Chapter 103

I ended up taking Jun to his ripper, who was not Vik. Which irritated me.

 

But in the end he was patched up and we drove back to the apartment.

 

The horde of Tyger Claws around the apartment had thinned but not dispersed. In fact many of them were settling onto steps, or in shop fronts across the street or in the area and just hunkering down.

 

I doubt many of the normal people in the area were very comfortable with this.

 

In the end though I was too focused on my own problems.

 

They had attacked me.

 

I had honestly known it would happen. Expected it in a way, just without being willing to admit it could happen again.

 

So like I said there was only one option left for me.

 

No, I shook away that Night City blindness. I could run. Leave the city. I was a Netrunner more than capable of keeping any records of myself off the web, and so I could disappear.

 

But on the same hand I fucking refused to run from Scavs. This was my life. I was going to live to be old and decrepit, but I wasn’t going to get there by hiding in fear.

 

If I let fear win, I would just as surely be dead. Fear was the little death after all.

 

So no. There was only one path. To fight back. Fighting wasn’t something I was afraid of. But joining the Tyger Claws was.

 

Being part of a gang wasn’t just something I could walk away from. So I had to decide. Would joining them today, would getting their help in destroying any chance of the Scavs fighting back be worth the shackles they would wrap around my ankles?

 

“Big thoughts?” Jun asked, breaking me out of my spiral of thoughts.

 

“I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to… I don’t want to be Motoko Kusanagi. Tyger Claw.”

 

“It’s not so bad. You’ll have to start calling Fujimura, Sama.” Jun added and I snorted as I parked the Quadra.

 

“You’re such a gonk.” We didn’t say anything else as we walked back across the street to the apartment. There to my Surprise Fujimura himself stepped out of his car and joined us. Looking over Jun before nodding pleased that Jun wasn’t bleeding all over himself.

 

“Kusanagi. Are you fit?”

 

“Yes. Only scratches.”

“Then get your gear. We have a few locations we are hitting before the sun rises once again.” Fujimura said, noting the dropping sun.

 

A tension filled me as I felt my hands clenched.

 

They knew where Scavs were?

 

“No one not openly a member of the Tyger Claws will be welcome.” He cut in suddenly looking to me. I scowled in turn glaring. “Regardless of your feelings, Kusanagi. The Scavs attacked a member of the Tyger Claws openly at home. So the Tyger Claws must act firmly. And it must be the Tyger Claws who do it.”

 

“I’m not a Tyger Claw.”

“No you are not, yet you wish to join us in this regardless.”

“Motoko.” I turned to Jun and he reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder. “You don’t have to be afraid. I’ll protect you no matter what. I’ll make sure the Scavs won’t bother us again. If you don’t want to join. Then you don’t have to, but if you do. I’ll be there too.”

 

Why did everyone want me to sign up for a fucking gang?

 

I turned away from the two bad influences and went into the apartment.

 

I had some gear I needed to gather.

 

—–

 

Unfortunately I was followed. As I entered my room, grabbing my spare ammo and things, I heard Jun and Fujimura enter the apartment. Fujimura’s deep rumble, words unclear through the wall, but still telling.

 

Fucker.

 

I looked up and walked over to my little dresser. Covered in old junk from the old Motoko. My stuff now, and hidden underneath it all?

 

A Menpo.

 

The grin of an Oni looking back at me.

 

Jun wore one. And he became an Oni for the Tyger Claws. I knew that was all he ever wanted to be. For Jun, that was his life.

 

I glared at the mask, at the collar that it represented.

 

My metaphors for prison implements were on point today I guess.

 

I pulled off my half jacket. Went searching for my gloves that I forgot to wear half the time now that my hands were chrome, and put them on.

 

Without the Jacket. My holsters were on full display. Normally I used the jacket to hide things. To show myself as less armed. Less dangerous.

 

That wasn’t the Motoko Kusanagi that I was planning on showing today.

 

I reached out for the mask.

 

And put it in the trash where it belonged.

 

Fujimura thought he could entagle this tiger by offering up bait. A few Scav dens.

 

Who the hell did he think I was? Did he realize how many Scavs I’ve killed?

 

I loaded up on my spare ammo pouches. Slipped an array of spare magazines I had gathered over the months of looting all over me. My Lexington would have plenty of ammo.

 

I checked my knife. Simple but clean and sharp.

 

I stopped.

 

I had put away my small half jacket, because it didn’t feel right wearing it… Plus I had a feeling I was going to get shot a lot tonight.

 

I could wear my Kang Tao armor? No, but there was my armored coat from my section 9 gear. It even had a longer tail, sort of like a trench coat…

 

I needed to buy a trench coat. The Major had a trench coat sometimes! The intro to Stand Alone Complex 2nd gig! She had a badass trench coat!

 

Or the manga! She had that cool white one.

 

I shook it off. Kill scavs. Buy trench coat later.

 

I stepped out, and I’m sure I surprised both men as I wasn’t wearing the stupid mask.

 

I reached out and grabbed my Katana slipping the sheath into my belt.

 

“I’m going to kill more Scavs, than your entire organization tonight. Just so we are clear about what is about to happen.” My blunt declaration didn’t faze the man who was sitting back on our couch like he owned the place.

 

“You could kill more with us.”

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“Maybe. But if you are killing Scavs. And I’m killing Scavs. That’s just more Scavs.”

“Motoko… It’s dangerous! If they know to attack us at home, they are going to be more prepared for you! They will expect retaliation. You can’t just go out and hit them alone! Not tonight! Not after everything! Just… Just stay home. We can get you help and-”

 

“No Jun. They can’t possibly expect what is going to happen.” Finally everything was clear.

 

No more Tyger Claw politics. No more worry about stealing loot to pack away. Nothing to slow me down.

 

Just me.

 

And all the Scavs in the city that I needed to murder as brutally as possible.

 

Icy blood flowed through my veins, and for the first time since the attack. I had surety, a goal. And a path to follow without any confusing politics, or worries for the future.

 

“Dammit Motoko. I already told you, you can’t go alone! Just go put on the mask, and join us. We can kill them all together!”

 

But I wasn’t interested in playing this like Jun wanted. I wasn’t interested in playing at all.

 

“I’ll keep in touch Jun. I have to update Fujimura here with my numbers after all.” I said as I walked out of the apartment. Jun tried to stop me, but I was already gone. He was too slow to catch up.

 

I felt like everything was slow as I headed down the stairs. My boots didn’t make a sound. I sent out texts to everyone ignoring Jun’s growled words for me to stop as he chased after me.

 

I hadn’t even told Hiromi or my chooms what had happened yet! I quickly sent off a text to them all. Making sure they knew I had been attacked, and that they should batten down the hatches in case the Scavs came for them.

 

But that wasn’t the only one I reached out to. As I hit the street and stepped out among the Tyger Claws all looking at me strangely, considering how militaristic I must have looked to them. I walked over to the street as my Kusanagi came rolling out of the parking garage and met me on the side of the road.

 

*Motoko. I heard about what happened.* I nodded at Yoko’s voice. That made sense, Yoko would likely have a connection to the TC considering where she lived, and I would likely show up on her trackers.

 

*Yoko. I’m calling in all the favors and everything you owe me. You Gathered a bunch of information already, but I need every location of Scavs you can find. Dens. Homes. Businesses. Places being broken into. I don’t care. If a Scav is doing it, I want to know.*

 

*That’s a lot of work Motoko. Not something your favors cover.*

 

*I’ll personally work on some coding for you in payment. This is important to me Yoko. They tried to snipe me and my brother in my own home.* I slipped onto the Kusanagi. It felt right to be on a bike for this.

 

Jun was there reaching out to stop me.

 

I hit the gas, leaving him far behind. Heading towards my first target.

 

After all, I had gotten some leads already thanks to the netrunners. A few emails between them and some code debugging had given me some information already.

 

But I would need more.

 

I wasn’t planning on stopping.

 

*Alright Motoko. I’ll gather together what I can for the cost of the favors I owe you. And I’ll prep a few other things we can discuss the worth of after. Good hunting.*

 

The call ended.

 

Good. I made another call.

 

*Still alive I hear.*

 

*Wakako. How much?* I was blunt as I weaved through traffic. The Kusanagi roaring.

 

I wasn’t following the traffic laws today.

 

*Hmph. This is how you ask for something from me?*

 

*How much for the information I’m sure you already know I want?*

 

*You are in luck. I have a gig that I normally would not have taken. In this case, since it will already be cleared either by you or the Kamikaze, it costs me nothing to have claimed the gig. I’ll send you the details.*