Edgerunners2077

V:20

District: Kabuki, Watson

I would rather have taken another bullet to the skull and tossed back inside that God forsaken junkyard than end up zeroed by the likes of these Rats! Selfish as it was, I wasn't dying here. Not on their turf where they prob the living and repurpose the dead.

The shit I'd seen on their Meta network was enough to make me sick to my stomach. If it weren't for David almost going psycho upstairs, they would have found me heaving in a puddle of my own vomit. These people were sick, so sick that I don't mind killing every single one of these bastards for free.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

I gave David my rifle with the silencer. Why? I dunno okay? Johnny had ripped me a new one when I handed the gun over. I can't explain it, but my mind went back to Konpeki Plaza, and I saw Jackie's face. I can't fathom seeing David end up dead in the back of a Delamain like Jackie. Not because of me, and certainly not because of these sick pieces of shit!

Bang. Bang. Bang.

One down drone, and four head shots. The streets full of stranglers before were suddenly vacant, emptied out from the sound of gun violence. I look back once to check on the Netrunner's location and the bitch is gone. Gone, where? No fucking clue, but that skinny girl up and ditched the spot I left her in. FUCK! I have two Scavs to go before the coast is clear on my side. She couldn't have just waited until I emptied out one more clip?! Cursing, I search left and right, and end up right back with what I started, nothing. How could she dance right out of sight, not just mine but the enemy's, has me perplexed as hell.

My ears perk to commotion on the other side. I lean back and see the Scavengers on David's side advancing while the gonk is playing hide-and-seek behind the freights. I was about to say something to him over the Holo when a Scav with a large rapid-fire iron gets into view. Light machine gun, heavy in weight and stacked with its own arsenal of bullets. Double Fuck! Just how much influence did this Faraday guy have? Not only do the Scavs have Zetatech but now they are sporting military-grade Defender too?

Gritting my teeth, I press forward to annihilate my side of Scavvys so I can then loop around and help David with his. Reloading my pistols slowly, I count out the bullets. 42 rounds left in total. GREAT. Although I do still have my cyberware, and a few tricks up my sleeve. I might be running out of bullets, but I'm never out of ammo.

I dodge a stray that ricochets off the side of a container, it nearly brushes against my leg. I can hear Johnny curse from on top of the crate, physically unaffected as the bullets fly around his non-corporeal form.

Johnny: You know what I see, V? The end of the fucking line. Two more dickheads and we're home free.

He is even more delusional than I am. To make matters worse, the bastard is lighting a cigarette casually as I'm weaving and ducking to save our lives. My live one and his dead, sorry excuse for an engram one.

V: Not exactly. We still got the ones on the other side. We're not leaving David.

Johnny: Here we go. David, this. David, that. The guy has given you blue balls more times than I can count.

I smirk at this and flick him the bird.

V: Ladies don't get blue balls, Johnny.

Johnny: You know what I fucking mean.

I do. David has pushed me away in more ways than one, but I can't help but gravitate towards the gonk, and with every wire and bone in my body I feel a strong need to protect him. 'We're picking up where we left off.' That's what he said. Did he mean.... Totentanz? My heart begins to thump. Why would he say that? What happened to blaming it on the Glitter?