, but that's a no on my end. I'll take some chemistry sets and chemicals for my payment." Robin shrugged.
"Químicos? Why would you-? Nevermind, you'll take the job then?" Mrs. Adonis asked.
"The next few days of my calendar are empty, so yeah." Robin shook Mrs. Adonis's hand, sealing the deal.
Robin might've been okay to look for Pepe in Night City, but of course he often took whatever excuse he could get to sneak into the neon cyberpunk city of tomorrow. To many in his position, stepping into Night City with no chrome was the same as jumping into a pit of snakes. But Robin was an experienced survivor. And in most cases, he enjoyed the thrill of surviving.
He walked the streets as the sun bared down upon him and the city. His eyes and ears open to the world around him, to the degradation and the numbness that people suffer every day of their routined lives. People were either minding their own business or just not giving a damn of what happened around them. Some were messing with their own cybernetics while others went on to work for the day, unaware or unaffected that they were cogs in a machine for the corporate masters of the city. Yeah, Robin had seen multiple kids wearing the Arasaka Academy uniform going about their day, feeling like they were the next big thing for the company while others knew that the deck was stacked against them. It was hard for Robin not to say something or make a comment about how life was unfair and that they were better off without Arazaka. But that wasn't his job. Those kids would either learn or be crushed by the cogs of the very machine they wanted to work for.
Robin closed his eyes as he boarded the subway cart to his next destination. His ears were filled with instructions of where to go, tiny bits of information from the world around him. It was the best way to learn where to go. Not to mention that his source of information was one that only he could hear.
"Okay, so the next stop is the place where Pepe sometimes stays at, Hotel Las Palmas." Robin muttered to himself as he heard a woman in high heels passing behind him. Looking at the reflection of the mirror, he saw a tall woman with white hair and fair skin stealing someone's wallet. "And that's why I like my tech not attached to my neck." He stepped out of the subway, making his way to the hotel.
Keeping to the streets, he made his way to Las Palmas, a shabby hotel that was neatly located in the west side of the city. It was away from all the nonsense of most gangs and corporate goons making their way in the city. The hotel was only three floors tall with the neon light sign and a holographic projection of a beach somewhere more close to the ocean. The inside looked slightly better kept, with tropical style wooden chairs in the lobby, pictures of surfers, beaches and pretty girls in bikinis sunbathing on the walls and a tropical setting bar that doubled as the reception desk. It was like someone had taken a tropical bar and hotel from the beach and had planted it in the desert. Yet oddly enough the place was profitable since it brought in the city's most interesting clientele.
Edgerunners.
All Robin coils see where the new heroes of the people. The modern robin hoods. Legends in the making for all the wrong and right reasons without any apologies.
"Hello, sir," Robin said, getting the concierge bartender's attention. "I'm looking for my friend, he usually stays here. His name is Pepe Adonis."
"Hm, let me check, sir." The concierge bartender finished mixing a drink before he brought up a holographic screen of all recorded residents. "It would appear that we do have someone by that name staying at this hotel. Shall I call him for you, sir?"
"Yes, if you would be so kind." Robin smiled, feeling a weight lifting from his shoulders as the concierge made the call.
"That is odd. He is not answering."
Robin and the concierge bartender went up to Pepe's room finding the door slightly opened. Robin quickly placed his hand on the microphone in his ear, listening in for anything that was inside the room. Narrowing his eyes at what he heard, he opened the door, revealing the room had been left a mess. But what worried him most was the bloodstains on the carpet and the side of the bed.
"I don't suppose someone else came in looking for my friend?" Robin asked.
"Not that I know of, sir. But I'll go check." The concierge was about to leave. "I hope you understand, I can't call-"
"Yeah," Robin said. "No cops, right."
As the concierge left the room, Robin stayed put, closing the door behind him. He didn't want any prying eyes on him as he got some information on what happened. There weren't any cameras inside the rooms and even if there were, Edgerunners and Netrunners would tear them out or hack them into being mini-paper weights. Closing his eyes and pressing on his earpiece, he called in for the best cameras he knew no one ever thought about.
"Okay guys, tell me what happened here." Robin opened his eyes as something began crawling from the shadows and dark corners of the room.
Night City had very few rules that had to be followed at all times, but chief amongst them was that no animals were allowed within the city. With people being less than friendly to fully organic beings, taking care of a little organic critter was not something the city or its authorities wanted to endorse. Sure, some could get licenses for pets but they were too expensive for anyone to buy and keep. But funny enough, there were plenty of creatures that were fully organic and always slipped through the cracks.
Robin looked at the creatures he had summoned, ants. Lots and lots of ants gathered inside the room, crawling on the walls and the nightstands like a tiny army waiting for the word of their general. The only human in the room took a serious look as he turned to the ants.
"What happened here?" Robin asked, kneeling before the ants.
The ants spoke to Robin in the one language that only he understood thanks to his earpiece. Their signals spoke to Robin, being translated into English for him to understand. It was a focusing exercise that sometimes gave Robin a headache but it soon became like a second language for him. Some people spoke and understood Spanish or Japanese, Robin understood fluent Ant.
Last night, Pepe had stayed in the room, waiting to meet with a girl that he'd met a few days ago. He was a tall dark handsome man with short braided black hairHe sat at the bed with baited breath and waited for his girl when there was a loud banging on the door, shaking him a little. It wasn't something unheard of for someone to hit the wrong door looking for someone that was staying at the same hotel. Pepe didn't think much of it and just rolled his eyes while calling his girl to see where she was at.
"Yo, choom, wrong room." Pepe waited for his girl to pick up.
"Open up Adonis, we know you're in there!"
"Huh?" Pepe ended the call before heading to the door.
Pepe couldn't understand what was going on. He recognized the voice as he reached for the door. He no sooner opened it when he was met with a gun aimed at his head. As fear and surprise were set upon him, three goons entered the room, throwing him at the bed while their leader aimed the pistol at Pepe's head. The leader was missing an arm and one of his eyes was missing, but he glared at Pepe with his one good eye. They were the gang that Pepe had been striking up a deal with on behalf of the suburbs, and the same guys that Robin had beaten up just a few hours earlier.
The leader of the Purple Cobras held the pistol with his left hand as his one good eye shot a glare that could kill. His night had not been like he had expected and definitely how he would've hoped. No one knew of their purchase with Arasaka except the men he was taking with him and Pepe, who suggested the exchange of Eddies. And now the leader wanted answers for what had happened to him and his men.
"Who did you tell, Adonis?!" The leader demanded, itching to get the answers that he wanted.
"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about, choom!" Pepe held up his hands in fear while the goons messed up the place in search of something. "I've been here the whole time. I thought our deal was sealed and done!"
"That's not the problem you glitched headed bastard!" The leader of the Purple Cobras smacked Pepe in the face, making him spit out blood. "Someone knew of the exchange with Arasaka and we got jumped by the Ant-Runner. We're down our sonic cannon arm and all the Eddies. Care to connect the dots, Pepe?"
Pepe was still reeling from the pain before being pistol whipped by the Purple Cobra leader once more. He fell to the floor, letting the blood from his mouth pool on the carpet. The taste of metal flowed out of his mouth as he tried to call for help. But his call was cut short by a stomp to the face, knocking a few of his teeth out.
"Damn it. Anything?" The Purple Cobra leader demanded with venom in his voice. "The money or the chrome? Which is it?" Turning to his goods, he hoped to get one or the other.
But the goons only shook their heads in response.
The leader of the Purple Cobras wasn't going home without some answers. He looked down at Pepe's unconscious body. He was fairly certain that the one that spilled the details of their secret meeting was indeed Pepe. Which in his mind meant that either Pepe was connected to the Ant-Runner or he was the Ant-Runner. He was fine with discarding the latter of the two options since no one would be dumb enough to make a move without any precaution. And if Pepe was connected to the Ant-Runner, then he would get the bastard one way or another and make him pay for trying to take his hard earned Eddies and chrome.
"We'll take Pepe with us and see if we can get some answers out of him one way or another." The Purple Cobra leader instructed. "We'll make our pound of chrome one way or another."
The two goons picked up Pepe, swinging him over the shoulder of one of them before leaving the room.
"Damn, so that's what happened." Robin sighed, cursing his luck.
He had planted one of his ant scouts on Pepe the other day to get more eyes in the city. His ant had told him that Pepe's friends were going to meet with Arasaka representatives for an exchange of technology that he'd been tracking. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he let out a sigh. Beating himself up over what had happened wouldn't get him any closer to Pepe or his kidnappers. He needed to get to a vantage point and look for the Purple Cobras that took Pepe.
He quickly left the room behind as he made it to the bathroom, pulling out his shrunken down suit from one of his coat's pockets. Focusing on the ants, he commanded them to activate its growth function. The ants followed his commands, making his suit grow back to its full size before his eyes. He caught his helmet before it fell down to the ground.
"I really don't like going out in broad daylight with my suit, but Pepe's life might be at stake because of me." Robin looked at his reflection on the eyes of his helmet. "But I guess the Ant-Runner has to clean up his mess. I won't just use people and throw them away when they stop being useful to me."
Robin took off his clothes before putting on his suit. He took a small vial full of a red liquid inside. Letting a drop hit his normal clothes, he watched as the clothes turned tiny and neatly folded for him to transport. After putting the clothes back inside his utility belt along with the red vial, Robin took a good look at himself in the mirror before he pressed his button. The world grew larger around him, the mirror became as big as a giant skyscraper, the sink was big enough to hold an entire football game fit for the superbowl and the shower was high enough to bring down a monsoon fit for the stories of the great flood. He looked around, getting used to being so small in a world where bigger was better. But Robin knew better.
"Two years with this size and this still feels like I'm stepping into Wonderland." Robin called for his ride, using his helmet. "Now, to follow the scent that those guys left for me." Before Robin's eyes, an army of ants made their way to Robin like loyal soldiers gathering around their leader.
The dust around Robin was blown back and away from him as a large flying ant landed before him. It let out a roar like that of a mighty steed prepared to go out into battle with its master. Robin climbed upon the flying ant with ease after many trials and attempts back when he first created his suit and helmet with his mentor.
"Okay, you have the scent?" Robin asked before the ant replied in its own language. "Alright, let's go and get Pepe out of this mess! Let's ride!" He commanded the ant to fly up into the air.
Robin's ant flew up into the air faster than any flying car, bringing Robin to the window and out of the hotel in the blink of an eye. They flew out into the city, following the trail left behind by the leader of the Purple Cobras of all people. It reeked of motor oil and burnt flesh, easy enough to track for an ant that remembered smells very well if they got a good enough whiff. Some of the eye fluid had dripped into the carpet and some of the ants had gotten a tasting and smell for it, which helped the group get a good idea of what it was and how to track it. Even with all the smoke and smog of the cars and the city itself, Robin knew exactly where to go and how to get his hands on the location of Pepe.
The speed with which they flew through the streets was incredible. Robin could see the city moving at great speeds, but compared to the world he was in now, he could move around the large cars and people that could snap him in two with ease. The beating of the ant's wings was the rhythm that prepared him for the rest of the mission, tuning out anything else that didn't matter in the slightest. The neon lights that marked their path to the hideout blurred as Robin prepared his blaster to face the Purple Cobras. He had no intention of getting into a fight, but he wanted to be ready in case he had to. His eyes landed on an abandoned apartment ahead from them as the ant he rode told him what was ahead.
The apartment building seemed to be pretty shabby and with little care for it. The idea that someone would be living there was pretty far from possible. Buildings like these were often used by the homeless as sanctuaries but also by Edgerunners when they needed some peace and quiet from everyone else with prying eyes.
"So, that's where the trail ends?" Robin asked. "Okay, let's give it a quick look and see what we're up against."
The ant landed on top of the balcony before flying in through one of the broken windows. Robin kept his eyes open and his hand on the blaster, ready to fire if the need came. It was quiet, a little too quiet for his liking but they kept on going, guided by the smell of chrome. They checked each of the rooms, making sure to look at everything from the shadows and away from any possible eyes.
"What do you think we're gonna get from Pepe?"
"He's bound to know something about the Ant-Runner. Else the boss will be in deep with Pepe's mom. Not a good thing either way."
Robin turned around, spotting a closed room. He snuck inside alongside his flying ant, spotting Pepe tied up on a chair and the two goons drinking beer while keeping an eye on him.
Pepe looked a little worse for wear, cuts and bruises littered his face as well as some scorch marks on his chest. Blood had dried up in his clothes as he tried to keep his breathing calm to prevent any unnecessary pain. He probably had a few bruised ribs or at least one or two broken bones somewhere in his body. The restraints on his body were digging into his body with just enough to keep him from pulling any weapons that he might've had in his body. He looked up with his one unbruised eye as he pleaded with his captors to give him something to drink.
"Water, please…" Pepe begged through cut lips.
"Right, you need something to wet whistle." The first goon went to give Pepe a drink of water from a cup. "When did the boss say he'd be coming back?" He helped Pepe drink the water while his companion shrugged.
"He said something about getting a hand, so maybe a few hours." The second goon went back to his beer. "We need to get more beer."
Robin narrowed his eyes, looking at his phone for the time. His eyes looked up at the two thugs, they had some heavy artillery in hand and having them so close to the wounded Pepe put him at a disadvantage. The sun would be setting in about an hour, so that meant he had enough time to gather up his equipment and return to save Pepe.
"Sorry, Pepe, just hang in there a little longer." Robin muttered as he rode the ant out of the room and back to his garage.
Night had fallen over Night City once more, the neon lights illuminated the streets and those that went out at night for the thrills, keeping the common street thug and edgerunner moving and rolling like a perpetually flowing battery. The sounds of the police sirens, cars and a few rockets taking off to the moon littered the night air, creating the best cover for anyone going into a building without anyone noticing.
Robin knew that he didn't have to worry about silence with his shrunk body, but he didn't want to take any chances. He looked at his left arm and his modified grappling hook attached to his gauntlet. It was big and needed to get a few bugs ironed out but he knew that he needed to use it to get the drop on the goons one way or another. He flew into the apartment with his flying ant with no fear of rain coming down on him like the other night. He spotted the room where they were keeping Pepe. With the aid of his helmet, he called forth the ants that lived in the building's walls and underneath its floors to come up. He signaled to them to go into the room, to make sure that everyone was where he had left them. As the ants followed his instructions, he heard their report with the aid of his helmet.
"Okay, everyone, get into position." Robin instructed, getting the ants to their positions. "Let's hope that this thing works."
The ants gathered around a coffee mug by the kitchen. They gathered their combined strength to push the cup to the edge of the table, dropping it to the floor. They all scurried away from the scene as the loud crash echoed in the apartment like a cry.
"What was that?" One goon asked.
"Don't know, go check." The second goon urged.
"No way, what if it's the Ant-Runner or some other edgerunner with more chrome than me?" The first goon asked with a panicked voice. "You're a netrunner, so you could short circuit them to give us a chance. And don't even think about using Pepe as an excuse. He's as tied up as any choom getting into an XBD marathon of Jimmy Kurosaki's best pieces."
"...Fine. But if the boss asks, we were here the whole time." The two goons grabbed their guns and walked out of the room.
Robin watched them walk out of the room, looking for the source of the noise. He would've preferred to take them out one at a time, but taking them both out in one fell swoop was also a bonus for him. He followed behind them as they slowly arrived at the kitchen of the apartment. He flew on top of the first goon as they watched the remains of the shattered cup. He jumped down, punching the first goon in the back of the head, making him dizzy with the strong blow.
"What the-?" The first goon gasped before Robin grew back to his normal size, judo flipping the goon, slamming his head into the kitchen sink.
"What the fuck!?" The second goon tried to hack the newly arrived aggressor, only for him to not get a connection. "There's no connection?"
Robin shrunk back down before the goon could understand what had happened. He jumped directly at the second goon, landing a punch to his jaw. To many, it would've been painful, almost feeling like they were punching a frying pan with their bare knuckles. But there was little to no pain thanks to Robin's suit. Thanks to it, he could punch and bend steel with his hand with little effort. He could jump hundreds of times his own height and carry his own weight the same number of times while in his shrunken form. He was like a bullet and he packed one hell of a punch that sent the last goon crashing into a table.
Robin landed on the ground before growing back to his normal size. Once he was sure the goons were out for the count, he ran back into the room where Pepe was being held.
"Pepe Adonis, can you hear me?" Robin knelt next to him, undoing the bindings on the captured man.
"What? Who-who are you?" Pepe looked at him through his bruised face.
"Shh, don't speak. Your captors are taking a little nap, let's get you out of here and back to your mother." Robin finished untying the young man. "Can you walk? Or do you need a hand?"
"It be nova if you could give me a h-hand." Pepe coughed.
"Alright then, up we go." Robin wrapped his right arm behind Pepe before wrapping his left arm over his shoulder. "Lean on me if it helps."
Robin and Pepe walked out of the room as quietly as they could. The former of the two was pulling the later with ease, thanks to his greater strength. But that also meant that he had to do most of the walking if he wanted to get out of there without anyone else spotting them. He got them out of the apartment, thanking his ants for telling him where the elevator was and that it was still working. He turned around to make sure that he was alone. Once he was certain that he was in the clear, he rushed to the elevator, almost dragging Pepe's feet as he ran. He wanted to reach for his blaster, but with Pepe's body between his hand and the blaster, he couldn't reach it. But hopefully he wouldn't need it.
They reached the elevator with Robin pressing the button getting the door to open up. It all seemed to be in the clear with no one inside the elevator. He sighed in relief at the lack of people.
BANG!
A shot graced Robin's left shoulder, making him drop Pepe.
"I knew you'd come out of whatever hole you were hiding if I took your little pal!" The Leader of the Purple Cobras glared at Robin while holding a gun on him. "I'll make you pay for making a fool out of me! Now where is my money and my chrome!" He demanded tightening his hold on the gun with his new shiny cyber arm.
"What Arasaka was selling you wasn't a toy, buddy. As for the Eddies I put them in a very safe place where you'll never get 'em." Robin narrowed his eyes, planning on how to attack the edgerunner.
"Then I'll just have to make you talk, bastard!" The Purple Cobra leader opened fire on Robin.
Robin threw Pepe into the elevator before shrinking down with his suit. He ran towards the edgerunner, using his side to his advantage, he avoided the shots being fired at the floor. Ignoring the stinging feel of his left shoulder, he jumped at the pistol, grabbing hold of the barrel before flipping onto the top of the gun. He propelled himself with the hammer being pulled back. He punched the edgerunner on the cheek before adding a roundhouse kick to the man's jaw. Using his momentum, Robin grew back to his original size and backhanded the gun out of the edgerunner's hand, landing a right hook to the gangster's ribs. He continued punching the edgerunner despite his wounds, landing blow after blow on the man. But Robin's assault was cut short when the Purple Cobra leader popped a curved razor blade from his new arm.
"Die!"
Robin ducked as the blade slashed the hallway walls like a hungry wolf seeking its prey with deadly bites. He jumped back, trying to avoid the blade as it came after him. He bent backwards, watching the blade narrowly miss his face. Rolling back to his feet, he drew his blaster from his holster but, before he could pull the trigger, the Purple Cobra leader cut it clean in half.
"Shit!" Robin cursed as the edgerunner thrusted his blade at him while in a rage.
Robin rolled out of the way as the blade dug into the floor next to him. His feet dragged against the ground, getting him off the floor, narrowly dodging another swipe of the gangster's blade. Robin's back hit the back of the hallway, giving the edgerunner the chance to stab at him with his blade arm.
"This is where you die, asshole!" The Purple Cobra leader cried out, thrusting the blade forward with his rage fueling his attack.
"Now or never I guess!" Robin cried out, activating his wrist mounted grappling hook.
The grappling hook flew out from the exit on his gauntlet. It flew as fast as a bullet, going past the bladed arm of his enemy. The Purple Cobra leader smirked believing that the Ant-Runner had missed and that he'd get the glory of taking out the mysterious new runner. But as soon as his smile came, it disappeared. Robin's grappling hook had been aimed at the edgerunner's remaining eye. The claws dug into the cybernetic implant, crushing it with ease as it flew past the gangster's face before digging itself on the ceiling.
The Purple Cobra screamed in pain as his second eye had been torn out of his skull.
"Well, guess that's one way to test my grappling hook." Robin muttered. "Now for the finisher!" Robin pulled at the cord of his grappling hook, tearing out a large chunk of the ceiling.
With one strong tug, Robin smashed the chunk of the ceiling against the edgerunner's skull cracking it.
"And that's how it's done." Robin reeled in his grappling hook, noting the blood, chrome and dirt he would have to clean up. "What else could I expect, it's Night City after all."
Robin changed back into his normal clothes before grabbing Pepe back. Burrowing the car of the Purple Cobras, he drove Pepe back to the suburbs where his mother awaited them with some much needed medical assistance.
"The doctor said he should recover in a few days. This was far too close to call." Mrs. Adonis looked at Robin. "Thank you again for bringing my son back to me, corazon. You sure that no one was guarding him? What exactly happened?"
"Not sure, according to the concierge he left with some guys when his date didn't show up. My guess is that they beat him up and stole his money from him." Robin explained. "But I don't think you need to worry about them. They were long gone by the time I got there. Maybe they got jumped by the cops or some other gang."
"Regardless, I cannot thank you enough, Mr. Brown. I'll get you your chemical set in the morning." Mrs. Adonis shook Robin's hand. "And should you need anything in the future, don't hesitate to ask."
"I'll keep that in mind, but I think I've got it all figured out." Robin smiled, leaving the worried mother to her son.
Robin made his way back to his place, closing the garage before heading to his work station. He opened up a back of chips, scattering them on the ground. Soon enough a small army of ants came out of their holes before consuming the chips. He needed to keep the army happy and fed, after all, he needed his soldiers ready for battle against the forces of Arasaka.
"Eat up guys, tomorrow will be another grueling day." Robin pulled down a large evidence board from underneath his bed.
The board was filled with pictures and clippings of Arasaka suits as well as pieces of tech that all carried the logo of 'Alchemax' on them. His eyes narrowed at the picture of what could only be described as a mechanical monster in the shape of a man, with glowing red eyes and armed with a body fit for a monstrous tank.
"Soon your days will be numbered, Arasaka." Robin pulled out a picture from his jacket, in it he stood next to an older man while he held the Ant-Runner helmet. He was much younger in the picture, not having his scar nor his mohawk mullet. This picture had been taken before his world had collapsed around him. "Don't worry, doc. I'll get all of those responsible one way or another. That's a promise. I swear it."
-Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Ant-Runner-