98

V

V sighed grimacing at the feeling of her insides swirling and shifting. Fucking BioMon was doing it's best to keep her stress down, but Jackie just had to call at the worst fuckin' time.

Jenkins was going to kill her when he found out she wasn't following up on the new Militech Prototype Sandy, and instead was out trying to help out a non affiliate.

She exhaled, giving herself a moment to just breathe as the hacking shard downloaded everything it could from the Kang Tao system. Maybe this data would balance things out? It wasn't like even someone in Counter-Intel got access to a unit database like this.

Fuck that had impressed her. A fourteen year old kid broke through Kang Tao security, without even jacking in? What the hell had she even done? Probably some netrunner wizard shit.

V shook her head, she never could wrap her head around high level netrunning. Sure she knew how to ping a system, and do some data breaches, but any good ICE would keep her right out.

The shard pinged as the laptop suddenly froze and shut down.

"Looks like they finally noticed." She grabbed the shard out of the laptop and tucked it away. Patting it for a bit of comfort. Please be enough for Jenkins.

"Alright Jackie I'm good, you took care of that boo boo?" She demanded as she walked out, of the little warehouse backroom. Noticing that the kid was gone. Good. She hadn't liked that smirk the kid had sent her. Brats like that always wanted to poke their nose into shit.

V slipped into the Kang Tao Van Jackie was already idling for them.

"I'm bandaged up, C'mon V don't baby me. Where's Motoko?"

"Don't know, told her to split."

"V! Motoko's a good shooter. Hell girl is sneaky as shit. We could have used her."

"I don't bring along people I don't know, Jack. Besides, she's just a kid. I don't want some street brat getting in the way." Jackie sent her a look telling her he was about to argue, but she sent him a glare instead and he backed down. Instead the Van started moving. Heading towards their destination.

Good. She was already on borrowed time and didn't have the desire to deal with any more bullshit from Jackie right now…

No. She shouldn't think like that. Jackie was a choom, maybe the only one she had. And he had saved her fuckin' life. He had proven to be trustworthy, the only person in her life that was. She shouldn't think like that at him.

Her life in Counter-intel was making her twitchy about everyone. She let her implants calm her down even more. She needed a clear head and she relaxed a bit as the rush of chemicals hit her blood.

Quantified Satori was going to harp at her for overuse again.

Dammit.

She put her life coach out of her mind. She had Kang Tao to annihilate. The idea almost got her excited. She had been behind a desk for too long.

"Jackie, you got anything bigger than that peashooter you run with?"

"I don't need anything but my baby, you know that V!" He practically squawked at her in outrage.

"Jackie for fuck sake. Get a bigger iron! At least a Yukimura if you have to have a damn handgun." She snapped at him, her Biomon beeping at her about her blood pressure.

Fucking piece of shit, the Biomons job was to control her blood pressure not hers!

"Buy the top of the line Arasaka stuff huh? Can't take the corp out of the woman eh?" Jackie teased and V just huffed cause he was sort of right, but then the thought hit her.

She shouldn't have snapped at him. He didn't deserve that. Even if she had yelled at him so many times about how his low firepower was going to get him killed…

He should get a fucking Overture or something. Brawly fuck!

She took a breath and let it out. She had to say something. She had been quiet for too long. He might think she was actually angry at him. Or he might be angry himself. He wasn't saying shit. Fuck. C'mon V, you stupid bitch. Say something to break the tension…

"Oh but I don't like revolvers Chica I always run out of ammo." She mocks in his voice, literally as she used her chrome to emulate him for a second. Jackie looked to her for a second and then started laughing. Long and loud Jackie broke into near giggles at her. She felt herself relax.. She hadn't pushed too hard. Hadn't pissed him off for the last time leaving her alone.

It was okay. She hadn't messed up the one good relationship she still had.

"We're here Chica. You ready?" He called suddenly and she realized they were.

"Always." She rolled her eyes, pulling out her Shingen and linking in. Immediately the reticle followed her eye. Smart system ready. But she also pulled her sidearm. The Kenshin with the big silencer just like she enjoyed. "Just roll up on the entrance. I'll get us access." She said knowing Jackie would know what she meant.

They had pulled this maneuver back on the border. Hell it was how they had gotten out of that mess.

"You still using that overdesigned piece of scop? Should get a real pistol. Nue are good." Jackie teased and V seriously considered beating him over the head with her extremely expensive, Arasaka Handgun.

"It's still the best handgun on the market!" She hissed quietly at him, as they were getting close.

"Maybe if you want an ugly piece of shit." He argued practically giggling. Fucker was riling her, but it… Well it felt good. You didn't have these sorts of conversations with people during an Arasaka Op.

She was either in charge so they shut their fucking mouth and did what she said, or she was being ordered around by Jenkins or someone even higher up, so V kept her mouth shut.

Fuck she missed doing work with Jackie.

She sometimes worked with other mercs, but they were either intimidated by her. The black suited Arasaka enforcer. Like they should be.

Or they were assholes treating her like corpo scum. Jackie might rag on Arasaka, but when he laughed he was laughing with you.

She closed her eyes and opened them. Dropping her emotions a bit more.

It had been a long time since she felt this happy.

As the van pulled up to the checkpoint of the old Kang Tao warehouse, which in reality was just one of their drop off points. One of the few places Arasaka weren't bullying them like the helpless bitches they were, out of. Kang Tao were so far down the totem pole, they had to operate out of a fucking 'abandoned' warehouse for their more black op pickups.

It was time. The Van stopped at the guard entrance, and V was ready. Crawling across Jackies stupid lap. Pistol right up against the glass.

Jackie waited for her nod, and rolled the window down. Letting her send four silenced rounds with unerring aim into the Kang Tao guards face. After a few seconds she matched Jackies growing smile as no alert came out. The Kang Tao vans tinted scan proof windows protecting them from the security even noticing the shots as V shot still within the cab.

"Give me a second to turn the damn turrets and Cameras off." She said as she peaked out of her side window at a security camera through a tiny gap, her eyes scanning, and she activated the security system Daemon she had.

She had no idea how it worked.

She had no idea what it did exactly. But it turned off cameras and turrets on a network without her having to do anything herself, which was by definition the best Quick Hack she could ever have. One that didn't need her to sit there and beat her head against ICE.

Fucking puzzles gave her a headache. Sure it was expensive, but being part of Arasaka meant she got the best goodies.

After a few minutes the camera system at the checkpoint powered down as did the turrets.

"Good work Chica." Jackie offered as he slipped out of the van and nearly crawled into the guards window looking for the switch to open up the dividing bar blocking them.

V snorted at the sight of her big chooms ass shaking around barely held in by his jeans as he struggled to find the right switch. Jackie was practically crawling into the little window.

"Jack. We gotta get you into the gym more choom." She whispered to him teasing.

"Hey! You know the chica's love a little- Oh, hold up. Found it!" He grunted a bit as he finally got himself out of the window as the bar rose up and slipped into the truck to drive onto the property.

"Alright Jack, it's real now. So watch your shots, and your head. Let's try to get through quiet at first then fast. Maybe we can get in and out before the snipers they probably have set up get us."

"I remember that plan V. We tried that plan last time. It didn't go so well Hermana." Jackie teased, even if he was in game face.

But V couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed even through the biomon dampening everything.

"The garbage chute worked!" She hissed back.

He turned to look at her just as he was about to slide out of the van, having parked in a shadowy corner of the lot where a few other vans were parked out.

Not a good sign, but Jackies look took all of her attention. He didn't say anything. He didn't need to.

"Not a word!" She told him with a glare. Sure leaping into a trash chute hadn't been her greatest plan, but it had worked!

"Heh. You pulled that out of a movie. Still can't believe we survived. I swear I still got bumps on my ass from the landing."

"You landed on me." She reminded him. As they both gathered together at the side of the warehouse checking around to make sure no one was there.

"Yeah, but Hermana, you're all chrome! You broke my ass!"

"I'll break your ass alright choom. Now shut up." She demanded as they moved. Jackie easily fell into lockstep. The two had only been on a few gigs together, but honestly that's all it took. She knew his tells by now. He knew hers.

And she trusted him.

They went into the warehouse unlike the one they were in a half hour ago it was brightly lit, a few men in Kang Tao uniforms or armor hanging around, all of them helmets off relaxing, joking, and drinking from vending machines or office coffee.

Jackie was behind her. So V was the tip. Jackie would cover up the slack. Helmets off? Stupid mistake.

The Kenshin came up first. She charged the shot letting the capacitors reach their limit before firing the first time, then swiveled perfectly on target, body and aim exactly where she wanted it to land. Robotic.

She used to like firing guns. Had been damn good at it. But the Arasaka chrome used a skill chip integration. It wasn't as good in all circumstances, but it could load up a set of moves and perform them perfectly in a blur.

For an operative that was too useful to pass up. Not that she had a choice. Everyone got the standard package after all.

Now it was just targeting, and letting the chrome work. Bodies started dropping, but it took a moment before the Kang Tao noticed. A moment longer than they had, because the second one of them did notice her Shingen came up. The reason she used smart weapons. The skill chipped chrome was good, but unable to adapt.

Smart weapons mitigated that factor. She started firing, Jackie right behind her, His Nue covering her back as she waded in, Flowing from cover firing right over it, and sending Kang Tao guards scurrying into the shadows.

It didn't save them.

She tugged a grenade out of her pocket now that she didn't need the Kenshin and threw it exactly where it needed to bounce into that particular corner. It activated quietly the GASH Anti-Personnel grenade was her favorite. Instead of big loud explosions you had lasers chopping everyone into bits. Ending another threat.

All was silent for a moment after as she scanned the area, her optics counting the corpses confirming all of the people she had seen were now on the floor confirmed dead.

Seemed so. She didn't relax, she could have missed one. "Jackie. Confirm we got all of them maybe, find the package they took back from the boys, but we need to get out of here. No way we didn't set off an alarm."

Jackie walked off, gun raised as he checked his corners, he might be a reckless street merc, but he was still a merc.

She checked the floor as well as starting from the opposite side.

"Hey V, I found it!" Jackie called out, coming back gun at his side and a big metal case held in hand, a sinister grin on his face. "Gonna fuck these guys for the shit they pulled." Jackie practically growled. But V was fighting her own urge. Every inch of her Arasaka Counter-Intel training was telling her to neutralize the non-affiliate his usefulness at it's end and take the case.

She ignored that insanity. Pushing every piece of that thought away.

This was a favor returned. This time Arasaka would just have to buy the info from Padre, like the rest of the world.

Even it if would have been a nice notch in her profile.

She nodded to Jackie no sign of her inner thoughts on her face. Turning around and heading towards the door, it was time to get out of here.

Just as she reached it, her chrome reacted, activating her sandy, which caused the Acrobatics skill shard to force her into a roll towards the nearest cover without any thought from herself. Which meant she vanished just as heavy fire burst through the opened entrance way that would have sprayed her down.

Reinforcements were here. Fuck.

Fuck! That fast? Not possible! This was a fucking drop off spot! Not a hub! Kang Tao couldn't just keep a full company of troops here! Arasaka, Militech, all of the big players wouldn't allow it!

Unless this was the team meant to come by and secure the case they were stealing because it might actually be important.

Fuck.

"Jackie?" She asked after her sandy turned off. The sandy cool down had her huffing and puffing as she instantly felt overheated and sick.

"I'm alright V!" He yelled back from behind a support pole. Good. Shit. She peaked and ducked back letting a few rounds bounce off the wall before sticking a hand over the edge of the wall and firing. Her Shingen held the lock for a few seconds and putting some rounds down got her some cover. She leapt, rolling away from the entrance and gaining actual mobility.

"Ideas V?" Jackie asked, having fired a few rounds himself while she moved.

"See any trash chutes?" She demanded and the laugh that escaped him helped a little. Even if it was the realization they were in deep shit.

She peeked again. No lock engaged at her quick glance, they were behind cover now. Armored and carrying heavy weapons.

"Maybe a back entrance?" Jackie called and V shrugged he had been the one to look back there.

"You see any?"

"Nope!"

"Well that's fucking helpful then isn't it!?" She snapped at Jackie but he just shrugged and then ducked back, going to see what he could find while V held the entrance.

She just sighed, peaking and firing two rounds to scare a few brave Kang Tao back into cover.

They would hold for a while. At least until they had enough men. Or an AV. Fuck Kang Tao AV would definitely be on it's way.

"Anything!?" She called out and Jackie's head peaked out from the back of the warehouse.

"It's all solid back here!" He replied as he then started moving back towards the entrance slipping cover to cover. Dodging a few ringing shots.

Great.

She peeked out, snapped off a few more shots that might have hit, or not. The Kang Tao armor wasn't complete garbage. More than capable of saving them from a couple rounds.

"Got any smart ideas Chica?"

"Bum rush them?" She offered sarcastically. It took a moment to realize Jackie didn't respond back and as she looked over her shoulder the look on his face! He was actually considering it. She reached around and grabbed an old bolt and chucked it at him. "We are not bum rushing them!"

"Owe! Hey I was just considering it. No harm in that right?" He patted his head where she had donked him.

"It's too bad you guys sent away your backup huh." A new voice spoke from inside! She spun her Shingen up searching. Where!?

"Motoko?" Jackies voice caused V to only slightly relax what? The kid?

"Sup Jackie." The voice was suddenly clear and its origin appeared as a hand waved over the edge of the catwalk above them, well out of sight of either of them and from the entrance way. Suddenly a purple head of hair poked over making V realize the girl had been…

Just fucking laying on her back? Directly above her. V realized with a chill. "You want help now?" Then, she was sure just to piss her off there was a crinkle and the girl stuffed a chip in her mouth.

"Hah! You enjoying your break Motoko?"

"Hey don't blame me for letting you guys have all the fun, I try not to interfere in gigs I'm not invited for. Want some?" She offered the bag of chips to Jackie who despite being in a firefight, seemed to delight in the situation and nodded. The kid rolled it up and tossed it over.

"We aren't eating right now! What the fuck Jack! What's the kid doing here!?"

"Don't know! You followed us Motoko?"

"Technically you followed me. I was there when you got the location, remember? I left first. You old guys are slow. But seriously? You want some help? I accept payment in eddies, and fun adventures." She said in a teasing tone, and Jackie just started cracking up.

"Hermanita. If you can help us out a bit I'd love it! You have something in mind?"

"Already breached the gonks' defenses. I'll blind the whole group we mop up and get out of here. They're all talking about an AV coming in to just blow holes in the building until we die. So let's do it quick fast, alright?"

"Fuck."

"Fuck." Jackie and V both uttered together looking at each other and Jackie grinning at the synchronicity of the statement.

"Do it. How long will they be blind?"

"Please. This is my shit." The girl said, suddenly slipping almost off the edge of the catwalk. Revealing she was actually wearing Kang-Tao Armor. "They'll never see again." And with that ominous reveal, the purple haired girl hanging from her knees from the catwalk upside down just turned towards the doors. The open doors that had a full Kang Tao squad outside of.

The squad that she should be in full view of, and she started firing.

"You waiting for me to count down or something chooms?" She asked while still firing, holding a Copperhead of all things. Ugh. A Nokota, and Militech chrome arms? Fuck this girls equipment offended V at every level. Using those shitty corps equipment.

But she put that aside, as Jackie was already moving, running out the door looking to kill the group blocking them from leaving.

So V didn't hesitate. She followed even if it meant she was about to die. Yet, she didn't. As she raced out there were no gun shots. The Kang Tao guards were seemingly trying to shoot, but nothing was happening, and none of them were pointing in the right direction anyways.

They were blind.

She charged, fired her Shingen as fast as she could until it was dry and then holstered it.

Then she leapt and her Mantis blades slipped out. For just a moment V actually felt like herself, as she sliced through gonks that needed to die. This was the one piece of chrome that wasn't controlled by Arasaka chipware, and mandates from the on high, and all sorts of bullshit. Jenkins had okayed her request for them only after she had proven herself reliable.

Now if only she could get Jenkins to allow her to carry her fucking LMG around! Stupid operator pistol bullshit was so fucking boring!

Her poor baby wasn't 'Arasaka' enough for Counter Intel. So she was always stuck with these fucking pea shooters.

But these thoughts were in the back of her head as she ripped and cut through helpless blind Kang Tao guards until the entire blockade at the entrance of their little black site was dead.

It felt good.

Then it was over. And her implants soothed her enjoyment into that morass of just existence.

"Whew! That was pretty lucky hey V?" Jackie asked, smiling in that dopey way as she calmly closed her arms back up. The blood would be cleaned and mess would be cleaned with the internal systems without her input.

"Lucky. Your street kid followed us." She grumbled then jerked as she turned around and the girl was right there. Seemingly having been checking out her blades.

"I was here first. Technically! Since I found the info and arrived first you followed me." She said… Teasing. "I like your mantis blades, always thought about getting a set. My Condor were sort of an emergency buy. I know you are going to say something something Arasaka, but what's your best suggestion for a set?" She asked surprising V but before she could even process Jackie cut in.

"Ladies, before we meet and greet? Let's get out of here before more Kang Tao show up." Jackie begged.

"Oh yeah." The kid said, and then surged away bouncing up and over a Kang Tao Van leaping right over the fence. The sudden movement caused V to jerk a bit nearly trying to shoot at what startled her. She grumbled at the kids sudden moves looking at Jackie for some commiseration.

"That kid…" V started and Jackie chuckled.

"She kind of grew on me too. C'mon. Let's grab this one and delta." Jackie said and only V's desire to not get killed by a combat AV kept her from arguing.

Growing on her? Not even a little!

She shook her head and focused. They still needed to get out of here.

V

It was time to get the fuck out of here. V ran straight towards the first Van Jackie right behind her.

She might make fun of Kang Tao as a corporation, but that didn't mean they wouldn't send enough hardware at her to end her bought and paid for ass.

She slid right through the driver door into the passenger seat Jackie right behind her as he instantly started up the car and started driving. There was a parking garage a few blocks away that they could stash the van call in their own rides and get out of there. Then all of this would be over with and she could go home and get drunk.

Which is why she really wanted to murder her luck as she caught what was happening out of the corner of her optics and reached out and grabbed the wheel from Jackie and spun it moments before they would have even left the warehouse gate. The van spun out Jackie cursed, but they both survived the high caliber rounds, and missiles that shattered where the van had been a moment before.

The feel of the Van knocking around from the impact of the high explosive causing her stomach to flop as it just barely managed to stay on it's four wheels.

They were stopped though. Whether the van was damaged, or just pinned on what was left of the entrance checkpoints little hut was up in the air. She looked around and grimaced. The other vans were now burning wrecks smashed and crumpled from the power of a corporation not playing around anymore.

An AV was here.

"Fuck."

"Shit Hermana. I don't think we are outrunning that." Jackie admitted trying to back up, probably to head back into the warehouse to get some cover, but the van was sputtering, and they weren't moving.

V looked around. They wouldn't make it back inside the warehouse. But there wasn't any other cover. Even the fencing was chainlink. Then suddenly the sky lit up. The sound reached her. Hissing fuel and shrieking air. V looked away, not willing to look at her end. But she noticed that Jackie, who had a second before been looking backwards while trying to reverse the truck, had calmly looked forward at the sound.

A man to the end her Jack. Looking straight at his death, staring it down.

V would remember to tell him that because that wasn't today. The explosion was far enough away V realized she wasn't dying.

A rocket had been fired, but not at the van. As the AV was lining up for a landing probably to disgorge troops, or just block the road while broad siding them. A rocket slammed into it. A horrid rancor of erupted steel and fire echoed out as the AV spun from the blow.

V knew Av's. They were tough fuckers. One rocket wouldn't completely kill it. Maybe mission kill it for a bit, but it wasn't a fucking movie or something, it wouldn't blow up. It should be able to stabilize and reorient, or at least safely control crash.

But the missile had nearly hit the cockpit. It was damaged enough that V was sure it must have jumbled the pilot, chrome or not. It spun and before it could stabilize it slammed into a nearby building.

The horrible noise as it ground itself into the concrete stonework was bad enough.

Then it tilted with a sharp jerk, something catching on the interior of the building and then there was no saving it as it was pointing straight down.

It came loose and smashed down onto the street crushing a car beneath its flaming bulk.

Then there was silence for a minute as she barely breathed just taking in the fact she wasn't dead.

Then the silence was broken.

"I FUCKING KNEW I WOULD NEED THIS SOME DAY! FUCK YOU SAUL!" A yell absolutely blasted from their right and V looked out the window and couldn't help but stare at the kid.

The kid had a fucking Uragan Rocket Launcher!?

Who the fuck gave a teenager a rocket launcher!?

Then much to V's confusion, while she was standing on top of a Black Nomad Quadra 66, arms raised above her head holding the Rocket Launcher between them. The kid was shaking it up and down then she started making a… Honking noise?

"Van is fucked." Jackie interrupted her from the horrified shock at what she was seeing.

"Right we need to go." She said kicking the door open and jumping out. There were plenty of other vans…

Or there had been. Fuck.

The roar of engines as another Kang Tao van turned onto the road obviously driving like mad.

"Shit! C'mon you old folks! Get in the car!" The fucking little brat yelped as she jumped down and tossed the rocket launcher into her open trunk before slamming it shut.

The desire for V to scream about what would happen if that launcher went off while in there was just thrown away because this entire gig was now officially shit show status. She raced around the gate. Jackie puffing along right behind her as he carried the big metal case that was the cause of all the trouble.

"I drive!" V yelled as she raced towards the car but the purple haired girl took the time to turn, give her a single look and then slide into the driver seat.

Fucking little shit!

The car roared to life and for a second V wondered if they were about to be abandoned, but its tires screeched and it spun out flipping it around and revealing the open passenger door towards both of them.

"Run faster!" The kid yelled back and V grit her teeth. A gun shot rang out and then another. "Jackie get in!" She yelled as she hit the side of the car and turned Shingen pulled free and unloading towards the van that was racing at them. As Jackie nearly leapt in she fired until she was dry and then with an internal sigh leapt in landing basically ontop of Jackie.

The moment she was in the wheels squealed, and the Quadra kicked. Racing down the street away from the pursuing vans.

"Oh man you guys! I've been wanting to get in a car chase forever! Jackie! You're my favorite fixer… Don't tell Wakako!" The kid said laughing in delight as she hit an intersection and the Quadra roared as it got some air before continuing its race through the streets.

V and Jackie weren't having such a good time. Jackie was sitting, barely fitting with the case by his feet, V flopped over his lap. Her legs half out the car.

"Jackie grab me."

"Trying Hermana! A bit out of place myself!" He said but his burly arm thankfully grabbed her tight as the street turned a bit and she wasn't flung out of the car like she feared was going to happen.

Then a gun shot thunked into the back of the car.

"Asshole!" The kid yelled angry at the noise. "We have a turn coming up! Get your ass situated!" She yelled at V.

V listened. Reaching up to grab a car handle she flipped, thanked her chrome for giving her incredible flexibility, as she basically turned herself into a ball and spun around. Now her legs were in the girls space. But Jackie could hold her easier, and V could actually do something. She reloaded her Shingen as Jackie just sighed at her. Probably irritated, he had to grab her around her chest.

Grow up Jackie you gonk these puppies were fucking preem chrome. Chest sticking out of the car. She aimed and started firing at the van that was following her.

"Trying to drive with your stupid corpo shoes in my face here." The kid yelled and V ignored her as she kept firing.

Kid was obviously competent enough she'd live.

"Jackie hold on! I'm drifting!" The kid warned and Jackied clamped down on V which was one part of the warning because a moment later they were suddenly going sideways.

"Ahhhh!" V Screamed. She couldn't help it. Her face was very very close to that light pole, and the street and they were going sideways! Cars don't go sideways!

The massive bark of a Burya had her jerk her eyes away from her imminent death to the inside of the car where the kid was actually.

Okay fine. That was maybe slightly preem. The kid was drifting the car while shooting a handgun that she should not be able to handle with her left hand.

Then they were straight and the kid returned the gun to her holster a moment later. "I missed the driver. Bet I spooked him though… Jackie Grenade! Red top." She demanded holding out her left hand as she continued driving with her right, eyes locked on the street.

"Sorry Hermanita. Hands are a bit full here."

"Fuck off Jack! Where are the grenades?" V Demanded, she would punch Jackie for that joke another time, just cause he had his hands on her tits. That wasn't funny!

Maybe a little funny.

Maybe just some teasing at Lizzies later.

"Under the seat. C'mon hurry it up!" The kid demanded, and V rolled her eyes leaning into the car and digging around under the seat which was pretty awkward. Jackie better not make a joke with her digging around his crotch.

"What the fuck are these?" She asked, looking at the very much non-standard grenades.

"Red top!"

V found one and handed it over. She had thought about using them herself, but she didn't recognize the brand. "Where did you even get these things?"

"Made them!"

"Jackie jump out of the car with me." V said instantly. Sitting on a box of homemade grenades while in a car chase was not how she wanted to die.

"Oh fuck off." The kid snappedback, then with one hand popped the tab, spun the timer on the top and then released.

"Kid…"

"One sec."

"KID!"

"One Cooking Potato…" The cook offered back and V literally thought she was about to die as the kid just held the ticking fucking grenade.

Then she dropped it out the side of the car.

A second later it exploded and the Quadra barely even rumbled…

"We're alive?" Jackie asked. And V looked to him. The gonk literally had his eyes closed.

"I made those timers myself!"

"That's why we're worried!" V snapped back but then it got quiet.

"The Van?"

"Took out the tires. They are losing us. I've been running them around this industrial park, gonna get onto the freeway and we'll be long gone. Would you two sort yourself out? You're embarrassing me." The kid joked flashing a grin despite her eyes never leaving the road.

"Where did you find this kid Jack?"

"She sorta found me to be honest Hermana." Jackie said with a shrug. V finally just decided to fuck it and relaxed went limp as she flopped on Jackie for a minute.

"Jackie, this was a total shit show."

"Sorta like the border yeah?"

"Jackie, I've told you. You aren't allowed to make reasonable points to me, when I'm angry." She denied him.

"You two are great!" The kid offered and V seriously considered just kicking her.

Nah. She'd probably be the one to die in the accident not the kid who was wearing her fucking seatbelt.

Who did that?

When they finally stopped it was by unanimous consensus. The kid had just pulled them off the freeway in Heywood. Found the first parking lot and basically just slid into a spot.

V was so done with tonight. Despite the camaraderie filling a piece of her she knew she would have to smother again come morning she had not exactly enjoyed the shitshow. She oozed off of Jackie the only way she could actually get out of the car as she finally got free. Ignoring the mess on her hands as she had to pull herself free by crawling out fo the car.

She rose, flicking her hands to remove the worst and shifted her shoulders and back her suit adjusting back to how it should be. Good. She didn't look like she had just gone through hell.

Jackie took a bit longer. Untangling himself from the big case they stole. The box of grenades, and just the awkward angle he had been sitting. He got free and stumbled a few steps as he stretched and groaned.

The kid popped out the driver side and rested both arms on the top of the roof seemingly just watching.

"Okay now that I can feel my-well there are ladies present. I'm going to call Padre." Jackie said cutting him off as he realized he was the lone guy present. Fuckin' Jackie. Always telling a joke to break the tension.

"You do that Jack." V said as she looked around. Just a bunch of shops and kiosks. Shame she could use a smoke right now. So instead she focused on the stray. V was a meticulous woman. Had to be to last in counter intel.

Netrunning. Shooting. Driving. Heavy weapon on hand. Stealth. That last one was probably the one that as she made a thought of it caused her eyes to narrow.

The kid had been right above her. Literally laying a few feet above her without a care during an intense firefight. She hadn't even known she was there. She had searched that warehouse. Her eyes were high end Arasaka optics meant for intel gathering.

They hadn't even noticed her.

"You're all glary right now." The kid offered back with a smirk.

"You were laying above me on the catwalk."

"Heh! Yeah that was funny. You should have seen your face when I spoke up. You whipped around like a freaked out cat."

"People don't sneak up on me."

She shrugged without a care. "I'm an infiltrator. It's my specialty… Wait, should I be telling you this? Eh. Hiromi's parents are with Arasaka too. So I guess it's fine." She added talking more to herself than anything.

Hiromi?

A few seconds of searching, and she got it.

Hiromi Mitsunashi. Only child of Keiko and Albert Mitsunashi. They were unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but they had known about the girl?

She did a quick check, and yes. She wouldn't have to have a firm conversation with them. They had updated the Flathead project with information gathered from a contact and even marked it appropriately. But had marked it questionable, which meant it wasn't flagged in the system directly to intel to look into.

A fourteen year old had gotten info on the Militech Flathead? Bullshit. Absolute bullshit. Militech were acting like mother bears about that project. Nothing had come out yet. V had been on the taskforce trying to steal the plans.

Twice.

"Who the hell are you?"

The girl blinked at the question before seeming to smirk as her head disappeared and a moment later she had leapt onto the top of her car.

"Glorious Infiltrator Motoko Kusanagi! Netrunner and all around amazing person!"

Then she struck a pose. Hand on her hip which was cocked out and making a V with her fingers over one eye.

V really wanted to shoot her.

"Yeah! You tell them hermanita!" Jackie called out as he finally walked back looking pleased and Motoko seemed to take the attention to heart and puffed up even more.

Why was V dealing these idiots? Why was she wasting her time working with a fucking washed up merc that couldn't ever seem to get himself out of small time, without everything going to shit, and a now a teenage wonder that V desperately wanted to either put a few hundreds bullets into. Or drag back to Counter Intel.

As an experiment or the future super thief she wasn't sure which yet.

So why wasn't she?

"C'mon Hermana! Padre promised a lot of eddies for all the trouble! Rounds on me at the bar tonight!" He said dropping an arm over her shoulder, and pulling V into his bulk in a side hug. The first gentle touch not gained from joytoys or people literally trying to honey trap her in…

Oh right. She was a lonely friendless gonk, and Jack was literally the only person in the city she could put any trust in without being burned.

"Fuck it, fine. But you are gonna pay for that Jack."

"Hehe. Go a little easy on me choom."

"Fuck no."

—--

Half an hour later everyone pulled into Lizzies.

V's bike had showed up. Jackie just decided to stick with the kid. A runner for Padre had come around and taken the case, freeing them of that concern.

"I still can't believe you both come to Lizzies! I've never seen you here… I mean I don't come here to drink, so that's probably part of it." The girl blathered as soon as V stepped off her bike.

"We usually hang out in the private booths Hermana."

"That must be it. Hey Rita!" The little gonk ran off to Rita fucking Wheeler with a hand over her head waving like a kid. Ignoring the line ran right up and to V's surprise didn't get a bat to the face, instead Rita nodded her head inside without a seconds thought. But the kid didn't just disappear, instead throwing a finger to V and Jackie.

If V wasn't who she was, she would have missed it. But like Arasaka wouldn't put in listening devices into a Counter Intel agent.

"Rita these are my chooms, we just did this massive gig! We're here to party! Should we get in line? They're here to drink. I'm never sure of the rules of that kind of thing."

Wheeler looked over the kid then Jackie and V before just letting out a chuckle. "Heh. It's fine Motoko. Take your chooms in. I recognize Welles, and his stiff bitch corpo. Neither will cause trouble. Or else." She said looking up the last part of the sentence they had been close enough to catch.

"Rita you're the best!"

"Well you owe me one. I want a private rendition of that song of yours." Rita said teasing smile going wide as the kid gasped

"How did you-Judy squealed!"

"Of course she did! She came up the other day legs shaking and needed an actual drink. You okay kid? Judy said it was pretty brutal." She asked the kid who looked a little nervous about something.

"Ah…" Motoko made a noise before coming together, clearing her throat and straightening up. "I'm good Rita. That was more of a forced experience. I finished the song and it was so brutal and heavy I wanted to… set the scene? Just… don't watch it! It's not good! Yeah you should totally not watch it!" The girl rambled on but the fucks waiting outside were making noise and Rita was forced to focus on them.

"Fuck off! They're allowed! Go on Motoko we'll talk later. Remember what I said! You owe me!"

"Never!" The kid called out behind her as she slipped inside and rejoined them. So the kid had Mox connections too.

V shook it off. She wasn't here for intel.

She was here to get fucking drunk and forget all the trouble she would be in come the morning, when Jenkins found out what she had been up to. He would cover for her. He always did. She was too useful not to. But he was still going to grill her ass and probably have her do scop work for weeks.

They passed through the bar and grabbed one of the circular private booths along the edge of the bar. Settling in.

"I'll get us some drinks then! V the usual? 'Toko what are you drinking tonight?"

"Oh I'll just get a soda Jackie. I don't drink."

"Fuck that." V said, slapping the table and pointing. "You fought beside us. We survived, we celebrate. Grab her something fruity Jack. But she's gonna drink it."

"I don't drink V." The kid responded back flatly. No give at all.

V actually felt impressed, most teens would have folded with just that.

"You can't toast a new friendship with just soda Hermanita." Jackie said having not run off just yet. He reached over and patted the kid on the shoulder. "I'll bring something, and if you don't drink it you don't. But you should at least for the toast!"

"Ugh you drunks! It's just alcohol! It has no actual meaning!" She hissed back, but Jackie was just laughing.

"Stubborn kid aren't you?"

"Can be!" She settled into the wide booth as V took her own spot and finally relaxed. No one was coming to kill her here. Jackies crazy gig was done with, and everything was just… Quiet.

Until the girl started humming along to the pop song that was playing above them.

"Like the song or something?" She asked half trying to point out that it was annoying and half teasing.

Fuck Jackie had been right. She had sorta grown on her… Probably right around the time she had drifted them through that intersection.

V could respect a preem line like that.

"Huh? What? Oh! The humming. Not really! It's kinda shit to be honest. Bad habit I picked up. I tend to sing along to stuff now." She mentions and just laughs at herself. "This stuff isn't my thing. I like Samurai and that sort of stuff."

V sat up a bit. "Chippin 'In." V said instantly, and the girl scoffed.

"Never Fade Away! Obviously!"

"Never is good, but Chippin 'In is the song that speaks best!" V argued pounding a fist into the table.

"Says the borg. Never Fade Away is the best. It does the best job representing human spirit! Never stopping!"

"It's barely even a Samurai song! Silverhand wrote it when he went solo, and just integrated it into the band when he came back for their reunion tour!"

"Oh no the band only played it together on stage during their all come together tour. Are you going to say Black Dog doesn't count too?" The kid hissed back.

"Hey Black Dog even existing is a fucking miracle! Everyone gives it leeway!" V retorted back. That song had almost been completely lost when the one copy of it had gone to shit after the Arasaka tower bombing.

"Besides, Never Fade Away was shit as a Johnny Solo song. It took Kerry on Guitar to actually make it work." She offered and V damn near leapt out of her seat.

"You take that shit back! Without Silverhand Kerry wouldn't be shit!"

"Oooh. Feisty. We got a Silverhand Fangirl? Really?" The kid seemed absolutely thrilled at this little piece of knowledge.

Thanking her hormonal control implant V just scoffed instead of sputtered. "No. I just know the truth. There's a reason that for all his fame and fortune and plat albums and shit, Eurodyne doesn't have the cultural impact Silverhand had.

"Eurodyne is the better musician."

V had to stop herself from popping her blades at the audacity of this bitch!

Then she realized.

She was having fun. When was the last time she got to talk music with someone? Enjoyed getting into an argument about her favorite band?

What was she even doing with her life? When having a conversation with a teenager made her feel this invigorated…

She flopped back into the couch, the fight going out of her. She really needed that drink. The intrusive thoughts were getting to her.

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