Chapter 3

“Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen.” I grunted doing pushups. I was so close to Body 3. Pushups were hard. They hurt, and I struggled even past a few of them, but it wasn’t like I had to worry about the pain after taking a nap, so there was a certain urge to just keep pushing in me.

“Home.” Jun called out as the door opened once more his favorite burritos in his hand.

I really need to talk to him about diversifying his diet.

“W-welcome home Jun-Nii.” I called out as I finished another pushup before flopping onto the floor with a grunt.

I really needed to clean up the apartment a bit. It was gross down here.

I grunted as I rolled up to my feet.

“Hey what’s that?” He asked, suddenly pointing towards the holster I was wearing in the small of my back. I was trying to get used to wearing it so I was going through most of the exercises while keeping it on.

“Holster. Went out to get it today. Wanted to be able to keep the gun on me while out in the city.”

“You shouldn’t be out there at all.. It’s dangerous. You still don’t know anything.” He practically growled at me.

“I can’t stay inside forever Jun-Nii. I can’t even stay cooped up for much longer.” I tell him with a sigh.

He growled seemingly wanting to argue that I definitely could but to my surprise he kept himself from snapping and instead flopped onto the couch with a groan as he stared up at the ceiling for a moment.

“You always gotta be difficult. You just got out of the hospital. Out of a coma! You don’t even know anything.”

“I know. But I won’t learn by hiding in the apartment until the outside comes in and drags me out. I have to learn, have to… do.” I tell him, which he grunts out sounding displeased.

“Yeah maybe.” He grumbles but instead of arguing further he grabs his burrito. “That holster can’t have been cheap.”

“50 eddies, for the knife sheath and the holster.” I tell him and he chokes a bit on his burrito.

“50!?” He sighed “Expensive. Probably worth that much but we could have found something a lot cheaper.” He chides me.

“Oh. Sorry.” I mutter realizing I probably had rushed ahead without actually bringing up the issue with Jun. I had just decided to take care of the problem myself… Gamer brain. I realized. I had thought of it like a quest almost.

“No, it’s fine. Should have realized you would want something to hold them. Guess I was…” he trails off going from sounding annoyed to tired. “Guess I was trying to keep you inside longer. My bad.”

“I think we are all just a little bit afraid, Jun-Nii. You are afraid for me. And I’m a bit afraid in general. So thanks. For worrying about me.” I offer instead as I settle on the couch and decide to do something I hadn’t really done yet. I initiated a hug.

He relaxed and returned the hug for a minute before seeming to have enough and pushing me off as he thrust a burrito in my face. “Eat!”

“Ughhhhh.” I groaned but devoured my burrito.

—–

Now that I had a holster and sheath, I needed to get used to drawing from them. It was… different. The back holster wasn’t something I had ever used before, but it was natural after a bit of practice, and I had to admit, the holster itself made the practice a lot more effective.

That and I was getting Reflex XP a lot more consistently, as I kept practicing the draw.

*100 Reflex XP Gained.*

I nodded pleased. While I wasn’t gaining Handguns XP at least I was getting something out of it.

Finally after practicing my draw for a lot longer than I wanted too, I got the alert.

*Reflex Leveled up!*

I sighed in pleasure at the alert. Finally! I could train my Handguns and Blades skill again now.

I stretched a bit, my right arm was getting a little tired so I decided instead to switch to something else for a bit. I settled and started training squats.

I would be ready for whenever something crazy happened. I wasn’t just expecting it. I knew it would happen. Jun was in a gang. He would eventually run into trouble, and I was a cute young girl. Someone would make trouble for me eventually.

When they did, they would get a knife in the kidneys and a bullet to the head. At least that was the plan.

Gotta keep improving, gotta make sure I’m safe.

*Ringing*

I stumbled during my squat nearly falling on my ass as I looked around for a phone. Only to realize the noise was coming from my head.

“Unknown number?”

I shrugged. Hitting accept.

“Hello?”

“EEEEEeeeee! Moto! You really are alive! I ran into your cute brother today at a meeting and he let slip that you were awake! I can’t believe he didn’t tell anyone until now! And you didn’t call me? Your best Choom? Your sister!?” The girl’s voice squealed into my ear and I quickly messed with the settings to lower the volume a bit.

Owe. It wasn’t my ear, but it still kinda hurt.

“Umm… Hello?”

“Shiiiit. Jun-Chan wasn’t kidding. You really do have amnesia. I can’t believe that’s an actual thing!” She sounded shocked before her voice picked up. “Forget that! I’m coming over. Jun-Chan refused to let us see you in the hospital but I have to see this. Bye-Bye!”

The call ended.

“That is my best friend?” I asked a little disturbed. She seems way way too high energy for me. I barely got a word in!

I groaned as I stood back up. If someone was coming over… I should probably clean up a bit. I was sweaty from my exercise.

—-

I was just throwing a hidden burrito wrapper hidden in a dark corner into the trash when the door burst open.

Seriously, did nobody knock?

“Moto-chaaaaan!” I was suddenly pulled into a hug by a shorter girl as she grappled onto me. Honestly all I could see was neon green hair because she had an actual full sized mohawk and it was basically bashing me in the face. It was full of so much hair spray, or whatever these people used to make their mohawks in the future.

“Umm. Hello?” Really what else was I supposed to say!? I didn’t know this crazy girl!

“Oh girl wow you are different.” She said, pushing me away to look up at me.

Her face was chrome and neon. I thought. Her cheeks were chrome, with neon etching on the chrome making her look like she had cat whiskers made of green neon.

Was she trying to be a cat, or something else? Because mohawks don’t really register cat to me…

“Wow, look at you. You look so… Standard. Has Jun not taken you out to get chipped, or at least a haircut? Your hair is so long!”

I blinked my hair had been down to my shoulder blades when I woke up. The nurses had cut it, while I was in the coma, but more just chopping it down. I had mostly just been throwing it into a ponytail.

“Is that bad?”

“Not for me. I like my hawk, but you usually keep it a lot shorter girl!”

“Did I?”

“Jeez! It’s so weird. Here. This is what we used to run around looking like!” She said and her eyes shifted color before I got a text including a picture.

I blinked because this was the first time I had seen a picture of myself from before.

Motoko was a street gang wannabe for sure. I noticed instantly how different we looked. She had been a lot more chromed than I was. I hadn’t thought I had lost that much to the scavs, since I had been rescued I thought I just had my standard eye system lost. But no, she used to have a lot of chrome on her face like… This girl.

“Oh… what’s your name?” I asked. And that caused the girl’s jaw to drop.

“Oh.” She seemed a little hurt for a moment before shaking it off. “I’m your bestie Hiromi!” She offered acting cute and throwing her fingers against her cheeks.

I just nodded and swiftly added her number into my system. “There I added your number.” I told her which did earn me an actual smile.

“Good. Now c’mon let’s get out of here, everyone will want to see you are still alive!”

“Everyone?” I asked as I resisted her suddenly tugging on my arm as she attempted to drag me out of the apartment. Unfortunately, it was obvious she was stronger than I was and I was dragged out the door barely given enough time to grab my shoes as she wasn’t listening to my arguments.

This girl was definitely a force of nature. Then she dragged me out the front of the apartment and I did everything I could to stop her.

“You have to be kidding.” I argued instantly, but it was no use.

“What? C’mon you’ve ridden bitch on my bike plenty of times before. Get on.” She argued as she finally let me go to hop onto a motorcycle.

I knew this bike. It was a Yaiba Kusanagi. The coolest motorcycle in the game in my opinion, but of course she drove the goofy high backed version that made a sleek killer bike look like something stupid.

More importantly. I was fourteen and Hiromi was definitely the same age. Also crazy.

I didn’t trust her to drive me anywhere!

“Not a chance… Is it close enough to walk? I could use the exce-eeee!” I squealed as she hopped off the bike long enough to drag me the rest of the way and practically push me onto the bike before hopping on and starting the engine. Literally starting to peel out despite me only sitting side saddle!

“Hiromiiiiii!” I screamed as she cackled driving out onto the street and slowing at a light before turning to me.

“Better get situated Toko we are going!”

While the idea of jumping off and making a run for it ran through my head, the light was already changing and I quickly settled behind her gripping her around the waist tightly so I wouldn’t fall off as she started driving.

I was wrong, she wasn’t a crazy driver. She was a Cyberpsycho driver! I kept my eyes closed for most of the drive as she swung through traffic driving in between people and cursing and flipping off anyone that honked or got in her way.

This is how I die. Crying like a bitch on the back of a motorcycle.

Of course it didn’t happen, other than constantly forcing other cars and vehicles to swerve to avoid hitting her we made it to wherever she was taking me.

I shivered as we drove down deeper into the city. “Kabuki?” I muttered noticing the signs after I decided to be brave enough to open my eyes.

“Yeah! We are going to Ho-Oh! It’s a Tyger Claw hang out! I guess you forgot all about it huh? Well it’s great. Everyone will be glad to see you!”

I just blinked. Ho-Oh. Why was that name familiar? Other than the obvious Pokemon reference.

Hiromi slowed pulling down a small street and then slowing to drive around a pair of barricades that blocked off a small side street she slipped right through them and then drove through to a small open area full of Tyger Claw style cars and bikes. And a club.

I was twigging pretty hard. I had definitely been here before in the game.

I just couldn’t remember why.

“C’mon!” Hiromi called as she already slipped off the bike and was urging me to follow. I took a deep breath and slipped off the bike.

I wasn’t feeling very confident right now. I didn’t like this at all. I didn’t know any of these people but some might know me. Worse? I didn’t exactly fit in. Sure I had on my Tyger Claw jacket, but the rest of me was more normal. I didn’t have neon or tattoos or anything that would show I was meant to be here.

Plus I didn’t really like bars.

I followed after Hiromi who burst into the bar. “I’m baaaack! And guess what bad bitch is back among us! Back from the dead!” I grimaced. I was pretty sure I never died.

I stepped in and interest in me was pretty light. Hiromi of course was chattering away like everyone was cheering and happy to see both of us.

But I realized the truth. We were fourteen. Most of the people in the bar were a lot older, fully Tyger Clawed out, and had no interest in a bunch of noisy kids.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

I gave an apologetic bow to those that were glaring before hurrying over to Hiromi.

“Maybe less shouting.” I urged her as I tangled my arm with hers pulling her away from a brewing argument with an older guy that was complaining at her for yelling so loud.

She scoffed at him, threw him a finger but let me pull her away, and then instantly turned it on me. Tugging me towards a corner where I noticed younger teens were hanging out they were all dressed up like gangers but I could only see them as wannabes.

I realized that is probably what they were. Future chaff for the gang. If any of the real Tyger Claws needed something done, they could go grab a kid and have them do it.

Huh. Made sense I guess.

“Yo yo yo! Look who’s back!” Hiromi called out here instead and actually got some interest as I was tugged toward the back table.

“Hey wait, is that Motoko?”

“Wait your right!” The teens called out in surprise at my appearance. “Thought you got Flatlined?”

“No, just a coma.” I told them as Hiromi pushed me into a seat.

“She also got amnesia like on the TV. Can’t remember anything. She didn’t even know me!”

“Seriously? That’s hilarious! So you don’t know who I am?” A boy asked, wearing a jacket with tiger stripes and a set of clunky almost ill fitting sun glasses.

“I’m sorry I don’t know. I guess some of us were friends? It’s nice to meet you all… again?” I answered amnesia made it a little confusing.

“Pfft. This is great! Hey you really don’t remember? You owe me $20 eddies, you know?”

“Fuck off Malcolm. She doesn’t owe you shit.” Another spoke up punching the boy in the shoulder earning a yelp from him. “She doesn’t remember shit huh? That’s rough.” The boy offered. He seemed the best dressed of the group. Everything seemed to actually fit him unlike most of the others.

“I’m Ichi, short for Ichinose. We’ve run together since we were kids. Bit wild you don’t remember. Anyway Malcolm is cool, just don’t listen to anything he says.. Ever.”

“Fuck you choom!”

“You already know Hiromi, our crazy bitch.”

“You know it!” Hiromi called out as she grabbed a drink from the table and downed it, uncaring at the yelp from Malcolm as it had been his drink.

“And that is-”

“I can introduce myself Ichi. Omaeda, we never met. I joined this crew about three months ago.” He offered. The boy was larger, but not from muscle. He was just a bit fatter than most of the others. He also had a Netwreath on his head. And a case that I recognized as a Netdeck. Mostly because I had seen one while channel surfing. The massive thing was old, massive and banged up, but it was a netrunner kit.

“Nice to meet you.” I offered simply which he returned with a nod. “Umm nice to see you all too?”

“Heh. Look at this Ichi! Our hellion Motoko is all demure and sweet now!” Hiromi mock cried as she pulled me into a side hug. “Next thing you know she is going to start talking about becoming a corpo and working in an office!”

That earned a chuckle from everyone but I shook my head.

“Probably not. I don’t think I would fit into an office well. I’ve heard about how cutthroat the politics are in those places.”

“Huh. Only got a few memories left but still remembers how fucked up Corpos are. At least you got some sense.” Hiromi tells me with a laugh.

Everyone settled in then and started swapping some stories about me from before. Apparently Motoko really was a hellion, the kind of girl that was fully on board with committing any crime to get her way and fully onboard the Tyger Claws.

I had actually been the one to drag Hiromi into the Tyger Claws orbit. Before she had been a girl that kept her head down.

Go figure.

Learning a bit about me was nice. Even if I refused the drinks. Instead just grabbing some weird carbonated drink from the vending machines in the back of the club.

I snorted into my drink in the middle of Malcolm talking about him klepping a Rayfield Caliburn with a tech jack he had klepped from a techie he had done a job for only to have to bail on the car and run for his life from a kill team of Arasaka ninjas come to kill him.

No one around the table believed him for an instant and I had to assure Hiromi I realized he was lying as well as she had started looking at me worriedly once he started the story.

“That is a new face.” A voice called out from behind me and instantly I saw Ichi stand from his seat and offer a bow.

“Shobo-Sama. This is Motoko, an old face actually. She just got out of the hospital.” He offered and I turned.

The man was wearing a white suit and a purple bowtie. I didn’t recognize him though. So I relaxed.

“Nice to meet you.” I offered with a small bow of my own from where I sat.

“Hmph? I don’t recall, Ichi. I have some work for you. Come along.” He demanded and turned to walk away, Ichi urgently slipping out from behind Malcolm to hurry after learning Hiromi grumbling.

“I know it’s important to help out Shobo-Sama and all, but it always annoys me that he only wants to use Ichi. We can all work, you know?” She offered before sighing and leaning back. “Alright I guess we should head out. I better take Motoko home before Jun-Chan comes and kills me.”

“Hell no.” I tell her instantly, pushing at her face as she moved to stand up. “You are drunk. You’ve been drinking for the last three hours.”

“Wha? I drive better drunk!”

“Somehow I don’t believe you… Keys.” I demand from her holding out my hand.

“What? I’m not giving you my shard key. I drive just fine drunk you gonk. Pfft.” Hiromi started laughing at me as I rolled my eyes.

“You aren’t driving until you sober up.” I tell her firmly. “Not letting you kill yourself in an accident.” I said firmly no give whatsoever. Something about what I said though made her start smiling.