The Drifter

Konpeki Plaza. An Arasaka Luxury Hotel. Only the elite could stay here. The building was currently on lockdown. All of the lights had turned red, issuing a warning to all residents. 'Stay Inside.' Gunshots resounded on the lower floors of the establishment. Something big was happening. 

Two levels below the top floor, far away from the gunfight, footsteps could be heard on the ceiling catwalk. The sound was calm and measured, yet quiet enough to barely be noticeable. A cloaked figure scanned the server room below their feet. High powered electronics littered the surroundings.

The red glow of the lockdown lights brought clarity to the person. A black cloak covered the majority of sleek fitting armor…as well as the cyberware beneath. Dark nanoweave fibers threaded the cloak, allowing it to withstand hails of bullets. A crimson glow emanated from the hood. It was an infovisor…real time data would appear wherever one's gaze resided.

"Tsk." 

Whatever the drifter was looking for wasn't here. A disappointment. Still, the target would be found. It was at this moment that the infovisor pinged. It was an incoming call. 

Answering the call, an inhuman cyborg appeared on screen. The only human part left was the face. Everything else was pure machine…and heavily armored. It was Adam Smasher.

"Head to the ground floor. Now. Those bags of meat are in the parking garage. They also have your missing relic. Isn't that what the late old man Arasaka hired you for? Useless."

Smasher couldn't help himself. After he said his piece, he cut the call. That man was an eerie one. It's a wonder that the guy hadn't gone cyberpsycho. His entire body was machine after all. 

The Drifter turned to the polycarbonate glass windows. Right before a movement was made, dizziness suddenly overcame the figure. A shaking hand covered the mouth as a bout of uncontrollable coughs rocked through the body. 

COUGH COUGH

It didn't die down…it was quite the opposite. The coughs grew worse. A few minutes passed before it finally passed. Only then did a feminine groan escape the drifter's lips. 

Her gloved hand was now coated in blood. Not a good sign. After taking some time to gather her bearings, she stood straight like an arrow. Her gait remained calm and powerful. She had a relic to retrieve. 

Taking a single step, afterimages appeared behind her. Each one had the same color. Red. Tracing her movement was impossible. She'd already vanished. 

…

…

…

"Shit. Shit. Shit!" 

Two mercs could be found in a descending elevator. Both of them wore street clothing and bomber jackets. Guns in their hands. Locked and loaded…except one of them was injured. 

"Hehe…Hahaha…"

"The FUCK is so funny, Jackie?!" One of the mercs exclaimed. 

"Heh. Saburo Arasaka…One hundred and fifty years of life, and today…of all days. Died to his own fuckin hijo. Hehe…That's like…some divine comedy shit, V." Jackie said. His voice was weak.

"Think all this is funny?!" V growled. 

"Yeah. I do."

"Your liver might be fucked! Just be quiet and save your strength."

"It's fine. I had it…I had it coming. Heh." He joked. Jackie had always been an alcoholic.

"Fuck. Fuck me! Fuck!"

"Chill, V. We'll get out of here alive."

"Why? Cause you fuckin say so?" V roared.

"Don't…take this…out on me. I can see…how the chips…are falling."

"Damn. We gotta stay focused. Gotta keep our head in the game."

"Argh…V. I'm leaking a little." Jackie commented weakly.

Blood spilled from his side down his pants and onto the ground. A small puddle was starting to form. He would die soon if he kept bleeding out. 

"Keep putting pressure on-Shit! We're at the garage. Stay low." V changed his tune as the doors opened. 

The two crouched below the cars littering the area. Arasaka operatives were all over the place, decked out in heavy gear. Assault rifles included. There were too many. 

"Delamain in 3…2…1." V counted.

SCREEECH

The high pitched sound of wheels sliding on concrete resounded in the garage. It was extremely loud, grabbing the attention of each operative. The self automated taxi had arrived. The dark surroundings lit up due to the oncoming gunfire. 

Luckily, the vehicle was bulletproof for maximum safety concerns and customer satisfaction. There was a reputation to uphold. As bullets lit up the vehicle, Jackie and V crept closer to the taxi. Just had to wait for the gunfire to die down.

It took a few more seconds before the operatives realized there was nobody inside. One of them barked out the order to stop, prompting the gunfire to immediately cut off. The sound of reloading could be heard. 

"Here we go, Choom. Now!" Jackie grunted before bolting to the car. 

V was right behind the macho man running as fast as he could. As they grew closer, the car door opened up automatically. It had already confirmed the bioscans of their nearby customer. 

"There they are! Fire!" The operative exclaimed. 

Unfortunately, the sound of gunfire didn't come for another two seconds. Both mercs were already inside the car. They were safer than before…but not completely free of danger. 

"Delamain! Drive!"

"Welcome back. With Delamain, you leave your problems at the door." The AI droned. Bullets slammed into the car.

"We'll have a problem if you don't fucking DRIVE!"

The delamain reversed on full throttle, slamming into a parked car behind it. This was followed by powerful acceleration that turned into a burnout u-turn. With such a clean driving maneuver orchestrated by the AI, the car zoomed out of the garage. 

"Phew!" Jackie hummed. 

"It ain't over, Jackie. Look alive!" V stated while lowering the backseat window and leaning out with his firearm.

Drones had locked onto the vehicle and were chasing not far behind. The merc steadied his aim as best he could, then fired. This car was moving around at high speeds making it hard to land shots. 

"Almost…" He muttered. 

One by one the automated drones were shot down. There were only a few more left. The clock ticked as the chase continued. The car was seconds away from clearing the plaza. One more turn and they were free. Didn't take long before the last drone was destroyed. 

"Jackie! You good?!"

".........."

"Jackie!"

V looked inside to find an unresponsive man. Blood had drenched the seat. His eyes were closed as he struggled to breathe. He was dying. The merc frowned and pulled out his last stem. Slamming it down into Jackie's thigh, temporary life was breathed into him. 

"Ahhh…Thanks….amigo." He grunted. 

"Almost there. Think about Misty. Think about the credits. We're almost home free damnit!" V said.

"...Misty. She knew. She always knew." Jackie's eyes turned watery as he thought of her.

It was at this moment that time seemed to slow down. As the car began its final turn out of the complex, V caught something out of the corner of his eye. A humanoid machine was sprinting toward them. A massive cyborg. 

"Oh shi-"

BAM

Smasher rammed into the car with a powerful force. It was a perfect T-bone, sending the car flipping and skidding. Both mercs were thrown around, hitting the doors and windshields. V could feel a few ribs snapping. His left arm snapped due to being closest to the impact.

Jackie didn't fare any better. His body was slammed in between the passenger seat and the arm rest console. Upper half toward the front, lower half in the backseat. His consciousness had long since left him. V could only hope he was still alive. 

The car landed upside down, sliding across the street and hitting a light pole. The merc could barely get up. A concussion was the least of his worries. 

"Ugh."

Before he could register anything….a crimson light cut through the top, or now bottom, of the car. No, it wasn't a light. It was a focused laser, molded into the form of a sword.

The crimson blade swept from one side of the car to the other in a smooth motion. It cut right through V's arm at the elbow, also slicing through Jackie's waist. The macho man was cut in half. His innards spilled all over the seat as V watched in horror. 

A searing line went through the vehicle, causing the delamain to split in two halves. V could only scream at the searing pain coming from his elbow. Everything happened so fast. It was scary how quickly that red light had swept through the car. Almost like a blink. 

"AAAAARRRGH FUCK! JACKIE!"

As his body fell onto the pavement. He finally located the source of the red light. A mysterious figure in all black, holding a crimson laser blade. A beam saber. The facial features couldn't be seen. 

The drifter casually strolled over to Jackie's corpse and pressed on the back of his neck. An engram data chip popped out of the slot. After taking the chip and pocketing it, she began to walk away. 

"Meat sack, where the fuck do you think you're going?" Adam Smasher's voice called out. The drifter paused her steps, turning to the cyborg. 

"Saburo hired me to retrieve the relic. It is retrieved." She spoke. Her voice sounded a bit husky, even seeming as if there was honey in her words. 

"Saburo. Is. Dead." Smasher growled.

"...Yes."

"So where are you taking the relic?"

"..................."

"Next in line is Yorinobu. You should be returning it to him."

"After he killed his own father?" She mocked. The corner of her lips rose into a slight smile.

"You…aren't going to return the relic?" Smasher questioned with heated disbelief. Who would go against Arasaka? Against him? Did this bag of meat have a death wish?

"My gig is canceled. Without a client, there's no payment. I guess this could be my payment." She commented as if she was bored. 

"Betraying Arasaka…to think I would have to kill you so soon." He announced while revving up his machine-like body. 

"Kill me…You?" She mocked. The hilt of her beam saber extended, transforming into a swordstaff.

"I can't see your features, but your voice sounds nice…for a fuckable piece of meat at least. Maybe I'll take a look under the armor before I turn you to swiss." 

As soon as he finished speaking, he activated his Sandevistan. His silhouette blurred as time slowed. He then dashed toward the drifter…only to realize that the distance between them hadn't changed. He couldn't catch up. 

'What? What kind of Sandevistan…' He thought.

Smasher boasted a state of the line Arasaka prototype Sandevistan. There was nothing better than this. The fact that he couldn't catch up…What the hell did she have chipped in? 

The cyborg's bullets froze in the air. They were moving too fast…but the drifter was faster. She didn't attack a single time, only maintaining the distance. 5 seconds felt like an eternity in bullet time and only then did something happen. 

The Sandevistan suddenly shut down and he couldn't move his body. It was a cyberware malfunction. Somehow…someway…She'd hacked him. 

"How!? A cyberdeck and a Sandevistan can't be chipped in at the same time!" He roared. 

The drifter ignored his concerns and turned to leave. With a variety of afterimages, she vanished from the area. Only a single phrase was left behind.

"Shouldn't you be dealing with your scapegoat?"

Smasher grimaced at her words. Turning to the defenseless merc sprawled on the ground, he grabbed V and dragged him back toward the hotel. This unlucky merc would take the fall for Saburo's death.