Chapter 67

The next night it was time. Preparations for everything were ready. The sun had gone down just a bit before, the kids would be actively partying, so I walked right into the apartment complex.

 

I had spent the morning getting everyone set for their roles, and coming up with a strategy. Hopefully it would be enough.

 

So I entered the apartment complex, noticing the many cameras hanging around the lobby. The lack of people hanging around like there tended to be in apartment buildings like this.

 

I also noticed the stairs were closed off. A heavy duty security gate. More interesting was the fact the ground floor stairs didn’t have a stairway down into the apartments basement.

 

I smirked. This might actually be easier than I expected.

 

I went to the elevator, which didn’t have the security shards you would find in higher level apartments, so it opened without issue. It did, I noticed, have a newer control pad.

 

The Netrunner had obviously wanted to be able to shut down the elevator as he wanted. But it took me up to the roof, why wouldn’t it? I was just a teenager here to see the party after all!

 

As I stepped out, I looked over the gathered crowd. Old couches, and some beach chairs scattered around, an actual fire pit made out of a barrel…

 

I didn’t even want to guess at what they were burning in there.

 

The crowd was my focus though. I needed to know who the leaders were. Not the leader of the gang, who I knew to be some old guy, just a thief using kids as muscle.

 

No, I needed to know who led the kids. Who was it they all looked up to and respected? But since I wasn’t a street kid in the same way all of these teens were I had delegated.

 

My new assistant would be here to back me up.

 

Of course I noticed him right away. The gonk was actually selling BD’s like usual.

 

I rolled my eyes as I walked up behind Nox and peeked over his shoulder as he was holding open his backpack full of BD wrappers.

 

“Hey BD’s Nice. Got anything good?” I asked in a joking tone pretending not to know what he was selling, as Nox suddenly smiled at my appearance and nodded.

 

“A few things you might like.” He said with a funny smirk.

 

“Thanks for letting me know about the party.” I replied simply, confirming our little lie. “Who’s your customer?” I asked, looking up at the boy that Nox had been speaking with. He was about what I expected from a street kid teenager.

 

Total poser. He was wearing a jacket that was modeled after some action movie star from the last couple years. Which I only recognized because I had seen one of the movies on the TV and it was meh.

 

“Richard. Richard Steel.” He said and I nodded along despite the fact I knew his last name wasn’t steel. He was in the NCPD database. Richard Gonzales. Minor theft, and a record for grand theft auto.

 

Heh kid went out on a joyride with some gonks car.

 

But if that was what he wanted for his street name, it didn’t bother me.

 

“Nox, my man, you didn’t tell me you were bringing a pretty girl. Ever hung out with a gang before?” Richard asked, turning to me with a smile. I literally had to keep from bursting out laughing, he was flirting with me! Badly!

 

Aww. It was like a puppy growling trying to act tough.

 

“Once or twice. Family connections to the Claws. Have I heard of your gang before?” I asked as I settled into the seat next to Nox.

 

“Not yet! But Straight Lane Shooters will be all over Night City eventually!” He demanded with the overconfidence of a teenager with a gun.

 

Nox had done his job perfectly.

 

I had asked him to head up an hour or so before I arrived, and find the leader of the kids, and point him out to me.

 

He had done just that.

 

Richard Steel was a bit of a blowhard I could tell, but he had a certain overconfidence, and more importantly there were eyes on him. Plenty of the kids were seated around him like he was the one in charge looking to him, and letting him talk.

 

He was the most popular kid here. With a clique of friends all wanting to hang out with him.

 

What was funnier is that I guess he wasn’t bad looking for a teenager, but there were a few narrowed eyes from some of the girls sitting around us.

 

Glaring at me.

 

Don’t worry girls, not my type. Probably spent too much time in front of a mirror every morning.

 

“I’ll look forward to it. I’ve always wondered, how did it all work? I mean. How does a bunch of Street Kids end up with so much iron?” I asked, nodding my head to one of the gangers that had an Ajax assault rifle across his lap as he chatted up a cute girl.

 

That sort of hardware obviously wasn’t standard street kid fare.

 

I mean not everyone was a gamer like me.

 

“Hah! Our Boss is an amazing planner. He set us up, we ended up klepping a weapon shipment, most of it was sold off, but we got to keep plenty of iron.” He said as he reached into his jacket and to my surprise pulled out a TKI-20 Shingen. A smart SMG. A very expensive smart SMG.

 

That was actually a pretty dangerous weapon for anyone not wearing good armor, an ECM, or good enough Subdermal.

 

“Nice Iron.” I couldn’t help but compliment him and mean it. Although I noticed his hands as he put it away.

 

He didn’t actually have the Smart Link Chrome to use the Smart system.

 

It would be a dangerous SMG but not the homing bullet monster that it could be. Interesting.

 

“Heh, it’s just one of the benefits of being SLS!” He called out and it took me a minute to realize that SLS meant Straight Lane Shooters.

 

Thankfully I was using Cold Blood to keep calm, otherwise I would have been giggling up a storm.

 

Nox thankfully knew what I was here for, and distracted the conversation saving me from awkward flirting as he cut in and started talking up his wares again.

 

I fell back out of the conversation not disappearing as I listened to Richard talk to Nox, and the general conversations around.

 

Although Richard really was focusing too much on me. Something Nox had obviously noticed, and was trying to distract him. Thanks Nox. You’re saving me from awkward flirting right now I won’t forget it.

 

It was almost time.

 

Eventually Nox actually made a sale of my BD. The Maelstrom Assault was apparently interesting I guess. Afterwards I made a motion with my head and Nox rather than trying to sell anymore headed to the elevator. I watched to make sure it actually opened for him, and once he was gone I gave him another minute or two to hit the ground floor.

 

His job was done. Thankfully I was still ‘interesting’ enough that Richard didn’t wander away instead flirting and offering me a beer, which I took but wasn’t going to actually drink.

 

Instead, after waiting long enough for Nox to get out of the building I asked a question.

 

“So who’s your boss? I don’t see him around.” I say as I lean back and watch the kids’ reaction.

 

He frowned a bit. “The boss is busy, and doesn’t deal with the gang directly except through me. I get the gigs and I hand them out.” He said suddenly shifting from a happy teenager flirting around, to a Street Kid sensing something is off.

 

“Cool, then I’ll chat with you. Why do you work for this older gonk, and his netrunner buddy. You gotta know they plan on just using you as muscle? That eventually you are going to piss off someone that doesn’t care you’re all kids.”

 

My question was loud enough the whole rooftop seemed to hear it, as a lot of the conversation went quiet. The kids sitting around Richard all focusing on me noticing something was up.

 

I wasn’t following the script Richard was expecting. Suddenly I wasn’t just a cute girl to flirt with and he was the big gang banger.

 

I was dangerous.

 

Especially since I went cold, shifting myself just so, in the way that my Perk knowledge from Fearless Chill prompted me. The movement would suddenly turn me into a predator, a fearless creature despite being in their home.

 

“The fuck are you on about? Morgan and V3L0CITY are the only reason we have the eddies and iron to protect ourselves!” He nearly shouted back, not just at me, but at the crowd.

 

Seems the kids weren’t all happy with their older overlord, and Richard was trying to hype them up.

 

“Protect yourselves? From what? Another poser gang? Or just a street gang down the street? They aren’t threats anyways. You are playing in the big leagues, any Merc would chew through all of you like a meatgrinder.” I tell them honestly as I lean in. “You’ve been taking expensive gigs. The sort of gigs that people notice. The sort of gigs that the people you stole from don’t just pretend never happened. Like they do for the minor shit” I explained bluntly.

 

“If anyone is gonk enough to come after us, we have security and plenty of iron.” He said glaring and his hand only inches from reaching for his gun.

 

Cute. The gonk thought he could quickdraw me?

 

I snorted, I really did, unable to resist. “You mean all the security systems that are set up to tell the netrunner he has someone on his ass so he can escape?” I asked the elevator alone had told me what the plan was.

 

There was a basement in the apartment complex. One that was on Wakako’s old blueprints, obviously the best place to hide the netrunner. Secure it down and create an exit, and boom you have the best defended place for him.

 

With a bit of remodeling the fact the stairs no longer actually led into the basement, stopping anyone from being able to access the basement and boom. Underground Bunker.

 

The kids might not realize it, but I did. Ping had shown me the truth of the Netrunners plans. I was lucky that I had trained so much on sneaking my Quickhack into systems. The Netrunner had never noticed. And because of it, and Malcolms eyes we already won.

 

He just didn’t know it yet.

 

These kids weren’t being crafted into a future big gang. They were just a meatwall and muscle, a smokescreen and a useful crew to pick up loot.

 

At least that’s my assumption. I didn’t have much faith some older guys would actually care about the street kids.

 

Either way I was sure the Netrunner had an escape plan. Which is why I was up here. On the roof, dragging all the attention to me.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

 

“What the hell are you playing at?” Richard demanded standing up and trying to loom over me. Looking aggressive, but of course failing as only a teenage boy could. Thinking they were so much more intimidating than they are.

 

My eyes flashed gold for a half second as I blinked. Sending a text.

 

“Simple. I’m one of those mercs that are here to kill your netrunner, and boss.” I explain calmly letting that fact ripple through the crowd. Then I moved. The poor kid had already shown me exactly where his Shingen was holstered. I had him locked down within a second, my strength for once actually surpassing an enemy, chrome arms, and my high Body gave me the advantage, and skill took care of the rest.

 

He was locked down, his Shingen in my hand as I held it up to his temple.

 

Unlike Richard I had a Smartlink, and it was pretty cool, the first time I had connected with a Smart weapon.

 

But I had bigger problems. The entire crew on the roof were glaring at me, guns gathering together.

 

“You won’t get out of here.” Richard grunted and I shook his head.

 

“Who said I’m going anywhere?” I asked, and it wasn’t long after that an explosion was heard downstairs. It was in the lobby, but only I knew that.

 

My team was on it!

 

I grinned as I felt the tension ratchet up.

 

“Let Richard go!” A girl said holding a Satara at her hip glaring at me. “The elevator is already shut down, you’re trapped!”

 

I had planned on keeping them occupied a bit longer, but why bother?

 

Not when I am given such a perfect line.

 

“Silly girl. You think I’m trapped up here with you. But it’s the opposite. I’ve trapped you up here with me… Well at least somewhat.” I tell her with a wink as I back up hauling Richard along with me as a shield causing all the kids to follow after me.

 

“What are you doing?!” Richard nearly squealed as I brought him right up to the ledge around the roof.

 

“Hey Richard? Your people are actually pretty protective of you. We’ll talk after all this is over okay? No reason to have any of your chooms die tonight. So just stay up here until the bullets stop.” I told him simply and then I pushed him forward and stepped backwards up onto the ledge, and then took another step backwards staring into the faces of all the teens looking at me in shock.

 

And leapt.

 

—–

 

Richard Steel

 

This night wasn’t going how it was supposed to! It was supposed to be another party, another show of how much better things are now that they joined the SLS!

 

Now that Richard worked with V3L0CITY, and Morgan. Morgan the old man was the face, since V3L0CITY was a hermit never leaving the net.

 

But it had been going so well! Eddies, guns, respect!

 

He had it all. Sure he knew Morgan and V3L0CITY weren’t planning on sticking around forever. But that was fine Richard would drain them for their intel until his gang were strong.

 

The cold kiss of his own weapon against his temple told him just how little he was prepared.

 

Who was this girl!?

 

“Hey Richard?” She prompted, taking his full attention. Not that he wasn’t already very aware of his position with the way she had grappled his arm behind his back and gun against his face. “Your people are actually pretty protective of you. We’ll talk after all this is over okay? No reason to have any of your chooms die tonight. So just stay up here until the bullets stop.”

 

What?

 

“Wha-!” He gasped as his wrist was pushed forward forcing him to practically fall forward and then he was free.

 

He turned just in time to see that crazy purple haired girl step backwards arms spread and the brightest smile across her face.

 

She fell off the roof.

 

“No way.” He gasped as he rose up and peeked over joining a few of his crew that were doing the same, only to watch as she was not only still alive, but actually leaping from broken pieces of the apartment, to air conditioners, to finally an old sign pole that she caught and spun herself around before dropping landing on the ground in a crouch.

 

She glanced up and from this distance all he could see was her eyes glowing red in the neon lights of the street level.

 

And then she was gone. Rushing down the street.

 

“Richard?”

“Martin, check the elevator.”

“It’s locked down. You know V3L’s rules. The moment he noticed trouble he would lock down. To Protect himself.”

“Yeah… I’ll call Morgan, try to let him know. Just… Just give me a second.”

 

He pulled out his agent from his pocket and started hammering at the number.

 

That bitch had at least dropped his gun.

 

—–

 

That was so much fun!

 

I was practically giggling as I raced to meet up with my chooms.

 

The plan overall was pretty simple.

 

Gather up almost all of the gang’s forces in one spot, and thanks to their own policy lock them down. I hadn’t been sure if the Netrunner would lock down the elevator or not at first, but after confirming there was no other way down to the basement I had been sure.

 

Although I hadn’t actually blocked off the stairs. A grenade that was mostly smoke and flash at the base of the stairs had done a good job of keeping them clear for now. Besides, what teenager was going to think about the staircase? The building was six stories tall. I doubt any of them had ever even used the damn stairs.

 

I was glad the elevator had been shut down though. I hadn’t wanted to risk trying to hack it. If the Netrunner was any good I might end up in serious trouble if I tried.