I jogged into the apartment after hitting the gym.

Unfortunately while I got a few body XP alerts while pumping iron. I didn’t get anything for an hour of using the punching bag. I think I was running into the end of the diminishing returns for that particular grind.

The idea of finding a fighting pit was getting more and more tempting…

I shook that off and decided to check my stats.

Motoko KusanagiLevel 2

Body 5-Athletics 5-Street Brawler 3

Reflex 3-Blades 2-Handguns 3-Assault 2-Driving 2

Intelligence 2-Breach Protocol 2-Quick Hacks 2

Cool 2-Ninjutsu 2-Cold Blood 2

Technical attribute 1

Stat point.2 Skill point.

Perks.Ambidextrous Blades 2Quickdraw Handguns 2Gun Nut Assault 2Parkour Athletics 2Grappling Street Brawler 2Drive By Driver 2Cat-like Athletics 5Cool Nerves Cold Blood 2Danger Sense Ninjutstu 2Wall Breaking Breach Protocol 2Cyber Security Quick Hack 2

That Technical attribute was looking real low… But I also knew that it was going to be an expensive stat to train. I didn’t have a lot of junk stuff I could mess with, and without a car it’s not like I could drive out to the dump to grab scrap.

So I pushed it to the side for now. Soon. Very soon I would set some time down to do some crafting. Cause crafting is broken.

Instead I refocused on my other stats Body was high because it was easy to just exercise.

Reflex was high-ish, but mostly because It had a lot of skills. But it was also not moving a lot.

Intelligence was the same, but it had less skills… So far. Although I had noticed it would pop when I had studied the Netrunner guide. So studying would help… that felt really boring though.

Cool. I shivered the only time it went up was when I killed. I wasn’t sure what it’s deal was. But I had a way of grinding it. I just refused to do it.

For now.

Then there at the bottom I saw something I had been pretending didn’t exist.

Stat and Skill points.

I could level a stat and skill twice. They were just sitting there. My initial thought was to balance out my skills, but that was a trap. Specialization at low levels, jack of all trades at the end.

“I could level Cool.” I told myself. The idea of increasing my stealth was… Appealing. It was one of the biggest force multipliers I had. Don’t have to worry about getting shot if they never knew you were there.

But was it the right choice? Intelligence might be better. It was… hard to level in a way. More time intensive at least. And I could upgrade my Netrunning. That appealing future where I walk into a group of enemies and they kill themselves without me having to lift a finger was tempting.

Or I could increase my Reflex. Since I had so many skills under that stat it would give me a lot to grind. Not that I wasn’t already able to grind most of it.

“Ughhhh.” I groaned as I rolled over and put my head into a couch cushion and groaned as loud as I could.

“I’ve always been terrible about deciding.” I reminded myself. Hoarding items or stat points in games until long after I should.

I shook it off. I shouldn’t be getting lost in my own head. “I have lots of things to keep grinding.” I reminded myself even if my XP was slowing down.

“I need a job. Something to get me out of my head.” I spoke up to the empty room. I think I was past the point of hiding in my apartment and grinding basic skills. I think it was time to start acting like a real Street Kid.

I sent a message to Wakako, and Ichi.

*Got any Gigs lined up?*

Then I rose up and started doing some Knife training. I probably won’t get much from it, but I wasn’t going to sit around doing nothing.

—--

An hour later I got a message from Ichi, saying he had nothing currently.

Then I got a response from Wakako about a Gig. I had practically cheered jumping up and down for a moment in the apartment, as I rushed to get dressed in my gear before I checked the message and deflated.

It was a courier run.

I sighed. Slapped my cheeks a bit to focus myself, and stepped out of the apartment.

A gig is a gig. I needed to prove myself still. I was only a kid. Not every job is going to be about sneaking into a Tino chopshop to steal data.

It was incredibly boring, doubly so since I didn’t have a car. I picked up the package from a small noodle shop over in Heywood. Took the bus or train up to Kabuki. Handed it off at an old apartment to a girl that didn’t even fully open the door along with a chain holding her door closed. Got paid in practically ennys. And walked home.

*Package confirmed. Gig is closed.* That was all Wakako sent me.

I was back home and groaning into my cushions within an hour.

—--

The next day I got another Gig from Wakako. This time it was a woman that wanted to get something from her boyfriend's apartment after a fight, and wanted protection.

It ended with me pistol whipping the boyfriend. Which did give me an alert for Street Brawling XP which was nice, and the woman got her Shard she had left behind.

*Client is happy Gig is closed.* Wakako sent me as I was on the train back home.

—--

Wakako ended up sending me a Gig request without prompting the next day.

A woman had been carjacked and robbed by a small time gang. Some group of chooms that decided that their little family meant they were a gang and had started doing some carjacking in Rancho Coronado.

I wasn’t hired to bring back the car. Or get revenge on her car jackers. No, that would have been… fun.

No she just wanted her wedding ring back and was actually paying the fuckers ransom for it. I was the middleman.

I had even asked if they wanted them dead. But nope. The ring was the absolute priority.

I sighed and ended up taking the bus down.

They wanted to meet in a gas station parking lot.

I internally cringed when I read that detail. A gas station? Not an abandoned warehouse or a gang house? A gas station?

I sighed as I stepped off the bus. Taking in the dusty gas station and rundown neighborhood.

This was the place.

With a grimace I noticed five teenagers, the youngest probably younger than me all waiting on the steps infront of the Gas Station.

Dammit. They fit the description. Worse? They definitely noticed me just get off the bus.

Fuck how embarrassing.

What kind of merc took the fuckin bus. There goes my rep.

Unless I flatline them all?

No. They were kids. I sighed, shoulders slumping as I approached them.

“Archer and the… Bad boys?” I grimaced as I asked.

“That’s us Choom. Shit you’re just a kid? You our middleman?”

“Apparently Wakako has a sense of humor.” I informed them although none understood. I did. Wakako you bitch. Send the teenager to deal with a gang of teenagers? Yeah I got the message.

Maybe she was a little pissed with me bothering her every day? I would have to figure it out later.

“You got the ring?”

“Yeah? Maybe, maybe not. You got our eddies?” the tallest boy. Their obvious leader stood up a shotgun gripped in one hand and resting on his shoulder asked.

“Confirmation of the item first. Payment after. No need to turn this into some XBD action star bullshit. Client wants the ring, willing to give the eddies. Don’t make this difficult.” I told him a little bored. Honestly. What did Wakako think I was?

He didn’t seem pleased at how bored I was, and his little groupies were looking trigger happy, but none of them really worried me.

I was 99% sure I could outdraw them all.

Even if the idea of killing a bunch of kids didn’t sit well with me, even with my gamer brain. I sighed. “Just prove you have the ring. I will transfer half. You give me the ring I transfer the rest. You got me outnumbered. I am sure you want the eddies more than you want a ring. Right?”

“Yeah. Guess so.” He said glaring a bit. Dug around in his pocket with his off hand never taking his hand off the shotgun before pulling out a little wedding ring. I did a quick check comparing it to the image I had been sent.

Match.

“Alright. Here is half.” I said, my eyes going blue as I deposited the eddies in his account.

Honestly it was pocket change. A few hundred eddies. This little gang was probably pretty hard up.

“Alright.” He took a step forward and offered me the ring.

When I went to grab it I caught it. A motion out of the corner of my eye.

I almost sighed.

My gun was drawn and pointed into the face of the boy that had been moving up to brain me with a pipe.

I had a gun pointed at me a moment later along with a few pipes and a knife.

I wasn’t gonna flatline a twelve year old. I just wasn’t.

“You really want it to go down this way?” I prompted as the leaders shotgun was aimed at me.

“Why not. I think we got you outnumbered and outgunned. Bet you have some eddies on you a rich girl like you. Bet you got some other things we can ‘use’ on you as well.”

“Rich? I’m a Street Kid working as a merc. I do odd jobs you gonk. You did see me get off the damn bus right?” I mocked before sighing. “You really want someone to die over this? You are already getting what you want. Don’t turn this into a gunfight.”

“Maybe I do. Maybe I want that shooter you got. Looks preem.”

“Save me from Street kids with more balls than brains.” I moaned. I was gonna have to do something.

Fuck it. I pulled the trigger.

At the same moment I rushed the leader. Of course I didn’t shoot the kid, shot right over his head, but a bullet going off real close? Causes everyone to jerk and dodge. I hit the leader full bore. I might have been smaller than him, but he was an underfed Street Kid playing Gangster.

I was a Gamer… Wait, that came out wrong. I was The Gamer. Better.

I grabbed his shotgun and pushed it up. Moron was still holding it one handed like some Chromed out borg. The shotgun went off, and he probably just wrecked his wrist. Which is about when I pistol whipped him.

He went down with a yelp blood already streaming from his nose as I held his shotgun. I flinched as a bullet whizzed past my head.

I turned the kid with the gun. He looked second oldest. God was this whole little group just a family of brothers?

His gun was shaking and he was definitely trying for a second shot.

So I did the only thing I could think of that wasn’t shooting him.

I chucked my Unity at his head. He flinched another round going off, and I really prayed that he hadn’t just shot me in my gonk brain. But he went down a moment later crying out as the pistol bounced off his head with a loud thunk.

“Alright! I think that is enough of that!” I yelled as loud as I could racking the shotgun as I stormed over to the kid securing both pistols as the other boys all flinched brandishing their melee weapons.

“Fuckin batch you bwoke my nose!” The leader cried out as he started to stand back up looking furious.

Until I turned and shot a round of his own shotgun over his head. He hastily dropped back down and the boys were all freaking out.

“You really did this? You turned a simple fuckin’ job into a shootout. Well congrats, you are now outgunned and disarmed. The rest of you put those pipes and knives down or else.” I growled looking around as the boys were all hesitating and not looking great. The youngest looked like he was gonna piss himself since I had pointed a handgun at him.

I reached down not taking my eyes off them, and picked up my Unity reholstering it and then grabbing the Lexington I realized the moment I picked it up that the kid had.

“Alright. All of you shut up. Stop your moaning. Now before anything else. You Gonk brain. Give me the ring.” I demanded waving the shotgun at the leader who looked at me like I was crazy.

I wasn’t crazy! I didn’t fuck up a perfectly easy ransom deal because I got greedy! That was crazy!

“C’mon stop looking at me, Does it look like I have the ring? No! Hand it over!” I yelled to startle the group.

“Fwuck you.” He grumbled as he looked around checking his hands and then his pockets before he realized he didn’t know where it was.

“Oh Choom. Don’t you tell me you dropped the ring and now you lost it. If it’s gone I will flatline you just to deal with my frustration so you better find my target quick fast.” I say absolutely level as I cocked the shotgun again, not caring that I sent a shell flying.

I just wanted the noise.

It worked. The teen hurriedly looked around his feet his chooms were nervously looking around but mostly just staring at me.

Finally he found it and wiped it down a bit. I checked it snatched it out of his hand and stuffed it into one of my leg pouches just to make sure it wouldn’t disappear again.

Then because I felt like being that sort of bad bitch. I sent the rest of the money. “Next time remember you will just get zeroed if people can’t trust you to keep to your word. Now. One last thing you owe me for this bullshit. Lady's car you klepped. Where is it?”

“Down’t got it.” He mumbled and I rolled my eyes at his words.

“I didn’t ask if you had it. I asked where it is.”

“Donny’s.” The second oldest said from where he was sitting rubbing his head from where I had donked him. “Chop shop run by 6th St. We sell our cars there.”

“Transfer the deets.” I demanded and the teens all sort of wavered before his eyes shifted into a yellow and I got a text.

“Alright. Now learning experience here chooms. You make a deal that earns you some Eddies? Follow through, don’t turn a simple thing into a mess. Or people die. Be glad I don’t like killing kids.” I said before simply turning and walking down the street.

Gotta wait for the fuckin bus. So embarrassing. I settled in near the bus stop across the street and literally watched as the kids picked themselves up and sort of limped out of the parking lot and back home.

What a bunch of gonks.

—--

The ring got left in a dropbox, the deets about where the car was sent to Wakako. Wakako sent a confirmation not long after. Couple more Ennys in my pocket, but not nearly enough to cover dealing with such a massive shit show.

At least I had a shotgun now.

I had gotten an alert during the fight but hadn’t checked it.

*Annihilation Experience Gained.*

*Skill not unlocked, no XP gained.*

*Annihilation Unlocked.*

Cool. This skill covered Shotguns, and Machine guns. I really needed to hit that gun range again. Jun had been… quiet ever since he came back chromed up. Right now he was out of the apartment. I hadn’t seen him in two days. My messages at least were getting a response back, but it was usually something like.

*Busy.*

*Can’t talk now.*

*Here is some eddies for food.*

Stuff like that. I was growing frustrated by it all. The Worst thing was I knew exactly what he was doing. The Maelstrom-Tyger Claw gang war was heating up. Tyger Claws attacking Maelstrom back had only pissed off the other gang instead of ending it.

Apparently Maelstrom wanted more territory in Kabuki.

Tyger Claws took offense to that.

It was getting nasty. Not quit at the level of total war on the streets. But gang hangouts or fronts on both sides were getting hit daily.

It was even on the news.

I walked into the apartment after a long awkward ride on public transit. Having everyone staring at me and my new shotgun was super awkward. I had even pretended to make a call so my eyes were glowing yellow just so I could pretend I wasn’t paying attention to them.

I walked into the apartment and sighed setting the shotgun on the table and flopping onto the couch.

My anxiety was rising up again. Jun was being a butt. I was tempted to head out and hunt him down and stick to him on his little raids. Watch his back.

But I sighed. I didn’t even have a vehicle. It would be stupidly easy for Jun to lose me even if the Tyger Claws would help.

Which I had a feeling they wouldn’t. Mid gang war they weren’t going to let a kid chase after her brother.

Which meant I had two options. Sit here and spiral into my own mind. Or get up and do some grinding, and maybe be ready to do something when Jun does get in trouble.

The problem is speed. I had been happy slowly grinding up some stats and skills. Enjoying just living. But Jun was forcing me to escalate.

I was looking at the shotgun. Fingers tapping. Foot bouncing. That niggling feeling surging up.

What was more valuable to me? Jun’s life? Or the lives of a couple Scavs?

That was the thought that convinced me. That crystalized my resolve. The Solo’s guide had said to decide on the reasons that would force you to kill. For Jun? To be able to help him? To save him? Yeah I would kill. I would kill a lot.

I was calm. Decided. I needed more stat points, and to use the stat points I already had.

My hands stopped fidgeting. My foot stopped tapping, and I could feel my eyes narrow. I owed Jun. And in a way I owed the Scavs too. I had been afraid, unsure if I could do it. If I could even survive an assault on a Scav den.

If that was the worry? Then I would just have to make sure I would. I didn’t need stats alone to ensure a victory. Surprise, overwhelming firepower, and a few tricks would suit me just fine.

“It would be nice if I had a couple grenades don’t ya think?” I muttered, an old movie reference that I loved, that probably didn’t exist in this world. I did know where the gun shop was… And I had some eddies in my pocket thanks to my jobs for Wakako.

I stood up halfway out the door when I remembered something else. A quick detour to pick up that stupid Burya and I was back out the door.

Still needed ammo and a holster for that monster. Just in case I run into some Borg.

—--

I walked out of the gun shop pocket light on eddies, but full of fun.

Ammo and a shoulder holster for the Burya meant it was secure and hidden under my little jacket. The holster even had a few spots to hold the grenades I had bought.

I was ready. I slipped onto the train and the whole way I was calm. I thought my hands would start shaking or my stomach would do flips, but they just didn’t.

It was time to kill some scavs.

Idly I pulled up my stat menu. It was time.

Two points went into Cool. And the two skill points went into Ninjutsu. Bringing them both to level 4. As much as it burned, I was once again maxing out the skill. I needed stealth if this was going to work.

I exhaled as the information slipped into my mind. My body adjusting. A few simple shifts in the way I was sitting. The way I held myself. To better move silently. To better keep my movements from being picked up by the eyes all around me.

To more easily reach for a weapon if someone did notice.

Yeah. I was ready.