The moment I returned home I was set upon by a pair of sharp eyes, cowed into stillness as my mother just stood there, leaning over and looking at every single puncture hole in my coat.
She squinted and looked up, and despite myself I couldn't help but flinch back slightly "What happened?"
"Well uhm..." I cleared my throat even if I didn't need to "There was a bit of a complication and well..."
I proceeded to give her an abbreviated version of the day's events.
And just like that her frown flipped upside down as she beamed at me "Already saving damsels on the streets?" She practically cheered "My little genius is a hero!"
"Come on mom." I looked away "Those smart bullets couldn't even scratch me."
She looked at me wryly "Don't downplay what you did. Most people wouldn't even bother in your place."
"Right." I nodded "Common decency is a premium, for whatever reason."
She just shook her head and waved for me to follow "I didn't know what to do with myself so I made some pizza."
"And your search for a doctor?" I asked as I followed her in.
Her lips thinned, eyes momentarily darkening, as she answered "I told you it isn't that simple."
"I know." I sighed as I took a seat and proceeded to devour a slice.
Or at least I tried to before I received a slap on the hand "Eat slowly." Mom ordered.
And being the brave defiant slayer of gangsters I naturally obeyed immediately.
"Why not call Misty over from time to time at least?" I asked after making sure to fully chew a second slice.
She tilted her head "Misty is a friend, not-"
"Then call a friend over." I interrupted "The entire time I was on the job I couldn't stop worrying."
"It's been one day." She grew a bit annoyed.
I just stared at her.
"Alright, alright." She tsked "I won't cut myself off."
"Good." I nodded in satisfaction, and got back to chewing.
But I could only hesitate for so long before I broke the news "The Tygers finally noticed us."
The slice of pizza dropped from her still hand "Fuck."
I blinked "You are not wrong."
"What do they want?" She asked quickly.
"Just a meeting with the local boss." I answered slowly "Something about a business proposal."
"Can you tell them to fuck off?" Her eyes narrowed.
"I could." I shrugged "And then what?"
She clicked her tongue and looked away.
"I'll meet the guy." I shrugged "Worst case I have to cut my way through a bunch of gangoons while frying them all."
"That or they kill you." She corrected "Their meat shield 'soldiers' may not be able to touch you but don't underestimate an Arasaka funded gang."
"They would have cyborg countermeasures." I nodded, tapping the table rapidly "But not going is also not an option."
She spoke up after a moment "I could go with-"
"No." I cut her off firmly "You'd just be-"
"A burden?" She interrupted back "Is that it?"
Words left me for a moment but I found I couldn't lie about this "Yes."
Her expression twisted into a glare that lasted for only a split second before she simply sighed and sunk back into her seat "Dammit."
"Just because I have to go." I said after a moment "Doesn't mean I can't make preparations."
She perked up at that "What is on your mind?"
"Oh I dunno." I grinned "Maybe just plant a few dozen viruses into their systems, as... insurance."
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"I can already butcher them in realspace." My grin widened "The Net is my real home."
She grinned back and then blinked, finally having noticed something that had been bothering her for a while "Mikey, what is with the rows of teeth?"
"The number you are trying to reach is currently offline, please leave a message *beep*."
"Mikey!" She repeated but I was already gone.
---
[NetShinobi62: Please Magos-sama, spare my life!]
The fucking cliche of an avatar of the Tygers' netrunner begged as he was surrounded by a dozen of my [Skitarii] murder daemons ready to rip his mind apart and fry him in realspace.
[Magos: You are lucky, Shinobi-san... That I actually want to have peace with your boss.]
He looked up at me with the closest approximation his ICON could make of hopeful eyes.
[You... you will let me go?]
[Fuck no.] I said in English, letting out a string of binaric sounds awfully close to a snort [You are getting out only when and if our meeting ends on good terms.]
[Until then.] I went on, ignoring the thoroughly terrified gang 'runner [Watch a true runner at work, and prepare to explain your failure to your boss.]
The poor fucker whimpered and was then forced to watch as I infected every single bit of the club and surrounding five floors of where the meeting was supposed to be held, only evading the few apartments housing corpos and their families.
No reason to provoke the fuckers who could afford to burn millions for petty revenge.
Before I left, I smirked down at the noob [Goodbye, Shinobi-san. And good luck.]
I could swear I heard him sniffling as I disconnected.
Should have gotten good and not wasted my time.
---
I blinked awake to my mother's unimpressed stare "Everything is set up." I said.
"Grrrr." She growled/grumbled in annoyance "You are lucky it's nearly 7 young man."
"What a coincidence!" I declared enthusiastically.
She narrowed her eyes "Change your clothes and get out. I might let you back in when you get back."
"Yes ma'am!" I saluted and rushed off to the closet.
Where I had a good five coats in my color scheme waiting for me.
What? They were all going to get ruined inevitably and buying in bulk is always better!
After quickly changing, and making sure I was fully armed, I stepped out of the apartment like a man ready to wage an entire war.
Something that seemed to frighten my 'escorts' just a bit as all five of them grew uneasy at the sight of me.
The leader was ironically the only one with the balls to speak up "Uhm, Magos-san... Jugo-sama's establishment is meant for more cultured gatherings."
"Then you should have stated that in advance." I pointed out dryly "Besides, your boss may treat my readiness as a sign of respect, if he so wishes."
She looked irritated but all she could do was nod "Of course, Magos-san. If you would follow us?"
I accepted and soon we were standing in one of the lifts, going up to the higher reaches of the Megabuilding.
"You got a name?" I asked the Tyger in charge of the other four.
"Senko." She smiled slightly "And you?"
"You might find out later." I chuckled darkly "If you survive."
Her lips thinned and we didn't speak further until we arrived to our destination.
My looks drew some glances from the distinctly clean and peaceful populace of the 50th floor but none bothered me after seeing my escort.
I was quickly led to the large entrance of a place that practically screamed 'luxurious oriental night club' with two Asian guards in crisp suits standing tall and firm to the sides of it.
Senko waved for me to wait and approached the duo "Jugo-sama's guest, scheduled for 7pm."
The guard to the left, a wide and powerfully built man offered her a low nod and approached me "Greetings, Magos-dono." He inclined his head "You are expected."
Waving the five Tyger goons goodbye, I entered after the man.
"Will you be relinquishing your weapons to our keeping?" The man paused.
"No." I said firmly.
To my surprise, he just nodded and kept walking.
Odd.
The music inside was some booming remix of the US Cracks newest 'song' if you could even call it that, and I quickly found myself tuning it out of my Audioreceptors.
Ahhh... blessed silence.
Dozens of 'guests' were also seated about, but that illusion was quickly broken under my Optics as I saw all of them tensing at the sight of me and sporting minor bulges in their clothing, obvious hidden weapons.
Incidentally, the silence also allowed me to listen in on a few conversations, but only one really caught my attention.
An older woman whispering to a much, much younger man, her eyes entirely cold "-ounterintel found something on the border with Mexico, things are blowing up down there-"
But that was all I could catch as I was led up a flight of stairs, and into a...
A lush yet perfectly kept cherry blossom garden?
And the plants looked perfectly organic as well...
Guess that is where the place got its name.
My eyes narrowed as I realized I was dealing with someone with the big money.
"Jugo-sama." The bouncer Tyger Claw respectfully addressed a man seated on a wooden bench, only the back of his dark-haired head visible as he stared off into a fountain "Your guest has arrived."
"You may leave." A raspy synthetic voice responded and the man turned and left without a word further.
"Come." The man said without bothering to turn "We have biz to discuss, and I doubt you want to do it standing."
"Much the same to me, really." I answered but still did walk up to the man, pausing only slightly as I got a good look at him.
His entire face was more scar than flesh, his entire neck replaced with chrome, as well as the left side of his face up to and including the ear.
"A hideous sight, no?" The right side of his lips twitched upwards.
I just tilted my head "What do you mean?" His cyberware was subpar by my standards but nowhere near bad enough to be called hideous?
"Never mind." He chuckled and waved "Please, take a seat."
I did so and a moment later he clapped his hands, making me narrow my eyes and scan the place just in case only to blink as a woman dressed in a traditional Japanese mantle walked in and silently set down a table before us, one holding an elaborate set of teapot and cups.
Jugo offered a nod, and thankfully my Arasaka-based education gave me enough of a basis in the ritual not to just gulp the drink down in one swift motion.
Instead I followed the steps I was 'forced' to learn and soon set the cup down.
"Surprising." Jugo noted "Jugo Okada." He said after a moment.
'Okada?' I blinked, eyes narrowing "I see." I tilted my head and considered "Michael Sobronov."
He closed his eyes, and breathed in the steam wafting off his second cup of tea "A shame." He noted "I had hoped to use that fact as leverage."
"How honest." I noted dryly "You aren't incompetent enough for me to believe you couldn't find it out." I answered with a shrug "Or so I hope."
"Hah." He chuckled and set his cup down "You'd be surprised."
"Why did you call me here?" I asked suddenly.
"The youth these days." He shook his head 'mournfully' "No patience."
"If it suited you, you'd call it 'vigor'." I retorted dryly.
"True enough." He nodded, amused and in a moment all his levity left him "Magos-san."
Seeing how we were finally getting to the point, I straightened my back and listened keenly.
"You have lived, knowingly or not, under Tyger Claw protection for nineteen years now." At my narrowed eyes he raised a hand to stop me "I understand you may not see it that way and I would also prefer to simply live and let live."
"However." He added firmly "Your recent actions force my hand."
"Which ones?" I couldn't help but ask.
"There are more than one?" He asks pointedly, and hearing no answer goes on "Word of your slaughter of Jotaro Shobo's men in the Junktown has gotten out."
'So quickly?' Had I an eyebrow, it would be raised now "What proof do you have?"
He actually chuckled at that "We are not the government. I don't need proof to have you removed, Magos-san."
He shook his head "No, some of our associates saw you on the Junktown's border before the slaughter, and not long after our observes at Lizzie's saw you return Shobo's merchandise."
"And yet I am not currently drowning in a Tyger Claw kill team, why?" I tilted my head.
"Patience." He raised a hand, eyes flashing with a trace of annoyance "Even if it was learned you were hired through Ms. Regina Jones to kill his men, Shobo still demands the head of the 'traitor'."
"And you have an offer to rid me of this headache?" I asked.
"You truly believe you could survive the anger of the Tyger Claws?" Jugo asked "I suppose poor Kentoki's current state excuses some of your arrogance-"
He didn't get to finish as all of the false sunny windows around us were replaced by the direct feeds of each and every one of his guards' Optics, four of whom were currently hiding above us and ready to shoot me the moment things turned sour.
All of them felt a spectral gun at the back of their heads and stilled as one.
"Arrogance, Jugo-dono?" I drawled.
The man simply took another drawn out sip of tea, eyes momentarily closing as he set it down "Your point is well made, Magos-san."
"Good." I hummed and simply pretended like nothing happened "Kentoki your 'runner?"
"Correct." Jugo Okada nodded "Had you killed him you would have found your welcome much different."
"Which you will find, is exactly why I didn't." I pointed out dryly.
"Indeed." He hummed "Your preparations are... meticulous." He praised slightly, even if all his limbs were tense behind the calm front "This only reinforces my desire to extend you the invitation to become one of my associates."
That made me pause as I stared off into the distance, idly watching myself through the eyes of a sniper "I was honestly expecting you to demand I pay some form of restitution."
"That is an option." Jugo nodded "But I doubt you wish to perform what westerners tend to call a humiliation ritual before my... comrade's men's families?"
My blank look was all the answer he'd get to that.
"Exactly as I suspected." He allowed himself a light but tense smirk "I do not expect someone of your nature to fully work under me, and frankly that is not what I need at the moment."
"My nature?" I tilted my head.
"If you wish your ego satisfied, you may go to the dollhouse. We offer great rates for our business partners." Jugo said without skipping a beat, shaking his head and regaining some of his previous calm "Point is, the Tyger Claws have their own... disagreements, ones fought behind the scenes while we present a united front."
"Not unexpected for a gang." I noted.
"Correct, even if admitting it is rarely permitted." He agreed.
"And what exactly do you need me to do?" I asked "Be your deniable asset?"
"Correct once again." He smiled thinly "One aimed at my upstart of a 'rival', Shobo."
Ah, all of it finally clicks into place.
"And." Jugo added "I have need of your netrunning services, if you are willing."
"I am not breaking into Corpo BlackICE." I said immediately "But if you wish for overwatch I am a well weathered hand in the business."
"So I have learned." Jugo hummed "I will be receiving guests from time to time, and there will come times when I need the leverage only an elite netrunner can provide."
"Wouldn't that just give me more leverage over you in turn?" I asked.
"It would." He nodded "However if you were to... spill the beans as it were, you would have every single Tyger Claw in the city aiming for your throat."
"Mutually assured destruction?" I found myself asking.
"Exactly." He smiled, hungrily and excitedly "Nothing gets the blood boiling like a good sword hanging over your neck, neh?"
"Blood is for meat." I deadpanned.
He just laughed at that "Oh I feel this will be a fine partnership, I can already see!" He paused "As long as you accept, of course."
"Terms of payment will have to be discussed on a job to job basis." I noted "But so long as you use Ms. Jones as an intermediary I see no reason for you not to simply ask for me personally." Seeing his smile dim I added "You may of course claim I am your associate to your fellow Claws if that is what you need to get the others off my back."
"Just don't expect me to suddenly start swinging a katana around to show my 'allegiance'." I quickly added.
"Of course not!" He declared, as if incensed "You are much more of a kanabo man!"
My face twisted into a deadpan.
"No culture!" The man scoffed and looked back at me calculatingly "We have a deal, then?"
"Keep your goons off my floor, and we have a deal." I nodded and started getting up "We done here?"
"Just set my soldiers and poor Kentoki free first." Jugo said "I will call you whenever I'm in need of your work."
Just as I recalled my daemons from the deathly terrified netrunner I paused in consideration, and then decided "You can call me if you want that shitty voicebox replaced too. I do comissions."
And with that I left the Tyger Claw boss behind, keeping the photo of his wide dumbfounded eyes for later.
-----
Me want stone.
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