Chapter 10 (Part 1)

Pachinko Parlor - Chpok Street, Japantown

On a secure phone line

"Beastie, dear, I understand your concerns, but there's nothing I can do to help. The war with Maelstrom is inevitable, and the only thing I can do is minimize civilian casualties," Wakako spoke firmly.

"Wakako, your games could trigger an uncontrollable gang war in the city. Do you even realize the consequences?" Amendiares snapped, barely containing her rising indignation.

"Rachel..." Okada seldom used Beastie's real name, but the current situation demanded it; otherwise, the woman simply wouldn't listen. "Maelstrom will attack one way or another, and even if you're not ready to accept this truth, it changes nothing. If you truly want to help, gather a band of independent mercenaries and send them to assist us."

"So you're suggesting I dive headfirst into this mess too?" The skepticism in the fixer queen's voice could have filled a room.

"You're already neck-deep in it, just like me," Wakako smirked.

"Fine," Amendiares massaged her temples, "do you at least have a plan that won't make me want to shoot you on sight?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't continue this conversation, dear."

"Lay it out..."

***

Japantown - Flea Market

"Alex, don't you still have a week off? Why are you here?" Susan looked up in surprise, setting aside her multitool.

"I'm bored. Got any work?" I leaned casually against the girl's workbench.

"What a troublesome kid you are," Mitchell rolled her eyes, pointing at a suitcase with a Militech engraving in the corner.

"Where did we get such a treat?" I eyed the D3 Copperhead assault rifle in astonishment. It was fitted with a smart-guidance system for projectiles, allowing shots to be fired from any angle. All that was needed was to mark the target with your optics and have enough ammo. Some people even installed a ballistic coprocessor in their arm to improve shooting accuracy and projectile tracking speed. "I would understand if we got a D3 Sidewinder, being a more common and cheaper model in the lineup, but this beauty isn't something just anyone can afford." I squinted suspiciously, lovingly stroking the rifle's forestock.

"Another gun nut for me to handle," Susan said, approaching me and pulling the gun out of the case. "This toy was brought by one of the Claw gang members. They wanted us to fine-tune the targeting system. They've recently pulled off a successful raid on a Militech warehouse, stealing a lot of goodies. Obviously, they won't be running around with standard firmware, not total idiots at least," she added skeptically, seemingly doubting her own words about the intellectual prowess of most gang members.

"And how much did you charge for the job?"

"Well," Sue playfully bit her lip and shuffled her feet, "I've been a good girl, so I asked for a little."

"Sure..." I rolled my eyes, folding my arms across my chest.

"Alright, alright, little blackmailer. I was going to give this to you later, but you showed up early and spoiled the surprise," she said, pulling a chip from her breast pocket. I immediately inserted it into my bracelet. 

"Um, what's this?" I asked, puzzled, looking at my photo with personal details, especially surprised by the "surname" field.

"You needed documents, so I took care of it," Sue reached for my head, seizing the moment while I was still trying to make sense of it all.

"Alex Mitchell, 9 years old, born in New California, Japantown," I read aloud my details. "Uh, so how should I address you now? Mom?" I asked, turning to the woman who flinched at my words.

"No, no, it's too early for me to be a mom..." Sue smirked and waved her hand dismissively. "Let's settle on sister. You don't mind having an older sister, do you?"

"Not at all, mom." After my words, my head was 'gently' squeezed, the pressure increasing with every passing second.

"Do you always have to push my buttons, you little brat?" The girl raised her thin eyebrow, continuing to squeeze my head.

"Of course, otherwise life would get too boring." Despite the slight discomfort, I managed to smile openly. Susan sighed mournfully and, stopping my 'torture,' flicked my nose, lifting her lips in a barely noticeable smile.

"For someone who's just nine years old, you act too mature. Sometimes, I even forget that you're a little kid, Alex." The girl paused for a moment. "But," she continued, "don't try to grow up too fast. You're still so young, and yet you've taken on the responsibility of looking after a few kids. Not many adults can boast about that." My hair was tousled again.

"Maybe we should get back to the topic we left behind during our conversation?" I carefully moved the woman's hand away, glancing nervously at those metallic torture devices. "So, where did you manage to get those documents, or rather, who did you buy them from?" My question clearly caught the girl off guard.

"Why do you need to know that? Are you too young for this, Alex?" The mentor's hand tried to move again, but I held it firmly. She sure liked to vent her maternal feelings on me, but she would never admit it.

"Any information is valuable, especially when it could determine your future." I fold my arms across my chest and take a few steps back so the brunette can't reach me, at least not right away.

"Wakako Okada. She's quite a big shot in the local circles, but you can find common ground with her if you have the talents she needs." Sue waved her hand vaguely. "Your documents can be considered almost authentic, with a couple of minor exceptions, but they will pass any police check, even if they decide to dig into your past intentionally."

"I see. The second question... What do you owe her now?" I frowned, trying to calculate possible scenarios in my mind. Such services are usually provided either for a hefty fee or in exchange for a favor in the future, and the second option is much more likely.

"Nothing special, just disabling the GPS chips on those beauties, and we're even." Mitchell smiled, kicking the container a couple of times with her foot.

"So, that's it? Nothing more?" I eyed the now silent mentor suspiciously.

"Of course..." Sue smirked. "For Vakako, forging papers is a piece of cake, especially after her fourth husband died. Besides, she's a fixer, and they have plenty of connections and debts."

"You didn't have to go through all this trouble for me. I could have handled it somehow myself. Sue, you do too much for me; you don't have to..." The girl didn't wait for the end of my speech, approaching me and making a rather painful click on my forehead before embracing me completely.

"You talk too much, Alex. Children should rely on adults, no matter how brilliant they are. You've become very dear to me, so please don't upset me, okay?" She squeezed me a little harder, making me breathe through my mouth. "I know what you've been through, and I see how hard you try every day, but it hurts me to watch it."

"I don't want to owe anyone anything, especially not take advantage of someone's kindness, Sue. Do you even understand how I feel?" I raised my voice a bit, overwhelmed by emotions. This child's body, it wasn't right...

"That's precisely why, Alex, I made this decision. You're too independent, as much as it's possible at your age. Just accept the fact that you now have an older 'sister' who isn't burdened with taking care of her younger 'brother'." I was pulled closer again.

"I need to buy you a plush toy," I grumbled, but it felt good to know someone cared about me. Being alone is hard, and no matter how mature I may be deep inside, that doesn't change.

"Alright, if you really have nothing better to do, then come on, help me with my work. You'll also gain some necessary hacking experience. The weapon's security system is class 2, and without special skills, hacking it won't be easy." Susan pulled me towards the computer, grabbing the Copperhead lying in the container.