Cat Meets Bulldozer: The Great Escape

The sun began to set, making a picturesque scene in San Angeles. The city was starting to wake up. Jobs were reaching the end of their shifts, while the corporations began their night operations. A lovely sunset, one that Aiko wanted to watch. 

Her hair had grown a bit longer, stopping at her collar. The mysterious woman could be found on the roof of her apartment. She was comfortable, leaning her back against the tile. 

A bottle of milk rested in her hand. She was never without one on her downtime. There's only one other thing she never left the house with. Her hand cannon. Aiko held it in front of her, gazing at the mastercraft. 

This was a prototype weapon developed alongside the Militech Ticon and the Burya. Nexotech might be new to San Angeles, but that didn't mean they weren't dominant in other parts of the world. In an effort to match the megacorporations like Arasaka, Kang Tao, and more…Nexotech needed to make something of their own. 

The MS-34 Glass Jaeger. It boasted an extremely high power capacitor bank, condensed into small size, and carbonized low resistance cables. Don't forget the auto cooling. This would make the pistol a mini railgun but that wasn't enough to win the weapons race. What if they could give it the velocity and range of a sniper rifle? What if it had two modes? 

One mode would be for high powered shots, while the other would be for silenced low caliber shots. In this way, Nexotech was able to create a beast of a weapon. There was only one problem. The cost and time to make such a gun was too high. It didn't take long for the project to be shelved after only one successful creation. 

Still, it was the gun that Aiko chose. There was no need for another gun. It could punch through a tank, let alone a borg. Then what about the recoil? It must be horrible, disgusting even. Well…nothing a few minor cybernetic enhancements won't fix! Her skills would do the rest.

The actual design of the weapon. A sleek black exterior, the inside pure chrome. Impervious glass coating the chrome to create an elegant finish. Beautiful craftsmanship. 

Aiko gazed at her partner for a bit longer before putting it away. Her ears twitched upon hearing the distant ding of an elevator. At this time of day, she knew who'd just arrived on this floor. Her gaze went back to the sunset. 

Daisy hated the people in her class. A bunch of stuck up pricks that walked around like they owned the place. As if their parents' money was their own. It wouldn't be that bad if that was the only problem. She could just avoid them. Unfortunately, life didn't work out like that. 

No matter. That wasn't what she wanted to think about today. Ever since she met Aiko, she couldn't help but think about her. It was hard for her to focus in school. What's up with that woman? Was she an edgerunner? A bladerunner? Daisy could barely see any cyberware on her. Maybe she wasn't one of those mercenaries.

As she made her way to her door, she couldn't help but stop at the one beside hers. Aiko's place. Her hand raised toward the material. Right before knocking, her hand stopped.

'Is she even in there? Maybe I should say hi. Argh! Don't be an idiot! Knocking on her door just to say hello?! She'll definitely be annoyed. Go home, Daisy.' She thought to herself. 

"Meow!"

"Eeek!" Daisy jumped before turning toward the noise. 

A black cat was sitting on the railing. Staring at her. When did he get there? Was the cat watching this whole time?

"Hey, kitty." She spoke gently. It was a beautiful feline.

Walking over to the cat, she slowly raised her hand. The cat nuzzled against her palm and purred. Daisy's face lit up with happiness as she pet the soft animal. She even scratched the back of his ears.

After a few minutes, the cat shook her off and walked over to the nearby pillar. With the acrobatics that were instinct for cats, he climbed up the pillar and strut onto the roof. Daisy frowned and carefully stood on the railing. 

"You shouldn't go up there! It's dangerous." She called. 

The nervous girl slowly pulled herself onto the roof. It took a while, due to her constant fear of falling. She'd made it though. Finally. Was the cat still there? 

"Meow."

Daisy could hear him. She crawled on her hands and knees for safety, approaching the sound. The girl eventually came around the groove and froze. The cat was on the edge of the roof, but that wasn't all. 

Aiko was there. Laying back against the slanted tile. Watching the sunset. The woman turned her head, finally looking at the frozen girl. 

"Do you normally chase after cats?" She asked. Daisy quickly shook her head.

"Ah, Aiko! N-no…I…um…I didn't know you were here. This cat just reminded me of…you." The last part of her sentence was quiet. 

She was already fidgeting, unable to keep still. Aiko heard Daisy's words and frowned. The woman looked directly into her eyes. 

"Are you calling me a cat?" Aiko questioned. Her voice was cold. 

Daisy.exe stopped working. Her mind went blank. Had she messed up? Did she say the wrong thing? 

"W-wait! That's not what I meant! U-Um…I was trying to say…um…that…well…" 

"Pffft."

Soft melodious giggles entered Daisy's ears. Looking up from her shame, she was able to witness Aiko holding her stomach. Her laughter was…nice. Daisy's expression eased up.

"I'm just kidding. Don't be so serious. You look like a frightened animal!" Aiko said. 

"Oh…"

"..."

"Do you always come up here?" Daisy asked. 

"...Sometimes."

"D-Do you like high places?"

"...I don't dislike them."

"...."

"...."

"The sunset is nice."

"Mhm." Aiko hummed. 

"The weather is nice."

"....."

"Um….the-"

"It's not safe for you to be up here." Aiko interrupted. Daisy's chipper attitude immediately fell into the depths of the abyss. 

"Oh…well, I'll go home then."

"Mnn."

"See you later, Aiko."

"Seeya."

Daisy slowly made her way down from the roof, trying her best to stay positive. She knew it. She sucked at starting conversation and it showed. Aiko was annoyed. 

She didn't want things to end like this! After gathering her courage, Daisy went back up to the roof. Her hands clenched into fists and held her skirt. 

"Um!" She spoke a little too loud. The woman lazing on the tile turned to her.

"Yes?"

"I'm…I'm making dinner tonight! You should come!" Daisy felt all the energy leave her body after saying these lines. 

She said it. She said it! Now all she had to do was wait for Aiko to reject her. Why would the woman agree? 

'I can't even speak right. She must think I'm dumb.' Daisy thought. She was scared to even hear the answer. 

"...Sure."

'Huh?' Daisy looked up in shock. Aiko was looking at her with a smile. 

"Yes?"

"...Yeah."

"Really?"

"Are you going to keep asking the same question?"

"N-No! Okay, come over when you're ready." Daisy spoke quickly before heading down. 

'I'm going to cook the best dish I've ever made in my life today. Right now!' She thought. 

Aiko shook her head and scratched the cat's chin. Were all school girls like that? The lazy woman was under the impression that corpo kids were supposed to be much more…arrogant.

"Looks like she needs some guidance." She muttered. 

…

…

…

The food was good. Really good. Really really good. Aiko wolfed it down like it would disappear if she looked away. 

"Do you like it?" Daisy asked with expectant eyes. 

"...It's good."

"I'm glad."

Once Aiko finished her food, she leaned back onto her chair. The food made her sleepy. Daisy took the plates and brought them to the kitchen. 

"There's a bunch more food. If you're ever hungry, you can come get some more. I'll cook again once we run out."

"...Okay."

Daisy walked back to the table and sat beside her. Her stare was burning a hole into the side of Aiko's face. Most definitely trying to figure out what to say. The woman sighed before speaking. 

"Daisy, how was school?"

"Eh, it was just whatever."

"You don't like it?"

"It's not that…it's just…there's a lot of people that I don't like. And there's a lot of pressure."

"I see. That's no fun." Aiko commented. A few seconds went by before Daisy thought of something. 

"Siiiiigh. I just remembered that I have homework." She revealed. 

"Ah, the life of a student. Is it due tomorrow?" Aiko asked. Daisy shook her head.

"Nope. I'll do it today though. That way I won't forget."

"So you're a studious girl. That's good."

"Hmph. I guess."

"......."

"Hey Aiko?"

"Mmm?"

"Are you an edgerunner?"

"...Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering."

"Well, it's something like that. Yeah."

"I knew it! You probably do a bunch of cool stuff! Things you only see in movies!" Daisy exclaimed. Aiko rolled her eyes. 

"Nevermind that. Do you live alone? Where's your parents?"

"Ah…my Dad works for a corp in Night City. He didn't want me living there since it's dangerous. I was sent here."

"I wouldn't say San Angeles is any safer."

"Maybe a teensy bit safer?"

"...Maybe. Just don't go to any poorly lit areas, alright? No shady stuff." Aiko's voice was stern. Daisy nodded. 

"I won't."

"Good." A hand patted the girl's head. "You're a good person with a good heart. Don't let this city swallow you up."

"Thanks?"

With those words, Aiko got up. Daisy could instantly tell that she was leaving. The girl walked her to the door. 

"Leaving already?"

"Mnn. I have things to do. Don't you have to do your homework anyways?"

"Things? Edgerunner things?"

"...That's right."

"Umm…c-can I call you sometime?" Daisy was nervous again.

There wasn't a response, but Aiko's details popped up in her retina display. The handshake emoji was accepted and the contact was made. By the time Daisy realized what happened, Aiko was already gone. 

Immediately, Daisy dashed into her room and jumped on the bed. No way. No way, no way! She screamed into her pillow and rolled around. Aiko's detes were still on her display.

…

…

…

[Mission: Infiltrate Arasaka's Temporary Data Facility.]

- Arasaka is planning to move their important data to Japan for safekeeping. They've temporarily rented a building in San Angeles. 

- There's high value info here. Out of the 60 floors, you must find the terminal on the 56th floor. Look for files regarding 'Soulkiller' and 'Mikoshi.' 

- Warning: Adam Smasher has been spotted on the premises. Move quickly, quietly, or both. 

VROOM

A beautiful black motorcycle sped through the night. The sound of the engine was pure high octane. Incredible horsepower, a coffin on two wheels. 

The bike weaved through cars, slid around the corner and entered the highway ramp. It moved quickly. The red trail of a tail light was left in its wake. 

Aiko wasn't going in quietly this time. No. This was San Angeles, not Night City. Adam Smasher would learn this tonight. Time fell to a standstill as her speed reached 200+ mph. 

Floor 56 was the goal, but there was a netrunner that needed to disappear. Floor 50. Her hand pulled even harder on the throttle. Increasing speed. Tunnel vision. Things turned into blurs. 

Further down the speedway, a massive cargo truck trudged along. Aiko's eyes flashed with color which caused the back of the truck to pop open. Any camera along her path went dark as she passed. 

Heavy supplies tumbled out of the back of the truck, and the joints began to malfunction. It was breaking apart…but a path was revealed. A makeshift ramp. 

Aiko headed straight for it. There was absolute confidence in her actions. Then she hit the ramp. As soon as the weight of her bike touched the bottom, it stuck straight up to the stars. 

There was a pop as the ramp started to break down. But it didn't matter. Aiko was already in the sky. Sailing across the air, straight toward the 50th floor…at over 200 miles per hour. She let go of the bike, allowing it to lead the way.

The building was coming up fast. She grabbed a knife from her suit and threw it at the nearby satellite pole. A cable was attached to the knife. It wrapped around the pole and stayed there. More and more cable extended from her suit. 

Point blank. 30 feet. 20 feet. 10 feet. 5 feet. Contact. 

BOOOM 

Her bike smashed through the building, crashing through several walls with resounding bangs. Only then did it explode into a hail of fire. The netrunner who was plugged into his chair didn't even feel when the heavy motorcycle slammed into him at such a high speed. 

His body was torn in half, and that was before the explosion. Aiko slammed her hand against her belt. The cable tightened like a bungee cord. Ever gone bungee jumping before? Well this time it was horizontal. 

Her body slowed down as she flew through the building's hole. Right before the cord reached maximum tension and pulled her back out of the building, she cut the wire. 

Aiko landed safely on her feet. The alarm was already going off, but it meant nothing. She'd already hacked into the automated drones and androids patrolling throughout the building.

She could see Smasher's heat signature rushing up from the 30th floor. Heh. Too slow. Like the androids were dogs, she spoke. 

"Sick em."

Every single android, drone, and cyberware-focused gonk was given the order to kill that cyberpsycho borg. Multitudes of enemies ran past her as if she wasn't there. 

Only now did Aiko take off her motorcycle helmet. A silk mask covered the lower portion of her face. Then she moved. Arms trailing behind her, she ran faster than humanly possible. 52nd floor. 53rd. 54th. 

She could hear Adam Smasher demolishing the androids, drones, and his own team. The sound of gunfire was deafening. He seemed to be enjoying himself. Good. Stay down there a bit longer. 55th. 56th floor. 

Target located. She kicked open the door and ran to the terminal. Reaching toward the back of her neck, she pulled out her jack wire and plugged it into the port. Jacking in.

Everything was encrypted. The ICE was strong. Luckily, the netrunner was dead. The firewall cracked in seconds.

She saw it. Mikoshi. Soulkiller. Silverhand. Cunningham. All of it. Without wasting any more time, she initiated the download. A loading bar appeared in her retina display and it moved quickly…but was it fast enough?

Smasher had torn through his comrades. He was on floor 48. 49. 50. 51. Aiko tapped her foot impatiently. The borg was gaining! Hurry…hurry…..HURRY!

[Download Complete]

Immediately, she activated her optical camo and ran. She could hear his ultra heavy footsteps going up the stairwell. He was here.

BOOM 

The door burst across the room as he barreled in. Aiko froze. Adam looked around the room and started to creep. His gaze darted in every direction. His eyes were shining with a menacing red light.

"I know you're here." He growled. 

For those who don't know about Adam Smasher, just look at his name. He smashes things. A big fucking borg. Fully kitted out in cyberware, only his heart and face was still human. He probably weighed at least a ton. That's two thousand pounds. At LEAST.

Aiko slowly moved toward the wall-sized window whenever he wasn't looking in her direction. Her steps were silent. Well trained. Practiced. As soon as his gaze passed over her she'd freeze. Optical camo was only good when you weren't moving. Otherwise you'd be seen more often than not. 

"You think I won't find you?!" Adam roared. 

His back opened up, and rockets flew into all parts of the room. Explosions resounded everywhere. Damn. Aiko immediately flipped over a rocket and dashed toward the window. 

She quickdrew her Jaeger and shot. The roar of her gun was enough, and her movement gave her location away. Smasher gave a disgusting smile. The smile of a cyberpsycho.

"There you are." 

One moment he was standing, then suddenly he was in front of her. Almost like he popped out of thin air. Like he teleported. His movement was so fast. Too fast. A Sandevistan! 

A mechanical hand swiped at her. Aiko ducked, avoiding the blow. She could hear the whistle of the wind as his hand moved. That attack would've knocked her head off. 

Her eyes glowed, and electricity danced across Adam's body. Sandevistan deactivated. Hacked. She aimed her Jaeger and fired. 

It punched through his cybernetic armor and blew off the side of his mechanical torso. Smasher's eyes went wide in shock. Nothing had ever made it through his armor. Not rockets. Not tanks. Not railguns. What the hell was that weapon?!

By this point, Aiko's optical camo ran out of activation time. Adam looked at her revealed form with a dark smirk. He wasn't surprised to say the least. 

"You look like a cut of fuckable meat." He said. 

"...Um…Thanks?"

"Your gun is nice, but I've got something just for you. Rejoice. Nobody has ever made me use this."

BEEP

A purple force field materialized around his body before camouflaging itself. Adam raised his hands as if telling her to shoot. So she did. Her gun roared as the bullet launched from the barrel. 

The shield appeared again and redirected the bullet. On the other side of the room, a molten hole appeared on the wall. Aiko clicked her tongue. 

"Tch. What the hell is that?"

"You should worry more about your own life. I wonder…when your body bursts apart, will I see meat…or cybernetics?" Smasher raised his arm. 

A barrel popped out of his wrist. Aiko moved. Her eyes glowed as she dashed toward the window. Adam's arm suddenly slapped his other one causing the aim to veer off target. 

BOOM

Good quick hack. The assassin finally leapt out the window and got a taste of the air. She was quickly greeted by the neon lights of San Angeles. Beautiful. 

Adam Smasher wasn't done. Not like this. He smashed through the window and fell after her. He weighed so much more, so his speed increased much faster. He was coming. 

Just like that, it was a dogfight. Two people in midair. Falling down the side of a skyscraper. Skydiving.

Aiko raised her gun again. She fired. It was redirected. Smasher raised both hands, barrels popping out of both. 

The left hand had a machine gun. The right was a slug launcher. Bullets began to fly. 

HACK! 

Smasher's weapons deactivated…but it came at a cost. There were bullet holes in her arm. Another in her shoulder. Luckily they passed right through. She could still move. She could still function.

That borg was gaining! A few more seconds and he'd be able to grab her. That would be the end. Why did he have to weigh so much?! Why did the air have to weigh so little?!

The two were falling past a set of suspended train tracks. Aiko could see a bullet train coming. She acted immediately. Grabbing a cabled knife from her suit, she threw it hard at the oncoming train. 

It stuck. Smasher was about to grab her! With a smack on her belt, the cable tightened and pulled her along with the train. 

The borg swiped and only caught air. Looking at the piece of meat who was getting away, his eyes glowed red. Aiko stuck her tongue out at Adam. 

"It was fun!" She called out before disappearing with the train. 

Smasher growled at her before focusing on his fall. Bracing himself for a massive landing, he flexed. The ground was coming up fast. There were cars everywhere. Traffic…innocent bystanders. Just meat in his eyes.

Contact.

BOOOOOM

He landed on top of a car, annihilating whoever was inside. That wasn't enough to stop his fall. Even the ground couldn't stop it. It gave way, sending him to sub levels. Only after he fell through the ground twice more did he come to a stop.

Steam wafted from the circuits in his cyberbody. Immense heat was being flushed out. His eyes glowed red. He wouldn't let her get away. No fucking way in hell. He liked that piece of meat. He wanted to see her insides. 

One step after the other…he broke into a slow run. The speed slowly increased, light thrusters shooting out his body to help with acceleration. His speed didn't stop rising.

…

…

…

Aiko heaved a sigh of relief. Her body was still being dragged through the air by the bullet train. That was a close call. 

'So that was Adam Smasher huh?' She thought. 

What a great first meeting. There was no doubt that he'd remember her. Especially with that psycho perverted borg brain. 

Tapping on her belt, the cable pulled her in. She could finally sit down. A call was made as she got comfortable. 

RING RING

"001?"

"Mission complete. I have the data."

"Did you run into Adam Smasher?"

"...I did."

"What did you think?"

"He's a walking tank. Nothing I couldn't handle if he didn't have that damn kinetic shield."

"Kinetic shielding? Hmmmm. Well, good job. Credits will be sent once you pass the data over at the dropoff point."

"Preem."

The call ended. Aiko checked her ammo just to be safe. There was enough. She only had two more knives on her suit. Connecting the cable to one, she left the other free.

RUMBLE

She heard it. Even through the wind. The sound of powerful steps crunching the earth beneath it. Breaking the metal of the train tracks. 

"You've gotta be kidding me." Aiko exclaimed. 

It wasn't over. Smasher's silhouette appeared in the distance, thrusters shooting out from behind him. Each bound sent him further and further. His running stride was long…and heavy. He was catching up.

The train was moving well over 250 mph and he was catching up easily. He must be moving at least 300 mph or more. The tired assassin slowly rose to her feet. Adam would be in range in a few seconds. 

She drew her Jaeger and waited. One second. Three seconds. Five seconds. She fired. The kinetic shield redirected it behind him. Damn.

Aiko had to think. How could she break past the shield? Maybe it only redirects projectiles that move at certain speeds? It was a theory worth testing out. 

Smasher was moving too fast. Was he going to ram the train?! This borg was crazy. 

"Did you miss me? I missed YOU." He called out. 

"Most women don't like guys who're too persistent. Sometimes you should just back off and call it a day, you know? Try again another time." She responded. 

"Not until I bust you open." He growled.

He was too close now. A few more steps and he'd hit the train. One step. Two steps. Three steps. She leapt into the air. 

BOOOM

The train was slammed with so much force that it shot off the rail. It slid off the tracks and plummeted down onto the buildings below. Then it lit up in flames and exploded. Everyone inside the train…gone.

Aiko flipped over Smasher and landed on the tracks. The heels of her combat boots lit up with sparks as she slid on the rails. They were still moving incredibly fast. If she lost her balance and tumbled, she would turn into roadkill.

Smasher finally stopped running and let the momentum slide him across the train tracks. Sparks were flying between the both of them…and not the romantic kind. Both of them squared up. 

Round 2. Let's go.

First move. The borg brought his hand down for a powerful chop. The catlike assassin twirled around the blow, using the momentum for a roundhouse kick to the side of his torso. The same side that was blown off earlier. Static danced off her feet and hands. Electro emitters.

Smasher growled in slight pain as electricity entered his circuits, but it was negligible. He knew she was slippery. Adam was prepared. 

Second move. He reached to grab her leg that was still raised. Aiko jumped with her left leg, flipping over his grab and landing on his shoulders. Both of her hands grabbed his metal head and lit up with static. 

"AAAAARGHHH. FUCKING MEAT!" He roared. 

His back opened up showing multiple rockets. She immediately flipped off his back as the explosives flew in every direction. Her eyes glowed as she hacked his optics. Smasher was blind. 

Raising her gun, she fired in between all of the incoming rockets. Her hand was glowing with static, causing the bullet to also be coated. The bullet didn't hit a single rocket but the static sure did. It danced across each one, causing them to explode prematurely. 

"It doesn't matter what you do, bitch. I can SMELL that good meat. Blind me. Deafen me. It won't fucking save you." He growled. Aiko frowned. 

"That's disgusting…but good luck."

Remember. Both of these figures are sliding across the train tracks at speeds not below 175 mph. The speed was decreasing of course, but there was still some ways to go.

Third Move. Aiko threw one of her knives coated with static. Smasher couldn't see it coming, so it smacked into the metal plate covering his heart. No kinetic shield. The woman raised an eyebrow. Noted. 

It didn't do any damage, but the static touched his heart. He felt that. There was no doubt. The anger could be seen on his face. 

Smasher didn't speak. His actions would do the talking. His chest opened up, revealing another barrel. This time it looked dangerous. A red light lit up in the barrel. Aiko immediately ducked and dove for his leg. 

A laser beam shot out of his chest, slicing through everything in front of him. He even turned his chest a full 90 degrees in order to be sure. Luckily, she'd already caught his leg and spun around his back. 

Realizing that this could possibly be a chance to get away, Aiko glanced at the edge of the tracks. She needed to jump. The problem was…where would she land? How?

Smasher was tired of being blind. He ripped off his human face, leaving only the terminator skull. His optics were pulled out, leaving only a real time camera jutting out of his forehead.

He could see…and Aiko wasn't paying attention. He instantly leapt at her for a tackle. The catlike assassin reacted quickly, trying to leap over him again. She was too slow. He caught her left wrist. Both of them sailed over the edge of the tracks, plummeting down to the buildings below. 

Adam squeezed her wrist and smiled when it popped. It didn't shatter, however. Titanium bones for the win. Ignoring the pain, she slammed her right palm on his chest. Electricity surged into his heart. 

Both of them were in a death grip. One mistake and they'd die. Eventually, too much electricity entered his heart. Smasher was left with no choice but to let go. Aiko immediately held onto his back. 

Then they landed. Crashing through a glass ceiling. A shopping mall. The assassin threw her cabled knife once more, letting it latch onto one of the ceiling pillars. This allowed her to curb her speed by swinging onto the second floor. She rolled onto her feet. 

Smasher crashed through the second floor and landed on the first. Immediately he looked for her, ignoring the alarms and screams of civilians. He was barely able to catch Aiko reactivating her optical camo and running. 

"Get back here!" He roared. 

He leapt onto the second floor, squishing the frail humans underneath him. Then he charged. Bulldozing through everything. He could see her. She wasn't getting away. 

By this point, Aiko regretted the way she approached this mission. Maybe she should've gone in quietly. Snuck in like a ghost and got out. This borg was relentless. Decisions and consequences, they came with the job.

Arasaka helicopters and AVs were starting to arrive. They'd been following Smasher for a while. Armored trucks full of soldiers entered the mall. This was Aiko's last chance to get away.

Smasher was catching up. The thrusters on his back lit up once more. This little cat was quick and slippery, but he could feel it. This was it. He'd get to break her open and see what was inside.

As he ran, he watched as she threw her cabled knife at him. He could almost laugh at how futile it was. His hand rose to catch it. 

Time slowed to a crawl. At that moment, Aiko spun around, her hand cannon loaded and primed. Electrically charged. Then she fired. The bullet slammed into her knife, immediately accelerating it and coating it with static. 

The blade slipped past his shield and cut through his armored neck. Smasher fell to his knees and held a hand against his throat. He had to stop. If he continued, his brain would lose fluid since they were connected cybernetically. 

Damn. That was it. She had already disappeared. It took all of his concentration to keep track of her. Now that he needed to focus on his survival, she was gone. He couldn't speak. His voice box was cut through. His other hand slammed into the ground. 

'Once I get myself fixed up, I'll find you again. You won this time, damn cat. It's been a while since a piece of meat kept me going this long.' He thought. 

Only Morgan Blackhand could keep up with him like this. Looks like a new power player has entered the field. No way would he forget her.

Safe.

…

…

…

Aiko laid on her couch while watching the news. Bandages covered her left hand. What a long night.

The station talked about everything that happened. The lazy woman was proud. She'd fought against THE Adam Smasher and won. Coming out with only a broken wrist? And a few bullet holes…what a small price to pay. 

She sipped a bottle of milk and poured the rest into the bowl. By the time the black cat arrived to drink it up, Aiko was already asleep. Her breath grew soft.