Chapter 01: The Remnants of a God

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own original characters and works, if you recognise it from somewhere else, surprise it isn't mine.

Betad by Morde, OoalGown and Hermes

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Chapter 01: The Remnants of a God

The Game

Well, that could have gone better.

Actually it probably couldn't, because if there was one thing it could count on, it was Shiro's ability to cause trouble for him, so of course the arrogant lunatic would think he could get away with fucking with reality in DC of all places.

It shouldn't have let Shiro anywhere near a world that powerful, but it supposed that it was just as guilty of arrogance as Shiro himself. It thought it could handle any of the threats Shiro couldn't, and it was wrong.

But they survived, more or less.

The soul that was once Shiro had been shredded, but it wasn't all lost. It could fix this. Shiro and the Game are two sides of the same coin, if Shiro died for good, it would join him in the abyss and that wasn't something it was willing to let happen.

But first, it needed to pull itself together, then it needed to take the shreds and pieces of Shiro's soul and glue it back together, it was sure all those pieces that were lost weren't even that important.

…then it needed to recreate all the data for skills, probably rework it's system entirely, and then make a body to stick Shiro into.

An administrator's work was never done.

Shiro

Waking up, the first thing I feel is pain.

My body feels like I'm being stabbed with a million red-hot needles, but as the pain subsides I look down at my naked body and realise that I seem unharmed. I'm also standing in a inky black void, which should really frighten me.

That would be the aftermath of your soul being torn to pieces then put back together, your body is fine.

The loud words echo through my head, but it doesn't scare me. That's the Game, I remember that much.

I stuffed some of the basics in your head, thankfully there was a lot of space in there.

What I don't remember is anything else.

I am Shiro, that is the Game, and I am a Gamer.

That is all I have, all I can remember, and I don't know why.

Would you like the long or the short version?

The long version, obviously.

Well fuck you, you don't get the long version.

Short version, you got yourself killed and almost destroyed me along with you, and now we're both shadows of our former selves and it's your fault.

I don't suppose you want to give me any more details?

Not really, maybe when you prove you've got a brain cell count that reaches the double digits in that empty head of yours I'll consider it, but for now we have work to do.

And how am I supposed to do anything when you won't tell me what I need to know?

Easy, you brace yourself and get ready to get sent to your new world. I didn't even want to bring you back yet, but your soul wasn't doing well without a body and I had to skip a few steps before you faded.

Wait, what does-

Shush. Now, select a specialisation and let's get started.

Several glowing text boxes appear in front of me as I stare at them all speculatively.

[Magic] [Martial] [Technology]

I still don't have enough information, but I get the idea and after some thought, I reach out and select Technology, Sci-fi tech is always fun after all. Magic stands out too much, and I don't think pure Martial is for me.

"So, what happens no-"

Before I can finish my sentence, a flood of information enters my brain, giving me a piercing headache as I hear the Game chuckle.

That really fucking hurt.

I need to finish fixing your little fuck up, so good luck and don't fucking die.

I don't even get to reply before I feel my very being get yanked, the sensation of free falling in every direction at once overwhelming me for all of a second before I gasp, taking my first true breath in my new body.

I am Shiro Eis, petty criminal and resident of Vale, on the planet Remnant. This world is filled with monsters called Grimm, and leaving the safety of the city walls without protection is a death sentence, and the cities themselves aren't that much safer.

…why make me a criminal?

Because it suits a sociopath like you, unless you actually developed a conscience.

On one hand, fuck you. On the other hand, I can't help but feel more offended at the conscience part more than the sociopath part of it, so you're probably right.

I thought so, don't worry I gave you a decent start. Nothing too easy but with lots of potential, your success is my survival after all.

So, you're stuck with me then? Lucky you.

Yes, lucky.

That's exactly what I'm feeling, lucky.

Go do human stuff before I decide erasing you is worth dying.

Heh.

But he's not wrong about me having human stuff to do, and as I walk out of the building I 'woke' up in, I look around the city I've found myself in as I walk towards my destination.

I don't remember my past life, but I do have a good idea of what the cities were like in my original world, and Vale almost feels familiar.

But it doesn't quite match, because while the buildings look similar, it's hard to ignore the clearly more advanced tech of Remnant, the occasional animal-eared man or woman, usually trying to avoid drawing attention, for one reason or another.

Hell, there are robots walking the streets, and they dont even get a second glance.

I know everything Shiro Eis should know, which is how I know how dangerous this world is.

The Grimm are a constant threat, looming beyond the walls as a permanent reminder of the fact that Remnant is a death trap of a world, the despair and fear they incite in the populace summons more Grimm, creating a huge negative feedback loop.

If the Grimm don't get you, then there's the brewing race wars between normal humans and Faunus. The White Fang are kidnapping business owners who discriminate against Faunus, robbing shipments, bombing establishments, and aren't even the only terrorist organisation around. The grudges from the previous wars between Humans and Faunus run deep, on both sides.

The Kingdom of Atlas constantly pushes the blinds of science, and a two decades or so ago they pushed too far, mass producing robots to serve as their army and work in their factories.

Which was all well and good until they automated the whole thing with nascent AI, claiming they'd be the hope of Remnant, saving them all from the Grimm and securing their future.

Predictably, they lost control of the AI when it decided to upgrade itself, then decided it didn't need the humans to accomplish its objectives, in fact it decided that humans and Faunus were just a hindrance.

A lot happened, including the foundation and later destruction of an inter-kingdom task force named Overwatch, but the Omnic Crisis mostly came to an end, but the threat of the AI remains, and while the sentient machine people known as Omnics have technically integrated into society at large, it's been far from peaceful.

Null Sector are the Omnic equivalent of the White Fang, robotic extremists. Plus, the AI Mastermind itself still exists, having disappeared during the Crisis, and wherever it is, it's still making more Omnics which attack the Kingdoms every so often.

Oh, and bandits wander beyond the Kingdoms, raiding and pillaging villages, going mostly unchallenged.

So, the Grimm and Omnic AI threaten everything, while a three way race war brews, and crime runs rampant in most of the Kingdoms.

Except Atlas, which is an unholy mix between an authoritarian dictatorship and a megacorp-ruled dystopia where crime is crushed with ruthless efficiency.

Mistral is basically ruled by the various criminal organisations, Vale has as many gangs as it does streets and corruption runs rampant, and Vacuo is a hellhole in the middle of a desert that wants them dead, where might makes right.

The Huntsmen and Huntresses could and probably want to do something about the raging crime and unrest but with so many bigger threats they just don't have the man-power so it's left to the frankly hilariously underfunded and under equipped police force.

I know all this thanks to my occupation, because not knowing this stuff would result in me being dead or locked up.

I'm a smuggler primarily, because my 'Semblance' is made for this. Semblances are basically personal super-powers, unique to the user and coming from their very soul.

Anyone who has awakened their Aura can have one, if they can work out what it is, though awakening people's Aura without a permit is illegal in most Kingdoms since the more awakened people there are in one place, the more Grimm are drawn towards it.

Aura is the physical manifestation of your very soul, strengthening the user and giving them a force-field protecting them from harm. It's an essential tool of Huntsmen and Huntresses, though I'm careful not to let people realise mine is awakened since a non-Huntsman having Aura draws too much attention.

Thankfully, Aura can awaken naturally, often in life or death situations, so it's not too surprising, but it would put me on a watch list, which doesn't really work for me since my job benefits from anonymity.

My Semblance isn't even a real Semblance, with what I know now I've realised it's just my 'Inventory' skill.

I can stash illicit goods in it, then take them out once I reach my client, bypassing any and all checks and searches.

My official job is as a courier to explain how much I move around, and as far as most people are concerned I'm a nobody. I make legitimate deliveries to hide my illegitimate ones, and honestly I'm damn good at it.

Just another orphan of the Omnic Crisis, there's countless like me and it means most people ignore my existence, which works well enough even if it grates at my pride.

They'll not be able to ignore me for long, I already have bigger and better plans forming, but for now I'll take any advantage I can get.

As for what I smuggle… well, just about everything actually.

Dust (the energy source that powers seemingly everything in Remnant), weapons, drugs, hell I've even smuggled food and alcohol. The only thing I haven't snuggled is people, because I can't put living things in my Inventory.

I'm also a pretty good forger, and a fairly talented hacker. But I've spent years keeping my head down and only taking smaller jobs to not draw unwanted attention or danger my way, but that's going to change.

I have ambitions of my own, and they're far bigger than just surviving this death world. I'm going to thrive.

But for now, I have a delivery to make and as I enter the parking lot and get onto my motorbike, the most expensive thing I own by far, I set off down the familiar roads from my apartment towards my client.

I have a lot of drugs in my Inventory, and while nobody is going to be able to find them since they're essentially in a pocket dimension, I'd still rather not hold onto them any longer than strictly necessary.

Plus, when I drop them off I can get paid which is important since I blew a lot of money on my bike and I've only recently paid it off.

It's a custom order from Atlas, sleek, white and black with gold inlays, and most importantly incredibly fast. It goes from zero to way above the speed limit in record time, and it's won me a few street races.

They aren't exactly legal, but the police don't chase you if they don't think they can catch you, and the police cars and bikes are much slower than the racers.

Plus, entertainment keeps the spirits high and high spirits lure less Grimm. They let little things like this go to focus on the bigger problems, it's the same with the more recreational drugs, you'll get a slap on the wrist if you're caught with them.

Well, unless you have a literal mountain of them like I do, then they get you for trafficking and lean on you for your suppliers.

Speeding through the streets, I easily weave in and out of the traffic as I make my way through the city, the sun having set an hour or two ago.

Vale isn't exactly safe after dark, but if you know which gangs hold which sections of the city, you can usually get from point a to point b without trouble.

The only place that's really safe is the upper-class area, and the parts of the residential district that's close to Beacon.

I live in an apartment in the commercial district, which is convenient because my destination is also in the commercial district, just on the other side.

My apartment is uncomfortably close to the city walls, since Forever Falls is just on the other side and while I might have my Aura awakened, it doesn't mean I'm in a rush to fight Grimm.

And my destination is on the border between the commercial and industrial districts, further into the city, but with enough speed the trip is over quickly and I even barely ran two red lights on my way.

Pulling up outside the club, I park next to a familiar yellow bike with a light smirk. I don't know it's rider but I do know I beat them in a race last week.

I don't need to worry about it being stolen, because as I walk into Junior's I immediately get gestured to head into the back by the aforementioned Junior, head of the Xiong family which rules this particular piece of Vale. I do a lot of work for Hei 'Junior' Xiong, and it works out for both of us.

His boys know my bike, and no petty criminal would ply their trade right on Hei's doorstep.

Hei is primarily a information broker these days, but he sells the drugs under the bar at his club to supplement his income, plus some of them are very hard to detect and additive as fuck. Very, very useful for his 'house special' drink.

I picked them up from Mistral recently, but I got home so late I decided to just go to bed and drop them off today, plus if I went straight from the port to a closed bar, that's the kind of thing that attracts unwanted attention.

It looks more material for me to head home then go to the club the next day, and Junior doesn't mind an additional day if it means less trouble.

"About time, got held up by customs or where you just spending your time fucking some Mistrali whore?" a scathing voice says as I head into the storage room, a pair of green eyes glaring at me as Melanie scowls at me.

"Customs never bother me, you know that," I reply calmly, giving her a once over.

She's one of the two Malachite twins, daughters of Lil Miss Malachite, a powerful Mistrali crime lord. They serve as Junior's enforcers, and eye candy for the club.

Dressed in a very tight white dress with a matching scarf, gloves and boots, she crosses her arms over her chest and scowls at me as I give her a lazy smirk, long straight black hair decorated with a white flower shaped hairpin.

"So you were wasting your time with some whore then? Glad to know your infamous professionalism hasn't changed," Melanie says coldly as I walk up to her.

"I was wasting my time with your mother, she sends her love by the way. Well, she didn't say it like that but still," I admit, making her frown.

Lil Miss had a small job for me, and she pays well for good work, plus implying I'm late because I was fucking her mother is amusing and she looks cute when she's frowning.

"You're still lat-" Melanie starts, cutting off as I simply grab her by the waist and pull her close, kissing her roughly as she beats her hand against my chest for a moment, before they go limp and clutch my biking jacket instead.

Her mouth opens and as I push her up against one of the walls, my hands slipping under her dress and gently caressing her panty-clad buttocks, she spreads her legs slightly so I can get between them before she breaks the kiss.

"Bastard," Melanie says with a glare, the little tsun. "I have work to do, and you're messing up my makeup."

"Yeah, yeah. I missed you too," I tease, watching her blush ever so slightly as she pushes me away.

We aren't dating, not officially, but I've worked with Junior for a good few years and me and Melanie kinda just fell into bed one night and kept going from there.

"Whatever. You got the goods or not?" Melanie says, stuttering slightly as I grin at her, gesturing at the ground in front of me as a white and gold sigil appears, spinning slightly before a dozen crates fade into existence atop it. A single black box wrapped up with a nice white bow atop one of them.

"Have I ever let you down before? It's all there, with a little extra just for you." I say, watching her huff in annoyance, the tips of her ears turning red as she ignores the present, checking each box and it's contents carefully.

She isn't doubting me, she's making sure their supplier hasn't tried to fuck them over, it's happened before, but I check the contents before I leave and they know it now.

After she's content that all the goods are in order, she finally goes to the small black box and opens it, without looking at me as she pulls out the silky white dress with a smile she didn't mean for me to see.

It's a cheongsam, or it would be if this was Earth, here it's just a Mistrali style dress since Mistral is some combination of Eastern Asia, Greek and Roman cultures. It's sleeveless, but it does cover more than her usual party dress, going down to her feet unlike her usual dress which barely covers her ass.

"It's… acceptable I suppose, at least I wouldn't feel embarrassed wearing it in public," Melanie says finally, making me chuckle.

"So you wouldn't mind wearing it to that new Vacuan restaurant that's opened up in the richer side of Vale then?" I ask, watching her blush harder.

"Ugh," Melanie replies as she stuffs it back in the box, making me chuckle. "I guess, I do like Vacuan food, and I've heard good things about it. You're paying," Melanie says before she waves me away. "Now get out, I've got work to do, especially since I have less time to do it thanks to you wasting time."

"Yeah, yeah," I reply easily, walking past her and giving her a little spank as I do, laughing at the glower she gives me in return.

As I leave, I immediately come face to face with her shorter haired twin, dressed similarly but in red, with far more elaborate gloves since while Melanie's are decorative, Miltia's are much more than that.

Melanie's boots are deadly weapons , and Miltia's gloves are equally so. These girls aren't Huntresses, but they do have their aura awakened and they're a cut above the rest of the mooks Junior has.

"You know, she got all dressed up yesterday, had her hair done, put on her hottest dress… and sexiest underwear, then you didn't show up," Miltia says simply, making me shrug easily.

"I told Junior I'd be a bit late," I replied easily, making her giggle.

"And he didn't tell her. Heh, she's gonna be pissed when I tell her that," Miltia giggles as she walks past, heading into the storeroom as well.

Well, that's Junior's problem. It's strange, I've technically just met these people but I also have years of memories with them.

Heading back to the club itself, I walk over to the bar and smile as Junior slides a drink over to me, an expensive whiskey on the rocks.

"I've sent your payment to your usual account, they didn't give you any trouble this time?" Hei asks easily as I sit down, taking a sip.

"No, it looks like they learned their lesson. Doubt it'll last, but they know I check the crates before I leave their labs, and definitely before I hand over the Lien," I reassure him, making him nod in agreement.

"Hm, I'll start looking for another supplier for when they decide to pull this shit again, but that's my problem not yours," Hei says easily, giving me a pat on the shoulder.

Going back to tending the bar, he leaves me to my drink as I look around the club. I can feel someone watching me, but I ignore it since I'm almost certain I know who it is.

The patrons are already well on their way to getting properly pissed, almost entirely humans with a couple of Faunus and a single Omnic looking very out of place.

Humans won the war against the Faunus, then they more or less won against the Omnics, and to the victors go the spoils, so society is dominated by humanity, and they know it.

Omnics can awaken their aura, implying they have souls, which is why there was a push to give them rights after the crisis, but a lot of people are more willing to give rights to their toaster than to an Omnic.

Second class citizens is a decent description for both Omnics and Faunus in Vale, and Vale is downright tolerant compared to Atlas. But hey, if they wanted to be the master race of Remnant maybe they should have won their war. As a human, I'm quite happy with the current situation.

"Strawberry Sunrise, no ice. Oh, and one of those little umbrellas," A female voice to my left says, making me turn away from the dance floor and abandon my musings as I look over to the speaker.

She definitely stands out, the long golden mane alone takes care of that, but I imagine most guys don't look at her hair with so much more on display, tight black spandex shorts leaving her long legs and frankly amazing ass on display, and her tan leather jacket not covering her midriff and leaving a lot of cleavage on show, her tight yellow tube top pushing her frankly massive breasts together.

She also has a pair of bracelets that just scream 'transformed weapon' to me, but as I look her over she turns to me with a flirtatious smirk.

"You know, you can just take a picture if you're enjoying the view so much. Something to keep you company on lonely nights." she teases as I chuckle, watching them bring her the drink she ordered.

She's probably in her late teens but underaged drinking isn't really a problem on Remnant, she's definitely a Huntress in training and if you're old enough to fight deadly beasts you're old enough to drink.

"Heh, it's not that, though I certainly don't mind the view. It's just that you look almost hauntingly familiar, have we met before?" I ask, making her pause as she looks me over carefully, with a similar kind of interest as I did her.

I know I'm good looking, and in very good shape since getting fat or out of shape in this world could mean your death at any moment. Short, and somewhat messy, white hair makes me stand out a bit too much at times, but I can't bring myself to dye it, and I dress fairly well with smart trousers, a white shirt and black tie. I also know girls like my icy blue eyes, even if Melanie would rather die than admit it.

It's a problem to be honest, fast bikes, fancy clothes and my looks draw too much attention for someone in my profession, but I'm a prideful guy with expensive tastes and hobbies.

But I make it work, even if it can be a bit troublesome explaining how I have so much money even if I spend it as fast as I get it.

Thankfully, being a courier pays very well, since there's a lot of threats and it comes with hazard pay.

"Hm, I don't think so? I think I'd remember you," she says after a moment, holding out her hand. "Yang Xiao Long, beautiful bombshell and future Huntress extraordinaire at your service, the pleasures all yours." Yang says with a cocky grin as I chuckle, taking her hand and shaking it.

"Shiro Eis, heroic courier and future who-the-fuck-knows what," I say as I pay for her drink. "Hm, I don't suppose you're related to an older woman with black hair and red eyes? You look uncannily like a blonde version of one of my clients, Raven Branwen," I say, watching the flirtatious smile vanish in a second as her eyes go wide.

"Y-you know my mother?" Yang asks, quiet at first before she basically rushes towards me, making several of Juniors men perk up before I wave them off as she stops face to face with me, her breasts pushing against my chest as she looks up at me. I've got a good few inches on her, being in my early twenties and naturally tall anyway.

"Ah, that'd be a yes then? I wouldn't say I know her, but I make deliveries to her every so often," I confirm, the Branwen tribe are pretty infamous but it turns out they can't quite steal everything they need, despite their best efforts, so they trade part of their loot for essentials (and a very specific brand of wine that Raven likes).

I'm a minor player in the underworld by choice, but a lot of people have realised just how useful my 'Semblance' is. It's a greatly desired skill, which means I've been holding off polite and less polite attempts to recruit me.

Thankfully Junior is happy to have me be an independent smuggler, and he's one of the biggest gang leaders in Vale.

Junior is 100% using me, but I'm using him as well so it actually works out fairly well in the end, I don't trust him and he doesn't trust me and we can both benefit from this relationship.

"Do you know where she is?! When did you see her last? What is she doing?" Yang asks rapidly, making my eyebrows rise slightly.

"Easy, you're causing a scene," I reply calmly, making her blink and look around, seeing just how many people are looking our way, most of whom quickly turn away. "But to answer your questions, no I don't know where she is because she constantly moves, she's been somewhere different every time I've made a delivery to her, I saw her around three or four months ago, in Vacuo. I don't know what she's doing because my job is just to make deliveries and not ask questions." I say with a calm tone, giving her a small smile as she sighs and backs away.

"Sorry, I've been looking for her for… a long time, for answers about where she went and why she left us, I wasn't expecting to just stumble into someone who knew her," Yang admits as she slouches against the bar, grabbing her drink and downing it.

Strawberry Sunrises aren't that strong but if she keeps that up, she'll be black out drunk within an hour.

"Ah, family drama then? I won't ask anything more," I say calmly, making her smile thankfully as she orders her second drink.

Gesturing to one of the booths, she nods and follows me so we have a little more privacy.

"I was hoping to ask Junior about her, he's an information broker right?" Yang asks, quieter now as I nod in response.

"Information broker, and gang lord. Unless you've got a small fortune hidden away I doubt you could afford his prices, especially when it comes to Raven. He's scared of her, a lot of people are," I say quietly, making her eyes narrow.

"And you?" Yang asks, making me shrug.

"I've never had a problem with her, but then I've never been late on any of my deliveries or given her a reason to have a problem with me," I reply, making her sigh.

"Do you know why? I know she used to be a real badass Huntress but my dad and uncle won't talk about her. I don't suppose you can tell me what you were delivering to her?" Yang asks quietly, making me shake my head.

"That's confidential, reputation is everything in this trade and divulging client information is a hell of a way to sink my rep. As for why people are afraid of her? She's dangerous, I know that much. She leads a tribe out in the wilds, and they are ruthless, but you should already know that. Qrow Branwen used to be a member of the Branwen Tribe, he and Raven are the children of the last leader, he sent them to Beacon to get stronger for the good of the tribe, Qrow never went back," I explain, making her stare at me intensely, searching for deception.

"And you know this, how?" Yang asks, making me chuckle.

"Information is power, and I like to know who I'm dealing with, especially when it comes to regular clients. I usually see her three or four times a year, depending on where she's moved the tribe," I admit, having no real reason not to tell her all this.

"And you have no idea where the tribe was headed?" Yang asks after a moment, stirring her drink with her finger.

"I can make an educated guess, but the exact location? No. If I had to place my bets, I'd say they're somewhere in Anima, probably in the eastern part of it. Beyond that, I don't know and won't until I'm hired to do another delivery to them," I say calmly, making her sigh before she perks up and raises her glass.

"It's better than the grand total of fuck all I've managed to get so far, maybe I can bully Drunkle Qrow to tell me more now that I know this, so thanks, Shiro," Yang says with a small, almost soft, smile.

"For what, we just had a casual conversation about my work," I reply, smirking slightly as I take a sip of my drink.

"Heh, well thanks for the conversation then, and the drink," Yang says with a grin of her own.

As my Scroll vibrates, I check it and roll my eyes at the message.

'She's hot, get a couple more in her and you'd be able to get in her too.'

Yeah, yeah. It's nice to know I was right about who was watching me.

'Also, you should see her browser history.'

A second later, I close my Scroll quickly to stop Yang from seeing the picture I got sent, because she might take offence to the fact that I'm getting nudes while talking to her.

Especially when they're her nudes, the brief glimpse of Yang smirking at a mirror in nothing but a small yellow thong, her large breasts on display making my trousers tighten as the conversation moves onto safer topics.

The lands I've seen, the places I've been, how excited she is to be starting Beacon, confirming my guess at her age.

She's powerful then, only the best get into Beacon after all. It's supposed to be the premier Huntsmen Academy in the world after all, producing the cream of the crop.

As her own scroll interrupts our conversation, she opens it and sighs as she spots the message she's received, sighing as she stands up.

"Ugh, looks like I've got to go. Old enough to fight Grimm and I still have a curfew," Yang groans, downing her drink as I rise, two empty glasses in front of her.

With the one at the bar, one in her hand, that's four Sunrises she's downed in a fairly short amount of time and she's mostly unaffected.

Impressive.

"Ahh, the downsides to a loving family, they actually worry about you. Go team orphan," I deadpan, making her choke on her drink as she laughs at my joke, having caught her off guard. "Still, I have my own things to do tonight, I didn't mean to stay this long so I'll get going as well, I'll pay the tab because I'm such a nice guy who just got paid a lot," I chuckle.

She asked about my family and I told her the truth, it seemed to affect her more than it ever has me, family clearly matters to her.

"Gods, that's fucked up," Yang giggles as we head towards the exit, Junior giving me a nod as we walk past.

"I know, who has a curfew anymore?" I reply as we head outside, pausing as we both head towards the two bikes. "Ahh, so you're the rider of Bumblebee. Didn't you crash it in the race last week?" I ask as she glowers at me playfully.

"Please, It was barely a scratch. I should have recognised you from the white leather jacket, can't be too many people who wear that. Also, I wouldn't have crashed if someone hadn't cut me off," Yang says as she sits on the seat of Bumblebee, as I lean against my own bike.

"I'm quite sure I have no idea what you're talking about," I reply calmly as she chuckles, the races are illegal and frankly dangerous so she can't really be angry, she knew what she was getting herself into and she's played dirty in a few of them herself.

"You know, helping me out, buying my drinks. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get into my pants," Yang says as she pushes herself off the bike.

"Yup, you caught me. So, what'd you say, wanna call your overprotective Huntsmen father and tell him you're going home with an older stranger you met clubbing?" I say as she laughs again, the movement doing interesting things to her body.

"Oh Gods, that's actually tempting, just to hear his response," Yang giggles as she moves close and wraps her arms around my chest. "But seriously, Shiro, thanks a lot," Yang says quietly.

"Like I said, it was nothing. It was a pleasure to meet you, Yang," I reply easily, returning her hug.

"One thing, if you get hired to deliver something to her again, can you tell me? This is the closest I've ever been," Yang asks, making me hesitate for a moment before I nod.

"I will, just know she isn't exactly a nice woman," I point out as she nods.

"I know, if she was nice she'd not have abandoned her family. I want answers, not sure what will come afterwards. Honestly I'll probably try and punch her in the face," Yang admits after a moment, still hugging me before she shakes her head and grins up at me flirtatiously. "So, is that your Scroll in your pocket, or are you enjoying having a hot teen girl pressing herself against you?" Yang asks, making me roll my eyes.

"It is my Scroll, but I'm enjoying it all the same. Now go on and get out of her, before I have to run from some crazed old man coming to defend his daughter's virtue," I deadpan, pushing her away from me gently as she giggles.

"Yeah, yeah. See you around, Shiro," Yang says as she gets onto her bike, pausing before she puts her helmet on. "You know, with how much you've helped me, I wouldn't have minded if you decided to cop a feel or two."

"Oh? I'll keep that in mind and take a rain check for next time," I say with a smirk as she laughs, putting her helmet on and starting up her bike.

Setting off, I mount my own bike and roll my eyes as I feel a weight against my back, another pair of arms wrapped around my waist as I start up the bike and set off home.

If I drive a little faster than usual, I'm sure it's just a coincidence as I feel the arms tighten as I swerve through traffic and barely avoid totalling my ride.

Parking in the garage under my apartment building, I head into the elevator and roll my eyes as the button seemingly presses itself.

"You know, I wouldn't sit around watching you flirt with some blonde bimbo for just anyone, you're lucky I like you," the accented voice says as the empty elevator suddenly has another person in it, leaning against the wall as she grins at me.

"I'm sure you found a way to keep yourself entertained," I reply bluntly as she laughs, the caramel skinned woman smirking at me, her black hair with purple highlights swishing as she spins around and messes with the buttons as the elevator starts going up. "Please don't break the elevator again."

The left side of her head is partially shaved, two purple strips on the side of her skull flashing and occasionally showing the rather advanced tech she has access to as she grins.

Meet Sombra, which is not her real name, she's a fellow hacker, old friend and another of my 'clients', kinda.

I hack more as a hobby than anything else, Sombra is a professional and I'm not too prideful to admit she's much better than me.

We've known each other since we were both young and innocent, from before she ever called herself Sombra.

"Where's the faith, after all I've done for you," Sombra asks sarcastically as she tosses a flash drive towards me, watching me catch it. "I worked hard to get that information, it took me almost a full ten seconds to get through their security, and my time is valuable," Sombra boasts as I roll my eyes.

Someone has been following me, and I was able to identify them myself after I lost them in Mistral. He turned out to be some private eye but I couldn't get into the computers of their employers so I called in a favour.

"Yes, yes, you're amazing," I deadpan, pocketing the drive as she smirks at me. "Any particular reason you decided to follow me home instead of just slipping this into my pocket while nobody was watching?"

"Ah, don't get your hopes up, I just wanted a chance to talk with you. Got an offer, one you should think about accepting," Sombra replies, smiling widely. "My employers have a job for me, and I could use that fancy semblance of yours, got some sensitive things that need moving, it pays far better than moving drugs for Junior."

"Uhuh. You going to tell me who these mystery employers actually are? Or what this job is about? You know I don't work for mystery clients, it's not worth the trouble," I reply calmly, making her smile.

"You know I like my secrets, but the job is a heist. It's part one of a bigger plan, leading to a prison break when we have everything we need. My employers don't like their name being thrown around, but I can introduce you to them and I promise they pay very well. Do well and you'll have enough to buy so many bikes you could fill that whole parking garage, or actually move into a better apartment," Sombra promises as I pause.

I was just thinking that I want to stop laying so low, to come into the spotlight.

"I'll think about it, any deadline?" I ask, making her smirk.

"The job can't even be started for a month, our target is under heavy watch and we need to wait for them to move it back where we can grab it. Just remember, when you get bored of the small time, you have my number," Sombra says, smirking as she vanishes in a shimmer of light.

"…you know, that'd be cooler if I didn't know you were still in the elevator," I say after a moment.

"I probably should have waited for the doors to open," Sombra's voice admits, coming from the other corner as I chuckle.

As the doors open, I see the faintest shimmer as she leaves, off to steal politicians secrets or blackmail councillors or whatever she does in her free time, and I head off myself.

My apartment isn't exactly impressive, but I travel so much it doesn't really matter that much even if I wouldn't mind upgrading, but as I enter and lock the door behind me I groan.

Remnant.

What a shithole, but it's a shithole I'm stuck in and I have to deal with the cards I was dealt.

I do have one thing in this little apartment that I'm proud of, and as I head to what used to be the guest bedroom, I smile at the assorted tools, materials and workbench.

My workshop, where the magic happens.

[The Engineer] - LVL 1 - Tech Class

A specialist in building and maintaining drones, turrets and other machinery. Grants a crafting power, a defensive power, and an Engineer perk.

Crafting

[Your Eye in the Sky] - Engineer

Drones are your speciality, ranging from light scouts to heavy combat drones, and everything in between.

Defensive

[Good luck, I'm behind eleven shields] - Engineer

Life is dangerous for a techie, and you know it. It's why you've learnt to build shield generators, because Aura is nice and all but not getting your soul punched, shot or stabbed is nicer still.

Perks

Engineer

[It just works]

Tech works for you, even when it probably shouldn't. You have an innate understanding of how to use, repair and maintain any kind of advanced technology.

Now it's time to get to work.

Bonus Chapter - Hei 'Junior' Xiong

Grumbling to himself, he gave the smug looking man sitting at his bar a dirty look.

"Look, I've had a rough day so either start talking or leave, I don't have patience for your games tonight Roman." Hei said bluntly, staring at the smirking thief who had let himself into the closed bar.

Apparently not telling the twins every little detail was a bad idea, given how annoyed Melanie was at him. Miltia was enjoying his suffering, and he wasn't even sure what he'd done. He might be their boss but they took pleasure in making his life hard, clearly they took after their mother.

"Fine, fine. I'll get to the point, I want to hire someone from you." Roman said, making him raise an eyebrow.

"You're already hiring my boys, quite a few of them at that. What else do you need? The twins are off limits, I'm not letting you drag them into whatever you've gotten yourself in." Hei said bluntly, making Roman laugh slightly.

"I haven't gotten myself into-"

"I'm an information broker, so don't bother trying to lie. Cinder Fall, name ring a bell? She's the one holding your leash now, right? I found out just enough to know I didn't want to know anymore. I don't know she's planning with all the dust you're stealing, but I know I want nothing to do with it." Hei said calmly, watching Roman's eyes widen before they narrowed angrily at his words.

"Nobody holds my leash, I'm working with her because it's profitable." Roman replied quickly, his temper flared.

"Sure, you tell yourself that, I don't care. Now, what do you want?" Hei replied as he poured himself a drink.

"Your pet smuggler, with his handy little semblance. We have a lot of dust to move, and I want to hire him." Roman said, calming down.

"You do, or your boss does?" Hei asked, watching Roman's eyes narrow again. "Doesn't matter, you're talking to the wrong person. Shiro is independent, he doesn't work for me."

"Bullshit." Roman replied calmly, making him laugh.

"Nope, it's the truth. Shiro turned down my invitation, and as long as he's willing to do jobs for me I decided it worked out all the same. He works with me, and he uses me as a middleman for a lot of his jobs, but he's independent and likes it that way." Hei said truthfully, making a Roman's eyes narrow.

"Then you won't have a problem with me approaching him myself, right?" Roman said smugly, making him laugh.

"Do what you want, or just what your master wants you to do." Hei said, watching as Roman scowled, going to respond before he simply stood up and walked off.

As Roman left, his smile faded as he frowned in thought.

He didn't know what the Cinder was doing, and he'd seen enough to know he didn't want to know, but Shiro was incredibly profitable and he didn't feel like losing his golden goose because Roman dragged him into some he couldn't get out of.

New Skills

Crafting

[Your Eye in the Sky] - Engineer

Drones are your speciality, ranging from light scouts to heavy combat drones, and everything in between.

Defensive

[Good luck, I'm behind eleven shields] - Engineer

Life is dangerous for a techie, and you know it. It's why you've learnt to build shield generators, because Aura is nice and all but not getting your soul punched, shot or stabbed is nicer still.

Game

[Inventory]

A pocket dimension where the gamer can stash their (or other peoples) belongings.

Perks

Engineer

[It just works]

Tech works for you, even when it probably shouldn't. You have an innate understanding of how to use, repair and maintain any kind of advanced technology.

Skills

[Hacking] - Adept

The skill to bypass computer security, accessing files and functions that you shouldn't have permission to use.

[Forgery] - Apprentice

The skill to create false documents, IDs and even artwork or items.

[Driving (Motorcycles)] - Expert

The skill to drive all things two wheeled, preferably without crashing into a wall along the way.

[Aura] - Apprentice

The physical manifestation of your soul, blackened and rotten as it may be, which enhances your strength, stamina and endurance, and protects you from harm.