Michael 'Magos' Sobronov
Clothes replaced with something not smelling of steaming guts, entire megabuilding network infiltrated as a precaution, and a worried mother temporarily placated behind me, I once more found myself in the elevator to the megabuilding's fiftieth floor, the slightly scratched up katana still hanging proudly off my side despite my disgruntlement with what it represented.
I let all the worries my mind kept conjuring simply pass over me and hearing the ever too loud ding of the elevator, I snapped my eyes open, ready for another session of dealing with the devil.
Or a particularly boisterous and annoying imp, if one was to be pedantic.
My entrance went mostly unnoticed this time, save for one of the wealthy corpo residents looking at me with cautious eyes as I passed him by. This time I wasn't accompanied by any Tyger Claws so I could only count my lucky stars he didn't try anything stupid.
Thankfully the Blossom Butique was relatively close to the elevator and I didn't need to risk being in the presence of overly paranoid (and rightfully so) corporate rats for too long.
The same door guard that greeted me last time was on the job today, which no doubt saved me even more of a headache.
He eyed the sword I was carrying, inclined his head, and simply opened the way "Jugo-sama awaits in the garden, Magos-dono." He politely said and returned to his post.
'Was Jugo trying to throw me off balance with the subtle change?' I wondered as I wordlessly entered the high class club 'Or is this some kind of subtle signal to any observers?'
A small part of me wondered if the madman simply did not give a shit and chose these things on a whim.
Not that I had too much time to consider such inanities (my sanity should thank me) as before long I entered the familiar overly colorful indoors garden, and was once more greeted by the site of my current employer seated on his wooden bench and sipping tea.
Except his four bodyguards were on full display this time, and stationed at the sides of the two only entrances to the place, none of them so much as looking at me as I entered despite the sudden tensions in their posture.
"Ah, if it isn't my mighty street samurai!" The Tyger Claw Captain laughed boisterously and waved for me to approach "Come, come! I want to hear how everything went."
'So he already knew what happened.' I wasn't sure if I was impressed or annoyed.
Not allowing myself to be taken off guard by the sudden cheer, I walked over to him silently and sat across him "You are certainly excited today." I said in lieu of greeting.
"How can I not be?" He grinned, making his poorly healed skin stretch over his throat implant "You are here, and I haven't received any bitching from my dear comrade Shobo about one of his boytoys losing his toys."
"Yet." I corrected with a raised finger.
"Ho?" Jugo leaned in "And will he have a reason to?"
'Will he have an excuse to?' Being the real question.
"They realized something was wrong quite quickly after I stole the sword." I unlatched the rod of metal and placed it on my lap, its weight feeling oddly reassuring "They never noticed me but I had to crawl through vents for a good few hours to get out."
"Ha!" The gang boss barked out "That must have been a sight."
"Straight from a horror movie." I deadpanned.
He tilted his head, scratched his chin no doubt imagining the scene, and then nodded with an overly excited grin.
But all of that theatricity disappeared as quickly as it came as he turned deathly serious "So you mean to tell me that the alarm was raised despite your attempts?"
"An internal one." I confirmed easily.
It might cost me a lot of money but lying wasn't worth it when one had to trust their employers with their life.
Jugo stared at me for a long stretched out moment before his previous mood returned "Good! I like honesty in my associates. And since none were killed-" He paused with a questioning look.
A nod.
"-That means you managed to pass my test!" He declared and clapped his hands.
Fifty thousand eurodollars fell into my account, but I didn't celebrate just yet.
"A bit premature." I corrected once more and seeing his questioning look I tossed him the sword.
His guards tensed but seeing their leader's hand lash out and catch the blade perfectly they remained standing as they were.
Their Captain gave the weapon a quick look over and smirked "Couldn't resist giving it a try, hmm?"
"Wasn't left much of a choice." I did my best to keep the complaint from my tone "Ms. Jones called me in for an emergency, and the cyberpsycho I had to fight was more resilient than expected."
'Not a situation I would allow to happen again.'
"And so you resorted to man's most ancient way." One would easily be tempted to think the gangster was teasing me with how amused he sounded "Cutting shit up."
All I could do or say to that was direct him with my driest deadpan.
"For someone so formidable you are quite naive sometimes, Magos-san." The Okada shook his head with mirth "I've learned of your little adventure minutes after you left the storage yard. A cyborg carrying a Tyger Claw blade was seen entering the site, and left having slain a Maelstromer cyberpsycho."
"You've already declared as much." I preempted him, slightly annoyed "Sneaking around a street samurai doesn't make."
He inclined his head.
"But I felt you'd want to hear the report anyway."
"True enough!" He barked, slapping his leg as he did.
And before I could ask him how this would affect my reward, for keeping the whole thing with the trophy damaged would be odd, he surprised me once again by taking the sword and tossing it back to me.
"You can have it." He said, voice seemingly uninterested but eyes glinting with hidden malice.
I looked down at the weapon I managed to catch with only minor trouble and then back at the Tyger Claw boss "You were going to do this no matter what I did."
"Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't." He shrugged, no doubt feeling incredibly smug about himself "The simple fact is you have earned the right to wield it through honorable combat, by striking down one of my enemies."
He raised his hands with faux helplessness "Who am I to deny my allies their rightful spoils?"
I really wanted to call him out on his bullshit but I knew for a fact he'd throw any complaint back at me with some bullshit about honor and implied insults and badger me until I accepted despite my reservations.
And so I bit down on my feelings and forced out a "You have my thanks, Okada-san."
"Just make sure to learn how to actually use it, yes?" He smirked "Beginners luck is good and all but anyone who knows what they are doing would notice you used it more as a bat than as a proper katana."
I just reiterated my previous deadpan, unwilling to be dragged into a debate about the Tygers' obsession with the weapon "Noted."
"Excellent." He clapped his hands "Now that that is over and done with, you'll be happy to know the area is finally considered safe enough for investors to begin moving into the building, which means meetings. Many meetings."
"And you want my overwatch?" I noted while absently bringing the cup of tea the same woman from before silently brought it in.
"Just as we agreed." Okada said with a light smirk "In fact I have one scheduled for this late evening, likely to last well into the morning hours."
"You could have told me in advance you know." I most definitely did not complain like an annoyed brat "I have plans to make, things to do."
"But of course, it was a surprise to me as well." He lazily excused himself, though the knowing glint in his eyes told me otherwise "Naturally you will be paid well for your discretion, and inconvenience."
"You are going to ask me to do more than just overwatch, aren't you?" I asked dryly.
As if he hadn't just heard me speak, he went on "What does another 50k sound like?"
Well why didn't you say so immediately? "I will naturally do some minor favors for my business associate."
The man's grin was so wide it must have hurt.
Isamu 'Jugo' Okada
'Truly I have lucked out to find a hidden gem like this one so early.' The Tyger Claw Captain patted himself on the back as he enjoyed his favored all natural tea with his guest.
He wondered if the cyborg could even taste the expensive drink.
He seemed to enjoy it well enough and wasn't one for bullshit so at least there was the small hope it wasn't all going to waste.
Though his guest seemed to be growing increasingly agitated now that their business was done, and so despite wanting to know more about how he ticked, Isamu was forced to move on to the next part of his plan.
He had contacted his mother, who then contacted one of her more trusted netrunner friends, and the rumors she got back made Isamu feel like he had just won the lottery.
Part of him was tempted to consider a more subtle approach, send someone to test the waters first... But where was the fun in that?
"You said something about a new voicebox?" Isamu asked as he lowered his cup.
"Finally done scouting me out?" The audacious cyborg bit back simply.
Which of course just served to make him grin "One does not simply place their hand into the tiger's jaws."
"Please spare me the tiger allegories." The boy groaned.
Which naturally made Isamu laugh.
But he still needed to conduct business, and so his fun would have to wait.
"So exactly can you offer me that would replace my... shitty voicebox?" He repeated.
As the words left his mouth something in his guest shifted.
The tension that had followed each and every movement of the cyborg simply evaporated as his golden eyes were suddenly overtaken by a manic glint so intense it almost made him reach for his hidden weapon.
"Well I can certainly do better than a simple vocal cord and airway replacement with a bit of armoring, that is for damn fucking sure." Magos said, words coming out far faster than before "Do you want an air tank? A poison and gas detector? A secondary filtration organ? Stimulant injector? All of the above?"
Each rapid fire suggestion made Isamu feel more and more out of his depth.
"Hell, depending on your budget I could even shove a replacement for your thyroid gland. Would probably stop you from needing to half-overdose on medication every day just to keep your metabolism on nominal levels."
Isamu's blood chilled.
"How do you know that?" He demanded.
"Basic medicine, and I analyzed the differences between our teas." The cyborg answered blandly, as if he didn't just reveal another of his cards "Yours is brimming with so many regulators I wouldn't be surprised if you have a replacement liver slated for the end of this year just waiting for your natural one to fail."
The Tyger Claw found all of his previous amusement leaving him at that reminder. He hadn't been able to eat anything except white rice and cooked chicken for nearly half a year now, and the taste was slowly driving him mad.
Not to mention the price of getting it all organic.
He could have probably bought out a good night club or two for what he spent on the real food daily!
Which was to say, he didn't hesitate even a bit when he asked "And what would the replacement run me?"
"500k" The answer came instantly.
"Done." Isamu didn't even need to think about it.
"Good." The cyborg grinned "They won't take too much space and are pretty power efficient so what else do you want?"
'Seriously?!' He was tempted to blurt out but thought better of it "Can you send me a list? I need to think about it."
Before he even finished his sentence, he had the list downloaded on his Neural Link with no prompting of his own.
Directing his increasingly valuable associate with the stink eye, Isamu once more patted himself on the back for forcing him to take the sword earlier.
At least he got his shot in when he could.
"One thing." Magos cut his thoughts off "When the implant is ready in a few days, you will be coming to my place, alone."
His guards tensed once again, his second going as far as to send him a message begging him for the chance to teach the insolent boy a lesson in pain.
Isamu denied him instantly.
"Ho?" He couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at the demand "You expect me to trust you with my life?"
"You will be going under my knife, as I will not let anyone else touch my work." The cyborg shrugged "You must trust me either way." He tilted his head "And if your other associates are bothered by the idea, just sneak out like a normal person."
"Hah!" He laughed at the flat statement "I just might."
"So?" Magos pressed "Do you agree?"
"Alright, fine." He grunted "I don't see why you insist on it but I won't complain."
"Excellent." The borg grinned and got up with just a tiny bit too much energy "Are we done here? I have a design to start working on."
'He expects to do it in mere days-' Isamu stopped his thoughts 'No, no. Of course he does. He is completely insane.' "But of course." He smiled instead of showing his apprehension, or his astonishment "Don't let me stop you."
"Just send your goon to call me for the meeting." The cyborg said as if he just remembered their previous deal.
Isamu nodded and his guest left.
"Jugo-sama-" His bodyguard started the instant they were left alone.
But was stopped by Isamu's raised hand "I understand you are angry, Hiashi. But remember we are in America, not Japan. He believes he has full rights to behave as he does."
The cyberized veteran bowed his head "Of course, Jugo-sama. But what if he disrespects you publicly?"
"He will not." He answered immediately, absently falling back to English "He may be young but he isn't stupid"
He began tapping his leg with one of his hands "His value grows by the day and he will come to learn it. Better to have a powerful future contact than a momentarily obedient tributary."
"Hai, Jugo-sama." His second bowed.
His hand absently scratched against his 500 000 eurodollar throat replacement, reminding himself to pay the boy more as another favor and lesson "Yes... too valuable to ignore."
Michael 'Magos' Sobronov
I tried and failed to suppress the growing spikes of irritation as I stalked back into my home territory.
The very idea I actually relaxed in the presence of gangoons of any kind just because I finally got the chance to advertise a bit would have probably made me feel sick to my stomach if I was capable of it.
Instead I was left simply replaying the many missteps I made without even thinking.
"Fucker had me monologuing." I cursed, and ignored the startled old woman who had just noticed me when I spoke.
The doors to my home split just quickly enough for me not to break my stride and still stuck in my thoughts I simply strolled into my workshop without thinking and connected to my computer.
Despite my annoyance, I still wanted to start selling my masterworks, and since it was a Tyger Claw I was selling to I'd need to make sure I didn't advertise too much.
De-aging him on accident while operating would have me drowning in Arasaka 'acquisition teams' before I could even think the words 'Oh fuck'.
Unfortunately, despite my mind's constant warnings that I was forgetting something incredibly important I was too focused on the ideas that had simply refused to stop popping up ever since I accepted Okada's commission.
And thus the consequences were inevitable.
A steely hand landed on my shoulder, its grip so hard I almost feared it would dig into the titanium "So, Mikey." My mothers falsely cheerful voice echoed in my Audioreceptors "What is this I hear about fighting a cyberpsycho? In melee?"
Ah shit...
God damn it Regina.
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