Chapter 63

An hour later I was sitting in Viks chair getting checked over. I had absolutely refused to go see the TC Ripper even saying I would drive myself over to mine if I had to. In the end Fujimura of all people had driven me over to Viks. The massive Cyberpsycho borg had left only after Vik had started taking care of me, seemingly satisfied he knew what he was doing.

 

What a weird night.

 

“Motoko?”

 

“What?”

“I asked, if you were gonna be alright, with your sleep healing?” Vik asked, making me realize he had been forced to repeat himself.

“Yeah. Yeah I should be fine. Why?”

“Cause other than some serious surgeries, there isn’t anything else I can do about all of this.” He said seriously, face pinched into a look of honest concern.

 

“Oh yeah I’ll just sleep then. You don’t mind?”

 

“Nah kid. Here. I’ll give you some stuff for the pain-”

“Nah it’s fine Vik. I’ll just sleep and be fine in the morning, thanks though. For looking me over. I would be worried about sleeping around any other ripper. So… Thanks Doc.” I told him, smiling as he fussed over me like a worried dad.

 

Ah Viks Dad energy so stronk!

 

“Motoko. I usually have to talk my patients into taking less medication, not more. You… Considering the scans of your injuries I took, you should be completely disabled thanks to the pain. Your injury is something I usually see when pedestrians are hit by cars.” He explained not quite calmly.

 

“Yeah the borg hit like a truck. Literally, he knocked a car on its side with one hit.” I muttered which made Vik fuss but I waved him off, a little weakly I’ll admit.

 

“Alright let me take a nap, and you can check on me in the morning? Sorry for coming so late.”

“Don’t apologize Motoko. I just wish I could do a bit more for you.” He muttered, reaching out and to my surprise patting me on my head!

 

I smiled and had to bite back a chuckle because laughing really hurt.

 

“G’night Vik.” I muttered and let my eyes close as I put myself to sleep for an eight hour nap.

 

I awoke instantly like always, feeling great, the injuries healed, and to my surprise there were voices talking away in the clinic.

 

I opened my eyes and took in the room, and had to still to keep myself from squealing.

 

Because leaning nonchalantly against Viks desk as he chattered away was Jackie Welles. He was pretty much the same as he looked in the game. His voice had that same joking manner that made him so easy to make friends with.

 

Although I did have to translate the spanish in my head, nearly every other word. Well what spanish I actually understood anyways.

 

“C’mon Vik, you said we were going to get some training in today.” He whined pleading with the older man.

 

“I’ve got a patient Jackie, you know the rules, that comes first.”

“Ah they won’t even notice, they are passed out quiet, let’s go to the ring, I know you want to get some jabs in yeah?”

 

“I don’t mind.” I called out interrupting as Vik was gonna definitely say no.

 

“Motoko!” Vik called out happily as he spun his chair around. “Finally awake, how’re you feeling?”

 

I sat up on the chair a bit and stretched, feeling my abs flex as I checked myself over. “Feel like a hundred bucks like always.” I told him with a smile, but even as I was talking I was sending a message to Jun. I hope he was alright.

 

“Well that’s good.” He said rolling over and starting to check me out even if I was trying to get up, Vik gently pushing me back down had me rolling my eyes and letting him work.

 

“See the little Senorita is just fine, C’mon Vik! You know I’ve been looking forward to this all week.” Jackie whined, literally whined like a kid, but it came off more charming than irritating.

 

“Vik I’m fine. Go play with your friend.” I tell him, shooing him with my hand as I smiled at him.

 

“Motoko.” Vik said, giving me a look of disappointment.

 

Which only made me laugh of course.

 

“Sit tight for a bit Jackie, let me give Motoko a look over, then since she will probably be running away, we’ll get to the lesson.” Vik offered as he rolled across the concrete over to me. Quickly pulling up some scanners and taking a look.

 

“Aw C’mon Vik. I’m fine. I’m tough, you know?”

 

He instantly poked me with his needle hand.

 

“Ow! Ow ow ow!” I whined at him before he pulled away.

 

“I thought you were tough.”

“Says the guy sticking me with needles randomly!”

 

“Hehe. Yeah Vik you can’t just go- Okay I’ll stay out of it. Sorry Hermana.” Jackie said cut off from Vik turning to give Jackie a look, the much larger man raised both hands in surrender at Viks irritation.

 

“Hehe.” I chuckled too because it was a nice little atmosphere. “So how’s it look, Vik? All good?”

“No. Your arm is still out of alignment. That hit you took knocked your chrome in along your upper shoulder. You’re lucky it didn’t just break every bone from your shoulder into your chest.”

 

I winced. Yeah that sounded painful.

 

A long whistle came from Jackie. “Jeez Hermana, what hit you? A truck?”

 

“He might as well have been. This guy was like eight feet tall and all chrome, he probably weighed a ton. I wasn’t even the target. The guy just wanted to assassinate someone next to me and my brother.” I said looking over at Vik as he worked on fixing the damage to my chrome.

Jackie frowned at that. “Fuckin’ Cyberpsychos.” He muttered, but I had to shake my head.

 

“No, he was clear headed. It was a professional hit. Guy was just borged up. Scariest fucker I’ve ever seen.” I admitted and even Vik looked concerned. I hadn’t mentioned to Vik yet about just what brought me in late last night.

 

“Real Edgerunner shit then? Sorry you got caught up in that then Hermana.” Jackie offered, to my surprise, before I understood what he meant.

 

“Oh don’t worry. He might have got the drop on us, but between Jun my Brother and I? We walked away. He didn’t.” I said with a smile that was all teeth.

 

Jackie’s eyes widened a bit as he obviously had to take what I was saying and process it.

 

I mean. Wrapped up in bandages sitting in Viks chair without a weapon in reach, because Vik refused to let me keep my Burya or anything while he worked. It meant I didn’t exactly scream dangerous merc.

 

“Huh. You actually fought someone like that?”

 

“Me and my brother… I’ll admit Jun did more than me. I just couldn’t stand up to the guy’s strength. He was throwing me around like a ragdoll.” I said holding up my right arm that Vik wasn’t working on and flexing it a bit.

Stolen story; please report.

 

I wasn’t strong enough.

 

Honestly it could have been disheartening.

 

It could have been terrifying.

 

But me? It just kinda made me excited. If I was weak? Gain Strength. It was that simple.

 

I still had plenty more grinding I could do to level Body.

 

If my body stat had been higher, he wouldn’t have knocked me around like a child. If my reflex was higher, he never would have touched me.

 

There was so much I could do to grow stronger.

 

So I would.

 

“Alright kid. Run through a few stretches with that arm, tell me if it’s catching anywhere.” Vik said cutting off my internal thoughts and I did as he said, stretching and shifting my arm in different ways.

 

It felt good.

 

“Looks good Vik.”

 

“Great. In that case. You are good to go whenever.” He said, reaching out and patting my shoulder earning a smile from me.

 

“Yes! C’mon Vik. You owe me some time in the ring, Hermano.” Jackie said smiling like a kid getting permission to hang out with his dad…

 

Actually, didn’t Jackie have a bad relationship with his father? I remember something like that from the game.

 

I guess I wasn’t the only one that was treating Vik as a pseudo dad.

 

“Alright kid. Alright. Motoko, You’ll be alright?”

 

“Course! But no way am I leaving. I want to see this! You guys are going to box a bit right?” I say as I sit up and I was already starting to get dressed again. Pulling my Leotard up over the bandages that Vik had covered me in last night.

 

I would take a moment to remove them later when I wasn’t around a couple of old guys. But after a moment my Leotard was zipped back up, and I was as modest as usual.

 

“Heh! C’mon then Hermana, you’ll get a treat see me beat up on the old timer.” Jackie joked, throwing me a wink, and while Vik had looked a moment away from trying to convince me to leave, Jackie distracted him.

 

“Oh you think so huh kid? Alright then.” Vik offered as he took off his Ripper tools and pulled out a set of boxing gloves from his desk. Then he threw another pair at Jackie. “Get gloved up Jackie. I think you need a few lessons from this old timer.” He said and I laughed at the look Jackie had on his face.

 

‘Oh I fucked up.’ Pictured in pure stark relief stretched across his face.

 

—–

 

To my surprise the boys didn’t just go at it right in Viks clinic. Instead they headed into the building Misty’s shop was in, right next door, and took the elevator up to the roof. There they prepped themselves and I rooted Vik on, as Jackie and him went at each other.

 

Well it wasn’t quite that brutal, it was a teaching thing. Vik was working Jackie over. Punching and jabbing forcing the bigger man to block and shift on his feet, every set amount of time Vik would switch to defense and Jackie would go at him.

 

It was fun. Entertaining, and surprisingly useful.

 

*100 Street Brawler XP Gained.*

 

I actually got an alert just from watching and listening. As Vik walked Jackie through mistakes, or prompted him to change his rhythm.

 

It was fun!