His Six

"So what's the biz?" Rebecca asks, leaning over his shoulder as he's driving.

"Scavs, they nabbed the guy I hired to check out the area. He's a friend so they aren't getting away with this lightly, if I can help it at least."

"Oooh, so you're gonna bust in guns blazing and rescue your guy like a hero? You gonna carry him out like a princess too?"

"We're. This ain't somethin' I can deal with alone, there had been only twenty off 'em, but they'd probably upped their security and hired some more thugs after capturing Max... Probably expecting us to come for him."

...

"I hate to break it to you, Ori, but your buddy's probably dead. You sure you wanna risk your butt recoverin' a corpse?"

Ori chews his lip, "It ain't just me, Six'll probably go with or without me. I owe it to both of them to be there... I should really be askin' you if you're up for it, this ain't as personal for you as it is us."

"Hm!" she pats him on the shoulder 'reassuringly', "Someone's gotta make sure the rookie don't get got! Don't worry, big sis 'Becca'll be babysitting you today!"

"Great..." he mumbles into the steering wheel.

"Hey... Do you even know where we're 'spose to go? I swear we've been drivin' in circles..."

"...Gimme a sec, Six said it should be around here..." he says, eyes looking to the side as he receives a text.

"There." Ori gestures with a nod of his head at a slowly opening garage door connected to some other units. All looking rather rusty but still somehow operational.

"Er, I don't wanna say anything but you sure this is it? Your friend isn't gonna offer us candy or something, right?" she asks as they both look into the pitch-black interior of the garage...

Ori shrugs, "You tell me, you're the one who looks like a kid-Oi!" he grunts as he feels her foot kick him in the back through the chair.

"Keep calling me a kid! Aren't you the one who asked me here!? That only makes you look bad y'know! Ask your pal if this is the right place, I don't wanna walk into some sleazo's bang-bus!"

"Alright! Fine!" he groans, shooting out a text.

[Garage unit 24-2, that the right place?] - Ori

[I can see you playing around outside. This is not a game. Hurry up.] - Six

"See? This is it, c'mon." he says, getting out and walking over as Rebecca hurries to catch up. The door closes behind him, sealing them in darkness before a click announces the lights turning on.

"Wait you look like the guy from that ancient flick," Rebecca snaps her fingers in thought, "R-robot... Robocop!"

...

Six sends a glare at Ori, "This it?"

"Hey! What's that 'spose to mean!?" the girl shouts in response as Ori shrugs his shoulders.

"I'm told she's pretty good... Why'd you bring us here anyway?"

Six flips another innocuous-looking switch, causing a panel on the back wall to slide up and reveal a hidden door. Through it, was a kick-ass armoury, filled to the brim with weapons, explosives, and even spare Cyberware. "If we want Max in one piece, we need every advantage." he grabs a belt full of grenades and tosses it at Ori.

Rebecca herself looked like a kid in a candy store, but unfortunately for her Six wasn't willing to share... He gives her a single fragmentation grenade and irritably pushes her away from the wall of guns.

"Got the intel? The stuff you gave Max?" the borg questions.

Ori nods and sends it all to the merc, who ports into a laptop and has a machine projector everything onto the table for them all to see.

"We need a plan, Max's way failed so we'll do it my way."

"What way's that?" Ori inquires.

"Freestyle."

...

"Ain't that just you sayin' you haven't gotta clue?" Rebecca wonders aloud.

Six scowls and turns back to the table, swiping some things into view. "We'll approach in a few hours when it gets darker," he points at a spot, "I'll sneak past the water tower and enter the warehouse to search for Max. You two wait here on standby," he points at a street sitting nearby the objective, "Be ready for a fight, or to cause a distraction. Max is probably in a secured position, extracting him will be difficult."

"And that's where we come in!" Rebecca chirps, displaying her teeth with a grin.

"We don't have good data on the warehouse itself, and we aren't going to try find it either. I'll plant detonation charges as I make my way through the place, do not shoot them until Max is secured. Understand?"

"This is all assuming you can sneak inside in the first place. I get you've got that camo Cyberware, but what if they have shit to bypass that? Heat detection, or goons with modded eyes?" Ori asks.

"Then. Depending on the situation, you will flee-"

"Wait, what?"

"This. Is Not. A. Game. This is deep in Maelstrom turf, if these people can operate here, then they have ties. If we take too long we will get surrounded and shot in the back. If I am detected too early, this mission is already lost."

...

"Woof, you guys know how to raise the stakes, huh?" Rebecca remarks, trying to liven the mood.

Six ignores her attempt at levity, "I hired a vehicle for you to use. AI driven, armoured, and equipped with a turret. Should provide cover, or a distraction if called on."

"So, basically a tank?" Ori ventures.

"A small one, if you want to put it that way." Six confirms before hoisting up a bag and holding it towards Rebecca, "This has most of my stored stims and boosters, don't use more than three in one go or your heart will stop."

"Obviously." Rebecca snorts, "Who do you think I am? An amateur?"

"Yes." Six instantly replies. He turns back around and grabs four heavy-looking boxes and slides them to Ori's side of the table, then places an LMG on top of them. "Max's spare, we'll be lucky if he in a good enough state to use it. For now, I'm giving it to you."

"A-are you sure...? I mean..." Ori weakly gets out.

"There are around six hundred to eight hundred rounds there. We'll be using all of them, do not be reserved. Our lives might depend on it." the merc states before looking up as his eyes flash, "Our ride is here. Help me load everything aboard."