Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Driving my newly painted black Quadra Type-66 was nice. The fact the city was almost shockingly quiet meant I couldnt enjoy it.

I had already made a few texts. Hiromi was bunkering down with her parents. Apparently school was canceled until the state of emergency was over.

Ichi said he would be working for Shobo, running supplies. He had even asked if I wanted to join him.

I hadnt answered back yet.

Because JunN0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.

Normally with something like this I would have settled into the apartment and just ignored it. As bad as it was going to be, I wasnt a member of the Tyger Claws. I wasnt a member of the Maelstrom. Their gang war had very little to do with me directly.

But Jun would be out there. Somewhere. Alone. Probably throwing himself into murdering Maelstrom.

The temptation to join with Ichi, to maybe run into Jun on Ichis resupply runs

It was tempting.

So as I drove home I made a call. The same call I made every day, in hopes I would get an answer.

Like always the call wasnt answered.

Fine. I would just have to join Ichi and run around the city in the middle of a gang war to find my idiot brother! That would show him!

I was practically gnashing my teeth as I pulled into the parking garage. Taking up my space Juns space. No, what should be our space, but wasnt.

Stupid Jun!

I stomped into the apartment suiting up in my new Edgerunner outfit. Every bit the Motoko Kusanagi that I wanted to be. I loaded up, grabbing what weapons I thought I would need. I loaded up the Tactician I had grabbed from the kids so long ago, really annoyed that I had passed on the Satara that I had let Ichi have. I could have used a Tech Shotgun right now.

Stupid Maelstrom. Stupid metal faces.

I was just about to give Ichi a call to let him know I was on my way when someone called me.

*Ringing*

I blinked, almost dropping my Tactician.

*Jun!*

*Motoko.*

Jun had actually called me!

*Jun! Where have you been! What have you been doing!? Are you okay? I have a car now! If you need me to pick you up just tell me! Do you need rescuing?! Tell me what Strom I have to go flatline and Ill be there in a few minutes!* I rambled a bit at him.

*Motoko. Enough. I want you to stay home tonight. Lock the door. Dont leave until I tell you.*

*Wha, Jun! I know its going to be crazy tonight, but Im worried about you! I havent heard from you in Forever!*

*Ive been busy Motoko. Now promise me you will stay home.*

*No! Not unless you promise me you will actually come home! Jun! Yo-*

*Motoko! I dont have time to baby you! Get in the apartment and dont leave! Do as I say!* He yelled, although the audio wasnt actually verbal so it couldnt really get that loud.

But I got it loud and clear. Jun just snapped at me.

*Jun?*

*Do it Motoko. I have to go.*

*Wait! Jun!* I called out but the call was over.

What the fuck. I cursed as I looked around my brain seemingly unable to process for a moment. The desire to slam a phone on the hook filled me, but was unfortunately impossible. Stupid future where was a century old landline when you need one?

I finally heard from Jun only for him to basically tell me to stay out of it? Well obviously I didnt want to get involved in this shit, but Jun was being stupid!

I picked up my shotgun glaring at the Tactician for a moment before breathing out a breath letting the frustration go with it.

Jun was still alive. Obviously he wanted me to be safe I just wanted him to be safe too.

I put the shotgun on the dining room table. Having to push aside all the junk I had been tinkering with.

Fine. I would stay home tonight. For now. But I would be keeping an ear to the ground just in case.

*Ringing*

*Hey Ichi, I cant go tonight. Jun wants me to stay home, but do me a favor. Send me some updates throughout the night. If you need help, or something crazy starts happening let me know?*

*... Yeah. Alright. Ill call you if we need an extra gun. Stay safe Motoko. Everyone is saying its gonna get crazy for a while.*

*You too Ichi. Youll need it more than me tonight.*

---

Angry tinkering followed. I took apart my Carnage and with the knowledge I had from Gun Nut, and a lot of extra scrap now lying around the house

Okay so maybe it was a good thing Jun wasnt home.

I basically started fixing the parts on the gun that often had problems. The cocking handle got stuck because they put a plastic doohickey inside a shotgun designed to be as unsmooth as possible.

So I took it out and basically made my own. Using a bit of scrap metal and a hand held cutting torch that was in the tool box I cut out a new part. So I had to fabricate a copy of the doohickey that kept the shotguns pump handle from just falling out of alignment and letting you actually pump the shotgun.

After a few minutes of struggling to get it right, I managed to replace the plastic piece.

With that while pumping the shotgun still felt like I was fighting an angry squirrel, but it would keep working for a lot longer without just breaking down. As the plastic had a tendency to just shatter with the forces the Carnage put itself under.

Technical Attribute XP had been flowing in, as I basically just went to a weak point in the carnage and just Fixed it. My anger crafting actually worked out as when I finished installing the part I got the alert.

*Technical Attribute Leveled up!*

I blinked as I took in the new information. I looked at the toolbox. The toolbox that had tools that I hadnt used because I had no idea what they were.

Still didn't know what all of them were, but I knew a little more now. Enough to know that I had a better solution than what I had just done.

Angry repair shop ladys toolbox had been my source of fixing stuff so far, but I realized she really hadnt screwed me over as much as I had thought.

Well I didnt know the price of the tools yet, but I knew how useful some of them were. One was literally a miniature 3d printer of sorts.

Except it could print metal.

Put something that wasnt absolute top of the line metals into the hopper, it would break down the metal and then print out whatever design you needed

That had potential!

I picked up the device that was about as big as a loaf of bread and settled it flat onto the table.

Pulling out my connector port and hooked it in, and within a few moments thanks to my Kiroshi I was able to basically upload a schematic of the doohickey I needed. I didnt have to think about dimensions, or tolerances. As the Kiroshis scan of the plastic version handled almost all of that, with a bit of my own knowledge adjusting it, until I had the schematic of the doohickey I needed.

I put in a bit of steel into the hopper, and watched as the device quickly began producing the part I needed.

Future tech!

No. I tell his back as he moves to walk out of the apartment only to stop. I wont stop trying to reach you. To try and make you stop. This isnt you Jun, this doesnt have to be you!

His fists clenched as he turned on me. You always get in the way!

Good! I will always get in the way of you trying to kill yourself! You think you are doing this for your friend? Or to avenge them? You arent. This is suicide! Suicide by Maelstrom! I wont sit here and let you die!

I wont die. Not before I kill them. He answered and I could tell he was actually trying to sound cool.

Fuckin gonk, what kind of edgelord bullshit is that!? I screamed at him but he didnt stop and left the apartment. I chased after him. No way was I letting this end here.

He was fast though. Stupid cyber legged idiot. I caught him outside as he climbed onto his bike.

Jun!

Goodbye Motoko. He said before the engine of his bike started up, and even as I chased after trying to leap onto his bike so he couldnt escape he was gone. Driving down the road. Away from me.

IDIOT! I screamed as I did my best to chase after him, but as I hit the road I had to leap back onto the sidewalk to dodge a van that was speeding down the street.

By the time I turned back to Jun he was gone.

Fuck.

--

I was back upstairs not long after. Loading everything I would need.

Why the hell would I let Jun race off into the sunset knowing he is going to suicide by Maelstrom Borg? It wasnt going to be easy tracking him down, but I had wheels and I could follow the gunshots. I would keep hitting every firefight between Tyger Claws and Strom until I found him.

Even if I had to murder every Strom in the city first

Something about that twigged at my mind, something about that thought was hypocritical, but I shook it away. Save idiot Jun first.

I cocked my Carnage, the action much smoother than it had been before I went to work on it. Loaded and ready I put it to the side, already I had a bag full of weapons and gear I was going to bring with me.

And a lot of ammo.

I shouldered the large bag now full of weapons, I had found hidden away in my closet and after removing the weird Tyger Claw swag I had a good enough gun bag.

Then I took it downstairs across the street and into the parking garage.

I loaded it all up in the passenger seat of my ride, Alright Motoko. Go get suited up and lets rescue Jun. I whispered to myself patting my casual clothes clear of the dust and grime they had accumulated from all my tinkering.

I took two steps to do that when I bonked my head. Idiot. I forgot the meds! I had already been low after my desert adventure and I had bought some more in the following days. But I needed to load up more than just the emergency inhaler that was in my strap on pockets.

I was about to go on a roaring rampage of revenge! Err. I mean Justice! A rampage of justice!

Yeah!

I was definitely going to get hurt hunting Jun and killing Strom.

I would need to load that up first, then suit up. I walked out of the garage considering if there was anything else I wanted to bring along. I already had most of my stuff stuffed into my car. So I was probably just overthinking it.

As I moved to cross the street I felt it. A warning sign. Danger sense. Someone was about to spot me?

I looked around but it wasnt until I looked back towards the road I realized what danger I was in.

Maelstrom. A large Maelstrom truck roared down the street along with two bikers as they raced down. I backed up but realized instantly that I was in trouble.

They were looking at me. They were coming for me.

I drew my Unity, the only weapon I had on hand, and started firing. Four rounds into the trucks driver side window didnt get me anything, but the bikers were more affected as I watched rounds bounce off their body, but one went through one of the bikers leg in a burst of blood.

He didnt lose control but he definitely slowed down after that.

Then the other biker was on me. A pipe in his hand swung from his motorcycle, I leapt to the side rolling away from him as his tires squealed as he turned.

This was bad. I turned and ran back towards the garage. They would catch up if I went through the entrance. So I looked up.

Parkour guided me, clambering up an advertisement then leaping to the second floor of the building, starting to climb up when a roar echoed out, the concrete above it exploding sending shrapnel into my face.

And I was falling. I crashed into the concrete below, just managing to roll as I hit the ground.

Did Cat-like just save my life? I think it did. I love Cat-like. Cat-like is love.

I came back up ready to fight my hand reaching for a weapon only for nothing to be there.

Not because of a lack of weapons. My Unity was back in my holster. I could feel it.

But because of a lack of hand.

My hand was gone.

Where was my hand? There was nothing but bloody gristle and Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. I felt Cool rush through me, icing my veins and calming my freakout. My hand! I needed that. I did all my stuff with my hand! Coolness flushed even that thought away. Calming and centering me.

But it still took me a moment.

I was so thrown for that moment, that I slowed just enough that the biker caught me. I raised my hands My arms. Just in time blocking the pipe with my forearm, and giving me a nasty crunch that sent a shock of pain up my arms as I crashed and rolled across the cement again.

Before I could get up I was pinned. Bloody leg borg grabbed my hair and smashed me into the concrete.

Ow.

Unfortunately for him. I still had a hand! Just the one, but it was enough!

He raised me up and I slipped my knife below his armpit. I was right. He might have subdermal armor, but he didnt have it everywhere.

He didnt have the armor covering his armpit. Which was really stupid. That is a nasty place to get stabbed. I twisted and pulled a jet of white borg blood shooting out as I did. He immediately howled and started bashing my face into the concrete.

Ow. Ow. Ow.

I could feel myself blacking out as he continued to batter me for a moment before he suddenly grew weak and fell over.

*1000 XP Gained.*

Ah good. He died.

I coughed a bit, blood splattering the concrete as I tried to push myself up, only to find out it really hurts when you push a bloody stump into the ground. It knocked the wind out of me for a moment even through Cold Blood, as I fell back down.

Damn. She got Sixstroke. Fuckin more dangerous than I thought, this her?

Yeah definitely the Onis family. Sister I think. I saw them together this morning while I was tailing the Oni.

Well stop her from bleeding out and load her up. Dont want the claws to show up do we?

You got it. He chuckled as I felt hands hold me down, and a nasty piece of cloth was wrapped around my forearm.

Wait. Hold her down. I dont want any more trouble. The voice called back and a moment later I felt like a full grown borg was pressing down on me holding me still as I moaned a bit out of my battered face.

Then something flashed.

Oh.

I guess I will need a hand from now on. Because I was out of them.