Cyberpunk 2071: Never Fade Away

5 - Trauma

"..." : Speech
'...' : Thoughts
(...) : Translation
<[***]> :Scene Change

<[***]>

"Axel we... We are alone."

Neither of them moved a muscle. Both staring at each other with absolute horror plastered on both their faces. They heard a metallic clanging noise and saw a grenade drop in front of them. Axel's eyes widened as he looked at the grenade, he was sure would kill him. Y/n had different plans, and with the use of his sandevistan reached the grenade and tossed it over the car and back at the Militech agents.

The sandevistan deactivated and Y/n sat next to Axel as the grenade exploded. They heard the sound of several soldiers screaming as they flew off the ground. A good start but three or four less enemies wasn't going to save them.

"This is it..."

Y/n looked at his little brother, who was staring at the ground desolated. What had he done to deserve this? He had warned him this gig was sketchy. He hadn't wanted to do it to begin with. If they actually died it would be on him, and the idea of Axel's death on his conscious for even a second was enough to push him off his ass and get to work.

"Kid, look at me!"

Axel was entirely unresponsive. Y/n grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him.

"Look at me!"

Axel snapped out of it, breathing heavily but paying his full attention to Y/n.

"We are making it out of here! I've got a plan. We need to hold on until Arasaka gets here and then..."

"And then they will kill us all!"

"Shut up and listen! The Arasaka goons and these Militech idiots will be at each other's throats the second they arrive. When that happens. We are going to make a run for it on one of these rides!"

Axel stared blankly at him and then shook his head.

"The Arasaka car is locked with biometric scans and we flatlined the driver. And our own whip is fucking busted."

"Then fix it! You got until those AVs make it here!"

"How?!"

"I don't know! You are the mechanical genius. Steal from the other rides, power it up however you can just get it done!"

Axel's head snapped towards the truck, it still had power. Then at the laser rifle, still connected to the car's battery, it had long enough cables. His face changed immediately. Where there once was a scared little boy now stood a determined young man. He rushed to the laser rifle and got rid of it except for the battery.

"I'll get it ready you just cover me until then!"

"That's it! Let's get this done!"

Y/n reached for his SMG and peeping over the car's hood shoot back at the Militech goons. They were prepared for him however and hiding behind their riot shields they shot back. Bullets grazing him and ricocheting of the car. The odds were against him but that by itself was nothing new. Once he broke down the issue into parts it was just like any other gig. He was pinned down, he shot back. He had to get out of there, he secured an exit route. Reinforcements were coming, he created a distraction and ran for it.

He hid behind the car once more after landing a good shot on a Militech soldiers' forehead. An impressive shot but the soldier had been replaced before his body hit the ground. He looked up at Axel still dealing with the car battery.

"You got it yet?!"

"The battery is back in place! Just gotta jump start it. I need one more minute!"

Y/n was about to reply they didn't have another minute when he was interrupted by the motor of the first Arasaka AV to reach them. It zoomed past their heads reminding them how dire the situation was. Y/n looked at the remaining AVs, they were upon them and aiming their machine guns straight at them.