V'd

...

Ori eyes the cloud of smoke with a scowl, hoping to see the mangled body of Smasher once it clears...

His expectations are dashed though as a red eye opens within the smog. The borg was still standing tall, but he didn't get off unharmed... Both arms from the elbow down were gone, spikes of broken black metal that glowed an eerie hot red, a large scar was prominent on his face, one eye completely gone.

"Gonk cunt!" Ori sucks his teeth and cocks another shot. He fires again, trying to predict Smasher as the borg activates his Sandy and bolts to safety. The distance combined with Smasher's speed and awareness allows him to avoid the bullet, which zips past and almost cuts a car in half as it hits, instantly killing the cops inside.

Smasher was gone, and Ori was left holding a bag of shit with half the city now looking at his location. He didn't need someone to tell him to bounce so he grabs his shit and flees.

-------------------

*Clunk!*

Ori stumbles back into the base and tosses 'Glory Hole' onto the floor, not bothering to even react to the drop kick sent at his face. He takes it like a man, a very tired man and stops the chibi from falling to the ground.

"You asshole!"

"I failed... Again." he sighs.

"Yeah you did! You didn't even get him!"

"I shot his arms off."

"He's a borg, he probably already has new ones!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know..." he sighs again, carrying her into the common room where everyone was waiting, sitting in front of the T.V which was playing the news. Unsurprisingly, the name Zombie was being flashed all over for the attempted assassination of Smasher, he was pretty sure this was good PR though, which confuses him as to why they were showing it.

After all, seeing the big-bad boogeyman run away with his arms blown off ruined whatever rep he'd accumulated. If the guy wasn't fuming Ori would be very surprised.

Soon as he dropped Rebecca onto the couch, receiving a swat to the face from her, he notices the glare V was sending his way. While she had a mask on, he could tell from her posture alone... Yorinobu's death was a big problem in their plans, hers especially considering she had a relatively short expiration date.

Ignoring that, he called up Judy and ask for the sitch, finding that she'd successfully moved around fifty percent of their equipment to their hidden base in the badlands, specifically, the old Biotechnica lair that'd been abandoned after he and his crew raided it.

After he'd gotten everyone up to date, V pulled him into a room and stripped her helmet off, shoving it into his chest with a scowl. "Well? What now? 'Cause far as I can see I'm fucked." she growls.

"Honestly? I don't know. Did the AV with Hellman leave?"

"Long gone."

"Any idea where?"

"Kang Tao, probably in China hoping Arasaka forgot about him..."

"Not likely, but even if we found him it'd be too late for you." he mutters under his breath.

...

V sighs and looks to the side at the ghost of Johnny, "Any ideas?"

He shrugs and takes his aviators off to look her in the eye better, "No, none that'd save you anyway. But... If you ever wanna go out on your terms, I've got some thoughts."

"Yeah?" she offers enthusiastically.

He gives a brief nod, "Yeah. I say we take what we can carry, storm Arasaka tower, and tear the place apart until we find what we need. If fail? Well, 'least you'll go down a legend."

"Like you?" she snorts lightly.

"As if you could be as badass as me," he chuffs, "But maybe you could come somewhere close. All that's left of the Arasaka bloodline is Hanako, I'd say kicking mud on the Emperor's 'ancestors' is a good enough reward for the risk."

"Just to spite a dead man? I don't know about you but that doesn't seem very worthwhile to me. It isn't like Arasaka would end afterwards, someone would take control, even if it isn't Arasaka blood."

Johnny chuckles, "It's the bushido B.S, Saburo'd be spinnin' in his grave if someone else took control of the family fortune. I'd say it's fair payback for hitting me with soul killer."

She rubs her forehead, ignoring Ori who was observing her silent conversation, "I want to live..."

"It ain't like I wanna die either, I just know there's bigger things than me in this." Johnny retorts, "Is notions like that which are the reason this world went to shit, if those corpo assholes could consider someone else for a single moment-, things would be different."

V shakes her head, "Can't change human nature..."

...

She lets out another sigh and looks to Ori, "Know what? I'll call you if I decide something, I'll see if I can find help elsewhere."

When she goes to leave, Ori grips her elbow, stopping her in place, "Help from who... Arasaka?" he inquires, tone sharp.

"Like the ghost in my head would let me do that, fucker already tried to kill me once, he'd have a reason this time... I'm going to the Afterlife, maybe Rogue knows something."

"She won't. And are you really going to trust the body-stealer in your head?"

"She might. 'Sides, Johnny's actually kept his word so far, compare that to you and I'll hedge my bets." she states, snatching her arm back and marching out.

Well, at least he didn't have to worry about the nanites protesting if she dies... Now, he had a gun-gremlin to pacify before she does something stupid.