Chapter 12 (Part 1)

Escaping from an area cordoned off by a gang was no small feat. We had to maneuver between small patrols which, thanks to my diversion, had become much more vigilant in scouring the neighborhood. On top of that, Susan was not in the best of shape. She had been tortured, but not with particular zeal. It was clear the thugs were trying to coerce her into cooperation through such means, or more likely, vent their longstanding grievances on her. I knew she had caused quite a bit of trouble for the Maelstrom before she managed to escape from them, but the specifics of what my sister had done were unknown to me.

Come to think of it, I don't really dwell on it. Sue isn't the type to betray someone without a good reason. The gang probably asked her to do something that went against her principles, there's no other explanation. And whatever it was, it was important enough to them that they were willing to break their own rules by kidnapping her quietly, leaving no trace.

"*Cough*, *Cough*, don't worry, I'm okay..." Susan suddenly coughed and spat a clot of crimson saliva onto the ground.

"I believe you..." I rolled my eyes and gripped her tighter to prevent her from falling. After all, she was far from being in her best condition, and who knows what "amusements" they had subjected her to.

Our group had covered a decent distance, but we still had several hundred meters to go to our destination. Walking with an injured person on your shoulders was tough. Even though my sister tried to be brave, I could see that her condition barely allowed her to move her legs, let alone undertake any more strenuous activity.

That small dash from the hangar area had drained all of the girl's remaining strength, and now we had to carry her. To be more precise, I was carrying her, with the occasional help of two brothers, who took turns assisting every few minutes. Sue was quite heavy for the boys, despite Han and Shiro being very strong for their age. Unlike me, they were normal kids and hadn't been injected with the stuff that turns a rational person into a superhuman.

"Hang in there, Sue, we've got just a hundred meters left," I encouraged my wheezing mentor, gently stroking her back. We had to stop for a short rest, as she could no longer walk. She was at her limit, and I wasn't experiencing the slightest rebound.

"I'm not going anywhere," the woman tried to cheer me up, but it didn't come out very convincingly. "Let's go, they're waiting for us, I'll make it somehow," Mitchell waved her hand, leaning on my shoulder again.

With a heavy sigh, I resumed walking towards the rescue group awaiting us. I hoped there wouldn't be any surprises from them because otherwise, fending them off with a half-dead woman and two kids would be impossible. They just wouldn't let me fry all their brains…

Yeah, it's better to dismiss such thoughts; otherwise, I might take too much to heart and actually provoke a situation like that. Somehow, by some miracle that defies explanation, we managed to cover the last few meters, and Susan was practically snatched from my hands and hastily bundled into a car parked just a couple of meters away from us.

"Damn, what are kids doing here?!" one of the rescuers exclaimed, eyeing me suspiciously.

"These kids, *Cough*, *Cough*, pulled me out of that hellhole. You shouldn't talk about them like that," the woman immediately defended us, surprising the gang members with her words.

"So that's how it is..." a man standing aside dragged on his cigarette before finishing it quickly. "Alright, our job is to deliver you to Wakako, everything else is not our concern. We'll put the kids in the back seat; there should be enough space."

We were hurriedly pushed into the car, and when the doors finally slammed shut, I could sprawl out on the soft seat, not holding back my tired exhale. All this time, we had to stay on alert to avoid capture. Thankfully, everything turned out alright, but it was too early to celebrate. Only once we got home could we truly breathe a sigh of relief.

"Choom, I see you took quite a beating. Here, take this," the man said, pulling a medical stimulator from the car's glove compartment and injecting it into the mentor's exposed neck area. It speeds up natural healing several times and also temporarily puts the body into a state of alertness. Using these often is not recommended unless, of course, you want to die from exhaustion. After all, regeneration consumes the body's stored resources, specifically fats, and if those are depleted, muscle fibers are next to go.

"Wan, I didn't expect Okada-san would send you..." A few minutes later, Susan finally came around. Her face regained some color, and her breathing normalized.

"A favor for a favor. You once saved my ass; now it's my turn to save yours. I think we did pretty well, right?"

I didn't hear the rest of the conversation because I simply passed out. I never thought I'd experience something like this, but life loves to throw unexpected surprises.

***

I was awakened in a rather unpleasant manner. Someone was rudely shaking me, clearly trying to rattle my soul, if that's even possible. I had to open my eyes and with a dazed look, survey the surroundings I found myself in. I was brought back to consciousness in our workshop. My body was carefully laid out in a chair, which I comfortably fit into. Sometimes being young has its advantages.

"Alex, get up..."

"Sto-o-op shaking me." Opening my eyes, I see Shiro's satisfied face, who seemed to have no intention of stopping. "Where's Susan?" Immediately upon waking, I asked the most pressing question of the moment.

"She's alright now. She's sorting out some issues with some old lady." The boy pointed behind himself.

Focusing, I finally managed to see my mentor's back. Standing before her was an elderly Asian woman, none other than Wakako Okada. They were speaking quite softly, but by focusing my hearing, I managed to catch part of their conversation.

"Susan, are you sure you won't change your mind?" The Japanese woman pursed her lips, clearly displeased with something, but her internal composure wouldn't allow her to openly display the emotions bursting within.

"It's dangerous for me to stay in the city. A gang war might be starting soon, and the entire Maelstrom is hunting for me. Wakako, it wouldn't be beneficial for you either, even my technical skills can't outweigh the problems my presence in Night City would cause." Sue snorted in her usual manner, crossing her single arm in front of her chest. She always does that when she starts to get irritated. Apparently, their argument had been going on for more than ten minutes, and Susan was thoroughly tired of it.

"Alright, I see you've made up your mind." Wakako closed her eyes regretfully and looked directly at me. "It seems your protégé has awakened. I'll leave you two alone; I still have a lot of work to do." The woman slightly lifted her lips in a semblance of a smile and slowly turned around, exiting the workshop. Following her were two guards from the Kogane who, until that moment, had been doing their best to blend in as furniture. My head was still a bit dizzy, but I hoped my malaise would soon pass.

"Alex, how are you feeling?" Susan approached me and placed her single hand on my head. Her smile was somewhat strained, but she tried not to show that she was feeling just as crappy as I was.

"Do you want the truth or the handbook version?" I raised my eyebrow quizzically.

"The truth, the handbook version." My sister slightly tousled my hair, waiting for my usual reaction, which, to the girl's surprise, did not occur.

"My head's spinning, I feel slightly nauseous and disoriented. I need a bit of time, and I'll be as good as new." I showed a thumbs up with my right hand, slightly lifting my lips in a smile.

"Ah, green and bumpy," Sue removed her hand from my head, immediately grabbing my ear with her limb. "Tell me, Alex, you little shit, what were you thinking when you went after the Maelstrom alone without any adult backup?" My long-suffering limb was sharply tugged, forcing me to stand up so the girl wouldn't tear it off with all the trimmings. "You're a smart kid, smarter than many adults. Couldn't you have asked Wakako for help?"

"I had my reasons not to act that way." The grip on my ears slightly eased, allowing me to breathe a little. The girl's eyebrow raised questioningly, waiting to hear these "reasons." "Firstly: Time was of the essence, and if I had immediately sought help from Wakako, she would indeed have helped you, but at the same time, you would owe her." The girl reluctantly nodded, accepting my words. "Secondly: it wasn't certain that you could be rescued. Anything can happen in a shootout, and as a hostage, you were a leverage factor." Another agreeing nod. "And lastly: you mean a lot to me, and I was just scared for you." I awkwardly turned away from Susan's face, hiding my eyes behind my now quite long bangs.

"What an idiot you are." My ear was finally released, only for me to be scooped up in a hug and tightly pressed against her the next moment.

"By the way, I hacked the city's entire surveillance system from a neighboring IP, so they better not use it now." I inserted another piece of news as if it were just a side note.

"I'm not surprised at all by that. You know," the mentor slightly loosened her embrace and looked at my face, "with you, I've stopped being surprised by anything."

"What, no lectures for me?" I squinted suspiciously at the brunette.

"My words are like water off a duck's back to you. In the end, you'll do what you want anyway." The girl snorted and brought back her smile.

"So what do we do now? They won't just let us go, will they?" I stepped back from the brunette, briefly scanning the workshop.

"Remember John, that man from the Bakker clan?" Seeing my nod of affirmation, the mentor continued. "Well, he once offered me to join their clan. They need a technician of my level, and I promised to think about it."

"How long ago was that?"

"About a month ago," the sister paused for a second, recalling past events.

"Uh-huh, I won't ask why you decided to stay, but are you sure his offer is still valid?" I skeptically crossed my arms in front of my chest. After all, a month is quite a long time, and the offer might no longer be available.

"I knew you would ask that question," the girl coughed into her fist, seeing my eyes roll, "you know, life for the nomads is tough, and to survive in the wastelands of new America, they need to move from place to place, looking for various jobs. Because of this, their technology wears out quickly. People are also prone to getting sick and 'breaking down,' and they also need timely assistance. A specialist like me and you are simply essential to the nomads."

"I won't abandon the little ones," I stated emphatically, understanding where Susan was heading.

"That was a bit hurtful just now," the mentor snorted, crossing her arms in front of her chest, mirroring my posture. However, we've picked up too much from each other over the time we've worked together. "The kids will find work there too, don't think they'll be sitting idle."

"Alright, I'm basically on board, but we need to get everyone else's opinion." I turned my head towards the brothers huddled quietly in the corner, who were suspiciously silent. "Han, Shiro, what do you think about this offer?"

"Agreed." The boys unanimously responded in their characteristically irritating manner.

"Okay, then we're ready to take the risk. Convincing Inga won't take long. She's too attached to me, and sometimes it seems like she genuinely hates this city and wants to get out of here as soon as possible." I waved my hand vaguely, trying to find the right description for her behavior.

"In that case, head home and start packing. Take everything that's not nailed down; the Bakkers could use any trinket." Sue was about to leave but abruptly stopped and looked at me. "Alex, can you handle packing up everything necessary in my workshop by yourself?"

"Sure, will you take Larry with you or leave him here?"

"Let him stay. Old Lee will pay well for him. It's a shame we have to part ways so quickly, but it's the situation, you understand." Sue glanced at the robot standing still like a statue, letting out a sad sigh.

"Alright, then I'll quickly..." I waved goodbye to her and began to quietly gather the tools. "Han, Shiro, as our sister said, collect everything that's not nailed down. Inga won't be able to handle it alone at home..."