I shook it off, as I turned to look out the window. My eyes hadn’t been idle as I waited for V to get back to me. I had been scoping out entrances and weak points in the apartment.

But now I had some data to work on. Araska’s Counter Intel file on the guy was a lot more dense than anything Hiromi had. I walked back into the other room, finding everyone still gathered together, Hiromi was on a call, while Ichi and Malcolm both tried to seem calm and confident around the still twitchy client.

I pulled a shard out of my neck and handed it to Hiromi, while pressing a finger to my lips for silence.

She didn’t quite get it, but I didn’t want to distract her too much as she was still on a call.

I walked around the room, almost pacing as I read the file.

Thomas Anderson’s former NUSA career was highly redacted. Of course Arasaka had all that information. The guy was good. The sort of agent that thanks to his dual specialization as a Solo and Netrunner he was excellent at being thrown at a problem and letting him solve it.

He had left Militech after the unification war, but his military equipment, and trained skills put him on a level above the normal street thug.

He was no Morgan Blackhand, but he was certainly more than a Jackie Welles.

A cold blooded killer, and his little brother had been killed during an Arasaka operation. The worst part? Asuka’s parents had been identified during the operation and so now the guy knew who to target.

V’s information was really good. It even had a few descriptions of previous gigs the guy had done against Arasaka. His ‘standard’ procedure, as much as a wild merc had such things.

He liked to go for the kill with netrunning, while using guns and other weapons to put people into position to hack them.

But he also had a mix of NUSA chrome and training in close combat.

I sighed. This was going to be a mess.

I pulled away from the file and looked around.

If I was this guy, how would I catch my target?

Well I would probably just get a powered sniper rifle and figure out what floor and window is the right one, maybe hack in and use that too aim and just snipe them from a while other building.

That was thankfully unlikely. The apartment had big windows, but there weren’t a lot of sniper posts you could use across the way.

Plus Thomas wasn’t a trained sniper.

No more likely he would just rely on his netrunning. When you had a skeleton key it was a temptation to use it for every lock.

Something I had realized about myself as well.

So I put myself into his boots. What would I do? Come in through the window? He probably has access to an AV, it wouldn’t be hard to know the exact windows and come busting in…

But no. That was the sort of shit a movie character would do.

Just like coming in through vents, that shit never works in real life.

So instead I looked towards the most obvious entrance. The front door. It wouldn’t even slow a netrunner of his level down.

The defenses would probably be subverted if he had any talent. So I would have to do something about the HMG turrets…

I could shut them down completely, but that meant when he did show up he might actually realize there was a netrunner on the defense.

No.

If I was going to take this guy out there was only one skill I had that would do the job.

“Okay I have a plan.” I called out to my chooms that were mostly trying to get the client on board.

Asuka still wasn’t fully behind us protecting her, even if she was desperate. I of course just ignored that.

I was here to save her life, whether she wanted it or not. If I walked away and she died then people might think I just outright failed at protecting a client, and that was just not going to happen.

My team perked up, even if Asuka looked sullen. “Hiromi, go ahead and take Malcolm and get on with the investigation. If we can find him first, then that solves a lot of problems. Ichi you are going to stick to Asuka like glue. As far as our assassin knows I want him to think you are just a useless boyfriend or something. If anything happens you grab her and get out, get to the van and go.” I informed everyone and of course Asuka asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

“And what are you going to be doing?”

“Preparing.” I answered with a smile as I headed out of the living room. I needed to hit all the electronics that had eyes in the apartment, to make sure if Thomas started peeping I would know.

I hadn’t left behind a single hint at my existence on the apartment's security system, but just hacking into the system I had left a little Daemon behind.

One that would do one specific thing if it detected anyone else trying to access the system. It wouldn’t stop the hack, no. It would just let me know that something was going on.

Then. I disappeared, hiding in a closet near the front door. The one advantage I had on this guy was stealth.

Nin-nin.

—--

Asuka Kimigari

“Do you really think you and your chooms can beat an NUSA solo? He’s not just a cyberpunk, he has actual training! My parents are worried about taking this guy on!”

“I’m not really a solo either, but I trust Motoko. She says she can handle it, then she can.” The boy Ichi offered seemingly while not relaxed, rather calm over all.

“You have to be kidding me.” Asuka moaned into her hands as she bent over. They were currently hanging out in her fathers office. One of the rooms that didn’t have an HMG looking over it. Apparently the girl was absolutely sure the assassin would be able to take them over.

What had her parents paid so much money for if the turrets could just be controlled like this!?

She should have known it was a terrible idea. They were Militech turrets after all. The assassin probably has backdoor passwords right into them!

“Hey, I… I was about to say try and relax but that’s dumb. I get how crazy this all seems.”

“You’re right it is dumb.” She snapped, but sighed, at least Hiromi was gone, leaving the cute merc behind. Now if only this wasn’t a life or death situation, and instead she was hanging out at some high end club or something. The image of the pair of boy mercs serving her hand and foot wasn’t a bad thought to idle on for a minute.

Until she remembered the serious purple hair girl was still in the apartment…

Somewhere.

She hadn’t seen her in a while, but Ichinose had gotten messages from her from time to time. Checking in, telling them to go somewhere else in the apartment. It’s why she was forced to sit here on the couch in her fathers office instead of out in the living room watching TV or something.

“So… Is it a landmine to ask why your parents aren’t like… Doing something?” The boy asked, and Asuka glared, his question heavily damaged his cute levels.

“They are! But both of my parents are on a job right now. They aren’t even in the city. It’s why I’m here hiding in the apartment. They tried to get a location in Arasaka tower to secure me until they got back, but were denied.” She said a little pissed. Of course their manager didn’t want a kid hanging around even if the situation was this bad.

Fucker.

“Sorry.” He spoke after a few moments, sounding contrite.

“It’s fine. Arasaka bullshit is something I’m used to.”“At least you have Hiromi, she pulled us in to help.”

“Yeah.” Asuka muttered not willing to get into it with one of Hiromi’s chooms. They weren’t close. Hiromi had only jumped at an opportunity and Asuka had been too desperate to refuse.

Now she was stuck with a group of teenage mercs trying to save her against an actual Militech assassin.

Great.

And she wasn’t even able to watch the TV Or something because her parents had thought it was a good idea to put an HMG turret next to the entertainment system.

And the worst part? Asuka still wasn’t sure that the assassin would go after her. Or go after her today.

Sure the guy wanted revenge. Sure her parents had gotten a message from him this morning. But like…

He could just wait a month and then bomb her on her way to school or something. This was so dumb!

“He probably isn’t even coming.” She muttered aloud.

“Maybe not, but if he is, we are trying to keep you safe.” Ichinose offered with a smile.

Okay fine. He could have a few cute points back.

She just had the thought when it happened. Ichinose jerked in the seat, and instantly moved to grab her.

“Quiet!” He hissed before she could even start snapping at him for grabbing her, but her throat went dry as she realized that it was time.

His golden eyes told her what had happened.

She was pulled from the couch, Ichinose tugging her hurriedly as he drew his pistol and ran her over to the door.

Then they went silent.

“Wha-”“Shh. Just wait.” He whispered as quietly as he could, his eyes still gold.

She shook off his hand for a moment and grabbed her own gun. The shotgun was one her dad had taught her to use in case of any home attack.

Ichinose nodded but continued resting against the door, looking at it, like he was waiting for a que.

The sudden sound of gunshots had him throw open the door. His eyes she had noticed were no longer golden as he grabbed her and they both started running.

There, in front of her, in the living room stood the man that had sworn to murder her, and leave her destroyed body out for her parents to find.

But what was shocking was that he was being pushed back.

The purple haired Solo. The merc was fighting him like a mad woman.

She had a knife in one hand struggling to go for his throat, while her other hand held back his own wrist where a big pistol was inching towards her head. Inches from each of their deaths.

Both of them were struggling on the couch. The girl must have hit him just as he was walking in front of it, and he had fallen over onto it.

Asuka recognized her chance.

“Ichi-” She started, raising up her shotgun. Surely she would just nick the girl a little, for a chance to kill-

She instantly jumped. Ichinose jumped onto her and pushed her to the ground, a moment later shot after shot echoed out and stitched holes across the wall above her.

“Go!” Motoko, the girl yelled, and Ichinose didn’t hesitate.Grabbing her and hauling her up running for the front door and safety.

—--

The first time I saw Thomas Anderson I almost wanted to laugh. Long black trench coat, a pair of dark glasses? He looked like someone out of the Matrix.

I crept out of the closet after hearing him enter the apartment, the door not even slowing him, and then walking past the closet.

As I stepped out my plan to shoot him in the back fell apart.

He had somehow noticed as I left the closet after he walked past. I hadn’t made a sound. Not a one. The hinges of the door had been oiled and the security system couldn’t see me.

Yet he did. A scanner system? Eyes in the back of his head? Audio enhancer? What was it!?

As I raised my Burya he had turned.

We had both fired, both of us ducking out of the way. My Burya Vs. His Liberty. Both big guns, although mine was definitely the bigger. We ducked and rolled, bullets, flying, but the fact was I only had four rounds. The moment I fired my last one, he shifted from cover to leaping at me.

I met him mid air, bouncing off the wall of the apartment to slam into him, the act saved my life as his Liberty was trying to get a shot.

We slammed into the couch in the living room. I was on top of him, but despite my strength, I was still just a teenager, and he was a borg.

My chrome hand gripped his wrist, finding flesh, I dug in, but under his flesh was reinforced bone. I couldn’t break his wrist.

I went for my knife quickly, swiping it out of the sheath with my other hand going for his neck, but that was stopped flat as he caught my wrist, only a small cut for his trouble, and then we heard it.

“Ichi-”

I barely managed to jerk his wrist as her bodily stood up with me hanging off him, his pistol aimed at Asuka and pulling the trigger.

His rounds skittered up the walls as I forced his hand up.

“Go!” I yelped out, already feeling outmatched as the borg didn’t hesitate in trying to line up another shot.

He had me by one arm, and I had him by the other but it was obvious he was more focused on Asuka than he was me. Cyberpsychosis?

Or just honest hatred?

I raised up my right leg, braced my left against his knee probably to his confusion and kicked his wrist just as I let go. My legs were much stronger than my arms.

His shot went wildly off as Ichi urged Asuka on to get out while they could.

The second I kicked, I used my newly freed hand to quickdraw my Lexington.

I aimed it at his head and fired, but he had noticed and the hand holding my knife surged forward knocking my left arm into my right sending a skittering of bullets across the room and shattering the large windows along the apartment.

It had also knocked my Lexington out of my hand as he bashed my arm into the couch, breaking the back of the furniture, and I felt something in my shoulder decide that was it.

I pushed away the pain.

Asuka was out of the apartment, and his glasses were not fully focused on me.

Okay you matrix cosplaying fuck, lets go.

He charged, not even wasting time finding a weapon and just throwing out a combo of punches, that I was desperately backpedaling to dodge.

He was fast. Did he have a Keren? A Sandy? Or just a fuck ton of reflex tuners?

I blocked a punch, pushed it away, kicked out, only to be blocked by his own leg, each of us blurring into a quick flurry of kicks, but he was stronger, faster, and more skilled. And taller.

He shifted, almost kneeling down, trapping my leg with his own.

Which was bad. He punched and punched, and all I could do was weather the blows as he pummeled me. Instantly I felt my right shoulder start failing. Whatever was broken was making it really hard to hold out against his punches.

So I pulled out my trump card.

The pummeling immediately stopped as he heard the whine of machinery from behind him.

He might have taken over the security system, but I had hours to prepare this place for an angry netrunning solo.

The HMG turret near the security system? I had pulled it completely from the security system. Literally pulled the wires physically and deleted the information in the security system about it.

He probably could have noticed it, if I hadn’t been fighting him since he walked in.

The HMG turret had a single target.

My leg was freed and he dodged away, his eyes already focused on the turret, trying to shut it off.

Which is why I instantly attacked with my strongest hack. Reboot Optics slammed into him, and then he was fighting a two front war.

He was good.

He was really really good.

His speed on the net was a blur, so fast I could barely keep up with it, as his ICE fended me off, almost like I was trying to punch him while he just poked me with a rapier from afar.

He managed to flatten my breach, and get the turret to shut off.

I was breathless as we both stood staring at each other.

I spit the blood flowing out of my nose as he reached up and adjusted his trenchcoat.

So this is what it was like fighting a real professional without Jun to back me up.

“Not bad kid.”

“Not bad old man.” I agreed.

Then we moved, his right arm opening up into a Mantis blade, as he charged, and I pulled out a grenade and tossed it into his face. I leapt, back, aiming for cover. The entertainment system was one of the inset ones like we had. It was the best cover in the apartment I could reach.

He didn’t care, his other hand burst out and palm striked the grenade away from it, sending it flying right out the now broken window.

Fuck.

I rolled as I aborted my dive into the inlet and instead faced him.

I was down to just my fists, and he had already proven he was my superior there.

“Can’t let you kill her.” I spoke, deciding that diplomacy might be my only chance.

He just shook his head.

“The girl is dead, she just doesn’t know it yet. So are her parents.”

“She’s just a kid. She didn’t do anything to you.” I argued but he didn’t even register it.“It’s a shame, you have some real talent for a kid.” He stated and then the battle resumed. He charged me, I jumped, leaping over the couches in the apartment and trying to rush for the door, but as I reached the front entrance I instantly turned around and leapt back.

The deafening sound of the HMG turret opening fire blowing holes in the walls of the apartment, but missing me.

I rolled painfully on my right arm, and got up just in time for Thomas to reach me.

There was no escaping him…

At least not without taking something.

But unlike a normal gonk teenager, I wasn’t afraid of a little stabbing between friends.

He was thrusting his Mantis blade. Trying to skewer me down.

Using my right arm I reached out and clamped onto the innards of his Mantis blade. Even with my busted shoulder I pulled him in.

Uncaring that he had pushed his blade into my chest. No, I dug him in even deeper, bringing his entire body right into range.

Then I rabbit punched him in the throat with everything I had in my left arm.

He gagged, flinching back, but I went with him as I was clamped onto the innards of his arm.

I went to punch again, but he deflected the punch with his free arm and spun me.

I screamed.

I couldn’t help it. The feel of the blade sliding a bit sideways into me was excruciating.

It weakened my grip, unable to hold the blade down, and he ripped it back out. In a blur he spun and kicked.

I couldn’t dodge, couldn’t block, taking the size twelve boot straight to the stomach as he launched me away, and then the apartment disappeared.

He had kicked me out of the window. Out into the open sky of Night City.