Edgerunners2077

David: 19

[Netwatch: is a worldwide Net policing organization full of specialized Netrunners patrolling the Net for illegal activity]

District: Kabuki, Watson 

The roaring from the siren felt as if someone was pouring hot liquid down my ears. The sound rattles at my brain, only egging on the rage burning inside me. I have to keep my fists clenched tightly as we run across the open field, or else my fidgety ass would have done something really fucking stupid. Like open fire and waste all my ammo or worse. What I truly fear is much, much worse.  

The three of us hadn't been spotted yet but the entire base was on high alert, even the two Zetatech Bots were skimming and searching the yard for intruders. The Netrunner, who I figure out is named Reyna, is panting so hard you would have thought we ran a marathon. Somewhere between her heavy breathing and involuntary shaking, she begins to cry with full on streams running down her cheeks. 

V tries to bring her back to Earth, coaxing her with soothing words as she did for me upstairs, but this girl is stuck in a state of panic. Between being blinded by trauma and immobilized by fear, Reyna was a ticking time bomb and any second she was ready to explode. 

I, on the other hand, had no room to speak. I pommeled two men to death and almost shot her and myself while I was at it. All of our emotions were running high, and I wouldn't be surprised if we all fucking lost it. 

I crane my neck at the sound of footsteps stomping around crunching dirt, the noise coming from the front of the building. A load of armed Scavengers came to snatch our heads along with all our implants, they block off all exits with hefty grey trucks, Militech Behemoths. Those damn machines were made to transport weapons, but I know these sick fucks were using them for their own filthy gains. One by one, the trucks line up and park into a makeshift barricade.  

There goes our fucking exit!

 We are surrounded on all sides, Scavs on one end, Bots on the other. Guns on both sides scouring up and down the lot for blood to spill. Our blood. 

"V, how are we getting out of this?" I give voice to our dilemma. 

She shakes her head, her face straight and her eyes distant. I've never seen V look so far away before. As if she was staring right through me, lost in a train of thought. "I.... I dunno," She answers in a distracted mumble.

"You don't know?" Reyna gaps incredulously. Now she's got some balls! Just moments ago, she was so scared she was shaking like a leaf. "You said you two were the best mercs in town! Said you'd take me back to Little China pronto!" 

"Quit it!" I snap. "Unless you're going to volunteer some quickhacks to aide us, Netrunner, I suggest you zip it." 

Anxious or not, I didn't care for the way she was snapping at V. I couldn't control how quickly I came to her defense either, instead I came off as a snarling guard dog baring its teeth. God, am I really going psycho? If I end up loving the things I hate and hating the things the love, who will I become?

Not the kid from Santo, skipping class at Arasaka Tech; or the noob freshly join Maine's crew. I was becoming someone else entirely. The kind of guy who defends danger in the face of innocence and beats the fuck out of gonks with my bare hands. 

Reyna's tears return as she shakes her head. "I specialist in deep dives. Netwatch didn't train me for field work. I need to be submerged in a tub full of ice for me to help."

"Wait," My gears start turning. "You work for Netwatch?!" 

The girl could have sneezed wrong and Netwatch agents should pulled up to see what was going on. The Scavs must have blocked the transmitter somehow, people who work for Netwatch have that premier health care. Full coverage Trauma Team.